Wow

We just finished mass in Gobert.  Pictures and video will come later.  All of the children from the school presented us with gifts of food from the agricultural assistance program.  There was barely enough room in our hearts for all of the love and generosity given by the amazing people of Gobert.

Getting There is Half the Battle

After canceled flights to Florida, and multiple rebookings, we all made it to Florida.  But we were much later than expected.  Out charter flight was moved from Ft Lauderdate, where we landed, to Miami.  Our late transfer to Miami meant a second night of four hours or less of sleep.  We were downstairs by 4 am(EST) for the shuttle to the airport.  We were all weighed and scanned, and then we went in search of coffee.  Our flight to Cap Hatien went really well, with beautiful clouds.

When we finally landed at the airport, we were surprised to find that half of our bags did not make it onto our flight.  We ended up taking a short excursion to pass the time.

Once we collected our bags, it was off to get water and snacks before our 2 1/2 hour bus ride into the mountains.

It was an adventure to say the least.  With many close calls passing other vehicles.  And LOTS of bumps.  Thank goodness everyone stayed in good spirits.  

When we were almost to Our Lady of Miracles, there was an accident.  We all got out of the bus and our amazing driver squeaked past the tipped over truck.

When we pulled into Gobert, all the people came out to wave and cheer and Father Mark waved back.

Everyone was so happy to finally arrive, even if we were extremely tired and late.

Headed to Haiti

In three days I will be headed to Haiti!  It seemed like such a long way off when I started packing all the items we pre-ship in October, but now it's right around the corner.  Note to self: next year, write down all the things you packed in October so you can remember them in January.  I'm getting very excited and extremely nervous.  As you all know, I am a worrier.  It's just who I am.  Over the years, I definitely have learned to manage my stress/worry/anxiety issues, well most of the time.  My normal method is to make a mental list of all the things I'm worried about, then I go through them and explain to myself how I am going to be able to handle it.  I know, that's pretty silly, c'est la vie.

So here's my current list of concerns for the Haiti trip...

1. All my stuff will not fit in my backpack and carry on, including the 4 ipads and computer that are not included in the photo above.
2. If I somehow squish it all in the bags, I will be found in the airport flat on my back from how much they weight.  Think turtle on shell.
3. I will get all the way to Haiti and my database won't work for some unknown reason that I didn't think about and test well enough.
4. Ella will be sad while I am gone.  Ahh, sweet soft-hearted Ella
5. I will miss my family, terribly.
6. There might not be enough coffee.
7. I won't be able to sleep, since I'm generally a crazed insomniac.

So with the new year, I am trying to focus on the positive.  I thought that might help with talking myself out of worrying.   I'm now going to make a list of all the positive things I will get out of this trip.  Even if I am sitting here all night, this list is going to be longer than the one first one.

1. Our team will get to help about two thousand people.
2. My database will help us determine which interventions work best.
3. I will see first hand, what I am planning on for my future.  
4. I will be inspired by people of Gobert.
5. David and I will be able to work together once our kids have gone to college.
6. I will be reminded of the simple things in life.
7. I will be doing what I feel called to do.
8. We will be so busy that I won't have time to miss my family, too much.
9. My family will be proud of me.

Ok that's all I have today, but I will try to keep you posted from Haiti, when possible.  Please pray that our team is safe and helps all the people of Our Lady of Miracles who are in need.

Lisa

Where have I been?

Have you wondered if I fell off the planet?  I know some of my family did, because they called to ask me if that was the case.  Well, I am not a traditional gal when it comes to giving up things for lent, no giving up chocolate or soda for me.  Last year I gave up unconstructive comments.  That was insanely hard.  This year, I tried to disconnect.  No work email at home, no facebook, no blog, less talking on the phone, etc.  In addition to allowing me to focus more on the purpose of the last 46 days, there were many benefits that I had did not expect. I rediscovered or simply took more time to enjoy all sorts of great things in those extra minutes each day.  Very reminiscent of the days before extreme connectivity.

This is a list of a few of the amazing things we have been up to while we were "off-line":
Working in the garden together.
Reading out loud to the kids before bed.
Games, Uno and Yamslam were faves.
Riding scooters and bikes.
Sitting on the back deck.
Cooking, cooking, cooking.
Painting our toe nails (well, the girls, anyway).
Approximately 947 sporting events for the children.
Play practice.
Origami.
Snuggling.
Reading great books about the world.
Spring cleaning and clearing out.

Just too many things to even list.  I will be posting pictures of some of these wonderful activities throughout this month.

So, what now?  Well, I miss seeing all the pictures and stories of my friends and family, so I will be back on-line, but definitely in moderation.  

Happy Easter!  I hope you have an amazing and fun weekend with your families.
Lisa

Today, my sweet baby boy turns 15!  Time surely does fly.  It seems that just yesterday, he was dancing around the living room in his long john jammies to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and coming home each day from kindergarten.  Cameron was the first grandchild on both sides of the family, so he was snuggled more than any baby I have seen.  And he certainly didn't want for clothes or toys. Cameron was such a sweet, inquisitive baby and he has grown into a sweet, inquisitive young man.  Now he wants for ipods, books, phones, books, cool clothes, books and lacrosse gear.  He helps me when the wii is making me mad and cooks.  He wants to mow the lawn and learn to drive.  15 is going to be a great year.

David snuggling the love of our life.

Wow, not only does Cameron look extremely young in these photos, but so do the rest of us.

Hoppie with her first grand baby.

Tia Jen, lovin' on Cameron.

Pappa playing with our boy.

And Meme feeling Cameron.

Cameron has brought so much joy to us from the moment he was born.  Today we wish him a day filled with fun, from the candle in his muffin this morning 'til he lays his head down for sleep tonight.  I am sure he will be dreaming of learners permits and girls, instead of Thomas the Tank Engine and Elmo.  That's our Camo!

We hope the next fifteen years are as amazingly wonderful as the first.  Happy Birthday!

The second "why" stage

Do you remember when your children were about four? That wonderful age when they asked you why everything happened. Why is the sky blue? Why do forks have four sharp points instead of 5? Why do I have to wear underwear? Why do you paint your toenails? Why doesn't that man in front of us in line have hair? Why does his wife have on a hat that looks like a dead raccoon?

It got a bit irritating at times, but it was so cute and innocent. It was also a right of passage. Our children were developing and growing all those wonderful brain cell. They were growing into inquisitive people. Then they outgrew this stage and it was a bit sad. Alas, they were growing up. Ok, that was about 10 years ago. These are my sweet, intelligent, lovable boys, right now.







Guess what? The why stage has returned and I am scared!

Mom, why ccaaaan't I use the power drill by myself? Why can't I go to school without a coat, even though it's 18 degrees? Why can't I drink only fruit juice and eat only Cheetos? Why can't I play the grossly violent video games that will permanently ruin my ability to sleep through the night and possibly lead to a life of crime? But, really, why? Are you sure that is the reason why? Does Dad think that is why? Why does Dad think that is why? Why do I have to comb my hair and brush my teeth, since they will just get messy again? Why do I have to do math? Why doesn't that man in front of us in line have hair? Why does his wife have on a hat that looks like a dead raccoon?

Somehow this is a harder "why" stage for me. Mostly because the questions are usually insanely complicated. In fact, I have decided that Google is my new best friend. Because, I have absolutely no idea why stop signs are red or why the drill bit spirals and rotates clockwise. I think it is also more difficult because I am not ready for them to independently use power tools or completely control their diet. Ah, they are growing up and it's a scary world out there.

I am going to keep praying that this stage will pass and that we all make it out alive.

The Kid Tree

This is our Kid Tree.

The tree is completely covered in ornaments made by the children.  The lime green sparkle tree is covered in crystallized pipe cleaners, toilet paper tube angels, hand print reindeer, and glitter stars, all made by my children's sweet little hands. We love redecorating it each year and adding any newly created masterpieces.

This tradition started in our family when Cameron was old enough to bring home ornaments from day care.  Every time a person came to our house, he would want to show them his creations on the big tree.  This, of course, was not the safest activity for a toddler and led to a few near tragedies.  The next year, we started with a small craft store tree for their creations.  We have had this sparkly tree for about 3 years and it adds a bit of fun to our tradition.  If you decide to stop by and check it out, you can't miss it.  We keep our special little tree right in the foyer.

I have discovered that there is one sad part to this tree... There were very few ornaments added this year.  The kiddos are growing up and they no longer bring home ornaments for us from school.  Ella still makes one here or there, but mostly we have passed that stage.  I hope the children will keep wanting to get the tree out each year, so we can ooh and ah over all their past creations.  Otherwise, I would miss those brown dough gingerbread men, beaded wreathes, and origami stars.