I've been having bad lower back aches or the past week. I refuse to turn into a back aching whiny old lady at 31 (lol) so I've decided to lose 30lbs. I need to lose a lot more than that but I like to do small goals at a time so that the task doesn't seem to daunting for me and I quit. Since Monday I've been doing Slim Fast. I do a shake for bf, fruit for lunch and snack and then a regular dinner. I don't know if I've lost weight yet, but the last time I did SF in December I lost 10lbs in 2 weeks. My obesity is not what gave me the back pain. About 10 years ago I lifted something very heavy and that messed me up. Usually though my back doesn't bother me until late in pregnancies, but this time unfortunately I am not pregnant yet my back is aching. I think though that this time I threw out my back while cleaning our KIA van. I hopee that by loosing a big chunk of fat, specially off my belly, it will take strain away and I will feel better.

As for the rest of the familia, the kids have been so happy that we have our van back. We've been out almost everyday to the park and the library and such. I've missed it too! There have been times that we've felt like Rapunzels, stuck in our tower with no way out. The kids get bored and I have had to find ways to keep them busy. For the most part it has been tolerable, but my babies and I need to get out most days. God is so good to us though and I am so grateful He has provided for us to get the van fixed and here to AZ. Now I can make more plans to take advantage of the free museum days and to explore more of the area with the kids. I know there are many nice outdoor spots to walk about around here. I have to do more research on that. I would also love for us to begin doing volunteer work. I'm not sure where we can do that and include the little ones like Eva and Nicky, so I pray there are places that will take us. I want our kids to get used to not just thinking about themselves and that they think they need, but that they learn to follow in the steps of our Savior Jesus Christ and put the needs of others above their own. That is a lesson I also need to learn.

I haven't writen on here for several days. I've been busy. Mostly with the kids but we've also been out of town. Last week we went to mysister Beatty's new house to pick up the van that was at my mom's old house. It was so nice seeing my family again.
When we got home we were able to enjoy the house all to ourselves because the in laws are gone. They come back tomorrow, so that means I better get to cleaning so they don't complain to Nick. Not that the house is very dirty. Lord knows I spend all day wiping counters and sweeping floors. It's mostly things that the kids play with that get all over the place. In a regular home those things would not matter but living with older folks who want a retirement house more than a child house I must make sure to keep some sort of order in order to keep the peace. So until we get our own place that is the way it has to be.
Anyways, Rosie has been working on a "series" she's making with MS Paint and Windows Movie Maker. believe she's gifted by God. What she has done being just 9 is so good and as she gets older her talent will get more refined, if that is what she desires to do.
Isabella loves to paint and she was glad when I found the paints that my mom bought us last time she was here. I would love to buy Bella a more serious painting equipment. There is one things that she paints every time. After she paints other things like trees or faces, she mixes all of her paints together and covers an entire page with paint. I wonder what she means by doing that. I asked her why she does that and she said "Because I like it. I think it looks pretty." She's so cute!
Nicky likes to paint too and as always he is very chaotic when he does. That's who he is, a boy, and I love him like that! Eva dances and dances and dances to any tune on the TV. I'e been wanting to hand her paints and a brush to see what she does.

I'm thanking God for his provisions. Nick had a good festival this weekend and I pray this is the start of a great season.
The kids and I stayed at home most of the time this past weekend (with one walk to the park). We kept busy, though Isabella who is more of an outdoor kind of gal would have liked for us to go somewhere. Yesterday since Nick was finally home we had a nice afternoon of shopping and had an all-you-can eat Asian dinner, yummy!
During the day though we spent the hours reading library books, using the computer, Nicky and I fixed our leaky toilet, cleaning, playing a math board game, playing Candy Land, making a planter for planting potatoes out of an empty laundry detergent bucket, putting up our continents of the world posters and figuring out where the family lives all over the world.
We bought Rosie an art kit that included different types of drawing materials and we also got her 2 sketch books, so I assume she will stay busy experimenting with that for a long time.
We still need to get soil for our potatoes and I found a great project to teach the kids about Easter so I need to get the materials for that too.
This morning Nicky and Isabella woke up very energetic (I guess most mornings they do) so they made masks out of copy paper and a pen and are running around the house roaring and chasing each other. I'm surprised Evangeline is still asleep because they are loud!

Things have been so peaceful in my soul and with my babies. Nick and I are growing in Christ through many things that the Lord has taught us lately. But with that come the attacks from Satan. Though my spirit is full of God's light, there is much darkness all around me. Lord, help me not to get oppressed by the ugliness of other people. Let your light drown out that darkness and give me the grace and love I need to give those people. It's so hard, but I know your power is great in my weakness.
In Jesus'name I pray.

Bella and Nicky were just in the front yard playing when suddenly I hear them let out blood curdling screams and they both stampede into the house, sobbing. I just about had a heart attack because I though something really terrible had just happened (of course I'm right by the door watcing them so I don't see anything is wrong which scares me even more). Through their screams I make out that they are saying "Bee!". Ay, ay, ay, it really turned out to be just a flying beattle. After getting over my own adrenaline surge (and after the feeling came back to my limbs) I had to bite my lip to keep myself from laughing at how cute they were fearing a beattle as if it were a man eating beast! LOL

Nick began selling yesterday and the Pinal Co. Fair. We pray for abundant sales for us and all the vendors there!
The kiddos and I have been home staying busy as always. This week it's been warm and the days have been gorgeous so we've spent a lot of time outside. The kids swim, jump on the trampoline, dig in the dirt, play at the park. I found an old science kit that came with a solar cell that powers a small motor so Nicky and Bella put together a solar powered fan. Nicky LOVES it and spends hours outside experimenting with it. He also has a new favorite movie, "That Thing You Do". He watches it and plays and sings along with the band in the movie. We've also done a lot of baking and cooking together.
I love these days spent with my babies! They seem to go by so quickly and the kids grow so fast. I feel tremendously blessed to be able to have the honor and privilege to have my kids these few precious years with me. Oh, nothing is better in life! God is good =).

Eva is moving from babyhood to toddlerhood more each day. She's mastered the stairs for one. She's been able to climb them for many months, well before she could even walk. However, she just learned how to go down the stairs by. That gives me some relief, but I will not remove the baby gate completely since she is still very small and not big enough to be let free to climb up and down the stairs like the other kids. Well, honestly the main reason is because we live with the in laws and they don't keep the upstairs very safe for baby to roam on her own. If we lived on our own I would make the rooms safe for her to play in. So for now the downstairs gate stays on. She also understand a whole lot more. She can follow any command I give her. If I ask her to get a diaper, she does. If I ask her to get off something she does. She can turn lights and TV's on and off and knows what those actions mean. Today for the first time she was able to play in the playground by her self with out my constant presence next to her. Of course I remained close by and kept a very watchful eye on her. She noticed that too. When I took her off the stroller she walked a few feet away from me, paused and turned to look at me and gave me a little mischievous smile as if saying "Do you realise how far I've gone from you?". When I smiled back at her she ran even further toward the playground and again she turned to look at me with that same smile. I smiled again and waved at her saying "Hi Eva!". Suddenly it hit her that I was letting her free and she went on to play with no more doubts that she was now on her own to have fun.
At the park we also had a very delicious picnic lunch that Isabella had prepared for us. The only problem was that she didn't make enough sandwiches so there was a bit of drama because of that. Bella ate too many, Rosie didn't get enough. In the end Rosie decided she didn't like the sandwiches after all and she ate a Go-gurt yogurt and drank some water. We finished eating our apples and played a bit more then we went home. It was a beautiful though very warm day so we were relieved to be back home.
Isabella decided to go for a swim and Rosie played for a while in the computer.