And Time Just MARCHes On...

The whole crew who celebrated Jessica's 17th birthday. We were even blessed with a guest from the US on the occasion, Eric Townsend.

For some reason my kids don't stop getting older. Guess that says something about me, too. In March we celebrated Jessica and Anabel's birthdays. Jessica is more than thrilled to be only a year away from 18. Anabel was supposed to be an April child, but there was no stopping her...and that is still the case. :)

The best cake ever...Super Moist Chocolate Cake!!!


Anabel and her 10th birthday cake, courtesy of Aunt Ranelle. Glad someone in the family has talent...I am lucky if I can get the sheet cake to turn out!

This last one is just for fun. Anabel is all about dressing up, perfume and makeup. In this case, even the cat didn't manage to escape!

Ta-Da!

Fuchico (pronounced "foo-she-coo") bed cover that the girls and I made on our travels since June.

Over the last 4 months, the girls and I have been working on a wee project. It started out as something productive to do on those long days we had to spend in the car. I figured after we had worked on the pieces for a while, we would decide what to make out of them. When it was decided that Jessica would stay in the US to do 10th grade, we wanted to make something to leave for her.


A look close up.

Each of the circles is called a "fuchico" which comes from the word "fuchicar" which means "to gossip". I am guessing that ladies would get together and "visit" while they worked. :)

Lest you think I am making this all up, here is a little coffee shop in a remote corner of Brazil we saw on vacation in 2004. These table coverings are made out of smaller fuchicos than we made for our project.

A HUGE thanks to Julie, Johanna and Elizabeth Ratzlaff for helping cut out so many of our circles. I am convinced that we were able to finish only because of your help!

Changes

Alicia, Anabel and Jessica

VBS Program 2008

If you would ask our 3 girls to pick their favorite event of the WHOLE year, I am absolutely sure it would be Conference and VBS. There isn't anything quite like having a ball with their fellow MK's that they only get to see once or twice a year. Mix that with 5 days of lessons, crafts, games, snacks (from the US!), prizes, competitions, and LOADS of other activities, there isn't anything that even comes close. The memories are priceless.

Jessica pulled out all the stops and earned the grand prize in the teen girl's category for verse memorization (and a bunch of other stuff)...a new MP3 player. Except for recharging it, she hasn't been without it since...

Jessica is also headed for some big changes in her life. For that matter, so are we! On the 22nd of January our soon-to-be-15-year-old is moving to Fortaleza (a 4 hour bus ride from Mossoró) to study at the same high school where Ken graduated from just over 20 years ago.

Jessica and Ellie (who has taken on the incredible challenge of being "dorm mom"!)

For Jessica there will be new classmates (currently there are only 3 - 9th graders at Fortaleza Academy)...doing all her studies in English (she has studied all her subjects in Portuguese since 1st grade)...participating in a new church, and living with a new "family". Ellie, a missionary collegue, has offered to board Jessica while she studies at FA.

Did I mention we are ALL in for a few changes? It won't be 5 minutes after she is gone and I will feel like my right arm has been cut off, so, the adjustment will be mutual. Talk about tough to let go. I don't think I even need to ask anyone to pray...it's a given!