!Quince! Sept 15th, Independence Day -
celebrated by a parade down the path, all schools participate in their groups, usually with some sort of new uniform if possible.

Being soldiers is a big part of the marching routines

The girls love to do batan dance routines, and practice a month ahead

The boys are the drummers, or in this case they carved wooden guns to carry

 

Emily playing the 'Hokey Pokey' with some of the boys on Children's Day

Out visiting one day, here I am with Tamika, she's 6 weeks old here
Heather has to do Jadiri's hair when she's sleeping or she fights too much. If she wakes up, it has to wait to get braided (or plaited)
I had SueEllen and Esslyn over for a sleepover one night. One of the greatest things for them was to be able to take a real shower, and sleep under a fan all night long. We really had a fun time!

 

Ewings took Camas, Alisa and I out iguana hunting (they do eat iguana, and yes, it tastes like chicken....sort of)

We tramped through some pretty thick jungle searching out those iguana

This was a tailor shop where Emily had some school uniforms made up for Quince. These kids sang songs to us while we waited for them to be paid for and picked up. They just flocked to our boat when we drove up.

Most of the team, minus Camas, plus Tom Hackett, outside Casa Calico

 

Harvest Celebration Sept 7th, 2006

They get all dressed up and go to the Methodist church for "recitations", children and adults alike practice and memorize a variety of songs, poems, Bible verses, or even something that they have made up for the occasion. Its almost as big an event as Quince, the independence day.

 

A few favorites....

a couple beautiful schoolgirls peeking out the HEC door

Cooling off Helene style - bathin' in the sea!

Interesting Pond scene, the oven on the left (old style clay oven) is much more reliable and used than the oven on the right, that has definately seen better days!

Laundry day, one of intense labor using a washboard, several rinse cycles, lots of squeezing, and finally hanging up. Then just hope they will dry despite the humidity, before the rains come!

 

More pictures from around the island...

Here is Esslyn and Saroli, during a sleepover for 9 teenage girls!

A pretty evening from up on the hill behind the clinic

A rare sight, this was taken by a team member, a gorgeous sunrise!!

Just interesting... a shack in the background, in the foreground a seatless chair, sitting in front of a recently used campfire, in the pond

 

Before Aubrie was born, it all wasn't quite 'real' to Ryan yet....

He thinks he could understand what it felt like, inside and out, to be Chantale....

...but unfortunately, he couldn't know how amazing it really is! Chantale was such a trooper during it all. And what an angel we are all blessed with now!

The two new Grandma's just couldn't be any more proud!!

When she looks at me, my heart melts and I know that I am blessed indeed! Its especially nice to know she's in good hands, and not mine!

 

While in CA, Ryan took me and Julie, Chantale's sister, to the shooting range on the Ft Irwin base


Ryan shooting his .45 cal semi automatic

Now my turn with it - its loud with a lot of kick!!

This was my favorite gun to shoot, an AK15 semi, hardly any kick

Julie had never shot a gun, she did great and had a good time, too

 

It's a GIRL!! My beautiful grand-daughter, Aubrie, is born!

Her birth day was Aug 17th, at 2:47pm. 7lb, 1/2 oz, 19" long.

Her very proud parents, Ryan and Chantale, live at Ft Irwin, CA

Daddy, Ryan, looking at her for the first time, quite a realization, I'm sure, that he really is a father now - and all the God given responsibilities!
The beautiful, very happy new family...Ryan, Chantale, and little Aubrie
Being a Grammy is just the BEST!!!