h❤untie

my little elf....

2008-12-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

she is growing too fast! look at her little mouth in the top right....working so hard to keep that big head up!

I haven't really been painting for a while but here is one I just finished for her room....the garden of eden:)

eden's first word!!

2008-11-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

the funny thing is...I told my mom she said it and my mom asked her to say it again and she did!! ...of course she is just the smartiest in the whole world;)

eden's first trip to bucks...

2008-10-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

last weekend we went up to the cabin...it is so beautiful up there this time of year and it was really fun with her! everything is so much more fun now that she is here...what were we waiting for??

eden leanne...

2008-10-21T09:01:00.002-07:00

she's here!! it's been 3 weeks and I still can't believe it! hands down the best day of my life...I can't believe how great it feels to be a mom...love, love, love it!!

19 days and counting...

2008-09-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

only 19 days to go...and we can't wait to meet our little girl! ....who knows we may have some pics of her to share very soon...i hope she is as cute as little ava!

i haven't blogged in ages...

2008-08-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

it really has been almost a year....i can't believe it...amy and I were talking the other day and she said the last time i blogged is my due date! that is so crazy! anyways cort and I are doing great....our first baby is due oct 6th...almost two months away.
we have been working on her room, which alfie thinks is his....we catch him in there all the time! he is too cute...here are some pics of her room...

thank you!!!

2007-10-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

thank you everyone:) ....we have really enjoyed all of your sweet pregnancy comments and encouraging words! we are both overly excited about the whole thing....and can't wait to find out everything! we go to the doc on the 29th but I'll probably go in before just to get a blood test....we took three at home and you should have seen us! I put the 1st one down right after the first line appeared and then cort picked it up and said wait..."there's another line!...but it's kinda far away from the other one!" (i know we're both crazy) ...so we called amy to get confirmation! it was so funny...we are both excited!!

yesterday amy and I took the kids to get some pics of them and I just thought i'd share....

guess what...

2007-10-02T22:00:00.001-07:00

alright heather…here it goes….seven random crazy things about myself….sorry it's taken sooo long...i haven’t been on in ages….
1. well there usually isn’t at least one time (or more) in day where I find myself dreaming about what we could do next…or where we are going to move to….
2. I love to try new things, anything, and I am constantly working on something new….
3. hence the name project-x coined by my lovely husband whom not only calls me project-x but teek as well…don’t ask we are not even sure where it came from but we have been calling each other that for 7+ years…
4. I am never content…it is something I am in constant prayer about…it’s like a crazy, crazy thing that will probably never go away….well…hopfully someday!
5. I am having a difficult time adjusting to the real world of working again….but I do love my little second graders…they are so cute and they call cortney my wife! I love it!! (he really is my stay at home wife right now-ha ha)
6. well…um…let me see…I love love love traveling, as do most people, however I think I am addicted and I just can't stop thinking about it…EVER…we hope to go to turkey and greece…this summer….well maybe…
7.we’re still not sure about that because ummmmm…..

5 years ago....

2007-06-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

june 22.2002....can't believe it's been 5 years...it has gone by too fast!

and us today...wow i am a lucky girl!

i ♥ you teek!!

we're home!!!

2007-06-06T22:54:00.000-07:00

dress...check!
gameboy...check!
the cutest labradoodle in the world ready to pull me on a skateboard....check!

ahhhh....it's sooo nice to be home...we have missed everyone terribly....and although evrything of value was missing from our home when we arrived....it still feels good to be back in good ol' yuba duba!! ....and the best part is we have the whole summer off to play!:)

leaving africa.. :(

2007-05-23T02:37:00.000-07:00

although we have thoroughly enjoyed the last 2 months of our life here....we can’t say that we are not excited to leave the cold & rainy winter and jump into the beautiful sunshine of kona hawaii! not to mention to sushi, the kona-coffee mudpie...yummm and the free-refills....with extra ice:)
it has been a beautiful stay with so many great memories and one day, hopefully soon, we will return again...
we will miss you terribly archie!!

wedding bells are ringing!!!

2007-05-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

i really wish we could be there:(...

on our way to worcester!

2007-04-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

we have been really busy finishing up the ministry here in muizenburg and we are ready to head off to worcester...where we are going to a game reserve and working with IT around the base....then we're leaving for j-bay on sat...pretty exciting!
...here are some more pics of the kids we have been working with:)

penguins, penguins, penguins!!

2007-04-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

jack*%!# penguins, boulders beach, simon's town

yesterday cort & i had such a nice day....and let me just say I was a little more than excited to see the penguins! i have been waiting to see them for weeks and we were finally able to train into simon's town....which was a beautiful experience in itself...

us in south africa...

2007-04-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

vergelegen winelands, somerset west, cape town

afro cafe, down town, cape town

easter in somerset west, cape town

well i usually don’t have much time to post...but so much to share!
my feelings for these people, this country and their struggles are so great...
with the apartheid only ending less than 15 years ago....resulting in a huge back-lock socially and economically between races it is amazing to see their passion for their heritage and country....i have heard before that you truly haven’t lived until you have been to africa and i believe it now....the world has so much to learn from and about these people...
and i don’t mean flying in and staying in a 5-star hotel....i mean living with the xhosa people and getting to know one of the most passionate and hospitable people groups i have ever been with...
this country has come a long way in the last decade but it is very difficult to undo the injustice that went on for 50 years...there is huge group of impoverished/uneducated people due to the fact they were denied education for years so this results in the high crime rate south africa is and has been facing for years.
but to clear the air about that....we heard so many horror stories from people that had friends shot over their car or had a knife held to their throat in down town cape town...but we have been here for a little over a month and we have not felt threatened in any way. they have security everywhere and they are really trying to get a handle on crime for the 2010 world cup...so all in all it is a beautiful country with beautiful people and although the flight may cost around 2500 per person the trip will be pretty inexpensive...i really hope you have the chance to experience what we have!

happy birthday to my beautiful sister-in-law!

2007-04-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

happy birthday amy!! i hope you have a wonderful day! we wish we were there to celebrate with you...we love you!!

muizenburg...

2007-04-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

we are staying in the old jewish settlement of muizenburg for the next couple of weeks...it used to be quite the place back in it's day...i still think it's beautiful and it is much safer than our last location so we have a lot more freedom to explore and train back into cape town...

you may recognize these colorful beach houses...they have been in several photo shoots...i love them;)

kandice and i catching some rays...

this is the old hotel that we're staying in...typical for the area:)

i'm in love again ❤

2007-04-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

i have been a little down since we left our last location. i have really missed archie and the other boys...but i have met two beautiful little girls that i have really lifted my spirtis and it's been really nice to work with them, i loved working with the boys but i didn't connect with one girl...so it's been nice;)

so here is sinalo and zozo....

aren't they precious?

meet archie...

2007-04-17T04:17:00.000-07:00

this is my little buddy archie...

we want nothing more than to bring him home with us. he lives in the township of lwandle (a little run down shack-like village in cape town) with his mother and four siblings.
his father died some years ago from unknown causes or “the illness” which they don’t like to label as HIV or AIDS. his mother works several hours a week, leaving her children unattended and to fend for themselves. when she is home she is often drinking heavily to cope with the pain of her life and decides to lock the kids out of the house more frequently than not....
thankfully for archie there is a christian woman in their village that works at the local crèche that has fallen absolutely in love with him and looks after him several nights a week, feeds him, takes him to the dr. when needed etc.
he is a beautiful little boy with a huge heart. he attends church alone on sundays and has been able to learn english from an early age at the crèche. he did most of our translating from english to xhosa and he did such a great job!!
since he is not up for adoption we have decided to to sponsor him and send him to a private christian school...we will take care of everything from supplies, clothing to doctor visits...it is still unknown if he has HIV...but we want to check right away because with the retro-antivirals he can still have a chance...
we are commited to taking care of his needs, praying for him, writing him and hopefully visiting him again soon....i really feel we came for him....or he was here for us...it is amazing how someone you hardly know can slip right into your heart so quickly...

✌

2007-04-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

just a few of our little guys we've been working with...we really want to take the third one home;)

sad day :(....

2007-03-24T23:51:00.000-07:00

we just got home from our last dinner with everyone...we had a great going away party...just two more days...but we hope to be back by the end of the summer:)
here are some pics...
teek gets a new hat
boo young...i am crying already!
jess...have fun in china!
kan-dance!! can't wait til SA!
security!!
oh paul...what can i say? ...miss you!
you girls are amazing!!

kailua-kona

2007-03-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

here is a photo of kailua-kona bay...right down the street from where we live...so sad we are leaving next week...i think i'm going to cry...

heather don't you miss it? can you see the corner of the scandinavian ice...yummmm...come back with us...k...

day trip...

2007-03-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

so today we went to kanalui...on a road that i am not sure was meant for a moped...actually i know it wasn't becuase most cars and semi's go faster than say 35 mph:) ...i was screaming most of the way but it was fun:) and we got to check out tons of cool antique shops and art galleries so it was worth every prayer that we were not going to get smashed by a car while driving in the bike lane...anyways here are some pics of one of my favorite shops...

♣ happy saint patty's day!!

2007-03-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

happy saint patrick's day to everyone....i just love this day:)

...and happy birthday to my sweet mother-in-law, jackie!

starting to pack up...

2007-03-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

not much going on....just got done with a wonderful week of lecture...we're all stirred up and ready to go:)
we have started to pack up...and i can't believe how much stuff we have accumulated...it's crazy and we can't take much with us.
i am sad to go but excited at the journey ahead...
we're off to london at the end of the week and then on to south africa for the next couple months. we will be working in a high school in cape town teaching art, IT, pe (they have expressed the desire to learn american basketball-so cort will be perfect) and AIDS awareness...1 out of every 3 people in south africa have HIV and it's growing sadly but steadily. i am trying to prepare my heart for what we will encounter...we are visiting several orphanages and hospitals as well as townships (ghettos)...but from what i hear they far surpass our worst.
i don’t know what it is but every time i visit an orphanage something comes over and it’s always life changing...i want so much to change their circumstances but we are never there long enough...who knows maybe someday we will be!

and just a few pics from our cruise today...we are trying to soak in every last minute....i am going to miss all of these cool little churches...

by the way....is anybody bored and feel like taking a trip to hong kong this summer?....we are going and we need others! the chinese government has has decided they want their top university students to learn about democracy not only from americans....but from a christian (biblical) point of view....this is huge! so cort and i are going over to teach this summer but there is room for many more teachers....and don’t worry we get training and you don’t have to be a teacher....let us know:)

and we’ll have a little fun too...hong kong is one of my favorite cities....great food & great shopping!

❤ white day ❤

2007-03-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

white day is the korean valentines day which is celebrated today, the 14th of march...
cort was sneaking around all day and i couldn't figure it out...he was doing really weird things because he was trying to sneak everything out of the room that he needed to get ready for a fancy-smancy dinner...when I would question him, he would just say oh so and so wants to borrow this....bla bla bla and i would say you are sooo weird!!
anyways i knew we were getting together for class again after dinner but i wasn't sure what time and i had just got done running and about to hop in the shower when he knocks and says everyone is meeting now....so i run down there and to my surprise every guy in the class has a flower in hand ready to give it to their girl....so sweet:)
all of the guys were dressed up and all of the girls were not...ha ha it was totally unexpected!! and they did such a great job....everyone pitched in and picked a girl even the single guys....everyone got up and sang, played guitar or read a poem....and cort rapped for me...he is so funny! i am so blessed to have such an incredible guy with such a hilarious personality....he had everyone rolling...i loved it!!
such a nice surprise....i didn't even know such a thing existed....love them koreans!!

this week...

2007-03-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

we are having such an amazing week...we have the greatest speaker, heather you would love him! everyday he leaves me feeling like i want to give up everything and go full-time into missions forever....he has such an exciting life and he says he is on a mission to stamp out “boring” christians...ha ha...he has such a great personality and a great sense of humor....i think that’s why i like him so much☺
this guy has been everywhere and seen everything....he life is a living testimony of god’s word when he says he will do great miracles during our time but we won’t believe even when we are told....and his stories are quite extraordinary!! three days after getting radically saved in the 70’s he went to smuggle bibles into communist east berlin, where people were being shot at the border on a daily basis and ever since he has lived his life in that respect....constantly submitted to god’s will and being led all over the world to do his work...
he has given so many accounts but among them is one that really stands out to me....he was sent to azerbaijan just six months after the country had been freed from communistic rule and he was staying at a place with no running water so they would have to go to a well to get fresh water. he had just arrived with another pastor and they were filling up their buckets and the lord spoke to them and told them to speak in tongues to the azerbaijani man that was also filling up his bucket. well they thought that is really crazy but what the heck...so they proceeded to speak to the man and he began to speak back...this went on for about 15 minutes and then the man gestured for them to wait...he went and got his son who was fluent in english. our speaker and the other pastor were asked by the son how they had learned azerbaijani because he knew it was not spoken or taught at any school anywhere else in the world and the longest they could have been in the country was 6 months which is not long enough to become fluent....in response they replied that they had a really great teacher and then they asked the son what the father had told him that got him so excited...the son replied: you are hear to tell us about a living god and you want to serve in our country by bringing in agriculture support teams, medical teams, a university and you will have an office on our main street of town.....needless to say they were in shock and still are because all of those have become true in that city of azerbaijan...
we hear these accounts almost on a daily basis here and it truly is amazing when they come first hand from the person doing the work...they are life changing to so many! ...heather keep praying i think you were born to do missions....when i hear these people speak i always think of you....
{and i really hope you guys come!}

➺ look who's reading it now...

2007-03-10T23:28:00.000-08:00

he was once making fun of me for picking it up....

i am still working on it...it's been a great read so far....many tips and ideas for anyone who's dream job includes traveling, helping people in the third world, living off your artwork...freelancing...or anything else...the ideas are endless!

back home...

2007-03-10T22:51:00.000-08:00

well were back from our mini-outreach...we had so much fun staying with the marshallese but it's so nice to be home! i have many clips of the kids singing in marshallese and trying to breakdance....so cute! ...but they won't load:(

we had a great day at the beach and here are some pics of, in my opinion, the best beach on the big island...mile 88...it may not look like much but it's very rare to find sand here...well when you have to ride a moped:)

we have really enjoyed it here and we are going to miss kona so much...we are off to south africa in two weeks...we also just decided to spend a little time in london before hand...and i am very excited! i have never been before and there are so many sights i hope to catch while we are there....

the houses of parliament & big ben...

the largest uk museum, British Musuem,...can't wait!

st. paul's cathedral...

westminster abbey...

and last but not least...the infamous red phone booths...

anti 9-5!!!

2007-03-07T23:50:00.000-08:00

okay...so since my break from work i have become accustom to the daily routine of no routine and i am loving every minute of it!! no more waking up and getting ready to rush to work....so i have been thinking...what can i do to stay home? i love teaching but the thought of going back to work makes me squirm! ...well I have come accross this

book

anti 9-5... so i am hoping it will hold the secret...check it out:)

✈ back from maui

2007-03-07T23:36:00.000-08:00

we just got back from maui...but we are now spending the week with the marshallese. they are refugees from the marshall islands (the thermonuclear war testing site of the 50's by the US) which they are still experiencing birth defects from the radioactivity...but we have met so many wonderful people and have been touched by thier stories!

we will be back in kona shortly....and off to south africa in a couple of weeks....yeah!!
here are few pics from maui...we had such a great time....i didn't want to leave!!!

mac nut pancakes...yummmm

so many whales...i have not seen one in kona...

world on fire ✞

2007-02-27T15:14:00.001-08:00

think about this...

❥ wallpaper

2007-02-25T20:56:00.000-08:00

i am dying to do our bathroom and cort is too....he just doesn't know it yet. if anyone is looking for some great vintage wallpaper you should check out

this...

they have so many funky prints to choose from!

i love this too...

hunl's beach ☀

2007-02-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

i wish i could have got some of them getting up...but as soon as they went out i was lost in tanning....maybe next time:)

❂ happy new year!!

2007-02-18T21:02:00.000-08:00

happy new year everyone! everyone was celebrating last night...i hope everyone is having a great day! cort and i are having fun we had a really busy week with the nations to nations conference so we are looking forward to some relaxation in maui...woohoo! we are going to stay with my mom, my brother and his new girlfriend, gillian....fun fun!

alfie my love ♡

2007-02-17T22:59:00.000-08:00

i miss you...i miss you...i miss you...and your soft curly hair too! ...i can't wait to see you, hold you and hear your squeaky toys...only a few more months;)

✈ south africa!!

2007-02-11T22:29:00.000-08:00

we just found out that we are going to south africa for two months at the end of march...so excited!! we will be flying into cape town and then going to jefferys bay and spending a little in malawi (maybe)...it's all still up in the air about what exactly we will be doing but cort and i really hope to be spending a lot of time at the local orphanages. there will be eight people on our team...four from the states, two from korea, one from canada and one from malaysia. we have such an awesome team...everyone has so many great gifts to offer:) cort will be leading devotions and I will be doing our team photography along with another member and we will all be leading worship...scary...because i can't sing at all! but it should be fun and it's all for the kids anyways:) along with our outreach we will be touring the country on our days off and we get to go on a safari...has anyhow seen the movie prey? it's kinda stupid but it's inspired by true events...i probably shouldn't have watched...anyways i really want to check out this beach that has penguins...did anyone know there are penguins in africa?? crazy...

...here are a few photos of cort and i at hawaii's oldest church...

this place is amazing!

2007-01-30T20:04:00.000-08:00

we are loving life! it is so amazing...you can't imagine what it's going to be like until you are actually living it! everything we heard was an understatement! we want to thank everyone who was a part of getting us to ywam....GOD is moving here and it is so awesome to be a part of it!
we just went to a seminar for a voice for the voiceless you should check out their website....she is a professional photographer that photographs suppressed women and children all over the world....check it out....I guarantee you will be moved by their stories and you'll want to do something about it! you can start by praying for them!:)
www.photogenx.net