.The Castro Family.: July 2010

Tick

>> Friday, July 23, 2010 – Everyday life, Selah

It seems we talk a lot about bugs around here. Yes, it's true. Amazingly enough, however, we have yet to see any deer ticks...until tonight that is. The girls were playing outside today as usual and in the afternoon I turned on the sprinkler to cool them off. It was around 9:45pm when everyone was finally tucked in bed and asleep (Addie took a long time as she was especially fussy tonight). Well, I thought everyone was asleep. Around 10:30 Selah came downstairs to start to tell me about this monster with 2 big eyes that she thought was in her room. As I leaned over to pick her up, I noticed something on her belly. Yep, an itsy bitsy tick, which I figured was a deer tick. I called Dave who was out with some friends and asked if he could come home. We talked with some experts in extracting deer ticks so we knew what to do. As Selah heard me talking on the phone she started to flip out and cry. When I got off we had a little talk while waiting for Daddy to come home:

S: (crying) Mommy, I don't want to go to the doctor...I don't want to! What is he going to do? Will it hurt?
M: You see that little bitty bug? Well, Daddy is going to come home and take him off for you. Then we have to take him to the doctor because he might be sick. And if the doctor tells us that he is sick then you might have his sickness. So, he'll give us some medicine for you.
S: Oh. So, the little bug will go to the doctors?
M: Yes. That little bug is called a "tick."
S: And he might have a sickness?
M: Yes.
S: Poor little guy!

Gotta love her love for bugs! Even extends to ticks.

Later when Dave arrived home she told him all about this little "pick" (as she called it) and that he might have a "sn"-ickness (her word for sickness). She told him she might get it, but it's ok cause the doctor will give her medicine. She had the whole plan worked out of going to bed, waking up in the morning, eating dinner (what she calls every meal), then taking him to the doctor. She told me right before we put her back to bed that she wanted to take a picture of the little "pick" in the morning.

How I love this little girl of mine! And we'll be praying this little "pick" tests negative for Lyme's.

One huge moth

>> Wednesday, July 21, 2010 – Everyday life, Selah

One of the things I love about our home (and I think Selah would heartily agree) is that it's on a piece of property that is just crawling with nature...literally. Selah manages to discover and find new bugs and critters every day.

Two days ago, she walked in with a moth that looked like, as Dave put it, a mouse with wings. The thing was HUGE! And it was fuzzy. She happily put it in a bag, but then let it go. Then yesterday she just happens to find it again (I keep telling myself that it was the same one and our yard is not infested with these things!) and this time held it in her bare hands, petting it, with admiration. Earlier I had cautioned her against holding it, saying I'm not sure what it would do. Then moments later comes running in with excitement to tell me, "Mom the moth is a nice moth. I put him in my hand and he didn't bite. He's a nice guy."

Waiting

>> Monday, July 19, 2010 – Grief, Spiritual, Trials

“…waiting is living through those moments when you do not understand what God is doing and you have no power to change your circumstances for the better…So much of our daily comfort comes from the fact that we are able to make sense of our circumstances… Waiting is hard for us because we tie our hearts to other glories. We so often live for the glory of human acceptance, of personal achievement, of power and position, of possessions and places, and of comfort and pleasure. So when God’s glory requires that these things be withheld from us – things we look to for identity, meaning, and purpose – we find waiting a grueling, burdensome experience. Waiting means surrendering your glory. Waiting means submitting to His glory. Waiting means understanding that you were given life and breath for the glory of another. Waiting gives you opportunity to forsake the delusion of you own glory and rest in the God of awesome glory. Only when you do that will you find what you seek, and what you were meant to have: lasting identity, meaning and purpose, and peace in Christ…”

This is what we are doing these days...waiting on the Lord in so many areas of our lives. I find it hard, very hard. Yet, even on my tear-filled days of anxiousness and weariness, I know the Lord is doing a great work in our hearts, revealing my false hopes and sins that can rob God of His glory.

Dave sent me this quote this morning. I don't think it could be improved upon. It is one I will print out and post up in my kitchen. Unfortunately, he does not know where it's from or who wrote it. If you know, please let me know.

Bird's nest

>> Sunday, July 18, 2010 – Everyday life, Family

"Mom, look what Daddy found!"

He likes to be asked.

>> Friday, July 16, 2010 – Family, Spiritual

Dave and I have started to read The Chronicles of Narnia to the girls. It's been years since I have picked up these books and after just the first one I am reminded how much I love them. I love how Aslan is portrayed and what a wonderful picture C.S. Lewis paints for us of who God is like. I read the following portion to Mckenna yesterday and it was a sweet reminder to me of how the Lord loves to hear our prayers:

"The valley in which they had come down was in the heart of the mountains; snowy heights, one of them looking rose-red in the reflections of the sunset, towered above them.

'I am hungry,' said Digory.

'Well, tuck in,' said Fledge, taking a big mouthful of grass. Then he raised his head, still chewing and with the bits of grass sticking out on each side of his mouth like whiskers, and said, 'Come on, you two. Don't be shy. There's plenty for us all.'

'But we can't eat grass,' said Digory.

'H'm, h'm,' said Fledge, speaking with his mouth full. 'Well--h'm--don't know quite what you'll do then. Very good grass too.'

Polly and Digory stared at one another in dismay.

'Well, I do think someone might have arranged about our meals,' said Digory.

'I'm sure Aslan would have, if you'd asked him,' said Fledge.

'Wouldn't he know without being asked?' said Polly.

'I've no doubt he would,' said the Horse (still with his mouth full). 'But I've a sort of idea he likes to be asked.' "

From The Magician's Nephew, C.S. Lewis

Isn't that good?!! That brief quote has been an encouragement to my soul today to bring all our needs to the throne of grace.

Sweet Wyatt

>> Thursday, July 15, 2010 – Family

Love this boy!

Bubbles

>> Sunday, July 11, 2010 – Family, Friends, Mckenna, Selah

As I mentioned earlier, our friends from Sweden, Birgitta and Emil, were here a few weeks ago. We had such a great time with them and so did our girls. They absolutely love children and are so good with them. My girls just ate up the attention and could convince Emil to do just about anything (including ride their bikes, climb trees and Selah's favorite, blow bubbles). On more than one occasion, we found Emil outside blowing big bubbles for the girls to catch and pop! They loved it!

Keenan's history camp

>> Friday, July 09, 2010 – Everyday life, Family

Last night the girls and I had the opportunity to go see Keenan perform in a reinactment. All week he has been participating in a history camp that is part of Covenant Life School. They learn about a particular war that took place in history, this time being the French and Indian War. Each boy involved takes on the role of a solider and learns what life was like in the 1700's for the men who were in battle. I could not have been more impressed. They had a whole military camp set up, the way it would have been in 1775. Keenan was part of the British army. The girl and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

After it was all over, the boys camped out in tents for the night. But Keenan ended up calling home at 2am...because he had gotten left alone in a tent, tried to sleep outside and was getting eaten alive by mosquitos. Poor boy! But overall, I think this will probably be one of Keenan's highlights of the summer.

Cousins at play

>> Wednesday, July 07, 2010 – Adelyn, Everyday life, Family

W: The fun begins!

A: That's my toy.

A: I want my toy.

W: You can't have your toy.

W: Look what I have, Addie!

A: Ouch!

A: Mom...

Save me!

Williamsport

>> Tuesday, July 06, 2010 – Everyday life, Family

About a month ago, we had the opportunity to go up to Mark's mom's huge historic house in Williamsport, MD for a cook out with the whole family. I've been wanting to see it for some time. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the grounds, seeing the huge 7,000 sq. ft. house and all the little out buildings. The kids had an absolute blast and talked about it for days on end!