Christmas Goodness...

... has been "all around" as Billy Mack sings, and through programs, parties, gifts, and - most importantly - the Christmas story of our Savior's birth... life has been good. :)

Here are some fun events that happened this Christmas:

The Christmas Program

Above, Gloria and I's Sunday School class is pictured in their costumes after performing brilliantly (who cares if Joseph arrived late, Mary was almost espoused to a different man, the angels forgot to fly, the shepherds lost some important clothing, and the burro's ears had some serious "flopping" issues? It was beautiful... lol).

All the classes performed, and it was fun to see the parents and families of the children (some who came for the first time) so excited to watch their kids involved in the program.

Candi's "Christmas dress"... which she hated... lol.

This girl is not all about the fancy attire... jeans, a t-shirt, and her Dora the Explorer sneakers are definitely more her style... ;)

Christmas morning, I left the boys at the breakfast table to go do some last-minute gift checking, and soon heard a knock and lots of giggles. I opened the door to see all three - Aaron, Poncho, and Diego - with their pyjamas rolled up into short shorts! They continued the "show" by parading around the living room and performing amazing acrobatic feats... like jumping over Candi.

Yes... it's makeup. Some of the girls received "make-up" kits from school for Christmas gifts. So... this has resulted in lots and lots of face-painting.
Admittedly... Poncho and Ezequiel (pictured above, quite ecstatic with their "new" look) have been first in line to be decorated almost every time... lol.

After the last picture, I felt like I should also show Aaron in all his manliness... displaying his tool belt that he got at school from his teacher. And yes... he is this tough. ;)

Our house (Jenna and I's kids) had a small celebration Christmas day in the back room, and this is the whole kidlet crew: (l-r) Candi, Jazany, Julisa, Ezequiel, Diego, Poncho, and Aaron.

Toys, toys, everywhere... the kids received some really fun gifts, and here they are with a few:

Top left: Poncho got a hooded sweatshirt that he told me he was never going to take off. This theory was tested at bathtime when I literally had to peel him out of it, ignoring the protests that he really, truly wasn't that dirty!

Top right: Diego holds up his Barrel of Monkeys for the camera. Since this picture, the monkeys have escaped the barrel, and show up in such random places as the utensils drawer, the fridge, and my shoes.

Bottom left: Candi and her sunglasses, which still do not hold as much appeal as Amy's sunglasses in my room... I don't know why, Amy, but she just can't wrap her mind around the fact that they truly aren't hers!!!

Bottom right: Aaron with his new Memory game (the one in the comedor was down to only six matching pairs... not much of a challenge in that, right?) and a tiger balloon from your gift box, Mom. The kids were "super" excited about the balloons... ;)

And yes... I am now a viejita ("old woman") at the advanced age of 24. Almost decrepit, really. Above you see Jenna's creation of a tree cake for my birthday... and yes, for those who need help, the implication is that I am hugging it. Sheesh. ;)

I told my four kids that I was now a viejita, and they got really worried.

[Worried frowns]: "Estefania... why are you an old woman?"

[Laughing]: "I was just joking... you guys don't have to worry about it."

[Still frowning, and slightly annoyed]: "Why did you say it, then?"

"Ummmm..."

So... apparently old age jokes don't work with those 7 and under... ;)

Muchos Eventos...

... means that this post involves lots of pictures and not so much of the writing. However, when so much time passes and so many events occur... writing about all of them would give me a headache and the rest of you strained eyes. So let's not... ;)

Part 1: LAS SISTAS and friends...

... who visited this past week with the Purdue team. As always, it's amazing having family here (and amazingly draining since bedtime was - always - midnight or later... usually later). I never fully realize how incredible the interaction is between my sisters and I until after their gone and how I can take that for granted... nevertheless, I am so thankful for our time together, and for the amazing women that they are.

In the plaza.

(l-r) Poncho, Brady Strahm, Chel, Tif, Diego, Aaron, Jason Kaeb, Dan Leman, and Candi. We headed downtown for churros one night and to see the Christmas decorations.


Dan and Candi...

Vandalism at its finest: Tifani lifted Diego up so that he could reach one of the pinecones around the base of the Christmas tree in town. He proceeded to haul it around, and definitely would have taken it home if his mean caretaker hadn't intervened... :)

Candi likes to plop down wherever she is. I decided that this should be my philosophy as well, but then rejected the idea since I could never look as adorable... ;)

In this photo, she plopped down and then stuck her feet up on Tif's lap... ready for her massage or something... lol.

(l-r) Nick (a friend of Braden's from school), Braden Mogler, Tif, Brady, and Chel on the edge of the fountain in the plaza.

Part 2: THE RANCH

Friday morning after saying goodbye to the Purdue team, the CVE kids, some of the mentors, and a few friends headed out to the ranch to enjoy a day of fun and games. We started off with a mad game of Capture the Flag, ate a sandwich lunch, and then headed to the river bed to play in the sand and roast marshmallows. It was a beautiful day, and many thanks to the workers who made it happen...

Walking down the river bed...

Tifani leaping over the pole... we had some amazing high-jumpers, and then "benders" as Limbo was also played.

Julissa and I guarded the flag for our team... bien intimidating... ;)

At left, Diego and Chelsie. At right, Magda poses after shoving the rest of her orange in her mouth...

Jason and Poncho pose for the camera...

All the "battle wounds" after Capture the Flag... I'm pretty sure David wins the prize for wicked cool cuts...

Uriel decided the roasting stick needed to be used for a different purpose...

David and Eli "enjoy" their lunch...

At left, Jose shows how Limbo really should be played. At right, Katie demonstrates her "hippie" style...

Top: Michelle, Lupita, and Armando give back massages while waiting in line for lunch...

Bottom: A field view of Capture the Flag...

Top: (l-r) Bill, Ryan Schick, Carlos Soto, Tyler Schick, and Jesse Rufener joined us at the ranch for some of the games and food...

Bottom: The food line with Jose, Dan, and Jason manning the table...

Part 3: Thanks...

... to all of you who have prayed for Pollito and our CVE family. I know I haven't posted for a while, and that the last post was about him leaving. Amazingly enough, God has provided a relationship between his mother and this place... she text messages once or twice a week with greetings for everyone here, and a week or so ago I got to talk to Pollito for a little bit on the phone. God is good, and even where there's pain... He can make beauty.

Borrowed Time

Tomorrow morning part of my heart is going to come strutting out the front door in his Thomas the Tank Engine shoes, ears sticking out, short arms and legs pumping, probably yelling some indistinguishable command at those following behind, while bustling up to lay claim to my hand, and then flashing an insatiable grin, ready to take on the world.

And I can hear a quiet click as my heart breaks in two.

Someone once told me that every time you laugh in life, you will have just as many tears... apparently I'm making up for years and years of laughing right now, but that's okay. And it's okay because I know that Pollito is in God's hands. I can't change His perfect timing, nor His perfect will. I can feel, I can weep, I can wish... but ultimately Pollito is His child, and it is His love that is more amazing than I can even imagine, and His care that will wrap this child in arms of love.

This little guy will leave a hole in CVE... just like those kids and staff who have gone before. And even as I ask myself, "Why do we do this?" I know it's not about us... it's about Him, and following Him without questions, even when everything within us cries out to resist. And if He wants us here, wants us to give our hearts away countless times only to start all over again with every new child... then so be it.

I will love, I will hurt, and I will love again and again.

And to Pollito... like the Mark Schultz song says, I've "... learned how to hold you when you cried/ I learned how to let you be strong/ Learned how to calm you in the dark/ Learned how to listen with my heart/ I learned how to watch you grow/ But how will I learn to let go?"

Only with the Father's strength... not my own.

Come and sit here by my side

For our time will soon be gone

And these tears I cannot hide

For it's your turn to move on

I know you were never really mine

You were given to me

On borrowed time

Now I shall stay here on my own

For I know you've been

Called home...

Now I know I must be strong
For what else can I do

Won't be easy to go on

For I must learn to live

Without you

I know that life cannot be bought

And there's nothing I should fear

For you'll go no further than God

And God is very near...

Now it's time to let go
It's just part of the plan

So many answers we don't know

But some day we'll understand

Someday...

*Edited lyrics from Leahy's "Borrowed Time"

A Mexican Charlie Brown Christmas...

Saturday mornings all the kids have different "jobs" to do, and Magda and Jaqui were my helpers in the casa. We had been trying to round all the kids up to go inside, but couldn't find Diego. Calling his name, we looked in all the regular places (you know... under buckets, climbing trees, wrapped in blankets and stuffed into wheelbarrows... things like that), until suddenly... I heard a small voice yelling my name. I turned around and here came Diego... dragging a tree limb twice his size, and smiling with the success of his tree-capturing adventure. I asked him if the tree was for Christmas in our house, and he replied, "of course," as though I obviously should have known that his morning expedition as man of the house was to bring back the best Christmas tree ever.

So... this is how we come to have a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. My second one, actually. My senior year of college, I convinced my housemates to let me decorate a dead bush I found on the side of the road with popcorn, ornaments, and blinking lights... I see this year being a beautiful replication! ;)

Of course, I'll probably have to nix the popcorn. The kidlets might find that just a little too tempting...

After the tree made it safely into the house (I write "safely" since it about wiped out Pollito and Candi as everyone tried to fit through the front door at once), the kids began to "decorate" with teddy bears. Magda and Jaqui informed me that this was a good time to take Christmas pictures, so what could I do but whip out the camera??? ;)

p.s. Happy Birthday, Dad! Now that you're 50, you have an excuse for being weird... :)

Y tu papa?

This past week over Thanksgiving, Dad came down with the Denver/Altadena work team. As usual, the "old farmer" hit it off well with the kidlets, and by the end of the first day they were calling him "Yeff" or "Papi"... ;)

Sometimes I don't realize how much I miss family until they're here, but it was amazing to have Dad here for some chat time, interaction with the kids, and to share our Thanksgiving feast! Now every night the kids keep asking me when the "big papa" is coming back to visit...!

(above: Dad & Aaron at Las Chicas for shrimp tacos)

After the chicken, and before the slideshow... the pyjama attire of the four little ones.

Dad and Candi

Photo time on the couch...

Dad and Diego showing their muscles... :)

Para mi mama [For my mother]...

... so that she knows "I'm not quite dead yet"... ;)

It has been a rather full week, and the only thing that comes across so clearly is that God is faithful. We would not be continuing on without the prayers, support, and love of all of you out there... and I praise the Lord for each of you, and thank you for all you are doing. Satan will not have dominion over this place if we can unite as brothers and sisters in Christ and stand strong with our eyes and our focus on our Father in Heaven. Our Lord will provide.

So... here is a photo montage, Mom. Just a few events with the kidlets that have happened, and that I haven't done a full blogpost on... enjoy!

Sunday morning photos make me happy...

Sunday morning photos make Candi ham it up for the camera...

The kids with the crane after putting the rafters in the church...

The older "kids" with the crane...

When Aaron gets home from school, he always tells me he's not tired, and doesn't need to "rest" for a bit. The other day I walked into the kitchen, and he had zonked out on the chair in the middle of coloring... :)

Pollito has this thing with hats lately...

And you have to admit... he's pretty adorable... ;)

Veggie Tales "Jonah and the Big Fish" movie night... the kids were amazing to watch as they danced to the music, and yelled questions to me.

Example: "Esteph... why doesn't the cucumber have any legs?"

As the weather gets cooler, the warm, snuggly pajamas get pulled out. This signifies more excuses for "cuddling" times... :)

A typical night in the casa... little kids running around in their undies!

Does it get any better than this???