Caedmon turned 9!

Caedmon is 9 years old.  Thankfully this year his birthday fell on a Sunday, which always makes it more fun for the boys since they are off from school.  We celebrated with our annual traditions of cinnamon rolls and presents for breakfast, favorite foods for lunch and dinner, and a piñata and cake with neighbors in the afternoon.  Caedmon thoroughly enjoyed the day!

Cinnamon Roles for breakfast!

Caedmon received Chess, Silly Putty, and a watch for his birthday.  

He said the Silly Putty was his favorite, though he faithfully wears his watch everyday and takes it to bed with him.

As for Chess, Caedmon mostly learned with friends at school.  He consistently beats me and if him and John don't end in a stale mate, they take equal turns winning.

playing with balloons

We have a tradition of putting balloons in the birthday person's room equal to the number of years they are turning.

Evangeline dressed for a party

a piñata with neighbors

Caedmon turned 9!

Morning Activities

Since returning from our vacation with the grandparents, Caedmon and Whitman have returned to local school here in Barat, but with a twist.  As we have acquired land and hope to move to the other side of town, we decided to enroll them both in an elementary school in the same neighborhood.  Initially we anticipated their beginning a new school to occur simultaneously with our move, or at least within a month of each other.  Unfortunately, we are still awaiting important pieces of wood for the actual house building to begin.  Thankfully Caedmon and Whitman have transitioned to a new school very well.  Both of the boys left friends and the familiarity of their previous school.  For Whitman this also meant entering elementary school which here means a great deal more sitting and ‘working’ than playing.  After their first day, they both said it was different than they expected, but in positive ways!  Caedmon was happy that there were girls who already knew his name.  Whitman said it was different than he expected because it was similar to kindergarten in that he spent his day just writing letters and numbers.  The children are much less accustomed to seeing westerners in that part of town, resulting in the boys being followed around, stared at, and touched quite a bit.  Thankfully they seem to be taking this well.  Whitman gets out an hour before Caedmon and because the frequent crowd that follows him, he often joins Caedmon in class until his brother finishes as well.  

Dressed and heading out for the first day!

Whitman and Caedmon entering their new school

As for John and I the five-minute drive to school has become a 20 minute drive instead.  Relatively speaking we know this is nothing to what many in the States under take on a daily basis, but due to this fact and the boys getting out at 11am and 12pm (why two different times I’m still trying to figure out), John and I have decided to spend our mornings in that area of town building relationships within our future community.  People always seems happy to have us there and often ask why we both don’t come every morning.  We alternate mornings to allow Evangeline to take her morning nap, which seems to be a reason that doesn't quite fit into the local's 'cultural box.'

Filling water containers to use at home.

I, Erin, have spent my morning in the new neighborhood with women in their homes or out doing what they do, which has consisted mostly of going to the market or filling water containers.

We had city water installed at our property.  Since we are not using it yet, we have allowed neighbors to use it when it runs, which seems to be once a week.  Some people have wells at their homes, but being so close to the sea they say it is very salty.  Others use neighborhood wells for all water used in their homes.  

We are praising the Father that this transition for the boys has gone so well and that they seem to be enjoying school!  I, Erin, was also skeptical of spending a whole morning, multiple time per week in that area, but my fears and uncertainties have been replaced with very welcoming arms and rich settings for language and culture study.  

A Grandparents’ Visit

The beginning of July brought Jack and Melinda, John’s parents, to our side of the world.  It is always a big treat to have friends or family visit us in Barat.  It makes our stories more real to them and encourages us to have them physically present in our lives, even if for a short while.  We spent almost a week showing them around Barat.  It was perfect timing as the boys were also on break from both local and home schooling. 

Grammy and Evangeline

We spent the first couple days in the big city; shopping and just enjoying one another's company.

A cave with ancient pictures.

On our way home to Barat we stopped at a local tourist attraction which we had not seen before.

Whitman and Grampy

Caedmon and Whitman

We spent a week together in Barat, showing Jack and Melinda around the places we most spend our time.

Our Land

We spent a morning visiting the site where we are building a home and hope to live.

Visiting with the builders and neighbors

Caedmon and Grammy in our home

Grampy

Caedmon and Whitman recently acquired two lizards as pets.  When we leave town, the gentleman who gave them to the boys takes care of them for us.  This man has many other reptiles at his home.

Grammy buying vegetables from the traveling vegetable seller.

In front of a Pine Tree

We took a hike with John's English students to a hill outside of town.  It was weird to see pine needles and pine cones, then look out and see palm trees, who knew they could live in the same area.

Our Hike

The hills outside of town are where many of the vegetables for the market are grown.  

Lunch with English Students

We ate at our favorite restaurant right on the beach about 20 minutes outside of town.

After our time together in Barat, we all traveled to Ho Chi Minh City for a bit of vacation and history from the Vietnam War. 

Caedmon and Whitman relaxing by the pool.

Seeing the sites in town

At the war museum.

French influence from colonial days

Reunification Palace

This was the presidential palace of the south during the war.

Evangeline hanging out with Grampy

Our Family

We visited tunnels that were used in the war.

Jack in a tunnel

They have been made larger for visitors.

Melinda in a tunnel

Continental Hotel: the place many reports stayed or worked during the war.

Appears in the movie "A Quiet American"

Walking a more traditional local street

In front of the Opera House

Evangeline passing time in the airport, such a great traveler!

Returning home from vacation is always difficult.  Our vacations have many of the commodities and conveniences, such as hot showers, flushing toilets, western food, and constant air-conditioning  that we do not have in Barat.  But even more then returning to the lack of familiar conveniences, we returned home without the grandparents.  Though we are saddened to be without them, it makes us that much more thankful for the time we were able to spend together and their willingness to travel far!

Fasting and Feasting

The month of June brought a very different schedule to our lives.  It was the month of fasting which alters most aspects of the community.  Restaurants are not open during the day here in Barat and people operate on a rather different schedule as well; rising at 3am to make and eat breakfast, going to work late, napping longer during the day, and closing up shop early. 

John fasted most days along with our neighbors.  This resulted in him waking up at 4am to eat breakfast and also use the time to study.  Then as I, Erin, was getting up at 5:30am, John usually went back to bed until 8ish.  John would join the rest of us for lunch, but wouldn’t eat again until 6pm when the fast finished for the day.  Many people were less consistently available which made regular language study difficult for John.  The boys finished local school and homeschooling, so they were home all day, yet many of the neighbor kids were not, either spending their time at their grandparents’ house or attending special religious classes.  As the boys didn’t have any organized activities, John came up with the idea of holding an informal soccer practice twice a week in the neighborhood we are planning to move to.  The goal was to provide an activity for kids the same age as Caedmon and Whitman to enable them to get to know each other before we actually move.  It turned out to be an enjoyable activity for all.  During most days Evangeline and I wandered around visiting with our neighbors to be. 

Soccer in our neighborhood to be

Fruit Soup Ingredients: a very popular way to break the fast
(mix papaya, fruit syrup, coconut jellies, sweetened condensed milk, and jello with water and ice)

We brought drinks or sweets to 'break the fast' each soccer practice, though most of the kids in that area were not fasting.

Caedmon eating jello, made from agar (seaweed).

At the end of the fasting month the largest holiday is celebrated.  Culturally this is a time when special foods are made and family and friends visit.  We visited various friends and neighbors the day of the holiday and the few days following.  At each house we visited we were met with drinks, cookies, and plates of food.  Not knowing how many of our friends might stop by our own house, I prepared a large pot of a traditional Barat chicken soup.  It has a little bite to it, but Whitman thoroughly enjoyed it!

Blending spices: large chili pepper, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, and shallots.

Spices are mixed with chicken broth, coconut milk, salt, chicken bullion, and fried shallots.  It is served with rice and hard boiled eggs.

Visiting and eating at a friend's house.

Visiting family with a friend.

Our Baby is One

Just the other day a local friend asked which season in the States I, Erin, miss the most.  As I thought about the question , I realized I miss the changing of seasons the most as there is not an end to the heat nor do I notice the passing of time in the same way the seasons cause.  With that said, it seems every so hard to believe that our baby girl is now one-year-old. 

Sunday, June 4^th, we celebrated Evangeline’s first birthday as a family.  We have been immensely blessed over the past year.  Evangeline was born, healthy and whole,just one day after we arrived in the big city, which is where we desired to give birth.  My body healed and adjusted to nursing quicker than I remember with either of the boys.  We flew to apply for her passport within her first week of life and she stayed healthy throughout all the traveling.  Evangeline had a passport and we all received visas within her frist month.  Other than a few colds, ant bites, and mosquito bites that turn into very large red spots on her very white skin, she has been very healthy.  These many blessings are create such praise as we live in an environment and culture so different than John and I grew up in. 

Birthday Girl at Breakfast

For her birthday I made cranberry scones.  She enjoyed the scones but picked out most of the cranberries.   We then celebrated at lunch with some of her favorite foods, cupcakes, and presents.  It was a nice time together!

We all enjoyed spaghetti, corn on the cob, and a spinach like vegetable.

Not sure what to do with the cupcake.

Figuring it Out

Thoroughly enjoying it!

Investigating the Presents

Help from Whitman

Kisses for a Baby Doll

Happy Girl