. Tales from the Taylors

People of India - Babu

2012-02-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

On my Blue team, we had an abundance of young boys. The most out-going of them was boy named Babu. With an infectious smile and a contagious enthusiasm for everything, his name was one of the first that I learned.

Babu took a self portrait on my camera.

He was one of my zoo buddies and we RAN through the zoo at the pace of an energetic 10 year old boy.

Babu and K-man, my two zoo buddies.

By the end of the week, Babu was a constant companion of mine.

At the end of the week, Babu received the boldness award. He is a natural leader and my prayer is that he grows up to be a man who uses that enthusiasm and energy to lead people to Christ.

The People of India - Kalavani

2012-01-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

Do you have anyone in your life who has a beautiful and infectious laugh? Someone who has so much enthusiasm that they scream whenever they think something exciting is about to happen?

On our trip to India, that person was Kalavani. She was a ball of energy, enthusiasm, and laughter in a tiny package. Whenever you would walk up to her, she would scream and rush into your arms because she was anticipating fun and, possibly, a tickle fight.

Kalavani was maybe 5 years old, but she left her mark with her contagious laugh and big hugs. I did my best to capture her laugh in the video below - enjoy!

The People of India - Kasi

2012-01-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

On the Blue team, we were blessed with the opportunity to have the village elder on our team, Kasi.

Kasi became a Christian because of Life Mission reaching out the village of Kalavai. He was the grandfather to most of the kids on my team, and he told us his most treasured possession is his copy of the Bible in Tamil. It was amazing to hear members of the GCC team tell stories of how Kasi was in the past. Apparently on past trips, he was not engaged and he even caused a lot of division between the Mission and the people of the village. We experienced the complete opposite of that.

Kasi helped to lead the Blue team all week.

Kasi was often seen moving his cow around the village and he would speak enthusiastically about the Lord and the Lord's blessings to our team. He loved the game of Little Sally Walker, and he made sure everyone on our team had a chance to play.

Kasi playing Little Sally Walker

When the blue team was given the van with the A/C on the way to zoo, he gave a sermon to our bus about how good Jesus is because He gave us A/C.

At the end of the week, Kasi sought me out to pray blessings over me in Tamil: an amazing God-designed moment that I will always cherish.

Kasi brought us a lizard to play with and they were preparing to eat it when we left.

The People of India - Ammu

2012-01-13T15:35:00.000-08:00

I will get to the details of what happened in India soon, but in the meantime, it is the people of this village who have my heart.

Meet Ammu.

This little girl has a piece of my heart. She and her brother, Tharangasu, were on the blue team with me, and about day 2 she attached herself to my hip.

Note: Ammu all day long would hold my arm around her waist. Jay caught this candid shot that demonstrates how inseparable we were most of the week.

Ammu is an orphan. Her father is unable to care for her and her siblings and her mother ran off on her family. Ammu was more timid than most at first, but once she warmed up to you, watch out!

She gave her love and her kisses freely, and at the end of the week, I couldn't bear to leave her. I was the last one into the van because of lingering in tears and prayer over this precious child of God.

First Day of in India, Last Day of 2012

2011-12-31T08:11:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that we landed in Chennai today. Granted, it was 1 am when we landed and it is now 9pm, but it was still only today.

As you hopefully have read in previous posts at www.gccindiateams.blogspot.com , we arrived safely and without incident and a cyclone went through this region yesterday evening, altering our travel plans for getting to the village.

After collecting all of our luggage (for a while it seemed like our team bags wouldn't arrive) and making our way through immigration, we were greeted with heavy humidity and heavy flowered garlands from Raj and his team. The picture below is of Sarah receiving her garland.

We were allowed a few hours to sleep in the hotel before we were up, showered and ready to go for the day.

Lunch was the traditional Indian meal of Pizza Hut and then we went to see some different St. Thomas sites. First we climbed high above Chennai to visit the St. Thomas Mount. As the story goes, Thomas was martyred praying in front of a cross that he had carved on the mount because the Gospel was radically changing the people in India. We learned that Thomas had a heart for the poor and loved them because Christ loved them first.

We also went to the cave that St. Thomas hid in when he was being pursued. The picture below is of our impromptu tour guide telling us about the spring that has been flowing since the time of Thomas.

As a team, I believe these two stops and the stories around them re-centered our focus and vision for this trip. We will love the people we are working with because Christ loved them first and He loves them so much more perfectly than we ever could dream.

Please pray as we travel out the village tomorrow and for the ministry we are planning on doing there.

We will do what we can and God will do what we cannot.

Living in Community and Chaos

2011-12-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

The view of the food table at the staff fall party - GFS and I are close, personal friends

As I lay awake in bed last night, my mind all cluttered with everything from conversations with friends to preparations for the week ahead, I realized that my life is centered around community, service, hospitality, and ultimately utterly chaotic . . . and I love it.

I wouldn't trade an evening with friends, for a evening alone. I wouldn't refuse to host so that my house could stay clean. I wouldn't trade a sparse schedule for my super full one.

I am, at times, forced to make those trades as I recognize the need for rest, solitude and retreat, but I don't want that to be the norm.

I thank the Lord for bringing so many different people into my life and for providing the means that Jay and I can open our home and our lives to whatever and whoever He sends our way.

Merry Christmas everyone!

For a limited time only . . .

2011-11-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

36 Days until we leave for India!

These past few weeks have been so full of preparations (a.k.a. shots - yuck!) and planning that it seems so close all of a sudden.

What is coming up even sooner is our support deadline. We have been so blessed with support and out of our $6,000 ($3,000 each) goal, we have raised about $4,000.

(Imagine that I am now my infomercial persona)

Have you been wanting to give and have just forgotten, or have you wanted to give, but didn't feel like your contribution would count? For a limited time only, you have a chance to double your gift.

For the next 24 hours, we have two donors who are willing to match every dollar given up to $500!

This is good from November 22, 12 noon, to November 23, 12 noon, so if you haven't given yet, this is your window.

The easiest way to give is to visit the donation page: GCC Mission Trip Page and click on December India Trip. (You will be asked to create an account.) and you get to pick a person for your money to go to. Again, thank you for trusting your dollars to the Lord and His work.

(this is a picture from our Luggage Simulation in South Bend. We were "late for our next flight")

And Remember to hurry - this is a limited time offer:)

India

2011-09-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

I can't sit by and watch anymore. God has taken the solitude of the summer to renew a passion in me for the mission He created me for.

I work for SpringHill because our mission is to create life-changing experiences which enable young people to know and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. I have never been satisfied with that mission simply being in the Midwest of the United States. Over the past 6 years, God has been opening my eyes to the plight of a particular group of people in India - the Dalit.

This December, in a partnership with Granger Community Church, Jay Taylor and I are going to India in order to do help do God's work with the Dalit children of Southern India. Our particular trip is being called "Hopes and Dreams" and our task, as it has been given to us, is to help teach the Dalit children of the village of Kalavai that they are loved and valued by God.

On top of the 13 people we are traveling with to India, we are looking for people who are excited about what we are doing and who are willing to partner with us, both prayerfully and financially. If you would like to partner with us, it is super easy to give. You can go to GCC's Support Page, create an account (very easy), and you're set. If you'd rather a simpler method, you can use Paypal through THIS LINK. In either case, you MUST indicate Jay Taylor or Liz Taylor for the funds to be allocated properly.

If you want to find out more about what we are doing while in India, Jay and I would love to talk. The links below also provide information about the need in India.

Dalit Freedom Network - an organization building schools for Dalit children.

Kalavai video - a village transformed by GCC through planting a church and starting small businesses.

Life Mission International - the church planting organization working in partnership with GCC.

National Geographic - a gripping article on the oppression still present in the defunct caste system.

So I've had some time to think. . .

2011-09-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

This past summer was an interesting experience for me. Working for a summer camp, I was undoubtedly super busy from May until September, but the part of my job that I didn't expect was that the majority of time was spent alone.

Of course I had training where I was able to spend countless hours training all my little admins.

I was able to travel and visit some of our day camp locations.

And I was able to host dozens of college students at my house for dinners and movie nights along with housing them for weeks of camp.

But the majority of the summer was spent here:

Alone. That solitude gave me a tremendous amount of time to think. Think about life, think about purpose, think about wall colors, think about friends, think about the things I have chosen to pursue in my life. I had time to analyze my job (I have not been working within my strengths). I had time pray.

I have always been a mission-driven person; my mission being that I want people to know God and I want children, especially, to know that they are loved by God. On paper and to the casual observer, I am working fully within that mission these days and yet I realize that I was created to move and act on that mission rather than merely sit and think about that mission. I was made to be with people, not just talk to them on the phone. I began to pray that God would allow me to use the gifts and talents that he has given me to join Him in His work in a tangible way. He answered that prayer in a way I never would have imagined, but details will need to wait until a later post.

Oh my goodness. . .

2011-09-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted since May 21st? I fail. Perhaps that is a good indicator of how much time my summer job took this past summer. Well, to jump back into the blogging world, let's look back at the Taylor/Davy Siblings trip to Michigan. Ben, Crystal, Melissa, Ben, Amy, Addison, and Nora traveled through the night and were with us for a weekend. Here are some pictures from that time.

(Pool Time!)

(Fire crackers on the 4th!)

(Classy guys, classy . . . )

( The Coolest part of the whole playground. Addie got a ride . . . )

(Nora got a ride. . . )

(And the adults all made a try at it!)

(the Taylor sibling method of choice: note the next three pictures)

(This method had more to do with modesty than efficiency)

I promise to update more soon - there are some big things coming!

(Oh, and that does not mean I am pregnant)

Washington DC

2011-05-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

Last week Jay and I decided to make the 20 hour round trip to visit our friend Levi and Courtney out in DC.

I had never been there, so I totally did the tourist thing complete with a tour book and a camera. I am a History Major and the East Coast is a treasure trove for a history buff like myself, so I felt a little bit like I was meeting someone really famous the whole time.

We left home Thursday night, stayed in fabulous hotel in Youngstown, OH, and made it to Levi and Courtney's Friday afternoon. We got to see where they lived, we ate some yummy Lebanese food and played some vicious Settlers.

The next morning we rode the metro (underground-Yikes!) to the Eastern market for breakfast and some shopping. (Can you tell Jay thought these giraffes were cool?)

(This is from the most crammed used bookstore I have ever been in. The owner even gave us a warning when we walked in to beware of falling books)

We bought fruit at the Eastern market to eat the next day, but we then had to carry it around with us all day. The most memorable piece of fruit was our cantaloupe, Wilson. The picture below is the only shot he made it in, so this is Jay, Wilson and myself in front of the Library of Congress (Wilson is wearing the black bag).

The botanical gardens.

Awkward shot in front of the Memorial.

Our wonderful hosts at the end of the mall (it is under contruction right now)

Drakes, don't forget pillar number 5!

Courtney and Levi's church meets in the afternoon, so Sunday morning we went for a hike. The day turned hot, but the hike was super fun.

Jay showing off.

I have no idea why this creek was orange.

We took a trail that was technically closed and this is the reason why. The trail was just a little bit flooded.

So the boys decided to forge the river while the girls took the (high and) dry road. But enjoy their wading adventure.

Thanks Drakes for a fantastic weekend!

I'm not handy, but I try.

2011-04-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am the first to admit that I am not the handiest girl in the world. I can follow directions, but I just don't have a great sense about how things work. I am making a concerted effort in this new house to figure things out and become more handy.

The first room Jay and I have decided to tackle is our office. We will probably spend as much time in there as we will in our own bedroom. We took an evening trip to Ikea (very dangerous move), and came home with two desks to help launch our office space. Jay put his together in a morning, but I told him that I wanted to put together mine all on my own as part of my home-owners training.

So after work on Wednesday, I settled myself in to tackle this new project.

A mountain of boxed desks.

My project- The Lasse

Taking inventory of my pieces (for the record, Jay was mocking my process at this point)

My desk even included a drawer-Jay didn't have to deal with a drawer.

An hour and a half in and the book-shelf portion was done. I was not doing well with time at this point.

Well, it took me 3 1/2 hours (and one very smashed finger) to finish, but I did it! Jay only helped once and it was because he insisted on tightening some of my screws. (For some reason, that last statement sounds dirty - it isn't supposed to be).

So here are some concluding pictures:

Jay and Chango observing the mess of our office before the desks.

And the "finished" project. I have that word in parenthesis because we are far from finished, but this shows both of the desks put together.

The view from the other side of the room.

Paint will be the next step in this room. It is all very beige, but that will be a project for another day.

The new house

2011-04-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

(Insert Drum Roll here _____________) Ladies and Gentlemen, here is the moment you have all been waiting for. Some (very rough) pictures of our new house. Please Pardon the mess, we are still working on configuring the rooms, but this will give you a good idea of the house.

Here is our great room area. Appreciate the lovely plaid sectional, but don't judge. It was free and it is really comfy:)

Eating portion of the great room.

Our room the first couple of nights- there are less piles now, bedside lamps and different curtains.

This is our extra room/one-day-baby-room. It is just a holding pen right now.

Our new washer and dryer (insert sigh of happiness here), and the next shot is Jay and I watching them do their thing. It is amazing, I can do an entire week's worth of laundry in one load.

Here is the guest room. If you come and visit, this will be where you get to stay!

This is the workout/craft room. It doesn't look much different at this point.

The guest bathroom.

Upstairs hallway looking from the bedrooms to the office.

The office a week ago - we own a lot of books. That is what is in most of the boxes.

The Kitchen.

First floor powder room.

Our front room/entryway. Hopefully one day this will be our dining room.

Jay's man-cave/the basement.

Looking in from the front room to the great room.

I will post more pictures later.

Florida!

2011-04-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to able to go to Florida for 10 DAYS last month! Here are some pictures from the trip.

(The brand new Disney Dream. Several Hundred yards away and it still couldn't all fit in one shot)

(in the 80's and perfectly sunny everyday of our trip. I have been going to Florida my whole life and never have I experienced weather as great as it was this year)

(golfing the "Fairways" - it really was just competitive between Mom and Jay. Dad and I were not quite as lucky as them on that particular night)

(this picture is for Laura - this is where she stayed when she went to Disney to audition for Ariel)

(Dad and I were made to be in front of the camera. As for the other two . . . )

Flashback Worst Date Ever!

2011-02-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

I find myself at this moment sitting in a coffee shop in Rochester Hills waiting for a young friend of mine to show up. We made this coffee date last week and I am super excited to catch up with her.

Walking into this shop, I felt a strange sense of dread and I had an uncomfortable ache grow inside me. Suddenly, it hit me. I went on one of the worst dates ever in this exact coffee shop.

From where I am sitting, I can see the table where I awkwardly sat for an hour and a half on that fateful night. (an hour and twenty nine minutes too long for that particular date)

***Cue Flashback***

I should have known that night would not turn out well based on how it all began. I was attending OU and was actively involved in Campus Crusade there. I was starting to make a small group of friends and I had high hopes that this was going to be the Christian community I craved.

One night after CRU, a quieter new friend of mine (Let's call him "Bill") approached me and made reference to a previous weekend's Crusade event that we were both at. Bill kept saying how fun it was, and how we should do it again sometime. I agreed to the "fun" of the event and we parted ways for the evening.

After I arrived home, a girl-friend of mine from the group called me up. She was gushing about how happy she was that I had agreed to go out with Bill and that he had been working up the courage to ask me out for weeks.
Oops.
I quickly told her that I had no idea that Bill had asked me out, but that I am always willing to try anything once. More concrete plans were later made for a coffee date with Bill after the next CRU meeting.

Bill was so nervous. He barely said one word to me the whole ride to the Coffee Shop (I had to drive by the way), and when the Coffee girl asked whether we our orders were together or apart and he didn't answer (he was too busy looking at his shoes), I stepped in and firmly stated "Apart".

We took our drinks to the table and I am not sure Bill would have said anything had I not asked him questions about his life, family, interests etc... I left the questions open ended, but he still only graced me with one word answers.

Finally, I asked what his summer plans were. He said he wasn't sure but he was considering coming to SpringHill with me. (Oh boy)

The conversation as I drove him back to his dorm was as non-existent as the ride to the Coffee Shop, and as he got out of the car, he asked me if we could do it again sometime.

I shrugged and shook my head "No". His head dropped as he trudged through the snow to him dorm.

***End Flashback***

In retrospect, Bill was a very sweet guy. He was just shy and I hope that God has blessed him wit a girl who is isn't as intimidating (was that it? I still don't know) as I was.

Now it is your turn. What was your worst date ever? I would love to hear the tale.

Valentines and a Dog Fight

2011-02-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

And may I take just a moment of your time to brag about my fantastic husband?

Well, I am going to. Jay has always been a romantic guy. When we lived in Lincoln, we lived within a block of a flower shop, and Jay loved to surprise me with beautiful flowers. I think he knew the proprietor of the shop by name. Since we have lived in Michigan, the flowers have been a bit scarce, but today he brought this beautiful bouquet of Tulips. They have been working towards a bloom all day.

In less happy news, Chango was attacked by a Golden Retriever during our run this morning. Neither of us saw it coming. Now for anyone who knows Chango, they know he has zero fight in him. He is the sweetest dog in the world and I couldn't believe this mean golden was trying to (literally) rip his leg off.
(who would want to hurt this little guy?)

Well, the dog defense skills I learned in Chihuahua kicked in (and perhaps a little Mother Bear instinct) and I kicked this other dog, yelled and made myself huge and loud to frighten it off of my puppy. We survived unscathed physically, but Chango has been very quiet all day.

So in conclusion: Chango, I am sorry for moving you to such a dangerous street.

And.

Jay, I love you and you are my favorite valentine I have ever had.

Things I have learned today

2011-01-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

1. My "snow boots" really don't work that well on snow. Perhaps they should be called "slip-a-lot-on-snow boots".

2. Sometimes, when the hot cocoa machine says "Stop when 3/4 full", you should stop at 3/4 full. If you don't, you may be reprimanded by kitchen staff and will end up with burns on your fingers.

I hope this newly acquired knowledge is helpful.

Pop Tart

2011-01-25T12:24:00.000-08:00

This question needs a quick preface.

I have been very tired lately, and although I enjoy pop and coffee, I am trying to limit my caffeine intake.

My solution: try a multi-vitamin. My mom always made me take vitamins growing up whenever I was acting particularly tired, so this seemed like a natural step. When I was little (ok, through college) it was was gummy bear vitamins, but seeing that I am turning (gulp) 27 next month, I thought it was time I took a grown up vitamin. I went to CVS and carefully choose a vitamin that promised it would be gentle on my very sensitive stomach.

It didn't work. This vitamin made me so sick. I stopped taking it for a whole month because I hated how it made me feel. The battle raged in my mind; do I throw them out? Do I try them with food? Do I keep them, but hide them and just go vitamin-less?

One day I got up the nerve and tried them with food, and lo and behold, it helped. They still upset my stomach a little, so I have been rewarding myself with a

every time I am grown up enough to take my vitamin, and I feel pretty good about system. Plus, it is a great conversation starter here in our offices at Kensington.

So my question for the world is this:

Does anyone else reward themselves for doing tasks? If so, what are the tasks and what is the reward?

Baking and Bonding

2010-12-22T11:24:00.000-08:00

It has been a few years since I have been at the original Baking and Bonding. I have hosted my own in other countries and other states, but, boy, did it feel good to be back with my roots.

As I remember, the "Bonding" far outweighs the "Baking". It is loud, colorful, and competitive, and many things said at this party should never be repeated outside of the circle of people who attended.

By far, the best gingerbread house display (vote for it at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=846767369465&set=a.626867076415.2279915.22413564 )

The Buckeyes (and for all the UofM fans, "I-hate-Ohio-State-balls")

The men doing the manly sugar-cookie-decorating.

Yeah, I love this man.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Since we are about to go back. . .

2010-12-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

Jay and I are leaving for Nebraska today, and I realized I never posted my pictures from the last trip, so here they are:

(Nora is not drunk, but I think the look on her face is priceless, combined with the fact that she was fascinated by her Uncle Jay's empty beer bottle)

After the final Nebraska and Colorado game.

The men being manly.

Nora was also fascinated by Chango. Chango on the other hand was tolerant of Nora. He even treated her to a few kisses.

To Narah:

2010-12-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Narah,

Someday I think it would be fun to be in Michigan when you are here. Let's try and make that happen.
P.S. We thought of you and your family a lot on the day this picture was taken.

As Promised.

2010-11-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

Here are some picture of Ramona Jean!

This is a well documented little girl:)

Sleeping contented in her Uncle Jay's arms.

Yes, Ramona, this is your family. . .

Two kids under 3 - Good luck Matt and Megs!

You are a beautiful baby girl Ramona - we will see you again in a few weeks!

Baby Cooke is on its way!

2010-11-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

I found out this morning that my sister in law, Megan, is in labor! For real this time. She has had false labor for the past month or so.

Please pray for her and baby Cooke (gender and name still to be announced).

Jay and I are tentatively planning on heading to Grand Rapids tomorrow to see them all.

Pictures to come.

Three years - and still good!

2010-10-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

Jay and I had our 3 year anniversary last week. Traditionally a newlywed couple would save, freeze and eat their wedding cake topper on their first anniversary. We have never been very traditional in our life choices, so things went more like this: After the wedding, the cake was wrapped, frozen and put in my parents' freezer. Our first year anniversary was spent in Mexico - no cake. Our second year anniversary was spent in Nebraska - still no cake (Not even a thought of cake). This year we are in Michigan and my mom forced a foil wrapped package into my hands a couple of days before the big day. We weren't sure 3 year old cake would be any good, but we decided to give it a try.

And you know what - it tasted great. I mean, our citrus and raspberry cake was delicious to begin with (most wedding cakes aren't, but ours was), and I was able to enjoy it more because I wasn't having my stomach shrunk by a white taffeta bodice.

Yeah for yummy cake. Yeah for caterers using liberal amounts of foil to protect the cake. And most importantly - Yeah for 3 years married to my very favorite man!

Fall in Michigan

2010-10-26T19:01:00.000-07:00

The colors have been spectacular this year in Southeast Michigan. Unfortunately, we had a windstorm today so they may be gone by tomorrow. So this post is in honor of the colors of fall. These pictures are from our yard and our block.

Mr. Miles turns 2 (and we get to play a little)

2010-09-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of living in MI is getting to attend celebrations with my side of the family. A couple of weeks ago my nephew, Miles, turned 2. Here are some shots from that day.

(Miles with his truck cake)

And since we were already on the road that weekend, the Ronkettos invited up to their lake house for a day on the water. It was incredibly luxurious and relaxing. Thanks Rons for a great 24hrs!

We all got to ride on the boat, and by all I mean 6 adults and 3 dogs.

We got to wakeboard.

And Jay learned how to wake-surf.

Maybe. . .

Sort Of. . .

Ok - not really.

And to cap off this post, it will end the way all good posts should end, with a pic of Chango-Bongo.

Final Days of Summer

2010-09-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am almost all caught up. The summer ended in a flurry.

We survived a few storms.

Witnessed some friends and staff members get married.

Continued working our crazy paced jobs and then all of a sudden . . .

it was done.

We could rest, and so rest we did.

We drove up North for a week of relaxation and sleep at my parents' house on Lake Michigan.

There we slept a lot, read, played games and ventured on a few occasions.

We were able to see a spectacular Lake Michigan Sunset.

We went on a couple of day hikes. One to the Sand Dunes, and another to Light House Point.

(it was just a little bit windy that day)

(This one is from the Scenic Drive - Big Glen Lake is considered one of the top 10 most beautiful lakes in the world)

And then after that week it was back to work, but at a much healthier pace.

Only at Laura's wedding. . .

2010-09-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

would the following event happen. . .

Laura Got MARRIED!

2010-09-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

Not much to say about this.

It was a beautiful, fun, meaningful, and unique wedding.

I am so happy for you little sister.
(The Rehersal . . . It rained a little)

The Bachelorette Party

(the only boy allowed)

The BIG Day.

(one classy bride)

(a warning to all future brides - EAT!)

(In my personal opinion the coolest couple at the wedding)

(Ok, they may have been the coolest couple . . . )

(Jay did it)

(Wow, we looked a lot better before we danced for a couple hours)

(How we felt at midnight when the party wasn't over and we realized we had to be up at 5:30am for work:(

Enjoy!

Summer Catch Up - Our jobs

2010-09-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

Jay and I were blessed to work for SpringHill Camps this summer. We were able to be part of sharing the Gospel with over 4,800 campers through the Day Camp program. Here are some highlights from our Urban week that we did in Downtown Detroit.

This particular week was not without its own particular set of difficulties. We worked in one of the most deserted and down-hearted neighborhoods I have ever seen, but the kids were so grateful.

We were centered in Carstens Elementary School. The picture below was my office in the basement gym. We knew the week was going to be rough when summer school at this un-air-conditioned building was closed due to the heat index being so high. But Day Camp went on.

Relief came when the Detroit Fire Department stopped by to help cool us down:)

Because of the threat of theft in the location of the school, we had to remove all of our portable activities every night. In the removing of our wall one night, the portable climbing wall decided it wanted to ride inside of the Expedition that was pulling it.

Another night we were tearing down the giant metal poles of the zipline in the lightning storm, to make it inside just in time to see the office/storage room flooding.

On our final night we lost the keys to the Budget truck that was hauling the majority of the equipment, so for a night we had to abandon it in a church parking lot.

But all of these disasters were not enough to prevent God from moving. Here is Jay leading a campfire song at our closing rally where we were able to hear from the kid's mouths how God worked in their lives during the week.

This last picture has no purpose, and the explanation would take to long, so all I will say is this happened on a weekly basis:

More later!

Summer Catch up - Vol. 1

2010-09-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, here is the recap I promised. Let's take it back a couple of months and reminisce. . .

For Jay and I work ended in Nebraska. For Jay that meant Track concluding along with teaching. He had a couple of his athletes go to states and he was able to honor his team at an athletic banquet.

For me, I had to say good-bye to my little friends at work. Months later, I am still thinking about them and praying for their new school year.

Once work was done, Jay had to stay in Nebraska to help finish up his work at Parkview and that left me to drive this

across the country to Michigan. Yeah, I know. I am pretty cool.

I then headed up to Evart to meet my husband to begin training. We were a little late and had to jump right in since our staff had shown up a couple of days before.

(I know this picture doesn't really show it, but we worked very hard for those couple of weeks)

On top of our jobs, this was also the summer of Laura. My baby sister got married this summer, and showers and wedding prep helped to fill my days off.

Our first week of camp was in Fort Wayne (aka "Fort Fun") Indiana. The week was remarkably without incident until the last day. Because of transportation logistics, we ended up putting a trailer hitch on our Vibe to haul our Eurobungy. On our way back from Ft. Fun, we ended up in the middle of tornado warning/severe thunderstorm figuring out how to hook up the bungy to the car.

We were drenched, cold and ready to be home.

Well, I think that concludes the month of June. More stories, pictures and videos to come:)

What a summer!

2010-08-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, it has been a long time since I have updated this thing and as soon as I find my camera cord in our mountain of unpacked belongings, pictures will be seen.

The summer began in a weekend. Packing up a truck and driving it across country by myself, with only Chango for company. Within 48 hours we were at camp. Training was in full swing and Jay and I jumped into our new jobs like little kids jumping into a pool on a hot summer afternoon.

Within two weeks of that we were on the road again, this time with a climbing wall, eurobungy, large white trailor and 30-odd staff in tow. We have been to 8 different sites to run our day camp and have been a part of some 1,776 campers hearing the Gospel of Christ this summer.

In the midst of camper craziness my baby sister got married, we moved into a large (and with our current schedule, unmanagable) home, sprung Chango from the shelter ( a couple of times:( and served God with all our hearts.

And . . .

We are exhausted.

We have next week off, and I, for one, am planning on sleeping A LOT. Then we begin new jobs (again) with Springhill working year round. The jobs are such that we will stay in the Detroit Metro area and continue to work for Day Camps. We have started the home hunt and are eagerly anticipating finding a church home and community in the area.

Thank you to everyone who has kept us in their prayers this summer, and like I said, pics will come soon.

I don't like the "stache"

2010-06-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

In response to my husband's blog, I am not a fan of "el mustachio". I encourage everyone else who might comment on his blog or see him in person, to speak negatively about it.

On a slightly bigger note: we are at camp! We leave for our first site in Fort Wayne (a.k.a. Ft. Fun), Indiana in the morning. I don't entirely know what we are jumping into with this endeavor, so please pray.

A little catching up

2010-05-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

Oh my, I missed all of March and April on this blog. Well, that is probably a pretty good indication of how busy we have been. So here is a brief recap of some goings-on in the Taylor household.

First, in March we went on Spring Break (Woohoo!) to Florida with my family. All of my family. Minus Matt.

(The World's largest cruise ship)

(Oh my father. . . )

(A little sun, or lack there of)

(On the beach with Mr. Miles.)

The next adventure we went on was to Norfolk to visit the parent's Taylor over Easter. I think this pic speaks for itself.

And finally we just returned from a full weekend that was spent in a two bedroom cabin with the whole Taylor/Davy clan (minus Mel and Daisy). To clarify, that is 8 fully grown adults, two children under 2, and one Mexican immigrant dog in one two bedroom cabin. Space was tight, but fun was had by all.

Although not much sleeping was had at night, much rest occurred during the day on Saturday. Two highlights of the trip were celebrating Addie's second birthday Friday night and going to the zoo in Omaha today.

("How old are you, Addison?)

(A family hike by the river)

(A day at the zoo)

Kansas City

2010-02-28T18:40:00.000-08:00

Jay and I decided to get away this weekend and go to Kansas City, just the two of us. In a minor advertisement for Priceline, we bid on our hotel and got a four star hotel at a two star price.

Here is the room.

The view from our window.

We went to the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum (highly recommend and it is free!)

We at fabulous food, fell asleep in bed around 9pm and met up with friends for lunch today.

I had a fantastic time with my husband. It was a wonderful affirmation that he is still my favorite person to be with.

Nora Beth Marie Davy

2010-02-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

Born Tuesday, February 9th, ridiculously early in the morning.

A Beautiful Baby Girl.

A happy houseful (minus Addie and Chango of course).

A big sister being "gentle."

A Smart Perrito

2010-01-29T17:49:00.000-08:00

What can we say - He knows the good spots. . .

A few (very late) Christmas pictures

2010-01-17T19:46:00.000-08:00

After traveling for several weeks (Christmas vacation and a funeral), Jay and I are finally back in Lincoln and settling back into a healthy routine. I just realized today that I hadn't uploaded any pictures from our travels and I thought now would be a good time to share them.

I started off Christmas break by traveling to Michigan to see my sister sing in the Detroit Lions game. Since she has banned us from posting videos of her performance these few measly

pictures will have to do the trick. (Laura, the singer, is in the green sweater).

After Jay flew in, it was time for Christmas with the Cookes.

Miles' favorite spot during present time.

Family pic.

Then we went to Nebraska. The drive a bit scary at times, but we made it without major incident.

Our "Christmas" morning.

Chango sneaked onto my lap while we were opening presents and he sat very still as if we wouldn't notice him.

Taylor family pic.

What a lot of our driving looked like.

And to finish off the post appropriately: Chango's Christmas portrait.

Death Storm '09

2009-12-09T06:16:00.000-08:00

Jay and I have been home for two days as schools have been closed for a continuous Winter Storm Warning/Blizzard Watch. It has been a lovely couple of days full of coffee, games, reading, and, last night, some friends who were willing to brave the weather to come and spend some time with us.

When I woke up this morning I decided to capture the crazy amounts of snow with my camera.

(Notice in this one that the snow drift to the left of Chango is as tall as he is.)

Eight hour party, Baking and Bonding, and a little Christmas

2009-12-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

Alright, this is a little bit of a catching up post.

We will begin with a few weeks ago. Jay and I invited a few friends over for a Husker game. It turned into an 8 hour party with football, junk food, Munchkin Booty, and we finished the night with a little Ice Age.

Just this past weekend, we had a full time filled with family and friends. Friday a night we went to "Behold the Lamb" Christmas concert. Saturday we fulfilled my family's Christmas tradition of Baking and Bonding. It was the biggest Baking and Bonding ever, and the cookie collection got so big we had to start cooling them outside and on Ben and Crystal's bed.

The Baking.

The Bonding.

The Creative cooling techniques.

And as a bonus, we are going to play a little "I spy". See if you can spy the chronic texter.

And finally, Jay and I set a night aside to decorate our apartment. It turns out we overestimated the time it would take to put up all of our decorations, so we have a few hours to spare. (We own a little 3 ft. tree, an Advent) I think the apartment is beautiful.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from the party we went to last night. Enjoy.

And just for the record, Jay and I are not really pregnant. He was a redneck and I was his barefoot and pregnant wife.

Fall Break in Michigan

2009-11-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

This past week was my fall break from my job. A couple of months ago I found a fabulous deal on a plane ticket to go home and see my family. Jay had to stay in Lincoln and work. Here are some shots from my trip.

Mr. Miles.

The group.

Four generations of men.

Siblings.

Sisters.

It's a Race!

2009-10-18T14:17:00.001-07:00

Today I ran my first race in years. Lori asked me to run with her a couple of weeks ago, and although we didn't exactly run next to each other, it was still a blast.

The pre-race pic.

In the midst of it.

Finishing.

Our post-race shot by the capitol.

What is the date again?

2009-10-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we woke to SNOW! Yes, snow on the 10th of October. It was Chango's first experience with snow and it freaked him out. He wouldn't walk on it at first and once he did, his legs were shaking with every step.

Yesterday was also Ben and Amy's wedding reception. I didn't get many pictures, but here are a couple of ones that I liked.

Can anyone guess who these dancing queens are?

Some quick photo updates

2009-10-02T19:57:00.001-07:00

I finally uploaded the few pictures that I have taken in the last month, so before I hit the hay, I thought I would post them with some brief captions.

Chango has made a new best friend. His name is Jack, and he is the dog of our friends Jan and Heidi they have had a few play-dates and Jack is very good at wearing Chango out.

Jay had his birthday. He is 25 . . . yay!!!! We are once again the same age for a few months. (Addie was helping him celebrate in this pic)

Grace Chapel (our church here in Lincoln) had it's 9th annual Birthday Bash that included a chili cook-off, an archery tournament and campfire songs. It was a bitterly cold October 2nd, but a good time was had by all.

things that made me happy this weekend

2009-09-27T17:34:00.001-07:00

1. Having nothing to do Saturday morning except workout.

2. Getting a big "HI!" and a hug from Addie.

3. Talking to my mom on the phone about their trip and the Tigers whomping on the White Sox in Chicago.

4. Coffee in the park with Lori and Jay.

5. A Sunday afternoon snooze.

6. Browsing Target and finding a cute bracelet in the Dollar section.

7. Heading outside right now to eat Mexican and sit by the fire with the "upper dwellers".

Longs Peak . . . the hardest climb of my life

2009-09-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning, Jay and I spontaneously decided to drive to CO and climb Longs Peak with our friend Adam.

We left our pups (Chango) behind, loaded up the car and drove the 7 hours to Denver. We stayed with Adam and his wife Jes in their new house.

Sunday morning, after 3 and a half hours of sleep, we woke up at 1am to drive to the mountain. The first 3 hours of the climb were in darkness (except for the light of the moon), and by the time the sun rose we were over half way there.

(Sunrise from the mountain side)

(Pic above: the flash was a bit blinding)

(Hiking at Sunrise)

(Longs Peak from halfway up the mountain)

(the "Privys", aka mountain side outhouses)

We climbed and climbed, and huffed and puffed in the thin air. Seven hours later, we had finally reached the summit. It was only then that we realized that we had to do the whole thing in reverse. This climb was the most grueling thing I have ever put my body through.

(The Boulder Field)

(Climbing through the Boulder field)

(How we felt after climbing through the Boulder field)

(Kissing at the Keyhole)

(Traversing the Narrows)

(Signing the Register at the Summit)(At the Summit)

It took us 13 hours start to finish, but we made it!

I may never climb Longs again, but at least I can say that I did it.

5 good things. . .

2009-08-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

After having a truly rough day at work, I decided to challenge myself to think of 5 good things from the day. So here they are.

1) A picnic in the park with all the Hermans (minus Ben Davy) to start to say good-bye to Melissa.

2) Hopping and lunging down the hallway with one of my students after he insisted his feet were stuck to the floor.

3) Loving my husband and embracing his present obsession with Harry Potter. (He is on book 7, so who can blame him).

4) Receiving a big hug from Addison before she went to bed.

5) Talking with my new sister-in-law, Amy, during Dear Herman practice.

The new Mr. and Mrs Taylor

2009-08-16T19:06:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a day of celebration because Ben and Amy got hitched. I didn't get a lot of pictures, but please enjoy the ones that I did manage to snap.

We have moved . . . again

2009-08-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

We are back in Lincoln and back in Ben and Crystal's basement. It took several days to unpack. Some of it was fun, seeing all of the things that we left behind when we went to Mexico. There was also a lot of "Why in the world did we keep that?!?"The furniture is different and several things are painted different colors then when we lived here before. I like this. This is a new season and I am glad that our surroundings (somewhat) reflect that.

Here are some pics:

In the midst of the moving process . . . not very happy.

Notice the new carpet. . .

and the new shelf.

This is what happens when. . .

2009-07-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you mix a natural performer, a jukebox, and a late night.

Enjoy.

Round and round we go

2009-07-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that we have been back in the states for a month and a half already. In that time we have circled the state of Michigan a few times visiting friends and family.

One of the more special trips happened a little over a week ago when we went to my family's house in Sutton's Bay. My whole family was there - which was a rare treat - and we spent the weekend playing outdoors and eating some fantastic food.

We did this same trip a year ago and it was fun to see how, in a year, we grew from this:

to this:

For Narah

2009-07-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

(Ok Narah - here is my attempt to get out of the "worst blogger" position.)

We left Mexico during the first week of June after spending some time in Mexico with Jay's family. We packed up our car, said good-bye to our friends and hit the road.

We made it back in time for Jay to participate in our friend Cale's Wedding. We spent a week in Nebraska catching up with old friends, and then we took off for Michigan to see my family.

After a week hanging out with the fam, we went off to serve at Springhill for two weeks. Jay worked with the Junior Highers, I recruited and we both worked at lot of High Adventure activities.

Now we are back at my parents house and looking forward to a summer full family.

Our Dog gets Carsick

2009-05-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

It's true. We discovered this yesterday when we spontaneously decided to spend Saturday night camping at a new campsite we heard about. (We were supposed to go with the 5th and 6th grade to this place, but that was canceled due to the swine flu).

(driving to the canyon before we knew the dog would get sick:(

The canyon we drove to is called "Namurachi". It is beautiful - with steep canyon walls that almost touch at the top.

We were the only ones staying there last night and we were about 6km from the nearest town, so the silence was deafening.
(our campsite)
(dinner - bean and cheese burritos)
(the view from the top of the mountain right by our campsite - you can see our van in this picture)
(the fire after dark)(Sunday morning worship:)

We went for a long hike this morning before we loaded the car back up with our motion-sick pup and drove home.
(some pics from the canyon)
Other then a slight odor in the carpeting of the van, we all returned unscathed from this unplanned adventure.
(Jay taking down the tent)

Sunday Hike

2009-05-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, all of the churches were closed due to the swine flu scare, so Jay and I decided to take our pup on his first hike. We chose "Fish Hill" - a mountain that is not very tall and that has a giant, painted-on picture of a Christian fish on the side of it.

(Chango being good on the car ride there)

We invited the Meissners along, and before the sun was too high the four adults, two dogs and one baby were hiking.

(All of us at the summit)

(I call this one "man and dog")
There were lots of people on the hill while we were hiking up, and we made it back down without an incident. Chango was pooped by the end of it, but he was a persevering little pup and walked on his own the whole way.

(Chango finding a bit of shade at the top)

We're back to "work" today (sending out email assignments), and barring any sudden increase in swine flu cases, we should be back to real work on Wednesday.

Boredom and Surgical Masks

2009-05-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Right now those two words sum up the Swine Flu in Chihuahua.

We just completed our 4th day off of school. We send out a lot of emails and answer a lot of phone calls and pray that our students are doing their work.

We've done a couple of things to entertain ourselves. I have chosen to use my extra time to become a master guitarist. Jay has decided to become the leader of the pack by reading the Dog Whisperer book.

We've watched our pup tear apart a loofah. (I guess we aren't good pack leaders yet.)
We've taken the bus downtown (notice the lack of people in the square - a lot of the people who were out were wearing surgical masks to protect themselves from germs).
And we have spent time enjoying our new hammock. (The colors are weird because these were taken at night which is really the only enjoyable time to be outside right now - it is too stinkin hot!)

The best day ever?

2009-04-27T18:42:00.001-07:00

As news of the school closing swept through the hallways at 2:30 today, one student remarked to me that this was the "Best Day Ever". Never mind the dozens of people who are sick with the Swine-flu, never mind the dozens that have died from it; to this student, closing the school for 10 days because of a possible pandemic constitutes the best day ever.

At least he has his priorities straight.

Jay and I are stuck at home. We are encouraged not to gather. We are ordered to continue teaching via the internet and telephone.

If anyone has any great ideas for filling the suddenly large amounts of down time in our days, I would love to hear them.

In happier reports, we ended up with a party at our house last night with these people.
There was lots of raucous laughter, smack talk, and yummy snacks. All of these things equal an extremely fun time.

Spirit Day!

2009-04-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

Spirit Day was on Friday.
Spirit Day for Binimea means the kids get to wear shorts and their team's colors, and for the last period of the day, they get to run around in the park across from the school and compete.
Everyone, except the teachers:( , gets ice-cream, and one team ends the day as the victors.
Dodge-ball:
Obstacle Course:Team Cheers:Now, the day was around 90 degrees, so this was the sight around the water cooler:And finding the shade to enjoy some Bolis (fruity ice treats):

The Great California Adventure - Part 3

2009-04-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

San Diego was our ultimate destination and on Monday we finally made it there.
Our host was a woman named Anne Rideout. She is a friend of the Taylors from the time they have spent in California.
Her house was on a bluff overlooking Mission Bay.
The first night there we had some spaghetti with her and then went and walked around Seaport Village in the Downtown area.
This is a view of the Seaport Village.
The next morning it was cold and rainy, and we figured it was a perfect day to go to the zoo.
We took a bus tour, watched all the shows, rode the Skyfari ride and saw as much as we could in the 7 hours we were there.
The Skyfari:
The polar bears:
The panda at feeding time:
Jay's favorite- the world's largest rodent (these things were bigger than our dog):I'll let you figure out these animals:
We finished off the day with some In-n-Out Burger and some shopping.
The next day was still chilly, but I was determined to spend some time by the water, so we rode our bikes to Pacific Beach. We rode the Belmont Park Coaster and explored little shops along the boardwalk.
After lunch we drove out to Coronado Island and went to the Hotel del Coronado.
Then we went to the movie Monsters vs. Aliens. According to reports, Jay was going to be able to see the 3-D that this movie was made of and although he could see some depth with the new True-D technology, it still wasn't quite 3-D in his eye.
(This is an old picture, but I think it captures Jay's feelings for 3-D movies).
Anne took us out to eat for our last night there, and the next morning we packed up and drove to El Paso.

Save Now

The Great California Adventure - Part 2

2009-04-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

So we were on the road from Phoenix to Anaheim. No impromptu stops along the way this time, but we did have some incredible scenery.

My parents generously donated some of their Disney Vacation Club points for this part of the trip, so we got to stay at a beautiful hotel - Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel - right on the Disney property in Anaheim.

The Hotel:
The Room:
The Pool:
The View (this was Disney's California Adventure Theme Park):We decided to go grocery shopping before dinner and found ourselves in Mexico again!
Well not really, but we went to Market La Fiesta, and we felt right at home.

Dinner was to be a treat, going out to eat at Downtown Disney. We ended up eating at the Rainforest Cafe after walking around the stores and seeing the full selection of restaurants.
The next day I met Jay's family. . . a lot of Jay's family for Easter Dinner. We had dinner with 15 or so other people, painted eggs, and swapped a lot of family stories. After dinner, Jay's cousin Courtney took us around to show us Long Beach and Huntington Beach. We drove on a racetrack and ate at Fred's Tacos. (I don't have pictures to post for this because Jay was in charge of the digital camera. . . I had the film one).

The next day, we relaxed by the pool and walked around some of the other hotels before embarking on the third leg of our trip - San Diego.

Hanging at the pool:
Disneyland Hotel Waterfall:

The Great California Adventure - Part 1

2009-04-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I made it 25 years without ever going further west than the Rocky Mountains.
Well, that has all changed. We just finished our last school break and we figured for this one, we would do a whirlwind tour of the American Southwest.
It all began last Friday, when we left at the crack of dawn to head north to the border. After a white-knuckled ride through the mountains (they don't believe in guard rails in Mexico), we stopped on the side of the road for lunch with our travel partners, the Meissners.

We crossed in a town called Agua Prieta, and it was a hair-raising experience as it appeared that everyone in the states of Chihuahua and Sonora decided to cross on Good Friday as well.

It took a little bribery, but soon we were accepted into the seemingly endless line for the crossing.
Once in Arizona, we wanted out of the car, so we stopped in Tombstone, Arizona for some good old-fashioned touristy fun.
We got to Grandpa Crabb's and Sue's house by evening, and after some drinks and some appetizers, Jay and I decided to climb the mountain behind their house, and we were rewarded with a beautiful view of Phoenix.
The next morning we helped the Crabb's load up (they were heading off on a RV adventure of their own), and then we were off to Anaheim, CA.

It's All Gone.

2009-04-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

Every time my life is about to take a drastic change, I get the hankering to cut my hair.

This time, I had a major cut. I really like it, but it is going to take some getting used to. . . I have BANGS for the first time in my life. . . yikes!

Thank you Starr for a fabulous cut.

An Ode to the little ones

2009-03-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Oh Addie and Miles
I will see you soon
But for now your faces
Will decorate my room

Addie maybe soon
You will start to crawl
And Miles soon will
Sit up straight and tall

So grown-up you'll be
Next time we meet
I look forward to that day
It'll be so sweet

So you two keep moving,
Learning, and growing
And for now your pictures
To friends I'll be showing

Some fun things.

2009-03-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

This week I saw something here that didn't think I would see again. . . rain in Chihuahua.
After a week of 85 degree days and a few months of sun, we were hit this week with an arctic blast that brought with it precipitation and even a few thunderstorms.

This picture was taken yesterday morning when I was taking the pup out. It wasn't raining, but it was cold (I could see my breath). The clouds were hanging so low that they covered the tops of the mountains that we can see from our front door.
Us, being the smart people that we are, decided that in the midst of this frigid week we should visit the Mandala Cafe. It is built on the side of a mountain and has outdoor seating. We went with our neighbors, the Meissners, and had a great night wrapping ourselves in wool blankets (the restaurant provides them) , eating yummy food and drinking hot beverages.

In puppy news, Chango has found a new bed . . . Jay's backpack.
And although he is a butt-head a lot of the time, he is just so darn cute, it is hard not to love him.

Puppy is HUGE!

2009-03-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

I decided to compare last night some of the pictures of the pup.
We have had him for six weeks now and we know he has doubled in weight, but check this out.

Here is a pic from the first day we got him. Notice his size in comparison to the floor tiles.
This picture was taken yesterday.
Yikes! Our little guy is turning into a grown-up.

On a side note, please pray for us as we are deciding on plans for next year. We desperately want to follow God's plan, but so far the process has gotten us nowhere and has been full of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Birthday wishes.

2009-02-28T06:51:00.000-08:00

All I can say is I am blessed.

Pups and Broccoli

2009-02-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

We have a new pup. He is a sheltie/street dog mix and he spent the first 24hrs with us completely petrified. Having babies is cheep in Mexico, so is buying a dog. We decided to go with the dog.

Chango (that is his name) was actually free. He was the result of an attempt at breeding that went terribly wrong when the mother dog got a little frisky with . . . well we don't know what with. . . but anyway, the owners didn't want him, so we took him off their hands.

This is his current favorite place in our house. The world is just a little big and scary right now, so the smaller the space, the better.

In other news, Jay and I joined Mexico's version of Sam's Club or Costco; it is called City Club and its membership is nice and cheep (about $10 a year with the current peso exchange rate).

We went shopping on Saturday and I got this fabulous bag of broccoli.
I like to put broccoli in everything. . . I sneak it in to add nutritional value, so I'm pretty excited that I can get it in such monstrous quantities.

We climb mountains just because we can.

2009-01-17T14:44:00.001-08:00

Jay and I realize that we are not going to live a few miles from some fantastic mountain ranges the rest of our lives, so we are trying to take advantage of it while we are here in Chihuahua.

This morning we decided we were going to climb "the big one", Cerro Grande.
Armed with water, nuts, and, of course, Jay's new altimeter watch, we set out.

It took about 40 minutes to climb 1700ft, and the view from the top was spectacular.
Here are some shots from the trek.
Here is where we parked the car. . . Mexican's and their trash disposal. . . I just don't get it.
Here is the view from about 1/2 way up. Here is Jay getting in some "real" rock climbing.Here is the hot pink rock that was 50ft from the summit.We finally made it!
What goes up, must come down. . .

Oh P.S. ~ for all of you who have been suffering through negative zero temps in the States this past week, the temperature for this adventure was a sunny 73 degrees (maybe just one of the bonuses of living south of the border this time of year).

Christmas Break (part 2)

2009-01-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

After a week in Nebraska, we were off to Michigan. A few flight issues almost delayed the trip, but the very nice people at Northwest hooked us up with a direct flight that got us there a couple hours ahead of schedule.

Here are some highlights from the trip in Michigan:

A Red Wings game with some Spring Hill friends.Celebrating Matt's Birthday.

Celebrating Christmas on New Year's Day (2009 - the year of two Christmases).

The Photo Shoot that just had to happen once we all received the same Northface Fleece for Christmas.

And finally meeting Miles Matthew.

I know it is a little delayed, but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! (Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano)

Christmas Break (part 1)

2009-01-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

Well, three weeks is way too long to go between posts, but I have a good reason - Christmas Break!
We just got back from a two week adventure that took us from Chihuahua to El Paso to Omaha to Lincoln to Norfolk to Omaha to Detroit to El Paso and back to Chihuahua again.

The time was filled with family, friends, a lot of rest and even more fun.

Here are some highlights to sum up our time in Nebraska (Michigan will come next post):

Music night at the Taylors.Christmas morning.
The Flying monkey.

Hanging out with the newest addition of the Taylor/Davy Clan.

White Elephants and more. . .

2008-12-13T17:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the peak of Christmas celebrations at Binimea.
In the afternoon we had the first showing of the Christmas Extravaganza (also known as the kids' Christmas program). There will be another one next Friday, but since Jay and I will be winging our way to Nebraska next Friday (Yeah!), we dutifully made an appearance and were very entertained for an hour of our afternoon.

In the evening, it was time for the Jr. High Christmas party. Jay and I are Jr. High party sponsors, so we, along with another couple (the Murrays), were running the show.

We ate donuts and sang carols.
We played some Ghost in the Graveyard (a hide-and-seek in the dark game) and ate Pizza.
(for those of you who are aware of my aversion to seek and find games, no, I did not actually play the game. . . I was in charge of "base".)
And we finished the night off with a good old-fashioned White Elephant gift exchange.
Here is the gift selection and here is the fantastic "Canada" T-shirt I walked away with.

Welcome to our (new) home!

2008-12-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know 4 different homes in 14 months of marriage is not normal, but I actually think we will be in this one at least 6 months.

We moved into this new house just this past week. The old one just did not feel safe to me anymore. It was isolated, hard to get to, and surrounded by vicious dogs. Jay absorbed by feelings and found us a new house that is two blocks from the school and that has neighbors (friends of ours actually).

It is much smaller and we are still moving things from our old house into storage, but here are a few shots from our new place.

Here is Jay warming himself by our wood stove (the only source of heat).

Our living room:

Jay and Torre (our neighbor) tossing the newly bought firewood:
And here's a treat for all the Spanish speakers in our lives - a glimpse at our bilingual Christmas celebrations:

The Great Orange Adventure!

2008-12-01T19:42:00.000-08:00

It is strange, in Mexico even the most mundane things seem to be an adventure.
The most recent one was Jay and I attempting to get the (seemingly) ripe oranges off our tree.

The orange tree, unfortunately, is located between a thorn bush and a fence, so it was an adventure to trek back and retrieve the fruit.

Here I am surveying the course:The most formidable obstacle:Making it through:Reaching the Fruit:The Crop:Finding out it was bad and (literally) throwing it away:

It's Party Time!

2008-11-29T18:38:00.000-08:00

Well, it is official.
The holidays are upon us.
(It is hard to believe since it is 70 degrees and sunny every day.)
We kicked off the season with two traditional favorites.

First: Thanksgiving.
Although we had to work this Thanksgiving, we were invited to a party after school. It was a potluck, and it was our job to bring enough mashed potatoes for 16 people. Making the potatoes almost resulted in destroying the Steins kitchen, but, nevertheless, we arrived on time with 5lbs of mashed potatoes.
Some said we overdid it, but at the end of the night, not a speck of potatoes came home with us.

The table for this meal was a pool table with a top and a tablecloth on it.
Here is the spread:
Here is the aftermath:Here are some friends:Tonight, Jay and I held a traditional "Baking and Bonding". (For more info on "Baking and Bonding" check out another recent post").
We took the chance on possibly destroying the Steins kitchen once again, but I truly believe the Lord protected us. I did blow up a pressure cooker and burn some beans (we had chili while we worked), but, other than that, the night went smoothly and was super fun.

Here was the group:
Here is some of our handiwork:
Yay for the Holidays and yay for being with family in less than three weeks! (not that I am counting down or anything. . .)

We've (Temporarily) Upgraded.

2008-11-24T18:53:00.000-08:00

For two weeks Jay and I are house-sitting for a missionary family. Although it involves driving to our house everyday to walk the dog and check the mouse traps (we are currently waging war against the mice in our house and we've taken out six already), the house we are staying in now is quite a bit nicer than ours.

We've exchanged this:
for this:
And this:
For this:Needless to say we have temporarily upgraded.

Speaking of houses, we are considering a move to a different house in a safer neighborhood. Although many missionaries are supporting our decision, we are also receiving a lot of opposition.
We are praying for God's guidance and would appreciate you joining us in prayer.

Santa really does exist. . . even in Mexico!

2008-11-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a day full of fun and frivolity.

It began with a second round of "Baking and Bonding". For as long as I can remember, my family has had this Christmas tradition known as "baking and bonding". On some weekend before Christmas, my family along with another family, the Ronkettos, gather together to bake Christmas cookies, decorate sugar cookies, and spend time together. (here is a pic from an Original Baking and Bonding)

Since I have had to miss this beloved tradition for the last couple of years, I have worked to carry it on wherever I might be.

I have already had two "Baking and Bonding" experiences this year (and it isn't even December). The first was in Nebraska with Lori and Crystal (never were so many cookies made in such a short period of time).

The second happened yesterday, although the people planning it didn't know that "Baking and Bonding" was its official name.

Here are some photos from that time:(This was the first "Baking and Bonding" to include Tea Time.

And I am secretly planning a third "Baking and Bonding" in which the official sugar cookie decorating will occur.

Jay had a craving last night for tacos, so we set off in the minivan to find a (cheap) taco place.
Since it was only 5:30, every restaurant was open. . . but empty.

Here is a pic of Jay with the completely empty restaurant behind his head.Here are the desired tacos.

And here was the bathroom - I have had many interesting bathroom experiences in Mexico and this one is noteworthy because it was good! They had toilet paper and soap.
We didn't want to spend another night at home, and most places around Chihuahua right now are considered dangerous after dark, so. . . .

We went to the Mall! And I was shocked to find out Mexican malls are just as crazy with their Christmas decorations as American malls.

Everywhere we looked they had these Christmas candy creations set up. They also had a GIANT Christmas tree and a Santa figurine (no real Santa. . . at least not yet.)

OK, now for a sidenote: I pulled out the end of our loaf of bread this morning and this is what I found.The package was intact so we know it wasn't our mice (yes, we have mice, but I am getting used to it), So we figure it must have happened during the packaging. If anybody has any ideas, please let us know. Anyway, it made Jay and I laugh and ask "WHY!?!" for a long time.

Back in the Swing of Things

2008-11-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

Well, we are officially back. With (almost) one week of school under our belts, we feel like that break may or may not have actually happened.

We arrived home to a house that desperately needed cleaning. It seems as though all of Mexico dried and shriveled into dust while we were gone. Said dust then proceeded to plant itself on every surface of our house.

Here is my attempt to capture the mayhem on film.
Here is Jay helping with the cleaning.
Here is our very dead plant that simply could not survive a week without our tender love.Also, with the whole drying and shriveling process has come something I don't think I was totally prepared for here in Mexico - Cold Air.

When we wake in the mornings it is about 50 degrees in our house, and a day full of baking in the sun doesn't do much to warm the place. So far, we are too cheap to turn on our heater. We simply layer up in the evenings and sleep nice and warm under our new quilt that was bestowed upon us by Mama Taylor in Nebraska.So we are ok. Adjusting to being back. Freezing our tushes off when we use the bathroom (the bathroom window is permanently stuck open about 2 inches), and returning to the service God has planned for us for this season in our lives.

No more suitcases. . . at least for a week

2008-11-09T19:32:00.001-08:00

Jay and I have been living out of suitcases for the last few weeks, but what that means is that we have been able to do some very fun things.

First, we were able to escape our isolated, strange-colored, mouse-ridden home for a week and go house-sit for some friends who live in a gorgeous house on the outskirts of town.
Being there was a retreat for me and for the first time since being in Mexico, I was able to relax.

Our time there was full as we still had to care for our dog back at our house, drive to and from work and attend (under the threat of being pied in the face) the fall festival at our school.

We won a cake and for money our students were able to lock us up in "prison" or the "cage" for a time.

We had a party at the high school girls' bible study I attend. The party was both to celebrate Erika's birthday and say good-bye to our fearless leader, Melody, for a time.

Then we hit the road:
4 hrs to El Paso
10 hrs to Denver
9 hrs to Norfolk, NE
2 hrs to Lincoln
17 hrs to El Paso
+ 4 hrs to Chihuahua

= 46 hrs in the car and 3,000 plus miles under our belt, but a whole lot of fun and quality time with people we love.
P.S. Sorry it has been so long since my last post. . . with all the travel, I didn't have my camera cord with me and posts are just no good without pictures :)

Mountain Top Coffee and a Very Large Bull

2008-10-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

Well, the girls are gone now, and our house is empty once again.

Sunday was another full day. After Church and lunch out, we went to a soccer game, Tacos Chi'huas for dinner, and out to see the city at night.

Here are some pics from the soccer game:

Here is the giant statue of a bull that is next to a giant flagpole (why is everything so big in Mexico and why do they build so many statues?)
We finished the night off at a cafe on the side of a mountain. We drank hot Mexican drinks and snuggled under the complimentary blankets that the waiters are kind enough to give the people who are brave enough to face the cool evening temps on the patio.

Thank you girls for a fabulous weekend!

On a side note: Jay and I had our 1 year anniversary on Monday. Although the wedding seems like it just happened last week, we have held enough jobs and lived enough places in one year to fill many years to come.
I love you Juanito and I am looking forward to those years to come.

The Girls Are Here!

2008-10-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

I have neglected to post the last couple of days - I apologize.

Last weekend we survived yet another trip to Majalca (the same place we took the Jr. Highers). We went with the Tylers and the Meissners, and although the trip killed the Tyler's car, I think overall it was a pretty fun day.

This weekend, we have company. My sister-in-law Melissa is here and she brought her friend Laura. They arrived last night and today we conquered the city.

We went to El Pasito, on a seemingly endless search for cowboy boots for Melissa.

We went downtown and had a treat of Elotes before we went to the governor's palace

and to the square in front of the Cathedral.

We ate lunch at the Deportiva and watched people race their babies... yes, those are infants crawling.

After a walk with the dog, we ate dinner at home and soon we are going to sit down and watch the Three Amigos (my request: these three have been quoting it all day, and I am feeling left out).

We have another full day planned for tomorrow that may or may not include climbing at least one mountain.

Some thoughts. . .

2008-10-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about "home". Where is it? How can I get to it? When can I get to it? etc. . . Today I had a realization: I don't know where home is right now.

Sometimes, I think it is back in Michigan, in my parents house where I have spent 22 or so years of my life.
Sometimes, I think it is in Lincoln, in the dark, cozy, little basement where Jay and I spent our first few months of marriage.
Sometimes, (and this one is more rare) I think it is here, in Chihuahua, in this brightly colored home with it's weird noises and unreliable electricity.
Sometimes, I think it is at camp.
Sometimes, I think it is in Norfolk.
Sometimes, I think it is Up North.
Sometimes, I think it is at Disney.
Sometimes, . . . well you get the point.

But God has revealed something to me. I have lived in three different "homes" in the (almost) year since I have been married, and God has given me peace in each one.
He is teaching me that "home" is where I am serving Him. "Home" is any place that I have had peace that comes from Him. I am blessed to have so many places that I consider "home", and God is teaching me how to serve Him and have peace in Him wherever I am.

Ok.

Side Note: Last night we had a random storm come through Chihuahua in the middle of the night. Whenever it rains, our electricity tends to turn off and then on again several times. It was doing this in the middle of the night, when all of a sudden, there was a huge crack of thunder and a flash of lightning at the exact same moment, as the lightning struck very near our house.

"What was that?!?" I asked as adrenaline coursed through my veins.
"It sounded like a shotgun," Jay mumbled, half asleep. "Or a cannon. . . yeah, it sounded more like a cannon."

Yes, Jay, most likely it was a cannon.

Pictures of the Week.

2008-10-06T15:57:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures that sum up the highlights of the past week.

First, here is the GIGANTIC pepper I found at the grocery store. In this picture I am holding it so that one side is touching my nose.

Friday night we went out to eat with the MacDonalds (including their girls Leanne and Katie, and new grandson Gideon), and the Steinbachers (John, his daughter Julia and the new grandbaby, Naddie).
Here is a picture of the grandpas.

Here is a shot, minus the grandparents and one baby.

That's all for now...

Jr. High Camping Trip

2008-09-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Jay and I were chaperons on a the Jr. High Camping Trip for Binimea. Saturday morning we, along with 2 other teachers, loaded up 12 students (9 boys, 3 girls) for an overnight camping trip in Majalca, a park that is about 20 miles from Chihuahua.

The campsites are all situated along a riverbed, and the riverbed, if it hasn't been raining, acts as the road.

Saturday we set up camp and the kids played football, went on hikes, and ate a lot of food. Unfortunately, that afternoon it started raining, and it kept raining into the evening. That caused the river to rise.

After we had roasted some hot-dogs and it was dark, we heard a truck coming down the riverbed. It made it about 200ft. past our campsite and then we heard a "clunk" and the truck stopped moving. The driver had gotten his truck balanced on a boulder. We helped him get it off in the morning.

Most of the kids had spent the day in the river, and when the temps dropped at night, they all froze throughout the night.

The next morning Jay and I made eggs for all the kids and we held a devotional time. Then it was back to the hikes and the football.

The river rose through the night, but Sunday was bright and sunny and by the time we left, it had dropped enough for us to try and get our cars out.

We did run into some trouble when we came across a half sunk Jeep Liberty. We tried to help pull them out and almost got stuck ourselves.

Soon we were past the block and on our way home.

We made it safely. We were all exhausted in school today, but we all had some good stories to tell.

Caborachi - Part 4 - Food Deliveries and Cerro Grande

2008-09-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday of our trip we traveled with the Finches to a neighboring valley to drop off food. Apparently it is a bad food year in their area. The rains came late, and the corn that was planted early all died. The Finches happen to have a generous donor who donated $8,000 to buy food for the Tarahumara. When we arrived the Finches' kitchen was full of rice, beans, oil, tuna, and sardines. By the time we left, it was all almost gone.

The house pictured here was the house of the governor or chief of the tribe. He and the other men gathered to meet us and they would distribute the food.

The day was freezing (it barely got above the forties) and it was raining.

The women and children were very shy. It took us being there almost a half an hour for them to emerge from the house. That pot held some sort of corn concoction.We did end up getting to go inside the house. I didn't get a picture, but to sum it up, it held a wood stove in the center and two planks with blankets on top of them that I think served as beds. Other than some saved bags and cans in the corner. . . that was it.

That afternoon, in the rain and fog, Jay and I climbed Cerro Grande, the tallest mountain in the valley.

This is a picture of us about half-way up. You can see Caborachi in the distance.

This is a picture from the very top. . . we couldn't see a thing the fog was so thick.

Also, at one point we sort of lost the trail. . . stuck in the bushes, we thought it was an appropriate picture moment.

The next day we went to Rancheria, another nearby valley to deliver more food. They weren't expecting us, so we ended up leaving the food with the school teacher at the one-room school house. Then we set off down the valley to tell the people there that there was food waiting for them.

There was a trail part of the way and we forged the trail the rest of the way.

The valley was beautiful, and a lot more rustic than we had seen up to that point.

After we recovered from that hike, Jay and I took off on the bike to try and find a cave from his childhood that he remembered camping at.
It took much longer than we thought, but eventually we found it. Inside there was an old grain mill and a goat pen.

Much later, after dark, we ended up hot-tubbing with the Finches. Yes - Hot-Tubbing. They got one this past year, and we had a great time with them, just talking and enjoying the evening.

We caught the bus at Agua Azul the next morning. We went with another bus line than the one that we travelled (most of the way) there on. With the help of Dramamine, I had a wonderful trip back to Chihuahua.

We got back to our little house and our very excited Prince around 2:30 in the afternoon, and thus ended our Caborachi adventure.

End Note: Between Jay and I we took about 300 pictures in 5 days. This is just a warning. When we see you all at Christmas, be prepared to look at albums and relive the trip once again!

Caborachi - Part 3 - Sinforosa

2008-09-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

On Monday of our stay in Caborachi with the Finches we went to Sinforosa, which is a park on the edge of the Copper Canyon. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

They have a lookout that puts you out and over the canyon, and also they have some waterfalls that are 2-3km down the side of the canyon. You can hike down to it or, if you have a really good 4 wheel drive vehicle, you can drive down.

We opted to walk.

The waterfalls were like a playground, and we used them to their fullest: jumping around, climbing etc. . . Above the waterfalls there is a suspension bridge that fell on the good side of shady. It did have a few boards missing, but mostly, it seemed sturdy.

Here are some pictures with us and the Finches down near the waterfalls.
The hike back up was rough. The elevation there is over 8,000ft, and we got out of breath pretty easily. We also hadn't eaten lunch yet by the time we took the climb and it was near 3pm.

Here is a pic of the "road" that we were hiking on.
We ate lunch at Los Adobes, a really nice restaurant in Guachochi. I had trout for the first time and the whole meal was delicious.

Caborachi - Part 2 - The Old Stomping Grounds

2008-09-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

Well, after that horrible bus ride, I was ready to live it up for a few days.
We woke up Sunday morning and it was Jay's birthday, therefore, it was his day to decide what he wanted to do. We began by drinking tea out on the rocks by the Finches; just watching the village come to life.

Than we went and explored Jay's old house. It is bright blue now and used for the church building. Jay showed me his tree fort and his old bedroom.

Then he showed me more large rock formations that they (the Taylor, Finch and probably the Corley kids) used as forts and protection for all of the tag and chase games they used to play.

After that we hiked up a creek bed that used to be Jay's and Crystal's "secret" place. It had been raining there, so there were lots of waterfalls and pools.

On the way back to the Finches for lunch, we first hiked further up the mountain towards "Popsicle Tree", and then down and around the pottery making "factory"

This is a kiln that they once used to fire the pots.
After lunch, we tackled "Big Rock". In spite of the fact that we were still getting used to the elevation we made it up pretty quickly (and then had to sit for a while to catch our breath).

This picture is us on top of "Big Rock" with our loyal companion this whole week, the Finch's dog, C.B. He was sort of pulling me backwards, which is why I am making that face.

After that was church (they hold it at 3pm), and after the service Jay and I were asked to help lead games for the kiddos. This was an adventure since neither Jay nor I speak Tarahumara, and most of the kids barely spoke Spanish.
Lauren made Jay homemade pizza for his birthday, and we crashed pretty early that night because we were exhausted after all that hiking.

More of the story to come later!

Caborachi - Part 1- Getting there

2008-09-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

I have decided that this trip was so massive and full of so many stories that it is going to need more than one post.

We left this past Saturday morning to go to Caborachi, the valley where Jay grew up in. It is in the Sierra Madre Mountains in central Mexico.

Our friends, the Tylers, gave us a ride to the bus stop and we caught the 11am, Estalla Blanca bus to Guachochi.

Theoretically, the bus should have had all the amenities (bathroom, T.V., air conditioning, etc), and I say "theoretically" because I could actually see them all, but the T.V. and Air never turned on and the bathroom was locked.

The bus moved SLOW. It took us four hours to make the easy part of the trip that typically only takes 2. Part of it was the traffic and part of it was the bus driver taking his dinner break while all of us sat on the ridiculously hot bus for a half an hour.

All his stops were taking a while, so when we stopped in Balleza (about an hour and a half from Guachochi), Jay got off the bus to get me some snacks for my bus-sickness. But this stop the driver did not take his time and soon we were pulling away. . . without my husband!

I quickly racked my brain and searched my very small mental dictionary of Spanish phrases to come up with one that might stop the driver.

"MI ESPOSO! MI ESPOSO!" ("my husband!") I cried from our place in the back of the bus. The woman in front of me soon joined my cry and (I think) told the driver that there was one more person. He stops the bus and everyone looks out the window to see Jay running after us, holding the Sponge Bob sucker that he had risked being left behind to buy for me.

After twenty minutes, the bus took an unscheduled stop. . . it had broken down.

Here is a shot of our trusty steed:
Here is a shot of what we had a around us at that point:

We sat there for almost an hour, cooking in the sun, as the driver kept hitting parts of the engine with a screwdriver to try and get the bus working again. Jay suggested hitch-hiking and we prayed about the decision. As we finished praying a red pick-up truck pulled up and offered a ride for anyone who wanted it.

I looked at Jay and said, "Do you want to?"

He just got this big grin on his face and he grabbed his backpack.

So we did it. We hitch-hiked the rest of the way.

Here is a pic of us in the back of the truck:

And this was our view:

The driver generously dropped us off right at Agua Azul, which is the town at the top of the mountain, 2-3km from Caborachi.

(This video cracks Jay and I up - mostly because of my hair!)

Once we got feeling back in our legs from the ride we hiked down to Caborachi. The sun was setting, and we took a few tumbles, but soon we were at the house of Tony and Lauren Finch. Unfortunately, they weren't there. All the lights were out, the house was locked and their truck was gone.

When we asked some people in the woodshop where they were, we found out they had gone to Guachochi, presumedly to meet the bus. So, we were in the tribe but unable to rest (or eat) since our hosts were waiting for our ill-fated bus in Guachochi.

Jay and I tried to call them on our cell phones, but there is very little reception in the middle of nowhere, so once again, we prayed. As we said "Amen" we heard the beautiful sound of diesel coming down the mountain. The Finches had arrived!

We ate dinner and slept about 9 hours, and looked forward with anticipation the four days in Caborachi we had ahead of us.

An Interesting Meal

2008-09-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

We went out to eat tonight with the speakers who are here to do the Spiritual Emphasis Week(S.E.W.) at the school. One of them is actually an old friend of Jay's dad from when they both were MKs in Brazil. The food was mostly beef, chicken and pork served on giant kabobs, but one of them was not. . . It was gland. From a cow. It was fried. I ate it.

Jay leaves me tomorrow for the S.E.W. camping trip. He is going to be gone for three days and I am so unhappy about being left alone in Mexico. I think I am staying at a friend's house, but those plans have not been solidified yet.

If you think of it, pray for the kids on the S.E.W. trip, that they may have their passion for Christ renewed, and pray for me as I am going to try and survive in this foreign country.

Things I've learned (. . . and a little Miles)

2008-09-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

To begin, here is a message that Miles sent to Jay and I. I loved it, so I thought I would post it.

I thought I would share with the world the nuggets of knowledge that I have acquired since moving to foreign country.

1. Never leave the house without your keys. Mexican houses do not have handles on the outside of their doors. Keys are the only way in (believe me - we checked).

2. Never go out your front door barefoot. They have these things called "toritos" that will flatten your bike tires and kill your feet. They pretty much make up our "lawn".

3. Jalapenos will give you the runs, so consume at your own risk.

4. Liquor is cheap here. Milk is not.

5. Big black labs named Prince like to show their affection for you by rubbing their muddy faces on your favorite white pants, so wear brown on rainy days.

6. When the internet is shotty, you don't have any friends nearby and your only source of entertainment is every MaryKate and Ashley video ever created, bedtime is 9:30.

Well, it looks to be about that time. I will post again soon.

Here he is!

2008-08-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

IT'S A BOY!

2008-08-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my brother, Matt, and sister-in-law, Megan, had their first baby!
His name is Miles Matthew Cooke and I would post a picture, but no one has sent one to me yet.

(Family, that is your hint to get cracking)

News from Mexico!

2008-08-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

It has been too long since I have blogged last. Allow me to do a 60 second catch up:

1. Our Jetta did not get fixed by the time we had to leave (tip: don't go to Dan's Garage in Evart). It ended up needing an entirely new engine. It is fixed now, but it is still in Northern Michigan.

2. My parents gave us their minivan. They were going to give it to us when we got back, but we got the title switched to our names the day before we left.

3. We made it to James's and Sarah's wedding in time. It was a great time with friends, family, and a party bus.

4. We arrived here the same day that our first meetings were scheduled. Lori came with us, and she was such a blessing from God.

5. The house was not what we expected - it is in the middle of the industrial zone, so we don't have any neighbors. The roads are a series of rocks, ruts and ditches that threaten the life of your car everytime you drive. And the house itself was full of the previous occupents' items. We spent several hours removing birdhouses, plastic flowers and other knick-knacks.

6. Lori helped to stock our pantry and clean the house of a couple months worth of dirt.

7. Classes started a week ago Monday, and Jay and I have extremely full schedules. He is teaching all of the high school math classes and physics, and I am teaching language, math, geography and history for grades 5th-10th grades.

8. We locked ourselves out of the house at 3:30 am after driving Lori to the busstop; the house wasn't locked, but Mexican houses don't have doorknobs. We had to replace the window the next day.

9. The first day of school we got home to a burning smell and a smoldering light fixture. The two days without power that followed led to our whole house being rewired, and a quote from the electrician that roughly translated goes: "it is a miracle of God that this house didn't burn down"

10. I am learning Spanish. Slowly, but it is happening.

I have learned that the key to learning a new language is to simply put new words with familiar objects, but I have also found that I am putting new objects to familiar words.
Here are some examples:

"Mowing the Lawn"

"Clothes Drier"

"Burgler Alarm"

"Lawn Ornaments"

"Afternoon Shower"

That is all for now, but we just got the internet in our house today, so expect more regular posting from now on.