Leave of Absence

Sorry for taking such a long leave of absence.  My time has really not been my own for quite a while.  Baseball ate up our spring.  Planning all that goes into an international trip (including the shopping lists of your parents who can't get their favorites over there) and the planning that goes into leaving half the family behind and all that they'll need while your gone, hosting visitors, refinancing the house and a fairly demanding calling has eaten up most of my time lately.

So I will try to post bits and pieces as I can squeeze it in.  It's also a bit overwhelming to have hundreds of photos and have to try to narrow them down and figure out what you want to say in each post.  I'll do my best.  It's also hard because we took both video and still photos so some of the things we did or experienced are only on the videos and we are still working to learn how to up load those.  Our videos are always too big to post.

These pictures are from our first day there.  We actually left our home around 5 pm and drove to Queens, NY on Sunday June 20th.  We got to our hotel around 9 pm after driving through lovely Staten Island traffic and quite a rain storm.  We stayed at the DoubleTree which allowed us to keep our car there for 14 days with no parking fee.  The cost of the room was cheaper than leaving it in long term parking at JFK for the 11 days we were gone and we didn't have to wake up at 3 am and drive 3-4 hours never knowing if you'd make it time with traffic on Monday.

Monday, June 21st, we got up early and took the shuttle to JFK.  We were there by 8:15 am and checked in.  Our plane left at 11:35am.  We met the cutest "almost 3 yr old" twins while we waited for our plane.  Inilay and Zinzilay from Botwana.  We have very cute video of them.  They were on our plane but not in our area so we didn't see them again once we got on.

15 hours and 15 minutes is a long time to spend on plane.  We flew South African Airways which was a very nice airline.  The best part was that each passenger had their own personal video screen in the seat in front of them.  You also had your own remote so you could watch one of 25 movies, play games, watch TV shows, listen to an array of music or watch the flight plan with constant updates of where you were, how high you were, how fast you were going and what the temp was outside, etc...  We gave the boys benadryl but Chase didn't sleep at all.  I took a WHOLE sleeping pill, which I never do - I usually take 1/4 and still didn't really sleep - I would doze off for 20 mins here or there but nothing lasting.  Didn't help that the last 4 hours or so we felt like we were on a boat.  The turbulence was constant - not scary but very bouncy.  Many people on the flight were getting sick.  MacGregor was one of them, poor guy.  Dan also assisted a mother traveling alone with 3 children all of whom were getting sick.  I felt very nauseous but never threw up.

We landed at around 8 am local time ( about a half hour early) but our bodies only felt like it was TWO IN THE MORNING.  Yep - great way to start the day - in the middle of the night.  We got through customs, found our sweet missionary couple and got in the rented Mercedes Vito van. The most plain jane, most uncomfortable Mercedes you ever saw.  We made a quick stop at the apartment to drop off the luggage and headed straight over to the Africa Southeast Area Office.

Here we are looking so alert.  We are on the office grounds which overlooks a large portion of Johannesburg.  Looking up from this point you can see the temple.

Here is the garden of Eden, that's what they call it there.  If you look very close you can see a bee inside this perfectly formed, naturally growing calla lily.

This garden grows right on the grounds of the office.  It was so lush and beautiful even in the middle of winter.  Yes it is winter in South Africa right now - this was their December.

I love my little MacGregor even when he's beyond tired and sick from the airplane.

Here is the picture of the Area Presidency's offices and home.  There are apartments for the couples on the second floor and their offices and meeting rooms are on the first floor.  The other departments have their offices in a building adjacent to this one but I only got that building on video.  That building includes Perpetual Education, Employment, Humanitarian, Medical, Public Affairs, Travel, Finance, etc...

Sorry so much detail but I need to try to remember everything for my own sake.  Hopefully more to follow soon.

And We're OFF on our big adventure!  Will write in a few weeks!

Africa Here We Come!!

Snip Snip

We were tired of tangles, tired of screaming and hurting heads and hurting ears every time we brushed hair.  I was tired of hair in her eyes and always looking like a rag-a-muffin.  I was tired of the fight!  So we got a summer haircut!

Before

After

It is so much easier now, has more body and shape.  The best part is - NO MORE TANGLES!

This one had to get in on the attention as well.  I recently cut her hair and it was a challenge to get her to sit still.  Even so - It's better than it was.

Bike and Helmet

Ainsley recently learned to ride her two wheeler.  Piper has wanted to ride a bike too....really bad.  So I pulled out her "ride-on" toy that she got for her birthday last year from Aunt Nantha and Gloria.  We started calling it her bike and she would ride it up and down the sidewalk.  One day she grabbed this pink bucket out of the garage and said, "I want to ride my bike with my helmet."  She put the bucket on her head and off she went.  (She knows that Ainsley is NOT allowed to ride her bike without a helmet, even though she does all the time and we are constantly grounding her for it)

You gotta love this stringy stringy hair.  My poor girls.  Piper's hair has since been cut and has a little more body and shape but golly - we gave them bad hair genes.

Mrs. Przystup's Signature Quilt

MacGregor had another great teacher this year who also happened to have a soft spot for him.  Maybe he's just that kind of kid.  Chase also had Mrs. Przystup and I loved her then too.  She often told me how much she enjoyed teaching both my boys and how she thought they were well behaved and good friends to others.

MacGregor brought home all his papers in a manilla envelope each Monday.  We had to sign that we received all the paper.  There was also a box for comments, yet we never wrote anything in there.  One day in April MacGregor said to me, "Do you think you could write a comment like Daddy did last week?  Because Mrs. Przystup will write you back."  Dan had written "Hi" and Mrs. Przystup has replied, "Hi".  MacGregor is really cute.  So I had been asking MacGregor to find out what Mrs. Przystup's favorite color(s) were so I could plan the quilt but he had forgotten time and time again.  So I wrote in the comment section, "What is your favorite color?"  She replied, "Blue....hmmm??"  And so I was faced with what blue collection to work with.  I was worried I wouldn't find a collection with a lot of blue.  I went to my favorite fabric store - Sauder's.  In reality there were WAY to many to choose from.  I ended up going with an asian mix.  It was in the blue family ranging from light gray to a dark greenish blue and all inbetween.  These fabrics also incorprated metals - gold and silver.  I found a white for the signatures that had a light print of flowers and butterflies.  I thought it carried on with the asian theme.

I emailed Mrs. Przystup a few weeks ago and asked her if I could come in and work on a project with the kids.  I told her she would need to leave the room for a few minutes because it was a surprise for her.  She ended up having a special meeting the next day and said a sub would be there for an hour or so.  I went in and had the sub help me hold the blocks down so each child could sign.  Luckily the only child not in class that day lives directly across the street from me so I had all the signatures in no time.  I told the kids to promise NOT to tell Mrs. Przystup what we did because it was going to be a surprise.  Apparently, she asked the class what they had worked on (sneaky lady...maybe she just can't wait for surprises) and several of the kids raised their hands until the rest of the kids got mad and reminded them it was a secret.

I don't know if she ever found out what it was beforehand but I think she must have been excited about it because MacGregor told me recently that she asked when he would be bringing in the surprise.  He brought it in on Wed. , the second to last day of school.  He said she really liked it.  She called me at lunch that day to say thank you and tell me how much she liked it.  She also said that my card had made her cry.  It just told her how dear to my heart she is and how lucky my boys were to get her.

And here's the back.  I used a pale blue flannel middle layer and this yellow floral print flannel for the back.  I thought the yellow complimented the gold on the front and the flowers were blue ( bonus.)  The flannel gave it thickness.  I still haven't figured out how to keep the class photo from fading slightly.  I have to wash the quilt to get the rag look but it causes the picture to lose its crispness.

Dr. Fleming

My dear sweet Dr. Fleming passed away two weeks ago today.  I feel lost without him.  I trusted him completely with the medical care of my children.  I was in absolute shock when I got the call on Monday June 1st.  I figured they were calling to remind me about Piper's appointment on Tuesday.  I never thought it was to inform me that Dr. Fleming had passed away a few days before.  This man was only 56 and was the epitome of health.  He was a marathon runner and extremely lean.  He had incredible healthy eating habits and I just don't understand how his heart could have failed him.  Is it possible to be in too good of shape that you wear your heart out?  His twin brother spoke at the funeral - it looked like Dr. Fleming in Hollywood makeup.  Same face with big smooth cheeks and a few more chins.  His brother was very over weight - how come his heart is still ticking?  They had the same exact voice too which was very difficult to listen to - It was like Dr. Fleming was there, but he wasn't.  I guess when it's your time to go, you'll go - no matter what shape you're in.  I think Dr. Fleming must have been such a good man that he had accomplished all that the Lord needed him to do already.

When we moved here we asked around about a good pediatrician.  We had one we really liked in Oklahoma.  We were given a name of a woman and tried the office.  I liked her quite a bit but she was in a practice with at least 6 other doctors.  In Oklahoma our Dr. was in a group practice yet we always saw him.  Here - we only saw this woman once in a year and half.  Every other trip, and with 3 children we went multiple times in a year and a half, we saw someone different.  We could only get our Dr if we were making a well check months in advance.

When I was nearly due with Piper I called my the pediatric office to let them know I needed them for a new born check at the hospital.  They wouldn't go to the hospital I was delivering in even though they had a satellite office directly across the street.  So I picked up a business card for Dr. Fleming that was in my OBGYN's office.  He was in the same building - close to home and the hospital where I would deliver.  He was also a solo practitioner so I knew we would only see him.

I figured I would use him for Piper since he was so close and we would have so many visits early on.  In the end, I liked him so much that I transferred all my kids over within 2 months of her birth.  And with 4 kids, including one like Piper that is proned to injury... burned hands, broken leg, pressure sores, croup, we saw Dr. Fleming a lot over the last 2 and a half years.  I felt like he was an old friend.  He would talk about his grandchildren that lived in Nova Scotia.  He spoke of his wife and where he grew up - Norristown, PA.  He actually had a niece who graduated from the same high school as Daniel around the same time.  He spoke of his son with Downs Syndrome.  He was a good Christian man who truly loved the children he cared for.

Ainsley experienced a severe panic attack in the middle of April.  The next day she was better but still exhibiting some symptoms.  I called him and he spent at least 15 or 20 minutes talking to me about her and what he could do and who he would recommend as a therapist etc... 

The first weekend in May - Piper had the croup again.  We had given her the nebulizer one night and used steam and motrin the day after that.  I took her in to get checked because Daniel and I were supposed to go out of town - not to far - about 2 hours away.  Em and J would be babysitting and I wasn't sure I should leave her.  Dr. Fleming said he thought the worst was over.  He said I should go on the trip and just give Em and J his number if they had any questions.  He was THAT kind of Dr.  Always available if you really needed him.

The day before he died I called him about a prescription for an antibiotic used for "travelers diarrhea".  The Travel Health Office recommends you fill this prescription and take it with you on a "just in case" basis.  Dr. Fleming was unfamiliar with this use and I told him all that the Travel Health Office had told me.  He told me I should call back with the boys weights and that he would look into it.  I could hear him looking it up while we were talking.  I also asked him about what to give the boys on the airplane to help them sleep - he told me the right dosages of benedryl.   As we were finishing the conversation he said, "Well I probably won't see you again so have a great trip."  I was going to answer - " Oh I'll see you on Tuesday for Piper's appointment" but the conversation ended before I could get that out.  I'm so sad I didn't get the chance to see him on Tuesday.

I already feel lost without you - I don't have that relationship with anyone else where I can just pick up the phone and have that trusted voice on the end of the line tell me exactly what to do.  We will miss you so much Dr. Fleming.  You made an incredible impact on our family.  

Obituary of Kenneth D. Fleming, M.d.

Kenneth D. Fleming, M.D.

Dr. Kenneth D. Fleming, M.D. age 56, of Lancaster, PA, where he had resided for the past four years, formerly of Plymouth Meeting, PA, passed away suddenly Thursday, May 28, 2009.

Born in Norristown, PA, he was the son of the late Robert W. and Helen C. Mehler Fleming. He and his wife, Denise Linehan Fleming celebrated their twenty-seventh wedding anniversary last Nov. 28th.

Dr. Fleming was a graduate of Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, Millersville University with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in biology and a graduate of Temple University of Medicine.

He did his pediatric residency at the University of Pittsburgh Children's Hospital, with a Fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at the University of Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

Dr. Fleming practiced medicine many years in King of Prussia, PA and the last four years in Lititz, PA as the sole practitioner for Pediatrics Partners PC.

Dr. Fleming was passionately committed to children and their families. He valued a strong partnership with parents through education and understanding.

Ken was an avid photographer who loved photographing Lancaster County. He was also a committed runner, having twice completed the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington, DC. He was a constant reader and his love of books was instilled by his mother at a young age. 

He was a member of Calvary Church in Lancaster and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by three children: Sarah J. Fleming, Pittsburgh; two sons David C., husband of Lindsay A. Fleming, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Bryan H. Fleming, Lancaster; two grandchildren Eliot and Grace; his twin brother Lawrence; brother Robert Fleming, Jr.; Douglas and William; three sisters Barbara, Linda and Beth.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend Kenneth's Life Celebration Funeral Service at Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Rd., Lancaster, PA, on Tuesday at 11:00 AM with Rev. David D. Allen, Jr. and Rev. Todd N. Nathan officiating. Interment will be in Witness Park, Lititz, PA . Friends may call at the church on Tuesday from 9:00 AM until time of service. Please omit flowers. If desired, memorial contributions may be sent to the Dr. Kenneth D. Fleming Memorial Fund c/o Mennonite Foundation, Inc., 201 E. Oregon Rd. Suite 103, Lititz, PA 17543-7440 for the development of support services for families of children with developmental, behavioral, and medical needs. Please make checks payable to Mennonite Foundation, Inc. Fred F. Groff, Inc.

USHAKA

I've had a really rough day.  My eyes are swollen and puffy because we lost our dear sweet Pediatrician, Dr. Fleming.  I'll write more about it later - the funeral is tomorrow.  I found out totally unexpectedly today because Piper was supposed to have a check up tomorrow.  I am glad that I found out in time to attend the funeral.  I am so sad - I just spoke to him last Wednesday, to get some advice about what to give the boys to help them sleep on the plane- he died on Thursday.

Anyway - to keep my spirits up- I looked up a "Sea World" type place we will be to going in Durban, South Africa.  It looks awesome.  Check it out!

http://www.ushakamarineworld.co.za/home.html

I can't wait and I think it's going to be really hard to only spend one day there - too much to see and do.  So I will keep thinking about this and not that we lost our beloved irreplaceable pediatrician, or that a jet went down last night flying over the Atlantic Ocean or that an apostle and mission president were attacked and robbed in Africa over the weekend - No - I'll think about having fun in USHAKA while I nurse my sore arm from my tetanus booster that I was required to get today so I can go on this trip!!! 

Corny Family

Ainsley had a Family Tree project due a couple of weeks ago.  She brought home a manilla poster paper and had to create a family tree.  The only rules were that it had to be a kind of tree and that you had to write at the bottom, "We are a _____ tree because we like/are_______.  And all the members of the family needed to be named on the poster.  You could use what ever you wanted to decorate or make the tree.

Ainsley originally wanted to be an apple tree but there were lots of apple trees so I tried to convince her that we should be a popcorn tree because #1, that would be a beautiful tree - look like spring blossoms and #2 our family LOVES popcorn, we probably eat it 6 days a week.  So she went with it.  We drew out our brown tree shape and began trying to glue on the popcorn.  It didn't work at all.  Popcorn doesn't have enough flat surfaces to adhere properly.  I could have used hot glue but it still seemed like even with that it was going to be a long and complicated project with a lot of burned fingers.  I was disappointed because we had already come up with our sentence - "We are a popcorn tree because we are corny."

Ainsley then said she wanted to draw a squirrel on at the base of the tree because she liked the hole in the tree and knew squirrels would live there.  Well that squirrel idea - gave me an idea.  We could be an acorn tree!!  We could still be corny and we could use fabric - my favorite.  So I cut out the pieces and Ainsley glued them on the tree with Elmer's glue - less messy and less burns.  The tree came out very cute.

Then Ainsley decided she wanted each person in the family to be a squirrel instead of us gluing on pictures or putting our names on branches of the tree.  So Chase drew our first squirrel and the I copied his design to draw the rest.  Ainsley colored them in.  It was a fun family project and I think the end result was fabulous.

Enjoying the Weather

This week has been nothing but rain.  Sunday - Thursday RAIN.  Calling for more rain this afternoon.  At least there is a little sun this morning.  I can't say I have totally minded the rain.  It did give us a 5 day break from baseball.  I love baseball but it can just be all consuming and I don't do well with dinner scarfed down every night before 5pm so we can be out the door to a game or practice by 5:15.  (The kids only get home from school at 4.)  The break was nice and now I have the energy to continue on.Last week we had some beautiful days.  We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed Italian Ice and our new favorite -"Totally Fruit" by Musselmans.  We like the peach.  It's peach flavored applesauce with no added sugar.  I've had unsweetened applesauce and you are usually wishing that it had sugar and are usually wondering why you are eating it.  This is very sweet and all natural and I use it as a replacement for dessert choosing it over ice cream or cake sometimes.

Getting all wet.

We pulled out the sprinkler and let the girls try out their new bathing suits.  This was Piper's first time doing the sprinkler and she had a lot of fun figuring it out.  Figuring how far she wanted to go....how wet she wanted to be and how to control it.

It was a beautiful night and I am looking forward to many more of them to come.

Recent Completions

I finished a few projects last month.  It's been quite a while since I've sewn anything.  I don't know where the time goes.  I did finish an awesome quilt top (if I do say so myself) back in February.  It was for my nephew who was born last July.  I sent it off to be quilted by a long arm machine.  When I get it back I'll bind it and then get a picture.  Maybe Cash will get it by his first birthday.

In April I finally got some sewing time.  This is a rag quilt that I tried to embellish by sewing on flower looking shapes and adding a button to the middle.  The flowers are also ragged.  This is one I plan on giving away.  I really do like it but if I were to do it again there are definitely things I would do differently.  I learned a lot from this quilt and I think I could really improve on the next one.   But there are quite a few patterns on the list ahead of making another one of these so we'll see - someday.

Here's one I did for the silent auction at the Spring Festival at the kids school.  The fabric only cost me about $7.50.  I wonder what it will sell for?  I don't even know if people at school would be interested in something like this.  Although it makes a great baby shower gift.  I guess we'll see if it's worth making another one next year. ***The down side of this one was that one of the black fabrics bled in the wash.  I think it was the argyle one because the above quilt didn't run and that used the same black flowered fabric.  I never wash my fabric first and I don't usually have a problem with it but this time I did.  It's not terribly noticeable so I hope the new owner doesn't notice.  I am making a quilt for MacGregor's teachers that is navy and white.  I decided to wash all the blue fabric first.  I'm learning.

  This is the one I made for the church auction.  It was supposed to be an all camp auction (YW camp, Boy Scouts and Cubs).  But the youth really didn't get behind it so the leadership canceled.  That left scouts up the creek without a paddle.  Primary and Scout leaders had signed up to bring/make quite a few things already so we decided to have a silent auction table (not as fun) at the Ward Memorial Picnic this month to raise money for Cub Scout Day Camp.

This quilt cost me nothing to make - only my time.  I used old jeans and an old denim dress.  (I got tons of squares from that dress) and scraps from my stash.  I love the look and the price of a scrap quilt and I do promise not to buy this one back like I did with the one I made 2 years ago.

Here are some close ups of the fabrics used this time.  Do any of you recognize fabric from quilts I've done for you??

What to do with her??

I honestly don't know what to do with this child.  If she is not being watched she will find a way to mess things up, create a disaster.  I have 3 other children - I'm busy.  I don't have time to watch her every second.... but then this is what I have to face.

I was on the phone with the Bishop taking care of some rather important stuff regarding Primary.  I was in the basement.  Ainsley comes running downstairs and says "Mommy, mommy come right now and see what Piper has done!"  I run upstairs, still trying to concentrate on what the Bishop is saying and find this girl with my make-up bag sitting on the living room carpet.  Very upsetting - the carpet had lipstick and mascara ground in - my makeup was in pretty bad shape and the child's face looked like this...

The sad thing is that she really thought she was beautiful. Just look at this smile.  She was so pleased.  She thought that she had done what mommy does - put on makeup to be beautiful.  She had done it all without a mirror though and when I showed her what she looked like her face fell and the disappointment I saw in her face was heartbreaking.  Ainsley on the other hand was very confused as well - she said, "Mommy - she's not even pretty!!"  She said this with a face that was so perplexed - Ainsley knew that when you put on makeup you should be beautiful and somehow Piper had put in on and it hadn't worked.  She ended her statement though with this... "Well maybe her lips are pretty, but that's all!"

Here's another of her "out of sight projects!"

And this is just one of many many creations she has made on the walls of our home.  We really need to repaint the entire house but part of me wants to wait until she is really out of this phase before we go to all that work.  This is in the dining room.
And I know you all have seen these photos before but they go so well with this post that I am posting them again.

What do I do with this baby??

Little Artists

I know I haven't posted in forever!!  Been a bit pre-occupied with so much other on goings.  So this will be brief - just a few pictures of some of the little artists in this family.  More to come on the littlest artist.  Some of her artwork seems to end up in the most inopportune places.

She insisted on wearing this hat inside.

She is so serious when she is "creating".

I don't have nearly enough pictures of him lately and he's going to be out of the house before I know it.  Isn't he handsome?

He is such a big helper.  

Although he can get so frustrated, like when she insists on coloring over what he just drew.  :(  Notice the hand covering a certain portion of the paper.

Pretty Baby.