Gracie Lou Freebone

HI,
It's been awhile I know......things have been crazy and I would like to say that it will all settle down...but i think we all know that I probably won't ever do that! So many things have happened since my last blog..My family took a trip to Disneyland, Christmas has come and gone..The Superbowl party that we hosted for the kids..and Valentines has just passed...it has been months. Shortly after our family vacation we added a new member to the family. Gracie. She is a Mastiff. We thought since we haven't had much luck with little dogs we would go for the biggest dog around. I wanted a English Mastiff for a long time I was just hoping it would be after (years down the road) Sadie or Brodie Passed on because having 3 dogs in the house is alot...but We came upon Grace and we couldn't let her go. We fell in love at first sight. She is brindle...I think brindle is ugly...I wanted a fawn mastiff..but once I saw Gracie I couldn't get her out of my mind. She is very Dark brindle and she looks very cute! She has a big blocky head and she is full of wrinkles..which just makes her look like the sweetest thing you have ever seen! I tried to convince Rob that we didn't need her and he wouldn't have it...he was convinced that she should be our dog. So do to the fact that we are both suckers we got GRACIE. I wanted a name that meant something because of her birth story...
And Rob wanted something silly ( like he always does) and so we decided on Grace Because Mastiffs are known for not being graceful so it is kind of an oxymoron and it also means something. When we were deciding on a name JEralyn put in the movie called MISS CONGENIALITY....and her ( the main character's) fake name was Gracie Lou Freebush. So we changed that up and bit and named our puppy Gracie Lou Freebone.
She is going to be around 175 pounds at full growth and she is only 40 now. We got her at 20 pounds and within 6 weeks she has grown to 40.
Gracie is very sweet, lazy most of the time, has to snuggle and love attention. SHe snores even when she is awake and she won't even let the big dogs push her around. Her and Clarissa battle it out because Clarissa is just the right size for Gracie to win and Clarissa is always trying to reason with Gracie , which doesn't always work. Gracie loves my slippers and Clarissa stuffed animals.
So here are a few pictures of Grace.

Pictures of my mission

HEre are a few pics from my trip...I didn't get nearl enough on there so I will try to do some more later!

A few team member built this wall on our first day--we had it completely finished and painted by the time friday came around!




This was my "bubble"...I bought a mosquito net tent..what a great investment!




This is a good picture of our work site.....but not only that of neil and Patty they were so cute in thsi picture..but such a joy to be with all week..Neil and I struggled together at every meal!



Cement mixing



The local stream to take showers and wash laundry




The showers



As groups we were assigned "home visits" ..the pastor in the village sent us to various homes so we could get a close up of their life and learn about indivisual people and discuss God with them ..if it came up....this was the home of the Grandma Mabel and Dodd...they were in their 80's loved the lord and very happy to see us! She took on a tour around her house and there were loose boards ..none of the appliances worked and she had various buckets and old bottles to catch rain water...she lived up the mountain side--and she said on sunday mornings..she has to start walking down the hill at 5 in the morning so the pastor can pick up her up where the road starts so she can go to church..that is amazing to me! Such dedication..we are tryingto find a church in our town --so we don't have to drive 20 minutes away--how horrible are we?




Where they performed for the health fair

The health fair was less than sterile conditions..I can't even imagine recieving healthcare in that place..it was dirty, no running water for sterility..they don't give pain meds.....it is really a site to see..compared to our healthcare industry!



Health fair




They bury their dead in their yards




After my hair was done...I was holding this sweet baby for his mom.




Worship Service on Tuesday night!





Our whole group at the welcome sign for our village.


The little kids--singing about Jesus!




Lizards are all over everything there--it is an infestation!




The guys after they fixed my hair.




ME and Tish after a hard day at the worksite!

Jamaica Mission

I finally went on my mission trip after months of fundraising and anticipation. I think I am still processing alot of things in my mind about it because as soon as I got back I went stright into finals and I haven't had time to breathe.

I was having anxiety each time we stopped at an airport for a lay-over because I have always been afraid to leave the country so going to this place was really out of my comfort zone ....so I had to talk myself into continueing to go on each leg of this trip....I knew if I balied I would not forgive myself...so I finally got to Jamiaca and wanted to puke.....but I got over that.

When we arrived in the airport--it was lined up with all these Jamaican men..holding Dolly's just waiting to help anyone who is willing...one of the first things I noticed was that Jamaican's are really hard to read they aren't as expressive as say someone like me..hehe...

We were picked up by world servants in a shuttle bus....apparently I wasn't even prepared for the 90 minute bus drive to our villiage..yikes--they go FAST and we were on what we (as americans) would consider a one lane road...but smaller and there is all kinds of traffic..they also drive on the opposite side of the road..which kind of throws me off..the cars come close together I was taking pictures out of the window and everyone kept yelling at me to put my hands in otherwise they would be taken off.

On our way to the villiage we stopped at a grocery store in Montego Bay for water..if I had known what I was getting for meals in the villiage I think I would have invested in some groceries at the time.

As soon as we got to the church that we were staying at we set up our beds and sleeping situation. We all stayed in one big classroom above the sanctuary..with a blue tarp inbetween the boys and the girls...SO you can imagine the snoring choir all of us heard all week! hehe

We were informed on our way to the villiage that there were showers that we could use but they would only be cold...(it is collected rain water)...and that we could only take 2 minute showers or we could go to the local stream and take long cold showers there and the locals do their bathing and laundry in that stream as well...the first day of walking to our worksite..we saw they don't even bath in the suits...well they do in their birthday suits.

We were also informed on the way to the villiage that we would be finishing the community center that a few groups ahead of us had started so we were the lucky ones to see the progress and reep the benfits of what we have all done...That was amazing! So we decided to host a health fair..which was very exciting to me since I want to be a NURSE....so I thought that God had really had a hand in everything that was happening ..and that re-assured me that I was in the place that I was supposed to be.

Before we left on our trip a friend of my family sent 50 soccer balls with us to take the to villiage for the kids--with everything it took to get those soccer balls there I was a little concerned with how it was all going to play out with the kids..and they loved them..it was worth everything that we all went through in customs and hauling them about! As soon as the kids saw us with them they would practically maul us to get one to play with...it was a sign the first day we were in the villiage because the soccer ball that all the kids were playing with was worn out--platic falling off--all basically fibers.....I don't even know how it was inflated enough to kick around!

The first morning there as we were eating breakfast the children were walking through heading to school..education is not free there...so it is kind of hit and miss if kids are able to attend school..sometimes parents have to choose certain kids to go to school...or they pay as they go so if they can't afford it oen day or something maybe only a few children go or nobody goes..the kids want to go to school because they get a free meal if they do...which is a benefit. Sometimes they don';t eat another meal because of the poverty. WHen the kids got to class...it was so beautiful to hear them singing songs about JESUS! They also sang ( what we would consider) christmas songs..but they are their everyday songs..they also sang about snow and sleighs and what not--they don't even know what that is--which was really cute. I can honestly tell you it was one of the sweetest things I had ever heard!

The teachers let us into their classes to do short bible study lessons and crafts with them and then we would go to the work site....( well their were different groups assigned each day b/c they didn't need so many people there), then after the older kids got out of school..we would work with them..THIS WAS MY FAVORITE GROUP! I bonded with so many of these kids one boy in particular that I call Jamacian BRyce--he was so much like BRyce I fell in love with him...and he gave me the low down on everything..if you want the truth about things just ask the kids--they will tell you!
HE would explain to me how the Black women hate white women..because basically white women have alot of power in Jamiaca....it is so poor there that men just want to marry a white women and come to America..so they will do anything to get a white women..and you know that the minute you get off the plane --it is crazy--( more like scary..they don't even look at you in the right way!)..so J. Bryce would tell me how he is going to marry a white women when he got older..but he was worried because he had heard that white girls don't brush their teeth, they eat slugs and lizards???? He would say that and then look at me ---and say you don't do you? He needed me to re-assure him that we don't...haha!

The other funny thing was that the kids are so honest and pure....alot of them had never seen a white person (in real-life) so alot of them would just come and touch your skin to see what it felt like..and I was so hot in that climate that my skin was red....they kept trying to wipe it off....hehe--they kept saying your so RED..what is wrong..they had never seen that. They also loved playing with my hair..they kept saying it wasn't soft--haha..because their's is really soft and a different texture than mine. My blonde streaks were quite the discussion some days.

When the health fair day came--People came from the whole parish (state)..police officers..with machine guns and huge weapons...then we heard that most police officers were corrupt--that made me feel safe.....We also learned that 98% of the people we tested were HIV positive..that is an epidemic..... It was like a big festival....they had drama and skits to talk about drugs and HIV, they played Music and had a school band from a nearby village....it was quite an ordeal ...but what came with that was a crowd-----and some of them didn't want us there-- I knew right away I was asked for my phone number from a guy..after that I decided not to talk to any men, I was offered drugs by another...and a girl threw her shoulder at me and told me " you be the enemy" ..I really wanted to just sit her down and say--NO I am not..I am married with six children..I don't want your men..thank you. Instead I got scared didn't spend anytime in the health fair ..I went outside and waited at the edge of the crowd and prayed until we could leave ..if something broke out I could be at the edge so I could get to our church if need be...in that crowd I didn't know who was friend or foe which made me a little scared. Teh other thing I noticed was that they don't talk about abstinence at all...they just throw out condoms and talk about safe needles and what not ---so I don't see how that is going to help alot with the siuation.

I also noticed all of the violence in that place...Teachers obviously practice corporal punishment...they just slap a kid in the face when they don't listen....a representative from the Parish that talked to me for quite some time had explained that gangs were getting stronger and stronger where we staying...and even in the village you could see where any adult in the villiage would just haul off and hit a kid... and the kids beat eachother--I have 4 boys that get rough sometimes but it is nothing like this...Even Jamaican Bryce had talked to me during the week and asked me if I beat my kids..I told him "No--NOt really" ..he said "why, it is ok--we do it here"..I told him "well we take away privledges instead"....and right after I said it--I realized---they don't have privledges..that is why they get beat--there is no other alternative...I immediatly was sad because of that realization and because I had said that to him..I wish I had told him that I beat my kids. It is hard to think about all of these things all the time.

Just being in the village you smell marijuana all of the time..the rustafarians smoke non-stop..we were told which ones we could talk to and which ones we couldn't--you learn very quickly the jamaican ways of communicating..you can't ever pass someone and not say hi or they think you have a beef with them..so you have to talk to everyone..and there are certain hand signals that show respect--so we shared those many times a day....there was also prostitution in our village--not like here in the streets--it is just a normal thing..which is disturbing on many levels- At the beginning of the week I though all of this was legal and found out from the representative that it is not--but he said to me " DO you see any police officers near by?" I said "No" ..he said "exactly--there is no way to enforce the law up in the hills"... basically they have their own laws. SO it seemed liek a pretty dismal place from my description.....
I will write a blog about my day off on another blog because this is so lengthy.....but what I have to say is that this was an awesome experience for me ..there are things that I could have never learned anywhere else..I bonded with someone very special to me ..so I am glad she and I had that time together...I am glad to have met the children that I met and learned so much from them during the process ..they were so thankful for a little treat or the meals I would sneak to them...Jamaicans are also very thrifty and they use every part of everything..and they are able to make something out of nothing which is something I am not very good at ..they use everything whether it be an old paint can or a little frayed rag--they don't throw anything away. I learned how to open your heart fully , knowing that it was just going to be hurt again by people coming in and out of your life...which was the hardest part about leaving..they gave themselves to us knowing we were only there a short time...and I am thankful for that. I will never feel a love like that again....I got to see a different culture, way of life, and yet I know we are just one kind of people....God's people.
It is such a hard thing to explain.....I was a balling mess when we arrived and when we left.....I adapted to teh way of life (not the food)...I know there will be a day when these people will be able to teach us how to survive... because they do it everyday. I will post a bunch of pictures on my next post....So I dont have to keep copying and pasting.....and I will finish this up another day

Getting ready to go......

I am getting ready for my mission trip.....as excited as I am to go and do work for GOD...I know everything happens the way it is supposed to happen and that God will protect me and if something does happen to me it is because it is supposed to happen to me..that being said I am a bit nervous... because I have not been away from the kids for this amount of time..and even if I have been away for a weekend or something I am able to call and check on them--I will be in a rain forrest with no phones, running water or electricity.....this is going to be such a challenge for me...until 2 summers ago I didn't even go camping--and now I am going on the "ultimate" camping trip.
I have been keeping track of my progress during this journey and we got our journals for the trip--is tells us to write down what we want or expect to get out of our mission trip.....Already just with all of our conferences, cross -cultiral training and fund-raising events I have gained so much..new friends, even new family members (I have been adopted)and a much more enriched faith in God. It is amazing to me that things will change for me even more...When I think about all that I want out of this experience...I really just want to be thankful....thankful for everything I have, everything I am able to accomplish, everything I get to see and experience on a daily basis....it is aprapoe that I am going to miss thanks giving with my family --to go on a trip to learn how to be more thankful for everything in my life.
I know that amazing things are going to happen to me and I am really looking forward to this experience..I will have to totally rely on God to help me every step of the way..just as in life..but you are more aware of that when you are going on a new adventure.
I have planned out menus for my husband for all of the days I am gone, I wrote letters to all my children to have while I am gone--reassuring them that I will be thinking of them quite often and that they will need to pray for me because I will be praying for them....My husband is so great to handle all 6 children ALONE while I am gone...hehe...people ask me all of the time ..What are you going to do with all of your children? it makes me chuckle...Why would their Dad not take care of them? I guess alot of men just wouldn't be alone with 6 children..but my husband loves it..otherwise we wouldn't have 6 children! So thank you so much honey--for supporting me on this venture!
As far as my loved ones rading this blog-----I will miss you all and will share the pictures of my trip when I get back! I will be re-building school that was destroyed in a hurricane..and working with children in the village! I wish I could bring one home with me....that would be AWESOME!

Is this the day of the dead? Where is the celebration?

I had to summarize 2 articles that I found about the history behind the day of the dead...I actually found one that I thought was beautiful in a way and made me want to celebrate this wonderful holiday as well.. I would remember my grandparents that have left me and some other dear friends.
We found a new counselor to help with our kid situation..to also help with our kids that have special needs and to help Rob and I brush up on some much needed parenting skills since we have also never parented teenagers. I feel like we are on the right path and that we will see some improvements soon.
We have had a minor set back with a member of our family because of some of the temporary changes that we have had to make, so please remember us in your prayers.
I am glad Halloween is over ..each year get harder and harder for me to enjoy, as my kids get older they want to dress-up as things I won't approve of and it becomes a fight every year. I think next year I will pay them to buy candy and just forget about the holiday so we won't have to fight about it. The Horton boys celbrated with Landon so of course they could be whatever they chose and I took Jeri, Carl and Clarissa to a church party and then they Trick-or Treated at some neighbor hood houses. JEri was Dorothy from The Widard of Oz, Carl was a skeleton, which was hilarious because that suited him perfectly since he is so tall and skinny anyway, and Clarissa was a Barbie cheer leader. I made all of the kids these fancy halloween bags and they recieved lots of compliments..I should go into business!
Well, that is the most recent update..I hope you all have a great holiday.

October 18th, 2008

This last week we gained a dog..only temporarily..some Friends sold their house and bought a new one but have a week of transition and they are homeless so we are "dog sitting". In return they brought us a big bag of fresh apples and onions. I had just gotten back from the store where I had purchased 3 bags of apples....so what do you do when you have apple overload?
I am not sure if any of remember about 3.5 years ago when we processed apples at my house for 2 months straight and we had 100's of jars of applesauce? I think I made every recipe out of apples that I could google. Anyway. as Carl was having nightmares of more applesauce last night..I had to re-assure him..I was not making any..haha...we decided to have a baking party.
Trina came over, so she and I worked with the kids and we made a pie, and 2 apple crisps. If you could imagine 8 of us working in my somewhat small kitchen it was a sight to see..( more like a 3 ring circus!) as I think about it I wish I would have taken pictures ( but I was living in the moment not taking pictures of it..so I won't beat myself up about it). By the time it all ended Trina and I had to take 40 minutes to clean everything..
there was sugar spilled on the floor in an accident ( poor Carl) and then the rest of the kids proceeded to walk through it. Then Carl had an accident with the allspice so a teaspoon of that ended up on the floor by the table..of course that is where majority of us were working and walking around...so that is being sifted around. Cole, Bryce, and Preston are peeling apples and the peelings are being dropped into a bowl on the floor so apple "sprayings" are being tossed all over another section of the floor...and keep in mind the volume is getting louder and louder....Clarissa isn't really assigned a job so she is just going to all the stations and sampling every ones part of the food ..hand full here and a pinch here...so she has flour and her clothes and she has a really large smile on her face. Trina and Jeri are working on the same projects...and I am making a pie....and during this time I am thinking of all the memories..those few years ago Cole was helping me make pies one day and he said to me..
"Mom, Do you know what?"
I said " no, what Cole?"
Cole: " I am always going to remember this day when I baked pies with you..."
Wasn't that sweet? I don't know if he really remembered it but I thought it was so sweet at the time and every time I make an apple pie, I think of him on that day when he was so little and it was a special time for he and I.

SO on top of the fact that I LOVE fall and the apple season that it always brings I love all of the chaos that happens when my family gets together inside my little house and start to do inside activities together ..we used to do these types of things all of the time and it seems life it gets in the way of the things that are so important to me....so this will be another night that I will always remember because all of that chaos brings me such happiness.

We finished the night with Clue and I just have to say I am disappointed with the new clue game because they changed the name of the characters and some of the rooms ..out with the old in with the new I guess...but do they have to change everything? My grandkids will never know professor plum, colonel mustard ect....I guess it isn't the end of the world.

I Hope you all are enjoying your days and I pray for many blessings to you all!

Thursday, October 9th, 2008

I skipped school today--( I only physically skipped one class actually) and I have to go to a 4 hour orientation at WVC for a nursing program requirement. Basically I go to this meeting and they tell me everything I have to do to complete my application and gather all materials between now and spring when I actually apply. Since it is a requirement I am going...however I am hoping I actually learn something because I have already done so much research and asked so many questions that I feel prepared. I have noticed in alot of these things that other classmates don't research things before they get involved in all of these classes they are kind of going through blindly...if you are going to put so much time and effort and make this a life strategy..why would you not look into everything?

Anyhow, I have already started sending for all of my paperwork and transcripts and things that I need to apply.
it seems so close and yet I know it is 6 months away before I can even apply , let alone an acceptance letter. I have to take pretty heavy loads after this quarter so I can make sure I meet all the requirements for both colleges. PLease pray for me.

The kids are doing well...they boys are doing well at football...I am amazed at some of their capabilities and how much respect they get on and off of the field because of their strength on the Field. Especially Cole last night he was an all-star ...yet after the game he made sure to go to each one of his guys and personally thank them for helping him with all of his touch downs ( he made 2 or three last night)..I am happier about the fact that he would go out of his way to thank the other guys on his team rather than the fact that he scored. He was in especially a good mood last night because the team he played was his team from last year and so far this season they were un-defeated until last night when Cole's team whomped them! Bryce has been playing quarterback all year--and it is funny because he has such a distinctive voice anyway--but when you are in the stands I can hear my little boy calling all the shots and I always knew he would be a leader...he also won his place in student counsel this year..( he decided to run for student counsel rather than president because a friend of his was running..he didn't want to interfere..which I think is very kind of him...although Bryce was voted as president last year ..His friend didn't win..but at least I know Bryce was kind enough to let him try)
Preston is in choir and football he loves both. This is his first year in football but he is doing great! I am sure next year he will be dominating..just as his brothers are this year. Carl is hanging in as best he can..he sometimes will pull out hits or plays that are not expected because the kid is not in love with the game..but he plays anyway.
Clarissa, is adjusting to the social life school has brought her..she is still more shy than most..but she is starting to recognize other children in the community and will play if they ask her too..which is a step above last year.
Jeri is struggling in school and at home a bit. We are going to do an intake and hopefully get some different kind of therapies going so that we can try to help with some behavior modifications. She would like some more freedom and we would like to trust her.
Rob is working 12 hour shift at night still--hopefully it will stop in November..because harvest will be ending..I think we are all tired of it as well as he..we would just like to have our family back to normal.

I am preparing for my mission trip by trying to work ahead so when I leave I can submit all of my assignments and not worry about school while I am gone...When I come back I will be in finals week which kind of stinks because of all the study time I will be missing..but I am doing God's work so I am sure I will be taken care of ....I have to believe that! I am very excited about this trip--when I went to our cross cultural conference I learned so many great things and bonded with my fellow team and I am really looking forward to this experience. They explained that ...you will never know how much it impacts your life until you come home...but just the conference alone affected me ...so I know I am expecting great strides in my future.

After I come home we will be leaving for Disney land just a couple weeks later...I will be so happy to have that down time with my family...just us..no worries concerns..homework or anything!