2013 Goals

Gabe and Luna now want to go to Costa Rica. I am impressed how serious they are about it; they saved the money they usually use on snacks after gymnastics. We put in in Gabe's piggy bank. We are also turning off lights more to save money for a Costa Rica trip.

It will take a while but that is OK because they need to prepare by;

• hiking more and longer
• practice snorkeling
• walking longer distances
• improve their swimming
• practice more spanish

While looking at my pictures from Costa Rica, Luna loved all the flowers, butterflies, snakes and animals.  Gabriel's favorite pictures; the alligators.

Colombian lentils

Ingredients:

2 cups lentils

8 cups of water
4 small tomatoes
1 medium onion
3 teaspoons cumin
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 teaspoon salt
3 small chicken broth cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
4 medium small yellow potatoes cubed
Cooking Instructions
1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil for 15 minutes
2. Add everything except potatoes and boil for 1 minute then simmer for 30 minutes
3. Add potatoes and cook 15 more minutes

We were listening to the radio this morning. Way FM was talking about an interview that was yet to be aired on TV.  An officer was going to be awarded a medal of honor for his work in afganastan.  However the part being referenced was when he had to leave behind a soldier who was trapped under a car.  The afgan forces greatly outnumbered the US force.  Luna asked me to explain why this happened .  I told her about Osama Bin Ladin and what he did and that that is why we had to go to war.   I looked back and she was looking forward, hands in lap.  Pretty picture perfect face of hers.  tears rolling down.  

I have seen this kid cry a lot.  Tears of whinning.  Crying for something she can't have.  Tears of physical pain because she fell or her brother hit her while wrestling.  Tears because I put her in time out.  Tears and cries because she is tired. Lots of different kinds of tears.

This was the first time I ever saw her cry softly like this.  She has a soft sensitive heart like her mama.  Oh I hope she doesn't feel as much sadness as me!  God help me to find a good balance between how much I should expose her to and how much I should protect her from.