things ahead

we've been thinking about a couple of things for a while, and finally we prayed about it and the decision has been made:

1. We are moving back to the English ward in Richmond where we live.

It will be still in the same stake, and we still want to join the spanish ward for activities and stuff, but we talked to our bishop and let him know he will have to find a new seminary teacher and a new relief society president.

to be honest, having this calling of such responsibility at a time in my life when i least expected it, has been a total blessing. it was something that i thought would have never been asked of me. but i've learned, like i did on my mission, that i can do so much more with God's help than what i could on my own.  my testimony of this work has grown ever more, and i've felt of God's love for me and His daughters in the kingdom.

a total blessing.

i've also learned some more about leadership.

good leaders don't make followers, they build leaders, and that has been my greatest challenge.

but certainly God is in every detail of His church. 

What a blessing to be a witness of this!

So we're going to make the most of this summer because we are making the move in September!

(this is exciting to me!! although i will miss the sisters, i am still excited because i love changes!!)

2. We're having a baby!!

The plan is to get pregnant before September because we want a baby next may-june next year!

evan will be graduated from his bachelors degree just before having the baby, so that he can help out for a little bit before he might have to leave for the summer for work, and he'll start law school with a brand new baby!!!! exciting!!!!!

evan jr is also getting baptized next summer, so if family members and friends want to come over they get to see the new baby and the baptism...clever! i know! anything to lure them to come!!!

3. isabel enters kindergarten!!!

We had the welcome to kindergarten session and of course she LOVED it!!!!

she is super excited!!

I can't believe it!

it will be the first time that i am without babe when they get in school! i am excited too!! :)

I have been looking at a translating course that i want to take, but it might not start in september, so i might do something else. we'll see... but i am excited! 

it will be my belly and i.

i can't wait.

my parents

This is my parents on their wedding day.

34 years ago.

I miss them.

I talked to my mom on mother's day.

I told her it was time for me to have another baby. I know she worries about me, so I didn't  know what her reaction would be like. But I wanted her to know that being a mother, that bringing up God's children is my most important role... and I love it!

I was talking to my dad and I told them two things about carmen and evan that happened and melted my heart:

We had some friends over to have a lesson with the missionaries. The kids were playing outside and carmen would walk inside every once in a while.

One of those times she asked me to translate: Let your testimony grow into Spanish.

well, I did, and didn't think much of it.

But when this couple was leaving, she brought them a card she had made for them.

This is it:

(Let your testimony grow)

(Read the Scriptures and you'll feel happy.
Ask Jesus and He will answer you)

Isn't she amazing????

She amazes me!!

And the other anecdote was about Evan,

we were at some friends house, and the 19 years old daughter was leaving to a b-day party and evan wanted to go with her. She told him it was not a children's party. So evan asked her how old her friends was turning. so she said: She's turning 19. and Evan said: So she can go on a mission now!!!

Can you now see why I say I have the best kids in the universe!!!????!!!!!

When I shared this with my dad, I told him those are the things I experience with my kids. That's my everyday life. The way they fill my life with inexplicable joy!

To what he responded: "And you deserve it, my daughter... you deserve it".

He talks to Carmen for a few moments and he cries. Amazed at her incredible soul.

He talks to Evan and he uses his time to teach him about being a good man, a man of God.

He talks to Isabel and he becomes a little boy again, playful and full of love.

It just breaks my heart to be so far away from them.

I have the best parents in the world.

I am so lucky I can't believe it.

 It's been 4 years I haven't seen my mother.

4 years since I was in Spain the last time.

That's hard.

Really hard.

How grateful I am to know that we have eternity to be together and grow closer and closer as a family.

Although apart, and missing he everyday life....we'll still be a family. with all the time in the world to enjoy of each other.

That's what I'm holding on to.

That's my faith. That's my source if strength.

ch-ch-ch-ch-change

i've enjoyed my virgin hair for a while now... but that's it!

i said i was going to wait to have grey hair till i dyed my hair again, but enough is enough...

so this is what my hair is going to look like in a few days!!!!!

crazy???

crazy goood!!!

boy... i am excited!!

Look at the bright side....

well, Evan finished school with straight A's.

one more year and then LAW SCHOOL!!

he's not just handsome... he's so smart! he doesn't only have the looks... he has the brains.

i always knew it ;)

so now I have him home all for myself... well, I share him with his love for music, since he spends a lot of time in the garage, working on recordings, etc.

something else that's exciting is that the sun is coming out!! 

the joy of summer!!

the joy of sunshine!!

i love the sun!!

as much as i tried to raise money to go to spain, i won't be able to go.

the good thing is that my mom doesn't have cancer....phewwwwww!

so we are not in such of a rush to be with her, although i miss her.... i miss her terribly... i miss her badly and wished i could go. but i'll just have to wait.

we prayed so much for work, but evan hasn't been called to work just yet, so things are going to suck this summer if he doesn't get any work. 

but i did get a small job.

we 're praying and i was giving thanks for the job and the kids got all excited and asked me what i was going to do for work... i said: I'm cleaning! but they weren't so excited, it was disappointing! i guess they expected to be a more glamorous job. but it pays really good, just one hour a day, done right in time to get the kids from school and spend the rest of the day with them.

in spain we have a saying: "no se me caen los anillos por limpiar". that's like i don't have any problem doing dirty work, it doesn't lower my class. people might think that their job defines them.

not me.

what defines me is how well i do it.

and i am a darn good cleaner :)

 i also got another piano student and got some day care lined p for the summer.

so i'm very blessed.