New Year's Eve Celebration

Watching Avengers! Their special new movie Matt got for them for New Year's Eve.

Some of them playing with their new legos Christina brought for them.

First round of fireworks. 

Bryan with our old man getting ready to set him on fire. This is a Honduran tradition to blow up the old man at midnight. The kids made two this year and we set one off at 10 and another one at 11. Matt and Dorian has fun with the fireworks. Bryan was their right hand man there to help them.

good bye 2012

The second old man

Dorian setting him on fire.

All of the kids made it to midnight. The two babies feel asleep at 11:30 and 11:50 and Korbin even made it till 11:40. Surprised that all of out little ones made it all night. Although Nicole was wore out she feel sleep on the couch before midnight. 

To bring in the new year we had a night of movies, Wii (Just Dance), pizza, pop, chips, and candy. And or course the fireworks.

Although the best part of all of it was the kids in their costumes! They loved getting to dress up!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!! Here's hoping for many more blessings here in CASA in 2013!!!

Gingerbread houses

Christina really has got right in the holiday spirit with the CASA kids. She called me one day and said she was at the grocery store and wanted to know if it was ok to buy stuff to make ginger bread houses with the kids. It is not exactly what we would  call a gingerbread house but she did the best with what she had to use.
The kids loved making their houses. Some of them loaded their houses with candy as they were promised once they were dry they would get to eat them.

Christina was very patient and worked with all of the kids on their houses

Jose's candy filled house

Sisi getting ready to decorate her house

Christina helping out Lupe

Merry Christmas!!!!

Merry Christmas from all of the kids at CASA!!! 

Christmas morning after opening gifts.

Olman

Antonio

Cindy modeling her new jacket she got for Christmas

Ana

Christmas Eve we set off fireworks and played outside. Jackson gave baby Josue a ride. After playing outside the all went to play just dance on the Wii and eat popcorn and drink chocolate/strawberry milk. They were all shortly in bed after 10:30. 

the new years party begins

The party begin........ Christina's family bought all of the kids outfits to celebrate new year's eve. The kids all love the idea of being dressed up. We got spider man, batman, princesses, and even pirates! The kids will get to live in their fairy tale land this evening. We are going to play games,eat pizza, play the Wii, and set off fireworks and burn up the old man and have lots of fun! Hope they can all stay awake til midnight! Happy New Year!

 Antonio the pirate

 Cris as batmand and Lupe the princess

 Nohemy the princess and Jackson as spiderman

 Katy as the little mermaid

 Maryuri

Cindy the princess

Happy Graduation Antonio

 Signing off from 6th grade!!!

He choose me to be his madrina after changing his mind about 5 times about who was going to graduation with him. Although after choosing me as his madrina he was embrassed when I had to go in front with him. Before I even got to the stage to sit down and sign the book with him he was already signing. I told him I was proud of him and he told me he was so nervous.

One proud momma for sure! Finishing 6th grade is a huge accomplishment. Many here in this country don't even finish 6th grade.

 Receiving his diploma

 After graduation Antonio wanted to go out to eat and take his sisters too.

Happy Graduation Antonio

We are proud of you!!!!

Christmas cookies

 Christina (our casa intern) worked two days diligently with the kids to make cookies. They got to make the dough, roll out the dough and cut cookies and then decorate them. The cookies the kids made for our CASA staff. So they all had a hard time not eating the cookies up as they made them. Although when it was all said and done and the kids all got to eat a cookie.

Good grades

Nohemy, Daniela, Rosy, and Ana

These girls get a special trip to town this afternoon/evening with Byron and Pamela. They had mention months ago that they wanted to reward the 3 kids with the best grades from the whole school year. Well today they got their grades. Their averages were; Rosy 90%, Ana and Daniela 83% and Nohemy 80%. After talking to Pamela she told me to let Nohemy come too and they would make room for four. She sure did light up when she found out she got to go too.
The plan is they are going to the movies and out to eat and I think to the arcade to play some games if there is time.
Next year we hope to do a better reward system so we can reward the child every grading period with the best grades.

Birthday Girls

Happy 15th Birthday Doris!!!

Happy 8th Birthday Guadalupe!!!

School

The kids are officially out of school for the year. Pamela and Brayan have to go tomorrow one last time to retake a music exam and then they are done for the year. The kids all came home yesterday with plates full of food as they had their end of the year party. They sure do through them a party and fill their bellies.
Now to keep the kids busy while they are on break. We started the new tortilla schedule this week. So that keeps a few of them busy in the mornings. Hope that they soon will be able to make tortillas with out an adult helping them.
Here is hoping to a uneventful summer break!

Thanksgiving

We have made Thanksgiving a tradition here at CASA with the kids. Starting our first year here Jen and I got things together to have a small meal with the kids. We were by far cooks but we manged and got a meal together. Now Marc involves many in our CASA thanksgiving celebration. Terri does a great  job at cooking. She is the expert!!! 

The kids love every minute of it! They love getting to choose what goes on their plates and most of all filling their plates with lots of sweets!

We have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for the blessing to be here at CASA and ministering and loving on these kids! May God continue to bless this CASA.

 Daniela and Antonio making no bakes

 Jackson mixing the pudding

Cindy getting the bananas cuteup and layering the cookies in the pan

 Elvia, Jackson, Sisi cutting up celery and onions for the cornbread and shredding cheese for the Macaroni.

 Potato peeling crew

The kids look forward to Thanksgiving every year. They love getting to help and being part of this special day. So many happy helpers and I know that there is a lots of memories being made too.

happy 1st birthday

 Olman dug right into his cake and Josue was not too sure what to do. I think they both enjoyed their cake although Olman was ready for more when his was all gone.

Happy 1st birthday Josue and Olman

The birthday boys, Josue and Olman

exams

The kids are finishing up the school year. They are in their last weeks of school right now. They were in exams all last week and this week they are finishing up a few exams. It won't be long until their summer break. There last day of school is suppose to be November 30th and then their end of the year school party December 3rd. Sixth grade graduation for Antonio is December 8th.
I guess I better start planning and getting things ready for the kids summer break. Always a task to keep this many kids busy.

Hooray for Josue

Josue is developing and coming right along but in his own timing. We worry about him as he does not do everything that a 12 month old should. He is struggling to sit up still on his own and he is not even ready to stand up yet. We are pushing the staff to give him more floor time and not so much time in the stroller or bed.
Although he finally crawled for the first time the other day. The staff is trying to give him more time on the floor to play as that is very important for him. He is a few weeks short of being a 12 months old. He is getting physical therapy classes at Teleton and the staff have to work with him daily with different movements.

tortillas

 The kids all know that soon that they will all have to make tortillas. Some are excited while others could care less if they learn to make them and others are dreading it because it might add more work to their already chores they have to do. Everyday we will have a schedule dividing up the chores for tortillas. Someone will have to go cut firewood, cook the corn kernels, take the corn to be ground, and then make the tortillas.
We got some corn that the school send home this week with the kids. So we cooked the corn and put lime in it until it was soft. Then the next morning the corn all had to be rinsed off to get the lime off before taken to be ground. Rosy then took the corn to be ground (Dilma one of our staff members takes corn every day to be ground so she was nice enough to let rosy tag along and show her where and how to ground the corn) and hurried back to get to work on making tortillas. Rosy was impatient and did not want to take the time to learn how to make the tortillas. She was good at pressing them with the block and getting them flat and then putting them on the stove to cook. All with time and practice I am sure she will become a pro.
Doris even tired to help. Elvia was very patient and when it was all said and done they had made over 100 tortillas for a couple of days here at Casa.

 Pressing the tortillas

Elvia showing Doris and Rosy how to make tortillas.

Happy 14th Birthday Antonio

Antonio turned 14 this week.

 He and Bryan both just turned 14 in the last couple of months. They are our two oldest boys here at CASA. Praying as they continue to go through their teen years that they are men who seek God and that their hearts are molded to be gentle, kind, and loving.Proud of the young man Antonio is becoming. 

Charlie Brown Christmas

The CASA #2 was suppose to have the Christmas tree this year. I told them we would rotate it between the Casa's every year. Well I decided with Mirian having all of those little ones that a Christmas tree might be enough to make her go crazy. Keeping them out of it would be a hard job.
Well Mirian decided that after we had already put up the Christmas tree in the big house and still wanted one. She had Denis cut her a limb from a pine tree and she stuck in a bucket and decorated it. It is pretty pitiful and not too sure how the tree will hold up til Christmas. Although she is very proud of her Christmas tree.

Reina, Fernando, and Katy ~ 6 years

Fernando 2006

Katy 2006

Reina 2006

Reina, Fernando, and Katy 2012

What progress these kids have made since being with us. To think where they would maybe be if they were not with us. Their mother is very very very poor and not in her right mind. She has a mind like a little child too. 

Reina has learned to write her name, add, subtract, and write. Who would have thought!?!?! With her disabilities I would think she would not be able to do any of this but she has over come those obstacles. She will be turning 13 this coming March. She has turned into quite the young lady.

Fernando is for sure our clown of the house. He is always looking for ways to make others laugh. Whether it is appropriate or not. We have to tune him down every once in a while.

Katy is still our fearless ball of energy. She goes and goes an goes and knows no fear.