A 30th Birthday Party To Remember

My birthday morning was started off with delicious cinnamon rolls that Cody had made in the dutch oven.. yum yum!

Cody decorated a giant cake for me for the party and then also made a yummy chocolate cake for just us, after the party 

 Sri Lankan system cutting the cake yourself and feeding your closest relatives first 

 Cody and the girls working hard handing out cake 

I was so happy that two of my favorite Muslim families came over, which is rare for Muslims to go to other parties. Kavitha and Ishad above are my friends that I teach with at the preschool every week. And below is the family from Farzana's Restaurant that provided the food for the party (the family that we built their restaurant for after the tsunami).  

 Lots of dancing :)

 This is a new friend of mine. We have helped her a little bit financially with her daughter who has had a blood disease since she was a baby and has to travel to do transfusions once a month. She was sweet enough to make me a birthday cake 

 My ladies tea girls and my surf club boys

Cody sent me to go get henna Sri Lankan style for the party. It was fun to spend a couple of hours with one of my Muslim families tatting me up :) 

This is some of my newer friends Ruwanthi and Giva. Ruwanthi made me the red dress that I wore the second half of the party. These are Krishantha's  (surf club president) sisters.

Thanks Honey for a wonderful birthday party!!!! 

A Wedding Party

Some of my friends that helped me get my sari on for the wedding party. Its quite the process to get sari's on. At least 20 safety pins and wrapping and wrapping.

I did my friend Baby's hair. She got a battery operated curling iron from someone, so I taught her how to use it and gave her some curls :)

I helped her put some make-up on to get all jazzed up

This is the bride; she is a relative of Mona's.

Baby, Mona and I at the party

 Koda, Kenai and Loshan (Baby's son) at the party

 Picture with the bride and the groom. They literally stand there for hours taking video and pictures with each person that comes; hence the smiles :)

A Very Happy Mothers Day!

My boys started off the morning by making this beautiful table centerpiece. The boys picked the flowers and Cody had the great idea with the coconut candle and water. 

My boys made me omelets and they had bought a new tea set for me; so we all enjoyed our morning tea together

Then we left for our adventure to Pottuvil Point where we climbed rocks, snorkeled and found tide pools to play in. The boys had fun jumping off of rocks into the tide pools 

 (watch out Koda!)

 It was a great day reflecting on being a mommy and was so nice getting spoiled. I love my babies and there is no greater joy than the "job" God gave me of being a mom. Job=blessing! 

Surf Club Boys/ Cody's Oikos Giving Back

Through building relationships deeper with the club boys, they have begun to hang out a lot fishing

After a successful spear by Cody, the boys had a Men's barbecue night at our house. Lots of food, fun and laughs

The boys knew Cody was trying to get someone to fix our fence after it blew over in a wind storm, and so the boys came out and helped a ton

Even Carson, our one STN May team member came over and worked with the boys. They got it done in one morning/afternoon. 

My friend Mona and I spent the day making the boys banana pancakes, coffee, tea, serving soda and water and making a big rice and curry lunch. 

Month of May Memories

Family Day at Panama after mom and the HDC team left

Picnic and hide and seek in the rocks

 And lots of swimming and fun

Cody and young boys he mentors after an evening of spearfishing 

Uncle Pontus building a fort with the kids 

Babyrunny, Ruby, Subanee and I on a walk to the point one evening after Ladies Tea

Good-bye dinner with our good friends Niklas and Brenna, the night before they moved back to America to have their baby

The New Club From Start To Finish

It's amazing how God continually uses us in ways that he's gifted us in. Cody was asked by the surf club president and good friend Krishantha, to design and build a surf club using two catamaran boats. Cody has worked hard, endless hours to create a beautiful club for the boys, that not only will promote their club but also help them to have income during the tourist season. They will rent out surfboards from the club and also be available to give surf lessons. The club they had before was taken away from them, thus forcing them/us to come up with a new plan. This was a great idea that the boys brainstormed on. The only way to have something on the beach is if its a boat; this was ever since the government came in and took the land from the people last year. That's where the club on a boat came in. Cody had the help of many of the club boys and also good friend Niklas (before returning to America with his wife Brenna and their soon to be born baby girl).  The hard work over the month paid off and they now have a beautiful club. Not only that, the relationship that has grown between Cody and each of the club boys is amazing after spending so many hours together. They love Cody and appreciate him so much. They come over more often and go fishing with Cody all the time now. We had a huge wind storm that knocked our fence down 3 days before my birthday. Cody tried finding someone to hire to fix it, but couldn't find anyone. All of the club boys showed up and helped Cody do it themselves. It was so rad to see them giving back to their friend. They have even invited Cody this week to go with them on their annual trip to Okanda, where they go to the Bdhist temple to offer up a sacrifice to ask their "god" for a good fishing season. Cody was blessed that they asked him to go with him. They know where Cody stands on his faith, and we just pray that doors continue to open up in that relationship. 

Day 1 - Connecting the Catamarans and beginning the floor level 

 Chootie Milan learning to work the saw

Local Putah (Siril) working with the grinder 

Most of the Club boys on Day 1 

 Building UP

Here comes the roof 

 Krishantha and Local Putah getting the leaves ready for the cajan roof

Finished Product, including stairs and surf racks