Pick A Peck of Pumpkins

Marlie's school (Harbor Learning Academy) had their annual Pumpkin Patch this past Friday.  I did good to pay the $2 for her pumpkin and get there there and since I work 30 minutes away, I couldn't be there.  I am glad that HLA posts their pictures on Facebook so I can snag them off there.

Ms. Brannon's class with Ms. Rose, the scarecrow

 Ms. Brannon's class with Ms. Olyvia, the scarecrow

 Ms. Rose & Ms. Olyvia

 Ms. Brannon & Ms. Olyvia

 Marlie & her classmates.

Marlie's "best frand" Sophie :)

Dang It! I would have to go soon...

I still can’t believe I went overseas.  And Africa?! What in the world was I thinking?  I had been planning this trip since early 2011.  My sister, Christie (www.compassinmyheart.blogspot.com) made the decision to move to Uganda full time in December 2010.  Our first trip was scheduled for the first two weeks of July 2011.  Christie & George decided to visit that month and I must admit that I was relieved that I wasn’t going.  You can read about that visit here: http://volks-folks.blogspot.com/2011/07/comin-to-america.html

I was just so scared; and for many reasons.  Leaving the kids, the LONG flight, how the travel would affect Mom’s health, and just being so far away from home.  And quite honestly, I’ve always been a pansy when it came to stuff like that.  Christie & George announced their pregnancy and stayed in the States for a few months to have Josiah.  Awesome! I could stall a few more months.  Josiah was born in October 2011 and they didn’t go home until the end of December.  I knew they would not be coming back for some time.  Dang it.  I would have to go soon.  George kept asking me when I was coming.  Christie & George’s older children (Moses & Zziwa) kept messaging me on FB and asking  when I was coming.  I could sense their disappointment. Every time I said “soon”.  They were losing hope.  I couldn’t let them down.  Dang it.  I would have to go soon.

Fast forward to July 2012.  Christie & Josiah came to visit and I was once again relieved that they were coming.  We would get our Christie & Josiah “fix” and I would be good to go for another 6 months or so.  By that time, surely something would bring them back to visit the States and I could dodge it for another year maybe. Christie had planned on staying for about 4 weeks and Mom was going back with them.  They planned for me to travel (by myself, might I add) to Uganda and travel back with Mom.  Dang it.  I would have to go soon.   

 Josiah, Me & Christie ~ Atlanta ~ July 2012

The day before they were supposed to leave, Christie became very sick.  So they would just leave the following week. Christie never got better and ended up in the hospital with malaria.  She was pregnant on top of that, which made her condition a lot more serious.  The team of doctors at UAB advised her NOT to go back to Uganda (long term) until the baby was born.  She didn’t need to risk getting malaria again while pregnant.  I hated that Christie was so sick but again, I was relieved.  By my calculations, the baby wasn’t due until March of NEXT YEAR. I didn’t have to commit yet again.  Whew!

Christie laid up in the hospital.

Somewhere along the way, I failed to keep in mind that this was Christie we were talking about.  Just because she was “advised” to do something, didn’t mean that she was going to do it.  Or even consider it.  I knew she wanted to be in the country that she loves dearly.  I knew that she missed her husband (who recently had his Visa revoked and could not travel to be here with her.  That’s another story in and of itself). I knew that she missed her other littles back home.  There was NO way she was going to stay here for that long.  No way.  Dang it.  I would have to go soon. 

 

Christie fully recovered and changed their tickets.  I would ask my boss if I could take two weeks of my vacation time.  He would surely say no.  Two weeks off at one time for a branch manager was pretty uncommon.  He said yes with no hesitations.  I had just gotten a quarterly bonus.  It just so happened to be the amount of a plane ticket to Uganda.  There was nothing stopping me from booking my ticket but I put it off for about a week.  Christie tried booking my flight one night and it said that particular flight was full.  OK so surely that’s a sign.  Christie called me the next day and told me that she was able to get my ticket booked.  Holy Crap! The next week, I applied for my passport and the following week, received it and got my shots.  

There was no turning back.  DANG. IT!  I would have to go soon…  

Volks Folks?!?

So I changed my blog name.  I wanted to start blogging about our family happenings and really just our life in general but at the same time didn't want to completely start over.  Luckily, blogger allows you to change your blog name and address.  Woohoo!

My children are the funniest kids ever, my husband is a blessing to me (most of the time) and I wanted to have a place to be able to come back to. A place to read fond memories when Derrick & I are old and gray.  I so wish that I had done this when Alex was born.  I’m not even sure if there were blogs in 2003 or not? Gosh, that was only 9 years ago but it makes me feel SO old.  I should have taken it up a lot sooner than now but it’s kind of like that tree you hate to plant because it’s so tiny  and it would take YEARS to grow. 

Now coming up with a family blog name is a tough business.  Thank God I don’t make my living that way.  I’ll be sticking with Finance.  I bet I have spent (wastefully) a good solid week trying to think of a name fitting for our family.  I got me a piece of paper and started writing down things that I thought related well to our crew.  Some of the choices that I considered were: LaughLines (I LOVE to laugh and hope that I am instilling that in my children, MixedNuts (hahaha but we really are crazy. It runs in the family on BOTH sides), WeareTHATfamily (you know the one), Making Lemonade (Life is tough. Like super tough. But you have to chose how you handle it.  We chose to make lemonade with the lemons we are dealt) and MischiefManaged (if you read my Facebook statuses, they’re mostly about my children and their quirky sayings and mischievous ways. 

Volks Folks?  It rhymes and all but WHAT. IN. THE. WORLD? Let me introduce you to my charmingly handsome husband: Derrick.

Cute isn’t he?! Quit lustin’ over my man.  Focus.  Back to the story….

Shortly after we got married, Derrick was introduced to the Volkswagen world.  And he has been all things VW ever since.  The vintage VWs are our favorites.  If you’ve never had a chance to see a variety of them in person, I urge you to do so.  The newer VWs are ok but there is just something about vintage VWs.  Volkswagen has THE coolest ads, a HUGE fan base and unique vehicles.  Derrick had a friend who sold him his 1985 VW Vanagon.  Now, this van was not a looker by any means.  I think the back windshield was actually busted out.  But he was proud to own his first older VW. And I LOVED driving this van.  I had to drive it several days to work while Derrick drove my car when he was working out of town.  Shortly afterwards, we bought a 2002 VW Beetle.  It was a straight shift (first one I had ever owned) and you wanna talk about fun? I so miss my Beetle!  We have not bought any other brand car in the past 10 years.  His prize possession came in November of 2007.  He bought a 1987 VW Vanagon Camper.  This van, which he named “Happy” is the center of his world.  I’m his 2^nd wife.  She is his first (yes he refers to her as a “her”).  He takes good care of her and even talks to her.  Yes, I’m a bit jealous.  And he knows it.

We do a lot of camping in Happy so the name of “Happy Campers” fit well.  We all love Happy.  Marlie loves to play in Happy and looks forward to rides with her daddy.  Alex is in 3^rd grade and by now should be embarrassed to have to ride in such an old “clunker” and completely freak out if he had to get out of “that thing” in front of his classmates.  I know it embarrassed me when I was dropped off at school in one of my Mom’s old boats or that dreadful brown rust-colored Nova.  Rant over.  Alex’s chest pokes out when he sees his Dad pull up to get him at school.  Makes me proud!

Hope you enjoy these pictures of our times with Happy!

 We heart Happy :)

See the redneck ingenious air conditioner project?

Headed to Stone Mountain, GA. 

 Happy is covered with all kinds of stickers from all of the place.

Derrick & Alex introducing Happy to the newest family member ~ Marlie Ann

 DA & I are enjoying Happy shortly after we got her.

Comin' to America...

As I begin this post, I am reminded of the movie “Coming to America”.  When George and I first “met” via FB chat just after Christie returned from her very first trip to Uganda , I felt that there was something very special about him.  Not only because he made my big sister happy but just because…

I spent my lunch hour chatting with George almost every day.  He was always there waiting for me.  It didn’t matter if I went to lunch at 12:00 or 1:00 or 2:00, he always stayed awake to chat with me before retiring to bed (remember, Uganda is 8 hours ahead of the US).  And if I didn’t get to take a lunch, boy was he blowin’ up my FB wall asking where his “lunch date” is. 

I remember George telling me that he was going to run for President of Uganda.  So I assumed he was some kind of big deal (Bahahaha!) I told him he was probably like Eddie Murphy on the moving “coming to America”.  I told him he was some kind of royalty but didn’t want us to know.  It’s still a running joke with us. 

Prince Akeem = George

George had THE hardest time just being able to visit us.  He has been trying since October and kept getting turned down by the Embassy.  I understand the US’s stance on trying to prevent terrorism but geez! Let me just assure you, if being skeptical and rude is in their job description, they did their job well.  George finally scored his Visa the last week of June! Cha-ching! I was soooooo excited that I was FINALLY going to get to meet him in person!

Christie & George were scheduled to arrive on July 4, 2011! I had asked her to schedule their flights on a day that I was off so that I could spend some time with him, since I had to work during the week.  Mom, Alex, Marlie & I went to the airport in Birmingham to pick them up.  We stood at the bottom of the escalator and waited.  We didn’t have time to get our nerves in check because we literally got there five minutes before I saw Christie’s long, bright skirt at the top of the escalator.  In this picture, you will see George squatting down so that he could see us sooner.  And I was doing the same :)

Christie & George arriving at the airport.  Look at THAT smile!

There were no introductions needed! We already knew him.  And we knew him well.  He had been a part of our family all along!  Normally Alex is shy around new people (well, at first) but he took right to George.  Marlie, not so much! 

As we started out of the airport headed to the parking deck, Christie asked George to rent one of those carts that you can wheel your luggage with.  Poor George.  He had only been in America a few hours and was already broke! The carts cost $4 to rent and he only had $2.  LOL.  He had to borrow a couple dollars from Alex…

As we drove home, I just let it all soak in.  I loved hearing George’s accent and hearing him talk.  We went back to my house where Derrick was preparing George’s first real American home-cooked meal: ribs, baked beans and jalapeno poppers.  When we got home, we headed up the steps into the kitchen and George was greeted by our little dog Copper.  Boy was he freaked out!  He started backing down the stairs and squealing (if you’ve ever met George, you know how high his voice can get).  It was hilarious!  He never warmed up to her either!

Alex wanted to show George how good he was at playing darts and George was pretty good too!

We had a lovely meal, I bored George with my many scrapbooks, he played Bowling on the Wii with Chritie and Alex, and I made him take off that ugly Auburn hat that somebody had given him and I introduced him to the Alabama hat.  We enjoyed our evening together and then it was time for them to go home (to my mom’s in Alexander City). What a great day that was!

 

Trip to Uganda....POSTPONED

Thanks to everyone who purchased a "Who Cares About the Joneses" t-shirt.  While the money donated through your purchase was not used to fund our trip in July, it is safely put aside in PayPal for when we finally get to visit Uganda.

Mom & I were scheduled to visit George, Christie & their village the first two weeks of July but they God had other plans.  And His plans are PERFECT! 

Christie announced that she & George were married and they were going to be parents (for the humpteenth time).  This time, Christie would be carrying their baby (for the time being, he/she is being called Little Creamy, or LC for short).  Christie needed to come to the States to get medical care and figure out their plans for the delivery.  Long story short, she will be giving birth here in Alabama so we decided to postpone our trip until next year.  That way we get to spend time with Christie, George & LC here in the States and can go visit next year.  I know once they are finally HOME and settled, they probably won't be back for a while.  I wanted to put the trip to the best use possible.

 

Aren't they gorgeous? 

LC's first photo

Fundraiser T-shirts Now Available :)

So I have finally been able to slow down enough to get my fundraiser t-shirts designed, my PayPal account set up and make them available for purchase. My mom and I are going to visit my sister Christie in Uganda during the first two weeks in July. Funds raised from the sale of these shirts will be used to help fund our trip.

There were sooooo many possibilities with the design and I wanted to do several BUT I knew I could only do one at a time. After stewing over the designs, I chose the "Who Cares About The Joneses?" design because it expresses the feelings that I have about the extravagant lifestyles that people feel are necessary to lead in their quest to "keep up with the Joneses". Please see my first couple of blog posts for the whole story behind my blog title.

Since I began attending The Church at Brook Hills, read Radical by David Platt and followed my sister Christie Cotney's (www.compassinmyheart.blogspot.com) journey to help the poverty stricken Bugabo Village in Uganda, East Africa, the lavish lifestyles that many people lead have really weighed heavily on my heart. Some people would argue that God blesses people with prosperity and would want them to use those resources in order to have a "good" life. I do very much agree with the first part of that statement; God does bless people with prosperity. However, I don't believe it's because he wants us to live a "good" life. One of my favorite quotes by David Platt sums it up: "God is generous so that His people can be generous!" I believe that those who are prosperous have an obligation to those who are not.


I have but one prayer for everyone who purchases one of these shirts and for those who see them wearing it -- I pray that their hearts will be moved to help those who are in dire physical and spiritual need.




The reference that will be displayed in the middle of the African continent is 1John3:17 which reads:

"If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?"




If you are having trouble seeing the images, please visit the website that I used to design the shirts:

http://www.customink.com/designs/thefinal/pak0-000h-cac0/hotlink?pc=HL-46120&cm_mmc=hotlink-_-2-_-Header_txt-_-prehead1

By viewing the design via the link above, you will be able to zoom in and out and rotate your view between the front and the back of the shirt.

I will not be ordering from this website so please do not pay attention to any of the information that you see there....just the design.

The shirts will be 100% preshrunk cotton and blue in color.


READY to order?
$20 each which INCLUDES shipping.
PayPal - forgetthejoneses@hotmail.com OR you may mail a check to:
Melinda Allen
PO Box 401
Alabaster, AL 35007

Please be sure to include your size and mailing address with your order.

Something I said I'd NEVER do...

My momma always told me to never say what I wasn't gonna do. Well, I have alot of those "I'm never gonna do that" examples. Don't we all? And I always end up doing them. Don't we all?

For example, I was NEVER going to fly! NEVER! And then 9/11 happened and I was NEVER EVER EVER going to get on a plane! So, I got on a plane for the first time just after the 1 year anniversary of 9/11. And where did I go? Yep, NYC. The exact same city where 9/11 happened. What was I thinking?!?!

So OK...you got me on that one! I flew on a plane. I must admit, it was a nice flight and I was totally cool with flying. HOWEVER, I would NEVER EVER EVER EVER fly overseas. As in, get on a plane and fly across the ocean. Oh, no ma'am! That's where I drew the line!

So, in keeping with the tradition, I'm going to Africa! And this is where I will BEG for your prayers! I really want to go see my sister. I really want to meet George (and put him in his place, nonetheless. I mean, he thinks Christie's the boss? Riiiiiiight. I want to live up to my promise of showing him "Am Boss") I really want to meet these precious children that I see in her pictures. I really want to witness the culture there. I really want to see first hand the work that God is doing in the village. I really want to be a part of something bigger than myself. I really want to! But I have so many doubts that plague my mind right now.

First, I know that the tickets are expensive. But I'm ok with that. That will be the best $1500 I've ever spent! For sure! I know that I will want to make the most of the time that I will take off of work and the time that I will be without my children. I will need to be gone for atleast 10 days to make the most out of the trip. I struggle with the thought of leaving my children. Yes, they have a GREAT daddy who loves them very much and takes very good care of them. I have NO issues with that. I am very thankful that I would not have to worry that their needs will be met. I know that Alex will understand why I am away and he is totally OK with that. Although he REALLY wants to go with me. Marlie will not understand because she will only be 2 years old and won't know what's going on anyway. I am not worried about how others will feel about my trip. I am worried about the way that I will feel about it. Not sure how to put it into words but my biggest struggle is the fact that I will be so far away from them and that makes me very uneasy. I know that mothers do it all the time. I have always admired the depth of their faith. I know that this journey will require a magnitude of faith.

I also worry that my heart will be completely broken and unrepairable once I witness the poverty and despair. Don't get me wrong. I have seen tons and tons of pictures, videos and heard my sister's stories. But I have heard once you witness it first-hand, you are never the same. What happens WHEN I get there and am completely changed forever? What happens WHEN I come home and feel empty? What happens WHEN I come home and have that fire in me to start selling my possessions and live a more simple life so that I can help those in desperate need? What will my husband think? What will my children think? What will my in-laws think? What will my co-workers think?

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I work through these issues. I have been hearing this bible verse over and over and over again over the past couple of weeks. I kept wondering what it had to do with me and now I realize how fitting it is:

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." ~ Matthew 6:34

Please share with me scriptures to help me prepare for this battle. It is definitely one worth fighting!

In closing, I will say that I will NEVER go down to the kitchen and eat some of that chocolate cake that I baked on Sunday. NEVER EVER EVER EVER ;)