It currently appears that our lives are surrounded by people suffering, and it's hard not to ask God why all the time. I have this gift or burden (as it feels like some days) where I can truly feel the suffering of those around me and I grieve for/with them. I believe it's my calling to obsessively pray for these people, and usually I'm good about not letting it personally affect me (too much).
For some reason though (I'm sure it's a part of God's plan), Uganda changed this for me. Suffering became real on a much greater level. So much so, that I've struggled to talk about it since we've been home (which was 5 months ago). Poverty, abandonment, death, HIV, and trafficking have become so real to us that they have faces and names. While I've attempted to go back to the most normal American life possible, it's just not going to happen. Each of these little lives and beautiful faces have personally affected our family.
I've been doing a lot of reading, praying, and soul searching lately as I desperately try to wade through this fog. I say desperate because it's affecting every area of my life. I can't seem to have normal social interactions, I lack patience with my family, and I'm mentally stuck in Uganda. I came across this quote by the author Jennie Allen that hit me over the head this week. "We can do one of two things with suffering: we can absorb it and let it change us, or we can let it crush us." It was terribly convicting because lately I've let this suffering crush and consume me, instead of change and empower me.
So what do you say to those around you suffering? Maybe instead of saying something you should do something! Send a gift, give a hug, deliver a meal, sponsor a child, etc. Actions often speak much louder than words. I know without a doubt in my mind that God placed each of these beautiful little faces in our lives because He wants us to do something about it. What that looks like I do not know, only time will tell. But in the mean time, we continue to pray for those around us suffering and thank God for placing each of them in our lives as bittersweet as it may feel some days.
We each play a part of a much bigger story that we may never fully grasp on this side of heaven. My dear friends, don't ever doubt that the threads of your life don't mean a thing, because even the littlest things we do are being woven into a beautiful masterpiece.
October 10, 2014
June 8, 2014
The African Disease
I know as some of you are reading the title to this you are instantly concerned about our health. While I have come to the conclusion that we suffer from what I'm titling "The African Disease," I assure you it's not some medical condition. While we are physically all quite healthy; mentally & emotionally we could be considered unstable.
A wise friend once said "Africa ruins you." Anyone who has been to Africa for any period of time will completely agree with this on some level. Being in Africa changes you in ways you never expected and opens yours eyes to more hurt and pain than you could ever imagine experiencing. The things you hear about or only see in pictures become very real images. You witness the death of babies due to the lack of good medical centers, you see children unwanted and abandoned multiple times, you see starving and malnourished children who will die within that year, you see children carrying jugs of dirty water because they'd have none without it, etc. They are real people and their lives change you and the way you see this current world.
We've been home for around 6 weeks now and have established as normal a routine as possible. But the reality is, Africa is on our hearts. Each day we are reminded of this place we have grown to love so dearly. Now having been to Africa two times in the last 3 years, it has ruined us. We think and talk about it all the time like it's a disease. By the way, this disease is totally contagious. If you're around us long enough you just might choose to go on a mission trip, sponsor a child, adopt, build a water well, etc.
Everyone's symptoms to the African disease vary; but we all have one thing in common, to the American culture we are just plain weird. Some of these so called strange things I still find myself doing include not being able to dump a clean glass of water down the sink. Water is like liquid gold and you don't realize it's value until you see people drinking brown water. I constantly see in my head people standing along the streets selling bags of dirty water. Since I know these people on another continent are consuming dirty water, how could I possibly waste my clean water. Thanks to the African disease, I also cannot physically spend money on myself, it's like pure torture. Let me preface this with the fact that the Dutch blood running through my veins also causes me to be very cheap, so now I won't spend a dime unless it's a good investment or a gift for someone else. There are people around the world that don't have food, how could I possibly spend money on something that is not absolutely necessary?! To see more strange things people with this disease do, you should read this blog a friend wrote: When Africa Makes You Weird
A couple weeks ago we had the opportunity to have a Ugandan stay with us for a few days. This was her first time visiting the United States, so seeing our world through her eyes changed our perspective even more. She consistently told us how big our very average middle class home was. When our kids didn't want to finish their pizza, she ate it for them. And honestly, I wouldn't expect anything different since she's seen many children literally starve to death. This is why I tell my kids, "we waste nothing." Her finishing their food was more of a shock to them and truly a great life lesson. What surprised us the most was our Ugandan friend's reaction when we took her up to the mountains. There are dead pine trees laying around everywhere thanks to pine beetles. She was completely disgusted and offended at this waste of good burning wood. Wood is a life line around the world as you need it to cook food, boil water, etc. In many parts of the world there is a great lack of wood, so our forests filled with dead beetle kill trees is a complete waste of good resources and appalling to an African. It truly was a blessing being able to see our world through her eyes and it added more symptoms to our African disease.
If you haven't gathered this from our disease I've been describing, Africa changes you. It changes the way you view the world, it changes how you spend your money, it opens your eyes in ways you could have never imagined, and shows you things that truly do matter. One small encounter can do so much, that red dirt corrupts our American views, and those beautiful smiles and sweet voices shouting "mzungu" forever stay embedded in your mind. So many people have been forever changed: When God Changes All Your Plans
All I can say is we are "not of this world." God has placed these beautiful places in our hearts and we are forever changed.
A wise friend once said "Africa ruins you." Anyone who has been to Africa for any period of time will completely agree with this on some level. Being in Africa changes you in ways you never expected and opens yours eyes to more hurt and pain than you could ever imagine experiencing. The things you hear about or only see in pictures become very real images. You witness the death of babies due to the lack of good medical centers, you see children unwanted and abandoned multiple times, you see starving and malnourished children who will die within that year, you see children carrying jugs of dirty water because they'd have none without it, etc. They are real people and their lives change you and the way you see this current world.
We've been home for around 6 weeks now and have established as normal a routine as possible. But the reality is, Africa is on our hearts. Each day we are reminded of this place we have grown to love so dearly. Now having been to Africa two times in the last 3 years, it has ruined us. We think and talk about it all the time like it's a disease. By the way, this disease is totally contagious. If you're around us long enough you just might choose to go on a mission trip, sponsor a child, adopt, build a water well, etc.
Everyone's symptoms to the African disease vary; but we all have one thing in common, to the American culture we are just plain weird. Some of these so called strange things I still find myself doing include not being able to dump a clean glass of water down the sink. Water is like liquid gold and you don't realize it's value until you see people drinking brown water. I constantly see in my head people standing along the streets selling bags of dirty water. Since I know these people on another continent are consuming dirty water, how could I possibly waste my clean water. Thanks to the African disease, I also cannot physically spend money on myself, it's like pure torture. Let me preface this with the fact that the Dutch blood running through my veins also causes me to be very cheap, so now I won't spend a dime unless it's a good investment or a gift for someone else. There are people around the world that don't have food, how could I possibly spend money on something that is not absolutely necessary?! To see more strange things people with this disease do, you should read this blog a friend wrote: When Africa Makes You Weird
A couple weeks ago we had the opportunity to have a Ugandan stay with us for a few days. This was her first time visiting the United States, so seeing our world through her eyes changed our perspective even more. She consistently told us how big our very average middle class home was. When our kids didn't want to finish their pizza, she ate it for them. And honestly, I wouldn't expect anything different since she's seen many children literally starve to death. This is why I tell my kids, "we waste nothing." Her finishing their food was more of a shock to them and truly a great life lesson. What surprised us the most was our Ugandan friend's reaction when we took her up to the mountains. There are dead pine trees laying around everywhere thanks to pine beetles. She was completely disgusted and offended at this waste of good burning wood. Wood is a life line around the world as you need it to cook food, boil water, etc. In many parts of the world there is a great lack of wood, so our forests filled with dead beetle kill trees is a complete waste of good resources and appalling to an African. It truly was a blessing being able to see our world through her eyes and it added more symptoms to our African disease.
If you haven't gathered this from our disease I've been describing, Africa changes you. It changes the way you view the world, it changes how you spend your money, it opens your eyes in ways you could have never imagined, and shows you things that truly do matter. One small encounter can do so much, that red dirt corrupts our American views, and those beautiful smiles and sweet voices shouting "mzungu" forever stay embedded in your mind. So many people have been forever changed: When God Changes All Your Plans
All I can say is we are "not of this world." God has placed these beautiful places in our hearts and we are forever changed.
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| Rwanda "The Heart of Africa" |
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| Kenya |
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| Uganda "The Pearl of Africa" |
May 27, 2014
An Outing With Becca
Today I'm going to give you a small glimpse into my life. Specifically what goes on anytime we seem to leave the house on one of our many adventures. I truly feel like a freak show anytime we leave our neighborhood. People are constantly staring, and at every place I go some very nice stranger always comes up to me and says "wow, you sure have your hands full." What's even funnier about this is I hear this phrase when my children are being complete angels. My kid's ages are 7,6,3, and 1. But our older 2 kids are small for their age so really it looks like my kids are 5,4,3, and 1. Which, if this were the case, I'd totally understand people's unfiltered comments.
So come along with me on one of our regular outings. Here are some of the typical things you will see.
It's common for our older 2 children to fight about something when we are out; they are very competitive with each other. So usually the fighting starts with whoever is going to get into the car first. We have many assigned routines in our household to attempt to avoid some of this competition between them. For example, they do have assigned seats and an assigned order as to who gets in the car first. Despite our attempts to limit the competition, anywhere we go they manage to make something into a competition. When we walk through the grocery store they argue about who stands on which side of the cart. All things that I personally don't feel are important in life, but when you are 6 & 7 this is a life or death situation people.
My very sweet 7 year old daughter has a bit of sass and attitude to her. Which some days makes me wonder if she's really 16 instead. This sass is bound to come out at some point usually to me or her 6 year old brother. Like flipping a light switch she can go from being super sweet to quickly hating you. This usually includes nasty glares, her arms folded, and a downcast face. I just continue to smile and go along with whatever we are doing and pray her heart softens quickly. Because really, only she can flip the switch again (believe me we have tried).
Then there's my 6 year old boy who contains more energy than most people could handle. He's all boy and could not sit still if his life depended on it. So when we get together with another group of kids to work on a project, he is all over the place (LITERALLY). He's mentally present (and very smart) but physically everywhere. In public places he is constantly walking into people because he is just all over the place and so easily distracted. So while he's looking up at the ceiling fans, he misses the fact that someone is right there in front of him. You will also frequently see me yelling at Kade in the parking lot because he is not paying attention and starts to wander in the path of a moving car (yes, it's necessary that I yell for the safety of his life).
As for my youngest boy, he's a typical 3 year old who loves to make a scene in public. More often than not he has some kind of melt down. And this isn't just any meltdown my friends. He screams like I have just beaten him, and his mission is accomplished because he draws a lot of attention to himself. I'm sure you are wondering what causes these meltdowns. Well, when I discovered he was playing with a scissors and asked for it because that's just a wise thing for him to play with (especially considering he has attempted to cut his sister's hair), he lost it. When I told him he needed to keep his shoes on at a restaurant, he lost it. When there were no car carts left at the grocery store for him to drive, he lost it. These meltdowns are so common that I mentally prep myself for this each outing.
Our littlest peanut actually likes outings. It's pretty typical that she moans/whines at some point because she usually wants something. You will also at some point in our adventures see her shouting at one of her siblings because they are getting way too close (she likes her personal space).
Eating in public is truly another whole can of worms; so much so that many times I avoid it. Let me caution this with the fact that even if your child is in a very nice orphanage for a short amount of time; food issues arise. We've been dealing with different food issues for over 2 years now so it's completely normal to us, but when we are out in public people stare and think something is wrong with your child. The thing is, these problems come and go. You have good days and bad days. You never know what the day will hold. And once you conquer one issue, another arises. Both our younger 2 kids can shovel food in there mouths so fast that it's just scary to watch (it's like they are starved). Recently we've had to ban our youngest from even feeding herself the simplest things. Neither of them always know they are full, they could eat until they puke (and have done this). The down side of this is there are many meltdowns after eating because they want more and think they need more. But when you eat so fast you don't know you are full yet. Each meal I talk my 3 year old through the process of slowly biting, chewing, and swallowing like it's some kind of therapy to get him to eat slower. While my older 2 don't have these kinds of problems, they are known to eat an unusually large amount of food when they are growing. We recently went to a BBQ and they both ate 4 plates full of food. I'm pretty sure Luke's boss now thinks we don't feed them.
I'm not telling to this to make you feel bad for us because honestly I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's just life. And maybe a reminder that we aren't perfect and don't have it all together. That's where Jesus comes in my friends, I'm truly reminded of my need for Him every day. This is just a part of our life and we are used to it. Outings can definitely be draining and there are days I wonder why I even bothered. But with each outing there are also little blessing and things that truly make you laugh. So I try to look for the joy in each day because if I focused on the things I've listed above I just might plead insanity.
So come along with me on one of our regular outings. Here are some of the typical things you will see.
It's common for our older 2 children to fight about something when we are out; they are very competitive with each other. So usually the fighting starts with whoever is going to get into the car first. We have many assigned routines in our household to attempt to avoid some of this competition between them. For example, they do have assigned seats and an assigned order as to who gets in the car first. Despite our attempts to limit the competition, anywhere we go they manage to make something into a competition. When we walk through the grocery store they argue about who stands on which side of the cart. All things that I personally don't feel are important in life, but when you are 6 & 7 this is a life or death situation people.
My very sweet 7 year old daughter has a bit of sass and attitude to her. Which some days makes me wonder if she's really 16 instead. This sass is bound to come out at some point usually to me or her 6 year old brother. Like flipping a light switch she can go from being super sweet to quickly hating you. This usually includes nasty glares, her arms folded, and a downcast face. I just continue to smile and go along with whatever we are doing and pray her heart softens quickly. Because really, only she can flip the switch again (believe me we have tried).
Then there's my 6 year old boy who contains more energy than most people could handle. He's all boy and could not sit still if his life depended on it. So when we get together with another group of kids to work on a project, he is all over the place (LITERALLY). He's mentally present (and very smart) but physically everywhere. In public places he is constantly walking into people because he is just all over the place and so easily distracted. So while he's looking up at the ceiling fans, he misses the fact that someone is right there in front of him. You will also frequently see me yelling at Kade in the parking lot because he is not paying attention and starts to wander in the path of a moving car (yes, it's necessary that I yell for the safety of his life).
As for my youngest boy, he's a typical 3 year old who loves to make a scene in public. More often than not he has some kind of melt down. And this isn't just any meltdown my friends. He screams like I have just beaten him, and his mission is accomplished because he draws a lot of attention to himself. I'm sure you are wondering what causes these meltdowns. Well, when I discovered he was playing with a scissors and asked for it because that's just a wise thing for him to play with (especially considering he has attempted to cut his sister's hair), he lost it. When I told him he needed to keep his shoes on at a restaurant, he lost it. When there were no car carts left at the grocery store for him to drive, he lost it. These meltdowns are so common that I mentally prep myself for this each outing.
Our littlest peanut actually likes outings. It's pretty typical that she moans/whines at some point because she usually wants something. You will also at some point in our adventures see her shouting at one of her siblings because they are getting way too close (she likes her personal space).
Eating in public is truly another whole can of worms; so much so that many times I avoid it. Let me caution this with the fact that even if your child is in a very nice orphanage for a short amount of time; food issues arise. We've been dealing with different food issues for over 2 years now so it's completely normal to us, but when we are out in public people stare and think something is wrong with your child. The thing is, these problems come and go. You have good days and bad days. You never know what the day will hold. And once you conquer one issue, another arises. Both our younger 2 kids can shovel food in there mouths so fast that it's just scary to watch (it's like they are starved). Recently we've had to ban our youngest from even feeding herself the simplest things. Neither of them always know they are full, they could eat until they puke (and have done this). The down side of this is there are many meltdowns after eating because they want more and think they need more. But when you eat so fast you don't know you are full yet. Each meal I talk my 3 year old through the process of slowly biting, chewing, and swallowing like it's some kind of therapy to get him to eat slower. While my older 2 don't have these kinds of problems, they are known to eat an unusually large amount of food when they are growing. We recently went to a BBQ and they both ate 4 plates full of food. I'm pretty sure Luke's boss now thinks we don't feed them.
I'm not telling to this to make you feel bad for us because honestly I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's just life. And maybe a reminder that we aren't perfect and don't have it all together. That's where Jesus comes in my friends, I'm truly reminded of my need for Him every day. This is just a part of our life and we are used to it. Outings can definitely be draining and there are days I wonder why I even bothered. But with each outing there are also little blessing and things that truly make you laugh. So I try to look for the joy in each day because if I focused on the things I've listed above I just might plead insanity.
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| I love each of these kids to bits and pieces. The each bring great joy to our lives and there truly is never a dull moment with their different personalities. |
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| I love how this little guy can channel all that energy into a sport. Of course he is obsessed with baseball and makes me practice with him daily. But he loves it and is determined to play Major League Baseball some day. |
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| I love that this girlfriend is wise beyond her years. She sets me straight on my facts and tells the truth without caution. Her creativity and desire to give to others is truly inspiring. |
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| And no one can resist this sweet face. Her many cuddles and smiles melt me each day. Most outings I have someone tell me that she makes them want another baby. |
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| No one can resist this sweet face either. He is so funny with his actions and words that often makes us all laugh. The other day he told me bees had cheese burgers inside them and mustard too. |
May 19, 2014
Worth Millions
When it comes to neighbors here in the US; there seems to be 3 common situations I've observed over time:
1. You live by each other but exchange few words and rarely see each other.
2. You can't stand your neighbors and are ready to move the first chance you get.
3. You love your neighbors dearly, and words cannot express how much they mean to you.
On the compound we lived at in Uganda we had neighbors that truly became our family in a very short amount of time. We did life together, shared in joys and sorrows, enjoyed meals together, helped when the need arose,etc. It truly was far from the norm of what's typically seen here in the U.S.
We have a similar situation with our neighbors at home and only one phrase truly describes them, "they are worth millions." Neighbors are an interesting thing because you don't really choose them, they just happen to be the people you are living by. When our house was being built we had no clue who would live by us, and truly anytime you move you are taking a risk into the unknown because of this. Let me tell you though, we have hit the jackpot with our neighbors. Since we've lived here we have always loved our neighbors, even the ones who come and go. We truly have been fortunate as I hear some terrible neighbor horror stories even from the other side of our neighborhood.
This past few weeks we have truly been reminded of how blessed we are to have such great neighbors. Let me tell you a little bit about our neighbors in our small corner of the world. They make the best homemade salsa and burritos. They make the most beautiful cakes and goodies that should be sold out of a bakery. They shovel your sidewalks and edge your grass. They love each of your kids and welcome any new additions with great joy. They help out with your kids when a crisis arises. They are fun to hang out with and have drinks. They allow you to use their washing machine when yours isn't working. They help you open your garage door when you are locked out of the house. They help you pull up carpet when your basement floods. You enjoy meals together. They call to make sure you are okay if you haven't been seen in a while. They accept you no matter how strange your family might seem. They share your joy and sorrows. They stand by you through the good and bad. THEY-ARE-SIMPLY-AMAZING!
I realize our situation is quite rare. These people are truly a gift from God. To my amazing neighbors on this small portion of the planet: we love you dearly and couldn't imagine life without you!
1. You live by each other but exchange few words and rarely see each other.
2. You can't stand your neighbors and are ready to move the first chance you get.
3. You love your neighbors dearly, and words cannot express how much they mean to you.
On the compound we lived at in Uganda we had neighbors that truly became our family in a very short amount of time. We did life together, shared in joys and sorrows, enjoyed meals together, helped when the need arose,etc. It truly was far from the norm of what's typically seen here in the U.S.
We have a similar situation with our neighbors at home and only one phrase truly describes them, "they are worth millions." Neighbors are an interesting thing because you don't really choose them, they just happen to be the people you are living by. When our house was being built we had no clue who would live by us, and truly anytime you move you are taking a risk into the unknown because of this. Let me tell you though, we have hit the jackpot with our neighbors. Since we've lived here we have always loved our neighbors, even the ones who come and go. We truly have been fortunate as I hear some terrible neighbor horror stories even from the other side of our neighborhood.
This past few weeks we have truly been reminded of how blessed we are to have such great neighbors. Let me tell you a little bit about our neighbors in our small corner of the world. They make the best homemade salsa and burritos. They make the most beautiful cakes and goodies that should be sold out of a bakery. They shovel your sidewalks and edge your grass. They love each of your kids and welcome any new additions with great joy. They help out with your kids when a crisis arises. They are fun to hang out with and have drinks. They allow you to use their washing machine when yours isn't working. They help you open your garage door when you are locked out of the house. They help you pull up carpet when your basement floods. You enjoy meals together. They call to make sure you are okay if you haven't been seen in a while. They accept you no matter how strange your family might seem. They share your joy and sorrows. They stand by you through the good and bad. THEY-ARE-SIMPLY-AMAZING!
I realize our situation is quite rare. These people are truly a gift from God. To my amazing neighbors on this small portion of the planet: we love you dearly and couldn't imagine life without you!
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| We've turned our garden into a neighborhood garden. Here are our young gardeners hard at work this weekend getting everything planted. |
May 16, 2014
Beautiful Mess
I think we all have this image in our heads of things flowing smoothly every day. Your kids loving each other every second, dishes magically being cleaned, spotless floors, etc. But none of this is a reality and we are reminded of this as we adjust to life back in the States as a family of 6.
Uganda has changed us for sure. So really there is no such thing as going back to normal. Instead we've found a new routine for our life here. And while I envision it going smoothly everyday it never does and that's okay because that's just life. Car accidents happen, kids have meltdowns, garage doors break, churches divide, children remain orphans, people say hurtful words, etc. But in all this mess there is beauty!
We are so thankful for all the beauty in our lives. Wise people to give advice. People to advocate for children in need. Friends who love us no matter how messy our lives can seem. Family who is ready to help with one call/text. Neighbors who truly have become part of our family. Technology that allows us to communicate with loved ones who live far away. A love so deep for East Africa that you could jump on a plane in a heart beat.
No matter what mess you find yourself in right now, I pray that you find the beauty. Because life is a beautiful mess which is exactly what God intended it to be.
Uganda has changed us for sure. So really there is no such thing as going back to normal. Instead we've found a new routine for our life here. And while I envision it going smoothly everyday it never does and that's okay because that's just life. Car accidents happen, kids have meltdowns, garage doors break, churches divide, children remain orphans, people say hurtful words, etc. But in all this mess there is beauty!
We are so thankful for all the beauty in our lives. Wise people to give advice. People to advocate for children in need. Friends who love us no matter how messy our lives can seem. Family who is ready to help with one call/text. Neighbors who truly have become part of our family. Technology that allows us to communicate with loved ones who live far away. A love so deep for East Africa that you could jump on a plane in a heart beat.
No matter what mess you find yourself in right now, I pray that you find the beauty. Because life is a beautiful mess which is exactly what God intended it to be.
May 2, 2014
Surviving
"How are things going?" This seems to be a very common question many of you have asked, and depending on the day and exact moment you'd get a totally different answer. At the beginning of this week we were telling people that we felt like everyone was adjusting well. But as I look back at the week, I can't help but laugh and say really we are just surviving. Here's some of what this week entailed:
Luke, who has really seemed to adjust the most locked his keys in the truck and dropped his phone in the river all in the same day. These behaviors are not normal for him and had us both wondering if he was doing okay.
The kids, whom I also thought were doing great had an off week to say the least. We started school again after taking a couple weeks off, and it has brought tears to all 4 kids every day. Kristin & Kade's social skills have also been lacking terribly and their interaction with friends this week has not gone well.
As for me, when your husband is forcing you to get away for some alone time over the weekend it's probably a sign that I'm not at the top of my game. I've continued to keep things simple like our Africa life because to be real honest I can't do details. Meals are very basic with little prep. Cleaning has been minimal because really there are more important things in life. Homeschool has also been limited to only the basics, no extras (pretty sure my kids living in a different culture for 2 months counts as plenty of extra for the rest of the school year). I've also been the least social in my entire life because too much interaction is just overwhelming. And I'm sad to admit I've given some terrible glares to people while running errands. It gets really old going places and people telling you "wow, you have your hands full." I even had a guy flat out laughing at me...
We really are doing good, these are just some random moments of culture shock which truly are improving. Although I have to admit, if God told me to jump back on a plane to Africa I wouldn't think twice. =)
For those of you visual people, here are some of the things in our life you'd have seen this week:
Luke, who has really seemed to adjust the most locked his keys in the truck and dropped his phone in the river all in the same day. These behaviors are not normal for him and had us both wondering if he was doing okay.
The kids, whom I also thought were doing great had an off week to say the least. We started school again after taking a couple weeks off, and it has brought tears to all 4 kids every day. Kristin & Kade's social skills have also been lacking terribly and their interaction with friends this week has not gone well.
As for me, when your husband is forcing you to get away for some alone time over the weekend it's probably a sign that I'm not at the top of my game. I've continued to keep things simple like our Africa life because to be real honest I can't do details. Meals are very basic with little prep. Cleaning has been minimal because really there are more important things in life. Homeschool has also been limited to only the basics, no extras (pretty sure my kids living in a different culture for 2 months counts as plenty of extra for the rest of the school year). I've also been the least social in my entire life because too much interaction is just overwhelming. And I'm sad to admit I've given some terrible glares to people while running errands. It gets really old going places and people telling you "wow, you have your hands full." I even had a guy flat out laughing at me...
We really are doing good, these are just some random moments of culture shock which truly are improving. Although I have to admit, if God told me to jump back on a plane to Africa I wouldn't think twice. =)
For those of you visual people, here are some of the things in our life you'd have seen this week:
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| Kristin keeping to herself in her room. She's been needing a lot more alone time than usual. |
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| Kade in desperate need of a nap everyday. |
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| Kyler wearing snow boots in 70 degree weather. I figure if he can get his shoes on by himself he can wear what he wants. |
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| Kenzi spending quality time in the ergo. She loves mommy holding her and it's occasionally nice to have both hands free. |
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| And as always some serious cuteness. I truly have the best job in the world! Can't resist them! |
April 20, 2014
We are Back
To catch everyone up a bit, we spent the last 2 months in Uganda finalizing our daughters adoption. Our 2 months in Uganda became so much more than just an adoption. God truly used us in ways we could have never imagined and we were blessed by the many people He placed in our path. One week ago we said good-bye to our Uganda family and as Luke says, "it was the hardest good-bye we've ever experienced."
The minute we left Ugandan soil things got very interesting. Our 27 hour journey home turned into a 51 hour journey. Our flight in Brussels was canceled and our new flight was delayed by 4 hours. Forcing us to hang out in the Brussels airport for 14 hours with many angry passengers in the same situation. After these long days of traveling we so greatly longed to be home; God has a funny way of changing your perspective. Our first couple days home were rough to say the least. In addition to our complete exhaustion, we had puking kids, a broken washing machine, a leak in the sprinkler system, and a terrible letter from the IRS...
Many of you have asked how are we doing. So I will do my best as I answer what seems like a very loaded question since we go through the motions of life but feel like we are in a fog. It has been great to be home and see family and friends. We definitely see God's timing in our need to be home right now. We are all still adjusting to the 9 hour time change and find ourselves very exhausted and in need of naps often. The kids have been waking up way too early in the morning (4/5am). Luke and I will tackle one simple project around here, then we are done for the rest of the day. We go out on what seems like a simple outing to the store and we are all exhausted.
We are also having a bit of a culture shock as we find ourselves trying to adjust to a new routine. Yesterday Kristin found a bottle cap she wanted to give to her friends Hunter & Caleb. I found myself asking Kade to take the trash to Mr. Moro's. Luke wanted to relieve himself in a public place. Using water from the tap has really thrown us all off. I even struggled to dump a glass of water down the sink. I realize as some of you read this we sound completely crazy. But some of you who have lived in Africa totally get this.
Luke and I have both found ourselves longing for Africa. We both handle it in different ways. Luke has been watching movies based in Africa and longing for the close relationships we had there. I on the other hand find myself to be more teary than normal. Driving around here and seeing the extreme wealth is overwhelming. People here are so wealthy compared to the rest of the world and many don't even realize it. I find myself still grieving the loss of 2 children and how unjust life really can be.. Everything that needs to be done at home overwhelms me, there's a lot to catch up on after being gone for 2 months. Life at Jaca was so much more simple. I had Luke, Collin, and Denis to help with the cooking and cleaning but here it's all up to me. The shear idea of going to the grocery store caused a panic attack, and I needed Luke to escort me on the first trip just to help prevent a nervous breakdown. I'm so thankful for all the amazing family & friends God has placed in our life. We have been blessed with meals, groceries, and Easter supplies for my children. This has been a God send and kept me sane! I am truly longing to go back to the simple pace of our life in Africa, and am going to do my best to make it a part of our lives here.
Please bear with us as we navigate through this fog we are currently living in. Thankfully each day gets a little more clearer and less draining. And I will apologize now if you find us constantly talking about Africa. I've noticed that each of our conversations (including the kids) always gravitate towards our life in Uganda. Africa is now forever a part of us and we are so thankful for this journey God brought us on.
January 18, 2014
January 2014
There's never a dull moment around here. Here are some random happenings from the beginning of January.
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| Kristin gets her 1st set of fake nails and loves them!!! |
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| Kade now has facial hair, he feels naked without it. It's very hard to take him seriously with this mustache on. |
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| Our sweet baby boy is now 3! Time does fly. Of course he still claims he is 5 or 7 depending on the day. =) |
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| Gorgeous views from Luke's parent's house. |
December 1, 2013
November 1, 2013
October 21, 2013
October 15, 2013
October 6, 2013
August 8, 2013
August 4, 2013
A Great Loss in My Little World
It's said that you never realize how much you will miss something until it's gone. I discovered this last night and even this morning as I mourn the loss of my garden. Each summer we have a garden, and the kids and I enjoy watching it grow, harvesting vegetables, etc. This garden also provides our family with enough vegetables, spaghetti sauce, salsa, and pickles to last us through the winter. Yesterday a major storm came through here producing baseball sized hail coming in every direction (unlike anything I've ever seen). It caused a lot of damage and shredded my garden in minutes. We also found out after the fact that a tornado also touched down less than 1/2 mile from here (no damage was done). So today I'm working on finding the blessings in this storm as I mourn the loss of my garden and ache for the farmers who lost their crops.
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| (end of June) |
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| (mid-July) |
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| (last week) |
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| (last night) |
August 2, 2013
May
Summer is just flying by and we have enjoyed many fun adventures together. Unfortunately I'm way behind in going through my pictures. I'm hoping to catch up before we start school again. He's a picture from our camping trip in May.
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| (click to enlarge) |
June 9, 2013
Summer Fun
The summer has only begun and it has already been lots of fun and full of adventure.
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| Saying good-bye to Grandma's chickens before we butchered them. |
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| Kyler is so proud of his new helmet. He wanted to wear it the whole day as we ran errands and hung out at home. |
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| Thanks to Daddy's help, Kristin and Kade learned to ride their bikes without training wheels. We went for a family bike ride and Kade loved it. |
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| Kristin was not too impressed with our family bike ride and requested that we never do that again. |
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| Kade has been obsessed with baseball for a while now, so we signed him up for t-ball this year. He just LOVES it and keeps telling us he will always love baseball. =) |
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| Kristin had her dance recital, and like last year loved every minute of performing on stage. If she could, she'd skip all the classes and just perform on stage. |
May 31, 2013
Photo Shoot
The kids and I had a fun morning visiting one of our favorite parks in the mountains and taking pictures. Of course a bag of candy was very helpful, they were all smiles. =)
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