bambino: 12 weeks & an announcement

first of all...this blog is more than overdue. since our feet hit chicago soil on June 1st, we have been flying. literally. more on that later. for now, i'd like to tell you the story of how we shared our wonderful news with our family.

if you read other people's blogs or browse Pinterest at all, you'd find out quickly that it's not "okay" to just call your parents on the phone and let them know the exciting news of becoming grandparents. well, really, it's probably "okay", but there are thousands of ways to share the same news in a more blog worthy and creative way. and so we start the task of deciding how and when and where we'd share the news. this was surprisingly a very difficult and time-consuming decision making process for us. who am i kidding, for me. jason loved every idea i came up with and was only 100% supportive the whole time.

our first decision was easy. we would wait to tell our family in person. this allowed me 6 weeks to try out several different ideas, until we finally settled on dying to kethe most obvious choice considering my lack of patience and inability to keep a straight face while desperately to keep a secret. we would tell them the very first opportunity we had. the airport.

first, we contacted our siblings. Ashley made it quite easy by asking if we wanted the entire family at the airport, or if that would be too overwhelming and we'd only prefer our parents. great set up ash, thanks! i pretended to consider her question thoughtfully, before answering wholeheartedly (so as not to mislead or cause any miscommunication) that we would absolutely LOVE it if our siblings and parents, from both sides, could all make it to the airport to greet us. after all, we rationalized, we have been away for almost a year and wouldn't want to wait even an extra hour before reuniting with our families whom we loved so dearly :) long story short, they all took the bait. thanks family! we're sure that o'hare airport was not your ideal friday night hang out. sure hope it was worth it :)

once we knew for sure that as much as our family could be there as possible, sorry kiss and brian but you were there in our hearts, we began planning the announcement. i was at the awkward, "have you eaten too many cookies stage?" and so we didn't think the bump would do the trick. after much conversation, we landed on the idea of giving each one of them a Honduran art piece with a beautiful wood burned landscape and their new identities (i.e.: grandma, auntie, etc..) carved in. the wood carvings turned out beautifully, and were in the shape of a small medallion, which we strung on a ribbon with the idea of "lei-ing" our families upon our arrival. imagine this. most of the 6 hour plane ride home was spent taking out the medals, looking at them, practicing and practicing again. by the time we were landing in chicago, we had a small following from our flight who had heard about our plan, watched us 'Lei" ourselves with our "echo en honduras" and "who's your daddy? daddy itto!" medals. we became the most entertaining thing about flying from atlanta to chicago very quickly.

after we landed jason called liz (because i was too ecstatic to have a normal conversation), and ensured that everyone was waiting in the terminal, together. the last thing we wanted to do was share the news with one grandma before the other. we'd likely never hear the end :) after we knew the coast was clear, we ran through the terminal and raced down the escalator, practically knocking people over in our way, to the first big, smiling, sign holding and video camera doning family we encountered. thankfully it was a milano-redelman clan :)

all i remember from those first few minutes is hugging each person for about a half of a second and then throwing the medal around their necks and demanding they read it. of course, no one else was interested in the medals except for us. the first reactions i can remember hearing went something like this: "ah.. what are you doing? what is this? oh well... why are you rushing off? guatemala?! why would you get me something that says guatemala? what?! wait a minute!!? does your say this too??? are you serious?!!!!!!!!!! grandma?!!!!!!!!!!!!!! auntie?!!!!!!!!!!!grandpa!?????????????????? uncle??????? this can't be real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

once the group all finally figured it out, and believe me, it took A LOT longer than it did when jas and i practiced :), i was finally able to take in the moment and hug my family for real this time. genuinely, everyone was extremely shocked. this was the last thing they expected when picking us up from our flight home. total shock. total joy. total success! we did it! we kept a secret and we surprised our family! i will remember those moments for the rest of my life.

here are a few pics to document the night and the following couple of weeks...bring us to today. officially 15 weeks prego and feeling good!




future parents


one big happy family, and our little bambino who's the size of a plum this week




week 13 shot in san antonio at the milano family reunion...worthy of a post of it's own :)

Cambios y Noticias:

Weeks 12-14

You have grown from the size of a lemon, to an apple, then an avocado, and now this week to a pickle (or bell pepper)...take your pick!

You are continuing to grow more hair, all over. I am feeling a lot of heartburn, most days and most of the time...one theory behind that is that you'll be extra hairy as a newborn. cool it down in there, would ya? :)

Your ears have finally moved into place, and have grown in their capacity to hear. We try to talk to you as much as we can...and we'll definitely keep that up now that we know you can hear us.

You have been able to make facial expressions now (supposedly)... though it's hard for me to believe.

I **think** I have been able to feel you at night before i fall asleep. it's a weird feeling for sure, but after sharing my symptoms with other moms, they all confirmed it. i am feeling you for the first times! i absolutely love it! now, i don't' want to fall asleep until i feel you moving around in there. it's so comforting to know you're doing okay and are staying healthy. if you could ham it up a bit, i know someone else who would REALLY like to feel you moving!

My bump i definitely here to stay. it used to "disappear" when i laid on my back and depending on the clothes i was wearing. not anymore. it's getting harder and harder to confuse you with eating too many cookies ;)

The reality of becoming parents is finally sinking in. we definitely do not feel ready or prepared, but don't worry. from what we hear that's normal. we do, though, already feel so in love with you and completely committed to taking care of you and raising you well. we hope you'll give us a chance (and a break) :) as parents. you are and will always be so special to us as our first experience as parents together. can't believe we're almost half way down

bambino: week 10

Week 10…come and gone (Saturday, May 26, 2012)

We just came from a birthday party for a friend from church, when we were asked, “What’s going on with the rest of your Saturday?” ☺ Funny. What are we going to do with the rest of our Saturday? It’s been a couple of weeks since the latest update, but in case you hadn’t noticed, I am pregnant… looking quite pregnant already actually, very tired, dizzy, nauseous, hungry, not hungry, emotional and exhausted. Funny how already that ever-normal and limitless question offers only one response. NOTHING. I have a sneaking suspicion for a little while (or several years… whichever comes first), our answer with be a resounding NOTHING. “They” say my body is working so hard each day, it’s the equivalent of running a marathon. Since, I’ve run marathons, I can attest that aside from the blisters and burning legs (at least not yet anyways), it’s a fair comparison. Especially when you couple growing a little human with finishing up another year of teaching, packing boxes to move, packing suitcases for the summer, and wrapping up all the last minute appointments and details that come with relocating back home for the next two months. We leave next Friday, June 1st. It’s quite the understatement to say we’re excited. We are sooo looking forward to this miraculous news to be out in the open, for all our friends and family to enjoy and celebrate. It hardly seems really still, but we’re hoping with the excitement that comes with sharing the news with four first-time grandparents, reality will slowly but surely sink in. Just today on the phone my dad mentioned something about how he has been experiencing “baby fever”. It was so hard not to reassure him he’d be a grandpa soon enough. I can already see the look on his face when he takes a look at me and my big ole’ belly for the first time in just 6 days. Priceless. A friend from school recommended that Jason video our meeting with our families at the airport. Great idea. Hopefully amidst all the excitement we can remember and have documented forever this life changing news. We are filled with more peace this week, since our latest doctor’s appointment, that Bambino is growing healthy and strong. In fact, he has surpassed the 90th percentile for growth (length) for a baby at his/her stage. AND, he/she wouldn’t stop moving for the ultrasound. I thought it looked like he/she was swimming backstroke with full arms and tiny, fast kicks. Jason thought for sure he/she was practicing some soccer moves. That will be an interesting conversation someday. Even more fun, though, Bambino treated us all to a little thumbs up. “Everything’s okay in here Mom and Dad”… “Don’t worry about me, I’m having the time of my life!” … “Just keep on doing what you’re doing and when it gets too cramped in here, I’ll let you know”. ☺ Thanks Bambino, just what we needed.

Cambios y Noticias:

Week 11

You are the size of a raspberry (2.5 inches, 0.5 oz)

Your head and body have now grown to a nicely shaped 1:1 ratio.

Your nail beds are forming, along with tooth buds and hair follicles.

Your heart was beating 162 times per minute (the same as three weeks ago). You have grown significantly more than average AND you’re still moving around like crazy in there, just can’t feel you yet. Dr. Bueso told us the two best indicators of a healthy baby are growth (crecimiento) and movement (movimiento). Check and Check! You’re already a mover and a shaker and going to give us a run for our money in terms of keeping up with you long and lean Bambino.

I am still feeling pretty tired most of the time…except for the middle of the night and early in the mornings. Convenient ;) Waking up early has allowed me some extra quiet time to myself and the opportunity to talk more with my parents (the only other people I assume are up by 6 am on a Saturday). I guess I’m on the parent schedule already.

I have felt less and less nauseous as the weeks have continued. Thank you God!

The blood clots that were ominously moving around my uterus three weeks have now disappeared. A relief and great answer to prayer. Now, to hope they won’t return…speaking of blood. Somehow Jason and I have no idea what our blood types are. Weird, right? Our parents didn’t know either so I had mine tested, and turns out my Rh factor is negative. Only 15% (or less) of the world has a negative blood type, and I (and hopefully Jason) am one of them. If Jason’s blood type is positive, this will complicate things a bit for the baby. If there’s a chance that Bambino’s blood type is positive, I’ll need to take an injection at about 28 weeks, and then again 72 hours before labor to ensure that my blood doesn’t react to the baby’s different blood as a threat. I’m trying not to worry about this yet, very hard to do, but researching like crazy to understand more about this. Let’s hope and pray Jason’s blood type is also negative. That would make this pregnancy and future pregnancies a lot less risky.

Since I’ve already gained 9 pounds, my doctor has asked about my diet. I am eating pretty healthy, but definitely consuming too much salt as salty foods have really helped to calm my nausea. I am now on a very low sodium diet, in hopes to slow down some of this rapid weight gain. Oh, and no more popcorn. Great.

How am I doing with water? Great… I’d say I’ve surpassed Jason… he probably wouldn’t agree, but at least it’s pretty close.

What are we looking forward to the most? Seeing the looks on our families faces when the see our little secret for the first time. They keep saying how much we’re going to celebrate once we’re home and how much they’ve missed us. They have no idea what’s in store for them! ☺



our little bambino is the size of a prune this week

bambino: week 8

Week 8 (Sunday, May 6, 2012)

It’s 5:15 PM and I just woke up from a nap… which lasted pretty much all day. I’ve been having a hard time sleeping through the night lately. I have to go the bathroom often, I feel nauseous most of the time, and I’m still feeling just so excited. Needless to say, sleep has been harder to come by. Not true today, though! I slept in until after 10 AM, enjoyed a delicious breakfast in bed, thanks to Jason, and then napped most of the day away. Now, I am trying to be productive in the few hours before bed. We are getting more and more excited each day to return home and tell our families our news! 26 more days from today and our families will be meeting us at the airport, only to be met by the surprising news that Bambino is coming! I can’t imagine the joy our parents will experience knowing they will soon become first-time grandparents. Liz, Ashley and Caleb should be there, too. The newest aunties and uncles in our family! We’re still not sure how to tell Missy and Brian, since they’ll still be in Virginia at that point…but I have some ideas ☺ After the airport, we hope to enjoy some celebrating with our families before bed time. I have to take a teaching licensure test the next day. Then, the plan is off to Mama’s to share the news once again with the Csukor clan! I can hardly believe this is happening! The news is definitely sinking in, though. We are just so overjoyed to be able to love you, Bambino. We are working hard to prepare for your arrival. It’s still far off, but we know your birth date will sneak up upon us quicker than we thought. Love you!

Cambios y Noticias:

Week 8

You are the size of a raspberry (.63 inches, .04 oz)

Your head is proportionally MUCH larger than the rest of your body. Alien baby anyone?

You are developing: fingers, toes, wrists and elbows.

Your heart is beating about 150 times each minute…some even equate you to a little “Mexican jumping bean”. You’re moving around like crazy in there, just can’t feel you yet.

I am feeling pretty tired most of the time…except for the middle of the night and early in the mornings. Convenient ;)

I am feeling nauseous (one week and counting) most days and most times during the day. “Morning sickness” is definitely mis-leading.

So far, I really only crave/feel like eating crunchy foods. Soft foods, like avocados and yogurt make me gag, a lot.

I had very weird demands for plums and asparagus this week. Hmm. Odd.

I am trying to drink as much water as your dad ☺, so have taken many more trips to the bathroom lately.

My stomach has blown up pretty big, almost bump like, mostly at night. From what I am reading, it’s mostly gas and bloating…not the pressure of my growing uterus (which is the size of a grapefruit now) yikes!

Jason has been incredible. No surprises there. He makes countless trips up and down the stairs for me: water, food, water, vitamins, more food, even more water, 7 up. He’s already a super-star dad! I am so grateful for his support. Now, if he can only stay patient with me for the next 32 weeks, we’re good ☺

Hondurans have been VERY excited to celebrate with us. They are extremely conservative when it comes to pregnancy. So much so that I was asked to stop swimming laps at the pool since I was “turning my baby up and down and making it dizzy”. Umm…not sure what to say in response to that. Oh, and I have to sign a waiver at school for the third trimester that I won’t climb stairs at work. Sure, I “won’t” climb stairs at work, but I’ll definitely keep climbing stairs at the gym ☺

We are still SO excited to share the news with our family and friends at home in 26 days. We have kept the secret safe and sound, barely. We’re kind of avoiding Skype calls and such…not sure how much you can see yet, but I definitely can’t keep my cool when talking to our family. There was even a moment when Jason was demonstrating a paintball move via Skype and picked up our “What to Expect” book to use as a shield. Guh! Don’t think anyone noticed. But for goodness sake, please stop asking “What’s new?” NOTHING! ☺

We are VERY excited for our first doctor’s appointment tomorrow. Praying and hoping all is healthy and strong. Also, for our little jumping bean to show off his/her heartbeat for us!



our first doctor's appointment with dr. bueso and so excited to see bambino for the first time!


there he/she is! oh, and we got to hear the heartbeat. there are no words. incredible.

bambino: week 6

Week 6 (Sunday, April 22, 2012)

It’s 10:30 PM (Honduras’ time) and I can’t sleep. Is it because I napped most of the afternoon after a long, exhausting morning at church? Is it because my mind is racing with the countless lists I have running through my head: boy names (HARD!), girl names (easy), doctor’s appointments, legal paperwork for delivering in Honduras, how to tell our families, what we need to buy, changes in our relationship, how to manage working/parenting, or just simply wondering what you’re going to be like. Or, is it because I can feel slight changes in my body, the signs of early pregnancy as my abdomen shifts and moves giving you space to grow? Or, is it a little of everything? Probably.

We have been thinking of you a lot, our little “Bambino”. Sometimes we forget you’re even real still, but then one of breaks out into the largest grin, reminding each of us how our little family is growing. It seems odd to say, but at the same time, it’s the most natural and genuine emotion we are experiencing right now. We love you. We love you already. Our hearts are overflowing with love and commitment to you our sweet Bambino. We can’t understand why God has chosen us to be yours, but we are. We are yours, forever. We are taking this new responsibility so very seriously. We are reading about how to best take care of you, even now as you are developing. We are praying for your safety and health. We are working hard at loving each other so that you will always know the security of two parents that are devoted to each other. And we are fighting each and every day for our faith. Living in Honduras has challenged us in many new ways, especially in our relationships with God. We are working out our faith each day, often with fear and trembling. All of this because He first loved us, so now we can love you.

Cambios y Noticias:

Week 6

You are the size of a lentil bean (1/4 of an inch long)

Your nose, mouth and ears are starting to develop. Can’t wait to smooch ‘em!

Your heart is beating about 100-160 times each minute. Wow! No wonder I’m tired ☺

I am feeling pretty tired most of the time…except for the middle of the night and early in the mornings. Convenient ;)

I am hungry a lot, but feel full very quickly. This leads me to a constant state of wanting to eat.

I am trying to drink as much water as your dad ☺, so have taken many more trips to the bathroom lately.

I feel my stomach cramping every once in a while. Strange, but cool. It reminds me that something is actually going on down there.

We are SO excited to share the news with our parents, siblings, family and friends. Hope we can hold out until June, when we’re home. It’s hard to carry around such a life-changing secret.

We are planning to be surprised about whether or not you’re a “BambinO” or a “BambinA”. Life allows us so few surprises, and we’d like this to one of them. I do have my own prediction, though, call it “female intuition” or “mommy knows best”… but we’ll have to wait and see…

bambino: our initial thoughts

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Re-wind…flashback…sweet, sweet memories… here we go!

Thursday night, April 19, 2012

Sarah is bored…an oxymoron of sorts. The attention span of a child, combined with the productivity of a small army should never lead to boredom. But alas, Thursday night it did. So, she did what any average, 29 year old bored woman (trapped in her house) might do. Sarah peed on a “stick”.

Let’s back up for just a minute. She had been feeling extra-strange that week. Cramping. Fatigue. Moody. When in isolation these symptoms wouldn’t alert Sarah to anything abnormal; however, paired with her non-existent, let’s call it “friend”, her imagination went wild!

So, back to Thursday night.

Boredom + Wild Imagination = pee on a stick.

And guess what?! You’ve probably figured out by now, but everyone’s enjoys a little suspense, right?

TWO PINK LINES! In Spanish that means “embarazada”. I think you know what it means in English ☺

JAAAASOOOOOONNN!!!



Enter Jason. He sprinted to the rescue, from downstairs on the couch watching “Firefly”. Pause the DVD. Run through the living room, dining room, hammock room, foyer… up a flight of stairs, through the “nothing-yet” room, into the bedroom and finally to the bathroom. Ready on the attack to kill any sort of creature Sarah had stumbled upon this time.

Jason was not expecting to see Sarah, tears spilling down her cheek, dancing up and down, and holding a white, plastic stick. It took him a few seconds for the reality of the moment to register. Sarah peed on a stick and the result was pregnant!

Could it really be?! Were the doctors mistaken? They hadn’t even been “trying” this last month? Of course, they had been (in secret) the previous four months…but nothing. So, they decided after a few months of expectancy and then disappointment, to take a break. Ha. Isn’t that always the way.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9)

Well, they weren’t fully convinced, so Jason took off, sprinting, to the closet Pharmacy (a mile away) and picked up another brand of the good ole’, tried and true, home pregnancy test. The directions, in Spanish of course, were much more complicated this time. The kit included an eye- dropper, white contraption with an open box, and a couple different windows to read from. Very stressful to navigate considering the circumstances ☺. Well, they took their best shot at understanding the directions… and waited… three minutes, which felt like three days. But, at the other end of the waiting appeared TWO MORE PINK LINES! Goodness. Could it really be?!

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17)

Thursday night was incredible. Relishing in the news together. Crying. Laughing. Praying. Smiling (a lot!) Caressing the belly that was being transformed into a safe home for their little one. They decided that evening, after wise counsel from Sarah’s “external conscious” ☺, to see a doctor to confirm the news they were hoping was true. Great advice. But for that evening, they were able to rest in the Hope of God hearing and responding to their prayers.

here's a glimpse of just a few of our emotions...






Friday, April 20, 2012

Waking up with a smile from ear to ear, Sarah and Jason readied for school, hoping the hours would pass quickly so they could know without a doubt the truth of their secret. Sarah carried around the plastic evidence in a bag all day. It comforted her to have the reminder close.

They decided to share the news with their administrators that morning, since they needed some helping knowing what to do next. Also, they were bursting with joy from the news and just had to tell someone ☺ Both principals took one glance at the pregnancy tests, and jumped out of their seats for joy. Their joyful response only filled Sarah and Jason with more excitement, as they counted the minutes until 2:00.

True to all things Honduran, the doctor’s appointment turned into quite the adventure. With the advice from school, Sarah went to the Elementary School doctor for an order (stamped and all!) for blood-work regarding her hypo-thyroidism. Then, the school called the local free clinic to confirm they did blood draws. With the doctor’s order, phone number, address and name of the clinic, Sarah and Jason departed for Caribe clinic. Basically running through the front door, smiles plastered across their faces, they were met with the news that Caribe does not have a lab, and therefore could not process a blood work order. What?! Isn’t that why they called ahead, had confirmation from the doctor and health insurance specialist at the school?! To make the situation even more “Honduran”, the receptionists were giving advice about where to go that just sounded like “blah… blah… blah… and some more blahs...” Thank goodness for the English speaking patients in the waiting room that directed them to walk about a half of a mile to the nearest lab/clinic/hospital. After a chorus of “thank-you’s”, they were off, again.

The next hospital was clean, bright, quiet and very easy to navigate. Thank you God. Within thirty minutes of the walking in the front door, Sarah and Jason had registered at the lab, walked to the “cajero” to pay, met the nurse who would perform the blood draw, Sarah had her blood drawn, and they were told to wait 20 minutes for the results. They thyroid results would take about a week, but of course, they weren’t as concerned with that news at this point ☺

While drawing Sarah’s blood, the nurse reminded Sarah of how in control God is all of the time and the importance for us to live with faith of that truth. What a blessing her words, kind and calming presence, and brilliant smile were during that moment of expectation. The 20 minutes passed slowly, but each moment was worth it when they watched Sarah’s nurse walk through the doors to the waiting room, holding a slip of paper and beaming from ear to ear. The results were POSITIVE! All Sarah can remember from that moment were the soft words of her nurse, “respire”, “respire”, “respire”. Breath… breath… breath. She and Jason met in an ecstatic embrace and sobbed for joy in each other’s arms. This must be what pure elation feels like.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

So back to today. How are we feeling? Nothing short of amazing. ☺ We can’t stop smiling, crying, praying, singing, dancing, giggling. Jason said the other day, “it’s the closest thing to a miracle we’ve ever personally experience”. It’s unfathomable how God has chosen for life to continue. From the love of a man and woman, new life is born. Because of the love of our Savior, we walk in newness of life each and every day. Always faithful, all-knowing, unconditionally loving God…we adore You and offer You the highest praise in these moments of pure joy!

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning…new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness oh Lord… Great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations _

happy anniversary #3

the old adage is so true. time flies when you're having fun

marriage has been a lot of things for me this year, and especially recently, it's been so much fun. my husband has always been the person who enters a room and the energy just sort of naturally picks up. he is the one whose laugh can spread like wildfire until all of a sudden you find yourself laughing alongside him and you're not even sure why. jason has turned the mundane life tasks, like grocery shopping, which i've always struggled to find joy in, to an adventure of finding the best deals, racing to finish my part of the list faster than him, and stolen glances of adoration across the aisle. of course not all the time, we're not living a movie here, but fun most definitely.

living internationally has challenged and broadened what our definition of fun is, for sure. is it fun to come to a colony of cockroaches infesting your home? of course not. but with jason by my side, his peaceful presence and positive assurance can turn any desperate situation into just another patience-building hurdle to cross. do i fight that approach initially? absolutely. all of my insides scream, panic! but, in the end, we remember the fun of experiencing it together.

in many ways three years has felt like a lifetime. we often say it's hard to remember life before each other. but we know, the fun has hardly even begun. we prayerfully and joyfully look forward to the many years God chooses to bless us with and remain devoted and committed to working together on our relationship and our faith in the midst of this journey.

happy anniversary jason. you are and always will be the beat to my heart, the laugh to my joke and the love of my life. i am having so much fun with you!

remember this day? you were waiting so calmly for our life together to finally begin.

and then, more scared than i have ever been, i walked that long aisle. so uncertain as to what i was actually doing, until our eyes met, just when i turned the corner. when i saw you, jason, my fears evaporated and my steps became sure. i knew without a shadow of a doubt i was walking towards the best earthly treasure i will ever find. you, my love, you.

and don't forget the fun. i know wherever you are, there will always be fun to be had. thank you for that. i love you!

2 weeks and counting...

as our first year living abroad comes to a close, jason and i are wrecked with emotion. lots of them actually. we are very grateful for this opportunity to have lived abroad, worked with such incredible international educators, developed our communication skills in Spanish and learned to appreciate and rely on each other more. we are also feeling slightly unsettled in some of our goals in moving here, which has led to us to give this experience another year. god placed some specific goals and ideas on our minds and hearts in coming here and we know He's not quite done with us here, yet. we are hopeful that we can return with more realistic expectations, a renewed vision for our time here and passion to stay the course. mostly though, we are feeling the joy of knowing we are returning soon to friends, family and familiar places that have been "home" to us for so many years. the excitement that is building up in us is about to its boiling point. we are going to be home late friday night, june 1st, so that i can take a licensure exam the next morning. then, after my test we are looking forward to days upon endless days with friends and family...just being together! we can't wait to hear and share countless stories of how we have all changed this year and the ways in which we have seen god working in our lives. reminiscing is sweet. friendships stretched over the constraints of time and space have given us the greatest challenges in adjusting and investing into life in honduras, so we are especially looking forward to the simple yet magical times we will get to spend with those we love so dearly in a just a few more days. come quickly june 1st, come quickly. but, don't miss the moments in between, sarah... don't miss the moments. like i tell my students, you only get may 17, 2012 once, so live it and make the most of it! it's going to be gone before you know it. our time here (honduras, home, the earth...) is short, so we move and breath and live each moment to the fullest and rely on our faith to carry us through the days and weeks and months yet to come. june 1st will arrive in a blink of an eye.