This week when we talked briefly with Grandma and Grandpa (in between claps of thunder) they asked what Anna’s new word was this week. As I thought about it, there is not ONE word, there are tons!! She doesn’t quite out-talk her brother Joel, but sometimes comes close. The thing she’s learned to do this week specifically is run faster and sing along with the doxology, which is SO adorable!

Come to think of it, she now sings several songs, and still likes to play the piano. She’s really social and is really big on greetings and leavetakings. HIIIIEEE! BYYEEEE! She’s also quite loud about it. We’re working on using a quieter voice. She still tends to want to direct the show – “please come now!” with kids who are older than her. And then gets frustrated when they don’t listen. She’s persistent, I’ll give her that. Such is the life of a little girly girl with 2 big brothers…

She pointed a paint brush at me this week and said, “Let’s fight!” and proceeded to try fencing. Hm.

Today I had a reality check.
The lovely lady who helps me in the kitchen had a bad toothache that
started Sunday.

By Wednesday she wasn't sleeping well and looked really tired. She
arrived Thursday working extra hard to finish a full day's work
before 2:30pm to see the dentist on the way home. She missed him.
This morning I find out he only sees patients before noon, so she
wanted to go back this (Fri) morning for the procedure. I told her I
wanted her to go early rather than late (wouldn't want to miss him
and have to wait a couple more days!)

She had what looked to me like a wisdom tooth pulled for $4. She
didn't want to spend the money for the pain medication – it was an
extra $3! I was dumbfounded.

What level of pain must be 'normal' to endure a full-grown wisdom
tooth extraction without drugs?!

For hundreds if not thousands of years, this is how people managed.
But pain like that is so foreign to me.
I'm still dumbfounded.

I told her I would have paid the $3 for her – in a heartbeat! She
said the last two times she had a tooth pulled, it wasn't this bad.
I sent her home with ice and ibuprofen to rest, but she has to walk
over a mile to get there. This is a reality almost totally foreign
to me. And yet quite normal here. She was shocked when I said I had
4 wisdom teeth out at the same time, and now I see why.

These are more for Grandma and Grandpa. Just to verify that the kids
had a great time! James is into medieval lego just now and I had a
few things in my 'stash', so he's thrilled! They haven't stopped
playing with the king! Anna carries around her 'giraffy', which is
a zebra. Whatever.

Yes I let them eat ONE piece of candy before breakfast. It's Easter!

We had a wonderful fun-filled day with hymns, songs, verses,
cinnamon rolls and fellowship! Egg hunt pictures next…

We can only get brown eggs here, but they worked great with white
crayon designs! Tip: When the eggs are still warm, the crayon melts
really well!

The boys wanted tanks and rockets on their eggs. Where have I gone
wrong? Anna wanted flowers, which was more my 'cup of tea'. =)

Off to a potluck and egg hunt with colleagues. Plaintain fries – yum!

As many of you noticed on facebook, my Dad had emergency quadruple
bypass surgery late Thurs. night. He is now recovering well and out
of ICU. (John had this picture printed for his hospital room since
we can't be there in person.) But it was Good Friday here when we
were pleading with God for mercy on Dad's life, and difficult to be
so far away. The fact that Jesus conquered death and removed its
power and fear in our lives is truly a reason to celebrate Easter!!!

Please pray with us for his complete and timely recovery.

Today was a playdate day! Anna and the daughter of one of our MAF
pilots are less than a month apart in age, and have a similar
stature. People here get them confused everywhere. Still, it's a fun
blessing to have a little friend just for Anna. It's a bonus for
Anna that she comes with a baby brother too!