It's been nothing but trials and smiles since I last typed in this journal. I have banned myself for a month to dedicate more time to praying, reading Bible, and spending time with the family. I didn't realize how bored I must have been to be on the computer so much. But I have to say that it is some what therapeutic when the trials become overwhelming and you need to just unload some of the things that have been going on lately.

I guess I'll start with the good.

Well Gabe and I celebrated our 11th anniversary April 12, and I wrote a little tribute to Gabe accompanied with a load of memories that hasn't been posted yet because my grammar is so horrible, and Gabe still has to edit the page. He said it needs alittle attention. But I think its really bad otherwise it would be done by now. I'm almost tempted to post it as it is but I don't want to hurt Gabes feelings. Gabes Dad and his newly wedded wife Grace graciously watched the kid does for Gabe and I while we went to starbucks and a Mediterranean restaurant. I wore these killer high heels. They where cute but they where literally killing my feet. I am a natural born tom boy in some cases.

We visited my sister Lisa and her boys (such a blessed time), and we went to two different birthday parties, that turned out to be wonderful including the food, and especially my friend Camisha's fruit salad that she brought to her twin sister Courtney's little girl's birthday party. I went to my friend Winnie's daughters birthday party. What a great time we had fellowshiping and witnessing to her unsaved niece. It was a hot conversation. But good. 

Last week The family spent a couple of days in San Diego visiting Sea World with our home school group, and our good friends, Ruby & Richard. We had an adventure that I will have to share about later, but WE saw all sorts of Gods beautifully created Sea Creatures. Of course every time We go through the shark tunnel I worry that the big one is gonning to happen, and that all the sharks are gonna break loose and have us for lunch (You'll have to forgive my morbid sinful brain. I was forced to watch scary movies like Jaws and Piranha's, as a kid, and Finding Nemo as an adult). I loved the Polar bears, they look so cute and cuddly, like a big teddy bear, or a huge loving family dog. But those creatures can rip me to pieces. They are very dangerous wild animals. We also saw a cool friendly walrus that came right up to the window for me to take a picture of it. Trinity loved the flamingoes. (She loves birds. She says,"BUUUU" and points whenever she see's a bird or a picture of a bird.) So when she saw all of the flamingoes, she screams and holds onto the railing because she doesn't want to leave. And if I let her go she would have dived right into the water with the birds. Sea World is a neat place to visit, but not a neat place to eat for $60 pizza's that taste like cafeteria food, and that you have to guard from the huge fat seagulls that will take food right out of your hand. If we would have known ed we where going to end up on a wild adventure/goose chase, we would have packed lunches. But we ended up having a good time watching the kids trip out on all the Sea creatures.

Ruby and Richard are so fun to hang out with. We played pictionary(boys against girls), and guess who won? You got it, GIRLS RULE! YAH MAN. j/k I think they let us win. But Ruby cooked a wonderful dinner as always, and we talked and did allot of catching up on what's been going on in each others lives. I'm excited for Ruby because she's going to be going on a missions trip to Australia to do a lot of things. I can't wait till she gets back. Pray for Ruby, her Hubby, and kids. I was sad to leave except when I realized that they where having a going away party for Ruby's brother who just joined the military and a birthday party for Jasmine. The party was great. Our other friends Rick and Rosie who are good friends of Ruby and Richards, showed up to make the party even more fun. Balloon fights, games, food, prayers, laughter, and fellowship always makes my day.

Now the bad.

Sickness. Tiredness, overwhelmed ness is not what I long for. But is what God longs to use in my life to developed patience, faith, love, trust, and an eternal hope and perspective.

First off. My advise is, never stay at the comfort Inn at Hotel circle unless you want to be leaving at 11:30 at night because of a little wretched creature called a cockroach that crawls across your chest. Yes another one of my worst fears. And God uses it to bless us and teach us some good old hubby and wifely tests of love and endurance. I was so proud of Gabe. When we checked into our hotel we where already exhausted from the drive, eating dinner, (which was free for the kids because we ate at Denny's) and getting lost because San Diego streets are so loopy. So Calvin Ezekiel Trinity and I are watching this weird wrestling show called Tap Out, or something like that. And Gabe is on a coffee/Water run. I snuggle into the covers and Mr. Lacucaracha comes to say hi. I scream flip it of to the ground, turn on the light and smash that wretched insect with the phone book. Then I start taking pictures and filming it. Of course its still alive, but its stuck to a phone book. So I call gabe. He says I'll be right there. He comes in the room and says lets get out of here. So we pas sthe lobby as the receptionist looks straight down at her computer with no response. Yes we got our money back, and No they didn't even care. So here we are driving around  after midnight going from hotel to hotel for them to say that there where no rooms available. The Lord directed us to this one. I tell gabe,"let me try to go in and sweet talk them". So I go in and this big mean looking Mama comes out asking in a firm voice what I needed. I shrivel up in humility and explain how we needed a room for the night. She gives me a price that I didn't want. But something in her drives her to have mercy on me by giving me a discount and telling us where to park so we didn't have to be charged the parking fee. She has someone immediately bring a crib to the room that she put us in close to where we parked. And we get to the room, and there's a whole different vibe, a whole different atmosphere. allot cleaner, homey,friendly,cozy andmore features. We all crash at 2:30 A.M. to get up at 6:30 A.M. to meet the home school group at 8:45 A.M. in front of Sea World so that we can all go in as a group to get the discount. So we get up get ready. The hotel is really nice during the day. We had no idea that we where in a little old town. Where they have all these souvenir shops and hole in the wall restaurants. The hotel was so big that it climbed up the side of the hill. But at 8:00 in the morning, nothing is open to eat breakfast. So we drive all over the town panicking( me more so, Gabe just panics about me panicking). Nothing. So we don't eat until the sea world food restaurants open at 11:30, and I have to fight the crowds to get first in line because I was waiting there with my kids and hubby with no food in our tummy's.

The next day we come back late at night from Ruby & Richards. We enjoy the extra day we spent for the sake of getting our moneys worth out of the hotel.We wake up, check out, then start to explore the little town. We start to walk up this little hill, which turned into a hike. I had to carry Ezekiel. So as we neared the end of the block it says on a sign,"no outlet". I told Gabe that there's probably some old man that sits by the window of his house watching the tourists hike there way up to the hill, Saying "There they go again, Boy I can't wait to see there faces when they hike back down. So we get to a Mexican restaurants sit down order and no one wants to eat. So Gabe,Calvin and I eat quickly. As we are getting up to leave, a couple of musicians come buy and ask if we wanted to have a song played for me or the kids. Gabe feels obligated so agrees to have them play a song for the kids. They ask Calvin and Zeekie. Well Zeekie is mute around strangers, and Calvin doesn't know any Spanish music. So they offered La Cu Ca Racha. We reluctantly agreed. But the boys loved it, so I felt obligated after noticing there little notes on the guitar that said thank you tips. So I thought Gabe had a couple of dollars in his wallet and gestured for him to tip them. I won't tell how much. I was then complaining about a hat since I got fried the day before. I cook fast in the sun. So all of the little hats where like 20 bucks. But we finally found a Chinese hat for only $4. we entered this cute little shop with family type gifts and all. They where playing Christian hymns and had a couple of Christian books. So I got excited along with Calvin. But I wondered why the people there where giving me dirty looks and the vibe was unpleasant. I forgot that Mormons do fildtrips for the schools there and that all of the Mormons hang up flags outside of there buildings first thing in the morning, and take kids on tours through the Mormon museum, and they start at the shops, because Calvin and I where watching them early in the morning from the balcony hotel. I also had a shirt on that said in red letters on black. WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM? with a big red cross in the middle. I know the bad vibe when I see it because I've had it plenty of times. Anyhow. WE leave the town to visit the first Mission ever built in California. It was a neat place to take pictures. I was board but Calvin and Gabe where very interested. Calvin gave me a tour and explained everything that he read in a book about missions and all. We hop in the car and head back home. I am driving in the sun, while everyone is asleep. Gabe and I have to switch because I get tired. So he blesses me with a nice big strawberry frapachino with whip cream and caramel. YUMA, YUMMY. We finally get home with the realization that Trinity had a very high fever. So Gabe and I have to try to keep the fever down all night into the morning. Gabe and I get up and start our day. he goes to work and I struggle getting The Professor to do his schoolwork diligently without daydreaming or playing with the other two. I threatened him with no privileges several times giving him chance after chance to do it or else we don't go to Jasmines birthday party. Of course I want to go but he dosn't get why I am pressuring him to get it done so that I can shave their heads (not Trinity's) put my make-up on, get them showers, dressed, and ready by the time Gabe gets home for work so that we won't be to late.

Sunday,Mothers day I was blessed with a bitter sweet surprise. Gabe takes me back to San Diego, to our favorite vacation spot and resort town, Carlse Bad. But once again trials arise, but I wont go into detail, all except for the fact that I had to buy another hat, (this one was overpriced) and a pair of sandals, because we came straight from church and I was still wearing my high heels ( my most comfortable pair). After my fit about an empty stomach and my sensitivity about the UV rays, we began to walk to ttry to find food. This man comes riding up on his bike in the middle of the street yelling at his two little boys riding behind him. Yelling,"STAY BEHIND ME"!! traffic was heavy. We where concerned as everyone else probably was. Heyelled again at a woman safley riding her long beach cruser in the bike lane with her little girl on a seat behind her . The man (obviously her husband) yelled,"Where are you going?" She yelled,"back to the hotel!!" But like us on foot, she was using the cross walk to get back, not the crazy intersection. we cross, and her long bike begins to tip over with her little girl on the back seat. Gabe and I are there to catch the bike. We comfort the mom and tell her that God is watching over her. She is thankful and then her husband calls out, Are you Ok? Gabe and I are so happy that we were there to save someone from getting hurt. We walk around a bit more finally eat, and then wonder why Zeekie is not so hungry. We then visit a few shops including this really irry book shop that Gabe and I both agreed had a witch working there. Right waway this lady gives me the creepiest look. I just give her a peoud look back thinking that my God is GOD ALMIGHTY. We leave. And as we get back to the car Gabe asked me if I thought that the lady was a witch. I said I don't know but I got a weird vibe in that store and at that moment as we are talking about it we are driving out of the town and gabe points at a sign that says witch creek. I'm like, Confirmation. We drive back all the way home, and I haveto go grocery shopping. It takes me about two hours. I get home to find out that Zeekie has a really high fever. So Gabe and I are up all night again. And into the next day I find myself trying to keep down 102.5 fever. He is lethargic, and making no sence, so I call the doctor to ask if blood shot fuffy eyes are of concern. They ask me what his temreture is and tell me that 102 is an emergency to bring him in right away. I tell them itscold, I dont have any transportation (car seats in other car) and I have two other kids. They advise me to take him to the urgent care. So here I am, I can't get ahold of Gabe. And I am thinking of our lives without our funny sweeet little Ezekiel. So I begin to cry out to God and give Zeekie into Gods hands. I tell God that Zeekie is yours and that if you want to take hime home He is yours. I then have a peace about it that surpasses all understanding. I give zeekie his medicin. I tell him God bless you. He says I love you. And things like I want yto go home, Is Jesus going to give me a mansion. I say Yes sweety realy big. Zeekie says no little. So he falls asleep, and a half hour later the fever is completly gone, and Gabe arrive sto a normal household. I stay home from a home school meeting and serve the family with JOY. Now we have a whole new set of trials dealing with our apartment manager in getting this getto apartment fixed. May God get all the Glory.