Rain, packages and puppies...

This month has been insanely busy, but filled with good things to say the least. I just finished filling a stocking for each of the children here that they will open at midnight in Christmas Eve. It's been so fun to be a part of the hustle and bustle here at New Hope! I've been blog-challenged lately because we've been so busy, but thought I'd quickly jump on and mention a few highlights from the week.

RAIN!! Yesterday we had our first real rain since we arrived in August (though "real" doesn't mean what it does in Colorado!). It was a steady sprinkle for about an hour, enough to create small puddles on the sidewalks and get the puppies to notice that there was something falling from the sky and getting them wet. It was so refreshing! As soon as I heard it on the windows I ran outside and stood on the patio, taking in that fresh rain smell and soaking up the cloudy skies. I know our friends, the Culps, in the UK would probably kill for a sunny day about now, but without a drop of moisture in 5 months we welcomed the rainy afternoon!

PACKAGE!! After months of checking our PO Box and pestering the postal services staff, we had given up home that a package from my sister would ever show up. We've had countless problems with the mail system and just recently received a big bundle of mail that had been collecting over the past few months instead of being delivered. When the package wasn't included in that bundle, we continued to check for another week but were assured by the postal staff that the package was good as gone. Just when we thought all hope was gone, we opened the PO Box on Tuesday to find the package - Chips A'hoy cookies, peanut M&M's, Kit Kats, letters from home and sweet pictures of little Nora, our niece. I was so anxious to see what was inside that I ripped into it as soon as Tony came out to the taxi. I made myself car sick by looking through everything as we zipped along the city streets, but it was definitely worth it. Thanks Jon and Lin!

PUPPIES!! Lastly, I just have to say how much fun our puppies add to our lives on a consistent basis. We love having them with us to run around at the orphanage and play with the kids, and then to provide us with mindless humor and affection at the end of a long day. Here are a few pictures for those of you who can appreciate puppy love.

Davy and Cayma have become inseparable - they usually nap and sleep through the night together Davy's giant kennel.

For some reason Davy finds the wooden spool of our chairs to be a comfortable resting place:

Here they are at our front gate, anxiously waiting for Tony to return from the store across the street:
Hope you're all enjoying this busy week before Christmas! Merry Christmas to you all!