Charity update

Okay, okay, you're right. I should have put up a picture of our new suite when I announced that it was finally ready. Andy, Lucas, Aidan and I will be moving in there for the coming days, so I'll snap a pictures of it & post it in the coming days.

So anyway, our dear friends of Intervol and FAB (Friends Across Borders) have just left. They have done some amazing work again in this last week. I can hardly believe how much these guys can achieve in such a short space of time.
They operated on children with cleft palates, on burn victims, they gave computer lessons at the new computerlab from the Scouts (set up with computers donated by Intervol), they hosted a 2-day grand-writing workshop, set up new alliances, etc. And they still had time to play football with the local kids, to drink Dr. Tim O'Connor's dangerously potent 'jungle juice', to go caving and to just have fun together. I love these guys!

I especially love the fact that these doctors, nurses and students not only give their time for free, but that they pay for all their own expenses on top of that (flights, board, food, etc.) And the fact that they don't come under any specific religious banner also appeals to me. It makes me feel that there are no hidden agendas here, they help people just because they want to, not to convert anyone in the process.

Please check out their blogs for more stories and tons of wonderful pictures of their time here:

http://intervolorg.blogspot.com/
http://intervol.blogspot.com/

And check out the Scout's page on their Intervol collaboration & the new computer lab:
http://www.scoutsbelize.org/intervol.htm

The plan is that Intervol will now help the Scouts in the setting up of computerlabs all over Belize. The computers are already ready and waiting in Rochester, New York. All we need to get organized is the shipping of these computers. If anyone out there can help with this, please contact me or Intervol.

Oh, and finally...I went to The Belize Christian Acadamy (the best private school in the country) to talk about getting the Jaden Foundation kids accepted there next year. But I'm afraid that it may be a near impossible task. The fees have gone up this year. The total price per child would be $1,750 ($ US) for the year. So to get all 17 kids in there would cost close to $30,000. That's just too crazy, even if the school could sponsor part of that money through their own charity. The Jaden Foundation is simply too small for that. Still, I'll see if I can organize something for the youngest kids at least (the ones starting school next year)

I'll let you know how it progresses.

The new Suite is ready! (finally)

Wow, things have been busy lately. I had to get the resort and our new Tree Top Suite ready for our biggest group of visitors so far, our friends of Intervol from Rochester, New York. They arrived Saturday, so yesterday I had my first chance to relax again (the rest of the Jungle Dome team are looking after them now)

I now have uninterupted time again with my kids. It feels like I have been looking after them 'on the run' lately, so yesterday I took the opportunity to draw pictures with Lucas, cut his hair, cuddle with Aidan etc. What a lovely Sunday it was. We all needed that.

My mum & Hans are back from San Pedro. They went there for a night, so Hans could see a bit more of Belize than just the Jungle Dome.

Poor Hans tried to read a bedtime story for Lucas last night, but Lucas got up in the middle of the story and said "Bimma (grandma) can do much better than that", leaving Hans on his own with the story book. I think that may be the last time that he attempts to read an English bedtime story for anybody (it did all make us laugh though).

And Lucas has been having a blast with the Woopy Cushion that his grandma brought for him. Actually, the adults have been having just as much fun with it. Especially at Hans' birthday party. Incredible how immature people get with a toy that makes farting noises.

Pictures of our Antigua/Lake Atitlan trip

Lost my posting!

Oh, how I hate this! I just wrote a post about our trip to Guatemala & I bloody lost it. Isn't that just the most annoying thing ever?

Can't be bothered to write the whole thing again just yet, but will do so in the coming days. Right now I have to get going, got to pick my mum up from the airport. Hey, that's actually put me in a better mood straight away. My mum is coming!!!!!!

Yvonne (my mother-in-law) is with us for one more night. She's off tomorrow. I better get the hankies ready. It's always so sad to say goodbye to family.

Oh....Guatemala was great, by the way.

Our little Budha with his grandma

Aidan with his protective older brother. Lucas even started crying with Jessica walked away with Aidan yesterday. He shouted 'Mum, she's taking the baby!" and was ever so upset. Bless him!

Aidan's first vacation

So much to sort out before our big adventure this coming weekend. We're off to Antigua, Guatemala on Saturday. We'll be there for 3 nights and will spend 2 nights at Lake Atitlan (I wonder how the area will have recovered from last year's mudslides)

Anyway, God knows how Aidan will take to traveling. Hopefully he'll adapt well as we'd like to be a rather mobile family. Lucas has always been an amazing 'gypsie baby' who you could drag along anywhere, so hopefully that runs in the family.

Andy's mum Yvonne has been staying with us since the 21st of last month and she'll be coming with us to Guatemala. She's also pretty excited about the whole thing. And we're all looking forward to being in a place that is slightly cooler than Belize. It's been hot here recently, so much so that we've been using the AC most days (and I normally hate AC's) Apparently the temperature in Antigua is between 21 to 27 degrees C. during the day & between 12 to 17 C. at night. Lovely!

I just hope that we're all over this cold that we've been having before our travels.