Self-Reminder

I just saw pictures of folks that I know in La Limonada celebrating Christmas. The walls are made of concrete, cardboard, and corregated tin… but the smiles are real and heart-felt.

In these photos I saw children smiling and faces I know celebrating with family and friends in the La Limonada community. I have to remember my focus in life… it’s easy to forget when I have a two month vacation filled with every luxury. The feast probably didn’t have fine wine and a huge turkey. The families didn’t sit around the TV and watch football or basketball. They didn’t sit around and stare at trees trimmed with lights and ornaments, hoping that Santa Claus would visit that night.

This Christmas, I realized how truly blessed I am… I have a loving family. My vacation has included lots of time with my amazing niece, Kassidy. However, I know that the kids that I am close to in La Limonada have not had excess this Christmas. I don’t know what to do with this knowledge. I love these children, and want the world for them.

I’m really looking forward to going home.

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Two Month Vacay

I do NOT miss working at an office job.

I get to do so many things that I couldn’t do if I had an office job. I have been filling my days with visiting family and friends. I have been spending a sickly amount of time with my sister-in-law, Ashley… one of my favorite people on the planet, and mother to my absolute favorite person on the planet. Ash and I have been spending lots of time together, which is superfun for me. I’m getting to spend extra time with Kass too… which she doesn’t love as much as I do, but probably because she’s three and a half years old.

I have been making a little extra money by babysitting and cleaning a few houses here and there. Just for the record, I hate cleaning. But it felt amazing to have a task that there was an end to… and feeling good about your work. I never got this feeling at my office job.

I have been able to spend a lot of time alone… one of the things that I love doing most. I have been able to relax in coffee shops in Raleigh and Wake Forest with my knitting and the Harry Potter books (I just started reading them, I’m on the third one and love it).

I have been able to visit the mountains of NC… especially Asheville. I plan to do this again before heading home to Guate the first week of January.

Fundraising is going okay so far. Still have more to do and have set myself up with a work schedule for next week. I have to start cracking down… just three weeks to go before I head home.

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