End of Year Festival

Today we went to the end of year festival at Sadie's school and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and fun of France. Sadie's class performed being caterpillars turning into butterflies. It was really cute. 

After each class did a little "something" for the parents, there were games, food, and lots of fun to be had (and lots of french to speak!). 

We had a great experience with Sadie's first year and I'm so thankful for how well she did! Hope you enjoy the pics!

 Sadie was right behind her best friend... 

this is some of the group walking out to perform. 

Performing!!!

Her sweet teacher even made Noah some caterpillar antlers. 

Brother and Sister Bugs...

It's not a French festival without crepes! 

This was an interesting sight to me... seeing the diversity of France. "Country line dancers" in the background and a table of Muslim ladies doing crocheting right beside them.  

End of Year Field Trip

Well, it's the end of a long year for us and Sadie. She has been so brave going to a new school, in a new country, speaking a new language, making new friends. We've had our ups and downs, but I truly praise the Lord for His grace and strength for Sadie and the rest of us. He is faithful and 

has carried us through. 

Her class went on an end of year field trip near the town of Beaufort. It's in the mountains about 45 minutes from our town. I was so excited to get to go as I have heard this area is beautiful. Sadie and I packed our picnic lunch, sunscreen, hats and headed out for a beautiful day! 

Here are some of the sights... 

Sadie and her two best friends in the class. 

We went to a dam and walked around the lake... this is a pic from the dam.

Sadie and her two friends, being silly

At the beginning of the hike... a class photo. 

(Sadie Mac is on the right side near her teacher)

Yes... it was amazing and beautiful.

Looking over a bridge at a waterfall...

A swinging bridge over a lake...

Some scenery...

Time for lunch!! 

An apple and peanut butter, her favorite!

Picnic with a view!!!

And a little play time with friends afterwards...

I had a great time watching Sadie and her friends. I was amazed at how much french she is speaking. Her accent is... well, so much better than mine!!! I'm thankful for how well she is doing and praise God for His grace in the closure of this year! We've survived our first year of French school(s)!!! 

Thanks for joining us in the journey! 

Home Cookin' from Morocco!!!

I'm going to be a world class cook by the time I move back to the US with all the different types of cooking I'm learning! I'm so thankful for my sweet Moroccan neighbor who has children the same age as ours and is willing to help me practice french and share life with me. Once, she made me some amazing little desserts and so I asked her if she would teach me. With a little bit of hesitation, she agreed. After we made them, I understood her hesitation. It's a lot of work... but they are worth it! 

Almonds, "Scent of Rose", Powdered Sugar, Butter, Cinnamon... all mashed together into little finger-like shapes. 

Cut the "spring roll type"wrap into the right size...

 And wrap...

 This is my friend's daughter learning... she's 5.

This is her other daughter who is almost 3... watching and wanting to be learn... I love that it's a family affair!

Pre-finished product!

Fry and dip in a honey-syrup!! (sorry, a little blurry... but still sooo yummy!!!)

Oh my, I love these things!!! I ended up taking a large dish of them to our graduation on Friday night and they were all gone by the end of it!!! I love learning to cook, sharing life, and enjoying other tastes from other's homes!!!

A Very Happy 6 Years...

Yesterday, we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary... I feel so blessed to share my life with this man. We have lived in four countries, have two wonderful children, and have walked a crazy path led by our Lord Jesus. Recently a friend said, "God's plan for your life is always bigger, always better, and generally a good bit messier than the plan you devised for your life." (-NM). I always thought we'd live in Africa... but we are on a much different journey that we could have planned. 

Anyway... I'm thankful and very, very blessed. 

Noah's Spa...

Hilarious! I was finishing dishes and Noah was sitting beside me and became very (happily) interested in the water. He was playing and laughing... and starting to get wet. 

So, who needs a shirt? It was just getting wet anyway? And I decided to get a tub so it wouldn't all just go down the drain... he liked it... and especially the bubbles! 

(Just a funny face!)

So, let's just slide all the way in. "What mom?... I can help with the dishes."

And we have a really happy boy... and a very swollen diaper!

Hodge Podge...

We are finally coming to the end of our year long intensive study of french and our brains are tired! I have struggled a lot this year with not being able to do the "fun mom things" I enjoy. Like crafts, adventures, and other things with the kids. My heart goes out to full time working moms. I work, but it's different. Stay at home moms have a lot of work, for sure... but I have a new understanding of being "occupied with something else" other than my children and I missed it a lot this year.

With all that said, and glad I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel... this week I DID enjoy something super fun for Sadie's class. She had the "goûter" (in her context means: snack) for class. They had been reading Very Hungry Catepillar and had a butterfly in their classroom. So, I made these fruit snacks for her day for class. It was fun and I think a big hit for her class! 

In other areas of my life,  my growing boy truly believes in strong bones and even likes to drink out of the milk container!! I was thankful when Noah found this one, it was empty... but he's all boy for sure!!!

The other day we went to a local park with some friends. Sadie's friend only speaks French and Sadie still primarily English... I'm thankful friends can hold hands in any language.

Thank YOU Hidden Valley...

My Ranch Boy... 

He loves this stuff (as does his big sister). Tonight we had pizza, veggies and ranch. Noah basically had.... Ranch. He'd dip the carrot and then suck off the Ranch. I guess you could call him a "double, triple, 10x dipper"... maybe more. So to the grandmothers... keep the Ranch packets coming!!! :-) Merci!!!

After a few minutes of this... it became just his finger! It was so funny it was hard to stop him. (But I eventually did.)

Hooked On Phonics...

So, Sadie will be 4 next month and so I decided that because she took 2 sick days this week with un upset stomach, we could start learning to read. She has her letters down, so why not start learning to read... Here is up working on one of her "sick days."

Study Break...

 The weather here has really been warming up and we're loving it. So thankful the snow on the mountains is finally starting to melt and we're getting good waves of warm days. Last week one day when we were out of school, Stephen and I spent the morning studying... our beloved French, then in the afternoon we both met with our "language partners" (people who have become friends and along the way have helped us "try out" what we've learned in class.
After being a little burned out from an entire day of french (well, that's our life really)... we needed a study break. So, about 25 minutes from our house is Lake Annecy and so we headed out for an adventure. We had never been here, but my language partner told me me about a little beach area and so we went. It was exactly what we needed. We didn't get there until about 4:30 in the afternoon and stayed about an hour and a half... but it was perfect. A break from the books, beautiful scenery, and fun with the family. It was nice as the beach (rocky sandy area) wasn't that crowded, but the water was COLD COLD COLD!!!! But again, worth it!