Wearing orange to support Pat Summitt and send our prayers her way!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
the secrets
I'm spilling the beans. These are the things that go on here that I don't blog about in fear that people will never come to visit and work with us, but my family has come and gone, seen them, and survived, so I feel as though its okay to share. So prepare yourself, but remember these things don't just happen here, they just happen to still be secrets everywhere else.
1. Lice comes and goes from this house. We try and keep it out, but with 14 girls living in close quarters, and going to a school where it is commonly carried, we are bound to end up with it here occasionally. I have never gotten it, but I would like to consider myself nearing the point of expert in the field of picking it out. The older girls are real experts, like professionals. But this afternoon was one of those times that my back and shoulders were sore after picking 'piojos and juevos' (lice and eggs) for multiple hours. At least its good bonding times between us all! But I would like to announce that as of tonight, we are LICE FREE! ;) Or in the case we missed an egg, shampoo was applied first to kill them all, so at least its dead.
2. Cockroaches. There are no escaping them. We have done a pretty good job keeping them thinned out, but they still peek out occasionally. The real secret is that I have arrived to the point that I no longer kill them. I scare them away from where I am; it almost grosses me out more to hear the crunch than to just know that they are running around somewhere behind the wall.
3. Mice. They run around. Sometimes they jump out of the silverware drawer, and once one ran into my foot while I was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. I have never seen one in my bedroom, but one ran across my mom's suitcase when they were here.
P.S. As I was writing number 7. a mouse was sighted in the family room where I am sitting with the kids watching a movie. The oldest 3 girls decided to coax it out the front door by baracading it and smacking at it with flip flops until it went the direction they wanted. In the end after some squealing, racing to move Ruby out of the path on the floor, and standing on couches. . . SUCCESS, the mouse is out of the house.
4. Sometimes we forget to put left overs in the refrigerator after dinner and they sit out all night. We still eat them the next day. No one has gotten sick from it yet.
5. Sometimes we leave rice in the rice cooker for long periods of time. Its still good a couple days later.
6. When rice gets old (not bad, just old) these little bugs called gorgojos start to get into it. We always wash the rice before cooking it, but occasionally we find them, pick them out, and cook the rice anyways.
7. We ride an average of twice the number of people in a vehicle than we have seatbelts for. There is no seatbelt law, so its not illegal. Every week our 12 passenger van carries at least 25 people to church, but we've had up to 30. Also its not illegal to ride in the back of the truck, so we do, well a house rule is that only the big kids are allowed (older than 12), but they are just as happy riding in back as inside (as long as its not raining)
So those are a few of the secrets that have now come out. Don't let them stop you from coming PLEASE! All these things can be avoided or worked around :) And the benefits way outweigh these little possible mishaps.
1. Lice comes and goes from this house. We try and keep it out, but with 14 girls living in close quarters, and going to a school where it is commonly carried, we are bound to end up with it here occasionally. I have never gotten it, but I would like to consider myself nearing the point of expert in the field of picking it out. The older girls are real experts, like professionals. But this afternoon was one of those times that my back and shoulders were sore after picking 'piojos and juevos' (lice and eggs) for multiple hours. At least its good bonding times between us all! But I would like to announce that as of tonight, we are LICE FREE! ;) Or in the case we missed an egg, shampoo was applied first to kill them all, so at least its dead.
2. Cockroaches. There are no escaping them. We have done a pretty good job keeping them thinned out, but they still peek out occasionally. The real secret is that I have arrived to the point that I no longer kill them. I scare them away from where I am; it almost grosses me out more to hear the crunch than to just know that they are running around somewhere behind the wall.
3. Mice. They run around. Sometimes they jump out of the silverware drawer, and once one ran into my foot while I was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. I have never seen one in my bedroom, but one ran across my mom's suitcase when they were here.
P.S. As I was writing number 7. a mouse was sighted in the family room where I am sitting with the kids watching a movie. The oldest 3 girls decided to coax it out the front door by baracading it and smacking at it with flip flops until it went the direction they wanted. In the end after some squealing, racing to move Ruby out of the path on the floor, and standing on couches. . . SUCCESS, the mouse is out of the house.
4. Sometimes we forget to put left overs in the refrigerator after dinner and they sit out all night. We still eat them the next day. No one has gotten sick from it yet.
5. Sometimes we leave rice in the rice cooker for long periods of time. Its still good a couple days later.
6. When rice gets old (not bad, just old) these little bugs called gorgojos start to get into it. We always wash the rice before cooking it, but occasionally we find them, pick them out, and cook the rice anyways.
7. We ride an average of twice the number of people in a vehicle than we have seatbelts for. There is no seatbelt law, so its not illegal. Every week our 12 passenger van carries at least 25 people to church, but we've had up to 30. Also its not illegal to ride in the back of the truck, so we do, well a house rule is that only the big kids are allowed (older than 12), but they are just as happy riding in back as inside (as long as its not raining)
So those are a few of the secrets that have now come out. Don't let them stop you from coming PLEASE! All these things can be avoided or worked around :) And the benefits way outweigh these little possible mishaps.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Back
This was by far the most emotionally confusing trip I have gone on cross culturally. I arrived back in Nicaragua last night after spending 2 awesome weeks back home in Indiana. Seeing family was great, visiting with friends and extended family was great, visiting my dear alma mater ND was so fun, it was a great vacation. But I think that was what made it all the more confusing. This was the shortest back and forth I've had. Before I went to Honduras for a month then came back home for a year, then went to Nicaragua 4 months and came home to Indiana for 4 weeks, but this was the kicker. . . Nicaragua for 7 months, Indiana for 2 weeks. A trip like that constitutes as a vacation, not a temporary change of residency. But how do you do a vacation at home, and how do you emotionally rationalize the idea that where your family lives in not your current home. I don't know I haven't figured it out yet. But I do know I love it here and I love it there and fortunately once I am past the travel day, I'm more or less content where I am. Also fortunately, its all up to God as to where I spend my days. God has called me to be in Nicaragua for this season, and in that He has given me a place that I am content, and fully satisfied in Him. Even though I take trips back to the States and think life there could definitely have its perks :) (even beyond being able to see and talk to my family whenever I want), my relationship with God also changes, and until I can hold steadfast to my faith while I am in the States the same way that I can in Nicaragua, I'm not called to go back yet, and maybe even when that happens either, but who knows, we'll just have to wait and see. I really love this picture, one of the older girls took it a while back, but I have never really had a reason to put it up, but I was just feeling it tonight :) I don't know, I just like it, and its surprisingly artsy for some teenagers who have only recently discovered digital cameras!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Finally...we find out what Lauren has been doing for the past year!!!
As Lauren mentioned below our visit to Nicaragua was a colliding of her two worlds…for us it was an introduction to a new, beautiful, and different world. Neither Ron, Eryn or I had ever traveled outside the US, except to Canada. So passports, customs, immunizations, etc were all new to us. But so well worth it all!
Every single person we met that is involved in Lauren’s life was amazing, I'd love to list them all but I know I'd forget someone. It has made it much easier now that we have seen where she is and the people that surround her while she is some 2,000 miles away from us.
There are so many things I could blog about but I'll choose two things. First I'll share my thoughts on some unique things I observed in Nicaragua, then some of our travels.
Interesting observations:
1. All the Nicaraguan people I met were all so very kind
2. People walk so close to the edge of the road! I am surprised there aren't people hit every day!
3. To pass in a car, you honk and pass them. If its late and no one is around you can honk and go through a red light.
4. There are random skinny horses tied up along the road
5. There are many many stray dogs roaming around everywhere, no cats
6. All young Nicaraguan girls are beautiful.
7. Many of the houses have cement walls and gates around them.
8. A number of people sell food, fruit and vegetables from stands on the street.
9. There are 3 ways to cook plantains and they have them very often with their meals.
10. Rice and beans are another staple.
11. It is sad to see the poverty.
Some amazing things we did and saw:
Here is the Masaya Volcano. It hasn't erupted since the 1700's but at night you can still see a red glow inside! The sulfur smell permeated the area.
Here we are at Lake Nicaragua. They said it is the only fresh water lake that is home to fresh water sharks! We chose not to go in....but the cows don't seem to mind!
Here we are in beautiful Granada. The homes and churches were all painted such pretty bright colors.
Here we are at the ocean. We stayed in this lovely little beach house.
An amazing fact was in 3 hours the tide we out like 400 feet to reveal a rock bottom.
Here you can see where the people of the town chop the rock from the bottom of the ocean for building their homes.
This amazing young man shimmied up the coconut tree like it was nothing to cut us down some coconuts!
Ron lent a hand in wiring the new girls home that Lauren will be moving into.
But the most amazing of all....are the beautiful, amazing children living at the House of Hope that we fell in love with!!!
Every single person we met that is involved in Lauren’s life was amazing, I'd love to list them all but I know I'd forget someone. It has made it much easier now that we have seen where she is and the people that surround her while she is some 2,000 miles away from us.
There are so many things I could blog about but I'll choose two things. First I'll share my thoughts on some unique things I observed in Nicaragua, then some of our travels.
Interesting observations:
1. All the Nicaraguan people I met were all so very kind
2. People walk so close to the edge of the road! I am surprised there aren't people hit every day!
3. To pass in a car, you honk and pass them. If its late and no one is around you can honk and go through a red light.
4. There are random skinny horses tied up along the road
5. There are many many stray dogs roaming around everywhere, no cats
6. All young Nicaraguan girls are beautiful.
7. Many of the houses have cement walls and gates around them.
8. A number of people sell food, fruit and vegetables from stands on the street.
9. There are 3 ways to cook plantains and they have them very often with their meals.
10. Rice and beans are another staple.
11. It is sad to see the poverty.
Some amazing things we did and saw:
Here is the Masaya Volcano. It hasn't erupted since the 1700's but at night you can still see a red glow inside! The sulfur smell permeated the area.
Here we are at Lake Nicaragua. They said it is the only fresh water lake that is home to fresh water sharks! We chose not to go in....but the cows don't seem to mind!
Here we are in beautiful Granada. The homes and churches were all painted such pretty bright colors.
Here we are at the ocean. We stayed in this lovely little beach house.
An amazing fact was in 3 hours the tide we out like 400 feet to reveal a rock bottom.
Here you can see where the people of the town chop the rock from the bottom of the ocean for building their homes.
This amazing young man shimmied up the coconut tree like it was nothing to cut us down some coconuts!
Ron lent a hand in wiring the new girls home that Lauren will be moving into.
But the most amazing of all....are the beautiful, amazing children living at the House of Hope that we fell in love with!!!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The two worlds have collided
This week my two worlds collided, but in a GOOD way! While my sister has been here for almost three weeks, my parents have completed 3 days, and it has been awesome (at least for me :) They have been able to spend plenty of time with the kids and been a huge help with everything that goes on in a given day.
Eryn managed to snap some pictures as they arrived in the airport :)
And here they are playing with the little ones:
Mom reading with Emily!
and dad holding Ruby ;)
Eryn managed to snap some pictures as they arrived in the airport :)
And here they are playing with the little ones:
Mom reading with Emily!
and dad holding Ruby ;)
This really has been such a blessing having my whole family here, so stay tuned for more of our adventures :)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Gracie's Birthday :)
There hasn't been internet to put this up earlier, but it was written last Wednesday!
Yesterday was Grace's 4th birthday! So, what is the only reasonable thing to do for a birthday??? Have a party! So here's the photo summary of the evening.
Brinca Brinca (Jumpy thing)
Dancing
Balloons
Cake
The birthday girl with her parents :)
Yesterday was Grace's 4th birthday! So, what is the only reasonable thing to do for a birthday??? Have a party! So here's the photo summary of the evening.
Brinca Brinca (Jumpy thing)
It was super cool with two levels and an obstacle course style things that led to the 2 slides down!
Dancing
Food
Balloons
Cake
The birthday girl with her parents :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)