Start School, Birthday and Other Stuff

I forgot some stuff from Peru.  I finally finished a project.  I am rather proud of myself.  I started it in Germany at Christmas.  It is a small latch hook wall hanging for Sidney.  I brought it to Peru to work on during the very long bus ride.  Urpi watched me working on it and asked if I could show her while we were riding back.  She did about half a row.  I told her if I finished I would leave my hoop, pattern, directions, etc.  She told me to hurry up....

One day when I went into the Sunday School room at the church in Peru I heard a baby crying.  There was no one int he room and I have some trouble finding the baby.  He was in the pile of clothes and blankets the ladies brought.  We was completely hidden and I only could see where he was by the blanket moving.  I didn't know what to do so I got Urpi.  By then the mother had come back and Urpi gave the mother a bit of a talking to about leaving the baby.  Baby was safely in moms arms every time I saw mom after that....

I also forgot that Urpi gave us lovely gifts when we left.  She gave all the women a knot hat and the men tea mugs.  The also gave some of the women handmade bracelets.  They were lovely heart felt gifts.  

A little surprise from the freezer

I really shouldn't go this long between posts. I forget a lot of stuff.  And of course we have been busy in the last month.  We relaxed for the most part the week after Peru in preparation for getting ready to go back to school and start swimming.  We volunteered at the San Antonio Food Bank the Saturday after we returned from Peru.  We helped pack 1200 Senior Boxes.  These are boxes of needed basic foods provide once per month to qualifying seniors in San Antonio.  Each box had 2 each bottles of apple juice, peas, beans, canned fruit, shelf stable milk and several other foods like rice.  It was hard work but rewarding.  Sidney worked really hard and I am very proud of how she gives.

School started on August 22.  Sidney started 7th grade.  She likes her classes and teachers so far although it hasn't been bump free.  She is in three pre-AP classes and has her work cut out for her.  Swimming started back then also.  Four nights a week for 1.5 hours.  By the end of the week I can't keep her fed and she is super tired.  On Thursday night she starts eating when she gets home and stops only at bed time.  She seems to be sprouting an inch a week.  She is at the tip of my nose now.  It's seems only days ago she could still tuck under my chin.

She had her birthday on Wednesday of that week.  She turned 11 and we went out for pizza with friends.  She was satisfied with her birthday cake which was a sprinkle covered dough nut and a singing candle....I am blessed she is so easy.

Shandy wants water

There was a lot of rain after we got back from Peru.  Everything went from brown to green super quickly.  Because there was so much rain the golf course was closed for almost a week.  I have never seen deer at the golf course before but maybe because it was closed and rainy I saw two lovely bucks just straight across from us.  It was a real treat.

Labor Day and the days leading up to it were very hard.  Sidney is really struggling with growing up and doing so in such an unusual situation without her dad.  I think she is only just now starting to get the feelings of him being "gone".  I have grieved him far more than she has.  I am content with only wanting him to be content.  He is safe, comfortable, loved and well cared for.  She has realized that he does not recognize her on site.  He doesn't recognize me either.  Usually when we tell him our names then he knows who we are.  I so wish I could make it all better for her.

Stormy tries to fit in cat bed

She really crashed emotionally the day before September 1st.  We made it through that big bump and went to Houston for Labor Day. We went to the church that sponsors the Peru trip.  It was really nice. I haven't been in many years and Sidney went once.  She didn't remember it.  She loved the beautiful stained glass windows and it was so very nice to finally be able to see old friends.  These are good folks who have prayed for us through the bumps and accepted us to represent then in Peru.

I received some heart breaking news as soon as we got back to San Antonio and ended up back in Katy for a funeral last Monday.  Beloved friends lost their daughter in a situation most of us have never faced.  Please hold them in your prayers.  A beautiful life was taken for a reason we do not know.

We have a new neighbor across the street.  A single lady moved in and she is a lot of fun.  We have gotten to hang out a bit and I have enjoyed it.  I don't feel quite as unusual in the neighborhood now.  She also grills whole onions....they were amazing....In trade I have fixed her toilet and landscape lights and installed a timer on her outside lights.  She thinks I can fix anything.  It's possible I can, but if I can do it right I learned it the hard way.....

School of course means projects.  The first was the summer reading project.  Who does dioramas anymore.  Sidney did a diorama from Eragon.  It was fun but a lot of work.