Bonus Blessings - Part 2

As promised, here are some pictures of Caroline & Emma and their first ballet classes here on the ship. Both of them were very excited about going and both had a wonderful time!!  

From the top of her head all the way down to her toes, God made Emma so lovely!! (Caroline, too - but I don't have pictures of her hair and feet!!!)


Emma's sweet feet



Emma's "ballet buttons"

Gretchen Bullock is the sweet lady who is volunteering to teach the girls (and the 2 little boys who are in Emma's class!!!).  She has all kinds of experience and credentials and expertise -- and what's really beautiful is that she is extremely humble about it all.  She's a lovely dancer and has a tender way of teaching....We're grateful that she's sharing her talent & teaching abilities with our ship family!  



Emma & Mrs. Gretchen  

Emma's class "Standing tall like trees." 
 (they were also birds and flowers during their class!)  This picture is compliments of Tracey Wall :)





Caroline's class is made up of all the girls on the ship from 1st - 4th grade. Eli's teacher, Miss Moriah, is also helping with the class. 

 

 

Caroline's class trying on their shoes. 
All of the shoes and leotards and such were donated!



Caroline's class stretching & learning to sit up straight and tall

The last exercise of Caroline's first class. 

So other than karate classes and ballet, here are a few other firsts for us lately:

• Had fresh homemade cinnamon rolls delivered to our door this past Saturday
• 3 date nights in 3 weeks
• Dianna and the kids - along with Gretchen & her 3 boys - ventured out and got icecream at a local grocery store...after a nice long (ish) walk and a conversation where we may have told a man that we'd buy shrimp for the whole ship from him, we all made it back safe and sound
• Nick had his first soccer scrimmage (they either won 3-2 or lost 2-3, not totally sure)
• Caroline attempted her first ship sleepover (she came home around 10:30)
• We bought a family of elephants in the ship shop (hand carved locally)
• We later exchanged family of elephants for a family of hippos (also hand carved locally)
• Hired 2 boys to take our trash out (.50 and a blow-pop a piece...what a deal!)
• Nick made and received his first local phone calls this week
• Dianna addressed invitations for the upcoming Hospital Open House (it's tricky trying to figure out Guinean names and addresses!  The last name CAMARA is about as common as Smith!)

Feel free to pray for Nick --this Sunday he will be speaking at "ward church" (the church service in the hospital).  We're excited about going and sharing this time with the patients.

 

In other news,  we were told that if anyone wants to send us a package that will be here in time for Christmas, it needs to be in Texas by the end of this month.  I just updated the "about us/leave a note/send us mail" page on our blog - so if you need the mailing info, that's an easy place to get it.  (no pressure though).

 

We are so thankful that we are not on this journey alone...thank you for sharing life with us - for investing in us with your love, prayers, encouragement and support (financially, emotionally, spiritually). Thank you for reading our blog and making positive comments on it and on facebook...thank you for sharing our story with others.  Thank you for sending emails and mail and packages.  Thank you for loving the Cash Crew.  You are a blessing to us. 

 

Surely there will be more to come.