Watch Out World, This Little Man is About to Be Two!

Almost exactly two years ago to the hour I began to labor my dearest Isaac into this world. He barely missed being an April Fools baby by a mere hour and 40 minutes. Since the moment he was pulled from the water and laid in my arms he has been stealing my heart every day. I have grown as a mother in so many new ways. His strong willed spirit challenges me to dig deeper in God, and his boundless love and sense of humor remind me of the joys in simplicity. There was a time I couldn't imagine how anyone could juggle three kids. Now I cannot imagine how I could live without this precious force of life that makes our home so complete.
He has developed quite the singing voice. I personally have never met a child that picks up a song the first time he hears it. Every time he visits grandma's house he manages to find her ipod and request some crazy 70's song. Then we all get a kick out of watching him sing and dance his little heart out.
I cannot be grateful enough for God's perfect will that granted me the privilege of raising this awesome little guy. Happy Birthday Isaac Timothy Medrano. My love for you runs deeper than the oceans.

Happy Birthday Grandma

Today would have been my grandmother's birthday. It's been over a year since she went on to her reward, but who she was continues to be ingrained into the fabric of my life today. I know I have mentioned at least once if not more my greatest memory of her. That will always be her smiling face waiting for me at the breakfast table. As a child you never really think about the life that was before you. Everything you know about a person seems to inherently be the way they have always been. As I get older I think about my own life before and after children. I realize how much life my grandmother lived even before I was even a thought in anyone's mind. I think about the trials and tribulations she faced raising her own children, living on modest means, running a small town business with my grandfather. Even though no metaphorical ship ever came in for them she lived her life with a joy few ever really know.
I miss her today. On mornings that feel particularly rough there is almost nothing I wouldn't give to walk down the hallway of her house, led by the most irresistible smell of bacon and see her sitting at that breakfast table ready to talk to me and make me feel like the most important person in the world.
Even though that is no longer possible in this life, the reminder of a woman tested by time, marked with joy, a lover of God, gives me encouragement to live my life in the same manner.

Birthdays All Around

Today kicks off a month of birthdays. Four people in my immediete family have birthdays this month including me. Melody gets us started today. She is turning eighteen. Happy brithday Melody welcome to adulthood! Where did the time go? It's really strange to think that it has been seven years since I turned eighteen. My birthday comes next and then my mom's is two days later. My dad rounds it out with a birthday falling near the end of the month. We will have our fair share of cake and happy birthday tunage to carry us till July when my brother's birthday falls.

I've always found it a bit rough having a birthday that falls in January. I know all you Christmas babies are shaking your heads right now. I don't know what it's like to receive birthday presents wrapped in Santa Clause wrapping paper, but at least your birthdays fall when everyone is in a cheery,holiday mood. I get the beginning of the year when everyone is hitting reality with a resounding thud. Credit card bills start showing up from those holiday purchases, and most people are gloomy because now that Christmas is over they long for warm summer days. I don't necessarily mind that my family and I share such close birthdays, but it can be a bit hard on the pocketbook with so many dinners and presents. You want everyone's day to be extra special, but at the same time you have to be realistic. It must be tough being a septuplet.

Here's to a month full of birthdays. With our combined ages we could probably really light a cake on fire!!! Happy birthday family, sharing a January birthday is not always easy, but I love you just the same.

Quarter of a Century

In eleven days I will turn twenty five. I have never paid much attention to the passing of time. As I get older I don't really give thought to the number as I still feel like the same old me on January 10th as I did on the 9th. This year has me feeling a bit retrospective. In the small increments life seems almost unchanged, and yet if I look back over twenty five years I am definitely not the exact same person as I was twenty, ten, or even five years ago. Maybe we don't necessarily change as much as different attributes of ourselves bloom and fade with time.

Nevertheless I face the fact that I may not be old but I am inevitably getting older. As long as wisdom is my reward, I cannot complain.

Happy Birthday To The Love of My Life

In my life I have known two of the greatest men around. One is my father and one is my husband Chris. Today I celebrate the day my husband Christopher Michael Medrano made his entrance into this world. Yes I will proceed to rant about his awesomeness, and it is my honor to do so. Chris is one of the most honest people I know. He bucks the system a lot, and I love that he is not afraid to stand up for what is right. Even though he has no fear to say what's on his mind, he is also very humble. He doesn't like to make things about himself, and he will probably scold me a bit for writing this. Chris loves his children and spends all the time he can with them, even if it means missing a beloved Cowboys game. He is intelligent in an unpretentious way. I love that he thinks for himself and does not allow media or other's to sway him. Chris loves me and puts up with my stubborness and lets me be goofy. He doesn't mind what I look like in the morning because he always lets me know I'm beautiful. What I love most about Chris is that he loves God with all his heart, and he is not afraid to admit his own frailty and shortcomings. He is not flamboyant or abrasive in his faith, but everyone knows where he stands. Chris is a worshipper at heart and when he plays his guitar it is truly for an audience of One.
I love him with all of my heart and am glad to call him mine. Happy Birthday Chris, you make this world a better place.