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I am painting MORE TOMS. FUN! My client wanted owls and BRIGHT colors. Right up my alley.
These took a couple of days to paint. I have to stop and start a bit because I'm wife and mom first, and Toms painter second. My client loved them. I love them. I have 4 in the works and some on the way. Busy girl.
I have one of these. 16. Boundary pusher. Laugh maker. Treasure. Son.
As his mother, it is my duty to pay him back for all the cra-cra he dishes out. I love you, Son.
You know all those photos I took that I said were for personal use only? Yeah. About that. Surprise! Happy Birthday!
You wanna lurk behind doors, and in darkened corners to scare the living daylights out of me? Go right ahead. It's payback time.
I love you. No matter what. I cannot believe that it's been 16 years already. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you. May you follow him with all your heart, seek him, and know him.
{Jeremiah, while playing in his room with the bros, legos, and cars, had these conversations on the "phone" with me.}
#1
J: Hey Mom, can you stop by Sonic and pick up three slushies and three hamburgers...
J: No. Wait. FIVE slushies and FIVE hamburg...nooo. SIX! Six slushies...I mean, wait. No. SEVEN hamburgers and SEVEN slushies at Sonic? I can pay you back. Okay. Thanks. See you later.
(He must have been doing a mental count while he was ordering? When you have 7 peeps in the fam, you're bound to lose track at some point.)
.......
#2
J: Hi Mom. I just wanted to call you and tell you I'll be late. My tire has soda in it. Sorry. Bye!
.......
#3
J: Hi Mom. I'm going to stop by Taco Bell on my way home. See you soon! Bye!
J: Oh. But I have to go to Hobby Lobby first.
J: I'm gonna be home in 5 seconds!
.......
{I wish you could hear his sing songy voice. Do I speak like this? I must. He is cracking me up.}
p.s. I see a food theme in all of his convos. Food and crafts. Woohoo. He must be mine.
I've been hard at work painting a pair of baby TOMS. Cuteness!
I will be painting my fingers off this Saturday, June 22 at D&D at the TOMS Style Your Sole event. Come on out! It's gonna be fun! You know you want a pair. You buy the shoe (adults start @ $45) and pay $10 extra for the personalization by me, or other artists that will be there, as well. Take your pick!
Not a whole lot left to add.
No, we are not adopting again. However, there were two boys that tugged pretty hard on my heartstrings. I pray for them often. I know the Lord will care for them wherever they are--Uganda with a family, Watoto, US with a family...a Mom and Dad would be nice, though.
I am so thankful that the Lord allowed this trip to come together. I'm praying about the next one already. I wonder when it will be?
Gorgeous little girl.
This little one carried this bundle of grass everywhere. I am guessing it has some superstitious conotation? I'm not sure though.
Whizzing along at 60kph, my tea fields (yes, mine), storm clouds=favorite!, and a sweet boy.
This boy was so eager for his little brother to have his picture taken. Brotherly love. It was so fun to show them their pictures on my phone. They just laughed and hollered. Priceless!
This concludes the account of my trip. I left so many things out...I could write forever about it. Hope you enjoyed seeing a glimpse of my time there.
I went. And, you know, I thought I would set foot on Ugandan soil and start pouring with emotion. But I didn't. I walked out the doors of the plane, set my eyes on Lake Victoria, the ENTEBBE sign made of concrete on the hillside, threatening clouds, sunshine, and a smile crept across my face and in my soul.
Home. I felt like I was home.
That was unexpected.
And good ol' Africa hit. (And it wasn't so bad, maybe a little annoying, but in a good way.)
My room at Arise was given away, even though I had checked in early that day. My first night was spent on the couch of a missionary family whom Jeff and I had met 4 years ago. I had a lovely cold shower, & a mosquito net tunnel over me on my cushy couch with the pillow and blankie I brought from home because I'm weird like that.
A call was made the next morning to Ebenezer, and my dear Prossy made up a room that had just become available in the wink of an eye.
My days were filled to the brim at Welcome Home with the children, Teacher Christine and her classes, mending clothes, taking things into town to be fixed by Esther, baking cakes for a party, organizing clothes with Mama Rose, and going on 'tours' with the children in the van by age group.
>>Ohgoodnessme was that lovely and crazy fun ride filled with children singing at the top of their lungs.<<
"I am H A P P Y! I am H A P P Y! I KNOW I AM! I AM SURE I AM! I am H A P P Y!"
Eating at The Source--Muhammed is still there taking orders. Trying out The Keep--good food! Leoz, Two Friends, Flavours, and Sundays at Ling-ling.
A trip to the village surrounded by acres and acres of sugar cane and filled with smiling faces, tentative faces, sickly faces, and all beautiful. Heart exploding. Heart crushing.
*******
Welcome Home is not just an orphanage. There are other ministries under their umbrella--village ministries, pastor's training, medical help, emergency food for Mom's who are not producing milk, micro loans for personal business, helping street boys...they serve Jinja and the surrounding area in many ways. Pretty amazing.
It was surreal and normal all rolled into one.
Irene--Alan's mum--and loved by Daniel. (slouchy me)
Masese--If you've read Kisses from Katie, this is the area she speaks about. It's quite close to Jinja, which is the second largest city in Uganda after Kampala, the capital.
Mama Joy--Jeremiah's baby mum, Mama Elizabeth--Daniel and Jeremiah's Toddler mum.
Snack time--fresh hand squeezed ju-ee-cee (juice).
Oh these children carrying their siblings all over the village--sweetness.
Part 3 tomorrow...just a few more pictures.
I had this hungering to return to Uganda that would not go away for about a year and half. Maybe longer.
I prayed about it constantly.
I asked/begged the Lord to take this desire away because we could not afford it and I could not bear to feel the feelings that erupted inside me, and spilled out for all to see anytime I heard the name Uganda, heard Ugandan music, saw the landscape via video, etc.
I wanted for our entire family to go together. $14,000+ of togetherness in Africa. That wasn't going to happen anytime soon. I wanted Jeff to go with me, but he could not get more than a week off work, plus who would wrangle 5 boys in various stages of growing up? I was not up to asking anyone to do that.
It boiled down to me. Just me. I prayed. I prayed some more. And finally, I approached the throne of grace boldly. I asked my Father if I could go...if I could go and serve my children's first family--which is what Welcome Home Ministries was to our boys. A family. I wanted to see my boy's family--Rose, Irene, Joy, Elizabeth, Kavina, William and more.
Here's the thing. God said yes. He said yes multiple times.
Yes #1--Jeff. Yes #2--Mandy. Yes#3--My Principal. Yes#4--Our church's Pastor who oversees the school in certain capacities. Yes#5--Sue, my substitute/good friend who I knew would keep my students on track for the three weeks I was away.
5 times. 5. Really, God? I can go?
To say I was floored, astounded, giddy is the understatement of a lifetime...
{continued tomorrow}
This Saturday I will be participating in the TOMS Style Your Sole held at D&D Farm and Ranch.
Excited is an understatement.
I've been painting up a storm on a pair for me, plus 2 pair for D&D Employees, and the cutest baby TOMS ever are ready to paint.
These are mine. I decided to go bold and neon-ish. I mostly do not wear pink. ? I think it is super fun on my shoes, though.
I am signing my name to the back to make them official. >wink<
Super fun, right?!?!
Even better, a pair of TOMS are winging their way to me all the way from Cali to get the special painty treatment. YAY.
Let's not forget our SPURS! Go Spurs Go!!! {If I ever paint another pair of Spur themed shoes, I'll recommend black...}
Are you pumped? Hope so. Head on over to D&D Farm and Ranch this Saturday, June 22 from 12-4. Come join the party.
Remember! TOMS is One for One. You buy one, they give one. Every time!
So how did THAT happen?!? Wasn't it just yesterday I was strapping him into his stroller for our daily walks?
He grew from the above to the below overnight. Seriously. Overnight.
He now has his first job and his first car. He'll be seeing a movie tonight with good friends -- some he's known since before that first picture was taken. Crazy.
I am so blessed to be his mother. The Lord gives good gifts indeed.
Happy 18th Birthday Joshua.
