Cell Group Farewell

This photo slideshow made with Smilebox

ICS Farewell

There is a video first--you'll have to let it load! Enjoy!

Farewells Part 1

As part of the farewell Party held for Matt on Friday some of the high schoolers put together some funny pictures of him. These are just a few of our favorites. This played as people were waiting for the party to begin. One can never say high schoolers aren't creative!

In Church

(This post is out of order, because it's a quick one!) For over 10 years we have been going to Emmanuel Evangelical Free Church. Every Sunday I've always admired this auntie's hair. She always has it twisted up so cute and always has a coordinating flower in her hair. Sometimes just the little things stand out when you're leaving a place. Also on Sunday a whole family was baptized. The mother and father were deaf, but their child are not. (Our children were very interested in the translation process). I taught the oldest daughter in Sunday School many years ago! How encouraging to see results after the mother had prayed for YEARS!

Go Ana Go

I started letting Ana use the website Xtra Math because China and Mitike were using it. To be honest, I didn't think she'd get too far as adding seemed a little advanced. BUT, she's doing great-she's even adding twos and threes to numbers now. Today she wanted to show you all that she got 18 problems correct in a row. She was Very excited! I highly recommend this website as it helps any child learn their facts fluently (you have to answer within 3 seconds on the race the teacher part). It does go on to subtraction, multiplication, and division after they master addition. We'll be using this for many years to come.

Ana's Version of a Tea Party

A shot of my placemat!

Taken with the timer--tricky!

Ana wanted to have a tea party. She made placemats, picked out some fabric for a table cloth, did my hair, and set the table. Then she made me bake cookies (pulled out of the freezer) and get dressed up ("'cause you wouldn't look cute in THAT, mom!")
It was really too hot to do this and took up a lot of time, BUT she so enjoyed it that it was all worth it!

This picture collage made with Smilebox

Happy Mother's Day!

We wish all the mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers a very HAPPY day!  Thanks for all the love and effort you have put into our lives.

My New Best Friend

"What is that?" you say!  It is none other than my new best friend--black dye!  Mitike ruins everything she wears, but much of stuff is in great shape (minus the stains).  She is now the proud owner of 5 "new" shirts ranging from dark grey to black!  Yeah! 

Finally!

I finally added the border to the quilt that my Grandma had hand pieced.  My Grandma has fairly bad arthritis-so this labor intensive quilt is extra special.  Now I just need to get it quilted!

What to Do?

Ana and I are literally STUCK here all day while we wait on China to DO something.  I'm sure you're asking, "Are you giving him too much work?"  Truthfully, there is NO new material AND he has done it on a couple of occasions in three hours.  Lately, he gets next to nothing accomplished in 12 hours.  I have NEVER seen a kid that can sit as long as he can! 
Ana however, CANNOT sit still, so I'm having to come up with creative ways to keep her busy.  Today I mentioned I was thinking of scrubbing the kitchen floor and she was so EXCITED!  She was a blur.  I'm not sure how much cleaner the floor is, but it took up a good 45 minutes--YEAH!!

Staying In With Yo-Yos!

We don't get out very much anymore with China doing his work most of the day.  I've got some plans for these tiny yo-yos!  Ana tried one today too!  She make her first hairclip.  I'm so glad some one else likes to sew!

Parenting

I was sitting the other day with two of my children.  One was in trouble for sitting for hours and not completing the work.  The other was in BIG trouble for lying to us and the teacher.  I thought to myself, "What a lousy way to spend a Saturday!"  But at the same time I reminded myself that I had known what I signed up for when I adopted older children.  As we have only 10-11 more years with them I can think of nothing better to be doing than teaching a good work ethic and the VALUE of honesty.  It is true that I've missed out on some fun activities, but I sincerely hope that my willingness to sit right here with them will make a lasting impression.  (beyond the fact that their mom is just as stubborn as they are!)  I will always cherish the FUN times, but I'm learning that rough patches have their point too!

Running

I've started to run again, now that my back seems pretty stable.  I leave around 4:30am--mostly thanks to a lorry (truck) driver that leaves at 4:15 every morning.  (He is not at all quiet!)  I regularly see a couple of the same people walking/running at the same time.  I see lots of taxis looking for fares, lorries driving to pick up their cargo, men bicycling slowly to their destination (at this time of morning I can't imagine where they're going!)  I think this is Singapore's BEST time.  It's quieter, cooler, and peaceful.  One blessing of running is to experience this new side of Singapore.  I'll take a picture at the end of my time one morning--I do stairs first and the view from the 12th floor is amazing!

Dish Conversation

Today while I was doing dishes I was amused by Ana's random conversation. 
red=Ana  green=me
"Did you know Santa brought me earrings?" (We Never talk about Santa, but we DID get our photo taken with one at City Square Mall last year.)
"Really, I thought Grandma gave those to you."
"NO, I asked Santa for them and I got them.  Did you know that long white stuff that hung down off his face was really soft?"
"You mean his beard?"
"It was really soft.  You should touch it sometime.  REALLY!"
"OK"
"When will Santa bring me a knife?"
"Why do you need a knife?"
"To fight or something..."  (I'm not sure we'll ever watch Narnia again!)

Happy Birthday!

I'd like to say it was the happiest of birthdays, but it wasn't.  Children don't always cooperate with planned happiness.  BUT, we are glad that dad has grown and year older and wiser.  And we're very glad we'll have much more time with dad in this coming year!