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

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

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!

Defining Success

I just wanted to check in with a quick family update!

PJ continues to do well at work. It was tough for him to receive the December results on their store's numbers and find out that they were not number one, a spot they had held pretty tightly for a few months prior. It was a slice of humble pie for him to remember that there is never a time to stop pushing. However, it was a good opportunity for me to support him and encourage him in the accomplishments that he has achieved beautifully over this last year. Just because they did not make number 1 in December does not negate the hard work that has been put into making his store a success over the last year.

In the last year they have gone from underperforming and stress-filled to a well oiled machine where the environment has been uplifting in the coworker relationships. Please be praying for the growth and maturity of one of his new coworkers who is working to find her place in the store. Also, the lead technician will be taking some time off to recuperate and connect with his family before his paid family leave runs out. Pray for a time of refreshment for him as well as diligence for us. That PJ would take care of the schedules in a timely manner and that I would encourage him every step of the way over the next 3 weeks.


I have been working on finding a flow that works for the girls and I as I am amping up exercise and meal planning. May the Lord help me to be creative in making new meals that keep AJ interested and keep me in check not to deprive myself of so much at once so that I may continue on my weight loss journey with success not only for myself, but also for my family. This journey is not just for me, but it is for me to be a more fruitful home manager and trainer for my little ones, as well as a biblically submissive wife who takes care of her hubby as he leads us through the challenges and blessings of life.

AJ has been testing boundaries day after day. It is a continued challenge for my patience and drawing a clear line of consistent grace and discipline. Each day seems to bring difficult set backs, but when I take her to lunch and she eats well and socializes with our family or I can sit her in a chair while I get my eyes checked at the doctor, it is clear that the Lord is giving me enough grace to successfully teach my children well.

E is taking rice cereal at night, which is elongating her sleep time, but there is still a challenge to get her through the night. Please pray for consistency in her schedule and that we would not be lax in what we know might work for her instead of taking the easy routes of feeding when we know she is capable of rest. She is rolling from back to belly pretty consistently now, in that, whenever she is placed on her back, she flips for a better view then gets frustrated with her lack of strength to hold herself up for an extended period of time. It is adorable and she is enjoying the flip game!


That seems to be all for now. Thank you for your love and encouragement as our little family continues on our journey! It is such a blessing to know the love and support we have from our church family and all those around us. We love and appreciate you all so much!

-Jessy

Life's Encouragements

About a month ago, PJ told me that his district manager wanted him to recreate a panel discussion regarding his store's success at the national conference in Boston for Area Managers for the company. I really wish that my response was, "Oh my goodness, honey, that is amazing! I am so proud of you and the work you have accomplished at your store this last year!" To my shame, however, I responded with, "Well, how long will you be gone?" in a tone of contempt for his accomplishments. I felt the excitement drain from his demeanor and I knew there was no way I could take that moment back.

I was being completely and unreasonably selfish.

I wanted him to say he would bring ME with him. I wanted him to acknowledge how difficult his absence would be for ME. I wanted to feel as needed as I feel I need him.

It is not easy being a full time mommy and housewife. But I think that being a true helpmate and encouraging wife are even harder. As much as I give myself to my precious little girls each day, I have to give my full support and encouragement to my husband each day. That is a lot of work and takes a lot of investment. I want my husband to be successful and I desire him to do well. If I am aligning my life with his, which is what I am called to do, then I need to be more uplifting in my attitude.

Gee, this wife thing is tough, but I am so glad to have this opportunity to love and minister to my husband in this way.

Please pray for PJ as he heads off to Boston tomorrow. There is an ice storm warning in effect this weekend on the east coast and I pray his flight is not delayed or cancelled coming home. He will be flying out tomorrow morning, his meeting will be all day Thursday, and - Lord willing - he will be returning on Friday afternoon.

-Jessy

Welcome 2017!

It is becoming increasingly apparent that I am a selfish woman. I know, go figure, my humanity and pridefulness are real and life is tough. Life has been quite the adjustment since bringing home E and continuing to train up AJ.

What?! You mean that you're NOT Supermom and you DON'T have it all together?

That's right. I cannot keep the perfect schedule, have a hot breakfast on the table every morning, my husband's lunch ready the night before, be chipper and patient all day everyday, and geared up for a workout each morning.

Sometimes, I don't have the bottles ready when E wakes up from her nap. Most days, I'm not sure what AJ and I are having for lunch until after she has already signed several times that she is hungry and I'm still standing in front of the fridge looking for something decently nutritious for her which is filling enough for me. A majority of the time, I don't even remember what was on the menu for dinner and I'm looking for something to throw together when PJ calls me on his way home asking me what we're having, because the menu item was supposed to be put in the crockpot several hours before or the oven should have been preheated 20 minutes prior to said call.

All in all, it would seem (in my own, control freak, OCD brain) that a windstorm blew through our house. The elf of disorganization might have taken up residence in our bookshelves. The goblin of "what was the plan again?" is the chef who took over my kitchen. "Was I supposed to scrub that?" has camped out in the bathroom. The rainbow unicorn of magical disasters has visited AJ's room several times this week. I am not sure that I can keep up with all of these mystical creatures, they have powerful enchantments.

Alright, so I know that I am being ridiculous, also, Pinterest and Instagram are not the guidelines for everyday life... They are the ideals for homes with inactive children. I am proud to say that 4 of the last 5 days, my girls and I have walked at the mall, 3 of those included stretching and conditioning workouts. The Lord has provided yummy meals every night this week. Three nights this week have been filled with games and enjoyable company (PJ's parents and brother, my parents and brother, as well as friends from small group). Today was amazing because I was able to enjoy an afternoon with mom and some alone time at Starbucks journaling and doing Bible study while PJ enjoyed a "Daddy Day" with our littles.

Yesterday, when I thought my life was over because PJ forgot his schedule and I was denied my alone time; I enjoyed a relaxing day on the couch with the girls, bonded with them, taught AJ her ABC's (sounds and familiar words), extended tummy time with E, an incredibly encouraging article sent over my another mommy from small group, and a sorely needed discussion with friends about my struggle with discontentment.

We have filled this year with lots of goals and stated our desires for family growth, but I can already see that God is going to be stretching us a ton, encouraging us through many difficulties, and loving us right where we are.

Lord, thank you for revealing another incredible piece of your amazing grace. Thank you that I don't have to have it all put together and Your Spirit is my Help. Thank you for the desire to grow, communicate, and seek Your truth. Amen

We would covet your prayers, dear friends. That 2017 would bring our family:
Self-control, Patience and Kindness (all the Fruits of the Spirit) for Jessy
Good scheduling to OUTLINE (not DICTATE) our days
Speaking words for AJ
Walking and no allergies for E
Growth in leadership and strong management for PJ

Love,
Jessy
Numbers 6:24-26

This is a Tough One

I am 39 weeks pregnant.

It is hot, well, today it is still overcast at 10:40am, so I am grateful for that.
EE is heavy and resting quite low, I can feel her in my lower hips, and she doesn't have much room to move around.

I am extremely hormonal, emotionally labile, needy, and irritable. Everything makes me want to cry, and I am ready to meet this little one. I hate feeling this way and I hate asking for help everyday because I'm having trouble keeping up with my developing walker.

I am prayerful that the midwife will send me straight over to Labor & Delivery on Thursday morning, in the mean time, I am doing everything I can that is safe here at home to encourage my body to go into labor naturally.

I write this with tears because I know the Lord has blessed me and given me so much grace through this pregnancy. I have been able to keep exercising, I have been eating better than when I was pregnant with AJ, and I have been able to spend more time managing our home and reading godly insight instead of giving into many lazy temptations.

I am grateful to be home with AJ to teach and train her. I am so proud of how well she is doing with her schedule and of her independent spirit. She is 11 months old now and she enjoys playing in her room for large chunks of time; has moved up to the toddler room at church early, as it has aided her separation anxiety; she sleeps 10-12 hours at night, waking up at 6:15 each morning; she loves food and will try most new things with a pleasant response, but is not shy about letting us know her preferences; she drinks her milk and water from a straw cup like the big girl she is; and we are so blessed beyond measure that she is our daughter. We cannot wait to see her love on her little sister.

Please pray for us as we continue to await the arrival of our little girl. That we would be prepared and grateful for this time we have. That I would not be anxious or push myself beyond measure for my preferences and desires when we bring her home. For a safe delivery and short hospital stay. For my parents as they take time from work to take care of AJ while we are in the hospital. That AJ would not be overwhelmed, and the transition will not be too difficult for her. Also, for PJ, that he is able to prepare his store well before he goes on leave starting this Thursday.

Thank you, friends and family, for your prayers and support. We would not be able to do this without knowing we had such an incredible community around us!

November is For Thanksgiving

Let me preface this by saying that I do love Christmas. I love winter. I very much enjoy celebrating the first coming of Christ our Savior - which I am grateful for 365(6) days a year.

I will now proceed to note that I am the person who rolls her eyes while walking through stores that play Christmas music and have Christmas sales in October and November. Why do we have to skip over Thanksgiving? Why do we have to jump so quickly to the end of the year? Can we enjoy this month of gratitude instead of feeding into this progressively selfish and materialistic culture by shopping for gifts and making wish lists?

FunFact: Jingle Bells was originally written to be a Thanksgiving song. The Christmas Holiday steals gratitude and songs! 

Rant Over 😊