We love Skype and It Helps Us When Missing Family!

We love our Skype time with family. Koda and Kenai love their new baby cousin Randy.

Cody's "Study" Boys

Cody and Pontus are faithful at leading these boys every Thursday evening at our house. They take turns teaching. As you can see, our ministries are outgrowing our house! That's a good thing!!!

Family Night Fun Twice A Month

So this month, we chopped the boys hair off. This is a before shot 

The after shot

Well, after a big day of fishing for Cody and some of the other fishermen, what perfect timing for Family Night!!!

Us girls all cut up vegetables for fried rice to go with the fish. If you look close enough, you can see us using our toes to help hold the knives- Sri Lankan system... it continues to grow on me :)

Uncle Cody lovin on his girl... Johnson's daughter Stephanie

A night with no rain... bring out the games! Corn home, carambe and bad mitten for all!

 Cody marinating his yummy fish

 Nadika, one of our newer Ladies Tea girls, cutting vegetables

Kenai loves his Auntie Inoka

Eat me!!!!

 mmmmm..... Sushi! 

 My dear friend Kavitha- so you have a face to go with the requests

A Shop Built For Nondanee

This is Nondanee. She is a widowed mom of 4 kids and Cody built her this shop to use as her business.  She sells drinks and food and also clothing. Please pray for her as she runs this business and tries to care for her children (including 3 wild boys). She has a great heart and I love that she's coming to Ladies Tea now!! 

Surf/Dive Boys Road Trip on New Years

As a family, we took 6 boys on a road trip on the other side of the island. Cody had promised Babu to do that for his birthday. We all surfed, the boys spearfished, played on the beach and had a blast.

 Babu in the tube

 Cody in the tube

 The boys room 

We had the blessing from one of our friends that we've met on island to come enjoy his hotel for the day, even though all of his rooms were full. For some of the boys, it was there first time to swim in a swimming pool. 

That night, New Years Eve, our friend Davide (the owner of the hotel) invited us to be special guests to  their New Years Eve Dinner Party. It was probably a $40-$50 meal, that he blessed all 10 of us with for free. Some of the food included lobster, shrimp, pig, turkey, tons of finger foods and desserts. "This is the best night of my life" was what one of them said. We had to remind them that it was an all you can eat seafood buffet, so don't fill up on rice; get a little of everything. They didn't quite get that. It was like little kids in a candy store and they could pick out anything they wanted for free. It was fun to watch- they were stoked. 

Our friend Davide had also arranged a band to play for the evening. And lo and behold the band playing was the most famous group in Sri Lanka. All of the tourists at the hotel had not a clue about this, but our boys were so excited!!! They had never met anyone famous like that before. They took pictures with them and played ping pong together with them (for the first time ever) and became friends on each others facebooks. 

We danced to some of the songs. It was great- when the Sri Lankan songs were played, the boys were so excited and knew their dances for it; and watching the tourists try to dance like our local boys was hilarious!!!!!!! It was such a blessing also to have the boys on a road trip and not have hotel owners question us for having the boys. Davide was great- he just wanted to bless these boys, as he encourages  what STN is doing. 

The boys fell asleep at 10. They were wiped after a long fun day playing in the pool. Love having flexible kids that will sleep anywhere!

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!

On the drive home we encountered a large friend that stood in the road and kept his trunk in the road to block it. We had a throw a cookie out, then he let us through. So funny! 

Sleeping on the drive

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Twas the night before Christmas... We took the cushions from the benches and made a little bed under the Christmas tree to watch a Christmas movie, eat my homemade pizza and read our Christmas story. 

The next morning we awoke to see what Santa had brought (only what was in the stockings- he doesn't get a lot of credit :) and also what was so lovingly given to our boys from their grandparents and wonderful supporters. We started the morning with our Christmas story from the kids Bible and then opened gifts, ate cinnamon rolls and homemade apple cider, played with the toys, puzzles, watched a Christmas movie, and skyped with a lot of our family. 

The boys were so stoked on their cubby vests! We have been doing Awana Cubbies for Sunday school at our house on Sunday mornings. They are so excited to memorize verses and earn patches. Thanks to their Auntie Joanna Franke and Grandma for getting the vests for them. 

It was a blessing to Skype with my brother and see how big my nephew Randy is getting. I think he looks like my dad :)

We spent the morning as a family, then by noon the gates were opened and we started decorating and getting ready for Babu and Jesus' birthday party! 

We had around 100 people come, like last year and ordered food for 150. We got to bless some of the families with leftovers too. The ladies and I served the food....

....and some of the girls passed it out. The window service worked great! Cody took off a couple of the bars and we kept traffic out of the kitchen. 

My sweet husband blessed me by relieving me in the kitchen to mingle and dance with friends. They worked hard and made packages for the people to take home

We inherited a kitty and she thinks Cookie is her mom. And Cookie nurses her just like she is her mom. Too funny! We got video of it!