December 30, 2019

A Decade in Review...

2009-2019 has been a good decade; the best yet. Probably largely because I've been married to Amos Lightner for most of it. Reflecting on all the things God has done for me in the past ten years I find the list is extensive, but here are a few highlights:

Summer 2009: I travel to Sana'a, Yemen, and spend the next year there as an English teacher. While there I become comfortable speaking Arabic, make friends whom I still miss, and enjoy (though no one realized it at the time) the twilight of one of the most beautiful and unique cities in the world.

Christmas 2010: Father predicts that this Christmas will be my last as a Single Pringle. He turns out to be correct.

Spring 2011: The Arab Spring reaches Yemen, the Fellowship is disbanded, I meet, marry, and shortly thereafter fall in love with Amos Lightner.

Summer 2011: I relocate semi-permanently to Kabul, Afghanistan.

Fall 2011: Former Muj and ex-President Dr. Rabbani is assassinated. The following day, the above-mentioned Amos Lightner and I celebrate our wedding, officiated by a pastor who does not know our last names.

Summer 2013: We visit the Wakhan.

Fall 2013: I become pregnant with a long-awaited baby boy.

Spring/Summer 2014: We say goodbye to community fellowship as we had known it, as well as several good friends. We welcome our first-born son into the world. His birth theme song was "East Tennessee Blues."

Fall 2014: We all learn dying isn't so bad after all, and once again a beloved Fellowship is disbanded.

Summer 2015: I am diagnosed with thyroid cancer and fulfil a lifelong dream of being radioactive.

Summer 2016: Our family decides to relocate from Kabul to parts unknown.

Fall 2016: I become pregnant with another little boy.

Christmas 2016: We say our final (for now) goodbyes to Afghanistan and spend Christmas with the Fam.

Spring 2017: Amos gets the job he wanted and we move to St. Louis, MO.

Summer 2017: Our second son, Qorban, is born in St. Louis. Bringing him into the world was one of the most fun things we've done as a couple. His birth theme song was "Life is a Highway."

Spring 2018: We purchased a house, our sixth move in seven years, and decided to settle down for a time. We all love this little white house.

Summer 2018: We drove through the night to see Great-Grandmother off, and enjoyed a home-going celebration with almost the entire family.

Summer 2018: My sister Kate married her true love, after a Very Long Wait.

Fall 2018: We attend a worship service for Farsi-speaking believer for the first time ever.

Fall 2019: The parents come to visit us at our St. Louis home, and enjoy the large parks, the Arch, and other perks the Gateway to the West has to provide.

Christmas 2019: We enjoy another holiday season with the Fam.

December 2, 2019

On Sunday we decorated the Christmas tree...

It was an exuberant celebration, with moments of wild excitement...

...And moments of quiet study.

November 18, 2019

Now that Qorban is also an avid reader/listener, I'm going to include books he enjoys in my lists of Library Finds. Books geared toward younger people, (three and under) I will mark with a "Q."

So, without further ado, for your Fall and Winter reading pleasure...

June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner

Cars Galore by Peter Stein (Q)

Accident! by Andrea Tsurumi

"Stand Back," said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" by Patricia Thomas

How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham

Let's Feed the Ducks! by Rachel Benge (Q)

The Wild Washerwomen by John Yeoman

Library Lil by Suzanne Williams

Big Snow by Jonathan Bean

October 30, 2019

Fun was had by all at the October 2019 Oasis picnic...

And Zadok got to ride a horse!

Qorban was suitably impressed. Note the green tattoos.

October 14, 2019

And a few final photos from the Lightner Family Vacation...

October 9, 2019

An evening of "magnificence" enjoyed by some more than others. But note the matching tee shirts!

October 4, 2019

The Michael Lightner's Male Offspring Reunion was a great success. We spent three days in a cabin near the Hocking Hills National Park in southern Ohio.

Everyone enjoyed hiking in the park...

Eating all the delicious food we had brought...

And watching the cousins get re-acquainted.

More pictures to follow. We have lots of pictures of this event, thanks to Amanda.

September 25, 2019

It was great to have the Barry grandparents with us for almost a week. Fun was had by all.

August 28, 2019

Here's the lineup of our favorite Summer 2019 Library Finds:

Go, Go Grapes! by April Pulley Savre

The Day the Babies Crawled Away by Peggy Rathman

The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss

Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeu by Andrea Beatty

Born in the Wild by Lita Judge

Mama Seeton's Whistle by Jerry Spinelli

Zoom by Istvan Banyai

August 22, 2019

A summer morning at St. Louis's Botanical Gardens...

August 17, 2019

How much Lego is too much?

Maybe this is, in fact, the question to which "42" is the answer.

August 6, 2019

At the zoo...

August 3, 2019

The battle for Tower Grove fountain begins...

The heroic defender...

The ruthless invader...

Much water was spilled...

But fortunately no lives were lost.