A few sites from the week...

a stroll through our neighborhood...

I learned a new word today..."dinked".  Do you know what that means?  HINT: someone riding on the back of a bicycle without a "real seat".

Typical house being built and, yes, those are wood logs sticks supporting the frame.

navigating our way on date night...

We made it, and had a wonderful evening out on the town.

After dinner, we just rode around...love all the sites!

Anyone for a cyclo?  I can't believe WE actually haven't gone on one yet!

There's always pinwheels and balloons being sold on the lake.  They're really pretty spinning in the wind!

The next day we went back downtown with friends.  We never tire of seeing this beautiful catholic church, but we never went in it until...

now.

Umm, the plastic chairs kinda ruin the beauty, BUT...so typical.

mural outside the back of the church...

I can't count how many times we've motorbiked past this church, but I've never noticed this.  Anyone up for some window shopping???  I got SO tickled when I saw this!!  There's just something very wrong with this picture in my opinion : )

 Audrey An learning how to crack peanuts with our landlord.   Check out how intently AA is watching her!

It's a Guy Thing

One of our friends and David's co-workers is headed home today since his contract has just ended.  He and his family will begin another new season of life!  Well, "the guys" went out last night wish him a fond farewell...and did it with- ewwwww- snakes!

Yes, it's alive!

and...now it's not!

There's just something SERIOUSLY wrong with that! 

Again...EWWWW!  David, I'm glad you got to hang with da boyz, but just don't even think about kissing me until you brush your teeth, okay??? 

 

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right?!  We are so localized now : )

Our new SUV (and to think that I complained every now and then that my Jeep didn't have a 3rd row- HA!).  Oh, and I have to say...an extra two inches on that seat does wonders when you're transporting a family of four- ahhhhhh!

Guest blogger today!

Let me introduce to you my first guest blogger, Miss Abigail!  She's my oldest daughter and my favorite 9 (almost 10!) year old!  Abigail has a very creative side and has really begun to shine with her artwork and photography since we've lived abroad this year.  I asked her several months ago if she would write a blog entry for me, and today she said, "yes!"  I wanted to showcase some of her favorite photos she has taken since living here.  So...enjoy!  She does a great job narrating, too!

Hi, it's Abby!  This is one of my favorite pictures I have taken.

This is a pic by our apartment and everytime we drive by we laugh because this house has a wire so close to the water..... sometimes IN the water!!!

This lady is selling some vegetables downtown.  WOW, that's a lot of green veggies!

Grapes and oranges...yummy yummy!  Yes, oranges here are green!

How would you like YOUR legs to be cut off like this?

Scarves!

a typical store for tourists...

I wonder which one is for cable?!  Maybe it's the 50th one to the right!

Riding on a boat with Miss Rachel...weeeeeee!

Beautiful!  This was when we were getting off the airplane.  My sister saw it first!

Since I've lived overseas the past several months I think it's been a cool experience.  I like riding motorbikes and all the ladies who sell pineapple wearing rice hats.  I like traveling and meeting new friends from around the world.  It's different here because you go to the market on the motorbike instead of a car, and it's really easy to get there.  I like sitting at the open air cafes next to the lake in my little plastic chairs and tables.  I enjoy that all my family rides on the motorbike together with our panchos in the heavy rain.  It's neat to see the fisherman fishing with string wrapped around a can (their fishing pole) to get their fish...I would never eat the fish because the lake is nasty!

I don't like all the traffic jams and getting my feet bumped on the motorbike.  I  don't like all the potholes in the road either.  When we lived at the hotel for a couple of weeks it got tiring eating noodles for breakfast every morning (I begged for cereal)!   I don't like that I've been sick and that my mom has been sick.  I hope we get better!  I miss my friends so much, but I love skyping them!  


Today, we went downtown to find me some new glasses.  So we went to glasses street. The streets downtown are named after what they sell (toy street, electronics street, etc.).   The stores are street vendors! I found two pairs of glasses I liked, but we're going to keep looking.  We all like going downtown and seeing cool things like the pics I've posted.


Hope I get to blog again...
Later! Abs

"Head Ornaments"

For some reason we found ourselves wearing many types of hats-n-things this week!

Apparently, washing the dishes is much more appealing when wearing a rice hat!  

and cleaning the floor with her "Jr. Master Chef " apron and hat!

and trying on hats in the Old Quarter...

with momma...

and singing opera while typing spelling words...

Hey, whatever works!

We took a break from the hats to make our favorite chocolate chip cookies on the face of the earth...MS. KRISTINA'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!!!!!!  They are divine, and we've been craving

them for months!  

Probably didn't come at a great time since Dr. Nathalie reminded me to stay away from sugar and salt with the steroids!  I had to do it for the girls, right?  right.  I only ate one...before lunch. And one...after lunch.

THEN!!! What do you think happened this afternoon?  Care Package from Nana, Papa D, Aunt Debs, Aunt Janice & Nini...woo hoo!!!!  LOVE those smiles!

Thanks for all the goodies..new clothes, CRAYONS and markers (that we can't seem to find in this country!), princess crown per AA's request and much more!  THANK YOU!!!!

Audrey An IS all-things-girly!

Beautiful Abigail

So, other than trying out all kinds of "head ornaments" on this week we did start school,  twist an ankle, got a new motorbike, went to the doctor, made more crafts, shed some tears, laughed a lot, went to the water park (David and the girls), had physical therapy on my ankle, went for a ride on the motor bike (in the rain and wearing our super cool, fashion forward rain panchos...wow, we're quite a site!), enjoyed Abby/mommy movie/slumber party (shhh, don't tell AA!), rode my bicycle (yes, you read that right!), "fired" a taxi driver...just another day in the life!

Yes, I did see Dr. Nathalie this week and she ran "my numbers" again.  CPK is 340 this week- down from 430 from 3 weeks ago.  Some of those tears shed that were mentioned above were mine, and Dr. Nathalie got to witness some of them.  I couldn't help.  I'm just weary.  Weary of being sick.  Or is it weary of not being well?  I've really been trying to see things "half full" but several times this week things were half empty to me. I guess things just came to a head when I counted how many months I've been ill, my hair is "thinning" due to the methotrexate, and other side affects that are a tad difficult in which to deal.  THEN, what do I come across?? Several "Do not grow weary" passages.  I just had to grin.  I needed that.  Really needed that.

Is. 40:28, 29, 31 " He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength (ALL of my strength).  They will sore on wings like eagles, they will run (wow!) and not grow weary, they will walk (or twist her ankle anymore!) and not be faint."

A Little Experiment...

Okay, so it was our first try!  I think we learned from our mistake, hopefully.  Abigail is always searching for some type of craft to do.  She found these cool "yarn balls" to make from a magazine article so we decided to give it a try.  I'm SO not crafty momma...I guess I that's why I've HIRED an art teacher and someone to "get messy" with my girl.  Oh, I really need to be crafty momma because that's what my girl loves to do...just one more thing to add to my "need to improve list"!

The reason she wanted to make the "yarn balls" is because she wants to hang them in HER NEW ROOM!  Yes, we're moving...again!  We are so excited (especially Abigail because she'll have her own "space" now!).  We have really enjoyed our lovely apartment, but since mobility is a huge issue with my illness we decided our quality of life will be MUCH better if we moved closer to David's "office", markets, coffee shops, etc.  We'll be just minutes from all these places. It will be so much more convenient for us, and the girls and I can pack up school when we want/if we want and take it to some of our favorite places and not feel so trapped.  Oh, we all can already feel a relief and new freedom that will come in 30 days...what a blessing!!!