The Extremes of Life...

Hello all... things have been a bit of a struggle lately, so I haven't known what to write. Some of our older kids have really be having a rough time, to the point where one had to stay with me until we could get him into a psych hospital. If I'm honest, at the moment that feels like the tip of the iceberg, but I know that God holds it all. He has a plan for these kids, and for me, and I know that He provides exactly what is needed for His plan, provided we are seeking Him. There are frequently jokes in the office about how people imagine that our lives consist of holding babies all day, and then I listen to a teenage girl sob as she recounts her memories and wishes that she had her mom back and know concretely that none of this is about holding babies (usually it's the abundance of volunteers who get to have that job!)...

And today I took a 5 month old who weighs 11 pounds to be tested for HIV, syphilis and Hep B. She was born as a twin at 36 weeks gestation in September to a mother who died of AIDS and syphilis less than 3 weeks later. Her twin passed away in December, and her dad was left not knowing how to cope. It just breaks me to think of all of the loss her dad has experienced in the past few months, in addition to the fact that it was likely that he was the one to give the baby's mother HIV.

But... on to happier moments that I haven't yet shared... :o) I joined a small group Bible Study of guys and girls, all about my age, and it's been a blessing to start to see community that isn't connected to work start to come together! At the beginning of January, for Beth's birthday, she and I went on a "Canopy Tour" in the Magaliesburg Mountains (the second oldest mountain range in the world - created about 2,400 million years ago) where we took zip lines across the top of the canyons, over the trees, and it was AMAZING! Then later in the week the birthday festivities continued with dinner and dancing at Rodizio's, a Brazilian restaurant. So, in clear testament to the fact that I still don't post here often enough, here are some photos from the beginning of January :o)



The canyon :o)



Beth over the trees


Me :o)



Getting clipped onto the line!



Party laughs... Beth (middle) & Claire (right)



Thankful for friends...

25 Random Things...

This list is the big thing on Facebook at the moment... I've put it off, but finally was desperate enough to avoid other things that I joined the bandwagon. Thought I'd get a little extra mileage out of the time it took and post it here as well (thanks for the idea Sarah!) :o) Those of you who know me well will probably know most of this, but there may be a few surprises.

25 Random Things About Me...

1) My full name is technically Kelli Cayley Murphy Strickland and my closest friends enjoy using the whole thing when they're frustrated just to make me frustrated...
2) I wasn't allowed to listen to music while doing homework growing up, so now I have trouble focusing on anything but the music when music is playing.
3) When I was little I used to give emotions to non-living things... like "Don't bend that paper clip, you're gonna hurt it" kind of thing... I'm sure a therapist would have great fun with that!
4) My favorite way to relax is going to the movies by myself.
5) I've hit all of the major goals I had for my life at 26, so I'm trying to come up with some new ones :o)
6) When I was 4, I called 911 because my doll was sick... 911 called back to complain and I got in trouble
7) When my friend Chelsea and I got left with babysitters together as little girls we were absolutely HORRIBLE to them... to the point of throwing fruit at the walls and pulling chairs out from under them
8) I'd love to travel to Ireland someday... and to Italy again
9) Someday I want to live in Washington DC because I'm such a political science/history nerd
10) At Starbucks I order the most high-maintenance hot chocolate ever... grande, non-fat, extra-hot hot chocolate with whipped cream but no chocolate drizzle... I blame Seattle and it's over-abundance of Starbucks
11) Some of my favorite college memories are the "Days for the Soul" that Jean and I used to take, not telling anyone where we were going and just doing whatever we felt like all day without any planning... one resulted in our belly button rings...
12) I always read the end of a book first because if it has a bad ending I won't read the book.
13) I don't like surprises very much, and I'm not very good at waiting to let other people be surprised either
14) I am terrified of birds, and yet I had a parakeet from the time I was 5 until after I left for college (people kept buying them for me!!!)
15) I don't like dogs because they shed and slobber, but if I ever did get a dog it would be a beagle named Walter
16) I love leaving for roadtrips before the sun comes up in the morning
17) I love wandering around cemeteries... I know it sounds morbid, but they are so peaceful and I like to wonder about the stories of people's lives
18) I deal with change worse than just about anyone I know, and yet had no trouble moving to South Africa
19) Being near the ocean feels like breathing to me
20) I still swim over pool drains really fast because there could be sharks that come out of them (but apparently they can't get you once your not directly above the drain?!)
21) My mom made me cook dinner for the family one night a week all through high school to learn how to cook, and as a result I make mac & cheese, spaghetti, and hamburgers really well... and that's IT!
22) I LOVE thunderstorms
23) I wish I hadn't quit playing piano when I was 5 because I'd love to know how to play now
24) My favorite cookies are oatmeal chocolate chip
25) Peanut butter and chocolate can fix just about anything