ELLINGTON FAMILY

January 2012

2012-01-27T21:08:00.007-05:00

This is our first post since 2011, I know it has been a while since I haven't written anything but this year I want to give a quick update about our family. I kind of like this winter in North Carolina (Wake Forest), it hasn't been that cold for me so far. The days goes between warm and cold, I don't think we would have any snow this year and I was so prepared with my kids snow outfits; who knows, maybe we have some :)). Sara and Ingrid are in Pre-k at Open Door Baptist Church, they are really enjoying it and learning so much. Sara can count up to 29 and she can write my name if I spell it to her, she is doing great in her spelling. I can't believe she will start Kindergarden in the fall-oh no!!!. Ingrid is learning to write her name, she knows her abc. I do need to practice more with her but I have to remember she is only 3 1/2. Isaac is 8 months and he is adorable (my 3 kids are adorable, they are unique), keeps me busy all day long, of course. He is a fast crawler, he can stand up and give some steps holding on something, I think he is going to be a early walker, it wouldn't surprise me, he is very advanced for his age. My hard working husband has two jobs, it is hard on us but we know that the Lord will open a door for him soon. He graduated from Southeastern in May last year. At this moment, we are praying and trying to be patient to see where the Lord will lead us in this new year 2012. We are really eager to serve him, and we submit our will to His will, because He says in His word (Isaiah 55:9) that His thoughts are higher than ours and His plans are better than ours.

Photos from Christmas

2011-12-26T09:04:00.005-05:00

We had so much fun this Christmas. Sara is now 4 (5 in Feb) and Ingrid is 3 (4 in May) and Isaac is 7 months but crawling and into everything! This is the first Christmas that Sara and Ingrid knew what was goin on with gifts etc.. and also they related everything to Jesus birthday. Daddy took the girls to their first Christmas parade in Wake Forest and they had a wonderful time. On Christmas eve, we went to Mary Frances house after church and had a wonderful time with the Ellington family. Here are some photos over the two busy days. Daddy really surprised mommie with her necklace and Sara and Ingrid got dolls that came with outfits for them to wear so they matched the dolls. Its been so fun watching them enjoy not just the toys, but also sharing life with our extended families in Henderson and also Vaughan. Grandma Marie made our Christmas special by staying with us and she received some surpises also. (except for the calendar! haha)

CHRISTMAS 2011 IN NC

2011-12-25T21:46:00.003-05:00

We had a nice Christmas this year with our new member in our family Isaac. This was his first Christmas and it really made a difference because this time we got a lot of boys toys and Frank was not the only man in the family anymore, now he has someone on his side. (haha) and Papa had a boy to give a John Deere tractor toy to and play with in the floor. Praise God! for His blessings and His care for us. Sara and Ingrid have really enjoyed this Christmas, they now can relate Christmas to Jesus birth and have learned beautiful Christmas songs that they have been singing all this month. They have really been in the Christmas spirit and we love it. Also, this year grandma Marie was able to spend Christmas day with us and it was a real joy, thank you grandma for coming. In the same way, we missed grandma Oli and aunt Sandra and we hope and pray we can spend it with you all next year in Peru. Love you all,

Little Ballerinas Recital

2011-12-10T10:53:00.002-05:00

Little Ballerinas Recital

2011-12-10T10:42:00.003-05:00

Our little ballerinas! Sara and Ingrid had their first ballet recital on Friday and they both did so good and Papa even showed up!

ISAAC'S 1ST CHRISTMAS

2011-11-26T19:06:00.002-05:00

Well, time really flies. Isaac is 6 months and he is crawling everywhere in our home. He is very good following me; wherever I go he can find me. Now, he can sit by himself and of course it was a good time to snap some shots of him. He is really a cutie (precioso) and very spoiled by his big sister Sara. The christmas clothes that they are wearing in these pictures I got it from my favorite shopping place "the Sharing Shop" (almacen). The 3 of them are a blessing and a headache too :)

OUR CHRISTMAS TREE ADVENTURE 2011

2011-11-25T09:09:00.003-05:00

This year we decided to put a live natural and fresh Christmas Tree. Our tradition as a family is to put it up on Thanksgiving Day. I was surprised that they were not as expensive as I thought. On the 24th we went out to eat Thanksgiving lunch with some neighbors. It was 3 families all together in an apartment our size with many children, can you imagine? But the fellowship was so wonderful and more intimate than in a bigger place. The girls played hard after lunch with the other kids as the adults talked for some time. After that, we were so excited to set up our Christmas Tree. I did my tree decoration shopping at the Sharing Shop, Praise God for the ministry, I got everything I needed for our tree. Frank set up the tree and put the lights on it. The girls and I decorated the tree, it was a lot of fun! We did it while Isaac was taking a sweet nap. As I look at my tree, it looks so beautiful. This kind of tree smells so good and looks more alive than an artificial.

7 year anniversary 2011

2011-10-08T16:33:00.001-04:00

Happy Anniversary Giovanna, I love you!

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OUR KIDS ARE GROWING FAST

2011-09-29T11:58:00.004-04:00

Praise God for his blessings!!! Our little ones sure are growing fast. Sara and Ingrid are taking ballet classes, they are enjoying it, especially Sara. She is very good following instructions. Ingrid is a little shy still and I have to be checking on her to follow the teacher's instructions. However, it is so much fun to watch them do their steps and it is wonderful that parents are allowed to stay and watch. When I was a child I didn't have the blessing to take classes so I thank the Lord for this opportunity that they have. I'm learning some steps myself and some new ballet words. On the other hand, Isaac is growing fast. He is 4 and 1/2 months. A friend just borrowed me a bumbo seat, they are wonderful, you can carry it anywhere. Today, he was my little model, sitting in his bumbo seat and I snapped some pics of him. He is a cutie. We thank God for our little blessings.

Happy Grandparents Day! Feliz Dia de los Abuelos!

2011-09-11T21:18:00.002-04:00

Today, Sept. 11, is National Grandparents Day, so, here are some photos to honor Grandma Oli, Grandma, and Papa & Nana.

New family shots

2011-09-04T22:13:00.001-04:00

Isaac can roll over now!!

Little Ballerinas

2011-09-04T22:06:00.003-04:00

We signed up the girls for the Little Ballerinas class with the Rec. Dept. They begin Sept. 23 and run through December. They are soooo excited! Giovanna got them some ballerina shoes and costumes at some local consignment stores. She did a wonderful job! The girls can't wait!!

Fun at RDU airport

2011-09-04T21:58:00.003-04:00

We went to RDU airport to the new viewing tower to watch planes take off and land!

Isaac laughing

2011-08-21T16:40:00.002-04:00

Sara is really good at getting him to laugh...

Summertime

2011-08-14T21:19:00.003-04:00

Fun times in August

2011-08-14T21:14:00.011-04:00

Ingrid reading her Bible to her dolls, daddy with his Peru soccer jersey, having fun wearing our hats, mommie and her boy, and Sara riding that pony!

Fun times

2011-07-25T09:56:00.003-04:00

Here are a few new pics. One is of the future point guard for UNC (haha), one of our family at our dedication service July 24 at Open Door, and various fun photos.

MACHUPICCHU- CUZCO - PERU

2011-07-17T16:28:00.001-04:00

I couldn’t help to post some pictures from my trip to Cuzco almost 9 years ago. I did it when I was single in company of my sister Sandra. Who will say that I will marry a couple years later with a godly man, have 3 beautiful children and move to another continent. But God is not done with us yet, it is possible that we move to another continent again (twice for me and first time for Frank).
Anyway, let me tell you a little bit about this place in Peru. Cuzco is the archaeological capital of the Americas and the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city. Massive Inca-built stone walls line most of Cuzco’s central streets and form the foundations of colonial and modern buildings. The streets are often stepped, narrow and have beautiful sights.
Machu Picchu is South America’s best known and most spectacular archaeological site. During the busy dry-season months of June to September, you might see up to thousands visitors at the Lost City of the Incas, as it’s popularly known. Despite the huge tourist influx, the site manages to retain its air of grandeur and mystery and is considered a must-see for all visitors to Peru.

Who's who?

2011-07-08T11:31:00.003-04:00

A photo of me in 1970 and a photo of Isaac in 2011. Any resemblance? LOL

ISAAC IS 8 WEEKS

2011-07-02T18:18:00.002-04:00

Our little boy is surely growing, praise God! He will turn two months July 9th. He is still waking up in the middle of the night but he will sleep more hours, which makes it a little easier for me (mom). He has really been a joy in our lives and our girls are enjoying having a baby brother. This past week, my neighbor Sarah, who happens to be a photographer took some pictures of him. She has a wonderful ministry and she did a great job. Enjoy!

Ingrid's Montage

2011-06-26T22:52:00.001-04:00

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Fathers Day 2011

2011-06-19T18:50:00.004-04:00

Had a wonderful fun-filled Fathers Day with my family. From home-made cards to ice-cream at Goodberry's and dinner at Tropical Picken Chicken, and worship together, it was truly a blessed day from my Heavenly Father. Here are the latest photos of my beautiful family... Sara's school picture (PreK); the first portrait of Sara, Ingrid, and Isaac together; a beautiful portrait of my Giovanna and our son; and Isaac's first protrait.

The latest photos

2011-06-05T21:48:00.001-04:00

Here are some of the latest photos for the grandma's!

33333333 HAPPY BIRTHDAY INGRID!! 33333333

2011-05-28T22:17:00.003-04:00

Our baby girl is 3 now. Our neighbors came over with their girls and we put together a little party for Ingrid at the last minute, in about an hour! It was great, thank you Norman family for making it so special. Daddy is working on a new montage to be posted soon documenting Ingrid's first 3 years. We love you sweetie pie!!

Isaac James Ellington

2011-05-14T22:02:00.004-04:00

Isaac is finally here. We are doing well, just very tired. Giovanna has not had a break because he constantly wants to eat. We have been blessed with 3 healthy children and look forward to watching them grow together. Sara and Ingrid are so excited to have Isaac home. Giovanna has been through alot these past few days and I just hope that I can be a blessing to her as she recuperates and adjusts.

Our growing family!

2011-05-14T18:10:00.000-04:00

Enjoying Grandma!

2011-05-07T12:45:00.004-04:00

Grandma Oli is with us for Mother's Day, Isaac's birth, Frank's graduation and Ingrid's birthday. Wow! I can't believe there are so many celebrations in May in our family. Praise God, she was able to make it this year since it is so memorable for us.

La carita de Isaac en 4D

2011-04-25T16:00:00.004-04:00

Hoy tuve las mas hermosa de las experiencias, ver la carita de mi bebe en un ultrasonido 4D. Como siempre he tenido bebes grandes, los doctores querian estar seguros de que no iba a necesitar una cesarea. Mi bebe pesa casi lo mismo cuando Sara nacio, y aun no ha nacido, solo orar a Dios para que venga en los proximos dias por su mano poderosa. Justo en el momento que veia las fotos de Isaac por la pantalla es como si estuviera viendo un pedacito de cielo, por que esta obra es de Dios. Los dejo con este versiculo: "Por que tu formaste mis entranas; Tu me hiciste en el vientre de mi madre". Salmo 139:13.

GROWING FAMILY

2011-04-09T19:01:00.003-04:00

Now we are getting prepared to be a family of 5, thanks to God who has blessed us with two wonderful princesses and one prince. I remember Frank always said in his sermons to have two kids is to replace yourselves (husband and wife) but to have three kids is to start being fruitful and multipling. Since, we couldn't fit three car seats in our Malibu car we had to get a van. It was very stressful to start looking for one since we couldn't spend much money on it. We started praying about it, because it was very hard to find the one we liked and be in good shape. So, the Lord lead us to this car dealer "El Shadai" yes, it is a christian car dealer in South Raleigh. From the moment I met the car dealer (from Colombia), and realized that they were baptist I sense some peace and felt that we arrived to the right place. This van we bought Honday Oddisey was the owner's private car and her husband is a pastor. So this van is passing from one pastor to another pastor. Praise God for his wonderful guidance!

Counting our Blessings!

2011-04-09T16:51:00.002-04:00

My little boy has had 3 babyshowers, Praise the Lord!. When we had our firstborn Sara, she had 3 babyshowers as well. One of the reasons is that Frank started pastoring before we had children and that has been a blessing. However, our middle precious daughter did not have any shower at all but we love her the same as the other two. Since, we live at Southeastern housing, my neighbors organized a Diapers & Wipes Shower. Then my caregroup at Open Door organized a brunch shower at the Tea English Room. We are very thankful with all these many blessings for our family.

Politos bordados para la llegada de Isaac

2011-03-26T09:28:00.003-04:00

Una amiga peruana hace toda clase de bordados para ropa de bebes,edades entre 1 a 6, a mi me encantaron estos politos con las iniciales del nombre para la llegada del hermanito o hermanita. Como en este caso esperamos un varoncito, escogi los colores de turqueza y verde para los 3. Es la primera vez que hago esto para uno de mis bebes, pero creo que la ocasion lo amerita, y gracias a mi suegra que les dio este regalo a mis hijos.

First Shower for Isaac at Vaughan

2011-03-20T21:12:00.005-04:00

The sweet people at Vaughan Baptist Church gave me a surprise babyshower last Sunday March 13th. They were very good at keeping the secret, I didn't have a clue what they were up to. We had a fellowship lunch after the service, and I need to recognize Mrs. Rosemond, she made the best rolls ever, they are always very hot coming out of the oven. I know she enjoys doing that, thank you Mrs. Rosemond. Anyway,after lunch, Mrs. Mosely read us a sweet letter for our family and seconds later Sara and Ingrid came to the room pushing a wagon full of gifts for their baby brother. It was so sweet that my girls were part of the surprise babyshower, it was very emotional. Thanks a lot to our dear family in Christ at Vaughan.

Sara Smile

2011-02-24T11:10:00.001-05:00

This montage is in honor of our oldest daughter, Princess Sara, who just turned 4. Where has the time gone? We love you Sara...

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Sara's Tea Princess Birthday Party II

2011-02-19T21:00:00.002-05:00

Today we celebrated Sara's 4th birthday with a beautiful Princess Tea Party. All her friends came dressed up as princesses. Sara was Cinderella, she wanted to be that princess so much and her dreams came true. Sometimes, I realize it is easier to make a little girl's dream come true than for an adult's. I never dressed up as a princess when I was a little girl, besides in Peru little girls don't dress up as much as they do here in the States, so I was kind of excited to arrange her party. Of course, because of the season a couple of her friends couldn't made it because they had the flu, we really missed them. The cool thing about her party is that they used real china and I am so glad they didn't break any of them because they were borrowed from my sweet friend Shawna, for which I am very thankful to her for doing that. Also, Frank had the idea to dress up as a Prince and he was scorting all the little princesses arriving to the house, thank you honey for such bright idea.
This past Christmas we gave Sara a real china miniature tea set and a plastic one, her friends really enjoyed playing with that, having tea and playing. Thanks so much to all the princesses who came, Ana Grace, Emma Ruth, Clark, Natalia, and for their moms for dressing them so pretty

Sara's Tea Princess Birthday Party

2011-02-19T20:22:00.005-05:00

First outing to the Circus

2011-02-16T18:16:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday (Feb.12th), we took Sara and Ingrid to the circus for the first time. Sara enjoyed the most, she really liked to see the animals, her favorite ponies and elephants. Ingrid since she is not even 3 got a little tired from time to time. My favorite was the show of the bikers riding inside a steel cage ball. It was cool to see 7 of them riding inside this big ball. Since we got early, we were able to meet some of the performers and take pictures with them.

Girls close up's by Lisa S.

2011-01-26T17:51:00.003-05:00

Last friday, the girls and I went for a playdate to Lisa's house. She has a 5 year old, Ainsley (sorry for the spell Lisa). The girls had a good time playing with their puppy and Lisa and I had a good time chatting. I didn't know that Lisa's hobby was photography, eventhough she is not a photographer she does a great job. She was so nice to take some close up of the girls and of me too. Thank you Lisa, we really appreciated it. The photos look great!

Maternity shots by Lisa Shelton

2011-01-26T17:28:00.005-05:00

24 Weeks and waiting...

2011-01-11T14:57:00.003-05:00

I asked my sweet husband last week to take some shots of me at the Joyner Park. Since, we have been taking the girls there to ride their bikes, I thought it was a perfect idea to have some pics of my belly. By the way, it looks huge for me at this time but it is my third child so there is no excuse. Frank did a good job, I think. I had to include a picture of the girls too. I think they look cute with their helmets.

Starting New Year's 2011

2011-01-01T16:17:00.003-05:00

We started our first day of January 2011, attending the wedding of our friend Willam Warren and his bride Kristen. They had a nice ceremony at Applebys chapel Southeastern. It was very obvious that William found his soulmate, he couldn't take his eyes off her in the whole ceremony, that was so sweet. Since, the day was nice we took some picture of us on campus.

Playing with their new toys

2011-01-01T15:40:00.003-05:00

The girls got their mini computers this Christmas. Sara got a Leapster and Ingrid got a Mobigo. They have enjoyed these electronic things, they can learn many preschool activities. The first day they got, they played for almost 2 hours. Of course, I only let them play for a 30 minutes or so each day or somedays they play outside and they forget about these things. I know these things are good but if they are moderate with their time. Another thing they enjoy to do is ride bikes together.I can't wait for warm weather to spend more time outside.
On New Year's eve, we went out to eat and we had to celebrate that Sara ate a hamburger for the first time in her 3 years and 10 months of live. She is starting to eat better now, Praise God for that!

Nieve por Navidad 2010 (parte 1)

2010-12-26T13:27:00.002-05:00

Anoche (Dic.25) empezo a nevar en nuestro condado. Frank, dice que esto es algo inusual por que nunca nieva en Navidad aqui en esta ciudad (Raleigh) de Carolina del Norte. La ultima vez que nevo aqui por Navidad fue en 1947, se imaginan! hace muchos anios atras. Sin embargo, en invierno siempre nieva pero en el mes de Enero no en Diciembre, en fin Dios lo quiso asi este anio. A los chiquitos aca les encanta jugar en la nieve, y mis hijas no son una excepcion. Salieron ayer con su papa a caminar como a las 8pm., cuando empezo a caer la nieve. Hoy Domingo, al salir afuera todo amanecio cubierto de nieve, es una vista preciosa todo en color blanco. La profundidad de la nieve en el suelo es de 8 inches (21 centimetros), es decir cuando caminas en la nieve tus zapatos se hunden completamente. Yo solo sali para tomar unas fotos con mi familia, salen muy bien con la nieve de fondo. Buenos amigos, espero que disfruten y vean como es Navidad en esta parte del globo. Feliz Navidad y bendecido Anio Nuevo. La familia Ellington-Cabrera.

Nieve por Navidad 2010 en NC

2010-12-26T13:02:00.003-05:00

More Christmas 2010 pics

2010-12-25T13:52:00.001-05:00

Our Christmas / Nuestra Navidad 2010 (II)

2010-12-25T11:50:00.003-05:00

Praise God for Jesus, who is the real reason for Christmas. Our girls have learned that it is Jesus' birthday today but they haven't got it yet why they got all the gifts in His day. We started our Christmas eve with a service at Vaugham Baptist Church, where Frank is the interim pastor. It was a nice service, we had communion and sang carols. Then, we went to Frank's aunt Mary Frances, where all his aunts and uncles were gathering together. We had supper there and were able to catch up with some of them. When we came home it was our time to wrap the girls presents for the next morning. We woke up around 7am, I couldn't sleep all night because I have a bad cold and horrible sinus congestion, it gets worse when you are pregnant. Anyway, the girls woke up around 7am., Sara went straight to the living room, something unsual because she always goes to our bedroom first. Sara got a pony and Ingrid a bike, these were their main gifts and they really enjoyed them. I got the cutest sleepers and some stuff for baby Isaac. Frank got some warm slippers (something we both really needed). Later, Papa and Nana came with their presents for the girls. What a busy morning, now we are getting ready to have a turkey meal. Enjoy our pics and God bless you!

Our Christmas / Nuestra Navidad 2010

2010-12-25T11:37:00.002-05:00

Christmas at Grandma Marie's

2010-12-23T13:31:00.004-05:00

This past weekend Dec 18th and 19th, we had our first Christmas reunion at Frank's mom in Charlotte. She gave both of her sons a nice gift for Christmas, a night at the Embassy Suites Hotel where she works with breakfast included. It was a nice getaway for us with not kids for one night. However,since it was my first night away from the girls I couldn't sleep all night, isn't that bad?. Marie, had her house decorated everywhere, from top (roof) to bottom, not kidding? She put a lot of work and thought into that. It was nice to have a Christmas together for the first time ever since I have been married to her son. My girls were so excited with her cat, called Bj, they had a sleep over that Saturday night with their cousins. Also, I had the opportunity to see Charlotte downtown, there were so many places I wanted to visit but everything was closed on Sunday except the malls. I had the great opportunity to visit the biggest mall outlet that I ever been "Concord Mills", I walked the 3 miles that this mall is about and found good deals. However, it was too much walk for a pregnant woman, I had to stop every mile. I met a nice peruvian lady Carmen, who works with my mother in law, she, her daughter, and me went to this mall, we had a good time. By the way, I had lunch at the best peruvian restaurant that I have visited so far here in NC, called "Machupichu". They have the best seafood and pollo a la brasa (rostisseri chicken peruvian style)that I have ever eaten here in the States. Now, I know where to go to eat everytime I go to Charlotte. I know Marie had a good time with my girls while me and Frank went out, we enjoyed, thank you Marie.

Lets Dance

2010-12-18T13:37:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas

2010-12-18T00:15:00.000-05:00

Baby Ellington # 3

2010-11-30T15:40:00.003-05:00

"O Lord Almighty, if you only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,..." 1 Samuel1:11

Hannah's prayer has been my prayer everytime I would get pregnant. The first time, because I wanted to get pregnant and I couldn't, I tried for almost two years and the Lord gave us Sara Giovanna. The second time we didn't find out the gender, it was a surprise and we really wanted a son and God gave us Ingrid Ruth. I really love my girls and thanks the Lord for them. This third time it was my heart's desire to have a son and Hannah's prayer was my own prayer to the Lord, I really identified with her so much and the Lord granted me my heart's desire. Yes, we are expecting Isaac, my awaiting son.
I know some of you wonder how is that I have a blanket with his name on it. Well, the second time that I got pregnant, it was a surprised, we decided not to find out the gender so I chose a name for a girl and for a boy, a lady from Frank's homechurch embroidered both blankets for Ingrid and Isaac. Since, we had Ingrid I couldn't get to use Isaac's blanket but it has been waiting to be used when he is born in a few more months.
When I heard the news today, I was so happy, excited and thankful to God, our God is Awesome!!!!!, He would never let you down, He hears our prayers but sometimes He doesn't answer at the moment because it is not the right time but He answers in His time. Thank you Lord with all my heart.

Our Thanksgiving Day with the Watts

2010-11-25T21:52:00.001-05:00

This year we had our new friends coming over for our Thanksgiving Sara and Herbert Watts with their 3 children: Hannah, Ella and Daniel. We met them at the Missions Expo at Southeastern last September. We really have many things in common Sarah speaks Spanish just like me. Herbert and Frank are interim pastors at a church and they both are in process with the IMB, isn't that so interesting? We had a wonderful time chatting and our kids playing around the house. My dear husband cooked the turkey and stuffing (it was delicious, btw). I made sweet potato casserole with marshmellows on top, and macaroni and cheese. Sarah made cranberries salad (it was good!), baked green beans, pumpkin pie and pecan pie, very delicious too. Yes, we finished very full. It is nice that I won't have to cook for a day or two. We ended up our day putting our Christmas tree up, our girls have been so excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas, they really have the Christmas spirit this year. Sara's favorite song is "Let it snow". Thank you Lord for these holidays that we can spend in family and with friends.

Our Thanksgiving Day part II

2010-11-25T18:04:00.005-05:00

As a family we decided to have our first tradition: to put our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving Day, the girls were so excited. They helped out to put the ornaments. Sara had the privilege to put the start on the top of the tree. Also, thanks to the wonderful ministry of the Sharing Shop I got some decorations to make my own wreaths, they turned out looking good. Enjoy our photos!

Visita de mi mama a NC\ My mom's visit (2nd.part)

2010-11-05T07:42:00.003-04:00

My mom came to visit us after 3 years of her first trip to NC. This time the weather was perfect for her, not too cold or not too hot. She stayed 5 weeks with us. I really enjoyed it because I didn’t have to cook, she preferred to do it herself. Besides, she wanted to give me a break. She really spoiled me, she cooked my favorite dishes and desserts, thank you mom, I love you!!! She has always been a good cook, some people just have it in their blood like her. In this second visit, I was glad that she was able to hear the Word of God in her own language. Open Door Baptist Church has a service in Spanish (for those who didn’t know it) this time she didn’t have to struggle with the language barrier, bless her heart!. She was able to make new friends from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Brasil, Colombia and Mexico, yes we have a variety of races, Praise God!. I know this was a treat for her!!! I took her to several places. We took the girls to the park, library, mall, playdates with other friends. We went to the English Tea Room, were we tried hats and was so much fun, she enjoyed the hot tea, something that is common in Peru. I took her to different restaurants but for her nobody can’t cook like her or like in Peru. I know is difficult to change your taste when you are in your late 60’s. Mom we love you and we are going to miss you: Sara, Ingrid, Frank and Giovanna.

Visita de mi mama a NC\ My mom's visit

2010-11-03T13:51:00.006-04:00

Fue un regalo tener a mi mama de visita despues de 3 anios que nos visito por primera vez cuando nacio Sara. Yo lo disfrute mucho, ya que me preparo mi comida favorita y postres y yo podia dedicarme hacer otras cosas. Muchas gracias mama por esmerarte siempre en tus comidas. Fue realmente un lujo tenerte aqui. La lleve a varios lugares a probar diferentes platos pero para ella la mejor comida es la que prepara ella misma o en Peru. Visitamos un lugar llamado "English Tea Room" y como sirven te caliente con todo pense que seria el sitio perfecto para ella, este lugar tiene un toque ingles, los comensales pueden ponerse sombreros y tomarse fotos, como si estuvieran en Inglaterra, fue muy divertido. El clima fue perfecto para ella, ni mucho frio ni mucho calor. Pudo conocer a varias amistades de otros paises y probar de sus platos tipicos y sobre todo hablar el mismo idioma. Aqui hay gente de Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Nicaragua Y Brasil. En mi Iglesia hay un servicio hispano y ella pudo asistir y hacer nuevos amigos. Pasamos un tiempo bonito. Dios te bendiga mucho y te conserve con mucha salud. Te queremos Sara, Ingrid, Giovanna & Frank.

Fall Festival at Open Door B. Church

2010-10-31T19:43:00.004-04:00

We had our party on the block at our church last night (saturday). This is one of the big events that our church does to reach out to the kids in the community. They had different jumping games set up inside and outside the church for ages 2 to 15 years old. This was our first year we did the hay ride, it was fun! We had a lot of visitors, praise God! We had a lot of fun now that our girls can really play and enjoy the different games, the time went by so fast. Sara played hard, they both had a good night sleep last night. I think it was one of our best sleeping nights in a long time. Well, this year I dressed up Sara as a Little Red Riding Hood and Ingrid was a cowgirl. I had some ideas after seeing the kids who were dressed up at the Harvest Day the day before. I didn't spend any money on them, except Ingrid's hat, which I got at the Dollar store. There is a picture were Sara and Ingrid are running away from the big good wolf (daddy). Enjoy our pics!!!.

Harvest Day at Camp Kanata

2010-10-31T19:15:00.003-04:00

Friday was a busy day for us, we went to Harvest Day at Camp Kanata with Sara's school. By the way, this place is really nice to spend the weekend. They had different activities: pumpkin decorating, face painting, crafts, costumes, tumble gym, and lots of treats. I think Sara and Ingrid enjoyed the tumble gym the most. I couldn't dress up Sara for this event but she didn't care either. However, I did dress her up on Saturday for our party on the block at church.

ELLINGTON FAMILY: Our daughter's Testimony

2010-10-03T13:28:00.000-04:00

ELLINGTON FAMILY: Our daughter's Testimony

Sara is enjoying Preschool

2010-10-02T22:27:00.006-04:00

She has started Preschool this past month and she really loves it. She loves to carry around her Dora backpack and making new friends. I thought that the first time of class, she was going to cry or I was going to, but neither of us did it. Probably, school will be different, who knows?. I stayed with her the first day, so she can get used to it, and her second day of class she was ready. Something that I like about her going to school is that she comes home really hungry, and we eat lunch together. Eating has been one of my big issues with her, since she is so picky. Also, she likes to show me all the stuff she is making at school. By the way, they make a lot in one day. My refrigerator is full with her art work. In case you want to know, she is going to Faith Baptist Church Preschool through the YMCA. In the meantime, me and Ingrid try to have some one on one time together.

Our daughter's Testimony

2010-10-02T22:04:00.003-04:00

Our oldest princess, Sara, had been through a lot the past month of September. She was diagnosed with a virus called HSP, which was a nightmare for us. We took her to UNC hospital (one of the best hospitals for children in NC) to ER 3 Saturdays in a row for the different symptoms she had. The first time was a purple rash all over her legs, which caused an inflamation of the blood vessels. The second time her blood pressure went high for a couple of days. The third time she was passing blood through her urine. All of this scared us to death, not knowing what to do and wondering why our daughter? The only thing we were able to do was pray to the One and Only, God Almighty. We called our prayer partners here and in Peru. She has been in the prayer list of several churches. In the middle of this, we believe that Lord was trying to send us a message. He was trying to refine us and mold us in our flesh and spirit. Sara went through different kinds of test, which showed something that the doctors didn't like, so she ended up having a kidney biopsy. I know this sounds terrible for her short age of 3 and a half. It was hard for us going through this, however we had the support of our family and family in Christ. The doctors gave us not so good news, a kidney disease. However, after further studies, we had an appointment with the nephrologist on Tuesday. He told us that they didn't find anything serious in her kidneys, and that it is possible that she never had the HSP virus, but something different. He decided to stop the medicine she was on for high blood pressure. The only thing we were able to say was Praise God!!! He has healed our little Sara. God is good, and He is still doing miracles.

2010 Memories

2010-07-26T15:26:00.001-04:00

This is our life from Jan - July 2010. Enjoy and we love you!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Sara's swimming classes

2010-07-16T15:15:00.002-04:00

Mi Sarita esta disfrutando sus clases de natacion. Le encanta el agua, asi que eso ayuda mucho a que aprenda a nadar rapido. Hay 4 ninos en su grupo, 3 de ellos tienen mas experiencia que Sara, pero ella trata de hacer todo lo que su profesora le dice. Yo disfruto mucho viendola, como nunca tome clases de nina, es mi deseo que mis princesitas puedan aprender de todo.

SLEEPY ANGELS

2010-07-15T16:09:00.004-04:00

Looks like finally my girls decided to sleep in their beds all night long. This is really a praise, after struggling for a long time with Sara to go to sleep at night in her own bed, she finally gave up and decided it was time to sleep in her bed. She fought many battles with us at bed time. Some of her reasons for not sleeping in her bedroom was that she was scared, so she used to fall asleep on the couch in the living room and when she was asleep we would put her in her bed, but then in the middle of the night she would end up sleeping in our bed, which was very uncomfortable for us, we needed to do something. We got her a full size bed, and she didn't sleep in there right away. It has been a month now that we can say "thanks God" because she is sleeping in her bed now and we can have a better rest at night. Now, our other battle is to make them eat vegetables and all kinds of fruits. I'm sure we will get there soon too. On the other hand, Ingrid is sleeping in her toddler bed with no problem, we didn't have any trouble during the transition, she has always been a good sleeper at night. Even though we have had hard times with them, we will remember these memories forever and treasure them in our hearts.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

2010-07-05T09:33:00.003-04:00

July 4, 1776 is when the United States declared its independance from England. This started a terrible war which the USA later won. Every July 4, we celebrate our declaring ourselves a free and independant nation. We have dress in red, white, and blue (the colors of the USA flag), have cookouts, spend time with family and friends, and shoot fireworks at night. We celebrated the 4th of July at Vaughan Baptist Church, and afterwards went to a waterfront restaurant a few miles down the road on Lake Gaston. Sara and Ingrid loved watching the boats and eating outside on the deck. It was a beautiful day! For the evening, we went to a friend from our Care Group at Open Door Baptist Church, Drake. His family has a swimming pool and we played in the water, ate some home cooked food from India (Drake's dad is from India) and when it was dark, they shot off many beautiful fireworks and we enjoyed them very much. We got home around 10pm and the girls were tired and ready for bed! Plus, Daddy is off from work on Monday and we got to sleep late and have pancakes (Sara and Ingrid's favorite) for breakfast before heading off to another party with our Care Group at Anthony and Carla's house this afternoon. We are really enjoying this time of celebration together! Praise God for putting such a close and caring group of friends in our life! Here are pictures at Vaughan and also the lunch on the lake. We were so busy having fun at the pool we forgot to take pictures!

Papa's Birthday

2010-07-01T17:33:00.002-04:00

We celebrated Papa's birthday at the a la Mode Ice Cream cafe in Wake Forest. We actually had a meal at home and then went for ice cream afterwards. We had a great time with Papa. Happy Birthday!

Daddy's girls

2010-06-19T09:24:00.004-04:00

My girls are so beautiful! I love it when Giovanna takes them for new photos. They have such wonderful smiles and bring such great joy to us!

BOAT RIDE ADVENTURE PART ONE!!!

2010-06-14T14:02:00.003-04:00

Our good friend Kevin Long invited us for a boat ride a week ago. We went to Fall’s Lake. It was Sara and Ingrid’s first boat ride. Sara enjoyed the ride more than Ingrid, our little curly was a little scared. I think she got a little dizzy; I had to ask Kevin to slow down a little bit a couple times since he likes to ride fast. The weather was nice; we didn’t arrive until 6pm, trying to skip the heat. Lately, we have had hot temperature in the 90’s F. We rode for an hour and we had fun watching other boats go by and people skiing on the Lake. After that, Kevin decided to fish but unfortunately he couldn’t catch any fish that day. He is a very skilled person catching fish.

BOAT RIDE ADVENTURE!!!

2010-06-14T13:48:00.003-04:00

Summer family pictures

2010-06-06T16:46:00.002-04:00

It is nice when Frank have some time off from work and spend time together. It is so much easier and fun to do things together with the girls. We decided to take some pictures ourselves at Southeastern and they came out real good for my taste. Since, it is summer there was almost nobody on campus so we set up the camera on a bench a had a family picture, let's see what you think.

Sara tiene 3 & Ingrid tiene 2 years

2010-06-06T16:23:00.003-04:00

Nuestras princesitas estan creciendo bastante rapido. Sara cumplio 3 el 21 de Febrero, 2010; Ingrid cumplio 2 el 29 de Mayo, 2010. Cada anio es diferente, ahora que Sara tiene 3 le encanta posar para las fotos, en cambio Ingrid, no le gusta tomar fotos. El Jueves las llevamos a Southeastern, donde estudia Frank, para tomarles unas fotos en sus vestidos de verano y pudimos obtener algunas buenas tomas.

INGRID'S 2ND. BIRTHDAY!!!

2010-05-29T14:33:00.003-04:00

She, her sister and her friends had a lot of fun! Dios te bendiga mucho hija querida.

INGRID'S 2ND. BIRTHDAY!!!

2010-05-29T14:07:00.002-04:00

Our little princess turned 2 today, May 29th. Thanks God the weather was nice and we were able to do it outside. She had a Little Ponny cupcakes as cake. I thought it was easier for me to serve cupcakes than to cut a cake and I was right. We also, had hotdogs, and some slides for the kids to play with. Thanks to all who came and make Ingrid's bithday special.

Sara's ear surgery

2010-05-22T21:23:00.003-04:00

Our little Sara had her surgery for tubes in her ears at Rex Hospital. She was shy and clinging to daddy but they gave her some medicine that made her feel good and she was VERY relaxed when they wheeled my princess away to the operating room. The doctor came to visit with us before the surgery and we got a picture of him with Sara. The surgery was a success and when she awoke from the surgery she wanted her daddy and he gladly held her in his arms. She would not let him go so mommie had to go get the car as they wheeled daddy and Sara out in a wheelchair to the car. She seems to feel better and also seems to have more energy. Praise and glory to God for His grace!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM -from Frankie

2010-05-08T17:25:00.006-04:00

Here is my mom at the time I made her a mom! It must have been a special time for you mom because it is a special time for me with my little princesses. Little children are a handfull but they really make the world go 'round. I love you!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

2010-05-08T17:21:00.004-04:00

Here is my mom in the mid 1950's, a time when phones plugged into the wall and radios had dials and were made into wooden cabinets.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM

2010-05-08T17:16:00.005-04:00

My brother and I back in the 70s. (Notice the very stylish 3pc polyester suits and the great hair! Only thing missing was sideburns!) We love you MOM!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-07T14:13:00.001-04:00

Mother's Prayer

Dear Lord, it's such a hectic day,
With little time to stop and pray,
For life's been anything but calm,
Since you called on me to be a mom.

Running errands, matching socks,
Building dreams with building blocks.
Cooking, cleaning, and finding shoes,
And other stuff that children lose.

Fitting lids on bottled bugs,
Wiping tears and giving hugs.
A stack of last week's mail to read,
So where's the quiet time I need?

Yet when I steal a minute Lord,
Just at the sink or ironing board,
To ask the blessings of your grace,
I see then in my small one's face,

That you have blessed me all the while,
As I stop to kiss that precious smile.

...Author Unknown

A Mother's Love

There is no love, like a mother's love,
no stronger bond on earth...
like the precious bond that comes from God,
to a mother, when she gives birth.

A mother's love is forever strong,
never changing for all time...
and when her children need her most,
a mother's love will shine.

God bless these special mothers,
God bless them every one...
for all the tears and heartache,
and for the special work they've done.

When her days on earth are over,
a mother's love lives on...
through many generations,
with God's blessings on each one.

Be thankful for our mothers,
for they love with a higher love...
from the power God has given,
and the strength from up above
....Jill Lemming

Fun times in April

2010-04-28T07:57:00.002-04:00

Sara's haircut

2010-04-09T17:59:00.002-04:00

Finally, I decided that Sara needed short haircut this time. I was tired that her hair got messy all the time. She was able to keep her hair nice and neat only for 20 minutes and then start all over again. My neighbor Alyssa did good a job with her, Sara was sitting still during her haircut. She really liked her new look, she kept looking herself in the mirror, here a few shoots.

El museo de los ninos Children's museum

2010-04-08T20:35:00.002-04:00

A fun day at the children's museum in Raleigh. There is so much to do in this place, that we did not get to do it all in the 4 hours that we were there!

Resurrection Day photos

2010-04-04T22:24:00.004-04:00

1 Corinthians 15:12 "Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty, and we are false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ....And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!...If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ IS risen from the dead!!"

SPRING FUN TIMES!!!

2010-04-02T22:12:00.005-04:00

SPRING, FUN TIMES!!!

2010-04-02T21:59:00.003-04:00

I love spring, it is my favorite season. Not very hot or cold but just a little warm, it is the time for kids to start playing outside again, flowers bloom, we can eat fresh vegetables and is so much to do outside. My girls love playing outside, so I try to take them out to play in the playground in our neighborhood, or we visit other playgrounds nearby. It is just weird this weather is skipping spring, we are going straight to summer, it has been really hot these days and I know we have way to go. I praise God that we can enjoy the 4 different seasons here in North Carolina, it is a blessing! Sara and Ingrid are enjoying this weather, they have so much energy and they can stay outside playing all day long. They are my two princesses, they can make mad or laugh. They are very smart and sometimes I learn from them. Praise God for little children!!! Giovanna.

2010-03-23T21:55:00.004-04:00

Sara is growing up so fast... every night before we put her to bed we put a diaper on her so she will not wet the bed, and every morning the diaper is wet. However, last night (March 23) Sara got up in the middle of the night on her own, went to the bathroom, removed the diaper, and used the toilet, and went back to sleep! What a great milestone! I put a night light in the bathroom tonight to hopefully help her because the big light had to be very bright to her last night, you know how it is to turn a light on after you have been asleep for a while.

Daddy is 40!!

2010-03-14T14:37:00.003-04:00

My 40th birthday party and first ever surprise party! My wonderful wife and mother worked together to put together a special day of celebration with family and friends. Thanks to all who came and made this a memorable occasion for me!

2010-03-05T19:50:00.004-05:00

A few photos of the great times, great fun, and great laughs we are enjoying from a
3 year old and a soon to be 2 year old. There are some tough times but they don't compare to the fun and laughs! I love my little girls....-daddy

WORLD RELIGION II

2010-03-02T21:55:00.002-05:00

WORLD RELIGION

2010-03-02T21:26:00.004-05:00

This week I am taking a class during spring break called World Religions and Cults. We study and travel to various sites of 4 major religions (Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism) and two cults (Jehovah Witness and Mormon). We observe their worship services and have personal interaction with the people. Yesterday (Tues), we went to a Jehovah's Witness service. Tomorrow (Wed), we will go to 2 Jewish synagogues and Thursday we will go to a Muslim mosque and a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) meeting house.
Today, we visited two Hindu temples and one Buddhist temple. The people were very nice and we had a wonderful time. Their lost condition breaks my heart and you could see the emptiness in their eyes as they talked about how hard they work to satisfy their gods and gain their favor. It reminded me of Acts 17:16-34, when Paul was reasoning with the idol worhipers and philosophers in Athens and telling them about Christ, the One who's finished work on the cross redeems any who repent and call upon the Name that is above all names... Here are some photos of the Hindu and Buddhist. Frank

Sara's birthday # 3

2010-02-20T15:46:00.004-05:00

This year Sara had a pajama party for her 3rd birthday. She was so excited about her birthday party coming up, that she couldn't wait this time. Now, that she is getting older, she realizes what a birhtday party means, and she can even tell her age, showing her 3 fingers. She got a Dora cake, and couldn't wait to eat it before her friends arrived for her party. It was hard to keep her and Ingrid off the table, they just love sweet stuff!!! We thank God for her life and for these 3 years of her life and we pray for many, many more. She had fun with her friends dressed in their pajamas. Frank set up a tent with a tube in it, and they had a blast playing, especially Ingrid. Sara a got a neat book from papa and nana, where Sara is one of the characters.

Sara's birthday # 3

2010-02-20T15:36:00.002-05:00

First hotel stay as a family

2010-02-18T21:11:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I had to speak at a youth event on the coast near the Virginia border, in a town called Moyock which is near Elizabeth City. The church put us up in a nice hotel and the girls enjoyed exploring the room, jumping on the bed, and standing on the heater/AC unit looking out the window from the 3rd floor. We had so much fun and played musical beds that night! Sara and Ingrid started out the night in one bed. Then after about 10 minutes they wanted daddy to come with them, then mommie, so we all were in the same bed! Then it got so hot from all that body heat in one bed and daddy got up and went to the other bed. Then Sara got up and got in bed with him and that is the way we ended up; Mommie with Ingrid and Daddy with Sara. They slept about the whole three hour trip home the next day so that was great. It was nice to get out of town and we thank Kevin, Susan, Eli, and all the wonderful people at Friendship Baptist for inviting us and taking such good care of us, we love you guys!!

Snow 2010 in North Carolina

2010-01-31T16:30:00.003-05:00

This is the neighborhood where we live. We got 4 inches of snow yesterday and we got one more inch today. I have never seen this much of snow since I have been living here. The only thing we can not go anywhere by car.
Este es el complejo donde vivo. Hemos tenido 4 inches de nieve ayer; y un inch mas hoy Domingo. Nunca he visto tanta nieve como esta vez desde el tiempo que llevo viviendo aqui en Carolina del Norte. Lo unico es que no puedes ir a ninguna parte en carro. Las pistas estan con hielo y es muy resbaladizo y peligroso.

WINTER PORTRAITS

2010-01-30T20:37:00.004-05:00

A neighbor is trying to build her portfolio and took some pictures of us for free. Yes, it was really a blessing. Thank you Jordan.

JANUARY 2010

2010-01-30T17:35:00.003-05:00

Praised God for this New Year 2010. We have started a good year, Frank has a job that he really enjoys as a security guard; because he is able to do some school reading. Plus, we have been blessed that Frank is doing some interim pastoring at a church in Vaughan-NC, he always wanted to do something like that since he is still in school. God is really good and faithful!!! On the other side, I stayed home raising our two little princesses. It is tough and can get stressful but this is my season of staying home and enjoy watching them growing and learning so many new things. Ingrid is 20 months (our little butterball) and Sara is almost 3 next month. She is really smart and is speaking complete sentences. They will play together some and fight some. Also, I try to be occupied and learn more abou the Bible, I am taking a class on Thursday night at the Seminary and hope to get my certificate. Well, I think our lives are very busy right now. Here are some pictures of the girls with their new toys from Christmas.

Our sweet home II

2010-01-15T20:23:00.001-05:00

Our sweet home

2010-01-15T19:22:00.003-05:00

I have been wanting to post these pictures of our apartment a long time ago but never had the time until now. When the girls and I were in Peru, Frank had the time to decorate the girls bedrooms and rearrange some furniture around. It is easier when there is no child on the way to do that so Frank when ahead and did it. He did an excelent job, big hands for him!!! Frank and Ingrid used to share the room as an office and bedroom at the same time but now Ingrid has her own bedroom. We just need to get Sara a bed, we will do that pretty soon. She is ready for a bed. There is nothing like our sweet home.

Cold in NC

2010-01-10T14:59:00.003-05:00

It is nice to be home with Frank again, eventhough, I miss my loved ones in Peru. Today, was a little warm and the girls were able to play outside for some time, while Frank was cooking on the grill some steaks and chicken. I like this cool weather, I can get to wear all my warm clothes, but the girls don't like too much, they love to play outside and I can't get to take them out so often.

Beautiful family portrait

2009-12-30T21:12:00.002-05:00

Giovanna, Sara, Ingrid, Grandma Olinda, and Aunt Sandra in the middle.

Finally Home 2

2009-12-30T17:40:00.002-05:00

We made it home safe and sound this afternoon, thanks God my flight was much better than the first one, no problems and Sara and Ingrid were able to sleep much better. They were so excited to come home that they didn't go to sleep until 2 am. and had to woke up at 6:30 when it landed to Miami. Ingrid woke up a little later, she slept in the baby carrier on my back on my way to Inmigration. The security was more strict in Peru than in here, I believe. They checked out my belongings twice, and they even were doing a phisical check out - I mean that a woman would touch you real quick just to make sure you are not bringing something dangerous to the plane, they did that on everybody adults and children but I didn't see that here in the States. Frank was able to meet me at the gate, I really needed his help, both of my girls were asleep. It was wonderful to see him again, my in laws were there too to see the girls. Thanks all of you who prayed for us. Have a blessed New Year 2010.

Finally Home 1

2009-12-30T17:34:00.003-05:00

I left Peru last night. It was hard to say goodbye to my mom and sister. My dad was there too. However, my girls were ready to come home and me too, we were missing Frank so much. It is hard when you have love ones so far away from you just pray God to give me more friends here so I can feel like a family too.

2009-12-25T16:43:00.000-05:00