.The Castro Family.: March 2010

Carrying burdens

The following Scripture, which is on the side of my blog, has come to mind countless times of the past week,

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore..." Rev. 21:4

On days like this, it is the hope that I hold on to. A number of friends all around me are walking through significant trials and hardships and my heart is every so heavy for them. Yesterday I cried on and off all day. My heart hurts and I easily grow weary with this world. Heaven is what I long for, what I hope for and what I think about often.

To some of those around me who are suffering...
*Helen and Matt, I'm longing with you for the day when pain will be no more.
*Ed and Elizabeth, I'm longing with you for the day when death will be no more and we'll be with those we loved so much.
*Christy, I'm longing with you for the day when our weary hearts will cease.
*Jordan and Tali, I'm longing with you for the day when sickness will be gone.

A friend wrote the following to me today, "carrying others burdens is something God calls us to and we are given grace to do so and yet it's very hard.. Weighs us down... It's a lot of emotional work. I always pray that as I carry others burden that God would lighten that person's load as a result and I do believe He does.. "

What encouraging words for my heavy heart. With a very full and exhausting season right now, I feel so helpless and want to do so much more practically for those who I love and carry on my heart. But I'm human and limited and not able to do as much as I want. But I can pray and I can carry burdens to my Savior. As I seek to do that, I pray that it will, in some way, help lighten the load of these dear saints.

Good morning smile

Lauren & Samantha

Today we had fun watching 2 of the Lee girls. Esther, a dear friend of mine, just had her 5th baby last week and her husband Joe has had some complications from a nose surgery he had recently. So, needless to say, they are VERY tired. I took Lauren and Samantha for the day so they could get some needed rest. We had such a great time with them. Mckenna and Selah loved the little playmates and they all enjoyed the day outside. I think between them all, they picked every single daffodil in our yard...too cute! We even managed to get to the park before dinner.

Cousins

It only took Kelly and I 3 whole months to finally get pictures of these two together! It's not just getting them together though...its getting them both happy, fed and rested at the same moment. It was short, as you can see in the final shots, but we did get a few happy pictures.

Alert and happy!

Smirk! Addie takes center stage in these two...

Love the drool!

Meltdown begins. I love how it looks like Wyatt is trying to console Adelyn

A not so happy ending!

3 months

As the saying goes, "how time flys." Indeed, but we have loved every day of these 3 months. Happy 3 months, little one. How we love you.

It was a busy day and Dave is gone again on a short trip. But my mom popped in for a visit, which made the day more relaxing for me. And I pulled out my camera as Addie took a little nap in her lap. So, as the day is ending, I am grateful I have a picture of her today, on her 3 month birthday. Love those cheeks!

Our Swedish friends

I met Birgitta about 10 years ago. She came to America to be an aupair for one year. Over the the course of the year, the Lord did a great work in her heart and she became a Christian. During that year, we also became great friends. It was sad to see her go, but she and her now husband, Emil, come back every 1-2 years for a visit. We always look forward to the time, although it's always way too short. This year they brought another couple with them, Mattias and Miya. They were so sweet! Here are a few pictures of the last night we got to spend with them.

Birgitta and me

Dave talking with Emil

Mattias and Miya

Girlie shot!

Miya reading to Mckenna

My poor self-portrait shot of Biritta and me. Sorry, Birgitta!

We will miss you all!! Come back soon.

Our little book worm

Introducing her early to our love for reading! Hoping she will love books as much as her sisters do.

Friends from Sweden

We just had some dear friends arrive yesterday to stay with us for a few days. Emil and Birgitta. They brought another wonderful couple with them. This week has been busy, but wonderful! Dave has been gone, but we have experienced much grace. I even managed to paint my powder room amidst getting ready for our guests, enjoying this outside nice weather, and caring for the girls. More later on our time with our friends. Gotta run and make breakfast!

God's care

I decided to post an email string that occurred today. I find that I don't post as much these days on grieving. That is for a number of reasons. However, I wanted to post some kind words that came from a friend and my response to her. I'm doing so because I am aware of a number of friends around me who are walking through their own trials. And I think the following words so adequately give testimony to the kindness or our Lord, His active involvement into every detail of our hard times, our thoughts, and our emotions and His commitment and promise to uphold us and see us through.

Let me tell you, I needed this reminder! I have felt lonely, inadequate as a mom, wife, homemaker, and weary the past number of days. I've been missing Alivia and have been more aware of circumstances than I have of who God is and how great He is, not just to save my soul, but to uphold my soul all the days of my life. This email was a reminder of God's specific care for me.

So, I pray for all those of you whose days are characterized by hardship right now. May the following words remind you of how acquainted the Lord is with us, how He can sympathize with our sufferings and how much He knows and and will care for us through them...

And, Cara, once again...THANKS! I'm in tears again as I read your kind words.

Hi, Heather!

Just wanted to say hi and let you know that you've been fresh on my heart the last couple of days. I don't have any big word or even a verse to share, but I think of and pray for you often, love reading your blog and seeing those beautiful little girls, and continue to remember your Alivia with gratefulness and tears. I only got to meet her once, so in my mind's eye she is always that tiny pink and white bundle with a perfect, baby face, wrapped in a blanket and snuggled sleeping on your shoulder. I look forward to meeting her again in Heaven some day, where she will be a veteran worshiper at the Throne. How much I will have to learn from her then!

Much love,
Cara

Cara,

*Tears.* Thanks so much, my friend! Well you have been sensitive to the Spirit and for that I'm so grateful. The past few days have been particularly hard for me and as I sit here I am once again aware and reminded of how the Lord knows and He has and is providing for my every need. Your email could not have been more timely or more meaningful, Cara. Life has been particularly challenging with meeting the needs of 3 little ones (as you very well know :), I've been weary, exhausted and very emotional and weepy (I think my hormones have been a little wild the past few days). On top of that I have just been particularly missing our little one no longer here, wondering what she would look like toddling around and what our family would be like with her. It's an interesting and hard dynamic, knowing that if she were here, Addie would not be, so in the Lord's sovereignty I rest. Also, sleep has been restless for me the last few nights, adding to my drama of emotion. And Dave left this morning for a business trip this week.

I just say all that to encourage and thank you, Cara. The Lord could have put me on your heart, you prayed, and then stopped there. But the fact that you would take the time (which is precious, I KNOW) to sit and write to let me know, is...well, means so much, dear friend. The Lord used it to strengthen my weak and weary soul and I will come back to it this week, I'm sure, to read and be refreshed.

Thanks, as well, for continuing to remember Alivia and us, in general. I was just thinking last night how losing her has taken so much out of us and has rocked our world in ways that probably only the Lord knows about. And we still have not recovered...I am learning it takes so much time and our hearts will never be the same until heaven. Once again, I say that to communicate how much the Lord has used your care!

I continue to be so grateful for you, Cara!

Love,

Heather

Like a feather

Yesterday I was getting Selah dressed and she said to me:

"Mom, you smell so good...like a feather. And you're so pretty. You're not like a boy. You're like a fluffy little feather."

I laughed. She's my silly little girl.

Hair

This week has been an exhausting one for me. With almost every evening filled with something, getting to bed after 11pm, baby up 1 or 2 times and then needing to get up early to get Mckenna ready for school, I have been weary and tired. Sooo, yesterday after lunch, I fed the baby and got her settled and was feeling that if I could just close my eyes and put my head back on the couch for a few minutes, I would feel so much better. So, that's what I did. I told Mckenna and Selah that I was needing to rest on the couch for a few minutes and to go play for awhile. Over the next 45 minutes or so, I heard tons of running around upstairs, laughing and much activity. I could only imagine what they were getting into or doing, but no one was crying or screaming and I was getting a little shut eye before the next round of craziness began. After awhile of listening to this, I pulled myself off the couch, and went upstairs to see what they had been up to. I expected to round the corner and see the playroom in disrepair, but it was not bad at all. Then around the corner came my 2 big girls. And this is what I heard, "mom, don't we look beautiful?!"

Both girls had gotten dressed up in their Princess dresses (which is not unusual and happens every day around here), but this was unusual... Mckenna had "decorated" Selah's hair.

When it was finally time for nap, we had to take everything out of Selah's hair and I counted 46 hair pieces! I took them out and put them on the counter...

Mckenna only put a few in her hair (left picture above), but later when Selah was napping she found all 46 pieces that I put on the counter and added them to the collection in her hair (right picture). That's my girl!

What's a story without some added drama at the end? Yes, I have very emotional girls and of course we had some tears at the end... for some reason that I don't even remember now.

I have to say, if my girls are going to get into something I'm grateful it's this and not some thing worse...I love my girls...and how "girlie" they are!