PureGrace

Portraits for the girls

2010-02-16T09:05:00.007-05:00

Allen Penton came and did a portrait session to try out some new camera techniques. You can see his work at www.artistallen.com (There's a free plug for ya Allen!)

Bikes, Birthdays and More!

2009-11-21T23:08:00.000-05:00

Anna and Rachel BOTH bid farewell to their training wheels! Fast learners in the fast lane...

Celebrating the birthday of their pal Heather. Are there any OTHER themes for 4 year old girls than "Princess Party?" I didn't think so.

On their fourth birthday, the girls and several friends became the pre-K version of Cirque du Soleil, leaping on a bungee-trampoline.

Costume parade at Stone Mountain Park's Pumpkin Festival.

Anna: "They're all looking at ME!"

Rachel: "When do we get to dance?"

Their first boy cousin! We loved visiting you, Cooper!

June and July pics

2009-07-24T10:49:00.007-05:00

Mary started a Monday morning Bible Kids club for our girls and their playmates.

Our neighbor kids enjoy a parade at the Bible club.

If Jesus is our shepherd, then that makes us...sheep!

Adam's plot at the community garden is a favorite spot for the kids to come play.

We've spent a few weeks this summer taking refugee kids on their first wilderness camping experience in the U.S. They loved it! Rachel eats a smore at a recent camping trip.

Rachel plays with a light stick while camping at Raven Cliff Falls.

More light play at campfire

Fearless Anna holds a snake we found while hiking at Raven Cliff falls with friends.

A turkish bride and groom at a wedding Mary attended recently.

Costa Rica

2009-05-04T19:50:00.003-05:00

We enjoyed this view for 5 days walking from meetings to meals during our ministry conference east of San Jose.

Adam enjoying the cold but beautiful pool at the conference center.

Oops - sorry I forgot to rotate it - the lushness of Monteverde goes deep into your soul.

View from the top of one of the canopy tour zip lines - so relaxing!

Ok, this part was not relaxing - at the end after 20 or so zip lines, you can choose to do a tarzan swing, which includes a long drop before the rope catches you - absolutely terrifying - I'll never do it again.

Costa Rica Travel Tips:

Better late than never - we were blessed to have 4 romantic days in the lush highlands near Monteverde and Arenal and would highly recommend the trip to anyone. It's easy to take the bus from La Radial station in Alajuela near the airport up to Monteverde the day of your arrival - don't go into San Jose - for only a few bucks each. Stay at Sleepers Sleep Cheaper hostel in Monteverde owned by a precious family and only $10 per person per night with a private room with hot water shower, perfect view of the valley, a great breakfast, and unbiased travel advice. Bring your own snacks from the US to Monteverde as the tourist prices on food are outrageous. Go ahead and cough up the $40-50 per person for the Extremo Canopy Tour - it'll change your life and will only fuel your dreams of flying! Forego the horseback to Arenal as the groups we saw looked wet and uncomfortable. Do reserve a car rental in La Fortuna for the time you'll be there - they were all rented out when we arrived without a reservation and realized how helpful and cheaper a car would be than paying taxis to take us all around the spread out area. At Arenal, don't stay in croweded La Fortuna (which is on the dormant side of the volcano), and don't pay to go to the hot springs. Instead, ask any local where the free hot springs are where the locals swim in natural waterfalls - but don't take your camera as we steamed ours by accident. And make a reservation in El Castillo - if you can afford it, the Arenal Lodge of the Observatory lodge - closest to the lava - but we were happy with the cheaper cabins on the hill in El Castillo, each with a full back-wall window view of the volcano. We woke up every hour through the night and caught majestic glimpses.

Now I'm planning our January vacation to Honduras - apparently many of the same lush rainforest areas, amazing beaches/snorkeling, but add ancient ruins and all for 1/2 the price of Costa Rica. If you don't yet have an Amex frequent flyer credit card, get one! We pay for everything on the card and pay it off every month, and after two years of $55 annual fees, we're able to take all 4 of us to Honduras for only $200. Let me know of any travel tips from those who've been to Honduras - especially cheap beach spots.

2009-05-04T19:18:00.002-05:00

sill angel rachel

Anna practicing her long jump

Nathan questioning silly Anna - or is it Rachel?

Ok, I know this one's Rachel.

And I know this one's Anna - the pigtails only stay in for 3 minutes, but they're a cute three minutes!

Telling them apart

2009-05-04T19:11:00.002-05:00

Are they identical? It's still up in the air - only a DNA test will tell , and honestly, we're having more fun just guessing. But if they are identical, then you really don't have to worry about cloning destroying our civilization because even with 100% same DNA, they are their own.

Anna's eyes are larger and rounded like Adam's. Her face is fuller, and she has two red "Anna-marks" on her left cheek near her ear. Rachel is slightly more petite in every way, and of course they each have their own silly expressions. Eventually, we'd like to have their hair different lengths (Rachel with the longer name having longer hair), but their hair grows rather slowly and is so much work once it gets past a certain length, so we'll see how tht goes.

There will be dress up clothes in heaven!

2009-05-04T18:48:00.005-05:00

Our friend Carrie laughing with chocolate covered ballet girls.

Anna the pig, and Rachel the clown.

Betty's dog Joyful passed a few months ago, and this spurred an ongoing discussion of death and heaven and Grampa Phil and Jowan, our neighbor who died last year. Anna found a drawing in her Bible of heaven depicted as a golden, glowing castle on the clouds. Well, it hardly seemed the time to explain to her Adam's and my recent musings on how the Biblical idea of the "new heaven and new earth" conflicts with traditional ideas of heaven. So I just responded, "Yes, honey, when we die, we'll all be princesses in the Kingdom of God." "Will we be brides?" Anna asked? "Yes, we'll all be princess brides." So over the last few months, usually during pillow talk, more heaven questions have popped up randomly, "Will there be beds in heaven? When are we going to die? When is ____ going to die? Will ________ be in heaven with us? and on and on." Well, tonight, after several such questions, Rachel thought for a long time and asked, "Will there be dress up clothes in heaven," and this one I confidently knew the answer to, "Yes, there will definitely be dress up clothes in heaven!"

(If you haven't been to our house recently, then I should let you know that the girls favorite toy is a trunk full of dress up clothes, and their dextrous ability to change clothes 5 times in 5 minutes has amazed many a visitor! Their dance and circus trick routines grow more complex and daring by the day!)

2008-12-09T23:20:00.000-05:00

2008-12-09T23:19:00.000-05:00

December 08 Portraits

2008-12-09T23:16:00.000-05:00

Rachel imitating Adam's silly face when he's trying to get her to smile.

Our gorgeous 3 yr old Rachel

Anna laughing at Adam behind the lights goofing off

2008-12-09T22:53:00.000-05:00

Anna Left, Rachel Right - you can see Anna favoring her left leg - she got her cast off Friday after 5 weeks in a cast. (She fell down the stairs while complaining about going to bed :) So she's running and jumping with a limp and getting stronger every day.

Sisters Forever - in good times and bad :)

2008-08-08T00:40:00.000-05:00

Rachel and her good friend Lily. We have a weekly playgroup w/several of the women in my small group who have 2-3 yr olds.

Rachel and Mommy at our church picnic at Stone Mountain.

Rachel (L) and Anna (R) perched high on a wall.

As good as it gets family pic - thanks, Mom!

July Picnic

2008-08-08T00:37:00.000-05:00

2008-08-08T00:36:00.000-05:00

Visiting Big Momma - Mary's paternal grandmother - in Saluda, NC. Emma B. has recently decided to move to Atlanta in October. While we're sad for her to be moving away from her friends and community in Saluda, we're excited to have her closer for more frequent visits. We're praying for a smooth transition.

After two weeks away, Daddy and GaBee (Betty) came home!!

Big Mama gave us the coolest gifts!

Life is better upside down.

2008-08-08T00:32:00.000-05:00

Anna and Betty bake muffins together by the morning light. We're so blessed to have so many grandparents close and available!

Our 2nd family camping trip - in June - Troy, Trina, and Uncle Phil joined us and shared the load - yeah!

While Daddy was in Tajikistan, the girls and I headed to NC - here they are enjoying playing Trader Joe's at a children's museum near Aunt Lindsey's house.

June Smiles

2008-08-08T00:29:00.000-05:00

Both girls have heavily prefered dresses this summer, which has been adorable and also has kept me ironing :) Anna - Left and Rachel - right posing in their summer duds.

Rachel with her backpack - heading to summer school

A happy Anna.

Anna - L, Rachel - R - playing in the rain.

2008-08-08T00:26:00.000-05:00

Our first family camping trip in May 08 - Raven Cliff Falls - the girls did pretty well - loved climbing trees, helping mommy collect sticks for the fire. Here's Rachel on a tree and flower-child Anna.

Anna lovinngly places a flower behind Rachel's ear.

The girls have been into watercolor painting recently.

July Fun

2008-08-07T23:57:00.000-05:00

A very serious tea party with African and Kurdish friends.

We went poopy in the potty and "won" these earrings! Anna Lefft, Rachel Right

We spent a long weekend outside of Beaufort SC with Adam's college marine science buddies. It was so fun to explore the marsh and beach with the girls. They loved crab-hunting and even wanted to read their Bible to the crabs :) Here's Rachel posing at sunset.

The environment around the house where we stayed was so unusual for them and just gorgeous - coastal living is nice! Here the girls are exploring and pointing at boats out on the wide "river".

2008-05-16T14:39:00.000-05:00

Liza and Rachel - a big squeezer

Trip to Liza's

2008-05-16T14:33:00.000-05:00

Liza was born 9 days before Anna and Rachel, and it's so fun to see the three of them play together. Prior to this trip, our girls were having major bath anxiety, which was pretty stressful, but ever since this day of laughing w/Liza in the tub, everything's been great (in that area :)

Liza, Anna, Rachel

Rachel, Liza, and Anna climbing at the Olympic rafting/kayaking training center near Charlotte - cool place!

Anna and Rachel are both excellent climbers and absolutely loved all the route options this bouldering area had. This pic is Anna delighting in her ascent.

2007-12-30T20:59:00.000-05:00

Angel Rachel.

2007-12-30T20:58:00.001-05:00

2007-12-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

Rachel, the red-antlered reindeer - note the bells on top tht jingle as she runs - delightful to her and us.

Reindeer Grandma B with Angel Anna.

Betty made Christmas birdfeeders with the girls and hung them on an outdoor tree - they loved it.

2007-12-30T20:51:00.000-05:00

I love these "artsy" pics of Anna.

Cousin Liza opens her glow-in-the-dark bear. The girls got matching ones from Nana and love them. They now HAVE to have two special blankets, their lambys AND their bears to go to sleep - getting more complicated :)

Rachel lays one on Liza.

2007-12-30T20:48:00.000-05:00

Rachel sporting her new hat hand-made with love.

Rachel waits for Uncle J to finish freeing her new "pooter" (short for computer) from its packaging.

All the lip gloss from Aunt B was a HUGE hit.

After much effort, a half-decent Hoyt/Goodrich Christmas portrait.

2007-12-30T20:45:00.000-05:00

Anna and Rachel enjoyed their first full-length film "The Grinch" on Christmas night and laughed hysterically every time the Grinch made funny face or ran into something and yelled "doggie" or "goggie" every time tht dog showed up.

Anna giving Aunt Barbara love during the movie.

One of the girls' favorite Christmas presents was this pretty blue tissue paper - they used it like magic carpets.

Grandma B tries to convince Rachel to try on her new hat Aunt Barbara made - it worked :)

2007-12-30T20:41:00.000-05:00

Marg and her husband pastor a tender regugee-focused church in town and are dear friends and mentors for us (Dave will literally be mentoring Adam through seminary this next semester). Marg's showing off her winning White Elephant gift of Crest White Strips :)

Annie and Valerie, a friend, a teacher ini our ESL program, and a mother of Jeremy, one of Rachel and Anna's friends.

For Christmas, Nana (my mom) gave the girls candy necklaces. Here is Rachel after a day of wearing the necklace finally discovering that it was edible! She ate the WHOLE thing in two minutes flat.

Mommy and Rachel wrestling at Jason's Christmas night.

2007-12-30T20:35:00.000-05:00

Rachel confused Mommy's mascara for lipstick - oops!

Sorority smiles - Beth is a co-worker in Clarkston and a joy to my heart.

Trina, Zeny, Annie, and their husbands are serving in Clarkston for a year and living in community (meaning one apartment!) - thanks for all you add to our life here!

Tiffany (left) lives 3 doors down from me and has been a treasure over our year and a half in Clarkston - she's pregnant with her fourth and looking for a house in town, so we'll SO miss being neighbors but will still be in small group together.

2007-12-30T20:30:00.000-05:00

Dora -one of the many adorable Burundian children who play with us every evening in the parking lot.

The girls (Rachel right, Anns left) are learning to enjoy longer and longer rides with Daddy in the trailer.

Me with my FAVORITE artist Sara Groves - going to hear her in Augusta was my Christmas present, and I HAD to get my pic with her - such a groupie :) Check her and others like her out at www.pandora.com - it's free (commerciala-free!) radio that chooses songs you'd like based preferences you list - I LOVE it and am being introduced to amazing new music all for free.

2007-12-30T20:01:00.000-05:00

Wei Bao was Adam's roommate back when we first started dating and is a good friend. He moved back to China, got married, has a baby, and works for a German escalator company. We hadn't seem him in YEARS, and he stopped in for a weekend while in town for a business meeting. The girls loved him and we soaked up our time with him. Thanks for coming, Wei!

We've been spending a lot of time at Stone Mountain park recently. The Christmas lights and entertainment have been dazzling, and we love to watch it "snow" at the end :)

A rare mountainn-top diaper change.

Clarkston Fire 12/19

2007-12-22T08:18:00.000-05:00

There was a terrible fire in the Brannon Hill condo complex in Clarkston Wed, Dec. 19th. Most of the families displaced by the fire were Somali refugees who had been in America for several years now, and there were less than a handful of Americans who were residents at the complex. Thankfully no one was hurt! There is an updated article about the incident at the 11 Alive News web site. Here is the link: http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=108355

The Red Cross was able to provide for only 1 night in a hotel for those who had no place to stay and they are now all living with friends and family. Please pray for one woman in particular, who you will see mentioned in the article. She has been so distraught that she is refusing to stay anywhere other than her home, so she is (or at least was) sleeping in her car near the burned building. Many of the families were Muslim, and the fire happened on a day that they hold as a very special holiday- Ciidwayneey, for Somali speaking people- also known as Eid al-Adha. This is the day of a great animal slaughter which is a commemoration of Ibrahim 's (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice his son under the order of Allah. The people I spoke with found it very difficult to have such a tragedy of such a special holiday. The families need the following items as soon as possible:

1)Deposit and rent money for new apartments – housing is a first priority as most families are large and staring with friends and family is not sustainable. Checks can be written to Refugee Family Services and sent to:
Refugee Family Services:
Attn: 12/19 Fire Victim FundAsma Mohamud5561-H Memorial DriveStone Mountain, GA 30083

2) School supplies- many of the children lost all they had for school. Here are some suggestions: Backpacks, notebooks, paper, calculators, pencils and pens, crayons, markers, and misc desk supplies (scissors, glue, etc)

3) Kitchen supplies-Dishes, utensils, cups and glasses, cookware, cooking utensils, dish towels, storage containers, etc

4)Bedding-Blankets, air mattresses (and air pumps). sheets, towels, pillows, etc

5) Diapers, games, toys, warm children's clothing.

* If you have furniture you want to donate you will need to contact Asma Mohamud (below), as it will be up to RFS as to how they want to handle larger items in respect to the timing of these families obtaining alternate housing. From what I was told through Refugee Family Services this is the most immediate need.

Items can be dropped off at the address above. Phone number and email contacts are below.
Refugee Family Services404-299-6218 ext. 246
hilalm@refugeefamilyservices.org
www.refugeefamilyservices.org
Please label all bags or boxes with donations to Asma Mohamud re: Fire Victims

2007-11-24T15:42:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Morning - visiting Great Uncle John and Great Aunt Jessie - the girls have a new nursing home ministry to all the residents.

Rachel snuggling with Aunt Lindsey and her new baby on Thanksgiving afternoon.

Adam and our old friend Matt Wilson preparing to board the Delta 767 flight simulator - quite a ride!

2007-11-24T15:39:00.000-05:00

Our pastor Johnny and his wife Anne stopped by for a peek at the art festival. Thanks to all our awesome artists and helpers!

Our roommate Phil and our Bosnian friend Harris.

The girls LOVE Kurdish food- here they are going to town on a plate of rice with their pal See-pad.

2007-11-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

Rachel riding the Bronco Bull Pumpkin - that thing was huge!

Neighborhood Art Festival

August Moments

2007-09-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

The girls have officially warmed up to Uncle Jason

Double Daddy Horsie
Thanks for our sandbox Nana - hours and hours of fun!

Uncle Phil and Anna

Rachel recently discovered how the sit-n-spin works -

Monster Rachel - she loves to be "scary"

Thanks to the Johnsons for a great Lake Day :)

The many faces of Anna.

After a hard-core Turkish dancing b'day party
Yeah, isn't baby Susana Hoppe beautiful in there?

We loved visiting Big Momma - our great grandmother.

Aunt Kay, Uncle Kent, and Cousin Whit loved on us good! We had a beautiful picnic up on the Blue Ridge Parway near their house in Asheville.

Rachel Left, anna Right

Adam with Somalian and Burundian teens he mentors

Crowd at Decatur Fireworks - not too big or too small - just right

2 Somalian neighbors

Refugee Donation Needs

2007-09-07T15:03:00.000-05:00

For Our ESL Moms/Kids Program:

1) DIAPERS! Huge need - these will serve as an incentive to keep the women coming on time and staying the whole time. Also, the convenience of disposable diapers is a luxury many of our women cannot afford but the ease will lighten their load significantly!
2) Children's clothes 0-4T, toys, educational materials
3) bookshelves and storage shelves, plastic tubs
4) all sorts of baby and toddler items

For New Neighbors Coming In

1) vacuums and irons
2) pictures for walls
3) underwear and socks - all sizes
4) Alll furniture, household items, clothing, toys, ANYTHING!
5) Cars
6) JOBS!

June 2007

2007-07-04T12:30:00.000-05:00

Mary in Pakistani clothes headed to a Somalian wedding.
Our neighbor and the bride in her first of 4 outfits for the night.
Other neighbors.
The colors of the women's dresses were so varied and brilliant - but the style of each identical.

The men were having a separate party - both begin at midnight and end around 5 AM - and the groom and his friends arrived at the bride's party around 3 AM when I was leavivng :)

Anna loves her grandaddy - Happy Father's Day!

Delicious food at Turkish wedding.
A few of the many cousins of the bride.Gublatan, the matriarch of the bride's family.
We were all partying hard the whole wedding - LOTS of dancing, wine flowing - but the bride and groom can barely look up and never crack a smile - only the tiniest movements to say "thank you" for the many toasts throughout the evening.

Noel from Burundi - 14

Anna exploring Milan park near our home. We now have a playgroup there every other week.

Anna having a quiet moment - what goes on behind those big, brown eyes?
We went to the zoo - thanks Alysia! - but we were so busy and hot, this is the only picture I got - Mr. Panda - the girls loved him 'cause he was so close to the glass and they could get right up next to him and talk.
Rachel loves slides, call them "sides"

Adam and Rachel swimming at Lake Lanier

Our Kurdish friend Fahima and Anna - we all swim in our clothes! (except the babies)

2 of Fahima's sisters - Joozan and Soozan

Fahima's dad Hussein helps Burundian Jackie learn to swim! Our wonderful new American friends - Silas, Alysia, and Anna

How To Go To Hawaii El Cheapo

2007-05-26T21:20:00.000-05:00

A common Hawaii sight - crystal clear water smashing into and pouring off of black lava rock in white, frothy layers.

Our first morning, we drove back into the Iao Valley pictured below and found 5 church services going on - a great place to worship the Creator!

The cliff in the picture below is the favorite cliff-jumping spot of the famous Hawaiian King Kamehameha.

The Basics of Doing Hawaii on a Budget:

1) Plane Fare - We have a Delta American Express Card and charge everything on it and pay it off every month. We always sign up online for the double miles promo deals when they mail out invitations, so it took us 2 years to save the 70,000 miles required for two to go to Hawaii (Sky Saver). That's $170 ($85/year) for the credit card and $10 each in taxes for the tickets - $200 total for 2 tix to Maui!!! You can buy frequent flyer mile tickets 335 days (or something close to that) in advance, so we called pretty close to that, and May is low season. Dec-March and June-Aug are the busiest seasons, but we've heard it can be done!!! We'd love to go during Jan-early April next time (in five years :) to see the humpback whales!!! So, yes, this means starting to plan 3 years in advance - so worth it! And start buttering up the grandparents - Thank you SO much Mom, Betty, Dad, and Gail for taking such amazing care of Anna Rachel - I don't think they even missed us!

2) Lodging - Our favorite place is www.peaceofmaui.com It was $65 (including taxes and not cleaning fee) a night for a private room with a shared kitchen and shared bath. Everything was very clean, comfortable, and quiet, and the location is very convenient for the airport, Haleakala, and the road to Hana. Not as convenient for the island's best beaches (30-45 min drive), but what a deal!! We also stayed at the Banana Bungalow Hostel in Wailuku (not nearly as clean and much louder w/lots of pot) and Joe's Rentals in Hana (we were very glad we had our own sheets for one! - there were a few other places on the web for 30-40 more that we'll splurge for next time - but DO spend at least one night in Hana). Banana and Joe's were the same price. $390 for 6 nights for two people. Peace of Maui also has a small lodge you can rent for cheap if you're taking the family.

3) Car rental - I found a compact for a week with unlimited mileage for $115 including taxes through my insurance company - USAA. There are other similar deals out there. We spent $110 on gas and did a LOT of driving.

4) Food - Eating out is NOT necessary to have an AMAZING vacation on Maui. There are so many amazing views, waterfalls to play in, hikes to conquer, snorkeling sites to experience, swimming in olivine and venus pools, phenomenal drives, sunsets, sunrises, exploring the volcanic crater of Haleakala that you can go and cook simply for yourself and not feel like you're missing out. The kitchen/grill at Peace of Maui is very clean and well-stocked. We cooked twice and ate the leftovers for a couple day - oatmeal for breakfast and sandwiches/fruit/chips for lunches on the road. We sketched out a menu beforehand and brought all the non-perishable food from home (groceries are expensive on Maui).

So that's the $500 each version - a full-meal deal with gravy on top. Just do it!!! Over a 5 year period, that's $8.33 of savings per person every month.

Because we had already saved $1000 each for the trip and knew we wouldn't have the chance to do something like this for at least another five years, we splurged.

Once you set your date, go ahead and buy Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook online and put it by your bedside. Who has time to read guidebooks once you're actually on vacation. Read, mark, highlight, make necessary reservations (camping and Nat'l and State Park cabins require early reg), etc.

Items to Splurge On If You Can:

1) Upgrade to a convertible - Thrifty has the best deals - search for coupon codes online - there's so much to see all around you and above you in Maui! So the PT Cruiser part wasn't our first choice, but it was a steal of a deal, and who knew a PT was such a mega-adventure car?

2) Paragon sailing trip to Molokini crater to snorkel - the snorkeling is OK out there, but the sailing is SO fun and the views are fantastic! www.sailmaui.com

3) Fly an ultralight in Hana (a hang-glider with an engine and seats) - Armin - the website shows everything we saw from up there, but of course, the pics don't do the experience justice. www.hangglidingmaui.com - flying like a bird, touching the clouds - described in detail in Maui Revealed, the ultimate guidebook!

Mary's post-flight smile

4) Go see Warren and Anabelle's magic and comedy show in Lahaina - good food, fantastic show, clean humor and magic tricks that'll keep you awake at night! www.warrenandanabelles.com Book in advance as it usually fills up. Bring a sweater and you don't need to be there right on time.

5) Eat out some - we did have any amazing meals, but several good ones - a fun one was Sushi Go! where little plates of sushi mover around the restaurant on a conveyor belt and you just grab what you want - hard to stop!! Listed in Maui Revealed.

6) Oh, and how could we forget Sommer - a hippie at the Banana Bungalow who gives beach-side massages for $25 an HOUR!!! Wow!! This was the focus of our last day - recovering from all that adventure! boundbysommer@hotmail.com

The best things in life are FREE!

1) Hike to the "Fishbowl" to snorkel (you can Kayak there to for $60 for a two person) - we had the whole place to ourselves and were blown away by the diversity of fish - described in detail in Maui Revealed - the trailhead is a little tricky to find, but keep looking - it's there behind a low wall of rocks next to yellow markers. We also loved snorkeling at Black Rock - crowded, but we saw a sea turtle! and Molokini - we saw a moray eel and beautiful fish - but really, the BEST snorkeling was the free stuff at Fishbowl - so worth the trek over the lava field.

2) Pipiwai Trail (the whole 7 sacred pools hike) - This is why you want to spend at least one night in Hana - so you have time to do this whole hike early in the morning when no one else is around and after you've rested up from your Road to Hana adventures.

There a multiple amazing waterfalls and swimming pools along this trail along with the lush and varied vegetation including a large bamboo forest. The pic above is infinity pool - Adam is looking down over a 100ft waterfall that has an amazing ocean view beyond. Again, we had the whole place for ourselves - start early and go in low season.

The view out into the ocean at the bottom of the 7 Pools hike.

3) Swim the Venus Pool on the way back - again hard to find, but it's there, and so worth it! A crystal clear spring fed pool that meets the furious ocean, but is completely protected by a wall of rocks below the water's surface - so you're swimming in a deep, calm pool looking out at the raging ocean crashing on the rocks right on your level. Wow! I got stung by a man-o-war here (very uncommon for Hawaii) and it's still one of my favorites.

4) Taking a whole day to do lots of mini-hikes and waterfall swims along the road to Hana - Next time we want to take 2 days to do it - there's so much we missed!

Black sand beach near Hana.

We kept our swimsuits on at all times - always ready for a quick frolic in a deep, clear pool under a refreshing waterfall!

5) Driving around West Maui (past the resorts!) - snorkeling with a sea turtle at black rock, hairpin turns overlooking rocky cliffs, swimming in olivine pools.

Mary with unique wind-swept, salt-sprayed lava formations called the Dragon's Teeth.

6) Sunrise on Haleakala - 10,000 ft up. At Maui Revealed's suggestion, we passed on the bike-ride down, so we'd have time to hike down into the crater some - such a unique landscape - and really enjoy the views at our own pace (we've heard the bike tours can rush you and are pretty expensive).

Our Hope-To-Do List for Next Time

1) Explore Molokai and Lanai - nearby islands - Maui Revealed describes affordable ways to do this - Check out www.molokai-outdoors.co

2) Horseback ride down into the Haleakala Crater - www.ponyexpresstours.com - I'm not into horses, but the trail is so amazing, but really hard to hike out of - we only did a very small fraction of the available trail (you can actually camp inside the crater is you're tough enough!)

3) Poli Poli state park and the South East Part of the island were closed due to danger from earthquake damage to the rock walls along the road - hopefully it'll be open next time we go!

4) Sea Kayak to an Unnamed Beach - Adventure listed in Maui Revealed - only $60 for a kayak for 2, but it was too windy on our last day, and we were exhausted, needing a vacation from our vacation :)

May 07

2007-05-14T20:02:00.000-05:00

Mary and Yulduz going out to dinner to celebrate Yulduz's new job!

Mary and Anna havin' a swingin' good time

Sidewalk chalk at family day at Daddy's school.

Supermom - I can do anything!

Thanks Lee, Larry, and Brooke for inviting us to the beach!

Adam and the gals on Santa Rosa beach (near Destin).

Getting cleaned off after the beach was more fun than the beach itself!

Girls gone wild!

Rachel loves wind

We have to steal all our kisses from these busy girls.

Feb 07

2007-05-14T19:19:00.000-05:00

Rachel watching the clouds roll by...so sweet.

Rachel loves her daddy - so much so that she sings da-da-da-da-da-da all day long!!!

Monster Rachel - That's a "childproofing" outlet cover :)

Orzu (Furuzon's daughter)

Anna just waking up

Rachel sportin' the bam-bam

Rachel likes to know what they're teaching Daddy over there!

Ann in flight.

If you're happy and you know it, wear froggy slippers!

We love reading with Daddy.

I'm a model, and I know it - Anna

Jonathan and Ben (2 on left) have been livinng alongside us in the apt. complex in Clarkston and are leaving us for new enterprises next month - We'll miss you two! Salim, on left, is a new friend from Somalia.

Thanks Gramma B for the ducky slippers that jingle!

This is what happens if we leave the bathroom door open.

Anna being silly with Daddy.

Cream cheese makes a good moisturizer.

Anna's amazing smile

I finally have enough hair for hairbows! (Anna)

Ann, the bag lady.

Caleb Looyenga (and his parents Mark and Leigh Ann) came to visit from Alabama - so fun!

Portraits

2007-02-07T18:23:00.000-05:00

"Enough pictures! I'm going nite-nite."

Most of the smiles we got were thanks to the pink flower above and the portraits lady who kept sticking in the girls faces and making funny sounds.

The duck and penguin were not as effective.

"Anna, can you please tone it down?"

And More Portraits

2007-02-07T18:18:00.000-05:00

Yup, we're two blessed folks!

The Problem

The Solution :)

More Portraits

2007-02-05T17:04:00.000-05:00

3 Generations

Rachel loves her shoes

Rachel smiling at Daddy

Maybe NEXT year they'll both look at the camera and smile?

Annual Portraits

2007-02-05T13:38:00.000-05:00

Anna Walking Proud

Anna-bear yakking it up with the other bears

Anna lost in thought

The only way we could get them to hold still was to let them sit in a chair.

Anna again

Neighborhood Christmas Party

2007-01-16T13:28:00.000-05:00

Food
Games
Cookie decorating (I miss you, Kim!!)
Our good friend Furuzon and her kids (from Afghanistan via Tajikistan)
We have lots of sets of twins in our neighborhood!

2007-01-15T16:08:00.000-05:00

Betty and Anna on our after- Christmas hike

We tried and tried to get a Christmas Evev photo of the 4 of us, but we gave up and settled for one of just the two of us :)

Adam, Anna, and Betty

Mary and Rachel hiking in Murphy, NC

Rachel is wiped out after all this Christmas fun!

Christmas Pics

2007-01-15T14:34:00.000-05:00

We were delighted to have Great Grandma Emma B. down in Atlatna for Christmas!

Anna

Santa Rachel - we think she's going to be a dentist when she grows up 'cause she's alwys inspecting everyone's teeth.

Anna checks out the tree

Mrs. Claus (Anna) still hates hats

all rachel

2006-12-13T11:52:00.000-05:00

All these pics are Rachel - both girls loved the aquarium, especially the jellyfish!

2006-12-13T11:46:00.000-05:00

Anna drank too much bath water!

Rachel in front - she really doesn't like hats!

Happy Rachel in Red

Snowsuits - Rachel's crying "I wanna wear the pink one!!"

Winter Fun

2006-11-16T20:52:00.000-05:00

The girls love to play IN the toy basket

Sweet Anna

Adam makes Rachel laugh

The only way to keep the girls from pulling their hats off is to put gloves on them :) Anna front, Rachel back

Anna again

2006-10-23T18:37:00.000-05:00

Anna and Daddy snuggling...look at all those teeth! And even though we think the girls are identical, I think Anna looks more like Adam than Rachel does - go figure - I also think Rachel looks better in pastels and Anna looks better in bold colors...
Thanks for the pretty party dresses and the amazin birthday party, Grandma Gail and Grandaddy!
Anna loves her horsey - the girls like to take turns pushing eachother on it :)
The best family portrait we could get on their birthday - wow - one already!

I had so much picking out the girls' birthday cakes - one of those, "Oh my gosh, I'm a mom!" moments - still hard to take in sometimes!

Fall '06

2006-10-23T18:26:00.000-05:00

2006-09-06T10:23:00.000-05:00

2006-09-06T08:46:00.000-05:00

Mama and Rachel
Rachel - Left, Anna - Right
In this warm weather, clothes often get overlooked.

Rachel snoozing - 10 months old!
Anna delightedly squeezes Rachel's belly button - they are fascinated by one another's bodies and often end up with red marks all over after playing together.

Rachel laughing with one of our Sudanese neighbors, John

2006-08-10T10:16:00.000-05:00

Daddy and Anna (Left)
Daddy and Rachel (bottom)

Our New Home!

2006-08-09T21:38:00.000-05:00

We can now expand our dining room table all the way and have already

had 11 people around it twice - so fun! Come for dinner! (And we love all the trees out back) From the front - our 'hood is very alive in the evenings, and it's really fun to walk around and chat, but we also appreciate being the end unit in a corner of the complex where it's quiet-ER. We have a flat area out front with chiars, and so do several of our neighbors, so we often find ourselves sitting with whoever is around talking - so cool!
Our living room is huge (for us, anyways :) and perfect for kids and parties and prayer times.

We love all the big windows in every room and green outside - our kitchen is actually big enough for two highchairs AND for several people to stand in now! Top picture is left 1/2 of kitchen, bottom pic is right 1/2.

Our 2 Sugar Princesses LOVE The Beach!

2006-07-08T08:45:00.000-05:00

Anna - we only had one swimsuit, so we rotated who wore it each day :)

Our little marine biologists checking out the seaweed - just like Daddy!

Matt Wilson with Rachel and Anna with Daddy

Rachel discovers sand for the first time

Anna - several times she planted her face straight down into the sand and seemed to love it! Of course, everyone around us thought we were crazy, but hey, they were happy!

2006-07-03T22:37:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Rachel - 8 months old

\Anna, Mary, Rachel, Betty on Wild Animal Safari bus

Betty and Rachel share a tender moment.

Anna's happy smile!

Anna eating prunes for the first time - "Yum, yum - I'm making a surprise for you!" Boy, did we under estimate the power of prunes!

May/June

2006-06-29T21:30:00.000-05:00

Which one's which?

The good new is - Rachel's pulling up! The bad news is - she loves to use her sister as a prop, and Anna doesn't like it one bit!

Reach out and touch someone - I was out of the room and heard them giggling at each other - then found them reaching out to hold hands - so precious.

Anna Left, Rachel Right

In June we went to Pine Mountain, GA to visit the Barretts with Gramma Hoyt and saw the wild animal safari - since the girls are crazy about tongues - theirs and others' - they loved it :)

In late May, we went up to Saluda, North Carolina to visit Great-Grandmommy Chambliss (and her bell) and on up to Arden to stay with Uncle Kent and Aunt Kay. What fun! (Anna's in the overalls)

The Lobster Life

2006-05-17T21:26:00.000-05:00

Rachel has begun a bit of mobility-- but she's demonstrated a particularly crustacean limitation. She can only move backwards!

She recently found herself happily wedged underneath a piece of furniture in the living room, like some kind of large pink crawfish nesting under a rock.

Learning to Share Early

2006-05-12T14:13:00.000-05:00

Double Smiles - What Joy!

2006-05-12T13:20:00.000-05:00

Spring-time giggles - time to show some skin :)

Anna Left, Rachel Right

Yeah! Daddy's Home!

The best part about being away from the girls is coming home to them!

Rachel - left, Anna - right

Anna - left, Rachel -right (or maybe you already knew that :)

Anyone still thnk they're fraternal?

The Lost Months

2006-05-03T14:50:00.000-05:00

We love Dr. Alli, our pediatrician!

Anna - left, and Rachel - right at their 6 month visit (before the shots :)

Anna lifting weights - 5 months

Thanks, Uncle John, for the beautiful silver rattles!

(I'll figure out how to rotate this picture one day :)

Rachel in Jumper at 5 months - March '06

Both Rachel and Anna have adored their door jumpers since they were 3 months old and been happy in them for an hour at a time - such a blessing! They've just recently started jumping more aggressively and giggle when they get a really good jump.

Anna in bath at 5 mos - Feb 06

The girls still don't really play in the tub; they're really ambivalent about it - don't complain or seem to especially enjoy it - good thing since they're lucky if they get a bath twice a week - hey, I have twins!

2006-04-24T20:55:00.000-05:00

Anna (left) and Rachel(right) have graduated from bouncy seats to feeding chairs since they're exploring solids now. And feeding them naked is way easier!

2006-04-24T20:28:00.000-05:00

Anna and Rachel love to roll over, kick their feet (hard), play with each other's bodies (much more fun than toys), smile real big, and still throw up on Daddy on occasion. They've started solids, and so far Anna is the more adventurous eater (above). We're becoming more convinced that they're identical - what do you think? Only way to know for sure is a DNA test. The other picture above is from after Mama Jo's funeral with the Great, Great Aunts and Uncles C.S., Bessie, John, and Paul (Joella's two brothers, sister, and brother-in-law).

As Good As It Gets

2006-01-06T17:48:00.000-05:00

Our little angels are becoming more and more animated, and we are loving it! At first, they only smiled accidentally, in a reflex or a response to gas. But now, they're locking eyes with us and giving long, full facial SMILES. And I'm not talking smirks, I'm talking joy-filled all-gum smiles that melt your heart! It's a great reward for late night feedings, irrational and inconsolable crankiness and diapers that should qualify as EPA Superfund sites.

The Girls' First Noel

2006-01-05T18:54:00.000-05:00

It seems every line of baby clothing has a wealth of 'My First Christmas' onesies, bibs, hats and such. (And we have plenty, to be sure.) But the funny thing is, it's probably not till the second Christmas that the baby really gives a rip.

As you can see, Rachel cares that it's Christmas, but "only this much."

But what she REALLY cares about is nuzzling with people who love her.

"Ho ho ho!!!"

"ALL CLEAR!"

2005-11-29T00:43:00.000-05:00

You've all been waiting with baited breath, I know. I know. So here's your latest Baby update, complete with award- winning photos!

A few updates:
1. We've made it to the girls' due date (Nov. 14), so we're issuing an ''ALL CLEAR." Their weight is up (over 7 pounds each now), and they've had a special vaccination to protect against RSV, so we're happy to receive visitors at any time. Thanks for being patient as their immune systems and lungs developed more fully.

2. They're sleeping pretty well, 3 to 6 hour stretches at a time. They seem to be loud slcepers, doing their best animal impressions in the wee hours of the morning...we've heard grunting wildebeests, bleating sheep, and I'm pretty sure I heard a gorilla in there somewhere. They don't actually smile socially, but sometimes their gas makes 'em look like they're REALLY happy. (Check out this picture!)

3. We're working on a new''blog": http://thehoytfour.blogspot.com/ Check it out when you have a minute...(aha! you're already here!)

4. Mary is staying home with the girls, possibly to return to teaching part-time next fall, when Adam plans on starting seminary. To conserve our cell phone minutes, we're asking that our friends please call our land line instead: 770-559-0812

We are unspeakably grateful for our two angels and for you, our community of love that surrounds them. May Christ dwell richly in your hearts and homes during this Christmas Season!

Love,
Adam, Mary,
Rachel & Anna

The Results Are In...

2005-11-23T00:36:00.000-05:00

We have the most beautiful girls in the world. Well, at least that's what our data show. See Figure 1.

Figure 1.
Top 5 most beautiful things in the
world:
1. Anna and Rachel Hoyt
2. Sunset over Hawaii
3. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
4. Pancakes at 10:30am on Saturday in
your pajamas
5. Mt. Everest

As you can see, the science is irrefutable.

Home At Last!!

2005-10-18T12:24:00.000-05:00

We have all safely arrived home!

Anna was discharged Sunday at midnight, and we had had to leave Rachel behind in ICU. We were planning on visiting her on Monday morning back at the hospital, and as we were preparing to leave, the nurse called and told us we could take Rachel home too! (I think I hurt the nurse's ear over the phone with my unrestrained "Yahoooo!") After visiting with several other parents whose babies were in NICU for WEEKS, we are grateful to be able to take our baby home after only 5 days. We’re finally together as a family of 4 -- Wow!

Anna is on "phototherapy," a treatment which helps her body clean her blood until her liver function catches up. They sent us home with an in-crib BiliLamp for this purpose. This will not be a long-term problem. Enjoy the UFO picture :)

Both girls are still learning how to breast-feed (their suck and swallow reflexes are weak), so we're in an intensive stage of constant coaxing, pleading, jostling, cheering the babies to learn this new skill. It takes some time, and a lot of patience. But we’re VERY thankful to the Lord for Mary’s above-average-for-this-stage-in-the-game production, and the lactation consultants at Northside have been amazing. I'm immensely proud of Mary for her perseverance and patience at what could be a very frustrating experience. And she's doing all this while recovering from surgery! Anna and Rachel need to gain some weight (they're still under 5 pounds), and we're charting their daily intake and progress like a couple of statisticians on Starbucks.

Thanks for praying for us and our little angels. I'm sorry I can't respond individually to all your emails yet. And I’m sorry that the girls are still too weak to accept visitors -- we’re not allowed to hold them much between feedings because they need to sleep deeply in order to grow! And we are trying to sleep as much as we can between feedings, too. Please know that you are greatly loved and cared for and look forward to having people over to love on them when they’re stronger!

Several of you have offered to bring food, which would be very helpful. Our 3 moms are rotating helping us with the babies, but when they’re here, it’s all hands on deck, and there’s no time to grocery shop or cook. Mary’s stepmother Gail will be coordinating our meals, and since she has a spare fridge/freezer, and ours is small, it’d be great if you would contact her and drop food off at her house (only 10 min from our house).

Her contact info is:
Gail Chambliss 770-552-7344
alpc@bellsouth.net
You can Mapquest directions to her house: 155 River Point Court Alpharetta, GA 30022

In gratitude,
Adam, Mary, Anna and Rachel Hoyt (I just love the sound of that, don't you?)

Baby update #2

2005-10-14T23:25:00.000-05:00

All four Hoyts are doing really well hanging out at the hospital, and we're so grateful for our little ones.

Breastfeeding has presented a huge learning curve, to Mary, to Anna and Rachel, and even to papa Adam. Thanks for understanding our need for privacy and modesty during this "intimate" time at the hospital. We're anxious for you all to get to know them, and we know you are too! We appreciate your patience, as well as the cards, phone calls and treats you've sent our way. Again, keep your eyes peeled for the "all clear" email from us to let you know we're ready for visitors and drop-ins.

Anna is getting better and better both at the breast and at the bottle. Rachel is still having some challenges, though nothing out-of-the-ordinary for a baby born a few weeks early. Basically, her "swallow" skill is not as developed as her "suck" skill. Which means she tends to choke on milk/formula because she gets ahead of herself. And sometimes, when focusing on "suck" and "swallow," she forgets another important component: "breathe." But that little snafu happens infrequently, and they're monitoring her closely in the NICU.

We're here in the hospital till Sunday at midnight. We hope and pray Rachel can come home with us, but we understand they may need to monitor for an additional time.

The hospital staff is nothing short of amazing; between the Lactation Consultants, Occupational/Physical Therapists, Pediatricians, friendly nurses, and our OB/GYN and neonatologist whom we absolutely love, we are in great hands.

And your prayers to our Father are taking good care of us too!

Love,
Adam, Mary, Rachel and Anna Hoyt

P.s. A huge blessing: Adam's dad Phil was able to visit- this brings us unspeakable joy, since it was only 4 months ago that we were told he had a 7% chance of surviving to see his first grandchildren. Praise God for rewriting THAT script!!

Multiplying Exponentially

2005-10-12T20:00:00.000-05:00

Our dear friends and family,

Here's the announcement you've all been waiting for:

We welcome to the world Anna Katherine Hoyt and Rachel Grace Hoyt, our fraternal twin daughters, born Wednesday, October 12th, 2005 at 3:14am. They are BEAUTIFUL, weighing in at 4 lbs 14 oz (Anna) and 4 lbs 8 oz (Rachel.)

Celebrate with us!!

The details: By caesarean birth, at 35 weeks 2 days gestation. (Mary's water broke at home in bed at midnight.) She is recovering well and very grateful for the epidural and ibuprofen and the prayers.

The waiting game: Rachel WAS in the neonatal ICU "staging area" since shortly after birth, gaining strength and genuinely wowing the nurses, who thought she would have to be admitted to the full NICU. She joined us and her slightly bigger sister Anna with us in our room after 9 hours of painful separation!

Mommy requests no visitors at this time, as she's learning to breastfeed and still recovering from surgery. We'll send an "all clear" email to you to let you know when you can drop in and see us at Northside Hospital.

We love you and are unspeakably grateful for your love and nurturing you've showered on us at this time.

Love,

Adam, Mary, Anna and Rachel Hoyt

P.S. Mary's mom Julie pointed out that today (at sundown) is the beginning of Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. What a fitting day for these two "grace" babies to enter our lives.