The Life and Times of the Mangine Many

Fritzie's Pikliz

2013-06-17T21:10:00.001-04:00

I have been asked at least a dozen times for the recipe for Fritzie's pikliz.

I finally had her show me step by step how to make it. Here it is for all of you fans out there. Hers really IS the best.

2 small carrots
1 small head of white cabbage
2 scotch bonnet peppers (I haven't found them in the US, the closest substitution is habenero)
3 TBSP white vinegar
1 cube of Maggi (chicken bouillon)
1 tsp salt
1+1/2 TBSP of freshly squeezed lime juice
1 medium tomato
1 small onion

Here's the details.

Peel the carrots and grate them with the small side of the grater. (So the carrots are really grated to be small.)

Use a sharp KNIFE (not a grater-- Fritzie was clear on this) to shred the cabbage into really small think shavings. Toss grated carrots and shredded cabbage together until evenly mixed.

Take 2 fresh scotch bonnet peppers. Clean them and put them in a pilon (morter and pestle) and crush completely with seeds still in.

It will be pasty when completely crushed.

Add Maggi.

And salt.

Mash it again in the pilon. Then add the vinegar and stir it in.

Pour the mixture over the cabbage/carrots.

Squeeze the limes.

Strain the lime juice through a screen to get the seeds/pulp out.

Toss well so that all of it is evenly coated.

Slice tomatoes and onions thin and place on top. Cover and let sit for a few hours (not in the fridge) to let the flavors meld.

Bring it to the beach with you when you buy some grilled fish/fried plantains from a vendor there, since Fritzie's pikliz is 1000% times better.

Fair Warning: This pikliz is highly addictive, so bookmark the page so you can find it easily in the future!

Jerry and the futbol match

2013-06-11T07:18:00.003-04:00

When we got back home to Haiti last week, one of the first things Jerry said to Nick was, "Papi Nick. Mwen genyen anpil zanmi kounye a. ANPIL." (I have a lot of friends now. A LOT.)

This was a big deal for Jerry because, well, he didn't really have any friends. Don't get me wrong, Jerry is not unlikeable; he is a generally jovial kid with an infectious smile. He just has a hard time fitting in, and well, sometimes he's mean. He's easily influenced by others. That often doesn't work out for his good, and then, inevitably, he will make bad choices and end up with consequences that limit his ability for interaction with his friends. You probably remember the scenario where he got kicked out of his school for buying and drinking rum with his friends at 7AM. Since then, he's being schooled at home and really has little social interaction other than with the kids in our home.

However, recently Jerry started hanging out with some neighborhood boys and playing street soccer with them right in front of our gate. These were his "a lot of friends" he was telling Nick about. Nearly each afternoon since we've been back home, we've sat out in front of our gate watching the boys play. Friday Jerry came to me and told me that he and the boys were planning a BIG match at 4 Saturday. He asked if they could borrow the cleats and shinguards we had in our depot so that they could look official. We decided to make a family outing of it.

Saturday afternoon we took a trip to the beach, but Jerry kept reminding us we needed to be back for the game at 4:00. I didn't adhere to that timing too much because, well, I know how time works around here and I wasn't too worried about starting late. But we rolled up on our house a few minutes after 4:00 and saw several little boys sitting patiently outside of our gate waiting. We quickly showered off and then walked down the street to where the match was to be held. (Prisca and Sanndi spent a little more time getting ready, because well, there were going to be preteen boys there so they needed to do their hair and put on lipgloss. ;)

It was adorable to watch the boys digging through the bag of equipment-- finding shoes and shinguards that were the right size. (Well, actually very few found things that were the right size, but they made it work.) The big rocks they had rolled onto the field to mark the goals were accented with orange cones and the match began. It didn't take long for the boys with the ill-fitting cleats/sneakers to yank them off during play, but the shinguards stayed on.

It was nothing different than what happens in the street games, but somehow, with our whole family there as spectators, it was special. There was a house behind the field that was showing the Spain/Haiti match on television at the same time. Their cheers and boos (albeit for an entirely different match) added to the general atmosphere.

I texted my friend Sarah to tell her how awesome the match was and she came over with her 3 volunteers to watch and cheer, too. Well, not really cheer so much. We just sat in chairs like soccer parents and chatted while the littler kids played cards and whatnot. And of course, Nia read.

It was a great afternoon. I don't actually know who won. I think Jerry/Jean Louis' team did. I think the score was somewhere around 3-2. But yeah, the score didn't really matter because the experience itself was a win.

Conversations with Schneider

2013-06-06T11:14:00.000-04:00

So in the past month Schneider learned how to talk. Like more than just a few words here and there, like FULL ON motor-mouth.

It's seriously cute. But now that he knows how to talk, he has something to say nearly every waking moment, which becomes kind of not cute during bedtime.

Last night I laid Schneider down to sleep in my bed and then went into the adjoining bedroom to get ready for bed myself. Here's the (mostly-Kreyol-with-some-English-thrown-in) conversation.

***

Schneider: Manman! (Mommy)

Me: What?

Schneider: (Hearing me pee.) W'ap pee pee? (Are you peeing?)

Me: Wi. (Yes.) Ale donmi. (Go to sleep.)

Schneider: Manman!

Me: What?

Schneider: W'ap vin domi? (Are you coming to bed?)

Me: Wi. Banm ti tann. (Give me a minute.) Ale donmi.

Schneider: Manman!

Me: (getting exasperated) What!?

Schneider: (Hearing the shower running.) W'ap beyen? (Are you bathing?)

Me: No. M'ap lavi pye'm. (I am washing my feet.) Ale donmi.

Schneider: Manman!

Me: WHAT?!

Schneider: Anyen. (Nothing.)

***

Okay, so maybe it's still a LITTLE cute during bedtime.

Nia's parenthesis

2013-06-01T22:51:00.001-04:00

Nia made name cards for Josiah's birthday dinner tonight.

Her parenthetical descriptions cracked me up.

PS- Here's a cute birthday pic.

Lessons from the Tabernacle

2013-05-20T11:17:00.005-04:00

Lately I have been in better rhythms about reading from the scriptures, and it's been extremely helpful. (Imagine that?!)

Most recently I've been reading in Exodus about the construction of the Tabernacle, or (in simpler terms) a place where God could live among his people during a time they living outside of their homeland. In the past as I've read through these chapters I've sort of skimmed through all the details as I found them to be quite tedious. However, this time I've so appreciated reading about the great task that was before God's people.   I imagine that the details (big and small) that needed to be attended to might have seemed overwhelming. The monetary resources required were large, and I think an even bigger challenge was getting the right people in the right places to accomplish all of this.

During this season of our lives we are contemplating many "big picture" concepts about ethics in missions, the humility required for cross-cultural living, the value of short-term teams, responsible aid, etc. The concepts in this portion of scripture are INCREDIBLY insightful to me and I thought I'd share some of the things I gleaned from it. (Disclaimer: I am not a trained pastor, teacher, or theologian but these are some of the ideas that have crossed my mind in the past day or so.)

1. The offerings. The first thing that was required of God's people when they were to build a place for him to live among them was that the Israelites who were willing were asked to set aside offerings for the construction of this work. They gathered all sorts of things that were considered precious and monetarily valuable to them-- resources that were anticipated to be needed for the completion of this work. Often times, people in ministry skip this step. They believe that God has called them to some great thing but don't have a plan to handle the finances of it.   God provides. We all know that. In this case, when a project of this magnitude was about to be started, he asked for the offerings to be made ahead of time. How would missions/ministry be different if we asked and allowed God's willing people to give sacrificially at the start of a great work to ensure it's completion?

2. The excellence factor. Each specific component of this work was incredibly detailed in terms of how it was to be accomplished. God's people were literally building a place where they could be with the Him. Isn't that what people in missions/ministry are desiring to do? To create an environment where people can meet with God? These things were not done in a rushed, hurried manner. Quality and details (otherwise known as excellence) were required and expected. Obviously, degaje (making do) is always going to be necessary at times, but it seems like excellence is the norm we see in this model. How would missions/ministry be different if we planned and strived for excellence as we carry out the work we've been called to do?

3. The skilled craftsman principle.   In a few places in the description of the Tabernacle construction, there mentions the need for components to be created by "skilled craftsmen" or "skilled workers." This work wasn't to be done by just anyone. All too often in ministry/missions we do not require this of our missionaries/volunteers/short-term teams, etc. We have the opinion that having someone (skilled or not) is better than having no one. Or even worse, we often see with some (not all) missionaries who bring in a lot of short-term teams, that the bodies present on the ground are really NOT because of the need for the work they are able to accomplish on their trip, but for the money they bring in. Unskilled "workers"are being used to do jobs that they cannot accomplish well only because of the financial gain that it will bring to the mission/ministry. (I have observed that this happens more in cases where the offering principle mentioned above is not a priority.) This leads to shoddy workmanship, disintegration of the excellence factor (mentioned above), and frustration for both the worker and the person overseeing the work. And in a big project, the consequences of this rushed behavior follow us for the rest of the project as we have to find work-arounds and change the plans to work within the realities we find ourselves in. It is true that finding (or training) skilled people takes time but that's the model we see here. How would missions/ministry be different if we took the time needed, exercised the patience required, and put in the work needed to fundraise for/find/train skilled people for the tasks we need to accomplish rather than working backwards to correct poorly-executed work?

Think about it.

Wavin' Flag

2013-05-18T06:09:00.000-04:00

When I get older, I will be stronger,

They'll call me freedom,

just like a Waving Flag,

And then it goes back,

And then it goes back

Born to a throne, stronger than Rome

But Violent prone, poor people zone,

But it's my home, all I have known,

Where I got grown, streets we would roam.

But out of the darkness, I came the farthest,

Among the hardest survival.

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,

Accept no defeat, surrender retreat,

So we struggling, fighting to eat and

We wondering when we'll be free,

So we patiently wait, for that fateful day,

It's not far away, so for now we say

When I get older, I will be stronger,

They'll call me freedom, just like a Waving Flag,

And then it goes back, and then it goes back,

And then it goes back

So many wars, settling scores,

Bringing us promises, leaving us poor,

I heard them say, love is the way,

Love is the answer, that's what they say,

But look how they treat us, Make us believers,

We fight their battles, then they deceive us,

Try to control us, they couldn't hold us,

Cause we just move forward like Buffalo Soldiers.

But we struggling, fighting to eat,

And we wondering, when we'll be free

So we patiently wait, for that fateful day,

It's not far away, but for now we say,

When I get older, I will be stronger,

They'll call me freedom, just like a Waving Flag,

And then it goes back, and then it goes back,

And then it goes back

When I get older, I will be stronger,

They'll call me freedom, just like a Waving Flag,

And then it goes back, and then it goes back,

And then it goes back

When I get older, I will be stronger,

They'll call me freedom, just like a Waving Flag,

And then it goes back, and then it goes back,

And then it goes back

When I get older, when I get older,

I will be stronger, just like a Waving Flag,

Just like a Waving Flag,

just like a Waving flag

Flag, flag, Just like a Waving Flag

lyrics by K'naan

Watershed.

2013-05-03T11:33:00.002-04:00

The past two and a half months have been a watershed time for me. (See definition three.)

wa·ter·shed (wôtr-shd, wtr-)

1. A ridge of high land dividing two areas that are drained by different river systems. Also called water parting.

2. The region draining into a river, river system, or other body of water.

3. A critical point that marks a division or a change of course; a turning point: "a watershed in modern American history, a time that ... forever changed American social attitudes" (Robert Reinhold).

We hit this point in Haiti where we realized that life can't continue in its current trajectory and have made the decision to step back, try to take an objective look at what we do (with the input of others who love us) and see what changes need to be made in order to move ahead in a way that is sustainable and gives life to us and to those around us. We'd been on the cusp of this watershed moment for a while. We knew change would need to come. But now that we've made this decision to jump in and affect change in our lives, there really is no turning back.

This has been a lot of work. I've been in therapy getting to know myself more fully-- my strengths and weaknesses, my successes and failures, the really good parts of my character and the really awful parts of it. And we're unpacking it all-- the trauma. The good times. The bad times. The hurts. The joys. The junk. The drama. And in addition to going to therapy, I'm actually WORKING our therapy. (That's the hard part.)

I am also doing the work of trying to hear from God everyday. To give Him the time, through the scriptures, to let him speak into my life. I am reminded of his perfect plan and how desperately we all need a Savior. Day by day as creation spins in entropy-- further and further from the life we were created for-- God is there, calling us, whispering our name. Gently reminding us that while things are out of control, He is not.

I am doing the work of adopting healthier patterns and lifestyle choices for myself. Reminding myself that life works best when we embrace the call Jesus gave to his disciples to deny themselves, pick up their cross daily, and follow him. My natural tendency is to do none of those three things. If I call it like it is, my natural tendency is to indulge myself, expect someone else to lug around my junk, and follow what I want to do. My way has proven (over and over again) to NOT lead to the best life possible.

I am using this time of separation from my kids to ponder the complex familial relationships we have with each of them. To focus on them as individuals-- their strengths and weaknesses, their character, their preferences, and personalities. We're usually so focused on our kids as a whole and not our kids as individuals. We are starting to work on ILP's (individual life plans) for each child God has entrusted to us. Trying to determine paths and strategies to further their development emotionally, spiritually, physically, educationally, relationally.

I am also using this time to work on my marriage... working on trying to love Nick the way that he needs to be loved. In my head, I remember being much better at trying to consider his interests. But somehow that was subject to entropy over time as well. We're relearning how to love and trust one another more fully. We're re-learning how to listen, how to work together in a partnership, and to cherish one another. And I am embarrassed to admit that is difficult at times-- REALLY difficult.

In all these things, I am learning that it's a blessing to feel like I lost my mind, because when my mind was in control, I didn't have space for the mind of Christ. (1 Cor 2:16) With very clear indicators that my way wasn't working, I could be free with the process of surrender-- fully knowing and acknowledging that my way is not THE way. As David says in the Psalms, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." (Psalm 119:71)

I know a lot of people in various situations right now who are likewise at (or are quickly approaching) watershed moments. People weighted down under health problems, people struggling with addiction, failing marriages, serious financial trouble, people with un-manageable life or job situations. I think these people KNOW that life isn't working. But yet (like I was for a long time) they are still holding on to the shred of hope that if they can stick it out for just a little while longer, then everything will work out... that somehow they will summon the strength to get a hold of things. But what I am learning is that life isn't about us getting ahold of things. It's about us letting go of things. It isn't about us winning or conquering things in our life that are big struggles, it's about us coming to grips the fact that we can't win with the hand we've been dealt. And so rather than than fight and get knocked down time and time again, we need to embrace surrender.

It doesn't mean that all of the problems go away. They won't. I could list out two dozen major problems in my life right now that need solutions. But when I look at things through the lens of surrender, I stop being paralyzed by the weight of all those unknown solutions. Instead I approach the Lord with an attitude like, "Well God, now that you're in charge, looks like you have a long list of junk to tackle. Let me know when and if you want some hands and feet to help with a specific task. But it's also okay if you want to delegate that to someone else."

Long, long ago I started listening to the Indigo Girls. (I know you know this because I talk about them like every 2 seconds.) They have this song called, "Watershed" that I've always loved but didn't really fully understand until this season of my life. Now it resonates with me like never before. If you're at a watershed moment, listen to it by clicking here. It's a really old song (and a really old video), but listening to their soothing harmonies and insightful words this morning was a soothing balm to my ears and mind. It refocused my mind on the work I need to be doing (daily) to flesh out my circumstances while I am up on the watershed, standing at the fork in the road.

***

Watershed, Indigo Girls

(Nomads, Indians, Saints Album)

Thought I knew my mind
Like the back of my hand
The gold and the rainbow
But nothing panned out as I planned
And they say only milk and honey's
Gonna make your soul satisfied
Well I better learn how to swim
Cause the crossing is chilly and wide

Twisted guardrails on the highway
Broken glass on the cement
A ghost of someone's tragedy
How recklessly my time has been spent
They say that it's never too late
But you don't, you don't get any younger
Well I better learn how to starve the emptiness
And feed the hunger

Up on the watershed
Standing at the fork in the road
You can stand there and agonize
Till your agony's your heaviest load
You'll never fly as the crow flies
Get used to a country mile
When you're learning to face
The path at your pace
Every choice is worth your while

And there's always retrospect
(when you're looking back)
To light a clearer path
Every five years or so I look back on my life
And I have a good laugh
You start at the top
(start at the top)
Go full circle round
Catch a breeze
Take a spill
But ending up where I started again
Makes me wanna stand still

Up on the watershed
Standing at the fork in the road
You can stand there and agonize
Till your agony's your heaviest load
You'll never fly as the crow flies
Get used to a country mile
When you're learning to face
The path at your pace
Every choice is worth your while

Stepping on a crack
Breaking up and looking back
Till every tree limb overhead just seems to sit and wait
Till every step you take becomes a twist of fate
(twist of fate)

Up on the watershed
Standing at the fork in the road
You can stand there and agonize
Till your agony's your heaviest load
You'll never fly as the crow flies
Get used to a country mile
When you're learning to face
The path at your pace
Every choice is worth your while

Four year Haiti-versary.

2013-04-27T19:16:00.001-04:00

Four years ago today this young, fresh, bright-eyed, NAIVE family of five moved to Haiti. We were full of dreams, hope, and answers.

Our dreams were only slightly squashed when (literally MINUTES after arriving in the country) we were robbed for the first time. (I don't think we ever told anyone this story.) We were driving through Port au Prince and someone jumped on the back, cut the net covering our bags, stole one and ran off. Fortunately for us (and unfortunately for him), he did it right in front of a police officer who quickly apprehended him. We got the bag back and we just wanted to be on our way to Jacmel, but the police were insistent that we go file a police report so the guy could be prosecuted. I waited in the car with the kids while Nick was in the police station witnessing the young man who had stolen our suitcase become the victim of police brutality. I snapped this picture as he left the police station with the bag. Welcome to Haiti, eh?

Today, we are older, grayer, more wrinkled, and less bright-eyed. Our dreams have mostly been completely squashed. We realized we don't have the answers-- in fact, we have more questions than ever before. And a few weeks ago when we arrived in the States exhausted from nearly four years of hard living (turns out our first run in with crime that first hour in Haiti was just a foreshadowing of things to come), it seemed like our hope had died as well.

But with rest, love from our friends and family, rest, access to first world medical care, rest, care from our home church, (Crosspointe), rest, counseling, and rest, (are you picking up on the theme here?) Nick and I have realized that our hope is not dead because Jesus is still alive.

We are full of joy even when we suffer. We know that our suffering gives us the strength to go on. The strength to go on produces character. Character produces hope. And hope will never let us down. God has poured his love into our hearts. He did it through the Holy Spirit, whom he has given to us. --Romans 5:3b-5 (NIrV)

Additionally, being in better physical and emotional shape these days, we are renewed in our hope for what God has called our family to in Haiti. It feels weird to spend our Haiti-versary in the states this year. But we're thankful for the freedom we've been given by the Joy in Hope Board, our home church, and our supporters to take this extended furlough to focus in on rest and health. It's working. Day by day we are reminded more and more who we were "before Haiti." We're remembering why we were hopeful. We're remembering why we love Haiti. And we're being reminded about the importance of relying on the Lord.

We're still not sure when we're returning to Haiti for good. We've recently decided to extend our lease here in NC past June 7 (which was when we thought we'd return). In the meantime we've been returning every 3-4 weeks for short trips to visit the kids and make sure things are running well. In spite of the fact that we miss our kids more than we can explain in words, we are trying to spend the time we need here to really address future concerns and plans so that we will be set up well for our next long (Lord-willing) jaunt of service in Haiti. We feel tempted at times to take short-cuts to be able to be re-united sooner, but we are trying to focus on how we can really serve our family best for the long term.

We're thankful for your faithfulness in prayer. We'd welcome and appreciate your prayers for our family (ALL of us) in the days and weeks to come. Thank you also for your faithful financial support on behalf of our family. Our Board was remarking to us earlier in the week how very steady and consistent you've all been to us through all the ups and downs. We humbly ask your continued faithfulness in giving-- it's been an expensive season of life. Tax-deductable one-time or ongoing donations can be given securely online at www.joyinhope.org/donate. (Click on the "Mangine Family" link to make sure your donation goes to our family.)

Nick and I have been listening to a book on cd when we are in the car (without our kids, since it's not a book for children.) It's called The Island Beneath the Sea and it's a historical fiction that takes place in Saint Domingue (what would become Haiti) around the time of the Haitian Revolution. In one place in the novel, one of the main characters remarks, "Life on this island has hardened me. Or let's say it has made me more realistic." That quote resonated with me. While I do believe there are parts of me that have been hardened over the past four years, I also believe that it's placed us in the position where the best is yet to come. I am excited to think about re-launching life in Haiti with the benefit of experience, but also a renewed sense of focus, health, and wellness.

Thank you for being our supporters, friends, cheerleaders, & co-laborers. Thank you for your constant encouragement. And thank you for holding up our arms during the times when the weight was too heavy to bear (see Exodus 17:8-13).

With ever-grateful hearts,
Gwenn (for the ENTIRE Mangine Many)

Ti kouri. (Cornrows)

2013-04-11T08:09:00.000-04:00

I made it a goal recently that I want to learn how to cornrow. I have this friend named Aegis who is (like me) a vanilla mom with chocolate babies and she ROCKS this out. Seriously, I kind of want to be her on this. I figured that I could practice on Nico since he's growing his hair out. I tried over and over, but it just seemed like his hair was always too short. But I knew it wasn't, so yesterday I brought Nico over to Mabele's African Hair braiding and he got his first ever cornrows.

The people doing all the braiding there were indeed African and it was interesting to listen to them talk to one another while doing hair. They spoke French, but because of their accents, a lot of it sounded very similar to Kreyol (which is also derived from French). It took the better part of an hour for Nico's hair to be done. And he was brave, although it appeared as if it hurt a great deal. :) Little buddy just hung onto the armrests of the chair like it was a plane going down.

(Exhibit A)

But in the end, he likes the result. (And I think it's the cutest thing ever.) It's so tight he still can't look down or up. (Or even smile.) And he cried himself to sleep because his scalp hurts to bad. I even broke out my mom's sage advice, "Sorry buddy, but it hurts to be beautiful." (To which Nia chimed in with, "Nana says that... A LOT."

But I think he's going to love the next couple of weeks we don't have to do his hair every day. I am hoping that he will chose to have it done again in spite of the pain, although he insists he is cutting it when the braids come out. (We'll see.)

I think he looks super handsome. (And I am going to practice on the girls this weekend while I am home in Haiti... they have tougher scalps at this point and will let me play.)

Reunion.

2013-04-06T13:05:00.000-04:00

Our good friends (formerly of Jacmel) the Browns came to visit us during this past week.

We haven't seen them in over a year and it was a happy, happy reunion.

There was all sorts of merry-making over their 4 day visit. Our kids played. We played. We ate our way around the world-- Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese (and a thwarted attempt at Ethiopian). We talked for hours on end, laughed a lot, and re-earthed and gave new life to all the conspiracy theories about the Jacmel home invasions in late 2011. (During which Tammi was shot... which certainly was a serious thing, but you would know it by our hours on end of gun jokes.) We learned more about their plans for their next assignment in Costa Rica, and were so blessed by just being together.

The Browns' trip down to see us was supposed to take around 12 hours, but thanks to transmission trouble, ended up taking closer to 16. (With FOUR kids ages 3-14.) And then once they got here, they were faced with $4000+ in repairs. This kind of thing is always a huge bummer, but my heart broke for them knowing that they are missionaries (read: tight budget) and currently raising support. But they took it all in stride, laughing and making jokes about how the standard gift for a 16th marriage anniversary (which they celebrated while they were here) is a transmission anyway.

Seriously folks, these guys are the real deal. If you're looking to partner with an experienced missionary family (they've already lived in Kenya and Haiti) headed to Costa Rica, check out their most recent newsletter for more info on them.

Here's a few pics from our time together--

Wolfing down fish sticks like they are some sort of delicacy.

The obligatory crazy picture.

Nick looking like psycho about the creamed frozen bananas we made that totally turned into an ice cream-like treat with a Ninja blender someone lent us. The one-ingredient "recipe" can be found here.

Also, be sure to check out this video because OH MY GOSH. Nick has got some moves when he's excited about food discoveries.

Check out these Hawaiian fajitas that had fresh pineapple chunks in it? SO delish.

(La Rancherita in Apex in case you're interested.)

And this is what happened when the moms went out to lunch and the dads were in charge.

This too.

It was a whirlwind of staying up too late, eating too much, and really tired kids, but man, it was fun.

Scouting flashback.

2013-04-06T02:14:00.002-04:00

Back when I was in elementary school I was in the Brownies. After a few years we moved up to be Girl Scouts with my best friend Amanda Case at my side. I loved the scouts. And I was a part of Girl Scout history as I was there during the time they switched from sashes to vests. I was the top cookie salesgirl a couple of years because my mom used to be the housekeeper at Herder's Insurance company in Three Bridges, and her "in" there allowed me to travel from desk to desk during cookie season and pedal my wares to dozens of people at a time, while all the other girls were going door to door (suckers). I did that, too, because these were the days when that was okay. (There was none of this "set a booth up in front of a grocery store" business back then.) But I digress.

We learned a lot of songs in Brownies. I remember our leader, (Mrs... er... S-something... her first name was Mary... her daughter's name was Lizzie... Um... can't remember it but it's on the tip of my tongue...) teaching us the Erie Canal song, teaching us how to sing in a round, and teaching us this old song that went like this--

Make new friends
But keep the old
One is silver
And the other's gold

This past week I found myself reminiscing on the last 25-30 years since I learned that song and I must say I am an incredibly blessed woman to have lived a life up until this point absolutely surrounded by loving and loyal friends. So many silver friends, so many gold friends... it's impossible to describe all of the people who have woven in and out of my lives. Dozens (hundreds?) of names are popping into my head right now-- and quite honestly, I feel like listing some of them out. But I won't, because, quite frankly, I am afraid that, at this hour of the night, (about 2:00AM), I will forget to list someone deserving of being there.

But you know who you are-- friends of mine from the neighborhood in Three Bridges, elementary school friends, middle school friends, Creation friends, church friends, high school friends, college friends, family friends, Crosspointe friends and other Triangle area friends, social media friends, Haiti friends...

And to you (all of you), tonight I just felt I needed to say, "Thank you."

It is a certainty of this life that we all will face trouble. Thank you that I have never had to face trouble alone. Thank you for loving me in spite of all of the drama that is my life. Thank you for being there for me and my family during the best of times and the worst. You are loved and appreciated.

Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble. - Proverbs 17:17 (The Message)

****
Edited to add: Stalman was her last name. Mrs. Stalman.

The differences in 4 years.

2013-03-21T11:36:00.003-04:00

We have visited the states a lot during our last (almost) 4 years living in Haiti, but this time is different. We have our own place and are living here for a few months rather than visiting here. Our apartment is super cozy. I am LOVING going grocery shopping, doing laundry, making meals, and washing my own dishes. All of these things here are so much easier here than there. And my kids are loving chores here vs. chores there, too. I know this honeymoon phase will likely be short-lived, but we're enjoying it for now, despite daily feelings of sadness as we miss the Haiti kids.

We're noticing many things that have changed in the 4 years we've been gone from the states. And I notice them from time to time as we're here. Here's a couple of changes we've noticed... I will probably update the list from time to time.

1. Yogurt. Okay, this probably sounds so stupid, but yogurt is totally different than when we used to live here. The whole Greek yogurt thing (which I love) is huge. And frozen yogurt shops are more prevalent than ice cream shops. When did THAT happen? (Clearly in the last 4 years... well, and like in 1988 when TCBY was the shiz.) As a matter of fact, you can even buy Greek frozen yogurt, so I feel like we missed TWO steps.

2. Texting. Nobody talks to anyone on the phone anymore-- does anyone else notice this? Everyone texts. Like even to people you love. I don't understand it-- pretty much everyone has unlimited cell phone plans these days (also new in the past 4 years), but instead of calling, they text. That's bizarre to me. Why wouldn't you want to talk to the people you love?

3. EVERYTHING can be done (and IS done) online now. When we got our apartment here we didn't have to talk to anyone to get approval. We had to submit our application online. We got an email telling us we were approved. We paid our rent online. We had to get our power turned on by submitting a form online. We got renter's insurance online. We got our internet, you guessed it-- online. (Which is stupid, because seriously, if you don't have internet service, how come you have to go ONLINE to get that?) When we bought a car, we got our car insurance online. Like never talked to anyone. What the heck?

4. Everyone takes debit/credit cards these days. And nobody accepts checks anymore. Since all payments seem to be handled online anyway there really isn't a reason to have a checkbook. Unless you want to to to the Goodwill. They are the only holdout that I've seen lately that doesn't take a card and still takes checks.

It seems like the trend is to figure out all of the ways where you don't have to actually be in a relationship with actual people. Perhaps it's a cultural thing because for the past several years we have lived in a really communal culture, but I don't like the degree to which the quest for individualism means exclusion of community. (Except the frozen yogurt thing, which I happen to think is just an outlier. :) To quote Bob Dylan-- the times they are a changin'...

Twinnies.

2013-03-21T10:37:00.002-04:00

The best part about having friends who have identical twins is that we often get matchy-matchy clothes for the boys. (Thanks Jenna and Tim!) Ever since the whole "the cops though we were kidnapping Nico" thing, I often try to dress the boys alike. I seriously might do this until they leave my house one day because I think it's so darling. Plus, they love it, too!

I recently stumbled across this picture from their early childhood-- I mean, come on, THAT'S CUTE!

Here are some more from throughout the years--

This weekend I am going to the Mothers of Twins and Triplets of the Triangle consignment sale and I am crossing my fingers for more matchy-matchy clothing for these boys. They really are best friends as well as brothers.

What is it? (Blog contest)

2013-03-20T21:42:00.000-04:00

Time for a blog contest.

When we moved into our apartment here in Apex, we started borrowing stuff from nearby friends since we're not here forever. This particular friend had a nice set of red dishes and a lot of chili-pepper kitchen accessories to go with them.

This particular accessory, however, stumped us. We have NO idea what it is or what it's for. I asked the owner and she didn't actually know either.

This is where the contest comes in. Send me your guess as to what this is or what it could be used for. Most creative answer wins a pound of high altitude Haitian coffee.

Three ways to enter, and you can enter as many times as you want-- (make sure I have your email address in case you win.)

1. I don't generally allow comments on my blog, but I will make an exception here. I am opening comments up for this post.

2. Comment on this link on Facebook.

3. Email me at gwenn@joyinhope.org with your guess/suggestion.

Helpful info to know--
Size: About 8 inches long.
Contest ends Sunday, March 24 at midnight.

Go!

***
Edited to add:
PS- I tried searching by the image and these are the things google suggested that this item could be--

Sorry Google, your image search algorithm still needs a little work...

Campout

2013-03-17T16:09:00.004-04:00

Our first campout (campIN) in the apartment was a success!!!

It's easy because all the kids are young and so they think sleeping on a Lazy Boy chair is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and so that means only moving one mattress.

We rented Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away from redbox and it was an uncontested winner with every one in the family. Nico just kept saying, "Mom, I don't just LOVE this movie, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this movie." All three of them decided we need to buy it to bring back to the kids in Haiti. You watch, we will have our own Cirque du Soleil in the near future. Last year's Christmas video was proof that we can't ever become a VonTrapp-type family, so maybe we could be a circus family. It already feels like we live in a circus, so I am hopeful.

Nick and I made "homemade" (read: place and bake cookies + ice cream + mini chocolate chips) Chipwich sandwiches, which were also a success.

I love this picture of Josiah enjoying his. I am pretty sure this is what I look like when I eat as well.

We're so thankful for this dedicated time with the American 3. Now that we're here we realize that this kind of time is long overdue and is good for all of us. We've sort of forgotten all the great things about living in the states over the last few years.

It's good to be reminded.

Mangine Family February Recap

2013-03-06T19:10:00.002-05:00

Hello friends,

We're writing to you today from chilly North Carolina. While we're shivering with temperatures in the 30s and 40s our kids back in Haiti are sweating in the high 80s. I'm going to get to stories and pictures from the month of February but since we find ourselves in the States somewhat unexpectedly, I thought I'd address that first.

Next month will be our 4-year-anniversary of living full-time in
Haiti. It's been a good but very difficult 4 years. And during that
time we've never taken an extended time together to focus on rest and rejuvenation. During the month we spent in Haiti following our last furlough, stress levels were too high, we saw our physical and emotional health deteriorating and realized the time had come for us to step out of day-to-day Haiti life to focus on overall wellness for a time.

We're not sure how long we'll be in the States-- at least a few
months. We're grateful to have a capable staff and great friends and partners in Jacmel who can manage things in Haiti for us for now. Additionally, we're working on strategies for us to stay connected and involved with our kids in Haiti from here in the States.

We'll let you know more about our plans as we figure them out. Until then, we'll be centered in the Triangle area. Our three American kids are spending time with grandparents and cousins until early next week. And then they'll be with us. On to the update from Haiti...

****
Our kids absolutely love the new playground that was built on the Joy in Hope land by our friend Gayly, a local welder. The funds were donated by College Heights Baptist Church in Prince George, British Columbia. It's hard to put into words the excitement that our kids have now that they have a place to play. It's never been easier for me to get all 12 of them in one picture! The community in Raymond has also been enjoying the playground and it has provided a lot of opportunity for getting to know kids and families in the area.

This month our kids started yoga classes. There's an orphanage in the area, Devoted 2 Children Foundation, who also are starting a program where they are offering yoga to kids in other orphanages free of charge. They have trained a Haitian instructor who comes by weekly or sometimes even twice-weekly to work on stretching and relaxation. We are all enjoying the classes and are thankful for this opportunity for our kids.

I love this picture of Manita. Her birthmother came by and brought sugarcane for all of the kids. It's great to have good relationships with the birthfamilies of a lot of our kids.

About mid-month we were able to be at the finish line of the second annual Haiti Ultra Marathon. This is an amazing event for endurance athletes-- they run over 60 miles from Port Au Prince to Cayes Jacmel over the mountains. They start at sea level, climb to over 6,000 ft and then back to sea level during the course of the 3-day-long race. This year I believe they raised about $10,000 for medical support in Haiti through the race.

Also that weekend, we were able to take our kids to the paper mache Karnaval parade in Jacmel. Here's a picture of Yves, Jerry, and myself watching from up in the stands.

And the rest of the kids, marched in the parade with IBESR (Haitian Social Services.) It was a long hot day, but everyone had a blast.

The month closed up with phase 1 of the road project on the land being finished with help from about 16 local workers and a team from Valley View Christian Alliance in Ontario, Canada. Here's a picture at the very beginning of the project.

Despite many challenges in February, we also had some really good and happy times. I remain thankful for the way that God has used Haiti to teach Nick and I so much about love and family, redemption and purpose. Thanks for bearing with us through all the ups and downs. We're looking forward to the next few months of home assignment and are so grateful for the people who support us tirelessly in a variety of different ways. I feel like I am always saying this, but we cannot do what we do without your support.

With grateful hearts,
Gwenn (for the entire Mangine Many)

"There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." Philippians 1:6 (The Message)

Mullet boy

2013-02-10T13:37:00.001-05:00

This little dude desperately needs a trim, but he's not interested in it.

So, for now, he's got a super mullet.

Business in the front.

Party in the back.

The quiet hours of insomnia.

2013-02-10T01:22:00.001-05:00

After a glorious three week stretch of sleeping well, it seems my sleeping troubles are back to haunt me.

I know, in my head, that this is an inherited condition. That my dad struggles with it (almost every night), as his father did before him. (And who knows beyond there?) Still, I'd kind of like to know the REASON for this insomnia-- Is it emotional? (I am a worrier.) Is it trauma-related? (We did have a nighttime home invasion.) Is it Restless Leg Syndrome? (I am fidgety.) Is it Sleep Apnea? (I am a snorer.) It could be any of these things. Or a combination of them. And if I lived in the states, they'd send me for a sleep study where they would watch me sleep (or try to sleep) and diagnose the root cause. But I don't live in a place with access to medical care like that, and we still don't have health insurance, so until such a time arrives where those two align, I will just keep on treating symptoms as much as I can and try to stay sane during the sleepy days.

But pathology aside, it's been very recently that I have wondered if my more-recent insomnia is somehow related to something entirely different altogether. Could it be a gift? Here I am, awake at 1AM (after sleeping quite soundly from 9PM-11PM). I could have fallen asleep at 5:30pm, for I was exhausted, but that presents some logistical problems for a family of 18 if the matriarch is asleep before dinner. So 9PM it was. And I slept solid for two hours. And then I awoke.

Since then, I have had two hours of silence. Not total silence. I mean, I hear the crickets chirping, the fan whirring, and some very faint voudou drums off in the distance. But still. There is no one talking. Or yelling. Or whining. Or tattling. Or fighting. Or complaining. Or banging things around. Or making noise-making of any other sort. Some of them might be snoring (like Wildarne for example... she's a snorer), but I can't hear them from here. My house is CRAZY noisy during the day. CRAZY noisy. But here at night, it's not.

And so I am left in my living room, splayed out in the coolness of the evening on my even cooler tile floor reading, writing, thinking, praying. I lit a candle (because there is an AWFUL stench coming from outside... but that's another story for another day). The candle is burning silently and peacefully. My eyes get mesmerized by the dancing flame and my stress levels descend as I breathe deep for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long.

Not being able to sleep when I think I should be is so frustrating at times. It makes our really full days seem unbearable at times. But not tonight. Tonight it feels like this awake time is a special gift of quiet for my hurried, frazzled, rushed, much-too-noisy soul.

Thankful.

PSA: Wear a helmet!

2013-02-05T14:20:00.000-05:00

At this time last week Nick was driving me home from a horrific dental experience near Leogane. (The dentist began a root canal on a presumed dead tooth with no x-rays and ended up my tooth and drilling into my gum. This was unbeknownst to me until yesterday when this was discovered by another dentist (with an x-ray machine) was trying to determine why I am still having pain.) But this is not a PSA about not getting root canals in 3rd world countries... though it could be. But sometimes you don't have any choice, so... I am digressing.

Anyhow, while most traffic in Haiti keeps you moving at a pace no faster than a crawl, there is a long stretch of road outside of Leogane where you can get up some good speeds. (And by good speeds, I mean like probably up to 55 MPH.)

It was along this stretch of road that we witnessed a horrific motorcycle collision in which one of the riders (not sure if it was the passenger or the driver) was thrown high into the air, spun around, and landed with a thud on the pavement. The other rider met a similar fate I'd assume, although our view was obstructed by the van in front of us. It was a horrible scene. Nick and I saw the whole thing and felt like we had to stop to see if we could offer anyone a ride to the hospital.

Turns out that was not needed. The van (public transportation) in front of us came to a stop and immediately everyone filed off and went to check on the accident victims. One of them was lying there facedown and wasn't moving. The other was passed out for just a few moments and then came to. He started trying to walk and ended up walking in a circle only to fall again, pass out, come to and try to walk again. The first guy still hadn't moved. Someone was checking his pulse, but then was pushed out of the way by some guys who picked him up loaded him into the van. He still never regained consciousness and we assume he was dead. After we asked someone if any other immediate help was needed, (it wasn't) we were on our way, a bit shaken by what we saw.

We've seen many accidents before. We've seen other dead bodies before. We've seen dead bodies laying on the road as a result of motorcycle accidents. But for some reason, this one has stuck with me. It's been a week now and I can still see the impact, hear the crunch, and watch the rider go flying into the air. I do not think I am "traumatized" by witnessing the event, but I do find myself thinking about it and how fragile life is.

Anyhow, my point of recapping this tale is this-- FRIENDS, WEAR A HELMET IF YOU'RE GOING TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE! This is a no-brainer. A lot of times motos ARE the best transportation around Haiti, especially in traffic-prone areas. I don't know if helmets would have saved a life (or lives, because we don't know what happened to the other guy either) last week. You can still die even if you were wearing a helmet. But I know that it couldn't have hurt. Sure, a lot of people ride around down here without helmets on. But we're seeing more and more people make the choice to wear them. I would encourage you all to be numbered among the WISE who wear helmets. It's just stupid not to.

*Stepping off my soapbox now.*

Parables.

2013-01-23T12:48:00.001-05:00

I learned the word parable at a young age from Rob Evans, better known in Christian circles as "The Donut Man." The self-proclaimed donut-repair man released his first album of kids music in 1982 and it was called "Bible Parables." He was a regular at the children's tent at the Creation Festival, and the tape was constantly in our tape deck at home and we memorized the songs-- my mom even pulling out the old guitar and singing them together with our church kids' group that she called, "Bible Friends" (which was the name of Evan's second recording in 1983.) Really all of that is unnecessary back information, but I had fun reading Bob Evan's website this morning and remembering about this early influence on my life. I did learn a lot from him... End of digression.

It's been a really, really lousy week for me. Ever since deciding to try to really live a life of discipline that will draw me closer to God, it seems like there has been a force working against that. I have been physically unwell and sort of laid bare before God physically and spiritually. This morning seems to finally be a bit of a moment of clarity after a week that brought me to my breaking point in so many ways. (I have a funny story about trying to run away from home last week, but that's another story for another day.)

One of the things that I decided was that I wanted to weigh and consider the thoughts that were going through my mind before I spoke them. (Or tweeted or facebooked them.) Speaking too quickly is a terrible habit/area of sin for me that God is revealing over and over. So I got this notebook out of the school supply closet and my favorite kind of pencil (DIXON Ticonderoga), and decided that when I was feeling angry, or grumpy, or happy, or content, or whatever (because I "feel" a lot), I'd just write it down and filter it through later-- trying to determine what is actually useful information to share with another human being (whether in person or via the interwebs.) There's so much noise in this world and I've been so guilty of contributing to it.

So-- I have pages and pages of my rants and raves. I was re-reading them this morning. It reads like the pages of an insane person's diary, if the truth be told. But there was this one verse that I read the other night that stood out in the pages of scribbles. It is from the book of Mark, chapter 4. Jesus has just told a parable (or "a story" if you read The Message version of the Bible) and then is explaining it a bit later.

Starting in verse 10, it says this--
"When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. He told them, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom-- you know how it works. But to those who can't see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight. These are people --
Whose eyes are open but don't see a thing,
Whose ears are open but don't understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven."
He continued, "Do you see how this story works? ALL my stories work this way.""
--

I had written that passage down because I am a big believer in stories. I love a great story. I love hearing them, reading them, telling them-- and I am also a big believer in living a life that tells a good story. So reading about Jesus talking with his beloved friends about WHY he tells stories was inspiring to me. I have sort of felt like part of my "job" in being a missionary is to tell the stories of the things I see and experience here. So it was great to kind of be affirmed in that "calling." Wait for it...

But then, this morning, I read more (and had this moment of clarity that perhaps I've missed a bit part of the point) in Mark 4:33-34. These words are written after Jesus had told another parable about God's kingdom.

"With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots."

This morning it hit me like a ton of bricks. The kinds of stories Jesus told were parables. He wasn't just telling a story for the sake of telling a story (as I am so often guilty of doing), the point was that it was a parable. A parable is a special kind of story that also has a hidden meaning aside from the obvious (I learned that years ago from the Donut Man and spent 10+ years in children's ministry teaching this kind of stuff to kids... I knew that already.) The idea that Jesus spoke in parables wasn't anything new to me, but this morning I just started to wonder--

What if God STILL speaks in parables?
What if every story, no matter how basic it seems, has a hidden meaning that points us to Christ?
What if everything we see and experience is just another one of his parables to teach us about the kingdom of God? (Remember, he said, "ALL my stories work this way.")
Could it be that our ENTIRE lives were meant to be parables?

You see, we live life and, on the surface, things can seem so clear. But couldn't that be Jesus "fitting the stories to our experience and maturity?" In verse 34 it talks about how it wasn't until Jesus was ALONE with his disciples that "he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots." We need to be alone with Jesus if we are going to discover and make of the hidden meanings of our parable-life-stories. He is the only one with answers. He is the only one who can untie the knots and sort out the tangles.

So my new challenge is to find the hidden meaning in our stories. What do they tell us about people? What do they tell us about life? What do they tell us about the kingdom of God? Let's spend some time with Jesus. Maybe he will explain it to us.

And PS- if you have an extra moment of time to waste, go check out Rob Evans website. It's quite amusing to me as an adult.

Missionaries pretending.

2013-01-17T14:33:00.001-05:00

I have explained in the past our theory of Haiti years. In short, the idea is that things wear through at the same rate of dog years-- one year in Haiti ages something at about the rate it would age something in 7 years in the states.

Nothing is exempt.

For example, here is a picture of my Bible that was brand new when I came to Haiti less than 4 years ago--

Looks like I have really been knee-deep in the Word, doesn't it? I mean I've only worn through one other Bible since I truly started walking with God in the 15 years prior to buying this one. I must be going through the Bible at a break-neck pace!

Unfortunately, it's embarrassing to admit that my 3.5 years on "the mission field" (whatever that means) have been marked by the LEAST Bible reading/prayer/fasting/God-seeking, etc. than any others that I spent before I was a "professional Christian." And I don't think I am alone. Many people I know (who are legitimately inspired by their faith in Jesus) enter ministry with great fervor and dedication to the disciplines that make faith grow. But for whatever reason, it's after making great leaps of faith that their disciplines seem to slack off.

And our lifestyle seems to support this lack, because to other people, we're missionaries-- aka Super Christians. And so it appears that we're steeped in all things spiritual when, in fact, we're relying on our former experiences to ride us through. Well, at least I am guilty of that. (I really shouldn't paint with such broad strokes when talking about other missionaries.)

And because my Bible ages in Haiti years instead of actual years, it's even easy to trick myself into thinking that it's all good. Sure, I didn't get to "my quiet time" today (or even this past week, come to think of it), but it's all good because I am a professional Christian. I mean come on, look how worn my Bible is. I have obviously been putting in the time.

But now I am at this point where I feel like the things I've learned can't hold me anymore. The things I've studied aren't enough to keep me growing. Opposition and pain aren't being tempered by new insights brought to me by a living Word that's alive and active, because let's just be honest, I haven't really consulted it much lately.

So here's to 2013. Here's to a year of spending less time wallowing in my own difficulties feeling helpless. And here's to a year of spending more time in the Bible, more time in prayer and fasting. More time given in devoted discipline to the God who brought me where I am today, in the HOPE that he will bring me even father.

It is my goal to wear through a Bible *legitimately* this year, and not just rely on my harsh environment to do it for me.

Who is in it with me?

365 project

2013-01-16T21:02:00.000-05:00

Hey friends--

Just a note to mention that I added a tab on the blog to chronicle my 365 project (one picture + comment each day of the year.)

Check it out here-- will be updated each day (ish). Now friends that don't facebook can follow along, too.

2% forested

2013-01-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

We often hear how Haiti is terribly deforested, but I don't often think about what that means or what that looks like. I recently read that only 2% of Haiti is still forested. (As opposed to 60% in 1923.)

From Wikipedia: "The most direct effect of deforestation is soil erosion.^[2] An estimated 15,000 acres (61 km²) of topsoil are washed away each year, with erosion also damaging other productive infrastructure such as dams, irrigation systems, roads, and coastal marine ecosystems.^[3] Soil erosion also lowers the productivity of the land, worsens droughts, and eventually leads to desertification, all of which increase the pressure on the remaining land and trees.^[2]"

I have written before about the flooding we get with hurricanes (or even a good rain) and what that looks like. But when we took an MAF flight to the states a couple of weeks ago we flew over Haiti at a low altitude and I was reminded what that statistic looks like from above.

Thought I'd share.

My 5 Favorite Posts of 2012

2012-12-31T14:08:00.001-05:00

If you want to get to know our family but don't want to read the hundreds (thousands?) of posts I've written over the past 5+ years, this sampling of posts from 2012 is representative of what you might get when you get to know us.

NUMBER 5

Mom pranks the kids.

http://www.mangine.org/2012/02/pranking-kids-and-hugues.html

NUMBER 4

Nia's list of grievances.

http://www.mangine.org/2012/11/list-of-grievances.html

NUMBER 3

Mangine Family Christmas Video.

http://www.mangine.org/2012/12/mangine-family-christmas-video-2012.html

NUMBER 2

Jacmel to Port (and back again).

http://www.mangine.org/2012/06/jacmel-to-port-au-prince-and-back-in.html

NUMBER 1

Homemade Dominican Fantasy Photos.

http://www.mangine.org/2012/05/homemade-dominican-fantasy-photos.html

Mangine 2012 Review: A Year in 36 Pictures

2012-12-31T14:01:00.003-05:00

Enjoy a recap of pictures that represent just 36 of the 31, 622, 400 seconds in 2012.

Some were highs.

Some were lows.

And others were just somewhere in between.

But it's these kind of seconds that make up a family.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Thanks for all your support in 2012 and have a happy New Year!