Interested in seeing pictures from our day trip up on a volcano? Click here!
And there's more than meets the eye in this post where I share about some relational struggles, spiritual warfare and identity in Christ.
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Family fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family fun. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2013
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Family Camp
What started as an online friendship with the ABCDs has developed into a real-life friendship now that we're living in central Mexico. Besides enjoying their friendship, we've also enjoyed their library plus their invitation to join them at what was termed MK Family Spiritual Emphasis Camp 2012 by our fearless director.
We are already looking forward to camp next year!
Basically, we thought of it as family camp since we went as a family and there were several other families there as well. It was also a nice family 'vacation' for us, even though we kinda "worked" (didn't feel much like work, though) and were in different cabins. We were able to take the puppy also and he really enjoyed spending some time in the great outdoors (sadly, the snail and the turtle had to stay behind).
Miguel and I had the opportunity to teach the older youth during their chapel times and we covered four stories about the Israelites found in Numbers 11-15 as a way of illustrating and exploring some Bible storying concepts. Miguel was the counselor for the older boys and we helped out a bit in the kitchen and with crafts.
It was a lot colder at camp than here in Puebla, so we were glad that we went prepared for the colder weather! During the day, it was very nice, but as soon as the sun went down the temps really dropped...there was a significant altitude difference, which is why the weather was cooler there.
Here are few pictures of our adventure at camp...for more pictures, go here or here or here!
Miguel and I had the opportunity to teach the older youth during their chapel times and we covered four stories about the Israelites found in Numbers 11-15 as a way of illustrating and exploring some Bible storying concepts. Miguel was the counselor for the older boys and we helped out a bit in the kitchen and with crafts.
It was a lot colder at camp than here in Puebla, so we were glad that we went prepared for the colder weather! During the day, it was very nice, but as soon as the sun went down the temps really dropped...there was a significant altitude difference, which is why the weather was cooler there.
Here are few pictures of our adventure at camp...for more pictures, go here or here or here!
We enjoyed the scenery on the way to camp...that's
really red dirt there!
The view from the front of my cabin...the
kitchen/auditorium area
is down beyond those vehicles and the bathrooms
are in the building on the right of the picture. The
cabins were very comfortable, but it sure
was hard to get out of my nice warm bed
at 3 a.m. to trek all the way over there to go potty!
We had some great worship times led
by another missionary. I think Miguel was
making a J for J-O-Y although
it looks like everyone else had
already moved on to Y!
Jkaile with a buñuelo, similar to a funnel cake.
Meals were delicious!
I think the snack shop was our kids' favorite
'activity' at camp!
Their not-so-favorite thing...dishes!
On our way back from camp, we stopped by a little
town known for selling clay pots and other decorative items.
Apparently jack-o-lanterns are in high demand,
they were everywhere!
I got a kick out of these pots
drying on top of this building. They
are all so perfectly lined up!
We stopped at several of the different shops...it was
hard to choose what to buy! So many pretty things...
I loved this one! We bought several of these,
but unpainted.
I really loved these iguanas painted
in the talavera style...maybe next time!
It was also interesting to see many Otomí people
in traditional dress...there are many communities
of Otomí in this area.
We are already looking forward to camp next year!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
First Christmas in Puebla
We weren't sure what to expect our first Christmas in Puebla, but God blessed us with a very special experience with our friends Juan Carlos and Monica. We've spent a bit of time with our new friends in the last month and have enjoyed getting to know them.
Just about when we'd decided we'd be spending our first Christmas here alone (and without an oven! yikes.), Juan Carlos and Monica dropped by our house one night last week to invite us to eat Christmas dinner with them. We were thrilled (and not just because they were planning to have turkey...honest)! Christmas is about spending time with family and friends...with no family close, spending it with friends like Juan Carlos and Monica is just as special for us.
In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated on the 24th and Christmas dinner is usually eaten sometime during the evening, usually late. So we spent Saturday preparing the food for dinner that night...I made Venezuelan pan de jamón (ham bread) and Grandma Ople's Applie Pie (you can go here to see pictures of the process).
Once the food was ready, we went to their church for a Christmas Eve service. It was kinda hard to leave all that yummy food behind for a while, but we consoled ourselves with a little snack and the anticipation of the feast to come.
Finally, we headed back home and it was time to eat! And being that we are in Mexico, of course we had to have some rajas (jalapeño strips, carrots and onion in vinegar sauce) to accompany our meal!
After supper, all the kids went out to light their giant sparklers, apparently also a Christmas tradition in Mexico. We bought ours at a stoplight on our way to church and saw many people selling them at each intersection we went through.
After a brisk round of Manzanas Con Manzanas (Apples to Apples in Spanish!), we came home...it was 1:30 a.m. by the time we got everyone to bed. Then Miguel and I had to finish wrapping presents and preparing the stockings, so it was even later (or was that earlier?) by the time we got to sleep.
Naturally, the kids were wide awake by 7 a.m. ready to open their presents! Miguel refused to come down until at least 8:30, however, so I retold the Christmas story while we waited. Finally, he came down and our gift-giving began. We like to open the presents slowly, taking our time to enjoy each gift and this year, we had each gift-giver say something meaningful to the gift-receiver. At first it was a bit awkward for the kids, but by the end, they were enjoying it!
We tried to go to church on Sunday, but didn't last very long since the kids were falling asleep in their seats...so we came on home and rested for most of the afternoon. Then we went back to Juan Carlos and Monica's house and had round two with the leftovers!
God is good to give us what we desire...fun and fellowship during our first Christmas here in Puebla.
Juan Carlos, Monica, Carlos and Alonso
Just about when we'd decided we'd be spending our first Christmas here alone (and without an oven! yikes.), Juan Carlos and Monica dropped by our house one night last week to invite us to eat Christmas dinner with them. We were thrilled (and not just because they were planning to have turkey...honest)! Christmas is about spending time with family and friends...with no family close, spending it with friends like Juan Carlos and Monica is just as special for us.
In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated on the 24th and Christmas dinner is usually eaten sometime during the evening, usually late. So we spent Saturday preparing the food for dinner that night...I made Venezuelan pan de jamón (ham bread) and Grandma Ople's Applie Pie (you can go here to see pictures of the process).
Pan de jamón
Monica and I with the pies.
Once the food was ready, we went to their church for a Christmas Eve service. It was kinda hard to leave all that yummy food behind for a while, but we consoled ourselves with a little snack and the anticipation of the feast to come.
Finally, we headed back home and it was time to eat! And being that we are in Mexico, of course we had to have some rajas (jalapeño strips, carrots and onion in vinegar sauce) to accompany our meal!
After supper, all the kids went out to light their giant sparklers, apparently also a Christmas tradition in Mexico. We bought ours at a stoplight on our way to church and saw many people selling them at each intersection we went through.
After a brisk round of Manzanas Con Manzanas (Apples to Apples in Spanish!), we came home...it was 1:30 a.m. by the time we got everyone to bed. Then Miguel and I had to finish wrapping presents and preparing the stockings, so it was even later (or was that earlier?) by the time we got to sleep.
Naturally, the kids were wide awake by 7 a.m. ready to open their presents! Miguel refused to come down until at least 8:30, however, so I retold the Christmas story while we waited. Finally, he came down and our gift-giving began. We like to open the presents slowly, taking our time to enjoy each gift and this year, we had each gift-giver say something meaningful to the gift-receiver. At first it was a bit awkward for the kids, but by the end, they were enjoying it!
The kids with their stockings.
I made the kids some pillows...they loved them!
Miguel gave me a new cooking pot and I gave him some headphones, which he started using right away!
Love those Razorback pjs, Miguel!
We tried to go to church on Sunday, but didn't last very long since the kids were falling asleep in their seats...so we came on home and rested for most of the afternoon. Then we went back to Juan Carlos and Monica's house and had round two with the leftovers!
God is good to give us what we desire...fun and fellowship during our first Christmas here in Puebla.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Half-Birthdays
Our family celebrates Half-Birthdays! I had never heard of Half-Birthdays until Gracia was born and had her first birthday. You see, Gracia was born just a few days after Miguel's birthday, on May 19th. All that talk about Miguel's birthday coming up and Gracia's birthday coming up made Micah (three years old at the time) rather fussy and anxious for his own birthday to come (nearly 6 months away at that point!). Our good friend, Tía Sue mentioned that her mother always celebrated their Half-Birthdays and I was intrigued.
Turns out that her mom had figured out the six-month date for each of her kids and then baked them a "half cake" to celebrate (basically, one cake cut in half and stacked) on that day. I thought that sounded like a lot of work, but Sue said her mom made a lot of desserts anyway. We worked out the dates and sure enough, Micah's Half-Birthday falls on April 30th, right before our two May birthdays. And we've celebrated Half-Birthdays ever since (basically, once you start, you have to keep doing it because our kids won't let you forget about it. yeah.).
It may sound complicated to celebrate Half-Birthdays (and yes, the more kids you have (like me) makes it a bit more difficult), but we have strict rules regarding our Half-Birthdays.
This year, we kinda forgot (okay, so we completely forgot about it) Jojo's Half-Birthday on March 29th, so we celebrated Micah's and Jojo's Half-Birthdays together (more convenient for me, just made two small round cakes and cut them both in half).
You see Jojo's finger? I think he was already licking the icing off his cake...
Turns out that her mom had figured out the six-month date for each of her kids and then baked them a "half cake" to celebrate (basically, one cake cut in half and stacked) on that day. I thought that sounded like a lot of work, but Sue said her mom made a lot of desserts anyway. We worked out the dates and sure enough, Micah's Half-Birthday falls on April 30th, right before our two May birthdays. And we've celebrated Half-Birthdays ever since (basically, once you start, you have to keep doing it because our kids won't let you forget about it. yeah.).
It may sound complicated to celebrate Half-Birthdays (and yes, the more kids you have (like me) makes it a bit more difficult), but we have strict rules regarding our Half-Birthdays.
- No friends or parties or big deals, just the half-cake for dessert and maybe a candle or two.
- We sing "Happy Half-Birthday To You..." It takes some practice fitting the extra syllable.
- No presents. At all. Period.
- The exact date of the Half-Birthday celebration is a bit flexible...if it's not convenient to celebrate said Half-Birthday on the actual date, Mom has the right to move it backwards or forwards a few days.
- Mom and Dad don't celebrate Half-Birthdays since we kind of wish we weren't having to celebrate Whole Birthdays any more anyway.
This year, we kinda forgot (okay, so we completely forgot about it) Jojo's Half-Birthday on March 29th, so we celebrated Micah's and Jojo's Half-Birthdays together (more convenient for me, just made two small round cakes and cut them both in half).
Here are the boys with their half cakes and
our first attempt at making frozen yogurt
in our ice cream maker. It was good, we
used strawberry yogurt and frozen, chopped
strawberries. I would cook the strawberries first
next time and add a bit more sugar...
Micah blowing out the last candle. I'm
rather surprised Jkaile didn't get to it first!
You see Jojo's finger? I think he was already licking the icing off his cake...
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Bonfire I
Nothing my kids love better than to build a FIRE! They are such good MKs...and I'm glad we have the space in the yard to build bonfires once in a while. The challenge is in finding the wood in this desert landscape! We'd been collecting a few odd pieces here and there and the kids and I picked up some sticks where someone had been clearing brush one street over from our house. So it wasn't a huge fire, but enough to satisfy until the next time...
Jojo waiting for the fire to burn down...
Gracia heating up a tortilla for her hot dog (the
kids and I are yeast intolerant, unfortunately, so
we often use tortillas in place of bread)...
kids and I are yeast intolerant, unfortunately, so
we often use tortillas in place of bread)...
Micah ready to heat his tortilla...
Jkaile insisted on roasting his own hot dog!
Even with Daddy's help, I think it got a wee bit charred...
Sunday, December 20, 2009
I Found the Stocking!
One of our favorite family traditions is the Hide-the-Stocking game...here are our rules:
1. The game is played throughout the Christmas season
2. The stocking must be hidden in the hallway or living room/dining room/kitchen area
3. Part of the stocking must be visible
4. Whoever finds the stocking gets to hide it in a different place
Here are some of the hiding places so far this year...
1. The game is played throughout the Christmas season
2. The stocking must be hidden in the hallway or living room/dining room/kitchen area
3. Part of the stocking must be visible
4. Whoever finds the stocking gets to hide it in a different place
Here are some of the hiding places so far this year...
Yes, our retirement fund...and the stocking
is about all that you will find in that particular fund!
is about all that you will find in that particular fund!
Of course, I found the stocking
there pretty quickly!
there pretty quickly!
in the tree...
behind the manger scene...
It's fun to be sneaky!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Our Thanksgiving
We did celebrate Thanksgiving this year, together with our friends Tere and Alfonso and their two boys. I didn't get a whole lot of pictures since we were busy visiting, playing, and eating, but here are a few pictures from our family's Thanksgiving celebration...
Tere and I preparing relish trays and mashed potatoes...
I have to say that this relish tray was a huge success!
The marinated mushrooms were excellent and I
wish I had made more!
The marinated mushrooms were excellent and I
wish I had made more!
Pumpkin pie, one of Miguel's favorites...
Crockpot stuffing...I got the recipe out of a magazine. The
stuffing has ingredients such as apples, pecans,
cranberries, portobello mushrooms...it was
super delicious and cooking it in the crockpot
left the oven for the turkey...
stuffing has ingredients such as apples, pecans,
cranberries, portobello mushrooms...it was
super delicious and cooking it in the crockpot
left the oven for the turkey...
The turkey! This was the first time
I have baked a turkey on my own, so it was
quite a relief that it turned out great!
My mom says that you can't go wrong using
an oven bag...
I have baked a turkey on my own, so it was
quite a relief that it turned out great!
My mom says that you can't go wrong using
an oven bag...
Our friends brought over their Xbox 360 and
the kids enjoyed playing some different games...
the kids enjoyed playing some different games...
We also played Apples to Apples Bible Edition and
had marble-game tournaments...
had marble-game tournaments...
Miguel won both the Apples to Apples AND
the marble tournament!
the marble tournament!
Tere trying her hand...
Jkaile, of course, was not to be left out, either!
All in all, a great day!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Family Fun Day Part IV-Rocks and More Rocks!
Miguel continues to work on the landscaping and the rock grill at our house here in town, so after Family Fun Day we took the chance to go get some more rocks! Out behind the Rancho Siloé, there is an old river bed where the rocks are 'sifted' to remove gravel and sand to use in construction. What's left are piles and piles of rocks in all shapes and sizes...pretty much 'paradise' for rock hounds like us! :D
Hard to choose...
JD on top of the world...
So much fun!
Jkaile really loves it out there and it was hard
to keep track of him since he kept wandering off...
just too many rock piles to climb on!
to keep track of him since he kept wandering off...
just too many rock piles to climb on!
Where's the baby?!
Dust devil came through while we were there...
you can see the buildings of Rancho Siloé in the distance.
you can see the buildings of Rancho Siloé in the distance.
Beautiful scenery!
A rather colorful little guy...
Long day! We were all pretty
happy to get back home
and get to sleep!
happy to get back home
and get to sleep!
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