Post Christmas Wish

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We were blessed to see all our family. 

Emily is really enjoying her new bike. Katie's not so interested. After just a short ride she opted for walking! LOL.

We are still suffering minor jetlag but its getting better. Although she had a few waking moments in the night - Katie slept until 7AM!!! YEAH. 

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas and blessings for the new  year. We'll be sending out our last Family Newsletter in a couple of weeks so you'll get an update to where we are now. Don't want to spoil it by saying anything here, so you'll have to be patient. :)

If anyone is interested in seeing us (we're interested in seeing you!) let us know. We're here in Homestead till further notice. Since we have no jobs, no car, and no cell phones, emailing us is your best option. Oh, to live the simple life! Hopefully we'll know about AT&T the first week of the new year. That's when the decision maker will be back from vacation.

Again, blessings for the new year and we'll see you soon!

XO

The Logans

Jesus' Christmas List

For the past months I have had my quiet time on line. Yep, with lots going on and two children who demand my attention as soon as I finally sit down I find it allows me to meet with Jesus. So why am I sharing this. Well, I mostly read the devotions from Proverbs 31 Ministries and they are amazing. Especially this last month with so very much happening in our lives, its been a real comfort. You know how sometimes you hear a message and its like the pastor or who ever is reading your mind. I mean the very event, problem, situation you are going through is EXACTLY what he preaches on? Well that's how this blog-devotion has been for us. With only a few exceptions it has totally met me where I was. God has definitely been speaking to me via this devotion.
Anyway, today's devotion was on the business of Christmas. And I think that even most of us Christians still fall into secular mode in regards to some of our holiday planning. Yes we do plays and services and such, but I think we all still get sucked in by the commericalism of Christmas. Yes, me included! (Don't tell them, but the girls are getting bikes and I'm SOOOO EXCITED!) (see!).
So the author of today's devotion had what might be on the list of those who played a part in the first Christmas that glorious day our Savior was born...

I wonder, if Jesus were making a holiday preparations list, what would He include? What if those who were there on Christ’s birth day could advise us on getting ready for Christmas? What would be on their list?

Joseph might recommend we listen closely to the voice of God to prepare.
Mary may suggest we ponder the miracles of heaven.
Perhaps the angels would propose we sing about the King.
The shepherds may gently guide us to follow their act of worship.
Possibly the wise men would teach us to give Jesus our most valuable gifts.
The innkeeper may suggest “Hospitality: open your heart and home.”
And Jesus’ list would likely encourage us to be a light on the hill pointing the way for others to know Him.

I've tried to think of ways to add Christ back in the hurriedness of Christmas. How can we stop, and truly share this wonderful gift with our family, friends, and esp. our children? What kinds of things can we do to instill in our kids that Christmas is not about how many gifts are under the tree, or how many parties we get invited to, but how we celebrate the greatest gift given to mankind?
I'm not being hypothetical, I'm really asking? We've always tried to read the story of Christ's birth before we can open gifts. Which right now might be a bit harder to do. So maybe the night before? What kinds of things do you do to keep Christ as the center of the celebration? Share and if I like it, I might steal it for myself!!! LOL.

On a more personal note, we leave tomorrow morning EST. Overall, we've got a 26 hour trip in front of us. Pray for safety and calm. Another prayer request is for my sister and her family. Life is really throwing them curve balls. In just the last 4 months her and her husband have been dealing with lots of medical issues and I learned this morning that K.C. (her husband) was in a car accident. The Lord is good, he only has a broken arm and of course soreness, but his car is totaled. Other driver was speeding trying to make the light and didn't. Just pray for a speedy recover (his job won't allow him to work with a cast - so that's 4-6 weeks with no paycheck). Thanks for all your support, encouragement, and friendships and we'll see you on the flip side! (get it cause we're below the equator.... okay, not as funny as I thought?)

Emily

I just had to blog cause she makes me laugh. Do all four-year-olds say such funny things? Do they all organize their lives in such sequences?
Its 8am here right now, most of you are in bed (though I caught Jescel still awake on Facebook!). So morning time means breakfast. This is always a dilemma because most often Emily wants "pancakes with syrup". Since I have to make most things homemade (no Eggos in South Africa) that can be a chore, especially when Katie's gotten me up at 5:30! But I digress.
They do have cereal here - its called Coco Puffs, but I promise you its not. Its similar, less sweet, which is a plus I guess, but the girls like it (so does daddy). So how do they eat their cereal? Well most times in a bowl with milk. Lately its been in their tea cups. They sit here with the box of cereal, scoop some into their tea cups and eat it. Now since its chocolate and my girls LOOOVVEEE chocolate, I have to keep an eye on the amount. So Emily made this statement this morning,
"We're going to have a tea party with our cereal. You will tell us when we ate too much and the tea party will be over."

I just laughed so hard. So matter-of-fact. She does this with other things as well. She'll ask me for lunch and then announce, "I will play on the computer, and when you finish my sandwich I will stop." Now I have to tell you, she doesn't stop. I have to yell at her to shut the lid and eat. She says this because this is what I've told her in the past - she could play on the computer while I make her lunch and then she has to stop to eat."
You see her with her newest friend, monkey. Got him at the Cape since we're leaving and she really, really wanted him. She usually doesn't get into stuffed animals and dolls, but she's been hanging on to this one. He sleeps with her and goes to the grocery store with her. This cause quite the attraction in the mall, this little girl with a monkey strapped around her. I've seen these in the States, guess they're not so familiar here.
Emily does say the funniest things and sometimes I have to hold myself back when disciplining her and not laugh at her remarks or explanations. I'm so excited for everyone to see how much she and Katie have grown and how fun and funny they can both be. I did post pics of Katie on our Facebook. But just wanted to share this randomness in our life this morning. Pray for our girls that they adjust well to being moved cross-country once again. I've been praying for God to just give them a sense of His peace despite the fact that they may not totally understand what's going on. XO

Cape of Good Hope

Well I guess its fitting that our last outing would be to the Cape of Good Hope. We walked, yep, the girls too, up to the lighthouse that stands as a beacon at the tip of the most southwestern point in Africa. Its actually not the most southern tip of the continent. - that's several miles to the east. So we climbed, and climbed and climbed. We had to rest just twice. The girls did an amazing job. We got to the lighthouse and were rewarded with a wonderful view and very high winds. And as kids are kids, the girls were still full of energy despite the 20 minute hike up a steep hill. We were high enough that we were in the clouds. We could see a very faint cloud just below us - so that was cool.
We took a few pictures, enjoyed the scenery and then headed down. This time we took the small train. Good thing cause it started to rain just a little bit. So we headed back to the car, and enjoyed the 90 minute ride home along the coast. It is such a beautiful country - mountains everywhere, blue water - a big change from the flatlands of Florida.
So we head out in less than a week and we're really looking forward to seeing our family. Things are going well thus far. Selling the car off tomorrow and then cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and all the little packing that's left. Please pray for a good flight with the girls. Our first leg will be about 21 hours. Then a short trip from NY. Nothing too much to report. We're all probably a bit tanner than most of you since its summer and we've enjoyed a few days at the beach. We've really enjoyed getting around. Kevin says I'll have to drive once we get back because he's really gotten use to the driving here. He can do it without thinking about it too much. It still seems a bit strange to me but not too strange.
Still no word about Kevin's job, but we're looking here and there and have a good running start on a few options once we're back. Please just pray for God's will. We know He is faithful and will not let us go hungry. He will provide - we just got to figure out what that is! LOL.
So have a good weekend - not too much will be happening on this side and we'll see you all real soon!

For Dave

This post is for our friend Dave. For those of you who don't know, he used to work for a barricade company. You know, the ones who set up all those barricades along the highway and byways to divert traffic. Well here in South Africa they're doing lots of road work and construction - preparations for the 2010 Soccer Championship.
So what's so blog-worthy about that? Well its these people pictured. You see unlike the States where there's a big sign with a flashing arrow telling you to merge or be aware of the construction, there's these people. Their job - to wave this flag to warn you that you'll be merging over, or to be aware that there's construction vehicles in the area or whatever.
So here they stand, waving their flags, I'm sure hoping and praying you see them before it's too late. We're curious to know how many of these people have been hit. This was along a long highway, but we've seen them in the midst of city traffic where you have to make a last minute decision to veer left or right. SCARY.
So Dave, while we're so happy you are no longer on the highways of Miami, it could have been worse. You could have been a flag waver!