Halfway to Sweet 16 on the 16th!

Yes, it really is true. Our little girl is 8 years old, and in another 8 years, she will be 16 years old!

Sweet 16 on the 16th of August.

We had a few ideas float around today on how we'll spend that special day (in 2023)....and, if blogs and Facebook are still around then, we'll be sure to let you know all about it.

For now, I am thrilled to enjoy this day with my 8 year old!

My sweet, precious daughter that I share so very common interests with, like sewing, crafting, cooking, reading, and dolls.

I am re-reading the book of Hosea in my quiet time right now and the idea that the Father loves us so unconditionally, so fully and completely, even when we betray him with other idols in our lives, again and again, reminds me of how I need to show unconditional love to my kids and my husband. I thank the Lord for the blessings I have in these four! Not just on their special days, but on ALL the days we're together.

Sissi's birthday is actually on Sunday, but we'll be heading to church that day and then off to the lake for a week of youth camp, so...we're celebrating a bit early.

Here she is, opening her first gift.

We actually let her pick it out and buy it last fall, before we left the US since it's a tradition in our family to receive your first adult Bible on your 8th birthday...this is the third, and I guess the last time we'll be celebrating that tradition...

She was thrilled to receive her Bible!

Look at that face! So exciting!

Then, we gave her a Disney comic...

and new Browning socks..."Hunting socks! I love hunting socks!" she said.

Hugging her new socks...super cute girl!

Then, the "Lego" set she's been asking for...

The "Sweet House" made by a Korean company that sells "Lego-like" sets here.

Her big brother, looking at the set with her and making plans to put it together.

Lunch!

Mini-Cheeseburgers with bacon and cheddar cheese (2 awesome, but hard to find items here), scones, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate sticks.

She had a friend over, Shelby, and we even broke out one of the A&W Root Beers that we brought back with us from our conference in Budapest. The girls were thrilled. Shelby said, "A&W Root Bear, my favorite American drink!"

No cake...she wanted chocolate chip cookies with her candle stuck in it!

Singing "Happy Birthday" to each other. 

Shelby's birthday is in 2 weeks and she'll be 9.

Blowing out the candle.

Then, craft time!

I brought jewelry making stuff with me, so we let the girls pick out and design their own necklaces.

Sissi's necklace design.

Shelby's necklace design.

After they laid out their beads, they started stringing them.

About half way there...

And, completed project. We have two lovely necklaces on two lovely girls! 

They even dressed up to "show them off."

A close up of Shelby's necklace.

And Sissi's up close.

For the evening meal, we had corn chowder because I was unable to find broccoli to make her favorite soup. Then, I made some chocolate mousse to go with some fresh strawberries and we watched "Roger Rabbit."

All in all, it's been a fabulous day and now, we'll be packing and getting ready to head to the lake tomorrow...we can't wait, and that will be yet another special part of her birthday!

Family Photos Summer 2015

A few weeks ago we took some time on a Saturday and drove outside of Bishkek to have some updated family photos taken...can't believe it's been 2 years since we had them done, back in Colorado, when we had just returned from Tanzania.

There are a bunch of great ones, so enjoy taking a look!

Day 7 - A Wistful Goodbye and Shyrdaks

As we wind up our special week seeing and meeting the lovely people and places of central Kyrgyzstan, we found even more lovely vistas...and also some motion sickness as we bounced down the mountain roads in a van.

Can you believe this view? It is just incredible! I am so thankful that our Father has allowed us to live and serve in this amazing country.

Our group!

Following this, we had another 45 minutes or so down the mountain and when we got out of the car, we had some sickness...poor Gwangi. Sissi and I felt pretty green, but our stomachs did settle down.

Azis had us stop by his grandparents house, so we could meet them. His grandmother is 87 and his grandfather is between 93 and 95. No one actually knows his age because he was born up in the jailoos (the high mountain fields) and it was a year before his family brought him down to town and did the official paperwork to register his birth.

When we returned to Azis' home (which is also the guest house we stayed at) his mother showed us how they make the Kyrgyz felt and Shyrdak carpets that I have come to enjoy.
She first has to beat the wool to get all the dirt out and to loosen up the fat so that it will "keep the wool together" in the felt carpet.

She then showed us how they put down the base layer of darker wool, they also use lighter wool colors that they dye and lay it all out on a reed mat. The carpet is put together by hand with all kinds of patterns that tell a story. The 3 pronged picture you see is the claw or foot of a bird.

Then, she added the horns of a ram. The name of the town, Kochkor, means ram in Kyrgyz.

When the carpet is complete, they roll it up in the mat, pour boiling hot water on it and roll it around for hours. This flattens it and helps the fat from the fur to join all the hairs together and when the product is complete, it is felt.

Solid colored felt is made also and then layered together to make the Shyrdak rugs.

She is drawing, with chalk, a pattern on these squares of felt.

Then, she cuts it apart.

She is being helped by her daughter in law and grandson, a super sweet 10 month old that earlier in the week we all fell in love with. He is just so precious!

They then switch the pieces so you have opposing colors in the patterns.

So, we now have the rust colored outside and white inside, plus the white outside and rust colored inside.

Here she shows a more complete Shyrdak and how they then hand sew all the pieces together to make the carpet.

The detail work, by hand, is incredible. These rugs take months of work and many hands to help finish them.

She also showed us how they make the ribbons and weavings that you see on the yurts. A woman can complete up to 1 meter in one day if working full time. She told us that her 87 year old mother, that we had met earlier in the day, had in her life made all of the pieces and felt parts for 5 different yurts. Wow! That is a lot of work!

Lacing her yarn back through her loom.

Sissi taking a turn.

We were told that girls about 6-7 years old start doing this work and learning from their mothers, side by side.

What an amazing adventure we had these past few days. We have been so blessed to see our Father's hand work in miraculous ways, saving lives, confirming His love for us and those around us...we could not have asked for a better view into His heart for the Kyrgyz people. Our time here has only strengthened our love for the people and country He has placed us in. Will you join us in believing for lasting fruit from this trip?! For His salvation and hand of mercy to sweep through these mountain valleys and touch lives!