cut in thirds

well, i knew that it was coming... that long-awaited for day by some, long dreaded day by others... i just didn't know that it would happen so soon. yes... drum roll please... anna is now walking :)

she took her first unassisted steps at a little before ten months, and was full blown walking a couple weeks later. while i am so happy to see her happy with her independence and mobility, and while i am also so happy to not have my fingers connected to hers as i help her walk all over the property, my free time has been cut in thirds (or fourths, or fifths.... or eighths...), and my multi-tasking skills (which i have realized were never really put to practice much in my single or early married life) have been stretched quite a bit... the thought "where is anna?" seems to run continuously through my mind no matter what i am doing, and i finally can relate to all those parents that we saw in the aiport on our last trip home that had their children strapped to their arm by some long furry chain coming from some fluffly animal shaped backpack on the child's back.

after a wonderful, although quick, trip home to see my family at thanksgiving, we were able to celebrate a beautiful christmas here with the entire ficker family (including new brother-in-law matt!). as it is guatemala - and we are the only americans that we were getting together with so we could kind of do anything we wanted - we postponed christmas until the 27th and none of the kids knew any different :) chaotic is probably the best word that could describe 5 children under age five and 17 people total all stuffed onto couches and chairs and the floor opening presents all at once with more wrapping paper on the floor than i have ever seen.... it was a blast.

sally and erv york, friends of ours from quiche, sent over a pinata for the kids to break open, as it is guatemalan tradition to celebrate with pinatas. while we all expected abi to be the first to break it open, it was grace who surprised me the most, hitting the pinata hard and solid with a very determined look in her eyes... i was pretty sure she took out all the things she has ever found unfair in her life on that poor little pinata!

and for the first time since i married aaron, i was actually awake at the stroke of 12 on new year's eve as hannah, matt, rachel, aaron and i all brought in the new year with the movie despicable me, 2011 glasses, and toasts with our cups of juice held high. not quite times square, but surely second best....

the new year has so far brought much of the same as last year in the daily aspects of life.... aaron continues to work on keeping the planes up and running, and i still continue to do clinics three times a week while he takes care of anna. the other days are filled with upkeep of general ministry and personal household needs, which seem to be the lists that can never be caught up with :)

however, the new year has also brought with it a flow of friends and visitors as we find it is easier to now count the weeks that we do not have people coming and going than the weeks that we do! in febraury, we will welcome back dr malachi courtney, our friend who has been down several times before; my parents in for the brithday of their first (and only) granddaughter; dr heidi bell, who will hopefully make it out for a day or two to visit after doing surgeries all week in chichicastenango; the allisons, in for a few weeks to help out in many ways; and norm and vickie sutton who will not actually be staying with us, but will be coming back to the orphanage in san andres after a visit home for the holidays. i am looking forward to a time of catching up on each of their lives face to face as opposed to the emails and other forms of communication we are often left with being countries apart.

here's anna playing in our little miracle of the day - a puddle after a light warm rain in the middle of the dry season... rainbow included. thanks, god :)