Countdown

Jill and I have been looking at how much time we have left here in the US before we depart for Uganda. I've added a countdown timer just below our pictures on the right hand side. Thought everyone might enjoy counting down with us. I like the day countdown so much more than the weeks - 149 days versus 21 weeks - looking at the weeks will make you freak out just a bit!

Do-over...

A do-over is what I need for today. I had the blessing to work last night. With only one and a half hours of sleep prior to my shift, I was very grateful that God allowed the night to fly by. Sleep today came in bits and pieces; and I remember why it's not fun to work a Friday night, Saturday is pretty much wasted. (This is not always true, but today it felt that way.)

Today, I did one load of laundry and we all went on our weekly shopping trip. Woo hoo! Also, I was the mean mother who made Dara start her homework for the weekend - forgetting completely that there is no school on Monday because it's MLK day. There were tears and unkind words/tones on both parts before it was all said and done. I snapped at Joel, who didn't get much sleep last night either (he never does when I work nights). Poor Dade could sense that everyone was a bit crabby and took advantage of the situation to be more rambunctious than normal. (Maybe not, but it sure seemed that way.)

All of this to say, that when Joel got into the shower, I took the time to listen to Dennis Jernigan's song "If I Could Sit with You Awhile". It's hard to explain, but maybe you'll have experienced something like this before. It's as if God was right here holding me while I confessed and whined about my day. The song finished and I chose another one on Joel's laptop called "Holy Says it All". When I was reminded of how truly holy and awesome our God is, it felt like the weight was lifted off my shoulders. God is so good!

My heart breaks for those who could read this and not understand how wonderfully incredible it is to have a relationship with God. I've been praying for the opportunity to share God's love in very purposeful ways with my coworkers. Yet, it seems like I'm either floated to another unit, or the nursing part of ICU life barely allows me the time to use the restroom let alone have a personal conversation. Please pray for me in this.

I'm sorry this sounds dumpy, but I really would like it to be encouraging. I am so grateful that God's mercies are new every morning, that He loves me and cherishes me even on days when I may not be so lovable, and that He doesn't change with my moods. He is sufficient! He promises to guard our going out and our coming in. That means He is with me all the time and He is watching out for me. Thank you, Lord.

P.S. Joel says that I always add a blog whenever he does. I don't want anyone to miss the one he shared. It's before "crazy hair day" and it's wonderful news.

P.P.S. If you're wondering what the tree has to do with anything...it doesn't. I just really like it. :)

Crazy Hair Day!

The most fun day of school is today - crazy hair day!

If you are in need of a distraction from the daily monotony of life, Sally's beauty supply is having a sale on colored hairspray. It's fun! (We'll do Dade's hair later....have a great day!)

An Actual Date

No...I didn't take Jill anywhere fancy. We usually don't make it anywhere but TGI Friday's because of their Brownie Obsession.....if you haven't been there and tried it - GO NOW!!!!!!

This is a far cry from a romantic date with the love of my life, however it is almost as exciting - notice that I said 'almost' - I don't want to get in trouble with Jill. Through the process of sending questions back and forth to AIM, we now have official planning dates for departure. While this isn't a big surprise, actually seeing the dates on paper and looking at calendars can cause your heart to skip a few beats.

It's kind of like that time we were on the "Big Shot." I had a convention out in Las Vegas and Jill got to go with me. This was back during our first year of marriage prior to the kiddos. At the end of the strip is the Stratosphere. It is the tall tower that you see in so many pictures. At the top of this tower is a ride called the "Big Shot." If you've been to Six Flags Over Texas, it is like Superman, only about half as tall and sitting on top of a tower almost 1000 feet in the air! They strap you in and shoot you straight up. You almost feel like you are launching into space - or at least what I would imagine that to feel like. Jill still hasn't forgiven me for taking her on it - in fact, she says it has "ruined her" for all future thrill rides and roller coasters. Here's a picture - the "Big Shot" is up on the very top of that tower.



Let me get to the point before Jill accuses me of rambling again. As we sat up on the tower waiting to get "launched" there was a nervousness swimming around in my stomach. It was an intense excitement, amazing anticipation and just a little (okay a lot!) of feeling like I was about to choke up my lunch. The anitcipation almost killed me......but the ride was one of the most exciting things I've ever done! That's how I feel right now........the anticipation is about to kill me, but I know this "ride" is going to blow my mind!

One of my new favorite verses is Isaiah 25:1 - "O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." Isn't that cool? This is just a small part of the marvelous things, He planned long ago for us. In that, there is a perfect peace and a resounding affirmation of His call on our lives. Please pray for us......as of today, there are 21 weeks until we have to be in New York for our flight to Africa. Yes, you read it right......21 weeks....sounds a lot longer when you say 5 1/2 months doesn't it?

Here's the timeline.....we are supposed to be in Pearl River, NY at AIM's US Headquarters on June 24th. We will be there for 2 days and then catch a flight on June 26th for Nairobi, Kenya. We will be in Nairobi for 2-3 days and then off to Machakos for Orientation. I think orientation is either 3 weeks long or 6 weeks long and then we'll head to Mbarara, Uganda to start our work there.

There is so much left to do......we need to sell the house, find a new place to live, get everything we need for the next 18 months packed into 8 action packers, get our medical clearance, torture our kids with all the immunizations they will need to get, and get all of support raised.......can you say "overwhlemed." We love each of you and are so grateful for your prayers - that is what carries us through!

And just so Jill doesn't get on to me about not posting pictures with my posts.....here is a view of one of the main streets in Mbarara, just to give you a taste of where we'll be for the next 18 months.

Daddy's say the darndest things!

This morning as we were getting ready for school, I overheard Joel talking to Dara. It sounded something like..."Dara, did you hear that?! It's safe to eat any insect with 6 legs or less!" I turned to see Dara's reaction, and she just gave him a look to say, "You are so crazy!" If she said anything, I didn't hear it.

Sadly, I thought this information may come in handy one day. There may come the day when I regret having told the kids that we don't eat bugs. Who would have thought?

The picture is from our fishing weekend in October. Dara was fascinated with the worms. Are worms considered insects with less than 6 legs? I sure hope not!

Have a blessed Friday!

They've gone crazy, I tell you!

Remember how I said the kids love being on the roof? Well, Joel got up on the roof this past weekend to take the lights down. It was quick and easy (since we're throwing the lights away). But the kids were right there waiting to get back up with Daddy...so here's the picture in the day light.Notice the shorts and t shirts...it was 80 degrees on Saturday!

Okay now to prove that little boys are just crazy...did you know that when you get new red sweat pants from Gramma, you can run faster than ever before? To prove this, Dade donned his pants on Sunday (now the high temperature was in the 40s - and that's generous) and ran back and forth in the house with us counting to see just how fast he is...I wish I could have gotten the blur on camera.
I failed to mention that new shoes can also make you faster and give you the ability to jump higher than your old ones - just in case you need to jump higher than you can right now. :)

These last two pictures are of Dade trying to skate on the skateboard that belongs to his stuffed monkey. He was quite determined and finally quit because I wouldn't stop taking pictures.

If you ever need some comic relief, just come over and watch Dade for awhile - he is full of energy and always good for a laugh.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

There's nothing quite as aggrivating as checking out someone's blog to find they haven't posted anything in over a month! Who does such a thing? Me. :) I am still finding it hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone and the New Year has started. Where does the time go?
Our Christmas was wonderful. From Dade getting to put the star on the Christmas tree (a privelege Dara has always had) to Joel putting the lights on the house late one evening - finishing after it was dark. For some reason the kids think they should also be allowed on the roof as well so if you can see them, they are up there with Joel. He's such a patient Daddy.

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve with Joel's family. Dara read the Christmas story (in front of the nativity scene of course) and we ate a lot of food. It was very relaxing and peaceful.

Christmas day was probably the most relaxed that it's ever been. We lounged and napped and played games. I think the DSs had something to do with it, but whatever the reason - I'm grateful for the peace.
My family arrived the day after Christmas. I am so grateful that God knew best and didn't let our house sell yet. The only ones missing were Aaron, Donna, and their kids. Even so, it was great having all of us together.
I cherish these moments knowing we won't always get to be together for the holidays. God is so good to bless us with families who love us and who we will miss so much.
We wish you peace and a sweet communion with God for this coming year. May you grow with Him in ways beyond your imagination.