No More Crying!

Many women pay hundreds of dollars just to have a beautiful mane of blonde hair!  Gabs has the most beautiful hair!

Or should I say HAD...  Today, we decided to forget the tears and just chop it off!!  So we did...

Sorry "Locks of Love". I couldn't handle the tears! :)

The Night I Went Out Without My Phone

In the age of digital everything, it's very hard to become disconnected from all our gadgets. Chris is connected to his phone because of work, and I am connected to mine to keep track of kids schedules, travel arrangements, friends, photos, maps, blogging!, you name it. It's just hard to put the darn things down. 

This past week, we, along with many other Tembagger's, have been "stuck" out, in Singapore, for our yearly visa renewal. (It only took one week this year!!) :) So yesterday morning, I was communicating with our HR lady at site, trying to help get everyone's flights and hotels worked out. Chris was not impressed with my using my Global Communication Device while drinking a cup of coffee at breakfast.... So I got the "You can never do anything without that thing!"

To prove that we both CAN live without our GCD's, we left them at the hotel while we went out for dinner for our last night in Singapore. NEVER leave your GCD behind when you try something new!!!  I repeat, NEVER!!

We went with friends to a place called Carinivore's. This is no vegetarian fiesta. It's pure, 100% meat. All kinds of meat!! (In my normal blogging days, I would insert a photo here. )

At the restaurant, waiters would come out to the table carrying large steel skewers impaling hunks of meat!  They would go around and ask everyone at the table if they would like a carving of meat from that particular skewer. Now, they didn't use any knife to carve the meat.  They used a stainless steel sword, so sharp, it cut through the meat like a hot knife through butter. I asked the waiter if he had ever cut anyone. He said no, but said that some people have knicked themselves when trying to grab the cut pieces of meat by reaching to close to the blade. (Again, I would have inserted a picture here.) :)

The dinner was great!  If you went away from there hungry, it was you own fault. You could just gorge yourself on meat!

After the cost of the meal, we thought we would try to save 20 bucks and not take a cab back to the hotel. So we decided to take the MRT (subway) most of the way back... At least as close as we could get to the hotel. Only, Tour Guide Pat, didn't quite know where we needed to go to get on the MRT!  So we walked and we walked and we walked, in the opposite direction of the hotel, trying to find the MRT. The only thing good about being "lost" in Singapore, is that it's safe and the temperature that time of night is perfect!  Oh, and that we walked off some of the 5 billion calories we ate!  (Insert picture.  Oh that's right, I don't have any!  My GCD was back at the hotel!)

We finally found the MRT. Can I just say here that if I had my phone, I could have used Google Maps to find the closest MRT station.... :).  Anyway, I digress... We get our tickets and go to the big map to look at which way we should go. (If I had my phone with me, I would have taken a picture of the map so what's coming up wouldn't have happen!) 

Well Tour Guide Pat takes us the wrong way!!  We are headed out to the airport!!  Um Pat, that is not until tomorrow....  So we get off at the next stop and go back the way we came. We finall get off at the correct MRT stop and start the walk back to the hotel. 

Unfortunately we have been walking for an hour and... Teddy is hungry!!!!  Really!!! :)

So that is the story of The Night I Went Out Without My Phone. 

Lessons learned:

1.  If you are a blogger, always take your phone to someplace new. 

2.  If you are country bumpkins, take your phone, you may need the map in the city.

3.  A picture is worth a thousand words!

4.  Teddy is going to eat constantly for the next 10 years!  :)

On another note:

I am 35,000 feet above sea level, in an airplane, typing this post for the world or just my "fans", aka family, to read on my Global Communicating Device! 

Cab Driving, Singapore

So if you are in a cab and an automated warning keeps telling the driver to "Drive Carefully", should you be afraid? :)

Should get off my phone... I am getting car sick!

The Hunted

Teddy was teaching our friends son how to "hunt". Teddy was the deer...  

Z's trophy. :)

Days With Marz

I took Marz back to school this last week.  For the grandparents, here are some of her best shots from the last week. :)

Last walk around Tembag. 

Mom and Marz waiting for the chopper. 

Highlands chopper pad. 

Lowlands chopper pad. 

Braids in... Bali. 

Braids out... Penang. She didn't last as long as her sister...

Dinner with most of her dorm sisters and brothers. My last night in Penang. 

I am sure one day she will appreciate the photos I posted of her. Just like one day I will appreciate that my kids can actually smile for the camera! ;)

Love to you all!

4 Years

"How time flies..."  Everyone says it, but until we moved here four years ago, I really didn't understand it or "see" it. 

As I was going back through the blog, the first time in 4 years, I saw that I used to write a lot more about our experiences and what living on the mountain is like.  I will try to get back in to that this year. :)

The biggest change, obviously, is how much the kids have changed and grown! The other major change was sending Mersades off to boarding school!  I knew the first one would happen, but we really never expected the second. We actually were the parents (mostly US parents) who say we will NEVER do that!  Never say never...  In the US boarding schools are reserved for the very wealthy, or kids who are "troubled", for the most part. I know there are exceptions...  So far, Mersades is loving school and thriving!  Teddy cannot wait to get there in August!  

For the most part, we are all really enjoying life. It's not all candy and cookies, but no matter where you live, it's never going to be. There are many frustrations but there are many great and different opportunities from being an expat. So we will stay put until the Good Lord closes this door. Many people ask when we plan to move back to the US, or how long are we going to be here. Well my answer now is, "Honestly, who knows??"  And I am not even sad to say it. ;)

We will always miss our family and friends from the US. But we actually see some of our family way, way more often this way than if we lived in the states.  This does always make for June to be a special and exciting time in our lives. Can't wait to step foot back on US soil!

Chris had seen lots of changes with his job in the last four years. He started off as a Gen. Sup. of Engineering of one of the underground mines and is now running they whole underground. He is a hard and dedicated worker and loves his job!  

I have become a travel agent. I am always looking for the best deals and easiest way to fly to where ever we are going. Whether it's to get back to the US or to go see Marz at school, you get done with one trip, you start booking another.  For those who don't know, this happens because we live in the middle of NOWHERE!!  ;)

The worst part of traveling is trying to get off the mountain. We still ride in a helicopter, weather permitting, but now we have a bus (protected) that can get us down the same day as our flight. We no longer have many days waiting at the Rimba before we fly out. Once you are down in Timika, you have a huge sigh of relief. You are down the mountain and off on the next adventure!!

Most people think being an expat means you are living such a glamorous life style. I just want you all to know I am sitting in a freezing cold airport, at 2:30 in the morning, to take my daughter back to boarding school!  A glamorous life to me would be sleeping all snuggled in to bed right about now! ;)

Anyway, it's about time to catch our flight so I should close....  We have a great life! But truly, I had a great life in Sundance WY. I have learned itdoesn't matter where you live, or what you are doing, all that matters is your attitude and you perspective in life.  

One more thing...  Here is what we looked like 4 years ago. It was our last Sunday at church in Spearfish.

And here is what we looked like New Years Eve, 2013. 

I am pretty sure I have shrunk!! ;D

Take care my family and friends!  Love you all!

A Year In Review

This is where we ended 2012...

2013 started with a visit from Chris' dad and a week tour of Bali. 

Then the big flood came through town. 

Chris finally took me up to Grassberg!

Friends move to town!

My best buddy moved away... :(

There is no picture, and hardly any words to describe the cave-in that happened in the Underground. It was probably the most challenging event of our lives. 28 people lost their lives. Chris and his crews spent eight, very difficult days, finding and digging out the trapped men. We will never forget!

However, life goes on...

The kids and I flew back to the States for the summer. We left the boys and Gabby at Grandma's and Grandpa's. Then...

Mersades an I took a trip to Getmany!!

The boys stayed with dad and were corrupted! ;)

I had my 20 year class reunion!

The girls and I "ran" a charity race. 

Mersades was confirmed!

Mersades started boarding school in Malaysia!

Boys went on a school trip to Boreno. 

"Only child" Gabby got her picture with Santa. 

Two more dear friends moved away!

Our team won 2nd place in the Underground golf tournament!

Chris picked Mersades up from boarding school. He brought her to Singapore so we could get her visa to get back to Tembagapura. We saw a play, Lightseeker, while there. 

All the kids back together in Tembagapura. 

Christmas time!  

Ready to go to the Underground's New Years party. 

Wow!  What a year!  And I probably only posted half of what went on!

There is so much to be thankful for. God has truly blessed us with so many adventures and wonderful people whom we have met along the way!  We will never forget His goodness and mercy in 2013. 

God bless you, my dear family and friends, in 2014!  You all are special in your own way and we are so thankful you all are in our lives!

Happy New Year!