Just reminiscing...

Here are some sweet pictures which were fun to remember.
Emma at eight weeks old

Emma's first Halloween

Her big blue eyes are almost as big as her sucker!

One of my favorite chickens as a duck!

Gabe's first Halloween

don't wear a cape while riding a bicycle...

Just a piece of advice, "Don't wear a cape while riding a bicycle." Jonah's superman cape is stuck in the chain, and I can't get it out. Thankfully it didn't flip him off the bike. But last night he did have a bad crash in the basement trying to roller blade with one skate on. We kept him up later just to make sure he didn't have a concussion. He is very alert, but has a bad headache. After cleaning up his bloody nose and comforting him, Gabe smacked his face on the headboard and bloodied his nose getting into bed. Just another day in the Unger house!!!!! Keep those prayers coming=)

Freebird

Here is a picture of the band. Papa helped the kids write a song. Something about stinky feet and a sweet treat! Funny stuff, but don't quit your day job, Papa.

Thanks for the warm welcome home!

We want to say thank you to all our friends and family who have warmly welcomed us home. Diana was our unofficial housesitter. Our furnace apparently didn't turn on, and needed a repair (THANK YOU KARL), so if it hadn't been for Diana - even though we would have already shut off the water - we would have had a very cold welcome home! Diana made sure we had breakfast in the fridge for the next morning after our return, and even replaced Shrek, our beta fish, with Frank. Apparently, goldfish don't like e beta fish vases though, and Frank didn't make it long! Emma enjoyed feeding Frank for that week though.

We have really appreciated all the hugs and phone calls/emails. We didn't realize how lonely the mission field was until we returned home. So, it is back to life as usual. We'll hopefully have a newsletter out this next week giving more details about what comes next...until then enjoy pictures and stories of our family circus. We do have one question though, "Where is all the snow everyone talks about?" I think you all made it up to try to see if we would be jealous. We had shorts/sandals in the winter. Who is jealous of eight + inches of snow?

Emma is looking forward to spring weather, and has decided she wants to play softball this year. I am looking forward to some tough lessons she'll face, as following through with things hasn't been easy for her. Team sports is a great place to learn to follow through with a comittment. This picture is for you, Aunt Amy. Do you remember roller skating in the basement to "David Cassidy - he was soooo dreamy!"


Jonah finished Hooked on Phonics Level 1, and his reward is a new bible. He was soooo proud of himself today. He worked very hard for this reward (which was his idea) and we are also very proud of him.


Gabe is healthy and happy finally. He got a virus (still not sure what) while we were in Haiti, and seemed to be getting better upon returning home. Then he had symptoms which worsened and was treated for strep throat, and developed a hernia. I spoke with a nurse this weekend, who described a similar situation with her young son. She told me the swollen belly and hernia might be due to the excessive and forceful coughing he was doing, which brought so much air into his belly. His hernia is reducing by itself, as we have been praying for. Praise the Lord. Here is a picture of when he broke out in the rash and you can see how swollen his belly looks!

Here is a picture of him wrestling Papa this weekend. His belly is almost back to normal size, and he certainly isn't missing any of the action anymore!


We loved having make-up Christmas in February and probably even March this year. Here we are at Nana and Papa's house opening gifts and stockings.

Here is a picture of the boys who received overalls from Nanny and Papa, to get them geared up for the family garden this year.


Just so mama stays humble - here are photos of me making the dough, and Joshua turning off the smoke alarm. Umm...it's a long story. Suffice it to say, we did get yummy pizza and didn't even have to call Dominos!



Joshua got his new pottery wheel yesterday. We look forward to seeing him sitting and throwing. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing someone doing what they are gifted to be doing=)

American Airlines Bought Hersheys

We were just as prayerful about our exit as our entrance, and still we forgot the uncertainty of relying on others for transportation. So...we took off for Port-au-Prince at 4am, and had to stop at 5am for Nat to get carsick!!! Oh that was fun. Then another hour later, George realizes that he forgot his wallet. He stops in the desert to make a phone call and come up with a plan of action. Nat gets car sick again, and gladly takes the option of waiting for George's return there in the desert. Just a quick turn around and we were dropped off at Anse Rouge, a coastal/desert town which marks the point at the bottom of the mountain. We had a ice cold coke at 6:45 am and enjoyed the peace and quiet of a town just getting started, and startled to find our white family smiling and sitting on the curb. After three months, we didn't care about all the stares and opportunistic questions. We wandered along the coast and had church ourselves on the last Sunday in Haiti. We look a little weary, but have the joy of the Lord.















George returned two hours later, and we were again on our way. We made good time and arrived at our destination within 11 hours. Joshua loved on me by ordering very expensive Dominos pizza so I didn't have to cook the minute we walked in the door. It was worth it, and I don't think I've ever eaten five pieces of pizza in a row like that before! The Baptist Haiti Mission was a comfortable and relaxing place to land right before taking off again. We had hot showers and an indoor toilet:) Mama was soooo happy. There was a playground, and area for kids to come and play football. There is a museum and even a ZOO (go figure) at the Baptist Haiti Mission. We felt like we were on vacation that last day!











Before we knew it the time had come to go to the airport. We arrived and prayed for uncommon favor in our travel lines and possible delays. We paid a Haitian porter for help with our nine trunks and 1 checked bag. Somehow they got us right to the front of a very long line at American Airlines. We were surprised at this, and even more so when the woman said brisquely as she processed our tickets, "Now, you know that your flight has been cancelled." I just pursed my lips and said, "No, we did not know this." So, apparently we would not fly out at 10am, but at 1pm. That delayed our flight from Miami, so we would now arrive home at 10pm, instead of 4pm. Our family and friends were contacted (except Brother Joe - SORRY) and we just accepted our situation. American Airlines gave us a lunch certificate for the Port-au-Prince airport. Well, suffice it to say that this didn't really turn out to be lunch. Joshua did buy us 10 Hershey Bars with that money and some yucky sandwiches and Pepsi. The kids got souvenir hats. Aren't they so cute!


We made it to Miami, and walked right through the lines to baggage. Now, last July it took us at least 30 minutes in line for this process, and the man at customs said that it is never that clear! We go down the escalator and every one of our bags are right there at the bottom of the stairs. There is even a man with a huge cart who says, "May I help you with your luggage?" We just sort of raise our eyebrows and say, "Well, sure." We sail through the customs door and are amazed at how fast and smooth that went. Joshua had a nightmare vision of the customs officials opening every one of our stuffed full trunks and questioning us since we had so much luggage. We almost left Gabriel outside the elevator in our fog, and thankfully he caught up. We get upstairs to the Miami International Airport and find ourselves where else, but outside Edy's Ice Cream. GOD IS SO GOOD.


After we all enjoyed an ice cream cone, we wandered through the airport and had dinner. We finally arrived and were thankful to see family and friends in St. Louis.
When we walked into our house, we were all so amazed at how big it was...how much stuff we have...how sparkly clean everything looks...and how cold it is in Missouri! Josh tried to see about internet, Nat took a hot shower and blow dried her hair, and the kids just looked around at amazement at all their toys. (This is at midnight). Joshua was up at 7am unloading trunks and after 24 hours of laundry...it was all put away and clean. Well, we are glad to be home, and in some ways it is like we never left. I'll do another post about some of the things we all feel we took from this experience, but right now it is just enough to type and upload photos fast and in the convienience of our own place.

Pray for our family's health. It is seemingly common for all of us to get the winter colds etc. but we have been under attack physically for weeks now. Just when things seem over, someone has new symptoms and we delay visits and plans some more. Hopefully we will all be on the mend and be ready to visit and play soon! We've missed you:)

Si Bondye vle nou pral retounin.

(If God wants we will return)

Emma said, "I am happy to be here and happy to go back. I am happy to do whatever God wants us to do."

We all feel that way. Strange I guess, but I think that quandry simply speaks to thankfulness for where He has us and excitement to where He leads.

We can't clearly see past February 5th. The specifics, I mean. What? When? Where? With whom? But, we are clearer than ever about the general direction of our family - to go where He calls.

So, as we figure, it is just going to be us moving at the "speed of life"! We are just changing lanes.

We'll see ya on the road to destiny.

Joshua for the Ungers