Grammi's House

The kids and I just returned from my moms. We had a good time, the kids got some spoiling from Grammi (I got some spoiling from Grammi). I also got a much needed break from the everyday... the laundry, floors, toys, fingerprints, taxi'n, bickering, cooking, going... going.. gone. That is how it seems, that I go till I'm gone. I become a mommy so consumed with everyday things, that I forget how much I love the important everyday things- the way my kids feel all cuddled up next to me, listening to them sing "cation bible school songs", Noah's imagination, Emilie's drawings, Josie's personality, a little hand in mine, sweet soft cheeks, and little people kisses.

Tuesday we went to Fairytale Town and to the Sacramento Zoo.
Grammi, Noah, Emilie, and Josie
Three adorable kiddos in the old woman's shoe
Noah hanging from the pirate ship
The girls and zebras show off their stripes
The only tarantula I'll go near
And, a little something fun for the adults too

Azores Part 4- A tour of the isla de Flores

On day 4 in Faja Grande my grandmother rented a van for the day to take us on a tour of the the island (or the isla de Flores).





All the lavender you see in this photograph is Hydrangeas. See how beautifully they climb the rock, the hillside, and frame the road around the isla de Flores.

The isla de Flores is about 30 miles around. It is lush with walls of hydrangeas, many waterfalls, caldedas (tops of volcanos, now filled with water and framed in hydrangeas). Farming and cattle land are divided by hydrangea or stone walls. The drive around the island was so beautiful that at many times I shouted at the driver to stop the car so I could jump out and take photos.
We stopped at a nursing home in one town to visit my grandfather's sister Tia Anna (we all refer to her as Tia Anina, Anina means little Anna). I met her 15yrs ago when she visited California. I was so fond of her then, as she was warm, friendly, and very pretty to me. She is the only one of my grandfather's siblings I have met. I was anxious to see her again. What a delight to find her to be just as I remembered her. Our visit was so quick. I sat close and hugged, and tried to soak up as much of her as I could. Tia Anina never married, and so she never had children, and before I left she said, "I never had a daughter, but if I had I'd want her to be you." Hmmmm- Belonging.

Next, stopped in the town of Santa Cruz, and had some pizza, did some shopping, and visited the beautiful jarden (garden pronounced jar deen). The jarden had animals, a park and a variety of beautiful flowers. At the jarden, we met a man named Moses who was visiting Flores from Oakdale Ca. As some of you know I am from Oakdale ("The Cowboy Capital of the World" and home of the Hershey factory- although my shpeel will soon have to change as the Hershey factory is moving to Mexico). It is crazy to be on the other side of the world and to meet people who are from your neck of the woods.


What a beautiful day. It was so generous of my grandmother to make this tour happen for us. She must have loved having 2 of her loves together at last, her isla de Flores and her grandaughters. Here grandma is with her sister Marianna at the Point of Mustarda.

Counting on His faithfulness

I have been thinking about turning my please to praise. I have wasted too much of my life saying "why," too much of my life saying "please take this from me." I am not saying it is wrong to have these conversations with God, we need to, he's daddy, so of course we're gonna tell him we are hurting, and of course we are going to ask him to put his band-aid on it and fix it. But what when He doesn't? He doesn't stop being God, and in those times I need all His Godness. I need His strength, truth, power, mercy, compassion, grace, love, tenderness, light, hope... This is what I know- He always works it out for good, He always has His hand in every situation, He is always for me, His love is immeasurable for me, I am His treasure, He delights in me, and even when I have been faithless He's always been faithful to me.

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Morning by morning I wake up to find
The power and comfort of God's hand in mine
Season by season I watch Him, amazed
In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me.

I can't remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain
I can't remember one single regret
In serving God only, and trusting His hand
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me.

This is my anthem, this is my song
The theme of the stories I've heard for so long
God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful, He's always been faithful
He's always been faithful to me.

By Sara Groves

It has been a very trying week. Trying physically, emotionally, spiritually. Nearly 6 months ago I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy. It was a hard decision to make, the thought of being 33 and having a hysterectomy was a lot to process. But the physical pain I was in from endometriosis was too much, and it was affecting every area of our lives. After surgery and recovery the physical symptoms were gone, however depression showed it's ugly face, and the fight was on. Thankfully, after a few months with counseling, and vitamins (Mannatech), I found myself to feel better than I had felt in years. I had forgotten that I could feel that good physically and emotionally.
In the past few weeks however some of the symptoms have returned.
I find myself sad, I just wanted to be done with that season.
This week I was diagnosed as having Interstitial Cystitis. Meaning the lining in the bladder is thin or no longer, causing severe pain. I will change my diet, and I have begun a new drug, Elmiron. I really dislike using medication to heal my body, I fear the side affects, but this seems like the only option.
The hardest thing about being in pain, is not feeling yourself, feeling as if you have been stolen away. I was just remembering that I like who I am ,and that I really like my husband and kids, I really like life,other people, and God. Being in pain makes me feel as if I am spinning, the little unimportant things set me off too easily. So, today I have sent the kids to a friends for the day (Michael has a wedding), there they will be free to be kids, and I will have fewer things to beat myself up over at the end of this day.
I try to find the good in this, I know that being in pain does make me more sensitive and compassionate to others who hurt. I have seen my own kids grow in mercy, compassion, kindness, and helpfulness. These are beautiful things to see in them, but it is hard, I want them to be carefree kids for as long as they can, but God knows better. I can only count on him for the shaping and molding of their lives in the circumstances of ours.
Need some covering.

A bit of creativity

I married into a family of very creative and handy people (see imperfect ). As a young boy, my husband and his siblings had the opportunity to work alongside their parents. Michael can usually figure out how to do most anything. The Jones family inspires me to think outside the box and to be creative. Here are a few things we have worked on this summer.
This is a buffet on long term loan to us from my sister-in-law Lindsey. Originally it was an antiqued mustardy yellow color, but we decide to paint it red. We added some inexpensive botanical prints on the wall behind it. Any suggestions on what color to paint the frames or how to jazz up the lamp?
More botanical prints above the piano (the frames came a grayish green color). The piano has an amazing story. When we built this house, pre sheet rock, we had some friends over for a graffiti night. We graffiti'd the house with scriptures, hymns, and praise songs. On this spot where the piano is, I wrote "Worship the Lord with gladness- home of our future piano" We did not have a piano at the time, could never afford one, but I had always wanted one, wanted to learn to play, and wanted my children to learn to play. 2 weeks after we moved into our home an acquaintance called, she said she had a piano that she needed to get rid of, she considered selling it, when I came to mind, and she said if I wanted it I could have it! Michael cleaned, stripped, and painted it. The piano tuner came and gave it some love'n too. This fall will begin mine and Noah's third year of lessons, Emilie's second, and Josie's first (with thanks to my mom for her $ help for lessons). The blessing of the piano makes me think about all the other words written on this house, and to have great expectations for all the ways God will use them to shape our lives.
The accent pillows on the couch were sown by me. Lindsey has been my sewing inspiration and teacher. My mother-in-law Cindy helped me with piping on the blue floral pillows.

I am a fan of anything Mary Englebright. You can see my very Mary kitchen above. after painting it 4x, I think I finally got the right color of green (I think). This week, after 2 1/2 years of living here, we finally added handles and knobs to the cabinets and drawers. The island was given to us by, you guessed it, Lindsey!

For the outdoors I got some inexpensive pots at Wal-Mart, painted them, and added them as accents in the yard. The hydrangea above bloomed just in time to welcome me home from the Azores!
This easle was from our old house in Bass Lake. The woman who lived there before us was a painter. Like many things, I have dragged it everywhere with us, waiting to find a home for it.
I finally decided to paint it, and to add a chalk board to it. Tucked in the corner of the yard, it is a welcome sign for guests, a place to write scripture or quotes, or a place for the kids to get creative too.

Azores- Part 3

I have been away and unable to blog, email, or function because our computer crashed! Thankfully all was saved, and Mac Daddy was able to fix and improve our computer.

Now where was I...


Day 3, in Faja Grande Flores- We woke to sweet bread, cha (tea) and eggs (fresh from the chicken). We then took a walk with our grandmother around Faja Grande. We saw the 2 houses she and my grandfather lived in, and the homes where my dad and aunts were born. We saw the terras (lands) my grandparents owned and worked. We saw the creek where my grandmother would do laundry. I have to say I had always felt a bit sorry for her having to do laundry for a large family in a creek, but this creek was surrounded by hydrangeas, with a waterfall in front of it, and the Atlantic Ocean at it's left. I wish my laundry room was that kind of escape, my Kenmore from Sears could never compare.
The highlight of our walk was getting a tour of my grandfather's childhood home. I am so thankful to my cousin Leonardo for taking me into each room, telling me of it's history, naming relatives in photographs, telling me more about my Teodosio family. I would have loved to have seen the little boy my grandfather was living, laughing, and playing in his home.


We had lunch at the restaurant at the point (where we met another cousin). Here you can see the rock that is the most western most point of Europe.









After lunch, Toni, Steve, Emilie and I went down to the ocean for a swim. Now I have to tell you I do not like water, I especially do not like water where there are fish and other fishy things. I am often a person who will not do something because of fear (silly fear), and I will later kick myself for not doing it. So here I am standing at the edge of this beautiful, clear, fishy (they were medium sized- aahhhh) Atlantic Ocean. The same ocean my grandfather so often told me he use to dive into and swim. And I did it, I dove in! It was wonderful. I bravely ventured out a little further, and enjoyed being in the waters that once held my grandfather. I wonder if from heaven's window he saw and delighted in me.


In the evening we took a walk up to the Poco de Bacalau (The Pond of Bacalau- a type of fish). A hydrangea path ushered us up a shallow river, past an old mill, and to a pond that was being fed by a beautiful waterfall, with hydrangea walls along side it all. All you can do is sit and take it in. It was breathtaking. Emilie really enjoyed her new friend Marcia (pronounced mar see uh) who joined us for the walk. Emilie does not speak Portuguese and Marcia does not speak English, but the two of them played as if they were old friends.















What a wonder filled day. What a blessing to walk in the steps of my grandfather, to swim in his pool, to absorb the beauty of his home Faja Grande. To better understand the man who is my first love here on earth, and the only man worthy to be my father, the man who walked me to and from school when I was little, the man to pray at my bed side, the man who's face always lit up when I walked in the door, the man who delighted in me, the man to walk me down the isle on my wedding day, the man who was so pleased with my husband when he visited our home and saw how I was treasured, the man who looked at his great grandchildren with joy and tears, who made me stand a little taller because I knew he was proud. Alzheimers and age slowly took him away until God took him home. I miss him everyday, but I rejoice because he is now made new- walking, swimming, absorbing the beauty of God, and His "better than life love."