I love breakfast

How about you?

 

(btw- I may have never mentioned before that my sister Amy is an incredible chef)

a blessing for everything

I figure if the Rabbi had a blessing for Motel's sewing machine (Fiddler On the Roof), there must also be a blessing for my new Dell F6430. My old laptop served me very well, but it was time for a replacement before I head back to Zambia. I'm asking God to bless my laptop, watch over it,

and help me to use it for His glory.

With Thanksgiving in Our Hearts

 

Our Thanksgiving family tradition is to place five popcorn kernels at each place setting. Before the meal, we pass a small bowl around the table and take turns sharing five things from our list of Thanksgivings for that year. History reports say the pilgrims who survived the first winter in New England had such meager rations there was a point when each person had only five kernels of corn a day. Not only do the five kernels remind us of desperate times early European settlers endured prior to the first Thanksgiving, these small seeds also remind each of us to take a few moments to pause and reflect with thankful hearts to God for His abundant blessings. A few of the 85 thanksgivings mentioned around our table this year included school, family, jobs, Jesus, a chicken house, a work shop, spouses, soccer, a garden, prisoners, a smoked turkey, and a dog.

 



My five kernels of thanks

 

1) being together with family

2) the Cookie House

3) my job, friends, and life in Zambia

4) opportunities we have to be part of God's global family--

because that gives us a little flavor of what heaven will be like

5) American ice cream

Dear Heather

Happy Belated Birthday!

 

 

As promised, we ate your pumpkin chocolate chip birthday cake on your birthday.

Wish you could've had some too!

Pittsburgh Tourist

While in Pittsburgh for our cousin's recent wedding, we enjoyed a mini family holiday. Joel and Judith and their little ones met up with us for a family day. I figured I should play tourist and snap a few photos to share.

Once upon a time, our family toured this part of Pittsburgh before. What disturbed me slightly was realizing it was probably nearly 20 years ago when we first rode the cable car up this incline... and I remember that trip.

Since when can people my age remember things that happened 20 years ago?!?!

since when???

view from a lookout after riding the cable car up the incline

note: you probably wouldn't believe how many ways there are to get lost, er, I mean, to navigate Pittsburgh... take for example the yellow bridge pictured above. There are countless ways to cross this bridge on different levels and from different entrance points to differing exit points. Let's just say we spent more than a couple hours driving around Pittsburgh-- not necessarily on purpose. I saw a lot of cool things and enjoyed the ride though. Plus, I was more than happy to let someone else do the city driving/navigating for a change.

playing at the Point Park

babies make family time so much more complete!
Austin, this is a shout-out to YOU!

true holiday spirit...
don't you just love family outings?!? hahaha.

wedding

venue: Heinz Chapel on the University of Pittsburgh campus

One of our cousins got married a week ago last Friday in Pittsburgh, and I had the privilege of attending the wedding. This was definitely one of the most elegant weddings I've been too.



another view of the chapel

 

building across from the wedding chapel

 

ceiling at the reception hall

 

reception

The reception hall (also in Pittsburgh) was built in the 1800's and restored magnificently. Equally as stunning as the beautiful hall and lovely decorations were the presentation and taste of the hors d'oeuvres and four course meal we enjoyed throughout the evening.

Congratulations to our cousin and his bride; may God bless your home.

*whoops... sorry, I don't have any pictures of the bride and groom!*

Happiness...

...is being with my family for Sunday dinner.

 

Once or twice this past year, I was able to Skype in, perched on the buffet through a webcam.

Being here in person is one hundred times better!

classic B/J [Betsy/Julie] date

Betsy and I have had a lot of catching up to do the past few weeks. It had been too long since we... went shopping together, watched a movie together, went out for ice cream together, just chatted with each other about normal life stuff (not to mention deep heart matters...), etc. [if you have a sister, you probably get the picture.]

So, the other day we went to Target together. Betsy practically had to pull me out of the store, because I was getting lost in each grocery aisle-- exclaiming over the wonderful things on the shelves and reading lables. She says I would spend 10 minutes in each aisle, but she exagerates.

After our shopping excapade, we made our way to Culver's. For all my non-Culver-knowing readers, Culver's is an upscale fast food restaurant. I don't like fast food, but I LOVE frozen custard, which is Culver's specialty.

Until this past year, we didn't have a Culver's in Midland (there was one in Saginaw). Of course, Betsy and I had to go check out the new Culver's... together. Our visit was a screaming success. And, since our treat was small, we still had room for dinner when we reached home :).



our selection was a mini oreo cherry mixer in chocolate custard!

Hurrah for sister time!

I have a lot of posts to share...

...but I'm having some technological blocks with my pictures.

Lots of photos coming soon :)

Happy week before Thanksgiving to you!

Charlie

Charlie and I met for the first time Wednesday evening.

Last year, the day after I left for Zambia, Amy bought a dog-- she said since I was moving she needed someone at home to eat the left overs!

Not only does Charlie love to gobble Amy's lunch scraps, he's also been a treasured companion for Amy and the family the past twelve months.

I was hoping Charlie wouldn't mind sharing my house with me, since he didn't know I existed until a few days ago.

He doesn't :)

I'm so glad we're friends.

loved

(written Friday, 8 November 2013)

Dad and Mom's house
photo by Naomi

I've felt so loved this week.

On Wednesday evening, our family met Betsy and I at the airport and brought us home. Logan said Mom was ready to leave an entire hour early to come pick us up.

They had prepared all sorts of special snacks; I felt like it was Christmas. (pickles, crackers, Pinconing cheese, dried cranberries, hot punch...)

Dad got home from his evening Bible study and gave me a kiss. The ocean between us for the past twelve months made kisses impossible.

Amy took Charlie and I home for bed. She had washed my sheets and remade my bed with my flannel sheets! (my fave)

For breakfast, Amy and I had blueberry bagels and oat squares and drinking chocolate. I couldn't believe all the cute outfits I forgot about in my winter wardrobe! After we took Charlie on a walk, filled up the heat stove, drank a few cups of tea, and talked all morning, we went to Dad and Mom's.

Mom said I talked all day.

I helped scrape pumpkins for Naomi and Mom to can, and I sorted gifts from my luggage. Libby and I played a piano duet after she got home from school. I haven't heard a real piano play in over a year. "Music to the ears" would be an accurate statement.

I baked raspberry white chocolate muffins for dinner, and my uncle and brothers exclaimed how tasty they were. Mom, Naomi, and Lauren Mae made a simple, traditional Cook-style dinner-- complete with spinach salad-- and I was so happy. I could've just sat there and looked at the food and felt the moment and smiled without even eating. (instead I felt the moment AND smiled AND ate ;) )

There's nothing like being surrounded by people who love me.

Too Cute

On our way from Choma to Lusaka to catch our flights to the States, we stopped off in Pemba to visit some friends. This little cutie's arrival was still awaited last time Heather and I visited in June.

It was such a pleasure to spend a few minutes with our friends and meet their firstborn daughter.

(it was a bonus that she didn't scream to see our white faces! in fact, she even shared a couple smiles.)

Another Long Trip

hanging out in the Chicago airport waiting for our final flight home-- 30+ hours since departing Lusaka

After...

• approximately 40 hours of travel
• 4 flights (one of which was 18 hours and included a movie marathon)
• 4 sky meals and 2 granola bars
• a measly amount of sleep
• an unknown number of queues, security checks, and passport verification points...
• and one cancelled flight

Betsy and I arrived safely HOME Wednesday evening!

It was a long trip, but the misery was lessened because we did it together.

We split a KitKat bar at lunch (on the plane), and watched the same movies simultaneously on our screens so we could laugh together, and went through customs points as a team, and wore matching windbreakers (hers was blue, mine was green). We slept on each other and scratched each other's backs and took turns chewing gum from her purse and then gum from mine ;).

I always dreamed of the day I'd travel internationally with someone. Finally, last year, Heather and I traveled to Zambia together (all my previous flight travels-- continental or international-- had been solo). It's great to have a traveling companion. This trip, God blessed Betsy and I with the privilege of flying together. What a special treat.

When we got to Chicago and discovered our flight home had been cancelled so we had an additional 5 hours of layover in the airport, we did what all sensible sisters would do and hunted for some lunch. Nevermind that the salad cost $8 and the bagel cost $3, the important thing is that we made our lunch selections together and paid for them together and ate them together. And after we stopped at McDonald's for two ice cream sundaes, we found two quiet benches out of the way and took naps... together :).

I didn't have anything other than gifts to bring home, so I enjoyed my lightest-ever carry on for this trip!
It hardly had anything inside.

i forgot

...just how lovely the Cookie House is.

and just how wonderful it is to BE with my family.

i'm so glad I've had the opportunity to remember this week.

Anticipating Life in the Mitten

Hope you don't mind a picture of the Zambezi... it's been so long since I've been to Lake Michigan it would have taken some serious scrounging to come up with a picture that matched this post... 

Things I'm Looking Forward to In Michigan

Of course, most of all—best of all—I’m looking forward to being together with my family for approximately 40 days, but here are some other items/events/experiences I’m anticipating while visiting Michigan (in no particular order):

• Sunday dinner
• Being a back seat passenger—not the driver—for car rides
• Christmas caroling
• Thanksgiving together
• Lake Michigan
• Big Apple Bagels (or any bagels!)
• My bicycle (riding it, of course—as long as the snow isn’t too deep! Haha.)
• A date with Brian in his new car (munching Wheat Thins on the way)
• The Cookie House—my garage, our heat stove, the wood floors, lovely decorations, and the shower box!, waking up and knowing Amy’s right there—in the same room—not a crackling skype call away. i.can’t.wait.
• Foody stuff… like dill pickles, a Subway sub, pretzels, fig bars, sliced meat and tuna sandwiches, graham crackers, and American ice cream
• My sewing machine and washing machine and waffle maker :)
• Watching BBC movies with Betsy and Amy
• Applesauce… jars and jars and jars of unsweetened and wonderfully delicious Michigan mom-made APPLESAUCE. -how I miss thee-
• American shampoo and conditioner
• My sweatshirt (why did I think I should leave it behind just because it’s bulky when I packed for Zambia?!?)
• Kroger (grocery store)
• Turning on the radio and hearing English… and listening to NPR/BBC. It’s been way too long.
• Shopping at Salvation Army, Beyond Measure (bulk food), and our favorite shops in Clare with my mom and sisters
• Hosting guests at the Cookie House
• Quaker Oat Squares (love those things…). Thinking of Oat Squares reminds me of Wheat Chex and Life—I wonder if Dad will mind if I come for breakfast the morning after shopping day to eat his bowl of Life-?!
• Snow. Though I didn’t miss it at all last winter, I do enjoy snowy days—especially when I’m inside baking cookies and watching the snow fall outside the window.
• Drinking tea with Amy
• Not being referred to as “Mukuwa” wherever I go
• Michigan fruit—cherries, blueberries, peaches, raspberries, and blackberries. Of course by this time of the year, they’ll all be in a preserved state, but that’s better than no state!
• Meeting Charlie, Amy’s dog
• Muffins just the way I want to make them (as all ingredients will be available) and full of previously itemized fruity goodness and SHARED with my family, who will enjoy them almost as much as I’ll enjoy making them!!! (yes, Betsy and Naomi, white chocolate raspberry can be the first batch)
• The Nature Center Trail/s
• Baking cookies with butter or shortening
• Spinach salad with mandarin oranges and dried cranberries (and hopefully pomegranates will be in season too)
• Calling Mom or Betsy or Dad or Amy or anybody in the US whenever I want and talking for as long as I want… because all those minutes are included in the monthly cell plan
• Rediscovering my closet, especially all the sweaters

sappy good-byes

just another example of the teamwork Heather and I have practiced the past twelve months

As if organizing details for leaving my job for 6 weeks wasn't enough... add to that packing suitcases for a trip home, hosting my sister (and wishing we could've done even more fun things together), and saying good-bye to my teamie Heather. Emotional is one way to describe this past week.

Last Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of Heather and I stepping off the plane in Lusaka to begin our year in Zambia together. We met at the Philly airport a mere 4 days previous (yes, the trip took 5 days...). Our 365th day in Zambia was a day to celebrate.

We gave each other birthday/year-end gifts (as we won't be together this year for our upcoming birthdays). And... well... I got a little sentimental...

I've been working on my letter to Heather for weeks now. Finally, the other day I tweeked it for the last time and printed it on brightly colored paper (Heather loves color). Yes, it took four pages of paper.

the letter

We laughed our way through memories (happy and sad) from the past 12 months.

And since you're probably curious, I don't think Heather will mind if I share a few lines from the letter I read/gave her:

...I like watching movies with you and cooking tortillas and sipping milkshakes and eating avocado tomato sandwiches and talking about work and listening to your stories and baking together with tunes and navigating Lusaka with you and discussing numbers and strategies for work… and I like laughing together—about Tonglish funnies and silly/challenging moments and funny emails and great memories.

I like when you answer my questions with, “I should think,” and when you run to the door to give Joshua da bubda gums. 

I like it when you consult me on your wardrobe and reassure me no one will notice that the last button on my dress is missing (even though I’m still not sure I totally believe you…).

....

And maybe one of these days… we’ll wind up back on this continent, breathing in the scent of orange blossoms and burning rubbish, looking up at the stars, sitting next to each other, drinking two of the best mint chocolate milk shakes the entire world over… and reminiscing about the year we spent at Nahumba once upon a time ago.

the painting I gave Heather :)

yeah... life's been pretty sappy around here lately...