Back to School-2010 edition

It's REALLY hard to believe that this is our 5th first day of school since kindergarten. Can't believe it!! The kids were very excited, up until we hit the parking lot.

We started with breakfast requests: Cam an omelet made by Dad & Bran some pancakes.

Then we moved to the hair spiking and the picture taking. I am a bit crazy with my camera on the first day of school, but that is another post between me & my psychologist. :)

Here they are! Handsome...I must say.

Again, they were co-operative until we hit the pavement. Then the "Mom, stop taking pictures you are embarrassing me" started.

And...the grand finale-the annual collage.

summer time, summer time

Where did you go?? It all went by SOOOO fast! Here's a quick snippet of how it all ended up for the Taylor Family!

Trip to the Myers/Gilberts for an awesome 4th of July bash! Nothing like some fun with friends & a jam session! Thanks Lynn for including the boys!

serious faces...

sweet happy "I get to play my guitar" face

serious jam face

Fun times @ Trinity University Baseball camp with friends!

love this one!

Closing out the summer @ the lake house!!

Bran had some sweet hair after a quick nap

sweet feet

sun kissed cheek brothers

ahhhh...such a sweet view for the week!

lots and lots and lots of fishing!

then we got back & got to enjoy a FUN week @ VBS! Elli was my buddy!

then f...u...n at the river with the other Taylors!

THEEEENNNN...we had our church's annual Baptism & Back to School bash!

Here are Blake & the boys doing what they do best...parking!

Camron got rededicated!! Here's a sweet moment captured by Esther as we were praying before it all started.

YEAH MR MAN!!! Up & out of the water he came!

We got to end up our last week of summer with THIS guy!! I didn't get a picture while I got to babysit him, but had to steal this one from Brooke's blog! MAN, is he cute or what?!

Last but not least...we ended up our last night before school with trip to Chili's with the Blevins'. Not to mention...in matching outfits! Aren't we cute?

Some pictures from Blake's trip

Hi friends!!! I have made a little slideshow movie of some of the pictures from Blake's trip. Some were taken by him, some by Amanda Eisermann (who is a wonderful photographer!!) and some from Ryan Jacobson. I am quite sure that there will be many more to come from different people, but enjoy these for now!!! Love, Jen

Blake made it home...safe and sound!

(and stinky!!)

Boy oh boy!! The mission team arrived home after a 31 hour travel after leaving Entebbe. They ALL looked like they were in desperate need of a shower and their beds. But the best part, is that the look they all had was beautiful! Beautiful from the heart. All 12 of them had just poured their hearts into 140+ children for 2 whole weeks! I can never thank them all enough!

Thank you for the reading the couple of posts and keeping up with them on the blogs! It meant so much to all of them!

Waiting for the fireworks on the 4th of July!

-Jen (sent from my blackberry)

Blake's email update yesterday

Today was clinic...130+ files, pics, charts, eye exams, HIV test, polio, tetanus, and measles vaccines, vital signs, dental exams, and letters to sponsors. Praise God...ZERO HIV positive.

That's it for now. We're tired and going to bed. We'll get back to creativity tomorrow. J

Love to all!

Blake

-Again, don't forget to check the other blogs for more details!

Checking in

Well, Blake is GREAT! They are having a wonderful experience there. All he mainly says is that it's hard to describe. Hopefully he will be able to once he gets home!! i did get to have a great conversation with him yesterday, and it REALLY put me at ease. I needed that!!

Don't forget to check the other blogs. They are all taking turns, and are doing so well at it! So fun to live it through each of their words. And-please comment on their blogs if you can! It's really the only form of communication they are getting from any of us!!

Last email from Blake:
Love you...just wanted to check in. We're going to be out all day at the boys house digging post holes for the fence and then VBS. I hope acacia was good. I miss you and love you very much. Please hug the boys and let say hi for me. Read the blogs to know what we're doing. My turn to blog hasn't come up yet. I'm not a blogger, so it won't be like the others, but whatever. I'm having to do a lot of what I normally wouldn't do anyway. Today is my devotional though. We're about to have breakfast so I'm gonna go. Write back and tell me what's up.

Love,
Blake

Updates...

I've been able to talk to Blake twice now. He's doing great, and not eating nearly as bad as I thought they would! They had tilapia tonight for dinner! Who knew? They are all sleeping well and it seems as though everyone is getting a little used to Uganda living. They are doing a great job with keeping up with the other blogs, so don't forget to check them!

Here's an update via an email that he sent me. I had no idea he'd be able to access his Scooter Store exchange server from Uganda! Did you? HA!

From him: Hi Babe. Josh bought a sim card and I can access my exchange server

OMG, the arrival to the house was overwhelming.

Joy and sadness all at the same time and about 100 screaming kids, all wanting to touch you and hug you at the same time. I fought hard not to break down and cry. I got to meet and hug on Moses. No one calls him that here. They all know him as Okere. Just Okere. He is sweet. Didn't get to visit with him that long...Susan sent them all home (boys house) so that we could unpack and eat dinner.He says that he loves us and he prays for us everyday.

Don't know if I'll email everyday, but maybe. Tell the boys hello and that I love and miss them deeply. Same goes for you.Love you, -bt

From me: Love you! Thank you so much for the update! Its so wierd that you are across the dang world right now! & that I can talk to you via email. I hope you are able to get some good, good rest tonight. I love you so much & it was SO good to get the email from you!! I didn't think I'd miss you this much already. Don't forget to take care of yourself!! & stay away from the roadkill. Heard y'all bought some road side chicken on the way there via jack. Babe, like mexico dog tacos. Love you!!

From him: Chicken on a stick is better than dog tacos. We also had roasted banana. Josh and I liked it, the rest did not.Sleep was good. Ambien rocks! About to have breakfast, talk to you later.Love,-bt

Blake's in AFRICA!!

My sweet husband is now officially in Iganga, Uganda, East Africa!

What, some of you might ask?? (Probably not, with only a couple of people that read my blog & you know the story, but oh well.)

Here's the short of it: We are privileged to be a part of our wonderful church, Riverside Community Church. There are 2 trips that are taken pretty regularly through the church in the past 4 years-one is a teaching trip to Israel and a the other is a mission trip to Africa. Blake was going to Israel, I was going to Africa (part of our 10 year plan of life). See, Blake is smart. He can beat anyone I know at Trivial Pursuit, well maybe not his dad, but anyone else. Blake loves to learn new things. He loves the bible and history, so it made sense that he wanted to go to Israel. Me, I love kids. I love to serve. I am not a trivial pursuit champion. I get excited if I get 1 question right in the whole game, and it's normally pop culture. I wanted to love on some kids, not hike through the desert & memorize scripture. I know, terrible, but everyone is here for a purpose.

So, about 9 months ago, they start planning the Africa trip. Again, I want to go. Not necessarily this time, I am thinking, but Africa is my trip. So Blake looks at me and says, "Babe, I think I am going to Africa." In my mind I think, heck no, that's my trip, but out of my mouth comes "OK!!!" What? Blake? Africa? No way. Now?? It's expensive! It's FAR! We have 2 young kids! How in the heck to we come up with the $? And for Blake to go?? But, even though those thoughts went quickly through my head, I was filled with a complete sense of peace & knowing that HE WAS GOING TO GO, and we would find the $ for him to do so.

Fast forward 9 months, after lots of planning, reading, praying, wonderful, WONDERFUL hearts (people) that gave towards his trip, our saving, and some tears, Blake has made it. I was very torn if I should even write about it. It's not my trip, it's his, but I have the blog, and this is my side of the story. So there.

Here are a couple of pictures from the airport on Wednesday when he left...

Now, that's a LOT of luggage!! The team was able to take soooo much stuff for the orphanage in Iganga. Everything from medicine & medical supplies...more than you could ever imagine!, school supplies, clothes, a post hole digger, vbs supplies, and sooo much more!

The boys were so excited for Blake, can't you tell by the look on Bran's face?

The 12 person team that are going to do God's work in Africa over the next 15 days!! Please pray for them by name: Colton, Brian, Kayla, Josh, Blake, Ryan, Jaimie, Liz, Amanda, Sue, Nicole and Tamara.

And...with their families! (that's my hand & camera case at the very far left above the Little Mermaid pillowcase. Whew...I made the picture! and not sure what Blake was doing with his face on this one. Think it was something like "can we please stop taking pictures now" face)

Sue on the trip is going to try and update her blog at http://www.sue-henderson.blogspot.com/ and there should be someone updating the http://www.riversidearoundtheworld.blogspot.com/ one too. Just in case you wanna get it from their point of view too!!