Bagunnara?

The Surfing World

2011-10-23T22:47:00.001+05:30

We moved to a coast almost 2 years ago... and in this time David has picked up a new ~~obsession~~ hobby. :) Vizag is a tourist town for our state. Nothing that would get us into a "lonely planet" or anything, but still...a beach! There was a group of guys surfing at one beach. Being the sporty guy that he is, he decided he'd join in the fun. And fun he has had! People ask me if I surf with him....when we moved here I had a 9 month old & two boys, added on being pregnant....and now a newborn. No, someone has to watch the children! I have tried it once, when the Bustrums were here so there was adequate supervision on the beach... I thought David was making me paddle out to deep-shark invested water (he says he was still standing but you never know...), then I did ride a couple waves in. On my knees and elbows. But, I'm blaming David, he didn't give me any further instructions after, "Paddle, paddle, paddle....take it!". My head knew that surfers do stand up, and I was telling by body to do so, it just wasn't happening. It was great fun, though, and maybe I'll paddle out to the deep, dark...waist high water once again. :)

Check out David's surfing blog: surfingap.blogspot.com
(That's "surfing AP"...as in Andhra Pradesh)

Fear God and nothing else.

2010-11-22T10:11:00.002+05:30

Fear God and nothing else.

"If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:3-5

I'm inspired by the life of Daniel. Wow. What a guy! One comment from Beth M. about Daniel is "He represents a life God can use wildly in the worst of circumstances." He had so much integrity, purpose, and faith in his life...what a hero for us.

Recently at a women's retreat we were asked to share something we feel we had stepped out in faith and done. Something that maybe we had fears about but, in faith, knew it was what we should do. God hasn't asked me to stand up to a king or trusted me with vision of things yet to come, like Daniel, but he has asked and told me and my family to follow Him in faith.

In my group I ended up sharing something I usually wouldn't in a group of other women living over here with me. You know, people who move across the world for a purpose they feel strongly about are usually people that feel strongly about lots of things. With moms, a lot of that has to do with their kids. In the "web-world" people are even more free sharing what they feel is the "right" way to raise kids. I try to just do what we do and not make too much of a point about it...I try. But, I realized I feared and kind-of cringed inside when I read or talked to people who would go about raising their kids so very differently than us. Not a God-kind of fear but a fear that comes from pride and desire for approval. Not pretty.

So, I'll share what I shared. We have stepped out in faith by doing what we know God has shown us to do with our kids. They started in Indian preschools when we first arrived here and continue to go to a national school here in their 1st and 3rd grade. Its not always perfect, its not always the best education, it may not always be the safest even physically, but right now that's what He's shown us. And in the "world" that matters, if that is what He would like us to do, that's the best for them. "Safety" is definitely not our motto as parents, but integrity, purpose and faith just may be. I have robbed myself of the joy of knowing we are being obedient by fearing, not God, but man. It feels much better on this side.

We're all in this together. Right? We all want each other to follow in His knowledge, not the worlds. So be encouraged in what you are doing. Find your purpose and direction from Him. You may have to "call out" and "cry aloud", but He promises you will "understand the fear of the Lord" and "find the knowledge of God". And however you have, or are, stepping out in faith, keep at it. Its with that faith we can actually have lives, like Daniel, that "God can use wildly"!

Getting Started...from Doug and Heidi

2010-10-09T22:48:00.003+05:30

Hinduism- up close and personal. After surfing the Indian coast line we toured the DeLaughter's neighborhood temples. We visited a large temple were people gathered for a religious festival and concert. The music would take a lot of getting used to but interesting and different. People seemed very devoted to their religious activities and prayers. We found their religious fervor intense. Many Hindus go to temple twice a day for more than an hour at a time. Lostness! So many people concerned with right action/devotion rather than righteous atonement.

This was an post from Doug and Heidi when they were here with us.

15 Month Cheese

2010-07-25T23:14:00.002+05:30

(Selah, one day this past week, giving us more of a growl than a smile when we got the camera out. :)) She is fitting some of the pretty dresses from the Sahara, Bria, & Tirza, and loves for us to admire her in her new clothes. We have lots, really...lots of boys around the house these days and she tries to join in on some of the fun. We move furniture around to protect her from putting herself in the middle of the nerf "wars" and Jedi fights. She also has lots of time with us, just her, when the boys are at school. We go out, explore new parts of the city, shop, meet with people, go out for lunch, and even see a movie or two. She's running around now, and knows what she wants. She asks the house helper girls to take her outside when they go to leave (2xs a day) by putting both of her hands up and together, :), that's how she asks any of us to take her with us. She's realized she likes some food and not so much other foods...and that its pretty fun to throw it off the highchair when she's full. She can take her diaper off and will do it any chance she gets, so she always has something over her diaper....or else. After growing out of the baby bath we would just shower her off, this week she's decided its fun to sit down in a bucket and loves that. She said Daddy and Mommy the other day when she was in the bucket...but thats the one and only time I've heard it yet. She does a lot of talking, just nothing we can understand. She has quickly lost interest in her paci the past couple of months, its pretty much a thing of the past. Today in the car I was wishing it worked its magic like before. Her crib is in our room, we've yet to banish her to sleep with the boys in the other a/c room. We often put her to bed and we'll watch a show/movie on our bed (remember, one of the two rooms that have a/c), she slowly throws everything in her crib out (babies, pacis, blankets)...I guess just to make a point and then lays down to fall asleep. She spends a lot of time on our gated-in veranda, she can watch the road, lately lots of rain, and all the happenings of the neighborhood. While she's out there she unloads our shoe shelf by throwing all the shoes out the gate. She has a new love of curd, ate a whole small tub just plain the other day. She won't drink the milk here yet, though. Occasionally she likes to take a "drink" of her juice and then spit it out....and do that as she walks around the house. She's been known to bite. She expects to be taken to the bus stop every morning with the boys. All the kids on the bus wave to her and call her name. She turns the tv off and then snickers at us. She isn't interested in watching the tv at all yet. Her favorite toy is a clicking push toy. She gladly eats out of anyone's hand that offers her food. Literally, out of their hand b/c that's the only utensil. She loves the sand and the ocean, she walks right into it full speed ahead!

SWEET SELAH.

School Days Again....

2010-07-06T21:45:00.007+05:30

Here are the boys in their good-lookin' new uniforms! They started school last week and have been loving it! They ride a bus to and from school, hopefully soon an A/C bus. The boys told me the driver says they will be home faster when they get the A/C bus fixed, not sure what the connection there is. They go to a private school that is a really good one here in Vizag. They are happy to have some "truly" international students this year....our boys and two girls that just moved here from Korea! The school uses a combination of the state syllabus and Cambridge curriculum. The boys both have Hindi class. (Isaiah had said he wanted to learn Telugu so we had him down for Telugu as his second language, well, last week one of the teachers who ride on the bus with them got off and told me he was upset that day and didn't want to learn Telugu, hmmm. I asked him and he said all HIS friends speak Hindi, and, I'm guessing, are in the Hindi class. If you know Isaiah, that means everything. We don't really care which he is in so told him we'd tell his teacher it was fine. We hadn't done anything but the next day he came home with a Hindi notebook and a page filled in with the first letter. Guess that was taken care of by Isaiah.... :))

Their school is in the middle of developing a big, new campus. They have the main building finished (enough) for the kids to come to school, but outside is still a work in progress. Eventually there will be all sorts of fun stuff. Tennis, swimming, soccer, playground. They said for now they play "indoor" games. Wesley was pretty excited, he said they have chess. :) It's always an adventure and we take each year and see how it goes. It's really great to be a real part of a community here and that the boys have such good friendships and relationships at school. I'm sure they'll be some exciting days this year!

The pictures below are on "our" main road. Just a minute or so from our house. David, Selah, and I were out the other day when the boys were at school and we saw this elephant. We have lots of animals around but, elephants, not usually. I told Wesley when he came home and he just looked at me and questioned my honesty! :) I told him to ask Dad... So, the next couple days I made sure I had the camera handy and there "he" was again on our road. Now I have proof! (OK, and I have never noticed the creepy sign that is behind the elephant in the 2nd picture....note that that is NOT the school we send the boys to!)

2010-07-06T10:03:00.000+05:30

Kara made home made pizza last night. Selah just loved the pizza sauce. She had a great time licking her fingers and the bread clean. Tasty and not spicy, just finger licking good.

Where have I been?

2010-07-01T11:28:00.003+05:30

I made a wonderful, new find this month b/c of the help of friends! First an Indian friend was telling me about how she makes something and she didn't know what we would call it in English...we figured out she was talking about shortening. Then friends in B'lore have had it all along...yes, where have I been? Just a small example that it doesn't matter how long you've lived somewhere, you always have something to learn!

In the years that we've lived here I have never had shortening. (Well, except for those blocks Christie shared with me, thanks!) I didn't know what it would be called, I asked friends, but I only ever heard to try ghee. Good for you all that can use that and be happy with it, I guess I'm pickier. BUT, its HERE! Right there on the shelf! I just never thought to feel all those bags of oil to try to find one that is solid! :) Vanaspati! Yeah! On the internet some do refer to it as vanaspati ghee so maybe that's what people were telling me to try, but there is a difference!

For anyone else out there passing on all those good recipes (especially in the cookbooks from Africa, we LOVE our Kimbo!) I found Dalda vanaspati. It is made from a mix of different oils so some have said they taste a bit of a strong flavour. We made oatmeal cookies and they have been awesome! There is just something about cookies made with shortening.... And the internet says there are other variations of vanaspati here in India so you could look for another brand that doesn't have the sesame oil, etc. that may give it a "flavour". I just have to tell you, it made my cooking month!

So go out and find you some and try these! We have been enjoying fresh, out of the oven cookies at least every other day. I loved these growing up, now I remember why oatmeal cookies were always my favorite!

Slice and Bake Oatmeal Cookies

1 & 1/2 cup shortening

1 & 1/2 cup sugar

1 & 1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 & 3/4 cup flour

1 & 1/2 tsp salt

1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda

4 & 1/2 cups oats

(option: 3/4 cup raisins)

In large bowl: cream shortening and sugars. Beat in eggs, vanilla. Combine dry ingredients. Gradually add to sugar mixture. Divide into 4 parts. Shape each into an 8-10 inch roll and wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Store in freezer. Use within 6 months. Makes 12 dozen. Bake at 350 degrees. Cut rolls into slices and bake 10-12 minutes. (Taken from "Out of Little...Much")

Isaiah's 6 years old!

2010-06-26T15:10:00.000+05:30

Hard to believe but Isaiah turned 6 years old this month! Isaiah is our social one, always looking for someone to play with. He always has his eye on the park in our neighborhood in case someone shows up to play. Isaiah is starting 1st grade on Monday! The boys will go to a new school here in Vizag. Isaiah has always loved school so hopefully this year will be more of the same. He may have some adjustments as there will be more school and less "play" than he is used to, but if everyone else is doing it......he'll catch on. :)

Isaiah got a punching bag, with gloves and everything. Very exciting. The cake is a creation of mine and Wesley's. :) That little guy on the cake is surfing. Isaiah loves to go to the beach here. Usually the boys boogey board but David's taken him out a couple times to start to learn to surf.

There he is, below, looking pretty serious about punching. There is a clothes line out on their balcony that works great for it to hang from, it moves all the way down the line and then they can "punch" it back. You can see they have a great view of apartment buildings from their room. :) There is actually a hill you can see past the buildings that is pretty. When we first got here and even now, we use the hills to navigate.

We've Got Style!!

2010-06-19T19:43:00.000+05:30

At 14 months old, Selah already has an Indian sense of style! For the first time today she brought me clothes and was trying to get it on her head. The outfit she picked out was in the bottom cabinet, clothes we don't wear often, you know, winter-wear and its hot here. And this one dress. We were gifted this outfit just recently and she loves it! The boys do as well, they were so excited when she first put it on. They said she HAS to wear it when we go to parties or weddings. So....she wore it today and wore it proudly. I'm sure we'll get lots of compliments when she does. And people probably won't ask if she's a boy or girl like when she's dressed in the cute little pink outfits from the States.

Selah's first Steps

2010-02-20T09:48:00.000+05:30

Last night Selah took her first few steps! She is growing so fast and starting to do so much more... Pray for us!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-28T08:28:00.005+05:30

Selah Elle, 8&1/2 months old

We have had a wonderful Christmas! We are in Canada with family. It is good to enjoy Christmas with family and friends from around the world! We had a great dinner followed by games. We are getting ready to pack up the house and head back to South Asia in January. Our time in America has been great fun and we are looking forward to 2010.

Happy New Year!

Christmas evening our friend, Sepideh, gave Kara and her sisters haircuts. Kara's is even straight for a few day. :)

Christmas early...

2009-12-23T23:41:00.000+05:30

We are up at Kara's parents house in Canada for the holidays. We have been waiting to buy a new camera until with had the cash in hand. In the professional camera world it is a cheap entry level camera but to Kara and me it is awesome. We opened it up last night and have been taking photos of everything. All the camera magazines say that a good picture comes from the photographer not the camera. So we'll have to see how we do... I have a funny feeling that Selah is going to be very used to having her picture taken. Merry Christmas!

Pike Place Seattle

2009-12-21T07:22:00.001+05:30

Kara's two other sisters, Letha and Heidi (& Doug!), came to visit us here in Seattle. We spent the day visiting downtown. We visited the first Starbucks store, Pike Place Market, the famous wall of gum, and ate lunch on the Pier at Ivan's. Kara's parents took care of our three kids (THANKS!) and we had a really great day. If anyone travels out to Seattle this is a day worth doing... Merry Christmas!

Gum anyone?

2009-12-21T06:50:00.001+05:30

Ok... So Kara was a little desperate for some gum but this is ridiculous. I will share some more pictures from our trip into Seattle. Tim and Joan took care of the kids while the rest of us went to Pike Place Market. We had a great time.

2009-12-19T00:02:00.000+05:30

Merry Christmas! Wesley wants his two front teeth for Christmas and Isaiah wants to be king for a day.

Selah!

2009-11-08T22:19:00.001+05:30

Selah is happy about heading to Church this morning.

Guilty as charged!

2009-11-07T22:39:00.002+05:30

free associators

1. A spontaneous, logically unconstrained and undirected association of ideas, emotions, and feelings.

I enjoyed a good breakfast at the Black Diamond Bakery with Roger Gillihan. We enjoy good food and plenty of conversation. Roger kept referring to both of us a free associators. Our conversation jumped all over. I had a great time. The clouds are hiding Mount Rainier in the back ground, because, yes it is rainy yet again!

The moving crew...

2009-11-07T22:35:00.000+05:30

As we left India we hired a company called Leo packers and movers. They took 2 days to wrap, tie, pack, and cart our house off to storage. Now I say two days but it was more like 3 hours of work over 2 days. We were very happy with their work and would recommend others to use this company. They are on the expensive side but overall professionalish. We love our nomadic lifestyle... most of the time.

Just like Mommy!

2009-11-05T23:20:00.001+05:30

Selah has the same eyes as her mother... scary eyes II. She is growing and doing very well. She now knows that she wants certain things and mommy. If mommy is in the room she is not interested in me. She has started to crawl and roll around the floor. It won't be long before we have a third mobile child. Geee won't that be fun! Love ya lots Selah - DAD

Harvest fun!

2009-11-03T04:48:00.000+05:30

We had no shortage of Harvest festival in our family. I feel like we partied hard all day. First a grocery store that offered fun and games, Secondly we went to the Woodland Zoo, and thirdly we attended a Harvest Festival near Lake Stevens. All and all we had a good long day! Above in the pictures you can see the bear at the zoo, Mount Rainier, Wesley having fun at the zoo, Isaiah and his friend playing in the fall leaves...

The Holiday Season begins!

2009-10-31T22:42:00.001+05:30

1 spider man, 1 cheer leader, 1 optimas prime, 1 bakugan, 1 flower, 1 mom in costume... We have plans to go to several harvest festivals tonight. We're in it for the candy!

India?

2009-10-31T10:18:00.000+05:30

We enjoyed an Indian meal in Seattle (Kent) a week or so ago and I could not believe how much this picture looks like Isaiah is in India. Although the spices where just a little off and the price tag made me wince ($32- bought 1 meal and an appetizer). We met a man from Hyderabad, so naturally I had to speak as much Telugu as possible. Fun... Fun... I am almost certain that these dishes came over in a suite case.

Happy B-Day Billy

2009-10-13T06:50:00.001+05:30

My brother just had a birthday October 9th. Kara and I were talking about it in the car back from Longview, WA. So I wanted to say happy birthday big bro... I love you and pray that you had a great day! Here is a picture that we took several months back when we all crashed my sisters house. It is abnormally natural for our family to be spread out all over the world. I love you all and miss you! Written by David

Beautiful Seattle!

2009-09-23T07:56:00.001+05:30

Seattle and its suburbia is an amazingly beautiful city. Yesterday I had a meeting in Bellvue. (Pictured Below) I meet with two gentlemen who are focused on spiritual farming and have an interested in multi-ethnic gatherings. One comment stuck out to me "The most segregated time in America is on Sunday for 10am to 12noon."

Today I had a meeting at Cougar Mountain. (Pictured Above) I met a friend to discuss the 'Best Question Ever!" (Pod caste 1 and 2) by Andy Stanley. We enjoyed hiking, seeing the breath taking views, and soaking in the thick dense forest.

This area has a lot to offer and perhaps that is why it is a costly place.

Selah Laughs

2009-09-22T05:31:00.001+05:30

So here we have our daughter Selah laughing at her brother Isaiah. Both Isaiah and Wesley have moments when it is easier to act like a dog than a human. (Can I get a shout out from all parents with boys...) Selah is just now getting to really enjoy being around the boys. It is fun to see your kids laugh. Hope you enjoy this and remember to have a good laugh today. It is good for family and great for life!

GIC - WOW!

2009-09-17T23:57:00.002+05:30

Sweeeet! These are the eyes that pierce my heart and can see my intentions. This is my wife Kara, creator of this blog. She is full of surprises! This weekend we had the awesome opportunity to visit South Carolina. We had a great time with awesome people at a church that totally "gets it". What a good time! A big shout out to Dan and Judy and the rest of our Sunday School class. Thanks guys!

Washington State

2009-09-08T22:58:00.000+05:30

We have landed in Seattle, WA. Here is our first few weeks on our own in the beautiful North West. We are getting situated here and thought we should up date the blog. Here is our trip to the water falls about 30min from our house.

3 years+

2009-06-21T14:50:00.002+05:30

3rd Birthday

31/2 years- Dec. 07

4 Years Old ~ June 2008

Isaiah ~ 18 months

2009-06-19T15:07:00.007+05:30

A too cute Isaiah at about a year and 1/2. We were on our way to India....

Looking for pictures of his next year or so we've found that about a year of our photos are "stuck" right now on a disk....fun, fun. :)

Happy Birthday Isaiah!

2009-06-19T14:17:00.002+05:30

Just to get you up to date on 5 year old Isaiah! Here are some shots from his 1st year...

6 weeks

Couple months old... ??? (Mari got this shot :))

7 months

1 year old Isaiah

Faces of Selah ~ 7 Weeks

2009-06-05T23:07:00.002+05:30

Survived!!

2009-06-02T23:35:00.001+05:30

What an achievement it is to keep boys safe and without major injuries!! Today we survived. Isaiah had the roughest time. He had a great day and was living it up at the pool with some of his favorite people when he fell into a hole thing that, of course, should have been covered....enough said, you know where we live. By the time David brought him home to me it had stopped bleeding but it was a super deep cut and kind-of, well, open. One thing I knew I did not want to do was take him to a hospital, that would be last resort. We scrounged around for butterfly bandaids, super glue, you know...anything that might keep it together. David went to some pharmacies looking for steristrips, none to be found. David ended up calling a big hospital on the other side of town and a doctor confirmed that they did indeed have steristrips. I had decided that would do just fine for our little injury. So we packed it up to go fetch our steristrips. An hour later, David was friends with the hospital pharmacy people, Isaiah's chin was taped up, and I had a stash of steristrips for future use.

We were on the other side of town with all the "nice" stuff. Malls, restaurants, etc. :) So we had to stop for a good dinner and were having a good ol' time....when Isaiah had to go to the bathroom. (OK, side note here...Wesley has had GI "issues" for oh, about a week now. This time it just isn't going away. So we started treating him this morning and we learned he is an expert at taking pills! He had to take 4. I guess I hadn't thought about it but I was sitting here trying to figure out what to put them in after crushing them and he looked at me like I was stupid and said, "Can't I just swallow them? I can swallow ice chips." So I said go for it and down they went with SIPS, what a boy! I seem to remember thinking the tiny malaria pills were hard to swallow, what in 5th grade! So....Wesley is hanging in there, having a much better attitude than I would if I had had a "paining" stomach for that long!) Back to tonight...Isaiah and David were off to the toilet and I walk that way to see Isaiah running (full speed) happily back to me.....and happily into a GLASS DOOR! He bounced right off and fell straight down. I just knew we'd have blood when I got him up, but nothing was gushing. Teeth were intact, chin still taped. Forehead was getting swollen already and the nose started bleeding, but all in all......survived!

So...here they are, safe at home in bed!

Taj Mahal

2009-05-31T14:54:00.000+05:30

Everything went very well in Delhi! We now have an exit visa for Selah and we got to visit tha Taj Mahal! We also got drenched by a five minute down pour on the way. What fun... We are now back in Hyderabad enjoying the nice hot weather. The boys had a great time running around the Taj. It was fun to do once but really it is just like the pictures and it cost's $15 for an adult and children are free.

~ Selah Elle ~

2009-05-21T23:01:00.000+05:30

5 Weeks Old

Selah's Smile

2009-05-17T22:45:00.001+05:30

We've been trying to get Selah's smile captured on camera for a while now...She has been pretty stingy giving them in the first place, and now that she is smiling more and more we can't seem to have a camera around when she's showing her stuff! So here are a few of her faces we have got. The last one is part of a huge smile, the pictures is what I caught of it after rushing to get the camera and turning it on. She was straining her head back to smile at Isaiah, one of her favorite brothers. :) We'll get some, but just so you know her smile is precious. Its a big ol', open mouth, whole face grin. Too sweet...

Selah, 5 weeks old, & Isaiah

I love this picture!

Three Weeks Old

2009-05-03T19:46:00.001+05:30

Hell's Best Kept Secret

2009-05-01T20:01:00.003+05:30

Obviously this is David! I am hoping that I can get some feedback based on a sermon I listened to. It is a sermon about salvation by Ray Comfort. If you are interested in a discussion about these sermons please go to http://www.livingwaters.com/ and listen to the first of two sermons. (1. Hell's Best Kept Secret 2. True & False Conversion) Please have listen and post a comment.

5am... It is a good time!

2009-04-25T05:13:00.001+05:30

Well it is 5am! Selah has decided it is time to eat. Last night Wesley and Isaiah had a devotional about how we should give God the first fruits. So I am giving my time offering this morning and praying for the Muslims of our city. I can hear the Muslim call to pray all around us! I pray that their dedication to religious living will be an opportunity for them to hear and understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. I also praise God for my children. They are the joy of my life and the greatest challenge. I pray that God will watch over and bless each of them. David

Daddy's Girl

2009-04-12T12:48:00.000+05:30

We are checking out of the Hospital in a few minutes and I wanted to post a picture of Selah and me...

Selah Elle DeLaughter

2009-04-11T21:26:00.001+05:30

Kara and I are the proud parents of "Selah Elle DeLaughter." She was born on April 10th at 12:01pm and weighs in at 6 lbs 5oz. She likes mommy's milk, dim light, quiet, and soccer. I know about the soccer part because we watched a match together this afternoon! Kara is recovering very well and we are schedule to check out of the hospital April 12th at 1pm. We will be in Bangalore-India until Kara is released to return to Hyderabad-India and we have Selah's birth certificate in hand. I hear that can be quiet a process... fun, fun! For other pictures check out Kara's facebook account.

2009-04-06T17:51:00.002+05:30

So everyone wants belly pics... sooooo here it is. This may not stay online long I am publishing it without direct consent. David

Two minutes later.....here IS a belly picture but I changed it. :) Special people can get the ones with a bare belly but not the "general public" who look at the blog. Thanks David for being so helpful though...

This picture was this past Wednesday when we were swimming with friends, I was 36 weeks+. I'm now 37 weeks and we're happily waiting for baby girl to have her birthday.

2009-03-12T21:14:00.000+05:30

Here are my friends Clayton (l) and Connor (r) who traveled with me out to share stories with the Konda Reddi tribal people. These guys did a great job. We traveled into the villages in a small van. When we arrived we just hang out in the center of town until an unbeliever invited us into their home. These guys are really great to be around and I enjoyed this trip immensely.

2009-03-11T22:30:00.000+05:30

Ever felt like your on the edge of the world? Here I am over looking the Papikonda hills. I climbed with some friends to the top of the largest rock I could find. WOW, God spoke and this... all this was beautifully and wonderfully made by his word. Our God is BIG! When things go wrong, oh so very wrong. I just want to go back to this place and remember that God is in control.

Mar 9:24b "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

January "Camping" Trip

2009-02-22T13:52:00.005+05:30

In January we set out on a "camping" trip. (I think I was about 25 wks along here) Auntie Letha brought us a tent last year and although its gotten lots of use indoors, the boys were itching to REALLY use it. There is a waterfall and big resevoir/dam a few hours outside of Hyderabad so we decided to head that way. Our first stop was the waterfall, obviously a hot spot for guys on holiday to take a swim. :) We asked about camping here and got the response we thought we'd get...."what???". All these places are gov't run Andhra Pradesh tourism sites and their website, a couple places, mentioned camping...we now have no idea what they are referring to, because we came across no one who even half-way understood the concept. :)So....this is where the tent ended up. Yes, inside again, but the boys didn't miss a beat. (The hotel did have a tv with cartoons so that is always a plus.) It also had a great playground and pool so our "camping" trip was not so campingish...but still fun! The hotel was also right on the resevoir which is huge. We hiked down the MANY stairs (I realized on the way back UP just how many that was!) and the boys enjoyed throwing/skipping rocks into the "croc invested" water. There were signs that the gov't has a crocodile project going on there but we saw no signs of that...but it did help with keeping the boys right with us, they didn't wander far. :)

Last stop was the hotel swimming pool. As always we made the other adults really nervous when we sat back to read and let the boys jump in. (We weren't up for swimming in the "winter"...you know, 80's temps.) They had a blast. So we had a fun family trip, but have much to learn if we ever really want to go camping here in Andhra. I did find, once we got back, that some avid bird watchers have a group from Hyderabad that go out and really do camp. Not sure if the bird watching and little boys go together, but hey, they have some kind of "in" to be allowed to set up camp in the gov't areas.

Signs of the Times!

2009-02-07T19:10:00.003+05:30

Pink!!! I am happy to welcome a lot more pink into our house! The green background was driving me crazy, and before we start posting all sorts of precious pictures of a baby girl I figured a background of "girliness" could happen. Just when David was so happy to help......No, I'm sure he'll just laugh and keep on posting about their hikes and other random adventures. He's out of town right now and while out shopping yesterday I got our baby girl a pink onsie that says "my daddy is the BEST". Both of us at random times still say things like, "I can't believe its a girl!". We've just had quite a boy world around here for a while,....but we are incredibly excited to change that! We have plans for an awesome girl nursery and she already has quite a stack of precious girly clothes thanks to Steph...and more coming when my Mom comes. The boys are also excited. They want to set up her room now! A few weeks ago we went out and got her rug and since then they have been eager to do some serious room setting-up. Today Wesley emptied the trunk of "baby-toys" and set them all up along one wall, I guess they'll have something to do in her room, don't think she'll be into the Mr. Potato Heads and Little People for a bit. :) All that to say, we are all SO excited to welcome our baby girl!

Jesus is the ROCK of my Salvation!

2009-01-28T08:36:00.000+05:30

The boys and I went out and climbed another rock! We are preparing to climb Mt. Everest... well really just to base camp but it is still Everest and it will be in a few years. We love exploring and being stared at by all the locals wondering why we would waste time and energy to climb up the wrong side of the rock. I mean the wrong side because there are stairs going up to the Mosque on top of the rock but where is the fun in that. This reminds me of a discussion I had about Jesus when he spoke to Peter:

Mat 16:16-18 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ,[2] the Son of the living God." (17) Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. (18) And I tell you that you are Peter,[3] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[4] will not overcome it.[5]

Previously, I thought that Jesus was declaring Peter as the Rock but a friend back at the FPO helped me to understand that Jesus was referring to Peter's confession about himself as being the ROCK on which Christ would build his Church. This I believe is the correct interpretation of this verse. To my friends in the faith that are equipping the saints, God Bless.
David

2009-01-20T20:56:00.002+05:30

Prayer! We all need it and most of us don't do enough of it. I recently returned from a trip to the river. On the way I listened to sermons by JD Greer from Summit Church in NC. He preached about how to pray. Before we came to the field I often wondered why we pray. It did not seem to make sense that the Creator God would need or desire prayers from the likes of us. I figured that God is going about his business and we need to pray to get on mission with him. Like prayer only changes me and God just keeps doing what he does. Since being on the field I look at prayer a little different. It is the lifeline I need to stay connected to Christ and petition for the Holy Spirit to open the hearts and minds so that people can understand the Gospel. God does respond to our prayers and it is the fuel/furry that feeds evangelism and church planting. So pray for a Holy Spirit storm Feb 20-24 as we head the the area you see in these pictures.

BABY #3 Update!

2009-01-07T20:28:00.006+05:30

Baby #3...

IS.....

A......

GIRL!!!

Here we are in Bangkok the day we found out our baby is a girl!! (We found all sorts of cool Christmas decorations so had to pose with them!) The ultrasound we had was the coolest ever, they let all of us sit in there together and had a huge screen in front of us just for us to watch the baby the entire time. David asked the boys what they thought it was right before and they both were sure of a girl....David still insisted that we "make" boys. Yes, David was suprised. :) So, plans of pink and purple are around our house for the first time! We are SOOO excited!

22 Weeks

2008-12-16T23:02:00.000+05:30

Working on my 22nd week!!! The baby belly has grown tons the last 3 weeks! Indian clothes are great for growing stomachs, so far I can wear most all my normal clothes. I'm feeling really good and time is going by fast! The baby's total length is about 10 inches and is pushing a pound. He/she is moving all over the place while it still has some room. :) We are off to Thailand next week and first thing heading to a doctor, and an ultrasound, to see if this is a boy or girl!! We've had some ultrasounds here but baby was not helping with us trying to sneak a peak! We'll be sure to share the news when we find out!

We have been busy the past month+. David's parents were here for the month of November and we have many pictures to share from that time. We all had a great time and we hope they left us with many fond memories. The boys were thoroughly spoiled, but know I don't have a closet full of suprises for them. They are looking forward to the trip to Thailand and Christmas. :)

So what do you think? The third boy? A girl for the DeLaughters? We shall see....

2008-11-23T00:12:00.000+05:30

This festival session many people celebrated Diwali with lamps in front of their houses. We also had lamps and choose to put them out in the shape of a cross. It was our desire to celebrate with our neighborhood but not celebrate the the Hindu festival. So here I put these lamps in the shape of a cross and announced to everyone who came by 'Jesus is the light of the world!' Please pray for our neighbors this week. They truly live in absolute darkness. They are enslaved to the pitch blackness of their Hindu rights, rituals, and sacrifice. Pray that the Holy Spirit will shine the light of Christ into their lives. Pray that we will faithfully live out Christ centered lives in our community. Pray that our neighbors will give us time in their homes to share the Gospel!

200 Rupees Richer

2008-11-03T09:40:00.000+05:30

Wesley lost his first two teeth! At the same time.... His two teeth had gotten loose and he had been half-heartedly working on getting them looser. You can see in the picture, the BIG teeth already were coming in behind them. Apparently, they call this "sharks" teeth so of course Wesley thought that was very cool. Anyhow, one evening Wesley and Isaiah were watching cartoons and practicing some of their "moves". Wesley apparently got an elbow in the mouth and all of the sudden they both came running to me with one tooth and a bloody mouth. (Wesley was freaking out but excited at the same time.) After rinsing his mouth out for a while I had him hold an ice cube on it (water and ice fix everything at our house) and told him he really needed to pull the other one out; at this point it's hanging out of his mouth. Just a minute or so later he brought me the second tooth....he was so proud!

Wesley was suppose to get 100 rupees from the "toothfairy" but David and I never said which one of us would do it and at different times we both did....so he lucked out this time!

What a box of Honeycombs can do for your day!

2008-10-30T22:07:00.003+05:30

A box of Honeycombs may not sound like much to some of you, but I can't tell you how excited I got finding a box at our local Ratnadeep! I love Honeycombs! Of course, at first the excitement had to be contained b/c you never know what outragious price may be stuck on imported items. But to my suprise and delight it was priced at a measly 250 rupees! About $5 with our exchange rate these days. I was expecting the usual $10-$15, but no! I looked at the chocolate something-or-others right beside them and they were about $12....how great it was that the ones I LOVE were the cheap ones! I refrained from clearing the shelf and got just two boxes...and REALLY wanted to do a little dance around the store! David was there to share the excitement, but honestly he didn't quite get into it as much as he COULD have! So, the boys and I had a very exciting breakfast this morning and they have strict instructions that this cereal is not be eaten up in one day like the local Froot Loops.

It's a lot of fun to find new, exciting, and good tasting things around the city. We have new stores, malls, and restaurants all the time here in Hyderabad that it's quite a job keeping up with it all. It's a little harder to keep up living where we do now(used to live in the middle of it all), but I still try to do my research and then we have times (ok, it usually takes days) to go around and find the sometimes treasures, sometimes not. Nice that this time the treasure was unexpected and during a usual ol' grocery shopping trip!

(ps- To my SA friends...I'm happy to mail any Honeycomb craving people a box! (of course, goes without saying, they may not be there again...) And a warning to any of you that are faithful Dollar store fans, I don't get to ours much anymore but ours hasn't had cereal in a long time...so stock up!)

Jungle book type temple...

2008-10-28T23:05:00.000+05:30

A few weeks back I was returning from a trip to northern Andhra Pradesh and came across this old stone temple. It really reminds me of the one from jungle book. As we took pictures I wonder why this old temple had been abandon. I don't know why or when this temple was built but they did it by hand and it cost a lot of money. It is amazing what people used to do with elbow grease. Now stay with me... I am actually blogging about house church. This old temple leaves an imprint proving that it existed. In our work we focus on house churches and minimize the need for buildings. I do believe that house churches are a viable form of church that allows for rapid growth, multiplication, and intense discipleship. A weakness of this model is that financial investment is very low and the visible imprint is difficult to hang on to over time. The lack of organizational structure means that less money is required for operations that can mean a lower vested interest in maintaining the group identity over several years. I suppose that one imprint for identification can be the leaders. If you find a leader you have found the corresponding group or groups. Maybe I am looking at this all wrong but after a few years on the field I find myself looking for rock hard evidence of healthy house churches making a difference in their community over the long hall. Much of what I find is a far cry from uniformity in self-identity,clarity of vision and purpose in Christ, or concrete evidence that the house church exists. What will be the evidence/imprint of these house churches in the days, months, and years to come? Any thoughts? By David

Chowmahalla Palace

2008-10-25T22:53:00.003+05:30

I have been out this week doing training... So here are some pictures from the weekend adventure. Chowmahalla sounds interest just because of the name and I was skeptical at first, however, it is a beautiful palace. It makes you feel like you could have lived there. It has a mystical feeling to it. The largest Mosque in the city is just beside it, as well as, the city's landmark Charminar. When the Mosque begins prayers in the afternoon it really takes you back to a different time period. When Nizams, this area's name for Kings, ruled the land it must have been quiet something to live in the palace. You don't see Wesley in the pictures because he did not feel well and stayed with some friends while we went touring. By David

School Function

2008-10-19T23:26:00.000+05:30

Part of our day today... Here we are out at a school function celebrating save the earth one tree at a time. Something to do with Montessori philosophy. The boys went up on stage, took an oath to protect the environment, and sang the national anthem. They did a great job! This is the first time I heard that national anthem and did not realize it at the time. Evidently I should be standing at attention during the song. (I was standing a lot stiller than the majority of the Indians there. AND, The whole thing is in Hindi, I don't speak Hindi.) A not so kind colonel from the Indian army told me that I disrespected him and his country with my hands folded in front of me instead of having them by my side. Anyway, some other news is that Wesley has two loose teeth. He is very proud but the teeth are proving more difficult to remove then he anticipated... Isaiah is becoming a hand full, always busy! Ok that's it, no spiritual reference this time... David

Friends in Hyderabad

2008-10-16T08:10:00.001+05:30

Here are two of our close friends in Hyderabad. Adjusting to a new culture and trying to a learn new language are actually the easier parts of adjusting. I have found that making friends is extremely complicated. In a new culture friends have different expectations and needs. Regardless, God really has blessed us with P and N. They live close to us and have 3 children. We enjoy visiting their house church and eating their tasty home cooked food. I go over to Paul's house once a week early in the morning for coffee and discipleship.
Relationships are very demanding in India. I would even venture to say that social obligations to family and then friends dominate everything in Indian life. The depth of your relationship dictates the depth of your obligations.
India has been drastically affected by the introduction of cellphone technology. Everyone has a cell phone from the beggar on the side of the road to the wealthy business executive. People want to be connected! Mobiles, common name of cell phones in India, have become a necessity for daily living. So how do cell phones complicate friendships? If your good friend calls you are required to answer the phone, explain where you are, what you are doing, if you have eaten and when you will meet next. If for some emergency or other business you are unable to answer or return the call quickly this puts stress on the friendship. I have had to learn that friends are not trying to invade my privacy, quiet the contrary, they are trying to express a genuine interest and friendship. This has been a major transition for me and at times is still very difficult! It doesn't sounds so hard when you write it down but trust me relationship ettique is very difficult to understand and adapt to.
P has been a wonderful encouragement and friend for the past 2 years. As a cultrual insider, He has helped me understand many things about Indian culture. God has really blessed me with a true friend and ministry partner. Please pray that God will bless his family and multiply his ministry. He is a strong believer who has ushered many in to the kingdom. He works with a large company buying and selling corporate properties.

Baby's First Pictures

2008-10-15T10:27:00.003+05:30

David already put Baby #3's picture up...but I felt it didn't get the "space" it should! :) Wow...and who knew David would be the one keeping the blog alive. A short month ago he didn't "know how" to log in, etc. He's doing a great job, although does make me nervous at time...who knows what he'll post when I'm napping!

Baby #3 is quickly growing! I did have an ultrasound at about 6 weeks and, on the small 2 inch by 2 inch screen at that doctor's office, could see a small dark "sac". Six weeks later I got to see a "complete" little baby moving all around! I never had an ultrasound around 11-12 weeks with the boys so it was really fun to see it so small. As soon as the guy turned the screen on you could see the baby moving, kind of bouncing up and down! After taking all the measurements, the guy was so nice to point out all the little parts...fingers, toes, knees, nose, etc. It was so fun!!!

The place I have gotten the ultrasound and labs done is a diagnostic center...the ultrasound was a whopping $10 so I plan on going back to see the little one growing as I see fit. :) Next time we'll have to take all the boys...David and the boys were running errands this time so they missed out. The printed pictures are a big let down after seeing it moving on the huge screen. The still shots just didn't catch much. How cool though, that you can see his/hers (?) little face!!!!

Oh....and the due date is late April. This ultrasound said April 27th, 3 days earlier than the other date I had so I'll take this one. :) So, sometime around the end of April!!!!

2008-10-12T18:34:00.000+05:30

The boys are still on vacation from school! I am learning that if you halfway mention that you might be interested in going out somewhere its written in blood. The boys and I have been exploring the rocks around our house. It is a game of 'Man vs. Wild' where we try to discovered new places to climb and find reptiles and other critters. The boys enjoy the rock climbing and I thought we would go out for a picnic. Near by there is a large rock with a Mosque on top. They had a grand old time, while I was in overdrive ensuring that we stayed safe and unhurt. We traversed the great granite mountain and explored here and there. We were joined by small Telugu children from time to time. The children just could not figure out what white people could possibly want from a Mosque. I did not bother to try and explain that we were just having fun climbing around on the rocks. Confused most of them would leave after a few minutes. We also realized that you really have to watch your step! Evidently the solace of the rock side is a welcome site to many seeking preverbial landmine placement... So rules were simple: Keep your weight over your feet, no sudden movements or jumping, and don't touch the excrement. (The last rule being the most difficult by far since landmines are frequent.) We had a successful awesome adventure. (Score: Boys unhurt! David stung by four wasps, foot smashed and ...) We talked about why the Muslims chose to put their Mosque on this high place. I started thinking about the Biblical references to the high places where foreign gods and idols were kept. As believers in Christ we have the freedom to worship in spirit and in truth. We are not bound to a physical location that is deemed holier than another. We are the temple where the Holy Spirit resides and through Christ we have direct access to our creator God. Try explaining all that to Wesley and Isaiah. I think that they understand that because we don't have places called Mosques in our religion we don't put them on mountains. (Something maaay have been lost in translation.) Over all I had a great afternoon with my boys! John 4:21-24

2008-10-09T18:08:00.000+05:30

This is a picture of the next kid...

2008-10-09T18:04:00.001+05:30

Here in Hyderabad Kara and the boys are taking a late afternoon nap. Naps have become very important in this house hold over the past few weeks. Kara has felt pretty good during the first few months of pregnancy but every now and again feels like sleeping, snacking, and getting out of the house. Anyway thought that I would try and keep her blog alive. The boys are currently having a 13 day holiday called Dasara. We are in festival season for all of our Hindu friends and neighbors. This time of year always make me ponder raising my sons in a foreign land were everyone has their own god story. I have been wondering how much I am helping them digest all the religious/idolatry stuff that is being pumped into their psyche from just living in India. Kara does a great job of reading the Bible to them just before bedtime and this activity has become so much apart of their nightly routine that they now demand it. Just two days back I suggested to Wesley that God likes to meet us in the morning. I was trying to explain something else and just mentioned this. Wesley and Isaiah both wanted to know more about this meeting thing. So I explained that when we have a quiet time in the mornings so Jesus is our focus all day long. I asked them if they wanted to have a secret early morning quiet time with me on the roof the next day. The past two mornings have been some of the best times I have ever had as a father. Wesley has coined these times together as 'God Meetings'. He is usually the first one up and quietly wakes me up saying... "Daaaaddddie, you remember its time for our meeting on the roof." Usually, the boys wake up and turn on cartoons until Kara or I makes them breakfast. Now I feel like this is a satisfying fatherly way to get out of bed with purpose. I guess I am a little embarrassed that the boys are the ones getting me out of bed and on to my knees. I marvel at how children can really teach us so much about faith, a working faith that is a gift from God. The boys have really jump started my mornings and my walk with Christ. I will have to see but I hope that these 'God Meetings' are as demanded as the nightly Bible readings. Ephesians 2:8-9

Yes I Love this women!

2008-09-18T21:47:00.001+05:30

Kara,
I just wanted to post something to your blog. This picture was taken on the beach in Vizag. We have been happily married for the past 8 years. During that time we graduated from University, bought our first house and filled it with stuff and two awesome sons, bought our first newish car, and decided to sell everything and move to India. Now we are excited about expecting a third child. Life is good! Kara since we met you continue to amaze and inspire me. I have discovered that you enjoy a good book, a nice bath, pleasant conversation, and an abiding faith in Christ. This is just to let you know that you are special, beautiful, and I love you.
David

COMING SOON!

2008-09-10T20:01:00.005+05:30

One last adventure with Letha...

2008-08-22T09:04:00.008+05:30

GOLCONDA FORT

Wow! We so enjoyed our hick around Golconda Fort. For some reason we had only driven around this since we have been here, sorry to visitors we didn't take here....it is a remarkable place! One of the last things we did with Letha was to go explore the Fort. Good thing it wasn't too hot of a day, it was quite a hike to the top and we were hot by the time we got up there. We were happy to find a snack shop at the top. The boys loved it and having just recently seen Prince Caspian they were excited to be in a "castle"! There are fabulous views of the southern part of the city and you just can't imagine all the history that went on in the place. At one time it was one happening place! For anyone who likes to take pictures, the possibilites here are endless. Next time we'll go prepared. Letha posted more pics on her blog here.

And for more history of the fort and the rulers or the area check out this site. Most of the sites site the fort as outside of Hyderabad or west of Hyderabad, apparently they are a bit old b/c Hyderabad had successfully grown to right around the fort, using the outer walls for parts of houses, stores, etc. Come see us, we promise to take you! (Bring your walking shoes though....the stairs are a killer!)

SUGAR!!!

2008-08-12T13:34:00.003+05:30

(Isaiah's first B-day)
Ever watched The Truth About Food? If you have the Discovery Channel you’ll have to check it out some time. I just watched one about the truth about sugar…and kids. Ever heard all those parents blaming sugar on all sorts of childish misbehaviors and hyperactivity?? I know I hear it all over the place, enough that we all assume it is true. So… not only did the program talk about scientific facts about how our body uses sugar it also did an experiment with a group of kids. Very funny. They had the same group of kids go to two different parties on two different days. One party had all veges, some fruits, sandwiches; the other party the kids seriously overdosed on sugar. They were stuffing themselves with the cookies, soda, marshmallows,etc. :) The “healthy” party had a funny clown and had the kids really active, and the “sugar” party had fun activities like singing/crafts/etc.
So, first they had the parents tell what they thought of the kids after each party. AND they had lied to the parents having originally told them the first party was to be the healthy one, the second one the sugar one. They switched the parties. The parents thought the kids were more hyper, argumentative, and jumpy when they thought they had been to the sugar indulgent party. They thought the kids were nice and calm after the actual sugar party. :)
So…after the truth came out the parents had to admit their theory was just that, a theory. They found that the kids were more influenced by their surroundings and activities. The scientific part of the program talked about how the brain only uses, and can be affected by, only a certain amount of “sugar”. Like filling up a car with gas….the full tank doesn’t make you go any faster and our brain doesn’t have an accelerator pedal! So yes, sugar will give you cavities and put on that weight (and nobody feels good if they’re having a sugar low) but hyperactive/problem child…..??????
Another fun experiment they did was if restricting sweets from kids is a good idea. They had two snacks for a class that were liked the same amount at the beginning. After restricting one of them, the restricted snack was by far the favored snack in the end. The kids were pushing, grabbing handfuls while the other snack bowl was sitting there full. It was no longer just raisins, it was RAISINS, RAISINS!!! I have definitely always seen this with kids, mine included. It works better for us just to not have tons of stuff in the house that I don’t want them eating tons of! But I may start thinking of restricting that spinach…. :)
Here’s the link to the things I mentioned as well as others that are just as interesting about kids and food: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/humanbody/truthaboutfood/kids/
Here is just one more view on the sugar debate: http://www.parenting.com/article/Child/Recipes--Nutrition-For-Children/Sugar-Does-It-Make-Kids-Hyper/1

Chicken Pot Pie Night

2008-08-06T18:42:00.003+05:30

Yummers! We love a good chicken pot pie. I was thinking as I made it this evening that I should share the recipe we use. A big shout-out and thank-you to Jill, who gave me this recipe. Quite a few years ago I had babysat and she took the time to write down a few recipes for me after she came home. I used it a lot in the states and it was one of the few things I could make right off the bat when we got here. For any of you who struggled with what and how to cook in a new country you know how nice it is to have something that doesn't call for all sorts of things you have to figure out how to substitute. It may take a little longer with no ready-made pie crust(and I used to use cubed, canned chicken), but I think it would take alot to mess this one up. Like tonight, I had drained the chicken and then remembered I needed that chicken broth...so I just used the water the veges cooked in, and its fine. You can see Isaiah below, he ate it like it was biriyani and curd tonight....so some things do change.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 carrot, sliced (I use as many carrots as I have usually)

2 potatoes, diced (again, I use more like 4 or 5)

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

1 c. chicken broth

1 c. milk

1 tsp sage (I don't have this or thyme, so we just skip it...)

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cups diced, cooked chicken

1/2 cup frozen peas

1. Cook carrot and potatoes until soft. (a few whistles in the pressure cooker). I cook the chicken in a separate pressure cooker at the same time. If you are all veg, just use more veges.

2. Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and cook over medium heat 1 minute stirring constantly. Add broth, milk, and seasoning and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring until thick.

3. Stir in chicken, peas, carrot, and potatoes.

4. Pour into 10" pie pan, deep dish. (Here I use a cake pan...that's what I've got and it works fine; tonight it made enough for the cake pan and a regular pie pan)

5. Cover with pie crust. Cut slits for steam.

6. 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

Letha was Here!

2008-07-15T12:17:00.004+05:30

We were so happy to look forward and then to have Letha here with us! We have lots of good pictures from her time with us so this is just some of the first thing we did with her---trip to the beach! She arrived about a day after we got back from north India. All of the international flights out/into Hyderabad are in the middle of the night so it was a late night but she got her bags and came out pretty much first! Here's a picture (from afar and dark, sorry) of our new airport. Although the long commute to get there is a pain, it is SOOO much better!

So Letha got here in the middle of the night and we didn't give her much time to jet-lag....that next night we were on the overnight train to the coast of Andhra. :) The picture above and below are of our first meal at the beach. It was good food with a great view! I don't have any pictures of the playground that was at this place but just have to remind Letha of that guard that tried his hardest to kick us off of it! Whatever!!!! It's definitely a skill to learn how to deal/when to listen to the "guards" around here. :)

Wesley -the Sea Turtle.

Isaiah as a squid.

One of our castles. Not a temple, as fellow beach-goers thought. And "our" faithful dog that decided it would hang out with us one day.

We had finished all of our school stuff for the year, except for some books. Letha enjoyed the rest of them with us, here they are reading a Pooh and Friends book. We love reading!

Lest we forget....

2008-07-11T11:22:00.003+05:30

In May we had a wonderful time up in the mountains. We flew up to Dehli, spent a day there applying for new passports, then took the train up to Dehradun and then on to Mussoorie. It was beautiful, cool (cold even!), and a wonderfully relaxing time. We were there with good friends who had been there for a few weeks already so they knew all the good "eats" and shops. So we ate good and enjoyed good fellowship!

Sorry to my fellow slow internet sufferers....I am trying a slideshow b/c I wanted to put lots of pics. I often can't view others' slideshows but I'm hoping for a good day and download one this once. :)

Happy 4th Birthday Isaiah!

2008-06-14T22:27:00.003+05:30

We celebrated Isaiah's 4th birthday today! Letha and I actually shopped a lot of the day, but the boys had fun playing in a park at the same time... When we got back, David took Isaiah on the scooty to get some ice-cream while Letha, Wesley, and I got our little party ready. Wesley decorated the dining room, Letha made frosting for our cupcakes (or "muffins" if you're talking to Isaiah), and I got the presents ready. Auntie Letha brought over Transformers plates and napkins, when he came in and we suprised him, he was thrilled to find those! Wanted to share a few pictures and video tonight so you all could see him on his birthday.

Our Day...and some ramblings

2008-05-07T19:58:00.005+05:30

We have been enjoying our summer days... today we remembered the camera for part of it.

The boys have been going to a "summer camp" for a couple hours in the mornings. It is at a small Montessori school in a neighborhood close-by. They have done a little karate, a little "western" dance, crafts, and made some friends. So, these pics are from this morning going to meet the "bus"....or as Wesley would say the "tempo traveller".

This is the best I could do today guys, I'll get the "action" shots of the new scooty when David gets back. But here is our new scooter!! It has been really fun to have, I made it easily to the boys school on my first try, we have enjoyed trips to the store to get ice cream, and yesterday it was SOOOO nice to have to run up to our local post office to pick up our package from Mari! Oh...sidenote about that trip...it is pretty hot these days and we have a new road coming out to where we live (which is very, very nice), so I parked the scooty on the side of the road and when we came back out I had to pull the kickstand out of the road, it had sunk in really far. I felt bad to already be contributing to the breakdown of our new road, I did tried to pat it back together with my shoe... :) Anyhow, the scooter has been great. You don't have to get it licensed and you don't need a license to drive it so it was a hassle free process....pretty incredible for around here! Needless to say the boys are way excited about riding it around and David and I have been seen sneaking out and "cruising" around together just for the fun of it. :)

They tell me this is the "cool" look.

The Tempo Traveller.....complete with who knows how many kids, an amma, driver, and guard (apparently this is his second role at the school, he helps them all in and out). I should have worked on the picture some, but that is his smiling face in the window. Funny story about the school "bus", for the first few days they were using a white van, the boys were so excited about getting to ride a "school bus" so gave me a full report when they got home. Two things....they said there was a tree trunk in it (???) and that the rule was you couldn't put any body parts in the hole where you can see the road underneath....nice.

Just an extra here....Isaiah snapped this photo while we waited this morning. This is part of the "guard" family. There is an extended family that supplies our community and the one across the street with guards and other helpers. This little boy is usually hanging out with the guard at the gate across the street, this morning he was upset and apparently wanted something he wasn't getting. This lady was on our side and went over and "helped" him across the road. :) She isn't smiling here but she was. I have found that there is such a different attitude here about kids, expectations from kids, and all that goes along with that. It has been so refreshing. Just from my own experience if this had happened in many circles in the states, the mother may have rolled her eyes, apologized to others, felt embarrassed while others either give her a comforting look (there are compassionate folks out there), a look like "get a grip on your kid lady!", or tried to help with their favorite "how to discipline" your kid book. Here, people continue on without missing a beat, other moms will talk about the last time their kid did something they weren't exactly proud of...I've yet to see a judging look or "how-to" book promoted. If you like to take your baby or kids to the movie theater or wherever....no worries here! Many wouldn't want to take much from this culture's ways of raising kids, but I think there is a happy medium. I have learned a lot about judging other peoples ways regardless.... hopefully I won't ever be the mom casting a look that makes another feel like they are less than I.

Hyderabad Holi Hullabaloo

2008-04-19T18:02:00.003+05:30

Last month we had a day of lots of colors! We first colored and dyed Easter eggs and then went outside and got a little colorful ourselves!

It started out with the kids just using the leftover egg dye, then a quick trip to the corner market gave all of us lots of ammo.

The kids from down the street were looking for others to join in the fun, and I think we gave them a run for their money.
The moms just couldn't stay out of it! Mother of A, M, & B and I's hands were pink and yellow for days.... (below...looks like she got Wesley good!)
Fun times!!!!

Family

2008-04-04T08:49:00.003+05:30

This past Christmas we had a great time in the states visiting family! Here are just a couple shots of the kids from our time with the DeLaughters.

Kids were serious about a Happy Birthday Jesus party...good thing I figured out these cupcakes were for that before Wesley had eaten them all!

Andhra Coast Trip

2008-03-21T15:27:00.004+05:30

This past December we went on a trip to the coast of Andhra. It was a great trip; David connected with lots of people, we got to see lots of the countryside, and we enjoyed the beach!!! On our way there we made a couple stops, one of the stops was at a man's house who had earlier come to a training here in Hyderabad. They fed us a great lunch I wish I had gotten a picture of...she had our 4 banana leaves all lined up on the floor with the food on it, it was good but super spicy! They don't live right on the beach but there was lots of sand to be found to play in and David spent an hour or so with them trying to learn how to open coconuts. (They had wanted to send 50 home with us, we got them down to 20!)

The white part of the building is their home, the right side has been recently added on for a room to gather for worship. Notice the yellow star above the door-it was mid-December when we were there-this is the Christmas decoration many believers here put outside their house.

Our last stop was Vizag, a city right on the coast. We didn't really have much info when we drove into town so we drove up the main road along the beach and found a little hotel that worked out great. The cooks at the hotel got to know us well and were making special noodles for us by the time we left. Wesley took a picture to show you all his favorite breakfast(or snack) here- idly. He doesn't like to dip it in the sauces (one is sambar, the other a coconut chutney) but he lives on this whenever we go out of town.

The beach was so nice. While David went out meeting people the boys and I went up and down this beach exploring. I enjoyed a good book that week while the boys played in their designated "square" I drew in the sand. :) I have tons of pictures so here are just a couple good ones of the boys....

The family picture: this was attempt number 5, David's language helper was with us and hadn't worked a digital camera before so that was pretty funny. I thought I'd not crop the group of men in the background for you all, we spent the evening on the beach and they chased the boys around the whole time, trying to get a picture with them. :)

Fun in the Sun!

2008-02-24T15:11:00.004+05:30

The Kiddie Pool (for those 4'6" and under...and ladies)

You just have to go with the rules around here, this place was much better than the last waterpark we visited here....the kid/woman pool was a hike away from everything else and it was not kept up well. This new one it is right in the middle of everything, so even though the Dad's "can't" help with the kids the men sure do stand around to watch. ;) Oh, the joys!

We all loved this slide, you ride it in a "two-seater" tube. We thought we were going fast until we rode with David....fun stuff! And for the more daring kinds out there, they have a couple we passed up this time, just didn't have the guts... (That's Bethany & Wesley)

Our other "big" slide.... that's Kara and Isaiah. I know you can't really see, but I'm sporting an oh so lovely, swimSUIT, pants and a t-shirt. We rented them for the day. They do dry pretty quickly, but the material is very clingy and the shirt is not long...We are trying to figure out what a suitable outfit would be to wear as an alternative to these, suggestions???

The camera spent most of the day in the locker but there's a glimsp of our day at the waterpark. Hopefully we can attract more people to visit by giving you a taste of all the fun to be had here in Hyderabad!!

Happy Birthday Wesley!

2008-02-23T10:08:00.004+05:30

Wesley is 6 years old! We were actually driving the ENTIRE day of his birthday, the 18th, but had lots of celebrating this week. Happy Birthday Wesley!

Thank-you's from Wesley to Grandma & Grandpa and Babu & Umma.... both boys love the new leapster game and tinkertoys!

I'll go ahead and tell you what the cake is so I don't have to be embarrased by people asking who that may be. It's Diego! In a half hour....in a hot kitchen! I don't think its too bad and Wesley was happy with it so that's all that matters, right?!? :)

Wesley picked the new waterpark for his birthday adventure. It is a new waterpark here in Hyderabad so this was our first visit (the first of many!). It was awesome! Here's an open invitation to anyone who will come visit....we'll take you to our cool waterpark!!

Kangaroo Kids Days

2008-01-23T16:47:00.000+05:30

We had a great time going to Kangaroo Kids Preschool. Since the beginning of this school year, June, until November we drove across town each day to continue going there... Nov. 30th was the end of the first semester so that was our last day. Here are some pictures of our last few "events" and our day saying goodbye.

Christmas Sugar Cookies~ Both boys had snack duty our last week so we took sugar cookies. They have been our biggest hit for snack duties, the teachers always ask for the recipe and all the kids ask for them again. We had quite a week baking so many cookies!

November was the Solar System month for Wesley's class. They took a field trip to the planetarium and each day learned about the planets, sun, etc. The last day of school their class "made" the solar system by each kid being assigned a part to dress up as. (Note: costumes are apparently really fun here, I felt like we were always needing to figure out how to dress one of the boys up...) Anyhow, there were 18 kids in Wesley's class....some got the planets, some got the oh so important Sun, we got...... ALIEN!!! :) I didn't get a picture of the end result but it was pretty cool.

Isaiah's last day was also a big event. It was "senses" day. All 4 of the 2nd year preschool classes came at the same time and us moms went around with our kid to 5 diferent rooms to "experience" each sense. It was fun to watch Isaiah interact with the teachers and other kids, he definitely is NOT shy at school! They had at least 5 stations in each room, each station with a teacher waiting to do stuff with the kids. Isaiah really loved his teachers and they loved him. They were all really sad the boys weren't coming back.

Here are two of Isaiah's three teachers....

Here is Wesley with his teachers, the picture at the top is some of Wesley's class. His teachers, both years, always said that Wesley was nice to everyone and did not HAVE to sit beside certain friends, but enjoyed getting to know everyone in the class.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-21T10:10:00.000+05:30

I'm thinking my Thanksgiving blog has had its fair share of "front page" time! We have been incredibly busy since then as well as having internet access that does check email and you can painfully get on the web....but getting a blog to load up could quite easily push me over the edge. I am attempting today b/c I have so many pictures and adventures to share I'm hoping it will work.

To quickly get you up to date....the boys had their last day of school at Kangaroo Kids, we went on a road trip out into the state of Andhra, (made it to the beach even!), started homeschooling, celebrated Christmas here in Hyderabad, then had a great vacation to the US over Christmas and the first of year. WOW! We have been having a good time! Here's to a great 2008!

Thanksgiving

2007-12-02T23:11:00.001+05:30

We had a great Thanksgiving here in Hyderabad. We all brought dishes and had WAY too much food. We barely made a dent...but that just left us more for the rest of the day...and the day after...and....

Isaiah very intent on the prayer.

We had some fun times, with Bethany planning all sorts of games for us. I didn't get a picture but I think I tied with Christie on the chalk art contest!! :)

He got it!!!

Finally!!!

2007-11-30T21:10:00.000+05:30

A couple weeks ago Wesley was in desperate need of a long overdue haircut. David and Isaiah had gotten their haircuts earlier one day when Wesley was still at school. Both boys love to get their haircut now. The place we used to go to by our old house has cars for kids to sit in so that was, of course, a big hit. Now that we are on the other side of town we have gone to a place called, Tangerines, yes...very swanky! :) The boys had never been to a salor/parlor before coming here because I never could fork over the money it costs in the states. It has been nice here to just stop in a place, or on the side of the road, and just get it done! And for all of you out there (mom, Linda, all my sisters...) that at one time endured giving or assisting in a haircut for one of the boys, know that now it does not include tears, bribery, and great effort on anyones part. They love it!!

Isaiah and I enjoyed the very comfortable chair while watching... (notice that Isaiah is tired and is STILL picking!)

What a good looking boy!!!!

Happy Diwali

2007-11-10T22:35:00.000+05:30

Its Diwali time around here...it is late night as I post this so right now that means lots of really loud crackers (fireworks)!! Try getting two little boys to stay in bed when they know all that is going on right outside! They watched for a long time last night but I'm thinking they would happily stay up all night tonight as well!

This past week the boys had a traditional Indian party at school. They were so proud of their outfits. I think they look so cute in them! The picture below is of Isaiah and a little girl in his class. She was in his class last year as well. The teachers told David this week that they are inseparable. The girls mom told David that the girl keeps saying "halleluiah" and they figured it was because of Isaiah!! How funny...we told them he doesn't really go around saying that! :)

World Fest

2007-11-01T23:06:00.000+05:30

The PPII (kindergarten) classes at the boy's school have been learning about other countries and the festivals they celebrate. Yesterday Wesley's class had a world fest. The class performed different dances, then quized the parents about country facts, then we all had snacks from around the world.

The video above is Wesley's intro to the Mexican Hat Dance. He practiced his little speach a lot and was pretty serious about it. I had thought all the "mexican dancers" would say it together but it was just him. There was a room full of parents but he did not hesitate or get shy. Sorry you can't hear him at all, quiet doesn't happen much around here and the camera picked up all the other noises.

(Maybe tomorrow...after a couple hours of waiting...not gonna download tonight apparently)Here is a bit of the dance. As Wesley said in his intro: "The Mexican Hat Dance is a popular Mexican dance. In this dance, dancers will perform a lively sequence of hopping steps and heel and toe clapping." It was too cute, this is pretty much all that was written on the sheet that was sent home so we could help him memorize his lines. Then the morning of he added in an intro with greetings and ended it with a "hope you enjoy the dance".

Party Time Again

2007-10-24T18:10:00.000+05:30

Enjoying the popcorn, cotton candy, smoothies, pizza, cake, and the assortments of other food!

There were camel and horse rides. The boys rode the horse, most of the time 2 little boys were in charge of the camel and with the help of a ladder thing were just flinging kids up on the camel. It wasn't a huge camel but it would definitely hurt if you fell! The girl in the front is Shriya, the birthday girl! You can't really see but she had matching outfits with her cousin (girl behind her) and her baby sister. They were very cute!
Always a magic show!

Isaiah's favorite at the face-painting table.

We have been to more birthday parties than any other events here. Yesterday evening we got to go to Shriya's 3rd birthday party! We don't know Shriya, or her family, but her family lives here in our community and we were invited. Shriya, her mom and dad, and sisters live in America, but they are here visiting family. The grandmother told me they came just for the birthday party. The party was in our park area and it was quite the party!

Day at the Zoo

2007-10-06T23:05:00.000+05:30

Sweet Friends

Wesley was really studying this monkey.

David practicing Telugu with a guy who wanted to be our "guide".

We enjoyed the zoo this week with some great friends. (Thanks guys for some great pictures!) Our zoo here in Hyderabad is really nice. It has a lot of different animals and lots of grassy area to picnic. The boys love it!

The Day That David Had Sent His Men To Go Out And Fight

2007-09-25T12:30:00.000+05:30

One day David sent his men to go out and fight. But David left back. He woke up and he went to his roof. He looked down and he saw a beautiful lady. David sent his men to see who is that lady. They came back and told him that it is Bathsheba, the wife of your best soldier. David sent her to his home. He slept with her and then he let her go back home. Bathsheba was having a baby, she sent a message to David and it was David's baby. Then David sent her husband to go back to his house. But he did not go, he slept outside. So, David told his men to put him in the middle of the fighting so he would die. And he did. David told his men Do not worry, you can fight harder next time. Bathsheba heard her husband was dead and she cried. Then David sent her to his house, he and she got married. Then Bathsheba had a baby boy. But God was unhappy with what David had done.

-as told by Wesley (in his exact words, he is becoming quite the story teller)

Thank You!!

2007-09-09T20:06:00.000+05:30

Big thanks to Grandma and Grandpa DeLaughter! A package is pretty exciting stuff around here and the boys were very excited to find Scooby Doo and Buzz stuff in this one!! These pictures are from the night we got it, they were happy to pose for "thank-you" pictures in their new pj's.

Bummer...no camera.

2007-09-04T17:40:00.001+05:30

Happy Birthday to Aneeka! Last night, Isaiah and I went to one of his classmate's birthday party. Aneeka turned 3! The party was on the other side of town so it took us about and hour and a half each way, but it was worth it. Aneeka was in Isaiah's class last year and they are in the same class this year as well. Her mother is very sweet and we always talk as we wait for the kids to get out of "school". Their family owns a couple of nice restaurants here in the city.

So...the sugar loading started early in the day. Aneeka passed out candy bars in class so Isaiah was excited about her birthday from the time I picked him up at 11AM. :) The party was at a club (not dance club...more like an English "club"), and it was bigger than I even imagined. We have been to quite a few birthday parties and they are always big events but this one definitely was one of the biggest. Isaiah and I left David and Wesley at home and as soon as we got there I felt bad I hadn't brought Wesley.... It was like a carnival! There was a bouncy-jumping thing, a petting zoo (Isaiah enjoyed chasing the geese), people dressed up like animals, picture taking area (that's the one picture I have since we forgot the camera...bummer), face painting, portrait drawing, a full course buffet dinner, and a DJ that got all the kids dancing, did a magic show, and entertained the 70-80 kids for a good 2 hours.

Isaiah is well on his way to mastering the popular Indian dance songs...He also got to help with the magic show. He belly laughed each time he blew into the bag and a ball appeared. When the guy motioned for Isaiah to go back and sit down Isaiah just copied him....that is what they guy had him do the whole time (copy) so he thought it was just part of the show. It was very funny!

So, once the cake was cut and all that excitement was over we headed home. It was a very exciting night for Isaiah. People here give "return gifts" and the boys have learned that so he was even happier in the car when he got to open it and see what he got. :) (It was a fun ABC coloring book.)

Isaiah's HaircutS

2007-08-27T10:33:00.000+05:30

Last week I took Isaiah to get a haircut... We have an hour and some to do errands around town between the time Isaiah's class gets out and Wesley's. We went to our usual place and his hair looked great!!

Then the day or so after the boys and I were here at home...I was upstairs and both boys came upstairs showing me Isaiah's hair. There were a few "holes" in his nice, new haircut. It took quite a while to get the true story out of both boys but apparently it was a joint effort. This is the first self-done haircut for the boys and hopefully the last. Its not too bad and for now we are just letting it grow out and then will trim it all even again. There is a "hole" in the front and quite a few at the crown. :)

Ahoy!!

2007-08-23T21:41:00.000+05:30

We had a party a couple weeks ago with our friends here in Hyderabad. We were celebrating a couple things...one of them being an early birthday for Austin before he left for boarding school. The boys and I made the cake and decided to get creative...I mean what distinguished 10th grader doesn't want a pirate birthday cake?!?

We had a fun time, enjoyed being with each other, played some fun games, and enjoyed some birthday time.

(This was after the ship apparently came across some rough waters and "cracked"- yikes! We had gotten it successfuly from our house to theirs in one piece and that was quite an accomplishment with all the bumpy roads...Wesley was very worried and told me he was so proud of me for keeping it all in one piece.)

Hyderabad-Sites and Stats

2007-08-20T20:12:00.000+05:30

(Charminar-build in 1591)

Hyderabad (Telugu: హైదరాబాదు ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad is known for its rich history, culture and architecture representing its unique characteristic of a meeting point for North and South India, and its multi-lingual culture, both geographically and culturally. Hyderabad has been a place where Hindus and Muslims co-existed peacefully for centuries. Hyderabad is also one of the most developed cities in the country. It is now a hub IT companies and biotechnology.
Hyderabad is a twin city with Secunderabad, separated by the Husain Sagar, a man made lake made during the time of Ibrahim Qutb Shah in 1562.

(For a whole history and facts go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyderabad,_Andhra_Pradesh)

On one website the total population of Hyderabad was recorded to be about 6 million, another closer to 8. The population density of the city has been ascertained at 14,192 to 17,000 per square kilometer. I just found this and thought it was interesting: the population count in 1950 was 1,122,000 and the city is estimated to be laden with 10,457,000 dwellers by 2015. Numbers don't really mean much to me after a couple million so not sure if this helps describe our city at all...but trust me, there are a lot of people!!

It is "warm" here all year. We are in monsoon season now, when it rains it pours, but it does cool it down. Monsoon season ends the very hot summer. "Winter" is very comfortable, no need for a sweater though...still flip-flop wearing weather. :) After winter it warms right back up into summer. We like warm weather so it is good for us. Summer can get exhausting but we are prepared for next year with an inverter for when the electricity is out!!

We now live on the northwest side of the city, the Secunderabad side. Last year we lived more "downtown", on the west side of the lake. As mentioned above there is a lake in the middle of the city. We drive around it every morning on the way to school and enjoy the site, its really pretty with parks and walkways all around it. It does smell bad on some days, especially after the monsoons as everything floods. We have a lot of parks around the city that are nice and green, many with playground equipment. We also have malls, theaters, and many restaurants to eat at. Going out to eat or see a movie is much cheaper here so we do things like that more than we ever have before. (Of course, you have to wait for an English movie to come but when they do we are there!)

(This is a mall and theater, it has a huge IMAX theater that we love. A few times the movies have even been 3D!)

Birla Temple- This temple is huge, all from marble, and has, I think, one of the very best views of the city. Unfortunately, as you have to leave your shoes at the bottom of the hill they also take all cameras. So, I was happy to find this picture of part of the temple.

This is a view of Golcondo Fort...ruins from the old kingdom that ruled Hyderabad.

Here is just a little of what our city looks like. We live outside the city now, on the outskirts of the city. Next time I'll post pictures of around here. I'll also post day to day life next time: people, animals, traffic.

Key is HARMONY

2007-08-14T15:37:00.000+05:30

What are You??

I am an :

ESFJ - "Seller". Most sociable of all types. Nurturer of harmony. Outstanding host or hostesses. 12.3% of total population.

Free Jung Word Test (similar to Myers-Briggs)
personality tests by similarminds.com

I just took the test and this is what it "gave" me. The last two times I have taken one of these I have gotten an "E". Always before I would have gotten an I, and a strong one. After moving here and lots of things changing I really thought I would have gone back to an "I". Interesting. But so far the info on ESFJ is pretty much right on. Here is some of what I have found.

ESFJs generally have the following traits:
Loyal
Can be depended on to follow things through to completion
Enjoy creating order, structure and schedules
Enjoy interacting with people
Warm-hearted and sympathetic
Tend to put others' needs above their own
Very good at giving practical care
Very cooperative, good team members
Practical and down-to-earth
Value peaceful living and security
Enjoy variety, but work well with routine tasks
Need approval from others
Receive satisfaction from giving to others
Live in the here and now - dislike theorizing about the future(http://www.personalitypage.com/ESFJ_car.html)

It's incredible how the majority of those are so ME! The same article had careers...top 5 are home economics, nursing, teaching, childcare, and administrators. A different website listed all sorts of things, down to dislikes science fiction, follows rules, and loves getting massages! True, true, and true! I could go on to how familiar these descriptions sound.... but I won't.

Examples in not so real life: Monica from friends and Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh :)

Let me know what you are....this is just too interesting. If you'd like to read more about what these "letters" mean my friend is/has written about it on her blog: http://makinghome.blogspot.com/

Village Living

2007-08-10T20:08:00.000+05:30

Really just a trip TO the village... :) David, along with a national friend and a teenage American friend, took a trip into Andhra (our state) this past week. If you just happen to have a map of India they were around Khammam, Bhadrachalam, and Chinturu. Khammam, the first place has a population of around 2.5 million, Bhadrachalam a small town, and Chinturu a village (by Indian standards). I'll start by saying David loves going out of the city and into these "smaller" towns. The people are very friendly, the scenery is beautiful, and using Telugu is a must so a good language outing.

The first stop was in Bhadrachalam where they visited many temples that are along the river there. It is monsoon season right now and that area of Andhra gets hit much harder than us here in Hyderabad. So...it was raining hard the whole time. The night they were in Bhadrachalam they were meeting some men and David went to park in what he thought was a great parking spot when they suddenly felt a thud and the front side of the car went down quite a bit. They had broken through slate and "fallen" into a sewer...nice. :) So, in the pouring rain with many people around offering "advice" David got "in" and figured out how to get the car out. Unfortunately, we have no pictures of the event as everyone was a bit preoccupied. :)

In Chinturu they visited the tribe of that area. There are some friends there that they met with. They are animistic, hunter-gatherers who live in small family groups. David enjoyed the simple, friendliness about them. It was a good trip for David and the other guys. They got back a day late because of delays and they were smelling pretty ripe, but we were happy to welcome them home.

What's it really like...???

2007-07-31T18:31:00.000+05:30

(The festival season is coming up, this is from last year during the Ganesh festival, they take their Ganesh idols and immerse them in water...here in Hyderabad we have a lake in the middle of the city so most take them their...BIG or small)

My dilemma is how to show what it is really like here. Really, its not truly possible. Pictures and videos capture so little of the places and people here. A highschool aged son of another family here and I are going to go out this week and try to get lots of video/pictures of the city. We are trying to figure out fun ways to show Hyderabad, and its people, to friends/family on the other side of the world. I think we envision these cool videos with sound effects and awesome shots,...but we'll see what we get. :)

After being here a bit, it is at times hard to think what would stand out to people who have never been here. There are definitely spots around Hyderabad that are "famous" so we will be taking a tour of those, but although they are really cool and show a lot of history...I'm not sure how much of the "feel" of our city they show. We have a few ideas of questions we are going to go around and ask people....hoping just seeing the interaction with people will show more than a cool building. Wish us luck. I think it will be fun.

From you all though, it would help to know what you might wonder about where we live. Do you want to see what the city looks like? What the people are like? About their religion? About their family life? What they wear? Help us out!!!

The Beach

2007-07-26T10:38:00.000+05:30

We love time at the beach!! (We went while in Thailand, after all the meetings.) The boy's hair is bleached blonde from all the sun and they have some serious tan lines. They played hard every day we were at the beach, going from the beach to the pool... and they slept great for naps and at nighttime!

Isaiah was eager to get buried and he stayed in long enough for me to get a picture then he was out of there!!

Wesley was a serious beach bum. He would always ask to go to the beach and wanted to stay there for a long time...Isaiah would ask to go to the pool more.
It was very exciting that the pool had a diving board. The boys really enjoyed it. Wesley does a "dive", although its more like a flip....we'll have to get some video on here. :)

(A Month Ago) Isaiah Turned 3!

2007-07-19T10:10:00.000+05:30

The two weeks before we went to Thailand were busy! We moved into our new house, the boys started back to school, we swam as much as we could (b/c they were about to close the pool), and Isaiah turned 3!!!

Isaiah LOVES birthdays and couldn't get enough of his own. Both boys got bikes for Isaiah's birthday. At last, at our new house there are places for them to go outside and play...even to ride bikes. So we couldn't wait...they were both very excited.

The boys got really good at swimming this summer. We had two weeks of the pool in our community before we left and then the whole time we were in Thailand we were swimming. Wesley can swim without any help now and Isaiah can but panics so likes to have his suit with the floaty stuff in it.

Chiang Mai

2007-07-17T10:22:00.000+05:30

Most of our time in Thailand was spent in Chiang Mai. It is north of Bangkok... surrounded by hills/mountains. It is very clean and there is lots of GREEN! The Thai people are very friendly and always want to please. (Let's just say that's not really how you would describe people here.) :) It is refreshing to visit Thailand and be somewhere different.

We arrived a couple days before the meetings began so one day we rented a "scooter" and took a ride up the mountain. The boys loved it, and as soon as we got on the mountain is was way cooler (it as a hot day). Wesley said as we were riding up...."I have been dreaming of doing this!". Glad we could fulfill one of his "dreams". :) We stopped at a lookout point and found a stream that flows down to a waterfall. There were lots of people picnicing and hanging out there...it was very beautiful! We rode the bike up the mountain a bit more and then it looked like rain was coming so we headed down. After a couple hours on the bike I was very ready to get off....apparently your backside gets used to it eventually???

The next day we went to the zoo with friends and had a great time there as well. The zoo is huge and on the mountain...you ride in a "truck" and have them stop at the animals you want to get out and see. We even got to feed the giraffes! Very fun. We also spent a lot of time at the pool before the meetings started, both boys are really good at swimming now. So, Thailand is a great place to go...

Back in Hyderabad!

2007-07-17T10:11:00.000+05:30

We have returned from a great trip to Thailand! It's been quite a while so I am behind with lots of pictures I want to share. :) We got to spend time with friends, the kids got to go to VBS, we had wonderful food, and ended our time with a trip to the beach. Tons of FUN!

We arrived back and started right away on getting our house "hooked up". So far we have tv again...that's always nice. Phone and internet are promised for the end of this week, and we hope it really does happen. For now, we are frequenting a Subway close to the boy's school that has wireless internet.

The weather has been great since we've been back. It's been overcast and raining a lot, keeping it nice...perfect temperatures. There hasn't been much flooding as it has only been lightly raining maybe once a day so that is good. Our new house is out of town so the roads aren't so great....big rains could do some damage! :)

Hangin' at the house

2007-06-04T19:50:00.000+05:30

Moving continues... We went over to the house to meet a guy delivering some stuff at 11AM. We got some cleaning done and the boys enjoyed playing there. The painters started their work today...it may take a while. They started and not 5 minutes later it was time for a break. :) The guy we went to meet at 11 finally showed up right when we had to leave at about 3pm in order to be back here to meet with a guy about moving our stuff. Every time I have gone over there a new lady (I'm pretty sure its not the same lady) has asked about working for us. Today David told them I do the work and they think that's pretty funny...I saw at least 3 workers at our neighbors house today and that is pretty normal. Across from our row of houses is a vacant area so it is a place for workers to live...hopefully there is a lady there that will be great for us.

Pool update cont: (Really I'm not THAT obsessed) Pool is closed on Mondays. :) Apparently an extra good clean happens on this day. Guess I can't complain about that, I just don't remember that many pools that had to take a whole day each week to get it done!! And a guy did tell us that mid-day the pool closes (also for a cleaning) and once they are done we can swim...and it doesn't take until 4pm, YEAH!! We have really enjoyed LOOKING at the pool so far!

Here are some pictures of the boys, not in the grass, but in the dirt along the side of the house. They were all about it!!

(I know, in desperate need of a haircut....we went the other day and they were closed)

(Finally one without the cheesy grin!!!)

Unfurnished

2007-06-03T20:35:00.000+05:30

We have finished one more step in the moving process! This process is so long here.... We looked for months before finding the place so I am still just excited we found it. Today David (again) met with the realtor and the owner, so the official lease is signed. Here when you rent a house/flat it is either furnished or unfurnished. Not with furniture....this means lights, hot water heaters, fans, etc. Well, our new house is not completely "furnished". David has spent much of this last week going around town pricing items and getting some of them bought. We are hoping this coming week will hold electricians, painters, carpenters, and all sorts of other fix-it type people in the new house. The house has actually never been lived in, one room was just used as an office for the community...this is great for me. It means a much cleaner house to begin with!!!
The only way the things that need to be done will get done is if someone is at the house getting things going, so we are all heading over there tomorrow to hang out. (We'll see how long that lasts and we just send David) :)

Pool Update: Because this is just too exciting that there will be a pool oh so close, I prepared myself for some crazy Indian rules to go along with it. What we know so far: Pool Hours 6-10AM Open, 10-11AM Ladies Only, 4-7 Open, 7-8 Ladies Only
Does anyone else see anything missing??? Like the BEST hours to swim!! It wasn't a big surprise because its common knowledge here that it is just too hot during that part of the day to swim. :) (......this is when I start praying that my mouth will remain shut in a conversation!)
But there is hope, the boys and I walked over by the pool the other day and at 2:30PM there was a man in the pool....we'll see how we can make friends with the pool guys.

We're Moving!!!

2007-05-27T19:36:00.000+05:30

We finally found a place & we are moving! Nothing exciting like to another country or anything, but to the other side of the city....and from the middle of "city center" to an "out of town" sort of place. It is on the Secunderabad side of town (if anyones wondering) :).

(Above) The Living Room

Dining Room

Back Yard!!!! YES!!!

It is an independent house in a gated community. It has GRASS!!!! There is a small "garden" in the front and back of the house. This is very exciting. Nothing like what I would call a yard really in the states, but it is great! The community also has a pool, park, and quiet streets. The pool in and of itself makes this a GREAT place to live. It never gets cold here so as long as they keep it open I'm sure it will get lots of use from our family. When we went and looked at the house yesterday the pool was packed. Lots of dads and kids in the pool, and lots of moms and grandmas watching from the side. David said when he was there today it was much quieter.

Balcony(Dont worry dad, we already have plans to gate off that staircase) :)

It will be a change for us and how we live but we think it will be great. Right now we can walk to all sorts of stores, or catch an auto right up the street. The new house isn't close to any main roads so there aren't any autos about or any stores that I saw. We will figure it all out though. Another good thing is that it is right beside a school that we think will be a good one for the boys to go to.

Let's not forget the oh, so important...POOL!!!

GLAD

2007-05-23T20:34:00.000+05:30

(Copied idea from Hannah's blog)

It always does a body good to think about the things in life that make us "glad". Here is a list of a few of mine:

1. Healthy Family (you are welcome to remind me of this if I complain about the boys being so active)

2. Friends here in Hyderabad that are "like" me. (Americans, Believers,..)

3. Having friends that are so very different from me in so many different ways.

4. Summer break bringing a break to language lessons.

5. The Jello Cheesecake David and I shared the other night (I found it in Thailand).

6. Swamp coolers

7. Any kind of contact with family and friends on the other side of the world.

8. Being able to watch shows like American Idol and Alias with the rest of the world. (Fine, we are a little behind but better than never!!!)

9. Taking a nap with Isaiah.

10. Having a night out of town with David.

I could go on....but I'm off to read books with the boys and put them to bed. I'll add that as my #11- Evenings after the boys are asleep!!!!

The boys list:

1. Watching TV
2. Playing with friends at the park
3. Being Heroes
4. Smelling flowers
5. Going around and around, jumping around
6. Being Spiderman
7. "Pretty dresses, like spiderman shirts, Diego clothes, Cars underwear"
8. Playing computer games
9. Having a magical watch
10. Having a pet dog, a real one. Also a pet frog, also real.

Sleepin' Like the Indians

2007-05-11T13:39:00.000+05:30

It's summer now...has been for a couple months really. Summer is pretty hot here, it never really gets cold here so summer means extra hot. :) Our "winter" meant I was comfortable wearing jeans and a short sleeve kurta. It was very nice weather for us. The paper says today is about 42 degrees C. (My conversion thing on the computer tells me thats 107.6 F.)

SO, we are loving anywhere that is air conditioned. We have two a/c units. They are in bedrooms so we can sleep good at night. We had them installed in our bedroom and the boy's bedroom. This summer we have rearranged all the bedrooms. We wanted to have a room we could put the tv and have a "living" area that could be cooled off. Working around where cable is in our house we ended up moving all three of the rooms around. Our room is now the tv/living room, the boy's room is our bedroom, and the old playroom is the boy's bedroom. All that to say, we all sleep in our room. As most Indian families do we are all in one room. :) Even our neighbors with older kids all sleep in one room, the kids on a small mattress on the floor. Our boys would probably sleep in their beds but I'd feel pretty guilty enjoying the air with them in a hot room. So for the summer they go to sleep in our bed and then we move them to a mattress on the floor when we want to go to bed.

We have really enjoyed the "cool" living room in the evenings this summer, it has made summer much easier and relaxing much more enjoyable. I was reading the paper today (I can't tell you how entertaining the paper is here!) and there was an article about about the heat. Some of the hints it gave to "Beat the Heat" was to "Always carry some boiled sweets and water along, it comes in handy if your blood pressure drops suddenly...", "Get a short summer haircut, it makes a big difference when you are stuck in a traffic jam with no air conditioning", "Get a good quality sunscreen that is developed to suit the Indian climate and our harsh summer sunlight", and then it went on to tell you how to redecorate you house to make it "cool". I never was a "paper-reader" until I came here, now I'm hooked!

The pictures of the boys are just some I stuck on b/c I hate to post without SOME pictures. They are from earlier this year when I was trying to get pictures for a photo book for mom.