rosca de reyes

I made this bread over the Christmas time. but have not posted anything lately...

This is how it is suppose to look like:

Step one: roll the dough after being risen for a while..

make a ring!

Decorate with a sugar paste and candied fruit...

bake!!.

times 2:

(it is suppose to have little plastic dolls inside the bread and when you cut it , you'll find a doll... then you need to have a party later on as a reward or punishment...).. it looks not as pretty as the book's picture, but it was good!!!!

Decorate the house very Mexican, have friends over and eat!,.. it actually turned out very yummy!....

A very traditional Mexican bread... my first try.. great fun!!

flood stories around the world

..... just to name a few, more than 270 stories record of a world wide flood are found all over the worrld!

Africa
Southwest Tanzania
Once upon a time the rivers began to flood. The god told two people to get into a ship. He told them to take lots of seed and to take lots of animals. The water of the flood eventually covered the mountains. Finally the flood stopped. Then one of the men, wanting to know if the water had dried up let a dove loose. The dove returned. Later he let loose a hawk which did not return. Then the men left the boat and took the animals and the seeds with them.
Asia
China
The Chinese classic called the Hihking tells about "the family of Fuhi," that was saved from a great flood. This ancient story tells that the entire land was flooded; the mountains and everything, however one family survived in a boat. The Chinese consider this man the father of their civilization. This record indicates that Fuhi, his wife, three sons, and three daughters were the only people that escaped the great flood. It is claimed, that he and his family were the only people alive on earth, and repopulated the world.

Babylon
Gilgamesh met an old man named Utnapishtim, who told him the following story. The gods came to Utnapishtim to warn him about a terrible flood that was coming. They instructed Utnapishtim to destroy his house and build a large ship. The ship was to be 10 dozen cubits high, wide and long. Utnapishtim was to cover the ship with pitch. He was supposed to take male and female animals of all kinds, his wife and family, provisions, etc. into the ship. Once ship was completed the rain began falling intensely. The rain fell for six days and nights. Finally things calmed and the ship settled on the top of Mount Nisir. After the ship had rested for seven days Utnapishtim let loose a dove. Since the land had not dried the dove returned. Next he sent a swallow which also returned. Later he let loose a raven which never returned since the ground had dried. Utnapishtim then left the ship.
Chaldean
There was a man by the name of Xisuthrus. The god Chronos warned Xisuthrus of a coming flood and told him to build a boat. The boat was to be 5 stadia by 2 stadia. In this boat Xisuthrus was to put his family, friends and two of each animal (male and female). The flood came. When the waters started to recede he let some birds loose. They came back and he noticed they had mud on their feet. He tried again with the same results. When he tried the third time the birds did not return. Assuming the water had dried up the people got out of the boat and offered sacrifices to the gods.
India
A long time ago lived a man named Manu. Manu, while washing himself, saved a small fish from the jaws of a large fish. The fish told Manu, "If you care for me until I am full grown I will save you from terrible things to come". Manu asked what kind of terrible things. The fish told Manu that a great flood would soon come and destroy everything on the earth. The fish told Manu to put him in a clay jar for protection. The fish grew and each time he outgrew the clay jar Manu gave him a larger one. Finally the fish became a ghasha, one of the largest fish in the world. The fish instructed Manu to build a large ship since the flood was going to happen very soon. As the rains started Manu tied a rope from the ship to the ghasha. The fish guided the ship as the waters rose. The whole earth was covered by water. When the waters began subsiding the ghasha led Manu's ship to a mountaintop.

Australia
There is a legend of a flood called the Dreamtime flood. Riding on this flood was the woramba, or the Ark Gumana. In this ark was Noah, Aborigines, and various animals. This ark eventually came to rest in the plain of Djilinbadu where it can still be found. They claim that the white mans story about the ark landing in the middle east is a lie that was started to keep the aborigines in subservience. This legend is undoubtedly the product of aboriginal legends merging with those of visiting missionaries, and there does not appear to be any native flood stories from Australia.
Europe
Greece A long time ago, perhaps before the golden age was over, humans became proud. This bothered Zeus as they kept getting worse. Finally Zeus decided that he would destroy all humans. Before he did this Prometheus, the creator of humans, warned his human son Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha. Prometheus then placed this couple in a large wooden chest. The rains started and lasted nine days and nights until the whole world was flooded. The only thing that was not flooded was the peaks of Mount Parnassus and Mount Olympus. Mount Olympus is the home of the gods. The wooden chest came to rest on Mount Parnassus. Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha got out and saw that everything was flooded. The lived on provisions from the chest until the waters subsided. At Zeus' instruction they re-populated the earth.
North America
Mexico
The Toltec natives have a legend telling that the original creation lasted for 1716 years, and was destroyed by a flood that covered the highest mountains and only one family survived by a closed chest. The Toltecs claim they started as a family of 7 after they built a large tower to provide a safe place if the world were destroyed ahain, however, the languages became confused, so different language grous wandered to other parts of the world.
Aztec- A man named Tapi lived a long time ago. Tapi was a very pious man. The creator told Tapi to build a boat that he would live in. He was told that he should take his wife, a pair of every animal that was alive into this boat. Naturally everyone thought he was crazy. Then the rain started and the flood came. The men and animals tried to climb the mountains but the mountains became flooded as well. Finally the rain ended. Tapi decided that the water had dried up when he let a dove loose that did not return.
United States
The Ojibwe natives who have lived in Minnesota USA since approximately 1400AD also have a creation and flood story that closely paralleles the Biblical account. "There came a time when the harmonious way of life did not continue. Men and women disrespected each other, families quarreled and soon villages began arguing back and forth. This saddened Gitchie Manido [the Creator] greatly, but he waited. Finally, when it seemed there was no hope left, Creator decided to purify Mother Earth through the use of water. The water came, flooding the Earth, catching all of creation off guard. All but a few of each living thing survived." Then it tells how Waynaboozhoo survived by floating on a log in the water with various animals.Ojibwe - Ancient native American creation story tells of world wide flood.
Delaware Indians - In the pristine age, the world lived at peace; but an evil spirit came and caused a great flood. The earth was submerged. A few persons had taken refuge on the back of a turtle, so old that his shell had collected moss. A loon flew over their heads and was entreated to dive beneath the water and bring up land. It found only a bottomless sea. Then the bird flew far away, came back with a small portion of earth in its bill, and guided the tortoise to a place where there was a spot of dry land.

South America
Inca During the period of time called the Pachachama people became very evil. They got so busy coming up with and performing evil deeds they neglected the gods. Only those in the high Andes remained uncorrupted. Two brothers who lived in the highlands noticed their llamas acting strangely. They asked the llamas why and were told that the stars had told the llamas that a great flood was coming. This flood would destroy all the life on earth. The brothers took their families and flocks into a cave on the high mountains. It started to rain and continued for four months. As the water rose the mountain grew keeping its top above the water. Eventually the rain stopped and the waters receded. The mountain returned to its original height. The shepherds repopulated the earth. The llamas remembered the flood and that is why they prefer to live in the highland areas.

Astronomy class.

Jupiter.. and its Big Red Spot!!, The craft:

Make a hurricane!..It was really fun... they could have spent hours turning it over and over and over again racing with each other to see which one wins. And they are very excited every time we get together to learn Astronomy, which is good, because S. wants to be an Astronaut and M an Astronomer!...

Our life

Piano recital!... M. playing "Fur Elise" and "Minuet" and S. receiving the applause proudly after playing "Snake Charmer" and "Rain Dance"

Here, I'm trying to beat my boys in hockey!!... ha!.. They had mercy on me and I was the only one allowed with a stick! they were playing with No sticks and they still won!.

My two treasures at the "Biodome" in Montreal.

Astronomy class.

The Mars project was really fun. They had to create an artificial ecosystem to be able to live in. All they had to work with, were boxes, masking tape, aluminum foil, and plastic containers... and this is what they made with their friends!!.They are covering their mouths, because they are outside and there is NO OXYGEN!!. It has solar panels and windows to look out into space! ,and it is REALLY big!!!.. it takes over my basement!

baby shower

Here is a picture of the cake from the baby shower.... it is a basket with baby stuff "inside". It turned out to be amazing!. The daughter of a friend came to decorate it... I loved it so much.. I can't wait to decorate one on my own! The centre of the table, has a real basket (not edible) filled with small blue balloons and baby toys inside. The punch bowl, had the "special baby shower punch" with ice cream and a baby duck floating (it looked like a baby bath).. It was really cute!.

James 2:10

The difference between the humanistic point of view taught at schools these days and the christian way of educating our children, is that their purpose of education is to train up a servant of man alone, and someone who answers only to man for their actions. Where we as Christians, our purpose is completely the opposite... Servants of Jesus and answer to God for our actions. Therefore, both are 2 competitive powers against the heart of our kids. No wonder Christianity is under attack.

We need to train our children to interpret everything they learn through the eyes of the Scripture to develop a strong character, teaching them that everything they learn, every subject, every concept, should be put to the test against the Scripture.

But our view of success is so switched even in christian homes. Go to school, so you can go to university, so you can get a job, so you'll make lots of money, so you can buy a big house, a nice car, nice clothes.... so you can be happy. when the purpose of being successful is nothing even close to that. Every commandment is broken and promoted to be broken.

ONE: You shall have no other gods before Me.

Friends, popularity, video games, sports... are some gods promoted right and left. From an early age it has been taught for many years, that the world is a chance, not created, just a product of... a lot of luck!. Therefore.. there is no God.... you are free to do as you please and for us to govern ourselves as we please.. (you decide your destiny).. people make rules inspired by lust and try to gain the power that does not belong to us. And people are convinced that they have the control... blinded to the reality happening around them. The god of people is people itself.

TWO: You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,

Everyone worship something ... putting themselves above the God who is jealous, and teaching them that they are accountable to no one except themselves. They fear not for the generations after them... they are too worried satisfying their own desires...they live for the now and today. Kids are being "trained" to reject the Lord directly or very softlyin a very seductive manner.

THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

This holy and perfect name is misused many times in one sentence. And  it does not offend us anymore. 

FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Less and less, kids are being taught to give one day of the week to the Lord, going to church is not "cool". The things taught at church are irrelevant for life, they say, forgetting that they are full of wisdom. Soccer practices, swimming lessons, and games are held on Sundays, leaving church attendance for others.

FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.

Kids are disrespectful to their parents.. their first role model becomes the peers at school speaking about their parents as if they were fools. Parents are afraid of their kids, they do not discipline them, and kids run the house. By the age of 10, kids feel they know more than their parents, books they read and movies they watch, are full of kids dishonoring their parents. And that becomes the role model for them.

SIX: You shall not murder.

Kids are allowed to do as they please, they can destroy any one's reputation, they are not careful with their mouths, the law of the strongest one will win at any cost is applied in every school. Abortion is taught as a valid and personal choice, as if there is nothing wrong in the murder of an innocent life in the most incredible, cruel, horrific and painful possible way... for the sake of "pro-choice".

SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.

Now a days, the schools and society, knows nothing on this topic. Kids at alarming ages are being raped of their innocence. In our own home they are being attacked by pictures, movies, cartoons, books,... by training kids as early as possible to a liberal society where God is not "allowed". There is a war against God, trying to train people to believe that there is NO God..... how foolish!.

EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.

If you can get away with it, good!.. that is the new way of thinking. As long as no one knows, you are OK. As long as you stay out of jail, your actions are just funny or daring or even we are bold enough to say they are brave!, cool, and popular. If you are only answerable to yourselves, then anything goes.

NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Then again... if it will keep you out of trouble, do what you have to do. Spreading lies about others just because you heard them and makes you look better than that person, it is taught by example over and over again by parents, teachers, peers and TV. To not refrain your tongue from evil, is a very odd thought. Speak that what is right and thinking of other higher than yourselves, is view as wrong. But the idea of indulgance because "you deserve it" is the new rule.

TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'

Go to school, so you can go to university, so you can get a well paying job, so you can get a big house, a nice car, a boat, nice expensive clothes, ... why?... because we want what others have. We covet. The rat race is a never end story.. poor people want what you have and you want what richer people have...It is a training process that has taken years to "perfection", people live in debt to get to their material goals, greed rules our society! ...for kids it is: to have the toy, the computer, the cell phone, the video game, to watch the latest movie, to go to a sports event, a concert, to read the new book, to wear certain brand, to act in a certain way, to..., to,... And for adults.... not too different!, or no different at all.

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. James2:10

Happiness is found in nothing but the Lord Jesus Christ and knowing that my sins are forgiven.