Cameroon Update

Thanks to everyone who has been praying. Nathan Conrod made it home yesterday. Here is part of his update:

Thanks to those of you who were praying – I arrived home safely yesterday afternoon (Thursday).

For the lowdown on my exit strategy:

I had spent that morning collecting information about what was happening on the route I would use to head home. Though the official advice from the embassy was to “stay put,” I was able to contact someone who lived that direction and was told that things were calm. I could have waited a few more days to see if things totally calmed down but I knew things could also get worse and I could get stuck – away from my family – for much longer. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to leave Yaoundé. I packed up and drove down to the main road. There I found a moto-taxi (moto=motorcycle) and explained that I wanted to leave town but didn’t want to drive into an unexpected, bad situation (especially being a white foreigner). I paid him a little money to drive up ahead of me with the instructions to turn around and alert me if he ran into anything that seemed dangerous. That way I would have plenty of opportunity (and space) to turn around. I told him that after he arrived at a certain point he could wait there on the side of the road and I would pay him a bit more when I caught up with him. I left town without any problems.

Prayer request

Hi everyone,
I would like to ask that you pray for my friend Desma and her family who are missionaries in Cameroon, Africa. They have had wide-spread rioting there this week. Demsa, her husband Barry, and their children Brendan and Brianna are home in their village. However, one member of their team (Nathan Conrod) is caught in the capitol city of Younde, unable to get home. Please pray for the safety of everyone involved. Thanks!
Cindy

If you want to learn more about these families, you can see their blogs at www.jungleabbotts.blogspot.com or www.theconrods.org/ourblog/

Bubbles

Keegan bought a pack of B'loonies, a combination of bubbles and balloons. You put a glob of this putty-like stuff on the end of a straw and blow. When you are successful, you have a bubble, but stronger. When it pops, it feel like seran wrap. Keegan generously shared with Kelsey and Caitlyn and they had a good time blowing bubbles they could play with and hold.

Blow, blow! It is harder than you would think : ).

No, this is not yucky chewing gum. It's the putty that eventually became bubbles. This is how Caitlyn and Kelsey marked their straws when it was time for a lunch break.

Yay! Success! Finally everybody has a bubble!

Happy ♥ Day

Well, it's week after the fact now, but here are some pictures from Valentine's Day. We started the day with heart shaped waffles with red strawberry syrup and heart themed clothes. Later, we had a Valentine hunt in our living room. (Also, I mopped the kitchen floor after I saw how dirty it looked in that picture of Caitlyn's socks!!!)

Caitlyn had thoughtfully arranged with me to do extra chores for her sisters, so her Valentines to Keegan and Kelsey gave them each a NO CHORE DAY (a BIG deal at our house!)

It's easy to be loving with these wonderful girls!

We ♥ Books, part 2

I wrote the other books post when the girls were in bed. Now that they are up and have seen it, we feel the need to add some of our favorite books ♥ ...

Keegan -
1. Bit by Bit ( a reading textbook)
2. Magic School Bus anything
3. Laura Ingalls - We have read this entire series several times and all love it. I read them repeatedly growing up and it is so fun and intersting to enjoy them again as an adult. The girls have churned butter, made a covered wagon, done other activities, and have aprons and sun bonnets in honor of Laura Ingalls! Thanks, Miss Libby for Little House!
4. Bible
5. Ten Commandment mysteries series
6. All Carolyn Haywood (Betsy series) I loved these growing up, too
7. Betsy-Tacy
8. Secret Garden - Thanks, Carol, for giving Caitlyn this book several years ago. We all love it! The first time we read it, Bill and I would both want to be there every time to see what happened next! I think this is when we first started feeling strongly that no one is allowed to look ahead in books we are reading together!
9. Cam Jansen series
10. Dr. Seuss -Of course
11. Charlotte's Web - Thanks Miss Libby for the birthday book!
12. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
13. The Bears' Christmas (Berenstain bears)
14. Mr. Putter and Tabby series by Cynthia Rylant
15. Case of the Troublesome Turtle (High Rise Private Eyes by Cynthia Rylant)
16. Case of the Missing Monkey (High Rise Private Eyes)
17. Scholastic readers
18. Poppleton series by Cynthia Rylant (we like Cynthia Rylant :-)
19. American Girl series
20. Elsie Dinsmore series
21. Books she can read herself
22. Times Tales (stories about multiplication facts)
23. Love Me Tender (has the lyrics to the song with sweet pictures of a little girl and her Daddy)
24. Mrs. Twiggenbotham

Caitlyn series -
1. Narnia series -I loved it, too, growing up and now get to enjoy it again with Caitlyn.
2. Boxcar Children
3. Mandie
4. Magic Attic
5. Elsie Dinsmore
6. Three Cousins
7. Betsy-Tacy
8. American Adventure
9. Bobbsey Twins
10. Encyclopedia Brown - I loved these, too, growing up. Must be because we are both so smart!
11. Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys - Of course I liked these, too.
12. The Littles
13. 10 somebodies Who did something (ex. 10 Girls Who Changed the World)

Caitlyn books -
1. Little Town on the Prarie
2.Pippi Longstocking - Caitlyn's friend Hannah just introduced her to Pippi
3. Secret Garden - Thanks again, Carol
4. Land of Far Beyond - Another old birthday present, thanks Miss Desma. This is a retelling of Pilgrim's Progress. The first time we read it, Caitlyn got so involved in the story and would say, "OOOH, I am afraid they are going to get off the narrow path again. That always causes trouble."
5. Phantom Tollbooth - Another of my growing up favorites - we love the silly "Spelling Bee" who goes around spelling what he says
6. The Penderwicks
7. The Borrowers
8. Black Stallion yet another one that I enjoyed revisiting -are you starting to pick up on one reason my girls hear a lot of stories?

Kelsey -
1. All books
2. Secret Garden - Third time's a charm - Thanks, Carol
3. Pop-up Mice of Mr. Brice -Thanks for the non-birthday book, Miss Libby! We had never seen this one before.
4. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
5. Buzzle Billy (about a little boy who is selfish and starts growing extra hands until he learns to share)
6. Bunny Cakes (Max series, by Rosemary Wells)
7. Geranium Lady kids' series
8. Snipp, Snapp ,Snurr and Flicka, Ricka, Dicka series
9. Sandra Boynton, especially Blue Hat, Green Hat with the mixed-up turkey
10. Just Like Me ( a little rabbit whose Mommy is telling him a story about a rabbit just like him)
11. Because a Little Bug said, "Kachoo!" ( Dr. Seuss)
12. Mrs. Twiggenbotham
13. Mixed-up Max

Boy, in case you didn't notice, it was hard to stop once we got started ;-)
Now for suggestions - what are some of your favorites that we should try?

We love books!

At our house, everyone loves reading. Since I didn't have pictures of us doing anything new and exciting this week, I thought I would post some everyday pictures, showing one of our favorite things. Of course we read at bedtime, but there are some more intersting places, too...

Costumes and books - the best of two worlds Sweet Keegan reading to Kelsey at a show rehearsal

Caitlyn has loved reading since she was tiny and happily reads for hours every day, every where.

Even on the Metro in Washington with books we bought while sightseeing

Another rehearsal (it's very handy to be able to read when you need to wait quietly:)

Even though Caitlyn and Keegan (and Kelsey, a little) can read to themselves now, we read together every night.

Wonderworks

Our wonderful friends the Bosches gave us tickets to Wonderworks. Bill is off this week, mostly doing home repairs, but we took one day for a nice family trip and had a ball! Thank you, Don and Cher!

Keegan and Kelsey (and Puppy and Kitty) ready for a 65mph wind in Hurricane Alley and Caitlyn, Keegan, and Kelsey (and Puppy and Kitty) being blown.

This waterfall (of fog?) things was so neat! If you stood in front of it long enough, you could see your reflection. You didn't really feel anything when you touched it, but could see it running over your hand.

Following Bill's example, both Keegan and Kelsey bravely tried the bed of nails.

These clumps of wire make the neatest shadow pictures. How do people figure out these things?!?

Caitlyn and Bill waiting for a 6.5 earthquake in the Quake Cafe'.

Caitlyn getting a feel for what it would have been like to travel in the Mercury space program.


















If you haven't been to Wonderworks, you wouldn't believe how much it feels like the floor is moving in this tunnel. The first time through, we were all holding on to the rails, trying to keep our balance.

After five hours of running through Wonderworks, anyone would need a break, even Keegan.

This week

Ringling brothers put on a "science in the circus" class which we attended. They taught about balance, gravity, and gyrocentric stability. Of course, we liked the clown noses, too!

Like me, the newspaper photographer thought they were cute, too. How discerning he was :-)! >

I am so blessed to have these girls in my life!

Bill did not get brownie points on this day. We have a wonderful toy castle that has about 3 million pieces to assemble. Besides our regular stuff, Caitlyn, Keegan, Kelsey, and I got it out and assembled it one day. When Bill got home, we proudly showed it to him. A little while later he said, "So, did you do anything today?"

Keegan and Kelsey camping out on their bedroom floor. Kelsey started out on her own pillow, but has a way of ending up snuggled with someone.

I am always impressed with how clever and creative these girls can be. Caitlyn (and to some extent Keegan) is always planning neat shows at home - choreographing, timing, choosing costumes. This is definitely a God-given, not genetically-given talent :-). After watching "The King and I," she wanted a large hoop skirt like Anna wore. As we don't happen to have hoop skirts in our costume box, Caitlyn improvised (quite successfully, I thought) with hula hoops!

Pictures from the past

Caitlyn pointed out to me that we didn't have a blog spot when she and Keegan and Kelsey were in a show this summer, and that I have plenty of pictures from then if I wanted to post some. I couldn't argue with that!

Caitlyn and her close friend, Emmarose. They met during this same show in 2005 and have been great friends ever since.

Kelsey and Keegan (on the ends) with two other girls in their group. They were all so excited because they got to wear feather boas in this dance.

Caitlyn and a friend at dress rehearsal, ready for the opening number. She always takes off her glasses for shows, even though I tell her she can wear them :o)

All right, I know Kelsey isn't dancing in this picture, but it was at a rehearsal and I couldn't resist her sweet face!
Kelsey (far left) and Keegan (2nd from right) learn the twist









OK, Keegan's not dancing, either, but she's so cute!

Eeeeek! A dragon!

Kelsey was so tickled to find her dragon costume (which had been put away.) She wore it all day. She liked to pull in her arms and legs and cover her face with the hood so we couldn't see her at all. That way, she REALLY looked like a dragon!