Time for a Holiday!

On December 15th we set off for our Christmas Holiday.  Well, at least out of Bangalore for awhile.  Buckle your seat belts - You are about to go on a "Weimann Family Vacation" (Yes, much like a Griswold Family Vacation!)  We didn't get far before Salome called to tell us that we forgot one of our suitcases!  ACK!  "Claudius!  We gotta turn around!  Sir forgot his suitcase!"  So, after a slight detour back to the house for Matt's suitcase, we were on the road again!  First stop - Bangalore International Airport.

 No matter what clock you are looking at - Our bellies told us it was time to EAT!

PIZZA HUT!!

Waiting for our pizzas

The kids watching this man play a video game

on his computer while they wait for their pizza.

Very Proud of their local beer.  I thought the Indian flag across

the nose was a nice touch!  Haha!

After a short safety briefing - The girls declared, "Look, Mom!  We're getting ready to cast off!"

SINGAPORE!!!

Oh my word!  I can't even begin to describe what it was like landing in Singapore.  Those people have got their...stuff....together!  WOW!  Talk about efficient.  Clean.  Everything I have NOT been experiencing for the last four months.  More on Singapore to come but I'm telling ya' - If we were to ever to do an overseas assignment again - I would officially like to put in a request for Singapore.

Already making themselves comfortable in the hotel.  The Little Varmits stole our slippers!

There were four in the bed and the little one said, "Roll Over, I'm crowded!"

So, Rachel is completely "faking it" in this picture.  The rest of them are legit "out of control" and to answer the burning question, "Did they all sleep together?!"  Well, yes, they did!  For the first night, anyhow.  It was a disaster.  The next night they brought in a cot and then they fought over who got to sleep in peace...all ALONE...the other nights!  Siblings! 

Big plans for our first day in Singapore...we're off to the Zoo!  They all went to bed singing the ever delightful but truly annoying, "Daddy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow...zoo tomorrow...zoo tomorrow....Daddy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow - We can stay all day!"

Honkin' Huge Singapore Cab!

Great Day for the Zoo!

Absolutely Amazing seeing these guys sooo close.

Kangaroo with her BABY in her pouch!  COOL!

Supposedly, if you were an ape - This guy would be irresistibly HAWT!!! 

DUDE!  They have something for that....It's

called Preparation H...Just trying to help a brother out!

Hungry Hungry Hippo!

Here Monkey, Monkey, Monkey! 
I have a delicious carrot for you!

One of our favourite attractions at the zoo was the elephant show.  What an amazing animal!  Unlike Bangalore, Singapore was hot and humid so we were psyched when we found a spot right down front and in the shade.  Minutes before the show started, with the stands now jammed with sweaty folks, one of the zoo staff voice came booming over the loud speaker to inform us that we were sitting in the "splash zone"....Great.  I know what that means when you're at Sea World.  Does that mean the same thing when you are at an elephant show in Singapore?!  Matt and I exchanged looks of "Seriously!?"  He climbed the stairs until he found a zoo worker who explained to him that "Yes.  The elephants will probably spray you.  Enjoy it.  It'll cool you off."  Hmmmm...yah.  Not so sure I'm cool with that.  Matt told the kids, "Keep your mouths shut!"...not as in "stop talking" but literally as in "keep your mouths shut" that's all we need is to get that disgusting water sprayed into our MOUTHS.  Okay.  Now that those initially formalities were behind us...it was time to watch the BIG (and I do mean ENORMOUS show) unfold in front of us.

Oh boy!  Here they come!!!

Yep.  Filling that trunk with water....You know what's next, right?!  YEP!  SSPPRRAAAYYYY!!!!

Thank God it wasn't more than a light spritz b/c it was making me tense.  I think the lovely speaker phone lady sensed the stress I was experiencing b/c she announced that it was "potable" water and that this portion of the show was over and so we didn't need to worry about getting wet anymore.  FANTASTIC!!  Because no sooner did those words fall from her lips then THIS HAPPENED....

Oh no she diin't....Ah.  Shucks!  Yah, she did!!

That's one big ole Pachyderm Poopin' in da Pond!

Watching in shock, awe and disbelief...

"Ewwww!  She pooped!"

Balancing Act

A Tightrope Turn

  It's official - Even an ELEPHANT has better balance than me.  What an embarrassment.  I'm ashamed.

Show-offs!! ;0)

Time for some Teamwork!

Cooling Off.  We'll take 2 mango & 2 cranberry - To Go!!

Holy Bamboo, Batman!!!

#1 and #3

Aw, Sparky!  We made it to Singapore!

Hey There Big Fella! 

Wow!  The King Cobra!  Had Nooooo idea they got this big and I feel so relieved to know they live in Bangalore (insert sarcastic, nervous warbly voice!)

Nap Time

The kids were fascinated with the Komodo Dragon.  He freaks me out.  Too much 'tude in a little package.

Rarrrrrrr!!!!

Yikes!  Pretty sure there's a reason he's the KING of the Jungle!

Pretty Gal - Catchin' Up on Some Beauty Sleep

We got to watch them feed the lions!

Whatchu Lookin' At Willis?!

Zebra Smiles!

Rhino Snack Time

A great time was had by all at the zoo.  Complete with hot dogs for lunch and dessert at Ben & Jerry's!  Supper....well, let's just say that was a little more unconventional and just slightly more "local" cuisine!  We ate one of the local "Hawker Centers".  Great food on the Cheap!

Stingray, anyone?!

Hahaha!

It's about to get CRAZY up in here!

Who's hungry!?

Yep.  This is how we roll in Singapore!

Some sort of chicken soup thingy!?

Manners out the Window!

Michael "our resident foodie" LOVED the food so much.  He didn't want to share his bowl of food with anyone and he literally resorted to SHOVELING so he could get it in his mouth before someone else tried to sneak in on his cuisine! :0)  SELFISH!!!

Reserved Erica.  Deep in contemplation.

Daddy went back for MORE food!

Full Bellied David is ready for bed!

From a distance we thought these were snowballs floating in the water but we knew that couldn't be right because it was way too HOT out...

Turns out they are white beach balls.  People write their New Year's Resolutions on them and then throw them into the water.  On New Year's Eve they light them all up!  COOL!

I think Mikey thought we was on the "catwalk" struttin' his stuff?!  I was worried he was going to fall into the fountain - But apparently, he AND an elephant have better balance then me!

Some carolers in the mall.  "Clark" just HAD to join in!

We had a fun-filled first day.  I will leave you with this short video of the kids.  Such nice CLEAN bathrooms in Singapore.  I never even had to dip into my secret stash of toilet paper!  Hehe!  As you can see from the video, the kids would have stayed in the bathroom for hours!  Haha!  It's the SIMPLE things, right?!  More to come.  Stay tuned!

Celebrating the Birth of our Saviour - A Christmas Production

Ever since we arrived in Bangalore we have been attending a non-denominational church called BICF.  (Bangalore International Christian Fellowship).  On December 11th, before too many people had left on vacation, several ladies in the church coordinated a children's Christmas play.  It was fantastic!  I don't think Charlie Brown could have directed it better!  The Fab Four all had roles.  Rachel was the Inn Keeper, Erica was Mary, Michael was a soldier and David was a sheep.

While these two little girls narrated the story of Jesus' birth - The children all waited on the stage to act out their parts.

                           Waiting for her Cue

                                                                                                              Mary Praying

Erica sang the song, "In Moments Like These".  She spent the week prior to the Play

You Tubing her songs and practising in her bedroom with the door closed.  When the time finally came for her to get up on the stage, I don't know who was more nervous...Erica or her PARENTS!!  I don't think we took a breath until her solo was complete.  Phew.  That was nerve wracking!  Once she made it through her first song we weren't quite as anxious for her to sing her duets.  She did a great job singing about her love for the Lord & we were so proud of her.

 

Rachel getting ready to tell Mary and Joseph that there is "No Room" for them in the inn.

" And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. "  Luke 2:7

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. "  Luke 2:8

This little sheep almost took a nose dive off the stage!

There!  That's a good little sheepy.  Sit down on your butt before you fall and kill yourself!

The Three Wisemen.  Singing their little hearts out!

Mikey the soldier

Rachel peeking around the corner to see what Erica is

doing on stage.

Getting ready to say their final lines.

Curtain Call with all the Cast

After the children had completed their play, they wrapped up the service by presenting gifts to some of the poor and needy children of Bangalore.  Rachel and Erica had the privilege of hand-delivering their gifts. The rest would be delivered over the Holidays.

Erica's turn.

Rachel's turn.

Closing the service with candle lighting.

If I'm being completely honest, I don't even remember if the candle lighting was for a specific reason?!  I was a nervous wreck!  Trying to manage four young children that have been drilled with the message, "Do NOT play with fire!"  Well, you can only imagine the excitement when they realised they all got to hold their OWN candle.  "GREAT!  This place is going up in flames!" is all I could think about.  I was on sensory overload!    Big people, little people, short people, tall people...everywhere you looked....people!!!  And they were ALL holding onto a CANDLE!!  ACK!  I wanted to scream out, "THE CHILDREN ARE GOING TO CHAR THE CHURCH!!!"  I'm quite certain there is a reason why this practise has been banned from churches in the US.  It's a firefighting nightmare!  Burning...branding...blazing...weapons of mass destruction!!  Maybe I was on edge b/c I was having childhood flashbacks of my sister, Emily, "hair is on fire" experience at a church candlelit service. I'll never forget it.  First the Gasps!  Then the nearby "Oh Good Lord!  Her hair is on fire!"  Then the sound of my father...clap, clap...CLAPPING her hair between his hands as he put the flames out.  Finally, as everyone stood there in the lovely ambiance of a candlelit room there was the occasional wafting smell of burnt hair.  Yep.  Good Times.

So picture me, the crazy Mother, snapping my fingers at the boys to "pay attention" as their flaming yuletide TORCHES were swaying within inches of their sisters HAIR!  Meanwhile the girls had a pleasant and peaceful look on their faces which I could only attribute to them day dreaming about how simple it would be to set their brothers ablaze!  "Hmmm.  Shall we bake, broil, roast, sear, or toast 'em?!"  Once we got past the first couple of minutes and I realised that they were all actually successfully managing their own Christmas Candles...I was able to take a moment and reflect on God's love for ME!  So much love.  Can you imagine only having ONE child and knowing when that child was born that the only reason he was born was to DIE.  That's my Jesus.  Born in a lowly manger - To grow to be a man that would hang on a cross and pay the penalty for MY sins.  I know typically Christmas is all about the Baby of Bethlehem but the reality of it all is...That baby was born for a reason.  Each one of us was His "reason" for coming to earth.  He's my Reason for the Season!

                             Michael "Melt It" Weimann

Rachel "All Aglow" Weimann

Erica "The Incinerator" Weimann

           David "The Destoy-ah" Weimann

^CLASSIC!!!!

  

Claudius & Poun came with us to church today!

That made it extra special for everyone!

I would like to close with the Christmas story.  Taken from Luke 2 in the Bible.  Merry Christmas!

¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.