Amazing...

When I held Jaslyn as a baby, I used to worry I wouldn't like her once she hit two or so. After all, wasn't that when all kids turned into monsters? Throwing tantrums in line at the grocery store, whining about eating their vegetables, being sticky all the time. I wasn't expecting to love and enjoy my girls even more as they got older. But somehow, that's what happened. It's been so fun to see their personalities emerge--their little souls surface with such honesty and life and uniqueness.

Jaslyn is the one who will run to open the door whenever the doorbell rings. And she'll ask whoever's there to dance with her--even a UPS guy will do a little jig on the doorstep. She'll organize a band at pre-school, explain in great detail where poop comes from, and dip her bananas in ketchup. She's grateful for everything. We rarely need to remind her to say thank you. Even yesterday, as we were playing together, she randomly says: "Mommy, thank you for taking care of me." She sees beauty everywhere. When Sean put up the naked center pole of the Christmas tree, she was in awe. "Daddy, it's so beautiful," she told him. And then once the branches, lights and decorations were on, she couldn't take her eyes off the magic. She's a little theologian, too. Asking questions like, "Does God go potty?" "Can Jesus come over to play?" and "If God made trees and clouds, can he make us lunch, too?"

Maleah is a whole other person. I expected her to be just like her sister, but she's all Maleah. More laidback, observant, contemplative it seems. It was interesting to even compare their first birthday parties. Jaslyn was moving from person to person, wanting to be held or played with by each of her thirty-plus guests. And when the cake came, she put on a scrumptious show of spreading it from head to foot. Maleah daintily picked at her cake. And, once, after coming in from the deck where everyone was hanging out, I noticed she sat alone in the living room playing quietly with her socks. A perfectly content birthday girl.

I'm reminded every day how blessed I am to have two unique, beautiful miracles running around. I don't remember it every moment of the day. (When Jaslyn fingerpaints the carpeting or Maleah somehow manages to get applesauce stuck on the ceiling, it's a little harder to see.) But, at some point, when Maleah's snuggles in under my neck or Jaslyn asks me to join her in her cardboard boat crossing a river filled with anacondas, I remember. They still might cry in the grocery store, sit on their veggies instead of eat them, and they really are mysteriously and consistently sticky. But they're mine.

Jaslyn Sings About as well as daddy.

And who's that in the background? Aren't I a high-tech redneck - now that I can post videos to the web.... Not too much going on here. Fall is hitting the Rockies, but we still have days that reach into the 70's. The mortgage business is a bit slow (so tell everyone to buy a house), but now that I'm dancing on the weekends that helps make some extra $$$.

Jaslyn is loving pre-school (she goes 2 days/week to Handprints). Maleah is standing up on her own - as you can see in the video - and is wanting so much to walk. Kathy is a writing machine, she's doing an amazing job on her latest book in the "Meet Kathy" series. . . I know, I know, its not "meet Kathy" anymore, its been re-titled.

Not too much else going on here - maybe we'll make our way to Canada this Christmas - but maybe the MB Bucks won't even have their place built by then.

peace,

sean

I'm a lucky guy

Isn't my wife a hottie? Below is an OLD video
that I learned how to upload. Maybe we will
figure out how to do some recent ones too.
It was my turn to post an update. Not much new,
Maleah just turned 1 (Sept 15) and Jasyln had
pre-school today, she dressed up as a lion. Her favorite thing to do is roar, and scare people. We'll
have to load those photos later. We are really wanting to find a way to purchase some lakefront
property in Michigan, anyone want to lend us $500,000?

Kathy finally decides to blog

It's taken me a while to process Africa, but Sean keeps at me to write something about it. Hence, his aptly-named title for the blog.

For me, Africa was a kaleidoscope of emotions. It was glorious and painful, hopeful and heart-breaking, beautiful and devastating. I went from crying over a child who had brokenness all over her, to laughing with them over bubbles and apples and sunglasses.

My biggest surprise was coming down with Shingles in my eye. As the doctor there said, “How does someone as healthy and young as you get shingles?” And I’m wondering "How can the timing to get shingles be so inconvenient?" After months of preparing to love on a bunch of abandoned children, I end up contagious.

Miraculously, a wonderful doctor was on the trip, too. Miraculously, the opthamologist that visited the town every couple weeks was coming in the next day. Miraculously, this typically excruciating condition was relatively painless. Miraculously, it didn’t get into my cornea until I’d returned home and could have it effectively treated. It took me a few days to recognize it, but despite all that was happening, I felt so loved by God. So taken care of. Details that I’d never expected worked out in ways I never imagined. (Like an eye exam and four medications coming to a grand total of $6.)

I think there were things I saw more clearly through my eye patch than I’d ever have recognized without it. Namely, that if God can provide with such concerned detail for my needs, than I have to believe that he can and does provide in even greater ways for the Swazi people.
It changes the way I pray. When I ask God to take care of that child who’s only living relative just died. Or the one who faces abuse. Or the one who walked three miles to the Carepoint to get their first meal in days. I believe he hears it. I believe he shows up in greater ways in Swaziland than here in the United States because they’re desperate for it. The need is great…and that makes God’s grace even greater. And it’s everywhere. Despite the sadness, the devastation, the pain—there’s something intrinsically hopeful about that place. Something powerful. Something so good. Despite the circumstances, and maybe because of them, God's love feels so much more real there. It may not come in the tangible ways that I hope, but its presence is undeniable.

After a couple days, I did get to hang out with the kids, and I even got to get rid of the eye patch. Both Sean and I were ready to take a couple kids home who absolutely broke our hearts. But adopting from Swaziland is pretty much impossible without being a citizen. I still think about these children every day. And I view practically everything in life differently—it all has new meaning. My coffee from Starbucks. Watching my children play freely--without any fear. Serving a meal. Being able to lock my door at night. Vacuuming a house that could easily house 100 people in Swazi terms.

It makes me grateful. And stirs my soul--reminding me to "remember." Remember these people, continue to have a passion for them, and strive to be obedient to our calling in that place.

Surprised by Joy.

One of the things that first caught me off-guard in Swaziland was the joy of the people there. They had so little and were so grateful for anything we gave to them. I love this photo of this orphan praying before the meal - which basically consisted of "pop" (a rice/potatoe grain) and beans. One meal a day.

The go-gos (grandmothers) would begin by gathering firewood, make a fire, and begin cooking the meal in the large black cauldrens. It would take them about 4 hours to do this. The children would then all line up single-file , give thanks and wait to be served their meal. These aren't just kids on some depressing TV commercial with flys crawling on thier face, these are real kids with real feelings. They would laugh when I'd tickle them, they'd cry when their bubbles spilled, and they simply wanted to play most of the time; just like my daughters.

I think this is what took them from some random kids in some third-world country that was so overwhelming I couldn't help to a small group of loving children whose lives I could make a difference in. Maybe not all the orphans, but these ones. I could help them. I knew I wouldn't be there very long, but they didn't know is that their joy made me want to come back. Kathy and I are still processing things from this trip, but one thing I hope for is that I'll get a chance to return.

> Sean

For more info take a look at www.Vanguardchurch.org

First Post

Maybe its because our family complains so much, or maybe we just finally got around to it, but welcome to BuchananAdventures.blogspot.com - this is going to be the place Kathy and I try to keep you up to date on our crazy Colorado adventures!
Love ya,
S,K,J,M.

P.S. - check back soon for some Africa updates!