Day 5: Still Going Strong!

Day 5... Another good day!

We were prepared to spend 8 hours with our babies... but before we got started this morning, Stephanie asked us if we would be able to help put together gift bags for the nannies for Christmas. We were all totally up for the job, so we knew our day would be a bit broken up. We spent our first 4 hours with our kids, ate lunch (rice & beans with plantains - YUM!) and then spent from 1-3 putting together the gifts...

We really enjoyed being a part of the gift prep. Over the past few months many people have brought gift items for the nannies, so we had bags and bags of various items: scarf's, soaps, lotions, jewelry, toiletries, etc... So we equally distributed the items in bags (55 in all!) It was a lot of fun - we sort of had an assembly line going. :-)

Then we spent the last part of the day with our babies.... And we then got Trey and Anri out and had some great times!

Dinner was pretty quiet as Dixie, Laurie, Aaron and Tanya all went out to dinner... so we had a "small" group of ~12 people. And from here on out that should be about the number we have (gaining Dixie and company, but losing the families who are here.)

Bas (Sebastian), a 10-week volunteer from the Netherlands made us our "after dinner" coffee (we look forward to that) and then we went up and got Samuel for awhile and kept him from taking over the Christmas tree (picture posted.) BTW, Bas is an amazing hard-worker. He has been cleaning and painting the toddler and main houses the past 4 weeks. In fact, he is painting a room right now that Joe and I are going to move into (picture posted.) He is a clean freak (yay, our new room will be spotless and freshly painted) and has been painting morning & night. He is a really fun, pleasant person.

Okay... guess that is enough for now (sorry if I write too much!) :-(

Please say a prayer for:
1) Our file; that is will go through courts tomorrow; that we will get some good news.
2) That we will continue to stay strong and not get sick
3) That funding will continue to come in for GLA, so they have resources they need



Bas, Jill and Samuel
 

Joe - with cook staff (yummy!)

Looking out over the valley this morning

Jill and her first baby:  JR

Jill's hour with Samuel

Samuel and one of his nannies

We had bathed and dressed him...  then it was off to play!

Getting the gifts ready for the nannies

This was a big job, but full of good feelings...

Clean-up time on the balcony

Samuel and Soraya (I LOVE her!)  She is one of my babies...

Bath baby!

Tanya and one of her kids

Trey and Anri

Jane (from Michigan, here for paperwork.)

Hanging out in the living room tonight...

It's a dad-thing...  :-)