And the New Dishwasher is..ME

That's right. No more conveniency of having a dishwasher. They are actually pretty unheard of over here and it is very rare that you will ever find one in someone's house. At first I didn't like the idea of having to wash all the dishes by hand. It was so nice to just place them in the dishwasher and voila...they're clean and dry! However, I don't mind being the new dishwasher. I look at it as sort of a therapy for me. The one bad thing about it is the use of my wrists. My tendonitis has flared up again because of the constant movement from scrubbing the dishes. I am hoping this is just temporary. However, when I am washing dishes, it is daddy's turn to entertain our little buddy so it is kind of my "mommy break." I may be singing a different tune after a couple of months of this, but now I am enjoying it. Here is what I do:

The dirty dishes.

The clean ones.

10 Reasons You Know You're a Mommy of a 1 Year Old

1. Your shirt is covered in and smells like drool (from a teething baby).
2. "No!" is the most used word in your vocabulary. 
3. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, must be put up high so baby can't reach. 
4. You are NEVER bored. 
5. The broom or vacuum is most used in the area around baby's highchair.
6. Baby gates are a must in your home, especially if you have stairs.
7. You speak in third person a lot, "Mommy said no!"
8. You always have a supply of animal crackers on hand.
9. Hide-and-Seek and Peek-a-Boo are your new favorite games.
10. Your heart melts when your baby wraps his arms around your neck.

Into everything, ALWAYS!

My little 1 year old buddy!

I love him!

This Is The Way We Take A Bath

Asher has loved his baths ever since I began bathing him in the tub. As soon as he heard the water running, he would scoot on over to the tub and try to climb in. He loved to splish and splash around in the water and I loved seeing that big smile on his face as soon as his body hit the water.

Asher still loves his bath, but they are a little different these days. First of all, bath tubs are pretty rare around here. Most houses have only showers, and ours is one of those houses. Second, the water isn't safe to drink here so a shower wouldn't work either because of the risk of swallowing water. So alas, we had to think of a different way to bathe Asher. 

We came up with a way that works pretty well. First, I boil a big pot of water (for 1 minute) to kill any bacteria. Second, I pour the water in a washing bin and place it in the freezer to cool down (this takes about 15 minutes to get the right temperature).  And finally, I stick him the shower and sponge bathe him with the water from the bin. Granted, it's no bath, and it isn't as convenient as filling a bathtub of water and sticking him in, but it gets the job done and Asher has no complaints! Here are some pics of my little buddy during his bath time:

Free Shutterfly Cards

Shutterfly is currently doing a 50 Free Holiday Card Promotion for all bloggers! If you have a blog then all you have to do is go to the following site: http://bit.ly/sfly2010  and they will send you an email with directions.
I have been using Shutterfly for a long time now. This first time I used it was to make a thank you card for our wedding three years ago. Since then I have used it to make several more items such as Christmas cards ( http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery), birthday invites (http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birthday-cards-stationery), and photo books (http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books/simple-path). I LOVE their designs! They have such a variety to choose from and so many different options. Also, they are always having promotions of different types. I have received price reductions on many different occasions. The site is also very easy to use. Currently, I am in the process of making photo books of Asher's first year. I find myself getting addicted to each new project and have so much fun creating new things.
One of my favorite things to do with Shutterfly is creating cards, especially Christmas cards! I was upset because I didn't think it would be possible for us to send Christmas cards this year. But then I heard about this promotion and I was ecstatic! I would use one of their several holiday cards to choose from to make a Christmas card for family and friends.
I love Shutterfly and will continue to use it for more projects. Here is the very first card I ever created with Shutterfly. These are the thank yous I sent out for our wedding three years ago!

Classic Without Edge Collage Favorites

Unique party invitations and announcements by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Let's Try This Again

Okay, I have been a blogger in the past, but never that great of one mind you. And yes, Chad and I do have our own blog on our Honduras journey. BUT, this is for friends and family, and anyone else interested, in this crazy life of mine as a missionary mommy. I am going to do my best to keep this up. So please come along with me as a I share my joys and struggles on this road that God has taken me. Thanks for following!

The inspiration for this blog, my son Asher.