Happy 1st Birthday Matthias Scott!

It was so much fun to celebrate Matthias' first birthday with family. We celebrated in TX with my family and then in Florida with Scott's family. My family's tradition is to buy a cake for birthdays, while Scott's family makes a cake. We got to do both :) The caterpillar cake was Jenny's great idea!

Oh my sweet Matthias. The number one comment we get about him, is how happy he is. And yes, he is full of joy. I can not wait to see the toddler and child he will grow in to since Adeline and Darton have exactly the temperament/personality now that they had when they were babies.

A day has yet to go by that Matthias has not put a smile on my face. His name means "Gift of God" and it is so very fitting! I tell people he is going to use his personality to spread the Gospel. I pray my sweet boy that you will always carry the Word of God with you.

He is so very excited to ring his bells he got for his birthday!
He is constantly in this position wanting me to hold him. However, he dearly loves his daddy just as much and will beg his as well to pick him up :)
He's not walking solo, but he did take 3 itty bitty steps to me today. Thank you for your prayers on November 12. If you will recall, we had an hour layover between flights in Ft Lauderdale. The Lord gave me a peace only He can give as we:

1. boarded our first plane which was running late

2. waited 30 minutes for our luggage (and we still needed to go through customs, recheck our bags, go through security, and then board the 2nd flight)

3. and literally ran to get on the 2nd flight since they had announced "last call" for our flight while we were in the security line.

I sat in COMPLETE awe when I took my seat on the 2nd flight. I couldn't wait to worship my God in church the next day!

Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we met Scott in FL to spend the rest of our trip with his family. Both our TX an FL visits were great. It was nice to only be gone for 2 wks as opposed to 3 or 4 weeks. I just about cried when we landed in the DR last night. For some strange reason, I really need to be home right now...as in here in the DR. I can't believe that this is home now, but it is.

The kids with Nonnie in Vero Beach, FL

Kids with Cousin Ella on the playground after we watched a rocket launch for Mars.

God, What do You Want my Family's Christmas to look like?

While for the past 7 years I have thought I was married to Scrooge, I am beginning to think that maybe it's not all bad that he's not wrapped up in the Christmas spirit. I'm not taking down the Christmas tree, but his criticism of this season (including buying Halmark ornaments) got me to thinking.

I have been blessed by the Nancy Leigh DeMoss radio series on Revive Our Hearts and today's program was perfect for me since we are spending Christmas solo in the DR this year. It's time that my family begins teaching my children that Christmas goes deeper than just acknowledging Christ's birth. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

When the Season Isn’t What You Expected

p.s. I know you're asking "when in the world do I have the time to listen to a radio program???" It's how I get through my 20 minute exercise on the elliptical machine :)

Before We Head to Texas

I wanted to share a few snapshots of the past week before we leave for Texas on Saturday late afternoon. You can keep us in your prayers as I will be traveling alone with the 3 kids, plus little man in my belly. The stress of the trip is only having an hour layover in Ft Lauderdale (an airport I've yet to use). My faithful God has spoken gently to my anxious soul that He has my best interest in mind, so I am resting in that....or trying to rest in that. A Christian sister prayed at the Bible study that I would have a fun time with my kids on our trip to TX. I needed to be told that and it has become my goal.

On to pictures...

If we do get to extend our contract next September, I think this would be one of the reasons high on Scott's list why we should stay here longer - Theo puts the Christmas tree together, not Scott.
Scotty brought home a cocoa for us to enjoy.
Slimy cocoa seeds are in the center.
We sucked off the slime and put them on a baking sheet to dehydrate. The Dominicans dehydrate the seeds in the sun (we see them laying on the side of the highway) and we assume they wait until the slime is off the seeds before opening the cocoa. The next day Scott ground the dried seeds to make fresh coco.

We enjoyed having brothers and sisters over from church last Saturday afternoon and we introduced one couple to smores.
We took a couple of family pictures at church on Sunday. This isn't good of us all, but you can see my 22wk belly.

I guess I should take a picture of our decorated Christmas tree. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow...

Darton's Art 2010-2011

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Adeline Art 2010-11

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Sweetness

Both Adeline and Darton have been playing with baby dolls all week. These are Darton's chosen two babies and he's been sleeping with them each night this week. I just love how he has positioned them. Sweetness.I am hosting a Ladies' Bible Study this Fall. I have participated in the study for the past two years. It's a great committed group of women this Fall. We have a beautiful time of fellowship and being in the Word and prayer every other Thursday. We are doing Faithful, Abundant, True: Going Deeper Still by K. Arthur, P. Shirer, and B. Moore.

Christian Sisterhood is sweetness.