My days

My day begins at six in the morning but I am woken up a bit earlier then that because let me just tell you that roosters do NOT crow when the sun comes up they crow no matter how dark it is and it is not just once it is several times but no complaining because that gives me some time to read and have to myself before I start the day.. The workers come to work a little after six and I give them the key to the things they need (for example the drivers need the keys to the trucks and tractors, the field workers need the key to the garage, tool shed or chicken house.. ) Through out the day people come from around that are needy and ask for food or clothes, Paula being Paula is very generous to everyone so I get things together and send them with them. We also have a food room here where all the food is kept so a couple times a day I need to go with the ones who cook to get food for them. On top of keeping track of all the workers and making sure things get done there are 39 wonderful children who need love an attention so I try to spend as much of my time possible with them.. These kids are so tiny in stature because they have been malnourished before they got here.. There is a baby girl who is a year and a half and she is the size of a skinny petit six month old back home.. There is a six month old who is the size of a two month old.. There is are a couple of toddlers about four years old who follow me around all day and they are the size of two year olds.. They are so cute!! I am trying to figure out how to put 39 kids into my suit case!! Around five the little ones get there evening bathes (it is amazing how dirty kids can get!) and by bath I do not mean a bath tub I mean a big bucket type thing that one kid sits in at a time and gets washed off with a wash clothe, then it is dinner time and time for bed.. We only have solar power here so to keep it so it lasts longer we only turn it on from 5 to 8 at night, which means I am in bed by nine.. That is one thing I am not use to is early nights but it works well since I have early mornings..

I am in Africa!

When they picked me up from the airport we stayed at a little game park near the airport because we had to drop one of the volunteers off at the airport the next day and it is about a 4 hour drive from the airport to the orphanage.. It was so cool while we were there me and the two volunteers who were leaving to go home went on a horse back ride around the game park we saw giraffes, zebra, cow, antelope,emu and monkeys just feet away from us!! Now my next dream is to go on a real African safari!! Pictures are coming soon!

AFRICA here I come!!

The countdown is on!! I leave in 3 days for Africa! I will be there for just over a month helping and volunteering in the orphanage that my great aunt owns! I can not wait and I am so blessed to get to experience this opportunity!! My great aunt is an amazing lady who has devoted so much of her time and life to these children in Africa.. Someone did a really nice write up on her and I thought I would share it.. What an amazing role model she is to me! http://www.scribd.com/doc/18342525/Retired-with-Orphans-in-Africa

SOFT Conference

We are apart of S.O.F.T. (support organization for trisomy). Every year there is an annual conference where people come from all over the world to attend classes, clinics, activities and time with other Trisomy families. This year we had the opportunity to go to Virgina to attend. While at the conference we do a balloon release for the children who have passed away, each balloon has the name of a child on it and is read then released in memory of our special angels. It is such a great experience for us to go and to be able to know some of these kids a bit more since we lost our brother while he was so young. For more information or links you can go to www.trisomy.com.

 

 

 

 

Washington DC

 

My dad, mom, sister and two brothers went to DC for a little over a week while we were back in Virgina. While there we did a lot of walking, site seeing, reading and did I mention WALKING?! It was such an amazing place and so humbling to go to certain places for example all the monuments, Arlington, Gettysburg and the Holocaust Museum just to name a few. I recommend that you go there however I wouldn't take kids under the age of like 15 (did I mention the walking? and it was so much history and reading I just think it is a bit over there heads.)I loved it back there and would love to go back as there is still so much to see!

What I have been up too...

Wow does life ever slow down?!?! I had to have surgery in the end of May followed by back surgery in the beginning of June. While being down and out of work FOREVER I wasn't sure as to where my life would take me next.. Well after being told by the doctor that he thought I should get a new job because of how my back was and how it was in the healing process I was unsure what to do. One day I got asked by a dear friend of mine with the most beautiful little girl who has Trisomy 18 if I would be available to nanny for her.. PERFECT TIMING!! Then as we were on vacation I got an email asking me if I could come to Africa for a month and help my aunt who owns the orphanage (again PERFECT TIMING).. So on August 19th I start my journey by going to Africa for a month followed by moving to Texas when I get back.. Let me just tell you that if you think you know how you're life will happen and how you have it planned out, someone else has a different story.. I never would have picture my life from back surgery to Africa in a matter of months but I am so blessed!!!