Travelin', travelin', travelin'....

We left Atlanta last week for a quick tour of North Carolina. Our first stop was Franklin, NC - where we visited Grandad and Judy. Anna Kate was thrilled by a visit to Aunt Marilyn and uncle Bob's house - because she got to play with Koko, the crazy cocker spaniel. It was a quick trip, but always fun to spend time with family.

Then we headed over to Greensboro, NC. We spent some time with folks over at Westover church. We also got to visit with Lee's Aunt Tam and cousin Lisa. It was a short but sweet side trip as we headed north to Washington, DC.

On Saturday, we drove to DC to visit the Brown family in their new home. If I were a better writer, I could describe the ocean of thoughts, feelings and emotions that washed over me as I stepped into their home. I think I finally took a deep breath and felt truly at home here. More on that another day....

Sights and Excursions in DC.....

Iwo Jima, Arlington Cemetery and Arlington House (former home of Robert E. Lee) - this year we studied a lot of wars in modern history. I love being able to study history and then visit the places where history happens.

Iwo Jima Memorial from WW2

Ford's Theatre - we saw the theatre booth where Lincoln was shot, as well as a great museum about the Civil War and the assassination of Lincoln.

The theatre box where Lincoln was assassinated.

Newseum - this museum tells about the history of news and media. We were especially impacted by the exhibit on 9/11. So moving so revisit the sights and sounds of a watershed moment in our modern history.

Rebecca, Anna Kate, Andrew & Parker at the Newseum.

Hershey Park - we added two more states to our itinerary. We drove through Maryland to get to Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. A day of roller coasters, water slides and rides....so fun!!

(pictures pirated from the Brown Family Blog because the lame Radfords forgot our camera)

Riding coasters!!

Insane roller coaster - straight up and straight down.

We loved it! 

Earthquakes & Hurricanes..... brought Guatemala with us? On Tuesday, Gay and I were having a little girls day out. We were sitting in the massage chair at the nail salon having a pedicure when the earthquake hit. It took us a minute to realize what was happening. People from the salon next door came running out, but we didn't move. It's certainly unusual to have an earthquake in that region, but not so concerning that we felt compelled to interrupt our beauty treatments. teeheeeheee We also visited Tom, the world's best hair dresser, where I got a new cute haircut. Very fun and adventurous day.

We loved every minute of our time with the Brown's and can't wait for the next visit. It was a sad parting, as we headed south on Friday - running from the hurricane. We will spend the day in SC and then head on to Atlanta.

Lazy lake days...

Oh my soul .... how we love the lake!

Love Lake Allatoona!

Learning to ride a paddle board!

Years ago Lee's mom wanted to buy a mountain house. We talked, we looked, we talked some more. While a mountain house would be wonderful, it was a huge commitment of time and resources. We wanted something fun and recreational for our whole family, but we also wanted flexibility and freedom. We decided to buy a pontoon boat. I loved this idea; having grown up in Florida, we always had a boat when I was young. We spent weekends on the water - skiing, snorkeling and swimming. Some of my greatest memories from childhood are centered around boating and the water. What a treat to do the same thing with our kids.

AK helping daddy drive!

Parker was about 5 and Anna Kate 3, when we started boating on Lake Allatoona. Every summer, we spent the weekends on the lake - swimming, sunning, tubing. We love finding quiet coves for a picnic lunch and afternoon swimming. My favorite time of day on the lake is just before sunset - the watercolor sky, the warm late-day sun, the calm and quiet of evening's approach. It is PEACE.

relaxing!!!

We planned a few days of relaxing vacation at the beginning and end of this five week road trip. We began with a few days at Lake Allatoona with Mimi. We rented a great cabin at our favorite state park - Red Top Mountain. Our wonderful and generous friends, loaned us a pontoon boat (along with all the trimmings- tube, knee board, noodle floats etc.)  The weather was August perfection - sunny, warm and glorious. What a dream to be on our favorite lake doing all our favorite things - picnicking, swimming, tubing, stopping at the lake gas station for ice cream! Heaven!!

The kids especially enjoyed learning how to ride the knee board. Parker even learned how to spin around in a 360 circle. The also LOVED the paddle board. They are trying to figure out how to get one on the airplane.

Crazy for tubing!

Get a grip.

Paddlin'

Did I mention food yet? We had some amazing food. Our dear friends who live at the lake, had us over for dinner. She served Low Country Boil. Did you hear me? Low Country Boil people! What's not to love about Shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes. Thank you Mrs. Fortney! You are the BEST!! Another night we had crab cakes and shrimp pasta - and lots of SWEET TEA! Oh my soul .... I've died and gone to heaven with all the wonderful food! I'm going to have to start the parasite diet as soon as I land in Guatemala.

The Lord is so kind to us. We could not have asked for a more relaxing start to our trip home.

Peaches are home....

We spent our first couple of days in Florida with my family. We pretty much did nothing but eat at Chickfila and drink coffee at Starbucks!! We did get to meet the newest member of the family - Popcorn - my mom's miniature schnauzer. What a cutie!

We also had the great adventure of visiting the Florida DMV and the Social Security office. It was a cultural experience - of the red-neck variety. I told Lee that it must be a universal experience - anyone who has to deal with a government agency, be it in the USA or Guatemala or Timbuktu, you must make more than one trip to more than one government agency with about forty kinds of documentation! Talk about exasperating! Alas, I am happy to to say - we are now residents of the great state of Florida. You may wonder why it matters - but come April 15th next year - we will be very happy to not file the GA State Income tax return.

Yesterday, we made the drive to our beloved Georgia and what a feeling. It was so great to see all the familiar sights. The peaches have returned to their home tree. We are headed to the home fountains at North Metro Church this morning and then we head to the lake for some much needed R&R. Can't wait to see all our favorite swimming holes at Lake Allatoona. We will be offline for a couple days, but I promise to post pics by the weekend.

Sorry there are no pics for this post - so far we have only taken pics at Chickfila. I know - we are so lame!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles......

Well, our first big road trip back to the US begins in 48 hours. We begin this 5-week adventure with a plane ride to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. We will then drive to Chickfila before driving on to my parents house in Tampa, FL. While on this journey, we plan to drive to or through - Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and back to Florida. That's a LOT of driving!! Along the way, we will spend some time at the lake, in the mountains, in the US Capitol and at the beach! Of course, the best part is we get to do all these fun things with our family and friends. CAN'T WAIT!!

PACKING - What a nightmare! How do you pack for a 5 week trip? I don't know - I have never been on a five week trip! I was a bit overwhelmed by the prospect. It turns out - it wasn't too bad!! Everyone gets a suitcase with 7+ days of clothes. Plus, we have one bag with toiletries, gifts, coffee and miscellaneous items. I am worried about the return trip though - my shopping list keeps growing and growing. YIKES!

Do we have all the cords and chargers for our gadgets??

How is all this going in that one small bag??

We are looking forward to this trip and will try to post pictures and snippets of fun adventures. Please pray for safety, health, endurance, rest and energy. Hope to see many of you very soon!!

One Year ago....

Family photo shoot at ruins in Antigua

 Photo by Katey Erickson

One year ago today, 4 very sleepy, anxious, excited Radfords awoke to get on an airplane. That airplane took them to a far-away land. (Not really that far-away) The land of eternal spring. (although right now it feels like eternal rain) Guatemala, oh how we love thee, let me count the ways.

Things we love (or have learned to love)

Market - At first, I was very intimidated by the market. I was used to a clean, well-lit, indoor grocery store. I took for granted the clearly printed signs that tell me exactly what to pay for my fruits and vegetables. I know that everyone in the store is paying the same price, I don't get a special price based on the color of my skin. Well, here the market is outdoors (or semi-indoors but very leaky). It is anything but clean, well-lit and sanitary. I get the "gringo" pricing, which means I look wealthy enough to pay twice what everyone else pays. It turns out that I actually like shopping in the market. I like the beautiful colors and the sounds of people chattering. I like practicing Spanish and interacting with the vendadoras. I still don't like the smell, but I can bear it for a short while. Guess what? Even though I get upcharged because I am a "wealthy, white American," it's still a fraction of what I used to pay at my beloved Publix.

Veggies!! Yummy!!

Rain - You cannot live in this kind of climate without coming to terms with the fact that it rains for six months of the year. I cannot say that I am a fan of the rain every single day, but I have come to appreciate some things about it. The rain keeps things fresh, green and tropical - "the land of Eternal Spring." I like having some quiet time in the afternoon to rest, read and listen to the rain. It slows the pace of my day. Another added benefit is that I don't have to watch the weather forecast anymore. May through Oct - it will rain everyday, usually starting around 2:00 in the afternoon. Nov through April - warm, temperate and blue skies. The temperature doesn't change much, ranges between 65 and 80 degrees year round. There's something to be said for predictability.

Some might say we are living the dream in a tropical paradise. Except for when the rain floods the streets and you have to walk through shin deep, muddy brown water. Or it washes away homes and businesses. Or you lay down in bed for the evening and the bed feels wet and squishy. It reminds me of one of my favorite passages of scripture:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,

"therefore I will hope in him."

Lamentations 3:22-24

    Where are my rainboots?

      Eternal Spring

The rain can be a blessing and a curse all at the same time, but one thing remains steadfast - the love of the Lord. His mercies are new every morning.

People - It's the thing that drew us here in the first place. And at the end of a long, frustrating day, it's what keep us from running home to Georgia. I love the beautiful colors of their tipico dress. I love their petite stature. I love their warm smiles. I love to hear them chattering in their Mayan dialect. My heart breaks when I see the hard callouses of bare feet, the bent spine of the elderly who have spent a lifetime carrying firewood, or the hopeless look in the eyes of young people. The mama in me rages when I see a child with reddish-orange tint to their hair, (a sign of malnutrition).

“Yet their Redeemer is strong;

 the Lord Almighty is his name. 

He will vigorously defend their cause,
 so that he may bring rest to their land.”

Jeremiah 50:34

As we assimilate to our new life in Guatemala, it is our desire to defend the defenseless. We long to see his people RESTORED in body and mind, REDEEMED by the blood of the Lamb, and RELEASED as a light unto the nations for His glory alone.

at ruin of Santa Clara in Antigua

photo by Katey Erickson