September

all the mud running down the hill, changing the color of the ocean

our baby plants safe from the heavy rains 

The storm blew out the internet and Conor still had to work online.  So that evening he went to Bocas to spend the night so he could use the internet.  The kids missed him so terribly that they needed to make him cards.  He was gone for less than 12 hours.  Conor has some fans in his house.  

Tohi Selfies

some friends from Key West stopped by on their way to South America.  We spent a lovely few days laughing and eating good food and making goo!

yarn arts and crafts with mom

I just wanted a quick picture of my adorable girls holding the most adorable little pineapples I've ever seen.  I was wanting to capture a double dose of adorableness.  

What I got was weird faces and pineapple leaves poking poor Frances in the face. 

these next pictures crack me up.  Tohi smiling like a model and Frances defending against those pokey pineapple leaves!

so many bread helpers

September is a sad time for me.  There is such an array of emotions when I allow myself to actually feel them all.  During September this range of emotions I feel about the loss of my brother pulse right under my surface.  Sadness, grief, anger, outrage, disbelief:  they coarse through my body and pump through my heart and ring in my ears.  They are hard to process and even harder to hide from.  I imagine a life with Michael still here.  I feel delusional as I picture him married, maybe with a young child and another one on the way.  Maybe he would have been the one that brought a few more boys into our family.  Who knows because it all will never be and my heart just aches and I try to focus on feeling grateful but it is hard.    

A rainbow that I see with tears in my eyes

But as life does. . . it goes on

And these kiddos bring so much love and light into this world, and into my heart

The big kids were jumping off a much higher structure but this dare devil would not be left out.  She jumped off the side over and over and felt just as exhilarated as Woody and Tohi. 

look at those sweet little pointed toes

Warrior Princess

Flat September Seas

swim lessons back on!

Kid Kayak!

My Big Kids

pre dinner kayak

The girls helping me get the house nice and clean for our trip back to the USA!

the many faces of Tohi selfies. 

just a few days before we left for the USA, this brave little girl split her chin open.  Welcome to the split chin club, Fernie.  I never wanted you to be a member but you're in good company

We had the army ants come into our home for a few days.  They are incredible workers and we hope our co-habitation allowed them to rid the house of every cockroach, ant, and wasp larvae.