we three lingberries

here’s to 2014

Happy New Year!

We’ve had an amazing year and wanted to take this opportunity to give you a little recap, plus an update about what’s ahead for the Lingberry clan. Enjoy and we wish you the very best in 2015!

Grace & Peace,

Kevin, Sydney & Josiah

GROWTH & PREPARATION

While 2013 was a year of adventure and world travel, 2014 has been a year of growth and preparation. Growth in that we added a new member to our family, our sweet Josiah Tiger, and preparation in that we are moving to the US in February 2015! We’ll tell you more about that towards the end of this post, so keep reading 😉

THE MALLARD HOUSE

The year began with us moving back into a house that we’ve shared with four other people at a time (and a variety of people at that!) since August 2012, off and on. We’ve loved the time we’ve gotten to spend living with others, investing into their lives and being blessed by their friendship. We would often have house family dinners or breakfasts, discuss life and faith, play board games and just enjoy community as a shared house. It’s a bit different, but it’s truly been a blessing.

EXPECTANT

In late January, I (Sydney) found out that I was preggers. I decided to wait to announce the news until I could tell my family in person… nearly two months later! It was a bit tricky waiting, but I loved the look of shock and delight on my mom’s face when I broke the news. Absolutely priceless.

MR. JOSIAH TIGER

On August 31st at 2:03pm, our long-awaited little man arrived… a whole 10 days early! My mom (or Mimi as the grandkids call her) flew in four days earlier, just in time. He has been the best baby any parents could ask for. He has had a strong neck since he was born and is already able to hold his head up mostly on his own. He’s also rolled over a few times already and LOVES to smile, especially at blondes (haha). We are loving every minute with our little man.

ON THE WORK FRONT

The idea for Tiger Tonic Iced Teas had been brewing (pun intended) since early in the year and became a reality in late July at our favorite Saturday markets. Three of the six weekends rained out (thank you Aussie Winter!), but it was still an amazing experience and established a firm foundation for the future. Kev is now working as a barista at his friend’s cafe in the city and Syd is a full-time mom, working on Tiger Tonic as time permits. We’re thankful for the opportunity to work and save in preparation for the big move.

THE BIG MOVE

Lastly, we are nearing our relocation to the US. It’s been over a year in the making and we can hardly believe it’s less than two months away. We fly out of Sydney on February 25th and will spend a week in Hawaii before arriving in New Orleans. Then, we will plant our little family in Austin by summertime. Yet another new season is ahead and we couldn’t be happier!

Now that we’ve found a good groove with the baby life, we will try to keep this blog updated more regularly! Thanks for reading. Cheers mate!

 

meet josiah tiger

After 38 weeks and 5 days of anticipation, we are proud to introduce to you the newest Lingberry:

Josiah Tiger Ling
Born at 2:03PM on Sunday, the 31st of August, 2014, at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Weight: 3.12kg (6lbs 8oz)
Length: 49.5cm (19.48 inches)

Sydney was incredible through it all. I am just blown away about how well she handled the whole pregnancy & delivery. Her contractions started around 3:40am Sunday morning, then active labor started at 11:30am. He officially arrived at 2:03pm. She is feeling great and we are beyond excited to finally have him with us.

There is much more to say, but we’ll leave it at that for now.

With love,

Kevin, Sydney & Josiah Ling

the story of tiger tonic

There are several things I’d like to update you on, but for now, allow me to tell you a story.

One day in early February of this year, the thought popped into my head about how much I enjoy Thai Iced Tea. I first had this deliciously creamy beverage during my visit to Thailand in June 2009. Not only did I love the tea, but the colors, culture, people and massages (oh yes) have all remained a part of who I am. Here are a few photos from that trip:

three years & counting

On the 8th of January, Kevin and I celebrated 3 years of marriage, which just about marks 3 years of my time in Australia as well (wowsas!). To celebrate, we took a few days to get away to the “rainforest” of Bulli (pronounced “bull-eye”), about 1 1/2 hours south of Sydney. We stayed in ‘The Yurt’, which we found on airbnb.com (our favorite accommodation booking site). The Yurt is a round, standalone mini-cabin with a kitchen and bathroom built in. It was just up the hill behind the owner’s house just minutes from Bulli beach.

a look back at 2013

2013. What a year it has been. We’ve been around the world and back, now taking this last opportunity to share with you some of our favorite moments, fun facts, crazy videos and solemn remembrances. Thank you to each and every person who made it what it was – for being a friend and loving us the way you do. We are forever thankful for you!

The above image is a collage of instagrams by both Kevin and myself in chronological order from the top left to the bottom right… Click on the image for a larger version — so many fun moments with people we absolutely adore. And then (and only then), you may read on…

1 Second Everyday

Before Kev and I set off to America for 3 months on March 19, our buddy Dave told us about an iPhone app called 1SE (which stands for ‘1 Second Everyday’). The premise is simple: You take a video each day and then choose a 1-second clip. The clip gets logged and then ‘mashed up’ with the rest into a fun video collage. The longer you stay on track, the longer your collage becomes.

Kev did an AMAZING job of creating the video below. Enjoy this mini-trip into our world!

In memory of Uncle Jhonny

This post is dedicated to one of my most beloved Uncles, Jhonny Massie

He passed away at the age of 51 on Saturday 18th of May, 2013. It happened to be his birthday and for someone who gave his life to Jesus, I could not think of a more fitting date to mark him entering eternity.

As I am still overseas and unable to make it to his funeral, my family asked if I could put together a Eulogy.

12 going on 13

Many changes have taken place in the life of the Lingberries over the last few months, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to update you. Isn’t that nice of me? 😉

Kev graduated from Hillsong College in early December – of which I am incredibly proud and relieved at the same time! Hehe. Well done, baby! (wild applause)…

merry christmas!

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year! God bless 🙂 Kevin & Sydney Ling