Clara means “full of light.” LOVE that. I’ve been meditating on “light” verses in Scripture accordingly, and the Lord has been good to give me things to pray over both my daughters having to do with being Light-ed inwardly.

I’m thankful, and glad to do it, since Psalms says that “light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart” (Ps.97:11). He also gave me a promise last week for my children, specifically for confidence in the midst of a worrisome and trying pregnancy, that “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, fruit that will last” (Jn. 15:16). I needed that from Him. Both for my pregnancy with Clara and for a renewed confidence that God is truly truly in my children’s lives, working His purposes. I think I needed to freshly repartner with Him.

So specifically right now, I’m focusing on praying Col.1:9-14 for my girls:
⁹And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. ¹¹ May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

and specifically for Clara, Daniel 5:14 -
“I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.”

I claim all these Scriptures and promises over my children - and trust them to the Lord, that they will truly be fruit that abides.

wow, i’m really behind on blogging. May has been incredibly intense, emotional, and busy. More on our escapades later. I just needed to write a second.

This is our first weekend home in over a month and despite not feeling well, we are making great progress on house projects. Michael has fixed the garage door and the sprinklers, caught up on a month’s worth of yard work and mail, and is now in the process of fixing our backyard fence to be 3ft higher now that our lovely dog has decided to start jumping the current fence to attack passing dogs. (ugh).

My main project has been (and continues to be) the nursery. I’m in my 7th month now and starting to finally realize the reality of the coming of this baby. (we’re kind of freaking out). We decided that we are going to wait until Clara is 2ish to move her in with Geneva, which means she deserves thought put into her own space. I was going to just exchange a crib for my desk in my office, but it’s become clear that’s not going to work. So I’ve been somewhat frantically putting together a nursery, and a theme. I love what is taking shape, and can use a great deal of what I already have, but need enough new things that it feels remarkably new, and specially for Clara. That’s fun.

That being said, I’m taking apart my office. For those of you who’ve spent time there, you know it’s not just an office, it’s an explosion of my heart, memories, and passions. There’s not anything in there that doesn’t feed my soul or spur me on to Life and Truth and Godliness. Anyway, a few minutes ago I found myself crying uncontrollably at putting it mostly away in a house in which I’m still living. I need reminders of my testimonies, we all do, and reminders of my mom and her exhortations in my life. I think b/c of the way my life has been in this season, it’s always been a soothing comfort to have a room that’s always clean, always decorated, always peaceful, always free of distractions and easily conducive of bringing in the Spirit of God. And on days where I feel too weak to exhort myself, it’s been strengthening to have a place full of the Scriptures and the encouragements of my army of friends. And I think in these years where I’ve felt so alone, the things in this room always reminded me I was the furthermost thing from it.

I’m glad to give the room to Clara, I’m just having a little bit of a “lost in my own home” moment. You know that quote from The Quiet Man about “having her things about her”? I really only feel truly that way in this room.

I’ll be fine and get creative, and I am very aware of the Holy Spirit who is with me is also purposed for me as my Encourager. Just needed to cry it out to you lucky readers.

(she has real friends too) haha.

This is Miette, one of Geneva’s very best friends. The girls are 3 months apart and just have a great time together.  It is an unbelievable blessing to have family friends where the moms are friends, the dads are friends and the kids are friends. We just thank the Lord all the time for this family. Today is actually Miette’s birthday. Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

It’s official - my 3 year old has an imaginary friend. Well, two to be exact. They are Anastasia and Drusella (the step sisters from Cinderella). They live in her bedroom and sleep most of the day. Geneva makes sure that we are very quiet upstairs when they are sleeping. When they are awake they wear fancy dresses and inspect our cleaning projects around the house. I think somehow this makes Geneva Cinderella. Shocker.

Geneva is already taking her role as big sister very seriously. It’s so sweet how much she talks about Clara, it must be multiple times a day. Here are some examples:

“Mom, when Clara is 2 she can sleep in my room with me!”

“Mom, we should buy this for Clara! She would love it!” (we get this A LOT)

“Mom, when Clara gets bigger she could play dress up with me! She could be Tinkerbell and I could be Snow White!”

“Mom, when Clara cries I will ask her -insert super high squeaky voice- baby, are you hungry? are you sleepy? do you want me to play with you?”

and the most often asked question - “Mom, is Clara coming out of your tummy today?”

whenever you can, be friends with professional photographers and invite them to everything you do!!!! haha. No, but seriously, thank you for the beautiful snapshots you took for us, Emily!

Geneva is very into Princesses. She has the name of every Disney Princess down pat even though she’s only seen Cinderella and a very select 20 minutes of Snow White. Cinderella is, of course, her favorite. And she begged us for a Cinderella themed 3rd birthday party.

The party was a family affair. Geneva’s great-grandmother sent her a gift card to Wal-Mart and it took Geneva no time at all to announce that she would use it to buy a Cinderella dress and doll.

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law came out for the celebration, and I was so glad to have them, especially when it came to making the cake for the party:

I think it turned out pretty amazing, don’t you?

We decorated our own Princess crowns:

We had a Princess tea party:

The girls all had fun playing with their new Princess wands and new Princess doll favors:

We ended the day with plenty of games of Princess Bingo:

and some Royal reading:

It was a truly great day!! Geneva felt so special, and she already is planning her next party. ha!

oh, and did I mention that we couldn’t get her out of her dress for the next 3 weeks??? Here she is at the local toy store putting on a Princess Cinderella puppet show.

Her name is Clara. Clara Renee Francisco. I love her name so much I can’t even believe we are getting another girl and get to use it. Clara means “illustrious; full of light” and Renee (my middle name) means “born anew.” (and did you know Francisco means “free one”?? I think it’s pretty amazing.) Our prayer is that she would be an amazing example of all these things. She is kicking me as I type this, sweet girl. I love her already.

It’s a girl!!! I was so shocked and ecstatic when we found out! It’s really taken me a month to actually believe it! I was so sure she would be a he. But the Lord knows what we need, and I’m so grateful. My heart wanted a girl so badly, for Geneva. There’s going to be exactly 3.5 years between them, and I know that’s a gap, and it just felt like if it were a boy the gap would feel bigger. I’m just so thankful to the Lord. Geneva is over the moon excited to have a little sister. When we told her “Geneva! The baby in mommy’s tummy is a girl! You’re going to have a little sister!” she responded with long pause then exclaimed “Just like Angelina Ballerina!!!” We laughed, “yes! are you excited?” And then she made Michael smile from ear to ear: “Yes!! and I can take her to HOCKEY GAMES!!” haha. They will be Franciscos indeed.

G: Mom I have a baby in my tummy today! His name is Blackout! Would you like to feel him?

C: Sure! How did you get a baby in your tummy, Geneva?

G: I just went to the baby doctor yesterday and they put one in my tummy!

C: Oh! Well Geneva, you need to be married before you have a baby in your tummy.

G: oh yes! I got married yesterday too!

Some fun family photos with Kyeth, a joy and teacher of many life lessons.

en route from Nebraska to Colorado

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I’m almost out of the 1st trimester and pretty much over the horrific morning sickness (now it’s just occasional), so I am thankful. But about 2 weeks ago it became very apparent that everything structurally was getting drastically looser, by design of course, but this has reeked havoc on my neck and spine and the significant progress I was making at the chiropractor’s. I wake up with a major headache every day, and it is grace alone that keeps me from ending every night at 6 or 7 moaning in bed. My neck/head/face/jaw/shoulder/back pain  has been almost worse these past weeks than before I did any treatment, even my TMJ treatment from 2 years ago. I need prayer. Prayer that my progress will not deteriorate, that my pain will decrease/go away, that I will not be starting at square one again come August, and mostly that my heart will not fear these things, and my faith will continue to increase. My baby is worth anything, but I just can’t do another 3 year stint like this last one. And I really don’t feel the Lord is calling me to. But these last weeks of pain have been so difficult, so poignant……I just don’t want to waver. thanks.

Praise the Lord He has seen fit to grow our family!! New baby Francisco coming August 2010!

Looking ahead to next year Christmas, here’s a craft project that all you moms can start on now and maybe have for advent 2010! This is the Jesse Tree, a Christmas advent calendar tracing Jesus’ earthly heritage (recorded in Matthew and Luke). From Isaiah 11:1 “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,” this family tree advent calendar represents the ancestors of Christ and the patriarchs and prophets God used to keep the promise alive. The suggested people on the tree are: Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Judah, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Ruth, Jesse, David, Isaiah, Daniel, Esther, Joseph, Manger Scene, Risen Christ. (Contact me if you want the Scriptures that accompany the list, and the ideas of symbols you can use to represent each person).

The Jesse Tree was a very special tradition in my family growing up. One of my best Christmas memories throughout my life is putting JESUS! on top of the Jesse Tree on Christmas morning! And I was really shocked at how well Geneva did with it this year. We would read the corresponding Bible story every morning and then add the symbol to the tree and after a week or so she was going over to the tree saying “this one is Adam and Eve, this one is Noah, this one is Abraham, etc. etc.” SO cool. And it REALLY helped her understand that when we put JESUS on the top of the Jesse Tree it was finally His birthday!

My mother made the one pictured here, which is the same one we still use today. You can make it too! She used two pieces of burlap with batting in the middle, finished with a woven red ribbon. She embroidered (using the sewing machine) the front piece of the burlap with red thread to make a family tree. She sewed and glued one side of the velcro to the tree and hot glued the other to the symbols and voila! EASY project and SO special. If you are here in the Springs, I’d love to get together and do a Jesse Tree workshop sometime! Let me know!