Friday, March 21, 2008

Well I am still tired but can't blame it on Honduras anymore. When we arrived home from the wedding we had new furnace installed. That took a total of three days to accomplish. Then last Saturday we had new kitchen appliances delivered. Fridge, range, dishwasher and microwave. So so you know, these were not just buy new and improved things, these were necessities. The furnace/heat pump was barely working and only worked on emergency heat setting which is far from economical. So this was a have to situation. And as for the appliances; only two burners on the electric cooktop worked and the dishwasher had so many service calls on it that the serviceman told us that it couldn't get anybetter. The microwave had a cracked door but still worked. Kinda worried if those pesky microwaves were escaping. And if you already have issues with brain function you don't want anything else messing up cognitive abilities. We thought about hiring someone for installation but decided to see what we could do ourselves. The fridge we thought you would just hook up water line to ice maker and roll it into place. Wrong! First of all we had a built in oven and cook top over cabinets and are converting into a one piece range and oven. So when we were readying the kitchen for our new stuff, we took out the cabinet under the cooktop to make room for the range. Well this cabinet has the water line to fridge running through it. It was very difficult to get this cabinet out in usable pieces while getting the water line out. Yep, we got a crimp in the copper tubing and we had a leak and had to turn off all the water to the sink. So before we got the appliances we were already in trouble. The problem with the water line is that it runs through places that you can not even get to so replacing the whole thing was not an option unless we tore out all the cabinets. For a minute we thought about not using water line and having icemaker but the new fridge has crushed ice and we needed water to the kitchen sink. So we had to buy stainless steel tubing and cut and connect it to piece that was crimped. No easy task for two old out of shape women. Jig saw was becoming our best friend. We eventually got the water line fixed and no leaks! Feeling good. We were now ready for the delivery!
I am posting a pic from Honduras to show a happier time.....

Saturday, March 15

Well it has been a week since the wedding and I am still tired. I am blaming in on the change to Daylight Savings Time but it may just be old age. I now have four children and Brian has competition for favorite son category. I could not have gone out and found a nicer, caring son in law. It feels good to know that I will never have to worry about if he will be there for Karen and their family. Dorian is a real sweetie. I have watched him cradle the Casa children with tender concern and love. I see the way he looks at Karen with adoration and I also see him giving away his last penny or limpira to those around him. He loves his mother and wants to help her in anyway he can. He loves God and it is so neat to watch his spiritual growth. When we talk he is careful to try not to offend me, especially when we talk online and he isn't sure if I am serious. Dorian Raphael Roche Guido, I am glad that you are my son and I look forward to our relationship growing through out the years.

Saturday,

the day to fly home. We had heard about the snow storms in Columbus and Jen's mom could not fly out of Columbus to come to Honduras. Even worse, she was told that she could not get a seat to Honduras until Tuesday. So we said our goodbyes to the children and workers and made our way to the airport. We made it to Houston but fully expected to have our flight to Columbus cancelled. But even though no other flights had made it in from Houston, ours was still on schedule. As it came time to board they announced that they had overbooked by 19 and were asking for volunteers to give up their seat for hotel and meals and a 500 dollar voucher for future flights. Just as I was considering it, yep, once again they could not promise a flight to Columbus until Tuesday. We finally got to Columbus and the fun began. We had to wait for around an hour for luggage and we were the lucky ones whose luggage got off before the luggage system quit working. With Columbus with 20 inches of snow, there was not much traffic and we had cancelled our pick up ride as they were under snow emergency and could not get to us. So we scrambled for a taxi. An hour later we got one and boy was he crazy. He attempted to drive through a three foot snow bank and bottomed out. So we were stuck crossways on I270 in a taxi. Thankfully, a snow plow got us out after about 20-25 minutes. We arrived at Lisa's apt. where vehicle was and had to dig our way out. Thought about staying there but decided to try it on home......very icy roads but we made it home around 6:30 Sunday morning.

Wedding day continued

This was an awesome day and it was truly beautiful. Afterwards, we cleaned up and then went back to Casa where Karen and Dorian were getting ready to leave on their honeymoon. Ashley and Jen had taken a group from Malone College to the airport to catch their flight home. Where three hours later, they called to tel us that they missed their flight and could not find another flight until Tuesday. In Honduras this is the start of Holy Week and everyone travels and airline flights are scarce. While we were waiting on them. Rudy, one of Casa's children had a goose egg from falling and he had started vomiting so we were scared that he had concussion. But we learned that the vomiting was from eating too many fortune cookies. Also Jen was to be back to take the minister and his family and two of their workers home. Due to troubles at the airport, she could not make it back and Karen and Dorian left for the night at the Mariott with a truckload of Hondurans to deliver home. somehow seems expected here. Karen and Dorian were off and I blubbered through goodbyes with Karen.
some more pics.

Wedding Day

We were up early setting up everything for the wedding and reception and it is going well. Karen has her smile back now that Dorian is back. It is so easy to see the love and respect that they have for each other. They are being good role models for the children of Casa. This was a storybook wedding and they are blessed to marry their best friends....

Thursday

Busy day, transported everything to wedding and reception site. People went into woods to pull pine needles off trees to make a fresh pine path for wedding. Brian got ate up by ants but they got the pine needles. Made final decisions as to what goes where. I should say Karen made the final decisions, she knew what she wanted. A lot of running back and forth and then rode in back of pickup when Karen went to Ojojona to have copies made. She needed copies of a "poem" that going to be read and also the Unity Sand vows for us gringos that won't understand the spanish when it is being read during ceremony. I sat in back of truck while Karen ran in to make copies. I was trying real hard not to get sunburnt and carried sunscreen with bug repellent in my pocket. I lathered myself up while I was waiting and then the vehicles came and dust rolled over me. I was covered by a medium thick layer of dust. The good news is that I did not get sunburnt. While we were at Ojojona, Dorian called and told us that he and his family had arrived by bus at Santa Ana. So off we went to pick them up. We had made up their beds in the dorm and even put chocolates on their pillows to welcome them and of course we had welcome signs. Dorian had his mother, his father, once sister and her son, a cousin and a friend of his mother come from Nic. After introductions, we all cleaned up and headed for the dinner in Karen & Dorian's dinner. It was awesome and went well. I will post a pic of the dinner and also one of the Jesus statue where we all went next. There was probably 40-50 people present for both. The Jesus statue is in a park that is closed at night but they had received permission to visit it after hours. Well we arrived in caravan and waited for probably 30 minutes while the guards conversed with the person who obtained the permission. These guards were wearing fatigues with semi-automatic weapons. Eventually we were let in and the site was awesome and it overlooks the one and half million city of Tegucigalpa. In looking from the mountain down onto the city you could see lights everywhere except for one dark area of the city. Apparently this was the poorest area that was hit by Hurricane Mitch several years ago. Electricity had not returned to this area. We had prayer for Karen and Dorian and this was the first of many cries to come. Dorian's mom was also crying. It seems that she is really close to him and it is apparent how much he cares for her. We returned to Casa and the day was done. We had accomplished all of our tasks for the day with the exception of polishing the boys dress shoes for the next day.

Wednesday

I am tired. very very tired. I honestly do not know how karen does this everyday. Today Karen had kids from 7a-9p because she traded shifts so she did not have to work on Thursday. So this am she and Lisa went into Teguc to get Karen's nails done. Karen wanted to wait until Thursday and I said no way. After all we can watch the three that don't go to school. Yep, school was cancelled but two children went with a group that is currently here from Malone college. So we had 13 kids. They were really very good and we all enjoyed playing with them. Then lunch was ready and they ate and off to nap time they went. Karen got back and after naps and some outside play time., we took the children to practice for wedding...I do not know what karen was thinking. the two oldest boys 9 and 10 will seat guests. The rest will walk in hand in hand by twos; boy and girl with the girls dropping flower petals along the way. Antonio refused to hold anyone's hand. Fernando has the place of honor as ring bearer but seemed put out as he walks in last by himself. By the third time they were tired and cranky but at least understood what they were to do. I convinced Marvin to hold girl's hand by telling him how important this was to Karen. They are going to be so cute but Karen will truly be beautiful Lisa finished the belts for the girls' dresses and Sharon steamed them and Karen's gown. The spoons and platters and tongs were picked up by the caterer and all is go on that point. I am anxious to meet Dorian's parents tomorrow and worry about being able to communicate. There is a dinner tomorrow evening for us all. Tomorrow early we will go to wedding site and rake and sweep and prepare the area. It is truly beautiful. Before showers this evening, Karen gave the children their presents from Joyce and Delaney, new pjs. They are so cute and loved them so much. I will try to post pics if I can find my camera. Everything is picking up from this point on and I feel that I am on a mad rush to get everything remembered and done.
I am eating all the fresh fruit I can and drinking fresh fruit juices from things that dont look like fruit. Rice and beans are fantastic and the cucumbers here are awesome. The tomatoes are so red and ripe also. Well I gotta go get some beauty sleep.........