thanks for your patience

Friends, thanks for your patience and letting me know the pictures didn't load. I tried again and it worked for me.  Hope it works for you!

Thanks for caring and taking the time to look at them all.  We're getting excited here.  Elli packed her whole closet full of clothes this morning.  Mommy's not quite ready for that, so it all went back into the closet!  Soon enough!

The New House

Austin signed the contract with our landlord on the 20th!  We were hopeful of quickly getting the keys as there are some (not many) time consuming projects.  Mainly laying a concrete floor in the kitchen.  Saturday, thinking we were getting the keys, Austin and I met with the landlord and found out all the stuff that was there would be staying there in a room.  He was willing to put it all to the back and let us use what remained of the room, but I'll admit I was bummed to loose out on a whole room.  I'm hoping for some creative storing energy to "bippity-boppity-boo" make it all go away!  He promised keys in 2 days but we didn't get them until Saturday.  I week of a lot of waiting and fighting fear in my heart that they were going to back out.  I'm still fearful, as he's told us he doesn't want our rent money until we've lived in it several days and like it.  Oh, and he's asked us to move out for several weeks in the summers, when they need the house for weddings!  That one is still out for clarifying and negotiation.

So Saturday at 8 a.m. Austin got the keys.  After Elias' nap, we made a family 10 minute walk to the new house for a picnic lunch to show the kids the house for the first time and take some measurements.  I tried to organize the pictures so that you could "walk" through the house.  Keep in mind that homes here are squares with the courtyard in the center and all doors opening outside, much like a motel in the States.




The main projects before move in are

1. plumbing for a hot water heater for the kitchen/shower room.  
2. Ripping out the rotten floor (those holes are where Austin fell through when we looked through it with the landlord) in the kitchen and family room and installing a new floor.   
3. Cutting a door to connect the kitchen and family room; this will be especially key for an almost mobile infant when mommy spends a large % of the day in the kitchen. 

The list seems so much shorter than our last move.  But we are trying to guard our expectations.  Values in real estate are so different here; it is not always important for something to work.  It is of much greater value for it to look good.  So there may be surprises waiting for us.

You are always welcome!

The Ulitmate Up-grade!

Much like the Swiffer commercials, I've found a GREAT replacement for my local "vacuum" option!!! 

You'll notice my local broom sporting it's own Turkish Airways complementary sock to help prevent the "sweepers" fingers from being poked by the stray wires that bind the dry reeds together!

Our shipment finally arrived on the 13th.  It took our office staff in the capitol 2 days to get it out and then Austin drove over the mountains (again!) on Tuesday to retrieve it!  In the shipment came my vacuum and a high powered voltage converter (thank you Trevor for your recommendations!).  My life will never be the same.

Please don't misunderstand, local women wield amazing skill with that broom.  It is astounding what they can sweep out of a carpet filled home.  I've worked hard to master the same skill, but as I didn't start at the ripe age of 4 or 5, I'm at a grave disadvantage.  Yet there is only so much a reed broom can do. 

I anticipated filling my "easy empty dirt container" with random chunks that could not be swept.  I was hopeful to reduce the flea problem that can be prevalent in the spring time (though PRAISE Him we haven't had any fleas this spring).  I had no idea how much dust and sand would fill my container!

This is only after vacuuming our room, Elias' walk-in closet size nursery, and the entry hallway! Almost half full.

I guess you can say, this has far exceeded my expectations!  When your house is made of mud-bricks, apparently the amount of dirt is much greater!  It wasn't easy getting our shipment here, but believe me it was well worth it!!!

New growth sprouting!

That's right, our grass is growing!!!  And if you look closely, Elias is sporting a cute little fuzz top hair do!  Love it.  Still loves curing those toes too.

Fun with sister

Ethan has been sick (throwing up and lethargic) since Saturday.  Which means more concentrated time for just Elli and Elias to play together.  I sure love watching them love and laugh with each other.  I thought you'd get a kick out of it too!

Giggling Video

And don't worry, Ethan is on the mend! 

Editor's note: Sorry that I couldn't get the video to embed like I wanted it to.  But we are sharing an internet stick and are on a strict MB diet, so I couldn't play with it like I would like to.  You'll still get to watch it . . . and it's worth the extra click of a goose chase! :) 

A fun visit

Thursday our friend Mary brought her 2 ½ year old niece to our house to play with Elli while she worked.  Her mom is about to have another baby (like any day) and I’m sure she was glad for the morning break!  “Reagan” was very timid at first; not wanting to stray far from her aunt’s side. 

Still in her jammies, Elli wanted a head scarf just like her friend's. 

I was so proud of Elli’s persistent hospitality.  She offered her RC cola (which Reagan consumed 1 whole liter of).  Gradually Reagan felt more and more comfortable; first willing to wash tea cups in the same room as her aunt; then share a yummy Goldfish snack; warmed up to requesting ice cream from bazaar; and by lunch time she didn’t want to leave.  

 An amazingly culturally appropriate picture; straight faced, no smiles!

 Elli so excited to share Goldfish.  Thanks again Arkansas guys!!!

 Sharing some ice cream on the front step!

 3 year old girls are the same the world around; ice cream is ALWAYS a good idea!

 Elias and our dear friend Mary!

Our entire family loves her.  So glad to be back with her!

Such fun for my kids to have good play time with local friends.  Bummer that Reagan speaks a minority language, so it won’t do much for Ell’s language learning.  Though it is amazing how much playing can happen without language. 

4 Visitors

We had 4 men from Fort Smith, AR visit last week and had a great time.  Scott we knew quite well from some training time we had together back in 2007.  The other 3 guys we met in February over an amazing bbq pork lunch!!!!  When our interactions with outside visitors are as limited as they are, we quickly become good friends.   

They were a fun group of guys; quick to keep us laughing. 

They were welcomed with a team ice cream gathering.

 

  And they in turn passed out special gifts to each kid.

 

  What fun surprises.

We enjoyed a dinner together at a new restaurant down by the River.  I’m excited by the possibility of a caravot at a house we are hoping to move to; an elevated table that you sit on floor pillows on and enjoy the fresh outside air.  I guess we’ve gotten used to sitting on the floor, as their legs were feeling pretty cramped by this point in the trip.  

 Thank you guys for coming!  And thank you to your families for letting you be gone, especially on Mother’s Day.  Thanks too for the mound of goodies you brought for us!  Our hearts were encouraged and lifted by our time with you!

Thanks Mom!

Austin is mid-trip on his third trip over the mountains to the capitol since we've arrived.  This trip Ethan and I made some pigs in the blanket to send along with him.  In the baking process we had the following conversation:

E: "Mom, where did you learn to make these?"
Me: "My mommy taught me.  She used to make these and send them in my lunches to school."
                                          As we rolled out cinnamon rolls with the remaining dough:
E: "Mom, where did you learn to make cinnamon rolls?"
Me: "My mommy taught me.  In the summers I would make them and sell them at the guest house for people who were traveling through town."

After the cinnamon rolls cooled, I took a pan of them (in a fancy local ziplock) over to our neighboor to thank them for letting us use their water to fill our tank.  They sheepishly took them as I went on and on about how worried I was to be without water and how much it helps me, with 3 small children, to have water. (I laid it on thick.)

The next morning, I woke up to find our lower cistern overflowing and Austin's rigged "sprinkler hose" attached to the overflow spout couldn't keep up.  I chuckled to myself when I thought "where did I learn that trick? (warm baked goods and an appreciate attitude.)

You guessed it . . . my mom!  Can't count the number of times she took bannana muffins or poppy seed bread down to the phone company or water company and things would get fixed!  It works in Central Asia too.

Thanks Mom, for all you have taught me!  I'm so grateful for you.  Happy Mother's Day (a little early!)