ALPS

So today is the much anticipated ALPS day, basically Aparna Towers Day. Part of me has been dreading this day, because India gets really excited about their "holidays" and this special day was to celebrate our apartment complex, so as you can imagine it has been a "big to do". Of course i know what this means, lots of chaos and out of control loud music, and wouldn't you know it, they picked the parking lot under my apartment to have the festivities.

Well today it kicked off and i listened to the DJ doing sound check all afternoon, enjoying the club mix (lol), wondering how entertaining this day was going to be. Then i got the phone call from Becca that changed it all. There was a camel downstairs right below my balcony! I love camels, and i have seen a few in my time here in India, but have yet to get a picture of Ella Mae next to a camel, which is something i really wanted. So Ryan and i headed down to the party with camera in tow!

I couldn't help but share a little in the enthusiasm. It was a mini western carnival. It had vendors serving sweet corn and cotton candy, a magician, a balloon animal artist, a bouncy tent, a puppet show, a tarot card reader, and games like hat toss and shoot the balloons. They were so proud of this event that they actually brought in professional choreographers to teach residents how to do a dance for the show. They have a red carpet and a VIP section in front of the stage, clearly a very big deal!

We had fun walking around and checking it all out. They even brought over 3 Harley Davidson's to put on display. The Hyderabad Harley Davidson store just opened about a year ago and seems to be a big deal. I really felt like i was at a little country fair, minus the rides of course. You could ride the camel however!

We had to call it a night before the show began, but as i mentioned the festivities are right outside my back door so i have been watching some of the dancing. The professional dancers are really rather fun to watch. When the kids came on that had been instructed days earlier by the choreographer i couldn't help but feel like i was at a grade school program. The choreographer even had to get on stage to break up the bunch ball effect that was going on with the little ones, it was so cute!

They are lighting off the fire lanterns, and as long as none of them end up lighting my porch on fire, they are very beautiful. I have to admit, that this is one event that i actually enjoyed. Everyone is very excited about it, and i think that excitement has become contagious, or maybe i am just getting used to the many reasons to party here in India.

CHRISTmas

Today we celebrated Ella Mae's first Christmas, due to Ryan having to work on Christmas Day. Christmas has always been very special to me, i am one of those people that is "addicted" to the season! I think that it has become far to easy to forget what Christmas is really about in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. We brush God aside and allow the commercial aspect of Christmas to not only take over but to overwhelm! I am not saying that i don't have a Christmas tree and that we didn't give Ella Mae gifts, because we do and we did, but we started our traditions with referring to Christmas as Jesus' birthday and began our morning by reading the Christmas story. This is our year to start traditions and as her parents it is our job to bring her up with the knowledge and understanding of God and the amazing gift he gave us in the birth of his son.

I was worried this year that it would not feel like Christmas, being so far from home and in a country that really doesn't celebrate Christmas, but as i prayed about it all things began to fall into place. We were able to bring a piece of our traditional Christmas with us, from the Christmas tree and stockings hanging, to the beautiful carols loaded onto my ipod. All of these things are part of that Christmas "feeling" and our family will continue on these traditions, we will however put less emphasis on a fabled Santa and more on the birth of our savior, less on gifts under the tree and more on the gift of eternal life that Jesus gave us.

I am saddened by all of the Xmas i see posted all around, a deep reminder of the fact that so many have taken Christ out of Christmas! I hope that this holiday season more and more people will be drawn back to the true meaning of Christmas and that they too will find joy in the deeper more significant meaning than the commercialized version we have so easily embraced. Christmas, after all should not be a stress to come up with that perfect gift, or to impress with that perfect tree...It is a time of love, family and friendship. I had to go 8000 miles from home to be reminded of these things and i hope that we can show Ella Mae the true meaning of Christmas this year and every year to come.

God Bless us all....Merry CHRISTmas!

Momma

"Momma"....The words we woke up to this morning! Ella Mae is a mover and a shaker and now apparently a complete jabber box, with her favorite word being Momma!!! It melts my heart to hear her little personal conversations, whispers, and squeals! She is AMAZING...How on earth did we get so lucky and PRAISE GOD for such an out of this world blessing!!!!

Christmas love

Ella Mae warms my heart more and more each day. Since we have been home Ryan has not been home at all and has been doing overnights every day. Ella Mae has been amazing and in spite of the jet lag she has been sleeping rather well for me and has been in a generally good mood. She cut tooth number two on our first night home and i think she has another one on it's way! It's funny, she is nearly 9 months old and had no teeth up until a week ago and now it seems they may all just come at once! LOL

I have been trying to get into the holiday spirit, so of course Christmas music is a daily must and today i made sugar cookie dough. Tomorrow i get to bake, frost, and sprinkle them. I can't wait until Ella Mae and i can do this together. Ryan and i are trying to figure out when we will celebrate together as a family since his schedule is all messed up. We will figure it out and it will be great. This is such a special holiday, I love celebrating the birth of Christ and now that i have a little girl it is even more special to me. I keep hoping for snow, and then i remember where i am...Snow is not going to happen! We will be having a tropical Christmas this year!!!!

Family, Friends, and the birth of Christ

WOW i have not blogged in a VERY long time! So much has happened!

We just returned from our very busy block off in the USA. It was amazing and just what we needed! My entire family was able to all be together for Thanksgiving and it filled my heart with joy to the point of overflow! It was wonderful having all of us together again and getting to have Ella Mae spend time with so much family and friends. She is truly a social butterfly and she just ate it up! It actually took me 3 weeks to convince her that she certainly did not need to be held every second, something that we do not do at home. We like her to be independent and play solo a bit so that Mommy can get things done! This Thanksgiving will be held dear to my heart for a lifetime!

After my sisters and their families headed home it was time to get some serious work done on the house as we had undertaken a HUGE remodel project in the short 4 weeks we were home. I have to hand it to Ryan, my Dad, Jeremie and Chris, they truly pulled it off! The basement looks awesome! Too bad we wont get to enjoy it for another 4 months! Typical!!!

We were able to spend some much valued time with the Kings, who are basically family as far as we are concerned! We had a great time watching Ella Mae play with Alex and Eva, who did a great job of entertaining her! We also spent a fantastic night out with the kids at Waitiki and got to stay in the big suite at the La Quinta. Sarah and i got to celebrate our birthdays together again, which hadn't happened for a couple of years. It was very special for us, and i am just sad that we wont be home to help Sarah out during Chris' upcoming deployment. Ella Mae also got to spend quite a bit of time with her "uncle Jeremie" and Jen. Jeremie has been family for many years and i love to have her spend time with him!

Ella Mae got to spend much time with her Grammie Dee and Grampa John and for me those moments are truly treasured! The last weekend we were home Ryan's Mom braved a blizzard and drove to see her little Ella Mae. They had a great time together, and Dona Jane even babysit for the night. For me, seeing Ella Mae with her grandparents is so special. Next time we are home i hope that her Grandpa Bill will be able to come! I didn't get much time with mine and i really want that relationship for her!

Ella Mae had quite the groundbreaking month. She had her very first cold and ear infection, of course this had to happen on our last weekend right in time to get on a plane! She also cut her very first tooth on our last day home and when my Mom was leaving after saying goodbye she crawled after her Grammie for the first time! It was so wonderful for my Mom to be there for that. She also started saying Mama, although she doesn't know what it means, but it still makes me happy.

Coming back to India so close to Christmas is a bit bittersweet. I have to say that this being my first Christmas away from home i was worried. Christmas is so special to me, i am 32 and i have spent EVERY Christmas with my family except for this one. This year is even more special because it is the first year for Ryan and i to have our own family Christmas. We want it to always be as special to Ella Mae as it is for us. We get to start our own traditions.

I was worried that i wouldn't be able to make it feel like Christmas. Let me just say that as a Christian i am well aware that Christmas is not about trees, lights, or presents, but those things carry a feeling of Christmas. I know that without all of these things we celebrate Christs birth, the true meaning of Christmas. I do however want to have a Christmas tree with all of the trimmings, for me those things fill the house with the feeling of Christmas.

We, happily, arrived home to find that Becca had purchased us a Christmas tree! It was such a relief! I went and bought lights and decorations and now our house feels very Christmasy. The first night Ryan and i decorated the house and tree and sat in the dark enjoying the ambiance. We have been playing Christmas music and watching seasonal movies...I guess it is true, you can bring a feeling anywhere with you! I still find myself getting a bit sad, but then i look at Ryan and Ella Mae and i realize that i am HOME. Unfortunately, typical of a pilot, Ryan will be doing an overnight Christmas Eve, Day, and the day after so we will have to celebrate Christmas on the 23rd.

It is good to be back in India (i can't believe i am saying that). India, somehow, has become home! We were greeted by our friends the minute we returned and Ella Mae lit up at the door of Kira's house. This has always been her home and sometimes i forget that. This is where she is used to being, and when we go home to the US, for her, it is more of a vacation. I love and miss my family and friends. I can't wait until we go home for good, but for now we dont know when that will be so for now this is home and i am happy!

Belly Laugh

Let the good times roll

Well it is almost time for us to take our block off back in the US and we are so excited! Ella Mae is getting so big and is trying to crawl now and i really hope that she waits until we get home so my family can be there for it. We are unbelievable blessed in that all of my sisters and their families will be sharing Thanksgiving with us! We just cannot wait!!!

Ella Mae is growing in leaps and bounds, she is learning so fast and it just blows my mind! She tries so hard to crawl but just hasn't quite got it figured out but any day now. Her teeth have got to be close because you can FINALLY see the raised area where they will come in. She has expanded her "vocabulary" and loves testing her voice at all octaves. She gives kisses by the hundreds, loves to hug and cuddle and has even started patting your back or arm when you cuddle with her. We fall more and more in love with her each and every day!

Things are great in India, although we could do without the fireworks that have been non stop for about a week now. By the time we come home Ella Mae will be able to sleep through ANYTHING! It is so loud here!!! Stacey is back in town for a little while and it was great to finally get to introduce her to Ella Mae! She spoiled the girls with some very adorable outfits and cuddles. Ella Mae is infatuated with her. It is great to have almost the whole group together at the same time, short of one back in the US on block off right now. It has been nearly 9 months since we have all been together! Ella Mae and Kira enjoy each others company and have quite the big sister/little sister relationship going on (they are only 5 months apart). We are bummed that we will be missing sweet Kira's first birthday, but we will be sure to bring her back some goodies from the US!!!

Life is good, what can i say!

**side note, one of these days i will finally have time to finish and post the Rome Blog...there is just so much information to fill in and my "alone" time is limited to small chunks.**