This is Jazz!

He was the Riley household pet for 1 day! I guess we didn't have enough bugs for him to eat-yeah!

Regan thinks she is a gecko catcher like her big brothers! She ran to get her step stool, positioned it just so and reached as high as she could to catch Jazz. It was not high enough. Jazz ran and hid in our closet and that is the last we have seen of him!

( Oh, by the way this is Tara blogging for the first time due to pressure from my female friends so they know I exist! This is way too impersonal for me! If you want to know how I am doing call me :) )

Here's a quick update on what I have been up to at the U of N.

Last week I talked to the librarian here on campus about ordering some DVDs that tell about Jesus and other educational themes that special needs kids might enjoy watching. I felt there was nothing of this nature in their great selection of materials. I did not anticipate her response. We went to the website and she ordered over $300 worth of DVD's!! Praise God that families with special needs kids will have these here to watch for years to come. This sweet librarian has played with all the Riley children as they frequent the only air conditioned place on campus nearly daily! :) Thank you to my friend Stephanie Jensen who gave me the idea and let me bring her video!

I did not anticipate using my professional expertise as an occupational therapist quite so much, but I see that there is a great need for that here on the island. So, I am stepping out of my comfort zone and doing the thing I enjoy the least-speaking in front of groups of people-because I think I can give them information that will be helpful in teaching other children, with or without special needs! I have three 45-minute inservices scheduled to speak to the U of N preschool staff and one 3-hour workshop open to the public!!! I am busy trying to make a flier, publicize, and plan what I will say!!!

One more (of many other) neat thing I am hoping to attend is the Iron Man Medical Conference! People from all over the world come to this event to attend the conference and watch or participate in the Iron Man triathlon. (Our entire family will volunteer at an aid station). I will attend to get my yearly required hours, but I am also hoping to meet many people and tell them about YWAM and the amazing work the U of N is doing to spread the gospel of Jesus around the world! Oh, and I am a little excited about the list of speakers and topics that will be covered!