This past weekend my Dad and step-mom came to visit her are some pic's of some of the things we did. We did go to progreso. My step mom wanted to go there to shop but I had never been there and was a little afraid to go but for the most part we had fun. It was very crowded there. We found a good restaurant to eat at called Agulars I think. All the waiters were dressed up in tuxedo's and there was nothing but American's eating there. The food was good and none of us got sick. It rained on us at first but then it stopped. I am glad because it was pretty miserable while it was raining. It seems to flood really bad in Mexico went it rains. Then we just took them to the beach and the downtown where all the ships are.

Pslam 16:7-11
7 I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. 10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. 11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Meaning behind a name

I like this picture of me it really captures who I am. The pic was taken at the Castle we went to in Germany two weeks ago. I was drawn to this window seat in the castle. I love window seats. I sat there for a while just thinking about God, life, dreams and hopes. I have been through a lot in the last year. Due to a severe back injury that literally stopped me in my tracks. It was a year ago this week I hurt my back. I am a nurse. So everything has been on mind of what has transpired in the last year to me. I think sometimes God uses things like this to get our attention. Well God got my attention. I will just say that it seemed that everything came crashing down around me. I have to say this has been the worst and best year of my life. The worst being the injury and the best finding God again in the process. So for the past year everyday has been a struggle for me. I still live with back pain. It is not as bad as it was and I am on my way to getting better. But I still have days that are such a challenge for me but I have found comfort in God and knowing that He is there. This past Sunday we went to church and they had a guest speaker Bill Bates who was a football player for the Dallas Cowboys and he told his testimony. And he talked about having dreams and overcoming trials. It hit home with me. It was like God was telling me I can get through this and overcome it. Anyway, It is kinda how I picked my name for my blog. That my everyday life has been a struggle for the past year. And each day there seemed to be a new challenge for me. But I am glad that God got my attention. I could not imagine not having God in my life at this point. He has shown me that he is there and he is real. And he has put very special people in my life to help me. It just amazes me how God has worked in my life.

Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

This picture was taken at my sister-in-law's house in Germany. This is the view they have off of their patio.

Somewhere in the Austian Alps on the border of Austria and Germany.

Picture taken while driving in Austia not sure where we were.


Hotel Muller

The street below our hotel.

Hohenschwangau on the border of Austia and Germany
The pic above is in Salzburg, Austria


These are some black and white pictures I did. The pic to the left is taken in Hohenschwangau near the Austria and Germany border. This is where the Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau are. This pic is out of my hotel window. The name of the hotel where we stayed is called Hotel Muller. My husband was so nice to get us a room with a veiw of the castle. It was so beautiful.

The snowball was a great treat to bad the treats were so big that i could not try all of the flavors.
Me and my husband sitting of a bench along the city wall.
You can see that I am freezing on the bench with out my hubby.









Here are a few more pic's. Most of these are of Doug's brother and sister-in-law and us.

More Germany Pic's

These are some pic's of the Cathederal in Colgne.

Here are my pictures from our trip to Germany and Austria. It was the most beauitful scenry I have ever seen. Isn't God's creation awesome! We were there for nine days. My husbands brother and his family live there. Everything looked like a fairytale to me. We first went to Heidelberg, Germany and then to Rudesheim, Germany. Heidelberg was my favorite. It was so beautiful and the Castle that is there is just awesome. We traveled to southern Germany and Austria for a few days and it was just beautiful. We seen so many castles. We just drove until we got somewhere and then got a hotel. The Austrian mountains was spectacular. I have never seen anything like it. We ended up in Salzburg, Austria the home of Mozart. The last part of the trip Doug and I took at train to Colgne, Germany. The train went along the Rhine river. This part of the river has several castles on it. You can go on a Rhine river cruise but we did not have time to do that but maybe someday we can go back. There is a huge catheredal there in Colgne. As soon as you get off the train there it is. You wonder how in the world did they build that. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I love going to Europe. This is our second time. We went to Italy 3 years ago. I wish we could of stayed a little longer this time. I was sad to go.

Everything matters
by John Fischer

Well I looked over this morning's devotional just now and was relieved. That's because yesterday morning, when I wrote it, I was not on my normal coffee and granola/yogurt bar routine. I was preparing for minor surgery that was to happen at noon, and the requirement was absolutely no food or drink - even water - after midnight the night before. Deprived of caffeine and sugar, I found my eyes closing every few minutes. And the 10-minute “power nap” that I sometimes climb back into bed for after about three hours of early-morning writing turned into 30 minutes. It's a wonder I even made sense. And now I'll have to do it all over again next week.

Halfway to the surgery center I called to let them know I was running late and found out my appointment had been rescheduled. So there I was, depriving myself and rushing off halfway to the surgery center for no reason. Don't you ever wonder why things like this happen? It seems like so much wasted time and effort.

If we're fortunate, we might discover what we thought was wasted time actually put us in a position for something good that wouldn't have happened otherwise. But this isn't always the case. Sometimes these things just happen and we weather them and go on. But is that the best we can expect? I think there may be more.

Just as none of us is an accident, I believe none of the things that happen to us are accidents either. Behind all the causes, effects, and surprises in our lives, God's hand is moving. My history and yours are intertwined with everyone else's in an intricate tapestry of events, none of which are outside God's control. And in this elaborate confluence of things, everything matters. My “wasted” morning may have played into someone else's day in a more significant manner than I can know now or understand.

Perhaps for this reason, we can look back on the events of an otherwise wasted effort and see other things not evident at first glance. In this case, it allowed for my wife and I to stop for coffee on the way back home and have a few moments together. Those moments pointed out some things to me that I needed to act on due to their critical nature. Had I been drugged by anesthesia most of the day and focused on myself, that awareness might have been delayed even further, a delay we cannot afford right now.

What happened yesterday was no accident; what happens today will not be either. We need to pay attention to find out why, because God isn't messing around.

Everything matters; everything counts.
Everything matters; everything counts.
Keep my eyes open.
Keep my hands on the wheel.
Everything matters; everything's real.

- from the song Everything Matters by John Fischer

Favorite Memories

Favorite Memories

Okay I found this on susie's blog and thought I would join in on it.

1. Favorite memory of your mother?
I guess my favorite memory of my mother would be her baking all the the time. We always had homemade birthday cakes. And she would make this 7 minute frosting to go on them. She could bake anything. I miss her chocolate pie's. I can't really make them like her but I am pretty close. I miss her homemade yeast rolls also. She spent most of her time in the kitchen but unfortunally things changed after my parents got divorced after 36 years of marriage. She does not cook the same anymore and she really is not the same person anymore. Which is hard for me.

2. Favorite memory of your father?
My Dad was always taking picutres of us. He always had the camera ready. We had a picture drawer where all the pictures went and I always loved getting into that drawer and looking at the pictures. So I guess that is where I get my love of taking pictures. From him.

3. Favorite memory of your siblings?
My sister and I as kids were always together. We did everything together. We would ride our bikes together all the time everywhere, that is my favorite memory.

4. What one skill would you like to wake up tomorrow and be able to do(though you never learned it)?
Speak spanish. It is so hard to learn a language when you are an adult. I want to learn it so I can speak to the people on the mission trips to mexico. I want to be able to communicate with them.


5. Which of your dreams has come true?
Okay somehow I missed this question so I adding now. Well I would have to say God leading us to where we are now and being apart of a wonderful church and having God back in my life. It has been a long journey to get to where I am. But I can look back and see that God was working in my life even when I thought he wasn't. He had his hand in all the times of despair and uncertain moments in our life even though I did not realize it at the time. I am amazed!

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

Those who go to God Most High for saftey will be protected by the Almighty
Psalm 91:1

We create elaborate houses for our bodies, but our souls relegated to a hillside shanty where the night winds chill us and the rain soaks us...We don't have to live outside...God wants you to move in out of the cold and live...with Him. Under his roof there is space available. At his table a plate is set. In his living room a wingback chair is reserved just for you. And he'd like you to take up residence in his house. Why...? Simple, he's your Father.