Holden Beach 2012

My family spent last week at Holden Beach. It was a great week. Since are numbers are increasing and we need at least 5 bedrooms, first row homes weren't that different in price so we got to enjoy that. It was incredible. 

This was from our front walkway. The house had sliding glass doors so everything you do in the living area had the beach in the background. So awesome. It was as if we were at the beach all the time. 

Mom and the kids enjoyed early mornings on the porch. Ok, we all did. All day.

Sand was the highlight of the week. They liked digging holes. 

                                                        And being buried in the holes.

It was so much fun listening to them in this hole. Pure joy. They laughed and laughed. I think this will be something they remember for a long time.

                  Here's Green Lantern showing off his power in his PJs and his daddy's shirt.

Enjoying the famous creative pancakes by Aunt Jenny. She makes designs to order. Pretty amazing. Mario, flags, mushrooms, surf boards, dolphins. You request it, she'll make it.

And here is another of them eating. I'm not sure why little kids eating together is so cute and picture worthy, but it is. Maybe because they are all seated and relatively quiet. Note the brightness of the sun and beach beaming from those windows in the background. Like I said, we enjoyed the beach all day long. 

Then we had a colder day. I don't think it ever rained but it wasn't warm enough to swim (at least for me). So we took the kids to the dollar store and let them pick one thing. The boys got ninja kits which included nunchucks, a knife and a throwing thing. (yes, my ninja knowledge is pretty awesome). Uncle Patrick taught the boys how to wrap their shirts around their heads to be ninjas. The boys thought this was the coolest thing ever.

And what do ninjas need most? Training. And on the beach no less. So that is exactly what we did.

Here they are trying to get through the "lasers" without touching them.

                                             Some made it across and were waiting on others.

I don't think the other people on the beach got what we were doing. We saw some weird looks. It did look like training but I don't think they looked enough like ninjas. They looked as though they could be training up in the north of Mali, if you know what I mean.

It was hard work. They did very well I must say because, you know, I'm really a good sensei.

More to come!

A Mighty Fortress

Our team has really been hit hard in the last few months. One nurse went home for ruptured eardrum that hadn't healed for many months. She is still trying to get the infection to completely resolve. The week after we came home, Mali had a coup. Things are still unsure. There has been no power during the day since March 22nd- through hot season. Our team is down to 5 singles and one couple. Brett and I are in counseling for his burnout  and depression. Another team member came home after the coup also needing a time of counseling. A family came home for the summer to help their daughter process the coup and other issues. Another was about to head back to the field and experienced her first panic attack and has extended their stay in the States. Two members have had rotator cuff surgery and are working through the long recovery. A week after the coup our good friend, John Gililland found out he had a stage 3 brain tumor. He has finished his radiation but still has a long road ahead. His absence is a huge blow to the OB department. His wife, Carol, opened the dental clinic which will now be closed until they can return. One of the nurses still in Mali left last week as her dad passed away. Anna, D's teacher, is with her sister now who is battling preeclampsia at 25 weeks with her first child. Our team is beat down. Our country is beat down. It is a tough time for our team.

As I was reading in my Bible this morning, I read Psalm 91:

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Shaddai). I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"

El Shaddai is the Almighty who watches over us. He is our fortress. I loved going to Fort Sumter once when we lived in Charleston. To see the fortress was amazing. Canons on every side. You are protected on all sides. And that is our God. He is watching over us on every side. He is mighty and strong and yet He is gentle, allowing us to rest in His shadow. That is what our team needs. That is what I need.

I was blessed by the words of "A Mighty Fortress" this morning.

1. A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
   Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
   For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
   His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
   On earth is not his equal.
2. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
   Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
   Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
   Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
   And He must win the battle.
3. And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
   We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us;
   The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
   His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
   One little word shall fell him.
4. That word above all earthly pow’rs, no thanks to them, abideth;
   The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth;
   Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
   The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
   His kingdom is forever.

Salt Lake City

Last weekend Brett and I went to Salt Lake City to visit John and Carol Gililland who are our teammates in Mali. They came home the same week we did. John had a MRI done soon after being back due to some migraine like symptoms he had been having. They found a grade 3 glioblastoma brain tumor. He had surgery to remove the tumor and actually finishes radiation this week. This news definitely changes the plans they had to return to Mali. They are hopeful to return for a few months in December. They have been a HUGE blessing to our family and we have LOVED them being in Mali. We are trusting the Lord for complete healing and for many more years with them in Mali.

So we went to Salt Lake City where they are getting treatment and we found this guy walking around....

Actually, for those who don't know, that is Jake, another teammate in Mali who lived in SLC before going overseas and he happened to be in town at the same time. So it was a mini Mali reunion!

                                 Me with the birthday girl, Carol. You would never guess her age.

Because we were on that side of the country, we decided to go over to Seattle to meet with the family who funded the pediatrics building. It was an incredibly short visit (13 hrs total which included sleeping) but it was really great. We had a wonderful dinner with the donors and workers from Medical Teams International.

This was our hotel which was lovely. We came in on the only sunny day they had had in weeks. It was beautiful but I told Brett I kind of felt jipped since it was supposed to be cloudy and rainy in Seattle. Thankfully, it was cloudy the next morning! :)

                 Brett took these pictures of the lily pads which covered certain areas of the water.

                                                        Just thought it was beautiful!

Pullen Park

We got to go to the new and improved Pullen Park the other weekend. Quite nice with all the oldie goldies that are fun. Like the boats that go around in a tiny little circle. 

Not surprisingly Silas wanted to ride on his own while the older two road together. He likes all the driver seats to himself. :)

I don't know why this screams America to me but it just makes me full of pride. Supporting the country while you enjoy a nice little boat ride. I mean, that is what it's all about, right?

                                                       And let's not forget the train ride.

I have to say it was kind of sad (but in a good way) as the three boys all sat together. No baby to hold. No little kid who was afraid of the tunnel. They are all so big now. They didn't need us which was just fine as I got to sit with my hubby.

Random

This is Silas. He goes against the grain often with a frown on his face. :) But he has a smile that melts your heart and can charm you into doing anything he wants.

 The older Silas gets, the more he looks like Dawson to me. When we were at the beach a month ago now and Silas was running down the beach, it reminded me of D just a few years before. Sure they are their own person but they are definitely brothers, in looks and personality. Good thing they have the sweet glue of Kenan in the middle to keep them together.

Face painting at Legoland

I love seeing the kids with their faces painted. I don't know why but I love it. I still have the picture of the boys from two years ago with their faces painted on our refrigerator in Mali. So I had a hard time limiting these pictures, thus it deserves its own post. :) 

Our eagle. He chose this and never turned back. We offered other things that covered more of the face or whatever and he said no. All he wanted was this.

                                          Our fire breathing dragon with sparkly blue paint.

                                                   Flying while waiting for his brother to finish.

                                                                          Spiderman

            Kenan was roaring, thus the face. Dawson was afraid to move and Silas was just happy.

                                      Like I said, he was happy. :) He's also starting to fly again.

 
                                                        Kind of like a dancing flying, I guess.

     Brett pointed out to them that they all could fly so they proceeded to fly throughout the Lego City.

                                                              Watching a 4D movie.

                                                      Family picture at the end of the day

                                                  Silas checking out the inside of the camel.

                         On the way out at the end of our day. Lots of smiling adults with very tired, yet happy boys.