Everything Bright and Beautiful

Yes, America rocks.  You may have forgotten, or gotten used to it, but it does.  Everything is clean and it smells good and it tastes amazing!  Pounds have been gained, laughs have been had, and healing has occurred.  I don't think we realized (or let ourselves realize) how hard it was over there!  But restoration and refreshment is well under way and we can look forward to returning in the fall with smiles...don't worry.

 First on the list was meeting all the new babies!  We had six new nieces and nephews born while we were away, plus numerous new ones born and adopted by dear friends to get to know!

 Christmas brought WONDERFUL time with the Brown side of the family, GOOD presents (as opposed to the ones found on the other side the last couple years) and hours spent circling the driveway on new bikes.

 Pedicures with Kim...

 Fishing with friends...

 And MORE cousin time!

 The girls are loving it here and I hold my breath a bit when I think of telling them we are leaving again!

 Not able to wait another minute, I grabbed Braelyn and swept up to Colorado for a few, short days to reconnect with the Kirkpatrick side (minus Sam =(  missed you!).

 Three more cousins to meet and see again...lots of fun was had!

 We even got to see snow and ice!  Braelyn was certainly baffled, but it was delightful!

 Saturday we drove up in the mountains to see the real stuff and the magnificent sights.

 Much of the snow had blown away from the open spaces, but we found some to play in.

 This lake was frozen a foot deep or more and we got to slip slide across it, checking out all the ice-fishing holes and a few rainbow trout being pulled from the depths.

 Dad said this was the first time he's gotten mom out on the ice and it sure was an adventure!  Braelyn loved hanging on to my hand and letting me skate her everywhere.

 Unfortunately, the wind was whipping past us dropping the temp to near zero.

 So our escapade was short and sweet!

 A brief snowball fight...

 Our best snowman since the snow was too powdery to roll up

 And a wave good-bye.

 Sunday night I scrubbed up for my first hospital shift in 6 1/2 years.  I got to spend as many hours as I could with Stephanie on her floor... until my back doth protesteth too much and I went home.  It was super cool and Stephanie was amazing.  It was so awesome to watch her in action!  If ever you are sick in Colorado...make sure you request her for your nurse!!!

 Back to Florida we zoomed on Monday night and Wednesday morning found me grinning ear to ear as ALL THREE OF MY GIRLS left with Justin for school!!!!  It was an amazing day.  We all agreed, best day ever.

So that is the news on our first month home!  We can't wait to connect with each of you in the weeks and months to come.  Thank you for everything.  We treasure your friendship and care and prayers.  We are IMMEASURABLY thankful for all the blessings you have showered on us!  Cars, homes, clothes, food, our blessings and thanks know no bounds.  We love you!

Saying Goodbye

Our March "end-of-term" date loomed far and our longing for home loomed large, so we moved up our "come back to America" date to mid-December.  It was sudden and moved fast, about 18 days between decision and take off.  Those days were sure tough...most of all as we faced saying good-bye to ones we have come to love so dearly.

 Fatma and Little Samir were especially tough and I couldn't keep the tears from streaming down my face that last day as I realized I would miss his first steps and first words.

 But all too soon we were off, spinning up through the atmosphere on five different planes, over countless different countries as we trekked home.

I have had a couple different people ask if Little Island is "home" and though we deeply love the people and our life there, it is just too plumb hard to feel like home.  Maybe someday.  But for now, we revel in the clean, cool comfort of our American home.  Thanks so much for praying for us as we traveled.  As hard as 48 hours of travel is, the girls were rock stars and it was by far the easiest of our 6 world traverses!

Another Birthday

Our BABY is four!  We decided to take a quiet day at the pool to celebrate this one.

 Good thing Meme's package arrived with a stylin' new swimsuit!  Went perfectly with the awesome red lipstick Hunter bought her.

 One chocolate cheesecake (which was really a treat for mama), one giant candle and 3 sparklers later and we had ourselves a party!

 Add a backpack of the Twelve Dancing Princesses Barbie dolls and life couldn't get much better.  

 Except for Hunter who got her present from Mr. Craig...her first real scuba diving lesson!

 She was of course a natural...having been Snooba-ing with daddy for a long time.

 They spent nearly an hour going round and round, up and down.  

Masks on and off.  Regulator in and out.

 We are so thankful for our precious three girls and every year we have had them!  Thank you LORD!

Eight Years Old!

Hunter finished another year of life and decided to celebrate in an Under The Sea way!

 She made the invitations almost completely by herself.

 I am back on my game as far as cakes are concerned!  I feel I have fallen short for many birthdays in a row...so this cake got a whole day of my life!  Ok, the octopus on the cake did.

 Hunter chose to be a jellyfish...

 Avery a dolphin...

 And Braelyn...a starfish!

 That's what an island birthday entails: home-made everything!

 Here's the spread with the beauty!

 The festivities and the friends:

The Scuba Dive Crew even jumped in.

 Everyone was sad to see the party end.  Even Occy.

Happy Birthday my beautiful Hunter!

Halloween Island Style

Halloween came and since there aren't many houses that you can knock on a door here and expect to get some candy...we improvised. The girls said they wanted to dress up and do something "scary".

Hunter was a butterfly princess, Braelyn was a vampire princess and Avery a peacock princess.

When it got dark out, Justin took Hunter and Avery for some spooky/scary night snorkeling in search of octopus, squid and other scary sea creatures. 

 Scorpion Fish

 Cuddlefish

 Avery caught her first octopus all by herself. Did a wonderful job.

 Blue spotted stingray

Star pufferfish

Squid  

Here are Hunter and Avery with two squid that we caught and had for dinner the next day! Overall it was a fun and scary/exciting Halloween. 

Another Empty Place

Little Swalha gave up her fight this morning.  She now lies wrapped in white, beneath this clearing, tucked in a corner of her village.  At least her broken body does.  I am trying to rejoice, knowing she is dancing and running for the first time in her life...right into His arms.

 Her mama is far from rejoicing of course.  As I sat with her today, after we wept together, I was able to open my mouth with words of the One who can heal any thing and save us from everything.  I told her mama about the Son who loves her and wants her to follow Him.

 Of course, a 3 minute conversation with a woman who can not read His words herself are far from sufficient.  But I pray a seed has been planted and in His time it will be watered and tended and it will grow.

 Little Sister Aminia will be eligible for testing next month for the same deadly virus that took Swalha.  Pray with me that she is clear.  That she will have the chance to grow up strong and healthy...and one day become His child.

 It is so hard sometimes...we are working so hard, doing so much, and yet...there is so much to do.  So many who have never heard...will never hear.  Pray that He will sweep down and work in huge, miraculous ways.  That He will bring these people to Himself. 

And life always continues elsewhere...Tornado is the proud mommy of ten beautiful chirpy chicks.  Thank you Lord for new life...and for the reminders of new life in You!

My Happy Place

For my fifth birthday I received a small, beige, plastic suitcase of sorts.  Inside were all the tools to turn an aimless four year old into a five year old with a plan.  It was a toy doctor's kit.  A dream was born.  I was going to be a nurse.  Never looked back.  When I hit 12 I realized that the world was a very, very big place and that there were places in the world that NEEDED a nurse.  A nurse who also loved the Lord.  The dream grew.  I was going to go with Him to the ends of the earth with my little doctor kit.

 What started with a Tylenol here and a blood pressure check there has grown into a twice weekly clinic on my front porch.  Mondays and Wednesdays find me sitting here, in a wobbly plastic chair with 20 or so people lined up waiting.  I listen; I try to help.  You might notice my blue bowl-o-meds (and some hand sanitizer) there beside my feet.  Add my Village Medicine book and my Swahili dictionary and I am ready to tackle the aches and pains and infections of life on this little island.

I know, some of you may be horrified that I, just an RN, am dispensing medicine.  But let me lead you to the alternative.  I drove about 4 miles today to a "nearby" clinic...up the mountain, over the rocks, through the mud pits, around the fields.  There works one man...a "nurse assistant", a midwife (2 days a week) and a small stockpile of government supplied medicines.  I checked out his logbook.  He prescribed amoxicillin and Tylenol for every single patient on the whole first page.  Except where he diagnosed pneumonia and then he gave penicillin shots instead.  Any other ailment...amoxicillin it is.

I am not complaining...he is doing the best he can.  And so am I.  I have to help somehow...to the best of my ability.  I do refer the harder things to a hospital nearly an hour away.  But otherwise, I sit on my porch and glow in being where I was always meant to be.