Not So Simple Woman's Daybook 11/2/2010

Outside my window....a nice cool morning, in the 70s, but it'll be up to 90 really quickly!

I am thinking....its hard to believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow! Its so hot here that it doesn't feel at all like a fall holiday season. We are celebrating with a couple of sweet families here at a nearby restaurant that is having a Thanksgiving buffet. We are interested in seeing what this will be like. We do know this place is one of the only places we've found in this part of the world that serves BISCUITS, so we are optimistic that this should be good!

I am thankful for....many things too numerous to list! For starters, that Steve is doing so well and back to his old self after several dark days…the reality of his daddy's death earlier this year hit him anew. There will always be sadness but G0d is faithful to walk alongside us and give us peace and healing. It's definitely a process and not a quick fix like we so often desire. Secondly, my Granny went to be with the Lord at the end of October. She was so ready to go and I am jealous of the time she must be having there! Thirdly, I am so excited to have a phone to talk to friends and family on and have talked and talked and talked the past week and a half and am so thrilled to have a phone again! The 13 hour time delay creates a bit of a challenge…there's nothing like having your phone ring at 4 in the morning! (YOU know who you are! Hahaha) But we LOVE it. Lastly (not really last, but enough for here for now!), we got a box in the mail this week from my family that thrilled us all. There was so much stuff packed in that box that we could hardly believe it. We took forever opening it because we would open the flaps (beautifully decorated flaps, I might add!) and take out a little and close it and focus on those things, and then repeat until we got to the bottom. It was mind overload to look at it all at once! Its nice to have some tangible things in our hands that make us smile as we are reminded where it came from and who sent it. We all felt like little kids on Christmas morning and the timing couldn't have been better for such a treat after the past few weeks of sadness.

From the kitchen.....we started our nutrition chart so we could pay better attention to what we're eating and getting enough water to drink. We did that back in Fort Worth for awhile as well as made a point to exercise daily. We all felt so much better when we did that! So, our jumbo whiteboard is propped up in a chair with a chart on it for each of us to keep up with the number of servings of each food group we are having, and a guide for each of us as to what is recommended for our body size each day.

I am wearing.....pink t-shirt and black lounge pants, just enjoying being comfortable before I have to change and go to language class.

I am reading.....I read a Terri Blackstock book on Saturday when my family left me home for the day…ahhhh, heavenly to get to sit and read for a few hours!! And to make it even better, it was a FREE download on Kindle. How great is that?!
I am hoping....that Elizabeth continues to improve. She is doing soooo much better now, but still having some shortness of breath and chest pain at random times. We have a couple more meds to add to her regimen that should be exactly what she needs. We hate she has exercise and/or allergy induced asthma but are so thankful it's not something much more serious. We are extremely grateful to Dr. Steely for reassuring us over her heart scan results (and thankful we have a telephone now so that is possible!!)
I am creating.....a pile of things that need sewing and am hoping to find a sewing machine around here somewhere for not too much $$.

I am hearing.... Different kinds of birds chirping and singing outside and every now and then we can hear a rooster in the distance. There are tractors moving dirt and rocks in the field behind our house…we are wondering what's going on. We miss the sound of the cow bells on the water buffalo.

Around the house.....things are getting more settled in our home. Our crate arrived and we got it unloaded very quickly and all the boxes unpacked within about 3 days or so. Our water cooler is broken and we're not sure it will be possible to repair that here since it is a brand only found in our previous country of residence. We finally got a bed last week and we are so happy to not be sleeping on a mattress on the floor anymore.

One of my favorite things....our pets who make it feel homey. They drive us crazy sometimes, but they are worth it! They are enjoying the snacks they got in the box from the US too!

A few plans for the rest of the week....Thanksgiving meal tomorrow night at a restaurant. Language class and study. We got a visa extension yesterday, otherwise we'd have to leave the country tomorrow. Yay, for another month! And then we should have a year visa, which will be so nice. Decorating for Christmas this weekend. We'll see how crunched our tree is after being crammed in a very slim box for a year, haha! And our wreath has been shrink wrapped since the end of Aug and just randomly tossed into our crate. It may be a bit sad looking too. But we'll be excited to get it all out and put it up, in shorts while the A/C is running! :o)