Apr 29, 2010 | Baby Photos, South Africa
In case you were feeling that our one and only was becoming a lesser-spotted species of Bear lately, here’s your fix on where you might spot the 20 month old wonder these days.
He was recently seen dancing and testing out musical instruments in Green Market Square in Cape Town. He tried to score a five-finger discount on a FIFA World Cup soccer ball — the special 2010 ones with the South African flag — but his Mom made him put it back.
He also recently did a little bit of a hike atop Table Mountain.* He found the uneven terrain slightly challenging, but preferred to make the journey without any hand-holding whenever possible. His Mom was disappointed that he didn’t find the heights to be good reason for caution.
*He intends to avoid the potties next time.
He was also spotted eating with a fork for the first time on Tuesday. Macaroni and cheese, no less. Shortly afterwards, he climbed stairs without the assistance of an adult or his hands. Sure, there were only three stairs, and they were only four inches tall or so, but who’s counting?
In his spare time, the Bear has also recently been spotted perusing his vast collection of Veggie Tales and Wonder Pets. (Thanks, Amiee, Sarah and Rory!)
He was also spotted on an adventure unlike most the Bear has seen before…
But he felt that he fit right in, and rather enjoyed it.
So, folks, those are the coordinates for spotting the greater-spotted African Bear. If you’re hoping to see him outside captivity, you’ll need to move quickly. He is known to transition from walking to running before you’ve got the lens cap off your camera.
Who says there aren’t bears on this continent? 🙂
xCC
P.S. Don’t forget there is a giveaway right here at carolinecollie.com, tomorrow!!! That’s Friday, April 30th! If you don’t drop in, you can’t win! See you then! Don’t ya love rhymes?
Apr 9, 2010 | Baby Photos, Stories
The Bear tried on Dad’s slippers the other day. It was of course adorable enough for a picture or eight. We’re first time parents… Everything is adorable enough for eight pictures and some video footage!
I was thinking about how likely he was to fall over if he decided to try to walk, but he just kind of stood there, marvelled in the difference in size, smiled and climbed out before he kept on trucking.
I realized as I thought about it afterwards, sometimes I put on the wrong size shoes.
I’m not one of those ladies who’s a size 6, but 7 feels so good I wear 8. But, based on my comparisons with how other people are living, what they are capable of, what they do, maybe even how they dress or how they look, I begin to want to walk in different shoes — ones that aren’t the right size for me. Do you know what I mean?
It was obvious that the Bear would fall over if he tried to keep trucking in Dad’s slippers.Ă‚Â He would’ve been hindered with every step, and it could have even been dangerous for him — his clumsy efforts might’ve landed his front teeth on the corner of the coffee table so that he could have his own fat lip!
When we try to wear other people’s shoes, instead of finding the ones that are right for the feet that God calls each of us to walk in, we are bound to struggle, perhaps even to try to do too much, to the peril of our health and sometimes our ability to hold ourselves together.
Finding the easy yoke, the light burden, the green pastures, the still waters… the right pair of shoes come from following the Lord. Ask Him what your feet should be doing today, and let Him show you what shoes should be on your feet.
We’ll let the Bear stick with these for now…
“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. ‘Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
xCC
Apr 8, 2010 | Baby Photos, The Parenthood
It seems like a boyhood milestone, doesn’t it? Our walking, talking, dancing, puzzle-completing Bear is growing up so quickly. And the Bear’s first fat lip happened yesterday! Are you dying to see it?
Look here!
I was using a different camera lens … sorry some of these are a bit blurry.
Don’t see anything? Let’s take a closer look here:
Still don’t see anything? How about now?
Okay, here’s a real close closeup.
Wait — those don’t look like the Bear’s lips do they?
Well, as it turns out, the Bear’s first fat lip was given, rather than received. His Mommy was wrestling him on the floor. He sacked me on first down.
The Grandpa on the west side of the pond will be glad to know I think we have a left tackle ready to cover the blindside on our hands. Here’s hoping he’ll wear Purple and Gold!
xCC
Apr 3, 2010 | Baby Photos
It’s one thing to have brains…
And it’s another thing to have looks…
But when you have both, and super-duper strength…
you’re the whole package.
I think the Bear feels pretty good about that.
Many thanks to Amiee for the awesome outfit!!!
xCC
Apr 1, 2010 | Baby Photos, Stories
I didn’t mean to be so quiet yesterday! Our internet was down. Alas! Anyway, I am learning to open up and be honest with you. And today I have something new to be honest about. Because I don’t think it’s quite right for me to tell you, the readers/friends here who have become very dear to me, all the good stuff that is happening and make it sound like everything is daisies and roses when it’s sometimes daisies and roses, but also at the same time a pretty difficult time for us. So here’s the deal.
I recently wrote a letter to send to our ministry partners, (which I haven’t sent yet) asking them to consider making a one-time gift to help with some specific needs, including the cost of flights to the States. We would like to go ahead and book our tickets to the US for Christmas around this time of year, because they’ll generally just go up and up from here till the holidays.
Now a funny thing has been happening recently. God has been providing for our needs in different ways — people making donations or sending cards with money, family and friends sending boxes full of goodies, other friends recently offered to babysit so we could have a night out!! Our needs have been met, over and over again, not the way we might expect or hope to see them, in our monthly paycheck, but through relationships, in family and friendship. What I think I’m supposed to take note of when I see this is that the Lord is working through others to provide for our needs. He was doing that already. Clearly. We are missionaries and our salary each month comes from the gifts of awesome, generous people around the world. It is becoming more and more apparent lately that He is moving through others to provide for us in different ways from what we expected. (Remember how we received the gift heard round the world? 🙂 )
Since that’s the case, it seems to me that I am missing the boat if I don’t give you guys the opportunity to give. You have been such an encouragement to me and some of you have asked about giving already. If I don’t tell you that we have these needs and we don’t have the finances to cover them, then you won’t know, and you won’t be given the opportunity to give. And if I don’t tell you that our finances are really tight, and we could really use additional ministry support to make our very frugal budget come together at the end of each month, then you’ll never know.
So today I’m telling you. I don’t intend to tell you every day, but today it seems to be the right thing for me to take a moment and say “Hey, maybe the Lord wants to provide for this through you, and you won’t know if I don’t tell you.” I know I need to listen to Him when He tells me to ask. (I really don’t like doing it sometimes!) This is sometimes what it looks like to live a life of faith — we are in positions where we don’t know how we’re going to make it unless the Lord shows up. I look forward to telling you how all this comes together!
So. At present, our monthly income is covering our basic monthly needs and little else. We have three major needs right now:
- We have a non-existent travel budget, and would like to be able to go home for Christmas this year.
- We will soon be paying our taxes (fortunately later than you guys because we live overseas.)
- We are working very hard to pay off the car we had to purchase outright when we arrived in SA.
We don’t (yet) have the finances to cover the first two things. (Help with #3 would mean making ends meet each month would be a lot easier.) The flights are about $3,000. The taxes, about $5,000. The car, closer to $10,000. (We needed a reliable and safe car in this part of the world — and cars don’t come cheap in SA!)
My friends, I don’t want you to feel obligated or pressured to open your wallet. If you are happy to give and want to, please do. The good news is that sharing this on the internet makes it about as non-confrontational as possible! I also want to mention that if you’re the kind of person who likes to pray, we would appreciate your prayers. (If you’re not and would like to try, we’d appreciate that too! 🙂 )
If you would like to help with any of these needs, will you let me know? You can give online at www.samaritansfeet.org (Just note that your gift is for Mark & Caroline Collie). Or if you’d like to give in a different way or you have questions, just comment here or email me. Should you decide to give, please shoot me an email or forward me your receipt so that we can make sure your gift gets credited to us. (And, yes, if you’re an American taxpayer, it’s tax-deductible.)
I have no idea what might come of me deciding to be very honest and open with you guys, and share our needs with you. I hope it’s gonna look like me putting a little pie chart up somewhere and rejoicing with you about what’s happening! But I appreciate you reading and perhaps taking a moment to pray and to share this with others who might like to help. Your comments and encouragements through this tough season have meant more to me than you know. I will keep you updated on what happens. And I want to say thanks, again and again!
xCC
P.S. I thought some happy pictures of the Bear would liven up all this money-talk. 🙂 And if you are a worrier, don’t worry! God has always come through for us. And we know He will.
Mar 30, 2010 | Baby Photos, Travel..ling Tuesdays
I thought I’d give you another quick slice of life around here this Tuesday, pretty much because it’s been a busy day and I need to get a chicken in the oven in twenty minutes! Let’s see if I can make it happen…
The weather’s cooling off for us now. And probably warming up for you. Lucky.
But we have these beautiful sunrises coming over the mountains in the morning!
If you happen to hold your cursor over that picture and wonder why it is entitled “Sunset Reflection,” well, I was in a hurry — I told you, I only have twenty minutes!
That one too. Sunrise. Sorry.
A big slice of life in Gordon’s Bay right now: We’re reading plenty of books these days.
Notice anything on the Bear’s chin?
He got in a fight with the corner of the tupperware drawer. I suppose he came off second best.
But we picked out that puzzle from Grandpa I told you about…
He’s pretty stoked.
It has a little car that plays music. Buttons + Music as a result of pushing said buttons = Happy Bear
(THANK YOU, GRANDPA!)
He’s still figuring out what goes where…which is good. What fun would it be if he could figure it out first time?
Okay! I saved the best sunset sunrise!! shot for last and I still have nine minutes to tell all these pictures to be the right size and wrap up! Yeah!
Dern! That took a while to upload! But that’s a twenty-minute slice of life around here these days!
Two minutes to spare! What’s happening in your neck of the woods?
xCC
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