High Tea...

So the Highlands was way fun again this Thanksgiving.

On to the pictures...

It's chilly in the Highlands and basically exactly like Thanksgiving weather in Florida (highs in the low to mid-70's). Since Justin and Daniela and both of us are all from Florida, the cool, sunny weather was exactly right to make it feel like Thanksgiving (even though we ate Tacos for Thanksgiving dinner!)
Here's Justin getting ready to enjoy a nap under a blanket. The Highlands is famous for its flowers. Roses galore! Anthony bought these for me (and it only cost him $3.50!)We tried out a restaurant listed in a Lonely Planet guide. The food was decent, but we thought one of the wall-hangings was funny... click on the picture to read...One of the things I like to do is get my hair washed/styled while there. It's a fun outing (you get a scalp, neck, and shoulder massage...divine lemme tell ya!) and this time Daniela and Mrs. Guru came with me. We all have curly hair, so it was nice to have it blown-dried straight (and the cool weather meant it STAYED straight 'til we washed it again!)The K's had fun at their tree-swing...its in some of the woods near the place we stay. They made it a while ago and play on it everytime they come.
We went with Justin and Daniela to a Honey Bee Farm. The Highlands is also famous for it's honey. The entrance was free...and the nice Chinese lady at the gate reminds you not to "pluck" any of the flowers or touch the bees. Seems like the bee-part is self-explanatory.Since the bees were mostly in the boxes away from the sidewalk, it was nice that they had ginormous cartoon bees to make the pictures more interesting.

And here's a video... we're thinking of submitting to National Geographic just in case they'd want to use it in some kind of stinging insect documentary.


Hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving. Let us know if you want to join us next year in the Highlands!

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!
We are headed to the cold (by cold we mean the low 70's!) Highlands this weekend to celebrate with our co-workers.
We won't be having traditional turkey (or Big Bird!)
but we will still be celebrating the amazing goodness and blessing of God in our lives.

He has done so many wonderful things for us that we absolutely do not deserve or merit.
And for that He deserves all the thankfulness and gratitude our hearts can manage to express!

What will you be thanking God for this Thanksgiving?

...the mystery craft...

So here is the making of the craft I got yesterday at the Christmas Bazaar (read the post below this if you're not sure what I'm talking about)

The materials-a string of garland with wood ornament cut-outs on it, glue, cardboard letters, non-toxic acrylic paint, and various glitters and sequins.

Paint, apply glitter, sequins, and letters... and wah-lah!A fun garland to hang on the Christmas tree! The colors on my tree are mostly blue and lime-green, so I went with those colors. I think I got a bit out-of-control with the glitter and the sequins, but I haven't done a crafty project in a while and it was hard to contain myself!
I made it for Isaac. (obviously) I figured it was more fun than just one ornament...although for his first Christmas next year he'll probably get one of those too. In my mind I think it'll be fun to make one for all our kids as their own special thing to put on the tree every year... we'll see when the time comes. I know I'LL have fun putting it on the tree THIS year:)

A culture more familiar...

Today I went with Daniela, Mrs. Guru and K5 to a Christmas Bazaar!The event was put on by a group of Americans in a nice hotel ballroom downtown.
There were many tables full of Christmas decorations and other tables with gift ideas and arts and crafts. I got a few ornaments (and a cute arts and crafts project to make for Isaac for our tree... I'll post that later once it's finished!)It was strange to be in a room with so many white (and a couple black!:) people at once...to blend in and (other than an occasional comment about my belly) go unnoticed was wonderful. There were many countries represented, but probably the majority of the women there were American. As I perused the tables my heart relished in the moments when I overheard things like, "Oh, I just luv' that!" or "This is just so purty!" spoken in deep Southern accents. The whole time walking between those crowded tables I heard "Excuse me" and "Oh, sorry...just comin' thru..." (Not that the culture is rude here, but it's not a necessity to squeeze by somebody and excuse yourself...it's just understood people gotta get by:) It's amazing the little things that can make you feel at home.For a few hours, surrounded by all those Christmas items and "ordinary" faces speaking REAL English, it was like I had been transported home, even for just a little while!

Happy Birthday Mom (aka-Mama Lou)

Today is Mom's birthday! Mary Lou Rivers (Mama Lou as Sharon calls her) graced the world with her presence this day back in.... uh... well... that's up to her to say. Here she is looking oh-so lovely with our niece Katie. Today is ALSO Grandma Puccio's birthday! (Mary Lou's mom) That's right! This family is full of double birthdays...and a triple birthday when you know that Uncle Eddie (Mary Lou's older brother) share's February 26th with us... fun huh?
We hope your day is wonderful!

"Selamat Hari Jadi,
Selamat Hari Jadi,
Selamat Hari Jadi Mary Louuuuuuu...
Selamat Hari Jadi!"

Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!

Not Halloween in Asia...

But it was a somewhat Asian Halloween for our nieces Kaelyn and Adrienne! We bought these outfits for them in Chinatown in Singapore. Kaelyn was a princess for her big preschool party, but when it came time to trick-or-treat she wanted to match lil' sis Adrienne and be China dolls. We think they're adorable and will fit right in when they come to visit us in the spring.