The race is on.............

As I sit and think about my week - I'm kinda tired. We started Vacation Bible School on Monday and I'm the resident photographer - which I love. I love running around capturing cute little faces in my camera. And we are doing a slide show tomorrow and that was fun to put together! The theme is "The race is on" . It is really about the rabbit and the hare and how we need to stay on the path that God has set before us (even if it seems the slow route). I've actually seen where I can apply these lessons in my life - awesome!

Then Mandy's birthday was on Tuesday (more on that later). And on Wednesday night I went to "Super Suppers" and made about a thousand meals - ok 14. And then got up at 3:00 a.m. to send my dad and son off to their fly fishing trip in Oregon. They are meeting my brother and one of his friends (Chad Theule & son) up there where my Uncle is picking them up in a motor home and off they go into the wild blue yonder. And knowing how competitive they all are - the race is on!

Today (Thursday) Mandy and I went shopping and used up all her gift cards! It was so fun!

The race was definitely on!!!

I've been so busy that I didn't even have time to post about her birthday. So, this is where it all began (well sorta):

Amanda Victoria Rojas
June 26th, 1998

these are two of my favorite photos

gotta love those toes

Her 1st Birthday

What a special spirit Amanda has about her. She is kind and sensitive but can make us laugh. She has always been curious and busy. She has an awesome love for the lord. Mandy loves sports and theatre (singing and dancing). But her biggest love is for animals! Horses are her favorite.

She is the tie that links our family together.................

She is such a little bundle of joy. Her eyes and smile light up the room. My sister Courtney wrote a paper in college about who or what she would want to bring with her on a deserted island, and she chose Mandy because she said she would never be bored or sad and would always be entertained - that pretty much sums it up!

She's my little buddy.............

Here are some of her favorite people:

Mandy is teaching cousin Gracie everything she knows about Ballet
(even though she has only had one ballet class in her life).

Her partners in crime...................

Her cousins Benny and DJ are her best friends in the world, she would rather be with them then anyone else.

But these guys all come in a close second!



I don't think anyone could love her more then me, except her Dad. They had a very special relationship. He would sit and tell her stories, jokes, show her card tricks, teach her things from the Bible, and she would actually sit and listen! I think she was the only one! haha not really, we all loved his stories - more now then back than :} Mandy prays every night for her guardian angels to come and protect her through the night (They used to pray this nightly together) Now she asks for her Daddy to be in front to lead them.




As with all my children, I pray daily for their lives, the present and the future. I pray I can teach them the love and grace of God and be the spiritual leader that I am now called to be. I only hope I can lead them down the right path,

the race is on........................

Happy 9th Birthday my sweet Mandita!!!