Caribbean Chronicles

It's Been a LOOOONNNGGG Time!!!

2011-01-07T12:49:00.002-05:00

Okay, so it's been over a YEAR since I have updated this blog! And a LOT has happened in that year! Mia is now potty trained (see last post) with the exception of naptimes & overnight. Luis finally got his visa to come to the US, and we have made the international move from the Dominican Republic to the United States! It has been a crazy busy 6 months since we got here, but we are finally starting to get into a routine and see things settling down. And now that things are calmer, I am hoping (fingers crossed) to keep this blog updated!!

It’s Potty Time!!

2009-10-12T12:16:00.001-04:00

Well, for the last several months we have been talking about the potty in our house. Mia is very interested in the potty and flushing it and all that good stuff. Memommy bought her a potty book while we were in the states this summer, and she loves to sit and read it. She definitely recognizes when she goes tee-tee and poo-poo and often will tell me AFTER she has gone. So…we decided it was a good time to start trying the potty. Here is a pic of our first successful potty sitting! Mia went tee-tee in the potty before her bath the other night (and every night since!) YAY for Mia!!!!!!

Always on the Go!

2009-10-01T11:24:00.001-04:00

Little Miss Mia is always ready to go bye-bye these days. The other morning, she spent a long time in her room playing. When she finally came out, this is how she looked! :-)

This one is a little blurry, but I just love the look on her face! She was totally posing for the camera!

For those of you who don’t know my mom, Mia looks JUST LIKE her in this pic. We have a couple of pics of my mom as a toddler with this exact same look on her face.

Cheesy grin….she’s got all her stuff, and she’s ready to go! With her shoes on the wrong feet, of course! :-)

Working With Teams

2009-09-24T09:10:00.001-04:00

Luis & I had the opportunity to translate for a couple of short-term mission teams that came down this summer. Luis worked with a group from Anaheim, CA, while Mia & I were in the states in July. The week after I got back, we had a group in from Utica, NY. They started their time here with a 3-day camp for youth in the barrio. This was the first ever youth camp, and it was a blast. Exhausting, of course, yet fun!

In my opinion, Luis & I make a great translation team! (that is my opinion, of course) <smile> It’s always easier to translate into your own language, so when there is a Spanish-speaker on the mic, I translate to English, and when there is an English-speaker on the mic, Luis translates to Spanish.

I’d also like to interject here that Luis is an AMAZING translator. I’ve worked with many translators in my years here in the DR, and he is definitely at the top of the list. I’m not saying this because he is my husband…it is simply the truth. It takes something special to be a translator because it’s not just translating word for word what the speaker is saying. It is understanding the nuances of what the speaker is saying, feeling what the speaker is saying and being able to communicate all of that to your listeners. In essence, the translator becomes the speaker. And I’m gonna tell you…my hubby is awesome at this!!

The camp included activities such as basketball, soccer, and dance. The youth also participated in photography, computer, and cooking workshops. The church will be offering some “life skills” classes in these areas, and the camp gave the youth a chance to “taste” the different areas and see which ones they may be interested in learning more about. Each evening ended with a message from Josh (the youth pastor in NY) and a challenge to the youth to make a personal commitment to live for Christ.

Translating for Bau

Taking a break and enjoying a limoncillo

Reviewing the camp schedule with the NY Team

Praying together at the end of the first day

Game time out on the basketball court

Playing with some of the little kids during break time

Overnighters

2009-09-22T09:25:00.001-04:00

A couple of weekends ago we had the children of some friends in the barrio over to spend the night. Their mother was celebrating a birthday on Saturday, so we took the kids and the parents had a date night. Rey & Rosani love Mia like a little sister, so they all had TONS of fun!

It was also nice for me to have “baby-sitters” for 24 hours. I got a few things done around the house while all the kids played together.

Home-made pizza was a big hit and a special treat. Rey & Rosani had lots of fun putting the toppings on the pizza…and they took turns holding Mia, so she could see what was going on. All Mia could say was, “Wooooow!” to everything. :-)

On Saturday morning, we made pancakes on the griddle. The griddle was a special gift from my dad (thanks, Dad!) and cuts my pancake cooking time down from about 45 minutes to 10 minutes…can’t beat that!!

After breakfast, we made birthday cards for Rosa (their mom). Mia made a card, too…..

….but she enjoyed eating the crayons more! :-) The rest of the morning was spent making cupcakes (sorry, no pics of that) and playing with the guitar and the exercise bike.

The kids went home after lunch, and their mother told me the next week that they had a great time. We had a great time too!! :-)

Skype Baby

2009-09-17T11:40:00.001-04:00

Mia has learned that the computer offers her a fun way to stay in touch with her grandparents…via Skype! Every time she sees the computer or the headphones, she starts saying, “Memommy! Papa! Memommy! Papa!” Here’s a cute pic of her waiting to talk with them (the sores on her lips are from the fever she had when she was sick a few weeks ago).

We are so thankful for technology and how it allows us to be in touch even though we are far away! If you’ve never seen or heard of skype, you should check it out! Very neat stuff….

Mia LOVES Shoes!!!

2009-09-04T09:35:00.000-04:00

Mia daughter is a shoe-a-holic. She gets it honestly. My paternal grandmother and myself are both addicted to shoes. I’m not sure why. To be honest, I would go barefoot year-round if I could…..but I just LOVE shoes. “Shoes” was one of Mia’s first understandable words (in both English and Spanish). While in the states this past July, we took a trip to a shoe store. Upon entering the store, Mia’s eyes widened, and she shouted, “Sssooooooozzzzz!” Total cuteness! Below are some pics of her clomping around in a pair of my heels. I just love this kid! :)

Sweet Baby Girl

2009-09-03T09:25:00.001-04:00

Mia was sick last week with a double ear infection. This is her all crashed out on the couch (and in front of a fan) on the evening of her first round of antibiotics. So sweet…….

Malone Family Beach Trip July 2009

2009-08-18T19:47:00.001-04:00

Every summer, our family attempts to get together for a week at Myrtle Beach and spend some quality time together. There have been a couple of years that I have not been able to make it, but for the most part we have been successful in our endeavor. It’s always a great time of sitting on the beach during the day, having dinner together in the evenings and then playing board games until late into the night. This year was no exception!! We did, however, miss Luis and are praying that he will be able to join us next year!!

Mia Goes to the Zoo

2009-08-03T16:23:00.001-04:00

During our first week in the states, Mia had the chance to go to the Greenville Zoo. She is just learning her animals, so she was quite excited to see them live and up close!! We enjoyed the big orangutan named Mia from Borneo, Indonesia. And we finished the morning with an awesome meal from Chick-Fil-A. Thank you, Miss Barb, for an exciting morning!!

It’s Been a LOOOOOONG TIME…..

2009-08-03T08:17:00.001-04:00

…..since I’ve posted anything! Whew! I keep saying I’m going to do better at this blogging thing, but it always seems to hit the bottom of my priority list. Anyways, I’m working on some posts from our trip to the states, so stay tuned!

15-month checkup

2009-05-29T20:12:00.001-04:00

Mia Grace had her 15-month checkup just a couple of weeks ago. She is growing like a weed, and the doctor was very happy with her progress. She only gained 1/2 pound in 3 months, but she grew a whole inch! I’ve been so excited that she is learning sign language, but it made me cry at this doctor’s visit when she turned and started signing help while screaming at the top of her lungs while the doctor was giving her shot! Here are a few pictures of her in her cute gown (but none of the shots!).

FUTURE DOCTOR????? :-)

Birthday Beach Trip

2009-05-25T18:16:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, the Rodriguez family loaded up and headed to the beach to celebrate my (Jennifer’s) birthday on Sunday. I told Luis that the only thing I wanted for my birthday was a trip to the beach with some friends, and so that’s what I got. The friends that went with us are very special to us. Rosa keeps Mia in the mornings while I head to the office, and Mia absolutely adores her and her family. Rosa’s husband, Christian, recovers furniture for a living and has made all of our mattresses for us. Their two kids, Rey & Rosani, are precious and love Mia as if she were their own sister. Some friends of ours loaned us a gorgeous condo on the beach, and we had a fantastic time. It was only the 2nd time they had EVER been to the beach in their lives, and their first chance to overnight there. Rosa told me this morning that an overnight trip to the beach was something they had "only ever dreamed of" and thanked us profusely for helping to "make their dream a reality." They were enthralled with all of the technology in the apartment...dishwasher, toaster, electric coffee maker, microwave, and a self-igniting stove! The big hit of the weekend was microwave popcorn....they all stood around the microwave to watch it pop! Enjoy the pictures!!

The Nuñez Family checking out the gorgeous view from our porch.

Mia Grace enjoying the jacuzzi (it wasn’t hot). She LOVES water!!

The view from the side of the jacuzzi.

Playing in the ocean

AWWWW…..

Mia Grace & her daddy walking down to the ocean together.

Mia Grace waiting on the water to wash up on her feet! Did I mention that she LOVES water????

wwwooooooo!!!! There’s the water!!!

Worn out after a long day of playing, Mia lies down and says, ”Ni, Ni.”

Easter 2009

2009-05-20T11:30:00.001-04:00

Miss Cutie in her Easter dress :-)

She was much more interested in her coke bottle than her Easter bag.

Kid’s Camp 2009

2009-05-18T16:22:00.000-04:00

Every February, we have the privilege of hosting a team from Varsity Bible Church in Canada who, in turn, hosts a 3-day camp for the students at our TEARS School. This camp is an opportunity for these children to get away from their barrio for several days and play games, swim, and learn more about Jesus. For the past 3 years, I’ve been on the sidelines of camp. In 2006, I was the TEARS team coordinator, so I was busy doing the details of the Canada team that was here. In 2007, I had a nasty case of bronchitis and was unable to help out at all. And, of course, in 2008, I was giving birth to Mia Grace while the camp was happening! This year, I was THRILLED to be able to participate. At first, I wasn’t so hyped up on being a counselor (of 4th grade girls, nonetheless), but it turned out to be an extremely fun group of girls who made me laugh a lot.

Now, being a counselor comes with some “perks,” which basically means that you get tortured unnecessarily. Ok, it’s necessary in order to keep the kids happy. My “tortures” over the 3 days were as follows:

1) A contest to see how many marshmallows I could put in my mouth and still say the word “CHEVERISIMO,” which means “really cool” in Spanish (4th place)

2) Digging for treasure in a mud pit

3) A cake eating contest, in which I promptly gagged on the first bite and almost threw up un front of the entire crowd (last place)

4) A carnival on the last night, in which the kids could play games and earn money. They used their money to buy a chance at “vengeance” on their counselors by throwing flour or oatmeal on them or putting them in a dunking booth. My sweet girls didn’t want vengeance but plenty of the little boys did!!

I’d like to interject a side note that the water in the dunking booth was FREEZING cold. I know we are on a tropical island, but it does get cold here, and February is one of the coldest months for us. Not to mention we were in the mountains, which is automatically 15-20 degrees cooler….AND it was at night, so you can shave off another 10 degrees or so….AND the water was from a well, so you can shave off another like 50 (ok, maybe 10 but it felt like 50) degrees!!! I’m telling you, it was COLD!!!! And I should also add that it was my dear, sweet hubby that paid for the above “dunking.” So sweet…..

Our teaching theme for the weekend was on storing your treasure in heaven because “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The kids enjoyed treasure-hunting pirates that visited us during each session to teach us.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend full of fun and learning and growing deeper in our walks with Jesus!! Many thanks to the Canadian group that invested so much time and money in planning and pulling off this event.

One Year Doctor’s Visit

2009-05-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Mia went on the 19th of February for her one-year visit to the pediatrician. We love our pediatrician here. He is fun-loving, down-to-earth, and he speaks English!! Mia is the only one that isn’t too fond of him, but that probably has something to do with the fact that he’s given her a shot every time she’s seen him. This was a special visit because she got to wear a gown for the first time…so cute!! She weathered her shot well, and got a sucker for being a good sport.

I LOVE Windows Live Writer

2009-05-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine recommended Windows Live Writer as an easier way to write and post blogs, as well as inserting and formatting pictures. This is my 3rd post using Windows Live Writer, and I have to say that I LOVE it! It’s easy to download and extremely easy to use. During the installation process, you type in your blog address, and it automatically links the program to your blog address. It has a ton of great features that are easy to use (much easier than blogger, in my opinion) and can add much life to your blog. Thank goodness for updated technology!! woohoo!! Go here to download it and try it out, and let me know what you think of it!

Mia’s First Birthday

2009-05-14T13:20:00.001-04:00

We were so excited to have Memommy and Grandma Barb here for Mia’s first birthday party on February 10th. Mia started walking just a week before her birthday, so she was toddling all over the place and playing all day long. We spent the morning preparing everything. It was an Elmo theme, and Grandma Barb brought all things necessary to make an Elmo cake!

The final product was beautiful, and all of the kids at the party loved it!

Mia spent the morning sporting her Elmo 1st birthday hat.

And after lunch, all of the guests began to arrive. We invited friends from the barrio and played games like musical plates and pin the tail on the donkey. Even Mia got in on the game fun (with a little help, of course!)

Last but not least, we enjoyed the cake……especially the birthday girl. Yum, Yum!!!

Even now, 3 months later, it is hard to believe that a year has already passed. Mia grows more every day and gets smarter and smarter! We love you, special girl! Thanks for bringing so much joy and so many smiles into our lives!

Back Up and Running Again!!

2009-05-14T12:58:00.001-04:00

Finally, Finally, Finally!! The internet is back up and running (although a bit slowly), and I can try once again to update on all that has been happening with us this year. Stay posted for pictures of Mia’s first birthday party and more!

Technical Difficulties

2009-03-12T09:37:00.002-04:00

As you will notice below, I've got lots of blog titles with no text underneath!! This is because I created lots of blog entries and scheduled them to post automatically, thinking that I would go in and add the text and pics as I had time before the post date. Well, wouldn't you know that within 24 hours of doing that, we began to have internet problems! Right now, I'm using a bit of office time to keep you in the know....but please keep checking back. I will fill in everything once we get back up and running!!!!

A Visit from Memommy and Grandma Barb

2009-03-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

At the end of our moving week, we had visitors arrive!! My mom and Barb Lehman (who is like a 2nd mom to me) came to visit and to celebrate Mia's 1st birthday with us (that's another blog post). Thankfully, I had lots of help with Mia during our moving week, so everything was set up, put away, and ready for visitors - including the guest room - EXCEPT for the dreaded kitchen! For some reason, this is my least favorite room in the house to organize and keep up with...it's SO overwhelming! Mom & Barb graciously put on their work gloves and washed cabinets and dishes and got everything set up SO nicely! Thanks! I had hoped to venture out with them and show them lots of the "sights" around La Vega, but it rained the ENTIRE week they were here! I couldn't believe it! We did manage to venture into the barrio one day, and we all came back sopping wet and muddy, but we had a great time visiting some of our friends there. Mom & Barb made play-doh for the kids of several families, and we personally took it to them and played with them. Of course, the highlight for all of us was the time that Mom & Barb got to spend with Mia Grace. She LOVES her Memommy! Mia fulfilled her role well, was quite the ham, and got lots of loving (and baths) that week!! Luis & I were treated to a date night with at-home babysitters (a rarity, for sure), so we enjoyed a nice meal at TGI Fridays (that's the upscale restaurant which is "close" by) and time together to chat. :-) Barb also graciously spent many of her hours here painting our old apartment, so that we wouldn't have to pay someone to do that. All in all, it was a WONDERFUL week that went by WAY too fast! I loved having my own mommy close by. You're a great mom, mom! Thanks for putting taking such good care of me when I was little....changing my diapers and feeding me and putting up with my strong-willed personality (and all the other things that I'll appreciate more and more as I have to do them for Mia!). I love you so much!! :-)

Moving Time

2009-03-09T14:00:00.003-04:00

Back in December, another apartment in our building came available for rent. We told the landlord that we were interested in it because it is about twice the size of the one we've been living in. We never heard anything back, so we thought it wasn't going to be an option. We had continued to pray about it because I REALLY wanted to move. I finally said, "Okay, Lord. If this is what you have for us, then open the door. If not, then close it." The next day, at the end of January, the landlord stopped us on our way to work and said, "Just wanted to let you know that the apartment is available if you want it. You have two days to decide." Well, we felt like this was God saying, "The door is open." so we took advantage of it. We had less than a week to move, which was a bit overwhelming to me since my mother was practically on her way for a visit and then we had a 3-day kid's camp on the heels of it (another post for those fun events). Several friends of ours joined in, and we were moved within three days. It was amazing! We are loving the bigger space. Mia started walking the day we started moving, and so she loves having the ability to roam a bit more. Some of the perks include an extra bathroom, a bigger master bedroom with a bathroom, a larger living room area, and a balcony with a great view. Oh, and a MUCH bigger kitchen!!!! Below are some pictures I took as the first boxes were being brought up. I haven't had a chance to take any since we got settled in, so it looks pretty empty in these pics. We are so grateful to God for providing this new place for us!

Happy Birthday, Nana!

2009-03-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have taken the liberty of interrupting the scheduled Rodriguez family updates for a very important announcement! Today is my Nana's birthday!!! I'm not allowed to tell her age, but I will tell you some things about her. She is unbelievably sweet and hospitable, and she loves to have people visit with her at her house...especially her family! When I was 12, we moved into a house just two doors down from Nana, so I was able to see her a lot. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve sitting out on her back porch hulling pecans and shucking corn with her (can you tell I grew up in the South???). Nana loves babies and children and has always doted on her grandchildren. Now that we are all older, we love to go over on Saturday mornings with our own kids and visit Nana. She always welcomes us with coffee and food.....fresh-baked muffins or coffee cake and sometimes an all out breakfast complete with eggs, bacon, and biscuits! And then she plays with our kids while we relax and enjoy the meal!! Mia has really enjoyed spending time with Nana during our visits to the states. Now you may be wondering how Nana has the energy to keep up with all of these grandchildren and great-grandchildren....well, she gets up and goes to the gym every morning to work out!! Yes, that's right...my Nana goes to Curves every morning and gets her exercise on! The most important thing about Nana, though, is that she loves the Lord with all of her heart, soul, mind, and strength. She has passed this amazing heritage down to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren over the years, and there is no greater gift she could have given us. Thank you, Nana, for being an amazing grandmother, for loving us, and for sharing Christ with us in all that you say and do! You are a blessing to our family! Happy birthday to you! We love you very much!!

Nana (in the middle) with her 4 children

Nana in the floor playing with her great-grandson, Aiden.

Nana holding her great-grandson, Benjamin.

Nana (2nd from the left) with her 2 sisters and her great-aunt, Gladys

Citizenship

2009-03-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

I've been pursuing my Dominican citizenship since July of last year, as it is a prerequisite to applying for Luis's US visa. In order to apply from the Dominican Republic, I have to show legal residency or citizenship here. Otherwise, I would have to move to the states and follow the paperwork process there (apart from Luis), which takes between 2-3 years. For us, it wasn't an option to be separated for so long, so we were left with pursuing things from the DR side. Getting residency is normally the first step before citizenship, but by Dominican law, I have a right (as a foreign woman married to a Dominican man) to pursue citizenship directly. This is what we opted to do and on January 15th, 2009, I was sworn in as a Dominican citizen. It was a very simple ceremony with approximately 60 people of original American, Venezuelan, Puerto Rican, Ecuadorian, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean descent. A man gave a short speech about what it means to be Dominican and how we are now responsible to follow all the laws here. Then he read a statement to which we all simultaneously raised our right hands and said, "Yes. For God and for our country." Everyone started to clap and that was it...I became a Dominican in those few seconds. They gave me a lovely flag lapel pin, which I wear proudly on my backpack (ironically, a backpack is a dead giveaway here of being a tourist). Mia, of course, was the hit of the day, and she wowed everyone in the judicial offices with her personality and charm. We have discovered that Mia can get us just about anything that we want, so she accompanies us on many of our paperwork journies. Below is a lovely pic of our family taken after the swearing in. Notice our President's picture in the background (Leonel Fernandez). Many people have asked if I had to give up my US citizenship in order to do this. No, I did not. Because I married into another country, I am able to retain my US citizenship in conjunction with my Dominican citizenship. This is what is known as "dual citizenship."

Luis's Health

2009-03-06T08:00:00.002-05:00

On January 1st, while Mia & I were still stateside, I received a phone call from Luis that he was in the hospital because he had a seizure. It was a little disconcerting, as I wasn't sure all of the details and everything. Thankfully, he was at his parent's house for a visit when it happened and they were able to get him to a nearby clinic for evaluation. He spent two days in the hospital, and got out just in time to come and pick us up at the airport. After asking lots of questions to his doctor at the one-week checkup, we decided to get a second opinion. We are so grateful that some friends in the capital were able to recommend a wonderful neurologist to us. Dr. Cabrera is a sweet Christian man that is extremely knowledgeable in his field...in fact, he is touted to be the number one neurologist in the country! He spent a long time with us at our first consultation and scheduled more tests to be run the following week...an MRI and a sleep/video EEG. The EEG came back normal, but the MRI showed scar tissue on the hippo campus of Luis's right temporal lobe. This is the most common cause of epilepsy, and Dr. Cabrera feels certain that it is the cause of Luis's seizure. Although he doesn't believe that Luis is epileptic, he does believe that without medication, Luis would be likely to continue having seizures. So....Luis is on seizure medication for the next two years!! If he has no seizures within those two years, then he can come off of the meds. We are so thankful that it wasn't anything more serious. Please continue to pray for Luis during this time and for our family. For the next three months, Luis will be unable to work as his body adjusts to the medication and we wait to see if it is effective in stopping the seizures. We will keep you posted as anything develops.

Update Time!!!

2009-03-05T19:41:00.003-05:00

Ok, so it's been a while since I've written. It feels like my life has been in tornado mode since Mia & I got back from the states at the beginning of January. I'm going to take the next week or however long it takes and do a post a day with the highlights of what has been happening with us over the last two months. I don't really know how many readers I had before I took this little hiatus, but I hope you're still checking in with us! :-)

A Christmas Full of Surprises

2008-12-30T16:19:00.004-05:00

Well, Luis surprised me with a trip to SC for Christmas, so I decided to surprise my family with my arrival in SC for Christmas. Great fun!! I called a family friend (Miss Barb) who immediately went nuts about being in on the surprise. She promptly found us a fabulous ticket (non-stop from Santiago to Atlanta), borrowed some warm clothes for Mia, and found a car seat for us to use while here, and then made the trek to Atlanta to pick us up. I have video of the look on my parent's faces when they walked into Miss Barb's house for Sunday lunch, only to find Mia & me sitting in the floor, but I'm not quite sure how to post it yet. My mother cried like I've never seen her cry, and my dad stood there speechless...It was great!! Here are some pics we've taken over the last week and a half. Memommy and Mia just after the surprise!!

Mia giving her Papa some lovin

Mia's cute Christmas Eve outfit. She looks like a candy cane!

Exploring the tree on Christmas morning.

The gorgeous dress Miss Barb got for her!!

Surprise Under the Christmas Tree!!

2008-12-12T09:06:00.001-05:00

The other morning, I was changing Mia's diaper on the couch here in the den. In the blink of an eye, she flipped over, climbed the side of the couch and got right up under the Christmas tree! Gives all new meaning to unwrapping a gift beneath the tree! :-)

Finger-Lickin Good!!

2008-12-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a couple of shots of Mia enjoying a bone from a nice set of baby-back ribs her daddy was eating on! Yumm-o!!

Mia Gets Stuck

2008-12-11T08:15:00.001-05:00

Mia managed to wedge herself in between the column and the wall in our apartment. Like any good parent, I took pictures before I rescued her. :-)

Christmas Fun

2008-12-10T06:50:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago (yes, it was BEFORE Thanksgiving!!) we invited our friends, Darin and Tracy, over on a Sunday evening to decorate the Christmas tree. It was cold outside (70 degrees Farenheit or so) and rainy, so the chili we had for dinner was fantastic! We also made cookies and poppycock (is that how you spell it, Darin?) and hot chocolate and snacked on them while we listened to Christmas music and decorated the tree. It was so much fun!!

Darin putting the finishing touches on the tree.

Luis hanging out the lights on the balcony.

Tracy very graciously attempting to find that one burnt out lightbulb.

Luis giving me a kiss next to the finished product!! :-)

Unfortunately, Mia had to go to sleep before the night was over, so we still need to get a family picture next to the tree. We've got it up on top of a cabinet in the den so that Mia can't get to it without some help from us. Thanks, Darin & Tracy, for helping to make this a memorable Christmas for our family!!

How Big is Mia??

2008-12-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

Sooooooo Biiiiiiig!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Luis!!!

2008-12-08T13:12:00.003-05:00

Today is my hubby's 26th birthday! In honor of this great day, I'm going to share 26 things about him that many people don't know. I hope this will help you get to know him, as many of you still haven't met him in person!!

1) He is incredibly musically gifted. He plays the piano/keyboard, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and drums...self-taught on all of them.

2) He is incredibly artistically gifted. He can draw, paint, airbrush, and do wood carvings.

3) He has 1 sister and 1 brother. His sister lives in Miami with her family and his brother lives in Santiago, DR, with his family.

4) His nephew and niece were both born on Christmas day...one year apart.

5) He loves to sing and rap. Oh, did I mention that he writes music, too?? Yep, he does!!

6) His dad is a pastor of two churches.

7) He likes to wear big, baggy clothes...the "gangsta" look. I must interject here, though, that he looks very presentable and nice. He wears a belt...so he's not always trying to hold up his pants with one hand. This small thing (the belt) makes certain members of my family happy, but I won't mention their names here.

8) He is obsessed with his hair. He has these beautiful ringlets that frame his face, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Obsessed is the only word I know to describe it....he honestly takes longer than I do to get ready to go out.

9) We call him the "slash" guy at work. He works for TEARS as the construction/maintenance/messenger/PR/translator/gopher guy.

10) He now loves Dr. Pepper (thanks to yours truly). It's not sold here in the DR, but we occasionally find it in some random, hole-in-the-wall place....or someone ships some to us. On those rare occasions when it is actually present in our home, it is a fight to see who will drink it!! In the meantime, our Dr. Pepper-flavored Jelly Bellies sustain us! :-)

11) He cooks an AMAZING spaghetti sauce that melts in your mouth!!

12) He hates to read (in his words, "I strongly dislike it.")

13) He learned to speak English by watching TV. Among his favorite English shows? Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, House, and the Cosby Show.

14) He doesn't like sweets very much. They make his teeth hurt.

15) His current toothbrush is blue and white.

16) He likes to play Scrabble (preferably in Spanish).

17) He LOVES to work puzzles.

18) His favorite foods include tacos, fajitas, and chili.

19) His favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:28.

20) He eats corn on his hot dogs (a very common thing here in the DR).

21) When he drinks coffee in the morning, he likes it with milk and sugar. When he drinks it in the afternoon, he likes it with sugar only.

22) He likes science fiction movies and shows.

23) He loves computers and anything that has to do with graphics on the computer. PhotoShop, AfterEffects, Premier, etc.

24) He likes to match his clothes...hat, shirt, shoes, etc....this is all part of the "gangsta" look (refer to #7). My friend, Joy, calls this "matchy, matchy, poo-poo" and that makes me laugh!!!! :-)

25) He has a very strong sense of taste. He can tell you all the ingredients of any food he puts in his mouth.

26) He likes country music!!!!! yay!!! He once wrote me a country song (available in stores: July 3020).

And one to grow on: in his own words, "I love my girls more than life itself!"

Happy Birthday, Baby! I love you!!!!!

Fun In a Box

2008-12-07T08:36:00.000-05:00

Who said you have to spend lots of money on toys for kids??? Random household items are always Mia's favorites! Like this box, for instance....

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2008-11-30T15:19:00.000-05:00

In general, Thanksgiving isn't celebrated here in the Dominican Republic (since it's an American holiday and all), but we usually find a way to celebrate it somehow. In the past, our mail service has always paid for us to get turkeys and fixings and all that good stuff (as turkeys are VERY expensive here). This year we were unable to have turkey, but we DID have some great chicken, rice, and beans!! (For those of you who don't know, that is the staple meal here in the DR.) We got together out at Rod & Twila's house with the whole TEARS staff and ate the whole afternoon and evening away. I learned how to play a great new game called Farkle, and now I'm addicted!! Below is a picture of Mia Grace hanging out with her "Aunt" Tracy and eating (or gnawing on) an oatmeal cookie.

Monte Cristi

2008-11-26T11:25:00.000-05:00

On our way back from Dajabón, we stopped in Monte Cristi to do a little bit of sightseeing. Monte Cristi is located on the northwest coast of the island. These scenic pictures are actually from the outskirts of the city. I had never been here before, so it was nice to see another part of the island.

These are the salt flats by the ocean. The sea water is let into the flats, and then the natural drying process occurs in the sun, leaving only salt crystals behind.

A beautiful pier with a gazebo at the end.

Another shot of the same pier.

Standing on the pier and looking to the left, you could see the fishing boats lined up along the coast.

A Visit To Dajabón

2008-11-24T15:15:00.010-05:00

On November 12th, I had the opportunity to head out to Dajabón, DR, to see my husband and meet with the leader of the team he was working with. We picked her brain on some pretty interesting ministry stuff, all the way from grant-writing to tools we can give to the impoverished to help them break the vicious cycle they are in. I had a great time seeing my husband (of course) and meeting the team of Rotarians from Alberta, Canada that he was working with.
I think the thing that may have impacted me most on this trip, though, was seeing the Haitian/Dominican border crossing there in Dajabón. Rod, Darin, and I walked out on the bridge and took some pictures, and as I stared across the border into Haiti, which is considered a 4th-world country, I felt a wrenching in my gut as I realized how privileged I am just to be able to stand on the other side of the fence. The opportunities for me and my family here in the DR are endless in comparison to our neighbors in Haiti.

Looking through the guard station at the border patrol.

As I watched the Haitians standing at the gate and begging us for just one dollar, I could not imagine life where my freedom ends at the borders of my country. I could not imagine standing at the border of Canada or Mexico and knowing that I could not enter and have a shot at a better life.

Darin standing at the gate that separates the two countries. You can see two Haitian guys standing on the other side of the gate. They were begging us for money.

Here are some stats on Haiti: 1) Half the population is undernourished. 2) The infant mortality rate is 80 per 1000 live births (that's 12.5%). 3) Only 46% of the population has access to clean water. 4) Only 28% of the population has good sanitation. 5) Approximately 1/2 of the population is illiterate. 6) The unemployment rate is approximately 80%.
As Americans, we have the ability to not just put a meal on the table each day but to stock up on food for a week or a month at a time. We have access to some of the most advanced health care in the world. We can turn on our tap at any time and not only know that there will be water coming out but that we can drink it safely. We have the ability to receive not only a basic education but to attend college, as well. And although our economy is suffering right now, we still have access to jobs that can provide for our families. We have the freedom to enter just about any country we would like at any time we would like. All this that we have and we take for granted...yet the majority of us continue to live well above our means, charging up credit cards and drinking $4 cups of coffee every day (hey, I love Starbucks too!!).....and we remain oblivious to the rest of the world, many of whom struggle to even put one meal on the table each day.

Looking across the border into Haiti. The river is the dividing point between the two countries.

Growing up, I assumed the rest of the world was like the US. When I was 17, I went on a mission trip to Venezuela and began to realize that things were different in other parts of the world. It took quite a few more years and several more trips before I realized that the US is unique unto itself. And we are much more privileged than most of us realize.

The river that divides the two countries. If you look closely, you can see the line of Haitian women on the banks of the river in the distance. They are washing their clothes.

I guess the thing that I ponder the most is how I can reach out and truly make a difference. How do I sacrifice in order to give? What do I sacrifice in order to give? Will God ask me and my family to suffer in some way in order to reach out to others less fortunate? And what if He does? Will people think I'm crazy? Should I care if people think I'm crazy?
And, yes, these are all ramblings from a so-called missionary. Maybe I should already have all the answers to these questions figured out. Just goes to show that missionaries are just normal people. :-)
To round this out, I have to say that in my humble opinion (but opinion nonetheless), every teenager should be required to visit a 3rd-world country before they graduate from high school. If you've missed that age cut-off, it's never to late to go! It is a life-changing experience that will change your perspective on everything..if you allow it to.

While Daddy is Away, His Girls Will Play!!!

2008-11-11T05:40:00.011-05:00

Luis has been away since last Friday, driving a short-term team around in Dajabon (a DR/Haiti border town). The team is from a rotary club in Canada, and they are putting solar lights in low-income homes in that town. When I talked to Luis last night, he said he was having a great time...which is great because now I don't feel so guilty about my fun beach trip this past weekend! :-) Mia & I were invited to go to the beach with some friends here that work with TEARS. We actually did turn it into a working weekend, as we spent some time tackling the grant proposal process that we are now entering.

Everyone took turns watching Mia and playing with her, which was a great help to me. Too bad no one was awake to help me out when she decided to wake up at 4:30 AM BOTH mornings!! Here's a little of what Mia did all weekend:

She watched Baby Einstein videos with her "Uncle" Darin (who liked them as much as she did, but he didn't want to admit it!) :-)

She tried desperately to pull her booster seat out of the chair.

She drank a bottle by herself, played with her feet and laughed, laughed, laughed.

She spent time in the kitchen cooking with her "Aunt" Tracy.

And she ate at TGI Fridays!!! (which is a BIG treat here!)

All in all, we had a great time. I didn't get any pictures of Mia at the pool or the beach because I was never with her when she went (I was recovering from those 4:30 AM wake-up calls she gave me!) Mia is a little fish, though. She loves to be in the water....pool, ocean, or bathtub!! Oh, and her "Uncle" Rod didn't make it into any of the pictures either. He was always conveniently absent when the camera came out.

And the winner is.....

2008-11-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

"Da-Da" !!!!!!!!!! Yep, Mia busted out with the "Da-Da" on Monday afternoon. I took her into another room where Luis was, and she looked at him, smiled, and said "Da-Da." She has yet to use it in context again, but she does wander around saying "da-da-da-da" all the time. Luis is quite pleased about this, of course. We've been told that Mia will be a late talker since she is being "fed" two languages on a continual basis. Either way, this babbling/talking/sign language phase is a BLAST!!

Bathtime Fun

2008-11-05T06:58:00.003-05:00

Oh, how my daughter LOVES bathtime!! I decided last night that it was time for a little photo op in the duck tub. Mia is a huge fan of ducks, so I got this tub during our visit to the states over the summer. It's Munchkin-made, WalMart-sold, cute, quacks when you squeeze its beak, and it only costs $10!!

I Love Cloth Diapers!!

2008-11-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I must confess that my decision to use cloth diapers had nothing to do with environment and EVERYTHING to do with economy!! Disposable diapers are quite expensive down here, so we figured we would invest a little money up front for the cloth ones and then save in the long run...man, oh, man has that ever been a great decision! I have to say that I love our cloth diapers. They've definitely come a LONG way since the days that my mother put them on me, which makes it a lot easier to like them! :-) As you can see, they are velcro and all one piece these days...no rubber pants, no pins, nothing cumbersome like that...just take 'em off, rinse 'em out, and throw 'em in the washing machine. We don't have diaper services here, either, so we are on our own for the laundering part. They have this great soap here (jabón de cuava) that you can grate and throw in your diaper pail overnight, and the diapers come out of the wash so white, white, white! Love it!! We still use disposable diapers at night, but we are only going through about one pack a month (as opposed to one pack every 4-5 days). Oh, and I must confess too that it is my wonderful hubby that rinses out the poopy diapers (woohhoo!!). :-) There are tons of brands out there, but I went with Kushies. I bought them online on the Wal-Mart site. I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone!!

Meet Mia Grace

2008-11-01T21:33:00.003-04:00

Here she is...the most adorable child in the whole world!! Mia Grace arrived on Feb. 10th, 2008, at 8:22 PM. She weighed in at 7 1/2 pounds and was 19.5" long. You can check out her arrival story on my friend Heidi's blog.

Over the last 8 1/2 months, Mia Grace has kept us busy and smiling all the time. She is SO busy and is already trying to walk. She loves to push a little plastic table around the apartment. I think she's going to be strong-willed like me (yippee!). She loves music, pictures, books, and bathtime. She is officially a dual citizen of the U.S. and the D.R., has 2 passports (with quite adorable pictures!), and has already flown on an airplane! I hope this blog will allow me to share her fun accomplishments with all of you who are far away and don't get to see her often! :-)

Finally...

2008-11-01T18:19:00.000-04:00

Well, I've finally joined the world of bloggers! All of my friends seem to be blogging these days and attempting to document the lives of their kids. I've always thought it was a great idea, and I love reading other people's blogs. And then I decided that I should conform to this new technological age and participate in it myself. Not to mention the fact that it's a fabulous way to keep family and friends updated on our growing girl while we are so far away! As I write this first, momentous post, my wonderful husband and adorable daughter are in the floor playing together, and I think life couldn't be any better than to hear them "talking" to each other and having fun. Thanks for joining us on this journey!