Reuben turns five

Back in August it was five years since Reuben's dramatic, unplanned homebirth. The unplanned part was being at home with four ambulance officers crammed into our little apartment bedroom, Soren asleep in the next room, me howling and laughing as Reuben made his way into the world. He hasn't been in a rush since. He's inherited his father's phlegmaticism and moves through his life at a very leisurely pace. We adore him and wouldn't want him any other way (except when running late). He makes us laugh til we cry. At dinner the other night Soren said: Hey Reuben, push away your icecream and have rotten cabbage. Reuben: Soren, that's sin. If not for the fact that he can't read yet (he's on the way, wandering around the house chanting g-g-g gecko! sh-sh-sh shoe!) I might have thought he'd been reading CS Lewis who said 'We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday by the sea. We are far too easily pleased.' My prayer is that he'll know the joy of knowing Jesus as his saviour and friend and of serving Him all his days. 

Autumn is 2!


Now that Autumn is two we've put her to work at the market selling vegetables.

I put in a valiant effort at potty training for a couple of weeks before giving up. All it did was make her so terrified of pooing that she would hold on for hours. Maybe in 6 months I'll give it another shot.

One of my all-time favourite things is to see the boys loving their little sister well.

She had a very Spring-like flower cake for her brithday. When it came time to sing Happy Birthday, Reuben was melting down and didn't even want cake and Soren was lying feverish on the couch (all three were at some stage of malaria treatment). So Phil and I sang to her ourselves, ate some cake and had a laugh at how ridiculous it all was.

Time to celebrate

After many years in the making, the Kemtuik people celebrated the publication of the Kemtuik-Indonesian-English dictionary.

Wedding

Rob and Elaine got married during our stint in Melbourne. We caught up with a bunch of friends from St Stephens, some of whom we hadn't seen for years. So much fun.

Blue Mountains Family Holiday

For ten days over Christmas I and 3 of my siblings--Thomasin, Benjamin and Solveig--with our families holidayed in the two houses adjacent to our mum's! A special way to finish up our time in Sydney. Tigger is standing in for Yvette who sadly couldn't make it.

All 10 cousins! I'll list their names too because they are so cool: Marlena, Paddy, Imogen, Otto, Esther, Ildiko, Soren, Reuben, Autumn, Arabella. As you can see Reuben has been forced to stand in the photo and is having a complete breakdown, but they all really did have a glorious time together..

..except for when Soren ran into a door playing chasings. Unfortunately we pretty much neglected to take photos during our entire furlough, but we did think to take some of brave Soren.





The Wedding

Cathy from next door got married. In Indonesian culture, marriage is the most significant life cycle experience for a woman--the end of childhood, the achievement of adulthood, the binding together of the couple and their families, the promise of children (Culture Shock! Indonesia p.146). Here some neighbours construct the archway for the groom's family when they come to collect the bride.

There was a constant stream of relatives coming and going in the lead up. Our garage was taken over a few times for the extended families to meet, organise and give funds towards the wedding and reception, to which 800+ were invited.

Our house and another neighbour's were used for hair and make-up preparations starting at 4.30am..

The bride waits inside as the groom is brought to her family's home in a beautiful and moving procession of dancing and drumming. The groom's female relatives proceed to the closed door, knock, wait, knock again, and ask the family for the bride. This was the high point of the day for me.

Some of the men wore the coloured cloth of Timor province, where Cathy's father is from.

It was a big day for Soren whose job was to accompany the bride and amongst other things, keep her cool with a fluffy pink fan! He did us very proud!

Catholic church ceremony.

If you look hard enough you might see me underneath the layers of make-up and hairspray. Personally I thought I looked quite scary (though it was fun to have the pampering) but Phil assured me I looked perfectly lovely. A seamstress came to Cathy's house and measured up about 40 women for their kebaya (the thing Ibu Susanna and I are wearing) and mine turned out beautifully!

After tons of speeches and thousands of photos Soren's wedding duties are over and he can relax with neighbour buddies Gaby and Agnes. You wouldn't know it, but Reuben had a vomiting and diarrhoea bug that day. Fun!



Our garage was converted into a pumping dance hall, complete with mirror ball above the washing machine. We put the kids to bed (they miraculously slept through the incredible noise) and joined in, only to conk out after about an hour and go to bed at 10pm like a couple of old grannies. Haven't had that much fun in a looong time!

Soren turns 6

Soren chose to have a party at school with his class. When we arrived they were all ready and waiting, and very excited. We played some games and had some cake.

Ibu Mici was born to teach children.

We are such avid fans of Ibu Mici I had to include this wonky photo. At pick-up time I can be seen making not-very-subtle attempts at pushing Reuben in her direction in a bid to foster their relationship in hopeful anticipation of him joining her class when he's 5..

In great faith Soren put my paltry cake-making skills to the test again this year, requesting a crocodile cake. Philip and I pulled together and produced something passable. Lovely Soren was very pleased.

A few of these kids seem to be making a polite, brave attempt at swallowing! Ibu Mici kindly informed us that not many of them liked it because Western-style cakes are much sweeter than the Indonesian equivalent. Oops. Oh well.

As each child left, they had to shake Soren's hand, say Happy Birthday and God bless you, then receive a party bag. There's always a formal, proper way to do these things here.

Christmas 2011

The boys in their new Christmas shirts from Aunty Yvette.
Many Papuans visit family, friends and neighbours over the Christmas period. Our gardener Pak Timen and his wife dropped by, and so did friends Brant and Emily with their 3 boys. It was a relaxed and special day celebrating and reflecting on the birth of Christ, and all that that means.
Autumn's first Christmas!

Making 40 goody bags for the neighbour kids was fun.
More Christmas clothes!

Playing with new lego from his Christmas stocking, at some ridiculous hour in the morning. Phil took the photo then went back to bed.

Autumn was very content with her hand-me-down rattle from the baby toy cupboard.
See that? It's a loud speaker, which blares out Christmassy muzak at all hours of the day and night. It didn't bother us nearly as much as it did 2 years ago.
This is the Christmas pondok (hut) where the music is played. These are built in every neighbourhood at Christmas time, just to share the joy..