Half Granola/Half Twinkie

Norah's Birthday and the Beginning of Winter

2011-12-16T14:08:00.000+01:00

Life has been busy here in the C household. We have welcomed Tony home from Afghanistan, (See Olivia and him snuggling above) celebrated Norah's first birthday, and began preparing for Christmas with all the German Christmas markets. Family time has been wonderful. It's so good to have him back home.

Autumn

2011-11-07T23:58:00.000+01:00

Making a list and tossing it twice

2011-10-03T00:21:00.000+02:00

I've been on this journey of trying desperately to live a more simplified life for quite some time, and it seems that our world zooms by at an even more frantic pace. Ads assault us from the roads, the internet, the television, and newspapers. So much hustle and bustle abound it's dizzying and no wonder so many of us cave into the pressure that if we just purchase this one other item, things will be simpler. But that's never the case. Items cannot provide a simpler life, but the lack of them can.

It's early October and yesterday while I was running some errands, I noticed that the shop on post has this hideous collection of holiday paraphernalia ready to attack the minute you walk in. Santa Clause is standing awkwardly next to the creepy jack-o-lanterns and twinkle lights vie for space near the strung up cobwebs and oversized arachnids. I thought to myself, how appropriate. We have taken one of our most sacred holidays and made it something hideous and unrecognizable. In the poor store manager's attempt to persuade us to begin our frantic Christmas pace, he inadvertently gave me a great reminder: Consumption during Christmas is as ill placed as the Halloween decorations next to Kris Kringle.

Each year the battle comes earlier. The Christmas music begins playing in the stores, the ads come out in full force with their cleverest writers, and we are fooled into thinking this magical time is about the ten minutes spent unwrapping the presents on Christmas morning. Not anymore for our house.

I am tired of feeling a pit of anxiety because of Christmas. Afraid that we won't meet other's expectations, or that we will disappoint if the gift isn't grand enough. There is so much pressure to top last year's gift or find a perfect present. I don't know about you, but most of my friends and family, myself included, already have enough stuff. Not many of us are lacking for anything. Yet we feel this obligation to purchase something for them to show them our love and appreciation for them. We spend more time hunting down the gift, or worrying about the gift than we spend with that person. Isn't this wrong? I found a great solution in a book I've been reading:

"This year, I’d like to try something special: a stuff-free holiday. Instead of exchanging presents, let’s find other ways to enjoy this wonderful season together. We’ll each have one less gift to worry about, save a little time, money, and stress—not to mention our planet’s resources. Memories last much longer than any material things.”
Jay, Francine (2011-05-25). Miss Minimalist: Inspiration to Downsize, Declutter, and Simplify (Kindle Locations 873-874). Anja Press. Kindle Edition.
I completely concur. What an excellent idea! If we feel we'd really like to do something, perhaps we could make a donation to a charity of their choice, but how wonderful it would be to eliminate the stress of shopping! We would have more time for winter walks looking at twinkling lights, hot cocoas, ice skating, making gingerbread houses, and baking cookies. And the giant corporations that try so hard to convince us that we need something else can just stick it. What I do desire is a simple Christmas, reflecting on the Nativity, my precious family and friends, and the blessings I have that cannot be bought at a mega store.

Autumn Harvests and visitors

2011-10-02T19:38:00.000+02:00

The farmer down the road from us has fresh apple cider and pumpkin wine for sale, amongst his other various fall crops. We're waiting a few weeks to gather our pumpkins, since I like them to last throughout November as well as through October, but my neighbors picked up this nice little sampling for me. We had a couple of liters of apple cider to work with, so after the delicious mug of hot mulled apple cider we decided to make some apple cider syrup for some pancakes the next day. To say the house smelled divine, would be an understatement.

I had a small little kitchen helper, looking awfully cute.

After a day in the kitchen, we enjoyed a final warm day outside in the sprinklers with the neighbor kids before the cooler airs of fall usher us all indoors. While we were out we came across a small little critter that made me want to break out the Jan Brett books. Here's a baby hedge hog. I wonder if he needs a mitten or a hat for winter?

Even Olivia had to take a break from the water play to come and meet this cute little guy.

Finally, something smaller than her.

A Time for Change

2011-09-29T12:44:00.001+02:00

Fall brings many changes into our lives. Schools begin, ending long lazy or in our case busy days. Leaves begin their metamorphosis into brilliant colors, giving us their grand finale before winter ushers in. A sense of new beginnings hangs in the air. A new Church year, a new school year, and cooler nights with hot cups of tea and cocoa beckon us to come and reflect.

I've spent the day decluttering. A feeling of less is more continues to sweep through my mind. I am tired of the daily clutter around me, either in the form of busyness or in materials. Removing the habit of Facebook has been cathartic. More time each day, less of that feeling that I need to stay connected with outside sources more than the ones here with me. Less of a bombardment with ads, events, timelines. I choose not to live my life by the rush of time. And I choose not to live my life online.

Goodbye Facebook!

2011-09-28T23:04:00.001+02:00

I just deleted my Facebook account and I feel a huge weight off my shoulders. Not sure exactly why. I guess I feel like I have reclaimed more of my time, privacy, and I no longer feel the need to stay involved with the lives' of folks that I have moved on from, simply because I knew them when...

What will I do with my new time? Well, I would like to teach myself to play the piano. I'd like to write more, read more, and reclaim my evening bubble bath. A lot can be done in an hour that enriches the soul and mind. Facebook didn't do either for me. So, my first song to practice? Silent Night...but I'm going to go and take that bubble bath first.

And we are on the countdown...

2011-09-08T15:36:00.000+02:00

My last year in Germany is here. We are on our final 11 months. My last September is here. So, what am I going to do? I'm going to embrace this last year and see and do as much as I can. This weekend's plan is the Viking Festival and a Bread and Wine Festival. I'll post pics up as soon as I return.

Other happenings in our world: Ryan's arm is finally out of a cast. Rollerblades are officially banned from the Chandler household. Olivia is three and learning some letters and lots of attitude. Ally is about to begin ballet and hip hop dance. I have joined the homeschooling group here, and jumped in with both feet. This is pretty hard for me, since I am a like a puzzle piece that never quite fits in homeschooling groups. The ladies are nice enough, but well, I'm me, so that pretty much makes it hard to fit. There aren't a lot of places for an Orthodox Christian, Libertarian-leaning, homeschooler. Throw in the fact that I'm a closet environmentalist, abhor the tea party, and homeschool mostly because it just feels right and I'm pretty much an oddity. However, it's nice to meet other folks that enjoy the company of their kids (most of the time) and who in many places find themselves strangers in this world...so we will give it a go.

On the home front, I miss my husband something terrible. Deployments are just. plain. hard. I try to make out some kind of schedule for me to stay on task, but the reality is, is that is like making a plan of how I can swim across an ocean when all I can really manage right now is keeping afloat. I'm trying to remind myself to be a bit more gentle and take it a bit more slowly. Because truthfully, all I REALLY need to do right now is stay afloat. There will be a time to cross the ocean later. So, while treading water, I'm branching out a bit...trying the homeschool group, trying to see as much as I can, and trying to not count down the days til Tony returns.

Ally's 9th Birthday

2011-03-07T13:47:00.000+01:00

Ally's 9! Last year for single digits...

Ally and her friend, Danae were all ready for her dinner out.

This year Ally decided to go out to the Italian Pizzeria in Poppenhausen and out for gelato for dessert. She and her friend Danae got all dressed up for the event, which I think was even more fun for them than the ice cream. They both quicky raided my jewelry box before heading out. She sure is growing up too fast for her Mama. As much as I love seeing her grow up to be such an incredible and beautiful young girl, I miss her messy little face, tangley hair, and skinned up knees dangling from the tree in our front yard.

A Couple of Princesses

2011-02-16T07:52:00.002+01:00

Sisters are such a precious thing, don't you think?

I love the bond these two girls have. Olivia is very lucky to have Ally as a big sister to look up to. You couldn't find a sweeter girl.

All dressed up and ready for the ball.

I'm so thankful I can stay home with my children and not miss a single minute of this. They just grow up too fast.

Just a typical day during the winter

2011-02-04T12:53:00.000+01:00

Winter keeps us cooped up, like trapped birds longing for the South. However, as in typical fashion, we embrace where we are and make the best of it.

2011-01-27T17:42:00.002+01:00

Bless my dealings with all who surround me.

2011-01-27T16:47:00.000+01:00

A few precious moments from this winter. Lord, help me to remember that all moments are precious if I just stop for a minute to appreciate them.

Musings on facebook, or why I hate it and still use it

2010-12-31T20:29:00.000+01:00

I stink at Facebook status updates. I feel like a lurker behind the scenes, seeing what folks are having for breakfast or which movie they are on their way to see. I ponder different status updates, and rarely put them up. I'm either too snarky or too private. And I stink at small talk. Facebook is comprised of nothing but small talk in an elevator, with a strange conglomeration of folks from your junior high math class, your first job, your church, and your mother-in-law. Not to mention a random sprinkling of people you have "friended" out of guilt, knowing you were never really friends to begin with, just curious how their lives have turned out and vice versa. Then your stuck reading their boring updates for eternity, so as to not offend this person, whom you were never friends with in the first place. "I'm on my way to Kohls to get new shoes." "It's Obama's fault." "It's Bush's fault." " Insert random sports team score here." " Insert random religious belief here, with attached video podcast." "Insert random person's picture of child on the potty for the first time here." And on it goes. Yet each day we log on to see such random ramblings.

What a strange life we lead, when our fifteen year old self runs into our thirty-something self, whilst trying to maintain the same relationships. A neighbor once told me that she's the same person today as she was in high school. How strange : To never to change, evolve, or grow. I can't comprehend. Heck, I'm hardly the same person I was five years ago, let alone twenty! But, now I'm stuck with an audience in which each person remembers me in their own way, at whatever time warped stage I was in when we met. This makes change very difficult, even though I believe it's inevitable. However, now this change is open to comments by passers-by from various stages of my life. Bizzare.

NaNoWriMo

2010-11-03T13:27:00.001+01:00

So, it is November and that means Nanowrimo! I've got my first chapter and a half done and even have my kids on board with their own novels. I'm so glad we homeschool. How fun it is to devote ridiculous amounts of time to creative writing each day and to have the kids think it is a break from "regular" school! I've never actually written a novel before, just a few short stories, so this will be quite a stretch for me. Besides, what better way to spend my last month of pregnancy than trying to come up with 50,000 words in one month!

Just so you know....

2010-08-31T17:06:00.000+02:00

There are conservative Christians out there that can't stand Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. Just in case you were confused...

Shwooosh, shwoosh, shwoosh...

2010-05-05T20:07:00.000+02:00

One of my favorite sounds in the world. Another baby is on their way and due around early December. We are all on cloud nine and excited about meeting the newest member of the C clan.

Thoughts from a woman who has too much time on her hands

2010-03-23T09:48:00.003+01:00

I've been thinking a lot about following Jesus recently. A comfortable Christianity seems an ill-fitted shoe on a path that's narrow and hard. I'm struggling with "being in the world and not of the world". What is that anyway? For a long time, practicing my faith consisted of praying, Bible study, and Sundays, Wednesdays, and the occassional outreach. The rest of my life seems to be untouched. I live like my neighbors who don't profess Jesus as their Savior. We have the same kind of house, clothes, cars, etc. Is that good enough? Is evangelism enough of an effort? Hand out some tracts with the candy on Halloween and feel better about myself? Teach Sunday school and VBS?

I feel like my life is flashing before my eyes. I'm wasting it. I'm struggling with a battle of comfort and familiarity and the desire to live an authentic and hard life for Christ. It's not enough to know the Scriptures and pray anymore. I feel like part of me wants to sell everything we have and follow Him to the ends of the earth, but the other part of me struggles with the comfort of a Southern Living home and a new Taurus in the drive way. We tithe, we pray, we believe and tell others about Him, isn't that enough? Isn't that good enough? If it is, why do I feel so bad about it. These materials bring me comfort, but no peace. But yet, I keep living this same life afraid of what the cost may really be to give it all up.

Ally's 8th Birthday!!!

2010-02-27T18:57:00.002+01:00

We had a fairy tea party for Ally's 8th Birthday this year. I can't believe she's eight. It seems the moment they are born they begin growing and walking away from us. Prayerfully, as she walks away from me, she heads straight in the direction of the Lord.

Here's some pics:

Food Inc, Dominion over the animals, and veganism

2010-02-04T09:31:00.000+01:00

So, we watched Food Inc last Friday night and I've been reading all kinds of vegan propaganda from the Library. I'm utterly disgusted with the food industry. (no pun intended) I'm concerned with the our interpretation of dominion over the animals. I'm sure the disgusting treatment, or lack thereof, couldn't possibly be what was intended for us. So, I've decided to seriously cut back our animal products.
I'm even more concerned with the Monsanto domination and corruption within our agriculture laws. So, in the meantime we've been looking for certified organic products and learning to cook new vegan recipes.

Yesterday I learned to make veggie stock from scratch, a most delicious vegan potato soup, and vegan chocolate coconut cupcakes. I'm on day three of my vegan detox and while I still have no desire for meat, I miss cheese. I also miss coffee, which I've given up for a season as well. I've even added in exercise, hoping that will help increase my energy levels and strenghth. We'll see how this all turns out. I'm hoping to make wiser and healthier choices and to make sure my money is supporting humane practices and local farmers. So far, Tony is very supportive. I wonder how long that, will last, lol.

Just another typical school day

2010-01-21T10:04:00.000+01:00

Ally enjoys a little visual aid as she works out her math problems.

Ryan reads about the Wright Brothers.

Ally finishes her skeleton puzzle as she learns about the bones.

Olivia gets a little practice with putting her foot in her mouth.

Ally and Olivia practice their lessons...well Ally at least tried.

Quote to ponder from Father George Rutler

2010-01-12T09:52:00.002+01:00

“I’d encourage your youngest one to abandon kindergarten altogether. Almost everything I learned was learned outside the classroom, and school itself interrupted my education. Moreover, school locks you in with your peers. That is a mistake. One’s social circle should never include one’s equals. From my earliest years I found children uninteresting and always preferred the company of adults. This was an advantage, because I got to know lots of folks who are dead now whom I never would have known if I had waited until I was an adult. - So I have a collective memory - and oral tradition - that goes back to the eighteenth century, having spoken with people who knew people who knew people who knew people who lived then. - The only real university is the universe and a city its microcosm. That is why an expression like “New York University” is foolish. New York City is the university….Instead of school, children should spend some hours each day in hotel lobbies talking to the guests. They should spend time in restaurant kitchens and shops and garages of all kinds, learning from people who actually make the world work….One day spent roaming through a real classical church building would be the equivalent of one academic term in any of our schools, and a little time spent inconspicuously in a police station would be more informative than all the hours wasted on bogus social sciences. Formal lessons would only be required for accuracy in spelling and proficiency in public speaking, for which the public speakers in our culture are not models, and in exchange for performing some menial services a child could learn the violin, harp, and piano from musicians in one of the better cocktail lounges, or from performers in the public subways….So I urge you to keep your child out of kindergarten, because kindergarten will only lead to first grade and then the grim sequence of grade after grade begins and takes its inexorable toll on the mind born fertile but gradually numbed by the pedants who impose on the captive child the flotsam of their own infecundity.”

Dear Anonymous

2010-01-09T11:04:00.002+01:00

My first initial response to your comment was to reject it, since I normally don’t engage in discussions with anonymous individuals making opinionated objections to our decision to homeschool; however, after giving it some thought and discussion with some of my other fellow homeschoolers, I have decided to address your comment.

Quote:

"Please support educators and your put your children in the schools. You put people out of jobs by homeschooling your kids. "

I’d first like to address the issue of supporting the educators. We do. Regardless of whether or not our children attend public schools, our taxes are paid and benefit the school system. I respect teachers and even vote positively in measures that help to reform and fund our schools. That being said, as one of my homeschooling comrades put it, “The commenter seems to forget that schools exist for students to be educated, not for teachers to have employment.”

Second, I’d like to address the logic, or lack thereof, with your comment. Should we no longer eat at home for fear of putting restaurants out of business? Should I feel guilty for cleaning my own home and keeping a person from the possible employment of maid service in my household? Should our choices and purchases be based solely upon the employment of the provider or on the product? Or should the provider of the product base his product on the demands of the public? Should we eliminate our purchases of automobiles because we put the horse and buggy cart out of business by purchasing a different mode of transportation? Or should electric cars be banned for their prospective elimination of gasoline and thus the thousands of gas stations and employees? Ridiculous.

Finally, I’ll address the issue at hand, that if I were to put my children into schools, I would be working and thus competing for one more job on the market. We’d no longer purchase the two thousand plus dollars a year in homeschooling curricula and books, (which, incidentally is not paid for by government taxes) contributing to the unemployment of the innovative entrepreneurs providing our curriculum. So, as you can see, by homeschooling my children I fund teachers in schools with my taxes, stay out of the job market creating another position in the world, and support homeschooling companies with my purchases, thus, I create more jobs by homeschooling my children.

Your logic is flawed and absurd.

Opinion: Home education student, 14, offered place at Cambridge

2010-01-09T10:31:00.001+01:00

Opinion: Home education student, 14, offered place at Cambridge

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2010...Any Resolutions?

2010-01-07T18:21:00.002+01:00

So here we are at another year and lots of talk has been going on about New Year's resolutions. As we start this year, I'm battling the typical readjustment period one goes through after a big move (i.e. the honeymoon is over) and it's winter. I really dislike winters...they remind me of the horrible idea in C.S. Lewis' novel of the winter and no Christmas. I really try to like them. I remind myself of books I need to read, activities I can do with the kids, things I've been meaning to organize, etc...but then I look out the window and I long for sunshine and warmth. Any nostalgia I try to create is quickly frozen over by the reality of long periods of darkness and the cold. Add to this the constant longing I have for my friends and family and I begin the new year a bit forlorn; but my resolution is to "make the best of it". All of it. The cold, the loneliness here, the strange place. I resolve to not waste these dreary months with self-pity, but with thankfulness and a cheerful attitude. I can work on pilates in preparation for my move back to Texas in a couple of years, when I'll be breaking out the shorts and swimsuits again. I'll read up on some places I plan on visiting when the weather warms up. I'll play dolls with my girls and video games with my boy. I'll sip hot tea and take naps, and I'll get those things knocked off my list to organize.

For me, making the best of it also means taking expectations down a few notches. In a world run on chaos we forget what it means to slow down and rest. We are fearful of boredom, in us and in our children. We run this hamster wheel of constant stimuli entering our environment, whether by the television, internet, or a multitude of activities we engage in. As I step into this world of quietness, reflection, and stillness, I have this tight feeling in my chest, this anxiety building up. And the only thing I can think of, is that I'm not quite sure how to be unbusy...

A Christmas in Germany

2009-12-31T08:50:00.001+01:00

Christmas Eve in Germany and we had just enough snow to make some snowmen.

Ryan began feeling inspired and built a Christmas tree out of legos.

Christmas Eve dinner with our traditional Italian feast and the opening of one gift each.

After the kiddies are tucked in bed, the elves get to work.

This little elf was lucky enough to help and get a preview of her gift for the next morning.

We told the kids NOT to wake us up before 6am. Ryan came in the next morning and let us know that it was 6:01. Punk.

After Olivia forgave us for waking her up so early, she tried out her gift from Ryan. I think it's her.

Uncle Brian and Aunt Cristy sent Olivia this little laptop...now, if it'll keep her off of mine, I'll be thrilled!

Grandma and Grandpa sent her a new baby. She loves it. I love that I have five minutes free to spend however I like (like brushing my hair or fixing food).

Our First Trip to Poland

2009-12-15T11:59:00.002+01:00

We left not so bright but very early from the Chapel with a few other folks to head to Elim Christian Center in Poland in order to deliver Christmas gifts to the children in the orphanages and the seniors in need.

The children were nestled all snug in their carseats while the back of the truck was loaded with boxes filled with the gift bags.

After about six hours we crossed into Poland. The further Northeast we headed, the worse the weather became. Poland and Germany now have an open border, so we coasted right through without any stops. The autobahn was nearly deserted with the exception of the three cars in our convoy and a few trucks on the road.

A-4 is a brand new autobahn built as Poland merges into the European Union. It didn't even register on our GPS, which really irritated the dude giving us directions. If we have to hear "Recalculating" one more time we'll throw it out the window.

We entered Boleslawiec, famous for the Polish Pottery shops frequented by tourists.

We continued heading down some very windy and bad roads as the weather progressively got worse. Our caravan became lost several times.

We ended up downtown Boleslaweic, which is not where we were wanting to be. We headed down narrow roads going the wrong direction and praying we wouldn't take out any pedestrians from slipping on the ice accumulating on the roads.

After nearly an hour we finally found our destination: Elim Christian Center

Our group headed in to tour the mission and to hear what our jobs for the day were. Tony had to drive our huge SUV through this tunnel. I sucked in my stomach the whole time thinking that might help us squeeze through. Tony was a pro and got us through without a scratch.

We toured the mission. As you can see, they have a long ways to go in the works of repair.

Tony bundles up the girls as we head over to the old chapel.

This used to be the chapel area before the mission moved it's services to downtown. It is still used for conference rooms for different mission teams or groups that meet here.

After we toured the mission, we headed about a block away to visit the orphanage for older kids and teens. It is run down, cold, and dirty. We pass by several kids no older than eight smoking. The house behind the orphanage has rabbits freshly hung on the clothesline. The area around is filthy, poor, run down, and smells of coal and cigarrette smoke. The children are everywhere. Shoulders slumped forward, eyes averting any connection, and looks of hopelessness on their faces.

They put on two performances for us. The first was a skit of the Nativity. After the first group performed, we sang "Holy Night" for them in English and then they met us in our room as we handed out gifts to them. I couldn't take many pictures of the kids. Not that we weren't allowed, but I felt like it was exploiting them and the conditions they lived in. I spent most of the time there trying not to burst out into tears or feeling guilty because I was wearing new expensive boots and had a Vera Bradley bag. I was embarrassed and horrified.

Here's our group beginning to hand out the gift bags as the children leave the performance room after the first performance.

We had bags for boys and girls. They seemed insignificant in contents. What these kids need is love.

The orphanage made us these incredible pastries. I felt guilty for eating them. They were the most beautiful and delicious cakes I've ever seen or had.

Ally was thrilled to get some sugar, though!

Ryan grabbed more bags to have them ready as we prepared for the second performance and give away.

Olivia watched as all the folks began to get everything ready for the next wave of children.

The children begin heading into the performance room, so we get set to head back in. This time girls will be singing for us.

We came here to help them and they sang us their Christmas songs. I wanted to burst out crying. The girls avoided eye contact. They were teased by the other kids watching. Smiles were nearly non-existant. I wanted to take them all home and hold them and tell them it would all be okay, but it won't. I was despaired over the truth that these girls will likely live here until they are old enough to leave and their children will likely repeat the cycle.

As I sat in the room next to the other children watching, I had to hold my breath and make sure my face didn't construe the smells around me. I was aware of them smelling me and I felt guilty for putting on perfume before leaving. I felt even more guilty that my perfume is very expensive.

After the performance, we began to hand out gift bags again. This time Olivia knew the routine and helped.

A few of us from the chapel gather more bags as Ryan and Ally hand them off to the children. They both were very solemn as we left, realizing the life that we live is not standard. Ryan noted that America must be very rich. I thought of how we have aisles in stores set aside for pet clothes and jewelry for dogs and felt sick again.

Here's the five of us as we left, right outside the orphanage. Smiles on the outside, heartbreak on the inside.

The entrance to the orphanage.

This is the missionary from Australia that has spent the last eighteen years serving here. May God bless him richly.

Judy is another missionary here, raising her three children and helping the others around her. The mission helps to teach the women how to make these beautiful nativity sets by hand in order to sell them. The money helps them and the mission to make ends meet. This mission is faith funded, meaning, they are not supported by a church or Lottie Moon. They are supported by God and the folks who feel led by Him to give to them.

If you've never read about George Muller, you'd be blessed to hear his story. These folks reminded me and showed me how God still works in these ways today.

Here's the finished Nativity set. They are immaculate and beautifully crafted.

After our visit, we prepared to head home, but we knew part of us would always be in Poland after this.

We now have one of their beautiful sets on our entertainment center. My heart aches for those children every time I look at it and I think of the missionaries living there to help them. If anyone would want to support the missions and the orphans there, you can purchase one of these sets through : elimcenter@jg.home.pl

To see more about this amazing mission and their work, watch this slideshow: http://www.elimcenter.pl/mission_center/semple.html

The Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham Jr.

2009-12-09T12:28:00.002+01:00

I love this book. I have a couple of chapters left; I just can't seem to put it down. Voddie Baucham is a Southern Baptist preacher/scholar, but his book should be applied across all Christian faiths. Basically, teach your children the faith. Don't leave matters of faith up to the spiky-haired youth minister who has never raised a teenager himself. Don't leave it to the Sunday School teachers. Don't even leave it up to your pastor. The job of teaching the children is up to the parents. 80-90% of children will walk away from the Christian faith by their 2nd year in college. We must be diligent and purposeful in teaching our children God's Word and the theology of their faith. Get a catechism for your faith and teach your children. Let them see you practicing your faith, and not just on Sundays and Wednesdays. Let them see that God owns all your life, not just a couple of days a week. I have been so convicted on this issue. I brought the children home in order to teach them, but somehow being purposeful in their biblical training fell behind the math and history. I have to make it as important/ more important than anything else I teach them.

Christianity and Idolatry

2009-12-07T15:28:00.001+01:00

I love Christians. Well, that shouldn't be a surprise, because I call myself one. But I love the Pentacostal, the Catholic, the Orthodox, the Baptist, the Calvinist, the Lutherans, Methodists, Indepentants, Fundamentals, and Liberals. Being in a military environment and involved in missions we are blessed to cross paths with many denominations and truly get to know them. It can be spiritually challenging, emotionally wrenching, and beautifully fruitful. We are able to spend time learning different doctrines and traditions, the building blocks of each denomination: Old Earth, Young Earth, Predestination, Free Will, Infant Baptism, Full Emersion, Sprinkling, Spiritual Gifts, etc, etc. If you peruse many church websites you can see their statement of beliefs, and they will quickly tell you where they stand on these different issues. When you visit and listen to their sermons, many times they will teach you about these different issues, but sometimes you will hear the dogmatic approach of how their beliefs are the only right one. Many will blast Traditions, spiritual gifts, or iconography calling them idolatry, all the while clinging to their own interpretations on free will or predestination, music styles, or in some cases appropriate feasts. It's all idolatry when its focus is on the dogma and not on Jesus. If you refuse to worship in a church that has a guitar, your music preference is your idol. If you claim Christmas as a horrible pagan holiday and those that celebrate as "lost", then your rules are your idol. If you believe Old Earth creationists are "lost" and damned to hell, your "science" is your idol. If you must speak in tongues for salvation, your gift is your idol.

It seems as evangelical Christians we can so easily spot the idols of others, but very quickly fail to see our own. We fault the Catholics and Orthodox for traditions like Lent, but celebrate July 4th. We flog them for their use of icons, but pledge allegience to the American flag. We think their Saint days are ridiculous, but replace religious sounding holidays with patriotic ones. Forget celebrating Polycarp's martydom, let's celebrate President's Day, Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day! If it's patriotism, it's great and glorious, but if it's religious in content, we get our panties in a wad, and cry out "idolatry!" (Usually while wearing a Reagan pin and watching Glenn Beck).

If it's not about Jesus, it's idolatry. If you worship money, family, modest clothes, homeschooling, religious rules, evangelism, doctrine, even the Bible, you engage in idolatry. The Word is a Person, not just a book. It's all about Him. Jesus. That's it. You can sprinkle, emerse, pray in tongues, fast, whatever, but if your heart is focused on the law of doing it "right" you miss the whole beautiful point.

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor, and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Want to help some children in Poland?

2009-12-03T14:43:00.002+01:00

The Chapel here on post is gathering supplies for an orphanage they have adopted in Poland. They are asking for: pads of paper, color pencils, pencil sharpeners, and regular pencils. They are also asking for bar soap and men's shaving kits (inexpensive).

Tony and I have volunteered to take the supplies to the orphanage. It looks like this will be a monthly trip and the supplies may likely change depending on the needs of the children. If anyone is interested in helping with this, let us know and we'll give you more information!

No Snow yet, but we have Snowmen!

2009-12-02T22:05:00.001+01:00

Today we made some snowmen mini cakes and let the kids decorate their own. Baking together is always one of my favorite activities to do with the kids.

Ryan worked on form and Ally concentrated on volume.

In order to keep Olivia content and happy we supplied her with a steady stream of frosting. She didn't complain too much.

A Woman After God's Own Heart By Elizabeth George

2009-12-01T14:57:00.002+01:00

So, I read this book about ten years ago and thought it was just great! I thought I'd adopt as much of the wisdom as possible and memorized the whole "Good, Better, Best...Never Let it Rest! Until your good is your better and your better is your best!" This was my first step into the radical fundamental image of women's roles in evangelical America. Living up to this standard wore me out.

I picked this book up again along with the Bible study for a forum I participate in. Funny how time and a little experience can completely change a gal's perspective, well that and a bit more of a cynical outlook. I think that while there are some redeeming qualities in the book, it's over the top. It's unrealistic. I don't even want a marriage like that. If I can't tell my husband the lamp looks stupid and I want another one, then what the heck kind of marriage is it? I have to disagree with Ms. George on the premise that a woman's husband is her career. How boring that man's life would get. It would be just about him. He's about him, she's about him.

Now, I love and support my husband, but he's not my career. I pick out the lamp because I look at it all day. I read books and chat with friends while he's gone so I have something interesting to discuss with him when he's home or just because I want to. Sometimes, good is good enough. There's freedom to watch a movie without feeling I must multi-task by painting my nails. I'm not my husband's mother. He can take his own clothes to the cleaners. I am his wife, his confidant, his cheerleader, and his life partner. I encourage him, share my life with him, and love him. And it's so much less stressful this way. So, I closed the book after four or five chapters and stopped doing the Bible study. No way am I getting sucked into that guilt-steeped lifestyle again.

My Birthday and the Krist Kindl Markt

2009-11-27T20:26:00.006+01:00

Well, another year down. We celebrated my birthday this year by heading downtown Schweinfurt for the Christmas Market. It's so beautiful this time of year! Walking around downtown is so much better than sitting around eating cake, anyway. Here's some pics of our day and evening:Here we are arriving on the scene.A manger scene and some goats to feed. Notice the blonde hair and blue eyed shepherd boy.Here's the town's Christmas Tree.

Here's a view of some of the shops lining the square.

The ladies in the background are discussing my frozen baby. They came up shortly after this picture to chew us out about Olivia's lack of warm shoes. She had on socks and Mary Janes.

So, we bought her some boots. No sense in stressing out the natives. Olivia was cool with them.
We headed back in the evening with warmer attire to see the lights and taste some of the goodies peddled by the vendors.

We tried the chestnuts roasting over the open fire. They smelled heavenly. But they tasted like Hades.

Then we let the kiddies ride the ponies.

We headed out to check out more vendors and ate some chocolate covered apples and bananas. Now, those were delicious! Unfortunately, Ryan broke his wire on his braces with the apple. Guess what our Monday will look like?

Daddy and Baby had a great little stroll checking everything out, but after a couple of hours it was time to venture back to the warm house. A great day out with the family and a wonderful birthday!

Things I haven't done since moving to Germany

2009-11-25T13:31:00.004+01:00

1. I haven't driven a car. I don't even have a German license yet. I can walk or bike ride just about anywhere and besides, I'm skeert.

2. I haven't talked on a cell phone. I have one of those use as you go phones and I've never used it. I don't even know my number.

3. I haven't been to a mega market. Don't miss this one bit, actually.

4. I haven't had fast food. Don't miss this either.

5. I haven't been to a mall. Any clothing needs can be handled online so much more quickly. (Try finding "petite" in Germany. Good luck. Living in Korea was much better for my ego. I look like a dwarf amongst giants here.)

6. I haven't had my hair done. The mullet seems to be making a huge comeback over here. My German is not good enough to communicate that I don't want one. So, in the meantime, I'll have two toned hair that is in serious need of a trim.

Some Patriotic Humor

2009-11-24T21:16:00.001+01:00

My husband gets the Patriot Post emails quite frequently and this one in particular was quite funny! Take a look : http://content.patriotpost.us/img/legacy/broadcasts/humor/112409.html

Hee Hee

Thankfulness?

2009-11-24T09:35:00.004+01:00

We are coming up on one of my favorite days of the year, and no, not my birthday. It's almost Thanksgiving time! We gather with friends and family and prepare a homemade feast and contemplate how thankful we are for all of our blessings. Ironically, as we head to bed we set the alarm for o'dark-thirty to partake in the largest shopping day of the year. Folks run each other over, fill up their carts with cheap items, and argue over the last Care Bear. So much for thankfulness. Our feast is the fuel to help us exploit greed in the morning. Am I really thankful for the blessings I have? A couple of years ago, I joined in celebrating another holiday. It's called "DON'T BUY ANYTHING DAY" and it falls on the day after Thanksgiving. Now I can really enjoy the tryptophan induced sleep and turn off the alarm clock. I spend the day enjoying my family and the leftover food from the day before's feast. We play games, put up the Christmas tree and go for a walk. I tell them how much I love them and nobody ends up with a Care Bear.

FYI: I read today that the average credit card debt for Americans is $5600, up from $4900 in the spring. Is all this debt making us happier, healthier, and more thankful? I'm thinking not.

Pics of the House here in Germany

2009-11-23T19:50:00.004+01:00

Here are some pics of our house here in Germany. We've managed to combine three rooms into one here in the living area. We have our office area, dining room, and living room. Here's a view from the stairs. Speaking of stairs: Here's some. We have 54 steps from the laundry room to Ally's room. See her way down there?
Hi Ally!

Here's the balcony off our Master Bedroom. It's a nice place for morning Bible study with a hot cup of coffee or a nice place to have a glass of wine with Tony before bed. Notice NO city lights in the background. It's all rural.

Here's our Master Bedroom. The slants nearly kept us from being able to use our bed here. Thankful we don't have a King sized bed!

Here's our kitchen. It's nice to have a boy in there helping with the dishes after dinner while Daddy vacuums.

This is our entrance into the house. Head downstairs to see the laundry room, play room, and pantry.

A view from the living room.

Another view in the living room.

Olivia can't run too much in here, lol.

Pics from the Park and Home

2009-11-21T13:35:00.002+01:00

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

2009-11-20T15:09:00.003+01:00

I must be the only person on the planet to really not like this book. It had such a great premise and even started well; however, Audrey Niffenegger's editor must have started drinking heavily after the first couple of chapters. I so badly wanted to grab a red pen and cross out irrelevant paragraphs and excess verbage that only hindered or blurred the story line. I found the characters shallow and irritating, so consummed with pretenses (like speaking French and going to a Violent Femmes concert) that I just didn't like them. I'm no stranger to Violent Femmes and rocked out to "Blister in the Sun" myself, but I felt the author was trying to appear hip, or intellectual with her constant name dropping of obscure punk bands, artists, authors, and foreign language. I usually find such people in real life shallow and full of themselves, so perhaps it's no surprise I didn't care for characters of such nature either.

Getting Back to Some Basics

2009-11-12T09:54:00.002+01:00

Today I feel the study of exegesis, theology, and hermeneutics has become like missing the forest for the trees. It feels just like busyness in the church. All these things just distract me from my Savior. Time for me to spend some much needed time in prayer and Bible study.

Stuff, Stuff, Stuff...I'm feeling stuffed.

2009-11-07T21:50:00.003+01:00

I'm reading No Impact Man's book right now and he mentioned a short little film called "The Story of Stuff." If you ever wondered why we need to stop consuming so much or even why we need to stop supporting stores like Walmart and Target, here's your answer. We throw out 99% of the things we buy within 6 months. Most of our items are either designed to break and need replacement or to look "unfashionable" and be replaced. Think cars, electronics, and fashion. Take twenty minutes and check out this video and help stop this cycle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8

Tony and I are feeling this conviction pretty strongly here lately, especially as we see how drastic the lifestyle differences are between the Europeans and Americans. I'm not sure exactly what all we are going to do at this point, but I feel some major changes are in the works for our family.

Traumatized by Documentaries

2009-11-07T16:57:00.002+01:00

Tony and I have been watching several documentaries and reading "eco" books. We have been fairly traumatized by the information on America's beef industry. For those that are unaware, I'll spare you the grusome details and just let you know that we'll be eating either local grass fed beef from a farmer we know or no beef at all. Since my German doesn't include that kind of vocabulary yet, or sadly the vocabulary needed for blonde highlights, Tony and I made a vegetarian lasagna for dinner in place of our usual meat-n-cheese variety:

We started with a delicious organic tomato and mushroom marinara by adapting my Grandpa Monaco's recipe into a veggie friendly variety. We added fresh garlic, shallots, mushrooms, basil and oregano.

Next I sauteed some eggplant and zucchini in some olive oil.

We began by layering in some marinara sauce, followed by the noodles and ricotta mixture. (Side vent: Never use cottage cheese in lasagna. No self respecting Italian would do such a thing and no self respecting Italian imposter would either). Next we layered some tomatoes and spinach, then topped it with the sauteed zucchini and eggplant. Add some Asiago, Provolone, and Mozzerella mixture and start over with the next layer.

This is the banana bread we made earlier. Mmmmm.

In keeping with our organic theme, we made little tree sugar cookies. Not a word, Keri!
See- they are leaves, so that makes them organic, right? ;-)

Homeschooling the kiddos

2009-11-02T13:08:00.004+01:00

I began homeschooling Ryan a couple of months into his Kindergarten year. We are now a couple of months into his Fourth Grade year. Crazy how the time has flown and how I am still homeschooling. I thought it would be for just a year, until he went into first grade. We use Sonlight Curriculum and just loved our Kindergarten year so, we ordered the First Grade curricula. Next thing you know, a few years pass and we are still homeschooling. It's been a great fit for our family, especially with all the moves we have being in the Army. Here's a typical morning at our house after breakfast:

Ryan gets started on his math and Olivia comes around to "help".
Ryan shows her his spelling. He hates spelling. He'll pass it off to anybody who will do it for him, even the baby.

"This schooling stuff wears me out!" Me too, Olivia, me too.

This is why Ryan shouldn't pass his spelling off to his baby sister...

Ally diligently working on her spelling. She's always the first one done with schooling. She's highly motivated by recess and strawberry milk. (Just like Tony).

Hanging out on the weekend

2009-11-02T11:31:00.002+01:00

Our kitties arrived early Saturday morning and after being robbed by the German government under the veil of pet transport, they are settling in.Here's Mia checking out the new place. Rather, she's just finished eating for the thirty-fourth time and after a couple of weeks will no longer fit in the crevice of the chair and table.
Olivia hanging out with "Bubba". That's what she calls him. He HATES it!

Nick, still experiencing a little jet lag. He hasn't left our side since arriving.

Daddy and Olivia spending some time together.

The other kiddos join in. Aren't they just darling?

I love our cozy weekends here in Germany.

Playing around with my new Nikon

2009-10-31T12:10:00.003+01:00

I finally decided on a new camera. I went with the Nikon D90, my first SLR digital camera. Boy, it sure has a learning curve. The user's manual is as thick as an encyclopedia.

Here is my usual night routine. A hot beverage and the computer. Please ignore the fact that I look like I homeschooled three kids today, because, well...I did.
Here's my teeny-tiny Olivia with nothing teeny-tiny about her gorgeous eyes.
See how she get's everything she wants? You tell this girl, "no".

I'm not sure where this red hair is coming from, but she sure is a cutey!

Date Night with Tony

2009-10-15T15:11:00.002+02:00

Here are some pics from our date night out for our fifteenth anniversary. I can't believe we've been married so long already. It feels like we are too young to have been together this long! The secret to our success? Perseverance.

Cappuccino mit Baileys, which was more like Baileys with a shot of cappuccino. Mmmmm. Perfect for a cold night.

The pizzaria we dined in. Pizza by candlelight and run by Italians is always romantic.

The ice cream shop we went to for dessert. Sure beats Baskin Robbins!

The dining patio.

Tony's Hazelnut and Chocolate concoction of calories, fat, and goodness. I had one too. I'm not about to share a gelato sundae!

Wildlife Park

2009-10-15T14:53:00.004+02:00

Ally, just as gorgeous as ever.
My little princess, Olivia. How I have kids this cute, I have no idea.

This is the museum at the wildpark.

A reindeer!

Wandering down some paths.

Ally feeding the goats.

Ryan making new friends.

All in on the action/feeding.

Being watched.

Veste Coburg and More...

2009-10-15T13:29:00.005+02:00

Here are some pics from our recent trip to Veste Coburg. The Veste is one of the oldest and largest castles in Germany and was also the hideout of Martin Luther for six months after all of his troublemaking, ;-)

The view as we walked up to the castle.

Inside the first set of walls, there were three total.

The Banqueting Hall, now housing it's chivalric armor collection.

A knight in shining armor.

This is the armor of the Prince who resided in the castle. The little armor next to him belonged to the jester, a dwarf...lol!

Ryan trying on a knight's helmet.

The Dining room. The wood is not carved on the walls, but rather put together like a puzzle. Amazing. The large device in the corner is the oven.

Tony and Olivia up at the top wall.

The view from the top.

Ally sitting in Martin Luther's room.

The entrance into Luther's room.

One Size Doesn't Fit All

2009-09-24T16:48:00.004+02:00

I’m a gardener, usually a poor one. I have these aspirations of my yard gracing the cover of Southern Living one day, but the truth is, most days it’s more likely to grace the Landscaper’s Challenge show; still I dig in the dirt or plant a new herb. There are countless books out there telling me how to garden, full of helpful hints, Southern Living is one of my favorites. However, I’m not living in the South anymore. Their ideas are great, their gardens are beautiful, but if I try to implement their suggestions here, I’ll fail my garden and it will likely die.

I’m a Mom, usually a poor one. I have these aspirations that my children will grace the cover of Time Magazine one day, but the truth is they’ll rightly pursue their own dreams. Still, I hang on, encouraging and teaching. There are countless books out there telling me how to parent, full of helpful hints. However, my children are different than theirs and I’m different than them. If I try to implement all of their suggestions, I’ll likely fail.

Each of my children is different and need different strategies as I help them to grow into adulthood. Just like my rosemary bush that weathers the storms and flourishes is very different than my basil plant that dies under the same elements: One may need more space, one may need more shelter. Parenting magazine may have a few ideas that help me with one of my children, No Greater Joy a few ideas to go along with another, but no one philosophy is just right for my family or my children. My garden is different; It’s gardener is different.

Museum of Light and a very pleasant surprise...

2009-09-22T20:11:00.003+02:00

Ryan by the Theotokos.

We went with our homeschool group to the light museum today to observe old lights throughout the world; lamps, candles, candlesticks, etc...what we found on the first floor was The Light of the World. The Russian Orthodox Icons were on display for a month, and Praise God we were able to see them! Some of them were so ornate and beautiful, encrusted with jewels or gold and silver. Some were completely new to us, so I'm hoping some of my friends can help us out. My kids were so excited to have their pictures taken by them, and we learned to not use a flash in a museum. Even that yelled in German was well understood!

Some sights around Schweinfurt

2009-09-22T19:59:00.004+02:00

This is the children's museum. We'll come back here another time.
St. Johannas Kirche, the oldest Church in Schweinfurt.

Flower market. This reminded me of the movie "You've Got Mail".

The food market.

Old Friedrich Ruckert, a famous poet from Schweinfurt.

More flowers for sale.

Tea AND coffee, all my girlfriends would be happy!

The town hall.

Another flower market.

Me and my Honey.

Another Weekend in Schweinfurt

2009-09-19T18:36:00.005+02:00

We've spent the last two days gorging on the cuisines of Schweinfurt. Friday night we headed out to dinner at a Greek restaurant with Tony's work and ordered the Gyros with the Pommes (fries). I'm sad to report that it was awful. No pita, the lamb was so overcooked it tasted like stringy leather, and it would have been a complete bust but was saved by a very good Tzatziki sauce. We left the restaraunt and headed out with some of Tony's co-workers over to an Italian Eis (Ice cream, or rather gelato) Cafe. I cannot even describe the creaminess, tastiness, beautiful concoction of strawberries, cream, and vanilla gelato they served me. I have never had ice cream like this IN MY LIFE! I'm so glad I was firm and wouldn't share mine with Tony. Love can only give so much, ya know! Oh, and the ambiance...it was like something from, well...Europe. It was gorgeous, trendy, very Italian. I can't BELIEVE it was an ice cream shoppe. For our anniversary we are skipping the restaraunt and just going there.

Today we walked around Downtown Schweinfurt. We toured the Museum Georg Schafer and looked at art...lots of nakey art, but art none the less. My kids will either be so desensitized to nudity when we leave here or traumatized for life. There are more exposed boobs here than at a breastfeeding convention! Alas, I digress...

After we toured the museum we headed out to try some more food. We stopped at the Sultan's Doner Cafe. We ordered the lamb Doner and oh my, it was incredible. Feta cheese, grilled flat bread, tzatziki sauce, perfectly roasted lamb...mmmm. It was wonderful! We'll have to finish the leftovers with the Italian plums the kids picked off the trees earlier. Good thing I ordered myself a bike! I'm going to need to up the ante on the exercise! I need my friend Dr. Diva to kick my rear in gear!

I mean look at this! How can a girl resist that?

Rebels with a Cause

2009-09-17T16:10:00.003+02:00

I was quite a rebellious child, teen, and young adult. I'm sure many would not be surprised to hear that. As my own children get older and we watch their friends and acquaintances get older, I am seeing the seeds of rebellion be sown into their hearts. Parents are dismayed. What have we done wrong? Let me offer a couple of theories:

Some parents are just too uninvolved. They don't care what their kids are up to, who they hang out with, or the direction they are headed. Kids want attention. They'll seek out any attention they can get, negative or positive, but usually negative. The reaction is better that way.

Most commonly in circles I run in, it's that some parents are OVER involved. For me, whenever I was told I couldn't do something, there was a deep stirring within. Overprotective strict parents usually will end up with rebellious children. Why? Nothing stirs rebellion like the feeling of being powerless. In our desire to protect our children, keep them from making our mistakes, keep them from harm, we cause an untold amount of damage. Like the caged bird, they don't see the love holding them in there, they just see the bars.

We have to make an effort to train them with wisdom, love, and faith. But we also have to ease up. Roots and wings. When the Prodigal Son wanted his money and ran off, the father didn't ground him to the house and refuse to let him go. He waited and rejoiced at the repentant son's return. And no matter which path your child takes, never cease praying for them.

I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron

2009-09-16T11:03:00.002+02:00

I read this book last night and just laughed out loud! Nora talks candidly about getting older and other ramblings that only women could really truly get. She spoke of how she hated her purse and each time she bought a new one that "It would be different this time." Somehow she would not end up with missing tic tacs rolling around the bottom and vintage chap stick from who knows when and loose coins, papers, etc. I found it hysterical, only because I can relate to that so well. She spoke of the maintenance women subject themselves to in order to leave the home...just in case we run into someone who rejected us in the past. She wrote of failed marriages, overextending herself in the kitchen, not really getting who she was but being constantly influenced by the new "expert" on the block...Julia Child, Martha Stewart, Etc, etc. I loved her humility in the book. I loved that she was so real. I loved how she wrote about her heartache and grief over losing her dearest friend to cancer. She called her her "phantom limb" and I got that.

As I set the finished book down on the floor (since I have no furniture yet), I mourned that ability to be transparent with others. As a Christian we speak so much of grace and humility, but in all honesty it's a tough game. If I could approach my fellow Christians with that honesty, that "I am really just a messed up gal trying to make it" life would be freeing. Funny how we can approach Christ with that freedom. He knows us anyway, no sense in trying to disguise who we really are, He already knows. But our fellow Christians? Boy, now there is real condemnation, fear, and judgement. You become afraid to mention the last movie you watched, the book you read, the pork you had for dinner out of some fear of rebuke from a person more perfect than you. Forget an honest heart to heart, the admission that you are so far from perfect you feel like a fraud for even being there in the first place. Oh, how I long to be transparent before others without the fear of their judgement.

Innie or Outie

2009-09-15T19:02:00.002+02:00

I was thinking today that if we spent half as much time focusing on inreach as we do outreach, the Church would grow tremendously. We lose so many good brothers and sisters in our church when our focus is dominated by nursery schedules, fall festivals, vbs, and all the other distractions instead of seeing the hurting and struggling within our own walls. If we behaved more like a family and less like a business folks would be drawn to Jesus. Instead, while well meaning, we focus on growing the church and neglecting the followers already there. It's like having your focus on the number of kids you want in your family and forgeting the individuals that make it up. I know our body of believers is imperfect and will always be, but boy, are we ever going to learn from our past mistakes?

Julie and Julia

2009-09-10T11:35:00.009+02:00

So this is the new book I'm reading right now. I'm a few chapters out and it's been an interesting read. Not so much the writing style, or even the main character...I find her quite selfish and unlikeable; her biggest goal at the moment is to cook through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year, and some how she makes it the most dramatic experience of her life.

What I found interesting is that this is probably what our lives would look like if we all just focused on ourselves. Forget family, friends, faith...just you. I have to say, it makes for a sad existence.

Paula's Memoirs...

2009-09-09T11:56:00.004+02:00

If you love Paula Deen's cooking show like I do, don't ruin it by reading her biography. I'm still shuddering from information overload...and information that should never be in print overload. 'Nuff said.

The Botanical Garden...er garten.

2009-09-07T21:05:00.005+02:00

After visiting St. Martin's Cathedral we headed over to the Botanical Gardens. Now Germany is full of gorgeous gardens... this one was no exception: Almost all of us...
Die Blumen...the flowers.
Ryan, enjoying the fresh air.

Lovin' the new backpack! I should've got the other one, too!

I'm cute with Daddy, but I'd rather Mommy hold me now.

Ally zooming in for a closer look.

We even got Tony to stop and smell the flowers today.

Ryan and I stop to take a pic, while the girls are ready to move on. I wonder how much longer I have before he's taller than me?

It's so green here...and this plant smells divine!

Olivia walking Daddy around the gardens.

The kids taking off down a flagstone path.

This picture makes me giggle. "I'm gonna getcha!"
Yuck. I hate bugs. Even fake ones.

My boy growing up way too fast.

Lily ponds..."Hmm, is it wet?"

Orchids. One of my all time favorite flowers.

More pics from St. Martin's

2009-09-07T20:56:00.004+02:00

The kids and I infront of the cathedral, no idea why they wrote on it with chalk.

A marble statue depicting wedding vows between a couple.

Fifty cents (euro) to light a candle and pray...think we did it? I'll never tell.

Beautiful statues outside of the church.

The side entrance to the church. Stunning.

Out and about town...and then some

2009-09-07T20:37:00.004+02:00

Today we ventured out in search of a nearby castle, but thanks to a faulty GPS we could only glimpse it from the highway. Instead we ended up in a small town called Tauberbischofsheim and at it's Gothic Cathedral, St. Martin. Here are some pics of this beautiful church.

This is the outside of the Cathedral, built in 1910.

The opulence of the inside cannot be transmitted by photograph. As you stepped in, the organ was loudly playing, the gold shining, and the Gospel presented in paintings, stained glass windows, wood carvings, and statues nearly brought us to our knees. If art could worship, it would look like this.

This beautiful painting was near the Holy water and candles.

Paintings telling of the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

The Holy Altar that was built sometime between 1525 and 1528.

Our New Neighborhood

2009-08-25T08:35:00.002+02:00

This is the road into our housing area. It's beautiful, sturdy, and safe enough for the kids to play in.

The backside of our house. The lady before us had a green thumb that I'll try to maintain. The home is a bright yellow as you can see, which makes it easy for me to spot in our villiage!

The houses and carports on our street. There are six families living over here. All very friendly with children.

Here's the front/side of the house. There are four floors total, the basement and three upper floors. Ally has the entire fourth floor to herself.

Here's Ally at the Medieval Faire. We ordered ice cream in German, shot a crossbow, and realized that all Medieval Faire workers are strange...no matter what continent they are on. It was lots of fun! We even watched a Celtic concert where the gal singing could one up Lorena McKennit anyday!

Some pics of us in Schweinfurt

2009-08-19T14:35:00.000+02:00

Adjustment in Progress

2009-08-19T14:18:00.004+02:00

Well, we've been here for a week now. We are still in temporary housing awaiting news of an available rental that will fit our family. Tony is off taking his Germany driver's test, hopefully he'll pass; I have NO desire to drive here! I guess I'll have to suck that one up here soon, though.

The kids are back to doing their school work and trying to make adjustments. They miss their friends terribly. It's tough. I know we will meet new folks here soon, but they'll be different folks and we really liked our pals back home. Living in an apartment on the top floor is losing it's appeal to the kids as they adjust to a much smaller square footage. This place can't be more than 800sf. That's a tight fit for five people! Especially five people who have just had their worlds rearranged!

We're learning different skills here: How to take the bus. Walking everywhere...even if it's miles away. Learning German. Shopping for a couple of days groceries at a time, and then carry them all back to the top apartment! LOL! It's good for us. We are being stretched to adapt and make do. In some ways it's exhilarating and others it's tough. We certainly won't take the convenience of a large Walmart for granted again, but on the other hand, we'll always appreciate the fresh food from the markets much more!

Aside from my friends and family, the things I miss most: Amazon Prime, Ann Taylor, my car, a yard to send the kids out into, and my kitchen! I miss my kitchen! The large stove, counter space, cabinets, pantries, a kitchen aid, the keurig, space, and more space! As cool and hip as Europe is, it's got nothing on a big country kitchen! Right, Paula?

It's All About Jesus: It's All About Jesus : Humility

2009-08-17T09:04:00.000+02:00

It's All About Jesus: It's All About Jesus : Humility

It's not about you. It's not about self esteem, self awareness, or self actualization. It's not about pride, but humility. Above is a link to a great sermon by Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle. Awesome.

We've Made it!

2009-08-13T09:21:00.004+02:00

We are now in Schweinfurt, Germany! It's beautiful here! Green abounds everywhere along with rolling hills, forests, and clay topped roofs. Strangely, I am more struck by the lack of things in my surroundings than the new images before me. I haven't seen a single billboard. From Frankfurt to Schweinfurt, through many little towns and villages, not a single billboard advertising beer, cars, fast food, or loans. Apparently we spent too much time in Copperas Cove, where the city's beauty has been assaulted by clutter. In Cove, billboards abound like clutter in my dad's garage. You can't see past them. Here, I was struck by the landscape, and the fact that I could see it! Not only was there a lack of billboards, but any litter on the roadside. It seems so clean! It's like the team from "Organize This" lives here! LOVE IT!

We were also taken by the new smells, and sounds. The kids were not impressed with the large city smell on trash day. As we walked out of the airport in Frankfurt, we were caught off guard by the pungent smell of the city. Apparently, trash day is an icky time to arrive. The kids walked to the bus stop holding their noses and trying to keep from gagging. It reminded me of landing in Seoul.

The sounds are peculaire here. Rain hitting clay roofs. European emergency sirens in the background. The mutter of a forgein language around you. "Wie Getts?" Bees are plentiful, as are the wildflowers they pollinate. Children playing safely in the neighborhoods. Busses everywhere. Public transportation is no joke here!

I was also impressed by the mixture of old architecture with modern equipment. As we drove into Schweinfurt, we passed a number of old antique villages complete with the large cathedrals, towers, and clay roofed tops. On the other side of the slant of the roofs were sheets of solar panels covering the entire side of the roofs! Large electricity producing wind mills could be seen from the plane on the farms. Stacks of firewood were as abundant as Walmarts in America! It was a beautiful drive. I can't wait to get out there and venture deeper.

Family Reunion Time....

2009-08-07T19:25:00.003+02:00

Tomorrow is our family reunion before we head out to Germany. Excited to see some folks I haven't seen in a long while. Others...well, let's just say I am busy preparing wooden stakes and strands of garlic.

(Makes the sign of the cross before heading back into the kitchen).

Simplifying...

2009-07-15T20:42:00.002+02:00

The first initial wave of movers came on Monday and we sent ahead some items that will hopefully help us as we get established in Germany. We sent some school books, a coffee maker, down comforters and sheets, an air mattress, pots and pans, and some board games. Hopefully we won't have to live too long without all of our household goods, but as we have been going through this process we see that we need fewer household goods than we've aquired. I'm actually looking forward to downsizing. We've given tons of things away, sold a few things, and we'll stick even more in storage. Each day as we walk around the house we realize we could do without a few more things. I'm so excited about this move! I'm excited about the adventure, and I'm even more excited to claim back some of our family time. We've spent these last few years almost in a haze of rush. Usually committing to good things, but missing out on some great things. I pray we don't make that same mistake in Germany.

Things Pondered....

2009-06-18T22:07:00.004+02:00

I'm reading the Philokalia: The Bible of Orthodox Spirituality and a quote has jumped out at me.

" Never say that God is just. If He were just, you would be in hell. Rely on His injustice which is mercy, love, and forgiveness."
-St. Isaac the Syrian

Sometimes the thinking goes that those who are Christians are ultimatley blessed and those who aren't are ultimately damned. Like it's some club and we were lucky enough to "get in". Praise be to God for His injustice, that He reigns with mercy, love, and forgiveness. Had it not been for His mercy, I would surely be peering at His club from the outside, knowing I most certainly don't deserve in.

As I drive into Cove, I see a sign that proclaims, "Compassion is no excuse for injustice." He's right, but thankfully our God is not just. His injustice is compassion.

Bittersweet

2009-06-11T21:46:00.003+02:00

The house has been cleaned and decluttered, as best as it'll get with three kids anyway, and the For Sale By Owner sign is posted in the front yard. Anxiety and joy are creeping into our lives as we imagine what it'll be like living in Germany. How will we spend Christmas this year? Will we make it to Paris for our 15th anniversary? What kind of church will we attend? Will we ever make friends again like we have here?

Our heads are swimming with thoughts and our conversations are full of questions, but we are so very excited about this opportunity for our family. I'm not sure what God has in store for us as we move from here, but I have an inkling it's something big. As we shed our desire for comfort and familiarity and allow ourselves to be rolling stones, adventure awaits us. My desire is that somehow on this journey I will know God more. Deep questions on theology, longings I have to know Him more truthfully, and stirrings that there is something more swirl in my head.

I desire to strengthen our family with memories and experiences like no other opportunity would allow. I want to savor raising these kids but I also feel an urgency to show them as much as possible. I want them to see the world beyond small towns. I want them to experience different cultures, see beauty as seen through the eyes of others. I want to make memories with our kids that strengthen us spiritually, relationally, and individually.

But each time we leave it's always bittersweet. We've made some great friends here. We've really enjoyed growing in our church. We've loved the adventures we've had here. We'll miss picking strawberries with Utah and Star out at Sweetberry Farms. We'll miss the Bean Tree for coffee, Mel's for burgers, and the little hole in the wall Mexican restaruant that fed us many times, induced labor, and finally frightened us away with the cockroach infestation. We'll miss tea on Thursdays with friends, our own little great schism co-op, game nights, deep discussions on theology that have challenged and grown us more than you could ever imagine. We'll miss the best friends the kids made here, the fantastic dinners we'd all make together, the common bond to love deeply and slow down.

I can only wonder at the things I'll miss most when we leave Germany, but for now, I'll just sit back with my tea and reflect on the blessings I've had while in Texas.

Moving to Germany!!!

2009-05-11T17:13:00.007+02:00

WOO-HOO!!!

We had to choose an assignment this morning. We had the choice of Korea, Hawaii, or Germany and about three minutes to choose one or one would be chosen for us. Korea was an instant out, been there, done that. Hawaii was quite tempting, but after living in Panama for four years I felt it would be more of the same....just a whole lot more expensive. If you travel to Hawaii for a couple of weeks, you have the "Hawaiin experience." However, travel to Europe and a plethora of experiences await us. Castles, skiing, cathedrals, trees and rain! Paris in the Springtime, trips to Italy, Belgium, Sweden and England. We corralled the two older kids and gave them the choice and so, Germany it is! Five years left in the Army and a guaranteed reassignment to Texas, what's one short detour to Europe for a few years?

We are still waiting on other info...when, exactly where in Germany, etc. But in the meantime, we are all thrilled!

Easter Bunnies

2009-04-22T22:04:00.004+02:00

We have two new family members:

Lily Sparkles

And Rex:

The kids are really enjoying their new friends.

Olivia's First Trip to Sea World

2009-04-22T21:54:00.005+02:00

Hanging out with Ryan while we wait for Shamu
Why are we all clapping?

It's Shamu!

What could she be thinking here?

Classic "I want that" signal

Pure wonder

Sea World was a blast. We visited Great-Grandma Mary in San Antonio before heading over. It was a very warm 88 degrees and since most kids were still in school, crowds were minimal. Olivia had such a great time, she managed to sleep the two hours home.

Pics from the last very busy two weeks....

2009-04-22T21:47:00.002+02:00

Here's my Ally, busy at work on Easter Eggs...
Ryan is deciding on the perfect color combination

Ryan, Meg, Ally and Jona are getting creative!

Here's Daddy and Olivia at the zoo cooling off under the waterfall.

Could they look any more alike?

Why I can't give up Amazon.com

2009-04-22T21:43:00.003+02:00

What else could be more fun (or cute) than a baby in a box? Especially a box from Amazon... that brought me coffee.....ah, life is good.

Staying Put...at least for now

2009-03-27T20:03:00.002+01:00

Well, the orders to Okinawa have been deleted. The officer Tony was to replace has asked to be extended a year, so we are thankful to have this cup lifted from us for now. Boy, the Army sure is one crazy ride.

I have to tell you, I am so relieved to be able to stay here for a while longer. I have some of the greatest friends I've ever had in my life. For the first time ever, I have roots, connections, and this feeling of..."home." Most of the time in my life I have yearned for independence, freedom, and self-sufficiency. Boy, was I missing out on a whole lotta fun! Being on bedrest with Olivia gave me plenty of time to reflect on relationships. I was so lonely with Tony gone. I had ended a friendship that was very dear to me, yet toxic on many levels. I knew I could not grow in Christ and as a person if I kept myself anchored to my former life. I needed to break free from old habits and crutches. I needed to find the path that God had for my life and pursue it. For a while I felt like it was in a perpetual solitude. Tony was gone, I'm far from my family, and although I had many aquaintances, I had few friends. Most are just too busy to form real relationships these days. I started to do this Bible study called Stepping Up by Beth Moore. There's a section in there, week five, all about building relationships, encouraging one another, and on investing in each other. I did this study with my neighbor and spent many hours contemplating the teachings I heard. Relationships had always been so tough for me. I always ended up hurt, abused, or abandoned. I had created an entire fortress around myself for protection and in reality it was for my destruction. Life isn't worth living if you are only invested in it for yourself. I started to reach out to people, genuinely. Not just "Hey, How are ya?" or a quick email, but I let others really see how I thought, what I felt, and what really was going on in my life. I've been so blessed to have three friends here really care about what those things are. They were not too busy to be a friend to me and I am ultimately changed and grateful for that.

We meet for tea each week, share each other's burdens, encourage one another, and laugh, laugh, laugh. Each of us is so absolutely unique, I can't help but to think how strange it is we all ended up together, but I couldn't ask for a better group of friends. I am challenged theologically, as a mother, wife, and as a follower of Christ. I love these ladies dearly and I'm so thankful that for now, I don't have to leave them. I'm not sure what the future holds, but for now I will bloom where I'm planted, take up roots in this ground I have been set on, and walk this journey with my friends.

Livin' La Vida Loca

2009-03-25T23:10:00.002+01:00

What a crazy life it has been here these past few weeks! Allyson has turned 7 and lost her first two teeth...pics will follow later, Olivia is waving hello and goodbye, and Ryan now wears the same shoe size as me. Our orders for Okinawa were "deleted" and now they are rescheduled again. sigh. I am living in a crazy world! Tony is seeing if our orders are really going to stand this time or if it's a fluke in writing. Who knows right now, and as my life usually goes, the guy in charge of our orders is out until April 6. Once again we have a hot potato thrown at us and a pause button pushed.

Word of Promise The Gift of Psalms by NKJV Translation Or William Shatner reads the Psalms

2009-03-18T20:58:00.005+01:00

I've been trying to force my way through my latest test book from Thomas Nelson Publishing, you can find it here: http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1418534374

If you enjoy over dramatized, almost embarrassing renditions of the Psalms, then this book is for you... I couldn't listen to this without feelings of nausea, chills, and random bouts of laughter. I kept picturing Captain Kirk crying out familiar Psalms. Weird. The Psalms chosen were fine and great classic ones, the devotion book accompanying the set was a bit benign, but fine. The CD of famous actors reading them aloud was just too much. The Psalms became Broadway skits and no longer earnest pleas or songs to God. Gary Sinise, while a great actor (loved him in Forrest Gump) really shouldn't ever portray David. And he should never read aloud a Psalm again. Ever.

Well, it's official!!!

2009-02-23T22:40:00.002+01:00

We are moving to Okinawa!!!

We are all so very excited about this next adventure, our minds are racing with all kinds of new questions. Rent or sell the house? Who will foster or adopt the kitties? What will go with us and in storage? Who wants to buy our vehicles? Wow. We have a few months to work out all of these issues, our reporting date isn't until early fall, so we will spend the next few weeks getting our plans all in order.

Did I mention we are so excited?

Should we stay or should we go now?

2009-02-14T21:44:00.003+01:00

We have five years left in the Army before retirement, and after the usual 3 years of being stationary, Tony and I start getting the itch to move. We were thinking Italy...but alas, that dream has been put on hold for now...no slots open til 2010 and there's a list. However, they have an immediate opening for Okinawa, Japan. I can't believe I'm even writing this. I never thought I'd return to Asia, let alone get to be stationed on a tropical island known for it's beauty and culture. On one hand, we'd likely end our continual deployment schedule to Iraq, on the other hand, I'd leave very well loved friends and family for 3 or 4 years. We have to make a quick decision, and I'm afraid we'd regret this choice either way. One last hoorah at the Army's expense or the comfortable life I've aquired here. Those that know me well, know that while comfort always sounds nice, I have a stirring deep within me for adventure. One life; How should we spend it? Comfortable? Perhaps not just yet.

My biggest regret while stationed in Korea is that I did not know Jesus. I had so many opportunities for witnessing to locals, other spouses, and countless others and I blew it. Perhaps this is another opportunity. One of my favorite preachers is John Piper. He has a message titled "Don't Waste Your Life" that forever impacted Tony and I. In my final days on this earth, before I go and meet our HOLY God, how shall I spend my time, my resources, my gifts? Getting comfortable, installing crown moulding in my bathroom, having BBQs? We have a chance, an opportunity rather, to do something completely radical, and while fear and my love for roots pulls at my heart, I know I'd look back on this choice with deep regret if I didn't seize it. So, Monday morning Tony will call his branch manager and tell him, if it's still available, we'll take it.

If you think of us, pray for us: That we would be following the Lord's guidance here, that we would not blow opportunities to obey the Great Commission, and that the heartache that always accompanies moves will be minimal.

Homesteads, Communities, and slowing down

2009-02-11T20:21:00.006+01:00

Last Saturday morning, we headed out to Heritage Homestead Farms with some friends, old and new, to have a tour of what a homesteading life looks like from a few guys who have left former lives to start a new one. Homesteading is all about community, everyone working together, and living a simple life. Folks here at this farm dress in very simple clothing (think Mennonite) grow their own organic food, spin cloth, blacksmith, make pottery and soaps, and build their own homes and barns. It was like stepping into a time warp, but a journey that was well worth taking for our family.

We left our crazy suburban world, where we try to avoid our neighbors, or at least some of them. The wild children that permeate our neighborhood with yells, paintball guns, and flat out disdain for authority were replaced with scenes of horses gathering in large fields, rows of neatly planted vegetables and pecan groves.

Scenes like this one, left us all quiet, as we looked at what the world looked like beyond our concrete jungle.

Pecan groves like this one, I learned, are God made...that's the difference between an orchard and a grove. The beauty of this place conjures up Psalms and soothes the soul. All I was missing was a cup of hot tea.

We all gathered here, the kids seemed content to just stop and look for quite some time...amazing how we spend thousands of dollars for play equipment when God's playground is so much more captivating!

We all sat down together in their little restaurant and enjoyed free range beef hamburgers, organic sweet potato fries, and sorghum syrup pecan ice cream. Oh my....YUM.

The kids watched the blacksmith here make a key chain out of iron. How appropriate as Ryan and I read about Johnny Tremain.

This beat a video game or PBS any day!

This is a picture of the Gristmill...all kinds of grain are milled here into many types of flours.

Olivia and I stopped by the fountain to just listen. I can still hear the splashing.

While they do use cars as well, all of their farming is done by horses...less maintenance, better for the environment, and a better return (think manure).

Wide open fields like this one called out to the kids to run wild, earning a better workout than the wii fit.

Every kid's dream here...a hayloft on top of the barn. The only thing missing....cats.

We had such a wonderful time exploring farm life, community living, and a simple lifestyle. Some things made perfect sense, some things seemed quite scary. While I agree with the folks there that we need to slow down, work harder, and build relationships, I don't think that living in a socialist environment where all are called to conform to one's idea is exactly my cup of tea. They were absolutely gracious to us and we left there thinking that in some areas, they did have the right idea.

Little Miss Muffet....

2009-02-06T19:34:00.004+01:00

Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet...

Eating her porridge and whey;

When along came a spider

and sat down beside her:

And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Remodeling the Girls' Room....

2009-01-28T05:05:00.005+01:00

When you give a mouse a cookie, or a girl a Pottery Barn catalogue, you go from this:

TO THIS:

Loving Life with Daddy Home...

2009-01-28T05:00:00.003+01:00

Daddy and the kids all dressed up for Sunday School...it's good to have him home.

Reading Now...

2009-01-21T04:56:00.004+01:00

Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

I have only a few chapters left of this book, and I'm quite sad to end it. This has been a book I have been savoring. I have recognized my own prejudices in reference to poverty and homelessness and I've seen my own bigotry to affluence. If only my faith could be as simple as Denver's. This is a beautiful story of two men finding faith and common ground when their very different worlds collide in a homeless shelter...the wealthy man there to serve at his wife's insistance, and the homeless man there to teach him a very important lesson in faith, true servanthood, and prejudice. Here's a link if your interested in reading more http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=084991910X

Word of Promise: Next Generation

2009-01-21T04:30:00.003+01:00

I help teach sixth grade girls in Sunday school, so I’m always on the lookout for interesting ways to get the Word of God into the girls’ ears. Thomas Nelson has published this new MP3 New Testament with the voices of many teen “idols” from the Disney channel and other well-known voices from the preteen genre. I was a bit skeptical about this version, would this be a Disney take on the sacred scriptures of the New Testament? I’ve been listening to this MP3 for the last several weeks, and I have to say I was fairly impressed with it. The acting was phenomenal and rivaled a more adult presentation. If you’re looking for a way to introduce your preteen to the New Testament, this is a great way to do so; however, while it provides a great introduction to the message of the Gospel, it is limited in its usefulness for in depth study, as would any MP3 edition.
Fans of The Lord of the Rings will be pleasantly surprised to hear the voice of Sean Astin narrating the Bible and he does an excellent job! All in all, I really did enjoy this version, but it certainly cannot replace the ability to read the Bible in book form. If you know of a preteen that could benefit from the exposure to the Gospel (and who couldn’t?) this is a great resource to have handy. I even picked up a couple for Christmas gifts! You can find one here: http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?dept_id=230170&sku=1400313309

HE'S HOME!!!

2009-01-08T15:06:00.008+01:00

After many delays, cancelled flights, ice storms, and bus rides, Tony finally made it HOME!

Here's Ally waiting not so patiently in the truck as we wait for his bus to come in at the company.

Olivia was done sitting in her carseat, so Ryan entertains her as we wait....

Here he is! Can you see the excitement on the kids' faces?

I bet you can see it here on Ally's face! This girl has waited a long time for her Daddy to come home!

This is our first picture of all five of us together! What a beautiful thing.

Four Hundred and Forty-eight

2009-01-03T06:57:00.004+01:00

This is how many days my husband has been gone. Fifteen months, two Christmases, four inches on our oldest, three inches on the middle child, and the newborn sleeping baby he left on R&R is now crawling and trying to stand.

Deployments are tricky things. You go through fierce levels of independence with a "can do" attitude to one where getting up out of bed seems nearly impossible. I've watched my son grow to take on more responsibilities than is probably fair for an eight year old. I've seen my daughter cling to her friends' fathers, desperate for that relationship she misses so greatly. And I see this little baby growing and I think to myself, " Boy, you don't even know, but there's this guy out there that is crazy about you!" I worry a bit about her being fearful of him, rejecting him when he comes home. She's grown to be such a Mama's girl, but how can you blame her? I'm her only caregiver at the moment.

We only have one more day of this separation left and I'm filled with excitement, anxiety, relief, and tears. I can't believe we made it. I watched this last week as my son carried out all the trash out to the curb, helped the neighbor rake her leaves, and carried the baby around while I made dinner and I kept thinking, "It's almost over honey, then you can be a kid again." My daughter has become quite sentimental too, and she comes to me with stories she remembers of when her Daddy was here..."Remember how Daddy would read me this story every night at bedtime?" I didn't have the heart to tell her that it was I who read her that story. "Soon Sissy, and Daddy will gladly read you that story." It's weird being a family with a pause button on. We just aren't complete without Tony here.

Not all has been horrible and dreary, I did try to take the opportunity to do things that I couldn't do when he was here. I've rented nearly all chick flicks from Netflix...two last ones for tonight. I've watched hours of Jane Austen, had craft nights with a bunch of girls, thrown tea parties, garden parties, and even a French poodle party! I've also done some things that he certainly wouldn't approve of...I'll call these confessions and hope that him missing us will be enough for grace! Here it is, in writing, the bad things I've done while he was gone. We can see how long it takes him to discover some of them, haha.

1. I hit the garage door. (at least twice) (He'll notice this in under five minutes)

2. I hit the garage rim...yes, separate occasion..and at least four or five times.(Anna helped hammer out the track and Mike helped to nail in the casings....)

3. I've spent nearly five hundred dollars on books over this last year. (I try to justify that by being a homeschooler, but those are just the ones for me.)

4. I have taken out all the batteries in the fire alarms. (I always forget to get new batteries)

5. I have removed batteries from remotes to use in the computer mouse. The remotes don't work. (once again, I always forget to buy the batteries.)

6. I haven't changed the oil in the truck since he left on R&R.

7. The car is dead....again. (I forget it has a battery also).

8. I've stolen his hangers for the new clothes I've bought.

9. I've stolen his extra razors.

10. I've lost half the tupperware we had. Mostly from leftovers being in the fridge too long and not wanting to clean them. (not very green, I know.)

11. Ally and I have kept American Girl in business this year and have probably spent enough money on the website to pay for a nice vacation.

12. I order everything from Amazon. Even coffee and diaper wipes.

13. Instead of sleeping, I play on the internet researching ridiculous things like Calvinism vs Augustinism vs Arminianism....crazy, I know.

14. Ryan has learned to make a "secret ingredient oatmeal"...probably because Amazon doesn't deliver milk for cereal.

15. I've lost the camera battery charger.

16. I've lost the cell phone charger.

17. I've lost my cell phone. (You can't find a dead cell phone anywhere!)

18. We don't have windshield wiper fluid in the truck.

19. The air filters in the cars and home haven't been changed in six months.

20. I quit mowing the lawn and just let the kids take scissors out there and trim the really long weeds...for money of course.

21. The shed looks like my parent's basement.

22. I won't even mention the state of the garage.

23. I haven't washed the truck since...well....never.

This just shows he has job security here at home. And for those of you in a panic over this list, no worries, Tony will have it all fixed in less than a week. Unfortunately, American Girl and Amazon will both be distant memories of my past. I'll ask Ally, "Remember how when Daddy was gone we got all the cool Kit Kittridge accessories?" That's okay, we'd take having him home anyday!

Pictures from our Tea Party

2008-12-13T19:55:00.024+01:00

"Why do I have to wear these things in my hair?"...Because they make a cute picture.

The future Ms. America here, all dolled up and ready for her friends.

We're going to have to fight the girls off, just look at those eyes!

Ryan has a little party of his own.

A cupcake and whipped cream..."I'm diving in!"

In the midst of the party...aren't they just precious?!!

One of my favorite pictures: Ms. Nichole serving her two girls.

Ms. Anna gets warmed up with a polka Christmas, much to Megan's delight!

We even had dancing!

Here Ms. Anna helps to get all of us in tune and ready to sing!

The boys reluctantly join in but check to make sure our stock of silly string is sufficient first.

Here's Ally and her friends getting ready to sing some Christmas carols.

Here's Ms. Nichole reading "All God Wants for Christmas" to the kiddos.

Trying to steal a few minutes with my daugher during the party.

Here we are removing the strand of pearls in favor of the torn jeans for the silly string battle.

Mothers, Daughters, Tea and Silly String...

2008-12-13T19:31:00.006+01:00

Yesterday my friends and I started a wonderful tradition of a Mother and Daughter Christmas tea party. I had a beautiful Christmas china set, a silver tea service, and the girls wore their best dresses. It was absolutely precious! I cannot even begin to explain the joy that fills my heart as I begin to entertain friends with my oldest daughter at my side. I know she is learning a long lost art, but most importantly, I know these days are fleeting. She was such a gracious hostess yesterday, she helped greet her friends and make them all feel welcome, and as only Ally can do, she can make what can be construed as a stuffy tea party feel like a natural gathering of friends. The girls enjoyed a wonderful high noon tea, sang Christmas carols together, danced, and listened to a Christmas story. I had the boys outside with hot cocoa, mounds of whipped cream, and cupcakes; it was great! We were able to bribe the boys to come in and sing Christmas carols with us using a bottle of silly string as collateral; however, once the girls got a glimpse of the fun being had outside, the dresses were shed in favor of torn jeans and t-shirts, the beautiful headbands and bows were pulled out, and five little girls were running wild barefoot, hair flying behind them, and a can of silly string in hand ready to take on the boys. Meanwhile, us Moms sipped tea and watched from the kitchen window, cleaning up from the party. All of us smiling and knowing deep inside if we were six, we'd do the same thing. My heart aches as I reflect on this day...my baby girl is growing up, and she is becoming a beautiful young lady. Oh how I pray, she looks back on her youth with a smile.

The Moon Shines Down by Margaret Wise Brown

2008-12-02T22:31:00.007+01:00

I got this adorable book from Thomas Nelson Publishing. We have always been big fans of Margaret Wise Brown's children's stories, so when I saw the opportunity to pick up a book that had been buried in an old trunk of hers, I was pretty excited! The Moon Shines Down reflects the classic prose found in her other familiar works, like Goodnight Moon and The Big Red Barn. The cadence is familiar and fun to read, however there is more than just rhyming that keeps the kids around in this story. This story takes the reader and the little ears listening, around the world to each continent as an adorable Koala sees other children tucked in bed beneath the same moon, each time praying:

I see the Moon

And the Moon sees me

God bless the Moon

And God bless me.

The illustrations are bright, colorful, and full of details, from the Chinese Pagoda to the lit up Eiffel tower. There is even a beautiful Christmas scene as the Koala watches as the Moon
"sees the Christ Child, Heaven's Baby." This tale was adorable and delightful, and it makes me wish they found a few more of her stories in that trunk. If you know of any preschoolers needing a book for Christmas, this one is sure to please!

http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=140031299X

Growing up way too fast!

2008-11-28T07:21:00.007+01:00

I'm so blessed to call these incredible kids my own. Thank you, God!!!

The huge bow on Olivia's head was just too much fun for big brother and sissy!

Could this girl be any more beautiful? Her insides truly match the stunning beauty you see here. I'm so proud to be her Mama.

" What's so funny?"

This is the best pumpkin pie recipe around!

2008-11-26T22:13:00.003+01:00

I just love Paula Deen! Hope you are all enjoying a day in the kitchen with all those yummy smells and the anticipation for tomorrow's feast. I have so much to be thankful for this year, but I just know God has something even greater ahead! Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Pie
Prep Time:
15 min
Inactive Prep Time:
30 min
Cook Time:
50 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
6 to 8 servings

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed 1 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten 1 cup half-and-half 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional 1 piece pre-made pie dough Whipped cream, for topping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.
For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.
Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.
Printed from FoodNetwork.com on 11/04/2008

Saviour and Lord

2008-11-23T23:28:00.007+01:00

Late November 1998, after a Tuesday night Bible study, I sat in my car with the ignition off, listening to the rain. The discussion in that study was on how our trials in life can be a blessing by drawing us closer to God. I was just a seeker at the time, I knew some about Christianity, but wasn't sure I was ready to jump into that ocean. But the idea of a Christian finding joy, contentment, and even blessing during tough times intrigued me. Didn't Christians just pray for good stuff? These folks sat around that living room actually praying that God would strengthen, change, and grow them through trials. Trouble usually found me often enough, so the idea to pray for such a thing was radical. Those people in that living room had recognized that they had a purpose in their lives and it was to serve God-whether in good times or bad.
That night, as I sat in my car, I wanted to be useful to God, too. I wanted to approach God like they did, like He was a loving Father, not some untouchable deity that wasn't concerned with me. I knew enough about Christianity and it's God, to know that I couldn't just go up to this Holy God, I needed a Saviour. I turned off my radio and bowed my head. I asked Jesus to forgive me, to teach me, and to save me. That was the night I gave my heart to Jesus and He became my Saviour.

Fast forward a few years, and I was living in Ohio. I had just had a baby, Ryan, and had joined a MOPS group. I had bought my first Bible, although I wasn't reading it much. While I was in MOPS, our mentor had agreed to come out to my house on Thursday evenings to lead a Bible study with several of us moms. We studied the Gospel of John, Proverbs 31, and numerous other passages as she discipled us. I am so thankful for her patience with us (me) as we bombarded her with questions. She so graciously took the time to show us the answers and to pray with us.

I had up until this point, been having a one sided conversation with God. I had been regularly praying to Him, but hadn't actually read what He said. I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but some time during that Bible study, I had such a hunger for God's Word- it never seemed like I could be satisfied. I was like a ravenous lion devouring everything I could find. It all started to be very clear to me: All these questions I had in life could be answered right there inside this Book. Every single thing Jesus said was RADICAL! It was like some kind of strange opposite day, when the upside down world I was accustomed to had been turned right side up! Sometime during that Bible study, Jesus became not only my Savior, but Lord of my life, the one I want to follow, pattern my life after, and know.

It's been ten years now, since that night...and I am constantly challenged to grow more. The more I know God, the more I see I have to learn.

Family Traditions

2008-11-13T16:36:00.006+01:00

I grew up as an Air Force Brat…in other words, always on the move. I have lived in two foreign countries and at least a dozen different states. I’ve been in places where it was tropics all year round and places where I wondered if the sun would ever come out again. I’ve been in the “in” crowd and the “out” crowd, watched telenovas with our live-in-maid, Edita, MTV with new friends from Dayton, and the riots of angry Korean college students over military occupation in their homeland. We lived on base and off base, in apartments, ranches and in two story homes with maid’s quarters. We’ve celebrated Thanksgiving on a sandy beach in Central America and with chapchae in Asia. The one thing we could count on was change. I’ve since married a soldier and have added another 14+ years of change to our lives, with at least 6 more to go.

When I was thirteen, I met a girl named Mariah in gym class. We quickly became great friends even though our backgrounds were polar opposite. I grew up as a latch-key kid with a career mom, moving every few years, and she grew up in the same town her whole life with a mom who was always home. She had three brothers; I grew up with one sister and two step siblings that lived in Oklahoma. Her home was always carefully put together, candles lit, soft music playing, and a mother ready for a chat at the kitchen table when you arrived from school. I walked home from school, arriving at a dark and lonely place, scarcely decorated since it was likely temporary. Mariah and I grew to become great lifelong friends and the lessons I learned about family in her home I will never forget.

Even though our home was quite different, my Mom always tried to establish some sort of tradition for us. Whether our Charlie Brown Christmas tree was put up in Panama or Ohio, it was always put up late in the season and with an awful little Christmas cassette filled with stories and music…one in particular about a lonely Christmas tree. We would stay up late when my Mom came home from work to bake cookies - some for us, some for an orphanage, some for neighbors and teachers. We had the same ornaments each year, usually ones my sister and I had made in elementary school. They were the kind only my mother could love. We always had large gatherings of other families living far from their own. The faces around the table constantly changed, but you could always count on a large crowd…my mom’s cooking reputation seemed to precede our arrival at most installations. They certainly were not the typical Norman Rockwell holiday gatherings, but they were pretty typical in our community of soldiers and airmen.

Those simple traditions in my life seem to equate greatly with my memories of childhood. I could count on them to always be the same, even the ugly tree I once cried about over embarrassment. I see the wisdom and the desire for traditions in family and try to see what it is my children look so forward to each year, while also remembering the things I desired as a child. Each year, we listen to this horrible CD called the Jingle Cats…kittens recorded and arranged to meow out the Christmas songs. We put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving (too early in the season). We hang our children’s homemade ornaments on the tree, read familiar Christmas stories, and bake cookies for neighbors, friends, and co-workers. You can also count on a large gathering of folks at the table at meal time, even though the faces change each year. I’ve added a few other things that I didn’t grow up with, but that I can’t imagine living without now. We have a richness about the season that can only come from knowing why we celebrate. We have lights on, candles lit, music softly playing, and a mom in the kitchen ready for a chat. I’ve tried to remember the importance of tradition for my children and myself, and although we can’t guarantee Christmas in this home next year, we will still have Christmas as they know it.

Speaking of Humility...

2008-11-09T04:11:00.000+01:00

My eight year old son just beat me fair and square in a game of checkers. Twice. I'm going to go and hang my head in shame now. Should I be homeschooling?

Lessons learned in loneliness

2008-11-09T01:48:00.001+01:00

Sometimes, while trying to survive this deployment, I feel like a pariah to those around me. You see, I'm quite independent and I was raised to be very strong. Having to rely on others to help me during this time has been one of the biggest struggles of this deployment. I have gone through a pregnancy without my husband here, been on bedrest, had pneumonia, sick child after sick child, broken appliances, and now all three of my children have become ill...at the same time. I've had to humble myself to ask my friends for help, be it milk, motrin, or prayer. I don't know why this has been so hard for me, but it really is. I suppose it's pride. I like being the rescuer, and God has been teaching me a very important lesson here... I can be weak, because He is strong. Throughout this long deployment, I've learned alot about myself. Although I am strong, as Thomas Merton put it, "No man is an island"...no woman is either. I have been able to be vulnerable to my God, but it has been very hard to be vulnerable to others. I've always been pretty stoic...not by choice really, but I guess by experience. It seems the times I've opened myself up, it's been disasterous.

I was in a pit of despair the other day, after 11 days in the home with only one excursion to the doctor. I don't think it was just the stay in the home that was so hard for me. I found lots of things to clean, read, and cook. It was the lack of human contact... the hours inside my own mind with a one sided conversation. I have wonderful friends that have run errands for us and all of our basic needs have been met, except one, which surprised me. I was feeling very lonely. I really miss my husband. I miss the wholeness of our family. I miss my best friend, the cuddles at night, the jokes between us. I miss having someone really care about those conversations in my head at night. I miss the one person I have always been able to be vulnerable with. You see, it's hard enough to ask my friends to run and grab us some Motrin to fight off the fevers, but it's nearly impossible to ask them to stay and visit. We are all so busy in this life. We have all overcommited ourselves and run on caffeine and little sleep. I know this, it's generally my life too. But God has spoken to me in these lonely hours. Stop. Look around you. Many are lonely.

In my own self pity, I realized the aches of those on my cul-de-sac. My immediate neighbor lives alone. Her children are grown and gone, her husband has left her. The one next to her, same story. The family at the end of our block just found out that their youngest son, 11, has an inoperable brain tumor. He is now home from school, spending time with his family during his last months here on earth. Their neighbor lost their only child to cancer about five years ago. No one really speaks of any of these things. We're all alike. Waving as we check the mail with a smile and a "How are ya?" Inside, there is this hurting, and this loneliness.

Most of my friends know one of my favorite ways to cope with sadness is to step into the kitchen. I made the most delicious cheddar chicken chowder and some homemade brownies. Then I took some over to my neighbor and stayed to visit. We chatted for a good hour over that soup. Stopping to see the loneliness in those around me made my own start to go away. Putting my troubles in perspective gives me appreciation for God's providence. You see, my loneliness is temporary. In two months, my husband will be back home. My children are fighting an illness that will be gone in a week. My neighbors will not be so fortunate. I pray I can remember this. That I can focus on thankfulness and service to my neighbors. That I can be of help to my friends when the need arises. That I don't get so swept up in my own clouds, that I can't see the storms others are braving.

2008-11-04T19:38:00.000+01:00

Go out and VOTE!!!

A Recipe for that Homemade Fudge

2008-10-30T23:54:00.000+01:00

No Fail Fudge
From the kitchen of Michael Hughes

3 cups of milk chocolate chips
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1 to 2 cups chopped pecans

Mix chocolate chips, condensed milk and vanilla. Melt over low heat. Stir in pecans and then pour into a 13x9 baking dish. Spread out and refrigerate until it becomes cool and firm. Then cut into small squares.

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

2008-10-30T23:14:00.000+01:00

Halloween is barely here and the twinkling trees have been up in the stores for several weeks. Magazines are beginning to put their best covers on -labeled with tons of ideas to give you the "best Christmas ever". New Christmas specials are being made, new 'must haves' created, new products beckoning our visas and mastercards. The chaos is about to start. Why is the Holiday season is the most stressful season of the year? Statistics show this time of year depression and suicide rates are up. We are all so stressed out trying to manage all of these details to give our loved ones the best Christmas we can: trying to buy the perfect gifts, make our homes match the covers of Southern Living, plan the parties, see the relatives we avoid the rest of the year, and all with the stress of receiving that first credit card bill the first of January. Details, details, details.

Do a quick search of Christmas planners and you'll see several binders worth of printouts available to help you contain all these details, (I wasted nearly an entire cartridge of ink trying to print it out myself)...all with the hopes of having a "perfect" Christmas. Is there really any such thing? Walmart and Target would like you to think that you can buy it there. Hobby Lobby thinks you can make it/create it there. The ads will be coming out in full force here soon. Just as soon as you think you can no longer bear another detail about the meal, the decor, the parties....your children will start coming to you with their ideas of the perfect Christmas. Toys, Toys, Toys. Shop, Shop, Shop. Food, Food, Food. Our Christmases are now marked by increasing junk, debt, and weight. Where did we go wrong? Jesus must be so disappointed in us. In our efforts to celebrate His birth, we celebrate our own greed and gluttony...all in the name of Christ. Blech.

Our Christmas giving lists are getting longer and the acceptable gifts are getting pricier. When did it stop being okay to give your friends a platter of homebaked goods? Oh, yeah, probably about the same time folks stopped making them. I'm not a grinch, but I am so tired of each Christmas passing by marked by consumerism and lacking a true commemoration of our Lord's birth. What if we gave our loved ones some homemade cookies and fudge again? And while we were at it, we brought our children into the kitchen with us and as they stood there stirring in the chocolate chips, we told them about Jesus? What if we turned off the latest Christmas movie and read to them Luke 2 1-20? Teach them the old Christmas songs about our Savior instead of Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas is You." Take them to hand out blankets, hold a food drive, give gifts to those in foster care instead of writing letters to Santa about what they want. Don't we have enough stuff? 1 out of 11 families now rent out a storage shed to store the stuff they can't squeeze into their closets any longer. You've got enough stuff...so do I. My kids sure do as well. What we've been lacking are a few winter nights by the fire, eating some of our neighbor's homemade fudge.

Made in China

2008-10-30T04:04:00.000+01:00

What isn't made in China these days? Can you believe Cadbury chocolate has been pulled from the shelves because of the toxic chemicals found in them? Our Cadbury eggs are made in China?! America has sold her soul.

What's in Your Wallet?

2008-10-30T00:41:00.000+01:00

The economy has many of us taking a closer look at our own spending habits, our family included. Is the economic collapse the fault of greedy bankers or do greedy consumers play a part as well? We are a family of five living off of one modest income; however, bankers sure think we are capable of more debt than we realistically can afford. We have offers of credit cards with a $50,000 credit limit. For stuff. Unsecured stuff. We shake our heads at the irresponsibility of the banker to extend such a ridiculous amount of money to us, along with their blank checks encouraging us to take a dream vacation, remodel our house, or buy whatever happiness we can think of. But what about the person who quickly fills out the application and writes out those checks? Are they not also responsible? We have a lack of personal responsibility in this country. Let's give $10billion dollars to bail out Citibank who's foolish enough to lend to those who can't pay back and while we are at it, let's come up with another economic stimulus plan to bail out the one who cannot afford to buy more stuff because they've reached their credit limit.

"If we stop shopping our economy will collapse." What? Anybody else out there wondering why our economy is now based on consumption instead of production? Are you tired of these banks making more than twice the profit of your mortgage in interest and going broke? Are you dismayed that dogs get credit cards in an attempt to boost our economy? Even our President's suggestion during a national crisis like 9/11 is "Go Shopping." Shopping is not the anwer folks. Try something radical...STOP SHOPPING. That's right, you heard me. Stop shopping. Stop buying stuff you don't need, putting it on credit cards, and digging yourselves further into debt.

Deuteronomy 28:12The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

Romans 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.