Gingerbread Houses

Last night we made Gingerbread houses at the Nicholes house, it was my first time attempting it and I found out that it takes a while, but it is sooo much fun! Here are our end results:

Tyler's House: which is our actual house in Congo, complete with barb-wire, guard, banana tree, pool, columns, and big cockroaches!

Becca's house.

Spencer's train.
Stephanie's house.
Ally's whole countryside with castle!!!
Lilly and Daisy's castle.
Haylee working on her masterpiece. I loved the rocks on the back for the fireplace/chimney.

Jeanne's masterpiece. It is quite obvious that Haylee and Jeanne have the talent for this gingerbread house making. But it was all fun and very yummy! 

long time...

Sorry we haven't been on much lately, but we have been busy filling our time with family and friends! We have made it back to the States, for just a visit, but we are loving it! We have seen so many family members and friends since being here. It's been great! I'll have pictures up here soon enough of birthday parties, Christmas parties, family, battle of the bands (rock band) and twilight viewing. :) It's a wonder I have time to write anything on here. :) Oh and tune in on Dec. 29th to the Jazz game against the 76ers. Tyler and I scored COURTSIDE seats at the Jazz game!!!! Yes that's right, I think we are pretty much towards the middle of the court on the floor, so see if you can spot us (we'll be on the opposite side of the players). Anywho...pictures to come. 

Happy Birthday Becca!!!

Just so everyone knows it is Becca's birthday today. And since it is her birthday I wanted to let her know how much I love her and list the reasons I love her. She holds our family together and makes our home a peace full loving place even though we are in the middle of a war torn country. There never has been a day when I don't looking forward to going home after my work day is over. Having never left the United States, I wasn't sure how Becca would react when I told her that I wanted to work for the State Department and live overseas, but she knew it was something I wanted and supported me, even when we found out we would be going to the Congo. And even though she doesn't understand the language, hates all the spiders and cockroaches and doesn't like dealing with all the street kids knocking on our car windows asking for money, she has stayed here with me. She is constantly surprising me what she likes about this place.

Becca is wonderful, beautiful wife and mother who is always looking out for others. One of the things I admire about her the most is how much charity she has. She is always wanting to help those around us, and it was amazing to see her at the orphanage on Saturday, talking to the kids, asking questions about the program and trying to think of other ways we can help out.

Spencer loves his mom very much, in fact most morning when he wakes up he calls for her and if I go in there he says that he wants his mommy. Spencer is a good kid, and it is Becca's patience and loving personality that has put Spencer on the right track. Spencer wanted to right a few things so here is his message:

Spencer says "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Mommy, Happy Birthday to you" Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday. All of that stuff. Kisses, Kisses, I love you. I think my mommy is the greatest because she carries me, builds houses with me. Mommy is sharing and loving and she plays gold fish with me.

More Spencerisms....

I'm thinking we are going to start having weekly "Spencerisms" posts on here. What can I say...he's 4?!?! Kids definitely say the darnedest things. So here are the stories for this week.

-My mom wasn't feeling great this past weekend, and we called her on Sunday to see how she was doing. Spencer got on the phone and said, "Hey Grandma, how's that leg of yours going?" What kid begins a conversation that way?? :) Ours. He was remembering how this summer she had foot surgery and we were there, there was nothing wrong with her leg this time.

-Another one that happened on Sunday was at church. And the teacher asked Spencer if he was going to see his Great-Grandma Rigby in a couple of weeks. I reminded him that she is the one that played ping-pong with him. He said, "Yes I'm going to see Grandma, but Poppa died. It made me really sad and I cried. It still makes me sad sometimes." He is talking about my Grandpa Rigby who passed away in August. Although I told him that he had passed away, he didn't go up to Logan with me for the funeral or anything. It amazed me that he was so perceptive to realize what was going on. These little ones are special spirits that's for sure.

-Last one. Today Spencer and I had lots of boxes at the house so he figured out to use them as a car, and we cut and taped and got a big car made. Well he also decided that the car was going to drive us to the United States (his words not mine). I told him there was a big ocean between here and the United States. So he decided his car would be a plane also and could fly. Anyway, we start on our adventure and we "drive" to the airport, get our suitcases and proceed into the airport. He says to me, "Oh I hope we didn't miss the plane, we have to hurry." Then he gets up to the ticket counter (the coffee table) and asks "Are we too late?" We find out we just made the plane. So we rush onto the plane and put our suitcases in their proper places, have drinks, and watch TV. He then told me we have to take 3 planes to get to Ally's house (that's where we were going, Utah). So we continue rushing up to counters making sure we weren't late, and getting on airplanes, putting suitcases away, drinking drinks, watching TV and sleeping. Finally after our third airplane we get off the plane and he goes into the living room looking up and asking, "Now which one is it? Number two? Yes it's number two, it's this way Mom. We can get our suitcases there." Now....how does a 4-yr. old know these things!?!?!? Obviously one that has spent WAY too much time flying during his life. It's crazy!!! Finally we see Ally, which he runs up to (imaginary) her and we get into a car (that looks just like the one we made in Africa) and go to their house. He looks all around their house and went down for a rest. WHEW! What a morning! :) But look at all of that imagination!!! I love it! But really.....do any other 4-yr. olds play airplane/airport? I think we do at least once a week.