Pictures

If you've blogged, you know that sometimes pictures don't upload in the order you like...given my tendency to start a post and not finish it, I'm just going to comment on these pictures in the order they are. I figure most of you don't care about the order of pictures as much as the fact that you get so see them!

This is quite a mixed up lot of pictures, but I'm sure you'll find them fun anyway!

Decorating Easter Eggs! Lots of fun and just a bit of mess!

Our friend, Tiffany, got to enjoy the chaos of 5 kids doing eggs too! Uncles Matt and Donovan supervised from the sidelines!

Uncle Lyndon had sent over some Christmas presents on a container. They arrived just in time for Easter!!! Uncle Matt had the kids all line up with hands on the wall so there couldn't be any peeking! It didn't work!

Gaylon happy with his new truck....even happier when he discovered it made noise....Mommy and Daddy were also very happy when they discovered the off switch!

The joys of being 2! Afternoon naps!!!

Natalie holding Haydon and I'm holding her daughter, Myriam. Myriam is three weeks older than Haydon!!

Proof that Haydon isn't adopted!

There had been some complaints that no one saw any pictures of me being pregnant. Thankfully I took these just days before Haydon was born!

Guess it is really spring time! Baby kittens one week and Baby Haydon the next!

One of my "getting ready for baby" projects. The car seat was in desperate need of recovering after being used for more than 8 babies (not all Shank :) )! So I made a matching "diaper bag".

I had also made new curtains for the whole house! (Only been wanting to do that for the past year and a half!) This chair also received a face lift. Do you recognize it, Mom? It was Great Grandma Graybill's chair!

Before Haydon arrived, we took a trip to ViaTown to have a look around for any bargains. Matt found a lizard as we stopped for a rest and cold soft drinks.

My good friend, Kristin, and her two daughters resting before looking more bargains.

Great "Knock Off's"

Abercrombie & Fitch or not!
These sell for about $15-20 USD. These are new, not used like most of the clothing in ViaTown.

A "blue bird" or king fisher of some sort that the security dazed so the kids could play with it. (I was thinking, why not let it just fly and live and let them look at it out the window? Who really needs to play with a half dead bird???)

Gaylon having his turn to hold it.

Faithe, being the mommy that she is, wanted to find it some worms and make a nest for it. After everyone had a turn holding it, we headed inside and washed hands and had lunch. By the time lunch was finished, the bird had recovered and flown away!

Pineapple Coconut Pies

Gaylon helping his Uncle Donovan put up the curtain rods.

The day Matt and Donovan arrived. We had some time to spare so we drove all the way past the airport to the river.

The Egyptian Embassy had a children's art competition the our guys participated in. They each drew a picture of something having to do with Egypt.
The day the awards were given out over 150 children came to the event and were entertained by traditional Liberian dancers. The guys in the green and yellow and red, white and blue suits jumped and flipped in more ways then I thought humanly possible.
Cameron was quite grossed out by one man who was double jointed....he could hug himself and wrap his arms around his head and smack his own face with his hands....

Evon, Darron and Cameron in the crowd of artists.

Faithe, Darron, The Egyptian Ambassador, Darron, Cameron

Gaylon with our puppy, Rex

Rex got into some rat poison so he's no longer with us. Matt got a puppy, Margo, who looks almost like Rex. We'll have some pictures of her on here soon, I'm sure! Margo and Gaylon are best of buddies and worst enemies! :)

So you can see by the variety of pictures that our life the past few months has been busy. More times than I can remember I've thought about how bad I needed to post something. I would even start and then the internet would be too slow or I'd fall asleep. We'll try to do better once again!

Haydon James

Haydon James Shank arrived April 13, 2011 at 1:45am. He might be our 6th child and 5th boy, but he wanted everyone to know that he could demand attention.

You'll notice that I'm sitting in the Suburban. We had a 1 1/2 hour drive to the hospital. As soon as I realized I was in labor, we loaded up and headed out. Brendon made the drive in 55 minutes, but it still wasn't fast enough. Haydon was born right outside the OB entrance to the hospital. I always wondered what it would be like to use a birthing chair and catch my own baby. I guess know I have an idea.
Haydon was healthy and happy. Weighing in a 7 pounds 14 ounces. We rested in the air conditioned room for a few hours and then headed home to meet the family.
Gaylon was thrilled with the baby and wanted everyone to come see his baby that could go "maaaa". Faithe was happy to see the baby, but she was a bit disappointed that she didn't get a little sister. After about an hour, she was thrilled to have a living doll baby to hold and love on.
The proud big sister, Faithe!


When we arrived back at the house, we honked the horn so someone would come and open the gate. As soon as the horn honked, we heard shouts and hollering from the ladies who were working at the house. Everyone was shouting and doing the baby welcome dance!

Darron is a big help with Haydon. He'll sit and hold him until he isn't content with the pacifier any more. It has been great having helpers...I've been able to take naps and get lunch for the other kids with out a baby crying the whole time.
One very happy baby!

Eyes bright!


Our little handsome man. All dressed up for church on Good Friday


"Hurry up, Mommy and take the picture! I'm falling over!!!"

In Honor of one of the great men who had a part in making me the man I am today!

Here is something that I wrote a month or so about the passing of my Grandfather.



John E. Farrow Sr., age 81, of 14318 Greenview Drive, Greencastle, Pa., died at 4:25 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010, in the Waynesboro Hospital.

In Honor of one of the great men who had a part in making me the man I am today!

Mom and Grandma, the passing of Pap has been hard for me. Not only was I in Africa, but I was in the bush away from everything when Pap passed away. It was just this past week that I was finally able to set down and listen to Pap’s funeral service. I guess this is my way of bringing closure to his passing and my way to give you a hug that is not physically possible. I love you all and am so blessed to have such a great heritage. Thank you.

Dear Pap,

It has been more than a month now. It still does not seem real that when we return to the States you will not be there to give me a hug and welcome back all your great grandkids. I am regretting not giving you and Grandma a call recently to see how you were doing even though I knew your health was getting worse. I must say that when the phone rang and I saw it was Christina calling I was shocked. Because the phone signal in that area had been very weak and my phone had not worked at all for two days. Then when I answered I could tell that something had happened, when Christina said that Lyndon had called I knew that you had passed away even before she told me. You meant a lot to me, and when Christina told me what I already knew I just started to cry. I think this is the first time I cried since I was a kid. I cannot even begin to put into words all the memories that flew through my mind. For one, I was standing on a gorgeous beach in the town of Nifu, Grand Kru County here in Liberia. So I naturally remembered the first time that I ever saw the ocean. You and Grandma had taken Clarissa and I to the beach, Rehoboth or Ocean City if I remember correctly. I remember how Clarissa had wondered off and all of a sudden we could not find her. You took off down the beach calling for Clarissa. Thankfully, you found her. She did not realize she had walked so far away from us. I also remembered how you had nicknames for us. I was “Little Man”. Clarissa was “Peach”. Juleen was “Pumpkin”. I remembered one time when you had John and I help you paint bird houses, and how I was kind of a messy painter and John was much better at getting the paint on the birdhouse.J And of course, I remembered how we used to get together on Thursday or Friday nights with Gene and Diane, John and Brad. You would always go into the garage and come out with a box of ice cream, go up to the kitchen and open up the box and give everyone a slice of ice cream. Sometimes when John and I would spend the night we would sleep downstairs close to the stove, and I remember the smell of the wood stove and how you would always come down stairs early in the morning to re-stock the fire. Then I remember your driving us places in the VW station wagon and in the “Big” Buick with its electric windows. I also remember setting in the car next to you while Grandma and Dad had choir practice and listening to the stories of things that happened in your past when you were growing up. I wish I would have recorded some of those stories. I remember as I got older how I would help you do some of your cleaning jobs. For a while we cleaned the church school, and of course there was the all night stripping and waxing of the Sheetz stores. And then, more recently, we did Antrim Diesel. Pap, you always showed me how to be a Godly honest hard working man! This is something I appreciate now more than ever. Good honest Godly men like you are very rare in this world. Thank you for staying the course! I am looking forward to one day getting that welcome home hug!

Darron's Birthday

Monday, December 27 was Darron's birthday. He turned 8. Having a birthday so close to Christmas can be challenging. I remembered Sunday afternoon that I needed to get a cake baked and decorated and we hadn't planned anything "special". I called a friend to see if her and the kids wanted to come over for a few games and "party". She suggested we go to the pool instead! So two moms and 11 kids headed to the pool Monday morning! :)

Unfortunately when we arrived they were cleaning the pool (at almost 11am)!! So for about 45 minutes we had to keep the kids out of the way. I took a few pictures of Faithe and Gaylon all geared up and ready to jump in, but forgot to actually take a picture of the birthday boy.....yes, I'm a terrible mother.

Faithe, Gaylon and Stephen...all ready to swim! Well, not really!

Gaylon loves the goggles but wouldn't get in the water.

Darron didn't seem to mind too much. He had such a blast swimming and playing. Totally a great birthday.

After returning home and showering the kids all settled down to watch a few episodes of Clone Wars while I decorated the cake, wrapped presents and made pizza!


Slightly red faced but a very happy birthday boy!


Yes, you are the birthday boy, but no, you may not eat the whole cake!

Lets get this show on the road!

The gift was much better than the face shows!!

Mommy trying to keep two younger siblings out of big brothers things. It's hard not to open others presents when just a few days ago you got to open some too!

Bringing Smiles

Sis Florence is one of my Resurrection Bag workers and also a good friend from our church, Monrovia Christian Fellowship. She has been baking for a long time and has a baking business. She makes short bread, corn bread and also does cakes can other cooking for graduations and birthdays.

After receiving a shipment of things from the states she started asking me how expensive pans are in the states and how much it would cost her to get some here. And if there was anyone who would buy them and ship them and she would pay them for what they spent. I gave the idea to our MOST team and on Christmas Eve the STS container that contained the pans that were collected for Sis Florence made it out of port on Christmas Eve.

On Sunday after church we took Sis Florence home and gave her the three boxes of pans and baking supplies. After I handed her one box and then passed another box on to a friend standing beside her to carry inside and then reached for the third box, Sis Florence looked away and said, "I'm not going to cry. I'll just say thank you." I walked with her into her "house", which is actually a room in a large 8 plus room house. We walked back to see her "new" oven that I have been wanting to take a picture of to send to the one who helped her get it. (It is a converted refrigerator and cost $300 usd).

Sis Florence by her oven (it's a charcoal oven)

The "boy", actually young man, who helps with the baking was cleaning fish for lunch. Sis Florence called him out to see the new pans that had arrived. There was a lot of ooing and ahhing over the pans and excitement over a star pan. She had one just like it and would have to use it and wait for the cake to cool and wash and regrease every time she had an order for that kind of cake...now she wouldn't have to take as much time making multiple orders now.

Baking helper cleaning fish

Sis Florence asked me to come by this morning and since I was out of phone credit I didn't call to tell her what time I was coming. I met her sitting in her room with a son and nephew looking through the boxes. It was so great to see the joy in her face and just the look of thankfulness. I think she's still in shock of the amount of pans that were collected. She's thanked me so many times and given me so many hugs. I wish I could pass some of them on to you who actually did the work. She's really been touched that someone who didn't even know her would send her so many nice pans to help her out.

Sis Florence looking through the boxes.

I've told her that I get the best job. I didn't do any of the work or spend the money for the pans, but I get to see her joy and excitement and receive all that thanks. I've been very clear with her and those around her that none of it was my doing. I just mentioned a need and the people of Mt. Rock did the work and gave of themselves. So on behalf of Florence...Thank you. She has been truly blessed. And I'm happy to say that I'll get to enjoy some of her baking in her new pans!! :) (She makes REALLY good short bread!)