december festivities

We made a Christmas movie this year - these 7 kids wrote the script, painted scenery, created costumes, and acted superbly! We hosted a "premier" with little snacks, so all the parents could enjoy the end-product! It was really great!

We've played in the snow - even though the temps hover right around zero during the day. The kids are just now getting used to the long johns, the layering, the gloves & scarves and ear muffs too. Its really beautiful after a snowfall - so white and crisp and fresh. We'd love another fresh layer so we can maybe take the girls sledding. C'mon SNOW!!


Lots of holiday baking happening around her too ~ I even made some famous cinnamon rolls to share with our neighbors. I think they love me more now.

We inherited a puppy last week. Our business partners had to return to the States last minute, so we are taking care of their little puppy, Oreo. She's not house trained, so we have to take her out 5x a day, and also clean her feet every time we come back inside. She still has accidents, which are not fun. Nor is her constant high-pitched barking. Asia has been very responsible to take Oreo out for her potty breaks, and its incredible to see her rise to the occasion. We aren't going to keep her much longer, only because we don't know when our partners will return, and puppies in apartments during the winter is insane. The girls are loving her though!!


Someday, we will have a puppy for reals. :)

blogging is hard for me

I'm not a great writer...but really, I'm OK with it. And I am not a "current blogger" posting regularly and in a timely fashion. But neither of those are the real reasons for this blog allowing cobwebs to form and the lack of communication on here. I LOVE to communicate and stay connected to family & friends - far and wide. But right now, I am at a loss for what to write - being such a perfectionist, and not knowing what approach to take: light & fluffy, with some humor thrown in? Solemn & reflective? Mocking & sarcastic with a hint of depth? Add in some emotional family events, cultural stress, and a lot of unknowns....it just makes it hard for this momma to figure out what to say. I want to make sure I communicate things clearly, and share my heart too.

The only accurate thing that I can share right now is that our lives are in His hands. We can't control the circumstances, but He is trustworthy. I want to be honest on here, and share the moments when we are content AND the flip side when life feels out of control. Being so far from family also takes its tolls. In any given day, I both love+hate life in this Central Asian metropolis. It's true. :)

I love that life is simple out here. I love cooking from scratch, and being reminded that I don't need more things to make me happy. I love the big, fresh markets and getting out for my daily needs. I love interacting with my neighbors, and feeling part of this Asian community. I love seeing the older generations socialize, exercise, and be involved in raising their grandchild. I love that my kids are getting a different world-view, and growing up in a foreign culture. I love the parks (in summer) and finding a patch of grass in the middle of some concrete. ....but even that was a little sarcastic, hinting at my underlying frustration.

I am tired of language learning. Even after 6 years, I am not fluent or completely comfortable in this culture. I am tired of side-stepping around gross loogies spit onto the street, or to be breathing in smoke fumes in the taxi. Stinky tofu smells wafting into my nostrils make me want to vomit. I am tired of crusty, stiff, stretched-out clothes, hung on my indoor rack. I feel so lonely for deep conversations, a bosom friend, or the freedom of driving a car. And that is barely scratching the surface. It may not help that winter has officially come, and we are headed into 4-5 months of freezing cold weather that brings on a dreary feeling that zaps my joy.

Its really hard to keep the right perspective when people do things that defy my own reason, or break my hygiene comfort-ability. I have a certain patience threshold, and most days I feel like I live right at the tipping point. Maybe this threshold applies to my joy, my ability to have grace, and my ability to love....and is a good indicator that I need to rely more on the One who gives me a higher threshold. He is the ultimate patient One, grace-giver, joy-filler-upper, love-abounder. :) And this is the part of me that wants to justify and share the right things, since I know in my heart what is right and how I "should" respond when I am living fully aligned with Him. Just know that my heart longs to see this place with the right eyes, and be more fully able to love and not judge. But I am weak. So this is good for me to share & vent my frustrations so that you know I struggle and that life is not always peachy.

Eventually, I want to catch up on this blog - and fill in the gaps (mostly for myself), but for now I am going to attempt some current goings-on, so that I don't get overwhelmed and forget it altogether. :) The last few months have been a doozie - so I may not update those for awhile. I am thankful for TODAY. Today I am staying cozy indoors, recovering from a nasty cold-bug, and I might make these granola bars......and sewing advent ornaments for our Jesse tree.

first snow.....and so thankful too.

Its COLD over here!! Our noses tingle when we step outside, and its almost time to get our long-johns out for the winter spell. I do love the change in seasons here, watching the obvious fade of life & green turn into brown & grey, and now covered in white.  Winter is only taunting us now, but it will come in full force very shortly. 

We will enjoy the white snow to the best of our ability, and make snowballs while we can.  Maybe next time we will wear our gloves!

thankful for:

Asia's big cursive bubbly loops

cute squeaking shoes on kids learning to walk

kids playing with yo-yo's on their lunch break

hot peach tea on my sore throat

writing a love note to my babe

knowing that You are in control and You never change

 cancer is not in control

for troubles that cause us to turn to You

for sicknesses that invite us to bring a sacrifice of thanks

for good friends in this city who drop everything to help

iphones gifted to our family!

packages from afar

the quiet of falling snow

snow crystals on barren trees

for Joe Anthony Dostalek - such a generous servant of God

the vulnerability of life 

a friend is pregnant with baby #4!

to see God's power & strength in a wind storm

God's character in a tiny intricate snowflake

favorites from October....

This month we began sewing again!  Justin found me an amazing bargain down at the Material Market, and we have ourselves a sewing machine.  Our first projects are pillows for our dolls, and Halloween costumes!  Asia is loving the hummm of the machine, and pushing the pedal to make it go!

Asia in her happy place!!

Sydney helping mom make Cinnamon Graham Bars for our snack.  

She loves her new apron that Jamma made!

Our little pre-schooler....begging us to read to her!

lots of reading going on this month...its been cold outside!

One of our last park days this year...leaf collecting & flower-picking!

practicing our lovely penmanship at home

other highlights of this month:

the heat came on October 15th!

Friday family nights @ home - games & guitar!

Asia wrote her first mini-report on Pocahontas - she was so excited!

guys camping trip in the uncharted wilderness

2 huge bins of gifts sent from America in extra luggage space from friends

Mom's faith to trust even in unknowns*

*We got a skype call from Mom this month, with hard news of possible cancer in her body.  She won't know for sure until the test results are back, but we are all asking for healing & ability to trust.  Its so hard to be away when people are hurting & struggling.  We are aching for her, but asking Dad to hold her & comfort her during this unknown waiting.... 

best friends & practically family!

These are our best buddies here in our city... 

We've known this family since April 2006...when our girls/their kids were so very young.  Asia was almost three, and Eden was barely one when we first met.  These two below have grown up together, and have such similar personalities, and only 3 months apart.  They are both strong and sweet, caring & sometimes quiet.  They love to be active, and can be very goofy too.  Its wonderful to see how they love each other.

These two are such pals.  I have loved that Asia has had such a good buddy here, and especially such a tender, gentle, and caring friend, like this boy.  They are almost 3 months apart in age too, but such close friends.  Of course they clash and have their stubborn streaks, but they always end up laughing and growing through the hard spots.  They love to scheme and laugh about the silliest things, and they can get serious and work hard together (math/spelling/writing) too.  Its so wonderful for our daughter to have such a precious friend in a boy. 

Syd & A* are two peas in a pod.  They never skip a beat.  They are non-stop laughter and goofiness.  They are both so full of imagination and energy, its hard to keep up.  They have known each other since birth, and have always loved to play together, fall down together, eats snacks, and pretend constantly.  What a precious buddy we have found in this little guy. 

We are so thankful for these wonderful friends ~ a huge blessing when we live so far away from family.  They have become family to us!!

recess

Andrew & Asia doing Sequential Spelling

We've been homeschooling for the past 5 years....and its really fun.  But even with all the FUN, our girls still watch the clock for RECESS!!  With all the other home-schooled kids in our neighborhood, we've organized a 10:00am recess to get the kids outside and active, no matter what the weather might be.  Its a great incentive to stay focused in the morning too!!  Here are some of my favorite pictures of the kids playing in front of our building. 

 ....back to our studies!!

Armenia clan : part 3

Our last few days spent with our sweet family was so FULL!!  We filled every moment to the brim with as much love & joy & life that we possibly could.  The cousins were more like sisters at this point!!  We barely slept - not wanting to miss an extra minute wasted on sleep. I know, we are crazy like that.

We took the kiddos to People's Park - romped around bouncy castles and climbed huge climbing walls.  But they mostly liked the cartoony balloons that they brought home for 1 kuai! 


The girls had slumber parties each night, with special hour-long bedtime stories by uncle Jason.  Bedtime became such an exciting adventure - to find out what would become of the 4 heroine princesses (Diana, Trudy, Ethel & Gertrude).  Our girls still remember every detail of his creative tales.



We spent one full day @ the Xinjiang Zoo - which is more like a desert safari!  There were lots of interesting animals living in wide, open habitats - even though they might not enjoy the desert heat!  The kids had fun watching the ostriches, camels, tigers, bears, and the monkeys too. 

 

I love these two!!

 

Aren't these girls so CUTE??

 

We also took the girls go-cart riding @ Nan Gong Yuan, which was a huge highlight.  Jason drove with Jordan & Sydney, while Justin drove the course with Asia & Eden.  The girls were so happy to get behind a steering wheel and go fast.  It was pretty sweet to watch their excitement! 

 

 

Goodbyes are always hard....but we are so thankful for the amazing adventures we got to share in 8 magical days in Xinjiang.  Who knows where we will see you guys next!!? 

 

 

Armenia clan : part 2

It was only 8 jam-packed days of both McNabb clans together - but we got to show them some of the best parts of our life out here. One afternoon we piled 4 families (11 kids!) into our delivery vehicles and drove about 15 minutes outside the city into the hills. A few months ago we stumbled upon this random dirt road - and followed it just for fun. It has become a special "quick getaway spot" when we were needing a break from city life.

We drove everyone out to the spot - brought pizza, salad and marshmallows. We hiked the dusty hillsides, and saw horses and a huge flock of sheep. We built a bonfire and just enjoyed this place we call home. The kids had great fun running free, and even Madi got to take a little walk to follow some sheep. She was so excited. I just adore this little one!!


It was great to share another side of our life with them - the friends we have made out here, and some of the ways we try to recharge. I think they are getting a pretty accurate taste of what life is like out here - and all the beauty, joys, challenges and dirt too. At least we hope so!!

(Yes it was dirty and poop was everywhere, but we loved it.)

Thankful for
The chance to be together
An amazing sunset over the hills
Being an auntie to these precious girls
Flocks of sheep that live in this desert place
Kids running free
Deep friendship

_______________________________________

(more to come)

new theater in town!

This week - we found out about a new Movie Theater in town, with movies in English! This is a huge novelty for us, since the girls have only been to a theater once before in America. We jumped at the chance to take them to see Cars II in 3D. Unfortunately, Justin was out of town - so I joined some friends who were also going. It turned out to be 4 families (6 adults & 10 kids!). The girls LOVED the movie, and even got used to the big black glasses they had to wear. Just look at these plush seats! I felt like I was transported to another country. I even brought popcorn & candy for snacks....

After the movie was over - we went to catch a taxi, but it was pouring rain. I forgot to bring any sort of jacket for the girls, let alone an umbrella!! Needless to say, we got drenched to the core. AND the girls were wearing very summery clothing - stink!! We wandered around trying to flag down a taxi, looking for a bus that would take us closer to home....but nothing!! I felt so terrible with three wet girls out in the freezing cold rain, without anything to keep us dry. We finally found a little convenient store and I bought the girls their first snickers bar ever, and a dinky purple umbrella to keep us from getting more wet. Thankfully their attitudes weren't too stinky, but I did have to help Eden pee in a corner while holding her over a puddle. Asia was awesome as she shielded her with the umbrella! It was an adventure.

We made it home about 1 hour later! We all got warm & toasty by drinking hot cocoa & wearing jammies. It was a day we will remember forever. Too bad dad missed it. :)

Thankfulness
561. Salvation is a gift of grace
562. for my local friend buying me herbal Chinese medicine
563. Jenny Espe is medicine for my soul
564. A new movie theater in U-town
565. mother/daughter bonding in the rain
566. a rainy Saturday
567. hot chocolate and imported marshmallows
568. watching "Family Wipeout" together

one child? c'mon, have two!

Encouraging Story: I might (just might) have changed the taxi drivers mind. As always, taxi drivers are amazed when they see our family hop into a taxi with three little kids. Today was no exception...

"Are all three kids yours?"
"You must be tired!"
"Does your mom live here to help you take care of them?"
"Do you have a nanny?"
"You must be SO tired!"

These are all typical questions/comments we receive multiple times a day, and we realize its a huge mind-boggling thought for a young family to single-handedly raise three little girls in this country, especially in the northwest, where it isn't as modern. Even in prior to the "one child policy" grandparents have been the ones to spend the most time with the children, while parents worked to provide for their entire family (grandparents too). Two generations back, families were more likely to have 3-6 kids - but most of these parents (now grandparents) don't remember the amount of energy required to raise kids - because they weren't the primary ones doing it: Their parents did! Here's the breakdown of what its like to raise kids in China, even though this might be an over-generalization:

Parent's nowadays (23-40): They see our family, and assume we are nutty. One child is enough (energy, money, stress)! Social pressure is heavy, and there are even extra taxes depending on where you live. Parents typically don't learn much about parenting, because they rely on their parents to tell them what to do, and the majority of the parenting tasks are relinquished to them. But deep down, we sense some amazement when parents observe siblings playing, sharing & laughing together. This is something many Chinese kids don't experience at home.

Grandparents nowadays (45-79): They think we are crazy/tired, even though they had 3+ kids of their own. They never had to personally raise them. For many, raising their one-and-only grandchild is their first opportunity to "parent" a child. They care for the child while the parents work hard. They are eager to see their grandchild interact with ANY foreign kid, and push them to speak English early on. They are also somewhat protective with their grandchild, and very attentive to their needs.  Pre-school aged children are always out-and-about with their grandma or grandpa enjoying life outside.  Seeing grandparents doting over their grandchild makes me miss MY family, that's for sure! 

Great-grandparents nowadays (80+): They always smile and give us a big "thumbs up." They know its hard work - but worth every minute!

But today - I ventured to challenge this taxi-drivers' thinking, and probe a bit further to see if he could see the intrinsic value of children. I began asking him if he wanted more kids, and asking questions why he could/couldn't make this choice. In the end - it mostly came down to money. I told him he could save a little each month... :) ....and he ended up saying, he might save for 2 years - and see if his wife would agree. One life at a time, right??

amazing girlies

three girls under the grapevines

my green smoothie girl

learning to read

also learning to read - www.starfall.com (while in costume!)

my resident bookworm ~ excited about a borrowed book!

giving her Chinese Chia Pet a haircut

this is Eden's cookbook that she is making. I love her shopping list. LOVE IT.

...and I am so blessed by these amazing girlies!