Happy Birthday to My Sister

Cabo San Lucas Family Vacation February 2013

Happy Birthday to you....

Thank you for not only being my sister but being one of my very best friends.... Thank you....

For being someone I can always count on to watch football, basketball, and golf with. (or being the only person that I know that loves them as much as me)

For setting an example of working hard, dreaming big, loving well and selflessness.

For being an incredible woman, sister, friend, and wife.

I love you and miss you a whole lot. Wish I could be there to celebrate with you today.

I am so proud of who you have become and all that you have accomplished.

"I wish you were here, but your not because your'e there. And there doesn't know how lucky it is."

 

 Top Right: Old photo. Bottom Left: South Carolina Family Vacation Summer 2010. Bottom Right: Christmas 2011 in Texas.

Wedding of Vance and Whitney Lambert Chicago August 2010

One of my favorite pictures of all time..... Brittany and Josh Wedding October 2011

My Mom

 Today I sat and listened to my kids telling me about their moms, telling me that the best thing that their mom cooks is chocolate. That their moms like to sleep and get on facebook to relax.

That their moms are 23 (which I am certain they are not).

They could hardly contain their excitement to tell me the things that make their mom special.

With a big smile, amidst laughter I listened.

 I hope their moms know how special their children are, how smart they are and how grateful I am that I get to be their teacher. I hope they know that when their child gets upset or hurt in class, the only person they cry for, is mom. What a special thing... to be loved and desired so deeply by a child.

As they spoke,  I thought to myself what it must be like to be a mom. To know someone is here because you carried them. For nine months they were growing inside of you. And now the child is eight years old growing, learning, talking, running and playing...... 

This then only leads me think to my own mom.

For those of you that know my mom, you know that when she is spoken of, the conversation often begins with a similar phrase: "I love your mom", "Your mom is so sweet", "Awww Glo".

Every time.

I am never surprised. I am never surprised that the same words spoken of my mom, are spoken every time someone mentions her name. 

She is indeed every bit of the words people speak of.

She is what every child would hope to have in a mom. 

Supportive. Patient. Loving. Honest. Gentle. Kind. Funny. 

She taught me to love people well. Taught me that when in doubt send a card. 

Always. 

Show up when someone needs. Bring food, give everything you can for someone else.

If there is any ounce of goodness in me, you can be rest assured it can be contributed to my mom. 

I always know that when I hurt, she is only hurting that much worse.

 If you meet her you are instant friends, she wants to know you. 

She asks questions because she desires to know the response. 

She is intentional.

She loves well and I am grateful I am her daughter.

Happy Mothers Day Mom. 

I miss you a whole bunch

Love you a whole lot more

Thanks for being who you are, for being the greatest example for me.

Love Me

(Wish I could be there... See you in August)

My Ol Kentucky Home

Today's post is a special one indeed in honor of a place so near and dear to my heart. A place that I was born, a place I was raised and a place that I have a feeling one day will call me back.

This Saturday the city of Louisville will be put on stage while the everyone watches the Kentucky Derby...... The Run for the Roses.

No matter near or far away the first Saturday in May always holds special meaning......

 Thank you Louisville for making me proud to call you home. 

Being the most northern southern town there is..... (my opinion if you ask me). 

For your fast horses, the sweet taste of a mint julep, your rolling green hills, your old Louisville charm, your incredible restaurants, your Kentucky hot brown, for loving basketball like more than most people love their families, for your summers spent on the lake, for catching fireflies as a kid and for making my childhood now look like scenes from a movie..... (almost too good to be true). 

You are missed but I am so glad I always have a place to go home too. 

(most certainly now that my whole family will be there)

• The home my parents brought me home from the hospital too.

• The house where I learned to ride my bike.

• Where I played basketball with my dad and attempted to shoot threes from the line near the garage. (missed nearly every time)

• Where my best friend lived next door and we would run between our yards.

• Where my sister and I lost our hamster in his rolly ball thingy when he rolled out of the garage.

• Where we waited on the steps Christmas morning.

• Where we ran after golf balls that dad would hit out of backyard into the field behind our house.

• Where we ran after the ice cream man as he drove by our street.

• Where we waited for dad to come driving down the street with his fishing boat behind him and we would hop in the back just to ride up the drive way.

• A place that was home for the first 15 years of my life.

• The home that my parents built right before I went into high school. Just down the street from our old house.

• The house I brought my new car home too on my sixteenth birthday so my friends could surprise me and decorate it.

• The staircase that hosted many prom pictures.

• The house that held my sixteenth birthday party, with all of my friends and ruined mom and Dads carpet.

• The screened in porch that saw many a high school late night study sessions, Saturday morning paper readings and late nights with friends talking.

• The house that was home for many basketball football watching parties.

• The neighbors with the adorable kids that my mom played aunt/grandma too.

• The house that I packed out of to leave for college.

• The house was home for five years.

From my home in Honduras I will do my very best to pay my respects to my Ol Kentucky Home by making my kids celebrate the Derby. My roommates and I will drink bourbon in the first Saturday in Mays honor and will eat Drink and Be Merry. Happy Derby Week everyone!

More Kentucky Posts in Tow for this week.... As well no School tomorrow. Dia De Mayo (May day!) Woohoo! Whatever it means I will take it :)

Miss Gloria Came to Visit

Standing in line to pay her departure tax fee at the airport this morning, she looked at me and said well, "I don't know when I will get to see you again" I said "Well, Goodness Mom could we not say it so dramatically".

Come July when I return to the States from Honduras/Costa Rica I am flying into Denver, Colorado. And Colorado............. is where I am going to stay. After a lot of consideration I was just not ready to say goodbye to colorado just yet. So this visit was not only special to share with my mom Honduras but  it could be awhile before I see her again.

As I mentioned she flew into Honduras on Wednesday. This could not have come at a more perfect time..... It was wonderful to have her here to distract me but more to share with her this place......... I am going to recap below. I will probably miss a lot of things. (this will still be a long post) but I wanted to try and remember what we did. (Sorry in advance if it is a bit long).

Last Wednesday she flew in.....Alison and I picked her up at the airport around 11:00 am. We immediately grabbed lunch and went to visit the Public Orphanage in San Pedro. This was a place that I wanted my mom to see. (my first visit to this orphanage I wrote about here) Alison, my mom and I held babies, feed them bottles and loved on some kids that nearly broke our heart. My mom became particularly attached to one little boy who had just weeks before been found in a box at the bus station in San Pedro. When my mom went to lay him down he just cried, so it became impossible to let him go..........That afternoon we went grocery shopping with Alison (she has 14 girls so watching her shop was impressive) and gathered some things before finished our night at the D and D Brewery eating dinner with all my roommates. You can ask my mom yourself but she was pleasantly surprised with everything. She kept saying she loved it. That she felt like she was in a jungle, and our cabin had really comfortable beds and an incredible shower (it really did). For less than $40.00 per night. It was so nice to stay with her, get out of my house and sleep in a comfy bed. Hard to leave it this morning.

Thursday our day started early taking the bus to school. Mom jumped in the van with all my roommates and I to arrive at school for the 7:30 am start. With a long long day at school, my mom quickly understood why it was so exhausting. It was really hot. She kept repeating over and over it is really hot. At one point we were making clocks with paper plates for math and the kids started using them as fans. My mom too. While then trying to read a book during reading class they continued to use them as fans but became very distracted. I asked the class to put them away and that they were not allowed to use them. My mom along with my kids were quite upset, it was very hot but they were driving me crazy. My mom as you can imagine was a huge hit, with lots of candy, stickers and helping with things. It was so special to see them show her the work they had done... I think they enjoyed having her at school.

That afternoon we hopped in a bus with the kids to be dropped off at the Orphanage in my town that focuses on malnourished and sick children. Despite the heat we played with the kids, pushed them on the swings for an hour before walking back to my house. We stopped by the coffee shop first, where we tasted the most horrible cake (still not sure exactly what it was). On our way home I introduced her to the family where I often buy fruit and vegetable. She was able to see the many shops all lined up (she referred to this as the mall), the families all piled in the back of cars and the variety of vegetables in the stands.

We then headed back to the D and the D for the evening. A group of us circled around the table and ate dinner, shared food and played Scategories  My roommates friend Katy was visiting at the same time from England. She made up the categories and it turned out being a lot of fun. We laughed and argued about whether our answers were worthy of points. It was an evening well spent. Kylie moved in with me and my mom for the next three nights too.....

Friday morning we woke up to have breakfast before heading to school again. My Fridays are shorter days at school so we were able to enjoy a few cups of coffee before heading in for class. It was a bit later than usual. During my lunch break we visited the Hotel Las Glorias for lunch and so my mom could walk on the bridge that overlooked the lake (She did not make it very far, she was a bit nervous as it was swaying back and forth). We also spotted the largest and most scary looking iguana. He was a few feet long (huge). We watched him jump in the lake. He swam super fast like an alligator. It was a bit terrifying...... We had some trouble getting back to school as the taxi did not come, and then had a close encounter with a herd of cattle (But we made it).  After school we met up with Matt, Ramone and Lotte to take a boat out onto the lake. Ramone and Matt were our rowers while Lotte, my mom and I spotted birds and laughed the boys. We saw a lot of families fishing and watched Matt jump from the cliff. (I did this jump last fall so mom now got to see what I had survived). It was a beautiful day and so nice to see the lake from a front row seat, on a boat.

That evening we headed back into town to my house for Family Dinner. While dinner was being prepared we sat outside on the porch and drank wine. Matt, my mom and I talked about Honduras, our time here and how much we have changed. It was really nice for her to hear from someone else what this place has meant to them. Philip and Molly were the cooks for dinner and served Fish and Chips.... (mom still talked about how good it was this morning).  After dinner finished up at my house we went back to the D and D to sit around, drink wine and hang out. We met more people traveling. A group of US soldiers were staying for the weekend as well so we talked with them and stayed up late around the fire. (there is a air force base here in Honduras so they were off base for the weekend). Mom was able to experience a common evening for us at the D and D. I think she understood why we love it so very much. It is so nice to meet people and enjoy the night outside around a fire.

Saturday morning Kylie, my mom and I slept until 8:30 am. We had no big agenda for the day except to go see the waterfall at Pulpansak. Mom and I left for the waterfall early..... (Kylie took advantage of the comfy bed in our cabin and slept in) After walking down close to the waterfall we sat in the shade (really hot again) and talked while waiting for our taxi to return. Although I have seen the waterfall three times, it still is so beautiful. Later that afternoon we stopped by the grocery store so she could pick up some coffee to take home and as well she bought me some groceries. I think we spent about $15.00 total :) (things are very very expensive... NOT).

That afternoon Kylie, my mom and Shannon (a girl we met from Canada who is traveling and staying at the D and D) walked up/ hitch hiked to Alison's house to visit all of her girls (Alison's has the Eternal Family Project). The girls were all outside playing, jumping on the trampoline and swimming so it was really nice to visit with them outside.

Moms last evening was spent just as many night before, around the campfire, talking about life, talking about living here, where people are traveling too and reminiscing about all that we had gotten to do for the last few days.

I cannot say enough about how wonderful it was to have my mom here. How much it meant for her to see this place, put faces to the names and reality to the many stories I have shared. Perhaps I could get my mom to share a bit about her trip for the blog and I think you will find that it was an incredible experience for her....... from the lady at the D and D getting bit by the tarantula, seeing our falling apart house, the children at the orphanages, Alison's home, riding in a chicken bus (old USA school bus), riding in the back of pickup truck, riding in the small tuk tuk, Experiencing our weekly family dinner the humid heat, the kids that shout in spanish, the landscape, the beauty of the mountains, the lake, my roommates and the D and D.... I think she was able to see why this place has captured my heart.........

Below are some pictures of her visit. Enjoy.

While getting the oars for the boat, we met the cutest puppy.

In front of the bridge, mom was too afraid to go up. Looking out on the lake.

Terrifying cattle crossing, near taxi crash.

Lotte, Ramone and Matts Head on the lake.

Mom and me on the boat on the canal.

Visiting Arturo at the orphanage in my town.

Mom riding in the back of the pickup truck home from school.

At Pulpansak the waterfall.

Mom in front of the massive waterfall.

Dear Mom,

Thanks for everything, for loving my kids like I do. For acting like a grandmother would to her grandchildren with my class. When mom says no (me) they would come to you and you would give them what they want. (lots of candy, bathroom breaks, more paper)

 Can't wait to visit You, Britt and Dad in Kentucky. 

Already miss you! Until then.

Love Me

Peace to Those

I am sitting now on the couch next to my parents puppy, watching the today show, drinking coffee with my dad. I just made these paleo pancakes. No sugar, gluten free and made with almond flour. They were very tasty. Last night we exchanged gifts and watched the Country Music Christmas show. Its really good to be home. Things have not changed, life in U.S. continues to move faster, bigger and more elaborately than ever.

I am doing my very best to soak in the quiet, to remember all that I came from, to celebrate the faces of the children that are without knowing they are important, or that their faces have a name, that their faces mean something to someone, or that they are designed and created in love for something big, that god has much in store for them. May this season be a season of hope. of celebrating joy. of knowing that even when things dont seem like enough or things are not as they seem to you, trust that god has you exactly where he wants you. because he is doing something big.

warmest from my family to yours this season.

suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising god and saying,

“glory to god in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

when the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “let’s go to bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the lord has told us about.”

luke 2:13-15

Flying Home

The day is here. Tomorrow morning I am flying from San Pedro Sula to Houston Texas to meet my family. One bus ride and one plane away.

Not sure how much blogging there will be during the holiday break but you can be certain I will be resuming when I come back to Hondy (Honduras) come January. I just laid down in Kates old bed in my old room (Two new teachers come january so i moved out of my room that i had for myself and will now be roommates with faye, switched all the furniture, but since i am prepared to have an early morning i thought i would sleep in here one last time so i do not wake up faye right away). As well i should note that Hondy is giving me one last present before I leave ...... i am not feeling too well. (thank you for that hondy).

An early morning awaits. Night yall.

**** I will recap the Christmas show and my kids performance from last night in a post later.

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age,

so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 

1 Timothy 6:17-18

Heaven on Christmas

I wonder what he is doing right now and think of him so often here. Not really sure why. Living in a third world country makes you emotional and nostalgic for so many things. He did not know that I was coming here. My last few conversations were watching golf. He asked me if I had a man. I told him no and he said good... Wait for the right one. (Advice from someone who had two great loves in his life, I will take it).

Christmas does not get easier as you get older it only becomes so much more. It permeates more into your skin what this season truly is about. I look at my dear kids faces and remember all those memories, of Christmas mornings, of cinnamon rolls, of too much cookies, of hoping for white snow. This Christmas year, heaven is now home to three of my grandparents. My grandfather I am certain is playing euchre with my grandmother and their dear friends Uncle Herman and Genievee. Following the game of cards my grandfather will eat a hot fudge sundae with my grandmothers wonderful homemade chocolate sauce.  My grandmother is playing cards but not far from her mind is the many dishes she will prepare, the neighbors that she will take things too and the raspberries that are ripe in her yard.

My dads father is probably tending to his garden. Large stalks of corn, large ripe tomatoes. He will come inside to enjoy iced tea and catch the show The Price is Right (Although I am sure he misses Bob Barker as host, its not the same anymore sorry Louie).

Of course I do not know what heaven is like nor do I know what my grandparents are doing. But a recent song released for Christmas got me to thinking what it would be like in heaven on Christmas. Do they celebrate just one day? Surely not, heaven is limitless and therefore I reckon they are celebrating always. The song is written as though you are speaking to someone in heaven and it makes you wonder. What a glorious feast and celebration they must be having... what hope we have in that.

Is the snow falling down on the streets of gold?

Are you singing with angels silent night?

Are you kneeling with shepards before him now?

Can you reach out and touch his face?

Are you part of that glorious holy night?

Thankful.

Things always look the same when you come back after being gone from some place for a while. They tend to do that. We change but things often stay the same. 

With much anticipation I look forward to December. Coming home. Nothing like coming home for Christmas.  I have gone longer without seeing my family but something about being here. living here. doing this. makes me believe the embrace and reuniting at Christmas will be one of the most sweet moments. Living in a country such a this makes you realize more clearly the many things that you have. the life you got. without even trying you compare. you see what children have here. you look at the homes they live in and wonder why it is you are one to get so lucky.... suppose this may be question number 2 when i get to heaven. (first one being how is there still water in the sky after it has been raining for days and days)

Before jumping on a flight home though first I will celebrate Thanksgiving. I will be spending it in Guatemala City with Stephanie Riley. The first part of the day will be spent on a bus between Pena Blanca, Honduras and Guatemala City but upon our arrival we will be having Thanksgiving in the city at a hotel that hosts Thanksgiving. Molly and Faye are coming as well (English first timers for Thanksgiving). (my family will be having Thanksgiving in Texas, my sister, Josh, my grandma, my parents and some friends, I will be the missing person, but rest assured I will be missing them more)

I so look forward to spending the holiday with one of my oldest friends. From the same middle school, to the same high school, to Costa Rica, to younglife camp, to college (Alabama to Colorado), to Alabama Auburn game in Tuscaloosa, to post college jobs, to a summer visit in Estes Park Colorado, to celebrating friends wedding in Georgia, to now being Central American Neighbors, to her visit a month ago in Pena Blanca to now me visiting her in Guatemala. Stephanie I cannot wait to celebrate with you all that I am grateful for, especially in a new country. (well technically we went to Guatemala last weekend :))

In my class yesterday we made a list of the things we are grateful for. My kids listed everything from chocolate, to their families, to their dog, to jesus, to baleadas (honduran tortilla with cheese and beans). I explained to my kids that Thursday is Dia de Gracias in Estadios Unidos.  With  a bit of wonder and confusion in their eyes they smiled and said “OOO”. (they are so cute)

I am without words far to often to describe how good I have it. 

• Grateful that my kids call me “Miss”. What is often annoying and sometimes wears me out is the sweet voice of kids that love and hug regardless of how much I yelled minutes before.
• Grateful for the warm weather in Honduras. For being sun kissed in November. (although it has been unseasonably cold recently)
• Grateful for having a place to be excited to come home too. (Texas and Kentucky will be seeing you soon)
• Grateful for parents that support and love me well even when their crazy daughter decides to move more than a few times, move to Colorado, go to grad school, move to kentucky, quit grad school, move back to Colorado, move to central america. 
• Grateful for the promises that God has a plan. Plans that far exceed my imagination, and my dreams. Plans that will both challenge, grow and stretch me. Plans that are good. Grateful for the hope in that.
• Grateful for yummie food in Honduras. For eating and drinking too much on my birthday so I now feel like I should only eat vegetables for the next week or two. (kidding)
• Grateful for people that were once strangers who to me are now family. We work together, live together, travel together,  complain together, laugh together and teach kids in this place together.  
• Grateful for kids humor. For them telling me that my dragon looks like a duck. For asking them how to spell the number six and ready with a pen in hand as I am writing on the board he stands up and spells “S---E----X”. Goodness I had to laugh.
• Grateful for Yoga. A place that is my escape. To sweat out some of the stress of here and to continue to improve my practice.
• Grateful for dear friends. Friends that take the time to send messages... desire to send mail but cannot. for those that wished me well. for those that read my blog to make sure i am ok. to make sure i am doing well. grateful for those that though may be distance or it may have been years since i have seen them but yet they are so close still. 

This list as you can imagine could go on and on..... could become really simple as well. Some of the simplest things in life are what I find I am most grateful for. 

Hope you find thanksgiving in the simple pleasures. In the constant. Knowing that there is a God out there someplace that loves you dearly. That you are dear to him. Greatest gift and greatest thing to say thanksgiving for...

Fall in Honduras. Fall with my Family.

My grandmothers homemade hot fudge. My dads omelets. Vanilla shakes made with Old Fashioned Vanilla ice cream. My moms blueberry muffins, covered with sugar on top. Coffee. Having lunch with my mom which only consists of vegetables, lunch meat, Ritz crackers and cheese. bits of home that i will never forget.

Fall is my very favorite time of year. The leaves are changing, pumpkin is offered in just about anything you could desire. Football on Saturdays. Rachel making chili in a crockpot  watching college game day and then sitting watching football all day. The unexpected snow storms that hit Colorado in the middle of Fall. Flannel. Walking a Wash Park with my Patagonia puffy coat on with the kangaroo pouch. Wearing comfy sweaters and scarves. Going home to Kentucky, to go to my old high school football game. My birthday. Eating so much at thanksgiving you are sick to your stomach. Being with my family. Tailgated before Louisville football games.

Fall is the best but Fall looks so much different in Honduras.

Wake up at 5:30 to a chilly room. Put my flip flops on for school. Drink coffee and have fresh pineapple or an orange from the tree over our porch for breakfast. Teach kids all day and then stop by the fruit and vegetable shop on my way home. Look for good bananas at the fruit stands. Eat Sandia (Watermelon). I come home to a room very hot and humid. I turn my fan on full blast. Immediately change to shorts and a tank top. Soak up some sun on our back porch. Tell myself to lesson plan but somehow find something else much more appealing to do. I eat fresh food for dinner. I sit around at our big wooden table with the girls. Have an unofficial girls night at our house, (basically means none of the boys come around).

I miss fall but am happy it is November in Honduras. I think its going to be good.

Warmest Kristina