Friday, May 26, 2017

Final Days of Tembag: Gabby Goo

It is official, after seven and a half years, Tembagapura and Mount Zaagkam International School will be Zimmer kid free!!

Awe... Gabby Goo!  aka - Yummy!!  The last of the tribe to leave Tembagapura and make her way to boarding school! It's bittersweet. It's amazing!  Even though we are a bit sad to be "empty nesters" so soon, we are very excited for Gabs to be moving on and spreading her wings!  

Every middle school child outgrows Tembagapura. I just can't believe we are still here for Yummy to do so. She was such a little tyke when we moved to Tembag. Six and a half to be exact!  

She had made many friends along the way because she is the type of kid that loves everyone and most everyone loves her!  She is caring and compassionate beyond her years!  She is going to take that personality and spread the love at her new boarding school!

(To be continued... on a jet plane... Yes, I am serious... had to turn the phone off to take off, so now I'm finishing the post 30,000 feet above sea level...)

This is Yummy seven years ago. She had just finished Kindergarten and her first six months on the mountain. What a little cutie!!

Fast forward seven years... the last couple weeks of school in Tembagapura...

Gabby is with a classmate/friend helping grill brats for a special student council lunch at school. 
 
Our last family sports day. Frisbee golf.
 
Meg and Gab thought they could take on the parents... Yah right!! The girls got spanked! 😉

Our last Sunday at church. When we first started this Indonesia journey, we used to have to pick two of the four kids to sit in front of or behind us because there were only four seats to a row in our little church. When I return after the summer, it will just be Chris and me. Sniff sniff. 😢
 
Around the start of the last quarter of school, a friend of ours  who used to coach his daughter's volleyball team, asked Gabby and her friends if they wanted him to start training them in the finer art of volleyball. All three girls jumped at the chance and so began the start of Coach Willie.
 
These three girls will all be going to Dalat for school come August... Who knows, with a little more practice and a lot more coaching, you may just be looking at part of the starting line up of the ACSC volleyball champs, come Gabby's junior year. (Gabs is a grade younger than the other two.). Thank you, Than you Coach Willie!
 
No conclusion to your childhood in Tembagapura is complete without one last mine tour with Dad. These lucky kids!!  Of course, Gabby loved it!! 
Big conveyor belt UG.  
Since it was a school day, and since Chris brought Gabs home just before lunch started at school, Gabs thought it would be a good idea to get a nap in instead of joining the kids on the school playground. It's hard work getting up at 5 AM!! 😉
 
Gabby's hair has gotten so long and is so thick that she has a hard time getting her scalp cleaned. So for the last time, at least for a long time, I gave her head a good scrub the morning of the last day of school. For now, Robin's Hair Salon is officially closed. 😊.
 
The token last day of school pic in front of Mt. Zaagkam. 
 
Gabs and one of her besties. Gabs last day. Meg still has two days to go!  
Our morning ride down the mountain to have one last breakfast with Afi before we fly out today.
 
Oh, and Danny... Gabby just loves Danny. Actually most people do. He's another good friend of the family.
 
And Ms. Lawrencia... where's Afi?!?!  Why in earth didn't I get a picture of the two girls?!?!  I hate when I do that... guess I'll have to go search for one...
There's Afi. 😁
 
So now, Gabs and I are on a jet plane headed to Bali, then KL, then Penang, to start graduation week for Marz. After graduation we return to the states for the summer. When August rolls around, Gabs won't be returning to Tembagapura, as most know, she will be going to boarding school with her brothers in Malaysia. There is no doubt she's nervous, but she is also excited. Gabs, you are going to do great!  You are going to spread your sunshine around the Dalat community. Your momma and daddy will miss you, but I'll be racking up those frequent flyer miles coming to see you and your brothers!  

But no tears for us, at least for now... (Well, maybe just a few last night but no one needs to know... Right? 😉) We still have the whole summer to hang out and come July, we will have the whole family together! 

I cannot conclude this post without sharing this picture. Gabby's self-portrait, kindergarten year. Makes my heart smile! ❤️
 

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Mother's Day 2017

Mother's Day is every day for me!  I have wanted to be a mom ever since I was old enough to walk around holding a baby.  Nothing else in this world really ever mattered to me.  I knew I would "grow up" to be a mom!  I have the BEST JOB ON EARTH!!

One of the "best things" about Mother's Day, is the poem I get from Marz!  She has written me a poem every year since starting boarding school.  So I have four.  I really, really hope she continues her poems on into college!! (Hint, Hint Marz! ;))  I waited ALL morning for this poem!!  Ok, maybe only a few hours... and I only checked my emails about 500 times!! ;)

From Marz:
Mama, sweet mama
Half of my genes come from you
If you were a llama
A llama I would be too

Mama, sweet mama
Your food is sublime
Bacon and burgers, not llama
So many cookies it's a crime

Mama, sweet mama
Gentle and kind
You somehow tamed papa
And to us kids gave a mind

Mama, sweet mama
Beautiful inside and out
Your soul reaches the sky
On you lips rarely a pout

Mama, sweet mama
I've run out of rhymes
Not many words match mama
I'll try again some other time

But, seriously, you are the best mom ever. Thank you for all that you've done, from cleaning up after us to feeding us to disciplining us. I love you, and I'm positive the rest of the kiddos love you too. 

Happy Mother's Day! 

The best babies in the world!  The four that make this day the BEST!!
 
This was the last time all four kids were with me... February...  Now only two short week and I will be with them for two months.  Can't wait!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!