The quarter pole

Today is our three month (quarter of a year) anniversary here in Shell and the first quarter at Nate Saint school just ended on Friday. Time to get nostalgic... well maybe I'll just give an update on things here lately.
- the biggest news in our home the last few weeks are our two new family members- George and Princess. These 2 kittens were left in a box by the hangar trash can and we adopted them into our home almost 3 weeks ago. They're very cute and it's fun watching them grow. It's not so much fun trying to protect them at times from Luke's "ignorant enthusiasm".
- Jodie's class is taking a cross country trip across the U.S.A. Well, not literally. But they recently began a social studies simulated trip in Washington D.C. and have "traveled" to Pittsburgh and Lancaster, PA. They'll "visit" Philadephia this week before heading to New York City and then Plymouth, MA for Thanksgiving. (if anyone is interested in sending a post card to the class from your neck of the woods in the U.S., let us know and we'll give you the address)
-November brings a lot of visitors to MAF here in Shell. We have 3 guys from the Nampa, ID corporate offices coming down this month as well as a work team from California. Then we all go away Thanksgiving weekend for our MAF family retreat. We're going to a conference center between Ambato and Quito and a team is coming down from Arkansas to share with our families that weekend.
-The kids continue to make things lively around here. Shea has begun to make scrambled eggs independently (he'll be the omlette chef at the Willow Valley Palm Court brunch next summer). Micah wrote and illustrated three "books" in the last week. Jadyn enjoys singing- worship songs, bible songs she's learned at preschool and even songs she's made up herself . Luke has added "hasta luego" to his Spanish vocabulary. The other night at dinner the following "random, unrelated thoughts" were uttered in quick succession.
Micah: "Sometimes I throw up"
Shea: "I hate Ice Age 2"
Jadyn: "Grandma calls my white shirts 'blouses'"
-A November traditon for our family the last few years has been making a thankful chain. Throughout the month we all think of things we're thankful for, write them on a strip of paper, and make a chain (sort of like a Thanksgiving advent). When we stop to think and document all that God's provided us with: Wow we've a lot to be thankful for.