C T scan

Most people might not know that over the course of my 14 months in Madagascar I had 9 ear infections and twice those infections were double ear infections.

Since I have been here in the states I have been going to a series of Dr. Appointments to check things out and make sure my body is in great working order.

Today I had a C T scan on my sinus section and there is a possibility of me having surgery to correct something, depending on what the Doctor sees this time around.

Please be praying through this process with me. The tests are evasive, time consuming and yet trying to get to the bottom of things is well worth the time.

Packing things up

Since I have been here in Colorado for over 6 weeks now there have been packages arriving for me right and left and a few items I have been able to purchase on my own that will help life in Madagascar to be warmer and without parasites in my water, not to mention some other things for other people that I love there.

So, I spent about 3 hours packaging up things to send to Madagascar, weighing boxes, un-packaging things and then doing it all over again... While I was in CA I did the same thing

and since this has become a ministry I have been

praying the entire time I have been packing things up, what a great time this has been for me.

I am praying that when the items arrive in Madagascar conversations of GOD will come up, people will continue to be curious about HIS love, care and guidance in life and helping others... Lets keep the "Main thing the main thing" for now and remember that each time a package gets to Madagascar it is an opportunity to share Christ with the postal workers. A group of three postal workers there in Madagascar have just started asking me questions about the GOD that I serve. I am looking forward to sharing more and more with them once I arrive back in the country.

Here are some pictures of the boxes I packed and some that I received while I was there over last year. I am so very grateful for each and every item that was sent. Thank you to all who took the time and paid the money to send such incredibly thoughtful gifts.

The words "thank YOU" just don't express my heart... but will have to do!

Merry Christmas 2010

This year at Christmas I find myself somewhere that I was not expecting, and really not very excited about, yet as Christmas approaches, this year more than ever I am reminded of the simplicity of the birth of Jesus.

The reason that we all celebrate Jesus being born has to be more than getting a tree and decorating it with shiny objects. It has to be more than the foods, the parties, stockings filled with candy and gifts or the family time.

I am reminded that this is a journey that we celebrate as much as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we celebrate the journey of Mary and Joseph, the journey of the wise men and really our own passage of time.

This year are you closer to following the North star to the birth so that you can give your very best present to Jesus... What do I have that Jesus wants? I am sure that it is all of me and as hard as that is to give up, I do it willingly because I love him and excited that HE arrived on earth for that short time.

My prayer this Christmas is that WE don't get caught up in how many presents we get, or give but what do we have to give Jesus. What do you have that is of great worth to you and those around you, something that GOD gave you that exceeds you... Then give it to HIM, don't hoard it for yourself - share it... Is it a talent, is it a worldly posession, could it be making time to care for someone, or just being available to walk alongside of someone that is hurting?

I am giving Jesus my attention, my listening ear, my heart and my will.. Praying that HE can use all of me to bless himself and further HIS kingdom.

Blake and Brodi

Blake and Brodi and I found ourselves taking a walk before going to Grandpa's house to celebrate Christmas... What a great time.

Enjoy these special pictures!

Date with Sam and Blake

I was blessed with the opportunity to take a niece and nephew out for special time.

Years ago I started something special where I have intentional one on one time with my precious nieces and nephews.

Knowing that this time in CA was limited I took the two older ones with me to a local bowling alley. This was some special Anutie time and I really enjoyed it.

My Mom had saved up coupons from her bowling league, and all we had to pay for was the adult shoes ($3), thanks to the generosity of the employee at the alley I used to bowl at myself. I am so thankful that we could take that time with each other to make a memory.

Sammy and Blake were very competitive, yet they did not ever really concentrate on getting the ball down the alley, and they had assistance from the bumpers that would automatically go up each time one of their names came up on the bowling roster. I even let them bowl for me with a guaranteed gutter ball each time because I did not have bumpers that would go up.

I guess they just wanted to know what the final score was and who was in first place.

What a great time with those precious ones

Family Christmas (party #1)

My Dad is one of 7 children and comes from a very large family that seems to have new members and visitors at every event, this year was like all others yet for me it was a special blessing to be here with them and not all the way across the globe and in Madagascar.





Spending time with extended family was a very unexpected blessing on this trip back to CA...

I tried to get shots with

people yet sit and take it all in so that next year I will have all these people and memories fresh in my mind.

From the prayer time for the food and for the season, to the quick and sometimes very deep conversations with family.

I found myself asking about college life, boyfriends, living situations, and all the others changes in life that come in a large family.

My time with them was way to short but a blessing just the same. I had incredible conversations with so many of them. I asked forgiveness to one Aunt because I said things on skype with her that did not come out in the best way. That was important for me to do since I could hug her and see her face to face. A few cousins had very direct and meaningful conversations with me and I with them. This day and the conversations, hugs and pictures touched my heart as only my family could.

My Brother, his wife and three children were not able to attend because a few of them had caught colds and did not want to share with the rest of the families. Later we found out it was a good decision because Brad, my brother actually had the start of Pneumonia.

I did get some sweet time with my Grandma who will be turning 94 this coming April and is a very special person in my life. She has experienced so much in life and she loves all of us, her, children their children and then the children's children...

My cousin Danny let me know how much he loved me by getting face to face and telling me he cares for me no matter what I have or had gone through.

His daughter Maddison borrowed my camera and took some of the pictures posted here - she might be a photographer some time in the future.

My nephew Blake loves to hug on me and I love to be hugged. He might not love having pictures but I do and he is a great sport. Thanks Blake.

I must say that being with the children is my favorite part of the holidays, really the best part of any family gathering is hugging on the children, asking them about themselves and hearing what they love to talk about.

Rainy days and Gingerbread

Children don't do well when it keeps raining outside and they are trapped indoors. Seems even worse with a Christmas tree loaded down with shiny wrapped presents.

Today we worked on Gingerbread houses, I am certain this is where playing with candy becomes ok. This is where you see children and their cute characters come out in creativity, care and style. It was a fun time and we have pictures to help hold onto the memories.

Praising GOD for time with family - for lessons in creativity, patience, design or uniqueness and how GOD cares for each of us humans so directly and specially. Thank GOD for children, family and for LOVE! I pray that you were blessed with new memories with the ones that you love and cherish during this holiday season.

20 year wedding anniversary

My cousin, Cheryl and her husband, Bill had a surprise 20 year Wedding Anniversary that I was able to attend while in CA. You see the even cooler thing was that I was in their wedding 20 years ago and for me to be at the celebration meant a lot to my cousin and to myself.

We all enjoyed dressing up and taking some family pictures for the event. I hope you enjoy the shots. We packed 4 adults and 4 children into my sisters car and we were off in the rain and traffic to this splendid event.

Once we arrived it was so great to see some of my fathers side of the family, Aunts and Uncles and my Grandmother. Especially when Cheryl and Bill arrived and they looked at me then commented "did you come home just for us." What an incredible moment for each of us. A few tears did stream down our cheeks yet they were amazing tears of JOY.

CA Drivers License

I arrived in CA today to spend some time with family for Christmas (Thanks to my Brother and Sister-n-law for springing for the airline ticket). The sad but true first stop had to be the CA DMV. While I was in Madagascar my license had expired and in order to drive in the states I needed to have it renewed.

For a couple of weeks in Colorado I was trying to call the CA DMV to get answers to see what would be required when I arrived yet the automated teller just sent me on a push button spree. One day one of the three phone calls had me pushing buttons and waiting to hear the automated responses for over 47 minutes. I am all for automation yet not being able to get to a person and have a direct question answered became very time consuming.

While living in Colorado for about a month I needed to find people to get rides from to Dr. Appointments, the store and a local church. I did walk a few times a mile here or a mile there yet it was getting colder and the rain and snow made it impossible for me to walk everywhere. It was great to have time with people, and the kindness of those around me was fantastic, in this fast paced lifestyle it was wonderful to get to know a little bit about people that work at WorldVenture. It will be great to get back to Colorado and into a training/counseling regiment and have wheels at my own disposal, independence is such a part of my life yet it was great while the dependency lasted.

Praise the Lord that after about 2 hours at the DMV I was given my temporary papers and looking forward to getting the real document in the mail in the coming weeks. Glad to have a little more freedom and independence back in my life and glad to have the opportunity to be in CA with family.

Missing HOME

I have now been here for one MONTH and just the last couple of days I have woken up and gone to sleep thinking of my new land, my new home, my country and the controversy, the language and how much I have been able to pick up, my animals and most of all the great friends and Malagasy contacts that I have made over the last year and a half.

I am a visitor in this once familiar land. With no ties to hold me down here yet it is as familiar as coming to my mothers home for the holidays. I have posted notes, cards and pictures around my room and living space that remind me of both lands that I love and yet the one that calls me earnestly deeply within.

Knowing full well that the HOME that I love and long for really is to be with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, sitting amongst the heavenly's. All places on this earth pale in comparison to the incredible eternity ahead that awaits each of HIS children that desire and live a life that is after HIS heart.

Depending on others

Since I have arrived in Colorado I have had to spend a lot of time waiting and asking for rides places. Normal everyday chores have become real planned events...

I am so very blessed that there are plenty of people available to help get me place to place and it is a very different place to find myself, needing others, to ride with others and to communicate my needs and wants with people. This is great to learn and grow through at this stage in life.

Do you think that you could depend on others at the stage in life you are in right now? What would that look like for you? Could you plan ahead in order to arrange your needs to be met and still get out and have fun without feeling like you are becoming a burden on other people?

VISITOR

Maggie came to see me in Colorado and we talked, played games, went shopping and ate out - did things that girls do.

It was especially great to go on a walk and enjoy GOD's beautiful creation all around us. The weather did not lend to being outside much as it was really cold by my standards and I did not have all the right outside cold weather items to keep me from the icy dry cold for long amounts of time.

Over the coming days Maggie and others helped get me prepared for this weather and the cold that was bound to come. Thank you to all the people that sent items, shoes, leggings, long underware, scarfs, mittens and warm jackets and sweaters. I could not have stayed warm without all of you.

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we did getting out and taking the walk in nature, even though it was really cold...