Thursday, March 06, 2008

My Ultimate Blog-Party Post

Ultimate Blog Party 2008

Internet around here has been "hit-and-miss" over the past few weeks, so I thought I should take this opportunity to put in my "Party-post" while I actually have internet up and running. Ya just never know what tomorrow may bring!

So, I've hemmed and hawed about what to write in this post. You're supposed to "showcase your style". Problem is, I have no style. My darling husband and I have been married a little more than 16 years, and we have six children between the ages of 15 and 9. We've been missionaries in Mexico for a little more than two years and have home-schooled forever.

All of my married life, I've decorated our house with children's art projects and home-school projects and maps and the wonderful creations that the kids've given me for various birthdays, mother's days and Christmases. My house has always looked a lot like a pre-school playroom...or maybe a laundrywoman's nightmare. I can appreciate one of my best friend's love of camels and all things Egyptian and how she manages to make her living room look like a showplace -- even with Lego boxes discreetly tucked under the setee. All the colors flow together and the whole room just begs you to curl up and enjoy a cup of coffee and a good book. I love her living room. She has style.

My style is more of the "cover-up-as-much-of-the-ugly-concrete-wall-as-possible-and-try-to-keep-the-walkway-cleared" stlye. The theme of my living room is "101 Uses for a Rubbermaid Tub". Tacky, but serviceable. Our furniture is definitely not the "inviting, cuddly" kind. We have a 15 passenger van and have pulled out one of the seats to make room for transporting "stuff" (like ice chests, bikes and the odd extra 10 people if needed). For lack of a better place to store it, the bench seat has become our "love seat". I do NOT love that seat. Also tacky and more than a little uncomfortable, however it, too, is serviceable. I suppose I do have some sense of style...at least enough to know that my house will never make it to "This Old House" or any other "reality" show for that matter. Well, maybe Fear Factor.

As far as "internet style" goes, I'm pretty "Plain Jane". When you're working with dial-up, and slow dial-up at that, you can pretty much forget about putting streaming video or audio on your site. I tried to upload a 30 second video clip of a hurricane that hit here last year. After 4 hours, it was a little more that 30% done. I decided to wait till I could connect via wireless to upload it. (If you're interested, you can check it out here. Nothing fancy. Just our crazy friend Esteban who decided to stand on a roof in the middle of a hurricane to video the beach being washed away.) So my blog is pretty basic: no videos, no music, no banner ads, no moving graphics. Just me and lots of pictures of my family, our friends, our ministry and our home. And lots of words.

I must say here, since it sounds like I'm complaining, that God has been gracious to our family this past year! I just smile and shake my head at how much my faith has grown. One year ago this month, we were so thrilled that we were getting our indoor plumbing hooked up. How could I possibly complain that the walls aren't finished? A year ago, all the window and door holes were covered with blankets to keep out the cold air. Well, we don't have all the windows in yet, but at least the holes are boarded up! It's an improvement. As it is, our home is in about the same state of "incomplete" as most in our village. It's all part of "living at the level of the people". We are just like the majority of the plebes (pronounced: PLEH-behs not "pleebs" even though it looks like "pleebs") : working on our house...poco a poco. Maybe it's different from what we were accustomed to in the States, but maybe not so much. We've lived in a state of "house remodeling" for over 10 years. I don't really know if I could even survive in a "finished" home! I'd be too worried about something getting broken or scuffed!

So here it is, for what it's worth: my "Showcase of Style-lessness". I hope that some of you will have read it to the end and that you might check back from time to time to see what we're up to. I'm looking forward to hearing from you, so leave me a note, and I'll come visit your blog, too!

Until then, bendiciones!!!
This is a photo of our property in June of 2006 when a team of missionaries (3 great guys who, once upon a time, were kids in our youth group in Oregon) came to help us pour a foundation. Foundations were definitely laid! One of these young men is now a missionary in Asia.








Here's our home in October of 2007. (This is the back of the house.) You can see Honey welding the roof supports. One of the kids' favorite pasttimes is jumping off the back of the house onto the sand dune behind the house. Everyone's done it but me. And I'm not planning to. Sorry. I'm old and I don't heal quickly. I'll live vicariously through my kids on this one!



And finally, here is the house as it is now.
Our home!!!

29 comments:

Rebecca said...

thanks for sharing with us! what mission work are you doing in Mexico?

2Forgetful said...

Welcome to the party! I did it last year and met so many great people. It's so easy to feel isolated when you have small children and the blog world turned into such a support.

It's great to meet another twin mom - especially one who has 12 year old twins and looks so young! (I always feel like I'm aging prematurely from all the chaos...) Thanks for sharing the pictures of your home. I look forward to getting to know you better!

Nadine said...

Missionaries rock...homeschool moms rock...Thank you for sharing. I'm glad I stopped in for the party.

Rach said...

Your style sounds like my style - only I've got no excuses! Oh, maybe it's the lotsa kids thing - coz it sure ain't lack of broadband.
Thanks for visiting, lovely to meet you.

(signing in as a blogger person, but you visited me at Wordpress in my new life! I'm the have pinny, will cook OR Pilgrims' Progress OR off the BOOKshelf lady with kids who blog too)

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed your party!! I have added you to my reader. I will be back from time to time.

Just so you know I am so decorationly (style) challenged!

((Hugs))

Megan/Brassy Apple said...

wow! you are a super mom!!!!

loved learning a bit about you! thanks for stopping by my blog party as well!

Anonymous said...

Lovely party - thank you so much for having me - I admire your family's commitment to mission work. It's nice to take a peek inside and as far as Mexico, and beyond. Thank you for stopping by our place and I look forward to continuing the party spirit for the rest of the week. No matter, what the kids think

Unknown said...

What an amazing story! I'm happy to have met you! Happy Saturday!

Betsy said...

Thanks for stopping by! I am so jealous of the climate you live in!! Right now we a couple inches of snow on the ground and it is cold! I am not a cold weather person!

About my header...I won a blog makeover and the designer designed that after I told her what I wanted. Thanks!

IL Social Worker said...

Happy blog party! Thanks for visiting my blog. Your home sure sounds like my home! 5 years ago I moved from my beloved rural section of the East Coast to a very busy, nosy and crowded city in the Midwest...I can completely identify with feeling isolated. Many blessings!

Rebekah said...

Hey, it's me, another Rebekah :) Your life sounds amazing & your kids are beautiful! I went back through your posts a little... Pumpkin Cheesecake is one of my favorite foods of all-time - YUM!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog. I enjoyed reading your party post. It's great to meet missionaries and homeschoolers online.

KarenW said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog! Your decorating style sounds a lot like mine. We had dsl internet in Romania that was about as fast as dial up in the states. I understand those woes!

Rach said...

Thanks for visiting us.
At church this morning a young couple with two littlies was telling how they are about to go and work in the slums of Mexico City for at least the next three years. We'll pass on your blog to them.

(you met us at http://aweandwonder.wordpress.com/ but we'll sign in with Mama's blogger ID)

Amydeanne said...

hey how neat! my sil is from mexico!
i love your new house! that is totally amazing!
and as for no style.. ya well, i wouldn't say i always have any either! lol oh the joys of life.. there are more important things, aren't there?
God Bless!!!

beckyjomama said...

THanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I LOVE your blog. I have such a heart for missions. I have been on several short term and if my hubby would go with me, I would do long term in a minute!!!
I am like you, my kitchen is Coca-Cola/4yr old art work. She is soooo proud when I hang em up!!!
I will stop by again!

Barbara H. said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love your perspective and humor!

Barbara H. @ Stray Thoughts

Tanja said...

Thanks for visiting my blog. I am simply amazed reading yours. I'll definitely be checking back, too. I just read someone else's comment that you have twins and I didn't pick up on that in the posts I read so far. We have twins also, although ours are just 5... and one of them is a red head, so I am loving your children's hair. I bet you get lots of attention from the locals. Love that you are doing missions. I'll be praying for your family. I have friends serving in Russia right now with their five children. And homeschooling, too. You have your hands full for sure!

Tanja said...

Oh, I had to come back really quick and post one more thing... I cannot believe you at rattlesnake! What a cultural experience for your kids. They certainly don't teach that at my son's elementary school. :-)

Eleisia said...

Enjoyed your party post and your writing style, very friendly and inviting.

How neat to cook in a brick oven! I love to cook.

Come visit my party!

Eleisia at
http://chrysanthemoms.com/inthekitchen/?p=838

Anonymous said...

Hi! Happy to meet a missionary to Mexico! Before I married, I was a missionary teacher with New Tribes Mission. My husband and I just celebrated our first wedding anniversary. This month at my A Cup of Joy blog I am focusing on missions. I would love to hear more about your ministry in Mexico and feature you on my blog this month. Please email me at:
adb[dot]7379[at]yahoo[dot]com

I'm inviting you to party with me!

Win some chocolate from my-sister-in-law and I...we blog about CHOCOLATE...me from Australia...and her from Michigan. Here's the link: http://thechocolistas.blogspot.com/2008/03/ultimate-blog-party-2008.html

What am I doing in Australia? I married an Aussie...and moved to Brisbane, leaving my family and friends and all the right-side-of-the-road drivers in America.

Win a handmade pocket place mat from my blog Comfort Joy Designs. Here's the link:
http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2008/03/ultimate-blog-party-2008.html

Want to know more about life in Australia? Visit my A Cup of Joy site where I keep up with my family and friends in America. Here's the link:
http://acupofjoy.wordpress.com/

Happy Partying!

Melissa said...

Wow, Mexico? Sounds like a wonderful adventure. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Have a wonderful Blog Party.

Mrs. Nichole J. said...

Thanks for stopping by!
Hope you come back soon!!!
Nichole
http://blog.handmadebycole.com/

Anonymous said...

thanks for stopping by and for sharing with us here! May God bless you!!

Sherie said...

Thank you for stopping by at my party. Im so happy I met you. I totally admire you and your family's unselfish efforts to help others. Your family is amazing.

If any of your kids are into art, I'm inviting them to join my Kids Art for Peace movement.

http://sheriesloane.com/artforpeace

I wish you all the best! Thanks for inviting me here.

Anonymous said...

Wow you lead such an interesting life!

Happy blog partying!

Ginny said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog, great post!

Jennifer C. Valerie said...

Hi Rebecca
Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm glad you found something that interested you. The generous wife tips are awesome. Hope we can keep in touch.

Unknown said...

Still hopping from blog to blog... my goal is to post at each blog at least once. Nice to meet you. Happy blogging!