Praise Report!

I guess it's not all what he thought it'd be. He doesn't like learning patterns and was quite upset when they changed his name! His teacher wanted him practice writing "C a l e b" instead of "C A L E B." And sometimes accidents happen.

But then, this note came home the other day from school:

Caleb is working hard and he has been respectful and obedient! He enjoys his days in Kindergarten and is making many new friends!

Blogiversary Poll!

This month has been 1 year since Livin' the Vida Garcia has been up and running. In honor of elections coming up soon, I'm putting up a poll that will be open for 1 week! Please vote!

I started blogging as a way to stay in better touch with friends and family. It has served that purpose, as well as linked me up to new friends in the blogging community! I also found that I use it as a primary source of journaling. So thanks to you all for reading my ramblings! And your awesome comments!

Poll will close Sunday night at midnight!

FIREPROOF

We are going to see this today!
(to watch the preview, just click on watch trailer)

More Good News

Since she is now officially an RN, I wanted to give a shout out to my sister-in-law, Stephanie!
She's going to be a great Nurse!

Also, Congratulations to the Sinks on the birth of Jackson Robert Sink! We can't wait to meet the little guy/ big boy!

Welcoming Fall!

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air."
-Nathaniel Hawthorne

Family Church Retreat

We spent last weekend fellowship-ping with brothers and sisters in Christ from our church at Rockbridge Alum Springs. There are so many activities to do here, we had a perfect weekend for it! Community worship time, family style meals, free time for ropes course, swimming in the pool or lake, the slide, zip line, hiking, midnight swims and volleyball, or many many more things! It was fun spending time with the body of Christ as a family of believers.



The kids loved being outside! It was an absolutely beautiful weekend for camping!! There was so much to explore!

The beach area:

Community Worship:

Game time:

Some Alianza (Spanish Congregation) folks!

Angel tackled the Ropes Course and did great!

These two thought they were next in line for the ropes course! I don't think so, not this year!

The slide/ blob

Our cabins:

These pictures only capture a glimpse of the beauty of the campground: Imagine this x 100!

"For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; "

Psalm 95:3-6

To see more pictures from our weekend, click here.

Kindergarten Confessions

When the kids came home from school, I asked them as I usually do, how their day was. Alisia went into great detail, as she usually does, to tell me how her day was. While Caleb doesn't usually go into detail like Alisia, he does usually share something. This time all I got was "it was good."

At dinner time, it came out. Caleb casually said, "I think I had to flip my card today (got in trouble for something).

Oh really? I asked. What happened?

"I'm not sure." He shrugged.

Your not sure why you got in trouble?
"Not really..." he said shaking his head.

"Well, what do you think you got in trouble for?" I prodded.

He just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing.

"One time I got in trouble in kindergarten."

His eyes lit up. "What did you do?"

"Someone dared me to put ketchup in a girls hair, and I did, even though she was my friend. She cried and I felt really bad." (yes I DID that!)

"I got in trouble once too," said Alisia. "We were supposed to be taking a nap and I saw a crayon on the floor and I scribbled all over the desk. The teacher walked over and I pretended to be asleep. She told me I would have to scrub it off after school. I felt really bad"

My mouth dropped open when I heard Alisia's confession! She's never told me her side of the story! Then Caleb said, "I think I hit **(his friend) by an accident in his face. I felt really bad too because it was an accident."

OH great! At least we all got that off our conscious!

For the Bible Tells Me So

Last night I was on the computer and my Bible was lying on the table in front of the couch. Caleb picked it up and started "reading it." As he was "reading", I was typing down what he was saying.

"The Bible tells us to listen to our parents, even though it is very hard to do that. Lets start all over. Then it says God made the earth and Adam and Eve. But they did not obey God, they sinned. The Bible tells us if you obey God, you have to be nice to your friend and your mom and your dad and your sister and your brother. Jesus loves the little children. They are weak but he is strong."

As soon as I looked at him and smiled, he put it down and said "what?" That was the end. I guess he was practicing for his sermon?

God is moving in his little heart and planting seeds that will last forever. I never fail to be amazed at how kids learn, how fast they learn and what they learn. It is also humbling as a parent to know that God has entrusted our children to us only for a short time. I long to always have the right words to say, and do the right things to point them to Christ. But honestly, I don't. I make so many mistakes as a parent, but I know that Gods work is bigger than me. He can use me dispite the mistakes. I am reminded of these words from Phillips, Craig and Dan's song "I want to be just like You."

"‘Cause I know that he’ll learn
from the things that he sees
And the Jesus he finds
will be the Jesus in me...
Lord, I want to be just like You
‘Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You
‘Cause he wants to be like me"

It's a Good Day in the Puffenbarger Home

Name TERESA A PUFFENBARGER
Occupation Licensed Practical Nurse

Initial License 09/15/2008
Expire Date 04/30/2010
License Status Current Active
License Number 0002079061
Occupation Licensed Practical Nurse
----------------------------

My Sister-in-law just recieved news that she is now an LPN! She passed her state boards! What great news!

Congratulations Teresa!

Thankyou Note

Thankyou Mom and Dad for helping us with laundry this week! Hopefully our dryer will be fixed soon! You're the best! We love you!

Love,
Angel, Brooke, Alisia, and Caleb

Packing Lunches

Packing lunches is not one of my favorite mommy jobs. Its kind of up there with doing dishes or putting the groceries away. I always struggle with what to pack because I know the same thing day after day can get boring. Usually as we are about to run out the door, I'm quickly throwing something in their lunch boxes. But something has changed.

Since school has started, both kids both express how much they enjoy opening their lunch and seeing what their lunch will be that day. For some reason, ever since then, I look forward to packing their lunches carefully the night before. They both love sandwiches. Plain ham and cheese. Every once in a while I'll change it up, but their easy to please. I'm so thankful for Sharp Shopper because I can get a great deal on snack foods.

Why is it that when our attitude changes, the job gets easier. Serving is a way of showing our love for others. It is also away of sharing God's love. As the attitude in my heart has changed little by little about some "mommy tasks," so has the attitude my children reflect. They also are starting to take delight in "helping." As we are putting the dishes away, we are talking about their day, singing songs, and spending time together. This is something I have paid attention to in particular this past week, and pray for the Lord to continue to change me. Especially since little eyes are always watching. Packing lunches is still not my favorite thing to do, but now, I do it with love because I know how much they appreciate it.

Elisabeth Elliot once said:

Wouldn't it make an astounding difference, not only in the quality of the work we do (in office, schoolroom, factory, kitchen, or backyard), but also in our satisfaction, even our joy, if we recognized God's gracious gift in every single task, from making a bed or bathing a baby to drawing a blueprint or selling a computer? If our children saw us doing "heartily as unto the Lord" all the work we do, they would learn true happiness. Instead of feeling that they must be allowed to do what they like, they would learn to like what they do.

Take Three

This was actually more like "Take 12" or "Take 13." But she finally got it! Alisia loves making up songs and preforming them. After she composed this one she wanted to preform for me. Oh, how it warms my heart!!
Take One:

Take Two:

Take Three:

His Grace is Sufficient for Me

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
2 Corinthians 12:9

We are barely just starting to get used to our new school schedule. And here comes a new adjustment. This week will be a busy one for us as Caleb starts soccar and Alisia starts choir. We are looking forward to a church retreat this weekend, but I need this reminder this morning. I pray that Christ's strength will rest in me because my weakness is great.

Angels Watching Over Us

Our dryer has been having problems. Bad smell, loud noise problems. After this had been going on a few days, I was afraid to keep using it. So yesterday my wonderful husband decided there must be something wrong with it! He opened the dryer and found a marker lid. His first thought was that was the source of the smell of plastic burning. We pulled the dryer out and cleaned out the mountian of missing clothing and random socks that had fallen behind. He also cleaned the lent out of the vent. We were good to go again, and turned the dryer back on. Then, we saw smoke with a distinct smell of electrial fumes.

This is what we found:



Somehow the cord and outlet were melting together! I don't know if this is a dryer problem or an outlet problem? Sure enough, we were reminded of God's protection. We all took turns thanking Him for sending His angels to protect us! Who knows how quickly the old farm house we live in could have burned.

On our way to school this morning, Caleb started to question what could have happened.

"If your house is on fire, can you die?" he asked in deep thought.

"If we were asleep or didn't get out of the house, maybe." I
didn't want to scare him too much.

"But we can call 911 if there is a fire and they help us, right?" he asked trying to sort this all out.
"That's right. Thankfully, we didn't have to do that though."
All was quiet as we were all reflecting on what could have happened.
Then Caleb said, "Good thing we have Jesus in our heart and he helps us."

"Good thing God loves us and takes care of us," Alisia added.

All day, I have been reflecting on the thoughts of my children and Psalm 91. As the reality set in of what could have happen, they weren't scared. They didn't have a reason to be scared. Several times this week I have already been reminded of Psalm 91 (Geniene, Angie, Cristen). I guess it was my turn to share! I'd love to hear if anyone else has thoughts/stories related to this! Verse 11 is one of my favorites:

Psalm 91: 11
"For He will command His angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways."

Horay for Sunny Days Off and Free Kids Rides!

After many things heavily on my heart recently, my soul truly found rest this weekend. While we stayed busy with an anniversary party for my grandparents (with pictures to come), a family renunion, and Labor Day Festives, God reminded me in many ways of his faithfulness to me as his child. I'm thankful that we serve a living God who takes delight in caring for his children.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"
1 John 3:1

And now for the pics:
This is the best kind of fair to go to! Monday was the perfect day for Bridgewater to have their annual Labor Day Festival with free events for the family! We had a great time and saw a lot of people we know there.
We got there early and went on almost every ride (no $$!!), watched the JMU marching band, and saw some beautiful fire works. The kids were wiped out by the time we got home!!




Here are a few more pics from the day:


These were taken from the top of the Farris Wheel:

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Matthew 11:29