So Long Ordinary

I skipped school today. It's been quite wonderful. I even have time to post a little note here! Today, our MAF family is getting together for a Thanksgiving dinner. I have been cooking up a storm and I have to say, I love it. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do and having people to cook for and a planned get together is making it a little easier for me to get past the overwhelming homesickness that I get when I think of loved ones back home. I've made two pumpkin pies (one of which may or may not already be gone), cranberry salad, stuffing, and I'm getting ready to put the turkey in the oven. None of it tastes exactly like home because it is so hard to find some of the ingredients we're used to. (The pumpkin pie tastes just right, though. Thanks Mom for sending canned pumpkin!) I don't even want to try to explain to you the stress we had in this home at the beginning of the week just because I couldn't find a few key ingredients...whew, it was ugl...

Did you wonder where on earth we went? I'm in a bit of a blogging rut, lately. Seems like all my mental energy is sucked up by learning this language or figuring out what to fix for dinner. There is one other reason I'm sparse around these parts... I am now paying the price for dropping my husband's laptop on the floor and rendering it useless until parts arrive. We have to share a computer. It's horrible. It's bad for our marriage. I despise it. I don't get to use the computer for uninterrupted periods of time. No way. That's a luxury both of us miss these days. One of us is always hovering behind the other as they type away on the keyboard, wringing our hands and biting back snarky remarks about how long it should take to check a Facebook page. ( And is that really the best use of your time right now? Get off so I can do what I need to do. It's really important that I be on there right. now . Well, yes, I might sneak a peak at my Facebook ...

Yesterday, we got word that a fellow MAF pilot here in Indonesia was killed in a surfing accident. We were not personal friends with this man or his wife and yet our hearts ache for those who are left behind. Please pray for Ben's wife, Katie, and their son, Jeremiah. Pray for friends and family who will grieve this loss for years to come. Pray also, for the MAF team in Sumatra.

We were invited to attend a wedding on Tuesday. We don't actually know the bride and groom, but the bride is our house helper's niece, and because of that relationship, we were invited to attend. We were so honored by the invitation and jumped at the chance to see a real Javanese wedding. It was beautiful and so different than anything we'd ever seen before. Sean and I were very impressed with all the intricate decorations - mostly made from natural materials. There were ornate decorations made entirely from reeds, amazing floral arrangements, a water fountain, and an ornately carved wooden back drop. Even the headdress the bride wore was made of reeds and flowers! Look at that bride! Isn't she beautiful? I was so intrigued by her ornate costumes, elaborate hair, and artistic makeup. Everyone in the wedding party was dressed up in traditional Javanese fashion. It was lovely. There was food for all and drinks and boxes of snacks just in case! This is what saved ...

For our Fall Party, the girls decided to dress up as ballerinas...which was convenient because all their other dress up clothes are in our shipment! They looked darling in their black leotards and I even let them wear makeup. They looked so grown-up and beautiful. Too grown up. As soon as we got home, that makeup came off by order of Mommy and Daddy. Whew . I don't like what that did to my heart.

Last Saturday, we had a little fall party for the kids. Our friends, the Kirkwoods , hosted a fun party at their house that included all sorts of treats from the U.S., a chance to dress up for fun, and plenty of games. We made the cupcakes! The girls had a blast decorating the cupcakes and they did a great job!