Sorry it's been a while...

Things have been a little crazy around here. I had a baby shower for my friend Melanie who is due in early July. We just had a garage sale and are now preparing for good friends who are coming to visit for about a week. It's been fun but crazy...


We also do some fun things regularly during the week and one of these includes a playgroup with some kids Jude and Priscila's age. There were a group of us who were friends prekids and then we all had kids at the same time. All of these kids were born within 2 years (and Aubrey is missing from the picture). Of course 2 of these are mine... :) They are Sloane Banks, Molly Sparks, Abigail Thomas, Jude and Priscila.

Jude keeps busy saying Daddy ALL THE TIME and following his Daddy everywhere. It is really sweet and he also immitates everything that Lauchlin does. Yikes!

Prisca keeps growing and is becoming more and more fun as she smiles and engages. I am glad because we are having visitors this summer and she will be able to interact more now than obviously when she was a newborn.

I get mixed reviews about Jude and Prisca's similar looks. Alot of people say they look very similar with masculine and feminine differences and then some people say they both look unique. I guess we'll see over time!

Anyway, there they are...I will try to do a better job of posting here in the next few weeks and include pics with friends.

Hope you are well,

Mackenzi :)

Growing season at the Groffs...

We have been spending alot of time in our yard the past few weeks weeding, planting and caring for existing plants. It has been fun and tiring. Jude loves to be outside and this morning was helping me water plants.

He has his own watering can but likes to use Momma's as well.

We are growing some vegetables in our garden but also in some boxes.

I have to remind him to be gentle with just about everything. Here after hitting the flower and attempting to pull it, he now points in an efforts to be gentle.

Jude continues to learn more and more words. He also likes to laugh alot and have fun. He is always joking around. One thing he does is pretends to be asleep and snores. Then he wakes up suddenly and giggles his head off.

Prisca has such a sweet and gentle spirit. She seems to be pretty different than her brother. She smiles alot but seems to be a little shy and definitely more laid back. She endures his constant kisses and bear hugs. She laughs at him alot!

That is us for now. Hope you are well!

Much love,

Mackenzi :)

'La' and 'Jood Jood'...

Jude has begun calling Prisca 'La'. He wakes up after a nap or walks around and says 'La?'. It is so sweet. She smiles at him and coos at him all the time. These photos are from her morning nap. (I am so jealous.)

Here is 'La' playing in her excersaucer. She likes to be upright now pretty much all the time. No more baby laying down! :)

Jude calls himself 'Jood Jood'. He is really in to dressing up as a fireman. He HAS to have it buttoned or things are not right with the world. His father's child? ;)

Jude also has been doing alot of baby stuff and likes to play in the swing and excersaucer. Silly boy!

We are enjoying our family time and anticipating a number of visitors this summer which is exciting and something we are looking forward to!

Happy Hot Weather!

Much love,

Mackenzi :)

He's back...

Praise God!! Lauchlin has returned safely. We were able to rest and spend time together as a family on Sunday and Monday which was a tremendous blessing.

The well was mostly completed for a Nicaraguan school who was currently using a hand dug well that really could be easily contaminated.

Lauchlin said it was hard work but isn't sure whether playing with the kids was equivilant. The team was pretty intentional about spending time with the kids when they rotated work on the well.

I am going to try to get Lauchlin to write a post about his trip because I obviously wasn't there but wanted to give a little update and a few pictures.

Here at the homefront we had a pretty challenging week with teething, shots at the doctor's and fever for no apparent reason. It was rough but we are through it. Daddy's are important to Mommy's and their kids.

Welcome home Lauchlin we love and missed you!!!

Well the well...

...is pretty much done at the school they were drilling at in Nicaragua. The team Lauchlin was with decided to be there this morning and give up some of their 'tourist time' and head to Managua this afternoon. Lauchlin called me this morning. He said they worked really hard this week but had hit rock on Monday and had to find another location to start again. I guess I will have more details when he returns. Praise God that is tomorrow evening at 6pm.

It has been a really rough week but God has sustained us. I didn't anticipate Jude having such a hard time with his Daddy away. He was very emotional and confused this week. He also was teething and had a doctor's appointment with a shot (with side effects of course). Regardless, I will be glad for Jude's sake that his Daddy is back.

The body of Christ has surrounded us here is amazing ways. We had people in our home for 3 evenings for dinner and fellowship. Also, had a people watch the kids and let me get out a little bit. Alan, our good friend, watched them today and Jude really seemed to be refreshed by some 'guy time'.

Anyway, I will post more details and pictures on the trip later. Sorry no new pictures of the kids. Jude has been crying all week it seems anyway...

Much love,

Mackenzi (and gang)

Nicaragua or bust...

Lauchlin left last night to fly to Houston and this morning is flying to Nicaragua. He will spend a week outside of Leon in a small town drilling a well with a team to provide them with clean water. We have been going hard all week and are tired but excited for this week to begin and the task to be accomplished successfully. So, if you could pray for him this week as he travels and works hard, we would appreciate it. Also, if you can pray for me as I care for the kids! I will have a young woman staying with me the week which I believe will be a big help and at the very least adult company!! Our small group is going to do some evening shifts with me which is such a blessing as well.

I wanted to give some Nicaragua statistics so that you could understand the need for water there. Here it is:

Nicaragua
Living Water International has been drilling wells in Nicaragua since 2001. Â In 2005 volunteer drill crews began traveling into Nicaragua to drill and conduct hygiene education. The countryside is covered with small villages filled with families that do not have access to clean water; plans are underway to increase our drilling production from 15 wells in 2008 to 21+ wells for 2009. Crews drill wells of 80+ feet that are capable of producing abundant clean water to a villages containing an average of 30-50 families. While a crew is drilling another group of volunteers are teaching hygiene to the mothers in the village and the children in the schools.

Population: 5.8 Million
Lacking clean water: 37%
Below poverty line: 48%
Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Languages: Spanish, Miskito
Ethnic Groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%
Life Expectancy: 71 years
Infant Mortality Rate: 26 deaths per 1,000 live births

Thanks for your prayers!!

Fondly,
Mackenzi :)

Two birds, one stone...

I started sometimes to give Prisca and Jude a bath together. It works fairly well except when Jude wants to splash like a crazy man. I can't wait until Prisca can sit and play more with her brother but this is a fun step in that direction.
The kids are up to their normal activities...

Momma dressing Prisca up to look pretty. I think she looks hilarious in this picture. She truly is just enduring the endless dresses and pictures. :)

Jude continues to spend a chunk of his day looking at books. He looks so grown up in this picture!

I had a great Mother's Day. Lauchlin made breakfast, we went to church and then put the kids down for a nap and ordered take out Mexican. I wanted to hang out at home as we are looking towards Lauchlin leaving for Nicaragua on Friday and trying to get as much down time and family time as possible before then.

The kids (and I) are really going to miss Lauchlin next week but I am excited to hear about the well that is dug and the village that will be changed radically as a result. I will post some pictures from his trip and report how things went!

Much love,

Mackenzi (and gang)