Not So New

Well hello there blogging world. After my last "real" post, I figured it had been a long enough spell of silence and I could venture forth with an update.

Its been just over a month since I have let you peek into the heart of the girl I described as "devastatingly lonely." And since then, much has changed. Much to the extent of feeling overwhelmed at one point.

Very soon after writing that post, things began to happen in my life and in my heart. Not even a week after that post, we went to a church I like to say is our family's church. My grandparents married there, my parents met and married there, and they stayed there until I was 2. (And being the fourth born, that's quite a while.) I think it's really for that reason that my dad was a little hesitant to visit, but alas, visit we did. And then we did again the next week, and the next, and the next. And so forth and so on. Now about a month and a half later, I feel more established here than I have anywhere in the last two years. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

In the middle of our settling into this church, we had our annual homeschool convention. And although I am now two years graduated, and my sister several more, we still enjoy and look forward to volunteering. In previous years I have worked in the children's program and let me tell you- it takes an insane amount of energy, patience, and joy to keep 25 little ones happy and excited for two solid days. But this year, although I enjoyed the fast paced environment of previous years, I had decided to try something new. I'll spare you the details, but I ended up working in the used curriculum sale. Which honestly, sounds wicked boring. But it was not at all. I worked with people I knew, and met others and enjoyed every second. Reconnecting with some of the folks, and making new friends- it was a really amazing weekend. I even got to keep in contact with a few of them thanks to the modern convenience of facebook! :) Although I'm a "newbie" to the established group of volunteers, everyone was very friendly, and I look forward to continue to get to know them in the coming months, and working with them again next summer!

It was just after this that I began to feel overwhelmed in my soul. I was suddenly being plunged into a group of people who remembered my name, and things about me. People I was talking to and seeing throughout the week were greeting me on Sunday mornings. The very things I had longed and prayed for for a few years now, were coming in droves and all I could identify in my heart was an overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness emotion.

Reflecting on all that has happened these last few weeks as I wrote, brought back the wave of overwhelmed thanks I felt not two weeks ago- and I just can't say enough for how thankful I am.

The church is solid, established, growing, and Gospel driven. I could not have picked a better place if I tried. God led us exactly where He needs us for now.

That's really all I have to say- is just that I feel as though I am finally "home" in a sense. Please just continue praying for our family as we settle in and develop relationships and ministries within this body.

~Mal

Juuuuuuuust a little update....:)

Well for starters I'm sorry that its been almost two months without so much as a "hey I'm still here!" I always wonder who reads my blog, but my stats show that enough people do that, I should probably keep it up a little better! :)

Fast track update: The biggest thing is that we moved! We are all settled in our new place. Love the neighborhood and the location. Its so convenient to everything. My cousin also recently moved and she's just a few miles down the road now. I love it!

Second is that the job I got will start next month. I got to meet the baby today! It made me really excited about starting! He's so precious, only about five weeks old. His parents are really laid back, which is awesome. I always tell people that nannying is 50% your relationship to the child, and 50% with the parents. They seem like they'll be good to work with! :)

We got back Sunday from our week long annual beach trip. It rained some, but I don't think there was a day where we weren't at least in the pool and hot tub. We got to go the the aquarium but spent most of our time at the house, which was nice after such a whirlwind summer!

I am currently caring for AH's charge, since she is south for a few weeks. (more on this later) Its been nice to have a reason to get up early, and have something to do during the days. He keeps me good company! :) We enjoyed a walk through the neighborhood together, have worked on maps, and make a chain so we know how many more days until she is home! Its such a blessing that he is comfortable enough with me that she can trust me to care for him. He's so sweet! He got to meet the baby today too, and has talked about him a little bit. Not sure how he feels about it, since he's been the only little one for so long!

If you recall, last fall I started a series on my blog that I called "Jesus & Jeans" and it was my way of approaching things that, well that can sometimes be called "controversial". Not that I want to start problems, but I want my voice to be heard about things that I am passionate about.

So this week I am hoping to work on and post a "part two" to my Halloween series. If you missed those, you can read the original post here and the follow up here. Stick with me if you're interested in reading more of what I've been learning! :)

15 facts Friday

Why not, ya know?

1. I have four sisters, and our ages spans 17 years. We got the best looks when Little was born! :) 
2. I recently became ESL certified(English as a second language) and have class of Spanish speakers I co-teach with my sister, AH.
3. I still don't have my license(and I turn 20 this year).
4. My favorite hoodie is a hand-me-down from my brother-in-law. 
5. My dad, second born nephew, and myself all share a middle name. (As well as several distant family members.) 
6. In continuation of the last fact, only one other female in the family also has it(as far as I am aware at least). 
7. I am the first of my immediate family to have been 100% home-educated. My older sister went to pre-K and I pride myself on never having received alternate education ;)
8. I have never traveled out of the country, but I hope to go to Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, or El Salvador soon! (These are just the first places on my list :)
9. Both of my grandma's were able to be in the delivery room when I was born, and my dad's mom actually named me!
10. For my birthday, my parents gave me a queen sized bed; however I still sleep to one edge of it as if it were my old twin bed. I'm slowly working my way to the middle!
11. My favorite Disney princess/movies are: Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, and Tangled. For my 16th birthday, my parents got me the special edition of B&B, per my request.
12. Although I love a good romance novel, my most read and enjoyed authors are Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti. (Christian thriller/horror) 
13. I'm not much of an animal person, but I one day hope to own three dogs: A basset hound, a blood hound, and a beagle. 
14. I have visited Philadelphia three times and LOVE it! (Not being punny...)
15. And last and definitely not most important, I am the only Android user in my family. Everyone else either has dumb phones...or Iphones! O.o

A year in Review:

This has been one of those years, where I look back on it, and I have one thought: "I wouldn't trade it, but God, please never give it to me again!"

This year, like any, had its ups and downs. But I feel like these were on the dramatic/big side and thus felt like I've been on a roller coaster for the past 12 months. So hitting the big stuff:

(A snapshot from January)

January: If you recall this post, my year started off kind of rocky. By my own choices I found myself in the slumps by January. People talk about the new year as a "starting over" time, but I had never experienced it quite like this. In addition to starting off a little rocky, it was my final semester of school. I had worried my brain for months about finishing school and finding a job or taking classes and not being sure what was next, so January was bitter sweet. I went on my final youth retreat, and honestly, I don't remember much of it.

February: In February we journeyed to DC for AH's birthday. I enjoy trave

(DC birthday excursion)

ling a lot, so this was my highlight this month! We did a lot of walking around and eating of some amazing food! (Panas was the best for me!)The Little also had a birthday and turned 12, making me feel ancient.

March: Not a whole lot happened in March, except for the only "big" snow, EP's first anniversary and my oldest nephew's fourth birthday.

However, April began the busy season for me, and I feel like maybe that hasn't stopp

(Me and the birthday boy from March)

ed yet! My third nephew made his grand entrance into the world! How much love you can have for such a little person never ceases to amaze me! Also, I got the privilege of traveling to Philadelphia with the student pastor, his wife and one other student who just happens to be a good pal of mine. It was a unique experience to say the least. We kind of went as a "prep" trip for the missions trip that we took in June. We got to meet the pastor we'd be working with and see the church and area ahead of time, as well as tour the area we'd be staying in. The student pastor and his wife are from the area so they took us around to some of their favorite places, and it was fun seeing a local's point of view without a large group to tote around. I enjoyed the quality time with just a few others.

(Graduation with Ginger)

May: This was when things really started getting busy for me! I graduated in May! (Along side one of my dear friends! Which was such a blessing, since neither of us wanted to have the spotlight all to ourselves, and we had talked about this for years, both being homeschooled! :) After graduation, I spent a week back in DC with my sister's family. It was nice to get away from the norm and spend the extra time with her and my nephews! Only a few days later, I went to the beach with some friends. It's been kind of a tradition in my church for the juniors and seniors to get away for a few days towards the end of the school year. So off we went. I was a lobster. On a more solemn note, we lost a nephew to heaven this month. All that love you build up for a person and not meeting them. The suspense of waiting for Heaven to hold the little one is hard. It was not a fun or easy thing to pack on to such a busy time already. Although the season may have been busy, my Angel nephew is not forgotten and little Enoch Barnett, my other nephews and brothers are all waiting for us.

(Philadelphia skyline)

(Quince Princess)

In June I went back to Philadelphia for the missions trip and honestly, I love this city so much! In this month was one of the coolest and most special things I've ever done. Both DC and Philadelphia are special to me, for different reasons. The earlier part of June held a different, cool and amazing experience for me. One of my dear friends celebrated her 15th birthday. Although she was born here, she is El Salvadorean and had a traditional quinceañera. She had a big princess dress and a few of the traditional tokens or ceremonies of a quince. However, since she is a believer, she chose not to do a lot of them; she just chose a few that were special to her, instead of the extensive ceremony. We also have a large homeschool convention that we attend every June and the past several years I've volunteered in the children's program. It's about 22 hours of volunteer service, all said and done. And I love it! This past year especially I got to know a handful of girls that I've kept in fairly good contact with (facebook is good for this, as well as instagram).

(4th of July with the sisters)

By July I was somewhat worn out from a whirlwind two months that proceeded it. I was thankful for what felt like at the time, a dramatic halt in life. We had our one or two fourth of July celebrations and celebrated my nephew's second birthday. Other than that July was slower-paced for the most part.

August was much fuller. I went roller skating for the first time in YEARS! It was an absolute blast! I also sang with the Spanish church for a community event, finished my time with my youth group, went on a weekend conference with AH and spent a weekend at a friend's house with a few other girls. The five of us are pretty good friends, and all homeschooled. We range in ages from 15 to 19 and enjoy being together. My grandfather got really sick, and we stepped up our involvement with them. In pleasant weather, I go over once every other week and mow for them and my cousin cleans indoors.

(sibling picture from the beach, 2013)

The end of August/beginning of September came biting with a brain tumor. A unpleasant experience to the max. God's hand was seen all throughout it, though, and even still we can see how He worked; at the time it was little things, and looking back, bigger things. God has chosen to heal J this side of heaven and for that we are SO thankful! (You can read J's journey here) He is now undergoing radiation treatments and is halfway done! The hope is that the radiation kills off anything that was leftover after his second surgery and he will be officially cancer free. Keep praying for the Father to be glorified! Along with this, my family's yearly vacation had been planned for just days after his first surgery, and since there was a lot invested in the trip and enough people at home to take care of him, we went ahead and went. It was nice to be away for a while. When we got home we jumped in with two feet. Life was crazy, far from normal, and working forward with incredible speeds. The Little started 7th grade, and AH began homeschooling Yenny (who's quince we celebrated). "Madhouse" doesn't even begin to describe life at this point!

(My birthday dessert)

(Yenny, the Little and I "planning" fundraising)

In addition to being here for school, Yenny and I felt very burdened to help raise some funds for J. So when October rolled around we had our first two fundraisers! The first one we had nothing to do with, save Yenny singing. We held a benefit concert and raised far more than any of us had expected. A few short, crazy weeks later we had event #2 and held a dinner. (Too many people trying to plan! :) Oh well, both were blessed events!) In the weeks in between the two, Yenny and I (along with LOADS of help from other adults) spent a lot of time seeking donations from local businesses and even some bigger stores like Kroger) also, my family went apple picking and spent a day in the mountains. This was very nice and felt a bit like the calm before the storm! I also began nannying! Crazy month! But all too quickly, October drew to a close and I celebrated my 19th birthday! My sister made me lomo saltado (a Peruvian dish) and my mom made me these tasty little raspberry chocolate tarts. DELICIOUS.

(Gettysburg with the fam)

November rolled around and it was a bit of "big event let down". All of the sudden everything I had spent my whole month pouring into was over. I got to go to a Chris Tomlin concert with my oldest sister, her husband and their oldest. It was a blast! Later on we traveled to Pennsylvania for a weekend in Gettysburg and I got some bangs to change up my look a littl
e. Towards the end of the month things got a little busy again with Thanksgiving, Black Friday (an actual event in my house), and a surprise birthday party for my oldest sister. This was one of the best/coolest Thanksgivings ever! I loved every second of the weekend!

(FINALLY!)

Although December is a fairly busy season, I didn't go to any Christmas parties or events this year. Even though I always look forward to it, I was thankful for my evenings to be mostly at home. I enjoyed family time in the Bible leading up to the birth of Christ, and making an ornament for different key events along the way. I did, however, get to meet up with a friend that I have been talking to via social media for over two years. She's moved closer to me, and so we've already enjoyed a closer-distance friendship!

That brings me up
to this week. We spent Christmas morning here at home with just us five. We were then joined by EP and MrP. And a little later on for brunch by my mom's family. In the afternoon we had Christmas with Dad's side of the family and then we left Thursday morning to spend the weekend with Meg and her family. It was nice, overall, even if somewhat chaotic.

To look back on the year is both good and odd to me. I started this post, almost with a "WOE is me" attitude, thinking "Oh SO much has happened!" And a lot has, but not nearly as much as I thought had. It feels like a lot, and of course there are things I chose not to make public that will stay in my heart to ponder. However overall, God was with me through all the ups, downs, ins and outs of my year, and for it I now look at the year and can say "Its ok." Am I making any sense??? :)

Merry Christmas from the Sibs at National Harbor!

God has brought me a loooong way since last December, and for that I am most thankful. I'll just briefly say a few things He's taught me:

~To trust Him, and His unfailing will. No matter what circumstances I face.
~We often see our circumstances with a very distorted view of flawed human analysis, seeing things as far worse than they really are.
~God has my parents as my parents for my benefit, and to talk to them is a greater blessing than I had ever imagined possible before this year.
~The Father works ALL things together for the good of those who LOVE Him!

May each of you have a blessed NEW YEAR with all things bright and new!

Blessings to each of you!

~Mal

19 reasons why I am not taken seriously

A few weeks ago, I celebrated my 19th birthday! Hooprah! However, I feel that even a year after entering adulthood, I am yet to be taken seriously. After a self examination, I've come up with 19 reasons why. This is primarily for laughs, but here goes!

1. For the most part, I tend to get along with people younger than me better than people my age. Some of my close friends ranking in at 2 &1/2 and 3 1/2 years younger than me. This said, I guess people look at me an still see a 16/17 year old. Oh well! :)
2. I still don't have my license! After about a year of complete and total fear of driving, when I finally decided I was ready, it was a combination of leftover fear and procrastination that has drawn the process out over about two years now. Hopefully by January I will have my license! We'll see how I feel about that when the time comes! 
3. I cannot wait for my 21 birthday. And no, not for cultural-norm reasons. Every seven years, your taste-buds change, right? So when I turn 21, they will change for the third time in my life! Who knows; maybe I'll finally like sauerkraut??
4. I don't have a "real" job. I work at home as a nanny, and have been told often that I need a "real" job not at home. I wonder if people realize how much I love my job? 
5. I love romance novels. These are my guilty pleasure. And as long as its a trusted Cristian author, I'm grabbing and devouring it's pages. Some people see this as a childish pastime?
6. In addition to novels, I collect name books. I find them fascinating, and name history/origin are fun to study to me. Apparently this is just a stupid pastime, but hey, as a hobby-author, they come quite handy! 
7. I am a total goof. I make the most ridiculous faces in pictures, I'm loud in public, and I don't have loads of street-smarts. (Street-smarts being socially normal things. Educated? Yes. Up-to-date on lingo? Absolutely not.) 
8. I only paint the nails on my left hand. I have still yet to master painting with my non-dominate hand, so my right hand stays bare unless someone is able to help me.
9. I still have most of the Beanie Babies my grandmother has gotten for me of the course of the 19 years I've roamed this planet. 
10. I still wear my retainer. Apparently uncool?
11. I still rock my sneakers on a regular basis. 
12. I have a nintindo64 in my room, and yes I still play my Super Mario frequently. Princess Peach and all. I promise, its still quite entertaining. 
13. I like change(my room arrangement, my hair colour, etc.), which I'm told is "indication that I have no idea what I want in life." ...ok? 
14. I'm addicted to those little squares of caramel that come individually wrapped in clear plastic, and now keep a hefty stock of them in my purse. Not socially acceptable for someone of my age to want candy? Oops.
15. I can be terribly indecisive, but usually about food or where to go to shop or "hang out". (I would rather just stay at someone's house than go somewhere anyways.) 
16. I still very much so enjoy sleepovers with my friends. I don't mind them one bit and was told I would outgrow them by now. OHHHH WELLLLLL.
17. I have a slight obsession with the colour pink. I love pink a lot. (Although much to my surprise, I selected a purple bedspread, and I quite like it!)
18. I still really enjoy sleeping in. And although it's quite lazy of me, I do when I get the chance (pretty much, Saturdays.) This is apparently supposed to end when you hit adulthood.
19. And not particularly last and not least, but lastly, I love my childhood stuffed animals and blankets to date. Although I no longer sleep with them, they have never been packed up, nor do I intend for them to be. 

Hope you got a good chuckle at my shamelessly "childish" ways! :) I had fun coming up with them! 

Training

While most other 18 or so year olds are in school, gaining all that book knowledge, I too am working like a mad woman on my "studies". I don't have midterms, or fall breaks, but I do have to work hard at it. It's somewhat rewarding at the end of the day to feel tired, and know things got done. And it's been fun developing and falling into a routine. I was thinking today as I was bustling around about that idea; study and work. I feel like I'm in an incredible opportunity. My mom works two days a week, and is still a homeschool momma, my other sister nannys and is very active in helping take care of things with J and medical stuff, and homeschools someone else right now. By default (and I happen to believe, by God's great design) it means I get to play mommy! (Because in addition to housework, I get to nanny a beautiful little girl three days a week). I get to clean, cook, do laundry, dishes, and tidy up. These are things that are often viewed as monotonous chores, and on some given days, I too feel that they carry some sense of drudgery. However for the most part, I do enjoy working around the house. And when I finish my work, I enjoy writing (sometimes on the blog:)) or creating something in the kitchen. I am enjoying finding His joy on the journey and seeing where He has me. Some days, I wish it was different, but other days, I wouldn't change one thing about how life is going.

In addition to being a home-maker in the making, I'm deeply involved in fundraising for J. My friend and I had our first event on Saturday (pictures and post to come!) and we were so blessed at the response! Both from our church family, and the community around us that came out to either serve or support. Although the day of the event presented its troubling pressures, we worked through them, and the dinner itself turned out wonderful! By the end of it, we looked at each other, at the success God gave to our cause, and said "we can do this again!" (honestly, God totally blessed this thing! Can't wait to share all about it!) The night before the event, M and I looked at each other and we agreed on this point: we felt very good. We felt like we weren't just living for us anymore, we had something bigger we were doing that was beyond just us and our circle. Its incredible to me how when you're no longer looking to receive, giving is so much more rewarding.

I'm learning so much, and loving every second of it! :) Keep praying for my learning heart!

Beauty Hacks

Over the past several months, I've gotten creative, hacking and squeezing my way out of expensive products by coming up with ways to do so. Some of these I found on Pinterest, but most of them are (as far as I am aware..) 100% original ideas! :)

Makeup Hacks:

1) Mascara stretching:

This hack will not be across the board, in-home for everybody. But I wear contacts on occasion, and so I have contact solution on hand. But if you don't typically have it, this one might not be helpful for you. (This is a Pinterest hack)

I did this before my mascara started getting too terribly low, and found that it helped it not dry out at all. But if you do have dry mascara, adding just two drops of contact solution loosens it right now.  My mascara would have run out months ago, but it's still perfectly liquidy and doesn't make my eyes burn at all. My mascara has lasted more than twice as long as it normally would, and when it starts to get dry or sticky, I just add a drop or two, and it continues to work perfectly.

2) Flawless foundation:

I have two different foundation/cover all makeups that I alternate with. One of them is a foaming foundation. I really like this one because it is very light, and doesn't make my face feel caked. The other I use is BB cream. (The one I have right now is by Rimmel and I am not a huge fan..I loved the one from L'Oreal). I became really interested in makeup artistry and watched copious amounts of tutorials on youtube for weeks. Although I do not do makeup art on my face, some of the techniques were applicable to how I applied my makeup, so I began experimenting: applying with a brush. This worked soooo much better with the foam. I just dabbed the brush into the foam, and "painted it" onto my face. The look made my skin look flawless, and I was not getting any of the oils from my fingers onto my face. I then bang the brush out, and go over it with a powder and set it. When it's blended well, it looks good and flawless. I love how my skin looks when I do this way. Since all I have is the Rimmel BB cream, I don't know how this would work with other creams. The Rimmel cream is thick and heavy. It feels and smells like sunscreen (and actually has a higher SPF protection than the other BB creams I've looked at.) I've found that if I just put about a dime sized amount in my palm, and just a few drops of water, it thins it up really well and I can apply it very much the same way I apply the foam. (still like the foam better though.) This makes it feel not as heavy on my face, and has a very similar effect on my face.

3) Makeup remover:

I HATE TAKING MAKEUP OFF. It is one of the biggest drag of womanhood in my mind. Not to be all T.M.I. but I bought some feminine wipes for a missions trip I went on in June, and had a lot left over. YEP. They work perfectly for taking makeup off! Eye makeup too! One wipe does my whole face, and my face doesn't break out after using them. They're gentle and smell nice. I get Walmart brand, which is cheapcheap, and they have 48 wipes to a package. For someone who hardly wears makeup above twice a week, these last for quite a while!

Random Hacks:

I currently only have one for this category, but perhaps in the future I can add to it! :)

Homemade odor-eaters:

I try to take good care of my shoes, so that I feel comfortable taking them off around people, but somehow, that still doesn't happen so well. So I began trying different things I had heard over the years and found fault with all of them. Mom suggested cornstarch, and every time I took a step, I sounded like I was stepping on a duck. I had seen baby powder used for like everything, and tried this as well. But the odor wasn't cut completely, and when I took my shoes off, both of these solutions let me leave a white foot print trail everywhere I went. I also heard that baking soda was a deodorizer, but I found that on it's own it irritated my skin, and was very rough.

I also tried Lysol, dryer sheets, washing them, airing them out. NOTHING seemed to keep the stink out. And as I have found, nothing is worthy of promoting as totally able to work. But I have concocted my own process that seems to be working fairly well. It works best overnight, so do it ahead of time!

Spray the selected shoes with Lysol (the kind in the aerosol can). Get them a little damp, but not soaking. Mix a handful of baby powder and a handful of baking soda. Rub it around on the inside of the shoes; the bottom, top, and sides. If you get your shoes too damp, this becomes like a paste. But don't worry about it, it's ok, just rub it around until most of the inside is well covered. Let the shoes sit overnight. In the morning, they'll be white inside. Bang them out over a trashcan. The white paste is all dried up, and just comes out when the shoes are hit. I've found that I can wear my shoes several times with no stinky issues before needing to do this again.

Hope something was found helpful! :)

Thankful for the Rock

"...everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." (personal emphasis) 

I know we all go through those "storms" (maybe this isn't so cliche since Jesus used it first?? :)) and I know that we're all told "Oh look to Jesus." or "Pray" or "Trust the Father!" But you know that light bulb moment when something suddenly dawns on you; what has been common knowledge to everyone around you suddenly becomes that nugget of truth for you. That sort of happened for me. I had this urging desire to read Jesus's parable about the houses on the rock and the sand. I didn't even get through the whole story before I was opening up blogger to write out this truth that I found so close to home. I have a tendency to the dramatics, and I know that. But the weight of everything going on sometimes does sit on my heart, and I try not to worry about it, or think too much, but sometimes...just sometimes, it brings me a little low. For some reason or another, my heart has been very heavy, and I opened up the passage to find that verse just sticking out in bright red print: 

"yet it did not fall"

I know not only where, but Who, my foundation rests on. And because it is on the Rock, it will not fall. It was that glimmer into what Jesus meant in His parable. And I felt such peace surround my heart. 

Where does your house sit?

Rambles from a selfish girl

As my crazy life continues to swirl on around me, I'm finding something more and more true: "mine" just can't be a word Christians use. It simply cannot. "My" room has become "our" room. "My" food is "our" food. It's a "mi casa, su casa" sort of mindset. Recently, in addition to the other things listed, "my" clothes, time, energy, resources, entertainment, money, and even "my" family have become shared things, and PLEASE don't assume from this that I mind, because I promise you, I do not mind in the least. But God has slowly been teaching me that all the things I've grown up claiming as "mine" are in fact, not mine.

I guess He's been bringing me to this place of revelation for several months now. It started back in April when my sister and her husband moved in with us. I had thoughts like "aw yeah..that's what a family is supposed to do." And being thankful that we were in a place to house them. I've watched as my parents have freely given of what they have to their growing household, and withholding no good thing from us as far as they have been able. It has been sweet to see how willing my parents are to just give, give, give.

As the summer went on, not much changed. My parents have continued to make a two-hour drive(one way) to my other sister's house; to visit, for parties, to babysit. Doesn't matter. If there's a need (and often even just a desire.) my parents are there. As the fall began, my paternal grandfather began ailing. My parents were right on it. I've been over there a few times to mow, and then play a round of Scrabble with my grandma. My parents have decided to be active in their lives as we help my grandma take care of my grandpa.

As you know, we were hit again as a dear friend was struck with cancerous brain tumor. I assure you, this is not a fun road to walk. But again, I watched as my family, and the family of Jesus Christ came together, and no one used the word "mine". (Not that anyone would've had a reason to, just be poetic with me.) People were hosting out-of-town family, others were preparing food and bringing it to the hospital, and others were taking care of things to make it available for the needed parties to be at the hospital with J. No one complained, no one questioned it. We all just did what felt natural in the moment of adrenaline to be wherever any of us were needed.

During the midst of all of the above, my sister agreed to homeschool one of my friends. (Pictured in my last post as my "part-time" roommate.) WHICH IS GREAT, don't misunderstand me! It's like we got another sister! She's so much fun to have around. But age and spacing worked it so that she lives in my room. (Yes, I just said live. She jokes about this being her part-time home) Her and I share my double bed, in my relatively large bedroom and I wouldn't trade a moment of it. On more than on occasion we've swapped clothes, make-up or jewelry.

But I sat in my room after she left last week and just looked around. My room was PACKED. Two portable cribs remained assembled from when my nephews last used them, books, papers, CD's/DVD's, pictures, clothes, craft items and etc. littered my room. My desk, TV table, book shelf and dresser were covered in trinkets and stray earrings. Clothes from my partially unpacked suitcase, combined with several rounds of clean laundry sat piled high in one corner and my bed, sat over novels, notebooks/journals, and personal items. The contents of my walk-in closet were spilling over with untouched novels and sweaters waiting to be worn. I don't mean to be so detailed here, so if I'm killin' ya, I apologize. The point I am trying to convey, is that I sat looking at all this..stuff. All of it "mine" and none of it used. (Ok...not NONE of it. I do use a lot, but hardly most of the stuff in my room.) This idea of "none of it's mine" donned on me as I sat there. Why do I need all of this stuff, that I don't use, that isn't even mine? So I set out at the beginning of this week to eliminate all of that junk from my room. Removing a fair amount of nicknacks I don't need or do not use. (Next week my clothes will be shrunk down to size!) I have been learning what it means to give of what I have, so how hard is it to give of what I do not need and yet have in abundance? I assure you...it's not all that challenging at all. Toss, toss, toss! Hopefully now my room will be empty enough to minister from freely without the amount of junk suffocating!

All that to say is...I believe (or have come to) that "mine" and Christ cannot coexist. It's either mine or His, but it cannot be both.

Still in Prayer

He made it through surgery with flying colors, but we're still in prayer for our dear friend. God is writing a marvelous story through him, and we're on our knees, praying that angels carry him through the next few weeks and months.

I got to go and see him before we left for vacation (yeah I am pretty sure the weeks leading up to it this year couldn't have been any crazier for us!) He is super loopy and thus we were super entertained by his comments. He was making us laugh at how and what he was saying, and we were thankful to see his humorous side. However, his serious side was there as well, and that was also a comfort. He began quoting verses (in English and Spanish) as well as muttering in his dialect, and repeating the phrases of Japanese he has learned. It was crazy. Brain surgery, and still sitting here quoting more verses than the rest of us, in FOUR languages! My sister and I were able to see him happy, awake, and conversing. Oh how WONDERFUL our Father truly is!!

In other news, as previously mentioned, WE'RE ON VACATION! It truly couldn't have been a crazier time for us to leave, and certainly wasn't very easy getting here, but alas, here we are; and, all things considered, safe and sound. The whole family was able to make it! All husbands and nephews included, it makes quite a houseful! I love the constant chatter and conversation, while one brother is watching football, one nephew is cooing happily and two others are playing "army guys" and the ice cream maker is hard at work preparing a delicious treat. It's the chaos I draw comfort from. Having my whole family together is perfection for me!

Pictures to come! :)

Please continue to pray for J, and you can get updates from another perspective here. My sister has been such a blessing to everyone there, and been very active and present. Her heart is even more involved than mine, and so her updates are even more personal; (whereas he is a friend of mine, she has been even more involved with this church longer than myself.)

~Mal

New Blog Challenge?

A few months back I attempted to start a 30 Day Blogging Challenge, however life exploded at the time, and a blogging challenge was the least of my concerns. Yet now here I am with significantly more time than I had then, and slim to none on the creativity scale. Although I've been busy with events, since we've already discovered my writing abilities, I'll probably just end up doing a very picture-ful post with some captions as way of explanation. I seem to have copious amounts of creativity until I set out to do something. (Such as blogging.)

So my sister suggested that I attempt another blogging challenge. She threw out ideas including a "5 new _" (foods, outfits, movies/books, friends, experiences, etc.) a photo challenge, or a run of the mill thirty day challenge. So onto Pinterest I went, (where else do we go nowadays?) and began searching for a challenge I liked the look of. I began digging and discovered that most of them included some cute things (favorite childhood book) and things I do want to do (talk about your favorite junk food, cos lets be honest, you have one.) But almost every single one was an instant "no" because they also wanted my Zodiac sign(what in the world even is this???) and my opinion on LadyGaga. I want to do a challenge I want to do...not one where I play "skippies" because the topics for the day are stinky. So I decided to kind of create my own. Using several ideas from the ones I found, and some of my own! Feel free to use it yourself!(: [Also, because I tend to chicken out at the ominous idea of thirty whole days, I'm going to do 15 :)]

1. Intro, update, and a recent picture.
2. The reason behind the name. (Tell us about your blog name.) 
3. Family History (Tell us some about the people you do life with)
4. Five songs you love right now, and why if you have a reason.
5. Favorite Verse, and the story behind it (if there is one)
6. Dream job
7. What's in your makeup bag?
8. Top Five memories 
9. Your role model
10. If you could share a conversation with any, (either fictional or historical characters, or people of power you admire) who and why? 
11. Something you want to try but either never had the opportunity or the guts.
12. Earliest memory
13. The time you failed (tell us about the time you tried something, and have to try again some other time)
14. Your favorite moment with the Father. (Share a memory:))
15. Where do you hope to be in ten years?

So there's my list!! I hope I can make it through this time!

~MadaLee

Goat's milk soap?

My mom has some friends raising money by making and selling goat's milk soap. To support them, mom bought a bar for herself, AH and myself.

Now, I've been around goats before, and honestly; they smell horrid. And I keep trying to eat goat's milk cheese, but psychologically in my quirky, mind, it tastes like goats smell. Which is...well gross. So I can't eat it, great. But we get it, (I got to pick my scent) and I thought it was going to be like...well not smell like goats milk. I decided to give it a try anyways, and discovered that the stinky scent doesn't linger on my skin. Which was great, because I began to notice some improvements right away. The morning after I showered, my skin was clearer (on my face) and smoother. (This is coming from someone who has literally tried EVERYTHING.) Although I'm still looking for that magic (and preferably affordable) cream that makes all black heads disappear and all zits non-existent, I was very pleased with how my skin looked with the goat's milk soap. So I continued to use my stinky wonder  bar, and noticed yet another improvement. Not to be all TMI here, but I've also tried some specialty deodorants, because nothing seems to work. Hot or cold, I seem to produce excess amounts of sweat and I really would rather that stop. After bathing with the goat's milk for a few weeks, I noticed that that changed a little bit. I was no longer sweating in my under arms, and have not been using any specialty deodorants because they weren't working. My regular deo seemed to be enough and then for a few weeks, I stopped using the GMS (its too long to keep typing out!) my skin got all splotchy and broke out again, and my under arms were again over productive.

So I conclude from my little personal experiment that GMS is very beneficial! May be worth a try?

Wordless Wednesday

(this is actually from a few weeks ago, I just found it funny enough to share :))

Dear Mini-Man,

I have so much to say to you! So many things I want you to know, and to hear. So many memories I can't wait to remind you of when you're older. I'm a very silly Aunt, and so I decided to write you a letter.

Just the other day, I was hanging out with you (because you're so cool nowadays.) and I was watching you, and my first thought was "When did you grow up??" All the sudden you went from a pudgy little guy to a tall, very silly four year old with an extensive vocabulary and even more extensive imagination. You crack jokes, memorize Scripture, and sing your heart out. You love your superheroes, music, and being the center of attention! (It's ok baby, I was the same way :))


It feels just so recently, that you were a little guy with your "airplane" and "Andy boots" on! I don't miss that baby, because I am so enjoying you now, but I do wonder where he went. All the sudden you're a man, trapped in a little body. (Hence your recently received nickname, Mini-Man). You apparently are quite captivating for your Sunday school class, and I admit, I'm quite jealous I don't get to sit under your theology. Our Father thought highly of childlike faith little boy, so keep it. Keep it close and strong.

You have always been a lot of fun.You know how to be totally impractical (only when it fits with your game ;)). You're a super special kind of guy. You help me see every time I'm with you, what's important, and what is passing. You melt my heart when you take my face between your little hands and talk to my face, when you tell me "no we can do that later, just sit with me" or when you tell me how silly I am. I must be doing something right as an aunt :)

Baby, you melt my heart! I just love you, soooo much! I love that you take off running to hug me, (and squeeze my face). I love that you tell me I'm crazy. I'm in love with all your Beetoe-isms. I love your Happy-go-lucky, sweet heart. I love that you are just wonderful! I LOVE YOU Little Mister!

~Tia Crazy

My Warrior

Dear Newest Nephew,

You were born  on Monday afternoon, and you already have me so in love.

I had forgotten how tiny a person could be, until I got to hold you. Even with your two brothers before you, I had forgotten how little a person could do. I didn't remember being able to hold a whole person in the crook of my arm. Yet there you were, real as I was, in my arm.

You made me believe in a bigger love, all over again. I love so many people a whole, whole lot; but the love didn't run out, it grew. There's plenty of love for you in my heart, little mister!

 You've already proved to be a fighter. My little hero. As your mommy got ready to bring you into the world, you weren't moving around much, and I began to pray for you; a lot. When you were born, they found a knot in the cord that was bringing you oxygen and nutrients. That same cord that was keeping you alive, was also around your neck. GOD was with you and your mommy, baby. You are a healthy baby boy!

I got to hold you again today. Your tiny face wrinkled like a little man having a deep thought. Your nose crinkled like you smelled something stinky, and your little eyes peeked open at me.You sleepily settled into my arm and continued your blissful, innocent slumber.

Innocent. You are the picture of innocent right now. You know nothing. You have everything in front of you to learn. You have two amazing parents, and two big brothers, four loving grandparents, and loads and loads of adoring aunties and uncles to help teach you. There's so much we can't wait to show you!

You have a good life in front of you, my little Warrior. Continue to stay strong. And always remember my love, that it's by God's hand we win wars. <3

~Love,
"Yonnie"

Secret Diary of a Caregiver

Since mid-January, I've been part-time nannying for a family, that I grew up with! It's funny how it all comes back around! These kids' mother, and my sister were great little pals, and our fathers were friends long before they had wives. Loooong history :)

Anyways, this experience has given me lots of thoughts, and made me feel a bit like a mom! 

Unfortunately Hollywood seems to paint the picture of babysitting one of two ways: lollipops and gum drops, happy kids, happy sitters, zero mess and perfectly smooth evenings. Or. It's the horror of all horrors. Terror kids, food on the ceiling, poop on the sitters face, who knows what all else generously scattered all through the house, etc.

However, neither of these are accurate, in the least. I've compiled a list of things, that are the realities of babysitting/childcare.

1) No day is a perfect day. Allow for the dishes to stay in the sink, even through nap time. Sometimes, your rest is going to be more beneficial for everyone.

2) Don't expect to stay in the outfit you put on that morning. A combination of food, snot, spit, among other things may pose a problem for keeping your outfit clean.

3) Never underestimate how important something is to a child. The trivial things of weed-flowers and scattered stones maybe be trashy trinkets to us, but if it's all they child has to give, it means a whole lot more to them. Treasure every gift.

4) You will feel like a broken record when working with kids between 2-5. Repeat, repeat, repeat! Answer the same questions every time. And sometimes, I do have to look at my inquisitive two year old and lovingly say "Dear, that's enough." If that doesn't work, I put the question back on her. If the relentless question is "What is (insert name here) doing?" I simply say, "(*Insert child's name here), what is (whoever) doing?" Generally the child will go "Oh." And provide the answer for themselves.

5) *Use the child's name. I feel more respected when people use my name, look me in the eye, and take the time to answer my stupid questions. A child is a valued human and should be given the same respect. Taking two extra seconds to drop to a squat to chat with a child brings you to a more touchable level, and you become easier to talk to.

6) You might need an extra cup of coffee. Those days happen too. Let them.

7) Nothing means more than a trusting child putting their hands on your face, whispering in your ear and telling you secrets, or says "I love you."

8) Take the time to be silly. This means so much to kids who are a little older (as in, not 18mos. and younger).

9) Don't say anything, ANYTHING, you do not mean. A child will either take it to heart, or hold it against you.

10) Don't look at the kids like a job. Look at it like an opportunity. The parents have given you permission to influence their children. Make sure you leave a good impact, not one that parents have to train out, or not ask back.

11) Have FUN. Kids can say and so some of the best things. And it reminds us how precious kids are when we value what is valuable to them.

I hope you all enjoyed my first entry of "Nanny diaries" :)

~Mal

Wisdom in the Pun

At Thanksgiving this past year, my grandfather made quite the clever remark, and I must admit, it took me until last night to realize the touch of wisdom his witty one-liner had.

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. If you don't succeed again, you may be sucking a seedless orange."

Go ahead, laugh! I did! My jaw swung open as I laughed at him and he went on to explain to me that he was not a nuisance, but an "old"-sance. (Get it?)

But last night, I was having one of those times, when I felt all smart and intellectual cos I was actually thinking about my life. For some reason, his quote popped into my head, and I grinned to myself for a moment. Until I realized the validity of his quote. Although he might not have intended for it to be so profound, it was indeed very profound.

I sat there going, "what seedless oranges am I  'sucking'?"

In other words, I was asking the question: "What in my life am I striving for that is just not worth it?"

At youth group this past week, my group was discussing what we should be doing in life (broad discussion, eh?) My group came up with three points, and the one that meant the most to me was simply to live towards what is eternal. What is going to last?

And perhaps that discussion is what made me think of my Pawpaw's quote. What's a seedless orange I'm workin' on? Or I guess a better question is, what is a "seeded orange" I need to spend more time on? After our youth group discussion, we decided that simply spending more time with people, family, friends, co-workers, etc., is where our focus needs to be. People were made to be eternal beings. But all the things of this worlds will fade away.

What's your seedless orange?

~Mal

Photo Friday

(My sister told me I use too many words when I blog, so I'm doing a PhotoFriday :))

(The little mister I watch often. He's almost two.)

(Two of my really good friends who decided to
 hack my phone :))

(The baby my sister nanny's)

(Thai food with my sister for my birthday!)

(Out as a family to a Japanese Steak House!)

(Me and one of my good friends goofing off after class.
He's actually the nephew of that guy up there^^)

(Senior picture preview! Credit to my lovely sister, Meg,
for this shot!) 

(Ahh! I love these guys! My friend and I have
dubbed them tio(uncle), mamma, and papa. I value
them a lot, and am thankful
they all put up with me!:))

(1/3 of my youth group at our Christmas party!)

(I can't believe I get to ride this beauty more often!
#soexcited)

(Family Christmas outing) 

(Most of my youth group, plus a good amount of alumni)

(My uncle and I)

(More time with the crazies)

(Matching Indian blouses!)

(My beautiful sisters and I :))

"Sarah Promises"

I'm actually stealing an original quote from my sister, AH.

We are currently attempting to read Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God for our morning studies. The very first chapter was talking about how God doesn't give us a road map, and that He reveals to us His plan, step by step. He gives us enough light for the next step, and expects us to take it. If he revealed everything at the get-go, we would live by sight, and what we had been shown, than by faith, and what was to come in HIS timing.

I think a "Sarah Promise" is two-fold. One: We try to take matters into our own hands and make them happen. And Two: It will come.

AH was talking about how, often we do a bit of a "Sarah". Where we take matters into our own hands. When we are shown what is to come, we try to handle it ourselves. Sarah took matters into her own hands and set out to get that son God promised her. She disrupted the family God had set up with her and Abraham (at the time Abram), and added an Egyptian slave, Hagar. Between Hagar's son Ishmael, and Sarah's later son, Isaac, two great nations arose. At the time all Sarah saw was the face of two boys, both fathered by her husband. Did she see two conflicting nations? Did she look into their eyes and see the roles they would play in building two peoples that hated each other? Surely not. Sarah, didn't know what was in store. (At least, I'm pretty sure she didn't) But the point is, she was told "you're going to have a son" and when it didn't come in her timing, she took matters upon herself and set out to make it happen. To this day, there are now two opposing nations. Wow! I bet more than anything she had no idea all this would come of that one mistake.

The second part, "It will come", is about God's timing. I call this a "Sarah Promise", because, I believe we can know God's promises, but we don't always know His timing. In fact, I'm not sure we do very often at all. This kind of "Sarah Promise" could also be called a "Noah Promise" (He was told to build the arc, and the rains didn't come for another 100 years.) a "Job Promise" (God promised to never leave him or forsake him, yet Job lost everything.) an "Israelite Promise" (God was actually silent to them for 400 years before sending Moses!)

I claim "Sarah Promises", because I believe God has promises for me. I believe that He won't leave me. That what He's asked of me is for His good purpose. I believe that He has perfect timing. And it's out of my control. Just because He promised it in winter, doesn't mean it will come in spring, but it will come.

Think about the Israelites for a moment. For generations of 400 years, they sent up prayers to be delivered. God heard them. He told Moses He had. He was going to deliver them. He promised it. But a lot of those generations never left Egypt. Did God abandon His promise? No. Did God forget them? No. Did God follow through on His perfect timing? Yes. Yes He did.

Claim the promises God has ordained for you before time and space came to be, and remember, they may not come how and when you think they will, but they will come. Depend upon Him. His will. And His purpose for your life. Don't try to take short cuts or make it happen your way. God has it perfectly planned out, so that everything that happens will perfect you for that promise. He's given you what He has to make you just right to fulfill His promises in you.

Claim. Believe. Hope. Follow.

~MadaLee

What Disney Taught Me:

This is mostly for laughs-so if I harsh on a favorite, don't take it personally :) I love Disney. I'm just messing around :)

~madds