One Month

Only month from today until we fly out of Nigeria. This fact brings much sadness as we leave a place we have grown to love and call home. These past two years have flown by (ESPECIALLY this year) and we can't believe it is time to think of packing again. Lauren and I were driving around today mentioning how beautiful Jos is....not our first impression! But this area full of trees, huge rocks, best of friends and rewarding work has become very precious to us. If you want to see a short video of a trip around Jos, check out what a fellow missionary, Joel, has posted on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6M4-BwzIjw&feature=related

Someone recently mentioned a few ways to make sure we say "good" goodbyes. After much thinking about it, I seem to believe there are times when there is no good in goodbye. When we leave, we are saying bye to a lifestyle, our home, our work, a culture, the country of Nigeria, but most importantly, our friends. How do you say goodbye to so much and so many you love? I have yet to find out, but I'm working on it....and it may take a month!


Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same. ~Flavia Weedn

The Big Banquet

The junior class hosted the banquet for the seniors. The theme was "Phantom of the Opera" and the decor included massive amounts of fabric, many candles, a large chandelier, a grand piano, and lots of roses! The junior class worked so hard to make every detail memorable. The two classes spent a few nights prior to the banquet in dance classes. They enjoyed dancing a variety of dances, including the cha cha, tango, waltz, and a few line dances!

A Magical Weekend

Spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights watching our school’s production of “Cinderella”-a very funny musical! The kids did an excellent job. The orchestra was staffed with middle school students and two ninth graders! Keeping with tradition, the cast and crew made Saturday’s performance EXTRA fun. When the ball was in full swing with a (boring) waltz, Prince Charming stopped the dancing and announced, “so much for the waltz, let’s do some real dancing.” On cue, the cast broke out with the Cha Cha Slide-music AND dance!

To the right now, to the left
Take it back now ya’ll
1 hop this time, 1 hop this time
Right foot 2 stomps, left foot 2 stomps
Slide to the left, slide to the right
Criscross, criscross
Cha Cha real smooth

For such a small school in a remote area, Hillcrest did not disappoint. The costumes were fabulous. The props rocked. (Lauren was in charge of the props!) The incredible orchestra was hidden in a pit below stage. “Fairy dust” flew down when magic occurred and Cinderella’s transformation brought “ohhs” and “ahhs” from the audience.

These past few weeks I have learned:

The nutritional value (esp. protein) is higher in termites than grasshoppers
Grading research papers is more time consuming than writing them
Laughter is a wonderful medicine
You can keep going long after you think you can’t
30 7th graders can eat a lot of ice cream
Leaving is much harder than going
A broken toe really, really hurts
Why cashew nuts cost so much (have you seen how the grow—too cool!)
When one of my kids hurts, my heart hurts too (even more than a broken toe)
That it isn’t what you have in your life, but whom you have that counts
Lauren’s smile (minus the braces-yep, finally got them off) is BEAUTIFUL
Blondes don’t necessarily have more fun than brunettes
How to make cream cheese
Life is too short to not enjoy every moment
Sleep is optional (at least for a while)
A few hundred naira can, sometimes, get you out of trouble

---and I still have so much more to learn!

(7th grade class at party on Saturday)

I've Been Tagged

I have been "tagged" many times before, but I have always ignored them. However, about a month ago I promised Stephanie (hey, Steph!) I would post my answers to hers. So (a month later!) I am fulfilling my promise. Finally. This is how it works: I replaced her answers for my own. Hope this makes you happy, my friend.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
just my middle name---named after my brother's kindergarten girlfriend, I think.


2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
recently.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I think so. haven't really thought about it.


4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT?
deli peppered turkey.


5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
three daughters I gave birth to, and many others that call me mama.


6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
absolutely....and we'd have a blast!


7. WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY INDULGENCE?
being alone. and grape.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
yup...and i've never broken a bone!


9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
already have. loved it. wanna do it again.


10. WHAT CHORE DO YOU LEAST LIKE?
making someone unhappy, even when it is necessary.


11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
99.9% of the time I wear flip flops. .1% I untie.


12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
yes. but not lately.


13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
not a fan of ice cream....but if I eat, it is mint choc chip. only. 


14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
eyes. 


15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?
brown.


16. DO YOU LIKE WILDFLOWERS OR ARRANGEMENTS?
any flower- fresh and handpicked.


17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
my girlfriends. desperately miss them. and of course my brothers. and mom. and dad. and Target.


18. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR SPARE TIME?
what spare time?


19. WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD SURPRISE ME ABOUT YOU?
i always score as an introvert on personality tests.


20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
rice.


21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
itunes....a WIDE variety of music!


22. WHAT DO YOU COLLECT?
i used to collect antique scales. now i collect class passes.


23. WHAT ARE YOUR THREE FAVOURITE SMELLS?
rain
gardenia
cinnamon


24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Saira


25. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE POSSESSION?
my photos. and letters from those I love. 


26. FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
soccer. bball. or whatever my hubby, kids, or people i know are playing.


27. HAIR COLOR?
blonde-ish.


28. EYE COLOR?
green. everyone else in my family has blue eyes. beautiful blue. 


29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
not since a series of eye surgeries! yippee.


30. FAVOURITE FOOD?
salad. honestly.


31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
happy. or ones that make me think. 


32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
remember the titans. with my class.


33. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?
white tank top and old faded levis and a watch.


34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
fall. or dry season.


35. HUGS OR KISSES?
real hugs.


36. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
snakes.


37. DRINK OF CHOICE?
anything carbonated, with ice. but am quitting soon. very soon.


38. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT LATELY?
learning to drive stick shift last year. freedom!


39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
finished re-reading Gabaldon's series. the best. my favorite.


40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
no mouse pad. hate mice. love touch pad.


41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
no tv. hardly ever watch tv. but I did just fly through a dvd of prison break, season two.


42. FAVORITE SOUND?
laughter. the kind that makes your eyes water.


43. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
where is home?

Wanna play? just leave your anwers in the comment section, email them, or provide a link.

There is a Hair on My Ham

Working full time has left me missing being in the kitchen. So, during breaks, I enjoy cooking. However, everything seems to take so much longer…from shopping and preparing to the actual cooking. However, we still managed to round up a yummy meal for a memorable Easter dinner.

The morning of Easter I began to prepare the ham. Upon opening the bag it had been in, I found the ham to be covered with hair...as in the hair from the pig! I cut off the entire hide (hair and all) and left enough fat on the outside to keep it moist while cooking. I had a brief thought of making pork rinds, but it didn’t last long at all. (I think the hair helped change my mind very quickly!) Once the ‘yucky’ was cut off, we realized there wasn’t much meat left so we quickly roasted a chicken to add to the meat platter.

Lauren loves deviled eggs, so we bought a bunch of eggs from our neighbors and prepared a special treat. One of Lauren’s friends was spending the weekend with us, so we put her to work filling the whites. (Aren’t all Easter dinners required to have some type of egg dish to use up all the colored ones?)

My grandmother used to make the BEST squash casserole. I found a vegetable in the market that was light green and eggplant shaped and assumed it might be zucchini, so I took a chance. The final dish tasted quite similar to my grandmother's and it was a joy to have Nanny’s cooking on our table.

Mashed potatoes (and gravy) are a must for any big meal at the Parkers. Our potatoes here are so small and we often spend too long trying to peel them. . I used a new trick I had recently learned. I do think I am the ONLY person alive that didn’t know this. Did you know that if you boil the potatoes first, the skins just slide right off? Well, I didn’t. This trick saved us many minutes peeling…and only a few fingers were burned.

When my mom visited in December, she brought us something VERY special: Stove Top Stuffing! Oh my…we had been saving this for three months and it was well worth the wait!

The dessert was chocolate, of course! We made a chocolate trifle-homemade brownies, homemade cool whip and chocolate pudding we’ve been saving….RICH but worth every calorie. ☺

And the ham? It turned out delicious…not a hair was to be found by the time it hit our plates!