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...