New Links Spotlight

Here are some blogs we've been reading lately:

Rori and Jon (and kids!)
Our niece's and nephews' adventures on the Mississippi.

Lindsey's Blog
Family friends. New parents.

Molly's Blog
College friend. New blog.

Jacy's Blog
Funny family tales in SoDak.

Tippy's Blog
Met them in Honduras. Love what they're doing in Kansas.

Chance's Blog
Karine's Underwood High School friend. Teaching in Korea.

Baptism Weekend

Way back on Saturday, March 26, Zadie and Ezra were baptized. We had such a special baptism weekend thanks to our friends and family.

Our great friends, Tommy and Casey, drove down from Minneapolis with their family to be Godparents to Zadie and celebrate baptisms, friendship, and spring break. We are so happy they came. The kids all had a blast playing with each other. Grandma Jean also came to town, and Nana and Papa were already in town, so we had a great representation of family. We missed Kirsten and Doug who are Ezra's Godparents, but we felt their presence in spirit.


After mass on Saturday evening, we had the baptismal ceremony at St. Stephen's Catholic Church here in Bentonville, AR. All 6 kids were well behaved during church- not bad considering five of them were 2 and under!

We came back to the house to celebrate with posed family photos and ice cream cake. We ate all of the DQ cake, so all we have left for you all to enjoy are the posed family photos.



On Monday, we took 2 minivans and hit the road! We drove two hours to the beautiful little mountainside village of Eureka Springs. Some call this town "Little Switzerland". The streets are lined with eclectic little shops, artists workshops and galleries, candy stores, and restaurants. Just outside of town is Christ of the Ozarks. It's a BIG statue!

After a long day in the Eureka Springs (with a dead camera battery for most of the day), we headed back to the Country Inn and Suites for some swimming with the P's. The dads helped the kiddos in the water.


We moms even had a couple of kid-free minutes in the hot tub! All in all, it was such a fantastic weekend! We are so lucky to have such great friends and family!

The Piersma Family Visits Omaha

Way back on August 27, we were thrilled to have a weekend full of fun with our friends the Piersma Family! Casey, Tommy, Kathryn, Eleanor, and baby Madeline made the 6 1/2 hour drive from the cities down to Omaha. It was a weekend full of fun!

In addition to hanging out at the house and just chatting while the kids played, we did a few outings. We enjoyed a picnic at Elmwood Park and the kids had a blast on the playground.

Then we ventured off on the "Bridge to Nowhere" (The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge) which is actually a huge and beautiful bridge that crosses the Missouri River. We started walking from Nebraska and made it all the way to Iowa!





We ended the weekend with breakfast at Perkins and a visit to the Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters just outside of Omaha. What a fun and special visit it was. We can't wait for the next opportunity to spend time with our good friends!

Thursday Night

Thursday night I will be camping at an undisclosed northern Minnesota location with this man. He's a swell fellow and a phenomenal drummer. More importantly, he invented the Slap Chop.

Goodbye Honduras

Our bags are packed, we've said our goodbyes, and it's time to go. Tomorrow morning we leave this country and begin our new chapter in life. While we are truly sad to leave so many special people (and one very special dog) back here in Honduras, we are looking forward to the next great adventure.

Tomorrow we'll be traveling all day and landing in Omaha, Nebraska- our new hometown in the evening.

So, next time we blog, it will be Karine and Tom in Nebraska!

Adios Honduras!

24 Hours = $240

Tomorrow, a moving truck takes our stuff away from our house in Honduras. Tomorrow begins our exit from this beautiful country. We actually will be flying out on Friday morning, and will use the final days here in Honduras to wrap up loose ends.

I've been giving a lot of thought to our conversation with Belkis that will take place this week. I'm beyond proud of the $760 our readers have contributed for Stephanie's scholarship. I truly believe this will change her life. I'm excited for the conversation I will have with Belkis tomorrow afternoon (Monday!!!) when I tell her about the gift our friends, family, and readers will be giving to her daughter and their future.

My original goal was to raise $1000 in 10 days to send Stephanie to a school that will teach her well. Tom thought it was a little out of reach at first, but we have been overwhelmed with the generosity of our readers. Thank you.

We have just $240 to go in the next 24 hours to reach our goal. That's just $10 per hour! If you haven't been able to contribute yet, this is your chance. For those of you who have donated and sent kind words and prayers for this goal, Thank you.

Tomorrow we will return to regular blogging. If we make our goal, I'll upload a really sweet belly picture- 15 weeks with twins and a big round belly!

Please Help Stephanie

Seven days ago Karine made a goal: collect $1,000 in ten days to send little Stephanie to a quality school for a year. So far our readers have donated $650. This is a truly awesome display of generosity. Now our goal is within reach. If you have donated, thank you so much. If you haven't, please help us today.


Stephanie with her mom and Zeke.

Please Help Stephanie Today

Her name is named Stephanie. She is eleven years old. She is intelligent and funny and bright-eyed and curious. She sparkles; she shines. She dances and sings with our little son until we’re all rolling on the floor laughing. She is full of light and happiness.

And she is full of potential.

It is this, her boundless potential, which compels us to act on her behalf. She doesn’t know that we are doing this. She could never imagine anyone doing something like this for her. But we must do it because we can.

Stephanie missed over one-hundred days of school last year. Not because she doesn’t want to learn, but because the Honduran public school system is dysfunctional and underfunded and corrupt. That is not her fault.

She wants desperately to learn. And we, with your help, can make that happen for her. We can send her to a better school and put her on the path towards a brighter future.

Please donate today: $10, $20, $50, $100 – any amount will make a huge difference for Stephanie.

Thank You.

Ten Dollar Tueday

Today's goal:

Ten individual donations of ten dollars or more.

Don't know what it's all about? Read the entries below.

*************************UPDATE***************************

WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!!

AWESOME
SUPER

Our total so far: $518 from 23 donors. At the end of day four we are over half way to our goal. We are getting there.

Thank you so much.

A Parting Gift, DAY THREE

So far, you have contributed over $300 to give a little girl the chance of a lifetime, an opportunity to learn at a decent school. We are humbled by your generocity. Thank you so much!

Let's see if we can't get another $100 closer to our goal today. Please consider contributing any amount.

Maybe we can make a deal. Let's take a little stroll down memory lane. Read this post about cashews I wrote a few years ago. I did something very stupid. If you laugh out loud at this stupid thing I did, maybe consider donating a little something to help a girl get a quality education.

One addendum: I actually did end up covered in fluid filled pustules.

A Parting Gift, Day TWO

Thank you all so much. Day One was a huge success. Over $200 in donations will pay for two months of school for a very special little girl. If your generosity today can match donations received yesterday, Tom has agreed to do something ridiculous and or embarrassing. He's already shaved his head, so that's out. He's open to suggestions. We have a video camera. Maybe a performance of Old McDonald filmed at the local Burger King? Something like that. Any ideas?

****UPDATE****

4 PM Honduras time. We are half way to today's goal. My embarrassing stunt may include dancing in a public place and or wearing a silly costume. I don't want to, but I would love to half to.

A Parting Gift, UPDATED

We've got about 2 weeks left of our life here in La Ceiba, Honduras. It's been an amazing 3 years full of ups and downs. We've grown accustomed to many of the idiosyncrasies of living as foreigners in a different culture. We've been given one beautiful son, and we leave Honduras with two more little ones on the way.

The country of Honduras has given us beauty. The rainforest, the beach, the islands and reef, the mountains and hills- it is truly a special place. The true beauty, however, has been in the people we've encountered here. We've discovered friends in unlikely places and been blessed with kindness by countless people.

For me, personally, one of the most special people I have encountered is Zeke's nanny, Belkis. This young woman has come into our home and our lives with a contagious smile and a can-do attitude. She's a single mom who rides her bike instead of taking a bus or taxi. Belkis completed high school about 10 years ago- a true feat for a girl in the public school system here. Everything about her is wonderful, but what is most wonderful to me, is that she loves my son. She really loves him, and he really loves her. She's taught him Spanish, dances to silly songs, and hides behind the sofa for him to find her. Zeke is enamoured. Belkis has given me peace of mind every day as I head off to work, because I know my son is going to have a fantastic day with one of his favorite people in the world.

I want to thank her in a big way. This is something I've been thinking about for many months now. About two months ago, I thought of something I could do- from one mother to another, that might make a difference. You see, Belkis has an 9 year old daughter who is just as bright, cheerful, and funny as her mom. This little girl doesn't miss a beat. She's smart too! Whenever she has a day off of school, she comes with Belkis to our house. Zeke loves having this energetic firecracker around. I love having her around too- except it means one thing. Usually when the little girl is here, it means school has been cancelled- again.

Honduras has a public school system that does not work. The teachers are on strike often because they don't receive their paychecks from the government. I won't go into all the faults of the school system nor will I pretend to understand all of the reasons it is the way it is. All I know is this- Belkis would love to put her daughter in a private school here. She could give her daughter- who desperately wants to learn- an education where the teachers come every day. It would be a place where there is a seat for every child, and teachers are motivated to help the kids learn. Private schools here (not the big bilingual schools) cost roughly $100 per month. For about $1000, this little girl might have the chance to attend classes more than 50 out of the 180 designated school days per year. It would make her mother proud.

I had hoped to be able to help sponsor this little girl's education. I know that $1000 would change this little girl's life, and possibly her future. Belkis will continue to work in Honduras after we leave, and support herself and her daughter. However, for most people here, finding work that pays an extra $100 per month is beyond difficult.

I had hoped that our little family could handle the expense of an extra $100 per month to put aside. Due to the rapid increase in our family size, and the rapid decrease in number of working parents in the house, I'm afraid Tom and I won't be able to do this alone. I am asking for anyone who has enjoyed reading our blog over the past 3 years to consider helping us change one life here before we leave Honduras.

If you can afford $10, $25, or even $100, your donation will go directly to a scholarship fund for Belkis's daughter. I promise that your money will be put into good, honest hands. My goal- lofty as it may be- is to raise one year's tuition- $1000 in 10 days. Can you please help?

We'll keep you updated as we work toward our goal.




Thank you all so much!

****UPDATE****

We received the first donation over night. Thank you so much!

****UPDATE****SUNDAY MAY, 23****

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Day One was a huge success. Over $200 in donations will pay for two months of school for a very special little girl. If your generosity today can match donations received yesterday, Tom has agreed to do something ridiculous and or embarrassing. He's already shaved his head, so that's out. He's actually open to suggestions. We do have video capabilities. Maybe a video of a performance of Old McDonald filmed at the local Burger King? Something like that. Any ideas?

Party Time!

On Saturday, we hosted Zeke's First Birthday Party. He invited 16 kids (ages 6 months to 15 years old) and 11 adult guests come over to help celebrate this monumental day. Even though it rained, we took advantage of our big front porch and still had plenty of space for fun.


The party was a blast for everyone! The littlest ones enjoyed crawling around on Zeke's mat and playing with toys there.


The medium ones enjoyed the tunnel and all of Zeke's wheeled toys in the house.

The big kids were great helpers and kept tabs on the younger kids while the adults got to visit. The adults enjoyed jambalaya and "adult cake" while the kids ate cupcakes and pizza.


Everyone enjoyed the piñata- well almost everyone...

Ezekiel was so happy when we brought home the Big Red Dog piñata earlier this week. He is really into dogs right now, so he loved this one! He'd gingerly touch the nose and say "dog" all week long.

When piñata time came around at the party, Zeke refused to hit it with the special stick (kids go from youngest to oldest).


When the first few kids started whacking at his prized dog with a big stick, Zeke was horrified! He cried and cried, not understanding why his favorite new dog was being attacked by his friends. Luckily, his friend Stephanie tried to distract him.

After almost 4 hours of fun, our guests had gone and Zeke was exhausted. It was a great day!


Happy 1st Birthday Party, Zeke!

Staycation Part 2

No, I'm not considering today's all-day, country-wide curfew to be a Staycation. It's nice to stay home, but this post is to re-cap the other things we did last weekend for the real Staycation 2009.

For my birthday, Zeke had a hard time deciding what to get for me. In the end, he chose these really cute Fisher Price stacking blocks. We spent hours playing on the floor with them, making echo sounds by talking into the open side, making towers, and putting the smallest one inside of the biggest. It has been a super-fun gift.


Staycation Sunday was a dough-y day. I started out in the morning by making my homemade pancakes. We love pancakes in this house. I had also read online that whole wheat bagels made a good teething/finger food for babies. I know that whole wheat bagels are usually made with honey- a no-no for babies, so I decided to make my own.







And yes, you actually boil them before you bake them! It was a lot easier than I thought, and yummy too!

Ever since I visited China in 2003, I have had occasional cravings for Chinese steamed dumplings, or jiao zi (pronounced jow-tsa). When we were on our honeymoon in Vancouver a few years ago, I introduced Tom to this yummy treat. So, with a few creative substitutions, we made our very own jiao zi right here at home! The grocery stores here don't carry dumpling wrappers, so I had to start by making my own out of a little salt, rice flour, and normal flour. I rolled them out and cut them to size with a glass.


Filling and closing the dumplings was the hardest part for me. I know that there is a "right" way to do this, and it involves 3 or 4 precisely placed pleats. I was not able to do this. I've been taught a few times by my expert friends Amy and Kate, but never actually figured it out. Luckily, the dumplings seemed to work well if I gave them a few pinches and sealed up the top.


We don't own any of those fancy bamboo stack-em and steam-em things, so we opted for boiled dumplings. Our filling was a combination of ground beef and finely chopped pork chops (we can't buy ground pork here) and some other little veggies and ginger.


We dipped them in a special dipping sauce and were amazed at how delicious they were. This is definitely something we want to make again! Next time, we'll do it with other people, since the stuffing/wrapping of the dumplings is pretty time consuming.

On Monday night of Staycation, we had our neighbor friends over for some Chicken Tikka Masala. Casey introduced us to this delicious recipe awhile ago, and this is the second time we've made it. I think it might be a new family favorite. I even made a little homemade garlic naan to go with it. While the dinner was delicious, the real highlight of the evening was watching Zeke play with his friends Lucy and Ellie.


It is so fun to see how he is learning to interact with others. The girls were wonderful with him, we love hanging out with their parents, so everybody has a good time.


By Tuesday morning, our last day of Staycation, we were gourmet-ed out. After such a delicious weekend, we enjoyed a low key morning of painting, sipping coffee, an afteroon family pool party, and ordering pizza for dinner. Staycation 2009 was great, and I'm excited to try out my new recipes again soon!

Minneapolis!

We had a fantastic visit to Minneapolis this week. While our schedule was packed, we managed to visit with many friends and even found a little time to relax in our former hometown.

We began the week with a birthday brunch with the Zabell family. Zeke met his first baby of the week, first-cousin-once-removed, Hannah.


After that, we went to our BBQ Extravaganza at Tommy and Casey's house. There, Zeke met about 20 of our friends from MN and a few more babies. The P's have been wonderful friends to us for many years. Every time we're in Minneapolis, they so generously open thier home and hearts to us. We love visiting them, and as our kids get older together, we know the fun times will continue.


Above is Kathryn, Teagan, Eleanor, and Zeke. Their dads were all residents of 5508 5 years ago. Below is Eleanor P., the 6 month old cutie putting the moves on Zeke. We have high hopes for the future!

Another of Tom's college roommates had a son around 3 months ago. Here we are with Peter, Laura, and Andrew. Andrew and Zeke may even be Johnnies together someday just like their dads.

Above Zeke is hanging out with his new friend, Joey. Below is Zeke with his other new friend, Ann. We are so lucky to have been able to spend time with these important people in our lives.

And here is Megan. Sometimes we call her Megan, sometimes Vegas, but Zeke calls her Mimi. We'd like to say a special thank you to Mimi and Kiki for opening up their home to us this week. These two friends are always so fun and funny to be around. Zeke had a blast snuggling with Megan, and doing a silly photo shoot with Kevin.


All in all, it was an awesome week. Now we're ready to head up north for a week with Tom's family. We can't wait!