Christmas Amidst Construction

Lilly's first Christmas was not the traditional first Christmas you might imagine. First of all, she doesn't even know the word Christmas, much less associate it with anything. On top of that, the house we bought is under construction as we are working tirelessly on finishing the renovations before Charles starts school Jan. 7 and I go back to work. Unlike a Christmas tree and decorations, we had boards and nails scattered about along with tools and electrical cords filling most of the living room.

Nonetheless, we had a little Christmas morning on our bed just the three of us where we read the story of the birth, opened some presents and listened to some favorite holiday tunes. Lilly was more than pleased with the wrapping paper, ribbon and tape that surrounded her - not to mention the actual gifts that were inside. Here are some of the photos to document the occasion.

Christmas before Christmas!

Lilly looked too cute last week before a Christmas party not to take any pictures!

Christmas Letter 2008

Dear Friends and Family -

Due to our tardiness in writing this letter, we are posting it here rather than sending it snail mail to everyone. What a year 2008 has been - most likely one that we will never forget. Here are some of the highlights!

The year started off with a bang - a 6lb, 5 oz. one to be exact! Lilly Cruz was born on January 9 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We are so thankful for her health and development over the last 11 months. Also in January we had my mom and aunt come for an adventurous two-week visit. Other than that, the first few months were kind of a blur - with little sleep and lots of changing diapers.

In March, Charles and I along with his parents, trekked (involuntarily) down a mountain on foot with 7-week-old Lilly in tow. Many of you saw the pictures posted online of the landslides that occurred while we did the big descent.

Charles and I filled our suitcases in May and said goodye to our loved ones in Bolivia. We made a stop in Cartagena, Colombia, for a week of R and R before arriving in the States. The beaches in Cartagena were amazing and Lilly got her first little suntan (and burn).

The summer was a whirlwind of vacation and visiting. We made it to DC for 4th of July and to Corpus Christi, TX, for Hurricane Dolly and just about everywhere in between. It was so good to catch up with those of you we were able to visit.

August started a hard season of the year as we fazed out of our exciting return into some culture shock and dishevelment. We bounced around for a few months housesitting, living with parents, substitute teaching, remodeling houses and more odds and ends. It was a hard season but a growing one.

In November we celebrated Thanksgiving in Memphis and Florida with family for the first time in years. What a time to be grateful!

We are ending the year with a bang as well. We have bought my grandmother's house on a 1-acre lot in a nice wooded community in Starkville, MS, about a mile from Mississippi State University. It is an understatement to say it needs a little bit of work. However, Charles has enjoyed the projects around the house so far. He plans to pursue a Master's in Landscape Architecture starting in January and his concentration will be in Green Building Design with hopes to work in the international realm when he finishes. I have accepted a position with the University and will begin in January as well. Lilly is so busy these days, crawling and on her way to walking soon. Please see some pictures we had taken of her recently www.erinnolenphotography.com/mccall.

We wish you a blessed Holiday Season and New Year.

Charles, Hannah and Lilly

Twick o Tweat

Lilly the Leopard dressed for Halloween ...

Lilly the leopard with friend Romey showing off part of her ladybug costume.

Lilly and Her Amigos

I thought I would post some recent pictures of Lilly with her new friends.

Nadia is 14 mos. and is recently back from India where she was born into another missionary family. She is the youngest of four siblings.
Romey and Lilly went to the zoo together. Romey is almost 1!

Hunter and Lilly were born a couple of weeks apart but vary in size!

Charlie and Lilly - what a pair!

Lilly and Emma Kate
Lilly in the nursery with baby Angel and Yitsi, children of ESL classes, a part of Su Casa ministries where I volunteer.

Yitsi isn't as excited as Lilly to be in the nursery.

She plays hard.

Our Little Indian

Here are some recent pictures of our little Bolivian indian at almost 9 months!

Pray for Bolivia

Friends and Family:

We write today and ask you to pray for the country of Bolivia. Most of you have probably seen some coverage on the current conflict recently. Not all of the media is accurate. However, the situation is complex and isn't improving quickly. 

We have been in close contact with other SAM missionaries these past few weeks. With the civil unrest going on a number of North Americans have chosen to leave. The flights going between the U.S. and Bolivia have been limited. Last week the U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg was sent back to the States by Bolivian officials, then the U.S. Peace Corps pulled their people out of Bolivia, the Mormons followed suit and now SAM has required the single missionaries to return to the States. It is quite an ordeal. 

We are thankful to be back in the States but really concerned for the situation as a whole. Bolivia was home to us for a time and our friends there are just as close as family. 

Charles and I have posted a few links of accurate summaries on what is happening in Bolivia. Thank you for continuing your support through prayer. May God's kingdom be advanced through all of this. 

 

Thank You Letter

In Her Honor

Moselle Shaw Walton was my grandmother and a fine lady. She passed away August 12 and went to a better place. She had such an impact on my life and for that I am grateful.

Bo, as we called her, was the ideal grandmother who sent us birthday checks, doted on us, and let us do that which our parents never let us do.

Charles and I spent a lot of time with her while we were in college at Mississippi State University since we were living in her college town of Starkville. After being overseas we were so excited to get back to Starkville to see her and introduce her to Lilly. Fortunately, we were able to see her several times this summer. A few weeks ago I knew she was ill and planned to visit her but I had a dream that urged me to see her the following day. So Monday, August 11 Charles and I drove to Tupelo stressed trying to get to the hospital before visiting hours were over. I got there just in time to see her. As soon as I said "hi Bo" she turned to me with her famous "hi, darlin'." We talked and I showed her pictures of Lilly on our camera. She cupped my face in her hands and pulled me close. We got one more good visit in and then I said goodbye. I didn't know that it would be the goodbye but I will always cherish that last visit. She passed away 24 hours later.

Sitting on her coffee table was a list of women she would be inviting over for bridge the following week and the refreshments she would serve. Her Sunday School served us lunch before the funeral and couldn't stop talking about what an incredible lady she was. The house filled with people from her bridge group to her old English students. Everyone loved her.

Bo was a dazzler, a socialite with a capital S, everyone on campus knew and loved her. When we'd go to lunch at the campus cafeteria we could barely get two bites in before someone else approached the table saying, "Hey Ms. Moselle."

As a close friend said at the funeral, "how thankful we are for those who bring sparkle and a breath of fresh air into our lives" and she boy did she. Bo would tell us stories of her being Ms. Mississippi State University two years in a row and the rings she had of men who had proposed to her. She was a 84 and zealous about life.

We thank God and celebrate those 84 years. Here are some pictures of the earlier years.

August Letter 08

Summer 2008

Here are some pictures of what we've been doing all summer. We have had a nonstop summer so far!

The pictures pick up where we left off in June with the last entry Since We've Been Back.

We had a blast in DC with friends over the Fourth of July, then drove down to Tennessee for a family reunion before we weathered Hurricane Dolly in Texas with various stops in between. It has been a blessing to see so much family and a number of friends in the last few months.

Now we are on the great job hunt and on our knees in prayer for direction. We pray that God will lead us where he wants us and that we will be patient in the process. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Close DC friends Bill and Vivian Neff cuddle Lilly.

Charles and I spent some time with friends from DC and Lilly got to know her new friends Abby Mae Edwards and Micah Shreffler.
Scott with son Micah and Lilly. Micah is 10 months and Lilly is six.
Friends Blake and Rebecca Edwards and Joel Pardue at the Fourth of July party in DC.

More of us with Bill and Vivian!
Lilly is teething - can you tell?
Co-missionary from Bolivia Kenny Krestan was quick to hold Lilly when we stopped in the SAM home office.
The SAM home office staff that we were able to meet and have lunch with July 8 in South Carolina while we were passing through.
Lilly meets more new friends Jacob and Casey, kids of SAM staff members Amanda Rodriguez and Sarah Kerns. All three babies were born the same week!
Here we are - all six of us - proud moms and not-so-photogenic babies
Longtime friend and supporter Crystal Garcia meets Lilly for the first time.
Lilly's back for a brief visit with her great grandmother "Bo."

Lilly and first cousin Read love each other!
Lilly has a love-hate relationship with her Bumbo.
Longtime friend Paulette Lanier was running after us at close to Lilly's age and now Lilly's giving her kisses
Papi and Lilly take a break on the Tabernacle swing bed that is on the front porch. Best spot in the house for an afternoon nap.
Lilly enjoys the hammock we brought back from Colombia.

The more, the merrier. Lilly gets to know cousin Nora quick as they share the hammock.
Lilly was dedicated and baptized at Tabernacle United Methodist Church July 13. This is the same church where we were married 5 years ago.
Just Lilly and Johnny Jump Up.

This is the first sibling pic in several years.

Lilly and Nora go head to head ...
and both get upset.

Both Eli and Lilly look unsure of each other or the camera.