CHOOSE JOY...December 28...

Today I am celebrating family! We got to visit with my sister at her house near Allentown. My parents tagged along. We went down Friday afternoon and spent the night. We brought the Wii and Scoty knocked us all out in boxing (check Mo-mo out in action!)! Then, after the kids were in bed, we got to play The Office trivia game with Regina. You really have to be an Office fan to play it, so it was great to have someone else as crazy as we are! After a lazy morning and some delicious bagels, we hit the ground running.

We were off to Scot's Aunt Norma's house for the Dressler Family Christmas Gathering. It's a house full of Dresslers! Aunts, Uncles, cousins, siblings...it's always a crazy time! Yesterday there were 50 people attending! Here's a picture of us with Scot's brother and some of his 1st cousins.

Today was a visit to our home church followed by Scoty's 6th birthday party. The grandparents were here, of course, and my Na-na, who'd been sick over the holidays, was able to come, which was a blessing for all of us!

So, today, I celebrate family. It's good to be close to our families, at least for a little while...

CHOOSE JOY...I missed a few days! :)

Looks like I missed out on my chance for the prize...but I had a good couple of days and a wonderful Christmas, so I've got a lot to be joyful about!

Christmas Eve was a fairly calm day. The day ended with a Christmas Eve service at our church and the annual opening of the Christmas ornaments. Unfortunately, Georgia Kate konked out during the service and could not be awakened. She slept on the couch while the ornament opening chaos ensued! My mom was there to experience the Dressler Family ornament opening.

Christmas Day started early for us. At 3am, Georgia Kate fell out of bed and bloodied her lip. We actually had the "Does she need stitches?" discussion. At 4am, Thomas was up, asking if it was okay to be awake. We sent him back, hoping to fill his head with visions of sugar plums. He was back in 5 minutes. So, we compromised. Normally they have to stay in bed until 6am. Because it was Christmas, I told him he could get up at 5:30. So, while he was standing there and I was desperate to get more sleep, I told him if he went back to bed, he could get up at 5:15. He was happy.

We were up at 5:15am on the dot. :) The kids were pretty much spastically excited. It was fun! And the Wii wasn't as big a hit initially as we thought it would be. Turns out our kids had no idea what it was. Now they know. And they haven't moved from the living room, wanting to try every game. Boxing and baseball have been the favorites so far. That thing is going to be addictive! I am glad to know I still have some baseball talent. My kids were amazed, asking me how I could be so good at batting. :) Yeah, I'm no athlete, but I never struck out when playing little league softball. I was the go to hitter. My kids now think I'm cool...or at least cooler than I was before.

We went to my in-laws house and got to open gifts with our nephews, which was crazy and fun. This visit was followed by a visit to my parents' house. My mom wasn't feeling well, which was kind of a bummer. But, we enjoyed a delicious meal and opening more gifts. My Dad took over the cooking duties and did a great job!

We were suppoed to visit my Na-na and Papa Joe, but Na-na has had a stomach bug and was still sick. Even today she wasn't able to handle the tornado that is the Dresslers, so we'll visit her tomorrow. It was disappointing to all of us, but better for her to feel good before we descend on her house.

And today we are headed to my sister's house. She had to work Christmas Day, which was a real bummer. But we're going to sleep over and hang out with her today and tomorrow morning. Tomorrow holds a Dressler Family gathering at Scot's aunt's house followed by a quick visit to Na-na and Papa Joe, if Na-na's feeling better. We are on the move.

How good it is to be home. I'm feeling tired, but happy. We are blessed. Life is good.

CHOOSE JOY...December 23...

Today wasn't a particularly eventful day, but it was still fun. We went to get the boys' hair cut, but the barber shop had closed for lunch, so we drove to Friendly's, which is actually quite a drive for us. Maggie had been asking about going to Friendly's. She remembered going there over 4 1/2 years ago and drinking blue soda. It was a must visit. Well, the kids were so excited and we all laughed a lot. They enjoyed their meals (though I'm not sure the food was as magical as they remembered! :), and then we drove back to the barber and got nice, Christmas cuts. The day ended with the older 3 kids decorating a gingerbread house with Mo-mo (my mom). They chattered about that nonstop. It was fun.

Yep. Another day where choosing joy was easy. :)

CHOOSE JOY...December 22...

Today I got to spend the day with my sister, Regina. Aunt Danni came to town to hang out with us, make some cookies, visit and just have fun. The kids loved having her, especially since she has to work on Christmas day. It was nice to have her come before the holidays to see our tree and just be with the kids. We'll be visiting her on Friday to spend the night and open some more presents.

I'm thankful that we're close enough to just hang out. I love to see how much the kids love having their Aunt Danni around. It's an extra special blessing. We are abundantly blessed.

CHOOSE JOY...December 21...

We got to see a Christmas play today! A Child's Christmas in Wales was playing at a local theater and we took the older 3 kids and my Mom as a Christmas treat. It was FUN! First, we visited a local Chinese food buffet, which was something completely unknown to our kids. Scoty is really into compartmentalizing everything, so every food he tasted was met with the statement, "We eat this in Palestine." Or, "We don't eat this in Palestine." He settled for some white rice because "we definitely eat this in Palestine." :)

The play was festive and funny and the kids loved it! The favorite comment of the evening? As we took our seats, Scoty looked intently at the stage and said, "I can't see. That house is in my way." Apparently he thought we were there to see a movie, and the set was standing right in front of the screen! :) He continued to be amazed at how real all the people on stage looked! We need to get this kid out more!

I love to support this local theater. I volunteered with them and even performed in A Christmas Carol way back in 1991. My kids thought that was the coolest thing...that I was actually in a play on that stage. They wanted to know if anyone would recognize me. :)

It was just a fun experience and I'm so glad we were able to fit this into our holiday schedule.

We also got to visit our home church for the first time. Though we had snow and the crowd was low, it was so comfortable to fit back into that life. It felt good....

CHOOSE JOY...December 20...

We got to decorate the tree today! First, we all slept normally for the first time since arriving. I woke at 5:30am, and I was the first one awake! The kids soon followed, but 5:30 is way better than 3am! Since we were all awake and relatively happy, we decided to decorate the tree before Scot left with his Dad for some Christmas shopping. The kids loved it!

Last night when we untied the tree we realized it was still full of snow! We had to open it and let it dry before we decorated it. The kids were disappointed, but we did get to visit my parents and decorate their tree. That was, apparently, good enough.

I can't express what a blessing it has been to be here. We've been tired and sick, but it's nice to be among family. Hey...yesterday we got to go shopping for 3 hours without kids! :) That doesn't happen everyday!

So...here are some pictures from our adventure getting the Christmas tree yesterday and from the decorating. Enjoy! Christmas is almost here!

CHOOSE JOY...December 19...

Today we went and picked out a Christmas tree! It was a magical moment for all of us, because it was snowing! We went to a farm to cut down our own tree. It was cold, but we had a BLAST! My mom was picking out her tree, and my in-laws came along for a snowy ride.

Pictures to come...but it was a wonderful, JOYful day!

CHOOSE JOY...December 18...

I spent the afternoon with my Na-na and Papa Joe. It was so comfortable to be at their house. The kids enjoyed their time running around. Things seem a little unfamiliar to them and they've been somewhat overwhelmed, but being there made us all feel at home.

I loved the familiar rhythm that life has at their house. Not too much has changed in the last 4 years. Papa Joe is confused these days. He looks at us with recognition, and sometimes I know he recognizes us. Other times he looks at us like we are welcomed strangers. That's hard. Even before we left his memory was slipping some, but he always knew me. Now he smiles and interacts with the kids, but I don't know if he really knows me. It breaks my heart.

But, in spite of that, it was a joyful day. I won't get into Scoty's doctor's appointment. He needed some booster shots, which we weren't prepared for. He was an unhappy little boy. But, the good news is, he's healthy. He's got an appointment with the orthopedic doctor in January because of his tip-toe walking, but the doctor doesn't think it's anything more than physical. That's an answer to prayer!

CHOOSE JOY...December 17...

I'm beat! The kids have been up at 3am both days. And though we tried to prevent early sleeping, 3 of them fell asleep before 5pm again today! So, we'll see what happens in the am. Guess I better get to bed, just in case!

But...today I choose joy because I'm connected! Yep...I'm online at my new home. I ordered the information to connect to Verizon DSL yesterday and the package came today! I had a few minutes to get things all situated, and here I am! That makes me happy!

Now...off to bed! :)

CHOOSE JOY...December 16...

We're HOME!!!!! I am typing to you from central PA! It's amazing how much is just the same. Subtle changes, but it still feels like home. At least for me and Scot. The kids? Well, they're happy. But nothing is familiar to them here.

The flight was uneventful. Security was easy. And here we are! All of our bags made it, we met our family at the airport, and got back to PA without a single problem! We're so thankful!

Unfortunately, we were awake at 3am...jet lag is awful! But, we moved into a full furnished home provided by a local church, so we rested easy. Our family filled the fridge and made us comfy. We're all set. And we're blessed.

And we've already been to Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. :)

More to come from this side of the ocean...

CHOOSE JOY...December 15...

Today, joy is easy to come by! I'm going HOME!!!!!!! See you from the other side of the ocean!!!!!!!

CHOOSE JOY...December 14...

Today I choose joy inspite of illness. I choose joy because I know God is faithful. I choose joy because I haven't cried too much at saying goodbye. I choose joy because my family back home is giddy with excitement. I choose joy because my kids are just as excited. sigh. Packing is exhausting. Saying goodbye is exhuasting too. But it's all almost over. And that's something to rejoice about! One more hard goodbye left...our precious tutor and her son....That one will bring some tears. But tears are good because they mean we love and are loved.

So, today I choose joy!

CHOOSE JOY...December 13...

We are sick and getting sicker. :( Maggie came down with it today, and Scot feels funny. Scoty continues to be under the weather, and I'm sick as a dog. Prayers are much appreciated. But, that's not what this post is about!

I have so much to be joyful about. First of all, I went to finish up everything for my children at school today, get all their books and their report cards, etc. I got to talk with Scoty's teacher for a long time. She thought we were returning after the Christmas holiday. She expressed such sadness at Scoty leaving her class for the rest of the year. She went on and on about what a wonderful little boy he is, how sweet and kind, how polite, how smart and helpful.

My heart swelled with pride! Scoty is all of these things. And I was so worried that by putting him into a second language situation some of his best qualities would be lost. I was so wrong! Miss Abeer raved about how much she is going to miss him. And she even said his Arabic is amazing and she's shocked to hear all my kids speaking Arabic because they speak it as if it's their mother tongue!

My mother heart couldn't be more proud. Habibi Scoty. I'm so proud of him!

Poor kid was too sick to go to school today, but he had to see Miss Abeer one last time. I, of course, snapped a picture for the scrapbook!

Tonight was our last night in church until we return. And I rejoice because I'm going to miss this place! There were tears from some unexpected people. They had a cake to say goodbye. It feels good to know that we have become part of the family here. I praise God for bringing me to the place where I belong in ministry.

So, in spite of high fevers and terrible coughs, I choose joy! And today it was kind of easy to do! :)

CHOOSE JOY...December 12...

We're still sick and getting worse, it seems. Blech. I'm feeling like someone ran me over with a truck. Scoty rallied a bit this morning, but tonight he was crying to go to bed. Keep praying, friends! This sickness is hitting everyone here, and it's rotten.

But, on a joyful note, our church held it's Christmas Bazaar tonight! There were games, gifts, give-aways, puppet shows, crafts, and a cafe for cappuccino and cakes. Scot and I manned a sugar cookie decorating stand. The kids came and cut out a cookie and then got to decorate it. They loved it! We were making cookies for 4 hours straight!

The place was packed. What was our purpose? Just to bless the community with something fun for their families. Our church, being protestant, is often viewed with suspicion by people from the more traditional churches. There was a huge response and people were happy! Successful and FUN! It was tiring, and since you all know I actually don't like kids, it's amazing that I'm standing here saying that it was fun, but it really was. I choose joy! :)

CHOOSE JOY...December 11...

Today has been a pretty crappy day. The packing seems endless and depressing. The chaos in the house is hard to live with. The car insurance company wasn't opened when we stopped by. The building our church is renting for a Christmas party tomorrow was locked with a pad lock and the person with the key left the country so we had to break into the building with bolt cutters, but we only had a small pair, so Scot had to work exceptionally hard to break in. (I did get pictures of that...I'll have to share one!)

Then poor Scoty is sick. And I mean sick: high fever, chills, watery eyes, terrible cough, sore throat, and he threw up tonight. Seeing one of your own children sick has got to be one of the worst things. He looks so sad and frail. Poor kid.

But we travel in just 3 days! We are getting on a plane for a 12 and a half hour flight. We can't be sick. It would be awful. Pray for us! Pray for health.

Even in the midst of this, I choose joy. I choose joy because God is walking through the stress with me. I choose joy because no matter what, I'm getting on a plane to the USA on Monday morning! And I really did have myself a hysterical laugh over Scot and the bolt cutters. :)

CHOOSE JOY...December 10...

Friends bring me joy. Today a friend offered to take our older 3 kids for a fun time at a local fast food restaurant so Scot and I could work on getting ready to go. They had a great time, and she offered to take them again before we leave. Kindness.

Then tonight we got to visit with close friends of ours for supper. This family has 4 kids roughly the same ages as all of our kids. It's like a perfect match. Even the gender of the oldest 3 matches! And Georgia Kate adores their youngest son, Jad! I love to see them together. The evening was a loads of fun!

I love having good friends. I love laughing. I love enjoying good food (like the minced pies I got to taste from the hand's of my British friend's mother who is visiting and brought with her mincemeat) with friends.

Yep...friends bring me joy!

CHOOSE JOY...December 9...

Today we visited friends in the West Bank. It always brings me great joy. This was our last visit before we travel. Bittersweet...

CHOOSE JOY...December 8...

Friend brought me joy today! We spent the morning/early afternoon with some of our closest friends here. We visited a Stalagtite cave, stopped at McDonalds and a playground for lunch, and just hung out. We won't see them again before we travel and I'm going to miss them like crazy!

Goodbyes stink, no matter how you look at it. But it's good to feel sad about saying goodbye. It means you love and are loved. I'm so thankful for my good friends, Irene and Anthony and their adorable little guy, Zebulun.

CHOOSE JOY...December 7...

Today I'm feeling full to overflowing with joy! First of all, last night, we had the privilege to attend the ordination service of one of our local pastors. It doesn't happen often here, and it was just a beautiful experience. I felt such a love for the Palestinian people and for our church family here. The church is growing, and seeing Mazan and his family honored in such a special way last night was a blessing for me. (Here's a picture of our national leaders with Scot in the background and our newest ordained minister and his wife in the center)

Then today we cooked another Thanksgiving dinner for some of our Palestinian friends. We told them we could cook the meal if they could host it, so we made a mobile Thanksgiving dinner and took it on the road! What a nice evening spent laughing and talking and dreaming for the future.

I love life here. I love my friends. It's nice to know that though I'm thrilled beyond belief to be going to the US, I will miss life here. Palestine has become part of me. That's a good feeling!

CHOOSE JOY...December 6...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

CHOOSE JOY...December 5...

Today I found joy in the spontaneous giggling of my daughters! I heard them giggling and squealing and jumped up to try to sneak a picture or two of the craziness. I thought they would be perfect for the LOVE pictures challenge! I was right! So, here is my JOY and my first entry in the LOVE category!

TICKLE FIGHT!

CHOOSE JOY! A Challenge!

I realize that I never explained the whole "Choose Joy" idea! So, here's what Sherry challenged us to do:

by MidniteScrapper

...

So, if you are up for another challenge - here we go!

1. This will officially start on December 3rd and will end on December 31.

2. The challenge of this blog will be similar to our Gratitude Blog idea. Look for JOY each day and blog about it. It might be something as big as attending a wedding or as small as how cozy your slippers feel...it's up to you. CHOOSE to find joy.each.day.

3. There are a few extra challenges for this one too...don't worry - don't stress....have fun! Those that complete the journaling AND the photos will be able to be have their name in the drawing for the prize TWICE.

Each week, you must post at least 3 photos based on the themes I have chosen.

Week 1 (Dec. 1 - 6) - LOVE

Week 2 (Dec. 7 - 13) - RED

Week 3 (Dec. 14 - 20) -GLITTER/SHINE

Week 4 (Dec. 21 - 27) - FAMILY

Week 5 (Dec. 28 - 31) - PEACE

4. If you are going to participate in this challenge - please comment in this post so I will know. I will check on your blogs as often as I can. At the end of the month, you will need to come back here and follow the directions for being entered into the drawing for the GIFT AWAY.

5. If you have any questions - please let me know. I tried to type this up as clearly as I could, but I do have two toddlers running around me at the moment (my JOYS). =]

So, that explains why I'm CHOOSING JOY! :)

The end of an era in our family...

Taken from a Scrapshare post...

The Binky Era. 4 kids; 4 binkies. As we were told that after age 3 binkies and bottles, etc. can cause some serious damage to teeth, we set the binky cut-off at age 3. We took each of the kids to the toy store and allowed them to "buy" a toy of their choosing (which some major help and persuasion from Mama!) with their binky.

Georgia Kate turned 3 in October and she still had a binky as of yesterday. We've been talking about trading it in and yesterday when we asked if she was ready, she said yes.

She wandered through Toys R Us but didn't find anything that really grabbed her until she saw the Piglet slippers. That was it! And they were cheap, too. BONUS!

She paid, the cashier chucked the binky (less temptation on our part to return it when the going gets tough), and we headed home.

Last night GK didn't cry at all. Things were good. She woke up once and asked me if she could have her binky back, but it was a pretty smooth night.

Today was a different story. GK used her binky as a comfort thing when she was upset. Something upset her and she sought out her Shirty (one of my shirts) and binky. Binky, of course, was not here. She freaked. Screamed for 45 minutes. I held her, consoled her, offered to read to her...nothing could distract her from her complete and utter sadness at the loss of binky. It broke my heart.

She finally stopped crying, said she wishes she could take her piggy slippers back and trade them for the binky, but she managed to move on. Not another tear was shed and she went to sleep without incident.

We'll see what tomorrow holds. I'm glad to be finished with them for many reasons, but there's part of me that is sad too. My kids are growing up, and that's bittersweet.

CHOOSE JOY...December 4...

Today I found joy in teaching my last English class. I love teaching English, and I love it even more when I've got a fun group of students. My class this semester has been one full of laughter! I taught mostly university age students as well as a few teen-age girls, and I loved every minute of it! We laughed at each other during the lessons, but I also got to have some "girl talk" during breaks and outside of class.

The Palestinian people have been kind and gracious. I have loved getting to know so many and only wish I had more time to spend with them! Today, my class made it easy for me to choose joy.

December 3...Today I find joy in...

The anticipation our kids have about our trip to the US! Wow, are they ever excited! It's been a long time since we've been back. A nephew has been born that we are dying to meet, Georgia Kate was born and has recently turned 3! We haven't seen my in-laws since the summer of 2006! I'm so excited I can't sleep! I've got travel stomach 2 weeks before we actually travel!

For all my excitement, the kids' excitement is quadruple mine! Today Scot said, "How about we just leave for the US today." They all started shouting and only Thomas voiced slight hesitation. "But Daddy, we didn't finish packing yet." Scot said we could finish really quick and then just go an sit at the airport and wait for our flight out in 13 days. All 3 of the older kids shouted immediately, "It's just 12 days, Daddy!" They are not missing a single day in the countdown.

And Scoty asked, "Really, can we wait at the airport?" :)

Yeah, their excitement brings me joy. Oh, there have been tears shed already at the thought of saying goodbye. Maggie and I both cried some, and I'm sure there are more tears to come. But seeing them dream and imagine what life will be like for us in the US brings me great joy!

Everyday I pray that our time in the US is all they dream it will be and more.

Christmas playlist...

Well, I finally caved. As a music lover, one might think I'd have a playlist on my blog. I do not normally because I realize that people might read my blog in places or at times when it is not convenient to have music suddenly come blaring through their speakers. However, I am making an exception this holiday season. I just can't resist Christmas music!

So, if you do not wish to hear Christmas music, it might be too late! By now my Christmas playlist should be blasting some fun Christmas tune-age for your listening pleasure!

Merry Christmas! :)

December 1...Today I'm thankful for...

My friend Sherry. I have never met her. She lives a billion miles away. We don't talk much. But she is my friend. She has inspired me in so many ways. She and I share a bond of faith that is strong. I love keeping up with her family activities and seeing her gorgeous kids and hearing about her amazing husband. I love her honesty in sharing the struggles she faces.

Sherry, you inspired me to post a thankful blog every day of November. What a wonderful challenge! Thank you for helping me take account of the myriad of blessings in my life! You are beautiful person; your selflessness and acts of service are inspiring! You live your faith, and Jesus' love just pours out of you. I'm so thankful to call you friend. You bless me. :)

And so ends the month of Thanksgiving. But it is my sincere prayer that these days of giving thanks will remain with me. I praise God for calling me to serve Him. It's been an exciting life so far! I can't wait to see where He takes us in the future! But one thing is for certain: I am blessed. Blessed with family and friends, blessed with food and clothes and all the little extras that make life fun...so much to be thankful for!