our kids...growing before our eyes

Gavin so serious

Ian wanting that camera...7 months...crawling...pulling himself up and eating shoes

Can you see??? the eyes say it all...

Hazel's new puppy...Nokio

so we are back to two dogs again...luckily Sassy likes the new little guy

Dreamland

We have a water park/fun park in Salatiga and today we took our Indonesian friends there

Ian and Ibu Pri

Rena...she is the same age as Hazel...cutie pie!

Pak Agung enjoying the water slide with Rena and Hazel :D

Hazel...a little concerned about one of the rides

Greg's Halloween/Victory Soccer Party

copeland boys

sleeping so perfectly

crystal blue Gavin and i love the freckles

Ian's toes

Paully's long long eyelashes...

Ian 6 months

Monkey forest

Hazel and Bethany and favorite babysitter "stephanie"

Another family we like to hang with :D

these things aren't as nice as they may look...

ya...i don't really want to do this again! a monkey nearly attacked me with paul on top of my head...and paul was freaking out!!! can you see the trauma in my eyes? well...paul's were worse and i am afraid this is one of those days that he will remember "for the rest of his life"

Just a small test to see if downloading a video actually works...

this was a couple of months ago...

...we are much more refined now

friends who play with us :D

this family has been here since we came back in 2000. they have 3 boys...all the same ages as our boys! within weeks actually of each other...crazy!

Like Father...Like son

Ian 5 months

Hazel and Ian playing tea party

Indonesian language 101

here is a picture of my kids "kepala" (the word for HEAD in Indonesian)

here is a picture of "KELAPA" (the word for coconut in Indonesian)
i mix the two up almost constantly!

photos while driving...from inside the car

Sticks...walking...

note the perfect timing of this shot! but see the truck...this is nothing really...they get higher and more top heavy than this!!!

you can see anything on a motorcycle! this one happens to be a door with a mirror on it.
safety first!

no sidewalks...narrow roads...

girls getting out of school and waiting for the bus

pictures

this was taken from the car...mattresses out sunning themselves for various reasons along with coconut shells...but i just want you to note the quality of mattresses :D

a mosque next to a little noodle shop. convenience at it's best

Gotta love the batik here :D all the colors and designs...

Mt. Merapi...one of the most active volcanoes in the world...right here
don't worry mom...we're still ok :D

Mr. Ian with one of his many Indonesian friends

soccer in surabaya

i don't yet have pics to put up because our camera and computer are arguing...ugh...so it makes me less inclined to write on here...but i will.

this past weekend we went to surabaya for the yearly soccer tournament between all the international schools in indonesia. here is how it all went down.

the 4 kids and i woke up at 5am to get in a car to travel for 1 1/2 hr to a train station. then we boarded the train at 8am with our friends Frank and Karren. we showed up to the train right on time and had no minutes to spare. whew! the train ride was a new experience and while i had heard horror stories about this, i found our train experience to be quite nice! AC. no bumpy roads. no stopping. we could all stand up and move. many people wanted to entertain ian...so that is always a plus as well. the only thing scary was the bathroom...where you have to cross out and go into another car. then in the bathroom...the toilet is just a hole over the tracks...so it's a bit windy :D but the night before we left paul prayed "God, please help us hold our pee and poo so we don't have to use the scary toilets" ha! the train ride lasted 4 hours and the 3 kids didn't use the bathroom. a new record! we arrived in surabaya at 12 noon. easy. i called greg to say we made it and they were just starting from salatiga. they were traveling as a team on a big bus and they got into surabaya about 9:30pm...ouch! i planned to go swimming with the kids but there was a huge birthday party going on for a one year old and a two year old (poolside)...it looked like a wedding! so instead we went to a mall and the kids played in a large...huge...gynormous play center...of course there were things in there that were dangerously steep because of no regulations but the kids were sooo excited to be in ther for a whole hour! after we wore them out i took them back to the hotel and i had a glory moment in my motherhood and this particular day, KINDY, i would have gotten mother of the day! i got them bathed and all laying down in the same bed...ian in my arms and i sang two songs and they were all sleeping...no kidding...less than 3 minutes! it was beautiful! i got to go watch a movie all by myself!

the next day we were up and at em at 6am to get breakfast with the team and then on the bus to the school...then it was watching soccer games from 8am-3:30pm...our boys and girls teams did an awesome job and the games were so interesting that even our kids were into them! although ian did not appreciate the cheers after we would score goals...he woke up every time and cried again...the fans got used to it and kept encouraging me the whole way...i love living in community. good times. my only complaint...it was really waaaay too hot there. i couldn't believe why so many people want to live there...the school there was all AC...i can see why! and they had a big olympic pool we had to walk by every time we went inside to get food...it was sooo tempting but we were not allowed to use. :( so after the great games of that day...i took the kids back to the hotel to go swimming...but no!!!!!!!!!!! they were having a cooking class by the pool and we were "not allowed"! i had promised the kids i would take them for being so great...and i REALLY wanted to go myself cuz it was sooo hot...so we just went up and got our suits on and i had to just pretend there were not 200 people at this cooking class and we walked right in the middle of them and got to the pool...i guess it pays to be stared at all the time because i get so used to it that at times like this...it wasn't that big of a deal...and the water was sooo refreshin and the kids and i had a great time. so worth it! then i thought we better get something to eat so we went back to the mall and had about 10 breakdowns with the kids...i wanted to breakdown myself but i held myself together. this was not a good idea so we just ate and got them home and in bed. they took maybe 7 min to fall alsleep that night! and i fell asleep trying to get them to sleep. a very tired and worn out Greg came in about 9pm because the team was at a banquet with all the other teams. they are served a good meal and have to wear nice clothes. it's fun for all.

the next day was sunday and the team headed out to a church service with all the other teams that wanted to join (8 teams in all). the kids and i stayed back and met up with them at 9:30. we finished watching the final games. both boys games were in a tie and had over time so it was really exciting and kept us entertained as a crowd. when the final goal was made...the team and crowd went wild...but i think mr copeland jumped higher than any kid and he still wears the smile of that win! they got the first place trophy!! the girls also did well and got 3rd place. after this (about 3pm) we went back to the mall so the kids could play in AC and in that huge play place again before we had to catch the 6pm train. we just kept moving and all was well. we made the train and had the whole bandung soccer team with us in our car. the kids loved this and made there way through the car making friends and sitting on laps and having a guy drawing caricatures of them and on and on...it made the trip go sooo fast...and about 9:30 pm they all fell asleep on the train...just before we ended the trip...so thankfully we had other people on the train that could help me off with 4 sleeping kids. the train doesn't wait...and the step down from the train was up to my armpit...and it was raining...but we made it off and into the car and even made it home into our beds before greg got home :D

i just have to write all this out because i want to remember it. and i want to remind myself that i do have the freedom to go and do things like this and conquer them even if i do have 4 little kids...life can still be very adventurous and full...kids love it! and i am grateful mine like it! but more so i am thankful we live in a community of people who are willing to step in and help me out. i didn't have to go unhelped the whole time. people were always giving lending hands and laps and arms and smiles. i am grateful that our parenting roles aren't up to just us but i see others building into our kids lives as well...we are all richer for this and better for loving deeper. community is not always easy to live in...but it only gets messy cuz we live so tightly and in touch with one another...and for this...i am grateful.

way to go greg...i am proud of you for all your hard work with this team and way to go team for giving it your all and having some sweet moves and exciting games...

upgrades

we have had a few changes around our house.

the new gardener, that comes from the school, comes and cuts our grass...the old gardener (that we used to pay for cuz we didn't know the school offered it for free) used to do it by hand with a bigger scissors. BUT yesterday they brought over a weed wacker! you can imagine the time it took to cut our big back yard by hand...but now...zippity doo dah and its over! upgraded! and my american-ness in me really likes those efficient upgrades :D

we had a great ibu. until we left for our furlough...after we came back things were very different. she would not do what i ask. she was pretty snappy. she broke things. we had a large amount of money go missing. friends stayed here while we were gone and they had something go missing as well as money. so too much going on with her that we couldn't get to the bottom of...so i let her go. our kids are sad. gavin and hazel even cried. broke my heart to make them go through another change.

but...

this change has upgraded us to two helpers. i hired one that i want to keep and then i hired one that had never been a helper and i am training her so that she can be a helper for one of our new teammates coming later this year. so it's kind of good to start over and have ladies who are fresh and wanting to please. so far so good. but i am having to start over...teaching right now how to know when a pizza is done cooking...cuz the first one is toast and totally DONE...how to iron...how to make caramel...how to clean a western toilet...how its good for a baby to cry a little...how it's important to use hot water when we wash dishes...what is mustard? and a variety of other fun things :D

another upgrade is that i have taken a position with our org as the HART coordinator. this spot helps those on the other side of the world as they prepare to come and then as they get here...i help them transition...with anything they need...(one of those being a helper)...and other things would be language school, showing around the area, going through a book of articles that are important to know about Indo, making sure they have what they need for good emotional, spiritual, and physical experience here their first term...so this is an exciting spot for me to take on because it "upgrades" my thoughts to helping others...and since we are freshly finished with going through the newness of Indo...we can help all the more. i love that kind of work so it gives me a spark. and we have quite a few people right now to be responding too...it's all good!

and then the trafficking is definately having a lot of my time as well...with research and questions and running into people who have things to offer or for us to pray about. so please keep all this in your prayers...if you want more info...let me know. we have facebook...that is a better way for us to share about this sort of thing.

and of course we have upgraded our kids to a higher standard of living again...or maybe not standard of living but dicipline...seems we have had to pull the reigns back in and are trying a new format...positive so far...but just hard for all of us to be consistant on a very daily level. but kids (and big people) do much better when they know the boundaries and we are clear...they teach me so much! i am in so much need of grace...

ian is upgrading his new talents every day...he is scooting and lauging and eating new foods and showing great responses to all...it's a fun stage with family life. i like it! it's just all moving so fast!

Need a job?

“Mountainview International Christian School in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia invites qualified applicants for the position of Superintendent. Mountainview has a vital Christian mission, serving the children of (insert mission agency) workers and many others in Christian service. Job description and application available at www.mountainviewics.org. Send letter and resume to : superintendentmics@mountainviewics.org.”

H.S. Retreat 2009

we just got back from a H.S. retreat up the mtn about 15 min. the location is ideal because the hotel was made for retreats...you can camp in already set up tents or you can sleep in a hotel room. food is prepared on site and there is plenty of meeting space. a pool that overlooks the Salatiga. it's all quite nice. this is the second year we have been and i like going. it was brought to my attention by the speaker, that this is quite a unique group of kids. i knew that, but really, where else do you find so many cultures, walks of life, religions, ages (4 mo-50+) talking and playing together and even more so...having tight community together. i realized this summer being home in the states...we really did miss the tightness of this school community here and we have come to embrace it differently now. i was glad the speaker could put some words to my feelings and thoughts. it really helped me look around the room and soak it all in. we are in THIS place for such a time as THIS. we can't want to live in other parts of the world for such a time as THIS. our time will come and go from here but for now we will soak this up and learn from THIS. the speaker shared with us what had been put on her heart today from Daniel 4:17..."The observers gave this command; the holy ones declared the sentence. this is so all people may know that the Most High God rules over every kingdom on earth. God gives those kingdoms to anyone he wants, and he chooses people to rule them who are not proud." This is my prayer since we have come back...that we are not proud so that God can work...that we don't know what the next step is because it's Him taking it...and with so much going on here in salatiga with the school and the community here and also with the ever increasing problem of prostitution, AIDS and human trafficking...my learning curve is once again...HUGE! i am thankful that we believe in a God who is more powerful than things we are discovering. keep prayin for indo...for our school here..for our team...for our family...things are moving...

Temperature Gages

so tonight i went to our neighborhood ladies meeting. this happens once a month. last month i was out of town and couldn't be there so this was my first chance to give out my oleh-oleh from america. (a little present that we are expected to bring with us). while in the states i was having a hard time figuring out WHAT to bring back...something little...something NOT too expensive but yet something NOT too cheap. and yet something "american"...do you know how hard this is??? so anyway...i settled...yes...i was not excited about my gift but i chose a temperature gage from Lowe's Hardware. they all had nice little paintings on them and you could suction them to your window. and they were cheap and lightweight...and one more thing...to tell the temp...it had both C and F...i figured this would help them to understand American temp too :D ha!

ok...so back to the meeting...i gave out the gifts and everyone thanked me and smiled and all was well. after the meeting, they asked me to go in the middle of the group and demonstrate how to use what i brought..."huh? you don't know what this is?"...i only thought that...i didn't say it. and many of them were putting them under there arms as if to take there temp if they had a fever or something. this is when i realized...they really don't know what this is! i had to hold myself back but i seriously explained what these were and demonstrated how to use them. then...the whole room broke out in laughter...hahahahahaha...and it was quite funny to everyone involved! one lady even had said..."if it gets red all the way...does that mean i am pregant?" ha ha! others were saying maybe it was used for cooking...

so who knows how my little temp gages will be used...but i guess it turned out to be a better oleh oleh than i thought! laughter is always the best gift!!!!

Remembering out last days...

Grandma made us yummie sandwiches...i can still taste them!!!

Aww...what a family :D

taking it all in...how we miss the ocean

chillin' in the pool greg made with Malachi O...

yeah for friends at the beach!!!!