Antigua

I am sitting in Antigua, Guatemala, in a beautiful hotel overlooking this beautiful city.  It feels surreal...like I'm in a movie. I hear roosters and Spanish speakers...cars and fireworks (so. many. fireworks. and at the weirdest times of day.)

Kevin and Chloe are out on the town. Meeting up with some AIM folks and taking in the markets. Eli sleeps beside me...recovering from a rough tummy bug that visited all day yesterday and last night.  He is a trooper...and drinking Pedialite like it's his job.  He will recover.

There have been seasons of my life where I would sit here in the hotel all embittered that I am removed from the action...but today...with our weeks experiences behind us...there is no room for bitterness and immaturity like that.

I am grateful. I am blessed.

The Lord allowed us to come to Guatemala. As a family.
My 8 year old and 5 year old have encountered God in a way this week that few ever have the chance to do.
My eyes swell with tears when I think of how PROUD I have been of them.

The way Chloe just jumped right in...Making friends. Playing. Hearing from God all on her own. Loving. My heart is bursting.

And Eli...running and jumping. Bonking himself on the head with his water bottle to make the other kids laugh. Hands down, the coolest 5 year old. EVER.

They both have walked with such grace this week.  The schedule and pace have been insane, and they have embraced it all.  I have seen missions through their eyes as we have ministered as a family and I am filled with gratitude.

I don't have an official photo count...but it is safe to say that we have easily exceeded the 5,000 mark. So. Many. Pictures.

We will weed through them and select some of our faves to share with you...
But, not one of them will truly capture the beauty that this week has been.

Thank you for your prayers...we have felt them and they have undoubtedly been answered.
Gloria Dios.

C and E Heading to GUA

"God has been talking a lot to me about Guatemala. I feel like He has laid it on my heart that I should go there so that I can see how other people live."
- Chloe, age 8

This conversation took place a couple weeks ago at the dinner table. Chloe had heard us talking about a mission trip that was happening with our church. She knew that Daddy and Mommy were going...but she did not know that we had already decided to take her and her brother.

Granted, she has grown up around short-term missions...she has sat and listened to stories of all the great things God is doing in different parts of the world. But, for her to share that The Lord had been talking to her about Guatemala and that He was laying it on her heart to go...

Kev and I were blown. away.

It has always been the plan/dream to do missions together as a family. We have always shared our hearts for the nations with our kids. We sing worship songs before bed in the languages of places Kevin and I have been. We support a national missionary in India. We talk about the places some of "our people" are serving. We almost went to Haiti last summer as a family, but God closed the door.

So we are delighted and excited to be going AS A FAMILY on a mission trip to Guatemala April 12-22!! Our church has been partnering with a village there for the past 5 years to help support the people of the village to have a sustainable life free of the bondages of poverty through micro-loans and agricultural development.

We are expectant of what The Lord may have in store for us as a family! In order to make it possible, we need to have people praying for us. We ask for prayer for both Chloe and Eli to be excited and receptive to God's heart for the nations. We need prayer for open eyes to see the ministry opportunities The Lord will have for us as a family. We need wisdom in what areas to have the kids be a part of. We ask for specific prayer for Eli's food issues to be covered in grace and peace while there.

And of course we need to raise the finances required to make such a trip possible.
We need to raise $3,000 to cover Chloe and Eli's expenses for the trip. That number includes their travel, shots and medications and on ground expenses. If you are able and feel lead, all gifts can be sent to Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church and will be tax deductible.

Please mail checks to:
Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church
PO Box 829
Gig Harbor, WA 98335-0829
(Please include a note designating the check for Chloe and Eli Williams - Guatemala)

We are trusting the Lord to provide and are making some cuts on our end to try to fund as much of their trip as possible. We know that a step of faith this huge will require both sacrifice and commitment on our part. We desire to be obedient.

Thank you ahead of time for your prayers and support! I hope to document our trip on this little blog here...so stay tuned!

It Seems We Have Come To a Compromise...

This is Lily.
She is 'the neighborhood' cat.
Except for she spends neigh a second away from our hood.
It could be that we feed her twice a day.  And rub her behind the ears when no one is looking.
She is an outside cat.
Except for she tries multiple times a day to be an inside cat.
I leave the back door open while the kids play outside.  (much to my husbands frustration: air conditioning the back yard is not wise financially...I agree.  But, I can hear them and they can hear me...gives them a sense of freedom and me a sense of control...it works.)
Well, you can bet Lily will sneak in every chance she gets.
Usually, I just need to say "Liiiiilllllyyyyyy" in a motherly tone and she stops in her tracks.
Other times I have to send the kids to retrieve her and put her back outside. 
Because, I am allergic to her.  She knows this.  I have told her multiple times.
Cats love feline-allergic people...have you noticed that??
So. 
I know that she will try. 
She knows she will not win.
But today we seem to have come to a bit of a compromise.
I caved.
After two attempts to assume her favorite 'off limits' spot of the armchair in the back bedroom, she settled for the door. 
And I did too.

Around the House This Week...

St. Patrick's Day and a little Pintentionality

For our third year running, we tried to catch a leprechaun.  Chloe is so into this.  She reminds us every year.  Her first grade teacher asked the whole class to make traps this year to share with the class...Chloe could not wait to get started.

This years trap was complete with a ladder to the upper deck, bed, table/couch, chair, TV and a washer and dryer.  Chloe was hoping the comfort level would have a luring effect on the leprechaun. 

According to the letter they wrote,  they did in deed  appreciate her attention to detail

and thought it to be one of the comfiest traps in town.

While we did not catch the little guys, we were amused by their creativity in thrashing the back yard.  Hammocks all topsy-turvy, bike propped up on a ladder and lawn chairs placed on top of the pergola.  What a mess.

Our favorite evidence was the footprints and green water in the toilet. 

I saw on Pinterest that other leprechauns did the same thing...must have been a union thing. 

Word to the Wise

Over the past 4 days we have become more acquainted with the necessity and beauty of this:

 It's a mattress cover. 

One of those fancy ones you buy at the mattress store. 

The one that they cut a small portion off of

and rubber band to the top of a jar filled with water to show how water proof it is.

Absolute. Necessity.

Not only are they liquid proof...

they are also chunk proof...

while that may be a little too much information...

it is still true.

So.

If you are not yet a parent...or a parent of a baby...

or have not been 'baptized' by a child's vomit yet...

When you transition to a 'big boy or girl' bed,

Do. Not. Skimp on the mattress cover.

I repeat:

DO. NOT. SKIMP.

You will be tempted to buy the cheaper one...

Buy the expensive one.

You will thank me.

And the mattress cover when the stomach flu visits your house at 11 pm...

and 12:30 am...

and 2:30 am...

and 6:00 am...

and 11 am...

Our only improvement would be to have the water proofness also wrap around the sides of the mattress.

They may offer this as the step up from the expensive mattress cover to the ridiculously expensive mattress cover.  I may be swayed to purchase the latter if I am ever in the market for another one.

Water proof mattress covers you are a sanity saver.

And Kevin...

You win the 'Best Daddy in the World' award.

Seriously brave in the face of projectile vomit and gracious in the cleaning it up.

You barely flinched while it dripped from your hands.

You. Are. A. Rock star.

So blessed that I get to watch you be the best Daddy on the planet.

Getting away...and gators.

A few days after Christmas we headed farther South with some friends.

They have connections to a free place to stay outside Orlando...who can say no to that?!? :)

We spent most days lazying around...

sleeping in-ish...

swimming.

swimming.

and more swimming.

there were water slides and lazy rivers.

and Gatorland.

Where there were gators. Lots and lots of gators.

Thank you, Dawn and Mike for a great time away!

You let us know when you need another family to travel with...

We are so. there!

December photos 2011

A December overview and a slew of photos:

 Decorating Christmas cookies with the Hudsons

 Chloe's class Christmas Party

 Friends Eva and Brenley

 Little D with C and E at Callaway Gardens

 The Grandkids on the trolley to see the lights.

 Us with Granna and Zeke

 Found Rudolph and the Gingerbread Man

 Christmas morning at Granna and Zeke's...

and photographic proof that Kevin wore those pajamas....all day.

(which he ASKED for!!)  :)

 There was no shortage of things to open

 A few of Chloe's favorite gifts

Granna and Zeke apologized over and over for the ginormous chair...

they had no idea how HUGE it was going to be!

 Chloe and Granna making a Christmas dessert.

(sorry for the blurry photo)

 Christmas Dinner

This photo needs several explanations. 

We got to celebrate Christmas with Uncle Dale this year.

He and Zeke figured out that it has been 35 years since they were together for Christmas...

super special!

Every year, Uncle Dale sends us three huge boxes full of Christmas gifts...in which is always some funny gift for us all to enjoy.

This year...stick on mustaches.

HYSTERICAL!

Also...

who's the new guy in the red hat??

That's AJ...he is Jamie's special someone. :)

 The Grandkids joined in the mustache fun

 Oh. my. goodness.

Love this photo.

 Our family Christmas at home

Hands down, Eli's favorite Christmas gift.

A remote control, air swimming shark!

Thank you, Boppi and GrandBob!

He LOVES it!

Second Annual Search for the Best Christmas Lights

Last year we started a new tradition...
We headed out last night for our second annual search for the best Christmas lights displays.
Our friend, Katuschka, joined us this year.

We followed some of our own advice from last year...
- we did categories
- Dollar General always has something cute and cheap for the awards.

But we got started a little late again this year...

We got into our jammies in anticipation of the judges possibly falling asleep...

We drove around for quite awhile and began to wonder if most of the town also packed their Christmas decorations in the very back of their storage units...very few lights.

But we persevered and finally found some award worthy lights!!

This house won the 'Biggest and Best' for the second year in a row!! 

Seriously. Awesome. Lights!

This one had a penguin of lights on an island surrounded by blue lights and palm trees. 

Creative indeed!

This house had a HUGE Nativity scene complete with angels and birds. 

(You can barely see it there in the background) 

Clearly focused on the true Reason for the season.

We are enjoying this tradition and were again excited about the families opening their mailboxes today to find their awards!!

Tusch suggested having 'write in' cards for surprise lights along the way...we thought that was a great idea for next year!