Rocky Mountain Highs: December 2007

Marguerite Church

This morning we joined Norma at the church she has been working at in a nearby town. Language barriers are the darndest things, but a smile and a hug for a child can go a long ways. Samuel and Kristel finally made it here. . . without their luggage, of course. Kristel and I helped with the small children's Sunday school class. It was snotty noses and a lot of crayons for me. Without any language resources to draw on, I resorted to just saying "bueno" over and over again. This picture is of Samuel and I with the pastor's children between us.

Jayson is the boy behind Samuel. He was taken from a sexually abusive situation and lives with Iain and Liz, the next-door neighbors that are hosting me. He's only 8 and has been through difficult things, but is a happy and healthy little boy. Iain and Liz are the Developmental Directors here of a children's home that is currently under construction.

The main building will be for individual children, though not structured as an orphanage. Their vision is to operate it more along the lines of foster care, with the rehabilitation of families as their main focus. The smaller houses surrounding it will operate as a type of Ronald McDonald houses, where families can stay while they or their children are receiving long-term care at the hospital.
Iain and Liz will be welcoming a 1-year old into their home within the next couple of days. Her mother is severally mentally handicapped - she has the mental capacity of a 4-year old. Someone, however, has fathered this child and she is expecting to deliver another within the next few weeks. Unable to care for her first child, Iain and Liz have been given the next few months to care for the child. Since I'm sort of living with them at the moment, my nanny duties are about to grow!

Samuel, Guildy, and the Sea

Samuel and I took Guildy to the beach to run off some of her energy and give the Browning household a bit of peace and quiet. The pictures can pretty much speak for themselves!

Hadley likes to sleep

Guildy, upon observing the very solid sleep of her little sister, made this observation with all the authority of someone at least 10 times her age:

"Hadley's sleeping like a blog!"

Christmas Day!!

This morning started with presents at the Browning household. Here, Guildy is modeling two presents, though it may look like three. When you're two, a big orange bouncy ball, which also happens to come in its own expandable net, is really like two presents in one. And when your sister can barely find her own wrist to suck, any present she gets can be readily appropriated as a magical cape!

For dinner, we joined a number of the others from the hospital staff and had a good ol' fashioned North American feast. The turkey-coma hit when I was holding Hadley and we just had to kick back and rest for a bit. At the other end of the couch is Liz, my more than accommodating Scottish hostess!

Christmas eve...of sorts

It honestly doesn't feel like Christmas at all. Other than the Elvis Christmas music I have blaring from my computer and the single string of Christmas lights on the porch, one would think it just another pleasant June evening in Montana. But we're not in North America any more. But at least I have my beautiful friend here and I occasionally pull Hadley-holding duty!

Big sister, little sister

Here's Guildy with her new baby sister, Hadley . . . and their beautiful mom!

She's here!

Hadley Sue Browning was born this morning at 4:40. She weighs 7lbs 8oz and has all fingers and toes intact.

There will be more updates as things progress . . . and we all get some sleep!

From Honduras

Wow. Central American travel is like the Twilight Zone. Here are some things I've learned in my two-day travel experience:

If they say it's open, it's not.

No, your luggage is not at your final destination.

Speakers of Spanish will not respond if you speak French.

Good trees make good fences.

Good fences are not for animal containment.

Bridges are optional.

So are functional electrical components on a car.

Honking is encouraged.

Honking can be translated as the following:

Hi.
Get out of my way.
You're in someone else's way.
Slow down.
Speed up.
Watch out, I'm about to run you over.
Watch out, I am passing you.
Watch out, I'm about to run you over AS I pass you!

But the most important lesson has only be reinforced:
Good friends are worth it!

Christmas Banquet

Our "other" parents, Steve & Becky, took us to the Christian Center Christmas Banquet this past weekend. The food was good, the entertainment enjoyable, and our table even won a game! I'm sure you'll be shocked to hear that it was a word game...

Here are a few photos from the evening.