Christmas in September!

When I returned from Encounter, there was an unexpected surprise waiting for me: Christmas in September!

 

All my old co-workers from Revenue went in together to send us an AMAZING package!  Seriously, they spared no expense with this one!  I say it was just like Christmas because they took the time to send something for each of us.  Not to mention that a lot of our entertainment needs have been met!

 

As you can see from the pictures above, Ben loved the Thomas train that he received.  He takes it everywhere with him!  Even now as I type this post, he is playing with his new trains on the coffee table in the living room!  We also got a TON of chocolate…..and I am pretty sure that every day he asks for another piece.  Instead of “Good Morning, Mom”, he is like “Can I have chocolate now?” Nice!  It was a special treat because the store has been out of American brand chocolate for a long time!  I am ashamed to admit how many Snickers bar I ate the first day!

 

We were also excited to get another Wii remote!  Not only is this a gift for us, but our neighbors as well.  Anna, Timothy and Daniel live upstairs.  We occasionally have them over to play Guitar Hero or Just Dance (borrowed).  NOW….we have three controllers so that they can all play at once.  When they saw the new controller, they asked, “Are you borrowing this controller again?”  When we said it was ours and that they can come downstairs anytime to play, their faces lit up!  I also plan to have my 11^th grade girls over tomorrow night to play Just Dance!

 

My old co-workers also threw in some new best-sellers.  I am SO excited because I get to take all these new books with me on our vacation this coming week!  Caleb LOVES to read and can  always find a book to get into….me?  not so much!  But, these books look like a lot of fun!  Can’t wait to try them out!

 

Caleb is the most excited about the Wii controller.  Wii is just so much more fun when you can have people over to play with you!  But, I do have a funny story about something else that was in the box: KRAFT Parmesan Cheese.

 

The cheese that we get in the store is either GREAT or AWFUL….nothing in between.  Currently, the store has been WITHOUT both selections for over a month!  The great parmesan cheese is the kind you have to grate yourself.  I am not lying….a little block costs about 30 kina (which is 10 US dollars).  The other choice is an Australian bagged cheese.  It is supposed to be close to the kind that Kraft makes.  It is nothing like Kraft!  In fact, while I was gone, Caleb made a lasagna.  He borrowed some of this cheese from our neighbor.  He said that he covered the lasagna with foil and put it in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, the cheese had burned THROUGH the foil….it is THAT acidic.  Gross!  Needless to say, we are SO happy to have this Kraft parmesan cheese….and if anyone else wants to send us some more….we would welcome it! =0)

 

There were so many other things in the box….but this is all I can remember right now.  Ben has already used one of his new Curious George band-aids.  He is constantly getting little cuts here and there….and we have to keep them covered so they do not get infected.  These bandaids are not only better quality…but so much more fun!

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE AT REVENUE WHO INVESTED IN THIS PACKAGE!!!!!  We were blown away.  Caleb knew that I had a good relationship with all my old co-workers, but he, too, was amazed by their generosity and follow through!  I really miss you all so much!  I even miss the work!  Sometimes, I get sad thinking about the life we had before we left for PNG….but I have to remind myself that you only live once, right?  I want to make this life count….and now I feel so close to so much good that is going on around me.  But, that doesn’t mean that I won’t be asking for a job when I get home….you just never know, right?? =0)  Miss you, Revenue!!!!!