One week after the end of the fasting month, people on this island celebrate another holiday.  Some people choose to fast for 6 more days after the breaking of the fast to earn more good points so after this week of extra fasting they make ketupat (rice that is compacted in woven leaves as it is cooked so that the individual grains disappear) and take it to the beach for a pick-nick.  We had ketupat for breakfast with friends but then stayed home to avoid the traffic.

Look closely at the appendages sticking out from this motorcycle. :o)  The goat is alive and the rest of him is tied feet up infront of the driver.

Baby advice:

• If there's an earthquake take a shower immediately, even in your cloths, so your baby wont come out shivering.
• Don't ever sit on a rock or you baby wont come out.
• Always put something under you, like a leaf, to keep your baby from not coming out.
• If your belly itches it means your baby will have hair.
• Drinking a raw village chicken's egg with some honey will make your kid slippery and come out faster.  So will a spoon full of coconut oil but it has to be special oil that is harvested once a year.
• Drinking coconut water will make your baby come out clean.
• Drinking water that has had a spell said over it will make having a baby not hurt.
• Fathers-to-be can't cut their hair.  This could hurt the baby.
• Mothers-to-be can't use scissors.
• Don't drink cold water or it will make your baby huge.

 Baby shower under the mango tree.  It was a sweet surprise with really great friends.  The lady that gave the devotional gave advice for raising children and reminded me that Hector and I are not alone here but that we all are away from family, so let them be "grandparents, aunts, and sisters.

It's amazing the "family" God provides.  Here we have people from the US, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, India, and Indonesia. The Australians had to go before we took the photo. Three moms in the photo have a little girl a year old or younger and two moms had babies here in country 11 months and 6 months ago.  I am surrounded by blessings! :o)

 This is Hector's "family."

 My "family."

 My "little sister" Ita and her daughter, my "niece" and buddy Agis.

I want my baby to have hair like Nabila.  Nabila is Agis's little cousin or her second out of three "little siblings."  Agis is waiting on my baby to make three.

 Idul Fitri is the first day after the fasting month, Ramadan.  People pray with their extended families.  My neighbours from my old neighbourhood use the whole mall parking lot to pray together.

 The men are in the front and the women are behind them.

 Friday, August 17th was Indonesian Independence day and Sunday was Idul Fitri.  So this year there seemed to be extra Indonesian flags here and there.

 My little buddy Agis is the one standing the wrong direction in blue.

 Fasting ends with making cookies, my "mom" above is beating sticky rice and grated coconut together to be eaten with fermented green rice.  I don't have to eat the green rice this year because I'm having a baby. :o)

 After that people take to the streets for a parade of lights.

 This is how we broke the fast with Mr. Hasan's family and the kids that just finished an internship with him.  First we all had a bowl of ice cold fruit and sweetened condensed milk, after that they all went to pray the evening prayer, and then came the rice and real food.

 Mr. Hasan (in the blue shirt with red and who I asked people to be lifting up in our July letter) said, this is really special, to eat all together like this.  It's like a party."  It is special for me to be part of his "family."

This is Yuda, who I talked about in our July letter.  Please keep lifting him up.  He has and is reading the Good Book and has seen the "J" film in his heart language.

 A few more photos that our friend took for us.  We should have this kid in about a month. :o)

 Our little girls room is ready and waiting.  A sheep we bought her in Mexico, a Texas long horn cow we picked up in TX, drawing of "her" and a little Sasak girl.

 Watter buffalo and palm tree bulletin board.

 Changing table.

 Sock monkeys, made in NC, climbing the wall fan cord.

 A balloon from Hector's cousin in Mexico, I've carried it half way around the world.  Hector's Jesus Loves Me Lamb and the penguin with Hector's mom's voice.  It asks to be put in the refrigerator.

Finish off with a doll from Africa and papus that tanta Amy brought her from her trip there. My momma excepts this kid to have great geography!

August 17th is Indonesia's Independence day.  Happy birthday Indonesia!

Traffic...  There is some road construction and there are police "directing" some of this mess but what's happened it this.  It's getting close to time to break fast so people are trying to get home and everyone has tried to wiggle his way as far to the front as possible.  So all traffic is completely blocked on both sides of the bridge.  This would be a two lane road but oncoming traffic is only getting by by driving on the foot path beside the road.