Natural. Candid. Real. Beautiful. { The Blog. }

6 hours

I'm Africa bound in 6 hours.  Ummmmm.  I guess I'll sleep on the plane.  My suitcase is empty.  Queen of procrastination right here. 

You can follow me on the Mamelodi blog here.  We'll be posting there regularly, so check it out!  Maybe you can see yours truly on video, across the world.  Coolio huh?  I can hardly wait to see what happens when we be | do | love | hope for something bigger than ourselves.

Peace out, y'all.  Gotta go pack.

xo

Christi

7 days

In just 7 days, I will be 10 hours into the flight to Mamelodi, South Africa.  Ahem.  10 out of 20 hours. (Ipod stocked up with tunes and the Free Book - must buy gummy bears and hit the library this weekend).

To those of you who have supported me... I am a million times grateful.  A zillion times.  Because this trip is so, so important to me.  I can't put into words how important.  I could gush for days, and I still couldn't explain how important.  Really.

If you gave $5 or $10 or $100...

If you took the time to tell me that you're excited for me to have this opportunity... or that you're praying...

Please know that I appreciate you so much.

Because it made me feel that you care. 

About me. 

And that, my friends, means so much.

More than you know.  

xo

Christi

P.S. I was looking at some of the videos that I took the last trip, and it made me even more excited.  If that's even possible. :)

    *my email subscriber friends - you'll need to click on the blog post title to view the videos - enjoy!

Next up: If you're having trouble understanding what they're saying in the beginning, you're not alone :)

"We are going to present a poem. God made many things. At one time, there was no world. There was no sun. There was no moon (wait until you see the cuteness of the boy who says that part)..." 

Then another group sings:

"Jesus, sweet Jesus,
What a wonder You are
You are brighter than the morning star;
You are fairer, much fairer
Than the lily that grows by the wayside,
Precious, more precious than gold."

Sweet as peach pie. I. Can't. Wait. To love on some sweet babies.

Some kids we met on the side of a road - they get super excited about anything that you give them, but they definitely love suckers:

You might get motion sickness near the end of this next one :) I was holding my camera out of the window of the car - just a glimpse of what life in South Africa is like:

A couple from the Safari - zebras and rhinos:

Father Abraham... makes me smile:

People would line up before dawn at our medical tent - sometimes just to get some Ibuprofen or vitamins.  Hours they would wait in the hot sun. With no complaints. Just gratefulness:

Near the end of our trip - music during baptisms and community with our new South African friends:

Counting down to experience the goodness that is South Africa... only 7 days away.

The Today Show

Bronson and his parents were on the Today Show yesterday... thought it might be nice for you all to put faces with names.  Sweet little man is so darn cute.

Still speechless, thankful, humbled... and hugging my babies tighter today.

(My lovely email subscribers, click on the blog post title to see the video)

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She is happiness

She says pupcakes instead of cupcakes.

She demands asks me to strain her orange juice every morning. Without fail.

    I forget sometimes. She doesn't.

She can't see an animal without saying "awwwwwww" and tackling the poor thing for a hug.

She would eat desserts all day if you would let her.

She challenges me.

She throws big, big tantrums that send me spinning.

    And then I get myself together.

    And I secretly whisper thank you to God for challenging me.

    And for teaching me how to mother a daughter.

    Because it's just different. 

    And one of the two most important jobs that I have. 

• [excerpt I read recently from the book Mother-Daughter Wisdom: The quality of attention we receive as babies determines in part how worthy we feel to be here on the planet. When our mother shows her approval through smiling and talking to us, then we encode the idea that we are all right. If, on the other hand, she is not present for whatever reason, or withholds her love when we don't do what she wants us to do, we feel abandoned. We'll do whatever it takes to get that attention back. As young children, our mother's approval or disapproval felt like either the kiss of life or the kiss of death."]  ...Every day, I want to be her kiss of life.  I surely don't always do it right, but I try.

She sings You Are My Sunshine in the sweetest voice I know.

She says snowflag instead of snowflake.

She still uses a paci at night, and i. don't. care.

She loves to be a little Mommy.

She's Mrs. Bossypants.

She says poe-trine instead of protein. And I laugh every time. "Mommy, I don't want poe-trine powder in my smoothie. It's disgusting"

She thinks her Daddy is the best thing in the whole wide world.  Her Mommy, not so much.  But I'm okay with that.  Because I know there will come a day when that will change (don't take this the wrong way - she loves her Mama. She just is head over heels for her Daddy).

She thinks her brother is the 2nd best thing in the whole world -------->> most of the time.

She will brush My Little Pony's hair until it starts to fall out. And she talks to that pony the whole time. "You're so pretty and beautiful, pony."

She uses her rosy-pink lips so exaggeratedly when she talks. And I love it. I could stare at her little mouth all day.

She is fearless. Unless there is a bug within 10 feet of her.

She. Is. Happiness.

I love you, my Lily bugger. With every little piece of my heart.

xo

        *not the greatest photo, technically speaking, but I captured HER. And I love it*

Oooooooh Leah...

Remember the wonderfulness of this day?  And then this little bundle of sweetness? 

I don't know how it's possible, but she keeps getting cuter.  And sweeter.  And lovable-er (I know, I like to make up words when I like how they sound). 

I have been smiling for the past 2 hours non-stop, as I've been staring at her beauty-full face on my computer monitor.  I've even giggled a few times.  I know.  I'm smitten.

*Swoon*  Ooooooh Leah.  I big heart you.  Big big.

 

Just a quick little peek for you Nicky and Lawrence - more to come!

xo

Christi