Photo Challenge - Day 19

Today's theme is 'best friend'.  I have never been one to have a lot of friends but the ones I have I cherish.  My two closest or best friends are Carrie and my littlest sister Chante.

This is the best picture I could find of the three of us.  Chante and Carrie get me and love me unconditionally.  They are also not afraid to tell me to be quiet and remember to trust.  It actually goes both ways.  We learn a lot from each other.  We laugh a lot.  We encourage one another along this road of life.  We pray for each other, cry with each other, but most importantly we remind one another to continually turn to the Lord and strengthen each of our relationships with Him.  

Photo Challenge - Day 18

Today's theme is 'something new'.

I have two things that are new.

One makes me laugh a lot.  The other makes me excited about the possibilities!

Meet my newest student who is from Africa and my new math curriculum which I truly enjoy teaching from!  Thank you Lord for new things which add spice to life and interesting ways to challenge my students!  :)  

Photo Challenge - Day 17

Today's theme is memories.  I had a rough time with this one due to the fact I am already pretty homesick!  While thinking about what to take a picture of I remembered that I, for some reason, have some of my ballet stuff here from when I was a child.  I did ballet for many years starting around 8 years old.  I loved it!  I loved learning the new routines, practicing, even tap dancing!  It was so fun and I miss it some days.

Recital costume and a tiny ballet shoe.  I cannot believe my feet were that small when I was 8!  Ha!

I am thankful for memories.  Even the ones that don't always put a huge smile on my face like my ballet stuff does!  I am thankful for parents that loved me so much and we willing to let me try ballet and tap just because I thought I would like it.  It was such a blessing!

Photo Challenge - Day 16

Today's theme is animals.  This was an easy one only because Carrie and I are cat-sitting two lovely kitties this year.  Here they are in their loveliness!  

Newton is the orange kitty and Marille is the calico

I have always owned a cat.  I was shocked to discover, when I was in college, that I am allergic to cats.  My allergist told me to keep the cat, as it will build up my tolerance.  I gladly said okay!  He then said that when I have kids I should let them roll around in the dirt and get dirty then let them stay that way for a few hours before I wash them!  Ha!  That makes me laugh but makes sense because, as he said, since I have allergies my children are more likely to have allergies so I need to allow them to build up tolerances as well.  I guess this means that my children will have pets.  They bring happiness and help children learn responsibility, hopefully!  I am thankful for cats today because I am still allergic to them but not nearly as badly as I could be!  Thank you Lord for animals and all of the beauty and lessons they bring!   :)  

Photo Challenge - Day 15

I have been pleasantly surprised at how I have come to love doing these posts.  Normally blogging can go either way for me.  Either I am in the right mind frame to clearly write about an experience or I am not.  With this photo challenge I think most days about what I will take a picture of to fully capture the theme and then I sit down to write and the words just flow.  It has been very good for me to find moments of thankfulness throughout my days even if it is within the strange concept of a photo challenge.

Here is technology for the day...

In this picture you will find three things I am grateful for thanks to technology.  Number 1 is my computer and the internet connected to it!  As a missionary I ever so grateful for the internet that makes connecting with beloved family members so easy.  Number 2 is the beautiful picture of my littlest sister.  I love her to pieces and without a digital camera I wouldn't have her picture as my desktop pic on my computer.  The third one is MagicJack.  I am so thankful that I have Magic, as I call it.  I am able to call anywhere in America and connect with my other world fairly effortlessly.  This is all assuming the internet is working correctly.  So, today I am thankful for technology and the knowledge of how to use it.  I am also thankful that the Lord allowed me to be a missionary during this time of technological advances!  :)

Photo Challenge - Day 14

Today's theme is movement.  It is really hard to get good pictures of the little monkeys on the move!  They move so quickly after all!  So, I chose this funny picture instead!

I was thinking about movement today while watching my fast moving kiddos run around.  I realized that I cherish all movement from breathing to walking.  The Lord has blessed me with being able to live a normal life and has chosen me to tell the world about Him.  I am honored but also realize that every small movement from breathing to laughing to walking to the Ubahn is a precious miracle.  I was also thinking about my siblings who are physically disabled and how they longed to run and play with us.  We always tried to include them in our baseball games and life in general but I am sure it had to be hard for them.  Due to these experiences, I am ever so grateful for movement in my life.  Thank you Lord for such a precious gift of life, movement, and a family to remind me of your gifts.  

Photo Challenge - Day 13

Today's theme is 'the written word'.  I love words.  They speak deeply to me.  Here is my picture of 'the written word' or 'love notes' as I like to call them...

This is a picture of some of the cards that have been sent to Carrie and me while we have been in Vienna. When I think about them they warm my heart.  They remind me that I am not forgotten, I am loved, and they make me feel special.  Thank you to those of you who send written words of encouragement, or love notes.  You are certainly showing God's love to others that you touch with your notes!  :)

Photo Challenge - Day 12

Today's theme is 'hands'.  I love hands.  They remind me of love, age, tenderness.  Here are the hands that make me laugh a lot these days...

This picture makes me smile.  It reminds me of the fun we have in our classroom.  I love all of these personalities that belong to these hands.  They work hard and have fun at the same time!  I also love how they all felt free to put their hand in the shot however they felt like it should be in there.  I enjoy seeing their personalities come out even in photos of their hands!  Thank you Lord for such precious children that I get the opportunity to minister to!

Photo Challenge - Day 11

Today's theme is 'something old'.  I walk past this something old several times a day.

 I am not sure what this statue represents but it reminds me of safety in that if a fire breaks out this giant Roman soldier will come put it out and rescue all of us!  There is not a plaque to aid in the understanding of this statue thing but I find it interesting nonetheless.

Sorry for the grainy picture but this plaque is close to the exit of the path we walk to get to the ubahn or many stores.  The sign says Czernin - Passage built 1898.  I think that counts as old.  :)

Photo Challenge - Day 10

Today's challenge theme is 'nature'.  It didn't get a chance to take a picture today.  I was hardly outside so taking pictures of nature was out of the question unless I was walking to and from school or the U-bahn.  So, I cheated a bit and am using a picture from the summer.

This is a picture I took after a long hike into Rocky Mountain National Park.  I love this picture because I reminds me of peace, God's wonderful creativity, and my beloved Colorado.  I sat on the large rock after a long hard hike for an asthmatic and was just at peace within God's presence.  It was quite an accomplishment for me to make it here and I was proud of myself but I also realized that God is always looking out for me and knew that I would one day accomplish this feat even when I didn't think I could ever do it!  I am thankful for nature and that I was able to grow up in Colorado to be surrounded by amazing views of God's beautiful artistic eye.  

Photo Challenge - Day 9

Today's gratitude photo challenge's theme is 'an inspiring person'.  I had a hard time with this one as it made me even more homesick than I already was!  I initially thought of my parents and then realized that I am not in Colorado and cannot take their picture.  Then I wanted to play the Jesus card but, well you cannot take a picture of Jesus!  So, I thought long and hard and realized that there are MANY people here I admire which made this task even harder.  Then three specific people stood out.  Here they are...

These three cuties are students at ICSV.  I had two of them last year and really, truly miss having them in my class.  These three inspire me because they struggle with school.  They struggle in reading just like I did as a child.  Regardless of how much they struggle or how hard life here in Vienna is for them one thing about these cuties is that they NEVER lose their joy, their tenderheartedness, or their love for God.  I always stand back and watch these cuties and realize that I aspire to have their joy on a daily basis.  Not that fake kind of joy that some adults have mastered but that child-like joy that comes from deep within a person.  That joy that knows that the Lord is ever-present and always guiding our steps.  That joy that allows a person to look past their current struggle or worry to see the need in others and remember that they might be encouraged by my friendship or joy today!  These three inspire me to be a better teacher and person on a daily basis.

Photo Challenge - Day 8

Today's theme is 'favorite color'.  I wasn't sure if this meant my favorite color or what so I chose mine.  :)

Purple is my favorite color.  Sometimes I flop between blue and purple but I think, deep down, purple is my favorite.  I like blue because I love the color of my eyes.  Purple is fantastic.  Nothing on me is purple, well except for the time the nurse blew my vein with an IV and the next day my entire arm was purple!  Ha!  That was special.  I like purple because it is a girly color but not overly used.  It is the color of royalty in the Bible and purple lilacs are my absolute favorite flower.  Purple seems to make me think of strength and deep love.  It is a calming, refreshing color to me.  So, that is my favorite color!  

Gratitude Photo Challenge - Something Funny

A friend challenged encouraged me to try the 30 day Photo gratitude challenge.  There is a list of themes to capture a picture of each day.  It sounds like fun but I was hesitant because I am not the best photographer but I do enjoy a new way to see God's blessings within my life no matter how small.  So, here is today's theme: Something Funny.  I didn't have to look far to find something funny within my classroom.  Here are two funny things from today...

My boys were eating lunch in my classroom today.  This funny one chose to eat on the stool rather than at a desk or table.  We all laughed pretty hard as he looked like a little old man while trying to eat at his stool!  Ha!

We are doing a circle story unit.  We read "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff and then made the character to hang around our classroom.  Here is a pretty good likeness of the main character in the book.

Here is an intrepretation of that same character!  At least he did it and felt free enough to add his own style to it!  Ha!  I giggle everytime I see it! :)

Taking the animals to see the wild animals!

Carrie and I took our 30 animals to see the wild animals at the zoo.  We did this to enhance our study of animal habitats!  It was a fun trip despite the cooler weather!  They had a grand time on their scavenger hunt through the zoo to locate which animals lived in which of the 6 habitats we had been studying!  So fun!  These kids are so cute and fun to hang out with.  We had marvelous parent volunteers that made this field trip go smoothly!

Some cuties! 

Posing for their teacher!

Facinated by the Hippos!

So cute!

Quite regal

Watching the Seal feeding

The most handsome 3rd graders at ICSV

More cute ones!

An Honor

I, Amanda, was asked to speak at the Middle School and High school Spiritual Emphasis Week a few weeks ago.  It was quite an honor to be selected.  I was asked to share my testimony from my birth until my calling to Vienna.  I am really glad that I was required to do camp counselor training many years before so I was able to quickly write up testimony and then pray that I wouldn't throw up from nerves as I spoke to the 'big' kids.  I was so nervous speaking but the Lord used my words to impact the 'big' kids in a marvelous ways!  Thank you Lord for choosing me to live this life where I can glorify you.  Thank you for allowing me to always see you working within my life.  Thank you for your fingerprints that are clearly evident within my life story!  

Long Night of Museums

We recently attended Vienna's Long Night of Museums that is held here in Vienna once a year.  We love it!  You pay 13 Euro and on one night hundreds of museums are open and you can go to as many as you are physically able!  This year we went to:

• The Treasury - where the crown jewels are 
• The National Library
• The Albertina - an art museum
• The Globe Museum
• The Paper Museum
• The Old Instrument Museum
• The Jewish Museum
• The Roman Museum

It was a fun night but quite tiring!  Here are some pics of some of those sights...

Furry Friends

We are cat sitting some furry friends named Marille and Newton this year!  We love them!  They are quite relaxing and a good form of destressing therapy when we pet them!  Newton has really warmed up to me and will come sit next to me begging to be petted every morning and evening.  We are so happy to keep them safe this year but are sad that there are so many people on staff that are allergic to them!

Need some socks?

Carrie learned how to knit a pair of socks at the same time this summer and now there is no stopping her!  She has made several pairs of socks and some really cute ones for her soon to be new cousin!  She loves it and it most certainly keeps her ADD hands busy!  :)

Carrie's Birthday

I know this is late but Carrie's birthday was August 26 and a few friends and I took her to Salzburg to celebrate.  It was a surprise to her!  I told her the day before that she would need to pack a bag for the weekend and feed the cats enough to help them survive two nights without us!  She was shocked but went along with it.  We saw beautiful Salzburg and even went on the Sound of Music tour.  It was a lot of fun and I think she really enjoyed her celebration!

You would think...

You would think that living in this mobile community would make us very good at saying goodbye.  Well that is not true.  It actually gets harder and harder.  My heart seems to hurt more and more with each one.  Then I remember that the Lord put us here for a purpose and will walk alongside us with these goodbyes.  

This last week we said good bye to this smiley one:

Please join us in prayer for little miss smiley.  Pray that all we have taught her about the Lord will stick with her as she transitions back into her "home" culture.