The Pastor of Jalpa and his wife are standing to the left of Pastor Candido at the podium. (At this church some of the ladies still wear head coverings.)
Saturday, March 24, 2007
ok here are a few pictures of our recent trip to Mexico. I didn't take many pictures this time as the camera ran out of battery power and I kept forgetting to charge them overnight. We had a good trip and visited 3 mission churches as well as "Maranatha" in Tamazunchale. This first picture is of "Nueva Esperanza" church in Jalpa. We have worked on this building the last few trips. This time they had their dedication service (5 hours long!!) while we were there, which was a tremendous blessing to be part of. Here they are making last minute preparations
Here everyone is waiting outside of the church for the celebration to begin. In the lower is Pastor Candido's wife, Niko and oldest daughter Raquel.
Calixto and I were asked to cut the ribbon to the sanctuary...what an honor! The little girl holding the plate was supposed to catch the cut ribbon but, it fell to the ground instead. As it did I heard the Pastor gasp behind me!
The Pastor of Jalpa and his wife are standing to the left of Pastor Candido at the podium. (At this church some of the ladies still wear head coverings.)
Here is my Mariachi husband!! Earlier in the week the mariachi band called Calixto up to sing a song with them but this time they had a full outfit for him to wear!! Muy Guapo!!
Here is Jack preparing his testimony before the service with the help of Santos. Santos is such a sweet boy, he always hangs out with us when we come.
Here we are pouring the roof on the church in Petlapixca. I am in the empty bucket line...of course!! We began pouring at 4:30pm, we left at 10:30pm in order to get back to Tamazunchale. The Mexican people and LeTourneau students worked for another hour after we left to complete the project. It was a very long day! Everyone's hands were cut and blistered with concrete imbedded in the cuts...quite painful. My dad and Jack were able to make about 20 pews for this site as well. (Sorry, I meant to post a pic of the church)
Here is the church at Manantial. This church acquired this building from another church but, it is too small and not structurally sound. The pastor here, Juan Bautista (aka John the Baptist) is the oldest pastor of the mission sites. We have not done work here yet but, they are praying that we can come to build a new building next to this one.
We spent time hearing the Pastor's testimony and heart for this church. He is a very humble man, not formally trained but knew the people needed someone to step up to Pastor this flock. I think he has been there for over 20 years now! He shared the needs of the church and we spent time praying for him. We then walked from home to home inviting people to church and praying for any needs they may have. That was a wonderful, humbling experience.
While there it happened to be Raquel's birthday. She is Pastor Candido's oldest daughter. It is tradition to bend down to take a bite out of your cake as you do everyone tries to push your face into it. These guys really got into it!! Her son, Jose Arim, didn't like it at all and began crying! It is always fun to celebrate birthdays while there.

The Pastor of Jalpa and his wife are standing to the left of Pastor Candido at the podium. (At this church some of the ladies still wear head coverings.)
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Well, we are off to Mexico in a few hours. The kids are in bed but, Christopher is crying. He just keeps telling me he wants me to stay! It breaks my heart! I know he will be fine in the morning, he just gets this way as we are leaving. At these times, as he is crying and pleading for me to stay I wonder if we are doing the right thing. Maybe we should always go as a complete family and not leave the kids behind.
I had intended to write more but I am exhausted...I think I'm going to take a nap before we leave, since I may be driving for a little bit tonight!
Have a good week...we certainly covet your prayers for us as well as our children...thanks!
I had intended to write more but I am exhausted...I think I'm going to take a nap before we leave, since I may be driving for a little bit tonight!
Have a good week...we certainly covet your prayers for us as well as our children...thanks!
Saturday, March 03, 2007
On the house...the gas company came on Wed to fix the attic stairs they had broken and they told me they would take care of the AC bill too. They should have been able to light the furnace, since they couldn't I had to call Alco Air to light it. Since there was nothing wrong with it (they just didn't know how to light it) they paid the bill for us...yay!! I did get the bill for the plumbers...all I can say is maybe Christopher should skip college and become a plumber! wow!Thankfully, all is repaired now and the good news is that my parents will be here tomorrow, so we can get some work done over this next week...I am so excited about that!! What to do first? that is the question.
I don't have any recent pictures (the camera's batteries are dead and I can not find the charger) so I thought I would post some old photos, these cetainly bring a smile to my face!
Ohhh! This is where I would love to be right now, sitting on the white sand beaches of Cozumel! Isn't it just beautiful?
Another shot down the beach. The weather was warm and the water was clear and wonderful. (We are leaving for Mexico this week, I kinda wish it were this part of Mexico afterall the people in Cozumel need to know Christ too) It was so relaxing!Looking at these pictures takes me right back to that vacation. I must say just a few days later this beach didn't look as pretty. The water was churned up and grey, and there was debris everywhere. The day after the hurricane we walked around throwing stranded star fish back into the water.
Here are some random shots of the kids. This was March of '05. I can't believe how much Catherine has changed...and look how short her hair was then! She had her back pack on ready to go somewhere, I am sure!
I love this picture, she had gotten into my lipstick!! What a precious gift from God she is, and what a blessing for me to be her Mommy!
A picture of Christopher and his friend Isaac. My how they have grown in the past 2 years!! The Tigers had their first soccer game this morning and won 5-2. They were undefeated last season and are off to a great start this season beating the 3rd place team today. It was so cold on the field this morning, brrr! They are doing a lot of work on Lear Park and parking sure was crazy, there were cars parked everywhich way. Thankfully, a nice man helped me get out of my parking spot amidst all the chaos! Last week Christopher finished up his church league basketball season undefeated as well. He did a great job and loved every minute of it.

I don't have any recent pictures (the camera's batteries are dead and I can not find the charger) so I thought I would post some old photos, these cetainly bring a smile to my face!
Ohhh! This is where I would love to be right now, sitting on the white sand beaches of Cozumel! Isn't it just beautiful?

Wednesday, February 21, 2007
We are home (since Tues. afternoon)!! The inspector came back around 12pm and spent all of 3 minutes in the house?! The gas company weren't going to send anyone out but, then were able to afterall. He showed up around 1:30. He connected the gas meter and then proceeded to turn on the water heater and furnace. Unfortunately he was unable to get the furnace to light so...I had to call the AC people out to turn it on. I was not home when he came but, he left a bill of $100 . When I saw that I just broke down and cried. They were just here in Dec to service the unit, I couldn't believe they would charge me that much considering they just gave the A-ok 2 months ago. That is when Christopher just broke down too. We both had emotional meltdowns and laid on his bed and cried with each other!! I think he is obviously feeling the effects of the upheaval but, more so he misses his Daddy!
Yesterday was a much better day for all of us...the sun was shining...yay!! I had the doors and some windows open and it was wonderful! I spent some good time reading Don't Waste your Life which was just perfect for the week. My perspective is much better right now and for that I am thankful. Oh, how I am tossed back and forth by my emotions!! I need my logical husband here to balance my emotions!
The Mexico team leaves tomorrow. The trip has gone very well. The dentist and helpers were kept extremely busy! They were able to finish all of the footings that are needed for the church building too. Today they are spending the day at "The Birthplace" a beautiful swimming area where the water flows from a rock cave. The water is a bit cold but very refreshing and clear. The church members love to take us there to rest up and have fun before the long drive home.
Calixto will be home for just under 2 weeks before he head out to Mexico again! I am excited that I'll be going this time.
Yesterday was a much better day for all of us...the sun was shining...yay!! I had the doors and some windows open and it was wonderful! I spent some good time reading Don't Waste your Life which was just perfect for the week. My perspective is much better right now and for that I am thankful. Oh, how I am tossed back and forth by my emotions!! I need my logical husband here to balance my emotions!
The Mexico team leaves tomorrow. The trip has gone very well. The dentist and helpers were kept extremely busy! They were able to finish all of the footings that are needed for the church building too. Today they are spending the day at "The Birthplace" a beautiful swimming area where the water flows from a rock cave. The water is a bit cold but very refreshing and clear. The church members love to take us there to rest up and have fun before the long drive home.
Calixto will be home for just under 2 weeks before he head out to Mexico again! I am excited that I'll be going this time.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Ugh!! I missed the inspector this morning. The earliest I could get her after taking Catherine to school and running an errand for Calixto was 9:10. He came at 8:40!! I guess since we live close to downtown where the office is he hit our house first. Now, I am assured they will be here between 12 and 5. I hope that leaves enough time for the gas man to put our meter back on, if not we'll spend another night at the apartment.
Calixto said the trip is going very well. The dentist with them was able to do 4 cleanings and will have a full schedule today now that they have figured it all out. Church on Sunday night or maybe it was Monday night was incredible. He felt that there was an incredible annointing on him as he preached, many responded to God by praying at the altar. There is also a couple on the trip that are unable to get pregnant. The wife shared this as part of her testimony and everyone prayed for them...Calixto said it was a sweet time as the Mexican people poured their hearts out to God on behalf of this couple. They were very humbled and overwhelmed by the love shown to them by virtual stangers (although, brothers/sisters in Christ). He sounded very encouraged on the phone last night! He is upset that he is not here to take care of us or this situation, but is trusting that God will take care of it all. And of course he is!
Ok, the computer is moving like a snail...I can't fight it anymore!!
Calixto said the trip is going very well. The dentist with them was able to do 4 cleanings and will have a full schedule today now that they have figured it all out. Church on Sunday night or maybe it was Monday night was incredible. He felt that there was an incredible annointing on him as he preached, many responded to God by praying at the altar. There is also a couple on the trip that are unable to get pregnant. The wife shared this as part of her testimony and everyone prayed for them...Calixto said it was a sweet time as the Mexican people poured their hearts out to God on behalf of this couple. They were very humbled and overwhelmed by the love shown to them by virtual stangers (although, brothers/sisters in Christ). He sounded very encouraged on the phone last night! He is upset that he is not here to take care of us or this situation, but is trusting that God will take care of it all. And of course he is!
Ok, the computer is moving like a snail...I can't fight it anymore!!
Monday, February 19, 2007
Well it is day 4 of our displacement! On Friday I called the gas company due to extremely high gas bills. A big mistake on my part!! The gas man came and found a small, minute leak. He told me while this was not the reason for the high gas bills he had to take the meter even for a small leak, so...within 5 minutes he dismantled the meter and then told me the process of getting gas restored. First a certified plumber has to come out find the leak and fix it, then the plumber calls the city inspector, the inspector then checks the entire house to make sure it is up to code, regardless of where the leak is. If everything is satisfactory he then calls the gas company to install a new meter. Of course on Friday it was too late to get all of that done, today was the earliest a plumber could come out. Hopefully the inspector can come out tomorrow. The city has to be notified before 10 am to come out the same day. Maybe, we'll have gas back tomorrow but at this point that is unknown.
Calixto left the night before and was in South Texas when all of this transpired. I was able to reach him via cell phone and through sobs explained what had happened. Graciously our Pastor's family has let us stay in their garage apartment. What a blessing that has been, Beth has spoiled us greatly. I know my kids and dog don't ever want to come home!! Christopher has had a blast playing with Brady, Catherine loves peddling around in a toy tractor and Chessie loves roaming around their property and swimming in the pond!
Today the plumber came and told me at least 3 things needed to be changed, one of which will cost $300 on its own, the other 2 things are minor. But, they still don't know where the leak is until these are taken care of. It is now 2:00 and they have been here since 9:30. This bill is going to be large, but I am trusting God that it will all be fine and pray for his provision!
Almost without fail things like this happen when Calixto goes to Mexico, we should learn to expect them I suppose. The day he left was a horrendous day for him and he was exhausted and emotionally spent by the time he left. The team missed their connecting flight and arrived 10 hours later than expected. This threw a wrench into their plans but we always remind people that we need to be flexible on these trips. Everyone seemed in good spirits despite the long travel day. The next morning, Saturday, they were ready to cross the border around 9:00. So far everything is going well. They had to meet with the President of Tamazunchale this morning to get everything in order to do a dental clinic. "Coincidentally" the president is a dentist and a christian! How neat is that. They were able to get what they needed and were headed to Petlapixcla around noon. Please keep them in your prayers throughout this week as they spread God's fame to a people so desperately in need of a savior. Thank you to all who are praying for me and the situation here. God is good!!
Calixto left the night before and was in South Texas when all of this transpired. I was able to reach him via cell phone and through sobs explained what had happened. Graciously our Pastor's family has let us stay in their garage apartment. What a blessing that has been, Beth has spoiled us greatly. I know my kids and dog don't ever want to come home!! Christopher has had a blast playing with Brady, Catherine loves peddling around in a toy tractor and Chessie loves roaming around their property and swimming in the pond!
Today the plumber came and told me at least 3 things needed to be changed, one of which will cost $300 on its own, the other 2 things are minor. But, they still don't know where the leak is until these are taken care of. It is now 2:00 and they have been here since 9:30. This bill is going to be large, but I am trusting God that it will all be fine and pray for his provision!
Almost without fail things like this happen when Calixto goes to Mexico, we should learn to expect them I suppose. The day he left was a horrendous day for him and he was exhausted and emotionally spent by the time he left. The team missed their connecting flight and arrived 10 hours later than expected. This threw a wrench into their plans but we always remind people that we need to be flexible on these trips. Everyone seemed in good spirits despite the long travel day. The next morning, Saturday, they were ready to cross the border around 9:00. So far everything is going well. They had to meet with the President of Tamazunchale this morning to get everything in order to do a dental clinic. "Coincidentally" the president is a dentist and a christian! How neat is that. They were able to get what they needed and were headed to Petlapixcla around noon. Please keep them in your prayers throughout this week as they spread God's fame to a people so desperately in need of a savior. Thank you to all who are praying for me and the situation here. God is good!!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
On Saturday we got to spend some time with a friend from Maine. Danielle was in town for the Heritage competition at LeTourneau. She has been to Mexico with us 3 times. Calixto made contact with her Christian School several years ago while working in admissions at LU, they asked him to set up a trip for their Highschool students. Danielle loved the Huasteca area and the people and even came back with us without her school in November. She has a heart for missions and knows a bunch of spanish. It would be great if she receives the Heritage scholarship and ends up going to LU. It was a weekend of basketball, we went to the CHS game on Friday night, Christopher's game on Saturday and then over to the LU game that afternoon. The games were all nail-biters, except for Christopher's game. They ended up removing the score from the board because the score was so uneven. Christopher scored 20 points! So far his team is undefeated. How fun!
Here are our Valentine's flowers. Calixto brought Catherine a single pink rose which she totally loves. I didn't have time to arrange my roses, I just quickly stuck them in the vase, I'll work on that later. We had a nice dinner at church last night and the kids had a lot of fun playing with friends.
I stayed home yesterday and just can not do it today...Catherine keeps asking "Where are we going today? Are we going to church?" She definitely is not a home-body. So, I'm off to help Calixto prepare to leave tonight.
Remember to check out www.ashleyadamsjournal.blogspot.com and pray for this dear family going through an extremely difficult time!
Remember to check out www.ashleyadamsjournal.blogspot.com and pray for this dear family going through an extremely difficult time!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy Valentine's Day or as Catherine says Happy "Balastimes" Day!
Boy, she really raked in the cards and candy from Ballet class and Mother's Day Out. She doesn't like most of the candy and so she shares freely with Christopher! We'll see if he reciprocates with his stash from school today!
It is a chilly, chilly day so I have stayed inside with a heater at my feet while I get stuff done at home. Calixto offered to buy me a new outfit for dinner tonight but, I knew it would be difficult to find something on such short notice so I declined the offer, hoping to take him up on it some other time...very soon!
Since I'm staying home all day (which is a rarity) I got caught up on all of my reading. I am reading "Don't Waste Your Life", Downpour", "Creating Community" and soon to add "Love and Respect". Wow, I don't think I have ever read so many books at one time...ok, maybe in college. I am definitely being challenged in many areas of my life. My prayer is that I will be changed and not just walk away with more head knowledge. The best book so far is Don't Waste Your Life...how convicting and challenging!!
Calixto leaves tomorrow evening for Mexico. He'll be taking a group from Trinity church in NJ. Unfortunately I will not make this trip but hope to next month when we take a group from our church and Grace Community in Glen Rose. There is always a lot of misc. things to do prior to leaving and seemingly never enough time to do them, if you think of it please pray for him to accomplish all that he needs to.
The reason I am not going is that my mom is having surgery on Friday and can not come to watch the kids. She apparently has appendicitis with no symptoms and has a non-functioning gall bladder, they'll hopefully remove both at the same time if the appendix is not leaking. I am sure she would appreciate prayer for a successful surgery and short recovery time.
Ok, I have to quit wasting my life on the computer and go create community with my children!
Boy, she really raked in the cards and candy from Ballet class and Mother's Day Out. She doesn't like most of the candy and so she shares freely with Christopher! We'll see if he reciprocates with his stash from school today!
It is a chilly, chilly day so I have stayed inside with a heater at my feet while I get stuff done at home. Calixto offered to buy me a new outfit for dinner tonight but, I knew it would be difficult to find something on such short notice so I declined the offer, hoping to take him up on it some other time...very soon!
Since I'm staying home all day (which is a rarity) I got caught up on all of my reading. I am reading "Don't Waste Your Life", Downpour", "Creating Community" and soon to add "Love and Respect". Wow, I don't think I have ever read so many books at one time...ok, maybe in college. I am definitely being challenged in many areas of my life. My prayer is that I will be changed and not just walk away with more head knowledge. The best book so far is Don't Waste Your Life...how convicting and challenging!!
Calixto leaves tomorrow evening for Mexico. He'll be taking a group from Trinity church in NJ. Unfortunately I will not make this trip but hope to next month when we take a group from our church and Grace Community in Glen Rose. There is always a lot of misc. things to do prior to leaving and seemingly never enough time to do them, if you think of it please pray for him to accomplish all that he needs to.
The reason I am not going is that my mom is having surgery on Friday and can not come to watch the kids. She apparently has appendicitis with no symptoms and has a non-functioning gall bladder, they'll hopefully remove both at the same time if the appendix is not leaking. I am sure she would appreciate prayer for a successful surgery and short recovery time.
Ok, I have to quit wasting my life on the computer and go create community with my children!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Here are a few pictures of the floors. In the first picture you can see that the floors were dark like the stained wood and trim.
oops, I forgot to turn the picture. This is in the midst of sanding
Here is the finished product. They look a bit darker in the picture, I think
Here is Catherine's room. There was a hole in her floor like in ours where there was once a heater. They were kind enough to put in replacement boards, they don't match exactly but look a lot nicer than the piece of plywood and tape that was there.
The floors look beautiful but, are scratching up like crazy and we are careful with them. I found a great area rug at Sam's for Catherine's room so she can actually play on the floor with toys...right now that is off limits!! If they continue to scratch so easily I think we will call them back to figure out what the problem is. Ok, I am staying home today to get some work done around the house!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
We are alive and well!!
We are having the wood floors refinished in the Living room, dining room and Catherine's room. So all of the furniture is stuffed into our room the office and Christopher's room. What fun!! We should have been able to move back into those rooms on Monday but, we weren't happy that the floors seemed a bit rough. They came back yesterday to put another coat on but forgot a few sections of the living room...augh! They are coming back tomorrow to fix that. Which means we could potentially move things back in on Friday morning!
I must say that I love the floors, they look beautiful! We didn't put stain on them just polyurethane and I love the lighter color against the darker trim Yay!! So this weekend I'll hopefully be settling into our new home once again!
With nothing to do at home I have been able to get work done at church so that has been a plus!
Sorry, no pictures but....soon...once our computer is more accessible! (I'm on the church computer right now)
The kids are handling the upheaval pretty well. Christopher was sick over the weekend and had to miss his basketball game...fortunately they won anyway!! He has been quite the super star on his team, scoring quite often, even making 3 pointers! It has been fun to watch him play sports. Baseball sign-ups are going on now and I was so tempted to sign him up again, but Calixto put his foot down and said no! Last year was horrendous doing soccer/baseball at the same time. Calixto reminded me of that and was able to make an objective decision without the emotion that I had a hard time letting go of.
We are having the wood floors refinished in the Living room, dining room and Catherine's room. So all of the furniture is stuffed into our room the office and Christopher's room. What fun!! We should have been able to move back into those rooms on Monday but, we weren't happy that the floors seemed a bit rough. They came back yesterday to put another coat on but forgot a few sections of the living room...augh! They are coming back tomorrow to fix that. Which means we could potentially move things back in on Friday morning!
I must say that I love the floors, they look beautiful! We didn't put stain on them just polyurethane and I love the lighter color against the darker trim Yay!! So this weekend I'll hopefully be settling into our new home once again!
With nothing to do at home I have been able to get work done at church so that has been a plus!
Sorry, no pictures but....soon...once our computer is more accessible! (I'm on the church computer right now)
The kids are handling the upheaval pretty well. Christopher was sick over the weekend and had to miss his basketball game...fortunately they won anyway!! He has been quite the super star on his team, scoring quite often, even making 3 pointers! It has been fun to watch him play sports. Baseball sign-ups are going on now and I was so tempted to sign him up again, but Calixto put his foot down and said no! Last year was horrendous doing soccer/baseball at the same time. Calixto reminded me of that and was able to make an objective decision without the emotion that I had a hard time letting go of.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Thanks to my sister-in-law, here is a picture of Bruce. Thanks Roni!
We look nothing alike, you can't even tell we are related. I'm not sure who exactly he looked like...maybe my mom's side of the family. I love that he has a little grin on his face, it was always hard getting him to smile for pictures!

We look nothing alike, you can't even tell we are related. I'm not sure who exactly he looked like...maybe my mom's side of the family. I love that he has a little grin on his face, it was always hard getting him to smile for pictures!

Today is my brother's birthday...he would have been 43! I wanted to post a picture but the only digital pictures I have of him are when he was sick, I didn't want to post one of those...because they don't reflect who he was! He was not characterized by being pale, weak and thin, as he looked at the end. In fact his face was usually red from doing year round construction work in the cold wind in the winter and the sun in the summer! He was a big guy with a big voice and he was anything but weak!
I have so many memories of us together as we were only 21 mos apart and in the same grade. He taught me how to whistle and how to blow a bubble with bubble gum. At school, he ate the parts of my lunch I didn't like, and showed me it was best to eat the food you don't like first and save the best for last! We skipped school together when we were late for the bus, hiding in one of my dad's old dump trucks. We ended up staying in there for hours as we waited for my mom to go to work, apparantly she went in late that particular morning! He also helped me climb in his window and hide in his closet when he stayed home sick from school, I can't remember why I skipped?! Ok maybe we didn't always make the wisest choices back then!!
He took me to Disney World with him and a friend after picking me up from college and he paid for everything! He seemed to always have money, as he always had a job. His first job as a kid was a paperboy. He got up early every morning for years to fold and then throw papers. Man, I hated it when he got sick because my sister and I would have to take over for him, ugh! I remember he was dearly loved by all of his customers (both him and his dog)! He certainly was a hard worker. But, he also loved to watch television...we took our lives in our hands if we ever changed the channel on him, ouch! I learned this the hard way as I didn't want to watch Spiderman anymore one particular day...I did indeed change the channel, a decision I later regretted!!
As we both grew spiritually we were able to talk about spiritual matters, church and serving God. He humbly shared Christ with others much more than I ever have! People listened to him and responded. God certainly used him to influence people's lives for the Kingdom.
Bruce had a huge impact on my life! He wasn't perfect and neither was our relationship, in fact he could really be a mean big brother, especially when we were little and I was the annoying baby sister! But, I am grateful for his precense in my life as my big brother. It was comforting and reassuring to know he was right there to protect me if needed. I do miss him and wish we could continue to grow up together. I went to his grave while I was home and that was hard! I didn't expect the tears to flow, it was not easy to see his name and his dates etched in granite...so permanent, so final!
But...Praise God that his name is also permanently etched on Christs' palm and in the book of Life!! What a time he must be having up there with our Savior! Happy Birthday Bruce!
I have so many memories of us together as we were only 21 mos apart and in the same grade. He taught me how to whistle and how to blow a bubble with bubble gum. At school, he ate the parts of my lunch I didn't like, and showed me it was best to eat the food you don't like first and save the best for last! We skipped school together when we were late for the bus, hiding in one of my dad's old dump trucks. We ended up staying in there for hours as we waited for my mom to go to work, apparantly she went in late that particular morning! He also helped me climb in his window and hide in his closet when he stayed home sick from school, I can't remember why I skipped?! Ok maybe we didn't always make the wisest choices back then!!
He took me to Disney World with him and a friend after picking me up from college and he paid for everything! He seemed to always have money, as he always had a job. His first job as a kid was a paperboy. He got up early every morning for years to fold and then throw papers. Man, I hated it when he got sick because my sister and I would have to take over for him, ugh! I remember he was dearly loved by all of his customers (both him and his dog)! He certainly was a hard worker. But, he also loved to watch television...we took our lives in our hands if we ever changed the channel on him, ouch! I learned this the hard way as I didn't want to watch Spiderman anymore one particular day...I did indeed change the channel, a decision I later regretted!!
As we both grew spiritually we were able to talk about spiritual matters, church and serving God. He humbly shared Christ with others much more than I ever have! People listened to him and responded. God certainly used him to influence people's lives for the Kingdom.
Bruce had a huge impact on my life! He wasn't perfect and neither was our relationship, in fact he could really be a mean big brother, especially when we were little and I was the annoying baby sister! But, I am grateful for his precense in my life as my big brother. It was comforting and reassuring to know he was right there to protect me if needed. I do miss him and wish we could continue to grow up together. I went to his grave while I was home and that was hard! I didn't expect the tears to flow, it was not easy to see his name and his dates etched in granite...so permanent, so final!
But...Praise God that his name is also permanently etched on Christs' palm and in the book of Life!! What a time he must be having up there with our Savior! Happy Birthday Bruce!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
We are closing on this house tomorrow!! We move on Saturday!! We have already moved some things over with the help of Calixto's employees...they are great. I am working on getting everything packed but, it seems to be slow going!
The paint is going up nicely but, I am second guessing myself with every choice I have made (of course!) It will look beautiful once the furniture is in and arranged.
It seems very unreal that we will no longer be in this house and this neighborhood. We will miss it very much. I am sure we will all shed a tear as we empty "ourselves" out of this house! Calixto is very nostalgic anyway so this move will be difficult for him. A few years ago we got rid of an old, ugly, green chair that had unremovable spit up stains from both our children, to make way for a new chair. He was so upset about getting rid of it...I had to take one last picture of him holding Christopher on it, before a friend came to take it away!! I can only imagine how he'll be on Saturday! It is funny how attached we become to things!
I have to get back to packing...or go take a nap...
The paint is going up nicely but, I am second guessing myself with every choice I have made (of course!) It will look beautiful once the furniture is in and arranged.
It seems very unreal that we will no longer be in this house and this neighborhood. We will miss it very much. I am sure we will all shed a tear as we empty "ourselves" out of this house! Calixto is very nostalgic anyway so this move will be difficult for him. A few years ago we got rid of an old, ugly, green chair that had unremovable spit up stains from both our children, to make way for a new chair. He was so upset about getting rid of it...I had to take one last picture of him holding Christopher on it, before a friend came to take it away!! I can only imagine how he'll be on Saturday! It is funny how attached we become to things!
I have to get back to packing...or go take a nap...
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Wow...I feel lost in time somewhere!! Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! We left for NJ on the 22nd and returned on the 2nd. The drive up was uneventful, Christopher rode with my parents which made for a quiet, argument free truck for us! The drive home was a bit rough. Catherine had a cold and the day before we left she began running a temp of 103, thankfully by the morning she was fever free. But that is when Calixto started to feel ill. We left anyway and pressed on for about 10 hours and finally called it quits in North Carolina (earlier than we had hoped) that is when Christopher started running a temp.!! Everyone hit the sack early as I searched in vain for a pharmacy to buy "Advil cold and sinus". I did find a CVS but, their pharmacy dept. was closed. Since people began getting high on cold meds they now keep that advil off the shelf!! Poor Calixto, the other meds just didnt' do the trick! After a good nights rest and hot bath he felt ok enough to head out. But, since we had such a short day on Monday, we had about a 14 hour drive the next day. The kids were both better and Calixto managed to drive all the way home with the exception of 1-2 hours when I drove. When we got home the kids were so excited to sleep in their own beds!
Calixto is still sick, he felt well enough to go to work but progressively got worse throughout the day. Catherine came down with an ear infection and made a costly trip to the Dr. and pharmacy, since we are w/o insurance right now.
Ok, this post is rambling on...here are a few pictures of our Christmas...
We gave the kids their gifts the night before we left for NJ. Cat loved her new doll bed!
We were very tired after working on the house all week that we put some of the soccer players in wrong on this 10-in-1 game table when we put it all together, oops!
Here they are in NJ, ready for church on Christmas Eve
Christmas morning!
The next Chris Tomlin!! Now, we need to find a guitar teacher
*See the basket on the floor...I made that several years ago when I used to weave baskets (yes, I did take a basket weaving class in college...it was a left over hippie school!!) My mom won't return it to me, but someday I'll manage to get it down here to Texas!
Calixto is still sick, he felt well enough to go to work but progressively got worse throughout the day. Catherine came down with an ear infection and made a costly trip to the Dr. and pharmacy, since we are w/o insurance right now.
Ok, this post is rambling on...here are a few pictures of our Christmas...
We gave the kids their gifts the night before we left for NJ. Cat loved her new doll bed!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
a few pictures of our past week. Over the weekend Calixto's parents came for an early Christmas...
Very excited about their gifts...
On Monday Catherine had a little parent's Christmas show at ballet. Aside from her pretend sneezes, itchiness and tiredness she did great!

Here is the progresss we have made. This used to be a closet in the bathroom. We tore out all of the cedar ripped down a wall and then put a door way into the hallway. The bathroom is much bigger and guests will be have access to a bathroom without going through a bedroom. The only problem is this is the way the room will look for a while!
This is as you come in the back door, right off of the kitchen. Here the guys tore out the pantry(dont' know where I'll have a pantry now?!) wall, took down all the paneling and began to install pipes etc for the washer and dryer. That should hopefully be done today. But, again this unfinished look will stay for a while...eek! When the house was built, they didn't use dry wall just these wood planks.

Saturday, December 16, 2006
Our house update-
So far we have removed all carpets, tack strips, staples from the floors; blinds, drapery and mold from all the windows! Wow, what a chore to get all of that accomplished. My parents are now here and I had hoped to get into some major work. I havea list of jobs I had hoped to complete before we leave for NJ next week. But, an unexpected project came up yesterday stealing some precious time (isn't that the way it always is?) We had to install a new water heater!("tyranny of the urgent") Not a fun project but a very necessary one, we now have hot water! I have to be very selective about the projects, choosing the ones with top priority, that is a very difficult task, as so much needs to be done. We will get it all done in time but, I need to make the best use of my dad (the home builder and jack of all trades) while he is here. Todays project is to install the washer and dryer.
We have a contract on our house with a great couple! We are so excited about them buying it. I know the neighbors will love them. There are a lot of changes going on in the neighborhood but the families moving in are wonderful...I only wish we were staying!! Good thing we are close by!
So far we have removed all carpets, tack strips, staples from the floors; blinds, drapery and mold from all the windows! Wow, what a chore to get all of that accomplished. My parents are now here and I had hoped to get into some major work. I havea list of jobs I had hoped to complete before we leave for NJ next week. But, an unexpected project came up yesterday stealing some precious time (isn't that the way it always is?) We had to install a new water heater!("tyranny of the urgent") Not a fun project but a very necessary one, we now have hot water! I have to be very selective about the projects, choosing the ones with top priority, that is a very difficult task, as so much needs to be done. We will get it all done in time but, I need to make the best use of my dad (the home builder and jack of all trades) while he is here. Todays project is to install the washer and dryer.
We have a contract on our house with a great couple! We are so excited about them buying it. I know the neighbors will love them. There are a lot of changes going on in the neighborhood but the families moving in are wonderful...I only wish we were staying!! Good thing we are close by!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Well, we have made progress in the past week. I have a sore back, a sore neck and bags under my eyes!! We have also made some progress on the house, here are a few photos...After Cat's nap I'll head back over to do more work!
I spent 3 hours on the kitchen today. The stove was incredibly dirty, yuck!! I preliminarily cleaned it but, it needs more!
Here is our bedroom. I thought I could take out the mattress and just have a hard surface for pictures or something but, there is a built in box spring below the mattress! I have no idea what to do with this space...except tear it out to make roomier closets. The closets are quite small. We are gaining floor space in the move but we are losing closet space.
Here is a look at Catherine's room without the carpet and curtains and with new blinds.
back to the kitchen, sorry for the random order. There is tons of cabinet space, in fact I think most of them have not been used. I have a dishwasher! With the exception of my first 2 years in Longview, I have never had a dishwasher (besides myself) I am excited about that!! I found today that the faucet wasn't correctly installed and leaks under the cabinet, and whenever I turn on the faucet, water comes out of the tube for the icemaker...all over the floor, don't know what that is about!
This is Catherine's room again. So nice to have the curtains down and actually look out of the windows and let the sunshine in. By all the mold on the windows I doubt they ever opened the curtains or blinds!! I walked around this morning singing, "Let the sunshine in, let the sunshine in..."
I spent 3 hours on the kitchen today. The stove was incredibly dirty, yuck!! I preliminarily cleaned it but, it needs more!
Here is our bedroom. I thought I could take out the mattress and just have a hard surface for pictures or something but, there is a built in box spring below the mattress! I have no idea what to do with this space...except tear it out to make roomier closets. The closets are quite small. We are gaining floor space in the move but we are losing closet space.
Here is a look at Catherine's room without the carpet and curtains and with new blinds.
back to the kitchen, sorry for the random order. There is tons of cabinet space, in fact I think most of them have not been used. I have a dishwasher! With the exception of my first 2 years in Longview, I have never had a dishwasher (besides myself) I am excited about that!! I found today that the faucet wasn't correctly installed and leaks under the cabinet, and whenever I turn on the faucet, water comes out of the tube for the icemaker...all over the floor, don't know what that is about!
This is Catherine's room again. So nice to have the curtains down and actually look out of the windows and let the sunshine in. By all the mold on the windows I doubt they ever opened the curtains or blinds!! I walked around this morning singing, "Let the sunshine in, let the sunshine in..."
Thursday, December 07, 2006
A quick prayer request. A friend from home, Eileen, found out this week that she has a tumor on her pancreas. It is most likely cancerous. She is a breast cancer survivor, it has been 2 years since her treatments ended. This last week she was very itchy from head to toe, she had tests done and found the tumor. It is close to the bile duct which made her itch, which in turn brought about a quick diagnosis. (Praise the Lord for that!) They are hopeful that surgery will take care of it but, will know more after an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow at a top hospital in Philly. Thanks for your prayers! Also check out baby Ashley's blog site at www.ashleyadamsjournal.blogspot.com and pray for this precious baby and family!
Monday, December 04, 2006
Here are inside photos of our house...the kids started jumping into the pictures just as a snapped them thus, the odd faces and bodies!! Here they are ceremoniously taking out the yard sign!!!

This is the master bedroom looking at the built in window seat. and His/her closets.
This is Christopher's room. We pulled back the carpet and the floors are beautiful underneath, maybe just some buffing will be needed throughout the house. The previous owners didn't quite understand that they needed to remove everything, leaving this old stereo behind, with a few other things as well.
Here is Catherine's room, I didn't get a good picture of the whole room...she has tons of windows! Each bedroom has at least 5
This is the den looking out toward the back porch. Funny how they have the same drapery throughout the house. I am sure it cost a lot but they sure are ugly...ok, I should say they are just not my taste! They will all be coming down very soon.
the kitchen, half of it anyway. It is a huge room but, they divided the space, making 1/2 of it into a breakfast nook. I would like to open it up and use it all for kitchen area.
Here is the living room, the fire place doesn't work (yet). the french doors open into the den
Here is the master bath. just to the left is a shower. I think it was originally a closet. You can't tell from the picture but this space is huge!! and it needs a lot of updating!
This is the dining room showing the built-in shelving. I am not a big fan of all of the wood...so, I am not sure what we'll do with it all. We have to sit down and formulate a master plan and then do a little work at a time. I would like to tear this whole wall out, opening the space into the kitchen.
Well, that is our house. As soon as we get the heat turned on (tomorrow) We'll be over there cleaning and ripping out the carpets. My parents will be here next week to help start some other work too!! Yay!

This is the master bedroom looking at the built in window seat. and His/her closets.
This is Christopher's room. We pulled back the carpet and the floors are beautiful underneath, maybe just some buffing will be needed throughout the house. The previous owners didn't quite understand that they needed to remove everything, leaving this old stereo behind, with a few other things as well.
Here is Catherine's room, I didn't get a good picture of the whole room...she has tons of windows! Each bedroom has at least 5
This is the den looking out toward the back porch. Funny how they have the same drapery throughout the house. I am sure it cost a lot but they sure are ugly...ok, I should say they are just not my taste! They will all be coming down very soon.
the kitchen, half of it anyway. It is a huge room but, they divided the space, making 1/2 of it into a breakfast nook. I would like to open it up and use it all for kitchen area.
Here is the living room, the fire place doesn't work (yet). the french doors open into the den
Here is the master bath. just to the left is a shower. I think it was originally a closet. You can't tell from the picture but this space is huge!! and it needs a lot of updating!
This is the dining room showing the built-in shelving. I am not a big fan of all of the wood...so, I am not sure what we'll do with it all. We have to sit down and formulate a master plan and then do a little work at a time. I would like to tear this whole wall out, opening the space into the kitchen.
Well, that is our house. As soon as we get the heat turned on (tomorrow) We'll be over there cleaning and ripping out the carpets. My parents will be here next week to help start some other work too!! Yay!
Friday, December 01, 2006
We now own the house!!!
We successfully closed the deal and signed our lives away this afternoon! Everything went very smoothly! Our mortgage guy is even going to try to get some money back for us b/c the cost of the survey was outrageously high!! We so appreciate any help with that. The sellers want to take us out for lunch sometime soon.
So the kids and I will head over to the house tomorrow to begin some work. Hopefully, my parents can come down and get a little work done before they leave Okla and head back to NJ. We probably won't move until after the holidays but that depends on the sale of this house.
The Christmas parade was a bit chilly tonight, we were prepared with snuggly blankets!! We enjoyed it but, it didn't seem as good as in years past. The chinese food we ate afterwards sure was good!!
We successfully closed the deal and signed our lives away this afternoon! Everything went very smoothly! Our mortgage guy is even going to try to get some money back for us b/c the cost of the survey was outrageously high!! We so appreciate any help with that. The sellers want to take us out for lunch sometime soon.
So the kids and I will head over to the house tomorrow to begin some work. Hopefully, my parents can come down and get a little work done before they leave Okla and head back to NJ. We probably won't move until after the holidays but that depends on the sale of this house.
The Christmas parade was a bit chilly tonight, we were prepared with snuggly blankets!! We enjoyed it but, it didn't seem as good as in years past. The chinese food we ate afterwards sure was good!!
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