Smores 'n' more

It was cold one day last week and Doug decided to make smores... using a coat hanger and the broiler.  Does anyone else think this sounds a little dangerous?

We leave in 3 days for Haiti!  I am excited, but haven't slept well in days.  I wake up so many times during the night thinking of something I need to remember to do, etc.  We have 35 kids and 11 adults... that is a BIG group with lots of things to do!

Praying for Jonah

Patrice has been on my mind so much this last month.

This is Patrice and me at the West Forsyth prom in 2000.

Hopefully baby Jonah will get to go home on Monday.

To see an update about Jonah, see their blog- http://patriceandmattwilliams.blogspot.com

New York with the junior class

Jorge's napkin song

Chrysler building (as seen from top of Rockefeller)

Sculpture in garden outside of St. John the Divine
Carving at St. John the Divine Cathedral
getting ice cream at South Street Sea Port
The students in Central Park
French Consulate
Inside of Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal

Girls' Weekend at Center HIll Lake

Here are a few pictures from the wonderful girls' weekend that Jenny organized...

Anna Rose bringing the fire and brimstone

My first attempt at making communion bread
Amy leading some worship
Brooke and Holly
All dressed up (somehow I didn't get the memo that people were actually wearing legitimate dresses... mine was $6 from Goodwill)
Brooke/Miss TX
Discussing the crime
After the murder
AnnaRose


Aunt Amy
Amy and Jenn play with Julian
It was so pretty outside!

Today was a snow day.  Weird that we didn't have a single snow day last year and this year we didn't have one until March.  So, on this unexpectedly free day, I was too excited to sleep in.  Instead I caught up on e-mails, straightened up our already clean apartment (did major cleaning on Saturday), made egg-less crepes from the batter I was going to take to small group last night before it got cancelled, went to the guitar store with Doug and to Whole Foods for the third time in 5 days, came home and made eclairs from scratch, and cinnamon bread to take this weekend to the lakehouse.  It was quite a day :)  I did not do anything related to school.  A 10 minute ab DVD was the extent of my excercise.  I spent more time that I would like to admit lying on the sofa (a rare pastime for me).  Hopefully the week will go by quickly!  Friday= Center Hill Lake, 15 friends, relaxation, fun.

Please pray for my friend Patrice, her husband Matt, and their baby boy, Jonah.  See more at her blog, http://patriceandmattwilliams.blogspot.com

St. Martin- February 12-16

Doug made a little stone tower to match the stone towers at Happy Bay

Weird stone towers
From the top of Pic Paradis, you get a great view of Tintamarre.  We plan to go to Tintamarre on our next trip to SXM.
View from top of Pic Paradis (highest point on SXM)
When we came up to the top of Pic Paradis, we looked up and saw towers filled with... Andrew Corporation dishes!  (dad's company in Chicago)

It took more than a minute to get to the look-out

Hike might be an understatement!
Steel drum band in Grand Case
Sunset in Grand Case
Supper at a Lola (BBQ hut)

We were SO excited to see the Lawries!  We went to church in Phillipsburg Sunday and went to their house afterwards.  Joel, Orpha, and Marky have grown up so much since the first time we came to SXM in 2005!
Doug with Marlon and Subrena
I didn't plan to match the grapefruit Ting bottle...
Anse Marcel on the northern side of SXM

Sunset at Maho Bay

Lined up to get blown away (literally!) by the airplanes taking off
Sunday night we went to a restaurant in Marigot... this cat was wandering around outside.  Doug named him "Max the Sea Cat"

On our last morning we got up early and hiked to the top of Fort Amsterdam, the Dutch fort in Phillipsburg

Dawn Beach... possibly my new favorite beach
At the airport... sad to go back to cold Atlanta