Life.

It’s me. Yes, I am alive and so is the rest of the family. We have just been a tad bit MIA these last few months. 

Which reminds me… can I just start talking like we just finished a conversation yesterday? Instead of, lets say, February?

It is simply amazing how life can run away from you. You are busy one day (even though at the end of it you have no idea what you actually did) and then all of a sudden its August. I am not sure how that happens, but instead of recapping every detail of the last several months, lets just say that we survived. 

We had moments of joy and heartbreak. We had wonderful teams from Fort Smith and Missouri bless us, encourage us and help us. We moved into a new house, had birthday’s, visited the village, had the privilege of showing my sister, Sarah, and her family our home and parts of Ecuador… and now it is practically September.

I realize that every other month (more or less) has 31 days in it, but I won’t lie - August felt like the longest month ever!! 

We tried every single week to go to the village and we just could not make it happen. The first week we were all packed and ready to go until the car wouldn’t start. To make matters worse when Adam went in our sliding glass door to call someone he sliced his foot wide open. 

How did he do that, you might ask?!? I have no idea - it is a mystery, even now. But either way he was bleeding everywhere. We doctored him up but in the midst of this decided we just couldn’t go. 

He usually has to push the boat up the river - plus do a fair amount of manual labor while in Shakay and we just thought his foot would probably get infected and fall off if we proceeded as planned. So we waited. 

The next week we were all packed up AGAIN only to find out that all the roads were closed due to a country wide strike by the indigenous. The government here is struggling a bit and the indigenous are fearful that they will lose their land, so they striked — for a week. 

You could not get out of Zamora to do anything. Super crazy. So we waited, again.

The third week, we finally made it there (although, we did have to return home 3 TIMES to get cruciall things we had forgotten….ugh). But we got there. Of course once we arrived at the port the river was lower than we had ever seen, but we just took a small peke boat up. 

Hours later, we did get there. 

We had a great time though - and what a relief to finally be in Shakay!!  The trip went perfectly - especially when you consider all of our rough starts.  We returned home weary but joyful. 

Then we started homeschool for the first time ever. 

I will admit that I was a bit stressed about the whole thing. I have zero teaching experience. The only time I have ever even attempted anything remotely ‘teacher like’ was when Adam and I first got married. 

Substitute teaching paid really well in Springfield, MO so I tried it out. I went twice - hated it - and said, I don’t care how much this pays I am done!! And that was that. 

Needless to say, Adam and I were both a little worried about the whole situation. However, I can honestly say that I have loved it!! I am still figuring out a routine and trying to get a rhythm, but we are getting there...I think. The kids LOVE it and that makes all the difference. 

They can hardly wait to finish breakfast so that we can start. I hope their enthusiasm lasts. We are really just doing Kindergarten with Sophia but the other two are loving being able to listen and participate in whatever they can. So it makes it fun.

Our only other news is that I am pregnant with baby number 4. :)

The kids are so excited they keep laying their heads on my tummy and they tell me that they can hear the baby talking to them. Hilarious. 

Thanks for continuing your prayers even though we have been silent for a few months. We love you all and will do our best to continue sharing our lives with you as regularly as we can. Happy September.

 Floating down river.

 Riding a horse (do you think we could fit anyone else on there!?)

 Princess gets VIP treatment in the village - she loves it. :)

 Practicing for baby #4.

 Fresh peanuts!!

 The faces you give when you realize these 'berries' are actually rabbit poop.

 Making memories with Uncle Jon, Aunt Sarah and Parker!! :)

Homeschooling jungle style.