Last Day of School

Isaac's teacher Mrs. Jain who is moving to American this summer, so we probably won't see her again. Jae Hyeok, Alina & Ye Ju.

Here's our latest and greatest new friends the Jordans. Chase, Michelle & Bryce. They moved to Delhi from SLC in February and are only staying until November, but we sure love them! Chase and Russell are best buddies, and Bryce thinks Isaac is the greatest. This is a photo from their birthday party. The monkey man came!

Sister Pritchett left India. So sad. We will truly miss her and her family at church. They did SO much for us and our kids to help us adjust to our new lives in India. Hopefully our paths will cross again somewhere.

Isaac will miss Mrs. Lemley so much. He gave her a big hug and told her with all of his heart how much he would miss this great KG teacher.

Graham sitting in the big chairs at Busy Bees next to Ellen and Ellie.

Russell wearing his cool look next to his favorite friend Ellen and Rose.

Spider Man riding his scooter down the tree-lined quiet lane at the British High Commission. Perhaps the thing we'll miss the most about Busy Bees.

Christmas in Delhi

Though we left for Christmas for a trip to visit Mom and Dad in New Zealand, we did celebrate a bit beforehand with a district Primary activity at Sister Pritchett's house and Mommy's Musikgarten Family Music Party.

Isaac and Russell getting in the mood (Russell trying out Amy's Christmas gift of pearls).Graham and Sister Vimla Mani the Primary president. He was very happy at this little party.
Graham taking a break from charming everyone.
Isaac took the cookie-decorating very seriously, but was humored me with a half-smile.
Here's Sister Pritchett dressed up as an angel surprising us with her praise dancing. We expected her to come down the stairs singing the Hallelujah chorus, but instead she pumped up some hip hop and danced her heart out to all of our wondering eyes!
The boys well-integrated into the Primary group decorating cookies.
Russell with Dolly reverently examining Sister Pritchett's nativity set.While the kids decorated cookies, the men were downstairs playing pool. Here's President Beesa taking a shot. Photo courtesy of Rich.
Here's the party we had for my Musikgarten students and their families. So much fun! Gotta love a place where you can spread out picnic blankets at Christmastime.Here's the craft table at the party, manned by Amy Klassen (and her daughter Alexis--they have three girls to match our three boys in age). Amy is my new great friend who is here in India with her family as Mennonite Brethren missionaries.
Teething Graham. Don't you just want to give him a squeeze?
Graham standing on the drum so he can reach the musical instruments

Russell & Isaac Celebrities

So we were outside the Jama Masjid (a mosque in Old Delhi) and Isaac met some guys writing in a book. They asked him to write his name in their book. "You want me to write my name? I'm really good at that." He then proceeded to write his name and everyone in our family. Where else can you go in the world and be asked to write your autograph simply because you look different?
Speaking of looking different, here's Isaac and Russell pictured with their Primary group at church. The other white kid is Thomas, Isaac's best friend who was visiting that day. Sister Pritchett is the American woman on the right who helps run the Primary and ensures there's enough English in Primary so that Isaac and Russell can understand. It was an adjustment at first, but they are loving it now.

A Good Day

Rich told me several days ago that I need to write a positive blog. Well, I had a pretty decent day today, so here's all the positive, fabulous things that happened today:

1. Even though the high temperature today was 114 degrees, we managed to stay cool all day, thanks to car A/C, swimming pools, and generators. We are so blessed.

2. Isaac and I mowed the lawn together this morning. It felt so normal and suburban to do such a thing. And a little physical exercise is always a good thing!

3. Umesh, our handyman, showed up and fixed a bunch of things that were bugging me--a leaky toilet, a screen door that wouldn't stay shut, a broken light, and an outlet that kept frying multiplugs (literally . . . last night it was sizzling). When he shows up, Umesh is the greatest! Perhaps the greatest part about all of this is that I delegated to Sarita the job of calling him, waiting for him, and directing him. She did a superb job arranging it all.

4. I knew we would be gone all day but I had enough foresight to leave instructions with Sarita to make dinner for tomorrow (Sunday). So I don't have to cook and we have enough food I could even invite someone over.

5. Before bed we all knelt in a row on Isaac's bed and Russell volunteered to say the prayer ("because I in the middle!"). He always goes on and on and we can't catch it all, but he is so sincere and reverent. Most of tonight's prayer revolved around Grandma and Grandpa and trains. I think he blessed the food too. But so sweet.

6. Graham tried tofu rolled in wheat germ today and he liked it! He's also been eating graham crackers in the car when we're on the go and he loves them.

7. I hired a driver named Roy Issac today who can start Monday, speaks English, has good references and experience and will work for a reasonable salary! After having major communication and navigation barriers to lumber over today with my current driver, this will be a welcome relief. And he doesn't need a place to live, so that means one less person living here to cause trouble. Hooray! Now I can go explore the city more without worrying about getting hopelessly lost and hopefully start sending the driver out on some of my errands. Blessed again. What a relief. And Isaac is thrilled that we will have a driver named Mr. Issac and we also know Isaac Isaac Pritchett.

8. We went to a birthday party for Isaac's classmate Charlie at the British High Commission Lounge. It wasn't as formal as it sounded on the invitation, our kids didn't make any scenes, and I wasn't too socially awkward and chatted with some interesting people I hadn't met yet--a woman from Peru and some Japanese new mothers, and an American heading off to Moscow or Singapore.

9. Sister Pritchett from our branch invited us to ACSA (the American Embassy club). We had hamburgers, fries, root beer, M&M's, and swam in a wonderfully shaded pool and Isaac got to walk their dog Jaya (he likes dogs now since he's spent some time with her). The Pritchetts have been so good to us. Brother Pritchett wants to go back to the USA to teach economics at Harvard soon, but we're hoping they decide to stay.

10. Rich is in Taiwan on business but we have talked to him several times today. I also talked to Dad in New Zealand. What a blessing our mobile phones and phone networks are! I am happy to hear Mom is also a little better from whatever disease she caught in Delhi and that Dad survived the earthquake that hit Tonga while he was there for work. Blessed again.

So there you have it, Rich . . . a completely positive blog.