Monday, December 20, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Powerwheels
One more thing...I saw a Powerwheels on the side of the road, so I walked to go check it out (Tina was out with the truck). There was no battery, but it seemed in decent, unabused shape. I ordered a battery for it and the kids love it! We had one before we left for Haiti and now, here is the Lord again, blessing us with some of what we had before Haiti. I haven't modified this Powerwheel like the other yet, but I am sure I'll get to it.
Lou loves to drive it and ride in it. He is very cute as he seems to always ask to go for a ride in the truck. We have yet to take any pictures of the kids with the truck...we'll get there.
Lou loves to drive it and ride in it. He is very cute as he seems to always ask to go for a ride in the truck. We have yet to take any pictures of the kids with the truck...we'll get there.
Job, Family
I have been away for a while from this blog obviously. Here's a quick update:
About two months ago, I had all I could take of typing all day long and quit my job. I was going brain dead and my boss was not a good boss (which made things much more difficult). The Lord was gracious to me and gave me a job a month ago where I worked before we left for Haiti - same level and pay. In my mind, this was the Lord bringing me/us full circle and setting us where we left off. God is so good!
Lou
We have been homeschooling Lou and he is doing pretty good. He is still seems to decide on his own when he will try (learning or speaking). This is still much more than the public school system was doing which seemed to be only physcial-like training. He is still a large challenge to Tina's day of home schooling.
Kayla and Carter
These guys are continuing to plug away at school. As with anything, there are good days and bad. We hope for more good than bad. They are both getting big and more mature. Carter got a disection kit complete with real dead animals - he loved this! I also got an electronics learning kit that we haven't quite delved into yet. Kayla had been making cakes, but has recently not been making any.
Tina
Tina is doing well. Her hand is healed, but not completely. She doesn't have feeling in most of the ring finger on that hand. She is doing well plugging away with schooling and housework - a very busy daily responsibility.
Church
We have been involved with a church plant from Bethlehem Baptist that is closer to our home. I have been going to a Wed. AM prayer gathering that is very good. There is a nice core of people that continue to come week after week.
I can't think of much more detail right now. It's getting too close to my bed time I think. I hope to post again - perhaps within the next 30 days.
About two months ago, I had all I could take of typing all day long and quit my job. I was going brain dead and my boss was not a good boss (which made things much more difficult). The Lord was gracious to me and gave me a job a month ago where I worked before we left for Haiti - same level and pay. In my mind, this was the Lord bringing me/us full circle and setting us where we left off. God is so good!
Lou
We have been homeschooling Lou and he is doing pretty good. He is still seems to decide on his own when he will try (learning or speaking). This is still much more than the public school system was doing which seemed to be only physcial-like training. He is still a large challenge to Tina's day of home schooling.
Kayla and Carter
These guys are continuing to plug away at school. As with anything, there are good days and bad. We hope for more good than bad. They are both getting big and more mature. Carter got a disection kit complete with real dead animals - he loved this! I also got an electronics learning kit that we haven't quite delved into yet. Kayla had been making cakes, but has recently not been making any.
Tina
Tina is doing well. Her hand is healed, but not completely. She doesn't have feeling in most of the ring finger on that hand. She is doing well plugging away with schooling and housework - a very busy daily responsibility.
Church
We have been involved with a church plant from Bethlehem Baptist that is closer to our home. I have been going to a Wed. AM prayer gathering that is very good. There is a nice core of people that continue to come week after week.
I can't think of much more detail right now. It's getting too close to my bed time I think. I hope to post again - perhaps within the next 30 days.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Fly on the Wall
Last week Wednesday, we decided to try to be a fly on the wall at Lou's school. After feeling like a couple of hooligans who were sneaking around waiting for the bus to come to the school without being seen by Lou and sneaking around a corner and....long story, we ended up going into a room (with permission) that had a large one-way mirror where we could watch what was going on in the classroom. This was our chance to be a fly on the wall.
What we saw, surprised us, but really it was what we expected. He is two different kids - one for school and one for home. Without going into details, it basically boils down to unbridled behaviors being accepted. The most serious was disrespecting the authority of the teachers (disobediently washing hands when he wasn't supposed to, just plain old disobedience, eating paint off of the paint brush, throwing garbage on the floor and successfully expecting the teacher to pick it up and throw it away, stealing other kids food, etc..). It is now no wonder to us why he comes home feeling like superman (it really wasn't a wonder - we had suspicions and they were now confirmed).
We'll be teaching him at home. After seeing what happens at the school, he will be much better served by being taught at home, learning to be respectful and we will celebrate his milestones as he is ready to reach them at his own pace.
What we saw, surprised us, but really it was what we expected. He is two different kids - one for school and one for home. Without going into details, it basically boils down to unbridled behaviors being accepted. The most serious was disrespecting the authority of the teachers (disobediently washing hands when he wasn't supposed to, just plain old disobedience, eating paint off of the paint brush, throwing garbage on the floor and successfully expecting the teacher to pick it up and throw it away, stealing other kids food, etc..). It is now no wonder to us why he comes home feeling like superman (it really wasn't a wonder - we had suspicions and they were now confirmed).
We'll be teaching him at home. After seeing what happens at the school, he will be much better served by being taught at home, learning to be respectful and we will celebrate his milestones as he is ready to reach them at his own pace.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Lou Goes to School
I am going to just jump right into this. As a result of our decision making regarding schooling, we have begun to send Lou to summer pre-school. Last week was his first week and he goes twice a week. The bus picks him up right at our driveway.
Things seem to be going well, however, I am a little disappointed that we have not received a call from anyone at the school to give us an update on how he is doing. I think that Tina and I are going to pay the school a visit the next time he goes. We'd like to be flies on the wall to see what happens.
When he comes home, he thinks he is Superman and can do anything he wants. We attempt to assure him that we are still in control and that he has to listen. He really only listens to Tina and I. He doesn't seem to think that he has to do anything that anyone else says. Tina and I are his kryptonite.
A day at the parade:
Baseball
Carter enjoyed playing baseball this year. He made some great plays and a couple weekends ago, the year-end tournament was held. They ended up winning first place and had a great final game to win it. (Carter is in the middle row of kids, third from the left.)
Dog
The Dog is getting large - very large. His back is taller than our kitchen table and just about as tall as the kitchen counter - this means that his head is more than tall enough to cook us all dinner (or to eat it off the counter if he so chooses). He is a very good dog and is gentle with our two kittens, too.
The kids put chalk hand prints on his side like the American Indians supposedly did to their horses:
Things seem to be going well, however, I am a little disappointed that we have not received a call from anyone at the school to give us an update on how he is doing. I think that Tina and I are going to pay the school a visit the next time he goes. We'd like to be flies on the wall to see what happens.
When he comes home, he thinks he is Superman and can do anything he wants. We attempt to assure him that we are still in control and that he has to listen. He really only listens to Tina and I. He doesn't seem to think that he has to do anything that anyone else says. Tina and I are his kryptonite.
A day at the parade:
Baseball
Carter enjoyed playing baseball this year. He made some great plays and a couple weekends ago, the year-end tournament was held. They ended up winning first place and had a great final game to win it. (Carter is in the middle row of kids, third from the left.)
Dog
The Dog is getting large - very large. His back is taller than our kitchen table and just about as tall as the kitchen counter - this means that his head is more than tall enough to cook us all dinner (or to eat it off the counter if he so chooses). He is a very good dog and is gentle with our two kittens, too.
The kids put chalk hand prints on his side like the American Indians supposedly did to their horses:
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Update: Knife, Teeth, School, Dog
Sorry it has been so long since I have posted what we are up to now that we have been out of Haiti for a while, here is a little update.
We are getting more acclimated to life in the States and think that we have made more progress towards what our "normal" life is going to be. There have been some challenges along the way:
Knife
I talk to Tina a couple times every day that I am at work - usually not more than a couple minutes at a time. So when she called me one day about two months ago, I thought it was a normal call. But it was not. She told me that she just shoved a knife through her hand. She was taking the pit out of an avocado when the knife slipped past the pit and through her hand. She pulled it out right away and put pressure on it. She managed to call me first (for a ride to the hospital) and then she got a hold of her mom who had to get a hold of her mom (Tina's grandma) to drive them to the ER.
She ended up cutting a nerve to her ring finger and having surgery a couple days later to wrap a vein around the nerve she cut. The doc told her that the nerve will grow back about an inch per month. She got the stitches out about a week ago and is slowing regaining use of the hand/finger. We are very thankful that something like this happened here in the States as opposed to in Haiti.
Teeth
About a month ago, Lou went to the hospital so they could put him under for dental work. They ended up fixing a bunch of cavities and doing one partial root canal with a crown. He went through the whole procedure with no issue and seemed to have fully recovered after less than 24 hours. He doesn't show pain so we are not ever really sure what is going on.
School
Kayla and Carter had been going to a private school, which ended up being a break for us all as we settled in. It was nice to have the break, but due to cost we'll be homeschooling next school year once again. They have already started on their book (very willingly) for next year.
Lou is going through the motions of the public school system because they seem to have a lot to provide in terms of special needs assistance. We will be sending him to preschool during the summer and, if all goes well, he'll be in kindergarten during the fall of 2010. He'll be in special ed for about 40% of the time and 60% of the time they try him with the other kindergartners. I am VERY curious as to how that will turn out. We know Lou and are hoping he does well, but... we know of some questionable areas where he might struggle.
Job
I continue to struggle with work and look forward to the day when I can find something new. I don't know how long I can bear what I am currently doing or my current situation - I don't know if I can make the 9-12 months before I can move within the company or if I will be driven to a point that I will pursue something outside the company (Lord willing I will make it). My job is labeled as a production job, so I just sit and type all day long. I am meeting the quantity goal, but the expected accuracy rate per field entered is higher than 99.9%. This month may be my first month since I started where I will make that goal...I pray!
Dog
Our dog is over 100lbs and is about 31 inches at the top of the front shoulders. He is big and very fun to have. He is 8 months and one week old and his brain sometimes shows it when he does goofy things. He draws lots of attention (as if a little Haitian boy with Down syndrome in a primarily white city doesn't draw enough attention, haha) and it's really fun to display God's creation!
I'll try to post more as the kids go through school and we partake in the summer's activities.
We are getting more acclimated to life in the States and think that we have made more progress towards what our "normal" life is going to be. There have been some challenges along the way:
Knife
I talk to Tina a couple times every day that I am at work - usually not more than a couple minutes at a time. So when she called me one day about two months ago, I thought it was a normal call. But it was not. She told me that she just shoved a knife through her hand. She was taking the pit out of an avocado when the knife slipped past the pit and through her hand. She pulled it out right away and put pressure on it. She managed to call me first (for a ride to the hospital) and then she got a hold of her mom who had to get a hold of her mom (Tina's grandma) to drive them to the ER.
She ended up cutting a nerve to her ring finger and having surgery a couple days later to wrap a vein around the nerve she cut. The doc told her that the nerve will grow back about an inch per month. She got the stitches out about a week ago and is slowing regaining use of the hand/finger. We are very thankful that something like this happened here in the States as opposed to in Haiti.
Teeth
About a month ago, Lou went to the hospital so they could put him under for dental work. They ended up fixing a bunch of cavities and doing one partial root canal with a crown. He went through the whole procedure with no issue and seemed to have fully recovered after less than 24 hours. He doesn't show pain so we are not ever really sure what is going on.
School
Kayla and Carter had been going to a private school, which ended up being a break for us all as we settled in. It was nice to have the break, but due to cost we'll be homeschooling next school year once again. They have already started on their book (very willingly) for next year.
Lou is going through the motions of the public school system because they seem to have a lot to provide in terms of special needs assistance. We will be sending him to preschool during the summer and, if all goes well, he'll be in kindergarten during the fall of 2010. He'll be in special ed for about 40% of the time and 60% of the time they try him with the other kindergartners. I am VERY curious as to how that will turn out. We know Lou and are hoping he does well, but... we know of some questionable areas where he might struggle.
Job
I continue to struggle with work and look forward to the day when I can find something new. I don't know how long I can bear what I am currently doing or my current situation - I don't know if I can make the 9-12 months before I can move within the company or if I will be driven to a point that I will pursue something outside the company (Lord willing I will make it). My job is labeled as a production job, so I just sit and type all day long. I am meeting the quantity goal, but the expected accuracy rate per field entered is higher than 99.9%. This month may be my first month since I started where I will make that goal...I pray!
Dog
Our dog is over 100lbs and is about 31 inches at the top of the front shoulders. He is big and very fun to have. He is 8 months and one week old and his brain sometimes shows it when he does goofy things. He draws lots of attention (as if a little Haitian boy with Down syndrome in a primarily white city doesn't draw enough attention, haha) and it's really fun to display God's creation!
I'll try to post more as the kids go through school and we partake in the summer's activities.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
It's Been a While
There is a lot that we have been up to. Some of it good and easy, some of it not so good and not so easy.
School
We checked out and started sending Kayla and Carter to a Christian school a few weeks ago. They are enjoying their new friends and their school-related work. It may just be the honeymoon phase, but so far so good. We are not sure if this is what we will be doing next school year, but it is a good decision to explore how things work out. We were given a discount on the tuition because we were missionaries for the beginning of the 09-10 school year which certainly helped.
For Lou, we are in the process of getting him assessed to see what the public school system has to offer. The public school system gets a bit of funding for special needs children and their resources seem beneficial. We'll know in the next couple weeks which direction this will head. He is seeming to be trying harder to talk, but not much is coming out that makes sense.
Home
We are getting more settled in physcially and mentally. It sure has taken us a long time to get settled mentally (I don't think that we are completely there yet). It was much more difficult to come back to the States than to go to Haiti in the first place. The 17 months that we were there affected us greatly.
Lou (and the other two) enjoy their fenced in yard and have had fun playing around. My mom and dad got the kids a wagon and that has been enjoyable (only one crash so far with blood on two of three kids). We have bikes which we all enjoy (Lou is in a bike trailer and enjoys the rides).
Here is Lou entertaining us by "trying on" one of Kayla's new birthday shirts:
Church
We have been looking at more local churches. The 45 min drive to Minneapolis gets real long when we start to consider getting more plugged in to the church. We have been looking at two local churches and I am hoping to make a decision soon on where to become members. This decision is driven primarily by God and by our experience in Haiti that led us to realize that a small and close church community appears to be the best way to represent Christ - we are, after all, Christians. In a large church (small group or no small group) it is easy to feel like a number and difficult to plug in.
Job
The job is a blessing to have. An income is a blessing to have, especially when the unemployment rate is so high. I do look forward to another position however as what I am doing now does not challenge my mind. If I want to stay in the current company, I will have to stay in this position for 12 months (about 10 to go!) before I can move on.
I have been riding my motorcycle to work since the last two days in February (morning temp was 6 degrees) and being able to do this helps me to get up in the morning. I enjoy the ride to and from work - it's perhaps the best part of working right now besides the paycheck!
Personal
I feel that since we have come home, we made some progress towards settling in and then the earthquake in Haiti hit, which brought us back down into a valley. I (and Tina, too) have been in the roughest slump we have ever had as Christians. We are seeking God in our way out of the valley and it is happening, albeit slowly. This trip to the valley happened for many reasons and I don't quite feel ready to expand on it yet. Our experience in Haiti significantly affected us!
Dog
Our new dog is continuing to do well. He is an average to large-sized Great Dane and, now at 6 months, he weighs in at 80 pounds (about another 100 to go). He is great with the kids. Just yesterday Lou had his legs on the dog's head on the ground and the dog didn't mind at all. The dog is big, but gentle.
Boring Car Stuff...
Our 1996 Suburban is doing well. I had to have the cap and rotor replaced as it was misfiring on many of the cylinders - it was pretty corroded after 106,000 miles. There is a small leak from the truck on the garage floor and I have figure out (one of these days) where it is coming from.
The motorcycle is great!
School
We checked out and started sending Kayla and Carter to a Christian school a few weeks ago. They are enjoying their new friends and their school-related work. It may just be the honeymoon phase, but so far so good. We are not sure if this is what we will be doing next school year, but it is a good decision to explore how things work out. We were given a discount on the tuition because we were missionaries for the beginning of the 09-10 school year which certainly helped.
For Lou, we are in the process of getting him assessed to see what the public school system has to offer. The public school system gets a bit of funding for special needs children and their resources seem beneficial. We'll know in the next couple weeks which direction this will head. He is seeming to be trying harder to talk, but not much is coming out that makes sense.
Home
We are getting more settled in physcially and mentally. It sure has taken us a long time to get settled mentally (I don't think that we are completely there yet). It was much more difficult to come back to the States than to go to Haiti in the first place. The 17 months that we were there affected us greatly.
Lou (and the other two) enjoy their fenced in yard and have had fun playing around. My mom and dad got the kids a wagon and that has been enjoyable (only one crash so far with blood on two of three kids). We have bikes which we all enjoy (Lou is in a bike trailer and enjoys the rides).
Here is Lou entertaining us by "trying on" one of Kayla's new birthday shirts:
Church
We have been looking at more local churches. The 45 min drive to Minneapolis gets real long when we start to consider getting more plugged in to the church. We have been looking at two local churches and I am hoping to make a decision soon on where to become members. This decision is driven primarily by God and by our experience in Haiti that led us to realize that a small and close church community appears to be the best way to represent Christ - we are, after all, Christians. In a large church (small group or no small group) it is easy to feel like a number and difficult to plug in.
Job
The job is a blessing to have. An income is a blessing to have, especially when the unemployment rate is so high. I do look forward to another position however as what I am doing now does not challenge my mind. If I want to stay in the current company, I will have to stay in this position for 12 months (about 10 to go!) before I can move on.
I have been riding my motorcycle to work since the last two days in February (morning temp was 6 degrees) and being able to do this helps me to get up in the morning. I enjoy the ride to and from work - it's perhaps the best part of working right now besides the paycheck!
Personal
I feel that since we have come home, we made some progress towards settling in and then the earthquake in Haiti hit, which brought us back down into a valley. I (and Tina, too) have been in the roughest slump we have ever had as Christians. We are seeking God in our way out of the valley and it is happening, albeit slowly. This trip to the valley happened for many reasons and I don't quite feel ready to expand on it yet. Our experience in Haiti significantly affected us!
Dog
Our new dog is continuing to do well. He is an average to large-sized Great Dane and, now at 6 months, he weighs in at 80 pounds (about another 100 to go). He is great with the kids. Just yesterday Lou had his legs on the dog's head on the ground and the dog didn't mind at all. The dog is big, but gentle.
Boring Car Stuff...
Our 1996 Suburban is doing well. I had to have the cap and rotor replaced as it was misfiring on many of the cylinders - it was pretty corroded after 106,000 miles. There is a small leak from the truck on the garage floor and I have figure out (one of these days) where it is coming from.
The motorcycle is great!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Orphanage/Director
News about the orphanage Lou was at and the director with whom we dealt with in finalizing his adoption - not good.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Job
My first day on the job yesterday went well. It is a great blessing to have a job and the way God has been working things out in our lives to settle us back in here in the US has been an amazing grace to us. I write this with much thanksgiving and praise to God!
Tina had a good day yesterday and my going out every day to work will help to get them on a schedule that will be more efficient than the random method we were using (and felt like we were using since we started planning to go to Haiti two years ago). This is a very welcomed change!
Tina had a good day yesterday and my going out every day to work will help to get them on a schedule that will be more efficient than the random method we were using (and felt like we were using since we started planning to go to Haiti two years ago). This is a very welcomed change!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Happy Birthday Lou!
We celebrated Lou's 5th birthday today. It was our third celebration of his birthday and Lou's first in the US. He got some needed clothes and shoes. He also was blessed with some cool toys - a foam bowling set, a great basketball hoop, and a big wheel riding toy. He really enjoys it when people come over. Only once before have I ever been in a place that was louder than when Lou has people over that he knows and loves - his lungs work great!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Samaritan's Purse Written Response
This is on Samaritan's Purse website which mentions BHM and has Kyrk speaking about the earthquake and response.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
New Job
I feel like I am on an emotional rollercoaster. So much of me wants to be back in Haiti helping. The reason for the Lord's timing in everything is not always known. For some reason, He has directed us back to the State and He didn't want us in Haiti for the earthquake. We are so thankful that the adoption got finalized before the earthquake!
Now the good news: I got a job! It's where I used to work in the financial industry and I start on the 25th of January. God is good!
Now the good news: I got a job! It's where I used to work in the financial industry and I start on the 25th of January. God is good!
Baker's Blog
Deborah, the wife of Kyrk with whom I worked with at BHM, is updating and maintaining their blog more frequently now. Please check out their recent prayer requests.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A Friend Died in the Quake
I read that a worker friend of mine from the Baptist Haiti Mission died in his home during the earthquake. I sure hope there is no more, but I would think that with the widespread damage there is likely more.
Earthquake 7.0
You have probably already heard by now about the earthquake in Haiti. We don't know that anyone we know is hurt.
The home and people we did church with in Thomassin is OK based on reading their comments on CNN. The Livesay's are OK per Twitter, their blog and quotes on CNN and MSNBC. I saw a blank post by one of the families at BHM which at least tells me someone who has access to their blog is alive - according to the BHM website all missionaries there are fine but the buildings have structural damage. We have seen pictures of the place we did most of our shopping and it had collapsed - the Caribbean Market. The presidential palace that we had seen - fairly destroyed.
We continue to pray!
On a personal note, I feel pretty torn. I feel like I should/could be there helping out and, at the same time, thankful that I have my family out of the situation (we missed it by about 2 months).
There is a long road coming up for most people there. Hopefully most peoples' cisterns are full and unharmed. We'll know more this morning...
The home and people we did church with in Thomassin is OK based on reading their comments on CNN. The Livesay's are OK per Twitter, their blog and quotes on CNN and MSNBC. I saw a blank post by one of the families at BHM which at least tells me someone who has access to their blog is alive - according to the BHM website all missionaries there are fine but the buildings have structural damage. We have seen pictures of the place we did most of our shopping and it had collapsed - the Caribbean Market. The presidential palace that we had seen - fairly destroyed.
We continue to pray!
On a personal note, I feel pretty torn. I feel like I should/could be there helping out and, at the same time, thankful that I have my family out of the situation (we missed it by about 2 months).
There is a long road coming up for most people there. Hopefully most peoples' cisterns are full and unharmed. We'll know more this morning...
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