Thursday, December 27, 2018

A Merry {sickie} Christmas

Our Christmas was a bit different than expected.  I'd been fighting a cold for the past week that turned for the worse and took me completely off my feet on Christmas Eve...just as Jason also started struggling with the beginnings of the same cold. Only the kids fared well and with their Christmas enthusiasm were even more energetic than their usual selves. :)

I am very thankful Jason's employer closes for the week and that he is able to be home. We have been able to sort of trade off on parenting & house chores to keep things semi-sane around here. And in spite of sickness, we were able to have some very sweet moments with the kids and had a lovely Christmas Day -- albeit with oatmeal for dinner.  As we walk with friends/family who are going through difficult loss or serious health situations, we know we have so much to be grateful for.

Even though this time of year can make us feel really removed from our family and friends, we can appreciate that our aloneness allows the kids to move through Christmas day at their own pace. Of their own accord, each gift that was opened was played with (some for hours) before the next was opened. This would be very difficult if we had a schedule to keep, but for us it was a beautiful way to spend the day as a family. We were opening the last gifts just before bed.



Heading out to church with Jason on Christmas Eve for 'Carols, Cocoa & Cookies'


Ready for Christmas morning ... complete with Guatemalan nativity scene. 








Christmas morning -- getting into stockings, playing checkers on the handmade board from Jason & crafting with new supplies.











Mabel wearing her gift from Luke -- butterfly wings!
I still managed to get at least our Christmas Tree Coffeecake made :)









Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Watching November speed right into December

November came and went so quickly! I can hardly believe we're already nearly to Christmas day!

So many of my days slide by made up of the boring, daily grind stuff (for which I am thankful to have such a luxury!); however, when I look back at photos there are also lots of fun, sweet moments too. Thankful to have photos to remind me of those moments.

We have also been incredibly grateful for God's provision to us during these weeks after Jason's Guatemala trip where we've been on a leaner budget. We have been absolutely overwhelmed. We received generous financial gifts both from our church and another family, a friend purchased groceries for us, another friend gave us a coupon for two free Hello Fresh meals, a co-worker gave Jason a large box of beautiful oranges and an acquaintance just gave me money last week stating she'd been praying and felt like she was supposed to help us. That has never happened to me before and literally brought me to tears. Jason even received an unexpected bonus at work which allowed us to pay for some much needed repairs on both our vehicles. I haven't really known how to respond to all of this except to feel completely thankful, thankful, thankful. We have been able to pay our bills, have food to eat and even have a little to use toward some small Christmas gifts. So overwhelmingly thankful!
These goofy, adorable kids doing their things.












Opportunity to serve/feed a pre-Thanksgiving meal to some of the needy in our community.






























Our "thankful tree" -- love the visual of the abundant leaves showing the many things we have to be thankful for.












Thanksgiving fun with friends!















Fun activities while Jason was on a work trip.









Checking out a pod of Milkweed seeds.












Winter hiking at Buzzards Roost














Our annual Christmas tree hunting trek -- on our way Mabel fell asleep with a crayon in her hand! So cute!

Christmas crafting

Fun with Dad

Our winter wonderland

Mabel, Mabel, Mabel -- eating her way through a box of oranges
                                    -- writing her name (without coaching or assistance!)
                                    -- trying to keep up with big brother



Monday, November 26, 2018

Having "fun" without Dad - again!

It's been nearly a month since Jason got back from his Guatemala trip and he took off again today for a work trip to Georgia. After our last "fun" week when he was gone, the kids have been asking if we'd do another fun week this time. To which I responded "of course!" (and then wondered why I don't make the effort to make every week with my kiddos a fun week?)

Luke & I decided that perhaps we should do 1) one science experiment each day, 2) one craft each day, and 3) some sort of cooking together each day. We'll see if this is overambitious, but I figure it's worth a try!
Airport goodbye ... made a little more exciting by a surprise delayed
departure & re-routing scramble- woohoo!


Luke has gotten very interested in science after I introduced him to the effect of vinegar on baking soda last week :)

































Fun thing #1 - getting beautiful day-old bread & bagels from a friend at a local charity 
& letting the kids pick whichever kind they wanted to eat for lunch :)
Super thankful for God's provision of food to us. 
Fun thing #2 - Glow stick baths
Fun thing #3 - toilet paper tube / hacky sack bowling


Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Getting Dad back!

Woohoo! Jason arrived home Sunday afternoon safe & sound which was great! No trip can go without any kinks however ... when he arrived into Sioux Falls late Saturday night, the car wouldn't start. Ugh!! Luckily, AAA was able to get it started with a jump and recommended a new battery. We are super thankful that's all that needs attention.

We had a really nice afternoon together once he returned. A church around the corner from our house was having a 'trunk or treat' so Jason took the costumed kids over to that while I caught up on dishes in the quiet which was wonderful. Then we headed out to Buzzard's Roost for a quick hike. A beautiful way to end the day/weekend.

Now with Jason home I'm re-starting my kitchen cabinet painting project ... trying to change our cabinets from their current colorful orange, blue & yellow combination to WHITE. We finished the ceiling, walls & trim early in the summer, but the actual cabinets having been a bit daunting...



















BEFORE 

IN PROCESS


Sunday, October 28, 2018

Attempting to take some Fall kiddo photos

I have really been sad this year that our talented photographer friend, Kelly Taklo, won't be taking our family photos. She did them four times (2017, 2016, 2015, 2014) for us while living in Idaho/Washington and we always felt incredibly blessed. This year special photos are not in the budget and most photographers here charge way more than Kelly. I have a decent camera, but have yet to really learn how to use it to it's full potential. With the string of nice weather days this past week I figured I needed to at least make an attempt to get a few good pictures of Luke & Mabel.

So here goes ... I enjoy taking pictures but am not a "photographer" and I know nothing of editing, but these at least captured the kids looking somewhat decent (and not poking at each other).


 






Saturday, October 27, 2018

Having fun withOUT Dad

It should be less than 24 hours until Jason gets back to our house and I have to say, although I'm tired (when am I not?), this week has actually been quite good. I was thankful for a soul prompt last Friday to just have fun with my kids during this time instead of dreading each day. It was clearly God because that's not really how I was feeling about Jason being gone and it completely re-directed me for what lay ahead. And I am SO thankful for that!!!

With my attitude adjusted to focus on the good, fun things we could do this week, we have actually had fun :) Go figure. We have had really nice weather (for S. Dakota) which has helped tremendously.

Our days have consisted of very, very lazy mornings together, catching up on some homeschooling, LOTS of time outside, plenty of play dates, fall festivals and birthday parties, as well as some fun together in the kitchen.



































Jolly Lane Greenhouse Fall Pumpkin Festival - complete with FREE hay rides, face painting, s'more making and pumpkin tic-tac-toe!




























MOPS mom & tot date -- Pumpkin painting!

Playing dress-up at a playdate

Making pupusas- a Salvadorian dish we were introduced to in Guatemala. My first attempt at making them...a little rough, but delicious!

A trip to the always delicious Jerry's Donuts for "monster" donuts.

A gymnastics birthday event for sweet 1 year old, Asa.  A first for the kids and they had a blast!
























Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Heading to Guatemala --- on Saturday!

























That's right! Last Tuesday Jason got invited to be part of a short term mission team that departs THIS Saturday for Panajachel, Guatemala!! How's that for being spontaneous???!!

As some of you know, we moved to Panajachel, Guatemala in August 2013, with a 4 month old Luke in tow.  We fell in love with the country and the people. We were incredibly thankful for our church there - Porch de Salomon - who has a wide-reaching set of ministries to the indigenous Mayan people: providing food, clean water, educational scholarships, medical aid & addiction recovery assistance and even building new homes.

We both got quite a thrill when Jason was contacted Tuesday evening by our good friend, Will Deeds, who is leading this trip. He said he could use an extra person to help with a house build and that the fundraising for the trip cost had been done already. What a totally unexpected and exciting opportunity!!!!!!!!!

We didn't know what Jason's employer would say to the short notice request for time off, especially when he didn't have vacation time to cover the whole week. We prayed on it and agreed that if he was meant to go, God would work it out. After waiting for a day and a half, he received word back from up the organizational ladder that his time-away request was approved!!!! Totally shocking.

The rest of the details are coming together. Jason has an airline ticket from Sioux Falls early Saturday morning so will be doing the 5 hour drive there on Friday after work and staying the night with the parents of a gal from our church here. Thankful for that! We'll have some other expenses (gas, airport parking, baggage fees and a hit to our food budget next month for Jason's unpaid days) that we're feeling excited to see how God will work out. Since many Guatemalans earn only $1-$2 per DAY, we realize that perhaps next month will just be an exercise in living on a more reduced budget than usual. We certainly can be okay with that. We are incredibly grateful Jason to get to be a part of this exciting opportunity.

If you think of it, prayer is of course appreciated! For Jason's travels, for cohesiveness with his team and especially that they would be able to share light and love with the people they encounter. I could use prayer too. These nine days will be the long. Being on my own with the kids for this many days is not my favorite. I know I'll be fine, but the days/hours when Jason is usually around to help with the kids (weekends and weekdays from 5 pm - 7 pm) will definitely feel very l-o-n-g.

These are the two families who are currently having homes build by the Porch. I'm not sure if Jason's team will be working on one or both homes.
This family of 8 and their current house. The youngest son lost his eye due to a tumor. The father Arsenio earns $170 monthly as a baker. The four older sons also work as farm hands to help support the family. Lucrecia is a dedicated homemaker and attends to Danilo’s special needs and medical appointments. 
Rosa Tzay (28) and her children fled their native Tierra Linda to escape Rosa’s alcoholic
and abusive husband. When the social worker brought them to the Porch, Rosa and her
children had no food, few clothes, and nowhere to live except a dirt-floor, tin shack room.
They’ve received school scholarships, clothing, and food, a decent place to live, an
Ecofiltro water system, and an Ecoplancha efficient woodstove.  
 

I would be lying if I didn't say I'm a bit jealous of Jason going on this trip without me. I think about and miss Guatemala on an
almost daily basis. But, I know this isn't the right time and I am truly happy that Jason gets to go, especially back to our home
church there and with his friend Will. It will be a really special time.