After a night of our kids falling instantly asleep (after midnight) and staying asleep until almost noon, we were a bit surprised at their ability to stay up until after one last night, closer to two for Jori, and Tyson was still up before 8! Jori did sleep until closer to 10 after a night of tossing and turning on a mattress on our bedroom floor. The whole business of sleeping together was great until one of the kids woke up around 11:30 and then for the next two hours they managed to keep each other awake. Needless to say, it was not a most enjoyable evening for mom and dad.
Today neither Tyson or Jori took a nap. They had fun playing and watching Darin and Jason fix the car. We had another late night, going out to dinner at 7 and just getting home a little before 10. Tyson is sound asleep and Jori is almost there. Hopefully they both stay asleep tonight and sleep in a bit tomorrow. I figure they have to catch up on sleep at some point.
We had a relaxing day. I unpacked all of our things and put them away in closets and drawers. We went grocery shopping and actually have stuff to make a few meals. Lia, who just left SA a few weeks ago, left lots of food stuff too. Tomorrow we are going to make the famous pancakes. We'll see how they turn out. Our stove is very slow to heat up and even when it is on high the temperature is still lacking.
We had a great dinner tonight at Baobob, which is our favorite restaurant out here. I am already looking forward to eating my left over steak sometime tomorrow. So far the only meals we have made at home have been macaroni and macaroni.
Time to sign off. The battery is running low and we can't find an adapter to plug in the power cord. More later.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
We're Here!!
I am sitting in our “Africa House” right now writing this on Darin's laptop. We do not have internet access here, so we will have to upload this when we get to an internet cafe, hopefully sooner than later. Hopefully it works. We had a great trip out here, other than the flights taking what seemed like forever. The kids did great. Really and truly. One big “oops” on our part (mostly my part) is that we took the wrong batteries for Tyson's Leapster so he couldn't use it the whole time we traveled. We were so crunched for time on our transfers that we couldn't stop at any shops to buy the right voltage. In Detroit we were literally running for our plane while they called “Fey, party of four” several times overhead. Amsterdam was a tight connection too, but we weren't being summoned by loud speaker, so we were able to walk at a fast pace and not run. We are so thankful that we traveled with another Innotec couple, Jason and Elizabeth Cook, who helped us schlep our stuff through the airports and have been great with the kids.
Last night we stayed in little cottages at a Nazarene conference grounds. The keys were not available when we arrived and after standing around for over an hour, we finally got in to our room and put the kids to bed. We all slept until 11:30 after getting to bed after midnight. We were picked up from the airport from some very kind people, Bill, Theresa and David. We are actually using Bill and Theresa's vehicle while we are here. They are heading to the States on Sunday. The car is made to seat 5, but this morning when we headed for Hammanskraal (where we are living) we fit 6 people and all of our luggage, which included 5 large suitcases, 2 giant backpacks, two strollers, two car seats, and various pieces of carry on baggage. To say we were squished is an understatement, but we made it. On the way to Hammanskraal, our car started making funny noises. We believe we lost our air conditioning, the power steering started acting up and now the battery light has been on. Once we stopped, we saw that a belt had broken, which would explain seeing something that we thought was part of the tire fly out from under the car while we were driving. Hopefully we are getting all the mishaps out of the way these first couple days and it will be smooth sailing from here on out.
Tyson and Jori are having a great time. Jori keeps saying “We in Africa now?” and she loves to say “hi” to all the bugs and even the spikes on the trees. Tyson has already made several friends over at Tshepo Ya Bana (the children's home). Thankfully we are right across the road and will be able to spend a lot of time visiting over there. Tyson's stomach issues seem to be righting themselves. In other words, the kid is pooping! We are so thankful he is ok. Right now they are both sleeping together in one room. I think it took an hour for them to settle down, but we'll see how it goes tomorrow. We are hoping they both sleep in again tomorrow so that we can all get some much needed rest.
Darin does much better with all the travel and jet lag. I am heading to bed myself and it is not quite 10 pm. We are looking forward to getting out tomorrow and getting some more groceries other than the milk and butter we picked up to make mac and cheese. Thanks for all the prayers. They have been making a huge difference so far.
Last night we stayed in little cottages at a Nazarene conference grounds. The keys were not available when we arrived and after standing around for over an hour, we finally got in to our room and put the kids to bed. We all slept until 11:30 after getting to bed after midnight. We were picked up from the airport from some very kind people, Bill, Theresa and David. We are actually using Bill and Theresa's vehicle while we are here. They are heading to the States on Sunday. The car is made to seat 5, but this morning when we headed for Hammanskraal (where we are living) we fit 6 people and all of our luggage, which included 5 large suitcases, 2 giant backpacks, two strollers, two car seats, and various pieces of carry on baggage. To say we were squished is an understatement, but we made it. On the way to Hammanskraal, our car started making funny noises. We believe we lost our air conditioning, the power steering started acting up and now the battery light has been on. Once we stopped, we saw that a belt had broken, which would explain seeing something that we thought was part of the tire fly out from under the car while we were driving. Hopefully we are getting all the mishaps out of the way these first couple days and it will be smooth sailing from here on out.
Tyson and Jori are having a great time. Jori keeps saying “We in Africa now?” and she loves to say “hi” to all the bugs and even the spikes on the trees. Tyson has already made several friends over at Tshepo Ya Bana (the children's home). Thankfully we are right across the road and will be able to spend a lot of time visiting over there. Tyson's stomach issues seem to be righting themselves. In other words, the kid is pooping! We are so thankful he is ok. Right now they are both sleeping together in one room. I think it took an hour for them to settle down, but we'll see how it goes tomorrow. We are hoping they both sleep in again tomorrow so that we can all get some much needed rest.
Darin does much better with all the travel and jet lag. I am heading to bed myself and it is not quite 10 pm. We are looking forward to getting out tomorrow and getting some more groceries other than the milk and butter we picked up to make mac and cheese. Thanks for all the prayers. They have been making a huge difference so far.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Today's the Day
In 3 hours, we will be putting the last few items in our van and heading for the airport. As I sit here listening to Jori NOT sleep, I start feeling a little more nervous about heading out. I am really excited to be going. God has given us a great opportunity and He has blessed us with the means to go (and a very supportive church). Everything has fallen into place. We have a great place to stay while we are in SA, we are renting a vehicle through a missionary Darin knows for much less than a regular rental car would be, we have missionaries staying in our house who just happen to be on leave the months we are gone. God has provided for us. So why worry?
Ok, so those who know me, I mean REALLY know me, will understand that even under perfect circumstances I tend to get really anxious. I do not do well with change and this is a huge change. I think I adapt pretty quickly once a change occurs, but the time before the change is full of lots of worry and panic from me. So as I sit here listening to Jori NOT sleep and know that Tyson has NOT pooped (and was up 4 times last night complaining of a sore stomach) my anxiety starts to rise. Poor Darin has to deal with most of my craziness and I'm sure he'll be dealing with the kids a lot on the plane because I get to the point where I just can'T HANDLE IT ANYMORE!!!! Ok, deep breath.
As a very wise woman recently said to me, getting ready for this trip is like getting ready for a wedding. You can plan for months and months in advance, but you'll still be running around at the last minute and things are bound to go wrong, but in the end you DO get married. We might forget to charge the DVD player, or pack our sunglasses and our kids might have major meltdowns on the plane, but in the end, we WILL get to South Africa. Not only that, but we will have a great time meeting lots of new people and seeing some pretty amazing things. Lord willing, we will not forget anything major and our kids will exceed our expectations during the trip over.
We know we have lots of people praying for us today and I know those prayers will get us to where we are going with our sanity intact. Thanks for thinking of us.
Ok, so those who know me, I mean REALLY know me, will understand that even under perfect circumstances I tend to get really anxious. I do not do well with change and this is a huge change. I think I adapt pretty quickly once a change occurs, but the time before the change is full of lots of worry and panic from me. So as I sit here listening to Jori NOT sleep and know that Tyson has NOT pooped (and was up 4 times last night complaining of a sore stomach) my anxiety starts to rise. Poor Darin has to deal with most of my craziness and I'm sure he'll be dealing with the kids a lot on the plane because I get to the point where I just can'T HANDLE IT ANYMORE!!!! Ok, deep breath.
As a very wise woman recently said to me, getting ready for this trip is like getting ready for a wedding. You can plan for months and months in advance, but you'll still be running around at the last minute and things are bound to go wrong, but in the end you DO get married. We might forget to charge the DVD player, or pack our sunglasses and our kids might have major meltdowns on the plane, but in the end, we WILL get to South Africa. Not only that, but we will have a great time meeting lots of new people and seeing some pretty amazing things. Lord willing, we will not forget anything major and our kids will exceed our expectations during the trip over.
We know we have lots of people praying for us today and I know those prayers will get us to where we are going with our sanity intact. Thanks for thinking of us.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
One more sleep
Tomorrow is the big day. A little after 5 pm we will be flying through the friendly skies on our way to Africa. We are definitely keeping busy before we go. I just spent an hour at the doctor with Tyson. He has been having stomach problems since 2 Fridays ago. Today we got a second set of x-rays to see if things are "moving". One side has cleared a little, but the other had no change. Now we are trying cherry juice and miralax. The doctor wanted to get a blood sample just to rule out any more serious problems. This isn't normal procedure, but a precaution because we are leaving the country tomorrow. So the nurse came in to draw his blood and he flipped out. Both kids have had several shots in the past few months and we had told them that shots were all done. Poor Tyson. He was clinging on me and crying for daddy to come take him home. Then to make it worse, the nurse couldn't get any blood. I don't think Tyson had much to drink this morning and that caused a problem. He doesn't want to drink, because it makes him feel so full and uncomfortable. So after three tries, lots of screaming and crying from Tyson and praying from mommy the nurse went to ask the doctor how necessary the blood work was. Our options were head to the hospital or forget about it. I decided to forget about it. South Africa is modern enough that we will be able to get medical attention if needed, and I could not put him through any more procedures today. (He'd already had suppositories and an enema at home.) So we hope things start happening for Tyson soon.
The doctor visit took most of the morning. It is already lunch time and we haven't done very much. Darin did go to Love INC and bought two suitcases. We found a hole in the corner of one suitcase last night and in my mind, I picture my clothes strewn all over the baggage claim. Darin wasn't too worried about it, but he knows how I can be and put my fears to rest. Tyson is heading over to play with Jenna in a little while and Jori will be taking a nap. Darin has a few things he needs to do at Innotec so he will be heading out to do that. I will be packing. It has to end sometime, right?
We are excited to be going. I can tell I am starting to get a little anxious, but that is the norm for me. I just keep praying and I know God will continue to give us His peace. What more could we ask for? We know that many of you are praying for us as well and that you will continue to do so while we are gone. Pray for Tyson to start feeling better and that nothing more serious is going on. Pray for Jori to take a long nap before we leave tomorrow to prevent a major meltdown on the plane. Pray for Darin who has been dealing with bad allergies the last two days (after years of not having any problems). Pray for me that I just stay calm during all this hurrying around. Thanks for thinking of us!
The doctor visit took most of the morning. It is already lunch time and we haven't done very much. Darin did go to Love INC and bought two suitcases. We found a hole in the corner of one suitcase last night and in my mind, I picture my clothes strewn all over the baggage claim. Darin wasn't too worried about it, but he knows how I can be and put my fears to rest. Tyson is heading over to play with Jenna in a little while and Jori will be taking a nap. Darin has a few things he needs to do at Innotec so he will be heading out to do that. I will be packing. It has to end sometime, right?
We are excited to be going. I can tell I am starting to get a little anxious, but that is the norm for me. I just keep praying and I know God will continue to give us His peace. What more could we ask for? We know that many of you are praying for us as well and that you will continue to do so while we are gone. Pray for Tyson to start feeling better and that nothing more serious is going on. Pray for Jori to take a long nap before we leave tomorrow to prevent a major meltdown on the plane. Pray for Darin who has been dealing with bad allergies the last two days (after years of not having any problems). Pray for me that I just stay calm during all this hurrying around. Thanks for thinking of us!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
John Ball Zoo and Bug Catchers Too
We had a busy Thursday. Grandma Willie leaves tomorrow for Lynden, so we had to cram in the fun. We actually left the house a little after 9 and headed to the zoo. We brought a bunch of bread and some hamburger buns to feed the ducks. As you can see, there were plenty of beaks to feed.
As with most animals, Jori had a love/hate relationship with the ducks. She would be laughing and talking to them, and then run behind grandma for protection.
It was a beautiful day outside and I am so thankful we took the time to head out and enjoy the day. After checking out the lions, monkeys and more, we headed to McDonald's to meet Rachel, Jenna and JJ. Then it was nap time for Jori and Tyson and I headed to the doctor for his x-ray. He did great, and we'll hear tomorrow if the doctor wants to keep trying the milk of magnesia or try something else to get things moving. Poor kid.
After daddy got home, we went bug hunting. As you can see, we caught some very unusual specimens.
I'll leave you with a final shot of Tyson and his new pet, Pweebee the ladybug. We're sorry you weren't all here to pet Pweebee, as we had the pleasure of doing. I wonder what they'll catch in Africa.
As with most animals, Jori had a love/hate relationship with the ducks. She would be laughing and talking to them, and then run behind grandma for protection.
It was a beautiful day outside and I am so thankful we took the time to head out and enjoy the day. After checking out the lions, monkeys and more, we headed to McDonald's to meet Rachel, Jenna and JJ. Then it was nap time for Jori and Tyson and I headed to the doctor for his x-ray. He did great, and we'll hear tomorrow if the doctor wants to keep trying the milk of magnesia or try something else to get things moving. Poor kid.
After daddy got home, we went bug hunting. As you can see, we caught some very unusual specimens.
I'll leave you with a final shot of Tyson and his new pet, Pweebee the ladybug. We're sorry you weren't all here to pet Pweebee, as we had the pleasure of doing. I wonder what they'll catch in Africa.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Hudsonville Fair
Last week was the Hudsonville Fair. We had a lot of fun going through the animal barns, eating elephant ears and deep fried vegetables and we even took the kids on a few rides. Lucky for us, their favorite rides are free. Each year the fair has a big tractor and riding mower display and kids are welcome to climb on and test the merchandise. Both kids had so much fun running from machine to machine. Jori's legs were a little too short to climb on the big tractors by herself, but Tyson had no problem getting to where he wanted to go.It was great having the fair in town this past week. It was a good diversion for the kids, and it got me away from cleaning and packing. Speaking of which, things are going great. Grandma Willie is in town and she could clean circles around me. There are only a few things left to finish around the house and I am feeling much better about it all. I cleaned out the garage today. It worked out well for me that it was also garbage day. I had made quite the pile of junk by the time the garbage man came around. Darin's college papers and notes are now in a garbage dump. I only wish I had done this in June.
Tomorrow we are meeting with Scott and Lia who just returned from SA a couple weeks ago. We are excited to hear about their time in Africa and how things have been since they've been back. I am also excited for Lia to pass on her blogging knowledge to me. I have a picture of Jori I wanted to add to this post, but I don't know how to do it. Hopefully I learn how before we go!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Tyson Alan
What can I say about Tyson? Life is never dull when he is around. One grandma says he's "greased lightning". The other admits that she gets tired just watching him. He loves to play dentist, ride bike, color, have friends over, dance, and play bears with his sissy. He is 
mommy's honey who loves to read and snuggle, but he is daddy's buddy. They go to the races together, take care of the vending machines, work on projects, watch the Cubs and the Vikings, and lots of other guy stuff. Tyson loves taking care of his sissy. He is always ready to find her blanky and peeper for her when she is sad, or offer his one of his own special blankies. Tyson loves learning about God and his creation and about how Jesus loves him. Though there are times where we can hardly keep up with all the action Tyson brings to our loves, we never stop thanking God for giving us such a precious gift. 
mommy's honey who loves to read and snuggle, but he is daddy's buddy. They go to the races together, take care of the vending machines, work on projects, watch the Cubs and the Vikings, and lots of other guy stuff. Tyson loves taking care of his sissy. He is always ready to find her blanky and peeper for her when she is sad, or offer his one of his own special blankies. Tyson loves learning about God and his creation and about how Jesus loves him. Though there are times where we can hardly keep up with all the action Tyson brings to our loves, we never stop thanking God for giving us such a precious gift.
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