Christmas Re-Cap

I know Christmas was almost a month ago. Still getting caught up on my blogs.

Christmas was different this year. We enjoyed not having all the usual running around that the holidays bring, but the kids missed the snow or a least the cold, I have heard there wasn't any snow at home this year. Christmas day was the only day I have missed home, Dorion home.

 I made my traditional meal for Christmas Eve dinner, Gram-ma Humphrey's homemade sauce with pasta.  I found a great Italian bakery and bought some delicious bread to go with the meal. After our meal we headed to our church for our Christmas Eve service. At the end of the service the whole church went outside to sing 'Silent Night' while lighting candles. It was beautiful and something I had never done. I have been to Christmas Eve services in the past that ended with 'Silent Night', but never outside and with about 600 people. It was a memorable time. After the service we came home to enjoy some time together. I made a special treat of hot chocolate with candy canes and whipped cream. After that the kids got to open one present. This is a tradition that we have done this since they were tiny. We make a big deal about the gift and wondering what it will be (even though it has always been pajamas) and kind of make it fun for the kids. I think they all like this.

Brandon, Keith, Amy & Ethan enjoying hot chocolate! 

        Me & Keith 

Christmas morning came with great anticipation on Ethan and Amy's part. Brandon is getting a bit old and doesn't express himself the way he used to and he likes to sleep in. The coffee was on and the breakfast set to cook and the gift opening started to happen. The kids were happy with their gifts but unfortunately, Brandon had to wait an additional 2 weeks to get his gift of the Insanity Workout series of DVD's because Beach Body screwed up his order 3 times! (I love their products, but I got the worst customer service from them and they ended up giving me his gift plus other stuff for free!) I'm thankful that Brandon was mature enough to handle waiting for his gift. Amy got a new camera, a point and shoot, but one with a re-chargeable battery plus clothes and small stuff from her friends around here. Ethan received a new stunt kite. He loves it and is mastering the art of tricks. We also gave him clothes, which he was not impressed with, but he is wearing them. I surprised Keith with lessons to fly a glider, however when I bought the lessons I didn't realize it was a seasonal thing and could only be used after our time here was over. So he wouldn't be able to take lessons while we were still down here. We returned that gift and he bought a Blackberry Playbook. My main present was a new lens for my camera. My wonderful husband spoils me rotten and beyond words. I have been drooling over this particular lens since he gave the camera a year and a half ago.

Brandon showing the ornament my mom gave to him (we all got ornaments too!)

Amy excited about gifts! 

One of E's favorite gift's. Brandon gave it to him. 

 Opening my gift! I was quiet surprised and happy with the lens.

After gift opening it was quiet.  Unfortunately I suddenly became quite sick and spent most of the day alternating between the bed and couch. I had the chills and was running a temp. It wasn't the best day for me.   Around evening I was feeling a bit better so we went out to the beach to watch the sunset because we were all feeling cooped up. It was good to get out of our home and get some fresh air. I got to play with my camera and new lens and I loved it. 

Amy & Keith ~ Christmas Day 

Christmas Day ~ The Guys 

Ethan & Keith 

Brandon & Keith 

Me & Keith ( I was still feeling icky and still pasty! ) It was the best I could do for a picture.

The sunset was amazing. My header picture is from Christmas day to give you an idea of how beautiful the sunset was. While Christmas was different it was still special and one I'm sure we'll look back on with fond memories especially next year when we are freezing and have snow up to our waists!

A New Name and a New Look!

Three Interesting Children ~ Christmas Day 

The Gathering of Nations

Last year when Keith and I were planning our time away and looking for a place to stay, we could not have envisioned what coming and staying at D&D Missionary Homes would be like for our family. Also, we didn't know all that much about this place other than it was for missionaries from around the world who come 'home' on furlough, medical leave, emergency leave due to country conflict, or sabbaticals. Beyond knowing we were coming I didn't give it much thought as to who would be here, where they would be from and if they would have any children. Honestly, I was just anxious to get away and have a place to stay that we could afford.

Over the months, I have grown quite fond of this place. It is a unique community made up of missionaries from every corner of the world. We live in separate homes on about 2 city blocks in the heart of a very urban area. The area is quite economically depressed, so the surrounding area isn't kept the same way D&D Homes are looked after. I have found it most fascinating to meet people and hear about what they do, or did, in other countries, learn about different customs and hear about their cultures. The best part is the impact this is having on our children. They literally play with kids from around the globe and are learning so many interesting things. I regularly hear from Amy about how her friends live. The world has been brought to us in this small community and has broadened my children's world view and their perspectives. How neat is that!

Amy & some of the girls

This impact has started Amy thinking about what she would like to do. She is still interested in medicine, trauma medicine to be exact.  However she would like to be a missionary Dr.  I believe this is due to those that she has developed relationships with over the past few months. Her understanding of the world and the needs of the world has grown considerably since she has been here and listening to others talk about their lives on the mission field. Amy also thinks it would be great if her children decided to become missionaries carrying on a legacy for another generation. I am honored, as her parent, to hear her talk of a desire to serve others and to have her family do the same. Who would have thought going on a sabbatical to Florida would ignite such thoughts from a teenager? I certainly did not!

Playing 'football' is a regular occurrence in our 'back yard' with a huge group of kids! (Big & Small)

Brandon has started talking about his desire to travel once he's done with school. He wants to see Europe. I have never heard him talk of traveling until we have been here. He has been exposed to so many adults who talk with him daily about their lives and his. Brandon is well liked in this community and everyone, I mean everyone knows Brandon! He isn't interested in mission work (which is fine), but he is interested in his world, exploring it and finding out about different countries and experiencing different cultures.

Ethan hasn't said much about his future plans. He is only 11 soon to be 12. However, he is having a blast with all the kids. He has a group of kids he plays with on a regular basis. They do crazy boy things like make backwards video's, ride scooters, run around after the girls and playing pranks on them, and playing soccer. His friends span the globe too. He has an interesting collection of coins to bring back home.

Ethan practicing his skills

Here's the run down of countries represented here at D&D Missionary Homes:
US, Belize, China, Bulgaria, Mozambique, Belgium, Guatemala, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, India, Togo ~ West Africa, Germany, Peru, Spain, France, Japan,  Haiti,  Argentina, & Canada (we aren't the only Canadian's). There are often people from the same countries, but completely different regions with-in the country.

Amy &  a few girls. One of them was leaving....it will be the first of many good-byes to come!

The unfortunate part is I haven't meet all the people here to talk with them. I would have loved to take the time to talk with each family, getting to know them and hear about their mission work in their respective countries. Since I was a young girl I have always had a love for foreign missionaries and  learning about their work .  I find it fascinating to know missionaries and understand what they do and how they interact with the 'native' people's of the country they are living in.  However, I  have had the opportunity to get to know some of the families, which is leading to new friendships. We're not sure if we'll see them again, but our lives have been enriched by knowing them and learning about them and their work.

Sam, Sam comes to visit!

We did have a string of visitors back in November and the beginning of December. Two days after our friends Jari and Carol left, we had the pleasure of welcoming Samara a.k.a. Sam Sam to Florida. Sam Sam is one of our summer staff members who we have gotten to know and develop a great friendship/relationship with over the many summers she has worked at camp. This past summer she 'lived' with us most weekends. We loved having her stay at our home and getting to know her even better. She became like an adopted daughter to us! The kids, especially Amy, loved having her around.

Samara & Amy 

We wanted to keep Sam Sam busy while she was here. Her first full day here we headed to Busch Gardenswww.buschgardens.com/Bgt/ in Tampa. I have no pictures because I didn't feel like carrying a camera while going on rides. It had been many years since I was on thrill rides of any kind. I was a bit nervous about the day and I know I suffer from motion sickness and was unsure of what to expect. Having Samara with us made it great fun. Samara has a way of turning ordinary situations into fun situations. She went on all the rides with Keith and Brandon, while the rest of us hung back. Eventually, she talked Amy into trying some thrill rides and to our shock, Amy was going on them! After that first day, Amy was hooked. (we're still working on E, but that is a different story). I finally got my feet wet and went on a ride. Samara and Keith  convinced me to try the Cheetah Hunt. I had the pleasure of riding with Samara. I believe she got more of a kick out of my response to the ride, than the ride itself.  She was laughing the whole time, while I wasn't too sure about this roller coaster. The day ended up being a great success, in part, to having Sam Sam with us and being the type of person who is up for a adventure.

Ethan learning about he bones of a manatee

We decided to try and see some manatees in their natural habitat at the TECO power plant in Tampa Bay. It was a bust. Good thing it was for free. All we saw were lumps in the water. They were much too far, and slow moving to see anything . They migrate to this particular place because the water generated from the power plant is warm and they don't freeze in the Gulf once the temps. drop. I guess we learned some things about the manatees, but it was rather boring. Getting some cute pictures was the only good thing.

   Amy & Sam Sam                                   Keith & Sam Sam getting competitive 

One night when Samara was here the kids and I took her to visit a house that has been featured on different Christmas Tree lights shows (I forget their names). It was fun to see all these lights and learn about the amount of hydro they use in a month, the amount of time it takes to set up and take down and the number of light used. The people who do have to be dedicated and passionate because it isn't easy or a quick thing to do.

Information sign & a picture looking at the yard. (I had a hard time getting a good shot)

We, of course, took Sam Sam to the beach. The weather wasn't all that hot, so it was a little disappointing, but we still got to lay on the sand and soak up the sun.  (I didn't get any picture of that). I have been leaving my camera at home when going to the beach to play because sand isn't so good for picture taking. 

Keith, Sam Sam & Me 

Eventually, Sam Sam had to leave. We had a fantastic time having her here. We played a lot of games, laughed, watched a poor movie that we made fun of, talked and just enjoyed every minute we got to spend with Samara. It was truly a treat to have her visit us! 

Brandon, Sam Sam, Amy & Ethan

Dropping Samara off at the airport and saying good-bye was quite difficult on Keith and I. One of the very best parts of our job is getting to know the summer staff and develop relationships with them. One of the hardest aspects of our job is saying good-bye to those who we have loved and watched them grow over the years. It is something we do every year. Samara, our world traveler, has a lot of plans, so we knew this was saying good-bye for quite a long time. We loved having her here and it was privilege to have her come and visit us on her way home for Christmas. Thanks, Sam Sam, you are always welcomed in our home! 

Catching Up

November was a busy month with all the visitors we had. Soon after my mom left and the two hockey games in-between the visits our friends from Southern Ontario came to visit us. They arrived on the Wednesday before American Thanksgiving (in Canada we refer to it as American to distinguish from Canadian Thanksgiving in October). We were so excited to have them come down to see us!

Jari, Carol & Katarina 

The night they arrived it was hot and humid. We quickly headed over to their hotel with supper. After supper we spent the evening  hanging out at the hot-tub. Not a bad place to be. The kids loved having a big pool, instead of the ocean, to swim in. They swam for hours that first night. It gave us adults a lot of time for talking. Amy was thrilled to have her friend Katarina to hang out with instead of her brothers.

The next day was Thanksgiving and we had a full day planned. It was nice to have extra hands to help make Thanksgiving dinner. We went to the beach for the afternoon as it was hot. It was so strange to be on the beach on Thanksgiving Day. After the beach we came home and finished getting dinner ready. We were all so hungry from being at the beach either walking up and down the shore, swimming or just being in the fresh air. Once dinner was cleaned up we played games. It was nice to relax and visit with our friends. The girls kept to themselves, while Brandon played with us and Ethan watched a movie.

Jari, Carol, Me & Keith 

On Black Friday the adults headed out shopping. We haven't been around much for black Friday deals, so we were all curious as to what we would find. Unfortunately we didn't find much. We saw a few things, but nothing that spectacular. We didn't leave our home until around 9 or so. We could have missed everything. After shopping we ended up going to Jari and Carol's hotel and hanging out there for the evening. Again, it was great to relax by the ocean, hot tub and pool. Ethan got to fly his kite on the beach, so that was fun for him.

Amy was able to spend the night with Katarina. On Saturday they went to Clearwater Marina Aquarium where Winter, the dolphin lives. We had been there back in October, so we didn't join them. Afterwards we just hung out. We tried to meet up at the beach, but we missed each other, which way okay. We hung out for the evening at their place until late at night like we used to do when we were newly married and didn't have kids.

Katarina and Amy - outside our church. 

Sunday came too soon and they had to leave after church. It was wonderful having them come down here for a visit. Our time, as usual, wasn't long enough :( . We loved being able to show them our home away from home, talk with them and have them really listen to us, Listen to them share, playing cards, hanging out, eating together and just being with one another. Rarely in life do you find friends that stick together for so long. Carol was my first friend I made when I moved to Canada all those years ago. We only lived in the same city for 3 years, but that hasn't stopped a wonderful friendship that has spanned many years and the different stages of life.

Carol & Me

Thanks for taking the time to visit. Jari, Carol and Katarina!  MJ we missed having you here. Thank you for keeping Winston company while your family was down here.

Confessions

My blog has been sadly neglected for more than a month! I have confession to make. I am not a writer. Writing takes a lot out of me. I am surrounded by writers, which makes it more difficult to write. My great-grandfather, who is long gone, was a writer and published two books. In the same family I have an Aunt that is a writer, I have two cousins who majored either in journalism or literature. I have a brother who has written professionally, wrote for his university newspaper, and has a personal blog. He is an exceptional writer. My mother in- law is a writer, Keith's aunt is a writer and Keith  himself is a gifted writer. Is it any wonder than I have a son who is a excellent writer? All this to say I feel sheepish writing this blog with my limited writing skills. I have struggled all my life with writing. Talking is much easier for me. I feel better getting this out of my system. I hope as you all read you can understand how long one post takes me. I write-then re-write -then have Keith check for grammar and spelling errors, than try and get the pictures the way I want them. Usually, 2 hours later a blog is posted. I wish it was easier. I am envious of those who can whip up a post and get it on their blog quickly. Possibly some day I will be able to do this, however for now I need to be satisfied with my level and slowness.

Another aspect to this blogging thing I have figured out, is that while I am  resting down here it isn't always easy to write. The main objective of our time down here is to rest. Writing for me is not rest it is work and I have had to process some difficult things while down here resting, which doesn't always lend it self to fun blogs. All this to say, I am asking you, my readers to be gracious with me as I plan to start my blogs again. I'm hoping over the next week or so to get you all caught up on what has been happening in our lives.