This one is for my mom. I love you!
If, for some reason, you can’t see the video, be sure to click here and check it out.
Category Archives: Other
Ireland
This gallery contains 4 photos.
Living in Europe has given us the opportunity to visit many sites and experience many new things. This year we had the amazing privilege to travel to Ireland for a week. We thought it best to go prepared. We watched a Rick Steves’ video on Ireland and poured over many guidebooks from the library. We decided to spend our time in the southwestern area of the country. Thankfully, Matt is a details kind of guy and he made all the travel arrangements (thanks honey!). We also decided to ditch the [...]
What I Want for Christmas
As I was reading an article this morning, I began thinking what I could to do help others out this holiday season. While there are obviously many ways I can help, my answer this season is simple. If you were thinking about giving me a Christmas gift this year, instead make a donation to Compassion International. When I look around my house, I already have everything I could ever need (and I am a bit embarrassed to say a ton of stuff I/we don’t really need).
We have sponsored a little girl named Valerie through Compassion for many years now as well as contributing to Compassion’s Child Survival Program. Valerie has been a huge blessing to us as we read letters from her about her life in Haiti. It is awesome to know that we are making a huge difference in the life of a child in a country that I care very deeply for. I don’t mention any of this to seek kudos, but instead to show how easy it is to make a world of difference in the lives of others not nearly as fortunate as any one of us.
* And if you weren’t planning on getting me a present, PLEASE consider donating just the same.
Slip’n & Slid’n
It is getting a little warm around here, so this morning we broke out the Slip N’ Slide that I picked up for the boys in Norfolk. I always wanted one of these as a kid, but with nothing but rocks in the backyard, it probably wouldn’t have been as much fun.
Tristan giving it a go:
And Gavin:
Makes you want to be a kid again, doesn’t it?
Neighbors
While writing my last post I overheard my neighbors. They kept saying “Maaaa, maaaa, maaaa”. If I didn’t know better I would think they were saying “Maaaatt, Maaaatt, Maaaatt.” Maybe they are.
I usually stop by to chat with them. They are so nice and always have pleasant things to say. Granted, they are goats, known for being much more outgoing than your average sheep.
A few times a year the goats have kids, which are they ones making all the chit-chat lately. They are so cute when they are little. Some have little horn nubs growing out the tops of their heads. Today, since it is quite warm, they were seeking shade underneath their food trough, while their older siblings and mothers grabbed a bite to eat. I must have been relatively stealthy, because the rooster next door to the goats kept quite.
Message For Mommy
Another Hedgehog
Not sure how, but we tend to get hedgehogs in our yard every now and then. I’m beginning to think that they come to our yard just to die. Not a great thought, right? After checking on him for about an hour or so, I put on some garden gloves and carried him across the street where there is a field. Sometimes when I come home at night, I’ll see them run (if you can call it that) out of the street over to this area. Hopefully he’ll find what he’s looking for.
Another Visitor
Laiki Time
This past Saturday, we went to downtown Chania to check out the laiki. This is THE place to go for the freshest of fruits and vegetables, not to mention cheeses, rabbits, clothes, and whatever else you may need. The smells are just wonderful! This time we went with our friends Melania and Richard, who afterwords took us to a wonderful bakery. Click on the photo below to enjoy the rest of the photos!
Life, Death, and Miracles
And it all happened right here on the beautiful island of Crete. A couple of weeks ago, some friends of ours were taking out the trash (in the rain no less!) when they heard a noise coming from under some palm fronds by the dumpster. They looked around and found 2 baby puppies, still with their umbilical cords and wet from birth. Unfortunately, newborn puppies are often left by dumpsters here, but that’s another story… Fortunately, for these two cuties, someone rescued them!
Last week at our Wednesday night church service, they brought the puppies in with them looking for a sucker, uh… I mean volunteer, to take the puppies from them until they were big enough to give to the folks that wanted them. Our friends, in the meantime, were heading back to the states and the husband works all day so couldn’t be around to feed the puppies all day. So, you can see where this story is heading, right?
The next night, we picked up the puppies and brought them home with us. That’s when our little adventure began! I get the night shift with the pups, usually feeding them around 9 and 12 (and sometimes 3 if they don’t sleep through), then the early morning shift, and Ginger gets the day shift. The first morning I was up with them, I was feeding the puppies just like I had done the night before. I fed the little one (who cries the loudest and the longest) first, then fed the bigger girl. Tristan came in the room just after I had finished feeding her. It was then that I realized the puppy was not moving and just didn’t look right. I picked her up and she was completely limp – no breathing, no little puppy heartbeat, NOTHING!
Great, I have the puppies for one day and I kill one! I couldn’t let that happen without a fight – especially with Tristan sitting there in front of me, starting to look a little teary eyed. I grabbed the little puppy, pushed a few times on her chest, then stuck my mouth over her mouth and nose and gave her some air. After a few repetitions of this, she started to spit up some milk – then more and more milk. But, thanks to God granting me a miracle, she started breathing again and moving around. WHEW!!! Fortunately, she has been fine ever since!
Afterward, I did some research on the Internet and found out that I had probably fed her too much – I think the extra went into her lungs. I was under the impression that they would be like people babies and quit eating when they were full. Guess not! I won’t be making that mistake again. And Joanne, if you’re reading this – the girls are fine… now!
Tristan's Schoolwork
All right, I just had to share this. Tristan is 3/4 of the way through his year in 2nd grade and this is his latest school composition work. A couple of these really had me rolling!