Days Like These

A few weeks ago I was looking through this blog for one particular post.  I got sucked into reading posts from 3 years ago and just had to laugh.  Oh my, how life has changed!!  We just don't ever know what is in store for any of us, do we?  It definitely reminded me that since I failed at scrapbooking and have thousands of photos that are largely unorganized, I better get busy and start writing some stuff down.  

Football season here is almost over and I haven't posted one thing about it!  These memories are important because one day Nathan is not going to remember what he looked like when he was shorter than 6 feet tall and I need this stuff to remind him!

Football here is MUCH different than it is in Texas.  

First of all, not one single mom shows up to a game with a blinged out shirt bearing the team name.  In fact, there are no team shirts of any kind.  I know, I know......the horrors of it all!

The 5th and 6th graders play in the same league and are divided into three teams.  The three teams are the Rams, Gators, and Longhorns.  Scot and I were crossing our fingers that he wasn't chosen for the Longhorns because I honestly think he would have dropped out of football before wearing horns every weekend.  Heaven help me, that child has been thoroughly brainwashed.

They spent the whole season playing each other because there are NO other football teams to play in Singapore.  Every weekend each team plays two games that are only 2 quarters each.  That means every weekend all three teams play each other.  It makes life interesting when you tackle someone on Saturday and sit across from them in Math on Monday.

A couple of weeks ago they had their games on a Friday night and not being one to miss an opportunity for alone time with my favorite 10 year old, I coerced him into spending time with me Saturday morning by promising to feed him.  It is hands down both Garrett and Nathan's love language right now.

I walked and he took his Razor to the mall that has my favorite grocery store in it.  I still find it so weird that the majority of grocery stores in Singapore are located in malls.  I guess if you don't have a Wal Mart to pick up a new outfit, a piece of luggage and some milk then you need to put your grocery store in a mall.

We decided to check out a new restaurant that just opened.  Then I pulled out my phone to take pictures of some killer bruises he's gotten playing football.  Just because we love stuff like that around here.

Then I took this next picture just for fun and my heart melted.  My sweet boy......I found myself praying that those freckles never fade and wondering how in the world time has gone by as quickly as it has.

I was clearly on a roll so we took a few more and laughed and how I have to stick all my fingers in the air in order to take a picture.  I tried to take one with my hand looking more normal.....it isn't possible.

Have I ever told you that I snap backwards?  It's weird, I know, but I snap by having my middle finger going in front of my thumb instead of behind.  You're trying it right now, aren't you?  Apparently I not only snap backwards, I take pictures with my phone looking like I am some sort of finger contortionist.

While I'm entertaining myself by how odd I am, this is Nathan and his "seriously, mom?" face.  

I see it a lot.  

And then the earth shifted on its axis......I was actually offered a bite of his chocolate ice cream.

After he was sufficiently full, I drug him to the store.  This is Nathan perusing my grocery list so as to come up with a formula to ensure the most efficient path in obtaining all items.  I do love this kid.

Something I quickly learned after being in Singapore.....do not pass up the weigh station when buying produce for fear of the wrath of a 90 pound checkout lady when there's no bar code on your bananas.

Halloween candy is in stock!!!  We learned from last year that if you don't buy it early you are out of luck!  Laffy Taffy and Reeses pieces....into the cart.

It is not unusual to see kids with their scooters and razors in the grocery store.  The problem is getting your kid to resist the temptation to ride through the frozen food section inevitably crashing into someone who doesn't think his freckles are as cute as I do.

This was the day that my small cart of groceries came out to be over $300 and my debit card was denied.  That's always a good time!!  Lines of people everywhere and I'm fishing out my Amex mumbling something about needing to transfer money into the account.  You know, just in case the guy behind me actually cared.  Which he didn't.  

This was also the day that it was raining when we left and Nathan totally bit it going down the ramp to the taxi stand.  I didn't take a picture of that.  I do have boundaries.....kinda.

So as not to leave Garrett out of this post, here he is doing one of his favorite things.  Playing guitar during youth group.  The fact that I was allowed in the youth room during church to take his picture is pretty amazing.  

It's the part where I started screaming and shouting his name that I had to be escorted out of the room.

In less than 2 months, I will be a mother of a teenager.  

A moment of silence please. 

I love days like these.

The Newcomer

What a difference a year makes.

Today I went to a Newcomers Luncheon offered by our church to anyone that is, well, a newcomer.  We had an incredible spread of food in a woman's home that feels like you are in a boutique hotel when you walk inside.  I got there early balancing my salad bowl, my phone, my purse and trying to kick off my cute shoes outside the door before going in.

Yes, I was wearing cute shoes and not my cushiony shoes which means I am nursing a pretty sore foot right about now. But it was totally worth it!!  Or would have been except we all left our shoes outside the door so no one knew those super cute shoes actually belonged to me.  And my mama taught me that it was just plain tacky to walk people to the front door just to show off your cute shoes.  Almost as bad as popping your gum.

Where was I?  Oh, right.  Salad bowl, phone, purse.

I walked in the door and greeted my friends that were all inside preparing for the women that were going to be arriving at any moment.  We talked in that easy kind of manner that comes with lots of time spent together.  A comment, a quick conversation, an easy compliment, the finishing of a story started days before.

As women started trickling in I would look into their faces and see myself just one year ago.  The day I walked into the same house having left my shoes at the front door, cursing myself for not having a fresh pedicure.  The day I stepped out of my comfort zone, which was my pajamas and my couch, and ventured out hoping to make a new friend and determined to remember the names of these women who seemed to have it all together.  The day I tried really hard to not look as desperate as I felt to belong.  To have some kind of purpose in this crazy country.

Today I walked up to different ladies new to Singapore and got to tell them that I understood how they were feeling.  How frustrating it can be to be overwhelmed by a grocery store.  I tried to tell them that they would be ok and could see on some of their faces that they weren't sure they would be.

It's those situations in life that separate you from everyone around you.  The move to a foreign country. The birth of a baby.  The death of a loved one.  A new relationship.  A divorce.  A lost job.  Sudden fortune.

Finding God or feeling like you're lost to Him completely.

The times that you want to find someone, anyone else, that can look you in the eyes and tell you that they understand because they have walked that same road.  Be it a good road or a difficult road, sometimes you just want to know you aren't the first one forging the way.

I currently have a verse hanging on the mirror in the boy's bathroom that I am bribing, I mean, encouraging them to memorize.  I was having Garrett tell me part of it today and it just hit me.  Right between the eyes, it hit me.

He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it,

He bring us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we 

can be there for that person just as God was there for us.  2 Cor 1:4

What a difference a year makes.

Show and Tell

I honestly just erased an extremely long post that droned on and on about life stuff......and I got seriously bored with myself. My problem is that this blog has ruined me. I find myself writing blog posts in my mind all the time so I end up getting myself into a rut.

Not knowing where to start when I want to write about:

Garrett and how much happier he is this year. His amazing teachers including the one that was on House Hunters International. How he dropped football for soccer which here means he dropped football to take up football. Confusing, right? And he tells me that he loves me every morning before he leaves for school. I am so happy to have my boy back!

My new job as Bible study coordinator at our church and the very large shoes I have to fill. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Lynda and Sondra, if you happen to be reading this, I honestly think you have very cute feet and darling shoes. I'm just a tad bit intimidated to be following in your footsteps!

How I have self-diagnosed the pain in my heel as Plantar Fasciitis. Nice. That means no more flat as a board cute sandals for me. I have to wear shoes with cushion aka Ugly Shoes. Not to imply that if any of you wear cushiony sandals that they are all ugly. I think my issue is that they add another inch and I don't like that. Because clearly going from 5'11" to 6' makes a huge difference in a country where everyone is 5'4".

My impression after reading "The Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother". I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would and it certainly made me think. There is probably a little "Tiger Mom" in all of us, it just may not manifest itself in demanding straight A's and incredible musical talent. It could be sports or looks or social standing or, dare I say, spirituality. I can't wait to talk about it with my "Whatever Floats Your Boat Book Club". And yes, that is actually the name of our book club. If you could see the list of books we're reading, you would totally understand why the name is so appropriate.

The list goes on and on but I'll spare you any more of my random commentary. Instead, I will leave you with a few of my favorite pics from our quick stop in Scotland and London on our way back to Singapore.

Garrett....

and Nathan at the ruins of St. Andrews cathedral.

$5 to the first person who can guess where we did a

bunch of shopping for the boys this summer!

Scot and Garrett watching a foursome tee off at St. Andrews golf

course. Scot was in HEAVEN walking around that place. We took

loads of pictures there. What I love about this is the group of guys to

the left. They were from New York and were so excited to be playing

on this course, the mecca for golfers, that they were high fiving each

other and taking video.....I was so happy for them.

Life with boys and all things remotely alluding to

bodily functions. Especially if etched in stone that

is hundreds of years old outside the astute institute of

St. Andrews. There's a good chance Kate and Wills have

stood under this sign. Wonder if they giggled?

Be still my heart. How has this happened so quickly?

Won't be long before Scot is the short one in this picture.

We took a great Beatles tour around Liverpool. This was by far

my favorite stop on the tour.

Wonder how many tourists were flattened by buses

before they decided to clearly mark which way to look?

One of my favorite nights in London. We got tickets at the last

minute to a play. The play has been showing in this theater for over

45 years. We were so horribly underdressed for a night at the

theater but it was fun all the same!

Then we went out for pie. Steak and mushroom pie that was AH-mazing.

As was the fish and chips we ate several times on our trip.

Buckingham Palace. Nobody was out kissing on the balcony

the day we were there. Bummer.

I had to laugh because we were in London just in time for the riots. That in itself isn't funny, but the fact that Nathan wore a black hoody and was convinced that someone was going to mistake him for a rioter was pretty funny to me. I'm not sure how many rioters had their moms, dads, and big brothers with them when they went out looting.

Just a quick note before I wrap things up. In preparing for this new year of Bible studies at our church, I have been extremely humbled by the enormity of a job that I feel so unequipped for. There is much I don't know and I was starting to stress about that when I realized that the less I know, the more He has to show.

I think that's my goal for this year in Singapore. I don't want there to be so much of me that He doesn't show.

In my conversation. In my actions. In my thoughts.

I pray this year is an epic Show and Tell kind of year.

Chicken Feet Dose of Reality

Hi! My name is Keri and I live in Singapore. Freakishly tall. Two boys and a cute husband. Does it ring a bell? It's been just about forever since I've written anything on this blog.

Actually, there are four posts I wrote and then abandoned this summer. The honest truth is that trying to put into words how it felt to be home was really, really difficult for me. It was wonderful, frustrating, emotional, comfortable, frantic, and unforgettable all rolled up together. Depending on the day, or even the time of day, I could be feeling any one of those emotions. Add in a healthy dose of insecurity that flared up often.....geesh! I'm not sure what my problem was.

If I can ever figure out how to adequately explain what it's like to drop in on your old life when your new life is about as foreign as it can get, then maybe I'll finish one of those posts I started.

Maybe.

We've been home for four days and those days have been filled with catching up with friends and trying to unpack the seven suitcases we brought back with us. And then there's the jet lag to contend with. Oy vey.

It has given me some time to reflect back on the last eight weeks. I didn't realize how few pictures I took of this summer. There are events I have no record of. Or, in one case, I took pictures of doors and scenery and totally omitted taking pictures of the people I was with.

I'm telling you......I was a mess!!

We spent the first part of the summer on the West coast visiting my family.

Where my dad got to hang with his three grandsons...

Where cousins wrestled.....

Where my parents enjoyed having all their grandchildren in one place.....

Where the newest cousin was cuddled....

and kissed....

(It kills me that this sweet little girl will be walking and probably talking

the next time I see her. Who in the world thought putting Singapore so

far away from California would be a good idea? Yes, I know the answer is

God, but I can still be a little annoyed about it!)

Where there was an epic wrestling match between my boys, my brother,

his son, and my dad.

Where I got to celebrate my other brother's birthday.....and meet

his new girlfriend that I absolutely adored. Even if she's about

5'3" and he's 6'8". Normally we'd hold that against her except we

just really like her.

I went back to Baylor to see friends I haven't seen in 20 years.

We took a trip to Dallas where I got to spend time with this amazing lady....

Where we picked blueberries after a day of zip lining with some good friends

that I have no pictures of.

Where we ate the amazing blueberries....

Where the boys learned how to drive a tractor....

Where we ate amazing peach cobbler......

Where we enjoyed the view so much we apparently failed to actually

take pictures of the people!

Where the boys got to mix it up with a real live Air Force Colonel.

There was the 11th annual Girl's Weekend with these friends minus two that

couldn't come.

Where the kids had fun catching up.....

Where these burgers were devoured!

We went to our favorite beach......

With a favorite friend and her family.

And there was still time for Mexican food and good conversation

with my sister (the gorgeous one on the far right) and these friends...

and these friends.

There were so many people I never got to see. Running into someone for a quick chat outside the doors of Target or in the hallway of church just doesn't do it for me. I'm a sit down and let's get to the nitty gritty of what life has been dishing up kind of girl. That part of all this is the hardest for me.

The dance between letting go and holding on. I need lessons because I'm awkward and gangly in handling it all.

I was reminiscing about the whole summer with Singapore friends here. It's funny that in our group there were those that couldn't wait to come back and others who came back kicking and screaming. For the first couple of days I felt like I was here physically but still in the states mentally.

And then I went grocery shopping today.....

Yep....I'm back in Singapore.

Honestly? I am happy to be here. That is a very, very good thing......but doesn't mean I'm going to be buying any of those bad boys any time soon!

Wait Gain

It's a funny thing...timing.

Sixteen months ago we put our house on the market in anticipation of our move in June. In our minds, it was perfect timing. We would sell our house to a perfect family, sail through inspections, close on the house without a glitch, deposit a nice check with profits from our house, and move out just in time to hop on a plane to Singapore without a care in the world.

Ummm.....right.

Instead we learned a huge lesson in timing.

It all started with Buyers #1. They bought our house within the first two weeks it was listed....they wanted it for full price and without inspections (a small red flag...but I like red so we went with it). They were pre-approved....and had a Rottweiler...but they were pre-approved! I made reservations at a local hotel for the month we would be homeless before moving and had all our utilities disconnected the week we were supposed to close. I was amazed at the perfect timing of it all.

And then it all fell apart.

We were frustrated but I took what seemed to be bad timing and figured we were meant to stay in the house until we left Texas and the next buyers would be our perfect buyers.

Buyers #2. We got the offer about a month before we left. I don't even remember the selling price we negotiated, but it was easily $10,000-$15,000 less than asking price. We would still be making a little money on the house and they seemed to be solid buyers. I was at the house when they came to do the inspection so I got to meet them and liked them instantly. I tearfully told them that I felt like they were the perfect family for our home.....we had a sweet moment together.

The day of the inspection I was wearing a t-shirt from a church in Florida that said No Perfect People Allowed. The inspector asked me about it and I happily engaged in a conversation which ended with him telling me that he was a miraculous healer AND had a DVD to prove it. In fact he had a copy in his back pocket and gave it to me as sort of an inspector going away present. I flippantly asked him if that meant he healed any issues he found in our house and he didn't think that was funny.

As he was leaving he asked if I had any prayer requests for him and instead of telling him "no" and letting him drive away in his Hummer, I told him any prayers for protection in our upcoming journey were always welcome. He came back into the house, shut the door behind him, laid his hands on me and started rocking me back and forth while he prayed something that I didn't hear because I was a tad bit freaked out at that point.

Let me just say that I absolutely do believe God heals. I also love when people are willing to approach God on behalf of someone else. I just get a little suspicious when you try to give me a DVD of yourself and then put your hands all over me when you've just been hired to check my roof.

It was strange but I considered it an interesting part of our house selling story and didn't let it discourage me about our wonderful Buyers #2.

The week of closing we were in our hotel in Singapore waiting for our stuff to arrive so we could move into our apartment when we got the call that once again, the closing had fallen through.

I'm pretty sure I stayed in bed the whole next day and had an enormous pity party for myself. I was mad and disappointed and frustrated to the point that I wanted to throw something....and I'm not the throwing type.

I eventually got to the point where I was willing to admit that Buyers #2 must not be who God had in mind for our house because I happen to believe that God is much, much bigger than title companies and loan officers and if He wanted them in the house, they would have been in the house.

I pondered the purpose of God's timing and what that meant for us. The lessons we were supposed to be learning. Patience? Contentment? Self-control?

I may or may not have asked Scot to work on all of those so I could tell God that we had learned our lessons and were now ready for the house to sell so we could move on.

About a month after falling through for the 2nd time, Buyer #3 came along. He low balled us big time, but was willing to pay cash. That meant a quick close and he would buy it "as is" so we settled on a price almost $35,000 less than our original asking price and $5,000 less than what we paid for it.

Ouch.

So maybe the lesson in the timing was to not hold on too tightly to worldly possessions.

Got it.

Closing date was 4 weeks out. 4 weeks came and went and apparently the guy had all his money in Africa and it was being mailed to the states $1 at a time. 8 weeks came and went. 12 weeks came and went and I have now nicknamed this guy "Out of Africa". He lived in London, had his money in Africa and ended up being about $12,000 short which his business partner was going to lend him but then he didn't and then his mom got sick so he couldn't fly to Texas. And then we got tired of his story and put the house BACK on the market.

I am beyond discouraged and at a loss for words when asked about the ordeal. What were we missing? A situation totally out of our control and it all came down to timing. Summer loomed before us and we could take it off the market, rent some furniture and live in it again except I really didn't want to do that.

Maybe God wanted us to keep the house and THAT explained the timing.

Maybe we were serving as a warning to others in some way. Beware of cash buyers with money in Africa and London and stingy business partners.

I honestly had no idea what the issue was.

Now it's May and I'm on the phone with a dear friend who sold her house in a week. I had my big girl panties on that day so I was genuinely happy for her and basking in the notoriety our drama afforded me. She expressed how surprised she was our house hadn't sold and happened to mention that she knew a family that wanted a bigger house and told me she'd pass on the info about our home.

Fast forward 48 hours and that sweet family put an offer in on our home. I liked every single thing I heard about them.....but was understandably cautious that it would happen.

Then I started hearing that still, small voice. The one that won't shout above all the other drama going on in my head.

My timing doesn't always revolve around you.

My timing may have very little to do with you and what you have to gain or learn.

My timing may have a whole lot to do with others in your life.

My timing is always perfect.

A friend of mine told me about her own drama and without pause said "we pulled a Jenkins" in reference to having their first deal fall through. Do I laugh about the fact that our house selling drama has become a new noun? I do...a lot.

Do I get a kick out of the look on people's faces when I tell them we went through 3 buyers before the perfect ones came around? Sure I do.....I get a little enjoyment in the shock value of what we've been through.

Will my realtor and I be bonded for life? Absolutely. She's been an absolute blessing through all of this.

More than that I learned a very important lesson.

It's not always about me.

God's will. God's timing. God's purpose.

It's just not always about me but if I make it about me, I will totally miss all the amazing things He's doing in the lives of those around me.

There's a very good chance I am going to meet the woman who will be making her own memories in a house that held a lot of love for 6 years. I can't wait to give her a big hug...and I'm sure through tears...I hope to tell her that it was worth my wait for her to receive her blessing.

My wait is her gain.

If only that was the only weight gain situation I was dealing with this summer......darn Mexican food!!

再见

We are being picked up in exactly one hour to head to the airport. I am BARELY going to make it. It seems that when my DNA was being all figured out, the gene for packing way in advance to eliminate panic and frustration was totally and completely left out.

Yesterday was full of fun, celebrating and saying good-bye....we were all completely exhausted by last night......hence (I do love that word), no blog post. I actually fell asleep on the couch which never, ever happens. Scot finally woke me up and I stumbled into our room and climbed into bed without even brushing my teeth and that NEVER, EVER happens. Seriously. I'm a huge believer in washing my face and brushing my teeth before bed no matter what. I have enough skin problems.....sleeping in my make-up is not on my top 10 list of things I like to do.

Last day of school!

Party at the apartment complex where we had a lot

of boys playing games that required no shirts apparently.

Garrett and Jack

Some of the moms and half a dad

(I had the wrong lens on my camera and didn't get

my friend Dawn either. So missing: half a dad and

the rest of Dawn)

Garrett and the girls

Using self-control in not making any other comments

about this picture.

Baseball on the tennis courts

An amazing picture? Not really. It's just that right after taking this shot I tripped over

a step and went sprawling. My camera lens is now cracked and I officially have my first

non-shopping errand to run when I get back to Houston.

Yeah me.

Dawn had bought hundreds of glow sticks and the kids went diving for them

when it got dark and proceeded to make all kinds of creations with them.

VERY fun idea!!

This next picture makes me a little emotional. Scot gives me a hard time because while Nathan will go for a $10 haircut, I tend to pamper Garrett a little more because....well.....he just has better hair and can wear it long. I love it long. Scot does not like it long. Today, Garrett decided he no longer wanted it long either.

Sniff....Sniff

The lady finished the cut and Garrett asked her to please cut it more. I was protesting and he looked at me and told me he was ready for something new. Ready for it to just be different.

And by different I think he meant just about everything that defined this year for him.

So I put on my momma smile and told him he looked amazing and watched a kid walk out of the salon like he had just had 10 pounds taken off of him. I was scurrying around scooping up locks of gorgeous red hair.

Just kidding.

But I really thought about it for a few minutes!

I am officially at the end of this blogging challenge. I have to say that it brings about some mixed feelings for me. It certainly has been challenging and I have not been perfect, but it has forced me to do something that often intimidates me.

I am humbled by and appreciate every one of you that has read my random ramblings. I have enjoyed how much I feel like people are more connected to us and our lives here. For that, it is all worth it!

40 minutes to go and I need to go change my airplane outfit again, take out my contacts with the hope that I will actually sleep, and spend some time hugging on my man that I won't see for a really long time.

I love you guys!!!

Ahoy, Matey!

I will be at the airport in 48 hours and have I started to pack? Noooooo

Have I pulled out the suitcases? Noooooo

Am I completely overwhelmed with the thought of packing for 8 weeks? Yessssssss

It has been fun talking to those that are old pros at the going home for summer thing. The tips for how to get everything back here at the end of the summer are worth their weight in gold. My friend Vanessa even brings back frozen items from Sams. But she's a professional having been an expat for more than 10 years....I need to work up to that level slowly so I don't hurt myself.

Every conversation is about when the departure for home is, where home is, and when the return to Singapore will be. How every one of us will be posting pictures on FB of ourselves hugging the Big Red Ball outside of Target in just a few short days. How exciting it will be to not be struck with complete dread when it starts to rain knowing we can just jump in a car and not have to be stranded for 48 minutes because there's no taxi to be found.

Right now, my emotions are all over the place. I'm excited to go home but wondering what it will feel like to be visiting my old life.

Not jumping back into it, but merely visiting it.

I am a little sad to be leaving here realizing that I won't be seeing any of my Singapore friends again until the middle of August. I can't wait to be with friends and family back home. I am sad to be leaving Scot for 7 weeks. I wonder how the boys are going to do. I am excited for the easy and the familiar.

You see? A mess.

My friend Lisa made a brilliant comparison. It's like going home from college for the summer. You leave behind a life that started out foreign and scary but became comfortable - to go home to what is comfortable and familiar but different - knowing that in a few short weeks you'll start the cycle all over again.

It's crazy.

So instead of being responsible and spending time gathering my thoughts and stuff together tonight, I made a big batch of spaghetti and meatballs...had 3 of Garrett's friends over for dinner and then took them all to see the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Imax. 3D. Johnny Depp.

Have I ever mentioned that in Singapore you have a choice between sweet and salty popcorn at the movie theater? And the sweet popcorn isn't just plain 'ol Kettle corn.....it's straight up caramel corn. To make it even better? You can get half and half. It is almost...and I mean ALMOST...enough to make a girl leave out the M&Ms, which no bag of popcorn should ever be without.

And we wonder why all my running has only produced a 3 pound weight loss.

Ok, wrapping this mess of a post up. I have two posts left in my crazy challenge and I think my mission to "get over myself" has certainly been accomplished.

If you question the truth in that? Just go back and read this post again. It's written by a girl that clearly takes herself a whole lot less seriously (and is significantly more scattered) than she did a few weeks ago!

Blimey!