guest blogging

Today brings about the start of a new series on Breathing Deep Where the Air is Thin, running throughout the summer.  I will be hosting a variety of guest bloggers who will be enlightening you to their lives.  Each of our guests will be providing their own perspectives through the lens as well (aka: they'll be taking their own pictures - for the lay person).

Our first guest comes from the great State of California (they all come from California, actually - although they are also half Canadian - whether they like it or not).  She is the most fabulous fourteen-year-old that I know.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to:  Madelaine (better known as Maddy, since she gives you the screwy-eye if you call her Madelaine) Ackermann........

So the day all started with my mother, being very mensch like, decided that the three youngest should get a head start at Christmas gifts in school for next year. Well for me, at least. 

Their day started at 6 in the morning playing computer games or Wii. 

Anyway, Mom explained the craft to them, something she has done before. (with me) 

First, she asked Mia to get the large drawer of stickers and to find ones that are small enough for going under marble gem thingies. (The technical name, I'm sure.)

 The smaller marbles

The small and big ones

 

Cade, being the kind of boy that he is, divided up all of the marbles equally between the three of them. (One of the piles was already handed out)

I told Mom that she needed some of the marbles too, since she seemed to have lost hers. 

 Lucy's 

 Cade's

Then I got distracted and made a snowflake/flower with the marbles.  

When the time came for Cade to glue the marbles to the stickers, he made me do it.

 

All of Cade's marbles

 

All of Lucy's

And Mia's

Later, once Dad got back from the grocery store, we made Piña Coladas- 

ice, piña colada mix, frozen pineapple. 

And of course, Lucy insisted in blending. 

The delicious drinks in some fancy cups. 

happy birthday blog!

Happy Birthday to my Blog

Happy Birthday to my Blog

Happy Birthday dear Blog

Happy Birthday to my Blog.

Two years old.

laughing

It's time for a little comedy.

It has been quite a day.  Most everything that I have been working on in the past few days fell apart in the past few hours.  So I need some laughter.  Actually, the comedy that I am talking about isn't really the type of stuff that makes you laugh out loud.  It's actually the type that makes you want to lash out irrationally.  Probably not the comedy that I am longing for.

The comedy is just stuff that goes on here.  Here in this country.

Like the government running out of paper to print official documents.  This is the second time it has happened since we've been here.  Last year it was the paper for drivers' licenses.  They just plum ran out.  And didn't get any for several weeks.

Now they have run out of the paper for censos.  Censos are the cards we foreigners need in order to be in this country.  They are the cards you need for almost any transaction that goes on.  Actually, you technically can't even leave the country without one, at least if you feel like coming back.

The thing about them running out of paper for these documents, aside from just the fact that they run out and then you can't get them, is that the lines afterwards - once they have the paper again (which they have no e.t.a. on) - are even more atrocious than before.  Fun.  Funny.  Ha ha.

Some other comedy we have experienced in the past two months involve one way streets.  Until about two months ago, the street we live on (and the neighborhood as a whole) was a regular two way street.  One day they put up a one way sign.  In fact, they put one way signs up on pretty well all the streets in our area.  Five days later, they put up new one way signs...... one way signs going the other direction.  This happened on many of the streets.  Last weekend, almost two months after all of this began, they changed the streets back to regular old two way streets.  Eric loves it.  

It's funny.  

But we're not laughing.

:o)

all God's creatures

Posted on Inspired By Family Magazine.

cooper

A few weekends ago, for two weekends in a row actually,  we babysat (dogsat?) our friends' dog, Cooper.  Cooper is the most wonderful, well behaved yellow lab ever.  Other than pooping and shedding, he is pretty much the world's most perfect dog.  He is playful, but pretty much just when he should be, he is obedient and he is mostly mellow.

And he likes sliding.

The kids loved taking him to the park and almost fought over who got to take him - they actually worked it out quite well, taking turns in 10-15 minute increments. 

While the kids played, I figured I'd take advantage of cute kids and a nice overcast day....

Even though this post is really much more about how cute our kids are, we did start out with it being about Cooper.  So lets end with that.

The hope was that taking care of Cooper might convince Eric to allow us to get a dog - as the kids had been asking for a long time.  My idea was to surprise them on the last day of school with a puppy, but that won't be happening, unfortunately.

Fact is, while the kids loved having Cooper around, when it came to scooping up poop, only Maddy and Mia were willing.  Cade and Lucy decided that they no longer wanted a dog if that is what they would have to do.  So much for that experiment.

I still want a dog.

(Although seriously, how is it possible for a dog to daily poop twice as much as it eats?)

love, amor, love

Another post that I have had up and running for a while, but never finished.....

I think I'll be brief.  I just want to get this stuff done - call me a sloth.  Go ahead.

So almost two months ago now, friends of ours got married.  She works in the chaplain's office at the kids' school (and is part of Youth World).  He is from here, works in the chaplain's office part time, teaches drumming part time and is a student.  They are adorable.  That is about all that needs to be said.

I feebly helped a friend throw a shower for her.  Oh, I guess names need to be said - a shower for Ashley.  Initially there were some grandiose decorating plans in my head, but that is mostly where they stayed.  A few smaller things came to fruition.

Katie did some games - I don't do games.  I tried to pretend that I needed to take pictures while the games were happening but didn't fly with this crowd.

Everyone (including me) had to draw a picture of Ashley on her wedding day on a paper plate, while holding it on your head.  Then Ashley picked the winner.

I am proud to say that Maddy won.  I got third or fourthish place.... not to bad for a grumpy lady who didn't want to participate.

The wedding was really nice.  It was at a beautiful hacienda with really pretty grounds.  The not so pretty part was all the rain that had been falling, so it was a little tricky to get to.  I should have taken some pictures of the muddy roads!

Thankfully, the rain held off that day until a little later.  It squelched some of the festivities but not too much.  There were too many people there who liked to have a good time, so the party lived in spite of a little moisture!

My job was to coordinate and decorate.  There were many moments that were a bit frantic, as the hacienda people didn't hold up to their end of the bargain in several areas, but there are always people who are willing to pitch in, so it all got done.

I made the little sign above for the flower girl (who therefore was really the little sign girl) to carry down the aisle in front of Ashley.  It was a very sweet idea (not my idea, by the way!).

Then right after they were announced as husband and wife and walked out, she flipped the sign around and walked out in front of them.

They had coke bottles for everyone.  It looked great and was a fun touch.  Surprisingly, bottles of soda are not that hard to come by here.  Ashley also ordered some very neat wooden disposable plates and cutlery.

Sandi, another Youth Worlder, took care of all the centerpieces/flowers.

Ashley also planned for a kids table.  It was covered with butcher paper and crayons were put out.  They even got bags of gummy bears and swirly lollipops.  The problem was that very few kids even sat there.  That was fine by me - it just allowed some of the rest of us to have a chance at the fun.

And a few other detail pictures.....

There wasn't a whole lot of socializing or sitting for me, but I took advantage of a few moments.  You can't but take some time to laugh when you are at a party with good friends.

Other than dislocating my jaw (okay, not really, it just looks like it from how I am smiling), it was a great day.  Rain and all.