Sunday, January 27

Shake your money maker...


Two Saturday's in a row, at the Parlor...Celebrating Naomi's birth! It was a good time had by all, crazy that last Saturday it was my birthday!


Yesterday I was talking to Erica and she said, "girl, you guys sure go out a lot..." I suppose we do...expecially for me being a grandma and all!


Anyways, the days are long and the weeks are short...make up all missed time on the weekends, right?!!!


To the mountains we go...


Saturday was Naomi's birthday...and we were invited to go tubbing at 'The Pass.' Since we got tons of great snow gear for Christmas and we have yet to get to the mountains...we were in for the adventure! The 45min drive started out in the valley and as we grew in elevation...so did the amount of snow fall! When we got to 'The Pass' the other group who had been waiting in line for 1.5hrs, were next at the ticket line. "Sorry folks...no tubbing for you, we are sold out!" So, we got in our cars and drove home!


At least we got to see snow...and 4 big trucks on their tops, because people in WA don't know how to drive in the snow!



Which way do we turn...wait, where are we?!!! Can you read that sign?!!!
**The moral from this trip, buy your tubbing tickets online and pick them up at will-call!

Lucky Strike

Tuesday we had a '2008 Goal Setting Party' as an office. It was a great time! We exchanged 'christmas' gifts and shared our goals and visions for 2008 both personal and business!

Lucky Strike was next on our list, so off we went to finish the day bonding while bowling!

We all started out a little rusty, but soon the competition grew and it was a full out race for the highest score! We all took the gave VERY SERIOUSLY...

MollyToni
Me!
Doug
Dr. White

Sunday, January 20

Thanks everyone for the gifts!

This has been a crazy birthday! I think the older I get and the more people I meet, love and move away from...the more I am receptive to expressing and receiving love. I got so many cards with sencere words of love and encouragement, amazing gifts that I didn't need...but that I love!

God is good, and so are all the amazing family and friends that I have. I never want to take any of you for granted, and I always want you to know that I love you!!!!

Back to the amazing gifts! Check it out...I'm a new women! Thanks for everything!!!



Love, Love, Love


Happy Birthday to me! 27 years...can you believe it?!!!
Some one told me Happy Birthday today and said, "When was it, yesterday?" I said "Yes" without hesitation..."No, wait! It's today!" But you see, I lost track of time, because I've been celebrating it since Friday!

Friday was a grand opening for one of the docs I work for, so we were in downtown Seattle for that. We planned on going to a fancy sea food place in North Seattle, but while at the grand opening, someone told us about the "Six Seven." It is on the 67th pier, right on the water. The side of the resturant overlooking the water, was nothing but windows, it was dark but the view was still amazing!

Dinner was great, it was one of those places were you leave wondering why your pants aren't too tight and your stomach doesn't hurt! It was a great little treat...thanks Doug!

Saturday, we planned on going snow shoeing...but it didn't work out! So, we drove around a little bit looking for "potential" developments to buy into (in months of course:) and chilled most of the afternoon.

Doug gathered the troops together that night at the Parlor in downtown Bellevue (a swanky pool hall with a dance club). It was a great time with new friends and lots of dancing!


Friday, January 18

Eldaa


You want some inspiration...go to Africa, let it penetrate your heart and consume your thoughts FOREVER!


Eldaa is the only African that has left me feeling so confused, so desperate and so uncertain about God's plan for her, myself and Africa in general. Six years ago, she came into our lives as a tiny 6 month old, with a whole in the roof of her mouth and a top lip that split in two, clear up to her nose. I remember that she wasn't a "great" baby...but we fell in love with her non the less.

After a 6 month stay, she returned to her country and to her family until she was 1 year old. Back to Ohio she came, back to our lives and our heart she would stay!


Doug and I were engaged and I was finished with school so I was back home. Mom and Dad were busy with the race track, so I was on "mom" duty often. Eldaa and I had this strange connection...even though she was 1yr, I would often say that she would be my child if I had one...

We had this unspoken connection, like our energies were once one...but God had split them and saved half to occupy my body in the USA an the other half to occupy her body in West Africa.


When she left again, this time for good...I can remember being angry that I could keep her. I was in no position to do so and her family loved her, but your perception of Africa is never pleasant so you just assume she would be best with you!


Last Christmas Doug and I went to Burkina Faso, West Africa to visit Eldaa, many other children who has stayed with us and to show the Jesus Film at local churches. It was a great trip, with many lessons...The biggest thing that I will always remember about my first trip to Africa, is that you visit a 3rd world country expecting to bless them, and inspire them...only that's not what happens! My heart hardly hurt.


Those people are soooo BLESSED by WHAT they have, by WHO they have and by the LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST, that they inspired us! I will forever remember the love and acceptance that we felt from them!


Eldaa had another encounter with USA when she lost her big toe in April while ridding on the back of a bicycle or motter bike with her father. Popped that big toe right off! However, it left her with exposed bone and no antibiotics or "atlas clearing..." for about 1 month. She came back to Ohio and stayed with my mother for 4 weeks and was going to stay with Doug and I in Iowa for a time to focus on speech therapy, but that wasn't in God's plan, so we just took her on vacation with us in June to Kentucky...it was so fun!


Sending her back this time, I felt as if I was selling her short of the full life that God intended her to have. I felt over whelmed by the helpless ness that I felt, because no amount of money could provide for her what she needed, speech therapy! Doug and I sent some money over to send her to a private school for kindergarden...but we were still getting reports that she wasn't writing her name, etc.


I have been on many kicks, such as bringing her back and putting her through american school and meeting with a speech therapist on top of attending school...but it's a tremendous headache to deal with these countries, the lawyers and paperwork.


I then wondered if I was not to help Eldaa, but that God's plan was for us to be inspired and driven by her life...so that we continue to move forward with our dreams for Africa and it's people...


Anyways, I want to end this with praising God for her life...she was very sick two weeks ago and we thought that we would loose her, but she is alive and well today-Praise God!

Wednesday, January 2

I smell rabbit!

Christmas morning Dad, Sheldon, Preston, Doug and I went rabbit hunting! I had never done this before but we had a great time and even got a rabbit!






But in order to get the rabbit, Doug had to use his old hurdle skills...

Tuesday, January 1

Oh to be four at Christmas...

Check out our nephew Austin...Santa was very good to him this year. Didn't every one want a 'Cars' shave kit? Well, he got one, check out him and Grandma: