Visit with Fan Fan

We had the great privilege of hosting Fan Fan and his 2 children, as they are visiting from Haiti, today for lunch after church. It was soo good to see Fan Fan, who acts as our interpreter and all around kinda whatever is needed guy.

He has been asking for prayer support for his ministry in Haiti- he has, in cooperation with CSI, built a school for many of the underprivileged children in his area. What a remarkable man!

His children were delightful, and they had a blast with Eli. Amazing how children can play and have fun, even with the language barrier.

Here are a few pics:


Eli said he was driving them to Laka Abella (We have a pass to a private lake in the area- Lake Isabella). They played sooooo well with him, and seemed to enjoy every minute.

Saying cheese for the camera :0)
Fan Fan had several delays in his flight here- and still managed to look pretty refreshed. In think he'd only had about 3 or 4 hours of sleep in the last 36-40 hours.

But we sure were glad we got to spend a little time with him. :0)

The kids really enjoyed playing all over the yard- Dave keeping close tabs on his sister and Eli and Nyanka enjoying the exhiliration of the swing :0)

I got out some sidewalk chalk- the kids did a great job with their art :0)


Looking forward to seeing them all tomorrow at the church picnic- but know that many will be there to talk to Fan Fan about all that is happening in Haiti.

Quick funnies...

Eli and I had some noodles today for lunch.

As I was twirling my noodles around my fork, he got a little miffed that I had cut his noodles and he couldn't also twirl.

After a few min, he looked at me and said, "Mama, is your fork dizzy?"

Farm Days at COSI

Yesterday through Sunday is "Farm Days" at COSI. So, Eli and I headed up there today to check out all the BIG tractors. What a beautiful day!


I am not even going to try to guess all the different names of these tractors. :0) BIG is a good discriptor. This one was hauling the big bin the combine was dumping in. (Hopper?)


He was figuring out all the buttons and gadgets. Too bad there were so many other kids there- I think he would have spent an hour in each one, playing with and making all the sounds for the tractors- if he didn't have to step down for the next child waiting in line to get up and "drive" the monster tractors.

We thought Papa would like this "little" loader :0)


They had a few antiques there, as well as the brand new machines (one had leather seats- talk about a luxury ride!!)


Here he is in front of the combine wheel. We got to go for a ride and get a hopper full of grain with our neighbor last week- actually, Sunday, after my family left. He just sat on my lap, taking it all in.

We waited our turn in line to climb up in this corn combine.

He jumped in and acted just like he knew what he was doing. Sounds and all. He'd look behind him and see where the grain (or in this machine, corn) would go, and told me all about what he was going to do.

Here he is with sound effects.

If you notice the scratches on his face...... He says, "Mamaw and Papaw's old concrete jumped up and hit me on my forehead, elbow and knee."


He mowed the grass for quite a while (there were several mowers there).


and then finally found a tractor in his size to ride around for a few minutes....


This one was a fun machine. We were sitting in the machine across from this one when 4 siblings jumped in. They shut the door- but it was locked!!! They had to wait for the person in charge to go find the keys and let them out. Eli couldn't wait to get in it- of course, we left the door open :0)


Then we went inside. It was soo hot outside in the sun. I was hoping for a little nap (for Eli), but he is getting very good at staying awake. Hhhmmmmm.... I love naps!!

So we checked out the Ancient Egypt section- and he didn't want to get off this original grass clipper :0)

Eli and the camel.

We left there and went to Whitehall to see Papa at work. Tim is working a double shift, so it was great to be able to stop by and spend some time with him. Two 24 hour shifts followed by a 3-4 hour training--- needless to say- we enjoyed our time at the FD.

On the way home, Eli told me his favorite part of the day (and he LOVES tractors!!) was sliding down the firepole with Papa and riding on the Fire engines with Papa.


Saying goodnight is never easy- especially when Mama wants a picture and the camera has a huge delay...... but we all got the giggles :0)

July 4th

Here is a left over pic from our VA/DC trip. Eli fell asleep and looked so uncomfortable, I propped his head up with his Easter basket Bunny from Mammaw. He looked much more comfortable :0)

The bunny is actually holding onto the car seat strap :0)


A few days later, we were headed into town. I told Eli he could bring a toy to play with in the car. He picked his Police Motorcycle helmet he got for his birthday. It has a microphone in it that you can talk into. Imagine my grin as I hear him saying into his microphone, "Test 1, 2...Test 1,2" and then singing the ABC's as loud as he can- amplified through his helmet. It was hysterical!!

Tim had to work Saturday, July 4th, so on Friday Mom and Dad stopped by our house on the way to Grandma's (Amity and Justin were also traveling with them) and after eating lunch and chilling for a little bit, we said goodbye to Papa and headed on out to Great Grandma Mellott's house (Grammalot)

Eli finally fell asleep, and after a few minutes of head bobbing, found a more comfortable position. :0)

He had a blast playing with his cousins! Here Veronica is pretending to be a puppy and the kids are chasing her down the hall.

It was a pretty dreary morning on July 4th in Indiana where Grammalot lives. Eli, Kylie, Veronica and I went for a few walks in the morning, enjoying the time outdoors (tiring the kids out :0)) I was able to get Eli to lay down for an early nap (and me with him :))

We got up just in time for everyone to be there- and to find out that it had started raining while we were in the bedroom. It was a light enough sprinkle that we all were able to eat outside under the canopies- but then soon headed inside to stay dry. Grammalot had quite a houseful!!


Eli was so very good. He stayed pretty close and listened to me well. He enjoyed having all the family around and moved several tiers up in the rock-paper-scissors tournament. Thanks cousin Terri for organizing indoor games :0)

Here he is with my Dad's sister, Judy- both of them looking quite ornery!!


He jumped into one of the Euchre tournament games to say Hi to Aunt Tara and Grammalot.


We spent quite a bit of time out of the way by the little table in the corner, playing with a few small cars and Happy Meal toys that Aunt Judy just happened to have with her :0)

Never a dull (or still) moment with 3 year olds around :0) His second cousin Carson was also there- just a few months older than Eli. We (the 3 of us) went for a walk in the rain under a big umbrella. What a great way for a little boy to burn off extra energy- walking in the rain, splashing in puddles, listening to the sound of the pitter patter on leaves and pavement. Ahhh- what a life :0)

Kylie joined me on the floor at one point- and cousin Laura snapped a great pic of the two of us :0)

This is Kylie and Eli- I told them to say,"Stinky feet!!" for the camera. She looked at Eli and said, "Look at those cheeks!! I just want to pinch them....I could eat them up....."

At which point, Eli grabbed his cheeks first!!

Well, as you can imagine, we had a blast talking and sharing inside- but we also found that with so many bodies inside- it heated up very quickly. So, after a little while, Eli and I headed outside to say hi to Tim.

And Eli proceeded to eat Tim's face!!

But Tim soon sucked his face back out of Eli's belly- and all of us were laughing so hard we could hardly catch our breath :)

It rained the whole day and into the night. The first time anyone can remember this happening, and we've been gathering there for many, many years!!

But, the fireworks would not be thwarted. The guys all sat around watching the weather map on their phones, and around 9 we all headed out, huddling under the tarps to watch the annual display.

IT...WAS...AMAZING!!!!

It was like 20 minutes of grand finales!! Sooo grand and beautiful.

At one point, Eli said something to the effect of, "Fireworks, you know I like you, don't you? I like you, fireworks!!!"

After each pause, he would say, "There's another one, right?"

How beautiful!! and no worries about starting a fire this year :0)

So, we packed up Sunday morning and headed home. This time, everyone from my family that went stopped by for lunch on the way home. Everyone seemed to enjoy the playset :0)

"The Kids"

My point and shoot camera doesn't normally do a stellar job in taking photos. But I did think this was cool- with Rick in focus (somewhat) and the girls swinging by :0)

It was a great weekend. So nice to see family we don't get to see very often. Happy Independence Day everyone- just a few weeks late!!

Thank you God for our country- may we continue to be a people who strive to please you and not try to shove you out of our lives!

God Bless America!!

Dirt

Soon to come- pics and post from our family reunion at Grammalot's house-

Yesterday, Eli and I went to Lake Isabella with my friend Amy and her family. The kids had a blast, swimming, playing in the sand and on the playground equipment.

As we were getting ready to leave, Eli was sitting on my lap for a min while I was talking to Amy. I felt him rubbing my arm. I realized, as I had to fight back tears from my laughter, Eli had stuck his finger in his mouth to moisten it and was trying to wipe of a freckle I have on my arm. He must have thought it was dirt :0)

Ahhhh!! I love this boy!!

Any pointers on how we can change the -ing to -ed in the potty training realm? Would LOVE to hear them:0)

Washington DC, Family and Friends

Our trip to Washington was great!! We had such a good time! We were able to stay with a friend of mine that it seems I haven't seen since before the foundation of time. It was good to see her and spend time with her and her friends!

Monday we went to the National Zoo. It was a great day- though we all got a bit warm after a while. Eli was kind of ho hum about all the animals- and there were several we saw- the Elephant house was amazing!! They are working on a new habitat, so all the elephants were in the house and we got to see them up close and personal. Then the hippo came in and body slammed into the big pool and began tossing around his ball.

We didn't stay in any one place too long. Eli kept asking when we were going to the playground. We worked our way over to the petting zoo, only to find out that the animals had all been turned out to pasture already.

No problem for Eli- the highlight of his day seemed to be when we went on the back road to the Amazonia area and saw the little excavator sitting behind the building. He was so excited!! Forget the baby pandas coming up to the glass to say hi, or the orangutan looking at him through the window, or the apes showing off- the excavator won hands down. Boys and their toys--- of course he probably still had in his mind when we went to COSI a few days earlier and he got to ride on one....

Tuesday was our kick back and relax day. We found a little playground and Eli was all over the equipment. I could barely keep my eyes open, so Papa and Eli played for a little while as I rested in the car. Very nice :0)

We took a little tour of the suburban neighborhood outside Washington, DC where she lives and got some great photos. I'll post them soon. I can not believe the houses we saw!! They make the Extreme Makeover Home Edition houses look like a garage!!

Wednesday dawned cool and misty. We drove over to Aunt Charity's house and got a little tour before heading out for the Metro and our day on the town. It sure was good to finally get over to see Aunt Charity and Uncle Brian. We've been wanting to do that for such a long time!

We made it to downtown Washington, and after a quick peak around the Castle, we headed over to the Merry Go Round. We were the only ones on the ride!! He let it go until someone else came along- and it was fast!! But we had a blast!


I was soo thankful for our stroller. It was great!! I couldn't help but compare our last visit with Eli to a nation's capitol--- Moscow. I was surprised at the many similarities. Charity and I discussed them a lot as we walked around.


It was neat to see these buildings again. I don't think I've been in Washington, DC since I was in High School.

The museums were very cool!! Due to a recent shooting, it took about 1/2 hour to get through the doors as every bag was checked. Going into the old castle the guard was very serious about his job, and pretty gruff. The guard outside the Natural History ( I think that is the one with the dinosaurs) was hysterical- he was like some form of Eddie Murphy.... singing zipadee doo daa and putting words in when he needed to. Then he pointed both fingers at us, while nodding his head in time to his own music and told us to have a great day. It was great!

Eli warmed up quickly to Aunt Charity, and they walked around together ooohhhing and aahhhing over the many exhibits in the dinosaur hall....


We walked past the new World War II memorial and got to take in all the sights there on our way to George Washington University and lunch with Uncle Brian.

I read these words and realized I truly didn't know the end- only the famous first line. What an amazing orator President Lincoln was. Charity and I discussed many things as we were walking around- I wondered out loud if Lincoln was one of the last presidents to write his own speeches. What deep insight he portrays with so few words.

As we were standing there looking at the statue, Eli asked who that man is. I began explaining to him a little bit of who President Lincoln was.

"What's he doing, Mommy?" he asked, looking up at his somber expression.

I told him he was probably praying for wisdom to be the best president he could and that he was president during a time when he needed a lot of prayer.

"He want to come stand next to me?" Eli asked quietly.

"No, sweetie," I said, "This is a statue of the man- he is not real. He can't come down and stand next to you."

"But Mommy, he want to come stand next to Eli?"

Amazing how there is a quiet hush as you stand there, reading these words that must have been inspired.

Our happy family:0)

Korean memorial. The last time I was in DC, this Memorial had just opened. I remember there being bus loads of veterans- in particular, there was a bus load of nurses, who came in their old uniforms to come see this memorial placed on behalf of their fallen comrades. How can anyone live in DC and not remember the sacrifices made over and over again by our military personnel and their families?


The Vietnam memorial wall was moving as always. Hard to believe just a list of names can move you so much. Amazing that you don't need any pageantry or extras. Just the realization of how many people fought and died so we could continue to live the way we live.

And we who come often have no idea of just how much they truly lost.

Lunch with Uncle Brian was great- Elisha fell asleep on the way there and slept through the majority of the meal- so we were able to just talk and relax for a little while. We met up again with Uncle Brian to ride the Metro home and then went out to eat for dinner. Happy Birthday, Mommy!! How nice to be able to be with family on my birthday!!

Thursday we went to Arlington National Cemetery. It was beautiful for the majority of our time there- and just as we were ready to start heading back, the rain began. The downpour hit full force just as we entered the Metro. I was so thankful for such a beautiful morning, though, for us to walk around, remembering again all the sacrifices made for us and our country- and time with my sister. You can't ask for a much better tour guide in Washington than a history major and avid fan of history. There are facts you learn that can't be gleaned by the less discerning among us...

I love my sisters and am soo glad I had these few days with Charity!!

Row after row after row, stretching on as far as the eye can see. It is with quiet reverence you walk through this area.



I didn't realize that the Kennedy's had 2 other children- one lived for a very short time and one stillborn. This is the eternal flame

Here is Aunt Charity, pushing Eli and keeping him a bit occupied while Tim and I were able to look at the eternal flame. He didn't argue when we told him he couldn't beep his horn and play the music on his little stroller car. I told him people were here that had come to say goodbye to the people they love and we needed to be quiet.

I told him it was like when he went to see Miss Kacy and her family when her Daddy died a few weeks ago. The body is asleep, but the person we know and love is with Jesus. I wish I would have written down what he said, I can't remember it exactly, but it was something to the effect of, is he with his Mommy now in heaven? Sometimes he comes out with these little pearls that tell me he understands far more than most give credit to a 3 year old for knowing.

There were several funerals the day we were there. Here is one of the tents. We heard the 21 gun salute several times through out the day, and as we were heading back in the rain, we saw a beautiful black stallion being led down the road by a soldier looking neither to the right nor left.
The golden boots were symbolically placed backwards in the stirrups and the horse remained riderless as he pranced through the graveyard.




We got back to my friends house and Tim made Pizza for all of us for dinner. He is such an amazing guy!! I'm so glad to be married to him!!

Friday we got up and packed and just relaxed in the morning. We were very close to our adoption agency, in McLean, so we drove over there so we could see what the place looks like and meet our wonderful family coordinator at work. It was great! I hope to have a pic soon of us in the offices with Kristen.

We had a great trip home and within a few days, life had settled into a normal routine.... somewhat.... :0)