A few more pics from Paraguay

Thought I would add a few more pictures of Micah and friends from Paraguay. I don't know who the people are or the areas that he is in, I just thought they were good shots of the landscape of Paraguay and some of the people. There are also some pictures of the people he has had a hand in baptizing and some of his companions.

I would have turned this picture but I don't know how.

No, I don't know what kind of an animal it was or where the rest of it is.

Hope you enjoyed these pictures. Maybe someday soon I will figure out how to add video to this blog. Don't hold your breath.

The sound of silence

Have you ever had the privilege of coming home to an empty house? Because we choose to homeschool, that is a luxury I don't often experience. When it does happen, I truly enjoy the silence that I know will be very short lived. So what do I do when I find I have some quite time to myself? Read, sew, catch up on emails, vegetate. No, I load and start the dishwasher, sweep the kitchen floor and run a wet mop over it, clear and wash the dining room table, put away the folded clothes, vacuum the living room and hall, correct school papers and hope that I get two minutes to post about it. Looks like the troops are back. Good bye silence. It was sweet while it lasted.

Great mail day!!!

What does every mom of a missionary want? PICTURES! And that is what I received today in the mail. Pictures. Gone are the days of film and hard copies. Now we wait for the SD cards and put it into the computer and start looking. Did I mention the videos he took? Yes, it is true, now the mom of a missionary can see the squallier that her son lives in, in 3D with audio. Now that I am thinking about it, maybe snail mail was better. At least then I could live in denial. I find it amazing that wherever Micah goes you will find kids and most of them will be little girls in princess dresses. Somethings never change. It is good to hear his voice and to know that he is still the same Micah. Of course part of me was hoping for a changed Micah. Again, maybe snail mail is better. No, not really. It is fun to see and hear and be where he is even in 60 second clips of video. And I can tell he has made some remarkable change. I love technology. Well, except when I have to use it without supervision or help.



Is it a gaggle or a rafter of missionaries?



Let's start here shall we?

This picture was taken two years ago after Tessa's baptism. Hard to believe it has been that long. I suppose it is as good a place as any to start. It was about this time that Dan and I really started thinking that we should rethink our place of residence. Of course it would be years before we would be able to actually make arrangements to leave. Alas, I am getting ahead of myself. We had moved into a small split level three bedroom, one bath home in Townsend, MA. Our first house. With us we brought Micah, Anique and Kiah. It only took three weeks for Tessa to make her appearance on to the set. After which we added Kali and Toran. Our family was complete and we commenced with living life and making memories. As time went by we began to think that there must be a cheaper place in this country to live and raise a family. A place where we could have more land and less money taken out of our pockets under the guise of taxes. So we started looking. We looked north and south, east and west. Although not to far east because that would have put us in the ocean. In the mean time we were making friends and having some fun. And fun with friends is what we have had. We have seen where our nation began. We have learned how to make syrup, rode on swan boats, walked through the public garden, hiked the rolling green hills of Vermont, picked apples and pumpkins, and gone on many more adventures.



Anique with friends in Boston.



And that brings me to the new adventure that is before us. The adventure of a lifetime. At least for some members of our family. The time has come to move on and find new places to explore. We are as I type (ok not really, cuz I'm the one doing the work) preparing the house to go on the market and be sold. But where are we going you ask? We will be making our way to the great state of Missouri. When you ask, are we moving? Just as soon as we can fix and sell a house. The sooner the better for us. Things I won't miss about New England, the snow and ice, the arctic cold, neighbors (in general, no one specific), Massachussets drivers and taxes for the taxes. Things I will miss about New England, friends who are more like family than friends, fall leaves, sugaring season (that is maple syrup season for you left coasters), halloween decorations, churches in town centers. I am sure I could come up with more in both lists, but it is enough to say we have enjoyed our life here and we are looking forward to a new adventure.