And once again...

I have failed in my duties to faithfully keep my blog. I apologize.
Although, in my defense, I have been rather busy these past few weeks. J and I returned from CHIC (Christian High in Christ), exhausted, but Undone. I will admit I had my doubts about whether this would be worthwhile, (not being a fan of catering to the popular belief that teens need to be entertained) but I believe this was a truly wonderful experience. It was definitely fun, but the speakers were very thought provoking and Biblical, and the morning groups were really great. I also saw many people I hadn't seen in years! The Covenant world is so large, and yet, so small!

I had about a week home after CHIC, before we went off to Grandmother's house for a good part of last week. Every Summer, most all of Mother's siblings converge on Grandmother's house for a few weeks. Since we're a pretty wide-spread family, this is usually the only time we get to see these aunts, uncles and cousins. This year was Grandmother's 80th Birthday (I can say that, since she doesn't have a computer ;P), and we gave her a surpise Birthday dinner. Mother has five siblings, and all but one were present, along with all but three cousins. A gathering like this has not happened for a long time, since not everyone is there every summer. For a present, Mother's older sisters organized the making of a family quilt for Grandmother. It has a picture of each family, and everyone made their own square to go on it. It's now hanging above Grandmother's bed.

B and M continue to adjust, as do we all. Although, most of the adjustment happens by throwing temper tantrums! Since this is a sign that they feel comfortable and safe enough in their position in the family to state their opinion loudly and vocally, we like to think that it is a good thing (for the most part:)).

E is also going through a big period of adjustment after having been bumped one down in the birth order, and made an older sister. This process is not made any easier by B, who is developing a large competetive streak. Anything E has, B must have too, preferably better or bigger. This competitivness has manifested itself in many ways, mostly in the clothing department, though. Thankfully, E is the Amazon queen, and thus is a size larger than her sister, so Mother has pulled out the next size clothing, and separated theirs, so E's in on one side, and B's is on the other. This system has been working wonderfully, as Mother chooses their clothing, and getting dressed now take about five minutes, compared to the 1/2 hour it took before.
Also, this week O, C and E are attending VBS at our "second church" (our church is very small, so we go to this one for mid-week bible studies and VBS stuff), and B is not. Mother decided that, although B is adjusting wonderfully to Sunday School, she was not ready to be away from Mother for about 3 hours every day. This has caused major tears, since E gets to go, but B is slowly getting over it, and is directing her attention elsewhere. Like tormenting her younger brother. Ah, well. One thing at a time, eh?

But all in all, life is getting easier. B and E are learning to share, and that is one huge blessing. On the other hand, the baby (yes, that is how I refer to him! I called E the baby up until we got off the plane from Ethiopia) is taking only about hour long naps eahc day, which is causing Mother great stress, as he is cranky/crabby for the rest of the day.
But God is still good!!
That's mostly our mantra. :)

I am now sitting at the train station, waiting for the next train, since I missed the last one. I'm heading to a two day conference with some more cousins, this time from Daddy's side of the fam. I shall miss my family dreadfully, but I console myself by thinking that I will be back with them in a few short days.

A funny:
I work in a coffee shop/gelateria, and yesterday I met an employee I'd never, um, met before. He started asking me about school, and life, and stuff. I answered politely, and then asked him about his school, and life and stuff. He told me he goes to community college.
Him: Yeah, but I'm just working this to save up. I'm moving to oregon next year.
Me: Really? That's cool. I'm moving to Africa.
Him: *blank stare* Why?
Me. To love children.
Him: Oh... Cool. See ya.

Yeah. Nice talking to you too. That's what I get a lot these days. Apparently taking a gap year, and moving to Uganda to kiss orphans is no longer acceptable in our society. Who knew?

Blessings from us.

And I will post more often. Really I will.

God is good!!

Summer

Is here.

Let me rephrase that. Summer has been here for a while. In fact, I do believe that Summer is already 1/3 over. If you see my June running around, please send it home, won't you?

Despite the fact (or perhaps because of it) that our weeks here have been somewhat slow and lazy (a wonderful thing for adjustment), I have not felt a great inclination to blog. Maybe this is a good thing, but I keep thinking about continuing our Ethiopia Trip Saga. I love closure, but have no desire to bring it about right now :)

So instead, I shall share a bit of Summer so far...

Swimming season has begun! We've been to the beach several times already, but somehow there are no pictures from said beach... So I shall put in pool pictures as substitute. These are from our wonderful time in Florida!

(Please excuse the bad photo quality. I was not there when these were taken. Thus the bad photo quality. And maybe the fact that the children were weilding the camera...)

Mother did B's hair. Since it's so short (yet growing rapidly!) we can only do so much with it. But I think she looks adorable!

Of course, then E needed a hairdo too. It doesn't quite work as well in her hair, but it still looks darn cute! Like someone out of a Dr. Seuss book.

M learned how to chop potatoes. Hm... More like mutilate them. For the record, that is a "safety knife", he was being monitored while using said knife, and I highly doubt he could've killed himself with it. So, he is learning valuable lessons about cooking at an early age. Yup, this one's a chef...

Hanging out with cousins and family. A lot of our time in Florida was spent either eating, or preparing to eat.... Funny how that works, isn't it? We had several delightful, fun meals together as a family.

One of my new most favorite pictures! M and I with Oma.

Oh look! More eating!

When we got home, we decided we needed a new family picture! What a good-looking family!

While things for the rest (read "younger set and Mother") of the family remain nice and easy, things for me speed up this month. Next Sunday, J and I head off to a nation-wide youth conference in Tenessee with our Youth Group. Preceeding that, we have a day-long conference downtown. A few weeks after that, I attend another conference at my cousin's college. All of these things are done in Jesus' name! How refreshing to be fellowshipping with fellow Christians so often!!! In addition to all this conferencing, I have work, and babysitting, and a Girl Scout Gold Award project that somehow needs to get done before September... June! I need you back!!

These past few days have been a bit chilly and gray. I know people think I'm bonkers, but this is my kind of weather! I'm hoping this cool spell stays for a little bit, or at least cools down what Summer we have left!

God is good!

No, I have not jumped ship...

I have only just returned. Last Wednesday (though it was really Thursday by the time we left), we headed down to Florida for Opa's funeral. We all had a GREAT time, despite the heat, and loved catching up and having the ENTIRE family there. All of us splashed around in the pool a lot, and rode bikes all around the community. Our cousins were all delighted to meet the two new additions, and after a few uncertain hours, B and M warmed up to them as well. We were able to go to the ocean on Sunday, and drive out immediately after that. For the most part, the drive there and back was a big blur, and I try not to think much about it, even though it was not as bad as it could have been (thank you Lord!!).

From there, we drove to Wisconsin to drop Me, C and O off at Church Camp, where I would be a counselor, and they would be campers. What a great time! C was in my cabin, which was wonderful, and O wasn't even a little embarrassed when I came up and hugged him at meals, or sat and talked with him. What a great little (and not so much) guy he is! I had a blast, and so did both of them. Since this was my first time being a counselor, I was a bit out of the loop (especially since newbies tend to miss the memos about almost everything), but I look forward to next year, praying that God will use me TEN TIMES MORE than He did this year!
We just got back this morning, and I was SO glad to see my siblings (I get a mite homesick, even now). It seems as though EVERYONE changed in the week we were gone! M's hair is growing back, and his tummy is smaller (bye bye bugs!), E's hair is growing out too (she gave herself a haircut a few weeks back), and I swear B is taller.

In other news, one of our best friends, the C family, just brought twin girls into the world on Monday. Welcome G and L!! You can check out their blog here: http://ordinary-time.blogspot.com/. The two middle girls, A and P were at camp with us, and I got to give them the exciting news via a phone call to their dad. And, I got to meet said babies today, even though every time I looked, someone had stolen the baby I was holding. Thank goodness for twins, and oldest priority!! Can't wait 'til God blesses me with a little one of my own. :)

Now I'm waiting for things to settle down around here, looking forward to cleaning, and hopefully earning a bit of money in the weeks to come.

God is so, SO good!

Sadness.

Today my grandfather (Opa) passed into the arms of God. I believe that at this moment I am truly at peace, as is the rest of my family. Opa was in so much pain, and for about the past five days has been completely unresponsive.

He was ready.

I know he's up there now, singing away in the heavenly chorus, and dancing with the angels. He's happy, and in a much better place.

Yes, there is sadness for us left here, but we will manage. It was entirely selfish to want him to stay, since here he would have been continually miserable. I have prayed for peace for him, and now he has it!

Opa was a truly amazing man. He was a strong and faithful Christian, who loved his wife (Oma) and children dearly. The memories I have of Opa are all good. He was a doer. He would ride bikes with us, garden, push us on the swings, read to us, play with us. He was always happy, and smiling, and comforting. I loved to snuggle up to him, and listen to him breathe, and laugh. My whole family was VERY close with Opa, and loved him (still do, as a matter of fact!) very much!

Opa was also a napper. All of his children, and most of their spouses are nappers as well (it runs in the family, I think!). When we have a family get-together, almost all the adults lie down in the afternoon for a nap every day.

And when he napped, Opa snored. Loud.

Loud, like you can hear it in the basement with the door closed, loud. But I loved to hear him snore. And Oma used to say she had trouble sleeping when he wasn't there snoring in her ear!

Opa left behind a wife, four children, 2 daughters-in-law, 1 son-in-law, 16 grandchildren, and many, many friends. He passed into heaven this morning while my Auntie M was singing hymns to him.

It breaks my heart that M and B will never know their Opa, and that E and O might not remember him (I'm praying they do!). I was blessed to have 17 years with him myself.

This Thursday, my family is driving down to Florida for his funeral. I ask for prayer for safe, safe travels!

The funeral is this Saturday at 11:00 am. My dear cousin, M, and I have been asked by Oma to do a duet (we'll possibly be accompanied by her sisters R and C, too), and talking today, we were wondering how we'd make it through our songs without breaking down!

I ask for prayers of peace for my entire family, and prayers for safe travels (for all of us), and prayers for B and M. This is very confusing for them, even though the sadness didn't last that long this morning, and to top if off, we'll be driving for two days straight to get there in time.

But, above all, I am so glad Opa is in a better place, walking with Jesus still.

God is so, so good!

Thank you friends :)

Our kids with O and O

Opa leading us on his famous "bear hunt".

(He was also famous for singing "On Top of Old Baldy")

Our family, and our cousins, the M's. These pictures were taken right before O and O moved down to Florida permanently. So that's why some faces look a wee bit teary.

(Not pictured, the other M's)

Yep, good times, those.

I love you Opa!

A Boy and His Potty.

Meet M:

M likes to eat.

What happens to that food after it's been eaten?

Why, it goes in the potty of course!

M is potty trained. He says "popo" when he has to go.

And then he does.

He is an expert flusher.

He flushes all the time.

Yeah, he knows he's cute.

Even when he flushes three times, unnecessarily.

This is where he hides when he doesn't want to stop flushing.

People laughing at him makes him not want to stop flushing too.

What a ham.

Oh yes. He loves his potty.

Come along, M. Potty time's over.

Hope you liked your glimpse into one of the happier moments of our life right now! More on the unhappy coming soon.

Just when we thought...

... life couldn't get any more crazy.

It did. Our Ethiopia trip saga will continue once life settles down again. For now, you'll have to be satisfied with ordinary (and not so much) everyday stuff.

This past Friday, while marking our one-week-home milestone (woohoo!), also brought the news that my grandfather (Opa) is doing extremely badly. Opa has had type-2 diabetes for most of his life, and was diagnosed with cancer of the plasma cells several years ago. He and my Oma moved down to South this past July, and it seems that he has been in a steady decline ever since.

For several months it's been a roller coaster, with him getting better and worse alternately. It's been incredibly hard for all of us (most especially Oma), but true death (as opposed to the kind we just talk about in hushed voices) was not supposed to happen for a good, long while.
So, it was difficult (BIG understatement there), when my uncle called Daddy on Friday, and told him one of Opa's nurses had called him and said basically, "if it was my dad, I'd want to see him now". Needless to say, Daddy flew down there Saturday to see Opa, and say goodbye.

Sunday, J and I got to "talk" to Opa. Wherein we talked, and heard some noise on the other end, but were told he mostly just smiled at us.
Oh, my. That was difficult.

Opa has always been the kind of grandpa you rake leaves with, and who pushes you on the swing, and has his own familiar smell.
To think that he might soon be with our Lord is as comforting as it is hard. He is in so much pain right now, we think heaven is much better for him at this point :).
We are not expecting him to stay with us for much longer, and poor, poor E BEGGED Daddy to take her with him to see Opa, so she could see him, and love on him. She loves him so very much, as do we all. Would that we could all go, but what with either having to drive, or buy plane tickets for 10 (and probably completely freak out B and M in the process), it was determined that we would stay home.
It breaks my heart that Opa might not get to see his two newest grandchildren, and that they might never know him (or at least never remember him), but I am at peace, knowing God is in control.

I am praying for peace and comfort for our family. Will you pray with us?

What's been going on here?

Oh my. Life has been somewhat slow since, as of yesterday, all of our activities are finished for the school year! Kids have been occupied with playing outside, reading, and playing inside. In a few weeks, C and O and I go to church camp where they will be campers, and I will be a counselor (hopefully in C's cabin!). We've got two weddings, beach days, playdates, and a trip to Grandma L's on the radar for the summer, but other than that, it's looking to be hanging out, and getting to know each other.

Here's what we've been up to lately:

Mother and I brought back outfits for everyone.

Our first full family picture!!

M's so handsome in his little outfit :)

B and E got matching purses and scarves.

O thought he'd try on J's new hat.

Sideways.

What a typical morning looks like in our home. Daddy built us a wonderful bench in the kitchen, and that's a common gathering place.

Breakfast time!


Also happening:

E has taken up soccer.

B has learned to ride a bike.

And M has started a career with the fire brigade.

A common activity among the youngests is dressup. E and B have an entire drawer of little girl dressup stuff under their bunkbed, and almost every day we'll find one or both of them in a sparkly princess costume.

Here they are being "Queen of the Egyptians" and "Silly Goose". How E got the notion to be "Queen of the Egyptians" is beyond me.

They even dressed M up. And I think I just saw him walk by wearing the same tutu!

C ang O like playing all sorts of games together, and they recently found a bag of old soccer stuff. I LOVE their imaginations!

E got in on it too.

She knows she leads a rough life...

Today is sunny, and I'm thinking a park trip is in our very near future. Daddy and J are at work. Daddy got him a job there hauling sand, and working in the yard, so J has opted out of camp this summer to continue working. He is SO good at it, and I'm so happy he's having fun! J is also taking drivers ed (eep!), along with three of my very close friends. Look out world! L loves looking after the younger ones, and today, she and I took a lovely morning walk. Life is good, God is good.