The Socas

Avery in January 2012

2012-02-04T21:04:00.005-05:00

Just 4 years ago she looked like this:

Now she's 'in school', painting, learning to write her letters, to chant her classical facts, learning to roller skate and ride her bike, playing the violin, learning to read. It's bitter sweet.

Our baby is growing up.

V is for Victoria!

2012-02-04T20:10:00.003-05:00

How is it possible to love a cousin/niece so much?
This is Victoria Grace, who traveled 500 miles to spend her first Christmas (2011) with us.

Treasuring More 2011 Christmas Memories

2012-01-02T08:49:00.002-05:00

Showing off his Christmas present, a Draxter Building Set which he worked on with Carlos' help.

A Trip to the Carolina Ballet to see The Nutcracker.

Surprise visit from the Garcells. It had been 18 months since they left. The Santos Family came over to catch up too.

Enjoying a good time at our Spanish Ministry Christmas Party. I may not look all that happy, but I was!

Treasuring 2011 Christmas Memories

2012-01-01T22:09:00.005-05:00

Wrapping presents he bought for his sisters with his 'good behavior character cash' at his school's auction.

Decorating Cookies at the Library.

Celebrating Caleb's Piano Recital.

Putting up Christmas decorations.

Dropping off our OCC boxes which went to Ecuador this year.

Surprised to run into Santa Claus at WakeMed Hospital while performing for the Rehabilitation Patients. The girls totally know that Santa is not real, but they couldn't help to give in to the moment. So sweet!

About to crack open our first pommegranate for the season - a Soca family tradition.

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-01T21:53:00.004-05:00

So blessed to celebrate an awesome holiday with awesome friends and family! Thanksgiving with the Rodriguezs is becoming a tradition.
Thanksgiving Dinner.

Carlos working the bird. He was a great help all day.

Black Friday fun at Pullen Park.

Wake Forest Strings Recital

2012-01-01T21:06:00.002-05:00

Wake Forest Strings (WFS) is the fancy name I give my sweet group of violin students and families. We've only been playing for 4 months, and you should see how awesome these kids are! God has totally blessed this effort. This fall we had our first recital and it was so special! Here are some highlights of the night. Unfortunately, I don' have Avery's performance which was by far the most delightful! Of course I am going say that, I am her mom!

Look Who's 7!

2012-01-01T20:45:00.006-05:00

Ms. Hannah Soca is! This year we had a low-key celebration for Hannah, but special nevertheless. She finally got her American Girl Doll she wanted, and a lot of love from NJ and immediate family! I'm so glad I video tape these special occasions. It's priceless to watch her open her gifts.

Here they are celebrating the big day swimming at the Y.

Uncle Hector paid for Hannah to attend a Violin Training in Chapel Hill as her birthday gift. It was an awesome day for Hannah. The main instructor was Dr. Terry Durbin who was a hit with the kids. The man is crazy.

Joshua's School

2012-01-01T20:08:00.005-05:00

So Josh has already completed half of his first school year at Franklin Academy. Dear friends often ask me how we are doing with this change. I am honestly pleased with how things are going for Josh and for the rest of the family. It's a little strange to be on both sides of the fence, pro-school and pro-homeschool, but this is where we are. We have no idea what we will do in the future. For right now, we are at peace with Josh thriving at school and the girls thriving at home. Here are some recent pictures of Josh at school. The girls and I volunteer during lunch hour and then we stay for recess which is the highlight of the day, of course. The girls are like superstars!

Josh playing soccer during recess.

Josh in front of the school.

Josh hugging Avery at recess time as she runs up to him.

Thanksgiving Lunch.

Lunch time.

Mrs. Kusilek, Joshua's homeroom teacher. Sweet, sweet teacher!!

Josh going to school in his PJs as a reward for making Accelerated Reading!

Coming back from recess hour.

Greeting Hannah on the soccer field.

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Ladies Retreat - October 2011

2012-01-01T18:26:00.003-05:00

This past fall our Spanish Ministry Ladies had our first Retreat in the Mountains of Virginia. It was a sweet time of fellowship, learning, and fun. We studied the book, The Lies that Women Believe and the Truths that Set Them Free, by Nancy Lee DeMoss.

Grilling some smores at 10pm in the freezing cold.

The entire group and a partial view from the porch, which was amazing.

Sunday Morning Worship.

And, the only non-Spanish speaker of the bunch, my dear friend Sue Lorenz, who is a blessing to me.

Sin, a great phonetic word

2011-10-23T20:06:00.006-04:00

You gotta love a good old fashioned phonics book that includes words like 'sin' and 'God'. I love this book! It brings me sweet memories of teaching Josh and Hannah to read. Now I get to use it one last time with Avery and I am almost sad to move from lesson to lesson because it will go on our shelf for a long time before it gets used again.

Avery enjoys reading the list where 'kiss' and 'miss' go back to back. She gets a kiss from me and/or she gets to yell, 'you missed!'.

TimePast Farm

2011-10-06T21:03:00.006-04:00

What a gorgeous day for a field trip to TimePast Farm! I got a little carried away and ended up taking 150+ pictures today because the kids had so much fun. Now I have to choose the top 8 to post on the blog.

Homeschool

2011-10-06T20:31:00.003-04:00

We're enjoying school so much! Avery girl is learning her 'words' and her classical memory and her violin and her Cubbie verses.

Hannah is learning all about American History through the American Girl Series. I love their stories! She's also completed her first math book for the year in less than 2 months, I was hoping it would last until December. Without a doubt we have plenty of hard days, but I am so thankful for the special memories we are creating this year at home. Addy is the BEST series for learning about Slavery in the South and the Civil War time period!!!!!

Angry birds 'round the house and other fun happenings

2011-10-06T19:56:00.007-04:00

Talk about an obsession! I got this 1000 piece puzzle for my mother-in-law and all of us ended up working on it.

The kids all take turns sleeping with when Abuela when she's here. Those who don't get to sleep with her usually end up sleeping together either in some type of fort or in the girls' beds. So sweet!

Here's my Bear, 3rd year in Cub Scouts and going strong!

DC Trip

2011-10-03T14:33:00.005-04:00

On the way home from our last NJ trip, we made a stop in DC hoping to visit the White House. Well, we got lost on the way to the WH and we hit major traffic, so we arrived 1 hour after our tour started at 7:30am. Very disappointing! Still, we got to visit the National Museum of Air and Space and just 1 exhibit at the National Museum of American History, walk around the mall, and ride the mall carousel.

The moon landing display.

The actual flag that flew over Ft. McHenry that inspired the Star Spangled Banner.

Elizabeth, Carlos' sister came to DC with us. Here they are about to say good bye.

This carousel was a life saver after the disappointment of not being able to get into the White House. And, the kids got to go twice. I'm so glad they still enjoy kiddie rides like carousels.

The closest we got to the Red, Green, and Blue Rooms of the White House. Maybe next year!

Victoria Grace Castro

2011-10-03T14:21:00.003-04:00

Born on July 10, 2011, Victoria is youngest cousin in the pack, and we got to meet her last week!

Already 2 months old, Victoria is a social butterfly.

She loves to coo and sing and smile, and she likes being held, a lot.

She's super sweet and so beautiful. We miss her so much!

The youngest in the pack.

Being dedicated at my dad's church last Sunday.

Too much love.

American History through the eyes of American girls

2011-09-14T20:18:00.003-04:00

Ms. Hannah Soca has been enjoying the American Girls Series as she learns about American History this year. We just finished the Felicity series, which is set during colonial times and up through the Revolutionary War. Hannah was moved by Felicity's dilemma of whether or not to drink tea during tea lessons. Being from a colonist family, Felicity wasn't supposed to drink the tea. Some of her friends were loyalists so she was faced with the issue of convictions. We also enjoyed making some Queen cakes with apple butter and Johnny Cakes to go with our... coffee.

Labor Day Weekend Mountain Getaway

2011-09-07T19:39:00.000-04:00

The Blue Ridge Mountains were beautiful this past weekend! We were able to take Abuela Gliceria with us to Ridgecrest and from there, we ventured out to Pisgah National Forest for some waterfall fun and Asheville for some awesome bluegrass and Cuban food, of all things?!Sliding Rock Falls has to be the craziest thing we have ever done; all of us did it once, Josh did it twice. You slide down this slippery natural rock formation on 40 degree waters going super fast and end up in the coldest pool ever. It was so cold that when we walked out of there, the air felt warm. It was so fun!Asheville, NC

Sliding Rock Falls, Pisgah National Forest, NC

On the trail in Ridgecrest.

Irene

2011-08-30T11:11:00.002-04:00

Look who's lost her front teeth!

2011-08-28T22:35:00.001-04:00

AWANA Cubbies, Sparks, and TNTs

2011-08-28T22:32:00.003-04:00

First day of AWANAs.

Hannah and her friend Lydia.

Avery the Cubbie wearing Hannah's vest.

Avery's first day of Classical Conversations

2011-08-28T22:19:00.003-04:00

Even though Avery's been coming to CC since she was an infant, this year she finally gets to be part of the program in the Little Abecederian class with Ms. Wendy. She's been anticipating this day for months.

Big sis walking litl sis to her teacher.

Avery learning all about the 5 elements of drawing and making her picture.

Having a good time with buddies Aiden and Teniya. All these kids have been in the nursery since they were infants.

Avery's first presentation on her favorite book, Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.

Some other special summer pics

2011-08-28T21:44:00.005-04:00

With big brother away at school, the girls are always up to something. Jam sessions are much more fun when it's just the 2 of them.

And the favorite passtime is always princess dressup and arguing over who gets to be Ariel.

Avery investigating a dead baby snake.

Enjoying a special time with our sweet Vermont friends Nathanael and Katie Conyers.

Performing in the church musical Simon Says on July 31, 2011

Avery got to attend PowerCamp at church for the very first time!!!! Here is a clip of their performance.

Josh's first day of school

2011-08-27T19:58:00.004-04:00

July 18, 2011.

He is Josh as we left our house for school.

As we approached the front door of the school building, I turned to take one more picture, but he was too excited and disappeared before I could get him.

Six weeks later, Josh is adjusting well. He loves soccer, recess, math, and he is enjoying making new friends.

Summer is almost over!

2011-07-16T20:38:00.002-04:00

Here is a short video of some of my fave 2011 summer memories thus far. Josh starts school on Monday! These kids are growing too fast.

First Recital

2011-06-07T21:39:00.003-04:00

This past week our homeschool group put on a recital, and the kids got to perform. Here is Avery playing her Tin Whistle with the group, then Hannah (miniMe) playing her piano and violin duets. We couldn't get Josh's performance on video very well at the recital, so I ended up recording him at home tonight.

Avery is a chicken catcher

2011-06-07T15:40:00.003-04:00

Friends, this so cute! Avery, who's always been terrified of dogs/cats/ducks/etc. has found her love! This past weekend we visited a dear friend who has chickens and look who decided to scoop up the hens!

And speaking of chicken catchers, here is a moving "Susan Boyle" type of performance by a Kentucky chicken catcher. I believe he actually won the contest. Nice guys do win sometimes!

Father / Daughter Dance

2011-05-14T16:47:00.006-04:00

Last night our church hosted a Father/Daughter Dance and both our girls went. What a dream! Here are some pictures before they left. Don't they look beautiful? I even let them wear a little bit of lip gloss. Big thank you to everyone who helped with this event, and to Dad who is the best date in the world.

Lice, a sign of the mother-daughter bond

2011-05-14T16:27:00.004-04:00

Why would anybody want to know that there was a lice outbreak at my house???

1. It's embarrassing to have to tell others that we had lice. It's good medicine for pride.

2. I was sort of glad to catch lice after all because I got it from my girls. You can only get lice by being in close proximity to an infected person. Lice do not fly, they only crawl. On the day I discovered lice in our house, I had been sitting very close to, and had both girls on my lap. So, that's how we all got it, sitting closely together.

I like to think of it as a Mother's Day Present :)

3. The treatments turned into a big party as you can see in this picture.

This will definitely go down as a memorable event in our family's history.

Homeschool Update

2011-05-08T18:39:00.008-04:00

Our homeschool is wrapping up for the year, and what a great one it has been! I'm so proud of the kids. They have done so well. Here they are, showing up their diplomas/awards for their hard work.

Avery showing off her Little Abecederian Diploma

Hannah showing off her Abecederian Diploma and her memory award.

Joshua showing off his t-shirt he earned by completing a tough memorization exam.

There is a huge change on the horizon: after much prayer and consideration, we feel like it's time for Josh to enroll in school. So, as of July Joshua will attend a local school (Franklin Academy) and I will continue to homeschool the girls. I am excited about being able to work with the girls. Joshua is thrilled about going to school. I know he will do well and he will enjoy it.

Modesty Check

2011-05-04T17:06:00.002-04:00

This is a great little article by GirlTalk about modesty as an issue of the heart. Now that the weather is warming up - it's a great time to rethink our wardrobes.

Excerpt:

* What statement do my clothes make about my heart?

* In choosing what clothes to wear today, whose attention do I desire and whose approval do I crave?

* Am I seeking to please God or impress others?

* Is what I wear consistent with biblical values of modesty, selfcontrol and respectable apparel, or does my dress reveal an inordinate identification and fascination with sinful cultural values?

* Who am I trying to identify with through my dress?

Accepted!

2011-04-27T15:37:00.004-04:00

Here it is!

I thank GOD for His grace in all of this. I know He's up to something....

So, off to training in July!

Hello Madai,

Congratulations! Your audition has been accepted. We’ll send you an official letter in the mail soon. Please keep this letter for your records.

Your Audition & Training Records

You will need to log in to access your records. If you haven’t yet set up a website account, you can create one from the “create an account” link on the login page.

Suzuki Association of the Americas
PO Box 17310, Boulder CO 80308
Phone: 1-888-378-9854
http://suzukiassociation.org

La Malagueña

2011-04-25T20:24:00.000-04:00

Easter 2011

2011-04-23T21:58:00.003-04:00

Philippians 2:5-11 (English Standard Version)

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The fort moves outside

2011-04-19T15:23:00.004-04:00

With the woods coming back to life over the past few weeks, the kids are busy building their outdoor fort once again. I love that the kids enjoy the woods.

Avery is amazed by the twisty tree trunk

Butterflies and bugs are everywhere

'F' is for Friends and Fabulous Fish

2011-04-19T15:14:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, our dear neighbors, friends, mentors the Lorenzs invited us over for dinner. Pastor Scott Lorenz actually caught these beauties in Palau a couple of weeks ago and he wanted to share them with us. What a great gift!

Saturday afternoon nap

2011-04-19T15:12:00.004-04:00

Love these two cuddling together.

Never say never

2011-04-10T21:50:00.002-04:00

Okay, I'm ready to come out of the closet. After 20 years, I finally picked up my violin again. Not too long ago, Hannah found my violin in the closet and has since initiated this whole violin thing around the house. Well, over the past few months I have been researching violin teaching methods and I found out that I could try to get certified to teach violin using the Suzuki Method. I had to submit an audition video this past week, and here it is for your listening pleasure (either you enjoy the music, and/or you enjoy watching me make a fool of myself). I should hear from Suzuki in about 6 weeks. I'll let you know their decision.

2011 Spring Camporee

2011-04-10T21:29:00.004-04:00

Yes! I can say we can now say we have camped out in the cold AND rain! And it's as uncomfortable as it sounds for me anyway. Just this weekend, we were able to go with Joshua's Cub Scout Group to their Spring Camporee at Camp Durant in Carthage, NC. This place is boy heaven -- bows and arrows, woods, lakes, shut gun ranges, science exhibits, sticks, critters, and so much more.

I am so thankful for my man, who embraces this boyhood thing wholeheartedly and makes things so fun for Josh!

The girls watching the flag raising ceremony

Boys will be boys

The BEST DAD in the whole world

Bows and arrows

Avery's 4th Birthday

2011-04-10T21:21:00.003-04:00

This past March 16, our baby girl turned 4! It was a lucky thing we were in New Jersey that week, so she got to celebrate her 4th birthday with her abuelas, cousins, aunts, and uncles.

2nd honeymoon

2011-04-10T21:10:00.004-04:00

Here is a picture of Carlos and I in Cancun 3 weeks ago. It's a long story, but everything came together in a way that we were able to drop off our kids with the grandmas and we were able to get away for 4 days. I love my man! He really insisted that we do this, and he made it happen.

We had been here 13 years ago on our honeymoon.

Moriah Armstrong!!!!

2011-03-28T12:45:00.007-04:00

Remember a while back I had introduced to you our dear friends, the Armstrongs? Today they finally met their little boy, Moriah. This is an incredible story! Thank you to all who donated towards this adoption, which cost over $20,000 by the way.

You can click on this picture to see the entire album. This is my fave pic because Moriah is blind, and you can see him reaching out to Daddy by touching him.

Or try:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=58618551831&aid=290268

Homeschool Happenings

2011-03-10T19:42:00.009-05:00

Lots of exciting things happening in our homeschool this week!

1. We completed our Bible reading for the year (17 hours of audio/reading, a little bit everyday since August).
2. Hannah completed her language arts book. She's one chapter away from completing her math book.
3. Josh finished his Writing with Ease book.
4. Avery is loving any time I can give her one-on-one, especially if it involves the violin.
5. Hannah is taking Art Lessons with Ms. Brooke - the best art teacher ever!

In case you're wondering, this is a giraffe eating a leaf (Carlos accidentally called it a dinosaur).

And, just about everybody in the family worked on building these 3 different types of bridges since we've been learning about bridges at our co-op. Yes, it took a long time to build them, but we didn't design everything from scratch, we used this kit.

One is a Truss Bridge, the other is a Roman-style Arch Bridge, and the biggest one (over a yard long) is a suspension bridge.
Pretty cool, right?

Our Musicker gets her instrument!

2011-03-05T13:27:00.003-05:00

Look who got her very own fiddle!! This is my parents' birthday gift to Avery on her 4th birthday. They really had to 'twist my arm' for me to agree to let them spend this kind of money on her. It took all of 2 minutes?

I thank God for my parents, who sacrificed so much to buy me musical instruments from the time I was very young. Now they are doing it for my children. What a special family heritage!

Avery wants to be a musicker

2011-02-22T15:18:00.003-05:00

Here is my baby, soon to be 4 years old!!!

Josh's Pinewood Derby Race

2011-02-16T10:31:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends,

This past weekend Joshua had the chance to race a little car he built with Carlos's help at his Cub Scouts Pack. It was such a neat experience. Josh finished 8th but he competed against boys his age and the next level.

I had been documenting his progress all along, so I was able to put together a short video of the whole experience. I hope you enjoy it!

Hannah puts her phonics to good use

2011-02-08T21:09:00.004-05:00

According to Hannah all we need to live in this world are the "basic necessities".

Desiring God Pastors' Conference

2011-02-06T21:52:00.003-05:00

Look who wanted a picture with my husband this past week!

It's hard to put into words what Dr. Piper and Desiring God mean to our family. We're thankful that God providentially allowed Carlos to attend their Pastors' Conference this past week.

Joshua is 8

2011-02-02T13:16:00.008-05:00

Look who's 8!

Last Friday night we celebrated Josh's 8th birthday by inviting a group of his friends for a sleepover.

Josh also had a great month at Cub Scouts, where he is starting to collect some serious hardware for all his hard work. He recently completed all his Wolf requirements and earned his Wolf badge, so he got to light a candle at the last pack meeting.

His next challenge, the Derby race. Here he is with Carlos working on his little car.

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

2011-01-23T20:48:00.002-05:00

My heart is heavy today as we reflect on all the pain and suffering surrounding the unborn.

Pastor Dwayne shared a great sermon today about The Doctrine of Death and The Grace of Life.

I was also so encouraged to hear a testimony by my dear friends Pastor Mark and Carrie Armstrong who are adopting a sweet special-needs child from the Philippines. They are very close to finalizing the adoption. Can't wait to meet Sweet ____________!

Train them up

2011-01-17T12:25:00.003-05:00

As I was thinking about what has happened in our home this week, the main thought was continued training of the kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

For example, I was asking the kids what the word 'sermon' means as we were about to read the Sermon on the Mount, and Hannah jumped up with her answer. 'Mom, a sermon is a snake.' I think she was thinking of a serpent.

Okay, we need to continue to work on this. Continued training - that's the main thought.

Josh's Time Trials

2011-01-08T22:38:00.001-05:00

Here is Josh during swim time trials earlier today. He's come a long way. We're so proud of him!

New Years Eve 2010-2011

2011-01-01T15:11:00.006-05:00

After 8 years of spending New Years Eve Day at home due to infants/toddlers, yesterday we ventured out to enjoy the Raleigh festivities. It was a great time!

Later on, we welcomed the new year at home with some sweet friends from church. Avery made it til 11pm, and Hannah actually made it to midnight!

These kids are growing up... it's the recurring theme in this blog.

This is what we really do on Sunday nights

2010-12-30T20:26:00.003-05:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Thanks to my sister for putting together the video!!!!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T20:15:00.004-05:00

Avery by the Advent Wreath.

Avery with her candle as we sang Silent Night.

"He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near." Ephesians 2:18

Tonight, Pastor Dwayne preached about the peace we have with God because of His incarnation. He preached from this verse, which happens to be one of my favorite ones ever. I love to think about Jesus coming. He didn't send somebody else to take care of it. He left his glorious home to come to us. We have no idea how much of a sacrifice this is because we have no idea what His home is like. But, by coming, he brought peace to those of us who were far away. It's marvelous to me!

What a blessing it was to come together as the body of Christ tonight in celebration of his birth! I took some pictures of the kids, especially Avery who doesn't get to worship in the big sanctuary often.

The Nutcracker

2010-12-23T10:01:00.002-05:00

This week we had a chance to go see Act 2 of the Nutcracker by the North Carolina Ballet. Beautiful live music, vibrant set and lights, gorgeous costumes, amazing artistic expression, and on and on... love it! Here are the girls with their beloved Nutcrackers.

Christmas Carols

2010-12-23T09:58:00.000-05:00

Two peas in a pod

2010-12-14T20:43:00.003-05:00

These two love to cuddle together... especially early in the morning (7am). Sometimes Josh reads to Avery, sometimes they just cuddle. How cute is that? Hannah usually misses out because, in Josh's own words, "she's a sleepyhead."

Mommy, what does virgin mean?

2010-12-14T20:33:00.003-05:00

She's growing up!! She's lost her first tooth this week!

Some other signs that my little girl is not so little anymore....

I was not expecting to have 'the talk' over our morning devotions. We were reading from Luke, and I was hoping to unpack the story of Christmas a little bit more with the kids this morning. But Hannah was fixated on the word 'virgin'. We ended up talking about God's design for sex and it was a good talk. Later on tonight, over dinner, I asked the kids to tell Dad what we had talked about this morning during devotions. He almost fell backwards hearing the kids talk about sex. "Next time, please give me a heads up", he said to me.

It's Christmas!

2010-12-04T13:22:00.003-05:00

Christmas is here!

We're excited about building on those family traditions we've had since the kids were very young. One special thing around this time a year is the nativity set the girls love to play with; which has also served as a great tool to teach the Christmas story. This set has been around since Josh was 11 months.

Last night, the ladies from the Spanish Ministry at our church had a Christmas fellowship. Parties are also such a special part of the Christmas season.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-30T18:34:00.004-05:00

We are thankful for a blessed and relaxed Thanksgiving Day with family. First, we ate at my sister's, and then we ate again at my Mother-in-law's.

Here is Josh with Elizabeth, Carlos' sister. In the background, Tio Pepe and Tia Maria Isabel.

And Josh with Abuela Gliceria.

My older sister Luany with my brother, Hector.

The whole family minus my brother-in-law, Bob, who took the picture. Actually, Luany is missing too. She must have been in the kitchen.

Gliceria's Flan de Calabaza

2010-11-30T18:25:00.006-05:00

This is my Mother-in-Law's awesome recipe for Pumpkin Flan. Early new year's resolution for me: learn how to make it -- well!

Flan de Calabaza de Gliceria

Ingredientes:

1 calabaza
1 lata de leche condensada
1 lata de leche evaporada
6 yemas de huevo
Un palo de canela (o un tsp. de canela)
Una cucharada de maicena
Una cucharada de vainilla
Un pizco de sal

Direcciones:

1. Corta la calabaza en pedazos, la limpias de todas las semillas, y la pones a herbir en agua con su cáscara, un poco de sal, y el palo de canela hasta que se ablande. Saca la calabaza y déjala que se enfríe, por lo menos por unas 6 horas.

2. Echa la masa de la calabaza en la batidora y batela poco a poco con un poco de leche evaporada. No batas toda la calabaza de una vez, sino de tandas en tandas.

3. Echa todo el puré de calabaza con leche evaporada en un caldero, y echale el resto de la lata de leche evaporada que te haya sobrado, echale la lata de leche condensada y la cucharada de vainilla. Echale la cucharada de maicena mezclada con leche para que el flan se ponga mas durito. Pon toda esta mezcla a cocinar a fuego lento. Se demora unos 45 minutos. Apaga el fuego y deja que la mezcla se enfríe.

4. Prepara el caramelo en la tártara donde vas a poner el flan. Cuando ya este lista, deposita la mezcla de calabaza con huevos y leche en la tártara y ponla en el refrigerador a enfriar.

Cuba Video

2010-11-20T13:30:00.000-05:00

Cuba Trip Update

2010-11-18T15:56:00.004-05:00

Hello Friends,

Thank you for all your prayers. Both the US and Cuban teams had a great week. Here are some pictures:

This is the hosting family. He is the lead pastor. His name is Joel Utria.

This is a baptismal pool one of the pastors built in his backyard all on his own.

Here is the church where most of the training was held.

Some of the families.

Carlos and a team are in Cuba this week

2010-11-11T09:12:00.003-05:00

Friends,

Please keep Carlos, my brother-in-law Armando, and Pastor Jose Abella from Miami in your prayers. They are in Cuba this week serving the Cuban churches.

Hannah is 6

2010-11-08T19:40:00.004-05:00

Last week we celebrated Hannah's 6th birthday. On her birthday, she noticed she has her very first loose tooth. How exciting is that?!

Operation Christmas Child

2010-11-04T12:25:00.003-04:00

Hello Friends,

It's OCC National Collection Week! If you are not familiar with Operation Christmas Child and the shoeboxes, please watch this video.

Here in Wake Forest, Lifeway bookstore at the Seminary is collecting boxes up until 11/15/10.

If you print your tag off their website, you can actually track your box and see it what country it went to.

www.samaritanspurse.org

Blessings to all of you!

Outdoors Fall Day

2010-10-28T20:57:00.004-04:00

We had so much to do today, but... it was so nice outside, and after weeks sitting in front of this silly computer screen trying to finish some of my school work, I felt the very real urge to get my hands in the dirt. So we decided to collect leaves for our fall design, and I spent some time weeding my little plot of land. This year, most of my gardening went wrong, but to my surprise, I found these tomatoes today!

And, I did my American duty! I voted early!!!

Look Who's Taking to Piano

2010-10-26T14:10:00.002-04:00

Here is Josh attempting to delight his uncle, my brother, who is a professional pianist on his birthday this past 10/13/10.

I love hearing Josh play! He plays all the time, especially in the evening at bedtime so he can delay the inevitable.

Girls with Manners and Curls

2010-10-19T13:34:00.002-04:00

How we have tried to convince Hannah that her curls are beautiful!

But, do you remember the poetry book we had been reading? One of the poems is talking about a tiger who wants to wear white gloves, but he's told that's not for him, because:

"white gloves are for girls
with manners and curls
and dresses and hats
and bow ribbons"

What wonders this little poem has done for her! All of the sudden, it's cool to have curls.

You can listen to the author, Gwendolyn Brooks, reading this wonderful poem. It's worth it!

Devotions

2010-10-14T10:15:00.006-04:00

It has been my experience that training the children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6) is the hardest thing I am called to do.The main reason for that, I think, is my own sinfulness expressed in the form of pride, impatience, laziness, selfishness, to name a few. But thankfully Paul encourages me in Romans 8 to live by the Spirit, to ask for His help, to commit myself and my children to God.

I say all that because sometimes we (the Socas) have really hard weeks when it comes to this spiritual training, when it feels like we are taking steps backwards. And then out of that comes a week like this week, where the kids have been hungry for the Word, asking for Proverbs so they can grow in wisdom and understanding.

God is so gracious to encourage me when I feel so defeated.

Here they are, highlighting their favorite verses this week. I pray this Word will come alive in them. Hard times will come when they will be tested. By their fruit they will be known.

Poetry Fun

2010-10-09T18:23:00.004-04:00

What a great poetry book! Just pure fun.

This one is also nice for children.

Blue Ridge Mountains

2010-10-05T10:50:00.010-04:00

Hello Friends,

Over this past weekend, we were able to get away for a little R&R.

This is the Moses Cone Memorial Park near Blowing Rock. See the lake at the bottom there? Well, we had the bright idea of walking down with the kids, all 2.6 miles of it.

Half way down the trail, we had to take a little break.

By the time we got to the lake, the kids were fully re-energized, though I was worn out.

Hannah had been begging me to do some face painting with her, so I got a library book, bought my paints from Walmart and gave it my best shot. The kids had a blast, so I guess it worked out.

Josh and Carlos finally finished their car engine model they started building back in January. The project had to be put on hold when they found they were missing some parts. By the time the replacements arrived, it was hard to find the time to complete the project, but it was the perfect pass time for our weekend getaway.

Forgiveness of Sins

2010-09-17T20:22:00.001-04:00

I need the Gospel today more than ever!

More school fun

2010-09-16T19:45:00.004-04:00

Last week, we studied King John and the Magna Carta and so the kids came up with their own Magna Cartas to hang up in their rooms. Thankfully, Josh asked that we do only one of those things on his list, not all of them.

And Avery finally convinced me to pull out the paints.

Fall Book

2010-09-16T19:41:00.002-04:00

Here is another great book we've been enjoying. I can't wait till fall is in full swing!

Pooh Bear

2010-09-16T10:29:00.004-04:00

We thoroughly enjoyed this audio dramatization of The Collected Stories of Winnie-the-Pooh. What sweet stories!

Hannah learning grammar

2010-09-04T12:50:00.002-04:00

I would have never thought to teach Hannah about the parts of speech and pronouns in kindergarten, but thankfully, our awesome classical co-op makes it easy and fun to teach her.

At the end, Hannah points out Avery's favorite pronoun, the first person singular possessive: "mine".

Our Toothless Wolf Scout

2010-09-01T07:15:00.002-04:00

Josh has finally lost his top front teeth! He also started his beloved Cub Scouts again. This year promises to be an exciting one, their first camping trip is coming up soon.

13

2010-08-16T20:59:00.002-04:00

"Coming home to you is the highlight of my day" -Carlos said to me recently.

Happy 13th wedding anniversary!

First official day of school

2010-08-10T20:56:00.003-04:00

Back to school. We've been working on different things throughout the summer, but today was our official first day back at the table. And look who else is now sitting at the table?! She is such a big girl!

I thank God for the opportunity to homeschool these kids. I love learning with them.

Thou Shalt Not Tell a Little Fib

2010-08-06T16:55:00.006-04:00

Last time I recorded Avery, she must have been on a spiritual high, reciting all these wonderful bible verses about living in the spirit and not in the flesh. Well, yesterday I happened to catch her messing with my camera. She must have been in the flesh at that time, because she has no trouble flat out denying her mischief.

Abellas in the house

2010-08-06T16:38:00.006-04:00

Dani and Hannah in 2005

Dani and Hannah this week

Everyone together this week

Avery and Karis

When we met the Abellas, they had four children and we had two, including a young infant. Six years later, they are up to six kids and we are up to three. If we keep going at this rate.... well you can do the math :) It was nice to see them and the children this week, after 3 years since they moved to Florida.

What about Avery?

2010-07-24T20:32:00.002-04:00

In the previous post, I recorded some of the fun things Josh and Hannah have been up to this month. Now, as far as Avery, please bear with me, I had to videotape her because I think she's so cute. She has been memorizing some questions and answers from her catechism book. In case you are wondering what's with her outfit, she is wearing her cousin's purple leotard which is huge on her.

She is also learning Romans 8:1-2 along with the rest of the family. These are big, big words, and we never meant for her to learn them, but she picks it up from being around her big brother and sister.

Romans 8 - Life in the Spirit (ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Summer fun

2010-07-24T19:43:00.007-04:00

Hello Friends,

We've been enjoying this summer so much! Earlier in the month, we had NJ family and friends visit us for a week. Sometime since, Carlos celebrated his 36th birthday, and the kids have been busy at some camps and at home. Here are some pictures.

Josh and Hannah at our church's Power Camp, where they learned about the parable of the "Pearl of Great Value".

Here is Josh with his Huddle Group

Here is Hannah signing the Spirit Shark

While Josh was at Science camp, Hannah and Avery put on quite a few performances for me, changing outfits, many, many, many, times. They also hosted a great Tea party for mom.

At Science Camp, Josh learned all about the Nautilus shell, and lots of neat fact about Oceanography, and he was able to negotiate about 9 silly bandz from his friends

Carlos' Birthday Cake

Here is Josh trying to catch a frog on our pumpkin patch.

And last, but not least, here we are working on our 600 Piece Global Puzzle, something I hope to turn into a summer tradition. It took us about 2 weeks to get it done, and this is the 2nd year we do it.

The LAST piece!

Dad - the best coach in the world

2010-07-12T13:47:00.004-04:00

This past week, Josh attended North Wake Church's Runners Camp. I'm blown away by the hard work and the incredible team that it took to pull off that camp. Of all the great things that happened as a result of this camp, one of my favorite has to be watching Carlos and Josh working together. Carlos is such a good and proud dad!

Here is Carlos running the 400m alongside Josh cheering him on

Back in Jersey

2010-06-24T10:12:00.007-04:00

Here is a picture of my Mother-in-law's balcony view of the Hudson River and the NY skyline. This is her new apartment that God provided for her in a miraculous way. It's a great little place, in a great location, with many of the conveniences we were praying for.

The town where she now lives is called West New York, NJ. According to a 2003 census, the population of WNY at the time was 47,500 in a total of 1.3 square miles. It's hard to wrap my mind around that fact! WNY is surrounded by Union City, with a population of close to 70,000 in 1.7 square miles, and other small towns with similar statistics.

This is why I marvel at how God has provided for my Mother-in-law. With us being 500 miles away from her, and her being a widow, we feel a huge burden for her well being. But, our Sovereign God has it all under control. He is so good!

Josh's Birthday Present for Mom

2010-06-16T12:02:00.002-04:00

Here is Josh playing the Happy Birthday song for me on my birthday, a tune he figured out all on his own. He also played for me "The Party Song" from his piano book.

Oh, How I Love Daddy!

2010-06-16T10:34:00.004-04:00

Carlos made a promise to Hannah and Avery that one day he would wear a pink shirt, just like they love to wear. This past week, while on vacation, he finally got his pink shirt on. Hannah was so thrilled. We overheard her singing (to the tune of Oh, How I Love Jesus)

Oh, how I love daddy
Oh, how I love daddy
Oh, how I love daddy
because he dressed like me

Adopting

2010-06-06T17:52:00.010-04:00

This is my good friend, Carrie Armstrong. The Armstrongs are precious family who have inspired me over the past year beyond what I can write on a blog post. Their testimony is so neat, their little boy became very very ill, but the Lord restored his health in an amazing way. He's doing well now, though they have a long way to go.

I just found out this past weekend that they are in the process of adopting a little boy from the Philippines. This little boy is blind, and he has other disabilities.

Mark and Carrie are far from wealthy. Mark is a pastor at our church, and they live a very simple life. They are doing everything they can to save up the money they need to bring this little boy into their home. They are also going to incur lots of medical expenses to help him improve his quality of life.

Our family will do our best to help them out financially as well as praying for them.

I never ask my friends (not that many people read my blog) for money. I know all of you are already involved in supporting so many good ministries and causes. But, if you are able to make a small (or large) donation to help this family bring this little boy home, please consider doing it. Every little bit ($10) will help them.

Once, I heard a quote really convicted me: "if we Christians are going to be against abortion, we need to be for adoption", so this is a way we can show our support for adoption and for the sanctity of human life.

Carrie is on facebook. Or you can email her at Carrie Armstrong .

Or you can email me or call me.

Hannah, again, enjoying some other form of art

2010-06-03T21:15:00.003-04:00

Hannah has been taking dance lessons for the past few months. As with all things 'art', she loves it. Last week, there was a parent observation session, and we finally got to have peak.

Goodbye Garcells

2010-05-30T20:14:00.003-04:00

Here we go again... our dear friends and co-laborers in the ministry are moving to Florida. It's heart-wrenching for us. My only consolation is that one day we will be joined again for all eternity with them and with all our other friends with whom we've had to part ways.

Here are two pictures that sort of date the time that we lived life together, both are pictures of Samantha and Hannah.

Biblical Productivity by CJ Mahaney

2010-05-17T21:12:00.002-04:00

This is a great article. I had posted it once before but that link is not working. Here it is again.

Biblical Productivity by CJ Mahaney

You can't see me, mommy

2010-05-16T22:09:00.002-04:00

"Mommy, in the dark, I suck my thumb, at night, in my bed, cuz you can't see me, and I like it..."

"Mommy, may I suck YOUR thumb, may I?"

¡Viva el Español!

2010-05-07T23:16:00.004-04:00

Over the past several weeks, we have been busy working hard on our Spanish. I've been teaching a class with our homeschool group, and it's been so much fun!

Here is a link to our class blog. Can you believe some of those kids have been learning Spanish only for a few weeks?

www.madaisoca.blogspot.com

Field trips

2010-04-29T17:46:00.003-04:00

Field trips are always fun, but the symphony is definitely the highlight of our school year, even Dad took the day off to join us.

We also got to visit a Normal Rockwell Exhibition with Josh's cub scout group last week. It was a treat to check out real Rockwells, a painter we had studied last year with our homeschool group.

The zoo - a day of family and ministry fun

2010-04-27T10:39:00.003-04:00

This past saturday, the Spanish group from church went to the zoo together for a day of fun and fellowship. It was nice to get to know each other a little bit better while having fun with our own families. Here are some pictures.

Hannah and her instruments

2010-04-17T13:43:00.001-04:00

Here are some videos of Hannah playing violin and piano:

And one more:

Sliding down the stairs

2010-04-11T21:13:00.000-04:00

Camporee

2010-04-11T19:57:00.004-04:00

This weekend the family went camping with Josh's Cub Scout pack. Other than the 40 degree overnight weather, it was a blast. Here are some pics.

Hannah's Love Letter

2010-04-11T12:01:00.002-04:00

Jesus yor the best

thak u for dieg on the kross

Jesus u savd os frum awr sins