It's Christmas EVE!!!

Merry Christmas Eve!!

I hope you have a great day!! May it be blessed and filled with LOTS and LOTS of friends and family that you love VERY MUCH!!

What a precious gift we celebrate!!

Sharing the Christmas Tradition of Sugar Cookies

One of my favorite memories of Christmas is baking and decorating sugar cookies!! Some of my earliest memories of Christmas was rolling out cookie dough and decorating them with my mom. We use to always make dozens and dozens to give to our teacher as gift. There is something really fun about getting to cut out Christmas shape from the dough and then using a variety of colors of icing and sprinkles to make the cookies festive.

Because I still love this tradition, I thought I would pass it on to my closest Indian friends here! So we had a sugar cooking party.

1. Make the dough- Lindsey my roomate, Me, Kelley (close close friend) and Mona (my wonderful and close close national friend). We just completed the dough and are about to stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Roll out the dough - I was able to teach Tini and Ericka how to roll out the dough and then to do the cutouts!! They were so excited! It was their first time to ever do this. It was fun to see the Joy on their faces when they made thier first cooke cutout!! It was priceless.

3. Decorating the Cookies - This is where all the creative juices really started to flow!! I would have to say that the grown man at the table (Sunjay) was the most creative and most precise!!

4. The Finished Product - We had several beautiful and delicious cookies to enjoy!!! Everyone had a great time and really had Fun...(especially the two little girls).

My Fedex Adventure

This entry is dedicated to my wonderful daddy- Thanks for all your years at Fedex...it is finally paying off!!! You of all people will appreciate this blog entry the most.

So what you see to the right is the Fedex station. In fact, the only way you "might" be able to tell is that if you notice in the left corner there are a few boxes. There isn't a single sign or anything indicating that this is a Fedex station!! No wonder none of my team members that have been living here for 7 years knew about it!!

I asked to take a picture on the inside and at first the man said no because it is Saturday and he did not wear his uniform. None of the men in the office were dressed in uniform. However there customer service was great!


I think I was at the Fedex station for about 2 hours. Now you might be thinking, wow that is soo long, but I think I might be adjusting to India because I was not bothered by it AT ALL. It wasn't because of the lines (we were the only ones there the whole time) but because they were partly trying to figuire everything out. Because my dad is a Fedex employee I get to use his account to get the discount. Therefore it took them a long time to confirm the account number was legit. They seemed very proud to know that my dad worked for Fedex. I have to admit, I was a little too!!

I learned some new things today too in my adventure. You see, I have never really had to understand how shipping packages works because (a) I have never needed to really ship anything and (b) my dad always took care of it. So I came in with a 25 KG box thinking I would only have to pay for the KG's I used but then later found out that I was paying for ALL 25 kg's of it. To make a long story short, I had to unwrap all my gift and compound everything to a 10KG box!! The Fedex people were soo great and were very helpful to give me smaller boxes and to try to make it cheaper for me!!

So overall I give my fedex experience 5 stars!!

My furnished and full functioning apartment

Here is my flat completely furnished!!

This is the drawing room per se. Really it is just the random room that doesn't have anything in it. Two students will be living with us for 4 months starting in January, so this will be their room.
This is my dining room. Kind of fancy.
This is the view of the main part of my flat. You can see the living room, dining room, and to the left is the kitchen and to the right is the drawing room.
This is the other chair. The left door that you can barely see is Lindsey's room and the door on the right that you can barely see is a storage room that is used by my landlord.
yep... you guessed it. Its the living room!

Santa came!!!!

To the left is a picture of Santa (ok...really the Fedex guy) !!! He came to B-603 on a chilly Monday afternoon to deliver me the packages that my family sent to me all the way from TEXAS!! (it only took 4 days to get here...impressive.) Daddy, I especially took this picture for you.
This is me really really really really excited about getting my packages!! There is nothing better than recieving something from home. The packages together weigh 64 lbs!!! craziness. Inside the boxes were CHRISTMAS!!!
This was what was inside the smaller package...FOOD!! Lots of baking stuff!! I am really excited because now I can bake for Christmas!! I am really excited about making some oatmeal cream pies...yummy.
Inside the big box was Christmas presents!! I am so overwhelmed by ALL the gifts inside!!! I was not expecting so many things. And Mommie, you were so thoughtful with the things that you sent. She sent my stocking from home with stocking stuffers inside of them!! I also got a small stuffed animal reindeer, a small nativity, and a willow tree ornament from my mom!!!Its trippled my Christmas decorations. EVERYTHING inside is perfect and has filled with Christmas cheer and also amde me very giddy.

THANK YOU family for making my first Christmas away from you so wonderful! You have sent Christmas to me and it means soooo much to me!!! You are all amazing and my heart is overflowing with thanksgiving to the Father for giving me such an amazing family. It makes me miss yall soo much more.

By the way... i already opened my slippers (much needed) and shannon the candle (which is PERFECT) I put it on my coffee table and it adds the right Christmas ambiance. I opened it because I could tell that something broke...the bottom glass plate broke on it. But I am glad I opened it so I could enjoy it longer!!!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!! Now I have Christmas here!!

Congrats Hannah & Cameron

This blog is dedicated to Hannah and Cameron who are officially ENGAGED!!! I couldn't be more excite for the two of you. YOU are both so special to me and I want you to know that I love you. Dad has the most exciting future plans for you too! I wish I could be there in person to share the excitement, but know that I am celebrating in my own way here. CONGRATS!

You Know your in India when...

YOU CAN GET GROCERIES DELIVERED TO YOUR HOUSE AT 9:24 PM!!!




One of my favorite things about India is that you can have pretty much anything delivered to you including your groceries. Delivery is huge here! (even McDonald's delivers) The main reason for this is because not everyone has a vehicle. So if you go shopping you don't have the capability to go carry it all...so you just have it delivered!!

Lindsey and I wanted some groceries, but we didn't want to leave the house. So what did we do?.... we called up the grocery guy and told him what we wanted...and 30 minutes later we had groceries!!!!

GOTTA LOVE INDIA!!!

New Nieces and Nephews

These are the boys!! The oldest is Jeremy (11 yrs old) middle is Sean (7 yrs old) and Micah who is 8 years old. Sean and Micah are absolutely inseperable. These boys are also lots of fun- there fun usually involves bouncing around, cars of sorts, and whatever other strange things that little boys do!! They are a lot of fun!!!



These are the girls Joanna (5 yrs old) and Anjuli (4 yrs old). They love to play together...it usually involves stuffed animals and little bit of "playing house". Don't you just love girls?!!



I have become an aunt to 5 children since I moved here! I have really enjoyed getting to know the families that I work with. We like to call them the FuGolds (combination of both of their last names) because they are really like one family. There family is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ and how it works together. They have been soo amazing in helping us get settled and feel at home. (one day i will post a pic of their parents, but you know how that goes)

For the first time Lindsey and I got to babysit! It was great fun. It was nice to finally help out the parents because they have done sooo much for us. It was kind of nice to be the ones for the first time who were helfpul. We sang Christmas carols, made snowflakes, and drew Christmas pictures. Its fun for the kids to get to know us away from their parents because they become so much more alive and crazy. We had a great time and I look forward to spoiling them in the months to come!!! I hope you enjoy these my new friends...well really my family.

My new flat

These are some pictures of my new flat!! I have just shown you pics of my bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen because we don't have furniture in the rest of our house yet. It is being delivered within the next couple of days. So look for some updates.

This is my bedroom (roomies- notice Hamaley!). My bed pretty much is my room- it is the biggest bed I have ever had. It is really nice!!! The matress however is foam. There is no concept of an american matress here. My bed comforter is from Fab India which is a very nice Indian store (compatible with Pier 1 or Pottery Barn for India). I love it!! I feel very much at home in my new room. Doesn't it make you want to jump on the bed?!

Here are pictures of my bathroom. This is probably the smallest bathroom I have ever had, but I am have grown to like it!! If you notice, I don't have a shower. I kind of miss the experience of stepping into my shower and out of my shower. Pretty much the water goes everywhere. I hope to soon get a curtain rod and shower curtain (this concept of shower curtain is not very Indian).

Here is my kitchen!! This is probably my favorite room of the house. I have really enjoyed learning how to cook everything from scratch. It is definetly a challenge. If you were to come visit me, I would cook you an awesome Indian meal in my nice green kitchen!!

I love this kitchen because it has tones of cabinet space and lots of counter space. ITS PERFECT!! You can't really tell from the pics but the kitchen is a horseshoe shape. The little white toaster oven is really our oven that we cook everything in!! (Much smaller here in India) Most homes don't even have them.

Shifting to the East Side...

Life has been crazy since training ended over a week ago!! Lindsey and I have found an apartment and have shifted (Hindi/English word for move) from the South side to the East side (accross the river). I absolutely love my new apartment!! We had NOTHING when we moved in so I have spent a lot of my time shopping. We got to pick out ALL new furniture and all new pots and pans, washing machine, and refrigarator!! It has been fun but also tiring( you know how much i love to shop). A task in India for some reason seems to take three times as long here than in the states. So it seems like we have just been busy trying to accomplish small things. We have also spent a lot time waiting around our apartment for plumbers and electricians and service people to come. It has been kind of challenging with my limited Hindi skills- luckily many people here speak English.

So anyways, I am officially unpacked and settled into my flat. Today I also got internet hooked up in my apartment!! It is soo great to feel connected to the world again.

I have been nothing but blessed since I moved into my apartment. Thank you for all your prayers in asking that we would find the one God had for us and for praying for great landlords. He has answered ALL of our prayers and plus some! My landlords are wonderful and some of the sweetest Indians I have ever met!! They have been nothing but helfpul and a blessing! Already growing to love them!! I have also met some amazing woman who live here. They love to laugh and have fun!! I look forward to getting to know these woman that God has placed in my path.

Everyday the Lord reminds me that He handpick this place for me with Love and most intentional thought! I am overwhelmed by how blessed I am nad how much God loves me. I don't deserve it!! Praise God for my new apartment. Feel free to come visit me here... I know you want to see it also!!!

This is Lindsey and I at the Idea store. We finally got cell phones and they work!! It took them three days to officially connect them, but we were so THANKFUL when they finally worked.


















This is me sitting on my furniture!! My landlords were nice enough to give us these chairs until our furniture comes. Dominoes was our first meal!! It required no dishes and free delivery!!

This was the first meal that Lindsey and I made and ate in our apartment! It was a grilled cheese sandwich and an apple.
Here are the first things that we bought to put into our fridge. The necessary things such as: milk, eggs, coke, butter, and etc...
This is me making my bed so that I can spend my second night in my apartment on an actual bed!!!


This is the result of unpacking! My bed looks like a pharmacy. Anyways, I thought it was a fun picture of all my extra stuff to last me the next couple of years!!

Alicia's Wish List

I have been blessed to have so many of you asking what you can send me. So...I decided to give you this wish list. Now that I have been in India for about a month now, I have an idea of what I can't get here and what I really want. I listed a lot of things that way you could have a lot of variety. Please don't feel like you need send several items. Even if you just picked one thing...that would be great!! Some things are cheap, more expensive, heavy and light weight. So have fun!!! I am warning, it can be kind of expensive to ship things. If you are interested in mailing me something then please email me and ask for my address. I might possibly have an apartment and then I can give you my new address!!! Thank you all for your interest in just wanting to send something!! It really does mean alot.

My Wish List

Food Items

Powdered sugar
Brown sugar
Dark Brown sugar
Vanilla
Marshmellow crème (walmart brand is plastic and pretty cheap)
Ranch seasoning
Taco seasoning
Candy or chocolate (peanut M&M’s, Skittles, variety packs, Almond Joys) Really any candy…its hard to find here

Fun snack foods (I will leave room for creativity)
Velveta cheese
Rotel tomatoes
Chocolate chips
Italian seasonings
French fry seasoning
Kool-aid or crystal light packets
Cinnamon
Pepper
Seasoned salt
Kyro syprup
Dr. Pepper

Inexpensive brownie, cookie, or cake mixes

Macaroni and Cheese

Other Items:
Christmas cookie cutters
Playing cards
Anything Christmasy or with the holidays
Big sweatshirt
Hoodie sweatshirt
Slippers/house shoes for winter
Ponty-tail holders
I-tunes gift cards
Mechanical pencils
Fun colorful pens
Candles that smell good (Example: small yankees)
Clinique Foundation -Soft Finish 03 soft vanilla

Creative Items:
Notes or cards from you to me!! (one of my favorite things in the world to recieve)
Updated pics of family
Colored pictures from the kiddoes
Anything that would make me laugh
Anything that reminds me of home
Whatever you think i might be missing about the states

India is beautiful and has amazing things in it!! Let me know if you want me to send you anything!!! I would love to bless you also!

Friends

So here are some of my new friends!!! I am blessed to have so many friends in the same place as me. It is a rare jewel to have. Below is K-dog. He is the only single guy in this city. He looks sad in this picture because he is greatly outnumbered!!!

You Know your in India when...

When a form of transportation is a CAMEL CART!!!! As I was traveling in the camel cart, I was telling my friends how crazy it was that I was traveling in a camel cart!! I mean as amazing as Texas is... you just can't do this there. This is something that is purely INDIA!! Doesn't it make you wanna come for a visit?? *hint *hint

This is E and I on the Camel Cart!! I would have to say that it kind of had an interesting rythem to it. It was one of the funnest and most exciting thing I did all day!! I was thinking the whole time on the cart "I am on a camel cart?!!!" So anyways.. just thought I would share with you the funness of India!! So much to experience...

More to come on You know when your in India when.... Stay tuned.

Me as a Tourist!!!

Well... Here I am as a tourist!!! This is the all so infamous TAJ MAHAL. It is the largest tomb in the world and it made of complete marble! It is considered one of the 7 Wonders of the World because it is symmetrical. Pretty much there is nothing on the inside except the tomb. It is called Taj for crown and it carries this theme throughout this wonder. It reminded me that among lostness and darkness and dirt that there is something beautiful!! It reminded of the beauty of My God. His beauty can even be found here in India!!!

Here is J and I. It is a custom in India to take off your shoes in every place that is sacred. Therefore before we could go up to the Taj we had to put on shoe coverings!! This was great...never had this convenience before. Usually you just have to drop your shoes off places and hope they are there when they return. My friend Gabe actually had his shoes stolen at the Taj last year, so I was thankful for the shoe covers!!! Gabe, I left with my shoes!! Aren't they great... and no dirty feet!!!

We also visit the Agra Fort!! This is us at the Fort and some of the pretty feature that this place has to offer. This Fort at one time housed the largest diamond in the world. It is worth so much money that you could feed the whole world for two days!! Craziness!!!

Market Madness

Here is what shopping looks like for me!! It is some serious Market Madness!! This is what a typical market looks like here in India. Honestly, it is a little overwhelming. There are so many things to look it makes me shut down. Most of the stores are suprisingly nicer on the inside than what they look like on the outside. I didn't really like shopping much before in Texas and it hasn't changed since I have been here. Also because I am white and American I get bombarded all the time by EVERYONE. I wish that I just blended in sometimes!! So anyways... here is a little taste of India and her markets!!

First Birthday Party Celebration

This is me at Bennigans in Saket Market! I got to attend my first birthday celebration here!! The people here definetly know how to party and have a good time! The best part of the whole evening was hearing the nationals sing a traditional type Birthday song in English. The first time they completely botched it, but the second time they did a spectacular job! I was impressed and laughed pretty hard! Happy 24th Birthday B!

As A side note: Bennigans so far is the Western restaurant that tastes the most like American food! I ate chicken strips!!! They were awesome.

This is for my fam in Forney

This entry is dedicated to YOU traci!!! How could i not put yall on here!! Shame on me!!
This is me and my amazingly beautiful cousin Kiley!!! She is almost 1.5 years old!! I have a soft spot for her in my heart!! This is Tye and Traci my aunt and uncle! They are some of my favorite people in the world and their home is my second home now!! I pray God continues to teach you more about Himself and that you grow daily in your love and passion for JESUS!!! I LOVE YOU more than words could ever express!!!