Beach

We went to the beach one day last week (I forget which one). We biked 45 minutes each way. We were all very tired at the end of the day. The water was a tad cold and the boys were a bit scared of the waves, but they had a blast digging in the sand and playing in a little tide pool that was warm and shallow. It was a good day.

Nathaniel was sick with a stomach bug and today. So I spent the day laying upstairs in bed with him while oma & opa entertained Jeremiah. They did some painting, took a walk, and then the painting turned into a project (Jeremiah is big on projects these days) which became a radio. We also learned that acetomeniphen (sp?) which is in the infant fever reducer we buy in the States is available only by prescription here. They basically think it is not necessary for kids unless they are really, really sick. May need to look into that when we get home.

We are really enjoying our time here. It has been good to get away.

Soccer, Candy & Bike Rides

This morning we rode on our bikes to a shopping center to take the boys to a candy store. Imagine their excitement when they saw a whole store full of candy and were told that they could each fill up their own little bags with whatever they chose!

Yesterday we got all geared up for Holland's first World Cup game. Jeremiah loved the hats (the one in the above picture has a horn on it) and even though he didn't watch much of the game he cheered enthusiastically to people going by on the street when the end score was 2-0 for Holland. He says "OLE OLE OLE" with great gusto.

We are really enjoying using bicycles to get around. Today we rode to the shopping center, stopped for coffee (and the best chocolate truffle pie ever) on a sunny terras, played at yet another amazing play ground, had a picnic lunch, and then biked home next to sparkling canals. It was like a post card. The sky was blue, the grass was green, the scenery picturesque with windmills, cows, and old interesting houses with beautiful gardens. It was the perfect way to spend the morning.

What we are doing

Walking to the windmill that is next to the "kinderboerderij."

Feeding ducks.

Running like crazy after sitting on the bike.

Practicing soccer.

Sitting next to opa and talking to a certain uncle on Skype.

We are also taking daily walks, eating good chocolate, watching lots of soccer, hanging out with opa and oma, riding bikes, trying to befriend kids on the playground who don't understand English, and generally enjoying ourselves. Today Jeremiah told me, "Mama, when I grow up to be an adult and have to move away from you I think I would like to move to Holland."

Flying

It was great fun to stop at granny and papa Shaw's house to play and eat before heading to the airport. Nathaniel even got a good nap in.

I love airport pictures.

Back in Holland

It is Saturday afternoon here in Heemstede. The weather is gorgeous, sunny and not too warm. This morning we went for a long walk through the woods and let the boys play at the kinderboerderij (petting/children's zoo). They love that place.
We survived our trip over here. In fact, I would even say that we have 2 amazing world travelers on our hands. Jeremiah and Nathaniel slept for most of the plane ride to London. They loved riding on the bus from Heathrow to Gatwick. They were generally good natured and entertained during our 3 hour wait at Gatwick. They were obviously getting tired of airplanes by the time we were landing in Amsterdam, but were still fairly well behaved. Jet-lag was kind to us and we didn't have too much problems getting the boys body clocks adjusted to Dutch time.
It is wonderful to be here! We are enjoying mom's good cooking. The boys are enjoying extra attention from oma and opa. We are able to borrow bikes (with kids seats) from my parents friends and so are going to be able to get around that way together. World Cup soccer started yesterday so we are getting our fill of watching soccer as well.
I have been trying to teach the boys certain Dutch phrases. I guess this afternoon Jeremiah got a tad frustrated and said loudly in the middle of the grocery store, "Doesn't anyone in this country speak English?" That's us, the insensitive and loud Americans in the chocolate aisle. :-)

1000 Gifts (22)

It was a whirlwind week. My to-do list was long and my mind was spinning. This always happens when we get ready for a trip. I fret over clean laundry and clean floors. The to-do list never seems to shorten, even as I mark items completed. My tone becomes impatient and clipped. My children clamor over me to gain my attention that is somewhere else. Friday, after cutting my husband with my tongue, I choke back tears and cry out "This is not how I want to start our vacation!"

Then I realize that I haven't been counting. My vision has been only for myself. My gratitude journal has lain neglected on the bedside table. So I sit quiet and breathe a prayer, "Please God! Show me!"

And my journal begins to fill again:

- Aaron thoughtfully choosing music for Jeremiah to listen to and discover in the morning
- laundry all caught up
- anticipating new books
- the boys increasingly playing well together, making up games
- Aaron home for the summer!
- the boys surprise and excitement at a mid-week family movie night
- grace and forgiveness freely offered and freely received (both of us)
- Aaron finding me a cute pair of jeans, on sale for $7, when my good jeans got a hole
- putting on a frilly shirt that I know will please my husband
- a date night!
- some of the boys favorite library books found at McKays, added to the vacation stash to surprise them
- sleeping in on a Sunday morning because the kids are at the grandparents and there is no Sunday school

Pictures

The USB cable was found! So here are some pictures I transferred to the computer tonight.

These 2 silly boys after we gave Nathaniel his buzzed haircut.

Nathaniel back in the days of having hair and his "ba." He loves our friend's dog Maddie.

Jeremiah entertaining Lilly. He is such a sweet older cousin to her.
Whenever we are with her she watches the boys with curiosity and wonder. I love how her little hand is reaching for his face. I can't wait until they are all playing together!

Nathaniel "reading" books out under the dogwood tree. So sweet.

I have no idea what kind of bush these flowers bloom on, but they bloomed in great profusion for about 2 weeks earlier this spring. I cut huge bunches of them and had them all over the house.

My hydrangeas bloomed this spring. I love them.

On food & stuff

I recently read two books in the same week that were very interesting. I have been thinking about them a lot recently and kept starting to write a post about it, but it never really got very far. Today I had a conversation with a friend (hi!) about them and the ideas in them so I figured I would give it a shot. I apologize in advance if I ramble or have incomplete thoughts on these subjects, but the thoughts in my head are still rambling and incomplete.

It is no secret that Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors. This book has been out for a couple of years, but like other "whole food" or "foodie" books I avoided it for a few reasons: 1) I know I would like to eat more organic, grassfed, free-range meats but we honestly can't afford it. 2) Because of that I don't want to read books that leave me feeling discontent with what we have or like I am failing my family and the world by not eating those foods. 3) I don't want to be overwhelmed with information that paralyzes me.

This book did none of those things! It is an enjoyable book that reads like a journal while at the same time giving information. This book outlines the year that the author and her family committed to eating only food they had grown/raised themselves or purchased from local (50 mile radius) sources. I in no way felt judged or overwhelmed with information. I did however feel inspired. While I know that we will not be moving to farm and growing all our food I know that we can continue making baby steps to eating more locally and healthy with the budget that we have. I think we do a pretty good job with this, but I know that there is always room for improvement.

The Story of Stuff was very interesting. Very interesting. The author basically follows trash around the world, looking into how the stuff we consume is made and what happens with our waste. The author also outlines the problems she sees with our culture being a capitalistic, consumer driven culture. I will admit that this book did overwhelm me a bit. It deals with the global scale so there is a lot to think about and process. But it has led me to think about what I consume, why I consume it, and what the impact of my consumption has on others and the world. Even though we are fairly frugal and thoughtful about our consumption I have been thinking even more deeply lately. Like, how many t-shirts do I really need? Especially if that $5 Target t-shirt was made using lots of the earths resources (water, fuel etc.) and made by people living in a 3rd world country who are being exploited? I definitely do not want to be a mindless consumer and this book helped me start thinking in more specific ways.

I have a tendency to swing on a pendulum when it comes to food and consumption issues. I either totally immerse myself and make radical changes that don't last long-term or I completely ignore the issue because I feel powerless. I am learning to take baby steps. I am learning to do the best I can, with the resources that God has given us, and trust Him to take care of us. I am learning to evaluate my beliefs and motives. I am learning that this will be a continual process.

1000 Gifts (21)

Time is flying. We had a great time yesterday at our annual pastor's Memorial Day picnic. I feel so blessed to be part of this particular part of the body of Christ. Aaron will be done working at Summerville Middle School tomorrow. I can't wait for him to be home with us for the summer!

The busyness of our life is good and I just keep counting...

- Travis's reminder in last weeks sermon, "Acknowledge your dependence on the Spirit. If you are struggling with sin quit trying to do it on your own - be filled with the Spirit."
- my hydrangea's are blooming!
- hanging the first load of wash of the day in the still cool morning air
- Jeremiah and Elijah playing well together
- "Mama, I love you more than I love chocolate!", Jeremiah
- loud happy chatter at the dinner table
- Aaron always willing to stop at the store on his way home from work if I ask him to
- yoga again after a 3 week break
- a day to myself to shop and run errands without the boys
- friends over for dinner
- hearing wild, happy laughter from the kids playing together
- Nathaniel calling Libby-Kate "Libby-cake", too sweet
- getting to know people better
- cooling summer evening
- watermelon

I join the gratitude community in purposefully seeing God's gifts on a daily basis. They number 455 in my personal journal. I choose to share some here.

More Bullet Points

Would you believe me when I say that I have all kinds of cool blog posts rolling around in my head? I also have pictures waiting to be put on the computer, but the USB cable is missing so...
I guess that bullet point updates are just going to be the norm for a little while so here we go again.

- I cut Nathaniel's hair the other day. It is so fine and thin that every mistake I made was glaringly obvious so I decided to just do the summertime buzz cut thing. Oh how cute he looks! His gigantic blue eyes melt me. This of course would be a great place to insert a picture. But you will just have to imagine how much Nathaniel now looks my younger brother used to look every summer when he got his hair buzzed.

- The "ba" habit has been broken! The first few days were rough with Nathaniel asking for his "ba" every time he went to sleep and sometimes in between. But we are now on our 3rd day in which it has never been mentioned. He seems fine, although I think he would sleep past 6:30 in the morning if he still had it. Oh well. My biggest concern now is how he will do on our trip to Holland.

- Our trip to Holland!! Is almost here!! 10 days!!

- Some friends were cleaning out their garage and gave us a small plastic wading pool. The small size has not been a deterrent to how much fun the boys can contrive. The other day they had detached the plastic slide, put it the pool and were surfing on it. Again, a picture would be nice but your imagination will have to do.

- No word on Aaron's job yet.

- Jeremiah finally agreed to at least get his hair trimmed as long as it didn't get cut short. I took him to a real hair stylist today. His hair is now officially more beautiful than mine. Seriously.

- We got a check in the mail for exactly the cost of what the Sonlight Curriculum for Jeremiah would be next year if we decide to order it. It seems our escrow account was miscalculated. God does take care of us.

My Eeyore Syndrome (1000 Gifts 20)

We used to have this game that we played in sociology class where we identified every one we knew as one of the characters from Winnie-the-Pooh. The kicker was that we usually ended up being the character that we like the least. I've thought about this often, especially now that we read and listen to the Winnie-the-Pooh books over and over again. As much as I dislike it, I am an Eeyore. Not the cute, just slightly down Eeyore of the Disney books and movies, but the constantly negative, self-depreciating, depressed Eeyore of the original books. I am always envious of those enthusiastic, energetic Tigger's I know. The calm Pooh's who just live life and know it will all work out.

That is why I count my gifts. Because as much as I wish it did, gratitude does not come naturally for me. Even in the midst of my bountifully blessed life, in which I have more stuff and food than I know what to do with and in which I have yet to experience any deep, heart breaking loss I still grumble and gripe and complain.

Noticing the gifts and writing them down every evening before I sleep helps me combat my Eeyore syndrome by taking my eyes off of myself and seeing God at work around me.

- a good night's sleep
- listening to rain fall
- a cardinal nest in the juniper tree
- bright red amaryllis blooms, prolific in the yard
- a wood pecker
- Jeremiah's insistence on planting an apple seed so that we don't have to buy fruit from the store any more
- magnolia blossoms, pure white and lovely
- a husband who takes care of the kids so that I can indulge myself in coordinating a wedding
- the beauty of a bride on her wedding day
- the look of joy & amazement on a grooms face as he watches his bride come to him
- the bittersweet reminder that one day my son's will leave me
- the breathtaking view of the valley from Lookout Mountain
- Nathaniel asking to sit next to his friend Eli at the reception
- worship in song:
There is no one else for me, none but Jesus
Crucified to set me free, now I live to bring Him praise.

I join the gratitude community by counting my daily gifts. They number 440 in my journal, I choose some to share here.

Interrupted

Last week Friday our computer stopped working. I spent a whole week here at home without a computer. I have so much to blog about what that taught me! :-) But, that will all have to come later. For now a quick bullet point update will have to do.

- Schools around here are finally posting job openings! On Friday 3 positions were posted online that Aaron can apply for in area schools. I had already sent resume packets to all of those schools so we will be following up with phone calls and formal applications. We continue to pray and trust God's provision.

- Nathaniel fell yesterday and hurt the inside of his bottom lip. Lots of blood and a small split but I don't think stitches are necessary. However, there is no way we can let him have his "ba" (pacifier). So it could be that the whole "When do we take the ba away?" question may have been answered for us. So far nap times are really rough.

- In 2 weeks from Tuesday we leave for Holland! British Airways cabin crew are threatening strikes and there is still sporadic volcanic ash all of which could change our travel plans. Some times I feel silly praying against strikes and volcanic ash but I know that God is in control of those details too.

- Jeremiah has memorized Psalm 23, and so has Nathaniel for the most part. I love watching their little minds soak up God's Word.

- Jeremiah has been wait-listed for the Georgia Virtual Academy (GVA) . There were so many people in our state applying for Kindergarten that they had to hold a lottery to see who would get the free curriculum slots. We had decided to purchase Sonlight Curriculum if he didn't get in GVA so we will decide after our vacation what to do.

takes

I thought it was fun to see all the takes to get our Mother's Day picture. So many great expressions. Lots of laughs. Such fun boys.

1000 Gifts (19) Mother's Day

That's me and my boys on Mother's Day. Right before church and right after they had run crazy around the yard laughing hysterically as they chased a little dog we were taking care of. I was showered with love and kisses and hand made cards. During worship I could feel Jeremiah's hand tangling my hair as he sang "I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the promised land!" at the top of his lungs. Nathaniel was in my arms his head nestled in that one spot on my shoulder that perfectly cradles his head. And my tears flowed freely as I sang,

"I am not ashamed of the Name above all Name's for it has the power to heal and to save. Strength for the weary and peace to the troubled soul. Peace to the troubled soul. It's the name of Jesus. It's the name of Jesus. Mightier than mountains he lives among the weak. Ruler eternal we kneel at your feet. Jesus name above all."

It was a day for counting:
- being a mother
- Jeremiah's excitement about presenting his Mother's Day card, just so
- spontaneous hugs during worship
- a long afternoon spent talking and visiting with friends while our kids played all around
- getting to know people better
- connectedness with friends who are also brothers and sisters in Christ
- Nathaniel's cute way of talking with that precise enunciation and little lisp all at the same time
- the hysterical joy of boys chasing (and being chased by) a dog
- a card from Aaron, a man of few words encouraging me with just the right ones
- cool air after an unseasonably hot week
- cake

I choose to be a joy finder and count my gratitude gifts, now numbering 405!, in my journal. I choose to link up with this community and share some of them here.

Spring in our yard

This post may bore everyone except my mother. However, now that we have lived in this house for a whole year (!) we feel like we are finally settling. We are beyond blessed with this place. We realized this spring just how much we truly are blessed with this yard. We spent every waking minute outside enjoying beauty. We sat on the deck to read books, ate meals in the gazebo, and laid on blankets in the changing shade.

I have never seen so many azalea bushes in one yard in my life! Every bright color imaginable. This is just the one side of our front yard. There are these many azalea bushes on the other side too! The morning sun streams through the dining room window (far right next to the carport) and we start the morning looking at all that color.

This little walkway and gate next to the house always charm me. Flanked with azaleas and rhododendron I always feel like I am being invited into a secret world or something.

Our bulb garden was bright and glorious with early crocus followed by daffodils and tulips. I was so happy with how it turned out. Now the hosta, hydrangea and ferns are filling in to make a cool green summertime bed. We moved a bird bath here so that we could watch the birds from the sun room. A certain red cardinal especially liked to bathe here in the early morning light.

The border fence between us and our neighbor is a riot of flowering shrubs. Provides privacy and beauty at the same time!

This little corner of the yard is not used much now but has 2 of my favorite trees, our weeping cherry and Japanese maple. The sandy spot in the foreground is where the koi pond used to be. It is now a big sandpit that the boys like to play in (see top very picture) but we are hoping this summer to make a little seating area so that we can enjoy the shade here.

The boys have really enjoyed their independence in the yard. They are free to come in and out of the back yard as they please. For me, a fence is worth its weight in gold! It has been amazing for me to let them go out and play while I work inside (or rest in a chair on the deck). This year already our yard has been the setting for Peter Pan play as well as jungle animal hunts, hide and seek, and great hobbit adventures.

Scary stuff

I wrote this yesterday, but now I am not sure if I should post it....

There has been so much going on in our spiritual lives that I really don't even know how to put it into words. It's just this feeling I have that the Spirit is moving and preparing us for something...but I don't know what.

It's kind of uncomfortable really.

Our worship times on Sunday morning have been so real and inspiring. Every Sunday I really feel God's presence among us as we worship. Tears of joy and conviction have come every week. Some days I know that I would be physically on my knees if I wasn't holding Nathaniel.

Then there are the conversations we have been having with our small group and other friends. Conversations that ask hard questions. What does it mean to be a disciple? What does it mean to live in intentional community with each other? What does it mean to live as if Jesus was going to return any minute? How much does God ask us to give? What should our lives look like if we are truly trying to further the Kingdom?

None of these questions have easy answers. And some of our answers feel radical and counter-cultural and just plain scary.

I am the kind of person who wants it all spelled out for me. I want rules to follow and formulas of how much time, money etc. to give. I don't like this feeling of not knowing.

Yesterday, this song started playing on our Veggie Tales Worship cd of all things. I realized that it expresses my feelings right now perfectly. I don't know exactly what God is preparing us for, but I do know that He is working in the secret, quiet places of our hearts. I also know that my spiritual heart is starting to desire to know God better and deeper more that I want anything in this world. And that is just a tad scary....

In the Secret Place (I want to know you more)
- by Andy Park
In the secret in the quiet place
In the stillness You are there
In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait only for You
'Cause I want to know You more

I want to know You, I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You, I want to see Your face
I want to know You more

I am reaching for the highest goal
That I might receive the prize
Pressing onward, pushing every hindrance aside out of my way
'Cause I want to know You more.

It's a zoo around here

I loved these cool gates at the entrance to the zoo.
(I have no idea why Jeremiah looks like he is going to wet his pants...)

Nathaniel insisted on walking around with his sunglasses on and map in his hand.
"I use da map to see all da animals!"

The jaguar was pretty cool.

This beautiful fellow was just sparkling in the sun.

It seemed the highlight of the day was petting and feeding the pig. Go figure.

The carousel is fun too. Jeremiah chose to ride the turtle.

Nathaniel was crazy about this frog.

After a busy day of cooking on Tuesday (all my meals for the month of May are in my freezer, yipee!), in which the boys were banished from the kitchen and did a pretty good job of sharing their things and space with Eli, I decided this morning that we all needed a fun change of pace. I remembered that Wednesday is $1.00 day at the Chattanooga Zoo so off we went. It's not the fanciest or biggest zoo in the world, but for $1.00 each it is fun to spent a few hours walking around and seeing what there is to see. Since it is not a huge zoo I can give Jeremiah some freedom to run around a bit by himself as long as we set rules about which paths he can stay on and when he needs to return to me. He likes his independence.

Jeremiah liked the reptile house the best. He was fascinated with the snakes. We watched a gigantic yellow python climbing up a rock wall. Jeremiah also liked the huge, brightly colored macaw birds and the red panda's which I must admit are the cutest little things I have ever seen. Nathaniel seemed interested in the jaguar, which was pacing right in front of the viewing window, and the funny looking little monkeys (I can't remember what they were called). He was pretty impressed with the snakes too.

It was a nice way to spend the morning hours and a good break for all of us.

1000 Gifts (18)

- Jeremiah's prayer last night, "Thank you God that I can read my Jesus Storybook Bible. I love reading about Jesus!"
- Nathaniel knowing how to make us laugh.
- Having gray storm clouds above me, but seeing the sun shining bright on the mountains in the distance. God is speaking to me through nature.
- An encouraging email.
- Tempestuous spring weather.
- Jeremiah spotting birds in the yard so he can excitedly come in and tell me which ones he has seen "because I know you love birds!"
- Daring to pray specific prayers.
- "So that with yonder sacred throng we at his feet may fall. We'll join the everlasting song and crown him Lord of all!" sung with my brothers and sisters in Christ. A taste of heaven.
- Air conditioning.
- Jeremiah building a fort in his room.
- Card games.
- The simple goodness of bread, butter & jam.