We've had some dissention in our household lately, all concerning toys. Who has them, who doesn't, who just took them from whom, etc. It never ceases to amaze me that children with so many things to play with can fight over the same things so continually! My children have both had their moments of selfish greediness, where each feels that she absolutely cannot survive if she doesn't have whichever toy is in question.
It often works like this: Clara Anne begins playing with something, or a set of somethings, and Chloe wants to get in on the action. Chloe edges her way in, then snatches something and runs away. If Clara Anne gets upset, Chloe seems to be perversely delighted and runs around gloating. If, on the other hand, Clara Anne says calmly, "Chloe, may I have that back please?", Chloe usually gives it willingly.
Lately the most disputed objects have been some small plastic cars that we found at a local market which were from the movie "Cars"--Lightning McQueen, Doc, Sheriff, Mater and Luigi. Clara Anne is very excited about these since she saw the movie for the first time a few weeks ago. Five is really too many cars for one child to hold, but they each sure do try! We have had to put the cars away on occasion because it seems that peace and harmony are difficult to achieve when the beloved cars are being played with.
Now, lest I paint the situation in a terribly grim light, I must say that the squabbling over toys is not constant, the girls do often play together happily. But, lately this bickering has been frequent enough to try my patience. This morning I attempted a quick shower and no sooner had I lathered up than I heard Clara Anne wailing, the "victim" of one of Chloe's snatch-and-run actions. I never showered so fast!
After these incidents, I keep trying to emphasize to Clara Anne that she is a big girl, that she can learn to share, and that she may not respond by hollering and jumping up and down when Chloe takes something she wants. So even if Chloe's actions are wrong, Clara Anne, being older and understanding more, needs to respond in a better way. But this is a challenge for a not-quite-three year old! I was starting to feel like my words were going in one ear and out the other.
Until tonight. Finally, after needing to intervene several times in a matter of minutes, correct behavior, administer punishment where needed, etc, I drew a deep breath and prayed for patience and wisdom, again! Clara Anne and I began to talk about what had been happening with her toys and Chloe, and I reiterated to her that each time she showed selfishness or responded by getting angry with Chloe, she would be punished, because that was disobedience.
Here's how it went from there:
Clara Anne: "Mommy, sometimes I disobey. But God loves me, right?"
Me: "Yes, Clara Anne, God loves you. But because He loves you, he gave you a mommy and daddy who have to obey Him and punish you when you disobey."
Clara Anne: "Sometimes you disobey, right Mommy? And Daddy disobeys sometimes too, right?"
Me: "You're right Clara Anne. That's why we all need Jesus. Only Jesus can help us to not disobey, He can give us a new heart so that we want to obey instead. Let's pray and ask Jesus right now to help us."
We ended the conversation by praying (Clara Anne too) and asking for the Lord's help to have new hearts that long to obey, and share, and be generous, and fight against the temptation to disobey. I am encouraged! My feelings earlier in the day were ones of frustration, irritation, and discouragement over this issue, so I am thankful that the Lord gave me wisdom in that moment to stay calm and use it as a learning point with Clara Anne. I am also reminded again how many times I fall short and perhaps the Lord grows weary of my same sins, over and over again. And yet He is gracious, and forgiving, and longs to make His glory more evident even in our sin-soaked lives. Praise Him for the truth of the gospel, which has the power even to impact my sweet Clara Anne! I pray that it will!
And now lights are out and there is only blessed silence coming from the girls' room. Whew! Today was a doozy, but tomorrow is another day. There's always fresh hope!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
And now, some pictures!
Though our camera has been neglected lately, I do have a few recent snapshots to share with you. This first one is Clara Anne and Chloe, cozily cuddling up together in a wicker chair. Notice the comfort items present--Clara Anne's blanket, Chloe's special bear and the ever-present paci on a string!
Here they're playing together happily. Chloe's hair is finally growing somewhat!
We had a little trip to the "park" yesterday, for Family Day. The weather was lovely (see the previous post) and the girls were so excited to see the swings. Clara Anne, however, is swinging on a bar which I believe is supposed to be used for hanging on with your hands and swinging, rather than sitting on top and swinging. But it was fun anyway!
Fun times with Daddy!
Happy Clara Anne!
Here they're playing together happily. Chloe's hair is finally growing somewhat!
We had a little trip to the "park" yesterday, for Family Day. The weather was lovely (see the previous post) and the girls were so excited to see the swings. Clara Anne, however, is swinging on a bar which I believe is supposed to be used for hanging on with your hands and swinging, rather than sitting on top and swinging. But it was fun anyway!Fun times with Daddy!Happy Clara Anne!
Golden Week, Take 2
This past week has been simply beautiful, weather-wise. The skies have been clear and brightly blue with only a few high, puffy white clouds. The smog has been minimal, especially if I look off to the south where there are some mountains outside the city. We've been enjoying having the windows open, taking the girls out for walks, and I've especially been enjoying doing my laundry and having it dry the same day! It is amazing the difference the weather can make on life in general. I think that I'm not affected by it, but then we have a perfect fall day and I feel light-hearted and energetic again. What a blessing! This past week of weather is what we should have had, but didn't, during "Golden Week." No matter, a week or two late is just fine by me!
The past week has also been quite busy, so I apologize for the lack of communication on my end. It seems like the days stay pretty busy, caring for John and the girls, training my new house helper, and let's not forget, speaking/studying Asianese! Actually the studying has been pretty minimal, except for all of the new vocabulary I'm learning from my new helper (I'll call her Lou.) It's funny because Mimi (my previous helper) seemed to learn fairly quickly the words that I knew and didn't know, and so when we talked she stayed pretty much in that vocabulary of things she knew I knew. Lou has no idea so she keeps tossing in new phrases and expressions that then I have to ask her about--great for my language, but makes everything take longer!
In general I'm really pleased with Lou. She works hard, is willing to do anything I ask, and is very eager, though sometimes a bit too eager. Several times I've been trying to teach her something and she interrupts me and says, "I know, I know, let me do it!" But then I have to go back and correct something later. I am so thankful, though, because Lou is obviously the person the Father meant us to have. She seems to love her new job, cooks wonderfully, loves kids, and truly takes a load off my shoulders! Even better, she was already my sister before she came to work for me, but was longing to grow and learn more. So we are going to start meeting together with some friends of hers as well, studying the Word and praying together. I'm really excited about this opportunity, though it will certainly challenge my language as well!
Speaking of language, we're hopeful that having Lou around, and having her devote some dedicated time to playing with Clara Anne and Chloe each day, will help them to learn the local language. We tried one day last week having her read stories to Clara Anne in the local language, but it was a bit too much for Clara Anne. Lou kept trying to get Clara Anne to repeat words, and at first that was fine, but after awhile Clara Anne said "Mommy, that story makes me TOO tired!" So I think we're going to have to stick to some more informal playing. We may also have to make sure that Clara Anne understands basic phrases in Asianese before she plays with "ayi" (auntie); because right now Clara Anne seems to not understand and thus disobeys. I'm honestly not sure if she genuinely does not understand or if she is using that as an excuse. At any rate, I hope that Clara Anne will get more and more comfortable with Lou so that their playtimes together can be fun and enjoyable, rather than high-pressure work on language.
Training a house helper is really a manager's job, and I certainly don't have any "real" experience in management! It takes planning, patience, and organization to plan her days well and use her time effectively. Even little things, like asking her to "thoroughly clean the kitchen" involved quite a long explanation of what that entailed and how I wanted her to do it. But she is learning quickly and I am also adjusting to having someone in my house 40+ hours a week! She is easy to have around, though, and I don't feel bad if I need to take a nap when she's here! She's already learned to cook several western items (Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, my mom's Chicken Broccoli Casserole, Cornbread, Granola, and on Friday, my favorite Apple Cake recipe which is mostly apples!) and seems to be enjoying the western cooking more and more. We even tried out my friend Sandra's lasagne recipe--it didn't turn out as tasty as it looked in your picture, Sandra, but we enjoyed it anyway!
On another note, I just want to share how thankful I am that our family is in a great routine these days. Several of you have asked how that is going for us, so I wanted to share that it's going well! John has started school again, and we've both been faithful (well, he more than me) about getting up early for exercise and QT. I feel like we're really settled into "normal" family life with a good balance of work, play, rest, family time, worship time, etc. This is something that had been lacking for a long time, so I am thankful. The girls seem to sense it too and are doing well (except for the occasional squabble, of course. Why do two children always want the same one toy?!). So of course, though things are always changing, and tomorrow is unknown, I am thankful for this new rhythm of life.
And finally, thanks to everybody who sent emails and congrats after we announced our happy news about baby #3! It was really a blessing to hear from so many of you! The baby thanks you too. Though he/she is still causing me to lean over the toilet every morning, I haven't been so desperate for naps lately AND last night was the first night I didn't have any evening nausea! PTL! Thanks for all your prayers!
The past week has also been quite busy, so I apologize for the lack of communication on my end. It seems like the days stay pretty busy, caring for John and the girls, training my new house helper, and let's not forget, speaking/studying Asianese! Actually the studying has been pretty minimal, except for all of the new vocabulary I'm learning from my new helper (I'll call her Lou.) It's funny because Mimi (my previous helper) seemed to learn fairly quickly the words that I knew and didn't know, and so when we talked she stayed pretty much in that vocabulary of things she knew I knew. Lou has no idea so she keeps tossing in new phrases and expressions that then I have to ask her about--great for my language, but makes everything take longer!
In general I'm really pleased with Lou. She works hard, is willing to do anything I ask, and is very eager, though sometimes a bit too eager. Several times I've been trying to teach her something and she interrupts me and says, "I know, I know, let me do it!" But then I have to go back and correct something later. I am so thankful, though, because Lou is obviously the person the Father meant us to have. She seems to love her new job, cooks wonderfully, loves kids, and truly takes a load off my shoulders! Even better, she was already my sister before she came to work for me, but was longing to grow and learn more. So we are going to start meeting together with some friends of hers as well, studying the Word and praying together. I'm really excited about this opportunity, though it will certainly challenge my language as well!
Speaking of language, we're hopeful that having Lou around, and having her devote some dedicated time to playing with Clara Anne and Chloe each day, will help them to learn the local language. We tried one day last week having her read stories to Clara Anne in the local language, but it was a bit too much for Clara Anne. Lou kept trying to get Clara Anne to repeat words, and at first that was fine, but after awhile Clara Anne said "Mommy, that story makes me TOO tired!" So I think we're going to have to stick to some more informal playing. We may also have to make sure that Clara Anne understands basic phrases in Asianese before she plays with "ayi" (auntie); because right now Clara Anne seems to not understand and thus disobeys. I'm honestly not sure if she genuinely does not understand or if she is using that as an excuse. At any rate, I hope that Clara Anne will get more and more comfortable with Lou so that their playtimes together can be fun and enjoyable, rather than high-pressure work on language.
Training a house helper is really a manager's job, and I certainly don't have any "real" experience in management! It takes planning, patience, and organization to plan her days well and use her time effectively. Even little things, like asking her to "thoroughly clean the kitchen" involved quite a long explanation of what that entailed and how I wanted her to do it. But she is learning quickly and I am also adjusting to having someone in my house 40+ hours a week! She is easy to have around, though, and I don't feel bad if I need to take a nap when she's here! She's already learned to cook several western items (Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, my mom's Chicken Broccoli Casserole, Cornbread, Granola, and on Friday, my favorite Apple Cake recipe which is mostly apples!) and seems to be enjoying the western cooking more and more. We even tried out my friend Sandra's lasagne recipe--it didn't turn out as tasty as it looked in your picture, Sandra, but we enjoyed it anyway!
On another note, I just want to share how thankful I am that our family is in a great routine these days. Several of you have asked how that is going for us, so I wanted to share that it's going well! John has started school again, and we've both been faithful (well, he more than me) about getting up early for exercise and QT. I feel like we're really settled into "normal" family life with a good balance of work, play, rest, family time, worship time, etc. This is something that had been lacking for a long time, so I am thankful. The girls seem to sense it too and are doing well (except for the occasional squabble, of course. Why do two children always want the same one toy?!). So of course, though things are always changing, and tomorrow is unknown, I am thankful for this new rhythm of life.
And finally, thanks to everybody who sent emails and congrats after we announced our happy news about baby #3! It was really a blessing to hear from so many of you! The baby thanks you too. Though he/she is still causing me to lean over the toilet every morning, I haven't been so desperate for naps lately AND last night was the first night I didn't have any evening nausea! PTL! Thanks for all your prayers!
Breadmaker Bagels
Here's another great recipe for those of you who may live in areas where if you're going to eat bagels, you're going to make them yourself. Or, if you just love to bake, give this recipe a try! They beat store-bought bagels hands down!
Breadmaker Bagels
Load your breadpan in the order suggested by the manufacturer:
1 1/8 cups water
3 cups flour
3 T. plus 1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/4 tsp yeast
Set your machine for the dough cycle, but remove after the first knead (about 20-30 minutes, depending on your machine. Mine is a full 30 minutes). Place the dough on a floured surface. If the dough is even a bit sticky, work in a bit more flour. The dough should feel fairly stiff. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, setting aside 2 1/4inch balls for test dough. Form into balls, then gently poke your thumb through the middle and stretch to form a bagel shape. Place on a floured surface and allow to rise, while bringing 3 quarts of water with 1 Tbsp sugar to a boil in a large stockpot. Drop the test dough--if the ball immediately pops up to the surface it is time to boil the bagels. Use a slotted spoon to drop 2-3 bagels into the rapidly boiling water. Boil on each side for 30 seconds. Remove and cool on a rack while you boil the other bagels. When they are all finished, brush the tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, coarse salt, or poppy seeds, as desired. Bake at 400 F on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal until golden--approximately 15 minutes. [I have found that they brown more easily and bake better when I bake them directly on the oven rack.]
Our family loves these bagels! They are a special weekend morning treat, though I think that soon I will teach my helper how to make them and then we can eat bagels on a regular basis.
A few ideas for variations: Add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup raisins for Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Add 1-2 Tbsp grated orange peel and 1/4 cup dried cranberries for Cranberry Orange Bagels
Add some minced jalapenos and a few Tbsp Parmesan cheese for a spicy, savory bagel . . .
You get the idea!
Enjoy!
Breadmaker Bagels
Load your breadpan in the order suggested by the manufacturer:
1 1/8 cups water
3 cups flour
3 T. plus 1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/4 tsp yeast
Set your machine for the dough cycle, but remove after the first knead (about 20-30 minutes, depending on your machine. Mine is a full 30 minutes). Place the dough on a floured surface. If the dough is even a bit sticky, work in a bit more flour. The dough should feel fairly stiff. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, setting aside 2 1/4inch balls for test dough. Form into balls, then gently poke your thumb through the middle and stretch to form a bagel shape. Place on a floured surface and allow to rise, while bringing 3 quarts of water with 1 Tbsp sugar to a boil in a large stockpot. Drop the test dough--if the ball immediately pops up to the surface it is time to boil the bagels. Use a slotted spoon to drop 2-3 bagels into the rapidly boiling water. Boil on each side for 30 seconds. Remove and cool on a rack while you boil the other bagels. When they are all finished, brush the tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, coarse salt, or poppy seeds, as desired. Bake at 400 F on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal until golden--approximately 15 minutes. [I have found that they brown more easily and bake better when I bake them directly on the oven rack.]
Our family loves these bagels! They are a special weekend morning treat, though I think that soon I will teach my helper how to make them and then we can eat bagels on a regular basis.
A few ideas for variations: Add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup raisins for Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Add 1-2 Tbsp grated orange peel and 1/4 cup dried cranberries for Cranberry Orange Bagels
Add some minced jalapenos and a few Tbsp Parmesan cheese for a spicy, savory bagel . . .
You get the idea!
Enjoy!
Friday, October 12, 2007
And the Big News Is . . .
We're expecting another baby! I was trying to come up with some cute and funny way to share this exciting news, but it's late already and in the interest of finishing this post in the next 23 minutes (before bedtime), I decided to just come right out and say it! I just passed the 12-week mark this week; I'm hopeful that the fatigue and nausea will soon be waning. I guess with two older children the fatigue may linger, but at least hopefully my tummy will feel better soon!
I went to see a local doctor today for the first time this pregnancy, just to confirm things. To be honest, all I really wanted to do was hear the baby's heartbeat. And happily, I was not disappointed!
Going to a hospital in this country is an interesting experience, to say the least. You know that the same standards do not exist for medical care when the overwhelming odor inside the hospital is urine mixed with cigarette smoke. I found my way to the registration counter, then to the women's area where I was directed to a certain door number. The doctor was inside with three other patients crowding around his desk, asking for his attention. He barely looked up at me but his assistant directed me to take a seat and wait (in the same room with the other women being seen). He finished, one by one, with them, then asked me a few questions and wrote briefly in my registration book. Actually, one of his first blunt questions to me translates literally "Do you want the baby?" I was stunned for a moment and then replied in the affirmative. Then the happy moment I was waiting for: he directed me up onto the table so that he could check for the baby's heartbeat. It took him a moment, but then, there it was, the miraculous whoosh, whoosh, whoosh coming through the Doppler. Hallelujah! I breathed a sigh of relief even as a few tears slipped out.
The doctor then suggested an ultrasound, which I needed to pay for before they would do it. I found the right counter and paid, then made my way back to his office where I was again asked to wait (inside the office) as he finished with some others. As a westerner, I was slightly embarassed to have to witness others as they came in to be examined or treated.
To my dismay (sometimes I wish I did not understand the local language so well) a very young woman came in and it wasn't long before I gathered that she and the assistant were discussing abortion. She was dressed in such a way that gave me the impression of perhaps being from the countryside. She must have been at least five months along. Even as the assistant was casually saying, "Let's see, we get off work at 5, what time is it now? Oh, it's only four, so yes, there's time to get it done now," the young woman was standing holding her arms unconsciously in a protective manner over her belly. When the assistant suggested doing it that day--and let us remind ourselves that "doing the procedure" means killing a living human being--the young girl swallowed thickly and in a very soft voice said, "let me ask a moment." She went out to confer with whoever she came with, then came back in a few minutes later and said, "ok, do it today."
I felt so helpless. I wanted to cry, beg, and plead with her all at the same time. "Don't do this, don't kill your precious baby!" But I was silent, not knowing what to say or how to say it. I didn't know how to help her, what resources or agencies to refer her to, or what kind of pressure she was facing from her family or boyfriend. Even as I rejoiced in the preservation of the tiny baby in my womb, I wanted to weep for her.
A moment later, the doctor came and summoned me to the room where women were lined up to have ultrasound examinations. He beckoned me into the room (effectively jumping the line) and though at first there was a bit of concern that the baby wasn't moving at all, it seemed like he or she was just very soundly, happily asleep. Finally the technician purposely startled the baby and saw some activity. The heartbeat was strong and normal, and everything else looks good. PTL!
I left with a glad heart, so thankful for this tiny life. Even though sometimes I think "we must be crazy! What are we thinking, having another baby?! I'll never be able to handle it!" I know that when I trust in my Heavenly Father, he gives grace enough for each day's joys and challenges. It was his design to send tiny, helpless infants into families where they must be raised and nurtured, and his design to bless us with this new baby, so he will also sustain us and provide for all our needs.
So now, just for fun--the total bill for my trip today:
Taxi ride to the hospital: 7.5 local dollars
Registration fee: 4 local dollars
Ultrasound examination: 30 local dollars
Taxi ride home: 9 local dollars
One US dollar is worth about 7.5 local dollars. That means that the ultrasound cost a grand total of about $4.15 ! Wow, that was worth it!
Finally, if you think of it, say a prayer with me for that young woman who aborted her baby today. There will be grief ahead for her. Let's pray that the Lord would somehow use this to draw her and her family close to Him.
I went to see a local doctor today for the first time this pregnancy, just to confirm things. To be honest, all I really wanted to do was hear the baby's heartbeat. And happily, I was not disappointed!
Going to a hospital in this country is an interesting experience, to say the least. You know that the same standards do not exist for medical care when the overwhelming odor inside the hospital is urine mixed with cigarette smoke. I found my way to the registration counter, then to the women's area where I was directed to a certain door number. The doctor was inside with three other patients crowding around his desk, asking for his attention. He barely looked up at me but his assistant directed me to take a seat and wait (in the same room with the other women being seen). He finished, one by one, with them, then asked me a few questions and wrote briefly in my registration book. Actually, one of his first blunt questions to me translates literally "Do you want the baby?" I was stunned for a moment and then replied in the affirmative. Then the happy moment I was waiting for: he directed me up onto the table so that he could check for the baby's heartbeat. It took him a moment, but then, there it was, the miraculous whoosh, whoosh, whoosh coming through the Doppler. Hallelujah! I breathed a sigh of relief even as a few tears slipped out.
The doctor then suggested an ultrasound, which I needed to pay for before they would do it. I found the right counter and paid, then made my way back to his office where I was again asked to wait (inside the office) as he finished with some others. As a westerner, I was slightly embarassed to have to witness others as they came in to be examined or treated.
To my dismay (sometimes I wish I did not understand the local language so well) a very young woman came in and it wasn't long before I gathered that she and the assistant were discussing abortion. She was dressed in such a way that gave me the impression of perhaps being from the countryside. She must have been at least five months along. Even as the assistant was casually saying, "Let's see, we get off work at 5, what time is it now? Oh, it's only four, so yes, there's time to get it done now," the young woman was standing holding her arms unconsciously in a protective manner over her belly. When the assistant suggested doing it that day--and let us remind ourselves that "doing the procedure" means killing a living human being--the young girl swallowed thickly and in a very soft voice said, "let me ask a moment." She went out to confer with whoever she came with, then came back in a few minutes later and said, "ok, do it today."
I felt so helpless. I wanted to cry, beg, and plead with her all at the same time. "Don't do this, don't kill your precious baby!" But I was silent, not knowing what to say or how to say it. I didn't know how to help her, what resources or agencies to refer her to, or what kind of pressure she was facing from her family or boyfriend. Even as I rejoiced in the preservation of the tiny baby in my womb, I wanted to weep for her.
A moment later, the doctor came and summoned me to the room where women were lined up to have ultrasound examinations. He beckoned me into the room (effectively jumping the line) and though at first there was a bit of concern that the baby wasn't moving at all, it seemed like he or she was just very soundly, happily asleep. Finally the technician purposely startled the baby and saw some activity. The heartbeat was strong and normal, and everything else looks good. PTL!
I left with a glad heart, so thankful for this tiny life. Even though sometimes I think "we must be crazy! What are we thinking, having another baby?! I'll never be able to handle it!" I know that when I trust in my Heavenly Father, he gives grace enough for each day's joys and challenges. It was his design to send tiny, helpless infants into families where they must be raised and nurtured, and his design to bless us with this new baby, so he will also sustain us and provide for all our needs.
So now, just for fun--the total bill for my trip today:
Taxi ride to the hospital: 7.5 local dollars
Registration fee: 4 local dollars
Ultrasound examination: 30 local dollars
Taxi ride home: 9 local dollars
One US dollar is worth about 7.5 local dollars. That means that the ultrasound cost a grand total of about $4.15 ! Wow, that was worth it!
Finally, if you think of it, say a prayer with me for that young woman who aborted her baby today. There will be grief ahead for her. Let's pray that the Lord would somehow use this to draw her and her family close to Him.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Late-Breaking News!
Hi everyone--a quick word before my bedtime arrives--I have a new house helper!
Through an amazing series of events, my previous helper Mimi found this new woman who was very interested in being my helper. She is 28 and single, and had been working for a family but the family just had a new baby; now that the grandparents have moved in she is not needed anymore. She came to meet us this morning and seemed very sincere and eager to work for us. Actually she shared with me that she was previously engaged to be married, but things did not work out with the guy, and so now she wants to start a new life. She is even willing to change apartments so she can live nearer to us. My first impressions of her were good, so I am really hoping that things will work out with her.
She starts tomorrow! Wow, that was quick!
She will be at our house full time, making lunch every day, doing the cleaning and laundry, and spending some time playing with Clara Anne and Chloe to help them learn the local language more easily. As you can imagine, this is going to be a HUGE help to me. But the next week or two could be more challenging as I train her in our "strange" western ways . . . i.e. we always use hot water when washing the dishes, we dry the dishes or let them air dry before putting them away, we put the girls down for naps awake, rather than rocking them to sleep, in general we don't let the kids rule the household, etc. So hopefully everything will go well and she will soon become acclimated to us and we to her. Because of the amount of time that she will be in our home, we will be able to have a great influence on her as well as she will on us. We're hoping that it will all be positive! PTL with me for this answered prayer!
Through an amazing series of events, my previous helper Mimi found this new woman who was very interested in being my helper. She is 28 and single, and had been working for a family but the family just had a new baby; now that the grandparents have moved in she is not needed anymore. She came to meet us this morning and seemed very sincere and eager to work for us. Actually she shared with me that she was previously engaged to be married, but things did not work out with the guy, and so now she wants to start a new life. She is even willing to change apartments so she can live nearer to us. My first impressions of her were good, so I am really hoping that things will work out with her.
She starts tomorrow! Wow, that was quick!
She will be at our house full time, making lunch every day, doing the cleaning and laundry, and spending some time playing with Clara Anne and Chloe to help them learn the local language more easily. As you can imagine, this is going to be a HUGE help to me. But the next week or two could be more challenging as I train her in our "strange" western ways . . . i.e. we always use hot water when washing the dishes, we dry the dishes or let them air dry before putting them away, we put the girls down for naps awake, rather than rocking them to sleep, in general we don't let the kids rule the household, etc. So hopefully everything will go well and she will soon become acclimated to us and we to her. Because of the amount of time that she will be in our home, we will be able to have a great influence on her as well as she will on us. We're hoping that it will all be positive! PTL with me for this answered prayer!
Golden Week
This past week here was a national holiday--7 days' worth. There are two of these week-long holidays spaced strategically in the spring and fall, as well as a longer one around the New Year time. We have heard it said that the spring and fall holidays are called "Golden Weeks" because the merchants make so much money. Many people travel, so tickets of all sorts, hotels, and restaurants are in high demand, and many businesses have special sales during this week, since most people are off work and have time to go shopping. There are fireworks every night (and day, too--why wait for the evening?!), people get together with their families and eat big meals, so there's just a lot of excitement.
Last week, unfortunately, the weather was a big bummer. It rained almost every day, and the days it didn't rain were chilly, gray and dismal (an objective fact, not just my opinion! We didn't see the sun all week. This was too bad for my laundry, which after hanging for more than two days did not dry but just soured and I had to wash it again). Even our national friends commented on how it was too bad that this year the weather was so yucky. Usually the fall is quite lovely and so everyone really enjoys getting out and about during Golden Week. But it surely didn't stop everything--there were still fireworks being set off near our home at random moments, and the big stores were quite busy.
The weather also didn't stop us from doing a bit of shopping ourselves. Before the week started, I had been pondering a dilemma. . . what to do about my oven situation? Some of you have seen the picture on my blog of my tiny toaster oven; actually I think it was somewhere in my first month or two of posting. My oven was still working fine, though the dilemma came in that before we went to the States I sold it to my house helper. She really wanted an oven, I didn't need it for at least 6 months, and besides, when we got back we were planning to move right away to a new apartment where I could buy and install a full-size oven. What actually happened was that when we returned and figured out that we wouldn't be moving for quite awhile, my house helper loaned me her oven (my old one). It was still running great, except the fan seemed to be somewhat noisier than usual--to be truthful, turning on the oven sounded like there was a jet engine in my kitchen! But it still worked just fine!
At any rate, I was feeling like I couldn't just keep on borrowing her oven forever, and also was thinking that maybe the Golden Week would be a good time to buy an oven--maybe there would be a sale, even! John was willing to go with me to look, and my friend Amy even offered to keep my kids for an afternoon so that we could search around.
The searching was necessary because ovens are just not very common here. Most locals do not bake anything, not even bread. The most common type of bread is a steamed bun, but many people eat rice more commonly even than the bread. Baked goods are kind of an unknown, as are ovens. When we first arrived here, almost 4 years ago now, there were people who didn't even know the word (that we had found in the dictionary) for oven.
Now things have changed quite a bit. There are very nice model kitchens on display in several locations around town, and thanks to the sleuthing of our friends Brad and Amy, we knew exactly where to go. This department store had kitchen store after kitchen store, with all of their model kitchens beautifully outfitted, and many of them had ovens. We went slowly and patiently through them ALL and found that many of the ovens were the same few brands, some slightly fancier models and some more basic. But the one we found last was the best! It was a "Chef" model--a division of Electrolux, an American company, yay! To us that meant good quality as well as an English instruction manual and some of the "goodies" that Americans like--a roaster pan with lift-out tray, two (not just one) metal racks, and a couple of small cookie sheets thrown in for good measure. The price was also the lowest of pretty much all of the ovens we looked at!
So I am happy, so very happy, to tell you all that now in my kitchen, sitting up on the counter, is my brand new, shiny, Chef oven. Fitting it into my kitchen was slightly tricky, however. There was absolutely no room on the floor. My old oven used to occupy a place on top of the microwave in a corner of the counter. That obviously was not going to work with this oven. However, John, through sheer ingenuity, rigged up a way to extend the counter slightly sideways so that the oven would fit there. When we move to a new place, we can have it installed flush with cupboards like a normal oven, but for now, it works great! We had to be a bit creative in finding space for the microwave after that, but now everything is resettled and is working out wonderfully. I have already used the oven numerous time--I baked some potatoes for Baked Potato Soup, I've made some lovely Honey Pan Rolls, and today some carrot-raisin muffins baked in only one batch! Wow, what a nice change!
As we were oven shopping, we found that the outside of the oven usually measured the same (60 cm) but the inside space varied. We were a bit concerned about that because I had purchased some pans in the States--a big pizza pan, some 11x17 cookie sheets, etc--which I had unthinkingly bought, simply assuming that since I was going to buy a full-size oven everything would fit. The evening the oven was delivered, John measured again the inside space and said, "Yep, those cookie sheets should fit!" He then brought them over and began to slide them in only to discover that no, in fact, they were too big, just by a hair! However, there was no stopping him; he soon had the pliers out and very carefully bent down one side of the cookie sheet's handle. Now they fit just right! No rack is needed--they slide right over the grooves on the oven wall. The pizza pan also fits, though it didn't need any adjusting. Yippee!
So, my "jet engine" is gone and in its place is a shiny, purring, efficient machine. I'm so thankful! I'm sorry to say, though, that the big idea about "hey, it's Golden Week, they'll give us a great discount!" was pretty much a myth--we only got 5% off, and it wasn't just the seller. Very few of the sellers were willing to bargain, and those that were would only give us 5% off. But I'm so glad we bought it now, rather than waiting to move to a new place. I shall be enjoying this new addition for many Golden Weeks to come!
Last week, unfortunately, the weather was a big bummer. It rained almost every day, and the days it didn't rain were chilly, gray and dismal (an objective fact, not just my opinion! We didn't see the sun all week. This was too bad for my laundry, which after hanging for more than two days did not dry but just soured and I had to wash it again). Even our national friends commented on how it was too bad that this year the weather was so yucky. Usually the fall is quite lovely and so everyone really enjoys getting out and about during Golden Week. But it surely didn't stop everything--there were still fireworks being set off near our home at random moments, and the big stores were quite busy.
The weather also didn't stop us from doing a bit of shopping ourselves. Before the week started, I had been pondering a dilemma. . . what to do about my oven situation? Some of you have seen the picture on my blog of my tiny toaster oven; actually I think it was somewhere in my first month or two of posting. My oven was still working fine, though the dilemma came in that before we went to the States I sold it to my house helper. She really wanted an oven, I didn't need it for at least 6 months, and besides, when we got back we were planning to move right away to a new apartment where I could buy and install a full-size oven. What actually happened was that when we returned and figured out that we wouldn't be moving for quite awhile, my house helper loaned me her oven (my old one). It was still running great, except the fan seemed to be somewhat noisier than usual--to be truthful, turning on the oven sounded like there was a jet engine in my kitchen! But it still worked just fine!
At any rate, I was feeling like I couldn't just keep on borrowing her oven forever, and also was thinking that maybe the Golden Week would be a good time to buy an oven--maybe there would be a sale, even! John was willing to go with me to look, and my friend Amy even offered to keep my kids for an afternoon so that we could search around.
The searching was necessary because ovens are just not very common here. Most locals do not bake anything, not even bread. The most common type of bread is a steamed bun, but many people eat rice more commonly even than the bread. Baked goods are kind of an unknown, as are ovens. When we first arrived here, almost 4 years ago now, there were people who didn't even know the word (that we had found in the dictionary) for oven.
Now things have changed quite a bit. There are very nice model kitchens on display in several locations around town, and thanks to the sleuthing of our friends Brad and Amy, we knew exactly where to go. This department store had kitchen store after kitchen store, with all of their model kitchens beautifully outfitted, and many of them had ovens. We went slowly and patiently through them ALL and found that many of the ovens were the same few brands, some slightly fancier models and some more basic. But the one we found last was the best! It was a "Chef" model--a division of Electrolux, an American company, yay! To us that meant good quality as well as an English instruction manual and some of the "goodies" that Americans like--a roaster pan with lift-out tray, two (not just one) metal racks, and a couple of small cookie sheets thrown in for good measure. The price was also the lowest of pretty much all of the ovens we looked at!
So I am happy, so very happy, to tell you all that now in my kitchen, sitting up on the counter, is my brand new, shiny, Chef oven. Fitting it into my kitchen was slightly tricky, however. There was absolutely no room on the floor. My old oven used to occupy a place on top of the microwave in a corner of the counter. That obviously was not going to work with this oven. However, John, through sheer ingenuity, rigged up a way to extend the counter slightly sideways so that the oven would fit there. When we move to a new place, we can have it installed flush with cupboards like a normal oven, but for now, it works great! We had to be a bit creative in finding space for the microwave after that, but now everything is resettled and is working out wonderfully. I have already used the oven numerous time--I baked some potatoes for Baked Potato Soup, I've made some lovely Honey Pan Rolls, and today some carrot-raisin muffins baked in only one batch! Wow, what a nice change!
As we were oven shopping, we found that the outside of the oven usually measured the same (60 cm) but the inside space varied. We were a bit concerned about that because I had purchased some pans in the States--a big pizza pan, some 11x17 cookie sheets, etc--which I had unthinkingly bought, simply assuming that since I was going to buy a full-size oven everything would fit. The evening the oven was delivered, John measured again the inside space and said, "Yep, those cookie sheets should fit!" He then brought them over and began to slide them in only to discover that no, in fact, they were too big, just by a hair! However, there was no stopping him; he soon had the pliers out and very carefully bent down one side of the cookie sheet's handle. Now they fit just right! No rack is needed--they slide right over the grooves on the oven wall. The pizza pan also fits, though it didn't need any adjusting. Yippee!
So, my "jet engine" is gone and in its place is a shiny, purring, efficient machine. I'm so thankful! I'm sorry to say, though, that the big idea about "hey, it's Golden Week, they'll give us a great discount!" was pretty much a myth--we only got 5% off, and it wasn't just the seller. Very few of the sellers were willing to bargain, and those that were would only give us 5% off. But I'm so glad we bought it now, rather than waiting to move to a new place. I shall be enjoying this new addition for many Golden Weeks to come!
Sunday, October 07, 2007
The Rules of the Road
Long-time readers of my blog will remember previous descriptions of the traffic here in this country. Simply put, it's crazy! The larger streets are a bit more well-governed (i.e. cars usually stop for lights, pedestrians usually use the crosswalks, etc) but on the smaller roads, anything goes. For example, two lanes can morph into four in a matter of moments when a driver decides there's room for him to "squeeze in" to that small space between lanes . . . or a bus executes a bold and daring left-hand turn from the right turn lane . . . or a motorcyclist zips through traffic wherever there's physically room for him . . . or a pedestrian steps out and begins to cross a busy street without looking (because if you didn't see the other guy, it's not your fault. If you saw him and still hit him, you're at fault!).
All of this to say, it seems like the roads have only gotten more congested in the time we were away. Or maybe it's just that we've recently arrived from small-town Iowa where there is a grand total of one stoplight in the town. But local people, too, especially taxi drivers, have commented on how the traffic just keeps getting worse. Perhaps it goes back to some of the economic changes--more and more people are able to afford cars, and so are buying them and driving themselves, rather than taking public transportation or riding a bike.
Now, in many ways, we are not SO affected by the traffic, other than to have some patience when we go out. We don't drive, so if we're caught in traffic we can sit back and relax (or try to entertain little ones, as the case may be). Also, the taxi fares as yet are still just based on distance, not time. This is different than some other cities where you are sitting, waiting in traffic and watching the meter click up, and up, and up. When John rides his bike, he can go fast in the bike lanes, which he loves to do. And we haven't had too much difficulty getting taxis--we can usually flag one within a few minutes of waiting, sometimes within moments.
Going to America with two young ones was a huge adjustment in terms of car travel because of carseats. Clara Anne and Chloe had to learn that the carseats were not optional, that they could not be held, that even if we were only driving a short distance they needed to be buckled in. At first this was a struggle, but after a short while they grew to be perfectly content in their carseats and accepted it as a normal part of life. Despite the extra step that it took to get them all settled in the car every time we went somewhere, I also grew to appreciate the carseats! Having carseats meant that I did not have to hold and wrestle with wriggly children on long rides. Having carseats meant that they both had their own space, and they soon learned to fall asleep in their carseats as well. Not only was it safer for them, it meant an easier ride for Mommy!
So, as you can imagine, being back in Asia has meant an adjustment to the carseat-less taxi riding again. Previously, Clara Anne was too small to sit by herself on the seat and so was usually held, and I always had Chloe in the Baby Bjorn carrier. Now, Chloe is WAY too heavy for the Baby Bjorn, and so she has become a lap baby. Clara Anne has graduated from being on a lap and gets to sit on the seat next to me or John.
But with her new freedom comes new responsibility. We now have established several rules in taxis, the "rules of the road" so to speak:
1. She may not touch the door. The backseat driver's side door is not usually used and often not even functional; typically we get into and out of the taxi on the passenger sides. But, on rare occasions, we'll run across a door that will open! Therefore, this rule.
2. No feet on the seat. For Clara Anne, it is a bit of a challenge to climb in without climbing across the seat and therfore, getting the driver's white seat covers all dirty from her shoes. So this is a hard one for her! It will probably get better as she gets a bit older and taller.
3. Sit on your bottom! Without the restraint of a carseat or seatbelt, it is only her own willpower and our rules that are keeping her in her place! But if she doesn't sit down then it seems the infraction of rules number one and two are soon to follow!
Though it has been a bit challenging to get these new standards into Clara Anne's mind, we are seeing some good progress. She does love to ride in a taxi and is always excited to go out somewhere. So though the drivers around us don't necessarily follow the rules, Clara Anne still needs to obey the rules of the road!
All of this to say, it seems like the roads have only gotten more congested in the time we were away. Or maybe it's just that we've recently arrived from small-town Iowa where there is a grand total of one stoplight in the town. But local people, too, especially taxi drivers, have commented on how the traffic just keeps getting worse. Perhaps it goes back to some of the economic changes--more and more people are able to afford cars, and so are buying them and driving themselves, rather than taking public transportation or riding a bike.
Now, in many ways, we are not SO affected by the traffic, other than to have some patience when we go out. We don't drive, so if we're caught in traffic we can sit back and relax (or try to entertain little ones, as the case may be). Also, the taxi fares as yet are still just based on distance, not time. This is different than some other cities where you are sitting, waiting in traffic and watching the meter click up, and up, and up. When John rides his bike, he can go fast in the bike lanes, which he loves to do. And we haven't had too much difficulty getting taxis--we can usually flag one within a few minutes of waiting, sometimes within moments.
Going to America with two young ones was a huge adjustment in terms of car travel because of carseats. Clara Anne and Chloe had to learn that the carseats were not optional, that they could not be held, that even if we were only driving a short distance they needed to be buckled in. At first this was a struggle, but after a short while they grew to be perfectly content in their carseats and accepted it as a normal part of life. Despite the extra step that it took to get them all settled in the car every time we went somewhere, I also grew to appreciate the carseats! Having carseats meant that I did not have to hold and wrestle with wriggly children on long rides. Having carseats meant that they both had their own space, and they soon learned to fall asleep in their carseats as well. Not only was it safer for them, it meant an easier ride for Mommy!
So, as you can imagine, being back in Asia has meant an adjustment to the carseat-less taxi riding again. Previously, Clara Anne was too small to sit by herself on the seat and so was usually held, and I always had Chloe in the Baby Bjorn carrier. Now, Chloe is WAY too heavy for the Baby Bjorn, and so she has become a lap baby. Clara Anne has graduated from being on a lap and gets to sit on the seat next to me or John.
But with her new freedom comes new responsibility. We now have established several rules in taxis, the "rules of the road" so to speak:
1. She may not touch the door. The backseat driver's side door is not usually used and often not even functional; typically we get into and out of the taxi on the passenger sides. But, on rare occasions, we'll run across a door that will open! Therefore, this rule.
2. No feet on the seat. For Clara Anne, it is a bit of a challenge to climb in without climbing across the seat and therfore, getting the driver's white seat covers all dirty from her shoes. So this is a hard one for her! It will probably get better as she gets a bit older and taller.
3. Sit on your bottom! Without the restraint of a carseat or seatbelt, it is only her own willpower and our rules that are keeping her in her place! But if she doesn't sit down then it seems the infraction of rules number one and two are soon to follow!
Though it has been a bit challenging to get these new standards into Clara Anne's mind, we are seeing some good progress. She does love to ride in a taxi and is always excited to go out somewhere. So though the drivers around us don't necessarily follow the rules, Clara Anne still needs to obey the rules of the road!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Chai Lattes, Anyone?
Yesterday and today have been cool and drizzly. The rain is coming down fairly steadily but gently, and the overcast sky makes me want to snuggle back into bed. It seems like fall has moved in overnight; suddenly the house feels a bit cool-ish and I found myself searching my sock drawer for some cozy socks this morning. It's a day like this when you feel like drinking something warm, spiced and soothing. I decided it was time to get out my crock-pot and make another batch of Chai tea.
Since Starbucks is so (unfortunately) out of my reach, I have adapted several of my favorite Starbucks methods for my own enjoyment at home. And recently, I found this great recipe for Chai tea which I thought was perfectly lovely. If I had a better milk frother, I would say that the finished product tasted exactly like Starbucks. (My "frothed" milk tends to deflate in a matter of moments.) So I thought you all might enjoy the recipe!
You will need:
2 quarts (8 cups) water
8 bags black tea
3/4 cup sugar
16 whole cloves
16 whole cardamom seeds, pods removed (optional) [I skipped this with no ill effects]
5 cinnamon sticks [I used less since they're not as easy to find here]
8 slices fresh ginger
Milk to taste, for later [About 1 part milk to 2 parts tea is a good ratio, I think]
Combine the water, tea, sugar, cloves, cardamom, if using, cinnamon and ginger in your slow cooker. Cover, cook on High for 2 to 2.5 hours. Strain mixture and discard solids. At this point, tea may be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Stir in the milk just before serving. Serve hot or chilled.
I think you could easily adapt this recipe to use on the stovetop if you wanted it to go faster. I really enjoy this recipe and hope you will, too!
Since Starbucks is so (unfortunately) out of my reach, I have adapted several of my favorite Starbucks methods for my own enjoyment at home. And recently, I found this great recipe for Chai tea which I thought was perfectly lovely. If I had a better milk frother, I would say that the finished product tasted exactly like Starbucks. (My "frothed" milk tends to deflate in a matter of moments.) So I thought you all might enjoy the recipe!
You will need:
2 quarts (8 cups) water
8 bags black tea
3/4 cup sugar
16 whole cloves
16 whole cardamom seeds, pods removed (optional) [I skipped this with no ill effects]
5 cinnamon sticks [I used less since they're not as easy to find here]
8 slices fresh ginger
Milk to taste, for later [About 1 part milk to 2 parts tea is a good ratio, I think]
Combine the water, tea, sugar, cloves, cardamom, if using, cinnamon and ginger in your slow cooker. Cover, cook on High for 2 to 2.5 hours. Strain mixture and discard solids. At this point, tea may be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Stir in the milk just before serving. Serve hot or chilled.
I think you could easily adapt this recipe to use on the stovetop if you wanted it to go faster. I really enjoy this recipe and hope you will, too!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
The Greatest Story Ever Told
One benefit of getting settled into life in Asia again has come through the re-establishment of some routine in our lives. It seemed like our time in the States was full of transitions and travel, and it was hard to get into a rhythm (other than the rhythm of constant change!). Knowing how much children enjoy routine, I have sketched out a little weekly schedule for our family, always subject to change, of course, but at least it is a start!
[Sidenote--subject to change, as in last Sunday afternoon when a group of friends arrived for a party. "Oh," I said, "I didn't know you were coming over!" "I'm sorry," said one of our friends, "I guess I told everyone except you that we were going to get together today at your house!" No matter--they all came in, I found some fresh fruit to slice and a few monster cookies in the freezer, and we had a great time together. They stayed 3.5 hours! Things like this seem to happen to me regularly!]
But I digress . . . now something built into our daily routine is a time of devotions after breakfast (with the girls still in their high chairs) where we read from one of our two new Bible storybooks. While in the States, we purchased two excellent ones: the Jesus Storybook Bible and The Big Picture Storybook Bible. After the reading and perhaps a few brief questions about the day's story, we then practice our current memory verse and have prayer together. It's true, Chloe is pretty oblivious to everything going on, but I have been very encouraged to see Clara Anne's response.
Earlier last week, we came to the stories about Jesus' death. As John was reading (he's the preferred reader since he's more dramatic and does exciting voices), Clara Anne was literally on the edge of her seat, with a horrified look on her face. She seemed to comprehend what was happening to Jesus and was truly distressed. When we asked her a few questions, she gave evidence of being especially touched by the fact that the soldiers hit and hurt Jesus. Of course, we couldn't stop there and had to read the next chapter where Jesus rises from the dead. It was amazing to see the relief settle over her face when she realized that Jesus was alive again.
I really knew that the stories were making an impact when later that morning, Clara Anne was playing with Play-Doh at the kitchen table. I was working nearby, and overheard her telling the story again to herself, complete with a big lump of play-doh which was the tomb, and a smaller bit in her hand which was Jesus, she was putting him in the tomb and then taking him out again. The soldiers' awful deeds seemed to be foremost in her mind--as she played and talked to herself I kept hearing "soldiers hurt him" and things like that. As far as she was concerned, they got the full blame!
More than just that day, it has been encouraging to see how Clara Anne now asks to read the Bible numerous times a day. Many times during breakfast she will say, "Mommy, we forgot to read my Bible!" I then remind her that we always do it after breakfast and that she just needs to wait a moment. Both of the books I mentioned above do a very good job of telling the BIG story of the Bible--tracing themes from beginning to end. I truly think that she has been captivated by the story, the greatest story ever. I myself have been moved, sometimes to tears, as I have read through these books with her. The best part is, these stories are all true! They're not just nice-sounding, happy feeling, made up stories! Amazing! What a great God we serve!
Now if only Clara Anne's love for reading her Bible would have some practical application--you know, more obedience, less whining, a more joyful spirit--but then again, maybe the Lord thinks that about me sometimes too! Thankfully He is patient with me, a redeemed child, so I need to be patient with my as-yet-unregenerate 2.5 year old. For now, Clara Anne, we'll just keep on reading!
[Sidenote--subject to change, as in last Sunday afternoon when a group of friends arrived for a party. "Oh," I said, "I didn't know you were coming over!" "I'm sorry," said one of our friends, "I guess I told everyone except you that we were going to get together today at your house!" No matter--they all came in, I found some fresh fruit to slice and a few monster cookies in the freezer, and we had a great time together. They stayed 3.5 hours! Things like this seem to happen to me regularly!]
But I digress . . . now something built into our daily routine is a time of devotions after breakfast (with the girls still in their high chairs) where we read from one of our two new Bible storybooks. While in the States, we purchased two excellent ones: the Jesus Storybook Bible and The Big Picture Storybook Bible. After the reading and perhaps a few brief questions about the day's story, we then practice our current memory verse and have prayer together. It's true, Chloe is pretty oblivious to everything going on, but I have been very encouraged to see Clara Anne's response.
Earlier last week, we came to the stories about Jesus' death. As John was reading (he's the preferred reader since he's more dramatic and does exciting voices), Clara Anne was literally on the edge of her seat, with a horrified look on her face. She seemed to comprehend what was happening to Jesus and was truly distressed. When we asked her a few questions, she gave evidence of being especially touched by the fact that the soldiers hit and hurt Jesus. Of course, we couldn't stop there and had to read the next chapter where Jesus rises from the dead. It was amazing to see the relief settle over her face when she realized that Jesus was alive again.
I really knew that the stories were making an impact when later that morning, Clara Anne was playing with Play-Doh at the kitchen table. I was working nearby, and overheard her telling the story again to herself, complete with a big lump of play-doh which was the tomb, and a smaller bit in her hand which was Jesus, she was putting him in the tomb and then taking him out again. The soldiers' awful deeds seemed to be foremost in her mind--as she played and talked to herself I kept hearing "soldiers hurt him" and things like that. As far as she was concerned, they got the full blame!
More than just that day, it has been encouraging to see how Clara Anne now asks to read the Bible numerous times a day. Many times during breakfast she will say, "Mommy, we forgot to read my Bible!" I then remind her that we always do it after breakfast and that she just needs to wait a moment. Both of the books I mentioned above do a very good job of telling the BIG story of the Bible--tracing themes from beginning to end. I truly think that she has been captivated by the story, the greatest story ever. I myself have been moved, sometimes to tears, as I have read through these books with her. The best part is, these stories are all true! They're not just nice-sounding, happy feeling, made up stories! Amazing! What a great God we serve!
Now if only Clara Anne's love for reading her Bible would have some practical application--you know, more obedience, less whining, a more joyful spirit--but then again, maybe the Lord thinks that about me sometimes too! Thankfully He is patient with me, a redeemed child, so I need to be patient with my as-yet-unregenerate 2.5 year old. For now, Clara Anne, we'll just keep on reading!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Adjustments
I guess I should have figured that though we were coming back to our home, and the familiar, there would be changes that we would need to adjust to. As we've settled back into life in Asia, there have been several areas that have required some adjustments of our expectations. How could it be that things were different than before?! But life in all places continues to grow and change, sometimes for the good, and sometimes the changes are hard to get used to. What has changed, you ask?
For one, the price of goods. Inflation has hit our city in a big way. Certain items that we used to buy that were cheap (like fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken breasts, etc) have gone up, some as much as 50%. A typical Asianese lunch that used to cost about 15-20 local dollars now is usually closer to 30. Eggs are now about the same price per dozen as those in the States. Cheese, which we always paid a lot for in the past, has increased to the point where it is now slightly more than $5 US for one 8 oz package! Yikes! It seems like our city, along with the rest of this country, continues its economic growth at an alarming rate and so since people can afford to pay more, the cost of goods is more. Wow! I didn't think it could change that much in the 6 months we were gone!
Sometimes people talk about "reverse culture shock" where a person will return to his home culture and be taken aback by all of the changes. We didn't experience this too much living in the States regarding the price of things, because we had been warned. And living here we were used to paying higher prices for western things anyway. The toaster that I finally found for my Asian kitchen several years ago cost us close to $20 US. But when we bought a toaster to have in our kitchen when we moved to Louisville, we only paid $6.87! Wowza, that's cheap! So I expected the US prices to be more, and in some cases they weren't (in other cases they were way more, like gas--gulp!) but returning here I had an expectation of things being cheap and instead lots of things have risen in price.
Another area that I should have known to be ready for is pollution. The night we came in, it was drizzly and rainy, and the entire next week was smoggy and overcast. Now that it isn't blazing hot summer anymore, all of the taxi drivers are driving with their windows down, subjecting everyone in the car to a steady intake of exhaust, smog, and generally dirty air. To make matters worse, in the surrounding countryside the farmers have harvested their corn and are following their traditional practice of burning the stubble off the fields. Two nights ago the acrid smoke in the air had penetrated every corner of our apartment, our clothes smelled like smoke, and I could not sleep because of a sore throat from breathing the heavily polluted air. That was the worst I have ever seen it here, but thankfully it didn't last as early in the morning rain started to fall. It rained all day and brought some fresh air after the showers.
The last few weeks, in fact, I have had a rough time with this--I knew the air would be polluted, but somehow I forgot the extent of the pollution! The New York Times recently published a fairly comprehensive study of the effects of pollution in this country, and in reading their information, I discovered that our city has a pollution level THREE times that of Los Angeles. Oh my. Unfortunately we are not expecting it to get much better. The coal-burning season is almost upon us and so it may be a smoggy winter ahead. This is a fact of life here; definitely an area to adjust my expectations! I must have gradually taken for granted the clear blue skies over small-town Iowa! I haven't been running since we've come, partially because we were still getting over jet-lag and the girls have been getting up quite early each day, and partially because I didn't want to breathe in deeply all of the smoggy air. But, we get more exercise in general here, starting with the 58 steps that lead up to our fourth-floor apartment!
So now that I've showered you with the gloomy news, I'll share a few better-than-expected circumstances. After not speaking the local language for 6 months, I was worried that it would take me a long time to make up that ground. But thankfully, after a few encounters with my house helper I feel like I have remembered a lot again! Neither John nor I have started studying again, and that will surely help, but my "functional" daily language has mostly returned. I didn't expect that and so am extra thankful for it! I've even started dreaming in the local language again!
We are also doubly grateful for the friends we have in this city, both fellow Americans and nationals. It has been wonderful to reconnect with them and in many ways it feels like we never left--we've just picked up where we left off, very easy and natural. I am thankful for this, especially when I think of the loneliness that we battled for the first few years here.
I guess the moral of the story is "learning to be content in every circumstance." What a challenge, but how valuable if we can practice this! With the contentment comes thankfulness and joy for all that we have, since "we have been given everything we need for life and godliness." May we all be more content, more thankful, and more joyful today!
For one, the price of goods. Inflation has hit our city in a big way. Certain items that we used to buy that were cheap (like fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken breasts, etc) have gone up, some as much as 50%. A typical Asianese lunch that used to cost about 15-20 local dollars now is usually closer to 30. Eggs are now about the same price per dozen as those in the States. Cheese, which we always paid a lot for in the past, has increased to the point where it is now slightly more than $5 US for one 8 oz package! Yikes! It seems like our city, along with the rest of this country, continues its economic growth at an alarming rate and so since people can afford to pay more, the cost of goods is more. Wow! I didn't think it could change that much in the 6 months we were gone!
Sometimes people talk about "reverse culture shock" where a person will return to his home culture and be taken aback by all of the changes. We didn't experience this too much living in the States regarding the price of things, because we had been warned. And living here we were used to paying higher prices for western things anyway. The toaster that I finally found for my Asian kitchen several years ago cost us close to $20 US. But when we bought a toaster to have in our kitchen when we moved to Louisville, we only paid $6.87! Wowza, that's cheap! So I expected the US prices to be more, and in some cases they weren't (in other cases they were way more, like gas--gulp!) but returning here I had an expectation of things being cheap and instead lots of things have risen in price.
Another area that I should have known to be ready for is pollution. The night we came in, it was drizzly and rainy, and the entire next week was smoggy and overcast. Now that it isn't blazing hot summer anymore, all of the taxi drivers are driving with their windows down, subjecting everyone in the car to a steady intake of exhaust, smog, and generally dirty air. To make matters worse, in the surrounding countryside the farmers have harvested their corn and are following their traditional practice of burning the stubble off the fields. Two nights ago the acrid smoke in the air had penetrated every corner of our apartment, our clothes smelled like smoke, and I could not sleep because of a sore throat from breathing the heavily polluted air. That was the worst I have ever seen it here, but thankfully it didn't last as early in the morning rain started to fall. It rained all day and brought some fresh air after the showers.
The last few weeks, in fact, I have had a rough time with this--I knew the air would be polluted, but somehow I forgot the extent of the pollution! The New York Times recently published a fairly comprehensive study of the effects of pollution in this country, and in reading their information, I discovered that our city has a pollution level THREE times that of Los Angeles. Oh my. Unfortunately we are not expecting it to get much better. The coal-burning season is almost upon us and so it may be a smoggy winter ahead. This is a fact of life here; definitely an area to adjust my expectations! I must have gradually taken for granted the clear blue skies over small-town Iowa! I haven't been running since we've come, partially because we were still getting over jet-lag and the girls have been getting up quite early each day, and partially because I didn't want to breathe in deeply all of the smoggy air. But, we get more exercise in general here, starting with the 58 steps that lead up to our fourth-floor apartment!
So now that I've showered you with the gloomy news, I'll share a few better-than-expected circumstances. After not speaking the local language for 6 months, I was worried that it would take me a long time to make up that ground. But thankfully, after a few encounters with my house helper I feel like I have remembered a lot again! Neither John nor I have started studying again, and that will surely help, but my "functional" daily language has mostly returned. I didn't expect that and so am extra thankful for it! I've even started dreaming in the local language again!
We are also doubly grateful for the friends we have in this city, both fellow Americans and nationals. It has been wonderful to reconnect with them and in many ways it feels like we never left--we've just picked up where we left off, very easy and natural. I am thankful for this, especially when I think of the loneliness that we battled for the first few years here.
I guess the moral of the story is "learning to be content in every circumstance." What a challenge, but how valuable if we can practice this! With the contentment comes thankfulness and joy for all that we have, since "we have been given everything we need for life and godliness." May we all be more content, more thankful, and more joyful today!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Finally, A (Long) Update!
Today already marks one full week that we have been back in our city in Asia! I apologize for the lateness of this update; our internet only got connected yesterday and I had a busy day with no time to blog. But, thank you all so much for your thoughts for us--our traveling, once finally started, really went smoothly. We arrived on schedule and so did ALL of our luggage, and truly the trip went quite well. Though it didn't start out quite so smoothly . . .
Our plan the morning that we left was to arrive at the airport 3 hours before our scheduled flight, check in all of our luggage, and then go out for one last American breakfast (Cracker Barrel has great breakfasts!). However, when we arrived at the airport and began to unload our luggage, the airline personnel began to weigh our luggage and found that almost all of it was slightly overweight, a couple of them by as much as 10-15 pounds. And since we were traveling internationally, the charge for an overweight bag was more than $300! So we quickly determined that it would be much cheaper to simply go and buy another piece of luggage to put the excess poundage in. I hopped in the car and sped off to Walmart, my dad stayed with the girls, and John began the laborious process of unpacking each trunk, one by one, and taking out items until the luggage was within the 50 pound limit. When I arrived back, 45 minutes later, I knew my hope of breakfast was dashed, but at least I had the extra luggage in hand! John loaded the extra items in it, pulled it up to the counter, and IT was more than 50 pounds! So at the last moment we were stuffing children's books into our carry-on luggage and sticking things in wherever we could find a little space! Thankfully, no one ever asked to weigh our carry-ons!
So once we got past that little drama, we ate a quick bite at the airport cafe before getting ready to board. We said a sad farewell to my dad, who needed to get off to work, (we had had a tearful goodbye with my mom early that morning; she didn't travel with us to the airport) and then got through security with no problems. Happily, our flight left just a bit early and went faster than expected, so we had slightly more than an hour, instead of just 40 minutes, to connect in Chicago. PTL! Also thankfully, our connecting flight was just a few gates down from where we came in to Chicago, so we didn't have to dash madly through the entire O'Hare airport.
The long flight went well; only a few moments of desperate crying from Chloe, and Clara Anne really did very well. They slept for probably 6 hours total and that was great. I had brought along some Dramamine to encourage them to sleep, but silly me, forgot to check the appropiate dosages and so was afraid to give them too much, or not enough!
So we arrived in Asia without incident and then had a six-hour layover until our final flight. We had to claim our luggage and then recheck it in, and so it doubled as furniture during those hours when the check-in was not yet open. We even got out Clara Anne's Dora tent and sleeping bag and at one point, I had a short nap inside it while John read books to the girls! (You know, all of those books that we couldn't fit anywhere else . . . they were right at hand!)
Arriving back in our city was great. My friend Rachel picked us up from the airport with a huge van and we made our way to our apartment. To my delight and surprise, opening the door and going back inside was truly like coming home. Rachel had organized a huge cleaning project, to get everything ready (they even washed the windows and curtains!), including stocking my frig and pantry! There was ready-to-eat food in the frig and even hotdishes and cinnamon rolls in the freezer! She had also put my rugs back down on the floors, put back up some of our pictures, and got my kitchen ready to be used again. What a HUGE blessing! I thought they were just going to clean, but they did so much more . . . the fact that our house was ready to be lived in again made it truly seem like HOME and we were able to settle in very quickly. By Tuesday evening of this week we were totally unpacked and organized, our luggage put away and back to "normal" life again. THANK YOU to Rachel, Mimi, Amy, and everybody that helped. It was truly a huge help.
We dived back into life and work here as soon as we arrived back--John had a (pre-scheduled)meeting the next day at 11:30, after having been back less than 12 hours! One of the results of that meeting was that it looks like we will not be moving from this apartment for at least six months. So instead of just "unpacking to move in the next 6 weeks or so" we fully unpacked, planning to live here at least until after the new year. But that feels good too--we like our home, despite its shortfalls, and so it will be good to be here awhile longer.
My house helper Mimi has been here a few days and so my Asianese has had to get refreshed in a hurry! Wow, she talks fast! We've had some good talks already, and boy can she cook great food. We've had all my favorites this week! :) Mimi will not be with me for too much longer, though, she's just on loan to me since she works full-time for Rachel now, so I'm looking for a new helper. We're hoping for just the right person to come along!
So that's our news! We're happy to be settled back in, I'm happy to get the girls in a good routine again, and though we're all struggling with jetlag still (waking up early in the morning), we're glad to be back. On that note, though, please keep thinking of us. In many ways, a lot of things have changed since we were here last. Particularly, some of the people we had a lot of contact with have moved away, gotten new jobs and become very busy, or for other reasons are not in our lives now. So in a way it is like we are "starting over." I feel excited about that, and yet a little nervous too. We shall see what He has in store for us!
One final story to give you a good laugh: the other morning, just shortly before nine, there was a knock at my door. I opened it to find an older woman with a baby boy, about 1 year old. She immediately said, "where are your kids?" I gestured to the bathroom where they were both brushing their teeth. "Oh, how cute! Look at the little girls!" she said to her grandson. "You can be friends with them and they'll teach you English!" She sort of edged her way in and all the while, I was racking my brain to think of who this was! She didn't introduce herself, and though she looked vaguely familiar, I just couldn't place her. But since I felt like I should be friendly, I sort of invited her in (she sort of walked in on her own) and offered her something to drink. Fifteen minutes went by of me making small talk, her trying to give my children a particularly messy snacky-sort of bread, her grandson being extremely possesive of the play stroller that happened to be nearby, etc. I still could not think of who she was!
Finally, at the end, I asked her where she lived, and she jogged my memory, saying how we had met once at my ladies' salon. I then remembered another incident, where she asked the salon ladies where I lived so she could visit after Chloe was born. They did come over, and that day she had said, "Oh, I have a new grandson. He and your daughter can get married, don't you think that's a great idea?" She was serious. So I guess that's why she came to visit; she wanted to see if her grandson and Chloe would hit it off. Unfortunately, I'm not so interested in marrying off Chloe when she's only 15 months old. But there you go, who says arranged marriages are an outdated practice?!
Ahhh, yes, we're back in Asia again!
Our plan the morning that we left was to arrive at the airport 3 hours before our scheduled flight, check in all of our luggage, and then go out for one last American breakfast (Cracker Barrel has great breakfasts!). However, when we arrived at the airport and began to unload our luggage, the airline personnel began to weigh our luggage and found that almost all of it was slightly overweight, a couple of them by as much as 10-15 pounds. And since we were traveling internationally, the charge for an overweight bag was more than $300! So we quickly determined that it would be much cheaper to simply go and buy another piece of luggage to put the excess poundage in. I hopped in the car and sped off to Walmart, my dad stayed with the girls, and John began the laborious process of unpacking each trunk, one by one, and taking out items until the luggage was within the 50 pound limit. When I arrived back, 45 minutes later, I knew my hope of breakfast was dashed, but at least I had the extra luggage in hand! John loaded the extra items in it, pulled it up to the counter, and IT was more than 50 pounds! So at the last moment we were stuffing children's books into our carry-on luggage and sticking things in wherever we could find a little space! Thankfully, no one ever asked to weigh our carry-ons!
So once we got past that little drama, we ate a quick bite at the airport cafe before getting ready to board. We said a sad farewell to my dad, who needed to get off to work, (we had had a tearful goodbye with my mom early that morning; she didn't travel with us to the airport) and then got through security with no problems. Happily, our flight left just a bit early and went faster than expected, so we had slightly more than an hour, instead of just 40 minutes, to connect in Chicago. PTL! Also thankfully, our connecting flight was just a few gates down from where we came in to Chicago, so we didn't have to dash madly through the entire O'Hare airport.
The long flight went well; only a few moments of desperate crying from Chloe, and Clara Anne really did very well. They slept for probably 6 hours total and that was great. I had brought along some Dramamine to encourage them to sleep, but silly me, forgot to check the appropiate dosages and so was afraid to give them too much, or not enough!
So we arrived in Asia without incident and then had a six-hour layover until our final flight. We had to claim our luggage and then recheck it in, and so it doubled as furniture during those hours when the check-in was not yet open. We even got out Clara Anne's Dora tent and sleeping bag and at one point, I had a short nap inside it while John read books to the girls! (You know, all of those books that we couldn't fit anywhere else . . . they were right at hand!)
Arriving back in our city was great. My friend Rachel picked us up from the airport with a huge van and we made our way to our apartment. To my delight and surprise, opening the door and going back inside was truly like coming home. Rachel had organized a huge cleaning project, to get everything ready (they even washed the windows and curtains!), including stocking my frig and pantry! There was ready-to-eat food in the frig and even hotdishes and cinnamon rolls in the freezer! She had also put my rugs back down on the floors, put back up some of our pictures, and got my kitchen ready to be used again. What a HUGE blessing! I thought they were just going to clean, but they did so much more . . . the fact that our house was ready to be lived in again made it truly seem like HOME and we were able to settle in very quickly. By Tuesday evening of this week we were totally unpacked and organized, our luggage put away and back to "normal" life again. THANK YOU to Rachel, Mimi, Amy, and everybody that helped. It was truly a huge help.
We dived back into life and work here as soon as we arrived back--John had a (pre-scheduled)meeting the next day at 11:30, after having been back less than 12 hours! One of the results of that meeting was that it looks like we will not be moving from this apartment for at least six months. So instead of just "unpacking to move in the next 6 weeks or so" we fully unpacked, planning to live here at least until after the new year. But that feels good too--we like our home, despite its shortfalls, and so it will be good to be here awhile longer.
My house helper Mimi has been here a few days and so my Asianese has had to get refreshed in a hurry! Wow, she talks fast! We've had some good talks already, and boy can she cook great food. We've had all my favorites this week! :) Mimi will not be with me for too much longer, though, she's just on loan to me since she works full-time for Rachel now, so I'm looking for a new helper. We're hoping for just the right person to come along!
So that's our news! We're happy to be settled back in, I'm happy to get the girls in a good routine again, and though we're all struggling with jetlag still (waking up early in the morning), we're glad to be back. On that note, though, please keep thinking of us. In many ways, a lot of things have changed since we were here last. Particularly, some of the people we had a lot of contact with have moved away, gotten new jobs and become very busy, or for other reasons are not in our lives now. So in a way it is like we are "starting over." I feel excited about that, and yet a little nervous too. We shall see what He has in store for us!
One final story to give you a good laugh: the other morning, just shortly before nine, there was a knock at my door. I opened it to find an older woman with a baby boy, about 1 year old. She immediately said, "where are your kids?" I gestured to the bathroom where they were both brushing their teeth. "Oh, how cute! Look at the little girls!" she said to her grandson. "You can be friends with them and they'll teach you English!" She sort of edged her way in and all the while, I was racking my brain to think of who this was! She didn't introduce herself, and though she looked vaguely familiar, I just couldn't place her. But since I felt like I should be friendly, I sort of invited her in (she sort of walked in on her own) and offered her something to drink. Fifteen minutes went by of me making small talk, her trying to give my children a particularly messy snacky-sort of bread, her grandson being extremely possesive of the play stroller that happened to be nearby, etc. I still could not think of who she was!
Finally, at the end, I asked her where she lived, and she jogged my memory, saying how we had met once at my ladies' salon. I then remembered another incident, where she asked the salon ladies where I lived so she could visit after Chloe was born. They did come over, and that day she had said, "Oh, I have a new grandson. He and your daughter can get married, don't you think that's a great idea?" She was serious. So I guess that's why she came to visit; she wanted to see if her grandson and Chloe would hit it off. Unfortunately, I'm not so interested in marrying off Chloe when she's only 15 months old. But there you go, who says arranged marriages are an outdated practice?!
Ahhh, yes, we're back in Asia again!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Traveling Mercies
This is it! We leave tomorrow morning, Wednesday, bright and early. We'll leave home about 6:30 am, travel to Sioux Falls, SD, and get on a 10:30 am flight. We fly first to Chicago, and then have only 40 minutes to catch our overseas flight. If you think of it, please lift up our travels. We have a LOT of luggage, 13 checked pieces, and are really fervently praying that it will all make that quick connection in a notoriously busy airport. We were only going to have 11 pieces, but today we arrived at the post office with two 50-lb boxes of children's books, intending to ship them surface mail (using an m-bag) to our home in Asia. Unfortunately, since May 15th, the rates have drastically changed, and to send it via m-bag was going to be more expensive than to send it priority mail! The cost of the priority mail? $250 for one box. OH MY! Well, the books inside those boxes are not worth anywhere near $500, so instead we will pay the airline an extra fee in order to take them as extra pieces of "luggage." Thankfully we found this out the day before we are leaving so that we still had the airline option! If we had left them for my parents to ship, we would have really been in a pickle!
In other recent mishaps, I had recently purchased some luggage online. When I paid for it online, I saw that the billing address was correct but neglected to clarify the shipping address, and it was shipped to Louisville! All last week, we were wondering why it did not arrive, and finally after tracking it online, John discovered my mistake. We quickly called the company and they said that UPS would not re-deliver a package after failing delivery in another state, so I re-ordered the luggage and made sure it would be sent here, to Iowa. The customer service representative assured me that it would be here by Tuesday, today.
Then this morning about 10, the luggage arrived! Wow, PTL! However, then this afternoon, about 2, the other luggage arrived! Oops . . . turns out the Louisville post office had a forwarding address for me and so had forwarded it on, so now we have more luggage than we bargained for. Thankfully again, the company (Land's End) was very gracious and are just sending another UPS person to pick up the extra set later this week.
So, I'm hoping we've already had our share of mishaps. If you think of us on Wednesday, the 12th, please say a little prayer for traveling mercies. We hope it will be an uneventful trip. If all goes well, we will arrive back at our home in Asia on Thursday evening at 10pm, (Thursday morning in the States). Some dear friends have already been to our apartment, to clean and make it ready for us to just fall in bed that first night, so we are extra EXTRA thankful for that.
Thanks for your thoughts! Next time, Lord willing, I'll be writing from the other side of the world!
In other recent mishaps, I had recently purchased some luggage online. When I paid for it online, I saw that the billing address was correct but neglected to clarify the shipping address, and it was shipped to Louisville! All last week, we were wondering why it did not arrive, and finally after tracking it online, John discovered my mistake. We quickly called the company and they said that UPS would not re-deliver a package after failing delivery in another state, so I re-ordered the luggage and made sure it would be sent here, to Iowa. The customer service representative assured me that it would be here by Tuesday, today.
Then this morning about 10, the luggage arrived! Wow, PTL! However, then this afternoon, about 2, the other luggage arrived! Oops . . . turns out the Louisville post office had a forwarding address for me and so had forwarded it on, so now we have more luggage than we bargained for. Thankfully again, the company (Land's End) was very gracious and are just sending another UPS person to pick up the extra set later this week.
So, I'm hoping we've already had our share of mishaps. If you think of us on Wednesday, the 12th, please say a little prayer for traveling mercies. We hope it will be an uneventful trip. If all goes well, we will arrive back at our home in Asia on Thursday evening at 10pm, (Thursday morning in the States). Some dear friends have already been to our apartment, to clean and make it ready for us to just fall in bed that first night, so we are extra EXTRA thankful for that.
Thanks for your thoughts! Next time, Lord willing, I'll be writing from the other side of the world!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Just a few Pictures!
Finally, here's a glimpse of our last road trip. It started out in Minnesota, where John's entire family (all 6 kids plus his mom) got together for a few days. John's mom lives in a small house in town, and so to put everyone up, we stayed out at some friends' of hers who have a farm. They parked a few campers on their lawn and opened up their guest rooms so that there was room for everyone. We enjoyed the peaceful country setting, the fire pit for S'mores and late night talking, and the kids had a great time in the sandbox. We even had a fun family game of Ultimate Frisbee on their huge lawn! What a treat to be there! Thanks, Dick and Charlotte!Here's Chloe and cousin Amanda having a fun time on the lawn.
Then, from the farm outside Fergus Falls, we drove to Stone Lake, Wisconsin, to stay at a "cabin" loaned to the family from one of Sarah's (John's twin) friends. I say "cabin" because it had 9 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, a huge great room, a pool table, a ping-pong room, a trampoline, about 20 bikes, a tennis court, a fully stocked kitchen . . . the list goes on! It was a really fun time there, complete with great meals (we all took turns), a bike ride with the entire family on wheels, swimming in the lake, and late night game-playing. Clara Anne looks kind of uncertain about the water here, but Chloe is already having a great time.
Come on in, the water's fine!
Then, from the farm outside Fergus Falls, we drove to Stone Lake, Wisconsin, to stay at a "cabin" loaned to the family from one of Sarah's (John's twin) friends. I say "cabin" because it had 9 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, a huge great room, a pool table, a ping-pong room, a trampoline, about 20 bikes, a tennis court, a fully stocked kitchen . . . the list goes on! It was a really fun time there, complete with great meals (we all took turns), a bike ride with the entire family on wheels, swimming in the lake, and late night game-playing. Clara Anne looks kind of uncertain about the water here, but Chloe is already having a great time.Come on in, the water's fine! From Stone Lake, John and I traveled to Mora, Minnesota, to stay at my brother Mark and sister-in-law Beth's home. Their little girls are so sweet and great playmates for Clara Anne and Chloe; the kids had a super time together and so did the adults! Marin very helpfully pushed Chloe on the swing and Chloe squealed with delight in response (except, of course, when I got this picture!).
Who needs water? Let's play in the tub anyway!
Can you find the girls in the playroom? There are three of them, intently watching the Wiggles. Have I mentioned before how much Clara Anne loves the Wiggles? We have the Wiggles Dance Party VHS and Clara Anne gets up and grooves to it. "Can you point . . . your fingers and do the twist? Na, na, na na."
John and I had the rare and wonderful opportunity to leave the girls overnight at Mark and Beth's home so that we could go to a bed and breakfast. B&B's are a tradition for us--we went to one for a whole week on our honeymoon, then tried to get away for a night each anniversary since. So this trip was to celebrate our 10th anniversary, just about 8.5 months late. We had a great time! The first night away from the kids in two and a half years . . . it was very refreshing. The only bummer was that I was starting to get a cold when we left and so was feeling rather snuffly.
Here I am outside the Ellery House B&B in Duluth, Minnesota. It is a beautiful home!
We went walking down Canal Park to the Rose Garden and enjoyed the gorgeous blooms.
Lake Superior in the background, Happy 10th Anniversary!
Who needs water? Let's play in the tub anyway!Can you find the girls in the playroom? There are three of them, intently watching the Wiggles. Have I mentioned before how much Clara Anne loves the Wiggles? We have the Wiggles Dance Party VHS and Clara Anne gets up and grooves to it. "Can you point . . . your fingers and do the twist? Na, na, na na."
John and I had the rare and wonderful opportunity to leave the girls overnight at Mark and Beth's home so that we could go to a bed and breakfast. B&B's are a tradition for us--we went to one for a whole week on our honeymoon, then tried to get away for a night each anniversary since. So this trip was to celebrate our 10th anniversary, just about 8.5 months late. We had a great time! The first night away from the kids in two and a half years . . . it was very refreshing. The only bummer was that I was starting to get a cold when we left and so was feeling rather snuffly.Here I am outside the Ellery House B&B in Duluth, Minnesota. It is a beautiful home!
We went walking down Canal Park to the Rose Garden and enjoyed the gorgeous blooms.
Lake Superior in the background, Happy 10th Anniversary!
We opted to have breakfast in the dining room the next day, and were served this amazing fruit plate, along with a wonderful stuffed French toast dish and maple-cured bacon. A real highlight for me of this particular B&B is that they had an espresso bar set up that we could serve ourselves from, anytime. I took advantage of that! I thoroughly enjoyed my straight espresso with a chocolate chip cookie (upon arriving), my cappucino later that evening, and my vanilla latte with breakfast. Let's see, did we have a good time in Duluth or was it just all that espresso?!
The next day was sunny and clear so here is a much better view of the lake. That's the famous Lift Bridge in the background.
And one picture to leave you with--a sunset over Knife Lake, this is looking out of Mark and Beth's backyard. We returned there to spend just a few more days before getting on the road again. Earlier in the week it had rained, but the evening this picture was taken was just gorgeous. Wow, only God could paint a sky like this! 
Sunday, September 02, 2007
The Shopping Continues . . .
Well, we went to Wal-Mart this week. Surprisingly, our trips to Wal-Mart since being back in the States have not been very frequent. Right here in Rock Valley we have so many great quality consignment stores, and then the ultra-cheap Dollar store, that we haven't had a real need to get to Wal-Mart.
But this week's trip was pretty momentous. We actually went aisle by aisle, looking everything over to help remind us of what we can't easily buy in Asia (i.e., we should buy it while we can). We began to fill our cart with things like over the counter medicines, especially child formulas, other special children's items, bakeware, sheets for Clara Anne's future bed, a rug and shower curtain for our future bathroom, etc. At the end of it, we had spent three long hours in Walmart and gone down practically every aisle. (We skipped a few of the hardware and grocery aisles.) A few fun finds: beautiful new cookie sheets, some swirled chocolate and caramel chips to go with them, floppy sunhats for the girls, on clearance for $3, and Dora band-aids for those future boo-boos.
The problem of "stuff" presents itself to us who live overseas in an interesting way. I remember when we first moved there, and how excited I was to get rid of most of my earthly possessions. I felt so free! But when we moved into an apartment in Asia, it seemed like we bought it all again . . . the small stuff, like dishes and pots and pans, and then bigger stuff like some furniture items. The true but frustrating part is that we need stuff to live. Think of all of those who lost most of their earthly "stuff" after Hurricane Katrina. Some of them are still working to rebuild, since we truly do use "stuff" to live. So it seems to me that balance is needed--though we need our possessions to make our lives workable, we also do not want our possessions to possess us. If we're not careful, pretty soon all of our time is spent organizing our stuff, managing our stuff, taking care of our stuff, and dealing with our stuff.
It can be easy, especially living overseas, to get caught up in "stuff" that we "need" to have. I have caught myself many times in the last few weeks thinking, "Oh, I can't get that in Asia, wouldn't it be great to bring some back? I just would love to have that!" Or worse, "Oh, Clara Anne and Chloe would just LOVE to play with that!" But the truth is that not everything that I would like is necessary, and so I can and should learn to be content with what I have. Living overseas can sometimes set a person up for coveting--thinking, "oh, if only I was in a place where I could easily buy this or that, my life would be better." Or, "poor me, I can't eat Mexican food here like I can in the States. I have it really rough." But on the opposite end of things, living overseas can be a blessing in this area. It is a blessing to learn to live in contentment whether or not marshmallows are available, or if my child has to wear the same few outfits again and again. As the Son reminds us, life is more than the food we have to eat or the clothes we have to wear. Our Father knows we need these things, and He provides them. We need not worry.
All of that being said, we're trying to have a balanced approach as we plan, shop, and pack for our trip back. It will likely be several years before we return to the States, and though we are trying not to go overboard, the fact remains that we will be taking a lot of "stuff" back with us. Even that stuff, though, goes with a certain amount of faith and trust--only the Lord knows whether or not everything we take with us to Asia will arrive with us, or for that matter whether we ourselves will arrive as planned. So it's all in His hands, thankfully.
Most of you know, I don't enjoy shopping very much, especially when it needs to be focused, diligent, once-every-three-years-thorough shopping with two children under three along. So for me, I'm just glad that there are no more three-hour trips to Walmart in my future!
But this week's trip was pretty momentous. We actually went aisle by aisle, looking everything over to help remind us of what we can't easily buy in Asia (i.e., we should buy it while we can). We began to fill our cart with things like over the counter medicines, especially child formulas, other special children's items, bakeware, sheets for Clara Anne's future bed, a rug and shower curtain for our future bathroom, etc. At the end of it, we had spent three long hours in Walmart and gone down practically every aisle. (We skipped a few of the hardware and grocery aisles.) A few fun finds: beautiful new cookie sheets, some swirled chocolate and caramel chips to go with them, floppy sunhats for the girls, on clearance for $3, and Dora band-aids for those future boo-boos.
The problem of "stuff" presents itself to us who live overseas in an interesting way. I remember when we first moved there, and how excited I was to get rid of most of my earthly possessions. I felt so free! But when we moved into an apartment in Asia, it seemed like we bought it all again . . . the small stuff, like dishes and pots and pans, and then bigger stuff like some furniture items. The true but frustrating part is that we need stuff to live. Think of all of those who lost most of their earthly "stuff" after Hurricane Katrina. Some of them are still working to rebuild, since we truly do use "stuff" to live. So it seems to me that balance is needed--though we need our possessions to make our lives workable, we also do not want our possessions to possess us. If we're not careful, pretty soon all of our time is spent organizing our stuff, managing our stuff, taking care of our stuff, and dealing with our stuff.
It can be easy, especially living overseas, to get caught up in "stuff" that we "need" to have. I have caught myself many times in the last few weeks thinking, "Oh, I can't get that in Asia, wouldn't it be great to bring some back? I just would love to have that!" Or worse, "Oh, Clara Anne and Chloe would just LOVE to play with that!" But the truth is that not everything that I would like is necessary, and so I can and should learn to be content with what I have. Living overseas can sometimes set a person up for coveting--thinking, "oh, if only I was in a place where I could easily buy this or that, my life would be better." Or, "poor me, I can't eat Mexican food here like I can in the States. I have it really rough." But on the opposite end of things, living overseas can be a blessing in this area. It is a blessing to learn to live in contentment whether or not marshmallows are available, or if my child has to wear the same few outfits again and again. As the Son reminds us, life is more than the food we have to eat or the clothes we have to wear. Our Father knows we need these things, and He provides them. We need not worry.
All of that being said, we're trying to have a balanced approach as we plan, shop, and pack for our trip back. It will likely be several years before we return to the States, and though we are trying not to go overboard, the fact remains that we will be taking a lot of "stuff" back with us. Even that stuff, though, goes with a certain amount of faith and trust--only the Lord knows whether or not everything we take with us to Asia will arrive with us, or for that matter whether we ourselves will arrive as planned. So it's all in His hands, thankfully.
Most of you know, I don't enjoy shopping very much, especially when it needs to be focused, diligent, once-every-three-years-thorough shopping with two children under three along. So for me, I'm just glad that there are no more three-hour trips to Walmart in my future!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Fun with Numbers
Well, the travelers have returned home . . . back to Rock Valley, Iowa, that is. We made it back about 11 last night, after a whirlwind two weeks of fun and activity with family and old friends. I don't have the energy for a long, story-and-picture-filled post today (hopefully that will come in the next few days), but just for fun, here's a few numbers for you.
Thirty-eight: Number of different places we have slept overnight since leaving our home in Asia in February. Isn't that crazy?! That's thirty eight times of taking in the sleeping gear, thirty eight times of packing it up again in the morning! This doesn't count John's trips; that would bring it to about 43, we figured.
Eleven: the number of teeth Chloe has now! I was tickling her tummy the other day and discovered three new teeth in the back of her mouth! Surprise!
Three: The number of dirty diapers that Chloe managed to produce during one day out at the Minnesota State Fair! It must have been those cheese curds . . . or the ice cream . . . or the pronto pup . . . or the roasted turkey leg . . . or the pickle dog . . . or the roasted sweet corn . . . or the mini donuts . . . or maybe just the sheer volume of food we ate! Wowza!
Two: Both of of Clara Anne's knees got skinned when she was running and tripped on an unforgiving cement sidewalk. One looks pretty much healed and the other is still all scabbed over with nasty stuff. She has been proudly showing people her "boo-boos."
10,000 plus: the number of miles we have traveled in the car since arriving back in March. That's a lot of time in carseats for little tikes! They've been great little travelers, all things considered.
Three: The number of Sunbelt granola bars Clara Anne ate on the way to Minnesota (a five hour drive) at the beginning of our last road trip. What are we going to do in Asia without sunbelt granola bars?! They are superior to other brands because they are not too sticky/messy and don't fall apart immediately like some of the more chewy types.
Four: the number of Great Lakes we've seen in our travels this summer! John and I spent a night in Duluth last week and had dinner along Lake Superior, bringing our total to four. The only one we've missed is Lake Huron.
Sixteen: the number of days left (not counting today)until we get back on a plane and travel to Asia! We have lots to accomplish between now and then . . .
Nine: the number of months Clara Anne has to be on medication for treatment of "latent TB." The doctors decided that though she had no symptoms, she needs to take the medicine because of her positive PPD test. Two pills a day for nine months. This will be fun. Although, I guess it would be less fun to actually have TB. Oh well, it must be done!
???: the number of pieces of luggage we will need to take back with us. The verdict is still out on that one . . .
I'll stop there, though I could have a few more embarrassing additions like the number of pounds we've gained since being in the States, the number of times we've been to the Pizza Ranch, etc. I'd better quit while I'm ahead! But, stay tuned for more stories and pictures from our travels in the next few days!
Thirty-eight: Number of different places we have slept overnight since leaving our home in Asia in February. Isn't that crazy?! That's thirty eight times of taking in the sleeping gear, thirty eight times of packing it up again in the morning! This doesn't count John's trips; that would bring it to about 43, we figured.
Eleven: the number of teeth Chloe has now! I was tickling her tummy the other day and discovered three new teeth in the back of her mouth! Surprise!
Three: The number of dirty diapers that Chloe managed to produce during one day out at the Minnesota State Fair! It must have been those cheese curds . . . or the ice cream . . . or the pronto pup . . . or the roasted turkey leg . . . or the pickle dog . . . or the roasted sweet corn . . . or the mini donuts . . . or maybe just the sheer volume of food we ate! Wowza!
Two: Both of of Clara Anne's knees got skinned when she was running and tripped on an unforgiving cement sidewalk. One looks pretty much healed and the other is still all scabbed over with nasty stuff. She has been proudly showing people her "boo-boos."
10,000 plus: the number of miles we have traveled in the car since arriving back in March. That's a lot of time in carseats for little tikes! They've been great little travelers, all things considered.
Three: The number of Sunbelt granola bars Clara Anne ate on the way to Minnesota (a five hour drive) at the beginning of our last road trip. What are we going to do in Asia without sunbelt granola bars?! They are superior to other brands because they are not too sticky/messy and don't fall apart immediately like some of the more chewy types.
Four: the number of Great Lakes we've seen in our travels this summer! John and I spent a night in Duluth last week and had dinner along Lake Superior, bringing our total to four. The only one we've missed is Lake Huron.
Sixteen: the number of days left (not counting today)until we get back on a plane and travel to Asia! We have lots to accomplish between now and then . . .
Nine: the number of months Clara Anne has to be on medication for treatment of "latent TB." The doctors decided that though she had no symptoms, she needs to take the medicine because of her positive PPD test. Two pills a day for nine months. This will be fun. Although, I guess it would be less fun to actually have TB. Oh well, it must be done!
???: the number of pieces of luggage we will need to take back with us. The verdict is still out on that one . . .
I'll stop there, though I could have a few more embarrassing additions like the number of pounds we've gained since being in the States, the number of times we've been to the Pizza Ranch, etc. I'd better quit while I'm ahead! But, stay tuned for more stories and pictures from our travels in the next few days!
Friday, August 10, 2007
Checking in on Chloe
It's been a big week for Chloe! Since she doesn't talk as much as Clara Anne, and is smaller and sleeps more than the rest of us, it can be easy to neglect her news in the family blog. However, she covered a few milestones this week and wants everyone to know.
First and most exciting, Chloe decided to join the ranks of the upright humans by finally standing by herself, and taking a few toddling steps! "Walking" would be overstating the case, but Wednesday night we (Grandma Great, Grandma, Grandpa, Clara Anne, and John and I) were all sitting around in the living room when she took her first steps. She was in quest of her beloved stuffed puppy, which I was holding. Amazing what bribery can do! She's so funny; instead of pulling up on the furniture and then toddling to the next piece of furniture, she stands up alone in the middle of the floor and then decides where she wants to go. Already in the past two days we've seen her get more confidence, and I have no doubt it will be only a matter of time until she is running around. Chloe is probably motivated by the fact that Clara Anne snatches her toys sometimes, and so she needs to chase after her! Fun and crazy times lie ahead with two mobile little girls!
This past week also saw the entrance of tooth #8, breaking its way through her gums. Now we've got an even 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom, making it that much easier for her to eat Pizza Ranch pizza by herself. The other day we had "pigs in the blanket" (hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls) for lunch and she rejected the bits I had cut up for her, preferring instead to hold a whole one herself and chomp on it. One thing about Chloe hasn't changed--her excellent appetite! She eats more than Clara Anne these days.
The other semi-traumatic event in Chloe's life this past week was having to go to the doctor for more immunizations. Since she has passed her first birthday, it was time for her to have the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine and the Rabies vaccine. Both of those are necessary for where we live in Asia, but are not given in the States except to travelers. So we ended up at the travel clinic in Sioux Falls, SD, to get these shots. The doctor was initially hesitant to give them, questioning me as to why we needed them, etc etc, but when I explained and apparently seemed quite confident, he agreed they were necessary, though he said they had never given JE to one this young. He did order the shots and then asked me to wait around for 30 minutes to observe her (JE can cause an allergic reaction in some people). She made it through just fine, and thanks to short-term memory, she had forgotten all about it by the time the doctor came back to check on her. I was so impressed with this doctor, though; the next day his office called twice to check on her and make sure she was all right. The morning after the first shot she woke up crying, having thrown up in her bed, but that was the only incident and other than that was fine all week. Yesterday was the second round of the shot and we have one more to complete later in August.
A final highlight of the week: we got some family photos professionally done! Unfortunately they are not available for me to post online, like I would do in Asia, but many of you will be seeing them in the coming weeks. Chloe was an absolute angel and smiled really well the whole time. This was a happy contrast to last week, when we were trying to get a professional photo of my two girls and their 4 cousins. That photo session began with Clara Anne refusing to cooperate and instead pouting and crying, her getting "talked to" in another room and returned to try again, then her crabby spirit infecting Chloe. The latter part of the pictures, when Clara Anne was attempting to smile (under pain of punishment and with promise of reward), was when Chloe decided she had had enough and wailed. I'm sorry to say that the photo session also ended in tears--Chloe's, and mine for feeling like my children spoiled it for everyone else! But, thanks to modern technology, they were able to swap some faces so that the pictures of all six of them together look good, amazingly enough! I'm thankful that our family photo session went much better and we got some great pics. I'll have to check and see if I can share them somehow online!
On another note, today is a packing day again. We leave Rock Valley in the morning for John's mom's home and a family reunion, then a week at my brother Mark's home (including a night where they are going to keep our kids so we can go to a Bed and Breakfast!), then a weekend in the Twin Cities at the State Fair and visiting some friends there. I don't know what our email access will be like, or if I'll be able to blog. But this is our LAST road trip; we return to Rock Valley on the 26th of August and then return to Asia in September, about the 12th. Wow, PTL for His faithfulness in sustaining us safely for 9,000 miles of road trip so far--we pray this trip will be uneventful as well.
I wanted to end this post with some recent pictures of Chloe, but blogger is not cooperating. Oh well . . . until next time!
First and most exciting, Chloe decided to join the ranks of the upright humans by finally standing by herself, and taking a few toddling steps! "Walking" would be overstating the case, but Wednesday night we (Grandma Great, Grandma, Grandpa, Clara Anne, and John and I) were all sitting around in the living room when she took her first steps. She was in quest of her beloved stuffed puppy, which I was holding. Amazing what bribery can do! She's so funny; instead of pulling up on the furniture and then toddling to the next piece of furniture, she stands up alone in the middle of the floor and then decides where she wants to go. Already in the past two days we've seen her get more confidence, and I have no doubt it will be only a matter of time until she is running around. Chloe is probably motivated by the fact that Clara Anne snatches her toys sometimes, and so she needs to chase after her! Fun and crazy times lie ahead with two mobile little girls!
This past week also saw the entrance of tooth #8, breaking its way through her gums. Now we've got an even 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom, making it that much easier for her to eat Pizza Ranch pizza by herself. The other day we had "pigs in the blanket" (hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls) for lunch and she rejected the bits I had cut up for her, preferring instead to hold a whole one herself and chomp on it. One thing about Chloe hasn't changed--her excellent appetite! She eats more than Clara Anne these days.
The other semi-traumatic event in Chloe's life this past week was having to go to the doctor for more immunizations. Since she has passed her first birthday, it was time for her to have the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine and the Rabies vaccine. Both of those are necessary for where we live in Asia, but are not given in the States except to travelers. So we ended up at the travel clinic in Sioux Falls, SD, to get these shots. The doctor was initially hesitant to give them, questioning me as to why we needed them, etc etc, but when I explained and apparently seemed quite confident, he agreed they were necessary, though he said they had never given JE to one this young. He did order the shots and then asked me to wait around for 30 minutes to observe her (JE can cause an allergic reaction in some people). She made it through just fine, and thanks to short-term memory, she had forgotten all about it by the time the doctor came back to check on her. I was so impressed with this doctor, though; the next day his office called twice to check on her and make sure she was all right. The morning after the first shot she woke up crying, having thrown up in her bed, but that was the only incident and other than that was fine all week. Yesterday was the second round of the shot and we have one more to complete later in August.
A final highlight of the week: we got some family photos professionally done! Unfortunately they are not available for me to post online, like I would do in Asia, but many of you will be seeing them in the coming weeks. Chloe was an absolute angel and smiled really well the whole time. This was a happy contrast to last week, when we were trying to get a professional photo of my two girls and their 4 cousins. That photo session began with Clara Anne refusing to cooperate and instead pouting and crying, her getting "talked to" in another room and returned to try again, then her crabby spirit infecting Chloe. The latter part of the pictures, when Clara Anne was attempting to smile (under pain of punishment and with promise of reward), was when Chloe decided she had had enough and wailed. I'm sorry to say that the photo session also ended in tears--Chloe's, and mine for feeling like my children spoiled it for everyone else! But, thanks to modern technology, they were able to swap some faces so that the pictures of all six of them together look good, amazingly enough! I'm thankful that our family photo session went much better and we got some great pics. I'll have to check and see if I can share them somehow online!
On another note, today is a packing day again. We leave Rock Valley in the morning for John's mom's home and a family reunion, then a week at my brother Mark's home (including a night where they are going to keep our kids so we can go to a Bed and Breakfast!), then a weekend in the Twin Cities at the State Fair and visiting some friends there. I don't know what our email access will be like, or if I'll be able to blog. But this is our LAST road trip; we return to Rock Valley on the 26th of August and then return to Asia in September, about the 12th. Wow, PTL for His faithfulness in sustaining us safely for 9,000 miles of road trip so far--we pray this trip will be uneventful as well.
I wanted to end this post with some recent pictures of Chloe, but blogger is not cooperating. Oh well . . . until next time!
Monday, August 06, 2007
Family Reunion Fun
It's always a fun time when the Roelofs family gets together. Before I was even born, my father's parents started a tradition of taking the whole family "Up North" for a week in the summer. (That means northern Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, for all of you non-midwesterners.) At first the group just consisted of Grandpa and Grandma Roelofs, my dad and mom (no kids yet), my aunt Judy and her husband (also no kids yet), and my Uncle John, who I believe was not even married when the tradition began. The destination was always the same: Melahn's resort on beautiful Lake George, about 30 minutes outside Park Rapids, Minnesota. They stayed in cabins and fished, swam in the lake, played sand volleyball and horseshoes (Grandpa's favorite), went for boat rides and walked in the woods, looking for deer and the occasional patch of wild berries.
As the years passed, the families grew. New babies were celebrated over, hard times were prayed over, and everyone got caught up on each others' news since Judy's family was in Missouri and John's family lived in Memphis, Tennessee. Grandma kept everybody well fed and stocked with chex mix and chocolate chip cookies, Grandpa and the guys went fishing so we could have a fish fry, and everybody tried to avoid the mosquitos. Some years it would be chilly, even in late July, so we always packed sweatshirts. I can remember times where it barely got warm enough to get our bathing suits on! But no matter, then we just lit an enormous fire in the fireplace and made S'mores.
After more than 30 years, the tradition became more difficult to maintain. Our families had grown so large, with most of the cousins married and having children, that it was difficult to find space for everyone. The resort owner sold off the cabins, and though he assured us we could still come back, we would have to negotiate that with the new owners, a difficult proposition at best. As well, more and more people in general wanted to vacation up north, so the prices for the cabins became a bit prohibitive. So though the family tried for a few years to find other resorts that were comparable, it wasn't the same as "Lake George."
These two adorable girls are my brother Mark's children, Marin (the redhead) and Annika (the blonde). Marin was only 3 months old when we left for Asia. What fun to see Clara Anne claim them as her friends and for them to play together! Here they're enjoying breakfast at my parents' house.
Though there wasn't a lake to swim in, directly across the street from the campus was a fabulous indoor-outdoor pool with water slides, all sorts of fun splash equipment, and fountains galore. Here Marin, Annika, and Chloe are enjoying the water as Mark and Beth look on.
And here I am with the woman who started it all--my Grandma Roelofs. She is 84 now, and still in fairly good health. Along with our whole family, I am thankful for her godly influence in our lives. Though she misses Grandpa terribly (he went to be with the Lord in 1999), she continues on praying for all of us. She now has 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren, who call her "Grandma Great." She lives up to her name! This last week was a precious time and makes me so thankful for the legacy of faith in my family. "I will sing of the lovingkindness of the LORD forever; to all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth." Psalm 89:1.
As the years passed, the families grew. New babies were celebrated over, hard times were prayed over, and everyone got caught up on each others' news since Judy's family was in Missouri and John's family lived in Memphis, Tennessee. Grandma kept everybody well fed and stocked with chex mix and chocolate chip cookies, Grandpa and the guys went fishing so we could have a fish fry, and everybody tried to avoid the mosquitos. Some years it would be chilly, even in late July, so we always packed sweatshirts. I can remember times where it barely got warm enough to get our bathing suits on! But no matter, then we just lit an enormous fire in the fireplace and made S'mores.
After more than 30 years, the tradition became more difficult to maintain. Our families had grown so large, with most of the cousins married and having children, that it was difficult to find space for everyone. The resort owner sold off the cabins, and though he assured us we could still come back, we would have to negotiate that with the new owners, a difficult proposition at best. As well, more and more people in general wanted to vacation up north, so the prices for the cabins became a bit prohibitive. So though the family tried for a few years to find other resorts that were comparable, it wasn't the same as "Lake George."
This last week, however, we had a taste--just a taste--of Lake George again. My mom organized a gathering at a nearby college for a long weekend so that everybody could spend a little time together again. It actually worked quite well--we slept in dorm rooms, hung out in the end lounges (a nice large one which was recently decorated to look like a lodge), and went out for our meals. We celebrated my parents' 40th wedding anniversary, we had a wonderful worship service together with some great singing, and we were blessed to catch up with family whom we haven't seen in four years, especially introducing our daughters to them! There were more than 40 people at our first meal together! It was quite the crew!
Here's a few highlights from the time together:
Seeing my sister-in-law Tammy again was a huge highlight. After my brother Dan died, she and the boys continued living in their home in Minnesota until a wonderful thing happened: she married a great guy named Scott. They then followed the Lord to Washington State, where they are now living and ministering. We are so thankful that they could come to the reunion since John and I couldn't make it out to Washington while were were back in the States. Here's Tammy with my nephew Reid at--where else?--the Pizza Ranch. These two adorable girls are my brother Mark's children, Marin (the redhead) and Annika (the blonde). Marin was only 3 months old when we left for Asia. What fun to see Clara Anne claim them as her friends and for them to play together! Here they're enjoying breakfast at my parents' house.Though there wasn't a lake to swim in, directly across the street from the campus was a fabulous indoor-outdoor pool with water slides, all sorts of fun splash equipment, and fountains galore. Here Marin, Annika, and Chloe are enjoying the water as Mark and Beth look on.And here I am with the woman who started it all--my Grandma Roelofs. She is 84 now, and still in fairly good health. Along with our whole family, I am thankful for her godly influence in our lives. Though she misses Grandpa terribly (he went to be with the Lord in 1999), she continues on praying for all of us. She now has 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren, who call her "Grandma Great." She lives up to her name! This last week was a precious time and makes me so thankful for the legacy of faith in my family. "I will sing of the lovingkindness of the LORD forever; to all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth." Psalm 89:1.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
From Here to There and Back Again
The past week and a half has been filled with many miles, lots of time in the car, and numerous special events! In fact, we've put more than 6,000 miles on our car since we left Louisville in mid-June! In case you are misled to think (since I have not updated my blog) that we are still hovering around Chicago somewhere, I thought I'd better give an update today.
Laurel has a friend who just started her own dessert business, so Laurel thought she would support her business and celebrate my birthday by ordering this fabulous cake! It was vanilla cake layered with raspberry jam, raspberry buttercream frosting and fresh raspberries to garnish. It was as delicious as it was beautiful! (And went perfectly with a cup of Starbucks, of course!)
We spent an evening at the park and Chloe had a great time climbing up the slide!
We also had fun putting together an Asian feast. With Robert's indispensible help, we made four dishes: an eggplant, potato and pepper one, a stewed cabbage, pork and noodles one, a mushroom, egg and spinach one, and finally the one you see below, strips of pork in a tasty brown sauce (the sauce brought from Asia) with leeks, eaten by rolling up in very thin egg pancakes. It was great fun to make and I'm proud that it turned out so tasty! I couldn't have done it without Robert!
A fun family photo. Can you tell that John and Andy are brothers?!
After leaving Waterloo, we spoke on a Sunday at a service nearby (we've logged more than 35 speaking engagements so far!) and then traveled back to my parent's home. Here's some photos of the homecoming!
Grandma and Clara Anne admire Grandma's pretty flowers. See Chloe crawling on the sidewalk? When will she learn to walk?!
From Platteville and Ethan and Heidi's we drove to Waterloo to see John's brother and family. Thanks to Robert (just call him the "chronicler") who took many pictures, here's some picture highlights of our visit! Here's Andy, Laurel, me and the girls enjoying nephew Julian's Little League game.
After leaving Waterloo, we spoke on a Sunday at a service nearby (we've logged more than 35 speaking engagements so far!) and then traveled back to my parent's home. Here's some photos of the homecoming!
Clara Anne loves reading stories with Grandpa!
And here's where the pictures will have to end, because I'm running out of time, and probably (if you've made it this far) you're running out of interest!
We had three days with my parents in Rock Valley, of which the third was my birthday. It was so special to celebrate here! My mom's birthday is the 21st, so we celebrated hers as well. What a fun, festive occasion! There were lots of balloons, a wonderful meal was shared, and there were even Dora paper plates and napkins to use for dessert!
On Thursday we got on the road again, to travel up to Fergus Falls MN and stay with John's mom. We enjoyed going to the county fair, where Clara Anne seemingly had no fear and rode all sorts of rides, some by herself! The next morning, after a traditional breakfast at the Viking Cafe downtown Fergus, we traveled down to the Twin Cities in order to see John's sister Sarah perform that night in "Oklahoma!" She did a fabulous job and it was a great time!
Saturday the morning was spent in nostalgic reminiscences as we took Robert around our alma mater, Northwestern College. So many memories . . . that is where John and I met, started dating, got engaged, etc. It was really neat to wander around campus again.
Saturday afternoon/evening we drove down to Cedar Rapids, IA, where we were the guests of the Schumacher's and spoke in their services both Sunday morning and Sunday evening. We enjoyed our time with them! Monday morning, however, was bittersweet: we brought Robert to the bus station where he would then travel back to Louisville. We will likely not see him again for three or four years, so it was sad to say goodbye even as we had had such a great time together.
Where in the world are we now? Back in Rock Valley again with my parents. I can't say that I was sorry to unpack and stay in the same place for a few weeks! Our next travels don't start until August 11, (except for a family reunion in a neighboring town next week), so we will gladly have just a bit of routine for the next little while. Whew!
In the meantime, Clara Anne and Chloe are loving being at Grandpa and Grandma's house. There's lots to do, including a $5 swimming pool on the back patio! And sweet corn to eat every night . . . life is good. We're thankful for safe travels and only two car repairs, both at times when they could be handled with a minimum of hassle. But it's great to be back, from here to there and back again!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Chicago!
On our way to our friends Ethan and Heidi's home, we stopped in Chicago for a very brief visit. John had carefully planned out our whole route--how we would get into town, where we would park, where we would eat, etc. We arrived
downtown and ate at a famous Chicago-style pizzaria called Giordano's. It was fabulous! The menu said their pizza served 3-4, so we ordered an appetizer to make sure we had enough. However, 40 minutes later, when the pizza finally arrived, it was enough for a small army! We ate it for supper on the road, too.
Next we walked down Michigan Avenue with the rest of the downtown crowd (our stroller was a bit out of place) and admired some of the architecture. In the picture below, the Michigan Avenue Bridge is in the foreground and the Chicago Tribune building in the Gothic style is the main building in the picture.
We then walked out to the Navy Pier, an amusement park-type area along Lake Michigan where we could get a great view of downtown Chicago. Here's one photo.
We took a ride on a huge Ferris wheel and enjoyed looking over the beautiful lake and the city skyline.
And we couldn't pass up the carousel, which Clara Anne calls a merry-go-round. Fun times!
A view of the Ferris wheel from the ground.
We walked back to our car along the pier and enjoyed the view!
We all left Chicago feeling like we could have spent 3 days there instead of 3 hours, there were so many interesting things to do. So though we felt somewhat rushed, it was a great stop! Plus, if we had stayed much longer, it might have broken the bank--just our parking alone for the 3 hours was $17! We finished by driving out of the city past Moody Bible Institute and then joined the thousands of other cars trying to leave the city. It took a good hour and a half to feel like there was some space on the freeway again!
Hope you enjoyed the pictures of Chicago!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Just like an old pair of jeans
We've been in the lovely small town of Platteville, Wisconsin these last few days, visiting our friends Ethan and Heidi. Though we've been out of college for 8 years now, we've kept in touch through emails, pictures and the occasional visit. It's been a joy to celebrate with them as they moved to Platteville into a ministry position, gave birth to their daughter, then added a son a few years later. We share lots of memories together from our college days--choir tours, music theory classes, a very memorable camping trip to the North Shore of Minnesota, etc. So it was extra fun to make some new memories with them these past few days! We enjoyed their gracious hospitality, many wonderful meals and of course, Blue Bunny Ice Cream. (Not Blue Bell, Blue Bunny which is made in Ethan's home town of LeMars, Iowa. It is wonderful!)
It's really special when old friends, like an old pair of jeans, fit so well that it is immediately comfortable to "slip them on" again--share, talk, laugh, and pray together. That's what our time with Ethan and Heidi felt like. It was almost as if no time had passed! But then we looked around at the four children in the room and realized that yes, time had passed and many things had changed. What a tremendous blessing and encouragement to have friends like that.
Enjoy these pictures from our time in Wisconsin! (Yes, we did manage to eat some great Wisconsin cheese curds when we were there!)
John and Chloe enjoyed the swing set and the perfect weather.
Fun with bubbles!
Swimming--and look Mom, no floaties!
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