Christmas in the Caribbean

Christmas for us is warmth, sunshine, palm trees, reading stories together, decorating the tree with popcorn and decorations we have made over the years, celebrating Jesus' birth, worshipping with our church family, and more. A few pics to show you...

Ours kids at church telling the story of Christ's birth.  Beckett was Joseph.  

Paxson and Naiyah were shepherds.

Our church held a special Christmas feast - cucumber soup, rice, stew, macaroni pie, and ice cream!

Several hours later - we had a small popcorn string to decorate with!

We hope you had a Christ filled Christmas full of so much joy we are thankful for God sending His son!

The motor shop here did a Christmas display.  After a 3 hour wait, we got to walk through and the kids got to see snow for the first time, though still not real snow...

Cherishing each moment

     Excuse the potty photo - but it spoke to me so much today!  Ha!  Was trying to do better at having the kids help clean the house and make sure they always put their toys away.  And then when I went into the bathroom and saw toys laying there I almost shouted....."Boys, who forgot their toys in the bathroom?"

     And then it made me smile so big and I thought, "This is real!  And this is just for now.  It means while one of the kiddos was one in here using the bathroom, they were playing. And soon they'll be grown and no more kids playing and leaving toys behind.  And I am so thankful for the joy of teaching and loving them at this stage and every stage God gives us!

There is No Place Like Home!

      We are Home!  We had been dreaming of our own place, beds, dressers, cooking our own meals- ha!  Even the kids were missing their daily chores of feeding the chickens, gathering the eggs, feeding the dogs, and burning trash.  And we all were looking forward to warm weather.
   
      When we first moved overseas, our first few Christmas' felt strange not being in cold weather, seeing snow and lights, stores packed with Christmas decorations, and drinking hot cocoa and cider.  But this year it felt strange to not have warm weather, palm trees, and cold drinks:)

     We had work permit in hand and thought we can finally live here!  But as soon as we got to the airport, the US side said we would need to buy a return ticket, which we have always had to show.  They said the paper from the Bajan government had no official stamp, the handwriting was scratched out, and no way would we pass there.  Basically, they said we would be put in the holding room and on our way back the next day!  And we have had friends spend the night in the holding room, so we know this happens.

     3 long flights later, we arrived!  8 hours of flying time, 6 and 1/2 hours sitting on one airplane due to 1st class not getting food delivered, 4 tired kiddos, one cranky momma (Brice has always said travel days are not my best days), and we finally arrived back in Barbados. As they went over our papers, the holding room door was open and brightly lit and Brice and I kept looking at it fearing that was our bed for the next few hours.  Our kids were so sleepy at this point and the boys were crying (both had ear infections and so many flights and the late night weren't helping).  One lady in the immigration line leaned over and said, "My kids always feared flying too, but they grow out of it when adults".  At 2 am I was having trouble and just smiled.  How to explain my kids love flying- just not with ears hurting and in the middle of the night standing in line an hour:)

     But, by 3am we had passed through and all 4 kiddos were tucked in and we are home!  Very thankful as so many prayed and dear friends here kept pushing it to make it happen!