• Lessons

    My promise of “Yes and Amen”

    I can’t believe it is going to be over a year that I had been meaning to share about this. It’s been a while since I wrote last, but lately this promise has been really on my mind, you’ll find out later. I am continually amazed at how God sometimes gives us a glimpse of something and we don’t even realized it in those moments. It happened in the last days I was in Israel when my sabbatical was coming to an end. I went again to the Christian cemetery for the last time. When I got there I was met by a few people I had got to know in…

  • Lessons

    Springing forward

    I am not a runner, not even by the most loose interpretation of that, but if the last 12 months were compared to something it could have been a marathon.  We recently celebrated our first-year anniversary as a family.  As I ponder on what has transpire, can’t help but feel so much has gone on but at the same time get the feeling much is yet to be accomplished.  I am tempted to think we have not advanced to become more like a family and in part to blame myself for not doing better.  But I stop and consider God.  If He had not been with me all along NOTHING…

  • Lessons

    Letting Go of Practicality

    During this winter break, my daughter expressed her need to start looking into what she would study after graduating this spring as well as learning to drive.  I began praying and asking God how to lead her in making a decision.  Originally, she had been wanting to study music but I, a practical person, encouraged her to study another field then afterwards do music.  I just wanted her to have something to fall back on if needed.  Well, as we prayed and got ready to discuss different careers, God started moving in my heart and changing my perspective. On our first evening we were to talk about this, we read…

  • Life

    Thinking back on 2021

     The year has come to an end, and as always it makes us look back and ponder about what transpired throughout the year we leave behind.  I am at a loss as to where to start.  I am in awe of God’s faithfulness and sovereignty.  There were many firsts this year for me and more so for my children.  Who could have thought that we would be where we are today?!  Only God can turn our lives upside down and then right again.  I find myself sometimes in disbelief that I am now a mom.  We get so caught up with daily stuff that sometimes we forget to acknowledge major…

  • Life

    Our first Vacation as a Family

    This summer we had the opportunity to be able to take a vacation. In one of our most recent adoptions at the Ranch, I found out that in Mexico adoptive parents also get a maternity leave. I had been wanting to take some time off and spend more than a couple of days with my dad and brother, so this was an answer to my prayer. After school finished, we went to Chihuahua City, my hometown, to stay with my dad and brother. A couple of days later, we had the priveledge to join the Ranch kids and some of the staff on their vacation to Creel. I’m so grateful…

  • Life

    A Farewell to little E

    I realize the title kind of gives it all away. And there is probably so many other things I could write about. Yet, I cannot and feel I must write my Little E a mermoir. So forgive me for being redundant and using this as part of my mourning process. For those of you new to my blog, little E was a baby girl whom I had the priveledge of caring for a few months. (Feel free to check out the following blog about our life together, God’s interruptions). I had just been here for about 2/3 months when we begun having an influx of babies. Therefore, I volunteered to…

  • Life

    Caring and learning to be cared for

    As I mentioned in my previous post, after being discharged from the hospital we stopped at the pharmacy to get some medication. I had become nauseas and vomited. Thankfully, I was able to make the 45 minute trip back home with only one more incident. Grateful that God gave me the sense to stop drinking water, which I found later was probably what caused the nausea. My kids were waiting for me and were quick to send me to bed to rest. I was moved by their care. The first week, as I was bed ridden, they were constantly telling me not to get up or do anything. The first…

  • Life

    My First Surgery Experience

    Some of you might know that last year in April, while we were in quarantine, I had a thrombosis on my left leg. I didn’t know what that was, much less that it had happened to me. All I knew is that one morning there was a huge black bruise on my leg. It is not uncommon for me to forget if I hit myself somewhere and later see the bruise, so I figured I must have hit myself somewhere. Unlike any other bruise, this one hurt much more, and it was painful to even walk. Even just feeling the clothes caress it hurt. Unfortunately, I don’t tend to fret…

  • Lessons

    The gift of the French Press

    A couple of months ago, when I finally knew the adoption was moving forward, I began getting a few things we would need once the kids moved in. One of the greatest lessons we can learn and experience in our walk with God is His Sovereignty. Be warned that I will constantly be mentioning it. It seems to be one of those attributes we KNOW yet easily forget when faced with challenges or uncertainties. Not that I was lacking anything for by God’s sovereignty and provision, I had all I needed. When it’s just you, you make do but now that that was changing there were a few things I…

  • Life

    A new trend in the making

    It’s been a few weeks now since my children have been home with me. I’m amazed that things have gone so smoothly, and it feels like normal for us. There are obviously a couple of awkward moments, but they slide by pretty quick. Even though it is a huge change for us, by God’s grace, we are adapting well. I was humbled by all the good wishes of family and friends and so grateful for their continued prayers. As is normal here at the Ranch, life keeps changing on us. At least in the inflow and outflow of children. Although for the last couple of months, it’s been more of…