Rapp Family Aixtreme Life

Endings and beginnings

2011-07-19T18:00:00.001+02:00

Today is our last day in France. Bittersweet. Emotions running wild. None of us want to go, yet we are excited for this new adventure. It's been an amazing 5 years in so many ways. Au revoir, France. A Bientot, j'espere.

Grief is ugly

2011-06-08T20:24:00.002+02:00

I looked in the mirror today, and what I saw shocked me. I almost didn't recognize myself. It's not a vanity thing. Although I've been plenty guilty of being vain. It is France, after all. It's a grief thing.
I look now like I looked the first 6 months (okay 18 months) after we moved here. Jeans, t-shirt, no make up, crappy hair. And I was out in public.
I am grieving. And I look like it.
I am sad. More than I could have EVER imagined. But I think it's okay to be sad.
Every now and then I get an anonymous commenter on here who tells me I'M GOING TO HELL because I'm sad. They say that being sad means I'm not trusting God's plan for my life. Yeah? That's crap.
So I'm going to be sad. And in the midst of that sadness I'm going to rejoice in the beauty and the amazing friendships of my life here.
And if I go to hell for that, then that's messed up.
Isn't that right, Kerri?

43 days

2011-06-06T10:54:00.002+02:00

That's how many days we have left in France. So today, I write through the tears that fall like rain. 43 days isn't enough time. When we made the decision last summer to move back to the US, 12 months seemed like eternity. It has passed like the blink of an eye. And I am not ready. I am not ready to let go, move on, find another adventure. Whatever you want to call it, I am not ready.
Maybe I am just overwhelmed with the amount of things that must be done. I feel as if my entire life revolves around cleaning and packing and driving the children to and from school. There are so many phone calls, emails, etc. that must be taken care of. NOW.
There are the painful decisions about what to take back with us and what to leave. A 20 foot moving container is almost $10,000. So we must limit what we pack. We have no place to live in Colorado. No car. The list seems endless. But those are just things that need to be done.
What grieves me, truly, are the people we will leave. I will not be here when my sweet friend Anita has her new baby. I won't have coffee anymore with Kristen while we watch our daughters roller blade. Alexandra will miss her best friend Ashleigh more than she can say. And Olivia. Sweet, Olivia. With her darling group of girlfriends at school. Chantal, Jasmine, Ellie, Gabby, Sabrina, Vanessa. She will miss them all so very much.
So many friends. So much love.
And I am not ready to leave.

Reflecting

2011-03-08T15:02:00.002+01:00

Over the past few weeks I've been thinking a lot about Europe, and our years here. This photo is our family in August 2005. Alexandra was 4 and Olivia was 7. This was our first meal in Amsterdam-our first stop on the way to the CA staff conference in the Netherlands-and the kids' first trip to Europe. It seems like forever ago. The girls look like babies to me. By the time we leave here, Lexi will have lived half her life in France. She's never been to school in English. Moving to America will be strange for her. It may seem very natural, that as Americans, we would feel at home in our own country. I think this may not be true for her, especially. While I hope she adjusts well to American culture, part of me really hopes that both girls hold on to their "Frenchness" as much as they can.

Goodbyes

2011-02-03T10:01:00.003+01:00

The time for saying goodbyes has begun.
In less than 6 months we will be leaving this beautiful place we have called home for 5 years. There are many days when I will start crying for no apparent reason, but I know it because the grieving has started. I am trying so hard to be excited for moving back to my own country. Although I will not be going "home". My home is here now.
I have dear friends that I love. And I will miss them beyond words. I will miss the history and the culture of this amazing place. I will miss the food, the wine and the laid back lifestyle. I will miss the simplicity of life.
I am scared of what lies ahead, of getting back into the rush of American life. Of living in a new place, with weather that is COLD. a lot.
But I know, ultimately, it will be good. For I never would have anticipated that I would fall in love with France. But I did. And a piece of my heart will always remain here.
Just maybe, Colorado will capture my heart, as well.
But for now, I will focus on really living the rest of my time in Aix. Savoring each moment, each friendship, each beautiful day that I have left here.

2010-12-24T18:21:00.000+01:00

Wishing you a joyous and wonder-filled Christmas.

Confession

2010-12-04T21:18:00.003+01:00

I have a confession...I'm terrified.

tomorrow is our annual Christmas Carol Concert at the Cathedrale downtown. Over 1000 people will be there.

And I'm reading in front of them.

For most people, this wouldn't be a big deal. But speaking in public is a huge fear I've had all my life. Other than something awful happening to one of my family members, this is one of the things in life that scares me most.

But I'm going to stand up at the front of that beautiful church tomorrow and read 6 verses from Isaiah.

I just have to remember that this isn't about me.

My sweet 9 year old had some advice for me when I asked what I'd do if I messed up.
And here is what she said...
Mama, the people who are your friends know how brave you are for just doing it. The people that don't know you, well, most of them don't speak English anyway. And plus, you just have to learn to laugh things off.

Pretty wise advice, I think!

Now I Get It...

2010-12-01T15:35:00.002+01:00

When we moved here 4 1/2 years ago, we bough a bunch of our appliances from a family who was going back to the US. A lot of what we bought was only a few months old. I thought at the time that it was really bizarre that they would have bought so much new stuff right before they left.
I am now having my "AHAAAA" moment.
We have 8 months left in France. And ALL of our stuff is breaking. I've already replaced the toaster and hand mixer. Our microwave and vaccuum are on their last legs. My washing machine broke 2 days ago (and of course i have company coming and linens to wash!!) Two of our space heaters are now defunct and need to be replaced and our 11 year old car is making more wierd noises each day. It's frustrating to say the least, but these things will need to replaced. UGHHHHHH...

2010-11-16T09:23:00.002+01:00

Well. It is now official that we are moving back to the States in July. Sometimes this makes me really happy, but mostly I am just SAD about it. France is our home. We have come to love it. It was a hard battle. As many of you know, our first two years here were extremely difficult. At least for myself and the children. We are at a place now where the kids have dear friends and really good school situations. It is so painful to think about leaving.
But...life goes on, and we must go with it.
Olivia, Lexi and I talk every day about things we are looking forward to upon our return. Being nearer to family tops the list. Maybe getting a puppy. Queso. You know-the basics! We talk about the things we'll miss about France-and there are a LOT. Mostly it's the people. For Olivia-it's her school and all her sweet friends there. The pace of life is much slower here, and I love that.
There are a few things about France that we will not miss, however.
We all decided that the biggest thing is...
Men PEEING in public.
that's right.
It's absolutely disgusting. Most of the time, they don't even bother to try and hide. we see it every day. It is not something we get used to. It's everwhere-along the highway, normal roads, in town. But the place it bothers me the most is having to see it from my very own driveway.
We live a little out in the country, but the road in front of our house is quite busy. There's a little pull-out just below our driveway, and it's a very popular place for men to pull over and pee. It's just so nauseating.
I really wonder if this is a European thing or a french thing. We really don't recall seeing this anywhere else in our time here.
We did see it one time on the road in Italy. But the car had French plates...

Off to the Castle...

2010-10-14T12:18:00.004+02:00

Headed here (near Anduze) this weekend with a group from iccp! Our largest group ever-56 people. The weather should be beautiful, and as usual, I know it will be fun!

2010-09-27T15:59:00.003+02:00

I can't believe it's almost October! September has kept us quite busy, and it doesn't look as if things will slow down at all in the next few months. Our biggest news from September is that our sweet Olivia broke her wrist rollerblading! It was awful. But she was so brave-amazing really-and we are so proud of her. It's been quite a struggle, as she hasn't been able to write at all. Homework is piling up, and teachers aren't quite as sympathetic now that we are a few weeks into the cast :(
She's managing for now, though, with the help of her wonderful girlfriends. They take notes and photocopy everything for her, help her with her locker and books, and are just being so helpful and supportive. She really is blessed with dear friends here.
Lexi is full on into her pony class and loving it. She's learning all kinds of neat stuff, and really bonding with her horse Caravelle. They are assigned a horse at the beginning of the year, and they have that one for 10 months of class. she really has such a great rapport with animals, and it's so fun to see her interacting with all the horses. And of course she looks darling in her little outfit! I think she's rather excited about the fact that she gets to carry a pink "whip", although she'd never dream of using it on Caravelle!

Here we go again

2010-09-11T10:36:00.005+02:00

Ijust realized, AGAIN, that it's been a while since I posted. Writing does not come naturally for me, and each time I sit down to try and compose my thoughts, I just kindof blank out.

But...so much has been going on, that I thought I'd give it another try.

The children and I spent 3 weeks in Austin this summer. I've been really burnt-out and tired this last year, and just needed some quiet time with my parents to just relax. It ended up being much busier than I expected, but it was a really good time. I got to reconnect with a few old friends from HS that I hadn't seen in 15-20 years, and that was a highlight of the trip for sure.

I live very much in the present, and have never been good about maintaining relationships once I move from someplace. This trip made me realize how important those past relationships are-after all, they helped make me into the person I am today. It was so special to get to spend time with Emily, Mary and Josephine, and I look forward to rebuilding those sweet friendships. I also got to spend a lot of time with my dear, dear friend Julie. It really was just what I needed <3

Once we got back to France, things got even busier. Back to school preparations, getting back into the kitchen, and catching up with sweet friends here has filled my time in August. And for the first summer in the four years we've lived here, we started going to the beach! It's been blissful! We have an amazing little town called Bandol that is 50 minutes from us, and it has a lovely sandy beach. We also enjoy going to Cassis, which is about 40 minutes away. Teal and I aslo got to get away for a night for our anniversay to Ile de Bendor. Such a treat!

Another exciting thing that has happened lately is that I got to be in a video. The son of an aquiantance of ours was shooting a pitch video for a reality show set in Provence, and we got to be part of it. It was sooooo fun! The most amazing part was getting to do a cooking piece with an amazing chef in a professional kitchen. I learned some cool things in the market as we were shopping for food, and then got a couple of great recipes in the kitchen. If you know me, you know I LOVE TO COOK. So beyond the TV thing, this was just a fabulous experience. Really a once in a lifetime deal. And I have to admit-2 nights in a row I've had dreams about hosting a cooking show on television. ;)

And Teal got a sandwich named after him at La Goulette.

Well, that's it in a nutshell! xoxoxoxoxo

sooo...i don't know why the pictures come out so crazy when i put them on here-they are supposed to be at the bottom :( I'm such a technology dork.

Megan

2010-08-02T06:50:00.002+02:00

Reconnecting with o-l-d friends has been wonderful!!

Alexandra

2010-08-01T19:07:00.002+02:00

Summer means lots of sleepovers, swimming and delicious fudgebars!

Olivia

2010-08-01T06:58:00.002+02:00

Olivia spent the weekend with her friend Danielle. They met in Kindergarten, and have the same birthday. They refer to each other as "the Twinkies", and are just adorable!

Summer 2010

2010-07-27T04:55:00.002+02:00

Just a few photos from our summer so far...

Poor Lonely Blog...

2010-06-16T13:10:00.005+02:00

I have forgotten all about you. The hustle and bustle of life has kept me away from the computer the last few months, and sadly, you were the first to go. But now that summer is here, and I'm making Olivia do the chores :) , I'll have a bit more time!
The biggest news since January? hmmm...
Olivia and Lexi were both baptized by their dad, Olivia won her school talent competition singing "Leave" by JoJo with her best friend Chantal, Lexi rocked her Hip Hop end of the year performance, Teal's been doing an amazing job (along with Dom!) leading ICCP and the CA team here in Aix, and I am becoming a really good cook, and absolutely LOVE being in the kitchen!
Here are a few photos from the past few months...

Tears...

2010-01-21T14:52:00.003+01:00

It occurred to me today that I might not live in France forever. That one day, perhaps sooner than I wish, I will have to leave. It was enough to make me sit down and cry. How is it that this country that once made me weep in anger and frustration and loneliness has stolen my heart?

Driving Miss Lexi

2010-01-12T10:03:00.002+01:00

We were in the car on the way to dance the other day, and had two little friends with us. They were playing "driving".
The littlest of the 3 asks, "Miss Megan, what are YOU driving?"
I answer " A navy blue Volvo station wagon"
She says "I'm driving a SHOE!"
Her sister says "I'm driving a mini-cooper"
Lexi, "I'm driving a cherry red Ferrari, baby!"

Her uncle Pat would be so proud.

New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-31T00:21:00.003+01:00

I'll be honest. I'm not much of a New Year's Resolution making kind of gal. But as I get older, I realize that there are some things I'd really like to do in my life, and maybe stating them publicly would help me to actually "do" them.
I was feeling inspired by a really great book I got for Christmas-"Mastering the Art of French Cooking"-by Julia Child. I also got "Julie and Julia", which is a great, easy read. I'm no Julie Powell, and I know I won't ever make it thru the 500+ recipes in the cookbook, but my goal is to try one a week. I certainly won't blog about them, because it could get rather embarassing. But I am going to cook, and I know I will love it. I'll start with the same one JP starts with in the book, and from there will pick out the most kid friendly ones in the book. Maybe when I'm finished, I'll make a list of the top 10 for our family.
So this week it's Potage Parmentier (leek and potato soup). I'll let you know how it turns out!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-26T23:07:00.003+01:00

From our family to yours...Merry Christmas!

Birthday Fun

2009-12-12T19:58:00.003+01:00

One thing I thing is so cool about living overseas is the international community our kids are exposed to. Represented tonight at Olivia's birthday party are the U.K., Spain, The Netherlands, Begium and Scotland. These girls are all amazing. 12 and 13 years old and they all speak a minimum of 2 languages, some speak 3 and 4. Olivia was lamenting to me a few weeks ago that she didn't sign up for Spanish. She feels like she's so far behind because she's only fluent in two languages! Maybe by the time she turns 13, she'll be on her way to mastering language #3!
Happy Birthday, Bonne Anniversaire, Feliz Cumpleanos, Hartelijk gefeliciteerd and Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

12

2009-12-08T10:48:00.003+01:00

Happy Birthday beautiful Olivia!!!!! I love you more than you will ever know, my precious girl.

November, where did you go??

2009-11-30T10:44:00.005+01:00

It's been a busy month for our family. With work, school, a holiday and vacation, we haven't slowed down a bit! We were happy this month to have the girls home for two weeks (they have 2 weeks off school every 6 weeks), it's always nice to have a change of pace and let them sleep in some! They are at school from 8:30-4:30, and by the time we get home and they do homework, it's already 6:30. I feel like we hardly see them most of the time!
We were able to take a short family vacation to London last week, which was amazing. We haven't traveled much outside of France, but thanks to cheap RyanAir flights, sweet friends with a guest room, and free museums in the city, it's an affordable getaway!
We also had our friends Darren and Dana and their kids visit us from North Africa. It was a much too short, but very sweet visit, and the kids just loved seeing their friends again!

Last night we hosted 200 people for the annual [iccp] Thanksgiving feast, which was a great time! It's always so fun for our community to come together in such a big way to celebrate and fellowship with each other.

December promises to be a busy month, as well! We have the Annual Christmas Carol concert next weekend, Olivia's birthday after that, a birthday party for two of my girlfriends here at the house, Christmas, and of course a New Year's party here! So much to look forward to!

Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T11:21:00.004+01:00

A little trick or treating fun...

strike...

2009-10-25T09:39:00.003+01:00

Lexi continues to improve her strike pose. Gotta love the Hip-Hop class!

Another reason to love France

2009-10-24T15:43:00.002+02:00

Lexi's best friend at her new school, Margaux, came over to play today.
When her mom dropped her off, she told us that next week they are moving
one street away from us. Lexi has not had a friend since we moved to France that lived
near us. I can't even believe how happy this makes me. And Lexi is beside herself. They have planned sleepovers and playdates every weekend for the next 6 months. We couldn't have gotten
better news over this holiday. (Lexi thinks finding out she could turn into a mermaid would actually be just as good, but she's still really happy!)

Food Adventures

2009-10-10T19:55:00.003+02:00

I think I take for granted sometimes how adventurous my kids are with their eating. In France they are exposed to so many foods that we never saw in the States. One of Lexi's favorite meals these days is Magret de Canard with a Cherry-Port reduction sauce. Olivia loves Beef Bourguignon. Well, they both love that. They aren't shocked anymore in the grocery store when we see the little skinned rabbits all stretched out in the butcher case. They still have their little buck teeth, too! (the rabbits, not the kids!) They try ratatouille, strange saucissons, fish steaks, taboule, and lamb roasted over a firepit. All kinds of things I'd not even heard of as a child. And it's as natural to them as the sun coming up in the morning. They are not crazy about Portuguese food, but they prefer it to Dutch food. Although the Dutch have the most fabulous frites and peanut sauce you could ever imagine. and the Dutch Pancakes. wow. You haven't had one till you've had it the Netherlands, that's for sure! Hungarian food leaves something to be desired, but they loved Tapas in Spain. Anything that's Italian-get out of their way!
What a gift to be able to introduce them to so many cultures and their foods! I am so thankful that they seem to enjoy this part of the adventure as much as I do!

Dear Me,

2009-10-07T17:18:00.004+02:00

Dear Me,
The next time you start to think that it's a good idea to cut off all your hair and dye it 14 colors in an effort to look young and hip, kindly refer to the following photo. When you find a haircut that you love, don't go and ruin it for vanity's sake. You WILL regret it.

xoxo,
an older, wiser me

A Little Fall Update. And some other stuff.

2009-09-30T14:02:00.006+02:00

Well. Hello again!
Apparently my ability to regularly update a blog is lacking. A lot.
But I'm here now. So I'll give you a brief update of our comings and goings.
Olivia is super happy at school. Her social calendar is mind-boggling. After years
of having just one or two girlfriends, though, this is a good thing. It's hard to believe
she's already in 7th grade, and will be 12 in 2 months. Wow! She is playing basketball at school, and also taking dance class. She starts choir in November, and is really looking forward to it :)
Alexandra started at a new school last week. It is the French public school in our village. She LOVES it! We are so thrilled. She has made several new friends and gets to eat in a real lunchroom (where they serve totally weird food like fish steak and strange mushy vegetables!) and she loves going through the line and picking all her stuff. In France, dessert for them is either fruit, yogurt or cheese. To Lexi this is totally normal. Sometimes I forget that she never had the U.S. lunchroom experience-chocolate milk, pizza, ice cream bars, etc. They have basically a four course meal each day, and teaching them how to eat properly is part of the educational experience. So far, she has tried everything they've offered. Her favorite so far was the Chicken Provencal and Basil Gnocchi. She is continuing her Hip-Hop class this year, and her sweet friend Sophie is in her class again, as well as a girl in her new class at school!

As for Teal and I, we survived the 347 hour drive to Portugal for our Annual Staff Conference. He says it was only 21 hours, but I don't believe him. We, along with the children, spent a night in Barcelona (love, love, love that city), then Madrid (ate at an American type food court thing that was awesome) and then drove into some podunk little town on the beach for our conference. I love podunk beach towns. Our time in Portugal was really good, and on the way home we drove through Biarritz, France. Beautiful little city-I'd LOVE to go back.

We are off to a busy Fall already. Both of us are back in French class, which is really good. I finally feel like I'm getting the hang of it, and this time, my class is fun. I have a great teacher and we laugh a lot. Totally different environment than the first year of classes!
We've had gobs of guests, which has been great! We have a little break this month, but are hoping our sweet friends, the Joneses will be with us in November for at least a few nights.

I think that's all for now. If any one is passing through Aix, give us a call!!! We'd love to see you!

SCL...another great post

2009-07-26T09:55:00.001+02:00

Check this out. This guy is amazingly funny most of the time, and then he throws these zingers in that really make me think. I like that.

Things that make you go hmmmm...

2009-07-25T23:40:00.003+02:00

Apparently I lost track of time. 3 months worth of time. oops. To say things have been busy here would be a ridiculous understatement. I don't think I can remember a busier time in our lives, except maybe when I had a newborn and a preschooler. That was pretty crazy. But now, wow. The good news is that for the next few weeks, things slow down a little. We'll only have 10 extra people sleeping at our house in August off and on. We are so thankful, though to finally have a place where we can have guests! Whooppeeee!!! Soooo, if you've ever thought about coming to visit us, Fall is looking pretty good!
I'll give some highlights of the last few months, and I plan on updating regularly from here on out!
Here goes:
*Olivia changed schools and is extremely happy now
*I have a new niece named Jessica
*Both girls are AMAZING students, and their French is phenomenal
*My parents came to stay!
*My inlaws came to stay!
*we had 3 wonderful interns for the summer
*ICCP's summer camp was incredible-66 kids and 40 volunteers
*Had one of the best birthday parties of my life
*There is a new Mexican place in town that is super yummy, and i heart it
*I lost 25lbs in the last 5 months, for a total of 45 since we moved here
*I really like France. Many of you may find this shocking. But it's true.

So that's the short list. I know I left 60 or 145 things off, but I'll fill in over the next few weeks!

Now she is 8

2009-04-23T21:38:00.003+02:00

Where, oh where does the time go?

Worth Reading

2009-04-01T13:43:00.002+02:00

I read the blog below because I really like funny stuff. And this guy is funny. But today he has a really great post-something we all need to be reminded of . So read it. It's not funny, but it's so worth your time.

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/04/512-thinking-youre-naked.html

School Update

2009-03-13T08:16:00.003+01:00

Olivia is finishing up her first week at her new school. She has 6 friends. She is happy. It feels like we have our little girl back. Yesterday driving home from school, she had her window rolled down, head stuck out, and was singing at the top of her lungs. Laughing. Joking.
I wanted to weep. This has been a long time coming.
When her good friends leave this summer, she will grieve. Possibly for a long time. But she has some new friends. They can't ever take the place of M, M and S. And who would want them to? Those girls are all precious to us, as well as their sweet families. But there is hope in her little heart now. She can see that God has provided, once again. Amen!

Only in France...

2009-02-23T08:55:00.003+01:00

would you find a picture of a couple in their underwear running through snow. on a children's cereal box.

Christmas Holidays

2009-01-25T13:16:00.001+01:00

We Haven't Disappeared!

2009-01-22T10:46:00.002+01:00

Just a note to say we have not fallen of the face of the earth!
We moved at the beginning of December, and this being France, we still have no phone or internet at our new place! Hopefully in the next two weeks...
Anyway, life is rolling on here. Ups and downs, and everything in between.
We had a wonderful time with my parents and my brother and his family over Christmas-such a treat for all of us to be together!
We have had company a lot since we moved, and that's been so fun for us~our new place has been such a blessing already, as we finally have space for guests :)
I'll update as soon as I can here, and add pictures of Christmas!
xoxo

2008-11-12T00:01:00.003+01:00

Because you asked...

2008-11-09T14:28:00.004+01:00

I have had several sweet people ask for a wish list from us in the past few weeks, and one suggestion that I put this on here, so here it is! This is stuff the family has been missing (notice that American candy/sweets take up most of the list!!) and is really easy to put in an envelope or small shoe box (much cheaper to mail).

Chai tea bags
Mac and cheese powdered sauce mix (generic is fine!)
Candy/gum (orbit)
Mini hand sanitizers or c.o. bigelow/liplicious lip gloss from bath and body works
Maple/brown sugar oatmeal packets
Brownie/cake/biscuit/cornbread mix
Frosting
Small blocks of Velveeta
Small cans of Rotel/jalepenos
Seasonings (chicken. fajita, steak, etc)
Microwave kettle popcorn
Milk duds
Fruit Roll Ups
Movies/music
I tunes gift cards
Japanese Cherry Blossom Lotion from Bath and Body Works

We also have a ministry wish list on Amazon(see sidebar)for books, craft supplies, etc.

If you need an address, just leave a comment or email me, and I'll send it to you!

Praying for our kids

2008-11-08T16:28:00.000+01:00

2008-10-29T20:28:00.004+01:00

Lexi is taking a Hip Hop dance class right now, and I have to say~the girl is GOOD. Her teacher was praising her abilities last week, and she is just loving the class! After just a few weeks, she is already able to do some of the more difficult moves. That's Lex in the white shirt and jeans doing the upside down twisty thing!

This made me laugh...

2008-10-14T20:51:00.004+02:00

2 Questions...
1) Why would French people want to buy used American license plates?
2) There is no Target in France-what's up with the Barbies? (and if they
can get the Barbies here from Target, how about some other good stuff,
too??)

This French Life...

2008-10-14T20:44:00.003+02:00

So...we are having a costume party this weekend for the kids in our community, and I went shopping today for decorations. Not a fall decoration to be found, but good news~
I can buy any type of PLASTIC FLOWER I want at my local supermarche. What a relief.
And I didn't even know they were in season.
If anyone can tell me why there is suddenly an over-abundance of these, please leave a comment!

Sport

2008-10-01T18:48:00.003+02:00

This is the first time since we moved to France that we have been able to have the girls do "sport" on Wednesdays. Olivia is doing tennis, and Lexi is taking a hip hop dance class. Olivia is also going to Youth Group on Wednesdays, which she is loving! Lexi finally has an outlet for all that sass she's got, and that girl has got some moves! It's really fun being able to give them this opportunity now, and they are really enjoying it!

Summer Wrap Up (a little late!)

2008-09-20T07:41:00.003+02:00

We had a whirlwind summer this year. We started with Camp at the beginning of July, then Staff Retreat, CA Staff Conference and ended it with 4 crazy weeks in the States. We got back to France the first week of September exhausted and sick, but are back on our feet and fully submerged in life here again! We got the girls in school (we are still looking into other options for them),and got us back to work. We had about a day and a half before we were back at it, sickness and all!

All is well now, though, and we are happy to be back in Aix. We had a wonderful time in the U.S. and it was great to connect with so many friends. We loved Starbucks, Mexican food and grocery stores open later than 8pm. We adored the late night chats with friends, and early morning coffees. The girls swam almost every day, which is such a treat, and they indulged themselves at Chik-Fil-A on several occasions!! Overall, a great time was had by all.

Ill add a few pictures, and later I'll update you on our plans for the Fall!

Another Funny Story from Lexi

2008-08-27T23:17:00.002+02:00

So the other night the girls were over at a friend's house to play and have dinner while Teal and I were at a meeting. Our friend served Lexi a chicken drumstick. Lexi looked at it, a bit perplexed, until our friend asked if everything was okay. "Well," Lexi said, "I'm just not not used to drumsticks. In France we really only have chicken nuggets and skinned ferret."

WHAT???

Family Photos

2008-07-18T17:19:00.000+02:00

Another camp video

2008-07-13T12:20:00.002+02:00

What an AMAZING week. That's all I can really say right now. We are all exhausted beyond belief, but energized none the less! Our staff leaves for a two night retreat on Tuesday morning, and I can't wait to process all our Youth Adventure Camp/Kid's Camp stories together. Tonight is our Camp Wrap-Up service at church, and tomorrow is Bastille day! We will be celebrating with our friends Christophe and Rahel at his mom's house near Les Baux, then back to Aix for fireworks and a last goodbye to our precious Vanguard team. I'll be back Friday, so till then...Au Revoir!

Aixcalibur

2008-07-07T23:04:00.001+02:00

Our first day at camp!!

So it begins!

2008-07-06T22:50:00.002+02:00

Camp starts tomorrow. The girls can't sleep~they are sooo excited! The sets are built, the dragon's been painted, the crafts are ready and the pool is sparkling. What more could you ask for? The crew from Vanguard (California!) has been here for the past week working their tails off. We've picked rock, raked gravel, dug trenches, put in an outdoor toilet, set up an archery range, assembled multiple shade tents and bought snacks for 52 kids. We've done all we can do. Now we wait for the kids to show up, and see what amazing things God has in store for them this week. I CAN"T WAIT!!!!!

My Girl

2008-07-01T21:51:00.004+02:00

This is my girl. On the right. Who is going into 6th grade here in France. ouch. These are 2 of her precious girlfriends who will journey along with her. This was their first youth group party!

the Last Day of School!

2008-06-30T21:43:00.004+02:00

Yay!!! It's finally over. Another year down, and the girls finished like champs. Lexi, Teal and I went to the end of the year party, and Olivia went to a sleepover with her bestest friends here-Mckenna J, Mckenna P and Emily A.
Now it's summer and there is much fun to be had. Camp starts next week, and the girls are going nuts waiting. We have 50 kids this year (possibly more!!!) and we are pumped!
The photos are of Olivia and Mckenna P and Lexi and her best girlfriend Anaelle.

Hot, Hot, Hot

2008-06-26T17:17:00.002+02:00

It's hot here. I asked our friends Eric and Carla to bring some nice Texas weather with them when they visited last week. Big mistake! We went from 60's and raining to almost 100 (according to my thermometer outside!) in just a week. I've been forced to visit the frozen food store frequently just so I don't pass out on my walk home. My plants are shriveled, and the children's hair is plastered to their heads when I pick them up in the afternoon. Their school, like most buildings here, does not have A/C, and by 4:30, they are a frazzled mess! The good news is my laundry is drying faster than I can put it away~yay!!! maybe I'll finally catch up on that chore :)

The next two weeks are crazy busy here-we start prepping for camp Saturday, have several full day work days out at our camp location, and then camp starts the 7th of July. We are all so excited, and we have over 50 kids this year-I think we had 34 last year, so it's just great how it's growing. I'll be sure and post pictures-the kids will be wearing renaissance type costumes, so the photos will be fun!

41

2008-06-23T11:57:00.002+02:00

Biking

2008-06-16T08:34:00.002+02:00

I am happy to say that Teal has found a biking buddy here, and is finally getting to indulge in something he really loves! The girls and I went to meet him one afternoon when he and some friends were going through a little village outside Aix.

Time Flies...

2008-06-09T22:13:00.002+02:00

Well, here we are near the end of another school year! In so many ways the last year has flown by. The girls are basically fluent in French now, and are finishing the year of school very strong. We are so proud of all they have accomplished in such a short time! We are still totally up in the air about their schooling next year, and are just praying for discernment to do what is best for them. I know it will all work out the way it's supposed too, but the waiting is difficult.

We are celebrating Father's day today~Teal hasn't gotten out of bed yet and it's almost 1pm! The girls have been making him little gifts for the past few weeks, and I found the most amazing thing in the grocery store yesterday to start his morning off right~flavored coffee whipped cream!!! So he's been drinking cup after cup of hazelnut flavored coffee. Deelish.

The next few weeks for us will be very busy-we have several visitors coming-yay!!!-I will be celebrating my 41st (gasp!!) birthday, and we have tons of camp prep coming up. It will be a blast, though, as camp is one of my favorite times of year. I'll be posting pictures soon, and hope to get back to updating a little more often. Until then...

2008-05-23T17:33:00.000+02:00

tossa de mar, spain

2008-05-15T12:10:00.000+02:00

Stuff Christians Like

2008-05-11T14:14:00.006+02:00

Here is the link to one of my favorite new blogs. Written by Jon Acuff, this site makes me laugh/think just about every day! You will have to type it in or cut and paste, because I am seriously a computer dork and don't know how to make the click thru thingy work. www.stuffchristianslike.blogspot.com

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T07:32:00.002+02:00

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but at almost 41 years old, I still call my mom "mommy" a lot. But as embarrassing as it may be, I'm not going to stop! I think my mom is simply great, and I am so excited that this year, at least close to Mother's Day, I get to see her and celebrate her. Yay! So mommy, see you soon. I love you.

2008-05-07T12:42:00.003+02:00

Clearly, updating my blog has been low on the totem pole lately. I hadn't realized just how long it's been since I've written anything! So much has been going on here that I know I'll leave some things out, but I'll give a re-cap of what's been going on in our little corner of the world.

The girls had a two week spring break, which was wonderful. As soon as the break was over and our family was reunited (Teal was in Holland) we jumped into non-stop ministry and life activities-literally every night for two weeks! One exciting thing that happened is [iccp] had our first baby dedication for 2 families! Our church is growing and it's so awesome to have babies in our community!!!

The weather here is beautiful right now, and what better way to spend a sunny day than at a wedding. Our sweet friends Dom and Hilary got married last weekend at a beautiful winery in Provence. It was the place where the movie French Kiss was filmed, and it was amazing! Such a special treat because in our two years here, we really have not done many things like that (wineries, etc). It was also incredibly fun for me because I got to help another friend, Laina, who is an unbelievable caterer. She drove down from Holland with her family and spent the week cooking for the wedding, and Teal and I got to help st up and clean up at the wedding. Laina and her husband Phil are an amazing couple, and it was a gift to be able to spend a bit of time with them. They brought their kids, ages 8, 10, 13 and 16, and these are the hardest working kids I have ever met. They all pitched in and drug supplies up and down 6 flights of stairs, made appetizers, cleared tables-basically anything that needed to done, they did it.

They did have some time for fun, and the girls had a good time hanging out with them during the week.

We are getting ready to meet my parents in Barcelona for a few days before they head up to Brussels to see my brother, then we are in Aix until we leave for our annual staff conference in late July. We then head to Austin and Oregon for our furlough/fundraising trip. the next 5 months will be extremely hectic for us, but filled with many wonderful things. I'll try to be better about updating and posting pictures for y'all!

xoxo

7

2008-04-23T12:15:00.000+02:00

My baby is 7. What a precious girl we have.

Strange silence and some good music

2008-04-11T05:03:00.003+02:00

Well, I hadn't realized how long it had been since I'd written anything here. Oops!!! Life has been rolling along as usual in Aix~the weather is improving, the kitten is growing, the girls are looking forward to a wedding they get to go to in early May, and already they are counting down the days until summer! In France, they are in school until the very end of June, so they still have a ways to go. We had a wonderful visit in February with our friends M & S from Austin, and we are looking forward to our furlough trip in August. I'll try to put up a few pictures soon, but until then, I'll leave you with two music suggestions.

Dave Barnes

oh.my.goodness.

He is fabulous. go to i-tunes now and get his stuff. I rarely (like almost NEVER) find an artist that I just love love love, but I love Dave Barnes.

And an equally enthusiastic endorsement for Kendall Payne. I heard her for the first time at our Staff Conference (which I still refuse to refer to by it's new name-CONNECT, because I don't like that name. at all.) Anyway, she, too, is amazing.
So there. My official recommendations. Hope you love them as much as I do. If I was a fancy blogger, there would be nice little linky things to take you to their websites, but I don't know how to do that stuff, so sadly, you are on your own.

ICCP Easter Picnic

2008-03-27T16:00:00.002+01:00

Check out the new link to the right! This is one of our big events during the year, and it was awesome. So many people coming together and making one big family at [iccp]! Thanks, Jeff, for the wonderful video!

Little words, Big meaning

2008-03-04T18:18:00.001+01:00

Love wins.

Milo is Missing Update!

2008-03-02T22:17:00.003+01:00

Just a quick post to ask for your prayers tonight. Our kitty Milo is missing. He went out on the patio to use his box this morning and he's gone. It's now 10:30pm and we haven't seen him all day. The girls made fliers for our apartment building, and then cried themselves to sleep. They are heartbroken.

UPDATE...Teal heard pitiful meowing this morning as we were waking the girls up for school. We all raced out to the balcony and there was our little kitty~hiding in the bushes, not moving. He just kept meowing over and over as we talked to him. T rushed downstairs to get him, and at this point several of our neighbors were on their patios too, pointing at Milo. Olivia had put up a poster last night of him, so they were all aware he was missing. We think he was just scared to death-he had jumped two floors down to "freedom", and was now cold, hungry and dirty. Olivia turned to me, with Milo in her arms and said "Mommy, God REALLY heard our prayers, didn't He?, and he gave us back our kitty!" It was a good morning here :)

Bruxelles

2008-02-25T00:40:00.002+01:00

Last week we were fortunate enough to get to visit my brother and his sweet family in Bruxelles, and here are some of the pictures from our time there.
Bruxelles is a beautiful city~full of green space (where no one screams at you to get off the grass!), play grounds, wonderful bookstores, and plenty of other things to keep families busy! It was so fun to be in a place with so much for kids to do. When we were driving in to Pat and Kelly's, Lexi leaned over and whispered, "look Mommy, they have real, live GRASS here!" That's something they don't see much of here in Aix, and I never realized how much we miss it!

Just in Time!

2008-02-15T23:40:00.003+01:00

Oh my...look what showed up on our little doorstep the day before "Valentimes"!

Updated Pictures

2008-02-06T21:36:00.000+01:00

Last week we went to our friend Riadh's restaurant for lunch, and then spent the afternoon hanging out with him and another couple we met a few weeks ago. None of them speaks English (although Riadh is taking classes now!) so our French got a good workout! After we ate, we visited for a while, and then Michel and Martine brought out Moules Frites (mussels and fries) lunch. This is a very popular dish here, and Michel had spent the morning preparing it. Riadh closed his shop down and invited us to join them for their meal, so we stayed another 2 hours and ate again! It was so fun, and we feel so motivated to keep on improving our French so we can deepen the relationships we have with our French and North African friends!

I also wanted to share a fuzzy but great picture of all our kids at [iccp]! When we got here 18 months ago, our group was pretty tiny-mostly kids of staff members and a few regulars. Now we are bursting at the seams from our 2 little sunday school rooms, and it's quite exciting! We even have several babies in our congregation now, and I can't wait until we have a nursery!

Just say NO!!!

2008-02-06T21:29:00.000+01:00

My sweet Lexi loves to give makeovers. I love her, and she is so precious, but she does not have a future in the beauty industry. Even thought her favorite store in the whole world is Sephora. So if she over offers to give YOU a makeover, well, you've been warned. xoxo

Check out this link!

2008-02-04T21:44:00.001+01:00

Our little sweetie

2008-02-04T19:49:00.001+01:00

The end is near...

2008-01-30T08:12:00.000+01:00

Of the mold, that is! Yes, that's right! For those of you are keeping up with our little mold saga, after 8 months of waiting, it is now being fixed! They are redoing the entire room (which we did not expect!) and it's looking really great. By this weekend, the room will be usable again, and Lex is so excited to get to move back in. Thanks for keeping this situation in your prayers~it's been a long time, but God is good and we are so thankful it is being taken care of!

Someone get the disinfectant...

2008-01-25T17:47:00.000+01:00

My sweet Lexi came in the kitchen just a bit ago and said, "Um, Mommy? Who does the silver toothbrush belong to?". I told her it was mine and asked her why she was wondering. She got a bit of a sheepish look on her face and said, "Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you I've been brushing the cats' teeth with it!"

Yes, cats. Two of them. For 3 days. Excuse me while I gag.

Soiree

2008-01-21T08:42:00.000+01:00

Last night we attended a soiree that our neighbors invited us to. Our voisin (neighbor) and his wife started an organization here in Aix that puts on parties for physically and mentally challenged people in the area, and last night was their first one. We felt honored that they would invite us, but I must admit that I wasn't all that sure about going, especially since last night was to be "speed dating" night!
It turns out that we are very glad we went! We met a lovely older couple-he is a professor of Political Science here, and their son makes the wine that was sampled last night. We also met a cool guy who is a P.S. student~he speaks 5 languages and is headed to China soon to be a spokesperson for the French at the Olympics in Beijing. He was very interested in what we do here in Aix, and asked for our phone number to talk more. He also wants to come to church next week! He told us quite a bit about what our neighbor's organization does, and how it is so needed here.
As we looked around the room, we began to see not just people in wheel chairs and with walkers, but people who were really enjoying the party. They were talking and eating and swaying to the music. There was laughter and joy in their faces. Our new friend told us that there is nowhere for disabled people to go to enjoy music and be together in big groups, so this organization provides that for them.
We are so glad we were able to go and support our neighbors at their premier event!

In other news, I will be cooking today and tomorrow for a 40th birthday party that my friend Hilary and I are hosting for our Tunisian friend Riadh. There are about 40 people attending, and it should be a great time. This is a guy Teal met through some other friends who were here for 6 months, and has been developing a relationship with him over the past 8 months or so. He is bringing 10 people, and the rest are people who are in our [iccp] community who just want to love on him and his friends, and get to know him better. I think it will be a very special evening, and a wonderful chance for us to just surround him with God's love. We are part of such an amazing community here, and it is so incredible to be able to share that with people from all over the world!

More playing around with photo sites!

2008-01-14T00:23:00.001+01:00

Unintentional Blogging Break

2008-01-13T23:06:00.000+01:00

Basically, our lives are so not exciting right now that there isn't much to write about. Very sad. It's not that we don't have a lot going on right now, because we do. I often think no one other than us is interested in our stuff. But in the interest of maintaining this blog, I'll tell you what we've been up to. I'll start with Christmas eve. We went to our sweet friends home for dinner and had a lovely time. Olivia spent Christmas day barfing. That was not so lovely.

But the webkinz and American girl doll clothes and lipgloss made it better. For the children at least.

We watched many movies and stayed in our pj's all day, which turned out to be a very good thing. The next day we went to the Andersons and watched movies, ate leftovers, and Lexi learned how to shoot a gun. If that doesn't scare the pants off of you, not much will. Then we stayed home for a few days, had a few families over for dinner and just relaxed. New year's eve, we had a sleepover with the andersons and pat and lindsey, watched more movies, ate a lot and played a lot of Wii.

We continue to build our relationships with several French families, and we are starting an additional French class next week. We are really starting to embarrass the children with our very American sounding French accents, so we have to step up the game.

At the end of the month we are starting a new Bible Study, and we are really excited about it! It's from our home church ACF and is called Give Stress a Rest. Which will be great, because there is nothing like living in a foreign country with a moldy wall to give you stress.

Well, there's more to tell, but Lexi just came in and said she thinks she's going to throw up. So I should probably go. NOW!

December Photo Highlights

2008-01-05T19:40:00.000+01:00

Lexi Rides a Bike

2007-12-27T19:13:00.000+01:00

Lexi learned how to ride a bike today! She's never been too interested, but today she came in and told Teal she wanted to learn. So...he got her bike (thanks Sarah A!!) out of the garage, and away they went. Basically, she got on it and just rode off. There wasn't much learning, because Teal thinks with all the scootering she's done, she has a feel for how to balance, etc. Too bad our camera is busted, or we'd have cute pictures! I'll try to get some with Teal's phone tomorrow!

2007-12-26T12:10:00.000+01:00

The Laced with Grace blog team (www.lacedwithgrace.com) would like to share their blessings with you. Come by the devotional blog and sign-up for your chance to win an NIV Study Bible from Women of Faith; a Bible study for busy moms by Lisa Whelchel; the book "Love and Respect," the movie "The Nativity Story"; a mug by "Mugs of Truth" and a CD by a new artist.
The giveaway runs from December 24th - January 1st. The winner will be announced on January 2nd.

The Reason For The Season

2007-12-24T12:53:00.000+01:00

The girls are glued to the computer, because the NORAD Santa Tracker is up and running now! Santa is on the move, and boy, are we excited. Lexi and I had a neat conversation yesterday about why we give gifts at Christmas, and it is so fun just to see her little mind work and process things! Her big question was wondering why, if Christmas is about Jesus and the gift He has given to us, why don't the stores put that in all their windows? good question, little one. So as we track where Santa is on this Christmas eve, we'll anticipate the excitement of leaving cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer and opening presents. But more importantly, we'll be thinking about the true Gift of Christmas. The one that doesn't arrive broken, the one that's always the right size, and the one that never needs to be exchanged or returned. The one that is Jesus. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Cheese Bombed!

2007-12-23T09:34:00.001+01:00

Oh my goodness! Teal came home just a few minutes ago and said "well, I've been cheese bombed!" and I (having never heard of a cheese bomb) said, "WHAT??" It tuns out, when someone hurls a large chunk of cheese out the 4th floor window and it lands on the top of your car, it is called a "cheese bomb". okay. So why did this happen, you might be wondering? well...T went to pick up some friends to take them to the airport, and since it is very cold out this morning, he left the car running to keep warm. Sadly, our muffler is cracked and our car sounds like a 747 about to take off. I guess the "bomber" got tired of the noise. So begins another day in this French life.

ps...we are getting the car fixed, but the mechanics are on vacation until January 8 or so!

You're a mean one, Mrs. Grinch

2007-12-20T15:55:00.000+01:00

Okay. my grinch-y phase is over. But I still have not started my Christmas shopping. Yikes!!! The good news is that this Sunday, stores are open. Even the grocery store. Because in France, usually they are not open on Sunday. ever. so too bad for you if you have children who need lunch on Monday and you forgot to go to the store on Saturday. just too bad for you. I am not saying this from personal experience. At all.
So i may run downtown tonight and do some little elfie business. And then i will finish on Sunday. yippee!
Not a lot going on right now other than the normal stuff that usually goes on. We are having several families over for dinner during the break, so I am planning menus, etc. We are all looking forward to some down time just to be together and relax! I probably won't post much in the next week or two, so I'll wish you a Merry Christmas now! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

random thoughts...

2007-12-15T15:48:00.000+01:00

today is just a melange of randomness. i have a lot floating around in my head, no motivation to write any of it down, but need to get rid of it! so here goes:
1)delivered hot chicken and potato meals to the homeless today with my team.
2)had a parent's night out last night...got to connect with a neat gal that I have been wanting to get to know better.
3)haven't even started my Christmas shopping...the thought of doing it depresses me and I don't know why.
4)the is WAY to much month left at the end of the money
5)I STILL HAVE A STINKY, MOLDY WALL AND I AM SICK OF IT.
6)i am very glad we have a 2 week break coming up
7)we get to back to the U.S. this summer and I am really looking forward to it
8)tickets will cost over $7,000 unless i find some kickin' deal soon
9)i will get to go to target and have coffee with my Julie-friend and then we will go to goodwill and buy books and then we will eat chickenfried steak.
10)my brother and sister in law are moving to Brussels in 3 weeks
11)i think my parents are going to be really sad to have all their grandbabies in Europe
12)Olivia would go back to the States tomorrow if she could. And I don't think she would ever look back.
13)my christmas tree is already dried out :(
14)our new kitty has broken 6 ornaments so far, but he is SO cute!!!

The Birthday Party!

2007-12-08T14:31:00.000+01:00

Well, it was a success! Olivia had a sleepover with her 4 closest girlfriends last night at our friends Kerri, Hilary and Andrea's apartment, and they had a blast. And in keeping with the family tradition, she was the first girl asleep at her own party :) Apparently, the other girls did NOT sleep at all, and Olivia slept for only 2.5 hours. I was not allowed to stay, so I didn't actually witness the all night festivities, but I hear they involved 3 kittens, lots of dancing and loads of sparkly make up. Ten is really such a lovely age, as they weren't the least bit interested in organized games or anything. They just wanted to eat pizza and cake and do make-overs, so the adults dined on Sushi and visited for several hours! Now we are off to another little party to watch the classic Christmas Specials (Rudolph, Frosty, etc.)! Should be another delightful evening!

9 years, 364 days

2007-12-07T08:52:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow my baby will be 10. Double digits. Where did the time go? It wasn't so long ago that she wanted Teletubbies and Veggie Tales for her birthday. Now it's make-up and I-tunes cards. She is growing into a young lady who is amazingly smart, beautiful, tender-hearted and loving. We are so blessed.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

2007-12-04T13:39:00.000+01:00

Each year at [iccp], the children's Christmas choir goes to a local nursing home and sings carols for the residents. Last year, when my girls did it for the first time, they were TERRIFIED! The singing part was fine, but after they sing, the children greet all the people who live there and chat for a few minutes. My sweet babies tried to blend in with the wall last year, as they knew their 6 words in French weren't going to get them very far! This year, however, they were ready! Lexi actually went searching for people to speak to, and she charmed them with her precious little smile and the Santa hat!

2007-11-26T22:16:00.000+01:00

Well, now that I have recovered a bit,I can tell y'all about our Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday! We (Teal, Adam and Tasha Hoover, and I) hosted a Traditional American Celebration along with two other couples in our small group. We had around 65 people from many countries, including Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Tunisia, England, Germany, Ethiopia, France and America! It was so exciting to see all the different cultures come together to share in this meal, and to learn a little more about us and our traditions. Many people brought foods from their home cultures, so it was a true feast. In the pictures below, there is a shot of Teal holding a brown thing and I am sitting there laughing. I'm laughing because it is a GOAT bagpipe. Oh my goodness, seriously the strangest intrument I've ever seen!!! Our friend Riadh brought it. It sounds like a bagpipe when he plays it, and a dying animal (goat, I guess!) when Teal attempted it!
There was great conversation and lots of connections made, which was really wonderful, and we've gotten many notes already from guests who had a fantastic time. Hopefully this is something we can continue in the years to come!
Oh...by the way...we invited our downstairs neighbors~remember the ones who threatened to call the police on us last year? Yeah, well, they LOVE us now and had a great time. And they invited us to a party in January. We've come a long way, baby.

Thanksgiving Photos

2007-11-26T21:23:00.003+01:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T09:50:00.000+01:00

Our family will be celebrating today with 4 other families-3 American and 1 French. I am cooking the turkey, which makes me (self professed queen of boxed foods) extremely nervous. The French family that is coming to the dinner just happens to own one of the BEST restaurants in Aix. The wife is the chef there. Umm...can anyone say nervewracking? I'm sure it will turn out fine, but none the less, it is causing me great stress. I know it will be a fabulous day and the company and conversation will be wonderful! I am missing my own family, and just keep thinking how fun it would be to be crowded into one of my sister in law's kitchens with all the nieces and nephews running around! But I am so thankful for my community here~that we have people we care deeply about, and that we can share this special day together. Have a wonderful day. xoxo

Beurre

2007-11-14T00:06:00.000+01:00

So we are sitting at dinner night before last and the girls are talking and eating and Lexi says, "mom, can you please pass the beurre?" "what?" I asked her? "mom, (said with an exasperated sigh!) the beurre!" Then she said..."MOM, HOW DO YOU SAY BEURRE IN ENGLISH?" ARGHHHHHHH...what is happening here??? My children are becoming little Frenchies right before my very eyes.

Barcelona Photos

2007-11-09T13:32:00.000+01:00

Back from Barcelona

2007-11-07T22:32:00.000+01:00

We are back from Barcelona, and I will try to post pictures at some point. It won't be soon. The thing with taking a few days off is that work doesn't take any time off. I am seriously so overwhelmed I just sat on my couch and cried. I can't do it all. I can't even really do half of it all. I have never been this busy in my life and I don't really know what to do. It is making me fairly crazy. But now I must go to bed, because my day starts very early and I am the lunch lady tomorrow and then the mold guy comes and then Olivia has to practice her French presentation and then I have to make cupcakes and then and then and then.....

But Barcelona was excellent and I got to have a real, live caramel coffee thingamajiggy at Starbucks. And I ordered it in English. Because everyone there speaks English. And that made me so very happy. And it was cheap. And that made me even happier. Goodnight.

Another sweet memory

2007-11-02T20:21:00.000+01:00

October Pictures

2007-11-02T19:46:00.001+01:00

Memories

2007-11-02T19:32:00.001+01:00

I was just looking at some old photos and these brought back some sweet memories.

2007-11-02T14:31:00.000+01:00

I haven't been blogging much lately. In reading other people's blogs, I have found myself seriously wishing I had more writing abilities. I never claimed to have any writing talent, I just wanted to start this thing to keep a few people in our lives updated on what's going on in France. I have a lot of stories to tell, but I get so wrapped up in wanting them to come across funny, or serious, or smart, that I just get frustrated and don't write them down at all. We've had so much going on here lately, and I know I'm already forgetting a lot of stuff. I am really going to attempt to get more of this stuff down. For starters, Julie and I hosted a Fall Kid's Night out on the 30th-we had games, pinatas, pizza, movie and of course, LOADS of candy. We all had a really great time, and we had some new kids come that are not involved in [iccp] at all! Yay!!! We have also begun a new couples Bible study, and I am doing a small group with the women on our team. I continue to be busier than I want to be, which is really hard. For some reason, I am just not able to find a good balance between being a wife/mom and a church planter. Our apartment is still moldy, and we don't have the use of Lexi's room or our bathroom. The good news is that the wall is drying out because they finally figured out where the leak is, so that is encouraging!

The girls are doing so well at school, and I am constantly amazed at how their language has progressed. This year is just so much better and I am so thankful for that. Even though we are still dealing with some lonliness and homesickness stuff, we are seeing the girls settle in and form some good friendships.

More good news-My brother and sister in law and their 3 kids are moving to Brussels in January. It will be great to have them closer (sorry mom!!!) and a good excuse for us to finally visit Belgium! Also, for all our friends in Austin, we are coming back for furlough this summer, and we are really looking forward to connecting with all of you again.

I will try and post some pictures soon! The girls are growing like weeds and changing a lot. I can't believe my baby will be 10 in a few weeks.

My little reader

2007-10-22T19:42:00.000+02:00

So the past few months I've been really concerned because Lexi isn't reading much. We talked to her teachers and wondered if she was having trouble in class. They said she was fine-no problem at all. I started really working with her a few weeks ago, and was starting to feel encouraged about her progress. Until tonight. When my kid read me her homework. Literally READ me her homework-a page in French. She can read in French and I never knew it. Oh.My.Goodness. So all this time she has been trying to read in English, she has been translating the vowel sounds, rules on silent letters, etc. that she has learned in school into English sounds. That's why she is slower when we read in English. I am amazed at this child.

Unexpected Blessings

2007-10-19T17:54:00.000+02:00

As I made my way to the post office for the third time this week, I found myself wondering what little treasure had found it's way to us. Last week it was the beloved webkinz, which I knew were coming, but this week's gifts were all surprises! On Tuesday, the girls and I went down and picked up a wonderful box with DVD's in it-2 that they have been dying to see (Charlotte's Web and Open Season), and they came home and immediately watched CW. What a treat! Then on Thursday it was Candy Corns, Starbursts and Fruit Snacks! Yee Haw! It doesn't get much better than that. Until today. Two nights ago Olivia prayed earnestly for new books. She's read everything we have at least twice, and she's ready to dive into some deeper stuff. I told her that when we go home on furlough, we'd devote an entire suitcase to books for her, and she was happy. Then came the box. Full of BOOKS. New, beautiful, hardcover, award winning books. For her. Oh my. I got a book, too! And there was another movie-Flushed Away. My kids are in movie heaven, and we are going to have movie night in just a bit. Although Olivia said maybe she'd just read. Music to a mommy's ears.