Christmas 2011

christmas was definitely a different experience for us this year...but it was good.

last night, after napping all afternoon, we reorganized some closets, cleaned up the christmas decorations, and put away our gifts.  it felt good to have the house back in some order.  we were able to get a much bigger and fuller tree for next year 1/2 off, a tree skirt, some ornaments and an angel topper.  i look forward to setting up 'our own stuff' next christmas.  and we can give away the stuff we dont need from this year.

yesterday, our church service was short, but still well attended.  i was tired from having dinner at midnight the night before...but i love that we did that too.  just made me kind of drag on sunday.  one observation i made is that next year i would like to make a dinner for those who have nowhere to go.  those that are alone here...because there were a few that i saw and it made my heart sad.  i may not have family here, but i still have 5 people with me always, so am definitely not alone.  next year, next year...so much is learned the first year for me here on the mission field.

this week, we are doing absolutely no school.  it is a good feeling.  we are halfway through the year and i want a week just to catch up on some organization and deeper cleaning around the house.  also, since we have decided not to come to texas til later summer, it gives me more time to finish out the year.  the kids are doing great, but looking forward to a week of relaxing as well.

our first gift, a houseplant, from a girl i am discipling...wow, what a plant.  we bought a beautiful planter for it and it is in the corner where our christmas tree was...so pretty and homey feeling.  my first houseplant in belize:)

the lifenet tshirts are in...a huge box sits in my hallway...we will bring some home to texas with us, for those who want one:)

the stockings are stuffed and ready to go...thanks to a little help from our elves the elliots...

the gifts are wrapped and labeled...from mom and dad, the elliots and tori and wini got gifts for everyone as well

now wini has her own itouch...thanks for helping us with that mom and dad...she is so happy

she never really celebrated christmas in the past, so it was fun to bless her

so excited i found this scooter...she is having a blast and rides everywhere now...burning up some of that endless energy she has

present i regret the most...yep, this one.  but she loves it, so i must endure...

dinner at midnight with some very special people

the kids loved their newest puppy...she is pretty cute, i must admit

preparing the feast...it was so good.  turkey, ham, scalloped potatoes and they all love the brocolli and rice casserole i brought, tricia:)

fireworks, check.  my son is complete.

dont worry, andreas dad is a doctor and was overseeing the fireworks, kind of...

sunday morning, we were blessed with some yummy goodies.  and we all had a dr pepper i had saved from when the elliots came...so happy christmas to all of us:)

oh and i got a coffee maker, MMM, and a new phone.  my phone was arcaic and everyone texts here, so now i can keep up with the texting belizeans on my new texting phone...thank you honey:)  and now we have an extra phone for missions teams to borrow when they come..

Christmas Eve without my family:(

Today has been a pretty relaxing day for us.  Tori and I woke up and went to the store to stock up on food, as we were told things will be shut down for a few days...remember, no quick trips to Walmart here.  It was crazy and there were tons of people everywhere we went, at market yesterday too.  Belizeans definitely wait til the last minute!!!  One blessing is that all the Christmas trees and decorations were marked 1/2 off tonight, so we got a bigger tree and ornaments for next year.  That was fun.

I relaxed all day, watching movies, tidying the house, preparing for tonight the food we are taking.  It was a nice day.   A nice mellow day.  Lee and the kids went for a walk and brought me back a Chollis, which is ice cream, coffee and cinnamon...MMMM.

But there was this thing in the back of my throat all day.  This is the first Christmas....for MANY, MANY years...that we are not with family.  The last one would have been when I was pregnant with Josh, when we lived in Ohio.  We are one of those families that just has a great family around us that supports and loves us.  So there is a true loss not to be with them this year.  My parents were just here, so that definitely helps a lot.  And we will skype/call them tomorrow.  That helps too.  But we will miss all the fun of just hanging out and laughing and seeing them open gifts from us, etc.  We will miss the fun of stockings at my in-laws house...that was always really fun for me.  So I stuffed my kids stockings FULL to overflowing to try to capture that feeling a little.

A little while ago, we opened gifts with the kids.  It was fun.  They are thankful.  We are going to eat dinner at midnight tonight, so they have plenty of time to play with their new stuff before getting ready to go.

But I must admit, I still miss our family...

So I hold on to next summer when we will see everyone again.

And choose to know that I am blessed with the people in my life here in Belize, starting with the family we are spending dinner with tonight...and the congregation that we will worship with in the morning.  And it just makes me appreciate our family a little bit more.

Feliz Navidad...and Gracias

Okay, did that just to be funny.  Everyone thinks Belize is a Spanish speaking country, when the national language is actually English.  We hear more Creole than we do Spanish.  I heard more Spanish when I lived in Katy than I do here.

Merry Christmas from Belize

and

THANK YOU

Normally, each year, we get a Christmas photo taken and distribute it to our entire congregation, friends and family.  Normally I am busy getting addresses and mailing off those pictures.  With no Walmart in Belize, this year, there is no photo.  I am hoping to maybe pull it off by the time we go to the states next summer...so I can use the Walmart there:)

Christmas is very different this year, but I want to let you know...that is okay.  We have been blessed...and have been able to bless those around us.  The Lord has surrounded us with people we love and who love us.

I also want to thank you.  Those of you who support us financially...we could not be here without you.  We could not be impacting Belmopan without your support.  And that is huge.  

Every time I go to the grocery store or fill our van with gas so we can pick up people.  Every time we pay our electric bill or feed extra people around our table.  Every time we do anything, it is because you are helping us to do it.  Those of you who support us through prayer...that is important too.  The spiritual battle is intense here.  We deal with the demonic and witchcraft all the time.  We deal with deep grudges and unforgiveness, deep sin issues...we need to be covered in prayer constantly.  Don't ever let up.

And those of you who have visited us...Thank You.  You have no idea what that does for our spirits...to have visitors from home and to get to share with you what is going on here in Belize.  Please keep the visits coming, bring teams from your church.  We will always have work/ministry for you to do.  And can show you the cheapest places to eat:)  And take you to the Blue Hole.

Merry Christmas, once again.  Be blessed.  We hope to see all of you next summer on our whirlwind trip to Texas.  

Have a Blessed 2012

Our family has changed so much this past year...yet, we are still the same Brockintons:)

Courageous

It has been a very busy day.  I will not bore you with the details of my life, but I was going strong from 7 this morning til around 7 tonight, when we sat down to watch "Courageous" as a family.  We started the morning with market, and several errands, laundry, homeschool, and that was all before 10 am...and my day just never slowed down.

Our life has been extremely over-the-top, can't-think-straight-busy the past couple of months.

But tonight, we all sat down, as a family, and watched a movie.  Honestly, cannot remember the last time that all six of us did that.  It was great.

And I highly recommend this movie.  It is, simply put, a reminder of the importance of godly fathers.

I am one of the blessed ones that was raised by a godly father, and who married a godly man who fathers our children well.  There were many tears tonight as the movie struck on so many things.  And the reminder of who we are ministering to.  We decided this would be a great movie to show in our Thursday night NetGroup, but I began to think about the different kids who do not have have fathers, or do not have fathers that are there for them.  I can see that it will be a night of deep ministry.

It is hard to believe it is almost Christmas, especially since we are all still wearing shorts.  The early mornings and evenings get cool, but it is definitely not cold.  Sunday, we are looking forward to a special service.  When we asked how many would be in town and come to church, about half of the people said they will be here.  Then, we will join one of our families' extended family for Christmas dinner.  I am looking forward to a special day, enjoying my husband and children and the special Spiritual family that God has brought into our lives.

We have been blessed recently beyond what we could imagine.  The fun part has been "spreading the blessings" with others.  Without sharing details, it has been awesome to get to surprise a few families and help make their Christmas a little more special.  It is not about the gifts, but gifts are fun.  I have struggled a little, feeling that I cannot get things here, for my children, that I can in the states.  But family and friends have brought things and are sending things that my children will be so excited about.

Erika is my smallest, my baby, the one I want to feel especially excited Christmas morning.  I have found some small things...but nothing that would be really that exciting.  Well, yesterday, I was so excited to walk into a local store that sells items from the US.  I never know what will be there, but they had just gotten in a fresh stock and immediately when I walked in, I saw a pink, plastic Radio Flyer scooter...for cheap!  I quick grabbed it and asked them to hold it for me while I looked some more.  I cannot wait to see Erika's face Christmas morning...  there is a friend here that has one...that she adores everytime we go to her house.  Now, Erika will have one of her own.  God is good and blesses us.  And when my baby is blessed, I am blessed too.  SHHHH, dont tell Erika our little secret.

And, I have not blogged since Sunday...our biggest day so far.  We had 91 in the house!!  It was so awesome...and God stretched the food.  It was after our big night at Legacy Got Talent, so an especially busy couple of days...here are a couple of photos of our weekend:)

After her performance...she did amazing...

Sunday morning...not a place even to put any more chairs...

"LifeNet" performed for our service

Our children "froze up", but they were adorable anyway

Carolyn and Tirzah danced together...it was beautiful...

Monday night was the Christmas parade and Christian night at the park...Look at these two beauties...

Life has been busy, but good

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of fun and busyness...complete with Wini's friends stopping by to Christmas carol for us...

going to Wini's Christmas program, where she sang as a beautiful angel, 

We celebrated Erika turning five with a a very PINK princess party.

We took a quick trip to the Blue Hole with mom and dad.

Lee and I got away ALONE overnight to San Ignacio...while mom and dad watched the kiddoes...it was nice, but too short:(

Mom and Dad came to LIFE NET with us for two Sundays.

They got to watch Erika in her ballet class.  Unfortunately, it was the last for a while.  Their teachers are all moving on to other things.  But it was nice for the couple months she was in.

We went back to the Blue Hole yesterday with the Elliots, who also came and visited us here in Belize.  Don't you love Josh giving Erika her a beauty treatment of mud for her birthday?

and another cake, also celebrating Tom and Sue's birthdays...

And today, I took dinner to the family of our weeist member.  Please keep Chloe in your prayers.  She is 3 lbs and home from the hospital in a sort of "quarantine".  I dropped off dinner and said a quick prayer and took a quick photo.  She is precious.   Please pray for the Lord to protect her from illness as she grows stronger each day.

Its been a great two weeks.  Very busy, but we have been very blessed.  We are thankful for all of the gifts our parents and the Elliots brought our family.  We are blessed and overflowing...

This weekend, we have a special Sunday at church, which includes lots of preparation on our part.  We are praying for a great turnout and lots of food for our dinner:)

Now, to get a good night's sleep.