The Bike Ride

This is our precious church.

Home Sweet Home

We live in Lancaster, CA. It's an hour north of L.A.  We live 7 miles outside of town on the property of our church.  We're surrounded by alfalfa fields.   
This is the view looking East.  (Moses on the bike with one of the kids.)
This is the view looking South.
This is the view looking West.  The church is actually just west of our house but I walked North a bit.
A sunset from the front of our church.

Ballerina Eden... with tap shoes

Here I actually think she may have been doing the hula.  Grandma learned in Hawaii and taught her.  



This Fall Eden is taking a combo Ballet and Tap Dance class.  SHE LOVES IT. (understatement).  In August I found this leotard at a Thrift Store for $1.99.  Later at home as I examined it I realized it was 1)Brand new (tags inside) and 2)A fancy shmancy Dance brand.  I looked the leotard up online and found that Eden has a $25 leotard that the Lord provided for $1.99.  Thank you God!

Sweet Silas is One

October 1st we celebrated Silas Piper's first birthday.  He is a very sweet and happy boy.  He laughs easily and loves his sibling.   He's walking and trying to talk, favorite words being "All done." and "Uh Oh."
"Are they really going to let me get close to that glowing thing?"

Enjoying an earful of birthday cake.
Has anyone else had a child who likes to use his foot to help hold his drink?
The morning of his 1st birthday Moses buzzed his head.  This is the before picture.  It was actually his 4th haircut since birth, but just for fun we did it on his birthday.

Achy Breaky Heart

This is Malachi dancing to "Achy Breaky Heart".  No kidding.  In his favorite firetruck jammies no less.  He got the boots as an early birthday present from Grandpa and Grandma and they hardly leave his feet.  Sometimes (often) they are the only thing on him.  

We have this silly kids video from the early '90s with a kids rendition of "Achy Breaky" and he loves it.  The other day at church two visiting girls had boots on and he yelled at full volume, "Mommy, can they dance the 'Achy Breaky' with me?"

Out of the Woods

After weeks of nausea and vomiting I am starting to feel a little better.  Now I'm just exhausted and spitting.  (With all 4 pregnancies I have had ptyalism.  It's overactive saliva glands so my mouth waters all day and I have to spit out the extra saliva.  Makes me feel real lady-like... pp-too-ee.)

Thank you for praying for us and for the encouragement.  This round of morning sickness has definitely been the most severe I have endured.  I would probably think I was pretty sick right now if is wasn't such an improvement over a month ago.  Please continue to pray for a safe pregnancy.

Pregnant

I can't imagine that anyone is looking at my blog who hasn't already heard through some other means, but just in case, we are pregnant again!  With #4.  The part of the story that is somewhat unknown is that this was/is totally unplanned by the Estradas.  This is completely a "God's idea" baby.  I took 7 positive tests before Moses and I would believe it (especially Moses).  Now we, of course, are thrilled and already talking about having 4 kiddos like if he/she is here.

Morning sickness.  Why is it called that? I actually don't know anyone who only had it in the morning.  It has been BAD.  Especially at night.  Our precious Church Family has stepped in and helped with cooking, cleaning, laundry, child care.  I don't know how I would be doing it without them.  Please pray that we all would persevere during this hard time and honor Christ and that the "all-day" sickness would end soon.  My Mom comes Sunday... Praise the Lord.  Thank you for your joy and prayers.

Far to go...

So Ben, a little boy from our church, is here playing with Eden and Malachi.  3 kids+2 swings=conflict.  Malachi is whining about not getting a turn.  I remind him of the privilege of loving and serving his friend and sister.  

Ben hops off the swing and says, "Here Malachi you can swing.  I'll push you."  

I say, "Wow, Malachi, Ben is serving you.  What should you say?"  

Malachi, "Higher!"

Broken toe?

I may have broken my pinky toe on my right foot.  I'll never know for sure because I don't intend to go to the doctor, but each step reminds me how thankful I am that usually I function in a mostly pain-free capacity.  I know people who suffer daily from different medical conditions that cause almost constant pain to some degree.  What a precious reminder of heaven.  I know that the real joy of heaven will be being able to know, serve, worship, love Jesus in a sin-free capacity, but the end of pain will be a wonderful perk as well.  

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take  you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.  John 14:1-4

Malachi

Malachi has said some really funny stuff lately so I wanted to write it down before I forget.  

This morning at breakfast we were eating German sausage that my parents brought from Colorado because we can't find it here in California.  Eden prefers breakfast sausage or Italian sausage so she said, "Mommy, I don't want anymore of this German sausage.  I don't like it."  Malachi, not to be outdone, immediately says,  "Mommy my sausage has germs on it too!"

Moses brought home a bag of zucchini the other day (that's a story in and of itself).  My Mom had brought us some from CO and had baked several loaves of zucchini bread which my kids love fresh with butter.  

I said to Moses, "What am I going  to do with all this zucchini?"  Malachi, always listening says, "I want zucchini!!  Mommy, can I have some zucchini?"  I thought this was a very odd request, but I washed a small one and handed it to him.  If looks could kill.... he said, "That's NOT zucchini!"  "Yes it is Malachi."  "No it's not."  "Honey, I don't understand.  Tell me what you're talking about."  "Mommy you know.  The kind of zucchini with butter on it...."  

Needless to say I soon after baked more zucchini BREAD.  

Birthday Party Fun

These shots are from Aria Stavole's 3rd birthday party.  Stavole parties are always a hoot.  Lino and Nicoletta ooze with creativity and it shows.  The theme was like medieval/kings and queens/knights/castles... Fun was had by all... 

Sedo and Tata

Moses' parents go by "Sedo and Tata" instead of "Grandpa and Grandma" (It's Arabic I believe).  They came over after church last Sunday for the afternoon and I was terrified by how high Sedo was tossing the kids, but needless to say they loved it.

Bubbles and "smoke"

My parents arrived fr0m Colorado yesterday bringing A LOT of frozen beef on dry ice.  (My uncles raise beef cows). There was dry ice left so we dumped it in the wading pool.  It was awesome!  It bubbled for 20 minutes.  The kids loved it.  

Kitten Pictures!

There are 3 yellow/orange ones, 3 gray and 2 black.  One of the black has orange speckles.  Mama moved them across the garage this morning probably because we were looking at them too much.  She seems really cool with me being around but if anyone else shows up she gets nervous.  She's eating a ton so hopefully will continue to be able to feed them all.

Kittens!

I haven't wanted to disturb them enough to take pictures yet, but Mama Kitty had 8 kittens in the garage this morning.  I got to watch the first 4 and then I thought she was done so I went back to the house.  About half an hour later I went to check on her and it was like she was waiting for me.  As soon as I got there she had 2 more.  I was so surprised and certain she was done.  Again I left for about a half an hour.  Upon my return she pushed out Lucky #7.  I rushed to the house to tell the family about this new Johnny-come-lately.... then low and behold when next I checked her there were 8!  Number 8 is actually the only one I didn't witness the birth of and had I not rushed off after 7, I probably could have seen him too.  We are so excited!  The kids are disappointed that they can't hold them, but love to look.

Mama Kitty

This is Mama Kitty.   We live in the church parsonage and she is the church cat.  She was pretty wild when we moved in last March, but 5 months of food and attention and I pretty much have her wrapped around my little finger.  She had kittens in March and there are 3 of them left around but they are very wild.  She is ready to pop with kittens again.   This time the goal is to catch and tame them... and find new homes!  We don't need a dozen church cats.  I put Mama in the garage every night to protect her from the bold coyotes who love to chase her around the yard, so hopefully the kittens will be born in the garage!  Then we can keep one... or two... or....

Who needs a water park?

Just some fun we were having one afternoon.  In the close-up of Malachi there is a big fly on the side of his head.  Eden was fearless.