So...picture paved streets, landscaping, people with lots of shopping bags in hand walking cheerfully by...and a big beautiful sign reading Bellybou' above the store window... but besides that, you're pretty much lookin' at it folks!

Welcome to Bellybou' . Here goes nothin'!

Eddie and Ellie (our friends from Bakersfield) came to visit this past weekend; which gave Ryan an excuse to pick Ellie's genius brain and pretend to be her sidekick photographer for awhile while Eddie and I tromped through fields of mosquitoes with the kids in tow. You'd never be able to tell by the pictures how incredibly miserable it was out there...
ah...the things you suffer for 'art' ! :-)
(More to come from this photo session later...I'm at my blogging limit for tonight!)

Am I weird that I got really emotional taking these pictures? Whew.

We signed Macy up for this community center ballet class and she's taking it with her bestest bud Macy Pray. She has such a blast and talks non-stop about her teacher, the things she learned and how she can't wait till next week. But I will say, I was a little surprised to find that all the little girls in the class were decked out in leotard, tights, shoes and tutus. It somehow made it feel a little more official than I'd expected! My mom went out after the first class and got this little outfit for Macy while I was still in PNG (thank you mom!). When I put it on her the following week a tiny little lump formed in my throat. I know it's dramatic but it feels like the start of something I know just keeps snowballing from here on out. Who knows what facet of activities she will end up involved in; that is so not the point. All I know is that morning, I felt like my little girl was on her way to discovering the things she loves and developing the skills, independence and confidence to pursue them. Her first little pinkie toe out into a new phase of life...

This is my ridiculous attempt to give the quick cliff notes of my trip; these pictures are mainly from our trip to the village. I have a ton more of Ukarumpa but I'll save those for the lucky few that live nearby and actually ask to see them in person! So here ya go...the highlights... they don't come close to doing this experience justice but what can you do? Enjoy!

Handing out the Operation Christmas Child boxes in the village.


Traditional Village Hut

Waiting out the downpour that took us by surprise on our 'walk-about'

Playing '3 Flys' with the village kids



A 'mumu' feast prepared as a farewell party for us


Coffee Cherries : Take a good look, these actually end up in Starbucks!

I long to blog, I miss blogging, I want to write and say hello to all my cyberspace friends and fill you in on my life and pictures that have been taken and events that have occurred... so much fun has been had in the past month!

But alas... my fingers become paralyzed whenever I try to type anything of significance or even... coherence! I feel like before I can move on to all the silly quick posts that I could fill with cute pics of Ballet class and park days I need to somehow capture the incredible journey that just occurred in my life while I was in PNG... and I can't. I just can't. I don't have the time or mental energy. I feel like the minute I landed back on American soil the crazy quickness of my multi-tasking, busy life jumped right back on my shoulders and I've been ducking for cover ever since! It hasn't been all bad, there's nothing I wish wasn't a part of my days, it's just everything about them is so.... IMMEDIATE. Nothing can wait, not potty trips or dirty diapers or runny noses. Not spilled sippy cups or toy sharing injustice. Not my business or church events or dinner. And certainly not my hero husband who selflessy took on all these tasks while I left for two weeks, he least of all should have to wait for my attentions now that I'm back!

But the computer...it can wait. So I sit, blogging in my head, while my fingers attend to the immediacy of all the little things. And I'm just not sure the words in my head will ever make it onto this screen for lack of time and quietness of mind. I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive me. I will attempt to get back to my blogging haven; because I really do love writing and showing off my life through pictures; but for now I am sidestepping the gigantic bolder of Papua New Guinea and going to move forward with the simpler posts in life. But at least this post will spare you all having to read my rants about the Singapore airport any longer! (Jeez...you think maybe the cabin pressure was a little off in the airplane or something... it was still JUST an airport!) :-)

So...more posting to come soon I hope...bear with me!