ups and downs

It feels like a lot has changed around here. Two of the volunteers, Jamie and Anna, left this afternoon. They've both been here for awhile...and Anna finally got to leave with one of the babies here so that she can get back to the states and have surgery, so that was a real blessing. It broke my heart watching Jamie say goodbye to her kids. She loves those kids so much, and both the volunteers and her kids are going to miss the heck out of her! We also have two new volunteers that got here in the past couple of days. It feels strange but nice not being the new girl anymore!

It was such an up and down day with most of the kids. Jeffy was in a good mood this morning, and that was refreshing! I found a swing that makes him laugh a lot...so we enjoyed that and worked on his walking a little bit more. He has a stitch on his chin though, so sometimes he bumps into that and cries. It is really sad, but he still impresses me with how tough of a guy he is.

I found out today that I am the first volunteer Shonnie has had, which explains a lot of why she acts the way she does. She is my extremely quiet/timid girl who at first would only lay her head against my chest. In just a week she has already come so far. She still freaks out if she isn't touching me...but she sits up now and even laughed today! It's cool seeing her improve little by little. She is one of my favorites.

J-man is hilarious. I woke him up today and a cookie was stuck to his face...those kids sleep on/through anything. We read some books today, and it took me back to my childhood. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Goodnight Moon, and The Lady With the Alligator Purse never get old. I might have enjoyed the reading more than J-man did...here's a picture of J-man. Looks kind of like a model in this one...what a stud.

Bennie was in a terrible mood today. I think I caught him right after a nap. But I grabbed him again after dinner, and he was a whole new person. I got a cute picture of him in his jammies!

We went on a walk with a lot of kids, took some bubble baths, and even did the Cupid Shuffle at one point. It was a pretty typical day at GLA.

I don't think I've mentioned Todd and his family before, but it's really great having them here. Todd and his wife Margie are here with two kids that they have adopted from the orphanage, and they've basically come back to hang out with kids and help out wherever needed. Todd spent a lot of time on the balcony with us today, and it was encouraging to hear him tell us what a difference we make in the kids' lives through the simple things like holding them, nurturing them, or praising them. Their family serves us in so many ways, and they do so much to boost our morale.

We got to go to the STORE tonight! It's a treat around here...so we basically ran through this mini-convenience store and snatched up every American food that we've been deprived of and craving lately. (Yes, I've only been here a little over a week and I already miss certain foods.) I looked like a fool trying to figure out how to pay in Haitian goudes, but overall it was a successful trip.

I've been feeling a lot better lately...I went through a mini-slump where I just felt under the weather, but I feel pretty much back to normal. Continue to pray for everyone's health...especially the kids. I can't tell you how many snotty faces and boogers I wipe off every day. Coughs and fevers are pretty typical.

It's been a random blog...but my mind is a little all over the place! We're probably going to go splurge on some of the popcorn and chocolate we just bought, and maybe have movie/game night. At some point tonight Becca and I have a practice scheduled for our talent show too. I'll let you know what we decide on...

Have a wonderful night..love you guys!!

Here's me and Alecia on a walk. We felt obligated to take a "mom" picture. I feel a little bit like the girl in 10 Things I Hate About You with the carrier on!