Let's give ManEater a smile today...

This is one of my favorite pictures of my oldest! It's also a favorite of my dear friend ManEater. I was taking pictures one night and he just refused to smile. As he was in the middle of whining about why he didn't want to smile, I snapped this shot. It is so fabulous! He'll never thank me for it later :-).

Let me tell you the story of how I know ManEater and how I gave her the name "ManEater". When we moved to Mexico a young, shy girl moved to Mexico, also. We first met her at A.W. & Kathy's house. When Derrick and I started language school we ended up in the same class as her.

Over the next months we developed a close relationship with her. She endured many a'times of me digging my nails into her leg as we listened to a very annoying classmate. One time we were driving her and a couple of other girls to a church so that they could go to youth camp. As we were driving there the song "Man Eater" by Hall & Oates came on. Since she is so not a forward person and usually doesn't talk to boys, I made a joke and said that song was about her...even though she is the EXACT OPPOSITE of that song. So now she is ManEater, and yes, I purposefully combine the words with no space between "Man" and "Eater". It's just my way.

I guess it was July of 2006 she moved in with us. Now let me explain our situation. We lived in a 2 1/2 bedroom apartment next door to the language school. Half bedroom you may ask? There was a place that looked like it needed a 4th wall and it was big enough to be a room. That was her "room". I might also add that this apartment was very similar to a NYC apartment. The kitchen was as big as my bathroom now. Twas small with no, I mean NO, privacy. But we bonded.

When we moved into this house ManEater moved along with us. She lived with us until she moved back to the States (if you notice I always say "States" and never "America" because people that live in North and South America consider themselves to be Americans, also). It was through living together that we learned so much about each other. I know that God taught her many things during her time in Mexico. I know that God changed her in many ways. But I do believe that one reason that He brought ManEater to Mexico was so that we all could become friends/brother/sisters. My kids love her and call her Auntie Rae-Rae. Our daughter still flips her hair over and scrunches it like ManEater used to do with her curly hair. Ah...so many memories, so little time.