This place....

Tonight the whole crew headed to Destiny House (where the teens hang out...YWAM).  I asked if I could just stay home...just spend some time by myself.

A few weeks ago, I got to attend a Women's Retreat...but it was more than that.  I got to spend some time with a really good friend, enjoy some AC, not cook all weekend.  It truly was refreshing for all aspects of me.  It was kind of neat just to be able to chat with her and think through some things as well.  My friend came to Belize about five months before us.  We spent our very first night in their home.  Our lives are different in many ways, yet so many things are the same too.

The last few years, my life has undergone some tremendous changes.  Since my return to Belize from the states in August, I feel that I am in a better place of contentment.  My last few months before the states...I was just really needing some refreshing and renewal in so many ways.  The weather is finally starting to cool a lot and so sleeping has become...DREAMY.  No other way to put it.  The whole household is enjoying being a "little cold" during the night now.  We are enjoying not being so uncontrollably sweaty all day long.  Of course, it still gets a little warm..maybe like 85...but that is not bad.

But back to tonight.  I am in this place of NEVER HAVING TIME ALONE.  I literally cannot really even go to my bedroom to be alone...it is Lee's office.  We have one living area...and my family is busy living life in it.   I really don't have time alone in the car...because I really don't drive anywhere far.  The furthest I have driven was home from the women's retreat...maybe a whole twenty minutes.  So, that is something really missing in my life right now.  I know it is just a season.  One day my house will be very quiet...and I will miss the craziness that is my family.  I will miss breaking up fights between my 5 year old and 16 year old...yeah, for real:)  I will miss the drama of someone being in a room that is not their own.  But tonight, I lit a candle, did my nails, watched a movie of my choosing, prepared the craft for children's church on Sunday, and now am able to sit and blog.  It is beautiful and refreshing.

Sometimes we tend to overthink things...but sometimes I feel it is hard for me to think at all...in this season of a busy household.  Erika rarely takes naps anymore, and honestly, when she heads to bed, I am usually right behind her.  But there was a time...before Erika...when I was not working or running errands, that I would have days at home alone...and would be sad...would want one more child.  There were days, when I used to send my kids to public school all those years, that I would think, I wish they could just be home with me.  I wish I was brave enough to homeschool.  There were days that I would lift up prayers to the Lord...and now, I am in this place of seeing.  Seeing that He has actually answered so many prayers of mine.  I never thought those prayers would be answered here, in a foreign land.  I never realized, in getting closer to my nuclear family, that it would mean being further from my extended family (oh, how I miss you guys:(.  Sometimes, I think...oh, my life is soooo much harder here in Belize...then other days...when I read the posts on Facebook...of everyone's crazy lives back in the states...that I think my life is so much easier, simpler, here.  I could not live this life...this life of homecooking, homeschooling, in the world that I was living in Katy. It just wouldn't have worked.  I was too stretched there in other ways.  So, yes, I am finding a contentment...that this is the season the Lord has put my family in.  Yes, my family.  I am seeing, and feeling that...He put us here for a reason.  He put us in a place of simplicity, learning to do without so many things we just took for granted in the states.  He put us in a place of dependency on a greater level on Him.  He put us in a place, where we would have a greater understanding of our own children.  Where our children would be in a sort of cocoon in our home for a season.  It is ironic...they are living in a far more dangerous nation, but yet, in some ways, they are more protected.

Okay.  See when I acutally get time to myself...my mind wanders.

But I am enjoying this place He has us in.

A Special thank you to Second Baptist Highlands VBS

In July, when we arrived in the states, my mother in law showed me seven (or more) boxes FULL of things that her church's VBS had collected for Belize!!!  It was way more than we could stuff in our suitcases, so my in-laws shipped two HUGE crates full of goodies to us.  We picked up the crates last week and it took me a couple of days to go through everything and decide who to give everything to...  We did have a few personal things in there as well...but it was mostly full of things for us to give away!

There were so many beautiful new books.  I always need books for Erika, but this was way more than we could use.  So we sorted them into piles.  We gave some to the children's home that we minister to and the others we gave to a lady who runs a preschool storytime and tutoring center in one of the villages here in  Belmopan.

We also had tons of toothbrushes, toothpastes, lotions and lipbalms...so we prepared little bags for the children of Marla's.  We still have many toothbrushes, which I plan to pass out at children's church in the next few weeks.

Look at all these sweet stuffed animals...what a blessing they will be to the children...

This is a picture of our church member, Wendy and her son, Aden.  She came here four years ago to adopt him and take him back to the states.  Please pray that this process will finish for her soon.  In her meantime of being here, she serves the children of Belize.  And she was blessed to receive more tools to use as she teaches the children.  Thank you for being a part of that.

And this is the children's home that we minister to...in any small ways that we can.

I still have one very full box of various prizes for us to pass out in Children's Church.  Erika and I sorted through all of it and separated, so that we can just pick out a bag when we have prize Sunday.

We are so thankful for all of the things that were collected.  Things like books, nice prizes, even toothbrushes, all cost more and mean more here.  It is honestly hard to put into words how thankful we are...and how much of a joy it is to get to pass these things out to the children of LifeNet and to bless people who are ministering to the children here in Belize.

Independence Parade

Yep, we are listening to Christmas music right now.   It is a cool 85 degrees inside my house right now...  We actually drank cocoa last night while watching a movie.  Yes, we are looking towards cooler weather...and it is cooler...but definitely not cold.  Just a little less sweating.  Today, we got a very large cool breeze blowing into our house, then some rain.  It was nice.  It rained a lot last night and I'm hoping the same tonight.  It is just so beautiful with the open windows, fans going, and rain on the tin roof.  I love this weather.

We have had a very full, very busy ten days with this little one.  She loves these chairs of Erika's and has claimed them as her own. Good thing we have two.  Tomorrow, her guardians will come pick her up and life will go back to normal here at the Brockintons.  I have thoroughly enjoyed rocking this sweet girl, giving her bottles, taking her for walks...just enjoyed having a sweet baby in the house again.  But I have also been really stretched.  My life is so full already with three children, homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, being a pastor's wife.  So, although we will miss this sweet girl when she leaves, it will be nice to get back to our own household.  Erika loves having her here, but is definitely suffering from feeling jealous as well.  

Friday, we took the day off, but I think Lee and the kids worked harder than ever.  Thursday night we had celebrated by watching the Christian parade pass by at the end of the street, but passed on the festivities at the assembly steps this year because we were just too tired.  We were awakened at 12:30 by quite a fireworks show.  Then, Friday morning, I woke up and made red and blue pancakes to celebrate Belize's birthday.  They were a big hit!!!

This little girl loves to eat!!!  In fact, typically we have her eat in just her diaper...so one day she wanted to eat, so started taking off her shirt.  It was so funny.  Mealtime is very happy for her and we usually have to give her a bath right after because she is so messy.  But glad she loves it so much.   She also LOVES music and goes crazy when she hears music...that made it fun to take her to the parades.  And she is so cute.  She loves reading and will "read" the books over and over, so intent.

Alina came over early and the girls all sprayed their hair with colored hairspray that we had been given.  It was so fun for them.  I really want to do this with the children's church...the kids would love having their hair sprayed different colors.

As everyone else headed to be in the parade and pass out waters, the little girls and I stayed home, the baby napped and we packed a lunch...not knowing how long we would have to wait.  It was fun for them to eat a "picnic" lunch down there.

And then, there they were...our church, LifeNet, passing out waters.  It was actually a little emotional when I saw them coming around the bend...my church family, blessing this community around me.  I was standing with my neighbor watching the parade and just loved how her family was blessed, along with everyone else...

Then, we headed back to the house with Sara and her girls....

One more picture of Erika's cute hair...Tori's is still tinted red three days later!!!

The rest of these great pictures are from Alina...she takes awesome pictures and saw a lot of stuff I didn't get to see, so I really appreciated the pictures...

Getting everything set up...

They filled up the back of the pickup with 2000 shiling waters...that is a lot of water!!

Josh said it felt so good!!!

These are two of our girls who are in the Steel Drum band...they have been so busy this month with so many parades...two awesome young ladies really growing in the Lord...

So glad to see he drank a little water:)

Taking care of baby

Wow, life has been busy...

Last weekend, I got to get away to a women's retreat.  Sorry, I didn't take any pictures, but it was so refreshing.  My friend (another missionary), Beth, came in from the island.  She was so brave and took the bus all the way to Belmopan and I picked her up.  We checked in and just enjoyed the AC in the room before the meetings started.  Friday night, the sessions outside were pretty comfortable, but Saturday was so hot.  I was asked to lead a small group and sweat was just pouring down my face as I talked...I just kept wiping my face with a kleenex...  So before heading home, I just went and soaked up some more AC and rested before coming home.  It was nice to be greeted in the driveway by all three of my children.  I felt very loved and missed.  It was a nice break before a busy Sunday and and then on Monday, we started watching a baby.  She is being raised by some missionaries who attend our church and is right on the brink of adoption by a family in the states.  What a joy to be a part of her journey.  And she is the sweetest baby, but I am wiped out.  Not used to baby care...its been a while:)  Erika and Tori are loving every moment of this sweet girl being in our home...

at a recent bday party...houses are small here, so move the furniture outside and party:)  don't know why she is making this crazy face:)

and, no, I'm not tired...of course:)

Tori is into doing nails these days...look at the newspaper print nails...cool

and baking...this was amazing...

praying over our Mayor and local Representative on Sunday at the National Day of Prayer...it was an amazing service and we were packed in there...145 people packed...

Sweetness...laughing at something Erika did:)

Having the baby here has been a joy, but a healthy reminder that parenting is for the young.  Last night, I went to bed with very sore arms.  I am very thankful for my entire family’s help in caring for this little girl.  She is about the age we brought Erika into our home, but wow, Erika really was so much smaller…its kind of crazy.  I love this age of first words, first toddling walk, still loving to be held and rocked and hold a bottle.  Such sweetness.  But having a baby here in Belize is so much different than  the states.  It is hot.  She needs at least two baths a day…cold baths…to cool her down.  And my house is not as childproof as it was in the states, so I literally need to watch her every single second or have someone watch her if I need to go to the restroom or shower or go to laundry, etc.  Erika definitely loves having the baby here, but there is also jealousy.  She wants to go back to baby spoons and baby snacks…whatever the baby has, she wants.  She is loving having the baby sleep in her room, though.  She even came to get me the first night when she woke up crying in the middle of the night.

Well, I am about to attempt an errand with two little  girls…maybe Tori is done enough with school to help me

Celebrating Holidays

One of the strangest, weirdest...can't-figure-out-what-to-do things about living in a different country is the Holidays...  Belize has a lot of holidays... America has a lot of holidays.  And only a few of them are the same.  I cannot give my kids a day off every time there is a holiday here or there.  Yet, I don't want my kids to forget the Holidays they grew up celebrating or for Erika to never know.  Last week was Labor day in the states, which to me is just about cooking out...so we kind of skipped it:)  Yesterday was St. George Caye day here...we kind of skipped that one too.  Erika and Lee went down for a five minute parade.  But next week, there will be a big parade in Belmopan.  Our church will pass out waters...and that will be a holiday for my kids.  Celebrating Belize's independence.  I will teach Erika about Belize's independence the day before in school.

Today is 9/11, a day that will forever be tinged with sadness in my heart.  I tried to explain a little to Erika about what happened that day.  It is hard for her to grasp.  Honestly, unless you lived it, isn't it hard for all of us to grasp?  We prayed for the people who lost loved ones, the firefighters' and policemen's families.  I explained to her that it is why there is so much security when we fly.  But to her, she never knew anything else.  It is just the way it always was.  Even to Josh and Tori.  But I feel it is an important time in history.

We are planning a special outreach fun night for Halloween this year.  I am glad...it is a dark time.  Not quite as commercial as in the US, but still...  Then we get into Thanksgiving, which I am looking more forward to this year.  We will gather with Missionaries and just fellowship and eat American food and be thankful:)  And Christmas is still a ways away, but I am going to do it differently this year.  Last year, it ended up just kind of being a regular day after church...and that made me sad.  So I am going to fix that this year:)  Its not about the gifts...the kids get spoiled when we go to the states...that is their Christmas.  But maybe inviting someone over who will be alone on Christmas...not sure.  Last year at Christmas, my parents had just been here and I feel like I was still getting my bearings about living life here.

But anyway, in the month of September, there are many holidays here in Belize.  Someone asked Tori which ones they get off from school.  Sadly, she said, Neither.  Not totally true.  We just don't take days off every week.  If we did, we would never finish school this year.  But we do take days off.  A couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed a day in Spanish Lookout.  We got some errands done and the kids got a day off from school.  It all worked out.

We are almost halfway through our fourth week of school.  Still so much to go, but it is going pretty well.  I love watching Erika learn...  The older kids are doing great.  They are much more in the swing of it all each year.  It has gotten more familiar and we have mostly GREAT days:)

on homeschooling

homeschooling...is not for the faint of heart:)

today has been one of those days that i will not list details, as not to embarrass anyone:)

but, still, with all the ups and downs and being through the immediate...i can't do this anymore!!!....i can rationally see that this the best choice for our family in this season of our lives...

today, after school, i made erika take a nap with me...it was truly for both of us, but as she slept and slept well after i had gotten up, i saw that she desperately needed it.  during the summer, she doesn't need a nap, and won't go to sleep at night if she has one...but today, after all that thinking and working at first grade, i see she just will some days need to be forced to rest.

erikais strong will comes out even more STRONGLY when i am trying to teach her, for she feels she already knows it all and does not want to be bothered with or listen to my instruction.  that is where i am glad lee is working out of the home...because his reinforcement is amazing.  she is extremely smart, but has gotten in the habit, not having been "officially" taught until this year, of writing some of her letters wrong.  and she does not appreciate me showing her the right way:)

throw in the fact that there are two older children, mostly working on their own, but also, at times, needing help...and it can get quite overwhelming.

yesterday, erika's art project was creating a poster about things she liked that had the "m" sound.  it actually was a lot of fun and big sis ended up making one of her own as well.  (btw, anyone coming to visit us....PLEASE bring a few old magazines...we constantly need them for projects and for things at children's church...i brought two back with me...but the pics are quickly disappearing...)

the funniest thing about this counting poster was that Erika said, "i didn't realize that i would make my face so dark...i'm not really that brown..."  it was just funny, but still love how the project turned out...

and my artistic Tori, working on some crafty things for her room as well...that girl is always working on something...except cleaning her room:)

there are some disadvantages of homeschooling...needing to find ways to get the kids out of the house, wanting to be lazier since mom is the teacher, not liking when mom wont let you get away with being lazy, and just getting tired of being with your siblings all day...  but the advantages far outweigh those.  in fact, this morning, when we were struggling, i thought...you know the enemy does not like that we are homeschooling...and discouragement and frustration were setting in...so, that was a reminder to me that sometimes, i need to refocus and turn to the Lord for help when those things happen.

oh, and the advantages?  seeing your child learn...and being a part of it when they finally "get" it, siblings learning to love each other deeper and being friends with each other...they are truly better friends being homeschooled, then when they went their separate ways each day.  we eat all our meals together around the table...a major thing that they are showing improves so many things in a child's life..here's just one of many articles telling the importance of eating together as a family...., the kids finish either before or right after lunch...and with the hot temps, that is definitely a blessing.  also, just having the freedom to once in a while cancel school and say, help build a house, or enjoy family or teams visiting, and setting our own schedules.  it is nice.

i found out today that a lady is starting ballet classes in her home...  i would really love for erika to be able to go so she will have a physical outlet and to be around more children.  we have really missed it since ywam couldn't do it anymore...and i just told Tori the other day that i wished there was a ballet studio and a lady from my church called me this morning.  i am now just waiting on others to sign up so we can start:)

it is not sooo hot here now, but still warm and a little sweaty.  i am really ready for fall and cooler temps...

Farewell to Old Blue

Yay!!!!  There is some celebrating going on today at the Brockintons.  We sold the first car we bought when we moved here almost 20 months ago.

The car has definitely been a blessing and only broke down a couple of times:/  And for being 22 years old, that is not too bad.  At times, it was actually the only vehicle we could count on.  And the AC was amazing.  I must say, I will miss that amazing AC.

Here is our little family in the car when we first got it.  We had been in Belmopan for several days at this point and only were able to get around on foot...so this car was an incredible blessing that we were greatly thankful for.  Look, Tori had just turned 12, Erika had just turned 4 and Josh was almost 15.  This seems likes a lifetime ago.

Many of you who have come and visited us have gotten the privilege of riding with me in this car, as we would sometimes bottom out on the speed bumps.  But yes, once again, it was always a blessing.  I pray that the new owners are blessed too.

And we are thankful to not have to move it around anymore.  With my new (to me) car and the two ministry vans...we are constantly pulling vehicles in and out of the carport to get the one we need.

We celebrated by going to lunch today.  That was fun.

We are on our third week of school already.  The kids are doing great.  Our days are definitely busier.

I need to take some pics.  I've been falling behind.  But know they are all still as cute as ever:)

Sunday, the Worship was amazing.  I could feel the Lord's presence.  I was sitting there thinking how blessed we are to Pastor LifeNet, where people are so excited to come to church.  What a privilege to be loved by a church body here in Belize.  And it is so neat to see how everyone works so hard to set it all up and take it all down afterwards.  We are truly blessed.

Oh, and after church, we found this new Mexican taco place.  It was simple, but fast and yummy.  Fast is nice...

Then home to rest all afternoon before starting my week with 6 loads of laundry this morning.