Thursday, March 7, 2024

Growth

A new year filled with lots of growth and development, not just for the little one, but for me too. Continuously embracing the journey of finding contentment amidst uncertainty. In this season of foster care, weariness has taken its toll. Yet, I find true solace in God's comforting presence, urging me onward with each passing day. My love for this little one is endless, and every moment spent with her brings genuine joy.




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Wednesday, May 10, 2023

A YEAR OF LOVE AND ADORATION

A year ago today this sweet baby came into my care. She fills my heart and home with so much joy. Every day I get to mother her is a true honor. ♥️




 

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Saturday, December 31, 2022

2022

2022. The year my dream of becoming a foster parent was brought to fruition. Nearly 20 years ago the desire was born and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have welcomed not one, but two precious babies into my home.  I have so much to share but I'll just need to find the time. For now I will leave you with a few photos. Life is busy, beautiful, and so very complex. Thanking God for the peace I can find in him. Happy New Year!



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Monday, January 31, 2022

A place for photos





Hoping to start posting again! I'm not the best writer but I do enjoy taking photos. This will be the perfect place for them.  

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Monday, June 1, 2020

My Papi

My paternal grandfather passed away this past week. My heart is heavy with so many emotions. I feel deep sorrow knowing his time on earth has seized but by God's good grace I mostly feel overwhelming gratitude for the blessing he will always be to me.
My Papi was a strong, hardworking, and capable man. His life was full of adventure and he shared the most incredible stories. He had an amazing memory and recalled everything with great detail. Some tales seemed so unbelievable but upon further investigation proved to be true. His adventures could fill a book. He was a vaquero. Born and raised in a small adobe house in Tepehuanes,Durango Mexico. He was the true Patriarch of the Carrera family as he was the only boy out of his 5 brothers to reach adulthood. He was deeply loved and respected by his 5 little sisters and was looked up to by many of his family members. He immigrated to the United States as a single man in his early twenties and worked fields of Missouri , slaughterhouses in Chicago, and on railroads in Oregon and California before spending a few years in Santa Barbara working in various restaurants. He finally settled in Los Angeles buying a home near his extended family. He worked very hard to make a life for his children here. I admire his stamina and strength. His work and dedication to his family are inspiring. How fortunate I am to know his love.

Here are a few things I never want to forget about my dear Papi.

1. He ALWAYS wore jeans, a buttoned up longsleeve shirt, belt, and a hat. When I was a child it was always a cowboy hat but in my adult years he was often seen with a baseball cap.
2. The way he would skillfully slice an orange with a pocket knife like a butcher cutting meat.
3. He was always laughing and joking with my Abuelita and his children. He knew how to have a good time.
4. He treated all my cousins like we were his favorite. He had a way of making you feel very special. He ALWAYS greeted the girls with, "Hi mi reina!" (Hi my queen)
5. When I would tell him I love him. He would theatrically respond with a smile and an expressive I love youuuuuu!
6. The way he would sit on his comfy chair and quietly observe his family as we all gathered in his home.
7. Being in the back of his truck as we drove from West Covina to Chino to stay with him and my Abuelita for the night.
8. Him sitting in his garage on incredibly hot days in his jeans and long sleeve shirt listening to Pedro Infante or Javier Solis.
9. How he was well loved by so many. My Papi and Abuelita often had visitors. Their relatives and friends would sit and spend hours chatting away with my Papi.
10. How proud he was to take pictures with his 16 grandchildren.

I think most of all I will miss his two handed kisses. The ways he would grab my face before planting a big kiss on my cheek. I will miss his scruffy mustache and the way he would pull me in close for a hug and pat me on the back.

Thank you Lord for blessing my life with a kind and loving Papi. I know that I am very privileged to be loved and cared by him well into my adult life. Thank you Lord, thank you!
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Monday, December 10, 2018

Handmade gift ideas for children

Every year I attempt to gift the children in my life handmade Christmas and birthday gifts. Pinterest, blogs, and Instagram have been huge sources of inspiration. I thought I'd share the these with the community of makers I enjoy so much. I hope these inspire you to create something special for the little ones in your lives. I've listed some of the project patterns below.
Knitted bunny pattern / Butterfly wing pattern / Plum beret pattern / Unfortunately I can't recall the strawberry pattern. The chocolate and candles are something I worked up without a pattern.
The quilt was made with scrap fabric from many outfits I had sewn for it's recipient. It made the simple block quilt extra special. / Backpack tutorial / I didn't use a pattern for the conchas, pasta, and tea bags. I found lots of great inspiration for these on Pinterest / The doll I made years ago with a pattern I drafted but Lakeside Needle works just realesed an adorable doll pattern. I'm itching to make one.
The cape was based off this pattern One of my favorite things about gift giving is the wrapping. After putting so much time and effort into making a gift I delight in wrapping it up! Here are a few of my favorite wrapping ideas. This is one of my favorite handmade toys I've made. It's a felt birthday cake with removable decorations. You can remove the cake lid to store all the pieces. This gift was time consuming but probably the most affordable to make. The cake container was a thrift find and the the felt cost about $8.

I know I have quite a few more toys to share but that's all I have time for now. Hopefully I can continue to add to the list. I just want to get the list to you before Christmas so you can attempt some of these projects. I hope you feel inspired to make a few gifts this year.

Happy Christmas!

xx
Esther
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Tuesday, October 2, 2018

David turns 30

We celebrated my brothers birthday with friends and family on Sunday. I prepared a giant charcuterie and cheese platter for him. He loves cured meats and cheeses just as much as I do. During my travels in Europe last month I bought marcona almonds from Spain, fig jam from France, and creamed honey from England. I knew they would all come together to make a lovely birthday platter for him. Cheers to 30 my dear David!
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