Happy Birthday Snuggle bug

Who ever said that the youngest never have their picture taken didn't have a snuggle bug to take pictures of.
These are just some random, too cute to not share picture of the birthday girl that I have taken over the last few months.

 Sportin' zenias from the flower garden...... one behind each ear!

 Enjoying yummy watermelon while on a brief getaway in July.  I took this cause I have a cute picture of her eating watermelon before she was one..... my how she has grown.

 Play date at a friend's house last week..... playing dress up.

Look at my baby...... 5 years old, starting Kindergarten.  WOW!  If my kids went to school some where else, I might actually get teary eyed at that thought, but since I get to keep her at home for a while, I will just enjoy my little bundle of imaginative energy!

Sunday Mornings

So.... I got a new camera for my birthday.... a small one I can throw in my bag and tote around with me to snap pictures anytime, anywhere, and I LOVE IT!  Plus it is small enough I don't look like a tourist wandering around town.  So these are some of the pictures I snapped at church a few weeks ago.

Our format for Church hasn't changed.... We all meet in the construction zone for praise and worship.

Then afterwards the children stay inside the "zone" and the adults move outside under the trees.

 One outside they break up into groups.  Kent usually gives each group a verse or two to look up and discuss.  Sometimes each group's verse is the same, sometimes it is different. Then after they have had time to read and talk about the verse, each group takes a few minutes to share with the rest of the groups what they have learned or what they think. Then Kent or who ever is teaching will explain a little more and give more clarity. 

 Random artistic picture I took while playing with my camera on that particular Sunday.

 Mean while.... in the "zone" the kids are learning their own lessons.  We just finished a series on the Fruits of the Spirit, looking at them in the life of King David.

 After the story/lesson the kids get to "shade" or color a picture based on the story, then they get a "bisquit" or a cookie for snack.

 There are still anywhere from 85 to 100+ kids that come every week!  We are so blessed to be part of their lives, even if only a small part.

 A Group shot.

Fransis - "Fran-swah"

This is Fransis. He is AMAZING!  He joined our "circle" last summer during the team rush, and has been a valuable player ever since.

 For months he helped me with the children on Sunday mornings.  A few months ago we got him an inexpensive guitar and he has become our Praise and Worship leader.  He is ROCKIN'!

Kent started calling him "Franswah".... .like he is French, and it stuck.  I totally love working with every week as the P&W leader.  This picture was taken on a special day for school... when he was given his "position", and took over the roll for someone else.  We are SO proud of this young man.

Mommy Daughter dates.

So a few months back I started taking the girls out on lunch dates. Then we started hosting teams..... the past few Fridays we have been out of town, but some where in there Sweat Pea and I managed to get in an afternoon out, squeezed into our schedule.

The idea was inspired by my friend who is a missionary in the middle east. She had read the book "8 great dates for mom's and daughters", and loved the concept.  We started a Friday lunch rotation and as soon as I got my kindle, I read the book too!

The book has some GREAT ideas, some of which are hard to accomplish in a third world country, but we are going to try to adapt the concepts to what we DO have available.

A "snap" of the menu.  Contrary to popular belief we can get some yummy food in Gulu!

My beautiful princess!!!  So like me in so many ways.... yet so different too.

Her picture of me with the bus park out the window. 

 

After lunch we went shopping and stopped by our favorite seamstress Florence.  This is her baby girl.  I love all the bright color fabrics.... the are great for fun skirts and projects, no so great for quilting.

Spending "one on one" time with each of my girls is a joy and privilege that I look for to re-starting once our crazy summer has come to an end.

OUR MOVIE LIST

This is not a normal post.   It is a CRAZY long list of all our movies.  Movies are one of the few ways to have family time here.  Movies and Games.  However, we have started receiving doubles, so I thought I would post a list of all our movies, so people can see what we have or don't have.

Movie Title

A River Runs Through It

Band of Brothers

Big Mamma's House 2
Braveheart

City Slickers

Dances with Wolves
Forest Gump D -1

Lord of the Rings
Mrs. Doubtfire

Rocky
Saving Private Ryan
Second Hand Lions
The Book of Eli ***
The Karate Kid
The Last Samurai
The Passion of the Christ
The Patriot
The Scorpion King
The Shawshank Redemption
Water
Chicken Run
A Good Year
A Walk in The Clouds
Tristan & Isolde
A Fashion Fairytale
Fairytopia
Fairytopia - Magic of the Rainbow
Fairytopia - Mermaidia
Mariposa
Rapunzel
Swan Lake
The 12 Dancing Princesses
The Diamond Castle
The Island Princess
The Magic of Pegasus
The Nutcracker
The Princess and the Pauper
The Three Musketeers
Thumbelina
Narnia - Lion, Witch and Wardrobe
Narnia - Prince Caspian and Voyage
Narnia - The Silver Chair
Any Given Sunday D - 1
Any Given Sunday D - 2
Talent for the Game
The Boys of Fall
The Green Berets
The NFL Greatest Coaches
The Pacific
Chonda Pierce
Veggie tales Double Feature
A Christmas Carol
Christmas Vacation
Santa Buddies
Santa Clause 2
The Nativity

Bonanza

Red Skelton
The 10 Commandments (1923 Silent)

The Great Escape

The Thomas Crown Affair

Alice in Wonderland
Beauty and the Beast

Cinderella

Cinderella III

G Force

Little Mermaid

Little Mermaid - Ariel's Beginning
Narnia - Prince Caspian
Narnia - The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe
Narnia - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Peter Pan - Animated
Peter Pan - Return to Neverland
Sleeping Beauty
Tangled
The Aristocats
The Emperor's New Groove
The Fox and the Hound
the Goofy movie
The Lion King
The Sword and the Stone
Tinker Bell - Tinker Bell
Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure

Air Bud - Strikes Back

Air Bud - 7th inning Fetch
Air Buddies - Air Buddies
Benji D
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Buddies - Snow Buddies
Buddies - Space Buddies
Fire House Dog
Lassie - Lassie's Gift of Love
Lassie - The Best of Lassie
Soccer Dog
The Retrievers
Underdog
Where the Red Fern Grows
Where the Red Fern Grows - 2
White Fang - 9 episodes
Winn- Dixie
Joseph - King of Dreams
Kung Fu Panda
Madagascar
Madagascar 2
Over the Hedge
Prince of Egypt
Spirit
Bible - Apocalypse
Bible - Esther
Bible - Genisis
Bible - Jeremiah
Bible - Jesus
Bible - Paul
Bible - Solomon

Planet Earth

A Little Princess/ The Secret Garden

Anne of Green Gables

Dennis the Menace

Furry Vengance ***
Gifted Hands ***
Marmaduke ***
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
My Side of the Mountian
Nim's Island
Peter Pan - live Action
Ramona and Beezus
Stuart Little
Temple Grandin
The 10 Commandments D - 1 (1956)
The 10 Commandments D - 2 (1956)
The Sign of the Beaver
The Spy Next Door ***
Best of the Cosby Show
Coal Miner's Daughter
Little Rascals (1938 classic)

The Andy Griffith Show

The Best of Bonanza
Breakfast at Tiffany's

Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride - 2
Julie and Julia
Little Women
My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Pride & Prejudice A&E

Pride and Prejudice

Sense & Sensibility
The Phanton of the Opera
Seabiscuit
Flicka
Second Chances
The Secretariat
Charlotte's Web 2
Despicable Me
Donkey X
Dora saves the Mermaids
Dora saves the Snow Princess
Dr. Seuss - The Cat in the Hat
Gnomeo and Juliet
Happy Feet
Ice Age
Ice Age - Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Ice Age - The Meltdown
Open Season
Princess Collection
Quest for Camalot
Redwall
Robots
Tale of Despaurx
The Hobbit
The Reef
The Secret of Nimh
The Secret of Nimh 2
Sound of Music
The West Side Story

200 Classic Cartoons

Cars
Finding Nemo

Monsters Inc

Ratouille

The Incredibles

Toy Story 1

Toy Story 2
Toy Story 3
UP
Baby Take a Bow

Bright Eyes

Curly Top
Heidi
Little Miss Broadway
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
the Little Princess

John Bevere - Drawing Near

John Bevere - Intimacy

Louie Giglio - Fruit Cake and Ice Cream

Louie Giglio - Hope: When Life Hurts Most

Louie Giglio - How Great is our God
Louie Giglio - Indescribable

How to Build a Hut in three weeks

Small disclaimer....... this was SUPPOSED to post on the 5th..... WHY it didn't, I haven't a clue, but I wanted to just let everyone know that I do know when my dad's birthday is! 

This post is dedicated to my dad, who loves to build.  Who works steadily and had built many buildings during my life time!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

 Step 1.  dig out the hill, and build up & level the foundation. 

 Step 2. Spread rock all over the foundation.

 Step 3. Pour concrete over the rock and smooth it out.

 Step 4. Start building up the walls.

 Step 5. Continue building wall, until you have gone all the way around the foundation.

Step 6. Add doors and windows.  then put the finishing over the rough bricks.

 Step 7. Put on the roof beams and start "sewing" the grass bundles on the the wood beams.

Step 8. pour the finishing floor and let it cure for a week.

Some where in there you add some wire for lights and an outlet. In a few weeks, when our current company leaves, we will paint it and really finish it off nicely, so that we always have a place to let people stay when they are in town visiting. All we lack is paint! I'll post the pictures when it is finished!

Running....

I am reading "The Secrets of the Secret Place" by Bob Sorge and so far there have been several that have really challenged my thinking.

 Most people could probably tell you that I am NOT a deep thinker.  I like to keep things simple.  I don't like talking politics or theology. But one of the secrets that really kicked my brain in to gear was "The Secret of Running".

 The point being that when life starts to get out of control, when storms start blowing, we don't just stand there.... we RUN to God who is our shelter and our protector.  So often I find myself just tolerating the "rain", putting up with the stresses of life, waiting for it all to "blow over".  Instead I want to learn to run to him. He is there, he is waiting, he will cover us and shelter us, but we have to run to him.

(Once again, random pictures of the zenias my honey planted for me in the yard. Thought they would make a good "filler" for this post.) 

Charcoal the monkey

 Meet Charcoal the Monkey.

 He was "thrown in" the last package from my mom, and was an instant part of Snuggle Bugs primate family.  Some of you may remember that one of SB's gifts last year for Christmas was a bed for her monkey Chocolate, and that Baby Girl drew her a portrait of Chocolate as well.

 When SB met Charcoal it was love at first sight!  She had him all strapped on the other day, and she looked so snappy in her new sneakers and matching monkey accessory, I couldn't help but snap a few pictures of happy family.

This is a random picture I took, but it was too cute to NOT post some where.

Lunar Eclipse

So apparently on the night of June 15th there was one of the 4 longest lunar eclipses in the last 100 years.

 We were told that it could only be watched in a few time zones.  Uganda just happens to be in one of those special time zones. 

 We had a blast staying up watching the eclipse take place.  It was so amazing that I had to bust out the camera AND the tripod and got to play around with the shutter speeds. 

These are some of my favorite.  It was an AMAZING sight to behold! And the memory of laying on the blanket playing with Daddy will stay with the girls their WHOLE lives.

Mac and Cheeze

When we asked the girls what they might like from the states, Sweet Pea answered..... Macaroni and Cheese!

So our amazing friend in Waco sent 15 boxes with one of the teams.  The first time I cooked some, I cooked THREE boxes, and it wasn't enough! They still wanted more and Snuggle Bug had to resort to licking the spoon in order to get more of the cheezy goodness!

Mac'n'cheese is only one of MANY wonderful treats that the teams have brought over.  We have enjoyed fun cereals, like "Fruit Loops", "Honey Bunches of Oats" and "Cheerios".  We have licked our way to sugar land with "tootsie Pops" and "blow pops".  And we now have enough nail polish to open a small salon!  Actually, the two big girls have started paining the toe nails of all the team girls when they come for dinner!  They are gettin' quite skilled at adding little hearts and flowers to nails.

Bisky

On of the other exciting adventures in our lives.... we got a CAT!  His name is Bisky. 

 He was a wild, little thing when he first arrived!  He bit me in the catching process, and then when we finally were able to re-catch him (I dropped him when he bit me).  The locals shoved him in a milk tin and we rushed him home and let him out in the girls bathroom.  It took him a few weeks, but now he his a perfectly tame kitty.  Lady even likes him!

He looks just like Shadrack the black kitty Kent gave me when I was pregnant with Baby Girl, that we had to leave in Lubbock when we moved to Waco.  Our collection of animals is ever growing!

Busy Hands

Here is not a lot to do here in Gulu. In our free time.... so we read.  And we read.  And when we have read everything on the shelf, we go back and read them again.  Occasionally I can get the girls to work on a hand sewing project.  Sweet Pea has been "working" on this one for a while..... she finished a humming bird last summer and gave it to my mom for her birthday.

 This is Curly's first attempt at anything more than the chunky plastic squares and the huge plastic needles.  I didn't have anything for her to "sew", so I drew a flower on a scrap piece of fabric, and showed her how to "color it in" with the thread.

I think I will be sending my little "elves" to Hobby Lobby for some more supplies for the "sled" from Abilene to bring when they come!s