The Amos Family

Fun-Filled Christmas 2011

2012-01-09T08:36:00.011-06:00

We had a lovely Christmas this year and it was full of surprises, fun things from family and friends back home and good time with teammates here in Rwanda. Starting with a visit from Santa...

Jude and Lily are already ahead of Pete, when it comes to smiling pictures with Santa. Pete now has three years of screaming Santa pictures and as you can tell it went no better this year!! And yes, we continue to torture him and try to convince him that Santa is a good guy. It does make me laugh that parents want their kids to like a completely stranger old man, to sit on his lap and take candy from him. What a great tradition?!

Thank you Grandma Stella for the delicious Dr. Pepper, that Pete so desperately tried to squeeze one more drop out of the bottle after Daddy finished it.

This was the only downer about Christmas, Pete got harrassed by a Nairobi Eye, which is a blister beetle. Pete actually smashed it on his face and the acid from the beetles body causes blisters, burning and a lot of mess over the past two weeks. It is still peeling some and is finally clearing up.

Thank you Rogers cousins for Pete's new tool set. He plays with it ALL the time. The only bad thing about it, is that our walls are so terribly weak, that we fear that Pete might actually put a huge hole in the wall which is plastic drill or hammer. :)

Our traditional Gingerbread-making contest and Fred Shelby smoked us all. He came with one amazing design and here it is completed--garage, car and all.

Lily was not as worried as she looks in the picture, I just thought it was too cute a moment not to catch. Pete LOVES his brother and sister so very much.

If we can't have snow for snowmen, then we will make them out of red grapes. Our first time ever to buy grapes here, a REAL Christmas treat for us all! Worth the splurge, it totally made Pete's day.

Making our green Christmas tree cookies, as always. Pete loved decorating them, at least for the first tray of them. Then he was off to sword fight, play with our dog or take on some other adventure.

Pete continues to LOVE to read. Here he is spontaneously reading Frosty the Snowman to his sister. He turned the book around and everything all by himself. I was so impressed, that I even sat down and listened to him sing the song to her.

Christmas Packages and Hot Winter Weather

2012-01-05T01:24:00.004-06:00

Family and friends have been so sweet to us this Christmas...as you can see we have gotten a few packages to make our holidays so very special. Here are a few pics of the kids sporting some of their Christmas clothes and enjoying the warm, warm weather of Rwanda during December.

For anyone concerned about the picture above, Lily did NOT ride the scooty with Heath without a helmet. We are always safe and have a good little helmet on her! :) Just kidding, she did not ride the scooter at all.

Jude is loving his little exersaucer and is full of smiles and looking for adventure. He chews on everything in sight now, but no teeth yet. We will see in the weeks to come, I am guessing they are on their way soon.

Thank you Mema for our new outfits, they were so much fun.

Sometimes I do not know what we would do if we could not play outside anytime we want to. Everyone loves it and the weather permits it, pretty much every day of the year. Somedays it rains for a bit, but the sun always comes out and we can enjoy our swingset.

Another picture of our Christmas pajamas from Mema every year. Only difference in them is the size! As you can tell, Jude is wearing a slightly larger size than our sweet Lily. They are both growing well and eating great, but Jude is just a bit more energetic about eating!! :)

We are thankful to have two healthy and happy twins in our lives. We sometimes wonder what it would be like to have only welcomed one little one into our home 7 months ago. Life would be so boring! :) Thank you God for every bit of joy, laughter and exhaustion you have blessed us with.

Lately Happenings

2011-11-28T12:14:00.004-06:00

Time has gotten away from us these past few months with all the fun we have been having, but I have been taking pictures. Here are some things that we have been up to.

Pete still loves to read and has recently been keeping the twins fully entertained as he flips through pages and tells them what is going on. Some books that he has memorized, he actually does read it to them. In particular, Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Sandra Boynton books.

Lily keeps an eye on all of us, just quietly sitting back and taking it all in. She is one content little one and is happy pretty much all the time.

We tried to have Thanksgiving here, even though no one in Africa has even heard of the holiday. We made turkeys, had pumpkin soup and even a pecan pie - with pecans straight from TX. Pete named his turkey above "Guinea"--after the lone, surviving African guinea fowl on my parents farm in Anton, TX.

The first wagon ride on a beautiful November afternoon.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! A pretty good three-kid pose, if you ask me! All looking and smiling.

We are studying Creation now in Bible study and these are some of the crafts he is showing off.

Pete comparing his old teething chew giraffe to the new one the twins received. Jude and Lily will quickly rid the newer giraffe of her spots at the rate they are going. They chew and chew on these squeaking little rubber giraffes. I don't know how we would get teeth without them.

Jude is ready to go and loving life in the exersaucer.

Mommy's little elf, helping me put up the Christmas decorations in the house. Pete is loving the hoidays for the first time this year. It has been so much fun to hear him singing Christmas songs and talking about SanTa

Failed Photo Opportunities...

2011-11-28T11:06:00.005-06:00

Pete has it in his head that he can hold both of the twins at the same time. The other day, as I was taking some pictures of Jude and Lily, Pete decided he wanted to be in the pictures. Here are some of our efforts at a picture with all three kids.

In this picture, Pete just realized that he REALLY needed to go to the bathroom. He started desperately asking me to get Lily off his stomach and get him to the toilet!

So as Pete headed to the bathroom, Jude and Lily took some lovely, happy pictures together. Perfectly content to be leaning back together and away from the clutches of their big brother.

Then Pete came back.....

....we tried again and again.

...and as you can see, even Jude and Lily are questioning my judgement here! Needless to say, these kids will know that Pete loves them no matter what. And I will keep letting Pete try to hold them, until they get big enough to run away, which I am afraid is ever so close!

You know you're in Africa when...

2011-11-01T12:21:00.003-06:00

...your kid downs a bottle of de-worm medicine like it was candy! Pete loved this stuff and kept tipping the bottle back to try to get more. If you look closely in the picture, you can see a white mustache on his upper lip from the syrupy medicine. It was too funny that he liked it so much. Unfortunately, it did take a toll on his little body, causing two days of 102 degree temperature and a bit of a rash. But hopefully, if we had any worms, they are long gone now! :)

New Park in Kigali

2011-11-01T03:30:00.005-06:00

There is a new park in Kigali - or should I say a park, that Pete can go play at for a small fee. And I will say that it was completely worth it. He went with his two best friends, Tess and Cy Shelby and played his little heart out. And Jude and Lily got in on the outing too - they pretty much did a lot of sweating and looking wide-eyed around at everything.

This merry-go-round does not even work, but as you can tell Pete though it was great. I am pretty sure he does not know that it is supposed to move and play music - this a case in which ignorance in bliss!

Thanks Grandma Carol for my sun bonnet - it was really hot out there, as you can see from the expression on my face!

The trampoline was so much fun and it was so safe for them to bounce all around in. It was a dream world for these three little squirts.

Christmas in July and Life with Twins

2011-08-21T07:31:00.006-05:00

Our life with twins so far has been quite random, as you can tell from these pictures. These are just a snap shot of our life as we ended up time in TX and now are back in Rwanda.

Pete is a little nut and keeps us laughing all the time. Underware on the head is pretty much always funny in our house!

Grandpa Tom came down from West Virginia to visit us in TX before we left for Africa. We all rode horses and had a good time out in the crazy high heat.

Pete loved walking on the hay bales, but he was incredibly cautious. I don't know if you can tell from his stance, but he took tiny steps all hunched over the whole way.

It was the summer of horny toads and everyone got a kick out of them.

Sneaking around in Papa's boots while he was gone. Pete became obsessed with cowboys this summer and plays with this wild west figurines all the time.

Jude and Lily sleep like this most every time they sleep, they are on the same schedule for the most part and are sleeping through the night now...7-9 hours. Yipee!!

We had Christmas in July right before we left. Santa Claus rode up on a horse and delivered stockings to us, since we will be away from America during Christmas this year. It was super fun and huge surprise to us all!

Pete is always loving on his brother and sister and especially likes to hold them. He doesn't realize that Jude & Lily are not too comfy.

The twins finally fit in their little matching church outfits. They were a hit this morning at worship.

This is what happens when I turn my back on Pete and the twins...Lily is wearing Woody the Cowboy's little plastic hat. Pete thought it was a perfect fit and so very funny.

Jude Anchor and Lily Ann Arrived....2 months ago!!

2011-08-16T00:51:00.004-05:00

So the twins did arrive 2 months ago and I just never posted on this blog. I suspect that anyone who actually reads this blog has already seen many a picture, but I thought I would update and try to stay a little bit chronologically correct on this blog. I hope to update a couple of more pictures today. Lily Ann had this awesome picture taken just moments after birth and she looks so very pleased to be out in the world, huh?! I love it. They were born just 4 weeks and 2 days early, so they had to go to NICU for the hospital stay. Praise God, they did get to leave the hospital with us just a few days later and we all went home healthy and happy. Jude was born first at 5 lb. 6 oz. and Lily was 5 lb. 1 oz.

Jude sporting all of his NICU cords and monitors for his few days there.

The twins sleep beautifully just inches from each other to this day. It is so fun to see them snuggle up to each other and find comfort in each others presence.

Home on the farm in Anton, our little family of five. Pete LOVES his brother and sister and couldn't be prouder of them. He tells practically everyone we meet, "I have two babies." with a big smile.

Life Around the Farm & 9 months Pregnant

2011-06-24T07:02:00.005-05:00

We have been back in Texas now from Rwanda for 2 months and are just now quickly trying to update the blog. Pete has been busy around the farm, playing with baby kittens, hanging out wit the dog, feeding chickens and gathering their eggs and the list goes on and on. My Dad recently built this little pond out at the farm and it makes for some great swimming on these hot summer days. We have loved that Pete has gotten so much time with his Papa and MeMaw this summer. Also, is a picture of me 9 months pregnant with Jude and Lily just a few days before we delivered them. They are here now, but that will come in a later post.

As you can tell, Pete LOVES the kittens around the farm. He is about the only person who can catch them and I am glad to say they are all still alive - despite his "enthusiastic" hugs and petting.

Who needs professional swimming lessons and fancy pools, when you have a pond full of algae and goldfish in your own backyard! Pete has a blast every time we go swimming.

Noche is so very tolerant of Pete sitting on him, kissing him, riding him, hugging him and in general constantly bothering him. They are pretty good pals.

First Stitches & First Soda

2011-04-06T06:18:00.015-05:00

Last week we had a first, but I am sure not a last. Pete was adventurously climbing on the new stroller we got to help us out with twin transportation. We had just stepped around the corner, when he thought he would try to climb to the top of it. And the wheels slipped out and Pete met the tile floor chin first. Thankfully Dr. Brian Robinson, on our team, was near and we drove right to his house for stitches! Below are some pictures of our afternoon.

Who knew that their aluminum rolling island in their kitchen would be the perfect exam and operation table?! :)

He was not thrilled to be wrapped up like a mummy for the procedure, so we distracted him with some Peter Pan on Heath's iPhone...those phones are so handy.

Here is the finished product...one big gash sewn nicely with three stitches.

And here is the finished Pete...one disgruntled, tired little guy. Even the M&M's weren't too much of a comfort, but he ate them up of course!

Here are happier times though. A few days later while at a friend's party, Pete was given his first orange Fanta. As you can well see, he was tickled with his treat. It was hard to even get a picture of his face, as he usually had it down and focused on the straw. The fizz was so much, his little eyes watered the whole time and he kept choking on the bubbles. It was so funny to watch him drink it!!

Random Pete-ness

2011-04-06T00:24:00.006-05:00

It has been a while since I posted much, so here are just a few random pictures of Pete. He is growing and learning so much, it is nothing but a joy to be with him everyday. He keeps us genuinely laughing, moving and smiling most of the day.

Pete got a backpacking sleeping bag for Christmas from Meemaw and Papa. He LOVES that thing and curls up in it all the time. We look forward to the day that we will all use it on the trail someday.

We enjoy sunshine about 11 months a year, with about a month of all-day rain. Pete loves swimming in his little pool on most every day!

Hiding is one of the all time favorites right now and this old, empty suitcase made the perfect hiding spot. He stayed in it for probably an hour on different occasions.

We have enjoyed about 35 days of visitors over the last 2 months and these were some of Pete's buddies. Isabella and Jackson are pictured above and he is swinging beside another little friend, Emerson, below.

Pete has smoothly transitioned to a big bed. Sometimes he enjoys sleeping in this little GI Joe Tent (pictured below), which Heath used as a kid on his bed. Thanks to Grandma Stella for keeping it all these years, he things he's 'hiding' the whole nap time!

Potty Training and The Big TWO!!

2011-02-09T06:23:00.005-06:00

Pete doing a potty dance in his new Buzz Lightyear Undies!!

A new adventure started at our house last week, we started potty-training Pete. It was 1 week until his 2nd birthday and I thought we would give it a try and see how he took to it. With twins coming in 4 months, it would not be a bad thing to get one kid out of diapers for the most part! And I can't take any credit for his success, but he has broken all expectations I have ever had for potty training!! He has not had an accident now for two weeks, except when he had one two many prunes for breakfast and mistakingly thought he was only letting out a little toot. (Which he thinks are too, too funny...I think it must be an inborn trait in kids to laugh their heads off when hearing a gas being passed, once they realize their bodies can do it!!) But he has been dry even at naps and nighttime for 4 days in a row!! I am not calling him "potty-trained" yet, but he is well on his way. I think he knows big things are coming, so he is trying to make things easier for Mommy!! Plus, he LOVES the potty dance we've made up and the Tic-Tacs he gets as a reward. He as also trying to hold up two fingers in on of the pictures above. :)

Also, Pete turned 2 on February 2nd. I can hardly believe my little guy is so big and that we have had two wonderful years together. He had two wonderful birthdays in America with Heath's parents and my family. Thomas the Train is a big deal at our house right now, and Stella helped make him a great cake. His most talked about topic right now is horses for sure, but while we were in the States he could not stop from calling horses, "zebras". I guess he noticed their similarities and was always asking to ride zebras with Papa! So my sister made him a great cake with one of each on it and my Mom made her famous tequitas for a family birthday bash. He has had his fill of birthdays and blows out his candles in a flash.

Here are Pete's 2 Year Stats:

Weight: 24 lbs - 5th %

Height: 33 1/2 in. - 45th %

Head: 19 cm. - 60th %

West Virginia Holidays

2011-01-30T01:45:00.006-06:00

We spent 3 weeks in St. Marys, WV, Heath's hometown. We got to visit with a lot of his family and spend everyday with Grandpa Tom and Grandma Stella. The weather was certainly snowy and freezing cold most of the time, so we stayed bundled inside for most of it. Being from Rwanda, we don't exactly have good snow gear! Pete thought snow looked pretty, but preferred the warmth of the house. Here are a few pictures of our time there.

Pete love helping Grandma Stella decorate a cake for a wedding while we were there and he enjoyed eating it even more!! He actually had a hard time eating anything else for the 3 days it took to bake, decorate and deliver the cake! :)

Shoveling snow is no more fun than it looks!

Grandma Postlethwait came down several times to visit with us. It was great to see her and play 5000 Rummy and Mexican Train, like we always do.

We had Christmas while we were there and as you can tell from Pete's face, he thoroughly enjoyed it. He loved digging in his stocking and pulling out treats.

Duck season came in while we were visiting and Heath loved getting to go out with his Dad, every morning it was possible. Their time was not spent in vain, there were ducks aplenty.

Catching Up from Furlough 2010

2011-01-24T06:05:00.011-06:00

We had a great time on furlough from the day we hit Lubbock, TX. As you can see from the pictures, Pete as quickly initiated into hunting most every day it was warm enough to go out. He was having so much fun he didn't notice things like giant green snot in his nose or that dried out cow patties were not cookies. (He was actually spotted unknowingly taking a nibble of a cow pie!!) Papa and Dad were just glad he was staying quiet during the wait for birds to come in!! He loved every minute of it and he was thrilled to dress up like a cowboy or 'Papa" for Halloween. I am trying to little by little chronicle bits of our last few months.

And all of the cousins had a great time together...as can see 7 kids can fit on one horse! I have a feeling Pete was a little uncomfortable, what do you think?

By the way, we are now back in Rwanda and I am 16 weeks pregnant with our twins. They are happy and healthy and my belly is growing daily. We are thrilled to pieces and working on getting our home ready for two more little squirts.

Two Grasshoppers

2010-12-21T15:03:00.006-06:00

We got a big surprise at our latest visit to the doctor. Our family has not only been blessed with an addition to our family, but we are being blessed with TWO additions to the Amos clan! Yes, as you can see below, we are very pregnant with twins. I am 11 weeks along and the little grasshoppers are doing great. Everything looks fine for us to return to Africa for the 2nd trimester and then we will come back for the deliveries. We are thankful, excited and full of wonder of what the next year of our lives will hold. God is so good and we can only think of all of the fun we are going to have. Just wanted to share the exciting news and we ask for prayers whenever you think of it! Blessings and Merry Christmas!

Also, there is a picture of Pete with all of his cousins here in Lubbock, TX. He has loved being around family and is soaking it up. We return to Rwanda in 3 weeks.

Apple Orchard

2010-10-21T15:02:00.003-05:00

Pete got to apple picking at the local orchard last week. His Aunt Jessica took him for the morning and he had a great time. He is an apple fan for sure and of course found the dog on the orchard to hang out with. He calls every dog by our dog in Rwanda's name and he loves each new dog with them same amount of gusto! He held on to his apple the whole time and nibbled away at it - little by little. By the way, we are in the USA in Texas now, in case you didn't know!

Oh, The Places to Read!

2010-08-25T12:48:00.004-05:00

Pete just loves to read, as I am sure most kids do this age. It is certainly exciting to see him find joy in books. He sits for long stretches of time and just pulls book after book down to look through & "read" to himself. He intently looks at each page and babbles, as if he knows the exact story taking place. He is recognizing more and more, calling out names of things he sees, doing sign language to what he recognizes and making a vast array of noises for things. I didn't get a picture of it, but he also is often caught grabbing books to read in the car, when we tell him it is time to go. Books are magical at all ages!

Pete the Nut

2010-08-20T11:53:00.003-05:00

Our Pete has turned into quite the little ham. He is always so silly, finding new things to try to make us laugh. There is not much he isn't willing to try or a goofy face he isn't trying to make. And he is not afraid of the camera, which makes catching great moments and unique little facial expressions easy to catch. Hope you enjoy some moments over the past couple of weeks.

Pete found this bowl outside and thought it made the perfect hat!

Mr. Happy found his new rain boots to just the perfect fit and wanted to show them off.

This is one perfect Pete look, squinty eye and that crooked smile! We just LOVE it.

Pete was dying to touch the eye of the camera...he thought he was SOO funny. I took about 9 pictures with his finger in the view hole!

This is a short video of one of his favorite expressions when he is having a big time. I am always surprised how clearly he can say things. At least we get a kick out of it!!

Random Funny Pictures

2010-06-12T04:20:00.004-05:00

Most people think that Pete is all easy-going and sweet, but this picture is a little glimpse of his stinker side. We gave him a mohawk to fit his attitude this night, as he thought he was pretty cool stuff with a room full of college students visiting from the States. I thought this facial expression was too funny.

And do you think this dog is amazing or what?! Pete spends 2/3 of his awake hours laying with, patting, sharing toys or following her around. She lets Pete do just about anything he wants and he is actually really gentle with her, without too much harassment. We are pretty sure Pete would sleep in here with her, if we would only let him.

My Birthday Surprise!

2010-06-11T10:00:00.003-05:00

This is how I picked up my birthday package from Heath at the post office here. They escorted us into a back room in the post office, apologizing the whole way. I wasn't the least bit upset, I am just so surprised they didn't trash it after demolishing the package! Heath tried to surprise me with some treats from America -- rainbow chip icing for a birthday cake, prunes, and a new faucet for my kitchen so I can keep the window open to keep cooler! All arrived here in Kigali, only as you can see, it was somehow smashed to pieces. You better believe that I came home an salvaged every bit of icing I could - opened with ants on it or not! Thank you to my sweet husband for thinking of me and to my sister for sending it on. Jessica asked what she could have done differently to package it better and I told her the only safe bet would be to send it in a corrugated steal box next time! :)

Pete WALKS!

2010-05-22T09:25:00.004-05:00

Here is the our little guy walking all over! It is as if he doesn't remember how to crawl anymore. He just woke up today and decided it was time to walk...Mommy wants him to slow down!!

My First Safari

2010-05-18T13:53:00.003-05:00

Pete got to go on in first safari a couple of months ago and he loved it, as you can tell. These first pictures were of his spotting of some giraffe! He was so excited and wanted everyone else to see what he was seeing. Too fun.

Then on the way home we got a really bad flat, which is inevitable for any good safari trip. So Pete decided he needed to take over the wheel as you can see below. I think he can be trusted driving, he looks like he knows exactly what he is doing!

Then back to the camp site for some good grub. It was really cold that night, but the only hat we had for him was this old Halloween costume hat, that was meant for a sheep. He appropriately began eating grass!

Pete was one tired little guy after a long day of driving across the safari and having fun at the campsite. What a great trip and fun memory for us all. We are so blessed to be in such amazing country, able to see so many wonders of God's creation each day.

Fun in the Yard

2010-05-12T22:57:00.004-05:00

Pete loves exploring in the yard, digging in piles of leaves, picking up rocks and chasing the dog. He could stay out there all day and as you can tell from the pictures, he absolutely loves it. He is also still really proud of the fact that he can stand all by himself, even though he's been doing it for months.

He loves brushing his teeth, this time he found Daddy's big toothbrush while we were packing for a trip and went to town. It is amazing how kids learn things that you never deliberately teach them. Pete just grabbed it and went to town, he also grabbed the tube of tooth paste as you see!

These Cards Are Amazing!!

2010-05-12T14:26:00.002-05:00

Pete got another great little music card a week or so ago! He has used played with it every chance we give it to him. Unfortunately, at this point the card is pretty much destroyed, from repeated use. It is so much fun to watch him figure it out and see his little rhythm emerge!

Pete the Climber

2010-03-21T06:19:00.002-06:00

Pete hasn't walked yet, but he can sure climb. He climbs up on everything in the house: chairs, sofa, step stool, etc. Just two days ago, he was playing outside and climbed up the slide, turned around, and slid down it. He is a little daredevil.

Swimming Fun

2010-03-18T03:57:00.003-06:00

Pete loves playing in his little pool that Grandma sent him. Unfortunately, he also loves drinking the water, which is completely unsafe for him to drink! So when we swim, we spend most of our time battling him from drinking up the amoeba infested water. But we have a great time nonetheless! Since it is perpetually summer weather here (pretty much), we don't even need towels to dry off. Pete just air dries as he rides his horsey through town. Scroll down to see how much he enjoys riding like a cowboy vs. riding like a lady!

This is the way the ladies ride....

This is the way the cowboys ride...(minus their drawers and chaps!)

Best Birthday Card Ever...especially for Dad!

2010-03-18T02:46:00.004-06:00

Pete got this card from Grandma Stella and it has been a hit around here. At first, he was actually pretty leery of it, but with a bit of repetition, he loves it. He especially likes to do a little dance to the tune, which you can sort of see in the video. And as most of you know, an early love of Star Wars brings a smile to Heath's face!

Happy 1st Birthday Pete!!

2010-03-12T02:28:00.005-06:00

Pete has turned 1 already and though it has gone quickly this first year, we have tried to cherish each moment. Pete is learned so much each day and it is such an unbelievable privilege and joy to be a part of his unfolding personality and growth. I can hardly believe it somedays, as we laugh, learn and discover together. He is a priceless gift of our loving Father.

You can see below how we celebrated his first year!

Pete started the day with the breakfast clown that Heath used all growing up. It is a great clown that disassembles to become a bowl, plate, cup, salt shaker and egg holder. It was fun to celebrate his first birthday with it!

A ten-gallon cowboy hat cake matched the vintage napkins and plates that Grandma sent us in the mail. Thanks Grandma, we loved thinking of Texas on our big day!

By the end of the day, Pete was pretty worn out and had somehow lost his clothes...I think he found a water puddle and played to his hearts content. Happy Birthday.

I made a sign for the big day and hope to take a picture under it every year. Pete got a real kick out of looking up at it and hearing us sing Happy Birthday to him, each time he pointed at it.

Our New Puppy

2010-02-26T13:00:00.004-06:00

We finally got our puppy this week. She is a Rhodesian Ridgeback and she is great. Pete loves her and she loves on him as well. As you can see from the pictures, Pete's new favorite place to hang out is in Kaya's banana leaf basket bed. Kaya is only 10 weeks old and will one day grow into her bed!

A Little Late Little Yoda

2010-02-17T08:03:00.002-06:00

I think some have seen this picture of our Halloween this year, but I had to add it to the blog. Pete's Aunt Jessica went all out and got him this great outfit! The Force must have been with him, cause he certainly got lots of candy and treats on Halloween, all of which Daddy and Mommy have been "saving" for him! :)

Little Cowboy

2010-02-13T12:38:00.003-06:00

Pete got new wranglers from Grandma Dahlstrom and Papa. He is a little Texan right here in Rwanda! He is doing so good and discovering new things everyday. Life is so good and we praise God for every moment.

Look Mama, I Found Syrup!

2010-02-03T07:41:00.005-06:00

The progression of these photos crack me up. First he was caught in the act, then he brings the bottle down realizing I've seen him, and then the puppy dog eyes looking for sympathy! Before everyone reading this passes out at the thought of Pete drinking this whole bottle of syrup, I will ease you worries that he did not. He only got a little bit, cause the bottle was pretty much empty and I was adding the remnants to another bottle of syrup. But it made for a really funny picture and now Pete certainly knows the goodness of Aunt Jemima and that it hopefully not as Mama's homemade syrup??!! We can't buy Aunt Jemima here, that bottle was a gift from somebody. Hope you enjoy.

Christmas in Rwanda

2010-01-10T08:27:00.005-06:00

We wanted to include a few pictures from the holidays. Ian and Fred came over and made Ginger bread houses with many candies from America that our family and friends had sent us. Pete enjoyed his first Christmas (except for Santa Claus) and really liked his new toys, especially his sword. He likes swinging it around and is getting ready to sword fight with his cousins (esp. Zack) when we come back to America.

Trip to Gisenyi

2010-01-10T07:48:00.005-06:00

We went on a team retreat to Gisenyi, Rwanda for two nights. The place we stayed was on the edge of Lake Kivu, which was sandy like the beach. We had all our fun out of the water, because it was too cold! These pictures are from November, so we are still trying to catch up.

Playing Peek-A-Boo

2010-01-10T07:04:00.002-06:00

Pete has learned to play peek-a-boo and initiate it too! He did this about a month ago, but with Christmas and all, we never got around to posting it. Hope you all enjoy.

Laughter Feels Good

2009-09-05T13:42:00.002-05:00

Sitting Up in the Tub -- WOOHOO!

2009-09-05T09:11:00.004-05:00

Pete loved sitting up in his new tub for the first time. He liked patting his hand on the bouncy side of the tub as much as the water. He hardly noticed it was bathtime actually. He was fascinated watching his hand bounce off the tub every time he hit it!

We could hardly believe it when Pete grabbed this little cup and just started swigging away at the water. He really likes it and is learrning so many new things he can do on his own.

Pete could swing in this swing for hours if we would let him. He holds onto those yellow ropes for dear life. He actually cried the other day when I took him out -- it was sad and really cute all at the same time. He just enjoys life most all the time.

Swimming and Sitting Up!

2009-08-19T22:25:00.002-05:00

Pete love chewing on this yellow ring, as much as being in the water!

Hey, you caught me sitting up, even if it was for only 10 seconds.

Pete flashes those big blue eyes at most everybody and melts their hearts.

My birthday package finally arrived two months late, but we celebrated anyway!

We have too much fun together and it gets better everyday!

These are just a few pictures from our day to day life here. Pete went to his first swimming party for Tess's 1st Birthday Party! It sure was fun and we were all surprised that he never wanted out of the cool swimming pool. It was too chilly for the adults, but the kids ate it up! Also, as you can tell Pete has started sitting up for moments at a time and it is really fun. He has had a lot more fall overs than long moments of sitting up, but he keeps on trying and never cries about it. He is a joy to our lives and it has been a joy to us too, to see how many people he shares the same happiness with. He makes so many people smile and our friends all enjoy moments holding him and he loves to snuggle with new faces and hold thier faces. What a WONDERFUL time of life!

Holding My Head Up

2009-07-14T04:23:00.003-05:00

Pete is really starting to have fun on his belly. When he figured out how to really hold his head up, it was like he was discovering the world for the first time all over again! You could see the fascination and wow in his eyes as he looked around. He has started to grab for toys and pull them to himself to play with. He rolls over well, except when he is really tired! And he is almost able to roll from back to belly too. He has figured out lots of things on his little exer-saucer seat in the picture above. He is a content and happy little guy and we have so much fun with him. We had a great 4th of July too and we found some red, white and blue in his wardrobe, but you have to look closely for the red converse shoes!

Mount Karisimbi - 14,787 ft.

2009-07-10T02:28:00.004-05:00

Four of us guys, missionaries in Rwanda, decided a couple months ago to hike Rwanda's tallest peak - Karisimbi. This mountain is part of the Virunga mountains which are extinct volancos. Karisimbi is sometimes snowcapped, thus it's Kinyarwandan name referring to snow. So, we've been training off and on in preparation of our trip.

We started the summit on Wed., July 8th at 7,200 ft. and hiked to base camp which took us about 5hrs. Already we were pretty tired since we carried up all our gear - 26 to 30 lbs for each pack. It was also neat to have about a half dozen Rwandan soldiers with us. They carried AK-47's and one guy had a bazooka. They were protecting their borders but also us from cape bufallo, gorillas, and guerillas. We didn't see any of these three.

The next morning we left at 5:30am with temperatures around 35 degrees. The one pictuture shows us hiking up above tree line. We summited Karisimbi - 14,787 ft - around 9am. It was beautiful. You could see neighboring Congo just yards away with Mt. Mikeno looking back at us (this is the mt. behind us in the last picture). We sat up at the top for about a half hour, singing thanks to the Lord for His Creation. Afterwards, we headed down and out. Rwandan is such a magnificent country. We saw such beautiful scenery, from moss covered trees that were ancient to trees that looked like they were from a Dr. Seuss book.

For my friends and family: Drew Custer: notice my coat and Jordan Clark: my Jacko hiking pole. Both are going strong. And Haley, I'm wearing the hat you and Joe bought me for Christmas. I look good.

Trip to Uganda

2009-06-21T01:15:00.005-05:00

We recently went to Uganda last week. It was a whirlwind trip seeing missionary friends in Mbarara, Kampala, and Jinja. Rebecca lived and worked in Jinja for 2 1/2 years and so Pete and I got to see her old stomping grounds. We visited the church in Wankonge and the Christians there were excited to meet little Pete.

Pete also made a new friend. The Bogles, missionaries in Jinja, have a little boy Adam. He liked Pete's bumbo so much that he had his parents get his old one from the attic so they could sit together. They were a cute pair.

Pete's Favorite Toys

2009-06-20T08:58:00.008-05:00

Here is Pete with his favorite giraffe. We have switched its name from Sophia to Stella. Thanks for the wonderful toy, Grandma Stella. He also really likes his ball. It is easy for him to grab and put in his mouth.

Grabbing Things & Care Packages

2009-05-24T09:51:00.003-05:00

Pete has made some big steps this week. He has started to realize that he can grab things, bring them to his mouth and throw them down. He really works hard at focusing on objects and putting his little hands together to grab them. He also moved out of 0-3 month clothes this week and as you can see from the picture above, he is quite happy about it! He loves sitting in his Bumbo seat and looking all around. Also, as you can see from the pictures, Pete has gotten his Daddy's blue eyes. They are so pretty. Pete also loves reading books and he usually really studies the pages and can already read a few words, we think!! Okay, not yet, but he's well on his way!!

We got our first care package mail this week. We got Reeses pieces, gum, Crystal Light, fruit snacks and Tootsie Rolls, as you can see. Mail from America is a wonderful thing, no matter what it is, it is such an encouragement to us. Thank you to everyone who has dropped things, big or small, in the mail for us. They lift our spirits in so many ways.

Don't Worry...Warm Baths are the Norm!

2009-05-15T12:12:00.005-05:00

Thank you to everyone who has been so concerned about Pete. We have possibly recieved more feedback from our last blog posting than any other. Everyone has been so worried about little Pete and his crazy parents who give him cold baths! Just to put everyones mind at ease, it wasn't really cold, just lukewarm cause the power was out. He usually does have warm baths and I certainly could heat water on the stove if necessary. Pete just doesn't like getting out of any bath, warm or not, cause he would rather be all bundled up!

We are attaching another picture after a usual happy bath time. Also, he got to wear a little hand me down hat from our cousins. He will not be doing any hunting anytime soon, but thought we should pose for a picture before we outgrow the hat.

Pete finally has a room all his own at 3 months old. The picture above is part of his little room, simple and comfortable. He sleeps great in his room and seems to love sleeping in Africa. He sleeps from 8:30ish to 6:30ish each night.

And the picture of the banana tree is in our front yard. We are waiting for it to ripen, they should be delicious. We wish you all could be here to enjoy a tasty one with us. Take care and God bless.

Heads Up!

2009-05-08T13:20:00.003-05:00

Pete is getting so big and strong. He is really liking to sit up and look all around. He also loves to flex his legs and "stand up" while we hold him. But as you can tell, there is one thing he doesn't like....and that is a cold bath. Without a water heater, his bath time is not always so fun. Sometimes we can get the water warmer than others, but this time, even the Cookie Monster towel couldn't bring a smile to Pete's chilled little body!! He loves singing, rhymes, reading books, sleeping, drinking milk and Rwanda!

Happy Boy

2009-04-18T13:40:00.003-05:00

Pete is sporting a Longhorn's shirt with a smile.

Akagera Park

2009-04-13T11:07:00.005-05:00

The guys in the missionary community here took a camping trip last week. 14 of us piled into two land cruisers and traveled 2.5 hrs to the eastern part of Rwanda to a game park called Akagera. Above are some animals we saw. Hard to believe we saw the following animals just a short distance away: elephants, hippos, crocs, giraffes, cape buffalo, warthogs, impalas, baboons, water bucks, elands, roan antelope, reed bucks, topi's, green mamba, crested cranes, and other various birds. Great times. We camped out in tents and heard hippos talking to each other all night. We even heard a hyena howling, too. This was a great time of bonding and getting to know each other. Praise God for His unique and wonderful Creation.

Our First House!

2009-04-10T11:08:00.004-05:00

Hello all. We are in Rwanda. Hopefully you have seen our newest newsletter for April that we just sent out. Above are a couple of pics from our trip. Pete had to wear his own special seat belt while sitting on Rebecca's lap. He seemed to enjoy it alright! He looks sharp in his red long johns. When we got off the plane in Rwanda, we saw this sign from our teammates. You can tell who they were more interested in seeing... not me but Pete!! And rightly so, I guess.

As the title above states, we just signed an agreement to rent our first house. We signed the documents today and paid for the first three months rent. We did this in order for the owner to have money to make the needed repairs to our home before we move in (hoping May 1). Then on the day we move in, we pay another three months rent upfront. Things work a little diffently in Rwanda!! Our landlord is a major in the Rwandan military and seems very likable. We feel very blessed by God with our new home. It is very close to the Shelbys and about an 8-10 min. drive from the rest of our crew. The last picture is our front yard. And there is room for visitors so please come see us!!

Training at ECHO in Florida

2008-10-18T15:08:00.003-05:00

We just got back from a week at ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) in Ft. Myers, FL. We were involved in a conference that confronted issues such as health, culture, agriculture, and community.

Upon arrival, Heath's Uncle Carl picked us up from the airport and as you can see there was no doubt as to who our ride was. We could see the AMOS sign from halfway down the terminal and laughed heartily about it. Uncle Carl and Aunt Becky live just about 80 miles away from Ft. Myers, so we were able to visit with them for the day before the conference started. It was a special time together and we definately were fed like kings.

As you see in the pictures above, some of our time was spent in the classroom with, Dr. Daniel Fountain, 30+ year missionary to the Congo. He shared much with us about cross-cultural communication and teaching. His experience was phenominal and we gleaned much from his interactive class during the week. Many of his thoughts will stay with and influence our work in Rwanda.

Also, we spent a lot of time out on the global farm at ECHO. They grow and experiment with numerous types of farming and plants, that are used in tropical environments or third world cultures. Their study is devoted to improving or supporting practices that are already happening on the field. They also do much reasearch with appropriate technology that will improve the lifestyle, health and culture of third world countries. We were so impressed by this farm project, that we are planning to have Heath go back for two weeks in November to have more hands on training with agriculture. We see this as a wonderful avenue to reach people in Rwanda, as the small subsistant village farm is a daily part of most everyone's lives.

The picture that has Rebecca eating a leaf, was typical of the week on the farm. We learned so much about new plants they are discovering that have phenominal nutritional value and can be easily grown year round in the tropics. I had no idea so many leaves of plans could be eaten!

Also, you see me just over 5 months pregnant. Getting a bit bigger and loving little Pete, with all his kicking and twisting around. We are counting down the days until February 13th! We are doing well and love you all.

The Days of Our Lives (Random info and pics)

2008-10-08T15:44:00.010-05:00

We had a fun few days in Lubbock! We did spend time in two sessions learning about finances and development work in Africa, but we also spent time dove hunting (slow hunts) and prairie dog hunting. You can see the excitement of our team's kiddos! It was nice to get away from Fort Worth and relax a bit at the Dahlstrom ranch. Green Lawn cofC also gave our team a blessing at the end of each morning service on Sunday. They introduced and prayed a special prayer on us. It is a blessing to have this special church support in this work.

At the beginning of Sept. we went to Houston and bought appliances at a 220V store. Rwandan electricity is twice the voltage of ours so we thought we'd ship a few items in our container. Plus Rwandan prices are EXPENSIVE due to everything being shipped there thru Kenya or Tanzania. It was a fun filled day buying a few needed items. We also were blessed to be part of a blessing ceremony at Bammel Rd. cofC where Chris Shelby grew up. What a blessing having all of these churches partnering in our ministry in Rwanda.

Baby _____? and Dove Season

2008-09-15T14:33:00.002-05:00

We have big news for anyone who doesn't know already...we are expecting a baby in February. That makes me almost 19 weeks pregnant and feeling great still. We will find out next week whether it is a boy or girl, but either way we are thrilled to have a healthy little one on the way. We have moved to Roanoke, TX, just north of Ft. Worth, to work with our supporting congretation in Richland Hills. We are joined by our whole team, except Sam and Nandy Shewmaker, who are already in Rwanda. We are having a great time and staying really busy with training, visiting church members and going to many home Bible study groups to get to know folks. We are preparing to send our container with our things overseas at the first of October, so that has filled up our days too. It has been fun preparing for a baby in Africa too! We plan to have the baby in Lubbock and leave for Rwanda soon after in March of 2009.

As you can see from the picture, we have enjoyed some time back in Lubbock since moving, as Heath got to join in on the opening of dove season. Hunting out at the Dahlstrom Farm is great fun and I have no doubt that Heath will get in all the hunting he can before hanging up the guns to go to Rwanda. God has been good to us and we are thankful to Him each day.

Glacier National Park

2008-06-05T22:20:00.007-05:00

We had a great time in Calgary visiting with Jordan and Kari Clark and their family. We spent most of our time catching up with them and meeting their kids, Peyton and Drew for the first time. Jordan took us to this tower overlooking most of the city and they just installed a glass floor in it, where you can look all the way down. It was slightly terrifying, but really pretty amazing. We included some pictures. We also were able to see where the Olympics were held here a few years ago and where The Stampede (I think the world's largest rodeo) is held. It was really neat and very encouraging to visit with the Clark's.Then we headed to Glacier National Park on Tuesday and spent some time driving around the park and did a little hiking. We thoght we were lost for a moment, when we saw the St. Mary sign - did we take a wrong turn to WV??!! Thankfully no.
It is still really cold up here! It was 36 degrees last night, so we decided to car camp for the night. It was much warmer and we got a lot more sleep that way. Most of the passes are closed now and so we were a little limited in what we got to see, but it was still beautiful and worthwhile. We saw some mountain goats way up on a mountain and a wolf trotting in an open field and the glaciers were amazing. The drive through Big Sky Country in Montana is AWESOME! God's glory is everywhere.
Tomorrow we head to West Yellowstone to visit with the Loomis family for a few days.
Hope you are all doing well and we are excited to see you all again soon. Take care and God bless you all.

Banff, Canada

2008-06-02T14:27:00.006-05:00

Well, we are in Canada for a brief visit to the beautiful Rockie Mountains and to Calgary to visit one of Heath's good friends, Jordan & Kari Clark. We have done some beautiful hiking and seen some amazing sites. If you can tell how amazingly blue/green the water is in the pictures, I only wish you could see it in person. We have had great weather and are truly enjoying ourselves. We've been to Lake Louise, Emerald Lake and have climbed several other mountains. What joy to be out in God's awesome creation!

We are here for one more day, then we go to Calgary to spend some time with the Clark's. Then down to Montana for a few days to do some more hiking and visiting friends. I hope you are all well and enjoy seeing some pictures. As always, pictures don't do God's creation justice, but we thought you might like a glimpse! One of the pictures is of our gondola ride down Sulphor Mountain - we hiked up and got to ride down for free!! Very fun!

FINISHED!!! - 510 miles

2007-07-24T11:46:00.000-05:00

Just to let all of you guys know we are finished hiking. During the last week of the journey, we climbed Bear Mt. which is only about 30-45 minutes from NYC. This Timber rattlesnake wanted Rebecca to cuddle up but we kept trucking after a quick photo. We got picked up on July 16th in Unionville, NJ. Not too exciting of a place and yet we met the mayor and were allowed to take a shower in his house (pic above). That was a blessing for us and my family who picked us up for it would have been a long and smelly 8 hr drive back to WV. On our last full day of hiking, we saw two sets of bears (mom and cub): once in the morning on the trail and the other set was leaving our tent site! Go figure, we were a little apprehensive sleeping that night. We had a fantastic trip and plan on hiking more of the trail again; however, it'll probably be a while before we get a chance again. The map above shows what we hiked this year and last and what is left. Thanks for keeping up with us on the trail. God blessed our time away and He took great care of us. God's blessings on you.

AT Blow Out

2007-07-12T19:49:00.000-05:00

Hello from the Hudson River in New York! We crossed over the river on Bear Mountain Bridge, built in 1923 for $5 million and it was beautiful. We are in the hometown of West Point Military Academy for the night and resting well. Heath found some shrimp at the local deli and is enjoying it while we wash our clothes in a sticky, stinky laundromat - delicious! The days have been really hot and humid, but finally we had a big thunderstorm yesterday and cooled things off. We are drawing close to finishing our trek - only 4 days of hiking left. Unfortunately, as you can see above, my shoe blew out 3 days ago and we've had to duct tape it together for the last week. Just after the bottom of my shoe fell apart, we were sitting on some rocks on the trail and another hiker came by who had excess tape and let us borrow some. (We had thrown ours in the trash about 1 week earlier, thinking we would not need it! Oops.) So now, about every 30 miles, we have to retape her up and I am good to go -- just pray that it makes it 50 more miles these next few days. We are having fun still, but will be glad to see you all again and lay our backpacks down for a few days. We have so blessed with good hitch hike rides, good pizza and ice cream, great trails to hike and lots of helpful, kind people (along with a few strange fellas!) We will be picked up in New Jersey on Monday and fly home on Thursday - 19th! See you all soon.

Into New York

2007-07-10T12:55:00.000-05:00

We are in New York!!! We have just finished 400+ miles. Things are going fantastically and we are drying out from all the rain! Only to get soaking wet from sweat in the 92+ degree weather. What happened to the pleasant New England weather?? We are really doing well and we are going to be able to go 100 extra miles through New York State! We climbed Massachusetts highest peak, Mt. Greylock, that has the lighthouse pictured above on the summit. It was beautiful. Then we went on to Connecticut, my Dad's (Peter) home state, and climbed Bear Mountain, one that he has climbed several times in his childhood days. It was really fun, even though we did summit during a thunderstorm!! Yikes. We now are resting in a little township in New York for the day for a break from the heat -- we are a little ahead of schedule. We saw our first real snake yesterday, pictured above. It is a corn snake and thankfully no bites. Heath did have to move it with his hiking pole, because I didn't want to step over it! No worries though, I don't think they are poisonous. Also, we threw in a picture of a tree with a white blaze on it -- that is how we find our way along the trail. About every 100 ft. there is a white mark on a tree or rock that tells us the way to go. Pretty great, since I am not so good with a compass. Well, we better get going for now. Just 6 more days until we finish up our 501 miles this summer!! See most of you soon and God bless.

Massachusetts

2007-07-03T09:34:00.000-05:00

We are finally in Massachusetts. We climbed Mass's tallest peak yesterday, Mt. Greylock, and have finished 287 miles, total this trip. We have 2 weeks left to go. We are taking an easier day today in Dalton, a town which the trail runs right thru. This guy invited us to stay in his house and he is very famous amongst hikers for his hospitality - Tom Levardi. He gave us cake, lemon pie, and HUGE ice cream sundaes with whip cream!!! Not much else because we are in a hurry so we'll put some pictures up next time. Love you guys. God bless.

The Amoses and the Three Bears (minus one)

2007-06-20T15:15:00.000-05:00

Hello there. We are in Hanover, NH which is right on the VT/NH border. We are excited about leaving NH and hiking in a different state tomorrow. We have just finished 110 miles in 8 days, pretty good for us. As the title tells, we saw a couple black bears on our hike, two little black bear cubs up in the trees. One id pictured above. We never did see momma; however, we didn't stick around to wait on her either. So our animal count is two bears, two moose, three snowshoe rabbits, toads, snakes, partridge, mosquitoes, etc. Our trip has been enjoyable. The picture above is of a shelter that we stayed in, the Hexacuba. Also, you have have heard about the Old Man in the Mountain in New Hampshire -- his nose has fallen off in the past few years. But Heath and I found and took a picture of his son, if you notice in the picture above! :) That is it for now. God bless.

P.S. We went to church at the little church in Glencliff, NH (11 members) and were blessed to be invited to the minister's home for a fantastic roast chicken dinner!! Yummy.

Week 1 - Hiking in White Mountains

2007-06-16T20:56:00.000-05:00

We have just finished our first 66 miles, over the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Our start day was delayed at Mt. Washington, due to a biker holiday, when no vehicles are allowed up the mountain except motorcycles. So we started on Tuesday morning, when the weather was sunny and beautiful. We had great weather all 5 days. We climbed a lot of big uphills and steep downhills for our first few days out and now we are feeling pretty wiped out. We were above treeline for the last time and will miss the amazing views of the Appalachain Mountains. But we are thankful to be moving on to some smoother ground, as well as having legs and feet that are used to all the walking. We will miss the moose and wildlife of Maine and NH - we've already seen 2 moose, 3 snowshoe rabbits, a partridge, lots of frogs and little harmless snakes and a beautiful woodpecker. We have posted a few pictures of the fantastic scenery we pass by each day and a few other things. We are in Glencliff, NH for the night to shower, eat and restock! Thanks for your prayers. By the way, we have a new niece, Annabelle Good Dahlstrom, born on Sunday morning, one week ago. Praise God!!

Entering the World of Blog -- Finally!!

2007-04-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to see how this would work out. We are hoping to stay in better contact with family & friends this way, when we leave for Rwanda in the Fall of 2008.