National Coffee Day

Coming home from work today, I found out it was the Official National Coffee Day...

So in honor of the sweet substance that gets me happily through the day, I decided on drinking an afternoon cup of coffee. 

Normally, I try to limit myself to coffee only in the morning, but it just seemed right to enjoy an afternoon cup while catching up on The Middle. 

It's really feeling like fall around here. 

Some days, it's still a wonderful warm summer feeling, and other days, I'm ready to head south for the winter.

Either way, it's pretty gorgeous no matter the temp outside. 

The leaves are changing color and falling beautifully on the ground and I'm getting more excited about the holidays that are coming up. 

Happy National Coffee day!!!! 

Celebrate with an extra cup! 

40 days for life

Speaking...PRAYING out for the unborn.

40 days for life in Storm Lake to peacefully pray for those who have no say in the matter of their life.

Consider joining us in lifting these kids and moms in prayer for the next 40 days. 

Click HERE for more information. 

40 days for life starts tomorrow morning at 6 am. 

cheap way to get beds for kids

Beds (frames, headboard, mattresses) are quite expensive when you buy them all at once.

And honestly, not too great of quality.

You look at the bunkbeds in Target or Walmart and you get the feeling it may collapse on you because of the flimsy poor quality wood that's holding up a mattress AND a kid.

So we said no to that option. 

This is what we ended up doing.

Buena Vista University had a sale on their dorm furniture.

Now, it wasn't too terribly long that I lived in a dorm and used furniture exactly like this old junky furniture.

Wasn't the prettiest furniture, but I do know that it can hold a full grown college person.

That means it'd be terrific for our kids to stay on:) 

We went ahead and bought two beds worth of beat up dorm furniture. 

we got some sandpaper, primer, and spray paint and went to work on these bed pieces.

 and it's done the job! 

I am so happy with the result of the beds.

They look cleaned up and new and are sturdy enough for rowdy children to jump on and sleep on!

Not only that, but we placed the Ikea Mattress that went for $699, but we got a great deal on and bought these mattresses for $99 bucke each, and we have a complete bedroom set for two for less than the cost of bunk bed FRAMES from walmart!

We're ready for these kiddos that we're praying for daily.

The bedroom is looking better each week and we're stocking up on toys (kinda...looking for those special deals out there for toys). 

I keep adding things that I find to help decorate the room to look more welcoming...still figuring out how to fill those empty walls.

Can't wait to fill the bedroom with kiddos!

it's like an old country movie.

The Clay County Fair always feels like the kickoff for fall to me here in Iowa.

It's so different than anything I have ever seen or experienced.

It's just like those old western movies with cowboy hats, horses, and every stinky farm animal you can think of.

It's definitely fun though! I love looking through all the booths of products and sample foods and all that great stuff.

The colors and bright lights always make me happy too:).

[the little arena with horses and bulls practically scarred me for life. 

those poor bulls that were being lassoed and tied up...]

[piggy races were hilarious! only in iowa? who does this sort of thing??:-D]

I'm a sucker for crowds, food, and fun things to look at and taste.

Fall is officially here!

the very beginning.

Ryan and I started a new chapter of our lives this past week.

After months and months of classes, interviews, preparation, and prayer, we started foster care.

We had our first kids for three days this weekend.

In those three days, I felt so many emotions that have never risen in my entire life. 

The feeling of putting a child to bed in your home with a bedtime story, a hug, and a kiss.

Getting the privilege to see their first smiles of the day.

Placing a child in time out and seeing him get through the struggle of three minutes sitting down and thinking of what he did. 

Hearing their squeals, giggles, shouts, and cries. 

Sitting down at a meal with a family.

Watching my husband quietly read a bedtime story in a dim light to two snuggly cuddly little people anxious to hear and see what happens next.

Seeing a little girl look into my husband's eyes as he took the time to talk to her about legos, trees, and nuts.

Having a little boy squeeze between me and my husband so he could snuggle with me while we watched Veggie Tales.

Saying goodbye to these kids and hoping that one day, i'll get to see them again.

Having an empty feeling in my heart because the house is eerily quiet...

Our time of starting a family has finally begun. 

It's definitely not the traditional baby making way; it's the way to love those babies that don't know yet that they are so very much loved.

blur of life with family in storm lake.

I think from these pics, you can tell who is the snuggliest and cuddliest Gamboa in the family...

Everyone just likes to squish and love this boy.

I didn't take ANY pics with my rebel (REGRET), but i had my camera phone with me all the time.

So here are quick snapshots of the time we had in SL with my family.

what's wrong with this pic?

squeeeeeeeze the snuggly boy!!!!

we took numerous walks by the lake.

 a walk with ash and pey. 

 sqeeeeeeeze the little furry boy!!!!!

 and again, squish!!!

He's so cuddly!

wing night with my family at martinis!!! 

so fun with them.

got to celebrate ashley's birthday two days early with her:)

can you believe this girl turned 16???

yeeea-yuh! shopping money for chicago. cah-ching!

bike ride with dad, sisters, and hubs to kingspoint and thru town.

blah.

morning we said goodbye.

we look happy.

but we're actually so sad to be saying bye.

my baby boy and i...

teary eyed while i said bye.

my mom....most beautiful woman in the world.

loved having my family in Storm lake and getting the chance to spend 7 days and 6 nights with them!!!!! 

traveled, shopped, relaxed, canoed, biked, walked, cooked, ate, and did so much with them.

love ya'll so so so much.

please come back soon....

Blur of Minneapolis

The best week of my entire year happened last week.

I got to spend six glorious days with my family who had made the trip to the midwest for a college reunion. 

(yeah, it was actually really cool to see my parents and their friends from college reunite.)

we all met up in Minneapolis (a mere 4 hours from our town) and enjoyed time shopping, reuniting, jumping on beds, hitting the hot tub, swimming in the pools...you get the picture.
Speaking of pictures, prepare yourself. you're about to get a whirlwind of our time in Minneapolis.
 Excuse the quality of the photo. I used my phone for these pics.


Ryan and I headed to Minneapolis and got there early enough to check out ikea...duuuuude, we bought TWO $700 mattresses here...for ONLY $99 bucks each!!!
an incredible deal...such a God thing!

 Buffalo wild wings while waiting.

 yeeeep, my boy Peyton Manning Elizabeth Gamboa came too!!!!

 Reuniting after how many years after college in the Philippines and gathering together in Minneapolis! 
there were like 15 of them that met up:)

We got special permission from the manager of the Hilton that we stayed at, that Peyton could also stay with us:)
Spoiled rotten.
He was so happy to be with us.

 Mall of America and all its goodies.

 Find the stud in this next picture.
He's mine:) 

 creepy.

 Peyton and ryan having a stare down.
just kidding. ryan was teasing him with some weird squeaky noise.

 the Gamboa sibs.
I like us.

 the only other boy in the family-our bro peyton.

 Peyton LOVES car rides.
He did great with all the roadtripping my family did.
I stayed in Minneapolis with my family a couple extra days, and Ryan and Peyton headed back to Storm Lake cuz Ryan had to preach Sunday morning.
Pey was thrilled to ride along.
they got some quality man time together.

 mom and the kids:)

 the fam, minus pey and ryan.

 Jumping on the bed was odd this time...
it wasn't that bouncy.

 we tried anyways.

 ashley and i got to wander around the mall of america while ilene and mom were shopping. 

 i got a free giant disigual bag so all our shopping went into it.
great way to shop. 
i will forever take it along with me on shopping trips...makes carrying shopping bags more pleasant.

 last breakfast in the hilton with the family. i loooooved the breakfast there.

after Minneapolis,  my family made their way down to Iowa to visit our home and life!
Next blog post to come:)