I dont want to get up, MOM!

And Here is the link to the Marriage Sermon I posted about, a few blogs ago, Click Here. I am not sure why but the other link was not working. I think I am going to go re-listen to it now, I need some accountability...

There is also another really good message from Matt Chandler, Titled "Asking How". You can beat yourself up all you want over never meeting your own expectations and especially your spouses. Always saying, if only I did this, or didn't do this, prayed more, anticipated more...But sometimes you have to just stop and ask How? That is what I am working through...How. How do I be the wife, mother, friend, etc. to the best of my ability? Because I do not know how and I cannot do it own my own. I fail daily and we end up just going in circles. I do know that I must draw strenght from Christ.

Here is the message, click here.

And because every blog is better with picture or a video! What will she be like when you is a teenager??

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Baking Cookies

To take breaks from Language studies, we have been making lots of cookies. (and by we and mean me) And...well..trying to making cookies. But Sadie loves to help mix and taste them for me. Our oven is very small and a cooking sheet will not fit in it, we do not have American measuring cups and being the great baker that I am...you can just imagine! I did come across a Yummy new cookie recipe though, Holiday Monster Cookies

On Christmas Eve we listened to Wham and made Sugar Cookies and decorated them. Sadie had a blast and was very messy by the end of it. I wasn't sure if they were going to turn out because I forgot to put the egg in at the right time...but they were delicious! good enough to make rounds to the neighbors. I got the recipe from Here. Being away from family was tough but we were able to skype with everyone and we really enjoyed our first Christmas eve in Corte.


















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Happy 32nd!

Matt's parents celebrated their 32nd anniversary this past week. I was just thinking, that is a long time...its longer then I have been alive. (sorry guys) They must be full of advice for us rookies, I need to take more advantage of that. God has blessed us with people that how gone before us, that can teach us and prevent some of the same heartaches. I am glad that they represent Christ in marriage and that they are an example of submission and grace. There is proof that through the Lord's way, marriage can last a lifetime, and not only last but be filled with love. I have been encouraged this week through different Godly Marriage advice and through scriptural about what God desires out of wives. Here is a message from Matt Chandler on Marriage, that really unblinded my eyes, Click Here.


Here are the love birds! you would never guess their, age. They both got good genetic jeans.
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Mike, Matt's dad, isn't exactly the kissy type for photos. But, the last time we did family photos, he was the only one that didn't response to "Now, everybody kiss your spouse". So Sherry and I were able to get him to do some fun photos this time. (I love all the kids faces in this picture, and poor Leif, Matt's youngest brother)
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more videos of animals, a waterfall and our fist snow in corte

(sidenote - multiple post, please scroll down & disclaimer, Matt says that I am always misspelling things, etc. IN my defense, by the time I get all the pictures and videos uploaded, and on here, I have no time to proof read, and I am a horrible speller...so please just bare with me!)

Last weekend we went to a "Chestnut Festival", we thought it would be this real outdoorsy type thing but we were a little disappointed. Due to the chance of snow, it was under a large tent and it ended up being a bunch of local venders selling their goods. It was fun to look at all the neat things but they seem to be even more expensive. All we got was a 8 euro bag of candy nuts. We did get to meet some people and spend sometime with with are team leaders. All that to say, on our way we took a little detour (not on purpose) and came across this waterfall. It was crazy, it was so beautiful and only about a 10 minute hike up to get a good look. The Corsicans seem to have everything right around the corner, on this island. I wonder how many young ones take the beauty for granted...bc back when I was young I would have. :)




We also got to see some more pigs & piglets and there was the smallest runt I have ever seen. It was super cute, I really wanted to take it home. (sorry it is a little hazy, the sun was really bright)


It was so little, We had to hold it...we snuck past the mom (we gave her some chips and she couldn't have cared less, kind of like me)




Next, we had to wait for some nosy goats to walk across the street.


And last but not least, we were just hanging out in the kitchen and next thing I knew, I saw snow flakes outside! I know it is not that big of a deal....but i have never been in or around snow. It is pretty cool, hopefully it wont get old! Sadie wasnt quite sure what to think.

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if you're happy and your know...

she recovered from Papa Noel, afterall...

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Papa Noel

Sadie had a Christmas Party at her daycare this week, and Papa Noel showed up! This was Sadie's first time to meet a Santa Claus. I do not think she likes him..I will let you decied:









Sadie does love her daycare, though. Her teachers have been so gracious and patient with us. I am even in a workout class with one of them! You can see some of her Friends her...



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A Corsican Meal

I had my first true Corsica meal today! We met a Corsican lady, Annette, that lived in the States for 20 years so she speaks English. She now owns a Huge bed-n-breakfast up the road and has agreed to trade help for French! So today, I helped her with a conference she hosted for an electric company. She cooked a very traditional Corsican meal: figatelli, which is smoked, pork liver sausage and Polenta, which is a gooey Italian bread but made with Chestnut flour. Chestnuts are one of the things Corsica is known for, in fact we went to a Chestnut Festival over the weekend...The Polenta and Figatelli was served with friend eggs and red wine...yes, even during a work conference they had wine. Overall, it was pretty good, even the sausage but I kept picturing what is was which made by tummy and brain fight. And the Polenta was very different, it had a sweet taste to it...I think that is one of those tastes that grow on you.
This meal is what they used to eat for Christmas dinner, back in the old days. In some villages, they would have a bonfire in the square and share a meal until Midnight Mass.
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A Sunday Drive

On Sunday we took a little break from the language learning and explore some small corsica villages in the mountains. I do not know which town is which but here are some of the names, Sermano, Carticasi, Aiti, Cambia if you would like to lift them up. They are not French names, they are Corsu. Maybe one day will we know somebody from one of these villages!
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Little villages are scattered all over the Mountians, it really makes me wonder how they decided on certain spots and why they moved away from the other towns. And they built a lot of these towns over 100+ years ago....no modern machines to help build!
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Sometimes I think the towns are movie sets because they are just so beautiful and nothing like I have ever known.
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Just a cool, old bridge along the way.
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Wildboar is a very traditional Corsican dinner. I am not sure why they hang the skins like these, maybe as trophies?
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This is Sadie's favorite part, stopping for the cows to cross.
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Hey mama pig, can you please get out of the road?
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We stopped to watch the pigs go by and they were very curious creatures.
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Our attempt to get a good picture together......
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Here are a few clips of driving, some of our friends & family have been wanting to really see what its like here. I will try and get a video clip of our Down town area soon.


Just another video of driving around, that will probably only interest our moms...

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Our apartment in Corte..probably only something the fam is interested in...

I know you guys have been sitting by your computers waiting for us to post a video of our apartment...well here it is! We finally got a phone (and it has a camera on it) after almost 2 months, things take awhile when you are a foreigner. :)

We really like our little apartment and finally are settled in with a daily routine (somewhat)...our favorite part are the balconies and our least favorite part is living on the 3rd story with no elevator. (and a Big girl who likes to do everything by herself).

The Citadel you see, in the video, to the left of our apartment, was built in the 15th century as an look-out and fortress to protect Corte. It amazes me how old this town is. Here it is close up:
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this is the view from the top of it:
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here are some pictures in case you cannot view the video...I only have a wide-angle lens so it was hard to capture everything in the pictures.

These is right outside our door:
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Our entrance with our kitchen cabinets:
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Part of the living room:
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Our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree:
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Our view out of our living room balcony:
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The old citadel to the left:
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and to the right....our apartment building looks just like these:
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These are the views from out our kitchen balcony:
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We are alive...Exploring Corte

Hey Guys! Sorry for the delay in updates. We are adjusted in our apartment (pics to come soon) but we still do not have internet, things seem to take forever here in France. But as soon as we do get internet, we will give more of an update and more often. For now here are a few pics:

This picture was taken on a hike in Old downtown Corte, you can see our apartment building, the one in the very middle! Corte is surrounded by mountains and the downtown area was built into one. Corte is also home to about 5000 residents and 4000 students who attend the university.
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The buildings and streets are so old and so pretty!
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Sadie doesn't exactly like taking pictures allll the time. This is her "cheeseee, I hate saying cheeseee" face. (She not only looks like her dad...)
The nice scenery in this picture is one of the 3 beautiful rivers that run through our town.
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We are thinking of getting Sadie this for Christmas:
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And you thought our car was small! It is so funny to see the small cars around here...we are not in Texas anymore!

Sadie petting the Horses....animals our all around us and a lot of them roam freely....she loves it when we have to wait on the cows to cross the road.
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Charming

charming (chärm) N.
1. The power or quality of pleasing or delighting; attractiveness


Happy Birthday, my beloved! You still have all the charms of our first encounters. I love you.


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On the last day in Virginia we had a commissioning service and the guys dressed up in suits & ties....I had to beg Matt to let me take pictures. This is 1 of 2 times I have seen him so handsome and probably the last!

And from Sadie...


Email Matt a birthday wish at matthewleesummers@gmail.com

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resting and exploring

We have been doing a lot of this...
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And missing family...
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And leaning a lot about the rich culture and adjusting to the differences....that's a whole other post to come later.
We also got to take a trip to our soon to be Home Town on Monday. It was absolutely beautiful driving up through the mountains and through a few quaint, old, old villages. It is only about 55 miles but it takes 2 hours from where we are staying with our supervisors in Ajaccio because of the mountains. It is a uphill, windy, narrow trip. Our apartment is on the 3rd floor with no elevator but it isn't to far from downtown and has beautiful view of the mountains. We were introduced to a few people, one if which owns a pottery store and they had amazing stuff. Hopefully Matt caught on to all my birthday hints....well hopefully he remembers my birthday this year. :)
Today the girls did some walking through downtown, down around the school and the churches. Corsican's are strong in their catholic Faith and have many, many Saints that they worship, with Mary leading the way. They believe that she lived a sinless life and will interced for you to the father.
They also dedicated the town to Mary for protection and have days set aside where they will put hundreds of candles in front of this statue in old town square.
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In most of the buildings there is a statue of St. Mary or like in the picture below, St. Peter. St. Peter is holding the keys to heaven since they believe that he was the first one to enter. They put these sculptures in the buildings for protection and mercy.
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Napoleon Bonaparte was born here and there are festivals that revolve around him as well as many Statues of him around town.
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And just for fun a few from around town:
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Followers

Wild Olive Tees
Grace is our only Hope

Augustine: For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.

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