A language blunder

We have a sweet lady who comes to our house twice a week to help me keep up with the housework...now before you think I'm sitting around eating bonbons while she does all the work...let me tell you that cleaning is a daily affair. There is something about the air over here...it just holds dust constantly. Nothing stays clean.

So, we have a house helper and we need her. We love her like family and work to practice our language with her, which is difficult, because she speaks a dialect. A comparison might be that you learned to speak a proper England kind of English and you are trying to carry on a conversation with a good ole boy from southeast Texas (no offense friends). It's challenging.

She is a believer, but her family isn't. Nor are they wealthy. Her husband has to travel to other locations to work and she is often a single parent of her two kids. Anyway, we try to encourage her the best we can. We hug and love on her and she, in turn, loves us and is patient with our language. She adores the Prince and Princess. I think she missed the Prince almost as much as we do.

Now to the story...recently she had a death in her family. This is our first experience in this culture with someone close to us having a death in the family and we had to do a little research to know exactly what to do. So, after we took care of what was culturally expected, I pulled her aside, hugged her, and in my broken language told her we loved her and would do what we could to help her. I then asked her if I could pray with her. She didn't understand at first, but she caught on when I bowed my head and she followed suit. Then she returned the blessing by praying over us and thanking Father for putting us together. It wasn't until much later when I was relaying to the King the episode that I realized what I had actually said and why she didn't understand immediately that I wanted to pray for her.

You see the word for "pray" and "cake" are similar. Apparently, I asked her if I could "cake" for her.

LOL.

Thought you'd appreciate a little humor. :)

Trauma and triumph...

While we were gone to visit the Prince (btw, I think this is my last post about that trip...or maybe not...lol) we asked my tutor, who is also the mother of hamsters, to hamster-sit. She was excited to do it and told us that when we got Kylie (the Princess' hamster) back she would probably be slimmer. Apparently since we are new to the whole owning a rodent thing, we have overfed her and she has outgrown her wheel to the point that she just sits in it rather than run...we hadn't noticed since she is nocturnal.

So, the tutor ("Auntie E") took good care of her. When we returned late on Sunday evening we knew that we would be getting the hamster back on Monday afternoon. But Auntie E was out and about on Monday running errands and didn't return Kylie until Tuesday...and when she did...the drama began.

She came running into the house crying, "She's dying! She got too hot!" Immediately we wrapped her in a damp towel and stood near the fan while we worked to get water in her system. She was seriously dehydrated. We worked hard. Three adult heads and sets of hands working to revive her. She came around slowly, and when she started rubbing her whiskers in annoyance we thought the coast was clear. I showed her to the Princess and told her that I was still going to take her into the air-conditioned room and keep giving her water. The Princess was distracted with all the stuff that Auntie E had brought with her.

Auntie E was imagining a hugely happy ending to this story because she traded Kylie's cage for a bigger and better one, including a better wheel and some cute amenities. The Princess did not realize the trauma still going on with her hamster...she was too busy setting up the new house.

By the time the house was set up...I felt sure Kylie wasn't going to make it, but having no rodent expertise (other than desiring them dead!) I didn't know what to do. I happened to be the person who was with Elsa (the other hamster) when she breathed her last and I began to recognize the signs. I knew Auntie E was going to feel terrible, after all it is still as hot as hades here and how was she to know Kylie couldn't make the trip?

After 45 minutes of working to revive her and one real moment of believing it so...Kylie died in my hands. Auntie E walked in at that moment...and wouldn't you know it?...I started crying. Then she started crying...then the King walked in and didn't know what to do. We decided to ask the Princess if she wanted to see Kylie and say goodbye (she looked peaceful in my hands and was still soft to touch). She did....and started crying. Tears flowed for another 30 minutes. About the time I thought the Princess was slowing she would bury her head in my side and BAWL. It breaks my heart thinking about it now.

We were supposed to be tutoring...but no one could. The King dealt with the dirty job of disposal and we all washed our hands in a state of shock. I dare say even the King struggled against emotion watching all of it flowing so freely from all the females in the house. The Princess sat down immediately and began drawing this picture. She put the time of death and the date and drew some sweet details.

Auntie E could hardly function from the guilt. She truly believed she had killed the Princess' hamster even when we assured her it was not her fault. She had a solution if we were open to it. Since she has hamsters herself, she was willing to get a new one for the Princess the next day from the person she got hers from. She made a phone call and found out that the next day was not convenient...could they come now?

So, with the thought of getting to pick out a new pet the Princess perked up. She had poured her grief into her artwork and dried her tears. She was sad but was excited about the prospect of a new critter to live in the new hamster house. Off they went..

When they returned, they had a smaller hamster...that was pure white. She had already been christened "Snowflake" and nicknamed "Squeaks" by the Princess. She apparently loved her new home and was AMAZINGLY active. All was forgiven and the happy ending that Auntie E had imagined came to be...just in a little different way than was originally imagined. The favorite thing of the Princess now is to put that "little ham" into the hamster ball and let her "go to town" which she does very well.

She is pretty cute, I have to say, which is quite ironic. I would never have chosen the white one. In our early years of marriage, I worked as a secretary for a company that had their office on the front of their warehouse on the outskirts of town. Every morning, I had the unpleasant task of wiping down every surface there was that I might be touching because mice were rampant...no matter how many traps or cats lived in the warehouse. It was the number one thing I hated about that job. Often times I would wipe every thing down only to sit down and have one scurry right before my eyes off of the desk I had just cleaned. Ug. I really grew to loathe mice. I couldn't go to the restroom without picking my feet up because they might run across my toes. YIKES. So...to now have a white rodent BY CHOICE in my home...well, you get the picture. But the joy that the little critter gives to my girl is priceless. We are not in a position of owning other pets (i.e. dogs or cats) and fish don't really count, and since we are accustomed to "fuzz therapy" we now have our fix.

Here she is curled up in her "room" on her side..with her paws tucked up close together.

Moving too fast in the wheel to get a good picture.

She climbs into the bowl to eat.

Peaking out to say good morning.

All is well that ends well.

News to share...

Last week when we met the Prince for the weekend...he let a very important document be taken out or fall out of his passport. So when he reentered the country of his schooling his visa was altered.

We received an urgent message from the school saying that as a worst case scenario we would have to redo the entire process (which took the Prince and I out of our host country for four days and cost a pretty penny the first time). It would not be the end of the world, but WOULD be very inconvenient and costly (again).

We had the Prince look everywhere for the document...dorm parents and roommate helped. He didn't remember ever seeing it. Ug. That meant it could be anywhere. This is one of those things that, as a parent, concerns us about him not living with us. These are lessons we want him to learn before he is so far away from us that we cannot get to him to help. Know what I mean? Anyway.

I immediately felt like the widow who swept her floor until she found her missing coin, but I had no floor to sweep. Nothing to do. No one to ask...except the One who knows all. It was a tad bit telling that my first thought was "How do I handle this?" instead of, "Lord, how do you want to handle this?"

So, I asked Him. I told him what was in my heart. It's not the end of the world if we have to redo this document, but it would be very inconvenient and could compromise some of the things we have planned to do in the near future for Him. So...I just reminded Him that He knows where the document is and could He please put it into the right hands to be returned. Even the Prince was telling us to talk to the Lord about it (always sweet words to hear from your child).

Within 12 hours I received an email that the document had been found by someone who didn't know how to reach the Prince so they turned it into the Foreign Affairs office (where he will have to go in order to get the sticker for his passport, anyway) and it will be waiting on him when he arrives. He had lost it as he was exiting the country.

That was AWESOME news! Thanks Father.

More Reunion pics...

Some of these are better than others...but that's just the way it goes.

We went to a mexican food cafe and had some good eats! Although spicy...we must be losing our taste for spice! I had a taco salad with grilled chicken and it was covered in a chipotle sauce. Yum...but by the time I got to the bottom...my mouth was on fire.
The King had a wet burrito and the Prince had chicken enchiladas but the Prince could not eat his for the spice...so he and the King ended up switching.
The Princess had cheese quesadillas...which she devoured.

The cafe has some authentic decor...check out the cactus (and the goofy grin)...

...that's more like it.

The sombrero adds a nice touch. I had to use my flash to get a good picture, but it takes away from the ambiance of the place. We really enjoyed the food and are almost afraid of what will have happened to our tastes buds by the time we return to the states. Will we be able to handle our favorite food...Tex-Mex? Time will tell.

After dinner we took a stroll down the boulevard. With the weather so nice, we walked our feet off...almost. We passed a couple of flower shops and the Princess loves flowers. So, we teamed up. I distracted her while the men in her life sneakedd into another flower shop. When they came out acting nonchalant...I thought they must not have bought her anything, but then the Prince pulled out the long stem pink rose and gave it to her...she lit up. This isn't the greatest picture...but more will come.

During our stroll, we stopped on a corner and watched this giant light pole. It took a minute for me to realize that every time I looked it was a different color. The Princess and I were mesmerized for a few minutes...enjoying the weather, the stroll, the company, full bellies, the sights and sounds of the city...it was very nice.

We weren't the only ones watching...

When we returned to the hotel, we crowded onto the bed to watch a movie together and it made my heart smile to watch the Prince and Princess all snuggled up to each other...

...holding hands...

...and just lovin' on each other. Sweet times.

More reunion pics...

When we set out to meet the Prince, there was a tropical storm just off the coast of where we were staying. We were slightly alarmed that the Prince would fly "around" it to land or that his flight would be canceled or some such...but everything fell into place. We also anticipated spending the entire weekend indoors if it was to rain as much as we thought...but...it did not rain...not even once. As a matter of fact, we had cloudy skies enough to cool down the weather and then the sun broke through. The King took the kids down ahead of me and I stayed in the room for a short while...I watched from our 9th floor balcony and took a few pics of the kids using their TKD in the water. Not another soul was there. Peaceful.

The King is taking another online class and has much required reading, so he decided in favor of Vitamin D and a little reading time. The kids had a great time.

The Reunion!

When we finally got checked in and unloaded all of our bags...the Big Brother tackled the Little Sister and all we heard for about 3 solid minutes was belly laughing from her!

Notice the baby bed...we asked for an additional bed/cot to be put in the room and this is what we got. Both kids couldn't resist trying it out.

We were told that we booked the absolute LAST room this hotel had. This happened to be a big holiday-type weekend and everything everywhere was full...so we are/were extremely grateful to get it. We've been down this road before so we carried an air mattress with us...just in case.

The Prince was glad! We have an air pump but it doesn't get the last little bit of air in...so we allowed (lol) the Prince to put his hot air to good use.

More to come...

And we're off!

The Prince has a long weekend away from school and we are going to meet him.

We are very excited! The Princess has not been able to go to sleep at night for three days for the excitement she feels!

We'll get 3 1/2 days together, some pictures and lots of hugs...oh! and MEXICAN FOOD! WOOHOO! (I'm almost as excited about that as I am seeing my son! Not really.)

Pray for safe travel!

Be back soon!

A funny or two for ya...

Some days I think I'm losing my mind...I feel like I have a million and one things to keep up with and I can never finish any one task without interruptions. Do you feel that way? Anyway, because of constant interruptions I am always trying to remember where I left off.

Example #1:

I was getting ready for school and The King was talking to me. I decided my hair is long enough to curl and gave it a shot. I had it divided into sections and held out of the way with clips, combs, etc..

The entire time the King is talking to me and commenting on how cute I look with my hair going in 50 directions. He's talking and I'm curling. He finished telling me what he needed to and walked out of the room. Within minutes he walked back in and I burst out laughing...why? because from the moment he left I was looking for my comb...the one I had just used...where could it be?...I just had it...then it dawned on me!...it's in my HAIR! I promise. I'm losing my mind. I knew a lady who used to wear reading glasses on a chain around her neck and a pair in her hair and she was ALWAYS looking for them.

Example #2 (of my going crazy):

The first day of classes found me not having to go. My class was beginning on day 2. WooHoo. So, on day 2, I show up and greet my classmates from last semester and sit down ready to learn. 5 minutes into the class I was fighting frustration and tears. My teacher was talking 90 mph and I couldn't understand most of what she was saying. Because of my frustration, my mind would wander to..."how did I lose so much language over the summer?" to "how am I going to survive this semester?" to "I cannot do this!" to "I can do all things through Christ..." to "don't be defeated...when you are weak, He is strong..." And back again. Etc.

An hour and a half later, when class is over, the teacher approaches me and of course is speaking to me in her language.

Teacher: "Did you understand what I was saying today?"

Me: "Some. You speak very fast. I would hear you and in my head translate what you said, but by then you had moved on and I missed the next three things you said."

Teacher: "You need to preview the lessons."

Me: "How could I? I did not know where we were to begin?"

Teacher: "Why did you not come to class yesterday?"

Me: "Today is the first day."

Teacher: "No. Yesterday was."

Then my astute classmate chimed in: "This is the Listening class. What class are you signed up for?"

Me: (with great relief) "I'm in the Grammar class."

Teacher: "That class is next. We reverse the order on Thursdays. So, will you be in my class tomorrow?"

Me: (trying to hide my relief) "No. I won't.)

So after showing up to the wrong class and causing myself some serious grief, I stayed for the right class...which wasn't much better except that the teacher was lively and animated! I liked her immediately.

When my brain is actually screwed on straight, things go much better for me. LOL.

This just in...

Remember I told you we are a family of nicknames....?

Well, some of them our kids are not fond of....imagine that.

Anyway, the Princess just asked her daddy to (kindly) please stop calling her "Turkey-butt" and while she was at it "Sugar-pea." He quickly asked her if she minded being called "Sugar-butt" or "Turkey-pea?"

She being the master of rolling her eyes when she doesn't think you are funny...gave him the best eye-roll of all. He deserved it! LOL.

For the record, I asked her why she didn't want to be called those things anymore...and she gave me the look and said, "Mom, can you think of any reason why I'd WANT to be called Turkey Butt?!"

I laughed out loud. I completely understand. When I was little my Dad called me a name I hated, and when people (brothers) realized I hated it...they kept it up! I can feel her pain. That kid is a HOOT!

Just wanted to share...

Over the weekend...

I appreciate hearing your thoughts on my last post. Even my husband, who always reads the blog but doesn't usually comment, talked to me about it.

I thought I'd share a scenario that happened this weekend.

We were traveling to a city north of us to welcome a new family to the country. We've never met them, but they are coming to teach English at the school where we first fell in love with this country. The Dean of the school is our mutual friend. We were invited up to welcome them and be available to help them shop or whatever they needed. They are a sweet family with kids around our kids ages, a boy and a girl (...if only the Prince were still here).

The town they live in is considered a small town (of about 300,000 people...salute!) and is considerably smaller than our own city. So...life there is a little different. Not so many foreigners, etc.

Now...a little background. Wherever we go, the Princess draws attention with her blond hair/blue eyes, and then usually me, with my fake blond hair, and then whoever happens to be in line next. The Prince because he's tall and very handsome or the good-looking bald white man! Anyway. We are pretty used to people looking at us and even staring at us...sometimes from 3 inches away! LOL.

So, in this small town where there are no foreigners to speak of, I found my husband being "checked out" by pretty Asian women. He was leading the way, then the Princess, and then me. The King was oblivious to it. One incident was when we were crossing the street and I was far enough behind that I could see these two young (20's?) women walking together and talking. (It so fun to see the moment that they see you and recognize that you don't belong.) I saw one girl look up and see him, then say something to the other, the other looked up and saw him...they both got big saucer eyes and gave him what I would call a "flirty smile" and then he passed them. Next the Princess...and then me. I think they were flirting...because of the looks on their faces when they FINALLY saw me. LOL.

After that, I paid closer attention and sure enough...he was being ogled. But the thing is...he never noticed. Now, don't think that I'm shocked by this...he is a handsome devil. I just haven't noticed him being watched more than the Princess. It got me to thinking...about him.

Not too long ago, I posted our engagement pictures as well as a few newer ones. We've been married 19 years and a lot has changed.

When you look at him, you might see a bald head where a beautiful head of blond hair used to be, and a little more weight on his frame, and wrinkles where there were none, but what I see is much more than that. I see the life we've lived; the joys and sorrows, the dreams, the failures, the triumphs, the lessons, but mostly the journey of a deeper walk not only with each other but with our God. And really...that he is alive to make this journey with me. (If you know any of our story, you know the cancer that the Lord healed him from.)

When we married, we really didn't understand how we could love someone more than we did at that moment, but we do now. I'm not sure it can truly be explained to someone who is "IN LOVE" (LOL) but as time goes by and trials come and you weather the storms together you come out stronger on the other side and with a deeper love that is more than "lovey-dovey"...it's abiding. It's powerful. It's a life-force, especially when it's grounded in God.

All that to say, that night I snuggled up closer to my hubby after watching him through the eyes of other women (after I repented of the jealous thoughts I had...well, I think I actually thought, "back off girlie's or I'll have to snap you like twigs!"...just keepin' it real!) and was thankful. Aware. Content.

What about you? Who (or what) do you need to be reminded is a blessing? Soak it in and then return the blessing.

Self-relfection...

I realized something about myself that I guess I knew...but never put into words.

I'm always looking to the next thing...

For years, I was working my way through college. Checking off each assignment, test, class, or semester that brought me closer to my degree.

With my degree in hand, I got the job I wanted, but it was a job that by design had me looking for the next thing. As a teacher, I was always planning, looking to the end goal. Working on ways to get kids to where they needed to be. Hopefully it was in fun and inventive ways, but still looking toward the goal. In the process, I was checking off lists whether mentally or literally. After time teaching...I was looking to the next holiday (!) or break from school to be with family...the next vacation...the next activity with kids...the next thing...ALWAYS.

I remember when my son was a baby. He was learning to crawl. He was up on all fours...rocking back and forth...even lifting a hand or knee to move...but not moving. My dad called me one day, asked me what I was doing and dropped the phone from laughter when I said I was on the floor with him TEACHING him to crawl...but that's another story. LOL.) My point was I was always looking to the next step he would take, the next thing he would learn, the next stage he would enter. I loved each stage and THOUGHT I was savoring them, but now I see I wasn't. I wasn't conditioned to. I was conditioned (by life, circumstances, society...) to move to the next thing. I still am.

I've always wondered what the apostle Paul's secret to contentment was. He said he had learned to be content whether in need or abundance, etc. Did he know it at a young age or did it take him some time to learn it? Was it one big lesson or a series of smaller ones? Do you follow me?

I go through phases of contentment, but then I feel stagnant and get back into the rhythm of looking for the next thing. Then I realize I'm not living a "contented" life and resolve to be more content and focus on details...savor life and it's journey...until I lose my focus on that goal and become stagnant again. Then I'm off looking for the next thing again. Does anyone else see the cycle? Apparently I haven't learned TRUE CONTENTMENT. I resolve to be content. I look to the next thing...as if those are things I should be controlling.

I think of it in terms of Mary and Martha, simplistically speaking. (Feel free to correct me if you disagree or share with me a better example.)

Martha was a "do-er." She got things done. She did it out of a heart full of love, originally. But somewhere she lost her focus and it was a way of life.

Mary was a "soaker." She sat at the feet of Jesus to soak up her time with Him. To savor every moment. She knew things needed to get done, but she couldn't pry herself from the ultimate source of all things.

Martha would've liked to sit at Jesus' feet, but then who is going to feed him, etc. She lost sight of the fact that HE was FEEDING them. This is a picture of a constant battle.

Honestly, I don't have some super insight that the Lord has given me, I'm still working it out myself. But it appears to be the age old battle of flesh versus the spirit. I understand the concepts of walking in the Spirit. At least I think I do, but I haven't mastered it. My flesh is stronger than I want it to be and in that strength...it robs me, often, of my contentment. It needs to be subjected to a good "soaking" daily and often, many times daily.

I want to be Mary, sitting at Jesus feet, soaking up all he would give me...but I am conditioned to be Martha. You know?

In other areas I have mastered that battle. I can leave dishes in the sink to go and watch a movie with my kids or snuggle up and read a book together, etc. But when it comes to that which matters MOST, time with the Lord...sometimes I just can't leave that "list" of things to do or they'll never get done...to just be in his presence, to be with him.

Like I said, I knew I struggled with it...but it came home to me in a new realization recently...this flaw about myself in relationship to always pursuing the next thing. I don't have all the answers, but sometimes I just have to say it out loud or write it out to give it credence. I don't expect your comments or advice. It's just where I am right now...still in the struggle as I assume I'll be 'til the Lord returns.