There are no words...

OK--I guess there are SOME words...but none that will do this day justice.

I have a bazillion pictures and I will upload them until I get too tired to keep my eyes open.  We had an amazing day.  We had way more people show up for the clinic than we anticipated (which is not too surprising, actually).  Our fearless leader, Tammy, was a bit stressed trying to keep things from getting completely out of control, but she is extremely organized and did a great job.

They needed help in the clinic so (squeal!!) I was put at the first station where we did everyone's stats.  It was....I want to say amazing, but I realize I have already used that word about four times since the beginning of this post.  We were able to identify quite a few who had high blood pressure and some with fevers.  They went from our station to the doctor...then to the 'lab'...then the optometrist....then the pharmacy.  (Not always in that order).  When we had seen everyone at station one, I was switched to pharmacy duty where I helped put the meds in bags and write the directions in Spanish.  Only one problem....I don't speak Spanish, nor did I know any pharmacy lingo (but now I know what TID and BID means...woohoo!).  It was somewhat scary trying to write out the directions in Spanish since I didn't want to overdose them.  Ack!

One particularly distressing case was a 27 year old guy who came at the end.  He had gotten a strep infection over a year ago that went untreated.  He tried to go to the hospital but there is a one year wait!!!  He now has nephritic syndrome--meaning his kidney's are about to fail.  He was critical and was taken to the hospital.  I hope and pray they agreed to take him and also hope that his kidney's aren't damaged beyond repair.  Soooooo heartbreaking.  And all so unnecessary.  

The church were the women's conference is being held.  The clinic is in the white building to the left.

My mom hands out forms for the women to fill out.

Waiting in line.  It was SO hot.  They all waited very patiently.

Adorable little girl from one of the homes nearby.  She played around the clinic all day.

These two girls were laughing hysterically at how they looked in these glasses.  They were actually reading glasses for the older people.

Choosing a new pair of glasses!

Eye exam

Dr. Ana does an exam

More kids from the neighborhood.  They were so cute.

Cold Coka Cola + glass bottles + REAL sugar = The Elixir of Happiness

I'm madly in love with this adorable baby who belongs to one of the pastors' wives.  She was petrified of my camera.  It took some work but I won her over by the end of the day.  Her name is Linda and she is SOOOOO cute!!

My dad and one of our fearless leaders, Jerry.

This little girl was also petrified of me in the morning, but after getting to see herself on the back of my camera, her curiosity got the better of her and she became my friend.

Baby Linda and her daddy

The requested picture of me in my scrubs

Getting some lab results

These bananas were hanging in the house next door.  I went over to take this picture and the sweet lady who lived there cut down a bunch and bagged them up for me.  They were delicious!  

Could any little boy look sadder?  Not sure if he was shy or just sad.

More cute kids who hung around all day.

We finished the clinic around 2PM and it was a good thing because we all kind of hit a wall with fatigue and heat.  The heat and humidity is draining and we didn't do a great job of drinking water while taking care of patients.  Not only were we too busy but we didn't want to drink water in front of them.  They had a drinking fountain but still....

At 4PM, it was time for the ladies to go shopping.  For those of you who donated money for them to get new dresses and shoes...oh my goodness...I wish you could have seen them.  They were giddy with excitement!  We caught up with them when they were almost done shopping and I was able to get a few shots.

Baby Linda's super cute mom holds up her new dress!  And there was a cute new outfit for baby Linda as well!

These ladies are precious.  The one in pink was a bit disappointed because she couldn't find any shoes she liked in her size.  

In the shoe department...

Baby Linda likes shopping!

Showing us their purchases

Lookin' good, Girl!

Baby Linda's new outfit!  Her daddy said he waited 22 years for a wife.  I think it was worth the wait because she is a GEM.

We thought we were done but then it was discovered that baby Linda needed some shoes.  Well, that needed to be remedied (and let's be honest...we all adore her and it's stinkin' fun to buy baby stuff).  

"Baby girl, do you want some new shoes?"

Now she just needs to learn to walk!

We had originally planned to shoot their portraits before dinner but it gets dark at 6:45 here, and we didn't get back to the hotel until 6:30.  Instead, we are going to shoot tomorrow morning before breakfast.  I'm a bit worried about how my camera will fare in this hot, humid weather--and hoping the humidity won't cause the insides to rust.  Nothing I can do about it now, so trusting God to keep it safe.

All the ladies in their beautiful new outfits.  

I can't really express what the day was like but hopefully you can kind of get an idea from looking at the pictures.  God has put a love for these women in my heart. When we prayed for our meal tonight, it was amazing to see and hear them pray right along with my dad.  I opened my eyes and watched them in awe.  The love for Jesus that was in their faces was amazing.  So moving...and humbling to see.

I'm probably forgetting tons of things but my brain is turning to mush and we have another early morning.  The clinic will be just as busy tomorrow and we may also being seeing some children as patients.

Honduras!

We made it safely to Honduras with no mishaps.  So thankful for that!

We arrived a little before 8:00PM, so we just drove straight to our hotel from the airport.  I took a few pictures in the dark...so please pardon the blur...but I think you will see why I am posting them.

The team brought eight extra suitcases full of medical supplies, so the poor guys who picked us up had their work cut out for them.

I about died when I saw that two of them were going to sit and hold the suitcases all the way to the hotel.  We drove on the highway like that!  Yikes...  Thankfully, neither of the men fell out.

 Some of the team wanted me to take this to show how crammed we were into this van.  Not quite enough seats for everyone but we all fit.  Wink, wink... I'm sure my dad didn't want to be front and center in this picture but his head was directly in front of me.  Sorry, Dad!

 Our hotel

My room.  

I'm on the third floor with no elevator.  haha  One of the men carried my suitcase up, for which I was very grateful.  

We are getting up at the crack of dawn to drive to the church where we will set up the medical clinic.  I get to wear scrubs tomorrow.  I'm so geeked!  (And secretly thrilled that I don't have to wear a skirt.)  I will fill in as needed with the procedures I have learned to do for my kids after they have had surgery.  If I'm not needed in the clinic, I will take pictures of the medical team treating the people who come.

The pastors' wives will be shopping for their new dresses and shoes tomorrow and hopefully we will get the portraits done.  This is all new--they have never had a conference for the wives before, so we are trying to stay flexible.  I haven't found a suitable place to do the portraits--I was hoping for something picturesque but that doesn't look likely.  So....  I am praying that God will give me some ideas and point out a place.

I can't wait to see what God is going to do this week!

T-minus 11 hours and counting...

In 11 hours, I will be boarding my first leg of flights to Honduras.  The past two weeks have been a whirlwind but God brought all the details together.

Poor little Jakey was very tearful tonight and required lots of hugs and kisses.  SaraGrace is usually the one who falls apart but I think she forgot that tomorrow was the day and I didn't want to start the hysteria, so I just hugged her good night.

Zoey and Katie graduated from Kindergarten tonight.  They were SO cute!  They each got some awards--for reading and for being able to tie their shoes.  I got a little teary-eyed watching them walk up the aisle and onto the stage. 

So hard to leave my sweet family.  They are making so many sacrifices for me to go.  Please pray for them...and for Jeff to maintain his sanity while I'm gone.  :)

Catching Up....again

I seem to always be lagging behind in posting.  I've been prodded to post an update so here it is!

Our sweet, Miss Jillian turned 13 a few weeks ago.  How is that possible?!  Wah....  She is growing into such a beautiful young lady.  She's almost as tall as her mama and we can share shoes now (not that she REALLY wants to share with me, but I do have a few pairs of flip flops that she likes).

Jordan is nearing the end of his 12 weeks of 'I-can't-do-anything-fun-because-my-ear-is healing."  One more week and then he can go swimming and tear around on his bike again.  His ear looks great and we are so thankful that everything healed with no complications.  The surgeon said he can have the second stage surgery any time but recommended letting Jordan have a summer first.  Jordan heartily agreed.

{This is the look Jake gave me after I told him his eyes were closed in the first photo I took.  ha.}

Jake's face is almost all better.  The worst of the wound is a nice pink now.  He reminded me every.single.day. to put the antibiotic gel on it and it's healing well.

SaraGrace's tests all came back normal.  She IS growing....it's just super slow and well below the average child.  They did a hand x-ray and determined that she is fine--just very tiny.  So our little dynamo, aka:  Spitfire, is just going to be very petite.

Three of Jeff's niece's are coming this week for a visit.  Hopefully we won't bore them into a coma.  We are hoping the weather will cooperate so they can do some sightseeing and I am hoping to join them on a trip to Nantucket one of the days.  They leave two days before I leave for Honduras, so life will be a bit busy around here.

Memorial Day

Going to Honduras!

Wow...I have waited five years to type those words!  God has very interesting timing sometimes.  He put Honduras on my heart and took His time bringing it all together. 
So...you may remember back in this post about how God led our small group of Bible study ladies to do portrait sessions for needy families in our community.  It had all started from a conversation with a friend in the pick-up line at school.  (Love those pick-up line conversations while we wait for our kids!)  My friend grew up in Honduras and I was sharing with her how I had this big dream of going there and taking family portraits for people who might never have had the opportunity.  She got  emotional and told me how she has no pictures of herself growing up because there was never money for pictures.  She called me the next day to tell me that God reminded her that we didn't have to wait to go to Honduras because we had people right here in our community who couldn't afford a family portrait.

A few months after that first portrait session at our church, my parents told me they were going on a mission trip to...Honduras.  (insert blood pressure spike)  I mentioned in passing that I was dying to go there and do portraits.  I explained my big dream to them and we just kind of left it at that.  I had no real thought of going--it was just a wistful dream.

My parents mentioned my dream to the group leader with the mission board and he got all excited.  Hmmmm....who knew?

A few months passed as I prayed about going but got no definitive answer.  And to be honest, life was so busy that sometimes I forgot to pray about it. 

Last week, my dad called and asked me again if I was still thinking about going.  It was decided that Jeff and I - and my parents - would pray hard the next two days about me going.  The trip is in three weeks, so we didn't have any time to dink around. 

The beginning of the trip is a conference for pastor's wives in Honduras. They are very poor, life is hard, and they are discouraged. Some of them are not in favor of their husbands being in ministry. The conference is an effort to encourage and support them. Most have never stayed in a hotel in their entire lives, so that will be a treat for them.  The second part of the trip is a series of medical clinics and I would get to help by using my 'nursing' skills.  I was so geeked about that!

Monday morning, God spoke to me in my quiet time about 'ministering to those around the world who are suffering,' and a verse in Colossians 2 about why He is sending me.  "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love...in order that they may know...Christ...in whom are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."  

We had set a Monday night deadline.  On Monday afternoon, I texted Jeff to see what his thoughts were.  He said that if I could offer the team something that no one else could, he thought I should go.

I arrived at school to pick up my kids and who should I see coming out the door?  My friend from Honduras!  I had not seen her in weeks.  I told her I might be going and she and I talked for a few mintues and then she headed to her car.  Suddenly she turned around, came back, looked me in the eye and said,

"Can I just tell you something?  If you go to Honduras and take pictures for those families, you will be giving them something they will treasure for the rest of their lives."

My jaw dropped.  I was just so stunned. 

Ummmmm.....so I'm going! 

I went home and got my passport out.  It had expired just one day before.  Not.even.kidding. 

Argh.

The good news is that I can get it expedited.  If you want to pray that it will get back to me in time, I would be most grateful!

And here is the fun part!!!!  You...yes, YOU, can be a part of this if you want to!

At the pastors' wives conference, each woman will be provided with a new dress and a pair of shoes! How fun is that!? And after they get all dressed up, I will be taking their portrait. :) 

And the FUN PART!!!  YES, I'm getting to that!!!

We are looking for sponsors for dresses, shoes and portrait.  There are three options and should fit any budget.  Here are the details:

- Dress and shoes only:                                $50

- Portrait only (Printing and framing):         $10

- Dress, shoes and portrait:                           $60

I think there is an attempt to match sponsors with a particular woman for the dress and shoes.  So if you would like to do that, please indicate that desire and they will try to accommodate you (make sure your current address is on your check so they can contact you).  If there is any money left over, it will be split up and given to the women to take home to help purchase food for their families.  The organizers are hoping for $50 per woman to take home.  There are 66 women coming.

If you want to help, a church that some of the team attend is handling the donations:

Christian Fellowship Church

6711 Pilliod Rd.

Holland OH  43528

Please note in the memo that you are sponsoring "Honduras Women"  Dresses or Photo Prints

The purpose of the portrait is NOT to give them a glamour shot that they will pine after.  It's to remind them of how God wants to bless them, how He sees them as His beloved Princess Daughters, and that this special weekend is only a foretaste of what awaits them in heaven someday.  (My Honduran friend will be translating that message from me that will go on the back of the framed print.)

The trip is from June 13-21st.  If you want to pray for the team we would love it.  I am hoping to blog from Honduras--no promises as I don't know what kind of internet connection I will have--but I will do my best to post each day.  I get to be the trip photographer for ANM (mission organization), photograph women and hopefully families, and be a nurse!  I even get to take my stethoscope and wear scrubs.  So fun!  I'm geeked beyond words.  haha 

I am so grateful for my sweet family who is making the sacrifice for me to go.  I will miss Molly's birthday and Father's day.  :(  They are so supportive of the trip--I am very blessed.

And my parents are making me mention that if you want to donate to my trip, you can.  haha  I hate asking for money.  Blech.  The donation process is different if you are contributing to my expenses so you will have to contact me.



Birthday post pre-empted by:

This was going to be Jillian's 13th birthday post, but alas....her brother upstaged her.

While waiting for the kids to come out of school this afternoon, Jake tripped and fell, slamming his face on the running board of the van (the side door was open).

He screamed and blood went everywhere.

It was the first time I have ever seen blood spurting each time a heart would beat.  A little fountain of blood would go up from a cut under his nose.  He had blood spatters all over his face.

Kinda freaky.

But I did want to be a nurse.

I'm thinking I should get an honorary degree.

ha.

His teachers wanted me to take him to ER to make sure he didn't have a concussion, so two of them volunteered to take our other kids home while Jillian and I went to the hospital.

Jillian was a very sweet nurse all the way there and held the cold compress on Jake's owie.

Once there, they put him in a neck brace as a precaution since the head will always snap backwards when you hit the front of it.

He was in the brace for about half an hour but was a pretty good sport about it.  

He told us he thought it was fun riding through the hospital halls on the bed with wheels.

They checked him all out and said he was okay and that he was 'very lucky.'

We know it was God who protected him.

He's taking that neck brace to show-n-tell tomorrow.  Oh yeah, baby.

This was how it looked AFTER we got home.  It looked way worse than this when we headed to the hospital.  Poor little guy!

My Mother's Day

I had a wonderful Mother's Day.

My sweet hubby surprised me with a card and gift certificate to a SPA.

Woohoo...a S.P.A.  !!!

OK--I've never been to one, so what do you all suggest?  I'm thinking a massage... or maybe a facial and manicure?  Help--I can't decide!

The kids--thanks to their wonderful teachers--had made coffee mugs that they decorated.  Oh my goodness, they are so cute!  I will enjoy them for many years.  

They also made cards that were adorable.

We went out to lunch after church and then headed out to the deck to relax.  Perfect!

Then it was time for Mommy to get pampered.

First, some kisses.

Note the corsage from Jeff.

{Thank you, Jillian, for taking all these pictures.}

 Then, I got my hair done.  Thank you, Katie!

Then it was time for a message.

 Next on the agenda was a manicure.

Jake decided I needed a foot bath.  Jillian gave him the idea.  He said he was being like Jesus...washing His followers feet.  I was a bit dumbfounded--but Jake said he saw it on our Jesus video.  So cute.

He added his own feet which I'm thinking was only to show the world how bad I need a tan.  Sigh.  

Here is my new cup collection!

I am so thankful to be a mom.  There were many years when I wondered if I would ever get to be one. 

God was smiling.

Because He knew what was coming.

Ha.

Happy Mother's Day

Heading into Mother's Day...

Celebrating GIRLS!  Big girls, little girls, all girls. My girls.

Or grils.

Or gourls.

Or however it gets pronounced at your house by adoring little brothers and sisters.

I love being a girl!

Thank you, Jesus for all my sweet daughters...for my Mom, Mother-in-law, sister and sister's-in-law...grandma's, aunts and cousins...for my friends...and for all the women who have graced my life through the years.  Each one is a precious gift from God.

Um...Really?

I came upon this sign awhile back in a public restroom here in Massachusetts.  It was hanging above the toilets.

Um....really?

You feel you have to tell people not to drink out of the toilets in the public restroom?  There were fully operational sinks three feet away.  Is there a real danger of people walking in, seeing the sinks, and then making a decision to enter the toilet area, stoop down, and start lapping from the bowl?

How dumb do you think people are?

The only creatures on earth who would drink from a toilet are dogs and toddlers.
Neither can read.

I'm reasonably sure that no mother would invite her toddler into a public restroom to drink from a toilet, so we can cross that possibility off the list.  And most dogs would not be accompanying their owners to the local craft store.

So why....then...would we have a need for this sign?

I love the 'Note:' at the end....  Just in case you were grossed out by the colored water possibly looking like someone didn't flush, you can rest assured that the water is just a bit discolored.  Um....wouldn't THAT be enough to deter someone from the temptation to drink from the bowl?

Only in Massachusetts....the over-the-top- tax-and-make-stupid-laws state.

Hello....legislators...we are NOT this dumb.  Even though some people in our area did vote for people like Barney Frank, the REST of us know not to drink from a public toilet.  Thank you very much.

Naps for Mom's. Do they exist?

I don't normally nap.  I just don't like to.  I think it's because I can't stand to be sleeping while others are awake.  I might miss out on something.

So anyway...

The other day I had a splitting headache so I snuck upstairs to lie down for awhile to see if it would help.

Within minutes...I.kid.you.not...the room started to fill up with little people.  They came in quietly.  One came over and stared at me about an inch away from my face to see if I was REALLY asleep.  I pretended to be, so they began discussing the situation in loud stage whispers.

Before long, they settled down on the floor to watch the spectacle of their mother sleeping.  DURING THE DAY.

Jake went out and soon came back with a blanket.  He spread it out over me and tucked it under my chin.  How cute was that?  I almost hugged him....but that would have given away the fact that I wasn't actually sleeping.

I was lying on my side on an antique wicker couch that once belonged to my great-grandma.  In order for Jake to get the blanket on 'correctly,' he climbed on top of me to smooth out the wrinkles.

Well that was comfortable.

Then he decided to join me.  He chose to put his head on the opposite end of the couch, and wedged himself between the back of it and my legs.
With his little feet in the small of my back.

Again....that was comfortable.

Then he got bored.
So he wiggled up and off the couch and shushed everyone who was in the room.
The other kids were now playing a Go Fish, which had started out quietly.  Now, however, several disagreements had broken out and were resulting in louder voices.  Much louder.  The din was actually hilarious in view of the fact that SOMEONE was trying to nap.

Jake decided to get back up on the couch.  He climbed over me but that caused the blanket to come off.  So he fixed it--by climbing all over me.  Then he wedged himself back into his little nest and returned his feet to my back.
And ripped one...as in:  passed gas.
This caused the other kids to go into gales of laughter.
Which caused one of them to also loose control of Mr. Sphincter and rip one.
Which caused even more hilarity.

Excuse me, people...I'm trying to rest!
Oh never mind...it's not going to happen and I am actually feeling better just from having you guys near me, trying to be sweet and caring.
Although I could live without the passing gas.

It's a good thing I'm not fond of naps.  It would be a daily frustration if I had to try to sleep with all that ruckus going on around me.