Summer Vacation!!

This summer came and went!  We had a great summer swimming and playing with friends.  We also went on an adventure of a lifetime!  We drove out west for a two week vacation to California to go to Disneyland!  We stopped at Tombstone, King's Canyon National Park,  Sequoia National Forest, the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest and Natural Bridge Tavern.  It was a crazy trip with 2 small children, but we had a great time!  So here is a bunch of pics from our trip!

We stopped at a cute train park on our way to Tombstone so Nathaniel could play on this train.

Tombstone

Disneyland!  We had to take a quick picture with Mickey!  

Nathaniel LOVED Goofy!  He was looking at him in the picture above with Mickey.

Cars Land- Where do I begin!  You have to go here!!  

WE spend four hours here and had the best time ever!!

Universal Studios

Santa Monica Pier

Sequoia National Park

We got to see this adolescent bear!  It was so cool!

Kings Canyon National Park

We saw another bear! It was just maybe 30 yards away from us!  It was unnerving, but amazing!

Grand Canyon

I took over 800 pictures and this was just a sampling!! We were so blessed by this trip and had an amazing time!  We enjoyed seeing God's creation from Texas to California and back!

First Day of Preschool

I can't believe it, Nathaniel started his first day of preschool today!  He has been excited about this day for a long time!  He would ask, "Mommy, when do I get to go to school?"  I did great this morning and I didn't cry.  I think it helped having daddy's help today!  I know he will have lots of fun learning new things.

15 Days!

In 15 days we are going to Disneyland!!!!

I am just so giddy with excitement!!  I have never been to either Disney park and always dreamed I would go one day, but didn't think I was going in 15 days!  My wonderful In-Love's decided on Father's Day that they wanted to go and take Nathaniel.  We were shocked and couldn't believe it!  We did a little reveal party for Nathaniel last night and took a video on my mom-in-love's camera.  I'll have to post it another day.  


To make it a little fun we made a Mickey cake and showed Nathaniel a few YouTube videos of what we were going to see and he was so excited!!  I loved his little face lighting up with joy!  He said, "I want to go now!"  Nathaniel saw the cake and immediately said, "I want half the ear!"  He made us laugh with the half part.  I thought he would want the whole thing!  Eating the cake was fun because it turned all our mouths and teeth black.  It was quite attractive!

I also made Nathaniel a little banner to count down the days until we leave.  He gets to cut off either Mater, McQueen, or Mickey each day.  The castle is the day we leave!  Did I mention I'm excited!!  

We are also driving and making lots of fun stops along the way.  This will be a first time for me driving out West and I can not wait!  It's gonna be a two week vacation and I'm just praising God for this amazing blessing!!!  Wow!

The Christian Calling by Ariel Valdivia

A year ago today, my daddy went to be with the Heavenly Father. Today I have tears, but with those tears God brings joy. Joy that can only comes from the one who created me and saved me from an eternity in Hell. Because of His son Jesus,and his sacrifice on the cross for my imperfections, I can spend an eternity in heaven with Him. My daddy knew of this joy and wrote a sermon about what our calling as believers are to be while we are still living in this world. I thought it would be appropriate since he is the one who pointed me to Jesus and encouraged my walk with God.

 The Christian Calling

 Jesus told the disciples that as they went out to serve Him they would find that people would hate them. But they were to remember that the people Hate Jesus first. Maybe the disciples were feeling that they were going to enter into a very glamorous life, a life of ease and position and glory. Jesus quickly set about to dispel that idea. He knew they were headed for trouble. They would be beaten and hounded and put in prison. Jesus knew they would suffer ridicule and banishment. They would be cruelly put to death, but someone says today, those days are gone forever, people are not persecuted and put to death for Christ sake in this modern age. That is a mistake. In many parts of the world today we find Christians suffering terrible affliction for their faith. Even right here in America there are many who suffer daily for Christ sake.

 2Timothy 3:12 All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. That's why the nominal Christian, the one who is just happy to have his name on the church roll, that kind of Christian will not suffer. His religion or lack of it may not cost him anything in this life. But real Christians vital Christianity always brings a cross, sometimes we here Christians whine and say I don't understand it. I am trying to live for Christ, yet I'm always being persecuted. Well, what did I expect? When you left the devil's side and lined up with Jesus, did you expect the devil to ignore it?

Look, The very first minute that this church opened it's doors to 650 members, that very first minute all of us there became the mortal enemy of Satan and right then the battle began. Satan started to plant seeds of doubt, disagreement, discouragement among the people. Satan and his legions started to dance around as celebrating their victory when they saw our church split. Satan is hard at work- causing war, immorality, broken homes, and shattered lives. That's why Jesus said in this world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. He also said, "Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

 Don't enter the Christian life expecting an easy life and a bed of roses. It's a battle between the good in you, and the bad in you, a battle between your carnal nature and your spiritual nature, a battle between the force of Satan and the forces of Jesus. We know being a Christian sometimes is tough, but it is not a heavy load that we need to carry on our backs. Being a Christian is a blessing that we need to appreciate. If we think it is too much attending church every Sunday and serving becomes to much for us, it is because we have not understood the meaning of the Christian calling.

I'm thankful that I had a father who loved God. I'm so thankful he pointed me and everyone he met to the cross. If you have never made the decision for Jesus, I pray that you choose him today.

Samuel is 4 Months Old!

Weight 14lbs 8oz. 32%

Height 26.25 in. 93%

Samuel is 4 months old! Gosh the time is flying!! It is so neat how at this age Samuel already has his own personality.  He is loud, when he cries, when he talks or coos, really loud.  He definitely lets us know when he wants our attention.  He does not like the swing like his brother did, and he doesn't really like the pacifier, but he loves his thumb.  We are trying to break him of this now so we don't have issues with it later.  We shall see if we have success!  Samuel can roll over from left to right when on his stomach, and he can almost roll from his back to his stomach.  I just started him on cereal this week one time a day and he is doing well and not pushing the food out. His schedule usually looks something like this.

7:00 eat
7:55 nap
10:00 eat
11:05 nap
1:00 eat
2:30 nap
4:00 eat
7:00 eat and then straight to bed.

He recently dropped his 10:00pm feeding and now sleeps all the way through!

Samuel has won our hearts and we thank and praise God for this sweet and precious baby boy! We are enjoying every milestone!