Sicko

The flu season has not been kind to the Hunt family.  Ada has been perpetually sick.  She is still recovering from her last bout- last week she did not change from her PJs, go anywhere or eat for 4 days.  Fever and throw up this time.  I have had my share of worries about her- she seems to be our child of "delicate health".  I am chalking it up to her being exposed to Odessa's kindergarten germs and all the combined germs from the 2 other families involved in Joy School- their older siblings are in 1st and 2nd grade and I think a whole slew of new germs have been introduced to her this year.
Here are some conversations we have had lately:
I had explained to the girls what the word "contagious" meant- that something was easy to get.
Out of the blue one day Odessa says:  "The Dollar Store is really contagious"
Me:  Why do you say that?
Odessa:  Because it's full of things that are easy to get!

Ada- while lying on the couch one day said "I am pretty sure I know why I keep getting sick but I don't want to tell you and have you get mad"  (this disclaimer often precedes a confession in our house).
Me:  You can tell me, why do you think you keep getting sick?  (I was actually hoping for a specific incidence here that I could blame for the illness- she'd been sucking on the cart handle when I wasn't looking?  Hmmm, impossible.)
Ada:  I lick the lip gloss off my lips.
Me:  Don't worry Ada, that's not it.

And here's a random one that may only be funny in our family.
Fridays is popcorn and movie day after school.  We had a whole bowl of leftover popcorn because "sickie" didn't eat any.
Two days later:
Me:  I bet I know who would like this stale old popcorn.
Odessa:  Franklin?
Me:  No
Odessa:  Dad?
Me:  No
Ada:  You?
Me:  No
long pause . . . .
Odessa:  Sister Bingham?
(she's a sweet older lady that sits near us and helps with the kids)
Me:  (laughing) No!  The chickens!  (and they did)

A whole lotta something going on

Sigh.
Big sigh.
Spring Break is over.  So is Easter.  We had the Hunts, Nana and Austins visit us for Easter and turned around a traveled to Park City via Boise for the Hambelton "reunion" of sorts.  Two of my 3 sisters and their families met in Park City for a week of togetherness.  I have so many pictures of these 2 events, I finally made a Picasa Web Album.  You should be able to view it HERE.  If not, try the link on the side of my blog.  I played around with some of the features on Picasa there at the end.  That was fun.  Below is just a sampling.

It was a great couple of weeks filled with flowers, family and road trips.  We found our new favorite road trip CD- Road Trip by Hullabaloo.  We stopped at all-American eateries Maddox and Triple XXX Rootbeer.  I shopped a steady 8 hours at the outlet mall with my sisters.  That was pure bliss.  Now it's back to the grind, but the good weather seems to have followed us- at least for a couple days and there are birthday celebrations to anticipate.  Mine, then Frankie's (yes, he is ONE on May 5th) and then Ada's.

Life Changing

Last Friday night I attended a fundraiser and jewelry party for the non-profit African Promise Foundation.  A local mother of 5 got interested in the plight of the children in Northern Uganda who were displaced and orphaned as a result of the LRA Army (Kony's Army) and the move to camps by the government to "protect them".  The stories she shared with us and the pictures of the people in camps and orphanages that she is trying to help was of course heart wrenching.  The following video shows just a few pictures taken by her organization on trips to Uganda.  I wish you could hear the stories behind some of the pictures about the kids or people and what they have been through and how they currently suffer.  This is a great video.

African Promise Foundation does a few things- they buy jewelry that is made from beads that the women make from recycled paper and resell them here in the States.  Here are some I bought that night.

These silver beads are made by one woman who collects the silver linings from cigarette boxes.
The women get a fair price for their jewelry and the proceeds from sells are put in a fund to send some of the orphaned children to school.  Because this is such a small organization, 100% of the proceeds and all donations go to fund the kid's schooling.  100%!!  The woman who heads this organization and the board of directors do not get any reimbursement for their time and energy, they put it all towards the cause.  We have donated to a fair share of organizations in the past, and 100% of proceeds going to help a specific cause is just awesome and very rare.

I was so inspired by this tiny foundation.  Our "year of austerity" seems ridiculous.  We can afford to help these kids.  You can send one to school for anywhere from $300-600 a year.  Sounds like a lot of money until I think of that big trip to Costco when I spent $250 a few months ago.  A whole year of school- good school too, with room and board.  

It's hard to see pics of the little boys with distended bellies and think of my baby and his all-around great health and fatness.  But it helps to think of giving up something so that one of these kids can benefit.  If you want to help, go to http://africanpromisefoundation.org/.  If you do one thing only, please read the story of how the African Promise Foundation came to be under the "about" link.  http://africanpromisefoundation.org/about/

It might change your life, it sure did mine!