Guatemala flashback...

Remember this?  The boys were climbing Volcano Pacaya in Guatemala..

Just over 2 years ago (May 20, 2008) almost to the day!

This was Pacaya then...

This is Pacaya Now!!

It is erupting!  Here is a news article on the situation in Guatemala:

1 dead, 3 missing in Guatemala volcano eruption

By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA (AP) – 2 hours ago

GUATEMALA CITY — Rocks spewing from a volcano overlooking the Guatemalan capital killed a television reporter, authorities said Friday. Three children are missing.
The Pacaya volcano started erupting lava and rocks on Thursday afternoon, blanketing Guatemala City with ash and forcing the closure of the international airport. President Alvaro Colom declared a "state of calamity."
Television reporter Anibal Archila was hit by a shower of rocks when he got too close to the volcano, about 15 miles (25 kilometers) south of Guatemala City, said David de Leon, a spokesman for the national disaster committee.
He said three children between the ages of seven and 12 were missing.
At least 1,600 people from villages closest to the volcano have been evacuated to shelters.
Two to three inches (Five to 7.5 centimeters) of ash accumulated on streets in some southern parts of the city, and officials imposed limits on trucks and motorcycles to help speed up traffic slowed by the ash.
The government urged residents not to leave their homes unless there was an urgent need.
The most active of Guatemala's 32 volcanos, Pacaya has been intermittently erupting since 1966, and tourists frequently visit areas near three lava flows formed in eruptions between 1989 and 1991.
In 1998, the 8,373-foot (2,552-meter) volcano twice spewed plumes of ash, forcing evacuations and shutting down the airport in Guatemala City.

WOW!!  I remember being surrounded by all of the beautiful volcanoes and at the same time praying that they would not erupt while I was there!  I especially remember the day Ryan took the boys up there to climb it, I didn't really like the idea, however, * All Mothers of boys...HEAR ME PLEASE!!*
I needed to trust my husband to make this decision, and let them go!  I was raised in a home with all girls, we did not do this sort of stuff, and I tend to get a tad nervous when they do "boy" things.  BUT, I have a husband who is a man, who knows boys and what they should be doing, so I let him lead, I let them do these things!!!  I, as the mom, stayed back and prayed the thing would not erupt!!  I usually do that, if there is something they want to do and I am against it, but Ryan is for it, they do it, and I pray that the things that could happen to them while doing strange boy things...won't!!  I think it is vital while   bringing up boys to allow them to have adventure, and to let your husband lead!!  Ok, I will get off my soap box now.  Just wanted to share...

gluttony...

Tonight we celebrated the end of our beans and rice adventure with dinner out at Applebees! Everyone was excited to finally eat "good food!" When we walked in, they had a table with stuff for the kids to do, and said it was "kids night!" Yippee! All kids meals were $0.99! We all ate our fill, and then some. Little Anaya was probably the most excited this adventure was over, every time I would put the beans and rice on her plate, she would say, "Yucky mommy!" Poor baby, she ate like a horse tonight!
We figured we spent around $25.00 total last month on all of our bean and rice dinners. Tonight we spent around $25.00 on this one dinner!
*Thankfully, we had a gift card!*

I have a confession to make...

We had a brief reprieve of beans and rice this past weekend!
I knew Friday we would be skipping out, as we were out of town, as we are almost every Friday, due to the boys being in Friday Addition.
Saturday, we had a great time celebrating Christmas with Ryan's family. We actually ate a huge lunch and had brownie sundaes for desert about the time of dinner, so we technically didn't even eat dinner!
Then, I became violently ill in the middle of the night and felt awful all day Sunday. So, there was no way I was cooking anything. Ryan, however, did make lentils and rice for the youth group! I skipped out on all food that day! I basically laid in bed all day except for the time I spent in the other room of the house...oh and I went at the hospital too...long story ~ short...I'm fine! I need to give a big THANKS to my dear friends Lee and Jenny for helping us out! (Thanks girls and your families too!) It was an...interesting (ok down right comical, right Lee?) day, and I am learning to accept help from others...
So, there ya have it. We skipped a few and now we're back on track!
*Ryan says I need a picture, so here is the awesome sunset I enjoyed tonight!

beans and rice blessings...

One of the things we are doing during our bean and rice adventure is to pray for and discuss the many children/people who go without any food daily, extreme poverty, clean water, ways to help people who need food and water, people and organizations that are making a difference etc... One night, we were discussing "why beans and rice?" "Why don't they eat other stuff?" We explained that it is inexpensive, how you can feed a lot of children for a little, and also that it is good...nutritionally, at least! So we started adding up the cost of the dinner we were eating and we figured we ALL ate for about $1.00!

On a different evening, we had a complaint about having "only water?" to drink (for super.) So I went to the computer to show them how blessed we are to have clean water. We watched the little video on the Charity:Water site, and before it was finished Dylan slipped a $20.00 bill into my hand. I asked what that was for and he said he wanted to help people get clean water! WOW! I was so blessed by his generosity, it certainly made up for the complaining that night!!

So, the first week is in, and there have been several lessons learned. Our hearts and minds are realizing how blessed we are, we are having some interesting conversations, and finding ways we can help those in need.

Now, if only I could get the portions down pat. I have made too much and not enough~never was it just right and I only varied the amounts by 1/2 a cup. I guess I should try a 1/4 huh?...Cooking, figuring, thinking ahead...not my thing. But I am learning!