The Traveling Three

Another Baby Girl on the way!

2010-11-29T21:57:00.002+03:00

We are too excited in anticipation of another baby girl due to make her appearance on or around May 10th! Lucie is going to be a big sister! :)

She's Almost One!

2010-08-25T23:37:00.003+03:00

Outside Expressions

2010-04-24T01:08:00.004+03:00

Sometimes, when Lucie has been fussing, and I've tried everything, I remember that one other "something" that seems to work like a charm.
Take her OUTSIDE!
The girl will entertain herself for hours (ok, not literally) on our 3rd story apartment porch... Listening to the wind chimes, looking at them, watching the cars drive in and out of the parking lot, the wind blowing in her face...
It's amazing what a little fresh air can do. :)

Look closely and you'll see her first two teeth! Pushed them through like a champion last month!

Here are just a few more Lucie Expressions for your entertainment.

Making those funny sounds with her lips also keeps her entertained.

7.5 months old

Starting to crawl and say "DA-DA" = TOO MUCH FUN! :O)

The Weaned Child

2010-02-21T07:11:00.002+03:00

Ok, so this is the Scripture that I have randomly flipped to numerous times in the last month! God is speaking!

Psalm 131

Lord, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself
with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.

Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the LORD
From this time forth and forever.

This Scripture reminds me of my relationship with Lucie. I am always laughing at her when she cries so hard because she is hungry--and I am TRYING to feed her! She's never had to wait very long to eat. She's always been fed, and she always has enough; yet she can scream as if she's never eaten in her life! Then I realize how ridiculous I must look to God, when I'm freaking out about having enough money for rent, enough food, enough clothes. And I hear my own words to Lucie echoing in my ear: "Don't I always feed you? Lucie, Mama always feeds you." And I hear God's words in my heart: "Lindsey, haven't I always provided for you? Have you ever not had enough?" And I realize that God is far less likely to withhold provision from His children than a mother from her child.

So, what IS a weaned child and how does it behave?

Well, only THREE days later, I came across the SAME Scripture again, in The Baby Book, by Dr. Sears! No coincidence here... God is DEFINITELY speaking! Here is Dr. Sears' description of a weaned child:

"In ancient writings the word "wean" meant "to ripen"--like fruit nourished to readiness, its time to leave the vine. When a child was weaned it was a festive occasion... Weaning was a joyous occasion because a weaned child was valued as a fulfilled child; a child was so filled with the basic tools of the earlier stages of development that she graduated to take on the next stage of development more independently. A child who is weaned before his time enters the next state of development more anxiously and is less prepared for its challenges and less ready for its independence. An insightful description of weaning is found in the writings of King David: 'I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child is my soul within me.' The psalmist David equates his feeling of peace and tranquility with the feeling of fulfillment that a weaned child has with his mother." ~Dr. William Sears, MD in The Baby Book p194

Therefore, a weaned child is a fulfilled child--a child who is ready to take on the next stage of development more independently.

This word spoken to me at this time is full of hope. In all the hoping and waiting and trusting and waiting on God of the past season, it's good news to hear God say that I've completed this stage of development, that I'm ready to move onto to the next stage... that I've gained the tools I've needed in the past season, and have everything I need for the next season. *Big sigh of relief!* I'm glad to know there is SOME progress being made! Praise God, His GRACE is sufficient!

Bright Spot in the Day :)

2010-01-21T19:47:00.004+03:00

Lucie's play time this morning. She is almost 5 months old now!

Last night I held a friend's baby, only a week old and SO teeny tiny! She was close to Lucie's birth weight and I just couldn't believe Lucie was ever that small! Amazing how fast you forget, even in a short 4 months!

Lucie--1 day old.

Lucie today--4.5 months old.

This one's for Agatha, my friend in Uganda, who sent this little dress for Lucie.

Thank you Aggie!

Happy Birthday to Meme!

Love, Lindsey and Lucie Joy

A Fun Christmas Season!

2009-12-30T00:25:00.005+03:00

This past month was full of Christmas cheer, especially with the little Lucie around to enjoy it. I'd have to say my favorite thing lately has been baking in the kitchen with Lucie. Her aunties and I had a sugar cookie decorating party Christmas Eve--Eve, and Lucie and I whipped up a bunch of dough here at the house before hand. I wore her in front of me in my sling and she watched as I mixed ingredients in bright colorful mixing bowls with wooden spoons! Her hands were waving and her feet were kicking in excitement! I even put the spoon in her hand and helped her stir and pat the dough. When I stopped patting, she would try to pat again. What fun! Here's Lucie doing a bit of "kitchen time" while watching Daddy cook omelets on CHRISTMAS MORNING:

Picture Update

2009-10-04T03:02:00.006+03:00

I FINALLY found the plug for my camera so I can put some pictures on here! My dad had put it away in a drawer somewhere, not knowing what it was for. So here is an update from the last few weeks.....

"THE LOOK"
This is Lucie's already famous "look" she gives people.

AND HERE SHE IS ON HER FIRST CAR RIDE EVER!
(2 wks old)
Lu: "Hmm... this should be interesting..."

"I think I'm getting bored..."

"Actually, I think I want out of here!"
A
"Is it over yet?"

FIRST BATH
She also had her first bath at 2 wks. She didn't like it so much... :( But since then I have made a few adjustments and she is enjoying her bath better lately. Here I am comforting her after that first "traumatic" bath experience. Poor little baby...

HANDMADE
And look at this lovely dress handmade by Lu's Auntie Rachel! Too cute!

LUCIE SPARKLE THARPE
*in a bow from Mama May*

HER DADDY'S FAVE
lu laundry.....

three weeks young

2009-09-28T22:50:00.006+03:00

Look at this little cutie!

Well...

2009-09-28T01:43:00.001+03:00

I've got pictures on the camera that I've been wanting to post, but I can't find the right plug to get them on the computer for the life of me! I can't seem to find anything "important" these days! Papers, plugs, receipts, bills, etc... You know, the kinds of things that make the "world" go 'round.... My own world that I'm in right now is very small and very FULL and there's little time for anything else... I'm not an accomplished multi-tasker so all these new things to do with a newborn are surely keeping me busy!

In other news...

BRIAN AND I ARE MOVING INTO OUR OWN PLACE!!! Oct 7 we'll be moving into our own apartment! YEE-HAW! I'm very much looking forward to it, as Lucie moving in has made it extremely crowded in this small bedroom of ours! (I thought it was crowded before! ha!)

And for the MIRACLE RECORD...

We didn't have a bed to take to our new apartment, but we knew that somehow God would make a way for us to get one. Well, Brian was on craigslist last night and he found someone who was willing to barter for a brand new KING SIZE pillowtop bed!!! Today Brian has been painting some rooms in their house in exchange for it! THANK YOU GOD! How cool is that!?! :o)

Must run. Pray I find that plug so I can put some pictures on here! L.J. is already growing so much!!!

ta ta!

BIRTHDAY PICS

2009-09-18T02:12:00.003+03:00

Our brother Aaron took some great shots the night lucie arrived.
Check them out here.

~BabyLu~

2009-09-14T04:08:00.003+03:00

ONLY MINUTES OLD...

CELEBRATING HER FIRST 24 HOURS!

SHE LIKES HER DADDY.

LITTLE SCRUNCHY YUMMY CUTENESS!

Our little Lucie is here!!! We welcomed her at 12:17am on Saturday, Sept 5 (one year to the day of when we miscarried our last baby Jinja Rosemary... isn't that cool?) She weighed 7lbs 4 oz and measured 21 inches long! She is PERFECT! We like her so much! :)

T minus 12 days?

2009-08-29T03:06:00.001+03:00

Helloooo BABY!
YES, she is STILL growing... isn't that what babies do!?!?!?!?

36 weeks!

2009-08-15T02:54:00.008+03:00

I know what you're thinking...
"Wow, she's about to pop!"
You and the rest of everyone else...
I hear it every time I venture out into public.
Smiling faces, interested expressions... "Oh, when are you due?"
.......(my answer).........
"Oh HONEY, you're NOT gonna make it that far!"
Oh brother, here we go again.
I've already been hearing it for a month...
and I still have a month to go!!!

Whatever you may think,
about "how" I'm carrying, or how "big" my belly is,
I'm not getting my hopes up for any early showing of this little girl.
Brian and I BOTH were born more than 2 weeks past our due dates.
So I'm just hoping that she'll come ON TIME!

I did dream she was here last night though.
And today I am missing her, as if she was here but now she is gone.
You can come anytime you want, Baby Lucie.

Preparations for her arrival are dwindling down...
Now it's time for more WAITING. :o)

Check out what arrived at the front door last week!
A total surprise from Brian's Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Corky!
For me, it was like CHRISTMAS DAY!
THANK YOU SO MUCH AUNT DOROTHY!!!!!

And the weekend before that,
Mom and me and my cousin Jennifer ventured out
to Babies R Us to do some returns and get a few necessaries.
We happened upon a good price for a cute little changing table
that fits right outside the door of my room!
(name letters courtesy of Rachel Tharpe,
my fantastic shower #2 planner)

I look forward to the day when I'll get to set up all this stuff
in an actual nursery! For now, God has graciously planted some contentment in my heart,
even as I anticipate the day I'll have my own home!

I can't wait til Lucie's here!

Double Shower Weekend!

2009-07-31T08:15:00.007+03:00

This past weekend was a BLAST! Totally wore me out--I planned to post a blog immediately but have been recovering from all the fun! :) Saturday, was my very first baby shower, and as one friend said, it is probably the first of "many more showers to come." Check out this FANTASTIC cupcake tower in all the right colors!!! And I made the punch myself--isn't it lovely!?! (Well, I did have some help from Jennifer H. after all my cherry floats were drowned by the extra ice I added!)

Me and my True Blue who did such an amazing job with the decor for the shower! It was perfect!

And Rachel came up with some fun games to play for our entertainment!

Lucie got so many cute outfits at this shower! And some very nice blankets, and other things that make a new mommy world a better place. :o) And we had some time for prayer and blessings over our family which was a beautiful. Thank you so much to all who came and to all who gave and to all who prayed!

These are the girls who helped out with my second shower on Sunday! Another fantastic shower--such fun!

And Caren made all these LOVELY cupcakes by hand! They were AMAZING. We had lots of good eats and drinks at this shower!

I am so grateful to everyone for their hard work to put these showers together, and so thankful to everyone for their generosity. Lucie Joy is one blessed little baby! And I am her blessed mama. :o)
I want to give a shout out too, to my Aunt Nellie for coming out before a busy work week and representing the fam. Thank you for coming! It really meant alot to me!

And last but not least, here I am in all my 34 week glory! Almost there! Only 6 more weeks to go!

LUCIE IS COMING!!!

* * * B A B Y C O R N E R * * *

2009-07-25T18:32:00.006+03:00

This week I've finally been able to satisfy some of my "nesting" instincts. I've been working on getting my room ready for little Lu and I'm so grateful to my mom and Mama May for helping me to get some things set up for the baby corner. :)

My mom took me to get these great drawers for storing Lucie's clothes and a shoe organizer to save space!

I literally had to clean out my closet probably 10x in order to finally make space for both me and Brian, and now a baby! You really have to live a minimalistic life when your whole world is crammed into one bedroom! :)

Mama May then took me and got this cute little cube organizer for Lu's things, and this little table which I'll use for a night stand--I love it!

Here's the bassinet Mom found on ebay. $25! :)

Now I'm all ready for baby showers this weekend! I'm so excited!!!

And last but NOT least, THANK YOU to Meme for making THIS possible!!!

ahhh... pedicure. :)

Here's To Lucie!!!

2009-07-08T19:48:00.009+03:00

30ks

She is growing CROWDED in there! I'm getting all kinds of pokes and jabs and it's getting harder for me to move around!!! I've definitely slowed down, and feel all kinds of aches when I get out of bed in the morning!
HELLO 3RD TRIMESTER!

Good news is: Only 9 more weeks to go!

Aren't these the cutest outfits? Mama May bought them for Lu on a shopping spree last month! :)

30 weeks

2009-07-02T02:48:00.002+03:00

my midwife apt went very well today. :)
little lu is in good position with her head down
and her body slightly to the left which is good
b/c when she moves toward the center, she is more
likely to stay facing the correct way for labor. :)

i'm slightly anemic so she says i need to pump up my iron
and take chlorophyl and yellow dock...
i'll be saving some money to buy those from the herb shop!

otherwise, everything is a-ok. said my diet is very good
and everything looks very good.
i'll start seeing her every 2 weeks now
since i am 30 weeks already! :)

it hit me the other nite that i can't believe how drastically
my life is going to change in such a short time from now!!!
a little over 2 months and i'll have a real live baby that will be
mine for always.............. WEIRD. :)
it's a good thing i'm getting rather used to my life changing
drastically quite often these days.

i'm definitely excited. here goes nothing!

(i just took a few belly pics but we're housesitting right now
and i don't have the proper cords to put the pics on my computer!
i'll try to post them soon though!)

God is Good.

2009-06-12T00:40:00.003+03:00

TWENTY-SEVEN WEEKS this week and Lucie is ever growing! By now, I have completed the blanket I was crocheting, in addition to another smaller blanket made out of very soft stretchy orange yarn. My mom found a bassinet for $20 online and also a crib for only $50! I've been working on my baby registry at Toys R Us and boy, that can make your brain crazy... too many things to look at, that's for sure. Thanks so much to those of you who have generously blessed us with things for the little lady already!

Brian is busy getting a lawn mowing business started. We were down to our last penny in the bank account with bills due and the Lord put it on someone's heart to bless us with a check... Thank you, God for meeting all our needs! Not only were we able to pay our bills this month, but Brian has been able to purchase some refurbished lawn equipment and he is working with a kid from down the street. I don't know how he does it out in that heat!!! My hardworking man...

I've been going on walks in the neighborhood most days... but my usual afternoon routine is definitely going to need some adjusting. I can't bare the heat anymore. It's amazing what humidity can do. Africa was definitely hot. The sun was definitely closer. But there is nothing like hot AND humid. Thank God for air conditioning!!!!!

I'm doing hair here and there... mostly at my parent's house where I have a salon chair and huge mirror. I don't have a car so it is difficult for me to get out and around, plus it's a whole lot easier on this growing body of mine to work on hair when the chair moves up and down and all around. That being said, if anyone wants their hair done, and doesn't mind coming here, I'm in the business! :)

Lucie is a bit of a wiggle worm these days. Not extremely active, but I do feel her every day. Lately I've been getting little pokes up in my ribs! What a funny feeling. I like her, and think she is probably going to be a funny girl. :)

That's pretty much the catch up on here.

Ta-ta for now!!!

Birth Image

2009-06-04T21:37:00.003+03:00

Yesterday, Brian and I went to our first childbirth class! Even more fun is the fact that we are taking the class together with our friends Chris and Julie who are expecting their baby Aug 4th (or earlier) and also planning a home birth! So it's cool to be able to do it together with them.

Last night, one of the exercises was to hold ice cubes in our hands for a full minute to see how we respond to pain. The dads had to do it too--and boy was it funny to watch Brian squirm!

Then we were all instructed to take some time putting our "strongest image of birth" onto paper with pastels. Here is what I made:

For a little explanation, the story starts in the bottom left hand corner where the purple represents "intensity" and the little "curls" also have the same tense feeling. The curls then begin to open up and relax represented by the blue "peaceful" color. The journey then moves up into a calm place represented by the blue in the upper right hand corner, swinging around back to the left again where that big explosion of light is my Lucie Joy with all her sparkle whose light then keeps going left towards the beginning of a new journey! (My scanner wasn't able to capture the whole picture so some of it is missing, but you get the jist of it)

We have three more classes left, and I can't help hoping that there are more art projects involved! :)

Just thought I'd share...

She's Still A Girl! :)

2009-04-26T06:40:00.003+03:00

I interviewed with a midwife today to talk about doing my prenatal care with her and possibly a home birth. Anyway, we were able (by the generosity and grace of God!) to get a sneak peak ultrasound at our little baby and she's still a girl! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and her name will be.........................

LUCIE JOY!!! :) :) :)

(our "joyful shining light")

We can't wait to meet you, Little Lu!

20 weeks!

2009-04-23T23:54:00.009+03:00

HALF WAY THERE! (CAN THIS BE?!?)
I haven't felt any DEFINITE kicks in there yet, but if I push on my belly, and leave my hand there, I can feel a little pressing back... it feels like a strong pulse to me, but it only happens once, not in a pattern like a heartbeat. :) Today I ended up laying on my stomach for one moment but I quickly hopped back up because I could feel a "form" in there! :) It was so strange to not just feel like I was laying on a big belly, but on an actual "being"! I could tell where she was, as if I was laying on something that was really on the bed! Crazy!

This week has been a very enjoyable one. After a refreshing prayer meeting on Monday night, where both Brian and I received a good dose of lovin' from our friends through insightful prayers and specific words of encouragement about where God has us right now and how He is going to take care of us, we came away realizing how important it is to live IN the moment, not in the past, and not worrying about the future... I've been reading Luke 12 where it talks about not worrying about your life, and not storing up treasure on earth... and we've been endeavoring to walk in that kind of trust, knowing that if God cares about birds and lilies, how much more does He care for us!

We've been taking walks around my parents' neighborhood almost every day. (Good exercise for the pregnant mama!). On Tuesday, our friend Linda Lu invited us to go fishing with her, so we spent the day with her and our other friend Todd Peroud, out on Lake Conroe catching fish, snacking on chicken salad and other picnic treats, and soaking up the sunshine and beautiful day!

Wednesday, I did hair at the house most of the day. Brian cooked an AMAZING spaghetti dinner and the Crouse family plus a few guests sat down around the table to chat it up and enjoy the tastiness! Our friend Diane was over and I think we ended up all chatting til 12 in the morning! Good-good times...

Here's Han's new haircut (pre-color)... It's real cute. ;)

Today I tried my hand at making banana bread muffins, and they turned out quite tasty indeed! I'm really enjoying being home, and having time on my hands... time to be productive, and to do things I wouldn't normally take the time to do... it's nice to live here, with all the conveniences and treats of our western world, but without allowing the stress of the usual fast paced American lifestyle to be in charge. It's a blessing to be here at my parent's house and we are going to be cooking dinner more often to show our appreciation!!!

Home Sweet Home

2009-04-08T19:55:00.016+03:00

We are home and it's GOOD TO BE BACK! I've definitely been enjoying the tastes of Texas! And it's been quite a convenient time, as I have really noticed my appetite increasing these last two weeks! I'm 18 weeks today and GROWING. :)

Yesterday was my first day "out and about" on my own. Brian had some things to do, so I borrowed my mom's car and went driving wherever I wanted! I checked out the Conroe shopping scene after grabbing an iced Passion tea from Starbucks. I hit up Hobby Lobby just to do some browsing and happened upon the YARN isle where there was a huge sale... all this yarn for only $1.99! This was VERY convenient for me, since I have been crocheting a baby blanket with some multi-colored yarn my mom sent to me in Africa. I had been wanting to get some orange yarn to go with it and there it was... 2 rolls of the exact same brand as my multi-colored yarn--on sale! I bought that up! Now that I'm home, I work on the blanket during late night conversations with my parents, at prayer meetings, and at band practice. It's coming along nicely!

After Hobby Lobby, I headed over to Old Navy, TJ Maxx (THAT is the place to get everything!), and random shoe stores... I was behaving myself and not spending money though I would have liked to buy the whole world! Need to wait 'til we have some sort of income before I start depleting the small savings we're floating on right now. It was still fun to look around though.:)

Then, I headed toward the Outlet Mall, where I browsed the Motherhood maternity store. (I actually tried on a pair of pants that were too SHORT for me. That has NEVER happened before! EVER!) My last stop was Carter's which I had been hearing about from new mommy friends, and I looked around for a while before deciding that I HAD to buy at least one thing for my baby (my first baby purchase ever). Isn't this cute!?!

All in all, it is WONDERFUL to be back home in the U.S.A. Brian and I are seeking God's direction for this next season of our lives, and we can't wait to see what He has in store. For now, we are staying at the Crouse House (THANK YOU MOM AND DAD!) and taking care of the small things that are in our hands until we know a little bit more about our future living/working situations. Please keep us in your prayers.

Here are a few bonus pics of us during our layover in London on the way home.
We rode the underground "tube" into central London and froze as we walked around trying to soak it all in... We ate at a little hole in the wall GENUINE Italian restaurant, and the food was VERY tasty... but I couldn't help feeling self-conscious that I didn't know how to use a fork and knife "properly". :) Here we are:

FUN TIMES!

AUGUST RUSHED TO APRIL!!!

2009-03-29T09:47:00.003+03:00

Brian and I (and the little lady) are on our way home to Texas sooner than we knew! We've been released from our committment here, so now we can come home and start preparing for a home and this baby! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Little Lady

2009-03-19T18:04:00.008+03:00

What a surprise! I didn't even know we'd be able to find out the sex at this ultrasound. I accidentally scheduled with the lady who does 3D ultrasounds only. I thought we were going for the 2D. So even though we had to pay more money($50 instead of $35), it was well worth it! So much fun! The technician seemed to have no doubts at all that our little baby is a girl! We got to watch her wiggle and turn and kick all around. We saw fingers and toes and a heart that beats. We saw her little mouth opening and her tiny body shaking with many hiccups! She liked to cover her face and her ears with her little hands almost like she was hiding from us. At one point she even turned her back to us! She was too funny!

Brian is already melting to find out we're having a girl. He was flying down the stairs after the ultrasound like a schoolboy in love! :)

In this one, I think she looks like ME! and a bit like my mom too! She is smiling for the picture!

Here are some more:

Here she is covering her little face, saying "Leave me alone!" Poor baby. :)

And look at her crossing her chubby little legs! And feet! :) So cute!

~~~And this one is my FAVORITE. ~~~

This is getting WAY too fun. :)

We've got ourselves a...

2009-03-17T18:55:00.002+03:00

GIRL-BABY!!!!!!!

(pics soon to come)

Here's to Me and Baby!

2009-03-12T19:10:00.006+03:00

Please forgive me for the poor quality of these pictures... I obviously haven't read the manual for the camera... But hey, at least they are pictures! :)

~12wks~
Sorry about the bare belly...

And here is 13 weeks... QUITE a change in only one week!

I'm at 14 weeks now but don't have a picture... I'll try to take some when we go for the ultrasound on Monday.

Here are a few bonus pictures of our (not so tidy) kitchen so you can have some idea of where we live and move and WASH DISHES.

Now, ARE YOU HAPPY?!?!?!? :)

.....just a little taste of a day in the life in africa!

2009-03-09T19:51:00.003+03:00

this was an email that i decided was worth posting as a blog:

poor brian.

got woken up this morning on his only off day around 7:30 am
with a text message from the military guys saying

"are we going to have a cook today? we took care of breakfast,
but what about lunch and dinner?"

turns out, valentino, the chef, didn't show up to work today.
turns out he left on sunday (his day off) and went to the village.
(he does this frequently)
turns out, he didn't even MENTION it to brian
though they see each other every day and work together in the kitchen
and he lives in the same building as us!
turns out, valentino DID call surj's brother to let them know
he wouldn't be back today and maybe not even tomorrow,
but no one bothered to tell brian or make sure today's work was covered.
turns out, brian has now worked and cooked lunch and dinner
ALL DAY LONG on his ONE off day and now he's in there doing dishes!
all after a full week of working til 8:30pm most nights!

he's handled it quite well actually. he's worn out... completely.
but i'm really impressed with his attitude.
God, give my man strength for this week!

no one can tell me my man doesn't work hard.
he's one of the hardest working men i know.

the other good news is, i cleaned our whole house today! :)

.....just a little taste of a day in the life in africa!

13 weeks and counting!

2009-03-09T19:07:00.002+03:00

Hello Blog World!

I've been planning to post once I get my first ultrasound, but it keeps getting post-poned! I tried to get in two weeks ago, but was only able to schedule for this Monday. Then, the people we were going to ride with to Kampala (we'd be able to go for free) cancelled their trip this week, so... I've rescheduled for NEXT Monday, the 16th. I can't wait! I will already be 14 weeks at that time--so we should get a decent picture of whoever this is inside me. :)

I'm feeling good these days. The clothes are getting tight, and I've already incorporated a few maternity pieces into my wardrobe here and there...

We're working hard over here. We're thinking that we will head back to Texas in July, but we're waiting until we have a few doctor appointments and know a little bit more about what's going on before we change our tickets. Either way, that's only about 4 months away!

Anyway, stay tuned. Hopefully it won't be too long before the next post! :)

~Congrats to Jamie and Billy! They brought my very first nephew into the world on March 5! --William Riley Burciaga--

Little Will, we can't wait to see you!

Slackin'

2009-02-06T18:22:00.003+03:00

My apologies for slacking on the blog lately. One pregnant lady equals tired-tired-tired! Add that to being at work all day with no computer access, and limited computer access after work, and I'm usually more inspired by the thought of my pillow than the thought of typing up some entertainment, even if I DO miss you guys!

Life is trucking along as usual over here... sometimes fast, sometimes slow. I feel a great sense of accomplishment at the end of each day, just knowing that a day has passed. :)

At work, I do a lot of reading when business is slow. I've read multiple novels, numerous old home decor/homemaking type magazines... most of them at least half a dozen times each... I've clipped out pictures and colors and recipes and ideas for my new home in America... I've drawn up ideas for the salon I want to have in my house someday and brainstormed about what will be needed... I've daydreamed about having a baby and being a mom... about where we will live when we return and what we will do... I've read portions of a Texas Almanac, catching up on Texas history and geography til I couldn't handle anymore and I put that book to rest... I've read the Bible and listened to loads of new music which Brian dumped onto our ipod while we were home... Let's see, a few haircuts here and there... Helped hook some street kids up with some school supplies and shoes so they could go to school... (you wouldn't even recognize them anymore in their shiny new shoes and uniforms with ties and matching socks and everything!)... and then, my favorite part of the day is when my head hits my pillow and I'm off to hopefully about 10 hours of dreamland where I dream about mexican food, salsa and queso, and other tasty foods found only in America.

Well, how is that for a spontaneous, unplanned blog? Random, I'm sure!
At least I can say that I blogged. I'll try to come up with some more unique things to living in Uganda for future posts... but somehow living here can feel so "normal" if that's possible. :)

09.09.09

2009-01-10T22:20:00.001+03:00

EXTRA-EXTRA... READ ALL ABOUT IT.

got a new baby on the way! YEEHAW!

~The Laughing One~

2009-01-01T17:18:00.002+03:00

Little Brian

~The Laughing One~

Tomorrow you go home with your real mama.
You've had many mom's in your short three years.
Even me, you snuck your way into my heart.

You ran so fast. Kicked the ball. Brian noticed.
I looked for you--You had already seen me
Before I finished coming through the gate...
You were running. Arms round and round ~ so silly.

Your laughter broke down my defenses.
Your smile found its reflection in my own.
Head thrown back, a giggle erupted.
I decided I could take you home.

God added a room to my heart one day.
I don't think it will ever go away.

Sweeties and tears and laughing and running
And crying when you didn't get your way.
Silly songs and silly humming and pointing and...
"Mama! Look--a birdie!"

We packed our bags to leave for only a few weeks.
You saw us go and I saw...

The biggest tears running down your face.

I think your real mama heard you crying
And now she's coming to take you home.

The Lord bless you and keep you, and cause His face to shine upon you. The Lord be gracious to you and give you His peace.

Little Brian

2008-12-31T18:17:00.005+03:00

While we were in Texas, we told some of you about a little boy from the orphanage who had found his way into our hearts. As far as we knew, he wasn't officially adoptable because he had a mother living in the village somewhere. He had been at Amani since he was about 3 months old with no visitations from his mother in 3 years.
Brian and I began praying that either this child's mother would come and take him home or that God would make a way for him to be a part of our family.
While we were in Texas, "Little Brian" 's mother was contacted and a visit was scheduled. She came a few weeks before Christmas and I heard that she cried when she met her son. Brian was also able to meet the mother and he said she also has a baby boy named Peter. She was anxious to take her son home before Christmas so arrangements began to be made.
The day before he left, I was able to give him a goodbye hug. I don't think he knew he was about to leave (he doesn't know one "mama" from another yet) and I didn't even know he was leaving the very next day--or that he wouldn't be returning. But two unique things happened in that goodbye...

He gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek.
And I told him "I love you"

On Christmas Eve day, little Brian went home with his real mama... and his new little brother Peter.

I grieve for my loss, but rejoice for his gain. God's ways are far above our ways. And this I know to be true:

HE'S ALWAYS GOOD.

AUGUST RUSH!

2008-12-27T19:03:00.004+03:00

WHEW! Thank God for Christmas break!!! Now I finally have a chance to catch up on this blogging!

A short review of the last two months:

1. Nov. 5 ~ Began journey from Jinja, Uganda to Houston, Texas to attend Brian's brother's wedding
2. Nov. 10 ~ Arrived in Houston after a long stay at Entebbe airport and a miraculously cheap price for a one way tickets!

Hurray for PIZZA and MEXICAN FOOD!!!!!

3. Nov. 16 ~ Aaron and Rachel's wedding was BEAUTIFUL and there's no way on earth we could have missed it!

4. After the wedding, we began brainstorming on how in the world we would get back to Uganda in only a few weeks!
Tickets were pricing out at about $5,000 for the two of us so we knew it would take a miracle!

5. We worked our old jobs (me - hair, and brian - waiting tables) in addition to picking up holiday work and random other jobs!
People were so gracious to us as their hearts were moved to give very large tips and/or donations. Thank you!!!

6. We found a great price through a missionary travel agency and were able to purchase round-trip tickets for only $3,000!

7. Dec. 8 ~ We departed our beloved Texas to return to Jinja, and finish out our year long commitment to serve our cousin Danyne and her family.

8. Dec. 10 ~ Arrived in Jinja, only to find that the wrong keys had been left for us and we couldn't get into our own house! It took quite a while before we were able to find some keys that would open the door...
Once we were inside, it was almost no consolation as we found our house covered with dirt and grime and gecko poop. This was to be expected, but is even more difficult when you are exhausted from travel.
I cried. We went to sleep very early that night and just closed our eyes to the place.

9. Dec. 11 ~ The next morning we woke up very early (6am) and got to work cleaning our house! It took a full 12 hours and once again we were exhausted. I cried some more. Five weeks in the USA sure does get you use
to all of the comforts and conveniences. It's easy to adjust back to that, not so easy to adjust again on this side! :) We went to bed early again that night.

10. Dec. 12 ~ And the next morning ~ all was sunshiny again! It's amazing what a clean house and some good sleep can do!

Since then, I've been slammed at the salon--everyone needing their hair done before Christmas. That's good of course--but Wow--I've been worn out! Needless to say, I'm thoroughly enjoying my 4 days off,
especially since upon returning I've been given a new schedule of working 6 days a week instead of the 5 I've been doing. Whew!

Brian and I are looking forward to August which is when our return tickets are set for. We often use this term "AUGUST RUSH" to encourage ourselves that 8 months isn't really that long. :)
We do believe that God brought us here for a reason and that He is working things in our lives and through our lives even though from this perspective, we haven't been able to figure out what it is yet! ha!
So we are content to be where He has placed us, and surrendering ourselves daily to His hands that are forming us... but we can't help looking forward to the day it's finally time to go back home!

~FIRST CHRISTMAS~
Here is a pic of our first Christmas as man and wife. Brian surprised me by expressing unprecedented Christmas spirit! He's been passing out candy canes (Ugandans have never seen these before!) and he even came home one night with Christmas lights! We never did figure out how to hang them... our walls are made of cement and we have no drill... so the lights were draped around and behind the couch! I've never seen lights like these before--they are very festive! Aunt Nellie sent me some Christmas stockings which I never could figure out where to hang, so they too were leaned against a wall once they were filled with some of the stocking stuffers my mom sent with us in our luggage. Mom also sent us a tiny Christmas tree, only 6 inches tall, which we loaded with lights and mini ornaments. Brian's idea is for our tree to get 6 inches bigger for every year of marriage!

Christmas Eve, we went to dinner with some people at a new restaurant called "Flavours". The food was decent and it was a nice atmosphere. Nothing to write home about or anything.... hey, wait--I am writing home about it! Must have been better than the usual Jinja cuisine. :) Afterwards we went Christmas caroling with some of the missionaries in the area. I thoroughly enjoyed this, as I don't get out much! The evening was even a bit "cool"... it could have even been compared to a warm Christmas in Houston! The last stop was a couple's house who served us up some tasty apple cider and Christmas cookies. Yum! I was pleasantly surprised by the Christmas feeling in the air. :)

Christmas morning, we talked on the phone to our families during their Christmas Eve. We had home-made Indian chai (my specialty) and opened our gifts. Brian got for me all new and matching dishes! Plates, bowls, silverware, a pitcher and matching glasses, coffee mugs, etc... It's so fun to have our own dishes finally--we have just been using hand-me-downs for everything so far. Now we have things that are nice for us here, but not so nice that we will need to tote them all over the world with us. It feels good to have something that brings you a little happiness, but that you aren't attached to and could have one day and leave the next. A good Christmas present indeed!

Then we prepared our side dishes to take to a Christmas "brie" (South African barbecue) with our S.African friend Jonnes (sp? "yawn-ez"). I made green bean casserole and Brian made potato salad. Our neighbor Amy made a tasty sweet potato casserole and afterwards we enjoyed dark chocolate brownies made by Jonnes!

To close, here is a picture in front of the main supermarket Brian goes to and a Ugandan Santa Claus passing out candy and dancing like the dancing Santa Claus next to him. Always something random to laugh about over here!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

LIFE IS HECTIC

2008-12-22T19:44:00.002+03:00

since we've been back!

I've been slammed at the salon and am often too tired to get to the internet...

so this isn't a "real" blog, but just wanted to say that we are here and alive!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! we miss you all!

Back 2 Uganda

2008-12-03T20:54:00.002+03:00

Thank you SO MUCH to all who helped us through work opportunities and/or donations to get back to Africa. God has truly provided and we thank Him for your generosity and prayers! We leave Texas on Monday, December 8th, and are set to return in August of next year.

Stay tuned for more Jinja sketches!

Lots of Love

GOODBYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We Are Home

2008-11-14T19:02:00.003+03:00

for about 3 weeks!

We came back on one-way tickets for Aaron's wedding (it's all we could afford)
and will be working our tails off to purchase tickets back to Africa
to finish out our year long commitment!

So... I'm in the business of doing hair if anyone needs a cut or color!
email: hiddengold@gmail.com

And we are also looking for any work we can do (preferably for big bucks! ha!) while we are here.

We've got somewhere around $5,000 to come up with in the next few weeks!

And just for the record, it is SO GOOD to be back in the U.S.A.!

b & l

AFRICAN QUOTE OF THE DAY

2008-10-29T20:14:00.003+03:00

Here is a quote from Agatha, the girl who works with me in the shop.
Her 23rd birthday was yesterday.

I received her permission to post this of course!

She has quite enjoyed our music collection and has been learning to use the i-pod
to repeat a song she likes. Today she asked me:

"What is it called again? Is it EAR-pod or EYE-pod?"

HA!

BEAUTIFUL, isn't it? :)

Sketches of Jinja--3

2008-10-23T18:13:00.002+03:00

4. ANTS.

Well, here in Jinja they are part of life. They LIVE here, whether we do or not. We moved into their house, but this is no problem for them--for them, the more of us the merrier! You see, WE bring the FOOD! We've had the tiny ones since we got here, but a few weeks ago, their cousins showed up... Big huge black ants. I screamed the first few times I lifted the honey jar and experienced these guys crawling onto my hand, but now I know to expect them. I've had them crawl up my legs while I'm standing in the kitchen and they don't bite, so really we just kind of ignore them and flick them off if they come climbing.

Then there's the whole colony of ants living in the wall of our shower. Imagine various shapes of flat rock with gray cement between them as the walls... now imagine many years of showers and the deterioration that might bring... There, in the crevices, the ants abide. Who knows how deep into the walls they've developed their city. There is a vertical line of them, a freeway of sorts, running north to south, maybe 2 1/2 or 3 feet in length, ants marching from one opening to the other, on our shower wall.

They mind their own business for the most part. I did go on an ant rampage a few weeks ago though--some ants in the kitchen made me mad so I got out the... Baby Powder of all things (When we first moved here, someone told me baby powder keeps ants away). I squeezed large clouds of powder onto the ant colony's freeway. It stuck to the wall like snow, ants scurrying in panic mode, falling with the powder to the ground below. It was exactly like a mini-avalanche. They'd step on the "snow" and slide off the cliffs. A mixture of satisfaction and regret were mine. The ants had cleared the freeway.

The following day, the evidence of white powder remained on the wall and the ants had resumed their traveling up and down that freeway. I've decided to let them be... they don't really harm us. Besides, what's wrong with a colony of ants living in your shower wall anyway?

Sketches of Jinja--2

2008-10-14T18:06:00.004+03:00

I've had this blog ready since the last one but haven't had a good amount of time for blogging... so I've included a "bonus sketch" for you!

2. Ok. On to MOVIES!

At the supermarket, we are able to purchase a few random DVDs for our entertainment. But these aren't the DVDs you find at an American supermarket! Here, you buy one DVD with anywhere from 5 to maybe 20 movies on it--all ripped off in one way or another. There are no "legal" movies for sale. So if you want to get a movie, well, there's no other option. Many of these are terrible quality--especially the ones like what we watched a few weekends ago--recorded IN a movie theatre! Talk about terrible audio..... "What? What did they just say?" (pause, rewind, play again... and again) and "Oh, bless you! Wait... did the movie just sneeze?" Not to mention the people who keep getting up and walking across the bottom of the screen throughout the whole film... "Could you please sit down already!?!" Now try following a complex film like George Clooney's Syriana with all that distraction. I was a wreck!

(the next subject is a BONUS sketch, inspired by my own experience today... I hope this makes up for the time it's been since the last sketch...enjoy!)

3. G-NUT LADY.

In Jinja, it is common to see women walking down the street carrying huge loads on their heads. One particular kind of lady you will see on any given day in Jinja-Towm is "the G-nut lady". She carries a large basket, maybe 2 1/2 or 3 feet in diameter, full of nuts, on her head. The most common nut here is the Ground Nut or "G-nut". In America, we know this very common nut as none other than the... peanut! She also has a number of other nuts: soya nuts, corn nuts, "sim-sims", etc... If you want to buy, you can choose between two sizes, and whether you want only one kind of nut or a mixture. (I chose corn nuts today--yum! My friend Agatha calls them "hard corns"). The woman then fills a cone made from a rolled sheet of newspaper and you pay her 100 shillings for the small or 200 for the bigger size. This comes out to about 6 cents or 12 cents! And it is probably the woman's only source of income... day in, day out, walking the streets of Jinja, selling G-nuts. AMAZING, yes?

(Sketches--3 coming soon--subject: ANTS)

Sketches of Jinja--1

2008-09-30T18:05:00.014+03:00

At the request of some of you, today I will share some things that are unique to life in Jinja, Uganda:

1. I will start with the MILK.

I have already explained in past posts that we get milk straight from the cow. Today, I am proud to say that I have adjusted to the "animal" taste and no longer find it necessary to buy a separate milk for myself from the supermarket.

Just to refresh your memory and add a bit more detail to your understanding of our milk, I will explain the process:

Each morning a man rides up to our gate on his bicycle with a large can of milk tied on the back. If we want to buy that day, we take a pot or a large bowl out to him and bring along a hand-held strainer. We specify whether we want one liter or two and he begins to measure out the milk using a large plastic cup. He scoops the milk from the can as we hold the pot up with one hand and the strainer in the other hand. He pours from the cup, through our strainer and into our pot. The strainer catches anything like dirt or cow hair that might still be in the milk. We then take the pot inside to the gas stove where we boil it.

There is an "art" to boiling milk, I've learned...

You boil it only until the top begins to bubble. Then, QUICK! OFF THE HEAT! Let it go a moment longer and that milk will boil right up and out of the pot! I've learned this from experience... numerous times. I can't even count how many times I've had to rescue a growing and foaming pot of hot milk, only to have to clean dried milk off the stove and counters later on!

After the boiling (however traumatic it may have been on that occasion) we allow the milk to cool again. Then, I use a spoon to skim the "cream" off the top. If you've never lived on a farm, you don't know that this cream is thick, white and yellow stuff, very oily, and nothing like what pours out of a carton in America! I never seem to get it all off so there are always remaining "floaties" even after one last attempt to strain them out as I pour the milk into the pitcher, pop the lid on, and into the refrigerator it goes!

Milk... it does a body good.

***Stay tuned for Sketches of Jinja--2, coming soon to a blog near you***

(next blog subject: MOVIES!)

JINJA ROSEMARY THARPE

2008-09-09T20:27:00.005+03:00

Our "Rock of Remembrance"

Friday evening, Sept 5, 2008
our baby passed through to eternity.
The peace of God was so surrounding
and His grace was undeniably with us.

We named her Jinja which means "rock"
and Rosemary which stands for "remembrance".

We made a memorial jar... wrapped our child in a beautiful watercolor silk made by our dear friend Kirsten... filled the jar with rocks and rosemary and olive oil, flowers, and notes and prayers, and beautiful things... We took a small boat out onto Lake Victoria to the place where the Nile River begins. It is called the Source of the Nile and there are large rocks there. We put the jar into the Source and floated colorful roses on the water. On our way home, we enjoyed Coca-Colas and a cigar we bought on the night we conceived little Jinja. We looked up and saw two rainbows in the sky. It was beautiful. We felt God's peace and God's promises surrounding us. The driver of our boat was named "Emmanuel".

Thank you to all who have been praying and know that we can feel the love and are looking forward to what God has for us in the future. We are full of joy and hope!

Love to all!

Jinja Rosemary Tharpe

You are our Rock of Remembrance
In you we know the faithfulness of God

You are the growing in rocky times
You are the evidence of beauty in pain

Your life is the promise of things to come
Our hearts are full to have carried you for a time

Your purpose goes on and will stay with us
We celebrate you as we sow this seed

Be fruitful, Baby! And drink from the Source
Your life flows forever, wrapped up in mystery

Emmanuel is steering our boat... "God with us..."

We saw two rainbows in the sky...
And I held two roses in my hand.

Life in Africa

2008-08-25T17:05:00.002+03:00

(My apologies: The following two posts are two weeks old but "old news" is better than no news i hope!)

August 15, 2008

Last night we cooked our first real meal at home (beyond foods like eggs, toast, macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, etc...). We made spaghetti! Mmm it was good! We boiled tomatoes down until they were like a soup, added a very tiny can of tomato paste along with fresh garlic, onion, basil and some Italian spice Brian found in the Palm Tree kitchen. Meanwhile the electricity went out so we were ruing on the military generator and the water coming out of the sink was coming from a reserve tank that sits under ground, therefore the water was the strangest yellow-ish brown color! We boiled it anyway and added spaghetti noodles, asking God to bless and sanctify our food! (We are still alive today to tell the story.) So after combining the mincemeat (hamburger meat) to the sauce, we sprinkled a bit of Romano parmesan on top (thanks to mom and dad sending us some!) and enjoyed some tasty food that was close to home!

I'm beginning to "show" just a little now (you know, enough for me to notice but maybe not you) and am making sure to get a good walk in here and there. I'm at 9 weeks now and feeling pretty good, thank God. Brian took a picture of my belly last night for the first time... I know, it's about time. I will try to get it posted on here someday.

Besides picky eating habits, I keep waiting for the notorious "food cravings" to kick in... I have a harder time figuring out what I WANT to eat... (besides Mexican food of course, which I can't help but miss on this side of the world). I did find some milk that I can stand the taste of. It's the only pasteurized milk here and you buy it in a little plastic bag, about 4 inches by 4 inches. I cut a corner off and pour it into a pitcher. It's nice. Brian drinks milk delivered to our door. Straight from the cow! We boil it down and strain it. Then refrigerate. Much cheaper that way! So we have "my" milk and "his" milk in our tiny college dorm room sized fridge. :)
Business is picking up at the salon which is really nice because being busy makes the days go by faster. All the mzungus (white people) are very excited to have me here--I've even got a lady who comes in once a week just for me to shampoo and blow dry her hair!

Brian has been playing a lot of music lately... coming up with multiple new ideas and we finally got the recording stuff out this week and have been playing around on that. Very fun. It's nice to have time on our hands in the evenings for creating--something we wouldn't have near as much of if we were home in the States. We can't wait to come back and play again with our Church of Philly family! We love and miss you guys!

WE LOVE AND MISS ALL YOU GUYS!

Micah and Diane

2008-08-25T16:37:00.001+03:00

August 15, 2008

Our friends Micah and Diane have been in the country the last week or two. We took a coaster (a small bus) into Kampala last Thursday to meet up with them. It was our first taste of Kampala (the capital of Uganda) which is much bigger and busier than Jinja. The bus got stuck in traffic for a very long time and we decided we could get there faster by walking so we just got off the bus in the middle of stand-still traffic and caught a "picky-picky" (a terrible name for a motor boda boda a.k.a. motorcycle). We then were able to weave in and out of traffic and reach our destination much faster!

It was so good to see faces from home and likewise for them. We found our way to a VERY fancy Italian restaurant (we were quite underdressed) where we enjoyed Margarita pizzas and bread dipped in olive oil! It was quite a refreshing experience for us all! We then walked at least half an hour to "Garden City Mall" enjoying the sights of the city and reached it just as all the shops were closing about 6pm--too bad!

Back at their guest house we said our goodbyes and they loaded us up with a bag of Jelly Bellies (Thank you Micah!) and a few more candies and treats from Mama May, and we headed back to Jinja. The next morning, we got a phone call from the girls--they too were now in Jinja! None of us knew that the first contact they would be working with lives in Jinja as well! So it has been fun to have some Texans around town and we've been able to see them at least every few days. We took them to Amani (the orphanage) on Monday and we all played with babies for a few hours--and fell in love of course.

On Sunday I went to a village church with them where we experienced African children dancing and dancing and dancing during worship. It was incredible! Micah spoke to the people and her words were powerful and full of truth! I myself was inspired and reminded to line up straight according to God's Word which all comes down to loving God and loving the people I come in contact with in the same way I love myself! Those two things are the most important things. How quickly we get distracted thinking we have to do this or that or pointing our fingers at those who we think should or shouldn't do this or that, or looking out for our own interests when really it all just comes down to... or shall we say "up" to... LOVE. hmm.....

Anyway, with that I'll wrap up this novel sized post. The last few weeks in this new world of ours have really started feeling a bit more like home (at least for now) and the weeks are actually beginning to fly by. God-willing we'll be back in Texas for Aaron and Rachel's wedding before we know it!

Much Love to All!

Random Ps. I just want to give a shout out to my pal Jess Clark... just because I think you're swell!

March 18

2008-07-25T19:28:00.002+03:00

...is the expected date of arrival :)

(only 13 days behind cousin Burciaga!)

i loved reading everyone's comments... thank you so much for your words!
it's like reading multiple emails all at once without having to pull up a new page (which takes forever!) :)

i'll keep you guys posted!

We have a home!

2008-07-23T19:43:00.001+03:00

July 22, 2008

This weekend we were finally able to move into our own little house.

Thank You Jesus!

It was quite a job cleaning that place. Imagine a really old house that's been vacant for a few months... now imagine windows with screens only and no glass... whatever is outside has no problem getting in... now imagine geckos running around in there and what they leave behind... add a few months of bugs and maybe a few rats and "wa-la" you've got QUITE a cleaning job on your hands! Needless to say, I am worn out though there is still much to do. But it's beginning to feel a bit more comfy after spending two nights there and all day yesterday cleaning... and we are growing fond of our quaint little cottage!

Also in the weekend news, Brian has joint-purchased a bicycle! He and another guy who is here adopting a little girl are going in on it together and working on it. It's called a Hero. It's black and gold and red and Brian is very excited about fixing it up just right. We went to the market yesterday to buy a "boda" seat for the back and a basket for the front. Now, Brian will be able to "drive" me to work every day as well as carry groceries in the front! Today, they are putting the seat and basket on and tweaking a few things... Soon we will be "up and pedaling!"

As for pregnancy symptoms, it hasn't been too drastic so far... Frequent trips to the "toilet" as they call it here, falling asleep a few hours earlier than usual, hungry of course, and strange food aversions as well! I had a large lunch of beans and rice and potatoes sometime last week and even now the thought of rice makes my stomach turn... I cannot stand the thought of it.

I've been eating a lot of eggs. They are cheap here and make a good long lasting breakfast when combined with a couple of pieces of toast or a bowl of oatmeal. Today my sweet husband made breakfast before I even got out of bed--french toast and fried eggs... and a tasty cup of tea! But somehow this morning, I couldn't stand the thought of eating a fried egg! What happened!?!

Brian is being such a good sport about all my weirdnesses... Thank You God for a good man--patient and sensitive and persevering!

Of all the foods you CAN get here in Jinja, I cannot seem to find a decent cracker! All they sell is cookies... and "biscuits" which are the same as cookies! I could really use a box of tasty veggie crackers or something--even some basic Saltines! :) Anyway, that's my one complaint for the day.

My apology for the lack of pictures on these blogs... so far we have been unable to upload photos... we are hoping to go back eventually and add pics to the previous blogs... The internet here is just nothing like being in America. Pray that the military guys get a good wireless connection and that we are allowed access to it. Then we could afford the hours of uploading while in the comfort of our own home.

Also, I want to give a BIG HUGE THANK YOU to my grandparents, Meme and Happy, for giving us this computer so we can keep in contact with you guys at least a little and hopefully more in the future! Thank you Meme and Hap! And Happy 50th Anniversary year! :)

So, in conclusion, after two months of marriage... We finally have a home... as well as a vehicle! We've been in Africa for an entire month, and we've got a baby on the way! Life is an adventure--challenging at times--but worth it because we know God is GOOD and that He works all things together for good for those who LOVE HIM (that's us!) and who have been called according to His purpose!

PRAISE HIM! :)

Addendum: I just found out what our mailing address is!

P.O. Box 1799

Jinja, Uganda

It's as simple as that! If you want to send a package, be sure to send it AIR MAIL to insure that it doesn't take two years (literally) to get here! Also, the smaller the package, the sooner it will get here. Big packages seem to get stuck in the routing. Big envelopes are good as long as they are small enough to fit in a normal sized mailbox. It should only be about $8 to mail a small package.

We've got a Tharpe Sprout on the way!!!

2008-07-14T17:04:00.002+03:00

...and we are THRILLED!!!

2008-07-13T19:17:00.000+03:00

So I figured out that if I wait until I have internet access to create a blog for posting, by the time I catch up on and reply to emails, I have no more time or energy for blogging! So I've decided to compose my blog posts when I don't have web access; then I'll just copy them when I'm able.

Two weeks we've now been in Jinja. After a few days of catching up with Danyne and Surj, their girls and baby Jagpal, and seeing a bit of our new world, we landed in bed for two days and two nights with not so happy intestines. Meanwhile, a church around the corner was holding an all-night prayer meeting on high volume with loud speakers and singers who shouldn't have microphones... they literally sang til the sun came up! Needless to say, we did our sleeping in broad daylight, not the night!

As soon as we recovered, it was "off to the shop!" The gift store that Danyne and Surj run in Jinja had recently been "shifted" to Main Street (they changed locations) and we had the challenge of unpacking everything and getting it in order. It took us an entire week to do it, in addition to getting the new "saloon" (as they call it here) up and running.

The shop is called "Akiba" which is an African word for "treasure" and the salon which is upstairs from the shop is called "A Kut Above". We opened Tuesday (July 9th) and I am enjoying working there, especially when I have clients! It's nice to be doing the same thing I would be doing at home... helps this place to feel more comfy.

Next on the wish list is to move into our own place. In our 6 weeks of marriage we have been living out of suitcases with no place to call "home" so needless to say, I AM READY!

The little place we will live in is next to Surj's Palm Tree guesthouse where Brian is in charge of making sure the 15 or so U.S. military men who will be living at the guesthouse for the next year are fed the right food at the right time. Basically, his job is like managing a kitchen at a restaurant. (Funny how we are doing the exact same thing we would be doing at home, but we're in AFRICA!) The place isn't ready for us yet so pray that takes place soon. For now, it is good to spend time with family here and adjust a bit to the rhythm of Jinja, but I am looking forward to settling in a little better and getting my things out of these tubs we packed in!

That's pretty much the "catch up" on life here so far...

In other news, all in a matter of days I've got a sister-n-law with a new baby on the way and a brother-n-law with a new bride to be! Congrats to Jamie & Billy and Aaron & Rachel! Yay Family!

2008-07-02T19:20:00.003+03:00

ok, the last post was written quite a few days ago and i was going to try to put up a picture before i posted it but i haven't had a chance to get back on the internet... we have been very busy then we were sick for a few days... then we have been very busy again! and we don't have internet access where we are staying right now but hopefully we will when we get into our little apartment... please forgive these non informative posts... we are still in transition... can't wait to get a bit more settled!

We have arrived!

2008-06-27T15:36:00.007+03:00

One night and one day

have now passed here in Jinja, "New"ganda...

what a dreamy place before my eyes.

I awoke this morning to sunlight pouring through

un-curtained windows...

Sat up in bed and peered through squinted eyelids

to take in the most brilliant morning I have seen.

the clarity of color, the depth of lines defined!

vivid houses framed by vibrant trees...

Eyes swept toward crimson roads

where locals walked like flowing streams.

there's a rhythm to the movement

a distinctive breeze of wind...

The kind of stuff that dreams are made of

so now let the year begin!

Testing...1...2...3...

2008-06-13T01:10:00.000+03:00

Trying out this Blogging thing for keeping in contact with America!