Capture Life 365–week 19

Things that made me smile…

Walking past the house and seeing these feet hanging out the window while doing school…

Finding little reminders to pray throughout the house, put up by the littlest family member…Seeing this one taking his test – pencil, paper & cow horn…

Watching my man confirm why the taps are refusing us…

Knowing the rain water tank means we still have a way to get water without walking too far, even if it’s home to tadpoles and mosquito larvae…

The opportunity to learn to rely more on God and less on myself…

Wouldn’t have seen this beauty if I didn’t have to collect water…

Waking up to the remnants of an unfinished Take 2 game from the night before…

Discovering this incredible gold insect - who can deny God exists when faced with such exquisite beauty. I don’t know what it’s called, but I’m going with the ‘bling bug’… Best mothers day gift ever…!

Capture life 365–week 11

Driving home behind the local haberdashery!Schools out!First signs of the rainy season’s much anticipated arrival.

Our neighbour making mud bricks several months ago.and… fast forward to this week - getting the bricks ready to be fired - building this castle like structure… to be followed by several days of smoke. Our washing has been smelling extra special all week.

Art lessons with an awesome big sister.

When we moved to Uganda, we never dreamed of the ways that God would provide for all our needs, and then go above and beyond and put us in a place that meets our children’s interests so perfectly. No matter where we live, often as parents we question the effect our decisions will have on our children. Moving here was no exception. In fact it’s something we talk about often. While we slowly learn a new familiar, we will always be learners in a culture so different to our own, and yet, God knowing each of our kids passions, through His amazing grace has given us the huge gift of seeing our children being able to nurture their interests in ways we would never have imagined possible. Uganda has two motorcross tracks and we live close to one of them. Big deal you might say. Yes it’s a big deal! When my son who was born loving motorbikes unexpectedly gets to do the one thing he loves the most, that does a parents heart good. Even though my heart skips beats when he races, I love that he can do this. That despite the things he has had to leave behind, he gets this one thing.  God is good. Truly.

Another upside is we get to mix with a whole other group of people we would never have had the opportunity to mix with otherwise. I love that Joe’s number is 116 – chosen from Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of Salvation for everyone who believes…”

Go 116!  Post race TV interview. Yep, my boys famous. Sorta. Maybe. One day. Anyway, so glad I made him brush his teeth this morning. Despite my coaching on what to say if anyone ever wants to interview him, he still forgot the shout out to his mama. C’mon Joe, how hard is it to remember one small piece of advice?!

Sunday snuggles!

We got to spend the day with this sweet pea today! Just over a year since I held my breath in the operating theatre waiting for her to take her first breath (you can read the story here).

March 2012

 We've seen her a few times in the last year but having her for most of the day was such a treat!

don't be fooled  by the somber face - there were lots of smiles, just not for the camera!

I can't believe how big she is - she's doing fantastic! She totally made our day and we pray she continues to live up to her name - Blessing!

yes, about that little blog silence...

Well.......... mmm............. what to say after not saying anything for so long? Where does one start, or restart? It was great to be back in New Zealand, even though it turned out to be much busier than we’d anticipated. Travelling around for speaking engagements 2-3 times a week, health appointments 4-5 times a week (I ended up in A & E a week into the trip after hurting my back again, and made a wonderful impression on our home church the next morning hobbling up to speak while high on morphine and having just finished vomitting in the bathroom!).  Meetings, catching up with people, stocking up on supplies to bring back, working through our long 'to do' list and I can't remember what else filled in most of our time. The kids were absolute troopers - sleeping in at least 7 different places in 7 weeks, they got to do somme fun stuff though - sleepovers, birthday parties, Riana went to school with a friend for a day, Josiah got his motorbike license, Drew got the bow he'd been eyeing up online for months, Jed got to sub in as goalie for his friends soccer team, Charlotte got to play in snow and Lily got to see her soulmate from birth and self declared husband to be! 

I had good intentions of blogging about what we were up to, and well, that just didn’t happen – tiredness took over, and to be honest – I didn’t feel like writing much. In fact I still don’t, but I know if I don’t soon, then weeks will turn into months and months into years and before I know it I’ll be in a nursing home and my fingers will be too stiff to type, and my brain too mushy to remember what I’ve been doing for the last 50 years. My regret will drive me to eat way too much chocolate from the stash I hid from the nursing home staff, then I’ll be the only 90 year old in the home with geriatric acne all because I didn’t just write even though I didn’t feel like it. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating, but what if I’m not? I don’t want to risk being the only 90 year old that has to use Clearasil so I’m just going to dive back in and start writing as though I never stopped. I’m not even going to feel guilty about not filling in all the gaps of the past few months!

I'll leave you with a few pics of our time in NZ - sadly we didn't think to get the camera out anywhere near as much as we should have and half these pics are from a friends phone (thanks Andrew, you're awesome!!) - mental note made for next time!

half way there, Bangkok airport - only 20 hours to go!

lookout NZ - we've arrived!

wahoo!!! Warm blankets, chips and lollies under all the seatbelts in the van friends got for us to use. You rock Brown family!!

Our first McDonalds in a year and a half! Not the most glamorous photo but we'd now been awake for 2 days lol! 

surprising my mum at work on way home from airport - righthand side of the pic you can see her starting to run!

blown away by all the special things friends did to make us feel totally loved! Thanks Maclean and Higgins families for not just letting us crash at your homes but spoiling us rotten!

cousin time!

"look Dad, African undies" Of course we bought them! (and just for the record, we totally could've lived at the Warehouse, or the supermarket - oh the choices, the newness, the choices, the cleanness, the choices...)

Just loved being in the countryside again. Loved waking up to gorgeous frosty mornings, but was so good to get back to warmth of Uganda and let the chillblains thaw out!

If I was in the pic there'd be 4 generations! My lovely mum and Nan - who I must say looks amazing for 92!

Visit with Grandad

... and Uganda bound again, at yet another airport. Can't even remember which one this was, and yes, Lily is sleeping! So thankful for these trolleys!

Our one year Uganda-versary!

One year ago yesterday, we landed on the red soil of the place we now call home. It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a year as some days it definitely feels like we’ve been here for ages and others like we’ve just arrived! To celebrate both our one year Uganda-versary and our 18th wedding anniversary we snuck away for five blissful days. We gathered up the tents and kids, and headed to Murchison Falls for a two night DIY safari in one of Ugandas famous national parks! It was AWESOME! Wild animals by day, wild kids animals by night.

We had a few uninvited visitors to our campsite – warthogs, baboons and another unidentified animal – though I guess we were the uninvited ones as we were camping on their turf! We were warned that hippos may also pay us a visit, but we didn’t have the pleasure of their company which we were relieved about! I did get a fright one night after we were all in our tents. I heard Josiah say he could see a big warthog over by the van (which was next to the tent Riana, Lily and I were in). I lay quietly listening to it snorting and scuffling as it was coming closer, then suddenly it launched itself onto the side of the tent that I was sleeping on. I’d heard the stories of how if you have even a crumb of food in the bottom of your backpack, a warthog will sniff it out and rip your tent and belongings to pieces to find it. Being the super awesome, caring and protective mum that I am, I jump on top of both Lily and Riana – risking my life to save theirs. The warthog backs off and starts laughing. What??? Warthogs don’t laugh. Josiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! Yip, he got me good. Good to know that I’d risk my life for my kids though!

just in case you thought a warthog was a harmless little fellow, check out these tusks!

 From Murchison we headed north to Gulu to stay with friends for three days. We hadn’t seen the Rackleys since beginning of January when they moved from Kampala, so everyone was really excited to hang out again! I love Gulu, it’s MUCH quieter than Kampala, and getting out of the city and relaxing with friends for a few days was just what we needed. Even though we had a dozen kids between us you’d hardly know unless it was mealtime!

thanks Acholi Inn for letting us hang out at your pool for the day!

We arrived back in Kampala in all it’s traffic jamming, smog covered and high density living glory on Monday night, fresh and ready to face the world again! There’s an excitement brewing, and God is stirring us to get ready for something new he’s about to do. As we head into our second year here, we do so with a peace that God is in control and at work, a deep thankfulness to those that financially support us and our work here – you really are as much a part of this as we are, and an indescribable joy that we get to live this life, and that we get to be here, serving God in Uganda. He truly is so very, very good.

And now, for those that want a six minute safari experience with Team Gordon - enjoy!