My Heart for Texas

I may be behind on blog post from our summer but as I write, Texas is facing devastation! Hurricane Harvey has hit the state as a category 4 hurricane, with barely any time to react and prepare. Then it decided to drop feet and feet of rain across the state which resulted in catastrophic flooding. The entire coast of Texas has been affected, and Texas is a HUGE state! Texas has a piece of Keith and my heart. I was born there.  I went to college there. We met there. We got married there. We both have family and dear friends that live there. I may say I am Zambian (which is true) but Texas is my home state. These dear folk are my kin!  During this week, Keith and I ache to get on a plane and go help. Much like our Texan friends did when we had our massive flood in Alaska. They jumped on planes to come help. But at the moment  I as I write this, many people are still being affected by this disaster! And they sit and wait because they are stuck or cut off from everyone else. My family is cut off by flooded roads. Homes have been flooded or even wiped away. Towns have been completely  destroyed. And peoples lives have been totally destroyed. Last night as I sat watching the news, because I just cant turn away, I started to reflect on how these people are feeling. And I can say, I know exactly how many of you are feeling. This post is for both you and the people that want to help. Some things to DO and things NOT TO! Here are some of my thoughts from my personal experience....

1) When you see damaged homes DON'T say "It's just Stuff" or "It's just a house" "It can be replaced". Because yes, you MIGHT be right, It is NOT something people want to hear. It may be just stuff or just a house but it is THEIR stuff or THEIR house. This is peoples lives. Their memories. Their money used to create those memories. Memories that are gone or damaged. So Yes their family may all be safe, which is the most important thing, but it's not just stuff to all of them. Don't say it! just say I'm sorry!

2) Let them mourn the loss of those things! You may not know what it's like to loose a special ornament that your Great-Great Grandma made for your Christmas tree. Let them cry for all the Baby keepsakes that are lost, or all the letters from a loved one that they kept and reread over and over again. Let them cry for the homes they have to rebuild. Let them mourn for their losses. Just let them!

3) Admit that you won't be "fine" for a while. Many of these families have gone through big ordeals. Their memories of this devastating time will not just be gone tomorrow. Like Military people that come back from war zones, these people will have PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Their kids might and will freak out when it rains and water starts accumulating in the streets. They might start screaming in the middle of a public place months down the road, saying "Mommy we need to get to a higher place! We need to get in a boat!" They will automatically start looking for those rescue boats. Adults might start having a hard time breathing when they see rushing water. Hearing horns and sirens on game shows might have you all jumping out of bed ready for evacuation.  And you might have to gather your kids in your own bed and just hug them when they hear sirens. It takes a while to get those sounds out of your head. Adults will sometimes ACT like it's fine and then all that fear and stress comes out and sometimes that is a humbling and not so nice place to be in. It won't be "fine" tomorrow.  Things like this sometimes takes years to get over.  Just let it take it's time.

4) There are some fun or laughable times in tragedy. Your kids may think it's awesome that they got to eat Granola bars and peanuts for dinner. Or they may think this was the best day ever because they got to ride in a boat, a bus, a airplane all on the same day! Or they got to have a big slumber party with other friends in a new place with lots of beds scattered everywhere. They may remember the play ground in the park while you are at a disaster meeting. They may think you are the best, for letting them ride the elevator UP and DOWN a million times to entertain them.  While their parents stress kids seem to see the FUN in everything. Let them. They will make you laugh and recover a lot faster.  I hope and pray all the kids will have good memories of the craziness but I know many won't. Kids are resilient but it takes time. It's OK to Laugh at funny things, like catching fish that are swimming in your living room. Or laugh when your neighbor starts singing water songs, like "the Rains came down and the floods came up" Or even the theme song from Titanic, though if there are icebergs floating around Texas right now, I would be a little concerned. Just laugh there are funny moments in Tragic ones.

5) Don't Compare Loses. Everyone lost something! It might be a house, car, a pet, or loved one, or  they may even have  lost peace of mind. Dollar signs don't always mean you lost more or less. Everybody lost something! Don't compare!

6) Excepting help and donations is HARD and HUMBLING! People in general are proud independent people.  Being dependent is not in most of our nature. Most of us work hard for what we have. If you are getting donations, it is hard to be dependent on others for your basic needs. I know. It is a very humbling experience. If you are giving donations, just know it is really hard to be on the receiving end of charity. Peoples pride is hard to get rid of, that is the reason there are so many verses in the bible about pride.  Just know excepting charity is HARD for many! And don't feel bad about excepting it either. You are being blessed and blessing someone else. It's a circle. One day you may be able to give to someone else in need!

7) Be there for the LONG ROAD AHEAD! This disaster is and will be on going. It is still hitting family as I write. But know, this is not a everything is better tomorrow. People may still be sitting in a shelter and friends are asking "How can we help?" Right now those people have NO IDEA how much help they will need or where to even start. The tragedy JUST happened. They are still trying to wrap their mind around the loss. Offer now, but also offer in a week, or a month or even a year! Be there for the long road. They will forget all the people who asked to help, they will forget, so offer again. When they get to their homes and assess the damage, after they figure out what they lost and what they need, Offer help then too. They will have to figure out all that but don't abandon them. Wait and offer again. The help they need may be years away but just be there willing and able to help.

These are just some thoughts going through my head as I wait to hear from family and friends. We are praying for you here in Maine. We ache for you!  We are here for you!  We love you!

Aroostook and the Great North.

Well, I think I wrote previously that any move to a new refuge involves some crazy, fun, sounding refuge name, like Inoko, Koyukuk, Nowitna, Homosasa, Chassahowitska, Mattamuskeet. Well Moosehorn is not really a crazy, fun, sounding name, but Keith's refuge, Aroostook, to the north fits the bill. The boys and I have not had a chance to visit before, so when Keith had to attend a meeting and said we could all go with him and make a trip out of it, we jumped at it.  Aroostook was absolutely beautiful and not what I was expecting. The rolling hills with farms around the refuge, are so pretty. The refuge is unlike any refuge I have ever seen. Old bunkers that held bombs and military chemicals line the field covered with grass. There are even buildings that are actually solid concrete that they would disguise them as school houses. I don't know if it fooled anybody but it sure is interesting. When the military left, they turned it into the refuge and now we get to explore it. It was fabulous.

The field of bunkers

 

The building they call the school house. It used to have fake windows on the sides for the appearance.

 We got to cross the border and explore Grand Falls, New Brunswick. The waterfalls are beautiful! We had so much fun exploring trails and the waterfalls. Grand Falls is a beautiful city that I would love to take time to really explore.

 Over looking the falls

Exploring the trails down the gorge

 

 Grand Falls is the home town of the jockey who rode Secretariat, Ron Turcotte. This is the Statue to honor his great race.

While Keith was in meetings all day, the boys and I headed north to visit our past neighbors Donna and Reno, who now live near Edmundston, New Brunswick. Donna showed us around the area and we had so much fun. The area was stunning with cities nestled among mountains, rivers and valleys. My boys were SUPER EXCITED about a Dairy Queen, which is where we ate, Blizzards and all.

 Donna took us to a train museum. The owner had a remote control train set that required 6 drivers, and it took up about 4 rooms full of different rails, trains and miniature towns.

 The details were amazing!

 We had a fun trip as a family. I love being able to travel and explore with my family!

A Different Kind of Round-up

There are all kinds of cowboys in this world. Living in Texas we had the Rodeo with barrel racing, bucking broncos, bucking bulls,  and of course the Rodeo clowns that made everyone laugh. I've read books about round ups that cowboys would do yearly to get their cows from one place to the next. I love cowboy movies and find it amazingly interesting even though I have not been around horses or cows much in my life.

Well, I haven't seen many rodeos here in Maine, but we did have a unique kind of a round up here at the refuge. Every year, when the geese are molting their feathers and can't fly,  refuge staff and volunteers all participate in the Goose Round-up. This is a way to count geese, determine if they are male ore female, and determine if they were born this year or previous years.  They will then band them with a bracelet with a number to be able to track them if recaptured later. The staff start at one corner of a slough and canoe down and around the edges forcing the geese into a pre-placed enclosure that holds the geese till they can band them. It is one neat thing to participate in. The boys and I got to help this year and I am so glad! My boys learned a lot from the refuge staff and enjoyed helping. The staff were very wonderful in teaching the kids which also included the YCC kids, who worked at the refuge this summer. I love being able to participate in Keith's work and I love that my boys get to see and learn about daddy's job and protecting wildlife.

Rounding them up

 Determining if they are male or female

 Isaiah releasing a bird with dad's help

 Another release by Isaiah

 Kaden releasing a goose

 Trying to get a goose out of the cage without the others flying out

 I started taking information

SO there you have a DIFFERENT kind of round-up that had no horses, no cows but a lot of dirt and mud.

Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day USA!!!!

We got to celebrate Independence Day in Eastport Maine this year. Nothing says Patriotic like a parade, a Navy ship and Veterans being celebrated! Thank you to all who have served and are serving in our military! Because of you, we get to enjoy a carefree day except the stress of finding parking! It was a beautiful day along the St. Croix river. We are Free, we live in a Free country and we are BLESSED! Here are some pictures of our family celebrating July Fourth!

I love this picture.... I feel like we are part of a home town, good ole summer day! and It was!!!

 

My patriotic boys.... I mean what is more patriotic than Old Navy Flag shirts!!!!

  Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS Lassen

The USS Lassen crew joining the parade

Uncle Sam and the boys

The only family picture I got

Birthday List for my 25th Birthday.... Again!

July 2nd a GREAT day in history.
-1776 -The day the Declaration of Independence was actually written, it just took till the 4th for it to be revised and signed.
-1839- Slaves aboard the La Amistad revolt and gain their freedom
-1843- An Alligator fell from the sky in Charleston South Carolina after a storm....True fact! I had to look that up
-1881- President James Garfield was shot and died 79 days later
-1937- Amelia Earhart disappears over the Pacific
-19??- Tabitha Michelle Howard, now Ramos, was born!

My birthday is squished right between two major holidays for 2 great countries. Sometimes, like this year, I get fireworks on my birthday!! Canada decided to throw a 150 year firework celebration on my birthday this years! Isn't that sweet of them!

I had a great birthday this year! And with the help of dear friends, I had a wonderful relaxing afternoon birthday party and a lovely evening sitting by the bay watching fireworks. Gloria and Brad Philips, with their boys, came over for lunch after church and Keith grilled us some yummy burgers. We enjoyed sitting outside in the lovely weather. We had cake and just relaxed which was the best part! Then we went to St. Andrew to watch fireworks to end the wonderful day! We had to move the table off the deck because it was hot, but under the trees was so refreshing!

 

 Sunset was beautiful! Keith is down on the rocks near the water getting pictures.

 Here is a picture of Keith, taken by Brad. I must say this captures my husband perfectly, Camera in hand waiting for THE shot. This is Keith!

 Fun picture of us before the fireworks.

Every year, since my 30th birthday(FORGET THAT NUMBER), I have made a list of things I want to accomplish in my next year. Kind of like a Bucket list, except  I call it my Birthday List. Some things are silly and others serious. Its fun to review each birthday, what I have done and mark them off or add more to my list. The first year I started this, I had visit Mt. Rushmore, see whales, drive across the USA, Not knowing a few years later I would hit those all in one move down from Alaska to North Carolina. There were other things I wanted to do and places I want to travel. These may not be accomplished this year but they are on my "TO Do" list.

Through the last few years I have been able to check some things off my list. Like stop biting my nails. I did see Mt. Rushmore, and I have seen New York. I drove through it a few times now, even BY MYSELF. I even drove through the Lincoln tunnel, though I didn't see Buddy the Elf. I don't qualify that as seeing New York so on my last birthday I had to get more specific, like, I want to see NYC at Christmas and I want to Ice Skate in Central Park and see all the Landmarks that we know for NYC.  My birthday in North Carolina I added, visit Maine, eat Lobster, see a sugar shack, go to Acadia NP and see a cranberry bog(which was my Meema's dream to see).... I got to mark ALL of those out! And who knew I would create my own sugar shack for Maple Syrup!  Though I haven't seen Prince Edward Island yet, I live a lot closer now, it wont be long till I can check that off! Like I said, some are serious and some are silly. There are some personal goals like hug my boys more and more spiritual goals that I will not share, but each year I get my book out and see how far I have come, how far I need to go and what awesome things I got to do this year.

So this year here are some of my list that continue on( I won't tell all since some are personal):

- Learn Spanish (I can understand it pretty good if spoken slowly but have a hard time going from English to Spanish.)

-Cross the Arctic Circle(Yes, I lived within 100 miles of it in Alaska and never crossed it!)

-Watch Lion King on Broadway. 

-See NYC at Christmas time and do all those Christmas things seen in all the movies!

-See Sea turtles hatch( I have rescued Sea turtles and their eggs and I got to swim with Sea turtles which was a dream come true and a mark off my list but I want to see those cute little guys race to the water)

-Deliver Shoe boxes for Samaritan's Purse! So MUCH A DREAM!!!

-Color my hair purple(I told you not all were serious)

-Start a Cake business

-Sell some of my paintings.... though this intimidates me A LOT!

-Go camping at Jelly Stone

-Go tour PEI and see all the sights from Anne Of Green Gables

-See the Grand Canyon

-See those big trees on the West Coast

-Visit: Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, New Hampshire, Vermont, Quebec, Noviscotia

This year will be a good one ADVENTURE AWAITS!

Canada Day

I have posted many times that our family is very Multi-cultural! Living this close to Canada only seems right to adopt some of their culture! Growing up at RVA helps since a lot of my friends were Canadian and we sang their national anthem a lot.

For Canada Day we went across and spent the day in St. Stephen and St. Andrew. It was super fun with classic cars, parades, Mounties and patriotism. This year Canada celebrates 150 years of Canada being joined together. They got their independence later but Canada Day is the day that all the provinces were joined together as one. What a fun time to celebrate. The fireworks were postponed due to rain so we got to celebrate them on my birthday. But here are some pictures of our day celebrating our neighbors.

 

 I got to see my first Red coat Mounties(they actually don't wear these uniforms except for special occasions ) ... And of course being a crazy tourist I asked to get a picture with them. They thought it odd but then after I was done, a whole line had formed to get a photo with them. Sorry guys if you had to stay a little longer. But I had to get my picture! Don't they look dashing?

 My little guys got their face painted

 Cool cars!

 It was a wonderful day! Happy 150th Canada Day!

The Parker visit

Sometimes you have close family, sometimes you have close friends, and sometimes you have close friends that are practically family. The Parkers have been in my life since I was in 4th grade,  well technically before I was born, though I would not know that till my college days. Here's our story:

Once upon a time there was a missionary family, who while on furlough, visited a little church in Cuero Texas.  This church was actually a church that the missionary wife, Lindy, grew up in, as her father was the pastor of the church many years before. On their visit to this church, the missionaries daughter, Tabitha, went to the 4th grade Sunday school class. She doesn't remember much, except her teacher was a man named Dwayne Parker and he had a box of donuts. The missionary family gave little carved elephants to all the families in the churches because elephants never forget, and that was a way for people to remember to never forget to pray for the missionaries around the world.........Now, fast forward 10 years, to Lake Jackson Texas, the missionary daughter is now in college and is sitting in Sunday school, next to her boyfriend Keith. A new girl is sitting across the room and keeps looking over at Tabitha. Tabitha asks Keith if he knew who she was, but neither one knew. She keeps looking so Tabitha asks Keith if she had something on her face or in her teeth.... hahaha. Nope. OK after Sunday school was over this strange girl, walks over to Tabitha and asks, "Do I know you?" As a missionary kid, you get that A LOT!  Usually it's from a church visit or someone has your picture/prayer card on their fridge. Usually that is the embarrassing picture of you with freckles, clashing clothes and your tongue sticking out because you're tired of pictures being taken, you know that prayer card?. Well I went through my questions of How would I know Tina? Me: "Where are you from?" Tina: "Cuero" Me: My Papa was a pastor in Cuero and I think we spoke there one time. Did we speak in your church? Tina: are you a missionary kid? Me: yes Tina: Did your parents give out wood elephants to remember to pray for them?  Me: YES! ......Tina: I still have that elephant!

OK so then we continued talking and catching up and I won't continue in story form. But the story continues of Tina becoming one of our best friends. We join their family on many trips, she is one of our bridesmaids, and she travels to each place we moved to except North Carolina because we actually met up in Puerto Rico. Her dad, Uncle Dwayne, shows us the pictures he has of our family, and his connections to my family. Tina is the reason we laugh at all the Tabby Moments(moments in life where I run into someone I know or knows someone I know, the 6 connections to Kevin Bacon has nothing on me) Anyways. This family is very dear to our hearts. Uncle Dwayne, Aunt Sandra, Tina and Laura. Mark and Billy joined the family and though technically, Tina and Laura took their hubby's names, they will always be Parkers to us. Sorry guys! But it is a great family to marry into. These people are about as close to family as we can get. Glad we are adopted into it.

So the Parker family trip to Maine was a great one! We went to Campobello, St. Andrews, Acadia NP, and the guys went fly fishing almost every evening. We really enjoyed your visit Parkers!

 Luke Waiting for Aunt Tina

 Visiting St. Andrew

 Acadia National Park. We went to the top of Cadillac Mountain! SO PRETTY!

 Kaden

 Isaiah

 I love this guy!

 Luke

 Picnicking on top of Cadillac Mountain

 Sam and Luke had fun together!

 My three hiking buddies

Father's Day

For Father's Day, I bought Keith an Oven! Aren't I the sweetest? Our stove has been giving us trouble for a while, but trying to not spend a lot of money, I was making due with just a few stove tops working. Well of course when you have a big group of people coming, you know something will break. This time it was our stove... well technically it was our oven, which caught on fire. There were Sparks and Glowing light! And of course you know things have to break when your husband is going out of town the very next day for a week and you have visitors coming. So while the Jeffers' were here and all week while Keith was in West Virginia, I was getting creative with my cooking. For two weeks all our meals were done via Slow cooker, grill, electric skillet, and rice cooker. It was actually encouraging to know new recipes that could be made in all those things. Cakes, cinnamon rolls, and curries all made in a slow cooker. But I knew with our next group of people coming, feeding 11 people with no oven or stove was going to be a little more difficult. So on Father's Day, after church, we took our trailer to Bangor to look for a new stove. Not exactly what I wanted to do to celebrate Keith, but something we had to do. But we found a great stove loaded it up and then we decided to do something fun because the boys did great while we had to shop. We took the boys to a go-cart place and had a blast. Kaden was old enough to drive by himself and Isaiah got the thrill of riding with Dad. I let them enjoy while I videoed and held Luke. Oh the Joy they had! Glad we could have a fun family day even if it wasn't ALL fun! Happy Father's Day Keith! We love you more than Chocolate covered strawberries!

 My boys!

 Ramos Family

 Kaden got the hang of it pretty fast

 On your mark...

 I can't tell if Isaiah is screaming in fear or squealing with joy!