Mom's Morning Out...

SO what do all the moms do after they drop the kiddos off at school?

Go out to breakfast of course.

1st Day of School

Today is the first day back to school for my kiddos.

I'm not sure if I am happy or sad but one thing is for sure I AM PROUD!!!

Madison off to 1st grade

Ethan too ~ is off to 1st grade

and Sadie is a big girl in 2nd grade

The Growing Garcia's ~ excited for the first day.

A little car decorating

To welcome the kids back to school

we are looking forward to a GREAT year!!!

Somebody Stop Me...

...I'm turning into my parents!!!

When I was kid Saturday mornings were dedicated to chores.

I dreaded Saturday's. I dreaded chores.

And I swore when I grew up I would NEVER EVER make my kids spend their Saturday mornings cleaning.

It was wrong and mean and just down right torture on a poor child!

Well its Saturday...

and Sadie is mopping

while Madison cleans the grout - with a toothbrush!!!

and both the girls are folding laundry

What have I become???

A mother who loves her children SO much that she hopes to train them to be great spouses and parents.


*note, Ethan was also doing chores, but they were outside with daddy and no pics were captured. Next Time. :)

Mom, can we talk?

"Mom, can we talk" is Sadie's latest catch phrase...she uses this phrase several times a day for various reasons. But basically what it means is she wants my undivided attention and she doesn't want her brother or sister to hear what she's about to say.

A few nights ago we were laying in bed snuggling. Madison was fast asleep and the room was pitch black and Sadie said to me "Mom, can we talk."

I said "sure honey what's up".

And this is the conversation that followed:

Sadie: I wonder how old she is mommy.
Me: who honey
Sadie: the lady whose tummy I was in
Me: I think she's about 32. If I remember correctly she was 25 when you were born and your 7 now so she'd be about 32.
Sadie: I think she's dead by now.
Me: (silent gasp) Oh honey, I don't think so. Why do you think that?
Sadie: Well how old are you when you die?
Me: Most people are older when they die - like 80 or 90, sometimes even 100.
Sadie: Oh, do kids like me die
Me: (another silent gasp) sometimes honey children do die and its very very sad for the mommy and daddy. But when that happens there is a reason. It means God needed that child in heaven. Sometimes we never know why until we get to heaven but we trust God anyway.
Sadie: do babies who are in tummies die mommy.

*I have to pause this story for a moment and say I was in NO way prepared to have THIS discussion with my 7 year old. I was praising God that the room was pitch black (so she could not see the tears streaming down my face) and I was pleading with Him to give me the appropriate answers to her very deep questions.

Me: Sadie, honey, do you know why adoption is so special and important to daddy and me?
Sadie: yes mommy because you have me, Ethan and Madison
Me: Yes. But its also important to us because when you were in that ladies tummy she had a choice. When she went to the doctor and he told her she had a baby in her tummy. She chose to say, I want to have this baby and even though I will not raise her and she will not call me mom I want her to have a full happy life. You see honey, she could have told the doctor, I am not ready to have a baby, and then you would not have been born. But she didn't do that. She chose to let you live a full happy life. And we are SO thankful for her and her decision to give you up for adoption.
Sadie: (wraps her arms tight around my neck and says) me too mommy.

*As I held Sadie tight I continued to cry silently and praise God that this was going better than I imagined for having no premeditated plan of this conversation ~ to my surprise though this conversation was NOT over!

Sadie: (slowly lets go of my neck and says) I don't know why anybody wouldn't want a baby to be born and live a happy life.
Me: Me either honey. That is why we need to pray for those children and that is why we need to pray for the lady who chose to give you life. She is a very special lady and I hope one we can meet her and thank her. Even if its in heaven.
Sadie: Let's pray right now mommy
Me: ok
Sadie: Dear Jesus, thank you for the lady whose tummy I was in. Thank you that she let me live with my mommy and daddy and have a happy life. I hope she knows you Jesus so I can meet her in heaven and say thank you. Jesus please be with all the babies who are in the tummies. Please save them. Amen.

*All I can say is WOW! She is wise beyond her years. Even at the precious age of 7 she instinctively values LIFE! She realizes (with out ever hearing the debates) that life ~even in the tummy~ is LIFE!

And I am blessed. Blessed beyond words. 3 women whom I may never get to personally thank are responsible for my amazing life ~ because they chose life!!

Happy 3rd Gotcha Madison

Today is Madison's 3rd Gotcha Day.

Here she is just hours after becoming a Garcia. As she sits with Brian while he calls the family she's a little scared, a little unsure and a lot confused!!!

Here she is today. Happy, secure and full of life!!!

I look at her and think: WOW! How has it only been 3 years? I can't remember her not being in ours. And I am oh so thankful I don't have to remember that. I just have to rejoice in the time I've had and all that is yet to come.

Here's to you my sweet girl and to all your precious life has in store for you.

Peru ~ Final Reflections

We've been home 11 days and I am still processing all the Lord did in Peru...

After 11 days I still can not find the words or pictures that seem to accurately reflect my changed heart. My new spirit of submission to the Lord or my desire to follow the Him wherever and whenever He leads.

A mission trip for a believer (at least for me) is very similar to the fresh new life feeling a New Believer feels when he accepts Christ as His Personal Lord and Savior.

Its a revival for the soul. An awakening in your Spirit.

As I reflect on Peru and struggle to share my heart these verses come to my mind:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:10)

Blessed is he who is kind to the needy. (Proverbs 14:21)

For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Mathew 28:19)

Something the Lord continued to show me in Peru was that there are missions fields everywhere. There are people all around us (even PSL) that do not know Jesus. People that don't know that the Lord is alive and active still today. People that don't know He IS coming back. And He will claim those that are His.

In the States, the mention of God has become Taboo. We (me) have become accustom to keeping our faith private to not offend anyone or to avoid being "weird".

We (me) have put ourselves in a safe bubble where things don't get too uncomfortable. We (me) are not stretched. There's no growth. Just a safe comfortable lukewarm ride. But you what the Bible says about being lukewarm? "so then, because you are lukewarm and not hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth" (Rev 3:16)"

We (I) need be alert and active in our (my) walk.

I need pop my protective bubble, step out in faith and boldly seek first Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

My heart, my desire is to serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind knowing He searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts and believing when I seek Him, He will be found. (1 Chronicles 28:9).

Peru Video

Please please take a few minutes and watch this AMAZING video that our friend Les made to capture these very precious memories of our time in Peru.

**remember to pause my music before hitting play**

Calvary Chapel Port Saint Lucie - Lima, Peru Mission 2009 from Les Lanphere on Vimeo.

Peru ~ Central Lima, Site Seeing

On the day we were leaving Peru, Rick took us site seeing in Central Lima.

One of the place he took us to was the Museum of the Inquistion.

Located on the Plaza Bolívar, which is also home to the Peruvian Congress building, the Inquisition Museum is one of Lima’s most popular and often visited museums. Housed in the building that was home to the Inquisition from 1570 to 1820, the museum has exhibits which explain the impact and importance of the Inquisition in Peru’s history.Imported from Spain in the late 16th century, the Inquisition was responsible for eliminating heresy and blasphemy in the New World. Some of their targets included Spanish Jews and their descendents, who were often accused of maintaining their practices in secret. In this museum, you can visit the lightless dungeon cells where those accused awaited judgement or punishment. It was also from this location that the public burning of heretics was ordered.

These little girls *worked* outside of the muceum selling pieces of candy for 10 cents. They were stinking cute and the candy was good so we bought a bag of 100.

After the Mueseum Rick took us to the San Francisco Catherdral & Catacombs.

This Franciscan church and monastery is one of the most haunting (almost literally) and memorable sites in all of Lima. Originally constructed in 1546, it is one of the oldest churches in South America. It also served as the first official Catholic cemetery in Lima, at a time when the dead were laid to rest in catacombs beneath the church, itself an echo of an old Roman custom. You will get to visit the catacombs and view the hundreds of centuries-old bones and scores of skulls as part of the guided tour. The church also has one of the oldest and most historically significant libraries in the Americas and dramatic collections of religious and secular art, including renaissance-era tiles imported from Spain.