Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Faces and Places, part 4
Okay, okay, so the "faces" are only the faces of my family, and the "places" is actually only one place. . . anyone have a guess? And can you find the people in each photo? Can you tell we had fun at this ubiquitous place? This particular one happened to be in North Carolina. Love those blue skies and warm temps!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Learning
Note of explanation: I wrote this post a few months ago, actually before we came back to the States. I ran into internet difficulties and never published it that night. But after traveling all over and sharing some of this story with some of you, I am going to step out on a limb and publish this very personal post tonight. I do so in hope that it will be of benefit to somebody. I am still learning and growing in this area, I have not "arrived" by any stretch of the imagination, but for what it's worth, here it is, as I wrote it that night.
I feel compelled to share something very personal tonight. I would like to share with you all what the Lord has been doing in my life in regards to my attitude toward food.
I was never one of those girls that was overly concerned about weight. I wasn't skinny, but not fat either, pretty happy in general with my body. I honestly spent very little time thinking about issues of weight, eating habits, etc. When John and I were first married, I gained a little weight (cooking for him on a steady basis for the first time!) and then pretty much held steady up until the time I started having children. Even then, gaining weight with my babies didn't bother me, until after Christin was born. By then, a few pounds had hung on after Clara Anne, a few after Chloe, and by the time Christin was born I was up to my highest weight ever. Thankfully, I lost about 22 pounds the first week after she was born, but then seemed to get stuck at that weight.
But I still wasn't concerned. One friend had counseled me, "Give yourself 6 months AFTER you're done nursing to lose any extra" and I figured that was a long time coming, so no worries. Finally Christin was weaned and I decided it was time to change some habits. I even wrote about it on my blog at that point. With being pregnant or nursing for five years continuously, my snacking habits and free-for-all eating style was pretty deeply ingrained. For awhile I tried to be more careful of what I was eating, and even started exercising again, determined to lose the weight. But nothing happened. Stuck at the same weight as the week after Christin was born, I began to give up. "What does it matter anyway?", I reasoned. "Maybe my body just wants to stay this weight."
I wasn't happy about it, though. I knew there were some issues, but I didn't know what to do about them. I didn't feel comfortable in my body, if you know what I mean, I felt too heavy. I shied away from having my picture taken, because I didn't like what I saw. I consoled myself by saying, "Well, it's just the price of having kids. At least I'm healthy and strong and have plenty of energy." And for the most part, that was true; at least, from the outside looking in.
However, over the last few months, things have changed. It started with a terrible bout of the stomach flu just after Thanksgiving. I couldn't eat for about three days and when I finally started eating again, I made a special effort to retrain my stomach to be accustomed to less food. I had lost a bit of weight through the sickness and was determined not to gain it back again. What I didn't realize was that my heart needed changing much more than my body!
Slowly, very slowly and gradually over the last few months, the Lord has been changing my attitude towards food. Early on in the retraining process, I was very tempted to snack and give into my cravings, especially for sweets. Of course, it was December and I was in the thick of cookie baking and holiday hospitality. I remember one week where I had a stash of deliciously soft sugar cookies available and I was fighting, literally mentally fighting, with my desire to eat them. At that time, the Lord really helped me to see clearly how ridiculous, and yet compelling, is the call of my stomach. I remember thinking, "I don't want to be controlled by a sugar cookie! How silly! It's just a bit of flour and sugar. I don't have to eat it! Lord, help me master this desire for it!"
As time has gone on, the Lord has been so gracious to show me, bit by bit, how I had made food into an idol in my heart. Yes, an idol, something that I valued more than Him. Something that I looked to for satisfaction and sustenance, more than Him. He did this in a very gentle way, so as not to overwhelm or discourage me, but it seems like over the past month especially, He has been revealing to me lies that I had been believing about the way I thought about food and specifically my eating habits.
So now we come to the heart of what I wanted to share with you. A few days ago during my quiet time, the Lord nudged me to write down in a list the lies that I had been believing--just put them down in black and white, giving more fortitude to fight when those attitudes would crop up in my heart again. Each of these lies were shown to me personally. I am not judging anyone else or telling you what you need to think about food. Rather, I post them in spirit of sharing a wonderful testimony and hope it will encourage you, too. As well, I'm sure the Lord will be adding to this list as I grow in this area! But here's where I am tonight.
LIES I Believed about food, eating, and weight issues (in no particular order)
1.I should never waste food, even if I'm already full. I.e. There's only one left, I might as well finish it. Or, the girls didn't finish their tasty bit of whatever, I'll just finish that up. Lie! Eating more than I need is never right. A bit of something can be wrapped up, the girl's food can be thrown out; give them less to start with the next time.
2. If I'm hungry, I can't wait for the next meal! Lie! I will not die if I have a rumbly tummy until my next meal, probably only an hour or two away. Let's face it, my entire life is made up of only a few more hours until the next meal!
3. Bites, Licks, and Tastes don't count toward daily food intake. Lie! This was a bad habit, being hungry as I prepared dinner I'd often munch a bit. I'd then sit down for dinner realizing I wasn't really hungry anymore, but eat anyway.
4. Food that no one sees me eat doesn't count. Lie! It's still food that I'm consuming! And nothing is hidden from God!
5. I shouldn't have to be interrupted while eating. Lie! I don't know why I ever believed this one, as a mother of three small children, but I found that after serving everyone else and finally sitting down to my portion, if I would be asked again for something, there was anger in my heart. I wanted the "right" to eat in peace myself. But that is elevating my selfish desire for food above my family relationships! What a lie!
6. I deserve to always eat things I really enjoy. Lie! You would think that living in a foreign culture I would not have believed this one either, but in fact, the Lord showed me one day when my helper added ginger (which I don't like very much) to everything instead of leeks (which we were out of), I was not only irritated but angry at her since I had been "good" all morning and was eagerly awaiting lunch. In truth, it is not my "right" to eat my favorite foods all the time! That doesn't demonstrate a heart of thankfulness for what I am given!
7. If someone else made the food, I should eat more than I need to show them I really like it; that will please them! Lie! I can express appreciation in other ways that don't involve indulging myself.
8. It will make me feel better to eat a little more. Lie! This is seeking my satisfaction in food, something that can never truly satisfy. The Lord is my portion!
9. It will make someone else feel better if I eat a little more. Lie! This is related to #7, it's easy to overeat in a social setting but I should never use another person's urging to eat more (so common in this culture) to excuse my own lack of self-control.
10. I should always clean my plate. Lie! Not if I'm already full! Better, to avoid wasting, put less on my plate to begin with!
11. I don't get the chance to eat this special food very often, so I can eat more than I need and indulge myself. Lie! This is a particular temptation of expat life since usually we are eating local food. But again, indulging myself never pleases God! And, there will always be more special food! The Pizza Ranch is not going to close its doors. The Outback and TGI Friday's will still be there the next time. There'll be another Starbucks another time. And even if there isn't....it's just food! There are more important things in life!
12. Who cares? It's a celebration! Lie! This one is tempting because we humans love to celebrate with food. But there's always a celebration...birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, the list goes on and on! Pretty soon every week there's an event in which it's "ok" to overeat!
13. Indulging my appetite just a little doesn't matter. Lie! Just one more cookie, just a bit more of that tasty food, it doesn't matter--except that indulgence is never glorifying to God.
14. Those little changes don't really make a difference anyway. Lie! Changing a coke for a glass of water, avoiding those snacks, eating a smaller portion of dessert--it can add up and make a big difference!
15. I'm stuck at the same weight anyway, why be self-controlled in my eating? Lie! That is looking for a certain result from eating; putting my trust in my ability to control and get a certain cause and effect rather than doing what is right and trusting God for the result.
16. I can't just have a cup of coffee alone! I need something sweet with it! Lie! I found that though I always craved a sweet treat with coffee, it was actually pretty rare that I took the time to enjoy the two together. And what I was craving was usually not just something sweet, it was the hope of being refreshed and encouraged by a mid-morning snack; again, looking to food to satisfy that need, rather than the Lord.
17. Exercise is too difficult to fit into my life. Lie! I make time for other things that I think are important. I just need to be a better steward of my time.
18. I need a little something sweet at the end of a meal. Lie! I can be satisfied with the food I've eaten, not always just craving something more.
19. Overeating occasionally doesn't really equal the sin of gluttony. Lie! This is just something I told myself in order to justify my desires.
And perhaps the most destructive lie of all:
20. My eating habits don't have an effect on my spiritual life. Lie! In fact, the opposite is true. I now believe that the Lord would have me shape my eating habits, like everything else, according to His word, believing that the two are intertwined. For example, eating habits are the perfect place to practice self-control and learn to be controlled by the Spirit.
Some final lessons: I have found that indulgence in my eating habits gives a dulling, soporific effect on my spiritual life. It's kind of like saying, "Oh well, a little bit of sin won't hurt anything." Oh yes it will! As the Lord has strengthened me to change some of these habits, and start believing the truth rather than these lies, I have felt so encouraged by the spiritual growth He is bringing about in me! I am experiencing his peace and joy like never before. My mind is less on food and more on Him. For me, it is learning how to be self-controlled in regards to food. The fruit of self-control is then free to spread to other parts of my life--control of my tongue, control of my habits, little disciplines that add up to increased freedom and joy in the Lord.
Now, I've also found that it is equally easy for me to fall off the right path on the other side, namely, "Wow, look at me! I'm so self-controlled!" (PRIDE) Or: "I can do this all by myself! I am a person of self-control and discipline!" (Self-sufficiency and ultimately, pride). So there are dangers, and that's why I'm discovering that this journey with food is a journey of the heart and MUST be Spirit-led. It cannot be judged from the outside, I cannot establish enough "rules" to make it work for me, I simply need to open my heart to the Spirit, pay attention to His voice and His promptings, and then enjoy the freedom and the joy that comes from obeying my Lord in even the "small" things like my eating choices and habits. Legalism is not my goal, being Spirit-led is. Oh Lord help this process! I cannot do it on my own!
The beauty of knowing our Savior is that indeed, He will help. He is an ever-present help and He loves to lead His children. I want to give Him all the glory for what He has done in helping to open my eyes to some of these things. I'm sure I still have much more to learn! But I'm thankful for His grace thus far. The temptation to overindulge in God's good gift of food will not be going away, since food is a part of every day life, but by His grace, my attitude and actions can change. Lord, help me to receive what you give with thankfulness, not greed; with a heart of contentment, not of selfishness; being Spirit-led, not indulging the flesh. May His name be glorified!
I feel compelled to share something very personal tonight. I would like to share with you all what the Lord has been doing in my life in regards to my attitude toward food.
I was never one of those girls that was overly concerned about weight. I wasn't skinny, but not fat either, pretty happy in general with my body. I honestly spent very little time thinking about issues of weight, eating habits, etc. When John and I were first married, I gained a little weight (cooking for him on a steady basis for the first time!) and then pretty much held steady up until the time I started having children. Even then, gaining weight with my babies didn't bother me, until after Christin was born. By then, a few pounds had hung on after Clara Anne, a few after Chloe, and by the time Christin was born I was up to my highest weight ever. Thankfully, I lost about 22 pounds the first week after she was born, but then seemed to get stuck at that weight.
But I still wasn't concerned. One friend had counseled me, "Give yourself 6 months AFTER you're done nursing to lose any extra" and I figured that was a long time coming, so no worries. Finally Christin was weaned and I decided it was time to change some habits. I even wrote about it on my blog at that point. With being pregnant or nursing for five years continuously, my snacking habits and free-for-all eating style was pretty deeply ingrained. For awhile I tried to be more careful of what I was eating, and even started exercising again, determined to lose the weight. But nothing happened. Stuck at the same weight as the week after Christin was born, I began to give up. "What does it matter anyway?", I reasoned. "Maybe my body just wants to stay this weight."
I wasn't happy about it, though. I knew there were some issues, but I didn't know what to do about them. I didn't feel comfortable in my body, if you know what I mean, I felt too heavy. I shied away from having my picture taken, because I didn't like what I saw. I consoled myself by saying, "Well, it's just the price of having kids. At least I'm healthy and strong and have plenty of energy." And for the most part, that was true; at least, from the outside looking in.
However, over the last few months, things have changed. It started with a terrible bout of the stomach flu just after Thanksgiving. I couldn't eat for about three days and when I finally started eating again, I made a special effort to retrain my stomach to be accustomed to less food. I had lost a bit of weight through the sickness and was determined not to gain it back again. What I didn't realize was that my heart needed changing much more than my body!
Slowly, very slowly and gradually over the last few months, the Lord has been changing my attitude towards food. Early on in the retraining process, I was very tempted to snack and give into my cravings, especially for sweets. Of course, it was December and I was in the thick of cookie baking and holiday hospitality. I remember one week where I had a stash of deliciously soft sugar cookies available and I was fighting, literally mentally fighting, with my desire to eat them. At that time, the Lord really helped me to see clearly how ridiculous, and yet compelling, is the call of my stomach. I remember thinking, "I don't want to be controlled by a sugar cookie! How silly! It's just a bit of flour and sugar. I don't have to eat it! Lord, help me master this desire for it!"
As time has gone on, the Lord has been so gracious to show me, bit by bit, how I had made food into an idol in my heart. Yes, an idol, something that I valued more than Him. Something that I looked to for satisfaction and sustenance, more than Him. He did this in a very gentle way, so as not to overwhelm or discourage me, but it seems like over the past month especially, He has been revealing to me lies that I had been believing about the way I thought about food and specifically my eating habits.
So now we come to the heart of what I wanted to share with you. A few days ago during my quiet time, the Lord nudged me to write down in a list the lies that I had been believing--just put them down in black and white, giving more fortitude to fight when those attitudes would crop up in my heart again. Each of these lies were shown to me personally. I am not judging anyone else or telling you what you need to think about food. Rather, I post them in spirit of sharing a wonderful testimony and hope it will encourage you, too. As well, I'm sure the Lord will be adding to this list as I grow in this area! But here's where I am tonight.
LIES I Believed about food, eating, and weight issues (in no particular order)
1.I should never waste food, even if I'm already full. I.e. There's only one left, I might as well finish it. Or, the girls didn't finish their tasty bit of whatever, I'll just finish that up. Lie! Eating more than I need is never right. A bit of something can be wrapped up, the girl's food can be thrown out; give them less to start with the next time.
2. If I'm hungry, I can't wait for the next meal! Lie! I will not die if I have a rumbly tummy until my next meal, probably only an hour or two away. Let's face it, my entire life is made up of only a few more hours until the next meal!
3. Bites, Licks, and Tastes don't count toward daily food intake. Lie! This was a bad habit, being hungry as I prepared dinner I'd often munch a bit. I'd then sit down for dinner realizing I wasn't really hungry anymore, but eat anyway.
4. Food that no one sees me eat doesn't count. Lie! It's still food that I'm consuming! And nothing is hidden from God!
5. I shouldn't have to be interrupted while eating. Lie! I don't know why I ever believed this one, as a mother of three small children, but I found that after serving everyone else and finally sitting down to my portion, if I would be asked again for something, there was anger in my heart. I wanted the "right" to eat in peace myself. But that is elevating my selfish desire for food above my family relationships! What a lie!
6. I deserve to always eat things I really enjoy. Lie! You would think that living in a foreign culture I would not have believed this one either, but in fact, the Lord showed me one day when my helper added ginger (which I don't like very much) to everything instead of leeks (which we were out of), I was not only irritated but angry at her since I had been "good" all morning and was eagerly awaiting lunch. In truth, it is not my "right" to eat my favorite foods all the time! That doesn't demonstrate a heart of thankfulness for what I am given!
7. If someone else made the food, I should eat more than I need to show them I really like it; that will please them! Lie! I can express appreciation in other ways that don't involve indulging myself.
8. It will make me feel better to eat a little more. Lie! This is seeking my satisfaction in food, something that can never truly satisfy. The Lord is my portion!
9. It will make someone else feel better if I eat a little more. Lie! This is related to #7, it's easy to overeat in a social setting but I should never use another person's urging to eat more (so common in this culture) to excuse my own lack of self-control.
10. I should always clean my plate. Lie! Not if I'm already full! Better, to avoid wasting, put less on my plate to begin with!
11. I don't get the chance to eat this special food very often, so I can eat more than I need and indulge myself. Lie! This is a particular temptation of expat life since usually we are eating local food. But again, indulging myself never pleases God! And, there will always be more special food! The Pizza Ranch is not going to close its doors. The Outback and TGI Friday's will still be there the next time. There'll be another Starbucks another time. And even if there isn't....it's just food! There are more important things in life!
12. Who cares? It's a celebration! Lie! This one is tempting because we humans love to celebrate with food. But there's always a celebration...birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, the list goes on and on! Pretty soon every week there's an event in which it's "ok" to overeat!
13. Indulging my appetite just a little doesn't matter. Lie! Just one more cookie, just a bit more of that tasty food, it doesn't matter--except that indulgence is never glorifying to God.
14. Those little changes don't really make a difference anyway. Lie! Changing a coke for a glass of water, avoiding those snacks, eating a smaller portion of dessert--it can add up and make a big difference!
15. I'm stuck at the same weight anyway, why be self-controlled in my eating? Lie! That is looking for a certain result from eating; putting my trust in my ability to control and get a certain cause and effect rather than doing what is right and trusting God for the result.
16. I can't just have a cup of coffee alone! I need something sweet with it! Lie! I found that though I always craved a sweet treat with coffee, it was actually pretty rare that I took the time to enjoy the two together. And what I was craving was usually not just something sweet, it was the hope of being refreshed and encouraged by a mid-morning snack; again, looking to food to satisfy that need, rather than the Lord.
17. Exercise is too difficult to fit into my life. Lie! I make time for other things that I think are important. I just need to be a better steward of my time.
18. I need a little something sweet at the end of a meal. Lie! I can be satisfied with the food I've eaten, not always just craving something more.
19. Overeating occasionally doesn't really equal the sin of gluttony. Lie! This is just something I told myself in order to justify my desires.
And perhaps the most destructive lie of all:
20. My eating habits don't have an effect on my spiritual life. Lie! In fact, the opposite is true. I now believe that the Lord would have me shape my eating habits, like everything else, according to His word, believing that the two are intertwined. For example, eating habits are the perfect place to practice self-control and learn to be controlled by the Spirit.
Some final lessons: I have found that indulgence in my eating habits gives a dulling, soporific effect on my spiritual life. It's kind of like saying, "Oh well, a little bit of sin won't hurt anything." Oh yes it will! As the Lord has strengthened me to change some of these habits, and start believing the truth rather than these lies, I have felt so encouraged by the spiritual growth He is bringing about in me! I am experiencing his peace and joy like never before. My mind is less on food and more on Him. For me, it is learning how to be self-controlled in regards to food. The fruit of self-control is then free to spread to other parts of my life--control of my tongue, control of my habits, little disciplines that add up to increased freedom and joy in the Lord.
Now, I've also found that it is equally easy for me to fall off the right path on the other side, namely, "Wow, look at me! I'm so self-controlled!" (PRIDE) Or: "I can do this all by myself! I am a person of self-control and discipline!" (Self-sufficiency and ultimately, pride). So there are dangers, and that's why I'm discovering that this journey with food is a journey of the heart and MUST be Spirit-led. It cannot be judged from the outside, I cannot establish enough "rules" to make it work for me, I simply need to open my heart to the Spirit, pay attention to His voice and His promptings, and then enjoy the freedom and the joy that comes from obeying my Lord in even the "small" things like my eating choices and habits. Legalism is not my goal, being Spirit-led is. Oh Lord help this process! I cannot do it on my own!
The beauty of knowing our Savior is that indeed, He will help. He is an ever-present help and He loves to lead His children. I want to give Him all the glory for what He has done in helping to open my eyes to some of these things. I'm sure I still have much more to learn! But I'm thankful for His grace thus far. The temptation to overindulge in God's good gift of food will not be going away, since food is a part of every day life, but by His grace, my attitude and actions can change. Lord, help me to receive what you give with thankfulness, not greed; with a heart of contentment, not of selfishness; being Spirit-led, not indulging the flesh. May His name be glorified!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Christin Quotables
Location check: we're back in lovely northwest Iowa again! After about 6800 miles, many many hours in the car, two oil changes, NO breakdowns (praise the Lord!), lots of pictures taken, many necks hugged, we are back at my parents' home and have already done the bulk of our unpacking and re-packing.
I'm struck again by the Lord's faithfulness in carrying us through so many miles, so many stops, and so many changes and transitions! We have been guided and protected each bit of the way, and that is a significant grace. We've had lots of great car time to talk, the girls have done relatively well with all of the transitions, and for the most part everyone has stayed healthy.
These next few weeks hold quite a bit of activity, but there's no denying that we're relieved to be back at my parent's and able to unload the car again! The packing and unpacking and repacking and searching for items that couldn't be located easily was probably the most trying part of our travels. I think I'd be happy to never pack a suitcase again! :)
But enough about that! I'll be trying to "catch up" in the next few days/weeks to let you see some more pictures and reflections from our journeys. For tonight, though, here's a few quotes from Christin to provide a little amusement. She's talking tons now!
"Mama, sister fight!" She spoke this to me just moments ago, complaining that her sisters were not letting her get her way.
"Okay, pray. [mumble mumble] daddy, mama, sister, xie xie (thank you in Asianese), [mumble mumble] A-MEN!" It really is cute to hear!
"NO! No stink." in response to asking her if she had a dirty diaper. In reality she just didn't want to stop playing long enough to get her diaper changed!
"Mama, sit! Sit!" while patting the seat next to her and asking me to join her.
"Sister, come! Play!" This works in almost any situation!
And perhaps my favorite:
Christin, can you sing and dance?
"Hah....ah...yah...yah..." all in a very high voice as she twirls around and "sings" her heart out!
We love you Christin! And now you're two! I'll post pictures from her birthday party on April 28 when I get there chronologically (just can't bring myself to post pictures out of order!). So, if I have any readers left out there after my sporadic posting of late, look for some new installments soon!
I'm struck again by the Lord's faithfulness in carrying us through so many miles, so many stops, and so many changes and transitions! We have been guided and protected each bit of the way, and that is a significant grace. We've had lots of great car time to talk, the girls have done relatively well with all of the transitions, and for the most part everyone has stayed healthy.
These next few weeks hold quite a bit of activity, but there's no denying that we're relieved to be back at my parent's and able to unload the car again! The packing and unpacking and repacking and searching for items that couldn't be located easily was probably the most trying part of our travels. I think I'd be happy to never pack a suitcase again! :)
But enough about that! I'll be trying to "catch up" in the next few days/weeks to let you see some more pictures and reflections from our journeys. For tonight, though, here's a few quotes from Christin to provide a little amusement. She's talking tons now!
"Mama, sister fight!" She spoke this to me just moments ago, complaining that her sisters were not letting her get her way.
"Okay, pray. [mumble mumble] daddy, mama, sister, xie xie (thank you in Asianese), [mumble mumble] A-MEN!" It really is cute to hear!
"NO! No stink." in response to asking her if she had a dirty diaper. In reality she just didn't want to stop playing long enough to get her diaper changed!
"Mama, sit! Sit!" while patting the seat next to her and asking me to join her.
"Sister, come! Play!" This works in almost any situation!
And perhaps my favorite:
Christin, can you sing and dance?
"Hah....ah...yah...yah..." all in a very high voice as she twirls around and "sings" her heart out!
We love you Christin! And now you're two! I'll post pictures from her birthday party on April 28 when I get there chronologically (just can't bring myself to post pictures out of order!). So, if I have any readers left out there after my sporadic posting of late, look for some new installments soon!
Friday, May 07, 2010
Faces and Places, part 3
Next stop on the whirlwind tour: Easter festivities in Louisville, Kentucky!
The Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Bingham Park was a blast and, of course, over in about 5 minutes. That didn't stop Christin from enjoying a hard-boiled egg though!
Easter in Louisville means the Annual Frankfort Avenue Parade as well. We joined in (after drying off since we got caught in a short cloudburst) and had a great time. Who's this with me, you may ask? A dear sister in Christ, Clara. I had most recently seen her on the other side of the world, it was crazy to see her in Louisville again!
Face painting was an exciting event for all three girls--Clara Anne had a bunny painted on her cheek, her absolute favorite animal.
Our home church, Clifton Baptist, is located on Frankfort Avenue and so participated in the parade.
Lots of kids! They were dressed up to show part of the Easter story.
We asked our good friend Robert to join us at the egg hunt and parade, and then had a wonderful meal together afterwards. Three cheers for chips and salsa!!!
The day was so beautiful, we spent the afternoon at Cave Hill Cemetary, our favorite spot in Louisville. It's quiet, beautiful, peaceful, and very well maintained. The daffodils were out in full array and Clara Anne and Chloe especially enjoyed picking these violets out of the grass.
New game: Pile on Daddy! We had such a wonderful afternoon there.
That evening we had a great time with our hosts, John and Sarah Kimbell. They very graciously offered their basement (and house--I sort of feel like we took over their house!) for our use while we stayed in Louisville. Our kids had a great time, and so did we! Here's proof:
Dinner on the deck!
Sarah and I had many great conversations (and late nights!). Thank you for your friendship, Sarah! We had lots to talk about (always!) and really enjoyed our time together. What a treasure!
The Kimbell family, on Easter Sunday. Location: right outside their home! It's a beautiful home and yard, and everything was so green and pretty by the time we got to Louisville. We were (and still are) soaking it up!
The Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Bingham Park was a blast and, of course, over in about 5 minutes. That didn't stop Christin from enjoying a hard-boiled egg though!
Easter in Louisville means the Annual Frankfort Avenue Parade as well. We joined in (after drying off since we got caught in a short cloudburst) and had a great time. Who's this with me, you may ask? A dear sister in Christ, Clara. I had most recently seen her on the other side of the world, it was crazy to see her in Louisville again!
Face painting was an exciting event for all three girls--Clara Anne had a bunny painted on her cheek, her absolute favorite animal.
Our home church, Clifton Baptist, is located on Frankfort Avenue and so participated in the parade. 
Lots of kids! They were dressed up to show part of the Easter story.
We asked our good friend Robert to join us at the egg hunt and parade, and then had a wonderful meal together afterwards. Three cheers for chips and salsa!!!
The day was so beautiful, we spent the afternoon at Cave Hill Cemetary, our favorite spot in Louisville. It's quiet, beautiful, peaceful, and very well maintained. The daffodils were out in full array and Clara Anne and Chloe especially enjoyed picking these violets out of the grass.
New game: Pile on Daddy! We had such a wonderful afternoon there.
That evening we had a great time with our hosts, John and Sarah Kimbell. They very graciously offered their basement (and house--I sort of feel like we took over their house!) for our use while we stayed in Louisville. Our kids had a great time, and so did we! Here's proof:
Dinner on the deck!
Sarah and I had many great conversations (and late nights!). Thank you for your friendship, Sarah! We had lots to talk about (always!) and really enjoyed our time together. What a treasure!
The Kimbell family, on Easter Sunday. Location: right outside their home! It's a beautiful home and yard, and everything was so green and pretty by the time we got to Louisville. We were (and still are) soaking it up! Hope you enjoyed this installment . . . more to come! Stay tuned!
Faces and Places, part 2
Here's another look at some faces and places as we continue our journey across America! Below: my SIL Laurel and I enjoying some Starbucks! Location check: Waterloo, IA on a very warm and sunny week before Easter!
Oh yes, there was swinging! Cousin Julian gave it his all!
The faces of this next one you can guess, but the location?? It's true, we let the girls sleep in the closet. They were snug as a bug in a rug in their sleeping bags and we were glad to close the door and turn out the light to let them get a good night of sleep.
You can tell it was a real hardship for them!
[Full disclosure: actually they didn't last the whole night in here. They were a bit close together and Christin woke up several times not really sure where she was, so ended up sleeping next to John and I a few nights. Oh well, it was a good try anyway! The other girls did fine.]
Faces include John's brother Andy and his lovely wife Laurel, and the location is rather special: the deck of their new house! They are proud first-time home owners and are enjoying their great house in a beautiful location. We had a great time visiting them in Waterloo!
Oh yes, there was swinging! Cousin Julian gave it his all!
The faces of this next one you can guess, but the location?? It's true, we let the girls sleep in the closet. They were snug as a bug in a rug in their sleeping bags and we were glad to close the door and turn out the light to let them get a good night of sleep.
You can tell it was a real hardship for them!
[Full disclosure: actually they didn't last the whole night in here. They were a bit close together and Christin woke up several times not really sure where she was, so ended up sleeping next to John and I a few nights. Oh well, it was a good try anyway! The other girls did fine.]
Faces include John's brother Andy and his lovely wife Laurel, and the location is rather special: the deck of their new house! They are proud first-time home owners and are enjoying their great house in a beautiful location. We had a great time visiting them in Waterloo!Until next time. . .
Sunday, May 02, 2010
LIVE! From Rochester, New York
Just a few days ago, we visited the National Museum of Play here in Rochester. It is set up with all sorts of areas that are an imaginative child's delight: an area set up like a miniature theatre, complete with ticket window, tickets, costumes, a red velvet curtain on the stage, and a sound/lighting booth; a grocery store where children can pretend to shop for items, be the baker or the fruit seller at the store, or be the check-out clerk; a historic room with all sorts of items from a colonial kitchen and parlor; and many, many more areas to pretend and play! One of my favorites was a TV studio complete with cameras, a board to report the weather, and an anchorman's desk to do the news. I haven't uploaded my pictures yet from that day, but in the meantime, here's a bit of the news, LIVE from Rochester!
We are visiting with John's sister Beth and her family. It's an important week for them as their oldest, our nephew Joel, had to make a decision this week about where he would go to school. Joel is an exceptional young man and has excelled in academics and music. He was offered several full scholarships to various schools and had to choose by April 30 which one he would attend. That decision has now been made (I won't announce it here since I'm not sure where he has shared it so far!) but we've been excited to be here at such an important juncture. We offered our prayers and support as he was thinking and praying about where to go!
We've had a great week already and have until Monday morning to enjoy our time with this wonderful family. The weather has cooperated and so we've had some fun outside, particularly at Highland Park yesterday seeing acres full of lilacs, pansies, tulips and daffodils. We left spring behind a few weeks ago when we were in the South and had moved into summer, only to travel north to New York and experience spring again!
Clara Anne, Chloe, and Christin have had a great time with their cousins; Anna is 13 and Amanda is 15; they've taken great care of the girls and have had a fun time together. Joel has entertained us all with nightly jazz piano improvisations, what a treat! This is definitely a musical family; we had a sing-fest around the piano a few nights ago and just last night enjoyed leaving the girls here and going to a free concert at the Eastman school of music, hearing their orchestra and chorus perform. I hadn't been to a concert in 7 years (not that I could remember, anyway!) and so I particularly relished that time last night.
So, our journey across America continues. We continue to be so blessed by the people we've been with along the way; we've had some rich times of fellowship and worship together. For those of you who are faithful readers of my blog, if we've been to your place and I haven't talked about it here yet, don't worry . . . I will post pictures and catch up one day! Today I'm on a borrowed computer so don't have access to my photos.
And tonight we're going to see a baseball game; the Minnesota Twins farm team is here in Rochester, so we'll see them play tonight. Fun for everyone!
Until next time. . .
We are visiting with John's sister Beth and her family. It's an important week for them as their oldest, our nephew Joel, had to make a decision this week about where he would go to school. Joel is an exceptional young man and has excelled in academics and music. He was offered several full scholarships to various schools and had to choose by April 30 which one he would attend. That decision has now been made (I won't announce it here since I'm not sure where he has shared it so far!) but we've been excited to be here at such an important juncture. We offered our prayers and support as he was thinking and praying about where to go!
We've had a great week already and have until Monday morning to enjoy our time with this wonderful family. The weather has cooperated and so we've had some fun outside, particularly at Highland Park yesterday seeing acres full of lilacs, pansies, tulips and daffodils. We left spring behind a few weeks ago when we were in the South and had moved into summer, only to travel north to New York and experience spring again!
Clara Anne, Chloe, and Christin have had a great time with their cousins; Anna is 13 and Amanda is 15; they've taken great care of the girls and have had a fun time together. Joel has entertained us all with nightly jazz piano improvisations, what a treat! This is definitely a musical family; we had a sing-fest around the piano a few nights ago and just last night enjoyed leaving the girls here and going to a free concert at the Eastman school of music, hearing their orchestra and chorus perform. I hadn't been to a concert in 7 years (not that I could remember, anyway!) and so I particularly relished that time last night.
So, our journey across America continues. We continue to be so blessed by the people we've been with along the way; we've had some rich times of fellowship and worship together. For those of you who are faithful readers of my blog, if we've been to your place and I haven't talked about it here yet, don't worry . . . I will post pictures and catch up one day! Today I'm on a borrowed computer so don't have access to my photos.
And tonight we're going to see a baseball game; the Minnesota Twins farm team is here in Rochester, so we'll see them play tonight. Fun for everyone!
Until next time. . .
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Faces and Places, part 1
I'm starting a new series today to give you all a glimpse of the fun times and beautiful places we've traveled to in the US! It may take me awhile to post all the pics, but here's a start anyway!
[Location check: at this moment we're in Louisville, KY, and will be here until Tuesday morning. This is our eighth stop in our whirlwind tour!]
Can you guess where the above picture was taken? :)
Love this one of Clara Anne and Grandpa!
Looking at Grandma's beautiful, artistic memory albums!
Yum. Yogurt is still a favorite, not as convenient as Asian yogurt with the straw, but still yummy!
Reading time with Grandpa.
The picture below is taken at our all time favorite: The Pizza Ranch!!!
Sweet Christin, almost two years old! [She is wearing her new "jammy dress"--all of the girls have new ones that I bought from our favorite consignment store on clearance for just $1!! Yes, they were running a special on clothes that had been in the store for awhile--10 items for $10! I could hardly believe it. Gymboree velvet dresses for $1!!!]
Hope you enjoyed this brief look at faces and places...stay tuned for more coming soon!
[Location check: at this moment we're in Louisville, KY, and will be here until Tuesday morning. This is our eighth stop in our whirlwind tour!]
Can you guess where the above picture was taken? :)
Love this one of Clara Anne and Grandpa!
Looking at Grandma's beautiful, artistic memory albums!
Yum. Yogurt is still a favorite, not as convenient as Asian yogurt with the straw, but still yummy!
Reading time with Grandpa.
The picture below is taken at our all time favorite: The Pizza Ranch!!!
Sweet Christin, almost two years old! [She is wearing her new "jammy dress"--all of the girls have new ones that I bought from our favorite consignment store on clearance for just $1!! Yes, they were running a special on clothes that had been in the store for awhile--10 items for $10! I could hardly believe it. Gymboree velvet dresses for $1!!!]
Hope you enjoyed this brief look at faces and places...stay tuned for more coming soon!Saturday, April 17, 2010
Reverse Culture Shock Funnies
We've been back in the States for a few weeks now, and you would think that any "culture shock" moments would be limited to our children, who have never really been here before. Alas, it's not true--John and I have had some moments too! For your enjoyment...
**Upon arriving in the US and landing in the Chicago airport, we needed to go through customs. There were two lines: Resident and Visitor. This gave us serious pause. What are we? John was convinced we were visitors, since we normally live in China but are visiting the US. I was convinced that we were Residents, since we hold US passports. True, we don't "live" here in a strict sense, but we have an address and can even vote in elections. It didn't help that we overheard a customs agent talking with a lady in front of us and when she wasn't sure which line to get in, he asked her where she usually sleeps. We didn't hear her answer but were even more confused. We ended up getting in the Residents line and got through, no problem. But it was confusing! It would have been more clear to give the line titles "US passport holders" and "Passport holders of other nations." Of course, they're not asking for my advice!
**Clara Anne has been the funniest one to watch in terms of reverse culture shock. She is the most aware and the most articulate. At our week-long meeting in Virginia, we were walking to breakfast one morning and she suddenly stopped stock still. "LOOK, Mommy," she said, pointing, "A REAL squirrel!" This apparently made her day. Perhaps it really was the first time she saw a squirrel? We do miss out on wildlife living where we do, in the urban jungle.
**We've been delighting in the blueness of the sky, the beauty of the clouds, and just soaking up all of the natural beauty around us. In our first week back, while we were still in Iowa, Clara Anne exclaimed one day, "Mommy, the sky really IS blue!" We just don't see it very often, it's usually white with pollution/smog where we live!
**My girls all have loved eating breakfast cereal since we've been back. Honey Nut Cheerios, Corn Flakes, even Grape Nuts have been eaten with great delight. But their favorite has to be Froot Loops. They've hardly had cereal in their lives and now to have multiple options (like at our meeting in Virginia where there were probably 15 different cereals to choose from) just seems like a dream come true. Chloe spoke for them all when she said, "Mommy, this is the BEST cereal I've ever tasted!"
**I had forgotten a bit what a fast-paced society America is. It's amazing to us to be able to accomplish so much in each day (i.e. shopping, driving, eating, DRIVE-THRUs!), it's all efficient.
**Yikes, FOOD has been a bit of a reverse culture shock. The restaurant portions are gigantic! We are slowly figuring out that all three of our kids can share one kids meal and John and I can share a meal, with everyone feeling satisfied at the end. And it's cheap! We're so used to paying extra for western food but we've been surprised several times at finding very reasonable prices for pretty good food. My girls already love Cracker Barrel! They love the peg game at the table as well as the kids menu with things to color. And, breakfast is served all day so they can eat pancakes even if it's 5pm!
**Also along the food line, we've already stopped at tons of McDonald's on our way, and been pretty impressed with how they've remade their image into more of a cafe style place. On one of our first road trips, we couldn't find a starbucks so stopped for coffee (for me) at McDonald's and were amazed to find the interior with leather armchairs, a flatscreen tv playing fox news, and a beautiful brick fireplace. We've done lots of Mcdonald's stops just for the playplaces, which are huge and FUN! Many have also had outdoor seating near the playplace which is just perfect. Usually it's not crowded and the restrooms are fairly clean, always with a baby changing area as well. That's a blessing! On our trip from Iowa to Louisville a few weeks ago, we stopped at four McD's along the way, once for coffee, once to clean up a child who had just thrown up, after lunch to play at the playplace, and finally by the time we were ready for supper there wasn't much else around, so we finally stopped at one to eat there. Crazy times! They are truly ubiquitous.
**Still getting used to the car seat thing. It takes me several minutes to get everyone buckled in or out! The girls are doing fine though and have not complained about having to sit in their "special seats."
**John had a little trouble figuring out how to "prepay" at gas stations when you just want to fill up the tank, but most places require prepayment. How can you prepay if you don't know how much it will be? At one point he even drove on, looking for a different station that didn't require it because he wasn't sure how to make it work. I think he's got it figured out now though. :) (I have no idea since I am never the one to get the gas!)
**We've already taken a few wrong turns, mostly due to not having specific maps. We discovered when trying to navigate the Raleigh/Durham area that our atlas was printed in 2001. Oops. We did eventually find our way through that tangle of highways/freeways and are mostly traveling on more "known to us" routes the rest of our trip. We'll see! Keep pr for safety on the roads, we've done about 2500 miles and have about 4000 to go!
Thanks to the generous hospitality of the New Prospect folks, we're enjoying a stay at a Hampton Inn near Laurens, SC. That Southern hospitality is famous for a reason! We are looking forward to sharing with their body tonight (after a potluck) and then will hit the road again tomorrow morning and drive back to Louisville, where we'll stay for 9 days and actually unpack our bags for a bit!
And by the way, the picture at the top is from one of those Mickey D's playplaces. Any playground or park is now a "playplace" in my children's vocabulary!
Monday, April 05, 2010
A quick word
Because a bit of news is better than no news, right?
We're doing great, just a little short on sleep. We are currently in Louisville, KY, driving here on Friday after being with John's brother Andy and his wife Laurel in Iowa for a few days. What a fun visit that was! We enjoyed some absolutely gorgeous weather together, playing at parks and eating out on the deck of their brand-new house. We made dumplings together, ate excellent Mexican food, and just generally had a great time. They are now living in a new development on the edge of Iowa farmland and it was such a blessing to me to look out of their big windows to that beautiful view! Lovely.
So far, we're two for two on motion sickness...each travel day we've had a little girl throw up, bummer! We got smart now and have a change of clothes packed for each girl right in the car (not in the luggage) and they each have a bag "for motion discomfort" (haha) right in the pocket in front of them.
Our two days in Louisville have been a wonderful, beautiful whirlwind of seeing old friends, being at our home church, meeting new folks, celebrating Christ's resurrection, and soaking up the gorgeous weather. We simply cannot get enough of blue skies, daffodils, tulips, green grass, dogwood, and great Christian fellowship. The blessings and beauty are almost too much to take in!
Tomorrow morning we're leaving early for Richmond, VA. We need to be there by 4:30 and I anticipate that it will be a beautiful drive. Let's pray for no motion sickness! But our leaving time is quite early, so I've got to get some sleep tonight. The last several nights have been VERY late as we've been catching up with our friends--so edifying and encouraging that we were reluctant to have the conversations end, but eventually one does have to go to bed!
Happy Resurrection Day to all! Though I don't have time to catch up on all the photos today, hope you enjoyed the picture of our family on Easter day! Blessings!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Update!
Hi everybody, yes, we are safely in the US! I'm sorry it's taken this long for me to post, it's been a whirlwind these last weeks--leading up to traveling as well as just arriving here. We did arrive safely late on Tuesday night, but about 30 minutes earlier than scheduled, so that was very nice--making a 30 hour trip only 29 and a half. :)
Since then, we've been in constant motion. There's luggage to unpack, shopping to do, sorting and organizing, preparing for the next weeks ahead of travel, and doing the myriad of details that come along with transplanting your entire family overseas for a few months. John's also still been quite busy with financial work and emails, but is making some progress so that's good. We're so thankful to have arrived safely at this point! It's crazy when you've planned so long for something and then it actually happens, it's almost a bit surreal!
The girls were excellent travelers and were so, so very good on the long flights home. They slept a lot, played quietly, enjoyed their kids meals that John ordered for them and really did great through two countries, three airports, and in lots of new situations. Thanks for your prs for this! Unfortunately, I went into our travel day feeling a little queasy; first I thought it was just nervousness or excitement but finally I lost it "all" in a bathroom in the BJ airport. Yuck. I did feel better after that, though sadly, even Starbucks was not appealing! I got on the long flight feeling terrible, but the L was gracious and I was able to rest quite a bit, as I was only in charge of Clara Anne (our family was split over the aisle, and John had the other two) and she slept for 6 hours straight. There may have also been peace having to do with the fact that she watched Aladdin three times as the flight wore on. Hmmm, do you think so?
It's been wonderful to be back in my hometown again. My parents have had such fun playing with the girls--my dad took off work AND gave up an out-of-town trip this weekend so he could be with us, and my mom canceled all of her piano lessons so she could spend time just playing. What a blessing that has been! It's been so sweet to see them get to know the girls a bit apart from just webcam.
We've packed our days full since arriving back and will be leaving again quite soon to be visiting other family and attending a meeting on the East Coast. So, I'm shopping, organizing, and preparing to repack very soon. This afternoon John and I completed our once-every-three-years comprehensive trip to Walmart and whew, I'm glad to have that finished! I know I've mentioned before that I don't really enjoy shopping and so though I am thankful for the opportunity to do so, I am glad when it's done! We got smart this time and did NOT take the girls with us; in 2007 we did and that made the trip more stressful. So, we're now stocked up again on medicines, some food items, deodorants, you know, all those necessaries.
Of course, we've been to the Pizza Ranch and Subway already, and my dad grilled pork steaks for us tonight which are my favorite. Yum! We've had haircuts, the girls had professional photos taken yesterday and this morning got to participate in a community wide Easter egg hunt, which they thought was fun, fun, fun.
It's been interesting being back in the US again. This trip back feels so much different than our one in 2007. For one thing, we really left Asia on a high note. Things were going very well, we were seeing wonderful things happen in various areas. We were at home there, speaking comfortably, enjoying our relationships with other Americans as well as nationals. So our trip back to the States this year feels more like just that: a trip. As Clara Anne reminded me, "Mommy, first we go to Hong Kong, and then we come home. Then we go to America, and then we go home." I responded that she was absolutely right. I did feel like I was "leaving home" to take this trip. That in itself, my friends, is a grace and blessing. PTL! I could not have said that three years ago. Then I felt more like a displaced person, but now I feel more secure in my identity of a "between two cultures" person. He is faithful!
So, in the midst of transition and lots of details of things to do and accomplish, stuff to buy, etc, we are thankful. The L has been so good to us. We are enjoying the warmth of wonderful family relationships as we are back, trusting Him for the grace to do the traveling and visiting that we've planned, and thankful for the opportunity to be here.
And next time, (I hope!), pictures!
Since then, we've been in constant motion. There's luggage to unpack, shopping to do, sorting and organizing, preparing for the next weeks ahead of travel, and doing the myriad of details that come along with transplanting your entire family overseas for a few months. John's also still been quite busy with financial work and emails, but is making some progress so that's good. We're so thankful to have arrived safely at this point! It's crazy when you've planned so long for something and then it actually happens, it's almost a bit surreal!
The girls were excellent travelers and were so, so very good on the long flights home. They slept a lot, played quietly, enjoyed their kids meals that John ordered for them and really did great through two countries, three airports, and in lots of new situations. Thanks for your prs for this! Unfortunately, I went into our travel day feeling a little queasy; first I thought it was just nervousness or excitement but finally I lost it "all" in a bathroom in the BJ airport. Yuck. I did feel better after that, though sadly, even Starbucks was not appealing! I got on the long flight feeling terrible, but the L was gracious and I was able to rest quite a bit, as I was only in charge of Clara Anne (our family was split over the aisle, and John had the other two) and she slept for 6 hours straight. There may have also been peace having to do with the fact that she watched Aladdin three times as the flight wore on. Hmmm, do you think so?
It's been wonderful to be back in my hometown again. My parents have had such fun playing with the girls--my dad took off work AND gave up an out-of-town trip this weekend so he could be with us, and my mom canceled all of her piano lessons so she could spend time just playing. What a blessing that has been! It's been so sweet to see them get to know the girls a bit apart from just webcam.
We've packed our days full since arriving back and will be leaving again quite soon to be visiting other family and attending a meeting on the East Coast. So, I'm shopping, organizing, and preparing to repack very soon. This afternoon John and I completed our once-every-three-years comprehensive trip to Walmart and whew, I'm glad to have that finished! I know I've mentioned before that I don't really enjoy shopping and so though I am thankful for the opportunity to do so, I am glad when it's done! We got smart this time and did NOT take the girls with us; in 2007 we did and that made the trip more stressful. So, we're now stocked up again on medicines, some food items, deodorants, you know, all those necessaries.
Of course, we've been to the Pizza Ranch and Subway already, and my dad grilled pork steaks for us tonight which are my favorite. Yum! We've had haircuts, the girls had professional photos taken yesterday and this morning got to participate in a community wide Easter egg hunt, which they thought was fun, fun, fun.
It's been interesting being back in the US again. This trip back feels so much different than our one in 2007. For one thing, we really left Asia on a high note. Things were going very well, we were seeing wonderful things happen in various areas. We were at home there, speaking comfortably, enjoying our relationships with other Americans as well as nationals. So our trip back to the States this year feels more like just that: a trip. As Clara Anne reminded me, "Mommy, first we go to Hong Kong, and then we come home. Then we go to America, and then we go home." I responded that she was absolutely right. I did feel like I was "leaving home" to take this trip. That in itself, my friends, is a grace and blessing. PTL! I could not have said that three years ago. Then I felt more like a displaced person, but now I feel more secure in my identity of a "between two cultures" person. He is faithful!
So, in the midst of transition and lots of details of things to do and accomplish, stuff to buy, etc, we are thankful. The L has been so good to us. We are enjoying the warmth of wonderful family relationships as we are back, trusting Him for the grace to do the traveling and visiting that we've planned, and thankful for the opportunity to be here.
And next time, (I hope!), pictures!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Catching up and Heading out!
It's been many a week (it seems) since I have blogged, and my only semi-plausible excuse is that we are busily getting ready for our trip to the States! We leave on March 23rd, less than a week away, and oh my, I still have many miles to go before I sleep!
Though this time in the States will be much shorter than our trip in 2007 (we took 6 months then and are only taking 2.5 months now), it still requires a fair amount of organization and planning. I won't go into the laundry list here, but we're just plugging away and hoping and praying that everything will get done before next Tuesday morning. John particularly has a lot of work to do in order to leave the business in other hands for 2.5 months. He is making progress but has been getting up really early every day in order to get solid work done!
I am trying to manage the home front: clean out the cupboards, frig, and freezer; organize and sort clothing so we know what to buy when we're back in the States; taking inventory of the house and household items, also for shopping purposes; thinking about homeschool questions and making plans to talk with people and attend a homeschooling conference when we're back in the States; and then there's the packing! In the midst of this, of course, life is going on. Spilled milk needs cleaning up, the girls and I are reading the first Boxcar children book together, there's the constant picking up of toys and meals to be made and laundry to be done. Whew!
But it's worth it! We are truly excited for this trip. For one, our girls are a bit older now and should (hopefully will!) travel a bit smoother. Also, it's just fun that they know a bit more of what's going on and they themselves are excited to see our family and friends back in the States. The other day I asked Clara Anne what she thought we'd be eating in the States.
"Jiaozi, Mommy. Maybe we'll eat jiaozi!" I mentioned that I thought that was pretty unlikely, except, of course for whatever we make ourselves!
"Well, then, egg and tomato--my favorite!" Well, Clara Anne, we probably won't be eating much of that, either!
"Zha ji liu?", she asked in a hopeful voice. (This is deep fried chicken strips). Probably the closest guess! I thought it was funny that all three of her suggestions were Asian foods!
So, the travel day is quickly approaching and at the end will be my dad, waiting late at night to pick us up along with all of our many pieces of luggage. We estimate it will be about 30 hours travel, door to door.
If you feel so led, we'd surely appreciate your prayers--not just for the travel to go smoothly, but for our entire time in the States. We'll be taking the girls into a lot of situations which are familiar and beloved to us, but completely new to them. They'll be seeing lots of new people, and probably getting a lot of attention. In the meantime, John and I will often be busy relating to others. My prayer is that we can find a good balance of family time and time relating to others, being sensitive to the girls' needs and feelings while at the same time spending time sharing with others. Also, our schedule is quite full, with plenty of traveling (we estimate about 7,000 miles). We love road trips, so that sounds fun to us, but we do hope that all goes smoothly with our vehicle, time in the car, and even not getting lost!
I hope to give a quick picture recap of our trip to HK on my blog if time allows before we leave. So look for that, and in the meantime count down the days with us until March 23rd!
Though this time in the States will be much shorter than our trip in 2007 (we took 6 months then and are only taking 2.5 months now), it still requires a fair amount of organization and planning. I won't go into the laundry list here, but we're just plugging away and hoping and praying that everything will get done before next Tuesday morning. John particularly has a lot of work to do in order to leave the business in other hands for 2.5 months. He is making progress but has been getting up really early every day in order to get solid work done!
I am trying to manage the home front: clean out the cupboards, frig, and freezer; organize and sort clothing so we know what to buy when we're back in the States; taking inventory of the house and household items, also for shopping purposes; thinking about homeschool questions and making plans to talk with people and attend a homeschooling conference when we're back in the States; and then there's the packing! In the midst of this, of course, life is going on. Spilled milk needs cleaning up, the girls and I are reading the first Boxcar children book together, there's the constant picking up of toys and meals to be made and laundry to be done. Whew!
But it's worth it! We are truly excited for this trip. For one, our girls are a bit older now and should (hopefully will!) travel a bit smoother. Also, it's just fun that they know a bit more of what's going on and they themselves are excited to see our family and friends back in the States. The other day I asked Clara Anne what she thought we'd be eating in the States.
"Jiaozi, Mommy. Maybe we'll eat jiaozi!" I mentioned that I thought that was pretty unlikely, except, of course for whatever we make ourselves!
"Well, then, egg and tomato--my favorite!" Well, Clara Anne, we probably won't be eating much of that, either!
"Zha ji liu?", she asked in a hopeful voice. (This is deep fried chicken strips). Probably the closest guess! I thought it was funny that all three of her suggestions were Asian foods!
So, the travel day is quickly approaching and at the end will be my dad, waiting late at night to pick us up along with all of our many pieces of luggage. We estimate it will be about 30 hours travel, door to door.
If you feel so led, we'd surely appreciate your prayers--not just for the travel to go smoothly, but for our entire time in the States. We'll be taking the girls into a lot of situations which are familiar and beloved to us, but completely new to them. They'll be seeing lots of new people, and probably getting a lot of attention. In the meantime, John and I will often be busy relating to others. My prayer is that we can find a good balance of family time and time relating to others, being sensitive to the girls' needs and feelings while at the same time spending time sharing with others. Also, our schedule is quite full, with plenty of traveling (we estimate about 7,000 miles). We love road trips, so that sounds fun to us, but we do hope that all goes smoothly with our vehicle, time in the car, and even not getting lost!
I hope to give a quick picture recap of our trip to HK on my blog if time allows before we leave. So look for that, and in the meantime count down the days with us until March 23rd!
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Dear HK Disneyland
Dear Hong Kong Disneyland,
I always love to go to Hong Kong Disneyland, it's my favorite time of year. My favorite ride in Disneyland is the Small World.
I really liked the fireworks that came out of the castle and the music too.
Thank you for letting me be in the parade this time, it was so much fun.
This was my very first time to be in the parade and ride in the special taxi.
I Love you Disneyland! Love, Clara Anne Wind
I really liked the fireworks that came out of the castle and the music too.
Thank you for letting me be in the parade this time, it was so much fun.
This was my very first time to be in the parade and ride in the special taxi. 
I Love you Disneyland! Love, Clara Anne WindAs we entered the park that morning, we were invited to be the Grand Marshal for the parade that afternoon. What a unique opportunity! We met the guest relations ladies at "City Hall" later in the afternoon, and they presented us with gifts (the Mickey/Minnie hats, embroidered with our names, some princess notepads and stickers for the girls) and gave us the huge Mickey hands to wave with. We walked to the front of the parade route and they ushered us into our special "taxi." What fun! I wondered how the girls would do, if they'd be shy, but when the time came they eagerly smiled and waved to everyone and were tickled that people waved back! Then at the end of the route, we were able to get off and enjoy the rest of the parade. It was a fun, special opportunity!
This was our favorite visit to Disneyland, mainly because it wasn't blazing hot like the other times we were here. The park was still beautifully decorated for the Lunar New Year holiday, but all of the HK students were back in school so the lines were short or nonexistent and we really enjoyed the day! I am still so impressed with the whole Disney experience--everything spotlessly clean, good quality food, fun and safe rides, and the "cast members" (i.e. people who work at the park) were always looking out for my kids and trying to make the day more fun for them. And it was a big day: we left our flat at 8:30 and returned at 9:30 that night! I'm so glad we persevered and went, even though it was during the night prior to our Disneyland day that Chloe and I got so sick. We took some airsickness bags along just in case, but thankfully no one had to use them!
The only bummer was that our camera's demise had happened the night before and so was very erratic during our time at the park; the few pictures you see were the only ones we got--we ended up just giving up on it. The pictures of us as Grand Marshals were taken by the guest relations ladies.
Clara Anne wrote that letter to Disneyland after we got home, so I hope you enjoyed reading about her day from her perspective! Chloe had this to add: "On the teacups I was a little scared, but not so scared, and I wanted to tell you the horses were lovely [she means the carousel]. And that's all. Goodbye."
Thanks for the memories, HK Disneyland!
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Jiaozi, coming to a city near you
During the recent national holiday, a traditional activity is to make a traditional food together: dumplings, known as "shui jiao" or "jiaozi" in this country. Mothers and grandmothers all over the country whip up the "xiar" or meat/vegetable filling, throw together the dough (just flour and water), and then everybody rolls up their sleeves and starts to "bao jiaozi" (literally "fold dumplings"), making them together.
It's a fun group activity as long as you keep the chopsticks with the raw meat in the raw meat bowl and don't accidently use them to eat your dumplings! It can be a little time consuming as well, since everything has to be chopped very finely and our national friends insist that if you chop and roll everything by hand, (as opposed to using a food processor), it's more tasty. Call me crazy, but I think they're right!
Random trivia for you, according to some of my neighbor lady friends, traditionally, you don't just make and eat jiaozi on the lunar New Year's Eve, you have it all prepared, including the water boiling, so that at the stroke of midnight you plunge the jiaozi into the pot of boiling water. "That's the way to eat jiaozi!", they told me with beaming, satisified faces.
One of our friends suggested having a jiaozi party during the holiday, so we enlisted our house helper and prepared for a festive evening. The possibilities for the fillings are endless: green bean and meat, green onion and pork, pork and cabbage, egg and tomato, shrimp and egg, egg with black mushrooms and green onions, carrot and beef, you name it! For our party we chose three favorites: cabbage and pork, carrot and beef, and egg and tomato.
I can "bao" the dumplings all right; mine are not particularly pretty but that's all right. Actually, everyone has their own style, from perfect fan shaped dumplings made with three folds on one side and three on the other, to rounder packages made by folding the dumpling closed using the space between the thumb and first finger, all at once in one smooth movement. So I sat down and assigned myself to that role. The fun is to talk, laugh, and have a good time together while doing the (seemingly endless) handiwork.
Here we are in the midst of the messy fun: the girls are already eating some that were freshly boiled, even as I and some friends are still folding the dumplings.
With jiaozi, there's always a party in the kitchen!
This next picture isn't me at my most flattering, but I thought it was a funny picture. Yum, yum, jiaozi!
We like to eat them dipped in a bowl of dark vinegar with a few drops of sesame oil, with a little spicy sauce on the side.
The girls had a great time with their aunty making the jiaozi!
These were ones that I made. Not perfect, but deliciously edible!
It's a fun group activity as long as you keep the chopsticks with the raw meat in the raw meat bowl and don't accidently use them to eat your dumplings! It can be a little time consuming as well, since everything has to be chopped very finely and our national friends insist that if you chop and roll everything by hand, (as opposed to using a food processor), it's more tasty. Call me crazy, but I think they're right!
Random trivia for you, according to some of my neighbor lady friends, traditionally, you don't just make and eat jiaozi on the lunar New Year's Eve, you have it all prepared, including the water boiling, so that at the stroke of midnight you plunge the jiaozi into the pot of boiling water. "That's the way to eat jiaozi!", they told me with beaming, satisified faces.
One of our friends suggested having a jiaozi party during the holiday, so we enlisted our house helper and prepared for a festive evening. The possibilities for the fillings are endless: green bean and meat, green onion and pork, pork and cabbage, egg and tomato, shrimp and egg, egg with black mushrooms and green onions, carrot and beef, you name it! For our party we chose three favorites: cabbage and pork, carrot and beef, and egg and tomato.
I can "bao" the dumplings all right; mine are not particularly pretty but that's all right. Actually, everyone has their own style, from perfect fan shaped dumplings made with three folds on one side and three on the other, to rounder packages made by folding the dumpling closed using the space between the thumb and first finger, all at once in one smooth movement. So I sat down and assigned myself to that role. The fun is to talk, laugh, and have a good time together while doing the (seemingly endless) handiwork.
Here we are in the midst of the messy fun: the girls are already eating some that were freshly boiled, even as I and some friends are still folding the dumplings.
With jiaozi, there's always a party in the kitchen! 
This next picture isn't me at my most flattering, but I thought it was a funny picture. Yum, yum, jiaozi!
We like to eat them dipped in a bowl of dark vinegar with a few drops of sesame oil, with a little spicy sauce on the side.
The girls had a great time with their aunty making the jiaozi! 
These were ones that I made. Not perfect, but deliciously edible!We all enjoyed the jiaozi so much that night that I have decided it will be on my "take to America" repetoire. The last time we were in the States, we did a little cooking as we visited various friends and relatives, and it was really fun! But up until this morning, I didn't know how to do all of the jiaozi process. Now I am learning, and plan to make it for friends and family that we see as we travel during April and May.
So, if we're coming to see you, let me know if you're interested in eating jiaozi! We'll bring our skills with us!
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Cause and Effect
I think I've mentioned here before that I've been hosting a mom's study on Tuesday nights. Well, recently, since the entire country was taking 2-3 weeks off for the biggest holiday of the year, I invited some of those moms over for a morning of baking. Usually I serve them something sweet from my kitchen on Tuesday nights, just because I enjoy baking and enjoy even more when people enjoy my baking, and they always express interest in what I make and how I make it. So I invited 6 ladies over, and 5 of them came, bringing 4 children.
And you know what happens when you invite people over and keep their moms occupied, so that the kids are playing unsupervised? Things like this:
[Oh my! They helped themselves to a box of beads, foam pieces, and foam stickers from the cupboard and dumped them all out over the floor. This one thing alone took 45 minutes to resort and clean up!]
But then things like this also happen:
My dear friend and neighbor, she lives right across the hall. And, things like this happen, kids having fun, glad that you invited them to your house:
And there are smiles all around. And everyone loves the oatmeal raisin walnut cookies and pumpkin bread that you make together.
And they enthusiastically eat everything! And have fun in the process!
And then it's all worth it. We live in 502, the lady in blue is in 602, the mom on the left is in 402, and the mom in the middle is in 202. What a wonderful blessing! Father certainly knew what he was doing when He found this apartment for us. I am thankful for these good friends!
And you know what happens when you invite people over and keep their moms occupied, so that the kids are playing unsupervised? Things like this:
[Oh my! They helped themselves to a box of beads, foam pieces, and foam stickers from the cupboard and dumped them all out over the floor. This one thing alone took 45 minutes to resort and clean up!]But then things like this also happen:
My dear friend and neighbor, she lives right across the hall. And, things like this happen, kids having fun, glad that you invited them to your house:
And there are smiles all around. And everyone loves the oatmeal raisin walnut cookies and pumpkin bread that you make together.
And they enthusiastically eat everything! And have fun in the process!
And then it's all worth it. We live in 502, the lady in blue is in 602, the mom on the left is in 402, and the mom in the middle is in 202. What a wonderful blessing! Father certainly knew what he was doing when He found this apartment for us. I am thankful for these good friends!It's truly a blessing to have friends to invite over and make a mess together! Recently my girls have complained, because often on Tuesday nights the guests (children) will play really wildly, pull out every toy and throw it around, break things, etc. And we always clean up before bed--living in a small space really doesn't allow us to let the clutter lie. But we often remind the girls, and I remind myself, that cleaning up a few toys is so worth it when we think about building relationships with these moms and families and reaching out to them. If a mess comes along with hospitality, then we want to be thankful for that cause and effect!
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