it was another tear jerker

I learned that this thing would have come out a lot quicker had I remebered that slippery fingers do not pull teeth well. You know. No friction.
She was so scared & would go from begging me to pull it to crying & slapping her hand over her mouth. But when I took the bottom of her shirt & grabbed the tooth....well, it just came out. And she screamed & closed her eyes & she had no idea that I was holding her tooth in my hand. And I was teary & actually thought, "Wait! I'm not ready! We don't have our tooth-fairy pillow! It's out forever! I want to put it back!" I really & truly had those thoughts. & then she squinted up at me between sobs & saw what I was holding. And she burst out into giggles. And then ran to tell her daddy & her uncle Bobby who happened to be on the phone & got to share the moment.
And if that little bugger isn't wiggling for the next tooth to come out!

Too fast. It is all happening too fast.

Swagger

OK, I will neither confirm nor deny if I am crying from laughing....

He's home!

People ask me how Lee's trip to Haiti went.....and I try to answer the best I can. But it is his story to tell. I hope he will tell it someday on here. It may take him weeks, or even months, to really get the words out.
I know this.....he's changed.
It was so fun to be at the airport - we barely made it - but determined because of exactly what I knew I would see. The people that walked with him. The relationships that were formed. The people that heard his heart & shared a transforming experience with my husband. I wanted to be there for the hugs & the "goodbyes" & I wanted to meet them. It's been so great to hear Lee's stories from the trip & to see his pictures.....but what has also been really cool is to see other people's pictures. Sometimes I see a picture that someone took of Lee when he was in the middle of working or talking with children or friends. I see a little bit of this trip from their perspective. I would have loved to have been on that trip with him, but we knew that this was his trip. Not mine. Not even ours.
Like I said, this is his story. But I'll post some pictures. Here are some for now.....and I'm off to bed...and will post more for later.

my baby

I have had 3 sweet mornings with my baby. That strong and very sweet little girl.
I have loved every minute of it.

he called!

So, I have this special ring on my phone that tells me if Lee is calling. That way if I'm in the middle of changing a diaper or bathing the kids I won't jump up a runnin' for a "toll free number." And he has been in Haiti - we knew we wouldn't be able to talk, because of the $34/minute situation - which is strange because I can't think of 2 consecutive days that I haven't talked with him since we met! Anyway, I was upstairs folding some clothes & honest to goodness at that very moment just smiling as I heard those children playing & laughing together in the baby's room...when I heard it. Well, I went tearing to get the phone & was sure I missed it. The delay really made me think I had missed it. But there he was.....
He's doing great. Working hard. Getting extremely hot. Meeting some incredible people. And overwhelmed that people live in this place every day. They went to church & he mentioned how crazy it was to listen to hymns he sang growing up in a little church he went to sung at this church. In Haiti. In a different language.
We didn't get to talk long, but it was great. Thank you for all of your prayers and your phone calls and emails. Keep those prayers coming. This is something he (& we) has prayed about for a long time. And I couldn't be more proud of him.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10

too big...too fast

What is it about wanting to lose your teeth? I don't understand. And I'll admit that I've been dreading this. I'm not ready for this milestone. I will celebrate with her. I promise. There will more than likely be cupcakes involved....or chick-fil-a ice dream, because I'm addicted & I can't stop talking about it....I mentioned that I liked ice dream to a friend the other day at the pool & she let me know that I had already told her. An embarrassing addiction. But there are worse things, right? Anyway, back to the melodrama of motherhood.... right now I just find myself in disbelief that she is old enough to shed those baby teeth. I remember sitting in one of my child development classes...I think it was the Hospitalized Child....and our teacher was talkikng about grief. About how grief can be partner to even the great things.
My baby is growing up.
They all are!
My oldest is about to lose a tooth & my boy is standing up at the potty & my BABY is asking to be potty trained! I was dumbfounded when that tiny little 20 lb 21 month old looked up at me & said, "Ina go tee tee mommy" And then she did. Right there on the potty. Now she hasn't succeeded since that moment....but still.
Growing up.
Too fast.
It's all just too much.

we really CAN do something

I have worked for a non-profit before & I have processed the $10 checks hand written by someone each month & it always made me smile. The effort & the consistency & the generosity of that person. Month after month after month.
And I have seen cupcakes turned into thousands of dollars that then turned into food & love & hope for the children of Mukisa.
And I saw people buy t shirts to support a young Atlanta native over in Tanzania helping to reshape the future of some children.
I am seeing Young Life leaders turning tshirts into changed hearts. And with a changed heart within a changed person.....watch out -
Because now I am watching our friend Billy use his birthday & a life changing experience to benefit others in a great way.
And through all of this I am seeing what may seem like a small amount of money change lives. When people come together - really BIG things can happen. Billy, for example, has over 4,000 people who are his facebook "friends"...... ONE DOLLAR from each of them will change people's lives forever. Not maybe. But for certain.
A dollar. You really cannot even buy a cup of coffee for that. I'm helping my husband pack for a trip to Haiti & he is able to go because many people chose to give. I am learning the value of every. single. dollar. It can really & truly change a life.
Change a community.
So often I have said "no" - not because of lack of interest or believing that a cause was unworthy. But usually because I think my little offering isn't enough.
And all alone, maybe it's not.
Sure, it may encourage someone. But it won't make a real difference to the problem at hand.
But when people come together & put all of their pennies in a bucket.......
that's when change happens.
Because here's the truth...and we know this deep inside, but something creeps in & tells us that we're wrong. But we're not. The truth is that we CAN do something. We can. It doesn't take much.
Do what you can.
Encourage others to simply do what they can.
And never out of guilt.
Always out of joy.
Do something.
I have never been more encouraged by the body of Christ in action. When we are mobilized....nothing is going to stop us.
Linking arms. And pressing forward. Working with what we've been given.

Haiti

My sweet husband is heading to Haiti pretty soon. And we will miss him so much!!! And we are so excited for him. Our oldest talks about a time & a place "where the earth shaked" & she knows that her daddy is going over to help those people. I LOVE the organization he is going with. They believe not in jumping in for a few moments & then jumping out....but rather in committing to a place, learning how to best help that community get itself on its feet. They jump in with them & they stick it out for the long haul....building relationships. Changed lives.....on both ends. They are only set up to serve in Kenya & Haiti right now. They are not spreading themselves too thin. They are truly investing in these communities. Here's a video from the 410 bridge & here's their blog & here's Lee's page. I will hopefully be tracking his trip as well. Thanks to all of you who so graciously have given towards his trip. You have absolutely no idea how encouraging it has been.