You're never fully dressed without a smile

You're never fully dressed without a smile ~ Author Martin Charnin

Always smile and laugh about something:o) Matteya having a silly hair day...

One of my favorite smile quotes...

" A smile costs nothing but gives much, It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes last forever.. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give~~Author unknown

Never give up on a dream....

Dreams... not the ones you have while sleeping, but the dreams you have during the day with eyes wide open. A dream ....a wish your heart makes or a passion you chase.

I was outside last night with our dog and i looked up and the sky was so dark i could see thousands of stars. It made me think about the email i received from Neyvada's foster mother in Guatemala. Laura emailed me several days ago asking me to please write a letter to the U. S. Embassy -Guatemala ,requesting them to grant her a visiting visa. In her email she wrote" It has been my life long dream to visit the United States." I wondered if she was also wishing on one of those stars we shared.

We all have dreams... maybe to.. get married, to have a family, to be mom or a dad, to own a business, buy a house, travel somewhere..etc...With God's plan some of our dreams we can achieve by ourselves and some dreams need help from others, the people in our lives or the ones that cross our paths. I felt God's hands in helping me help someone elses dreams come true. A few were.. I helped a stranger (who became a best friend) that dreamed and desperately wanted to be a mom. I felt her tears and i helped her with the adoption process and she now has a beautiful daughter. A dream of parents of 10 children in Guatemla, wanted to be able to send them to school. With my help they were able to buy the school supplies they needed. One of my friends dreams to write a book, with nothing planned she packed up and move to New York City to chase her dream.

We all have dreams, big and small that we want to make happen . We all have it in us to take charge and help someone elses dreams come true even when they do not have hope and do not try. My heart goes out to those who do not have hope. It is an awesome feeling to have no regrets and go after your dreams or help someone achieve theirs. Even when you help that one ungrateful person, it still feels delightful that you did something out of the goodness of your heart and thank God for having great peace in that situation.

Like i wrote in "Don't Blink" you can not get "time" back..so go after your dream and do not be afraid to ask for help. God puts Angels in our lives for a reason....( I mailed Laura's Embassy letter today:o) and we will pray her dream comes true....

Always Have a Dream (author ?)

Forget about the days when it's been cloudy, but don't forget your hours in the sun.

Forget about the times you've been defeated,but don't forget the victories you've won.

Forget about the mistakes that you can't change now, but don't forget the lessons.

Forget about the misfortunes you've encountered, but don't forget the times your luck has turned.

Forget about the days when you've been lonely, but don't forget the friendly smiles you've seen..

Foget the plans that didn't seem to work out right, but don't forget to always have a dream.

Neyvada's Special Day...

Neyvada received the "Light of Christ" . Neyvada was baptized on Sunday Feb.24th.

God's smile comes in baptism. The smile is a sign that every sin is forgiven and that we are all Children of God and we are precious and valued. It was a perfect day.Neyvada looked beautiful in her Gautemala dress. My very special friend

Esperanza is Neyvadas Godmother. Espe came in on Friday from Wisconsin. Our other very special friend Frank came in on Thursday from New York. He is Neyvadas Godfather. They had a wonderful weekend spending time and getting to know their new Goddaughter. The baptism was at 5:00 mass. It was a celebration..and exciting to see all the other babies and children, there were 12 baptisms that mass.

And Jesus came and said to them"All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."~Matthew28:18-20

Don't Blink...

Some of you reading my blog may remember my 2007 Christmas letter where I mentioned the song " Don't Blink " by Kenny Chesney . This song caught my attention because the words and meaning of this song are so very true. " A hundred years goes by faster than you think .... so Don't Blink" It is true, that the older you get the faster time goes by and you become so much more aware of it......nothing stays the same. I look at my girls and I can not believe how they have grown and already where those years went. Gabi came home at 14 months and she is now 5-1/2 years old getting ready to go to kindergarten and it seems just like yesterday we brought her forever home. She still loves to cuddle and wants me to carry her even though she is a little too big to carry:o) but now that my ankle is healed(another blog story) I am grateful I can carry her again, those days wont last the bigger she gets.. Gabi will not go to sleep unless I rub her back, I always said I created a bad habit with my first one by doing this, but actually it is a moment every night I know I will truly miss later on... Time is going by so fast and it is scarry. Soon my 4 little guatemala princesses won't be little anymore. I have learned to treasure each day and try not to sweat small stuff or even the big stuff. It is so sad when you let a min. , hours, days and years go by because your mad about something or at someone. Sometimes we have to say "sorry" and move on. And sometimes that means wishing someone well and praying for them and moving on to the next chapter God has written for us in our lives . Life is too short and no one is perfect, you never get that time back. "when your hourglass runs outta sand, you can't flip it over , start again.... Take every breath God gives you , for what it's worth

Guatemala beauty..... Neyvada

Neyvada and I went shopping to get her a pair of white shoes and some tights for her special day . Neyvada is being baptized on Sunday. After getting all our last min. things we went to lunch. We had a fun afternoon.

Never forget the power of prayer....

I thought this picture was so sweet and the first thing i thought of was .. "anytime" is a good time to pray.

"Prayer does not cause faith to work, but faith causes prayer to work......."

(Prayers that avail much, G. Copeland)

Family fun at the horse show....

Sunday we went to the Arabian Horse how. The Horse Show has been raising funds for worthy charities since 1955. There are over 2,000 Arabian and Half-Arabian horses at the show. Mommy, daddy, and girls enjoyed just walking around seeing all the beautiful horses.. or horsies.. like matteya calls them:o)