A very Wetzbergindian Christmas

We began the festivities with a wonderful worship service at church.  It was possibly the best that I have ever attended in life.  And thankfully, the kids held it together... although another five minutes and we would have had a disaster on our hands.

Then we came home with our friends to a very traditional Christmas Eve supper of soup and sandwiches... tasty, and just right for this vegetarian crowd.

And then we woke up the children at midnight for Happy Birthday Jesus cheesecake.

This Christmas morning, we had a lovely all-house brunch to the tunes of the Cambridge Boys' Choir, followed by an all-house, plus some, dinner (Again, oh so traditional!  Japanese gyoza, Korean beef, Indian vegetables...).  And then the show:

Calling for the census

Mary, riding the donkey, with the baby on her belly.  We had to make some changes for propriety's sake!

Crazy baby J

The angel announcing the Good News to the shepherds and their sheep

Said shepherd and his sheep

Receiving his gifts from the wise people.  Notice the gift of gold (and green) that the baby received!

God, thank you!

Harvest Monday

Sprouts!  

Check out Daphne's Dandelions to see what others are harvesting!

Around here

Paper-skating

Representing Wolaitta

Representing Sidama

Reading... we have just begun French!

More reading

Girumy has begun sous-chef training

Throwing paper death-stars with MattMatt

My Ty

So, in our reading, we've recently been going through some main points in history: The kids have been introduced to the world wars and all of their destruction.  Now, couple that with the children's obsession with planes since our trip to Ethiopia and the consequent books on flight that I've checked out from the library.  It has been intense.

The other night at dinner, Girumy was asking everyone which was his/her favorite kind of plane.  Rob casually said, "Fighter jets."  Now, during our reading about wars, my growing pacifism has come out and clearly affected the children because Ty responded to Rob's opinion with a seriously dirty look.  He then leaned his head on his hand and turned his back on Rob.  Ty was appalled.  Rob went on to explain that he really likes how quickly they can fly and that is why he said that he likes fighter jets.  Ty's disgust wasn't assuaged.

--

A few days ago, I was telling the kids that I was going to make meat for some dinner guests.  Ty gave me a dirty, confused look and said, "No, you can't."  I explained that I wasn't going to eat it, but just prepare it.  "You can't.  You don't like meat.  You can't."  Ah, the black and white world of a four year old!

--

Today, Ty was retelling MattMatt about everything that he had eaten in Ethiopia... the macaroni and cheese which made him vomit, pizza, lots of wat and injera...  And then Matt asked him if he had eaten any cheeseburgers.  "What's a cheeseburger?" asked my sweet veggie-centric baby!  And it was Uncle Matty's turn to be appalled.

My horses

Since I can't have the real deal, my children are obliging...

This is Sham, the trusty, huggable trail horse

And this is my dear, my favorite Maverick (O!  The memories!)

He says he is a Lipizzan, but, uh... well, we have our work cut out for us.

What the children have been saying

Girumy was STARING at our young friend, E, at dinner.  "Do you know why I am looking at you, E.?" asked he.  "Because I am going to marry you."

After reading the Bible, I was asking the kids if they had the Holy Spirit to help them obey.  Sophie exclaimed, "I have eggs!" And Ty said, "And I have those little things that swim!" Oh man!  The previous day's introduction to the reproductive system finally clicked with them.

"What is going to happen with those mozzarella stick things down here (pointing to his abdomen) if I eat a lot?" asked G.  I had no clue.  In frustration, G took out the encyclopedia and found the page with the enlarged view of intestinal E. coli bacteria.  Indeed, they look like technicolor mozzarella sticks!

Sophie-Ona, while praying for a distressed friend the other day, said, "God, please help Mrs. _ and Madagascar.  In Jesus' name, Amen." Why Madagascar?  I have no idea!

An inspired imagination

Pilot's headphones

Flying his airplane from Chicago to Frankfurt to Jeddah to Addis Ababa and back: the globe was his compass, blocks made lots of controls, pillow for the headphones

a block camera

The penultimate harvest

various greens, a few turnips and a nice pile of Brussels Sprouts

kale, sprouts, turnips and the last few carrots

All that's left are some parsnips, which I'll harvest... sometime.  So long, Garden, my good friend!

Check out others' harvests at Daphne's Dandelions!

-a big sigh-

Ethiopia.  The kids and I had THE MOST AMAZING trip, more so than I ever expected.  It was a gift from God.

Every time that I come back, I am always so overwhelmed.  Writing an essay or a manifesto seems like what I should do, but it's just too personal and too weighted and too... everything, that I end up just recording bullet points.  Alors, allons-y.

-It was so great to come home again to Birtukan and her Morning Coffee Guesthouse.
-3-man-2-Frisbee game with Birtukan's family and friends, and otherwise resting in the warm courtyard.  Freckles!

-Walking freely down country roads, seeing THE MOST BEAUTIFUL scenery EVER

-Eating shiro wat for nearly every meal (At one point, Ty said, "This belly was made for shiro wat!") and drinking so much Ambo
-Trying false banana, in three different preparations, the Wolaitan pickle (Yowzahs!), coffee leaf "coffee", chewy peas and pineapple (feet from where it grew)
-Visiting so many new and old friends... Thank you, God!
-Experiencing the benefits of Tato Dru's amazing observational and preparatory skills: At one point I was very flustered, trying to find a pen quickly.  A moment later, there was one being handed to me.  Thanks, Dru!  Another time, as Ty was puking all over me in the back of a speeding van, Dru handed me a camp towel and new clothes for Ty within seconds.  Pobre Ty!  And then, pobre me!  And then, pobre Sara!

-Getting to play at the playground at Soddo Christian Hospital (The kids seriously needed to run around, after having been cooped up in the plane for a day and a van for six hours.) and meeting our missionary acquaintances.  Thanks, God!

-Making it over the stick bridge; not once, but twice!  I was assured that it sounded much worse than it really was.

-Visiting Mamush's home and family and being treated to riced enset, chewy peas (They are really good!) and coffee leaf "coffee", this time with butter in it (which actually helped)

-our bajaj ride/race back to Hotel Lewi (the inferior, but good enough for us), through the Awassan night
-Buying a fried pasty thing off the street... all in Amarigna!  After having Dru take an exploratory bite to ascertain the meat content, we all happily shared a lentil and jalapeno mix in fried dough.  Mm.
-Getting a great family photo of my sister and hers

-Seeing real, enormous hippos on Lake Awassa and giving Sophie-Ona her first boat ride

-Having a relaxed-ish dinner at the fancy Lewi on Lake Awassa: wind, sparks, pancakes!, Sidaman cloth
-Visiting Helimission, a group with whom we have a special connection

-Going in Wondo Genet's hot springs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Girumy said that when we move to E-thO-pia, we should go there every Monday, as we do now with the Domes here.  I agree!

-a lesson in making yemesir wat, which turns out to be much easier than I thought
-visiting old friends at an orphanage in Addis Ababa: fruit, soccer balls, friends, dreams... lots of sighs

So, again, this trip was AMAZING... all the way up till the last plane home.  OH MAN.  I don't think that I shall ever eat airplane food again.  In life.  But, was it worth it?  Yes.  Easily yes.

Thank you, God.

Ethiopia!!!!!

I am overwhelmed

to the point of silence.

Around here

The animals are preparing their cave for hibernation.

Girumy has been wanting to dress up quite a bit lately.

A date with Sophie-Ona: delicious, spicy Indian food and then Don Quixote, the ballet.  It was so  nice.  (Oh, and by the way, you can officially start calling me The Grey Fox.  Do you see that streak?!)

As always...