THE SWAP MEET

I love a good swap meet. When we went to L.A., hitting up a swap meet was one of my 'things to do', thankfully everyone was up for it too! It ended up being crazy hot when we went, but we were still able to get some good ol' fashioned swap meet fun done!

Usually when we hit up places like this I like to give Henry a couple of dollars to spend. Typically I give him $3, but it's fun to watch him as we walk around. He takes it pretty seriously, considering his options and not just jumping on the first toy he sees. In fact it makes this frugal "treasure" hunting momma's heart happy to see him sift through merchandise looking for that special find, he's actually pretty good at it.  He can be a bit on the shy side when it comes to people outside of his 'inner circle', so this is a good way for him to get a little out of his shell. When he does find something he likes I encourage him to ask the vendor how much things cost instead of just having mommy do it. Sometimes we have a good talk about the value of things and I'll even try to get him to bargain a little. It's really pretty cool, i'll tell you most times people cut the little fella a deal! This trip he came home with some poppers, a knock-off "Spider-man Lego" set and a Mr. Incredible toy (one of his favorite!). Grandma also treated his cousin and him to matching cowboy hats...my little vaqueros!

Now, next to the deals at a swap meet, the FOOD is one of my favorites. I'm a torta girl....una torta por favor! But you can usually get some great tacos and other goodies, Steve's a burrito guy! If you have not yet had them, I think the chicharones (or Duritos) are a must! Throw a little lemon juice on them and some tapatio and you're set! 

Like I said, I love a good swap meet. Maybe it's the food or the deals, perhaps it's a little piece of Mexico, hearing the exchange of Spanish and English all over the place. I think really it's sharing it all with my family and the people I love. 

Finding God in the everyday and honoring him in even the mundane things is something I'm constantly trying to work on. Times like this, although may seem like just a hot day at a swap meet, I am grateful for the family he's given me, for the time to teach my son little lessons, for a heritage i love and am able to share with my children as their own. 

"One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike [sacred]. Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord."

-Romans 14:5-6 AMP

Writing this verse on my Heart, Lord let all my days observed be done so in honor of you! Let me find you in them, let me reflect on the beauty or the lessons, but all in honor of you. Amen.

PAUSE

Selah.

I remember when I first heard the word, my father is a musician, so I have always had a special place in my heart for the Psalms...for David. The words and the praise he pours over the pages, I often wonder about the music that flowed through David as he wrote.

Selah.

It was described to me as a musical pause, a rest in the music, perhaps for emphasis. Perhaps he used it to soak in what was just said, or what I like to imagine, to let God resonate and move in and out of the words and to give us  a moment to stand still and watch.

Selah.

When our girl Selah was born, Steve and I both had an urging in our heart to make this year a year of Family. We just left a season of busyness, a year where we said "Yes" to a lot. We both resolved to soak in as much time as a family as we could. If our life was a song, then this was the Selah moment. This was the time where we want to take a pause and think about what's been happening in our lives, what God has done for us, where he is leading us and our family. In this Selah moment we are focusing in on God, we are letting his words resonate in our hearts moving through out us. 

I'm learning that even if you can't proclaim it a "Selah" year, sometimes you just need "Selah" moments in your days or weeks...a whisper in your heart "Selah" to take pause and see what God has done.

Selah. 

WE SURVIVED DISNEYLAND - DAY 1

So we took our first vacation as a family of 5! Before I overload you with pictures (that was your warning!), let me tell you...we are not fancy vacationing folk, we could not have pulled this amazing trip to SoCal and Disneyland, without being blessed by our family. I'm so grateful that we have family that opened their home to us, we are quickly growing as a family, but they let us crash in a spare room, fed us, let us use the showers first...you know...all the amazing stuff amazing host do! We also were blessed with tickets into the park by my cousin and as an extra bonus, my parents and my sister and her boys switched some plans around so they could join us too! Extra hands never hurt!

 

Now, I'd like to think that Steve and I could have handled the trip on our own, after all, we are two very responsible adults, raising the next generation of responsible peoples, but I'm grateful we didn't have to. If this could be a metaphor for life, Disneyland obviously being heaven, you can try to get their on your own, even after extensive planning, but every now and then you need a little help and a little good company on the way!  

 

So on with the show...and be warned, this is only our first day in Disneyland...it was pretty epic, because Henry is finally tall enough to ride most of the rides...for us it was the year of Star Wars, which meant riding star tours a gazillion times (only an estimate). We conquered the newly done Thunder Mountain, we survived the Jungle Cruise, tried our first Dole Whip and basically became like the Mayors of Toon Town when we avoided all the crowds there!

 

okay...now on with the show...

 

 

 

Oh...and no one got food poisoning!