Counting Sheep or Your Blessings

"When you're worried and you can't sleep, Count your blessings instead of sheep. And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings" 

This song is sung by Bing Crosby in my favorite Christmas movie, White Christmas. It is a pleasant, peaceful song and when you really listen to the verses it really is true. Normally it takes me along time to get to sleep because my mind goes full speed on things I need to get done. Laundry, Lesson plans, the endless amounts of cleaning house that I never get caught up on. Thanks to the 25 days of a government shut down, my husbands pay check not being paid,even though he is working, I am even more worked up while getting to sleep. I am even working on a background check to start subbing at the school to help compensate the loss of income. If the shutdown doesn't end by Friday we will miss the paycheck #2 and February would be the next time we could get paid. So to say my mind is working overtime at night is a understatment. 

Last night, I tossed and turned and this song popped into my head. Counting blessings is so much easier then counting sheep, have you ever seen how hard it is to make a sheep do anything you want it to do?they even have dogs trained to help keep them i a circle. I feel sorry for any shepherd! Yeah, the sheep in my head are stubborn and don't want to jump the dumb fence.  How do I count sheep not willing to jump a fence? Then the dog starts barking and the sheep start their BAAAAAAAing so counting them is useless..... So blessing counting is so much easier! Last night my mind was bouncing from worry to worry,  but I started singing that song and so thankfully the blessings started to flow. 

Blessings:

- A home- a home that is open to everyone.

-A pile of firewood, yes it's a lot of work to cut, split, stack and then move and stack again in the basement, But because of all that work, we do not have to pay for oil! 

- A bed, after stacking a huge pile in the basement yesterday, a soft bed felt wonderful!

- Blankets and quilts to keep us warm. Most of the quiltsI have, I got to make in my Meema's quilt shop, with lots of memories to go with each quilt, so it's comforting  curl up in them.

-Food- I have 3 freezers packed full of meat, veggies and fruit that we have collected and harvested. In North Carolina, Keith's boss, Pete, called us Alaska Hoarding ground squirrels. Our Alaska life taught us to have enough provisions for the year till we could live off till we could go shopping in the summer and barge it back down the river. That mind set carries on and we have enough food to last. Pete said if there was ever an apocolypse or any other major disaster, he would be at our house inevitablely. Come on Pete, After a while our meals may only consist of Ramen noodles and Pork rinds but hey, we won't starve! =) Just bring some Texas Pete hot sauce and everything will taste better. 

-Cars that can take us places and we don't have to walk. Growing up in Zambia where people walked miles to go to church made me rethink about that. If I didn't have a car, would I still walk the 14 miles to our church? Thank you Jesus for our cars!!

-We have water. Some of the most delicious tasting water I have ever had! And I don't have to walk to the river and carry it on my head in buckets back to my house.

-We have clothes, lots of clothes, probably to many clothes. But I'm thankful for a selection to choose from

-We have electricity. Growing up that was not always an option. Thank you for Electricity, and the knowledge of how to live without it if I needed to! Though in Zambia we didn't have below freezing temps so that would have to be learned, but lets NOT!!

-I have a winter coat, snow pants, snow boots, gloves, hats all to keep me warm in this winter weather

-I have plants that make me happy, a garden in the summer, fruit trees that produce.

-A Kitchen- If you know me I love baking, cooking and creating something yummy. I love having the ability to do all those things and I love cooking for other people!

-A hard working husband

-My husband has a job that he LOVES, yes even in the shut down! I don't think I could see Keith doing any other job that would make him as happy as working with wildlife does. He's good at it! It makes him happy to help preserve nature that God created! Plus he's really happy when he gets to use a tractor and mow or use a backhoe to do something. Big man on big toys.... I mean Tools! =) It makes him happy and I love seeing that! 

- Ability to homeschool my kids. I love(most of the time) the chance to homeschool our kids. There are bad days, but they are outnumbered by the good. We have fun and it allows us to help Keith, or travel with Keith or explore when we can. Learning is all around us, I love being able to teach my kids as we go. 

--Kids, yes they drive me crazy sometimes but I love my kids. yes I feel like I clean up after them ALL the time but they are learning to help too. They crack me up, make me cry, and probably are the reason I have to dye my hair to cover the grey, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. 

- We have family that said we have money if you need any to cover bills till the government starts up again. We have their support and their prayers. 

-We have the church, and I don't just mean the one here in Maine but all the ones that have said "Let us know how we can help" Thankful for that!! 

-We have friends. Friends that call to check up on us and see if we need anything. friends that are in the same boat of waiting but are still making sure you are ok! Band of Brothers and Sisters right there!

-A Government and President- YES I am even thankful for them. Are they acting more like my 2 year old throwing a tempertantrum? YES! Both sides are! I don't care if you are Democrat or Republican, BOTH are acting silly! Do we need border protection? YES! Do our Border Patrol need support? YES! Try to cross the border into any other country and you will be arrested or shot or even in some countries you step on their soil you might step on a LAND MINE! Not to get started on a Political debate, I do support our Border Patrol, Coast Guard(who are also NOT being paid) and our law enforcement! They all need support! But even with ALL that is going on in our country right now, no paycheck, no end in sight, there is no other country I would rather live in! No government that I would rather have! We are FREE people! Free to Vote, Free to speak, free to believe anything we want! I have lived in a few different countries, seen a few different governments and this is the one I would choose everytime! We can't be arrested for taking a picture of a Postoffice, water tower or a bridge. We can't be imprisoned for our faith or telling people about our faith. We can't be killed for owning a BIBLE! We can have opinions that are different then others, we can voice those opinions, even though I wish some people would use less bad language when voicing those opinions.  WE ARE FREE! DO YOU REALLY GET THAT??

-I have JESUS!! I don't deserve him but I have him. He died for Me! ME! The girl who says things wrong, sometimes offends people, messes up, yells at my kids, who doubts, who questions and many times fails! He died for me! I choose him! In all life's hard times, I choose Jesus! 

Last night as I laid there going over all these blessings in my head, I fell asleep thanking God for all the blessings in my life. He knows what he is doing, even if our government people don't. I take comfort in that! If you are affected by this shutdown and having problems, let me know, or your local church know. They may can help! I have seen a community reach out and help during this time. From Resturants, schools, city officials. They are helping that's what we are suppose to do. Reach out and help our neighbors and friends.  

If you are anxious and worried and can't fall asleep. Count your blessings, because sheep are dumb and counting them is useless....unless you are a shepherd, then count them because you don't want to lose any and it is your job! Do it well! . But for us Non-Shepherd people, count the blessings in your life. Sleep comes a lot quicker and more encouraging. God Bless You today!

And We Wait and We Wait!

Maybe it is the negative degrees temperatures.
Maybe it's the frigid, breath stealing wind.
Maybe it's the ice covered snow
Maybe it's the restarting of a new semester of homeschooling.
Maybe it's the recovering from a two month long, Holiday, food coma.
Maybe it's the 22nd day of the government shutdown that has me in a shutdown funk. With no pay check and no end in sight. This stand still just has me in a "I don't want to do ANYTHING!" attitude. I don't want to clean or fold the mounds of laundry. I don't want to bake, which is a rare thing for me because baking seems to be the thing that always lifts me up! We spend the day keeping the fire going so we don't have to buy oil, watching the news(which is always bad) and waiting to hear if Keith is going to be going back to work. It's limbo land which I was never good at limbo, bending like a pretzel was never a strong suit of mine. We just wait. and wait......

The waiting and the constant chill in the air gives me goose bumps and has me missing the rains in Africa. Rainy season in Africa means its hot, steamy and green. You see, before the rains begin, Zambia will be brown and all the grass is so dead it breaks and snaps as you walk through it. The air is so dry that the slightest breeze causes dust storms to blow. Your footsteps stir up the dust that tickles your nose, or honestly starts you to coughing! Animals search far for a source of water. Rivers and creeks are dry. The sun bakes the earth till there are cracks running along the land. It's so hot that the sweat runs down your back, your neck and your arms. You want to jump in a nice river, but the crocodiles are there so I don't recommend it unless your name is Dundee. The anticipation of rain is great! You know it will come. You know it but you wait and wait!

On the horizon you see it! The brown sky full of dust clouds grows dark and darker. Clouds begin to form into big thunderheads. The dry breeze changes and you can smell it. You can smell the rain. It's coming! Everyone looks up, their eyes wander to the horizon a lot. In the distance, you hear the rolling thunder that grows louder as it approaches. The the sun shines down on the dark clouds creating a vast contrast of bright browns to dark greys and blues. As the clouds approach you can hear it, the rain drenching the parched land and it soaks up the much needed water. It's the time of dancing in the rain. The first rain! Rainy season has begun!

Almost immediately the land changes to a lush bright green that is so bright it's shines. The rain brings a steamy feel, that yes feels sticky but after such a long dry spell you welcome the sauna feel. The months following are filled with lush providing rain. I miss this! I miss the rains down in Africa! I miss home and the rainy season is something I miss a lot.

It's on  cold days like today that I look forward to the summer. I am not a big HEAT person but on cold days like this I really would love to play outside in shorts. But like the shutdown, we wait. I know the end will come just like I know summer will come, but we wait. Until then I will think of how lovely the ice looks with the sun shining off it. How the squirrels make me laugh with their bushy tails and wiggly noses. I will treasure the birds that tap on my window and ask for more birdseed.(yes I may be creating spoiled birds) I will laugh with my kids as they sing funny songs and marvel at their creative Lego building skills. I will enjoy having my husband home all day and mark off some of the honey do lists, that we didn't have time to do before. I will enjoy this moment as we wait.....to be honest, that took a lot to write, because the anxiety that tries to over through me wants to choke me, but I fully trust God knows what he is doing. I know he is in control even when our world seems in chaos. But daily I wait... Isaiah 40:31 "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not grow tired, they will walk and not become weary.

Not sure what I was really accomplishing with this post except having a great day reminiscing about home. Missing rain and heat and the lush greenery that rain provides. While we wait I better go get some stuff done. Stacking wood, folding clothes and baking something yummy! Have a wonderful day where ever you are!

Here is a view that I absolutely love! The Mighty Victoria Falls during rainy season as the falls is full of water and the land is green and lush. ( I didn't take this picture and I don't remember who did)

Ringing in 2019

2019.... How can it be?!?!

We rang in the New Year with friends and neighbors.  We had some great games and great food. Appetizers and finger foods, Christmas Crackers, Apples to apples, Dixit,  and Settlers of Catan. If you know Keith and I we are BIG GAME Players and we love having friends over to play with us! We had a fun night that lasted till after the ball dropped and we were all so tired that everything was funny.... OK I was so tired that everything was funny. Sleep deprived and hyperactive.... in me is a very silly combination! =) 

Aren't I BEAUTIFUL!!!!!=)=) hahahaha it was late, I was tired, and GOOFY!!

 Settlers of Catan

 This New Year, I pray we live it full of fun together as a family, learning new things, and meeting new friends. Happy New Year from the Ramos Tribe!

Home for the Holidays

"Home is where your heart is" You ever hear that saying? That quote is hard for me to answer. My heart is spread across the world. If someone asks where's home? I automatically answer "Zambia" but many times I have heard Home is where your Momma is. Well my momma is in Texas, Keith's mom is in Puerto Rico and Christmas with our moms and dads, are always a blast. But those holidays where we can't go see our mommas, hurt. The holidays that we are alone, away from "home" is really hard to do. Many times I find my attitude is like a roller coaster. I'm excited for the holidays, but I hate being by ourselves. It's a daily challenge to be excited about the holidays. But one thing my Mom told me once was "If you don't have family around for holidays, you can either let that drag you down, or you can create your own family with friends that need a home to go to."  She was right! She knew exactly what she was talking about. 27 years on the mission field without family around, she knew that feeling EVERY SINGLE HOLIDAY!! Of course, as a kid, I didn't know that because like I said before, Home is where your momma is.  I could easily get discouraged but I am daily reminded, I am now the momma. Do my kids like going to Oma's house for Christmas.... of Course, but they take their cues from their mom... ME! This year, that fact really hit me and I was determined to make it through the holidays, joyfully and with the Christmas Spirit. I had many moments that I just wanted to throw myself a pity party, then some small voice would ask me, "Mom, what fun thing are we going to do today?" Do I always want to be cheery and coming up with fun ideas for my kids to enjoy? No! Do I always love creating new traditions? NO! But I will because one day, I hope my kids will think Home is where my Momma is! I always want my house to be "the" home my kids want to go to. I want the traditions we make now to be the fun memories we pass down to grandkids, like some of the traditions my momma passed down to me.  So, I will not say I was cheery this whole season, but I feel I was more aware of those hurt feelings that would sneak in and I would try and jump out of the path of that pitiful train!

Christmas is special to me, If you know me, I decorate in October! This year Christmas was so much fun and it went by really fast for me, even with starting early. But I try to pack in as much Joy and fun and family time in as I can, which is probably the reason I am now thoroughly exhausted at the beginning of the New Year! But here are some of our Christmas activities  that we packed into this month.

We helped Keith get their office Christmas tree and then we helped decorate it! Then Later on in the month we had a wonderful Christmas party with the staff! I can not tell you how I love the staff at Moosehorn. They joke around and really have a good time together like a family.  When we had a gift exchange, these sweet people had my kids in mind for presents. There was a remote control card that Isaiah found and has played with daily, and Kaden found the bag Nerf balls and other toys. It made my heart cry that these men wanted to see the joy on my kids faces of finding those fun toys! We are blessed to be part of a great office crew and get to work with these wonderful people!

 Found the perfect tree!

 Decorated and lovely

 At the party The boys were full of excitement!

We later went to get our own real Christmas tree at Mingo's Tree farm. This was our first time to go to a tree farm but it was so nice to spend a afternoon out with my boys! We looked them all over (ok not ALL of them) and found a pretty one! It was a warmer day to be out in the snow and Mingo's had a lot of fun things for the kids to do.

 Found it!

 Writing a letter to Santa.... 

There was A LOT on his list and we were there a LONG time waiting for him to write it all down!

 My boys! These 4 make my heart skip a beat!

 As a family we love to be a part of the community as much as we can! We have learned in all the places that we have lived that the more you join with the community the more a place becomes your home. So any opportunity that we can join, we do!  Grand Lake Stream have a wreath making event every year. Last year we were busy the night they did it, but this year we were excited to join them. I have never made wreaths before moving to Maine and it was fun to participate. They ran out of Balsam Fur so I used the left over Pine. I think we all did a great job and had a fabulous time!

 Luke was coloring and making cookies while we made wreaths. This smile is Christmas Joy!

 Our family and our wreaths

 Every year I try to host a cookie exchange and this year was a Tacky T-Shirt Theme party.  I love these dear friends that make me laugh, don't mind my crazy ideas and I love meeting new friends. There was lots of laughs, lots of wonderful sweets and lots of Tacky!

 Not sure what we were saying here but it was apparently funny!

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear" ~ Buddy the Elf
One thing I love doing every year is Christmas Caroling. And I love that our church does this to spread cheer to some of those in our community that can not make it to church. We went to a few of the local assisted living homes and the hospital. I love spreading cheer!

We may not have family close but we have met friends that are close like family. Every 2 months the same group of friends get together for dinner.We rotate homes and each host gets to pick a different theme. ( Examples: Indian food, Finger food and PJs, Pirates...)December was my turn to host and These dear friends didn't even blink an eye when I came up A Victorian Christmas! And it turned out beautiful! I turned my living room into a Victorian Christmas, with china and silver and crystal included. Everyone got on board with the Victorian themed food, and everyone blew me away with their enthusiasm in dressing up for this party! Top hats, vest, coats, petticoats, bustles, hairdos, it all was fantastic! I didn't get to go home to Momma's house for Christmas but these sweet friends made my home, Christmas!

 I made Pineapple, Apple, Orange centerpieces that I saw in Colonial Williamsburg, in Virginia. 

With home made napkin rings, silver plates, china... I felt like I was taken back in time!

 It's a good thing Rebekah is from the south, because like any good southern woman, she had the whole china set, kit and caboodle.... ( I don't really know what a caboodle is but I'm sure she has one!)

 The Ladies

 The Gentlemen

 The group of adults.... the children were watching Muppet's Christmas Carol

 Sitting for dinner

 We even had delicious Figgy pudding!

 We had a few Christmas parties and one with a lot of laughs and fun was the Princeton Rod and Gun Club. It was a small gathering but we had a blast! Having fun and laughs was my goal this Christmas! I think we succeed in that! At the party there was a corner set up with a photo booth and we took FULL advantage of it! hahahaha

Ramos Family 2018

 Stealing a kiss under the mistletoe! 13 years ago we did the same at our wedding! =)

 Cool Dude!

One thing I tried to do was lots of family time together. I think we did quite well with that this year! As our last trip of the year, we spent the day in Saint John, New Brunswick Canada. It was a warm day and we enjoyed walking the decorated Kings park and getting some delicious food and enjoying the beautifully decorated Farmers Market. It was a wonderful day together!

 So many things to taste and see!

  We had a beautiful Candle Light service at church this year that always makes me think and refocus on what Christmas is all about. Jesus! It's all about Jesus! Thank you Matt for a beautiful service that reminds me of that holy night, the traditions behind so many things in our Christmas. There is nothing quite like a quiet, dark, candle lit church while every one sings Silent night. It is a favorite!

Christmas Eve we decided to Sleep under the Christmas tree. It was a tradition that my brother and I used to do in Zambia.... Not really because we wanted to, but mostly because that was the only space available to sleep, due to the great number of people at our house. (which we loved!) But it kind of became a "THING" we did.  Glowing lights, fresh tree smells. My mom probably heard us grumble a lot about it but It was something that I eventually looked forward to and I loved to do! I haven't ever done it with my kids, not really sure why not, probably because I am usually rushing around wrapping presents, madly before morning. But this year i was on top of things and everything was wrapped and ready before. After Church, we came home for a Delicious dinner of  pineapple/Maple glazed Ham, rice and beans and we watched a Christmas movie while eating. We read the Christmas Story, put all the kids to bed and Keith said he was tired and was going to bed early. That was when the idea came to me. So after moving bedding around we all ended up on the floor and couches...... A MIDNIGHT! Good thing nothing big was planned Christmas day! It was as interesting night as some kids were to excited to sleep and some woke EXTREMELY early. But it was fun, in my opinion! The boys may never want to do it again but OH WELL! We will see next year!

Christmas Day, Presents were opened and fun was had. It was a relaxing day of Pj's and food. We had friends, over for dinner. They were far from home too and it was as joy to have friends to hang out with. Plus they had lived in Texas before and totally appreciated the enchiladas and tamales for Christmas tradition! I didn't get any pictures of us but trust me, it was fun!

This year I learned more of the fact of "Home is where you make it", the friends you share with, the community that you join, the joy you share to those around you. A sweet elderly lady told me I was a breath of Fresh air. I pray that I become a breath of fresh air where ever I go, to who ever I meet! I know I will fail many times but that is my challenge. I pray I keep at it! I hope and pray your Christmas was full of love, laughs and lots of fun! I didn't send out Christmas cards this year for various reasons but I hope you know we love you all! Come see us in the New year! We love having visitors! Maine is Beautiful and we love living here! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Ramos Tribe!