The Last of the Vacation

These pictures are all from over 3 weeks ago so I am either too busy right now to keep up to date, or enjoying living in the past. But either way they were too good not to post.

Ellie loved all the attention she got for the week and in fact has been a little fussy the past 3 weeks probably because she is bored of me.


Green shirt day for all the grandkids, which Ellie decided to be fashionable and wear her green necklaces. Maybe she really is "Fancy Nancy" like her namesake.


Chillin!


Swimming races.


This is one of my favorite pictures of the girls with the grandparents.


The ladies. I guess one benefit of being a missionary is that I now treasure time with my family more than I ever did.


What a special time it was to enjoy having my whole family here with us in Honduras.

Cute Pictures as Promised

So I know I had to make up from that horrible last post, but just to clarify a few things: 1. the worm is dead (he actually was dead in that picture believe it or not), 2. the worm will not have to leave my body, my body will just consume it, 3. it wasn't really too painful just very itchy.

Now moving on to much more pleasant things to talk about. Here are some cute photos of my kids from our family visit to Roatan.

Isn't she just so huggable and squeezable?


And I can't get over those beautiful blond curls.


Hanging out with my girls at the beach, life doesn't get much better.


Oh the joys of being 3


And if this picture doesn't make you laugh out loud I don't know what will. People say she looks and acts a lot like her father :)

Julio

Meet Julio my new little friend, well really I should say enemy. He is a worm, aka parasite, that resides in my left foot. I guess I have always known that living in Honduras has a few health risks and parasites are of course on of them. However, I was quite surprised when my teammate, and nurse who has practiced for a year in Honduras, and all around the country including Philippines could not identify this parasite. I then proceeded to the doctor to get some advice, and he asked if he could take a picture because he had "never seen anything like this before". So there you have it, I have somehow seemed to attract the most rare parasite out there.





Sorry for the graphic images and don't worry the cute little picture of the girls will be back as normal tomorrow. I just thought this picture was blog worthy.

The C-Man

We had so much fun with having our nephew here in Honduras visiting us. He is such a pleasant little boy and a wonderful playmate for Lucy.


One of my favorite parts of the whole trip was the 1 1/2 hour boat ride to Roatan, because although it was the most miserable ride you have every experienced in your life, I got to cuddle with Caleb the entire way.


All the grandkids playing in the sand.


Fun flying a kite with Uncle Mac.


Chillin' with his mom.


Caleb brings out the silliness in Lucy and when the two are together it is impossible for them to eat dinner because they are too busy chatting away.


Going on a nature walk.


We miss you C-Man and cherish the time we got to spend with you.

Fun with Necy

The girls enjoyed being spoiled by their grandparents while they were here. Necy enjoyed helping teach Lucy how to paint her fingernails.


Curled up in the beach after a cold swim.


Book reading.


Lots of cuddles for Els.


And of course dancing.


Lots and lots of dancing.

Top 10

A year ago we arrived here in Honduras and began our adventures. I wanted to reflect back on the year and record some things I have learned this year.

10 Things I have learned in my first year:

1. Creatures like ants, spiders, and lizards come in all shapes and sizes, and some are easier to live with than others.



2. People are not always how they seem on the outside.



3. You can sweat so much that you sweat through your shoes.



4. I have learned the different meanings of the car honk- thank you honk, your a jerk honk, I am going to have a wreck honk, and your ride is here honk.



5. Blue eyes and baby fat go along way in ministering to people.



6. A cold shower and wet hair are necessary for a good night's sleep.



7. Holding someone's hand, a hug, and actually talking to someone goes along way when ministering to those who are needy and poor. Hugs are a universal language for showing someone you care.



8. If you don't know what someone is saying in Spanish, don't just nod your head and say "si", or you can get yourself into a real sticky situation.



9. Friendships are a constant change. Life is full of goodbyes to those you love, and the goodbyes never get easier. You will always cherish the memories though, and thankfully the Lord brings new friendships and relationships in your path.



10. God's grace and provision allows you to feel at home and fall in love with a country that is not your own.

Touring around Town

After my family arrived we had one day to show them around La Ceiba before we left for a week vacation in Roatan Island. It was a packed day and unfortunately rained, making it hard to get out the car and see things. But nevertheless we were all together, enjoying each other and our city.


We took Caleb to the train park. We go to this park almost every Sunday for a picnic and we always think about our nephew Caleb because of how much he likes trains. He was thrilled to be there, just as we imagined.


The Flores family.


My parents fighting over who is going to hold Ellie. Ellie didn't seem to mind the fights one bit :)


We took them out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants, and the kids enjoyed the jump castle.


More love for Ellie.


Caleb and I made the most of our time in the car by cuddling, playing and singing, it was great.


Out to eat again, at another local Honduran restaurant.


As you can see we did lots of playing.

Christmas Part 2

My family came into town on January 1st and we got to have our second Christmas celebration. It was such a joy to have them here with us and we had a wonderful week together, vacation in Roatan Island. I will have much more pictures to come but here are a few of our "Christmas" together.

As you can see they came down with suitcases full of presents, yummy treats, and lots of surprises. How very exciting.


Lucy loves her new pink airplane. I have heard it said the missionary kids feel most at home in airports. I know that is sad but it is honestly true of Lucy, she loves traveling and I know Ellie will be the same since she has already visited 5 countries in just her short lifetime.


Lucy knew just what to do with all those gifts this time around, and didn't hesitate to tear right into them.


I got lots of fun gifts as well, including this neat plaque to hang on the wall. And yes I know the hair is short, lets just say I hope it grows fast.


Ellie was pretty overwhelmed with it all but loves her new book "Going on a Bear Hunt".


Dabo was great encouragement to Ellie as she learned how to put the rings on the stick. She is still very proud of her great accomplishments when she plays with the toy.


After all the presents and unpacking we were all beat.