SunShade in General

Writing stories about SunShade will be tough.  These ladies lead a rough life and it has shaped who they are.  Most of these ladies are colored.  I am not being racist when I say colored.  Everyone calls each other by their skin color, or rather their area groups (white, black, colored).  Some of these ladies have black skin color, except they are colored.  I know it's confusing, I'm still trying to figure it out.  Anthony tried to explain to me that you normally can tell by their accents-  sometimes I can tell, but most of the time I can't.   They roll their “r's” in such a distinctive way. I know that most, if not all the ladies of sunshade are colored.  The reason why writing these stories will be tough is because it will be only from what I know and see.  I barely can understand any of these ladies, most of the time we communicate with made-up hand signals thrown everywhere along with repeating a sentence over and over again, only it becomes more exaggerated each time.  These stories that I will write will have a much deeper side to it that I have no idea about.  All I can tell you is what I've experienced.

For now, I'll just give a general description of SunShade.  SunShade occurs every tuesday morning. SunShade is a ministry geared toward women of poverty in an “area” called Salt River.  I guess you could call these areas town or city limits.  We live in the area called Kenilworth and Jubilee is in the Observatory area.  It's like how Anthony says he's from Atlanta, but really, he lives in Marietta.  I hope that makes sense. 

Anyway, back to SunShade.  This is just a safe place where women can come and relax.  They will bring their younger children.  The older ones are in school.  Anytime school is on a holiday, SunShade is closed.  It becomes too crazy and too much to handle if all the children were there.  Most of the children at Sunshade are toddlers or younger.  My time on tuesdays are spent with them. 

Most of the time at SunShade, there is a activity of some sort planed.  These activities range from doing simple crafts to educational events.  Bethany even led the ladies in a aerobic exercise.  They loved it!  The crafts these ladies do are extremely simple and what we (americans) would considered “geared towards children”.  Over christmas, we made ornaments out of salt dough.  I remembered doing this growing up, but for these ladies, they never had that chance.  This is their first time, and they absolutely love it.  We've made flower arrangements out of colored tissue paper, paper crowns with beads on it, angels made from paper plates and so much more!  These crafts are treasured so much by their creators.  These ladies find such delight in their makings.  

The educational events consist of how to love your children, how to mange your budget, how to quit smoking and use the resources around you to help you out and so on.  The ladies seem to get something out of it, but they also seem to be bored easily by these topics.  Which is why I think we only do one of these events once in a while.  Along with education events there will be times where someone that these ladies respect will go up and share their story.  SunShade is also a place where these ladies can find someone to talk to and to be prayed for if asked.  This ministry very obviously presents itself as a Christian ministry, but the one thing I love most about it is that Jesus isn't shoved down these ladies throats.  Jesus is showed through love, through time set aside to talk, through hugs, tears and smiles.  Here at SunShade, Jesus is not just a religious figure, He is real. 

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At the end of these stories, I will put a small story about Ryann Grace.  After all, as I explained before, this blog was set up to keep family members updated on her.  

Since Friday, Ryann has been sick.  She's been throwing up and has the runs.   I feel badly for her!  I'm just thankful this is the first time she's been sick as in throwing up.   She has had a bad case of the runs (happened on the way home from HI), but never threw up.  The weird thing is her vomit isn't projected across the room.  It seems to just slowly crawl out of her mouth and pile up on her chest.  Its the strangest thing!  So for now, we are focusing on her recovery.  

Just a few things to record.  

~Ryann finally has two more new teeth on the bottom-which was the reason for her extreme whinnying  previously.

~along with roaring like a lion, clicking like a bird, she can hoot like a monkey, bark like a dog, moo like a cow, quack like a duck, baa like the sheep.  Right now she's working on her fish face.  I'll post photos of that soon.  Too cute!

~she can point to eyes, nose, and teeth.  

~she loves to brush her teeth and take a bath, so when I tell her its “time to take a bath or brush your teeth” she'll either say “Bath” and charge right up the stairs to the bathroom, or point to her teeth and smile and walk up the stairs and wait for me to get the toothbrush ready for her.  Love it!

Twin, Just for You.

My twin sent Ryann a package for her birthday.  It's a little late, but for us Carlsons, that's to be expected.  Laura brought Ryann blue converse chucks and a yellow tutu and a very cute onesie with a caterpillar on it.   She requested that I take photos and upload them on here so she can see them and enjoy her cute niece in her outfit!

At first, Ryann wasn't happy with me changing her clothes in the middle of the day.  But then I put her in front of the mirror and she enjoyed looking at herself and the earrings I've hung on a string of dental floss.  Then we went downstairs to show off her look to Dave and Bethany and she loved being in the center of attention.  

Now, she hates the yellow tutu.  She grunted and squealed as she tried to get it off!  So she walked around in her new shirt and sporty shoes.

*For those who want to know why the color blue for the converse?  Well, growing up, I had a pair of "blue moon shoes".  They were the chuck taylor converse the color of the "Blue Moon" ice cream.  Laura had a pair of "peach shoes".  They were pink but not quite.  Definitely not orange.  Anyway, Laura got these shoes in memory of my sweet sweet blues.  Ryann's shoes are a lot darker than the ones I had, but still they're awesome!!  I think I'm gonna try to save up money and buy myself a pair!  Might not be till next year though!

Something New

Well, I changed my blog's look... Just felt like doing something new.

A couple weeks ago, we all were getting ready to send out a newsletter.  Dave is the main guy, his computer has the program that has the template for the newsletter.  We all chat and see who's gonna write what and whatever else... then Dave puts it all together.  Well he was just finalizing the newsletter and at one point he set the computer down on a sack on magazines which was on the dinning table...  the computer slid and fell to the floor.  It has a HUGE dent on one corner and would not work.  He sent to the shop for a check-up... and it would cost over $1000 to repair it.   Geesh.  So now, we're all sharing Anthony's mac.  No big deal, except Dave and Bethany have a ton of precious information and photos on the other computer and the template and stuff for the newsletter is no longer accessible for now.  It is a real bummer for them!  Dave is attempting to fix the computer on his own by replacing the hard drive himself.  Hope that works out.  Anyway, I had written an article that was suppose to be on the newsletter.  Since there isn't any going out soon, I figured I'd post the article on here.  

So here it is:

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As a member of the Heart4CapeTown mission crew, being a mom has been the most challenging aspect to learn, figure out and to grow from.  My heart and love has been stretch and pulled and changed since becoming a mom.  In a country far from my own family and friends has put me in many lonely days of feeling like I am not needed since I feel like I do so little compare to the rest of the crew.  My number one responsibility is Ryann Grace, my little girl.  Since she is the number one priority for me here in South Africa, it diminishes my other opportunities to serve.  I struggled with guilt and frustration of having to take care of Ryann and not being able to do more for Cape Town.  Then I started feeling terrible for not feeling like my daughter is enough for me.  On and on it went.

  

On top of my guilt and frustrations, I was having a hard time finding people who wanted to hang out with me.  I felt disliked and discouraged.  I finally opened up and shared my feelings with Karin, one of the moms from the mom's group I attend.  She, along with my own mother, grandmother and mother-in-law, really impressed upon me the importance of motherhood and raising a child to know and follow God.  

February came around.  It had been a whole year since my life was dramatically changed forever.  My independent, stubborn, loving and beautiful little girl turned one on Valentine's day.  The friday before Ryann's birthday, the moms of the mom's group threw Ryann a surprise birthday party.  I teared up.  They ushered Ryann and I to the table where all the goodies were and then sat us down to open presents.  With each present was a birthday card with birthday wishes for the one year old and the words of encouragement for me.  I cried.  Karin communicated with the moms expressing some of the feelings that I had and organized the party.  They showered Ryann and I with love and expressions of joy and excitement that we were part of their lives at this point of time.  

God rescued me from my despair of guilt, frustrations, loneliness and discouragement and gave me these wonderful ladies to uplift me and point me directly back to Him.  Sure, I still struggle with not being able to do as much as I wish I could and sure, I still struggle with being content with the amazing role of being Ryann's mom. Yet my joy and purpose in this life has been renewed, refilled and overflowed with grace that only comes from Him.

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That is just a small taste of what my life has been like here in SA.  I am sorry I have not written more about the ladies of mom's group or the ladies of SunShade.  They are such a big part of my life right now and I do wish I have written about them.  However, this blog, when I first started out was to mainly keep my family (both Carlsons and Rodriguezs) updated on their little grand daughter/niece.  So that was my reason.  But now that I only have 3 months left, i am going to attempt to write stories about the ministry aspect of my life.  That way you all get a better idea of what's going on here besides a little girl being super duper cute and whinny. :)  

But please be patient.  I struggle to write.  :)

Lately...

Lately, my little girl has been overly whinny.  It's driving me and Anthony nuts.  It's driven me to the point of keeping my cochlear implant off so I don't have to hear it.  She is whinny all the time.  She bumps her toe- she whines. She drops her book- she whines.  She sees me sitting down on the other side of the room- she whines.  She's in my arms- she whines.  Gosh. 

Wow.  Would you look at that?  I'm whining about my daughter whining.  Shoot.

As I was putting her down tonight I was praying aloud for God to give me patience and to show Anthony and I how to help her communicate what she wants/needs.  I also prayed for Anthony and I to be more observant to her to figure out the root to her whining.  

Despite her whining, she's still very much independent and adventurous.  She plays peek-a-boo with us by covering her own eyes.  She keeps her fingers apart so she can still see us. 

She is still such a joy in my life.  I really love being her mom.

I pulled Ry's old walker down from the closet for a little boy I was babysitting one day.  After that day, I set the walker back on the stairs to put away, Ryann made it her little playground.

We went out to eat one night and Ryann did a beautiful job!  She was very well-behaved and a pleasure to have.  She's sitting in Dave's lap watching something on TV that was across the room at the bar.  She stayed in this position for like 15 minutes.

I believe...

So I've been tagged for the first time to do a certain thing on this blog.  Now, I almost ALWAYS ignore these types of things and refuse to do it, simply because I do not have the motivation for it.  But... Jessie is just too cool and I want to be as hip and groovy as her.  Seriously, she's amazing, I've learned so much from her as a mom.  She has three gorgeous children.

So, apparently you gotta do 5 beliefs... nothing serious, religious or political... just fun stuff...

ok, definitely not as creative as Jessie- but I'll give it a try:

1- I believe in four seasons of climate change.  

2- I believe in Farmer's Muffins and chocolate milk for breakfast.

3- I believe in the comfort hoodies bring you on a bad (self-image issues) day.

4- I believe in big hugs from small arms.

5- I believe in the burn in the muscles at training.

Time, Slow Down.

Below are several photos of Ryann- my little girl is now 13 months and one week old.  Geesh. Time, slow down.

Ryann is outside and I am inside.  I asked for a kiss.

Eating PB&J for lunch.  

I've taken her shirt off since she's such a messy eater.

I love little feet.

She's got some very comical expressions!

Before Ryann was born, I had a couple baby showers.  At one of the showers, I was given these extremely cute size three pink boots.  They are thick and warm and meant for cold weather.

She is now barely fitting into size three shoe 

and I really wanted her to wear the boots once!

The boots are extremely stiff and she had a very hard time walking in them.  

She walked like she was wearing ski boots.

She has such a sad and forlorn face

 because Dave and Bethany are leaving for the day.

She is such a toddler in this one. 

 Not my little baby anymore. :(

AJR

Anthony Joseph Rodriguez is my beloved.  Oh, how I love him.  When I think of him, my eyes get misty and my heart tightens.  He is tall, has yummy chocolaty brown eyes, such soft brown hair and is cuban (which I find incredibly sexy).  :)  It matters not of what others think of his looks.  He is mine and I say he is so handsome.

I met Anthony through Laura, my twin.  At the time, Laura and Anthony were very interested in one another.  I had no feelings for him, I was interested in another fella.  Laura and Anthony dated for a couple months and it did not work out.  The rest is history.

What first drew me to Anthony and still attracts me today is his heart for God.  He is not perfect, none of us are, but he is quick to realize when he screws up.  He has such a passion for people and more specifically college students.  Yet, he craves his quite times, with no wife, or daughter or friends talking and interrupting him.  He is an introvert-extrovert.  He gains his energy from his quite and alone times and uses it for those around him.  

He is intelligent.  Sometimes it's overwhelming and frustrating to be the “unintelligent” one of us.  So I enjoy those few moments where I actually teach him something.  He loves to learn.  He is always challenging himself to read more books, expanding throughout the different types of literature.  But he really enjoys reading theology books and telling me of new things he has learned.  His knowledge of scripture is vast compared to mine, yet he is always pursuing God through the Word.  

He is a HUGE and borderline obsessive, fan of team Arsenal.  It is a European futbol team.  He diligently follows this team.  He could tell you just about every players names and their numbers and some of their stats including age (Arsenal is an very young team).  Yet, he is very focused on making sure that his faith and family comes first. He constantly asks me all the time if he needs to back off Arsenal as a way of keeping his priorities in line.     

He is Dad.  He does not want to be called daddy, papa, pops, father or Paw by his children. He wants to be called dad.  So Dad it is!  The way Anthony loves our little girl is so breath-taking.  He really wanted our first-born to be a boy, yet Ryann stole his heart the moment she was born.  He is determine to be the best father that Ryann needs.  He is fair in his disciplining and always makes the time to make sure Ryann knows that he loves her and understands (to the best of her ability) why Dad had to flick her hand.  He loves to tickle and wrestle and “chatter” with her.  He taught her to say “hi Dad” and “bye Dad”  and what the lion says...  “Rarrr”.  

He is my husband.  The way Anthony loves me is so uplifting and freeing.  He yearns to do things for me.   He has force himself pass his hatred for washing the dishes and simply doing them for me.  He is so willing to take care of Ryann so that I have time to myself and time to play soccer.  He loves to buy me all different types of flowers now and then.  He loves to tell me how beautiful I am to him.  He enjoys informing me how good i look in whatever I'm wearing for the day.  He is a great person to talk to about my heart's aches and joys.  He and I have our ups and downs and I look forward with such delight to many more.  I just love him.