friends

THANK you for all your beautiful prayers for our friend Nikki.  I was on my knees at 2 am Thursday morning when Nick called and while Matt drove out to get the kids, and despite horrific weather and roads, they got to us safely, and she got to her midwife and had a beautiful, perfect healthy baby boy before 6 am!

That also means we're all living up having some brothers and another sister for a few days...lots of rainy play, slime, books, Veggie Tales and talking about baby!  We tried for over an hour in pouring rains to get to Nick and Nikki and baby Kendrix yesterday afternoon, but they are WAY far out, and every single muddy path we took through the sugar cane fields ended in what's now become rushing RIVERS of muddy water and garbage.  We finally had to turn back with a very disappointed truck of 6 kids because it got too dangerous.

It is amazing what a day or two of heavy rains can do in Haiti, especially when our "roads" are mostly mud to start with.  Thankful for the millionth time for a truck that safely got us through many rivers, and safely got us home by His grace.

Today, after a night of winds but no rain, we will try again, because these guys are anxious to meet their new brother!  

It's also given me a great chance to let some things go and to enjoy all six kiddos.  I can't remember the last day I didn't have work or teaching or homeschool or church...it's been good to sit with the kiddos and enjoy them and get to know them better.  Today, all their schools were cancelled due to so many teachers and students being unable to get to school (or unable to even leave their communities) so I'm at work while Matt's taking his turn letting some things go and enjoy the kids!

So thankful for the great love our Father has for us each, and for the way we understand and experience that so practically and powerfully through our love for the children in our lives!

Nora is totally NOT sleeping here...she's just trying to be just like baby Avalyn!

...found this batch on my phone last night :)

THANK you for praying for Nikki, and please continue to be praying for Josie as we wait to meet their son any day now, Lord willing, for our friend Amy waiting for her baby girl any day, and it's always got me praying for my sister, delivering in November!

update...got everybody home and finally got to meet their new baby brother, Kendrix!

This is how we found Avalyn sleeping in her pack-n-play this afternoon, and we all relate :)  Thankful for a weekend!