Thanksgiving 2017 Adventures Day 1

We switch off traveling every year with some of our closest friends that live 4.5 hours north of us. It was our turn to hit the road, we were all very excited!

Definitely needed our winter gear!

And in case this blog does not portray enough the awesomeness of my husband
His superhero-ness at it again:

The Kiddos loved being around these friends for almost 3 full days. Sophia took a bunch of princess pictures and made a little video.

 

Other people's toys are always more fun:

On Thanksgiving morning we visited the wetlands, a fairly newer park on the huge lake in this city. This reminded me a little of Florida, except no alligators. And it was definitely marshy not swampy and quite beautiful.

We were beholding all of God's beauty in Creation and truly living out Thanksgiving right here!

And what is Thanksgiving without tossing the football around.

Around the House...Thanksgiving Prep and a Hair Cut

This is actually at school. Each row of students has to take turns cleaning the classroom on different days, then the student leader says when you can leave. It was Sophia's turn and Gabrielle wanted to help...

At home Gabrielle helped me make green bean casserole for our Thanksgiving trip:

We decorated a week before Thanksgiving this year for a few reasons. One, I had just returned from Singapore, land of Christmas Cheer, and was in the mood. Two, I had visited Ikea and gotten a few new, fun decorations, and three, we wanted to stay a day later with friends on our trip so we knew we wouldn't have time upon return. This all proved so helpful. We completely eased into our Advent celebrations.

The older girls and I went for haircuts, and G assured me she would not let anyone cut her hair (she is a stout last born...). But I assured her that she would have it cut. By me. And she did sit still and let me attempt to have a go at getting it all straight. Her hair kind of curls up at the ends and is very forgiving which is the only reason I tried it.

These older sisters first washed it for her like in the salon and doted on her all the way...

While Mommy Was Away...

David had the girls cook yummy French Toast (in coconut oil).

Aprons on and hair back.

David let them build and sleep in the forts they made.
Brave man.

 All in one room. He was expecting early risers but they made it until a little past 7 a.m.

 And off to Sunday group...Looking sharp!

 And upon return, the gifts from our friends. Fit perfect and they loved them.

If you happen to zoom and discover G's black eye, this happened well before I left. She got in a fight with our book shelf (the one eye level to the left behind them here), and lost. She was spinning and slammed right in. It puffed up big and had it busted would've needed stitches. Quick with ice, we got the swelling down but the it changed colors for two weeks!

I love Singapore!

November 7-12

Yes, I, Lorraine, went on a little trip all by myself. This was a last minute thing offered to some of us to go to a women's conference. The timing wasn't great, but I couldn't pass it up. Some of our really good friends live in Singapore so I went out a day early to see them. Then another friend going to the conference started talking with me about going out early and we decided to make a little adventure out of it. 

I left after dinner to get to the provincial capital. My flight to Singapore flew from 11pm-3am. What in the world?! Best prices folks. My partner in crime was arriving from her country earlier and already checked in the hotel. I got in about 4 a.m. and she let me sleep in until 10 a.m. Then it was time to get coffee....

 I didn't know SC too well before this trip, we had just giggled together some in various meetings, her laugh is contagious, but get to know each other we did, and I am so the better for it. Plus her daughter gives Gabrielle a run for her money in spunky cuteness, they pair up together. Gabrielle loved that I was going to hang out with Grace's mom.

After enjoying Christmas Blend Starbucks and a delightful old-fashioned donut, we lost track of time in our conversation. But we had no where to be except wander, shop, explore, etc.

Off we went....our aim was only a ten minute walk....except that after 30 we had not yet arrived. That was when we realized that even with modern day technology, you still need to put it on the right mode. It was originally a ten minute drive, not walk! This was cool, we were still consumed in conversation, and because we knew we would also be consuming yummy food all weekend (Chili's twice), we needed to walk and keep walking.

 The things we passed on our wayward stroll.

And another reason for a pre-conference adventure: off-broadway tickets to The Sound of Music. I LOVE that we did this. I LOVE Theater and this did not disappoint at all. We had so much fun getting dressed up, still trying to navigate the city via subway, eating overpriced pizza, and sitting in the nosebleeds. I would do it over again. A blessing.

I did get up and do the treadmill one morning. I greatly dislike running on the treadmill, but alone in an unknown city I didn't have Germaine with me to help me get lost, so I stuck to the gym, where I found this water fountain...I took the pic for the kids, who love these things as such a novelty.

Great views.

Finally, before the conference, we did meet up with our Singaporean friends for breakfast. These people bless our family's socks off. They visit us, they love us, they encourage, they have some of the deepest faith of any people we have ever met. SC had never met them, but I assured her she would love them too. They are so down-to-earth and real in their endeavor to live full and live sacrificially for Jesus.

 We talked with them for almost two hours before they had to leave.

 We moved on and around the city some more.

One of the things I really enjoyed was the Christmas decorations and Christmas music playing in all of the malls. Every other building is a mall in Singapore, so it seems. And the subways all seem to come out in one.

 And perhaps one of our favorite discoveries were these folks: gentle reminders of how to be polite on the subway. These hashtags became our byword and SC and I laughed and joked with these like school girls. Just in case you might appreciate them like we did I will include each one for you...

This was our most used quote

"bag down benny" (but don't put down the soccer ball whatever you do!). This started to take on a little 'back off' tone to it.

We got a little snarky with this one too: Hush Hush Hannah!

Give way Glenda had the rockin' Afro

 While 'Move in Martin' was a necessary tip for sure on the crowded trains!

SC came up with the brilliant idea to see who could use all four phrases first with their kids when they got home.

Okay lets move away from our immaturity and on to Little India...
Our same Singaporean friends treated us to Little India, where they live.
This brought back so many real memories from India, the smells, the talk, the brightness. We loved this and were so glad we went. 

bangles...the girls love these.

from their apartment she showed me where she hangs out her clothes 10 flights up. I for sure would lose half my clothes doing this.

We moved from a hotel to a host home...an amazing couple from Wales opened their home to us and one other lady. What a treat to get to know these folks, we were so thankful for their hospitality!
The conference too did help me gather some thoughts and think harder on some things in my walk with Jesus. 

I was very thankful to those who provided this opportunity, for SC for nudging me to venture with her (or maybe I nudged her), and David who made it all possible!

This was for Gabrielle, who adores Hello Kitty. Singapore Airport!

STEM 2

STEM has been hit or miss with sickness, etc. But early November I did host again. 

I wanted to introduce computer coding but didn't have enough time to pull together across-the-age-range activities so I went with more structure stuff. Last time it was more about balance, placement, and physics. This time it was more about structural integrity, and physics too, along with design accommodations.

We used clothes pins, metal bracket pins, and our same 'ole jumbo craft sticks. 

They first had to make any size structure that could hold the most weight.  

 short and sturdy, those clothes pins in connection with the other materials proves super-strong.

We also just tried to design with triangles...

And of course try a bridge...

great designs...all did awesome and each person succeeded, failed, and improved upon their original designs.

Lastly I helped them build exploding boomerangs (that don't actually work like real boomerangs), with just four jumbo craft sticks. With no glue or anything holding them together they are stuck together simply by the way they are wedged. They loved this, then throw them and upon impact they 'explode'. (Just don't throw them at people!!! was my constant drum)