Our Summer

Thank you everyone who is still checking our blog. We are so sorry that we have not posted sooner.

This summer we were able to visit our family and friends in the USA.  It was so great to see everyone. These are some of the things we did:

• Adriana and Alexie took the SAT and visited colleges.
• Alayna got her ears pierced.
• Enjoyed devouring the great quantity of books at the public library
• Spoke at several churches 
• Went out on the boat with Grammie and Papa
• Swam
• Blueberry picking with Sam and Grammie
• Went Salmon fishing on Lake Michigan with Uncle Neil
• Helped with and participated in two Vacation Bible Schools
• Went to the beach with the Youth group
• Had sleepovers at Grandma and Grandpa
• Watched the sunset with Uncle Ed
• Made baskets with Mrs. Emmereth
• Annalise started violin lessons.
• Took CPR
• Trained for a Five-K and ran the Logan’s Run
• Visited old friends and made new ones
• Went bowling, miniature golfing, and go carts with Aunt Rhonda, Jordan, Josiah, and  Stone
• Went to the zoo and fed giraffes with Grammie and Papa
• Danced and sang along at the World Pulse Festival with our friend Katie
• Watched fireworks and went miniature golfing with Grandma and Grandma and Uncle Ed
• Celebrated Annalise and Alayna’s  birthday with a splashing pool party
• Adriana got accepted into Bethel College’s REACH program which is online course allowing her to earn high school and college credits at the same time.  She started  August 30^th. 

Thank you everyone for the special time you spent with us. We all had a great summer.

The Dancing 4a’s

Adriana  Alexie  Alayna   Annalise

                

Annalise's Birthday

Annalise's thoughts about her birthday.

Before:	During:
Excitement	Excitment
Joy	Happiness
Wanting to Dance	Joy
It is twindlish	We made hats.
and windlyishus	Made pizza.
It is the most wonderful thing	Open gifts
I played	Made cupcakes
I am having a spa	Ate

Three Years...

On Saturday, May 28, 2011, we celebrated three years of living in the Philippines. We also went to Baguio, but that was not my choice, and because nobody likes to hear complaining, I am not going to talk about that. This post is about the three-year anniversary not Baguio as anyone can tell by the title. So anyways, as I am trying to focus, I think it would be a good idea for us to say three things we have learned from living in the Philippines.

I, Adriana, will go first:

1. Being with people is important. Before when I was in the U.S., I did not enjoy being with people because I felt so awkward. I’d rather sit and read a book. The awkwardness hasn’t completely disappeared. I still need alone time and will always love reading, but I now have a desire to spend time with people.

2. Courage. Face up to your fears. Before I came here, I was afraid of change and heights. I have grown more flexible.

3. The world is a big, amazing place with so many people who are not that different from me.

Alexie

1. I learned what a great thing it is to have sisters. When I first moved to the Philippines, I remember crying because I did not have any friends. But now I have 3 good friends that live with me. I know that I will know them for the rest of my life.

2.I have learned the reality of the spiritual realm.

3. I have learned the trouble with having customs that tie in to your beliefs.

Alayna

1. The value of generosity

2. The difference between friendliness and true friendship

3. Crocheting

Annalise

1. That if you eat a lot of candy and don’t brush your teeth, they rot

2. How coconuts and bananas grow

3. What a banana tree looks like

Our Perspective

News By Annalise

Hi, I'm Annalise Joy.
I'm 8 years old now.
I'm in 3rd grade.
I like playing with my pet shop toys.

We were tagged!

We have been tagged. So here it is:

Here are the rules:1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you. 2. Post the rules on your blog. 3. Write eight random things about yourself. 4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. 5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
I was tagged by apulseandapurpose.blogspot.com/ .

Annalise

1. I got shot in the head with an arrow.

2. Carrots are my favorite veggie.

3. I have flown half way around the world 3 times before I turned 6.

4. My favorite subject in school is handwriting.

5. I like to sweep the floors.

6. My favorite number is six.

7. When I grow up, I want to own a cat and a chick.

8. My favorite books are fairy tale books.

Alayna

1. I fell off a bridge headfirst fully dressed into a creek.
2. I have the same middle name as my mom.
   
3. My favorite book is ''Clementine''.
4. I wish I could have more freckles.
5. My favorite puncuation is !!!
   
6. I read the whole Bible before I was 9!!!!!!!!!!!!
7. I was in a parade before I could walk.
8. I have a doll that I always sleep with named Sugarplum.

Alexie

1. I really like books about Egypt.
2. I want to take a DTS with Jordan, my cousin and best friend, before I begin college.
3. I love to be with young children.
4. I always wanted to have brown skin and black hair.
5. I want to be a nurse.
6. Some day I want to write a song album.
7. Some day I want to be fluent in a different language.

8. I love cheese.

Adriana

1. I hate morning doves because they make me think of proud old ladies.
2. I want to become an author.
3. My favorite book is The Horse and His Boy.
4. I collect almost everything: rocks, coins, Indian beads, etc.
5. I love trying new foods.
6. I used to have an imaginary friend called Sashi Dotie
   
7. I want to go to Kenya, South Korea, and the Amazon Rainforest.
8. I have been on TV and in the newspaper.

Now we want to tag

• Glenice, finggayan.blogspot.com
  
• Dad and Mom, garden-of-grace.blogspot.com
  
• Emily,Lauren, Amy, lifefor5kids.blogspot.com
  
• Miss Valerie, valerieterpstra.blogspot.com
• Mikayla , sjhagen.blogspot.com
  

Happy Fairy Birthday!

Fairy Annalise
Today, Annalise turned 6. She finally got her fairy wings. She’s been waiting 6 years for. Annalise has a new name Flower Fairy.

Love,
Alexie

Funny Tales

I was doing my school and Mommy found this cool thing when we were finding how salt was in the ocean. We found this funny Philippine tale and wanted to share it with you.


Why The Sea Is Salty

Many years ago, the sea tasted like ordinary rainwater. It was bland and tasteless. Fortunately, the people living in the islands knew about a friendly giant who kept mounds of salt in his cave.

The people would cross the ocean on their boats to reach the gentle giant's island, and that is how they were able to bring salt back to their villages, in order to prepare tastier meals.

One time, however, the ocean was quite rough and they could not sail out to gather salt. They eventually ran out of salt and the villagers no longer enjoyed their tasteless meals. They wondered how they could get salt again, when a child suggested they ask the giant to stretch out his legs over the ocean so that they could walk to his island instead.

The kind giant agreed, and villagers with empty salt sacks walked along the giant's leg. Unfortunately, the giant's foot landed on an anthill, and the ferocious red ants started biting the enormous leg.

"Hurry!" pleaded the giant, who strained to keep his itchy legs still.

As soon as the people reached the giant's island, he immediately withdrew his foot and scratched the itchy bites. The villages just smiled at how a giant could be bothered by tiny ants.

Anyway, the people got their salt and the giant again stretched his leg over the ocean. Immediately, the ants began biting his swollen foot. Once again, the giant asked the people to hurry up, but the heavy salt sacks slowed them down.

Besides, the people didn't believe that the tiny ants could really affect the giant, so they idly chatted away, and walked rather slowly.

Before the villagers could cross the ocean, the giant cried out and thrust his ant-bitten foot into the ocean. All the packed salt fell into the plain-water sea and melted.

The giant saved the people from drowning, but no one was able to recover the spilled salt. From that day onwards, the sea became salty.


Retold Stories Copyright © 2001-2005 by http://folktales.webmanila.com Photographs Copyright © 1998-2005 by Manuel Viloria. All Rights Reserved. Homepage globe is derived from the cover of The Mythology Class, Copyright © 1999-2005 by Arnold Arre. All Rights Reserved.

Bike Trikes and Rice

I miss my family and friends. I want to come back, but I am making new friends here. I want to say I love you.

Butterflies are my second favorite, favorite thing. It is my nickname, too.

There is lots of rice. That is my favorite food (it is) in the Phil – i – ppines .

My favorite book is Fancy Nancy. The Fancy Nancy book I brought with me is Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Paris. I haven’t read it yet.

We were going to the YWAM office. We went in a bike trike (that rhymed). There were 4 of us in each one. We had 2 friends with us.

Grandma, I am doing great.

My cousins, I miss you. (I do!)

I wish I was with my team from last year. Then I could be with Abby. Abby is 5. I am going to see Abby in a couple days.

Love,
Annalise

Introducing Annalise

I am Annalise. I am 5. I love that I am making a blog and introducing myself to you. I am in kindergarten. I like kindergarten. It is easy and I get done fast. My mommy reads to me and I read to her. I write about the things we read about. I do math...counting, calendar, money, learning my numbers. My favorite animal is a cat. My favorite fruit is strawberries. I play soccer. This is my first year to be in soccer. I like to be in the middle and kick off. My team is red and the number on my shirt is 5.

We're going to the Philippines again. I like the Philippines. I like to be with the people. The kids most of all. I am a missionary. A missionary is one that teaches about Jesus. We are getting ready to pack. My birthday is going to be in the Philippines.

I love you.
Good-bye,
Annalise