Hurting Hearts. Helping Hands

Happy Birthday Cody!!!

Cody started off his birthday morning with my homemade coconut rotis, dhal curry and coconut symbol for breakfast. He skyped with his parents then enjoyed a late morning surf. We took Cody to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants Hideaway. Our friend Sharon, the owner, gave Cody and Koda brownies for their birthdays.

We got a package on the perfect day!!!! One of our friends- the Elverts, sent us some wonderful goodies, including some of these, and some also from Cody's parents in a package a week before. Made his birthday a little more special with some fun things that we can't get here!

Cody wanted to keep Family Night on his birthday, so he spent a couple hours behind the b-bque feeding over 30 people. It was a fun night!

The cake I made Cody and to share with all the neighbors.

Happy 6th Birthday Koda!!

Koda's birthday morning

Later on we had a birthday party for Koda in the afternoon (till night).....

with face/hand painting

Rice bag races

Pop the balloon contest

Cake

"Put the eye on the elephant" Game

Happy Birthday Koda Bear!

Finished off the day with the new tradition of campfire, smores and camping in the tent outside

Father's Day/ Johnson's Birthday

Johnson invited our family to spend the day with his family in Komari to celebrate his birthday. Cody wanted to spend his fathers day doing just that. So after Sunday school, we rented a tuk tuk for the day and headed to Komari with Johnson and the fam.

We went to a place called "Lighthouse" and had rice and curry lunch all together. We went swimming, snorkeling, and surfing for a bit, then headed to our next destination.

We went to Johnson's brother in laws peanut farm for the rest of the late afternoon/evening. This is Johnson's beautiful momma with some peanuts.

Kenai and one of the workers with all the peanuts

Eating random vegetables that we find in the jungle :) tasted like a cucumber- just giant!

Boys working hard picking peanuts. They were having fun competing who could put more peanuts in their hats. Jungle life- love it!

The rest of the early evening we spent watching the boys fish with nets.

Daddy and his boys- Happy Fathers Day Cody!

Such a great Daddy!

If you look in the center of the water, ya, that's a crocodile. And Johnson's brother is just to the right of me IN THE WATER fishing with his net. Love the "no worries" life! Ha!

Birthday boy and his babes!

Happy Father's Day at Sunday School

Father's Day is not a celebrated holiday in Sri Lanka. They only celebrate Mother's Day here. That made my heart sad, so I decided to plan Sunday School to revolve around Fathers Day. We taught the lesson of the Prodigal Son and had the kids all make Fathers Day cards for their dads. We also had fun pinwheels for the kids to make (thanks to HDC for bringing those to leave here). It was a fun Sunday school morning and hope all the kids dad's felt blessed.

Jameel's Granddaughter's First Birthday

It's always such a blessing to be invited by Jameel to his family parties. His daughter's little girl Reema turned one and we were invited to join her little birthday party. I took family photos for them, which I love that they asked. Most Muslims do not like having photos taken, particularly of the women. But I love that Jameel was the one to ask. Johnson, Lathika and Stephanie along with our family were the only friends there and together we celebrated with Jameel's extended family.

They're custom in celebrating a first birthday, tends to make the kids cry. It involves these sparklers which put fire sparks out everywhere (including on the kid). Next they crumble food on top of the baby's head and the cousins all force feed her, whether she's crying or not. Then they pop a balloon over her head, which is very loud and confetti falls all over her. Needless to say, she's a crying mess and wants nothing to do with her cake by that time. Funny system!