Monday, March 17, 2008


Did Happy Boy really think I would be okay with this?



Well, he was right. He is a kid after all. This is just a badge of exploration and fun!


Shoes can be cleaned (or replaced) but you only get one chance to be a kid.

# POSTED BY @ | Monday, March 17, 2008 | Comments 6




Monday, March 10, 2008

See a penny, pick it up...

I don't think I've ever mentioned on my blog the amount of luck Happy Girl possesses. It is insane, really. God loves to spoil her and Happy Boy. Ever since she's been little, no matter how small her desire God seems to always make things work out for.

Like the time the Incredible toys were being handed out at McDonald's and she was missing one of her favorite characters. I took it as an opportunity to teach her that we can't always get everything we want. Then God punctuated the learning lesson by having that very character toy in the treasure box at church for her to win as a prize for knowing her memory verse.

Or the MANY times I've told her claw machines are just money traps to steal and rob little kids of their hard earned money, only to have her win time and time again. She's won a watch, a ball, another ball, a stuffed hockey toy, and a couple of other items I can't remember.

Or the other time we were at a charity event that was handing out door prizes, her ticket won a gift certificate to a restaurant. My hubby and I put down our tickets and Happy Boys tickets because what were the odds of winning again. Happy Girl insisted on reading the ticket with each give away...two more of the tickets we had were winners. 3 of us won prizes that night...really what are the odds? (I was tempted to head to the casinos that night. hahaha...just kidding!)

And there are so many other times when things have happened I've lost track and forgotten stories...I really should write them all down just for fun.

So, this afternoon is another example of how the girl's got luck. We're walking into a building and she's squeals with glee at the site of something on the ground. I assumed it was a penny and then I heard her say, "I just found ten bucks!"

Yes, people, that is the kind of luck that child has. No pennies on the ground for her.

# POSTED BY @ | Monday, March 10, 2008 | Comments 6




Monday, March 03, 2008

I love that girl.

I've been following Sophie and Shannon and some of the other bloggers' African experience with Compassion. It has been wonderful to hear their stories and see their heart's transform through this experience. I've enjoyed it so much that I've been moved to sponsor a child as well. We are sponsoring a little girl from El Salvador whose name is Daniella. She is the same age as Happy Girl and they share the same birthday month. My hope is that some day we can afford a second sponsorship and find a boy who share's the same birthday as Happy Boy.

Anyway, through this whole Uganda blogging thing I had been sharing stories with the Happy Kids as I read them and telling them about how Compassion tries to reach out to kids. When we decided to sponsor a child the kiddos were pretty excited. But when they realized that they could communicate and exchange information with this new friend their excitement shot up about a gazillion levels. Happy Girl gave me a letter to send to Daniella, I've written it verbatim with my notes in parenthesis:

Hey Danyella, How are you doing? Well I'm doing great were sending money $
in. I speack Spanish and english. (That is crazy because she doesn't speak a
lick of Spanish) Hey I can say uno. Well it's getting hot and cold. Well
nice talking to you! Were going to be best budies or friends. Well my name is (Happy Girl). I know your name it's Danyella. I live in the United
States of amiaca. What state do I live in? I live in Kansas, The Sunflower
state. My mom usto live in El Savador like you!!! Are last name is (Happy) I amost forgot! I have to tell you about God! God is a hero He
made you and me and every body. He lives in heven. Heven is a betiful plase. I
haven't been there yet but I'v herd about it. Well write me back!



Is that not just the sweetest note ever??!!!? You can see she takes after her mom with the "well"s and the poor grammar. Of course, she's eight and I'm thirty - I have no excuse.
God is a hero! That is just special. I hope someday we can visit El Salvador and meet Daniella in real life.

# POSTED BY @ | Monday, March 03, 2008 | Comments 3