The blizzards of the deep south!

So, we got our first (probably only) snow of the year. It's been horrible reading about all the blizzards up north. My thoughts are with some of my friends up there braving it. I thought I'd share our "inclement" weather with the cyber world! Don't laugh, but the stores were packed the night before with people buying bread and milk. For those who don't know much about us southerners, we like to buy our bread and milk at the first mention of snow or ice. My grandmother actually came the night before and was scared she may get "snowed in". She's a bit of a drama queen on top of our heightened sense of fear of black ice!

The first pic is B on our porch. You can tell the sky's gray, right? That can be scary, maybe.

Next pic, the snow covered ground! B and her best bud and neighbor, Lu. No snowmen for B and Lu:( That's Momo's car in the back. Needless to say, she left later that day and made it home fine!

The Joys of a Two year old!

Sorry it's been so long updating the blog with pictures and updates on our current life! I still hope to blog Kenya some more but right now it's a daunting task. On January 11, 2009 my baby turned 2 years old! The time has flown by with her and it's been hard on me to move on from the baby stage. She had a Clifford the Big Red Dog party and all the kids from the residency program and good friends from the neighborhood were there to celebrate, too. It's challenging to plan a winter party because we can't do anything outdoors and our house would bust at the seams with her party brood. So, we had the Clifford party at our church fellowship hall. It was a great space and the party was a hit! Clifford even made a special appearance and Bethany is still talking about it!Here are some pics of that....

Our little Clifford Pup took time out to give her mom and dad some love! A rare moment for our busy toddler!

Singing Happy Birthday to the birthday girl. She tells people that Clifford tried to eat her "Happy Birthday" (the cake).

Clifford stopped by to play with the kids. Most of the kids wouldn't get near him for a while but a few brave the initial meeting. Bethany wouldn't have anything to do with him but she likes to brag that he was there!

Reminding me that she is no longer a baby, Bethany is doing lots of big girl things. She is using the potty daily. Actually, this weekend her dad is going to try and completely day train her while I'm at the women's retreat with our church! We'll see how that goes.! Bethany has also thrown all her paci's away herself saying that "I not a baby anymore". However, she found a stash that I didn't know about and therefore still has one that we hope to get rid of by the Spring. She insist on taking naps in her big girl bed and has been pretty good at staying in the bed. On a few occasions she has been up and playing in her room but gets a pop when this happens:(

Bethany on Christmas morning after she insisted that she wear her princess panties that came in her stocking!

The "Call"

An interesting article that I found and really expressed our feelings exactly, besides the fact that this couple is actually serving in the mission field presently...

Missionary's calling 'undeniable, irresistible' force
12/3/2008
By Chris Watts
EDITOR’S NOTE: Christopher Watts and his wife, Colleen, serve as Southern Baptist missionaries in Rome. Originally from Georgia, they were appointed in 2000 and have a 1-year-old-son named Cotton.
ROME (BP)--Calling, to me, is a funny thing.
In my experience, it comes upon you with a furious intensity and drowns you in an incredible desire to do something huge and glorious, something that is completely beyond the measure of your own abilities.
It changes your path completely and thrusts you into a new and unknown world where utter reliance on the plan and providence of God is an absolute necessity. After a time, though, once the realities and routines of this new world have set in, some of that initial intensity fades a bit, and the calling evolves into the stabilizing foundation upon which every facet of your new life is built.
It never diminishes in its strength or importance, but it becomes more of a compass for staying true to your path, than a sword with which to storm the walls of a lost world. I believe that this evolution is necessitated by the fact that “the calling” serves two distinct roles.
People contentedly strolling along in an easy and comfortable life often need something violent and fierce to move them powerfully and awaken them to the harsh realities of a lost and dying world. Our Baptist cocoon often insulates us from the pain and hopelessness of a world without Christ.
Some of us, me included, need to be slapped pretty hard to see things clearly and hear the voice of God. Oftentimes it seems that change never comes to those who can stand to live without it, and this initial calling is the thing that causes us to be dissatisfied with anything else. It is undeniable and irresistible.
However, once you start down that path, you are confronted on a daily basis with these hard realities. You no longer need to be awakened, you need to be sustained. This life is incredibly difficult. A missionary must make the conscious decision every day that this lifestyle is still worth it. “The calling” is the thing, always lurking in the background, that often gives you the strength to keep trudging forward.
This doesn’t mean the passion diminishes. On the contrary. As you witness with your own eyes the incredible ways in which God is at work in the world, as you see lives being transformed and you sense the intense pain in the hearts of those around you, the passion for the work grows. You begin to understand the power of the Gospel and you long to see people receive the love of Christ.
I am convinced that this job to which I have been called is the greatest, hardest and most worthwhile way in which I could spend my life. And until I am called, kicking and screaming, to something else, there is nothing that could make me quit.