Sky Cafe'

After the coffee plantation we walked back to the apt. and found this church along the way.  That night we went to the Sky Cafe' for dinner.  The view AND the food were amazing!  The picture of us is not great, but it's the only one we have!  This is the same church we saw earlier in the day!

Coffee Plantation

On Thursday we took a chicken bus to tour a coffee plantation with our teachers.  It was a great break from the dark hole, but the only problem was that the guides only spoke in Spanish.  Needless to say, after only three days of school, not a lot was understood!  But, from the pictures you can see coffee trees, beans, and the packaging.  Also, you can see pictures of Cary and I with our teachers.

Back To School

No, I didn't write yesterday.  It was a rough day, not one I wanted in print!  We had our first day of language school, and it was rough for me!  Cary asked how I liked it, and I said "I hate it."  I felt pretty hopeless.  After a lot of self talk, we went back for session two today, and it was MUCH better!  No, I won't say I'm a success story yet, but at least I have hope today!  Kenneth and Diana surprised us and came to dinner with us last night, so they worked at giving me a pep talk during dinner!  We went to the market after school today, ate lunch at McDonalds, and plan to eat in tonight and study a while!  These are pictures of our class rooms.  Cary's is inside, I am outside.  I refer to mine as the dark, damp hole.  It really is pretty, but it is dark and damp!  My teacher is very nice, her name is Gladys.  Cary likes his teacher too, his name is Julio.

Happy 4th of July!

I am pretty sure this is the first time I have been out of the country on the 4th of July! Interestingly enough, it was brought up today in several places where we were. I woke up to hear church bells ringing! It was so pretty! It wasn't long before Chico and Sandy were waiting at the door for their morning greeting! We went out and played a little ball before breakfast! Actually, we played avocado. Sandy has a hard time remembering where she has left her ball, so she gets the next best thing. When she needs a rest, she just peels the avocado and has a snack break, then goes and gets another! Chico just wants to be loved on and have his belly scratched. The grounds where we are staying are so beautiful. Lot of pretty trees and flowers, mountains in the background. Ruth and Paul invited us to go to an English speaking church with them. It was a beautiful church, loved the stained glass window! We went to a Sunday School class, and I just want to say it was the first time in 25 years my husband and I sat in a class and listened! Usually he is teaching and I'm doing a million other things! It was on prayer and the teacher did a great job. The service was a traditional service, made complete with The Old Rugged Cross, All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name, and even the Lord's Supper. The pastor spoke on The Model Citizen, and brought in the 4th of July and whatever the Guatemalans call their independence day. Paul and Ruth took us to one of their favorite places for lunch, and it was beautiful, and the food was very good. It started raining this afternoon and rained most of the afternoon and evening, making for a real nice nap time! It has been a wonderful day of worship, fellowship, and rest! Tomorrow, we start language school!

Highlights of Today

We've found the market, McDonalds, and the beautiful hotel just behind us. We are allowed to use the pool there, and it is a really nice place. More pictures another day!

We've Arrived!

We arrived in Guatemala City yesterday afternoon. We were greeted at the airport by our missionary friends, Kenneth and Diana. We had a nice dinner together, shopped for groceries at a store similar to Walmart, and then they drove us to Antigua to our apartment. It was very rainy yesterday in Guatemala, and we went to sleep with all the windows opened and the rain pouring. There are a lot of "sky lights" in the apartment, letting in the moon light, as well as the sun in the mornings! We are renting the apartment from a retired missionary couple. Our apartment is one of three on the grounds where their home is. It is beautiful, with lots of trees, plants, and roses! They asked us to have breakfast with them this morning. We had a very nice time with Paul, Ruth, and we even have adopted pets, Chico and Sandy! We feel right at home! After breakfast they showed us around the place and Ruth even offered to let me "use" her herb garden!

Leaving For Guatemala

Tomorrow morning Cary and I will leave on a great adventure! After many trips to Spanish speaking countries, we are going to language school in Antigua, Guatemala! We are excited about it, been planning it for months, and it's almost a reality! We will be in school 4 hours a day, for two weeks. We have rented an apartment about 10 blocks from the school. We will have a few days between language school and the arrival of over 50 of our college and twenty somethings for mission trip. That means we will be in the country for a full month! So far, the greatest challenge has been getting a month's worth of books into a suitcase. Today I decided that suitcase will be the carry on, the one they don't weigh. There just are some things I won't budge on, and that's one of them! Are there really people who don't enjoy reading? My children will inherit a library, at least, and if that's ALL they get, they will be very wealthy!

















We've never left the country for a whole month before! It has required a lot of thinking ahead and preparation! Time will tell how well we have done! We are looking forward to the time away, the cooler temperatures, and learning the language. I am pretty sure we will miss our children terribly, both the biological ones and all the adopted ones too! I was looking back over the pictures from the last couple of months, and the ones that bring instant smiles are of our kids. I never get enough of being together and watching them enjoy each other too.


















I'll be checking in as I can...I might have stories to tell!

The Andrew Widman Award

On Thursday, it was Carissa's turn to graduate! It was a very exciting and meaningful night for our family to watch Carissa graduate from the Police Academy! This process has been a family affair...every day we would look forward to hearing Carissa's stories, and we were never disappointed! Early on, Carissa learned of a new award that would be given in memory of Andrew Widman, a Ft Myers officer that was killed almost 2 years ago. Based on academic excellence, Carissa received that award! She was top in her class! While we were THRILLED that she received the award, it also had added meaning for us. Andrew and his family had been missionaries overseas and they were here raising support to go back on the mission field. He was a strong Christian and impacted the lives of those around him. It has been obvious over the events of the past few days that Carissa also made a difference in her world. She stood firm for her Lord and made an impression on others with her integrity and character. We had a party for her on Saturday night and some of her classmates came, along with many others! We have all been a little wound up since Thursday, with plenty to celebrate. God has been so good to have allowed Carissa to earn this award! We are PROUD!

This is Carissa with her instructor and her friend who was the recipient of the same award in the corrections division.

We are a very happy and proud family! These are some of her classmates that came to her party!

The Party

Yes, Yes, I know. The party was a few days ago! I'm just recovering from all the hoop-la of Kaylee's graduation, while trying to gear up for the next round with Carissa! The party was a huge success, with almost 150 guests! I am pretty sure Kaylee felt very loved, honored, and worn out as well! Patty made LOTS of pink and black cup cakes, per Kaylee's request, and they were wonderful! Carissa graduates from the academy next week, and we are planning to do it all over again!

Celebrating Graduation

Well, we've made it this far! We were worn out when it was all over last night, but we slept well and have worked hard today to prepare for tomorrow's party! We've cleaned, cooked, and even done some remodeling, with Uncle Rob's help! Tons of friends and Uncle Rob and Aunt Laura came for the occasion and then helped us a lot today! Rob installed a fan and Laura helped in the kitchen.

We had a very nice dinner with the graduates before the graduation and Kaylee received several awards. Then we were off to the ceremony, which went very well. The speaker was Chuck Allen and he was excellent, yet brief! With over 40 graduates, it was a bit long no matter how you look at it! We all had a very nice surprise when Kaylee was presented with the Martha Kreller Scholarship of $1000.00 to the school of her choice! This award was especially meaningful to us. We knew Martha personally, a precious lady who loved the Lord. Her son is currently the chairman of the school board, and years ago was my boss, as well as Cary's. When Kaylee was in third grade, her class went to sing at the nursing home where Martha was. The scholarship was awarded for outstanding leadership skills and service to the school and community. I couldn't help but be reminded of getting the "Good Guy" award when I graduated from High School. It was just what it was called, an award for simply being a good person. I'll never forget my mom telling me that she couldn't have been more proud of any award I could have gotten. I grew up expected to make good grades, but in the end, I also knew it was just as important, if not more so, to be a good person and make a difference in the lives of others. I think I learned that lesson well, because while I was thrilled for the awards being given to worthy students for Physics and English, I don't think I could have been more proud of my student!

That brings you up to date. Stay tuned, tomorrow will be another big day of celebration!

Kaylee's Graduation Day

Here we are, June 4, 2010. We have been talking about this day for a year, literally, you can look back and see! Kaylee is off running around, doing graduation stuff, so Cary and I did our normal day off thing and went to the beach to read. While I was reading, (yes, it was Beth, of course) I couldn't help but think of how proud I am to be a mom. I guess there is something "finishing" and "final" about the baby graduating, even though we all know the parenting isn't over by a long shot. They are our life time commitment, through the good and bad. At some point when they were little I made the decision that with God's help, I would change ME so they didn't inherit the bad, and prayed the good in me (that is there only by God's grace) would stick. These three precious children have prompted a lot of change in my life, not all easy, but because of my love for them I was committed to it. It's easy to look back and see the mistakes, but God is faithful! Kaylee is just a joy! She loves Jesus more than I could ever have dreamed of when I was her age. That alone is enough to look forward with great anticipation for where she will go in life. She loves to serve others, has endless commitment, (maybe that's not ALWAYS good) seldom has a bad day, gives without expecting anything in return, and she is a wonderful example to her peers as well as to those who look up to her. This year has not been one of the easiest for Kaylee, but I can certainly say that I have been proud of her character. She has done the right thing when it hasn't been easy, kept her head high even when her heart was broken. She lives with honor. I am so glad she is mine and look forward to tonight when this chapter will close and a new one will open! Kaylee, go on from this place and love and serve Him and others and never forget that you are His princess! Your Daddy has EVERYTHING you need!

Erin

Erin and I met at the beginning of high school. I had just moved to Lancaster and we went to the same school and church. I honestly don't remember the actual time or place that we met, but our lives were very much entwined. There's a lot of history here. Other than family, Erin has known me longer than anyone and we have shared a whole lot of life-even if it's been by long distance. Erin and David (David also is from Lancaster) married not long after Cary and I did. They have two beautiful daughters, two sons-in-law, and twin grandboys! Erin and David live in Montana now, and until last week, we had not seen each other since they moved from Lancaster. When we last saw each other, Britney was 1 and Joshua was 7 months. They came to Florida for a sunny vacation and some time away from the cold! We were able to be together from Thursday evening until Friday night and the time was precious, but oh, too short! Being able to share life, over many years, just leaves you with some deep roots. She knows my heart, and I know hers. We have both lost our parents and then been parents. We have secrets. Shared hurts and pain, laughter and deep faith. There's nothing we won't talk about, and yet so much that doesn't even have to be said. It is amazing to think about staying in touch for almost 40 years and feeling so close after miles and years of separation. I am sure that Erin is one of God's greatest gifts! I'm so thankful for the little window of time that we had together last week!

Mother's Day 2010

You just can't have Mother's Day without thinking about your mother! My own mother has been gone for four years now. My day started off with having my own children sitting next to me in church. I'm not sure I can explain it with words, but when I am surrounded by my children, and especially in church, all is well. No matter what is going on around me, no matter what is going on in my life, everything is still and quiet, I am at peace. It is the most calming feeling I know. Of course, children without a Mr. Wonderful wouldn't be at all the same, but someone had to take the picture! There is no better gift. THAT is the best.


As I sat there with my own children, I couldn't help but think about mom's last time in church. It was Christmas Eve, and she had all of her children together for the day, then three out of the five of us were with her at the Christmas Eve service. She was gone from this world just three weeks later, and I know she knew that her time was near, even that night. What were her thoughts? Did she find comfort and complete peace just having us with her that night? We missed the photo of us together, but it's in my head! When I was in Arizona in January of 2009, there were four of the five of us together at my brother's church. That was a pretty meaningful thing too, because my oldest sister was able to be there, even tho her health has not been good for a while now.
I realize that church is not the normal place for family portraits, but I am sure that these photos are my favorites. These things seem like small things, but when kids grow up and have their own lives, and when siblings are strung all over the United States, it doesn't always happen so easily! I'm very thankful for a mother that taught me the importance of worship with a body of believers, and also thankful for being surrounded by family today! We all went to lunch at Carrabba's (including the adopted child, Steve) and then came home to open presents. It has been a wonderful day! God has blessed me SO much and I am VERY thankful! Years ago, mom gave me a little plaque that says "The BEST things in life aren't things at all". That pretty much sums up how I feel today!

Just Enjoy the Memories

To read the first part of this story, you can go to Jan. 17, 2008. You can see a picture of my mother's mixing bowl that brought back a whole lot of memories for me. It was glass, and I knew there would come a day when an accident happened...and last night it did. I had wondered how I would handle the incident...are THINGS really as unimportant to me as I think they are? Would I be mad, or cry? What would be going on inside, no matter what was displayed on the outside? I heard the crash and looked toward the kitchen and said "it's OK," knowing what it probably was. Kaylee said "it was Granny's". She started picking up the pieces and putting them in the trash while I got the broom and started sweeping. I really was ok, and even in that moment I thought about a lot of memories and even memories that have been mine in just the last couple of years of using the bowl. The bowl was gone, but the memories were all there, and THAT really was what mattered. I knew Kaylee felt bad, and I even wondered if I will leave anything behind to remind my kids of such simple, but happy memories. Over the years I have seen several things done with broken glass, and I saved some things of mom's that we shipped here that got broken in the process. So, after the floor was swept, I went to the trash and started digging out the broken pieces and put them in a box. I was grinning when Kaylee walked by and witnessed my response. Call me crazy. Sentimental. I don't really know what I am, but I wasn't quite ready to accept the complete absence of the bowl that I remember from childhood. And yes, I kept ALL the pieces, there's enough for everyone to have some, if they want them! Maybe I can have necklaces made for my sisters and daughters! Maybe the bowl only means something to me, I don't know! For now, the pieces are still with me!

I have to laugh here and wonder just WHO is reading this! The other day, I discovered that I have 5 followers to my blog. I was shocked. I thought I only had two, and those two aren't even listed as part of the 5! Funny thing is, when I looked them up, I only know 1 of the 5 followers. Can't imagine what I have to say that would cause 4 strangers to follow my blog! This blog may just be the one that causes them to think twice about my mental state! And if not, I hope they enjoy the family story about the green ivy mixing bowl! I'll be sure to let you know what I do with the pieces!

Graduation Nears

We are just a month out from Kaylee's graduation! That means we are full force into the "lasts". Saturday was her last prom, and our last as well! I will try to add some more photos in a couple of days. I'm waiting to get some that are better than mine!

Talented Tucker

Donna also got Tucker doing his tricks on video. He's SO smart...and cute!

Johnny Rockets

Since Carissa started working at Johnny Rockets, we have tried to find the song in the juke box that makes them dance. While Ron and Donna were here, we finally did it...with a little help from one of her friends! She figured out that she had been ganged up on, and decided that she'd make Kaylee dance with her, even tho Kaylee didn't know the dance. Donna was quick enough to get it on video!

My Fans Are Begging...

My fans are begging for an update! I used to be so good at this! What happened?! I stay irritated at myself because I am not documenting the things I want to remember! We had a nice Easter with my sister and her husband being here to celebrate a day early. They left on a cruise to celebrate their 40th anniversary on Easter morning. For Easter we had the left overs from the day before, then left for a few days in Orlando. Just a few days later, Carissa proved to be my hero, once again. She came home a few minutes after me, and when she got in the garage, she started yelling "Mom!" However, she was quickly at the front door of the house to prevent me from opening the door from the garage into the house. It seems that a HUGE snake came for a visit. Oh, I have to make this long story short! Armed with a broom, hoe, shovel, phone, camera, and flashlight, we worked for the next two and a half hours before the crisis was over. We called Josh and he came by long enough to assure us it wasn't a poisonous snake, then he left. We finally set up lawn chairs in the garage...the little serpent kept going under the freezer and hiding. We just waited till he came out again. I say we...mostly I waited and Carissa did the work when he would come out again. Seriously, this thing started out about 4 feet long, but ended up in several pieces before it was over! At some point, Carissa reminded me that "This is a part of my job, cops have to do things like this." I certainly didn't want to interrupt her practice. She's going to be a GREAT cop. OK, so finally she won the battle and we survived the crisis. Heaven help me the day I discover a snake and she isn't here! I guess that's when I'll call the cops.

















I've had two weekends, back to back of Beth Moore! I took a group of our college and career girls to hear her live in Tampa, then attended a simulcast here, last weekend! Both were wonderful! That hits the high spots and will at least let you know we are still alive and life isn't dull!

Two Months???

Oh, my. Tomorrow will be two months since I've checked in! I'm not sure how that happened, or didn't happen! Part of it was due to a computer crash that left me without a computer for a while, then spending every waking moment trying to figure out the new one! Kaylee's last homecoming happened during this time. She looked like a true princess! And yes, it really DID rain!!! Carissa was in a wedding on the same day and had to miss a lot of the homecoming events. She also looked pretty stunning! I ran to that wedding in my spare time that day! In February I went to Phoenix to visit my family, while Cary headed to Guatemala to plan the summer mission trip. My oldest sister, Alice has had a rough year and I just needed to get out there and see her. Of course, I stayed with my brother, Bob, and got to see my sister Donna, as well. We forgot to take a picture when we were all four together, so this picture leaves Donna out. Those are the highlights, I'll try to stay on task and not get too far behind!