Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Merry Christmas

We just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. We have been pretty busy between both sets of parents so we figured now is the perfect time to send those wishes before the time passes us.

Love,

Alex, Aleida, Isaiah, and Nathanael

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

IT IS A ...



We posted the pics of the baby in Facebook and Myspace a few days ago when we found out but only 2 people noticed. Our entire family knows now so we decided to post it on our blog to let all our blogger friends know especially those who do not have Facebook or Myspace. We are so excited about this and our families are excited as well.

We are now in Corpus. We just arrived yesterday and we will only be here until the day after Christmas and even at that we are leaving really early in the morning. We are hoping we can get a little rest and relaxation here but we will just have to see. We hope you are all doing well.

Benavides family

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Life is busy

Well needless to say that I have not posted anything about our family lately because I have been running around like crazy with appointments and just being tired. So many new things happened in November like Nathanael started walking finally. Out of nowhere he just started taking some steps and now we can't get him to not walk. He is so cute because even though it has been about 3 weeks or so he still has the look that walking is so new to him. Here are some pics of that. I couldn't figure out how to turn these pictures upright.

Isaiah was due for a haircut so he got a new haircut. He wasn't too happy going through the process but he is happy now and I am happy too because it is one person less that I have to comb their hair.

The next thing that I can remember happening was Thanksgiving. It seemed like I blinked and the holidays started rolling around. After a few hours of working in the kitchen and cooking we have a beautiful meal awaiting us. Alex helped out so much which was good because by the time we were done cooking I was pooped. After resting a little while we got the Christmas tree out and started decorating and that was the last thing I did on that day.
Here I am at 17 weeks in my pregnancy. I am now 18 weeks but we haven't taken a picture yet.
And last but not least we celebrated Alex's 26th birthday this past Monday and we had a wonderful day.
So that is what has happened but please keep us in your prayers as we enter the next few weeks. We have a pretty busy schedule. Alex works this weekend which means he has Monday and Tuesday off. This kind of works out perfect because on Monday we will be celebrating Isaiah's 3rd birthday and I have a doctor's appointment so Alex and the boys should be able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. They still have not heard the baby because they have not been in the room when we find it so this time they should hear it without any problem. Hopefully the midwife will schedule me for an appointment to find out the sex of the baby at this next appointment soon. So far everything seems to be going fine with this pregnancy. I can feel the baby move on occasion which is cool and Alex can't wait till it is consistent so he can feel the kicks as well. Tuesday night Alex has to go to work from 4:30 until ? so that is a little bit disappointing because not only does it cut into family time but I have no clue how to prepare for the evening at all. The positive of that is that he will have Wednesday off so he only has to work Thursday and Friday of next week. We are still praying about whether or not we want to attend the command's Christmas party because we do not have sitters up here and I am very particular of who stays with my kids. If we attend the party it will be Sunday the 14th which means that Monday the command is closed if you attended the party. If you don't attend the party you report to work. We have decided it isn't too bad because on the following day we start our leave anyway. We will be flying out at 6 am from Portland and should be in Corpus around 2ish. We will be in Texas for about 10 days. We fly back home on the 26th of December. So as you can see we are pretty busy for the next few weeks which has been causing me a little stress to be honest because I am trying to make sure everything is in order before we leave but I don't have enough time in a day and the kids add a little stress because anything I do get accomplished doesn't stay that way for long. I wish I could admit that my house is immaculate all the time but to be honest it isn't and I am just trying to figure out how to keep it presentable most of the time and not lose my mind.
Well I pray you are all doing well and I look forward to seeing some of you soon.
Aleida

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

10 Things Alex loves

1. He loves the Lord. My husband struggled with the fact that God loved him unconditionally for so long but he understands it now and is striving in every effort to be the man that God wants him to be.

2. He tells me he loves me and being married to me all the time so of course this one was a must to post.

3. He loves the sound of Isaiah stopping everything he is doing once he hear the front door open and Isaiah runs to the front door yelling, "Daddy" with wide open arms.

4. He loves that Nathanael stays where he is with arms held up because he wants daddy to hold him the minute he walks through a door.

5. He loves those moments where both boys are sitting on his lap and watching some TV show that he is watching usually it is news but he stops and watches the boys and his heart melts. He always whispers to me to watch them and he loves every moment with them.

6. He loves children. Believe it or not...most people would not believe it because it wasn't too long ago that when I was pregnant with Nathanael that he said he didn't want any more kids but the Lord has really changed his heart and he is always talking about how he wants a lot of kids and he can't wait till all of the kids are sitting on his laps and the sides of him with his arms around all of them.

7. He loves pizza. This man would eat pizza for every meal if I allowed it.

8. He loves Chinese food. This would be option two if pizza is not available.

9. He loves my apple spice cake. I like to try new recipes and one day I tried this dessert recipe and once he saw it was a cake he automatically said he wouldn't eat it because my husband does not like cake at all. He ended up giving in and trying it anyway and he is always asking for this cake now. I think I will make it for his birthday in 2 weeks.

10. He loves guns. He is always talking about different types of guns and I couldn't care less about it but I let him have his wants but his wants don't always meet the budget so he settles for talking about it. He did buy a gun last year and finally got to use it this past weekend when he went shooting with the guys. Shooting is what the guys like to do up here to pass the time since there is not much else to do.

I realize most of his loves have to do with family but it is because it is the truth. He tries to put on a face where he is tough but he really is a teddy bear inside.

Aleida

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Update

Yesterday I went in for my physical check up with my midwife and everything is going well. The family went but because they needed to do the physical the kids waited in the play area with Alex so Isaiah won't get scared. He is funny about the midwife touching my belly. At the last visit when she was trying to find the heartbeat he kept pointing and looking at Alex saying, "hurt Mommy". We kept telling him she isn't hurting mommy she is just trying to find the heartbeat of the baby so we figured for this kind of appointment everyone will just wait outside. We don't want to scare the kid too much. Haha. The midwife is happy that I put the weight back on and have officially started putting on weight. I have gained 1/2 pound during this pregnancy which is a great start. I told her that with Thanksgiving right around the corner I am sure I will put on another pound or two. We heard the heartbeat and the heartbeat was at 160. I am so relieved to hear the heartbeat loud and clear this time because in all honesty I was starting to not believe I was pregnant even though I have a protruding belly and morning sickness which is absolutely horrible. Everyone is noticing now that I am pregnant because of my belly but I have to remind most of the people who make a big deal about it (most of the people who make a big deal only have one child or is pregnant with their first child) that this is my third pregnancy so my body is already doing what it is supposed to do just at a faster pace because this isn't my first pregnancy. In a way it makes me upset because I am definitely hormonal and I just start having weight issues but my wonderful husband Alex has been doing a great job of telling me how beautiful I am. I don't know why I am struggling with body issues with this pregnancy but I am and I wish I could just enjoy completely the fact that my body is just doing what God designed it to do in order to bring another life into this world. I guess the reason I struggle is because I started all of my pregnancies overweight and although I have lost all the pregnancy weight before I have never been able to get any smaller than what I was before. I do realize that because of my weight I technically fall into the category where I can't gain the typical amount of weight that a woman is supposed to gain during a pregnancy but at the same time I have never stressed about it until now. This has to come during a time where we (Alex and I) have already agreed that we are going to make sure that I do everything possible to make sure we have a healthy baby because of both of my boys being so small at birth. The midwife told me yesterday our goal is to make sure this baby is over 6 pounds and she will be happy. She is going to make sure we start measuring the baby more often in order to make sure we are on track with this goal. My next appointment is 12/8/08 which happens to be Isaiah's third birthday so that should be a good day and hopefully we will see more good news. By the time December 8th comes around I should be between 18-19 weeks along so I am assuming she is going to schedule my sonogram for a week or two later so we can find out the sex of the baby. We decided that if the baby shows us what he/she is then we will know if not then we will be surprised. My midwife did make a comment that some people say if you have tons of morning sickness they normally say you are having a girl and I told her that I sure hope so because I am hoping for a girl. I am already telling the boys that we are hoping to have a baby girl because I want it so bad but I will be happy if we have another boy too.

I am sorry this post is incredibly long. I started with the intention of giving just a quick update and then I went and spilled my emotions to you. Please just pray for this area for me and that I remain in good spirits for the sake of everyone in my house. Love you all.

Aleida

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Garage is finally clean!

I am so happy to announce that finally we cleaned out the garage. This has been a chore that we have been putting off for some time now. Alex had Monday and Tuesday off since he worked this weekend and we spend all day Monday cleaning the garage out so I could park in there for the winter. One thing we do not like is to have our car out of our garage during the snowy season if it can be avoided because it takes so much time to shovel driveways that we didn't want to have to shovel out a car on top of all of it. Plus it helps that I don't have to get in and out of the car on ice which limits how much times I will actually fall this season. Haha. We dreaded doing the cleaning but now we are very happy because it was something that needed to be done.

Aleida

Friday, October 31, 2008

Have a safe Halloween

I hope everyone has a safe and fun halloween. We are taking the kids around our neighborhood for some candy which we (the parents) will probably end up eating. Haha. We will update pictures later of the kids.

Benavides family

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Everyone is healthy

The beginning of this week have been filled with appointments like usual. On Monday we had an appointment for Nathanael to get his 15 month check up and he received 3 shots. One of those shots was the flu vaccination which was needed since he did not receive one last year because he was too small. He is officially 19 pounds and 29 inches long. He has finally got on the one percentile of the growth chart for his weight and the fifth percentile with length. He is still on the small side. Because of his size the doctor wanted to make sure he was not anemic so we had to have blood drawn from his tiny arm the same day which was not a very fun process but an hour later the doctor's office called and told me that his lab work showed everything to be perfectly healthy which was music to my ears. Since he only received his first flu shot we have to take him in about a month to get the second shot. I went ahead and scheduled Isaiah to get his on the same day so that should be fun.

Tuesday I had an appointment because my original was pushed back a few days. I went in and for some reason they were really busy so I didn't get the full physical done but she took my blood pressure, gave me my flue shot, and I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for a slight second. Sometimes it is a challenge to hear the baby's heartbeat at 12 weeks but my midwife found it for a little while and I got to see that the heart rate was at 154 which is very good. My midwife said that next time it shouldn't be that hard to find the heartbeat. I am just relieved that we found it because for some reason this pregnancy has not seemed real for me except for the pain in the beginning and the nauseousness I have. I have not been able to eat much and because of this I have lost 4 pounds. The weight loss had my midwife asking questions of course but she assured me that all of my symptoms are signs of a healthy pregnancy. I told her I am sure I will put the weight back on near the end. It may be next month who knows with Thanksgiving rolling around. The weight loss did cause my husband to have a little concern because I have never lost that much weight with the other pregnancies in a month but I didn't gain that much weight either. My first pregnancy weight gain was 20 pounds and the the second one was 11 pounds. I am eating, I promise. I am hungry every few hours and I am showing so I am not that worried. Like I said the holidays are coming around so I know I will probably gain weight. Plus once the snow starts coming which should be soon we tend to eat more anyway because there is nothing else to do. Haha.

Other than that everyone is healthy. Alex should be getting his flu shot pretty soon and Isaiah will be early December so we should all be good. I am glad to report that everyone is healthy because this is the time for sickness to go around. Please pray for all of us to take precautions as much as possible to stay healthy.

Aleida

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Blessed

I am so blessed and it makes me cry. Yesterday, my wonderful husband took the day off to celebrate my birthday. I was so excited because we were going to be able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time yesterday but then they call and say they have to reschedule me because there were two women who were in active labor. I later told Alex that today was a good day to be born if my appointment was going to get cancelled. Needless to say I was disappointed but we went and had breakfast and then cruised the little town of Brunswick. Later in the afternoon we went to Portland so we can go to the mall and I can get dinner from Olive Garden. As the day ended I thanked my husband for taking the day off work and for taking me out of the house because it was something not only I enjoyed but the boys enjoyed it as well. Today we got to go on another outing because the power was shut off on base (which is where I live) all day so we went to different thrift shops and looked around. The power finally turned on around 4:30ish so my husband made dinner and we had a candlelit dinner while the kids were finishing up their naps and after we were done eating they woke up and they had dinner. As I type this message I hear the giggles of my man and little men and it warms my heart. This weekend has been filled with much needed rest and I am so grateful to be blessed beyond measure.

Aleida

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Sick

Why does it seem like every weekend something new happens? We enjoyed a wonderful weekend last weekend but this weekend Aleida and the boys have sick with sore throats, coughs, fevers, and ear aches. Everybody has different symptoms but it is still hard to deal with 3 out of 4 people being sick. Please pray that this will pass soon and not become too serious. Hope everyone else is enjoying this weekend.

Benavides Family

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Long Weekends

Oh how I enjoy long weekends. After venting because the weekend before I didn't get to spend much time with my husband the Lord still blesses me beyond what I deserve. Alex had the following Monday and Tuesday off and then went to work on Wednesday, Thursday, and half of Friday and was off again until Tuesday because of the Columbus Day holiday. Friday was spent running errands and getting things we would need for a long weekend. We were excited about Saturday because we had already made plans with the Hurt family to spend a little time with them on Saturday. We really hadn't spent time with this family for about 7 or 8 months because Mr. Hurt was deployed in Africa somewhere. Anyways I made plans with the Mrs. because don't we always make the plans for our families? Haha. I am totally kidding but this was something our husbands wanted us to do so we said wouldn't it be fun to go to a pumpkin patch and there should be hay rides drawn by horses that the family would enjoy. Of course I thought this sounds like so much fun and I was pumped. Later I told Alex what we would be doing and he was like yay what a way to spend a Saturday. He was not very enthusiastic in case you didn't notice but he was willing to make me happy. So Saturday rolls around and we got to the farm and of course Isaiah is having the time of his life because he is surrounded by another family and they have five kids so he took off with the "big" kids. Alex and I stayed behind with Nathanael and we placed Nathanael in this area that was surrounded by huge pumpkins in comparison to his size. Watching him trying to climb these pumpkins was so hilarious. After a while Isaiah decided to join us because of course he wants to show us that he can climb these pumpkins too and he decided to join his brother and play with him for a little while. He cracked us up because we were lifting some of these pumpkins trying to figure out which ones we wanted to take home with us so he tried to show us how strong he was and he tried lifting them too but he took a break after a while and gave me a smile. After we got all the pumpkins in the wagon he pulled the wagon for me and we parked it in the corner so we can go apple picking. Of course this has to be one of the last weekends to go apple picking because nearly all of the trees were empty but we found a few trees in the back and picked a few apples. We ran to our wagon and put the apples away just in time to catch the "hay" ride. It really wasn't a hay ride but we all sat in this carriage and the horses took us around the land. Isaiah had so much fun and was so happy to be doing something like this on this beautiful day. After all was said and done Alex admitted that he enjoyed this experience very much and said next year we have to come sooner. I was so excited to see our family bond in this way. Our friends got a lot of good pictures and I took more but this was all I could upload now because I don't have much space on my camera. The rest of the weekend was filled with fun as well because on Sunday we spend the afternoon at the park at church and then we let Isaiah ride his bike around our driveway. Monday was a rainy day which was perfect because we just rested at home. I am so glad that we got to do this as a family and especially since there are not very much weekends left for us to do things like this. Before we know it the snow will be here and we probably won't be outside very much. It is hard to believe that it is already Thursday and another weekend should be here soon but sometimes I like to reflect on the past.
Aleida

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Work Weekends

I am going to vent a little. I try to look forward to the weekends because that is when I get to spend the most time with my husband but it is so frustrating that every other weekend he has to work. I know I shouldn't complain because he is given the following Monday and Tuesday off but this weekend I am just frustrated because I feel like I really haven't gotten to see him this past month and I really was just hoping for down time this weekend. I will get to spend time with him tomorrow and the next day so that makes me happy but I wish it wouldn't bother me so much now.

Aleida

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Potty Training Update

I am so happy to announce that Isaiah is officially wearing only underwear during the day and he does a pretty good job of telling me when he has to go to the potty. I usually tell him when to go to the potty but he just goes and he tells me when he is done. He has occassional accidents here and there but once it happens he tells me right away. I am so proud of him. We are down to wearing pull ups only at night time now because it is still too soon to be sleeping in underwear. I just thought I would share my happy news with you as well.

Aleida

Appointments

Last week was so crazy with appointments. I have come to realize that my life mostly consists of appointments now. Last Monday we had a year check up for Nathanael but because we were in Texas for so long he was seen at nearly 14 months. He was to get shots but he had begun to get sick a few days before that we ended up having to treat him with a nebulizer for bronchilitis or something to that nature. The doctor basically explained that what should have been a common cold decided to rest in his lungs which was causing wheezing. This only concerned the doctor because we haven't even hit winter yet and this was showing him that there is a good possibility that we may need to treat his breathing when he starts wheezing with this contraption every time he gets a cold. It cleared up though and he is doing fine. We went back in to the doctor so we can get his shots and then made his appointment for next month since he will be 15 months and needs to go back in for more shots. I am sure we can schedule flu shots around the same time.

So on the same day since I have no where else to leave my child, Isaiah was with us and the topic came up of how he tends to mimic Nathanael. This concerns me only because when Nathanael is around he will not talk very much and I am afraid that when this new baby comes he will revert again because he feels that is the way get attention. When Nathanael is napping and it is just us he talks up a storm but he is a bit lazy when it comes to speech so we have been working on that. The doctor recommended doing an evaluation to see how he has progressed over the past couple of years. We had an appointment scheduled for today but that appointment has been postponed until next Tuesday. He has begun talking even more now which is hilarious to me. We will just see what they say but in all honesty I am not very concerned with him I just fear a little of the set back he may experience with a new child.

Tuesday was fun again as there was another appointment scheduled so we can get some WIC checks. I was thrilled when they moved my appointment up a month early so I can get some milk. This appointment usually takes about 15-30 minutes long but since it was a re certification and then I was getting put back on WIC for the pregnancy it took a little over an hour. That was challenging but it helped that Nathanael was seen the day before so I just gave the measurements from the day before to them and they only needed to focus on Isaiah and myself. I am glad that these appointments only come every 2 months.

On Friday was the day we were excited about the most because we thought we would be able to hear the baby's heartbeat but since it was the first appointment with my midwife we just basically went over what I wanted as the outcome of the pregnancy and how I expected the delivery to go and so forth. We did find out that we are estimated at being 8 weeks but we are waiting for the phone call for our sonogram appointment. We are doing a sono to get an accurate measure of how far along I am and to make sure the baby is growing properly. Because Nathanael was so small at birth my midwife has decided that we are going to be doing a lot more sonograms to make sure this baby is growing a little bigger than him because he was too small. So here I wait for another appointment.

I had 4 appointments in a matter of 8 days and needless to say I am exhausted.

Aleida

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Prayer Requests for this week

This past week was so busy with me trying to get my house in order but I have been so sick lately. This morning sickness bit is absolutely killing me. I had morning sickness with only Isaiah but I do not remember it being this bad so I have not been so happy. Anyways this coming week we have appointments galore and I need all the prayer and strength I can get. Tomorrow Nathanael goes in for his one year check up and yes we are doing this two months late because we were in Texas for so long. Anyways his appointment could not have come at a better time because both of the boys started getting sick yesterday. Isaiah has had diarrhea and Nathanael has started with a runny nose and coughing today. They feel a little on the warm side but nothing that really makes us feel that it is serious enough to take them in now. So tomorrow morning we have his appointment which I am sure will come with shots so that is never fun for me to hear the cries of my baby. Tuesday we have our WIC appointment which I am so happy about because we have not been able to get checks for over 2 months and that is putting a little bind on us financially because of the price of everything but we are grateful that the Lord has provided more than enough for us. Friday is my appointment with my midwife and hopefully she will be able to give us some idea of how far along I am and some remedies of morning sickness. I am open to any ideas anyone else has. Other than my busy schedule this week I ask for prayer just to make it to the next day without being a grouch.

I do have some positive news to report. Isaiah has officially started the potty training business again this past week and I am so proud of him because he is not throwing the tantrums he used to throw when I asked him to go and sit on the potty. He even had 4 successful attempts yesterday. Today was a little challenge because we had church and we were not able to stay on top of asking him to use the potty so I feel like we went a little backward but I am hoping that the rest of the week will be easier because I will be with him all day and we should only be out of our house for appointments for no more than 2 hours.

I hope the rest of you are doing well. We would love to hear updates on all of your families.

Aleida

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Pain

So I wasn't really ready to announce this again but we found out on the 1st that we are expecting again. Yes, I am still in shock about this because I just stopped with the contraceptive we were using because it was making me too sick all the time and I dealt with being sick for a year. Before going to Texas we decided to have my IUD removed but faced some fear when I was told that they were unable to find it so I went in for a sonogram and they were able to locate it and at that moment I was not pregnant. We left to Texas and I stayed for a month but I got real sick not relating to pregnancy and then when I finally got over it I noticed I was really nauseated so on the 1st I took a pregnancy test thinking there is no way I am pregnant because we had been too busy with visiting family and the funeral of my uncle for us to even have time to make a baby. Well I guess I was wrong and just for the record it only takes one time to get pregnant. Who would have known that? Well I should, right? Anyways the reason for me announcing it now is because I have been in so much pain for the past week and a half. I am assuming it is because of all the traveling that has messed up my stomach but it hurts so bad. Last night my stomach hurt so bad that I was really swollen and it almost looked like I was about seven months along which is impossible because I am still in the first trimester. I was up for a long time because the pain was so strong. Finally it passed and I was able to get back to sleep. The swelling in my stomach has gone down tremendously but my stomach hurts a lot still. I am going to try and take TUMS or something like that and if it doesn't resolve my problem I am going to have to go in and find out what the problem is. Please pray for me and this unborn child.


Aleida


P.S. I am not really sure how far along I am but we are assuming anywhere from 5-7 weeks and by the look of everything this baby should be here by early May but nothing has been confirmed because I have not been able to see my midwife which is why we never made a formal announcement of this pregnancy.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Finally Home

After many hours on the road we finally pulled into my driveway around 3:30am today. I am so excited to be home and can't wait to get back to our normal routine although I am not so sure what that will be anymore. I need to develop some schedule soon so the kids will not be so crazy for me later on. I just wanted to thank all of those that keep us in prayers. Hope you are all doing well.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Excited yet sad

It is hard for me today because I am in the process of washing clothes so I can pack up our things. A part of me is thrilled that I will be seeing my husband by Tuesday of next week but I am also sad because I do not want to leave my families behind. I have been an emotional wreck this whole week but it is hitting me more so today that I really miss having our families in our every day lives. I just need prayer to have a peace over all of these emotions I am feeling.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Can't wait to be home!!!!

It is hard to believe that a month has come and gone and my visit to Texas is now almost over. I am now counting down the days when I will get on the road again and be reunited with Alex. I miss him terribly. I have enjoyed my time with our families but there is nothing like being with the one you love. This week has been busy for both of us. Alex has been studying very hard so he can sit for his first class exam tomorrow while starting a new week of classes and having duty this whole week. I have been enjoying the last week with my parents and Alex's parents. I know Isaiah and Nathanael will be upset when we leave because they have grown very fond of both Grandmas and Grandpas but I am positive that they will be excited to see daddy too. They miss him so much as well. So my prayer requests this week are that we have a safe travel home and that Alex does well on his first class exam. I will say that we are hoping for him to become a first class because that means a raise and a raise we surely can use. Other than that pray that I enjoy what is left of my vacation and that I will be refreshed when I get back home. We should be back in December because my sister graduates so if I am unable to see some of you that I didn't get a chance to see on this visit, hopefully, we can see you on our next visit.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Praise God

After months of discouragement and false allegations against my family the day has finally come where we are not viewed as wrongdoers. The Lord has kept his arms around our hearts and our family and Alex has finally been dismissed of any allegations that were brought against him. Thank you so much for prayers.

Benavides family

Friday, August 15, 2008

Alex's last weekend in Corpus

This trip has gone by so fast for us. We headed for Texas on August 1st and then we met up with the Curiel clan in Branson, Missouri to have a mini vacation. We were on our way to Eureka Springs, Arkansas to view the Passion Play when Aleida's father got the call that her uncle was in the hospital. We immediately started heading to Texas and we pulled over somewhere in Arkansas called Mena. After we got situated Mr. Curiel was told that his brother would not make it through the night. The next morning we drove for about 3 hours when we got the call that his brother had passed away earlier in the morning. We finally made it to Corpus around 10ish last Thursday. The entire family came in again which was a sad time because they had a family reunion at the end of July. We have been spending time with the Curiel family and trying to make sure the Benavides family gets a good amount of our time as well. We were able to see Alex's cousin get married on Saturday. We are so drained. The funeral took place on Wednesday and yesterday we finally realized that Alex's time here is coming to an end because he needs to go back to work. This saddens us because there were so many people we wanted to catch up with while we were down here and now we don't see that happening. Please pray that we enjoy the company of everyone we spend with these last few days. Aleida will be staying here a little longer so hopefully she can catch up with some friends of hers she hasn't seen in a while. Hope you all have a good weekend.

Benavides family

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Texas Bound

Well we will officially be in Texas tomorrow evening specifically Corpus Christi, Texas. We have been in Branson, Missouri for the past couple of days but today we got a phone call from my grandma telling us that my uncle on my dad's side of the family has been admitted to the hospital. Apparently his kidneys are shutting down. We should be home tomorrow and we will just have to see how he is doing. Please pray that there is just peace for everyone no matter what happens.

Aleida

Friday, August 1, 2008

Prayer for our trip

I just wanted to put a little request out there for safe travel. We leave today in about an hour or so and we will be heading down to Texas. We are meeting my parents in Arkansas before heading to Corpus but we would love for you to keep us in prayer. I pray you all have a great weekend and hopefully I will get to see most of you soon.

Aleida

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Frustrated

Why is it that every time you get refreshed in your walk the evil one tries to ruin it for you? This past weekend was such a refreshment and we all needed to get away but the minute we pulled back into this city we dreaded being here. We are very much ready to leave from this area but for some reason the Lord has us here. So on Monday my husband gets to work and finds out that the allegations that were made on him by the friend I mentioned in one of my previous blogs was going to be investigated some more. This is so frustrating for us because a few weeks ago they told us the investigation was done with. Anyways this situation is not a good one and we fear that some serious consequences will be taken out on my husband because we feel like no one is giving him a fair shot. Why do people do things and not realize that it affects families not just one person? Then last night my husband comes home after his midterm around 10:45ish because he walks home from school and is very upset because our flowers are all gone. I said, "WHAT???" I ran outside to find two of my three stargazer lilies completely gone. We planted these flowers in May and we were finally seeing them bloom. They were so pretty. One of the flowers was completely torn out and all that was left behind was roots and the bulbs from the flower. The other flower was cut off like if someone just took scissors to the plant to cut off my flower. Later as I walked back home from being at the neighbors to find out if they saw anything I saw one of the bulbs that never bloomed lying in the street. Thankfully the one that I have left still haven't bloomed yet so I think that is why the person/s never messed with it but why would someone do that. Do they not realize how hard we have worked at taking care of our garden? We don't do these things so we can have someone come and ruin what we worked for. My heart breaks because I feel overwhelmed. I am at peace about my husband's situation but when I think about it too much I become worried and then the flowers just topped the cake. Please pray for me and my heart and that I remember to try to be hopeful in all situations. I keep praying over myself that good things happen to those who love and serve the Lord and that no weapon formed against us shall prosper but I just feel frustrated right now. Thank you for the prayers that everyone of you say for our family. Hope you are having a better day than I am.

Aleida

Monday, July 28, 2008

The Lord blesses my socks all the time

This past weekend in Boston was more than I could ever hope for. Here is how our weekend got started. Well first of all, all week long I cleaned the house because who wants to come home to a dirty house? When when you have two living hurricanes named Isaiah and Nathanael who is able to keep their house clean? All week the days went like this...mommy cleans a room and moves to a new room which translates into ooh there is a new room for us to play in. So needless to say the house isn't exactly as clean as I would like it to be but it is decent. So on Friday I spent the morning packing for everybody and Alex worked a half day only to come home and pack things in the car for me. I will pack the luggage but he has to make the luggage fit. Haha. After everything was packed and we were all ready to go we left to have lunch at Ninety-Nine so we can be in the area of where we are supposed to meet the other two ladies going to Boston. We met up with them around 2:30 and got on the road. The trip down was pretty laid back and a fairly easy one until we got to this one toll and I went into the wrong lane and couldn't get to the lane I needed to be in but thankfully there was someone in this lane and he took my money and let me through. I went through an EZ pass lane instead of a cash lane. Well once I leave and began driving on this bridge I am trying to figure out where I am supposed to be but by this time the traffic was really busy because we were entering the heart of Boston. I nearly started having a heart attack when this nice car let me in his lane. He didn't so much let me in as much as I forced myself in that lane and to avoid hitting me he slowed down. North Easterners do not believe in letting you in so you have to force yourself in and that is the only way you will get in. I made it in the lane I was supposed to be in at the perfect time because as soon as I got in I was exiting at the place I was supposed to be at. Well we get to the street we are supposed to be at when I finally notice The Marriott (the hotel we are staying at) but can't figure where to park. (For those of you who don't know there is pretty much no where to park in Boston and in my personal opinion there is no need to have a vehicle unless you need to travel out of Boston.) I finally found this parking lot and Alex of course is frustrated with me because he sees a sign that says it is going to cost $8/hour to park in this garage but I didn't see it and went in anyway. I parked the car and was nearly sweating because I just felt a rush from the traffic. We get out of the car and decide to walk in to the hotel to find out where I need to go. The thing we didn't know is that this garage was attached to the hotel and when I asked them where to park he gave me two options. Option one was to park in the garage I was at and leave it there for $22/day or option two was to use the valet service the hotel offers for $30/day but I could come and go as I please with my vehicle. We chose option 1 because there was no way I was going to be driving in Boston. So it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. =) After checking into the hotel we return to the car to get the luggage and head for our room on the 11th floor. (I took pictures but I will have to post those later because I took those on a disposable camera.) After settling in we were ready to go figure out how I was going to get to the conference. The other ladies who were traveling with us decided to have dinner first and then we met up to go to the conference. We chose to use the T (the subway of Boston) to get there and Alex and the kids joined us to experience the T. Isaiah loved it and was so excited to see the train and actually ride it. We finally made it to the conference about 8:30ish so Alex and the boys waited in the bus station for us but the boys loved it because they were chasing each other around and they had a new area to play in. The conference was so neat but by the time it ended that first night I was ready to go to the hotel because I was tired. We find the T station to get back home but on the way home it was ridiculously crowded because a lot of women were on this and we were so crowded that when we got to our exit we were nearly trampled over. We made it home safely and finally around 12:30-1:00 am we all fell asleep.

Saturday

We wake up and start getting ready for the day only to hear the birthday boy singing to us. We picked him up and sang Happy Birthday to him. This is how the day went for him.

7:30 am Wake up and take a shower and wait for my brother to get showered and dressed. I want to see what the day has for me.


7:45 am Change clothes after getting drenched by my brother

8:00 am Head downstairs to eat Breakfast and Mrs. Marla gives me a birthday gift but I think my brother wants to use my gift.

8:30 am Say goodbye to mommy so she can go to her conference (Later I find out that Isaiah was devastated when I left and couldn't believe I had gone somewhere without him)


Aleida is speaking - During the time that I was gone for the first couple of sessions of the conference there was a speaker who was the actress of the weekend and she did this skit that basically summarized my life at the moment. I laughed at how this skit was the perfect description of what I was going through. The skit was basically about a woman who is losing her mind because of all the daily things she has going on in her life but the part the stuck out the most was when the woman in the skit remembered Isaiah 26:3. When this scripture was read I nearly wept because I needed to be reminded of this and it made me realize that I need to start memorizing more scriptures especially for those days that I feel like I am going to lose my mind. Isaiah 26:3 says You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. How wonderful is that? He trusts me with my beautiful boys the same boys that I say are making me lose my mind. As long as I put my mind on him he will give me that peace I need. I was so convicted and my heart broke because I was and still am guilty of not always keeping my mind on him.

1:30 pm Mommy comes home to have lunch with me



2:30 pm Mommy leaves back to the conference
Aleida speaks again -- During this portion of the conference the same woman mentioned above does another skit on how the tongue can spread fires. James 3:5b-6 Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. This skit just basically showed how such words can just set fires to another's spirit. I nearly broke again because more so lately have I been one to lash out in anger or hurt. I have been so discouraged these past couple of months with all the trials that we have encountered that there have been days that I say something to someone I love and immediately know I shouldn't have said it because the words I said crushed the other. This was a harsh reality for me and I realized I just don't want to ever say something to the point where it makes my children feel like they can't accomplish something because of something I said to them.
3:00 pm Isaiah needs naps but I don't need one because it is my birthday
5:30 pm Mommy gets home and is finished with the conference so now it is all about me
6:30 pm We leave to find a restaurant to eat at but it was such a long walk around the city that I finally fell asleep
7:30 pm We finally chose a restaurant and now we wait for our food


8:30 pm We see a Baskin Robbins and have to buy me a cake to celebrate and then find the T so we can get home because it was too long of a walk

9:00 pm We eat ice cream cake and it is so yummy



9:45 pm We went swimming because the pool didn't close until 11:00 pm

10:20 pm I want to go to bed so mommy and I get out of the pool

10:30 pm We head to the room so we can get another shower

11:00 pm Get a second wind

12:00 am Finally fall asleep

1:30 am Fire alarms go off so I need to see what is going on

2:30 am Finally go to sleep but for real this time
Sunday
Sunday morning Alex and I decide to get up around 8:00am because we were so exhausted from the day before. We knew we didn't have much time to do a lot that we wanted to do so we got ready for the day and repacked all of our things and got them in the car. When we were checking out of the hotel we filed some complaints/suggestions for the hotel and they in return gave us complimentary breakfasts so we made our way back upstairs to the restaurant and had breakfast. After we were done eating we decided to get the boys changed so we can start our outing. We ultimately decided to catch the T and we exited near Boston Common Park and walked the Freedom Trail - The Path to Independence where we got to see the State House, the burial ground of Paul Revere, the building where the Boston Tea Party began, Faneuil Hall, the Paul Revere home, the Old North Church, and we ended at the USS Constitution. It was such a fun experience and the walk was free so that was music to our ears. When we finished touring the USS Constitution we made our way back over a bridge and found the closest T to get back to the hotel so we can get our car. We wanted to avoid being charged for another day so we made our way back with an hour to spare. We left Boston and headed home and we finally made it back last night around 6:30 pm. The entire time we were walking Alex and I just kept telling each other how grateful we were to have that day to spend together. There was so much more we wanted to do but with the lack of funds and time we decided we would have to try to make it again at a later time before we move away from the Northeastern area. Well I know this was a long post but I hope you are blessed by reading this. Hope you are having a great day.
Benavides Family

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Boston

This week was very eventful to say the least but we are looking forward to the weekend. This weekend Aleida is going to be going to the Women of Faith Conference in Boston. The conference is tomorrow and Saturday but Nathanael's birthday falls on Saturday as well so we decided to make it a weekend in Boston. Yay! We are looking forward to spending time as a family so we can relax while Aleida gets refreshed. Please pray that everything will go smoothly and that we will hear what the Lord is trying to communicate with us this weekend. We can't believe this weekend is finally here because that means one more week before we hit the road to Texas. We also can't believe how fast a year has gone by. We remember heading to the hospital to have Nathanael and now the baby is a year! Hope you have a great weekend and we will let you know how our weekend goes.

Benavides family

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Excitement

I am so excited about a lot of things. We are figuring out how to handle the teething with Nathanael. We didn't have to do this with Isaiah because he only got one tooth at a time and then at that he never complained about being in pain. It is funny to see how different these babies are. They look different although many people say they look alike. I don't think so but that is ok. They respond different and you can just see their different personalities. Isaiah is such a sweet boy who has so much love to give. He loves to give everyone hugs and kisses and is so sweet when he is ready to pray. He enjoys prayer times and holds hands and tries to keep his eyes closed the entire time but he doesn't want to miss when we are done so he can say Amen Jesus. That makes me excited to see that his heart is so innocent. Nathanael on the other hand is a loner and is very content playing by himself but when he wants someone around he snuggles up close to you and places his head gently on you while trying to get as close as possible. I love my boys.

I am also excited because although Alex has to work today he will have Monday off and he will be able to make an appointment with me. Also this weekend we are going to Boston because I am attending a Women of Faith conference but we are also celebrating Nathanael's birthday the same weekend so the whole family is coming. Once we get back I get to see a friend that I haven't seen in a year while she visits here (her family is from here and she lives in San Diego now). Then Alex has one more week of work and then on Friday, August 1st, we make our way to the good old state of Texas. Alex will be flying back on the 18th but I am going to stay about a month or so. Yay! I will be back just in time to see the fall come in. It is a beautiful time up here in the fall. Anyways I just thought I would share my exciting news!!!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Teething

This week has been so hard. Yesterday we were at the store when Nathanael screamed and wouldn't stop so we carried him thinking that was what he wanted only that didn't help. We went home shortly after to change diapers and that is when we saw it. About four or five teeth in his top gum are coming out at the same time. All you see are the little teeth indentions in his gum and my heart just broke for my baby. We gave him orajel and he seemed ok afterwards. Last night though it hit again so I stayed up most of the night to rock my baby and hold him till he fell asleep again. Now I have this screaming headache because I have not been getting much sleep. Please pray for us during this time. It must be so painful for him and I don't know what to do other than what I am doing to ease his pain.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Restless

Last night for some reason Alex and I could not sleep. We were tossing and turning all night. Please pray for me today to not lose it. I am really irritable right now and all I want to do is sleep but the kids do not want to be a sleep. Argh!

Oh we bought the kids bunk beds because they were on sale on Monday and we got Isaiah's portion set up in their room. I will try to upload a picture of the new kid's room soon. He enjoyed sleeping in it even though we still need to get a box spring and with the sides up because he is sleeping in what would be the top bunk so it is like he is in one giant crib. He was not that fond of that part but he enjoys having his own bed.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Bring out the bikes...

It is funny how one moment something can seem like it is just another thing you can complain about only to realize later it was a blessing in disguise. This past week on Tuesday I woke up and immediately knew it was going to be a bad day. I usually can tell what kind of day we are going to have by the sound of the babies when they wake up. We don't have a lot of bad days but there are days I know will be a challenge. However on Tuesday I knew it was going to be a bad day. So we woke up and got ready to go workout (for my daily walk around base). When we got home we got showered and ready for the day because after all it was payday and I needed groceries so I had errands to go and run. We take Alex to work after showers and drive off base and the minute I passed the gate I realized my registration sticker and pass to get back on base had expired the day before. I immediately went to pass and tag to get a new tag to get back on base only to be told that I couldn't get one because I had expired registration tags. I was so upset because as I mentioned before I needed groceries and because of that I removed the stroller from my trunk. I explained to the lady that there was no way I could walk with my babies without the stroller all the way to my house. It is about a mile and a half and I could walk it but it would be extremely difficult to carry Nathanael because he is so wiggly and to keep Isaiah holding my hand for that long just so he won't run in the street. She eventually gave me a day pass so I left and ran my errands and was able to return to base without any more problems. As soon as I got back on base and Wednesday came I knew I was unable to use my car until the sticker came so we waited. Well needless to say that on Thursday the tags did not come so we had to bring out the bikes in order to get around. Yesterday we rode the bikes for hours and we were convinced we would be paying for it today but we hardly feel any pain. Our arms are more sore than anything. Well we had so much fun yesterday that we decided to do it more often and we are going to try to use it as our main form of transportation if we are able to. We will just have to see how long we actually do it. Haha.

Aleida

P.S. The registration sticker came in yesterday finally late in the day. I guess the mailman had so much mail to deliver after having a day off. =)

Thursday, July 3, 2008

New Day

Well today is a new day! Thank goodness for new days it is like we get a fresh start everyday and I am grateful for that. When I wrote my last post I wrote it with a very heavy heart but the great thing is when I gave my emotions to the Lord the next day He gave me peace. Yesterday I woke up in complete peace about everything which was great. Also potty training went a little easier yesterday. We had two successful attempts and one huge disaster attempt but overall it went good and Isaiah is starting to not feel like the potty is a timeout. I think that is why he was not wanting to use the potty but now he only wants to wear big boy underwear so he is actually making attempts. He will get it eventually. I just hope we can get it down within the next month before we get home so we don't get set back by the trip home. Other than that we are doing great and we are looking forward to a 4 day weekend with Alex this weekend. They are giving him tomorrow through Monday off so we are very happy. I pray you have a great day!

Aleida

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

June Update

Well the month of June has been a very challenging month to say the least. We are hoping that we can go through this next month without so much challenge. Let's see...what is new?

Well Alex finished another semester of school and had last week off from school as a break. He started the new term again today so he is staying busy with school. He only has 8 more classes to complete his Bachelors degree which will be exciting.

I have been struggling with staying positive up here. The Lord has been revealing a lot to me as far as who I allow in my heart regarding friendships. There is a lady up here that I was pretty close with and for whatever reason we are no longer friends which breaks my heart because I really enjoyed her company. The thing is that I know there is no way our friendship will be the same again because so many rumors and lies have been spread that no matter what happens things change. The Lord has shown me that even in this situation that I should still love her the way He loves me. Although there is a lot of hurt in this situation I am trying to keep her in prayer because I know she is going through a lot. Now I just pray that the Lord will heal my heart from all the hurt that I have been experiencing this month. I have been on a serious emotional roller coaster and I am ready to get off of this ride. I am trying to keep my eyes on what is really important.

Isaiah is still in the potty training business. Potty training has been so frustrating because there are days that he seems like he wants to learn how to use a potty and then there are days that he has no interest at all. It is like we are taking one step forward and two steps back. If anyone has any suggestions please tell me because I am losing my mind. Isaiah also moved into a booster this month. He meets the height requirement and he was ready to move out of his current car seat. He is getting so independent. He wants to sit himself in the car and close his own door. The only thing he lets us do is buckle him in. I just can't believe how big he is getting.

Nathanael amazes me everyday. I love him so much. I look at this tiny baby that doctors are concerned about because of his size and just smile because he just shows us daily that he is just as capable of accomplishing things other babies his age can do. He is currently weighing in at 16 pounds I think. This month he has started cruising the furniture and is starting to push his push toys around which leads us to believe he may be walking soon.

There are so many prayer requests that we have and we just wanted to thank those of you that do pray for us. We appreciate it very much.

Prayer Requests:
1. Pray that the Lord shows us what He is trying to have us learn. We were up for orders this past month and we just recently learned that instead of letting us get orders now we were going to be extended up here until the base shuts down. Well at least the department that Alex works for. So we are supposed to be up here until 12/09 now which breaks our heart because we were so sure the Lord was leading us elsewhere. We are just praying that we can learn what we need to learn and the Lord will open doors for us when it is the right time.

2. We have had many spiritual attacks within the last month and we ask that you keep us in prayer as far as us knowing what to say and what to do during this time. We have been tried so much lately that we are worn out and ready for this to end but we know these trials are also bringing us closer to not only God but to each other.

3. Please pray that potty training does not cause Alex and I to get so frustrated that we lose our minds. Also Nathanael is getting his first tooth in and he has been in so much pain that there are days we feel like we are going crazy with both of these things. Pray that we keep a level head at all times.

Thank you so much for everything you guys do for us. We treasure your friendship and we look forward to hearing updates on you and your family.

Benavides family

Monday, June 30, 2008

Corpus Christi

So it looks like we will be heading to Corpus in August. One of Alex's cousins is getting married on August 9th so we are more than likely going to be heading to Corpus for a little bit. I think the plan as of now is that Alex will take 2 weeks of leave and we will drive down there so he can spend time with his cousin before he gets married and then the week after he gets married go on a vacation with the Curiel family. That is the plan as of now but everything changes so much with us you never know. We will definitely keep you posted. Right now the dates we are looking at are August 4-17 but some of those days are driving days.

Block Party!

Well today on base (NASB - Naval Air Station Brunswick), we went to the annual neighborhood block party. This is a party that is open to the entire base and they give free food and have tons of things for kids to do. The party was from 11-4 but we only went for a little over 2 hours because Alex had to get back to work. We were sad because they canceled the carnival, funnel cakes, and cotton candy because they thought it was going to rain. It has been raining every day for the past week but usually the rain doesn't come until everyone is off from work and then it rains so you don't get to enjoy a day out. This morning we woke up and it was dark as usual so we debated if we should go or not but today is the day before payday and it is a free event with free food so how can you really pass up on that? I decided we were going to go anyway just for the free food. I am so bad I know.

Well we get there and the line was so long but thankfully we saw our neighbor and she was sitting at a table with her husband so Alex sat with them while I went to get the food and drinks. We ate and then we went to go stand in another line to build a car sponsored by Home Depot but they were shutting down so they let us take some free things to build at home so know Alex and Isaiah and Nanael will have to build it at home. We were more excited at that anyway because that is a neater bonding experience then having a stranger help you. After that Isaiah and his buddy Nathaniel from across the street stood in line to dunk people in the dunking booth. They never made it to the front of the line but Isaiah laughed and giggled to see the people fall in the water. Isaiah danced so much to all the music the DJ played. We had so much fun just watching the kids have fun. Nathanael and I sat under a huge plane to be in the shade and Nathanael just had fun crawling around in grass. We ended our little fun day with getting ice cream and walking Alex back to work.

Now we are at home and the kids were so hot that I changed diapers and let them cool down a bit and now they are enjoying nap time. I think I am enjoying nap time more but that is ok. We all need a break sometime, right?

Friday, June 27, 2008

Exciting!!!

Isaiah has been able to count to five perfectly but recently we started counting to ten and he gets eight, nine and ten perfect but struggles with six and seven. We figure it is because of the letter "s". For some reason he struggles with words that start with "s". Anyways yesterday at lunch we were eating corndogs and Alex cut his corndog up in little pieces and he started counting the pieces and he finally said six. We were so excited. He attempted to say seven but that didn't come out the way it should have. :)

This week Nathanael started taking steps as he pushed his little hippo push toy. I was excited to see it a few days ago but he did it for Alex last night and we were so excited. He turned 11 months old yesterday and we just can't believe it. Yesterday he woke up and he looked like a little man who is getting big. In a way it makes me sad.

Well that is just little things that made us excited this week.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Jan - May Updates

I am sorry for not posting anything lately. We have been so busy with everything up here that I have literally not had time to be on a computer. We have had so many things that have happened this past year so let me just highlight a few of the things that have happened in the year. January -- We had tons of snow. Nathanael turned 6 months old and Isaiah continues to learn on a daily basis. February -- Still more snow and we decided that I should begin doing the bookkeeping for Birchtree. Nathanael also started scooting/crawling. March -- Still snowing in Maine during this month. I finished with my Bachelor's degree the first weekend of March and I am relieved to be done with that. We celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary this month by going out to eat as a family. We can't wait to be closer to home so we can enjoy the luxury of being home to visit so we can go out on dates...haha. We also celebrated Easter during this month which made our anniversary all the more special since we were married the day before Easter in 2005. We celebrated by having friends over for a barbeque. Alex cooked the meat outside and we hid Easter eggs on top of the snow that was still outside. It was very cold. I stayed inside that day for most of the day. The only time I went outside was to crack a cascarone on Alex's and Isaiah's head. April -- This month consisted of a few more snowfalls and then by the end of the month we went through "mud season". We managed to squeeze a few good days out of the month and took the kids out for walks on the path and even made it to a circus. The kids had so much fun. May -- The month of May has been by far our busiest month so far. I walked the stage for my Bachelors degree in Accounting and Alex received his Associates degree in Business Administration. To say the least it was a wonderful experience and we got to share it with our families. Both of our parents and my brother and sister made it up here for graduation. We also got to spend Mother's Day with our mothers. It was so special. We were sad to see them leave. As soon as they left though my hands got even busier when Nathanael learned to crawl up the stairs completely. He finally got the hang of crawling on all fours instead of scooting like an army recruit. For Memorial Day weekend we went on our first Benavides camping trip. The kids enjoyed checking out the tent and had fun on our nature trails. So that is pretty much the update on our family for the year 2008. I will try my hardest to be better about posting updates and just posting on a regular basis. I hope you all have a great day and I hope you enjoyed the photos.
Aleida

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Hello everyone...we decided to have a blog in order to update everyone on our lives. As most of you know Alex and I are living in Maine right now with our two handsome boys Isaiah and Nathanael. We are currently waiting for new orders so if you can keep us in your prayers as we seek His direction that would great. Other than that we are trying to stay strong in our walk as we encounter trials in our lives. Our children have blessed us beyond measure and help us remember that we don't have much to complain about.