Happy Birthday, Lydia!

Well, I can't believe it, but Lydia is now two years old! Wow! Time sure flies. You know it is called the "Terrible Twos", well, I never thought too much about that saying with my other kids. But, Lydia is a different story. She is so curious and into everything. And, of course, since I am always very busy with all the others, she has lots of opportunity. On the very day of her birthday, she broke one of my brand new glass Christmas balls (that I had just put on the tree the night before), and pulled a 2 liter Coke bottle off the kitchen table (hadn't even been opened yet) and it burst open spraying Coke everywhere. Things like that never happen at a calm time either. I was just getting the last minute preparations for dinner! Well, she had a great start to her "Terrible Twos". Her redeeming factor - she is very cute! :) I guess we will keep her!

We celebrated her birthday with a family from our church here. The lady made pizzas and I made a cake. The kids all had a great time especially since that family has five turtles. Lydia was quite amused, but it took her a while to be brave enough to touch the turtles! One of the turtles wouldn't come out of his shell - I think he was probably the smart one. I would have been scared seeing all those kids too! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

From our house to yours we wish you a wonderful, happy Thanksgiving! It is such a wonderful day to stop and meditate on all the great blessing that God has given to us. Although there are probably many things we could complain about if we wanted to, if we really stop and ponder our lives, we will see that God is so much better to us than we deserve and He has blessed us abundantly. Our salvation, His Word, freedom, our families, our houses, and on and on we could go! May God truly make us mindful this day and every day of all He has done.

P.S. (Enjoy all the good food too!!!)

FREEZING IN MEXICO!!??!!

Yes, it is true. Even though we live in a beautiful climate. It does get pretty cold here. Last night it got down to the high 30's. I know what you are thinking . . . "That's nothing - we get much colder temps than that!" The funny thing is even though it is not as cold here, we FREEZE in our house. We have to laugh that we wear our jackets, and sweaters INSIDE, and take them off when we go OUTSIDE. Even though it warms up in the day outside, because of our tile floors and cement walls, it is COLD in our house. The last couple of days it has only been about 60 in our house. Lydia is so cute, when I change her diaper she always says "I fweesin". Well, all I can say is "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" Have a warm and happy day!

Thiessen Family Reunion Pictures

Lots of new posts

Well, I have been busy trying to update my blog, so their are quite a few new posts. Hope you can take the time to see it all. Thanks for stopping by!

Photo Explanations for Thiessen Family Reunion

1. Ron and I with my Dad and Mom

2. The original Thiessen family - Dad and Mom on the bench, sibling in back (left to right) - Karen Coates, Brian Thiessen, Debbie Karding, Philip Thiessen, Jeannie Goodman

3. All of the cousins - Yes, all 26 of them! Actually their are 27 people in the picture because one of the cousins (Julie Karding Campbell) is now married and her husband is also in the picture. Only one missing is the one still in the oven! :)

4. Thiessen family with spouses - Randy and Karen Coates, Brian and Cindy Thiessen, Philip Thiessen (single), Eric and Debbie Karding, Ron and Jeannie Goodman

5. Goodman boys with a few of their cousins just having fun!

6. The paparazzi! Ron took this one because it looked neat how all the guys were trying to get a shot in!

7. Hannah and Elisabeth in the pretty fall leaves.

8. Dad and Mom at their 50th Anniversary Celebration! Wow!!! Still in love after 50 years! We love you, Dad and Mom!

9. We got to play mini golf with Grandma and Grandpa at the resort we stayed at. It was chilly that day!

10. My two oldest neices (left to right) - Lisa Karding with her boyfriend Brent Aube, newleyweds Andrew and Julie Campbell.

A few pictures from Spokane

I had to do several posts for the pictures because they are too high resolution to put in one post. Hope you enjoy them!


At a restaurant on our way to the camp property. She is too cute!!!


Me and my favorite man in the whole world!

The kids at a park in Spokane on one of our last days.

More Spokane Pictures

The entire Goodman (and Rich) clan. We got our pictures taken up at the church camp property in Montana. It is very beautiful up there! God has really blessed FBC to have a property like that to use for His glory.


Hannah wanted her Bible signed by Bro. Sexton and she got her picture taken with him too. I had to laugh, because he said he would love to have his picture taken with a "princess". Hannah got up there beside him and crossed her legs like a lady and you could tell she was very proud to have her picture taken with Bro. Sexton.


Daniel with Bro. Sexton and Pastor Boyle. Daniel is named after Pastor Boyle (his middle name is Gregory). This picture will be very special to him and it is to me too!

More Spokane Pictures

Daniel and his cousin, Natalie, celebrated their birthdays together in Spokane.


All the cousins on the Goodman side.


Hannah at Upriver Drive on our hike. I thought she looked really cute.

Pray for the Upcoming Election!

I know most of you already are, but please don't forget to be much in prayer for the upcoming US election! We really need the Lord to do a work. I know that the futures of our children are at stake every time there is an election, but this time I feel it to be especially true. My children mean so much to me and I want them to be able to enjoy freedom when they are adults also. Praise the Lord, that whatever the outcome, God is still on the throne. I just know that our prayers can make a difference - so PLEASE PRAY!!!

II Chronicles 7:14, James 5:16

Back Home!

Well, it has been a very long time since I have posted. That is because we were gone on a very exciting trip. We left Morelia, Mexico on September 22 and just got back on the 23rd of this month! We went to Spokane and got to go to our home churches (Faith Baptist Church) 27th Anniversary. Dr. Clarence Sexton was the guest speaker and it was just wonderful!!! We really were thrilled to see the Boyles and all the church people. They are all very special to us! We also were able to spend time with family there. Ron's sister, Jackie, and her husband, Monty, allowed us to stay at their house and we had a super time visiting with them and their sweet girls. The kids loved playing with their cousins and getting to spend a lot of time playing outside on the trampoline. Of course, a trip to Spokane could not be complete for Ron without a hike at Upriver Drive. The kids thought that was great! To top the whole visit off, we also were able to see and spend time with Ron's mom, Sharon Goodman, who is getting ready to head to the mission field of Malawi, Africa in November. She was also staying at Jackie and Monty's house. We all went to the church camp property together and got our family pictures taken. The camp property is SOOOO beautiful! We had a great time there. It was so wonderful to be with all of them and enjoy time together before having to say our goodbyes. Anyone who knows me very well knows I absolutely hate saying "goodbye". Praise the Lord that as Christians we know that even if we never see our loved ones again here on earth, that we will have a wonderful reunion someday in Heaven!

After leaving Spokane, we flew to Buffalo, NY, where my oldest brother, Brian, picked us up from the airport and drove us up to Brampton, Ontario, Canada(that is in the Toronto area). We went there to be with my entire family to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. My whole family has not been together since Ron and I got married 11 years ago. WOW!!! It was something else! There were 38 of us in total. We all went and stayed at a resort in Collingwood, Ontario. I have to tell you that we just loved the Fall colors there. It was absolutely breathtaking!! At the resort we each had our own suite, so everyone had their own space, but we were all close together, so we could visit us much as we liked. It was so neat! I loved seeing my kids get to play with their cousins, and I really appreciated how the older cousins were so good to the little ones. One other special blessing is that we were able to spend Canadian Thanksgiving together. I am so thankful for a saved family that loves the Lord! It makes the time together very sweet. One night we had a special celebration with a meal at a very nice restaurant, a slide presentation, and lots of testimonies. It was great. Again, when the time arrived, I was very sad to say "goodbye".

After our goodbyes, we were able to visit with Fundy and Hannah Torres, in Buffalo, NY. We first went to Niagara Falls with them and that was a lot of fun. Then we were able to be in their church, the Old Time Baptist Church in Hamburg, NY on Sunday. Their church supports us and they were a great blessing to us. Hannah's parents (the Spauldings) were so kind to let us use their van while we were up there and fed us a terrific Sunday dinner! Yummy!!!! Then Funday took us to the airport EARLY Monday morning.

During the time we were up for all of our visits we were also able to be in four supporting churches (including our home church), and also three new churches. It was great to see people who have been praying for us and have supported us since we went to Mexico, as well as meet many new people who love the Lord and love missions. We were treated much better than we deserve in each one of those churches and are very thankful for all they did for us.

Our trip home was very tiring, but we were able to stop at the Texas, Mexico border and pick up some important things before heading back in to Mexico. We were nervous about the border crossing because our Visas had just expired (even though there is supposed to be a 30 day grace period), and we had a trailer to bring in that could not be added to our vehicle papers because of the visa situation. Well, the Lord took great care of us and got us in without any problem at all! Thanks be to Him!!!! We were very glad to be back in our church on Thursday, even though we were quite tired, and on Sunday our church people had planned a special dinner fellowship for us after the morning service. It was so sweet of them. They even had a cake for us (Ron's favorite - tres leches or three milks cake). One of the ladies gave me a bouquet of flowers. They were glad to see us and it was so special to see them show their love for us that way. We love them too!

I guess that is all. This has got to be one of the world's longest posts, but I had so much to say, and they is a lot I left out. Thank you to everyone who helped make our trip special in any way. God bless all!!!

By the way, I will have to post pictures later. I have to be very selective since there are so many to choose from. :)

We are so proud of our boys!

For the last few months, Daniel has been talking a lot about wanting to win his Mexican friends to the Lord. He asks prayer for them in our church services and has told us often how he really wants to see them get saved. On several occasions he has witnessed to them but none have accepted the Lord. Those times he comes home pretty disappointed, but we always encourage him to keep on praying for them.

Well, today after they finished their school work, Daniel and Andrew went outside to play with the neighborhood boys. They were having a blast out there playing "futbol" (soccer). I could hear them every once in a while yelling "GOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL!!!!" I could tell they were being good. Well, things got quieter and they were still outside. They were riding bikes, etc. When the boys came inside they were very excited. Daniel's face was just glowing as he told us, "I won my first soul to the Lord!" Andrew had been there listening in as well. He told us all about how it happened. He witnessed to two friends, but only one got saved. It sounds like he did a thorough job. We are SO proud of our boys! I can't tell you how much it blesses me to know that they want to serve the Lord and have a concern for others.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a great weekend!

Could it really be?????

Well, we went to the doctor on Friday not having the least expectation of finding out what the baby is (boy or girl). When the doctor said he thinks we might be having a boy, I was very excited. I don't want to get my hopes up too high, because I know it is still early, but it does give us hope. If it is a boy this will be our first boy in nine years! Wow!!! We have one more appointment and ultrasound before we leave on our trip in September. Hopefully, we will be able to see again and confirm it. Until then ---- I'll keep on hoping!!!

Yummy New Recipe!

On Saturday night I was in one of those moods where I wanted to try something new and different for our Sunday dinner. So I got online to one of my favorite recipe sites and found a yummy crock pot chicken recipe. I looked carefully, because sometimes Ron is a bit picky and I wanted something he would like. I also wanted the kids to really like it. Well, it was a winner! I put it in the crock pot just before we left for church and when we got home everyone was asking, "What smells so good?" That was a good sign, but the proof is in the eating. Everyone said it was great. That is pretty good for a family of 7! It was called Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken. I only made a couple of changes. We sprinkled grated cheese and fresh diced tomatoes (for those who wanted it) on top after serving. One warning, it is not for people who are wanting to lose weight! :) It is very creamy and fattening, but DELICIOUS!!!! Here is the link if you are interested: http://www.recipezaar.com/12458 If you try it and like it, let me know! Have a great day!

Some cute pictures of Lydia!

Okay - I know I am partial, but she is just too cute. She is starting to say a lot now. She says all of her siblings names, and I think her favorite word is waiseens (interpreted: raisins). She is so much fun and I am trying to enjoy every moment of her toddler stage - even though at times she gets into too many things for me to enjoy it! :) Well, hope you have fun seeing our cutey!



Eating some Mexican bread called a bolillo. She is an eater!



This one we had to take quickly before we got on to her for getting in the drawer.



After church



She was so tired one day that when I laid her down for her nap and she tried to escape, this is as far as she was able to get! :)

Trip to border - Hurricane Dolly

Well, last month we made a quick trip to the border. I say "quick" even though it is about a 13 hour drive for us - each way. The reason for the trip was mainly to pick up the kids' school curriculum and also some Spanish materials. We left on Monday morning at 4:49 am and got through US customs at 5:49 pm! We planned on being there all day Tuesday and then leaving again early Wednesday. It is not a leisure trip - especially with five kids. Well, when we got there, Ron started suffering from some real stomach problems and then I had a gall bladder attack. So much for eating at some of our favorite places. Then we discovered that we were right in the path of soon to arrive hurricane Dolly. We had to make a decision on Tuesday late afternoon what we would do. We knew there was no way that we were in any condition to head back in to Mexico. We would have been stopping every half hour for bathrooms! :( Not to mention we were too tired to get even to the half-way point. We couldn't stay where we were, because it was a trailer home and right in the projected path of Dolly. So, we went to a hotel about 20 miles further west. Then we hunkered down for the night. Ron's stomach was still recuperating, but my gall bladder was killing me. Everyone was very hungry, so Ron found the number for the only pizza place that was still delivering. If you know anything about gall bladder problems, that is a terrible thing to eat when you are suffering. Praise the Lord, they had salads too! So, I ate a salad while everyone else enjoyed some of the yummiest pizza they have ever had! Not fair! :)

The next morning when we woke up - we were greeted by a flat on the van. Since Dolly was moving slow it hadn't gotten to us yet like we suspected it would have. We had to stay there another day. Needless to say, we had some real "close" family time during those 40 hours or so. It is a fun memory. We were able to head back to Mexico on that Thursday and it took us 16 hours!!! There was some real hard rain and some accidents that had backed up the traffic. We were SOOOOO glad to be home.



Here are a few pics to show our "adventure".



Look at that cheesy smile! And there it is - Buck's pizza!



The kids wanted their picture by the flat tire.



This is just a sample of the wind - it got stronger than that.



When we came back into Mexico there was a lot of flooding in the streets.

Baby Number Six on the Way!

Yes, it is true, and we are VERY excited! The baby is due on March 10th and so far I am feeling fairly well! More updates to come.

Little Troublemaker!

The phrase "terrible twos" is one that any mother of toddlers can understand well. I have to say that my kids were not "terrible" when they were toddlers - but they certainly did get into a lot of things and needed constant supervision. Well, Lydia is our newest "toddler" and she is no exception. She really gets into everything she possibly can. She is very curious and she is a good climber and is determined to reach what she wants!

Having said all that, this past Sunday morning as we were getting ready to leave for church, we did not know where Lydia was. It was Fathers' Day and we were going to have a fellowship after church. I had made a fresh batch of homemade brownies the night before and that morning I cut them up and had just nicely arranged them on the plate to take to church. Well, I had given Lydia just a small taste of one (of course they had to be sampled before we fed them to anyone else) and that small taste only wet her taste buds. After a short search for her, we found her in the kitchen with the entire plate of brownies spilled on the floor. I still am not sure how she got them off of the counter. She had one brownie in each hand and just looked at us with a worried expression and said "no, no!". Well, we had to take a picture before we cleaned up the mess so we wouldn't forget that moment. Even though I knew I couldn't, I just felt like bursting into laughter. These are the pictures for your enjoyment!

So many brownies, so little time!

Which one should I eat next?

My, how time flies! It seems like it has been forever since I last updated. I have been very busy trying to finish up the school year. We have only two weeks left and I am SOOOO happy and looking forward to the break from school. We will still be very busy, it is just nice to have a change of pace. There are many things to plan and organize. I guess I will be needing to go through all of the kids' clothes and take out what is worn out and no longer fits. Then we need to go through all the toys and just basically unclutter our life. It seems like with a larger family there is always something to go through and things just seem to pile up. Praise the Lord for the summer and a chance to get everything in order again.

I had a huge blessing this last Friday. I have been without a helper here for almost a year now and with all there is to do homeschooling, ministry, living, etc......, it has been quite hectic! Well, on Friday, my previous helper came back and will be coming once a week again. I am so happy and relieved. That will take a big load off of me. I get very weary when my house is out of order, so having a helper once a week is a tremendous blessing to me. Thank you, Lord!

Update

I just finished updating my blog and there are several new posts - so please check them all out.

Spring Break

We took our spring break the second week in April. The very beginning of the week we went to Toluca (outside of Mexico City) to see the Holley family. Ron preached in their new church and I played the piano for their service. On Monday they took us to a park near their home and the kids played and had a lot of fun. Then we had arrachera (a super tender cut of beef) on the grill back at their house. The kids had fun wrestling with Ron and he wore them out - or should I say, they wore him out?

After leaving the Holleys we went for the afternoon on Tuesday at a mall in Mexico City. There we ate at the Rainforest Cafe. The kids had a great time seeing the animated animals and decor there - the food was good too except I couldn't eat much because of my gall bladder giving me trouble. Lydia enjoyed seeing the fish tanks, but wasn't too excited when the gorillas started moving and making noises. All in all - it was a good time.

Andrew is 8!!!!!

Wow! I can't believe how quickly they are all growing. Andrew had his eighth birthday on the 2nd of this month and we had a great time. We went for a picnic lunch (on the side of the road) where the kids could all ride their bikes. Andrew got a new bike for his birthday and since Daniel's bike was far too small for him anymore, we got him one as well. He knows that it is his birthday present in advance. They were all so excited. Andrew did have one good wipe out - and a nice big scrape on his arm to prove it! He has always been the one to get scrapes, bumps, bruises, and cuts! We'll have to invest in some bicycle helmets soon!

Each One is Different

I just thought I would share with you part of a conversation my kids had a week or so ago. Of course, I have always known that they all are very different and unique and I love each one of them. I couldn't help but laugh at what they were talking about. They were discussing what instrument each one of them wanted to learn. Daniel and Andrew were talking how they want to take guitar lessons and Andrew actually wants to learn to play the banjo. Then Hannah began saying how she wants to play a flute because of how pretty it looks and sounds (she is always wanting to be such a little lady). Just to show her little personality, Elisabeth interrupted and said, "I want to play the drums." :) I thought it was so funny. You just have to know Elisabeth - she is always doing things to be different than Hannah. Praise the Lord for each one of my kids!

Hope you had a great Resurrection Sunday!

Well, Easter has come and gone for another year. I was amazed that it was so early this year - then I found out some interesting facts about why on Jackie's (my sister-in-law) families' blog. You can check it out at http://allofusblog07.blogspot.com/2008/03/easter.html .

This is a picture of the girls and I in our Easter dresses - we have worn them before, but we wanted to look nice for such a special day!




On the Friday before Easter (Good Friday - or as they call it here - Holy Friday) we went to a little pueblo just a few minutes north of Morelia. It is called Tarímbaro. Every year they do a representation of the crucifixion. We went out of curiosity and to maybe get some good pictures for slides in the future. This is the road they decorated with flower petals where those who were representing Christ and the two thieves were to walk up the hill to be "crucified".



Mexicans are very colorful people, so it looked very pretty.



When they got to the top, they tied them to the crosses. They say that the man who was representing Christ actually had his hands nailed, but we could not see that. If he did, they probably used very small nails. It is sad that they celebrate Christ's death more than they do His resurrection! It was an interesting experience and another look at Mexican religion and culture.



Another thing they do in Tarímbaro on Good Friday is drink a lot of "pulque" which is basically a type of moonshine. They make it from some type of cactus leaves. After all the religious activities many get drunk. So sad that this is what makes up the Easter season for them.



Hope you all had a wonderful Easter and were able to rejoice in our risen Saviour! We miss everyone and hope all are doing well.

LYDIA IS FINALLY WALKING!!!

Well, I was beginning to wonder when this baby would walk. She has been able to for a few weeks now, but she still would only take two or three steps and then she returned to crawling! Well, yesterday she was walking all over the place. It was quite hillarious, because you could see her walk from one place to another and then she would look (with a big grin on her face) to see if anyone was watching to cheer her on! She is so funny! Also, on Saturday, she started saying "yes". She says it like she is asking a question and its like it is her way of saying "can I have that?" Well, I know everyone thinks their baby is the cutest and that's the way it should be - but I can't help but think that Lydia has the patent on CUTE!

The picture above is of Lydia wearing big brother Daniel's jacket. The kids were having fun watching her try to walk with it on!

Chili's Salsa Recipe

This is a recipe you've got to try!
Ron and I (and the kids too) just love Chili's salsa and I found a copy cat of the recipe online. Since then we havn't been buying salsa - this one is SOOOOOO yummy! Here is the link: http://www.recipezaar.com/59635.
Let me know if you try it and like it!

Family and Ministry update

Well, it is about time I updated this blog! It seems like I always think about doing it - but don't often seem to have the time. Here is what is going on in our world.

We had the Harts here for three days last week and had a good time with them. We got to know them very well while we were in language school in Aguascalientes and learning under their ministry. They have been a blessing to us. We took them to the national park in Uruápan. They really enjoyed the scenery and we had fun showing it off to them! We are really blessed to live in a very beautiful part of Mexico!


(The Harts by a small waterfall at the national park.)

(Our family at the national park in Uruápan.)

Hannah just had her 6th birthday on the 4th and had a really good time. She had been counting down the days to her birthday for well over a month! And everyone knew about it! From the birthday money she received and what we pitched in ourselves, she was able to get a new bike. She is SO excited!!! She is up on the patio almost every possible moment riding it. She is just thrilled! I'll have to take some pictures of her on her bike to put on the blog soon.

Lydia is such a sweety pie - but quite the stubborn one too. Those of you who know Ron and I just can't possible imagine where she would get her stubborness from. :) She still is not walking (at 14 months) even though she would very easily be able to. She just doesn't really want to! I guess once she decides to do it she will be off and running!

Here are a couple of pictures of Lydia at our nice new playground in Morelia. Her hair was full of static from the slide in the second picture. It was so funny!





We are doing well here and the Lord is blessing! Please keep praying for our work here. We are praying and working and waiting for the Lord to do some wonderful things. We are going to be having a missions conference at our church at the end of this month. Please pray that God will do great things in the lives of our church people and that He would really burden all of our hearts more for souls around the world.

I also want to update you on the girl I told you about - Elisabeth McDonald. She has been home from the hospital for a couple of weeks now and is doing great. The skin grafts took very well and the doctors are all very pleased. They say she is about two weeks ahead of what they would expect in the healing process. God is very good. Please continue to pray for her complete recovery.

Well, I guess that is all for now. Thanks for thinking about us and checking up on us

Hello! & Prayer Request

Hey, everyone! I just wanted to show off this cute little baby of ours! Also, just thought I should let all know that I am still alive! We are doing well here. Ron has been very busy already this year with lots of people to counsel and soulwinning appointments. Also in February we are planning a missions conference for our church. We are excited about that!

The kids are doing well being back in school and even though it makes things a bit more hectic, I am very glad also. It gives us the routine that we need!

Please pray for the McDonald family. They are missionaries here outside of Morelia and two weeks ago their 4 year old daughter was seriously burned. She has been in the hospital since then and probably will stay there for at least another two weeks. She has had some skin grafts and will be receiving more. I know the family would appreciate your prayers. They have nine kids and this has made things very difficult for them.

Thanks for checking in with us! Have a good week!