Number 3

I had a hard time bonding with Avery. Year one is NOT my favorite age, and I was pregnant again when Avery was this age. I have been really discouraged that there might be a whole nother year till B and I hit it off. But then it happened. One day, I looked at her, and no longer felt drained by the thought of her. This isn't sounding so great, is it? Anyways, one day, I glanced at Braelyn and my heart soared. I smiled. I adore her. She still screams a lot. She still wakes up at night sometimes. But she's precious. And she knows what she wants! First and foremost, Jungle Book 2. I don't even need to ask her what she wants to watch when she wakes up at the crack of dawn. I pop in JB2, grab her some milk, and settle in for a nice, long quiet time.
It also works well when I'm trying to cook dinner, or after a cold bath, or just about any time she's feeling needy. Occasionally she likes to mix things up, but she's a creature of habit. Secondly, she likes Water. Bath (which she calls "bubble") or ocean or pool, she'll take it any way she can get it.
After taking 2 surprise dunks in the ocean one day when the waves were up, she's also very cautious now and only goes in up to her knees. She runs in and out, around and up and down, leaving her precious footprints dotting the beach like raindrops. Funny how this print looks reversed, huh?
So, that's Braelyn. My surprise, my baby, my love.

Avery turned 4!

My little darlin' second born turned 4 yesterday and it's hard to believe. As are all birthdays of my children I'm coming to realize.Lilee spent the night and morning dawned cold and gray...coldest morning yet I think! The girls ate yummy Mickey Mouse pancakes on the porch. I know they look a little more like dessert, but getting food into this slim and picky eater is my priority.
The big gift was this rockin' bike Justin managed to track down. It's wheels are nearly worn down already! Not really, but it has been a fun addition to the options of outside play.
So Daddy got her the bike, Hunter made her a beautiful cardboard jewelry set, and then the question was posed...what did Mama get her? Well, I happen to show my birthday love with cake. We've had Nemo, a horse, a unicorn, frogs, butterflies and ladybugs over the years. Poor dear, this year it was a Zen Garden looking flower cake. Pretty fun, yummy and no-one seemed to mention my totally un-symetrical flowers.
All in all it was a wild time. 7 kids can make any gathering wild. Grilled cheese and tomato-coconut soup for the kids (which, though was way too salty, was deemed excellent by watoto), burgers and fries for the grown-ups (wow! second time getting beef and it was good) cake and home-made ice-cream rounded out the evening.
Though we certainly miss YOU, our family and friends, especially at times like these, we are thankful for all the blessings we have here...and especially for you, Avery!

Tiny Dancer

Facing down years of no ballet, gymnastics, soccer or T-ball, my husband reached into his memory and grabbed onto what played the second biggest part of his childhood play, after Lady River that is. A trampoline. I of course was opposed to such a big, obnoxious addition to our future African home. But I smiled and nodded. And I am oh, so glad I did!
We shipped our first (and probably only) little crate over with this blessed monstrosity and once it was set up, have never regretted it.
Hunter asked me this morning if there was a park or zoo or ANYTHING we could go do that was fun today. I was both happy and sad to remind her that our yard is the funnest place on this little island. Thank you, Lord, for little (and big) blessings!

Mango season is coming

I can tell because the trees are in full bloom...leaving me in full on allergic misery. Hunter just asked me why my face is red. Well, honey, it has something to do with sneezing a million times today, itching my nose like I WANT it to fall off, and my eyes swelling shut.

But tomorrow... no, background first.

Random children from miles around used to come and stand and look through my fence. Sometimes they came in, sometimes they ran away if I asked them to. Sometimes they asked for water. This was ok with me when it was the usual crowd. But one day some kids I'd never seen came and asked for water. I said, "no water at your house?" First of all, there very well might not be. Secondly, what's that verse about doing for the least of these? But I blew it. My kids didn't want to play and I was tired of being a sideshow, and I sent them away. No children have come since. NONE. It's my punishment I know.

So I've been rethinking my life here. It is safe and "comfy" here in my walls with my 3 beautiful, clean, well-behaved children. And oh, how we love to let our little lights shine. The only problem is...no-one can see them shine from outside the walls. I started to pray for another chance. An opportunity to shine for people outside my family (not that I've got THAT one down pat!) Then our neighbor asked me to begin teaching his 2 small boys English! So far my stats on teaching English are 2 for 3, but I haven't given up hope on Braelyn yet. We begin tomorrow.

Twice a week the boys (and probably the other neighbor's son) will come at 5pm for English lessons. We'll probably start with the alphabet since 2 of the 3 boys can't even read, and learn words as we learn letter sounds, etc. That's my un-teacher plan anyways. Please pray for us! Pray the girls will be cheerful and helpful at the interruption to their total monopoly of me and my time. Pray the boys are good learners. Pray I am patient and wise in how I teach them. Pray that we SHINE in such a way that they know we are different...and want to be different too!

Pray too for their parents that this would be another bridge to their hearts.

Oh yeah, Ramadan and 20 hours of fasting a day are half over!

Not the best day

Where does this story even start? I guess chronologically, it began at 15. On the back roads of Weld County with my dad repeating (in ever increasing volume) to "stay out of the trash!" Meaning, I like to hug the outside of the road. I have this un-overcome-able fear of getting smashed in the face. Be it by a ball (I can't NOT flinch) or an oncoming car or whatever. Did I mention this has been un-overcome-able?

Now it's day 12 of our fast, day 3 with Justin working on the big island, and our day was stretching out before us with little hope. Ok, that might be a bit dramatic. Anyways, Avery asked if we could go to the beach. I have not taken the girls by myself for 2 reasons. One, the road is rough. Wrench your axle, pop your tire rough. Second, I was leery of being alone at the beach with my girls.

This is what the beach usually looks like during the week. Usually amazing. So the girls beg to go, and I relent. I call Justin to tell him where we're headed and give some nice ladies a lift on the way. Everything is going great. We're cruising through the forest, swerving between trees (I may have forgotten to say I also like to drive fast), fishtailing in the sand just a wee bit and BAM BAM!!! I'd been of course hugging the bushes on the passenger side...where a tree stump was hiding...which removed both side mirrors from the car (there is, well, was a mini one at the front corner) and gouging a cute squiggly line almost the entire length of the car. Of course when I called to tell Justin, he asked how I was going so fast I didn't stop between the 2 mirrors. Ha!

So there we stopped. The girls hopped out and frolicked down into the crystal blue water. I set up our home-base and pulled out a book. Not a soul in sight but a handful of very young boys. And then I see them. A teenager and an early 20 something. They pass by politely. A few minutes later they circle back. Coming behind me...with my eye on them...they approach and I get my first indecent proposal. Needless to say I told them off and we left.

I drove home a little slower, and I will never go to the beach alone again.

Heaven must be something like this...

Team Day last week found us at the local beach (deserted during the week thankfully), basking in glow of the sun, the sky, the water and the laughter tinkling up from the water's edge.
It's a beautiful thing to see your children thriving and growing and laughing and loving.
To hear them pray for the children without beds and mosquito nets at night.
To watch them walk up to an ancient old man wearing full local dress, stick out a pale, tiny hand and attempt to say, "shikamoo", the respectful greeting for elders (said she-kah-mo).

Thanks, Lord, for bringing us here.

On the flip side, this month is Ramadan. The season of fasting. From food, drink, talking badly about others and es-ee-ex. Well, during the daytime anyways. Once the sun sets, all bets are off. Sometimes that is taken to an extreme, negating all the "good" one has done during the day, but who's to say?

We too are fasting this month (a feat never before tackled by yours truly) and praying desperately for God to show Himself to the people here. For His TRUE self to appear in dreams and visions, calling some to Himself. For a gnawing hunger for Truth to eat at the empty stomachs during the day, yet not be sated once night falls. For us to be shining lights drawing others to His LOVE, FORGIVENESS, GRACE and MERCY.

Pray with us, won't you? Pray for strength to keep up with the eating, snacking, drinking children during the day. Pray for cheerfulness beyond circumstances. Pray for purposeful fasting joined with prayer and drawing close to God. Pray that this "holy" month would explode in a miraculous showing of His glory that would truly make this month HOLY!

Thank you! It's awesome to be joined with you across the oceans and continents...through prayer.

The Lighthouse

Built in 1900, this beast is a marvel. A marvel it's still standing that is. But the view? You guessed it: breathtaking!
The stairs are exactly the width of my hips, about 4 inches deep and straight up, up, up. And yes, we did have to troop all 7 children up them to the very top.
The kids loved it, loved the fact that the railings are oh, so much less than safe, loved to look around and see nothing but air, clouds and sunny sky.
And there ends the touristy tour of our little island. Wanna come see it for yourself? Karibu sana! (You are most welcome!)