Merry Christmas from the Blantons!

Holiday Highlights

We had the best time with Kim and Lexie, our friends from Africa when they were here over Thanksgiving.



We enjoyed exploring the island together






having some new adventures



and meeting new friends.





Since they left, we really miss our family. It is hard to celebrate when they are so far away this season.

But we try to be Merry by baking special holiday treats,

trying to stay cool,

and remembering that it is all about Jesus!

Thanksgiving...much to be thankful for

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at our house this year with 17 guests. Holidays over seas are so different from holidays in America. It was sad to be so far away from home but sweet that God provided "family" in the form of other Americans who share our heart for this place. Here are some of the highlights:


We drove 3 hours in search of a Turkey that had been imported from America! It was delicious!


Finding "fall" decorations in the middle of "summer" on the equator is always a challenge. It was over 100 degrees as we ate together!

A piece of corn for each of our blessings this year:

We all went to the Beach together after lunch to cool off.

Funny Honey Bee

We had lots of fun with the Honey Bee when he came in June.
I bet you'll have fun too when you watch this!
Cadence renamed him the "Funny Honey Bee"

Fun Havers

Look at the fun we have been having!

The window of opportunity for escape is usually closed for safety...

But when it opens, Cadence is quick to dash through it!

Cadence loves animals...her current favorite is a neighbor's bunny.

Her least favorite are the monkeys who steal her bananas and make her cry.

Evidence that Cadence ate her first ice cream on the night mommy went out...

and evidence that caffeine affects her tremendously as she was still awake when Mommy came home at 11pm!

"Lola"

One of Cadence's greatest obsessions is her stroller, AKA "Lola". She climbs into it each chance she gets, hoping someone will take her for a ride. This week she brought me her shoes so I put them on her feet. Then she brought me one of my socks, then the other, then each of my tennis shoes. After I had put them all on, she grabbed my hand and led me outside where "Lola" awaited. I am blessed to have a husband who takes her for a stroll each morning after breakfast so that I can have some time alone with the Lord.

Breakfast with the Blantons

As I sit at the breakfast table to blog after being up since dawn, Jody is still fast asleep, Cadence is pulling Kleenex out of the box one by one. This is AFTER she has finished her toast and thrown her spinach and eggs (that I made) on the floor while saying "No, NO!" as I coaxed her to just try them. Apparently she does NOT like green eggs. She took off her clothes, crawled upon the table, got my hot tea and is now using my vitamin bottle as a musical instrument to shake while she also shakes her "tail feathers". It occurs to me that "Housewife" is a title that falls far short of my job description. I'm changing my title to "International Peace Keeper".








There goes the diaper...and isn't even 8am.