An interview with Marco: Age 6

I thought for sure I'd have much more time to blog this summer.  Turns out that 4 kids keep you quite busy, especially now that they are older.
We just got done celebrating my youngest baby's birthday. My Marco turned 6!!  I decided it would be fun to do a little interview with him to remember some of his favorites!  I found this list (also had a free printable) at Layers of Learning.com.

Marco Age 6
1. Who is your favorite person in the whole world?
Papa (his grandfather)
2. What is your favorite color?
Green
3. What's your favorite television show?
Gravity Falls
4. What's your favorite outfit?
Mario Brothers T-Shirt and Blue Shorts
5. What sport do you like best?
Soccer
6. What is your favorite cereal?
Coco Puffs
7. Who is your best friend?
My Dad
8. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Alligator Catcher (cracks me up...he's been watching Swamp People)
9. What is your favorite book?
"Arthur's Underwear" by Marc Brown
10. What are you really good at?
Catching bugs and dance moves
11. Where do you wish you could go on vacation?
Cars Land at California Adventure
12. What song do you love?
Party Rock Anthem
13. What's your best memory?
A long time ago we went to Tio's beach (Crystal Cove) and we saw lots of rocks and I found a sea cucumber and I squeezed it.  It squirted me in the face!!
14. What would you buy if you had $1,000.00?
I would buy a DS (game system) and bunch of DS games
15. What vegetable do you hate the most?
Tomato
16. If you could have a wish, what would it be?
To have my own computer.
17. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Cotton Candy
18. Who is your biggest hero?
My Daddy because he is stronger than anyone.
19. What do you like to do best with your friends?
Play pirates and catching bugs.
20. What do you hope to do before your next birthday?
Learn how to shuffle dance. 

So, there you go! Some of his answers really made me laugh out loud.  I love his sweet, honest heart.  He loves to talk and had no problem answering any of these.
We had a Carnival Themed party for him with all kinds of DIY games.  Check it out at my craft blog: Altered to Perfection.

It's Called Unconditional Love...

My little guy: "Mom, why did you and Dad do all this cool stuff for me even though I'm bad?"
Me: "You're not bad. Don't say that."
My little guy: "No, like sometimes I do bad stuff or I don't obey you guys."
Me: (Lump in my throat) "Well, because we love you always. No matter what.  Mommy and Daddy always want to do good for you and give you good things... it's called unconditional love."
My little guy: "Oh..."
Me: "And guess what? That's how God loves us. Even though we don't always obey. Even though we sometimes choose bad over good. He loves us.  He died on the cross for us."
My little guy: "And He even died for the people that did bad stuff to Him..."
Me: "Yes, He sure did..."
*************************************
This conversation took place today at the park.  Our two oldest daughters were at volleyball and water polo practice and our youngest daughter was at a summer program at her school.  Marco and I decided we would spend some special time with our little guy at a nearby park. We brought his fishing poll and he did some "fishing" (translates to casting, reeling in, casting, reeling in, splash tip of poll in water, get distracted by every splash or movement around him...), then we went exploring and tried to catch some frogs and ended it with him playing at the play ground and getting wet at the splash pad.

After the conversation, you better believe that my husband and I both looked at each other with so much gratitude in that moment. So thankful for my little Thinker.  He talks a lot.  Yes, he sometimes gets out of control or gets too loud or acts without thinking - but this kid's got a heart of gold.

So thankful I took the time to listen.  To really hear him and answer his questions.  We constantly learn from our kids.  That's okay, you know.

Did you know that our God loves us no matter what? He doesn't care what we look like, what we know, how much money we have, or what church we go to - or even if we go to church at all.  That is not what makes Him loves us.  He loves us because we are His children.  He created us.

So stop worrying my friend. You can't make Him not love you.  Ever. Even when you are "bad" or sometimes do bad things.  It's called grace. It's called unconditional love.

Romans 5:8

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,

while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

"Mom, I've never heard God's voice..."

A friend of mine had her daughter (who is now in jr. high) go through all of their dvd's and they gifted us about 20 new movies/cartoons/games/etc.  My kids got a whole set of Veggie Tales dvd's and they've been watching one after the other (could get just a wee bit annoying haha!).
Well, my youngest child Marco (age 5), was watching the Jonah one and "Jonah" must've mentioned "hearing God speak" or "hearing God's voice" and my boy, who is so thoughtful always, looks at me and says: "Mom, I never heard God's voice.  I really tried, but... NOTHING." As he said it, he had his hands going and his face was all scrunched up. He was really worried.   Awwww.  I almost started crying.
I told him that there are different ways that he could hear God's voice.  He could hear God's voice when he gets that feeling in him to do something right or that nudging that says 'no' when he's about to do something that he's not supposed to be doing; he could hear God's voice when Mom and Dad are talking to him and telling him how much they love him or how special he is, because God uses people we love to feel His love here on earth...
I continued giving him different circumstances where he might hear God's voice and he listened intently.  I also told him that one day he might actually hear God's voice in his heart or in his dreams - who knows?
He was very glad to know that he could hear God's voice.  My boy takes things literally and I am so glad I didn't not shrug off this question.  He seemed content after our talk and happily went back to watching the show.
Of course, I felt like I might just have a cry after that because of his tender heart.  Oh, how I want to protect it.  There are so many evils out there, so many hurts, so many lessons to learn, so many temptations and choices that we are faced with day to day.
Then I also thought about how I, as an adult, also want to hear God's voice.  It is something I CRAVE.  I don't want to hear a 'still, small voice' either.  I want to hear Him loud and clear!!  I have to be transparent here and admit that there were times that I was more concerned about what others had to say to me regarding my relationship with Christ or what THEY thought would make me a better "christian".
I am so glad to say that I no longer depend on any person to be THAT voice.  I have heard the Voice of TRUTH and it is a voice of GRACE and MERCY.  It is a voice of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.  I hear it when I read His Word, when I commune with Him, when I worship Him, when I listen to music - all kinds of music, I hear His voice when I see beauty around me in an otherwise ugly world, I hear His voice when I have paint on my brush or ink under my fingernails and I hear His voice through those that love me just the way I am.
Yes, often times His voice is one that teaches, corrects and even chastises - but I always know when it is HIM because it is spoken in love - not condemnation.  It is convicting and firm, yet I know it is Him and not just guilt...
Isaiah 30:21
Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left.
Do you hear God's voice?  How do YOU hear Him?  How do you know it's Him?

Slow It Down Sunday!

Angry Birds Beanie made by Jessie at Cutesie Crochet on Facebook

This is Marco and he is 4.  =)

All photos take by Hannah Morales and edits done by  me.  =)

He loves playing Angry Birds.  He loves snails and bugs.  They are his beeeest friends.

He is very curious.  He is care-free.  He is very affectionate.

Happy Sunday!  Let's slow it down and appreciate the little things.  =)

Simple Joy

"If my heart can become pure and simple,

like that of a child, I think there probably

can be no greater happiness than this."

- Kitaro Nishida

It doesn't take much for my boy to be happy.  

That makes me glad.  

I feel like I am the same way.  

I really am content.

My joy is found in Christ - not in my circumstances.

My circumstances are constantly changing.

He never changes.

It took some time, but once I learned this, it changed my life.

Psalm 37:4~"Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

Just a regular day...

I had a migraine headache for the last two days.  Today, I woke up feeling better, but with just a hint of headache lingering somewhere in the back of my neck.  I didn't sleep well, but got up at 5 a.m. to be sure that Hannah got up on time to leave for water polo practice.  She just started playing on her school team.  It's the first time for her to ever play this sport, but she loves it.  Morning and after school practice - just about every day.
After I was sure she was off to school, I fell asleep for a little while longer and then got up to get the other two girls off to school.  Naomi would have her school Christmas program today.  She has been practicing her songs and was quite excited, so I didn't have much struggle when I called her name to wake her up.
She decided to make her own lunch today - I have no idea why - and that was fine.  Marco got the girls off to school and it was my turn to get ready and have my little guy get ready too.
"Oh, God!", he says.  I tell him not to say that because he's using God's name in vain.  He then proceeds to tell me that he really needs a hair cut.  What four year old even cares about that? hahaha!  He's looking at himself in the mirror.  It is quite funny.  His hair is going in all directions.  I told him to make sure and tell his dad when he gets back home.

She's in the back row...with a super tall boy right in front of her. Gah.  Oh, well. Good thing she had her eye on us the whole time. =)

The three of us went to Naomi's school to watch her perform.  There were so many parents there - I couldn't believe it!!  I was glad to be able to get a few good shots of her.  She sang very well and kept her eyes on us the whole time.  So cute!  My girl, she's growing up so fast.

Marco saw Naomi walking in line to her class.  He snuck in for a quick hug from his best friend. Love them together!!

The children went back to their classes immediately after their performances, so we left too.  My husband decided that Marco really did need a haircut.  So off we went.  I waited in the car and read a book called "Remembering Christmas" on my Kindle.  It's a loaner and I only have 14 days to read it, so I had to get busy. =)
It wasn't long before my little guy came out with his new hair cut.  His hair was all "spikey".  He looked so grown.  I took a couple pictures of him since I had the camera with me already.  Of course, he obliged.
haha!

 He had two "Lily Pops" in his hand.  The lady always gives him an extra for his sister, but I don't think she's going to see any of that today! LOL

Then it was back home and my husband decides he's going to make some burgers for us.  They were so good.  Now he's gone to go meet with someone from church.  He'll be doing church work for the rest of the day and then he'll be picking the girls up from school.  I've been working on getting some Etsy orders done.  I am sooo thankful that those are coming in the way they are!  I don't think we have any plans tonight - although with church - that could change at any time.  We have our mid-week service on Thursdays now, so hopefully it will be a quiet night at home with the family.
Just a regular day for us - just not as busy. =)
I'm saying a prayer and thinking of so many of you right now.  You are on my heart, I want you to know that!

Philippians 4:6-7~"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Simple Things ~ Oldest to Youngest...

Hannah Joy and Marco Joseph

There may be an almost 12 year gap between these two, but they sure do love each other.  I know that they'll always be close and that makes my momma heart happy.

Be sure to join Rebecca over at Simple As That to share your Simple Things.

Simple Things ~ It's Magic!

The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.  ~ Eden Phillpotts

My son and I went for a nature walk at the park.  We fed the ducks, we looked at a waterfall, we ran from the geese, we played on the playground,  and he even got a chance to fish with a nice man who was fishing.  We were walking back to our car when he noticed this stick just "floating" in mid-air.  Upon closer inspection, he could see that there was a very thin web that was holding it fast, dangling from a tree.  

I laughed and thought it was cool, but he went right up to it and said, "Look mom, I'm magic!"  Then he began doing his hands all around as if he had the power to keep it afloat. So imaginative and creative!!  

I guess there's all sorts of great things out there, we just miss it 'cause we're in too much of a hurry.  Maybe we are too mature or too intelligent or too religious to believe in such magic.  That is our loss.

Here is a quote from one of my all-time favorite books, The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint Exupery:  

"Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them."

If you're new here, you can find all the details about the simple things challenge by clicking on the Simple Things button below.
Come join in the fun! All you need to do is take a photo of a simple thing or a simple moment that made you smile during the week and come back here each Sunday to share it with us!

Nature Walk...it's so much more than bugs and stuff...

Warning: Photo heavy - but very fun - post.  =)

Psalms 8:3-4 “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”

I try to take my little guy on a nature walk at least 3 times a week.  It is going to be a lot better as the weather gets cooler.  He almost always takes his little net and critter container just in case we find something super cool!

We look for different insects, cool textures, colors, shapes, etc.  

We talk about flowers, leaves, roots, stems, etc.  He always asks a lot of questions about the bees and humming birds that we see.

Snails are one of his favorite things to find.

He is very observant and very patient.  He really thinks about what he is looking at and asks a lot of questions.

We found this larvae and then looked it up on google to figure out what it was going to turn into... that led to watching a video on metamorphosis, learning about the different stages, watching a caterpillar turn into a pupae...

This praying mantis was a recent find.  It's a good thing that I'm not too skittish about these kinds of things. haha!  We usually let the critters go before night fall.  I had to explain that their mommies would be looking for them and would be very sad if they didn't come home.  He was cool with that.

Can you see Mr. Grasshopper?

We caught this lizard (on the wall) and he's been keeping it  in his little tank. We take him outside to let him get heat and sunshine and I catch crickets for him at night.  We'll observe him for a while longer before he needs to go home to his mommy too.

Look at these. We love them...what are they called??  So soft and pretty.

There are some blue birds that hang out in the trees here by my house.  I don't know what kind they are, but they sure are pretty.

Now, this is a man-made wall of course, but it is made with real rock/stone.  We talk about textures a lot!

How about these tree trunks for texture??

 More of the snails...we practice counting...

There is a great park near by with a man-made pond and we like to visit the ducks, go fishing, look for turtles,  run from the aggressive geese...

He fed crackers to this one for a while.  Then he felt confident and stuck out his hand (like you would to a puppy) and it snapped at his finger.  Didn't hurt him, but scared the bejeezus outta both of 'em. haha.

Revelation 4:11
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

We talk a lot about how amazing GOD is and how He is so creative.  He is the best artist there ever was!!  We talk about how God made things with a purpose...even if we don't always know what it is - God does.  We talk about what purpose means.

There is a teeny tiny waterfall and we love listening to it bubble and roll into the pond from the other part that we call the "lake"...

We talk about colors...this was the sky one day.  See the airplane?  The grass so green...

I love the time I have to spend with my boy.  I call him "Curious George" 'cause he wants to know so much.  I am thankful that I can teach him things he needs to know academically, but also spiritually.  I want him to ask questions.  I want to see miraculous and amazing things.  I want him to know that God created all of this for his pleasure and enjoyment and wonder.

I am often humbled by all that he appreciates.  Everything is "so cool" and every creature is his "besss besss friend".  As I teach him, it is a wonderful feeling to realize that he teaches me.


Psalm 104: 24-25 “How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number-living things both large and small.” 

His dwelling place...

I did not return to work this year.  So far.

Last year was supposed to be the year that I really was going to be a "stay at home" mom.

I saw my daughter's kindergarten teacher with 35 kids and no helper.  I started out as a volunteer and the next thing you know, I've been hired by the district.

This year will be different. It has to be. I've realized that I have a lot that I need to do at home.  I also have my little guy that I get to have for one more year before school starts.

Besides my mother, several other people have asked me what I would be doing since I'm not "working".

Well, first of all - I am always working.  That part makes me laugh, but here is just a glimpse of what's on my plate:

• I have been and will continue to do pre-school for a few hours every morning with my four year old boy.  Kindergarten is very serious in this district and my little guy is going to be ready.
• I am also the wife of a pastor.  Plenty of work to do there!  Our church is going on 5 years this October.  We have seen God do amazing things and we are so excited about the future.
• Another thing is that I am the mother of four very active children.  I've got enough laundry and cleaning to do for a loooong time, not to mention homework to look after, activities, etc.
• I also have my hobbies.  I love to craft, write letters, journal, blog, etc.  I have a huge book list to tackle.  Believe me...I've got plenty to do and my time is hardly ever idle. 

But you really want to know something?  I really think that God wants to rebuild the place where He dwells within me.  My husband preached on Nehemiah rebuilding the city.  Nehemiah was saddened that his city was in ruins and it broke his heart.  My husband touched on remembering the tragedy we all faced ten years ago on September 11.  He talked about how important it is to rebuild.

Well, it made me think.  I went through some changes, some growth and some hurts in regards to my beliefs and my walk with Christ.  I experienced these changes that left some holes in my belief system.  I've learned things that make me strive to have a more one on One experience with Christ and not worry about measuring up to anyone else's expectations.   I need to rebuild.  His dwelling place is in need of a make-over. =)  Time to sweep out the cobwebs.  Time to take out the old style that never really felt right anyway...  I get this extra time to wake up while the house is quiet and spend time in my devotions.  I get to go on nature walks with my little guy and really take in the wonder of His creation.  I get to read stories and talk to my little one about God's unconditional love that is for everyone. Yes, everyone...not just for those that believe the same as I believe, not just for those that go to the kind of church I go to or anything else.  This was the year of the JOURNEY...remember my one little word?  Well, it has been some JOURNEY indeed.  As hard as it is sometimes, it is getting sweeter every day.  

This year is going to be great as I "stay home" and work on my dwelling place and His dwelling place. 

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 

My little guy and I love walking at the park and looking at all of God's creations. 

Wordless Wednesday: Hello? Hello?

Simple Things ~ My Shadow...

A friend of ours is related to Cathy Rigby who stars in the musical Peter Pan.  After attending the show with her friend, my daughter Taryn received the DVD from Cathy.  My kids were so excited to watch it.  My two youngest had never seen it before and were glued to every song and word that came out of Peter's mouth.  On the day this photo was taken, we were going back into the house after a bug hunt and Marco noticed his shadow.  He kept saying that it was stuck to him and it wouldn't fall off.  I didn't know why he kept saying it and then I remembered Peter Pan.  It's so funny the things they pick up.  Here's a little part of the script where Peter returns to Wendy's house in search of the shadow he lost... 

From Peter Pan by James M. Barrie

Tink said that the shadow was in the big box. She meant the chest of drawers, and Peter jumped at the drawers, scattering their contents to the floor with both hands, as kings toss ha'pence to the crowd. In a moment he had recovered his shadow, and in his delight he forgot that he had shut Tinker Bell up in the drawer.

If he thought at all, but I don't believe he ever thought, it was that he and his shadow, when brought near each other, would join like drops of water, and when they did not he was appalled. He tried to stick it on with soap from the bathroom, but that also failed. A shudder passed through Peter, and he sat on the floor and cried.