2009 Team Wrap Up

Well, we did it!  We finished our first year of coordinating the Abraham Project's short-term teams.  God was so good and faithful to get us through the year without any major catastrophes (or small ones for that matter).  God blessed us with 10 amazing groups (only includes those that stayed with us 5 days or more) that each donated their time, money, and hard work to the Project. In all, we received 525 volunteers that came with various short-term teams that worked with us from 1 - 10 days.  Now we are looking forward and preparing for 12 teams in the first HALF of 2010!  It's going to be a busy year but we are grateful for all of the volunteers that the Lord is bringing to contribute to what He is doing at the AP.  

Caia's Sibling

IT'S A 

BOY!!!

JONATHAN "ISAAC" GRIFFITH HAS A DUE DATE OF FEBRUARY 3, 2010

So, some of you know, but many of you don't, we're pregnant! We are 21 weeks today and had our ultrasound to find out the gender of our baby! Doc says everything is perfect!

Our greatest hope was not for either a boy or a girl, but for a healthy baby! We had a fairly emotionally exhausting pregnancy the first time around, and this one has been so the opposite! We have always received good news from our u/s and blood work, and that has been such a gift to us! 

We will deliver here in San Jose, Costa Rica. We have a WONDERFUL doctor! He delivers all of his own patients, he (himself) does an ultrasound each visit and spends a minimum of 30 minutes with us talking, answering questions, asking questions and really getting to know us.

The downfall was the 9 weeks that I threw-up. I won't go into details, I will just say that I lost 10 pounds during those weeks. Caia began walking in the bathroom and spitting in the toilet because she saw me do it so often. She would come in while I was losing my saltine crackers and pat me on the back and rub my hair. Poor Jonathan had to clean the toilet ALL the time--the TRUE downfalls of only 1 bathroom at a time like that! 

But, we all lived through it and have come out on the other side healthy and excited! (I've even said I'll do it again, 2 just doesn't seem like enough!)

School Days

So, Caia LOVES school! It took about 2 weeks (3 hours/3 mornings a week), but after that, she was begging to go! I am so happy she is happy there! One of my favorite things about it is that she brings home crafts! Here is a rainbow, sun and cloud and below, is her Father's Day gift! it says, "Happy Day Daddy." 

Her class eats lunch at 10:30, and since we don't pick her up until 11:00, she has started eating lunch too. Prior to our knowledge of this early lunchtime, apparently Caia was begging food from the teachers, so they mentioned to us that we may want to start buying Caia's lunch each day (it's a little less than $1 for her lunch each day). 

Anyway, she loves it! 

Prima Ballerina

Jonathan's brother and his wife came and took us on an all-star vacation in April! Not only did they take us on flippin' sweet vacation, but they brought us TONS of goodies from home and Caia has become almost permanently attached to the ballet skirt that came with her ballet pajamas. Of course I am super-excited about this! However, Caia can't take ballet here until she's 4 years old, so we have a couple more years until she's officially a prima! 

WE'RE MOVING!

So, we have lived in this house longer than any other since we have been married, but it's time to move on! Why you ask? Well, we are moving to Ali and Kyle's old digs in a "gated community" that is closer to the project! Not only that, but it's a little bit bigger, has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms (ours now is a 2/1) and it's much newer! Their house also only shares a wall with one other house and those neighbors don't tend to have the car parties every weekend! Not to mention, the new house doesn't share a wall with a Chinese restaurant! And finally, when you look out their front door (as Caia and JG are doing here in our current home), you see other homes instead of a trash dump, wood pile and port-a-potty (and folks, clean out the port-a-potty day once a week is a ROUGH day on the nostrils!). So, as much as we have enjoyed our first home and all of its' perks, we are really excited about what God has provided! 

Bebe's Visit

Jonathan went out of town for 4 days with a team and who swept in to save the day? You know it, Bebe! My mom is the greatest! I called her 2 weeks prior to the day she landed and told her that I needed help! And my mom is not one to just come, "play with the kid." Oh, no! She comes and cooks, cleans, washes dishes and clothes, buys us meals, buys us groceries AND plays with the kid! Everything she did was such a gift to all of us! And it was SO good for my heart!

My parents did my brother, sister and I such a favor in telling us there was a world beyond out back yards and providing the means to us to discover it! So, all 3 of us went out of state to college and then off to many wild blue yonders from there! It couldn't have been easy for my parents to watch their kids go so far away (especially when their friends' kids were staying so close), but they encouraged us each step--all the way to India! But now, there are grandkids involved. And as much as our families would like us near and to be a more constant part of our lives, my parents REALLY DID give me roots and wings--and you KNOW that mine can't be clipped! However, the hardest part of our life is raising our daughter away from family. 

My greatest fear in moving my child out of the U.S.A. at age 3.5 months was that she wouldn't know her family, and initially, she really didn't. Due to visa regulations, we had to leave the country every 3 months our first year here, so we saw family often during that time, but it always took Caia a while to warm up, and I hated it! We definitely saw change during our trip home this past Christmas and even more so this past May. Well, from the minute my mom showed up here, July 1, she had a shadow (and our house is only 800 sq. ft)! She couldn't go anywhere without Caia following right behind! And in those few days, I knew God had done this work, my daughter knew and adored my mom! Mom left early one morning, before Caia was awake, and the whole day Caia kept saying, "Bebe?" We still refer to the bed mom slept in (in Caia's room) as Bebe's bed and Caia will pick up the calculator and pretend she is talking on the phone to mom and just laugh! It's something God did for me, for my mom and for Caia. I really do believe God has something special for parents/grandparents who release their kids-who push their kids -to chase Jesus and I am so blessed and thankful to have those parents! 

In the Garden

JG's sister-in-law has a great camera and is great with it! We went with her to her mother-in-law's garden and chased Caia for an hour! This is the way to take pictures of kids people, forget the studios! Never a tear, never boredom, never a fit...Caia just played and Laurie just snapped! 

(I can get you Laurie's information if you want it :) )