hello??

i don't think i had ever been away from my blog for this long.

everything has been so busy lately and unfortunately, blogging got the short end of the stick.

there has been so much going on lately, all good.

God is good. always.

how could i have lived so long not believing that.

well, to be honest, believing that for others, but not for me.

do any of you struggle with that feeling of not being worthy?

of not deserving his amazing love and grace?

that miracles are for others who believe but not for you, 

and not for a girl like me?

that's what i believed. 

i did. it is not a good feeling.

through prayer, fellowship with good friends who love God, prayer warriors,

women of faith all placed in my path by God 

because of them i can freely embrace my identity in christ.

i know what the word says about me. 

i will no longer fall prey to the lies i once believed, 

as long as i keep reaching out to the one who holds me in his hand.

i am no longer who i used to be a year ago...

god has been working in my life chiseling, refining me, to be who he has called me to be.

i am like a flower...it's my time to bloom.

i am like a caterpillar undergoing metamorphosis in it's cocoon,

ready to soon burst open and enjoy my new wings...a new creation in Christ.

only Christ has the power to work miracles in your life.

do you believe that?
believe with all your heart

"For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified..."
Romans 10:10

thank you for visiting and stopping by

it's the little things

 i finally was able to get to styling {fixing, cleaning, organizing, de-cluttering} my bookcases.

i don't know what it was but every time i tried, i just wasn't feelin it.

 after putting away all the christmas decorations hubby and i cleared the shelves.

this gave us a clean slate to start with.

he set up my small camera collection that i plan on adding to.

i am slowly working on adding more vintage items to my decor.

 

i also found this adorable flying piggie at home goods, it was black but hubby spray painted it for me.

i love it,  it reminds me to dream big. i have always liked pigs, and animals for that matter.

as you can see evidence of that with the menagerie of animals in my bookcases and around the house.

 

this new kitchen towel just makes me happy.

it is colorful and goes perfect in my kitchen.

i just enjoy sprucing up my little home.

there is something about january that makes you want to clean and start fresh.

it's the promise of a new beginning, a new opportunity to make your mark,

to set things right, to start anew.

i am looking forward to this new year.

i am looking forward to the amazing things god has in store.

things one can't even imagine but he has them all planned out for us

ready to pour his amazing and never ending love on us.

what are you trusting god for this new year?

have you thought about it?

where's the christmas spirit gone?

image via

am i the only one having trouble getting into the christmas spirit this year?
i have been asking myself this question what seems to be all of december.

i just started my shopping and thankfully so, i am almost done.

i just can't stand crowded malls any time of the year.

 ever since i went on a no shopping spree

my attitude about buying has changed..i am not cured of all the commercialism,

believe me, there is way more work to do in that area.

of course there are things that i would love to have like this, and this,
and i could always use a new one of these

but really, when is enough, really enough?

i can't answer this question, i am a work in progress.

maybe that is why i have had a hard time this year,

i have not really decorated my home other than a tree

{that is missing the bow on top, hubby reminded me}

and a few other decorations. who am i ?

all i know is that i am changing, God is doing work in my heart, i know that.

he is showing me areas that need him in my heart.

all i know is that i need more of him, less of me, and less stuff.

i may even be brave enough to read this book.

it has been a while since i posted.
 i thank you for staying and reading my blog.

my sweet boy

 i was playing again with photoshop and my camera tonight.

and just because, i wanted to share this picture of my sweet boy.

i love the vintage feel of this image.

he reminds me so much of his daddy.

it is my hope when taking pictures of my children that i can capture every essence of them so that as they grow, and they grow way too fast, that i will not forget what they were like at that age.

 that when they grow, i'll have these images to take me back in time 

and savor those memories of my sweet boys.

photography isn't just about images.

it is about evoking emotions every time you look at those images.

photography is about transporting you back to that moment

capturing precious memories.

on being creative

there is something to be said about the need to create.

 i had never really considered it until it was brought to my attention that i should take a class

for a creative outlet.

 at that time, i was {unhappily} working in a position that i had been doing for five years...

it drained the life out of me with monotonous work, no creativity whatsoever...

just lots of counting money and dealing with lots of nonsense...

not fun...i was not happy but the weirdest part was i didn't even know it.

i was drained and had no idea why.

i thank that person for pointing that out to me.

i consider myself a creative person and like to make things and work on projects.

i consider experimenting in the kitchen a creative outlet as well. 

i never had considered photography as a creative outlet until 

hubby bought me a fancy shmancy dslr camera. 

{gotta love the hubby}

i decided to take classes because i was afraid of my new camera 

and i didn't want to take it out of the box.

 i had no clue how to use it and was intimidated by it.

i never realized i would like photography this much.

i start to get antsy now if i don't use my camera after a couple of days.

i take way more pictures that often do not get published on this blog.

so now when i feel ansty, i know what i have to do,

c.r.e.a.t.e

like many of you, i have pinned lots of great projects onto my boards of things i'd like to make

the problem is when? have i actually made anything from my boards?

i am making a decision to create something..

to work on my projects and not neglect that part of me...

i get so much joy out of it, it feeds my soul.

i need to create more often.

so that is it. i am resolving to be more creative... to not wait until the conditions are perfect

until i have all the time in the world or my dishes and laundry are done.

that hasn't been working out for me.

i need to c.r.e.a.t.e on a regular basis.

so here are a few projects on my pinterest board that are waiting for me...

i love this pillow in burlap.

i want to create a gallery wall in my hallway

or this to paint, isn't it cute?

time to get started.

 all images via

figs

i have been loving figs as an afternoon snack, for breakfast, or really for anytime of the day.

figs have just enough sweetness to quench my craving for a little something sweet.
figs are a good source of potassium, calcium, and dietary fiber.
there are many health benefits to eating figs. 

my grandma used to love figs. 

now every time i eat figs it reminds me of my nanita.

..............

school is back in force and this week was my first week with a couple of days off.

my body is still recouping from working a whole week :)

this job share has spoiled me, but i love it.

i can't imagine ever going back to working full-time.

i am ever so grateful to god and my hubby for giving me this opportunity.

wishing you a great week ahead.

randomness

is  randomness even a word?

so today i thought i would share with you my breakfast.

this week was a 3-day off week, can you see my big smile as i type this,

i thought not but trust me it's there.

i love 3 days off!

mornings are pretty busy and i don't get a chance to eat breakfast 

until i come home from dropping the boys off at school.

this is what i ate, the whole (almost empty) bag of my absolutely new favorite, Tapatio Doritos.

if you haven't tried them you gotta! 

but i must warn you, if you do not eat chile, these are not for you.

and as if to compensate, i had two hardboiled eggs for the protein, ha.

my mouth is salivating thinking about the Doritos, they taste even more delish with lemon. 

hey what can i say, i am mexican, i think everything tastes better with lemon.

the great thing is that doritos are (i think) gluten free. 

i am trying to stay away from that stuff although it is a challenge because i love to bake.

after finishing off my healthy delicious breakfast, i proceeded to finish reading my bible entry for today.

 this is my first time reading the one year bible, i am in the book of Samuel.

it is good, i am on the part where Saul is trying to kill david 

but the Lord is protecting David.. good stuff i tell ya.

 and my weekday companion was doing this.

who can blame him. i am thankful for this time i get to spend with him. 

as always God knows exactly what i need and at precisely the right moment.

wishing you a week full of joy,

thanks for visiting.

new chucks

number 2 has been asking for new chucks. he loves them and will wear them out.

new shoes as a kid were so exciting.

i would even wear my new shoes out of the shoe store if my mom would let me.

it has been very difficult bloggin' these past few weeks

i just feel sadness when i see my blog and pictures of my charlie.

we miss him so much.

i love this picture with max's paws in the background.

there is so much going on and lots to share but when i sit down to write

i become overwhelmed with sadness.

i miss the little pitter patter of his paws on the wood floors as he ran in to the house.

i miss the kisses and attention he would give me when i would go into the backyard.

i miss the popping sound he would make when he played with his favorite green ball.

i just miss my charlie.

one thing that all this has reminded me of is to remember to live in the present,

enjoy the moment you have now

because as much as we fret over the future

we don't know if there will be a tomorrow.

wishing you a great weekend.

on spring {nap} break

caught this guy napping on what seems to be his new cozy place.

the boys and i are on spring break this week.

hubby went back to work :(

number two had a minor surgery today.

 when we got home, we all took a nap including the doggies.

i haven't much energy for anything else today but maybe this quick post.

i am just grateful to God that overall my boys are very healthy.

i pray for parents of sick children who have to endure the suffering 

and even sometimes the loss of a child.

God bless you and yours and may he keep you young and healthy.

want smore?

as number one said today "best day ever mom, i will never forget it" 

and number two affirmed his statement.

this is why

 they asked for something sweet and took out all the ingredients.

smores with ghiradelli chocolate caramel, looked delish!

but unfortunately, i did not have any.

{i type this as my mouth is watering looking at this yumminess}

i'd love to tell you that i roasted the marshmallows in the backyard fire pit, but i'd be lying to you.

we don't have a fire pit, but i used the next best thing, my viking stove.

best day ever, really? that simple?

sometimes it's the little things that mean the most.

best boys ever, i would say :)

saturday

this is how i started my morning.

we have report cards due soon.

i am still going strong on my regenerate commitment and have lost some poundage already

woohoo {i am not doing it for weight loss, but definitely a perk}

i had this yummy concoction of plain chobani (greek) yogurt with granola,
raspberries, and blackberries for breakfast.

i am loving blackberries lately.

hoping to finish soon so i can enjoy the beautiful weather we are having.

wishing you an aWeSoMe weekend!

40 days of gratitude

 this wednesday, our church embarked on a total spiritual transformation

Regenerate

it a similar to the catholic lent tradition where you give something up for the forty days before resurrection.

Last year i did it. it was very powerful and life changing.

it truly prepared me for god's blessings. at the time, i was not aware of what God's plan was for me 

but now i have witnessed his promises and faithfulness in my life. 

last year almost to the day in my daily time with God i wrote this in my journal:

acts 14:22

strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true the faith.

"We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God"

 i prayed that god would give me discernment to figure out whether or not to leave my position, whether or not to take a leap of faith and scale down.

i also prayed for contentment in the midst of attacks and complete chaos.

...at that time, i worked for someone who brought negative energy and ugliness to a once peaceful, joyful work environment.

i was unhappy and was made to feel like that was no longer my place.

at the end of the school year God in his divine purpose and plan rescued me...

through my forty day journey to seek him he showed me things that i needed to work on to strengthen my walk....he told me that things and stuff were not going to make me happy...

so i gave up shopping during regenerate.....

because of this decision i was able to pay off unnecessary credit card debt and save money.
{preparing me to receive his blessing}

at the end of the school year God took me in his hands and gave me a new assignment...

i won't say that all was hunky dory...i was really hurt and was made to feel unwelcome, unwanted, and unworthy by my supervisor....
i was fearful to leave a job that provided a good income...
but most of all i was scared at first to trust and follow Him.

i was faced with the decision to leave my former assignment and school after 13 years...

this was not easy...

but in the midst of all this hurt and pain...God heard my prayers, and my sister's prayers, and my friends prayers...

God knew my heart...

i had been seeking him and speaking to him about my hopes and dreams.

amongst all the pain, fear, wickedness
he blessed me with an opportunity to work part-time...


And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28


If God is for us, who can be against us?

now i see why things happened the way they did... God had a plan for me only i did not know it yet.

We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.

i thank god for this...i can truly say that i am happy working part-time.

i am still seeking God and asking for guidance.

i pray his will be done in my life and though i may not always know what his plans are for me 

i rest assured that

his plans are to prosper me and not to harm me,
 to give me hope and a future
jeremiah 29:11

this year, God has also been preparing us for his divine purpose.  I know it. I want to challenge you to join me on this total spiritual transformation. The purpose of Regenerate is like Lent in that you give something up, you "disrupt your business as usual routine with a purpose to seek, and deliberately pursue God". But unlike traditional lent, you are to ask yourself these questions:


What are you willing to give up?
What will you start up?
And how will you step up and attempt something for God?

if this is something that you are interested in doing here are some links for more information:

you can download the daily devotional here

things i am giving up:

one cup of coffee

sugar and sweets

white flour products

things i am starting up:

fasting (that's a big one for me cuz i likes to eat)

spending quality time with my boys

praying for the needs of others

40 days of gratitude

things i am stepping up to do:

praying for the needs of others

being more intentional with my boys in reading the bible.
encouraging others to seek God.
being the voice for justice and truth
helping others find their voice and stand up to injustice

So as part of my regenerate campaign, i decided to do a
40 days of gratitude on my blog.

I was inspired by other bloggers who are doing 365 days of gratitude.

 here are my first three days:

Day 1 February 29th

grateful for an awesome worship service to start Regenerate.

the band is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Paul Stephens is our worship leader.

Day 2 March 1st

my sister Rosa's birthday.

she is such an inspiration to me...

no matter how difficult life gets...she always has a great attitude

and isn't afraid to try new things.
she is brave!

Day 3 March 2nd

a day off to spend celebrating my boys!

they were both selected for student of the month for

self -discipline

number 2 read one fish two fish to his class.
both my boys are in a Dual Language Program where they are learning to be bilingual and biliterate
{in English and Spanish}

he is such a good reader and truly loves reading books.

number one with proud mama

he is such a hard worker and truly enjoys learning.

wow, i am ever so grateful to God for my boys and family!


have a great weekend, and thank you for visiting.
if you managed to read all of this thank you for listening to my journey of faith.


whatever you may do
Be AWeSoMe!

hello

i am loving the tulip lately, these were from valentine's day.

been a super busy week!

feel like it just flew by....

hubby has been down with a yucky bug

and i feel like i might have caught it too...

hoping to be back soon ...i have so much to share.

 about what God is doing in my life.

i am preparing for the start of Regenerate...

good stuff i tell you.

please come back and visit soon, i want to share :)

wishing you and yours a blessed week.

whatever you do BE AWeSoMe,

for you are fearfully and wonderfully made!

a week in pictures

my internet was down this weekend and i wasn't able to post or read my favorite blogs.

it is amazing how we have become so reliant on the internet.

given my circumstance, i had no other choice than to clean {notice the enthusiasm}

 and do other things {like read}...it was good.

but hubby came to the rescue, as he always does for me

{my knight in shining armor}

I was finally able to upload pictures on my new computer, which i am loving...

it is all for me, which i am feeling a bit guilty of, when the boys want to play with it, 

as moms we tend to do that, guilt comes with the mommy package, right?

now to figure out how to upload on to blogger from my mac...not so easy

there is a learning curve for me

there is so much i'd like to share with you but i will save the details in another blogpost

today i will share pictures of my week.

homemade pizza for valentine's day

pot de creme for dessert
which i think i made with too much coffee...but yummy nonetheless.

hubba hubby, setting up my new computer.
i tell ya, he's my knight!

wednesday's are my designated clean the bathroom day.

ever so grateful for easy meals to cook on my work nights.
orange chicken, fried rice, and soba noodles.
the boys enjoy it and all i have to do is heat it up, yay!

saturday i was able to catch up on my reading in my comfy spot.
hubby and i also were able to get a way for some much needed alone time'
a massage and dinner....

photo class practice, please excuse the slobbery window, charlie likes to give kisses through the glass

sunday, church which was awesome
and then i baked a funfetti cake for hubby and the boys.


today, i am catching up on my blogging,
trying out a new recipe
and working on my sewing...that i still have not finished.


i wish you a blessed week.
what are your plans this week?

whatever you do, BE AWeSOME!

happy valentines day

today was a great day.

 dropped the boys off at school

starbucks for breakfast

photography class (i am learning lots)

stop at IKEA for some frames

fresh and easy to buy supplies for dinner and flowers for my momma

wait in the parking lot to pick up boys

mom's house to deliver flowers

home to make dessert for tonight and homemade pizza

homework with boys

hubby gets home we have dinner

exchange cards and no gifts, that is our deal.

hubby walks out with a present for me

a brand new mac laptop!

what a surprise, he knew i wanted one

i was tired of sharing computer space with two boys and their legos.

he heard me complain.
he knows how to make me happy.

i love it that hubby spoils me and loves me.

i am such a lucky girl.

he is an amazing man, 

the love of my life.

today would have been a great day no matter what

but he just made it more special.

i apologize for no pictures, i will post them later as i have not uploaded any onto my new computer.

{i have to learn to use my mac, i was a pc girl before}

i hope that you had an amazing day, valentine's day or not.

image source

10 things i love

since tomorrow is valentine's day

 i thought it would be appropriate to blog about things that i love

this is pretty random and not in any order

1. my hubby

{yes, i know that is a given}

he is a family man. he loves us and is a great daddy.

he puts his family first, is a hard worker

he is a great role model for our boys.

2. my home

our home has been a labor of love. hubby has done most of the work himself.

we have been through 3 major renovations adding almost 1000 square feet to our little house.

the last of those being the kitchen remodel.

as for now, the lord has said we are to stay, which has blessed me with the opportunity to work part-time.

i have more than i ever dreamed of having, the lord is good!

3. my boys

look at those sweet faces, enough said.

i am blessed to be called their mother.

4. my family

my, cousin, my mom, my sister marisa, and me

God has blessed me with these amazing sister's

pictures from my sister Rosa's wedding

5. my beasts

Max and Charlie

6. cooking and sharing it with those i love

by the way i have created a yummy recipes page on the blog where you can find scrumptious inspiration for cooking, this page is a work in progress.

7. gardening

8. Jesus and reading my new one year bible

9. good friends

with whom i can share life with

10.crafting and decorating my home

i'm working on more curtains for my bathroom cabinet

pictures to come on my mini bathroom makeover.

 i'm sure if i had more time, this list would be extensive

and you might be bored or long gone...

thank you for staying.

making this list reminds me of what really matters and makes me have a thankful heart.

for at times when it doesn't seem like enough i know that i have plenty.

i am blessed
more than i could have imagined
more than i deserve.
but by grace i have all the desires of my heart.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

psalm 31:8

The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

psalm 31:10

thanks for visiting, what are you loving today?