Just received this message from Mel....
Pops could not have his surgery today---had a skin reaction to the dye in the CAT scan dye so they have sent him home with steroids. Thinking it will be a couple of days at least until the surgery.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Bob's surgery
Zona and Bob called this morning to let us know that his surgery is today in the U.S. (Wed.) at 11:00 am. Wow! They were able to get him right in and get the surgery scheduled. They still think it looks very good and will only remove a small portion and he should still be able to function just fine with what he has left. They will not be able to visit us as they had planned because their trip was planned less than 4 weeks from the surgery and that is just not enough recovery time. We are disappointed that they will not be able to come as planned but are hoping they can reschedule their trip for later on in the year. We are thankful that they found the mass early and are able to get this taken care of quickly. Please join us in praying for him!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Yesterday we received the news that Bob (Kelly's dad)has a malignancy on his colon. He is meeting with a surgeon today to find out what is involved with surgery to remove it and what other treatment might be needed. We are grateful that Mama Z, suggested he get a colonoscopy (he was not having any negative symptoms)because the Dr.'s feel confident that they have found it in the very early stages.
Please pray for the surgeons for wisdom and timing to remove it and pray that God would allow it to be completely eradicated from his body!
Today, I spent most of the day with my husband--which is always an unexpected treat! We began the day, going to school to hear Noah's "Home Country" presentation. He did a good job of presenting the U.S.A.---the home of this birth--and learned a few things in the process!
After the meeting we returned home and I did email while Kelly cleaned up the lose ends from moving his office out yesterday. Then we headed into town to run some errands and then meet friends for lunch to hear how their latest trip in country went. It was exciting to hear the latest about how G has opened the doors for them to open a rep office for an export business in the U.S. I remember having a meeting with them about a year ago--a hard meeting, where K asked them to spend the next yr figuring out a way to go live back inside and them thinking there was no possible way they could be involved in business. We have seen G change their hearts and lead them step by step to this process so they will be moving back around the first of the year. We spent about 3 hours with them.
Then, we headed to Kelly's new office so he could show me and get input about the arrangement of everything. We had an unexpected treat while we were there, of seeing an old friend who used to work with us in V but now lives in another country nearby. He was able to show us pictures of his family and we were able to spend a little time catching up. BTW, I'm excited about Kelly's new office set up and the possibilities.
After this we returned home in time to get ready for the kids to arrive home at 4:30. They are all swimming on the swim team so they get home late four days a week. Sat. will be the swim meet and they all came home and with the assignments of the races they will compete in. They are excited and nervous about the swim meet!
I am reading a book a friend sent called, "Get Out of That Pit," by Beth Moore. I've just started it but like it so far. I'll try to write up a review of it when I'm finished but can't promise it will be anytime soon. :>
I'm feeling better...but still a bit queasy, esp. when it comes to eating. Tomorrow, we've got a pretty full day--ending with Malia having a sleep over in the evening for her birthday. She has invited 4 friends---and with her and her sister that makes 6! She is excited!
Blessings!
Please pray for the surgeons for wisdom and timing to remove it and pray that God would allow it to be completely eradicated from his body!
Today, I spent most of the day with my husband--which is always an unexpected treat! We began the day, going to school to hear Noah's "Home Country" presentation. He did a good job of presenting the U.S.A.---the home of this birth--and learned a few things in the process!
After the meeting we returned home and I did email while Kelly cleaned up the lose ends from moving his office out yesterday. Then we headed into town to run some errands and then meet friends for lunch to hear how their latest trip in country went. It was exciting to hear the latest about how G has opened the doors for them to open a rep office for an export business in the U.S. I remember having a meeting with them about a year ago--a hard meeting, where K asked them to spend the next yr figuring out a way to go live back inside and them thinking there was no possible way they could be involved in business. We have seen G change their hearts and lead them step by step to this process so they will be moving back around the first of the year. We spent about 3 hours with them.
Then, we headed to Kelly's new office so he could show me and get input about the arrangement of everything. We had an unexpected treat while we were there, of seeing an old friend who used to work with us in V but now lives in another country nearby. He was able to show us pictures of his family and we were able to spend a little time catching up. BTW, I'm excited about Kelly's new office set up and the possibilities.
After this we returned home in time to get ready for the kids to arrive home at 4:30. They are all swimming on the swim team so they get home late four days a week. Sat. will be the swim meet and they all came home and with the assignments of the races they will compete in. They are excited and nervous about the swim meet!
I am reading a book a friend sent called, "Get Out of That Pit," by Beth Moore. I've just started it but like it so far. I'll try to write up a review of it when I'm finished but can't promise it will be anytime soon. :>
I'm feeling better...but still a bit queasy, esp. when it comes to eating. Tomorrow, we've got a pretty full day--ending with Malia having a sleep over in the evening for her birthday. She has invited 4 friends---and with her and her sister that makes 6! She is excited!
Blessings!
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Finally.....
It's been a while since I've been able to send an update. First, my computer crashed. We took it in to have it repaired. The memory was corrupted. Then, when we got it back, the files we had saved had many errors and it just took a while to be able to get it all up and running again. Then, when it was finally repaired, many of my old settings were gone. When I tried to log onto blogger...it was in Thai and I couldn't read it. It took several days to try and figure out how to change it back to English!
The kids still have one week left of school. There are actually 10 days left but we are leaving for Singapore next Sunday, so they will miss the last 3 days. Funny, if you've seen the new Pirates movie, they go to Singapore. The kids have NO memory of Singapore and it is not very inviting in the movie. They will be pleasantly surprised!
Everyone is doing very well...except for me. I've had a stomach bug for almost a week now. I am just finding myself very weak. I hope it is over with. The last couple of mornings, I've started out feeling much better but end up crashing by about 3pm.
We received our new couches...FINALLY. They are beautiful and make such a difference. I feel like our home finally looks like a home...what a difference a few nice chairs make! Kel moves his desk out on Monday so downstairs will look like a "normal" home. I've practice stenciled but still haven't found just the right combination I was hoping to find.
I want to take some pictures and show you. I'll work on that. I often forget how to do it. It's nice because I can take pics now with my phone. BUT, I can't remember how to download them.
The kids still have one week left of school. There are actually 10 days left but we are leaving for Singapore next Sunday, so they will miss the last 3 days. Funny, if you've seen the new Pirates movie, they go to Singapore. The kids have NO memory of Singapore and it is not very inviting in the movie. They will be pleasantly surprised!
Everyone is doing very well...except for me. I've had a stomach bug for almost a week now. I am just finding myself very weak. I hope it is over with. The last couple of mornings, I've started out feeling much better but end up crashing by about 3pm.
We received our new couches...FINALLY. They are beautiful and make such a difference. I feel like our home finally looks like a home...what a difference a few nice chairs make! Kel moves his desk out on Monday so downstairs will look like a "normal" home. I've practice stenciled but still haven't found just the right combination I was hoping to find.
I want to take some pictures and show you. I'll work on that. I often forget how to do it. It's nice because I can take pics now with my phone. BUT, I can't remember how to download them.
Monday, May 7, 2007
My helper has been gone since Friday and tonight we had our book study at our house. I dread her being gone but then at the same time, enjoy it, too. She doesn't clean like I would like her to, so I usually take the times when she is gone to get in the kitchen with the bleach and clean it like I like it. In my opinion, bleach is a clean smell. In Kelly's opinion, bleach is a strong smell. Funny, Sage, came into the kitchen and said, "it smells so clean in here!" Ha. Anyway, she won't be here tomorrow either. And, everything is nice and clean. I'm astounded that we CAN keep it clean, if we really try. My helper likes to iron. She will spend hours ironing. She doesn't like to clean that much. I HATE to iron. I would choose cleaning over ironing anyday! :>
I was dreading book study. There is an interesting dilemma that has occurred in our small group. Two of the families own their own home. The rest of us are renters. The two that own their own homes are new to Chiangmai and their standards for their homes and decor is on a different level than ours. The positive thing about it is that they have motivated me to make some changes that will make me happier in the long run. Things that you try to tell yourself are insignificant and don't really matter but they make a world of difference to your disposition when they are done. The negative is that I was dreading having folks come over because I felt like there is just no way that our home can measure up to the same standard as theirs. I'm not sure I've ever felt that way out here. So, instead of focusing on the book, or my friends, or the fellowship.... It was needless worry.
After the study, I was so thankful that God has given me the husband/marriage/family that he has given me. Rejoicing that my husband is a Godly man who does what is right and not concerned at all about how my house looked. Of course, it still Smelled, clean, so there was pleasure in that! I'm so relieved because I was worried about how I was going to get over this obsession with things not being like theirs. When, now, I'm thanking God.... :> Wish I could go into more detail.
The girls gave a pre-garage sale with their Barbie's and Polly's since some of these couples have little girls. They ended up making about $40...which isn't a bad deal at all. I think they were thrilled. There is still a little bit left that will go into our garage sale.
One day soon, I will figure out how to upload pictures to the computer and I will take pictures of some of the changes that I am making. It's still not going to be Better Homes and Garden, but I think it will be inviting, comfortable and pleasing to be here.
I was dreading book study. There is an interesting dilemma that has occurred in our small group. Two of the families own their own home. The rest of us are renters. The two that own their own homes are new to Chiangmai and their standards for their homes and decor is on a different level than ours. The positive thing about it is that they have motivated me to make some changes that will make me happier in the long run. Things that you try to tell yourself are insignificant and don't really matter but they make a world of difference to your disposition when they are done. The negative is that I was dreading having folks come over because I felt like there is just no way that our home can measure up to the same standard as theirs. I'm not sure I've ever felt that way out here. So, instead of focusing on the book, or my friends, or the fellowship.... It was needless worry.
After the study, I was so thankful that God has given me the husband/marriage/family that he has given me. Rejoicing that my husband is a Godly man who does what is right and not concerned at all about how my house looked. Of course, it still Smelled, clean, so there was pleasure in that! I'm so relieved because I was worried about how I was going to get over this obsession with things not being like theirs. When, now, I'm thanking God.... :> Wish I could go into more detail.
The girls gave a pre-garage sale with their Barbie's and Polly's since some of these couples have little girls. They ended up making about $40...which isn't a bad deal at all. I think they were thrilled. There is still a little bit left that will go into our garage sale.
One day soon, I will figure out how to upload pictures to the computer and I will take pictures of some of the changes that I am making. It's still not going to be Better Homes and Garden, but I think it will be inviting, comfortable and pleasing to be here.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Wacky weather
It's STILL raining!
Kel leaves for a trip to V, tomorrow. Pr for him as he goes and for us as we stay. :> He will return on Friday. This past week he led worship at an agricultural conference. The worship was in the evenings and they had meetings all during the day. The surprised him at the end with a gift certificate to Duke's, so our family ate lunch there yesterday.
We also saw Spiderman 3. It's my favorite Spiderman so far, although, I haven't really liked the other ones that much. The kids are are excited about the trilogy of Three's coming out this May! Spiderman, Shrek and Pirates of the Carribean all have their third movies coming out in May! We've been on a Movie dearth the past few months. There have mainly been Tha-i movies and they have a wicked sense of entertainment. We saw a preview yesterday for "The Death Train..."
Today will be a lazy laid back day since we now have our worship time on Sat. evening. I still have the dregs of a sore throat--cough. Each day it seems a little better but this nagging cough won't go away. I wonder if it's connected to the dampness? It's better but it still is painful to swallow so I guess it's still swollen in there. It's been almost a week now.
I hear that weather in the U.S. is really strange right now. The rumor mill says that mom and dad must get a new fence because of 100 mph winds? I read an interesting article on the Dallas Morning News website comparing last years weather to this years. "This year also logged 25 days where temperatures sat at freezing or below. That's almost triple what was recorded in the same period in 2006." Amazing! Last year on April 17, the temp. hit 101 degrees. This year, it was freezing! This picture is from the Dallas Morning news, taken in Arlington.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Rainy Days!
It's finally raining everyday, here, lately! Yesterday morning, this morning.... We picked a good time to put in grass--last weekend. We pulled up the bricks that were surrounding our house (the wee bit of bricks!) and had grass put in. It looks so much fresher having that green surrounding the house. We want to add a tree (the space is very very small)--there is one that resembles a magnolia and change the flowers out front. It is my desire to have a regular gardener come but we haven't found one yet. So, the other things will need to wait.
The couches are still being made. We were supposed to be able to try them out on Wed. but of course, they were not there. This is about the 4th trip we've made...it's been 2 months??? (This is life in Asia!) The man agreed to have them on Monday so we could try them out before K leaves for his trip to V. Do you think they will actually be there???
Today is Family FUN day at Grace. Parents are invited. Kel and the children have gone. I was planning on going but since it's raining and since I've been sick all week and my throat is still quite raw, I decided to opt out of the festivities. I wasn't able to go last year. Last year, Malia and I were in Bangkok on one of her medical trips. Thank the Lord we are not at that same place this year.
She and her dad had a great time in Bangkok. Kel received thank you notes that said he was the best chaperone ever. Must have something to do with the Diplomacy game he took, wouldn't you think? They all had a blast. From all that I talked to, the train ride there and back were the highlight of the trip!
Savannah and Sage went rock climbing this week. They actually both did very well. Now, Sage wants to do it for his birthday celebration. I'm not sure we can afford it but we will check into it. Yes, he has a birthday next Thursday. Savannah had a birthday party last weekend. I took her gang of girls to see "Meet the Robinson's." Then, they went to another friends house to spend the night (for the friend's birthday). They are a great group of gals.
There are lots of holiday's here in the month of May. The kids are out today (Family FUn day...finished at noon) and Monday is also a holiday. I guess it is a trial run of the summer.
I'm practicing stenciling in my free time. I have considered doing a little on the walls but it's not as easy as I thought it would be. If the practice goes ok, I will consider doing it. A friend here has all the supplies and stencils. She shares them with those around. It's a great blessing.
Well, that is all for now. Just thought I would send a short update.
Blessings!
The couches are still being made. We were supposed to be able to try them out on Wed. but of course, they were not there. This is about the 4th trip we've made...it's been 2 months??? (This is life in Asia!) The man agreed to have them on Monday so we could try them out before K leaves for his trip to V. Do you think they will actually be there???
Today is Family FUN day at Grace. Parents are invited. Kel and the children have gone. I was planning on going but since it's raining and since I've been sick all week and my throat is still quite raw, I decided to opt out of the festivities. I wasn't able to go last year. Last year, Malia and I were in Bangkok on one of her medical trips. Thank the Lord we are not at that same place this year.
She and her dad had a great time in Bangkok. Kel received thank you notes that said he was the best chaperone ever. Must have something to do with the Diplomacy game he took, wouldn't you think? They all had a blast. From all that I talked to, the train ride there and back were the highlight of the trip!
Savannah and Sage went rock climbing this week. They actually both did very well. Now, Sage wants to do it for his birthday celebration. I'm not sure we can afford it but we will check into it. Yes, he has a birthday next Thursday. Savannah had a birthday party last weekend. I took her gang of girls to see "Meet the Robinson's." Then, they went to another friends house to spend the night (for the friend's birthday). They are a great group of gals.
There are lots of holiday's here in the month of May. The kids are out today (Family FUn day...finished at noon) and Monday is also a holiday. I guess it is a trial run of the summer.
I'm practicing stenciling in my free time. I have considered doing a little on the walls but it's not as easy as I thought it would be. If the practice goes ok, I will consider doing it. A friend here has all the supplies and stencils. She shares them with those around. It's a great blessing.
Well, that is all for now. Just thought I would send a short update.
Blessings!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Email out
Our email has been out since last Thursday so I've not been able to send an update. Our power went out Thursday evening and when it came back on, we had not internet. So, I've got lots to catch up on. We had a great SongKran (Thai New Year). Hoppy enjoyed getting wet and we took several pictures (more about that later). Kel has gone to Nepal for the first time for a week. The kids and I are still hanging out here. They start back to school on Wed. I need to run to the store before the crowds hit! More soon...
Blessings,
Jamie
Blessings,
Jamie
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Learning something new about your spouse!
I am reading Fox news on the computer and Kelly is looking over my shoulder. The headline reads, "Georgia High School to Try Integrated Prom." Kel says, "I bet that's Turner County.... Did your high school have integrated proms?" I said, "When did you go to high school? In the dark ages? Of course, our school had integrated proms and integrated everything else." He informed me that his school...Turner County High School, did not. Wow! My senior year the homecoming queen was "African American." (that's not what we called it, then!)
Lo and behold, he was RIGHT! It was Turner County High and they have had segregated proms for the last TWENTY TWO years! (or it's been that long since K graduated!) This year will be the very first integrated prom.
See news report below!
Georgia High School to Try Integrated Prom
Tuesday , April 10, 2007
AP
ADVERTISEMENT
ASHBURN, Ga. —
Breaking from tradition, high school students in this small town are getting together for this year's prom.
Prom night at Turner County High has long been an evening of de facto segregation: white students organized their own unofficial prom, while black students did the same.
This year's group of seniors didn't want that legacy. When the four senior class officers — two whites and two blacks — met with Principal Chad Stone at the start of the school year, they had more on their minds than changes to the school's dress code.
They wanted an all-school prom. They wanted everyone invited.
On April 21, they'll have their wish. The town's auditorium will be transformed into a tropical scene, and for the first time, every junior and senior, regardless of race, will be invited.
The prom's theme: Breakaway.
"Everybody says that's just how it's always been. It's just the way of this very small town," said James Hall, a 17-year-old black student who is the senior class president.
"But it's time for a change."
There are excited announcements of the upcoming dance plastered all over the school, where about 55 percent of students are black and most of the rest are white.
A makeshift countdown to the prom is displayed as a cardboard cutout on a main hallway. Student council members canvass the hallways, asking students to buy a $25 ticket and be a part of history. In the cafeteria, images of palm trees and waterfalls brighten up the sterile walls. "The First Ever!" a poster exclaims. "Got your haircut?"
Students say the self-segregation that splits social circles in school mirrors the attitude of this town of 4,000 people. So getting every student to break from the past could be a difficult task.
With prom night about two weeks away, only half of the 160 upper-class students have bought tickets. And there's talk around the school that some white students might throw a competing party at a nearby lake.
"Everyone is saying they're not going to the school prom," said Steven Tuller, a 17-year-old white junior who doesn't plan to attend either event because he wants to wait until he's a senior. "They're saying it's tradition."
Yet Turner County High already has defied tradition this year. The school abandoned its practice of naming separate white and black homecoming queens. Instead, a mixed-race student was named the county's first solo homecoming queen.
Some alumni welcome change at Turner County High.
"People still think of how life was 20, 30 years ago," said Keith Massey, a 1990 graduate who now runs the popular Keith-A-Que restaurant in town, about 75 miles south of Macon. "And life's got to move on."
Massey recalls an attempt to integrate one of the prom parties when he was in school, but few whites showed up. Attempts to organize a school-wide prom in recent years failed because of a lack of student support.
Stone, serving his first year as the school's principal, has been enthusiastic about an integrated prom. He's funneling $5,000 of his meager discretionary fund to hire a DJ and buy decorations, and he's persuaded a photographer to set up shop at the civic center to snap photos of the couples before the dance.
"This senior class is a close-knit group from top to bottom, and they want to do what's right," said Stone, who is white. "They wanted a full school prom. And I told them if they would do it, I'd do them right."
Lo and behold, he was RIGHT! It was Turner County High and they have had segregated proms for the last TWENTY TWO years! (or it's been that long since K graduated!) This year will be the very first integrated prom.
See news report below!
Georgia High School to Try Integrated Prom
Tuesday , April 10, 2007
AP
ADVERTISEMENT
ASHBURN, Ga. —
Breaking from tradition, high school students in this small town are getting together for this year's prom.
Prom night at Turner County High has long been an evening of de facto segregation: white students organized their own unofficial prom, while black students did the same.
This year's group of seniors didn't want that legacy. When the four senior class officers — two whites and two blacks — met with Principal Chad Stone at the start of the school year, they had more on their minds than changes to the school's dress code.
They wanted an all-school prom. They wanted everyone invited.
On April 21, they'll have their wish. The town's auditorium will be transformed into a tropical scene, and for the first time, every junior and senior, regardless of race, will be invited.
The prom's theme: Breakaway.
"Everybody says that's just how it's always been. It's just the way of this very small town," said James Hall, a 17-year-old black student who is the senior class president.
"But it's time for a change."
There are excited announcements of the upcoming dance plastered all over the school, where about 55 percent of students are black and most of the rest are white.
A makeshift countdown to the prom is displayed as a cardboard cutout on a main hallway. Student council members canvass the hallways, asking students to buy a $25 ticket and be a part of history. In the cafeteria, images of palm trees and waterfalls brighten up the sterile walls. "The First Ever!" a poster exclaims. "Got your haircut?"
Students say the self-segregation that splits social circles in school mirrors the attitude of this town of 4,000 people. So getting every student to break from the past could be a difficult task.
With prom night about two weeks away, only half of the 160 upper-class students have bought tickets. And there's talk around the school that some white students might throw a competing party at a nearby lake.
"Everyone is saying they're not going to the school prom," said Steven Tuller, a 17-year-old white junior who doesn't plan to attend either event because he wants to wait until he's a senior. "They're saying it's tradition."
Yet Turner County High already has defied tradition this year. The school abandoned its practice of naming separate white and black homecoming queens. Instead, a mixed-race student was named the county's first solo homecoming queen.
Some alumni welcome change at Turner County High.
"People still think of how life was 20, 30 years ago," said Keith Massey, a 1990 graduate who now runs the popular Keith-A-Que restaurant in town, about 75 miles south of Macon. "And life's got to move on."
Massey recalls an attempt to integrate one of the prom parties when he was in school, but few whites showed up. Attempts to organize a school-wide prom in recent years failed because of a lack of student support.
Stone, serving his first year as the school's principal, has been enthusiastic about an integrated prom. He's funneling $5,000 of his meager discretionary fund to hire a DJ and buy decorations, and he's persuaded a photographer to set up shop at the civic center to snap photos of the couples before the dance.
"This senior class is a close-knit group from top to bottom, and they want to do what's right," said Stone, who is white. "They wanted a full school prom. And I told them if they would do it, I'd do them right."
Saturday, April 7, 2007
HomeMakeover Continues
We worked hard again today. We started off by going to a garage sale. We ended up buying bookshelves, odds and ends and a queen size frame and mattress. It was an older lady who lived in Nepal for about 20 years and here for about 5. The bed was in very good shape...it was her guest bed. Malia is thrilled. Kelly told her it is OUR guest bed and he is allowing her to sleep in it! :>
Of course, before we could bring it in the house, we had to disassemble her room, and disassemble Sav's room to disassemble the boys' room, so there could be room for it. We ended up giving, Noah, Malia's old loft bed. Giving Sav. the extra twin bed from the bunk beds (she has two twin beds in her room) and now there is the loft bed and a twin bed in the boys room. Whew! It was a lot of work! We will probably be all sore tomorrow. Going up and down the stairs with that loft bed is a lot of work!!! So, we have plenty of room for guests now! (Hint, Hint...)
We ended the day by meeting friends at the pool and then going to "In and Out Burgers," a new burger place out on our side of town. The kids ended up having the kids over to spend the night that we met at the pool.
It's hard to believe tomorrow is Easter! All the other families in our home group are out of town so we will go to the Big international church tomorrow. We don't have a big Sunday dinner planned, though. Oh, well, not much time to think about dinner when your moving around furniture! I'm sure we'll figure something out.
Happy Easter everyone!
Of course, before we could bring it in the house, we had to disassemble her room, and disassemble Sav's room to disassemble the boys' room, so there could be room for it. We ended up giving, Noah, Malia's old loft bed. Giving Sav. the extra twin bed from the bunk beds (she has two twin beds in her room) and now there is the loft bed and a twin bed in the boys room. Whew! It was a lot of work! We will probably be all sore tomorrow. Going up and down the stairs with that loft bed is a lot of work!!! So, we have plenty of room for guests now! (Hint, Hint...)
We ended the day by meeting friends at the pool and then going to "In and Out Burgers," a new burger place out on our side of town. The kids ended up having the kids over to spend the night that we met at the pool.
It's hard to believe tomorrow is Easter! All the other families in our home group are out of town so we will go to the Big international church tomorrow. We don't have a big Sunday dinner planned, though. Oh, well, not much time to think about dinner when your moving around furniture! I'm sure we'll figure something out.
Happy Easter everyone!
Friday, April 6, 2007
God Answers Prayer!
Today we painted a wall in Savannah's room and repainted a wall in the boys room. Yesterday, the boys cleaned out their room and (I think) emptied several of their drawers into a huge give-away box so we spent several hours this afternoon going through that box! There were lots of treasures....AND I have an organized box for the Grace garage sale if I decide to participate.
Tomorrow, we will paint the dining area/family room.
I have some baskets that I have put on top of the closets in my room. I'm thinking about filling them with my favorite books and really parring down the books. I want to get rid of the book corner in my room and make it a sitting area. We can take the couch that is downstairs (the landlords) up there when the new one arrives, IF I have the area cleaned out. I will also need to sell my desk. It's big and I never use it.
Malia is spending the night at a friends tonight. Yesterday we discussed the friendship issue...she lamented that she didn't have any friends. We discussed ways she could be a friend and then just spent some time praying about it. Today, she got a call from one of her classmates inviting her over. God does answer prayers! I hope she will get the connection!
I've done some surfing on the internet tonight some, looking back at Sage's orphanage and reading about the latest with adoptions in Ukraine. I've told Kelly that I have a hard time when I think about Sage's half-brother still back in the orphanage. I know there is no way we could go back and get him. The funds just aren't there, as well as the emotional energy it takes to go through the process. But, I can't help thinking about him. Pray that God will give him a Christian home and help us be able to connect them when the time comes.
Blessings!
Tomorrow, we will paint the dining area/family room.
I have some baskets that I have put on top of the closets in my room. I'm thinking about filling them with my favorite books and really parring down the books. I want to get rid of the book corner in my room and make it a sitting area. We can take the couch that is downstairs (the landlords) up there when the new one arrives, IF I have the area cleaned out. I will also need to sell my desk. It's big and I never use it.
Malia is spending the night at a friends tonight. Yesterday we discussed the friendship issue...she lamented that she didn't have any friends. We discussed ways she could be a friend and then just spent some time praying about it. Today, she got a call from one of her classmates inviting her over. God does answer prayers! I hope she will get the connection!
I've done some surfing on the internet tonight some, looking back at Sage's orphanage and reading about the latest with adoptions in Ukraine. I've told Kelly that I have a hard time when I think about Sage's half-brother still back in the orphanage. I know there is no way we could go back and get him. The funds just aren't there, as well as the emotional energy it takes to go through the process. But, I can't help thinking about him. Pray that God will give him a Christian home and help us be able to connect them when the time comes.
Blessings!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
House makeover
We continue to work on our home/decor/organization projects. We bought fabric for the girls rooms and I found fabric for my chair and made a decision about what sofa fabric I am going to use. We will take the girls fabric to the tailor in the next couple of days. We will try to send pictures of the finished projects when we get them completed. We have decided not to go away but to stay home and finish some of these projects as well as take breaks for swimming and eating out!
The boys are busy cleaning out their drawers and getting rid of things. Then, I will need to decide if I'm going to do the large garage sale at Grace in May. We have enough junk. It's just how much time do I want to spend organizing it to get rid of it? :>
In between times we are doing some shopping. The girls desperately need a couple of new outfits to wear when they are not in school. They will also need something to wear at the meetings this summer. I've pulled out some of Malia's old things for Sav to wear and we will see if they are a go. Before she wouldn't be caught dead in them (they are skorts!) but I think she is desperate! Ha. Neither of these two like to shop so it's not fun taking them to try on clothes. Yesterday, we were successful with getting Malia some tops but we still need one or two pairs of shorts and a pair of jeans (she's outgrown the ones she has although she doesn't think so) It's good for Malia that the tops are a bit longer than the style a few years back. IF we can last until summer (I'm not sure we can!) We might order some things for grandmother to bring back with her.
The boys are busy cleaning out their drawers and getting rid of things. Then, I will need to decide if I'm going to do the large garage sale at Grace in May. We have enough junk. It's just how much time do I want to spend organizing it to get rid of it? :>
In between times we are doing some shopping. The girls desperately need a couple of new outfits to wear when they are not in school. They will also need something to wear at the meetings this summer. I've pulled out some of Malia's old things for Sav to wear and we will see if they are a go. Before she wouldn't be caught dead in them (they are skorts!) but I think she is desperate! Ha. Neither of these two like to shop so it's not fun taking them to try on clothes. Yesterday, we were successful with getting Malia some tops but we still need one or two pairs of shorts and a pair of jeans (she's outgrown the ones she has although she doesn't think so) It's good for Malia that the tops are a bit longer than the style a few years back. IF we can last until summer (I'm not sure we can!) We might order some things for grandmother to bring back with her.
Science project
The picture above is Sav's science project that she and Sara did for class. Sara's parents work for the same organization we do and the class was paired up to work on these projects. I think they did an excellent job...the teacher thought so, too, because they received A's.
Friday, March 30, 2007
High School Musical
This afternoon we are going to see the play "High School Musical." The kids are all excited since it is the ONE movie they ALL like to watch! (boys and girls tastes are diverging!) If you have not seen it, it is a fun musical with teenagers in it. Ha. Not much too it, but lots of fun music and dancing. One of the International Schools is putting it on. We'll let you know how it goes.
It has been a busy, busy week and Kel is still at it. He is doing a two day training for some V students that are here at one of the universities. Lift him up! Our meetings went fine, but they were long and our evenings extended into dinner. I, also, tried to spend some time at school, in between times and take Malia to her various appts. We are ready for our spring break that started yesterday! Yoohoo!
We received the IOWA Basic skills scores. Savannah and Noah did great! They decided to let Noah circle the answers in the test booklet and someone else filled in the bubbles for him. His scores were alot higher than they had been in years before, probably because of this. Savannah's scores were very high. We are so proud of her. She will graduate from speech therapy! Malia's scores were good, esp. with all she has been through this past year. Sage's scores were terrible and I am meeting with the principal on Monday morning to discuss them. Please pray for us for wisdom for next year. It looks like the school may provide the independent study classes Malia needs but it's not a done deal and we are still unsure how to proceed with Sage. I have grave concerns about him going into 3rd grade with the situation as it has been this year--only ONE teacher (Noah has been in that class). They desperately need another 3rd grade teacher. I, also, am unsure if he should repeat 2nd grade. One of the special ed teachers suggested I homeschool him, so please pray for wisdom! I am of the opinion that many of his issues are language/adjustment related and that he doesn't have a learning disability but that might just be wishful thinking. I pray it is not. Noah will not be happy if I homeschool Sage and not Noah, BUT, Noah needs to be at school. So, pray! We also received the results of Sage's ESL testing. He is up to par speaking but has a long way to go with reading and writing!
Well, those are the main highlights of the week! We are on break and we are glad to be. We don't know yet if we will be taking a trip or not. I'll keep in touch!
Blessings!
It has been a busy, busy week and Kel is still at it. He is doing a two day training for some V students that are here at one of the universities. Lift him up! Our meetings went fine, but they were long and our evenings extended into dinner. I, also, tried to spend some time at school, in between times and take Malia to her various appts. We are ready for our spring break that started yesterday! Yoohoo!
We received the IOWA Basic skills scores. Savannah and Noah did great! They decided to let Noah circle the answers in the test booklet and someone else filled in the bubbles for him. His scores were alot higher than they had been in years before, probably because of this. Savannah's scores were very high. We are so proud of her. She will graduate from speech therapy! Malia's scores were good, esp. with all she has been through this past year. Sage's scores were terrible and I am meeting with the principal on Monday morning to discuss them. Please pray for us for wisdom for next year. It looks like the school may provide the independent study classes Malia needs but it's not a done deal and we are still unsure how to proceed with Sage. I have grave concerns about him going into 3rd grade with the situation as it has been this year--only ONE teacher (Noah has been in that class). They desperately need another 3rd grade teacher. I, also, am unsure if he should repeat 2nd grade. One of the special ed teachers suggested I homeschool him, so please pray for wisdom! I am of the opinion that many of his issues are language/adjustment related and that he doesn't have a learning disability but that might just be wishful thinking. I pray it is not. Noah will not be happy if I homeschool Sage and not Noah, BUT, Noah needs to be at school. So, pray! We also received the results of Sage's ESL testing. He is up to par speaking but has a long way to go with reading and writing!
Well, those are the main highlights of the week! We are on break and we are glad to be. We don't know yet if we will be taking a trip or not. I'll keep in touch!
Blessings!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Monday update
I wanted to send a quick update at the beginning of the week, since I am unsure if I will have a chance later in the week.
***Happy Birthday Carolyn!***
Today is Carolyn's 50th Birthday! Carolyn has been working with us the whole time we have been here (Asia) and we are privileged to have her as a colleague and friend. One highlight of turning 50 for her means she is eligible for a retirement visa...which means she can live her with much less hassle and work! Congratulations Carolyn on turning 50!
Tomorrow, we begin SGL meetings and will be busy day and night. I will be at the meeting tomorrow and then popping in and out as my schedule allows. Kel starts a big training here on Sat. with some V students that are here at a university.
Next week starts spring break. We have not decided what/if our family will be traveling or going anywhere. The kids want to stay home. The girls want the focus to be on decorating their rooms. I'm hoping if we stay home we can plan some fun relaxing times. Everyone else we know will be going away!
A family has decided to join our house church that has a 12 year old daughter. She and Malia seem to have hit it off and we are rejoicing that they have decided to join the group. They also have a 14 yr old and an 11 yr old so our kids are no longer the oldest kids in the group.
Yesterday we had our first celebration service--where 4-5 house groups came together for a celebration service. Kelly led the music, found the place, chose the speaker and that type of thing. We had around 100 people there. We plan to have this type of service every 2 months, so the next one will be in May.
Bob, Zona and Zack are planning a trip to Thailand this summer. They will be helping with childcare at one of the meetings and then they will spend some time with us. We are looking forward to their visit!
Well, I think that's the latest here. Let us hear updates from each of you!
Blessings!
***Happy Birthday Carolyn!***
Today is Carolyn's 50th Birthday! Carolyn has been working with us the whole time we have been here (Asia) and we are privileged to have her as a colleague and friend. One highlight of turning 50 for her means she is eligible for a retirement visa...which means she can live her with much less hassle and work! Congratulations Carolyn on turning 50!
Tomorrow, we begin SGL meetings and will be busy day and night. I will be at the meeting tomorrow and then popping in and out as my schedule allows. Kel starts a big training here on Sat. with some V students that are here at a university.
Next week starts spring break. We have not decided what/if our family will be traveling or going anywhere. The kids want to stay home. The girls want the focus to be on decorating their rooms. I'm hoping if we stay home we can plan some fun relaxing times. Everyone else we know will be going away!
A family has decided to join our house church that has a 12 year old daughter. She and Malia seem to have hit it off and we are rejoicing that they have decided to join the group. They also have a 14 yr old and an 11 yr old so our kids are no longer the oldest kids in the group.
Yesterday we had our first celebration service--where 4-5 house groups came together for a celebration service. Kelly led the music, found the place, chose the speaker and that type of thing. We had around 100 people there. We plan to have this type of service every 2 months, so the next one will be in May.
Bob, Zona and Zack are planning a trip to Thailand this summer. They will be helping with childcare at one of the meetings and then they will spend some time with us. We are looking forward to their visit!
Well, I think that's the latest here. Let us hear updates from each of you!
Blessings!
Friday, March 23, 2007
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Friday, March 16, 2007
School decisions!
Well, it's that time of year again! We begin thinking about next yr and options for school for the kiddo's. Sav just received her report card for 3rd quarter and received 6 A's and 1 B! We are so thrilled at the diligence we have seen in her and responsibility she has taken for her own work. Her teachers are proud of her because they have seen her hard work. She is enjoying school and thriving. One of the latest things is there are several little boys who have "crushes" on her and that has been fun to observe and watch....esp. her reaction to it. She's not really interested in them at this time but is growing her relationships with her girlfriends around her. She is also loving having her own room and she does a great job of keeping it organized and clean.
Noah...Noah's grades were ok.... He is doing some interesting things....like he sits on a ball in his class.... When you see him you might want to ask him more about that. He is not drowning in school so does not qualify for a lot of extra services so, I'm trying to figure out how I can help him. It is getting harder for him to compensate for his dyslexia issues and he is requiring more help at home, esp. with written projects. However, it's good for him to be at school. He tends to want to be more of a computer/junkie introvert so it is good for him to be with others!
Sage....we are still unsure what next yr will hold for Sage. His teacher would like to see him repeat 2nd grade. He is making baby steps of progress that I am pleased with but his learning difficulties seem to be more involved than just ESL issues, although they accentuate the issues. His performance is very inconsistent. Pray for wisdom about the next step for him. Should we put him on medication? Should we homeschool him? Should we push for him to move up to 3rd grade? Should we have him in counseling? These are just some of the questions that we are trying to answer and need Godly wisdom to discern.
Last but not least, there is Malia, who at this time has the most severe learning needs. We just had some more testing done (it needs to be updated periodically). We are still trying to determine her options for next year. She will not be successful in a large classroom so the school is still in the decision making process about what services they will be able to offer. IF she goes into a resource classroom, she most likely will be the only girl (with 5 boys). I'm not sure how I feel about that, although (she doesn't know this is an option) she seems to have a much easier time relating to boys right now than girls--their conversations are not as complex and they are not so emotional! We need wisdom to know if this is the best thing for her and I'm praying that direction will be set by the school--IF they decide that they can offer her services, we will go with it. If they can't, it will be a clear indicator to us that she needs to homeschool. I may also try to find out more info about the homeschool co-op here (it meets one day a week) to see if homeschooling might be a better option for her socially. I'm not sure I'm up to the task of homeschooling but I know God gives you what you need at the moment you need it--and sometimes not before. :>
Please pray for wisdom for me about whether or not I should approach some mothers of some of the girls in her grade about her specific deficits to see if they would be willing to encourage their daughters to be her friend. This is a unique community in that most of these moms are "M's" and some of them might have a desire to do something like this. I need wisdom.
Thanks for your prayers!
Noah...Noah's grades were ok.... He is doing some interesting things....like he sits on a ball in his class.... When you see him you might want to ask him more about that. He is not drowning in school so does not qualify for a lot of extra services so, I'm trying to figure out how I can help him. It is getting harder for him to compensate for his dyslexia issues and he is requiring more help at home, esp. with written projects. However, it's good for him to be at school. He tends to want to be more of a computer/junkie introvert so it is good for him to be with others!
Sage....we are still unsure what next yr will hold for Sage. His teacher would like to see him repeat 2nd grade. He is making baby steps of progress that I am pleased with but his learning difficulties seem to be more involved than just ESL issues, although they accentuate the issues. His performance is very inconsistent. Pray for wisdom about the next step for him. Should we put him on medication? Should we homeschool him? Should we push for him to move up to 3rd grade? Should we have him in counseling? These are just some of the questions that we are trying to answer and need Godly wisdom to discern.
Last but not least, there is Malia, who at this time has the most severe learning needs. We just had some more testing done (it needs to be updated periodically). We are still trying to determine her options for next year. She will not be successful in a large classroom so the school is still in the decision making process about what services they will be able to offer. IF she goes into a resource classroom, she most likely will be the only girl (with 5 boys). I'm not sure how I feel about that, although (she doesn't know this is an option) she seems to have a much easier time relating to boys right now than girls--their conversations are not as complex and they are not so emotional! We need wisdom to know if this is the best thing for her and I'm praying that direction will be set by the school--IF they decide that they can offer her services, we will go with it. If they can't, it will be a clear indicator to us that she needs to homeschool. I may also try to find out more info about the homeschool co-op here (it meets one day a week) to see if homeschooling might be a better option for her socially. I'm not sure I'm up to the task of homeschooling but I know God gives you what you need at the moment you need it--and sometimes not before. :>
Please pray for wisdom for me about whether or not I should approach some mothers of some of the girls in her grade about her specific deficits to see if they would be willing to encourage their daughters to be her friend. This is a unique community in that most of these moms are "M's" and some of them might have a desire to do something like this. I need wisdom.
Thanks for your prayers!
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