The Lolly Pups Are Here!

About a year ago we brought home the cutest little fluff-ball of a dog. Daniel had picked her out while doing a rotation at a veterinary clinic in Kampala with students from the vet school. He’d managed to save her little leg (she’d had some kind of run-in with another pup at the house), but he did lose two toes so the breeder didn’t want to keep her.

Enter Lolly Two-Toes.

She’s a great little pup but she’s very confusing to the people here in Soroti, most of whom have not seen a dog quite like Lolly, except on TV. She lives outside with Chumlee but sometimes while Daniel is gone I let her sneak onto the couch with me. She’s just too cute.

We’ve had requests for Lolly Pups since we brought her home so I was excited when we decided to breed her (although that process what a bit traumatic…have you guys SEEN that?!). Dogs’ gestation is only 60 days so about 12 days ago little Lolly had her pups.

We did start with 4 (there was another brown one) but that one didn’t make it. RIP little pupper (which, here, unfortunately means Rest in Pit-Latrine).

They are cute little things but I can’t wait till their eyes open and they start running around. If they are even half as cute at Lolly was we have OVERWHELMING levels of cuteness headed our way.

We won’t be keeping any of these pups because I need a puppy around here like I need a hole in my head BUT we’ll keep one from the next litter.

Chummy Boy

This is our dog, Chumlee. I LOVE this dog.

He was the runt of his litter (14 puppies!) and he was a sickly little thing when we brought him home but he’s grown into the best dog EVER. He loves a good tennis ball and a scratch on the head and most of the time he’s just flopped out in the yard somewhere (or chasing the cat, Little Bill). He is a bit of a scaredy-dog so he barks more when the power is out (and the outside lights don’t work) and he HATES cows but those things just make him more endearing to me.

I don’t think I’ve posted any pictures of him on here since he was a little guy so I thought I would post an update. (Also, he might get jealous after my next post…pictures of our new little puppies!!).

Honesty

Shrubbery and CLIDE Staff

I know, we’ve been suspiciously silent on the blog for awhile.  It’s not for lack of interesting material, we’ve been up to some interesting stuff over here.  It’s also not for lack of desire, I read blogs regularly and I admire people who can post (practically) daily updates with beautifully edited photos, witty text and insightful wisdom.  It just got lost in the shuffle.

I once heard a  interview in which a missionary (Jamie) challenged other missionaries to be careful to not make their lives seem too hard or too awesome.  I mean, it’s what we do, isn’t it.  We instagram everything because real and true can look boring, mundane.  This vintage filter will make my mediocre photo something profound, something dramatic (I tried it on the photo above…apparently vintage doesn’t make everything look cool).  That’s the challenge I have here.  It’s not that life is so hard and miserable that we can’t bear it OR that everything we do is changing lives and we feel so fulfilled.  Sometimes, we’re just living and that doesn’t seem blog-worthy. 

So, why the photo, you wonder?  

This is a bad photo.  It’s blurry, the camera is pointing in the wrong direction and no one seems to realize they’re being immortalized.  I think one person in the group is actually smiling.

This photo perfectly captures how I feel.  As I was looking through pictures on the camera for inspiration for a blog post I realized that this one was the winner.  Do you ever feel like your focus has shifted ever so slightly and now the thing you thought you were focusing on isn’t even in the picture?  Sometimes it takes some nudge from the outside to help you realize that you need to shift and refocus.  

Also, the self-professed controlist (yeah, it’s a thing) in me looks at this picture and realizes that none of the people are doing what I would expect (or WANT) them to do while posing for a group picture.  Working in a new culture constantly reminds me that I am not in control.  People, processes, things…everything is different here and (most of the time) it doesn’t go the way I think it should.  We’ve been here a year now and God is still gently prying my life plans and expectations (back) from the death-grip that I have been so proudly holding them in.   I am not in control.  I know you know that, I just needed to say it.

In the end, that crummy pic reminds me that God loves me.  He gives the ability to shift and refocus when I’ve focused in the wrong direction and even the tight grip I have on my  life, my plans, my future…all of that can be trusted to the One who actually controls those things.  It reminds me that I don’t need a vintage filter to make what we are doing in Africa seem more profound because I really just need to be honest and this blog can actually be a platform for that honesty.  Even when it’s just a silly picture of shrubbery and CLIDE staff.

P.S. I really wanted to post a beautiful picture of the CLIDE staff at the end of this post but, unfortunately, 15 minutes of “posing” and 30 seconds of “here’s how to take a picture” lessons on the side of the road with our new “photographers” still didn’t equal a usable group picture.  

By the way, if you have time listen the Jaime’s complete interview.  Listen all the way to the end…it’s 15 minutes well spent.  I resonate with everything she says.

Also, our dog is pregnant so pretty soon we’ll have some precious Lolly-pups.  I promise you’ll get better pictures of those little fluff balls.

So this is what 31 feels like

I don’t understand how the years go by so quickly.  30 used to seem so OLD to me, I mean I can remember by Dad’s 30th Birthday party…seriously, people.  I do have to say, I enjoyed parts of my 20’s but I am ROCKING my 30’s.  I think I am going to love this decade.

Daniel and I had a great day yesterday, we’re staying with friends in Kampala so we joined them for church in the morning, met some more friends for lunch (my favorite Kampala pizza) and then we just hung around the house.  It was possibly how “old people” celebrate their birthday and I LOVED it.

One of my favorite things about my birthday now is the fact that it’s the day before our anniversary.  Today we have been married for 2 years and I can’t help but think back to that day and smile.  on March 11, 2011 God gave me a best friend and perfect partner.   Don’t get me wrong, our 6 months in Uganda have been a little hard on us. Daniel and I are adjusting to the culture of Uganda and the culture of our marriage and it isn’t always pretty (maybe you could ask about the “Scrabble Board Upset”  of 2011 or the “Dog Food Toss” of 2012) but my goodness, I love that guy so much.

Well, I am sorry for the short update but I just wanted to thank everyone for the Birthday and Anniversary well-wishes.  I’m sitting in the sunshine in Kampala and feelin’ the love.

Daniel and Rachel New Year’s Update