tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44008606342529282602024-02-19T16:48:38.107-08:00CasaVelillaMaking a House a HomeCasa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-41134996050212033392019-08-05T12:04:00.000-07:002019-08-05T12:04:55.489-07:00Guys I Finally Did it!I've been trying to blog on and off for years. This little thing called fear held me back. Fear of failure. Fear of being ignorant and not having anything to say.<br />
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Let's fast forward to 2018. I was telling hubby about all these ideas I had for a lifestyle blog and another idea for a food blog. I researched so much. So I presented him with so many facts. But that is all that I had ideas, facts, and research. Well unbeknownst to me he went out and purchased not one but two domains! He was so happy to present this gift to me and all I could feel was fear once again. What am I going to do with this? I don't know how to web design. I don't know the first thing about having a website. How do I divide my time between two very different blogs. It's like having two jobs. Not to mention I already had a job as a wife/mother/homeschool teacher.<br />
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Overwhelmed was an understatement. I froze. I didn't do anything with either site for about two weeks. Then I decided to start with the food blog. It was a "do it yourself" WordPress site. Only I had never heard of WordPress. So YouTube University to the rescue. I watched dozens of you-tubers on the subject. You know what I learned? I learned how to nap several times per day. Holy cow is learning about WordPress boring! I decided to look for an actual class to see if a live teacher could keep my attention. Our local library offered a class. It did not help. All it taught me was what I already knew. I did get a handy dandy certificate though.<br />
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So being paralyzed and frustrated by fear I just gave up. I did not touch those websites for months. Finally I decided the best thing to do was give up one site in it's entirety and just concentrate on the other. I called support from our host company and they had some good advice for me. They even had a simpler way of designing my website that did not involve WordPress. Boy was that a relief!<br />
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So I learned that when I let go of something that is completely overwhelming and I ask for help that little thing called fear becomes defeated. I have been hard at work on <a href="http://www.casavelilla.com/" target="_blank">www.casavelilla.com</a>.<br />
I am so happy with what I've been able to put together so far. I know I have a long way to go and I will continuously be learning about websites, blogs, technology and so much more.<br />
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Come visit me on the website. Let me know what you think.<br />
<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-41964209514555012242018-09-14T06:00:00.000-07:002018-09-14T12:26:55.122-07:00The Purpose of LifeThe dictionary defines purpose as (n) the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists;(verb) to have one's intention or objective.<br />
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So what is the purpose of life? This question has no real answer because as individuals we are all on a different path. I read somewhere that the purpose of life is a life of purpose.<br />
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Each day has its own purpose. Each task in our lives serves a purpose. Everything we do becomes a small part of our great story. Here are a few of my favorite quotes about purpose. I hope they give you a glimpse at how important you are and how important your purpose in this world can be.<br />
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<li>You had a purpose before anyone had an opinion.</li>
<li>Purpose fuels passion.</li>
<li>When you walk with purpose you collide with destiny.</li>
<li>We won't be distracted by comparison if we are captivated with purpose.(Bob Goff)</li>
<li>If you want to believe in your purpose- you have to keep company with people who believe in your purpose too. (Godlywoodgirl.com)</li>
<li>You were made on purpose for a purpose. (Tony Evans)</li>
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Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, " There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. You may be in a season of raising little babies and you feel like your only purpose is to change diapers and do laundry. You may be in a season of doubt not knowing what to do, where to go, what to believe. Even in daily tasks, in doubt, and in waiting for answers there is purpose. Be still and listen to your heart and listen to God. He will lead you to your purpose.</div>
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It's often said that God works at the intersection of our gifts and our passions. He created us with passions and talents. What are the things that you love to do? What are the things you find beautiful? What are the things that excite you and motivate you? What are the things that you need to stand for? </div>
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Whatever your answer to these questions they are unique to you and they are your purpose or on the path to your purpose, so no answer is the wrong answer. If you are a person who is passionate about the environment and feel like you need to take a stand for something, do it. If you are a person that absolutely loves coffee and it just makes you happy and that perfect cup of coffee is transcendent, share that love with the world! Coffee is amazing. Can you tell I love coffee? If you love to organize because it brings order and harmony to your home and you want to share that feeling with the world, do it. Take a hundred pictures of that pantry that once made you want to pull your hair out and now it just makes you want to try a new recipe. </div>
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Here are a few pictures of some of the things in my life that give me purpose.</div>
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Our two youngest children whom we homeschool. Our two oldest children moved out of the house years ago and we don't get to take many pictures with them these days. But all four of them are a huge purpose in my life. I honestly believe God created me because they all needed me specifically to be their mom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOAVDMH459V74dxLKX7hpxKxxxEInkkxWcBRoqB0ulEeCXGo-E4l_DFINyqsYvN7CLJTSaTsAgrJ4alj9lujcsBhJwxaY3ikB9xlGSDctPSiVHikB2ZtB2hpaguKFenjE3WvmSsWo5V8y/s1600/IMG_20180309_220856_855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOAVDMH459V74dxLKX7hpxKxxxEInkkxWcBRoqB0ulEeCXGo-E4l_DFINyqsYvN7CLJTSaTsAgrJ4alj9lujcsBhJwxaY3ikB9xlGSDctPSiVHikB2ZtB2hpaguKFenjE3WvmSsWo5V8y/s320/IMG_20180309_220856_855.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A vegan Affogato which is ice cream with espresso. It is an experience. Try one. Anything with coffee is amazing in my opinion. Coffee gives me purpose. I have had many conversations, laughs, and discussions over coffee.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeJAFPb4EWdBId3HlWGD6s3lSGFGrRoQh89f8PR_O899_wP5B_cpYeEPsXZ5idg3MntjdStlKpC-HSwucRw1s8kMHTXN7rXTQA1AJmBPmTAnNd8nzymv72vWvcukqmIN7dMbviMBzT_cz/s1600/20150411_173340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeJAFPb4EWdBId3HlWGD6s3lSGFGrRoQh89f8PR_O899_wP5B_cpYeEPsXZ5idg3MntjdStlKpC-HSwucRw1s8kMHTXN7rXTQA1AJmBPmTAnNd8nzymv72vWvcukqmIN7dMbviMBzT_cz/s320/20150411_173340.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Good healthy foods. I love green veggies with my noodles. Asian food is very vegan friendly. I try to eat as many vegan meals as possible but I don't beat myself up for having some meat here or there. Mostly on holidays because Thanksgiving has turkey.<br />
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Not my kitchen but I really love having a clean home and this gorgeous house was super clean. I feel this peace when the house is clean and organized. I actually enjoy organizing closets and drawers. Yep I'm a weird one.<br />
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My husband of twenty- six years. Dating him and loving him are such a big purpose in my life. Bonus it comes naturally. He gets me and he's a great person. Our marriage is a testimony to God and showing our children that all marriages have ups and downs but we can still choose to love and forgive and respect one another is a huge part of our purpose in life.<br />
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My grandchildren. They bring me so much joy. They have opened a new section to my heart that I didn't even know existed. Just looking at this picture brings me to tears knowing that I get to share in their lives.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjWEFd-J-NKil5hiUiIMQ7aDlUVy5Hlmo1yep0JGnK0ROaj5L1olwc6JWukII70WW_pl5hQ5eFTbP6ydxn5FqRYEl2SSTNyQDaRRSolzhoM1JOeIPGpYxMbor6zUwm7nB0n2Hc15YqQV_/s1600/1532145202623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjWEFd-J-NKil5hiUiIMQ7aDlUVy5Hlmo1yep0JGnK0ROaj5L1olwc6JWukII70WW_pl5hQ5eFTbP6ydxn5FqRYEl2SSTNyQDaRRSolzhoM1JOeIPGpYxMbor6zUwm7nB0n2Hc15YqQV_/s1600/1532145202623.jpg" /></a></div>
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Event planning & interior decorating, bring me purpose. I love throwing parties and having a house full of people. Acts of service is my main love language so get togethers are my thing. In this picture I was getting a room together for a homeschool prom. The theme was Latin Nights. I incorporated some tropical touches and a few educational pops here and there like that Taino symbol on the small easel. Also I printed out pictures of some landscapes in Puerto Rico. I wanted the children to ask about the places so we could share a bit of culture with them.</div>
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Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-18916276702477279272018-09-05T00:06:00.000-07:002018-09-05T00:06:29.660-07:00Hello AgainAuthor Paulo Coehlo has a wonderful quote that says, " If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello."<br />
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Saying goodbye can be hard but it can also be exciting. When we let go of the old we make room for the new. New places, people, things, experiences, can all be what we make of them. We can put up walls and make them negative and scary or we can embrace them and make them a wonderful part of our lives. It's like that old saying you won't know if you like something until you try it.<br />
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Earlier this year we were brave enough to say goodbye to our house. We knew it was the right choice and the right time. We were certain that this was a step God wanted us to take. So now we get to say hello to a new city. Hello to new neighbors. Hello to new stores, routes, shortcuts, landscapes, parks and trails.<br />
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Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV tells us, "For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."<br />
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We are embracing the new. I think it will be a theme for us for a little while. Trying new things. Recently we went to NYC (my hometown). It was a whirlwind of a trip. We were there less than twenty-four hours. We made the most of it. We only slept four hours so we could do and see as much in the little time we had to explore. Although we lived in NYC for a long time it had been over eighteen years since we had been there, so many parts of it were new but it all felt familiar.<br />
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We ate at a lovely restaurant, in the West Village, called Rosemary's . It is a farm to table type of restaurant and so many of their ingredients are made in house. We had fresh pasta, house made cheeses. The most amazing heirloom tomatoes they grew in their upstate farm. They even had a small rooftop garden. It was delightful to see tomatoes and herbs and some veggies. If you are ever in NYC we highly recommend this place. They even accommodated my dairy allergy. Can you believe that lovely pasta dish has no dairy!<br />
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My hope for all of you is that any new beginning in life brings you growth, joy, and leads to beautiful memories and some delicious foods!<br />
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<a href="http://www.rosemarysnyc.com/">www.rosemarysnyc.com</a><br />
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<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-90529273996199947892014-05-26T15:59:00.000-07:002014-05-26T15:59:14.998-07:00This Old (New) HouseAlmost three years ago we were blessed with a new house. We enjoyed the process of carefully selecting the floor plan. We watched the process of the foundation being poured, electrical and plumbing being put in. The walls went up and the beautiful stuff came. Granite counter tops, porcelain tile, a beautiful front porch, even a covered lanai (as we call them in FL). We splurged on a wood and iron staircase. It was the house of our dreams. Well for the most part. When you buy a house through a regular builder you get a builder grade house. Sure you pick a different color cabinet from your neighbor and maybe even splurge on a few extras but bottom line all the houses look the same.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So for the past three years I have been trying to make this house our style. I want to de-cookie cutter- ize it. I only have one problem. I like too many things! Why is it that someone can go to a home improvement store look at five thousand colors and just pick "the one"? I have picked about fifteen different versions of tan/khaki/beige. They all look wonderful on a tiny sample paper. Then I put it up on the wall and I hate it. It's too dark, too brown, not brown enough. If I like the color somehow I hate the paint quality. So right now I have three different tan/khaki/beige colors going on. One is a flat paint, the other two are egg shell but different brands. You can tell between the two which one saved me a whopping six dollars. It looks so cheap but the color is exactly what I was looking for. So I am going to try to match the color I like to the paint quality I want. I'm crossing my fingers it works. </div>
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I pretty much know what I like when I see it, and I usually am looking for it on Pinterest (<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/venus615/">http://www.pinterest.com/venus615/</a>), Pottery Barn, Ballard Design and Home Decorators. We love natural elements, rustic style with a modern twist. Kind of Tuscany meets Napa Valley meets NYC. If that even makes sense. I know for sure warm tones are the colors I tend to lean towards. So I have a plan in my head and on my boards. I see the finished product in my head, I just don't know how to get there. So as of right now I have started decorating every room in this house. Some are up to eighty percent done. Others more like five percent. I never finish a room in its entirety before I begin the next. Basically my new house looks like a really old house that has no flow, pattern or soul. I have a hodgepodge of things and a plethora of empty picture frames. But there is hope for me yet. I recently found a TV show on HGTV called Fixer Upper (<a href="http://www.hgtv.com/fixer-upper/show/index.html">http://www.hgtv.com/fixer-upper/show/index.html</a>). It follows this wonderfully talented couple who flip homes. Their love and determination is very contagious. They have inspired me to keep working at making this house our home. I'm even going to involve the kids in a lot of what I have planned. Lucky for us one of my kids is an artist. I have commissioned her to paint some of her art on our walls. </div>
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We love this house. It is our home. It is our safe place and our connecting place. We are comfortable here. I am looking forward to making memories with my children and my dear husband as we put our stamp in this place. Most of all I look forward to sharing this blessing with others. </div>
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Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-91424613286954127922013-11-06T10:53:00.000-08:002013-11-06T10:53:46.837-08:00A few Reasons why our family HomeschoolsHomeschool. The act of schooling at home. It used to be the way all children were educated at one point. It is the way many families still choose to teach their children. As a matter of fact over two million children in the United States were homeschooled in the 2012/2013 school year. That number continues to rise each year. Just six years ago that number was half of what it is today. Why do you suppose parents all over our nation are choosing to take their children's education into their own hands? I can think of many, many reasons. Here are a few why our family chose to homeschool.<br />
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<b>#1 Education should not be limited.</b><br />
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As I recall from attending public and private Christian school all learning is the same. A teacher presents oral and written work to a class. It is discussed and some book work is assigned. Once they have covered the "necessary" information they move on to the next thing. If one child or several did not understand they have to move on anyway. Teachers cannot stay in one place too long because the "system" mandates them to move on. Also the child whose imagination and wonderment has been peaked cannot continue to study this subject with his peers or discuss it with his teacher due to the schedule they have to follow. Every year it is the same. They revisit what they learned the year before and add a little more information to the subject. Nothing is ever learned in it's entirety. The children know a little bit about many things instead of knowing many things about a few subjects.<br />
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In a homeschool setting a child can learn about a subject at their own pace in their own learning style. We do not have to close the chapter on that very interesting thing we are learning about because we need to move on to the next thing. We do not have to leave a child confused and wondering how are they going to pass a test when they did not even grasp the work given to them. In a homeschool setting we can go beyond the textbook and oral lesson. For example when learning about a new country, we read about the country, we use Google maps and tour the country on our computer. We check out a couple of cookbooks from the library and make some of the dishes traditional to this country. We watch a movie from this country. If this country is represented in an art exhibit, play, Epcot country (we live in FL) we incorporate a field trip to learn as much as we can about this country. We can immerse ourselves in the subject.<br />
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<b>#2 Schedules</b><br />
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We run on a different schedule in our home. My dear husband comes home between eight and nine at night. Having family dinners are very important to us. So we plan our meals and bedtimes accordingly. I remember the one year my two youngest children went to public school, my poor husband would sometimes not see the children for days. We were slaves to someone else's schedule and had to live our lives around that. The kids went to bed before their dad got home and they woke up and went to school before dad got up for work. It was a very sad situation to have everyone living in the same household and we were not having quality family time.<br />
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<b>#3 Sleep</b><br />
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I am a big believer that our bodies let us know when it needs something. Whether it's water or food or rest. I remember having to fight with my daughter to wake her up for school. She would literally cry each morning because she was not ready to wake up. This was the beginning of her day and it was a lousy one. Now that she schools at home I let her wake up when she is ready. Some days she needs more sleep than others. Her work gets done but not at the sacrifice or sleep.<br />
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<b>#4 Car Lines</b><br />
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Okay this one is not a huge factor why we homeschool but I really detest car lines! It was added stress I did not need in my life.<br />
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<b>#5 The Education System is Failing our Children</b><br />
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My youngest children went to our local "A" rated public school for one year. During this year my daughter was in the third grade and my son in the first grade. In FL there is a test given in the third grade called the FCAT. It is a multiple choice test that is actually used to measure the progress of the children in the public education system. First of all any multiple choice test does not really measure progress it just tells us whether or not someone filled in the correct bubble to a question. When given four choices you have a 25% chance of getting it right. A lot of these students just guess and fill any bubble at random. My daughter needed a 1200 to be at grade level. Well she scored in the 2000 range. That was the equivalent of a child leaving the fifth grade or entering the sixth grade. I asked her teacher if she could be given work to challenge her due to the fact that she already knew everything they were teaching. The teacher suggested I put her in the "gifted" program which consisted of a bus picking her up and taking her to a school across town one day per week. First of all my child is not riding a school bus alone or with a handful of children and a bus driver we do not know. Second of all what was one day per week going to do for her education. That meant for the next four days she finished her work in a few minutes and was put by the teacher to help other students. It was nice that my daughter got to help others but it was at the expense of her education. This was when I knew our education system had nothing to offer our family. I let them finish out the year and never looked back.<br />
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Now this is what was going on with my son in the first grade. My dear boy was smart as can be. He aced every test they gave him. However he had dexterity problems and could not write properly. He also had a hard time with sentence structure. He would start writing a sentence in the middle of the page and finish it at the top of the page. Sometimes he wrote in a circle. His handwriting was illegible. The teacher did not see a problem with this. She said he did well on the tests she gave him so he was okay to move up to the next grade. Talk about setting a kid up to fail! So if they do well on a test that is the only thing that determines if the child moves up or not. Children are not one dimensional. There are so many other factors that they need to look at. My son ended up doing Occupational Therapy. We used many tricks and tools to help with his grasping of a pencil. We still have to tell him to slow down and take his time so his writing is legible.<br />
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So what I am getting at is this, my children both did well on tests and were promoted accordingly. However the education they needed and the tools they needed was not given to them. Children are just passed on and held back not according to how they are doing in school. It is all based on passing tests. Both of my children needed more and our Public Education system could not provide what they needed.<br />
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I know that I am blessed to have the ability to stay home with them and take their education into my hands. I am blessed to have a husband who is on board 100%. I am blessed to live in a state where homeschooling is made possible and there are many support groups and educational co-ops. I am very blessed to have met so many other homeschooling and unschooling families and have them share their journeys with us. Most of all I am so blessed to be going on this journey with my children.<br />
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This picture was taken at Epcot during the Flower and Garden Festival. My children learned and watched the life-cycle of butterflies.<br />
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This was at the home of one of our homeschool families. My children learned a lesson on gravity and physics. They got to build their own catapults and test them out with giant Marshmallows. When he got home my dear son made Spiderman escape from the bad guys using this handy dandy device.<br />
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Here is my sweet girl in the middle of a science lesson. We planted different types of seeds and had to chart their progress.Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-9715957139491677412013-10-17T15:51:00.002-07:002013-10-17T15:51:48.753-07:00Story of my lifeI take a couple of moments out of my day to call or text my best friend, Her name is Diane. She lives in Arizona and I live in Florida. Even though we are so far away from one another it feels as if we live parallel lives. I guess being the mother of four children each can lead to some pretty funny scenarios. Over the years we have shared everything from poopie stories to heart breaks and our hopes and dreams.<br />
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Today, over text I was letting her know how I was very productive in my household chores yesterday but seemed lacking today. To which she responded that she was having a productive day today but had given herself more work because she started to clean her car and that lead to putting clothes to wash, which lead to going through clothes that didn't fit the kids anymore.<br />
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I recently visited Diane in Arizona and read<i> If you Give a Pig a Party</i> to her sweet little girl. Of course my brain being what it is one big jumbled up, non stop, amusement park, I got an idea. Our every day lives are like those sweet books written by<i> Laura Numeroff</i>. We start doing one thing which leads us to another and so on. So please enjoy this little parody.<br />
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<i><b>If a Mom Starts to do the Laundry by Venus Rivera</b></i><br />
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If a mom starts to do the laundry, she will check the pockets<br />
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When she checks the pockets she will find some candy wrappers, Pokemon Cards and a nickel.<br />
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She will go to the kitchen to throw away the wrappers.<br />
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When she gets to the kitchen she will see crumbs on the floor.<br />
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She will sweep the floor and when she bends down to pick up the crumbs the nickel will fall out.<br />
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She will remember to put the nickel in the coin jar they keep in the office.<br />
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When she goes to the office she sees the wastebasket is full.<br />
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She will empty out the trash and decide to check all the rooms for trash.<br />
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When she gets to her son's room she remembers the Pokemon Cards.<br />
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When she places the cards on his nightstand she will notice the dirty sheets on the bed.<br />
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She will take the sheets to the laundry room.<br />
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When she shakes out the sheets to put them to wash, out will fall a marble, a sock, and some Pokemon Cards.<br />
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This ladies and gentlemen is why mothers spend all day long working and sometimes feeling like we didn't get anything done. Now to go finish my laundry.<br />
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<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-43907329619934813862013-10-01T10:59:00.000-07:002013-10-01T10:59:06.404-07:00I love FloridaAfter living in Florida for the last eighteen years I felt as if I needed change. I wanted seasons and a different landscape. I wanted to get away from the multitude of tourists that come each year to Orlando. I wanted to get away from the humidity that plagues me with hair that won't stop growing. I wanted to get away from five months of hot uncomfortable temperatures. Did I mention the never ending construction?<br />
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Well I got what I wanted. I booked us three weeks in beautiful Arizona. My dear daughter and grandchildren live out in Arizona. My best friend whom I love dearly and missed terribly also lives in Arizona. I couldn't wait to see the mountains and the different landscape. I couldn't wait for the dryness and what that meant to my hair. I couldn't wait to be out of Florida.<br />
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It is my fifteenth day here in Arizona. I have loved, loved, loved being with my daughter and grandchildren. I love that my bestie and I have had wonderful moments and gone down memory lane. I love that our children are bonding and becoming besties of their own. I don't love how DRY it is here. Goodness gracious, it is dry. I feel like there is not enough water in this world to quench my thirst. My dreams of perfect hair days did not go as planned. In Florida I can curl my hair and have beautiful beach waves all day long. Sometimes the curl lasts into the next day. Here in AZ my hair is flat. Shiny but flat. I curl my hair and with in the hour it is gone. My sinuses are out of control! I have been getting a nose bleed several times per week. My allergies are out of control. My right eye won't stop crying from the allergies. I must look like a drippy, scary Halloween character.<br />
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I never thought I would miss Florida but I really do. I miss the lakes( alligators not included), I miss my landscape. The beautiful lush trees that line every street. I miss the majesty of the tall oaks draping with Spanish Moss. I miss grass! Most of the houses in AZ have rocks in their gardens. I tried walking on them barefoot one day, not a good idea. I miss the architecture of the FL houses.<br />
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I can appreciate so many things about AZ but I can honestly say I can now appreciate where I live so much more. I am grateful that I didn't have to move out of FL to find this appreciation. Don't get me wrong AZ is wonderful and beautiful and has it's own list of amazing things to miss, but there is no place like home. For me that is Florida.<br />
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Arizona living vs Florida living. Both beautiful in their own way. I am blessed to have known both.<br />
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<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-38225071456899013812013-06-10T09:57:00.002-07:002013-06-10T09:57:41.600-07:00My Perfect SundaySunday is my favorite day of the week. On this day my dear husband and I spend the day together. We call it "Date Day". Sure there are some Sundays where we bypass our date because of a holiday or a family commitment. However Date Day is a priority for us, so we try to stick to it. <br />
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The idea behind "Date Day" is to reconnect with one another and to do what we want to do. Having children can sometimes push your identity as husband and wife to the back burner. You forget how to be a couple because you are wearing your mom and dad hats all week. So on any given Sunday you will find us riding roller coasters at Disney World. Sometimes trying out a new restaurant where chicken fingers and cheeseburgers are not on the menu. Sitting on a bench at the park enjoying warm breezes and the beauty central Florida has to offer.<br />
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I remember one Sunday we went to the Animal Kingdom. We decided to go on Kali River Rapids. This is sort of a river raft ride. You get wet, very wet. It is the must go on ride in the summer here in Florida. After going on it twice we decided to ask what the record was for riding this ride. We were told there was no official record but rumor had it someone went on twenty-three times in a row. We decided to try and break that record. We made the line a total of eight times. After that the park was getting ready to close and the ride attendants were asking do you want to get off or stay on? Heck yeah we'll stay on! We rode a total of thirteen times that day. No where near the record but we had made our own record. We know the next time we attempt to do this we have to go on at least fourteen times. Funny thing about this story, the last three to four rides we stayed on with the same people. There was a couple from Japan, a mother and daughter from the U.S. and several other people that I cannot recall. We decided to take a picture to commemorate our adventure together. I still have that picture. Somewhere. If I find it I will put it up.<br />
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My dear husband and I though it would be cool if we could publish that photo on the Internet and find these random people who added so much laughter and joy to our special "Date Day". They say there is only six degrees of separation between any two people. I wonder if that Japanese couple ever tell their friends about their special Sunday in America. I wonder if they remember the couple who kept holding each other and huddling every time water came pouring down on them.<br />
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Sundays are my favorite day of the week. I get to make memories with the man I love.<br />
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<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-32430626795309232432013-05-22T12:51:00.000-07:002013-05-22T12:51:13.636-07:00My Vegan Ways (or as close as I'm going to get)I had been toying with the idea of becoming a Vegan. I had done it once before and I figured it would be a piece of cake. Little did I know the hold cheese had on me. It is amazing how much power food has over us. It is practically scary.<br />
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I did not have a choice in the matter of giving up cheese. In 2005 I started to develop an intolerance to dairy. First I gave up milk which was my drug of choice. I drank a cup of milk with every meal. There was something so refreshing and relaxing about a cold glass of milk. I thought I'd never be able to give it up, but I did. Slowly I replaced it with rice milk, then almond milk. Then went ice cream, yogurt, butter and finally cheese.<br />
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It took me about five years for the entire process from milk to cheese. During those years my intolerance became a horrid intolerance followed by full blown allergy to dairy. I remember during the last days of eating cheese or having a croissant I would enjoy the edible amazingness (not really a word) for maybe ten minutes and then I would suffer the consequences for the next five hours. I decided ten minutes of pleasure was not worth the five hours of hell I would go through afterwards.<br />
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I had to reinvent my diet. No more pizza, lasagna, ziti, tacos with sour cream and tons of cheese. It was a lot to deal with. I went through withdrawal. I missed eating cheese so much to the point that I would go in the room to cry because my family was having pizza and I couldn't. I know it sounds bizarre but I promise you cheese has that powerful of a hold on us. If you don't believe me I dare you to go without cheese or dairy for just one month. Let me know how you do. After about a month I could tolerate being at a table with others eating cheese.<br />
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About six months into going dairy free I decided to be meat free as well. You could almost say that I am a vegan but I'm not. I still use honey in my tea and if something has eggs in it like bread or pasta, I'm okay with that. Maybe one day I will be a complete vegan as far as my diet is concerned but today is not that day. Being a dairy free vegetarian has opened up so many doors to so many different types of cuisines. I am really enjoying this new way of life. I feel healthier. I actually lost like ten pounds without even trying. I went down one size in clothes. All from eating fruits, vegetables, rice, beans and nuts.<br />
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I love being almost Vegan :) That should be the title of my new blog! LOL I actually have a board on my pinterest account dedicated to Vegan Cuisine. Check it out if you get a chance. Try some of the recipes out. You don't have to become a Vegan to enjoy some yummy vegan meals. You just have to be willing to try new things. Hope this link works. I am technologically challenged.<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/venus615/">http://pinterest.com/venus615/</a><br />
<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-7090352745926759862013-03-12T15:10:00.000-07:002013-04-17T09:44:32.052-07:00Goodness We are Already in March<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe I have not blogged since January. Time seems to be slipping by so quickly. I have been kind of in a funk lately. My sweet daughter, son in law, and two grand-babies moved out West. It was bittersweet to let her go. I am so happy that she is grown and has her own family. At the same time I always see her as my little girl and want to hold on to her and be there to fix every boo boo. Letting go is so hard. Especially when it is your first child and you don't know what to expect. We keep in touch through Skype. My sweet monkey (my nickname for my grandson) knows how to use it and calls me all the time. We call each other daily and also leave messages on our Facebook walls. I miss my Josie so much but at the same time I am so blessed to have so many ways to communicate with her. I am also blessed to still have three children at home.<br />
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My daughter Josie and granddaughter Mya in AZ.<br />
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There is never a dull moment at Casa Velilla (the name of our house and this blog!) Just today my ten year old son Jaime comes to me with a piece of dental floss about three feet long. He tells me his sister Jade, she's 12, has decided they are going to pull out his last baby tooth by attaching one end of the dental floss to the bathroom door knob and the other end to his tooth. So of course I tie the floss around his tooth. As he goes to stand up he accidentally steps on the floss and out comes his tooth. Jade is bummed that her plan did not come to be. Jaime runs to the bathroom and runs out declaring part of his gum is missing and he has a ten percent chance of bleeding to death! Children are curious by nature but I think home-schooled children have double the curiosity about everything. They spend the next ten minutes studying the tooth and soaking it with Hydrogen Peroxide. They each have their own theory on how peroxide works and where it comes from. So needless to say we are going to study all about hydrogen peroxide for science this week.<br />
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I know one day they will grow up and I will remember all the wonderful memories we made. I know that day will be here sooner than I want it to be. Until then I will enjoy them each day. I will laugh and marvel at what their little minds think of doing and exploring. I thank God for letting me share this journey with them. I have always felt that my purpose in this life is to be a wife and a mother to the beautiful family I was blessed with. I am just happy that I get the chance to do just that.<br />
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<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-67059171794367307532013-01-01T16:21:00.000-08:002013-01-11T11:04:20.124-08:00Happy New Year!!!A new year. Time for new beginnings, do overs, second chances. There is something peacefully calm about getting to start over again. Everything is in the past and it is now time to push forward and be the best person you can be.<br />
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I am not one to make New Year's Resolutions. This year however, I want to make a list. I need to write down all the things I want to improve or accomplish for 2013 and put it somewhere visible. I believe if I can see my list of goals it will encourage me. Here are a few that will be on my list.<br />
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1. Get organized! I bet this one is a popular one. My plan is to go through each room in the house with a notebook and write down what the room needs in order to be organized. For example if I were looking at my kids bathroom I would see towels on the floor and clutter under the sink. I need to write in my notebook towel hooks and containers for under the sink. In the kitchen I definitely need something to keep my pots and pans organized. Hopefully I can hit one room each month and by the end of the year each room is completely organized.<br />
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2. Spend time on myself. I am guilty of letting the mom in me take over and I forget to be an individual. I actually feel guilt at times if I take time to get my nails or hair done. I need to get over this and make myself a priority. I need to feel good and look good so I can teach my children about confidence. So I will go shopping for clothes and shoes this year. I will read books that have nothing to do with parenting, cooking or homeschooling. I will take time for friends and just hang out and explore and do the things that interest me.<br />
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3. I will stop avoiding exercise. I don't need to participate in a triathlon. I just want to get moving. I need to take a walk everyday. It can be alone or with the kids. We can explore our neighborhood and go on bike rides. I have a beautiful trail that runs right by my home. I need to take advantage of that. Maybe I can reward myself for exercising by buying myself a little something and I can kill two birds with one stone! (Goodness who made that up? It sounds so violent.)<br />
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4. I will be a light in my community. There are so many opportunities all around me to help others. I strongly believe we are all put on this Earth to help one another. I need to stop being selfish and give some of my time to help the community. This year I will find churches, organizations, clubs that need my help. I can also involve my children so they can learn from an early age the beauty of lending a hand. I want them to know that they can make a difference in this world. At times some of the ugliness in this world seems overwhelming and it paralyzes me. Who am I kidding it always paralyzes me. This year I will leave fear behind and make whatever difference I can. Change has to start somewhere.<br />
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2013 will be a wonderful year. A year of growth and positive changes. A year of becoming the woman I was meant to be. A year of directing my children towards a path of compassion, love and giving. What I hope the most for this year is to remember life is not a guarantee. I might not be here tomorrow so I need to make a difference today. Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all make a difference in someones life this year.<br />
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<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-27926295469025502172012-11-21T21:29:00.001-08:002012-11-21T21:29:43.129-08:00Things that I am Thankful for...These are some of the things I am thankful for in my life.<br />
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My husband, the love of my life.<br />
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My children, pretending not to be excited at Disney World.<br />
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My Oldest Josie and her husband Luis.<br />
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My grandchildren Christian and Mya.<br />
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Showers. I really love taking hot showers. FYI that is not me! LOL<br />
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Chocolate. Chocolate filled with more chocolate.<br />
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Plants vs. Zombies! Yes I love to play this game.<br />
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I am most thankful for being a daughter of God. If I had a picture of Him I would put it on here. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.<br />
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<br /><br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-82426728100434155552012-11-21T20:40:00.001-08:002012-11-21T20:40:27.993-08:00Happy ThanksgivingOnce again the holidays have snuck up on us. How is it that each year I hear myself saying, " I can't believe it's Thanksgiving already". This year has brought us so much to be thankful for. Starting with the birth of our first granddaughter, Mya Bella. She is beautiful and such a happy and calm baby. Her smile and little dimple just lights up our entire house. She is so small and so innocent yet she has had such a tremendous impact on each one of us.<br />
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Our sweet grandson turned two in October. He is quite the chatter box. He is full of wonder and adventure. He keeps us on our toes. He is always busy and on the go. He is loving and kind. When his baby sister came home he wasn't sure about her. He had some moments of jealousy. These days he loves his baby sister and kisses and hugs her constantly. He is protective of her and tells others she is" his" baby.<br />
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I am so thankful for my husband. He is a man that works extremely hard so that I can stay at home and raise our children. He has a tough job and has to deal with many unpleasantries. He gladly deals with all of them to grant us the opportunity to homeschool and go on many field trips. One of our favorite destinations is Disney World. There is so much opportunity for the children to learn about so many things in each of the parks.<br />
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I am so thankful for our home and our neighbors. We were blessed with buying a new home last year. We have also been blessed with having some wonderful neighbors. Our children all play so well together. It is so nice to see each and every day, all of the neighborhood kids running and climbing and long boarding, skateboarding, bicycle riding each day. Some of us moms have been getting together for coffee on Wednesday mornings and just sharing with one another. Getting to know each other. I feel really honored to live in such a great community.<br />
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I am thankful for my dad. He lives with us. He is always helping around the house. He spoils the kids a little too much! He takes their breakfast orders the night before and always makes them a hearty healthy breakfast. He does a lot of the honey do list around the house considering my husband works long hours. My dad really loves his grand kids and great grand kids so much. <br />
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I am so thankful for my children. My eldest child Josie, is married has two babies and has grown by leaps and bounds this year. She has learned to trust completely in God. One of the beautiful things of her journey is that her husband has joined her in loving and trusting the Lord completely. They are about to go on a new adventure to Arizona. God has opened every door for them to make this journey possible. We are going to miss them terribly but we are so happy that they get to experience this new chapter in their lives.<br />
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Our second oldest, Jevan, has decided to pursue mechanical engineering once he is done with his culinary degree. He is such a smart young man. I know he will do well in both of these fields. He has started to volunteer with his church youth group. Most kids leave the group once they graduate high school but he decided to become staff and keep worshiping with these kids and to be an example to his younger sister and brother. He is on a cruise to the Western Caribbean as we speak. I am going to miss him tomorrow on Thanksgiving but I know he is having fun and am grateful he gets the opportunity to travel.<br />
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My youngest two Jade (12) and Jaime (10), are working hard at being kids! They have so much zeal for life. They are so curious and not afraid of much. They have fallen in love with the sport of long boarding(thanks to my 19yr old son). On Saturdays they ride their boards to the Farmer's Market and enjoy what our community has to offer. Every day is a new adventure with them. We have been doing field trips lately. Recently we met up with our Disney Homeschool group for a photo scavenger hunt. Fun was had by all and we learned so much. We were playing detectives that day and deciphering the pictures.<br />
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Thank you God for giving us so much to be thankful for. I am most thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am thankful that He is my God and I am His child. I am thankful for the freedom I have in Him. From our home to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your family, your loved ones, your community, friends and neighbors.<br />
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<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-6169454768983091892012-10-14T19:35:00.001-07:002012-10-14T19:35:59.180-07:00Fall DelightsFall is in the air. Of course in Florida that means the low is 78 degrees and the high is 89. Nevertheless I am in the mood for Fall. All the warm colors. The wonderful aromas of cinnamon and spice. The shorter days and longer nights. Enjoy these beautiful pictures.<br />
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Fall leaves. The colors that Autumn brings are so vibrant and warm.<br />
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Time to go to the pumpkin patch and pick the perfect one. I have so many ideas for them this year. Here are a few.<br />
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Look at these great decorating ideas. They sure have inspired me to bring some warmth into this Florida home.<br />
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<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-31294277007600387832012-10-14T18:22:00.000-07:002012-10-14T18:22:11.036-07:00Yearning for the HolidaysToday I was craving for a Thanksgiving meal. Of course we are in the
middle of October and Thanksgiving is only a month away. I figured if I
actually cooked a traditional Thanksgiving dinner today it wouldn't feel as
special when the actual holiday rolls around. So instead we had
Thanksgiving Sandwiches. <br />
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We got some Oven Roasted Turkey Breast from the Deli at our local supermarket. We had them slice it nice and thick so it felt like leftover Thanksgiving turkey. We used Honey Whole Wheat bread, spread whole berry cranberry sauce on the bread. Then I layered a couple of turkey slices on the cranberry sauce. I topped that with stuffing and poured some gravy on that. I finished it by adding more cranberry sauce on the top piece of bread. It was warm and delicious. It was just a little bit of Thanksgiving in October.<br />
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Happy Holidays!Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-80537879411170003032012-09-06T19:14:00.000-07:002012-09-06T22:23:06.623-07:00Just because I think it's BeautifulHere are some lovely photos that I have found around the web that I find absolutely stunning. Enjoy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjTQCQvTXiEoZvQrGoqg6B5-dr9qbhlyzaXhT55PEPpFdW25SoU7Ak2xEUeh1LBhUhvjyM_12UR_ePnfKwgaX_w6pbeCtd920USYs9Tp9S_5V2O2cvwvbhL8vJ5xT0D0khJN-TPzopULS/s1600/Bridge+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjTQCQvTXiEoZvQrGoqg6B5-dr9qbhlyzaXhT55PEPpFdW25SoU7Ak2xEUeh1LBhUhvjyM_12UR_ePnfKwgaX_w6pbeCtd920USYs9Tp9S_5V2O2cvwvbhL8vJ5xT0D0khJN-TPzopULS/s320/Bridge+snow.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGrEXIfCEqJI7RXz3hk-3BBuYe9sbAm82Ng5YBv2B9qKmfmGip4DeW-MWTz4k18YIu_xGz4HWcBlON4UIGQyyPZVzz6eNE1_GWvCkju_8UGgEcdUYFlJ-MYtTxcu_lSAAUyNjkpC6gf2-/s1600/Chandelier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGrEXIfCEqJI7RXz3hk-3BBuYe9sbAm82Ng5YBv2B9qKmfmGip4DeW-MWTz4k18YIu_xGz4HWcBlON4UIGQyyPZVzz6eNE1_GWvCkju_8UGgEcdUYFlJ-MYtTxcu_lSAAUyNjkpC6gf2-/s320/Chandelier.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
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I am a lover of all things beautiful.<br />
<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-80768236964888503252012-09-06T18:56:00.001-07:002012-09-06T18:56:15.508-07:00Home and GardenSeptember has crept up on us. Normally this would mean summer is over and most people are getting ready for the Fall. The cool temperatures. The hearty soups and warm drinks. We live in Florida. Summer is not over. I repeat summer is not over! It rains every day. The temperature is still in the 90's and there is no sign of Fall. September is rather hot here in Florida. Our air conditioner will not get a break this month. <br />
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Weather aside, September brings so many wonderful venues to central Florida. Two are actually going on this weekend. Disney hosts an event called the Night of Joy. Christian music artists come out and give concerts at the Magic Kingdom. We have attended this event before and it is so much fun. It is also an amazing blessing. The music is great. The testimonies are even greater.<br />
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The Orange County Convention Center is hosting the Home and Garden Show. I will be going to this years show. I am very excited for this event. I love, love, love all things Home and Garden. I love to decorate, create, style, paint, plant, grow, you name it, I love it.<br />
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I am hoping to be inspired by all the men and women at the convention. I crave inspiration to try new things. Inspiration to create. Inspiration to take risks. I can honestly say interior decor and home improvement is a passion of mine. One I long to dedicate more time and energy into. I want to learn everything that I can about this field. I want to help others with this knowledge. I know that our church has a program called Real Help. It is sort of our version of Extreme Home Makeover. This ministry helps families who are in need of home repairs and renovations.<br />
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It is nice to know that we can use any passion that is on our hearts to help others. Enjoy these beautiful pictures of Home and Gardens. Hopefully they will inspire you to add something beautiful to your home or to the home of someone in need.<br />
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A beautiful bedroom. An organized linen closet. A rustic headboard with stenciling. Tile that reminds me of art. Reclaimed wood with some simple words to inspire. A beautiful pantry that is actually pretty practical. These are some of the beautiful things that inspire me. (I got all the pictures from Google).<br /><br />
Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-41678712027554523072012-08-19T13:50:00.001-07:002012-08-19T13:50:12.638-07:00Family TimeSummertime at our house is usually very busy. We kick off our summer activities by honoring Mother's Day. Shortly after that we celebrate six birthdays and then Father's Day. The kids go off to camp for a week or two. Then there is Fourth of July followed by three more birthdays and that brings us to the third week in August. This year we threw in the birth of our first granddaughter in late July. Needless to say we are exhausted by the time September rolls around each year. <div>
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This weekend we decided to have some quality family time. We rented a nearby hotel and decided to just be together. Luckily for us we live close to Disney World and have many activities and opportunities to choose from, not to mention a plethora of hotels. So far we have had a wonderful dinner together. Worked out together. At the moment my husband is watching Sponge Bob with the kids. Our plan for the rest of the day is to play miniature golf and then have dinner and see the fireworks at Epcot. No rushing. No fighting. No stress. Just making memories and taking a breather from our summer.</div>
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I think that short trips like these are so necessary for busy families. We need to reconnect with one another. Parents to children. Sibling to sibling. Husband to wife. We need to get away from the daily routines and obligations. We need to stop and smell the roses. If a weekend sounds like too much time why not an afternoon or an hour. Go to the park. Go for a bike ride or a swim. The point is to stop and enjoy each other.</div>
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When was the last time you took a day to spend with your loved ones? Time goes by so quickly. Treasure the moments you have presently. Treasure the people God has brought to your life. </div>
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Well it's putt putt time. I hope I get a hole in one!</div>
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Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-70749242600055581262012-08-15T06:47:00.000-07:002012-08-15T06:47:07.179-07:00It's a new dawn, It's a new day...Have you ever listened to a song hundreds of time and never really
gotten the message? Funny how circumstances have a way of changing your
perspective and giving you a new type of clarity.<br />
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I am
what you would refer to as a night owl. Early mornings are much dreaded
in this household. My children included. It's not that I set out to be a
night owl. I actually do pretty well in the winter and early spring
months. Then the dreaded daylights savings time comes and throws off my
internal clock.<br />
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Once April rolls around my sleeping
pattern is all over the place. I missed an hour here. I slept an extra
hour there. The day is not over and I am running on empty so I catch a
little nap, or at least the intention is for it to be little and it
turns into a two hour drool fest. Of course that night I'm not tired so I
start going to bed later and later. Before I know it, June rolls around
and my new bedtime is past two in the morning.<br />
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So here
we are in August and I have been going to bed anywhere between two and
four in the morning, pretty much for the last four months. However this
week I had to go for some medical testing. I made the appointment and
the receptionist tells me since I want a first available appointment it
will be at 7am. That just means be here at 6:40am to fill out paperwork.
The office is about twenty minutes away so that means I have to leave
the house around 6:20am. Goodness what if there is traffic? That means I
have to leave at least ten minutes earlier. So how do I wake up at
5:00am when I have been going to bed at 4:00am? Preparation is necessary
to pull off this Hudini trick.<br />
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Three days before the
much dreaded 7:00am appointment I have to sacrifice sleep and wake up
early. I need to reset my internal clock. That day I wake up three to
four hours earlier than usual. It takes me about forty-five minutes to
actually get out of bed. Forty of which I am just telling myself that I
need to get out of bed.<br />
I start my day. All of this early morning
sunshine is foreign to me. My eyes can hardly focus and now I have this
spotlight shining right in my face. No matter which way I turn it is
there. This first day is horrible. My heart is beating in my chest as if
it is trying to escape. My body is dragging every second of the day.
Food is not even a factor considering my eyes are the only thing awake
on my body. I turn to my old friend coffee. I drink all eleven ounces
with such hope and such love. It feels amazing to finally have some
positive feeling in my body.<br />
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The day lasts forever and
it is now 10:00pm and my bed had been calling to me about the past three
hours. I go to sleep before eleven that night. I sleep longer than
anticipated, about ten hours. It feels good waking up before noon. I
feel like I can get so much done because I have so many extra hours.<br />
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So
today my streak continues and I woke up at 8:00am. Suddenly I want to
go for a walk and get some exercise. I want to be one with nature. I
want to feel the hot morning sun on my skin.<br />
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This new
appreciation for morning hours pops song lyrics into my head. Oh,
Michael Buble, you make me smile. It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a
new life for me and I'm feeling good. Oh yes, the song takes on new
meaning today. So in the famous words of Mr. Buble...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Edwsf-8F3sI?fs=1" width="459"></iframe>Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-3040588703917058372012-08-10T05:05:00.000-07:002012-08-10T05:05:10.971-07:00Hiatus OverThere has been so much excitement in our household in the past three weeks. Shortly after my last post we celebrated my dear daughter, Jade's 12th birthday. We invited her closest friends and spend a day of fun and laughter. Her party theme this year was a Tiki Luau. We had everything from lei's to fruit kabobs to a volcano birthday cake. We played pin the coconut on the palm tree for the little ones and had a full on Cool Whip fight with the older ones. It was messy but they had a blast. We were so happy to have shared her special day with family and friends.<br />
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We actually spend the next day July 22nd recovering and trying to clean the last traces of candy and Cool Whip we had missed the day before. Needless to say we were exhausted. That night my husband and I spent many hours talking about how fast our kids have grown. We could not believe our oldest daughter, Josie, was already married with a toddler and a baby on the way. Our son, Jevan, was about to start his second year in college. Our sweet Jade, was going to be a teenager in just one year. Our youngest child, Jaime, was already ten and turning into such a handsome young man. We almost broke night, but it was so nice to reminisce. We finally fell asleep around four in the morning, knowing we could sleep in the next morning. Two hours after we fell asleep we get "the" phone call. It was our daughter Josie, she was at the hospital ready to have our first granddaughter!<br />
I was so excited. It took me about thirty minutes to get ready and grab the camera. I tried waking my hubby but it was no use. He tried, really he did, but at last sleep overcame him. So I kissed him ever so gently and then I left.<br />
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Once at the hospital we went from the triage room to the labor room. It was about eight that morning when I finally had the heart to call my husband and wake him up to come to the hospital. By ten that morning Josie was half way dilated. She decided to have her second baby naturally. No pain medicine, no medicines to speed up her contractions. She is an amazing woman. She is strong both physically and emotionally. I was so proud of her decision and supported her all the way.<br />
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I watched her and her husband, Luis, as they hugged one another every time she started a contraction. He would reassure her that she could do this and they were so focused on each other. I think at that moment I finally realized that she was not my little girl anymore. It was a bittersweet moment. I will always treasure the memories I have of her as a child. I will always know that she changed my life for the better. She made me a parent and I learned along the way how to be her mom. Now it is her turn to be a mother to a daughter. She will have that girl bond that I have with her. She will one day see her little girl grow up. She will one day miss the days of buying flowy dresses just to see them twirl. She will one day ground her daughter for missing curfew. She will one day meet the man that will marry her baby. She will one day become a grandmother.<br />
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Life goes by so quickly. We need to treasure every moment. The good times along with the bad times. The happy times along with the sad times. I see how fast the past twenty two years have gone with my first two children and it makes me want to hold on to every second with my youngest ones. I try to look at the beauty each day brings to this household. I kiss and hug and tell my kids I love them everyday. I kiss and hug and tell my husband I love him everyday. I also tell him that if I had it all to do again, I would choose him every time. Sometimes jokingly I tell him, "I love you so much, I want to marry you and have your babies."<br />
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In the midst of the everyday mundane. In the midst of the chaos that can accumulate around us at times. In the midst of our lives. We actually need to live. So tell someone you love them today. Kiss your husbands, your wives, your children, your parents, your pets. Do something as simple as give someone a smile. You never know if that is exactly what they needed. You never know if that is exactly what you needed.Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-52921239670541213792012-07-18T11:11:00.001-07:002012-07-18T11:11:09.844-07:00OverachieversHappy Wednesday everyone. I don't know about you but I just realized we are half way through July! Goodness where did June go? I think I need to slow down and smell the roses more often.<br />
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I have been in an organizing mood lately. I rearranged all the furniture in my family room. I actually organized our homeschooling supplies. I tell you it's amazing how fast our family room can get disorganized. I have one of those IKEA wall units with lots of cubbies. I have baskets in some of them. I arranged the contents of those baskets by school subject, and I feel like a new person. I can't believe how many opportunities I missed to teach my kids wonderful things this year, just because I didn't keep the family room organized. I also got rid of many things that I didn't need or were severely outdated. I figured if I have less things, I have less mess. When I have less mess, I have less stress. I can't live a simple life if I have a chaotic house.<br />
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The other thing I have been doing each day to help myself toward living a simple life, is having morning worship. It is my time alone with God. I pray and read a chapter from my bible. I ask God to help give me focus for my day. I ask for wisdom and understanding with all that I have to deal with in the next twenty four hours. It is really helping me. This fog, of stress and confusion that used to plague me is being lifted. I actually feel like I can take charge of my day and my life. It also helps me to focus on the important things. What is it that I really need to do today?<br />
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Sometimes when I look at my TO DO list I feel overwhelmed. Now I am prioritizing. I try to pick three things that absolutely need my attention that day. Then I do them. If those three things are done I am satisfied. If I have time to tackle a few more off my list, I do it. If I am too busy then I don't stress out about it because my goal has been met. It is very satisfying to know that you set out to do something and then it actually gets done.<br />
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I remind myself that my To Do list does not define me. Sometimes I actually put unattainable goals on that To Do list. For example these are some of the things in my present list. Paint the garage door, make six different doctor appointments and do all the laundry. Let's take paint the garage door for example. I would have to clean, prime, assemble all supplies, tape off all the areas I don't want painted. Then hope that I have the paint necessary for the task and actually do the painting part. What seems like just one thing to do is actually about ten things to do. So something of this magnitude should not even be on my daily To Do list.<br />
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My advice to all you overachievers out there is do not measure your self worth by what you have not accomplished. Instead concentrate on what you HAVE accomplished. So here is to looking at ourselves in a new light.Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-18125056703475016822012-07-16T00:03:00.000-07:002012-07-16T00:03:03.685-07:00This Weekend Friday July, 13th was our 20 year wedding anniversary. It's funny how just a couple of months ago I thought we would be in Italy for our anniversary. It has been a dream of ours to vacation in Tuscany and Umbria. Doing as the locals do.<br />
We've always wanted to explore those regions on our own. I never wanted to do the tour where you follow the guy with the flag. A bus drops you off for a couple of hours at some tourist attraction and then takes you back to your hotel. That feels so cliche.<br />
I've always wanted to stay in a farmhouse with a host family. Eating in their dining room with their family and friends. Enjoying each others company and some good food and wine. I even thought about going during the olive harvesting time. (I think my dear husband and I like Olive Oil more than wine.) I thought it would be great to help bring in the harvest. Maybe learn the art of pressing the olives and making our own olive oil. <br />
We dream of going to the local town square and getting fresh bread, cheeses, fruits and wine and going on a hike to find the perfect spot to sit and enjoy our treasures. Life's beautiful moments are often found in the simple things. Too often we let life get in the way of enjoying our blessings and actually living.<br />
I want to live and enjoy this life that was given to me. I want to see the beauty in people. I want to see the beauty in nature. I want to see how someone else, someplace else, can be so different than me but so similar at the same time. I want to learn new things. Most importantly I want to share it all with my husband. We were brought together on this journey called life.<br />
The memories that stay with us are the ones that we make when we slow down and take time to enjoy one another. So don't forget to laugh a little today. Say hello to a neighbor you've never met. Go on a walk with your husband, wife, children, dog, any of the above or all of them. Take your camera with you and let the lens capture something your eye has missed.<br />
Previously I posted that we were going through some changes in our household. I wanted to try to find a way of living frugally and more Eco-friendly. Now that I think about it, what I really want is to find a way to live simply. I don't want to miss my life because I am too busy not living it.<br />
<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-34296516561758664002012-07-12T12:03:00.002-07:002012-07-19T09:11:10.653-07:00Happy Thursday. I hope that at some point today you can take a minute and breathe deep. Go outdoors. Look at all the beautiful things God created in this world just for you. No matter how hard things get, there is always something to be thankful for. Even if it's just feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin or feeling a warm summer breeze.<br />
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July brings so many changes to our family. For starters tomorrow my husband and I celebrate twenty (20!) years of marriage. It has been quite a journey thus far. It has been hard, sad, wonderful, easy, amazing. Marriage is by far the hardest journey I've been on. At the same time it has been the most rewarding. I have learned so much from my wonderful husband. It's funny how someone that is so very different from me, can bring out the best in me. He has taught me to take chances. He has taught me to relax. He has taught me that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Most of all he has taught me how to love unconditionally. If I could I would marry him all over again.<br />
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July also brings about an overhaul to our lives. The company my husband works for did some "restructuring" and there will be great financial changes for many in the company. My husband included. Our family is a one income family and I am so thankful that he still has a job. I know so many families out there have lost their income all together. I also know that God has always provided for us. We have never gone hungry. I believe in the power of prayer and in the promises God makes us in the Bible. At the same time I know that we have to do our part as well.<br />
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I am very big on educating myself every chance that I get. My new goal for education is how to live on less. I know there are so many websites that have so much amazing information on this subject. I have always tried to be frugal. I have always tried to be as "green" as I could be. Now I need to do more than try. I need to make living "green" our new lifestyle. Part of me is excited. Part of me is scared. All of me is willing to learn. I'm not sure how my husband and the kids are going to handle this new lifestyle we are about to adapt to. I'm sure in time it will be their new normal. For now I need to read, learn, and apply. I will pass on all the helpful (and maybe the not so helpful) information I gather. Here's to new beginnings. <br />
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<br />Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400860634252928260.post-92205572600255064032012-07-11T21:54:00.004-07:002012-07-19T09:12:13.142-07:00Welcome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to Casa Velilla. We often hear the phrase home is where the heart is. For our family our home is our heart. Everything we have to offer our neighbors, community, and the world all begins in our home.<br />
Our family, our passions, our love of life, fuels us and encourages us to keep going each day. We are lovers of all things beautiful. We love to learn and experience what life has to offer. We have learned to roll with the punches and accept things for what they are.<br />
Our hope for this blog is to encourage, educate, and enlighten all who share on this site. That includes ourselves. We love learning from everyone's experiences. We all have a story to tell. This one is ours.Casa Velillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03939222394444834957noreply@blogger.com0