Category — Family

Coriena has been having a lot of fun hanging out with Kyle – we often pick him up on the way to horseback riding so Coriena has someone to play with while the other girls ride.  And I’ve been really enjoying my friendship with his mom, Rachel.

Kyle and Coriena

The kids’ latest fetish: food coloring in their food.  So we’ve had pink heart shaped cookies for Valentines, blue pancakes, and green “couches and chairs.”  The kids’ friends like to sample them, and I’m sure they think we’re really weird! (note: pictures from my Iphone come out much better when they are outside – sorry!)

Coriena is actually really excited about this meal!

The kids get so DIRTY here.  Every night they need a bath, and I’m thankful I brought so much stain remover.  But “Shout” wasn’t made for red Kenyan dirt – some things you can barely tell they’ve been washed.  Thankfully, there’s a thriving used clothing business here.  Rachel and I went last week, and I picked up a bunch of pants and shorts for the kids: $0.80 each!!

Silly filthy shirt girl!

Meredith found the tiniest chamelion the other day at horseback riding.  It was so cute, but unfortunantly didn’t survive her love of it for more than a couple hours.

Meredith and her tiny chamelion

The grocery stores have cute little shopping carts here (in addition to the full size ones and the baskets.)  The kids think they’re great, and all 3 wanted to push them we first arrived.  Thankfully, the novelty has worn off – being followed by 3 kids with their own shopping carts, fighting over who could be in front, and running over eachothers’ (and my) feet wasn’t too fun!!

Mini shopping cart

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about God’s encouragement for older women to teach younger women. What wise, wise words of God’s. It has made me think about the many older-than-me women who’ve had an impact on me over the years.

First of all, my mother. I’m fortunate to have a wonderful relationship with my mother, who is a godly woman who loves the Lord, and her kids, and her husband. She loves the Word, and loves to pray. And so, not only have a learned about being a wife and mother and housekeeper from her, but have also learned much about friendship, godliness, and many other things.

Second, my mother-in-law. I have also learned about godliness from her, as well about faithfulness to commitments, and love for the Lord. From her I’ve also learned a lot about gardening and decorating.

I have been fortunate to have many other “mother figures” in my life at various times: my Aunt MariLou who taught me about befriending non-Christians and ministering to them where they were at (friendship evangelism.) Lisa, a friends from church who befriended me in college, and was a source of wise counsel for me then. Currin Ann, who has mentored me for a couple years now, and has encouraged me so much through her love for me and my family. My many Aunts, who have faithfully prayed for me and my family, and loved on me when I’m with them. Grandmothers, who also love the Lord and their families, and have impacted generations of their families through their faithfulness to God.

And if I shared about all my sisters and friends, who are also mothers, who have taught me so much about the Lord and been such wonderful friends to me, this post would be very long (and no one would finish it.)

So Happy Mother’s Day to all who have mothered me, to my friends who are mothers, and to my friends who will hopefully one day be mothers!!

We had a wonderful time being with most of my family for Christmas (only missing Wil and Amy), and then all of us together for a couple days. It was just so good to be together.

The girls had a great time with their Aunts and Uncles, with Joanna, and of course with Granny and Grandpa. It was great to spend some time with Meg – all the way from Tanzania. We also got to see one of my aunts, and some cousins I hadn’t seen in a while.

Kirk and Sarah introduced us to the game “Loaded Questions” and we laughed so hard we cried.

My mom also blogged about it here (and she has our more serious family pictures.)

A quick update on us, since it’s been awhile:

Coriena learned how to say the most important word today: “chocolate” (she was asking for chocolate milk.) She has been taking after her Aunt Meg, and refusing to talk. But she has finally started talking, and will even occasionally mimic me! Her first phrases (said a couple days ago) was yelled: “no, my baby!!”

Lauren is starting to get the concept of words going together in phrases and sentances, starting with “Zac the Rat” that she read last week. So I ordered a bunch of Dick and Jane books from the library, and am excited to start helping her read those. She has also gotten into making Lego projects – and has made some really neat stuff, with only a little help from Erik or I.

Meredith – she continues to love butterflies and the color blue. She’s excited about helping me do “mommy things” like peeling potatoes and other things like that. She finally starting to say the letters “s” and “f” when we remind her to.

Erik continues to love running his own business, and getting the chance to focus more on Africa and technology things. He’s been on panels at Inman and DEMO, is in Turkey at a meeting to discuss using technology for social change, and will be on a panel at South by SouthWest next month.

I am really enjoying my job, and our numbers at our clinic are steadily increasing. I’m learning a lot, and remembering a lot that I thought I forgot. It’s really challenging balancing work and home, especially with Erik traveling so much. So I swing back and forth on the pendulum of whether I’m liking this or not. But I do feel like the end goal is worth it so far.

As most of you know, the last couple months have forced me to do a lot of praying.

Erik has had 3 different job possibilities (besides staying where he’s at): a company in Orlando that he used to work for (Mindcomet), a company in San Francisco, and a starting his own consulting business while I work full time (3 days a week) as a Nurse Practitioner.

I’ve really felt the Lord calling me to pray a lot for courage – courage to make the right decision about our future and to act on that decision. Mid-Augst we decided that we would go with the option of me working full time as a nurse practitioner and Erik working on his consulting business full time (something he’s wanted to do for years.)

Within days of making that decision, God graciously provided a contract for Erik with Mindcomet working 20 hours a week. Erik has been doing his own business, Zungu, for a week now, and is loving it. He has also acquired a couple other contracts setting up blogs and websites.

I received a call from my new employer, Take Care Health Care, yesterday saying that they’d like to get me on the payroll next week. So I’m sitting here at my last night of work (halleluia!!!), thinking of all that Lord has brought me, and us, through the last 5 years of me working nights as an RN. He has sustained me through many, many nights of work, and days of caring for the kids. He’s provided friends and family to help out with the house, kids, and childcare. And He’s provided the energy for me to make it.

I’m excited about working as a nurse practitioner again, excited about working days, and surely excited about the pay. But I’m also anxious about being gone 3 days a week from the kids. Thankfully, Erik or Pam (my sister-in-law) will be caring for them, but I know I will really miss them, and miss being involved in the intricacies of their lives the days that I’m gone.  So you can pray for peace of heart for me about this, and that I will rest in God’s care for them.

All this to say – it’s been good to see God working in our lives and leading us. I’ve been so thankful for the support of our family and friends in the decisions we’ve been making, and the advice, prayers, and listening ears. And I’m excited to see what God has planned for in these next months.