Appreciation

Dennis and I have been in Belize for only four months now.  I feel like we just got in.  The days are flying by at an unbelievable rate.  These are some things that we have come to appreciate.

Internet...I have come to realize that I would be a very homesick person without the internet.  And it's not just facebook.  We watch reruns of Bob Newhart often and started on the Andy Griffith Show.  Dennis and I spend every morning having coffee with David Jeremiah.  We get on there to check the weather back in Tennessee and the west coast.  We find things like a Variac that Dennis wanted for his electrical class.  Dennis and I went Christmas shopping this year totally online.  We had everything sent to Carol Rice who very graciously wrapped them and got them to the kids.  I look for recipes that contain the ingredients that are available here.  I found the name of a bird I took a picture of the other day, it's a Trogon.  I am still looking up teacher stuff all the time.  I just pray that we always have internet.

This, family and friends is a Trogon somtehing, something.
Never could find which one is was.  He sat there and stared at me
and in slow motion, moved his head from left to right. It seemed
like he wanted to know more about me and the camera.

The Bronco...Dennis put quite a few hours of work into our 1985 Bronco and it has been a real lifesaver here in Belize.  The roads right now are truly atrocious.  Our tires and axels are at risk whenever we go out.  But the Bronco has hauled 10 foot pieces of trim tied to the side and our mattress up on top. Our little Bronco has been awesome.  When we were stuck in the mud the other day with no one around to help, Dennis and the Bronco got us home!!  My Heros!

Water...clean, fresh water when you turn on the faucet.  Not always something that happens here.

Bridges that are actually above the water.

Packages at the Post Office...We always love going to the post office and there is a slip of paper in the box that says we have received a package.  Today there was a slip!!  We thought it was one from our church but it was from my mom.  So, I look at it and think, "What a great mom!"  We have to open it at the post office so they can inspect it.  So the guy cuts it open and I see Ritz Crackers first thing, and I think, "What a cool Mom!"  After he shuffles through it and spends five more minutes on paperwork with carbon paper we get to take it home.  In the car Dennis looks in and sees a huge bag of pecans, M&Ms, some candy canes, Ranch Mix and six cans of chopped green chilis.  Now I'm thinking, "I've got the best Mom on the planet!"  So then we find a beautiful Christmas card in there with some homemade ornaments inside and a check.  All I have to say is "Thanks Mom, this box really means so much to me.  Who would have thought that these random items would make a grown woman cry.  I love you."

I have recieved notes and letters from a few people and must say it makes me feel very special when I get to sit down and read a letter from a loved one.  It is so much more meaningful than electronic mail.  But please don't stop sending emails and messages!  I will always write back when I get letters, thats a promise!

Love you guys!