I do not have much time to blog right now. There is so much going on, but I wanted to just copy/past an email I sent to one of my dear friends, summing up what is going on. As soon as "the dust settles" I will definitely blog some more of my thoughts.
Here is the email:
I will think about next week, next week. You wouldn’t believe my life right now. Haiti was a very interesting experience. Read about my thoughts at Haiti.schweitzerumc.org. I have more thoughts and lots of pictures, I will share asap.
While I was gone, Justin decided to tear up the floor in the kitchen and entry way (hardwood and tile) because we need new tile. Then he also tore up the carpet and padding in the basement. We plan to refinish the concrete. He had to use a sander to get up the glue that was sticking the padding to the concrete. He took every precaution he could to keep the dust downstairs, but it failed miserably. There was dust all over our house. Like, so bad we have to wash every piece of clothing, and every towel/blanket and everything. We also had to take all our possessions out of our house and clean them off. We still cant turn on our heater because there is dust in the ducts, so we need them professionally cleaned. We slept at home last night, finally, because I cant stand to be away from home any more, but had to use space heaters and the house looks like a tornado went through…seriously. Anyway, I cant properly describe the mess in the limited time I have right now, but needless to say, I am extremely stressed. We are dubbing it THE GREAT WHITEOUT OF 2011.
Because we are extremely blessed people, we have not had to tackle this problem alone. Several of our friends showed up to help us clean on Saturday. There is no way we could be anywhere close to where we are without the amazing, selfless, hard-working people in our lives that gave up their own agendas on Saturday to help us make our home more liveable.
I was already stressed because I knew I was coming back to HUGE messes at work, I was not expecting my home to follow suit. I am thankful for all I have, and definitely have it better than those folks in Haiti, I am just really having a hard time not feeling sorry for myself. Sounds so selfish, especially in light of all the suffering I witnessed last week, I know. I am having a hard time reconciling it in my head.
More Later -
Monday, December 12, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thankful
What a blessed life I live! If you are reading this, I just wanted to challenge you to keep a list of things you are thankful for, maybe in a journal, maybe on a post-it…however you want, and just keep it available to remind yourself how blessed you are. I promise you, life is better when you focus on the positive! We all have challenges in our lives, and periods of our lives that seem hopeless, but we can never EVER lose hope!
MAY THE GOD OF HOPE FILL YOU WILL ALL THE JOY AND PEACE AS YOU TRUST IN HIM SO THAT YOU WAY OVERFLOW WITH HOPE BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. ROMANS 15:13
In honor of the month of November, and Thanksgiving, I have been participating on facebook in the Thankfulness Project, which was to post something you are thankful for every day of November. Below are my entries along with some commentary in italics, because, I am me after all, and always gotta have commentary:
November 1 - just some inspiration for the project – Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Phil 4:8
November 2 – Today, I am thankful that I live my life surrounded by remarkable people. Whatever the world throws at me, there is always someone who has gone through it before. Thank God for surrounding me with “a cloud of witnesses.” Heb 12:1
November 3 – Today, I am thankful for my job. I get to do work I enjoy, for a company I believe in, with people I really care about. I am truly blessed!
November 4 –Today, I am thankful for my smart, hilarious, adorable, sweet, big-hearted oldest son, Hunter! I am totally in love with my kiddos – they brighten every day, and I know I am annoying about it but choose to do nothing to correct my annoying behavior…sorry!
November 5 –Today, I am thankful for my adorable, strong-willed, smart, precious, active, wild, snuggly, squishy and sweet youngest baby boy, Ben, Benny Boo or Benjy! I was going to try to use the same number of adjectives to describe Benjy, but forgot!
November 6 – Today, I am thankful for my amazing parents. If I grow up to be 1/10 as awesome as them, the world will be a better place from having me in it. Words fail me, but just trust me: they are even more awesome than you think!
November 7 – Today, I am thankful for my church. It is not a perfect institution, and certainly not a perfect group of people, but we are on a mission, and our Leader is perfect. So that is pretty cool! Our church is going through a “Healthy Church Initiative” project right now, where an outside consulting firm came in to do a checkup and give us some suggestions for change. This was the day those suggestions were announced, and it just showed me how great of a church I am blessed to belong to.
November 8 – Today, I am thankful for perspective. Things are rarely as hopeless as they appear, and when we trust in the Lord, He fulfills His promises, just not usually how we expect. “And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
November 9 – Today, I am thankful for Fall. What a beautiful season. I think this was a day where the trees were in their most beautiful state, it was an amazing Fall in the Ozarks this year!
November 10 – Today, I am thankful that I can read. Literacy is a gift, and without it my life would be vastly different.
November 11 – Today, I am thankful to live in this country. We were founded by deeply optimistic principles, and have been defended by deeply committed veterans. What a testimony to the world that Freedom is not Free, but is worth the sacrifice. Thank you Veterans! – This was veterans day.
November 12 – Today, I am thankful for the lake. So peaceful.
November 13 – Today, I am thankful that my husband, kids and I are healthy. I absolutely never take good health for granted!
November 14 – Today, while I am not thankful for Mondays, I am thankful for weekends! Especially ones that are as blessed as this last one was. And, I survived Monday! Goodnight!
November 15 – Today, I am thankful for laughter. Sometimes it is all we need to get through a day!
November 16 – Today, I am thankful for my busy schedule. I am living a full life and I love it! When I do get overwhelmed, 30 minutes in my chair usually does the trick. Calm in the middle of chaos…so I guess that is two things today: busy life and calm breaks.
November 17 – Thankful for some really good news I heard this morning!! Seriously, people. So much to be thankful for! A brother getting married, a friend having a baby and another friend getting a new car! (those are all really awesome things, trust me!) Thankful day 17 is super-easy! Keep the good news coming!
November 18 – Today, I am thankful it is Friday. I really need a weekend!
November 19 – Today, I am extremely thankful for a day at home. I cant even begin to tell you how badly I needed a day like this! Spending the day at home with my boys, trying to catch up on chores = my idea of a perfect Saturday!
November 20 – Today, I am thankful for three things: Sabbath rest, coffee, and girlfriend. I’m really looking forward to church this morning, chicken chili in the crockpot for lunch, my hubby coming home from deer camp and…girls night out tonight!!
November 21 – Today, I am thankful for a warm home, car, coat and workplace. So blessed to have a warm place to be!
November 22 – Today, I am thankful for friends. Specifically, friends who can make me laugh when things are tough. Life is short, belly laugh as much as possible. That is my advice.
November 23 – Today, I am thankful for JEANS DAY!! One day a year, we get to wear jeans to work as a fundraiser for the ADA. Best work day of the year! Then a 4 day weekend, SWEET!
November 24 – This was Thanksgiving, and I saved being thankful for my hubby until the actual day. I mean, I was thankful for him everyday, but wanted him to get Thanksgiving as his day to be thankfulled for. Today, I am thankful for my husband. Through all that life brings, he continues to be my partner and friend. Life is hard, and I am thankful to get to spend it with that man. He has a servant’s heart and is a fabulous dad. My kids and I are blessed to have him as ours. Happy Thanksgiving!
November 25 – Today, I am thankful for my whole fan-damily, including those near and far, my side and in-laws! I am extremely blessed to get to raise my children surrounded by such love!
November 26 – Today gets an A+. I guess I forgot to say what I was thankful for that day. Probably just my life in general. We spent that day at home all day, and then went on a date that night…our first in at least 6 months! So, that was pretty nice!
November 27 – Today, I am thankful that my boys spent the night with my parents, and I slept till 8am. Seriously disoriented from sleeping so late. Good morning.
November 28 – Today, I am thankful that my children have such different personalities! Makes life extra extra fun!
November 29 – Today, I am thankful for Christmas!! Best season of the year!
November 30 – Today, I am thankful that I have so much to be thankful for! I could easily list thousands of things I am thankful for, and still be forgetting some. Particularly, today, I am thankful that I am able to follow God’s call to Haiti and know that my kids, my home and my work responsibilities are all in good hands. I feel at peace because I am surrounded by people who make my life easier than it could be.
MAY THE GOD OF HOPE FILL YOU WILL ALL THE JOY AND PEACE AS YOU TRUST IN HIM SO THAT YOU WAY OVERFLOW WITH HOPE BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. ROMANS 15:13
In honor of the month of November, and Thanksgiving, I have been participating on facebook in the Thankfulness Project, which was to post something you are thankful for every day of November. Below are my entries along with some commentary in italics, because, I am me after all, and always gotta have commentary:
November 1 - just some inspiration for the project – Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Phil 4:8
November 2 – Today, I am thankful that I live my life surrounded by remarkable people. Whatever the world throws at me, there is always someone who has gone through it before. Thank God for surrounding me with “a cloud of witnesses.” Heb 12:1
November 3 – Today, I am thankful for my job. I get to do work I enjoy, for a company I believe in, with people I really care about. I am truly blessed!
November 4 –Today, I am thankful for my smart, hilarious, adorable, sweet, big-hearted oldest son, Hunter! I am totally in love with my kiddos – they brighten every day, and I know I am annoying about it but choose to do nothing to correct my annoying behavior…sorry!
November 5 –Today, I am thankful for my adorable, strong-willed, smart, precious, active, wild, snuggly, squishy and sweet youngest baby boy, Ben, Benny Boo or Benjy! I was going to try to use the same number of adjectives to describe Benjy, but forgot!
November 6 – Today, I am thankful for my amazing parents. If I grow up to be 1/10 as awesome as them, the world will be a better place from having me in it. Words fail me, but just trust me: they are even more awesome than you think!
November 7 – Today, I am thankful for my church. It is not a perfect institution, and certainly not a perfect group of people, but we are on a mission, and our Leader is perfect. So that is pretty cool! Our church is going through a “Healthy Church Initiative” project right now, where an outside consulting firm came in to do a checkup and give us some suggestions for change. This was the day those suggestions were announced, and it just showed me how great of a church I am blessed to belong to.
November 8 – Today, I am thankful for perspective. Things are rarely as hopeless as they appear, and when we trust in the Lord, He fulfills His promises, just not usually how we expect. “And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
November 9 – Today, I am thankful for Fall. What a beautiful season. I think this was a day where the trees were in their most beautiful state, it was an amazing Fall in the Ozarks this year!
November 10 – Today, I am thankful that I can read. Literacy is a gift, and without it my life would be vastly different.
November 11 – Today, I am thankful to live in this country. We were founded by deeply optimistic principles, and have been defended by deeply committed veterans. What a testimony to the world that Freedom is not Free, but is worth the sacrifice. Thank you Veterans! – This was veterans day.
November 12 – Today, I am thankful for the lake. So peaceful.
November 13 – Today, I am thankful that my husband, kids and I are healthy. I absolutely never take good health for granted!
November 14 – Today, while I am not thankful for Mondays, I am thankful for weekends! Especially ones that are as blessed as this last one was. And, I survived Monday! Goodnight!
November 15 – Today, I am thankful for laughter. Sometimes it is all we need to get through a day!
November 16 – Today, I am thankful for my busy schedule. I am living a full life and I love it! When I do get overwhelmed, 30 minutes in my chair usually does the trick. Calm in the middle of chaos…so I guess that is two things today: busy life and calm breaks.
November 17 – Thankful for some really good news I heard this morning!! Seriously, people. So much to be thankful for! A brother getting married, a friend having a baby and another friend getting a new car! (those are all really awesome things, trust me!) Thankful day 17 is super-easy! Keep the good news coming!
November 18 – Today, I am thankful it is Friday. I really need a weekend!
November 19 – Today, I am extremely thankful for a day at home. I cant even begin to tell you how badly I needed a day like this! Spending the day at home with my boys, trying to catch up on chores = my idea of a perfect Saturday!
November 20 – Today, I am thankful for three things: Sabbath rest, coffee, and girlfriend. I’m really looking forward to church this morning, chicken chili in the crockpot for lunch, my hubby coming home from deer camp and…girls night out tonight!!
November 21 – Today, I am thankful for a warm home, car, coat and workplace. So blessed to have a warm place to be!
November 22 – Today, I am thankful for friends. Specifically, friends who can make me laugh when things are tough. Life is short, belly laugh as much as possible. That is my advice.
November 23 – Today, I am thankful for JEANS DAY!! One day a year, we get to wear jeans to work as a fundraiser for the ADA. Best work day of the year! Then a 4 day weekend, SWEET!
November 24 – This was Thanksgiving, and I saved being thankful for my hubby until the actual day. I mean, I was thankful for him everyday, but wanted him to get Thanksgiving as his day to be thankfulled for. Today, I am thankful for my husband. Through all that life brings, he continues to be my partner and friend. Life is hard, and I am thankful to get to spend it with that man. He has a servant’s heart and is a fabulous dad. My kids and I are blessed to have him as ours. Happy Thanksgiving!
November 25 – Today, I am thankful for my whole fan-damily, including those near and far, my side and in-laws! I am extremely blessed to get to raise my children surrounded by such love!
November 26 – Today gets an A+. I guess I forgot to say what I was thankful for that day. Probably just my life in general. We spent that day at home all day, and then went on a date that night…our first in at least 6 months! So, that was pretty nice!
November 27 – Today, I am thankful that my boys spent the night with my parents, and I slept till 8am. Seriously disoriented from sleeping so late. Good morning.
November 28 – Today, I am thankful that my children have such different personalities! Makes life extra extra fun!
November 29 – Today, I am thankful for Christmas!! Best season of the year!
November 30 – Today, I am thankful that I have so much to be thankful for! I could easily list thousands of things I am thankful for, and still be forgetting some. Particularly, today, I am thankful that I am able to follow God’s call to Haiti and know that my kids, my home and my work responsibilities are all in good hands. I feel at peace because I am surrounded by people who make my life easier than it could be.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Country Names
Ok, I have been trying to think of a way to blog about our country names so that we can remember this ridiculous time of our lives, but I guess the best way is to just say it.
One day, Justin decided we needed country names, so together he and Hunter came up with them. Mind you, I am aware that Hunter Wayne is the countriest of all country names...so that is part of the irony. Please do not be offended if one of our country names hits you wrong...that is the point: we are idiots 'round these here parts.
So Justin and Hunter named me Betty. As part of the joke, I always argue with them and say "no, my name is Mommy!" and get all mad! To which, Hunter and his Daddy say "you're Betty! We LOVE YOU BETTY!!" then I act more and more mad. It's funny to us, so whatever.
There are 2 really particularly dumb stories that go along with this. First: Hunter's new favorite song is "black Betty" he and Justin play it really loud and sing to it. Black Betty is from Birmingham, according to the song. I, too, was born in Birminghan, so my boys took that as a sign that they are right and I am wrong, I MUST be Betty!
Also, the other night, Hunter said "hey Mommy! You're Betty!! Haha!" and I said "nah, my name is Flo" to which he responded "no, Betty, Flo is at home with Uncle Zak!"
Well...the country names have spilled over to the rest of my family. Here, I introduce you to (from back to front and left to right, in order of appearance):
Cletus and Flo
Edith and Jed
Bob, Betty, Hank and Bill
We realized when writing this post that Ray and Anjalesa have not yet had submitted and approved names. When that happens I will let you know.
You're welcome.
One day, Justin decided we needed country names, so together he and Hunter came up with them. Mind you, I am aware that Hunter Wayne is the countriest of all country names...so that is part of the irony. Please do not be offended if one of our country names hits you wrong...that is the point: we are idiots 'round these here parts.
So Justin and Hunter named me Betty. As part of the joke, I always argue with them and say "no, my name is Mommy!" and get all mad! To which, Hunter and his Daddy say "you're Betty! We LOVE YOU BETTY!!" then I act more and more mad. It's funny to us, so whatever.
There are 2 really particularly dumb stories that go along with this. First: Hunter's new favorite song is "black Betty" he and Justin play it really loud and sing to it. Black Betty is from Birmingham, according to the song. I, too, was born in Birminghan, so my boys took that as a sign that they are right and I am wrong, I MUST be Betty!
Also, the other night, Hunter said "hey Mommy! You're Betty!! Haha!" and I said "nah, my name is Flo" to which he responded "no, Betty, Flo is at home with Uncle Zak!"
Well...the country names have spilled over to the rest of my family. Here, I introduce you to (from back to front and left to right, in order of appearance):
Cletus and Flo
Edith and Jed
Bob, Betty, Hank and Bill
We realized when writing this post that Ray and Anjalesa have not yet had submitted and approved names. When that happens I will let you know.
You're welcome.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
A post about Haiti
I am leaving on a mission trip to Haiti in 4 days. I have so much to say about this that I don't really know where to start. I am going to attempt to keep up the blog from there, but since the Internet is spotty, we shall see. Here are my preliminary thoughts:
When Justin went to Haiti last year, it was life-changing for both of us. He went with a larger group than I am going with (his group had 10 people, I am going with 6). They encountered some political issues there, as there were riots relating to an election, so they got stuck down there for a couple extra days. They were scary days. It was complicated to get them home, but they did get here. We learned a lot about the political climate, how difficult it is for those who live down there, but the most important thing we learned was the kind of Hope that Espwa brings to the people of Haiti, and Southern Haiti in particular.
Pwoje Espwa is a village, established to house and educate orphans (some whose parents are deceased and others are economic orphans-i dont have time to go into that right now) in Southern Haiti, near Les Cayes. There are currently 650 children who live, eat and learn there. This is the largest orphanage in the Western hemisphere and is in the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Besides taking care of these kids, Espwa provides lots of jobs-they employ many Haitians, and have trade schools (which are being more developed). It is truly a place of Espwa, which means Hope in Haitian Creole (their language).
They also provide some assistance to the nearby prison, which is a humanitarian nightmare all of its own. Besides all of that, they also have a clinic on site that provides healthcare to people from the neighboring areas, as well as the kids. There is a new clinic being built, that is going to be state-of-the art for Haiti, and is something I am very excited about! I really get pumped about improving delivery of healthcare to impoverished people, it is so important to encouraging improvements in all areas of society. It is hard to build a society with people whose chief concern is their health. This actually translates to the grand ole US of A, but I'll save that soap box for another day...you're welcome.
I am very excited to meet my friends in Haiti, face to face, and hope you will join me on the journey by your prayers. It will be a challenging trip, but one I know I am called to go on.
I think we will be trying to update our Haiti blog during the trip, although I am not sure who is delegated to do that, so I'm not sure. At the very least you could peruse the blog entries from the previous trips.
Haiti.schweitzerumc.org
If you want to know more about Pwoje Espwa, find out at:
Freethekids.org
Peace out.
When Justin went to Haiti last year, it was life-changing for both of us. He went with a larger group than I am going with (his group had 10 people, I am going with 6). They encountered some political issues there, as there were riots relating to an election, so they got stuck down there for a couple extra days. They were scary days. It was complicated to get them home, but they did get here. We learned a lot about the political climate, how difficult it is for those who live down there, but the most important thing we learned was the kind of Hope that Espwa brings to the people of Haiti, and Southern Haiti in particular.
Pwoje Espwa is a village, established to house and educate orphans (some whose parents are deceased and others are economic orphans-i dont have time to go into that right now) in Southern Haiti, near Les Cayes. There are currently 650 children who live, eat and learn there. This is the largest orphanage in the Western hemisphere and is in the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Besides taking care of these kids, Espwa provides lots of jobs-they employ many Haitians, and have trade schools (which are being more developed). It is truly a place of Espwa, which means Hope in Haitian Creole (their language).
They also provide some assistance to the nearby prison, which is a humanitarian nightmare all of its own. Besides all of that, they also have a clinic on site that provides healthcare to people from the neighboring areas, as well as the kids. There is a new clinic being built, that is going to be state-of-the art for Haiti, and is something I am very excited about! I really get pumped about improving delivery of healthcare to impoverished people, it is so important to encouraging improvements in all areas of society. It is hard to build a society with people whose chief concern is their health. This actually translates to the grand ole US of A, but I'll save that soap box for another day...you're welcome.
I am very excited to meet my friends in Haiti, face to face, and hope you will join me on the journey by your prayers. It will be a challenging trip, but one I know I am called to go on.
I think we will be trying to update our Haiti blog during the trip, although I am not sure who is delegated to do that, so I'm not sure. At the very least you could peruse the blog entries from the previous trips.
Haiti.schweitzerumc.org
If you want to know more about Pwoje Espwa, find out at:
Freethekids.org
Peace out.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Tis the Season
The other day a very wise woman said:
"you have to remember that Jesus is the reason for the Season, and that the Season is All The Time!" I couldnt agree more. We decorated today, so we can enjoy this beautiful season with lights and fun decorations.
I Love Christmas!
"you have to remember that Jesus is the reason for the Season, and that the Season is All The Time!" I couldnt agree more. We decorated today, so we can enjoy this beautiful season with lights and fun decorations.
I Love Christmas!
Productive day
It is Saturday at 4:30pm and I haven't left my house! Crazy, but I literally can not remember the last time I did this.
I made myself a very aggressive list of stuff to do today, and somehow accomplished everything on my list! While taking care of my sweet kiddos (J is deer hunting, of course). My kids have not exactly been on their best behavior, but that is probably because I have been focused on trying to get things done. I haven't neglected them or anything...we have played many games, built with blocks, read lots of books and decorated our Christmas tree! It's been fun!
What did I do?
Pay bills
Decorate for Christmas
Clean bathrooms
Put my summer clothes downstairs
Organize/shuffle around clothes in the boys closets
Laundry (about 8 loads total)
All the sheets
I have some work projects I need to do tonight once the kids are in bed, but I feel so good having completed all these tasks around the house.
Yay for a perfect day!
I made myself a very aggressive list of stuff to do today, and somehow accomplished everything on my list! While taking care of my sweet kiddos (J is deer hunting, of course). My kids have not exactly been on their best behavior, but that is probably because I have been focused on trying to get things done. I haven't neglected them or anything...we have played many games, built with blocks, read lots of books and decorated our Christmas tree! It's been fun!
What did I do?
Pay bills
Decorate for Christmas
Clean bathrooms
Put my summer clothes downstairs
Organize/shuffle around clothes in the boys closets
Laundry (about 8 loads total)
All the sheets
I have some work projects I need to do tonight once the kids are in bed, but I feel so good having completed all these tasks around the house.
Yay for a perfect day!
Benny Boo Too
Both of my kids are hilarious. The thing is that Hunter's sense of humor is easier to explain because he uses words. Benny is more action-focused. As in, he is still not talking hardly at all: he says "daddy" "hot" "uh oh" and "ball" and then he randomly pulls other words out of his hat that he refuses to repeat. But, I already blogged about his closet-talking.
I am going to try to tell a Benny story. If it doesn't make you laugh, I guess that means you had to be there, but I'll try anyway.
Before bed, I sit in his chair holding him, and gives him a bottle of milk. Then we sing to him, turn on a boxfan for sound, and put him in bed. This all happens at 7:00 SHARP or he turns into a little Whiny McWhinerson. (I know he is too old for a bottle, my mom has told me 1,000 times, but I am his mom and I say he gets a bottle, whatever)
Anyway, last night at 6:54, he looked at me, ran over to the fridge and yelled "BOTTLE!" so I started to make his bottle. Once that was ready, I said "Hunter, I'll be back in a minute, I'm going to put Benny to bed. Benny, tell your brother goodnight" so my sweet little Benny climbed over the mountain of blocks in the middle of the floor and went over to where Hunter was sitting, gave him a kiss on the head and then came over to me, grabbed my hand and started walking to his room. Once we got to his room, he turned on his box fan and climbed in my lap. He took like 3 swigs off his bottle, set the bottle on the little table, and pointed to his bed. I put him in bed and didn't hear another peep from him.
He decided it was bedtime, so he took control!
Ok, that doesn't sound that funny, but it was!
I am going to try to tell a Benny story. If it doesn't make you laugh, I guess that means you had to be there, but I'll try anyway.
Before bed, I sit in his chair holding him, and gives him a bottle of milk. Then we sing to him, turn on a boxfan for sound, and put him in bed. This all happens at 7:00 SHARP or he turns into a little Whiny McWhinerson. (I know he is too old for a bottle, my mom has told me 1,000 times, but I am his mom and I say he gets a bottle, whatever)
Anyway, last night at 6:54, he looked at me, ran over to the fridge and yelled "BOTTLE!" so I started to make his bottle. Once that was ready, I said "Hunter, I'll be back in a minute, I'm going to put Benny to bed. Benny, tell your brother goodnight" so my sweet little Benny climbed over the mountain of blocks in the middle of the floor and went over to where Hunter was sitting, gave him a kiss on the head and then came over to me, grabbed my hand and started walking to his room. Once we got to his room, he turned on his box fan and climbed in my lap. He took like 3 swigs off his bottle, set the bottle on the little table, and pointed to his bed. I put him in bed and didn't hear another peep from him.
He decided it was bedtime, so he took control!
Ok, that doesn't sound that funny, but it was!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Crazy
Real-life conversation between Hunter and me:
But, first, a backstory (of course): somewhere, probably preschool, Hunter learned about stoplights, as in green means go, red means stop. And ALL THE TIME in the car, he is telling me I should GO! or STOP!! But he doesn't really understand. If he sees a red light anywhere, he thinks we should STOP MOMMY! STOP! MOMMY, WHY AREN'T YOU LISTENING TO ME!?!?
So, that is the back story.
Hunter: Stop, Mommy, the light is red, you are supposed to stop.
Me: Hunter, remember I told you that we only stop when the red light is in our lane and we are close to it?
Hunter: I don't care, red means stop!
Me: darling, you are driving me crazy with this. Please try to understand.
Hunter: I am NOT driving, I am sitting here in my seat with my seatbelt, you are driving crazy. *heavy sigh*
Seriously, people, what do you say to that? Me? I just laugh.
Oh, and random: did you know that people ask me just about every day if my boys are twins? Well they do.
Below are some pics from our date to DQ tonight while their Daddy was busy.
Have you missed my blogging? That's what I thought.
But, first, a backstory (of course): somewhere, probably preschool, Hunter learned about stoplights, as in green means go, red means stop. And ALL THE TIME in the car, he is telling me I should GO! or STOP!! But he doesn't really understand. If he sees a red light anywhere, he thinks we should STOP MOMMY! STOP! MOMMY, WHY AREN'T YOU LISTENING TO ME!?!?
So, that is the back story.
Hunter: Stop, Mommy, the light is red, you are supposed to stop.
Me: Hunter, remember I told you that we only stop when the red light is in our lane and we are close to it?
Hunter: I don't care, red means stop!
Me: darling, you are driving me crazy with this. Please try to understand.
Hunter: I am NOT driving, I am sitting here in my seat with my seatbelt, you are driving crazy. *heavy sigh*
Seriously, people, what do you say to that? Me? I just laugh.
Oh, and random: did you know that people ask me just about every day if my boys are twins? Well they do.
Below are some pics from our date to DQ tonight while their Daddy was busy.
Have you missed my blogging? That's what I thought.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Awesomers
Our life group from church is called the Awesomers. We needed a name for our group, so somebody came up with that name as a joke, and it stuck, beacausr we are awesome, of course.
Anyway...this past weekend, the Awesomers (minus one family) went down to the Lake for a restful retreat. We just hung out, ate, went on the boat, threw rocks in the lake, the kids went "fishing" and we took about a million pictures. Oh, and Benny Boo went for a little swim, (dont ask).
Then we came back home in time to attend the Fall Festival at church. That is our Halloween party with candy, costumes, hot dogs and fun. The boys really enjoyed dressing up like firemen!
(sidenote: I am blogging from my phone because we got rid of our crappy Internet at our house, and I have no control over the order of the photos, so the order makes no sense, and I'm sorry about that. I also can't write captions. Don't get me started.)
Enough chatter, here are the pictures of our weekend. Clearly, a great time was had by all:
Anyway...this past weekend, the Awesomers (minus one family) went down to the Lake for a restful retreat. We just hung out, ate, went on the boat, threw rocks in the lake, the kids went "fishing" and we took about a million pictures. Oh, and Benny Boo went for a little swim, (dont ask).
Then we came back home in time to attend the Fall Festival at church. That is our Halloween party with candy, costumes, hot dogs and fun. The boys really enjoyed dressing up like firemen!
(sidenote: I am blogging from my phone because we got rid of our crappy Internet at our house, and I have no control over the order of the photos, so the order makes no sense, and I'm sorry about that. I also can't write captions. Don't get me started.)
Enough chatter, here are the pictures of our weekend. Clearly, a great time was had by all:
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Truth
Sometimes truth is found in the funniest places.
For example, Benny's horoscope today :
"You know what you want. You're just momentarily afraid to say it out loud or admit it to yourself."
(sidenote: I don't normally read horoscopes, but this was just too funny.)
(another sidenote: apparently Boo is a Taurus, the Bull...this is very funny to me.)
Benny boo is in the most irritating stage of toddlerhood...that time when the kid knows what he wants, but can't talk or express himself very well, so he throws screaming fits. Not awesome.
But with a face like this, what you gonna do?
For example, Benny's horoscope today :
"You know what you want. You're just momentarily afraid to say it out loud or admit it to yourself."
(sidenote: I don't normally read horoscopes, but this was just too funny.)
(another sidenote: apparently Boo is a Taurus, the Bull...this is very funny to me.)
Benny boo is in the most irritating stage of toddlerhood...that time when the kid knows what he wants, but can't talk or express himself very well, so he throws screaming fits. Not awesome.
But with a face like this, what you gonna do?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Planning
Long range planning is not really my thing... I was reading my Bible tonight and came across this passage:
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:13-17 NASB)
The world tries to encourage "making a plan." If I had a dollar for every time I have sat in a business seminar where I heard the "to be successful, you must have specific goals, one year, 5 years, 20 years down the road." I wouldn't need to sit in another seminar because I would be super-rich. I recognize the exaggeration, just work with me here...
The idea of having a 5 year plan, or even longer that that, has never really resonated with me. Not that it is wrong, I think it is a fine way to conduct your business and your life, as long as you are flexible and sort of mold your plans as life circumstance change. It just doesn't resonate with me, personally. I think maybe it is because of this passage.
Because of my personality, I am a bit of a perfectionist, and a control freak. If I were to set specific goals today for the next 5 years, I fear that I would stick to my guns too much and not allow the Holy Spirit to move me in whatever direction I am supposed to go. I don't know about 1 year from now, for sure. What I do know is that tomorrow, and the next day, and for the foreseeable future, I need to focus on doing the best I can at the roles I have; work, mothering my baby boys, loving my husband, etc.
Nope, long range planning is not really my thing.
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:13-17 NASB)
The world tries to encourage "making a plan." If I had a dollar for every time I have sat in a business seminar where I heard the "to be successful, you must have specific goals, one year, 5 years, 20 years down the road." I wouldn't need to sit in another seminar because I would be super-rich. I recognize the exaggeration, just work with me here...
The idea of having a 5 year plan, or even longer that that, has never really resonated with me. Not that it is wrong, I think it is a fine way to conduct your business and your life, as long as you are flexible and sort of mold your plans as life circumstance change. It just doesn't resonate with me, personally. I think maybe it is because of this passage.
Because of my personality, I am a bit of a perfectionist, and a control freak. If I were to set specific goals today for the next 5 years, I fear that I would stick to my guns too much and not allow the Holy Spirit to move me in whatever direction I am supposed to go. I don't know about 1 year from now, for sure. What I do know is that tomorrow, and the next day, and for the foreseeable future, I need to focus on doing the best I can at the roles I have; work, mothering my baby boys, loving my husband, etc.
Nope, long range planning is not really my thing.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Closet talker
Benny Boo is a closet talker.
Normally, he just goes "eh eh" and points when he wants something. Or he screams, or he climbs to the highest point and tried to get it himself. It's annoying, and a little frightening, but I guess it works for him. I have no concerns about his hearing or comprehension, because he follows directions well (when he feels like it).
However, there is some evidence as of late that he actually CAN talk. In fact, when I picked him up from the babysitter the other day, she told me he was a closet talker. I had suspected him of that too but didn't have much evidence.
Kelly (babysitter) said that he has been counting and saying "Hunter" clearly. I've never heard him do either one. This weekend, I was trying to distract both of my kids so I could get something done, so I used television (very effective babysitter by the way). I said "Who wants to watch bubble guppies?" Benny Boo dropped his toy and ran over to the tv, and said, clear as a bell "BUBBLE GUPPIES!!"
Raising children never ceases to amaze me.
Normally, he just goes "eh eh" and points when he wants something. Or he screams, or he climbs to the highest point and tried to get it himself. It's annoying, and a little frightening, but I guess it works for him. I have no concerns about his hearing or comprehension, because he follows directions well (when he feels like it).
However, there is some evidence as of late that he actually CAN talk. In fact, when I picked him up from the babysitter the other day, she told me he was a closet talker. I had suspected him of that too but didn't have much evidence.
Kelly (babysitter) said that he has been counting and saying "Hunter" clearly. I've never heard him do either one. This weekend, I was trying to distract both of my kids so I could get something done, so I used television (very effective babysitter by the way). I said "Who wants to watch bubble guppies?" Benny Boo dropped his toy and ran over to the tv, and said, clear as a bell "BUBBLE GUPPIES!!"
Raising children never ceases to amaze me.
Miracle
I haven't posted in a while (except for some test posts I tried yesterday from my phone) because so much has been going on, and I am not sure what to say. Obviously, this is a public blog, so some things going on in our lives are not going to be appropriate to talk about here. We have some of those things going on right now, and I will definitely be blogging about those things as they become more appropriate to talk about. Does that make sense?
Anyway...right now I am in a hotel room in Las Vegas, for a conference. Getting here was interesting yesterday, I got to the airport and didnt have my drivers license, so had to go through security without ID (there wasnt time to go home to get it). That was fun. Also, Vegas is not really my scene - there are MANY things about this city that I do not like. But, it is an important conference, and I am getting some good alone time to just read and relax in my hotel room...so the glass is definitely half full, really more like 3/4 full. My husband is home with the boys.
So, I do have something I want to tell you about...we witnessed a Miracle this past week. Justin's best friend, Brent, has been battling Lymphoma for about a year now. Battling hard. It is an amazing, long story, which you can read about on his own blog: docfeelbad.blogspot.com.
He just got a bone marrow transplant, and has been out of the hospital for about a month. He is definitely not fully recovered from that ordeal, and is still a little more physically weak, than he would like. Last week, Justin got a call that Brent had found swollen lymph nodes again. This indicated a strong possiblity that the cancer was back, or still there, or whatever. This was devestating news to all of us, to say the least. He went in for a PET scan, which did not look promising at all, and had planned to have a biopsy this week. We were all preparing ourselves for another bone marrow transplant (by the way, this is an amazing medical procedure, but also much more difficult than I was aware of). Anyway, he went in for his biopsy, but first they were doing another PET scan (or CT scan...are they even the same thing? whatever.) and his lymph nodes were no longer swollen! The cancer is most likely NOT back after all. Call it a false alarm, try to explain it medically...I am calling it a MIRACLE.
We prayed and He answered. I believe He always answers our prayers, sometimes not in the way we expect or want Him to. This time, though, He answered with a resounding YES!! Who knows what the future holds for any of us, but for today, we are celebrating.
At the same time, I know there are so many out there who are still suffering. A dear friend of mine's cousin's baby got his angel wings yesterday after a valiant fight, Steve Jobs lost his battle with cancer yesterday, we have all had suffering in this life that we "shouldn't have to" experience. I don't have it figured out, but this was a reminder to me that our God is able, and that He is faithful.
My original reaction when Justin called me at work to give me the good news, was to question it. I had prayed fervently for this phone call to come, that Brent was not going to have to go through another transplant this soon (or at all, preferably) but when it came, my first reaction was to question it. "It can't be" "When are they going to re-test?" "Are they sure?" "If they are wrong, and they don't retest for another 6 weeks, how much does that set back his recovery?" I finally came to the conclusion that I just shared with you, that we have just witnessed a Miracle. While these are rare in our lives, maybe they are so rare so that when they do happen, we are surprised, and give God the glory He deserves.
Praise be to the Lord!
Anyway...right now I am in a hotel room in Las Vegas, for a conference. Getting here was interesting yesterday, I got to the airport and didnt have my drivers license, so had to go through security without ID (there wasnt time to go home to get it). That was fun. Also, Vegas is not really my scene - there are MANY things about this city that I do not like. But, it is an important conference, and I am getting some good alone time to just read and relax in my hotel room...so the glass is definitely half full, really more like 3/4 full. My husband is home with the boys.
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| Justin sent me this photo this morning - Just the boys saying "Good Morning" I know I have mentioned it before, but these boys are really quite awesome. And cute, and perfect. Just an aside. |
He just got a bone marrow transplant, and has been out of the hospital for about a month. He is definitely not fully recovered from that ordeal, and is still a little more physically weak, than he would like. Last week, Justin got a call that Brent had found swollen lymph nodes again. This indicated a strong possiblity that the cancer was back, or still there, or whatever. This was devestating news to all of us, to say the least. He went in for a PET scan, which did not look promising at all, and had planned to have a biopsy this week. We were all preparing ourselves for another bone marrow transplant (by the way, this is an amazing medical procedure, but also much more difficult than I was aware of). Anyway, he went in for his biopsy, but first they were doing another PET scan (or CT scan...are they even the same thing? whatever.) and his lymph nodes were no longer swollen! The cancer is most likely NOT back after all. Call it a false alarm, try to explain it medically...I am calling it a MIRACLE.
We prayed and He answered. I believe He always answers our prayers, sometimes not in the way we expect or want Him to. This time, though, He answered with a resounding YES!! Who knows what the future holds for any of us, but for today, we are celebrating.
At the same time, I know there are so many out there who are still suffering. A dear friend of mine's cousin's baby got his angel wings yesterday after a valiant fight, Steve Jobs lost his battle with cancer yesterday, we have all had suffering in this life that we "shouldn't have to" experience. I don't have it figured out, but this was a reminder to me that our God is able, and that He is faithful.
My original reaction when Justin called me at work to give me the good news, was to question it. I had prayed fervently for this phone call to come, that Brent was not going to have to go through another transplant this soon (or at all, preferably) but when it came, my first reaction was to question it. "It can't be" "When are they going to re-test?" "Are they sure?" "If they are wrong, and they don't retest for another 6 weeks, how much does that set back his recovery?" I finally came to the conclusion that I just shared with you, that we have just witnessed a Miracle. While these are rare in our lives, maybe they are so rare so that when they do happen, we are surprised, and give God the glory He deserves.
 |
| This is us with our friends, Brent and Brooke, on our trip to the Bahamas last May. Let me just tell you that these four people are VERY happy right now. |
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Nametags
This week, I am attending a conference for CPE (continuing professional education) and at these conferences, you wear nametags, right?
Ok, well I was in a hurry last night after we got done with the conference and was still wearing my nametag when I picked up Hunter at school. We had the following conversation:
H: what's that Mommy?
Me: it's a nametag
H: what does that spell?
Me: it says Emily Reese
H: how come it doesn't say "mommy"?
Me: because my friends at work call me Emily Reese, not Mommy
H: oh, ok then, at home you need a nametag that spells "mommy"
Good advice, kid.
Ok, well I was in a hurry last night after we got done with the conference and was still wearing my nametag when I picked up Hunter at school. We had the following conversation:
H: what's that Mommy?
Me: it's a nametag
H: what does that spell?
Me: it says Emily Reese
H: how come it doesn't say "mommy"?
Me: because my friends at work call me Emily Reese, not Mommy
H: oh, ok then, at home you need a nametag that spells "mommy"
Good advice, kid.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Indoor Farm Fun
This past weekend was cuh-razy. We had a fun fire-pit party with some friends on Friday night (weather cooperated and we had a great time) then Silver Dollar City for my company picnic on Saturday (not so much with the weather cooperating on that one...it was interesting to say the least) then preparations for the big PARTY on Sunday!
so...without further adieu
We planned a farm-themed party for Hunter. There were about 40 people here total, which you can't tell from these pictures, but it was AWESOME! We were going to do a hayride with the tractor, and all kinds of outdoor fun games. Since we were apparently experiencing monsoon season this weekend, we settled for an indoor barnyard. Not too far off of our norm around here...
My lovely and talented sister-in-law made these cake pops! Someday, that girl will have her own bakery and we will all have to pay her big bucks for things like this.
The cake-pop artist and her grateful customer.
One of my games was supposed to be a little "find the prizes in the ball pit." The kids thought the balls were awesome. So, we didn't really play the game, but they had fun anyway.
My cuties in their matching shirts!
Time to eat. Justin smoked some pork butts, it was a 3 day process. These kids didn't really care about that, so they ate hot dogs. Oh well, left more of that amazing smoked pork for the rest of us.
So excited about making a wish.
I think we hit this one outta the park!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Eat an Elephant
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
We have all heard this little quip before when we think about taking on a large task that seems insurmountable. It is something that I think about a LOT, and something I will probably be writing about quite a bit.
I often get overwhelmed on many levels.
On the personal level, trying to keep up with the daily demands of my life in my roles as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, friend, etc. Just trying to juggle the needs of all the people in my immediate circle can be overwhelming at times. Heck, just trying to get the freaking laundry done can be a bit daunting. So, I take on these tasks "one bite at a time."
Then there is the local level, our city and our nation have a lot of needs right now. The economy is still shaky, there are many in need. There are a lot of political issues that really get me concerned about the future of our country, and therefore what we are leaving for the next generation. Healthcare, for one...the growing number of people relying on the government for assistance is another. I am concerned that there are so many in our backyard who rely on the government to meet their basic needs because they are not able to make ends meet on their own (for whatever reason). Again, the best thing I can think to do about these issues is take them "one bite at a time." Sometimes this means all I can do is pray for the leaders of our city, state and nation. Sometimes I voice my opinion, sometimes the best thing to do is show compassion to someone in need. But, rather than being overwhelmed, it is certainly better to do something. This week at my church (schweitzerumc.org) we are doing a food drive for our pantry. Our pantry serves MANY families in the local area, providing groceries and other support. So, what do I need to do this week? Fill a bag with groceries and bring it back to church. Not too hard. But I tend to ask myself "Will this really make a difference?" I mean, like $25 worth of groceries...that isn't exactly going to end the hunger crisis in Springfield, MO, right? Maybe I am not called to END anything, just called to try to take a little bite out of the elephant.
Ok, so then there is the global level. This is actually why I was writing this blog tonight. What can we do about the children of the world living in unimaginable poverty? There is some ugly stuff going on in the world right now, genocide, death by disease, starvation, etc. This is such a big problem that I am often tempted to throw my hands up, overwhelmed, knowing that I can not really make a big difference no matter what I do. That is true, very true. I can't make much difference, and neither can you, if we are honest with ourselves. However, maybe I can make a little bitty difference. I would like to introduce Pwoje Espwa to you. Most of you are already well-aware of the work Father Marc and his team do down in that village in Les Cayes, Haiti...but if you have no idea what I am talking about, I am about to give you the quickest explanation EVER. Trust me, this is NOT the last you will hear of this if you keep reading my blog, I am just trying to make a little point. I have many other things to say about this subject and will be doing so...believe me.
Anyway, short rundown is: my mom felt a call on her heart to go to Haiti. At the time, she wasn't even 100% sure where Haiti was. Well, lots of stuff happened and she got connected to Father Marc in Hope Village, or Pwoje Espwa located in Les Cayes. This guy is an American Catholic priest who was in the US Military and happened upon Haiti and noticed the extreme poverty there, so he established basically an orphanage for boys, starting with 10ish boys in a home in town, and now he has established a fully functioning village housing both boys and girls in the 600 kids-range, which also educates in the 2,000's and feeds even more than that on a daily basis. It is INSANE. I am going there in December to see it for myself, but seeing as both my parents, my brother, sister-in-law, husband and many friends have been there...I would say I am already pretty sold out on the deal.
Now, I could write for hours on the mission of this place and how I think the design is the answer to the political and social issues that exist in Haiti...I could also tell you about the personal impact these children have had on the members of my family and therefore myself...I could talk about how it has changed our lives and our outlook on a LOT of different subjects. But since I am talking about the "one bite at a time" thing. I just want to tell you about something really cool that they are doing.
If you go to www.freethekids.org and click on the "Army of Angels" you can read about this venture in much more eloquent detail than I could explain. They have started a sponsorship program where you can walk alongside one of the amazing children at Espwa and for $30 a month, provide one aspect of their care. For $150 per month you can provide for all 5 aspects of their care and essentially "adopt" one of the kiddos. Well...when I got the info in the mail from them, I thought, "Heck yeah, I want to support a whole kid!" But the $150 seemed daunting to me, in addition to the support we already provide...so then I tabled the idea. That was a little dumb, right? So, anyway...my point is, our family is going to support the education of 1 child. That will cost only $30 per month. Are you interested in joining us? Check out the link, you can do it all online. And that is how you eat an elephant.
By the way...if this particular cause is not up your alley, that is totally fine...we can't eat this elephant by all taking the SAME bite, obviously. Find something that tugs at your heart, and start small. That is really the point I am trying to make. If you want to find out more about Espwa, I would encourage you to just poke around on their website www.freethekids.org and see the amazing things they are doing down there.
We have all heard this little quip before when we think about taking on a large task that seems insurmountable. It is something that I think about a LOT, and something I will probably be writing about quite a bit.
I often get overwhelmed on many levels.
On the personal level, trying to keep up with the daily demands of my life in my roles as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, friend, etc. Just trying to juggle the needs of all the people in my immediate circle can be overwhelming at times. Heck, just trying to get the freaking laundry done can be a bit daunting. So, I take on these tasks "one bite at a time."
Then there is the local level, our city and our nation have a lot of needs right now. The economy is still shaky, there are many in need. There are a lot of political issues that really get me concerned about the future of our country, and therefore what we are leaving for the next generation. Healthcare, for one...the growing number of people relying on the government for assistance is another. I am concerned that there are so many in our backyard who rely on the government to meet their basic needs because they are not able to make ends meet on their own (for whatever reason). Again, the best thing I can think to do about these issues is take them "one bite at a time." Sometimes this means all I can do is pray for the leaders of our city, state and nation. Sometimes I voice my opinion, sometimes the best thing to do is show compassion to someone in need. But, rather than being overwhelmed, it is certainly better to do something. This week at my church (schweitzerumc.org) we are doing a food drive for our pantry. Our pantry serves MANY families in the local area, providing groceries and other support. So, what do I need to do this week? Fill a bag with groceries and bring it back to church. Not too hard. But I tend to ask myself "Will this really make a difference?" I mean, like $25 worth of groceries...that isn't exactly going to end the hunger crisis in Springfield, MO, right? Maybe I am not called to END anything, just called to try to take a little bite out of the elephant.
Ok, so then there is the global level. This is actually why I was writing this blog tonight. What can we do about the children of the world living in unimaginable poverty? There is some ugly stuff going on in the world right now, genocide, death by disease, starvation, etc. This is such a big problem that I am often tempted to throw my hands up, overwhelmed, knowing that I can not really make a big difference no matter what I do. That is true, very true. I can't make much difference, and neither can you, if we are honest with ourselves. However, maybe I can make a little bitty difference. I would like to introduce Pwoje Espwa to you. Most of you are already well-aware of the work Father Marc and his team do down in that village in Les Cayes, Haiti...but if you have no idea what I am talking about, I am about to give you the quickest explanation EVER. Trust me, this is NOT the last you will hear of this if you keep reading my blog, I am just trying to make a little point. I have many other things to say about this subject and will be doing so...believe me.
Anyway, short rundown is: my mom felt a call on her heart to go to Haiti. At the time, she wasn't even 100% sure where Haiti was. Well, lots of stuff happened and she got connected to Father Marc in Hope Village, or Pwoje Espwa located in Les Cayes. This guy is an American Catholic priest who was in the US Military and happened upon Haiti and noticed the extreme poverty there, so he established basically an orphanage for boys, starting with 10ish boys in a home in town, and now he has established a fully functioning village housing both boys and girls in the 600 kids-range, which also educates in the 2,000's and feeds even more than that on a daily basis. It is INSANE. I am going there in December to see it for myself, but seeing as both my parents, my brother, sister-in-law, husband and many friends have been there...I would say I am already pretty sold out on the deal.
Now, I could write for hours on the mission of this place and how I think the design is the answer to the political and social issues that exist in Haiti...I could also tell you about the personal impact these children have had on the members of my family and therefore myself...I could talk about how it has changed our lives and our outlook on a LOT of different subjects. But since I am talking about the "one bite at a time" thing. I just want to tell you about something really cool that they are doing.
If you go to www.freethekids.org and click on the "Army of Angels" you can read about this venture in much more eloquent detail than I could explain. They have started a sponsorship program where you can walk alongside one of the amazing children at Espwa and for $30 a month, provide one aspect of their care. For $150 per month you can provide for all 5 aspects of their care and essentially "adopt" one of the kiddos. Well...when I got the info in the mail from them, I thought, "Heck yeah, I want to support a whole kid!" But the $150 seemed daunting to me, in addition to the support we already provide...so then I tabled the idea. That was a little dumb, right? So, anyway...my point is, our family is going to support the education of 1 child. That will cost only $30 per month. Are you interested in joining us? Check out the link, you can do it all online. And that is how you eat an elephant.
By the way...if this particular cause is not up your alley, that is totally fine...we can't eat this elephant by all taking the SAME bite, obviously. Find something that tugs at your heart, and start small. That is really the point I am trying to make. If you want to find out more about Espwa, I would encourage you to just poke around on their website www.freethekids.org and see the amazing things they are doing down there.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
3 Life-Changing Years
Tomorrow, my AMAZING oldest child, Hunter, turns THREE!!! To celebrate, I thought I would take a little walk down memory lane. Won't you join me?
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| 2 Days Old: The day we brought him home from the hospital. |
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| 6 Weeks Old: First Plane ride (to Florida to visit my family down there - why waste maternity leave without a vacation?) |
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| 3 Months Old: Uncle Zak = Joseph, Me = Mary, Hunter = Jesus. |
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| 6 Months Old: Baptism Day |
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| 1 Year Old: First Trip to the Cole Camp Fair. |
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| 1 Year, 4 Months Old: First "real" trip to the beach. Back to Florida. |
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| 1 Year, 7 Months Old: Easter pictures with our good friend (and possible future wife) Ainsley. |
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| 1 Year, 8 Months Old: Brand new baby brother! |
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| 2 Years Old: Birthday Party, first power tool. |
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| 2 Years, 2 Months Old: Baby Brother Baptism day |
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| 2 Years, 3 Months Old: Waiting for Santa Claus |
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| 2 Years, 4 Months Old: First vacation for our family of four. Back to Florida. |
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| 2 Years, 7 Months Old: First modeling gig, with the beautiful cousin Adison. |
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| 2 Years, 10 Months Old: Fun at Silver Dollar City. |
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| 3 Years (minus one day): Made his own cake, with a little help from Mom. |
Happy Birthday sweet boy.
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