Is summer really over?

We can't believe September is already here. The weather is already getting cool and it feels like fall is right around the corner. Oh, who are we kidding, winter is probably right around the corner for us here in MN. So, we figured we better catch everyone up on our summer fun before the first snow flakes begin to fall...

Yes, this is a summer picture! Marissa is enjoying the park while Enrique is playing softball.

Marissa hanging out in the Hot Tub with her cousins

4th Of July Fireworks! Marissa is having more fun trying to squeeze herself into a bag designed for a camping chair.

We found some incredibly cheap tickets and were able to spend a long weekend in Texas (perhaps better known as the promise land for you native Texans) visiting our good friends Allison and Drew before they move to Germany for 3 years. We are going to miss them, but we definitely won't miss the summer heat of Texas! The above picture is of Horseshoe Bay a beautiful resort where we spent one of our nights!

A close up of our friends, Drew, Allison, Lizzy, and Anna Claire.

Marissa lounging in the pool!

Marissa and Anna Claire playing at the beach.

Marissa loved baby Lizzy. Ever since we got home, Marissa has been praying that a baby would start to grow in mommy's tummy and we can name her Lizzy. So, we will see what happens.

We loved Pollo Campero when we lived in Guatemala, so when we found out there was one in Texas, we had to stop in for some of our favorite chicken.

Marissa and Anna Claire took a little while to warm up to each other, but they were friends by the end of the weekend.

What a great summer!

New Job!

I am so excited to announce that I will be starting a new job in a few weeks! As many of you know, it was a difficult transition for me when we moved back from Guatemala for many reasons. One of them was the necessity for me to return to hospital nursing. My schedule at the hospital was not very family friendly and it made it very difficult for me to find time to minister alongside of Enrique as my schedule was constantly changing.

After a lot of prayer, God has provided me with a new job as a school nurse. This will be a huge change for me and challenging as I learn my new responsibilities. I am so excited to have a normal schedule with daytime hours. No weekends or holidays!!! It also allows me to be off during the summer which is Enrique's busiest time due to summer daycamp. I can't wait to be able to spend more time in ministry again with my husband. Please pray for a smooth transition for us during this time.

-Chrissie

Spring, Easter, and Vacation

Pictures sometimes tell a better story, so here are some to enjoy!

We set up our hot tub after the snow finally melted in April!

Marissa colored the Easter eggs all by herself.
We watched our cousins dog for a week and now Marissa wants another puppy!
We traveled to Florida for Titi Julie's wedding and Marissa was excited to be the flower girl.
Marissa and Titi Julie after the wedding.Marissa loved the beach and spending time with her abuela.
We visited old and new friends.

Went on a short Disney cruise.
And were so tired at the end, we could sleep anywhere and we did!

Marissaism's

Lately, Marissa has been saying the funniest things.

Marissa has a great memory. She likes to talk about things that we did yesterday, last month, and even last year. She starts every story with, "Last week..." It sure makes last week a very busy week! I guess her sense of time is not quite as accurate as her memory.

Last week, Marissa was starting to fall asleep on the couch. Suddenly, she sat straight up and said, "Mommy, something is falling out of my mouth." I quickly reassured her and we had our first conversation about drool.

Yesterday at preschool the kids did an Easter egg hunt and each egg was filled with a symbol of the Easter story like nails that can make a cross or a stone etc. Well, Marissa was busy explaining everything to us this morning over breakfast. We were so proud of our young Bible scholar as she accurately explained the Easter story until right at the end. She was just finishing up and telling us that, "Jesus is in heaven with his Father. His father is God. Jesus is the Son and he is very hot." We immediately realized that she thinks Jesus is the SUN not the Son...

Aren't kids fun!!!

Little Orphan Annie

Marissa loves the movie Annie. She has watched it too many times to count and can act out almost any scene word for word. Recently, a great friend of ours sewed an Annie dress for Marissa and sent it our way. Oh my goodness, this was the best gift ever! Marissa wears the dress all the time. Although, I think Enrique and I are getting a little tired of being Mrs. Hannigan and Daddy Warbucks...
"Annie & Sandy"

Good Friends

Isn't it great to have good friends. I sure think so. My friend Natalie, from high school, is here with her daughter Megan visiting us for a week. It is so fun to just hang out, talk, let the girls play, and relax. I was able to rearrange my work schedule to have all the time off with them. Natalie has started a home based business as an independent consultant with Arbonne and after looking into the opportunity I believe that this could be a good business for me as well. So, she is here helping me launch my new business. I am praying that this will give me the freedom that I so desire in my life. I guess I will have to wait and see.

*Chrissie

Catch Up Time

We have a lot of catching up to do, so let's get started. Don't worry we did not freeze up here although some of the temps have been at 25 degrees below 0. So, where do we start....

Our biggest news is that we bought a house!
It is nothing fancy or huge, but it is our home and we love it. The process of finding and buying a home was not easy or simple, but God definitely protected us along the way and led us to this home. We have plenty of space and room to grow in the future... We moved in during the 2nd week of December and had everything unpacked in time for Christmas. We are looking forward to making this our home for as long as God keeps us here. If anyone is in the area, make sure you give us a call, we would love to have you stay with us.

Marissa had fun dressing up for her 1st Halloween. Of course she had to be Cinderella and loved every minute of it. She got to dress up for daycare during the day and then we visited her grandparents and aunt and uncle at night. We all had a great time!

Let it Snow...

The snow just keeps falling this winter. We were all very excited when the first snow fell. Marissa finally got to practice making snow angels outside. We have tried sledding, tubing, and ice skating or should I say boot skating. We are enjoying the winter. We also figured out really quick that shoveling is not that much fun. Our driveway is long, too long. We are looking at buying a snow blower, but want to wait to get one on sale. So, it will be shoveling for a little bit longer for us.

Ministry Update:

Enrique's work at the Salvation Army is going great. It was exciting to see how God provided just enough funds at just the right time through the Kettle campaign during Christmas. It made both of us take time to remember that God is bigger than the economy. It was one of those times that renewed our faith and trust in God. Enrique is finally getting to focus more of his time and energy towards outreach in the Hispanic community. We are both looking forward to seeing God work through this new outreach. The after school program is going well and the kids are enjoying a walk through the Bible. We have begun a new Bible study called The Truth Project at church and love it! Chrissie is also starting to teach a new teen/young adult Sunday School class this Sunday. She is excited to finally have a place to minister alongside Enrique. She is also looking for a new job as a school nurse. We feel that this move will allow Chrissie the freedom she needs to commit more time and energy working with Enrique during his special winter & summer camps. So pray for us as we continue to minister here in St. Paul. Pray that the outreach to the Hispanic community will be fruitful.

We hoped you enjoyed the update. We hope to send out a similar update via email that will include our new contact information as well.

Talk to you soon...

WE ARE BACK!

Hi Everyone,

We finally got internet access in our home! Yes, it is shocking that it took us almost a year to hook up internet here in the good old USA... So we will post an update within the next day or so.

Looking forward to reconnecting with everyone.