Holidays and Pictures :: 11

"They call me la gorda.  I have no idea why." 

Holidays and Pictures :: 10

Holidays and Pictures :: 9

Look who sits at the table now.  And wipes his plate clean with his last tortilla. 

Holidays and Pictures :: 8

Day after Christmas ham soup. 

Holidays and Pictures :: 7

Sleeping Beauty

Papers Papers and More Papers.

Paperwork.

This is an update on what we have accomplished regarding the documentation our family needs to all live/visit in the country of the other's birth.  If this is not something that interests you, feel free to skip.  We know, however, that many of you have asked and have been praying for these little details of our life.  Thank you for that.  This update is for you.

~ Kathleen's Status in Mexico:
Every year, I have to renew my immigration statues here in Mexico.  I was on track to get my permanent residency in five years. On this track there are certain limitations, like time in and out of the country, plus having to ask for permission each year to stay another year.  And of course pay a nice sum each time I do so.
This summer, however, I went to the immigration office and was told the laws had changed.  I could apply for permanent residency immediately because I have a Mexican child. (Thank you Job!) I of course applied and my application was accepted.  It was a bit of a lengthy process, but in October, I picked up my Mexican permanent residency card.  It is good for my lifetime....no more going back to the immigration office every year.   I can come and go as I please.  With it I have every right of a Mexican citizen besides the right to vote or to carry a Mexican passport.  I'm okay with that!

~Rafa's Status in the United States:
As many of you know, Rafa had his immigration appointment the first part of November.   He was asked some questions then given a slip of paper with instructions on how to mail in some more documentation.  We mailed the needed documentation, along with his passport, in December.   On Saturday December 21st, Rafa went to Xalapa (the location of the nearest DHL office) to pick up his passport.  We had no idea if there would be a visa or not.  Well, it did. His passport came back with his visa stamped in it.  He has till May 1st to enter the US. (Though its recommended he present himself in the States as soon as possible.) His actual green card will me mailed in 3-6 months to our US address.

~Maya's U.S. Documentation:
Because I am American, my children are born Americans, but we have to have to get a report of their birth abroad at the American Embassy in Mexico City.  If her birth abroad is approved, we can then apply for her US passport at the same time.  We were given an appointment for Monday, December 23rd.  Her report of birth abroad was approved.  Because of Rafa's visa situation, they offered to give us an emergency passport for Maya. So that day we were handed a passport for her that is good for 90 days.  Once in the States we can mail it in and they will send us her normal passport at no additional charge.  We can also mail it in from here in Mexico if need be.

~Job's and Maya's Mexican passports:
The only thing left are the kids's Mexican passports.  Since they are under the age of five, they are only good for a year.  We will make their appointments in Xalapa after the holidays are over.  If approved, we will need to go pick their passports up in Xalapa a week after their appointment. This *should* be the easiest step of them all.

~The rest of it:
There are a few more thins that we already have, but are not mentioned in this post.  I have my U.S. passport, Rafa has his Mexican passport, and Job has his U.S. passport.

We still don't have travel plans, but if you have done the math, our little family of four should be State-side by mid-March 2014!

Thank you all for your prayers and interest in our family.  We praise the Lord for you!

Holidays and Pictures :: 6

Chubby Wrist 

Holidays and Pictures :: 5

~sweet girl corner~ 

Holidays and Pictures :: 4

Holidays and Pictures :: 3

The Official Taste-Tester Helper

Holidays and Pictures :: 2

Maya :: Six Weeks

Holidays and Pictures :: 1

Who can add to Christmas?  The perfect motive is that God so loved the world.  The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him.  The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life. 

From Here to There

{Some random pictures we have sent to Rafa over the past few days.  How we miss him!  And I'm pretty sure he misses us too! Immigration interview tomorrow and home on Tuesday.  So far the little lass has made no move to get out of her current home.  We are grateful.}

Adorable Job.

39 Weeks Today

{Picture taken this past Sunday.}

this morning.

I put his toiletries in a clear plastic bag, checking to make sure all the little bottles are less than 100 ml or 3 ounces in size.  

I fold the last few articles of clothing, place four folders full of paperwork on top, and close up the bag.  I'm thankful for the small bag and the few pieces of clothing.  He'll be back soon.  A man always seems to find his way home when he runs out of clean unmentionables.  

I hand him his wallet, passport, and cold medicine.  The poor man has been feeling awful the last couple of days.   

I give him a slip of paper with flight information and his hotel confirmation number.  

I'm not used to this.  I am the one who goes, not the one who stays behind.   Sure I have spent what feels like half of our marriage waiting for him to get home from work, but such is life for the blue collar Mexican... Long, long, hours.  So I have learned to wait and be thankful for the time we are given.  But trips?  Never.  I have always been the one to hop on a plane, jetting somewhere north, leaving him behind.  But now its his turn.  

And I *should* be going with him.  But today marks 39 weeks of pregnancy and I have a sweet little boy to rock too.  Plane travel just isn't an option for me right now.  

Job and I walk him out to the front gate.  He kisses us both and tells us again how much he loves us. The gate closes.  Only then my tears begin to fall as my son shrieks with delight over the dog's antics.  

His bus is probably just now on the outskirts of town, but that man is missed terribly already.  

{After a long wait, we were given an interview for Rafa's U.S. visa.  The final step before being handed a green card, Lord willing.  The interview location?  Ciudad Juarez, a town that lies on the border of El Paso Texas.  He will be there until Tuesday.  Pray for us?   For all the little details and our hearts?   The paperwork, the pregnancy, Job and I at home, and the lonely days Rafa will spend there?  Many, many thanks.}   

Morning Glories

{I wish I could take credit for these garden beauties, but I cannot.  Rafa planted them from seed back in July.  In three months they are already a third of the way up the wall, and almost above my head.  I go out every couple days to find a new branch that needs to be guided through the chicken wire we nailed to the concert wall.  Once there, it grows, climbs, and intertwines all on its own!}   

Job these Days

I have been wanting to write this post for the past several months.  Each time I start thinking about what I want to share, exactly, Job does a 180 on me.  The cute things he did yesterday are not the same cute things he's doing today.   Such is life, I know, but still!  Why *so* fast?

~ He gives kisses.  Or rather pecks. From open-mouth plants, to passing slobber, he's been kissing for awhile now, but always when he wanted to do so.  Ask him for a kiss?  And he would just laugh. Ask him now?  He eagerly gives several and will even go around the room giving a kiss to each person.   Melts.my.heart.

~ He loves anything with a wheel.  One day out of nowhere while playing with his car he started making "vrooomm"  sounds.  We never taught him that one, and have no idea where it came from.

~ He still loves music. He claps and "sings" in tune.   It obvious he has "the ear" and we are praying about how to best lead him in this area.  Its a gift we don't want to ruin, but aren't sure how to help him use it to it's fullest.

~ Having Job around now affects the amount of food I make and the food bill.  What used to be enough food for our small family, no longer is.  A little more than half a bag of pasta for one meal?  Used to be plenty.  Now I make a whole bag.

~ He doesn't eat too much meat, though.  If its mixed in with something, like rice or pasta or beans, he will.  I think its a texture thing.  Eggs though?  He used to be funny about those too {texture again}  but will now eat two or three every morning.

~ He is on his way to being bilingual.  Somethings he says in just Spanish, some in just English, and others he goes back and forth depending on who he's talking to.  At this point he chooses to speak more Spanish than English.  I will ask him, "Do you want some water?"  He'll smile big, nod yes, and say "Agua!!"  He knows how to say "water", but chooses not to do so.  He'll say "thank ooou"  to me and "-acias"  to the rest of the world.   Same thing with "more" and "mas."  There are some things like "all done"  that he only says in English and still more words that are understood in both worlds.  He "talks" all the time, but his parents aren't always smart enough to understand exactly what he's saying.   His American grandparents will be visiting in November and December, and I'm interested to see how his vocabulary grows during that time and what language he tries to speak with them.

~He loves books and the time we spend reading aloud.  "Mr. Brown can Moo, can you?"  is the current favorite.  Of all the noises he likes it when we get to the "Boom Boom Boom"  and the "Whisper Whisper"  He'll look up at me while playing and say "Rea-?"  So we'll go to the rocking chair and read our hearts out.

~We take some time to rock every night before bed.  If he's super sleepy, he'll want to lie down long ways in my arms like a little baby.   I'll look at him in the almost dark and say, "Job, you know I love you, right?"  The corners of his mouth turn into a sweet smile, he sighs, and closes his eyes, but reaches up a pudgy hand to pat my check softly.  After a couple minutes of silence, well do it again.  Sweet, sweet, unforgettable moments.

~He loves animals.

~Black beans are still one of his favorite foods.  Its right on up there with bananas.

~ He is learning to feed himself with a spoon or a tortilla.  Same difference here.

~He sleeps in a normal double bed and has since he was 13 months.  There has only been two cases where he has tumbled below to the pillows on the floor around the bed.  Both times he was awake, not asleep.  He seems to have learned what happens if you get too close to the edge and keeps a safe distance.  

~Everyone talks about how beautiful he is and then comments about how much he looks like his dad.  What can I say, I've been given two handsome men!

~ His hair is a medium brown with blond and red highlights.  It seems to be getting lighter with time.   I see his skin as olive colored, but everyone here points out how fair he is.  Truth is, he's a shade somewhere between Rafa and me.   He makes Rafa look darker and me look whiter.

~He has become clingy recently.  We used to be able to leave him with whoever without any problems and come back to a little boy delighted to see us.  Now leaving is harder, cause he knows what is happening.  Funny thing is, when his Papa's there, its his Papa that he doesn't let go of.

~Speaking of his Papa, no matter how much I try, or what I do, I will never be as cool as his Papa.  And I'm perfectly okay with that.

~He loves pancakes. {Actually we both do, so it works out nicely.}  Can you tell by now that food is a big part of his day?

~He loves, loves, loves, Tita, Rafa's great-aunt who lives next door to my in-laws.

~He has a fake laugh.  A "I-should-be-laughing" laugh that he can turn off and on at will.  His real laugh is a deep contagious belly laugh that he can't seem to stop once it gets going.

~Time with extended family has taught him to clap and say "yay"  at everything he does from poop to placing a block on the top of the tower.

~If I give him something to eat that's too hot, he will blow on it.  Once I give him another spoonful at the right temp, he claps as if to say, "Good job Mom!  It's just right!"

~He's a classic only child.   He will take a ball, roll it to the other side of the room, and then chase after it.  Repeat.  And repeat. Giggling the whole time.   I've told him we are working on getting him someone to play with soon, he's still clueless about the whole little sister thing.

~He's still transitioning nap time.  Some days he'll take one long nap, other days two shorter ones.  

~He wishes he could dress himself.  And each time he is changed, there has to be several rounds of "This Little Piggy..."

There is and always will be, more to share about our delightful little boy, but I'm going to sign off now.  What a blessing and what a joy our boy is!

Salsa Seca

We have a little girl coming to stay for a while in a few weeks.  Yay!   The thought still makes me nervous, {many days I still feel like a girl myself, and doesn't it take a woman to raise one?} but at this point I'm much more excited than nervous. 

I also have a few empty canning jars.  When I say a few, it really is a few.  I haven't been able to find them here, so all the jars I have, we have brought from the States.  They total about 40.  But 18 of them where empty and that's almost half.  I have determined that they will be filled in the next couple of weeks, even if the only thing it does is make me feel a little bit on top of things. 


First up?  Salsa seca.  Or chipotle salsa. 

I make a batch of salsa about once a week.  I will use it to cook some type of meat in, and then the leftover salsa goes in the fridge.  Rafa will use it on top of just about any other dish throughout the week...with eggs, on his breakfast sandwiches, mixed in with black beans, on top of potatoes, basically in just about anything.  When it runs out, I make another batch of a different type of salsa. 

I, {patting myself on my back} have had a pretty good success rate with my salsa seca the past year or so.   Meaning it doesn't come out flaming, or with too much salt, or with too little flavor.  I'm confident enough in my abilities to even offer it to people outside our own household.  

But making it in a big batch to can?  That thought scared me.   All recipes here are so "a little of this"  and "a pinch of that."   I had gotten used to eyeballing it for a little bit of salsa, but how do you multiply "a little of this?"

So I got everything ready like I was doing it in small batches.  I set my tomatoes in small groups with the garlic and chilies like I would any normal week.  I ended up with 10 small groups.  I added everything together and came up with the recipe below to use in the future.  

Salsa Seca 

- 3 kilos whole tomatoes, washed.  

- 1 bulb of garlic divided into cloves 

- 20 dried chili chipotles, half with the seeds/hearts removed.  {A word about spiciness- half the chilies with the seeds removed gives it what I would call a medium heat with a kick.  Its not enough to make me cry, but enough flavor/heat that my husband still enjoys it.   If you are American and using this recipe, I would start by removing the insides from 3/4 of your chilies and move up from there.} 

- 2 tablespoons salt.  

* Roast/Toast tomatoes garlic and chilies.  I used my electric grill to do this.  You want the garlic cloves to be brown on all sides, the chiles {if whole} while swell up and brown too.  You also want the tomatoes to have blackened skins on all sides.  The skins should burst and the juices should start to flow out.  Yes, your house will smell wonderful.  Obviously, the tomatoes take the longest to roast.  I put everything on together then take off the garlic/chilies as they finish.  

* Blend in batches and put in a big pot over slow heat.  

* Add in salt.  I ended up adding 2 tablespoons, but its all really to taste. 

{If, at this point, your salsa is too spicy, roast a few more tomatoes, blend them up, and add them in. Keep in mind that each time you reheat your salsa, it will get spicier too.   Stay on the mild side of your tastes.}

Can according to Ball's directions.  

Yield: 5.5 pints canned, plus a little extra in the fridge to use over the next few days.  

A wet cozy Monday.

I can’t help but love days like today.  

We are in the midst of another tropical storm and for us it means rain, rain, rain.  It began to pound the roof sometime in the wee hours of the morning and hasn’t stopped completely since.  And it probably won’t till Wednesday or so. 

My husband peddled away to work before seven this morning.  He came back a couple hours later soaked from head to toe, but home!   If the weather clears up, which it shouldn’t he may get a call to go back in, but if not, he’s all ours for the third day in a row.  A VERY rare treat. 

Right now he’s down for the count, taking advantage of some much earned rest. I put a sleepy toddler down for a nap too, but it seems like his head hitting the pillow gave him a second wind.  I still hear him chatting away to himself in his bed.  He claps and cheerfully says, “All done!” He refers to his nap, but how can you finish something you have yet to start?  Once I hear his breathing turn deep, I’ll curl up for a nap myself.  There is nothing so refreshing as a good rainy day nap. 

Once the household wakes from it’s nap, we’ll eat a late dinner.  Soup is on the menu of course.  We may accomplish some other tasks this afternoon, but I’m thinking a good movie or two are in order.  We shall see. 

A little while ago when we were having a late breakfast, I caught myself with a goofy smile on my face.  Nothing particularly funny was happening, but I was just happy.  ‘Cause days like today are good, and I’m so blessed they are mine! 

The little one is off in dreamland now, and I need to get there too.  

Thanks for sticking through my rambling! 

¿Te gusta Perote?

One of the most frequent questions I get asked here is if I like Perote, our hometown.  I have never been sure how to answer.  Like any place it has its pros and cons.  If you want to, you can see more of the pros, or vice-versa.   If I had just come here as a tourist, I don’t believe it would have made onto my list of “Places to Live.”  

Whenever I first came here to live fulltime, I kept thinking, “I’m just so glad to finally be here!”  After almost a year of a long-distance relationship with Rafa, it was so nice to wake up next to him each day.  I didn’t care where we were.

But people continue to ask and seemed surprised that we are creating a life here….not just waiting for the first opportunity to hop on a U.S. bound plane. And that I not only live with that fact, I genuinely enjoy being here and am proud of the life we have. 

What I usually say when people ask now a days: “My husband was born here and now my son as well.  How can I not love a town that has given me the two people I love most in the world?” 

Home is where the heart is and those two are it!

Christmas-The Plan

There are 91 days till Christmas.  3 months from today it will be Christmas Eve.  That’s still a quarter of a year. 

I love making plans for the sake of making plans.  This year my thoughts have turned to Christmas earlier than normal.  But not because I plan on doing anything spectacular, quite the contrary.  This Christmas, Lord willing, we will see it all through the eyes of two little ones.  Job will be a year and a half, and we will have a newborn little girl.  Things will not be fancy, but having those two here will have us singing, “What a wonderful world!” 

Establishing family traditions, some old and some new, is important to us.  Besides that, the Christmas season is plain fun and the birth of our Savior worth celebrating to the fullest. 

But as said before, we will have a 19-month-old and a newborn. Things need to stay simple.  Very simple.   So a few weeks ago, I took a calendar and mapped out some Christmas activities for December. 

Each week will have one activity from the following categories- Movie. Making. Baking. 

-----Mondays will be Movie day.  On the list are Elf, Charlie Brown, Frosty, and Rudolf. 

----- Thursdays are for Making.  Starting with a day to put our home’s decorations and moving on to paper snowflakes and oranges with cloves. 

----- Saturdays will be for Baking (to be able to share with extended family over the weekend) We have English Toffee, Oreo Truffles, and Peppermint Sugar Cookies on the list.

I have a short list of things to buy for the above activities.  These items will be purchased in the next few weeks, before a little girl makes her arrival. 

Thanks to other commitments (work for Rafa and naps for the wee lass)  I think most of these activities will be carried out by Job and myself.   But with having a new little sibling around and the world changing that can do to a little boy, I think some one-on-one special time will be just what we both need. 

We will also continue our tradition of reading through the advent calendar daily.  Traditionally, Job and I (since he was in the womb) read out loud in English in the morning and then in the afternoon, we read the same passage as a family after the main meal, but in Spanish. 

So there you have it.  I’m “putting this out there” to have another level of accountability.  I mean how embarrassing will it be, to have to admit come January, that we did nothing of the above, after I published it on the blog for the world to see?!  In all seriousness, I plan to be prepared to make lots of sweet memories, but if we make it to January and have only “survived” with smiles on our faces and joy in our hearts, I’ll be okay with that too…even if it means no oreo truffles! 

A New Favorite.

I know, I know.  From bath time, to our main meal, to second breakfast, or the few minutes we find to putter in the garden each day, it seems like every part of the day is my favorite.  I understand that that’s logically not possible, but when life is full and spent with two of the handsomest guys around, what’s not to like? 

And now, I have a new one.  And oh is it a good one. 

I finish teaching English at 8 p.m.  I quickly straighten up the classroom, grab my bag, sign out, and hurry down the stairs.  Once outside I scan the far side of the street.  Without fail, he’s there.  Orange work coveralls and all.  He pushes his bike across the street and smiles.   We steal a short kiss and we both smile again.   He’s only gotten off work a few minutes earlier and has been waiting for me. 

He continues to push his bike, and takes one of my hands in his free hand. We talk about our afternoons, or our son, or the little girl on the way.  Sometimes we don’t say very much at all.  He passes over the many puddles and reaches back to help me hop across.  Sometimes we stop at a tendita to pick up a few breakfast items for him to take to work the next morning.  Most evenings, however, we walk the seven or so blocks straight home. 

The whole time maybe lasts fifteen minutes.   But its our time.  Just us.  And its good.

So yes, its a favorite. 

Rain, rain.

It’s an overcast Saturday afternoon and I can hear both my men breathing heavy as they sleep.  I’ve been a mom long enough to learn to enjoy the stillness while it lasts….and enjoy the crazy once it begins again! 

I, too, was blessed with an afternoon nap, but the wee little lass decided it was time to be on the move again.  I can’t help but smile each time she starts flopping around.  It takes my breath away to think of the wonder of a little life inside my belly.  Sometimes that breath being taken away is only figurative, but most of these days, its quite literal too! 

Our days have been rainy of late.  Tis’ the season.   They mean more time at home, cooler days, and a lot more togetherness.  I love it!  It does make shopping and outings a bit more complicated though.  We are high enough in elevation that flooding and other nasty side affects, really don’t reach  us.  I wish I could say the same for our neighbors across the state and country.  

Another wonderful affect of all the rain is the GREEN.  My garden looks more like a jungle.  And it makes the rest of the world think I have a green thumb. You and I know better, but we’ll just keep that our little secret, okay? 

The days come with patches of sunshine and we’ll drop most anything to get outside to enjoy it, cause we know it won’t last too long.  Below are some pictures Job and I took a few days ago….

The side of the garden where the chickens were at.  Besides the rain, I believe the extra fertilizer has done wonders in helping this side grow up so quickly. 

Grass, in desperate need of a hair cut.  The roses behind it are in five gallon buckets, just to give you an idea of how tall it is.  Once its dry! Squash beginning to blossom.

Morning glories, not yet flowering, but beginning their clime up our 15ft walls.  I dream of the day they will spill over!Tomatoes.  Both the green and red varieties.  

Beans, cilantro, and cucumbers. 

Cilantro, thyme, and lettuce are the only things in harvest at the moment, but it looks like it won’t be long till we bring in a few other things as well! 

New {to us} PJ's

Its always so sweet but it stings a little too.  Every few months we pull out the the next size up clothing.  I love watching him grow, but its all happening a bit too fast for *my* liking.  

There are things you forget

{There are things you forget as you grow older.  Then you welcome your very own little one into the world and you begin to remember.  One of those things?  Finger puppets are *so* cool.  Another thing?  A morning spent playing with said finger puppets is a morning very well spent!}

The Wee One.

"Us" on August 15th, 2013 at about 27 weeks.  

~ Its a girl.  Its a girl!  Its a GIRL!  I have to say it so many times cause I still can't believe it. This has been the suspicion since about week 15, but we just confirmed it at our last appointment. 

~She's an active little thing and I've been feeling her move since week 16.  And when I say move, I mean MOVE.  It doesn't feel like little butterflies or how I feel after eating too much Chinese food.  It feels like an actual person doing aerobics in my belly.  Maybe cause it is?

~ I don't know how much I weighed at the beginning of the pregnancy, and I lost weight thanks to morning sickness, but since beginning to weigh  in at the doctor's we are + 4 kilos (about 10 lbs).  And I say "we" because the little girl is at least one of those kilos all on her own at this point.  

~ She remains nameless.  To her parents at least.  Not to her Creator.  Oh, what comfort there is in that!

~My only real craving thus far has been for peanut butter.  The creamy kind.  Then I started looking at pinterest recipes for peanut butter balls and peanut butter fudge.  Not good I say.  Not.good.at.all.  

~She kicks and flips all the more when she hears her older brother.  Particularly if he is crying or when he lets his contagious laugh loose.  She loves her brother!  He on the other hand has no idea what's coming his way!   

There is more to share, but said older brother is awake and ready for lunch.  So ta-ta for now!   

We love you little girl of ours!

  

Espagueti Verde

I always hesitate to share recipes here.  First of all, I enjoy cooking, but have a hard time of it.  It doesn't come naturally.  Secondly, Mexican dishes are like Italian dishes.  Ask 10 Italians how to make pasta sauce and you'll get at least 15 different answers. Disclaimer:  I'm not an authority on Mexican dishes by any means.  And last of all, I'm nervous to share a recipe 'casue they have been given to me by word of mouth. So its all just a general idea and a pinch of this there and a taste of this there to see what's missing.  I can type out exactly what I do, but you wont produce the *exact* same thing in your kitchen.  In fact, each time I make a dish its a little different and I think I did the same thing as last time.    

So all that much ado about nothing above.  Sorry.

Espagueti Verde {Or Green Spaghetti}

Its a dish our whole family loves, I've only been able to botch it once, and I don't make it nearly enough.  The following is what I do and we enjoy.

Ingredients:  
~ A poblano chili {They say one lie Mexicans tell is "no pica" but this chili really isn't spicy. More like a green pepper.}  
~ a couple cloves of garlic
~ about 1/4 of a small onion
~butter
~ Salt to taste.
~  Cooked spaghetti noodles.  {I use a 200 gram package. This recipe makes enough sauce to cover that and its just the right amount for our small family.}

What I do:
1. Saute the chili whole without any type of oil or fat.  The skin will start to turn black and bubble a bit.  This is a a good thing.  Turn the chili over, letting it saute until its black and bubbly on all sides.  Place in a zip-lock bag and close.  Allow it to cool in the bag.  This will raise the skin up a bit.  Take it out of the bag and pull off as much skin as you can.  {It should come off like a glove, but that doesn't always happen!} Its fine if some skin is still on there.
2.  Take off the stem and clean out the seeds.  Place chili, garlic, and onion in your blender with a bit of water.  Blend until its chunk free.
3.  Place a bit of butter in the bottom of a pot. Once melted, pour in chili mixture and let it simmer for a couple minutes.  At this point I add my salt to taste.
4.  To the simmering mixture, add your cooked noodles.  Allow everything to warm up together and enough liquid to evaporate so that its not too saucy.  You want the chili mixture sticking to the noodles.   You can stir in a bit of cream at this point too, but I usually don't.
5.  Serve warm as is or with shredded queso fresco on top.


The End.

A Rainy Sunday Afternoon Nap

 {Yes.  One of my favorite pass times is watching my handsome little man dream.  So?!} 

 What could be better?!

Perhaps waking in time for your spaghetti dinner?!  

{Saturday night/Sunday morning J cut in two teeth that we have been waiting on the past couple of weeks.  Since then, we have been sleeping.  A lot.  I thought, "Man, I could get used to this!"  Then a wee one putters around in my womb and I remember I better not!  I'll enjoy it for the time being and enjoy the sleepless nights when they come again!}

The week goes....

 And the days are rolling by!  I wake up on Sunday morning, thinking, "How are we here again?  Didn't last week just start?!"  Its good, its really good.  But with starting two news jobs {one Rafa and one myself}, a delightful toddler to keep us moving, and *attempting* to get ready to welcome a new bebe into the wold in about 12 weeks, its all just passing by so quickly.

I used to say , "Hey beautiful," whenever I talked to this sweet lad.  Somewhere in the past several weeks its become, "Hey handsome."  He smiles when I say it.  He's not a wee baby anymore, but rushing his way head on into boyhood!  

I cried.

As I alluded to in my last post, I have started working part time.  Very part time.

And I love it.  Thus far.  Today's only my second actual day.  But you know.

We have seen the Lord open this door and are eager to see where He is going to led through this.  

It's a challenge, but a good one.

But yesterday getting ready for work?  I cried.  Lots and lots of tears.  'Cause a new era always means the closing of another one.  And I have loved having Job at my side day in and day out these past 15 months...two years if you count womb time.  He makes cleaning, running errands, or whatever so much more joyful.   But guess what?  I *can't* take him to work with me.

I see wonderful, better, things coming down the path, but I loved being just the two of us during the day. And me working a couple hours a day a few days a week, good though it may be, changes that.

So I cried, cause I wasn't sure what else to do.

And waiting for me when I got home two hours later?  The sweetest of boys playing contently with his abuela. Coming home to my lad?  I hadn't thought of how wonderful *that* could be!

Tired

Its 9:00 p.m. on a Saturday night.  My sweet little boy just fell asleep. I'm waiting for my hard-working man to finish up his work week and walk through the front gate. And I may be snacking on grape jello.  Oh yes.

Folks, I am tired.  Like I'm-sitting-in-a-wooden-straight-back-chair-so-I-won't-fall-asleep-tired.  I *could* go to sleep, but if that happens in the next little bit, before my handsome husband comes home, I can say adios to a good night's sleep.  Not worth it.

I'm tired, but oh for the best of reasons....

~My body is sustaining the life of a teeny person.  A person we should be holding within 14 weeks or so.  And that may friends, means my body is burning more calories than it probably ever has or ever will.

~ We've been up since 6:30.  For no particular reason, except that the youngest member of our family was done sleeping at that point.  And he had slept through the night.  Looks like our middle of the night rocking cause of teething is over for now.  

~The day was full, thus not giving me a nap.  I'm oh too used to a good 2 hour nap each day.  But I'm grateful for the occasional full day too.

~ We have the birthday of a very special someone to celebrate tomorrow.   We are keeping things simple, just the three of us, but the preparations made for extra errands today.

~ We walked probably over two miles today to complete said errands.

~I have planning, researching, and studying to do.  Monday I start a part time job.  It's been work getting ready, but I kind I enjoy so much.   And the job?  I'll {or should I say I may?}  write more about that later, but its exciting, from the Lord, and a good challenge.

Yes, being tired is a blessing, indeed!  But I'm thankful for the Lord in His wisdom, in making a day of rest...

Miles on the Rocker

This week our rocking chair has been getting a work out.   The dear little one seems to be cutting some new teeth, so it means slow days and rocking away melt downs.  I have said it before, but I'll say it again, extra cuddles and sweet times are the only redeeming qualities when the babe feels yucky.

And now for a few pictures....