The Great Xchange

Work with Pops!

2011-12-26T12:50:00.001-05:00

So on Friday, I asked my dad if I could go to work with him and help out.

HE SAID YES!

I got my tennis-shoes, skinny jeans, dad's oversized Jacksonville Jaguars shirt, and his insulated blue jean jacket on and we headed out before sun rise.

This is my dad:

I bagged all the debris in those black bags and loaded this trailer.

I learned about simplex nails and the difference between those and normal nails. I learned that this black siding is called felt. I spent a while hanging the felt on the front of the house. I also learned how to swing a hammer properly. Who knew there was so much art to this stuff.

I learned about Skil saws and hydraulic jacks. I took a door off of it's frame with a cordless drill and re-hung it after its length was altered. I worked around air compressors, nail guns... It was a dream!

It was funny because apparently my dad is in charge of the entire project. I didn't realize this at all. I asked one of the crew members who was in charge and they said, "If you want to do anything, you've got to ask Gary." I made a point not to mention that I was his daughter. I figured the crew may treat me differently. The crew for that day was made up of folks that were my age and younger.

Dad is quite the boss. He is super direct and perhaps a little harsh. At times, the other workers would look at me, and we would commiserate. Unfortunately, at one point, dad came around the corner yelling at me for something I wasn't doing right, and I yelled across the yard, "I got it, Daddy! I can see the nails!"

My cover was blown.

Genere Unkown

2011-12-26T01:34:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure what genere these folks fit into, but I love them.
This song makes me cry.
Every time.

Wednesday

2011-12-25T01:52:00.000-05:00

I headed to Mobile on Wednesday late afternoon...

I got to see my dad, aunt, uncle, cousins, and this little guy:

Don't worry. I was carrying 32 pounds of raw oysters on ice in the back of my SUV....

I don't eat oysters, but my dad and uncle put a hurting on them.

I learned how to shuck, that way alls I did was shuck, and my family got to reap the benefits.

Maddie got to open some of his presents that night.

He was thrilled with all of his things he got. This is one sweet boy.

My first morning I was there, I woke up early and went for a run. It felt amazing. The hills are treacherous though! Afterwards I made a spinach and colby jack omelet.

I showered and Maddie and I headed off to Target to get his Christmas present. I got him some sweet sneakers and some skinny jeans.

He looked QUITE handsome.

We ended up taking a nap. It was cold and rainy. The bed was basically calling our names.

Everyone ate oysters for dinner. I had salad and called it a night. My cousin Missy taught me how to knit leg warmers and hats, and I have been a knitting fiend ever since.

We all went to our prospective bedrooms. Missy and I talked a while then hit the sack. It was beautiful.

Starbucks

2011-12-21T00:42:00.012-05:00

Sometimes I go to Starbucks and make things.

I always make sure my ring is on the left hand because something about a girl in a dress at Starbucks making things screams, "Please come talk to me. I'm single and want you to buy me something."

Not true at all. Not sure why, but not true at all.

Love,

Cody

DIY

2011-12-20T04:56:00.000-05:00

New hair thingy I made tonight.

My Grandmother...

2011-12-19T14:20:00.001-05:00

Real Conversation:

Mema called ... I picked up.

Me: Hey, Mema!
Mema: Hey, sugar.
Me: What's going on?
Mema: I was looking through Meme's closet today, and I found something you've always wanted...
Me: An attractive Latin man?
Mema: No!! If I would have found an attractive Latin man in the closet, I would have kept him for myself!!!

Anyone still wonder where I get it from?

Love,

Cody

Botas

2011-12-18T13:49:00.000-05:00

My new Snow/Rain boots from Target.

Go get them. They are insulated.

My life lately...

2011-12-18T12:13:00.001-05:00

Sewing

Making Bows

Crafting

Driving around with these folks

Strapping babies to my abdomen

Bows...

And more bows....

And green tea from Starbucks.

Did I mention I am moving to Nashville in 14 days?

A meatier post is coming, ya'll.

I have so much to say, and not a ton of time to say it.

Love,

Cody

Homemade

2011-12-17T05:10:00.000-05:00

Made this tonight :D

Today was SEW awesome....Yes, I just did that.

2011-12-12T02:11:00.000-05:00

Lately...

2011-12-08T01:58:00.000-05:00

I have been hanging out with my friend, Celeste!
We have been cooking and doing crafts and it has been awesome.

There was a party at her house!

We made Pigs in a Blanket!

Final Product

Her Christmas tree was awesome! She made the little flags and yarn balls. ALSO, she strung popcorn... way cool.

These are bacon and maple syrup pastries!

This is simply delicious bacon.

Holiday beer for everyone!

A cute Celeste :)

Niecedom...

2011-12-01T09:19:00.000-05:00

So far today I...

Got the baby up
Lit the Christmas tree
Made Breakfast
Drank Coffee
Cleaned the bedroom
Made lunch in advance
Folded a load of laundry
Cleaned up all toys leftover from the night before
Put away all the clean dishes
Started a new load of dishes
Took out the trash

and now we're about to get our bath on then take a walk.

Aunthood = Productivity to the max. I want to get as much done as humanly possible before my sister gets here. She is going to be recovering and taking care of her new baby. That's enough work for 5 grown men. I wish I could do more.

I'm loving this though. I am so thankful for this opportunity to hang with Khloe before I head to TN.

Some pics from yesterday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY NEWEST NEPHEW!!

Thomas Elijah was born yesterday evening :) I got to meet him for the first time, and it was wonderful. Even more wonderful, I got to watch Khloe meet him for the first time. Life is so cool! As you get older, it gets even cooler!

Love,

"Aunt Coco"

A long story short

2011-11-28T21:49:00.001-05:00

I baked some delicious food with a lady named Celeste once.

She has a dog named Chuck...

The cookies were pumpkin flavored.

Then my hand made some homemade cookie glaze...

Dan Russel was there. We made wheat bread together.

Celeste got a pic with the bread baby.

Me too!

Joe was there as well. We made breakfast for dinner.

The next day, I got to packing for Nashville. Maggie was sad, so she sat next to the box and moped.

Then I walked through Target and found this... I wish I could say I didn't want to see it. But man, I do.

Then, I saw this in the impulse aisle at Walmart... I couldn't resist for the life of me.

My niece and I ran some errands together.

She was super good, so I conceded to getting her a "Birthday Pop" from Starbucks.

Then I brought her to a party.

She and Miss Teen hit it off quite well.

I am learning about retirement plans, home ownership, loans, investments, mortgages, flexible spending funds, and much more #adulthood #wisdomplease

I took a picture in my Florida State sweater in honor of our game against the Gators on Saturday :D

Then I wanted to make some homemade pizza... so I did.

Even the sauce is homemade.

Ingredients: tomatoes, onion, fresh garlic, spinach, mushrooms, oregano, artichoke, mozzarella, and pita.

Then I saw Leah and Jimmy

The End.

My mom....

2011-11-22T17:47:00.000-05:00

This is a compilation of quotes from my mother after just ONE day together.

IN MY ROOM AFTER I BROKE THE CEILING FAN:
[I made a super loud noise and one of the fan blades was on the ground]
Instead of being mad, she ran to my room, saw the blade, grabbed it, yelled:
"NEW SPANKING STICK"
Hit me with it, set it back down again, and left...

WALKING IN TARGET:
Mom: Hey, Cody. What do hipsters call houses again?
Me: Ma, I don't know what in the world you are talking about... I don't think hipsters have another name for houses.
Mom: .....OH! Cribs! That's it!
Me: Mom, hipsters definitely don't call houses "cribs"... Do you even know what a hipster is????

IN THE CAR:
Me: Mom, where is your doctor from?
Mom: Oh, he's a Muslim...
Me: "Muslim" isn't a place... it's a religion.
Mom: Oh..
[A minute long pause and after deep thought on her part]
Mom: Cody, where do Muslims come from?
Me: They come from a lot of places, Ma. Sometimes even the United States.
Mom: Wow...

IN OFFICE MAX:
Mom: Look! That's at least a month's worth of fun..
Me: Where? What are you talking about?
Mom: *Points at a huge pile of bubble wrap*

IN OFFICE MAX AGAIN:
Mom: This stuff is way too expensive. It's ridiculous.
Me: You're telling me, let's get out of here.
Mom: Got it. First let's go to that copy machine, make copies of our behinds (I'm censoring this), and find that box where it asks about what we think about the store! That'll show 'em!

ON THE WAY HOME:
[After failing horribly trying impersonate my Spanish music]
Mom: I think I can pretend to speak Chinese better than I can pretend to speak Spanish...
Me: Alright, lemme hear it.
Mom: Wong, Tong, Dong, Kong, Shong, Bong...
Me: Ma, you're just saying "ong" and changing the first sound every time... That doesn't sound like Chinese at all....

And folks wonder where I get it from....

Love,

Cody

A birthday party, Karaoke, and a funeral...

2011-11-21T00:55:00.001-05:00

My Trip to Xela: Written November 6th

SO. I'm here in my living room blogging about life. I'm listening to One Republic's song "Good Life" because for some reason it makes me chipper.

This is my blogpost about my trip to Xela (pronounced SHAY-la... "x"s make the"sh" sound here). Xela is a city about 2-3 hours away from Panajachel by bus.

I had a free weekend, and I could choose to go anywhere I wanted.

I so hoped to climb a volcano while I was here in Guatemala, but decided that given my money constrictions, and the fact that it was my friend's birthday, it would be all around better if I went to Xela to see some old friends.

[To clarify: I met the folks that I know from Xela when I was in language school in July]

The first night was awesome. I got to the language school and surprised my friend Kevin with a cupcake and a candle ( Christmas themed, because the store was out of Birthday candles)... and of course the singing of "Feliz Cumpleaños."

After sitting with Kevin a while, I went to the cafe to visit my friend Luis who told me about Kevin's surprise b-day party. I was so happy we were celebrating. There was a piñata, music, drinks, cake, guacamole, singing, a little dancing... An all around good Guatemalan B-day.

Here are some of the pictures from the party on Thursday Night:

Kevin ( The birthday boy and friend of mine) and one of the owners of the school. She was with me in the hospital the night I got stupid sick in July.

Kevin and his BFF Luis. These are some really good guys.

Candlesssssss

Me, Aricely, and Jane

Everyone should be kissed on their birthday. At least I think so. My niece kissed me this b-day. I'm satisfied.

Gag gift. Tiny Undies :)

Anytime I'm at a party where there's cake, you should know that I almost always going to throw it... This was my icing casualty.

In zee face :D

Thursday night I stayed in a Hostel. For those of you who have stayed in a hostel, you can sympathize with me... The next morning I woke up, grabbed some breakfast, then met my former teacher at the language school. We hopped in a mini bus and went to the market, then to her house to cook some delicious food.

We had pasta and collard greens :D
We also had this drink:

This is stewed pumpkin with sugar , ginger, and cinnamon sticks...

Then you just add water. Suddenly you find yourself drinking an iced beverage that tastes just like pumpkin pie. It was odd to say the least.

Either way, just getting to eat and catch up with Monica was wonderful. After lunch, she had to clean a bit, so I went downstairs and got her laundry off her line outside for her. I spent a good amount of time shooing away chickens from all the clean laundry... then Monica mentioned the chickens were for her mom's stew... after that I started treating them much more nicely.

Friday night I attended a funeral for the mother of a woman I knew from the school. My friend Lupe and I went to pay respects. This was totally new for me. I've never been to a Wake outside of my own culture. In the States, it seems you bring flowers and a card. In Guatemala, you bring soda and a bag of sugar... I didn't even get to ask why. I was taking the whole thing in.

After the funeral, we went to the school because they were having a karaoke night. I met some interesting new people. The gentleman I met from Liverpool was an absolute RIOT. I cannot even explain to you how interesting it was to interact with him. He used the "F" word in almost every sentence. As my ears were becoming accustomed to what seemed like normality on his part, I was loving the conversation. We discussed incest because I am from the South. We also talked about how American "Foot"ball has little to do with feet. Then we talked about bad teeth and the BBC because he's from England... Typical, I suppose. To say that it was clear our cultures clashed was an understatement, but still we had a great conversation. What a joy.

After a full day, I retired to my hostel then headed back to Panajachel Saturday morning.

This weekend is one that I definitely won't be forgetting for a while.

Love,

Cody

Short Story

2011-11-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

One night my co-workers and I were driving home from Camanchaj. There were fireworks to celebrate the lighting of the big Christmas tree at the town square in Solola.

I took a picture and somehow captured it...kind of...

Lemonadeeeeeee

2011-11-20T00:15:00.000-05:00

Last Day in Guatemala

2011-11-19T00:59:00.001-05:00

Boy was I sad to say goodbye to Guatemala.

I packed up all my things on Wednesday and tried to hit the sack as early as possible.

That morning I did a lot of last minute errands like arranging my shuttle to the capital to catch my flight the next morning, buying gifts for the family, etc.

One thing I absolutely HAD to do was visit with a family that I met while wandering through the riverbed and came to love. The photo below is Petrona and her family in front of their home. These are some of the sweetest, most giving people I know. Carlos is the little boy in the middle. We got to practice numbers and the alphabet together. I had some awesome conversations with Petrona as well. It simply felt like a second family. What a privilege to know them.

Carlos and his sister walking me back to town after I visited a while. <3

My mini-guides :)

Whilst running errands, I encountered a Chicago Bulls themed Tuk-Tuk...odd...

To celebrate my last day, I treated myself to food out. Tofu/Veggie fajitas. Deliciousssss.

I purchased my favorite Guatemalan drink in bulk since I knew I wouldn't be about to find it in the States... Rose/Hibiscus tea. Amen.

So long Guatemala, you will be extraordinarily missed.

Love,

Cody

San Antonio Palopo

2011-11-18T20:41:00.000-05:00

This is a post I wrote while I was in Guatemala, but didn't get to post it.

I took a day trip to San Antonio Palopo and it was amazing.

I have pictures to help tell the story of my day:

This is the type of pick-up I rode to the city. It's normal to simply stand up in the back and hold on for dear life. As a true Guatemalan should, I made sure to stand up in the bed and hold on to sack of corn in order to keep myself stable. It was thrilling to say the LEAST. It's about a thirty-five minute drive in total. The cool part is, it's not just any drive. You find yourself flying down winding mountainous roads on the coast of a centuries-old crater lake surrounded by mountains and volcanos. If that isn't enough, you are in the midst of some of the most beautiful foliage you could ever see. Rock cliffs, trees, streams, waterfalls, cattle, gardens, fields, farmland... As we were traveling, I kept thinking of two different movies:

-Jurassic park because of the scenery. If you've seen Jurassic park, you know what I'm talking about. I felt at any moment a Pterodactyl was going to swoop down and steal the corn I was holding on to.

- Apocalypto because of the scenery as well, but mostly because of all the Mayans who were in the truck with me. They aren't as scary as the people in this movie, but man do they look so similar. It's wild.

These are just some of the pics I took of the city itself. It was truly breathtaking.

A lovely aged church

Lake Atitlan

Pretty door thing :)

Love,

Cody

The Lost Cyst...

2011-11-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

My Last Surgery Day

A lipoma the GP and I removed from a 15 year old's neck :) Grossed Out? I was by myself in the OR cleaning up all the biohazard stuff and HAD to take a picture. I said to myself out loud, " Aww... it's kind of cute." Yep...

This is a picture of a picture. It's a UTERUS with a Fibroid tumor the surgical team removed. It weighed a total of 12 lbs. This woman was a mother and wife and was living life with a 12 lb. tumor in her abdomen. What a blessing this was!!!

This is one of the sweetest gentlemen I know! We couldn't talk because he speaks a different tribal language, but man did we talk without words. I smiled so much my FACE HURT. He had a hernia repaired, and it was so wonderful. This man was so joyful and appreciative after his surgery. It was amazing to behold.

This GP is from South Africa but lives in Canada. He let me assist him with minor surgeries, and it was soooooo awesome!!!! Here we are removing a Ganglion cyst on the hand of a gentlemen who works as a corn picker. He was so sweet and extremely patient with us. He waited for so long and traveled from very far to be with us.

Speaking of Ganglion cysts..... here it is!! Ok, I actually have a funny story about this little cyst. I wanted to take a picture later, so I had to hide it in the OR. I found the gentleman's family, helped the patient to the holding room, did discharge teaching, put his bandage on, got his meds all worked out, and saw him to his vehicle. When I came back to clean and take a picture, I realized I Couldn't remember where I hid the cyst!! I was completely freaked out. I thought to myself, " Cody, HOW DID YOU LOOSE A CYST???" I just knew someone was going to walk in any minute and ask what I was looking for... I left the room and found Fransisco (the nursing student from triage day) and had to awkwardly explain to him that I lost the patient's cyst and HAD to find it before the next patient came in or worse, the Doc found it. Finally I found it... in a glove on the counter. HALLELUJAH!!!

Take two!

Me, Karen from Canada, Sonia ( Spanish to Quiche translator), and Fransisco

This guy was so, so cute. After his surgery was over, I was explaining to him that everything went super well. He was still quite groggy from the anesthesia. He got a HUGE grin on his face as if I had said nothing at all. He just said... "hola..." He was staring at my face and kind of looked enamored lol. This young man had a testicular hernia. For you boys/men out there that are reading this, I imagine you can have proper sympathy for this guy. He was starting to have trouble doing daily things without tremendous pain. What a privilege to be a small part of his healing!

Love,

Cody

Triage Day

2011-11-13T23:08:00.002-05:00

Hola, folks! I'm here in my living room...

I wanted to update you guys on what has been going on lately.

Yesterday was absolutely exhausting.

I was up before the sun rose and didn't get home until long after it set.

I arrived at the clinic and met the new surgery team for the first time. For the most part, these folks are from Canada.

I was asked by the team to work in patient pre-surgery consultations/triaging. I recorded the vital signs of the patients and took a medical history and current complaints report. To say that my language skills were tested is an understatement.

I had to take everything the patients were saying into my brain in Spanish and record their medical history and explain their need for surgery in English for the doctors. Yikes. For some of you bilinguals out there, that may sound easy. For me, it was a challenge.

I haven't gotten to use my medical Spanish much in the past (other than what I've studied in books) so as people were telling me all about their hernias, tumors, masses, cysts, and other abnormalities, I was really having the concentrate on exactly what it was that they were saying.

I am so thankful that I had a helper throughout all of this. His story is pretty cool, actually. Fransisco (seen in the picture below) is a 17 year old studying to be a nurse here in Guatemala. He received a scholarship from the organization that is visiting us and doing the surgeries this week.

I taught him how to help me fill out the evaluation form (the stuff that didn't require English) and let him help in me with vitals. It was wonderful. After my brain started getting tired, he started telling me of things I was missing on the form. To say that I was appreciative is an understatement.

After literally an entire day of talking and discussing and asking and translating and organizing almost non-stop, Fransisco and I saw almost 70 patients in total for surgery. That means that those 70 patients will get surgeries this week that will literally change their entire lives.

Children will have tumors removed that hinder the from doing daily tasks, women will have cancerous lesions cut out, sparing their lives, people of all ages will have hernias repaired that cause ostracization and much pain. It was beautiful.

I was able to sit down and listen to dozens and dozens of stories of people with fixable infirmities that are being given a new start this week.

I cannot be more proud to be a part of this work.

Some fotos:

This is a little boy who has a tumor growing on the inside of his nose. He was very shy at first when he saw me in my scrubs and stethoscope. I imagine he thought that I might have a needle of some sort. After receiving a blown up glove balloon, assuring him that my blood pressure cuff would only "hug" his arm, and me finding his ticklish spot, we became pretty good friends.

This is Fransisco, the nursing student I mentioned earlier (Left) and one of our hernia patients (Right).

The rest of the week we'll be in surgery. That means a lot of work and organization on the visiting team's part. Please pray these surgeries go well, and that we will all come through this a whole lot better than when we started.

Thanks for the support, you guys.

Love,

Cody

The Chicken Bus- an interesting read.

2011-11-11T19:18:00.002-05:00

Here in Guatemala, public transportation is quite haphazard and consequently, quite the adventure.

There are Tuk-Tuks (Golfcart-esque small town taxis)

Mico-buses (What we would call a mini van in the States, for larger cities. I would equate it to a trolley.) These Micro-Buses pack people in so tightly it is a little frightening...

People stand in what would have been your "leg space", squat near the opening of the door, and hang with their bodies outside of the van. I've had a strange man sit in my lap, and I've had to sit on a woman's lap.... Don't worry, this is completely normal. Then, to top it off, everything gets interesting when the elderly and infants are involved... just trust me. It's a sight.

Anyways, another form of transport is the chicken bus.

Here's a pic of one:

Be advised, this is a CONSERVATIVELY colored one. They are basically school buses from the States, tricked out with bright colors, then packed for the making of money. They travel longer distances, as in from city to city.

I have a notebook I take around with me everywhere I go in case I see things that I want to write and remember.

I took many notes on my trip from Xela to Panajachel.

I wrote a list of the things people boarded the bus and offered me to buy while I waited in the "terminal" in Xela. This all happened over a course of approximately 23 minutes.

Here's my list.

1) Cheese and/or Pepperoni Pizza
2) Guatemala Key Chains
3) Trident Gum
4) Herbal remedy that will not only fix liver irritation, but will also cure uterine cysts
5) News papers (from three different publishers)
6) Water
7) Soda
8) Mango Juice
9) Candy of every type you can imagine
10) Packaged cookies
11) Notebooks
12) Mints
13) Ice cream
14) Pens
15) Watermelon
16) Mango
17) Sherbet
18) Freshly baked bread
19) Chips
20) Fried Plantains
21) Biscuits
22) Magazines
23) Chile Rellano
24) Jello
25) Hamburgers
26) Radishes
27) Limes
28) Peanuts/ Cashews
29) Bananas

Can you say sensory overload?

Here are some notes I wrote down while actually on the three hour bus ride back to Panajachel:

" I have never sat this close to a window in my life. The guy in front of me (who is fast asleep) has his window down all the way, and the wind is coming straight back and hitting me in the face. I think my face is almost completely numb now. If I could move my arms, I would close it without him even noticing..."

" I smell like BO... and it's definitely not my own...this is the pits... See what I just did there?" (I make myself laugh sometimes)

"I just realized a Guatemalan trick. Here's the secret to how we have 6 people packed into our four person row. This is a two seater chair. Across the isle, there is an identical two seater. It goes me, then the guy next to me, then a man who has one butt cheek wedged onto our two seater. In the row right across from us, they have the same set up... There are literally two people with one butt cheek on a seat and the other free floating in the middle of the isle with nothing but counter pressure from the next person holding them in...I repeat we have 5 cheeks in each chair and two cheeks in the isle... I don't even know if I'm explaining this right..."

Oh, Guatemala...

PS-

Lemme play catch up on some pics:

As a good Southern woman should, I made greens!!! I am going to search and search some more for this specific type of green, leafy vegetable. It's called Acelga here... I have no idea what it would be called in the States.

This is a picture a friend of mine from the first group took. My shadow and I were attempting to salsa dance, but he was a little shy. Instead, we decided this would be just as fun, lol.

Sacatepequez

2011-11-01T22:35:00.001-04:00

So...

I don't celebrate Halloween back in the States, but somehow this year I ended up:

Spending the day in a Mayan cemetery...

The clinic was closed today for holidays, so the staff and I went on a field trip.
Alls I knew about the event was that it was in a different city and that there would be kites the size of American houses.
Naturally, I was in.

After a 3ish hour bus ride, then me being the only one getting car sick, then again being the only one who had to pee and making everyone stop, we arrived in the city of Sacatepequez.

As we walked through the streets on the way to the festival, I started noticing flowers on everyone's doorsteps (Seen below).

Apparently, the Mayans believe that the kites in some way signal their ancestors to come down from heaven and visit them. They put flowers on their doorsteps to ensure that the souls of their loved ones find their way to the correct house.

We made quite the trek to get to the festival site, rounded the corner, then.... to my right (below) was this set of tombs... I thought to myself "Huh, that's odd. I wonder why there are tombs at this festival... Where the heck am I?"

Then I looked left and realized that there were a few more people at this festival than I had anticipated. This is about 1/3 of the crowd.

As we were walking through grounds to see where we could get the best view of the kites, I kept on having to step/leap over these huge dirt piles. I was kind of getting frustrated that it was so hard to walk over them, then between them, then on top of them. My Toms were taking a toll. After the fifth or sixth mound, I looked around and started to see concrete slabs, then crosses, then above ground tombs, and that's when it dawned on me. I suddenly thought to myself,

"Holy crap, I'm steppin' on dead people..."

I was a little freaked out that there were little kids sleeping on the tombs and people drinking beer and eating doughnuts sitting on top of graves... it was definitely a sight to behold.

Here are some of the graves that weren't being used for leisure:

This is the dirt-mound type I kept tripping over.

Then there were some beautifully decorated ones.

A tiny one.

So after working through the fact that I was at a celebration with pagan roots in a Mayan cemetery the day after Halloween, I laid eyes on the biggest/ most amazing kites I've ever seen in my life:

This was the crowd we faced on the way out (below).
If you'll notice, the street was jammed as far as the eye can see.

I must admit, the whole experience was kind of weird. The thought of sprits and souls wandering the earth does not sit well with me at all. I am, on the other hand, glad to have gone. I now understand much better how Mayans view death and the after life. This will, inevitably, aid me in understanding them better as I work with them at the clinic for the rest of my time here.

What an experience.

Love,

Codi

Surgery Week One: Complete

2011-10-31T22:34:00.002-04:00

Surgery week was such a success!

I must mention that within a little less than 4 days, 125 Mayans received prescription eye-glasses, and 26 patients received cataract surgery. These surgeries will forever change their lives.

Mayans travelled from all over the country to come to our clinic and receive the gift of sight. It is so humbling to be a part of something like this.

By the end of the week, I ended up conducting the eye exams as well as translating and helping with patient flow. Glory to God for people who are willing to train me. My friend Syed (seen below wearing my knit hat lol) helped teach me how to conduct exams so that he could focus on using the auto refractor machine. This enabled us to see more patients. If I do say so myself, we were quite a good team.

As most of you know, I hardly ever meet a stranger. So naturally, I got really attached to the team members that worked at our clinic last week. If you remember from an earlier post, I mentioned that a number of them were devout Muslims. I had such awesome conversations with these folks, got to know them, served them in the exam rooms, played basketball, football, shared meals, got to wash their dishes. Augh. My heart is so sappy at times it even drives ME nuts.

Either way, the experience was absolutely amazing. I still feel the loss of the team, but that will fade. I am so thankful for this experience. It is beyond explanation.

Here are some more photos from the week:

New Friend :)
Our skin contrast looks way cool.

A family that came for eye exams. I am a stinking giant.

These are the two Spanish to Quiche translators that I worked with this week in the eye exam room. They were worth more than their weight in gold. They facilitated communication with the patients, and I am so, so appreciative!

These are two waaaay cool dudes. On the left is the team coordinator for an organization called Humanity First. He's from Guatemala. The other gentlemen is Tahir, a guy I had so many conversations with about Islam, Christianity, life, culture. Amen. At the end of the day, I'm still a Christian, and he, a Muslim. This being said, seeds were planted, and it was a privilege to get to know him and hear some of his story!

Side note for Christians:

Something really stirred within me last week while I was working with this team.

This medical team quickly thought to pray for the patients we were seeing, served with financial generosity, and provided both food and drink to the clinic volunteers. In regards to clinic work, they kept close inventory of everything they took so as to make sure to return what was taken.

Something struck me.

If we truly believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and that Jesus really did die and now lives, why aren't we acting like it? The disconnect between our actions and stated beliefs seems as vast as the ocean is deep. As a people group in general, we are really missing the mark.

As Christians, I commonly see us resorting to, not responding in prayer.

How often do we hold on to our money so tightly our knuckles become pale? Never mind that over 80% of the world's population lives on less than $10 a day.

How could these team members set aside specific time to pray 5 times a day while we battle for even 10 minutes alone with our Lord?

Are we seeking for opportunities to give, or do we do whatever we can to avoid those who may burden us? We pass people all the time. We see them in the grocery store, at the coffee shop sitting alone, we pass them at church and decide not to talk to them.

We have a million and one needs we could be meeting, and a million and two excuses for not meeting them.

It bothered me that, in a lot of ways, this group of non-Christians looked a whole lot more like Christ to me than some Christians I'm familiar with. Myself included.

Instead of having to bare the sight of Qurans being burnt in the name of "Christianity", perhaps we can just humbly learn to be more like Christ for the sake of those around us. In doing so, we can invade this dark world and advance His kingdom.

If you're a Christian, I encourage you to please take it seriously. Follow after the God of the Bible and stop serving yourselves; the world is watching.

Un par de fotos pa' ustds.

2011-10-30T17:53:00.000-04:00

I found this fuzzy purple plant thing. I thought it was picture worthy!

My kitchen :)

Some kids I play basketball with. My novio happens to be attempting to steal my backpack. It's about as big as him!

During my first surgery week, I stole away to spend some QT with this cutie. Love her. New life is so beautiful.

One of my favorite meals here! Tamale <3

This is my backpack on a normal errand day. I definitely walked around the city with three dozen eggs on my back...

Well... this is the playground for the kids at the school. Also, this is a man in dress clothes taking a little cat nap... who knows.

My lunch the other day. Huevos Rancheros. Egg whites, white cheese, guacamole, roasted tomatoes, refried black beans, and toasted tortillas.

Surgery week summary coming early this week :)

Mi Sabado Gigante

2011-10-29T20:00:00.002-04:00

Hey, everyone!

Happy Saturday.

I am currently working on a summary post of last week's surgeries. It is taking a little more time than anticipated. Do stay tuned if you're interested, but in the meantime, I have a photo post!

Things are going well this side of the Americas.

Last night I had a girl's night of sorts with my roommate and two missionary girls that live about 10 minutes away. It was extreeeemmmmeellyy fun. We ate delicious food, talked for hours, then watched Pride and Prejudice (DON'T JUDGE!) I've actually never seen the movie. My heart melted at least 5 times. Oh, to have a Mr. Darcy!

We stayed up pretty late, woke up this a.m., ate pancakes, and had coffee together. Then my mini-adventure started.

I have fotos to share, of course:
Today, I took a little boat taxi (like in the picture below) to a hotel on Lake Atitlan. It’s kind of a gringo hang out, but I go there to rest because they have DELICIOUS tea, a hammock, and a view that would make any grown man cry.

It was sunny, mid 70s, no humidity, with a beautiful breeze.

I was listening to a sermon about how important it is to GET AWAY sometimes and pray like Jesus did. Seclude yourself, if you will. I got inspired. Today was my attempt at seclusion… and it was successful in every way.

Once I got off the boat and walked down a long dock, I got to this set of stairs that leads to the cafe/ balcony area:

On the top of the stairs, I found some CUTE KITTENS!!! I sat on the ground and played with them until the super nice waiter named Domingo came and asked me what drink I wanted to start with.

I ordered Hibiscus tea (below). It is popular here and quite refreshing. Caution: It is super deeply pigmented, so it stains just about anything that looks at it wrong.

They even sent the tea down from the kitchen with liquified sugar to sweeten my tea to my liking.... Just icing on the cake.

This is my hammock, my tea, and my view of the volcano.

I spent a while reading "Captivating" by Stasi Eldridge. I got some quality reading done. No music, no voices. Just wind enough to sway my hammock and the sound of the waves lapping against the shore below me.

Here is the view from the top of the stairs:

After I caught a taxi back to town, I bought this coffee at a local coffee shop near the port. They import the beans from all over Guatemala, then grind it right in front of you. It is delicious. In fact, it is currently zipped up in my backpack, and I can still smell the aroma throughout my room. Beautiful. I am way strapped for money, so the gal behind the counter gave me much more than I asked for at a low price. God is good!

Thanks for letting me share my Saturday with you guys.

I can't help but think sometimes, "Man, this is so, so awesome. I wish I had a physical person here with me to share this with." One day.

I love you all.

[My next adventure may be on Monday when I attempt getting to San Antonio on the back of a pick up truck that boards at the local grocery store. Wish me luck!]

Stay tuned :)

Codi

For your information.

2011-10-26T19:53:00.000-04:00

Tadaaaaaaa! I present to you: Kefir!

In order to obtain the OPTIMAL amount of probiotics in my GI tract here in Guatemala, I make a fermented drink called:

KEFIR [ Key-fur]

It's basically a drinkable science experiment of sorts. How do I make it, you ask?

Step one: Find 3-5 grains of Kefir bacteria... they look kind of like little puffy seeds
Step two: put said "seeds" in the bottom of a glass jar
Step three: Pour milk into the jar
Step four: Cover milk jar with a breathable material (Naturally, I used expired surgical gauze)
Step five: Leave milk jar at room temperature for 24-48 hours
Step six: Separate the seeds from the liquid by straining the grains and putting them into another jar
Step seven: DRINK your Kefir! You can refrigerate it and sweeten if you like, or even include it in smoothies. I put honey in mine.

According to some researchers:
-Kefir may help prolong life
-Kefir may positively effect the liver, gallbladder, circulation, heart activity, metabolism, oxygen supply to the cells, and blood circulation to the brain
-Kefir grains may slow down or even reverse the growth of a wide variety of cancers in animal trials
-Kefir may lower cholesterol levels. Because Kefir is quite literally fermented milk, this fermentation causes increased production of short-chain fatty acids, which decrease circulatory cholesterol
-Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt (e.g. Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, Streptococcus species, Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir)

So....Go get some Kefir, ya'll!

PS:

Just so you guys can get into my brain a little bit. Every time I look at my Kefir jar, all I see is this.....

Just saying.

Love,
Codi

Holaaaa de Guate!

2011-10-25T21:18:00.002-04:00

Helllooooo, Everyone! Some pictures for you all:

This young man is such a JOY!! I call him two things: 1) Mi novio mas pequeño - This is a kind of slangy way of saying "My little boyfriend." I'm pretty sure it's Puerto Rican slangy, so it probably makes no sense here. 2) Mi Sombra- this one literally means "My Shadow." You might be able to guess at the name significance here... Every time I walk from the clinic to the school where the exams are taking place, he attaches to my leg, puts his arms around me, crawls on my back, kisses me on the cheeks, something. We play all manner of sports and talk about our parents. This physical affection thing is one aspect about this culture that makes my heart a little gushy. For those of you who know me well, you know I am affectionate to the point of moderate nausea. Suffice it to say, I fit in well here :D

This is kind of his "default" pose. He says he looks like a man :)

This is the room I stay in most of the time and that's my new friend from Pakistan. He made fun of the South. Apparently making fun of red-necks is international... who knew, lol. My job this week is English to Spanish translating, conducting pre-screening interviews, dishwashing, and organizing patient flow for the medical team (I'll explain this a little later). The point of this picture is to show that nurses have the coolest jobs ever. Not only do I get to participate in the medical sides of the job, kids get to sit in my lap when they aren't tall enough for the machines. This picture makes my heart glad!

This is a guy I get along with tremendously well. All my friends may be thinking something like "Yeah, I bet you do, Cody." (Given his physical appearance) BUT He's actually a Muslim from the States. I think it is insane the number of Muslims I come into contact with everywhere I go. In fact, I think about 90% of the team members who are down for surgery week are Muslim. I've been having some pretty awesome conversations with the team members. Who knows why I'm here. For Guatemalans, for international medical team members, for Americans. Who cares. I'm just staying obedient.

Mi Sombra, his cousin, and me outside of the clinic <3

For those of you who prayed, THANK YOU. My day went super smoothly and ALL of the GLORY needs to go straight back to GOD who gave me a tongue that functions kind of well in other languages. The reason that I mention that I am specifically an English to Spanish translator is because many of the patients I am working with speak Quiche only. This is a Mayan tribal language that is quite different from Spanish in many ways. Soooooo what happened was, the medical team spoke with me, then I spoke to a translator who speaks Spanish and Quiche, and in this way we communicated with our patients. I would say about 50% of the patients speak Spanish and Quiche, and the other 50% speak Quiche alone. I had no idea how much went into just one day of exams and surgery. I also worked with patient flow and organized a systematic way to exam patients efficiently (a very nursey type of job, love it!) I conducted the interviews with the patients and discussed their general health, and more specifically their problems with sight. Let me Tell you, I heard a lot of stories. From sewing needle accidents, to a guys getting punched in the street... and many more, but the others are definitely on the sad side. I was so busy today that didn't eat lunch until about two.

I thought this was a kinda funny story:

We had a pretty cute/stylish 20 year old come to get his eyes checked because he explained that he was in need of glasses. After interviewing him and conducting an eye exam, we gave him some options to see which glasses worked best for him. Although he could see a little better with the glasses we finally found, he was very concerned that he looked like Harry Potter in them and politely declined. Who knew Harry Potter even reaches to remote villages high in the mountains of Guatemala...

God is working, folks. Pray for this team. Pray for the patients.

I love ya'll.

Codi

Aventuraaaaa...Not the band.

2011-10-23T21:38:00.002-04:00

Today was so eye-opening. I will never be the same. I'll have to give myself time to process everything before I write about it. Stay tuned if you're interested.

I will officially be translating tomorrow, and I may be slightly nervous. I've never done anything like this before. Nursing, I am nice and comfy with. Four years of learning, practical experience...But translating...yikeeeeeeees! If tomorrow is a success, I am telling you now that it is God through me and nothing more.

The only "true immersion experiences" I've ever had with Spanish are visiting Costa Rica in high school and everything that comes with dating a Puerto Rican. Beyond that... not so much.

Pray, please.

Some fotos:

So.... this is my bleach bucket. In order to eat anything here, I have to first bleach it, then scrub it, then rinse it, then peel it, then cook it (except fruit). That's what I get for being a sickling. I have a super limited diet here because of July's health bonanza. Money is super tight these days, so I don't get to buy a whole lot of veggies anyways. The tomatoes you see were a gift :) Funny how your perspectives can change over time. Today I received two tomatoes and was exceedingly grateful. In the past I have received an iPod as a gift and was barely (if at all) moved. I'm a work in progress.

...and here we have it folks... My dinner tonight. If you want the recipe, it's pretty easy.
1/2 cup boiled white rice + 1bleached avocado. Smush it all together. VOILA!
Not that exciting, I know. Oh, also I had some purified water and powdered milk...YUMMMMMMMM. For those of you who live in the States, please try not to sin in the envy department. I don't want to cause anyone to stumble.
[Please note that my earplug kinda looks like a tiny green rocket ship. Admit it, it's kind of cute. I have those in my possession because I think the Germans that live upstairs take tap dancing lessons... at midnight. lol]

That's it for me tonight. I'm gonna get my read on, take my vitamins, and hit the sack early. I have to wake up at 4:30ish tomorrow. Hellloooooo, early morning! :D

LOVE,

Codi

Mi Primer Dia!

2011-10-22T23:45:00.004-04:00

I took this picture from my taxi boat. Some of the cities you can visit around the lake are much more accessible by boat.

Hey, guys!

I just got back from a delicious dinner with a staff family from the clinic tonight. They invited me into their home, and it was wonderful. It was much needed.

Today was my first day at the clinic. Plans have already changed :) What's new?

1) Turns out I am not going to be serving as a nurse my first week. I will be translating for an American team that arrives tomorrow. My official job as translator starts Monday when eye surgeries begin.

Today there was not too, too much for me to do at the clinic since it mostly consisted of a lot of patient triaging and consultation (all done by the visiting medical group.)

So........

1) I talked to a bunch of kids

2) Played a ton of soccer

3) Loved on some babies

4) Played tether ball (SO MIDDLE SCHOOL!)

5) Engaged in 2 hours of surprisingly intense basketball with people from Argentina, Ghana, Mexico, Guatemala, and more! Some people spoke Spanish only, some English as their first language then some Spanish (to varying degrees), some primarily spoke their own tribal language then Spanish... It was a little confusing. It felt a little Tower of Babelesque.

I met some pretty awesome younger kids today. Hopefully I can get you some pictures and stories within a week or so. This week to come is going to be filled with watching the blind healed. Those who walked around in darkness are going to see light... I'm praying this can happen not only in a physical sense but, more importantly, in a spiritual sense. I cannot wait to see what God does. Physical victory is for naught without a Savior.

Kind of funny story:

Naturally, I learned a lot of basketball terminology today. I had the strong urge to scream "Rebound!!" or "Shoot!!" or use the word "Pack"(when someone from the opposing team blocks and/or steals a pass just as it's leaving the ball handler's hand). I learned that when you "pack" someone, here it's called a "Tapon [tah-pone]." Welllllll... what had happened was... Someone got packed, and I screamed a very similar word...

So basically it went like this....

-The player from my team packed someone...

-I screamed the word "Tampon [tahm-pone]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Now, If you are an English speaker, this word may look familiar...that's because it's the same in Spanish as it is in English... You know, like Tampax....like the feminine product......

I immeadeatly thought... REAL cool, Cody. Way to be the ONLY American person in sight screaming "TAMPON!!!!!" at the top of your lungs for no apparent cause or reason...

Good times in Guatemala.

Well, I am sore beyond belief from all the sports today. I'm hitting the sack early tonight. Tomorrow I'm heading to the market and a home church here in Pana. I am working full-time, Monday through Friday this week. Going to be an exhausting and wonderful endeavor!

I love you guys,

Codi

He llegado, gente!

2011-10-21T19:24:00.008-04:00

Hey, Everybody!

Quick quote:

"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." Miriam Beard.

I am so glad to be back and blogging :)

For those of you who didn't know, I am back in Guatemala. I am sitting in my living room in Panajachel, making some rice (stereotypical, I know), and getting you guys updated on what is going on.

My flights here were super smooth. I was in Orlando 3 days prior to my flight visiting with my second family before taking off. Christine and I tried to go to bed early on the night before my trip, but we only did a decent job (worth it). I ended up with about 5 hours of sleep and had to BE at the airport before 5 am. Christine made me toast :) I hoped on my plane and met a most superb person on the way there.

The original plan was to perhaps catch up on some rest during my one and a half hour flight to Atlanta, but this was not the case. A man came walking down the isle right before the plane was taking off. I assumed he was my seat buddy because the seat next to me was the only vacant one in the back half of the plane. As I had predicted, he plopped down next to me and we exchanged casualties. I felt unreasonably comfortable with him, and I could not put my finger on why. Although this guy was older than me (in his thirties) and we didn't have too, too much in common, we literally talked/laughed/conversed from the time the plane took off to the time the plane landed. We were talking about "The South," and he made a sarcastic remark. The Cody response : I punched him in the shoulder. It suddenly dawned on me. This man reminded me exactly of my former boss in New York City. It was honestly uncanny. Same brotherly disposition. Same extroverted personality. Same mannerisms. Same sarcastic humor. Too weird. We disembarked the plane together, and he looked up the gate I was supposed to be at. We road the tram together to our terminals. I will most likely never see this gentleman again. It was such a random incident. I simply thanked God for the company and conversation.

After getting over a weird sense of loss after parting with my new friend, I went to get some fruit to eat while I was waiting for my flight to Guatemala. The lady behind the counter said to me, "Mawnin' sweetie, what can I get for ya today?" I immediately asked her if she was a Christian. The joy of the Lord makes a devout Christian as obvious as any Muslim woman dawning a hijab. She said "Yes, I am! I know Jesus, and He is going before you! He'll fight your battles before you even get to 'em!"Amen, I thought. I purchased my food, began to walk away, and she said as I was leaving "You'll be blessed, honey!" That interaction literally made me smile so much my face hurt a little. I then walked by a cellphone store. They were playing loud pop music. I danced...by myself....pretty ridiculously over what had just happened.

I landed in Guatemala, met with another team member from the clinic, and after a few interruptions (land slides) and pit stops, we finally made it to my home here in Panajachel. I ate a quick dinner and slept for the next 12 hours.

I woke up here this morning, tremendously rested and ready to start the day. This is my only day off for a while, so that is why I am blogging while I can. I took a lot of pictures today in hopes to let you guys in on my home and city.

This is my bed. It's mostly an unfitted sheet, a sleeping bag, and a blanket from home. So basically, it's awesome.

My first Guatemalan breakfast. I will absolutely have a gas stove in my house when I am older. There is no comparison.

This is the side of the house :)

View from the kitchen...That's a volcano!

These are the stairs leading to the second story apartment. If I duck under that little hallway to the left, that is where I can hang my laundry to dry.

This is a pretty flower I found in the garden outside.

This is somewheres between my house and the grocery store. I thought it looked cool. No idea where it leads to. Of course, if it weren't behind a locked gate, I would have went exploring.

This is a tuk-tuk. It is one of the main modes of transportation. Bicycles are also popular. It is 5Q (about $.90) to take this "taxi" anywhere in the city. Flat rate. I use these at night for safety and during the day if I am carrying groceries.

This is the yellow bridge that leads to town. It is about a 20-25 minute walk from my house to the base of the bridge. From there, the coffee shops, the Dispensa (grocery store), and the pharmacy range from 10-15 minutes. I'm getting my exercise, for sure!

Ok, folks. That's about it for now. I work for the next 5 days at the clinic, so I won't be on here much. I'll try to take pictures and jot down stories as the days progress so I can make sure to keep you guys up to date.

Can I please say that this is honestly one of the biggest privileges I've ever experienced. If you are in the position of being able to volunteer your time, money, or talents, that means you are blessed beyond recognition. You are blessed with finances, you are blessed with an open schedule, you are blessed with talents. This is all from God.

Let me make one other side note, then I'm calling it a night. Foreign work is in no way, shape, or form, more lofty, noble, burdensome, or sacrificial than any type of work done for the Lord within the United States. There is a glorification of work done outside of one's home country that makes me uncomfortable. If you live in the United States and are working and advancing the kingdom in any way (a 9 to 5, a home group, cooking and sharing meals, hosting a Bible study, having conversations in coffee shops, sending encouraging e-mails, praying, interceding, chatting at gas stations or restaurants) I applaud you. It is, at most times, much more difficult speaking the name of Jesus in the United States or within your own families than it is for me to do what I am doing here. My personal heros are the hometown types. Those who live "normal" lives and are open and willing to spread Jesus' love to those whom God sends their way.

We're all in this together.

Cody
PS: Tonight we have a fire! My mom was worried that I might be too hot because we don't have air conditioning... Let me just say that I am in jeans, a hoodie, my North Face OVER my hoodie, socks, and am still sitting quite close to the fire :) Good times in Guatemala!

11 Random Facts

2011-10-08T02:28:00.001-04:00

1. When I bake, I listen to Frank Sinatra on Pandora...Almost exclusively.

2. When returning from the bathroom at night, I run and leap into my bed whether there are monsters chasing me or not.

3. One of my favorite long-term-care patients in the world died on my 21st birthday.

4. I talk to myself in Spanish while in the car. I don't get practice otherwise.

5. I lick the plate when the food is really good.

6. I had a patient tell me I lower his blood pressure just by being in the room.

7. I take audio French lessons on long road trips.

8. I like to look at pictures of animals snuggling...because it's so freakin' cute.

9. Two of my biggest desires are to marry a godly man and travel the world.

10. When I watch chick flicks, I pause and rewind to the part where the girl gets the guy, or the guy gets the girl, or the best friends finally marry, or the main characters finally kiss. Once, I watched the kissing scene from "The Proposal" about 7 times... in a row.

11. I drive without shoes on... That's illegal in Florida.

Birthday, Bug, Bigote

2011-10-05T22:18:00.010-04:00

Birthday Girlllll. 22! My drink had a glow stick.

Me and Bug :D

This picture is terribly awkward... for at least three reasons.

Men, women, love, and stuff part threeeeee coming this week.

Ps: In reference to the post title... Bigote [Bee-go-tay] = Mustache in Spanish. Just needed a third "B." I knew you would understand :)

Kidds in my life!

2011-10-02T14:47:00.000-04:00

Maddie = My favorite little man. Ever.

Pretty girl! Hanging in bed watching Berenstein Bears :)

She said she was "reading like Coco" Note: I always write and underline things in my books. She grabbed a pen too :)
... Then she scribbled all over page 123... Oh well!

The Big News...

2011-09-30T02:32:00.000-04:00

I got the job interview, folks....
Thank you so much to everyone who has been supporting and praying for me.
I cannot be more excited and humbled by this... I can't even express how thankful I am. When I heard back from the program director, I literally cried for almost an hour straight. God's grace is too big for me to handle.

Psalm 36:5
"Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies."

The official interview date is:
October 11th at 10:00 am

This doesn't mean a job yet, but it is one step closer to my academic dream. I want the Lord's will and nothing less. Let's see where this goes.

I will hear back from them in mid-November regarding my potential future at Vanderbilt.

This is an adventure.

Cody

Pumpkin Cheesecake Smoothie!

2011-09-29T14:23:00.026-04:00

Ok. In honor of Fall.

I found a super easy-to-make, decently healthy (depending on what ingredients you add) pumpkin cheesecake smoothie!! The recipe is flexible, so use your creative juices, and make it your own.

I was working with what I could find in my kitchen. These were my ingredients:

Here is the recipe!

Like I said, you may use whatever ingredients you'd like. Be creative.

- 1 cup cow milk, vanilla soy milk, rice milk, or vanilla almond milk (The vanilla flavor is important)

- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

- Pumpkin pie spice to taste (I used apple pie spice because that's what was available)

Fact: Pumpkin spice is simply mixture of nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and ginger... You may have these ingredients, just separate.
- 2 ounces cream cheese (I used a little more than this... I have a long-lasting love affair with cheese)
- Sugar to taste (I used agave nectar. You can always use honey, Sugar in the Raw, Splenda, etc.)

- 1 scoop vanilla whey or protein powder (For health buffs! I didn't have any, and it was still great)

- 1 cup ice

*I added 1 tsp of vanilla extract for good measure

*If I had graham crackers, I would most certainly toast them and sprinkle them on top with whip cream and cinnamon... Just a suggestion!

*I also juiced some baby carrots and put them in for their awesome color and natural sugar. Talk about pumpkin colored! I promise it doesn't end up tasting like your grandma's famous beef stew if you add them. You'd never know the difference.

Mini nutrition lesson!

Carrots add the following nutrients (among others) to your smoothie:

Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Potassium, B Vitamins, Magnesium, and Folate!

Amen.

Love,

Cody

Men and Women and Love and Stuff...Part 2

2011-09-29T00:42:00.005-04:00

Part TWO:

Interesting Fact: One of my favorite pastimes in
the world is to be carried, caught, or thrown over
the shoulders of someone stronger than I.

   The minute I had asked for ended up feeling like a year of silence.
   Here are some of the things that came pouring from my mouth as if I had been waiting for someone to ask me this for years....
   I so desire a man who loves God more than me. Who will be strong for me when I am weak in faith. Whose first, not last, alternative is prayer and obedience in the face of trial. Who will pray for me, drop his worldly pride, lead by example, and love me the same way that Christ loves the church. A man who knows and is known by God.

I so desire a practical man. Someone who can make decisions when I'm indecisive, change my flat tire, work a budget, help me with tech problems, google how to fix a leaky sink... Just normal, run-of-the-mill things. A practical man. A problem solver. This is for me, by far, one of the most attractive qualities I can think of in a man.

I so desire a reliable man. Someone who is on time, can be trusted with responsibilities, will be where he says he'll be when he says he'll be there. A wise man whose words and actions line up.

I so desire a man who pursues me. A man I don't have to chase, or beg, or put on a show for. A man who loves me through my baggage and my stubbornness and doesn't simply give up on me when things get difficult. A man whose love and affection won't fade with time. A man who believes I'm worth fighting for, and then acts accordingly. A man whose strength inspires me to be the woman I was meant to be. I want to help. I want to encourage. I want to support. I want to serve. I want to feel safe. I want to be someone's ezer kenegdo: a sustainer by my husband's side.

I want a best friend...

...I have a feeling this guy got a little more than he had bargained for...

I immediately felt exposed... Reality set back in when my friend said, "Cody, you haven't eaten anything..."

"Oh, right! Well...anyways... those are just some dreams of mine. I understand I can't really expect to have those things in a man. Especially given my past and all the baggage I'd be carrying... I can't have that."

The gentleman looked up at me and simply said, "Cody... yes you can."

I picked up my fork, dug into the appetizer, and fought back tears. For the first time in my life, a man was reminding me that I was of worth in some way.... of great worth to my future husband, and more importantly of upmost worth to my God.

I'll never have a perfect man this side of Heaven, of this I am sure. But there is another part of me that has always been absolutely convinced that I don't deserve this type of man. A practical, wise man who will lead me spiritually, fight for me, and find me of great worth...

Just the thought of my future husband inspires me to become all that I can be in Christ.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

-----------------------------------

There is a reason that such boring qualities such as reliability and practicality mean the WORLD to me.

I'll be posting here soon, and you'll get a real look at the real Cody.

Oh, boy...

Men and women and love and stuff

2011-09-25T18:12:00.002-04:00

Part ONE:

Hey, guys! Cody here.

I'm reading a book right now called Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. While it is definitely old-school in some areas, and I don't agree with every single word that is printed, it is gold. I'm going to share a few things that I am learning from this book, and consequently about myself. I have some personal stories, some quotes from the book, and my thoughts on men, women, love, and stuff.

The story begins:

I started seriously thinking about my future in regards to dating and marriage at a dinner table with an old friend about 3 months ago. We had just started eating when he looked me dead in the eye and asked,

"Cody, what do you desire in a man?"

I gently put my fork down on my plate. To say that this caught me off guard is an understatement. I had never sat down and really thought about what I desired in a man. Well, I certainly knew the things that I wasn't looking for, and I had some ideas as to what I was looking for in a man....but they had never been well thought-out, and most certainly never spoken.

I quickly came to the realization that no one had ever asked me this question before. No mentor, no parent, no friend, and certainly none of my past boyfriends.

I asked him if he would give me a minute to think. Although he may not have realized it, I felt like sharing this information would be like bearing a part of my soul to him. I wasn't even sure if it was appropriate to answer. Suddenly, my heart was beating faster than it had been the minute before. My response would tell so much about me, I thought. It would reveal my deepest longings, and more ashamedly, my brokenness. Did he know what he was doing? He sounded like he was asking because he really wanted to know the answer... I wasn't prepared to respond. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, it sent chills down my spine.

Suddenly, I was nervous.

[Next post should be up by tomorrow. Stay tuned if you will.]

Lilly

2011-09-21T11:25:00.001-04:00

Most Current:
Lilly's surgery was a success! She got her chest tubes out and is drinking from a bottle! The nurse has assured that things are progressing as they should. We are praying she will be moved to the step down unit asap.

Thanks for your prayers, folks.

God is GOOD.

UPDATE:
LILLY IS CURRENTLY IN OPEN HEART SURGERY [SEPT. 22, 1:30PM CST]. IF YOU'RE READING THIS, PLEASE PRAY.
------------------------------------------------------------------
I noticed that I have viewers from a couple differnt countries at times, so I am going out on a limb and seeing if I can get some international prayers going for a friend. Also, if all my United States folks can be praying too, it would be so helpful.

Here's the deal.
This is Lilly:

She has a rare heart defect that accounts for only .1 % of ALL heart defects.

She is having open heart surgery next week, and it is vital that we come together and pray.

I'm not asking for good thoughts, positive energy, or well wishes. Prayer, please.

As a nurse, I understand the gravity of this situation. Little lives are very fragile, and she is going to be fighting hard for life in these weeks to come.

The surgery will be taking place at Emory hospital in Atlanta.

As of 9/18----- -Lilly is still stable. She has fluid on her lung, and is being treated with respiratory therapy and antibiotics. Although she is stable, it is still a critical situation.

Be praying.

Cherry Pie

2011-09-19T22:18:00.001-04:00

Today I made homemade Mini Cherry Pies.

Theyweredelicious.

Flour, Sugar, Vanilla and Almond Extract, Cinnamon, and Cherries

Pie crust cups before the fancy tops

Fancy tops that took WAY too long. [ They were so worth it though]

And there we have them, folks.

If you'd like to make this, you ought visit this wonderful blog :)

The creator of the blog mentions that she uses tin foil to line the muffin tin. I would not suggest this. It is just as simple to butter and flour the tin, and put the crust right on it. I had no problems doing it this way.

I suggest using this brand of fruit:

[It's the best in my opinion]

My plan for next time is to make 4 cherry pies, 4 blueberry pies, and 4 apple pies. That way everyone can be happy.

Happy baking, folks!

Little Tiny Update 1

2011-09-19T11:14:00.000-04:00

Here's a quick summary of what I have on my plate at the moment:
1. I am currently waiting to here back from Vanderbilt University Medical Center regarding an application I sent in earlier this month. I am applying to their Graduate Nurse Residency Program. This means at least a two year commitment to VUMC and Nashville, Tennessee. I have officially chosen the pediatric track and hope to work in their prettymuchamazingandworldfamous pediatrics facility. I find out around September 26th (aka my birthday) as to whether or not I get to interview for the position. That being said, the interview alone does not guarantee a position. If do get this job, they offer a tuition reimbursement program that would pay for my Master's Degree. This would mean Cody Hudgens RN, BSN, MSN, FNP. FNP= Family Nurse Practitioner. That's the goal, at least.

Here's part of the medical center:

[Who knows about all this future stuff. I am writing this and asking that you guys will pray for God's best. That may or may not include this residency program. I will take whatever is given to me with joy stemming from a deep understanding that my plans always pale in comparison to what God is doing/ wants to do. At this point, I'm holding on loosely to my plans and dreams, and letting God do what He does better than I ever could.]

Sneak preview of the Nashville skyline:

2011-09-18T22:15:00.001-04:00

Could you watch this? It's 5 minutes. Probably the most concise and accurate summary of the Gospel according to the Bible that I have seen in a while. Even if you're not a Christian or you believe that the Bible is a storybook, you'll appreciate the cinematography (and this gentleman's dreads). You can always chalk it up to broadening your knowledge about other religions. At least consider it.

Two of my favorite people...

2011-09-18T01:00:00.001-04:00

My niece Khloe and my nephew Maddox.

I love these two like no one's business.

Mema strikes again....

2011-09-14T22:47:00.000-04:00

This is an excerpt from a conversation I had with my grandmother over coffee and waffles...

Mema: You know how your mom, aunt, and I are going out of town for your birthday?

Me: Yea... I remember.

Mema:Well... it looks like we're going to need your car too....

Me: Are you serious? You're leaving town with nearly my entire nuclear family for my birthday AND taking my car???

Mema:Well...yes.

Me:Ok, so that means I can borrow your car while ya'll are gone, right?

Mema: Baby, there is no way in the world I am letting you drive my Cadillac.

Me: Wow. Really cool, Mema.

Then we just went back to eating our waffles...
Happy Birthday to Me!

Sometimes...

2011-09-10T23:02:00.000-04:00

my sister and I cook....
Say hello to our Mini Apple Pies.
[from scratch]

Filling= Organic apples and brown sugar syrup

I was pretty proud of my little shells!

Oh, yes.

Oatmeal/ brown sugar crumbly topping.

A la mode, of course!

Health Update

2011-09-09T00:53:00.001-04:00

This is long overdue.

Thank you so much for baring with me, folks.

Here's the Skinny:

My health was uncertain upon my return from Guatemala. I had almost unbearable acid reflux and was still not sure as to what exactly was going on with my lower GI tract.

After visiting an American GI specialist, the big picture of my health became much clearer.

I had both an Endoscopy and Colonoscopy.

During the endoscopy, the doc found that the lining of my stomach was quite damaged. This explained the intense reflux. He explained that this condition would be self limiting and something I would have to simply placate until the inflammation and irritation subsided.

The colonoscopy revealed that I did have a large mass that needed to be removed . Under the microscope this mass turned out to be a Tubulovilus adenoma. TVAs are thought to have a higher risk of malignant transformation than any other adenoma of the lower GI tract. That being said, this one had not converted. Had I of given it some more years to grow and convert, I honestly don't know what could have happened.

All the bleeding has stopped. All the ulcers have healed without significant scaring. I no longer need any type of medicine to control the bleeding and my blood counts are normal. The acid reflux has subsided and it seems that my stomach lining is slowly getting back to normal. I still watch what I eat and do what I can to stay in optimal health.

The Lord has provided for my every need. The donations that I received prior to and during my hospitalization and procedures paid for almost all the bills that I had incurred. Couples, friends, my church, former co-workers, all saw a need and supported me in a way that totally blew my mind. The body of Christ really is alive and working. It's easy to get disheartened in this day and age, but real Christians are out there. They really are showing God's love through their generosity, and I am humbled to be a part of their lives.

Thus ends my health update.

Thoughts upon return...

2011-09-07T22:01:00.000-04:00

I cannot even begin to try to tell you what in the world has been going on since I've moved back to the States. Forgive me that it's been so long. After coming back from Guatemala, it has been a whirlwind of:

Emotions,

physical sickness, uncertainty,

huge decisions, Doubt, Disappointment

You name it, I've felt it.

My heart was truly broken when I returned from Guatemala.

I was disappointed in myself (not logical, I know) and disillusioned because I had no idea what God was doing.

After doubting my purpose in general, loosing hope, realizing my going to Guatemala in the first place wasn't thoroughly covered in prayer, I found myself feeling lost. My body was so much more frail than I had ever realized. I'm not invincible... simply human. A number of things could have gone differently while I was out of the country, and I wouldn't be typing this right now.

This whole thing has been a life changing experience.

Mission work is honestly a privilege and nothing less. Upon my return, I repented of seeing it as anything less than that.

I needed to be let down.

I needed to be refocused.

I needed to be broken.

I needed to be lost enough to let myself be led.

Lately..

2011-08-23T18:04:00.000-04:00

I'm coming back guys.

I'm going to try to update you on what has been going on in the least boring, long-paragraphless way possible.

I love you all. Stay posted this week.

<3

Cody

Whip my...

2011-08-13T19:55:00.001-04:00

Good times with the niece :)

Up 2 Date

2011-08-13T10:47:00.001-04:00

Hey, folks.

I’m sorry it has been scarce around here.

QUICK life update:

- My flight form Guatemala to Atlanta landed 40 minutes before my next plane TOOK OFF. I had to disembark, go through customs a second time, reclaim my baggage, re-check my baggage, go back through security, then get to my gate... in 40 minutes. By some MIRACLE (and that fact that I think I literally shoved people on the escalator, HA!) I made it.When I arrived at the airport my mom, aunt, and grandma were all waiting for me. It was awesome to see all my family ladies again. To my surprise, I had some other greeters there as well. My seestor, bro-in-law, and neice were there with the most amazing homemade sign in the world. I will post a pic up here soon, that way you can see it. This was literally one of the most significant things to me in the world.

- I am sharing a phone and car with my mom. This is both wonderful and drives me absolutely crazy.

- One of my really good friends from highschool got MARRIED last week, and I was BLESSED enough to attend. I am so happy for Kristi and Matt. I love both of those guys and cannot wait to see what the Lord is going to do with them.

- I went to the beach for the first time in over a month yesterday. It was phenomenal. The water was seaweedy, the heat was almost unbearable, and I just didn't care. I was just excited to be able to see the ocean.

In case you're interested in the way I pick out my beach spot:

Step one: Look for hispanic looking people.

Step two: Don't look like I'm looking for hispanic looking people.

Step three: Find a spot a safe distance away, but that is still within earshot.

Step four: Enjoy the wonder that is the beach and listen to strangers speaking in Spanish.

Regarding my health:

I had a consult late last week with a GI doc here in Panama City. He told me that it would be very beneficial to have both the colonoscopy and endoscopy done seeing that I have been having a really difficult time with acid reflux as well as lower GI problems. I was moderately disappointed, as the fewer tubes that enter my body, the happier I am.

I started telling people that I was having both the scopes done “at the same time,” but quickly changed that phraseology to “ during the same time block” as the thought of literally doing both the procedures simultaneously was a bit concerning/disturbing for most folks. I, in no way, mean to gross people out J

My appointment was at 12:30 on August 11. Within about an hour of being at the surgery center, a huge storm began to brew. Torrential rain, thunder, lightening, the whole gamete. Before I knew it, I was in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV, weak as all get out from days of fasting, in pitch dark. We had lost power. I started laughing out loud and got a dirty look from the nurse. I really did just think it was funny. Why wouldn’t the power go out the day of my procedure? Given my track record, I was waiting for the roof to cave in right over my head. It didn’t, thank God! After awhile, the power came back on and I just sat patiently waiting.

After the procedure I woke up extraordinarily sleepy, in a different place than when I’d started, and in the fetal position. I suppose that was the most comfortable position for my unconscious self. The doc explained that I had a few things going on. My stomach is still severely inflamed. It could be a bacterial infection, it could be something else. He biopsied the stomach wall, and that will help narrow down the possibilities. This may explain why there is so much acid creepin on my esophagus all the time, but who really knows. They also found a very large, irregular looking polyp, and , of course, removed it. It is also going to the pathology lab to give me an idea of what is going on. The doc also discussed with me the fact that now that I’ve had PMC (Psuedo membranous colitis) the likelihood of it reoccurring is quite high. The fact that my body has not recovered completely (as evidenced by still having inflammation in my GI tract) puts me at risk for easy re-infection. This paired with the new knowledge that any given antibiotic could set off this type of life-threatening reaction concerns him…and rightfully so.

I have a whole lot of decisions to make, folks. I have a follow up appointment on the 16^th, and by then I will have the whole picture in view. I will then be able to make a more informed decision regarding my future. I am praying and would like you guys to be praying as well.

I have no idea what in the world this next phase in life will look like, but for now I am taking it easy, and working towards healing. Both physically and spiritually.

God is good, and this will all work out.
Those are the only two things that I know.

Yeppp.

2011-08-05T23:24:00.001-04:00

Real conversation at the airport in Guatemala City:

Setting: swapping stories with a guy who was sitting near me at the airport. Of course, Jesus came up.

Guy in mid-conversation: Wait... so does all this mean you are celibate? (after having said nothing even remotely relevant)

Me: Yeah...

G: How do your boyfriends feel about that?

Me: Well, the last boy I dated believed the same thing.

G: Wait, was he gay?

Me: No, we were dating....

[End of conversation]

Nos Vemos

2011-08-04T10:44:00.000-04:00

Ok, guys.

It's my last day in Panajachel. Yesterday was absolutely wonderful. I worked at the clinic on Monday and Tuesday, and had yesterday off to explore the city. I'll update about my last three days here and my thoughts on returning as soon as time permits.

I will be heading to Guatemala City today at noon by bus and then heading to the airport early tomorrow morning.

The Lord is moving, and I cannot wait to explain to you how.

Until the United States,

Cody