Adalyn got to celebrate her birthday, both by dressing up at a school party and having a superhero birthday party. She had a blast playing with her friends and is loved well. We are thankful for another year of our spunky, fun, energetic and beautiful daughter. Here are the questions for this year… Continue reading
Family
Never Say Never
I have gone from cooking dinners of Hamburger Helper and Rice-a-Roni meals to making homemade food from scratch. I have gone from a city girl who had only one plant stay alive under 
my care to working a garden full of broccoli, cauliflower, colored peppers, lettuce, strawberries, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, jalapeños, and sweet corn. I came from a girl who wasn’t sure if she wanted to have kids to God working on my heart to have one beautiful daughter whom I love more than I ever thought I could. I 
went from working full-time (and if I’m honest, judged stay-at-home moms a little – sorry!) to a missionary, wife, and mom. And while I enjoy my ministry to women, I know my main role is keep some kind of peace in our home in a completely different world. I went from living and enjoying conveniences and luxuries to understanding basic needs and limited comforts. Continue reading
Living Overseas… And Goodbyes…
Sometimes we forget about the challenges of living over seas. The every day life stuff is hard, but you get used to doing things differently to live well. We get excited when we grow something in our garden or find something new at the supermarket. We deal with hand washing all our dishes, cooking all our meals from scratch, crazy drivers and bad roads, always being stared at, and the constant battle against bugs. We even adjust to the heat of dry season and the amount of dirt that’s everywhere. Continue reading
Dad Fails!
Not to be outdone by Gina’s post “Mom-Fails”, dad also fails big time! Yeah, that’s right, I know what you’re thinking: “Not you, Leland. You can’t fail. You’re too awesome.” But sadly, I fail. Daily. I too often enter into the social media world while leaving my wife and child sitting at the table in mid-conversation. I frequently read articles on ESPN or Reuters instead of engaging with Adalyn. It’s not uncommon for me to be short and rude with Adalyn (and Gina) after a long day of ministry. I fail, and regularly have to ask forgiveness from my daughter and my wife. Continue reading
Mom-Fails But God Never Does
A friend of mine and a fellow mom of a 5-year old posts some pretty real and humorous mom-fails that she’s had. And it made me think about how we all have mom fails. Wether it’s when my daughter says “I hate…” and I realize “hate” sounds so much stronger coming out of her mouth than when I said it. Or when I was too busy doing other things that I kept telling her no when she asked me to play and then after she had gone to bed, I realized time with her was more important than marking things off my to-do list. Or when I see my daughter sitting by herself when other kids are playing but she doesn’t want to talk to me about it. I worry that I’m scarring her. I worry that I’ve failed her. Continue reading
Christmas Fun
We thought we’d share our Christmas fun and traditions with you this year. We had a different experience than last year because Leland’s parents came to visit for 2 weeks, so we had a lot of fun together as a family.
Adalyn Turns 5!!!
This year Adalyn was lucky to be able to celebrate her birthday over a few days. The expat/missionary community had a Halloween party on Sunday evening, so Adalyn got to dress up with all her friends. We had a family celebration with one of her favorite meals,
ninja turtle cookies, and gifts from family. And then our team fellowship dinner is tomorrow, so Adalyn’s friend Riley is baking her a ninja turtle cake. Let’s just say, Adalyn’s a very happy little girl! Here are a few questions for her to answer, now that she’s a year older… Continue reading
Our Life in Uganda
We have been so blessed to share our life and ministry in Uganda with many people who love us and care for us, and who we love and care for. For those who didn’t get the chance to see videos, here are a couple for your viewing pleasure. Our desire is for you to feel like your part of our life in Uganda. We couldn’t do what we do without the support of so many people in the U.S. and around the world. So as we continue this journey together, please continue to pray with us. Continue reading
Third Culture Family
As we are preparing for our first trip back to the US, we have had some processing we’ve had to do and will continue to do. Even the word for it is hard to encompass everything it entails…”Furlough” is not accurate because it is NOT a restful vacation, but instead a whirlwind of travel to see as many people as possible. “Home assignment” isn’t best because while Leland and I grew up in America, we have lived in Uganda for a year and a half and it’s our home now, plus Adalyn doesn’t remember it as home. Continue reading
Happy Birthday Adalyn
Adalyn is 4 years old today and we are celebrating her first birthday in Uganda. We celebrated by going to the Entebbe Zoo, being part of a Halloween party for the expat community, and of course, having cake. We thought it would be fun to ask her some questions, so you could see where she’s at in this point of her life… Continue reading
