Featuring...

Jessica and Anabel!!! Our two March birthday girls are thrilled to be one year older. I am the one who is feeling it, though, I'm afraid. The official cake was my sister's really-awesome-super-moist-can't-believe-it-is-made-from-scratch-chocolate cake* topped with marshmallowy 7 minute frosting and sprinkled with cocoa or confetti sprinkles. (Anabel got lucky, they just happened to have some in the grocery store the day I went to buy her number 7 candle that keeps lighting back up every time you blow it out.)


Jessica showing off her knick-knack shelf that Grandpa Stucky helped me make and I decopaged and painted. She is FINALLY (whew) 14.

Anabel, now 7 years old and 1/2 Jessica's age, is modeling her "princess" dress that we had made for her. She loves to play and dress up. High heals are one of her favorites (just bought her a really cheap pair with sequins today). Her running commentary of life through her eyes keeps us in stitches.

Wearing the new "princess" dress and eating that "oh-so-good" chocolate cake with the confetti sprinkles.

* I was listening to the Junior Sunday School class have their review of the 10 commandments last Sunday. The teacher asked if temptation is a sin. Lots of loud affirmation went up from the lips of these wise little people. The teacher responded with, "Hmmmm. Ok, then, Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert. Did He sin?" A loud chorus of "NO" rang from these wise little people. "But you just said that temptation is sin." One little girl (and it wasn't Alicia) with slightly quicker logic than the rest said..."Wait a minute!"

While I got a kick out of listening to these kids, I was thrilled to see them thinking through and coming to grips with some really basic questions. Ones that they need to THINK through and not just memorize the answers to.


So what does that have to do with birthdays? Well, I just have to say that I can't make this cake for a very long time. The temptation is far to great...I could eat the WHOLE rest of the cake while no one is looking and that is no joke, and that makes it sin. Thank goodness there are no April birthdays in our family!

Whew!

My "tangerine-lemon" tree is LOADED this year. Will be making lots of juice in the not-to-distant future...


Well, I'm back. Been a long month, I guess. We have been through two birthdays, a roofing, floor pouring, LOTS of rain + wind (which we are not at all used to) and too many other daily activities to count. Will be adding pictures here in not too long to get up to date.

NEVER Say NEVER

World map made by the 4th and 5th graders in 2003. It hangs in the main hallway at school.



When I was a kid, we moved a number of times. Friendships and the acceptance that comes with them didn't come easy for me, so it was especially hard when we had to get up and leave those roots behind. The last of the moves, while still living with my family, I said with much conviction, "I'm NEVER going to move ever again!" Less than a year later I was traveling half the US and to 3 countries overseas. Of couse, the biggest move of my life (so far!) has been to the southern hemisphere. So much for "never".

After dating a few guys that just didn't quite measure up, I said I was NEVER going to get married. Hey, after all, Paul thought it was wise enough advice, so why not take him up on it. After all, I could get a lot more done without a family making demands on my time, right? Then this very persistent guy with a seriously receeding hairline wouldn't give me a moment's peace. So much for "never".

I also remember something else I told God over 23 years ago (probably about the same time I said I wasn't ever going to move again!). He has allowed me to have a very clear recollection (I'm sure out of a sense of humor) of my petition ever since. Get this...I asked Him, "Please, don't ever ask me to become a teacher."

Little did I realize that my example to others (especially those younger than me) made me an unofficial "teacher". When Jessica was born, I began to understand how my role as a mommy made even more of a teacher.

Then there were Sunday School classes, Bible studies, discipleship lessons and just life in general. I can just see Him right now, laughing at how my petition was so naíve and how I got so caught off guard. Nothing was sprung on me. It just all happened gradually.

Now that ALPHA's 8th school year has officially started (January 25th) and the year is almost a month over (yes, I like to see the light at the end of the tunnel), much of my time is spent doing lesson plans, arranging music, correcting assignments, researching, making tests and quizes, helping resolve discipline issues with students, trying to prevent issues from happening in the first place, etc. Seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day to get the bare minimum done. And most of my life is given over to what? Teaching. Can't imagine life without it. So much for "never".

The Most Amazing Thing Happened...

I AM HOME ALONE! Now, that might not sound so incredible to you...may even happen to you more than you like, BUT it hardly EVER happens to me! Our house is Grand Central Station of Mossoró...there are people in our house all day long. Everyone from workers to visitors to neighbors to deliveries to school and church functions. The only time we lock the doors is when we go to bed at night, and twice on Sundays (out to lunch and church).

My Friday classes got done early, so after I took care of loose ends at school, I decided to come home earlier than usual. The lady who helps me around the house didn't come this morning because she is moving to a new house later today and the guy who helps us in the yard and stuff went home sick yesterday...didn't come today. The dogs met me at the gate whining for lack of attention and I found the house locked! Did manage to find the keys, which is a REALLY good thing.

So, what am I doing with my unexpected solitude? First I searched my e-mail for a recipe my sister sent me. Then I went and made it. Just happened to have ice cream delivered the other day by a guy on a motorcycle with a big ice chest tied on the back of it...so I had everything I needed!

Dairy Queen Moolatte
1 cup brewed, double strength coffee, chilled (I cheated and used instant decaff in a cup of cold water)

1 cup of milk

3 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt (oops, forgot to add that)
2 c vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cups ice
3 Tbsp of chocolate syrup or caramel syrup or whatever flavor you want your moolatte to be.

I added one of those bendy straws in my super size cup after I blended it all up. (bet you didn't think we could get those bendy straws here, huh...well, you just might be surprised!)

One hour of "a piece of quiet" (Alicia coined that phrase for us) and a real live Moolatte (decaff, of course!) came as a totally unexpected surprise. One for which I am very grateful. Well, better go and put that chocolate syrup away before the girls get home from school or they will start asking questions. :)

Once Upon a Time

Here's a new one. I made a photo album of old pictures that is available to all on the internet. Many of these have NEVER BEEN RELEASED for public viewing. You might get your socks shocked off by the picture of Ken WITH hair, so proceed with caution. Hope you enjoy!

INSTRUCTIONS: Click on the link below.
http://picasaweb.google.com/loristucky
When the page opens, click on the picture of the lady with long hair (that is the front page of the album). You can adjust the size of viewing by going to the upper right hand corner where it says "Size".

Caffeine Free Life

I was just recently informed that I am to keep anything with caffeine at an arms length. Not something I was very excited to hear. This is coffee country. Loads of tiny little cups of hot, strong, sweet, black liquid is poured out every day. There is a stainless steal pump thermos that sits on the counter at our house with a tray of little cups by it all the time. Never know when someone might stop by! When I tell people that I can't drink regular coffee any more, their eyes get as big as saucers. After they recover from the shock of this new development, a big fat "WHY?" falls from their lips.

Over the last 6 years I have had increasing problems with migraines, so this is an effort to see if we can get them a little more under control. It's not exactly what I had in mind, but then the last migraine crisis I had was more than I want to go through again, so we will give it a go.

Never having had a dietary restriction (unless self-imposed), it has come as kind of an unexpected challenge. Not one that I can't handle, though. The store stocks decaff (a wee consolation), even though I have never actually met anyone who buys it (meaning that the only place I will be able to drink it is at home). And when I think of people with food alergies, I don't have much to complain about.

That was the bad news.

The good news is that I can still have chocolate (cause there is hardly any caffeine in it to make a difference)!!! Splurg!!!


To see a site (in English!) advertising the brand of coffee packaged in our state, visit...
http://www.cafesantaclara.com.br/


To read all about the good stuff...
wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee

To read all about the bad stuff...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

And We are All Smiling!!!

What do you know? Somehow we managed to get everyone in a good mood. Maybe that's because we were all glad that the 2 1/2 hour church service was over (as was in Anabel's case!).

BTW: What's with the name change on the picture? No change...just thought about printing some of these out for our Brazilian friends. My name in Portuguese is both my first and middle smashed together. Everyone else gets to stay the same.

Our mission's anual conference and business meeting was the first week of January. The girls had a great week. Lots of hiking (they have bruises to show for it!), eating great food, VBS, spending time with friends they don't get to see much, VBS, swimming, horse riding, VBS, special outings, VBS...etc. It is always a hightlight for them.

Anabel and her class played the maracas in the closing program "Trading Places".

If you have ever done a full week of VBS, you know how easy it is to go wacky by the end...no exceptions here!!!