Summer

A late Thursday post.

The emptiness.

So my sister is successfully moved into her first apartment and starts her job on Monday. I was able to drive down and help her move in. i was good up till the point good byes started then it was tears and crying. If you know me you know that I am not a huge crier. Although I do cry now more than in the past. The lord is working on my heart.

Anyways after getting back home from moving her there has been this emptiness. No longer do I have to "fight" over the good parking in the driveway. Every time I walk into our room I get sad. That resulted in me rearranging and stripping her bed. How long will have have this sadness in me?  Will I again feel complete.  I feel like half of me has been torn out. You live with someone for so long its just normal to have them there with you. But now its just me. My Partner-in-crime (as my cousins have referred to sisterhood) is no longer here. I know that the Lord will grow and stretch me thru this. That both of us will learn lots about ourselves from this. But ts not fun. My season is changing but its like a early snowstorm that is unwanted.

I have solved all of this by keeping myself busy and not thinking about her. Although I am not looking forward to going back to work on Tuesdays in will be a good distraction.

real missionaries.

 

So my first year in South Africa we spent two weeks over Easter in Swaziland. This is Kristy, Katie (in the back) and I doing laundry in our skirts (women don't wear pants). That metal building behind us is our shower/ a room where a bucket of water was. We slept on the floor in rondavels. This was the most intense I have been on the field until Uganda this summer. It got dark at 5pm and light at 4am.  Our sleeping habits changed. Our eating habits changed. We washed our hair out of our water bottles while standing up, leaning forward. Took skill. We spent alot of time with kids. We stayed on the grounds of a carepoint. Where the kids knew that they could come and eat and learn. We fed them, taught them, played with them, and held them. We also did hospital ministry. Our two weeks in Swaziland taught us a lot. We all left there with MANY memories.

Winter

Dung Beetle.

Sorry I missed last Thursday.  I had a busy week at work and it slipped my mind.

Now for tuesdays picture.

This picture is not about me. Its about the bug infront of me. It's a DUNG BEETLE. These bugs were put on this earth to eat dung. There were signs up in the Animal parks that stated to watch out for them. They were fun to spot. Of course we were interested in the larger cooler animals too.

Photo credit goes to Google.

Some facts according to Wikipedia.
Dung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. Many dung beetles, known as rollers, are noted for rolling dung into spherical balls, which are used as a food source or brooding chambers. Other dung beetles, known as tunnelers, bury the dung wherever they find it. A third group, the dwellers, neither roll nor burrow: they simply live in manure.

She's leaving me.

So my little sister is moving out. She got a job in Nebraska. Just a few states away. And I have only a few weeks to be okay with this. She starts her new job on the 2nd of January. So we have only 13 more days together. I have lived without her before but not at home. I always left her. And now she is leaving me. Its going to take a while for me to get use to this but there is always Skype and long phone calls.

I am PROUD of her. I am also sad. I will miss her a lot. There are so many things that will not be the same without her. Things like: Baking. Shopping. Dinners with the family. Church. Evenings watching the tv while on computers. Babysitting Soph and Dek. Early mornings. Saturdays. And pretty much the rest of everyday life.

Who will I get to laugh at when they speak in their sleep?
Who else will understand me when I talk while brushing my teeth?
Who's clothes can I steal now?
Who will I talk with about life?
Who will braid my hair or curl it or do anything with it besides a ponytail?
Who will drive me home when I am to tired to or don't want to?

Kt if you are reading this. You are awesome and will do GREAT in Nebraska. I hate that you are leaving and home will not be the same but I am proud of you and know that this is the right thing for you. Thanks for letting me move you.

Blue Speghetti

I thought I would choose a fun picture this week.

When living on the UCSA base in Jeffrey's Bay (fall of 2008) the South Africans cooked for us when Melissa (our chef (She did a great job. )) didn't. We never knew what we would be eating. This particular day was blue day. Blue spaghetti was on the menu. Not sure who's idea it was. I have to say it was the first and probably last time that I ate that. It was a fun and interesting mean to say the least. After we got over the fact that our pasta was blue it tasted normal. Mind over manner. Pictured with me are two of the ladies that I was blessed to lead- Kayla and Brittney (BP).

Hope

Normal in the DR.

While in the DR a few summers ago leading an Ambassador trip this was a normal scene during street VBS.  We taught in the shade across the street from the Green house where we lived. It was perfectly normal for a horse or donkey to stroll by. The girls (my team) did really great. Here is Sara not even batting an eye while explaining the days craft.


*Sorry this is late. Work has been busy.

A weekend of yummies.

So Saturday we hosted a Arbonne party. Which meant that there should be something good to eat. I did graduate from culinary school after all. It wouldn't be fair to invite people over and not cook something. This time I choose soup. Its one of my favorites to make.

The menu- Chicken noodle (a classic), Cheesy potato and broccoli, and French Onion.  All were fun to make. I had never made the French onion outside of school by myself. It was super easy. Except cutting the onions. I cried. They seem to always have that effect on me. I followed this recipe:

French Onion Soup

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
6-8 (depending on size) yellow or Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2/3 cup sherry or vermouth
4 cups beef broth
2 cups chicken broth
Baguette slices
1 clove garlic, cut in half
1/2 lb. Gruyere cheese, shredded or sliced

Check out this site for the details.  

The potato one, I made up.  Checked out a few recipes online and then went for it. It turned out to be a favorite of many. And the Chicken Noodle is one that I have made many times. I started with a chicken that was farm-raised. I made stock. Cut up the carrots, potatoes, and celery. Later added peas and corn. This time I used moose pasta from IKEA. Everyone thought they made the soup. 

All three were really good. The family ate them again for Sunday lunch. And there is still some for my sister to take for lunch this week. 

This evening my sister and I did a little baking. Its the start to holiday baking. We did a batch of family caramel corn. Always a favorite in the family, especially with Grandma. I had some over ripe bananas so we did a loaf of banana bread. I will be surprised if it makes it through the week. And then we did some chocolate candy cane cookies. It was nice to bake with my sister again. She has been busy all semester with Student Teaching. 

She's famous.

I know her! I know her! Yeah my cousin made it on TV tonight at the MSU game. So proud of her. Not that she had anything to do with getting on TV but she went out for the band and made it and is really living it up at college. A talented beautiful young lady.

 

 So lucky, she made it again.

Peace