A Day of Celebration

 On this joyous day we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior and 1 1/2 years of Marriage to my best friend for life!!! 

Such a glorious day!
He is risen!!!

 ~ ~ ~ ~ 

As I contemplate what Easter means to me a song that is very dear to my heart comes to mind. I pray it ministers to you as much as it does to me.

Because He Lives

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

A Picture update!

 ( Our last Frisbee in Georgia)

(28 weeks Pregnant!

 3rd Trimester begins)

 (Traveling back home to Kentucky after 2 months in Georgia)

(We are so glad to be back home!)

(It was super foggy driving through North Tennessee and South Kentucky)

(Mateo took me to see Cinderella in our typical spring weather up)

(We celebrated Opening day for the zip-line course this year

 with Cinnamon Rolls for Breakfast!)

(30 Weeks Pregnant!
 Only 10 more to go!)

(Our 30 week Sunday Selfie Picture)

 (Mateo and I went to see Insurgent the night it opened!)

 (Setting up and preparing for our son's arrival!)

(32 Week Pregnancy Picture!

 Grow baby grow!)

 Well that Pretty much sums up the month picture wise!
 There were lots of other fun events that we did but I do not have pictures of them. 

Till next time!

Trusting God in Life and in Death

This post will be long and reminiscent of past loss and trials but I believe necessary to complete an ongoing process of grief, fear and learning to let go.

Here we go...

On February 8th of 2014 I took a home pregnancy test and received my first positive result!!! Ecstatic we told our immediate family within the first 2 days and closest friends within the first week. Everyone was under strict instructions to keep it to themselves as we wanted to wait until after my first doctors appointment to announce our exciting news publicly just in case. I quickly found a midwife I wanted to see back home in Kentucky and scheduled my first appointment for March 12th as we were still in Georgia at the time and were not sure exactly when we were heading back home. That month of waiting was both agonizing and thrilling. Although nervous, I could not wait to have my first check up and see how our little child was doing. My brother took some fun pregnancy announcement pictures at the end of February for us and I loved dreaming and looking through them imagining when we would share our news and what picture we would use!

We finally arrived home in Kentucky on March 7th and the time quickly sped by as we had so much to do! My brother was planning to come live with us and work up here in Kentucky with Mateo and would be arriving the same day of my doctors appointment. So I quickly unpacked and began to prepare for his arrival. 

March 12th finally arrived and we drove to my first appointment which was at 9:30 that morning. Since it was my first we had to be there at least 30 minutes early to take care of all the paperwork. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. All the paperwork was finished, we waited to be called back by the nurse, I had my blood drawn (for the first time), and then we waited to see the midwife. She entered the room, introduced herself, asked how I was feeling and we proceeded with the appointment. We thought I was about 13 weeks along by this time so she tried picking up the heartbeat with the Doppler. After searching for several minutes and not picking anything up she decided I needed to have an ultrasound to make sure everything was okay. We went back out into the waiting room as I had to be worked in since I was not scheduled for an ultrasound that day. My mind was racing. "Could there be something wrong? Maybe I am not as far along as I thought I was... Surely everything is okay..."

 Thankfully I was able to be fit in within 30 minutes of waiting. We walked back to the ultrasound room and I hoped onto the chair trying to stay calm. The Lady performing the ultrasound was able to find our sweet blessing and measured him/her at 9 weeks. It was incredible to me that we were able to see him/her and I was immediately overcome with love for this little child growing inside of me. She continued focusing in on different things and did not say much to me. I was so amazed that I did not bother asking what she was doing and if everything was okay. She proceeded to tell us that she was finished and we were to wait in one of the rooms to see the midwife again. Everything was so new to me that I don't remember feeling anything besides nervous excitement.

 The Midwife entered the room shortly and began to explain to me that I was having a miscarriage. The ultrasound could not detect a heartbeat and blood was spotted as my body had begun the miscarriage process. I remember feeling dumbfounded and completely overcome with grief and shock. What was she telling me? How did this happen? Why can't it be fixed? Was it my fault? She proceeded to tell me it was common and completely out of my control but that we needed to decide what we were going to do as I had the choice to have a D&C which we would need to schedule within the week or I could choose to let my body handle the process naturally but would need to come for regular check ups until I passed the baby and then weekly blood draws until my hormone levels balanced. She was very understanding and took as much time as we needed to answer any questions we had. We chose to plan for my body to continue with the process naturally.

 I barely remember leaving the office. By the end of my visit I was numb to everything around me. I knew we needed to tell our family as they were all anxiously waiting for the news on how it went but I could not talk to anyone. All I could do was sit in the car and stare out the window. After a few minutes I decided to text my mom and as I was texting the tears began to flow. We made it home and I cried so hard and so long I thought I would never be able to stop. I was so overcome with grief. "Why did this have to happen?" I wanted to blame God for taking my child away from me. "Why did he/she have to die?" It didn't make sense.

 

Mateo told the rest of the family the news we received and continued to be my support and encourager through such a difficult time. I don't remember much of anything that first week. I know that my brother arrived that evening and the zip-line course opened for the year on the 15th but I have no memory of those moments or days that passed. My first memory is of exactly 1 week later. I had a doctors appointment scheduled for the 19th as they wanted to make sure everything was okay and see how I was doing. That morning before my appointment I passed out. It was one of the strangest things that has ever happened to me. I don't know how long I was out but I remember feeling awful before hand and afterwards. I was home alone and once I came to I called Mateo before I passed out again. He came home from work and I gradually began regaining strength after eating, drinking some water and resting. It was terrifying for both of us and as things were crazy for Mateo at work with the course just being open for the year he called my mom and she left that Saturday to come stay with us until my body passed the baby and I began feeling better.

 I continued to have a few days of extreme weakness and almost passed out a few more times but I began recognizing my symptoms and was able to catch it most of the time. My dear husband also asked a friend to come over and talk with me and encourage me during those dark days and I am forever grateful for her presence and prayers. Having my mom here with us for those many days of waiting, tears, and learning was such a blessing. I will never be able to thank her enough for all she did for us during that time.

 2 weeks came and went and still no sign of the miscarriage. I began feeling restless and anxious about having to wait for the finality of the miscarriage. I started thinking that maybe it was a mistake. Maybe my child is okay.... My dad came up to visit for his birthday at the end of the month and we had a good time hanging out. It was good for me to be occupied and have something besides the current circumstances to think about. He left to go back home to Georgia after a few days but left mom with us for a little longer.

 After 3 weeks of waiting I began questioning my choice in doing the process naturally. It was so agonizing going day after day waiting for the inevitable..... But my mom continued to encourage me that patience and endurance would pay off in the end. Finally after 4 weeks in the early morning of April 12th (exactly 1 month after we learned I was going to miscarry) the process completed itself. I remember feeling both relief and sadness but I am so thankful I had my loving and supportive husband and mother to be there with me through it. God gave me the strength I asked for and the encouragement I needed.

I will never forget the first blessing we lost at such a early stage of life and I thank God for giving him/her to us. We both learned and grew so much through the process and I am even more amazed at the gift and miracle of life! Now that I am nearing the end of my pregnancy with my second blessing I thank God for this gift and I cherish his life every day! There have been days when I wonder if he will be okay but as I learned to trust God to give me strength through the loss of our first child I trust He will give me the strength to trust Him in the life, birth and raising of our son.

This song though simple has continued to encourage and strengthen me through many times of trial and sorrow. I pray as I sing it to my son that he will grow to know the depth of the Father's love in not only the gift of life but more importantly His son's gift through death.

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! This I know,
As He loved so long ago,
Taking children on His knee,
Saying, “Let them come to Me.”

Jesus loves me still today,
Walking with me on my way,
Wanting as a friend to give
Light and love to all who live.

Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way;
Thou hast bled and died for me,
I will henceforth live for Thee.

Together Forever!

2 Years ago today Mateo asked me to Marry him!

 Its been a wild journey so far but worth every trial we have come across and come through stronger together! Thank you for wanting to spend the rest of your life with me and I look forward to many more years facing the challenges of life together!

A Month Of Blessings

I cannot believe today is the last day of February and we are preparing to make our way back home to Kentucky! We have had a good time visiting with our family and friends here in Georgia for the past 2 months and are now eagerly awaiting our departure home. 

It has been a busy month filled with fun but I will just briefly mention some of the highlights.

My Grandparents came for a few days to my parents house to visit and attend my baby shower that my mom and sister-in-law Lidia threw for me! It was so good to see them as I had not seen them since the Wedding which was over 1 yr ago! We had a good time hanging out and catching up!

(Thank You Lidia for all your hard work on this Cake! It turned out awesome!)

(Grandmother, Mother, Daughter, and Grandson)

My incredible Husband Mateo took a 2 day CPR Instructor Class and will now be teaching CPR classes both for work and on the side! I am so proud of him!

I had a sweet Valentines Day spent with Mateo and my mom and I had fun making some new pies that turned out amazing!!!

I took my Gestational Diabetes test at 26 weeks and am so thankful that I passed! I was pretty nervous as my chances of having it are greater due to it running in my family. Thankfully, everything has come back normal so far and our little son is continuing to grow healthy and strong!

(24 Weeks)

(26 Weeks)

Well that is all for now! Hope y'all had a great month!

Looking forward to spring!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 2 ESV)

A New Year Part 2

Wow! It is amazing how quickly time fly's when you are having fun!

Its been a great last 2 weeks spent with Family, Friends and doing the usual craziness.

The Williamson Family (Mateo's oldest sisters husband and girls) decided to come hang out for a few days and since we were all in town it was decided that we should get some family photos done! Here are a few of my favorites! :D

(The Mancas and Williamson Families)

 (All the ladies in the families)

(I think we might outnumber the men but we will be adding one to this bunch this year!)

(Our Growing Family)

Following the family pictures we had a graduation party for Samuel and Maria at the Mancas home! Samuel Graduated with his Associates degree and Maria graduated from High-school! We are so excited to see what is in store for them in their futures!

At Church the next Sunday Alegria snapped this picture of Mateo holding his youngest niece who is going to be 2 in March! She was so exhausted from the busy weekend!

(Here we are at 22 weeks!)

I snapped a few shots of my awesome husband playing Frisbee and thought I would have a few bragging moments ;)

I love to watch him play Frisbee!

(Just some flowers my mom and I found at Kroger that I love!)

Over all this month has been filled with memories that we will cherish for many years to come! We are so blessed to be able to spend this time with our Family and Friends!

I will leave you with the end of Ecclesiastes 1 and I pray as we continue into this new year that our eyes are continually fixed upon our Savior and constantly trusting in his grace and love!

~ Until next time ~

 

I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

 (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 ESV)

A New Year

Well it's a new year and we are already halfway through the first month! It is so hard to believe that we have been here in Georgia for 3 weeks! How can time fly by so quickly?!

 We began the New Year by celebrating with good Cuban cooking, games, and fellowship with Mateo's family and my parents! We had a great time! Here are a few pictures of that evening!

(Maria being well.... Maria lol)

 (My husband being his usual goofy self!)

(Thinking deep thoughts about the game)

(My mom and Lidia the dish ladies!)

(Cleaning the kitchen after some great food!)

(Lucas, Kaycee and Mateo)

 

After all the partying was over we began the process of settling into a new routine of living life down here in Georgia.
 On January 2nd I made it halfway through my pregnancy!!! It is so nice to have made it through the first half and I am looking forward to the second half even more!!!
 We are so excited to meet our son!

(20 week baby bump picture)

(My husband showing his excitement about my being halfway lol)

Mateo started playing Frisbee again with our group down here in Georgia on Sundays. I enjoyed watching them play and being able to marvel at the beautiful sunset!

(I love getting to see the beauty of God's handiwork in the sky)

I have been looking for a baby album for my little man off and on for a little while now and one day at Hobby Lobby I ran across one that I fell in love with!!! I am so excited about it and can't wait to start filling it with pictures when he arrives!!!

My Mother-in-law had knee surgery on her right knee on the 8th and is now in the recovery stages. The surgery went well but prayers would be appreciated as they work through the long and hard process of recovery. 

Well that's pretty much all the updating I can do right now. 

I hope you are having a blessed beginning of 2015!

This year I have decided to go through the book of Ecclesiastes and since there are 12 chapters, every month I will focus on a new chapter. I am excited to be able to spend this year focusing on this incredible book of the Bible and what the Lord is going to teach me through it!
 Here is the first half of Chapter 1 in Ecclesiastes.

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 ESV)