Fingerpaint, bubbles, and home visits

Thank you friends who has private messaged me how much they are enjoying the day to day wrap up.  While I write everything here for some type of personal record, I appreciate knowing you were thinking and praying for our teams safety and that our work would be fulfilled.

About two weeks before we left our team got our official assignment from 410 bridge.  The other teams from our church had previously set up a week-long medical clinic for vaccinations and deworming as well a team that worked specially on rock removal near the well project.

Our team was asked to complete two tasks during our five days in Michura:  to paint the exteriors and roofs of the school buildings and to work with 4 standards (grades) of village children.  Take a wild guess which team I wanted to serve and plan.  Among our team was another teacher who teaches middle school math.  We worked to plan based on given curriculum but were allowed to come up with crafts and games on our own and based on what we could feasibly bring with us on the plane.

We were allowed one carry on  bag and a back pack per team member so we were able to use our team checked bags to carry in supplies including fingerpaint, crayons, scissors, constriction paper, balls, bubbles, a  parachute, and instant exposure film.  The last item deserves it's own post about how and what we did on our final day.

Monday 8/6- We arrived in Michura and met our teacher counterparts for the week, Beatrice, mentioned yesterday, and Eunice, teacher of the Standard 1 class of 6 and 7 year olds.  We were welcomed at the bus by many of the children who took us by the hand and walked with us to their classroom.

Thirty children are enrolled in Eunice's class, which is an Introduction to school class.  Over our days of working with her I can dare say that she is the real thing.  A teacher to be reckoned with and would easily translate into any classroom in the US.  She is resourceful in ways that good teachers are, but with the handicap of having nearly none any classroom supplies.  Books are few and must be shared, she distributes pencils which we collected at the end of the day.  So many times Jennifer and I quickly realized that she, not we could take our frame of a lesson and add so much more with her quit wit and knowledge of her students.
The older students attend school in one of  8 classrooms.  The two school buildings are the only structures in the central village area.

On Monday we found a place to hold class, not surprisingly under a tree in the shade.  We set up with some of the desks from the classroom with the kids sprawled out among us.  The kids learn English in class, but still have broken language and we needed help with translation.  We taught a song with hand motions that we would practice each day.  We did a story, Bible verse, and then craft.  On the first day we made handprint hearts with the fingerpaint.

According to Eunice, it was the first time they had seen fingerpaint and needed us to show them that it was ok to get messy.  Once they got the hang of the paint, it was pure joy to watch their excitement to see their hands in paint.  We helped the kids clean up with good ol' baby wipes, which in itself showed a level of trust and proximity to clean their hands.  Several of the mothers seemed surprised that we took the kids by the hands and gently rubbed the paint from each.

While the paint was drying we pulled out the parachute, another first.  Check out the expression of the kids faces when they realized they could go under the parachute.  We played popcorn with a ball onto of the parachute and then moved directly into soccer. Likes flies to honey as soon as the soccer ball came out the kids went nuts.  The kids have goals made of two large branches at each end of the main common area and use a soccer ball made of plastic bags.

After lunch our team played community games.  What I thought would be playing with the kids was quickly replaced with the men of the village "warming up" as in were running laps awaiting us to finish lunch.  Most of the men played barefoot to our 6 male team members.  The game lasted almost 2 hours during the hottest part of the day.  Other than one of our female team members, who plays club soccer and runs track/field at high school at home, none of our female team members opted to play.  Instead I found a shady tree and quickly was surrounded with children intently watching the game.  Nearby some of the older girls were watching and giggling at our lone female player.  I later found out that several of the girls idolized Shirley and were amazed she was playing as well as the boys.

We wrapped up the day with a men vs women tug of war.  Not surprisingly, the men won.  And boy did they celebrate!

We left Monday tired but exhilarated by the kids and adults we had worked alongside.

Tuesday 8/7- I was excited today that we were going to be making home visits in the afternoon to keep house, cook and share a meal with one of the village families.  With the kids we again pulled out the fingerpaint and painted on a set of large cut out animals including zebras, giraffes, hippos, and elephant.  We wanted to leave something that Eunice could use in her classroom.

Then came bubbles.  Wow.  By day two our games group now had doubled in size.  Kids were chasing the bubbles, those with shoes were throwing them to burst them, the teachers and some of the adults came over from painting and asked to blow bubbles with us.

After lunch we broke into three teams to visit homes.  I had the honor of visiting Beatrice's home were we where we first prayed as a group and she allowed us to tour her home. Beatrice has 12 children, 9 living and is a widow.  Her walls were covered with pictures of her children and late husband.  My favorite was of her in college with an ear to ear smile.  Beatrice is the real deal, a leader among her community, to the women whom she leads an empowerment group leader in which they pool their money and buy a rotating member something new each month.  She proudly told me of the dishes, pots, and utensils purchased in the last year.

In Michura, most homes have an outdoor kitchen where all food is prepared.  Near the home are chickens, goats, corn fields. Today we would making a fish stew with ugali.  Ugali is a staple in the michuran diet and is similar to cornmeal mush.  In the absence of utensils, it can be formed into a soft ball to sop up food like a spoon.  It's also really good and most nights at the hotel I enjoyed it with kale and sweet potatoes.

Each of us helped clean the fish and stir the ugali. We returned to inside the home to share the meal of one fish and a large pot of ugali.  The food was great and being able to participate and talk about daily life including the four hour round trip walk for clean water.  Everywhere you see children and women carrying jugs of water.  I was most impressed with those who can carry water on their heads!

I've had several people ask about the water project which is estimated to be finished in 12-18 months.  Here is current progress as captured the week we visited.  The project will run pipes from the top of the mountain where the clean water exists and filter it before it reaches a large reservoir with a pump.  If curious, the pond near our bus is the current town closest water source.

It can be boiled to remove some impurities, but remains dirty and brown.  Rain is scarce in Michura and only 1-2 days of rain occurs each month. All homes have rain collection gutters and homemade tanks.

Something Beatrice said to me really stuck, "our life here is hard, we acknowledge this, we accept this challenge, we are called to make the best of what we have."  What an amazing woman and an honor to have prepared a meal in her home.

I had the chance while we were cooking to ask her about my sponsor child, Siprin.  Beatrice shared with me how she is an excellent and disciplined student with so much potential, but her family had endured much sadness.  She shared with me that in 3 years Siprin will take the national Kenyan secondary school exam and that she had odds to secure a placement at one of the boarding secondary schools.

I asked if possible could I meet her parents and share our mutual desire for Siprin to continue in school.  I had actually met Siprin on Sunday, but want to tell of our meeting and the amazing events that would transpire the next day in the events of August 8th.  She is a sweet, shy, and loving girl.  She met me at the bus on Tuesday and held my hand walking me into the village.  Little did I know how much the next 24 hours  would hold for our final day, but once home a week later and I am still thinking about those last few hours and am speechless.

Preparing for the rehearsed and the un-rehearsed

Sunday 8/5- We returned to Michura for worship.  There are four churches that serve the community including the aptly named Power of Jesus Temple.  One of the things I remembered about the introductions from the day before was the way in which the tribal leaders introduced themselves, praise to God, an example of God's mercy in their life, and THEN their name.

Here was our church, under a giant tree overlooking the valley below.  One of the things I loved is throughout the first hour of a 3 hour service more and more community members streamed in as the singing increased in volume.

There was prayers, singing, shouting, more praying, then sermons by two of the four pastors. Silas, one of the community members and who is the 410 Bridge lesion to the community translated much of the service.

Our team was asked to sing and give testimony and favorite scripture.  By the end of the service I dare say I've never heard God referenced as "pregnant and wanting to give birth to new life." It was hands down one of the most spirited messages I've ever heard.  The service, the music, and especially the outdoor setting was a celebration of the faith and testament that God is very much a presence in their daily lives.

After lunch, which was prepared and boxed by our hotel daily, we broke into three groups of a men's bible study, women's, and youth.  My teammate Jennifer, also a teacher, and I were asked to lead the women's group.  Before we left Jennifer and I reviewed the lesson we were asked to teach about responsibly and had the chance to talk to another of the 410 Bridge staff who lives and works in Nairobi.  We had questions about what topics should we focus on and those to shy away from as to be respectful of our cultural differences.

As we sat overlooking this beautiful vista surrounded by about 30 women dressed in every color and print we began in prayer.  Somehow it fell to me to open in prayer and I prayed that the rehearsed as well as the un-rehearsed would come forth and bring us together.  I was really nervous, despite talking all day for a living.

This felt different than daily teaching and surrounding us were the faces awaiting what were were bringing from a very far away place.  Jennifer and I introduced ourselves and  mothers, teachers, followers of Christ.  We received clapping that we are teachers. A first for both of us and evidence of the importance on education in the community.  Once we were finished, Beatrice, the wonderful leader of the village women's group and only female tribal elder asked if we wanted the women to introduce themselves.

What transpired next was amazing and the women through Beatrice's interpretation conveyed their faith in God despite hardships, deaths of children, spouses, the sheer hard work each performed just to live.  What was spoken was who was related to whom, how many children they had both living and dead.  It was their chance to identify themselves, free from the shadow of the men.

Near the end of our lesson all attention shifted to a game of Duck, Duck Goose called Zebra, Zebra, Lion in Kenya.  The women were straining to see the growing noise and sounds of children laughing and chasing each other.  Jennifer and I looked at each other and as teachers, retooled on the fly and opted to close in prayer.

As tradition, the women kneeled in the dirt as did we.  Beatrice looked over and says, "Not you. you are leading the prayer. You stand."  I was humbled. Somehow I again was the one speaking and closing us in prayer.  I asked the women again to name either out loud or in their hearts their requests.  As we started the prayer the kids voices began to drown us out so I wrapped up the prayer for,"God to give us the same joy of the children in our daily lives."

At the end, the women broke out in song, shouting and dancing.  Jennifer and I as well as our other female teammates Diana and Jessica gladly took part and garnered the attention of the men's group who were now watching and clapping along.  It was a celebration that despite the language barrier, we were all women. For months I've thought about how the struggles and want for a better lives transcended cultural barriers.  We all love our families and our children from the same heart. On that Sunday it was evident.

As we were leaving and walking back to our bus two of the oldest ladies among the group grasped my hands and walked me back over the rocky road.  As would become common in the days ahead, both in greeting and parting goodbye, hugging and the clasping of both hands connecting us together became the norm.

Truly a beautiful day filled with the shared experience of worship and celebration in faith in God. As far as church experiences it was literally a mountaintop moment.

Getting to Michura

Several friends have asked if I can share what happened day by day, so I'm going to take the next few posts to detail a couple of days at a time. Today I'll detail our team leaving on Thursday and finally arriving in Michura on Saturday.  Prepare for insane picture overload now that I have our team pictures.

Thursday 8/2- Our team of 12 left Left Raleigh-Durham on an overnight flight for London.  The same London smack dab in the middle of the Summer Olympics.  What else to do with a 12 hour layover then TOUR!

Friday 8/3- First up, buying day passes on the Underground and paying homage to the Queen.

Then a short stop at the Apple store.  Why?  One of our team leaders was the former head of global retail store development for Apple.  Don't even ask how or why he left a corporate job in CA for church service NC, it will blow your mind.  All I can say is our team benefited from his leadership in so many ways.

We opted for trying to make it to Olympic Park via the train in hopes of getting in, sadly once we arrived all tickets to enter were sold for the day.  Not since being at the Obama inauguration have I been in this much of a crowd.

The crowd was insane as well as totally alive with Olympic fever.  I picked up t shirts for our family as well as a Apple Olympics pin for Bill.  Next up we headed to the hotel we were suppose to be sleeping in instead of touring for one hour before heading to the airport, hello a much needed shower

We headed to Heathrow were we flew out of the Africa and South Asia terminal.  I totally won the "where is that city award" among the group.  Social Studies teachers rule.

Saturday 8/4-We again flew overnight bound for Narobi and lucked out with an extra seat so I got some sleep.  We arrived in Narobi at sunrise and had to change to the domestic terminal which involved crossing the street.  Yes that would be me brushing my teeth while waiting.  Two of the things I am most happy to return home to:  using safe tap water and US bathrooms.

We had a several hour layover in Narobi in which we got visas, got breakfast, exchanged money for Kenyan shillings.  We took a super short 30 min flight to Kisumu, and luckily we didn't take a super small plane nor did we land on dirt. In the last year a brand new airport had been built.  We did land in what felt like the smallest airport ever and I was very thankful that on journey to Michura was almost complete without incident.

We headed directly from the airport to Michura, a village of around 1,500 around an hour southwest of Kisumu.  Kisumu is the 3rd largest city in Kenya and is situated on Lake Victoria and near the border of Uganda.  I was surprised at how big the city was and sadly was also surprised by the poverty along the streets including wandering cows and goats, burning garbage, kids drinking from dirty water, and a population density with people on top of one another.

I took politics in developing nations in college and thought I had some idea of the vast differences between the haves and have nots. This was real poverty just feet away from me and never became easy to see on our daily drive.

Then there was the traffic and the smog.  We would drive through the main outdoor market and shantytowns each day along the one major road out of town.

By the end of our time I got used to the pervasive smell that seemed to permeate my clothes and body.  Even Bill commented when I opened up my suitcase once home that he was surprised the smell traveled thousands of miles home.

This is a good chance to also mention our hotel.  By US standards it would have been a low brow place to avoid.  By Kenyan standards and what we would see in the village it was a luxury to have access to indoor bathrooms, a bed with a mosquito net, food that actually was really good, and a private room for our group to meet nightly. We were lucky for our fan even thought it was technically "winter" season.  Most days it was in the 80s with moderate humidity.  Did I mention that there was a tv in the bar area with the Olympics on continually?  Every day we returned I sat in the bar drinking bottled sodas not available in the US like Black Current Fanta and watched the Olympics.  Awesome memory watching women's weightlifting with two Kenyans with no common language other than exchanged glances meaning "these women are insanely huge."

Plus, there were monkeys everywhere.  Monkeys, people.

I also spent time each night sitting here journaling the day.  I'm embarrassed to say that while I did miss my family, I also loved only being responsible for myself.  Each day was physically and also emotionally draining and I took time everyday to be alone, go to bed early, take a walk inside the walled grounds.

We arrived in Michura around noon in time for an opening ceremony lead by the town elders.  When we turned the corner to be greeted by teacher Beatrice and her students with flowers and singing. every bit of tiredness and culture shock was erased.

We are met by approaching children in their school uniforms, climbing over big rocks on the main trail into the village. I will never again experience a welcome like this again for the first time.  I wish you could hear the purity of singing and joy of the faces of Michuran children that will soon become our family.

Home

We arrived home late Saturday after 9 days filled with hope, joy, heartbreak, and simply amazing moments.  Thank you for holding us in your hearts and prayers throughout our journey.

More posts and pictures to come this week as I re-acclimate to life, something that is proving harder than expected. My life was forever changed by the sights, sounds, smells, and relationships built over a few short days. I was reminded that this type of hurt only comes when your heart has been forever changed.

As a team we committed to only have one group member photographing our days in the village as to focus all our attention on our mission to serve the Michuran community.

I'm awaiting to see what of our 5 days with this amazing group of people will emerge.  I know that many moments are treasured in my heart regardless is there is photographic proof they existed.

After leaving the community we drove across the Kenyan countryside spending our final night in a game lodge at Lake Nakuru. We took a sunrise safari during which I captured some of the following images.

I am living a beautiful story of which the following experience is only a small chapter.  The last thing I said to Siprin, whom I not only met but was able to spend time with her teacher and parents as well, was that I will see you again.  If our impact on the community was a fraction of their impact of me, it's still immense.

Leaving for Kenya

Tomorrow I'm leaving after nearly 9 months of preparation for Kenya.  Most of Thursday and Friday will be spent flying and in layovers, including a 12 hour stint in London.  I'm hoping and praying for good traveling conditions as well as the health of our 12 member team. 

We will reach Michura, a small village of 1,500 situated on the mountains that overlook Lake Victoria near Uganda by Saturday morning.  Our team will be continue work on a clean water project collaboration between the organization 410 Bridge and Crosspointe Church, Cary NC.  Already this year two teams have traveled to Michura and more trips are planned as this is an ongoing partnership. I originally thought I would be doing physical labor, but upon finding out that school teachers were among our group, we were asked to split our teams with some of us working with the village children.

Each day I will be teaching and working with the 6-7 year old primary school students in the morning.  Our afternoons will be spent in the community living and working alongside a family to understand their culture, traditions, as well as their daily life tasks.

On Sunday all four village churches will come together for a mass community worship celebration and later that afternoon I and one of my teammates will be leading the community women's bible study.  The pictures I've seen from past teams show the Michuran people living lives much like ours with emphasis on family, relationships, care of children and the want for a rich, full life.  

From  past team members I've heard how humbling it is to be among their community with all focus on just our small team.  It seems surreal to me how in just a matter of days that the community, and especially the children, will adopt you as extended family.

There is one child I am especially excited to meet.  Meet Siprin, a beautiful twelve year old girl our family has pledged to support her educational expenses through secondary school.  One of the ways we communicate is through Rafiki mail, uploaded messages on whiteboards that are printed and carried into the village through the Kenyan contacts with the 410 Bridge. 

This has been a great way to connect my own children with my planning and preparations as well as help them understand why I will be gone. The boys made Siprin pictures and I will leaving a photo of my family in hopes we will continue to communicate.

We will leave Michura next Thursday and will stay overnight at a safari lodge outside of Nairobi.  All hopes that we will be able to take a planned sunset safari before we begin the journey home on Friday.

It is not by chance that the 1 year anniversary of my mom's death passes while serving in Michura. I can't think of a better way to honor her memory than giving from my heart. My mom was a long time piano teacher as well as director of the children's choirs at my home church. I know she would be moved that we/I are serving the children in the Michura community. 

Thank you friends for your help in making this trip a reality.  Thank you for not only your financial support but your emotional and spiritual support as well.  My heart tells me this is only the 1st trip to Michura. Something within me knows what lies ahead in the next 9 days will change me in more ways than I cannot imagine.  

To follow our group facebook page for travel updates and pictures during the week link to: http://www.facebook.com/CrosspointeMissions

-heather

"let my life be proof of His love"

Tales from the little potty- Book 2, Volume 1

Do you see what I see?

As Ian is talking about a potty, wanting to flush any and all public toilets we are moving into potty training, Take 2.  We renewed his favorite potty book so many times that we finally bought a home copy.  This summer is all about some potty awareness  including letting him sit whenever whether clothed or not on the little potty.  Since we have been consciously tracking over the past couple of weeks weeks he's peed on the potty twice.

Unlike the almost 2 year battle to train Ben I am trying a much more relaxed approach.  I'm hoping that once back in regular daycare in late August that their efforts along with ours will help Ian along.

I'm hopeful that during book 2 of these potty diaries never to write the following sentence, "Like a bear in the woods my child sh*t behind a bush." Remember from Tales from the Potty, the Leather Bound Edition when  Ben graced me with not one but two nuggets of parenting gold?  Actually upon re- reading this is one of my favorite posts ever.  I'm glad I gave it the 2 friend test and published a keepin' it real parenting moment.

Tomorrow Ian and I are going to meet his new teachers and take his supplies/forms as he will be there all next week while I'm in Kenya.   While I'm not expecting anything in a week time frame I do hope that with the positive influence of other children as well as supportive teachers that some progress this upcoming school year will be made.

My God have mercy on my soul as well as my patience.

Ben ADHD update

We are close to 90 days into the decision to medicate Ben's ADHD.  Yesterday was a good example of the strides he has made but also how very difficult managing his behavior remains.  The third med trial resulted in a choice of a medication that he takes with breakfast that lasts until around dinner.

Most days Ben is at his best in the am so we have blocked out weekly tutoring, 1/2 day camps, or appointments early. Afternoons are for the pool, playing outside with our neighbors, t-ball, and being lazy until dinner.

We've gotten into a summer pattern that seems to work with the exception of tearful outbursts over what seems to be inconsequential nothing. Luckily the tantrums are fewer on the medicine but still occur and mostly are triggered without notice.

Let's take yesterday as a prime example.  Ben is in a 1/2 day art day camp called "Art Outside the Box."  All week the class is using unconventional items to create art.  Yesterday they created mud paintings. When I dropped him off today they were stuffing paper inside an upside down tomato cage with the intention of throwing paint a la Jackson Pollack for some type of sculpture.  For a kid that normally raids our recycle barrel to create art projects this was a great camp for him. 

Back to yesterday when he dropped the mud painting in the parking lot sending most of the mud to flake off and be ruined.  Enter a massive meltdown with crying, kicking my car, screaming and at it's worst hitting and kicking me.  


What I have found is that when Ben falls into one of these tantrum, it is best to let him burn it off in a safe place.  When driving, I pull off the road and if needed pull him out of the car if he's throwing items, if in a store or restaurant someone sits with him outside until he is calmed down.  In the case of the ruined painting we sat outside the building on a bench while he transitioned from anger to sobbing to asking if we could ask the teacher how to make the mud paint and try it at home.   


It is a test of all our wills not to react in anger but rather calmly explain that we are not leaving or returning until he is calmed down. What also works is to let him know that if he destroys something, it will not be replaced unless he pays for it, if he physically hits us or Ian he automatically goes into time out regardless of where we are with additional punishment once home.  Part of me has just has to suck up the embarrassment of a bear hug to temper an out control tantrum in public.  Luckily minus some scornful looks, I've not had anything said to my face.  


Part of helping Ben, is also letting him figure out how to rebound and move on.  Even with abysmal behavior he on his own apologize and tell me he is going to try to think.  I like "try to think over try harder, because ADHD is not about doing it harder."  This is a huge gain for him to learn to regroup and move on with limited adult involvement other than physical proximity.  

As I already have a toddler in tow some days it seems like Ben is just a 50 lb version of Ian. The days of double tantrums are hard.  I still wouldn't trade that he is better due to consistent medication.  He has soared with self confidence working with the tutor as well as with praise for listening and acting appropriately during t-ball games/practice from his coach. I finally decided to check the box on camp applications and briefly mention that he has a diagnosis and is on medication and asked to be called immediately if he has a tantrum at camp.  So far not one call this summer and each of his counselors have reported good behavior at pick up.   


Doing the medication trials over the summer gave me so much more time to evaluate beyond relying on teachers' observations alone and I have hoped that instead of blindly guessing what the deal is with a tantrum, if knowledgeable can react appropriately.  I feel like a huge piece of my job as a mother to a child with ADHD is public education that my kid has something that makes him different, just like any other illness. Providing insight into what works for him including legit praise and catching him being good as a 1st line of defense.  Ben also reacts well to silliness, just like every other kid this age I know.  


Being at home with the boys without the responsibility of work has also allowed me to spend time with each of the boys alone.  Ben almost always chooses water slide racing at the pool and the days Ian has been in camp from 9-noon we've raced to the point my 37 year old butt aches.

Before his last art class today we walked to a nearby old time soda fountain as a field trip Friday at Camp Mommy.  Ben's behavior was stellar to the point that the man behind us commented on my kids good behavior and that watching Ian eat ice cream was the highlight of his lunch.

Remind me to revisit this day when the transition to 1st grade arrives with what I've sure will be behavior to match.  I'd like to be surprised that Ben's gains are more than imagined, they are real.

Smitten

I think you could say Ben is smitten with a girl from his after school program that just so happens to also be at the same day camp this week.

He rushed home yesterday to make her this note.  What I would not do to be a fly on the wall when she opened it.

Note:  love the line, "the grat thins wee doo."  The 6 year version seems sweet, the 16 year old version scares me.

Shots, Nuns, and a Mechanical Bull

***Disclaimer:  No matter at what point of my life you know me, high school, college, even adulthood if you have ever asked yourself if given the opportunity to ride a mechanical bull would Heather partake in such foolishness?  

Folks, you would be right and today my Monday has been rather tame compared to my Saturday in Nashville.

Actually from last Thursday afternoon until yesterday lunch I was with my college sorority sisters for reunion weekend. Much like our weekend at the Grove Park last year expectations were high.  

Actually I must start a wrap up back on Monday with a single picture.

Say would that be a hella lot of shots you took at one time and  I would answer in the affirmative.  5 shots including:  Typhoid, Hep A, Yellow Fever, Tetanus, even a Polio booster.  Add in a prescription for Malaria meds to start next week and yes I will again tell you that going is totally worth it but man did those shots hurt.


Back to Thursday when my friend Meredith arrived in town to join me on the flight.  On our (thankfully) closed Facebook group the reunion has lived on with all bets were putting us on a plane together would


1.  result in a Bridesmaids-type confrontation
2.  someone would be really sorry if they got stuck sitting next to us, especially the nun

By Thursday night we had met up with our group with both of us not banned from Southwest airlines for life.  

Friday am I felt horrible, and not from the say 1 drink I had at dinner.  If you know me then you also know I know that post surgery I've super careful not to make myself sick with any amount of drinking. I felt horrible, like a bus has not only hit me, but also run over me horrible.  I stayed in bed watching the Brady Bunch movie while everyone else is at breakfast.    

I made it out for an amazing lunch of every southern goodness on a plate. I actually cannot stay awake and at this point all I want to do is sleep.  My awesome friend Beth C. (See photo below) is a nurse by trade and immediately linked the shots to the now asleep version that was fun lovin' Heatha just hours before.

Not that the time in bed was all bad, I finally after 4 months of waiting had this little beauty so when not sleeping I was reading.

I was in bed a total of 18 hours and minus leaving for dinner was in the bed for most of Friday.  So yes that kinda of sucked, but if at home would I have been able to pull an monster nap?  Why no, you have kids that would maybe let you sleep 1-2 hours but would want to be like to be fed and entertained at some point.  So in retrospect  it was a good place to be sidelined.


Saturday we opted for BBQ and shopping.  I felt a gazillion percent better so I headed out.  Note: neither Dabni or I purchased said hats or boots.  

We had an elegant dress up dinner followed by a clothes change to head out.  So if you must ask (because I did) what does one where to Nashville Honky Tonk row?

  

We went out for the night, making a stop by for bull riding.  Yes a bit touristy, but given the chance to ride a mechanical bull while my friends of 19 years sang the "Heatha Hendricks Song" aka it's 2 am and we are still practicing for rush events and need a comic diversion.

Well the answer was of course YES. As expected just like the song, watching me (as well as sister Stacy Jo) be thrown from a mechanical bull was in the perfect company.

Until next year ladies, it was as expected a wonderful weekend with a quote list of inside jokes a mile long.