To be a nurse

We've got shelves!!! Layne has been working so hard and made 3 sets of amazing shelves for the new nurses area! I get to be a real nurse now with medicine on the shelves and labels on my boxes and everything! It's exciting to be a part of all the changes and planning and growing that the school is doing right now. More pictures will be on their way as we get settled into the new space! Oh, and the spaces on the shelves are just big enough to nap in...

Beach days

The team finished with a few days on the beach to relax, enjoy the Dominican Republic water and sand and each other. It was really nice to see old friends and so special that they all came down here. We did about 160 school physicals and a moble medical clinic where we treated about 60-ish patients in the day. Really productive week!

Jarbacoa trip

We took the team to the mountains for the day to show them Jarabacoa...the Ark (our orphanage) and go hiking at Salto Jimenoa. It was a fun day and everyone thankfully made it out alive!

Wow

We have LOTS of kids at school these days. Our new little ones are amazing, beyond words I can even describe. Huge smiles, chubby cheeks, and the newness of being at school, are all fun to be around. Our cafeteria is full at lunchtime as we try to accomodate all the new kids, but it is an exciting reason to be squished. Even though it is only one year old, plans are already being made to expand it! I can't wait to know each of these little guys more, to know their names and their stories and continue to enjoy their lives!

More friends!

So my other friends from university, Dan and Derek, sailed their way into port over the weekend as well. They are sailing around the world (see links to their blogs on the right) and are stopping by to help us for a few weeks. They have had no problem jumping right into work and mixing with the kids. Lots of visitors from good old Grand Canyon University...who's next??!!

Friends team

My friends from university, Rachel and Patty, are here for a week with a team they brought down. It's been a fun week and they have helped so much. We did a mobile medical clinic the first day and the rest of the days have worked at the school. They were able to do all the children's school physicals which I have been trying to do for months! It's also nice to see the girls again and get to work together as nurses!

Back to school

We started back to school today, hooray! I felt like years and years went by without seeing my kids. My favorite part of the day was walking through the village while the kids were on their way to school and getting hug after hug after hug. My day turned around immediately!

We welcomed in our new little ones today as well, there were about 15 of them that came. They're all 4 & 5 years old and in the preschool class. They come with amazing smiles and energetic little bodies...I can't wait to get to know them all.

What a great day it was today, nice to be back to school.

Up the mountain

We (Josue, Benjamin, Robin, and I) hiked the Puerto Plata mountain again yesterday! We went a new way behind the mountain which was fun too. It was such a nice day for it with lots of talking, a few breaks, and lots of water-drinking on the way up. By the time we made it up the clouds were covering everything and we could barely see, but it was still worth the 2 hour hike up. We ended the day with pizza on the beach, which to me makes pretty much any day a perfect day!

Finally!

Sorry for the lack of posting. Due to many complaints and protests, I'm back to being a good poster! Anyhow, so it's been busy since getting back. Some of the best news is that we were able to get a fridge and stove and are now able to cook! Such a relief not having to buy food daily and cook only when there is electricity (which can be a problem!). And yes, the plastic bag is part of the rice-making process.

Back to the D.R.!!

I made it back! Alberto and his family picked me up from the airport (he's the director of the school). When I got to our apartment these guys were waiting to surprise me which was such a nice way to be welcomed back. We talked and talked and ate American licorice and talked more. It's nice to be back!

Last Oregon days

The last few days in Oregon were filled with more visits and more eating! I met up with high school friends Josh Kelson and Brandon Genty and it was, of course, so great to see them again. It's amazing how the years go by yet friendships can stay so normal! I returned cans with my Aunt Lindy which was AMAZING!!! Such a quick trip home, lots of visits with friends and time to talk with family which was the best part!

Happy New Year!!

We had a fun night last night, welcoming 2008 with all (or most) of the family!!

More snow

We spent the morning on Mt. Hood playing in the snow! The kids sledded a very little bit while John found a leftover fire from campers and got it going. It was COLD and took a while to thaw out afterwards, but was fun to play in for awhile!

Views

So the scenery outside my window has changed a lot in these weeks! From the drive to Puerto Plata with blue ocean to the drive up to Mt. Hood with white snow!

Primos y Hermanos

So I've got the best family, I'll just start with that. Tonight we went to my cousin, David's house and had a cousins get-together. Dennis had a special cake written on to celebrate the occasion! As I sat there listening to everyone talk, I was just really proud of them. How we've all changed so much since we were little. We used to play together and they would make me skirts out of ferns and crowns from dandilions. Now Matt has been to Iraq as a Marine, David is married with 3 brilliant kids, John is married too and has an amazing family, Dennis is a doctor and married to Abby...it's been really special to step back a bit and just be thankful for each one of them, for their support and love and encouragement.

Visiting

These past few days have been visiting with more family and friends! My Dixon grandparents (top left) came to visit and it was really nice to see them and talk a bit.

We went to Salem and were treated to dinner by the Dixon crew followed by a few games of Mancala, which is now the official best game ever.

I was able to meet up with my highschool friend Aaron this afternoon and loved it! Has it really been almost 10 years since high school, good grief!

Cousins

Last night my cousins David, Katie, and Bridget all came over with my Aunt Kim and we got to spend the evening together. It has been probably 6-ish years since we have all seen each other so it was nice catching up and spending time together. How quickly the years go by, no??

McCool Christmas

The Dixons packed up and headed to my grandparents (The McCools) in the afternoon to celebrate Christmas with the rest of the family. It was really nice seeing everyone together once again, especially the little kids that change so quickly...the last time I saw baby Ellie was the day she was born!

Perfect.

What could make Christmas any better?? SNOW!!!!!!!!!! It started snowing and kept snowing enough to stick and make a snowman! I called my friends in the Dominican Republic to share the news...I wish they could be here too. Definitely a white Christmas, perfect!

Merry Christmas