Mountain Camp

At the end of June, Hannah and I took the train to a neighboring province for a week of "camp". We had a great time, just the two of us, setting out on a new adventure. I remember so many years of great camp adventures. One of the things I never expected once we moved here, was that Hannah would have the opportunity to participate in youth camp and have all the wonderful experiences from those weeks in the cabins!!
100 people gathered in the mountains, all young people who live in this country, like Hannah. The 5th-6th grade girls cabin was filled with 26 girls who were active, lively, and enjoyed dance parties every night before bed. I was put in the high school girls cabin on the other side of the campgrounds, which was also very fun!! We enjoyed games and activities as well as great group times. On Thursday night, Hannah and a few friends performed a dance they made up in a talent show. She did a great job!! (I was very proud of her)

At the end of the week we said goodbye to all of our friends and headed back home. Hannah can't wait to go again next year!

Yea for Aunts and Uncles

After 3 weeks of traveling in Asia, Philip and Krista arrived in our city to visit for a week. We had all sorts of great plans for them while they were here, and had fun just haning out with them and "catching up"! I can't begin to express how encouraging and wonderful it is to see family after so long a time without them. And Phil and Krista were no different. Hudson had grand plans for his Uncle Phil. Star Wars Battlefront. He had been honing his skills and practicing in anticipation of his arrival. So throughout the week we could often find the boys in the back room defeating the Empire! I know Hudson had a GREAT time playing with his uncle and his uncle was a trooper to endure all those games!

Hannah was very excited to see Aunt Krista as well! They always have a fun time when they are together. The girls went shopping, got pedicures and manicures, went shopping again, and talked alot!! It was so great to have a week of undivided time with them!

During the week we showed Philip and Krista around the town, took them out and showed them some countryside and ate at all of our favorite restaurants! It was extremely HOT the week they were here, so some of our outdoor plans fell through becasue we would have all melted. However, we got to show them a few of our favorite "outdoor" places.

We are realizing more and more how precious time with family is. We are so thankful for Philp and Krista's willingness to come and visit! It was such a blessing to us!

Swine Flu

I have some sad news for my faithful viewers. Our camera has bitten the dust. So, until we buy a new one, you will have to just read and picture us in your minds. We have recently had a visit from Krista and Phil as well as Hannah and I just returned from a week of camp in a neighboring province. So there is much to report, I am just trying to find a few pictures to put with them.

In the meantime, I would like to tell you about a conversation I had yesterday with the neighbor boys who live in our apartment complex. As soon as they came in the door yesterday afternoon they began asking me questions.....

Boy 1: Auntie, (term for female adults) when are you going back to America?

Boy2: You know you shouldn't go back for at least 2 years.

Me: Why?

Boy 1: Because the swine flu is in America.

Boy 2: Yeah, we just watched the news and over half of the Americans have the swine flu. You can't go back for at least 2 years or you will all get sick. You must be very careful.

Me: Not true. I talk to people in America all the time, at least every week. No one I know has the swine flu and no one they know has it either. Half of Americans do not have the swine flu.

Silence.

Me: But, we don't plan on going back to America for 2 years.

Boys: Yea!! Hooray!! You won't get sick!!

Hmmm.....I guess they didn't believe me when I said their news wasn't quite accurate. I don't know if they would believe that coming from a foreigner anyway. So, to the half of you out there who have the swine flu.....GET WELL SOON!!

My Ticket

Last week, as I drove to school, I got a ticket. A traffic ticket. I am so proud to say that I have now been stopped by police in two countries.

It all started when I chose to take the scenic way to school, crossing the beautiful bridge over the lake, and avoiding the crowded streets full of construction on the other side of the lake. As I cruised on my bike listening to my ipod, I came to the last intersection where I make a left turn onto the road that takes me to my school. I noticed a lot of police (about 6) stopping electric bikes and pulling them to the side of the road. It was rush hour and the streets were very busy. I stopped at the light and waited for the green arrow so I could turn left. As I sat there I watched people being pulled over left and right, trying to figure out why.

Finally, the light turned green and I started to turn left. Immediately one of the policemen stopped me and grabbed my keys out of my bike and threw them in a plastic bag with all the other people's keys who were waiting there in the middle of the intersection. Then the policeman walked away. There I sat in the middle of the busy intersection, no keys, no understanding of WHY I was stopped and sitting there, and no clue what would happen next.

I flagged down one of the policemen and asked him what I had done wrong. Apparently, since I am an electric bike, I am not supposed to turn left with the green arrow, but am supposed to stay in the crosswalks with peddle bikes and walkers. Who knew? For a year I have been turning left on the left arrow.....and apparently countless others were unaware of this as well.

I then asked the policeman what I must do to get my keys back. He said I must pay 50 local dollars to the "head policeman" and he would give me back my keys. OK, no problem. Except, I only had 30 local dollars in my bag. So......I called my sweet husband. I explained my situation, and he very logically asked if there was an ATM close by. I located one on the corner, and left my bike in the middle of the intersection with the capable policemen.

I promptly retrieved some cash and went to pay my fine. But.....the ATM only gave me 100's , and the policeman wouldn't make change. He told me the one thing I love to hear, "mei banfa". Meaning, there's no way. Oh....except for the 100's of people who have already given you 50 local dollars, so I KNOW you have change. But I didn't say that. As I stood there I noticed 4 other people waiting in a line for change.....they too only had 100's.

At this point I was 30 min. late for class. So, I decided to buy a bottle of water and make my own change......genius. With my bottle of water in hand, I waited in line to pay my fine, then I waited in another line to retrieve my keys. I hopped back on my bike and made it to class.

I am saving this ticket....it is cool. I will put it in my scrapbook, next to the ticket Rob got driving my car home from a Glee Club concert one night, when we were just getting to know each other.

13

13 Years Ago Today.....

June 15, 1996. I was 21 and he was 22. We were so young, and neither of us new how we would be able to afford that one bedroom apartment at $400/month....since neither of us had full time jobs. But we were in love.

Our Families and friends all gathered in Euless, TX for the big day. We watched ourselves grow from infants to adults, our fathers spoke blessings over us, and my 2 childhood pastors married us. Rob cried and cried.....We were in love.

As the years have flown by, we have commented over and over how we "barely knew each other" compared to how we know each other now, how we "barely loved each other" compared to how we love each other now. You see, 13 years, 2 kids, 8,000 miles later......we are still in love.

Can't wait for 13 more!!!!

Choir Practice

One of my favorite stories about my dad as a boy happened one night on his way to choir practice. Someone stopped my 5 yr. old dad in the hall and said, "Robert do you sing bass or tenor?" My dad replied, "Neither, I sing "Praise Him, Praise Him". Choir has been part of my life ever since.

If you know me at all, you know there is a lot of music in my life. One of the things I have "left behind" in this move is singing and a lot of time spent "doing" music. What I have found however, is Father had another plan. A few months ago, through some friends, I was introduced to some people who sing in a choir, but their choir director has just gotten married and moved away. So, these friends asked me to come and "teach their choir how to sing"....which is a loaded assignment. I told them I couldn't commit to every week, because I had other responsibilities and they said to come when I could.

So the next Friday, during my language class.....I did a crash course in music/singing vocabulary with my tutor. I have a great language curriculum, but it doesn't include words like "note", "measure", "breath support", "breathe from your diaphragm", etc, etc. Armed with my vocabulary, I set out for two hours of choir rehearsal/language intensive all at the same time. Leading a two hour choir rehearsal in English is tiring by itself, however, leading in another language....exhausting. People here don't grow up with music in schools or having choirs to participate in, so these adults are very new to singing.....however they are passionate about it. They have so much energy and excitement as they sing to their Father.

I have now attended 3 times, and each time I come away so blessed. I don't know if they are learning anything from me....but I am certainly learning tons from this group of people. Last night, for example, as we ended, a young man asked to share his heart. He is a new brother and shared that he had been struggling with depression, but as we sang Amazing Grace last night, he felt peace and joy for the first time.

I am overwhelmed to be able to meet these great people and have a part in their lives. Last night they were comfortable enough with me to laugh at my dumb jokes and my language mistakes. In all my years of singing in choirs, studying music, and leading choirs I never would have dreamed of having this opportunity. Every day is a new adventure......

Happy Birthday - Part 3

My birthday was so much fun! I had no sleepovers or big parties, just a nice day with the family!! My sweet husband had 3 dozen roses waiting for me at the restaurant where we had lunch, then my family took me to dinner and a movie in the evening, which was truly a treat. (we haven't been to a movie in the theater in a very long time!) After the movie, we returned home for birthday cake and presents. Rob made me a strawberry cake which was delicious!! Here are some pics from the day, as well as some other random pictures I thought I would throw in!

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