Crafty Gal

A huge shout out to Rachel, who gave me the inspiration to make this cool earring holder.

*Frame from MCC - $1
*Scrap netting - Free
*Staples and Borrowed Staple gun - Free
*The visual aid so my husband can remind me every day that I have more than enough earrings even though I disagree because it only seems full using an 8x8 frame - Oh for sure, free

Reflections on Re-Entry #5

     My biggest fear of leaving Bolivia was that it would fade into the background like some dream.  I'm afraid of losing the language and I panic when the kids can't remember how to say something in Spanish.  I'm afraid that people there have gone on with their lives and forgotten me.  I'm afraid the kids won't remember Bolivia and not even miss being there.  It's like I'm clawing at the sand castle as the waves rush in and wash it all away and there's nothing I can do.  In a few short minutes it's like it wasn't even there and no one even cares...

When I saw this verse at the retreat, I felt the sobs come up from my stomach and the fear and the loneliness  from separation flooded out.  I didn't have the strength to acknowledge that most of my energy was trying to hang on and hold on tightly.  Oh, how absolutely exhausting!  To be able to be rational about it and know that it's impossible to hold it exactly as how it was.  And having the strength to face it head on and accept that.

But over time, God has given me this verse as a reminder.  My life there is seared onto who I am here.  Nothing can wash it away and not even the most amazing human strength can keep it tighter than it is meant to be.

I sometimes think I can hear the deafening whir of the cicadas and the growl of the micros or feel the drowsy heat of the sun on my face and shuttle myself back to Bolivia.  I know that no matter where I go, it'll always be there.  Just like the other places that I have lived; the trees of Thompson, the rain of Lax Kwa'alms, the sunsets on the hills of La Crete, the fog of Fresno.  I can't take those places out of me.  I walk along in my life and for a brief moment, I feel the rain, I see the trees, I stumble in the fog and I'm right back to those places as if it was yesterday.....

The people whose shared their lives with us and us with them, we are forever connected.  It's not like time will pass and somehow these things will be gone, like I've never experienced them.  How could it be gone?  It's intertwined in your being.  Your soul has been changed and can never be the same again.

I will never forget,
I will carry you with me as long as I have breath.

Thankful

This weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving and our first family holiday since returning from Bolivia.  Since Carl and I come from large families that have gatherings often, this weekend was jam packed with large meals with many people.  I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about the whole thing.  I mean, we've grown accustomed over the last 4 years to having quieter celebrations and sometimes we decided to go on a trip instead of staying home during the holidays.  Now with 3 gatherings in three days would it be so overwhelmingly wonderful that someone would have a melt-down?

No one melted down, although we did bulge out with all the food.  We spend Saturday with Carl's immediate family, Sunday with our extended family (my grandparents and Carl's grandma) and Monday with my parents and brothers.

I was blissfully happy with all the turkey which we haven't had since Christmas 2008.  And Asha, since it was her first Canadian Thanksgiving in Canada, loved the fact that the "lumpy red jam" was so tasty on the buns.  She had no clue about the sweet potato casserole either.  It was quite precious.  Elena had turkey for the first time and loved it.  Kezia kept saying it felt like Christmas with all the food and Joel enjoyed having an event to grab the camera and take pictures of everyone.

We really do have so much to be thankful for.  We have our health, we have healthy children who are growing and learning every day.  Our fridge is full, and so are the freezers.  We have a warm place to live that is here for us as long as we need and we have prospects of full time jobs.  And in the meantime we have a means to earn even a bit of income.  It's quite amazing that we have SO much.  Certainly we don't deserve it, God has been so gracious to us.  My father in law said that we shouldn't just get warm and thankful when we smell turkey, but wake up every morning, pause and thank God for yet another opportunity for life.  My prayer is that indeed that thought will resonate with me each day.  But more importantly that the mindset would spur me on, ready to make a difference for those that are in want.

The Better to See You

I can't remember if I shared this funny joke of Joel from a few months ago, but I'm going to tell you now.  About 9 months ago, Joel's sense of humour went on a growth spurt and he was forever making us laugh.  One day he hit his head with his hand, went cross eyed and yelled, "AH! I need glasses!".  We were all on the floor laughing.

A couple of months ago we scheduled eye appointments and I had a suspicion that at least one of our children would need glasses.  Really, do they have a chance with their horrifically near sighted parents?  I thought it might be Kezia, but after the appointment the optometrist informed us that Joel would need glasses for a slight astigmatism.  He only needs to wear them for reading and working on the computer at school.

So in true form, once he got his glasses, he bonked himself on the head and went cross eyed, screeched "I can't see!", placed his glasses on his face and with a comical sigh of relief stated, "Ah, much better".

Asha's Jam Packed Life

When I did the post on the first day of school, I promised I would fill you in on all the things that Asha does at home.  Praise God, she has been quite happy and content.  She loves being with Elena, is quite the delight to have lunch with (usually it's just me and her) and sleeps every afternoon.  We've had the chance to go visiting when I'm not working and she loves going on outings too.

Asha's favourite place to go is the MCC "Frift" store.  She loves going to tell people that she knows the guy on the September calendar picture and she's on the hunt for a trophy.  Her friend Jesse from Bolivia told her that she didn't have to wait to win a trophy but she could just go and buy one.  What a great idea!  So that's her pet project.

Her and I have had some good talks, as she has been the most open about how she feels about leaving Bolivia.  One day at lunch she asked me if on the day we left I was sad.  I told her, yes I was sad to leave.  That afternoon, she told me she was very sad to leave that morning too.  And then the next day she asked me, "If leaving made you sad and it made me sad, then why did we leave?".  Don't always have the answers, but with her at home, we always have the time.

Anyways, here's a little peek....

Mopping Floors because, "Juana, Nati and Eloina learned me well".

Reading

Off for a bike ride

Playing at the park and being the BIG sister

Enjoying Lunch

Playdoh creations

Ready for Gymnastics or Swimming Lessons

Giving her baby some snack

She has homework too (from her daycare in Bolivia)

Tea party with her stuffies

Restaurant with Elena

Getting some rest!

Reflections on Re-entry #4

    How can you sum up years of life changing experience in a 30 second conversation?  You can't.  And so I don't know what to say when people ask if we're glad to be back or if we've adjusted.  When we said we were back just for a few days, the eyes were wide and people were so curious to how we were doing.  Then our time here stretched into weeks, and then months.  After a while people just assume that since we've been here for a time that we aren't really different any more.  They stop asking.

People don't have time for long conversations, but I so wish that I could somehow share with people about our life in Bolivia without boring them, or without over-glamorizing it.  Geez, it was life and an amazing/difficult/crazy/normal one at that.

Should I have a quick little slideshow on an I-Phone that I don't even have?  Should I bring up social justice issues effecting Latin America and how Canadians can become involved?  Should I talk about living on $7 of groceries a day (and how that was so much in comparison to what others had).  Should I tell them about all the awesome travelling we had the chance to do?  Do those things make people feel guilty or uncomfortable or just plain bored?

Or should I just invite myself and my family over to someone's house.  Eat together and talk about our lives, intertwined with things that have blessed us all, things that we love, funny humourous experiences...common ground where we can both come and share our story.  Maybe that's it.

A Little Less

The last time Carl looked like this was exactly four years ago when we were in Fresno.  He's always had a goatie.

One evening a while back he mentions to me, "Thinking about shaving it off....".  "Okay," I mumble in response, not really taking him seriously.

He heads to the bathroom, unnoticed by me and returns 10 minutes later with a baby face.  He was all smiles, like he was proud of his ability to shock me.  Well, that he did.

You should have seen the look on Asha's face when she woke up the next morning.  She's never seen him without facial hair before.

And I'm getting used to it.  It's just facial hair, I know.  But it'll be cold soon enough and it'll be back, mark my words.

p.s. I could have put another picture of you Carl, but this one beckoned me to publish it.  Besides, I do the blogging around here.