13th Anniversary, and Happy New Year ! A December Give Away too!

I will be taking an even longer bloggy break into the new year and here´s the reason why:

This year for our 13th wedding anniversary my husband and I will be going to Germany with our boys. Friends of ours offered to watch our boys while we go to a wonderful get-a-way hotel and spa. It will be a family vacation/ anniversary gift! (This is from moneies given as gifts and not as support money.)

So, as I will be missing in action for a week, please write me a lot. I love hearing from you! And I will be coming around to see you as soon as I can.

Happy New Years!!!
From Mine to Yours,







PS.
Go and check out this cool giveaway that will be given away on the 1st of Jan. So hurry on over.  Here is the link. Click here or on the picture.

Merry Christmas!

We  pray you all have a wonderful Christmas, remembering the One who came to give us Eternal Life. It is so overwhelming to think that God would come to earth as a baby, live and die as a man condemned so that we might be saved from our sins.

"For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in Him

should not perish
but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Past

"Oh where, oh where, have my sweet little babies gone?"

Christmas 2001

Two became three and so this was the first Christmas we were a family of five.





Would you like to join in on Friday Photo Flashback? Head on over to Alicia at More than Words.

It´s Our Last Week!

Yes, we are almost done with our Christmas Crunch Challenge, but that does not mean we are done with fitness. We have gained some valuable habits that will help us along on our fitness journey of life. Discipline, healthy eating, exercise, and valuable knowledge about our bodies, are only a few things that we have focused on in these last 8 weeks. It has been a wonderful journey!

All of the challenge points will end Dec. 23 (12:00 PST).... BUT .. the blog will stay open! We can post whenever we want. We can chat whenever we want, and use the support system we have already set up. It is such a blessing!

I will be e-mailing all the participants certificates by Christmas, Lord willing! They can print them out, frame them! They desirve it! We should pamper ourselves a little this Christmas, but then get right back at it again after the holidays. We can´t  ruin all we have worked so hard for.

This challenge has been a real blessing for me, and I thank God for allowing me to get to know everyone of our participants better. Some really got into the points and some didn´t. That´s ok. The idea was for the support and to cheer each other on. To pray. To love. To get Healthy and Fit! I believe we accomplished all of these goals. 

They all should all be so proud and thankful to the Lord for His Strength!

I am looking forward to many more challenges and staying fit for life. Maybe, I have found another niche.

10 more days to Christmas, ya´ll!

Crunching and Praising,



PS... if you think you would like to be apart of our next challenge e mail me at dani2spain@gmail.com

Prayer Card Memory Lane

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about my family´s journey to Spain and our time here. I guess that´s why when I went scouring through my pictures for Friday Photo Flashback, our very first prayer card caught my eye.

Spring 1998

It was special for many reasons. One, My hubby and I were in our first or second year of marriage, newly weds really. Second, We were finally getting ready to head out on the deputation trail after talking about it for almost 3 years.


I remember buying this purple dress especially for our prayer card. Why I didn´t even think to have my hair done I will never know. I must not have been too concerned about hair styles back then. My word, what a tom boy I was!


I remember having to do two sittings to get the picture right, and look I am still closing my eyes! GRief! We handed this prayer card out to many churches in Texas and New Mexico. Then our first son was born so we thankfully did another card.


We have since had three more prayer cards made. Our last one being my favorite. I included them all just for reference.

January 1999

Spring 2004

Fall 2008

Even though I miss my extended family so much, I love Spain! It has become my home. My boys even say they are Spanish. My youngest just yesterday said, "Mommy, I am glad I am Spanish."

I had to tell him that he is really only American and doesn´t have a Spanish passport. He continued to insist that he was Spanish, but I took the opportunity to share with him how special he was to be able to belong to two countries. We just wish the world was a little smaller.

Hope you enjoy my little walk down memory lane.

Happy Friday!

Nix the Fix - Week Six!

It´s the End of Week SIX of the Christmas Crunch Challenge!

Ladies , I have designed a special way for you to catch up in points and crunch it even more seriously.

If you are involved in our challenge, head on over and find out how you can get loads of points, and get healthy doing it!

I am calling this week´s special...

NIX the FIX!

We are going to start counting points for healthy eating. You will be able to earn a point for every healthy portion of food you eat, but be mindful the unhealthy, sugary, starchy, fatty, junk foods cause you to lose points!

We are going to keep the blog open through the Christmas season, so if you think you would like to join our private fitness blog, you may. Just send me an e mail at danijoy2spain@gmail.com . 

If you join, you can see how the challenge is going, learn what is working for others, get fitness tips, links and much much more! Also, you can start getting geared up for our next challenge after the holiday season. (to be announced)

Don´t throw in the towel, ladies! It isn´t a no win battle. Believing that you can´t change, is a lie! You have all the tools you need to change your lifestyle, to be healthy and fit!

Come on. What are you waiting for?

Crunchin´it,

Mele Kalikimaka!

"Is thing to say on bright Hawaiian Christmas day."

NO? We aren´t in Hawaii???

Well, I tried. I guess we aren´t in Hawaii, but we have gotten our Bing Crosby cd out! Our tree is up, and we are just really getting excited for Christmas. I think this is the earliest we have gotten everything up.

The boys put the tree up early this week. It´s amazing that they can actually put it together without my help now. I did put the lights on though, and decorated it. I like a themed tree now, seens how my childhood ornaments got lost in one of our moves.

It looks a little bare. Wonder what I am missing?

You can´t see the lights. There are so many of them!

Anyway, it has really helped our home get into the Christmas spirit.

This is how we celebrate Mary´s Immaculate Conception holiday here in Spain. It´s a big holiday right before Christmas. Most Spaniards get together with their family and eat.

We stayed up to watch good ol´American Football! And we will go out to eat tomorrow. 

Missin´all our family but trying to get singing the Christmas Spirit anyway.

What kinds of things do you do to get into the Christmas Spirit with your family?

Come and join in 
 

A Day of Rest

Yes, the Lord´s day is often a day of rest for me from exercise. Sometimes I don´t get to rest rest though. Those in the ministry know that often Sundays become more of a day of work than rest.

Today, I am a bit heavy. We had an unexpected visit and she shared her story. We have been praying for her and she finally opened up. It is a very heavy story. Please pray for our friend and her family.

I am very thankful that the Lord knows our hearts and He can carry our burdens.

The Lord says

"Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

So today, may you turn your burdens over to the Only One Who can take them. May you find true rest in Jesus.

Whatever you Eat or Drink or Whatever You Do, Do All in Name of the Lord.

"That ye might walk, worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power..."

Colossians 1:10,11