Playing catch up...

Oh my, to say things have been busy around here would be an understatement!  Even though, I love to blog it tends to take a back seat when things get crazy busy.  Let's see if I can get you caught up on what has been going on around here.  Someday, I plan on finishing my Uganda stories so please be patient with me.

After celebrating Caleb's birthday, the rest of the month was spent driving
back and forth,
back and forth,
back and forth between home and the high school.

Brianna and Nicholas had 2 weeks of band camp in the August heat.  Plus Nicholas started football practice and Brianna volleyball practice.  Of course, they rarely were at the same time which meant more driving
back and forth,
back and forth,
You get the idea!  I had made the trip so many times that one time when I was not headed there I completely missed my turn because I was in automatic mode and heading to the school!

Here is Brianna warming up for a game..she is #7

 Here is Nicholas..#82

Sorry, I don't have any action shots but my camera just doesn't get the best shots from far away.

Labor day weekend, our neice, Alisha, and her family came to visit us from Georgia.  We had a great time and did a lot of fun things.  First, they got to go with us to watch Nicholas' first game of the season.  It was a lot of fun.  Their little guy, Noah, is a hoot.  He danced and clapped the night away!

Here Noah is with Claire and Caleb

 Noah is cheering..notice his shirt...Nicholas has the best fans!!

Next, we went and visited the Arch in St Louis.  We have driven by it several times on our way to appointments but this was the first time we actually took Claire and Caleb into it.

At the top!

Should be illegal to be this cute!

Turner, Alisha and Noah

The Arch

 What happens after a day of sightseeing...

Here is the fab 5 at the base of the arch!

The next fun thing we did was go to our local orchard and pick apples.  It was a very hot day but the apples were ripe for picking.  In fact, it was the last weekend to pick honeycrisp apples.

Boy, these apples are good!

 See the sweaty head...told you it was a hot day!

Noah ate his apple to the core!

The next day was much cooler and the little ones enjoyed playing outside together.

Such cute boys!!

Caleb trying to catch a ride from Noah

Caleb "talked" on the cb for a long time..not sure who he was talking to!

We were lucky enough to be able to celebrate Hunter's 11th birthday while Turner and Alisha were visiting!  Not sure how 11 years have gone by already?

Celebrating at Red Robin

All he wanted for his birthday was an Ipod touch...we agreed to pay for part of it and the rest he had to save for.

Brianna and I made him a cake..he went with his school colors this year!

 He is so cute!

 School colors...purple and white!

This is getting to be a really long post and I am running out of time!  I guess I will share first day of schools pics another time!  Not sure when I will have time considering we have 2 football games, a volleyball tournament, a marching competition and a parade to march in (and that is all before Sunday).  Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining.  I am enjoying every minute of this time in our lives because I know that all too soon the house will be quiet and the activities few.

Caleb is the big 4!!

I just can't believe that our sweet boy is 4 already.  That just sounds so old.  He will be starting preschool very soon and that makes me feel old!  His actual birthday was on the 18th and I am so behind on blogging.  My life lately exists of driving back and forth between home and school (and school hasn't even started yet!).  With 2 in high school this year it is never ending!  Marching band X 2, freshman football, volleyball, karate and gymnastics just to name a few of our activities.  However, this post is about Caleb and his birthday.  I will let his pictures speak for themselves!  Behold the cuteness!  I just love this boy..all 25 pounds of him!!

 At his first Cardinal baseball game!

 Thanks to big brother, Nicholas, Caleb loves the Eagles!

 Really, could he be any cuter?

 His first birthday present!

 Birthday ice cream!

 More presents!

He loves his books from Aunt Teresa and Uncle Wayne!

Happy  birthday, Caleb!  We love you to the moon and back!

Uganda Day 3 - Hope House and the slums

This day started out as a day of rest after 2 days of hard work building the house for A Perfect Injustice.  After breakfast, Brianna and I went down and helped at the baby home.  On this morning, we woke babies up, changed their bedding, fed the babies and got them dressed for the day.  This was the day that one particular baby just really bonded with Brianna.  We tried not to have favorites but sometimes it just can't be helped.

Isn't he just precious?  I am not going to share his name for privacy reasons but since being home Brianna has had dreams where we bring this precious boy home.   Hmmm....

After the baby home, the team went and exchanged money and then went shopping at the African Village.  This is where we found most of the treasures that we brought home.  Shopping in Uganda, it is customary to barter for the items you wish to buy.  We tried this and did have some success but let me tell you I do not like to barter at all.  I just didn't feel right doing it.  After shopping we went and had pizza downtown.  The pizza was amazing and the trip to get to the place was just as exciting.  Traffic was so busy that they decided everyone would get out of the taxis and walk the rest of the way.  The problem, we were on the opposite side of the street and we had to get 22 of us across the street.  Pedestrians have no right a ways in Uganda so it was crazy.  I am thankful that David gave me a push or I would probably still be frozen in the street!  After we finished eating, we went out and shared the rest of our pizza with the street children.  We would look them in the eye and hand them the pizza and tell them in Ugandan that Jesus loves them.

After lunch, the ladies went to visit a women's ministry of A Perfect Injustice, The Hope House.  The Hope House takes former prostitutes from the slums and teaches them the skill of making jewelry to support their families.  They are also learning English and computer skills.  Most importantly, they are learning that they matter to God and that they have hope.  The ladies were so excited to have us come visit them.  We all introduced ourselves and told a little about ourselves and then the ladies did the same.  I just sat in tears listening to them talk.  It was during this time, it really hit me how much we (or at least I) take our faith for granted.  These ladies have so little and at one time sold their bodies for a $1 a day just to provide for their families and yet they were so thankful for what they had.  Thankful that God had rescued them and was providing for them.  I walked away feeling so thankful that I was born in the country that I was and have not had the struggles these ladies have had and yet I was also envious of them...envious of their complete reliance on Christ.  Sometimes, I think we have life too easy here and we don't rely completely on Christ for what we have.

The ladies of Hope House

 The jewelry that they make...it is beautiful!!  We brought home several pieces!

After the Hope House, we went to the feeding program in the slums.  If my heart wasn't broken enough already on this day, it was after this.  No words can describe the slums of Kampala.  At the feeding program, we met children who have no home and live on the streets.  Children of all ages living on the streets with no food, no bed, no protection...heartbreaking.  A group of us started playing ring around the rosies with some of the little kids.  They loved it and I loved seeing the smiles and listening to the giggles.  A lot of the kids wanted to hold your hand or be held.  They are no different than any other child, they just want to be noticed and to be loved even if only for a short time.  Before the feeding time, we walked and walked to an area where some of the team could play "football" soccer with the boys from the program.  Those that didn't play soccer had fun with face paint.  Some even slept next to us because they knew they were safe and would not be harmed.  Imagine, not knowing when you would be able to sleep because you fear for your safety...heartbreaking.

 Sarah with a precious one!

 The kids love to have their picture taken!

 All these kids without homes...

 David getting the boys ready for soccer

 The soccer field

Josh and some of the boys

 Brianna doing face paint

Taylor, Alei and Brianna

After the soccer game, we walked back to the feeding program.  Jesse, from our team, shared a devotion with the boys and the boys were given prizes for listening by the leaders.  Pastor Dwight prayed and then the boys in the program got rice and beans and we handed out candy and gum.

Pastor Dwight praying..the beams of the building forming a cross on his back

 The rice and beans for the boys

The only children that get the food are the ones in the feeding program.  However, so many children came and gathered and were begging for food.  We handed out candy and granola bars to as many as we could until we were asked to stop by the leadership.  The reason we had to stop because the kids would think they were safe and they weren't.  They still live in the slums and danger is everywhere...heartbreaking.  As we were leaving, the boy that won a prize of bread earlier reached into the van and placed bread in the laps of Brianna and I.  We told him that this was his but he shook his head he wanted us to have it.  This is all his has and he shared it with us...heartbreaking.

We ended our day loving on babies at the baby home.  This was probably one of the hardest days that we had emotionally and yet looking back it was my favorite day.  I was left heartbroken and maybe sometimes that is just what we need.