Merry Christmas to the Rogers family and to Ms. Petoucheka!
God is so good and so faithful!
Our prayers have been to help us adopt Petoucheka before Christmas - and as of the past month, I joked that we forgot to say WHICH Christmas we were talking about... 2013 vs 2014! LOL!
But God is so wonderful that today, CHRISTMAS EVE, one day before Christmas, God showed us her name on the list from IBESR (Haitian courts) meaning that we are almost ready to exit the current stage we are in and move onto the last part (which usually takes a few months from what I understand)!
Praise Him! What a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT!!!!! I am crying tears of joy!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!
http://www.pressesnationales.ht/moniteur/sommaires.php
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Happy Birthday, Petoucheka!
While our dossier sits in IBESR and we await our Presidential dispensation (for having 3 biological children), Petoucheka is living in Port au Prince, Haiti, and doing wonderfully under the loving care of Mrs. Eveline! We had the opportunity to talk with her twice this week. Today is her birthday, so last night we talked to her and we all sang Happy Birthday to her in English and each of us told her "Bon Fete!", or Happy Birthday in Kreyol. She sounded so happy! And she is learning English while she waits to come home with us. I am forever thankful to Mrs. Eveline for letting us be a part of Petoucheka's life even before she gets to come and live with us!
Waiting is hard. Hope is strong. Prayer is continuous.
Today (9-28-13), our little Petoucheka turns 9 years old! One year older than Heidi and one year younger than Simon. Now we have ages from 8 to 9 to 10 to 11. I just wish they were all four under the same roof. Maybe, before Ben turns 12 in April, we will have her home. We pray as a family at each meal and with each child individually before bedtime and with each prayer is the inclusion "Please help us adopt Petoucheka by Christmas." I know I pray this even more often... perhaps the kids do too. I think our family members have adopted the same request in their daily prayers. Sometimes I think we should specify that we are hoping for THIS Christmas, but I know that God already knows that. Recently, the kids have started adding an addendum to their prayers... "If Petoucheka isn't here by Christmas, help us to have a great time in Haiti at Christmas!" What beautiful attitudes.
God is good. God is sovergn. I keep reminding myself. Daily.
So, today, I update our Blog to say...
Bon Fete, Petoucheka! Nou remen ou anpil! N'ap sonje ou e nou espire ou vini e rete la cay nou pita!
(my own unprofessional translation)
In English...
Happy Birthday, Petoucheka! We love you a lot! We miss you and hope you come and live with us soon!
Love Mama, Papa, Ben, Simon, and Heidi!
Waiting is hard. Hope is strong. Prayer is continuous.
Today (9-28-13), our little Petoucheka turns 9 years old! One year older than Heidi and one year younger than Simon. Now we have ages from 8 to 9 to 10 to 11. I just wish they were all four under the same roof. Maybe, before Ben turns 12 in April, we will have her home. We pray as a family at each meal and with each child individually before bedtime and with each prayer is the inclusion "Please help us adopt Petoucheka by Christmas." I know I pray this even more often... perhaps the kids do too. I think our family members have adopted the same request in their daily prayers. Sometimes I think we should specify that we are hoping for THIS Christmas, but I know that God already knows that. Recently, the kids have started adding an addendum to their prayers... "If Petoucheka isn't here by Christmas, help us to have a great time in Haiti at Christmas!" What beautiful attitudes.
God is good. God is sovergn. I keep reminding myself. Daily.
So, today, I update our Blog to say...
Bon Fete, Petoucheka! Nou remen ou anpil! N'ap sonje ou e nou espire ou vini e rete la cay nou pita!
(my own unprofessional translation)
In English...
Happy Birthday, Petoucheka! We love you a lot! We miss you and hope you come and live with us soon!
Love Mama, Papa, Ben, Simon, and Heidi!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Continuation
I realize we are no longer the "Rogers-in-Haiti" at this point but ... our adoption story is not over yet so I figured we could continue our blog anyhow. There are so many people who seemed to enjoy reading of our adventures that I want to continue to share for those who are walking this road with us or contemplating the same path as us. So much of adoption (especially international adoption) is unknown or at least it seems to be a mystery that unfolds only one turn at a time. If our experiences can help another person or couple in their attempt to give a child a forever home then it is worth sharing...!
It's April 7th now and we have been home for several days. I think we have gotten back into the swing of everyday life but still with the lessons and reminders we have learned during our week in Haiti. Not that the week hasn't been challenging with the usual day to day life, but I think we all have a little different perspective on it as opposed to 2 weeks ago.
Ben, Simon, and Heidi have changed their daily prayers from "Please help us adopt Petoucheka." to a more insightful "Help Petoucheka not be sad that we are gone," or something more specific like "Help her sleep well tonight." She is now a person rather than an idea. They now see her as their sister!
While we were away, my nephew found out that we recycle our aluminum cans and send that money to Haiti to help with the orphanages - including the one where his cousin, Petoucheka, is staying. As an act of service, he crushed every single aluminum can we had saved up so we could take them to recycling! It's the little acts of service that show the true nature of the heart!
As an update to our process, the day we left Haiti (April 2nd) was the day our Dossier was completed and sent to the Haitian consulate in the USA for approval. I am not sure how long this process usually takes but it involves government - both US and Haitian - so my assumption was that it was not a quick process. Get this..... it was finished by the 4th (less than 48 hours later) and was waiting for DHL to pick it up and take it to Eveline's creche in PAP as of Friday afternoon (April 5th)!! Wow, God is so good!! I still hold out for Christmas to have her home... it is in God's hands and His timing!
I will close for now but look for more updates in the future.
In Christ,
Shelby
It's April 7th now and we have been home for several days. I think we have gotten back into the swing of everyday life but still with the lessons and reminders we have learned during our week in Haiti. Not that the week hasn't been challenging with the usual day to day life, but I think we all have a little different perspective on it as opposed to 2 weeks ago.
Ben, Simon, and Heidi have changed their daily prayers from "Please help us adopt Petoucheka." to a more insightful "Help Petoucheka not be sad that we are gone," or something more specific like "Help her sleep well tonight." She is now a person rather than an idea. They now see her as their sister!
While we were away, my nephew found out that we recycle our aluminum cans and send that money to Haiti to help with the orphanages - including the one where his cousin, Petoucheka, is staying. As an act of service, he crushed every single aluminum can we had saved up so we could take them to recycling! It's the little acts of service that show the true nature of the heart!
As an update to our process, the day we left Haiti (April 2nd) was the day our Dossier was completed and sent to the Haitian consulate in the USA for approval. I am not sure how long this process usually takes but it involves government - both US and Haitian - so my assumption was that it was not a quick process. Get this..... it was finished by the 4th (less than 48 hours later) and was waiting for DHL to pick it up and take it to Eveline's creche in PAP as of Friday afternoon (April 5th)!! Wow, God is so good!! I still hold out for Christmas to have her home... it is in God's hands and His timing!
I will close for now but look for more updates in the future.
In Christ,
Shelby
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
We are home now, but I will blog about yesterdays events. (Wow, it is nice to type on a regular keyboard instead of on a laptop).
Yesterday was the first day of school following Easter break for the older Haitian children. The younger ones were still around but overall the place was emptier than normal. We found out that school begins at 6 in the morning and releases around 1 pm. The thought of being at school and ready to go at 6 am made me mentally cringe. Mornings are not my thing.
Shelby had all our things packed and ready to go so we had all morning to spend with the children. Petoucheka is addicted to the "Left-Center-Right" or "Góch-Mitan-Dwat" as we now call it. It is funny watching Peoucheka play since she really gets into the game. Normally she is very quiet and doesn't talk all that much. When she is playing she seems to be the most vocal of the bunch. I think that every kid who wasn't in school and old enough to play cycled through at least one game that morning. One of the boys, Lickson, takes his game playing seriously and kept all the other players in line. Petoucheka is competitive and has been known to try to sneak in an extra chip or re-roll a poor roll before anyone notices. Doesn't happen when Lickson plays. He ending up winning 7 games in a row before I manages to win one myself.
We left the game there when we left. Before we go next time, I am going to find some blank dice and properly mark them as "G", "M", and "D" for them.
After awhile we left the others to play the game so we could give Petoucheka some individual attention. Not to mention the fact that I can only sit on the ground for so long before my legs start to protest. Somehow I ended up becoming a "Tap Tap" for Petoucheka. She is starting to pick up a few English words. I got tapped on the head and told to "Go!".
Before we left we changed into New Creation church shirts and jeans for trip home. We knew that the temperature back in Raleigh was going to be in the mid 40's by the time we landed. Having the same shirts makes it much easier to herd and keep track of our kids through the various airports and checkpoints. Petoucheka also changed into her shirt that matched ours and put on jeans as well so she would match the rest of us.
Soon it was time to leave. We took a bunch more pictures of Petoucheka. Gave many hugs then loaded up and left. Some of the other kids were already back from school so we had the chance to tell them goodbye as well. I got to tell Professor Enock good-bye too which made me happy.
Leaving Petoucheka behind wasn't fun.
The rest of the day was pretty typical for airplane travel. Lots of people, long lines, checkpoints, and waiting.
Now we are home. All we can do now is patiently wait. This morning we were told that all our paperwork was received by the Haitian Embassy for the next part of the adoption process. Next week we get fingerprinted once again for the immigration process so she will have US citizenship. After that all that is left is the waiting. Eveline didn't think that Petoucheka would be home with us by Christmas. We remain optimistic that things will move quickly.
Yesterday was the first day of school following Easter break for the older Haitian children. The younger ones were still around but overall the place was emptier than normal. We found out that school begins at 6 in the morning and releases around 1 pm. The thought of being at school and ready to go at 6 am made me mentally cringe. Mornings are not my thing.
Shelby had all our things packed and ready to go so we had all morning to spend with the children. Petoucheka is addicted to the "Left-Center-Right" or "Góch-Mitan-Dwat" as we now call it. It is funny watching Peoucheka play since she really gets into the game. Normally she is very quiet and doesn't talk all that much. When she is playing she seems to be the most vocal of the bunch. I think that every kid who wasn't in school and old enough to play cycled through at least one game that morning. One of the boys, Lickson, takes his game playing seriously and kept all the other players in line. Petoucheka is competitive and has been known to try to sneak in an extra chip or re-roll a poor roll before anyone notices. Doesn't happen when Lickson plays. He ending up winning 7 games in a row before I manages to win one myself.
We left the game there when we left. Before we go next time, I am going to find some blank dice and properly mark them as "G", "M", and "D" for them.
After awhile we left the others to play the game so we could give Petoucheka some individual attention. Not to mention the fact that I can only sit on the ground for so long before my legs start to protest. Somehow I ended up becoming a "Tap Tap" for Petoucheka. She is starting to pick up a few English words. I got tapped on the head and told to "Go!".
Before we left we changed into New Creation church shirts and jeans for trip home. We knew that the temperature back in Raleigh was going to be in the mid 40's by the time we landed. Having the same shirts makes it much easier to herd and keep track of our kids through the various airports and checkpoints. Petoucheka also changed into her shirt that matched ours and put on jeans as well so she would match the rest of us.
Soon it was time to leave. We took a bunch more pictures of Petoucheka. Gave many hugs then loaded up and left. Some of the other kids were already back from school so we had the chance to tell them goodbye as well. I got to tell Professor Enock good-bye too which made me happy.
Leaving Petoucheka behind wasn't fun.
The rest of the day was pretty typical for airplane travel. Lots of people, long lines, checkpoints, and waiting.
Now we are home. All we can do now is patiently wait. This morning we were told that all our paperwork was received by the Haitian Embassy for the next part of the adoption process. Next week we get fingerprinted once again for the immigration process so she will have US citizenship. After that all that is left is the waiting. Eveline didn't think that Petoucheka would be home with us by Christmas. We remain optimistic that things will move quickly.
Home
It's 1:20am. We made it home safely. It has been a long day, mentally and physically. Time to sleep. More later today.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The rest of Monday (April 1st)
Wow - tonight has been much harder than I thought... tears were supposed to be for tomorrow.
Petoucheka, Heidi, and Ben (well, me too) have cried tonight. Simon is a little more reserved but sad. They are not happy that we can't take Petoucheka home with us this trip. Me too....
Petoucheka started it. She had to sit on the steps and quietly cry where none of us would see her. One of the older teenage girls brought it to my attention and that was when started. I sat her on my lap but what could I say. I just cried with her and told her I loved her. I told her we would pray for her daily and return as soon as we could. I said we hope you can come with us soon. Nothing made me feel better - I'm sure it didn't help her either. Dennis held her for a long while after me - I don't think he cried but I wouldn't have been surprised if he did. I fetched her new bunny stuffed animal and let her cuddle it. I think it helped. Then I did get her to laugh after the sadness had gone on long enough as we compared foot sizes and I tried to wear her new sandals. We discovered that she can "scrunch up her toes" and curl her tongue too!! Then we played a family game of R-C-L or Right-Center-Left or Dwat-Mitan-Gosh or D-M-G... what ever you want to call it! (See Dennis' post for more on that!) All sadness dissipated at that point... for now.
As for the rest of our day...
Immediately after I posted my blogpost from earlier - a Rah Rah (not quite sure of the spelling) went by... that's a parade in Haiti. Not quite the same as in the USA... more or less a bunch of people mobbing the street and walking in the same direction... to music. The kids enjoyed seeing it - especially since we've been trying to catch one for 3 days. :)
We played a lot with the kids during the afternoon - and learned a lot more Kreyol. The older kids have really taken to us and love to quiz us on the American pronunciation to words and test us to see if we can make a sentence in Kreyol if they say it in English. Carlo, Berlin, Enoch, and Elisee are the ones who really love to catch us and "parle!"
To add my 2¢ to Dennis' talk on R-C-L.... here are some photos of me helping to translate Dennis' explanation and the kids playing. The game really brought Petoucheka alive... I mean "whooping" and dancing and talkin' smack in Kreyol! I was really amused! :) She had fun!!! We will be leaving that game with her and the other kids....!
While she was out today, Eveline picked up a little surprise for our family to take home... does she know us or what?!?!
We also gave her $5.00 US and she brought us change... :)
Brand new and CLEAN!
For dinner - we got a table to ourselves. It was very sweet - they put our family (all 6 of us) together even though we had many new guests arrive today. Of course, one might think it was because we smell bad. Or one might say we were exiled to the "kids table"... well, after our family epidemic of "bottle cap eyes" - might agree with the logic there! LOL!
At least Ben redeemed our family reputation by helping Mafie clean up after dinner.
The day's blog wouldn't be complete without me sharing more miscellaneous candid and posed photos...
And to all - a good night...! Bonwit!
Shelby
Petoucheka, Heidi, and Ben (well, me too) have cried tonight. Simon is a little more reserved but sad. They are not happy that we can't take Petoucheka home with us this trip. Me too....
Petoucheka started it. She had to sit on the steps and quietly cry where none of us would see her. One of the older teenage girls brought it to my attention and that was when started. I sat her on my lap but what could I say. I just cried with her and told her I loved her. I told her we would pray for her daily and return as soon as we could. I said we hope you can come with us soon. Nothing made me feel better - I'm sure it didn't help her either. Dennis held her for a long while after me - I don't think he cried but I wouldn't have been surprised if he did. I fetched her new bunny stuffed animal and let her cuddle it. I think it helped. Then I did get her to laugh after the sadness had gone on long enough as we compared foot sizes and I tried to wear her new sandals. We discovered that she can "scrunch up her toes" and curl her tongue too!! Then we played a family game of R-C-L or Right-Center-Left or Dwat-Mitan-Gosh or D-M-G... what ever you want to call it! (See Dennis' post for more on that!) All sadness dissipated at that point... for now.
As for the rest of our day...
Immediately after I posted my blogpost from earlier - a Rah Rah (not quite sure of the spelling) went by... that's a parade in Haiti. Not quite the same as in the USA... more or less a bunch of people mobbing the street and walking in the same direction... to music. The kids enjoyed seeing it - especially since we've been trying to catch one for 3 days. :)
We played a lot with the kids during the afternoon - and learned a lot more Kreyol. The older kids have really taken to us and love to quiz us on the American pronunciation to words and test us to see if we can make a sentence in Kreyol if they say it in English. Carlo, Berlin, Enoch, and Elisee are the ones who really love to catch us and "parle!"
To add my 2¢ to Dennis' talk on R-C-L.... here are some photos of me helping to translate Dennis' explanation and the kids playing. The game really brought Petoucheka alive... I mean "whooping" and dancing and talkin' smack in Kreyol! I was really amused! :) She had fun!!! We will be leaving that game with her and the other kids....!
While she was out today, Eveline picked up a little surprise for our family to take home... does she know us or what?!?!
We also gave her $5.00 US and she brought us change... :)
Brand new and CLEAN!
For dinner - we got a table to ourselves. It was very sweet - they put our family (all 6 of us) together even though we had many new guests arrive today. Of course, one might think it was because we smell bad. Or one might say we were exiled to the "kids table"... well, after our family epidemic of "bottle cap eyes" - might agree with the logic there! LOL!
At least Ben redeemed our family reputation by helping Mafie clean up after dinner.
The day's blog wouldn't be complete without me sharing more miscellaneous candid and posed photos...
And to all - a good night...! Bonwit!
Shelby
Monday - Our last full day in Haiti
Once again we had another great day in Haiti. Sunny and warm or maybe hot depending on if you are talking to one of my children.
Today I spent more time with Professor Enock and some of the other 10-16 year old boys. Using our English-Kreyol picture dictionary we covered alot of ground in for both learning English and Kreyol. One of the more difficult concepts that we had to work through involved learning about the different words for shirts. In Kreyol pull over shirts are called "mayo". Button down dress shirts are called "chemize". It took awhile to figure out the difference. At first I thought that the collars made the difference but found out I was wrong. Learning the difference was like a warped version of duck-duck-goose. It went mayo, mayo, mayo, chemize. After I thought I had shirts all figured out, I was testing my new knowledge then they sprang "Kòset" on me which is blouse.
The other exciting event for the day was teaching the Haitian kids called "Right-Center-Left" which is a simple dice game where tokens are moved according what shows on the dice. With some help from the professor the game was renamed "Dwat-Mitan-Gòch". Of course the dice are marked "C", "R", and "L" so we had to in game translate until everyone caught on. I think we played for hours with players constantly coming and going in between games. It was great fun.
We had some French women visiting the Eveline's this evening. Many of the orphans get placed in homes in France. One of these women had adopted one of Eveline's children two years ago. They gave us the traditional French cheek kiss greeting. We had to explain to Ben what to do. I think he was a little shocked.
On the downside, tomorrow is not going to be pleasant. We have already had some tears from Petoucheka this evening when she realized that we would be leaving soon. It is going to be hard to leave our little girl here for the next several months before everything get worked out and processed. She and Heidi have already tightly bonded. Ben is going to miss her along with several of the other boys he became friends with. Simon hasn't said much about leaving Petoucheka but I think that he is sad to leave her behind. Right now I'm trying hard not to think about it. Yes, I'm looking forward to going home but I can honestly say I not looking forward to leaving Haiti.
Today I spent more time with Professor Enock and some of the other 10-16 year old boys. Using our English-Kreyol picture dictionary we covered alot of ground in for both learning English and Kreyol. One of the more difficult concepts that we had to work through involved learning about the different words for shirts. In Kreyol pull over shirts are called "mayo". Button down dress shirts are called "chemize". It took awhile to figure out the difference. At first I thought that the collars made the difference but found out I was wrong. Learning the difference was like a warped version of duck-duck-goose. It went mayo, mayo, mayo, chemize. After I thought I had shirts all figured out, I was testing my new knowledge then they sprang "Kòset" on me which is blouse.
The other exciting event for the day was teaching the Haitian kids called "Right-Center-Left" which is a simple dice game where tokens are moved according what shows on the dice. With some help from the professor the game was renamed "Dwat-Mitan-Gòch". Of course the dice are marked "C", "R", and "L" so we had to in game translate until everyone caught on. I think we played for hours with players constantly coming and going in between games. It was great fun.
We had some French women visiting the Eveline's this evening. Many of the orphans get placed in homes in France. One of these women had adopted one of Eveline's children two years ago. They gave us the traditional French cheek kiss greeting. We had to explain to Ben what to do. I think he was a little shocked.
On the downside, tomorrow is not going to be pleasant. We have already had some tears from Petoucheka this evening when she realized that we would be leaving soon. It is going to be hard to leave our little girl here for the next several months before everything get worked out and processed. She and Heidi have already tightly bonded. Ben is going to miss her along with several of the other boys he became friends with. Simon hasn't said much about leaving Petoucheka but I think that he is sad to leave her behind. Right now I'm trying hard not to think about it. Yes, I'm looking forward to going home but I can honestly say I not looking forward to leaving Haiti.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Monday April 1st (the first half...)
Happy birthday Quazimoto - our dog. :) He is two years old today and yes, he is a joker as would be implied by having your birthday on April 1st. Wonder how he's doing and how excited he will be to see us tomorrow.
Leaving tomorrow... Bittersweet.
The kids will be happy to be home (as will Dennis and I) but we have enjoyed Haiti so much. Dennis feels like this has really been his FIRST week in Haiti despite 2008. He didn't the experience like he has gotten this time. This time he has really gotten to know the people and really tried to learn their language!
All of us have enjoyed spending time getting to really know Petoucheka and bonding with her! What a special week this has been for all of us!!! We have really loved meeting and getting to know Eveline and the other children and helpers as well! I just can't tell you what a wonderful week it has been.
Leaving tomorrow will be difficult... especially without our little girl! I just have to pray that God keeps her safe and brings her home quickly! I know - in His time... but how about Quickly in His time?! :)
This morning (besides updating my blog for Easter after organizing all the photos from all 3 cameras...) we had some much needed down time...
The kids played War, Left-Center-Right, and outside. They had Fun Dip (another first for Petoucheka) and snacked with us.
. Dennis took a nap and Simon listened to music (probably Zelda if I had to guess).
Now off to see Professor Enoch for more tutelage....!
I am certain there will be more photos to post later! Enjoy!!
Jezi renmen ou! (Jesus loves you)
Shelby
Leaving tomorrow... Bittersweet.
The kids will be happy to be home (as will Dennis and I) but we have enjoyed Haiti so much. Dennis feels like this has really been his FIRST week in Haiti despite 2008. He didn't the experience like he has gotten this time. This time he has really gotten to know the people and really tried to learn their language!
All of us have enjoyed spending time getting to really know Petoucheka and bonding with her! What a special week this has been for all of us!!! We have really loved meeting and getting to know Eveline and the other children and helpers as well! I just can't tell you what a wonderful week it has been.
Leaving tomorrow will be difficult... especially without our little girl! I just have to pray that God keeps her safe and brings her home quickly! I know - in His time... but how about Quickly in His time?! :)
This morning (besides updating my blog for Easter after organizing all the photos from all 3 cameras...) we had some much needed down time...
The kids played War, Left-Center-Right, and outside. They had Fun Dip (another first for Petoucheka) and snacked with us.
. Dennis took a nap and Simon listened to music (probably Zelda if I had to guess).
Now off to see Professor Enoch for more tutelage....!
I am certain there will be more photos to post later! Enjoy!!
Jezi renmen ou! (Jesus loves you)
Shelby
Sunday (Easter) and a little extra from Saturday 30th
Yes, I know I am writing this on Monday and no on Easter itself...
Easter was a BUSY day!! :)
We did not attend mass today... In fact, none of the kids did because it was going to be such a crowded service - and did I mention, long....! Instead we hung out with the kids, talked about what Easter means, played, and got ready for the much awaited Easter Egg Hunt... Dennis covers this quite well in his post so I won't duplicate it!
First let me take a step back to some Saturday stuff...
Petoucheka enjoyed trying to read Dennis a book! I am not sure if she reads Kreyol or French... but she was having fun!
Guess who else likes Good-n-Plenty!?!? :)
The kids were playing well together!
Teaching Petoucheka some English from the Kreyol to English Picture Dictionary! :)
And Prof. Enoch showed up too!
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We had another art showing and JR helped us with a little Kreyol along with Enoch.
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More playground time!!!
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Beautiful girls...!
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Soine liked me dancing in the rain with her!
Ben made a friend, Wesley (just like his cousin back home), and was impressed because he had a coconut, was able to open it, ate it (Ben was good and said, "No, Thank you."), and gave Ben the shell... He made a boat out of it. Cool!
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Let's see... pictures of paintings and Petoucheka's new bunny... wonder who had my camera this time? lol!
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We ended our day with Coca and Haitian cola... the kids were in heaven!
OK, OK, OK... back to Sunday... sorry. :)
We got up and created the Easter Egg preparation center. It was fun but took a long time to fill 200+ eggs. It was worth it too... the kids loved the hunt and the candy!
Next we had our breakfast - always a fun experience in culture, language, and people!! This time, Anita was the entertainment for the kids (she is really taken with Heidi - the boys too, but especially Heidi!)
Ben had mango - all over his face!
Then we started comparing our hand sizes with Petoucheka's.
Dennis also decided to see if his invention of the portable solar panel USB charger worked.
It did!!!!
Wesley stopped by again and brought some Goudes for Ben to see... he even gave him a 5 Goude (which is worth about a dime) - very generous of him!
The kids found a window from the stair well into the girls room and wanted their photos through the glass. Then the girls played cards and Simon found a comic book to look at (not exactly to read since it wasn't in English...)
Next we headed back outside (wandered might be a better term) where we played more cards, played on the playground again, Petoucheka braided my hair, and we were quizzed relentlessly! :)
Beautiful smile...
We had another unexpected visit from Wesley who came to greet his friend, Ben. He had a really creative D.I.Y. hat in the shape of a baseball cap made with coconut reeds and covered in tissue paper! Very ingenious! Ben had a show-n-tell of his own... a coconut shell he found!
We ended the day by giving the kids another "first". Peeps. Yep, the sugar coated, brightly colored, marshmallow chicks! They weren't sure what to make of them at first - they were really fresh so they were unexpectedly squishy when they picked one up. The looks on their faces were great!!! I think all except Anita liked them and the jury was still out with her. Eveline liked them so well that she kept the blue package aside for later... Ha ha ha!
Such a pretty presentation.
Look at the expression on Son Son's face (green shirt and blue shorts) as he looks at the stickiness on his hand. Love it!
Small bite for James but Simon's was gone in one bite...
Anne was "petting" her chick. LOL!
So our conclusion... Peeps are a big hit in Haiti!!!! :)
Happy Easter everyone!!!
Shelby
Easter was a BUSY day!! :)
We did not attend mass today... In fact, none of the kids did because it was going to be such a crowded service - and did I mention, long....! Instead we hung out with the kids, talked about what Easter means, played, and got ready for the much awaited Easter Egg Hunt... Dennis covers this quite well in his post so I won't duplicate it!
First let me take a step back to some Saturday stuff...
Petoucheka enjoyed trying to read Dennis a book! I am not sure if she reads Kreyol or French... but she was having fun!
Guess who else likes Good-n-Plenty!?!? :)
The kids were playing well together!
Teaching Petoucheka some English from the Kreyol to English Picture Dictionary! :)
We had another art showing and JR helped us with a little Kreyol along with Enoch.
More playground time!!!
Beautiful girls...!
Soine liked me dancing in the rain with her!
Ben made a friend, Wesley (just like his cousin back home), and was impressed because he had a coconut, was able to open it, ate it (Ben was good and said, "No, Thank you."), and gave Ben the shell... He made a boat out of it. Cool!
Let's see... pictures of paintings and Petoucheka's new bunny... wonder who had my camera this time? lol!
We ended our day with Coca and Haitian cola... the kids were in heaven!
OK, OK, OK... back to Sunday... sorry. :)
We got up and created the Easter Egg preparation center. It was fun but took a long time to fill 200+ eggs. It was worth it too... the kids loved the hunt and the candy!
Next we had our breakfast - always a fun experience in culture, language, and people!! This time, Anita was the entertainment for the kids (she is really taken with Heidi - the boys too, but especially Heidi!)
Ben had mango - all over his face!
Then we started comparing our hand sizes with Petoucheka's.
Dennis also decided to see if his invention of the portable solar panel USB charger worked.
It did!!!!
Wesley stopped by again and brought some Goudes for Ben to see... he even gave him a 5 Goude (which is worth about a dime) - very generous of him!
The kids found a window from the stair well into the girls room and wanted their photos through the glass. Then the girls played cards and Simon found a comic book to look at (not exactly to read since it wasn't in English...)
Next we headed back outside (wandered might be a better term) where we played more cards, played on the playground again, Petoucheka braided my hair, and we were quizzed relentlessly! :)
Beautiful smile...
We had another unexpected visit from Wesley who came to greet his friend, Ben. He had a really creative D.I.Y. hat in the shape of a baseball cap made with coconut reeds and covered in tissue paper! Very ingenious! Ben had a show-n-tell of his own... a coconut shell he found!
We ended the day by giving the kids another "first". Peeps. Yep, the sugar coated, brightly colored, marshmallow chicks! They weren't sure what to make of them at first - they were really fresh so they were unexpectedly squishy when they picked one up. The looks on their faces were great!!! I think all except Anita liked them and the jury was still out with her. Eveline liked them so well that she kept the blue package aside for later... Ha ha ha!
Such a pretty presentation.
Look at the expression on Son Son's face (green shirt and blue shorts) as he looks at the stickiness on his hand. Love it!
Small bite for James but Simon's was gone in one bite...
Anne was "petting" her chick. LOL!
So our conclusion... Peeps are a big hit in Haiti!!!! :)
Happy Easter everyone!!!
Shelby
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