Catch Up: Operation Christmas Miracle

So my sisters and I had batted around the idea that it would be nice to get together for Christmas in Wisconsin with my mom in 2012, not only because it had been a few years since we were all together for Christmas, but also because mom will be celebrating a milestone birthday (her birthday is Christmas day). But, when Grace told me that she was going to be deployed to Afghanistan in December of 2012, I knew that meant our Christmas plans would be spoiled. Grace was planning to go to Wisconsin for Christmas this year (2011...I know how late this post is!), and Mariam said she'd be going too...it seemed like there was no excuse for not going. We weren't originally planning to make it back for Christmas, as we really had no vacation time left, but we managed to take the weekend and purchased tickets Thanksgiving weekend.

Oh man, oh man...I've never had to keep a secret so long! And it wasn't easy either, given that I went back to Wisconsin in early December (see previous post). A huge thanks to Mariam and Grace too - who knew but helped keep my secret. Mariam dubbed it Operation: Christmas Miracle. Coming down to the week ahead of time, I would tell anyone who would listen for five seconds that I was planning to surprise my mom, it was so exciting! And surprising someone - it's the best way to travel. There were no hassles about "oh, we're going to be late" or this and that - you know...because if we were late it didn't matter - just that we were going to get to be there was what was important!

Grace convinced mom to take a day in Milwaukee of shopping and going out to dinner, and then - since they'd be there anyway - pick up her friend from the airport because "she needed a ride home". So under that pretense Grace got mom to hang out at Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee on December 23rd, at 9pm. Our flight landed about an hour late and Felipe and I walked through the terminal...I was positively giddy. Grace and I were furiously texting back and forth to get the plans all worked out. I sent mom a quick video of me lip syncing to an old Raffi Christmas song that we both enjoyed - "Christmas times' a comin'"...whose chorus goes: Christmas times' a comin', Christmas times' a comin', and you know I'm goin' home". It was a teaser...to see if she would catch on.

And the moment came, I exited security and locked my gaze in on where mom was standing, and grace started recording. I was walking straight towards her, and she was looking right at me, but it didn't seem to register until I waved at her. And then her jaw dropped. And I mean it DROPPED. Best mom moment ever. You can see the video of it at the top of this post. I don't think mom's mood fell one bit from that high that it reached right there (I mean this too - at one point we almost caught the coffee table on fire and she didn't even flinch!). Right then she knew that the next day we would all be together and that she could have a truly happy Birthday/Christmas. Operation: Christmas Miracle was a success!

So commencing with the photos of a fun filled, super short two and a half day holiday at home:

A visit with Aunt Barb and Wendy's family in Milwaukee after we picked up Mar.

FOOD and Mariam's Famous Pickled Bloody Mary's (lots and lots of food - thanks to Grace who had to field many questions from mom about just how much the three of them would need to eat...)



mmmm...pickles.

I woke up Christmas morning and quietly stepped outside of the room to find this scene in the living room. Mar was asleep on the couch and grace on the airbed. Seems that mom and grace had a little mother/daughter cuddle time.


Cuddle time finished and eventually everyone woke up, had their requisite coffee and we got going on a rousing day of more food, old movies and some games.


You can't forget pictures by the tree!










And then there was more food (and candy cane cookies!!!)




Overall I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. It was so nice to spend the time with my mom and sisters. Something I really miss about living closer by. It was nice to see mom in such a happy mood too! We're going to have to surprise her more often, it leaves a good feeling. Soon we'll reconnect some more when we visit Mariam and Elijah in Seattle - mom will be flying out midway through our stay - so we'll have some overlapping days. Maybe Grace can surprise us and join us for the weekend....we shall see.

Happy Birthday Marms

Happy Birthday to my sister Mar (on the left). Wish I could be there to celebrate with you!

p.s. - card and gift are late, as usual. Sorry for being a jerk!

On Haiti

Just over ten years ago I had the opportunity to travel to Haiti with a group of people from our Diocese in Milwaukee. As a junior in high school, you can imagine it was difficult to anticipate what the country would be like. Everything about Haiti was nothing like the world I lived (or still live) in was like. As I am sure you know, it is hard at this point not to, Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, and there was great evidence to that all around.

On the other hand, I remember in Haiti there being many wonderful people - happy people and lively people. We spent time in Port au Prince and in a smaller town about a five hour drive south called Jeannette. In Port au Prince we visited a school and an orphanage - the orphanage remaining particularly clear in my mind. I remember that in this orphanage there were many children, small and very young and many sick. I can't remember how much time we were there that day, although I can tell you it didn't seem like enough. We played with the kids a little, helped feed some of the babies, and I found myself amazed. I remember distinctly that many of them were crying, crying and the moment you picked one up - they would stop crying. It makes me sad now to wonder what happened to that orphanage in Port au Prince, and what will happen for all of the people there. People talk of hope for a recovery, and I wonder to myself - what will they recover to? I hope that through this awful disaster a new beginning will give Haiti a new promise. Maybe now with the help of the world community it can be built up in a more sustainable, more livable way. I am deeply and continually grateful to have had the chance to go to Haiti. My visit there has at least given me a greater sense of how awful the current situation there now is. If I could go again, I would.

I know it's been said a million times in the last week, but please donate towards the relief efforts in Haiti: Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders are just two of the reputable agencies that are helping.

I've posted some of my pics from our trip in 1999 below. I'm only regretting that it took this massive tragedy to prompt me to pull them out of storage.

At the school in Jeannette.


This is one of my favorite photos from our trip. While we were in Jeannette we had a steady entourage of the village children that stuck by us. They were so animated and happy. They held our hands as we walked around and were always wanting to play. This picture is of my older sister Mariam near the school house with a group of the kids.


This is a photo with Mariam and a girl named Bri that came along on the trip as well.


This is such a great photo - this kid in the front getting ready to box...


I was looking at this photo and I remember the little boy in the blue pants being one of my favorite kids. I think he had some developmental delays - and he was also the sweetest little kid.


This was by the giant cistern in the village of Jeannette. It was used to gather the rainwater for use in the homes.


This is a photo of the school/church yard. You can read about St. Marc's here.


A couple of photos taken while walking around the rural village. In the bottom one you can see the group that followed us around. This is half because we were strangers, and half because they knew we were bringing supplies around to the houses.



Photos in and around Port au Prince:










There are a few more photos on my flickr stream as well.

I end this post with the hope that many other people share - that Haiti will be able to rebuild and come away from this disaster with a stronger country than they had before. I know it will take decades, but I am sure it can be done...

A sunrise over the valley...

Another Visitor - My Baby Sister!

My baby sister is coming on Monday! Wheeeeeee! I would venture to bet that she'll have as much fun here in the big city as she's having in this old photo of us from 1987. Haha! More pictures to come...

Before I was the middle child....

... I was just a younger sister. Just a little walk through some visual memories. I can't believe this photo was taken 25 years ago. Of course I don't remember much about my sister around this time - I was much too young, but it's fun to look through the old photographs of us together. Because I live so far away, I don't get to spend as much time with them as I would really like. I think about my sisters often, and miss them. Sometimes I feel even a little jealous that the two of them live so close to each other.

I know it will be awhile, but I'm looking forward to the next time I go home and we can go bowling...