nothing needs to be said

from the cousins

Way back when (on December 27th), some of our most wonderfulest friends came out here to celebrate Christmas and New Years with their family-in-law.  Remember the cupcake in Maddy's face for her birthday?  Yup, that family - but the rest of them came on the 27th..... Wurzbachs, Fishers and Polks.  A certain most darling sister-in-law of mine stuck a few gifts into our bags that they brought up for us.  More treasures for the Ackermanns.

For Eric:

The girls all got little treasure boxes.

And Cade....

Well, first of all Cade commented on his wrapping paper.  "This thing is full of ho's!"

Maddy and I burst out laughing, Eric smiled and snickered, and the other three looked at us like we were smoking something.  

He got a polar bear that poops jelly beans.

It was true love.  He then said "That's way Blake and Carson gave this to me, 'cause they're so gross."  Not a truer word was spoke.

I also got a treasure - a beautiful paper weight - that I neglected to photograph because I was too into what the rest of the family was doing.  I think I am going to turn it wall art as it will simply get buried under paper instead of weighing it down.  I'm organized like that.

Rachel (the Wurzbach) also brought us treasures.  Once again I did not photograph them - all except for what I received upon her arrival:

The girl knows me well.  Very well.  If she would have sinned against me, she would have been forgiven multiple times.  That's just how shallow I am.

walking home

Three days in a row now I have walked home from the kids school and wanted to blog about something I've seen.  Once again I am dying for my spy camera - a picture says so much, but alas, you will have to simply read my words and use your imagination.  Some observations have caused deep thoughts and some light laughs but both are so much better shared.  Instead of posting each individually, I'm just going to put them together.  But since I'm feeling a little impatient this morning, I'm not going to wait until the end of the week - I'll just post this now.....

Monday:

This morning I saw a man driving a van like ours all by himself.  It reminded me that Eric often drives our van all by himself.  It was kind of sadly humorous as several other vehicles, usually smaller, are filled with many people.

We just got back from the jungle yesterday, so it is even more of a contrast.  Much more so on the outskirts of the city and the jungle do you see lots of people loaded into a car or truck.  It seems possible, even likely, to see 32 men and women, 53 children, 14 dogs and a farm full of cui (guinea pigs) all crammed in the pack of a small pick up.  Most likely they are on their way to a fiesta and the guinea pigs are invited too (except of course they are the guests of honor - the main course.).  You could see a 1963 Volkswagon Beetle crammed full with 8 people.  And no, they aren't playing clowns.  Then you could see our family or this guy I saw this morning, all of us "fat, dumb and happy" as Eric would say (expression learned at the CHP academy oh so many years ago to imply ignorance or lack of awareness) clueless or indifferent to our much compared to their little.

But sometimes, again after being in the jungle, that having much is often more of a curse than having little. It all depends on how you look at it.

Tuesday:

I just got home from playing a game of Extreme Frogger; also know as:

Testing the Lord your God

Life on the Limb

and

Crossing a Major Intersection in Quito on Foot when the Traffic Lights are Out

It is a game that is not uncommon, and one that you don't have much choice as to whether you play it or not.  I've never been one for games in the first place.

I will say that it is a game that is much more tolerable to play by yourself than when having four kids in tow.  That is really really not fun.

Wednesday:

Saw my favorite little old, very cute, very shriveled little old lady sitting and selling her food on the street - a usual sight, but today she was wearing a new looking Nike toque (beanie).  Not selling any pig ears today either.

A man riding his bike on the main (very busy) drag with a weed whacker, leaf blower and broom strapped on.

A 40-something year old gringo (?) with a sweet Shawn Cassidy feather going on.  Do tell me... is he out-of-date or up-to-date?  'Cause you know that fine look will be coming back one of these days for the males in our lives to enjoy.  Can't wait.....

new years eve - party like its 1941

New Years Eve was party time with Casa G.

 Party time naturally means cooking time as well.  We had:

Chili

Corn dogs

lots of chips (I didn't make these!) and salsa 

potato salad

potato pancakes (not sure anyone even tried them)

raw veggies and dip

banana cake

two chocolate cakes

popcorn balls

caramel popcorn

Normally the boys don't eat a ton of sweets but they did that night for some reason.  One of the boys (Antony) had 9 pieces of chocolate cake in a matter of 10 minutes - it may have even been faster.

Mainly we ate, played Wii in the garage - "big screen",

 or the boys were on the computer for the first hour or so.

 When things got a little crazy I found the entire family hiding out in Mia's room to get away from it all for a bit!

 One of the new years tradition here involves uvas - grapes.  The idea is for everyone to eat 12 grapes in the last minute before the new year.  Each grape represents one month and you are to make a wish with each grape you eat.  Eric bought 10 pounds to make sure we had enough.

 The problem was that the only grapes he could find were huge ones.  HUGE.

 I selfishly dug out as many small ones that I could find and saved those for Maddy and I - there was no way we were going to be able to pound down 12 of those gigantic grapes in one minute!  I didn't watch him, but I'm sure Antony could have done it after the way I saw him eat cake!

 There were also some photo opps with our Año Viejo.  The is a dummy that is burned each new year.  I wanted to get pictures but never did - they are for sale everywhere on the streets.  Every shape, size and character: from a two foot Smurf to an eight foot WWF wrestler - with many presidents, famous personalities, etc. in between.  We burned a fairly generic man this year - more on that later.....

 As we got closer to midnight, Eric gave a little talk and had the boys write down some things that they struggled with this past year.  He also got them to write down some goals/areas where they wanted to grow for the new year.

 Then Eric had them put their goals in their bibles and their mistakes, sins and/or areas of change were burned with the Viejo (the Old Man - and Ecuadorian New Years tradition where they burn a saw dust - ours this year - and or firecracker filled - ours last year - "man" to represent getting rid of the old things so they can have a new start with the new year.  The idea is renewal - out with the old, and presumably, in with the new).

 Here's were the WWII comes in - the photos could almost look like they were from 1941.  Eric bought a bunch of roman candles - fireworks are huge down here, for pretty much any celebration, but for New Years Eve, they are pretty much mandatory.  Buying a dozen roman candles barely qualified us for an actual Ecuadorian celebration.  But let me tell you, the boys enjoyed them.

 They enjoyed them so much, in fact, that they started to shoot them at each other.  Yes, you read that correctly - they shot them at each other.... and almost at Eric and I, the silent observers.  I felt a little like a war reporter, trying to capture the front lines.  Okay, it wasn't nearly as horrific as all that, but it was pretty crazy.

 Yes, one or two of them got hit, but no, none of them got injured!

 Two of the guys, Lizandro and Alejandro were pretty smart.  They waited and hid until the other boys were all out of their candles.  Then they lit theirs and started their assault without any worry of attack.

Meanwhile, in the safer area of things (hahahaha), Eric had to keep the Viejo burning with shots of WD40.

 After the war, the boys began dancing/skipping in a circle, singing some song.  I really should have asked what they were singing, but alas, I was too caught up in the thrill of still being alive.

 All the while, fireworks were going off pretty much from every direction.  There really wasn't any need to buy any more of our own - we wouldn't have been able to tell if they were ours or not anyway!  They began around 11:00 or a little later and the majority of them ended at 1:30.  Of course, midnight carried the loudest and the most.

 Then it was time to jump the Old Man.

 Eric added our very dry Christmas trees in increase the drama.

 You are seeing right - they really did jump through those very large flames - repeatedly!  The jumping is  to bring good luck.

There were two other traditions that we know that we didn't participate in.  One is to wear yellow underwear (well, some of the boys may have done this, but I don't think so..... usually we get several views of the underwear and I didn't see any yellow....)  and put a dollar in your left shoe.  This is to bring prosperity.  The second it to run around the block with your suitcases - this is supposed to ensure that you'll get to travel in the new year.

Even though we didn't do these things, I'm pretty sure we'll still have a great year!

who am I kidding

Sheesh.  This whole photography had best be God's plan or I am in big trouble.  Who am I to think I can be a photographer?  Aside from the fact the photography is extremely accessible right now and pretty much anyone can take a good picture these days, and so terribly many people are jumping on the photography bandwagon (and now look at me - I am too) - especially with digital photography and editing - not to mention the fact that pretty much any style goes (so if you are a lousy photographer by most standards, you could just say that was your style and you'd probably make millions and have a cult following, write books on how-to when really you have no clue because you stink so bad - I am starting to think this was a bad idea.

I mean the idea is good - as far as wanting to fund Casa G, wanting to eventually teach some of the boys a trade, and all that good stuff, but the more I get into it the more I realize I am totally in over my head and I probably don't have what it takes to do this.  Although, of course, God is most definitely strongest and demonstrates His Amazingness much more when we are lousy (that is my translation of 2 Corinthians 12: 9, 10).  Perhaps that is why He wants me in this endeavor - I pray that is why He wants it - to show His incredible Greatness.

There was a time when I was a good photographer - for a time (late high school, early college) it was a passion.  I thought I was pretty good, although that simply could have been the disillusion of youth.  Or I was good and now I am not simply because of the oldness and non-functioning-properliness of my brain.  It also could be because everything is digital, therefore intimidating to me - as I am not really good with that type of stuff - and so that is the root of my suckiness.  Although that could always be tied back into the lack of brain issue.  Whatever the case is, I am praying about 17 times a day "God, this has got to be all You or it will be a serious fail."

You see, I will take some pictures of some people - a fairly simple thing.  But then when I look at the pictures I realize that I forgot to set the aperture correctly for the situation (like for the depth with which I have the people sitting), so the people in the back are kind of blurry.  This is stuff I know - elementary - but I just can't seem to pull out that knowledge when I need it.  Perhaps I am just intimidated when I am taking the photos.  I know that the whole digitalness of things immediately freaks me out, so perhaps that just shuts my brain off.  Whatever the case is, if God plans on using this so called photography business that we are trying to start, there is going to have to be very little Carla and a whole lot of God.  I suppose that is the way it always should be!

So as I show you these pictures I took, keep in mind that I do know that they are not superb.... but I am trying - and Lord help me!

The first ones are of our friends the Taubes.  These were taken back in November and they were taken before I got my new super-duper camera.  In spite of my struggles to be anything of value in the area of photography, the new camera certainly helps.

 Now at the end of December, Kelley's family came over the holidays and we got some of the whole crew.

I've always been a big fan of the sun-fade, lens glare pictures.  They are rather trendy right now, so it is loosing its appeal.  Thankful I am in Ecuador and if I ever get hired by Ecuadorians, they still prefer the mid-90s style of photography, so I can bust out a photo like this in about 10 years, and it'll be all the rage!

Now, you may be thinking, "Carla, you don't really stink that bad" - but remember, these are some of the best out of over 150 that I took.

Let me take a little pause here.  I am not trying to beat myself up.  I am trying to express many feelings of my currently overwhelmed state and my acknowledgement that it can't be about me.  If this endeavor is about me, it will fail.  If this endeavor is about Christ and His business; if it is something He has called me too and wants to use, it will flourish regardless of who is behind the lens.