Happy Holidays from the Shaffers in 2006

Please note that our old e-mail address is no longer operational; please update your records to reflect our new, and hopefully permanent, e-mail address of benandwindy at gmail.com
Our web log is a good place to learn more about our lives: http://www.shaffers1430.blogspot.com/

Our Front Door 22 December 2006


Windy (31)- I am enjoying being a stay at home mom. I am happy to be pregnant again and we expect our addition in April of 2007. Taiwan is a fun place to live for many reasons, but I’m excited to plan on moving back to the USA in June.

Things I like about Taiwan:
Friendly people
Good public transit
Lush greenery of the sub-tropics
New friends
Bread flour is the same price as all-purpose!
Having a 3 bed 2 bath apartment conveniently located in the city for $500 USD a month!
All the amazing insects and animals
The cheap prepared food from street vendors
Costco
The public library
All the escalators and elevators

Things I look forward to about being home:
Our own transportation! Ben has a bike, but I have NOTHING except my feet and a stroller (and a growing tummy!) (At least Taxies are reasonability priced.)
Snow!
15% humidity rather than 80%!
Visiting family and friends
Cheap refried beans and sour cream!
Super Wal-Mart
Open spaces
Yard work (hey this means I have the ability to walk on dirt instead of concrete and asphalt all the time!)
Being able to read the menu at a restaurant
Shopping carts with baby seats and only 2 swiveling wheels! All four wheels on Taiwanese carts rotate and this makes for very difficult pushing, though it’s good for parallel parking!


Ben (26)- I have learned so much this year and seen so much, some of it horrible, most of it wonderful. The land and the people of Taiwan are beautiful, and the art I have seen is more beautiful than I could have imagined. I have had the honor of learning tai chi and eastern philosophies from their pure fountains. I have also learned to read and write some Chinese. The greatest honor and privilege I received this year was to become a temple worker in the Taipei temple.
These things have each given me ample opportunities for growth. All truth is part of my religion and so whether it is learning Buddhism from a lama, or teaching the words of the prophets to the members of my church, I have gained knowledge that has given me greater peace and happiness.
The lesson I have learned this Christmas is that peace lies not in the outside world but in our hearts. Truly the message of peace the angels sang on the first Christmas night was not an end to the wars that hateful men wage but peace in our own hearts because of the truth that we need not fear. Even if all wars ceased there would not be peace and happiness unless each person gained understanding of their own mind. This is also my admonition to my friends and family: make time to be alone and make peace with yourself, make time to be with your family and make peace with them, make time to make peace with your enemies or annoying co-workers and if they don’t accept the olive branch then use this as an opportunity to learn to have peace and love in your heart in the face of aggression and trouble. If you do then peace can never be taken from you again.

Elnorra (22 months)- I am a happy and mostly cooperative kid who loves to get out of the house and go “bye-bye”, but as soon as I’m out I want to be carried! I love to play on slides and climbing stairs is great fun (unless I know we are going home). I can even get off an escalator all by myself (I haven’t fallen once!)
I still only have a few teeth (11 going on 12) my molars came in before the middle teeth! Needless to say I have a very cute smile!
I am very fascinated with the bathroom and love to sit on my baby sized toilet seat about 5 times a day, but I still don’t have any idea how to control my body to use it properly.
I have an ever-expanding vocabulary that’s now up to about 10 words and 3 phrases, which include “Where’d it go?” and “There it is.” These phrases come from one of my favorite interactive games with mom and dad-object hide and seek. I even play it myself by holding out an object and then putting it behind my back, then I say “where’d it go?” and mom and dad look around for a while and then I pull it out from behind my back and proudly proclaim “there it is”.
My mom calls me a food monster because I seem to eat all day every day, though I still only weigh about 22 pounds. I’m about 2’8” tall.
I am often the center of attention when we use public transportation. I love the attention and wave hello and bye-bye and want to see the pictures that are taken of me.

2006 Halloween: Bat, Mommy Cat and Little Witch

Elnorra in Mommy’s shoes (21 Months old)

21st Week Ultra Sound Picture (November)




The Shaffer Family
5f, #eleven, lane 195, WoLong Street, Taipei 106-74
TAIWAN

home phone Eight86-2-2739-596Seven

e-mail BenandWindy at Gmail.com
USA contact info:
c/o DD Jay, Seventy2 East Calle del Capullo
Green Valley, Arizona 85614 USA
Voice message Ken from USA (eight eight eight) 773-zero1zero4