Spring Break

Molly was a cheerful traveller. A box of raisins is keeping her content as we wait for her car seat to arrive.

Swimming, swimming.



Breakfast at Waffle House

Dinner with friends Heidi and David

Near Tampa Bay with Granny and Aunt Mary

Who's Your Daddy?

If I were named in the tradition of the Iraqi people, my name would be Emily Larry John. While helping my Iraqi friend fill out paperwork, I noticed that his last name was different from his wife's, and that the children had an entirely different last name. Each person is given a first name. The middle name is his/her father's name, and the surname is the paternal grandfather's name. Each person actually has many, many names which are basically a list of the paternal ancestors. Upon marriage, the wife does not take the husband's name but keeps the names of her father and grandfather.

Imagine having the same middle and last names as your siblings for your entire life. Or, imagine your children having no name in common with you if you're a female. Instead your children are identified by your husband and male in-laws. In our American society it would get even trickier. Divorce is so prevalent; there are also many children that don't know the identity of their father, especially when a single woman decides to adopt or conceive by in-vitro. I guess it works in their society because everything is so much more traditional. And, a person's family of origin is very important.

March Madness

March is halfway over! Ryan is officially on spring break! He's already had several track meets. During the winter, he was offered a position as an assistant track coach. He's working with the distance runners that he coaches in cross country. It is great because there are several track coaches, so he's made several new friends, too. Teaching the kids in his inner city classes continues to be a challenge, but he has a heart for reaching the troubled ones. Many are in gangs, and he often comes home with stories of fights and other trouble that they were involved in. We are going to Orlando for a few days this week, thanks to a Christmas gift of money from my parents designated for travel. We hope to visit some good friends and Ryan's granny and aunt while we're there.

Molly's ma mere and pa pere came to visit earlier in the month. We had a great time with them. The temps were in the 80s almost every day. We saw a lot but had a relaxing time as well.

I host a small group of moms from my church on Tuesdays. Molly loves snacking and playing with the other kids. We discuss the messages from church and try to incorporate a little activity for the kids, too.

Molly loves playing in her box of stuffed animals. Xander joins her here!


With Ryan's parents we visited the Stockyards and watched the cows amble down the street.

Molly has been watching MSU basketball with us. She points to the screen and exclaims, "Ball!" Here she's wearing her pink MSU shirt from her ma mere.

We got a new computer free as a promotion for opening an account with a local credit union. It is pretty small, but it is a great second computer and perfect for traveling. When we went to pick it up, a credit union employee wondered if the computer was for Molly. Not really, but it is a perfect size for her!