The last few days we've been waking up to really coooold temperatures. This morning it was -18 when we got up and yesterday was similar to that with the wind chills down into the negative 20's and 30's. We have 1/2 thick frost on the inside of most of our windows and we've also tacked up a blanket in front of the least insulated door - it blows as the winds seeps in through the cracks. This house isn't exactly well insulated! There's no need for anyone to write and tell me how much colder it is where they are - I spent many winters in Canada and Maine and I know it can get much colder, but this is the coldest it's been in SD since we moved here. Here's a couple bad pictures as proof=)
Matthew stayed home from church yesterday with our two youngest who are quite sick, Chad stayed home for the same reason. Matthew himself is not feeling well either and if things go as usual, it will run it's course through all of us - just hopefully not start back through again like it sometimes does! Anyway, after the rest of us got home from church we had lunch then set up the Christmas tree. I'm much later than usual decorating this year. After getting back from Chile I just didn't want to deal with the chaos of another mess....it's taken a while to get in the Christmas mood when I'm still longing for the warm, sunny days we enjoyed in Lican! But we put on the Christmas music and began the process....Some more willing than others!
Matthew, we'll rate him as not very excited about it but willing just the same, was in charge of getting the tree up and the lights all functioning.
Logan, helped for a while then disappeared to make his own homemade ornament.....very special! 
Alana, definitely very excited and put on the most ornaments of anyone, often all on the same branch=)
Zachery, same as Matthew, but he did what he was told ~ although he acted like quite the goofball!
Monica, the usual willing helper, and not to mention 'creative'.
Chad and Kendrick, completely useless. 
And me, well, I was in my usual role of 'chief coordinator', telling everyone else what to do=)
A flattering picture of the Kunarri's ~ it was soooo good to see them! 
Left to right - Christina Steward (MK in Chile), Logan, Timmy and Noemi Rea and their dad, Jonny Rea, GMSA missionary in Santiago. He was teaching Logan how to play 'Snakes and Ladders'.
One of the most special parts of the day was getting to visit with one of my best friends from high school, Stephanie Garcia. We have kept in touch over the years but rarely have the opportunity to see each other face to face. They are also missionaries in Chile, with ABWE, and are in the midst of adopting 2 little boys from Haiti!
Different shades of skin is one of the few differences these two little rascals had=) Most of the time they seemed to be on the same page!
Here are Isabel, Jesse, Alana, and Owen. Stephanie's oldest, Eva, was outside with the older kids. Pray for them as they would desire for little Ian and Alec to join their family very soon!
Once the pizza was eaten preparations began in earnest to load up three vehicles with all of our luggage and all the people heading to the airport to see off the final batch of the NTI team, our family and Brett Kunnari.
And so the last 24 hours of traveling began....one 10 hour plane ride, one 2 hour plane ride, and one 6 hour truck ride later and the thousands of miles would be behind us. Some were more excited about that than others....=)
Thankfully the plane rides were mostly uneventful....
No sooner had we pulled in the driveway and unloaded the luggage than it started to snow. From 85 to about 25 degrees in just a day - the next morning we woke up to the white stuff and Logan headed outside and did this! What a welcome home=)
and we tried to start on the packing and collecting of our stuff spread all over the campus. We had turkey leftovers for lunch and then decided to leave the kitchen free to more cooks than I could count that showed up to start on the wedding preparations. We went out to eat (thank you Kunnari's)... 
and then all gathered together in the caretakers cabin, the place where Dan and Liz will stay until the house is finished. It was just a fine time of fellowship - some checked their e-mail... 
and some of us played games. I did my usual evening ritual and held onto Sam, the guinea pig, for a couple hours=) I miss him already! Just to give you an idea of what the house is like that Dan and Liz have to stay in for a while - look over the pictures, they have no real furniture in there and everyone sits at a kids table and chair to get on the computer, the couch's were mattresses on the floor, and here is a look at the kitchen.... 
She is cooking on the equivalent of a Coleman stove you would take camping with you. There are no table and chairs, but I did just hear that they brought their fridge from home over to the house so there is a place for cold storage. I don't say this for you to pity them, nor would they want that, but just to help understand what this time will be like for them. A young family with a busy camp schedule to keep up with and their living conditions not at all what we are used to - so just continue to pray for them.
Teresa and her mom, Aunt Earlynne
We finished up with some pictures on the beach
Immediately after we were done with the pictures we went to start packing. To make a long story short in about one hour we packed the seven suitcases of our clothing, the two duffel bags containing all our sheets, towels, pillows, and shoes, the bag with all Matthew's tools, and then the 'extras' bin for all the other odds and ends. Counting the stroller we had 12 pieces of luggage! Curtis Steward, the GMSA field director in Chile, graciously agreed to take all of our luggage back to the mission house in Santiago for us which was a HUGE blessing. All I had to do was get a Sunday outfit ready for each of us and we hopped on the bus with one bag and our carryons.... but that is another story all together! I will also save the Saturday adventures of Zachery for another time as well.
The other major chore was making the rolls - Liz made up a HUGE batch. But not only did she do that, she made Logan's day by teaching him how to cut them out and roll them up.
The potatoes were peeled, the squash peeled and cut up.... 
The kitchen was HOT that day as the gravy was made, the potatoes mashed, the stuffing baked, the corn casserole cooked, and the pies heated up for dessert.
Melissa and Monica made some table decorations, although they had help from some of the younger boys in collecting pine cones=) And finally the time came and we all sat down to a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings!
