Top Ten: Jardim Zoologico

After we returned from the U.S., we decided to buy passes for the Lisbon Zoo. They basically pay for themselves after just two visits, and this way, we can go several times over the next few months, and not feel pressured to see and do it all in one day. We have already been twice, and will be going again this coming Tuesday for our next field trip! Here are my top ten pictures from our first two zoo trips (both with the Meyer family):

Group picture just inside the entrance holding some pretty birdies! Notice that Biruk is not holding a bird -- he was a little too scared...

But the next time we went, Biruk was so brave and agreed to let a bird sit on his shoulder for a picture of the 3 boys together! I just love this picture and how it captures each boy's personality so perfectly!

The zoo has a bird show with trained birds, including several birds of prey. That was very cool.

There is also a dolphin show, of Sea World quailty I am told. After seeing this show, Alex informed me he wants to be a dolphin trainer when he grows up.

One of the most unique features of this zoo is the teleférico, or cable car ride. It takes you all around the zoo so you can view the animals from up above! The kids love it, of course!

And now for a few animals:

 Hippos

 Rhino (I am curious what happened to his horn. I wonder if he was a poaching victim.)

 Flamingoes

Lions napping

Giraffes

I just realized that all my animal pictures are African animals! I guess that reveals my bias.

Top Ten: August Rush

Forgive the movie reference (great flick, by the way)... but that really is an apt description of our August. I can't believe it's already mid-September and I haven't done any real updating on our lives since we got back from our time in the U.S.

So, without further ado, here are some snapshots of life in the past month...

We arrived back in Lisbon just in time to go on another field trip with our teacher, Eunice. Again, we went to Sintra, and this time, we toured the Quinta da Regaleira. The kids had a great time exploring the gardens, which included towers to climb, dark tunnels to get lost in, and a lake with stepping stones to cross.

Group picture in the gardens

The villa

The Saturday after we got back, we attended the wedding of Johnny and Susana, friends from the Lisbon church of Christ. Rusty did several pre-marital counseling sessions with them before we left for the U.S. They usually came to our house for dinner one night a week, and then they would talk with Rusty in the kitchen while I put the kids to bed. We enjoyed the wedding, but it was very hot and the boys were tired and still suffering from jet-lag, so we left before all the festivities were over.



Our family with Mr. and Mrs. John Soares

We spent the first couple of weeks after we got back just trying to keep cool. We don't have air conditioning in our apartment, so when the weather gets hot and humid, we just have to suffer through it. Since we're on the second floor, we do get very nice breezes, especially in the evening, and I have to admit that it is nice to fall asleep with the windows open listening to the sound of the waterfall in the park right next to our building.



Watching TV in their underwear / diaper (too hot to even think about going outside).

Taking baths is a great way to cool off!

Alex's trains have a new home... in the trundle bed! Makes clean-up a breeze!

Alex had a week off of school right when we got back, but then he started a new year at O Peixinho Azul. At first, he kept saying he didn't want to go, but now that he is back, he seems happy to be there and is always excited to talk about what he did that day. His teachers tell us that they now speak to him entirely in Portuguese and he understands everything they say to him. He is also starting to use a little Portuguese himself, mostly when he is around other kids. Next week, Stephen is going to start going to school with Alex (they have a toddler class), so we'll see how that goes.



Waiting for the bus on his first day back to school

We celebrated Efesson Meyer's 5th birthday at one of our bi-monthly team fellowship nights at our house. We had tacos (yum!), and Teague made a Portuguese yogurt cake and decorated it to look like a road with real Matchbox cars on top. All the kids thought it was super cool! Efesson's birthday celebration also included a trip to the zoo later that weekend, but the zoo was so cool that it's worthy of it's own post, so stay tuned for that in a few days!



5!

Team kiddos, sporting their sunglasses (a gift from the birthday boy). Note the recent addition -- Sophia Reese, born while we were gone.

The last Sunday in August, there was a community festival in the park just down the hill from our apartment. They had live music, food, people selling handicrafts, moon-bounces for the kids, and fireworks. We went on Sunday evening and walked around. We had a big plate of snails (Stephen ate them this time and loved them!) and some grilled sardines. Alex wore himself out jumping on the moon-bounces and the trampoline. After we walked home and put the kids to bed, we could still hear the music through our open windows, and we had a great view of the fireworks from our kitchen balcony.



Stephen at the festival. He's wearing one of Rusty's old shirts. Oh, and he's had his haircut. He looks like such a little boy in this picture.

And then, of course, there's all the daily stuff... like settling back into the routine of classes, homework, team meetings, church, etc. Our days are really very full and very busy, and it seems like there is usually something going on every weekend as well. I know some of you may be wondering what it is we DO all day... so at some point in the future, I plan to do a series of posts called "A Week in the Life" to give you a better idea of how we spend our time.

Pictures of the Boys

At my mom's request, we went into a portrait studio to have some professional pictures taken of the boys while we were in the States this summer. We decided to try out Portrait Innovations, and could not have been happier with the results! Our package included a CD of all images from our session, not just the ones we chose to be printed. The best ones are showcased in this slideshow.

Top Ten: Stephens Family Reunion 2010

The week after Matt and Janille's wedding, the entire Stephens family was blessed to spend a few days all together in Hot Springs, AR. We are only able to be all together like this once every few years or so... the last time was in 2008 in Port Sanilac, MI. With our family's plans to move to Angola next year, who knows when the next time will be? So, we try to take advantage of times like this. We packed a lot into five days, and after sifting through all the photos from multiple cameras, these are my top ten:

Story-time with the older kids

Stephen reading books with Babu!

Bumper boats at a local family fun center. We also did go-carts and played mini-golf here.

One day we went to a park for a picnic lunch. Stephen and Aunt Janille had a lot of fun on the slide.

And some of the group played a round of disc golf.

We always play lots of games. This was our game of Scotland Yard... Rusty makes a great Mr. X!

And the kiddos enjoyed having a rousing pillow fight with Babu!

Nyanya and Stephen watching the trains at Tiny Town Trains, a very cool place!

Cousins -- the best picture we have of all of them together! Currently, their ages are 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1!

A toast to Matt and Janille with Bitter Lemons from Kenya! (Rusty found them at an African imports store in Nashville.) I have to say that there is nothing more refreshing on a hot day than one of these babies, ice cold.

This toast followed right after we presented Matt and Janille with our family's wedding gift to them, a Year of Monthly Date Nights! This idea was Rusty's brain child, and then I took it and ran with it, coming up with the 12 "themes." My sister and my mom both thought it was a cool idea, so they went in on it with us. Basically, the idea was to give Matt and Janille one "date night" per month for the first year of their marriage -- a perfect gift for a young couple just starting out, both of them still in school. I will share in greater detail about this gift idea later, but I don't want to give too much away at this point since Matt and Janille will be opening the gifts one month at a time. After their first anniversary next July, I will share the 12 themes and the contents of each package.

Top Ten: Matt and Janille's Wedding

It was hard to pick 10 favorite pictures from this day, because of course, there were so many great ones! What a special day it was... congratulations, Matt and Janille! We love you and are so happy for you.

A beautiful bride

Brothers-in-law (Rusty and Josh were also groomsmen.)

Sisters-in-law (and two nieces / flower-girls)

Alex and Stephen in their wedding finery -- Alex looked like such a big boy in his sport coat and tie!

Michaela and Eliana were the most adorable flower girls ever and did a great job!

This is my favorite picture of Matt and Janille, taken right after they lit their unity candle. I love the look of joy shining on both their faces.

Minister / father-of-the-groom -- this is the face of a man who has just married off his third and last child!

Our family, including several "special guests"

The bride and groom with all their nieces and nephews

Groom's cake -- the Death Star from "Star Wars!" This cake had lights and was on a stand that turned around -- the picture doesn't really do it justice. Janille had a lovely traditional wedding cake, but the conversation item was definitely this masterpiece!

More Sweet Moments

Scroll down for the original "Sweet Moments" post and explanation.

• dinner (yummy homemade curry) and conversation with a childhood friend, Brittany (Hemphill) Foster, and her family at her home in Tulsa. Thanks, Facebook -- it had been 20+ years since we had seen or talked to each other, and I doubt it would have happened otherwise!
• the blessing of being with my entire family, all at once, at Stephens Family Reunion 2010 in Hot Springs, AR
• reading stories to my nieces
• brusing Michaela's hair
• lunch and conversation with Ken and Ann Bolden, missionary friends from Kenya
• introducing Josh and Julie to Settlers of Catan
• talks over coffee with Mom and Dad
• walking in downtown Hot Springs with my sister, window shopping and drinking iced coffee
• watching a thunderstorm roll in and smelling the rain coming (I love a good thunderstorm!)
• presenting Matt and Janille with their wedding gift from all of us (a year's worth of Date Nights in a Box -- I'll share more about this gift idea in a later post), followed by prayer-time for them, and a toast with Bitter Lemons all the way from Kenya
• singing before bed with all the kids
• couples date to the Pancake House in Hot Springs
• playing Scotland Yard
• lunch at Mayuri (our favorite Indian restaurant ever) in Memphis
• browsing a used bookstore for hidden treasures
• taking Alex to see "How to Train Your Dragon"
• visiting with friends, old and new, at Esther's birthday party
• lunch with our Support Team at Hillsboro (We are so blessed to have the support and encouragement of so many people there.)
• singing old hymns, in English, in 4-part harmony with our church family
• picnic supper at a very cool park
• playdate with Rebekah and Hannah Brown at the Monkey's Treehouse in Nashville
• watching Alex become so much more confident in the water -- he is not swimming completely independently yet, but we have made some great strides this summer due to all of the opportunities we have had to swim during our travels

I do plan on sharing some pictures soon -- "Top Ten" posts of Matt and Janille's wedding, and our family reunion in Hot Springs are in the works. For now, there are pictures on Facebook, or you can visit my sister's blog.

Sweet Moments

We've been back in the States about a month now, and we have another month to go. One thing I decided to do when we first got back was to record in my journal some of the "sweet moments" of this time back in the U.S. There isn't a lot of time for journaling and personal reflection when you're on the road, fundraising, visiting family and friends, shopping, and running around like crazy gathering paperwork for your visas. However, it doesn't take long to jot down a few things every day or two, and it keeps me mindful of the blessings that we are experiencing, even in this hectic time. Here are some of the sweet moments so far (excerpted from my journal):

• Listening to cousins squeal with laughter while playing in the sprinkler together
• Wii fun
• Dinnertime craziness with 5 kids under 5
• Worshipping God and hearing from his Word in English
• Carousel rides at Greenfield Village
• Chuck E. Cheese madness
• Conversations with my sister
• Seeing the "stars and stripes" billowing across the sky
• My first trip to Target in almost four months, followed by a strawberry limeade from Sonic
• Having our own car again
• Dryer fresh clothes -- so soft and sweet-smelling!
• The feeling of homecoming our first Sunday back at Hillsboro
• Alex welcomed back with joy and open arms by all his friends from church
• Singing my favorite hymn, "Be Still My Soul" with 500+ Hillsboro members -- beautiful!
• Good American pizza
• A sultry summer night in Nashville spent with friends from Hillsboro, watching our kids get soaked in the sprinkler and eating delicious food off the grill.
• World Cup excitement -- we've managed to squeeze in watching a few games
• Hearing stories of veteran missionaries to Kenya, Hilton and Avanelle Merritt
• Being prayed over at the West University Church of Christ in Houston after Rusty presented on Wednesday night, and the realization that settled over me of the privilege it is to be playing a part in God's work in Angola.
• Sharing blessings and marriage advice with Matt and Janille at their rehearsal dinner, and enjoying the absolutely scrumptious Texas barbeque!
• Watching my baby brother and his bride say their vows, exchange their rings, light their unity candle, share their first kiss as husband and wife, cut their cake, and leave the church in a shower of birdseed and bubbles. My heart is so full and so thankful that we got to be there to celebrate their special day!
• Family friend and former Kenya missionary Carla Dean running up at the literal last minute (as Matt and Janille were about to drive away from the church) to hug Matt and wish him well. Her plane didn't arrive in time for the ceremony, and she almost missed him after the reception, but made it in the nick of time!
• Listening in as Uncle David, Aunt Mary Helen, CDT, Mom and Dad shared memories and funny stories around the table. How amazing to consider all the ways God has worked in and through these 5, not to mention countless other missionaries to Kenya.
• Fireworks with Steve and Wendy and their kids in Abilene on July 4th
• Bedtime lullabies with Steve on his guitar.

Caracóis

One of the summertime treats in Portugal is caracóis, or snails! Yep, you read that right. We first had the opportunity to try them on our field trip to Sintra. I only had one or two, and this because I finally caved under the intense peer pressure being put on me by my teammates. They really aren't that bad if you don't think too hard about what you are actually eating (which can be difficult since you have to remove them from the shell with a toothpick). The texture reminded me of mushrooms, and they take on the flavor of whatever they are cooked in, which in Portugal is onion, garlic, and bacon.

Alex was in school on the day of our field trip, and he was intensely jealous when he found out that we had all eaten snails without him. He begged for days to try snails, so one afternoon, just before we left for the U.S., we took a walk down to a local café and ordered a large plate to share. I wondered if Alex would really go through with it; I half thought he would chicken out when it came down to actually putting one in his mouth. However, to my great surprise, the kid who turns his nose up at asparagus and spinach ate his first snail without batting an eye, then smacked his lips and announced, "Mmmmmm, that was good! I want another one." I guess I shouldn't be surprised... he does, after all, like green tea and curry, two things most four-year olds wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole.

Caracóis

"Nooooooo, don't eat me!"

And after the snails... a pastel de nata, another of Alex's favorite Portuguese treats.

Stephen tried snails, too, but wasn't too impressed.

Sintra

I promised more pictures of Sintra, where we went for our field trip at the end of May. About a 40-minute train ride from Lisbon, Sintra has a lot to see and do. On this day, we toured the Palácio Nacional de Sintra and afterwards shared a picnic lunch in a nearby park. Rusty and I were so impressed with Sintra, though, that we took the train out there again the very next day on a spur-of-the-moment anniversary getaway. (Robert and Teague offered to keep our kids overnight -- can't turn down an offer like that!) We didn't do anymore sightseeing -- just enjoyed walking the streets in the cool of the evening, savoring the peace and tranquility, and eating a delicious dinner. I think we are going to try to go back sometime when we can bring Alex (he was in school the day of the field trip) and tour the Moorish castle.

The pictures below are some of the best shots from both days.

Sintra from the steps of the Palácio -- you can see the walls of the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle) snaking along the crest of the hill.

View of the hill (and the castle atop it) from directly below.

The Palácio Nacional (National Palace) is well marked by its conical twin chimneys.

Before we toured the palace, Eunice told us to be sure to look up (at the ceilings) and down (at the floors) as we went through because many of them are very elaborate. In this, the Sala dos Brasões (Coat of Arms Room), the ceiling displays the shields of 74 16th-century noble families.

Sintra City Hall