Gingerbread Houses

One year at Thanksgiving, when the kids were about 5 and 3, my Mom decided we were going to make Gingerbread houses. It became an annual tradition and each year sometime around Thanksgiving or the first of December, my whole family got together to help the kids make Gingerbread houses. The kids would chose a different adult partner to be there helper while one of the ladies (usually my Mom) was in charge of keeping the icing coming. I have to be honest and admit that I really didn't like this fun family project. While I was glad the kids got to do it, for some reason I dreaded it. I am not really sure why. Maybe it was the sticky mess or trying to get the house to stand up or just all the noise and confusion, but each year I really wanted to groan on Gingerbread house day. So of all the traditions we gave up when we moved to the Philippines, this is not one I have morned.

Here's Will in 2000 with the finished product

If you remember from previous blogs, my children are really wanting to walk down memory lane during our year in the states. We have to do all the things we used to do. Of course this includes Gingerbread houses. My Sister-in-law assured me that times have changed and it is actually a fun experience. The main reason....they do it all themselves. So last Friday my sister-in-law and I got the kids together to build a house, actually 4 houses. Chris, my sis-in-law, made the icing, while I was in charge of buying the candy. She was right, we had fun! The kids did their own with little to no help while Chris and I just watched, talked and laughed with them. Afterwards, my brother came home from work and Allan came over and we ate pizza and then out to see Christmas lights. It was such a great evening

Will in 2008--he's gotten so old!

Emily in the building process

Beth spread a little icing on

Laura puts the finishing touches on the board

Laura and Beth's final product

Emily and Will's Gingerbread Drive!

"Oh There's no place like Home for the Holidays....

...no matter how far away you roam.

When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze.

For the Holidays you can't beat Home Sweet Home!"

A combined Miller/Gilmer Thanksgiving at my brother's house

The kids table

A Little Bit of White

I was pushing the cart through the grocery store, just picking up a few things, when the call came. Half expecting it, I still wasn't prepared for the piercing scream coming from the other end. "Mom! Guess what? Guess What? Guess What?" I knew the answer, but I played along asking "What?" "It's SNOWING!!" I had seen a few flurries while out doing some Christmas shopping and had hoped the kids would see them too. They were currently out in the yard dancing with glee. The first ones were spotted while driving home in the car with Allan and hands and heads were hung out the window touch it. Of course, the flurries lasted only a short while, but hopefully it is a taste of weather to come. There are 2 kids (OK maybe 2 adults as well) who are dreaming of a white Christmas. "Let it Snow!"

Furlough?

I bet many of you are wondering, "What exactly do missionaries do on furlough?" It's a question that probably has about a hundred different answers. For most though, furlough means time on the road. It is a year to visit family and a year to touch base and make contact with supporters. We have been doing a bit of traveling while back in the US. Our latest trip was to the Scientific Assembly of the South Carolina Academy of Family Practice Physicians. That's just a fancy way of saying a conference of Family Medicine Doctors. Allan had been asked to speak at a luncheon. He was able to challenge these Doctors to look beyond the current "healthcare crisis" in America into areas where no healthcare exists - to expand their vision to not only the Philippines but many areas that need even the most basic of primary care.

About a month ago, we spent a week in Auburn, Alabama at Lakeview Baptist Church's missions conference. This church has played an important part in our lives. It was here that we met Christ and each other. Through the ministry of this church, we felt our first call to missions and were united in marriage. They have been a great support and encouragement to us over the last 4 years of preparing and going overseas. It was a wonderfully refreshing week as we got to share our stories and visit with other missionaries from around the world. We were also encouraged by the staff and congregation. It was a great week to walk down memory lane with the kids and revisit some of our old haunts.

During this week in Auburn, we had the opportunity to go to an Auburn University Football game! It was the first time the kids had been to any football game and they loved it.

Will loved hanging out eating hot dogs in the Alumni tent.

When you are in Auburn on game day you have to go to:

Tiger Walk

(the guy in the sports coat hidden behind the people

is head coach Tommy Tuberville)

and to see the meeting of the band

It was a nail biter of a game and, typical of this season, we lost in the final minutes. The kids didn't get to participate in an Auburn tradition after a win...rolling Toomer's Corner, but that just leaves something new for next time.

It was an exciting time and we all left slightly hoarse from cheering so loud.

A final Picture from our week in Auburn:

Just because we are on the road doesn't mean a vacation from school. Homeschool can happen anywhere, even the bride's room of a church

That Little holiday in October

The excitement began soon after our arrival in the US in August. It became a constant source of conversation and planning; building and growing until it I almost screamed "ENOUGH!" The topic....that holiday that falls on the last day of the month of October. Was it any wonder? It had been 4 long years since the kids had been able to participate in this event. The last time was when they were in 3rd and 1st grade. Shortly after touching down in the US, it dawned on Emily that this year we would be able to dress up and beg candy from our neighbors. The kids and the cousins began planning and scheming..... Costumes, dinner, trick or treating, the "after party" (that's what Em called it) and camping out on our Living room floor watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". The day has now come and gone and it lived up to all of Emily's hopes. Just thought I would share a few pictures from that week.

On Wednesday night the kids dressed up as M&Ms to go

to the church youth group party

Everyone in the family came to our house for dinner,

including the grandparents, Mimi and Pop

The menu included: Mummy dogs, Personal Pumpkin Pizzas,

and Mini Monster Meatball sandwiches

The kids created these rock star personas
and named themselves Biff and his Chicks

The Beauty of Fall

I have so many pictures and things I want to blog about, but life keeps moving forward full steam ahead and things like blogging and emails seem to be pushed to the bottom of the stack. Tomorrow I am leaving for my Grandfather's memorial and I wanted to dump some pictures off the camera before leaving. I just had to share a few that I have taken over the last few days. I need to preface this by saying WE LOVE FALL!!! I always loved this season, but this year it is better than ever.

Here is the gorgeous view from our patio: The colors are spectacular,

but the camera just doesn't do them justice.

God has really blessed us with our rental house.

The view of the woods behind the house is amazing.

This afternoon the kids and I went out to my parents' house for a few hours. They are already in Gulf Shores, but the kids felt the need to canoe on the lake a bit. I was helping Em finish a bit of schoolwork when looking outside, I saw Will raking leaves up in the yard. I thought, "How sweet! He's helping out Pop without even being asked."

I should have known better. He had ulterior motives. Those golden, orange, red and brown leaves were just crying out to be raked into a pile and jumped into.

The kids had a grand time jumping, throwing, and sliding in the leaves. At one point in the afternoon, Emily said, "I just love the sound of walking in crunchy leaves." If you haven't made it up toward the Carolina mountains this year, you are missing a great treat.

It's beautiful!

Apple Picking

Since being back in the US, the kids are all about tradition. There are certain things that they think we just have to do because we've "always done" them. (Sometimes "always done" means we did it once) I think it is like a trip down memory lane for them. One of the things the kids and I did every fall during Allan's residency was to travel north across the state line into North Carolina and pick apples. Usually we did this with a group of fellow homeschoolers. I was the one to suggest this outing. To be honest, this trip down memory lane was for me. So back at the end of September the 4 of us packed a picnic, gathered Mimi and Pop and headed out for a day at Sky Top Apple Orchard. It was a wonderful crisp fall day with little hints of the fall colors soon to come.

Below is a picture taken the last time we went to the Orchard and one taken in the same spot this year. My how the kids have grown in 3 years! (Don't ask why the first pic is in black and white. I was new to the digital photography world and monkeyed with the picture on the computer without saving a copy.)

2004 and 2008

Emily climbed up in the tree to pick apples

a great picture of my dad

I do exist!
I am the primary photographer so

rarely do I make the blog in pictures

Pop and Will bagging up our apples

Feeding the goats at the orchard

A Walk through the Bamboo forest

A Breezy Lunch!

A Hay Ride

Me and My Mom!

Just being silly!

Goodbye Cap!

Ira Emmett Wilcox Jr.

December 16, 1916-October 19, 2008

This week we are saddened by the death of my Grandfather. A feisty, spunky 92 year old who lived on his own until checking himself into the hospital 3 weeks ago with an infection. My mother and my Great-Aunt Margaret have spent the last 2 weeks by his side, holding his hand and caring for him. Affectionately called Cap by his grandchildren, he was a true outdoorsman who loved hunting, fishing and boating.
Cap with me and my brother in 1970

Cap is survived by 3 children, 7 grandchildren,
and 9 great grandchildren
This picture was taken of Cap and the great grandkids
the last time our whole family was together- Summer 2004

While we had not been able to visit him since returning home,
we are thankful we got to visit him while we were

in the states last summer. This picture was taken the last

time we saw him in August 2007

An answer to prayer-our house

For the last year, Will has said "I want to live by Laura and Beth (his cousins). I want to live in their neighborhood, next door even." We told him that we didn't think we could afford to rent a house in their neighborhood, but to pray about it. It was one of those pat Christian parent answers we all give to let down our kids easily. He took it earnestly and as we prepared to leave the PI he prayed for a house near the cousins.

We began our search for a home in the same town as the family as well as an hour down the rode in Greenwood where we lived before going to the PI. There wasn't much in Greenwood, but the abundance of for sale houses and the current poor houseing market made our choices much better up near Greenville. We had spent some time looking and had narrowed our choice down to a couple of different places. When we finally decided we would make a decision, my Dad suggested we ride through another neighborhood that he thought would be perfect for us. He was right. It was just one street that made a loop around like the #6. It would be great for the kids to ride bikes. There was a big park in the middle and a walking trail though it. It was about a mile down the road from my brother's so Will would be close to his cousins, not exactly in the same neighborhood like he wanted, but close enough. There was a house for rent. The next day we went to see about it and decided it was the best place we had seen. It met almost all the things we were looking for in a rental. We headed off to fill out the application and start the ball rolling.

We had noticed that the walking trail passed along the side yard of the house into a wooded area beyond the backyard. That night Allan got on Google Earth to see where the trail went. We were shocked. It couldn't be! The trail connected the back of our neighborhood with the side of my brother's neighborhood. Door to door the kids are 3/10 of a mile from their cousins. 2-3 afternoons a week, they head off down the path after school for an afternoon of fun with them. I love having the cousins in and out of the house all the time. What a wonderful way for Will to see God work in his life. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

Will and his cousin Laura

Family

In my last blog I told you a little bit about how crazy life has been. There has also been time to stop and enjoy the journey. It has been great to be back home with family. We were able to have nice visit in Birmingham with Allan's folks shortly after our arrival. The kids loved being spoiled by Nana and Gramps. It was a lot of fun and the kids and Allan even got in an afternoon of flying in Gramps plane between rain storms.

Lunch after church at Ruby Tuesdays with the Gilmers

Our first couple weeks were spent officially staying with my parents, although we traveled some of that time. Since last summer, they moved to the same town as my brother. They still live on a lake, but it is a little bigger (55 acres) and has the added benefit that the kids are allowed to swim in it. Emily and Will love jumping off the pontoon boat into the lake and swimming, especially with their cousins. Since we decided to settle in the same town, we have gotten to spend so much time with the cousins, the aunt and uncle, and the grandparents. Mimi and Pop have a big sleepover planned for Friday night with the 4 grandkids. Everyone is really excited, including Allan and I. We are headed on a double date with my brother and sister-in-law.

Boating on the pontoon

Will caught a dragon fly

Being in the same town as family has been really great. Last Saturday, we celebrated my Mom's birthday with lunch out at her favorite Mexican restaurant and then cake and ice cream at my brother's. I love being home and available to celebrate these days. After we stuffed ourselves, it was out to my parents for an afternoon of swimming and boating. We have truly been blessed with wonderful family, weather, and fun things to do.

Happy Birthday Mimi!

Mimi and the grandkids

Home

You might wonder what has happened to us since our last blog was so long ago. Did we fall off the face of the earth?? Actually sometimes it feels as if we have tunneled through the earth and come up on the other side. Just over a month ago we arrived at the Charlotte, NC airport. We hit the ground running and in the first 2 weeks we had visited 2 different orthodontists 4 times for braces, the dentist once to have 2 permanent teeth pulled, traveled among 3 states picking up items being loaned to us like cars and furniture, as well as gathering our own belonging at various locations. Next on the agenda was finding a place to live and beginning the homeschooling year. Needless to say we have run ourselves ragged over the past month.

We are finally settled in our home for the next year. While we don't have an abundance of furniture, everyone does have their own bed (ok AL and I share) and we can all sit at the kichen table and on a comfy couch or chair in the living room. It is beginning to have a homey feel. We are so thankful to all those who have graciously loaned and given us things needed for our survival. I have enjoyed going through the 5 or 6 boxes marked "save for furlough" that we packed up before we left. Somethings are wonderful finds...like the everyday dishes we got when we got married, and some of the pictures we had hanging on our walls. Some things I pull out of the box and say "what was I thinking??" Did I really think that the winter clothes my kids wore over 3 years ago would fit them this winter? They have grown quite a bit and I think everything I saved headed off to Goodwill except one Auburn sweatshirt that was Emily's and now belongs to Will.

Today, a new day dawned and we experienced something we haven't since 2004.......fall! The temps have hovered around 63 all day. It has been rainy and overcast so it was a wet, chilly 63. I threw open the windows, put on some bluejeans for the first time, and loved every second of it. We had soup and grilled sandwiches for lunch with Little Debbie Gingerbread men. It was a very fall lunch. Tonight I am sitting here drinking a pot of hot black spice chai tea (thanks Dad and Mom) and eating another Gingerbread man as I blog. I am hoping we have said goodbye to temps above 85 for a while, but this being the South, I am sure they will return. I just can't wait until the leaves begin to turn. For now, I am going to go snuggle up under the quilt on my bed. Yes I could close the windows, but I am loving the cool. I leave you with a picture of the new Emily.