Mission Trip Video

Before I let any more time pass I must share with you the video from our most recent trip to Guatemala... in September.... because you know I'm so on top of things.  Enjoy!

On Mission With God In Guatemala - Sat. and Sun.

We're in Guatemala!!! We arrived Saturday around lunchtime very tired but eager to begin our work here.  After a quick bite to eat and a stop to drop off our luggage at the mission house, we went straight to the church that our missionaries have started to watch the Jesus film. 

 The new church in La Jocotillo

The moment we stepped out of the van we were swarmed with kids hugging us.  Talk about a warm welcome!  A few adults also came to see the movie and we enjoyed meeting them also.

  Tommy loving on the kids.

After the movie we drove back into the city for dinner.  We passed signs for the place Kenan was born and the hotel where we met him for the first time.  That was very special for me.  I'm looking forward to the time when we can bring him back here.  We also ate at the same restaurant we went to as an adoption group and had a great authentic Guatemalan meal.

 We even sat at the same table and in the same seats as last time.

Sunday morning we woke up feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep.  We worshiped online with our church before heading back to Jocotillo for their morning services.

 The Mission House

On the way there we passed a field of pineapples that were being harvested.  Did you know that pineapples grow on top of bushes?

  The workers were very nice and even gave us a few.

Church started with Sunday School.  We colored with the kids, helped them with a memory verse and played a game before service started. 

                                  Rex with some of the boys wearing his Guatemalan shirt.

Garrett comparing sizes.

Loved this beautiful girl's Myan outfit.

Lunch was the Guatemalan version of Mexican and I must say it was very good.



After a short rest we attended The Gathering.  It's an evening servie they have for missionaries and other English speaking people in the area lead by the family that runs the mission house. 

It's been a very full two days so far.  Tomorrow we start the demolition and prep work for the bridge.  Looking forward to another great day!

The Beginning Of The End

Today was the first day of my baby's last year in elementary school.  I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around it, it just doesn't seem possible that she's in fifth grade already!  In just a few weeks I'll be taking the little man to start his last year in preschool... time is flying by and they're growing up so fast!

We had an awesome summer!  We traveled quite a bit, had lots of fun, and those three months went by so fast it doesn't feel like it's time for school to start again.  I'm already thinking about next year's vacation...

Even though I'm sad to see it go, I will admit I won't miss the sibling bickering that comes with so much togetherness.

One last thing, just had to share 'cause I think it's so cute... This was a first for me, a welcome back teacher gift.  How "sweet" is that?!



3rd Gotcha Day

It was three years ago that we met our precious Kenan for the first time.  He was 11 1/2 months old, just two weeks shy of his first birthday.  He had just started walking and was doing more falling down than anything else.  He was still taking a bottle every two hours and not sleeping through the night.  He was wearing fleece lined overalls and two shirts even though it was nearly eighty degrees.  He was used to being held constantly.  He was all smiles, giggles, and drool.

It is a moment that is burned into my memory forever and one that I will cherish and share with my husband and daughter who were there for this momentous occasion.  It's when I became a mommy again to a little boy who needed a family. 

My how time flies when the waiting is over.  It doesn't seem like three years have gone by at all.  Isn't it strange how perspectives change from the other side?  The baby that was placed in our arms is a baby no more.  He runs, talks, plays video games, goes to preschool.  It never ceases to amaze me just how well he fits our family.  I absolutely adore him, even when he throws a temper tantrum. 

On our 3rd Gotcha Day anniversary we went to our favorite chinese restaurant.  I know... If we could find a Guatemalan restaurant we'd go there... After waiting an hour and fifteen minutes we were finally seated and as hungry as he was, all the boy wanted to eat was the cookies.  He did try some chicken but that night was all about the fortune cookies.

He gave them two thumbs up!

We know how blessed we are with this handsome little guy.  I pray we never take for granted the gift we've been entrusted with.  There are a number of people I know who are still in the waiting phase.  Waiting to be picked by a birth mom, waiting to finally have a child of their own.  I want to offer them hope and encouragement.  I know, I understand.  It's hard.  Probably harder than you thought it would ever be.  More importantly, God knows.  Even though we can't see it, there IS an end in sight.  Hold on and don't ever give up.  Trust me, it's worth every tear. 

Wordless Wednesday - First Visit To The Dentist

Wordless Wednesday - Snowball Fight

Christmas Memories 2010 and Happy New Year 2011

Happy 2011!!  Christmas came fast and furious this year.  I guess technically that would be last year at this point, anyway...  It's hard to believe it's all over with already.  Our house was a flurry of activity with choir productions, school parties, trips to see family, and company for the holidays.  To make things even more exciting, it seems we passed some sort of virus back and forth between the four of us for the past six weeks or more.  I'm exhausted to say the least!  To start my review of the past month, here are some of my favorite chotchkies from the holiday.

I've been Room Mom for Madeline since she started school and every year I make an ornament for all the kids, plus teachers, in her class of whatever the classroom theme for the year is.  This year her homeroom is all about monkeys.  I added the year, the grade, the school, and the teacher's name to the back of each ornament and put them in a cute gift bag.  I'm pleased with the way they turned out.  The other ornament I loved this year is a life-sized Kenan handprint made by his preschool teacher out of some sort of foam material, very cool.  I found a neat way of displaying some small ornaments and finally got to use the nativity set I found in Ecuador this past summer.  I wish this stuff could stay up all year but then it wouldn't be as special to look at so back in the box it will go until later this year next year. 

This just cracks me up, it's Kenan's version of the Christmas story.  In his little world of course cows and camels could sit on the roof of the stable with the angel.  We may need to review the story a few more times...

Something new we did this year was visit the Speed*way's light display.  They had set the lights to music you could tune into on your car radio.  (Someone in our neighborhood had done the same thing with their yard.  All I could think about was what the people living near them thought with all the cars that kept going up and down their street and stopping in front of their house.)  When you left you had the choice of taking the inside track - flat and boring - or outside track - steep and adventurous.  Well, we had to try the outside of course and it about scared the begeebies out of me!  I just knew we were going to tip over in our mini suv.  Ahh, love makin' those memories!

Next, it was off to visit family at the coast where my two munchkins received some surprises and enjoyed feasting on giant marshmallows to boot.  The day after we returned home was Christmas Eve and we prepared for our guests and attended our church's first ever Christmas Eve Service.  4,000 people showed up!  How lovely it was when the entire sanctuary was filled with candlelight.  Sure wish I had been feeling better.

When we came back home after church we ate one of my favorite meals, Carra*ba's Lentil & Sausage soup, homemade of course.  oh.my.word.  The kids were chomping at the bit to open some presents so we let them tear into a few.  I asked my parents if I drove them crazy on Christmas Eve the same way our little elves were driving us mad and they just looked at each other, smiled, and said, "Yes."  What goes around comes around I guess.  Madeline got a Le*go Bat*Man game she wanted...

...and K-Man was very happy with his new set of trucks. 

  We baked a few cookies for Santa, gave baths and went to bed.  Morning came quickly and we headed back downstairs to see what goodies were brought.

This year it was scooters all around plus a Buzz*light*year and Darth*Vader Le*go set.

Twin Lions - Go Hickory Grove!

They got some new clothes, books, and toys.  Madeline could hardly wait to put her Le*gos together and spent the next few hours in her Star*Wars world.

She amazes me with how fast and perfectly she can get those sets together.  I don't know many girls who love it like she does.  They enjoyed finding more treats in their stockings and for dinner that night we had "Happy Birthday Jesus" lasagna complete with the song and candles.  Then it started to snow!  Technically we did have a white Christmas since it happened before midnight so that counts, right?  All I know is that it added to the excitement of the day and will make this Christmas one we won't forget. 

The next morning was Sunday and I had been asked to sing for church but the early services were cancelled which allowed for a short trip out into our winter wonderland before going to the late service.  Once we came home we spent the afternoon eating, throwing, and doing all things snow!

Views of our backyard including the river and a bird's nest.  So peaceful... then you're brought back to reality when you hear screaming as the two eskimos come racing down the hill on their sled.  I digress... 

Due to the weather we spent the next couple of days playing in the snow and doing inside activities like making a gingerbread house and drinking lots of hot chocolate in front of the fire.  The kids rode their scooters inside, have mercy, and we continue to share the germs that have found a permanent residence within our walls.  Happy New Year!  May it be peaceful and blessed.