Christmas Letter 2011

This is such a great picture, but even though it looks right side up on my computer, it uploads upside down. Anyway, this is Natalie and I a couple months ago.

Me with Anna and a little boy (not sure of his name) at Orphanage #40.

Kinley on her 1st birthday. She rocked the tutu!

Dear family and friends......

I've been a tad, uh... busy. :-) A formal Christmas letter just wasn't going to happen this year. I decided to post an update on 2011 here and include the blog address in my Christmas cards (which will hopefully be mailed before Christmas!). That way if people don't want to read another boring Christmas letter they won't have to..... :-)

2011 started out on a great note with the arrival of another niece, Natalie Jenette, this time to Ben and Kim. She has been an absolute joy! I've seriously never met a baby that is so smiley! Natalie just goes with the flow. I'm trying to be more like her! I think she's going to be quite a talker someday because she just babbles and babbles.

On 1-11-11, I started a "new" job in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at the brand new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. It's a beautiful facility and I truly enjoy what I do. We have great collaboration with our physicians, which makes the work environment all the more enjoyable. I'm also blessed with an awesome schedule... I have a five-day weekend off every other week. No complaints here!

In April, my niece Kinley turned ONE! She looked stinkin' adorable in her tutu and she really enjoyed her cake! Kinley is such a sweet girl. She loves to give hugs and (open-mouthed) kisses. :-) She is just starting to say some words and I'm sure by this time next year she will have lots to say! Christmas will be a blast this year with both girls at great ages to rip open presents!

On May 30, I sent a message to a cute guy from Canada who kept looking at my profile on a Christian online dating site. He wrote back and we've been talking and dating and road-tripping, and Skype-ing ever since. His name is Ben Prabhakar and he lives in London, ON. Thankfully London is only about a four hour drive away and thankfully I have those five day weekends every other week. :-) The Christmas season promises to be crazy-busy as we try to spend time with both of our families. Ben is a genuinely nice guy who is strong in his faith and has a dry sense of humor. A few people have asked if they have to save a date for a wedding. We have no announcements at this time, but promise to let you all know of any developments. ;-)

In August I traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia with a group from West Michigan through the ministry of Orphan Outreach. What an experience that was! I met some amazing kids....all of whom I wished I could rescue from orphanage life. The orphanage that affected me the most was Orphanage #40 which is the special needs orphanage. I've always had a heart for kids with special needs, but I found my heart just breaking because these kids would likely never be adopted because they had been labeled.... labeled as 'special needs kids'. There were several kids there who didn't have visible needs.. .they looked very healthy. We found out later that those kids are HIV+ and are placed at Orphanage #40 so that they can be monitored by a physician. The caregivers at #40 were wonderful with the children. When one of them saw me crying, she assured me through the interpreter that they love these children for us when we aren't there to love on them. That didn't help. I cried harder. I would love to someday return to Russia and maybe see some of the same kids again. We'll see.....

Well, those are my highlights of 2011. It's been a year filled with signs of God's faithfulness to me and my family. Can't wait to see what 2012 holds!

Love to you all,

Becky

Haiti update

I have volunteered to serve for a week or so in Haiti the second week of March. There's no guarantee that we will actually go, but if the trips are still happening and they need a nurse, I might be their girl. :) I'm completely trusting God in this. . .if He wants me to go, it will happen, if not, then that will be OK too.

The team is doing some amazing work down there. Check out www.oamichigan.com/haiti to see what Orthopedic Associates is doing down there. I'd love to be a part of it!

Haiti bound?

I have the opportunity to potentially travel to Haiti sometime soon. Some of our orthopedic surgeons and anesthesiologists are traveling there for hopefully ten straight weeks (one week increments). They are in desperate need of post-op nurses. When I first heard about this opportunity, I thought, "Sign me up!" But then the more I thought about it, the more I worried about my safety, the conditions there, and the potential emotional trauma I will suffer long after returning. So this leads me unsure about what to do. . .

The devastation in Haiti is beyond anything I have ever seen or imagined. Dead bodies in the street, maggot/bug infested wounds, surgeries under very primitive conditions, HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases. I'm not sure I'm strong enough to handle all that. . . but I do know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I'm posting this in hopes that those of you who happen to still check this blog will say a prayer for me. I want to be open to the Lord's leading, but I struggle with making a wise decision in regards to my physical safety and emotional health.

Back to "Normal"

Well, I've been home for a week already. A lot of people (well, mainly co-workers and my mom) have asked me what the best part of my trip was. The thing is, I honestly don't know! I LOVED Bryce and Zion National Parks. I literally was awestruck by the beauty. But then I drove the Pacific Coast Highway and thought, "Nothing beats this." Then I saw whales off of the Oregon coast and could hardly believe what I was seeing. Then I met my new "niece" Maryn and that dwarfed everything else. So. . . I like to say, "It was all good." I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. . .

It's been good to be back in a "normal" routine. I feel renewed after just being away from it all for a while. Other than when I had surgery a few years back, this was the longest time I've had in 10 years of working full-time. I need to get away more often. So. . .

My wheels are already turning coming up with my next adventure! :)

A Glimpse of the Past Few Days

Malinda and I. . . I'd say we still look no older than 25. :)


The whole gang at West Beach by Deception Pass. We enjoyed a yummy picnic.




Livy and Gina. . . this was take two. Check out take one below. :)




Take One -- Silly Uncle Gene

Baby Maryn. . . she is so sweet! I especially like her little chin. :)

Sorry for the lack of updates these past few days. Here's a quick summary of what went down. . .

Sunday -- I enjoyed an amazing service at Mars Hill in Seattle. By about 2:30pm I arrived at Josh and Malinda's house. It was so great to see them and the girls. Gina and Livy haven't changed. . . they've just grown a lot taller! Maryn is absolutely precious! I'm so thankful that I could meet her so soon.

Monday -- We laid low. Malinda did some schoolwork with the girls. I was on baby-duty which was fine by me. :) In the afternoon, we went for a hike on the trails near their house. The girls had me running! "Aunta Becka, you're a fast runner!" (said by Livy). If I'm fast, I'd hate to see slow. :)

Tuesday -- We had lunch at a nearby park and then went on a field trip to a Hummingbird Farm. It was actually quite boring, but the kids seemed to enjoy themselves. In the evening, we joined Uncle Gene and Aunt Shari at West Beach near Deception Pass for a picnic. It was a gorgeous evening! We had a great time!

Wednesday -- After a tearful goodbye, I headed out. Aunt Shari mentioned that I might enjoy Leavenworth. A city in WA that is all Bavarian-style. The drive to Leavenworth was beautiful. I really enjoyed strolling the streets and browsing all the little shops. It reminded me so much of Austria. I finally found a hotel in Ontario, OR where I got some much-needed sleep.

Thursday -- Today was just a driving day. I'm settled into a rather dumpy little hotel in Salt Lake. My flight is at 0800 tomorrow. I'm ready to go home, but I have had such an amazing time! I think my final mileage tally will be about 3700. Crazy, huh? Today was the first day that I was sick of driving. The rest of the time I truly enjoyed it. :)

I'm not sure who's reading this since no one ever comments :P but thanks for checking in and sharing my adventure with me. I think there will be another one again soon!

The Oregon Coast

The day started out extremely dreary. . .but check out the light on the lighthouse! Never would have seen that if the sun was shining! Isn't that beautiful? Click on the picture to see a better/larger view.



Somewhere in Oregon. . . things are looking a tad brighter!



I saw several whales right along the coast! I could have watched all day. . .

Haystack Rock near Cannon Beach, OR. It is HUGE!

I had a great day! It started out very dark and dreary, but once I was north of Newport, it started to brighten up. I also saw whales today! I was so excited! I snapped a few pictures, but they don't really capture how cool it really was.

I met a friend/fmr co-worker in Cannon Beach for lunch. It was fun to spend time with someone besides myself! :)

Tonight I'm in Seattle. I'll attend Mars Hill Church (unrelated to Mars Hill in Grandville) in the morning and then head up to Anacortes to spend a few days with Josh and Malinda and their three kiddos.

More pics here. . . >> http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=143837&id=666759082&l=ee016da58f

Sightseeing on the fly. . .

I left Tiburon at about nine this morning. I planned on a 9 hour drive to Coos Bay, OR. Unfortunately, soon after I left Tiburon my "change oil" light came on. After calling Enterprise, I had to find a place to get this taken care of. I'll admit to being a tad annoyed. This wasn't part of my itinerary for the day. . . :) Anyway, Enterprise wanted me to find a Sears, so I stopped in Redding, CA. It took one hour and twenty minutes for them to change my oil. I finally arrived in Coos Bay about 8pm.

The scenery in northern CA and southwest Oregon was amazing though. I snapped some pics as I drove. :)

Tomorrow I head up the Oregon coast and will meet my friend Lindsey for lunch.