Zephie is ONE!!!!

Yes, Zephie turned ONE already on October 25. But on the same day, I turned THIRTY!
That's right we share a birthday! Remember the story?

So yeah... it's pretty much a week of fun for us two girls!  It started this year when we got a package full of goodies for both of us in the mail from Aunt Jenn and Uncle Al!


Then our team made an amazing meal and my favorite:  CHEESECAKE! I felt the love from what I consider my family here in Duhok.

We started a tradition by going shopping to pick out a little accessory for each of us. She got a hair bow and I got a bracelet. :)


The morning of our actual birthday, I woke up to what seemed to be a hundred emails wishing us a Happy Birthday. Which thanks to my thoughtful and loving husband he let everyone know. :) It was pretty special! But I couldn't take too much time reading them, we had to get ready for our "Costume Day" at school.  Zander requested we all dress up like super-heros so we were "The Incredible Super-Hero Family.

The bummer of that story was when the kids got to school they were asked to go home because it was raining!! Seriously? The teachers were supposed to stay, but it turned out us 6 American teachers were the ONLY ones who dressed up. It was hard to tell what the other teachers thought about that.... Idiots? Dorks? WOW!? Oh well, we wore it proudly!

We got home, put Zephie down for a nap, then cuddled on the couch watching a movie (and I checked more Birthday emails and ate leftover cheesecake!)

During afternoon naps, I enjoyed a cup of Pumpkin Spice Latte sent from my fave sis-in-law Jenn! Then, Andy and I played cribbage and he let me beat him :)


Also, Andy got me what I wanted. A big green plant to create some life in our living room. It was funny getting it home in the taxi. (Not pictured: Zander was under my armpit smashed against the door, basically squirming the entire time "I don't have any room...eh ehhhh")


That night we went out to a nice restaurant as a family.

The next day we decided to make it ALL about Zephie so I baked a few cakes and we threw her a little party.

Cake Time!

So many sweet people came to celebrate!

A special gift for her!

Pinching cheeks is normal here. She already has them calloused. :)

It was a fun day- or WEEK! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETS! We love you!

and here's a flashback from the last time we celebrated a first birthday.........

We are quite blessed by our two little Z's!

Sept thru the Tober

I'm going to combine September and October pictures together so I feel sorta kinda caught up. :) So here's what our life (normally-kinda) looks like here lately.

School is in full swing. I teach every Wed. and Thurs. from 8:30-10:30. I love my walks to school, and seeing my 6th grade class for Art. They are such a great group of kids and I'm so thankful that Andy can stay at home with our little Z's during that time.  Andy did start teaching an SAT prep class a couple days a week too, which he has also loved seeing the kids and other teachers at the school.

When Andy is not at school he is either up in our spare bedroom studying language, doing shopping runs, or going to visit his K. friends. His favorite visits are with our neighbor, Fallah to the University where he teaches.

Andy also does a few Physical Therapy Treatments a week. If you remember this boy that you prayed for last year. Be encouraged because he made huge improvements from the last time Andy saw him and we were able to pray and thank God with him for his healing grace on his arm!

I spend the rest of my weeks looking something like this.......

But Henry and his mommy come over once a week to play, nap, and talk. :)

We try to get together with our team at least once or twice a week. Here's all the ladies....

and here's the men!

Weekends are Friday and Saturday here.... Usually we try to take a Sabbath Friday morning. Starts by making a yummy breakfast (these 2 months we almost always ate outside)

Then during Zephie's am nap we listen to a Grace community church, or John Piper message. Then we EACH can pick something we want to do- burden free. Zander almost always chooses a video. I usually pick uninterupted online time (reading blogs: obviously not updating my own, pinterest, meal planning, etc) Andy usually does a project or plays guitar.

In the afternoon we try to do something fun out of the house or go out to eat....  This day has been so important to us spiritually and emotionally as a family here.

Saturday's (before basketball camp started) were spent going to fellowship (house church) in the morning then usually something "cultural" that afternoon....

HIGHLIGHTS from Sept thru the Tober.

* We traveled to Erbil for a little "get out of duhok trip" we were able to hang with a couple other families while we were there and a huge highlite..... ordering a LATTE at a pretty legit coffee shop! Ahhhhh.... 

* SGI also came to visit us this month! We LOVE and APPRECIATE every chance we get to spend time with them. We truly admire and respect all they do. While they were here we ate REALLY well, visited Alqosh (ancient monastary here, tomb of prophet Nahum in the village) 

went on a sunrise hike 

Played games, had a campfire, and laughed a lot!

*Basketball Camp with CSM kids started middle of October. We do one session with girls which I am in charge of but get the help of Helen, Sarah, and a national teacher.

Then two boys sessions which Andy leads but has John and other male coaches help out as well.

This has been super fun, we have even learned the mental toughness of playing in the rain :)  We'll see what God has in store for us regarding basketball in this city in months to come!?!?

Thanks for reading and looking at this long update! :) Actually I didn't include the last week of October because that's an update in itself... so Good-Bye for now! 

Buh- Bye

The Capture

It's been crazy looking back at these pictures from this past summer. One of my favorite things about pictures is how they can capture a memory, actually more times than that they help to HAVE a memory. I would often forget events, people, sites if it weren't for pictures.  So I try to remember my camera often to try and capture that photo that I will look back on time and time again to help me to remember. Here, Zander and I often sit down in front of Picasa and look back on pictures from Iowa (one of the reasons I think he has such a great memory of people and places)

Another funny thing about pictures is how we tend to look like this.....

and think Wow what a great time we had.  It was beautiful that day, hiking in the mountains with our great friends, what a great memory.  But really what we didn't keep or capture, was this part of the hike......

 REALITY! A whining, tired little boy.  Parents who are frustrated most of the hike because they wish their boy would "QUIT WHINING"  He is just better at showing outwardly what is going on in that little heart of his.

That's exactly how I felt looking back at this summer, creating a few collages to help remember our times. I feel happy looking back at the memories we were able to have in Iowa. Thinking wow, what an amazing life we have that God has so graciously given us.  But often I wonder.... Was I really living in THAT captured moment?   Or were the cares of the world, or the fear of man, or my mind on other things I felt like were important.  I want to slow down, enjoy life, enjoy the moment, be IN the moment.

May God give me eyes to see, a heart that is thankful, and a mind that can remember His goodness.... with or without a camera.