It comes so naturally to my children.  The search for wisdom, and understanding.  The investigation of life and it’s mysteries.  The seeking of God.  Their abundant questions that show up like pop quizzes throughout our days are the evidence of their search and the opportunity to support it and allow their curiosity to grow. When …

The controller is in his hands.  He moves it.  He presses buttons.  He has concentration written all over his face.  But it’s his older brother who’s moving the car on the screen.  Chico, as convincing as he is, is not playing.  His controller is not connected. Are we connected?  Are we connected to the author …

Chico’s in a “helper” stage.  He wants to help with everything.  He’s gotten really good at helping with dishes.  As soon as he sees me open the dishwasher he runs to clear the table and hand me the detergent.  I love it when he helps me with things like that. What I don’t love is …

Leaning against our family’s van I put my feet up on the old country fence.  Looking down I thought to myself, this would make a cute self-portrait.  So I pull out the iPhone and as soon as I do my little Chico scoots his way closer to me.  After several failed attempts to get a …

Grande brought home a pocketful of little foam hearts for me from Vacation Bible School one day.  Be still my mommy heart!  All that love pouring out of a five year olds little pocket. I love those hearts. I see them often.  I collect them in a glass jar over the kitchen sink.  When nearly …

My sweet little Chico has a new habit.  He brings me my slippers.  It’s so sweet and his little face seems to say, “Here Mami, put these on.  Get comfortable.  I want you around.  And I know you won’t leave if you’ve got your slippers on.” For him home is where I am.  And he …

Someone’s crying.  My ear tunes in.  The three boys are in their room and I’m on the other side of the house.  But I know.  It’s Mediano. That’s how things go when we are at home.  When it’s just us.  But here’s a little mom confession for you.  Things are VERY different when we are …

Someone’s crying.  My ear tunes in.  The three boys are in their room and I’m on the other side of the house.  But I know.  It’s Mediano. I know it, because I’ve heard that cry before.  I am familiar with that voice.  I hear it every day.  All day.  I know his cry.  And I …

My boys love pancakes.  On any given morning if you ask them what they want to eat they will answer pancakes and chocolate milk.  They love them not only because they are yummy, but because making them is a process and it’s a process they participate in. Normally Grande and Mediano will take turns pouring …

They move along.  Placing one foot in front of the other, step by step down the cold empty hallways, up the elevator, around the corner.  Small feet hurry along.  To places I wish they never had to enter. A small room.  A bed.  And their Abuelita so happy to see them.  Happy to be alive. …

I have a headache.  I’m hungry.  I’m tired.  The sun is to bright.  The wind holds a chill.  And the boys are longing to run free.  To head to the park and to play with me. So we pick up chinese and head for the park.  And I sigh as they call me to come …

Pad thai.  No tofu. Extra lime.  Yummmmmm.  It’s one of my favorite foods, but when we eat out with the boys I end up bringing most of my food home to eat.  Between feeding them, getting drinks, answering 101 questions posed by Grande’s curious nature and keeping them in their seats there’s not much time …

So often as we walk the path of faith it seems as if we are entering the wilderness.  We are unable to see where our next steps will take us let alone our destination.  To know that God has a plan for your family without knowing the specifics and walking in obedience is a difficult …

A red motorcycle parked right next to our van!  And it was on Josiah’s side.  You should have seen his eyes light up when the side door slid open and he saw it.  He wanted to touch it.  He wanted a picture with it.  In all honesty he wanted to climb onto it. While his …

I tied them together.  I thought they would play tug of war, but they just didn’t understand why they would pull against each other.  After all they are cousins and friends.  Why would they compete when they would rather work together.  So they invented their own game, shaking the rope while Grande jumped over it. …

I tried a recipe.  It was full of promise.  Delicious, healthy chocolate icing it said.  Easy to make.  Four ingredients.  Two steps.  When it was ready it looked fabulous.  It smelled heavenly.  So I dipped my finger in and gave it a taste.  It was awful! How could something so appealing be so bad?  I …

“Are we going to our mall or to a new mall,” asked Grande. “We are going to our mall,” I answered. “Yeah!!!  I like our mall.  There’s lots of books!” “Oh, you want to go to the bookstore?” “Yes!” And I smile and sigh contentedly about how my son is so smart that he readily …

The competition was fierce.  Grande and Mediano were teamed up and ready to go.  Markers in hands and excitement on their faces.  They attacked that blank poster board and turned it into a masterpiece.  Don’t you see it? The instructions were to draw a character from Sesame Street, but my boys like to blaze their …

The shell cracked and broke open.  The egg’s contents were poured into the pan.  Passed over the flame and transformed completely.  It became something more palatable.  And what I had previously admired for it’s smooth flawless appearance was made better and some could argue more beautiful in the breaking. Much like someone I know who’s …

We went to Chuck E Cheese last week with some friends.  In the play area there was this cute little school bus with three windows.  As soon as I saw it I thought it would be perfect for a picture of my three boys.  And I tried the entire time to get a picture of …

We went to walk along a stream in the middle of a shopping center on Sunday.  My boys have been very interested in streams lately.  We’ve been practicing the Spanish word for stream (arroyo) quite a bit lately although when they say it it comes out as “a yo-yo.”  Grande’s just beginning to roll his …

There’s my boy.  Grande.  Big toy gun in hand.  Shooting imaginary dinosaurs.  That’s my boy.  Courageous.  Confident and brave.  He knows his aim won’t fail when it comes to those big T-Rexs, Triceratops, and Spinosauruses.  They don’t stand a chance.  He’s in position.  Standing high on a chair.  Observing from above.  Not missing a thing. …

The table was set.  The food prepared.  Extra chairs in place.  Ready.  Empty chairs waiting for us.  Waiting for family to gather. Empty. And gather we did.  We filled our plates.  Filled our cups.  We filled the chairs.  Gave thanks and filled our stomachs. Full The table was prepared.  The food was delicious.  There was …

I heard giggles.  Loud giggles.  I was curious, but almost didn’t want to know what they were doing since they were obviously playing well together.  But I just had to know what they were doing that was causing so much laughter.  So I decided to peek in and that’s what I saw.  Chico and Mediano …

We were all dressed and ready, in the car and on our way.  When Grande asked, “why are we going to church?”  I’m beginning to get used to these deep questions showing up randomly.  It must be his age, but they seem to come out of his mouth when I am least prepared to answer …

I took this picture a few weeks ago at a church my husband was invited to play keyboard at.  I love it so much.  It totally captures who my boys are.  Grande’s being a dinosaur (looks like a T-Rex to me, but it could also be some kind of raptor).  Mediano has a cape that …

My sons and I went to a baby shower on Saturday.  I’m not sure why, but I had been thinking it wasn’t until next week so when I opened the invitation to check I went through a little bit of a mental scramble as to what to bring as a gift.  I quickly found a …

My boys get dirty.  I’m not talking about cute little dirt smudges on the knees of their pants.  I mean DIRTY!  As in covered from head to toe.  As in they grab handfuls of actual dirt and pour it on their own heads.  They get dirty. So we wash faces, hands, and little bodies around …

Grande gave me a flower.  It’s blue.  It’s plastic.  It’s made out of some sort of construction toys.  It’s 100% BOY.  He made it for me.  He asked if I would keep it.  He wanted me to put it in my hair.  It was a gift.  Days later he still asks where I have my …

This is Chico reaching out for his Abuelita on her front porch.  I love the arch in his back, the stretch of his little arms, and his head thrown back in petition to be held.   He doesn’t hold back when he asks.  He doesn’t try to hide his need for her.  He’s not embarrassed …

My dad texted me a picture of some tortillas on his griddle.  It was obvious that they were store bought so I had to text him the picture above of what my mother-in-law was making from scratch.   If it was a competition to see who’s griddle had something yummier on it, I won.  He …

Iron Man crawled into bed with me a few mornings ago.  Not the real Iron Man (obviously) but a miniature version.  A sweet little 2 year old we affectionately call Mediano who often seems to believe that he is a superhero.  He holds out his little hands makes a noise and imagines he’s shooting things …

I took the boys to the park again this week.  For those of you who may be wondering no I did not torture Chico by pushing him in the swing again.  I did slide down the big twisty slide with him on my lap though, and he loved it.   I have to say that …

I’ve been sewing lots of ruffles lately.  Ruffles for me, ruffles for friends, ruffles for books, and ruffles for babies.  The thing about ruffles is that their’s beauty in the imperfections.  It seems that the messier they are the more beautiful the final product is.   It reminds me of some testimonies I’ve heard.  Testimonies …

The water rushes as small hands grasp the garden hose.  The land parched by months of drought soaks up the cool stream as it passes over the plants, grass, and trees.  In times like these patches of green mix with brown as the grass struggles to survive through the scorching hot days of a Texas …

Ingredients: 1 year old boy  plenty of sunshine warm weather park baby swing push Procedure: Gather all ingredients.  Insert boy into swing.  Push gently while smiling and exclaiming what fun it is to swing.  This should elicit giggles and happiness from boy. I had all the ingredients.  I followed the recipe.   Chico cried. What …

Chico’s up high.  Sitting high on the wall.  But how did he get up there being so small?  Did he jump, did he climb, did he suddenly grow?  Does he have superpowers?  Could he have his own show?  Can he fly, can he run, does he swing from the trees?  No, most of his time …

We took a walk around the block today while my mother in-law made dinner.  About half way around Chico stopped and sat down.     He was exhausted.  His tiny legs just couldn’t keep up with our big ones, and his few months of experience walking just doesn’t compare to the years his brothers and …

My father in-law has a lasso.  And he knows how to use it!  When the family gets together one of his grandchildren’s favorite games is to run around him and be lassoed.  It’s a game filled to the brim with laughter, smiles, and lots of “na na na na boo boo you can’t catch me’s.”  …

My husband and I have spent the past week talking, praying, planning, seeking, and revising our purpose and direction.  We’re taking tabs on where we are and where we know God wants us, on what we are doing and the work God has for us to do.  And sprinkled into all the reality that encompasses …