Jet-lagged...but Here

I have no photo for you today. But if I did, it would surely be of a man emerging slowly out of the dust-swirled road.
Basically, if I took a photo of anything, it would be dust-covered. Everything is dust-covered at the moment, and you know how cameras take to large quantities of dust. So no photos for now.
I can still tell you that we made it safely...all five of us and our ten bags. No complications. Yay.
The kids were champs. And I am so very thankful to say they are sleeping through the night (and happy to be back in their own beds)!
I have not been so blessed, but it will come. Jet lag seems to be more cruel to me the older I get.

In the meantime, ponder something I recently read (sorry, I cannot remember the author):

His thoughts said: "My longing is to heal the broken and the weak, to defend the maimed, and to lead the blind to sight of the glory of the Lord. My choice is to be a corn of wheat and fall into the ground and die.
Then why these waverings?"


His Father said: "Too much of your surface is exposed to the breath of every wind that blows. You must learn to dwell deep."


I wrote this down about a month ago, but it is hitting me more deeply now... as I watch and feel these dry and dusty winds blowing. I long to physically sink deep into the cooler levels of the earth, and my spirit also craves to dwell deeper.

What are you craving in this season?

The Airplane

The Zimmerman kids have a love affair with airplanes that is decidedly planted in the the idea of one day flying airplanes...not in being a mere passenger. They get excited before each flight, but any of you who have flown with small children know the magic wears off about an hour after take-off. If you're lucky.

On ground, they play airplanes daily. And they all have incredibly keen eyes for spotting them in the sky. 

But tomorrow...and the next day...we will all be nice an cozy (read "trapped") in airplanes for a total of 16 hours. Domestic flights are a breeze, people. 

Think of us. Pray for us. 

We've always made it, but I can safely say I never look forward to it. Ever. 

But before I know it, we'll be back in that home we love--the with the favorite avocado tree and the magenta bougainvillea. 

So long from America! "See" you in Africa oh so very soon :)

who we are

I have NO makeup on. It was a spur of the moment photo. But i absolutely love it. I look at this photo and I think, Yes! This is who we are. I can see into us in this photo. 

My favorite kind of photo. 

The real kind.

Last Weekend

This is our last weekend in the States. We've made much progress with the packing, so we are allowed to enjoy the weekend somewhat.

It's hard trying to savor the last days stateside when our minds have already flown over the ocean, back to our banana trees and dirt roads.

Let them Play

"It is easier to build strong children

than repair broken men."

I wholeheartedly embrace this quote. It makes me think of beautiful thoughts I recently read.

My children are strongest when they sense they are secure, loved wholly, and are given the freedom to play unhindered by me or by restrictive toys. 

As soon as I cracked open the door to my children's room today to let in the morning light, Ava was declaring that she and her brothers were going to the beach. Sure enough, once breakfast was eaten and dishes put away, the children were off to put on their sunscreen, grab their beach towels, and relax by the ocean's edge.

Ava wore her brimmed hat to give her extra protection from the sun rays. Tai wore a superman swimsuit (he still has no clue who Superman is--all he knows is that he rescues people...and he can fly!). A.J. enjoyed ruffling everyone's towels.

From breakfast until lunch, this was their work. Squeal-filled beachside play. In my in-laws' living room.

I want to build strong children. I will throw myself into making them feel secure and loved wholly. 

I will protect their play and inspire their imaginations. 

I will encourage wonderings and guide them in wonder. 

I will wrap them warmly in Story.

I will ensure boxes are used for gifts and storage...not for their thoughts and beliefs.

It may be easier to build strong children; but I will not use that as an excuse to slack--it is all the more reason for me to be devoted to it, head, heart and soul.

   

Thy Presence

Be Thou my vision,

O Lord of my heart;

naught be all else to me

save that Thou art.

Thou my best thought

in the day and the night;

waking or sleeping,

Thy presence my light.

California

We have left the land of my childhood, returning to the Pennsylvania farmlands. 

Only 2 short weeks remain. 

Then back to the hot African sun where our bodies can thaw.

4

He's four now, folks.

(photo by Nancy Noble)

And he's more determined and creative than ever. Watch out, world. I can only imagine what he's going to be like at twenty-four...

Merry Christmas!

from our family to yours!

photo by my favorite auburn-head Nancy Noble! ;)

Warmly,

The Zs

Colorado (home sweet home)

The mountains have my heart. I love the ocean. I love rolling green hills. There are so many stunning places on this planet! But it's in the rocky, rugged, jutting-up-to-the-sky mountains where I feel at home.

So, without further ado, photos from our month in in rocky mountain state:

Happily,

The Zs

The Art of Self Care

I have loved reading the recent blog posts over at Are So Happy, and I just had to share my own thoughts on Kyrie's most recent post about the art of self care. This is something I have been pondering for a year now. I could say a lot about it.

Below are two photos of something that nourishes me deeply... so much more than that extra cup of coffee or that unnecessary hour browsing the internet or even that lovely hot shower (though since being back in the States I guarantee you I have savored every one!).

Being in nature...in God's wonder full creation...whether in the woodlands where light takes on a magical life of its own

or by the soothing sounds and rhythms of the ocean

or in my heart's home...the mountains (the rocky kind). (Sorry, no photos yet...we're visiting Colorado next month!)

Though spending time outside by myself is a top-notch self-care experience, enjoying God's creation with my family refreshes me greatly.

Whether it is back in Uganda or here in the States, getting outside...even if it's simply in the yard to hear the leaves rustling and smell the scents of the season...is one of the most effective ways I take care of myself in the midst of motherhood.

And the outdoors is often where I really enjoy my children! Now, I actually like my children a lot, and we have plenty of wonderful moments inside our house. But there is something about those times outside--the special moments seem to be magnified there. So in a very tangible way my self-care time often turns to family-care time.

It's beautiful.

Of course this alone doesn't keep me in tip-top mother shape, but it helps. A lot.

Holiday

I'm missing our English friends at the moment, which is why I entitled this "Holiday," and not "Vacation."

Ah, but on to the point. The point is that we spent last week with family, and though the drive was really really really long, we made some beautiful family memories.

Our first "hello" to the ocean

Ava opened her arms and heart wide open to the ocean (And I want her hair!)

Big brother taking Little brother out for a ride

He's mine.

And in those moments driving back to Pennsylvania when I felt my ears couldn't take another scream or question or grumpy word, I had this--

One sun-kissed beach-perfect day. 

True, it was only one day, but it was a sun-kissed beach-perfect day. 

And that is what I choose to remember.

"The Pond"

It's fall! And I'm so very happy about that.

But before we leave summer behind, I must post a photo of our family enjoying summer in America. This photo is taken at "the pond." I must say we did a pretty good job at squeezing in as much swimming as we could during our first and only summer month in the States. We enjoyed a few pond boat rides too.

It is sad to see these days come to a close, but oooooohhhh am I ready for fall!

September

I have so much to show you!

But apparently I'm not organized well enough to show you all the photos at one time... so here is just one. Taken yesterday.
Of the coolest family I know :)

How did I become so blessed?

First "American" Lessons

We are stateside. It was not quite the uneventful trip we were hoping for (a lady next to us had a heart attack on one of our flights! There was lots of drama surrounding that...), but we made it.

AND our Ava is officially an American!

The children are adjusting more each day to the new time zone. I knew "Twinkle Twinkle" at 4:30 in the morning couldn't last forever....

So far we've had lessons on dishwashers, steering wheels on the "girls' side" of the car (apparently I don't drive enough in Africa!), and the central vac. Sweeping quickly became a fought over chore.

I have not taken a single photo yet. I'm blaming it on my own struggle to overcome jet lag. I might not sing before the birds are awake, but I still find myself rather foggy during the day. But I'll try to change all that soon.

More than students

This group of young people have become more than just my students.

They have become young men and women I love deeply. Teaching them is a privilege and a blessing. I love our discussions, interactions, and watching them learn and discover. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think they love it too. They are special; and though I will miss them this next term, I am excited to continue our relationship next year.
Each of them has such potential and hope.
If they graduate O levels with a deepened love for reading, an appreciation for good literature, and an ability to engage with anything they read, I will count that as great success. I hope they will have been challenged to strive for excellence; I hope they will have seen what they are truly capable of; and I hope they will have been encouraged to ponder the things of life in new ways.

They are treasures.

I Have Cute Kids

Am I allowed to say that? Well, shucks. It's true. I mean, look at this photo I managed to capture of them loving on each other.

In case you were wondering, Ava dressed her brothers the day I took this photo. She likes them to match, and they like it too :).

Goofy is a staple around here; and though A.J. is the Goofy King, Ava and Tai are quite adept in the art as well.

Right now the most common topics of conversation revolve around airplanes and helicopters and rocket ships, all of which are apparently methods of transportation we'll be using to travel to and from America soon. They have no idea how life is going to change in the next week or two, but they have no doubt that it will be nothing short of thrilling.
I can't wait to snap photos of them watching the washing machine, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner, and other "modern appliances." I am going to be camera giddy!

The feel of this blog should change drastically once we arrive in the States, because posts will revolve around seeing friends and family and doing "normal" life. But I hope you will continue to follow our journey. I assure you "normal" will look entirely different through the eyes of my African-bush children! :)

Harvest Week!

Though the farm workers are still harvesting maize, last week was our official harvest week where all staff and kids come out to help. My primary job for at least one of the days is that of photographer. I don't mind :)

my favorite part of the harvest... the farmer :)

And of course there's the traditional "youngest harvester" photo

my favorite outfit of the day...

As harvesters filled up these sacks of maize, farm workers collected them and put them in the trailer pulled by the tractor

Lovely Farm cooks roasting maize for hungry harvesters

Can you tell our soils need a little work? Maize size is a bit...inconsistent! 

Little harvesters taking a break for pancakes (I've learned the hard way that being fully stocked is CRUCIAL to a happy harvest day!)

Later in the day, the students began to gravitate down to the fish ponds. They were curious to see our integrated method. Several girls waded out to see the new fingerlings that were adjusting to their new environment in one of the ponds.

They found the hatchery fascinating.

As EXCITED as I am to be in the States for several months, I will miss this farm and these kids. 

Friday Face Paint Fun!

This is what I end up doing when I'm not quite sure what to do with my time:

He's a night sky!

They're a lion and a zebra (that's what they're supposed to be). Tai's "ponytail" was just me trying to get the hair out of his face, but you have to admit it's quite hilarious.

The jobs I had planned for the day were completed way too quickly, and soon I was sitting around with a cup of tea and a big chunk of free time. 

So out came the face paints. That's a natural response to unexpected free time, right?

There is a beautiful pink flower running around somewhere too, but she escaped my cameral lense.

Then, to complete this wonderful whim, Adrianne and I gave free creative license to each other...and this is what resulted from that:

Adrianne attempted a sunrise on my face...what do you think? :)

Actually, it was more like this...

We laughed a lot today. Those days are so much fun, aren't they? 

Hoping you'll have a laughing-til-your-belly-hurts kind of moment today!

19 Free Books?!

And not just any books, 19 Elsa Beskow books! Oh my goodness, oh my goodness... Did you know we do not own a single Beskow book? Though they have been on my wish list for ages, living in Africa sometimes throws wrenches in one's book-buying. But how great would it be if I actually (for the first time ever) won a giveaway and had 19 Elsa Beskow books waiting for me upon my arrival in America? That would undoubtedly feed my unquenchable love for books--children's books--no less.

If you are a children's book lover, please enter this giveaway. It's way too generous to pass up.