Apinun

Good Afternoon from Ukarumpa

Or should I say Apinun! Apinun is what PNG people say to greet one another in the afternoon here. Meaning “Afternoon” Many people here talk Pisin which is a form of English that is hard to understand.

I am currently sitting at our kitchen table while Steve is off to teach First Aid and CPR to the Senior High School Health class and Gracie is napping. This is some of the first moments that I have had to myself since we left the states. Ahhh…peace and quite! It is about 11 am here on Tuesday making it about 5pm at home on Monday. To figure out the time I tend to add 6 hours and subtract a day.

This morning Gracie and I got up about 6:50 which is perfect since we have been going to bed between 8 and 9 pm here. We were told on our first day here that there is not much to do in the evenings that is why people have some many children here (LOL). It is the truth once the sun goes down everyone hunkers in for the evening. Anyway back to my story, I was able to get up make pancakes, take a shower, make Steve a lunch, play with Gracie on the playground swing, and get two loads of laundry out on the line by 11 here. I guess maybe it should be my nap time too.

We have been so graciously greeted by many of the people living here. In the week we have been here we have had only one dinner at home. We often meet someone new and they say come for dinner tonight! Woo Hoo another day with out cooking. So we have plans through Tomorrow night for dinner with several other invites that we have not accepted a date yet. This too is a blessing because of the cost of food. We packed 385$ Kina so 190$ in to a milk crate yesterday. Wow no wonder many people can’t afford to live here anymore and are forced to move back to the states.

I thought you might find the water system interesting. Our house is plumed to two different sources. First the Hot water comes from a near by river so when drawing a bath it often has a brown color to it due to the rainy season. Our cold water is plumed to the rain water off our roof. Some people drink this directly while others filter it. There is quite a bit of sediment in it, if you were to get a glass from the tap. We have not been able to find a filter here so have been using tap water. I think this is why my stomach has been so iffy lately, well pretty much since we arrived. I often find myself in the bathroom once to twice a day with an upset stomach. I took a picture of Steve and Gracie the other day in a brown bathtub. This portion of living in a third world country will be quite a memory.

There have been several words that have thrown us for a loop lately. Although everyone speaks English its not necessarily the same English. Some examples…
Diapers = Nappies
Stroller = Pram
Pot luck dinner = Bring a plate
There are others that I can’t think of but I find them interesting so I must share as I run across them with you.
Steve has a chance to travel to Madang a town a day and a half by car north of us. People often measure in time here rather than in distance (either how long to drive or walk). So I believe he will be traveling February 6th through the 8th helping transport a car and then flying home. This will allow him to leave the “compound” with two other men and get to see some of the countryside. Please pray for travel mercies for him as he is out, many times people can be held up and robbed while traveling by car (All mom’s disregard that last comment)

We got our email set up through SIL which I believe Summer Institute of Linguistics (The overall umbrella organization here) and we will be able to send pictures for free to those who would like to see. Please leave your email if you would like to be on our Picture list, or perhaps I will send them to a family member and ask them to post them on the blog. We will see how long it takes to send the email today.

Again I hope that this post finds you well. That you are able to keep us in your prayers and that many you are comforted by our redeemer.
~Becky…Steve and Gracie too!

A new Adventure

A New Adventure in Papua New Guinea!

Well we made it after 5 plane rides to PNG. If I never told you how we were traveling here is an outline
-Seattle to San Fran
-San Fran to Auckland New Zealand
- Auckland to Brisbane Australia
-Australia to Port Moresby New Guinea
-Port Moresby to Ukarumpa!
Whew I tried from just typing it. We left on Sunday the 22 and arrived on Thursday 26 after a day layover and loosing a day with the time change.

Gracie did great with all the flying. On our long trip to Auckland she slept between 8 and 9 hours of the 12 hours which was amazing. We were also blessed with a seat for her on every plane ride. WOOOHOO So very thankful for that ☺

In Brisbane we were short one bag…being Gracie’s which has all the diapers and wipes. I did buy one small pack of wipes when in Australia so we are “making do” and had some extra disposables that have lasted so far as well as many people have donated to our cause while here these few short days. Another blessing.

When we got to Ukarumpa we were greeted at the grass airstrip by approximately 8 people that were there to welcome us and make us feel comfortable. We have been taken well care of and have found the community quite endearing. When a new couple comes to Ukarumpa it is custom to have them over for dinner and lunch for the first 3 days, So today was the first day that I had to cook.

Food here is very EXPENSIVE. I’ll give you an example. The PNG dollar is called a Kina well we get 2 kina for very 1 dollar. Now a carton of eggs is 12$ Kina. Which is still 6 dollars! Everything that is brought in by ship from the USA or Australia is very overpriced a box of cereal is 18 Kina, and yes somehow Steve talked me into a box of cereal. Many of the boxes were close to expiring because no one buys cereal here.
However there is a market here that the locals grow food for on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6-8am. The vegetables and fruit is very reasonable much cheaper than in the States and we had an amazing salad for dinner tonight with all Organic veggies and home made yogurt. Who knew you could make yogurt so easily, and such a good low cal dressing ☺ I spent 6 USD at the market for all the vegetables we got and Steve bought me lovely flowers for 50 cents!

Our home is very comfortable but plane. No colors on the wall are much decoration, man I would love a few candles to burn for just a little ambiance but I guess I shall wait until I return home for that. We are staying in a duplex that was originally made for translators that would only be in town for less than 5 months and then again back in the village to learn the language so many people have slept in these beds. The homes that people own are almost like the ones at home. Many people have remolded and have this amazing rose wood here that they use for cabinets and floors.

Poor Gracie, or should I say poor Mommy and Daddy, because Gracie’s time clock has still not changed. She has been up between 4 and 5 EVERY night since we left ready for the day to begin. Some of the days I have been able to get her back to sleep and some I have not been so lucky. Please pray for better time adjustment for her so that we can feel rested as well.

She also had a hard time with a fever and rash. She had been running at least a 103 fever and has had a horrible rash all over her body looking like measles, also with diarrhea. Her fever has subsided and the rash is fading slowly, still having some loose stools, so please pray for her health as well that she would return back to her happy self, seeing as she doesn’t feel well she has been quite cranky.

I plan to add some pictures but after trying for 15 minutes for one picture I guess it will have to be another day!

I hope that this note finds you well and that we will be hearing from many of you on here.

Love Becky, Steve and Gracie

Starting to say Good-bye

Well I thought I better jump back on the blogging bandwagon since this will be my main source of communication in the up coming months.
Gracie and I had a great lunch today at Rock pizza with our great friends Shannon and Sarah. It really hit home when we were leaving and I realized I wouldn't see those sweet faces until we return from New Guinea in April...Seems so far away.
I also bought cloth diapers today....hmmmm this will be quite the experience. I know the Lord will use it to sanctify and grow me but I'm still nervous and slightly scared. I am so ready for an amazing adventure but I'm not good with change. It is something that I tend to do dragging both feet. I only have 4 more shifts at work before we leave and so may Good-byes to say that my heart is saddened. But perhaps I'll just say "See you later" as it is only 3 months we will be gone and not as thought we will not be back.

I have so much to pack and still to purchase. I really don't have many summer clothes due to the fact that Washington DOESN"T have summers. I am in need of some long skirts if anyone has a few to spare during these cold months here. It should be 80-90 degrees where we are headed but warmer with the humidity.

I did find out that we will have DSL in our room. WOO HOO connection to America. However, we have to pay 12 cents per MB we down/upload...so skyping with family will be limited. I hope to be able to post some videos of GRacie though so all the Grandparents can see her as a one year old changes dramatically in 3 months.

Well these are just my thoughts for the day. Excitement and sadness at the same time. Thanks for listening to my heart and here are a few recent pictures of Gracie our family since it has been a while since I have posted on here.

101 Things to do with a toddler

I stole this from another blog...Really I am posting it so that I can find it again. It was originally from Pinterest. So here is the list:
101 Things to do with your toddler

Color
Blow Bubbles
Play Hide-and-Seek
Peek-a-Boo
Play Chase
Do Finger-plays
Sing a song
Collect rocks in a basket
Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
Go for a Walk
Make a Car out of a Box
Read a book
Go to the park
Finger-paint
Play with Play-Dough
Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
Play the shell and pea game
Dance to music
Download games for toddlers from the Internet
Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags
Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
Put on a puppet show
Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
Make a Horseshoe game
Make a Shape Puzzle
Play paper basketball
Run through a Sprinkler
Play with a bucket of water and a sponge (PLEASE WATCH CHILD AT ALL TIMES!)
Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
Play with a kazoo
Wash windows together
Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
Brush each other's teeth
Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes
Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
Make a playhouse out of a large box
Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn't eat them!)
Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
Go on a Smelling Hunt
Frost Cookies
Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
Have a splash party together in the bathtub
Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
Make and try on paper hats
Give a piggy-back ride
Play "Horsey"
Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
Play tug-of-war with a blanket
Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...)
Make a camera and go on a Safari
Play games with frozen juice lids
Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too
String large beads onto or along a shoelace
Squirt each other with squirt bottles
Glue shapes onto paper
Make sock puppets
Make paper puppets
Fill an old purse with toys
Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching"
Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
Act out a story from a book
Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground
Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
Do the Hokey Pokey
Make a super-hero costume out of household items
Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop"
Make a shoe-box train for stuffed animals
Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
Make an easy puzzle with felt and Velcro
Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
Learn numbers from a deck of cards
Play the matching game with a deck of cards
Make a domino chain
Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes
Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
Make a nature collage
Mirror each other
Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper
Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
TAKE A NAP!

Pumpkin patch

We went to the Pumpkin Patch today and I just wanted to share a few pictures from last year and this year. Its amazing how one year can change a baby so much! What a blessing that the sun was out and shining for us the whole day! Thank you Lord :)
Oh yes and how tired you look with a newborn. Its amazing how rested I looked today vs. a year ago. Whew glad I'm getting sleep again...Until round 2 that is :)

Ericson Update...

Well we have patiently been getting ready for our trip to PNG. Gracie got her first passport in the mail this week, now we are applying for our Visa's and once we get those we will be buying our plane tickets and its a set thing. It seems to be coming all to fast! On one hand I am so excited for this amazing adventure on the other hand I'm completely overwhelmed and worried about all the little things like buying cloth diapers so I can diaper Gracie in PNG...

On another note I was writing about all the work layoffs...well because they let go of so many people they have tons of days for me to work, I am working 3 days a week this whole month and they were trying to convince me to work 4...NO THANK YOU! This is a blessing since we will be funding our own trip to PNG which will be quite expensive. Also Steve has been picking up lots of overtime so thats helpful in the financial department but I am getting tired of working opposite schedules and never seeing my husband.

Gracie Still has 5 teeth, she is standing on her own without holding onto anything but will not take a step...she looks at me and then goes straight to her knees and crawl/runs over. I know she could, she often walks with only the help of one finger of mine, but just wont take the leap. She has always been a great eater but has definitely narrowed her food that she likes lately. I tried feeding her cauliflower tonight which she ate the first bite and then proceeded to like the Johnny's seasoning off the rest and then throw them on the floor. She LOVES feeding Shadow.

Her First Birthday was a BLAST...but was quite CRAZY!! I think next year it will be much more scaled back, less people and potluck style. But you only turn one once and might as well go big the first time. Steve asked me "Will they all be like this??" Poor guy was being run ragged with all the "chores" I had for him to get ready.

Here ares some pictures that I took not at the party but several days later just to capture her enjoyment of cake :)

You cant be one and have cradle cap!

Well It was time for some intense treatment...
Gracie is so close to turning one and was still flaking daily, this yellowy color nastyness. EWW
Sooo...after the shampoo not working I decided that we must spend some much needed time with olive oil and a tooth brush ...Here are a few pictures from our adventure. The best part is that IT WORKED!




PS...Your hair will style however you want it to with olive oil :)

Whoo Hoo

Well it hasn't been too long since I have blog last...Not sure if anyone in Blog land reads this...but here goes nothing!

One of Gracie's favorite things to do is play on the swing...We had a great trip to the park this last week and spent several mommy baby hours crawling in the grass, being pushed on the swing...Urping up everything after the swing, and then heading for frozen yogurt just for Gracie to fill her little belly back up.

Gracie has been eating everything in site these days, anything I put in front of her she wants, so I'm hoping that we will make it
past the 10% tile at our 1 year appointment.

Speaking of one year I recently turned in my schedule for September...I blocked out the whole week of Gracie's Birthday. I know overboard right?? But I want it to be special and she is only going to have one first birthday. Therefore I start planning NOW...Hmmm whats the theme you ask?? Well she is a fall baby so how about...OWL...we are going to have a Hoot of a time. If your reading this blog your invited because you know me well enough to have found the blog, lol. Here is a sample of the theme


On the other home front...I still have a job for now, we will see if I get my 2 days a week in September. I may have blocked out alot of days so I won't be surprised if I don't...But let me just say that 1 day a week is Perfect. LOL Just enough to work but mostly be home with my family and not be overwhelmed on my days off with laundry, grocery shopping...you know mom/wife duties.

The last update in the Ericson household was that we had to put Steve's dog May down. She was 17 and although it was time for her to leave this life it was so very hard on our whole family. Even though she slept all day, our house has been substantially quieter because Shadow doesn't have anyone to try to play with and run circle around. I do miss her and often my heart sinks when I drive home and her sweet face isn't waiting for me in the front window. We did love her so. But in the grand scheme of things this was our Father's plan and it was so nice to have Lorri there when she was put down. She was a great strength to Steve.


I have been reading a great book called Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I may do a review when I'm done if anyone is interested in a good read it is set in Seattle and takes place bouncing back between the 40's and 80's. I was intrenched tonight and since Gracie went to bed at 8:30 I got a good 2 hours of reading in. I last book I read was The Help and I just can't wait to see the movie I hope that it doesn't let me down.


As always XOXOXO

Time for an UPDATE

Well I guess it has been months since I've had an update posted...Here is what Gracie is up to now...
- 2 Teeth still (and sharp as ever)
- Crawling!
- Eating everything in site
- Pulls up to her knees with the help of furniture
- Furniture surfs taking a few steps at a time then falling down
-Still breast feeding...Man I'm ready to be done yesterday
- Sleeps like a champ 8pm to 7-9 am every day.
- Says Mama, Dada, and her favorite Uh Oh
- Starting swim lessons on August.
- Took her first plane trip last month
- Loves Frozen yogurt!!!

I guess I will add some pictures on here too :)




On the other home front... I just got a new camera so I have been taking tons of pictures of Gracie its so much fun! I love it! I got a Cannon T2i its a dslr and is awesome :)

I'm hoping to keep my job. Multicare is laying off (yes including nurses) 350 FTE's which is projecting to be about 593 people out of the 9,400 they employ. Now I don't have an FTE so they can't technically "lay me off" but I work per diem so they can just not schedule me to work, which would be like not having a job. So I guess I will ride it out and see what happens.

Steve and I had our 3rd Anniversary. We went to Claim Jumpers for lunch then a fun filled baby free day at the Family Fun center playing put put, go carts, and air hockey. What a sweet guy to put up with my silliness. But we had a blast :)

Thanks for checking in with us! Hope this finds you all well

A little behind!

Well let me update you all on my latest...I am officially a stay at home mom!!
Okay well at least for the month and then I'll be back to work but only working 2; 8 hour shifts a week rather than 3; 12 hour shifts...WOOHOO :)
What I did today on my first day of staying home..
- Went to mom and baby group! LOVE
- Had lunch with some girlfriends...Wonderful
- Ordered the CUTEST Coach sunglasses before I loose my vision insurance!
- Payed bills
- Cleaned the Kitchen
- Made a great Chicken pot pie for dinner!
- Laundry
- Blogged! What an amazing first day, Thank you Lord

I have a few six month pictures to add to here and a few from our local spring fair. Hope you enjoy!

Spring Fair






6 Months