Guatemala 2010-Mission Post

Brett and I returned from a mission trip with our church to Guatemala on the 10th---and I am just now posting about it because 1) it's been a little nuts around here, and 2) I had to wait for some pictures from friends since we did not do a good job documenting this year! We went for the first time two years ago (if you'd like a refresher, click here) and could not return last year due to me being 30 weeks pregnant. So, needless to say, we were anxious to go back this summer to continue the mission work. Also, without needing to be said I'm sure, it was very hard for us to make the decision to go this year having a 9 1/2-month-old! After many discussions and prayers, we decided at the beginning of the year we were going to make the trip again, and since then we had been preparing (not only Jameston but ourselves, too :)

Brett and I were lucky to be a part of the medical team again this summer. Although he would much rather help with the construction side of things, he was gracious enough to help me out this year, and I can honestly say I could not have done it with out him! He was not only my assistant in every sense of the word (helping me pack and unpack my supplies every day when we moved clinics, getting everything set-up for testing and cleaning ears and taking earmold impression, etc.), but he was also my rock of support. The first day was a little overwhelming with no interpreter, but we survived and I have Brett to thank. Since it has taken me longer than I had wanted to post these, here are a few pictures with no further ado.

Load 'em up and move 'em out...So many bags! All of these plus four (count 'em four, two for each of us) carry-ons!

The church buses ready for the first day of clinic

All the meds in the pharmacy...they were busy!

The construction team's work, laying the groundwork for the new church in Chimaltenango

The children's team hard at work!

A view of the town of Pastores, also known as "Boot Town," during our break at lunch

Some patients waiting in line to be seen in Zacatecas Canton

More patients in Chimaltenango

My testing room in Pastores

Brett, Lupe and me with a patient

My favorite patient of the week, Kayla, and her very-pregnant mommy, who brought her sweet daughter to two days of clinic

A view of the beautiful countryside in Santa Ines

Some of the children of Santa Ines...so sweet and precious!

We had such a wonderful time again this year! It is hard to express all the emotions you feel not only when you are carrying out the mission work but also when you return home. While there, you realize how patient and caring and thankful these people are (and how you need to work more on those traits yourself), and when you get home you really understand how blessed you are by many things people in a third-world country would consider luxuries. It is a truly humbling experience that we just can't get enough of and hope to continue to be a part of every summer.

This year's trip was different than our first trip, too, because we had a baby to get home to. While we were gone, it made us realize just how blessed we are to have a healthy little boy, a roof over our head, food on the table every meal of every day, the list could go on and on. We thank God we could go again this summer, and we look forward to the next trip!

Diez Meses

Since we are in the middle of summer...

Jameston wanted to take his Mr. Bear picture for this month in his swim trunks

(with sunglasses, too, of course :-)

He is weighing in at about 23 1/2 lbs. (and in size 4 diapers), but we failed to get an accurate length measurement today due to his major movements!

AND, since Brett and I just returned on the 10th from Guatemala, I figured the Spanish title was only fitting. More about that trip (and how we dealt with being away from our little guy for NINE LONGS DAYS later).

So, if you are a frequent reader (or a friend on Facebook), you've heard the news!! Our boy is now mobile, and since he figured this crawling thing out, he hasn't looked back. He is now Mr. Speedy (those first days were too precious with his Bambi-like agility)! And we are moving like crazy to keep up with him...a good workout, indeed!

With the crawling has also come his desire to pull up on everything!

Toys, his crib, you name it. He's also becoming a fan of pulling onto the sides of the bathtub or pool, and he might crawl on out if you let him!

Not happening this month are any new teeth, or much more hair for that matter...

but we may be able to use that newborn brush by the time he's 1!

Jameston continues to be such a great eater, and we (along with his Granny and Papa) have given him many new foods to try over the last month. He makes the funniest faces as he's "sampling" new items:

One thing is for sure, he prefers to feed himself! So his current faves are cheese, cherries, blueberries, graham crackers, and tomatoes. But, thankfully, he'll eat whatever we have for him (except watermelon, like his Mommy and Daddy) !

At 10-months-old, Jameston's favorite "toys" are:

His Classical Senses Fish Toy

Magazines

(we discovered this when he was helping me clean up one day :-)

Wipies!

He mainly likes to just open/close the box (like he does with books)! Wipie boxes have become one of the most-used distraction items we use when giving him a diaper change lately

The Johnny-Jump Up

We tried the Johnny Jump-Up again (at first he wasn't a fan) when we had to retire the Jumperoo (because he's too long for it and would get "air" with his vertical)!

These days, JW is an inquisitive little fella and likes to:

• Sing himself to sleep (or sings to try and keep himself awake, one of the two)
• Grab at our faces (and sometimes it hurts!)
• Hold his own toothbrush and spoon
• Open drawers (he's infatuated with handles, and no, we haven't bought the cabinet locks yet :-)
• Reach up when he knows we are about to pick him up
• Play peek-a-boo
• Play hard (hence the picture below)!

Here are some cute pics taken over the last month:

His "George Bush" look, as we have named it

Oh, how we love this little guy! Jameston, we are so glad to be back home with you!

Jameston,

It was very hard on Mommy and Daddy to be away from you, but we hope you can join us on the trip next year and in years to come. You continue to amaze us every day with your desire to learn all that is going on around you. It is hard to believe we were busily preparing for your arrival just a year ago, and it is amazing to think of how richly you have blessed our lives in just these 10 months.

WE LOVE YOU, JW!

Crawlin', crawlin', crawlin'...

Keep those legs and arms a crawlin',

Jameston!

So, as he tends to do, Jameston chose impeccable timing for when he decided to crawl (his birth day was the BEST day he, okay God, could have picked because it was a Sunday morning, and most of the fam could drive to Dallas to meet him)! I digress...let's get to the topic of this post!

Crawling captured in 2-D:

Jameston decided to hold off on crawling until Mommy and Daddy got home from Guatemala...we arrived back on Saturday, and he cruised his first crawl on Sunday! We have been practicing for some time now, but something just clicked (Brett thinks it was the Tech football :-) and he was off!

He's been getting up on all fours for about three weeks now, but he would just rock or go in reverse. Now, he's quick out of the gate (as you can see in the video below), and he often goes after items he knows aren't his...

We are so excited about his latest accomplishment!

Now, only if we could get this house in tip-top baby-proofing shape!

Happy 4th Anniversary!

On July 1st, 2006, Brett and I celebrated the sacrament of marriage in my hometown of Wichita Falls with about 175 of our family members and friends. It was such a memorable day (2nd best day of my life, right behind the day we welcomed Jameston into the world), and we talk about it often.

Three years ago today, we were in the mountains of Las Vegas, New Mexico, celebrating our first anniversary while staying at his aunt and uncle's cabin.

Two years ago we were in Guatemala for our first mission trip with our church

This time last year, we were excitedly preparing for the arrival of our first child...

And today, we are about to leave the country for another trip to Guatemala. We anticipate that it will be another humbling experience, not only because of the work we know our church will carry out, but also because we will be venturing so far away without Jameston. It will be a wonderful trip, for many reasons, but it will be tough to be without our little boy. Two things we know for sure are that he will be in great hands with my in-laws, and we will be soooooo ready to get back to him on the 10th!

Brett, you are the best husband and friend one could have. I could not have dreamed up a more perfect person than you to be my partner. You are also a wonderful father to Jameston, and I can't wait to see you two grow even closer in the years to come.

Every day I thank God for you. Love you mucho mega!

Family Fun!!

These pictures are out of order, but for the sake of time (and that fact that we are flying out of the country in less than 6 hours) I am just gonna go with it :-)

We have been having a blast the past two weekends hanging out with many of our family members! Jameston got to meet his Aunt Kalya for the first time last weekend, since she just got back from teaching in American Samoa. And just like all of the nieces, he was smitten with her...

We headed out to Royce City for a "Welcome Home" party for Kayla, and the cousins had an action-packed day! Ruby and Jameston looking on...

A pool full of kiddos...

Granny with Layne, Ruby, me and Jameston, Riley, Willow, and Maddox

A box full of babies!

Brett and his dad and brothers were busy building a playhouse last weekend for Riley's 4th birthday, and the babies loved being pulled around in one of the boxes it came in :-)

Three generations of Winters' boys, at lunch after church on Sunday

The birthday girl loves her some JW! She's such a great big cousin to all of them!

Also, Aunt Maggie came to visit last week, and Jameston and I helped her get registered for Collin College starting in the Fall. But we did not take any pictures to document our time at the Plano campus :-(

Oh, and last but not least, Father's Day!! We had a wonderful day filled with family and food and a little bit of fun in the sun.

Jameston sporting his "Daddy's Caddy" shirt that he wore to church

My guys watching the ice skaters at the Galleria after brunch

We headed out to Flower Mound and got the Stewart cousins together for some swim time

Aspen, almost 6 months, and Jameston, 9 months on the dot

Gramps with Jameston, who was tuckered out and passed out in the car not even 1/2 a mile down the road on our way back home

What a day! What a couple of weeks :-)