HP Love!

You know that most magical of places? This place right here?

I get to go there.

And Magic Kingdom. And Epcot.

I might just pee myself with excitement, buy some souvenir Mickey pajama pants, then pee myself again.

Fake V-Day

Jono doesn't like Valentine's Day (and I can't blame him so much), but I always want to cash in on an excuse to have a date with my hubbers. So we agreed upon a sort of compromise and went out on Friday, missing out on the true Valentine's Day crazy-busy-ness. :)

We headed to KC and went to The Melting Pot.

It. Was. Amazing.

Amazing!

At the end Jono deemed it his all time best eating experience. That will be a tough one to top, for sure.

Disaronno in white chocolate? Have mercy!

Just Dance!

I love, love, love this game.




I played it at a friends house and then immediately bought it with my birthday gift card (thanks Mom and Dad!). It is seriously SO fun.

I'm not sure if there's anything better than watching my super white friends (me included!) trying to dance to MC Hammer.

Also, it's really good exercise.

Highly recommended. :)

A Good Cause

Ree over at thepioneerwoman.com is giving away (2) $500.00 prizes to charities for relief in Haiti, to be chosen by the winner. Also, for every comment on her most recent post, she will give $.10 to one of three charities there.

Please take a moment to go and comment there. It's easy, and it helps.

Thanks, Ree!

In other news, please continue to pray for the safety of our team down there right now. They had planned to return home tomorrow, but obviously things have changed. They have been in contact with the US Embassy, and have been promised a ride home tonight or tomorrow morning. The perimeter wall to the orphanage has fallen down, leaving them open for looting by a people who are becoming frantic with fear (and who can blame them?).

God is in control, and I will try to force myself to rest in that.

Pray, pray, pray and (if possible) give.

Hurting

I'm trying to hold it together today, trying to concentrate on my work. But mostly I'm trying to battle the burning in my eyes and tugging at my throat that comes every time I think about the people in Haiti.

It's been five years since I've been there. But I remember their faces. I remember leaving them in their all but hopeless country, and coming home to convenience and comfort and ignorance.

I remember how they comforted me as I was crying that last day. I remember the complete guilt of knowing what I was returning to. I don't remember crying that much before in my life.

And now another team is there, witnessing it all. I can't imagine what they must be seeing and feeling right now. God, give them strength and grace.

How can one people bear so many sorrows?

How can I live here, in peace and comfort, while they are counting their dead? While more orphans are being added to an already devastating number? What can we do to give them hope?

I find the only prayer I can get it out is "God, help them."

Things You Eventually Just Accept

Like, for instance, the fact that I will never be as likable as my mother.

I have grown up happily not caring much for what most people think about me. Sometimes, this is very freeing and good. Sometimes, this makes you (mistakenly) assume other people must not care what you think about them, either. It's kind of a compromise.
My mom has spent (in my opinion) too much time worrying about what other people think, what other people will say, and feeling all manner of false guilt if she might have offended someone. On the other hand, everyone who's ever met her also likes her.

I think my way of life is a lot easier, but not necessarily better. I have examples to prove it, too.

One week I was counseling at the east campus of KBC, an all girls gradeschool camp. Mom was the activity director. We had a particularly difficult camper who was causing a lot of trouble, and bothering camper and and counselor alike. This girl's family had been attending camps for years, and the mother (let's call her Sue) lived fairly close to campus.

I should add that parents are not frequently called in to deal with a difficult camper. It is avoided until necessary. In this case, though, Mom had to call Sue and ask her to come by. This woman was not a particularly friendly person, and when she showed up it was very plain that my mom was going to get chewed up and spit out. They disappeared into Mom's room and we, the counselors, stood around looking at each other nervously.

Over an hour went by and we could hardly imagine what was going on in there. Then, an incident required Mom's attention, and one of the counselors had to sheepishly knock on her door and ask for her. She was invited to enter, and found my mom and Sue sitting next to each other on the bunk, giggling and spitting cherry seeds into a bowl on the floor.

Later, when questioned about this phenomenon, my mom just said what she always says, "a gentle answer turns away wrath."

I still think she worries too much about what people think of her.

Then again, she seems to be doing alright.

Winter Happenings

Last Tuesday night brought perfect snow for snowman building. I was so excited that we even had carrots in the house (not normally a vegetable of choice).

All you had to do was roll it along, and it picked everything up in it's path. Too bad we hadn't raked our leaves...

That is one adorable man, right there!

He was taller than me! And...maybe a little evil looking. But we love him anyway.