Fun Day With New Deaf Friends!

Praise the Lord I am feeling SO much better today! I still couldn't eat much for breakfast this morning, but I had enough to recharge me and get me ready for a great day. Ted was so wonderful to watch the kids for me yesterday so I could get two naps, and then we went to bed at 9 p.m. I was able to finish packing my workshop basket and bag so I was all ready this morning except a few last-minute things.

We left the house around 8:30 a.m. to take the boys to my friend Sarah's house. Her husband took the day off work (thank you, Ken!) to watch the boys for us, and we took the girls with us, figuring they would be able to play and entertain themselves nicely without interrupting us much. We also decided it would be best to take them with us rather than having Ken watch all SIX children, as he is deaf. I know he's a great dad, but still, that's a lot of responsibility, and we weren't sure how long we'd be gone.

We drove downtown Vegas to the rec center where the meeting was to be held. The Silver Belles are a group of older deaf ladies that meet regularly on Tuesdays. Usually the group is about 30-35 women, but (thankfully) today there were only 10 people there, which was the perfect number. They knew I was coming, so those who attended were the ones who were really interested in stamping, and most had been to a show before. Sarah and I discussed later that we don't think they had actually been to a show with an interpreter before, because they all commented that they learned so much today, which made me feel great!

I used a few signs that I've learned, but I was so grateful for Sarah's willingness to come with me and help me out. She knows all or most of the women who were there, and I think she had a really fun time, too. The ladies were all so wonderful, so warm and welcoming, and they kept telling me to come back when it was over! We tentatively planned another workshop for April, though we still need to work out child care details. I hate to have Ken take more time off work, though Sarah assures me that he has been working a lot lately and was due some time off!

Anyway, the show was lots of fun. They loved all the projects I demo'ed and did a great job making their own gift sacks and cards to take home. The order total was great, and they decided to use the hostess dollars to get stamps and ink pads for the whole group to use. The group leader also ordered supplies for the Silver Belles as well as her own personal order, and I think they are all so excited to get together and use their stuff. They also plan to make cards to sell for fundraisers, which is a great idea, and I told them I'd love to help if we can coordinate a time when Ted can watch the kids.

One of the ladies is even interested in possibly being a demonstrator, which really excites me! She is one of the ones I felt I really connected with, and she has had enough experience that I think she would really do a great job. I told her we would definitely get together, and she could help me practice my sign language skills while I helped her with new ideas!

So, what a blessing! I prayed specifically this morning that God would pour out His blessings on this whole event--that Sarah and I (and even our girls) would bless the deaf ladies who came to stamp and that God's will would be done concerning the "business stuff." He took care of those details, providing good sales and future events. Mostly I just had a ton of fun, though, and I'm thankful that I could brighten some ladies' day and encourage their creativity.

Now I am all the more eager to keep learning sign language! I love it! I can understand quite a bit, a lot more than I can actually sign. I guess it's kind of like being a toddler again, understanding what grown-ups say but not having enough skills to communicate my point very clearly yet. I missed most of the last lesson since I got sick, and so I hope Sarah and I can get together soon so she can help me with the practice conversation that I saw Ted and Lyn doing while I sat on the sidelines deciding whether or not I should tell them we needed to go home! Ted is learning really fast, especially considering that he has only attended 1 1/2 lessons! I think his background in Russian helps him grasp the new language skills easily.

Well, we are now all home, and I put the kids in room time because I needed to deal with a behavior issue with one of them, and it's so quiet I thought I'd sneak onto the computer for a bit. I'm wondering if Arden fell asleep?! It was way past nap time when we finally got home! Tobin is building with Lincoln Logs in the play area, and I'm sure Charis is reading in her room. I'm realizing that it is now 4:00 p.m. and I haven't had lunch, so my tummy is actually rumbling for some food! To snack or not to snack, when dinner is just around the corner, that is the question...

Anyway. I'll blog more later--there's so much to write about! A big hug and hello to my pregnant friends who are reading this! I've been keeping up with your blogs and can't wait to hear all about when your babies arrive! And hello to all our dear friends and family who read and never leave comments. ;-) I don't know why I felt the need to start passing out greetings, but hey! I love you guys!