Sweet Gift

Saturday marked the beginning of my summer swim session with my nephew and his little buddies. For the most part scheduling all my lessons outside of my regular job has been a challenge. However, he and his buddies have had their swim schedule blocked out months in advance and now that it's here I can hardly wait!

It was so amazing to see the difference that one year makes in the life of a toddler. They did well last year, they had fun, they learned, but they were so itty bitty. This year...man, oh man!! They are 100% ready to go and 100% engaged! I'll try to get some video of them in the next few weeks. Swimming is gonna get extra super duper fun from here on out!

My sister surprised me with this photo collage. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! (click on the photo for an enlarged view)

Isn't he the coolest kid ever!?!?

Family fun

This is the kinda naked fun we have when I'm babysitting little dude! If I could get away with walking and dancing around in my undies...I would!! Oh wait! I already do!! LOL!


He recently got a new big boy bed. I decided that the huge cardboard box that it came in needed to be put to good use. We initially used it to break dance and do some fancy spins, then I got bored and decided to use him as my outline muse him. He's so cool like that!


I loooove this video!

Just a glimpse

Unfortunately, more often than not the Spirit nudges my heart to spend time with the Father and I fail to listen or bend in obedience. I can easily drown out the invitation with pretty much anything. It's pretty sad how proficient I am at ignoring His still small voice. At this particular time my most recent obsession is watching Friday Night Lights. ;)

When He calls and I listen there are a few things that normally happen. I'll crawl over to my bed, grab my bible, journal and pen or I'll crawl on the floor near my closet, roll on my back and wait for Him. A few nights ago I waited and listened for Him. The photo below is a view of what I see when I'm down there.

I have no idea why I'm sharing this post with you as this is an incredibly personal space for me, but perhaps my unorthodox way of praying will encourage you to find your 'place' with Him. It's not so much about where you're physically located, but 'where' your heart is in relation to your showing up to be with Him.

No matter how much you may feel like a failure for not being the most ideal Christian, know that it's never too late to show up. He's always willing to hear from us. I'm a repeat offender and speak from so much experience.

Save our Schools

If you're interested in attending either of these shows let me know. I'll most likely be at both. I've heard a few of the bands on the roster and they're pretty cool. I'm certain you'll enjoy.

Texas Flour Tortillas - tested

Sooooo, I tried the recipe I was tellin' y'all about in my last post and........

this is how it went.

Rollin' it out.

Here's a tip:

Much like rollin' out pie crust you gotta make sure that you're rollin' pin & 'area' are lightly dusted with flour. This'll keep the tortillas from sticking.

Once, you've rolled them out (ultra thinly) place them on super hot comal (cast iron griddle). I tried the on my electric griddle and it just wasn't the same. :(

30 seconds on each side.

If you've done it right you'll see some bubbling action within a few seconds

Here's a video to let you know how it officially went down!

As you can tell I was a bit excited! =)

Ren, it worked! No lard. No Shortening!

Another quick tip. Do NOT try to roll them out and cook them at the same time! It wont be pretty. I speak from experience!

See how this tortilla is lightly burned? There's an actual name for that and it's called "Charlie Brown". When my dad orders his breakfast tacos He'll usually order like this "Dame un taco de barbacoa. Pero lo quiero medio Charlie Brown." LOL! How's that for Spanglish! Any good south Texan server will know that he's asking for a a lightly toasted barbacoa taco. I bet I just learned ya something, huh? :) My dad is also one of those weirdos who can't stand his flour tortillas chewy and soft. psh! He just don't know!

If you're chompin' at the bit to try this recipe you'll be able to find it here on the HomesickTexan blog!

I'm so excited!! I'm thinking tortillas #2 is in order!

New Fav!

I don't know if it's the weather or what, but I've been a cookin'/bakin' mess lately! For the last two nights I've attempted to make soft, chewy homemade tortillas and each attempt has SUCKED! They've turned out dense, 'unfoldable', and yucky. They smell like tortillas and sorta look like tortillas, but they ain't no tortilla!

After tonights recent failure I decided to do some research and compare other recipes to the one I've been attempting to tweak. I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for, but I did know that I wanted to avoid using lard (manteca) at all costs. In case y'all didn't know...Lard is what usually makes those bad ass tortillas that make you go belly up at a restaurant before your meal ever hits the table. (Just thought you should know. :) haha)

While perusing the 'net I came across a super-really-cool blog, it's called HomeSickTexan. I don't know about you, but the blog title alone makes me love it! :) She has this post about Texas Flour tortillas that I'm going to try tomorrow. AND IT DOESN'T require shortening or lard! Keep your fingers crossed! I have a good feeling about this one! I'll let you know how it turns out.

oh man!!!

There are tears streaming down my face from watching this video! I just love, LOVE children!

Thanks to my sister shared this video with me, *gets* me and just knows what'll crack me up to pieces!

(Ren I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!)

Saturday Night

Tonight was the perfect night to stay in, cook, bake and relax. There's a Texas sized storm brewin' outside and I didn't need a better excuse to bake up something new and yummy.

Here's my first attempt to homemade cinnamon rolls!!

Very proud that they came out lookin' so cute!!!

One can only hope at this point that they'll be tasty!

Success! They were great indeed!

I know that cinnamon rolls are consider 'sweets', but (without this being an excuse) I felt that it was more than ok considering that my heart was in the good and right place. I've learned so much about myself these last few months in regards to sugar and men. I'll fill you in soon enough.

This has been my mediation for the day. I hope you'll consider this with me as you read.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

(Psalm 119:11)

Goat Stampede!!! — Cute Overload

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!! I can't stand the cuteness of these pygmy goaties! Old road dog kills me, but I'm certain he's lived a good one. I NEED THESE!!!

Goat Stampede!!! — Cute Overload

Uppercut

The preschool where I teach a few times a week had a an Easter egg hunt today. It's apparent that the competitive spirit starts earrrrrly.

Anyhow, after the hunting was had a particularly excited little boy comes running toward me with a pretty plastic egg in hand and screaming "Miss Maaaahcy, Miss Maaaahcy, wook at my eggs!" I'm smiling in his direction, but conversing with another teacher when suddenly, in what I can only imagine is his overwhelming sense of excitement, he uppercuts me (plastic egg in hand) right into my girlie business. I can't remember if it was the surprise or the slight pain that caused me to double over so quickly but rather suddenly I was just inches from his chubby 3 year old face. He then looks down at his egg and said "Oh!!.... thank you for opening my egg!"

.........glad I could help him with that! :/

I guess it was best that it was me and not one of the male pastors on staff. haha!

Summer Swimming

It's that time again! My schedule is overwhelmed with families who need and want swim lessons. It's certainly a great problem to have, but not having my own pool complicates scheduling quite a bit. If anyone out there reading had an available pool (mostly in the Denton area) please let me know!

(above is a photo of my Euless swimmers! I can't hardly wait to see how they do this summer. Daevin and his little buddies are going to rock this session! I just know it!)

Betweens lessons at the Nat, previous swimmers and referrals I seriously don't know how I'm going to get all this done! :) i'm excited to see what awaits me in the near future.

In other news...I recently purchased new swim gear. I can hardly wait to try it on! In an attempt to save my skin I've decided to swim in UV rash guards and UV jackets this summer as well as boy shorts. I've considered wearing swim capris that look like leggings, but I'm not sure how I feel about being nearly fully clothed while swimming. I always love the feel of water against my skin.

Anyhow, here's the jacket that I just purchased
I actually smirked when I saw this....

I get the usefulness, but it's a bit extreme. I'm sure my face would thank me, but the kids wouldn't understand a lick of what I'm trying to say. Complicated to say the least!!

So, I'm forever harping on safety. The kids that swim with me know the importance of walking on deck or waiting for permission to entire the pool. Once while some of my rambunctious boys were running on deck, I stopped them and said "Hey!! What are you doing?!?! You know better than that! Are you supposed to run on deck??" Each shook his head in understanding. I then proceeded to ask "Why aren't you supposed to run on deck?" In unison they all replied "Because, we could fall, crack our heads open and our guts will fall out!" I laughed out loud when I realized that they were quoting me verbatim but mostly laughed when I realized that a new set of proud grandparents were there watching their swimmers for the first time. =) I can only imagine what they must've thought.

Speaking of swimming...I need to suit up and get a mile or so in before my lessons start at 4. After a yummy Hannah's lunch with my friend Leilani I seriously don't feel like moving right now.

Go, Marcy! Go!!

Msg to single men

Although, this is a msg to single men from Matt Chadler. I can't help, but see myself in this pattern of destruction. I've played an active role on both sides, but as of late I'm the one he references to "quit that crap".

Click here to view.

The New American Reality

This video was brought to my attention and I loved it!

It reminded me of who I once was....I haven't always loved the fact that I'm bicultural. Somewhere between my freshman and sophomore year in college it dawned on me that God, in his infinite sovereignty chose to make me exactly who I am. He chose every minor detail of the physical body that makes me, Marcy, from the the lone dimple on my left cheek, to the hot mess of curly hair on my head, the love dots (beauty marks/moles whatever you wanna call them) that certain parts of my body all the way down to my piglets. It also blows my mind that He would've chosen such an amazing family to raise us Infante's in. We didn't have much money growing up, but we never-ever-never-never-ever lacked love. I can't imagine life with another sister or brother or even parents...

Since that realization I like to believe that I'm a different person. I have learned to love and embrace my bi(+multi)culturalism. It makes me smile when I think about the fact that I always choke up while singing the Star Spangled Banner, or while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, or while listening to a good Mariachi group and even while watching a folklorico performance.

I'm a hot messy mixture of a lot of different things, but the one that matters the most to me is who I am as a believer. Being a Christian isn't a part of who I am. It is who I am.

on another note! today is glorious! It feels just like California. Sun is shining, wind is blowing and the temps are perfect! It's a dang good day to be a Texan! :)

A new favorite song!

Something you may not know about me, when I dig a new song I listen to it endlessly! Like, it'll literally be on repeat for hours maybe even days. It drives my roommate/sister absolutely bananas! I sometimes have to wear headphone in order to prevent her from loathing a once loved song. Creative compromise, I'm ok with it!

Anyhow, this is Francesca Battistelli's - This is The Stuff

I hope you love it, it's catchy and sweet and totally makes me wanna dance with God. Do you think He's a good dancer? I wonder if He'd twirl with me. =) precious unimagined thought until now. I like it!

In recent news

I've royally sucked with fasting. I haven't actually taken a nose dive into eating ice cream or actually going on a date, but I've been flirting with disaster and failure these last two weeks. It's so funny how the Holy Spirit ever so subtly and consistently nudges our hearts in the right direction. My friend, Leilani, who is currently vacationing in Florida, sent me a sweet email wanting to know how I was doing and right as she was ending her email she asks "Hey, how is the fast going?" I couldn't help smile at the sweetness in her question and at the realization that a genuine friend keeps you accountable.

On that note.... I was recently spiritually slammed (in a good way) by a genuine friend. this particular 'slammage' made me literally say "oooohhhhhh..man! what a stud!!!" My childhood friend, Josiah, recently posted something on fb that caught my attention and without a second thought I responded. (see below)

• 
  
  
• 

  Marcy Infante Sorry, friend. that's never fun. I've been thinking about you lately. How are you?

  April 5 at 4:03pm ·
• 

  Josiah now now..you still have almost three whole months to go. Stay true to your decisions.

  April 5 at 5:49pm ·

For as long as I can remember him I've always admired his walk with Christ. He and his older brother, Josh, were certainly two of the few guys/people in school that I knew without a doubt that were the 'real deal'! Admirable men to say the least. Anyhow, back to his response....it cut to the quick and was an instant reminder that this quest wasn't over despite my short comings. I can't help but feel so much admiration for a man, friend, fellow believer who keeps it real and lovingly keeps their friends in line. Total hotness factor, regardless of gender!

to all my friends (family included) that keep me in check, I couldn't do this life without you.

My-ee & Mimi

Daevin (the one & only nephew) calls me "My-eee" & calls his Auntie Margarita "Mimi", but on occasion when asked who we are he'll reply "MINE!" =) haha! gotta love it!He's downright delicious!

We: Build/destroy/fight over mega blocks, cook & rough house together.

They: Giggle in his tent, talk, sing and color together.

Evidence of the sweet time he gets to spend with, Mine (Mimi).

Ramen Republic

One of my absolute favorite things to do on this earth.....

Share a good meal with great friends.

Dedicated to...

...all my single chicas!

I hoping and praying for the him that will be gifted by HIM just for YOU!

Colbie Caillat - I Do

Sweet & Painful

My sister send this link to me earlier today. Her subject line read "Wow". She wasn't kidding.

I hope this video will inspire and stir your affections as it has mine. I've recently had some idols revealed and removed from my life. It hasn't been pretty. It hasn't been comfortable. I have to admit that I haven't been all together gracious in receiving these lessons either. I'm a bit bratty, that's also an understatement of a lifetime. Anyhow, this video has brought it all back into prospective.

Sweetness!

This is how I spent a portion of my saturday night.

Post dinner I sat him on the couch with his sippie cup, blanket and favorite show while I cleaned up the kitchen. A few moments later I heard "My-eeeee". I stopped and wondered what he was doing until I heard it again "My-eeee!" I then realized HE WAS CALLING ME!!!! My heart nearly melted into a puddle!

While rocking him to sleep that night I was so overwhelmed with God's loving kindness. I started remembering how I instantly fell in love with this child the moment I learned of his existence. Love is such an amazing gift. It wears many hats and shares many faces, but all of it is a gift from Him.

Surrender

It feels like each time something in my life is handed over it's only a matter of time before I start playing with it again, make it my own, tighten my grip on it and struggle to (re)release it.

*sigh* will I EVER learn?!

I desperately crave sugar. I even dream about it... seriously! who dreams about kit kats?!?! who?!

A confession is in order...I haven't done as well as I hoped I would do with the man fast. I haven't gone head first and started dating anyone or anything, but I've certainly tip toped with flirtations and played with more fire than I know should've been permissible.

It's late and I'm both physically and emotionally tired. I have 4 months left of on this fast and i'm scared that when July rolls around I'll be the same person, junk still intact and heart still festering with 'ewwwwness'.

sorry for the wah post.... I'm going to bed now.

Small Glimpses

I had this long list of things that I planned on getting done today, but when my brother called early this morning and asked if I could head over to his house and help my sister-in-law with my nephew, my response was nearly reactionary. Yes! Yes! and always Yes!

Do you ever wonder if that's ever God's response to us when we call on Him? I mean... I know that at times His response is often "No" or "not now" but I wonder of His initial reaction to us when we incline our hearts toward Him. Does He immediately turn to us in the same fashion that I turn to my nephew when he lifts his little chubby arms toward me? I could have an arms full of 'whatever', but I can't think of an instance that I'd willfully turn from Daevin's request or dance or be held.

In this life I sometimes experience small glimpses of His love for me and it's sometimes overwhelmingly powerful or so subtle that it takes me a while to 'get it'. But, regardless of how the lesson is learned I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm usually a bit unbelieving that that love is really for me. (Do you ever feel that way?) Anyhow, most of those glimpses often occur when I'm working with children. There's just something about working with children that continually breaks my heart in the sweetest of ways and stirs my affections toward my Creator.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy your weekend!

Sister Sweetness

I laughed like a lunatic when I saw this youtube video.

That's pretty much how it went down in our household! Little sisters are typically so sweet and affectionate, while big sisters are....ahem, you get the idea.

I love the way she continues to sing nonchalantly as she smothers her baby sister but how her voice trails off once she's been caught! awesome!

Sin dulce

It's official and time to post!

I.....went....the....entire Valentine 'holiday' without giving into sweet temptation!!!! I'm telling you it was EVERYWHERE I went!

This photo made me laugh.

I know her rage.

I'm not certain if she's fighting the urge or perhaps the holiday, but either way....get'em girl!

My favorite kinda sugar: This morning while at work this little boy name Rush saw me from afar and screams "Misssss Marcy!!!!!!! Happy Valentimes day!!!" as he begins to jump up and down in complete excitement. I love that little guy. He's so precious and affectionate. A boy's boy through and through, but sweet too. He's forever sneaking little hugs and kisses from me when I'm on the floor playing with the kids and he's super gentle with the little girls in our classes. When I or one of the other teachers is holding one of the smaller children, he'll generally walk over, pat them on the head and start doing this mock baby talk thing. It's quite funny considering that he's only two and a half himself.

On another note...I'm quite taken with his name. It's not his first name, but his middle, and I dig it. I may consider naming one of my boys, Rush. :) delicious thought!!

Found this flowchart amusing. Only a nerd.... kudos to the author. :)

Daevin Washing Dishes

This is how we hang! He's so chill.

I'll try to get a video of us cooking together, it's pretty adorable. The last time we cooked together we made quinoa salad. This little 'mixed breed' loves him some frijole negro!

quick funny: anytime I'm eating he insists in crawling onto my lap to 'assess the situation'. In this particular instance we were having Taco Bueno and he wanted a taste. We gave him a few nibbles here and there, but being the Tia that I am I decided to see how he'd react to salsa. hahaha!!! Apparently the TB salsa was a bit spicy for his taste! LOL I wish y'all could've seen it! When the taste settled on his tongue he immediately made this strange, yet surprised, cry and put his fingers in his mouth as if trying to remove whatever was biting him on his tongue. (still laughing)

I'll make it up to him by teaching him how to drive a stick shift. =)

Happy Valentine's Day 2011!!!!!!!

So pretty & Valentine(ish).

Last night while working on recovery homework we poured over Romans 12:9-21. This morning while eating breakfast and reading through the Girl Friends in God devo we covered the same bit of text. Interesting and certainly not coincidental. Time to pay closer attention, I'm sure.

Here's a brief summary for your beautiful eyes:

Paul gives us some good advice on how to love one another in Romans 12:9-18.

• Love must be sincere.
• Cling to what is good.
• Be devoted to one another.
• Honor one another above yourself.
• Never be lacking in zeal.
• Be joyful in hope.
• Be patient in affliction.
• Be faithful in prayer.
• Share with God's people who are in need.
• Practice hospitality.
• Bless those who persecute you.
• Rejoice with those who rejoice.
• Mourn with those who mourn.
• Live in harmony with one another.
• Do not be proud.
• Do not be conceited.
• Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
• Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
• If it is possible, a far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

This is totally not Valentine related, but it will show you a bit of my heart. I can't help that stuff like this cracks me up.

Ha! "You are boring me to death and I'm already dead. You're boring me BACK to death!" i love that line! (Sara, I totally can hear you laughing!)

this one also cracks me up!!! I tried relaying this story to the guys I used to work with, but I was in such hysterics that I couldn't get it out. Thankfully laughter is contagious and the guys were patient!

How was it?

Another snow and ice storm is headed our way and my sister/roommate is headed to the grocery store to stock up before tomorrow night. While preparing the grocery list I remembered that during the last ice storm she had a crazy cravin' for ice cream, so I turned and said "Hey, do you want ice cream?"

This is how the conversation went down:

Mita pauses for a second...."Nah. I had some today."

I don't know what possessed me, but I asked "Aww. How was it?"

Without hesitation and in total seriousness she replies. "It was 3 oz. Chocolaty. Creamy.....And nice. THAT's IT!"

I just busted out laughing! I wish we had cameras on us! I'm sure we'd be millionaires.

Posted below. One of my favorite flavors! mmmmmmmmmm!!! In the words of my infamous bestie, Sara "check back in July, Marce!" =)

Itchy Mess!

Fighting the good fight and very proud of myself! I feel rather prideful for even saying that considering that it hasn't even been my strength that has been able to resist temptation.

When this fast started my friend, Dane, suggested that I change all my 'tempting' phone contacts to 'Death'. The idea behind changing their names to Death1, 2, 3, 4 etc...was that I'd be reminded that sin leads to DEATH each time one of them would contact me. :) I know it sounds funny, but it worked!

Today I received a text from Death 2 that read "Hey stranger. How are you? Think of you often. Hope you're doing well."

It took me a second to process and when I realized who it was I was incredibly thankful he was marked as death 2, because had he not been I would've been inclined to immediately respond. It's a total shame how weak I am in this area of my life, but thankfully He's teaching me some much needed discipline.

I've had a few restless nights here lately. Temptation really seems to hit the moment the lights are turned out and I'm tucked snugly in bed. My mind instantly begins to wander. I begin to fantasize, and it's not all together erotic either (although that can be the case sometimes), but mostly the types of fantasies that include all the girlie hopes and desires for personal restoration that leads to the perfect guy and the perfect marriage with all the perfect babies a girl can desire.... Those types of fantasies can easily become idols and have been for most of my life. I love mentally planning the perfect life, despite the fact that I know that nothing about this life is ever perfect. Fighting the urge to daydream while trying to fall asleep has proven to be the most difficult habit to break as this has been a nightly ritual since I was about 12 or so.

A few friends and I are currently doing the Girlfriends in God devotional together. This was sent yesterday, but I hadn't read it until today. I thought it was perfectly timed.

"Don't Scratch That Itch"
Gwen Smith
Today's Truth
"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed" (James 1:13-14, NIV).

Friend To Friend
I once woke up with a spider bite that was the size of a quarter. It may as well have been the size of North Carolina for as much as it itched! I was half-tempted to scratch off my arm. That nasty bite was just begging to be scratched. However, I have learned a thing or two in my thirty-something years, and one thing I know for sure: it is best not to scratch this type of itch.

It would be like opening a bag of chips with the naive intention of eating only one (yeah, right!) I knew that if I started scratching my bug bite, it would be nearly impossible to stop. I would regret having ever started.

Super-itchy bug bites are a lot like temptations. Temptations are itchy! The call on us with urgent voices that scream, "Scratch me! Scratch me!" Yet, in all reality, a little scratch will not satisfy temptation's itch at all ... it will just make matters worse. When we scratch the itch of temptation, the itch does not diminish. To the contrary, it increases.

The Bible teaches us that when we resist temptation, our faith is then mobilized and the muscles of our character are strengthened. Let's look at what that looked like for a guy named Joseph. (For the full account, pause here and read Genesis 39.)

Joseph was a man of integrity who did right in the eyes of the Lord, but he definitely faced some temptation! He was seduced by temptation in the form of his master's wife, Mrs. Potiphar. You see, Mrs. Potiphar wanted her husband's right-hand man to sleep with her, and she pursued him with aggression. Hers was a hand-delivered invitation for Joseph to sin that had itchy written all over it. But he flat-out refused. His heart was determined to honor God.

"My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her (Genesis 39:9-10).

Temptation chased Joseph relentlessly. Oh, how he must have longed for the itching to stop! To give in would be sinful. To give in was simply not an option for this young man of character. So on the day that Potiphar's wife caught him by the cloak and begged again for Joseph to sleep with her, Joseph ran out of the house. He ran from that tempting situation as fast as his legs would carry him.

God was honored in Joseph's response.

He ran from temptation.

We would be wise to do the same.

What do you need to run from today? Have you determined in your heart to honor God in everything? Temptation comes in all shapes and sizes. It might be calling your name from your pantry - or from your computer - or from a bottle - or from another cubicle in your office. What temptations do you face today? Name them and run the other way! Don't scratch that itch! Determine in your heart that you will choose the path that brings honor to God, and call on Him for strength.

I realize that dealing with temptation is not easy. When that nasty spider bit my arm, I struggled not to scratch the bite. I had to re-direct my thinking to persevere through the temptation. When we come face to face with temptations, God's strength is always available to us. We need God's strength. Ours will fail us. Friend, when we resist temptation, we get to experience the peace and protection of God, our faith is mobilized and the muscles of our character are strengthened.

Let's Pray
Dear Lord, I need You so much. I constantly find myself being dragged away and enticed by temptation. Please give me strength to run the other way, and give me the wisdom to run to Your arms. I really want to be a woman of godly character. Help me be that woman!

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

Now It's Your Turn
Contemplate the following questions: What have you been dragged away and enticed by in the past? How did you respond? How have you grown from those experiences?

Though our sovereign God allows trials to enter our lives, He does not ever tempt us. (James 1) Tuck that truth in your heart today, and the next time you experience a temptation - great or small - recognize that the enemy is behind the allure. Then tell him to get behind you and pray that Jesus will re-direct your thinking.

cuteness overload!

Three of my favorite things all in one perfect youtube video:

Water

Puppies

and The Way I am by Ingrid Michaelson

I'm a perfectly content super chica!

the sun is shining!

the snow is melting!!!!

Great lunch with my sister!

God has been so sweet during my quiet time!

I'm a bit hyper and excited if you haven't noticed!

enjoy!!!!!!!!! =)

Snow, Ice and more Snow

I got home Monday night after teaching and wanted nothing more than to change out of my wet suit, take a hot shower, wash my chlorine saturated skin, and settle in for the night. However, there was this constant nagging with me to get to the grocery store. Heading back out in the cold was the last thing I wanted to do, but after a few hours of fighting 'the nudge' I headed out at 10:30pm.

When I arrived at Kroger it appeared that I wasn't the only one making a late night run to stock up on groceries. I'm glad I listened to that still small voice because had I decided to follow my flesh we would've been without groceries for a number days here in Casa Infante.

Today marks day 4. Cabin fever hit pretty hard yesterday. I found this photo on facebook and thought i'd share with y'all. It's a pretty realistic depiction of how I was feeling....

I woke up refreshed today. Granted, I stayed in bed for HOURS not wanting to face another day inside, but I think God has finally gotten my attention....so very sad that it's taken so many days. I've felt His call to sit and be still with Him, but I've been lazy and distracted with absolutely nothing. I've decided to spend a good part of the rest of this day with Him.

Look forward to an upcoming post regarding a 'moment' I had at Kroger....

Little Nuggets

A few weeks, maybe months ago, I posted two stickies to my wall in order to remember a few nuggets of truth.

This is what was posted (taken from the UBC Daily Word):

To make us more like Christ....

God uses:

His Word

Other People

&

Difficult circumstances

God's word provides the truth we need to know.

God's people provide the support we need to grow.

Difficult circumstances provide the environment we need to show Christ-likeness.

Dezmin

For as long as I can remember my family has always thought it incredibly funny to tickle me. I'm sure it started with my dad. He's infamous for diggin' his fingers into my neck and causing me to go into a squirming fit. It's not my favorite tradition...

In the photo above is my cousin, Dezmin, in a sly attempt to tickle me. He's always been particularly drawn to me and has been incredibly sweet and affectionate, but in spite of all his sweetness this little sucker is also the little brother I'm thankful I never had. :)

Dezmin and a few members of the new generation have picked up on the tickle Marcy tradition. During one of his tickle attempts we jokingly wrestled around for a bit until I pushed him to the ground. He hit the ground a bit harder than expected, but what made us laugh was my instant reaction to the situation.

As he was sprawled on the floor looking up at me in complete surprise as I said "Look what you did! You made me push you....now apologize!!"
With total shock and amazement at what I had just said, he laughingly replied with "Whhhhaaaat?!?!? You did it!!!!"

LOL! life is so good as an Infante!

Delicious Denton Day

Low 7o's in Denton. The sun is shining and the 'winder' is blowin' just perfectly! Today is delicious! Hung around the house for a little today and decided that there was nothing that couldn't wait until later to finish. Changed, grabbed my keys and yelled for the boys, and we were headed to the dog park!

The boys (Roddey & Parker) were pretty chill today. I generally have to keep my eye on Roddey as he's infamously sneaky! He somehow learned how to open adjoining gates and escape to greener pastures, but today he was chill. He sniffed, played and mostly seemed content to bask in the sunshine. Parker was just as chill, but then again he's always been chill and rarely gets in trouble, much like his momma.

While enjoying the world I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Parker Poo Poo and his new beagle friend simultaneously stopped playing, faced the sunshine, closed their eyes and sniffed the air for a few seconds. When the sniffing ended this sweet breeze blew by....I couldn't help but wonder what it was they smelled or how they new it was coming or what was it in the air...they made it look so tempting. I couldn't help but think of God.

I don't know why, but He was very near in that moment. Do you think animals are aware of his presence? Rocks will sing His praises if we don't, so why not animals? :)

Other things that made this day great:

My brother called and taught me about Pirate English on Facebook! This may be old news, but it's new news to me and I love reading things like

Cap'n Marcy Infante or Cap'n Sara Lowry

Me Hearties (439) (apparently friends are now called hearties. I love it!!)

Gained knowledge doin' Health Studies at Texas Woman's UniversityBeen sailin' since Octobarrr 17

When I said I liked an art project my friend Cassie created I got this in return "Yar scurvey self be aprreciat'in this."

When my status was liked I read this

PacoandTami , Nick, Khela Huntsinger an' 4 other mateys be likin' this ere' scroll.

Margene , Kara an' 2 other mateys be takin' a fancy t' this 'ere.

I'm so easily amused!

I had wheat pancakes for lunch.

My hair is messy, but it looks sorta nice. I'll take it!! haha

My sister came in and we had a good catch up conversation. I've missed these. She's been a bit stressed since school started.

While talking to her I said "I have a confession." She immediately assumed the worst and started asking a million questions. When I shared my confession she and I were both surprised to see how much my heart has changed. There was a time when a "confession" was most likely linked to sexual sin, this wasn't the case today. I hadn't realized how much He's changed my heart....

Another funny moment occurred during our conversation when I noticed her lovingly closing her eyes, shaking her head from side to side while pursing her lips together. I stopped talking and asked what she was doing. She replied "I was mentally hugging you for being such a good girl."

My super chica Uyen came over after dinner to take my sister out on a frozen yogurt date, and I'm assuming Yogurt Fusion, they're fav hangout. When she came to greet me in my bedroom she noticed my desk and laughed. I had an odd assortment scattered across my desk like a Clorox spray bottle, Windex, a plate (from my lunch panckes), a starbucks mug, a decanter, floss, and make up. :) I'd offer to take and post a picture, but that's just embarrassing!

I'm off to have breakfast for dinner with some friends in Irving tonight! See ya!

Swim Shirts

I get regular emails from swimoutlet.com and today I was stoked to see these new shirts!!! Pretty dang clever if you ask me!

click on each photo for an enlarged view.

Fast Catch Up

I'm about to start week 3 of steps. Week one was a breeze. The going deeper section of week 2 semi got on my nerves. I had a difficult time answering some of the questions. I know the 'right' answer, but I didn't know if I really believed the answers. Does that make sense? Anyhow, I wrestled a bit and semi gave up trying, but in the end some questions (and the lack of answers) continue to haunt me.

The Sugar Fast:

Sugar. I've done so incredibly well in this area it's kinda scary.

A few weeks ago some friends (Sara, Renatta & Mita) and I went out for a Wal-Mart run. Sara had a hankerin' for ice cream and Mita needed school supplies for her upcoming semester at TWU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (yay!! i'm still so very proud of you O' sister of mine!) I'm not typically inclined to join the gaggle of girls (or even guys) for mass shopping, but they left me with no option. I went along and it wasn't that bad.

We finally made it to the ice cream section. Sara is perusing the isle looking for the perfect sweet treat, when I noticed to my favorite Mexican ice cream! I pressed my face to this glass in amazement and think "Why in the world would this primarily 'white' Wal-Mart carry those and in some many FLAVORS?!?!?!?!"

I can't remember for certain what I said, maybe I just groaned, like I said...I can't remember. When I suddenly hear Sara say "Awww....(that was a not so sympathetic awww by the way) you can check back in July."

*insert mental explicative here* I, as well as the other ladies, couldn't help but laugh..... That's how accountability works with us. Thanks, y'all!

You better believe that between now and June 30th I won't be found anywhere near the Swisher Wal-Mart! As I've matured I've learned that in order for me to beat temptation I need to be far removed from those triggers! I'll be shopping in Denton from here on out! =)

The Man Fast:

This portion of my fast has proven to be much more of a challenge.

I met an exceptional man before this fast started and for the first time in my history with men I obeyed God, put the friendship on hold, and entered this season of non-distraction with the Lord. Although, I haven't been actively engaged with this particular man, he continues to consume my thought life.... On a number of mornings after non stop nightly fantasizing session about him I've awoken and begged God for freedom from him and these endless thoughts. It has been obvious that despite the fact that we're not communicating he's still such a huge distraction! It's tiresome and I long for something else...

This verse comes to mind:

for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me,

the fountain of living waters,

and hewed out cisterns for themselves,

broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Jeremiah 2:13

As previously posted, men continue to come out of the wood works. I haven't had any issue withstanding these tests, but there have been certain times that I find myself lonely or bored and I long for that attention. I can't wait for this part of me to change.

My current indulgence!

IndoctriNation

Looking forward to seeing this.

Lessons and Laughter

On Monday and Wednesday nights I teach a few swim lessons for a mixed group of swimmers at the natatorium. I rarely consider teaching aquatics a chore or even work for that matter because I love it so dang much. It's easy to say that I'd do this for free for the rest of life if I was able.

On Wednesday night I found myself teaching a preschool class for two sisters, Audrey & Caroline. Both girls are sweet and well behaved, but fearful as they haven't learned to trust me. We're working on going underwater and streamlining. Caroline goes first. She completes the exercise and when she comes up from the dip I hand her a pink toy whale. She's delighted and her enthusiasm excites her older sister, Audrey. Both girls do well for their first dip and both are rewarded with toys.

The next dip is upon Caroline so I extend my hand and ask for the toy whale. She hesitates and nearly refuses to relinquish her toy whale. Caroline has no idea that after this next dip I plan on rewarding her with a much larger and more elaborate toy whale.

It was then that I saw it....I nearly teared up just realizing what He was showing me. How often do we hold onto tiny toy whales without understanding that He's asking for them because we need free hands for the upcoming task, and because He has something so much bigger and better for us if only we obey and trust Him.

If only you could've seen her face when I gave her the new whale! It was precious, totally precious!!!

Pictured below are some of my favorite swimmers, Avery & Grant.

You haven't seen cute until you've had a chance to hang out with these little studs!

Their mom, Patti, a sweet friend and incredible example. I love her.

A few weeks ago I noticed that the lap lane pool was available. It's normally crawling with Denton ISD swimmers, but seeing as it was during Christmas break the swimmers were gone and it was our turn to play!

Over the last few weeks A & G have been killin' it in the smaller heated pool. I decided it was high time to introduce them to the big pool! I was so excited, until I started to get in the water. Lemme just tell you that it was uncomfortably cold! I took my first step in and thought 'wow. that's really cold'. I took another step, water now up to my thighs, and it felt like someone was suckin' the air out of lungs. I knew what I had to do. I had to just get it over with and fully submerge myself, but the thought of putting 'the girls' under was more than I could stand at the moment. I waited another few seconds. I couldn't do it! It was freezing! I looked up and noticed the guard on deck trying his hardest not to laugh at me. I gave him the stink eye, but it only made the laughter erupt, it was then I decided to just do it and get it over with! I did, it was awful, completely awful! and it took 600 meters to warm me up enough to tolerate the cooler temperature. (Lap pools are often heated in the winter, but not overly heated as the warmer temperatures coupled with a hard workout often gives long distance swimmers massive headaches. Imagine running on a treadmill in the middle of summer in a non air conditioned room, it's something like that.)

When Patti arrives with the kids and sees me in the lap lane she's equally excited! Patti's a swimmer as well and understands that having the kids in the bigger pool, swimming measured meters, will help give us a better gauge for their progress and endurance.

The kids are excited and start stripping off their clothing. I call Patti over and explain to her that the water is unreasonably cold, and that if she's game I planned on having the kids just jump right in rather than walk in through the stairs. She agrees with the plan and stands back.

Avery walks to the edge of the pool and is getting ready to sit down. I dont want her feet to touch the water as I knew that if she felt how cold it was she wouldn't want to get in. I then tell her she's going to jump in, but that she has to hold my hand. She's a bit confused because she hasn't had to hold my hand while jumping in for some time now. But, she's a sweet girl and follows directions well and holds my hand. I don't even have to tell you how this goes down. I'm actually laughing as I write this....

Poor Avery. She jumps in on my command and I promise, you have never seen a child come up out of the water with such velocity!! She immediately reaches for me with her free hand and begins to crawl up my body and over my shoulders so fast to get out of the water! All she could say was "it's cold! it's cold! I wanna get out! I wanna get out!" as she's scrambling to get on deck. Patti and I are in hysterics. I couldn't control myself! It was so awful to laugh that hard, and yet so great!

My hysteria was only heightened when Grant, who was somehow oblivious to his sister's reaction to the frigid water just moments earlier, had the same reaction when he it was his turn! I just remember his huge blue eyes and his massive gasp for air as he hit the surface reaching to me for protection. For a moment it seemed as if he searched my face to see if was crazy. Maybe just a little. Patti is still laughing, but is now wagging her finger at me and saying "You're a mean Miss Marcy! Totally Mean Miss Marcy!"

Oh man!!! I'm still laughing and I feel awful about it, but goodness gracious that was such a great laugh and will forever be such a great memory. Just know that I tell this story so much better than I write it! Well, I tell it well when I'm not laughing about, but if you can understand me between my laughing fits, it's pretty comical.

Needless to say they warmed up. We immediately grabbed two kick boards, I took one child under each arm and started to run down the lane with them as they kicked their little legs off. I certainly got my workout in that day and they were such troopers.

When we finished in the big pool and got into regular pool, Avery said "Ahhhhh...this feels like a bathtub." Grant said "Miss Marcy, I don't wanna go in the other pool ever again, ok?" I just smiled and didn't make any promises.

I. Love. My. Job!!

Snowy Sunday

North Texas looks beautiful today. A few inches of snow covers the trees, cars and ground. Pretty. Pretty! If you get a chance to drive past TWU's Lowry woods, do it! It's gorgeous and completely intact. I'm guessing that wouldn't be the case if the students were back in town.

I needed to run a quick errand so I yelled for my pooch (who snuck past me and headed out for some fresh air when I opened the door) and carefully made my way to my truck. As I got situated myself inside, turned on the ignition and started to reach for my seat belt I noticed that my windshield was completely covered in snow. I tried using my wipers, but the fresh snow was a bit too heavy and the wipers wouldn't budge. Remembering that my ice scrapper is usually stored under my driver's seat, I reached for it, but couldn't find it. Looking over my right shoulder I saw my blue flippers and had a ingenius idea!!!

Lemme just say that my flippers did the trick and because they're longer than my ice scrapper my boobies were spared! I usually have to lean quite a bit when reaching for the middle portion of the windshield, which usually leaves my girls pressed directly into the cold snow or ice packed on the side and hood of my truck. Frozen bubbies are no bueno and they seem to take so, so much longer to warm up that say my feet or hands! LOL go figure!!

Anyhow, when I got home I decided it was time for some hot chocolate. Found this recipe online and it's delish! Naturally, I tweaked it to my tastes by adding cinnamon and using 1% milk instead of whole. I also used light dutch cocoa that I purchased at Sprouts not long ago. Good stuff and incredibly economical. I'd suggest using less salt and maybe less sugar. If you like rich hot chocolate this will hit the spot!

Ingredients

Makes 5 3/4 cups dry mix or 92 eight-ounce servings

• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/4 cups cocoa
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• Whole milk for serving

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, and salt, and whisk to combine well. Store the mixture in an airtight container.
2. For individual servings, pour 1 cup whole milk into a microwave-safe mug, and microwave on high just until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa mix, and stir to dissolve. For a larger batch of cocoa, warm the milk in a saucepan set over medium-low heat, taking care not to let the milk boil; as it warms, stir in 2 tablespoons of mix for each cup of milk.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Homemade Hot Chocolate - Martha Stewart Recipes