emily seegmiller

t art

2011-10-30T21:17:00.001-06:00

one of my greatest joys is introducing t to new things and watching him learn, grow, and most, simply enjoy life. t has always had a liking for anything artsy-cooking, drawing, dancing, and now painting. every day we wonder what our little bub's future holds. being t's parents is really cool.

1 095.7266 days

2011-10-08T22:32:00.000-06:00

hi sweetheart. october 11 marks more than a thousand days into our eternity and existence together. since our wedding day, i have fallen so much more deeply in love with you. you are to me love, charity, safety, security, warmth, kindness, generosity, friendship, boldness, belief...all those rich qualities that i hope to hold as part of me someday. i love you for your spirit, your humility, your gentleness. a beautiful step we took together in the time we have been married was bringing our sweet tungsten into this world. i can't look at my boy's face without seeing his daddy staring back at me. i am amazed at all we have, so richly blessed with every day we are given together as a family. thank you for loving me, so simply and deeply back. i cannot imagine a world without you at my side. in the next 1095.7266 days, come what may...i cherish you.

the boy

2011-04-07T21:38:00.001-06:00

movie time snugglin' w linds

his blankie (aka the "marden" blanket)

his first introduction to dirt at jana's house. loves it. loves it.

aunt mel's red cowboy hat. super cool (first hat he has allowed to stay on his head, for the record)

sunday settlers

2011-04-07T21:36:00.001-06:00

highly recommended sibling bonding time

the sweetest thing

2011-04-07T20:56:00.001-06:00

small, only the size of half a yellow sticky note. crisp, from being blown into the wet sink as the blow dryer runs early morning. the fading ink becomes more and more smudged as the days go by. it didn't cost a fortune. didn't take more than a few seconds to pen. it's worth, a crown of gems.

a boy and his dad

2011-03-30T23:14:00.001-06:00

cheap entertainment

2011-03-30T23:12:00.001-06:00

All you need is a makeup bag filled with all your goods (come'on ladies, I know you have one) and a mirror...and of course a cute, little cuddly, wuddly, happy boy. But, the latter is not the cheap part. :)

= happy smiles, long time

Another MMM. ;)

Love life.

today's inspiration

2011-03-29T22:03:00.000-06:00

self reflection

2011-03-26T16:53:00.000-06:00

A grandpa sitting at the roadside with his grandson. It is a warm summer afternoon in eighteenth century Ireland. A traveller happened to pass by. He stopped and asked them. ‘Good day my good man, can you tell me how far is it to the next village?’

‘About four miles’ replied the old man.

‘Tell me good sir, what are the people like there?’ he asked.

‘Have you been to the village back down the road?’ asked the grandfather.

‘Yes’ replied the traveller.

‘Well, what were the people like in the village?’ asked the old man.

‘Oh, they were great, really friendly and welcoming.’ said the traveller.

‘Well, that is good to hear,’ said the old man, ‘and that indeed is how you will find the people living in the village you are travelling to’. The happy traveller starts walking to the next village.

Some time later yet another traveller walked by and stopping asked the old man the distance to the next village. ‘Four miles’ said the old man.

‘What are the people there like there?’ Asked the traveller in a somewhat grumpy manner.

‘Well sir, what were the people like in the village back down the road?’

‘Oh, they were anything but friendly, not welcoming at all.’ Replied the traveller.

‘Well,’ said the old man ’I'm sorry to tell you that you will find the people in the next village much the same.’ With that the unhappy traveller began walking towards the next village.

After a short while the little boy asked his Grandfather: ‘Grandpa, why did you tell the first man that the people living in the next village were nice, and then you told the second man that they weren’t nice? You must have told one of them a lie.

‘I told the truth to both of them’ replied the old man. ’You see my boy, the way you approach and deal with people is often reflected in the way they respond to you.’

warm taste of sunshine

2011-03-24T22:16:00.001-06:00

finding balance

2011-03-22T23:30:00.000-06:00

no more digging deep in that dragon red cave i call a purse anymore, only to pull out the one of my 2 phones that isn't ringing. i've said "ciao" to the craziness of the multiples of everything in my life and settled in with the sophistication and smarts of the android- and one android at that.

enter my new assistant:

magnificent mama moment

2011-03-22T23:27:00.001-06:00

tungsten lit up & grinned so happily when i came to pick him up at jana's today. mmm.

just like his daddy

2011-03-22T23:22:00.000-06:00

beginnings

2011-03-22T23:20:00.000-06:00

a year or so later....

2011-03-22T23:17:00.001-06:00

tungsten alexander

gestational diabetes

2010-01-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

you know, i thought that things couldn't be as stressful as not knowing what i wanted to eat in the earlier trimesters... but then this thing hit. i feel guilty for wanting a peanut butter sandwich or a nice, healthy piece of fruit for heaven's sake, if my blood sugars are too high, or if i have already had my carb intake for the time being. sometimes, this feels like torture... maybe this is why they don't test women for this until the 28th week. just too dang stressful. ugh. i'd love to hear ideas on what foods are low carb and yummy to eat, or even recipes that are fab and filling. PLEASE send my way!

date night

2010-01-03T23:14:00.000-07:00

spaghetti factory for dinner and avatar 3D.

the belly update

2010-01-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

A few reminders for next time around...

-very uncomfortable to sit through a movie in the theater anymore...avoid.
-ALWAYS have this pillow available when pregnant ( I can finally sleep again thanks to Jason's extremely thoughtful gift)

-be forever grateful to my mother for wonderful skin- not 1 stretch mark yet!
-snacks/water bottle in the purse
-comfy (and cute of course) non-heeled shoes
-do not feel guilty about lounging around, watching movies, sleeping... this will probably never be enjoyed as much again
-"I'm thinkin' Arby's" has a really yummy french dip & swiss sub (mmm..mmm...good!) **WARNING. This is a 2 or 3 trimester craving- NOT a 1st trimester thing!! REMEMBER!**

-laser hair removal would be really nice right now- it's getting to be tricky, bending over in the shower to shave the legs

Here's to 28 wks & 5 days! (and no stretch marks...can you tell this pleases me?)

week 26

2009-12-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

well, baby boy and i have reached our 26th week together! and, i can say i am feeling great now. i think i am even sleeping more soundly and longer (hehe, i hear i should enjoy this while it lasts) i definitely feel like i look pregnant now, and that is actually really fun. :) feels like our little guy is rolling around in my tummy all the time now. it is crazy to sit and watch my stomach moving on it's own...and feel my breath get taken away with the surprise of his movements. jason and i are starting to get ready now for his arrival- we have a new glider (thanks to little boy's aunt ashley), a breast pump, diapers (i hear we need to stock up when we see a deal NOW), a boppy, some outfits and a bib ("i love my aunt"- also courtesy of aunt ash), and ... a new crib! the other night while jason was studying for finals i busied myself with organizing the office (soon to be baby's room) and i am so excited to see the crib set up and start to look like a space for a baby boy! i think i am going to really love being a mom. i can't wait til he is finally here!

our family

2009-12-09T23:01:00.001-07:00

letter to baby - november 22, 2009 (23wks)

2009-11-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

my dearest little baby boy,

today i have most enjoyed feeling you move around inside me. you are so active and full of energy this evening. i love sitting here on the old leather blue couch, quietly watching my belly move with your strong little kicks. it's incredible to know that you are inside me, and bumping gently against my skin. i think this is a feeling i will miss a lot, though i cannot wait to hold you in my arms. your dad can't wait to see you either. every single day he rubs my belly and leans in close, cupping his hands and telling you he loves you, and hello in there. it's very sweet. even though we have a little while to wait, you should know that both of your parents love you so much. we are looking forward to holding you close, smelling your sweet baby smell, watching you blink at the big new world, caressing your baby soft smooth skin, and counting those tiny fingers and toes. ope- there you go again with those little kicks. i think i will sit and watch you for a little while.

love forever, mom

2009-11-15T00:59:00.000-07:00

due to his most recent win as of tonight, jason will hold the his title "man of the house" through at least 2pm tomorrow, when we may resume our gameplaying time, and i, do my wifely duty and responsibly "show him up". we started playing RUMIKUB this weekend and have began an eternal game which will be scored in google docs, so we may play and know our place anytime, anywhere. :) if you haven't had some good old-fashioned game time with your honey lately, i suggest you pick a fav game and start! our next challenge- maybe phase 10. best wishes, ladies!

bouncing baby boy

2009-11-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

well, that pretty much says it all. we have an addition to the family and this time, it is not a fancy man power tool. :) jason and i are expecting a little guy in march! we are so excited. i was for certain CERTAIN that it was a girl. "she" was welcomed awake in the morning with a "hello little girl", and i was even looking into quite a few baby girl names... for about 18 weeks. we arrived for our exciting "find out what it is" prenatal appointment, and...well- have you heard the new brad paisley song "anything like me"? well, that is our story. jason was thrilled. i couldn't see him, since i was on the table all covered in that lovely gel, but i could feel the excitement oozing behind me. and after the initial shock of "i am going to be a mommy of a little boy first" was over, i was thrilled too! i am truly so excited to welcome this active little fella into our lives. here are some memories of the first few months of pregnancy:

getting that "whoa this is real am i really ready for this" rush when i looked at that positive marking on the stick
telling our families about our little baby was such a fun experience. it felt like we were playing house.
from the moment i found out i was pregnant my belly looked and felt different
i couldn't sleep on my stomach anymore- felt weird and uncomfortable
...i got sick... and felt like it was the longest months of my entire life- dark moments here, honestly
feeling so empty inside like i was starving but not knowing what i wanted...horrible
first time i felt my baby move inside me- incredible
loving jason more- being pregnant has brought us incredibly closer. we both realize how much we do for each other
watching jason's face the first time he really felt baby kick inside me
seeing our baby for the first time during that ultrasound monitor was incredible
getting our second batch of pictures of little man and comparing how much he's grown compared to the "gummi bear" pictures we got at our first doctors visit
pregnancy= amazing. i am very much looking forward to holding this little guy

this, my friends, is the beginning of my baby blogging...

my food doesnt look as good as the book says it will

2009-02-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

this week i have tried to venture out and be a little more creative with our dinners (jason is getting tired of cheesy potatoes). i found a great recipe in a book i got for a wedding gift and it looked and sounded YUMMY. chicken stuffed biscuit things. frustratingly, they didnt turn out anything like the books! i thought about it after though, and it must be because i tried to substitute "cream cheese" for "sour cream". hey! i thought it would be just fine. a big NO. last night i tried again with the right ingredients and i had a happy husband who wanted seconds. go cook seegmiller!

(the first batch...the gross one)

my favorite snack

2009-02-10T11:35:00.001-07:00

popcorn time! yum.

chubby baby legs

2009-02-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

the best thing about babies is they get these little rolls of fat around their legs that is just so precious! last summer savannah and i played together outside- she really wanted to swim with the other kids.

the new addition to our family

2009-02-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

sorry folks. not a baby :)... but a drill. jason found a great deal on this shiny little toy- and enjoys my little 'around the house projects' ever since it it arrived in the mail!

i predict my first kiss of the new year from...

2008-12-31T09:29:00.000-07:00

my mister.

2008-12-31T09:26:00.001-07:00

working 1 more day in 2008...happy new year's eve!

what our navy man did for christmas

2008-12-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

shane spent christmas with a family in the area he has been undergoing operation boot camp. luckily, he is graduating this week! love you little brother!

happy birthday dad

2008-12-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

A Dad is a person who is loving and kind,

And often he knows what you have on your mind.

He's someone who listens, suggests, and defends.

A dad can be one of your very best friends!

He's proud of your triumphs,but when things go wrong,

A dad can be patient and helpful and strong

In all that you do,a dad's love plays a part.

There's always a place for him deep in your heart.

And each year that passes, you're even more glad,

More grateful and proud just to call him your dad!

Thank you, Dad...for listening and caring,

for giving and sharing, but especially, for just being you!

~Author Unknown~

happy birthday mom

2008-12-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

december 18th is a special day- all my mom's. happy birthday!...50 (oops)

i wanted to post a thing or two about my mom and some reasons why i love her- why all of us love her! (yes, 8 kids. 4 grandkids. AMAZing!!)
see her turning around? she was always good at keeping us in line on road trips...
mom loves to be outside- and taught us all some gardening skill (which we don't really appreciate til we are grown-up. ahem.)
she is a tough lady- taught her marine and navy sons how to fend for themselves...
i loved that mom is always "ok" to rough it- and enjoy being outdoors, hiking, climbing, singing...
look at her- she is a sweet lady. i mean sweet as in "she will feel bad if she breaks a wooden spoon over her kids butt" (which you deserved michael) - even when the kids are bad.
and she loves my dad. it's perfect.
thank you mom for all you have given me and us- the family. we love you 50 years PLUS!

oh the weather outside is frightful

2008-12-17T20:08:00.001-07:00

who loves the snow? oh i do! i do! some of the joys i am finding out about owning a house though, is that snow doesn't remove itself! no sir-ee! luckily, sweet husband doesn't mind shoveling
and tries to make me stay inside. i snuck out with the camera before i helped salt the walks and took some pictures.

hello:
look at our fun decorations for the holidays! and cute husband. and me!
happy holidays to you! let it snow!

date day

2008-12-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

jason and i noticed the 5 guys - burgers and fries billboard on the way home and decided to have a quick lunch date between some errands. the cashier told us after we ate our double burgers we wouldn't be hungry til 9pm (it was 3:30pm). we didn't think jason would make it til then... but he did! we recommend the place. yum.

what's cookin'

2008-12-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

jason and i have the week off, so i have been trying to explore more dinner options other than pizza. :)

taco soup! this is a really yummy and simple recipe given to me as a wedding shower gift! thanks olane! it came in really handy!

turkey yum

2008-12-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

the thing jason looked forward to most this thanksgiving was a turkey. since we spent thanksgiving time in idaho...there were no turkey left overs to enjoy. thus, as a loving wife, i had to dedicate some time and skill to making my first turkey. i was a little nervous at this... but with some help from mom and the google i found a recipe easily mastered. turkey yum? yes.

23 candles

2008-11-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

the day before thanksgiving my sweetie gave to me
23 candles in oreo cake...
so many kisses...
sparkling cider...
and a hallmark card-making computer program

oh i feel loved. happy birthday me. perfect day.

turtles

2008-11-22T18:30:00.001-07:00

i realized in mexico something i didn't know before. i love turtles.

cute boy

2008-11-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

So, if any of you have seen Wall-e, then you understand why I might think my husband is a doll. Every morning, just like Wall-e, Jason packs his little blue lunch box for work and slings it over his shoulder. It is like I have a little boy that I am taking to school. Also, Jason has these eyebrows that angle downwards, just like Wall-e's cute little goggle eyes... it's adorable, even when I am really ticked at him. Jason and I bought Wall-e Tuesday, and since we have invited my family over to watch it for Family Home Evening on Monday, we...well, I, decided that it would be more exciting to wait until they came over to watch it for the first time on our tv. I have been ok, but Jason, well, he is like a little boy at Christmas, who knows he as something very nice under those glowing Christmas tree lights... and his eyes sparkle and get bigger when he thinks about it. Anyway, tonight we were both a little tired and trying to stay awake just long enough so we didn't wake up completely rested at 4am- I suggested during dinner that we watch the special stuff disk of the Wall-e movie. He looked at me as if it couldn't be true... :D

As we watched it, Jason kept making comments about how much I was like Eve, the love interest robot. Hmm... I can't see the likenss. At all. :D (You will have to watch the show and cast your vote... Jason says "Directive" is the key here...)

All I know is that I just love my cute, lunch-bag toting boy. Point- I would recommend Wall-e as an enjoyable movie if you have some time to cozy up this weekend.

Mrs.

2008-11-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

Definition: a form of address for a married woman.

Serious, it makes me feel kind of old. But, I guess if I have to have this title to be married, sure thing- throw it on the grill.

Husband.

Definition: Large cushion with arms meant to support a person in a sitting position.

Ah... now I like that. 'Cause that describes my love- taking care of me; a big hug after a long day at work, and maybe a funny comment, that maybe would be funny if I were a guy and understood why he thought it was funny. But I love him, my husband. :)

Wife.

Definition: A woman who has a husband.

Though I agree I agree with this, and like it since it is simple, mine has to say "woman who has a wonderful husband, whom right now should be doing those dishes he promised to do..." :D

Ok, I am married. October 11, 2008. Mrs. Seegmiller. Kinda strange. I thought it would be such an easy switch, but I find myself all the time saying, when venders ask my name, "Emily Summers"...then I hesitate, because I know something was wrong with that... what is it? OH! Um... too late to fix that and avoid confusion. Seegmiller; I will try again next time.

People ask me all the time- "So, how is married life?"

Well, it is definitely an adjustment. Ladies, it is not like the movies and it is most definitely NOT like the Twilight books! :) But even I still wish deep down that one of these days, Jason will be able to read my mind, see into my soul, and understand why I am frustrated and cry because the bathroom sink is smaller than my last one... and my blowdryer keeps falling on the floor. :) Yes, I cried.

But Marriage is the most wonderful and beautiful and risky step I have ever taken in my life! And every day I wake up to this wonderful face of "husband" and I am truly happy.

So yes, I have made the step to marriage. Yes, I am happily Mrs. Seegmiller. And yes, marriage is not like the movies, but it is fun to think it might be some day. :)

Sincerely, Mrs. S

Swapping takes time

2008-05-06T00:31:00.000-06:00

I learned today that switching out a laptop doesn't just happen at the push of a button...nor the dial of Help Desk. Totally takes time. Blah.

Say what you need to say

2008-04-14T00:58:00.000-06:00

Tonight I realized what is really important to me. Saying what I need to say- even if it means losing what I cherish most dear... I have learned that we are given mouths for a reason, and sometimes those reasons are harder to follow through with then I imagine. I am thankful for this person in my life who lets me say what I need to say, then, even when completely frustrated with that, is willing to talk it all out... Ah... people. Relations. Love. It's stronger than I ever give it credit for. Here is to saying what you need to say.

"Kicking the bucket"...

2008-04-13T00:35:00.000-06:00

Tonight I spent some time with a new friend, Kaye, and watched The Bucket List...excellent movie! A few cool things came to mind after it was over-

1. Bucket List- excellent idea, but why not RIGHT NOW? I really liked a few of theirs... like help a complete stranger- that one was way cool! I would like to do that some time as well.

2. Kiss the most beautiful (I am going to switch "girl" out for man) man in the world. He may not adore me calling him beautiful, but I do get to kiss a beautiful man almost every single day!

3. Make sure I ponder these 2 questions that Egyptians believe will get you into heaven:
Did you find joy in your life?
Did others find joy in your life?

Great movie. It's nice to leave the theater feeling like I didn't totally waste my time, but came away with some value.

'Night.

Urine Samples

2007-07-15T16:25:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we woke up early and headed to Barekuma, one of the small villages we have been working closely with. This time though, was a different adventure. This time our goal was to spend our day registering the villagers over 3 years old and testing them for shistosomeiosis ( a parasite that lives in fresh waster here and literally just gets in through the skin and makes you very sick). The entire village is exposed to it, as they wash their clothes, bathe, swim, drink and wade in the river. And its very hot and sticky, so I really don't blame them, but... :) yea. So we get together with the Konfonoche Teaching Hospital med students and we set up shop in the school house of the village. We moved all the desks and set up registration and exam room. I was working registration and it was a very fun job! I had two translators (2 Ghanaians) on each side of me and I would fill out the consent forms with their name and dates and they would sign it and complete the census in Twi with the families in the village. It was crowded and crazy, but it went well. I was impressed that we got most all families talked to and they almost all turned in their urine samples at the emd of the day. We havent heard back from the data that we collected on how many were treated and the areas of the disease in the village, but I am confident that what we did helped the vollage today, especially because we left it mostly up to the Ghanaians to take control of the process and learn to to do what they need to so they can continue here without us. I am slowly learning that Pulic Health is not about doing the project, its about teaching and supporting in the end. Its really cool that we came with items that we used here and that we are leaving more important things like knowledge and skills. I love this work! Its so exciting! And i think i have really enjoyed seeing a little of the administrative side of things as well. Dr. Alder has made it a point to teach us that when we do things we should do them correctly and within the tradition of the culture. So i have met Chiefs, assemblymen and women, future chiefs. Its amazing! I think the closest i feel to one is Mr. Apeah, the man I mentioned that was running around with a sprained ankle... Now I know how to explain what he looks like- Samuel L Jackson, when he is Mace Windu. Totally. :) And he just has really strong character too! He's cool. Every day I have seen him this week he gives me a HUGE handshake and makes sure to tell me that he needs to give me his address! :) I got it today! Ah... and he thought it was soo funny when I told him he reminded me of a movie star. I got a pic of him today, so I will show you all! It was a VERY productive day today and we all went home happy last night.

Taxi

2007-07-12T17:34:00.000-06:00

I rode in my first taxi yesterday evening. It was definitely a different experience than the big yellow bus, that screams OBRUNI!!!!!! :) Much closer to the rode, and you have got to get a driver who REALLY knows where you are going! :) Hehe... He was so friendly though, and amazed that we were trying to speak their language! Today in the village I shocked a few people because I would walk by and sometimes be able to abswer their questions , or just say Ma Che or Ma Ha. It was great to see that surprise at first! Ha! The best was when we were on this little dirt road, and two younger guys were coming towards us. As they passed us, I said Ma Che (good morning). They smiled and kept walking, then all the sudden stopped, talked to each other in their language, looked back at me (I was smiling pretty big) and asked Wo ho te sen? (How am I) Haha! THEN... i blanked and didnt know how to answer that. It was pretty funny! I think they enjoy that we are trying to learn thier culture here as well!

My thoughts...

2007-07-12T17:23:00.000-06:00

Tonight we all met together as usual at 9pm to discuss the day with Dr. Alder. He asked us to answer 3 questions. What have i learned? What do I hope to accomplish in the future with what I have learned? And what were my impressions? I will try and answer them, though I think I still have a lot to learn and experience in the coming days.

I have learned that we are the same. "We" as in me and the Ghanaian people. We feel that same, we even desire the same things. Kellie Anderson made an interesting observation tonight. SHe told us how someone in one of the villages had made a comment to her that they needed to quickly go by the latrines, and that they turned up their nose as they went by as well as she. They dont like the stink, same as us. Though the people of Ghana that we have come in contact with do things differently, they have the same goal- they want to better their homes, their society, and they are grabbing at the bit. I saw such motivation in Mr. Apea with his aching ankle, but yearning to get the project done today... it was very touching. And touching to hear that the Ghanaians had finished the trench that we had started with them, but on their own. I even thought, as I shared my water bottle with Mr. Apea today, we even sweat in the heat the same, lose water the same... I thought i knew and understood that until I came and I have had the opportunity to brush shoulders with these friends. I am heading home, knowing that i am leaving friends and faces behind that I may never see again in this life, and I know, yes, we are the same.

Home

2007-07-12T17:04:00.000-06:00

You know, Mom is going to HATE me saying this Im sure, but I really feel at home here at the University. The people here are great, and hehe, you know, I am getting used to not using water from the taps, and spitting water on my toothbrush to clean it out. :) It really is a beautiful place. Dad, you will be happy to hear that your daughter pondered some interesting thoughts today. :) Today we had the interesting experience of doing some census work in the villages of Barekese and Adamkwame. This was quite an intimate experience and one that we hear few white people or outsiders get to see. We split our group into 7 smaller groups. Each was given a pen, notebook and GPS tracking unit. In my group was Mr. Apea (a Ghanaian Assemblyman) and Kellie Anderson. Our job was to walk around through the villages and track and get the "waypoints" of each house, well, church, school and ongoing building project. We started out and Mr. Apea told us "we aw going to capcha all of dem fust" (We are going to capture all of them first) :) And away we went. Let me give you an idea of Mr. Apea. He is tall and has a strong face with a bald head. A very beautiful and you can tell, respected man, among the villages. he is the coordinator for all the surrounding villages of this project. He actually sprained his ankle today, and let me tell you, this man was motivated to get this project done. I had to work it to keep up with him. He sees the vision of this project. The reason for mapping the coordinates of the village homes and structures is so that we can map the village and the see where clusters of disease are, like malaria and such. I am learning the Public Health is so much more than medicine. its about tracking it, and making sure we have a handle on things, and preventing. Also, its about teaching the people that this is something THEY can have complete control over, IF they desire it and ACT. I like that as well. As we went around to the different homes, we were literally in people's kitchen's and bathrooms, and backyards. It was interesting to see their faces when we, the "olbrunis"(white man in Twi) showed up. And the welcome that we received from these amazing people was so awesome! Can you imagine being in your underwear, cooking something or even bathing in your home, and all the sudden, visitors from another country show up? Guests in your land AND home? And you arent ready? Can you guess the reactions we got? Smiles and waves and a constant "Akwaba" (You are Welcome Here). How would our reactions be? These are amazing people, and they truly know about Human Relations. I think they might think we should know a little more about common courtesy as well, eh? :) It was a very rewarding experience!

The ancient Mosque

2007-07-12T16:52:00.000-06:00

This is a catch up from a few days ago, i wanted to fill you in on an experience that i had a little out of Mole. We pulled into a tiny village outside of Mole to see an ancient Mosque that was still standing. The Chief of the village gets on our bus and explains to us that there will be a charge to see the Mosque and get a tour with him of the history of the Mosque. he ends the introduction by asking us all to donate whatever we feel in our hearts to the village. I was thinking, ok. We can give something. We get outside and immediately we all have a little friend.. or a few. :) I cant tell you the name of my little buddy, but he was real cute and was being very protective of who i talked and listened to. he told me all the questions to ask and said that he was going to make sure to show me the calendar wall at the end of the tour. It was tough to understand some of the things that he said, but i got most of it. At the end of the tour, he made sure to remind me to give a good tip, showed me the calendar, then as we were walking back to the bus, asked me if i could donate some money for a soccer ball for the village to play with. Nothing else, just one soccer ball. It really touched me. It was very hard for me to explain that we werent here in Africa to give things other than to the chief. I kept thinking, gee, a soccer ball is like 8 bucks- and the village cant afford one. You know, we all take a lot for granted. I am not preaching to you all, i just would like to share that it was tough to leave that kid empty handed. It was tough. But I also have learned a great lesson from Dr. Alder, whom we came with on this trip. He taught us that we arent here to give "things" to the people, as that would cut the motivation and life out from under them. Our mission is to teach them that they can do more with knowledge and motivation to do and act for themselves. i like that.

Little tidbits...

2007-07-10T16:50:00.000-06:00

So i have really missed you all lately. So much in fact, that though its is almost midnight and i should be in bed with an ambian pill to make me sleep, i am updating my blog. Oh well, its my only connection to home right now. I am doing well though. I must say, for the first time i am experiencing the uncomfortableness of the, haha, "loose stool" as the immodium box puts it. Shane, if you dont know what that means... uh, go eat LOTS of prunes and make yourself REALLY regular! ;) ha. Yep. My tummy is feeling a bit under the weather due to my first experience of authentic indian food at Madi mahal's last night. It was sooo crazy! So we pull up and it is totally dark, and we americans are thinking, aw, its closed. ha- think again! Oh, they are just conserving power. they tell us to wait for a sec, and all the sudden all the people appear out of seriously nowhere, and then BAM, the lights are on, musicis playing, and there is energy everywhere! It was a really fin experience, but i think i will steer clear of that food from now on. My tummy DOES NOT like it. ;) Other than that and no energy and a small headache today, im doing great! Everything is so amazing! I only have 5 minutes of internet time... so next time i write i will tell you all about my experience teaching an 8 year old to play some games in the the end,teaching some English to him and being taught some "Twi" (the native language) by an older gentleman watching me play with the boy. ah... until then, love and miss you all! Hope all is well back in the states. Actually, let me asure you that it is. :) We are in the promised land. i was told that the other day from a Ghanaian. Remember that. i do.

Ma Jo... (good night)

Love Abena Em

Mole National Park

2007-07-08T18:22:00.000-06:00

oh my goodness! So much to write and tell you all about and so little time to write it all with such slow computers! But... i will do my best. First of all- I SAW ELEPHANTS this morning! We went on a walking Safari (yes! A real safari) I actually went 2 times and first our guides name was DK, and we saw lots of water and bush bucks (deer) and monkeys! We saw a whole pack of baboons and man! we were soooo close! I think they muct really like the attention, cause one of them would turn around and make sure he was facing us as we walked around him. We also saw a croc under the water blowing bubbles up to the surface, but he didnt pop up, which... is probably good. ;) no elephants though. So this morning, we were up at 6:30 to see what we could see this morning. Our guide this morning was James, and we walked FOREVER... and i was getting really bored, cause all we were seeing was a bunch of deer. THEN.... we saw them! A whole huge beautiful herd! Massaive and flapping their ears! We were able to follow them a bit into the trees, and stood 50 yards from them... with only a barrier of termite hills between us. i felt like it was something out of a movie... like Tarzan or something! :) and yesterday as well, a monkey came up to our table at the outside restaraunt and jumped up on to the table right in front of our faces and stole my friend Yasmine's bread! Right off her plate! It was ssooo cool! We also got to swim a an African pool! Ha! It was a normal pool, but of course we were a little iffy about the water. But, i thought- hey, if i dont catch something here i would catch it in the village. And i dont regret it at all! It was soo nice and refreshing! Ah... it was so nice to come "home" though, to the university in Kumasi. it really does feel like home to me. haha, dont worry mom. :) I do find the black men here all very attractive though. so handsome! :) hehe, im loving it- its great! I will write more soon, but i am out of time and it's almost 1 am here ! Love you all!

Kumasi and Berekum

2007-07-03T18:01:00.000-06:00

Another adventure today... we are staying in Kumasi at the Medical Teaching School. Mel and I dont have air conditioning and our fan is sooo slow, so we were thinking and expecting to sweat all night. BUT, thankfully, the rain arrived and we were cool. I even was cool enough for a blanket. We drove to the cultural center today and got to know some of the culture of the Ashanti people. I found out my name is Abena Emily (meaning i was born on a Tuesday morning). We also met with some doctors from the village of Berekum, and there was a student that was working on our language skills... we learned to say Ma che (good morning) Ma ha (good afternoon) and Ma na (good night). Also Me da si is thank you. Which i am learning we Americans throw that word around a lot more freely then the Ghanaians do. Also... let's see. Me di se Emily, or my name is Emily. It has been so interesting. I love it here!!!! We arrived in Berekum to be welcomed by all the village children. it is one of the most touching things I have experienced! These kids were just excited to have us at their village, to touch us, to ask our names, and to tell us their names. I was asked by a group of boys to play "futbol" as well. I had to turn it down this time, because we were there for a welcoming ceremony, but i hope to be able to play with them tomorrow. there were so many, though, i think i might smash one running around! They are the most beautiful and expressive people! I was soo happy to be there! This place is amazing! I dont think i will be ready to come home when it is time. I never realized Africa held such magic. And it is so nice to see that we are here with a purpose and the people of the village see that. We are not here to give them, then leave. we are here to teach and help them and their country to become self sufficient. Another amazing day...

Accra

2007-07-03T17:54:00.000-06:00

After we traveled around and crashed with exhaustion, we (all the girls) toured some of the nearby blocks of Accra. We saw amazing things and people! And smelled some interesting smells too. Everyone seems so friendly. Well, as we were walking, we saw some kids playing a game that looked like bottle caps on the side of the street. we stopped to watch and they tried to talk to us. Colleen asked to take a picture and they LIT up! These beautiful white teeth flashed and their eyes were bright as ever. Such a little hams! Some kids playing soccer across the street took some interest and also came over. They were happy to have their pics taken as well. As we were walking away, a man came up to me and asked "Why are you taking pictures of the kids?" I answered enthusiastically, " They are so beautiful and we like soccer in America. They were playing it." He looked at me sternly and said " If you like soccer so much , go to the Stadium and take a picture. Do not take pictures of the children." I was totally surprised. So I smiled and said" I'm sorry. We will not take any more pictures of the boys. Thanks". Whew. They left though, satisfied. And we hurried on our way. It seems like we are either totally welcome , or people are skeptical of our purpose. But mostly, I feel like people, especially the kids enjoy having us here. Oh- especially when they find out we are not tourists. Again... great day! And great weather!

My First International Flight

2007-07-03T17:42:00.000-06:00

As much as i might have been dreading the LONG flight from JFK to Ghana... I loved it! I ended up switching seats with a family so they could be together and ended up with a front row seat next to the window! And the best though, next to Joseph Wumbee. He is an Executive Director of lots of charities all over a few cities in and around Ghana. He was so educated and nice and taught me some amazing things! I was like a little kid in a candy shop... on my way to experience the real world and i get a first rate seat by a Ghanian! I learned to put away my "obsession with my watch", to make time for people and stop and listen, to learn from people and hear their ideas as i am in a new place and am not the expert, and last but not least, to NOT use my left hand. :) I didnt sleep much but we kept each other company the whole flight in between dreams, and talked of home, and our families and values, Ghana, places to see... it was amazing! Joseph even waited til i got off the plane and through customs to shake my hand and be the first to welcome me to Ghana! I treasure this opportunity to stay friends with someone who is sooo dang cool! As we were preparing to land i looked out the window and saw green. I was amazed at really how green it is! And also, right when we did land, i noticed surrounding the airport armed guards. THAT was a little different for me, and though i was sort of expecting it in my mind, it was very different from landing on a plane in California or South Dakota, or Utah. :) We changed over about $160 to cedis, and received a HUGE wad of money. Mel and I figured out that in Ghanaian money, we were millionaires!!!!! For the first and last time! Ha! It is amazing here though! Absolutely beautiful! And my skin is just breathing and soaking in all the moisture! AND - no problem with my contacts now! Not too dry here to wear them!

Prep... and the bot fly

2007-06-22T01:14:00.000-06:00

So tonight was our first shopping trip. It was interesting, and fun, but I am not sure how much we are prepared. Dang good thing that we have Carolyn with us... she is the named expert of us all.

So... tonight, i was curios at just exactly what a bot fly was. I have heard a lot about them... and stories about them (the head of our security dept. came back with a few friends in his shoulder) so I "googled" it. Man, you gotta see the movies on youtube.com about bot fly extraction! Now I am not so sure that I should have looked that up, but I am SURE that I will be taking all the extra precautions to make sure Mel and I do not get a bot fly larvae in either of us! Look it up - see what you think!

9 days...

The waiting game... 11 days

2007-06-18T22:28:00.000-06:00

One week since I found out I was heading to Africa... passport and visa? Check. Immunizations? 5 checks...ouch! Yea, not feeling so good right now. Today I received 5 - polio, TDap, Menangitis, Yellow Fever (along with my yellow card), and Typhoid. I feel pretty preventative now. Its down to finding shoes and figuring out just what I need to take with me. I have been so lucky to find that a few people that I know have been to Ghana, and their advice is helping a ton! From Kate I leard to say " Ay yea" to answer "Whoa ho te seng" (which is "I'm fine" to "How are you?"), and slowly, more and more info is trickling my way! I am soo excited!
WHOOP!