Joey, Charissa, Max and Will

My Thatch Roof

2012-02-14T10:19:00.002-08:00

As I got out of the car to go into Blockbuster for our first weekly Saturday movie, wine and chocolate night, I was slapped in the face by an icy gust of wind (at least for South Carolinian standards). I sank deeper into my fleece and walked quickly over to the building. When I was sheltered by its walls, the cold was no longer as terrible, and the wind was just a breeze.
I realized that this is what Joey is to me. A place to hide; a place to warm up; a place that makes situations seem not as bad; a place where I don’t have to hide in my fleece. Blockbuster was not my first stop. I was actually on my way to the store to pick up the wine and a few other things when I eagerly took a detour to Starbucks. I had left Joey at home with dinner to be made, a sick four- year- old and a toddler refusing to poop, even though, according to him, his belly “tickled.”
I was in a daze, tired from weeks of colds, pink eye, stomach problems, and starting a new job. As I sat in quiet and sipped my tea, the warmth started flooding my body, and it started to thaw my heart. The tea cup with a heart on it in honor of Valentines Day was Joey’s heart; a part of him. I have seen the effects of his work. Any excess of his body has disappeared, and now he is all muscle. He works so hard that he is in a way actually trading part of his body to take care of his family. Day after day he trades the seconds of his life to make mine better, and gives me the luxury of sipping a foamy Chai. It had only been the other day (here) that I had seen building imagery used to describe love. In 1 Corinthians 13 when Paul says that love bears all things, the Greek word being used can actually mean a “thatch roof.” A roof keeps that icy wind of life out. Real love places itself intentionally between the storm and the loved one.
I was gone for a little over two hours. I called home, and sheepishly apologized that I had been MIA for so long. His response was, “Stay away as long as you need to.” He was intentionally and joyfully bearing my load and sheltering me from it. Tears came to my eyes as I eagerly drove home.

Joey, thank you for being a thatch roof for me.

I love you.

All Aboard!!!!

2012-02-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Close

2012-02-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

"Mama, falling asleep is so hard. I can’t do it!” Max groans. It is now almost 10:00, and I groan. It has been a long day of errands, and cooking, and thoughts not fully thought. The surface of the stove still has crusty potatoes on it, and the sink is still full of dirty water. Dad is working late, which is one reason falling asleep is so hard to do. I think Daddy has a strong presence that washes peace over this four-year-old’s mind.
“How about you go get some books and sit on the couch, and I’ll come in just a second.” He trots to the bookshelf, and probably about 1000 seconds later I finally come. He has already looked at his four books (because he is four), and I ask if he still wants me to read.
“Yes,” and he curls up next to me on the couch, getting as close as he possibly can. He nuzzles and pushes and squirms until he finds the perfect spot. (This is one reason God made mamas softer than daddies.)
“Ah, a chance to snuggle and be close,” I think. I gently rub his arm as we chant, “Dum Ditty Dum Ditty Dum Dum Dum!” We don’t snuggle as often anymore. I miss it. I wonder if it because I am busy with baked on crusty food or because he is four. It is probably a combination of both. (But snuggles and food are both nourishment, and our stomachs growl for the former.)
Daddy comes home and takes the boy to bed. His snoring is soon the backdrop to our conversation before we too succumb to slumber.
Maybe reading out loud is so important not just because it focuses our minds on the same topic, creates a love of knowledge, and is the first step to literacy, but because it actually brings us closer together physically and strengthens the security of our relationship.

Max’s four book choices were:

Hand, Hand, Finger Thumb by Al Perkins. (I love this one. I have childhood memories of my Mama reading this to me and my cousins. This is not necessarily the best bed time book though. It’s way too much fun!)

Go, Train, Go! (A Thomas & Friends book.)

The Nose Book by Al Perkins (“But just suppose you had no nose!”)

Crossing by Philip Booth (The art in this book is wonderful. I highly recommend it to anyone, especially if your little one loves trains and details. I am actually planning on making copies of the art and framing it for our playroom.)

William Chadrick

2012-01-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

Photos by the amazing Ashleigh Burke Coleman

William is almost two.
Crazy.
William means "defender" or "protector."
He is named after one of Joey's best friends and William Wilberforce,
who helped end slave trade in the United Kingdom.
To be a defender, I believe you have to have two things: great love and great stubbornness.
William's name suits him perfectly.
What does he stubbornly love in his two-year-old world?
1. candy canes
2. M&M's (which is helping potty training immensely)
3. his brother
4. climbing on all thing
5. Elmo and Cookie Monster
6. Knocking down his brother's block towers
7. Taking apart his brother's train tracks
8. Ernie counting sheep on youtube
9. Snuggling with Mom after naps
10. Praying at bedtime
11. Pizza
12. Chick-fil-A
13. McQueen and Mater
14. Chocolate Milk
15. Uncle Mick
16. Tackling Daddy
17. Saying hi to people he doesn't know
18. Reading
19. Hitting golf balls with dad's golf club
20. Dumping anything he can find.

'Tis the Season...

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

... for stomach bug (Will).
... for pink eye (Max).
... for scratchy throat (Mom).
... for multiple viewings of The Polar Express.

Little Victories Along the Way

2012-01-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

One of my goals this year is to get a lot more organized, and I will probably write about this process at a different time. Today, I just want to document 2 little victories I have had so far in becoming more organized.

1. Confession: I usually don't put my clothes away at night. They end up on the floor next to my bed. Lately, I have been getting really frustrated with how cluttered our room seemed to be all the time, even the day after I cleaned it. I realized that clothes on the floor really contribute to the cluttered feeling (duh), so I made it my goal to make sure the clothes are put away before going to bed. (I fudge a little bit with this because I don't always hang up the clothes or fold them, but they are in the closet.) Anyways, I have had this "no-clothes-on-the-floor" policy for about three weeks now. It has been really tempting at times to fall into my old habit, especially if I am exhausted and it is cold. But, I am proud to say that I have stuck to it, and yesterday when some clothes ended up on the floor before bedtime, it actually bothered me!!! Guess what, I picked them up and put them away. The result: I don't cringe or feel overwhelmed when I go into my bedroom.

2. Joey and I are reading Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. It has been so helpful and enlightening. We actually have the hope of being able to pay off our debt in a considerably less time than what we previously thought. Two days ago, we paid off the first debt on our list, so now the debt snowball has started. Another side effect has been that we now have something we are both extremely excited about, and the long hours of work seem to really have a tangible purpose.

17 Minutes

2012-01-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

When someone you have met is given 17 minutes with their newborn son before he slips into the arms of God, it makes you reconsider the 30 minutes you spend on Facebook trying to escape the "pressures" of having children.

"Lord, teach me to count my days (my hours, my minutes,...) that I may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90,12)

Every minute is a grace.

For Papa and Opa

2012-01-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

Will he play for the Rangers or the Red Sox?

Giggles

2012-01-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas with Gigi and Pop Pop

2012-01-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

Thank you Gigi and Pop Pop!
We had such a great time with you.

Thanks for the tights, Omi!!

2012-01-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T06:19:00.000-08:00

Multitude Mondays #581-595

2011-12-19T05:34:00.001-08:00

Our rush to the ER and the following sickness that is still lingering in our home really have depleted me this past week. I went to bed last night, my body aching with exhaustion. Right now, I would rather be back in my bed. But, the boys are awake, neglected housework is smugly grinning in triumph and I really need to figure out what we are going to eat this week.
Ann Voskamp in One Thousand Gifts says that Thanksgiving always precedes the miracle. I could use a miracle today. So here we go:

581) sleep, sleep, sleep
582) no vomiting in the last 24 hours
583) a soft and clean bed to sleep in
584) new Christmas ornament with a picture of Max on it that makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it
585) Michi is home
586) being able to go to the grocery store
587) Skype calls with Mom and Dad
588) Skype calls with Andrea and Clemens
589) Joey's incredible hard work
590) Joey being rewarded for his hard work
591) heat in the house
592) wine from Austria
593) English Muffins with butter and hot tea
594) time to write with a specific event in mind
595) Will wearing underwear over his pajamas

Gratitude #570-580

2011-12-15T07:16:00.000-08:00

570) grace that the cut was not worse
571) that Joey was already on his way home
572) for hospitals, doctors and nurses only 15 minutes away
573) for 7 stitches that bind the wound together
574) for restful nights
575) for Max's appetite coming back
576) for prayer for Max going to the Lord from many different people
577) praying with Joey for our family
578) that God's grace really is sufficient in need
579) being able to walk boldly into today knowing that God will supply all things
580) for help waiting for Joey last night - a burden lifted.

Advent 2011

2011-12-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

So far Advent this year hasn't been quietly meditative. Honestly, I just have a lot of questions about a lot of different things. So this picture is a good representation of where we are as a family. Max is missing because of sickness and injury. The table is not cleared, but remnants from the day before still wait to be put away. It's a simple meal, but provided from the hand of God. The picture isn't even straight.
So Advent hasn't been romantic or idyllic or even clean. But God can handle the messy, right?
I am choosing to believe that God can handle my questions. He can handle my mouth that can spew venom. He can hold my heart that is broken at the sight of my son. He knows my tiredness at the thought of a possible rough night and my overwhelmed mind with its to-do lists.
So maybe it is in the messy that I can pray most authentically, "Oh come, oh come Immanuel." Maybe Advent isn't really supposed to be romantic after all. Maybe Advent is a desperate cry; a clinging to the goodness of God; and the watchful wait for our hope to become sight.

Multitude Mondays #559- 569

2011-12-12T11:13:00.000-08:00

559) my book club
560) your patience, oh Lord, in me opening my hand to your will and timing of my writing
561) that God loves on me even when I don't choose to see it
562) forgiveness
563) belly laughter of anticipation coming from William
564) the aroma of a newly opened box of peppermint tea
565) this computer
566) our church- God's grace to us
567) little boys with home-made light sabers
568) Will's dimples
569) reading The Horse and His Boy to Max at nap time

Having a Four-Year-Old

2011-12-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

Four years old. He is growing up so fast. I can hardly keep up. More and more of his personality is showing and I am in awe of who God has made him to be. I pray with all my heart that Joey and I raise him to look to God in all things and for all things.
In the meantime, I'll enjoy the superhero adventures we have together, the nap time readings of Charlotte's Web or some book from Narnia, the really weird humor that comes with his age, the dandelions he picks for me to put into my hair (that later fall out of my hair and freak me out because they feel like bugs), the burping followed by gales of laughter, and the endless questions.
And when I forget to enjoy because of a cluttered kitchen, or an empty fridge that needs to be stocked, or a floor that needs to be swept, I hope that I am reminded that love is always patient first. Patient to see what the true need is. Patient enough to put my own to-do list aside. Patient to be the best Super Woman I can be (which does not involve any of the tasks mentioned above, but rather fighting imaginary bad guys and following my four-year-old Spiderman's lead.)

Clean and Folded!

2011-12-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would share an accomplishment of the day. Clean and folded laundry. You gotta celebrate the small things when tomorrow there will probably be another Mt. Everest of laundry avalanching onto my floor.
Hurray for getting something done during nap time!

Multitude Mondays # 541-558 (on Tuesday)

2011-12-06T04:51:00.000-08:00

541) Making the Adventkranz (advent wreath)
542) Feeling closer to Austria because of the wreath
543) the scent of pine
544) Max, "I believe Jesus."
545) running
546) Will sleeping in
547) glittering frost on leaves - the world covered in diamonds
548) foggy mornings
549) Will's love of the picture book of animals
550) Singing "danke, dass du mich so liebst" upon Will's request
551) The hope of the Total Money Makeover by David Ramsey
552) dancing with Joe in the kitchen to "The Way You Look Tonight"
553) decorating the tree with the boys and Michi
554) Gulasch
555) dinner with friends last night
556) Dexter, Max and Will group hug
557) supporting Oneiry through Compassion International
558) Too Small to Ignore by Wess Stafford

Hope

2011-12-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

It was five years ago today - a bloody show the size of a quarter, and thus began a very dark time. The baby was only six weeks old. Old enough for facial features to start forming and the heart to be beating around 100 times a minute. Old enough to have captured my heart.
I hardly had baby when suddenly it was gone. The cramps of the miscarriage didn’t even come close to the spasms of my heart that manifested themselves through hot tears, numbness, anger and collapsing in the light of the moon in the front yard in bitter grief. For a while I wondered how I was ever going to go through Advent and celebrate Christmas when I felt loss in every cell of my body. But it turned out that Advent began to heal me.
The moon has always been a sign of God’s faithfulness to me because I have always been able to see it’s orb regardless of which continent I have been on. And so, getting out of the car after spending a very lonely time in an ER corridor because I had been forgotten, I was surrounded by the glow of the moon and knew that I was not forgotten by God. In trying to sooth my aching body in the shower the next morning, I couldn’t help but whisper- sing, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” It comforted me just as much as the running water.
Advent that year taught me what it is we are really waiting for. It is the hope and comfort that comes from knowing the God with us. Knowing Emmanuel. I was able to celebrate the birth of a baby even after the death of my own because the child that was born 2000 years ago, lived so that death does not have the final word. That is what I clung to, and that is what I rejoiced in even with an ache in my heart that has never quite vanished.
My prayer for you is that you find the hope of the King-child this Advent season.

Hoodies and Leaves

2011-11-29T12:01:00.000-08:00

Multitude Mondays #524-535

2011-11-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

524) not being in the accident yesterday
525) time with family
526) being back home
527) eggs in the fridge
528) being reminded of the goodness of God
529) being reminded to trust in the goodness of God instead of trying to fix hard and dark situations on my own
530) how trusting opens the doors and windows to peace
531) Advent...the glorious anticipation and waiting for the promised King
532) the sound of rain
533) how thanksgiving always precedes the miracle and that it happened in me this morning
534) eyes to see what was really important. learning to put on shoes and socks can wait.
535) hot tea and Lebkuchen

Multitude Mondays #509-523

2011-11-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

A thought from A Holy Experience today:

"To bring the sacrifice of thanksgiving means to sacrifice your understanding of what is beneficial and thank God for everything because He is benevolent.

A sacrifice of thanks lays down our perspective and raises hands in praise anyways – always.

A sacrifice is by definition not an easy thing.

There is this: We give thanks to God not because of how we feel – but because of Who He is."

I don't feel very grateful today, but there is always room for thanksgiving.
And so my list continues...

509) health
510) open windows
511) excitement of seeing family
512) beauty of our new church building
513) a new German friend who lives close by
514) a very successful yard sale
515) getting my grocery bill for the entire week down to $68.00!!!
518) Lebkuchen
519) that God knows the why behind this weekend
520) mothers walking side-by-side and encouraging each other in their calling
521) Joey
522) a list of meals waiting to be made
523) homemade rolls

Small Disclaimer about Previous Post

2011-11-17T04:38:00.000-08:00

After reading my post again I wanted to add that this is not the first time that I have been struck by the importance and significance of mothering. One thing that I have found with myself is that the learning never ends, even when I have already "learned" a certain thing. The learning is almost like an onion, where there is always yet another layer. And so yesterday's post is essentially a surrendering to what God is doing in my life in a deeper layer of the "mothering onion."
Also, mothering is not just hard work and fatigue. :-) It includes many precious, silly, happy, creative and treasure-for-always moments. For example, Will managed to sneak out the front door and into the rain and leaves falling from the sky this morning. I realized that he was outside right away, so I looked out the door and what I saw was a blur of curls zooming past the door over and over again, and a smile that communicated, "I just had to be outside right now, mom!" So I fully enjoyed watching Will enjoy and discover the magic of the Fall season.

Confessions of an Imperfect Mother

2011-11-16T12:29:00.001-08:00

Lately, I find myself dreaming about many things, except mothering. I dream about saving hundreds of dollars each month because of my mad couponing skills. I dream about learning how to use my grandmother’s old singer sewing machine that was built in 1952, and making beautiful quilts. I dream about sponsoring more children through Compassion International. When the kids are awake, I dream about nap time and bed time, so I can get back to making Christmas gifts, and cleaning the house, and maybe reading and writing. I dream about running the 10k in Charleston this spring.
I dream and I dream, and I get very grumpy when my dreaming (or maybe I should call it my escaping) is interrupted.
Sickness has returned to our home, so interruptions include crankiness, snotty noses, restlessness and towering dishes. I was loading my dishwasher yesterday when this thought came to my head, “What if this is all I have called you to do?” I had to swallow. What if mothering is the sole task I am given here on earth? That question laid my soul bare, and my pride and discontentment both stood naked and ugly before me.
This round of discontentment had nothing to do with possessions, looks, gifting or travel. This round was all about calling.
I grew up proud to be a missionary kid, maybe not because of what my parents were doing, but because it set me apart from any other child in my country of origin. I was raised in a cultured city. I knew how to jaywalk. I spoke a second language fluently. I was the first missionary kid in Austria from our missionary organization to go through the entire Austrian school system. I could travel internationally on my own. In college, debates over cross cultural experiences made me chuckle and at times even sneer. They knew it in theory, but I had lived it! My background, my gifting and all my wonderful accomplishments seemed to set me up perfectly to do great things on this planet.
Not long after college, a ring was slipped on my finger, and I made the vow of forever. Two years later Joseph Maximilian was born, which officially made me a stay-at-home mom. I coped by joining a cosmetic business, even though I hardly wore make-up. If I could no longer shine as a teacher, I could shine as a business woman. Two years went by, and I found myself starved to really be at home; to engage fully in the life of my child; to bake bread; to transform our house into a home. William Chadrick was born, and that sealed the deal. It meant auf wiedersehen to lipstick and mascara.
Then yesterday afternoon, I was confronted with the question that I have possibly been running away from for the last four years. What if being a mother is all I am called to be in this world? I love being a mom. I know the pain of losing a child. I see the pain of women I know and love who long to hold their own child in their arms. And yet, my escaping actually means that I am insisting that it is not enough and that there has to be more out there for me to do. I have a feast laid before me in my mothering, and I crave chocolates and gummis.
A day later, after being confronted with the immeasurable worth and vulnerability of children in Wes Stafford’s book, Too Small to Ignore, my mind is a whirlpool of thought fragments, and I am wanting some clarity. And it hits me. What was the remedy to my discontentment of earlier this year? Wasn’t it thanksgiving? Wasn’t it acknowledging whatever God set before me? Hasn’t that led to my eyes opening in wonder to the beauty and action of God’s blessing on my behalf?
I have thanked God for my children. I have thanked God with tears that I am a mother. But I have never thanked him for assigning this task to me. One of the most important callings (and maybe the only calling) of my life stares me in the face every single day in the form of twenty fingers and toes, curls plastered to a snotty nose, pains in growing limbs, questions about this big world we live in, pitter- patter in the hall before dawn, the contents of my wallet thrown around the room, the desire to play super heros, the need of snuggles and a good book, and using the air intake as a piggybank. It is exhausting, and I really can’t do all the things I want to do. I can’t even do a lot of “Christian” work in my own city, let alone in a foreign country. But I can open my hands to the blessing, give thanks and build the kingdom within the walls of my home, so that my boys know that Jesus is here and know him.

So here is my first attempt:

Thank you, Lord
for entrusting two of your sweet children to my care.
that you have called me to minister to their needs.
for giving me the grace to see that I am called to a very significant task.
for gently showing me my sin, and restoring me.
that I can build your kingdom here and now, not just someday.
that you see and that you know.

Amen.

Multitude Mondays #497-508

2011-11-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

497) boys taking naps
498) hot tea and rest for a sick mama
499) tissues
500) amazed and thankful to have already written down 500 things to be thankful for
501) Compassion International and their ministry highlight of Ecuador
502) using my imagination with Max (or should I say Spider Man) on the playground today. (The playground did almost seem like a rocket ship at one point.)
503) Will crunching through an orange and yellow lake of leaves
504) the abundance of food
505) a bunk bed for free right when we started to feel the need for one
506) God's faithful work in my heart even when I don't learn as much from his lessons as I think I should
507) learning to look for God in the mess
508) flowering Christmas cactus

Dying and Rising

2011-11-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

This weekend was hard. It seems like it should have been wonderful. We transformed the office into a playroom for the boys and Joey built a train/car table for them.
But the boys are sick and emotional and just absurd at times.
Both boys do not have a lot of patience with each other at the moment.
I lost mine on Saturday (and I am still looking for it.)
I feel tired and empty and I long to mother well.
But I don't long to die to self when the rubber meets the road.
It's inconvenient and it feels like crap.
Just when I felt I was making some progress with this, this weekend happened, and the whole dying to self thing really seems to have flown out the window.
But isn't our hope that death is not the end?
So maybe dying to self is really rising with Christ, or better yet Christ rising in us.
Christ in us, the hope of glory.
Christ in me, the patience to see beyond tears and screams to the hearts of little boys.
Christ in me, the love to pick up another snotty tissue off the floor.
Christ in me, the kindness to listen to the unending flow of four-year-old lips.
Christ in me, the ability in give thanks (even if nap time ends up being short and attitudes are not much improved).
Christ in me, the strength in my weakness.
Christ in me, the fullness of life.

This I long for.
Christ.

The Lost Ring

2011-11-02T12:24:00.001-07:00

It was one of those days this summer. The boys were driving me crazy, and the only solution was to let the great outdoors work its magic. Who knew it takes so much work just to take off clothes to go play in the sprinklers. Little feet were impatient, making little voices fussy. The number one mission was to lather them in sun screen and get them out the door. I took off my ring, placed it beside me on the couch and beckoned one of the boys over, then the second, and then the third for we had a visitor that day. Mission accomplished, I turned to grab my ring, and it was gone. I asked if any of the boys had seen it, but the answer was negative. At that point I was more desperate to get the herd out the door, that I was sure in my head that the ring would turn up once I had time to really look.
At nap time, I started looking all around, and the ring was nowhere to be found. It had vanished. I wasn’t nervous about what Joe would say, but I was sad because it is the only ring I have. Opting for just one ring six and a half years ago when we said, “I do,” was a way to cling to some of my Austrian ways and a way to cut costs.
Joey and I tore up the house looking for the ring, and then went to bed with plans to look through all the duct work under the house the next day incase Will had thrown it down into one of the vents. I went to bed, my finger feeling naked.
The next morning, I got in the shower, and eventually started to pray. “Lord, I know a ring is not the most important thing in the world, but it means a lot to me, and it’s the most expensive piece of jewelry I own. I really want to find it.”
Once out of the shower, I found myself being rushed along by the demands of little boys. It was going to be a hot day, so the most comfortable and easiest shirt to wear would be the blue tank top. It was hidden under a pile of laundry in my bedroom. I flung it onto my bed as I raced to get something else. Once I turned my attention to the shirt again, I started to unfold it, and there sitting inside the shirt that had been buried underneath a pile of clothes at least for 3 days, was my ring. I slipped it on my finger and fell to my knees in tears of thanksgiving. To this day I do not have an explanation to the location of the ring. But I do know that I have a God who knows my desires and answers my prayer.

Bright Angel Trail

2011-10-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

I was too tired today to figure out how to put these pictures in order so they have ended up in no order at all. I will do my best to explain where and when they were taken. The picture of Sarah and me at the trail head is actually the "after" picture. It was taken when we reached the top of the South Rim again after hiking all day. The 2nd picture of us at the trail head was taken before the hike. We hike to Indian Gardens, which is half way down into the canyon. It was a 12 mile hike round trip.
This is the lookout point from Plateau Point, where we ate our lunch and then turned around to hike back to the top of the rim.

These two pics were taken at Indian Garden. It is amazing the difference water makes. Everywhere during the hike all we saw were cacti and shrubs. Then suddenly we heard the trickle of water the closer we got to Indian Garden. Once there, we had to walk through reeds, grass and trees. It was absolutely amazing, and the shade was a welcome luxury.

I took this on a water break on the way back up. It made me think of when Moses asked to see God, and God put him in a crevasse of a rock and covered him with his hand as he passed by.

If you look to the bottom right of this picture you can see a little trail on the plateau. That was the trail we hiked after we reached Indian Gardens and went to Plateau Point.
Sarah and her cactus.

A small update on the toes: Even three weeks after this hike, they are still turning deeper shades of purple and black.

Ugly Toes

2011-10-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you really wanted to see my feet. (Especially Sigi.) These toes are the result of two things. The first being the Bright Angel Trail at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Pictures are soon to follow. It was a 12 mile hike round trip, and it only took us half way down into the canyon. It was absolutely amazing. My mistake, however, was that I did not trim my toenails, so going downhill really took its toll on my toes. It has been about a week and a half since the hike, and I am still feeling the effects in my body.
As painful as my toes are, especially after a full day of taking care of the boys, I am almost thankful for the bruising because they remind me that I really was at the Grand Canyon. And because I don't get to hike or be as active as I would like, bruised and blistered toes make me feel tough. :-)

The second reason for these toes is William. The bruising was already in place on my left foot due to the hike. A few evenings ago, however, Will threw a fit, which included stomping his feet. One of his heels fell full force against my toe. The deep discoloration, the extent of the bruising (and a few swallowed tears) are thanks to him.

So there you go. Now you know the reasons for my ugly toes.

Sunrise, Sunset

2011-10-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

From the rising of the sun...

... to the going down of the same...

...the Lord's name is to be praised.
Psalm 113:3

Returning from a Journey

2011-10-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

Light of the full moon

reflected off the tops of clouds

creates a sea of silver mist

And I sail across this ocean

of floating water far above terra

hardly knowing up from down

I'm somewhere between adventure and home

wishing they would collide

This journey has taken me

from the inner depths of canyons

to the heights of planet's orb

from the dryness of a parched soul

to the saturation of grace overflowing

It has left me in awe of Creator Savior

and I have found rest

The Orange Dish

2011-10-03T04:45:00.000-07:00

"I want some dry cereal for breakfast while I watch some cartoons," Max said.

As usual I went to the closet to get the orange bowl for him. I was about to pour the cereal when I heard his voice calling out from the living room, "I want the orange bowl, Mom!"

For a second I was a little annoyed. The same thing happens every morning. If he eats cereal, he wants the orange bowl. If he eats eggs, he wants the orange plate. In my mind I thought, "Why doesn't he get that I know what he wants. He doesn't have to ask for the orange dish. I already know he wants it."

As soon as I thought the words "I already know," my mind went to Jesus' words.

"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or "What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." (Mt. 6:30-32)

I don't think Jesus is saying that we shouldn't ask. I think he is saying don't frantically try to acquire what we need (even want). Don't worry about it. We don't have to try to remind God. God knows.

And instead of God being annoyed with me asking him over and over again for the things we need, he gently reminds me that he loves me so much more than the birds and the flowers. (I know for a fact that the birds are well taken care of because they are becoming rather plump in my back yard as they eat seeds and fallen pecans.)

Just like I know Max desires the orange dish, God often provides what I need even before I ask him for it. He is a good parent.

I don't know what you need today.

But don't forget:

God knows.

Silent Tears

2011-09-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Max's soccer game was canceled because of weather. We did not find out this was the case until we arrived at the soccer field and it was deserted. We explained to Max what was going on, and he did not understand why a thunderstorm in the morning is reason to cancel the best sport ever. I can't blame him because it wasn't raining anymore. It was also very clear that he was very disappointed. He became quiet after that and after about 5 minutes Joey and I looked in the backseat to see our dear Max with huge, hot and silent tears streaming down his face.

Today I received an email saying that the school I was potentially going to be teaching at, did not receive the grant it needed to offer the class I was probably going to teach. It feels like I have huge hot silent tears streaming down my heart. This job seemed ideal. It would have been in the evenings, it would have paid well, and it would have been a nice outlet for me. With Joey's job situation the way it is, an extra income would have been very helpful.

So now we are back to square one. I am disappointed, but there has been something I have learned during this economic recession. And that is, God is God regardless of the economy. I have seen God provide over and above for us in the last few months.

Ann Voskamp (blogger at aholyexperience.com) said not too long ago, that instead of worrying we should wonder at how God is going to provide.

The teaching job did not work out. So now I wonder what God has in store for us.

I'll let you know.

(Btw, the baby seen in the picture is William and the cry was not silent.)

The Rainbow Promise

2011-09-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

The first thing Noah did was to thank God for rescuing them, just as he had promised.
And the first thing God did was make another promise. "I won't ever destroy the world again."
And like a warrior who puts away his bow and arrow at the end of a great battle, God said, "See, I have hung my bow in the clouds."
And there, in the clouds - just where the storm meets the sun - was a beautiful bow made of light.
It was a new beginning in God's world. It wasn't long before everything went wrong again but God wasn't surprised, he knew this would happen. That's why, before the beginning of time, he had another plan - a better plan. A plan not to destroy the world, but to rescue it - a plan to one day send his own Son, the Rescuer.
God's strong anger against hate and sadness and death would come down once more - but not on his people, or his world. No, God's war bow was not pointing down at his people.
It was pointing up, into the heart of Heaven.

(taken from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones)

It stormed this evening, and Max found the rainbow pictured above outside our front door. This is the first one he has discovered on his own. He was really excited.

3-year-old Max at the Beach

2011-09-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

kung fu

learning to body surf.

is it just me, or is max just a really cool kid?

Grateful

2011-09-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

This morning I am grateful for a new day.
Yesterday was not a good day. Parenting was difficult. I didn't feel good. The weather was weird. An egg was dropped on the kitchen floor. The boys fought. Laundry mounted. Joey had to work late. It was a rough day.
Yet in the end of that hard day, God gave a beautiful sunset that set the sky on fire. Endless shades of oranges, pinks, purples and blues illuminated the sky. Thinking back on it, it seems like God was saying, "See, even in the midst of hard day, I give beauty."
So here I am at the dawn of a new day, with the chance to see beauty in what seems like might be another hard day. But I know that grace will be new again today just as surely as the sun came up again this morning. I hope I take time to see it, receive it, and love through it.
Open my eyes, Lord!
Amen.

Mr. and Mrs. Blizzard

2011-09-18T09:13:00.001-07:00

I just witnessed the lonely march of a newborn widow. Last night we were awaken by our dog barking madly, and we came to find out it was because a firetruck was at our neighbor’s house. Deep down we both guessed what was happening, but it wasn’t confirmed until early this morning when I saw our neighbor as I was strapping the boys into the car.
“Dad passed this morning around 3:00,” he said, the emotion clearly catching in his throat. He swallowed hard almost as if he was trying to undo what he just said.
“Mama will let you know how it all happened.”
“Please give her our condolences and please let us know if there is anything we can do,” I heard myself saying. It sounded hollow. Then I drove to church.
Making lunch I saw her, the woman whose marriage vow was fulfilled in the darkness of a new day. Leaning heavily upon the arm of her daughter she walked to a car. I do not know where they were going. For her, I am sure it is into the unknown. Decades of oneness have come to an end, and so she puts one foot in front of the other and just walks. She is walking through the valley I never want to walk through. The one that is dark and scary and lonely. The one without him.
I do not know their story. My guess is it wasn’t always great because what marriage is always bliss? But the point is, the stress, the hard times, the hurt feelings did not end the marriage. They walked together until the end. That is something you don’t see every day, and it stands as a pillar for me to see every time I look out my kitchen window and live. It challenges me to love patiently and passionately and fiercely until “death do us part.”

2nd Soccer Game

2011-09-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Max enjoyed his second game this morning. His team played against the Geckos. The weather in Columbia dropped by 30 degrees yesterday, so it took his team a while to wake up and warm up this morning. There were a lot of tumbles, running toward the wrong goal, using hands and day-dreaming. It was awesome.
Max has had a cold since Monday, so he valiantly ran up and down the field with a tissue in hand. We didn't see much action from him in the first half, but during the second half, he scored twice. Joey had the biggest grin on his face. He also tripped his same teammate twice as the little guy was trying to score a goal. He never did it on purpose. It just happened.
Max also had a guest in the crowd, namely Michael Spicher. This was a huge honor considering that Spicher had tickets to the World Cup in South Africa and ended up not going. Thanks Spicher for coming!!!
Will spent most of the game sitting on a blanket on the sideline shredding a Styrofoam cup.
In the end, the Kangaroos did it again and won 5 to 3.

Will Chad

2011-09-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

If you have not met Will or have not seen him in a while, this picture pretty much sums him and his personality up.
Whatever he does, he does 100%.
He teases his older brother full force, but loves him with all his heart. Whenever Max is playing with trains, you know that Will will break the track at some point. But whenever Will comes to get a snack (like a cookie, a piece of cheese, etc.) he always asks for one for Max, too.
If Max is crying, Will is very distraught until Max is all better.
He has started pointing and waving with his pointer finger and saying, "no-no!" It is the cutest thing, but he says it about things he is not aloud to touch as he is touching them.
He loves the characters from Cars and Charlie the train, and dogs and chickens and babies.
Lately he is known to sneak out the front door or climb into the hen house.
He loves to snuggle and hug and give wet kisses. He loves to sing the B-I-B-L-E and shout, "Bible" at the end of the song.
He loves hotdogs and is known to eat 2-3 at a time.
So that is sweet William in a nutshell.
We wouldn't trade him for the world.

1st Soccer Game- Kangaroos!

2011-09-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

Warming up with the team (and Will) before the game.
(Notice the kangaroo hanging from the top of the goal, so the kids knew which goal to run toward!)

A few seconds before he scored his second goal of the game.

Soccer Stud.
(for Tati)

Go Kangaroos!!

Max loved playing soccer. He broke away from the rest of the kids three times and scored twice. Joey and I were quite surprised by how well he was able to dribble the ball. Thanks to Opa, Maxi's cleats make him really fast. When he was on the sideline, he cheered his team on and was so excited anytime they scored. I have to admit, his little team is really strong and big for three-year-olds. I think the Kangaroos might be going all the way this season!
:-)

Pride

2011-07-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how pride can really destroy everything? Pride gets in the way of an apology, increasing the tension in a marriage; pride is the hurdle truth sometimes cannot leap over; pride does not release you to let go of whatever “it” you are holding on to. Pride is loud when it should be silent, puffing itself up out of proportion. Pride is the most deafening silence when love needs to be vocal.

I find myself in the school of humility, often unaware of and even oblivious to lessons needed to be learned. I live life day in and day out with never ending lists of demands that need my attention. Some are admittedly self-imposed. Other boxes to check off are essential or else we do not eat.

This evening, in the midst of taking a short break after my shoe-hider and furniture gymnast went to bed, I was mentally giving myself a pep talk and formulating a plan of attack on the kitchen, when I heard dishes clanking and water running. My insides turned. The only person who could be in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher and doing my job was our guest from Austria. Pride penetrated by heart and mind just as quickly as gasoline burns when a match is lit. “I must come across lazy and incompetent. I can’t even manage my own household!” were the lyrics of pride’s song.
But tonight I had the ears to hear God’s song. “You are tired and weary. Let me take care of the “to-do’s.” Child, let go and let me bless.” Clanking dishes kept beat and running water put out pride’s fire. So I joined our guest in the kitchen and worked on the to-do’s of the evening, but instead of an attack, it was more like a dance.

Rascal

2011-07-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-05T04:55:00.000-07:00

This 4th of July we found ourselves driving to Greenville to take our Mac to the Apple store for some repair. So we decided to spend a relaxing day there. The pictures show some of our adventures. Mick was with us, too, but he never wanted to be in a photo.
The pics are actually not in chronological order, but I don't think that matters too much. Our day ended with a drink and ice-cream break at Cool Beans, overlooking Reedy Falls Park.

Cooling off in the river. Will and Max both had so much fun. Max tried to catch fish with a cup, and Will had no fear. Joey or I had to be with him at all times. The beach ought to be an adventure later on this summer.

We also climbed the rocks around the waterfall. We all had a much needed day of fun.

Oh, I forgot to mention quite a sight. When we arrived at the mall to go to the Apple store, Joey pulled up to the entrance to let Max and me out so Max could go to the bathroom. I got out of the car, opened Max's door, and somehow a draft was created that lifted my dress all the way up in the air. Joey's comment: "Victoria doesn't have anymore secrets."

Reflections on being an adult MK

2011-06-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

Here I am a month and a half away from being 30 years old, and the question of “What is God’s plan for my life?” still plagues me. On a deeper level, my question sounds more like, “What was the purpose of me growing up in a different culture and dearly loving that culture, when everything seems to be pointing to me staying in Columbia, South Carolina?” Why was I given the gift of Vienna? I am still not 100% sure why, but I think it may be slowly becoming clearer for the phase of life I am in at the moment. I think that it is very possible (and probable) that the purpose may change as the phases of my life change.

I am an adult missionary kid. At times I feel that being an adult MK has been more difficult than being a child MK. Yes, completing the 2^nd half of 8^th grade in America, right after having received the most frightening haircut the world has ever seen, was extremely difficult. My insides sometimes turn just thinking back on those experiences. Yes, it was hard saying good-bye to friends and family on either side of the ocean. I never fit in completely there. I definitely did not fit in here. As an adult MK, I find that when I am here, I am void of an American childhood, but when I am in Vienna, I am now void of an Austrian adulthood. Therefore, it is really hard to feel whole. It is almost like being torn between two different existences.

Here, I do not have the luxury of having family close by. My parents are witnessing the growth of my children through a computer screen. I am extremely grateful for Skype, but it is not the same as having grandparents in the same city, state or country for that matter.

So why the heck did I grow up in Austria? I don’t know for sure. But what I do know is that when I was going through countless transitions in North America or Europe, there were people who were always there and always extending love. That is what made the difference. That is why I can look back on my MK childhood and count myself blessed.

Now at almost 30 years of age I am finding that it is now my turn to be that constant person for people coming back to the States, for people whose lives are in upheaval, for people who just don’t fit in. I want to be that person who is always there, always extending love and creating wonderful memories for the people that come and go in my life. Maybe that is why Vienna was allowed to flow through my veins.

Flying into Summer

2011-06-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Getting So Big.

2011-06-08T05:04:00.000-07:00

Hello. Goodbye.

2011-05-31T04:51:00.000-07:00

Tickets are bought
Thousands of miles flown
Back to a place that once was a home.
Houses are cleaned
Meals are cooked
Arms open wide
Hello! Hello!

Stories are shared
Questions are asked
Laughter roars
Eyes leak
Hearts open wide
Hello! Hello!

The meals are done
Kids are tired
It's time to leave
Arms open wide and heart bleeds
Goodbye. Goodbye.

They walk toward the gate
Kisses are blown
And then they are gone again
to the place called home
Goodbye. Goodbye.

Pizza Night with Friends

2011-05-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

This evening dear friends came over for pizza. They live far far away (as Maxi says), so this was a real treat for us. Thanks for coming over!!!

Poultry Festival

2011-05-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Dressed up dog. Hmm.

Poultry Festival Parade.

The Closest Max has Ever Been to Train Tracks. (And the face he makes when he says cheese.)

Max's response to the parade: become grumpy, and pretend you are not there.

Will's response to the parade: Watch and wander around to the vendors and get free food because of your cuteness.

Once Max got a chance to go on rides, he was a happy man.

Will waiting around for Max's ride to be over.

A Hot Day

2011-05-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

The sprinklers helped us cool down. However, the sprinklers also made mud, so the boys pretended they were elephants, and cooled off in the sandy, sticky mud.

Attempts to wash off in a bucket were unsuccessful, so after spraying the not-so-happy boys off with the hose, we piled into the car and headed to Walmart.

The day ended nice, cool and mud-free.

Quote of the Day

2011-05-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

"You're the most awesomess grown-up I've ever had, Mom."

-Max

A Good Day

2011-05-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

After what seems like two weeks of non-stop activity, today was a wonderfully relaxing but not slow day. It started off with a 3 mile run and some things I had to get done around the house, but I won't bore you with that. Max and Will started getting restless indoors so we went into our front yard where Max and I played soccer. His improving abilities at handling the ball as well as his reckless abandon when charging the ball, punctuated by waves of laughter, made it one of those moments as a mom that I will cherish for a long time.
We were then all hot and sweaty so the boys stripped down to their birthday suits and got into our new blow-up pool in the backyard. (This was a very smart $25 purchase. Pictures soon to follow.) After some time there, Will went to bed for his nap, and Max and I did some yard work. All I can say is that yard work is therapeutic and even spiritual for me. I can explain that at some point if you want to know. I just love it.
Then Max and I had a Kung Fu Fighting dance party thanks to Cee Lo Green's music video on Kung Fu Panda. It was a great work out and Max and I got to practice our wild dance/fighting skills.
Once Will woke up we headed out on an errand that was made fun by sharing a smoothie from Tropical Smoothie Cafe. FYI, Mondays through Thursdays from 4-5 all smoothies are half off. I had no idea. All three of us shared a wonderfully refreshing smoothie for $2.30 while we sat in the shade by a fountain. Bliss.
We came home and played some more outside, which once again ended up in the boys being in their birthday suits and splashing in the pool. This time I decided to make it more extreme and moved the slide over. It fits over the edge of the pool, so now the boys have a water slide. I don't really know which one likes it more. They both climbed, laughed, splashed and did it all over again. Joey came home and we had a great dinner. Will ran around without a diaper on just because he had just done his business outside so I thought we were good to go. Well later on after dinner, Joey asked me where Will was, and I looked into the dining room. There he was under the table, pooping on the floor!!! If that wasn't enough, I walked into the kitchen after having cleaned up his little pile only to find another sausage on the floor. All I could do was laugh. Joey cleaned that one up.
The day ended with putting two happy and sleepy little boys to bed, making up a bed-time story for Max and snuggles all around.
It was a good day.
Now I am off to find Joey who said he would give me a back rub. YES!!!

Choosing what matters

2011-05-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to run. I didn't get to shower. The house is a huge mess, and I have no idea how it happened.

I did have some breakfast and hot tea.

I have tired and cranky boys because of a busy week and a thunderstorm last night.

I am tired and cranky.

But here is an opportunity to regard my children better than myself; to value you them more than my cleaning agenda; to love them as Jesus does.

Lord, help me not to be worried and upset about many things as Martha was, but rather, like Mary, choose the one thing that is needed and better. Amen.

A Toad and 2 Little Boys

2011-05-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Where is Christ Present?

2011-05-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday the phrase that stuck with me from the sermon was, "Christ was present." Jesus was in the midst of the people and disciples after his resurrection. He was not a ghost. He was there, alive and well.
Before he returned to the Father he promised that he would be with us until the end of the age.

That means Christ is present even now.

The problem is that I often do not have the eyes to see it.
I see what is missing or what is going wrong. I see how our world is spinning out of control; how lack of work hours chisels away at a financial buffer; how gas prices are taking their toll; how health insurance makes no sense to me; how injustice is done upon the weakest.

But Jesus is present.

After reading the blog of a world-traveling friend, I see Jesus present in the hunger that people have for God's word in a country where it is forbidden. From another blog I see Jesus alive and present in helping a friend adapt to life in a new country. And more personally, I saw Jesus present in helping me find some misplaced important documents; in two bags of great hand-me-downs for Max; in a stocked fridge and freezer at very little cost to us at just the right time; in rain and sun that are helping our little garden grow; in being able to pay bills; in Joey getting his last 3 credits.
Some things seem very insignificant, but life is made up of the basic and insignificant.

And Jesus is present even (or maybe especially) in the insignificant.

I pray for the eyes to see and a heart to receive in thankfulness how the present Christ manifests himself on a daily basis here in Columbia and in the smallest darkest corner around the world.

Christ Is Present.

An Eventful Day

2011-04-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

This "little guy" was in Dash's dog house late yesterday afternoon. Suddenly, Dash started barking like crazy while looking at his dog house; his tail was stiff, and he was not about to settle down. He wasn't barking like he usually does when someone is walking by, so I figured there was probably a snake or another animal close by. Sure enough, this guys was in the dog house. He may have slithered out on his own, but Dash never gave him the chance to do so. Joey took care of the situation when he got home. The snake struck the hoe once, and then finally slithered out of the dog house a lot quicker than I expected him to move. We thought he was gone, but then we saw him under a tree next to the dog house. Next thing we know, he was up in the tree.

Earlier yesterday, the boys and I went shopping. Will had the seat belt on in the shopping cart. I was just in the middle of lifting Max up to put him into the basket part of the cart, when Will somehow managed to stand up, get out of the seat belt, lose his balance and fall backwards into the basket of the cart. I am so thankful he didn't fall on the floor. He hit the back of his head pretty hard though and still had a considerable lump last night before bed.

I wonder what today holds?

More Easter

2011-04-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Since Joey and I go to an Anglican church, Holy Week is a very big deal. These first two pictures were taken before we went the the service Saturday evening. (This service is one of my favorites, and I am planning on writing about it later on.) Anyways, I thought it was a good opportunity to get the Lederhosen and Edelweiss shirts out of the closet. :-)

Max's Easter basket. It was hard to get a good picture of him because I think he has allergies for the first time this Spring, and he had just woken up. He really was excited about the paints. He will sit for a long time and just paint. (Be on the lookout, Omi. Your requested masterpiece is headed your way!)
Joey and I have been talking about how we want the boys to remember Easter as being a huge celebration in our home, comparable to Christmas (minus the gifts). I don't want Easter to turn into a mini Christmas, but I do want to have a feast and a great time with family and friends as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. This year's feast was an orange roasted chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans, home-made rolls, fruit salad, punch and a home-made carrot cake. It was awesome!
We were glad to have our friends, Hannah and Michael, over to celebrate with us. Of course, Uncle Mik was home too, which was wonderful. We miss him now that he is back at school again.
Will is now a choco-holic. The boy is crazy about the stuff. I had to hide his Easter basket because he would try to eat the chocolate with the foil. I just have to say the word chocolate, and he will sprint into the kitchen and eagerly point and reach up to the freezer until the treat appears.

Running

2011-04-26T09:54:00.001-07:00

I ran 3 miles yesterday.

This has been nine weeks in the making. I started primarily because although I had already lost most of the baby weight I had gained, I had also lost quite a bit of muscle. So the initial goal was to firm up so that I would feel decent in a bathing suit this summer.

I started a program called Couch to 5K. I guess the first step on this journey was to admit that I was out of shape and in need of a slow start into a healthier lifestyle. As much as I wanted to have quick results, I knew I had to stick to the program even if it hurt my pride to walk more than run during the first few weeks. What I love about the program is that it challenges you but doesn't ask for too much so that you think the goal is unattainable.

This week is the last week of the program, and I will be running 3 miles two more times. I have seen positive changes in my body, but I have seen positive changes in other areas that outshine the physical ones.

1. I have a lot more energy.
2. I tend to be in a better mood after I have run. I know that something happens chemically in your brain when you exercise so that you are happier in the end. But for a task- oriented person and mother of small children like myself, I am happy and energized just to have completed something. House work is never done; taking care of children is continuous; there is always another meal to cook. But at the end of the day, I can look back and know that I did run a full 3 miles. I started it and I finished it.
3. I can think more clearly, so it is easier to guard my mind from going in a downward spiral of discontentment and at times maybe even self- pity.

These changes are making me a better wife, mama and home-maker.

I wasn't looking for an outlet that energized me, even though I should have been. But I am so thankful to have found this one. Running energizes me. I am sure that there are some other things that energize me as well. I love to write, for example. (I just don't do it very much. Hmm.)

All that to say:

What energizes you?

(I would love to hear from you.)

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

Our church's Easter egg hunt is in a huge flower garden that belongs to an older couple in our church. Besides finding eggs, it is a great place to explore.

Will found one egg, figured out there was chocolate in it and could only then be persuaded to look for more eggs if I took his chocolate away. Here he is doing his best not to lose any of the big chocolate piece in his mouth.
I was with Will, but Joey told me that Max was a pro at finding the eggs. He was so fast and good that Joey said he needed to be with the big kids.
Max and his friend, Kendrick.

Easter Egg Hunt Now and Then

2011-04-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

They grow and change so much in a year. The only thing that doesn't change is that I cannot get a good picture of them together.

Lent- Lead me in the way everlasting

2011-04-19T03:19:00.000-07:00

The everlasting way stands in contrast to the offensive way that David asks God to search for in him. Whereas the offensive way is painful and idolatrous, the everlasting way makes whole, brings health and follows the true God.
Other words to describe everlasting are a "long duration, antiquity, futurity." When I put that concept together with the idea of way, I see a worn path that stretches out all the way from the past to all the way in the future. You can't see a beginning and you can't see an end. But there is a path, meaning others have walked there before you, giving this path significance and substance.

I approached this last line with some sadness, knowing that the Lenten season is almost over. I have really needed this time to dig down deep and let God expose darkness. I am coming out of Lent a changed person. My heart yearns to stay close to God in this way.
But just because the Lenten season is closing in five days does not mean that the being searched and known by God has to stop. In fact, it should never stop because the heart is deceitful above all else and needs to be exposed.

But there are two types of exposure.

One brings humiliation, and the other brings healing. Without the celebration of Easter and remembering that God is not only with us, but for us, there would be no hope in Lent. Without this hope, all we would be is an exposed, humiliated, open- wounded, smelly heap of a humanity. But Sunday we remember that it is because of the death and resurrection of Jesus that we don't have to stay on the offensive way. Now, we can be on the everlasting way.

Yes, we are exposed, but our Savior binds our bleeding wounds. Yes, we are exposed, but our Savior washes us, cleaning us of all filth, and dresses us in white. Yes, we are exposed, but we are lifted to our feet and put onto the everlasting way.
Yes, we are exposed, but now we are made whole.

This is what gives Lent (and being searched by God) its power.

Lent must end in celebration of the risen Lord.

Dandelions and Ant Bites

2011-04-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

Will LOVES dandelions.

He has learned to blow, but now he just has to figure out how far away to hold the flower as he blows it. (Sometimes I think he just likes to eat them though.) As soon as we are in the front yard, he runs around and finds every single one that is round, white and fuzzy so that he can experience the magic of flying white parachutes over and over again.

(On a side note: you may notice the ant bites on his arm. The boy is just as fascinated by the ants as he is by the dandelions. Yesterday, I caught him scooping up fists of dirt from an ant pile with a huge grin on his face. Amazingly, no ants bit him that time.)

The Power of Smells

2011-04-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

This morning it is raining and there is a gentle cool breeze. I had to open the windows. And suddenly, as the breeze swept through the house and brought in the earthy wet smells of Spring, I thought I was in Austria on an Alm, early in the morning.

I treasure these moments.

Lent- See if there is any Offensive Way in me

2011-04-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

I was almost asleep when I was startled by a galloping sound. "Are there horses in our neighborhood?" I wondered. I was still getting used to the new sounds that come along with a move. And then, there it was again. It came out of nowhere and was gone in a flash. It didn't take me too long to realize that no, we did not have a band of Mustangs running past our home in the middle of Columbia, SC, but rather it was Dash, our huge Chow/Shepherd puppy. Dash is now four years old, and he still runs from one side of the house to the other at full speed. He usually does this when he is "guarding" the house or really excited to see someone familiar walking toward the house. This practice has left a perfect arch in our grass that now connects one side of the house to the other.

This is the picture that popped into my mind when I studied the word "way." My understanding of way is a road, a direction or a conduct that has been tread on, marched on and even trampled underfoot. This way is a familiar road, one you could walk in the dark, one where there is no grass left. This road is so familiar that sometimes you don't even realize you are walking on it. (Have you ever pulled into your driveway after work, and you wonder how you got home? Yes, I am guilty of mindless tired driving, too.)

In his cry to God, David wants to know if there is anything in him that is so familiar to him, that maybe he can't even see it anymore, even though it is offensive or hurtful.
But this is what punched me in the stomach, the Hebrew word that is translated here as "offensive," can also be translated as "idol."

Can I, like David, ask God to look and see if there is anything inside of me that is so familiar to me in my way of thinking and doing that I don't recognize it to be an idol; a god I made for myself?

Isn't this what Lent is for?
Sure, people start doing or stop doing things they shouldn't or should be doing, but what's the point if there is no long term change? As I learn more about the season of Lent, I find that it is more about internal exposure as apposed to external behavior. Lent is not for the faint-hearted. Lent is a time to say, "Check me out, God, and open my eyes so I can see how you see."

I think I may need to let that marinate for a while.

When a Forest Burns.

2011-04-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

Two Handsome Lads.

2011-04-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

Tubes

2011-04-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

Waiting at the hospital to be admitted. This was at 6 am. Will had to check everything out of course.

Here we are waiting to be taken back to where Will would have his tubes put in. He sat down in a prime location so that he could see everyone coming in and out of the waiting room. Whenever someone passed by he said, "hi!" and waved.
The hospital staff was amazing and a blessing. Both Max and Will got a soft teddy bear. I thought the baby hospital gowns were so cute. Will wasn't convinced, especially after he couldn't find the hospital bracelet they put on his ankle. (That was his second one, since he managed to pull the wrist one off within a minute of having it on.)

He was not a happy camper after the procedure not because anything hurt, but because he was hungover. Once the drugs started wearing off, our little happy Will came back and even went down the slide at Chick-Fil-A a few times. He is exhausted and happily asleep in his bed now. (Kinda wish I were in my bed, too.) Thank you all who prayed for us today.

When they ask...

2011-03-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

There is nothing that makes you feel more inadequate when your child asks you a question, and you don't really know how to answer it. I am not talking about silly questions. Rather, the questions Joey and I are having to answer recently are about death. Max has a lot of questions, and I find it heart breaking that I have to try to explain death to him. It has left me flailing for God, and asking him to do the work in my son. It is so hard as a mother to let go, but that is what I have to do because I am way over my head.

Lent- Test me and know my anxious thoughts

2011-03-30T04:54:00.000-07:00

I have been told that the sign of good Hebrew literature was to be able to say the same thing twice but in different ways. This happens a lot in the Psalms. I believe David is in this line of the Psalm getting at the same point he was trying to make in the previous one. In it he uses more imagery, again to show the extent of the searching and testing.

Test- examine, try, prove, assay.
What I thought was interesting here was that "test" is the primary root for "watchtower." The type of watchtower is not the kind you might find on a fortress, but rather one that is built on top of a hill. When I think of this kind of watchtower, I am forced to think that their purpose was to give people in the cities plenty of warning of incoming danger. A tower on a mountain has a great overview of the situation of the land. Could it be that David was asking God to take a survey of his inner land and state and give him plenty of warning of incoming danger? I think that is quite possible.

Know- is the same as in "know my heart"

Anxious Thoughts- these two words cannot be separated. They appear to be one word in the Hebrew. There is actually some uncertainty about them. A footnote search in my NIV Study Bible led me to a note about the soul. It is my belief that "thoughts" could be related to soul. The note says that soul is not the spiritual vs. the physical man or even the inner man in distinction to the outer man. Rather, it is "his very self as a living, conscious, personal being." A German translation, says "know my desires and thoughts." Don't desires, anxieties and the like make up a lot of who we are as people?

So maybe in today's words, this verse could be paraphrased as, "Lord, take your satellite and survey my landscape, looking at it all and even zooming in to the details. Know all of me. Know my wishes, desires and what disquiets me and makes me nervous."

I need the Lord to do this in me because there are a lot of desires and a lot of anxieties. Headlines nowadays are very disturbing, and I wonder what is going to happen. I wonder what Joey and my next steps are. We have goals, desires and wishes. Somehow I don't think that this testing by God that David is talking about is only so God can find hidden sins and deep dark secrets. I think that this testing by God also brings comfort and peace to those whose hearts are open to God. Knowing that God knows what makes me nervous and what I desire helps me to trust him more. I don't have to drop subtle hints so he knows how to take care of me.

He knows.

Lent- Know my Heart

2011-03-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

Do you have one of those friends who has been with you through it all? Maybe you have a friend who has seen your absolute worst and your absolute best. If you can still call them your friend, you are blessed. I can think of three women in my life who have done just that for me. I consider them my sisters.

Do you remember what it was like moving in with your roommate at college? Or better yet, moving in with your husband? (Living with a man is very different than a female roomie.) They smell your dirty socks. Sometimes they'll even wash them for you (need I mention underwear?). They see how sloppy or neat you are. They know how well you cook. They know if you snore or talk in your sleep. They know how long you take in the bathroom in the morning. They have seen all of you. Your husband knows all of you; every curve, dimple and ticklish spot.

David writes, "Know my heart." This is the kind of knowing he is talking about. He has already asked God to search him. Searching and knowing are similar, but knowing gets a lot more personal. Knowing involves emotion and vulnerability. Knowing, for me at least, includes wondering what the other person is going to do or think when they have completed the search.
So David wants God to know his heart. If you don't dive into what David meant by "heart," you miss the gravity of his request. "Heart" can be translated as anger, conscientiousness, courage, desire, intelligence and purpose. Someone said (and I don't remember who) "It is the center of the human spirit, from which springs emotions, thought, motivation, courage and action." David is asking God to go into the areas that can be very dirty and touchy.
It is no wonder that the writer of Proverbs said, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Prov. 4, 23).

Through this study and other input, God is going into those places in me right now. I can't say that it is pleasant, but I am at peace. I know that I am in good hands. I know that he can handle my doubts.

Lent- O God

2011-03-17T05:48:00.000-07:00

The meaning of God here is related to the root for strength and mighty. Some words that illustrate the kind of strength would be a political chief, a strong ram, an oak or other strong tree and a pilaster (a strong support.)

When going through the uses of this form of God in the Old Testament, it struck me that there were many different adjectives and descriptions used to show some of his character. Some of them are jealous, greatly to be feared, the avenger, not a man that he should lie. Others are most high, everlasting, healer, source of life, merciful, faithful, great, living, rock, full of compassion; the God who sees; the God of truth without iniquity, of knowledge; God is with us; the heavens declare the glory of God. This form of God is even used in the Psalm Jesus quotes as he is on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Ps. 22)

God is to be feared. He is jealous. He is strong. Yet his strength does not weaken in his compassion for us and protection over us.

So when I pray the beginning of David's prayer, "Search me, o God," I can be confident that I am exposing myself to a strong God. A God, who in the words of Mr. Beaver in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is not safe, but good.

Lent- Search Me

2011-03-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Search me

This term is often used when asking spies to get info on land or enemies. I am not a specialist, but I am assuming that a spy would try to get as much detailed of information as possible so that the right plan of action could be made for the attackers. My guess is that as a spy nothing is insignificant.

The Hebrew word for "search" can also be translated as follows:

1. taste - it is used in the context of wine tasting. This art has a lot to do with identifying subtle flavors.

2. see through- search is translated this way in Proverbs on a few occasions, and what it means in its context is to see past the outer mask and self-deception.

3. probe - to take an honest look at oneself

4. ponder- this translation appears quite often in Job. It has to do with listening very carefully to another person's arguments.

5. make search- Ezekiel 39:14 "...special crews will be appointed to search the land for any skeletons and to bury them, so the land will be made clean again."

6. investigate a case (used in Job)

7. ascertain- to be counted and known.

When David is asking God to search him, he is not asking for a quick run through to see if anything pops up. Rather, David is asking for a deep and thorough search; a turning on of lights in the entire house so that there are no shadows; a going through of the search machines at the airport that take nude pictures of you; a tasting of every flavor of you. When God searches like this, nothing is hidden. It is all out on the table. Or when thinking about the women caught in adultery, all of her and who she is, is naked out in the streets waiting to be condemned.

The season of Lent is a set time of year when I can say, "Here I am. Search me." And to be honest, it makes me nervous.
Thankfully, Lent ushers in Easter, and Easter makes the ending of the story of the adulterous woman possible:

"Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, 'Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?' 'No, Lord,' she said. And Jesus said, 'Neither do I. Go and sin no more.'"

Lent- Psalm 139:23-24

2011-03-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

We are in the middle of Lent. I have actually been looking forward to it for a while. There is something wonderful about giving something up for a period of time. But that is all what Lent has been for me since I have started observing it. Usually I give up something like sugar. This year I decided it was time to give up Facebook.
But Lent is more than giving something up. Lent, like Advent, is a time of reflection. Lent is a time to reflect on the state of man; that we are but dust. It is a time of putting one's heart in the hand of the Lord, and letting him do the work he wants to do. Giving up something is a way of removing distractions.

I received a laminated card at a lady's Lent retreat that has Psalm 139:23-24 written on it. I know the verses, so I quickly read over them; not really letting their meaning sink in.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."

A few days ago, I realized that this is really part of what Lent is all about. In an effort to really understand the heart of David, I am doing a study of the words.

Feel free to join me.

Will's Ears

2011-03-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

Can't say I have seen this smile in a while. Ever since Will's birthday, he has been sick off and on. The latest developments are that after being off of his antibiotics for 3 days, Will got sick again. I was hoping that it was maybe only his teeth, but after a very cranky Thursday, and sadder night, I knew it was time to get him looked at again. Sure enough, both ears are infected again. That sealed the deal for me, so I scheduled Will's surgery for tubes for April 1. To prevent any further infection until then, the poor little guy will be on a smaller dose of antibiotics. I really don't like the idea of him being on them for so long, but at this point I need to trust my doctors. Hopefully these will be the last meds for a while.
I am very thankful that I have the option to take Will to the doctor. It hurts my heart to see him as sick as he is. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have a sick child and not be able to find care for him/her.

MAX, ME and the MAC

2011-02-25T06:56:00.000-08:00

Feverish February

2011-02-22T14:49:00.000-08:00

My nights of uninterrupted sleep ended last night as it was clear that Will is sick yet once again. Monday afternoon he had a fever 102.3. The fever came back full force during the night, so Joey and I took turns trying to comfort our sweaty whimpering baby boy. I did nurse him to comfort him twice, but it didn't comfort him for long. He sweated so much last night that his head is covered in ringlets today. We saw the doctor, and my fears were confirmed. He now has his 5th ear infection. As our doctor said, "We are all out of ammunition. This is the last antibiotic we have for him." So now I am waiting for a call from the specialist, who will examine his ears and determine if tubes are the way to go for him.
Our afternoon was actually pleasant since we were able to be outside. Sunshine works wonders on sickness. This evening his appetite had vanished once again, and the fussing started. I took him out of his highchair, and cuddled him in my lap. He then leaned forward as to rest his curly head on my arm and within seconds Will was sound asleep. So now he is in his crib still dirty from the day, snot plastered to his face, and wearing only a diaper. And I am left in the stillness to pray that God brings healing to this little baby I love so fiercely.

Oh the Joy of Sleeping

2011-02-18T07:47:00.001-08:00

Since I have started weaning Will, I have noticed that his sleep has improved beyond what I thought was possible. For the first time in probably over a year I have slept 7 hours without interruption four days in a row. I have been able to get up early, have breakfast, read and be in such a better mood. Following I have listed some sleep facts that really explain a lot of a new mama and papa's experience. What I have learned this first year with Will is that some situations are hurtful, painful and just stinking annoying, but a nap or a good night sleep can really work wonders in how I deal with and experience the situation. So in celebration of rest and sleep, and in the hopes that I continue to get some sleep, here are some interesting facts about sleep that I got from The National Sleep Research Project

-The record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes during a rocking chair marathon. The record holder reported hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory and concentration lapses.

- Anything less than five minutes to fall asleep at night means you're sleep deprived. The ideal is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning you're still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not so exhausted you feel sleepy by day.

- A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year

- Seventeen hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol-level of 0.05%.

- Teenagers need as much sleep as small children (about 10 hrs) while those over 65 need the least of all (about six hours). For the average adult aged 25-55, eight hours is considered optimal

- Some studies suggest women need up to an hour's extra sleep a night compared to men, and not getting it may be one reason women are much more susceptible to depression than men.

- Feeling tired can feel normal after a short time. Those deliberately deprived of sleep for research initially noticed greatly the effects on their alertness, mood and physical performance, but the awareness dropped off after the first few days.

- Diaries from the pre-electric-light-globe Victorian era show adults slept nine to 10 hours a night with periods of rest changing with the seasons in line with sunrise and sunsets.

WW II

2011-02-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

Right now WW II does not stand for World War Two at our house. Rather, it means Weaning Will Day Two. So far it is going well. Monday I started not nursing him at all during the day. So he gets some "baby milk" (as Max calls it) when he wakes up, and when he goes to bed. This evening he is a little fussy. I think he would really like to nurse now, but I have to be strong. I almost think that I am weaning myself as much as I am him. I am weaning myself of THE fussy quick-fix and daily times to snuggle and just marvel at my sweet baby boy.
I am looking forward to getting some of my old life back once he is weaned. He will be able to go to sleep without mom, which means I can be out in the evening and not have to worry that he is being a bear to the sitter or Joey. I am also looking forward to trading in nursing bras for "not-nursing bras." Sorry if that is too much info, but it is something I am looking forward to. So wish us luck.

Brothers

2011-02-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

2011-02-06T09:40:00.000-08:00

I am learning how the Body of Christ is becoming family to me.
It is humbling and beautiful.
A blessing and a gift.
Thank you.

Twas the Week Between Christmas and New Year

2011-02-04T11:06:00.000-08:00

The week between Christmas and New Year was one of my favorites of 2010 because we got a lot of much needed time as a family. One morning we went to the Riverwalk in Columbia. This was Max's first real chance to ride his bike Opa got him over a year ago. While there, he rode his bike 2 1/2 miles, and he learned to "apply his breaks" (as Thomas the Tank Engine says). When we were done all three boys (Max, Will and Dash) took a nice afternoon nap.
Hard to believe that I have been in South Carolina for 10 years now. Believe it or not, that is about how long I lived in Austria. Slowly, I am coming to see the beauty of SC. I love the turtles, the Spanish moss and the rugged rivers. It is all very different then Vienna and the Alps, yet pretty in its own way.

Yummy Treat

2011-02-02T06:48:00.000-08:00

Sunday we found a jewel in Greenville: Bavarian Pretzel Factory. It carries lots of treasures such as dark German bread, sunflower seed rolls, pretzels, Austrian pumpkin seed oil and wines, chocolate, coffee, real sausages, Leberkaese and Almdudler. Sunday dinner hardly gets any better than that!! If you are a fan of German/Austrian food, then you must pay them a visit.

The Cake

2011-01-31T10:11:00.000-08:00

Guess What! I'm 1!!

2011-01-29T19:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jay Elkins for getting some great shots of crazy Will. Will always seemed to be running in the wrong direction or standing so that the sun was behind him.
We had a great party today. Pictures of the epic cake eating soon to follow.

The Experiment

2011-01-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to start training Max a little bit better in cleaning up after himself. But the thought of a regular old chore chart seemed very mundane and well...like a chore. So instead I had Max choose a theme of a variety of stickers I had bought (at Target). He chose the ocean theme. So we spent part of the morning coloring together, and now whenever he helps to clean up in the evening before his daddy comes home, he gets to add another sticker to his underwater world. When the picture is complete, we will do something special. So we will see how this strategy works. The goals: a beautiful picture, a tidy home and a boy who knows how to pick up his things.

The Joy of Will-i-am

2011-01-16T17:31:00.000-08:00

Snow + Starbucks = Perfect Morning

2011-01-16T17:14:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 26, 2010 it snowed in Columbia. Max sang "Jingle Bells" on the way to church. Once we got there, however, our church was locked, and we had an hour to kill. So we had the wonderful treat of enjoying Starbucks as a family. Coffee, Chai Tea Latte, a kid's hot chocolate and a flaky buttery roll made all four of us very happy. We sipped our beverages and watched Columbia turn white. It was a perfect morning.

Snow Days

2011-01-15T08:31:00.000-08:00

Ode to Spicher

2011-01-13T16:12:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has taken me this long to post a picture of Michael Spicher on my blog.

These pictures are from Belize. He and Hannah went there for vacation. Max is obsessed with knocking Spicher's hat off with water. While we were in Austria, Max saw a shirt and said we should buy it for Spicher. Yes, Max refers to him as either Michael Spicher or simply Spicher.

Looking forward to another 2, 2, and 2.

Computer crashed

2010-12-23T09:54:00.001-08:00

Our computer crashed, so that is why there have not been any pics or posts recently. Maybe sometime soon again.

Max's First Prayer

2010-11-29T15:58:00.000-08:00

This evening I had the awesome privilege of hearing Max pray for the first time. His words were his own. At dinner he held both of my hands and whispered, "Dear Jesus, thank you for our food. Please keep us safe. In Jesus' name, AMEN."

Thank you, Lord, for working in the heart of my son. Thank you for giving him the desire to pray.

Drop it like it's hot!

2010-11-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

My Big Boy is 3!

2010-11-22T05:15:00.000-08:00

You can never start too soon.

2010-11-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

Sun Rays

2010-11-08T13:44:00.000-08:00

As sun beams lazily shine through my window and make my bedroom turn golden on this Fall day, I hear, "Come quick, Mom! All this dust is coming from your room!! Go away, dust!"

Bubbles

2010-10-30T11:21:00.001-07:00

When we think of Omi and Opa's house, we think of bubbles! Towers of bubbles; bubble caves; overflowing bubbles. Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.

Fall Outing to NC

2010-10-25T11:15:00.001-07:00

Days before we came to the apple orchard, I told Max all about how we were going to go apple picking. He was so excited, and so was I. I had plans of making apple strudel, apple butter, etc. He was off almost as soon as we got to the orchard looking for some ripe yummy apples to pick.

Max picked this apple...up off the ground.

It was actually the only apple we found all day that was even worth eating. Everything else had already been picked because the harvest had come in three weeks ahead of schedule. All of the other apples we found were rotting. Oh well. We still had a good time.

Thanks to Mik, we got a rare family picture.

Let me give you a kiss, my dear one-and-only apple of mine!

I love this time of year!

We picked Uncle Mik up on the way to the orchard. It was so nice to have a day with him. Today Max asked where he was, and I said, "at school." Max said, "He needs to come here."

Daddy showing off how strong he is. :-)

Max was able to observe the honey bees at work. There was a tube at the bottom of the box where you could see the bees going in and out of the box. Once they were inside, you saw them making the honey comb. It was awesome to watch.

For the first time, we took some money out of Max's piggy bank. He had four quarters in his pocket. When we got to the sheep pen, you could buy food for them from a machine. He got so excited and started digging in his pockets because he had his own money to spend.

Two cuties in the pumpkin patch.

On Eggs, Squirrels, Heifers and Poverty.

2010-10-24T07:19:00.001-07:00

This morning Max surprised me by eating almost four eggs for breakfast. I ate two. Instead of eating the regular cereal, I decided to make eggs because they are healthy and nourishing. They come highly recommended when a woman is pregnant, so with lowered immune systems due to colds, I figured making eggs might just be a good idea.
As I was waiting for my pan to heat up in order to make the fourth egg, I looked out my window and saw something that I can only describe as a ninja squirrel. This little guy was psycho as he was collecting the pecans out of our yard. He chased other squirrels away, doing all kinds of twists and turns and flips. As I was watching him, I was overcome by thankfulness to God for providing enough food for this little ninja, but even more so for my family. After all, I was about to scramble the fourth egg for my son. All I had to do was open the fridge, and I could serve up a bowl of nutrition. All to often to I take such blessings for granted. Only because of God's faithfulness am I able to offer a fourth egg to my son.
I then remembered that I had received a Christmas catalog from Heifer International this week. I have never donated to them, but from what I can tell, they are highly respected and do a lot for people all around the world who are currently living in poverty. In other words, for mamas that cannot give their children any eggs. I learned that by donating $20, it is possible to provide a flock of chicks. That can range from 10-50 chicks. According to the catalog, a good hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year. The eggs can be eaten, sold or shared in the community. In addition to these benefits, chickens are easy to care for, help control insects and fertilize gardens. Of course, chicks are not the only animals that can be donated. Heifer International offers heifers, goats, water buffalo, rabbits, bees, llamas, etc. The family receiving the animal also receives training in how to care for their animal.
So this Christmas, I think I am going to give another mama the opportunity to make a bowl of hot yummy nutrition in the form of an egg (or maybe even four) for her child.

Our Afternoon at Schoenbrunn Palace

2010-10-22T06:50:00.001-07:00

This was one of my favorite afternoons because we went to one of my favorite places, Schoenbrunn Palace. There is always something new to discover while you are wandering through the gardens. The Fall weather was perfect, so we enjoyed the perfect combination of colorful leaves, sunshine, history, views, conversation, exercise and for some of us, naps.