MOVING! (Part One)

Moving from one island to another...we have finished language study and are headed to a new island.  As of this post, our moving date is in 1 month and 5 days.  Actually, I think it might be even less than that!  Yikes!  Time to start packing.  What should we bring?  According to friends who live in our new home, we should have bed sheets made.  Why?  I'm glad you asked! Apparently it is easy to find fitted bedsheets, but not flat sheets.  Weird huh?  I thought so.  So I had matching sheet sets made.  They are pretty and I like them.  Here they are:

And here is where I got them:

OK, sheets bought.  Check.  What next?  Well, apparently there isn't much more we need to bring with us, except just the stuff we own.  10 suitcases full of stuff that has been making their way out of the suitcases and into every nook and cranny of this house we have been living in for the past year.  What happens when all your junk does that?  Answer:  it multiplies and fills up shelves and desks and tables with...more JUNK!  I really should start by cleaning up my desk:

Scary I know.What if I disappear into all that junk and am never seen or heard from again?  And how about this one, the boys' desk:

Maybe it doesn't look so bad, but it actually is pretty messy.  I will be nice and NOT post a picture of Kris' desk.  So, with all this packing to do and not much time to do it, what did I decide to do?

Well, enjoy the beautiful scenery, OBVIOUSLY!  Who wouldn't want to sit on their sofa with a good book and a beautiful garden?  I mean really, I should take advantage of this since I only have 1 month and 5 days left!!!

40 Years Old!

My (Jana's) birthday was May 21...40 years old!!  Woohoo!  Kris threw me a party all day long :)  It started out with this beautiful "Javanese Window" that I really have been wanting to have to take with us to Sumatra.  Kris surprised me with it in the morning.  Yea!

Isn't it beautiful?  Apparently the old Javanese houses had beautiful carved windows like this.  Since I grew up on Java, I wanted a beautiful piece like this to remind me of my heritage!  You can see on in the picture below that when you open the shutters it is a mirror (you can see our wicker coffee table in the mirror!)

 We ate lunch at Pizza Hut with some friends.

And stopped at Starbucks for a coffee-to-go.  I got a tall vanilla latte, yum!

At home we had friends come over and they brought cake and ice cream!

Food and fellowship...can't beat it!

What a great birthday!

Growing Disciple

Last week our oldest son spoke at Middle School Chapel (6-9th graders).  He'd been studying some discipleship material that his grandfather (Jana's dad) wrote.  He really enjoyed it and thought his friends should learn about it too.  So he took the initiative to ask for a chance to speak in chapel!  So last week he did it.  He was fantastic!!  Of course we are so very proud.  I don't have a camera that takes good pictures from far away, but here are a couple of the ones I took...

CABIN FEVER

Kris has been gone all week and so I've been hosting germs, stomach flu germs.  Actually, Joel has been hosting them.  I've just been hangin' out at the house with Joel all week.  It hit me yesterday, not the germs, the feeling that I had......CABIN FEVER!!!!

There is no remedy in "Where there is No Doctor," one of my favorite books.  But who needs a book when you have the internet?  So I looked it up.

Here is what Wikipedia says (my comments in red):

"Cabin fever is an idiomatic term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person (that's ME!) or group (no, pretty much just me) is isolated and/or shut in a small space (our home), with nothing (that she wants) to do, for an extended period (since last Saturday) (as in a simple country vacation (yea right) cottage during a long rain or snow (not)). Symptoms include restlessness (yup), irritability (you'll have to ask the boys), irrational frustration with everyday objects (yeah, you should have seen what I did to the dinner spoons and the tape dispenser!  what does that even mean?), forgetfulness (about what?), laughter (yup), excessive sleeping (nope), distrust of anyone they are with (what are the kids up to?), and an urge to go outside even in the rain, snow or dark. (yup)

The phrase is also used humorously to indicate simple boredom from being home alone. (it's not funny people)^[1] The term was first recorded in 1918 (I am pretty sure I've been cooped up in this house that long).^[2] Other references have the term in use at least to 1906. An 1820 reference is to an actual fever, common in Ireland, resulting from eating watery potatoes during wet years. (mental note not to eat potatoes during rainy season)

Wendigo psychosis, a culture-bound syndrome, may be an extreme form of cabin fever which compels those suffering from it to engage in cannibalism. Oh my word!  Someone come get me outta here!

Snickerdoodles

This week Aaron made snickerdoodles for a class party.  I gave him the recipe, but he did all the work himself.  There were a few challenges, like trying to get the Blue Band container open and then getting all the gooey margarine out!

 He's checking out the recipe again.  Always a good thing!

 Lots of sugar!

Mixing it together.

Quit laughing and concentrate, Aaron!

It was a scary time for Mom!  Probably shouldn't have watched.

What's the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon?

Trying to get the seal off a new spice container.  Who knew the biggest challenge would be all the pesky containers?

Adding the dry ingredients...

Mix it all together and what have you got?

"Look, Mom!  I can throw it up and catch it!"

Success!  A pan of amazing cookies!

This is the last picture I got.  I forgot to take a grand picture of the final plate of finished cookies.  Maybe that's because we were busy eating them!!!  Well done, Aaron!