Fall sports

Fall sports have come to a close, and what a wonderful season it was!  I love that our kids have found venues to keep their bodies active and moving...in our ever-more sedentary society, too many kids spend too many hours in front of a TV, and those 'sugary' calories found in all our processed foods make our bodies heavier and unhealthier by the day.  But enough standing on my soap-box...I love seeing my kids outside, active, and enjoying the very capable bodies that God has given to them!  Here are some pictures from the last few months!

Audrey enjoyed running cross-country again this year with Coach Mar and the Computech Tigers!  Here she is with her other running friends, Lindsey and Audrey Nicole at their final meet, the Mt. SAC Invitational down south!  

Nearing the finish! 

Isaac (center) played flag football with the 5th/6th grade team at Manchester.  He had a lot of fun, helped his team win their division, and even caught and scored a touchdown in his final game!  

Isaac enjoyed playing U12 soccer with this wonderful group of boys from the Eaton/McCardle/Robinson area.  He has played with most of these boys for 4 years in a row now and hopes to play with some of them as they continue on to the local junior high teams.  This is my favorite pic of the year, taken at the end of a rainy-day game, which they won 7-1!  The boys had so much fun!  

Isaac spent most of his time on the field defending the goal. Honestly, he probably got the most game time of any of the boys since he never sat the bench once.  Only twice did they pull him out of the goal to play in the field (once in the final quarter when the game was firmly in hand, and once in the final quarter when the game was a bust and they chose to mix it up).  

This year Isaac's team chose to honor him with the MVP award!  I was so proud, and a bit teary, at the team party as the coaches (the same two parents) that Isaac has had for the last three years said goodbye to the boys.  This is Isaac's last year playing city league soccer.  I am sure he will play junior high, and hopefully high school, maybe even club/year-round someday, but the camaraderie of this small neighborhood team was something to be cherished.  We are so grateful for the time these parents donated to help our boys grow not only as athletes, but as a team and as kind, supportive young men as they have practiced and played together!  

Violet enjoyed her first year of soccer, playing with the McCardle team.  She played mostly on the defense, showing off her speed to catch up to the ball and get it out of scoring range.  

And speaking of speed, this beautiful girl took her cross-country season by storm and blew me away with her hard work and determination to improve with each race!  She and Isaac ran with their school team these past few weeks and did a great job!  In fact, I think having such a fast sister improved Isaac's "game" as well this year, and pushed him to work harder!  He ran with a really fast group of boys this year and missed making the city finals by ONE place!  He was disappointed, but at the same time very gracious and proud of his little sister when she placed FIRST in her qualifying meet to make the Finals.  

Violet with some of her Manchester running friends!  Sophia (on her left) has been Vi's running "partner" this season, and I love the way they encourage each other to work hard and support each other no matter what place they finish.  All four of these girls have finished in or near the top ten in every race (usually between 60-90 kids per race) and I hope they continue to run together for many years to come! 

Thanksgiving

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.  His faithful love endures forever."  Psalm 136:1

This November we enjoyed Thanksgiving celebrations with our church family, my parents in San Jose, as well as Randy's family here in town.  Words cannot express the gratitude in my heart for the wonderful gift of family at this time of year.  May I be ever more mindful of those around me that need a place to call home and a family to love them with each passing year.

Isaiah enjoyed the meal at church!

Zwiebach! Don't worry, we didn't eat all these, a friend wanted to buy a couple dozen because she doesn't know how to make them.  

Randy, Dad and Audrey went out to the Turkey Trot first thing Thursday morning, with over 26,000 others.  Randy ran a speedy 10k in under 45 min.  Audrey and Grandpa enjoyed the 5k walk.  Over 1 million dollars collected for local food banks.  Praise the Lord!

Outside my mom's kitchen window is the back wall of their neighbor's garage.  Each time the kids come visit they add more artwork to the "mural".

Grandma making a spot for Isaiah to paint.

Full and happy, thankful that I get to share my life with this guy every day!

Abi is a lot like my boys, doesn't stay still long!

At the Tech Museum on Friday morning.  They had an exhibit that let you build a flying contraption for a turkey and then they "shot" it in the air to see how far it would fly.  Very fun!

Isaac and his robotic helper...think this guy may want to take a robotics class in junior high!

Hope this past weekend found you content and thankful for all that you have!  

We are so blessed by our God's many good gifts!  

Violet's "Frozen" Party

This week Violet celebrated her 9th birthday!  What a wonderful young lady she is quickly becoming!  We are so blessed to have her in our family.  Her goofy sense of humor adds smiles to our day!  Her loving and nurturing spirit is felt through her hugs first thing in the morning, or seen in the way she cuddles up and reads to her little brother before bed!

She wanted to have a "Frozen" party...a fantastic reason to wear her Anna dress one more time (and some of her other friends agreed)!  Here are some pictures from her party, as well as some recent pictures of her out on the soccer field or on the cross country course!

Pin the Nose on Olaf (even used Isaiah's Olaf hood from Halloween as their mask).

Snowball fight!

Do you want to build a snowman? Why yes, yes we do!

Happy birthday to Violet!

Violet and her friend Jenna, running down the field.

And running into the finish of her first cross-country meet!  Our girl LOVES to run, and I think she is going to have a wonderful, fun season with cross-country!

Halloween

I went a little crazy this year and made dresses for my girls!  They wanted to be sisters, Princesses Anna and Elsa...how could I refuse?!  And once my girls were certain about their costumes, Isaiah was easily swayed to join the "Frozen" bandwagon and be Olaf.  He was an adorable Olaf...the girls taught him to walk up to people and say "his line", "Hi, I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs."  And if you let him, he'd give you a hug!!  Too adorable!  Isaac wanted to do his own thing, no talking this boy into being Sven or Cristof.  He made his own costume (hat not pictured, which is really a bummer, it went so well with the costume) as Emmet, complete with his "piece of resistance".  He is quite a creative kid!

Even Randy and I joined in the fun this year!  I am ready to protect my daughter from any 8th grade boys who might be lurking too close!  

And, we found out this Halloween the Isaiah does NOT like cotton candy.  What?!  Wanted to snap a pic of him trying it for the first time but he took a small taste and tried to hand it back.  Silly kid!  

Guatemala, part 3

Day 8 was a relaxing recuperation day.  After a full three days of traveling, we stayed close to home, walking around the neighborhood to the grocery store, a nearby panadería, and playing with the girls.

Audrey doing an "Elsa braid" for Ellie.

She loves it!  

Melissa showed us how to make the drink we were served at practically every restaurant, rosé de jamaica (hibiscus punch).  

That evening we let Michael and Melissa enjoy some time to themselves while we watched the girls for a few hours.  The evening went quite smoothly compared to Saturday night when Michael and Melissa left to go to Bible study, only an hour before the girls' bedtime.  You can ask Audrey about it sometime...hilarious!  Let's just say my "mom of 4" skills came in handy, and thank goodness the Chapmans have tile floor and not carpet :)

Day 9, our last full day in Guatemala.  While the girls were in school for a couple hours that morning, Melissa, Audrey and I went back into the heart of the city to visit a few more places.  First stop, an interactive museum exhibit called, "Por qué estamos como estamos", why we are the way we are.  The exhibit gave an in-depth look at the history of Guatemala, its people groups, and the cultural and socio-economic identity issues and prejudices that abound in Guatemala.  It explored the "who" and "why" behind it all in a fun, interactive way.  Audrey read and learned as Melissa and I translated the bigger words.  It was a great experience for all of us.  Above, one display had you put yourself into someone else's shoes, literally, looking into a mirror, asking you, "What are your reactions?", "How do you feel?"  

This display shows where all 23 indigenous groups (all descendants of the Mayans) are located within Guatemala.  Each group has their own native language.  Spanish is the national language of Guatemala, but a second language for many, learned in school.  

It was such a great exhibit, one that challenged our brains and our hearts.  One of the facts that stuck with me as we read about the enormous discrepancy in Guatemala's socio-economic classes (particularly wages)...the price of Audrey's plane ticket to come and visit the Chapmans was the average yearly wage of the largest (and lowest) group.  I can't remember exact percentages, but it was more than half.  Nearly 75% of Guatemalans live below the poverty line, most of them indigenous groups.  

Our next stop, the National Cemetery.  Many of Guatemala's most important people are buried here.  This one being former president, General García Granados, known for leading the people in revolt against the government before he was president in the late 1800s.  Because of this, during the Civil War (1960-96), government officials would bring traitors to be lined up in front of his mausoleum, to be killed by firing squad.  Until just weeks before our arrival, the front of his tomb was riddled with bullet holes.  Melissa was surprised to see them newly filled and painted.  

Daisies among the tombs.  

Standing tall at the back of cemetery is a tree, covered in ivy and vultures, that overlook the city dump.  The National Cemetery butts up to the edge of one of Guatemala City's ravines.  At the bottom of this particular ravine is the dump. Although people are legally not allowed to live in the dump, they camp out on its edge, waiting to sift through the garbage trucks for recyclable materials to return for the few coins they are worth. The stench is powerful.  Melissa, then 16 weeks pregnant, had a difficult time without completely covering her mouth and nose with her shirt.  

I remember visiting a dump similar to this in Nicaragua, with tents scattered at its edge.  We stood in a small group, interviewing one of the workers about what he did there.  I could hardly focus, his words drifting around me, but never in my ears to be translated, as I used all my energy to breath and stand without retching, not daring to cover by face with my hand and shame this brave man, seeking to provide income for his family by whatever means possible.

For families that cannot afford a mausoleum, there are individual casket spots built into walls at the edges of the cemetery.  So much to see and absorb in one morning.  

After a quick lunch and picking up the girls from school, we headed out of the city for one final "field trip", the hot springs at Santa Teresita hotel in Amatitlan.  There are seven pools that create a "thermal circuit", which was great for the girls and Melissa that can't be in really hot water right now. Michael and I soaked a bit in the hot ones though!  

Day 10 we had breakfast all together then said goodbye to the girls when Michael took them to school. 

The rain had poured down again, all night and into the morning!  Hazel exploring the rain drops on the roses!  

Melissa, Audrey and I enjoyed a leisurely stroll to the nearby market for a few items I wanted to bring home, as well as enjoying a pastel and liquado together!  

One last look at the city through the airport windows.  

Homeward bound!  Our flight that afternoon from Guatemala to Houston was smooth, as well as going through customs.  We had plenty of time to eat dinner before our evening flight from Houston to San Jose.  We slept at my parents' house that evening before driving home Saturday morning back to Fresno.  

I cannot express my thankfulness in getting to make this trip.  It was so wonderful to spend time with our friends, to make this trip with Audrey, my teenager who will be leaving for college before I know it, and to get to see the work that MCC is doing in that part of the world.  

Now to start saving in hopes I can return with Randy in a year or two!