June in Peru

Yes, we really did go to Peru for 3.5 weeks in June. It was GREAT to see our friends, the Andersons down there and learn more about the work God is doing through them and Kids Alive International. 

Here is a link to their blog with a LOT more information about their life/work.

 A few Peru highlights- feeling my first earthquake, seeing Elias play with both Peruvian kids and the Anderson girls, teaching ESL each day to the director of a moms discipleship program each day (she came to our apt while one of my boys napped),  hearing the testimonies and sharing with the moms in the moms helping moms program. I also loved helping translate some of the letters from the sponsorship program from the sponsors and from the kids as well. It was encouraging to see so many sponsors write to the children they support and hearing that they really care about and pray for "their" child.

Here are a few pictures... its all out of order,, sorry

 On our last day with them, we went out on a boat and did a little fishing and saw PENGUINS!

 One of my main jobs was to teach English to the director of the Kids Alive moms helping mom's Program, it was a lot of fun to get to know her, as well as the sewing teacher, who teaches the mom's to sew. Above are two of our classes... with the sewing teacher holding Johnny with the hat she had just sewed for him.

 Elias and Davy Sue were great friends... he loved all three of his Anderson friends! When we got home, he said "Lets sold our house and go back to Peru to see my friends".. His aunt Dayna just sold her house and moved to North Dakota, so this would be perfectly normal to sell your house and move somewhere you need to fly on an airplane to.

 Johnny at the beach...  we were in Lima, a costal dessert city.

 Johnny and Elias watching the soccer game.

 Johnny was like a movie star in Peru... he was very popular in the little girls home at the children's home!

  Johnny (John Wesley Ironside) is named after Bert Ironside Elliot, on of the Dryden's missionary friends that lived over 60 years in Peru, we were able to visit his graveside while we visited.

 We also traveled to Trujillo, northern peru to visit Pablo and Sarah Cenepo-Torres for a few days and here is Elias eating juanes. They had 4 little girls, that Elias got along well with too!

Our family in downtown Lima right before heading to the airport.  For more pictures see the Flickr album.

The first 6 months

I help daddy....

For the past....2 and a half months we have been remodeling our kitchen/dining room area.  We know that remodeling is dirty, hard, long and often stressful, but besides having a wonderful, spacious, new, clean, workable kitchen when we are done, we have found so much joy in having Elias "work" alongside daddy and help him.  It has been so much fun seeing him follow Andy around and copy all he does.  Here are a few pictures to give you a glimpse of what we have been up to.

I want to be just like my daddy!

I've seen Daddy do this, now "Eli do it"

the demo has begun... bye bye kitchen as we know it

Elias loves the project and loves helping and watching daddy!

Eli the tool man!

I got my tool belt just like papi!

yay! I get to help daddy by crawling in the tunnel... Eli wanted to cut his own hole in the floor later.

loved the "tunnel" crawl space under the house!

Elias turned out to be a good "fetcher" for daddy when they were in the cramped crawl space

I help daddy cut the pipes!

kitchen before

ALMOST done!

kitchen during

make shift kitchen during

Zoo lights year 3

This is the third year in a row we were able to go see the zoo lights with our neighbor (now x-neighbor) annabelle (6 weeks older than Elias).

We got to ride the zoo train! A big hit with Elias!

using an umbrella for the first time was also a highlight!

2011 zoo lights

2011

It has been a fun tradition even though every year I hesitate because it is raining and cold....

Boating with uncle Jim

We had a great time visiting uncle Jim at his "floating home" and he took us out on a boat ride,,, an new experience for Elias, half of the time he seemed sea sick and half of the time he loved it!

when we got back to uncle Jim's elias danced and sang the names of his cousins and spun himself dizzy!