Ella and a Spatula!

Nali's Actual Birthday

So is this what your face would look like if it was your 5th Birthday party at preschool???? SERIOUSLY!
Now that's a little better. Notice the classis cupcake in icecream cone treat...
We took Nali to this really nice resturant called Ric's Grill...it's in this old water tower...it looks over the whole city. The only reason Nali wanted to eat here is because it has a crown on top. The food was actually horrible. The best thing was Nali was happy and I got this cute picture. After dinner we took her "Enchanted".
This was the first time that Nali has asked to feed Ella. Funny....Ella's old enough to do it on her own now.
Nali and Ella just received this from their Grandma & Grandpa Richards. They are currently on a mission in Russia. They are auditors for the Eastern Europe Area so they get to travel a lot. This was made in Aremenia. The person who carved it could see Mount Ararat from where he was. What a great keepsake.

Nali's Week Long Birthday Celebration!

SOooo Nali will be 5 years old tomorrow! Hard to believe isn't it! Sometimes I look at Ella and think that it's Nali. They have a lot of the same features. So the week long celebration has begun. On Saturday we had a party at Michael's craft store. We had 8 kids there. It was a great time. Nali enjoyed it. Then Sunday we had all of my family over for dinner then cake and ice-cream after. Tomorrow night we're taking her out to a really nice resturant then the the movie "Enchanted".

Opening her first gift from her cousin Hailey.

Giving her cousin Hailey a gift for the present!
Contemplating the miracle of Birthdays!
I LOVE that grin!
Ella sneaking a piece of cake!
At the birthday party. Cousin Hailey and her mom Jamie.
Nali strking a pose.
I think that my brother Bryan enjoyed the crafts more than the kids.
3 cute girls striking a pose.
We had a "no" gifts request for her friends party. We asked her friends to bring items for the food bank instead. This is the food we got. Monday Nali and I took it to the foodbank. They were very gracious to her and took her on a tour. It was a touching experience.

" You have been called to serve in the South Africa Cape Town Mission"

So 10 years ago today I received my mission call. I remember it like it was yesterday. I woke up early and KNEW that I was getting it that day and had to get some things done before work as I KNEW I would open my mission call at lunch time and then go to a Sarah Mclachlan concert in the evening. I really had NO idea what I was getting myself into at the time. Serving a full-time mission was something that I had wanted to do since I was 16 and now my time had come. I really don't think I had a clue about how it would change my life. One of my companions/friends posted on her blog listening to Elder Holland speak and how he still thinks about his mission everyday. I'd have to agree. In some shape or form I think about it. The people, the food, the sights...I miss it... I am SO grateful for my time there as a missionary and for ALL that it taught me. Probably the most important things I learned was how to Love, how to Serve and how to be Grateful.
So bare with me as I take you on a brief tour of the 18 months that changed my life.
Below is Anne. She was a member referal. She is a Hindu. She was the first person that I ever invited to be baptized. She said "I would be lying to you if I said yes...." She didn't want to commit but knew in the future she would. This was her baptism. She was married and sealed in the Temple 4 days after I returned home.
This is me and Sister Lawerence. She fed us the most amazing lunch every Thursday afternoon. She made a special trip to some grocery store to buy "California Crush" because she thought that we loved. We didn't have the heart to tell her that it wasn't our favorite. She passed away 3 weeks before I was transfered back to Cape Town. I wish that I could've told her one last time how much she mean't to me.
This was my first mission family The Youlton's. Amazing...they tried so hard. She would sign up to feed 6 companionships. I later learned that she told her children to let us eat first...then they could eat because she was worried that there wasn't enough to eat. We would eat then them...the missionaries would have seconds then they would...there would always be leftovers. Truly a modern miracle of a womans faith. I love them.
No mission album would be complete with out a picture of Mama Jean...she took care of us. She was a recent convert when I arrived and had the zeal and testimony that got anyone going. She was an angel. In one area I lived 3 blocks from her. At the end of the month she would call and tell us to start walking to her house and that she would meet us half way. She would give us 1/2 dozen eggs and some bread among other things. She knew that missionaries didn't have much by the end of the month. When ever we would stop to visit she would serve us up a hot bowl of ox-tail soup. I served in her ward 3 times.
Just a little of the beauty of South Africa. This is Cape Point. The little pennisula you see on the map south of Cape Town.

This is probably one of my favorite pictures. I love the way the sun hits his face. This was my Oupa Browne. He was baptized on December 26th, 1998. He sewed his own baptisimal clothes. I believe that he was over 70. It was amazing to see him grasp the gospel. He met with missionaries for about a year before he was baptized. One sister OYM'd (opened your/her mouth) him over his fence one day.
This was Immaculee and her daughter Aloysia. They were refugee's from Rwanda. Imaculee's husband was killed in Rwanda. Aloysia was captured several times during the genocide there. Amazing people. I had the honour of being at Aloysia's baptism.
This was in the room that they shared. We would go and visit them and make taco's. Very humble living circumstances. Unfortuntley life took it's toll on Immaculee and she passed away a few years ago. Her story is here.
Funny how you bring out a camera and a hundred kids will jump all over you.
Another picture of Oupa and Ouma Browne. His wife never joined the church as far as I know. He waited as long as he could for her but then decided with or with out her he needed to join. I can't think of a better way to spend the day after Christmas.

I served in Windhoek Namibia for 5 months. It is the country north of South Africa. It fought for it's independance from South Africa in 1990. A very young country that has one of the highest HIV/AID infection rates in the world aprox. 25% At the time there was only 8 missionaries and a couple in the whole country. I loved it here.
These kids were our friends. Amazing to watch them play and be completely content with tires. The also made cars out of coat hangers.
This woman lived in this 20x20 foot room with her husband and 3 kids. One night she was waiting on our door step. She had no money or food. We gave her all we could. I know that they say you shouldn't give people things but how can't you...Yes the boys were taking a bath.
We were able to play with lion cubs one day. This one latched onto my pants.
My kids again...

SO these are the tire kids. Probably one of the funniest things about being in Namibia was I stuck out! Really a white girl walking down the street. I don't think that these kids had ever had such close contact with a white person. They were AMAZED with my soft hair and couldn't believe how big my nose was.
This is Sylvia. I believe that this was my last night seeing her. The first baptism that I went to in Namibia was hers. She was OYM'd by a Sister in a park. She had a dream and knew that the church was true. She gave me the name of her youngest daughter before I left "Nydaynale". We called the little girl "Nali" for short. I promised her that I would name my first girl after hers...I'm so happy that I was able to keep that promise. Nali is our oldest and Ella is our second. Ella is also named after her oldest daughter.
Nali is the one in the red sweater on her dads lap. He is from Sweden. Ella is in the pink dress on the back of the couch.
Ella's baptism along with some of her brothers. We taught the guy on the left. His name was Melki...it was short for Melchezidek...can you believe it? How great it was to see him be baptized received the priesthood then baptize someone else.
The poverty is shocking...this is a daycare/kindergarten.

This is Elder Simmons of the 70 with his wife. He was our Area President. Our paths have crossed a few times. He spoke at our zone conference in Namibia, all 8 of us and a general authority. We also had a baptism that day. Does it get any better?
This is Kwasi. He is from Ghana. He was also baptized by Melki.
My little tire kids once again. We never were able to teach this family but we were always treated VERY well when we stopped by. Maybe now they have joined the church.
My last day on mission. This is at the mission home in Cape Town surrounded by a few friends.
My last official picture taken in South Africa. This was at the Johannesburg airport. The Youlton family had moved to Johannesburg. They met me at the airport before I flew home. What a special moment to see them once more.

Parent of the Year Award...yet again...

So life has been busy this past month and a half to say the least. Yesterday I was neglecting my children yet again. Well this is what I walked in on. Ella had somehow opened a Coffee Crisp from Nali's Halloween candy. What a wonderful mess she made. She sure enjoyed it. If that wasn't enough she had gotten into the garbage as well. If you look closely you can see the crust of dried out bread as well as a piece of chewed gum. Yum-0! So look at the mess...notice I took a picture. I believe that blogging makes us better parents. It makes us see the humour in the situation, take a picture, then take a deep breath and then deal with the issue. Hopefully more calmly then we would've.
So this was right before i had to go to the Dr's. I have Strep throat and pink eye! Seriously can it get any worse??? Notice the box in the back ground, we got a new flat screen TV for the bedroom! I can't wait to watch "The Hills" in comfort.

BEAUTIFUL GIRL

This is my sister...just a random picture that I though capture her zest for life...enjoy.

Halloween with My Kiddies!

So my little puppy and nali-saurus-rex had a wonderful time with halloween. Ella wore the same puppy costume that Nali did when she was that age! It's funny how looking at her takes me back to when Nali was little. Nali was a dinosaur last year as well but I convinced her that if the costume still fits we wear it!
We had a good time. We took the girls to my parents, sisters and brothers houses. Then we just did about 8 houses around ours. Nali said that she had enough candy so we went home. My favorite picture of the evening is below. As well as where Ella is trying to stick a sucker up her nose!

Mmmm....dum dum's!
Digging in!
Checking out the stash. Notice Nali's look of "concern".
All that is in front of her at that moment was from one house. Our grat neighbors across the street had a little bag for her.