friends and birthdays and Halloween {o my!}

Last week worlds collided. Our best friends from Uganda came to visit us from New Jersey! The Hallahans {you can read about our times in Uganda here and here or you can check out Kelly's blog here} were doing a road trip across America and stopped in to visit with us for a few days. It was awesome and such a gift. 

Kelly and I. I was super pumped to be able to see her and her baby bump {a girl!}.

Happy {loud} times with these boys reunited. 

It was great to catch up and chat with friends who understand what life is like in North America but also what life is like in Uganda. That is a precious gift to me that I honestly didn't think would happen. So glad they came!

Their visit was perfectly timed with Noah's birthday {and party} so after school on Noah's birthday we had his party which included a couple friends from school, the Hallahan boys, a friend from church and Jude. Of course. 

Noah wanted to have a Star Wars Angry Birds party and I {of course} waited until pretty much the last minute until calling in a {HUGE} favour from my Mom to bust out the cake skills and make one for Noah. 

Right? I mean, mind = blown. 

So that was awesome. And we played Star Wars Angry Birds bingo and one of Noah's friends kept winning but he had THE BEST declaration of bingo I think I've ever heard which made me laugh every time so it was all good.

And then yesterday was Halloween! 

We totally rocked the group theme costume.

These crazy kids. Such troopers and highly motivated by candy. Seriously. They walked around the neighbourhood with no complaints in the wind and rain and cold. For candy. Reminds me of this:

"EVERYONE WE KNOW IS JUST GIVING OUT CANDY!?!?" Love it.

Noah was Clone Commander Rex {from Star Wars The Clone Wars}, Jude was Darth Vader and Blaise was an Ewok. Cute, eh? {I'm biased, I know.}

And then my family came over for dinner to celebrate my sister's graduation ceremony from University. It was such a happy night and I love my house being full of noise and love and laughter. Exactly what I had pictured in our living room {which is coming along! Hardwood laminate floors and white walls. No art or baseboards but it's getting there.}. Good food. Lots of laughter and love. Can't go wrong there.

Happy Weekend to you! I am trying to keep up with my blogging. Eventually I'll figure out a way to stay up to date here while also staying present in the real world. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

our christmas favourites: toys and decorations

we've been keeping ourselves busy around here. we had some fantastic visitors for the past 4 days and had a blast eating out and enjoying some good conversation together. 

but it is december first {already!} and i think most of our decorations are up so i thought i'd share with you what we're doing this year in terms of christmas decoration.

we bought all the christmas decorations/tree/ornaments last year while here in africa, so there hasn't been a need to buy any more this year. i've kept things pretty simple and used what i already had to christmasify things here.

we're doing our advent envelopes again {stay tuned for my post on our favourite traditions} so i hung them up this year with red yarn and clothes pins. i also used red yarn to hang some christmas cards that we've received. our stockings are hung and our tree is up. i let the boys decorate however they wanted this year although after repeatedly dropping some of the glass ornaments, i had to direct jude's ornament-hanging to the plastic/non-breakable ones. 

we purchased some ornament sets that we'll likely sell before we leave here {that are lovely, but generic}, but there are some beautiful and unique handmade ornaments that i'll hang onto for our future christmas trees.

i've set up our wood-carved nativity set on top of the bookshelf in the living room and my new soap stone nativity on the buffet in the dining room. 

tomorrow's advent activity is to pick out a nativity set from the christmas market we'll be going to - i have my eye on a sweet banana fiber one but we'll see what's there. 

the boys loved when i pulled out their little people nativity set a couple weeks ago and have played with it pretty much every day since. i've also let them play with the santa hat we have here as well. noah insisted on wearing it for the first few days. 

and they were so excited when i pulled out all the christmas books they have forgotten about. 

so we've kept things simple and even though the house is in a perpetual state of mess, at least it's a christmasey mess. right?

3 things about being a canadian in uganda

1. canadians are known for frequently apologizing. living in uganda has doubled {at least} the amount i say "sorry". now all i can think of is george costanza saying, "you can stuff your sorries in a sack, mister!". *

2. i love our four seasons in canada. {or two. if you call them "winter and construction.} seriously! i do! but living in the land of eternal summer has it's perks. like if it's rains on a weekend, it doesn't matter. it's not like it's taking away one precious day of vacation. it's just another day. and chances are, it'll clear up in about 20 minutes and be shining away like the most perfect beach day ever.

3. meeting other great canadians {and americans!} here has been such a blessing to me and my family. when you're living in a foreign country and you meet others who understand what you're coming from and what your current reality is, it's truly a wonderful thing. 

yesterday we celebrated canada day with my lovely friend aletha and her family as well as my amazing friend beth who traveled to uganda simply to hang out with us {!} and a new friend {whom beth met on the plane} from poland, marta. we ate, we laughed, we did sparklers. it was fabulous.

happy canada day to those in canada and around the world who celebrated and an early happy fourth of july to all the amazing americans i know!

linking up with the lovely Elaine for Miss Elaine-ous Mondays!


* the reason that i say sorry more here is that ugandans often say "sorry" to show empathy, not necessarily when they've done something wrong. for instance, if noah bumps his head and comes crying to me i'll almost always say, "sorry." i don't even know how to stop saying it. "sorry rehab", maybe?

jinja

we've been in jinja since thursday on a little getaway with our friend & coworker archie, who's joined us from canada.

jinja is located on the nile river and some of the places we've been to are absolutely gorgeous.

we went on a sunset cruise of the nile and we were the only ones on it! there were snacks a-plenty and even a barbecue on board for us all to enjoy to some eclectic tunes {kid rock, bob marley, coldplay, garth brooks...yeah. it was epic.}. 

we sat back and enjoyed the ride.

and then jude threw his nalgene bottle into the nile.

awesome.

and our captain even turned around and fished it out of the water!

we've done lots of swimming and watched some christmas cartoons. we've eaten some yummy food {tonight we tried banana fritters - so good.} and there have been been some kids for the boys to play with here.

i am looking forward to getting back "home" and wonder at this homebody i've become.

homebody and yet...traveller still. it's interesting.

we've been reading our christmas story books and opening our advent envelopes {although today's was "Do a craft with Mom." and that was a bit of a fail as i didn't properly read the instructions. oh well.} and can't wait to get back to our house to go through all the goodies that archie brought from home for us.

so very thankful.

oh! also, our boys have slept in the same bed for the last couple nights here. the nights have not been super smooth, but they could have been worse. needless to say, both boys took 2+ hour naps today.

it's so good for all of us to continue to learn to be flexible. i'm just thankful they are used to sharing a room {which i 100% recommend}. 

happy saturday!

turkey in uganda

so this is a story about my quest to serve a turkey dinner for the real Canadian thanksgiving {that would be today, folks}.
i figured my best bet was to go to a local and ask if they have turkey here.
elizabeth. my trusted, amazing, sweet, hard working house help was the first person i thought of.
she smiles and says that yes, they do have turkey here in uganda and she will go to the market and find out for me how much.
then she pauses
do you want them to kill it or will you do that here?
she smirks because i believe she already knows the answer to the question she asks.
we laugh as i say that yes please, we'd like it to arrive dead. and preferably plucked.
she laughs again.
later in the week she texts me and asks if i want a male turkey or a female turkey.
um...?
seriously have you ever thought about if the turkey you eat at thanksgiving and/or christmas is male or female?
me neither.
so i google it. {of course.}
and we decide male is the way to go.
and i find a pumpkin!

and last night i baked it. {it's just as orange on the inside as ours are on the outside.}
and then this morning i woke up with a migraine.
and elizabeth is MIA until 11am.
with a female turkey.
cut up into pieces. in a black plastic bag.
i smile.
because...it's funny. our different cultures. me trying to do this "canadian" thing in the middle of uganda.
and a turkey cut up into pieces seems funny at the moment.
i tell her that usually we cook it whole.
we smile at each other, probably thinking how funny the others' culture is.
and then i go back to bed.
and i'll cook my thanksgiving dinner tomorrow instead of today.
i'm feeling better now and will probably bake my first ever pumpkin pie for my sweet husband. this is probably his favourite part of thanksgiving dinner.
i'm learning {ever so slowly}. to be thankful. every day.
and this afternoon as my headache slowly subsided i looked outside and saw my home. my green grass and exotic trees. the stone wall behind us and the red dirt on the roads. and i smiled. because being thankful in all things {as hard and ugly as they sometimes are} is teaching me contentment and joy.

linking up with miss elaineous mondays

family day

today was family day. 

jamie got the boys up and i got to sleep an extra hour and a half this morning.

it was glorious.

the boys watched old looney toon cartoons that we borrowed from the library this morning and then our friend eric called us and suggested a humphrey/strickland hang out today.

done and done!

went met for a winter walk and turned back a little too late as jude melted down for the last third of it.

{i used my beco for the first third!}

we went out for lunch at montana's cookhouse and the kids did relatively well {did i mention that the boys went to bed 2.5 hours after their usual bedtime last night?} and then we went back to the humphrey's house and hung out until just before dinner.

the kids played well together {and we got a foretaste of the boys being able to play better together in about a years time - their two kids are exactly one year old than each of ours} and we {the adults} got some time to talk and hang out and catch up.

we came home for dinner and watched some more looney toons while we ate {a treat to watch tv and eat dinner!} and now the boys are in bed and i'm pretty tired.

jamie and i will likely watch the first episodes of this season's survivor and the amazing race.

and then to bed.

all in all, a lovely family day was had.

this winter is...

wishing you were outside playing with your brother in the snow

the wall of cheer making me smile every time i walk past it

wrapping presents all in red

welcoming keven home with a huge party; everyone crammed into my parents' living room to watch a slideshow of his tour in afghanistan

baking, baking, baking!

hospitality

i love a busy house.

when my house is full of people, laughter, food, noise

when it's full of love, warmth, little hands and feet, toys

these are the days i want to remember.

Jen's daughter Naomi, Bekki & her daughter Calli and Jude playing in the living room (Jen, her other 2 kids and Noah were also there, but not in this picture)

the little friendships that have started between these precious little boys and girls

i hope they last for a long, long time.

someone once said

never be ashamed of your home and never let your circumstances stop you from offering hospitality 


i think those are very wise words. i want to live by those words. 


what are you doing this Christmas season to show hospitality?

vacation ponderings

So I thought I would write out a list of things I could possibly do this summer for my vacation:
1. Go out East - see Halifax, PEI and be a photography buff
2. Go to South Carolina - visit some friends, go to Myrtle Beach, NOT go golfing, go to outlet malls!
3. Go to Quebec (Montreal & Quebec city), see the sites, eat deliciously amazing food, be scoffed at for not speaking French
4. Go camping - somewhere cool...not sure where yet.
5. Go to a bed & breakfast somewhere - I'm positive there's a whole little subculture at b&b's
6. Find some ridiculously cheap last minute vacation to somewhere tropical and get fabulously tanned and gorgeous
7. Stay at home and be a hermit. Read lots. (BORING!)
8. Go to the beach - a lot.
9. Visit friends in Sault Ste. Marie
10. Take a course of some kind - photography, cooking, sewing, etc.

Any other thoughts?

Thanksgiving Thoughts

4 Thanksgiving dinners later and I'm literally as stuffed as one of the feathered friends I ate!
Ok, so I'm obviously not LITERALLY that stuffed (cuz I'd be dead if I were) but I vow to the blogging world - I, Vanessa, will never again eat 4 Thanksgiving dinners in one weekend ever again.
But it was a good time with many different families and friends and those are the memories that I will take away with me (and hopefully not this horribly bloated feeling) and remember for many years to come.
It's also a Thanksgiving that comes (or ends) with the announcement of new life - nope, it's not me who's pregnant - and the tumult of emotions that I now feel as I think of my dear friend and the precious life that is miraculously growing within her. What a new phase in my life! No one I've been close (in both relationship and age) to has started to have babies and now it's upon me. A brand new phase in my life - one that is similar to the phase when my friends started to get engaged and married. And this new phase is having a similar effect on me. I become introspective and look at different things in my life but ultimately I come before Jesus Christ with my life and my hopes and dreams and wishes and goals. I know that I want what He wants for my life - more than anything else I want what He wants. There is an increased effort and submission to Him in prayer because in all of this I realize how little I know about life but an eventual increase in peace knowing that HE knows EVERYTHING about life - and everything about MY life. My past, my present and my future. What a relieving and comforting thought.
Oh God how I praise you for your omniscience. For your Sovereignty and for your supreme wisdom and power.
I echo the words of a song:
Lord, reign in me.