Remarkable Creation

I promised to share a little more from Madang since last time I only made it up to our arrival.

I would like to share some snap shots of the beauty we were able to enjoy.  

It is amazing if you get up close and look at all of the intricate patterns and delicate details of God's amazing creation

It was amazing to see the variety of size, shape, color and pattern of shells that we found (or if you read Carters blog that I paid the kids to find; you know holiday money).  All of these where at one time home to something and as Kaleb found out some of them had not yet been vacated.   After putting a nice shell in his pocket and latter receiving a pinch, he discovered he also had a pet hermit crab who came along to dinner that night.
The pictures I shared are of what we enjoyed on land, however in Madang there is a whole other world in the water.  Much of our time spent on holidays was in the water.  Just off the shore of the place we were staying we could snorkel and relive the life of Nemo (except for the shark parts, thankfully).  The boys also started studying previous to departing and committed much of a week of their time while in Madang taking a diving course.  They had to study and work hard but in the end came away with some amazing experiences, like diving to a plane wreck, and are now proud owners of their very own open water dive licences.
We would have had some photos to share of the amazing under water world except that  shortly after taking a bunch our camera was stolen, along with the backpack it was in which held several other valuables.  That was really crumby, and now you will just have to take our word for the splendour we experienced, or I guess option two is coming for a visit to see with your own eyes!
Mel for the Marshes   

Road Trip

Over Christmas break our family was very blessed to get an opportunity to head to Madang for a bit of rest, relaxation and adventure.   We succeeded in accomplishing all three.
Now when I say road trip I am using the word 'road' very loosely.  First of all Jay flew us to Goroka where we met up with some Canadian friends and continued the journey down to the coast in their vehicle.  In preparation for our journey I made sure I went out and purchased some motion sickness tablets but the morning we left I was feeling hopeful I would not have to take them, I really don't like the dopey feeling that hangs on for the rest of the day.  However within half an hour of leaving I knew I had better reconsider or the trip could get really messy!
Now the first half of the 'road' was pretty good all things considered, if you dodged the pot holes successfully and slowed down enough for the hair pin turns, we only had to stop a few times to wait for the big transport trucks to try and navigate the washed out corners while meeting on coming traffic.  But it turns out there was more fun to come.   After getting through the Ramu Valley, which gave us a nice reprieve from having to hang onto the hand hold to keep from squashing our neighbour (something the boys didn't try to avoid) as it was relatively flat and straight, we headed into the Finisterre Mountain Range.  This is where things got a little interesting, for a while I was sure that we had taken a wrong turn somewhere because I was sure that little dirt track was not going to be taking us anywhere.  We actually had a discussion in the car about how we would describe the 'road' to people back home.  I think we finally decided it was most like a dry stream bed, thankfully on the day we were travelling it was dry, because I can only imagine what it would be like if it was wet!   There were times when I felt like we were bouncing down the  mogul run at the ski hill, made even more interesting when you meet some one coming the opposite direction.
Another thing we needed to take into consideration for this journey was the lack of rest stops, or should I say non-existence.  All of the land in PNG belongs to someone and the ditches are not fair game here like they are at home and should it become unavoidable you may very likely end up paying a pit stop tax, so we deliberately dehydrated our children and fed them salty snacks, however after 5 1/2 hrs there were still a few that were getting a little antsy.   Needless to say when we started getting closer and could begin to smell the ocean air we all got a little excited.

Turns out it was all very well worth the adventure and the abuse when we were greeted by this sight.
Well I am going to have to run now but I will tell some more of our Madang adventures later.

Interesting, we talked to people later who have made that trip more than once and they said the 'road' was the best they had ever seen it!
Mel for the Marshes

Christmas Pineapple

Well most guys would bring home a Christmas turkey but not Jay!  This year he brought home a Christmas pineapple.  He figured it weighed about 10 lbs.  It was gifted to him during a stops at one of the little bush strips he flies into.  It dwarfed the pineapples I already had sitting on my counter.  

I just had to include a picture of my Christmas boys much to their displeasure, but aren't they so cute!
The head gear is our PNG stockings (Christmas bilums), but the boys must have been missing home and were longing to bundle up.  Actually, maybe it was mom looking for a photo op.
Much love from us all!
Mel for the Marshes

Giant Bean

Now I know where the story of 'Jack and the Bean Stock' came from!  Look at the size of that bean!  It's stock must reach up to the clouds.  Well actually, I have seen the plant and it is climbing a pretty tall pole and I guess some mornings it is in the clouds (just depends how low the clouds are).  They actually call it a snake bean with good reason I guess.  Sam the little boy who's family this came from is actually scared of them, that may have something to do with its name and that his mom doesn't want him picking them.
I think it will be a one bean dinner coming up!
Mel for the Marshes  

A Down Day

Today was a down day.  They don't happen very often here.  My hair stayed down all day!!  Usually by mid-morning it is up in a ponytail or something.  Today has been cool, windy, and rainy all day.  This also meant that my laundry came in off the line this evening still wet, I guess we can't have everything.
Jay's day for the most part was pretty down as well.  He had to hang out on the ground here until just about noon waiting for a hole to try and sneak out.  He finally got away hoping to get at least some of the program finished, however some of his weather reporters were more optimistic than reality, and half way out for his first run he had to turn back due to weather.
Jay came home and snuggled up for a hug and commented that he was 'almost' feeling chilly.  I commented that it was feeling like Alberta, that was when Jay pointed out that it was 26 degrees still.  
I guess our cold tolerance is down too, as I write this my toes are cold!
Mel for the Marshes

Look Who's 13!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KALEB!!

Hard to believe the boy is a teenager, it just kind of creeps up on you!  He is thrilled and had a serious counting down the days until there would be a teenager in the house.  It is amazing to look back and see how much he has grown in the last couple of years.  For now he is still shorter than I am but I am not sure for how much longer.  I will just stop feeding him, that should work, except he would then be way to grumpy to live with!
As you can see instead of cake for his birthday we did a recreation of Tim Hortons and had donuts, Tim bits and all.  He had been begging for a while to make them, so I made a mountain of them, vanilla glazed and cinnamon sugar, I was contemplating trying to make boston cream but chickened out in the end.  We had some friends over and devoured way to many donuts (they really are only good the first day).    

Feeling a little older, maybe it was all the donuts!!
Mel from the Marshes

Transformation

This is one of my new favorite flowers.  It is called a frangipani.  Previous to moving to PNG I had no idea of it's existence.  Yes; we have discovered many things both big and small.

This particular frangipani is even more special though because I planted it and watched it grow.  It came from a remote airstrip in the form of a stick.  I was told just put it in the ground and it will grow.  Now you may be a little sceptical and I was once as well, but I have had a few experiences with PNG sticks to know that they can do extraordinary things.

I have tried several times now to plant tomatoes, to no avail as of yet.  However I have succeeded in growing some very leafy sticks.  I prepared my planters by drilling holes in the bottom of a bucket; placed a layer of gravel down to ensure good drainage, mixed some compost and sand into the soil to improve its composition and maybe its disposition; started my tomatoes in little planters and made sure they were growing well; transplanted them into the planters and staked them up with some 'dead' sticks I found over the bank.  I was very hopeful as I watched my tomatoes grow.  Sadly over time, instead of grow, they began to wilt and shrivel but in there place the sticks began to sprout leaves!  I still had greenery in my pot unfortunately for me not the kind that grows big fat juicy tomatoes, maybe I am just not meant to grow tomatoes here.

This stick experience however gave me great hope for the flowering stick.  And what do you know; not long after poking it into the ground green leaves began to sprout and now a few months later it has been transformed from a stick in the mud to a plant of delicate beauty!

I was thinking maybe that is what the Lord is up to with me also.  Transforming me from a stick in the mud to a thing of beauty.  I am not to sure where we are in the process but I think that may depend on the day and how much time I stop to receive his nourishment and blessing.

Mel for the Marshes