Finally an UPdate!

Ok, so I know I am a lame blogger...I just don't keep up. Really it's because I'm working through my perfectionism. Seriously, I don't do it because I can't put the text and the pictures in the arrangement I want. Do I sound much like a whiny little kid? I think so...maybe it's time for some personal growth!

Rourke is HUGE! Really, he is a big dude. He is learning to ride his bike and is a gentle, loving big brother. He's a big help to me and I am so blessed by the way he really loves his sisters! Amazingly, you can't take the boy out of him. He has a good buddy, Jay, and every time they get together they immediately pull out the noodles and just wale on each other!

Lydia is all girl! She loves shoes, princess dresses, shoes, crowns, jewelery, and shoes. She is so sweet. She is a good little mommy too. Lydia is so nurturning toward her baby doll, she coos at her, tucks her into bed, comforts baby when she is sad, it's really cute. She also loves to play with Zinnia & Esther.

Francesca "Funny Face" keeps us on our toes. She is so silly, has the cutest little voice, and is a joy! She isn't really into anything particular except swinging. She could swing the entire day and the smile on her face is priceless, you can see that she is really enjoying herself. She is a pretty good playmate for both Rourke & Lydia as she happily jumps in on what they are doing.

Zinnia is hilarious! She loves to dance and has this speed crawl. For a long time she just dragged herself around like a butterfly stroke in the pool. She may very well be a fast swimmer! Now she does this half gallop where her body stays still, but her arms and legs are moving at the speed of light. She HATES getting her nose cleaned...which is a problem because it's always full. We are in love with her blonde hair & blue eyes, she is a charmer for sure!

Esther is well, sweet. She has a precious smile combined with her dark hair & big blue eyes she just melts you! She too likes to dance and is a fan of making noises & screaches. She was quick to learn a few signs and waves her whole body when she tells us, "all done." Today she copied me when I said, "uh oh." It was cute to hear her "talk." She is a good eater, really, really loves momma, and doesn't like to sleep. Both Esther & Zinnia are still pretty small, so it's fun to have babies that are still cradle & snuggle size!

Anthony is a gift to all of us. His love for Jesus propels our family toward things that are good, right & healthy. He is truly my best friend and my mate. He loves, encourages, & cares for me with intention and in all of the ways I need him. Just last week he surprised me with a candlelight dinner, complete with delicious wine, chocolate cake, and dancing. Our kids ADORE their dad. Zinnia especially is a little daddy's girl. He is an example of strength and integrity toward our son. He is a charming prince for our daughters and Lydia is so proud to tell everyone that she is daddy's princess. He is a really awesome horse and lion. He is a hard worker and provides for our family with integrity and God has blessed him in his job where he is respected and continues to succeed.

Over the last year he has spent many hours coaching (sort of a discipleship/mentorship relationship) other discipleship team leaders in our church and it has been a joy for him to spend time praying for and seeing these men grow as they together are striving to learn more about what it means to trust & follow Christ, love their wives & be dads that are winning the hearts of their kids. It has been mutually encouraging for him to build these relationships with men from our church who love Jesus! I am overwhelmed with gratitude for my husband!

I have heard this analogy that there is a season in life as a mother when you are in a submarine. Where from the surface it doesn't look like much is going on, but really, deep under the water there is an intense amount of activity. I am tempted to sit here and write about all the great parts of my life (and there are many), but that's just not completely honest. Daily life for me is not always easy and not always fun. I often find myself struggling to control the fit welling up within me and just striving to make the next right choice...because it is hard...of course it is, God has given me, along with Anthony, the privilege of shepherding 5 precious souls and they are young and needy.


I am learning what is actually restful for me, how to ask for help when I need it, and that for a season, life in a submarine is a good, right thing. I am learning that I can still absolutely love my friends if I don't get to really connect with them for weeks at a time. I am learning that a washcloth, awkwardly folded in the linen closet, is a gift from a 3 year old girl who wants to help. I am learning that I don't need to make every meal from scratch. I am learning that I love to teach my children, doing their little preschool lessons a few times a week is fun! I am learning to seek Jesus throughout my day. I am learning to forgo the household tasks and read a book, I've read 5 since the 4th of July & it has been so much fun! I am learning to scrape away and peel off protective fig leaves of pride and comparison and allow Christ to be my only...to give him the glory for his working in my life rather than cling to my own self-sufficiency and good ideas. I'm learning to fight against Satan's ploys to steal & destroy my view of who God is and what He says about me (and you too!). I'm learning that "having it all together" is lame and just puts so much pressure on me to perform and sometimes I fall apart and that's okay as long as I am falling into the ever open arms of Jesus.

I do love Jesus and have been recently refreshed in the amazing way he was fully man, able to sympathize with my weaknesses in every way; and amazed that he is also fully God, able to draw me to his throne of grace and mercy! I am not alone and when it is hard, that's okay because Jesus promises to help me! (Hebrews 4:15-16) I am thankful that Jesus laid down his life for my sins and there are no righteous, good, noble works I could ever do to earn that freedom from sin. It is such a relief to know that I don't have to worry about anyone's opinion of me, I don't have to live up any one else's standards for my life because the only measurement of my life that matters was already calculated at the cross. Thank you, Jesus for meeting all of my needs!

Here's a bunch of photos...8 months of photos. Enjoy them!! I did put captions on a lot of them, so it's sort of like blogging...right? Let me know if you want any of these and I'll send them to you in a higher quality file.

March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009

So fun

Just a fun photo of our oldest girls. I love Frannie's face, she is having a great time!

He created them male and femaie

Today I witnessed a clear expression of the inborn role of a man. I had the opportunity to introduce our kids to my favorite childhood game, Candyland. Oh how I wanted to be the princess! It was a pretty fair success teaching a 4 year old and two 2-year-olds how to play. What was most impressive was how Rourke took it a step further.

Rourke was having fun drawing the cards, so I left him to moving his gingerbread guy (the green one, of course) and took Frannie & Lydia upstairs for their nap. When I returned, Rourke had turned a truck on it's side as a fort, placed it on the game board between the evil Lord Licorice and the sassy Lolly and the beautiful Princess Frostline. Two of the gingerbread men were standing standing on the tires of the truck and the other two he was walking around the truck.

When I asked him what he was doing, he said, "These guys (the gingerbread pieces) are keeping these girls safe from the bad guy."

WHAT?!! This is play he has never encountered, he really came up with it on his own. We don't really have any movies with such a story line, no books I've read to him, Rourke doesn't have any GI Joes or army guys of any sort...something in him just knew the girls needed protection from the bad guy.

After he was satisfied that the lovely ladies would be okay, he turned the board game into a ramp, turning one of the gingerbread men into a stunt driver, saying, " "look at this trick, mommy."

Somehow I don't think any of our daughters will come up with that sort of storyline.

I am encouraged that my son has an understanding that part of his role as a man will be to lovingly protect the women in his life.

A few other cute things heard in the Alvarado home in recent weeks:

Frannie, "Mommy, I really like this "taught-toe-late hot" (say it out loud with the emphasis on the t sounds and you'll get Frannie's version of Hot Chocolate).

I made grilled cheese for the kids for lunch and told the kids we were going to have grilled cheese. Lydia asked, "Mommy, are you going to make boy cheese for Rourke?"

Rourke's rundown of Zinnia & Esther's doctor appointment, "Yeah, Zinnia got shot today at the doctor and is throwing a fit about it."

Frannie: "I need some stapstick please!" (chapstick)

Lydia is so sweet and always complimenting me, "Mommy, I like your hair that way. It is soooo cute."

Rourke on his jammies, "Yeah, sometimes they get outside inside."

Pictures!

Here are some new pictures and videos to enjoy!

January 2009

February 2009

2009 Videos

Faithfully Courageous

***I intended to post this on Thursday,February 5th, but the internet was down and I'm just getting back to it...either way, I am so proud of my 4 year old son!***


Me, "Rourke, remember when you're 4, no more blankie." Rourke, "Yep, because I'll be bigger." Anthony, "Should we put it in the fireplace?" Rourke, "No, how about if we give it to someone else." Teary eyed me, "Rourke, that is so sweet! That would definitely honor God."

Today is Rourke's 4th birthday! Happy Birthday to my sweet little man. 4?! Seriously? I'm sure I will be even more shocked by how quickly the time flies by when he's 14 or 40.

Since now he is big and 4, some of the things Rourke thinks 4 year olds do are drive, take mommy on a date and pay, not use a blankie anymore, & give up thumb sucking. I'm looking forward to those dates!

Rourke has a good head on his shoulders as evidenced by another recent conversation:

Grandpa, "Rourke, what are you going to be when you grow up?" Rourke, "I want to be a daddy just like my daddy."

We continue to pray Rourke Jonathan's name, that he will grow to be a faithfully courageous man!

Pictures!

Just a quick note to share some photos, just click on the picture & enjoy!

December

Laugh at the days to come!

Proverbs 31: 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

Today was my first experience taking care of all 5 children at the same time. It was perfectly planned, should have been a smooth hour.

Anthony and his mom, Sherry, were taking a trip to the grocery store. We had to start defrosting a turkey for Christmas dinner, so tonight was the night. Rourke, Lydia & Francesca were in bed for about an hour and should have fallen asleep by the time they left.

Zinnia & Esther were due to eat...in fact, right before Anthony & Sherry left, Anthony informed me that if I didn't hurry up, "Esther is going to eat Zinnia's face off." Twins are so used to being really close to each other, it is comforting for them to sleep right next to each other. If you've never seen it, you should really come by and take a look, it is incredibly precious! However, there are some hazards like getting your face eaten off by a hungry, rooting sister!

So, I averted the crises, Zinnia indeed still has her face, and began to feed the babies. Shortly after I sat down, I saw a shadow outside the door. Someone was not in their bed fast asleep. It was not Anthony & Sherry, the garage door had closed and not reopened, Lydia & Frannie's door never opened, it had to be big brother, Rourke. Apparently his blanket had gotten twisted up and the little guy needed some help to get covered up.

Zinnia & Esther had just begun to eat, so getting up was not an option. I asked Rourke to stay with me. Also, just moments before I had called my mom and was chatting with her. Phone went to speaker so Rourke could say "hi" to Manga (Frannie's version of Grandma when she was first learning to talk and it stuck with my mom) while my mom & I finished our conversation.

Ladies & Gentleman, I was feeling good, what a great multi-tasker I am!

Rourke, Lydia & Francesca are over all doing great with Zinnia & Esther's arrival home. However, they are young children and some reaction is to be expected. Lydia's reaction has been delaying sleep for water, a Kleenex, unsnapping her zipper cover on her footie pjs, asking for her baby that is right next to her head, etc. We have been trying to give her grace and meet her needs tenderly, but firmly explaining that she needs to just get to sleep, her water is right there and she already has 30 Kleenexes in her bed.

Well, tonight she began to cry again, just after I was feeling so great about multi-tasking, I decided I could not multi-task this one, so I thought, "She's fine, she'll just have to cry until I can get up."

Well, she cried for about 15 minutes, I began to suspect that something may really be wrong and I was at a good stopping point with Zinnia & Esther. Rourke was happily talking to my dad at this point.

I went into Lydia & Frannie's room to discover one very distraught little girl. Whose face was covered in blood! Well, my puffed up pride was soon shrunk down a bit, this little girl had the worst bloody nose I have seen. Her hands, face, pjs and pillow were covered.

I did not know if the culprit was a finger or a bonk from her headboard shelf, so I quickly turned on the light to discover indeed a finger up the nose was to blame.

Rourke had run in at this point and was quite concerned for Lydia. Frannie was woken up by my light flicking and I was feeling quite bad for ignoring Lydia's cries for so long.

Okay, now I had 5 awake children in my sole care! I knew Zinnia & Esther wouldn't last long, so I had to be quick. Lydia was melting down and the babies were beginning to make the case that they were still hungry.

I calmed Lydia as much as I could and began to wash her hands...a full scale bath would have been most appropriate, but there was no time for that. Certainly not at 8:30 at night with 4 other children! So, a sponge bath would have to do. As I began to make progress at Lydia's hands, Zinnia & Esther began to make progress at convincing me that they were hungry. Rourke & Frannie were practically crawling into the crib they were so concerned about this unmet need.

A wise mom who too has a large sum of little ones told me once that when I get overwhelmed, to first meet the needs of the youngest and work your way up. Praise God for this advice!!


So, a half cleaned up, mostly still bloody Lydia, Rourke & Francesca got to watch a movie at nearly 9pm! I sat down to finish feeding Zinnia & Esther while the other three enjoyed their Steve Green. The babies ate like champs and I got them settled and laid down for bed (or for a few hours anyway). I also had a chance to call my mom back to tell her it was just a bloody nose that I quickly hung up Rourke's conversation with my dad. Nothing to worry about.

Now, I cleaned up Lydia and just as I was finishing, Anthony & Sherry arrived. Sherry took Rourke to bed and Frannie & Lydia camped out on Frannie's bed while Lydia's stained sheets were removed from the bed and clean ones put back on. Anthony finished tucking in the girls and all was well...even my soul!

This situation to a sleepy new mommy would send most of us into an emotional disaster. However, it was different tonight. I was calm, even giggling about the circumstances. Here I am, my first hour "on my own" and Murphy's law was really clear! God gave me an incredible amount of grace and peace.

At other times, this moment would have been a catalyst for anger or fear of "how am I going to do this?" But tonight, it just wasn't so. I was really peaceful. God met me right where I was at, He gave me the reminder of wise counsel, and He filled my heart and mind with peace to cope. I was smiling and laughing completely at a place of peace!

So many people have flat out asked and many more alluded to the question of, "how are you going to do it?" I pray that I will do it just like tonight, reliant on God's grace to give me peace and wisdom for the day (hour or minute) ahead! Please join me in praying that God would meet me in this way again as I learn to be a mommy to 5 young children, pray this verse for my life...

Proverbs 31: 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.