The last time I posted here was just prior to the Step Up Event. Seems like so long ago and yet I'm just finally wrapping up all the details from the event. We raised about $4300 for Rett Research (Girls Power 2 Cure)! I'm so grateful for the people that supported the event and who donated their own hard-earned money towards Rett Research. Amazing.
A lot has been going on in our corner of the world since the race. We purchased another rental house and then decided it'd make a better "flip" than a rental. Esther and I have spent the last 30 days working on it. We're blessed to have such a happy, easy to entertain baby! If you've been past and seen me doing the song and dance on the roof, in a lift or out in the yard... I promise I have not lost my mind completely...it's baby entertainment! It's been so much work but it's so rewarding to see each piece come together! I can't wait for it to be done and have a few days to do the normal things 'stay at home' momma's do!
Whenever we work on our houses, we always try to employ our renters. It's part of the project, part of the goal. This time around I have Lui helping me. Lui lives in one of our houses with his brother and family. He's lived in the US for a few years, originally from Micronesia; where he farmed bananas and yucca. I wish I knew more about him but this is pretty much all his brother told me. He can't tell me anything more about himself because he's deaf and doesn't speak. Lui uses a form of sign language but it's "Micronesian sign." From what I can understand, he was born deaf and since coming to the US has not been able to work. His brother told me that in Micronesia he never was inside. I cannot imagine what that must be like for him to come to the US and be trapped inside indefinitely with no hope for the future. I got Lui started working on the house they live in because he was always coming out to watch me work (which doesn't work for me! If you stand around, I put you to work!) One day I'd just had it and so went and got him a paint brush. I motioned for him to follow my lead in painting the foundation of the building. When we finished that job, I showed him a couple more things to do around the place. By the next morning he'd finished those! He loves to have something to do, which I totally understand! It's so fun to see his joy in working, in learning to do a job and completing it. He loves having my thumbs up and makes a point to show me each part he's completed. A lot of being around Lui is not so different than Ellie, in that I have to read his cues and facial expressions to guess at what he wants/needs. Sometimes we don't understand each other and we just have to leave it at that. The other day while we were mixing concrete, Lui was humming/singing to himself and it got me thinking what must it be like to try to make music when you've never heard music?! I wonder what it'd be like to live in a silent world. I really enjoy seeing Lui feel useful, giving him the satisfaction of having work to do, and the ability to earn his own money. I think that's something too many American people take for granted! I've thought so many times how I hope one day someone will give Ellie opportunities like this. It's not always the path of least resistance that we're called to. God puts people in our paths not only for us to serve, I've found often times He's also using them to work on us.
Speaking of using them to work on us...
Ellie's been working on my sleep issue lately. The base issue is that Momma needs sleep and Ellie does not. Apparently her system is telling her that anytime between midnight and 4am can be morning, totally her choice. This has been going on for a few weeks now. She doesn't seem to go back to sleep when I put her back in bed, usually talking to herself or saying 'momma' and tapping me every few minutes. With a baby AND Ellie in the house, sleep is a luxury this momma would like more of!
School conferences this week for the girls! I'm so pleased with all three of the school-girls and anticipate great conferences tomorrow. Ellie's been using a label-maker to complete homework and in-class work. It's nice because she can type things out and just print it on the spot on a little label sticker. It's a great idea except that she needs help peeling the backing from the labels b/c it's so tiny. She's doing so well sounding out words and phonetically spelling them. I love seeing the inventive spelling on her work! It's funny the things of hers that I'm keeping as keepsakes this year. I love seeing her own "writing" on her work. Something I take for granted with the other girls. I only wish we could get her communicating using her device more! I know she has SO MUCH in her head --- I want her to be able to get it out!
Baby Esther is 7 months old already. Crawling, sitting, beginning babblings and waving are filling her days. She's such a happy kid, amazed to sit in her bouncer outside watching squirrels, birds, leaves. She reminds me to take in the beauty of fall. She'll lay back in her playpen just watching the leaves move in the breeze, giggling. As Grandma Marilyn said in a letter to Eva this week, "it's so special having a baby in the house, everyone just seems happier." This is so true, the little things become amazing all over again when a baby does them.
I pray this update finds you all well.
Blessings to you.
~Angie
