Jo's the Bomb.com

Yeah, I said it and it's true.

We got to watch Joanna play volleyball yesterday and it was so fun!

A couple things.

1. She's pretty awesome.
2. She starts.
3. She's can spike it.
4. She's got an awesome overhand serve.

Here are some pics - courtesy of Paul, because I was busy holding/chasing a toddler!



About to get an ace! Seriously, I would say, she's one of the best servers on the team.



The 'ready position'. Ignore that guy in the foreground of the picture.



Her fans (minus Paul)! Chase and Julie apparently were really into the game! I apparently was excited about the icecream we found!



Beckett exploring!

Way to go Joanna!

Domestic Me

Prior to living in Nicaragua, I cooked approximately 4 times in my life. Well, not really, but I didn't cook all that often. David and I would cook together or he would cook.
I know, I married well.
AND, get this? He did ALL the grocery shopping. He even cut coupons. I know, I know - you're jealous and wish you had such a great husband. Sorry, he's taken.
Anyways, since living in Nicaragua, I am growing and learning in my culinary skills. For many reasons. 1. I am now at home all day and he is working all day. Only makes sense for me to cook and go to the store. 2. The grocery stores here are great, but they don't have tons of pre-made foods. For examples: no cut&slice cookies, no frozen pie crusts, no meals in a bag.
So all this to say, I am becoming more domestic! Who knew I had it in me???
This is what I did yesterday.

It started like this - all sticky and gooey and full of this magical stuff, yeast.



Grew to be like this. Yeast, I tell you, amazing stuff!



And then this


And then turned to bread. Which we promptly ate!



And then later on, I made lasagna! My sister-in-law Erin, makes the best lasagna. Ever. It wasn't Erin's lasagna, but I think it was pretty good!

So yeah, I am slowly, but surely becoming more domestic!

And, I hate to admit it, but I kind of like it!


On a completely different note, we liked to send a birthday shout out to this guy! We love you Hudson! Happy 1st birthday!

Gig 'em!

He bleeds maroon.



Waiting for Dad, looking out our window.

Independence Day

I love Nicaraguan Independence Day for several reasons.

1. We (meaning David, but me too) get 3 1/2 days off school, resulting in a 5 day weekend. Ahhhh, glorious, I tell you!

2. I always learn something about Nicaragua that I didn't previously know.

3. Nicaraguan dances are tons of fun to watch! Especially if your cute husband is involved.

So every year NCA puts on a huge Independence Day Celebration. The day begins with the 4th-6th graders reenacting some sort of scene from Nicarguan history. Horses are brought it, machetes are out, and guns are fired. Such fun

While this is happening, the 7th-12th graders are frantically putting together their tent. The theme for this year, was Nicaraguan art. So each grade has a tent that they must decorate somehow revolving around Nicaraguan art. For example, the Seniors decorated their tent to look like a common market here. They had hammocks, paintings, jewelry - everything that you could find in a market. They also must do a short presentation to the other grades, administrators, and teachers. The class with the most impressive tent and presentation wins a pizza party!

And then after this, comes the DANCING!! Oh, it's so fun (and hot!)! Every class gets a chance to shake their hips! It's pure greatness! Apparently though, you must be born Nicaraguan to really dance well here. Just saying!

And last but not least is the feast! No Independence Day would be complete without carne asada, gallo pinto, tostadas, and queso! So good!

I love this time of year!



The soccer field full of tents.



The Senior class.


Beckett was there to offer moral support and climb through the palm branches.


9th grade's theme was all about Nicaraguan money.


The chapel/cafeteria/all purpose area decorated for the special day!



World's cutest little girl, Lola.



High school girls dance. On the left, in red, is our pediatrician's daughter. We love them!



These are my 1st graders, who are now 3rd graders. Weird how that happens!



Check out these dresses!



Here's my cute husband. Yeah, he's got a machete in his hands - don't mess with him!



And the finale!



I'm at the akward stage of pregnacy - just looking sort of plump and thick. I know it's obnoxious to say, but I just have to. Pregnancy is weird - you can't really control how you look. That is all, done with my rant.

So there you have it. Nicaraguan Indpendence Day 2010.

Our Newest Russell

Here she/he is!

That's the head. If you look hard you can see the eye sockets, nasal cavity, mouth, and chin!


And here's her/his arm. I know it's just a arm, but I think it's a super cute arm!



Yes, we officially decided we aren't going to find out. Sorry, you'll just have to wait, like the rest of us!

Ohhhhhh, how we love surprises!

What do you think? Will Beckett have a brother or a sister?

Power - My Friend and Foe

When the power is on, life is awesome. I mean awesome. We have fans galore, light everywhere, Beckett can start off his nap with a little bit of A/C. It's glorious. When the power is on - it's my best friend.

However, when the power is cut off, we are not friends. We are enemies. I hate the power - or lack of. It's incredibly still, you can't see a darn thing, and my sweet baby is hot in his crib.

I know I being dramatic. And it's not really that bad. It doesn't go off too much and usually not for a long time.

Last night it went off for 4 hours. 4. Hours. From 5PM to 9PM. Right smack in the middle of cooking dinner, putting Beckett to sleep, cleaning up. Last night me and the power were mortal foes.

I took a shower by candlelight. It looked like this.



This was our room. Good pictures, huh?



And this me, so sad that it was hot and sticky and dark. (with a flash, of course)



This ends my rant. I am done with the drama. I will choose to be thankful for the times we do have power, which is most of the time! :)

Junior/Senior Retreat Time

Joanna (David and Chase's youngest sister) is living with us this semester. -- Not sure if I told the wide web this important piece of information.-- She is studying this semester at NCA as a junior.

I'm real impressed that she would leave the comforts of American life - air conditioning, mom's cooking, good friends- to live in Nicaragua for 1/2 a year. Especially as a 16 year old. She's having to adjust to living with a baby, people speaking Spanish all day, having limited privacy, etc. So yeah, I'm impressed with her.

But that's not what this post is about.

Every year at the beginning of school, the junior and seniors go on a Spiritual Leadership Retreat. They leave on a Wednesday afternoon and return Friday afternoon. So it is in the middle of the school week - meaning they get to skip their classes. I think it's great that NCA puts such a high emphasis on building leadership skills and maturing in faith. So much so, that they are willing to have their student miss classes.

This year, because Joanna is a junior she got to go as well! She said it was good!And everyone knows that when you go on retreats, hiking trips, mission trips that you bond with people and get to truly know them. So I'm thankful she had this time!

Here are some pics of her time there.


Jo in the pool!


Every good retreat has to involve some sort of nasty dare. This one was blending up a McDonald's happy meal.


The victims of the dare.


Soccer must be played - we're in Nicaragua for crying out loud


Worship time. We have some really talented students here that can lead their fellow students in worshipping the Lord.


Just a cool shot of Danni spending time in the Word.

A Day in the Life of a 16 month old

Beckett is 16 months old today. In honor of this big occasion, he thought he would share with you what an average day looks like for his 16 month old self

Today I woke up around 5:30ish, but Mom didn't get my out of bed until 6:00. So I just sang a song, looked at some books, and banged on my crib. I knew she would get me out after that!

We ate some breakfast, which consisted of oatmeal with apples and a little bit of a bagel. Some days, I'm an awesome eater and some days I much rather play than be bothered with putting a spoon in my mouth.

Because I am getting ANOTHER new tooth, I was a bit cranky. Do you remember getting teeth?? It's no fun. NO. FUN.


I then played with ALL my toys. I mean ALL. (I do realize that my pajamas don't match. My Daddy dressed me last night and he doesn't really care all that much!) My new favorite thing to do is dump all the toys out and then sit in my box. It's a blast!




Around 9:30, Mom put me down for a nap. I intensely protested for about 2.5 minutes and then promptly went to sleep. (I showed her!!) I was exhausted because I woke up so darn early!



After my 2 hour nap, Mom and I went to Subway to get Dad lunch and then we ate with him. I said, "Dada" all the way there and back! I L.O.V.E. my dad. I talk about him all the time!



After we ate lunch, we came back home and I wanted to play outside, so I let my mom know by pointing to the door and signing please. But mom said no, because it was raining. It's been raining a ton here lately, which is a bummer for me. I decided to sit on the couch and play some more!




I can be real focused on a toy sometimes.


After that, I was exhausted, so my mom made me take another nap. I keep fooling her though - somedays I need 2 naps and somedays I need only 1! She never knows which is which! Today, this is what I did instead of napping!


I was showing her the horse, my fav animal these days!



After waking up, I was ready to go! And this is my favorite part of the day! All my friends are outside and I just "run" and "run". I like to push toys, splash in water, eat random leaves, and sometimes go look at the horse! I live such a great life!


The end of my day is so fun too! My Daddy comes home and we eat dinner, play some, and then I take a bath. Time with Dad is the best!




He likes to get me way hyped up before I go to bed! He's fun that way! (Again, with the non-matching pajamas??? Come on, Dad!)


And then it's off to bed!

So, that's my day as a 16 month old boy!

Pictures

I know, the header looks horrible! Still working on it! But here are some pictures while you wait! :)


I asked Beckett, "Where's your tongue?" This is what he did.


A mama and her boy. (I had just been walking - at 5:30 in the morning, mind you - so I don't look my best.) He's so cute!


We are way into putting on other people's shoes. And by we, I mean Beckett.


Look at those cute legs!