Top 10

For the last few years on New Year's Eve, Todd and I have made a "Top 10 Most Memorable Moments" for the previous year. They're usually enjoyable memories, but not always (Bertha, my very first car dying made it one year). This year, we decided to share. Personally, I'm very thankful we didn't have to use a 'memorable moment' on the birth of a child but that's more my waistline talking than anything else I suppose. So, in no particular order....

RAINBOW (and vacation) AT MDUMBI BEACH

EMMERSON SAYING HER FIRST BIBLE VERSE (here)

BLYDE RIVER CANYON WITH GRAMMY AND POPPY

COOPER LEARNING TO WALK AND TALK

EM'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

ANSWERS TO PRAYER (like renters for our house) AND GIFTS FROM COLLEGE CHURCH

STARTING LITTLE HEARTS (2-5 year olds) PROGRAM AT CHURCH

BILL AND CONNIE PATRICK'S VISIT

WORLD CUP AND THE VUVUZELAS

SKYPING WITH THE DRIFFILL CLAN, ESPECIALLY GREAT-GRAMMY AND GRAMPY

(Last time Em was able to SEE GG and Grampy)

Merry Christmas!

Just a few quick pictures to share with you all. Merry Christmas!!!!

Project Christmas: Day 24

Tomorrow is Christmas!!! Wahoo!!! Well, today, we did what we are beginning to believe is "our" Christmas tradition. We're pretty sure we can't guarantee all traditions during the festive season will change, but we feel these are easily moved and ones our kids can take with them. So we started off with a "just family" Christmas dinner. It was my first (unsupervised) and so we kept it simple, just the things that are essential and I know how to cook: ham, rolls, potatoes, and green bean casserole. In years to come, I'll probably add to the menu and my table settings will be more 'grown up', but for now, it was perfect. Made some amazing green bean casserole from scratch (had to cut my own beans and all) except for the French's fried onions and I was so proud of myself.

We then shoved our stuffed selves into our swimming apparel and headed down to the pool for the Christmas Eve swim. It was perfect. The sun was shining, the water was JUST right, kids were happy. Couldn't have asked for a better time spent together.

Em is learning how to kick her feet and she is in LOVE with splashing people when she does it.

Cooper is daring to "choo-choo" like a train around the edge of the pool. I always enjoy the few moments when he's timid... they're so few and far between.

Then we came back for naps (kids) and dessert (adults). And when all was said and done for the day, we opened our Christmas Eve presents: new pajamas. Yes, this is the same material I used for Em's 2nd birthday dress, but it's as close to Christmas-y as I could get and I really liked the flannel, even in the 1,000 degree heat. We read our story, and Daddy read the Christmas story, then it was off to bed. Em and Coop are still rather clueless about Santa Claus/Father Christmas/St. Nick and the whole present concept. We're actually rather happy about that because we know that means we won't be woken up at 5am to shouts of, "Santa came!" So here's to hoping that you enjoyed your last day before Christmas as much as we did, and from here in South Africa, "happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

Carols By Candlelight

In the U.S. many people (and churches) have the tradition of attending a service in which carols are sung and each participant is given a small candle that is held for the duration of the event. I remember as a girl itching with anticipation to wear my new Christmas dress and get to hold an actual lit object with a funny little paper base to keep the hot wax from my hands. I LOVED these services- people all dressed up and going out to sing their hearts out. What's not to love about that?

Here in South Africa, it seems like everyone has a 'carols by candlelight' service: the national botanical gardens, the nature reserve, the zoo, the mall and all the churches. There are so many to choose from, AND some begin as early as the end of November, that you can go to literally dozens of services throughout the festive season. Todd and I have decided that we would attend those events which we really care about. Our church just had their service and the kids' program was truly impressive. We also went to the market we really enjoy. Last year we went and realized that we were grossly underprepared. This year, I had the food ready, kids packed and then... it started to rain. We went anyways and had a lot of fun. Well... I had a blast, Em loved jumping in the water in her rubber froggy boots, Cooper loved dancing to the music and Todd enjoyed the coffee. I think we all had fun at some point, but rain at an outdoor venue isn't the most optimal option. Not to mention the lack of candles!!!

The umbrellas did make for some great colors.

Yeah, Em and I were having a fat-cheek day... like mother, like daughter!

The boys looked so festive in their camo and red and green :)

Christmas-time Laughter

There are a few things that always solicit a laugh from my husband. The holiday season, however, seems to just teem with opportunities for him to laugh at me. It cracks him up that I get so excited to decorate and he laughs at my incessant playing of Christmas music (which I'm thankful he doesn't get angry at!) and best of all, when I tell him what I purchase for presents, he will inevitably have a hearty laugh at my expense.

It didn't used to be an issue since we didn't buy presents for each other, but once Em came along, we had the "what is your version of Christmas look like for the family" conversation. He seemed to like the homemade, few presents and loads of tradition version, so we've stuck with it. I was wrapping the kids' gifts this afternoon and stuffing stockings (Em still thinks Santa Clause is Noah from her Bible stories, so I'm not too concerned about letting her see things before Christmas). Todd walked into the room and almost fell over laughing.

Yes. Those are kitchen utensils sticking out of the kids stockings. No, it wasn't an accident. The kids love playing with them as I cook dinner and have managed to break a number of my utensils. I decided that since they were needed anyways, might as well throw them in there. I tried to explain this to my still-laughing husband, who then just laughed even harder at me.

He was just about recovered from his laughing fit, when Todd realized that I was also wrapping some cups and plates. My explanation that they're little kids, they need them, and what are Grandmas and Grandpas for but to spoil grandchildren (which they do liberally) just brought another round of laughter and the exclamation: "I love you Babe!" Pretty sure that translated, that phrase meant a whole lot more than just a simple "I love you" but I'll let sleeping dogs lie.

I was also busy wrapping our Christmas books. When I was a teacher's aid back in high school, one year for Christmas the teacher I worked for gave me a Christmas book. She told me I'd make a great teacher some day, and to start collecting books now. I remember the kids enjoying everything to do with the festive season, and I have cherished that book for years. Then, when Em's first Christmas rolled around, her godparents gave her the book/illustrated poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

I've been waiting for the time when she was old enough to read it (we've tried each year before now, but the attention span was a bit too short). We've gotten a few other books to add to the "Christmas collection" and will read one book a night, starting tonight, until we get to this one on Christmas Eve. I'm hoping that as the kids get older, our collection will grow with their ability to anticipate Christmas. For now, though, it's nice to have a few good books to visually represent how many days are left before Christmas to help the kids. I know. I'm a total teacher-nerd, but that's okay with me... just like getting a plastic ladle in a stocking will be okay with my kids!!!

Watermelon Slide

I often sit back and laugh at my children. Maybe I'm too tired or lazy to correct them, but honestly, I think it's because they're too funny to BE corrected! We had just such an moment after dinner and instead of worrying about choking hazards or the kids eating too much dirt, I ran and grabbed the camera. You see, in this family, treats or dessert often come in the form of frozen fruit popsicles or fresh fruit. This particular evening, it was watermelon and both kids ate it like they would never see the juicy fruit for the rest of their lives. I'm not sure when, but at some point, they both also realized that we were in the back yard and thus, there was a slide available to them.

I think Cooper liked the watermelon better after a few dips in the dirt.

Yes, this is Em's hair (after her nap) and boy was she proud every time we chuckled abou it looking like Pebbles from The Flintstones.

The slide (and the kids for that matter) was so sticky from their grubby hands and watermelon juice that I had to hose it off, but they had such a great time, I didn't mind.

Temper Tantrum

I was recently sharing, heart-to-heart, with my small group about how God and I are not really speaking right now... we're more in a screaming match, which made a few people in the group laugh. I'm pretty sure they were laughing because, like me, they know God doesn't scream back when we yell. He more... allows the tantrum to fizzle out and then calmly explains.

That's very true, but I was still mad and (as one friend put it) "throwing my toys out of the cot." I was angry and yelling because I was hurt. It's that time of year. There are certain times when (if you've moved away from family and friends you can relate to this) you just miss home. I miss it more than I ever thought I would and Boo seems to be dead-set on making me cry at least 3 times a week, which is another frustration unto it's own. But it's the holidays. People are posting pictures on Facebook of heaps and heaps of boots by their front door and snow-covered landscapes out their kitchen windows and toddlers enjoying the snow. It makes me miss the sights and smells of Christmas at home, just like whenever the kids' birthdays roll around, I miss being able to have the voices of family members singing "Happy Birthday" with all our friends here. I was hurting that this is one more Christmas without. Without my Grams and Gramps or brothers and sisters or cousins and aunts and uncles and all the rest around and frustrated that (this may sound really petty, but it's the truth) the first Sunday of the Advent season we didn't light a candle. There were no Christmas songs sung. In fact, I was pretty sure I was going to melt into my pew like butter in the hot sun. Basically, I was having a small pity-party that certain things didn't LOOK or FEEL like they would back home... I was even yelling about the lack of annoying bell-ringers outside every store. Logically, though, why would they? I'm living in South Africa where things are different. Sometimes, though, when you're homesick and pregnant, logical isn't your first reaction.

So I'm sharing with dear friends this struggle that I'm not willing to give up, even though I know I'm wrong. I shared how I just desperately missed being in church where I knew everyone and things were safe and comfortable. We picked our church here because the worship leader, the pastor and the people were all so warm and friendly and welcoming. It's a real, honest-to-goodness, community of families. Problem is, we still don't know all the families and when we're praying for Sister Suzie's grandson Kevin who is sick, everyone else seems to deeply feel this need, and we're not sure who Suzie is and are pretty sure we've never met Kevin. I feel those moments deeply because I used to know all the Sister Suzie's and which of her kids was the parent to Kevin. I understand that, in time, we'll learn all those connections and be there to celebrate marriages and births and graduations with the best of them and we'll also be there to share in times of need and deep hurt. But again, I was already mad and missing family, so my anger then sort of vomited over into everything else. Ever have one of those moments where you can't really sort out what you're upset about or where it's coming from, but you KNOW, for sure and for certain, that you're upset and it spreads onto every aspect of your life until you're mad about the color of your hair and the way the rain is falling?

But God was faithful, even in my fit. I received a few key emails and comments from people that just made me remember that we're gone, but not forgotten. And then, church on Sunday was Thanksgiving Sunday. It's a time here for everyone to remember what they have to be thankful for and a large offering is taken as a demonstration of that thankfulness. As part of the service, the church brought up the three couples who work for the Church of the Nazarene at the Africa Regional Office. There was also a special song sung for us and those who teach or work or volunteer in the church. For most people in the States, it's an older song that has passed it's prime. I haven't heard it in a good number of years, but it really spoke to me. It's that one where the verses talk about a Sunday School teacher who led a child to the Lord at eight, and who gave money, even when there was none to give, to the missionary speaking at church. The chorus says, "Thank you for giving to the Lord. I have a life, that was changed. Thank you, for giving to the Lord. I'm so glad you gave."

I remember the first time I heard that song sung. Tim Hanson, who (among so many other things) taught a group of unruly and often obnoxious 11-14 year-olds. He had a daughter, just my age and we'd grown up together in church. He sang that song, and choked up in the middle. I remember as a kid, not understanding why he got so emotional. But standing there, as the song was once again being sung into my life, I thought back to all the Mr. Tims and Diana Coxs and Susan Bertlesons and Stacey Youngs and Olive Thomas and Orvell Easilys and Connie Patricks who helped shape me. The Sunday School teacher or piano teacher or older lady in church who saw I could use a lunch-date and conversation with someone I didn't really know up until then. The people who gave of their life, for reasons beyond me, when they really didn't have to because I wasn't "their" kid. The ones who got me here, in South Africa, where I was throwing a tantrum over selfishly wanting to be with MY family in MY state with MY holiday food. It was really humbling to realize, now that I have my own kids whose lives are being so molded and shaped by teachers and friends, how much of a sacrifice those people made in my life... how much they gave so that I could be strong enough to say, "Here I am Lord, send me" when I was asked.

I'm not saying I'll never be homesick again. I will. But I am saying that right now, I'm so thankful for people who demonstrated enough love and compassion and grace that when I needed to physically SEE what it looks like to get over my own selfishness, I had so, so many examples to pull from.

Toe Nails

This post is going to be a little different. First, this slice of daily life is brought to you by Todd. Second, the following was never intended for a mass audience, but with some persuasion, Brittany has allowed me to share a little bit of her day. Below you will find a quickly typed, emotionally driven, desperate need for venting from a (pregnant) mother who was trying to survive her daughter's first day of Christmas vacation. Enjoy.

"Some days, she makes me want to string her up by her toe nails!!! You tell her to hurry because you must do x, y and z and you don't have much time because she's been playing around doing a,b, and c... so she drags her feet, smiles at you because she thinks it's so cute and then trips over the ground and wants to wail at the top of her lungs when it's her own fault for not listening in the first place! And then, after the meeting, in which she got two time-outs (and needed about half a dozen more) I asked her why she didn't listen and she very matter-of-factly told me, "Cause you're not Teacher. You're just Mommy." Shoot me now... if this is was TWO looks like... Some days YOUR daughter is worse than those dumb bamboo shoots being shoved under your finger nails!"

Boo: Half-Baked

I can say in all honesty, before having kids, I dreamt of the day I'd get this cute little "baby bump" and get to wear maternity clothing. Then I got pregnant and was horrified at how fast my vanity took over (previously I did have a flat stomach, which I found out the hard way I was rather attached to). I actually think my mother-in-law had to sneak a profile picture in Wal-Mart at one point because I was such a terror about not letting anyone document my mass.

With Cooper, I was just thrilled to not be gaining weight EVERYWHERE like I did with Em. I had this basketball under my shirt and I thought I was doing something right. Now, I'm recanting my efforts in that venture and am of the opinion that some people just carry certain kids better than others. Boo seems to be following in the path of her/his sister. I hate to admit that everything seems to be getting bigger, faster than ever before, but reality is harsh sometimes. At least my favorite top (gracia Aunt Nancy!!!) still fits, but just barely. I'm dreading having to go back to pants that don't have zippers and tops that have more elastic capabilities than an ice skater's costume, but I know it's coming... actually, mostly here already but not full-time, at least not yet.

So, here's Boo, in all her/his glory. I might have been sucking in, just a little, in this photo, but I doubt anyone will fault me. Especially since sucking in makes me feel smaller, but really only turns my face a bit blue. :)

Project Christmas: Day 1

What do you do with two rather large unplanted trees and a bunch of vegetable seedlings in egg cartons? Plant them of course, and that's exactly what we did today. It was rather comical as the kids were all about helping out, which looks more like destroying things that have been done, but they were so cute doing it that we didn't seem to notice much.

"Dad, I know you told me where to put this dirt, but now I can't remember. A little help please? Thanks."

Dad: "Cooper - Emmerson, the dirt stays inside the hole!"

Cooper/Emmerson: "What do you mean? We're digging the hole right now. Just wait, it will be a masterpiece! "

"Not sure what I'm eating, but I think it tastes nice... hope Mom doesn't catch me ruining my appetite!"

Once Em got bored with helping, she discovered the cement ring, which we had to take out in the planting process, and decided it was ideal to play "ring around the rosie"... by herself.