First Day of School 2011

On August 18th, 2011 I took my girls to two different schools for the first time.  Chloe started 6th grade at Kenneth Cooper Middle School .

And Allie began her second year at Northridge Elementary in the 3rd grade!

At our house the backpack selection goes on all summer as they look at possible canidates at every store that sales them! So to narrow it down to one can be difficult!

On the 17th we went to Cooper and picked up Chloe's first class schedule!

The first morning of school Allie was having a hard time letting go.

They had one last goodbye hug when we pulled up at Cooper to drop Chloe off.

As Chloe got out of the car and walked up to the big double doors Allie said what I was thinking.... "There she goes." My middle school experience was not a good one and so all day I was praying for my baby to not have any life scaring incidents to happen to her. So when I picked her up I was happy to see my little girl all smiles!

Allie is adjusting to being at school without big sis! They have had a harder time connecting the last couple months and so someone suggested that they have start having what we call C&A time everyday where they do something together that they both like.  Mostly that consists of playing the Wii Wipeout game!

I am excited to see what the year ahead holds for both of them as they both begin new chapters of their little lives.

Lessons Learned:  Chloe and Allie's change in their realtionship does not have to mean they are loosing something it just means that it is changing and that it can be just as good as before in a different way.

Light Bulb Moments!!

For 3 days I attended the Celebrate Recovery Summit at the Saddleback Church in Laguna Woods, Ca.

It was an amazing 3 days which I will share in another post. God flooded me these three days with lots of light bulb moments and I wanted to write them all out together!

"Give God your broken pieces and He will give you peace."- Rick Warren

"What gets rewarded gets repeated." -Rick Warren

"Church should be a hospital for sinners not a hotel for saints." - John Baker

"Maturity comes from humility and ignorance and arrogance are kissin cousins!-Chad Moore

"Perfectionism-insecurity as an art form."-Katrina

"It is not that you have failed it is what you have done once you've failed to determine your true character."-Katrina

"Harmony-finding serenity in all areas of my life."-Maintaining Momentum Workshop leader

"CR-a combination of ER triage and a SWAT team."- John Townsend

"Leaders are learners and if you stop learning you stop leading."- Rick Warren

"God's love is not based on who we are but who HE is."-Rick Warren

On being like Jesus "it's not about imitation but habitation."-Rick Warren

"When I harbor an unhealthy emotion it gives Satan a foothold in my life."-Rick Warren

"People who don't want to get well, don't want you to get well."-Mac

"Worship make you stop for a minute and remember who you are and why you are here."-Mac

Sinner: "God I've let you down SOOOO many times!"
God:"You were never holding me up!" -The skit guys

"When people share they are not always looking for answers... Sometimes they just need to share."-Mac

"I am still someone who struggles but I struggle well and with hope!"-Dusty

"There is no growth without change. There is no change without loss. There is no loss without pain." - Rick Warren

"When you have a thought you do not resist it you replace it."-Rick Warren

"You do not choose your attractions but you can resist them."-Rick Warren

"A true friend walks in when everyone else has walked out."-Rick Warren

"You're not waiting on God, He is waiting on you."-Rick Warren

"Jesus doesn't teach the truth He IS the truth."-Rick Warren

"Wherever you get a big bang you have to get a big banger!"-Rick Warren

"There are accidental parents NOT accidental children."-Rick Warren

"If you do not have the energy to change you won't."-Rick Warren

"My defects are often attempts to meet unmet needs."-Rick Warren

"Truth sets you free but first it will make you miserable."-Rick Warren

"You do not drift into recovery you choose it!"-Rick Warren

"Genetics explain inclinations but do not excuse my sin."-Rick Warren

"My defects are often my strengths being misused."-Rick Warren

"Until you have experienced grace you cannot be gracious."-Rick Warren

"People who have not had a major hurt tend to be self righteous."-Rick Warren

"God does not know anything about telling an empty person to empty themselves for others."-Henry Cloud

The wrong lesson taught in a lot of churches: "God is Good... You are Bad.... Try Harder"-Henry Cloud

"Arsenic is natural, but that doesn't mean we should drink it." Rick Warren


Lesson Learned: All of the above!

3 Years!!

Misa and I will have been together 7 years in September.

We have been through a lot in those 7 years and I am so thankful that he hung in there with me through my insanity and I am so thankful he made me wait 4 years before we married.

God has blessed me with a hard working, loyal, loving, and forgiving husband.  God has used him to bring balance to my "worst case scenario" thinking and made me dream again and not hear a dream and automatically think of all the reasons it would not work. He has loved my girls, provided for them, and taught them how to ride their bikes.I truly believe this man has it in him to bring change and I have never met anyone who is such a natural and amazing leader.

Coming from 2 different cultures has been a learning experience. It has created growth, learning, frustration at times, and a lot of laughs!

On Monday August 8th we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary!  To celebrate we went to a tapas bar & grill (Tapas (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtapas]) is the name of a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine) in brichtown called Bolero.

The food was amazing!! We started off with some papas fritas with garlic aoloi alongside some shredded pork empanadas!

We also ordered the most amazing salad I had EVER had in my LIFE! It consisted of romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, white beans, feta cheese, red onion, fresh cilantro, tossed in a cilantro vinaigrette! AMAZING!

Then we had prosciutto wrapped prawns, pork tamales, and hand breaded calamari!

BUT the dessert was defiantly the finale! Dulce de leche ice cream accompanied by fried plantains drizzled in honey!

It was a wonderful night not becuase of the food but becuase I got to spend sometime with Misa celebrating our commitment we made 3 years ago. I hope each year can get better for us and when things do get tough to remember Who brought us together and Who can strengthen and heal issues when they arise. I love this man with all my heart and pray that God will make me the wife God wants me to be for Misael.

TE QUIERO MUCHO MI AMORCITO!

Lesson Learned: Striving for perfection will not keep my marriage together or even make it better. God is the one that brought Misa and I together and He is the one, the only one that can make it better.

A Changing Chloe

Chloe has experienced a lot of change in the last 3 months. I have seen her go from a kid to a pre-teen.

 It has been difficult for Allie because Chloe is not interested in "playing" as much and does not want to watch kiddy movies anymore. Although I still occasionally see glimpses of the fun kid Chloe has always been!

After a lot of begging I let her watch all the Jaws movies and she loved them!

She texts with her friends a lot.

I think that becoming part of the youth group has been wonderful for Chloe as she is making this transition.

She went to camp for the 2nd time this year.
She also went to several area wide youth devotionals around the Oklahoma City area on Monday evenings with the Wilshire Crew!

And she went on a 2 day trip with the youth group to Silver Dollar City and Dixie Stampede.

She has even gotten brave about doing youth group activities with other youth groups. She went to a lock in in Tulsa at my mom and dad's church and also hung out with the youth in Michigan at the church where Misa's dad is a minister.

My little cautious girl has become a daredevil as well.  She and her best friend Alyssa got season passes to white water/frontier city and Chloe experienced roller coasters and fast water slides!

In a couple weeks I will drop her off at middle school and Allie will go to a school all by herself for the first time. I hope that they can remain friends and as close as they have always been.

Lessons Learned:  Listen more than advise.  My experiences in childhood will not be theirs. Celebrate and cherish the small things.

AVA ROSE!!

The last week or so I have gotten to spend more time with my beautiful neice AVA!  She is growing so fast and I like watching her personality emerge!  Chloe and Allie adore her and love playing with her.  I have a lot to live up to as an aunt becuase Ava's mom (my sister- Heather) has gone above and beyond over the years.  I hope I can be half the aunt to her that my sister has been to my girls!