Random Picture Challenge

My 16th picture folder (in 2007),

the 28th picture...

Pictures of the kids praying are so precious!

Random Picture Challenge

4 little men & girly twins

September 2008


18th picture

And mine is....

Baby J!

He was about six weeks here, probably weighed about 8 pounds...took him a long time to start catching up.

He grabbed my finger so tightly while eating this day, as I "wore him" and worked, I just had to take this picture

Random Picture Challenge

July 2004

22nd picture



A very nice visit to the Christian deaf boarding school/home outside Cochabamba with some of my volunteers and Hospitals of Hope volunteers.

This year we were asked about the possibility of helping this home (financially and administratively). How I would LOVE to, but it didn't seem the wisest move since we have our plates so full already! If God would show me how, I would...

On a side note, but unfortunately related: last night I picked up ABR results for a 21 month old at CDA III, and was very saddened to see what looks like severe hearing loss. I just finished scanning in the results and sending them to Starkey Foundation to see what they will say.

Random Picture Challenge

This Saturday's Random Picture Challenge

2002
8th folder - July
25th picture

February 2002
Me enjoying time with a little girl in St. Petersburg, Russia

I just did a quick search and this is the only picture that came up on my computer for 2002 (I know there are more but many of those were scanned in later years).

Not surprising it would be a Russia picture! We first visited Bolivia in August of that year, but otherwise Russia dominated in my family and we were all there together by the end of that year.

Russia.....how I'd love to visit again!! It would be so interesting to study again the situation of children-at-risk with all the background that I have now. I knew next to nothing in those days of Russia trips, between 1999--2003. All I knew is I wanted to help, and it's really humbling to see how God took that desire and placed me where I am now! =)

Random Picture Challenge

For this Saturday's challenge, we can pick from February 2008 or 17th folder, 33rd picture. I only have one 17th folder but it didn't have 33 pictures, SO....here's one from February 2008!

Volunteer Matt painting the roof of the playgound with my sister Emma

(hard to say which had more fun!)

February 2008 was easily one of the busiest months of my LIFE. We got two newborns, volunteers arrived, volunteers left, four visitors from Texas for a week, a baby hospitalized, an adoption took place... One Sunday I got ready for church but never made it there, it was that nuts and unpredictable!

Never a dull moment around here! [although if today could be really dull for once, I'd be so happy...]

PS - A blog button for my blog is in the works, yeah!!

Random Picture Challenge

Third folder, first picture with brown:

(Even if it's just a hint of brown...and pink!)

I've always loved this one, Baby S's very first upon arrival, February, 2008 (see the admission papers still in my hand?)

Since October '08 she lives with her adoptive mother!

Back to packing up my family's place (will it ever end?!)...

Random Picture Challenge 7.0

September 2007 folder, 11th picture

Can you imagine if I just left it there, wondering what the excitement was all about?!

Aw, that would be mean.

J is in traditional Cochabamba dress, C is "stuffed" to be a pumpkin, and A is cute as a...bug!

(gotta love it when people donate old halloween costumes!!)

Found the pictures highly appropriate for today. They are from the special farewell for Ruth and Katrina, our two very special and much loved kiwi volunteers for most of 2007. And now today our next two kiwi volunteers join us, Nikki and Alie, yeah!

Also, just have to mention that Katrina sent me a really sweet packet full of goodies that arrived to me yesterday. Thanks for thinking of me, Katrina!!!

I love the picture for today's challenge at 4 little men!

Now, back to catching up on computer work....

Random Picture Challenge 6.0

This week's challenge from 4 little men and 2 girlies is to post a picture from January 2007. Since many of the many pictures from that month are of sick babies in the hospital or babies getting treatment in the Baby Home ("Hospital de Amor", we say), here's a lighter one:

My cool baby J at 6 months

Isn't he cute? He still is! I took him to CDA II with me yesterday (along with the newest baby) for some special time out in the kid's favorite car (mine!). He was sooo happy and sang some little made-up song to himself the whole way back. Now he's 2 1/2 and will go back to his father soon, if the court approves, but will still be with us 6 days a week.

Speaking of being "Hospital de Amor".......we took 4 (yes FOUR) babies into the "cough doctor" a few days ago and one (Twin E) is actually worse on the medications. This morning baby Gabriel threw up he's coughing so much....and he got the cough just today! So I told them what to do for now, until our check-up on Monday with at least 2 of the babies. Also several have drippy runny noses and the youngest (7 weeks) is getting the cold and has been very cranky since yesterday, including all night. Could it just be the cold, or something else??

This constant rain and the temperature extremes we experience almost daily here the months of January and February really mess them up. Yuck.

Anyway....

Happy Valentine's Day! (Even if where I am barely anyone notices, ha!) I followed a link to a new blog today, Imperishable Beauty and was blessed by their first post "Reedeming Valentine's Day".

Random Picture Challenge 4.0

Here's the 44th picture from November 2007's folder, as challenged by 4 little men and girly twins:



A slightly goofy close-up of our Baby A. She's walking now!! It's so cute.

It's ironic now to think about how fragile she was (weighed 2 pounds at birth) and how easy it was to fear for her survival in 2007, and yet she's been perfectly fine. Now diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and still a tiny, quiet little toddler...but healthy (and spared the epidemic because she lives at CDA III)!

And a few pictures before:

My sister Heather cared for her full time once she was released from the hospital weighing barely 6 pounds. I've missed my other two sisters this week.... Wonder when I'll get to see them again.

On another note, it feels good to be doing something "normal" again....

Random Picture Challenge 2.0

Playing along with 4 little men and girly twins.....even though I'm a day late! I just now read it, but thought I'd post anyway for a bit of cultural flair.

Since I've already posted the 8th picture in my January 2009 folder, here's the 8th picture of my first folder in my January 2008 picture file:

Llamas!!

These pictures are from a long "Sunday drive" up into the mountains. I wanted my family to see snow and llamas. Although we didn't find snow that day, after a couple hours up into the clouds we did come across this herd of dozens of llamas and their owners (a young couple and their baby). It was amazing!

Emma and me getting a closer look:

Thompson family trivia: we owned two llamas in Texas for a couple of years, Masterpiece and Independence! It was fun, and definitely unusual.

(Back behind the llamas, you can see the valley that is our home, Cochabamba)

Random Picture Challenge 1.0

The 21st picture in my May 2008 folder was actually not of the babies. =) It was Christian's very warm farewell from Hogar de Amor II before leaving for Santa Cruz where he now lives reunited with his mother and sister. Yeah for Christian!! (He was 4 1/2 at the time of the picture.)


There's nothing like a group hug!