One Misty, Moisty, Morning

I had some meetings at the church this morning and as I walked to the church (it's a block away), the weather reminded me of exactly 10 years ago when I was living in Russia and every day was cold, foggy, overcast and it seemed to always be snowing at least a little because of the humidity. It was beautiful! We are so happy to be back home for the Holiday Season. We got so homesick last year when we had to squeeze Thanksgiving into a normal evening meal (though we invited some people over to make it a bit more special) and last Christmas especially when Scott had to work on Christmas and we tried to be excited while opening our presents on a Saturday morning in our short sleeves while home and all the beauty of the Christmas season seemed so far away. It really is special to live in a nation which has Christian holidays.

It's been a while

I know, I know. We have been lame, lame, lame for not keeping up our blog. And it's kind of sad that as soon as we moved back to America, we disappeared again (so to speak). I'm not sure why this happened. Perhaps we thought our readers wouldn't be interested in us anymore now that we are back to the average American routine. Or perhaps it's because we have been so busy adjusting back to said American routine. Or perhaps we are just lazy. Maybe it's a little of everything. In any case, here's the rundown.
Well, we arrived back in May and stayed with Scott's sister for 3 weeks while we waited for our home to be re-carpeted, a necessity because of the previous owners love of nasty dogs who peed freely all over the house (we had it checked with a black light to prove what the stench already told us).
Meanwhile, Meili went to the last month of American Kindergarten and LOVED it. I mean, everyone was speaking English! She was so happy that she came home and when asked how it went, she said, "It was the best day ever!". And she repeated that sentiment every day for the whole month.
Sophie was just happy playing with her cousin Jack who is close to her age every day from morning until night.
Euan, on the other hand was fully traumatized by the move. What once was a great sleeper and a mild boy turned into a MONSTER who wouldn't sleep for months. No, literally, he wouldn't sleep. It was so bad that even after re-doing sleep training on him, I can count on one hand how many full nights of sleep I have gotten since we've been back (6 months).
Scott went straight to work fixing up other little problems with the house (leaky roof, etc) and also trying to find a job. He got hired to teach online at BYU-I soon after we got back, but that didn't start until September. Finding a job isn't the funnest thing in the world. Especially with a brand new mortgage looming over your head. And moving is always expensive, but moving from a different country (for the second time in 2 years) is draining. Especially if you come back to very little because you sold everything. But thanks to Scott's family, we got by, and Scott found a job in July teaching for Steven's Henager College.
Also, we were really blessed to have a small day care that just fell into our laps. Our neighbor needed someone to watch her 4 year-old boy 3 days a week and Scott's sister needed someone to watch her 3 year-old girl and newborn. Plus, her 2 elementary-age girls are on the track program so I watch them for 3 weeks every 3 months. And one of our other friends just moved back to town and is busy trying to find work, so i am watching their boy who is the same age as Euan once a week.
At first, I honestly didn't know if I would like it or if I had the energy for it, but I love it.
So, Scott working two part-time jobs and me running a full-time day care and throw in me selling a little AVON on the side and we feel busier than ever.

America!

We are here in America! I miss Taiwan, but we are definitely happy to be back for all of the reasons that we left (family, friends, Meili's schooling).
I'll just share a couple of things since we don't have internet in our home yet:
The most interesting thing that happened to us on our journey back to America was that we flew over an erupting volcano! It was over southern Japan and it was really amazing.
Mei and Sophie are super happy to be home and near cousins and Meili loved the month that she went to Kindergarten here.
Euan took some time to adjust back to America. He didn't sleep and he and the girls all got sick, though his lasted a whole month!
After 3 weeks of staying at Scott's sister's house because we were waiting for new carpet to be installed (the old was soaked with pet urine!), we have now been in our own house for about 2 weeks. And we want people to come visit! We have lots of room!
Scott got a job soon after we came back which is part-time starting in fall as an online instructor for BYU-I. We have some other leads for more work, so keep praying for us!
Since we want all of our friends and Scott's students to be able to keep up with us on our blog, we are going public again.
I really hope that we have access to the internet soon because I really want to show you our last month in Taiwan, our journey home, and our first month home.

Un-schooled

Since our big Chinese New Year break during the month of February, the girls haven't gone to Chinese Kindergarten. Instead I am homeschooling them and hoping to have Meili up to par for Kindergarten when we get home. But without many outlets or friends, here are some ways that mommy deals with having 3 children at home all the time:
*Go to Scott's High School next door (when the 10,000 students aren't there-which is rare) and go "scooter riding" on the girls' scooters, and don't forget climbing trees and hiking the hills.



*The kids also love it when I put on some classical "ballet" music so they can dance. They also help their brother get on his special dance clothes since he wants to do everything they do, even if it means putting on a tutu...

...or a princess costume. (To which Scott cringes at the mere mention).

*Errands with mommy. These always give us a chance to practice our Chinese skills because everyone stops to see and talk to the waiguoren (foreigner) children. We're going to miss how nice people are, but I don't think that we'll miss being pseudo-celebrities.

*And don't forget, just relaxin'

(by the way, I totally love picnik for fixing our red eyes at the click of a button. Pretty sweet.)
There aren't many pictures of "school", I guess maybe homeschooled means un-schooled.

Small Sweet Moments

Meili heard about a window seat that will be in our new house, so she made her own now because she thought it was such a great idea. I found her reading to her brother there soon after.

And Sophie was reading in her bed...

He's just so cute...

Super Sophie!

Sophie is 4 years old!
Last year Sophie's birthday was while we were on the plane moving to Taiwan. This year, mom was still supposed to be in bed. So next year we owe Sophie a super sweet birthday party with all of the trimmings. Still, this was a unique birthday mostly because it will probably be the only birthday where she will be wearing a tank-top because it is so warm (her birthday is in February) and she got to open presents in her jammies.

Sophie is our little sweetheart:
*She shares EVERYTHING. Even her treats and toys.
*She is silly, especially when taking pictures. It is hard to get a normal smile from her.
*She loves to brush her mommy's hair.
*She wears almost the same size shoes and shirts as Meili.
*She is really tender-hearted.
*She gives the greatest hugs and snuggles.
*She is part werewolf we think because she is always hot and sweaty!
*She is super smart. She is learning to read and still has one more year before Kindergarten.
*She is really good at drawing. Her pictures really closely resemble what she is actually drawing. She stays up for hours sometimes just sketching away in her bed.
*She is a lefty.
*She speaks Chinese without an accent.
And she is really excited to get to our house in America and play in our yard with her grandparents and cousins.

Cinco de Mayo!

At least WE will be partying this cinco de mayo! Where will you be? We will all be on a plane heading back home to America! Yeah!!!
Although things haven't seem to have gone perfectly as we have been preparing to go home (far from, actually), everything has all been for the best. For example, we actually found a house too soon and had to head home to America before we wanted to (we hate to break contract, even if we got a replacement), but because everything happened when it did, we locked in a rate for our home just before they started to rise, we qualified for the tax credit, and we now have a beautiful house that we are excited to make into a home (just to name a few of the blessings we have received lately).
I was reading an article in the Ensign by President Uchtdorf and he said that if we put our faith and trust in our Heavenly Father, that we will start to see His miracles. I have seen the truths of this as I have had to put my plan aside and just trust in the Lord's. Then, I see how His plan was better all along and that, just like any other loving parent, He always has our best interests in mind.

Miracles Never Cease

About mid-February, Scott and I decided to go back home to America at the end of the school year which is the end of June. We felt like we should move to Layton so we could be closer to family. Then, with Scott's family's help, we decided to try to buy a house and take advantage of the $8000 tax credit and good interest rates. We soon zeroed in on one that is a 4 bedroom 2 bath with a huge yard at the end of a cul-de sac. But our favorite part about the house is that we can see Scott's sister's house rooftop from our living room and it is only a 10 minute walk from the kids' grandparents house. Location, location, location.
Our offer was accepted early March and although it was difficult to get a loan approved because we are currently in Taiwan, it happened. And we are set to close on the house at the end of this week or early next week. We found out that at least I (Sidra) will have to live in the house within 30 days or we could get in trouble by our financers. So I prepared myself to travel home alone with 3 children because Scott is contracted until the end of June with the school.
But then another miracle happened and we have found a replacement to come and take his place at the beginning of May and we will all be traveling home together!

Chinese New Year

Because I wasn't feeling too well, during our Chinese New Year break (much like Christmas/Winter break in the States) we didn't go on a super sweet vaca. We just did a couple of small day trips.
We took a few small trips to nearby beaches. It's awesome to be able to go to the beach in February!



Meili also got some serious cash from the tooth fairy because she had to have an extra tooth that was growing pulled by the dentist (her second pulled by a dentist!). She was so brave! The first picture is the "before" where she was a bundle of excited nerves (see the little snaggle tooth hanging in the gap?).

And then the "after" picture.

And then, just before the break was over, we got invited to a nearby beetle nut farm by some old friends from Changhua. We used to teach their now teenage son, Benson, and when we were here last they asked us to name their baby girl. So we named her Flora. She is now 7. We spent Chinese New Year with them 7 years ago and built these same clay ovens on this same farm. It was pretty nostalgic.
To build the ovens, you stack pieces of clay to make an oven shape. Then, you put in a fire until the clay turns all black, then you collapse part of the roof, add the food, and cover with the rest of the clay oven.
Building it is difficult, especially this time we had some bad luck. Here is try, I think 4. They seem pretty focused. Little did they know that it would take about 14 tries to get this one oven built. (There were a total of 3 that were built). Nine more collapses to go, guys!

This is one of the many times that they were so close that they could almost taste the roasted chicken and sweet potatoes!

Yeah! Finally!!!!

The three clay ovens getting hot.

While the kids get down and dirty.


And Euan and I enjoy the show while munching.

Here is the "magic fruit" that grows in some parts of the world which makes bitter fruit, like this mini orange, sweet. Pretty cool!

Here is a cute picture of Flora pulling Euan on a dried palm frond.

So much fun!

Closed doors and opened windows

I was just watching "The Sound of Music" with my girls and I have always loved the line, "When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window". I have seen throughout my life when I have had to go through hard trials that the Lord, in his tender mercy, quickly blesses me with some of my greatest blessings.
The last 5 months have been extra difficult for our family. We recently miscarried a pregnancy. After months of difficult morning sickness, at my 15 week prenatal doctor's appointment to see what the sex of our baby we were having was (they do it earlier here), we found that there was no heartbeat and that I would have to check into the hospital to deliver the baby the next day. Miscarriages are hard. This is my fourth. The first was the hardest; it was also in Taiwan. This one was also very difficult because it was late (all the others were before 9 weeks) and so I was already showing and so we had to tell everyone (really, everyone in our whole city almost) what had happened. Also, it was difficult because it was a very sad end to being nearly bed-ridden with sickness for 3 months (I was still throwing up even the night before checking into the hospital). It is difficult for me to share this story on my blog, or with anyone really. Part of the reason two of the other miscarriages were easier to deal with were because no one really knew about them. But, I decided to share because when it happened I thought a lot of a friend who went through a similar miscarriage and remembering her story on her blog really helped me through my own experience.
I, and my family, are doing much better now. We have had about 6 weeks to recover and in the meantime we have been busy carrying through with a decision we had already made to go back to America. That is the "open window".
We also just got the good news that we will finally (it has been a crazy process since we actually aren't there!) be closing on a house this week in Layton, UT, right near all of Scott's family. I and the kids will be moving back by the end of April, but Scott will most likely have to stay through the end of June. We don't have a job yet, but have put in some applications. We are also trying to start a Chinese Immersion school at our house, with a native speaker and everything! It's all been kind of a whirlwind, but we are really excited and feel really blessed at how many answers to prayers and miracles we have seen in just a short time.
We really appreciate how much support and love we always get from family and friends! We have been blessed to be surrounded by people who are truly amazing! Thank you!

Trying to pass the time...

We are waiting to hear word on some important news (more on that later). So I am dying to just pass the time, yet I am glued to the computer to watch for some important emails. So, I am finally getting on to blog while my children run around like crazy monkeys. I am just going to post some random photo highlights from the last couple of months:

We haven't had too much of a cockroach problem, but one got in during December and evidently laid eggs because we suddenly had tons of baby cockroaches everywhere! During the week where we were working on making our home cockroach free, we found this guy on our floor. Ick! So we taped over our kitchen drain to make sure no more found their way in(we have all tile floors and there are drains on the floors to help in the mopping). As for the small cockroaches, one day I killed almost 20! But after some hotels, cleaning, and taping up possible entry-ways, we haven't seen one since!

Some people have requested more pictures of us on our scooters, so here they are. We are so used to this so now it doesn't faze us, but I know some of you are going to have heart attacks. The set-up is this: one of the scooters is usually Sophie and I (this is all the stuff we needed for the Christmas party at our church).

And the other scooter has Euan, Meili, and Scott. Euan is too small for a helmet, but notice the lovely chair and head cushion so he doesn't hit the scooter's panel in front of him. He looks pretty squished in this picture, but it's usually not so bad. I think they were still getting adjusted and ready for the ride when I took the pic.
You would be amazed at what you can do if you have to! At least we have been :)

After getting Euan his milk before naptime (we have to use powdered milk because dairy products are astronomically expensive here), something caught my eye on the powdered milk bag. I looked and looked and finally saw it! A huge gecko! Yes, geckos are common house "pests" here, but most people like them because one of their favorite snacks are cockroaches :). I'd rather have a gecko crawling up and down my walls, and powdered milk bags, than have to ever see a cockroach again!

Earthquake

Last Thursday was definitely a crazy day for us. Just after 8:00 am, we had a 6.4 earthquake that was centered about 30-40 miles from us, which just happens to be where Typhoon Morakot hit the hardest as well. We are used to tremblers here because Taiwan has small earthquakes nearly daily (though we have only felt 5-6 since we've been back). But soon after it started, I could tell this one was different. The ground shook so hard that it bounced me out of my chair (especially when added to my adrenaline), and I ran to get the kids and took them to the safest part of our house. I heard some things falling off of shelves and I watched our ceiling fan shake so hard that I was sure it would fall. I was trying to decide if I should leave the building when Scott called and he said that the school was all evacuating so I should too. By the end of the conversation, the shaking had ended, but when you live in Taiwan you know that one is surely followed by more. And as I descended down our 12 flights of stairs with my 3 children and the couple of items that they had decided to save (Meili's Teddy and Sophie's current comfort item of choice, a towel), I rethought our beautiful view and thought we should have opted for a lower level.
After about 30 minutes of playing downstairs in our play area, we decided to come back upstairs. I watched the earthquake report come in throughout the day and there were over 20 more aftershocks! We felt 4 or 5, especially one around 4:00 in the afternoon that was a 5.7. When that one came around, sweet little Sophie said, "Momma, we are shaking like pudding!" Needless to say, I checked our 72-hour kit that day and I had nightmares about earthquakes that night.
The ward called to check on us and one of our friends who is from around here told us that it was the strongest she had ever felt. Most earthquakes in Taiwan are in the North/East. The news reported it was the worst in southern Taiwan in over a century! So between this earthquake and the typhoon, Taiwan is giving us a real show!
Oh, and I should mention that as far as I have read there were no deaths, just 60+ injuries. And though our power didn't go out, strangely enough Taipei's did (which is way in the north of the country). There were some buildings that collapsed (old and dilapidated probably), and others received damage, but Taiwan's buildings are built for earthquakes so we didn't really have any damage. Oh, that is except the girls' jewelry box which is one of the things that fell.

Counting 1-20

This morning I was in the shower when it slowed to a tiny trickle. This would be ok if our apartment was 85 degrees (like it was last week), but this week it is closer to 60 degrees. I enrolled Sophie to go ask her Daddy if he could hold off on doing the dishes (the assumed culprit of my trickle). She ran to ask and then came back to tell me what he said. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear her through the crack in the door and so I kept asking her to repeat it since the trickle wasn't picking up any. I say that this is unfortunate because when I finally got out of her that Daddy said he would stop after she counted to 20 that I was actually keeping her from starting to count and thus prolonging my freezing condition. After I understood her, I said, "Start counting!"
She began. One to ten is a no-brainer, but in English the teens are just difficult. If she were counting in Chinese she would have been to 20 in no time. She was so flustered by the pressure that she stopped after 12 and announced that she was done. I heard Meili and Scott help her realize she wasn't done and try to pick up where she left off.
I am still trying to warm up in the lukewarm trickle.
"Thirteen, fourteen, sixteen".
Oh that darn 15, both Meili and Sophie skip that one in English. I hear Scott helping her start again at thirteen.
"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty!"
Hallelujah. The hot water starts to pick up and I can finally get on with my shower. I hope Scott got a lot of dishes done in those "20 seconds".

Good News!

We have decided we are coming home to America! It's good news for us, but Scott's bosses are wringing their hands and his neck. We are finishing up our contract here which ends at the end of June and then we are going back to Utah.
So what is our next step? We wish we knew exactly, but we feel like we should go home and be closer to family so with some faith and prayers, we are sure that the rest will work out great. Things are already falling into place; miracles that help us know we are doing the right thing.

Christmas in March :(

I know nobody really wants to know about Christmas in March (which is why I cheated and changed the posting date), but here are the highlights:

Our tree was small, but we were happy to have some sign that it was Christmastime since this country only slightly understands the commercial part.

Our ward Christmas Party. Sophie was Mary and Meili was an Angel. And Santa was

Chinese this year! (He must have just been Santa's helper)

I taught the Relief Society (church women's organization) how to make pies. The one on the right everyone calls Momma Goose because she is like the momma of the whole ward. I must say that those pies were pretty awesome. I tweaked an apple pie recipe and I hate to toot my own horn, but "toot, toot" it was yum-o.

Us enjoying our AWESOME Christmas, which included SWEET packages from America. Anyone who has lived so far from home understands how amazing packages can be to lift one's spirits.