Although it seems funny to post two posts, one after another, Mama’s birthday immediately follows their anniversary.

Blessings to you on your birthday, Mama

And may you have a wonderful new year!

We love you and are thankful for all the little things you do for us.

So often we forget to thank you for your love and all the little things you do for us.

Mothers are one of the things that are often taken for granted until they aren’t around. 

They’re just always there doing everything that needs to be done.

Personally, I want to be more thankful for my dear Mama.

Thank you, Mama, for being there when we need you.

Yesenia, Bianca, Edgar, Imelda, Samuel, Elfrieda, and Leandro.

Do I need to say anything more?

They are celebrating their 18th Anniversary today.

And they are definitely the sweetest, dearest, wonderful couple that I will ever know of.

Thank you, Mama and Daddy, for being both,

A wonderful example of submission and authority in their proper places,

And the best parents in the world.

May God bless you as you continue serving Him together.

Blessings from yours,

Edgar, Samuel, Leandro,

Yesenia, Bianca, Imelda, and Elfrieda.

P.S. They are enjoying a special date, just the two of them, this evening.

This past Wednesday, 16 years passed since I joined this wonderful family. Of course it was just me and Mama and Daddy, but that was the beginning. The more time we spend together, the more I come to realize how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family. The following poem, although written in past tense, is so true to me:

Our Family Tree

We may have had our ups and downs, but always found a way to mend our fences and call a day, a day.

We weren’t picture perfect, There were times we even fought; When I look back I see we were much closer than I thought.

For all the test and trials, I would never trade those years, I learned so much because of them, The laughter and the tears.

So I’ve come to appreciate my unique family tree, and I am blessed and thankful for the one God gave to me.

~Alda Maria~

When I think of the 3-year-old girl whose tracks led her family to the dugout, where she fell in and drowned, or the boy who died during the night after complaining of chest pain to his parents and being sent back to bed, and of our dear cousin Caleb, who has spent 2 years in heaven, I become even more thankful for our complete family.

We have made so many happy memories together.

I sometimes wonder if we are exceptional in being so close to each other, but I found the words of Becky Mcgurrin so true. In her book, From Streetlights to Stars, (a very good read), she says, “Anyone who has had experience with homeschoolers knows that we tend to be pretty attached to each other, and we tend to most things as a family.”

I think homeschooling is one of the reasons that we are so close. We enjoy it and wouldn’t have it any other way. (Especially when you can finish at the end of April)

I have been very busy working on the last of my grade 10 schoolwork, which is one of the reasons that this blog hasn’t gotten more attention.

BTW, I’m writing this blog post on a brand new Macbook Pro. I am enjoying it immensely. Our old computer was sooooo slow after 6 years of use.

We wanted to spend some time enjoying nature and each other on Good Friday, so we went to Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump.

This site is located about 20 km. from Fort Macleod so we had a two hour drive to get there. The interpretive centre is very informative and interesting, but the outdoors with its clear sunshine and beautiful scenery, had a far greater appeal. In fact, our experience far exceeded our expectations, and we thank God for it.

We girls enjoyed photographing nature and each other, so here is a sample of our photography.

Alberta’s Wide Prairies with their Wonderful Views. (Can you see the hint of the rockies?)