Asmayzing News http://isaacandneena.com into all the world... together! posterous.com Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:20:00 -0800 Christmas Surprise! http://isaacandneena.com/christmas-surprise-86093 http://isaacandneena.com/christmas-surprise-86093

So Wednesday morning we went to the doctors office to find out the gender of our baby... but instead of having Dr. Stigen tell us whether it was a boy or girl we decided we'd do something a little different; we had her seal the results in an envelope and give it to us - so we had no clue which one it was. We thought it would be a wonderful Christmas surprise for ourselves, as indeed it was, if we waited to find out until Christmas morning. We ended up choosing to entrust the contents of the envelope to some dear friends (thank you Fisks!), and asked if they would wrap up a present with contents indicative of either sex. Well, they went above and beyond and... well, we'll just let the video below explain the rest!

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:21:00 -0800 Our announcement: http://isaacandneena.com/our-announcement http://isaacandneena.com/our-announcement

We know it's been a LOOOOOONG time since we've posted anything here, but hopefully this post will make up for it just a bit! As most of you know we've gone through a lot of major transitions lately. To be honest, it has been very difficult at times. Yet, through it all, we've seen the Father work in some mighty and amazing ways... and ultimately, He has graciously seen fit to grant us one of the desires of our hearts. After years of trying to start a family our pr@yers have been answered! This is a video we put together of us sharing the news with our loved ones, and meeting our child for the first time. Hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Thank you all for continuing to stand beside us through everything and for constantly bringing us before His throne. All our love!

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Sun, 21 Aug 2011 06:18:00 -0700 A cup of 'chai'... http://isaacandneena.com/a-cup-of-chai http://isaacandneena.com/a-cup-of-chai

Finally had a good opportunity to capture someone making 'chai' at the stand we normally go to. Been trying to capture a bunch of video from all over the city in hopes of creating a larger film that will do a much better job conveying what life is like here.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:47:00 -0700 Our Home... http://isaacandneena.com/our-home http://isaacandneena.com/our-home

A quick video of our rapidly emptying house as we prepare to move back to the US...

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Fri, 29 Jul 2011 02:55:00 -0700 Goodbye furniture... http://isaacandneena.com/goodbye-furniture http://isaacandneena.com/goodbye-furniture

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Just a few pictures as the packers took our old things to new owners... kinda emotional/sad day for us. But we're excited for what the Father has in store for us next!

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Fri, 29 Jul 2011 02:33:00 -0700 Photos for a friend... http://isaacandneena.com/photos-for-a-friend http://isaacandneena.com/photos-for-a-friend

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My good friend Sahul asked if I would mind taking some pictures for him and his family as they claimed some new trucks being made for them from a local manufacturer. They will be used in their new family business (transporting coal to a thermal plant), and will provide a lasting source of income for the entire family. It's a pretty significant occasion, and it's customary to bring your family, and pastor, to pray over the vehicles prior to their use. It's also common to celebrate afterwards with tea and "sweets", which Sahul's mother shared with all the workers as well (very thoughtful!). Of course I said yes, and thought you might like to see just a few of my favorite "snaps" from the day.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Sun, 19 Jun 2011 06:21:00 -0700 Happy Father's Day! http://isaacandneena.com/happy-fathers-day http://isaacandneena.com/happy-fathers-day

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I'll keep this post incredibly short (for reasons most of you know) to avoid the tear-filled emotional roller-coaster I'd be putting myself on…

I'll just leave you with the age-old adage to summarize things:

 

"My daddy could beat up your daddy!" :D

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:06:00 -0700 No time for jet-lag... http://isaacandneena.com/no-time-for-jet-lag-29909 http://isaacandneena.com/no-time-for-jet-lag-29909

*We arrived back early Friday morning. Our friends came to pick us up at the airport and we were thrilled to see them. We brought a few surprises for them too. What would any cheese head kid want? Dairy! Dairy! Dairy! That's right! We froze a gallon of delicious 2% milk, cheesecake, cheese, cream cheese, donuts, candy, candy, and more candy. Needless to say the kids were all thrilled. I think John shed a tear too. That day we went to sleep and we didn't wake up until the evening. Some friends came over to visit and after they left back to sleep we went. Thank goodness for Melatonin.

*Two days later was my 28th Birthday. After church, we went out to a local A/C restaurant and ordered the infamous Paper Dosa. As you can see it is huge and delicious. If you are ever in an South Asian restaurant order the Dosa. You won't be disappointed.

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*A friend of ours from our fellowship here is getting married this week but there are many pre wedding get togethers that usually happen first. Sunday evening was Nalugu. Nalugu, according to tradition, is when the bride-to-be gets absolutely covered in Turmeric paste by all of her family and friends. It is thought to represent the glow that she will have on her wedding day. She wears yellow so that she doesn't ruin her sari. After she gets covered, some of the more rowdy women start covering everyone else with the turmeric paste. I guess so we all have that beautiful glow. I turned out looking more like Lisa Simpson!

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*Monday night our friends wanted to do a little something extra for my B-day (they made me feel so special!). All 12 of us went to go see Kung Fu Panda 2 with McDonalds Ice cream afterwards. This truly was a special treat. My gift from them was the Ronald McDonald Back Pack. They called me Dora the Explorer for the rest of the night.

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*Now, here comes the real "kicker" (literally). On Wednesday morning Isaac and I had a long list of things to do for the day. We were both in high spirits and just happy to be busy. While Isaac was sitting in our office I asked him to help me take the fan out of the bathroom.  For some reason the plug wasn't coming out of the outlet.  When I asked him this is what he said to me, "Oh, you can't get it out because you gotta have skillz!" In my witty response I said to him, "I'll show you skills!" Up my foot went to Karate Chop my husband (I blame Kung Fu Panda) and instantly my foot went back down.  I completely missed Isaac and caught my pinky toe on the edge of his chair. The pain was instant. I looked down and my toe was hanging on the side of my foot! It wasn't pretty. I went to the doctor the next day and after the X-rays it was clear. I broke my toe. So for the past week I have been sitting. Not because I want to but because I have to. It literally hurts to walk.

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This is my "you think this is funny Isaac" face!?

I think the Father knew we needed some rest so that's what we are doing. We'll enjoy it while it lasts. We miss you guys and we are super thankful for our time together. Keep lifting us up! Until we meet again or as Dora would say Hasta Luego!

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Mon, 06 Jun 2011 20:11:00 -0700 Whew, where to start... http://isaacandneena.com/whew-where-to-start http://isaacandneena.com/whew-where-to-start

We know we've been sporadic in our posts lately (to say the least)… one of the hardest things to do was to even conceive of following up (or moving on from) our latest post. To be honest, where do you go from there? It kinda makes other things pale in comparison, don't you think? Life and death obviously overshadow other monotonous things we share about our days. Just a difficult thing for us to process and think through. Fortunately, we feel this video-post is a good starting (or restarting) point for us. It's a great reminder of the important things, and has given us a moment of clear and appreciated perspective. Hope you enjoy!

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Tue, 03 May 2011 08:03:00 -0700 Celebration of Life... http://isaacandneena.com/celebration-of-life http://isaacandneena.com/celebration-of-life

Last night we had a "Celebration of Life" service for my father. I was blessed to get to be a part of remembering him through giving the eulogy. Though it was difficult and extremely emotional we know our Heavenly Father was glorified in what was shared and spoken about my dad. Thank you all so much for your help in making it an incredibly memorable occasion. Below we have posted two of the video slide-shows we put together for the event. One is a compilation meant to capture the life and joy of my father accurately, and the other chronicles my parents 37 years of marriage together. Hopefully they relay through pictures concisely what would otherwise take many, many words to convey. Please be remembering my entire family as we continue to mourn through this process…

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Mon, 02 May 2011 05:48:00 -0700 I lost my hero this week... http://isaacandneena.com/i-lost-my-hero http://isaacandneena.com/i-lost-my-hero

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I remember growing up and having many heroes in life. Many individuals and characters that seemed larger-than-life to me. Some where athletes, like Tony Gwynn or Nolan Ryan; some where occasionally the typical hero archetypes, like a police officer or a fireman; and some where even of the plastic molded variety, like G.I. Joes, Transformers, and Ninja Turtles. But of all the heroes I looked up to or idolized in my life the one I easily loved the most was the one I called father... my dad, the late Jack W. Smay, Jr. He was my favorite hero for a myriad of reasons: for wearing the paper tie my sister made for him when no other fathers would; for letting us hug him after each swim race no matter how wet we got him; for getting out of the stands and cheering for me like I had just won a gold medal when I was in last place, had a cramp, and wanted to quit; for letting me jump on his belly even after hours of physical work; for driving down Signal-Hill repeatedly just so I could put my arms up and scream; for always cheering and being extremely proud of me no matter what place I came in; and for running with me down the aisles of the grocery store playing hide-and-seek... just to name a few. Now was my father always perfect? Well, no. Of course not. But fortunately, he was redeemed and forgiven by an exceedingly more just judge than I. And even through the disagreements and difficulties, in hindsight, in those moments he still often taught me what is was to be a hero: when I threatened to jump off the roof after an argument and he caught me, despite all the names I called him; when I ran away from home and he waited up all night at the back door for me; or when he sat me in a chair and said "we'll be here as long as it takes" after I had called my mom an inappropriate name and refused to apologize. It seemed to be in those times, those rebellious moments of mine, that I can now look back and see how much my hero actually taught me patience, love, compassion, discipline, and respect. And though I've long ago realized that heroes are mortal and flawed --athletes lose their edge, often cheat, and don't appreciate what they have; police officers and firemen are sometimes dirty, corrupt or die in the line of duty; and plastic G.I.-Transformer-Turtles discolor, fall apart, and fade with use and unrelenting time-- I've recognized however that the best heroes teach you invaluable lessons about yourself and life in the midst of living through a corrupt and depraved world... and my father did just that. He taught me to stand up for what is right when he lost his job for taking a stand against some unscrupulous individuals. He taught me not to worry about what others think of me through his dancing with reckless abandon (“Jack, Jack, dancin’ attack!”). He taught me how to laugh through life as he sang with the butcher and was jovial as he worked. He taught me to treat everyone with respect and dignity by talking with the janitors the same way he did with the generals. He taught me it was okay to cry and to love my Savior unabashedly when tears streamed down his face while reading The Chronicles of Narnia to us as children. He taught me faithfulness after 30+ years of marriage, and that love is a command and not always an emotion we feel. He taught me how to work hard and be content after years of difficult physical labor without complaint. And he taught me that though man and heroes are flawed, that there was an ultimate Hero who paid the penalty for our sins through His death and Resurrection... those are the moments I will love and cherish forever... those times of learning, awe, growth, and amazement, inspired by the love and forgiveness of the God he worshiped and served.

Sadly, as I already knew, heroes are indeed mortal... and my hero was no exception. On the morning of April 26th he went to meet his Creator, and presumably dance quite a jig like never before, as he was ushered into eternity with his God, Savior, and King. And though we know he will be missed dearly by so many, we take great solace and joy in knowing that for him the sanctification process is complete,... he is now completely at peace and before the throne of God.

Please continue to remember us at this time as we mourn with and comfort our family and friends. We love and miss you all and deeply covet your prayers at this time of joyful-sadness. All our love...

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Sat, 09 Apr 2011 07:57:00 -0700 Out to lunch... http://isaacandneena.com/out-to-lunch http://isaacandneena.com/out-to-lunch

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Neena took these photos as we were heading into a Punjabi place for lunch a couple weeks ago. It's actually not to unusual to see this kind of livestock activity around us, but I mostly wanted to contrast it with our next post (coming soon!).

Just for the record: we ended up eating several chicken dishes :D

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:21:00 -0700 Finally, a post... http://isaacandneena.com/finally-a-post http://isaacandneena.com/finally-a-post
As most of you know we've been dealing with some pretty heavy things lately. Things that have ultimately prevented us from posting for awhile... well, now that we're back stateside (for a few weeks) I've had a wee bit of time to FINALLY update things --after Neena's rebuke that "people still want to know we're alive, and living, even in the midst of difficulties..." It was a potent reminder and challenge not worry about conveying the wrong message through fun posts even when things seemed to be falling apart. So thank you all for understanding. Thank you for remembering us. Thank you for all the encouragement you've offered!

The photos above were taken during a recent celebration in South Asia where colors are "liberally applied" to anyone/everyone in the vicinity... it's the "most colorful day of the year" as I'm sure you'll be able to deduce :D

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Tue, 15 Feb 2011 23:59:00 -0800 Yatama's design... http://isaacandneena.com/yatamas-design http://isaacandneena.com/yatamas-design

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Normally Yatama (our house helper) happily goes about her work, pausing occasionally when we pick her brain about some terms or sentence in Telugu. Well today she went above and beyond her already above and beyond work and used some chalk powder to design a pattern related to a current festival taking place. We wont go into details (in this medium) on the meaning/importance of the design, but we thought it was very sweet that she was so thoughtful and took the time to "bless" us in her own special way. Please be remembering Yatama, as she has become very dear to our hearts.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Fri, 11 Feb 2011 04:09:00 -0800 Happy B-Day Ty! http://isaacandneena.com/happy-b-day-ty http://isaacandneena.com/happy-b-day-ty

During Rob's visit we also got to celebrate a very special 16th birthday! After meeting at our house and doling out cake and the local equivalent of silly string, we answered Ty's request to go to a go-carting place called Runway 9. Needless to say we had an absolute blast together! And though most of us walked away limping for various reasons (Reid, I'm looking at you :) we vowed to return there again soon.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:13:00 -0800 A visit from Rob... http://isaacandneena.com/a-visit-from-rob http://isaacandneena.com/a-visit-from-rob

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With language checks looming it was awesome to get to spend a few "more relaxing" days with our dear friend Rob! What a huge blessing just to have him (and his wisdom) around and feel the collective love he brought with him from so many back home! Thank you all so very much for the letters, gifts, goodies, and encouragement!

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Mon, 07 Feb 2011 23:53:00 -0800 Super Sunday... er, Monday! http://isaacandneena.com/super-sunday-er-monday http://isaacandneena.com/super-sunday-er-monday

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So the festivities began around 8pm Sunday night when all the "K's" showed up for a Super Bowl party with us! For those who don't know; John and his family are from Wisconsin and are pretty hardcore "cheese-heads." And since the Chargers never made it to the post season (next year, next year) I decided to start going for the Packers early in the playoffs. So the night before the SB we hooked up the projector and started the evening with a few movies for the kids and prepared the annual "$20 cheese-ball"; made of various expensive exported deliciousnesses (I know, sounds yummy huh?!) from a store about an hour away that sells things "foreigners would like". We also picked up a few extra snacks we wouldn't normally splurge on (A&W sparkling vanilla cream soda and Chips Ahoy cookies)… but hey, it was a special occasion, right?! We ended the night with just a couple hours of sleep before we all got up around 4:30am to watch the big game… well, most of us got up anyway! All in all it was an awesome time of fellowship, and needless to say everyone was excited the Packers pulled out the victory! Now, let's just hope this time next year it's the San Diego Chargers we're cheering for instead! :D

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Sat, 05 Feb 2011 23:11:00 -0800 Some electrical work... http://isaacandneena.com/some-electrical-work http://isaacandneena.com/some-electrical-work

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Today was a busy day for us. We've been putting of getting some much needed electrical work done and finally decided to go for it. Why's it such a big deal, you might be asking? Well, with concrete walls, putting in electric boxes makes quite a bit of a mess… we ended up having to move everything into a separate room and cover it all up. Even then that didn't completely work and it took several cleanings to get everything up.

My favorite part of the day was when everything was finished and I pulled out the vacuum. That's when Khan (in the blue shirt) began looking the vacuum over with awe… when he didn't think I was looking he grabbed the handle and started pretending to vacuum, but didn't want to turn it on and didn't want me to see him playing with it. When I came back in and told him "go ahead" and turned it on he seemed frightened by it and kept saying "no sir, no sir!" I found it funny (as did his boss Krishna) that he could use a hammer drill all day long and not be bothered by the noise, but the second a vacuum cleaner was turned on he seemed concerned. Just goes to show you I guess, men everywhere are uncomfortable with actually using a vacuum! :D

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:53:00 -0800 All good things... http://isaacandneena.com/all-good-things http://isaacandneena.com/all-good-things

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Yep, so today we finally took down our tree… though it was hard, it was needed, and it was really time to move on (sniff, sniff). The hardest part was packing up the cute little snow people my mom gave us just before we left (sniff, sniff, again). Oh well, I guess it's on to Valentines day! :D

*NOTE: No actually live trees were harmed in the creation of this post!

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:47:00 -0800 It's been awhile... http://isaacandneena.com/its-been-awhile http://isaacandneena.com/its-been-awhile

Today I took our car in for "servicing" at a local shop due to a myriad of issues (alignment, oil change, bumper damage, etc.). Though it's a headache to deal with not having a vehicle, and the independence it provides, it was kinda nice to see things (our locale) from the perspective we started with -from the back seat of an intensely driven auto ric-shaw! Figured I'd post a few "snaps" of the view, since it has been awhile. Enjoy!

*NOTE: the last snap is of me waiting outside our front door for Neena, because I left the house key with the car keys at the service center. Doh! Well, at least now I have time to post something! :D

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/376396/DSC_0151.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3snugIg4M1GN Isaac and Neena isaacandneena Isaac and Neena