So I realized today, that there is very little that is serious on the blog.  That is sad.  I am sorry for only mentioning the entertaining parts of our journey. 

Liz and I are having a struggle with the slowness of it all.  We came here thinking we could build schools that would introduce our faith to local children.  But so far, we have met very profound individuals with the same goal, and that is all.  It is not just a hope for them, but a real vision and goal for lives changing in a community.  We stepped into this with them and are now realizing how intimate they are with it.  It is reassuring.

As you can kind of tell by that paragraph, we are a little discouraged by the lack of progress we have made so far.  However, last week while listening to the sermon I had a small epiphany.  We may not be building schools this minute, but we are supporting the visionaries.  Just meeting with the people devoted to building these schools, and putting together some drawings is a big step for them.  It is a small step in a GREAT purpose.  Just having these drawings is a sign of progress for them.  These people who are trying to start their schools have to gain support.  The drawings, the site visits, and the preparations that we are helping with make progress in other ways.  It is building momentum locally for these schools.  Without support, the vision would die.

Am I sad that we have not broke ground on a school yet.  You bet!  Am I sad that we have been here two and a half months and not set up a team for construction.  Sure!  Am I sad that all we have done is prepared drawings and had some meetings with really profound people.  NO WAY!  I am happy that we have made baby steps.  In the big picture, there is a reason for our "slow" start.  It is building steam for the work we will do.  I am thankful for the support we have!  It seems like everyday we have someone sending us a note, skype-ing us, or just encouraging us in little ways to keep going.

I think in the next month, we will be talking about the first team coming to building a school in Mukono.  It will be a three classroom block for Kingsway Primary School.  The final building plans are starting.  The final budgets are being created.  Provisions are being made to receive Americans for construction.  Please pray that this can happen.

In the meantime, we are venturing in to other ways:  Set Free Ministries, and Grassroots Empowerment Opportunity.  Worldwide Christian Schools (USA and Uganda) have decided to partner with Set Free Ministries to build schools here in Uganda.  Without having all of the detail, that is all I can say.  It is exciting for us because that means that there is additional American support for building.  As you can imagine, money is in short supply here.  So when foreign aide is possible, things can happen!  I meet with them on Thursday as they have come here to talk about how our partnership can benefit one another.

Grassroots Empowerment Opportunity is a small mission to assist disadvantaged children and people infected with HIV/AIDS.  Liz and I have been asked to manage the transportation side of the organization.  The mission has been blessed with two vehicles lately.  They are residing at our residence for safe keeping.  But their purpose is very important.  There is limited means for assistance in villages for those infected.  So these vehicles will be a shuttle for the sick or needy to get from the areas they are and come to places where they can get assistance.  The Uganda government offers free medical aide for the infected, you just have to get to them.  So we will be helping with that.  I am getting my international driving permit.  We will manage the "booking" of the vehicles and arrange for the transportation as needed.  It is a little help that we can offer, but it will go a long way for the group.  Also, they will be building a "large" clinic here locally, near where we live.  I have volunteered any help that I can offer.  We will start the planning later this week or next.  But the property has been secured and funds are becoming available so it will be exciting to see some progress.

So as we continue, going in what appears to be several directions, pray for us.  We are only hoping to do what we are called to do.  If that is making drawings of some schools, or driving some sick people, or encouraging others, WE WILL DO IT!  "Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promises; 'For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.' (Hebrews 10:35-37)"

What started as a remedy to the smell of ME (from excessive beans and rice) turned into an entertaining hour of rubbing "Anti-Monkey Butt" all over our faces (also known as talc powder).

As you can see, in typical Neeley fashion, it went overboard.  I went with the Braveheart theme.  Lizzy went with the cross-dressing theme.  Azeda went for the Santa Clause theme!  I still do not understand why she wanted us to be quiet, but it made for a hilarious picture!  I bet you are not having this much fun on a Saturday night!

***Added bonus, if the label is correct, we do not have to worry about getting monkey butt on our face.  Yes!!!***

A special thanks needs to go out to the Fiekema's for supplying the entertainment for this evening.

Ok, so this will be my shortest entry.  Have a good weekend!

For those of you who do not know, I am a skeptic.  If someone tells me something that seems to defy physics or is questionable otherwise, I will not believe them.  An example that I have... if you flush a toilet in Michigan it rotates differently than a toilet flushed in Australia.  you can believe me or not, but it is true!

Today, we went on a family outing to the Equator.  Uganda is one of only a few countries that has the Equator pass through it.  They also have a designated monument for this occurrence.  So we went there.  Our generous friend from the last post volunteered to take us.  (What a guy!)  With the traffic, due to road construction, it took us about 2 hours to get to the monument.  When we got there, I instantly noticed the line painted across the road and the two "sculptures" that were erected.  We did the obvious tourist reaction and took pictures.  (Lizzy is the woman in my arm.  Do not get her confused with Azeda because their skin colors are so similar.  The man on the right is Joseph, or as Isaac calls him Jophess.)

What you notice after a little while are the three water stations.  One is located about 10 feet on the northern hemisphere.  The second is located about 10 feet on the southern hemisphere.  And a third is located directly on the line marking the Equator.  If you ask nicely, they do a demonstration showing the rotation of water as it funnels down a hole.  On the norther side, the water flowed counter-clockwise.  On the southern side, the water flowed clockwise.  On the equator, the water did not spin.  It just flowed straight down the hole.  Now I know I am pointing out the obvious by saying I am a nerd, but that was cool!  I am a believer (cue Neil Diamond song!)

This was our first opportunity to act like stupid tourists.  But it was a real delight!  We bought a stone bowl that has the continent of Africa carved in it and has several animals hand painted within that.  On the way back, we bought a drum.  It still reeks of the cow that so graciously donated its skin to cover it!  But it is authentic and has a good sound to it.  And it is really pretty!

On Wednesday, Gracie's birthday, we are going to go to Jinja.  It is the city in Uganda that is home to the source of the river Nile (sounds cooler than Nile River).  Jophess asked to take us there.  It will be a fun trip.  G-money is pretty excited that we are doing something so special on her b-day.  I made a promise to the girls that they could buy a souvenir at this destination.  So they are pretty pumped about that.  I will place bets that it is either a bracelet, necklace, or earrings.

It sounds like the rest of the week will be filled with meetings.  We are meeting with a new school, whose name escapes me.  We meet with another agency that wants to partner with us to build schools and possibly orphanages (another source of American funding for building???).  And we need to meet with one of the already US funded schools to assess and address any issues they have with the concept drawings we have started.  In the meantime, we are evaluating the costs to have the teams come.  This is a little more complicated than we would have hoped.  Not to mention we are trying to gather building material costs (ones that are reasonable, not the ones that they give to the white folk).  So the large portion of the blog is about our personal endeavors, but we are trying to do some good, really!  Who wants to hear about shopping for timber, bricks, or windows?

Anyway, I will write again soon.  Too-da-loo!

It is extremely humbling when someone who has very little can be so generous.  When you consider what we all have available to us, 95% of Ugandans have VERY little.

Yesterday was a very nice day.  The family and I were picked up to go of a field trip to different locations in Uganda.  We started the day by being a guest at a small church south of Kampala, near Entebbe.  There were probably 70 people present.  Which considering that the church was founded only a year ago, they are doing pretty good.  The second we got there, we were applauded (not sure why).  We were quickly escorted to the front of the "sanctuary" where they had reserved seats for our whole family.  It was very nice.  Of course, that makes Isaac and Isabel believe that they are to be on stage and perform for everyone while we worship.  Yippy, for me and Liz!

After enjoying a rural church experience, we were taken back to Kampala for lunch (around three o'clock, too long for the children to go without food).  Isabel cried the entire way back, for about 45 minutes!  Another "Yippy" for me and Lizzy, and everyone else in the vehicle for that matter.  However, when we had reached our destination we were quite surprised.  We were in the heart of the city and we went into a high-rise building.  After going up a few flights of stairs, we entered an extremely nice Chinese restaurant.  It was reminiscent of PF Chang.  We enjoyed an awesome meal, in an awesome facility, with great company.

After two hours of gorging ourselves with REALLY good Chinese food, we left to go to another church.  It was our first experience at an evening service.  After only a couple of minutes of being there, we realized that the morning service that so surprised us when we first got here (for the amount of activity that went on) was the "formal" service.  The evening service is "informal" which means there is a lot more volume in the music and a ton more dancing.  It was quite the experience.

So I want to thank Pastor Joseph for the awesome experience.  His generosity was most appreciated!  He is a member of the WWCS-Uganda board.  He is the legal adviser.  Obviously the first thing you think is that he is a lawyer, which equals a good income.  He may have that, but he spends the majority of his salary starting churches.  In his 40+ year calling he as started and funded over 200 churches.  So the money he has left over is nowhere near "high roller" status.  Again, thanks Joseph, you are the man!

It is funny though... when you are a guest at a church, not a visitor, here you are expected to speak.  Third "Yippy" for me!  The first time on this day, I was introduced to come up to speak and they forgot my name temporarily.  So the common nickname that I have been adorned with was used, "The Lion."  You know I dig that name!  Lizzy thinks it is because I have what she calls an "ugly beard" which can be construed as a mane.  I think it is because I am a king and ferocious.  Grrrrr!  (Lizzy is the wise baboon that helps the king.  Like Rafiki from Lion King...she can kick butt when she has to).

On a completely separate subject, we finally caved!  Through sheer happenstance, we came across the opportunity to get a puppy.  We had a guest over last week and through small talk we found out that she had had some puppies and they desire to get rid of them.  So with Gracie's birthday approaching, we chose to take them up on the offer and relieve them of their puppy.  He is a three month old mut.  He is ridiculously cute.  Like all puppies, his favorite activity is playing and sleeping.  The kids really enjoy having him.  I enjoy that he hunts the cats.  And Rebekkah hates that he is here.  She is mortified by his presence.  She sprints when he looks at her.  Of course what does a puppy do when anything runs, it chases!  Liz is certain that the puppy is going to give the goat a heart attack.  So we are taking measures to control their interaction.  But if you ask me, watching the two of them circle the house at mach speeds is hilarious!  Happy Birthday Grace!

We posted our most recent newsletter via email.  Please take time and read it.  Especially the PO Box wish list... feel free and send us the sweetest, most enjoyable US delicacies you can find!  Thanks for reading,

Chad

So today, we went to a FEAST at a members house from church.  It was crazy!  Thinking back, I think there were 12 dishes to collect a heap of food from.  It was like an all you can eat Ugandan buffet.  I still cannot believe how much food they offered us.  And as we left, they gave us 6 pounds of Avocado!  The real cool thing was that we hung out there for like four hours and they started to offer us more food!  You all know that made us happy.  All said and done, I am certain that we still did not consume even 500 calories!

So Saturday was quite the eventful day for me.  At 7:45 in the morning, I left the house to get on my first taxi of the day.  I was meeting up with a few other people from WWCS-Uganda and we were heading out to a small town about two thirds of the way to Kenya.  That is about a 5 hour ride from Kampala, one way.  All said and done, I rode four taxi's and four motorcycles in my eleven hour journey to and from this town.  Holy uncomfortable, Batman!  However, the visit was very fruitful.  This town, called Pallisa, in the community of Agule, they do not have a school or a clinic.  The nearest school is about 4.5 miles from them.  The nearest clinic is about 10 miles away.  As you can imagine we are quite excited about this opportunity because there is a great need.

I mentioned this school before.  Liz and I had met with the proposer, James, a few weeks ago.  He is a very committed man to help a community that was destroyed by the civil war years ago.  He has since proposed the concept to the community and they have decided to support their efforts as much as they can.  Unfortunately, that does not mean they have money, but manpower.  They are now in the process of brick making.  We estimate that there will be about 20,000 bricks needed for the project.  I will soon start conceptual drawings for the site plan to assist them in their construction efforts.  Because at this time, this project does not have US support.  I am a little depressed by this, because it means that the process will be very slow.  I would really like to see this school get built before our departure.  The estimated cost for a full school campus is about $10,000.  It seems like a lot of money, but think about a school in the US.  Those average in the $50 Million range.

While meeting with the folks in Agule, they told me about their building priority.  I was surprised when they first mentioned that they would like to focus on the clinic first.  One would think that when you meet with Worldwide Christian Schools, you would want to build a school first.  But no, these gentlemen had a very legitimate reason for wanting to start on the clinic first.  Since the initiation of the school construction process, which started about 3 months ago, there have been three mothers that have died during childbirth.  It is purely due to the distance of their village to the nearest hospital/clinic.  It is a sad situation.  As you can imagine, I completely agree with their decision and will assist in any way possible.

I cannot tell you how hopeful I am for this school.  Right now, there are about 200 children who have little to no future other than farming rice and fishing.  Please pray for a miracle for this community.

Wow, that was a long serious story. 

On a side note, we have been noticing lately that there are a large quantity of people around here that are drinking from little small bottles.  In looking into it, they are consuming something called Ugandan Waragi.  It is a Gin made from bananas.  Apparently we live near a bunch of drunks!  So Lizzy and I wanted to see what the big deal was.  Being the sound Christians that we are, we sent Azeda to go buy it.  It cost about $0.50 for a half of a pint.  She got back, and we asked her how did they know she was of age to purchase this drink.  She said that they do not care.  So I asked her if Isaac could go and purchase the alcohol and she said, "of course, all they want is the money!"  Yep, Isaac will do our bidding when we have the need for alcohol in the future!  (fyi... the legal drinking age here is 18)

Again, as you are consuming your glorious pizza, and CHEESE burgers, and cheesy anything, think about us!

Ta Ta For Now

We finally got a PO Box...

Chad Neeley

PO Box 28631

Kampala, Uganda

So Izzy finally made the decision to walk full time.  It has only been three days since I posted the video of us coaxing her to walk.  Even then, that was a spontaneous instance, where she was still "practicing."  Now, in walking full time, she looks as if she has been doing it for months.  She does not walk all cautiously like a newly walking baby would.  She carries stuff, dances, and when she falls she stands right back up and walks.  Evidently, she is a stubborn baby/toddler.  She is just like... (insert name here)!

After dealing with the late delivery of Lydia's goat, partly because we had just gotten to Uganda, we have been thinking well in advance of what to get Grace for her birthday.  Our philosophy is to avoid the "middle child" syndrome as much as possible.  So we are thinking of getting her a gift just as grand as Lydia's.  As of yesterday, the options had only been narrowed by not getting a monkey.  So we were still considering a goat, dog, or chicken.  For a reason I will describe later in the blog, we were leaning toward getting her a puppy.  A neighbor of ours has some puppies that are for sale.  So we went to go take a look at them.  There are three puppies (muts).  Two of them are boys, and one is a girl.  In looking at them, two of them were instantly shot down.  They were sickly looking and not very inviting.  Two things that rank pretty high on our list of traits a dog should not have.  So the last dog that they had available, happened to be the most cute also.  He was a black and tan dog, a little chunky, and really friendly.  We asked them if we could buy him.  After much discussion, we found out that that dog was not for sale.  Apparently, the family who owned the parent dogs (owned is a term used loosely, they look like strays) said that he has already been BEWITCHED.  At this point, we had to have Azeda come interpret.  The father refused to sell the dog because he had already done some ritual, using "black magic", to him as they had intended to keep him.  What does that mean?  If he wiggles his nose do I get a wish?  Clearly, as we mingle with that man's children, we need to impress on them the saving grace of Christ.  Pray for that family!

So at this point, a dog does not seem to be in the works.  Unless there are some other options around that we are not currently aware of.  Personally, I am not too fond of having another goat.  I do not think our yard is big enough to feed two full grown goats.  Nor do I think that milking two goats is feasible.  You can bet that I am not putting my man-hands on a dwarf goat's teats.  Sounds like a chicken may be the answer... we will see.

So I want to explain why we are fond of the dog idea.  The day after our friend arrived, Sarah Dielman, from the US, their house was robbed.  In the night, some thieves climbed their fence and using a long pole with a hook of sorts on the end, they managed to take a bag that was left in their sitting room.  The bag contained their brand new portable DVD player and her brand new cell phone.  She had just purchased that phone earlier in the day.  There was never even a call made from it.  Now you have to understand, their home is not nearly as protected as ours.  Their window was already broken, making the thievery that much easier.  But because of this situation, Liz and I would feel a little better having advance warning of intruders, via a dog.  Sarah has since made the decision that they no longer want to live there.  Please consider them in your prayers as they try to sell their house and find a new one.  Their house doubles as a ministry for children who need schooling/counseling/medical assistance.  Right now, there are between 6 and 10 people living there.

Since we have been here, our ministry has been limited to meeting with people to discuss the schools they want to build.  I have volunteered to assist in the design of the schools as well as the general construction consulting that I can offer.  So this past week, I have been working on some drawings for a school in Mukono, Kingsway Primary School.  It is semi-enjoyable!  I have found a program, free online, called Google Sketchup.  It allows me to draw 3D renderings of what the school could look like.  I will try and post a couple of the renderings that I have started.  The program is limited, but I am excited to present these drawings because it is way more than what they would have otherwise.  It also puts in perspective that the physical construction of these schools is a ways off.  So any effort I can offer to expedite this process is a blessing as far as I can tell.  I hope that we can agree to some plans and get the ball rolling!

Being deprived of our normal junk food, I think my creative thoughts are thriving.  Lizzy mentioned how she saw some make-shift solar oven on a PBS show some time ago.  So I have been thinking about making a homemade oven, using the charcoal stoves as a heat source.  Lizzy thinks the drawings I have been doing are a waste of time, but I will show her.  I am pretty pumped.  I have to print out my plans and go talk to the metal shop at the bottom of our hill.  If it is not too expensive, I am going to have them make it.  If it is too much, I have alternatives instead of metal (cardboard box and tin foil).  But it is pretty exciting for the nerd in me!

Ta ta for now!

For your entertainment purposes... we were given a bottle of this awesome anti-friction powder: http://www.antimonkeybutt.com/ Seriously, my topic of writing this time is focused on monkey. So I thought it would be funny to throw a shout out to some special (short bus riding) friends of ours. They know who they are! I better get commission from that company for advertising on my blog! So Liz and I finally made it out to two building sites on Saturday. They are both in the town of Mukono, east of Kampala. These schools are the primary focus for our coming to Uganda. They are the sponsored schools that will receive teams for construction from United States. The schools have been blessed to receive property that is in excess of what they need. So the options for construction are endless... As we were meeting at the sites, after two hours of driving on the bumpiest roads ever driven, in a car that is comparable to the Ford Festiva, old school version. I am pretty sure we concluded the day with shaken baby syndrome! Anyway, we got some information about the property. We discussed the vision that they have for the schools. We also discussed the priorities for construction. It was a very productive day. After hours of driving for hours, meeting on the sites for hours, we concluded talking about the group of monkeys that were jumping between trees in the bush very near to us. The whole time, while meeting, they school folk wanted to learn more about us. So we talked about who we are, about the children, their dog/goat, etc. So as we were looking at the monkeys, impressed with the fact that we were out of range for poo flinging, we were talking about what they do about the monkeys. Are they a nuisance? Of course, are they edible? And the land keeper mentioned that some people keep them as pets. Shut the front door! You can keep those primates for pets!!! Obviously that perked my interest... In further talking to them, they said that they could catch a monkey in less than a week. They could call us and tell us if we wanted to have one. Immediately, we were thinking about Gracie's birthday that is coming up. What would be better to break the middle-child syndrome than giving her a monkey for her birthday. Could you imagine? I can't even imagine the look on her face as that came walking through the gate. They were telling us that if we wanted one, it would have to remain caged for sometime as it got used to us (instantly, Dutch Lizzy rears her head and said "we cannot afford that!"). I figured, we are just using the latrine for the goat house anyway. Then they were talking about the monkey's diet... veggies and fruit. Dutch Lizzy exclaimed, "we CANNOT afford that!" But my interest was still perked. So we left the property with no answer to the land keeper on catching a monkey. The subject changed quickly as we started walking down from the building site. So when we got home, I started looking on the internet about domesticating monkeys. Of course the first few websites are about the inhumane conditions that most monkeys are kept in. After filtering the negative emails, I found an informative website about monkeys. Specifically, the commitment, the species that do best as pets, etc. It just so happens that the monkey available for capture is the Vervet Monkey. It is one of the species that is suggested for having as a pet. As I finished reading the website, yes I subdued my attention deficit disorder long enough to finish, there was a disclaimer about the "germs" that are possibly carried by monkeys. The first two started with H's... Herpes and Hepatitis B! Enough said, Grace is not getting a monkey for her birthday. I will take her monkey watching. It just so happens I know of a good place you can see them, in Mukono!

It is now May 11th.  We have missed several birthdays and Mother's Day (and Verlander's no-hitter!).  It is becoming painfully obvious that this will not be easy.  However, we have an awesome group of friends and family that are keeping in touch with us and we really appreciate that!

Liz and I have been getting quite the chuckle lately.  Here, it is not offensive to state the obvious.  For example, if someone is "slightly husky", they will just say "That person is FAT."  It was really funny showing pictures to some folks here, and that is all they would say.  It makes me laugh just typing this.  We are obviously struggling to hear stuff like that and not take offense.  Actually, the worst thing is that I have been challenged to race some people here.  It has come up in conversation, when talking about our interests, that I was fast'ish.  The immediate response is, "No, you are not fast.  You are fat."  So I have been challenged to two races.  The really sad thing is that they are with women.  I am pathetic.  But you know my ego is too big to let them talk trash without taking them up on it.  They will go down!!!

On another topic... the children here are extremely well behaved.  They are amazingly responsible and aware.  I have seen 4-5 year old kids walking on busy roads (crazy busy) weaving between cars trying to cross.  I am terrified to be near the road and not have our kids hands in mine.  Granted, my fear is partly due to our children never being near traffic.  We have lived in the sticks every since the children were able to walk.  So that places the blame on us.  Now on the other hand, I compare these children to my own.  Let me re-emphasize how well behaved the children are here.  Now lets think about my kids... do I have to say much else?  Lets just say that Isaac is not Ugandan.  Comparatively, he is actually a little terror, seriously.  (He is lucky he is cute!!) 

Yesterday, we met with a man who has made the decision to single-handedly attempt to get a school/clinic built in his village where he grew up.  This place, called Pallisa, is located about 5 hours east of Kampala, the capital city near where we are staying.  The village was a central location for refugee camps in the mid-80's during the civil war.  Since, the area has stabilized, the focus has not been on improving the community.  Instead, the families who average 10 children, focus on farming rice and fishing.  The nearest school is about 4 miles away!  There is no church, no clinic... no means to allow for the community to prosper.  So this man met with us to see how we could partner to get a school built in this area.  It is really exciting to be involved with this!  This is what we came here for.  I expect to go out there in the next couple of weeks to assess the property that he has acquired and discuss a means for the construction that WE have so much high hope for.  Please pray for this man's courage and success.  He is very determined, but he needs the backing of the community or the project will be a bust.

On a similar subject, Liz gets her first opportunity to see a prospective building site on Friday.  We are traveling to Mukono.  It is the city that is about 1 and 1/2 hours east from us.  There are two schools that are expected to receive teams there.  So we will visit both sites, together.  We plan to meet with the schools' directors.  We then have to figure out all of the logistics of how teams can be received in this area.  Please pray for our foresight.  We really need to make sure we cover all of our bases and get the appropriate information to convey to WWCS-USA so they can start raising teams.

It is getting a little confusing now on what we post on the blog versus facebook and email.  So I want to quickly summarize some of the topics that have been common in our communication abroad...  The rashes have cleared!  We found out that they are due to physical contact with caterpillars.  Apparently they are harmful to touch here.  Lesson learned!...  Grace is fine from falling about six feet, in her sleep...  Liz has lost over 16 pounds.  I have lost over 25 pounds.  Our plan when we come back to the US is to start the Ugandan Weight Loss program.  I am pretty sure we will become hundred-aires!... The political problems still remain, quietly.  The main activist is due back to Uganda later today.  So most people are refraining from much travel.  We too have made postponed travel arrangements due to his return... We did celebrate Mother's Day.  We went to the American Club to go swimming.  Then we concluded the day with some pizza, soda, and brownies for desert.  It was positively divine!

Peace out!

So last week I briefly mentioned that we were de-worming.  How gross is that?  To know that there is a little parasite swimming around in your body living symbiotically with you.  That is a little disturbing!

Apparently there are parasites everywhere here!  We have been pretty cautious about the water.  We really only bath with the water and do our laundry.  We do not consume any water that has not been "prepared."  We were NOT aware that there are worms in the dirt.  Obviously, we are not talking about those friendly, soil-pooping, earthworms.  There are little micro-sized worms that can enter your body through bare feet.  Yay!!  So when we went three days with no water for bathing, the parasitic worms frolicked in our children's feet.  Thankfully, they are not that horrible.  They are only a problem if they go untreated.  Right now, all they have caused is a minor rash that itches on the children.  We have since gotten them treated (via 1800PetMeds, just kidding, they don't deliver to our neighborhood!).

On a side note... if we get a tapeworm, we only have to take a double dose of the same medicine!

If you have seen the video tour of the house, you saw our three story bunk bed that the girls reside in.  The sleeping order was Grace on top, Lydia in the middle, and Azeda on the bottom.  Let me re-emphasize that that WAS the order.  Saturday night, Liz and I were abruptly woken up to Lydia running into our room yelling, "Grace fell out of bed!"  Sure enough, as we sprinted out of our bed to there room, there was Gracie lying on the floor balling.  You can only imagine the hole in your stomach as you think of all of the horrible things that can happen to a child when it falls from 6 feet in the air onto a hard, tile floor.  After we thoroughly checked her out for any bones protruding from her skin, we picked her up and took her to our bed.  Her biggest complaint was that her foot hurt "really bad."  There was an obvious impression where her foot had made contact with something, but we were concerned also with the fact that her whole body fell.  More than her foot had to have been hurt.

So we were lying in our bed with her trying to get her to calm down and talk about what was hurt.  Her ONLY complaint was about her foot.  How is that?  We thought that there had to be head trauma, or broken nose, something that had to of made contact as she belly-flopped to the ground.  But after 20 minutes or so of interrogation of her aches, she would only confess to the pain she had in her foot.  So we made sure that she could at least put some weight on it, and sure enough she could.  So I thought in the back of my mind, "it can't be too bad?"

After about an hour, I think, she fell asleep.  We could only wait until the morning came to see how she fared.  Tick-tock-tick-tock... around 8'ish she woke up.  Gracie was waiting for us to wake up.  She sat there contently just looking around.  I remember looking over at her and she just looked bored.  Finally, as Liz woke up, Grace asked, "can we unwrap my foot?  It does not hurt anymore."  Seriously???  We unwrapped it, she hopped out of bed, and off she went.  Holy cow!!!  We knew instantly that she had to of been caught by an angel to not have ANY damage.  The only sign that she has is a tiny bruise on her chin, a small bruise on her elbow (questionably from the fall), and a bruise on her foot.