Friday, August 5, 2011

Keeping Busy!

Pearl and I have been busy the last few days.

This week, Dan had some fun training stuff, so he was gone most of the week. The first exercise he did was in the forest. It sounded to me like some fun guy game. They painted their faces and learned different techniques. I asked him if he took any cool pictures, and he said that somebody got one of him with the "baddie" (what they call the bad guys in the UK) shoving his face in the dirt after he was "captured". Sounds like some fun times huh? The next two days, he was at this "swimming pool" that mimics a terrible storm. Its pitch black, and there are huge waves and rain! They learn how to harness into helicopter rescue ropes and how to jump correctly! Sounds pretty cool! They stayed in a nasty hotel, he said it didn't even have a shower, so he thought he would run his head under the spout, but the spout had a "hot" and "cold" side! So, because everything was so gross, he ended up kneeling in the tub and splashing water on himself! ha ha. When he got home yesterday, he was just exhausted, and fell asleep really early.
The first day he was gone, was hard for me. It was really hot here ( how quickly my personal preferences change for temperature) and I didn't leave the house. I got really depressed
and really bored. I tried to call one girl I knew and she wasn't available to do anything. Poor Pearl. I really think she can somehow sense that I wasn't in a good place. Babies are so intuitive. I just kept thinking how everybody gives new moms the advice to get out of the house. My problem was that I didn't know where to go! I don't know much, and I think the depression was getting in the way of thinking. I was just stuck. It was horrible. The next day though, Pearl and I went to a town called Bury St Edmonds. We met a girl, Courtney, and her
almost 2 year old daughter, Trinity. We had lunch in the Abbey Gardens and then walked around the market day. Market days are so fun! Pearl had so much fun laying out in the shade on the blanket playing with her toys! When we finally got home, I felt like myself again. It's a good reminder
of who and how God created me to be with others. I am
very much a relational woman! I need to be around people.

Yesterday, Pearl and I went to an amazingly adorable village called "Ashley". I fell in love with it. Next time I'm there, I'll take some pics. We visited a girl I had met while at Tea a few weeks ago. Her name is Deanne. Deanne has a 9 month old daughter called Ali. Guess who also lives in Ashley??? The "sheik" of DUBAI!! How funny is that? I'll try to find his house and get a picture of it! I'm finding that Deanne and I have a lot in common, and it's so fun to watch her daughter and think that in only a few months Pearl will be doing those things as well. Right now, as close in age as they are, they are just soooo different!
The house continues to not be put together. It's so hard for me to get motivated during the few minutes I actually have. I'm craving having a home to feel comfortable in. The main thing that is hard for me is that Pearl takes short naps. I'm talking 30 minutes. Its hard to get something even started in that amount of time, and if you know me at all, you know that I am just slower paced at doing things! I like to take my time and dilly dally! I've been "growing" in that area! The other problem, is that the house is extremely loud. I'm all for "teaching" a baby to not only be able to sleep in quiet, but this is extreme! There are loud trucks that drive by, and shake the whole house! and every noise that I make just carries all the way up to the second (what americans call 'third') floor. So those noises in addition to noises while I am trying to do a "project" will wake her up. If anybody has any ideas, let me know. I already have a fan turned on in her room for some white noise. Maybe some weekend, I'll have Dan take her out for a few hours and have daddy daughter time and I'll do a bunch around here.