A Thanksgiving to Remember

Thanksgiving morning Adam decided to make himself some scrambled eggs for breakfast. When he went to crack the eggs he noticed there was a hole in one but figured he must have done it when he had grabbed them. About an hour later the eggs came back up and Adam had a classic case of salmonella! Nicaraguans do not refrigerate their eggs so they sit out in 90 degree weather until they are finally bought and I’ve found quite a few that are cracked since we’ve been here.

Our plan for Thanksgiving was to drive to Managua (the capital) and go to a party there some friends were having. We were going to spend the night since it’s a two hour drive and the party started in the evening. But by three o’clock in the afternoon Adam was still throwing up and feeling horrible. However I was determined to eat some turkey so I made a bed in the back of our truck for Adam to lay in, packed the girls in and off to Managua we went. I had to stop once to let Adam out so he could throw up and it was just a miserable ride for him. You might be wondering why on earth I did not just stay home and let poor Adam rest, my excuse is that I had actually gotten food poisoning a few weeks ago and felt better the next day so I assumed he was going to start feeling better in no time. Also I had not left our little town in weeks because Adam had been busy at camp and I was going a little insane being here. Knowing we were going to get out and celebrate Thanksgiving was what had kept me going for the last two weeks! I wasn’t about to give that up. 

We ended up arriving at the party late (Adam really slowed me down ;) but I did manage to get some turkey and stuffing. I had a fun time talking and Ashlyn loved playing with the kids there, I walked in holding Sydnie but after that I didn’t see her the whole time. She was passed around from person to person and I enjoyed having my hands free. We ended up spending two nights there since Adam was still so sick. Thirty hours later and still throwing up he got a shot for vomiting and nausea which made him feel better. In hindsight I should not have taken Adam, but Ashlyn and I did have a really fun time and I’m glad I went. 

Scorpion

Here is the latest creature I found in our yard, this time I opted for a machete instead of a shovel. The first swing took out his tail, the second swing cut off his pinchers and finally the third swing did the trick. They are surprisingly fast and resilient! 

This Toy will Help your Child!

I have been wanting to find a doll that Ashlyn can put in water and pretend to give a bath to. Yesterday we were out grocery shopping and I saw a little plastic “Baby and Bathtub” set. So in the shopping cart it went; it was perfect and for only two dollars!

When we got home I opened up the toy for Ashlyn to play with and got quite the surprise. I knew the toy was cheap…but I guess I didn’t realize what a cheap toy in Nicaragua was like. Not only is the doll rather creepy looking but it has a paint smudge across it’s face, the head is white and the body is brown. It came with two left shoes bigger than the dolls head and a plastic pacifier which is also the size of her head, not to mention there’s no hole in her mouth to put it in. Much to Ashlyn’s delight it’s head, arms and legs all pop off and there is even an ugly gray outfit for the doll. When I took a closer look at the packaging it read “Baby & Bathtub; This toy will help your child!” Really? That is quite the claim. Help her how? Learn to rip the limbs off dolls? That two left shoes ten times to big won’t work? 

The toy either belongs on the Island of Misfit Toys or on the next movie of “Chucky". Regardless, Ashlyn has enjoyed ripping the limbs off, giving it a bath and trying to put the shoes on. So I suppose it was worth the two dollars…

These pictures really do not do the creepiness of the doll justice.

Free Day!

It was only 8:00 am and I was already having a “challenging” morning with Ashlyn. I looked over at my little girl wiggling in her seat and knew we must get out of the house today. She was not being naughty…she was just bored! Moments later Adam appeared and randomly asked…“Would you like me to take Ashlyn today?”  Ah, my hero comes to the rescue! An hour later Ashlyn was packed up for a day at the beach with her daddy. I waved goodbye to them, walked back in the house and realized I had a day all to myself. I had forgotten how much I enjoy silence and being alone; it was rejuvenating!

What did I spend my free day doing? I cleaned! Not only did I get the normal chores done like laundry, dishes and mopping but I also did all those things on my mental “to do list” that I never get around to. That might not seem like fun, but it was to me. It was so nice to start and finish a project without interruption. By 5:00 pm I was done with everything I had wanted to do. The house was clean, Sydnie was sleeping and it felt so good! 

When Adam brought Ashlyn home she seemed happy and content. I think a whole day of playing outside and getting some undivided attention was what she needed. Adam said she had a great time sitting on the playing with rocks in the sand and running on the beach. She even brought a rock back for me. J Adam also mentioned it was the most relaxing day he’s had in a while too. I think everyone enjoyed the day; thank you Adam!! 

    Ashlyn ready to spend the day with her daddy. 

Playing in the rain

Today Ashlyn had a great time playing in a giant puddle after it rained. 

Tarantula

I found this tarantula in our yard the other day. I know some people keep them as pets...but I opted to smash it flat with a shovel. 

Two months old!!

When Ashlyn was born I was instantly in love, I just couldn’t get enough of my little girl. This time when Sydnie was born it was different. I was instantly in love but it took awhile for me to actually “bond” with her. Since I already had Ashlyn I just didn’t have a lot of free time to get to know her. Then one day Sydnie smiled at me and my heart melted! Now it has become an addiction of mine to see how big I can get her to grin.

Sydnie is now two months old and is starting to learn how to “talk”. She loves spending time in her bouncy seat kicking her legs and watching her big sister run around. She has also successfully rolled over from her stomach to her back quite a few times. My favorite “accomplishment” (other than smiling) is that she now is only getting up once during the night. Hurray!

Here is a video of her smiling at my "oo and ah" noises. For some reason she just thinks it is great when I "oo & ah". This video was taken the first week she really started to smile so some of her grins aren't the most coordinated! She is getting better. ;)

Tree Dwellers

This week I've noticed our chickens don't seem to be around as much as usual. Even when Ashlyn and I take walks around the yard I often don't see them. Finally this morning I started to think perhaps they are flying over our wall into the neighbor’s yard. So Ashlyn and I went on a "hen hunt" to find our missing chickens. After two laps around our yard we had only spotted one. Finally on our third lap we found both of them.
I couldn't believe I had somehow missed a chicken in our small yard so I decided to investigate the area they were hanging out in. As I walked over one of them ran by me and jumped up into our tree, disappearing into the branches! When I looked up in the tree there was one of our neighbor’s hens sitting in it too! What on earth!?
I then remembered the Nicaraguan man we bought the chickens from saying they will sleep in trees at night. I had never heard of such a thing and figured he meant they just flew up on a low branch and roosted there.
We had built our "Golden Girls" a lovely home for them to sleep in like any American would. Last week Adam had cleaned it out and I had put a fresh sack for them to sleep on in there. Obviously they were not impressed because they are no longer sleeping in their home, but dwelling in our tree!

Sitting in the tree!

Rose peeking down at me through the branches.

Their abandoned home.

Oddly enough, I also discovered there was a wheel stuck in our tree. Can't explain that one.

Volcano Conception

Last week our friendly neighborhood volcano gave a burp! A cloud of ash went up in the air and "snowed" a thin layer at camp.
This isn't a great picture but it gives you an idea of what it looked like.


Volcano Conception is on Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua. It's one of Nicaragua's highest (5,283 feet) and most active volcano's erupting at least 24 times since 1883.

More pictures!

Sydnie & Ashlyn making funny faces...

Ashlyn helping me give Sydnie her first bath.

Sydnie looking around.

Ashlyn holding Sydnie. Giving her little sister kisses.

Guard Dogs??

It has finally happened…we were robbed! After living here almost a year we were starting to think maybe we were invincible…but I guess not!
Adam had just bought an extra propane tank for our stove and put it on our back porch. A few weeks ago we noticed the tank had mysteriously disappeared! After further survey of the yard we saw limbs on one of the bushes bordering our wall were snapped like someone had jumped down on them. We called our landlord and he said it did look like someone had jumped over our wall. He notified the police and had razor wire installed around the front of our wall. It doesn’t look very welcoming; hopefully the burglars will agree.

A special thanks to our vicious guard dogs! I’m sure they greeted them with wagging tails and happily showed them around the yard.

Two weeks!

Sydnie is now two and a half weeks old! I am surprised at how easily she is fitting into our family. I thought having two would be a lot harder (and it certainly has its challenges) but having two is less of an adjustment than our first was. I guess we know what we're doing this time around!
Ashlyn seems to be adjusting fine and is enjoying her little sister. She really likes holding her, giving her kisses and bringing her toys. Poor Sydnie has had quite a few toys shoved in her face!
Adam has been taking Ashlyn to camp and out on errands when he is able to. This is a huge help to me; having to taking care of just Sydnie is like a mini vacation and Ashlyn loves going with her “Daddie”.

I have been able to get Sydnie on a good schedule during the day and I'm still working out the “kinks” in her night time schedule to maximize my sleep (and her's of course)!
Sydnie's day consist of sleeping, eating, diaper changes and making lots of funny faces. I have been trying to get some good pictures of her but it has been a serious challenge. She is a little wiggle worm and most of them are blurry or she's cross-eyed. I guess she's not the most photogenic baby ever! But here's a few I came up with:

Sydnie has to wear her "mitts" because she can get a little crazy with her finger nails. She looks like a boxer...or Michael Jackson.

Duck Tape

Lately Ashlyn has been pulling her diaper off during naps and at night. This leaves quite the mess for me to clean up. She has been told many times in many different ways not to touch her diaper. She doesn't seem to care...so what are great parents like us to do?? Duck tape her diaper on of course! No more washing sheets everyday; that diaper is going to stay on!

First Outing

Yesterday we went on our first outing with Sydnie to Managua. Sydnie and I both had doctor’s appointments which went fine. Sydnie has gained a few ounces and is up to 6 pounds 13 ounces!
After that we headed over to the American Embassy to get Sydnie registered as an American citizen.
We were waiting in a small room set up much like a BMV would be where you get a number and wait until they call you up to one of the windows.
Ashlyn was being a really good girl playing quietly and Sydnie was sound asleep in my arms. It was one of those moments where you know the situation could become a nightmare quickly with two little ones and you’re thanking the good Lord they are both happy!

Eventually Sydnie woke up and promptly went number two; it was quite the explosion. I informed Adam that I was taking Sydnie and Ashlyn to the bathroom for a diaper change (he was filling out all the paperwork).
As soon as I closed the door of that bathroom it was instant chaos.
Ashlyn asked for some paper towels to play with so I gave her a few and then turned around to change Sydnie. When I laid Sydnie down she started screaming, LOUD. I don’t think she’s ever cried that loud for a diaper change; she was angry! After a few moments of trying to clean her up I turned around to check on Ashlyn. She had lifted the toilet seat up and was dipping the paper towels in the toilet! Gross! I left Sydnie screaming away on the changing table to stop Ashlyn’s “fun”. Then I turned my attention back to Sydnie who of course was still screaming. I managed to finally get her all cleaned up despite her flailing arms and legs.
In the mean time Ashlyn had discovered the toilet paper dispenser and was pulling toilet paper out and then running to the sink and throwing it in there (not sure why, but it was better than the toilet!) All this running back and forth she was doing was setting off the automatic flush sensor on the toilet. So about every thirty seconds she would sprint by and the toilet would flush.

At that point I thought “oh my word, everyone can hear this, I need to get out of here.” So I turned my attention once again to diapering Sydnie. Unfortunately she decided she needed to go pee before I got another diaper on. With amazing skill I somehow managed to keep her outfit dry. After cleaning up that mess I finally was able to get a diaper on my screaming baby and lifted her up to console her. As soon as I lifted her up and gave her a pat she promptly spit up on me; I guess that was her problem!
Meanwhile Ashlyn was still running around setting off the toilet and collecting toilet paper which she was now using to wipe the drain on the floor. I grabbed everything up and got Ashlyn under control only to hear a knock at the door and Adam’s voice asking “Is everything ok??” I opened the door and Adam looked at me like “what on earth…?” He whispered “Everyone is staring! What is going on?” I tried to explain the insanity that had just taken place to him.
As I walked out everyone in the room was indeed staring at me. I tried to smile confidently like nothing had happened but I really can’t imagine what it sounded like to them.
As soon as we left the bathroom all was well. Sydnie never cried again and Ashlyn went back to playing quietly. It was like the bathroom was a warp world of insanity; needless to say I did not enter it again!
Other than my 10 minutes of embarrassing chaos, the rest of the day went really great and it was fun to get out!

Baby Girl!

We are happy to announce the arrival of Sydnie Ella Todd! She was born on Sunday, June 29th weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces and 19 inches long.

My labor started Sunday morning when I realized I had sprung a leak! Adam and I decided to head for Managua in hopes that contractions would start soon. We arrived there around noon and decided to go out to eat and enjoy the day. So we ate, watched a movie, did laps around the mall and then we watched another movie! By the end of the second movie my leak had become a major one but still no contractions. We did have a great day though, it was kind-a like a final date before baby number two!
After the movie we headed over to our friends house where we would spend the night. Adam called the doctor to let him know I still wasn't having contractions. The doctor said if I wasn't in labor by morning he was going to have to induce. I really didn't want to be induced, so we started praying. About 5 minutes after our "Amen" my water broke and I mean it popped! I have never felt anything so weird; it was honestly like a mini explosion inside of me. Then the contractions finally started! After about an hour of contractions Adam realized they were getting really close together fast, so he packed me up and got me in the truck. By time we reached the hospital I was starting to push. Adam said he left to go park the truck and when he came in it was chaos. The doctor was shouting at the nurses and the poor nurses were flustered and didn't know what to do about me. They just kept trying to get me to change into one of their hospital gowns. Which I politely refused, I was a little busy. ;)

After transferring me onto three different beds and two different rooms they finally got me where I needed to be; the delivery room! Most of it was a blur to me; I was in my own little world. However I do remember wondering if anyone was going to catch the baby because I could feel her coming!
Once the doctor was ready Adam got me sitting up and after a few good pushes out came Sydnie! She had the cord wrapped around her neck which the doctor quickly removed and then she gave some good wails! It all went very fast, less than two hours from the time contractions started she was in my arms.

So far everything has been going well. I am recovering fast and feel pretty good! Ashlyn is a little emotional with all the change but she really likes the "baby". We are loving having another little newborn around, you forget how tiny and precious they are!
Thank you to everyone for the prayers, diapers, presents, emails and phone calls! They have been a blessing...especially the diapers. ;)
And a special thank you to my dear husband! He did a great job translating during my labor and making sure everything was done how I wanted it. He has been helping cook, clean and taking Ashlyn on all his errands. He is a wonderful husband to me and father to both our little girls!

My last hour of being pregnant.
Sydnie Ella; obviously a little annoyed by the whole birth process.



Ashlyn holding her little sister.

Busy Summer!

The first week in June my parents and younger brother came to visit. We took them on a whirlwind tour of Nicaragua seeing volcano’s, markets, the ocean and of course camp and where we live. It was really fun to have them down and to be able to show them what we do here. My parents stayed for only a few days but my younger brother has been here for two weeks. It has been so much fun to have him here. He is great with Ashlyn; she just loves him and follows him around everywhere. He has also been a wonderful help around the house; mopping, taking out the trash, helping with supper. I will miss his help and just having him around.

After my brother flies out this Saturday we have a few days to leave the country and re-new our visas. Then my cousin, Camille flies in on the 26th to help me out when the baby comes. I am so glad she is coming. Adam and I have been trying to figure out who will watch Ashlyn when I go to the hospital and who will help me keep the house clean ect...after the baby is born. Camille not only volunteered to come down but raised the money to do so! We feel very blessed to have her come and help.

This is the first summer camp will be running kid camps all summer long! A team from Chop Point came down June 4th and they are camps all through the end of July. Then we have mission teams coming from different churches in the US the whole month of August! Needless to say Adam has been very busy!

Some other “events” this summer are...Baby Todd # 2 is due July 5th; only 15 more days to go! Adam and I will celebrate our fifth year wedding anniversary on July 12th and I celebrated my 27th birthday on June eighth.

Me on my b-day!

My brother playing with a crazy monkey.

Flying Hen

Ever since we bought our chicken’s one of the neighbors hens has been spending a lot of time in our yard. Not only does she eat our chicken’s food but I’m worried our chickens are going to follow her back to the neighbor’s yard.
Well today she was in our yard once again and Adam said “let’s get her!” So Adam grabbed a big tarp and I armed myself with a jacket. Usually it doesn’t take so much effort to catch a chicken, but this is one amazingly fast hen and she knows we are not friendly.

Once we cornered the hen she came running at me with her scrawny legs flying and wings flapping. I attempted to stop her but she slipped past me (Adam later commented how funny it was to watch me chase a chicken with my big belly.) Amazingly enough she ran onto our porch and right into our house! I ran in and was able to trap her in our bedroom. Adam went in and after some flying feathers and a lot of squawking she was caught.

We then proceeded to cut her wings as short as we could get them. After a good clipping Adam went to throw her back over the wall. Our wall is about nine feet high with barb wire on the top making it about ten feet tall total. Adam didn’t want to throw her right into the barb wire so he threw her really high. A little too high; she went sailing straight up into the air about twenty feet. Then she started squawking and flapping her wings, but of course we had clipped them. So down came the hen falling like a rock straight onto our neighbor’s roof. She landed with a thud and a loud squawk.

Our neighbors were out in their yard when we threw her over. I can’t imagine what it looked like to them. Watching their prize hen sailing high in the air flapping her now useless wings, only to crash land on their roof.
Poor hen, I doubt she will be back.

Rain, rain and more rain!

The beginning of this month officially started the "rainy season". Yet there was practically no rain to be seen; it was hot, humid and dusty. In fact it was the hottest, most humid and dusty it has been since we moved here.
Then this week the heavens have opened! The heat has vanished to a refreshing 70 and 80 degrees, the humidity has been replaced by rain and the dust has turned to mud.
It has rained everyday this week and yesterday it started raining around 4 pm and has not stopped. It rained all night, all morning and now its 1 pm and still going strong. Our dust bowl of a yard has become a lush, green swamp! The dogs are on the back porch huddled in a dry corner and chickens are on the porch front porch doing the same. I venture out occasionally with my giant squeegee to push the water back from seeping under the doors.

Everything is wet and muddy but its kind-a fun. Who wouldn't enjoy slipping around on their porch trying to squeegee around chickens? I also love the sound of the rain; it's relaxing and so much cooler!


Our very wet yard.

Golden Girls

I pretty sure 98% of the population in Nicaragua owns a flock of chickens. Adam and I were the odd man out…until now. I’d like to introduce Blanche and Rose our two “Golden Girls.”
We finally gave in to getting chickens for three reasons. First I discovered they don’t need a rooster in order to lay eggs. I am not a big fan of roosters, mainly because of how loud they are. Our neighbor’s roosters start crowing at 3 am and don’t stop until around 7 am. I’d go crazy having one right outside my window crowing away.
Second, they eat bugs which include ticks! My theory about our tick infestation is our yard was the only chicken free yard within miles. It was like a tick sanctuary, no wonder they took over!
The final reason is the obvious one; fresh eggs to eat! Blanche and Rose will start laying eggs in a few months and then we shall feast. It will be a really small feast with only two chickens but that’s ok. ;)

So far we’ve really enjoyed having them. They are fun to watch peck away at the ground and Ashlyn loves feeding them. They’ve even made a friend from the neighbor’s flock who flies over the wall to visit them a few times a day (although I’m starting to think she’s coming for the free food).

Blanche is the lighter one and Rose is the darker one.

Crazy Days!

It’s been awhile since I’ve last blogged. For some reason I have been unmotivated to do much of anything lately. I’ll blame it on the heat.

I thought I’d share what a crazy last two weeks we’ve had. It all started at camp with the septic tank collapsing, the water pump breaking and the power poll breaking.
Then it started to get crazy around our house. I managed to shatter our glass top coffee table. A dish slipped out of my hand and everything shattered spraying glass everywhere.
The next day Adam got in an accident with his motor bike (a taxi decided turn without looking and ran right into him). He ended up having to get some stitches in his hand.

Then a few days later we came home after a rain storm to find power was out and our dining and living room was flooded. Adam got out the flash light and walked around everywhere trying to figure out what had exploded or leaked. But there was absolutely nothing wrong with the house. After noticing our two back porches were also under water we concluded it had rained so hard and at such an angle the water had poured onto our porches and right under the doors. We spent a few hours using the squeegee and mop by flashlight to push all the water back outside.

Now for the on-going problem we have been fighting. It is rainy season here (thus the flood), which means the bugs are out! We started finding ticks crawling around in our bedroom. Gross! We thought our dog (who often sleeps under the bed) must have brought them in. So the dogs were kicked out of the house…problem solved, right? Not so. Evidently one of our dogs must have brought in a pregnant tick who promptly hatched in our room. After some research on the internet we found most ticks hatch about 5,000 babies at a time. So we have about 5,000 baby ticks crawling around our house.
They were crawling on floors and up the walls, it was disgusting! So we called in the “exterminator”. Who also happens to live behind us and is also a self-proclaimed vet. He showed up riding a bicycle with a huge pesticide tank strapped to his back. His friend showed up next with what looked like a huge leaf blower.
While they poisoned our house and yard (they even managed to get one of the dogs sick)
Adam, Ashlyn and I took off on a two day get-away. We had been planning on taking a mini-vacation as a late mother’s day/early birthday present for me. Our house being bombed with poison was a good excuse to go.
We did have a nice time at the hotel and Ashlyn had lots of fun playing in the pool. However, we all ended up getting sick from the food which gave poor Ashlyn a horrible diaper rash. We were certainly ready to stop eating contaminated food and back to a tick free home. Unfortunately that was not the case. On returning home we found there were still ticks crawling on our floors and walls. It was very frustrating to say the least. So our “exterminator” is coming back tomorrow to re-bomb the house. We are hoping this will wipe them out. If not I’m considering letting the ticks have the house and we will move.

Oddly enough last night a truck went up and down our neighborhood spraying pesticide into the air. I guess this is standard during the raining season to keep the bugs from taking over?? Or maybe he heard about us and was trying to help out!
Our latest “disaster” happened last night around two am. Adam and I were jolted awake by the sound of glass shattering. One of the pains of glass from Ashlyn’s window had fallen out and shattered all over the floor and of course gotten in her crib. So at two in the morning I was giving Ashlyn a bath while Adam swept, mopped and changed sheets.

I’ve heard a few missionaries here say they feel like they’re about five minutes away from utter chaos at any given moment. I would have to agree, we are feeling the same way! Regardless of all our “disasters” I am very thankful Adam’s accident was nothing serious, the flooding was easily taken care of and none of us have gotten cut on glass. As for the ticks…I’ll be thankful when they’re all dead. ;)

"Pooh, pooh in the potty!!"

I'm sure you’re all just dying to know how potty training at the Todd's house is going. The puppy is all trained and now takes himself out. He really had very few accidents and caught on quickly.

I really wasn’t having much luck with Ashlyn. I was starting to get frustrated and think maybe she is too young. Or more likely, I had no idea what I was doing.

Then tonight Ashlyn brought me her potty and wanted me to read her books while she sat on it. A few pages into the book she went pee right in her potty! I was so excited! Adam and I made a big deal out of it giving her lots of hugs and kisses. Then she waved "bye-bye" to her pee as we flushed it down the “big potty”. About 15 minutes later she asked to sit on her potty again and she promptly went poop! Hurray! She was so proud of herself and we were proud of her too!

I can only hope this is the beginning of her being "trained". Enjoy the photo of her first successful poop in the potty. (We blurred the evidence for your viewing pleasure.)

Potty Training

Last week I decided to potty train Ashlyn and the puppy. I now know this was one of the worse idea’s I’ve ever had. But regardless, the puppy is doing very well and I think he will officially be declared “trained” by the end of this week.

As for Ashlyn…she is taking a bit longer. I’m using what I like to call the “birthday suit” approach (my own personal method). I don’t think I’m going to be writing any books on potty training, or at least none that will sell. One of the main reasons I was inspired to potty train her was the cost of diapers here ($50 a box!) Yet so far the money I’ve saved in using diapers, I’ve certainly made up for in paper towels. Luckily the only flooring in Nicaragua is tile and cement, so cleaning up is a breeze.

I think Ashlyn is really enjoying all of this. She likes running around in her birthday suit and sitting on her potty while I read books to her. She also enjoys announcing to me she has gone “pee-pee!”
But as for actual potty training success I am seeing very little results. However, she does let me know now when she has gone even when she has her diaper on. I figure that’s some progress, at least she’s aware of the fact she’s going.
I think if I could get her to actually go on the potty a couple times she would get it. However no matter how long I have her sitting on the potty, she goes after she gets off and no matter how long I follow her around with the potty in hand, she goes as soon as I turn my back!

So if anyone has amazing potty training solutions, let me know! I’m open to suggestions! My goal is to have her trained by time the baby comes…but I am thinking that may not happen!

New Addition

When we first moved here Adam brought home a German Shepherd puppy who we named "Rio". He was a great watch dog and buddy to Sawyer. But we soon discovered he had a genetic disorder called "megaesophagus". This is when the dog's esophagus is enlarged and they are unable to swallow food and water properly. The condition grows worse with age and there's nothing that could be done to fix it.
Knowing this we have been searching for a "replacement puppy" since Christmas. We were having a hard time finding one. Then last week we walked into a pet store and there was the irresistible face of a Golden!
So…we would like to introduce "Miles" our new Golden Retriever puppy! He is a cute little fur ball and so far has been a good little boy. He enjoys taking naps under our bed, pestering Sawyer (our 2 year old Golden), and chewing on his toys.

Rio was put down and laid to rest at camp, which was of course sad. But I am glad it is all over with and we are very happy with our new puppy!

Oh how my belly grows.

Some of you have asked if I am starting to "look" pregnant yet. I would say the answer to that question is a definite yes! I am in my 26th week; so I'm just starting my last trimester. Baby Todd #2 is very active and everything has been going great!

Some Pic's of Ashlyn

Ashlyn now has four front teeth; two on the top and two on the bottom. Her top two just came in this last week and boy are they big! Adam keeps teasing me about how she obviously got my "big front teeth genes". But she is just as cute as ever!


Ashlyn loves to help me bake. She's not the most precise measurer, or best mixer. But she defiantly enjoys herself and tries very hard to imitate what I'm doing and help out.


Ashlyn loves to play “dress up”! She drapes anything she can find around her neck, loves wearing glasses, thinks plastic pen cases are hats and the dirty laundry basket has become her personal costume wardrobe. Not to mention she has a minor obsession with shoes. She loves wearing them and makes sure Adam and I both have ours on too!

Ashlyn really enjoys having the dogs around. She helps me feed them in the morning and thinks it is the funniest thing to feed poor Sawyer one bite at a time. She also tries to dress them up by putting glasses or her backpack on them. She even throws the ball for them (it only goes a few feet, but they like it). When we come home she always smiles at them and says "hi dog!"

Mystery Solved

A common complaint I hear from Americans living here is having an infestation of mice & rats in their house. I always just shrugged and I said we’ve never seen any in our house. I figured this must be due to the friendly neighborhood cat who climbs in our windows at night leaving dirty paw prints everywhere (so much for our amazing guard dogs).

But last night I found baby snake number two in our house. This time he/she was in our bedroom all the way at the back of our house. We showed our landlord the snake and he said it was a harmless snake that feasts on rats and mice! He said we obviously have a mama snake hanging around, most likely living under our house. No wonder we don’t have any rats in our house, they never make it that far!
Adam inspected the area where I found the snake and sure enough. Behind the door was a little hole in the floor just the right size for a baby snake to crawl through.
So today we are going to search the house for "snake holes" to fill in. Our landlord is also bringing someone to clear our backyard, getting rid of any dead leaves and weeds. I personally liked the weeds; they are pretty vines with flowers. But I guess Nicaraguan's have bare, dirt yards for a reason.

Our snake family is doing a wonderful job of keeping the rats and mice away. I’d rather have harmless snakes hanging around then to kill them off and have poisonous ones take up residency. But hopefully that will be the last snake we find in our home.

Missions Trip

The mission trip from Adam's home church has come and gone. It was a really busy week, but lots of fun! It was great to see people who have been supporting us come and be a part of what we are doing. It was also wonderful to see familiar faces and show them our "home".

During the week they were here they ran a kids camp for a day, taught ESL to adults and did a construction project.

The kid’s camp went great! They had about 50 kids who came from a local school. They were able to swim, break some piñata’s, do some crafts and hear about the love of Christ!

The ESL was a big hit; the adults were so excited to learn English! They said they couldn't even sleep they were so excited to come back the next day and learn more! Adam and I are working on getting weekly classes set up at camp for them to come to and learn more.

The construction project was for a family who lives down the beach. The church built them an enclosed cement room as an addition to their home. I believe the family was in shock that this just "happened" to them. They are expecting their third child in August and are thrilled about having a water/bug proof room to sleep in. The church also gave them a propane tank and stove top to cook on. This is a huge blessing to the family since previously they would collect wood everyday and cook over a fire which filled their home with smoke!

It was a blessing to have the team here and they are excited to come back next year! Adam's mom stayed a few extra days and treated us to two nights at a all-inclusive resort here! It was lots of fun to go swimming and stuff ourselves full of food. Ashlyn really enjoyed spending time with her Grammie. She was quite the cuddle bug with Grammie, which was precious to see!

Now we are getting ready for the next team coming on the 27th! They are "Chop Point" the organization who founded the camp. They will be here for two weeks and will be running a kids camp. We are very excited to have them here since they are the experts at running these camps and once again it will be so fun to see people we know.

The "kids camp" kids and mission team.

New addition to the family's home.

Unwelcome Visitor

We had a mission team from Tennessee run a kid’s camp a few weeks ago. One of the men found a six foot Boa Constrictor outside his cabin at night.
Thought you might enjoy the picture!

Christmas Vacation

We are back from our Christmas vacation to Maine. It was wonderful to go back for the holidays! We had a great time visiting with friends and family, seeing lots of snow and “pigging out” on all the food we’ve been craving. I think we gave the local Chinese buffet a serious financial boost this holiday season!

Ashlyn accomplished some milestones while we were there. Her two, bottom front teeth came in! She was not a happy girl during this process, but now that they are in she looks awful cute! She also learned to walk while in Maine! It’s strange at times to have her just “walk” into a room like such a big girl!
It was really fun to see her interact with everyone around her. Once she figured out that people would say “hi” back to her, she was waving and saying “hi” to everyone. She also got to play with her “friends”. She was shy at first but by the end of the trip she was having lots of fun playing with the other kids.

I think everyone knows, but incase I missed anyone…we are expecting! I am about four months pregnant and due July 5th. We will be having the baby here which will give the baby automatic citizenship in Nicaragua. We are looking forward to our new addition!

Although I was a little sad to leave Maine, we are happy to be back! There has been a lot to do at the camp since we’ve been back. A mission’s team from Tennessee came down and ran a great kids camp. Now some church’s here in Nica. are using it to hold church retreats. And in just two weeks a team from Adam’s home church in Maine is coming down. We are excited to have them come!

Here's a picture of Ashlyn reaching in her stocking on Christmas morning.