Well, I have much to be thankful for this week. I just did not take the time to take many pictures this week because we have been trying to pack as much as possible for our upcoming move. It is still a month a way, but we have a lot going on this next month and need to get as much done as early as possible!
Tops on the list this week have been cooking lessons from Ayi. Since she is not going to move with us, she has been teaching me how to cook all of her foods that are so good. Here she is showing me how to pick out a good piece of gen sing. For a couple days I watched, took notes, took pictures and or videos, and tried to remember as much as possible. Then one day I came in and said, "OK, today I'm cooking. You tell me what to do." (I'm kind of a hands-on learner) She was so excited, but I felt like I was a little kid cooking. She only let me do parts, and then would tell me to move and she would do it because she did not want me to burn myself on the hot pan. :) So sweet to take care of me!
Benjamin, still in his pj's, was watching tv with his homemade crown. Every Thursday, they have show and tell at school and he didn't know what to bring, so he got up really early, made a crown for himself and little puppy, and wore it all day. Yes, he did get dressed before school.
We also made rice crispy treats. We love trying new things out on our local friends. The Americans always come up with some of the strangest foods to eat :)
Katherine was out of school for yet ANOTHER week because of hand foot and mouth disease. She never got it, but apparently it went around really bad at the school. So she enjoyed getting to go out and play with Lauren and Ayi and enjoyed into trouble with her little sister at home :) Every day I would come home for lunch and there would be a mess somewhere, but they sure did have fun together!
And I like this picture, which brings me to the BIGGEST reason I am thankful today. I have 4 wonderful kids and I love them very much!
We had the biggest scare of our life a few days ago. A local friend had just given us a big bag of hard candy which I had high up on a shelf in the kitchen. Lauren, being the smart creative child that she is, decided to stack two stools on top of each other to get to it. When I found her, I told her that we could not have candy right now because it was too close to dinner time. She got very upset with me and ran to her room (with a piece still in her hand). I followed her to her room and pried the piece out of her little fingers. She was NOT happy. She climbed up on her bed and ran right into Katherine (Lauren's head hit Katherine's leg) Both girls began to cry, Katherine loudly and Lauren the silent type that turns loud quickly. Lauren came over and was hugging me and I was checking on Katherine to make sure she was ok. Suddenly, I realized that I still had not heard a cry come from Lauren yet. I pulled her away from me and looked at her and her lips were blue, her face was turning blue, and her eyes were panicked. She lost consciousness. I was doing the Heimlich maneuver, but nothing was helping. Jonathan ran to our neighbors who called an ambulance. After nearly 3 minutes of no breathing, God saved her life. I never saw any candy or anything, but she suddenly began to move her arm. I picked her up (I had her lying on the ground doing compressions to hopefully dislodge whatever it was...I'm assuming candy) She began to breathe, finally cry and sweat....and Momma cried also. Needless to say, she was in my arms for a LONG time and I checked on her several times throughout the night!
Like I said...SO THANKFUL! :)
