Beach Fun With Friends

 

At the beach.

 

 

 

 

Searching, spying, seeing.
 

(Can you spy the 5 baby fish?) 

 

 

 

Testing the water.

 

 

 

 

Gathering driftwood.

 

 

 

 

Catching fish.

 

 

 

 

Wading in the stream.

 

 

 

 

Collecting rocks.

 

 

 

 

Exploring my world.

 

 

 

 

Looking, living, learning.

 

 

 

 

Another day done.

 

 

Mumzy

 

 

 

 

Someone's Home!!!

After traveling for 30 hours Jelly Beans finally got home last night, or rather at 1am this morning.

Kiwi Boy and I had stayed up eagerly waiting for her return. Papa Bear had gone into the city to meet her at the airport. The younger kids actually slept through and didn't hear a thing (which shows how much safer they are feeling at night)!

All the kids climbed into her bed as soon as they were aware she was awake this morning.

Then they had fun examining the little things she had managed to bring back from Taiwan.

Most of all they are enjoying Big Sister Hugs!

I love this little cookbook. If only I could understand what the ingredients are!

Now I can't wait to hear some of the stories she has to tell!

Mumzy

Cherry Picking

 

 

The cherries were starting to ripen and the raccoons were fighting in the tree so I decided to have the kids pick all the red ones to freeze for winter use.

In our family we have a rule. If you can climb into a tree by yourself you can climb that tree.

This worked well until the younger kids started snapping the branches off to get to the cherries. Or to remove unwanted branches to the point of harming the tree to make a branch more comfy. So now they are banned from climbing trees for another year.

Hopefully by next summer they will understand the 'cause and effect' principle better. And will respect and take care of the trees rather than stripping them.

After picking all the cherries they could reach...

and eating half of them...

I managed to remove the stone and freeze them for winter baking.

Yummy!!!

 Mumzy

 

They are still alive! Part 2

After hearing from Wiggles and her team; this is some of what she has been up to...

Wiggles left 25 (26... 27...) days ago and is at her half way point. And I am missing her something fierce!

So far we have received a post card and two letters by good old fashioned snail mail. These were sent while she was still at Teen Mission International's base in Florida, USA. She has now finished training at Boot Camp and is finally in Honduras. Her team consists of around 25 teens plus leaders so about 30 altogether. Every two or three days we get an update from her leaders on the TMI website. There was a few delays reaching their first assignment but they have made it!

First they all piled into a bus and were delivered to the end of the road...   From there they piled most of their gear including tents, kitchen, and food for a week on the backs of donkeys...   Then off they set on foot with 40lb (18kg) packs...  along some wild trail...  into the mountain jungles of the most dangerous country in the world (outside of a warzone)...   for a five hour hike (turned into six hours)...   up to a remote Indian Village...

It was a real relief when we saw the update that her team had made it to the village where they are staying. This was one time when I was extremely grateful for cell phones!

There are two more jungle villages they will visit and spend time in before Wiggles and her team return to Florida, USA for debrief.

I think God is stretching our faith in Him to keep her safe as much as her faith that He will keep her in the palm of His hand.

Take care and God bless, Wiggles and all of your team!

Mumzy

They are still alive! Part 1

We have heard from our big girls, Jelly Beans and Wiggles!

They have been able to share with us some of what they have been doing. I am going to split this post into two parts focusing today on Jelly Beans and then Wiggles in the next post.

Jelly Beans has been able to email every three or four days. Yay! Being able to have just this little contact with her has helped all of us with missing her and knowing that she is doing ok.

She is an introvert and has struggled with fear of the unknown and stress with what needs to be done. So flying halfway around the world to Asia by herself to meet her team at an inner-city bus terminal was terrifying for her!

But with God's grace she made it and still had the ability to face the next day of activities...   She has spoken at a children's camp, presented a drama with her team in front of a school, and spread God's truth in a mall. And all with a SMILE ON HER FACE!!!!

With less than a week to go we look forward to her return and hearing of her amazing adventures and how God has given her the strength to lean on Him in all things.

Take care and God bless you, Jelly Beans!

Mumzy

Dreaming

 

While playing outside one evening the kids

 were treated to watching some hot air balloons

 being launched just a few fields away.

 

It was rather amusing to listen to them talk

 about how much fun it would be

 to go for a ride.

 

What makes it so amusing was

 that Warrior was the most determined.

 

And he is the one

 who is the most terrified of heights!

 

They were also not impressed

 that you had to go where the wind blew you.

 

They like to be in control!

Of everything...

 

 

 

Mumzy

 

 

 

 



Swimming

All Done!

The swimming season is over for another year, and I am so proud of my swimmers.

Jelly Beans was on her university team again this year as well as being one of the coaches for the swim team her brothers swim with.

Kiwi Boy trained hard and at his last swim meet for the year he qualified for finals (top 8) for each of his swims! This meet was his biggest being an inter-provincial meet that included 6 provinces and a team from the U.S.A. So top 8 finishes in his age group was amazing!!! He did new best times all meet long impressing his coaches and himself greatly. He even earned himself  SILVER and BRONZE MEDALS!!!! My boy is getting fast...

Warrior swam well and qualified for the next level of swimming before he finished for the season. I am impressed that he went from doing doggy paddle to swimming 200 IMs (200 meter Individual Medley) in one season!

We went to the boys swimming prize giving as a family. And although some of us found the evening a little endless... or overwhelming... and the green eyed monster came for a visit... we were all super excited for Kiwi Boy and Warrior! 

Warrior received the Coaches Award for his squad. This award is given to two kids who show leadership qualities and respect for their team members and coaches. Yes, Jelly Beans is his coach but the award for the boys was chosen by their second coach to avoid any conflict in interest.

Kiwi Boy won the trophy for Rookie of the Year! He was awarded this for his dedication to training and hard work as he enters the Inter-provincial / National level of swimming.

Maybe next year there might be an extra swimmer or two in the family. You would never guess Papa Bear and I can barely swim to save ourselves!

Mumzy

Babies!

Before Wiggles left for her trip we got some new babies.

Beautiful fluffy babies.

One day old babies.

Adorable babies.

Baby chicks.

When they grow up they will lay beautiful brown eggs.

I love the happy sound of chickens.



Mumzy