Tea Parties and Goat Milking

Since I last wrote we have made great strides and done a lot to prepare for Haiti. This week we bought four one-way plane tickets, packed 8 large suitcases, celebrated a SIX year old, milked goats and spent time with friends to whom we hate to say goodbye.

First and foremost, Lilly turned 6 on January 9th, a birthday she shares with her grandmother who in turn shares that same birthday with her grandmother. We started celebrating over Christmas break with family and on her actual big day we had a little tea party to celebrate. The only small glitch was her best little friend, Abby, with a birthday 3 days later, woke up with the stomach bug on Lilly's birthday so we have postponed their joint celebration and let's just say the partying continues ...

One challenge that we didn't expect was buying plane tickets...which is not as easy when one is trying to get to Haiti with a big dog like Mack. His weight, the crate shape, the weather, the plane size are all variables that play a part in the itinerary. Bottom line is Mack is on a diet and we're praying for cooler weather in Haiti for that day ... Until then, thank you Marcus and Becky for loving on Mack for the in between time while we can't have him with us.

We will fly from Dallas to Haiti on FEBRUARY 17 (in 34 days)! 

Packing has been a more detailed process than I think Charles or I imagined as we have really tried to discern what we need and what we want to take with us. We are condensing so much into 3 suitcases per person. We are down to the last few suitcases and there is a peace and stress that comes with that all at the same time. A friend, Ann Lewis, called last week and offered to pack a suitcase for us to send with her son, David, who was going to the Hope Center to do some videography. What a blessing to know we will have some necessities as well as a few of our favorite things waiting for us when we arrive!

Life on the farm has become second nature quite quickly. The cockadoodledoo's don't wake me like they did the first week. I am making friends with the dogs on the farm roads during my runs. Charles finished work at RBDR and started volunteering at the farm by doing whatever help is needed whether it be in the greenhouse or shoveling manure, milking goats and so on. He has loved learning farm life first hand. Lilly went along with him today and said "yeah, they are nice goats." We have gotten more acquainted with the farm interns and staff this last week as we share a farm-to-table lunch together every week day. I have "chef" duty tomorrow and will hopefully turn their harvest into a meal (for 30) if all goes well.

Lilly and I had a great homeschool day yesterday which I think reassured both of us that we can have a good time with it. We started with recess (or my workout) where I found out lilly can hold a 2-minute plank with little to no effort. A+ for P.E. Lilly! I'm trying to let go of my high expectations that every day will go that smooth and instead let it be milking goats and Uno some days. 

Ava on the other hand has taken off with potty training and is now living her days with a sugar buzz from all the marshmallows she consumes as potty rewards.  

We will live on the farm one more week and then the girls and I will hit the road for the beginning of many adventures. As we played at the park with friends in 70 degree weather today, we realized how much we will miss wacky Waco. 

Stay tuned ...