Blogging at naptime.

It is New Years Eve here in Cambodia. Josh and I had a delicious dinner at the Phnom Penh FCC (pizza and half price smoothies and cokes…perfect!) and are now sitting back in our room reflecting on our time here and all that this new year potentially holds for us. We both have running lists of goals, dreams, and areas of growth we want to achieve this year. The Lord continues to be incredibly gracious to us in our time of living here. We love being married and sharing this time in Cambodia. It truly is an adventure. And it is stretching and challenging to the both of us at times, but we trust (even when we fight against it) that the Lord is using every piece of our time here for a purpose. I don’t want to miss those moments He brings along. I don’t want to shrug them off in frustration or dismiss the profound when it comes wrapped in the ordinary. I find that a great deal of what the Lord longs to produce in me requires nothing more than my humility and trust. And perhaps my attention. ...

As a follow up to the last blog, here are two spectacular and riveting video snapshots of our time at home. Videography at its finest. :) This second one is a recap of our exciting day of sledding. Sometimes we accidentally speak with accents. But the silliness (and the sledding skill) is all on purpose (with the special addition of a top secret mission at the end...watch for it..).

Josh and I were blessed to be able to go home for 3 full weeks this month to visit with friends and family and experience a surprisingly very white Christmas in Washington! We had been planning toward our time at home with great anticipation. The entirety of our marriage (minus the 3 days after our wedding) has been spent in Cambodia and we were excited at the idea of finally getting to be a married couple at home, feeling like teenagers as we walked around the Alderwood Mall holding hands (something we don’t get to do in Cambodia…we are so brave :) We loved getting to bundle up in layers of clothing (also something we don’t get to do in Cambodia) and be unexpected participants in the great blizzard of ’08 (it sounds more dramatic that way..) Prior to the winter weather finding us, Josh went off to sleep overnight in the snow on top of Mt. Pilchuck. And I had plenty of winter adventures of my own trekking to exotic locations such as " Target," "Kohls," and of cours...

Josh and I were very excited while we were home to get a copy of our wedding pictures!! They capture the big day quite well :)

As the calendar officially changes to December and sounds of Amy Grant singing "O Come Let Us Adore Him" come from Emily's computer behind me, I am creating an iPod Christmas music play list (complete with a little classic FigTree21 - myspace.com/figtree21 - check it), and beginning to form a running list in my head of all the many things I look forward to this Christmas. I always love this time of the year, but it seems especially wonderful after being away from home now for 7 months :) These are a few of my favorite things about going home for Christmas: -The song of the same title takes on new significance (even after singing it over 11 times in a row...) -I get to see the people I love!!! :) -Repeated viewings of the movie Elf. "What's a Christmas-gram!? I want one!" -Cookies! Banana Bread. Pumpkin Pie. -Egg Nog Lattes -Christmas Music -Charlie Brown holiday specials on TV -Christmas Day parades -Getting to hold my husband’s hand in public without feelin...

It is Thanksgiving Day here in Cambodia, which for the American staff equates to exorbitant amounts of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, cranberry, homemade rolls (by Christal) and amazing apple and brownie desserts (created by Emily). For our Cambodian staff the holiday equates to all of the above, overshadowed only by the addition of pizza. Just like the pilgrims first ate at Plymouth Rock. Our day began like a normal day for us in Phnom Penh. We got ready, stepped out of our house, greeted our turkeys (who apparently did not meet their fate on this day of thankfulness), and went into the office for a few hours. The day became decidedly more “festive” promptly at noon when we followed the smell of pizza and turkey (a beautiful combination) and ate some snacks before filling up our plates (the first of multiple times) with ridiculous amounts of good (and I like to think entirely good-for-you) food. I love Thanksgiving. I'm there..if you look for me. As the eating sl...

While I tend to equate the word routine with something that people fall into, grow tired of, or attempt to avoid, I have found it to be quite comforting during our time in Phnom Penh as we are now post-teams and pre-Christmas vacation. We wake up at the same time each morning, which for me has been 6:15, though we don’t have to be in the office until 8. I don’t know what Cambodia has done to me. We have lunch at (nearly) the same time every day. I have an hour to read in the afternoons out on our balcony with the sweet sounds of birds chirping and plastic bottles crunching at the recycling factory that resides next door. I have an afternoon snack of either fruit with peanut butter (it balances out…or cancels each other out..either way..) or leftover Fullkorn crackers from the Norway team (cardboard has never tasted so good). We exercise before dinner as Emily swims laps, Josh runs to nearby cultural museums, and I fulfill my dreams of becoming a backup dancer/martial arts expert courte...

Some helpful Cambodia Travel Tips courtesy of the bathroom wall at Angkor Wat: No smoking. No standing on the toilet. No chopping your feet off. No showering.