my girls are home

Yesterday around 2 or so we got to bring Sharon and Maia home.

My girls

Eliana was a little jealous and still wanted to be the baby

Sharon cam home and wanted to bake... so I ran to the store so she could make tasty treats.

A bucket half full kinda guy

My wife has told me many times that I am the optimist and she is the realist. Though I don't always agree that realist is the counterpoint to an optimist and I have at times loving mentioned that she might be a word that rhymes with bessimist. I do however fully concede that I tend towards a glass half full perspective on life.

Well it was an interesting weekend here in Slovenia. It started raining on Friday morning when we went to the hospital and didn't quit until Sunday morning. Now I used to live in Oregon and let me tell you, I know rain. But this wasn't that drizzle that lasts for months, this was a downpour, a deluge if you will.

So Saturday morning I woke up to a very steady drip coming out of the light fixture and surrounding sheet rock in our living room. It had made quite a puddle in our living on the not so hardwood floors. Luckily the new rug we bought was soaking some of it up though. So I got buckets to catch the effects of the new shower in our house. Then the wheels started turning. I was annoyed by the incessant dripping and splashing, so I created a miniature slip-n-slide to help the water reach its home. I cut a 1.5 liter bottle in half to create a funnel and then draped a strip of plastic and clothes pins to make a cascading water feature for our viewing enjoyment. The only issue now was to keep our 1 1/2 year old from enjoying it too much.

Now a lot of people here in Ljubljana were not too happy about the many inches of rainfall we had, especially those whose houses were affected by the flooding. I for one was thrilled about it. This storm allowed me to see the places were our roof leaks.

you gotta have patients

Sharon has done really well and for the most part enjoyed her time in the hospital here in Ljubljana.

It has been a very different experience than when we had Eliana a year and a half ago in the states.
Probably the biggest difference is the amount of time Sharon has had by herself and time with just her new baby. We had Maia Friday morning and then Sharon only got to see her about four hours that day. On Saturday she got to spend around 6-7 hours with Maia. On Sunday she got a little more time and today she spent most of the day with our new daughter. Hopefully they'll get released tomorrow. So she has had more and more time to be with Maia as they bond.

As far as visitors, when we had Eliana we had people stopping by all the time to visit and meet our baby. Not only were family and friends around a lot, I was there all the time. Heck I slept there at the hospital for 5 days. This time, visiting hours are from 3-6pm everyday. So the only visitor she gets this time is me (and Eliana came on Saturday). And only for 3 hours a day. I should add that we have been able to skype with our parents too. It was fun for them to see Maia the day after she was born even though they are around 5,590 miles away. God bless technology!

Lastly, all the new moms get issued a seafoam bathrobe to wear while they are checked in to the birthing center. Thats what they walk around in and lounge in too. Sharon wanted to walk around so today we went down to the cafe at the hospital to have a cup of joe in comfort and style.


I think its been kind of refreshing in some ways. She has been able to get some much needed rest after the c-section and some great time with her new little girl.

A Matter of Life and Death

Today is a day we'll never forget.

We woke up early to get ready and head to the hospital here in Ljubljana to have our second daughter. We left the house and dropped off Eliana at the Jacksons where Terry and the girls took good care of her. Sharon and I then drove to the hospital and prepared ourselves for the c-section. We got there at 7am and waited around for awhile but then got inserted into the system along with the other ladies waiting to have their kids today.
After prep we headed to the OR where I got to stand in an adjacent room and watch them operate on my wife.
At 10:02 GMT+1 we had a little girl.
Her name is Maia Joi Mormance and she is 6 pounds 12 ounces and 19 3/4 inches long. She is healthy and beautiful, and so is her mama. Her name means close to God and is pronounced (MY-ah).








But about three hours and twenty minutes after she was born and half way around the world back in Gresham, OR. my grandpa passed away. Larry Mormance was a good man and a wonderful husband, father, grandpa, and great grandpa. He was 95 and still living by himself. He was tough as nails and yet so gentle and loving with his great grandkids. He was a bit stubborn and sometimes kinda ornery yet so witty and one who loved life and those around him. I can't help but cry as I sit here and think of my grandpa. He was a good man, one that I hope to be like one day.








It was a really tough day to not be around family and friends. We miss you all and love you. We wish you could be here to celebrate with us and we wish we could be there to mourn with you.

Fingerprinting party

Yesterday we had a good old fashion fingerprinting party!!

Now Sharon's side of the family is used to this kind of party (australian side that is), but this was my first.

Josh and Kristi Patty came over with some ink pads from the police station, it was BYOIP, we're cheap (thats my side of the family).

Sharon, Josh, and I got to lay down some prints on card stock and send them off to the Oregon State Police. We found out on Tuesday that Slovenia just changed the rules and not only do we need and FBI background check but we also need a state criminal records check. Sweet! We are gonna be so checked out... uh sorry I got nothin.

Here is my beautiful bride getting booked.

Here are Eliana's Mug Shots.

Look at that face and wild hair, already a hardened criminal

Oh and...

WE ARE HAVING A BABY TOMORROW MORNING!!!!!!

we're in and we're back

Well we moved into our new place 2 and a half weeks ago and it is amazing.
Our apartment is truly a huge gift from God.
I know many of you know just how important the home is to us and finding a place that is peaceful and recharges Sharon is super important. It helps our family to function smoothly and makes ministry that much more dynamic.

So we moved in on the 25th and on the 26th had an Ikea party. We invited some of the students we'll be working with to come over and help assemble hundreds and hundreds of parts, pieces, and particle board. which in the end create some cool stuff. The only prerequisite is following the wordless instructions (not always easy for me). Oh and the other rule was - You Build It, You Get To Sign It.

We had a great time building furniture.

Thanks SO MUCH to those who helped get done in one day what would taken me a week by myself, ya'll are awesome.

We also got internet yesterday! It took a few weeks but we are out of the stone age and back online.

Here are some action packed shots of the assembly line in our sweat shop.

(no, really it was super humid that day)

Handy Man Tilen workin the Omara (woredrobe)

Gašper killin it on the girls room

Master Carpenters Barbara and Polona who showed all us guys up with the skill and speed, and yet tender care with which they constructed.

Team work was key. Here is the A team in action.

(the guy on the far end is kinda like Mr. T)

It was amazing how easy the girls made it look compared to us stinky sweaty dudes. Laurel was a shining example, just look at her.

Here are the two foremen who ran the whole show... serious task masters.

Then after it was all said and done we had a sweet heaping plate of BBQ'd čevap. And if you don't know what that is then you gotta come visit and experience this tasty meat morsel for yourselves.