Look Mom!

 I don't know where my boys get all their monkeyshines from, but they sure are full of it sometimes. I grabbed my camera one evening as they apparently got bored with the normal way of swinging and began to do all sorts of flips, etc.

  Most of the pictures were blurry because of how fast they were moving, but I was still able to get a few that really made me laugh, so I thought I'd share them with you! 

Olina

Saturday morning we were going about our normal routine, and Rose came to tell me that a man came with a baby. I went out and gave him a chair, and asked him where he's from. He told me that he was from 3 or 4 hours away in B. He proceeded to tell me that his wife had died 3 days ago, the baby was 6 weeks old, and he wanted me to take her, because he didn't have anyone to care for her. I questioned him out a little bit and among the questions I posed, I asked him, if we could supply the formula for the baby couldn't he find someone to care for her? He still maintained that he couldn't keep the baby because his mother was crippled, and he had no one else that could do it. Different times throughout our conversation I thought I smelled alcohol on him, but it wasn't strong enough that I could be absolutely sure of it. Still I had a question in my mind as to whether he was really telling me the truth about everything. I talked to Pastor L. and he agreed to come talk to the man. 

Olina was dressed in rags, with nothing for a diaper, and after she wet me twice, I was tired of it. I asked the dad if I could give her a bath, and put other clothes on her. He told me that he didn't know a thing about taking care of babies, and I could do whatever I thought was best. So we brought her in and gave her a bath. The children were so excited about her, and crowded around, wanting to help with her bath. One held the soap, another the towel, etc. :) She was dirty! Her head especially was caked in dirt and I couldn't even get it all off at once.

After her bath, and dressed in nice warm clothes, she downed 2 oz of formula and was ready for a nap. The dad contented himself with napping outside, while we cared for Olina. About 2pm, a lady showed up, saying that she was the baby's mom! I asked Rose what the dad did, and she said that he sat there like a bump on a log, acting as though he didn't even see her! I went out to talk to the woman, and she told me her story. Apparently her man had beat her up on Friday, so she just left... She came back on Saturday to find her baby gone (the dad wanted to give her away out of spite) and the neighbors told her that he'd brought it to me... So here she was.  The dad told her that he had given the baby away for good, and she started crying... They almost had another domestic dispute right in my courtyard. The dad was telling her that if she takes that baby home, she can't live at his house! I told them, that I am not getting involved in their fight, but told the mother that of course I wouldn't think of keeping her baby, while the mother is living and she wants it! The mom was extremely grateful as she took her baby and left. Even though I was very unimpressed by all of the man's lies, I'm so glad that the Lord worked it all that way He did, that we had the baby safe here, until the mother could get her back! Life in Haiti.

Family Pictures

Imagine trying to get 11 children looking a the camera standing still, AND smiling (or at least looking pleasant! :)) ALL at the same time, and you'll understand why it took us nearly 400 pictures to get 2 that were half-way satisfactory! 

"I want to tell you something"

Elaine has this thing lately of saying, "I want to tell you something" and then when she has your attention, she says what she wanted to say. Last evening I had to smile. "Mommy, I want to tell you something" as if it was world's greatest secret. :) She went on to nearly whisper, "Rose said 'Thank you'" (for helping wash the dishes).   She had begged and begged to help with the dishes, and I said that she could even though Rose wasn't so thrilled at such a young helper and Elaine was tickled pink - especially with the "thank you" she got afterwards! :)  ...The simple things in life!

I feel flattered

This morning the children were out playing on the porch, when they came running to tell me about a frog that they spotted out there. "Mommy, you need to come see this frog! It has blue eyes, just like you!" {smile}

Surgery!

Don't panic, it was just minor! One of Darv's neighbors had a infected foot,

and Michael R. opened it up...

Enough spectators?

Whatever the case, Weston is enjoying the party! :)

Life in Haiti tonight...

    Rain pounds on the windows, as we are still feeling the effects of Hurricane Irene. It's been interesting how we've had 3 days of wind, but no rain until today. I was beginning to think that we weren't going to see any rain from the hurricane. The rain started around 5 this morning and has kept up through out the whole day - and the hurricane is currently over the Bahamas! All day we've had winds between 30 and 50 mph along with an inch of rain. We're so glad to be in out of the weather, and to have a dry house. I had to lock the windows to keep the driving rain out on the south side, but other than that we're fine. I had a  friend call late this afternoon just to find out how we are making out. Wasn't I afraid of all the wind? they wondered. I said, "Oh no, I love it!" We'll all be so glad to see the sun shine again, though! My children get so buggy from not being able to go outdoors at all. They can't even play on the porch because the rain blows in so much. It's good to have school to keep them busy at least! :) They've enjoyed playing with dominoes too, making all kinds of shapes and trains. :)

On Monday afternoon, I heard wailing coming from a neighbors, and I was like, "Oh no, not again!" But it was again... The second time in about 3 months that that household has had a death... A few months ago it was an 8 month old baby, and now it was the grandfather. He died very suddenly, though they say he hasn't been doing so great the last while. We refer to them as Guylene's family as Guylene has worked for me hauling water already (Guylene is the daughter of the man who died)... Please pray for their salvation. It seems like such a dark household, and we long to comfort their hearts and reach them for Christ.