Hazel and Bessie, Now and Then!

March 2015

February 2013

Bessie kisses - Bessie is known for her "kisses" that she gives to her favorite dog friends. Usually Hazel and Rusty are the recipients of such affection :) She is also one of my "talkers" who is very vocal and likes to "talk" to us! 

Hazel is also known as "Top Cop". She keeps our other somewhat "unbalanced" dogs in their places! Whenever Rudy is acting obnoxious Hazel is always there to jump on top of him and put him in his place. She doesn't bite, she just sits on him! She puts Olaf in his place too, when he starts getting out of hand. 

Could they have been any cuter???!!!!! 

Riding in Uganda

I mentioned before in a previous post, how after 10 years of not riding, I am riding again! On family horses no less (not business horses - they aren't dude horses), on a flower farm with some pretty good riding. 

Like all of Uganda, our rides can be pretty diverse. Sometimes we will trot along the road winding through typical Ugandan homes, other times we ride alongside Lake Victoria, sometimes we ride through fields of cassava, or forests of trees. All in about two square miles!! 

Uganda from the back of a horse is diverse and awesome :) 

Along the beach of Lake Victoria, where a fisherman has docked his boat 

Nothing like a gallop on along the beach! 

A field of potatoes

Through the forest

After watching part of The Hobbit, I was wondering if there might be some Elves out there! 

Snowy, whose name should be Muddy, wallowing in a mud hole

Stable dogs always enjoy a refreshing dip in the water trough after a hot ride. Note the red dog with her entire FACE under the water! 

I am so, so blessed to be riding again. I've already had quite a few challenges this year, at both home and work. and riding has been just what I've needed, both emotionally and physically! 

Some more baby cuteness - bunnies AND a guinea piglet!

Well, I guess it's just that time of the year for BABIES!! We have baby bunnies AND a new baby guinea pig, born last Saturday morning. So cute!!

Newborn baby "Peanut", not even 24 hours old 

Bella and her newborn baby, Peanut

Our VERY enthusiastic, 10 year guinea pig lover

Baby bunny at two weeks old

 At two weeks old their eyes were open and they were starting to hop around their pen! 

Tiny ears - so cute!! 

Because of ELLA!!

Seven years ago, on March 10, 2008, I brought the sweet, frightened, bald baby on the left home. It was probably one of the best and scariest days of our lives!!!

It was a journey of faith and trusting God getting to the point of being able to bring her home, and the journey has continued.

I will never forget the intense struggle and pure hell I went through with the director of our branch at the time, who fought me every inch of way. He went so far as to prophesy that little L would "ruin" my ministry and that we would be " a liability to the branch." Well, seven years later, I'm the only "missionary" left in Uganda from that time, and Ella has done nothing but deepen and enhance any ministry that I ever had here in the first place!

Because of Ella my faith in God was hugely stretched and strengthened.

Because of Ella I have been able to make deeper and closer relationships with my Ugandan colleagues and friends, and have encouraged me to integrate.

Because of Ella I adopted Frankie.

Because of Ella I saw that warehousing babies and children in institutions was bad.

Because of Ella I saw that adoption was hard on children.

Because of Ella I saw that every effort should be made to keep babies and children in their biological families and that reunification should be top priority.

Because of Ella (and Frankie) I bought land.

Because of Ella (and Frankie) we built a house.

Because of Ella (and Frankie) we lived in the house and I met my future life partner.

Because of Ella (and Frankie) I got involved in an organization that seeks to rehabilitate malnourished babies within the community and help families stay together.

Because of Ella (and Frankie) I hope to be a foster parent in the future, so that more babies will not be institutionalized and instead reunited with their families or placed in Ugandan adoptive families.

Because of Ella (and Frankie) the journey continues!!!!

Kittens and Bunnies!

Last Friday our rabbit, Blaze, delivered five little babies AND the cat that we gave to friends gave birth to four little kittens! So lots of babies all around :)

Newborn baby rabbits! 

Proud mother, Blaze. I just love her markings! 

Ginger and her four new kittens 

Baby bunnies taken yesterday at five days old

Little kittens taken today at six days old. There is not much of a difference, other than size! 

This little kitten is going to be a clinic cat in a few short weeks 

Cat Boy loves kittens!!

A cluster of kittens - six weeks old

Kittens are so cute! But I am glad that they are not ours ;)