Real Fellowship

For the last few weeks at our homegroup, each couple has taken the evening to share their story and then afterwards, we all pray for that couple. This week, Carl and I were up to share our story and I was pretty nervous about it. I wanted to jot down a few things at home before we left, but I felt frazzled as I was trying to make the rice to bring for supper, change the baby and mediate between Joel and Kezia. We decided to bring our photo albums along so that as we shared out story, we could show the other families a bit of our life in Winnipeg. We left 30 min. late and that only made me more anxious, but thankfully when we arrived, we saw that everyone else had come later too.

The meal was great but I wanted to linger at the table. Kevin and Rhonda set up the video camera (so that those that are absent can still hear our story) and Carl and I sat down. I started first and briefly told my history and my faith journey. I wanted to tell the group about the things that I was passionate about and things that I struggled with. Afterwards there were lots of questions and it was easier to answer them since I had already opened up. Then it was Carl’s turn to share. He hadn’t brought anything written down like I had, but he shared from the heart.

It’s pretty exhausting to reveal yourself to people that you have just met a few months ago. But I must say that there’s also a sense of relief because finally you can expose the real you. No more small talk, no assumptions about where you come from. Because when you share openly, it’s all out there and there’s nothing left to hide.

After we spoke, we sat down on the floor and the group gathered around to pray for us. We asked for prayer for next semester when Carl will be heavy into his studies. We asked for prayer for next year and what we should be doing. We also asked prayer for the ability to be real, to put down our masks, and not have to live up to anyone’s expectations.

I thought sharing was exhausting, but prayer can be even more emotionally draining. It’s an amazing place to be, where Christians are gathered to intercede and the Holy Spirit is speaking and ministering. You’re never guaranteed on the answers when you pray for guidance and that’s kind of scary. People prayed as they felt led and spoke insight into our lives. I have to admit that when I came to Fresno, I had my ideas of our future and life all nice and neat in a box. And I also had my impression of how God would speak into my life and how he would show me who I really am. As people prayed I could see my neatly wrapped ideas dissipating. Darn it! And Carl finally had a place to release the burden of peoples’ expectations and to be given the freedom to show emotion, even the not-so-nice emotions.

So we dried our tears and stood up, embraced by friends that we had entered into a new level with. We knew as we shared this evening, we had invited people into our lives and invited them to pray on our behalf. We also went home with a new understanding of how God relates to us and guides us.

Asha is 4 Months

Another month has past and our little Asha is growing into quite the baby. It's hard to believe how the time has flown. What has Asha been up to this month? Well.....

-She is 14 pounds and 25.5 inches, so Asha has been growing
-She can blow raspberries, so Asha is very entertaining
-She can pass toys from hand to hand & pull out her soother, so Asha is becoming more coordinated
-She is sturdy enough to play in the exesaucer, so Asha is happier
-She is eating more often in the night, so Asha's mom isn't sleeping as much :(
-She is rolling over on to her tummy, so Asha is becoming mobile
-She can push up her chest off the floor, so Asha is becoming stronger
-She is laughing more (especially for peek-a-boo), so Asha is a constant source of joy

She is still concerned and serious about the world, but every once in a while, she gives us a huge grin. Happy 4th Month Pookey!

Growing Up Fast

Next week Kezia will be three, but it seems that she's grown up way past her years in the last week.

A few days ago, Kezia inherited a Barbie House, clothes, furniture and of course her first Barbie from Clarissa, our neighbour. I had thought that Kezia was too young for Barbies, but when Clarissa came over and asked if she could give Kezia her things, how could I say no? In fact, I was touched that Clarissa thought of Kezia. And the next morning when Kezia woke up to see her new toys, she was THRILLED! She spent the entire day dressing and undressing her Barbie, and of course doing her hair. So we've now entered into the Barbie stage....wasn't it just last year that Kezia was still in diapers?

Yesterday and Cam and Shauna's, Megan painted Kezia's fingernails. Megan and Kezia are like two peas in a pod. Though there's 4 or 5 years difference, they both like to dress up and do pretty things with their hair (and nails of course). Megan likes to have a little "mini-me" to spend time with, while Joel and Madison are play fighting.



Barbies and nail polish; I didn't think we'd get to this before Kezia turned three. Well, we knew already when she was still really little, that she loved doing girlie things. She loves to dress up and to do her hair and now she'll enjoying getting her nails painted and playing with Barbies. Oh how they grow up so fast.

Manitoba Heartbreak

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days...

We had been invited by Cam and Shauna (who are fellow Canadians) to come over to their place to watch the Grey Cup. Funny, they weren't able to get the game on satellite but were able to get it on channel 32 with the rabbit ears. Anyways, we went wondering how the atmosphere would be....Cam is from Saskatchewan and Shauna is from Manitoba, like us. With every play there would be someone booing and someone else cheering. Can football fans handle that kind of tension?! We had a big turkey dinner (which was a nice, delicious surprise) on t.v tables while watching the game. And the time visiting before and after the game was really nice. They are a great family.

Megan, Madison, Joel, and Kezia, had a wonderful time playing and during breaks between quarters, entertained us with their singing and acting shows. It was pretty hilarious. But as the end of the game came closer, it was inevitable how the outcome would be.....

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days.

Black Friday - Part II

I have wanted one of these things for a while. I saw one on t.v. and asked Carl if I could have one for Christmas; but that was before I found out they are $200! Well, that's way too much. Until today.....Carl just came home a few minutes ago from shopping. Apparently the amazing, out-of-this-world deals are still out there. And I have the best husband in the world!

So I apologize if don't blog as much anymore, I have birthday invitations, and Christmas cards, and labels, and whatever I can think of to make with my NEW CRICUT!!

Black Friday

Yesterday was Black Friday, the day that all the stores have their pre-Christmas sales. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go because I'm a bit of a rookie when it comes to crazy shopping. I have to admit, I haven't even been shopping on Boxing Day. But as the day came closer, I decided to be brave and foolish and go for it. Now, some of the stores were opening at midnight but I had no desire to buy electronics, but there were a few that were opening at 4 a.m. Had it not been for Asha needing to eat around 5 a.m. maybe I would have gone then....

Anyways, I left for the mall at 9 a.m. My goal, get an IPhone for my brother in law and then see if there were any great deals. The Apple Store wasn't crowded at all! So I didn't need to wear my cleats and helmet (okay I really didn't, but can you imagine someone doing that!?) I got the IPhone, and then wandered around a bit. I found a store called Cathy Jeans, but it doesn't sell jeans, the store has shoes. How silly is that!

Then The Children's Place fairies started calling my name. So I entered into the maddness and maneuvered my way through the hordes of people. I must say, I was pretty impressed by my shopping skills. Maybe it's my natural instinct. For some people, they were clearly out of their realm; wandering around aimlessly, blocking the racks, counting their coins at the register. C'mon people, there are deals to be had, so get out of the way!

I got some birthday presents for my cousins, a sweater for Joel, dresses for Asha and Kezia, and a few birthday tidbits for Kezia (like something purple, and of course a skirt and tights). The whole picking-up-what-I-wanted took about 12 minutes, tops. But then there was the dreaded line. I waited for almost an hour and was hoping with each passing minute that Asha wasn't home screaming to eat. My arm started to cramp up at about minute 42, but I kept on, I was almost at the end. When I got the the register, the lady apologized for the wait and asked if I wanted to apply for their discount card. I was feeling a bit bad because really I shouldn't prolong the agony of those behind me in line, but I was going to save an additional 10%. Say, yes, say no, say yes...oh who am I kidding! I'm going to save the 10%! Well, I filled
out the form as fast as I could and handed it back to the lady. She asked me for my S.S. number and I told her that since I was a Canadian here for school, I didn't qualify for one. By now the people behind me were getting annoyed by the extended wait, and I was feeling a bit pressured. The girl just wanted to get this cleared up, but she couldn't figure out how to override the 10% discount. So she just gave it me anyways. Score! I walked out with 20 pounds of clothes for a total of 30% off.

Whew! I was feeling pretty good about myself, but after all that mental and physical exertion I was feeling pretty pooped! I didn't think I would have enough time to go to another store, so I decided to head home.

I was proud of myself that I managed to get in and get out with some pretty decent threads, but that I also didn't go bonkers and shop at every store that looked appealing. I think half the time when there are so many deals, you end up buying things that you don't need. Though I love to shop, I have limited money and limited space in our tiny apartment. But I had the experience, the thrill of the hunt for deals on Black Friday.

Thanksgiving-California Style

Today was American Thanksgiving. Carl ended up not having any classes this week, which was strange because for Canadian Thanksgiving, we have one day off to make it a long weekend and then it's back to work! We ended up not having turkey today but on Tuesday. I bought a Turkey on Monday and decided to cook it the next day. It wasn't my intention to have a big turkey dinner, but I did mashed potatoes, Carl came home with a box of stuffing and I had fresh beans in the fridge. It was a great meal. And afterwards I was glad that I finally did my own turkey; I got to have all the leftovers, the bones for soup and I didn't have to feel guilty about picking all the crispy parts all for myself!
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Today I made tostados and baked a pumpkin pie for supper. The tostados turned out great, but the pumpkin pie got mangled by the kids. I don't know what Joel and Kezia were thinking when I stepped out to switch the laundry, but when I came back there were gouge marks in the pie and the kids were hiding in the closet covered in pumpkin pie. The damage wasn't too bad and it didn't taste any worse.

There are many things that I'm thankful for like:
-being able to have a personal relationship with God
-my husband Carl (who is a solid rock, a comedian, and a great cook)
-my great kids (who keep me young and love me unconditionally)
-my friends (who I can pour out my heart to)
-health (no one has been really sick in months)
-enough food to eat (and way more than I need)
-a nice decent home to live in (I'm reminded of this on a daily basis as I see people with all their belongings in shopping cart)
-the opportunity to live in a place where I'm not from

My list of things could go on forever. And I shouldn't just be thinking of the things I'm thankful for on this particular day. It should be a constant mindset of thankfulness, each and every day.

Trip to the Sequoia Forest

Today was a great family day. We decided to drive out to Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park to see the Sequoia Forest. It's about an hour drive east of Fresno. Carl packed a great lunch for us and we dressed warmly since the weather would be cool because of the high elevation; over 6000 ft. once we reach the park. We weren't sure how the day was going to go because Kezia had a bad cold and wasn't feeling very energetic. As we drove the windy road along the Sierra Nevada, the forest became more dense and the trees were taller. The view was amazing!

We came up to the visitor and educational station for more information on the park. The educational centre was pretty neat. There were displays of animal prints, maps and history of the park, pictures of the earliest conservationists like John Muir, and of course, life like models of animal poo. Joel thought that was pretty cool that they had poo on display! We decided to have a picnic lunch before we headed out to see the 2nd largest tree in the park, General Grant.

We walked along to see the Sequoias in all their majesty. Joel enjoyed walking through the fallen tree that was hollow. Most of the trees were protected by the fences along the trail, but we were able to take pictures by one of the smaller trees, which was still enormous.

After we walked through General Grove, we drove a few minutes north and into Converse Basin where the largest Sequoia's once stood. All that is left is Boole Tree and a few other sequoia's amidst all the stumps. We didn't get all the way in to see the famous Chicago Stump, which is 26 feet in diameter. But we did find a stump that was about 18 feet in diameter that the kids could climb on before it got dark.

I can't quite describe what it's like to be among trees that are over a thousand years old. It makes you feel small and insignificant. And yet to see the remnants of the felled trees, you realize what an impact humans have made on this earth. I liked the saying on the sign at the beginning of the trail,

"Take only memories, leave only footprints, kill only time".

Neighbours - To Know and Be Known

So after my Tuesday haircut the week turned a bit wonky. I mean it took turns that I wasn't expecting. I wrote earlier about how the honeymoon phase was over for us and how we struggled a bit being here. But as time went on, we made connections and felt more at home here. We have found a church, we found a homegroup, we even found friends to go for coffee with and babysit our kids. What I realized this week is that I am dealing with the disappointment and consequences of not being more connected with my neighbours. I thought that when we moved into the courtyard, we would be getting together with people, sharing meals and just getting into each other's lives. In fact to be honest I was thinking that we'd all be too close and that extrovert-I-love-people-me would get an overdose of fellowship. But it hasn't been like that and so even though in the last few days we've had a courtyard potluck and a girls pampering afternoon, there hasn't been a deliberate attempt at neighbourly relationships.

And of course one place that should have been easy to make relationships is with the other families here in the court. We all have children the same age, and there are two couples that are going to be starting their families in a few short months. Unfortunately, we haven't made a connection over the last 3 months as families. When Carl and I got here we invited people over, shared more than just surface talk, and tried to get to know our neighbours and we were hoping for similar invitations from other residents in the court. I have to make one more admission; I didn't want to be all pastoral and make my rounds to each apartment, week after week. I wanted others to make an effort too since I was the new kid on the block, but it didn't really happen.

This week all the courtyard kids were fighting more and getting onto each other's nerves. Carl and I had noticed there had been more scuffles, so we'd been pretty proactive about being outside and helping all the kids learn how to resolve conflict. I wanted our kids to have a good place to play with friends, and I was getting tired of all the court kids' fussing, tattling and tears. But an incident happened (of course the time when Carl and I weren't watching) and another parent came over to discuss it a few hours later.

I think after everything was said and done I was upset at how the incident was handled. First, I felt strange attempting to work something out with a family that we really don't know; by this time we should have been friends and have had a context to work within. Second, I took the keep-the-peace-route instead of dealing with the cause of the problem. And third, I was angry at the fact that Carl and I had been out watching the kids and we knew that this incident was a reaction to situations that had been happening all week. Okay and so there's a fourth. I was mad at myself that I didn't deal with the situations earlier in the week, possibly preventing the big one. Go figure, another example my conflict dodging.

I never thought that I would have to deal with something like this. I assumed that once Joel made friends in school and headed over to his friends' house, I would get to know the parents well, we would talk, and that situations like this would be avoided. I guess coming here I assumed that we would get close to the other families and when that didn't happen (and I am disappointed about that), I just resigned myself to the fact that it would make no difference. But it has and now I'm not sure what to do with it.

I could react like a Mother Bear all the time. I could just throw up my hands and let the kids go at it. I could be out there policing all the time. Or I could take the more difficult road and get to know the parents and despite cultural differences, try and work out a plan or strategy. Oh community can be so hard...

Hey, Mom! Remember Summer of '95?

This week I did something that I haven't done in over 12 years. It's not like I haven't had the opportunity to do this. In fact I could have done it any day, there was nothing stopping me, except maybe good reason. I think I responded the way I did because our family pictures were scheduled within 18 hours and I had no time to do anything else. And you ever have that feeling that you just are looking less than you could? Well, I've been feeling that way for a few weeks. One thing I miss from Winnipeg is Jane and her magical thinning scissors......

Yup, I cut my hair, just a little bit. The last time I took scissors to my own head was the last day of exams in grade 12. My parents had left already to go to Calgary for EMC convention, and I had stayed behind for the last day of school, before joining them 2 days later. I was bored at home by myself and so I decided to give myself a haircut. I just cut and cut and cut and then realized that I had done something terrible. My friend Barb came over and just gasped when she saw the mangled mess before she tried to help me even it out. The worst was that I would have to face my parents at convention, in front of all their friends. I remember the look my Mom gave me when I walked into the main auditorium at convention. She looked through the crowd and gave me a big smile that quickly faded as she saw my butchered locks. My mom wasn't impressed, but I think she'd say that I did a pretty good job this time. And to Carl's credit, he was there to take away the scissors before I really did a number on myself. So maybe I can't take all the praise (because except for my naphead, I think I look pretty good!). My goal this week is to find a good hairdresser. Next time I might not be so lucky.

Kezia Has Something to Sing About

The month of October was a difficult month for Kezia at school. The novelty of preschool had worn off and she was missing home more than ever. Anytime they would sing songs that reminded her of Braeside Sunday School, she would cry. And anytime there was a break in activity, she would cry. It was hard for Carl and I to send her to school knowing that she was struggling. Her teachers assured us that it was normal and it would take her longer to adjust because of her age. So Carl and I decided to keep her in preschool and asked many of you to pray for her. Well, prayers have been answered. Today she said to me, "Mom I'm not going to cry anymore at school and I think teacher Corina will like my shoes". When she came home, she was so proud of herself because she didn't shed a tear. Today was her first tear free day in a long time! And to boot, she learned a new song that she wanted to share with all of you.

Asha's New Trick

So Asha learned how to do two things this week. Not only can she roll over on to her tummy (Look What I Can Do!) but she can also blow raspberries. She learned it from Sara, Danny and Beth's daughter, when Sara was over on Thursday evening. She came up to Asha and was trying to make her laugh and started to blow raspberries. Well, Asha looked on with intrigue, gave it a try, and has been doing it ever since. What will she learn next!

Thanksgiving Preschool Program

Tonight Joel and Kezia had their preschool program. We all went for the supper which was potluck style so we brought turkey. When we arrived it was a bit chaotic, but we finally maneuvered to find a table and sit down. The evening started, well, sort of, with a little group quiz. But it took way too long and everyone's kids were getting very loud and very restless. We were trying to visit with the people at our table but were interrupted with kids yelling into the mic. and running around. I could tell Carl was getting a bit antsy and I was thinking of all the ways I could have organized this better. Type A's can't handle disorder very well at all. I must say though I was proud of Joel and Kezia because they sat nicely. Finally there was grace and we lined up for the food. It was very good. There was lots of corn, tamales, rice, bean salad, buns, turkey of course, sushi, Mexican pudding, and some mashed potatoes. We sat down and started to eat and shortly after, the program started.



The kids were herded to the front and all the parents crowded up to get pictures with their cameras and cell phones. I was manning the digital camera with Asha while Carl got footage with the video camera. It was a bit awkward trying to capture the moment as I was hunched on the floor, holding the baby, and trying to get the girl in front of me to just sit down already!



Joel and Kezia sang 3 songs about colours with the entire group. I was so proud as Joel waved frantically and Kezia lifted up her dress while they sang their little hearts out. The last number of the evening was a play and Kezia was dressed up as a turkey. She burst into tears when Miss Corina led her to the back to get on her costume, so Carl went to console her. Finally she agreed to put on the costume, but she wasn't going to say her words. Nonetheless, she was terribly cute.

Though it was crazy disorganized, the evening was memorable. I was glad that we had the chance to see Joel and Kezia take part in a special program for us. And that's what really counts.

Look What I Can Do!

Just hanging out on the floor...



Hugging the blanket?



Nope, making a move...



Almost over!



I did it!!

All in a Days Parenting

For the last few days we have had trying days with Joel and Kezia. Ever get the sense that your kids are tag teaming you? Trying to wear down your parenting strategies? Oh boy. A few days ago Joel was angry with Kezia because she wouldn’t give him a toy he wanted. So he came storming home to tattle. Carl told him that he can’t just take toys away and Joel became so enraged that he threw a lawn dart at the screen door towards Carl. Then the next day, Kezia was being very disrespectful and when Carl scolded her, she said, “You’re not my Daddy”. And yesterday the boys here filled up holes with water and when Joel tried to sneak home and change his wet shoes, Carl caught him and questioned him. So Joel went ballistic and screamed and hollered. And of course each night we have a new battle to fight with the bedtime routine. I’m sure the timeout corner has wear patterns just from this week.

Well, after lunch today at the school, Joel, Kezia, Asha, and I decided since it was so nice outside, we would go for a walk. We went walking along the pathways on FPU campus and stopped at the teeter totter for a while. Then we continued off campus along the side street. Joel and Kezia were chattering away and actually getting along, when Joel said to me, “Mom, there’s sure a lot of garbage on the side here. We should pick it up”. I was a bit surprised, but I said to him if he wanted to he could. He started off with a cup, then he encouraged Kezia to pick up some too. Soon their hands were full of garbage and so they started dumping it in the bottom of the stroller. They were proud as punch to help clean up. All along the street they picked up garbage until we got back to our place. That melted my heart and I was so proud of them. Some days I want the kids to grow up faster, to grow out of the temper tantrums, the messes, but days like today, I wish that time would stand still.

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Fresno in Fall

A few days ago I was walking with the kids through the neighbourhood and decided to take some pictures. The leaves of some of the trees are changing and some of the fruit is ripening. Thanks to Laura, I have become more knowledgeable on the vegetation here in the Valley. Autumn here is not quite the same as in Canada, but I think it's beautiful nonetheless. Enjoy!


From left to right, top to bottom:

Pistachio Tree, Pistachio Berries, Pomegranate Tree

Orange Tree, Various Trees in the Fog, Japanese Maple

Liquid Lemon Tree, Rose (still blooming!), Cedar

Express Yourself

I thought I would include another video to a blog post. Some of you have said you really enjoy them. These days Asha is starting to enjoy her bouncer more. There are times though that she gets into a heated argument with Missus Bear or the Ring Family. It can be quite entertaining!

Conspiracy?

Yesterday we had a full and interesting day. In the morning we put the finish touches on a 20lb trifle and served it after lunch to the courtyard family. It was a little birthday party for Carl as well as our way of saying thank you to our neighbours for being so welcoming to us. As it turned out we had lots left over and so I was thinking we'd take it for our homegroup supper later that evening.

At three o'clock we went over to Fresno Pacific University (which is next door to the seminary campus) to watch the ladies volleyball game. Kelly, who is in our homegroup, is one of the coaches and got us free tickets. The entire homegroup (pre-multiplied size) was planning to attend the game and then head to Marty and Tamara's place for pizza and dessert. The game was very, VERY loud. I already had a bit of a headache to begin with and let me tell you I could feel my skull pulsating afterwards. But a few minutes of silence on the walk home and a couple of tylenols helped!

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We arrived at Marty and Tamara's shortly before 5. There were already a lot of people there, plus a herd of children. Once we all arrived, there were 12 or 13 families (I lost count), at least 19 children under 12, and three nursing babies. Thankfully Tamara has a huge house and large yard (and it's California where you can be outside in your tee shirt in Nov., sorry MB folks). My headache came back in full force, but it didn't keep me from visiting with all these new families that I hadn't met before. I was overwhelmed at the thought that this was the original size of the homegroup before they split into two groups.

Since I had so much trifle left over, I brought it along. I was a bit shocked that I had to explain what trifle was. No one there had heard of it before. What do you mean you haven't heard of trifle before? It's like one of tastiest, easiest, fool proof desserts out there. I mean, let's say you plan to bake a cake and your oven doesn't heat evenly. Oops, you burnt some of your cake, what are you going to do? Let's cut up the salvageable parts and make trifle! (That's not what happened to me, I purposely wanted to make trifle!).

So I got to thinking, is it a Canadian thing? Technically English I guess. Then it hit me, maybe there's this huge conspiracy in Canada to keep all the good things a secret. Maybe we don't want our friends to the south to know about trifle and Robeez and Cuddly Wraps and Smarties (the real chocolate ones). What if I just blew one of our biggest secrets?! I guess I shouldn't have given out the recipe for trifle. Maybe you think I'm crazy, but I don't think so. See, just on Wednesday I was going through the kids candy, I mean sorting and dividing the candy when I came across this. Don't tell me there isn't a conspiracy!

Halloween

This year was the first year that we've done something Halloween-ish with the kids. We've always done something for Carl's birthday and last year on Oct. 31st we were driving home from Calgary. Our plan was to attend our church's carnival, but when it was cancelled last week, we were wondering what we would do. Joel and Kezia really wanted to dress up, since all the kids at school were talking about their costumes. So on Tuesday night, I packed up all three kids and headed to Target. (I normally wouldn't do something that crazy, but since we all had long afternoon sleeps, I knew that spirits would be good).

When we arrived at Target, we first picked out some cards and birthday presents for Carl. Looking back, I think the card selection greatly influenced the costume preference. The costume aisle was packed with frantic parents and whiney kids. But thankfully, Joel saw his costume right away and so I grabbed it and headed out of the chaos. Picking Kezia's outfit was a bit more of a challenge. She was overwhelmed with all the princess dresses and I was trying not to insist on a costume that I wanted, but let her pick her own. After a few minutes, I picked out three and let her choose. Of course, she picked the one that was a dress, the cheetah dress. Oh good, I said to myself, let's get out of here. But then the kids said, What about Asha? Who ever thought a 3 month old kid would need a costume? Well, Joel found a very pretty angel outfit and said his baby sister would look so nice in it. I had to agree, it was much cuter than an orange sleeper. So I bought my baby a costume.

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That evening once we got home, the kids really wanted to try on their costumes. I got them all dressed and then Carl came home from class. The kids just about went into orbit with excitement. It was pretty hard to get them to go to bed. It was probably 11 p.m. before the whispers quit.

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The next day after our afternoon nap, I got the kids ready. Carl had spent time the evening before making Kezia her kitty ears. Joel and Kezia were proud as punch in their new dress up clothes. We took a few pictures and drove out to Reedley. We had a nice simple supper with Danny and Beth and their kids Elijah and Sara. After supper we went to their church's Halloween carnival.

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There were many people there at this free event. The kids enjoyed jumping in the bounce house, checking out the police car and the fire engine too. We stopped in to decorate treat bags and play a few games of football toss. The highlight of the evening was probably the train ride. Carl stayed behind with Asha and the rest of us had a fun ride around the church grounds.

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The carnival ended at 8 p.m. and then we headed back to Danny and Beth's for pie. Around 8:30 we headed home and decided to knock on a few doors in the courtyard. Joel and Kezia had no idea that on Halloween you knock, say trick or treat, and expect candy. They just wanted to show everyone their costumes. So when they got more sweets, Joel said to me, "I think we have too much, we probably should give some away". What a kid! Once we got home, we changed into pajamas, washed off faces and sent the kids to bed. I think the kids enjoyed themselves.

Carl's 35!

October 31st was a pretty special day! Carl had a birthday. He had already many received cards and money in the mail all throughout the week. That day he had classes and during his morning break came home to open his birthday presents. Joel and Kezia had each picked out a card for their dad. Joel picked out a pirate card, Kezia picked out a kitty cat card, and Asha and I gave him a homemade card. Carl wanted a pepper mill for his birthday and was thrilled with the one we found, plus the Tootsie Rolls and underwear that was part of the gift. Then after his class, he spoke in chapel. He's the first student this year to preach. I went with the kids to hear his sermon on sainthood and running the good race. A few days ago, Joel had said he missed hearing his dad speak in the front of the church. After chapel was common meal in the Ontario lounge and at 1:30 Carl headed back to class. The kids and I went home and had a sleep. As soon as Carl came home at 4:30, we dressed up the kids, packed up some food and headed out to Reedley, which is about 30 minutes from Fresno. Unfortunately there was a large accident on the freeway and the drive took almost an hour. We had been invited by Danny and Beth to come to their place for supper and then join them at their church's Carnival. (Since the carnival was part of the Halloween activities, I'll blog about that later). After the carnival we headed back to Danny and Beth's and had some coconut cream pie. Carl had received the pie from Derek and Laura as a gift. What a great gift! On the drive home we were all pretty quiet. Carl was tired, it's hard to be 35! Tonight I plan to take Carl out for Ethiopian food. A new restaurant opened in Fresno just a few weeks ago. I'm really thankful for Carl and am so glad that God has blessed him with another happy healthy year!