The Gift of Being Together

If you've been reading, you know that Ryan injured his finger a couple months ago and required surgery.  Today I want to share the full story, mostly so I don't forget how God provided a way for our family to spend Christmas together this year.

Ryan came home from a training trip this past summer and dropped the news that he had been given a deployment assignment.  He was set to leave the first week of November and would be gone for six months.  As far as deployments go, it was a relatively good assignment and could have provided good opportunities for him professionally.  But I don't think I have to explain why the news was still devastating to me.  We always knew there was a possibility of him going and I began to work through knowing that our family would be separated for six months.  During that process, I decided the kids and I would plan to spend Christmas with my family.  We hadn't originally planned to take a trip back to the states while living in England, but being with family during the holiday season seemed worth the effort.  So I worked alongside my parents, who were going to be in North America for Christmas, and made plans for the kids and I to travel with them.  I bought our plane tickets in the middle of September.

A couple weeks later, Ryan injured his finger.  And then had surgery.  And then began the process of finding out how the recovery would affect his job, specifically the work he would be doing while deployed.  Fast forward a few weeks and Ryan got word on the weekend of his birthday that because of the injury, surgery, and physical therapy required for recovery, he would not be allowed to deploy.

After processing the news that our family wouldn't be together for six months and submitting to God's sovereignty in that, it was shocking to hear two weeks before he was set to leave that Ryan wouldn't be going.  And so we started figuring out how to get him on a plane with us.

Fast forward another few weeks and our entire family was sitting on the same flight, with my mom, ready to fly to my sister's home in Vancouver.  Ryan will be with us for most of our stay and for a few glorious days this month, my entire family will be together.  Two grandparents, three siblings, three spouses, and seven cousins ages five and under who have all yet to meet.  So I'm signing off until the new year in order to soak up this amazing Christmas miracle of family togetherness.

Merry Christmas from the Paynes!

Treasure Trails

A couple weekend ago, we bundled up and headed to Cambridge in search of some buried treasure!  We used a Treasure Trails map and had a great morning solving clues and exploring parts of Cambridge that we hadn't seen.  

We solved the puzzle and used the map to figure out where the treasure was buried (though we didn't actually get to see any treasure!).

November Phone Dump (updated)

Collecting colorful Fall leaves

This is the first year that Rooke and Gretchen wanted to write for themselves on their daily thankful leaves.  It's been my favorite Thanksgiving Tree yet!

A weekend date with my gingers!  Peppermint hot chocolate and some chilled out reading at the library.

A fun surprise care package from the Heavilands brought smiles all around!

But I'll be paying Jessie back for this bike horn! =)

Bridgette and I got to have coffee to celebrate a dear friend's birthday.  The barista kindly offered her a little cup of whipped cream!  

A kind friend from church paid Rooke and Gretchen a surprise visit to deliver some treats for having memorized the verses our church was learning last month.

When was the last time you wore your qipao?!  I spoke to a friend's daughter's class about China.  Never mind I'm a white American living in the UK!  

Enjoying a gloriously sunny day with my girls

Feeling very patriotic after finishing this puzzle during Thanksgiving week.  Bridgette only destroyed it once!

We had some minor turkey drama, which sent me back to the store hoping there were turkeys left.  I managed to find two turkeys and brought home two monkeys as well!

Two other American moms and I helped with some Thanksgiving fun for Gretchen's preschool.  We sang, read stories (that didn't elaborate on the first settlers!), did a craft, and brought cornbread muffins, turkey, pumpkin bread and cranberry juice for snack.  Bridgette loved joining her sister for the morning.

My Thanksgiving day helper.

Snuggles with Kaye K during our second Thanksgiving with family and friends.

A little game time to end our holiday weekend.

Gretchen's stories

Gretchen is our storyteller.  She loves being read to, but after someone has read a book to her, she prefers to then read that book to herself instead of moving on to another one.  She usually compiles details from several different stories with her own commentary thrown in.  And my favorite part is when she completely makes up a word - with a straight face - so as not to loose the rhythm of her reading.  It will be a sad day when she starts actually reading the words instead of telling her own stories because I love her stories so much!