We decorated for Christmas

Today was exciting because we decorated for Christmas. Another missionary family left behind a tree with a star and ornaments and the other decorations were sent to us from my sweet friend Kim in Texas. We are so blessed. I have to say I have been a little weepy today because this is a big deal in our house....usually. Usually, we decorate as an entire family and usually the big kids get a little bored with it after a few hours but I even miss that about them. But the Lord is sending them to us on Christmas Eve and for this I am grateful and thank Him daily.

I still have my migraine and it has been about six days. It is really strange but I guess if it doesn't get better I will have to go to the doctor. It makes it really hard to have the desire to study Spanish because I really don't want to read....maybe this is Satan's doing....not sure....but I need to get past it!

We received awesome news from the Childrens Home down the street and they would love for us to come and volunteer! We will both volunteer but not on the same days....I begin helping there next Thursday! I am so excited. This will give us so much opportunity to speak Spanish which you would think would not be hard in a Spanish speaking country but these people have their own lives.....so I don't expect them to want to sit in the park with me while I stumble through my vocabulary for a couple of hours. This opportunity will be fabulous because we can also practice bible verses and our testimonies! I am so thankful this will give us almost nine months with these children and the other workers in the home. Praise Him with me!

(1Chronicles 29:11) Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours!

From Greg

Okay Kim is feeling really bad with a migraine so please pray for her. I have never seen her with this bad a headache.
But while she is sick we have to stay busy so we made our first music video. Lottie produced and directed while also playing the flute. Emma is on vocals and I filmed and edited.

Give Thanks

Today we received a very special box from my Aunt Jo and Uncle David. She made us cloths for handtowels and special homemade cloths for dishes. How can I ever really use these? They are so very special. There were many things in this box....a tablecloth for Thanksgiving Day along with cups and napkins. There was a special book just right for the girls to explain what Thanksgiving Day is all about. I have looked in the library at our school for one but they were all too old for them so I am so grateful! There were special little crafts, markers, coloring book, drawing pad.....ohhh so many special things. But one thing was for sure.....this very special box brought tears to my eyes....maybe Lottie gets this from me but the smell of everything inside made me cry. You see, I used to spend every summer at my Aunt Jo's house and at my Mimi's house. As soon as I opened the box the aroma of their homes overwhelmed me and I began to cry. I know it is so very hard for the people we have left behind......but it is also very hard to be the ones without your family nearby. I know Aunt Jo that you were a military wife and home is always where your family is....this I understand.....thank you for all of the very special items and most especially for the smell of home.

P.S. We felt our first earthquake today....very strange feeling.

Woo Hoo!

Look what I have....and I have TWO of them! My sweet neighbor Stacey's Mom is here for Thanksgiving and as a surprise Stacey had her smuggle.....I mean bring them into the country! I can hardly wait until tomorrow morning to drink one......I haven't had that much caffeine since I left Texas so I'm afraid I will be up all night if I drink it now! I am sooooo excited!

Today I had a small conference with the girls teacher at school. Emma had a great evaluation. Teacher Monica said that she has great skills with using scissors and has incredible fine motor skills. There was only one area to work on.....her listening skills. Shocking huh? Not really, I am being sarcastic. lol Here is a story to describe Emma's listening skills:

Mommy: (after the girls had already taken a shower) Emma, go to the bathroom and I will meet you in there to help you brush your teeth.
(Mommy arrives in the bathroom not even a minute later and Emma is completely naked)
Mommy: Emma why are you naked?
Emma: Because
Mommy: Because why? Do you remember why Mommy sent you in here?
Emma: Yes....to brush my teeth.
Mommy: Do we ever brush our teeth naked?
Emma: No maam. (It was extremely hard not to laugh!)

She is truly the sweetest child. Lottie had a great evaluation also and her teacher just praised and praised her on her ability to understand Spanish. She laughed because they rated them on her counting skills and Lottie could count higher in Spanish than in English. I am thankful she is so interested in learning this language. She corrects us often on our pronunciation;)

We called the Childrens Home today and the woman was out of town until Sunday:( We are praying and hoping and praying and hoping that they will let us volunteer soon!

Lottie's Birthday and the little things in life

The four amigos...Emma, Lottie, Ruthie and Eden. All in the same class. Three are adopted. Lottie & Eden are from China and Emma is from South Korea. Ruth is homegrown;) There has been so much talk in school on the playground about where everyone came from that Ruthie came home the other day and said, "Mom, I think I'm from China and I think I was there when Lottie, Eden and Emma were there". LOL

Ruthie, Eden, Joy, Emma, Sydney, Lottie and Sidney (Lottie and Sidney believe that people will think they are twins in these dresses;)

Lottie had a fabulous birthday party after school today! All of these silly, giggly, squealing girls came home with us and thankfully my precious friend Felicia came home with me too! We played games and of course had a pinata.....Lottie's favorito! I can't believe my baby girl is five years old and then on Wednesday, Elisabeth will be 22 and James will be 26....Yikes...where does the time go? Happy Birthday to all of my babies!

These are three little things that have made big differences this week! The Dr. Pepper is Greg's favorite and we just happened to see it at Hipermas this week....they never have Dr. Pepper here and we bought all four cans! (Yes, they only sell cans individually) Then, we found this huge tub for the girls to bathe in while they are in the shower. The shower just wasn't getting them clean enough....they love it! Then as a special treat for me.......we found this large dish drying rack! Isn't it awesome and really orange? lol Since we have to wash all of the dishes by hand the other rack was just too small......I had to dry them halfway through before I could finish washing the rest from the meal. See how you can hang the cups on the side so they take up all of the room in the middle! Way cool!

We find out Tuesday if we will be allowed to volunteer in the home for children down the street. There are ten children who live in this house. They are from the ages of 5-preteen. I don't know anything about them except they have been removed from their homes because of abuse. I think Greg and I have decided to volunteer there separately and not take the girls in the beginning. I think these children deserve some one on one attention and I wouldn't want my little ones to take any of that from them.

We are so blessed

I am speechless because of your love. All of you who reach out to make my babies feel more comfortable in their surroundings....to make them feel even more loved....to make them feel at home. All of the gifts we have received are so so special. Lottie and Emma can tell you where each and every thing came from.....you cannot even imagine the love they feel pouring out from your hearts. We have our good days and bad days with missing home. When we are really missing home...on the bad days....the girls and I make a list of what we miss at home and what we love about Costa Rica. The list at home is always the same....this is Lottie's....Sissy, Bubba, my friends, my family and my swimming pool. lol. Except for the swimming pool, I believe her list is very accurate. The only thing we can't replace here is our family and friends.

Lottie received her birthday box from her Aunt Jan, Uncle Steve, Ryan and Gordon in Hawaii! Of course, Aunt Jan can't JUST buy presents for Lottie..lol! They both received these precious ponchos, little bitty princess phones....Cinderella for Lottie and Princess Aurora for Emma....she never even asked me "who liked what princess" but she got it right! (Well, Lottie loves Tinkerbell too;) And they also received the cutest Hello Kitty book bags and Lottie got her very first big girl bible....a purple one too!

Then yesterday, we received this Christmas box from Kim and her family (This is Flat Stanley's family too;). Kim and I went through school together; stayed in touch for some years and then fell out of touch with each other. She found me on facebook right before I left for Costa Rica and has done nothing but reach out to my family. So, I am wiping tears away this morning at the people God has placed in my life or back into my life at just the right time. This box is incredibly amazing....she did not want the girls to be without Christmas decorations and let me tell you.....we will be decked out! There are crafts......ornaments....lights.....cookie cutters...you name it...it is in this box! She also sent six stockings because she knew James and Elisabeth were coming. What a blessing you are my friend. I am truly at a loss for words for all of you who bless my babies. They are already wearing their reindeer antlers and their Christmas socks. lol

I have a prayer request! I have been praying and praying and praying for a ministry. My mentor, sweet Annette, called me last night and she has an idea. There is a home for children right near my house and there is not a missionary presence there that she knows of right now so she is thinking of taking our family there this week. We will bake some cookies and go over there and see if they will let us come once a week or twice a month or whatever and tell stories to the children. I don't think we have enough Spanish to go by ourselves the first time, but then if they say yes....we can fumble our way through it and even probably increase our language. I know love can be shown in all languages! I have been praying so hard for a ministry that our entire family could do together and I think this is so wonderful.....oh I am praying for Him to give me an answer. Please pray with me.....I desperately need to serve someone!

How to bless God by Rick Warren

"I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you . . . and you will be a blessing to others" (Genesis 12:2 NLT).

The Bible teaches that we should use our blessings to bless others: Our blessings should flow to others The Bible teaches us that we are blessed not just so that we can feel good, not just so we can be happy and comfortable, but so that we will bless others. God told Abraham, "I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others" (Genesis 12:2 NLT). This is the first law of blessing: it must flow outwardly. When we bless others, God takes care of our needs God promises that if we will concentrate on blessing others, he'll take care of our needs. There's almost nothing that God won't do for the person who really wants to help other people. In fact, God guarantees this blessing. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth . . . no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life" (Luke 18:29-30 NIV). When you care about helping other people, God assumes responsibility for your problems. And that's a real blessing, for he's much better at handling your difficulties than you are. Our blessings to others will come back on usThe more you bless other people . . . the more you help others, the more God blesses your life. Luke tells us, "Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back--given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity" (Luke 6:38 MSG). You cannot out give God. The more you try to bless other people in the world around you, the more God says, "I'm going to pour blessings out on you. We'll play a little game here. Let's see who will win. Let's see who can give the most. The more you bless others the more I'm going to bless you in return." The more we're blessed by God the more He expects us to help others. Jesus said it this way: "Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given" (Luke 12:48 TEV). Would you agree that based on the blessings of your life you probably have a greater responsibility than other people in the world? If you live in the United States, I'm sure you’d agree, because it's obvious we've been given freedom that many people don't have. We've been given opportunities that many people don't have. We've been given material and physical and spiritual abundance that a lot of people around the world simply do not have. Think this through with me. If I've been blessed more than the rest of the world then it would stand to reason that God would want me to care about the rest of the world. Does that make sense?