I Heart Haiti

New Blog...

2010-04-05T23:20:00.002-05:00

Okay...I am sad to report that I think I will be switching blogs :( I really want to be able to keep blogging from Haiti this summer (it was one of the reasons I got my new phone!) and blogger is not very mobile blogging friendly. I've tried all of my options for keeping this one...and who knows...maybe after the trip I'll use this one more steadily instead...but for now please go here for my new blog... ayitilove.tumblr.com

Thank you :)

Trying...

2010-03-14T19:03:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to stay better about posting! For some reason every time I tried last week it didn't work or something happened and I'd give up before it actually posted soooo...here we go again!

I've been trying to post pictures of Molly all week. She's gotten so big over the last few months! She's talking up a storm all the time and starting to stand while holding onto things. She's not even mine and I am marveling (and sad) at how fast she's growing up!

Distractions

2010-02-10T15:18:00.003-05:00

These past couple months have all been a blur, and I can't really look back to find the exact point where the craziness all began. The only thing I can see is how much certain areas of my life have started to be impacted by my busyness. My relationship with Christ is definitely one of them. Satan's really good at putting distractions in your life that don't first come across as things that will hinder your walk with Christ, or at least he's good at doing that to me. In all my busyness of life and trying to keep on top of the too many things I'm involved in, my relationship with Christ somehow gets pushed to the back burner. It's amazing how unaware you can be about it too for so long. This is where I feel I am right now...starting to become aware of how long I've been blind to my distractions.

God's been knocking on my heart this past week really hard. Trying to remind me that He's still here, He's just waiting for me to come back home again. Monday morning on my way to work this song came on the radio. It's called "Again" by one of my favorite groups, Flyleaf. It brought me to tears as I listened to the lyrics and realized that I need to be "down on my knees again". Music is a huge part of my life, and I usually find that I can express what's going on with me and things in my life best through songs. This song definitely speaks to me and where I feel I am at right now. Just thought I would share it...
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Here are the lyrics too...
I love the way that your heart breaks
with every injustice and deadly fate
Praying it all be new
and living like it all depends on you

Here you are down on your knees again
trying to find air to breathe again
Only surrender will help you now
I love you please see and believe again

I love that you’re never satisfied
with face value wisdom and happy lies
you take what they say and go back and cry
you’re so close to me that you nearly died

Here you are down on your knees again
trying to find air to breathe again
Only surrender will help you now
I love you please see and believe again

they don’t have to understand you
be still
wait and know I understand you
be still
be still

Here you are down on your knees again
trying to find air to breathe again
Only surrender will help you now
The floodgates are breaking
and pouring out

Here you are down on your knees
trying to find air to breathe
right where I want you to be again
i love you please see and believe again

Here you are down on your knees again
trying to find air to breathe again
Right where I want you to be again
See and believe!
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Dear Heavenly Father I thank you for your never ending grace and mercy. I thank you so much for your unfailing love, and that somehow you love me even when I'm dripping with muck and mire. I pray, Lord, that you will help me to place my life in your hands again. That every minute of everyday I will surrender it all to you. Lord I pray that I will not be so selfish with my thoughts and time. Thank you for sending your Son for me. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for being all of my strength. I love you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Back in Business!

2010-02-08T21:34:00.001-05:00

It's been a while now! But at least this reason I kind of have a good reason ;) lol. The day after Thanksgiving our house in Grand Rapids was broken into, and they took all of our computers along with many other of our valuables and some priceless things. It's a feeling I've never experienced before, and definitely not one anyone enjoys. But, God is good, and thankfully it was only material things that they took. One of my roommates actually came home while the thieves were still in our house. We're so thankful that she is okay. That being said it took a little while for me to replace my computer, and now we're back in the "blogging game" :)

Hmm....

2009-12-16T22:36:00.000-05:00

Walking Outside

2009-11-12T21:00:00.004-05:00

Last week the weather was so beautiful Lilly and I took a lot of walks! This time I took my camera and we had a lot of fun being silly and taking pictures :)

Beautiful Sunset :)

2009-10-25T14:51:00.001-05:00

We were on 28th Street the other night when we saw this beautiful sunset! Too pretty not to share :)

Falling on the Floor Laughing! :)

2009-10-25T14:47:00.002-05:00

This picture cracks me up every time I see it! Lilly, Molly and I were playing downstairs when I snapped this picture by accident! I made Lilly and I laugh so hard we were both crying :) lol Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Fruit Snacks

2009-10-25T14:39:00.003-05:00

Lilly loooooves fruit snacks! I try to limit her intake to a few times a week, but if she had her way she'd eat them 3 times a day everyday. Last week she was being so good that she asked for fruit snacks and I decided it was a good special treat! These pictures I took just messing around with my camera settings. I thought they were kinda cool so I posted them :)

Crayon Lessons

2009-10-13T18:01:00.003-05:00

My friend Tori just send me this quote and I thought it was really cute!

"we could learn a lesson from crayons. sometimes theyre sharp and sometimes theyre beautiful. some have weird names and they are all different colors. and they all live in the same box."

Who knew you could learn from crayons? ;)

It is well...

2009-10-12T19:00:00.003-05:00

These last few weeks have been very...stressful? Even though I love my new job, it's hard being away from my kids at Bear Hugs. And hard switching to something unfamiliar after almost 5 years! The Behl's are great. I really mean it, I couldn't have asked for a better family to nanny for! They have made this transition great. It's just still hard!

Something else that's not making this transition an easy one is "re-entry stress". It's one thing that I (and others who go on mission's trips) always struggle with when coming back from a trip. It's effected me differently every time I've gone to Haiti. Sometimes it lasts longer, sometimes it hits later. This time it hit much later. I'm dealing with a lot of it now. I hate it, I really do. But I wouldn't stop going on the trips because of it. Basically it's just a way that Satan tries to use the trip and take the glory of everything God did, and turn it sour. You have an overwhelming sense of feeling like an alien walking around in a foreign land. Not enjoying what you're doing here, because often times it feels so pointless. You feel disconnected from people that you love that don't get why you went or what you did, or the importance of it. I don't think I can properly explain it, and I don't think that I would get it unless I had experienced it myself. But I always find that in that time this song is so comforting! I love it. It completely and 100% humbles me, and comforts me. Brings me to my knees and God gives me such peace through it. I've been listening to it a lot lately :) lol.

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

* Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul."

Going Batty!

2009-10-12T18:45:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone! I hope that your weekends were wonderfully relaxing! These pictures are from last Friday. I wanted to post these sooner, but the weekend was crazy! Lilly and I made "Bat Hats" :) Her's was so cute that we also decided to make one for Molly! lol. They turned out pretty cute!

Both girls in their hats! Too cute!

Lilly and her hat... :)

Lilly checkin' herself out in the mirror ;) haha...

Molls and her hat...

I thought that they were cute! I promise I'll be posting more than just kid pics :) lol These are just easy! Hope everyone is well :) Have a blessed night!

Lilly's Many Faces! :)

2009-10-06T20:35:00.006-05:00

This is a fun video I took last Friday of Lilly and I being silly! She's a very sweet little girl!

p.s.-don't mind my annoying voice in the background! lol :)

My New "Job"

2009-10-04T17:16:00.007-05:00

Some of you know...not all of you...that I just recently quit my job at Bear Hugs. It's still crazy to think about! I was there just shy of 5 years. Those kids were like my kids. I miss not seeing them everyday!

Buuuuttt....I have a great new job :) I take care of these two lovely ladies! They are both dolls and we have a lot of fun together.

Molly is the easiest baby in the world! She is just about three months old and is just started to laugh and coo! This is Miss Molly...

Her favorite thing to do is sleep ;) hehe...I love, love this picture!

Lilly is fun and energetic and loves to giggle! Her and I have a lot of fun being silly and doing art projects together. She's quite hilarious :) This is Miss Lilly...

This is one of her various silly faces :)

The Behl's are a great family! I feel really blessed to have been given the opportunity to "work" for them (I don't feel like it's work lol) during this transition time in my life.

Oye...It's been a while!

2009-09-29T23:08:00.005-05:00

I realized today that it's been a very long time since I've posted anything. I didn't realize how LONG it actually had been until I logged on. Holy smokes! A lot has happened since July 25th! A trip to Haiti, a wedding, a move and a new job. Guess I have lots of material for the next few days :) Anyway...hope everyone is well! I will be posting more tomorrow :)

Forever

2009-07-25T13:46:00.003-05:00

My dad showed me this video last night and I thought it was awesome! Being in a wedding this summer and going to several more makes me think about how I want my wedding to be someday. I definitely want it to be fun like this! So creative! Hope you enjoy it like I do :)

Dirty Dancing?! :)

2009-06-28T16:00:00.011-05:00

This weekend has been so busy, but so much fun! I went right from work on Friday to stay with my lovely friend Tori!

We had a girls night, and just hung low! It was a lot of fun! She's currently got a really bad case of poison oak so I opted to not take pictures for her sake (not that she's not just as beautiful now) :)

From there on Saturday we had a baby shower to go to and then to a Graduation party....and here is where this post gets fun... :) haha

Meet my dear friend Brenda! Brenda and her husband Nate are one of the reasons I haven't lost my sanity over this last year or so. They are amazing friends and people. I really admire the ways that they allow God to use them. They are both so fun, and we get along so well :) But...enough bragging up my great friends ;D At the graduation party the graduate had been given this dancing grad bear that danced to music. Meet said bear...

While we were watching it and laughing at it Brenda did her own version of the dance! It was hilarious to say the least!!! Here is her version of the dance caught on camera (I have permission to post this by the way ;) lol)...

Quite funny...made us all laugh really hard :)

Weekend Visit!

2009-06-25T21:49:00.004-05:00

Last weekend my aunt (who lives in North Carolina) surprised my mom by flying up to spend the weekend! She's like a big sister and a close friend of mine. I'm not sure I would have survived the last few years without her! Anyway, we were all very happy she flew up! If you know me, you know that I'm usually permanently attached to my camera! But I failed in that department this past weekend and didn't take hardly any pictures...I was bummed! Anyway, here's some pics of our fun :)

Hangin' Out! My Grandma, Aunt, & Mom

My cousin Ally! She loves trying on Aunt Debbie's Shoes ;) lol

Youngest cousin Abigail! :)

Then we all went down to my aunt and uncle's cabin in Hastings. We got rained out most of the weekend, but we still had fun playing games and hanging out!

Aunt Dawn, Doreen, and my Mamma
My Aunt Doreen was talking lol

Dawn and my Mom

My brother ran out of the cabin for a minute and got soaked! Tryin to dry off his sweatshirt!

hahaha!! No words! :) He was really wet! lol

...the little children...

2009-06-15T16:18:00.002-05:00

"Red and Yellow, Black and White..."

Lazy Kitty Days

2009-06-15T15:43:00.004-05:00

Meet "Kitty" :) She is an outdoor cat that was actually born in our barn. She's adopted us, and lives under our front porch. I'm really not a cat person at all, I much prefer dogs. However, this cat I don't mind for some reason.

Since it's started to warm up she's been spending a lot of time on the deck. It always cracks me up to see her lazying around (yes that's a word :P lol). Today I caught some of her laziness on camera. I thought it was kinda comical lol.

What Do I Know of Holy?

2009-06-09T21:30:00.009-05:00

I am in love with this song by Addison Road. I had heard it once on the radio, but my friend Sara asked me about it today and we listened to it again. It instantly brought me back down to a place of being broken and humble. The lyrics are so true of my life. The last few weeks the group that I am going to Haiti with in July has been playing a question/answer game on facebook. It's been so much fun getting to know my teammates this way. I have a much better idea about each of them. Their hurts, struggles and pains and also their joys and strengths. It's been a great time! Anyway, the point of telling you that is not just to rub in how cool they are (which they are ;) lol) but to bring up last week's question. I still have not answered it, partially because I wasn't able to keep up with the thread as it became overwhelmingly large very quickly. And partially because I *didn't have to time to* (*=laaaame excuse). Here is the jist of the question for last week (asked by our leader)...
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"Forget everything I have told you. I still do not want you to have expectations on this trip, but be open to the Spirit's leading and understand it is God's agenda and not ours.
A. That being said, if you COULD determine the outcome of this trip, what would you consider a successful trip?
We all have expectations even though we don't usually verbally express them. So,
B. What are you hoping to accomplish on this trip. It may be something you want to do for the Haitians, it may be something you hope will happen in your life, or both. Be honest."
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The first part of the question I don't have trouble answering at all. I don't have expectations other than just building relationships with the Haitians and allowing those relationships to grow. That we will be able to share our faith and only source of joy and hope with them. That they will in turn cling to faith and grow in it, showing others (I guess that also answers the first part of the second question). But, for some reason the second part of the last question was harder for me to answer. Obviously I want it to affect me somehow. I honestly don't think you could take a trip there and not be affected by it in one way or another. But I still didn't have my answer, I wasn't sure what exactly to hope for or what I wanted to happen in my life. Each trip has been do different and affected me so differently. But, I knew when I heard this song and read the lyrics. So much of it brought me back down to a place of humility. I feel like it speaks exactly for me when answering the question what I hope to accomplish. Here are the lyrics...

What Do I Know of Holy? by Addison Road
I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

(CHORUS 2)
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life "its" name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

I want to come out of this trip more broken than I was going in. To be so much in awe of Him. I see so much beauty in the Haitians, Christ's love for them. But still, so much of my life is lived out like the first part of the second verse. Sometimes I think I have Him figured out. I know what to talk about, and can sing about how He is might to save. But what do I really know about that? If I think I have it all figured out, then they are empty words, they're not His words, but my words. If He tried to speak through someone else in Haiti to me, would I recognize it? This last year I feel like I have been so stretched in my faith and grown so much, but I've allowed myself to become arrogant in that. To the point where I allow myself to think I know the answers, but like she says, "What Do I Know of Holy?" Nothing! I feel like I can't even express my answer to the question completely...but that these lyrics speak them for me. I hope that this makes sense! At this point I feel like I'm just rambling! Hope you enjoy the song and that it speaks to you.

Morning Surprise

2009-05-24T13:39:00.004-05:00

These pictures are actually from a few weeks ago, but I still had to post them :) I had picked up a later shift at work for a friend, so I didn't have to be in until 10am, which was soooo nice compared to my 5am! So, I got up and let the dog out, and stumbled into the bathroom when I heard her got nuts. I ran back out into the kitchen to see what her deal was and when I looked at her she had her back to the front door, all the hair on her back was standing up and she was barking like crazy. I followed her gaze out into the woods beyond our yard and there were literally 15-20 deer standing there. It was AWESOME! No wonder the dog was going crazy! lol I quietly let her in and then ran to get my camera. By that time all but 1 or 2 had left, but I was still able to get a few quick pictures of them. It was such a cool reminder that morning of God's awesome creations! I don't think I've ever seen that many deer together other than on a deer farm. Very cool :)

Back on the Bandwagon!

2009-05-24T13:32:00.003-05:00

It's been soooo long since I've blogged anything. Not cool :) But, I've decided that I'm back on the bandwagon and will be blogging regularly again! Not that it really makes that big of a deal to you lol, just thought I'd let you all know! I hope you are all well! Now it's time to catch up on reading blogs! Yeah...big job a head of me lol ;)

Peace out bean sprout(s)!

Haiti Trip Theme Song???

2009-04-06T13:26:00.004-05:00

Hey my fellow July 2009 trippers (and those who are not on the trip!) I was listening to this song today and decided it should be our trip theme song :) I loooooove the lyrics, and really pray that this is how I represent Christ in Haiti. Just a random thought! Listen to it!

Go Hard Lyrics:
Hook:
Go Hard or Go Home(2xs)
Lord Use Me Up(2xs)

Verse 1:
(Lecrae)
Lord kill me If I don't preach the gospel
I'm still in my 20's- but I'll die if I got to
Already dead- so forget my flesh
I done been crossed over see the full court press
I'm a full court mess if the Lord don't use me/
Running from my trials thinkin everythangs groovy
If the Cross don't move me then I don't wanna breath no mo/
If I aint seeing Christ potna I dont wanna see no mo
Rep every day withouth worrying about bruising
I been to china mayne I seen some real persecution
If U didn't know em would ya life look the same
Can they tell you value Jesus by the way you rep his name?
man what's the point of living if Im living for myself
Lord empty out my life before I put you on the shelf So for God I got Hard I dont' wanna die tonight/ It's too many people living who aint heard about my Christ
Go Hard or Go Home(2xs)
Lord Use Me Up(2xs)

Verse 2:
(Lecrae)
Went to Asia had to duck and hide-for Sharin my faith
They tell me water it downwhen I get back to states
[ Lecrae Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]
They say tone the music down you might sell a lot a records
But it's people out here dying and none of em heard the message
Took my wifey on mission trip - central america
Shared her testimony 40 people stood and stared at her
When she said Jesus shoulda seen it was insane cause 40 out of 40 never heard of Jesus name/ Aw mayne we aint focused on the war we just kickin it/ worried bout our image and our space up on the internet// take me out the game coach/ I don't wanna play no mo/ If cant give it all I got and leave it out there on the court/ Thank you for the Grace for the will and the desire/ got me living for your glory stead of living to retire/ But I pray I'll never tire of Going hard for Messiah/I don't need no motivation You the reason I'm inspired.

Verse 3:
(Tedashii)
Go Hard/Go Home, Go Hard/ Go Home/
That's what that is baby/that what that mean/that what that mean/
That what That is baby/That what that mean/that what that mean/
Wha-What that mean?/
That mean that we, should be out up in ok streets/
Not just in houses with our bible's summrizing what we read/
Man this aint deep (man this aint deep)/why we aint doing what we read/
Its like we sleep (its like we sleep)/
But sinners sleepwalk when they sleep/
So why can't we (so why can't we)/the redeemed of the LORD/
Act out, what He said/and make a scene for the LORD/
Action-cut, say what, like we was the director/
But you better get a Grip like movie sets, and get to stepping/(Martin)
I know you done it/da-done it, da-done-and heard it all
You was going hard for the Lord before you heard this song/
But don't play yourself to save ya self/and walk in fear/
Scripture's like a mirror/the truth is closer than it appears/

Even here at home...Go Hard...Lord USE ME UP!

Hope you're all having blessed days!

Fire Engines

2009-04-04T10:23:00.006-05:00

It seems that all of my good stories lately are from work. Hmm...I wonder what this says?? I have a boring life?? lol maybe... ;) Anyway, the other day at work we were doing our morning circle time when suddenly there was a rush of sirens. They literally seemed to be coming from every direction on the road in front of the daycare. The kids all ran to the big window to watch the fire engines drive by, when to our surprise they stopped right in front of the center! We were a little concerned, but mostly confused because we couldn't see any proof of a fire or anything anywhere. But, firefighters went running into one of the houses across the road with hoses and everything. The kids LOVED it! They all had their faces pressed up against the windows (luckily we have some big windows right up front lol) and we opened the front door so that they could hear everything.

It was funny so see all of the neighbors out front in their lawns too, confused as to what was going on. The weird part was that the fire engines just kept coming, along with a water truck, two ambulances and a few cop cars. I tried to capture them all, but didn't really get to. All in all there were at least 10 emergency vehicles and we never even saw smoke! It was kind of crazy, but the kids loved it! One of the fire engines directly in front of the big window blew his horn for the kids, they thought it was great! Needless to say it made for an interesting morning :)

True Talent

2009-03-31T09:00:00.003-05:00

So this past weekend my dear brother was here which I truly enjoy :) We were hanging out on Friday and talking when he was suddenly like Ooh I have to show this to you! When he showed me I was completely blown away! I'm not really even sure how to describe this...so I'm not even gonna try! You're just going to have to experience it for yourself!

Pretty insane isn't it??? I won't say I wish I could sing like this...but it truly is talent! And yes...it is a man :) lol

Hope all of you are having blessed days!!

Theme Song

2009-03-27T05:15:00.004-05:00

This is my theme song today :) I heard it on the way to work and have been singing ever since, just thought I'd share! It's not a new song, but it's catchy lol. Hope you like it as much as me!!

Brand New Lecrae - Live Free - Rebel - The most amazing home videos are here

Here are the lyrics!

80's Dance Party!

2009-03-23T17:22:00.005-05:00

Holy cow it's been a long time! I didn't mean to wait this long to post again, but I haven't been feeling very "bloggy" (yes that's a word :) lol). I don't have much to post about life in general, but some cute work things! I figure that's better than nothing :)

Today at work one of the girls I work with brought in an 80's dance party remix CD and we had the kiddos rockin out to it. It was hilarious to see the kids reaction to the different songs some of them even broke out with a "ooh I love this song!!!". It cracked us up. Here is a video of the fun!

I especially love the one in the black's dancing :) Can we say elbows??? lol :) I love them!

Day 6....

2009-01-29T23:45:00.006-05:00

Today was the day I was most nervous about/not looking forward to. I have to work later in the afternoon on Thursdays. Translation: I'm not here when the kids get off the bus. I know that they are fine on their own for a little bit with Nik, but it's still makes me nervous. I left my numbers for them and called them to check in. They of course were fine :) While I was at work and the kids were at school Nate's dad came to start painting the great room! I had no idea that he was coming, so it was a surprise to all of us! Here are some pics for you N & B!

The doors are in as in they "came in" but aren't in the wall yet (they're in a box in the garage!). So, I'm thinking they'll go in tomorrow?? I'm not sure, the builder was here and gone before anyone saw him. I'll post pics as soon as it's up! It's exciting to see paint on the walls though, it looks great!

After I got back from work, Nik helped me make dinner. We had spaghetti (you all wanted to know that right?? lol). It was fun, Nik and I had a lot of fun laughing at each other and being goofy. He's a good kid and has been a huge help :)

Tori came over later and hung out again :) It's been fun seeing her so much lol! Her and I had a spatula fight with Caleb and Nik lol. Translation: Running around like fools smacking each other with spatulas lol :) Well...Tori, Nik and I had spatulas...Caleb had a big plastic spoon that hurt really bad lol. No major injuries occured, although I'm pretty postive that Tori and I are going to have some bruises tomorrow! haha. I'm guessing that a few of you are now thinking that you will never let me babysit lol :) Here are some pics of the craziness!

Caleb's ready!

Tori getting attacked lol

haha :)

Stupid fun calls for a stupid picture!

It's been a great and tiring day! Keep N & B in your prayers. God is doing amazing things and has even more in store! Love!

Day 5....

2009-01-29T23:00:00.006-05:00

Sorry again about not posting yesterday. I was not feeling very "bloggy" lol. Very unexpressive and that's a bad place to be when you're writing something like this lol. So, sorry N & B :) Yesterday morning went on without too much excitement, the kids and I have developed a pretty good routine :) And then when they got home from school they decided that they didn't want to go to church. It was a 4-1 vote no, so we decided to do something else instead. I opted to going back to Charlie's Dump since we went later the night before! So that's what we did! It was nice getting to take some pictures in the light! The kids had a lot of fun :)

Katie getting ready to go down!

Everyone's at the bottom of the hill :)

lol don't worry....they didn't actually go down the hill like that ;) lol

Caleb!

Hannah making her way up the hill!

**Notice B that they ALL have hats on this time ;) lol :)

Nik :)

Katie and Nik

hehe :)

Heather's so cute!

Caleb and Hannah

Hannah got tired and decided to lay down lol :)

Heather!

Stayin' toasty with our coffee :) hehe

**And lastly my favorite picture of the whole night!!!**

After sledding we went and got some hot chocolate and came home and made dinner. We ended up driving around a few places to find some where that actually had hot chocoloate. Of course I didn't tell the kids what we were doing and the whole time they were like "ooh we're going here cool!!!" and then we'd pull out and they'd be like "oooh! what are you doing???" and finally I got a "you're just like our dad he does this all the time and we never end up going anywhere" lol. Apparently Nate's a big tease ;) lol. They forgave me once they were filled with a warm sugery beverage though lol :)

Sunday Video

2009-01-28T23:01:00.001-05:00

This was the video that I was really bummed about not loading, but youtube finally uploaded it!! Sorry it's so late! Hope you enjoy!!!

Next KJ-52???

2009-01-28T22:49:00.004-05:00

Could this be the next generation KJ-52??? lol You tell me :)

From the Kids :)

2009-01-28T16:25:00.011-05:00

Nik:
Hey you. I would love to see some pictures of Petit guave! I have been having a blast here with
tiffany!! I miss you so much and am getting anxious for you to come home. And just a heads up I am doing great in school! I flew over a colossal jump and landed it making my backside very sore
lol. love you lots,
nikolas yonker

Katie:
Yo Mom Dad I LOVE YOU AND Tiffany LOVES YOU.
So were are you know? How are you doing?
I was good wed , Tuesday, and Monday.
But Sunday I was not so good sorry :)
Tiffany, Tori , And I was having fun .
Did u have fun there did you did u did u??????????
I saw you thing u got me I love u to !
make sure dad gets it too tell him to read it all if he is not there.
If not tell him . Hannah was playing with me a lot.
And tori was marred to Tiffany and I was. we went to the Haitian church.
now tori is with me now and Tiffany

LOVE YOU
KATIE YONKER

Caleb:
i love you mom and dad hope you have a

fun love you!

Hannah:
i miss yoy mom and dad i hope yoy hev A GOOD TIME AT HAITI I MISS YOY WE ARE BINI GRD

Heather:
Hey dad hey mom how is your trip? Have you found that place you where looking for yet ? We went to charlys dump again I MISS YOU ALOT AND HOPE YOU HAVE A SAFE TRIP FOR THE REST OF THE TIME BYE AND LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We miss you guys! You are in our prayers! Love!

P.S.~ I didn't tell Nik to say that ;) haha :)

Hopped Up on Sugar

2009-01-28T15:47:00.002-05:00

Here is one of the videos that I've been trying to load! It's from Sunday night when we were all being silly and taking pictures. lol At first he had no idea that he was being videoed, then they caught on! Funny kids!!

You'd think I fed him sugar all day...but nope lol :)

Hey N & B...I like pickles :) hehe

Ohh...I've also been meaning to blog about a funny Caleb quote! Sunday night for dessert after dinner we baked a cake. Tori and I had it cooling and she was going to frost it after it cooled down so it was sitting on the stove and we were all in the other room. Well, Caleb kept leaving the room and coming back and one time Nik went out to get something too. He came back in and was like "Umm...Caleb's sticking his fingers in the cake and frosting..." with a totally disgusted look on his face lol. We went out to check on it and sure enough there were little finger holes in the frosting (not the cake though!). I was like "uhh oh Caleb maybe you shouldn't get cake?" and without letting me finish he started crying and went into his room. I followed him and told him that I didn't say he wasn't, but that he really shouldn't have been sticking his fingers in the frosting because other people were going to have to eat it. We laughed and he was like "but it was sooooo goooooood!!!!!" hahaha. It made me laugh really hard!! He's a cute kid and he got his cake :)

Day 4....

2009-01-28T14:50:00.007-05:00

Hello! I'm sorry I didn't post this last night, I was so tired that I just decided to do it today :) Yesterday got off without any problems and before I knew it the work day was done and the kids were on their way back from school! Caleb and Hannah both went over to the neighbor's house after school, and Katie, Heather, Nik, Tori and I had a "dance party". That's what the kids called it anyway lol :) We turned up the radio much, much too loudly and ran and danced around like crazy people, it was fun :) hehe. It was fun getting to spend some time specifically with Katie, Heather and Nik! Here are some fun pictures from our "dance party"!

Dancin' :)

Me and Heather!!

Heather and Nik!

She's a Rockstar :) lol

Silliness! :) hehe

hehe...love him!

jumpin' on Tori :)

awww :)

sibling love lol :)

hahaha :)

Tori has been nice enough to come and visit/hang out with us after school on both Monday and Tuesday (Thank you Diane!!!!). It's been fun getting to see her and hang out with her so much! Before dinner we all went to Charlie's Dump (thank you Tammy for directions!! they were awesome!) and went sledding. The goal was to get out there before it got too dark, lol it didn't really happen that way. But we all still had a lot of fun!!!

Caleb and Nik

Katie and Hannah

Hannah!

Heather and Nik!

haha Katie!

**Haha..uhh...sorry that the older three didn't have hats on B :( They were all getting their stuff on, and hopped into the van before I realized that they didn't have anything on their heads. I made sure that Hannah and Caleb had them on before we left but didn't realize the others didn't until we were already there :( sorrrry!

Nik coming back up the hill after going down on his bum lol he looks a little sore ;) haha

Hehe Caleb!

Katie being cute!

Hannah going down the hill!

It was c-c-cooold!

After sledding we came back and had dinner, and then got a surprise call from Brenda! The kids were so excited! It was great to hear from you and actually get to hear about some of the things that are going on. Please continue to keep N & B in your prayers! So many exciting things are happening :) Love you N & B!!

Day 3 Phase 2...

2009-01-26T22:21:00.010-05:00

I thought I was going to have to eat my words after being so cocky about how smoothly everything went this morning! Katie, Heather, Caleb, Hannah and I all walked out the door at 8:13, to which I scoffed about how much time we had left to spare (haha kidding! ;) lol). We got down to the bus stop and waited...and waited...and waited until it was 8:25 and there was no bus and no other neighbor kids waiting at the stop. I started laughing to myself about how I spoke too soon and was going to have to call work to explain to them that I now have to take the kids to school because we had somehow missed the bus. But, alas, a minivan pulled up behind me at 8:30 with more kids, and the bus came at 8:32. Phew...lol :) Not admitting defeat today!

The rest of the day went really smoothly and the kids all got home from school no problem. Brenda's parents were kind enough to offer to bring over dinner tonight. The meal was great, and they are both super sweet, but I'll be honest B...it was awkward :) haha At first anyway, after a little while everything was a little more normal/comfortable hehe! I appreciate so much that they brought us food, and even helped clean up afterwards, please don't let that be understated!

The rest of the night went really well and I have cute videos to post, but blogger isn't letting me post them? Anyone have any suggestions??? :) Help please!

Ooh...and B...what was in this??? ---------------------------->
Because Tori and I found it in the refrigerator, and tried it. It was delicious :) Haha....and you can tell we liked it right??? :) Everytime we asked one of the kids they were like "uuh...I have no idea??" lol But they also thought it was tasty. Hope it's ok that we consumed the entire thing...if not I promise to make it up to you :)

Here are a few funny pics from today. I'm really bummed I can't get those videos to load :( Hopefully tomorrow. Anyway, I hope that you all had a blessed day! Love to N & B from all of us here in the Arctic :)

Day 3 Phase 1....

2009-01-26T08:07:00.002-05:00

Mornings are pretty dern easy :) The first kid is on the bus with no trouble and the second group is getting ready to head out the door! Phase 1 nearly complete!

Love and Prayers to N & B for strength and guidance today :)

I'll check back in later!

Day 2....

2009-01-25T23:45:00.005-05:00

Today was long, and tiring and a lot of fun! Tori and I woke up this morning to running feet and giggling up and down the bedroom hallway. It made us laugh cause they thought they were being sooooo sneaky. Yeah...guys if you're gonna be sneaky...running by our door probably isn't the best idea. lol. We got the kids up and around and went to see our new Haitian friends at church! They were all very confused to see Tor and I walk in with the 5 Yonker kids and no Nate and Brenda lol. But they all pass on love and prayers to you :) After church we came back and decided to play some Disney Monopoly. I got a fire going and Tori popped some popcorn :) It was niiiiice! (ooh...side note: Nate...which wood was the wood that was ready?? 'Cause I thought I grabbed the right stuff, but it was smoking a lot and took a little bit to get it going?? lol) We had fun being silly and taking pictures.

Party by the fireplace :) hehe

Me and Caleb!

Tori and Caleb :)

Kiddosss

Tori and Hannah!

Tori had all of the kids tryin to be gangsta lol it was pretty comical....

The cover of Caleb's first rap CD lol

Heather...lol

I have videos to post, but they're being difficult, so I'll put them up tomorrow :) Hope you're having a great night! We love you N & B!

Day 1 of Our Adventure...

2009-01-25T21:24:00.011-05:00

Greetings from the Yonker house :) hehe. Everything has been going just fine here, even though it's been a little nuts, but hey...it's how we roll :)

Shortly after Nate and Brenda for the airport the kids and I went and picked up our lovely friend Tori who came over to help and hang out! We came back and made Valentine sugar cookies with the kids. Tori and I got the dough made while the kids played. The directions call for softened but not melted butter. So, I put in the half of stick of butter and was being really careful watching it. It didn't do anything at first, so I put it in for longer. To make a long story short this is what we ended up with...
Needless to say we got to talking and I forgot about the butter lol. It was a nasty mess, but we got a good laugh out of it! Once the dough was ready the kids came and cut out cookies. We all had so much fun, the kids were pretty funny. I'm not sure if they really grasped the concept of not cutting cookies out of the cookies they already cut out lol but it was interesting. Brenda apparently doesn't get out a rolling pin very often ;) When I got it out to roll out the dough the kids were all like what is that??? lol I was like a rolling pin? Tooo funny :)

Here are some pics of Cookie time :)

Heather showin off her hearts :)

Nik was very concentrated! lol

After we got all that we could out of the dough the kids got to eat the left overs. I'm pretty sure it was their favorite part ;) haha

Caleb being silly :)

After the cookies were done baking the kiddos got to decorate them. We had frosting and Valentine's Day sprinkles. We ended up having yellow and white frosting, because we couldn't find any red lol. The cookies still looked great...degage :)

Caleb ended up with more sprinkles on his than frosting lol :)

All of Katie's cookies had enough frosting for two cookies a piece lol

Tori and I decided that we take better goofy pictures than serious ones :) haha

haha Lovely :)

Brenda's mom was awesome enough to bring us a casserole and some jello that we baked and ate last night. It was delicious and really nice to not have to make anything! Dinner was commical, the kids were frustrated at first that no one was in their "normal" seat. But then thought it was hilarious to call each other by the name of the person who usually sits in that seat. Tori became the "mom" and to Niks dismay he was the "dad". It was ironic though that he ended up in Nate's seat. Before Nate and Brenda left Nate told Nik that he was the "dad" this week. He took his role very seriously Nate lol :) He's been cute and a huge help. After dinner without even being asked he started doing the dishes and enlisted Caleb's help. Tori and I hadn't even gotten up from the table yet. They were cute!

After dinner we told the kids we could make slushies and watch "Wall-e". It was interesting trying to figure out the slushie machine, but we did it! The kids got a crack out of me trying to break up the ice before we put it into the machine. By the way N & B...don't put the ice in tin foil to break it up. We had a piece of tin foil out, and put the ice in there and a towel around that to hit with a hammer. It seemed like a good idea at first because it didn't burst open like that bags did...it seemed like a good idea...until we started finding little pieces of tin foil in the slushies lol :) oopss.....haha. The kids were good sports about it lol but it was pretty funny.

Tryin to figure it out!

Yummm!! They turned out really good!

Nik's mouth was soo blue! It stayed like that for hours! lol

They loved Wall-e, and we had them up too late, but it was a lot of fun :) Keep Nate and Brenda in your prayers! They landed today around noon, and were greeted with perfect weather! Nate isn't feeling 100% though, which stinks. We're praying for good rest tonight and strength for them tomorrow!

Been toooooo Long!

2009-01-24T13:54:00.004-05:00

I can't believe how long its been since the last time I posted! Things have been crazy, but I will be updating more often! This week I'm staying at my dear dear friends Nate and Brenda's watching kids/house sitting? lol They just left about 30 minutes ago for Haiti (jealous...yeah!! hehe)! I will be helping the kids hold down the fort while they are gone. Please pray for safe and timely travels for them, and that the trip will go smoothly (yeah right, it's Haiti :) hehe degage!). Seriously though they are in our prayers!! Please keep them in mind! I will be posting everyday with updates for them about the kids and house and just because I want to :) Follow their blog to see how their trip is going!

Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend! God bless!!

Adventures in Daycare

2008-12-13T19:42:00.009-05:00

Meet our new hole in the wall...

Friday at work Katlyn and I were really busy greeting parents, getting kids on the buses, making breakfast, making sure kids are playing without killing each other...you know...the typical morning...when all of the sudden we hear "BOOM!". Both Katlyn and I run into the other room to see my dear Kyle looking rather suspicious. We both were rather dumbfounded, "What was that??!!" I asked him. To which we got a "nuthin...it was nuthin". We of course didn't really believe him, but too busy to really think anything different, and clearly seeing no one hurt, we went back to what we were doing. A few minutes later after I got another group of kids on the bus to school, Katlyn called me into the other room, saying that I really needed to come and look at this. The "this" she was referring to, was our new hole in the wall. Our present from Mr. Kyle himself. When asked about what happened his story changed several times varying from "I was meditating and bumped my head" to "I slipped and fell and my foot hit the wall" The slipping story was the one he eventually stuck with. We told him that he would have to talk to my boss about what happened, and all of the kids know that talking to her means serious business (translation: you're in BIG trouble!) so he decided to write her a note expressing his "most sincere apologies". Here is said note:
The note says:
"To Pam:
When I was running I slipped my foot flung up and it hit the wall and made a hole I am sorry so so so so so (+ a few more 'so's) SORRY! Please forgive me I will paint and place the wall piece on correctly please forgive me.
With all my hearts
KYLE"

Hehe...so cute! We all had a chuckle about the note, and know that he felt awful. Needless to say my boss still wasn't happy. But...kids will be kids right? haha ahhh never a dull day :)

Here is another shot of the wall modeled by a lovely young lady ;)
It's a pretty big hole lol

And the culprit... :)

Some Loves :)

2008-12-13T19:11:00.007-05:00

These are some of my lovelies :) I love them all, and even though I sometimes complain about my job I love the opportunity that I have to care for and love on these kids. They may frustrate me, stretch me and test my patience, but they also make me smile, laugh and have taught me so much. I love 'em each :)

Thanksgiving Photos :)

2008-11-28T22:18:00.004-05:00

Me, Ryan, and Sara

Ryan

My Grandma :)

Daddyo

My Sara :)

Please Pray

2008-11-25T09:52:00.001-05:00

Hey all...I just got some devastating news this morning. My new friends Juska and Jona were 8 months pregnant for their first child and lost it last night. I'm not sure how or what happened. But please keep them and their family in your prayers. It's so so awful.

I will keep you posted when I find out more.
Just sucks.

Praying...

More Songs!

2008-11-13T09:51:00.003-05:00

I love this song...Just thought I'd share it :) Hope you're all having a great day! Love ya!

"Can't Go On" By Group 1 Crew
Here are the Lyrics!

...Friends...

2008-11-12T18:31:00.001-05:00

"Friendship is one mind in two bodies."
- Mencius

Broken

2008-11-09T19:26:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. It's called "We Are Broken" by Paramore. They aren't a "christian" band, but quite a few of their songs have some christian messages. The first time I heard this song I was on my way back from Haiti after an incredible trip. It had been on my ipod and I had just not listened to it yet, but as soon as I heard it, I fell in love with it immediately and if you know me, listened to it repeatedly for the next few hours.

I think that it has such a powerful message, and it was one I kept coming back to this week. This week was a tough one. It was one in which I constantly felt disappointed in myself, and under attack. I lost my temper, didn't hold my tongue when I knew I should, reacted without thinking...you know the usual word vomit (sorry..that's kinda gross). I found myself constantly coming back and saying who was that? And falling back on my knees. Someone I really respect once said, "you can't slip and fall when you're on your knees". My problem this week was that I kept getting up.

I'm so thankful that He does keep me safe inside His arms like towers like the song says. And that when I fall His arms are there to steady me. What a pitiful example I am of Him, Praise Jesus for Grace. Being Broken is exactly where I need to be. It's where there is more of Him and less of me that it is truly as it should be.

Thank you Lord for your never ending grace and mercy. Thank you for unconditionally loving a sinner like me. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for giving me the gift of being your light unto this broken and darkened world. I pray that You will shine through me, that it will be You that they see. I pray that there will always be less of me and more of You. Forgive me. Thank you Precious Jesus. In Your Name, Amen.

Children's Museum

2008-11-01T21:47:00.007-05:00

I'm not feeling very creative right now, so this probably won't be a very entertaining post, not that mine usually are I suppose lol, anyway...I hope that this isn't a boring post! Thursday we went to this awesome children's museum in Winston Salem. It had really cool things for the kids to do, and we all had a lot of fun!

James

Daniel

Michael

Peyton

One of the many different rooms in it was a Krispy Kreme room where the kids actually got to put on hats and aprons and "run" all of the machines and "deliver" them in a truck! It was really cute and the kids had a blast!

Daniel

Michael

James

Peyton

Michael

Hope you're all having a Blessed day!

"Concrete"

2008-10-31T00:41:00.005-05:00

This is a little girl that my aunt watches everyday of the week. My aunt has had her since she was a baby and she knows all of my family, so she is basically just like another little cousin. She was telling me in great detail about how she got the scrape on her knee and it was so cute how serious that she was and how many times she used the word "concrete" (note: she's 3 lol) that I grabbed my camera. Obviously it wasn't as funny the second time around, but it's still cute!

Little kids with southern accents are adorable hehe :)

North Carolina Welcomes You!

2008-10-30T23:23:00.007-05:00

So I made it! I'm here! It doesn't seem possible that it's really the end of October and I'm in North Carolina already. My Aunt and I started planning this trip before I was even done with school last spring! Oh how the time flies! hehe.

Both of my flights went really well. I flew from Grand Rapids to Cincinnati...where I had a 3 hour lay over, and then from Cincinnati to Greensboro, NC. Both of my flights were the little regional jets and I had to actually walk out onto the tarmac to get on the plane! The ONLY time I've ever done that was in Haiti, it was kind of funny! The second flight was really empty. My flying companion was very quiet and hardly made a sound. He was also the size of a dime haha :) There was a fly on the wall when I got on the plane next to me and he didn't hardly move the entire time. It was funny to me to think that the poor thing got on in Ohio and is going to get off in North Carolina and not know where he's at (yeah yeah I know flies don't actually have thought processes like that, lol but it was a fun thought to entertain lol).

This was the first time I had flown over the Appalachian Mountains and have actually been able to see them. Wow. They were breath-taking. They surely reminded me of how small we really are, and how silly it is to me that we, as tiny little humans, think that we "own" or can "dominate" this great big world. How can you see something like that, something so beautiful, and claim it as evolution? How can you see something so beautiful and not have it scream beautiful creator at you? Argh! I just don't get it. But I'm so thankful for the reminders that God has given us. The view was amazing, and kept me occupied throughout the entire flight!

I don't have any pictures of them, although I wish I did! My camera was in my checked bag (of course lol) oh well! Thank you for all of the prayers for safety and everything. I definitely felt them! I hope you are all having a great week!

Cool Dude

2008-10-19T18:35:00.005-05:00

This little guy is Jerry! He lives at Bercy Orphanage in Haiti, which we visit just about every time that we are down there. Jerry is my favorite kid there, mostly because he stole my heart the first time we came to Bercy.

Jerry was found in an abandon hut by a passerby as an infant. They brought him to Bercy, and the staff wasn't even sure that he would make it he was so malnourished. They had no idea how long he was in the hut by himself, but it appeared to be quite a little while. Jerry's story will forever be ingrained in my mind. I couldn't wrap my mind around it when I heard it. I hated leaving him when it came time for us to leave the orphanage. Thankfully our ammmmaaazing group leader (brownie points bossman?? ;) haha) lets us make visits while we are there. This video is from when we were down there in July, but we taught him "cool dude" and "peace" when we were there over a year ago :) He still remembers it and us, which I love! Please pray for Jerry. Him and so many other boys and girls like him suffer everyday.

I love him!!! Have a blessed day!!

Never Alone

2008-10-19T15:14:00.004-05:00

This morning on my way to church I heard this song by Barlow Girl. I've heard it lots of times and I'm sure that a lot of you have probably heard it too. But this morning while I was listening to it a part really stuck out to me. "So I'll hold tight to what I know, You're Here and I'm never alone". In the song she's talking about how we may not always feel like we can feel God's presence and that sometimes we may feel like He's deserted us. But it's so so so not true! That's why she's relying on what she knows, that He is there/here and we are so NOT alone! So often I forget this. He's constantly next to me, beside me and He's not going anywhere. No matter what happens in my life, the situations that change I'm NEVER ALONE!! What an awesome thing. I take great comfort in that. And I hope that you do too! I hope that you enjoy this song as much as I do!

Here are the Lyrics if you'd like them...

Open and Closed Doors

2008-10-15T21:26:00.002-05:00

“Do the best you can where you are, and when that is accomplished, God will open a door for you..."
~Henry Ward Beecher

For Nate

2008-10-12T21:02:00.002-05:00

This post won't make sense to everyone..and for that I'm sorry, but this is for my friend Nate. Nate, I heard this joke the other day and it immediately made me think of you...why??? lol you tell me...Here's the joke: Why does Snoop Dog carry an umbrella???????

No guess????? "Fodrizzle!!!"

hahaha :) Now I ask again...why did it make me think of you?? It's whack right?? ;) haha love ya! lol

More Birthday Pictures

2008-10-12T20:03:00.006-05:00

This doll is Ally's sister Abigail, she

was much more cooperative with
the camera :) hehe

So Serious

Abby and My Aunt

Abby

Abby and Mommy

Ally

My Brother playing with Abby

Happy Birthday Ally Marie!

2008-10-12T17:20:00.005-05:00

This little girl is my baby (ok...not so much baby :) lol) cousin Ally. She turned 3 on the 4th of October and we had a birthday party for her this past Saturday. I can't believe that she turned 3!! It kills me how fast she's growing up!

She had a Disney Princess birthday and is the epitemy of "girly girl" which if you know my aunt at all is hilarious. My aunt is definitely not a girly girl, don't misunderstand...she's not masculine or anything, but she'd rather be out playing softball then playing barbies. Ally loves pink, anything frilly and sparkly, and princesses! God has a great sense of humor :) haha.

Ally is so loved, and we thank God everyday for placing her in our lives! I can't imagine life without her little grin or silly giggle. I'm greatly looking forward to watching her grow up and seeing what God as planned for her life! Anyway...here are some pictures from the party!

Showing off some of her new loot!

Unwrapping a gift!

This is the cheezy Ally grin! We can't
get her to smile normal for a picture
anymore! haha :)

I call this the "uuh look at me aren't
I fabulous???" pose! Showing off
a new dress...

Video

2008-10-11T10:52:00.003-05:00

My friend Sara posted this really cool video on her blog. It's a very touching video, and her warning about crying is true :) Check it out!!

Remember that we do not run alone :) Thank goodness.

Hope you all are having a blessed Saturday!

Kid Quote

2008-10-07T20:19:00.003-05:00

Here is my kid quote for the day. This is from the little girl that I tutor twice a week (we'll call her Suzy). She's in first grade and is always full of fun things to say :) hehe. Today we were talking about her family, when suddenly she says:

Suzy: OH! My mom said that I can vote in the principal election this time!!
Me: Oh really???! (having no idea what she's talking about)
Suzy: Oh Yeah!!
Me: Are you getting a new principal?
Suzy: No.
Me: Oh...ok...*silence*....well, do you know who you're voting for??
Suzy: Yeah! I'm voting for the dark skinned one!

All at once it was ding ding the light came on! Principal...President...easily confused! ;) I guess we know who her parents are voting for haha :) Ahh the things that kids say!

Hope you all had a blessed day!

Another Article

2008-10-06T16:17:00.003-05:00

Here is another article link that she sent to me. This article is also touching, I would encourage you to read it as well!

I am a Son of Haiti By Tim McDaniel

signing off - a fellow daughter of Haiti :)

Heart to Heart

2008-10-06T16:01:00.005-05:00

This article was sent to me by a very close friend of mine, who thought it would be of interest and importance to me. Ooh boy was she right! This article says so many things that I wish I had the words for so many times in the past. This story is so incredibly relevant to me and so many others I know. I feel that in a very big way it also tells my story. It's a story about this place I love called Haiti. Please take the time to read the article below, I will warn you it brought me to tears!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A World of Contradictions By Elora Ramirez

The summer after my senior year of high school, I had the privilege of going to Haiti on a mission trip. Even though that was over five years ago, I can still feel the captivating pull of the lush and beautiful jungle. To this day, I still am processing what happened to me in that small country most people only know through news reports. I have tried numerous times to sit down and let my mind wander back to the people who stole my heart. Each time is met with frustration or words that mean so little compared to my experiences. How can I write about a country I know very little about? How can I condense a lifetime of lessons into one cohesive blurb? What is left with these questions is just an overarching desire to try.

First things first, this is not an attempt to prove to you that I am an expert on Haitian culture and the politics of a country in turmoil. This is an attempt to share, however briefly, the knowledge I gained while experiencing a culture so rich yet so different from my own.

What I know about Haiti is the rain that produces rivers down the dirt roads and feeds into the huts of the locals. What I know about Haiti is the enigmatic pull of beautiful wasteland of Jolli Gilbert. The bustling of school children, running down the sidewalk with matching pastel polo shirts and hand-me-down bottoms, captures my attention. Their laughter ricochets off the dilapidated tin-roof homes, and I smile. One of the children stops mid-stride and looks at the dirt. He begins exclaiming something in a language I can’t understand, but the other children turn in haste and run back towards him. Looking closely, you can see what has demanded their attention. A small butterfly sits quietly on a lone rock—the brilliant colors of its wings a stark contrast to the dirt surrounding it.

I will find that this is what Haiti is full of—contradictions.

I stare out the window of the rusty truck wondering about these children.
How long does it take them to walk the five miles home from school? What do they worry about? Do they have a family? When was the last time they were hugged?

Many of my questions are answered the next day as the children speak to me in their stilted mix of English and Creole about what they do for fun.

One of the girls who is particularly fond of my light skin and blonde hair just sits in my laps and stares. Feeling the intensity of her rich eyes, I look down, smile and she beams with an uncertain familiarity.

Grabbing my face with both of her hands, she whispers, “beyotiful” and wraps me in the tightest hug I’ve received in awhile; our portrait a black and white image of purity and innocence.

I soon find that these children are the most genuine people I have ever met. In their stained T-shirts that have holes from too much wear, the kids find covering—not style. In friendships they possess a solidarity and community that far outweighs Americans’ tendency of keeping each other at arms’ length. When these precious children sing, they sing with the joy of being alive.

They are just that—alive.

Haiti, in all its tragedy and deconstruction, is where I was transformed. When asked to pinpoint a significant turning point in my life, I always reference Haiti. It is here that I believe I lost my innocence. However, it is in this country with rich heritage and beautiful strength that I found myself.

What I remember about Haiti is not the men walking down the street with machine guns, but the women walking with their children—bright smiles echoing off the darkness around them. What I remember about Haiti is not the marketplace full of beggars, but the marketplace full of bright possibilities in the shape of tropical fruit, paintings and jewelry crafted with the hope of a new beginning.

Haiti is more than just the 30-second update the press feeds us. It is a land that has permeated my senses. I still smell the morning dew glistening on the banana leaves. I still feel the coarseness of rocks digging into my skin as I knelt down to talk to the children. I still taste the saltiness of goatskin, a delicacy that was given for our company. I still hear the sweet sounds of worship coming from the lips of believers that truly define faith in action. But most of all, I still see the eyes of those I came in contact with. Tired. Broken. Waiting. Hoping.

A world of contradictions bottled up into a tiny gaze.

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Ok, so go grab your Kleenex and start praying. We're not done with Haiti yet. :)

Haiti Friends

2008-10-05T13:37:00.004-05:00

Here are a few more pictures from my last trip to Haiti this past July. These are a few of my friends from down there, all of which I miss a ton! Pray for all of them. They are all doing things for the Lord, and are under attack just like us.

Mickenson and Paige

Renald and Son

Tori and Mickenson

Me, Tipap, Paige, Tori, Mickenson, Esaie

Tori, Paige, Mickenson, Esaie

Mickenson, Esaie, Tipap

Tori is not from Haiti (although she wishes she was ;) hehe) she is a friend that has gone on quite a few of the trips with me. Paige is one of the daughters of Troy and Tara Livesay who are the missionaries that we know from down there. Tipap, Mickenson, and Esaie all worked at the mission compound that we stayed at down there. They are from the village of LaDigue and are a lot of fun to hang around with. Renald and Son (pronounced Soan) were two of our translators for VBS in July. We got to know them while we were down there and they are good friends too.
I miss them all!

So this is us...

2008-09-25T21:49:00.003-05:00

You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job. ~Laurence J. Peter

Video from the July Haiti Trip

2008-09-25T21:10:00.005-05:00

This is a video from our last trip to Haiti in July. It is one of my favorites from the trip! Our friend Tipap is hosing the kids down that were standing outside of the gate. They are so animated and giggly that it makes me laugh!

The story behind this is that the night before we had been having a water balloon fight inside the gate. We kept throwing water balloons over the gate (it was closed) at the kids who were standing there and we laughed every time we heard them shriek with laughter (ok ok so more than once we were actually getting cussed out...but it didn't stop it from being funny :) haha). Eventually they got smart and started throwing water back at us by filling up buckets at the pump outside. One of the times that they meant to throw water over someone accidentally let go of the bucket and it came sailing over the gate along with the water! We all laughed really hard at this, and even harder when we heard the unison "AWWWWWWWW" from the kids on the other side at loosing some of their ammunition. It was a fun night! But we were surprised the next morning at how eager these kids were at getting hosed down. It was cute nonetheless! Hope you enjoy the video as much as I do :)

...And this is called procrastinating...

2008-09-22T20:36:00.012-05:00

Soo...I'm supposed to be working on this demographic study thingy (like the technical name??) for my teaching reading class...but I don't want to lol. So, what better time to finally update the blog?? :) hehe (for those of you wondering about my abilities to home-school your children...I promise not to procrastinate then or to teach them to procrastinate :) lol).

I got to have dinner with some amazing friends tonight :) They have been so amazing to my dad and I throughout this entire process that my family is going through. Sometimes I think that I like them enough to even move in with them ;) lol. They have really been a blessing though :) These are them....minus their lovely children.

My kids at work today were terrible lol. I know that kids are kids and that they are going to act up. But lately they have all been so naughty. I've thought of myself as a pretty patient person, but somehow I think I'm supposed to be learning more patience or something. God has a funny sense of humor. I'm sure He's laughing up there while I refrain from tearing my hair out :) As frustrating as they have been lately I still love them all. Funny how kids have a way of wiggling themselves into the little crevises in your heart. Here are some summer pictures of my kids :) I realized that no one but Tori has seen any of them lol.

Lucas and Colin

Anna

Shayla

Xavier

Isabelle

Connor and Hunter

Brayden

Here is a few of them anyway. I think that they're pretty stinkin' cute :) I hope that you all had blessed days! Thanks for reading!

Weekend Wonders

2008-08-25T20:07:00.005-05:00

I understand now why people sometimes wonder what to write on these things :) I've been trying to come up with something the last few days...my life's not that interesting! lol.

I did have a great weekend...Tori stayed here for the weekend and we had a garage sale as well as some other fun :) The garage sale was to raise money for Haiti, although beyond that we're not sure where it will go. Any ideas??? The sale went pretty good. The weather was beautiful! And we all made out pretty well. I wish I had pictures of it...darn Tor :( hehe.

We also had our trip "Testimony" night on Sunday. It was great to see members of the team I hadn't seen since the trip, and it was also great seeing those I happen to see more often ;) hehe. Everyone on that trip has been such a blessing in my life. Truly a testimony of the Body of Christ. They have loved, cared, and prayed for me in more ways than I could ever imagine. More so than some that I am blood related to. I hope that you all know how much I love and cherish each and everyone of you. Why do these posts end up so mushy????? lol :o) hehe. But I really do. You are in my thoughts and prayers. It was also really nice to hear different perspectives of the trip and to see how different part of it have affected people. It's actually one of the coolest parts about the trip. Seeing how God uses it to change and mold people into who He wants them to become. I love seeing that change.

One of the biggest things happening this week is school starting again. *sigh* I'm not ready for summer to be done yet! Please know that I'm not ungrateful for the opportunity that I have in attending a great University, or for the help that was given to me in going this semester. I'm so so so grateful for all of it. So I should stop complaining huh? lol yeah. Probably. Please pray for the students of GVSU this year. That people will see Christ in new ways and be able to share with those who are still in bondage. I think that this year will be big in so many ways. I'm hoping that seeing Christ more than ever at Grand Valley this semester is one of them. On a good note...this is my last semester :D yay!

Wow...for not having much to say this is pretty long! I hope that you all have blessed days! You're in my thoughts and prayers today!

Much love!
tiffany

Some Haiti Pictures!

2008-08-17T19:07:00.009-05:00

Here are a couple of my favorite shots from my trip in July....

Little Boy Swimming in the Dam

Looking into the Canal

Little Gangsta ;) hehe

Cutest Old Man EVER!

Still trying to figure this thing out...there are a lot more pics that I was going to post...but I'm calling this good for now :) There are more to come!

Gotta Start Somewhere...

2008-08-17T18:54:00.002-05:00

I've been saying that I will finally post on this thing for sometime now...I figured that I should probably finally do it! :) This was supposed to be a blog of all of the trip adventures from when I went to Haiti in November of 2006. Doesn't look like I really got to doing it huh??? lol...oh well...must start somewhere :)

I wanted to say thank you to all of you fellow "Lighthouse-ers" for today. You all were such an encouragement. Especially after this morning. And thank you Brenda for this morning. I don't know what I'd do without you. I truly mean that :)

On my way home from home group the song "Lord Prepare Me" popped into my head. The words kept coming and when I got to the part where it says "tried and true" I just started shaking my head. I don't appreciate enough the trials that I'm going through. That may sound like an odd statement I guess...but I really don't think that I do. I should be thankful, because that's how I grow. That means that somehow (and I don't really mean 'somehow' I know what that is lol) I'm a threat to Satan. It's really kinda cool. So...this is me trying to rejoice in my trials. This is my process of decreasing so that He can increase. Thank you Jesus :)

Ok...enough blabbing on...I hope you all enjoy the first post :) Although it might just be you reading it Brenda since you put it on your reader ;) hehe. Love ya!