Open House, Open Heart...

I've decided to come back to that topic that I promised i'd come back to. Motherhood. Being a parent is probably one of the hardest things I've ever taken on. If i had to put into words what a day looks like as a mother, I honestly do not think I could. Its just too much.  So, thats just it. That is the whole reason I want to talk about Motherhood. Because it is so dang hard. Am I right? Please dont tell me I'm the only one saying "can I get an amen over here." I struggle day after day to do the very best I possibly can to provide for all my childrens needs. I surely do not cover them all and I just call on Jesus for the rest.  If motherhood is so hard, then why do we as mothers go against each other ALL. THE. TIME? Bottle or breast. cloth or disposable. baby wearer or not.  organic/non-organic. stay at home or working mom. co-sleeper or crib. vaccinated or not (not even gonna go there: HOT TOPIC THESE DAYS!) I've heard it al...

Motherhood. This is a topic I plan to exbound on. Not tonight. For now I just want to share with you the delightful photos from my birthday. Ok, lets be real there is not much to desire from these photos but you will surely laugh. You see, I have this obsession with stuffing my kids in cute clothes(that their lovely grandma gave them) and doing my best to take a gazillion photos in hopes that one turns out. let me tell you that this time, literally 1 photo looked good . This one.  doesnt he look sweet? Ok so maybe there were a few like this that turned out ok but it just went down hill from here. Contestant number 2: Failed attempt at one of those adorable brotherly love moments. If you're thinking these arent too bad, dont be fooled...  This is our best group shot. Its not terrible, it will do. Axel looks like he is pooping, I am somehow smiling about this whole event and Helez looks traumatized. I'm going to call this one the cake topper of the group ...

I’m so glad to have a moment to sit down and write. its been such a busy 6 weeks that I havent really had a chance to blog and share about life. I’ve had so many topics cross my mind over the past 6 weeks that I’ve wanted to write about and havent had the chance. I am hoping to get some of them written and others you may never see. For a brief family update. Axel is a year and half already! He’s busy, loves to play with his toys(he’s made quite the hall since we’ve been back in the states.) I’ve taught him a handful of sign language which he does really well with! I’m really glad we chose to do this since Axel can be quite impatient ( I think that comes with the territory of toddlers) and sign really helps him communicate what he wants since we cant always decipher what he’s saying yet.  Although him and brother started as pals, we’ve been increasingly challenged with the on going battle of keeping Helez alive and safe (ha). Axel is often to aggressive and way to enthus...

As many of you know almost 2 weeks ago now my precious boy, Helez Davy Parker was born.  His birth was quick (like crazy quick) and came at a time when I wasn't exactly expecting it. For about the last week of pregnancy I prayed each night telling God that tonight could be the night, I was ok with it and I was ready. on November 14th, I went to bed feeling stressed about our current circumstances here in NY and told God tonight was not a goodnight. I told him I didnt feel mentally prepared and I was just physically too tired. At around 3:15am I woke up to minor contractions. They werent very consistent or strong so I waited about 15 minutes to wake up Caleb. I knew I shouldnt wait too long since my labor and delivery was also quite quick with Axel and we are about 35 minutes away from the hospital I was going to deliver at. I wanted to make sure that we would make it in time! So at around 3:30am I woke Caleb up telling him I was pretty sure baby was on its way. We quickly org...

This has been probably one of the craziest weeks I've had in awhile. I mean we've lived and seen alot in the past couple months but this is really crazy. You guys, I'm a New Yorker and this is my cute New Yorker baby! :) Axel was thrilled to see his Giraffe from Grandma Angela made it to NY too. It feels crazy.. It is crazy. My life is... well, crazy. I'd be lying if I didnt say this is bittersweet. Believe it or not moving to New York has been much harder than moving to Costa Rica. Moving to Costa Rica we knew we were going to be living on a base, we knew mostly what Calebs work was going to look like, Caleb knew people at the base and we both had been to CR before. Coming to New York we had no friends here, no family, we had both never been to this state and we didnt know where we were going to live. We've been trying to figure out housing for weeks and it just wasnt coming together. I kept feeling God urging us to just go, to just get in the car and get ...

Another beautiful fall day has come and gone. I enjoyed the fresh weather, seeing family, a fun sermon in church and now a peaceful evening of rest while Axel sleeps. I've been MIA for a little over a month now and I feel like so much has gone on in that 1 month of time. Costa Rica seems so long ago. Life has changed so drastically in 6 weeks time its almost strange to look back and remember how different our lives were. I miss the rain, I miss many familiar faces, I miss amazing, delicious and cheap fresh fruit but I'm also happy to be here.  Minnesota has treated us well. The first 3 weeks back in the states were total chaos it seems. running from one place to another, racing around to see everyone we'd missed. the last 3 weeks have been more focused on packing, prepping and planning for NEW YORK.   We were hoping to be out there this past week but between trying to figure out housing issues for when we get there and Vehicle repairs we've been set back by a few...

Today marks 1 week back in the states. I've been terrible about sharing more and blogging over the past month. I've sat down to write a handful of times and felt like I just had too much to say and couldn't get it into one simple blog, so now I feel really behind. August was so busy, between being in Mexico, having our friends in Costa Rica for week and saying goodbye to life in Costa Rica for now. Now that I've had a few days to reflect on not only the past month but also the past 6 months, I'm noticing just how blessed we were over this time. Caleb and I cant put into words what we learned from this experience. The amount of trust, obedience and faith it took was great but the reward was much greater. Working alongside YWAM San Jose was beautiful and challenging. Caleb grew so much as a photographer/videographer and we both grew so much in our walk with God.I learned a lot about myself as a mother and the importance of being aware of and taking care of my imm...