Molinas in Quarantine

This family has learned a lot from being stuck at home: 

1. Our lifestyle really hasn't changed much. PJ still has to go to work, the kids are not in school or day care, I don't have any prior commitments (besides outings, play dates, and Disneyland), and online shopping is a general rule for household or personal items. I'm very grateful for this time I have to be reminded of the abundant blessings we have. 

2. Groceries are difficult to get when everyone is being forced to stay home. Praise the Lord, we have what we need and enough to go week by week, it's just hard to make a more preferred menu. I am certainly grateful for the ability to make a menu for the week and set up a healthy eating plan for our family on a regular basis.

3. People are weird when it comes to social distancing. When I am able to go grocery shopping, people are not unkind, but they seem to be uncertain of how to act with other people. It's as if the government ordered us all to become socially awkward. When this is all over, I will find even more ways to connect with others while we are shopping together, even if it's just to talk about the weather or how old their baby is in the infant section at Target. 

4. I miss shopping with my kids. As annoying as it is when I have to correct them when they grab everything off of the shelves, I miss walking up and down the toy aisles and browsing the dresses. I miss my boy pointing at all of the tv screens in the electronics section. I miss them asking for every sample at Costco and requesting a churro that they don't finish from the snack bar. I miss them asking for stickers from the clerks at Sprouts and Stater Bros and pretending to be shy when the clerks ask how old they are. 

5. Though my father, grandfather and uncle were all truck drivers and I have always had a respect for them; I have a new appreciation for what they do. Also, though I've always told clerks, cart wranglers, stockers and baggers, "Thank you," for their help and service, I (again) have a new appreciation for them and all that they put up with. 

What we're doing at home everyday:

1. Our kids love being outside, and I have been able to take this opportunity to take the kids for walks and build up the girls' endurance for longer distances. 

2. Time is of the essence. We are not wasting it, but we are all getting ample rest and making sure that we are on a good schedule. Our boy knows when it's nap time and even asks to be taken upstairs in the morning; this is when I am able to review Bible verses and Gospel concepts with the girls and do their lessons. In the afternoon, we all head up together and read books before their afternoon nap; this is when I get to do chores, read, and work on scripts for our family YouTube channel or do other personal projects. 

3. Instead of squandering this opportunity, I am grateful that we are being more intentional and hubby and I are working together to arrange our priorities. 

4. Dinner time gratitude. This was born a while ago out of a few tantrums, however, it has become pretty essential lately. At dinner, we all go around and play the Thanksgiving game.It's nice not to feel obligated to stuff ourselves afterward hahaha

Matthew Chapter 6

Our family are counting our blessings right now. I have has having a very challenging time as an extrovert who loves getting out of the house, PJ has been having a tough time at work with technicians calling off due to sickness or family issues, the kids are tired of being cooped up and the girls want to know why they can't go to class (Sunday school) or visit their friends...

It took several days, 7 stores, 5 actually shopped at, and countless back and forth trips (with and without kiddos), but we were finally able to get our normal shopping done and add some extra essentials so as to avoid going out too much again. PJ had to work 6 days last week and our schedule has been thrown off due to the lack of exercise - for Jessy and the kids.

This morning, PJ's alarm went off with NPR updates and I was ready to get up just so I didn't have to listen... However, the Lord is faithful to grant insight and perspective. As I listened to someone describe a program implemented in this state of emergency that all mortgage holders have 1 year of protection not to be foreclosed on due to CoVid-19. As I pondered this, I realized that I am in no position to complain or be frustrated.

I do not have to work outside our home, I get to be here with our kids who are not in pre-school or day care at this time. Their lives have not been shifted in any drastic way. My husband has a "critical" job that requires him to not only work, but he has been having to work overtime. Our budget is not hurting and we are not having trouble making rent. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, but I am grateful for abundant blessings and resources He has granted.

He cares for the birds of the air, clothes the blades of grass in the field, of course He will provide food and water and shelter. All we are to do, brothers and sisters, is to "Seek first His Kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be added."

We miss our church family, we wish we could fellowship in person with them, but we have Zoom and can meet together with amazing technologies right now. We miss Disneyland and wish we were able to go have a family day, but we have Disney+ and dance parties at home and we can ride bikes and walk around our neighborhood (because we live in a place that has decent enough weather right now and is perfectly pleasant for outside activities).

The Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness Thereof

This is a loaded statement from the Psalms (Psalm 24:1). He is the Creator (Genesis 1:1). He has established all things. By His hand, He gives generous gifts (James 1:17). Yet, we live in a world cursed by sin (Genesis 3), one where we are at constant war with our flesh (Romans 7). Where all of our perfect gifts are seen with distorted and sinful vision. His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), through every trial, we are to find joy (James 1:2-3) - for He is pruning us (John 15:2).

Pruning is an unpleasant business. Since I am not a gardener, I will describe the refining illustration with better communication: When gold is refined, it is tested by fire to cleanse it from all impurities. Because of sin, God's perfect gift of motherhood is cursed by my selfishness and their rebellion. Yet, the Lord allows it, and I am being refined. He is sanctifying me by His Holy Spirit and granting me the privilege of mothering through the fiery trials. Learning to understand what He faces as our Father when we rebel.

I will not share the sins of others (namely, my children), but I will confess my impatience, my temper, my laziness, my distracted heart, and my self-focused goals. Being a mother is challenging, yet it is the calling I have of the Lord to seek His guidance and wisdom as I shepherd them. We have been so grateful for the lessons at small group from Kirk and Chelsea Cameron, The Heart of Family, and the encouragement we have found in our marriage and parenthood. We have been deeply blessed by the practical words of Paul David Tripp, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles that Can Radically Change Your Family, remembering that we cannot control our children's hearts - only guide their minds.

Putting these things into practice is the work of the Holy Spirit, though, and when I try to do it my my own will and strength, my Heavenly Father reminds me - through my children's Awana verses and prayer - that He is in charge (Awana Cubbie Bear Hug lessons and verse memorizations from Appleseed).

As I was reviewing verses with my kiddos the other night, I reached a point when they simply walked away to go play (between getting ready for bed activities) where I was just too tired to go after them. I continued reviewing the Bible verses out loud, knowing that time spent hiding His Word in my heart is never wasted (2 Timothy 3:16). I said Romans 5:8 aloud, ...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." I stopped to reflect on this...

While we were still sinners. While we were His enemies. While He knew that I would scream at my children. While He knew that I would selfishly think on my own desires while He asked me to parent these children (His children). While I was still scorning His righteousness out of a desire to serve myself. While He knew that I would fail... He died for me. Christ took nails into His hands and was pierced at His side praying, "Father forgive them..." He suffered that I may bear His righteousness, though I am a wretched sinner...

Of course there was more to these thoughts in the moment, but the point is, He is faithful to remind me of His goodness no matter what I am feeling. These children are His, He has granted me and my husband the privilege of shepherding their hearts as their parents here on earth.

I was reminded recently, also, that when we sin, we not only stop doing what is sinful, we must repent and turn toward obedience. This means turning to something else. When you try to stop a bad habit, you must replace it with a new one. You can replace it with something else bad, or you can replace it with a good one, but it will manifest in replacement. If we are to repent of our sin, we are to replace it with righteousness, we will find His righteousness in His Word.

If I must repent of my impatience and frustration with my children, I must find what His Word says about children and replace my self-focus with aligning my heart with His. One of my favorite passages regarding children is found in Psalm 127:

(3) Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. (4) Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. (5) Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (ESV)

I plan to meditate and memorize these verses and start here in developing a right perspective of parenthood and children. 

Murphy or Procrastination: Discovering the Difference

If you have followed Dave Ramsey at all, you know that he talks about not buying a house when you are broke because Murphy will inevitably invite himself over and bring his cousins Broke, Desperate and Stupid to stay in your guest bedrooms. Sometimes, though, Murphy comes when you don't own and are just renting - he just comes in different forms.

As soon as we turned around and decided to get Gazelle Intense on our debt, we did our October budget and for the first time ever, Southern California Edison began the Public Safety Power Shutoff program. I won't get into it here, because there are many levels at which their logic and practices make me angry, but to give you a short story, we lost power in 3 spurts for 139 hours during the month of October. It was a great opportunity to purge our fridges and freezers, however, it also led to an increased grocery bill of over $200. There was no way to get around that. We still had to pay our other bills and eat.

We do budget monthly for repairs and maintenance on our vehicles, however, before October, the monies were really just theory and we haven't actually been setting aside that money throughout the year. Well, since we were not diligent up front with the purchase of our van and postponed necessary to-do's, we are stuck with a van that just passed smog, but wouldn't again because of a $1500 catalytic converter replacement. Also, upon the purchase, we were informed that the back tires needed to be replaced (the front we just replaced) and we would require an alignment. The tires needed for our vehicle will run, retail, about $600, and the alignment will cost us about $100. We are looking at a base price of $2,200 to fix our family clunker.

The absolute most we could sell it for, private sale, would be about $2500. If we fix the catalytic converter, we might get about 3K, however, for $1500, we might as well just take the lesson and fix the clunker and move on. I'm grateful that I was able to rearrange the budget to take care of the tires and the mechanic noted that I can get away with the converter for another month, so we made space in the budget next month. First week in December, we will take care of the converter and alignment and hopefully, America's tire will run their Black Friday 10% rebate special on Sunday the 1st.

On another note, Hubby's care needs an oil change as well as a tire rotation. There was a debate as to whether it should affect our budget or if we should just take care of it with the cushion from all of his extra hours - especially since $50/mo has already been earmarked from previous months. Again, these monies have not been pulled and set aside for maintenance, and we weren't really sticking to our budget in the first place, so I'm not sure it counts. There are 5 days left of this month and we need to work through sticking to this budget.

Committing to a budget and working through all of the difficulties is challenging, but I already know that it is worth it. Knowing exactly how much we have gives me so much more freedom to spend on our household needs, as well as on fun. The level of improved communication, alone, is worth working through this budget for.

Struggles and Snuggles

So, we've made it to mid-August and for the first time in months, we are trying to upkeep our budget. Yes, we are struggling to steward well right now. I'm grateful that the Lord has been faithful to protect us from our own foolishness by granting wise counselors in our life who have strongly advised that we wait until we have saved a minimum of 20% down prior to searching for a home; and - having listened to enough Dave and other Ramsey personality podcasts - we have refrained from opening any credit cards. We do currently hold 2 cards beyond our debits, but they are directly tied to our debit account and we take the hit immediately without adding payments to the end of our months.

Small steps we are taking is to remedy the lack of budgeting. We are determined not to be the statistic for struggling marriages, with fights revolving around money and financial stress.

I have gone back to using cash for grocery purchases and divvying out fun monies, so that has been helpful. In addition to these, I have been diligent to planning menus and keeping our grocery bill to a minimum. I will be honest and confess that we have not been diligent in paying down our debt and this is not helpful for our big picture family goals.

Some of the big picture work is being done, though - in the little things. The kids have all been waking up with us and we start the day reading a chapter of Proverbs together. It has been such sweet time in the mornings to enjoy family cuddles and Bible reading. The girls and I are also going through the creation account in Genesis and my heart melts in their excitement as they boldly ask, "God created everything?!" each time we read the passage.

AJ is learning how to put others before herself as she is constantly wanting to be the one who chooses the show and plays with the toys her sister is already enjoying. E is learning how to speak gently when she wants something and not yell and throw a fit to get her own way. T is learning how to eat and stay on the carpet. Coincidently, these all tie into what mommy is learning as well.

I am also on a book launch team, which goes through September, for Risen Motherhood. Laura Wifler and Emily Jensen are sisters-in-law who started a podcast together a few years ago and it has grown into a non-profit ministry for moms needing the reminder of the gospel. I love it and I am so enjoying the book, which comes out September 3. It has been eye-opening, to say the least, and such godly encouragement, conviction and help through some of my wrestling through selfish thought patterns and behaviors.



PJ and I are really enjoying the Parenthood book from Tripp again. We are working through it slowly, but I like that we are taking all of the principles and talking through them and working them into the way we speak to our kids. It's truly helping us to apply these principles into parenting instead of just reading for the sake of finishing a book together. It looks like we will not finish until end of September or October at our current rate.

Made it to August

I cannot believe that it is August already and our boy is 6 months old (well, that happened 30 July)! This month, the girls are trying out dance class and had their first trial today! AJ was shy at first, but after a few minutes, she was jumping right in; E absolutely loved every minute, but we will see if we have room in our budget to commit to registration, or if we can do some toddler stuff at home and then start each one at 5 for their birthdays. Now that we have Disney passes again, it may be something that we wait for, we will see.

Last month, PJ and I went through Proverbs, I believe we only missed 1 week total, so we are going through it again. Our parenting book is also coming along great. We have been really enjoying some deep discussions on how the gospel is influencing our parenting tactics. We both are working to not depend on harsh tones, but to depend upon grace to train them. I am so grateful for PJ and his continuous desire to love and serve our family well as he seeks the Lord.

The Lord has been so faithful to me, as well. My neck spasm is beginning to heal and - as I have also been going through The Listening Life by Adam S. McHugh - I have begun to truly prioritize my time, efforts and energies. I am slowing down significantly and truly working to listen - to others, to my body, to my children, my husband, friends, and family. I highly recommend this book and feel that everyone would benefit from the last few chapters in particular!

Anyway, PJ is doing so very well at work and I am so proud of him! He is officially a 2-time winner of the Paragon Award (which means he is the top pharmacy manager in his entire district). He is such a great manager and truly cares for his team.

AJ may be growing out of nap time soon, so we are working on reading so she will be equipped for an hour of quiet time. We were hoping to enroll her for Pre-K this year, but after speaking with a friend, I think hubby and I will have to further discuss our goals for official enrollment. We are currently and will continue to work through Pre-K Curriculum with her and E, but may put off enrollment.

E is doing so well with her Pre-K assignments! It helps that she has had her big sister to look up to. She sits and colors for at least 10 minutes and enjoys doing puzzles. She is definitely the more hands on, active learner, while AJ is the audio/visual learner. I am really looking forward to making our own filed trips.

T is growing like a weed! I just put a size 4 diaper on him today and he's pretty comfortable in 9 month onesies! He has one 7 hour stretch at night, but has had some sleep regression this week due to teething and a growth spurt. He has his 2 bottom front teeth in already and is still my happy boy.

Refreshed

Recently, Jessy 's best friend came home for the summer from her job abroad and she was able to spend a family weekend with all of us. On Friday, she and Jessy went ahead to her family's beach house and had brunch, got their nails done, had a yummy dinner, and enjoyed a kid free night.

On Saturday, it was unfortunate that her friend became sick; however, it was a nice time for Jessy to reflect, read, do some yoga, stretch, walk, nap, and simply soak in God's grace in her life. Having the time away was such an incredible proof of the Lord's faithfulness.

On Saturday afternoon, PJ and the kiddos came to enjoy dinner and some beach time along with another friend. After some game time, we were able to rest and Sunday morning was super fun! We enjoyed some tasty coffee and a quick breakfast before taking the kiddos to the aquarium. We saw seals, sea lions, otters, jelly fish and learned a little something about sustainable food choices. Afterward, we enjoyed Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for the first time and then headed home.

Right now, Jessy is currently suffering from neck muscle spams, so it has been very difficult, yet humbling, to get through the last few days. We are still struggling with nightly routines, but we are about 20% through our book we have chosen for the summer. Though that is not far, this is the most consistent we have been at reading together. I believe we are about 15 for 22 on our Proverbs reading, also, so I am proud of our baby steps.

2019 Summer Goals

We will just work through 1 month at a time, but we do have some general summer goals. This month (July) we are reading 1 chapter of Proverbs every morning together. 1/1 done! That is a win.

This evening, we will start reading our parenting book from Paul David Tripp together called, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That will Radically Change Your Family. We started this book a couple of years ago and are really looking forward to picking it up again. Our goal is to finish by the end of the summer and then do a fall book.

We are also working toward building the habit of starting our nightly routines all together. Right now, daddy tends to do bed time with the kids, mommy stays downstairs to relax until she is too tired to practice decent sleep hygiene, and daddy snacks and relaxes once the kids are finally asleep and starts getting ready for bed while watching tech videos. We are working to have everyone together for kiddos' bed time routine and story time, getting ready for bed together and then relaxing and working on one of our family goals instead of "doing our own things."

What are some of your family summer goals?

He is Faithful

There have been many a difficult day since T arrived. Adjusting to 3 little ones is far more challenging than I thought and it takes work to take on that adjustment. Considering all of the goals and ambitions I have, it is humbling to remember the call of motherhood which the Lord has gifted me.

But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD  and dwell there forever.” Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to   you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the LORD establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.   

-1 Samuel 1:22-23

Hannah is always one of the women I return to when I want to focus on my selfish ambitions and worldly desires. Her absolute sacrifice of herself and gratitude for her son is one of the most convicting pieces of Scripture for me as I consider my own parenting.

Children are not a distraction from more important work, they are the most important work. 

-C.S. Lewis 

 In a moment of complete vulnerability and confession, I have to share that - at least once a day - I have to pep talk myself to step away from what I want to be doing (scrolling through a media feed, checking an email, doing the dishes, cleaning the bathroom, etc.) so that I can train my little ones up in the way they should go.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. 

-Proverbs 22:6

I understand that this is not a promise that my children will be a Christian when they grow up if I do everything right. 1. That's impossible, as it is not my superpower to change the hearts of my children and 2. The Proverbs are general words of wisdom and insight written to guide Solomon's readers, not prophecies. It is a, however, a guide to help me remember that my children will learn how to do life from me and my husband. How we speak to one another and to others is how they will learn to speak. How we address conflict is how they will learn to address conflict. How we patiently (or impatiently) walk alongside them is how they will learn to walk alongside others.

There are many hobbies, service opportunities, jobs, and projects that I want so deeply to engage in. Some of them are absolutely helpful for bringing the children along and teaching them healthy habits, ways to serve others, and opportunities to find balance. Others are not probable and need to be let go of for now, as they require time that needs to be given to the growth of my littles.

I forget that this season is a blessing, the snuggles and kisses and hugs and seeing the growth day by day. I forget that these circumstances are a privilege, being home with them, seeing every little moment, saving myself heartache on dropping them off with other caregivers who don't know every little cry and won't record every moment of laughter. These are the good old days.

We always talk about how "the grass is greener on the other side." What if the grass is just greener where it is watered? Maybe, just maybe, my grass would be greener, my family would thrive, if I took my time and practiced patience in nurturing them and devoting my efforts to teach them and serve them instead of carving out pockets of time for self-service?

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. 

-Psalm 37:4

What if the Lord has greater desires for me to pursue if I would delight in Him, His Word and His calling upon my life - surrendering my worldly passions and trading them for life to its fullest in Him?

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 

-1John 10:10

 

Life Update April 2019

I'm just going to jump back into this, allowing this blog to have endured a 15 month coma, and jumping back into life! 

Easter 

We are adjusting, still, to life as a family of 5. T, our newest addition will be 3 months in just a few days and he is beginning to sleep through the night! Something we can all celebrate. After a challenging first month of breast feeding and low supply, requiring supplementation, we switched over to him being a fully formula-fed baby, just like his big sisters. We are so grateful for the Lord's grace through modern provisions, such as formula, to grant us peace of mind that our little one has a full belly. He is such a happy baby and our family is abundantly blessed to have his joy radiate into our days.

AJ is completely potty trained and can write her name. She loves to show off her accomplishments and is going through a growth spurt where she finishes everything on her plate and will still ask for more. Since she is such a petite little girl, I know her growth spurts when she's going through them. She is also extra tired and a little more sensitive (and clumsy). 

E is also working through potty training and doing a fantastic job. She wants to do everything her big sister does and gets so very excited when she has a dry Pull Up. She draws a beautiful circle and loves showing everyone her "A"s, that sometimes look like "H"s. She is so full of life and I am looking forward to seeing more of her adventurous spirit. 

We moved a little bit closer to hubby's work, so I am so grateful for his shorter commute and more energized spirit when he comes home from work. As challenging as the weekends are, he has been so excited to celebrate many milestones with his team and his store. We have decided to pause his track toward upper management, as he feels that it will take more time than he is willing to sacrifice away from our family. He also really loves his team and enjoys investing in their growth, and was not trying to speed up leaving his store that he has put so much work into. 

2 Months Old

We are currently enjoying a new softball team with my family on Sundays and are looking forward to our first game this weekend. The kids will enjoy Sunday afternoons with my mom and sister-in-law as well as other kiddos whose parents are playing on the team. 

Earlier this week we were blessed with a date night out by my Father-in-Law in order to enjoy Captain Marvel. We are hoping for the opportunity to watch Endgame in theaters, but are definitely grateful for an evening to ourselves. 

This fall we are looking forward to celebrating my 30th, the girls' 3rd and 4th, and PJ's sister's marriage! We will be traveling to Nevada for her reception in October. 

That's all for now! 

Enjoying the Girls

These last few days have been a roller coaster of emotions from AJ, as she has had a mild cold. She is recovering now, but the cough is really affecting her sleeping patterns. Please be praying for her recovery as we prepare for a Disney trip this weekend with my mom and aunt.

On the other hand, her ailments have been granting me a little more freedom in enjoying my time with them and embracing these stages of toddlerhood. Do not take this to mean that I am being lazy or passive with their entertainment, I just mean that the Lord has granted me more patience and more grace to understand the need to let certain things go, so that we can enjoy our time at home together.

Yes, we have been watching a little more television than I would normally allow, but they are still in bed at a reasonable time and eat a sufficient amount of decent food throughout the day. While I can see AJ's appetite has been declining, I have still been patiently working with her to eat her dinner when I see she wants more of her preferences (fruit, chips, etc). E has been showing more interest in learning time, so last night was exciting as she sat in the booster to go through flash cards with me. She really enjoys reading, also, and PJ has really embraced time in the Word with them before bed.

PJ has also been working through managing his time at work and trying to prioritize dinner with us over late nights at the store. It has been nice to have him home before the girls' bed time, but more than that, the Lord has been giving me the grace to see that I need to be more encouraging and helpful. Not that I can "fix" anything at the pharmacy, but I can speak graciously and with kindness when he calls me on his way home. I can have the girls ready for bed so that he can enjoy the evening with them, without worrying about brushing their teeth. I can start the dishes, instead of complaining about his absence, so that when he arrives, he can enjoy dinner without thinking about the burden of loading the dishwasher after the girls are asleep. I can greet him with gratitude for working hard all day instead of passively reminding him that he "failed" to keep the standard I wanted to hold for the evening. (Just to name a few).

Humility is challenging, friends.

Anyway, I had also taken the week off from the gym last week in order to prioritize rest and focus on nutrition over fitness. Not because fitness is not important, but because rest IS! I had also noticed that I was using fitness as an excuse to eat more of the not-so-great choices. I lost a couple of pounds in the process, but I'm still taking it slow this week working through nutritional goals that work for everyone (including 2 toddlers).

Anyway, I think that is all, friends and family. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.

Almost Done, 2017

We just finished our last vacation of the year and I would render it a complete success, except, we worked harder than either of us do when we are not on vacation... Starting on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, PJ came home and we were GO GO GO!!! We started by heading to the mall and changing our phone plan, which took far too long with 2 toddlers in tow. They were quite gracious and we were able to enjoy dinner and settle the girls down before the long drive to San Jacinto to start the festivities with Jessy's parents.

On Thursday, Jessy battled the temptations of several different pies and extra Thanksgiving starches. PJ indulged in all of the potatoes and mac n cheese, and the girls were basking in all the attention. We had wonderful family time and welcomed in the Christmas season with movies after dinner.

Thursday night we headed up to Reno to visit PJ's family. Though his parents live in our area, they and his brother (Peter) were there to visit his sister (Christine). Christine just moved there this fall after landing her first position as a psychiatrist! She was so excited to host everyone and it was such a beautiful place to visit. We weren't in the touristy area, but close to the Reno-Tahoe Airport in a nice neighborhood. All that to say, the drive was not too bad and the girls slept wonderfully!

It was a calm few days up there playing games, cooking lots of food, and catching up since we don't get to see PJ's siblings very often. It did not take long for AJ and E to warm up to and love their auntie and it was so precious to see her enjoy her time with them.

After a long trek home, Jessy had doctor and dental appointments, PJ had a DMV appointment, we ended up having maintenance done on the family car, we had a dinner and lunch with our small group then Jessy took AJ to Disneyland with her parents to top off a fun week. In short, we committed to too many things and I lost site of our schedule until it was too late to change anything. We over-committed and ended up more tired than before. It's okay, though, we were thankful for all of the family time we had as well as the ability to take care of things (like vehicle maintenance).

PJ found out that there is going to be some corporate management changes, which may or may not alter his leadership program, but definitely has altered his manager over him. Hopefully, he will have the opportunity to meet his new manager soon. In the mean time, we are praying for wisdom as PJ seeks to get his store back to normal after his absence. Please be praying for him, as there are a lot of changes happening and he is uncertain how to encourage his team through all of the issues they are having lately.

Jessy is overwhelmed with trying to get everything back to normal at home, update the schedule and organize. Please be praying for discernment and intentionality with time. AJ seems to be coming down with something, so prayer for swift healing would also be appreciated. They both also seem to be teething and going through growth spurts continuously, hopefully this will be a short season of growing pains.

Toddlers, Vacations, and Personal Growth

We have made it to October, which means that I missed the 1 year post for E and the 2 year post for AJ. I have no excuses, but life goes on and here we are; so let's get started.

E turned 1 year old last month and I am coming to grips with the 2 toddler thing. She is walking and jabbering and climbing and squealing! She is simply a happy kiddo whose only complaint is teething and exhaustion. I am so grateful for the way that she shows love and cuddles with me when she is sleepy. E also learns quickly and AJ is teaching her how to climb. Right now it's on my yoga block, strewn about boxes and their picnic table.

AJ is 2! I am floored by how quickly these stages are going. She tells me when she needs to poop (yeah, that's a big deal), she's in a twin bed now (which is going great at bed time - not so much with the afternoon nap), and she prefers cakes to cookies ;) She also likes pizza. AJ has such an independent spirit and loves to help PJ and I get things done. It is so humbling to see how much she knows and understands and exciting to grow as a mom teaching her how to serve others.

This weekend my mom is throwing them a Little Mermaid themed birthday party and I'm excited to take photos of the frosting all over their faces! The girls love all of their grandparents and it melts my heart to see their smiles and hear their squeals whenever they see any of them walk through the door. We all joke about how it's because, "toddlers know they can get away with a lot more when they have grands around," but I know that it is so much more than that. My girls have a beautiful bond with their grandparents and I see it in their eyes even when our parents are not around. AJ asks for them and they yearn to spend time together. It truly is precious.

As far as life goes, things have been going really well. I am at the gym 4-5 times a week. Team Training is 2-3 times and I like to swim laps on the weekends. It has been so awesome to feel the progress and see the numbers climb for personal bests. I feel more energetic and see how God is using my fitness goals to grow me in self-control, diligence, discipline and endurance. You can read more on my fitness blog, I won't take up too much space here on the family page.

PJ is doing great at work. I am so proud of his team, and I know he is too. In the past, vacation has been a headache to come back from because things have backed up and the technicians were overwhelmed without him there. Last week we were on official vacation, but he actually left work early on Friday and was gone from his store a total of 9 days. He went back to a great setup and there were no crises while he was out. I do not even remember him receiving a call but once while he was off.

God has been so faithful to soften my own heart and help me put things into perspective this week. I typically dread the end of vacation because that means I am back at home without help throughout the day and I do not get to have as much time to myself. I feel selfish for wanting so much time to myself, but that's where I'm at. The Lord has given me an extra measure of His patience and grace as AJ is bed training and having a difficult time harnessing the freedom during her only nap of the day. E has developed preferences for food and has not been eating as well as she was before; also, she is still using the bottle as a pacifier and takes 2 per day.

As much as I feel like she could probably go down to 1, I'm having trouble letting it go because the 1st is in the afternoon and I think it helps her sleep even though AJ delays that nap. Also, I am putting off potty training because I simply don't want to deal with it. I am being real, here. I know it has to happen, but I will likely wait until after Thanksgiving so PJ can help for her first week.

All that to say, I am so grateful for the Lord's constant provision and faithfulness to help us through every milestone. Thank you all who have been praying for us, I know that has been a HUGE impact for us. We are so grateful for the church family and our families He has surrounded us with.

August 2017 Life Update

It is official, we are moving! As many of you know, we have had a few issues with our current rental property, and have been seeking living arrangements elsewhere. Yesterday, we found a new place that is less than our current rental and we will be signing a new lease today! Thank you for all of your prayers and support as we know that without the godly encouragement of our friends and family, the success of finding a new place while growing and learning in our financial stewardship would not be possible. We are not moving far, so keep an eye out for an invitation to help us on moving day ;)

PJ started his leadership courses this month and is very encouraged by the direction of the program. He will take a class each month and have the opportunity to implement what he learns in his store. He also found out that he may have the chance to move to a higher volume store and grow as a manager in new capacities! He is very excited for this possibility and we would appreciate your continued prayers as he prepares for the move. He really loves his team and would be sad to leave them.

We love extra snack times on Disney Days! 

AJ and E are growing quick, as you would expect. They are both teething and seem to be going through growth spurts at the same time. AJ is struggling with patience (as many almost 2 year olds are) and trying to communicate hunger verses pain have also been a challenge. You would hardly be able to tell that anything was wrong with E, she does not seem to share any grumpy tendencies until she is tired. Even if we display unhappiness, she glows with joy.

Jessy has been having a difficult time balancing everything (weight loss, home management, training the girls, and her general spiritual health) lately. She joined a gym in June and may have jumped the gun, since we are moving and have a lot of expenses hitting at once. We are grateful to be in the middle of Financial Peace University with a starter emergency fund (baby step 1), as well as having paused baby step 2 in order to prepare for the move. However, we have decided to cancel the membership for now so Jessy can refocus on her priorities with the girls and embracing her time at home with them.

That is all for now. Thank you again for doing life with us!

<3 The Molina Fam

E at 10 Months

Wow, what a whirlwind! This little nugget is, well, not a little nugget! She is WALKING, has 4 teeth - & 2 more coming - still adores big sis, is learning how to climb and loves to smile.

E is a growler who tends to to be unsure as to whether she should growl or giggle when you hand her a bottle. She steals Ate's milk and thinks it tastes far better than her formula. Who can blame her, once you've hit table food, it's difficult to find that powder stuff appetizing. Sometimes, mommy still struggles with the fact that she didn't push harder to breastfeed, but it is what it is and both babies are happy, smart and healthy, so mommy can't complain.

It is such a joy to see the love these girls share and how much they enjoy one another. It is crazy to me that E is taking steps so consistently now and it is fun to watch them communicate in their own little language. AJ is the most helpful toddler I know. She comforts MeiMei when she cries at diaper change time and throws away the trash so her little sis doesn't get a hold of it. On the flip side, it is difficult to share her blankie, but you know how that is!

Life Update - July '17

Sisterly Love

Wow, it has been a while since we have posted one of these, huh?! Well, best type to it.

E is 9 months now, as you may have seen in our previous post. She loves her Ate and is about ready to walk! It is crazy!!! AJ adores her MeiMei and gives her lots of hugs and kisses. It is such a joy to watch them grow, play and learn together.

PJ was selected last month to begin a leadership program with work. Right now, this entails going to monthly classes at the area office and implementing suggested management techniques at his store. Later, it could mean moving to different stores within his district to develop under-performing pharmacies; then it may mean a corporate promotion as a district manager. One step at a time, though. Jessy is so proud of him and excited to see how the Lord develops his leadership skills and uses his work ethic within his company.

Jessy is continuing in her weight loss journey, and right now this means taking a maintenance break in order to allow her body to balance out after a 65lb weight loss in 6 months! If you would like to follow her journey, she has a separate page here. She has begun to do some team training classes at Chuze fitness which has been awesome! It is such a fun place to work out.

The Great Escape

PJ and Jessy were blessed to see Christine (PJ's sister) graduate from her residency program last month and spend a long weekend in Ohio to celebrate her's and Peter's (their brother's) graduations. He completed his undergrad in Washington. It was a good reunion and we are excited that Christine and her boyfriend will be working in Reno beginning this Fall as they start their first official careers. It was so much fun seeing all the places Christine has lived over these last few years and enjoying some of the sites. Columbus had an amazing Farmer's Market, we found an escape room (and won!), there was a beautiful hiking trail and old town area we were able to visit, and we saw the largest Air Force Museum in the country!

Disney Babies

The girls had a difficult time spending those 4 days with Jessy's family. They (we) were blessed to have the time at home since Jessy's mom stayed overnight, but it was still pretty hard, particularly on E, as she had just started eating table food, was (and still is) teething, and found it difficult to eat while mommy and daddy were away. She had a bit of stress issues and tummy problems and it took a couple of days to get back on track, but Jessy is so proud of her troopers!

I think that is it for now. Thank you, everyone <3

Number 2 at 9 Months

Wow, it has been far too long since I have shared life here! There is part of me that feels so much guilt for not keeping up as well as I did with AJ for E, but the other part reminds me that I have 2 to watch over and it is better to enjoy them than to keep up the baby book. Although, my little brother might have a different opinion!

Anyhoo! E is 9 months old already and I don't believe it! She has 3 teeth and 1 more coming in. I began calling her MeiMei because Lolo (grandpa) calls her his little Chinese girl - as those features are a bit more prominent in her than AJ, and it means "Little Sister" in Chinese; I also read it in Joy Luck Club, loved it and am sticking to it.

This girl cannot wait to walk; she is constantly pulling herself up on whatever is in front of her, trying to take steps (and succeeding) when she has a hand on something. These 2 sisters love one another so much, they enjoy wrestling and hugging one another and making each other laugh. It is so wonderfully precious to watch.

E Is Five Months Old

Well, I guess she is technically 5 and a half months old now. I am sorry we are a little late, but I guess you can just expect that until there is some semblance of a schedule. It is unclear right now as to when that may become a reality as we have a 5 month old and an almost 18 month old. So, good luck with that!

Anyhoo! As I said, E is 5 months old and is growing so much! She's rollin, she's rockin, and she is grabbin everything in sight! I call her flipper, she tends only to flip over when no one is looking ;)

*I am about 18lbs
*Ate (Big Sister) makes me laugh the most
*I am currently a mommy's girl, but I reserve the right to change my mind
*Bright colors and big smiles make me turn my head
*Talk to me and you can keep me from eating, since I need to be social and cannot be bothered to take in nourishment hehehe

For the Grandparents

Dear Grandpa & Nonna and Lolo & Lola,

I want you to know how incredibly grateful PJ and I are to have you so close and so willing to love on our family. Thank you for dropping everything and spending time with the girls. AJ and E will never understand how valuable it is for them to have their grandparents so close and so ready to spend the day with them.

PJ and I do not know what we would have done these last few weeks without you! With me going to the hospital, needing to go to dental and other doctor appointments, having to run long errands that stretch through nap times... It would be so stressful without you. We have so many friends who are far from family or have to drive long distances from home to see their families/ We also have friends who have lost or are in the process of losing their parents and are facing the challenge of seeing their little ones grow without their grandparents in their lives.

I grew up with so much family, it's ridiculous. I never understood (and probably still don't truly comprehend) how immensely blessed I am to have known 4 grandparents - and even 1 great grandparent until I was 13. At 27, I still have 3 living grandparents and so have the opportunity to see my babies loved by 4 grandparents and 3 great grandparents!

Knowing what I am going through and understanding the stress I am experiencing in this season of motherhood, I am grateful for all of you and the difficulties you had to face in your season of rough parenting. Mom, you faced single motherhood for 14 years! Ryan and I were adults (for the most part) before you married again. Dad, we have had our disagreements and rough patches and seasons of growth in our relationship, but I am so grateful that the Lord brought you into our lives when he did. And you are such an amazing Grandpa! Daddy and Mama, you guys had a few siblings here in the states, but you were on your own! Your parents were in the Philippines and passed without having these opportunities to love on their grand babies like you are. Thank you for the many sacrifices you made for Baba, PJ and Pete.

I just want you all to know how much it means to us to see you enjoy your grandbabies and that you are so willing to drop your days off, vacation days, and weekend plans to help us with them. Besides expressing myself through this blog, and tearing up as I do it, there are not enough words nor is there enough money in the world to compensate for the amount that we appreciate and love you for your support and encouragement as we tackle this parenting thing.

We love you guys!

Familial Healing

As many of you know, last week I was in the hospital for an infection. I had surgery on Saturday and was able to come home Sunday afternoon. It was a rough week, but I am so incredibly grateful for my parents and in-laws for taking the time to come and take care of our little ones while we were gone. It was so hard to be away from them under such a stressful umbrella, but I am happy to be home. We are also blessed by our church community! They are bringing dinners over for us this week so that I can take the time to get back into the swing of things and not have to worry about cooking and meal planning.

God is definitely using this time to humble me, as I tend to get a little ambitious and stubborn in trying to work toward goals and having good schedules. I have been forced to rest, unable to push my limits in my workouts. I have been forced to consider my goals for long term fitness and what this looks like for our family and evaluate my inclusion of hubby and the girls in these goals. I have been forced to pause, which many of you know I struggle to do, so that is the way the Lord has seen fit to get my attention.

I have to say that I am grateful to take this time and have the opportunity to re-evaluate how I can manage our home in a more God-honoring way. As I was able to finish my women's study while in the hospital, I can also re-focus my spiritual goals in the form of devotions and Bible study.

This has been a great time to reflect on God's sovereignty and the call of humility He has placed upon us. I appreciate the chance to repent from my selfish ambition and desires and will probably spend this next week looking at Proverbs 31, embracing this time of rest and honoring this season of motherhood.

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. I am excited to see how the Lord will use this time of healing and refreshment to strengthen our family.

-Jessy