My Liam

I love Liam a lot.

Anyone who knows me

knows that.

We lived 20 blocks away from each other

for the first year and a half of his life.

Now we live with an ocean between us.

blah.

But we make it work.

We have been facetiming weekly

since I moved to the Dominican Republic,

and it has been SO MUCH FUN.

We make faces,

I sing songs,

he shows me his toys,

I ask him questions.

It's good.

BUT this week things changed.

Ian had to answer the phone quick, 

so Liam was in charge of the iPad.

This is not uncommon 

and normally we would play with toys at this point.

But instead

Liam points the camera at himself and says,

"Where are you?"

I respond, "I'm in the Dominican Republic."

"What are you doing in the Dominican Republic?"

"I am teaching kids at a school."  I answer.

Oh my goodness.

This may not seem huge to you,

but it was the most important conversation 

I had this week!

I was talking with a friend the other day

and we were sharing about the lies we have been believing lately.

"I think deep down I still sometimes believe that 

I am missing out on watching Liam grow up."

I sadly admitted.

As per usual, I stated the truth.

I am NOT missing out on watching him grow.

I have the joy of seeing him daily through 

iMessage, facetime, snail mail, facebook, and Skype.

And I will choose to embrace the great opportunity that is!

The day after Liam and my conversation,

I accidentally facetimed Ian in the morning.

In an awkward and overly excited exchange of "HOLA!!!"

Liam met the Kindergarten Family

that his Auntie Morgan teaches at a school in the Dominican Republic.

I love this kid.

Thank you for letting me gush about him.

Who are the kiddos you love mucho?

I love Liam, Hanalei, Wild, and Xiomelis, among many :)

Gracias a Dios

Thank you God...

for people who come alongside teachers well

and kids who eventually stop crying.

for a Kindergarten Family that is so excited to learn

and for teacher friends who are in this with me.  

for celebrations, "Friends", porches, 

and Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

I'm grateful for pink birthday cupcakes

and the crazy silly way 5 year olds eat.

for the reign of Coca-Cola 

and the small reminders that I live somewhere different.

I'm so thankful for a spunky, sweet, and sneaky bedtime visitor

and the coziness of my home.

for rich colors, coffee, and "cardigan weather".

for a community that shares well 

even when the nearest Walmart is a plane ride away.  

I'm ever grateful for Liam and the way my family 

helps me have the chance to watch him grow.

for lamp light, good jams, and cozy decor 

that makes this space a restful place to work.

What have you been grateful for this week?

fear and panic

Sickness is here.

Full force.

This island, Hispaniola, has been struggling with 

a mosquito born illness called Chikungunya

for the past year.

It has hit Jarabacoa hard for the past few months.  

There is a rash, fever, and lots of joint pain.

It is not good.  

It is not deadly,

but it is not good.

Fear is here.

No one wants to feel crappy.

Every mosquito bite is worth a freak out.

"They" say 90% of the island will get it before it's over.

The joint pain can last for months.  

Panic is here.

Every little wrist pain makes us wonder.

Was that the first sign?  

Every little skin blemish makes us anxious.

Is that a rash?  Do you think that's a rash?

oh no, just my normal skin...

The thermometer is our new best friend.  

I've never felt this way before.

So anxious about health.

[that shows how blessed we've been]

Day after day after day

a different person is in tears about physical pain.

It has been scary to watch and experience with them.  

[It has been days since I first wrote this post,

and now it almost seems over dramatic.

But it is honestly the way I felt for several weeks.

While most people have been feeling better 

and less cases have been appearing,

the residual pain is still rearing it's ugly face.

I am feeling 100% well at this point

and trusting that this too will pass.

Please continue to pray for my friends 

that are still feeling pain.]