2012/01/31

$5.00 off Veritas Press Book Order

Follow the following link and share your email address for $5.00 off a book order from Veritas Press. Everyone who follows the link and shares their email also earns our family $5.00 off too!

Here's the link and thank you!

2012/01/27

Higgins Update

I wanted to share a picture of my brother, Clint, his wife, Claire, and their two little beauties, Josie and Kate. Josie is 2 years old, she celebrated her birthday on Thanksgiving this year, check out her curls! Sweet Kate is about 4 months old now and I had promised 4 months ago when she was born that I'd share a picture of her. She is just as lovely as the rest of the family. 

The Higgins are back stateside now and are living in California. I'm hoping one of these days our two families will live near one another. It would be a sweet kindness from the Lord if he made it so! 

2012/01/21

I had so much FUN!

The trip to Cabo San Lucas was the best. I had so much fun and even got a little sun. Actually a lot of sun. The weather was beautiful while I was there. The first few days presented a bit of wind, but that wasn't a problem. Because of the location of Cabo, which is right on the tip of the Baja Peninsula, there are lots of winds to be had. Mom said that the wind we experienced was mild and that I should have been there a few months ago when it was whipping so hard one could barely sleep at night. Anyway, on to the trip. 

We went to the beach and I snorkeled 3 times.

We went to the markets and shopped. I spent my Christmas money on some hand blown glass goblets speckled in white. I also bought a mortar and pestle. Because of the significant weight I tried to hand carry it through security at the airport. They said I could use it as a weapon and I needed to check it. I wasn't about to pay a fee for a piece of baggage, so I called mom and she came back to the airport and picked it up for me. I'll get it another time. I also brought home some special drink for my man and some vanilla for one of you! The girls received hand embroidered dresses and the guys t-shirts. So much fun. 

Oh, and I almost forgot.. we went to the fabric shop. I have never seen such obscenely low priced fabric before. I bought 4 meters of a velveteen type fabric for the ball gown I intend to make this year as well as 3 bobbins of thread and some ribbons for less than 25 dollars..That is crazy cheap!! 

We ate good food to include the best fish tacos ever, sword fish, sashimi, roasted mushrooms with wicked hot salsa and mom made me omelets every morning for breakfast. Am I sounding spoiled yet?

Onto the pictures:

Hazel thought the beach was fun, here she's drooling because she was cutting 2 teeth.

I went snorkeling. I developed a very strong affection for the hobby while living in Okinawa. It was so sweet to be able to get back into the water with a mask and snorkel.
 The sunrises were spectacular as well as the sunsets. Pictured below is the view off the balcony at mom's place. The sun was not yet on the horizon, but the sky was bright with color marking its soon appearance.
 I mentioned desert. Below is a glimpse of the desert land just before the foot of the mountains. Mostly low lying shrubs and lots of cacti.
 Back at the beach with Hazel. Notice the little Mexican rattle in the foreground. It matched the pants I made for her to wear down there. She LOVES that rattle!
 And of course a picture of mom and I at the beach on our last day there together. What a special time it was.
I will do the drawing soon. All of the names are already in a bowl on the counter. I intend to do a video drawing and have a little entertainment going in the background. Look for that sometime in the next week. The gift as I mentioned is Mexican vanilla. Except that I bought it super potent so you only would use half that a recipe calls for. It's supposed to be the best!

2012/01/14

Back Home...



What have we been doing while Christie and Hazel are away? The video says it all.

2012/01/13

For my Family, at Home Working.


My break has indeed been a break. Taking in the views has alone been a refreshment. The air is warm here and dry. No humidity to be found which makes the breathing smooth and easy. Jake and children, thank you for making this possible! 

Now for a little tour. On the first full day mom took me for a little tour and to Costco.. How fun! Below is a small cove and a little known beach. I say little known because most of the tourists don't know it, only the locals.
 Their were a few boats in the cove area and the folks were coming off of those to do some snorkeling. I intend to do the same.
There are no pictures from yesterday because sweet little Hazel was very ill from a terrible stomach ache. I had gotten into some fiery salsa and it messed things up for her. The sweet little dear was very sad and refused to eat, leaving me very uncomfortable...

Mom took Hazel and I out to the end of the peninsula today. If you look closely you will see that there is a cruise ship in the water through the leaves of the palm behind me. We are eating lunch at a restaurant that sits overlooking the water. It was yummy food, but not near as tasteful as the beauty that my eyes were taking in. The water behind me is known as the Sea of Cortez. Notice the rock in the back right hand side of the picture. On the opposite side of it is the Pacific Ocean. The rock is the place that marks the boundary for both oceans, it is where they meet. Mom says that on the opposite side of the rock it is wild. You'll find all manner of ocean life on shore, such as sea lions, and seals.
 Below is a picture of a part of the coast facing South.
And another one facing North this time.
If you look closely you'll see that beyond all of the buildings is mountainous heaps of desert. It is very dry and arid. Lots of cactus and desert brush. I imagine that the kinds of creatures one might find would consist of scorpions, lizards, and snakes. Pretty wild out there!

I love you guys and miss you. I will be excited to see you and as I mentioned am coming home with little Cabo San Lucas treasures for you all as well as a blog prize.  

All of my love,
Mom
and

2012/01/03

Happy New Year and a Drawing!


We had a full and wonderful 2011. With the addition of our little Hazlet and a wild move east we are humbled and thankful for the Lord's rich mercies to us. God did not give us any dull moments. He filled our plates with many good things and when we thought we couldn't take anymore He filled it with more blessed abundance then we thought possible. Why should we be surprised, for it is how He works. Exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or hope is the way of the Lord. We gave thanks for the year and eagerly anticipate the next!

Speaking of the next, here we are and I can not believe it is 2012! When I was a little girl I thought we'd all be living in space by now and that earth would be so dull. I thought we'd have homes on Mars and each of us would have his own little space craft. Little did I know I'd have my own tank, troops to fill it, and a Marine to take me places!

Speaking of a Marine to take me places... My man is sending me away. It is hard for me to go, but I'm supposed to board an airplane next Monday and leave the country for a week. Can you say scared to fly? I can! I married a pilot so that he could fly, it's just not something I'm comfortable with, but alas here I am with a sweet challenge and at the opposite end of the flight my dear mom waiting to pick me and my little Hazel up. Jake is taking leave to watch the kids for 8 days straight. Please pray for us. It will be a break for me and a lot of work for him and the biggest of the kids. I'm humbled that my husband would be willing to make such a sacrifice. Off we go to Cabo San Lucas. My mission is to sleep in, rest, read good books, enjoy my precious mom, watch the waves from my folks home, and come back refreshed. I think I can complete the job well.

Here's the kicker, because this is going to be such a special treat for me I want to bless someone here too. Leave a comment saying where you'd go if given a break from the craziness of your life. When I come home the kids and I will draw a comment from the hat and I'll send you a gift from Cabo. I have no idea what I can find there that will pass customs, so it will have to be small and legal.