I know, I know...

It's been a long time since last posted on our blog - a really long time! We're doing fine here in India, so I hope you haven't been worried. I've just been finding it really challenging to bridge two worlds (the one we currently live in, and the one that our family and friends live in).

Recently I've been reading some blogs by other women who are raising families overseas, and I've really been inspired. So, I promise that I'll post some pictures, updates, and stories soon. But right now I really need a shower...

Cross Country 2010

Saturday was the annual Cross Country Event at school. Lauren, Brenna, and Addie ran and did an amazing job! Enjoy the pictures!

Lauren and Megann (aka "Little Lauren") supporting Blue House with their hair ribbons

Addie, the one-legged-wonder!

Lauren crossing the finish line

Brenna crossing the finish line - wishing she had taken off her fleece!

Friends :)

Brenna in 2nd place for her class (girls)

Addie in 3rd place for her class

When Addie finished her race I told her what a great job she did, and she answered,"I know - I just LOVE my running!"

The entire event was a little much for Megs, so she slept in her stroller under the rain cover. So very sweet!

Megann & Addie

SISTERS

The SISTERS conference is happening this weekend!! Here is a pic of the ladies who have been organizing the event - I am so grateful to be a part of this group!

Honey, talk!

6 months old already!

Megann is growing and changing so quickly, so I thought I should post some pictures of her before they become outdated!

Such a happy baby!

Riding in the stroller

"Helping" Lauren choose a DVD

First bucket bath!

"Annie"

This is officially "Drama Week" at Hebron School, and the standard 7 students put on the show "Annie". Lauren played an orphan named "Tessie" - the one who always says, "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!" It was so much fun, and Lauren did a great job - enjoy the pictures and the video!

New Pictures!

Cotton Candy

A wonderful thing about living in a tourist town is that there are often street vendors selling snack food along the side of the road. Often they'll have fresh carrots, deep fried peppers and bananas, roasted corn on the cob (not sweet corn, unfortunately), sugar cane juice, or (our favorite) COTTON CANDY!! Now don't worry, this isn't some strange Indian version - it's the real thing, and it's makes this entire family very happy for right around $1!

Doddabetta

A couple of weeks ago we went up to Doddabetta, which is the highest mountain in the Nilgiri Hills (the area where we live). The views from the telescope house at the peak were beautiful, and even though it was pretty windy at the top, we had a great time!

Kooti Papa

"Kooti Papa" means "small baby" in Tamil, and is what Megann is affectionately called wherever we go. When we were thinking of possible names for our soon-to-arrive baby, Ryan really wanted a name that had an Indian origin. I was a bit skeptical because if/when we return to the US, I wanted our child to have a name that wouldn't be considered awkward or "too ethnic" in American culture. We looked at a few Indian baby name websites, and started reading out the names. I called out name after name, until I got to the M's and read, "Mehboobah". Needless to say, we stopped searching Indian websites for names.

So, when she was born we named her Megann Maielle because we loved the name. She wasn't named after anyone (except that we got the idea for her middle name from a Canadian snowboarder who won gold in the Olympics this year), and we didn't choose her name from the significance of the meaning - or at least we thought.

When Megann was a couple weeks old we were talking to one of the Indian teachers here at school, and she said casually, "You know that Maielle is the Tamil word for peacock, right?" We couldn't believe it - not only was it Indian, but it was the name for the national bird of India in the local language of the state where we live!

So, here is a picture of our "kooti papa" with our friend Kingsley - who always calls her "Maielle".

Great Weekend!

On Sunday we travelled to Kotagiri (about 45 min away) for the dedication of a new church building. We had a great time supporting the pastor, our good friend Kingsley, and making new friends.

We stayed overnight in a hotel (very fun!) and the next day had the opportunity of visiting a child development center (CDC) in a local village. The girls were treated like celebrities (a little too much attention for their liking), but we had an amazing time. It was a warm evening for us, but I still got scolded by some women for not having a hat on Megann. Again, we were so blessed by the warmth and graciousness of new friends, and we even got to see the full moon rising over the rolling tea plantations! It was a great weekend!

Here's Addie making her Tamil singing debut.

Bangalore

Last week we went to Bangalore (about 6 hours away) to see friends and relax - as much as you can in a bustling Indian city. We had a chance to see friends, do some shopping, eat some great food, go to a movie (Toy Story 3), and have dentist appointments.

Here are some pictures of our week!

Big Eyes

This is one of Megann's most famous expressions - we call it "big eyes". She's been doing this since she was teeny-tiny, mostly whenever Addie is around.

This is why I'm so glad Megann is a girl...

... because when you're a boy, and your sisters dress you up in sunglasses and a Hannah Montana wig, it can really mess you up. But when you're a girl, it's just a lot of fun!