About Erika...I was born in Nicaragua but came to the USA when I was five, lived in Florida for 30 years. At the end of 2002, Todd and I met on CatholicMatch.com, we were just a mere 1,500 miles away from one another. ;) I was very intrigued that he was a convert from Southern Baptist yet he knew so much about Catholicism. Quickly I discovered that Todd and I share a lot of loves: the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, and thirst for Him in all we do. But I must confess that I (a cradle Catholic) have learned a lot about our beautiful Mother Church through his quest for knowledge of her; the greatest of these is my new-found love and devotion to Our Blessed Mother (I would ignore her in the past). Needless to say, it was a match made in Heaven and we married in 2004 and now have five amazing children as blessings of our union.
I have a double Bachelors in Elementary and Primary Education and a Masters in Reading Education K-12. I tried to be a working mommy and also be part of my children's lives, but I was missing way too many milestones in their young lives. So I prayed....and in 2008, after more than fifteen years in the education field, I “retired” to begin a new career as full time mommy and home educator for our children. A world I felt so foreign to but now see as a total blessing for our growing family. I enjoy blogging for Raising Little Saints (RLS) for two reasons: 1. I love sharing all of the blessings in our life with others and 2. it helps me stay sane ;)
Thank you for this opportunity to serve you,
About Cristina...
I was born in Costa Rica some 36 years ago. Grew up between the city, the country and the beach, surrounded by siblings and cousins of all ages. My grandmother on my mother's side made sure I made it to Mass on Sundays and often gave me a few coins so I could light some candles. I strayed for a few years but found my way back home after I met my husband and he encouraged me to get back to my roots in the faith. So I have been walking this path, growing in faith for 12 years now and find that every day is a miracle.I went to college in Florida and graduated with a Bachelors in Hospitality Management. Worked for hotels for a few years in everything from front office to revenue management. I married Christopher in November of 2000 and had our first daughter in September 2001. We switched shifts for her first year until we decided we'd all be better off if I stayed home with her. From that day on, I have been a stay at home mother and loved every minute of it. Yes, even the gross, sticky, stinky, cranky minutes are on my list of minutes I have loved. We have homeschooled our children since the beginning and plan, with God's grace, to homeschool them through high school.
Three years ago I was diagnosed with two bulging discs in my back, bone spurring and scoliosis. No wonder it hurt so much to carry my children! My old cheer-leading (yes, I cheered in college but none of my girls will cheer, ever!) injuries were taking a huge toll on me. After lots of adjustments and an infinite search for the baby carrier that would allow me to carry my children for as long as possible, I decided to design my own. Now a run a very tiny home-based business at night, after all the kids have gone to bed and all the schoolwork is checked, making baby wraps for moms and grandmas. I love sewing so it works out very well; I sew and make something helpful, wonderful and amazing women use it and feel better. All in all, a great deal all around.
So, as if a husband, four children, homeschooling, housework and a small business wasn't enough, now I find myself contributing to this wonderful blog. Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts, my trials and my triumphs with all of you.
God bless you and keep you always,
ABOUT KRISTY:
I am Kristy, a stay-at-home Catholic mom of five 
wonderful blessings. Before I became a stay-at-home mom I was an artisan bread baker and still love making breads/cakes/cookies for family and friends. My other big hobby is genealogy research, I love researching my family tree and helping others research theirs.
wonderful blessings. Before I became a stay-at-home mom I was an artisan bread baker and still love making breads/cakes/cookies for family and friends. My other big hobby is genealogy research, I love researching my family tree and helping others research theirs.I was raised marginally Lutheran in Connecticut by parents who had been cradle Catholics. In 1994, I met my future husband, Carl, a cradle Catholic, at college. We weren't very regular churchgoers at first but eventually after the birth of our first daughter in 1999 we found our way back. We had our marriage convalidated and I went through RCIA and was received into the Catholic Church at Easter 2004! We really enjoy doing special activities throughout the Liturgical year and sharing the richness of the Catholic faith with our children and I look forward to being able to do even more once I have the freedom that homeschooling will allow.
I had thought about homeschooling in the past but it wasn't until God showed me that it was possible in the form of a chance park encounter that I seriously considered it. Last summer, as the kids played at an area park I struck up a conversation with Erika and to my delight discovered that she was a fellow Catholic (rare in these parts!), had five children (even rarer!), and that she homeschooled them. We hit it off right away, almost like we had always been close friends. It was suddenly like a light went on and I thought here is this sweet, faithful woman of five who can do this and still remain happy and sane, maybe I can too?So I started researching it and talking to other homeschoolers and now I feel confident that it is the right path for our family. I am sure that it will not be without its setbacks but I am confident that God will give me the grace I need to be successful. I look forward to embarking on the adventure this fall and sharing its trials and triumphs.
Please keep our family in your prayers as we begin our homeschooling journey!
