It's About Time...

... for me to update! Hence, the following comment on Amy's blog:

Amy,
By the way, has Steph passed away or did someone cut off her typing fingers? Possibly a hostage in a far off place where there is no Internet? Maybe mad at the world and refusing to communicate? Depressed and sulking? Simply too busy? Not feeling creative?
TAKE HER OUT FOR SOME EMPANADAS AND GOOD JAVA!!!
Sincerely,
Dad (a.k.a Mike Fiechter)

Wow... I was so inspired by this comment, Señor Fiechter, that I am posting this in your honor... lol. =)

My apologies to my avid fan club (okay... namely Mom & Dad, Grandma, The DeMints... and Amy's dad... lol) who have been waiting during this time of "update ineptitude." =) So, this post will be a short... (who am I kidding?) probably a LONG catchup of the last couple of weeks with random pictures interspersed.

Tif, Me, and Chel at Momo's Taqueria while they were visiting this past week.

Inside the boys' bamboo hut... a very, very cool endeavor...

STILL SICK & SICK OF BEING SICK

I am going on week #4 of a cold... praise the Lord I have my voice back. I dislike colds intensely. I dislike being sick intensely. I dislike almost everything about how I’ve felt, and I assume everybody else who has gotten sick (pretty much everyone at CVE) dislikes it just as intensely. However, with the servant hearts we have here, we have managed to share these lovely colds with everyone who was down here. My sister Chelsie. My sister Tifani. The entire Purdue Work Team... gosh, aren’t we generous... lol.

The little boys I am watching while Jenna is gone (a two-week endeavor where I will either sink or swim, in a position of motherhood that I never dreamed I would have to worry about... lol) are sick as well, and so we have 4:00 a.m. medicine times and lots of snotty noses... yum... lol.

Random work team photos: (top) Tif & Chel "working," (middle) Joel & Jesse "working," (bottom) Ryan & Jesse bonding beautifully... lol

The reason we are here (or that Jenna is here?!?)... =) We miss you Jenna!

SISTAS

Tif and Chel came down with the Purdue Work Team last week, and then were able to stay for a couple days longer. After celebrating New Year’s Eve in the airport for 5 hours with our friend Alan, spelling people’s names by lying down on the floor in the shape of the letters (come on, you know you would be excited about this if you were getting off the plane!), cheering on others as they met their loved ones with flowers and kisses, and playing the “pillow-your-head-on-the-stomach-and-laugh-until-you-can’t-breathe” game while waiting for the Rufener bros to show up, I knew it was going to be a good week... =)

Through the whole week we managed to split our time between working with the group and having some sisterly bonding time... which was definitely good to have since it’s been awhile, and even “a phone-call away” is too far. Sisterly bonding time included “convo hour” in the bamboo hut, painting the little boys bathroom (while jamming out to Vanilla Ice, and yes Mom, I do have it on video... lol), Monty Python viewing time, supper at Lupita’s while avoiding the advances of middle-aged men, “Curses” game night (which was pretty much a terrible game, but made so much better by our “groupie” – as Tif called them – with we three, the Rufeners, Alan, and Ryan Schick), and making peppernuts (which are a family recipe, and which I must further insert have become “addictive” to almost everyone at CVE... even though "turns out” they do indeed look like dog food...!)

It was hard to say goodbye, but I am so very thankful that they were able to come down... as I was driving home I realized that sometimes I take our relationship for granted, and I never should – talking like we do, laughing, crying, enjoying one another’s company and trust – it’s such a blessing. Gracias a Dios por mis hermanas... ellas son muy especiales y mi corazon me duele cuando ellas no estan aqui... pero esta bien, porque yo se que un día vamos a ser juntas otra vez.

Oh, and just to let you two know... the little boys are now asking where “Ifni” and “Chesi” are... as well as “tu papa” (your Dad). Ahhhhhhh.... lol...

Our "groupie" - no, the hat isn't mine (Ryan's), it wasn't my idea (Ryan's), and I promise I'm not reverting to "New Kids On The Block days"... lol


Peppernut-making time: (top) Tif & Chel in the CVE kitchen rolling dough, (bottom) some individuals - ahem, Chelsie - had a few "issues" making the rolls stick together... please notice the two on the bottom left, and then the prize-winning effort in the middle... lol Yes, these are shadows. Yes, they are shadows of Chelsie and I. Yes, we probably spent 20 minutes trying to create the perfect shadows and capture them on the camera... lol.

Tif & Chel in my room during Monty Python viewing time... notice your Sparkling White Grape Juice, Mom!

"Ifni" and "Chesi" with the boys during reading time...

THE LITTLE GUYS

So... other than having colds, lots of diaper-changing, fighting over the new tractor toys, touching the heater, eating every piece of food on the floor, “helping” with diapers (which really means pulling them apart completely), spilling water, dumping water, throwing water, splashing water, dribbling water, spitting water, and then constantly asking for more water... I am enjoying my time with the little guys... =)

They haven’t gone crazy yet, Jenna... and neither have I!!!

Last night we all cuddled up on the couch and watched Dennis the Menace (realizing as I type this that I hope it doesn’t give them any ideas) in the new “staff lounge” – living it up by having juice and crackers. Definitely good times... =)

THE END... FINALLY

So that’s the “brief” update. Once our Internet is working again (who knows when), I am not constantly sniffling or changing diapers (not for a while, probably), and life is more exciting (well, not necessarily more exciting, but easier to write about anyway... lol), I promise to get more posts done. For now... adios mis amigos!

But... I would still be up for empanadas and java, Amy... hint, hint, hint... =)