Crazy night!

OK, had the craziest night last night. About midnight Jake woke up and said that a rat had bit him and climbed on the closet. Now Jake talks a lot in his sleep and only two nights ago he woke up saying that someone was on our roof and was trying to get in, proceeding to then run out of the room with the flash light (of course he'd been dreaming). So when he told me about the rat I told him to go back to sleep. He said that he finger still hurt and I told him (if I remember correctly) that he was insane (very lovingly of course :). Anyway he turned the flash light on, and there on top of the closest was the most enormous rat! Aaaaaahhhhh, usually rodents don't bother me but the thing was humongous and I couldn't get rid of the nagging thought that he had just been in bed with us!

 

Jake ran to get Lassie, our trusty cat. She's usually a great catcher (usually being the key work), but when Jake threw her on top of the closet, she took one look at the rat and jumped off. Fortunately this scared the rat enough too also jump off the closet, straight at Jake, who dropped the flashlight and did a little scream (as did I still sitting in bed). The whole time I telling Jake not to be so loud because the baby's crib is in our room. Now we have no idea where the rat is, we tried to get Lassie back in the room but she wouldn't have any such thing. After searching all over, Jake finally found the critter on top of the water heater in our bathroom. Jake got a broom and rug beater and handed me a shoe and told me to stand guard at the doorway (we have no door there). So Jake gives it a big poke with the pole and of course it runs straight for the door, so I start banging the floor with the shoe just to keep it away from me, screaming the whole time of course, Jake is up on the bath trying to whack it with the rug beater shouting at me to get it. About the 20th time he finally hits it and smashes it till he breaks the rug beater and bloodies his knuckles he hit on the washing machine. But it is finally dead! By now we were laughing so hard we can hardly take a breath, what a night! And I'm not ashamed to say that we slept with the bathroom light on as we were both a bit freaked out :). And praise God, Jude slept through it all!

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Internet down

Well, our Internet has been down for over three weeks now, ahhhhhh!!! So we have to use our cell phone for which is super slow and super expensive, so I can't upload any photos right now even though I have lots of good new ones.

 

Anyway, we were up in Bamenda last weekend to paint our new house and do a bunch of cleaning up in the yard. Had a lot of fun and worked from dawn to dusk as we only had 3 fulls days up there. The boys loved it and played out side all the time, running around and getting filthy. Praise God the house already had a hot water heater so we could take warm showers. The boys found a bunch of giant snails in the garden (6" shell) who our Cameroonian friend told us we should eat. We hid them under some leaves before leaving to keep them out of harms way :-).

 

It was two weeks yesterday that we make the final move. I taught for the last time in our children's church today. And next Sunday Jake is preaching and they will have a "Sending Off" for us and also little Jude will get dedicated. Anyway, doesn't look like we will have Internet before we leave but will try to do a few more blog entries before then even though we will only packing, packing, packing!

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Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.

Say Cheese!

We got Jude's passport picture taken yesterday.... this was like the 30th one they took. It's extremely hard to get a 2 month old to look straight at the camera, holding his head up so both ears are showing. But with a very patient photographer we finally got, good job he had a digital camera!

Then we went and handed all the paperwork in at the US embassy, I'd heard from a friend that it's a complicated process but it was actually super easy and quick sitting in the coldest air conditioned office I've been in for a long time, so nice! They also had a diaper changing table in the bathroom, a diaper changing table!! I almost bowed down and worshiped it (just kidding!). Usually when we're out I change his diaper in our truck, which isn't easy as our truck has a very "slop-y" backseat. So even though he wasn't really wet I changed his diaper at the embassy anyway. Amazing how the things I used to take for granted mean so much now.

Helping Hand

OK, I think it's time for Seth to get some bigger socks! After football (soccer) practice it took him about 10 minutes to get them off even with big brother's help.

Our little warriour

FES wrapped up last week, the kids had the chance to dress up medievally (if that's a word). Had fun making Josh's crusader costume, he took it all very seriously as you can see from the photo :). All the kids got to school early that day and it was like a mini battle ground as pretty much all the boys were dressed as some kind of knight with some kind of weapon, they had a blast. So grateful that Josh gets to participate in this, he really enjoys it. Seth will be old enough to be there next year.

Praise Report!

Here's the most wonderful picture on my whole blog, my oldest brother getting baptised!! I have prayed for Dan to become a Christian every day since I as 6. He gave his life to Christ about a year ago but just recently really started living for Jesus, he even looks different! Dan has found a great church in the south of England and got baptised there this past Sunday. For all of you who are praying for family members to be saved, don't give up, we serve such a faithful God! Love you Dan!!!

Quote of the week!

During devos last night we were reading about the lost sheep. Asked Seth " How are you like the sheep?" His response "Because I'm so cute too!"

Baby news

Jude had his two month check-up and shots yesterday. We found a great pediatrician who actually comes to our house and does everything here. It is such a blessing as at any other place you have to line up and wait for hours sometimes (not much fun with a screaming baby sitting on a crowded hard bench). The Pediatrician travels to the States a lot and uses the Maryland plan for immuniazations (plus the nessercery ones for here ie. yellow fever, typhoid). We were wondering what we would do when we go to Bamenda, and I was talking with her about it. Praise the Lord that she travels to Bamenda once a month so we can continue to use her. The Lord continues to provide for all my needs (and whims:-)
Jude is doing great even though his still on the slight side for American Standards. But he is growing well and all he reflexes and measurements are perfect. He wasn't very happy about having his shots but he soon got over it. Oh and he starting cooing this morning when I was holding him, so cute!

FES

Wow, I'm going crazy, 4 posts in one day! It's just that Jude's sleeping as is Seth and Josh is helping Jake wash the car... I'm all alone, which doesn't happen too often :-D.
Anyway, Josh is in FES (Field Educational System) right now. It's a program that Wycliffe Translators has organized where all the homeschooled missionary kids come together for 3 weeks and have classes and even have swimming lessons. Josh absaloutly loves it as he gets to see lots of friends and of course go to the pool, always a plus. The theme this year is the Medievil Times, so he is learning about knights and castles and wars, every little boy's dream :). They also test the kids to see how they are doing, which is always nice to know, we'll find out where Josh is at next week.
I went to a workshop this morning on how to teach art to kids. It was really interesting, all about using the right side of your brain when you draw. Also learned how kids often just draw symbols (of an eye or tree) and not what they really see, something Josh does, so it was very enlightening. So hopefully next school year I'll have a couple of Van Goghs running around! OK, think I'm done for today, just heard Jude crying...

Frodo

Our dog had puppies 2 months ago, 9 of them! We were planning to get rid of all of them but when we saw how big our new yard in Bamenda was, we decided to keep one of them (they are great for security), so we now have 3 dog! Our latest addition is called Frodo (his dad's called Strider, can you guess what movies we like?). He's so adorable and a fast learner.