Where's Danny?

Here!

(I think).

Our dear friends, Brian and Anita Biedebach, are missionaries in Lilongwe, Malawi. We first came to know them through their amazing ministry to AIDS orphans in South Africa, and quickly clicked a year-and-a-half ago when they came to the States on furlough. During their 8 months here we came to appreciate their hearts, humor and sweet kiddos more and more. Last winter our church announced the short-term trips for this year and Dan and I each immediately started thinking about how we could participate in a trip designed around building a home for these friends. It was clear that I wouldn't be able to serve much with the kids and without many home-building skills, but we decided that he could help and I could serve here as a "single mom." And so, last Tuesday, Dan hopped on a plane to southeastern Africa. 36 hours later he and his team arrived and went to work tiling, building cabinets, wiring, and everything else that goes into finishing a house. Tomorrow (or rather, as I type, considering the time difference) they will take the day off to visit Lake Malawi and serve in an African village. Should be fun! Thanks to the miracles of Skype and cell phones I'll be able to hear about it tomorrow, but I can't wait to see pictures... and really can't wait to have my man home! We're surviving, but life just isn't as fun without him around!

Right arm: reattached

A small detail the phone company neglected to mention when we transferred service to our new home last Friday: it takes 5 days to get DSL up and running in a new location! For a girl who is rather addicted to the internet, 5 days is an eternity. I feel so out of touch, but it will still be a while before I can fully catch up - life is just a little crazy around here. The big move was Saturday and, thanks to a lot of help from family, my kitchen and bathrooms are mostly unpacked. I feel reasonably well settled, and now have over two husband-less weeks to "camp" with the kids and hopefully get a lot done. Dan left last night for his missions trip to Malawi (remind me to post about that) and is still in the air. I already miss him, but today I was able to get the living/dining room painted in lieu of cooking dinner and other good-wifely things. My goal is to have the entire downstairs painted and be able to fit at least be able to fit one car in the garage by the time he returns. Whether I succeed will depend on how many sleepovers the kids have at their grandparents'!

Gotcha Day!

Happy Gotcha Day baby girl! It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since Reagan became our daughter, but at the same time it's hard to imagine life without her. She is truly a blessing to our family in more ways than I could ever name... and unfortunately I don't have the time to even start. Last-minute packing still looms, so I'll just refer you back to my post from that momentous day and leave the reminiscing for later. Thanks to all of you for following our most incredible year as a family of five!

One year ago today...

A Big Week!

If you've noticed that things have been a little quiet around here lately, it's because moving week is finally here! It seems as if a small tornado has torn through our home, leaving a mess that has to be completely cleaned up by Thursday. The process in general has not been too stressful but the last several days have been pretty crazy. Packing has been kicked into high gear, a few big hiccups with escrow have been dealt with, big purchases for the new home have been made, and all the other stuff that goes along with moving. But life still goes on. Kids (all three!) get sick, clothes have to be washed, meals must be made... And to add to the fun, Danny is leaving for a missions trip to Malawi 4 days after the move, so there's preparation for that as well. I think God just likes to make sure I'm leaning on Him!

Rehearsing

Danny, Alyssa and Parker were all in a wedding this weekend and we're more than a little tuckered - hence the post at 9 am on a Sunday when we'd normally be at church! Reagan was ready to call it quits before the main course at the rehearsal dinner on Friday, so she spent the day yesterday with her cousin Lincoln instead. Alyssa and Parker partied on until almost 11pm last night, but are still resting as I type! I'll wade through the photos at naptime and post them for Grandma who's out of town and already on baby-withdrawal.

Supermen!