Geschichtenerzählin = Storyteller

Rochambeau and Coffee Dates

2012-02-10T15:15:00.005+01:00

Most of my boys' disagreements can be solved by a 2 out of 3 of rochambeau. Who goes first? Who picks the movie? Who picks what is for dinner? All solved by rochambeau. With rochambeau there is an understanding that the winner wins, an the loser doesn't pout or complain about the outcome. It is simple.

Sometimes a little more complicated solution is required and we move from a level one rochambeau solution to a level two draft order. Level two is rarely required in anything but lego and playmobil selection. In this case rochambeau determines the picking order and then draft order comes into play. The person with the first pick selects one, then the second pick selects one and then the third person picks two. At this point the order is now reversed and next up to pick is person 2, then 1, then 3,2,1 until the legos or playmobil run out or the pickers get bored with the process of picking and decide to go ahead and just play. Problems solved. Each picking position has a perk. While the first person gets first choice of the whole pile, the 3rd person gets to pick two for his or her first pick.

Unfortunately, the challenges that I face us an adult are rarely easily solved by rochambeau. Instead I have coffee dates. While coffee doesn't provide a solution to the problem, it does provide comfort as I work through the solution.

Today was a bad morning. It kicked off with an unfortunate email that I read while still in bed. Lesson learned - don't read email until after the day has brought something good. Then the day continued down the drain and stuff started hitting the fan left and right. I was yelling at the boys, Matt was yelling at me for yelling at the boys, Gabe ran out of the house, Eli was running after him while yelling, and it was 16 degrees outside so the frustrations of the morning were just amplified by the fact that everyone was literally freezing their face off.

Thankfully, today was a pre-scheduled coffee date. Two friends came over, we ate breakfast and shared a few cups of coffee together. I vented, they listened and suddenly the horrible morning and the unresolvable problem brought up in that email faded away. Problems not solved but at least for the moment set aside.

Just as a quick round of rochambeau can squelch a fiery argument, a sweet cup of coffee with friends can calm an anxious soul. I'm thankful for scheduled coffee dates on days that I really need them and for friends who are willing to listen to me vent....over coffee!

Grace.

2012-01-30T13:28:00.003+01:00

Grace is defined as unmerited favor. Gaining something even if we don't deserve it and being spared from getting what we really do deserve.

This past Sunday one of our Chaplains recounted this story written by Charles Stanley.

“One of my more memorable seminary professors had a practical way of illustrating to his students the concept of grace. At the end of his evangelism course he would distribute the exam with the caution to read it all the way through before beginning to answer it. This caution was written on the exam as well. As we read the test, it became unquestionably clear to each of us that we had not studied nearly enough.
The further we read, the worse it became. About halfway through, audible groans could be heard through out the lecture hall. On the last page, however, was a note that read, "You have a choice. You can either complete the exam as given or sign your name at the bottom and in so doing receive an A for this assignment."
Wow? We sat there stunned. "Was he serious? Just sign it and get an A?" Slowly, the point dawned on us, and one by one we turned in our tests and silently filed out of the room.
When I talked with the professor about it afterward, he shared some of the reactions he had received through the years. Some students began to take the exam without reading it all the way through, and they would sweat it out for the entire two hours of class time before reaching the last page.
Others read the first two pages, became angry, turned the test in blank, and stormed out of the room without signing it. They never realized what was available, and as a result, they lost out totally.
One fellow, however, read the entire test, including the note at the end, but decided to take the exam anyway. He did not want any gifts; he wanted to earn his grade. And he did. He made a C+, but he could easily have had an A.

This story illustrates many people’s reaction to God’s solution to sin. Some people look at God’s standard--moral and ethical perfection--and throw their hands up in surrender. Why even try? they tell themselves. I could never live up to all that stuff.

Others are like the student who read the test through and was award of the professor's offer but took the test anyway. Unwilling to simply receive God's gift of forgiveness, they set about to rack up enough points with God to earn it.

But God's grace truly is like the professor's offer. It may seem unbelievable, but if we accept it, then, like the stunned students who accepted the professor's offer, we too, will discover that God's grace truly is free. All we have to do is accept it.

I'm stuffing this little gem in my memory bank of wisdom and I trust that one day, I'll dust it off and share this great explanation to someone who needs to see God's grace in a tangible way.

Things to Hate about Germany

2012-01-26T23:48:00.002+01:00

I've got nothing for this week. I really did try.

Instead I have one random thing that I am going to miss. Dogs in the mall. I can't explain it but there is something just so adorable about dogs in the mall. Every single time I see a dog in the mall I want to walk up and ruffle its ears. I don't though because then my hands would get dog dirty and I would require sanitizer or a bathroom asap. But seeing them does give me warm fuzzies and I do crack a smile.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-22T21:06:00.000+01:00

Happy Chinese New Year's Ever!

2012 is the Chinese year of the Black Water Dragon or Black Dragon or Water Dragon just year of the Dragon. I read a lengthy explanation about how the Chinese use the Stem-Branch calendar system to include the 10 symbols (yin fire, yang fire, yin water, yang water....) mixed with the 12 animals (rat, cow, tiger, rabbit, dragon.....) and you put all this together to determine what the symbol for the year is. Apparently the year of the Black Water Dragon means this year will bring change, but with a measure of calm, sensibility and prudence. That is great news since this year is in fact going to bring change and I like to think I'm sensible when it comes to big life changes like the ones we will face this year. Then again....doesn't every year bring change?

Anyway, I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was going to start my new year based on the Chinese calendar because I wasn't really ready on January 1st. I have spent the last few weeks tying up some loose ends, getting some balls rolling and I do feel a little more ready to start 2012.

I'm excited to officially start this year. I'm ready to get back into a routine. I'm excited to see some more new and wonderful places here in Europe. I'm looking forward to spending time with the amazing people we have in our lives right now. And I am starting to get a little pumped up about finding a new place to live, settling down in Washington and seeing family again that I haven't seen in at least three years.

While I have a lot to look forward to this year, I cannot overlook the tough goodbyes that will take place as well. My heart is already breaking as I think about leaving the Mlacks. How many people in the world actually get to live down the street from their best friends? The other day Eli was talking to me about how hard it is going to be for him to say goodbye to Mason for the last time. He was chattering away about how much he loves Madison and Mason and how sad he is going to be to leave them. Meanwhile, I was sitting in the drivers' seat bawling my eyes out. I do believe that seeing Eli say goodbye to Mason will be the most difficult aspect of this move. We have other great friends here as well that are going to be missed so much and I dread saying good bye to. And of course we will really miss just living here in Germany and experiencing all the amazing things available to us.

As I get ready for bed on this New Year's Eve I pray that my family remains healthy and happy in 2012, that the good days outweigh the bad, that I gain wisdom as a wife, mother and friend, and that I may be a blessing to others this year.

2012.... I'm ready.....let's do this!

Mexican. Dude.

2012-01-18T13:53:00.004+01:00

I hope someone reads this title and knows exactly what scene of what movie it is referring to. Anyone?

Don't worry if you have no idea. That probably just means you have a more exciting life than I do or you read books or watch movies with greater substance than this silly romantic comedy.

Four Christmases is the movie.

The family game of Taboo is the scene.

After Brad's mom and step-dad struggle through their turn at the game, Brad's brother and sister-in-law are up and ready to hand out a beat down. They sail through the cards guessing the correct answers with spot-on clues drawn from their life or relationship. Then the sister-in-law finishes her turn with the least descriptive clue possible:

"Mexican. Dude."

To which her husband immediately responds "Ricardo Montalbon".

Correct!

It is hilarious. Maybe not so funny to read, but trust me it is a funny scene and quite an entertaining movie.

So, the other day I picked up an anniversary card for Matt, wrote something incredibly sweet on the inside, sealed it up and addressed it to.... Mexican. Dude.

When I handed it to Matt he looked at it for a second or two and then looked up at me and said "Ricardo Montalbon?"

After 15 years of marriage and another 4 of dating and engagedness this is what we have accomplished .... the ability to quote movies to each other!

Ode To 15 Years

2012-01-18T13:03:00.002+01:00

There I stood at the back of the church with my dad beside me and my future husband up ahead.

The bell ringer headed down the aisle as a signal that I was on my way.

Music began to play and a tiny cry was heard throughout the congregation "the music scares me".

The bell ringer turned on his heels and reversed coarse.

During rehearsals my three-year-old cousin walked down the aisle of a silent church ringing his little bell. However, due to a little mix-up with the sound guy, the music was an unknown variable and proved too much for the young boy.

I looked to my dad and gave his arm a tug.

Who needs music? Let's do this.

We then proceeded to practically run down the aisle.

The "Wedding March" began as I was about 3 feet from the alter.

(Apparently, I'm not very patient when things don't go my way.)

Standing before our pastor with our friends and family looking on Matt and I made some promises that day to each other and to God.

I don't exactly remember what we promised but I do know we promised to be together.

Here we are 15 years later.

Not only together, but fully enjoying our togetherness.

A few years ago some friends and I were talking about meeting our spouse and proposals and such. One friend asked "When did you know that he was the one?" I know the very romantic and popular answer would be when Matt kissed me under mistletoe or when I saw him for the first time, but I went for a completely honest answer "I guess about 2-3 years after we got married".

Looking back I don't know why I said "yes" to Matt's proposal. It was definitely the least thought-out decision of my life. And even more mystifying is why Matt asked in the first place.

The truth is I didn't really love him back then. I thought I did, but what we shared was a mere shadow of love. It looked like love and felt like love but it was flat and fleeting. It wasn't until months and years passed that we really started to love each other the way God designed us to. As time passed we learned how to be patient with each other, to be kind even when we were in a disagreement. I learned the importance of honoring and respecting Matt and not looking out for myself first. We learned to trust, dream and persevere together. Today I can say with great confidence that I love Matt more than I ever have.

Matt is truly my very best friend, the one who loves me more than I deserve and more than I could have ever imagined. I laugh harder with Matt than anyone else in the world because we are both complete dorks who find humor in the most ridiculous things. I find myself reaching for his hand to hold at each opportunity because I do want to be that close to him.

I can't believe he proposed. I can't believe I said yes. But I'm so very thankful for that we did and completely astounded at this amazing life we have led so far.

Prost! to the next 15 and the next 30 after that!

More Things to Hate about Germany Update

2012-01-14T17:24:00.005+01:00

3. Sandwiches. Or shall I say, lack of sandwiches. Sometimes I'm just really craving a Paneraesque sandwich. Delicious bread, fresh meats and veggies, and a yummy sauce. German sandwiches - if you can even grant them that title - are so lame. They are likely a hard miniature baguette with either some form of a salami looking type of meat or prosciutto and if you are lucky a tomato. Clearly the sandwich thing hasn't caught on here.

4. Toilets. My friend Allison reminded me of this situation. Two things about toilets here. First, you often have to pay to use a public toilet. It is strategi

cally important to always have change in your wallet in the form of 10, 20 and 50 cents. Sometimes the toilets have attendants and you can get change if all you have is a 5 bill. But other times - no change - no luck. Second, a lot of German (and European in general) toilets have poo shelves and that is just gross. I don't think I need to further explain this one. But I should say, it isn't quite as disgusting as the fact that you can't flush toilet paper down the toilet in many Greece cities. Yep. I'll leave that one to your imagination as well.

Thousands of people have requested m

ore information on the poo shelf. OK just one. So, in response to my reader's request, I have included this lovely photo of a toilet (not mine, though I wish mine were so clean). The left of the photo is the back. Strategically located where the non-liquid form of bodily waste exits the body. Apparently, the volks here in DE like to inspect their business before sending it into the sewage system. There ya have it. German toilets.

Dinner

2012-01-11T15:47:00.009+01:00

Although I had known for months that my parents would be here in Germany over Christmas and New Years, it wasn't until the end of November that it sunk in that my parents would be here for New Year's Eve. Score one for Matt and Riss. I sweetly asked my dad and mom if they would watch the kids so Matt and I could go out. Since I was their tour guide and primary provider of transportation and meals, I had them against the wall. They really had no choice but to do it!

New Year's Eve day started nice and slow, just the way I like it. Then around 4pm Matt and I hopped in the car and headed up to Wiesbaden. We checked in to a hotel, got all fancy, and then grabbed a cab into the city to meet some friends at their flat.

Our "cocktail" hour was loads of fun. We spent a good amount of time taking pictures. We were like kids getting ready for prom but the roles were reversed. My friends' 13 year old daughter was taking the pictures and the adults were posing and being goofy. I haven't seen those pictures yet. I'm slightly scared and yet excited to see them too!

The bartending technique for the night consisted of people randomly picking a number between 1-1000 and then making the corresponding beverage in the Bartender's guide. I'm not sure who had that idea but it made for some good laughs and a lot of half-consumed beverages. The best drink of the night was a blue fru-fru drink that our friend made - it was quite smurfy.

Shortly before 8pm we left the flat and walked into town for our quite fancy 6 course meal. It was extravagant and so special. The whole event took 4 hours. Normally, I wouldn't consider dinner an event, but when it takes 4 hours it becomes one.

I absolutely loved this experience. We opted for the "surprise me" method of eating. In other words, we asked the waitress not to tell us what we were about to eat. Sometimes it is really best just to taste the food first and then find out what it was, this was one of those times. We started off the meal with a Prosecco toast and then sat back and enjoyed the food and company.

The menu as best as I can translate it:

1. Venison Carpaccio with Veal tartar with mango and quail egg.

2. Batter-fried Scallop with Octopus Carpaccio

3. Roasted Foi Gras (Goose Liver) with Truffel Sauce and Shallots

4. Home-made Tortellini filled with truffles in a truffle sauce with a truffle foam.

5. Black Angus Beef in a truffle puff pastry

6. Zabaione filled biscuit with Campari Orange Sorbet

Yes...carpaccio is thinly sliced raw meat and tartar also refers to meat that is raw. How is it that raw food can be so expensive?

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to taste all this food. I have to say the venison carpaccio was quite tasty, the octopus was neither great nor bad, and the foi gras was surprisingly edible. I loved loved the Tortellini and all the truffle business. If you haven't tasted truffle sauce or anything stuffed with truffle - do so soon! Every time I see some type of pasta on a menu that includes "truffle" in the explanation I go for it. The meat was very rare but still incredibly delicious. Don't judge me for the foi gras. At the time of consumption I didn't know what it was or what has to happen to the poor little goose in order to become a foi gras goose.

A bonus for the entire menu was the beauty of all the food. Everything looked so pretty. I think they spray-painted some of the food silver. There was a silvery frost on the scallop and the blueberries.

We finished dinner just before midnight. We paid our bill and headed to the streets in time to see the fabulous amateur fireworks display in the city. The church bells were ringing, people were kissing, and 2012 arrived.

No Joy

2012-01-10T17:43:00.004+01:00

A few weeks ago we loaded up the van and headed to Strasbourg, France. My parents were here visiting and we thought we'd skip over the boarder and show them this lovely town and stroll through the Christmas market there as well.

The boys were less than excited that they had to 1. get dressed 2. go to "annnooooother town" 3. go to annnoooother Christmas market and finally 4. drive an hour to

get there. They are pretty tired of cute towns that require walking about and after the first two of the year, they are tired of Christmas markets.

As we were driving around looking for parking that would accommodate one American not-so-mini-van, Eli broke his silence to make a definitive declaration "this place has no joy"! He followed that up with a comment about how Strasbourg didn't look very special to him.

This joy he was speaking of was the trappings of Christmas. The lights, the garland, the Christmas stalls set up all over town to sell gifts, decorations, and food.

On the outskirts of town Strasbourg looked quite lame compared to most of the cute towns we take people to, but once you break through the city blocks and get into the old part of the city, the adorable factor explodes and you see the allure of the town. And in December you cannot look anywhere without seeing the "joy"!

Strasbourg is by far the most Christmasy decorated city I have seen to date.

Every single street has lights strung across it. Many buildings are decorated like this one pictured above and the "joy" as Eli called it is simply overwhelming. It is truly so beautiful.

I have no idea why Eli decided to use the term "joy" to explain the beauty of Christmas, but I quite like it.

I think he is on to something without even knowing it. Twinkling lights and presents are just that until you add the joy of Christmas. An evergreen tree gains its beauty when we add lights. Garland and wreaths are quite boring until ribbons adorn them. Some farm animals and a feeding trough are nothing until you lay the savior among them.

Christmas is hectic and pricey and stressful until the joy that is the gift of God's one and only Son becomes the focus.

He is the Joy.

Things to Hate about Germany

2012-01-07T12:54:00.003+01:00

In an effort to prepare myself to leave this amazingly wonderful place that I absolutely love, I have started to make a mental notes about the things I truly hate about living here.

For this week:

1. Whilst listening to German radio today I heard "9-5" by Dolly Parton. It wasn't the oldies station either. And just to solidify my hatred for German radio, the next station that tuned in was playing that horrible song, perhaps by the Carpenters, "sing, sing a song, sing out loud...." ugh.

2. Pork. When we leave Germany I will never order pork in a restaurant again. Pork sausage, pork knuckle, pork schnitzel, pork medallions, pork on a stick, pork pork pork. It tastes good but come on lets diversify!

Downright Dirty

2012-01-07T12:18:00.004+01:00

It is noon and I'm just now finishing my first cup of coffee. Obviously something is wrong with this day.

The house is a wreck. I mean a total and complete disgusting mess. So bad in fact that Matt slipped in a little comment last night as we were getting ready to go to bed:

"Good Lord this house is a mess. Woman, put down your coffee and bon-bons and clean this pig sty up!"

OK. So that wasn't his exact words, but that is how it felt when my ears sent his words to my brain. I think he actually said "Wow, we need to clean this place up".

After sleeping in on this lazy Saturday, we began the task of sorting through all the junk that has accumulated in piles in our room, the kitchen, living room, hall and every last corner of the house. We made a dent - but this will clearly be a week-long project.

Alp d'Laundry is really quite comparable to Mount Everest at this point. It takes my breath away, not because of beauty but there is literally a lack of oxygen going to my brain when I take in the mass of dirty clothes that need attention. And just now as I looked up from my computer to try and remember the name of the above mentioned mountain, and I noticed a spider web so robust it could actually serve as a clothes line. I'm not even going to mention the situation we have going on in the basement, it is truly shameful.

How does this happen? How does a reasonably clean house turn so quickly?

My first instinct is to panic. The house is a mess. It is going to take serious amounts of time and coffee to remedy this situation. Panic because I just realized that after I manage to clean the place, I need to seriously consider clean sweeping - I have a lot of sorting and deep cleaning to do before the packers can come. Panic because it is 2012 and I'm starting off the year under a cloud of dust and Amazon boxes. I'm starting off in the negative, behind, wrong foot, you name it that is where I am. Not a good way to start off the year. How can I even attempt to "turn over a new leaf" when the leaf is buried under all the mess in my house?

After taking a moment to breath into one of the brown paper bags laying around I had a moment of clarity. I found a solution to my problems. I decided it is perfectly acceptable to celebrate the New Year based on the Chinese Calendar on January 23.

From now until January 23rd I will live in a season of limbo - purging the old and getting ready for the new. All New Year's resolutions and goals shall henceforth begin on the 23rd....after my house is in good shape and all the Christmas cookies are consumed! And if that doesn't work.....when is the Jewish New Year?

Epiphany.

2012-01-06T21:14:00.004+01:00

Epiphany - as in the holiday also called Three Kings Day. Not epiphany as in a big lightbulb going off in my head.

Today is Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas, the holiday when we celebrate the Wise Men from the East who followed the star to meet Jesus.

The boys tried to convince me that they should get gifts if they put hay or grass out for the Wise Men's camels. I'm all for embracing multiple traditions but I draw the line at 1. grass being in my house and 2. coming up with any more gifts or candy for my kids. I quickly replied that the only gifts involved in Three Kings Day would be for Jesus, in the form of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They didn't put up a fight.

The last of our Christmas decorations have been boxed up and stored in the basement, the tree is outside waiting for tree pick-up day, and the sweet sounds of Christmas music no longer fill the air. Christmas is over.

The year is over.

It all ended far too quickly.

While I am looking forward to the many adventures my family will have this year in Europe and the new home that we will establish in Washington later this year, I am truly sad to have bid 2011 farewell. It was a good year and quite frankly I wanted to hang on to it a little longer.

True Story.

2011-11-19T16:38:00.002+01:00

I wish this were fiction or about someone else, but it isn't. It is a true story about me.

I spent most of the morning cleaning up the house and getting extra beds ready for my sister's arrival on Monday. By late afternoon I was done with the house and eager to get a run in before it got dark.

A little secret about my running style. I am not a good runner. I don't run because I love it or I'm particularly good at it. I run because I would rather do a cardio workout outside than in the gym and I'm not quite skilled enough to cycle at more than a leisurely pace. I also run for distance not time. Instead of setting a goal to run for 30 or 45 minutes, I set a goal for a distance of 3 or 4 miles. What is the difference? If I run faster, I get done quicker and I can kick off those running shoes and get on with my day. If I run slow, the longer it takes for me to get home.

Today, I wanted to be done. It was freezing cold outside and curling up in a fuzzy blanket on the couch with a book and a cup of coffee was calling my name. So today wasn't about running intervals or running while taking in the beauty of the fall leaves on the ground, today was about getting done!

I set out at a good clip and stayed really strong for the first 2 miles. I felt good. I felt strong. I had some tunes playing on my ipod but I wasn't really listening to them. Instead, I was locked into a daydream. In my dream I was running a marathon and still feeling strong. I was 20 miles in and had just 6.2 left to go. I was feeling fierce. I was a running fool. Then it happened. My marathon race daydream came to an abrupt end when I suddenly found myself flying through the air. I felt like I was in a cartoon. I was suspended in the air grasping for something to reach out to in order to prevent a face-plant on the pavement but nothing appeared. Instead, my right hand and my left elbow absorbed the full force of the weight of my body crashing down onto the chilly pavement.

The shock, the shame, the blood. Not a lot of blood but I managed to get a few patches of road rash on my hands and wrist and I cut open the tip of my finger. Don't ask, I have no idea how I have a tip of the finger injury. My elbow was instantly sore and throbbing. When I looked at it I realized I shredded the sleeve of my very favorite North Face lightweight down jacket. Then I wanted to cry. Skin, muscles, and bone can heal but the fabric of my coat....done for.

I was on the verge of crying and laughing. Crying because I was in a bit of pain and as I mentioned, I tore my coat. Laughing because it is super funny that I was too engrossed in my little fake marathon daydream to pay attention to the stones under my feet!

I pulled myself up off the ground, put some gloves on my hands to ease the pain of my little open wounds in the chilly air (those would have saved my flesh if I had them on instead of in my pocket when I fell), I adjusted my newly altered jacket, and set out to finish this run. I ran the rest of the way home without incident and managed to log a really good time.

I could wrap this up and talk about how this is a great life lesson: keep your eyes on the path or you will stumble and fall. Or I could say it is a story about pressing on, even when you fall on our face. But really, it is just a story about how I tripped and fell today while running and I think the lady that witnessed the event is probably still laughing and she would have darn near peed her pants if she knew why I tripped.

Family Photos 2011

2011-11-15T10:05:00.002+01:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Password: ourphotos

Happy Veteran's Day....

2011-11-12T00:42:00.004+01:00

At dinner tonight Matt and I were talking about the bank being closed because it was Veteran's day. Gabe heard us and announced that he was a Veteran. I had to do some follow-up:

Me: Why do you think you are a Veteran?

Gabe: because I don't eat meat.

This left me speechless for a moment. I finally composed myself and explained the difference between a veteran and a vegetarian!

Just as I finished clearing that up, Eli chimes in with new information on his Veteran status:

"My teacher said that the kids in my class are kind of like veterans because even though we are not the Army guys, we have to still move around and leave our friends and live in new places and have to deal with our dad's being gone and stuff so she decided that she was going to honor US on Veteran's Day. And when she told us this, she was crying."

How can I argue with that?

Happy Veteran's Day to my husband a member of the US Army for 16 years, a veteran of OIF and the "war on terror", to all soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines who have given their time to serve in the US Armed Forces, and to the children of those soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines whose lives are also effected by their parent's decision to serve.

Writing on the Wall

2011-11-05T21:02:00.003+01:00

My bathrooms are disgusting. I clean them....daily but my scrubbers, bleach wipes, and lysol spray are no match for the male people in my life.

Each bathroom has a toilet with a) a flushing mechanism b) a toilet brush for further poo removal c) clorox bleach wipes to rid the seat, floor and wall of any accidental drippings and d) me readily available to assist in any clean-ups that may be required if one feels the need for back-up.

And yet..... I regularly, I'm talking DAILY walk into a bathroom to be greeted by urine or something worse simmering in the toilet.

So, I decided I needed to place a little reminder in the boys' bathroom. The walls are tile. This makes cleaning the bathroom thoroughly easy. I start with the toxic spray at the top of the wall and wipe down every square of the wall and floor tile.... tile walls also provide a handy place to use a dry-erase marker to leave little notes. Or in this case, big notes.

Flush = flush the toilet.

Clean= make use of the toilet brush if needed and those clorox wipes stored under the sink.

Lid= put the entire lid down.

Wash= wash your hands.

Tonight I walked into the bathroom and below this blaring writing on the wall was a toilet with the lid up and poop in the toilet. I went high-side on the boys. I weeded out the owner of the little treasure left in the toilet and then went crazy on him.

Really. Even if you don't do the cleaning just flush the toilet. FLUSH the TOILET!!!

I managed to lower my blood pressure long enough to utter the words to our new toilet policy:

Effective immediately there will be a $1 fine imposed for all non-flushing incidents.

One way or another I will conquer my stinky bathrooms once and for all!

Simply Put.

2011-10-26T13:37:00.000+02:00

And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Aρειος Πάγος

2011-10-20T07:11:00.000+02:00

Areopagus or Rock of Ares is a large rock near the base of the Acropolis of Athens. The Areopagus functioned as a place of appeals for criminal and civil cases in the classical times and before that it was where high ranking public officials would meet, similar to a Senate.
When we were in Athens last month, we went to the Acropolis of Athens and saw the Areopagus. We didn't walk around on Areopagus, it was blazing hot and after 1.5 hours at the Acropolis the kids were pretty much done with the historic site and ready to find our cab driver who promised the car would be ready with the a/c full blast when we returned, but we were there, we saw it, and we walked the paths that so many important historical figures would have walked to get up there.
Of all the places that we have travelled I think I am most impressed that my sandals (ok comfortable walking shoes) walked where Paul walked in Athens. The account is recorded in Acts 17:16-34.
"While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there". Some philosophers began to debate with him, asking what he was babbling about and they decided to bring him to Areopagus. There they asked him to explain what he was talking about. The teaching was something they hadn't heard before. There at Areopagus Paul stood before the people and proclaimed the Gospel "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being."
Paul was there, in the center of the philosophical world, proclaiming that God is the one true God and that all these temples and idols that have been built to honor pagan gods serve only as obstructions to seeing and knowing God. Paul was there nearly 2000 years ago while those buildings at the Acropolis were still standing. The buildings are now just piles of rubble and works of reconstruction by archaeologists but Paul's message still applies today.

Sneak Peak!

2011-10-19T07:33:00.003+02:00

My friend Angela is the mastermind behind our family photos. I met her just over 2 years ago when we become her downstairs neighbors in the apartment in Mannheim. Shortly after we moved in, she told me she was starting a photography business. I needed family pictures, so I signed up for a photo-shoot in Heidelberg. We loved our pictures and I knew as long as we were in Germany Angela would be stuck taking our family pictures. As it turns out we love their family too and so now they are all just flat stuck with us! Angela's business and talent has flourished in the past few years. She has an absolutely amazing eye, great ideas, and is just simply the most fabulous photographer ever!

This year I asked her to do a session for the boys separate from our family. I really wanted to get some great pictures of the boys in their element apart from the whole family gig. She met us at a park on Monday and spent a few hours with my rascally boys.

She just sent me a link to her blog with some sneak peaks of the pictures. Needless to say, I am SO. COMPLETELY. HAPPY! I expected great pictures but these are just so fabulous.

Alrighty then, this is what you came for, check them out!

If you are living in Germany and ready to invest in gorgeous photos.....give her a call!

2011-10-18T09:55:00.000+02:00

I thought Rahab was a tough topic to teach my middle school kids....at least I was just trying to explain faith with that one. The latest lesson I had to teach was Ruth. Simple enough right? Ruth goes with her grumpy mother in law Naomi to Bethlehem, works in Boaz' fields, finds favor in his eyes, asks him to become the kinsman redeemer to Naomi's property, he accepts, and then Ruth and Boaz get married and everyone lives happily ever after.

I have heard this story a few dozen times. However, it wasn't until I was studying for my lesson that I really read the part where Naomi gives Ruth instructions to head over to Boaz' threshing floor after he has eaten and is feeling restful, lay at his feet, and then ask him to cover her with his robe. Something was telling me the kids were not going to let me just breeze past this one. I needed to be prepared! I did some reading and most of what I found points to this little midnight meeting as something very innocent and symbolic for the times. "Covering" Ruth with his robe was a symbol that Boaz was going to take care of her and her family. As I read the scripture, the girls' eyes were wide and they started to snicker and then just came right out and said "WHAT?" I simplified the threshing floor scene by comparing it to a modern day proposal. Instead of a man getting down on one knee at a fancy restaurant or romantic spot and asking those four sweet words "will you marry me?" It was Ruth laying at Boaz' feet, in a dirty barn asking "will you cover me?". Same thing, different time. At least that is my working explanation and it seemed to pacify the kids.

As quickly as possible I diverted their attention from the threshing floor and started talking about the most important part of the lesson. Kinsman Redeemer. Naomi's land was for sale. She needed someone in her dead husband's family to buy the land and provide for Naomi and Ruth so they would no longer have to live in poverty. Boaz was a relative, so he qualified, but not the closest living relative. Legally, the closer relative had to have the opportunity to redeem the land before Boaz could. So Boaz went to the other relative and asked if he wanted to buy it. At first he said "yes". He was thinking "awesome! More fields, more money to be earned". But when Boaz explained that along with the land came the little matter of taking on the responsibility of caring for Ruth and Naomi, the guy backed out of the deal. The cost was too great for him. However, it wasn't too much for Boaz. He bought the land, married Ruth, and took care of Naomi. He paid the price for the land and gave Ruth and Naomi a new life.

Christ is our kinsman redeemer. The price of our sins was too great for anyone else to redeem. But Jesus paid the price, we became his "bride" and now we are given a new life. All we have to do is go to the threshing floor and acknowledge that Christ has already "covered" us. He did it when he shed His blood on Calvary.

It truly amazes me how much I am learning as I prepare each week to teach the Trek kids. It isn't enough for me to know about the story, I need to really know it, understand it and be able to answer questions about it. It is through teaching these kids that I too am learning.

2011-10-17T14:01:00.001+02:00

This is perfectly normal right? Not the part about boots being in a window sill, but the number of boots I own. Everyone has at least 6 pair of boots....right? I was cleaning out a closet the other day and realized that I need the entire bottom flooring of one of the closets in order to properly store my boots. I do have big feet so that definitely contributes to the fact that I no longer have any room in the bottom of that closet - but the lack of room in there made me realize that I don't have anymore room for another pair of boots. Not that I am actively shopping for boots, I'm just saying that even if a pair of perhaps dressy black boots found their way into my home, I don't have anywhere to put them.

2011-10-11T14:54:00.000+02:00

If you happen to have read this post about where we will be moving next, you will recall that the prospects for an excitingly awesome new duty station were looking grim.

We spent a few weeks thinking about what we wanted to ask for and devising a plan and then this past Friday Matt sent an email to his branch manager with his request. The plan was simple. Matt would sell his soul to the devil in order to get a duty station other than the ones the branch manager had previously offered. We were willing to have Matt do an unaccompanied tour in one of many unpleasant places in order to have a chance to get to one of our stations of choice when he returned. It was a risky move. Perhaps life in Texas or North Carolina would be better than volunteering for an unaccompanied tour? But we made our decision. We felt good about it. We were ready to get this ball rolling.

The email was short and sweet.

"Sir, I'll do anything you want me to do short of giving up my right arm if you don't send me to one of those less than wonderful duty stations. I really pretty please with sugar on top want to go to Fort Lewis, Hawaii or Fort Carson."

Next step. We wait.

We figured it would be a few days at least before getting a reply but it ended up being a few hours.

Matt got the email on his work Blackberry and raced upstairs to tell me.

The conversation went like this.

"He responded"

"No way"

"Yes he did"

"What is it?"

"Fort Lewis"

"Not cool. Don't mess with me"

"I'm serious"

"You're mean"

"I'm not kidding"

"Really?"

It went like this for a few seconds until Matt just let me read the email.

And this is where I start to cry.

There was nothing official about the email so we were cautiously excited. We told Tom and Mika and then spent the next few days talking about all the things that we were excited for. We didn't tell the boys or anyone else because we feared that the branch manager would suddenly recall that he told us we had to go to one of those other duty stations. Fears were squashed when we received a RFO (request for orders) on Tuesday.

While this is still the Army and things can change, an RFO is the next best thing to actual Orders.

The branch manager didn't originally see a spot for Matt in Fort Lewis, but I think God opened his eyes a little and revealed a great job for him there.

About 16 years ago Matt began his military career as an E2 at Fort Lewis, Washington. A year later we were married and made our first home there. In the past 15 years we have made our home in 6 additional duty stations, met wonderful people from all over the world, lived a life we never dreamed of, and in about 10 months we will make our way back to Washington, back to where we started, to finish off our military career and pave the way for life after the Army.

I simply could not be more grateful for the places God has taken us and for the plans He has for our future.

By Faith

2011-10-05T09:52:00.000+02:00

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see". Hebrews 11:1

This week I am teaching a lesson on Rahab to my AWANA group. It is a huge challenge for me to try to explain the faith of Rahab when I don't quite understand it myself.
I was raised in a Christian home and have been surrounded by stories of faith my entire life. I've read, listened to, and studied Bible stories about people who have acted by faith and I have been taught over and over again the importance of placing my trust in God. And still...my faith is often wavering.
Yet Rahab, a prostitute living in Canaan, didn't have any of these positive influences encouraging her to have faith in the one true God, and when it came down to it - she rocked it. She heard stories of the Israelites release from Egypt, crossing of the Red Sea, and conquering other cities in Canaan - and by these stories alone she knew the God was real and she trusted that He had the power to save her.
She was unworthy, and yet she believed. She was a prostitute, and God used her. She was a sinner, but saved both herself and her family. Her faith is hard to grasp, let alone explain.
Rahab didn't know much about God but she didn't use that as an excuse. She used what she did know to be true to make her decision to hide the Israelite spies and rely on God instead of the gods of the Canaan people.
Oh to have her faith. I don't know what tomorrow will bring and it is hard to base my faith on what I think God will do in my life, however, if I simply look back on the things that I do know about God, if I look at the many times that he has held me in His hands, the times He provided for us, protected us, and the countless times He has forgiven me, it shouldn't be too difficult to place my faith in Him.
Rahab believed in God and asked the spies to save her. The thief on the cross next to Jesus recognized that he was the Messiah and asked him to save his life. My greatest hope for my AWANA kids is that they too will recognize God as the Living God and believe that Jesus is their Messiah and profess their faith so that they too will be saved.

Oktoberfest 2011

2011-09-30T21:23:00.001+02:00

Two songs play over and over again at festhalles at Oktoberfest: "Ein Prosit" and "So ein shoener Tag". Ein Prosit is a simple song "Ein Prosit, ein Prosit Der Gemütlichkeit" is repeated a few times and then everyone raises their glasses and clinks them together. The translation is "a toast, a toast to the coziness of it all". "So ein shoener Tag" is a silly song when you understand the lyrics. It is one of those songs that everyone knows the motions to and somehow forgets that singing and dancing to it is a little like a bunch of adults singing the hokey pokey. The motions are flexing your muscles, jumping, spinning, swimming, and waving your arms in the sky and to top it all off the chorus is "la la lala la" which makes it very singable for all people involved - to include those that don't know any other lyrics. "So ein shoener Tag" translates to "It is a beautiful day".
All that to say, September 25th Matt and I, Mika and Tom, Ken and Cyndi (Tom's parents) and Tim (Tom's brother) all drove down to Munich to go to Oktoberfest. We knew we would have a good time - with this crew how could we not?
We walked around to a few tents and saw seating prospects for all 7 of us were null, so when a lovely waitress asked us if we wanted a seat for two, we snatched it and sent Ken and Cyndi in to experience Oktoberfest. Within a few moments the waitress, Elvira, returned to snatch us all up. She somehow convinced a table of people full of couples to go elsewhere so that our group could have the entire table. Then there we were all 7 of us seated, together, at noon, for lunch in the Augustiner festhalle in Munich. SCORE!
I expected the dancing, singing, drinking, occasional breaking of glasses when the "tap" of glasses was a little overzealous, and drunk people. I expected to laugh and have a great time. What I didn't expect was tears.
After a few hours of sitting in the festhalle eating lunch, chatting, singing, and dancing on tables it hit me: I am in Munich, Germany with my best friends and their family, at Oktoberfest. This is a once in a lifetime experience. And I started to cry.
Turns out we have a weeping bunch. Mika started to cry a smidgen, and Ken got misty eyed too. Matt stayed strong for a while- but eventually got glassy. There were a lot of hugs and a lot of love passed around.
It was a beautiful day. A day where we had a blast, where we laughed and cried, where we made new memories and recounted old, a day where we appreciated each other for being who we are to each other.
You might say it was the beer. And you might be right....but only partially. The words were from the heart and I know this to be true. The beer - just helped the words come out at a festhalle instead of birthday card or funeral!
The Mlacks are my chosen family. You have the family that you are blessed with, the family that you marry, and then some lucky chaps get another family - one that you just choose to become family because you love them all so darn much.
I'll look fondly back on this day for all the fun shenanigans of Oktoberfest but what I will treasure forever is the people and love that was shared there.
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit Der Gemütlichkeit

September.

2011-09-29T21:06:00.003+02:00

Every family has that one month out of the year that is always, and I do mean always, jam packed full of fun and all things great. For us, this month is September.
Both of the boys have birthdays in September, school starts, and we vacation.
This year for Eli's birthday he requested Chef Boyardee ravioli, which we nixed and turned into Sloppy Joe, and to open his presents by a bonfire. It was a hectic day with school and a AWANA meeting, but we managed to make it special for him. Gabriel invited a few of his friends to a local indoor playground for slides, rock walls, trampolines and bounce house. We had cake at home and his requested dinner was spaghetti with spicy sausage. The boys were blessed with lots of great gifts from friends and family and both seemed genuinely happy with their special days.
School is interesting this year. Mannheim is closing and 75% of the population of the community have left. There are no more than two classes of each grade in school and the class sizes are still very small. The small classes are great for the teacher - student ratio but not so great for the friend pool. The boys have limited acceptable friend options and for that I am a little sad. There used to be 30 -40 kids running wild through our neighborhood at any given time. Now there are about 10 and they seem to always find their way to my house!
Rick Steves calls September and October and April and May "shoulder" months. They are the months that are still great times to travel but are slightly less hot than summer, considerably less full of tourists, and often just slightly cheaper than peak summer travel rates. Rick is right. And we love to travel in September.
Last September we spent Labor Day weekend in the French Alps with friends and then spent 10 days in Milan and Florence, Italy, followed by Oktoberfest in Munich. This year, we spent Labor Day weekend camping with friends in the German/Austrian area of Garmisch, then we spent 10 days going to Venice, a cruise through Greece and Croatia, and brief stop in Innsbruck, followed by a fabulous stop in Munich for Oktoberfest.
It is a full month, so busy that it is truly hard to believe that it is over tomorrow!

Seasons

2011-08-29T11:35:00.003+02:00

Ecclesiastes 3:1 proclaims "there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven". You know the 1960's Byrds song "to everything turn turn turn, there is a season turn turn turn"? Or if you prefer verses 2-8 in Ecclesiastes:
"a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."

Well right now I've got a season of grumpy. That isn't in the song or the scriptures but it is alive and well in my house. Matt and I have both struggled quite a bit lately with this spirit of the grump.
I'm grumpy today because my Keurig machine brewed its last cup of coffee 5 days after I received the $100 worth of coffee K-cups I ordered 6 weeks ago from Keurig. I'm grumpy because Matt's car (that we love) had a little hiccup this morning and opted to stay in the carport instead of starting up and driving to work. I'm grumpy because I feel really lost about our upcoming cruise. I'm not used to being on a tight time constraint and can't decide if I want to follow a guide around with an umbrella and megaphone on tours through Greece - for an excessive amount of money - or just do what we normally do and follow the shiny things to see what we see. I'm grumpy because my jeans are tight, I don't have anything planned for dinner, and I don't know what to do for Eli's birthday festivities due to an insanely busy schedule this week.
I should, however, be in season of gratitude. How cool is it that that Keurig was an awesome Christmas gift that gave us hundreds of cups of coffee at the touch of a button? How nice is it that it is still under warranty? We have an awesome diesel BWM that drives a million miles without needing to refuel and for 2 years it has given us barely any trouble at all, especially taking into consideration that it is an old fart in car years. We have two cars. Again a blessing that some people don't have. OK, so I don't know right now exactly how things are going to go for our cruise.....seriously taking our family of four on a cruise to Greece. Enough said. Jeans are tight because I have a ton of fun eating fabulous food with great friends in an amazing location. I can be skinny in someplace boring and lonely. And finally, we have so many things going on this week because we have some really fun opportunities. Eli is still playing German/American baseball, the boys are in swim lessons, I'm an AWANA leader and we leave on Friday to go camping with friends. Now, as for dinner.... I just need to switch my season of grumpy to a season of recipe searching and that too will be solved.
There are some legitimate reasons for us to be struggling with discontent and a whole bunch of really lame reasons too. I am realizing that the solution to this overall crankiness is not to solve each of the individual problems/challenges/circumstances that are in our lives right now but to solve the problem of my attitude toward them.

Volvo vs. Cart

2011-08-27T01:16:00.003+02:00

Usually when I spend a small fortune on goodies from the commissary, the bagger loads up the cart and takes my purchases out to the car. They do this, not because they are sweet and efficient but because they work for tips. If they just bag your groceries and leave you to take the cart out, it is an automatic reduction of pay, so unless you ask them not to or they are super busy they load up the car for you and return the cart. If for some reason a bagger doesn't take your groceries out for you, you've got a cart issue on your hands. The commissary parking lot does not have a place to leave your cart once you are done with it. The baggers usually bring in a few extra from the lot when they are done delivering groceries, but there are always still a bunch of carts all over the parking lot waiting for someone to retrieve them or the wind to blow them into a car. When most people are done with their cart they just push it up to the front of their parking spot and roll out. How expensive can a cart corral be?
Since there is no cart corral, I usually return my cart to the front of the store. Again this is a little problematic because there isn't a place to park the carts out in front of the store. So, unless you are super helpful and decide to bring the cart in and then go around and come out the exit - you still leave a wild cart just parked willy nilly in front of the store.
What is with all this cart talk?
Today, I had a ton of groceries and the baggers were too busy to help me to the car. I somehow managed to lift the over stuffed grocery bags into my own car and then commissioned my nearly 9 year old to take the cart back to the store rather than leaving it in the lot. Before he took off I reminded him "be careful, watch for cars".
I started chatting with a friend in the parking lot and 30 seconds later I noticed some commotion down the aisle. A sweet Volvo XC90 (which I totally would love to add to my driveway) backed into a cart. Not just any cart, the cart that my baby boy was returning to the store.
Holy cow.
When I mentally arrived on scene the lady was apologizing profusely saying she didn't see him and asking if he was OK. He was OK, hardly fazed. He didn't scream or anything when the car started backing into him, he just backed the cart up to try to get out of the way. When he recounted what happened he said "mom I was watching and I didn't see her white lights".
I'm still confused about how someone driving a suped up European luxury car equipped with backup sensors can run into my son's cart, but whatever. I'm just so thankful that Eli wasn't hurt or even shaken up by the incident. In the hours following the incident I found myself thinking over and over again how easily this story could have had a different ending.
Thank you God for giving me that rascally little guy almost 9 years ago, and keeping him safe and healthy right up to today.

Love the Ones You're With

2011-08-22T10:44:00.003+02:00

So the lyrics to this 70's song are not exactly words of wisdom, but the title is! This past Saturday some girlfriends and I drove up to Brussels to spend the afternoon and evening and then drove down to Tongeren the next morning to stroll through a flea market, sample some local food and have a general good time.
Since we didn't decide to make this trip until Thursday night, and didn't get a solid count on who all was going until Friday night, we found ourselves searching for hours, literally hours, for hotel accommodations for 5 ladies. Finding an affordable hotel in Europe for 4 people is often a challenge, for 5 is an uber challenge, and for 5 at the last minute it is down right ridiculous. We could have booked multiple rooms to make things easier, but we were really hoping to find something where everyone could be together. Just shy of midnight we found a fabulous, beautiful, super clean, well located, huge apartment that could accommodate us all, for just €10 more per person than we hoped to pay. Not bad for last minute! Mission accomplished.
After we arrived in our room on Saturday, we looked around and dropped our bags and then did what seems to be the next natural thing to do after arriving at a hotel in a different country - logged in to the hotel's free wifi network. Everyone took a few minutes to check mail, update facebook statuses and see what happened in the FB world during the 4 hour drive to Brussels. After about 5-10 minutes on the devices someone pointed out that we should probably get out the door and experience this place we came for. We had a lazy enjoyable afternoon and evening. We walked into town, ate a lot of food, had some fun shopping and people watching. It was quite a lovely day.
Upon our return to the hotel the personal internet devices came out and conversations laughter that we experienced for the past 12 hours were mostly over. As it turns out, it wasn't really all that important for us to be in the same room. Everyone could have surfed on their own.
We spent Sunday shopping at a flea market in a nearby city and then headed home. As soon as we crossed into the German border everyone with internet service plans on their phones started surfing. The car went silent. Those without internet passed the time sleeping, driving or just thinking. Those with, checked email, read facebook posts and shopped.
The same scenario played out when we went to Vienna a few months back. We purposefully found an apartment where our family and the Mlack family could all be together, but I hate to admit that we didn't do a single thing together each night when we returned from sightseeing. Everyone grabbed their devices and conversations ended and the cards and dice sat on the counter collecting dust.
Instead of spending time with the people who made it a point to be together, everyone was spending time alone connecting with people, news stories, and other websites on line. This happens over and over again in my life. I cannot count the number of times that someone has picked up their phone at a restaurant to check on what is going on elsewhere.
When this happened at our hotel this last weekend one of my friends repeated something that her brother always says to her "love the one you're with!" Instead of focusing on what is happening in the world, focus on being in the moment and really enjoying and loving the people you are with.
It is highly unlikely that the same 5 ladies will find ourselves together again without our spouses and children. One is moving in a few weeks, school is starting soon, another one is working full time and life gets busy. This was a brief moment in time that can't be paused or recaptured. But Facebook, the news, emails - those can all be read later.
I don't know why people think it is OK to ignore the people you are with to be entertained by things on line, but I'm sick of it. I'm going to take a friends' advise and love the ones I'm with and if the ones I'm with are too busy loving those on-line, I need some new ones to be with!

Where?

2011-08-17T16:27:00.005+02:00

Every three years Matt and I have a discussion about where we want to move next. The conversation lasts a long time - like 6-12 months.

The other day we made our wish lists:

Clarissa's List of Dreamy Places to Move
1. Fort Carson, Colorado
2. Alaska
3. Hawaii
4. Fort Lewis, WA
Matt's List of Places that Clarissa is willing to move with him.
1. Fort Carson, Colorado
2. Hawaii
3. Fort Lewis, Washington
Matt also wants to go to Fort Rucker, Alabama but I nixed it. He nixed my Fort Belvoir, VA vote.

So, the other day Matt had 7.5 minutes to talk to his Branch Manager about what would be available to him next summer when we move from here. Here is the branch manager's list:
~~Fort Carson~~
~~Hawaii~~
~~Fort Lewis~~
~~Alaska~~
Fort Bliss, TX - also known as Juarez, MEXICOFort Riley, KS - as in Toto, middle of nowhere
Fort Drum, NY - not in any of the cool places in NY but very close to Canada.
Fort Hood, TX - smack in the middle of Texas.
Fort Bragg, NC - South of the Mason Dixon, heart of NASCAR, camo as a fashion statement, and hunting.
And this is the part where I cry.
We have been so blessed to be stationed in really fabulous places: Lewis, Hawaii, Virginia and Germany were all our first choice we when were assigned there. The only place that we didn't dream about living was Campbell, but as it turns out we met our BFFs there, it was a great place to have the babies, and it ended up being a good duty station. I guess I just didn't imagine that NONE of the places on our list would be an option.So the processes of choosing the best of the worse begins. Bliss is an immediate "hell no". It is literally on the border of Mexico and while the city of El Paso boasts great quality of life....the other half of the city is Juarez and people get abducted by drug cartels and beheaded. No silver lining there! We don't even get to ask for our next assignment until Spring of 2012, so we have time to decide where we want to go. But I did find myself getting a little excited about the possibility of moving to Fort Bragg, NC. There are trees, four seasons, and most importantly the beach is about 2.5 hours away! Other bonus features are that it is a mere 5+ hours from my pals in Northern VA and a long road trip to many other places that we have yet to explore in the southeastern part of the country. A lot of my friends also really like Fort Hood, Tx. I haven't fully embraced Texas yet, but I'm telling you this, if we move to Texas I am buying cowboy boots and I'm wearing them with a sundress and a denim jacket!
Wherever we end up, I'm confident it will be another adventure that we'll look back on fondly.

2011 Pictures

2011-08-15T09:29:00.002+02:00

Here are a bunch of pictures from this year. If you need a password to view the pictures it is ourphotos.

Click here to view these pictures larger

2012

2011-08-11T21:20:00.003+02:00

Today Gabe and I were on our way home from a meeting at Matt's work when Gabe posed the following question:
"What is 2012 going to be like?"
Great question! I wish I knew the answer.
I'm not sure what was going through Gabe's mind when he thought of what 2012 would bring, but my mind started racing about where we will live, what Matt's job will be, will I get to Istanbul?, and "oh my goodness Eli will be 10 years old in 2012.
Gabe then alerted me that 2012 is right around the corner "just a few months away". Just as I began to panic and try to sort through a hundred different scenarios for 2012, Gabe brought me back to reality through a simple math problem.
"What is 30 + 31+30+31 + the rest of the days in August?"
I had an answer for this one: 142.
To which Gabe replied "oh man that isn't very soon at all".
So glad that this conversation ended on a good note. Now I can sleep well tonight knowing I still have 142 days left before 2012!

Butter, Sugar, Flour, Eggs

2011-08-09T19:47:00.003+02:00

... ingredients I am missing from my life.
The ingredients used to collectively make a sweet treat once a week during our ladies' bible study. However, butter moved to NY, Sugar moved to Sembach, and Flour moved to Vogelweh, all that is left here in Mannheim is eggs. When you are used to all that other stuff mixed together, eggs are boring. Eggs are fine, but it is simply amazing that when you add sugar, butter, and flour to them, you get a whole new creation, much better than just eggs alone.
My ladies are gone. Though two are still in the general area, everyone has been super busy this summer and we haven't got together since the end of June. I miss those Wednesdays. I miss those mornings when everything else took second place to our time together. I miss learning, laughing and just being together. I also miss the breakfast treats, literally. We used to eat some type of homemade muffin, cake, or pastry goodness every Wednesday morning and that sweetness satisfied me for a week. Now, I find myself drooling over breakfast and brunch recipes wishing I had my ladies back to cook for and to cook for me. Every time I have considered making baked french toast, muffins, cinnamon rolls, monkey bread or pulling out a new recipe, I stop - roll my eyes at the thought of how unimpressed my kids would be and decide against it. My kids like cereal and box mix muffins, they have no appreciation for over-night french toast with blueberries and creme cheese, or cinnamon chip scones. They also don't have sweet words of wisdom and encouragement, prayerful hearts, and friendship like my ladies.
I think a brunch is long overdue!

Code of Conduct

2011-08-06T03:38:00.000+02:00

Eli leaves today for his CEF camp in Switzerland. I'm so excited for him to have this opportunity to be "on his own" but a little nervous for him as well. The big things are no big deal, like being away from us for a week. It is the little things I nervous about like him deciding if he should wear pants or shorts that day, bringing all the things he needs with him to the shower, and knowing that he should eat whatever they give him or he'll starve. I'm praying that he has an absolutely wonderful time and that it is an opportunity for him to grow in maturity, in his understanding of Christ, and in his relationship with his buddies. One whole week seems like a long time now.
Along with his packing list and all those release forms, he was given a "Code of Conduct" page to read and sign. It was so well done! There were six scripture references followed by a statement pertaining to the scripture. For example:
Hebrews 13:17 "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you."
"I will obey the directions of the camp counselors and chaperones and submit to their authority with regard to my conduct on the bus, at camp, and on field trips" and a place for their signature.
Others included Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without grumbling or complaining...", Hebrews 10:24 "Consider how to stir up one another to love and good works" and Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of my mouth but only such as is good for building up...". Eli and I sat down and looked up each reference, talked about how this applied to him, and then he signed each line with conviction.
I think a code of conduct for our family is in order. I"m challenged to pick out the standards that are required in our home, find the verse that offers instruction on it, and write it up for the kids to sign. It is a great way to tie behavior to the commands that God has given us and a great way to show that the Bible is truly applicable to our daily lives.
Eli has his passport, snacks, reading materials, toiletries, clothes, and everything else he'll need tucked away in his suitcase all that is left now is for us to send him out.

Missing: Decorum

2011-08-05T11:01:00.001+02:00

RyanAir is a venue for social experimentation. Things happen in conjunction with RyanAir flights that just really shouldn't happen. I think it is quite interesting to see what lengths people with go to.
Luggage: in order to avoid paying ridiculous luggage fees you can have one carry-on for free that is 10kg or less and contained in a bag measuring 55cmx40cmx20 or less. This is not one carry on and one personal item such as a purse or laptop, this is ONE bag. They were so serious about this requirement when we were leaving Crete that the agent actually told me that my book (small paperback book which I was reading while standing in line) had to be put in my bag. Containing all these items in my bag isn't usually a problem, it is staying under the weight requirement. So what do I do? I carefully think through every single item in my bag. I usually wear jeans twice and, I know this one is unthinkable, I only wear one pair of shoes for the whole trip. Take a minute if you need it......
Those are just smart packing things, but here is where I get weird. I always bring a jacket - regardless of the temperature - and I wear pants with pockets for the flights. Why? To utilize my pockets to help disperse the weight! It is truly amazing how much junk you can fit in pockets! I put my cell, ipod, small wallet, and camera in the pockets of my pants and jacket, and carry my jacket or wear it if the agents get cranky. In order to have a purse on the other end, I use my purse as my cosmetic bag in the suitcase and then dump it out at the hotel, take all the junk from my pockets, and load it back up. I upload a phrasebook on my iphone, instead of carrying a book, and have been known to tear out the pages from a guidebook that apply to my trip or photocopy them at home and just bring the ones I need. When we left Scotland last year, we bought some souvenirs that kicked up the weight on our luggage. In order to bring it back down Matt actually boarded the plane wearing a hoodie, jacket, scarf and sweater - it was May. And on our trip to Croatia we were pretty close on weight so Matt claimed he was going to wear his beach towel as a scarf if things got tight. The things you do to avoid paying for luggage.
Lines: There are no assigned seats on RyanAir, but it isn't like Southwest where you get a boarding number, and it isn't America where people generally stay in a line -Europeans could care less about the queue. On RyanAir the first to push their way onto the plane are the first to get seats. It is truly amazing how much junk you can fit in pockets! A few years ago my sister and I were waiting for a flight out of Rome and noticed three or four guys were circling the boarding area, like sharks waiting to attack a surfer. You could tell they wanted to be mobile but didn't want to get in line yet. We watched for about 30 minutes joking about how everyone wanted to get in line but nobody was going to make the first move and then decided to freak everyone out by putting on our backpacks on and standing up. Sure enough all the shark circling people jumped in line and about 100 other people followed. They all stood in a semblance of a line for over an hour just to be in the line.
The kicker abut the line, is that when it actually comes to boarding, nobody cares about the line and they just filter through the gate pushing and shoving like people at Walmart on Black Friday. On this trip back from Crete I actually saw numerous older people, to include grandmas, businessmen and mothers with babies's on their hips hurl themselves over the chairs in the airport waiting area in order to cut in line. Shameful. It wasn't sly pushing or "merging" it was blatant jumping over chairs and jumping in front of people.
Boarding: Once you break free from the big push to get through the doors there is a moment of freedom. You walk out to the airplane by way of a marked path, or shall I say fully sprint to the plane. People run with their luggage bouncing behind them, kids are dragged by their arms, people are shouting, and seriously bolting in order to get to the line at either entrance to the plane.
I refuse to take part in this crazy business. As long as we can find seats for each of the kids to be with an adult, I don't really care where we sit. Matt and I were one of the last people to get on the plane in Crete and I found it downright funny that even though all the crazy people were jumping over seats and pushing, Matt and I ended up sitting together with an empty seat between us, right near the rear exit of the plane.
Disembarking: nobody cares if your bag is two compartments ahead of your seat, they have no desire to let you get your bag in order to get off the plane. So, if your bag is not conveniently located right above you, people sometimes get out of their seats while still taxiing with hopes to align themselves up with their bag so they can get off the plane. My bag was one compartment behind me, which means swimming upstream between unsympathetic passengers in order to snatch it. I didn't have it in me, so I grabbed Matt's bag and sent him on the mission to get mine. As it turns out, he may or may not have elbow checked a lady in order to get it. But that is hearsay, not admissible in a court of law.
People's behavior absolutely shocks me every time we fly RyanAir. We all have tickets, we are all getting on the plane. You may have to sit next to a kicking child or a lady that refused to get up so that we can use the bathroom, but we were on the plane, we went to Crete all was right in the world. The fools people make of themselves to accomplish this simple task of flying is quite embarrassing.

Letting Go

2011-08-04T22:28:00.004+02:00

I'm not a very focused reader, so when it comes to choosing reading material for the airport, airplane or other public places I tend to grab a magazine that doesn't require all of my attention to get the point. For this trip I chose PEOPLE and Women's Day. I couldn't tell you anything about PEOPLE, I read it on the way down to Crete and it did its job at helping me pass the time. On the way home I read Women's Day. It contained hundreds of words that I can't recall and pictures of products I'll never buy - it was a thoughtless page turner, until I reached the article entitled "The end of the road". Hoping it was a short story, I dove right in. I was wrong, the entire article was a self-help piece devoted to helping women end relationships.
In the first few paragraphs of the article the author explains that letting go of relationships that have soured means you must "put your needs before someone else's" and if you can accomplish this feat, then "you'll be free of the burden and stress" of "giving more than you receive".
My heart broke. I'm saddened that the author of this article, and the many Ph.D's quoted in it, believe this philosophy and that they are advising women to subscribe to it as well.
What if everyone put their own needs first and refused to give without getting something equal or greater in return?
I'm so thankful that I'm married to a man who loves me even though sometimes he gives far more than he gets in return, and I'm so blessed that, while he doesn't completely ignore his own desires, he considers me and the kids before he acts. I'm also glad that most of my family and friends don't comply with the author's advise either! How sad and lonely and pathetic my life would be if I only got what I deserved.
My Savior was willing to give far more than I could ever give in return, his grace is extended to me more times than can be counted, and my need for salvation was worth giving up his own life. I pray that the author of this article will open her eyes and see that really living isn't about getting but about giving. I pray that she finds joy in the beauty of someone loving you - including all your faults. I pray that she will see that God's grace is extended to her so that she can in turn extend it to others.
So much for mindless reading.

"Uh............"

2011-07-29T10:53:00.000+02:00

Yesterday during my victorious visit to the Legal office I was asked a list of fairly easy questions:
Name: no problem I nailed this one.
Social: check
Children's Names: on it
Children's Date of Birth: easy peasy
Guardian: Blam
Address of yourself and guardian: kachow
State of legal residency: uh.............

I was speechless. Matt is still a resident of California. However, I have always become a resident of the state we were living in with the exception of Alabama and Tennessee - I have standards.
I haven't lived in California in forever, and since I'm not the one in the military the military clause doesn't exactly apply to me. I'm not a resident of Virginia anymore either because, although the great Commonwealth of Virginia holds a piece of my heart, they don't seem to want to claim me as a resident.
I'm an alien.
Since Virginia was so kind to grant me a waiver authorizing me to carry a Virginia license although I don't reside there, I decided I would go with Virginia.
After a long pause and quizzical look on my face, I replied "Virginia".
But, my answer sounded more like a question and the clerk looked at me suspiciously.
"Yep final answer, Virginia" based on the license thing and the fact that I'm deathly afraid of claiming California residency for the California State Tax Franchise Board will start knocking on my door requesting a whole bunch of money.
I need to get a clearer understanding of this residency thing before elections!

Being of sound mind and pressed for time....

2011-07-27T23:25:00.004+02:00

I, Clarissa, currently of Mannheim but realistically from all over the US except Alabama - that was just a pit stop and I'm not claiming it - do hereby whilst still being of sound mind submit the following as a last Will and Testament:
The kids, bills, dirty house, piles of boxes, cars, any back taxes or future lottery winnings and anything else that may be attached to our name will go to Katina and Tom unless they find some way to prove they can't possibly take on my rascals in which case Tom and Mika get it all.
Whew. I hope this holds up in court.
Neither Matt nor I have an actual Will. I can't believe we have had kids for almost 9 years and didn't bother to do a Will. I know, I know, we need to do that. It isn't that we think we are invincible, its just that we are lazy and don't want to take the time to sit in the legal office for who knows how long waiting to get some paperwork printed off and notarized.
It is now officially on my to-do list....just after registering the van and filling out that 40 page application (which I have had for 1 year) to be a substitute teacher.
While I haven't made any real steps toward a legit will, I did obtain a temporary guardianship power of attorney for Mika today. I was entirely too excited about this accomplishment. Basically, the sheet of paper gives Mika the authority to care for the kids in my absence. I needed this little gem because Matt and I are off to Crete on Sunday and if the boys get a tummy ache or need to sign up for the next session of swim lessons, Mika needs some form of paperwork to do so. What is super cool about my guardianship POA is that is also authorizes Mika to travel with my kids "from Germany to California". I told her she was welcome to take them on a trip any time. Just swing by and get the passports, don't forget the POA and they can be on their way!
It is a little step, but I feel great about remembering to do it, doing it, and giving it to her. It is the small things that can really turn your day around.

mi-phone

2011-07-27T22:53:00.002+02:00

My iphone is old. It is a first generation original and it is on its very last morsel of life. I'm the third owner of this phone and it is in remarkably great condition considering I have used it for two years. I destroy cameras every other year and typically have a bad track record with phones as well.
I don't know what happened to it. I didn't drop it (recently) and it has never been submerged in coffee. I didn't leave it in the window of my car on a 100 degree day and Matt most definitely did not run it over with the van. I would like to say that those are entirely made up ways that a phone of mine has died, but in fact I did have a phone die by each of those methods. So, this phone is actually on its way to the electronic junk yard due to natural causes, aka being old.
My phone doesn't recognize my fingers about half the time, which makes the possibility of me answering my phone about slim to none. It also has this super irritating pop up that says "this accessory is not made to work with the iphone" however there is no accessorily plugged into it. The message itself isn't so irritating. It is thoughtful actually, in that it offers me the option of turning my phone on to "airplane mode to reduce audio interference". What is irritating is that it pops up all the time. I can't text, check messages, check my calendar or even get to my contacts without the popup. Everything takes me at least four times longer than it should because I have to continue to disregard the accessory bubble every 5 seconds. And lastly, the phone randomly decides to think it isn't charged even though it is. I charged it for 2 hours and pulled it off the charger and it reported that I had 2% battery life left. Huh? The phone freezes, then I have to shut the little guy down, wait for the white Apple screen to disappear, restart and like magic the battery is back at 99%.
Why do I still have this phone you ask? Because it is unlocked. This means I can slip a sim card from any country into it and just like that I am operating on the local telephone network. Awesome. When I go back to the States I stop by the first t-mobile kiosk I see, buy a new phone number with $10 worth of talk time and off I go. When I am home in Germany, I have a German sim card and number and I can just keep adding minutes as needed. Perfect. It doesn't have internet capabilities unless I can grab someone's wifi, which I usually can when we travel.
So, I deal with the popups, moody touch screen, and temperamental battery life until I decide to take the plunge and pay a million dollars a month for an iphone with a service plan.
Maybe when it rings its last ring and plays its last song I can donate it to Apple for their museum of dinosauric electronic devices. I'm just sure this is one of the last first generation iphones in use!

Numbers

2011-07-25T08:15:00.000+02:00

The number of soldiers/sailors/airmen/marines killed in action in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn: 6,103
The number of soldiers/sailors/airmen/marines wounded in action in both operations combined: 44,596.
Number of military men and women currently deployed to one of these conflicts: over 140,000.
Service members deployed to one of these regions since 2001: Over 1 million.

One Wish

2011-07-24T13:02:00.002+02:00

God came to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for the one thing he desired from God. Solomon's response was pleasing to God. He said "Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil." Of all the things Solomon could have asked for, wealth, power, glory, long life or love, he asked for wisdom. Perhaps the fact that he asked for wisdom proves that he was indeed already wise.
In so many ways, like Solomon, we are just children in this world and what we need more than financial blessings, power, glory or earthly love is an understanding heart and discernment.
I pray this gift of wisdom for myself and for my family. I pray that I will have wisdom as I continue to raise my boys, instilling in them a set of moral values and Biblical beliefs, in the choices I make daily, and in the big decisions that Matt and I make for our family.

Catching Up

2011-07-19T23:22:00.002+02:00

Wait, have I already used that title?
School got out on June 16th and we were on the road to Austria. We teamed up with the Mlacks for this journey and drove 4 hours to Salzburg for our first stop on the 1600km adventure. We spent the night and the next day in Salzburg and then continued on to Vienna. Both of the cities were just places to roam about with not too many "must-see's". We did spend some time in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna and caught a hour of the opera "The Magic Flute" at the Vienna opera house. Vienna is quite possibly the prettiest, cleanest city I have visited. I didn't love it, and don't feel the need to go back, but it was really quite nice.
Upon our return from Austria we had a busy week with local activities, the RitterSport Chocolate Factory visit, a trip to the pool with friends, and Matt and I and our friends Marty and Angela enjoyed a lovely evening with Sir Elton John. He was in concert right here in Mannheim and we couldn't resist. I must say, it was a great show. He is old but he can still jam!
The following week the boys started summer school. Every time I say "summer school" I get corrected with "summer enrichment". I'm not sure what the difference is, but basically the boys went to class for 3 hours each day to learn a little and mainly just keep busy.
The first days of July were filled with mixed emotions. I had to say goodbye my good friend Darlene and my "up and coming" friend Rebecca. Darlene was the first friend I had here in Germany and is definitely a dear one. She is one of the ladies whom I met with each week for bible study. She lived right around the corner from me and we saw each other and chatted almost every single day of the last 2 years. Rebecca and I just recently became friends but she is a special lady and I wish we had more time together. To make the sad goodbye even worse, these two ladies each had a son Eli's age. Eli had to say goodbye to his two very best friends in the history of all time and say farewell to a special circumstance. We live in a compound of 100 houses. It is gated, and the only way in is past two sets of guards. The boys were safe. And because of this compound lifestyle, they were free to play for hours between all three of the houses. During the last few months the other boys' toys were packed and shipped so our house became very popular. I must say, even though it got crazy in here with all the boys running around, they are the most respectful, wonderful boys and I am also going to miss them.
Hours after saying goodbye to our friends, our family jumped on a flight to Croatia. Yeah a country not using the Euro! We stayed in Pula and took a day trip to Rovinj. We spent half of our days in the city roaming around and the rest of the day enjoying the cool waters of the Adriatic. I loved Rovinj and have placed it way up there on my favorite places list!
July has flown by. We got back on the 5th, had a pool day a day later, and had a fancy schmancy ball on the 9th. It was fun to get all fancy and go dancing. I finally realized that I just don't really have fancy in me. You can put me in a fancy dress and shoes and even do my nails but the up-do and glam make-up just looks odd on me so I just look like plain old me in a fancy dress. That being said, we had a good time.
The boys started playing summer baseball this month as well. It is German baseball. If that sounds weird, it should. Germans don't really play baseball so this is a fun opportunity for Eli and Gabe to play. The coach is the American coach that has worked with Eli the last two seasons of little league. He speaks impeccable German, so he decided to teach German kids how to play and use the American kids to help show them how it is done. Not a lot of games going on but good practice and a good opportunity.
Matt left of Italy last week doing some thing official, however, he did go to Venice on a completely unofficial trip. I guess it is the perk of being forced to hang out in Italy for a week. You work a lot and get to sight-see a little. Not to bad if you ask me.
Since this installation is closing down, our resources here are diminishing and the "friend" population is as well. Mika and I decided to sign the kids up for swim lessons...in Ramstein which is an hour away. The lessons are two days a week for just 4 weeks, so we make a day of it and head up the hill. Their first lessons were today, and I was pleased with the organization and teaching. Only 7 more trips to go.
The kids finish summer enrichment this week and then comes that long stretch of summer where we don't have much planned. Matt and I are going to Crete the first few days of August, without the kids! We are excited for a kid-free venture. Eli also has a great opportunity coming up in August. He will be attending a Christian Evangelism Fellowship camp in Switzerland. I can't believe we are sending him off, alone, to the Swiss Alps for a week. OK, so he isn't alone, but it will be his first time ever going somewhere without a member of at least his extended family. I'm praying that it is a great time for him.
That's it. Nothing fancy, nothing funny, not even anything thought provoking. Do I dare say that I'll try and blog again soon? I don't know. We'll see.

Afternoon Snacks

2011-06-12T18:51:00.003+02:00

Eli regularly rolls with his two buddies John and Jere. Everyday after school and after homework the boys mount up on their bikes and take to the streets...First, Second and Third...to engage in games of cops and robbers, tag, hide-n-seek and a variety of other made-up games. They play on the trampoline, at the park, in the sprinkler, with water guns and occasionally in one of their homes. They are generally respectful, fun, sweaty and stinky boys...who are always hungry and thirsty.
The moms of these kiddos typically feed all the boys when they come calling. Sometimes I make them drink water and eat cheese sticks, other times they get Root Beer and candy....it depends on my mood.
So today the door bell rang and John and his dad were standing on my front step. John's dad explained that John was here to return some money. At first I was horrified at the idea that this sweet child could steal money from us, but the shock was relieved whe he explained that it was money Eli willingly gave to John in exchange for an afternoon snack!
It took everything I had in me not to laugh out loud. I guess when Eli was playing over at John's house this afternoon he had a hankering for a snack. John, a gracious host, offered Eli an ice cream sandwich... for a dollar. After dinner this evening John confessed to the family that he was selling snacks out of their freezer and the long walk of shame to our house followed.
Eli and his buddies crack me up. They fight and make up, they can't wait to play with each other then can't decide what to play, they sell books and snacks to each other, and they have no idea how much they are going to miss each other when they all go their separate ways in a few weeks.

From the Panda's Mouth

2011-06-08T08:25:00.001+02:00

I took the boys to see Kung Fu Panda 2 the other day. Boys, Kung Fu, popcorn....a big hit.
I'm not a big fan of kids movies, so I usually walk away from the latest Disney flic with sticky feet from the grossly dirty floor, a stomach ache from consuming too much popcorn and the desire for a nap. However, not too far into this movie I got a little life lesson.
Panda is chatting with two Kung Fu masters who are in prison. Panda breaks down the prison bars in an attempt to rescue the guys, but they guys keep going back into their cell. As it turns out they had the skills to break out of prison and fight off the evil peacock but they decided not to use them. They were too afraid of what would happen if they stirred the pot a little. It seamed easier to let the peacock continue to wage war on the people than to try and stop him.
So, Panda says to the guys "Fine, you stay in your prison of fear with these bars of hopelessness; and enjoy your three square meals a day of shame and have despair for dessert."
Prison of fear and bars of hopelessness. Ooooh that's a good one.
Panda makes a good point. Sometimes it is easier to stay in our own fear than to step out, take a risk, and do something big. We allow circumstances to create doubt and cloud our vision of hope. And in doing this, we should be filled with shame. That while we have been set free, we choose to stay where things are safe. Living in fear of what would happen if you step out is easier than risking a little something.
Isaiah 61 professes that God sent His son to "bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."
God has broken the chains, opened the prison gates now all we have to do is step out.

Questions for God

2011-06-07T13:33:00.004+02:00

1. Equipping little boys with their own personal 'water' gun. Where is the logic in that? If you turn on a hose and don't hang on to it water sprays everywhere. Is this the kind of power a child should have?
2. Poop. Is this really the best way?
3. Salt water. Why can't all water be "fresh" then the world would have plenty of drinking water? What benefit does salt water have for us?
4. Do you ever wish you could reach down an give me a hug? Not like a spiritual warm wind kind of hug but an actual embrace? Because sometimes I really wish you could give me a hug.
5. How is it that you never give up on me?

Tambourine to Tears

2011-06-05T13:16:00.006+02:00

Matt and I have really relaxed standards when it comes to finding a church to settle into. We have been to Four Square, Assembly of God, Baptist, Church of God, Non-denominational, Calvary Chapel, Vineyard, Gospel, and German evangelical. We've been to churches where people dance and shout with streamers, we've been to churches that have a full band, those that have taped background music, organs, choirs, choirs that do the back up "amens" during the sermon, and German translated. As long as they are preaching and teaching the Bible, we can look beyond a lot of the things that are different about each church but there is one thing we just cannot get past and that is tambourines.
Today at the chapel someone smuggled in a tambourine and used it during at least one worship song. I was contemplating leaving, really. I feel that strongly about the tambourine. As far as I am concerned the tambourine and the triangle only have a place in a Kindergarten music room.
I resisted the urge to leave due to the chaos caused by the clanging cymbals and was rewarded greatly by the message from a guest speaker. It was not a biblical teaching per se, but a woman's testimony of God's providence and words of encouragement for American service members.
Hansi Hirschmann was a 12 year old girl living in poverty in Czechoslovakia when Nazi Germans brought food, hope and work to her community in 1938. Hansi was sent to a German leadership camp where she bought into Nazi ideals and became fully committed to Hitler and his ideology. When the war was over, Germany lost, and Hitler died, Hansi was angry and frustrated that her god, Hitler, had failed. For her roles as a Nazi in the war, Hansi was sentenced to a communist labor camp under Russian leadership. One day, she had enough and decided to make a run for it. She escaped the camp and then made her way into the American sector of German. She and a friend who escaped with her travelled through fields until they came upon what they thought was a German farmhouse. Desperate for help, she banged on the door and none other than American soldiers were on the other side. Her enemy. She was taught to hate the allies and here she found herself at their mercy. She was helped by those soldiers and her path changed trajectory. In that moment, she realized that if the things Hitler said about Americans was not true there was a possibility that he lied about other things too. Today, as a Christian and American citizen she believes that God allowed her to live through her escape and live to be 84 years old so that she can be an "eye witness to a time that you only read about in history".
As I sat listening to Hansi's story, I felt tears rolling down my cheeks. Her gratitude for her freedom and American military members who are defenders of freedom was overwhelming. She served as a reminder to me, and I'm sure many others, that the fighting is not in vain. Lives are changed by the sacrifices that soldiers are making in order to bring at least some freedoms to others around the world.
When Hansi came to America and for the first time was living a life of freedom, she struggled to understand what freedom meant. She would ask neighbors about this thing called freedom and "they got it, used it, and took it for granted, but they could not explain it". When you don't really know tyranny, it is harder to appreciate freedom but Hansi knew tyranny and now, by God's grace she knows freedom.
Hansi's story is an amazing account of how God can turn a devout Nazi into a passionate follower of Christ, an angry, confused young woman into an compassionate minister of the Gospel, and how He paid the ransom for all sinners so that each of us can be truly free.

Running to First.

2011-06-02T05:46:00.000+02:00

Eli is in coach-pitch baseball this year.
It is so fun to watch him and his team as they learn the mechanics of the game. They are starting to actually make plays that get someone out instead of just playing in the dirt while the other team is at bat. At 8 and 9 years old, the kids are trying harder to play the whole game instead of just focusing on hitting the ball or who brought the post-game snack. When the kids were in t-ball and first years of coach-pitch nobody really had to worry about getting out. If you were lucky enough to hit the ball, nobody was skilled enough to actually catch it or do anything with it once they got it in their glove. Now, the game has changed. Catching, throwing, and running are just as important as hitting. Watching Eli's baseball games is getting more and more exciting!
I sat near first base yesterday at Eli's game the other day which provided the perfect opportunity to hear the first base coach. He repeated the same few phrases over and over:
"run as fast as you can"
"run run run"
"run it out, don't stop"
He often took a minute to chat with the kids once they safely made it to the bag. He praised them for running and explained some tidbits about first base. He talked about how you can over-run first base - so stopping never needs to enter their mind. He also told them to run their hardest and never to give up, even if it looks like they are going to be out.

In baseball, once you hit the ball, your only job is to run to first. Everyone is yelling at you to run. You don't have to think about anything else but running as if your life depended on it. You don't need to worry about how you will get from third base to home or if the next person at bat will hit it far enough for you to make it to second. You just have to run to first base. Once you get there, you can plot your path to second, but you have to get on the bag at first.

First base lessons are so applicable to life.
Run even when it looks like you won't make it.
Run like a rabid dog is chasing you.
Run with no plans of stopping.
Just run.
So often we are faced with challenges in life that are too overwhelming to view in its entirety. But if we focus on just running to first base, with everything we have inside of us, then we can wait there for a moment, collect ourselves and one by one eventually make it safely home.

Missing Blogger Found in Western Germany

2011-06-01T16:25:00.002+02:00

If my waitress takes more than 20 minutes to bring my menu or take my drink order, I leave.
If my doctor keeps me waiting 45 minutes past my appointment time, I leave.
If I have been on hold with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles for more than 40 songs, I hang up.
If a blogger has not updated their blog in more than a few weeks, I stop checking back.
If you have been waiting ever so patiently for me to fill your mind with my useless chatter, please accept my apologies and a free drink and appetizer next time you visit!

May:
Free weekend in Garmisch, Germany for a company sponsored marriage retreat. Free food, free lodging, free childcare and an entertaining 4 hours of workshops (split in two sessions) using the "Active Military Life and Resiliency Skills" curriculum. I'm surprised the Army doesn't use an acronym for that - AMLRS. Matt and I dropped the kids off at the childcare room on Friday night, went to our workshop for a few hours, picked the kids up and then had all day Saturday to jaunt around Garmisch. We walked around a gorge, ate, I napped while the boys swam, and then the kids went to childcare that night while Matt and I enjoyed a quiet dinner without them and attempted a romantic walk around the Eibsee lake. It was raining, thunder, lightening. We got wet. We laughed and made the best of it, and a duck tried to bite my foot. We also hung out a little with some people from Matt's battalion that we don't usually see, and had a great time.
Beach Weekend in Alicante, Spain. Oh Alicante. The city itself was nothing too special and not really worth spending a ton of time there, however, Gran Alacant was a little suburb that we stayed in and it had the most beautiful beach. Our apartment was on a hill over looking the beach which was great for the view but returning up the hill from the beach was a little taxing. We didn't do anything other than sleep in, eat, and enjoy the beach. That was enough. It was a really great family beach trip. The last time my family was at the beach? Nearly TWO years ago before we moved to Germany. Too long.

And now it is June. Time is flying by so fast I can barely catch my breath. The boys have two more weeks of school, followed by one week off and then four weeks of summer school. Summer school is from 9-12 each day, mainly just something for the kids to do. This coming weekend Matt will embark on his first big cycling venture. He is taking part in the Liberty Trail Ride, a course set to commemorate the Battle of Bastogne. He will spend three days riding around the Bastogne area with about 300 other riders. I'm really excited for him to do this ride and pray that he does well and is encouraged to keep on peddling! Later this month we'll head to Salzburg and Vienna, Austria with the Mlacks for a 4 day getaway and get our groove on with Elton John at his concert here in Mannheim.

That's what's up. Hopefully, I can keep up!

2011-05-04T19:32:00.004+02:00

Wednesday is the day three of my friends gather at one of our homes to drink coffee, eat some delicious (usually homemade) breakfasty yumminess, and participate in a bible study. We have done a few different bible studies using a DVD and study guide, we freelanced through the minor prophets, dabbled a little in Revelation, and recently started reading a book by Timothy Keller called King's Cross. Keller also wrote Reason for God and some other best sellers that I have heard are wonderful.
We decided on King's Cross because it is a look at Jesus' life based on the book of Mark. In the book, Keller leads the reader through detailed explanation of the gospel of Mark. We are on chapter 4 and while that is too early to throw out a review, it is so great so far that I must share. Keller is a great writer and his insight coupled with his literary skills make for a very enjoyable and enlightening read. If you are looking for a new book, check this one out.
Today Gabriel got in trouble at school. Tuesday Gabriel got in trouble at school but that isn't the point. Yesterday Gabriel apparently climbed across a table, touched a friend's snack, and refused to do his schoolwork. You could blame his parents, but at this point I would like to blame it on the fact that he hasn't been in school for over a week and seemed to forget how to act there. Or maybe just blame his parents. So, today when I picked him up I gave him the look that asks "how was today?" and he gave me the look that said "not good mom". When I asked him what happened he said "I was messing around in line." I sighed a great huff of disappointment and then he continued "but mom, I didn't climb on the table".
Small victories? The teacher told me he keeps making a scrunched up mad face at her sometimes accompanied by a grunt. Unfortunately, after she told me all the things he did wrong today the only thing that came to my mind was "well, at least he didn't climb on the table". Thankfully, I had a little self-edit going on and I didn't actually say those words.
Today is also the day that I don't go to the gym. And that makes today wonderful.

GABRIEL HERNANDEZ!

2011-05-03T18:10:00.002+02:00

When my mom was not particularly fond of my actions or when she really wanted to get my attention she would holler at me "Clarissa Dawn!". It's a mother's way of saying "I really mean business." Both of my boys, and my husband, have been on the receiving end of me using their first and middle names. First and middle name usage is serious, first, middle and last name....serious trouble. Avoid that at all costs.
As it turns out we live right next door to a Gabriel. This is slightly problematic when I'm trying to call my Gabriel in. Both Gabriels stop and look and sometimes say "me?" So as to prevent confusion, and not lose power of the first name, middle name mother-call, my neighbor and I both call our kids by their first and last name".
It sounds funny. I just heard my neighbor call her son and chuckled. It isn't laugh out loud on the floor funny, but it is just a little funny that I call my son by his first and last name. Like I'm the nurse at the Doctor's office calling the next patient, or handing out an award at school. It sounds very official.
"Gabriel Hernandez can you please pick up the hose and bring it in?"
It is odd. Admit it. If you don't believe me try this: next time you call your child in from playing outside or ask her/him if he/she wants mustard with his/her hotdog use the first and last name.
"Gabriel Hernandez would you like fries with your burger?"

Consequences

2011-04-30T20:34:00.008+02:00

This word has a negative connotation in our house. I never catch the boys doing something really great and say "you made such a great choice. Praise and adoration is your consequence." Sure I reward them with praise or hugs and kisses or perhaps a treat but I never call it a "consequence". I save that word for the bad things. Bad things like the choices my boys made recently. Choices that are quite frankly dumb-dumb choices and require harsh consequences.
A few weeks ago Gabe was a little irresponsible and is paying the price for it. He loaded his wallet full of his hard earned money ($20 and change) and decided to bring it to Garmisch. Despite my repetitive warnings about not bringing it to places like the pool, the gas station bathroom, or to dinner, somewhere along the line he lost his wallet. $20 is a big deal for him. He doesn't get an allowance yet and this money was earned from watering plants for Mika and taking care of a neighbor's cat while they were gone. After contacting the hotel and thoroughly looking through all the bags we brought on the trip, I broke the news to him that he was out of luck. My poor baby lost his 20 bucks. I really wanted to just give it to him, but refrained.

Monday. Day 1 of pox quarantine. Gabe goes crazy and does this:
He cut a hole in my couch cover. These are my cheap IKEA couches that have covers that are purchased separately. The concept is great for changing the look of your living room by simply purchasing a new €100 cover. Today brown, next year black, gray, striped, red...so many choices. This concept is also good for messy people. The entire cover can be taken off and put in the washing machine like when my brother-in-law ate a chocolate covered schneeball on it or when Mika's cat peed on it while flying through the air to attack me. And when it gets really grimy or when people accidentally paint it because they were too lazy to cover it when painting their wall brown, you buy a new one. Which I just did a few weeks ago.
Tuesday night I discovered that my youngest and most devious spawn decided to cut a color swatch out of the back of it.
So, he needs a consequence. A negative one. We decided that he had to pay for a new one, but since he lost his money (see above) and he doesn't currently get an allowance it is going to be tricky. So, I'm keeping track of all the things that I would normally buy him (things that Eli does get) such as gelato from our neighborhood truck and other culinary treats when we are out and about or small toys from the store. He has to deal with the disappointment of not getting the item in order to accumulate $100 (I'm offering a one to one exchange which is ridiculously good) worth of things he can't get because he owes me. $100, is so many Gelatos. I'm tempted to fudge on the tally or just clear the debt especially since he just lost his $20 which would have been a great installment toward his debt....but I won't, I'll carry this one out.

The other one. The elder, wiser, and yet still immature in his ways, Eli, had his own moment of willful disobedience. Somewhere along the line he became interested in selling his stuff to make some cash. The problem is that a lot of his stuff is either currently shared with Gabe or will be passed on to Gabe in the future. If Eli didn't buy it with his own money to begin with then I'm not really keen on him selling it. Recently a friend came over and asked to buy Eli's set of Diary of a Whimpy Kid books. These books were so generously given to him by my sister. He loves these books. He has read them each at least two or three times and they tend to be the book of choice when we go on a vacation and his personal entertainment items are limited. However, even though he loves them he was really interested in the cash and asked me if he could sell them to his buddy. I said "no". Not only do I think it is a bad idea because he still really likes them but it is a bad idea because Gabe is starting to read and will eventually want to read them as well. The deal was off.
Until today, I came home from perusing the neighborhood garage sale to find that Eli has sold FOUR of his five Whimpy Kid books. I was furious. Not only was I upset that he sold them, I was so mad that he sold them each for $1. ONE DOLLAR! Hardback books that are in great condition and a current fad with 8 year old boys and he sold them for $1. He sold things that he still uses and had the horrible business sense to sell hours of entertainment for a mere $4.
The consequence: replace the books. I found a four book set from Amazon for $32. During a conversation about the book deal, he admitted to knowing that he was not supposed to sell the books and that he tried to hide the fact that he sold them. Silly boy didn't take into account that his BFF's mom is one of my BFFs. So, the most logical consequence I could come up with was for him to replace the books. He walked toward me slowly, cautiously, with tears in his big brown eyes and handed me $32 exactly. That leaves him with only $8 toward some $50 lego thing he was saving for. I didn't want to take his money, I really didn't, but I need to teach him that hawking the family goods is simply not acceptable especially when he has been specifically instructed not to.

My consequence of handing out these consequences to the boys: a little heart break. I don't want them to have these consequences. I would rather just carry the burden. It was €100, $20, and free books that can be replaced for $32. I want to just erase these bad choices, and chalk it up to kids being kids. But I also want them to learn how to do what they know is right when the consequence is rather minor so that they won't do something really crazy like burn the couch or sell dad's guitar.

Follow Up

2011-04-29T15:10:00.003+02:00

This past Monday I was at the doctor's office with Gabe. I came prepared. I had my coffee in hand and phone charged for a little gaming entertainment while I waited for the doctor.
Two days ago I was attempting to get a to-go cup of Joe for Matt when alas I couldn't find a to-go cup. Naturally, I blamed Matt for losing it. Fast forward to Thursday, I was at the clinic (for a visit completely unrelated to Gabe and his potential pox) when I noticed something familiar in the vitals room. My to-go mug! I was never actually in this room with Gabe, but this room is just next door to the room he was in and that is the exact same style of stainless steel to-go mug that I was sipping from on Monday. What to do? Snatch it and if questioned tell them "its mine and I want it back". Ask "perchance is this the mug I left here on Monday?" What if they say it is theirs? Do I arm wrestle for it? What is the protocol for retrieving something that may or may not be yours? I left it there on the sink in the vitals room. I returned home an apologized to Matt for accusing him of losing the mug and have since stewed over why I didn't just ask about it.
At Gabe's visit Monday, when I - not Matt - lost the mug, he was tested for chicken pox. That was Monday. He was put on quarantine until the results of the test could confirm or deny chicken pox. Today is Friday....still no results.
What is the point of doing lab work on something that will run its cycle and be gone long before the lab results come back? Like getting a pregnancy test that doesn't come back with results for 9 months. It seems to me that lab work on something like Chicken Pox should be returned within 24 hours. If it is chicken pox - alert the media - if not, then the poor quarantined child can be set free. But that is just what seems logical to me so obviously that isn't how things are done.

The Pox

2011-04-26T09:43:00.001+02:00

I have social conscious. I vaccinated my kids to prevent them from contracting and spreading harmful childhood diseases and illnesses and yet one apparently has Chicken Pox. I want my money back!!
Gabe breaks out in a horrible rash which we thought was hives at first, then figured it must be horrible flea or chigger bites, and finally decided it was whoa-something-is-really-wrong-here-we-better-take-him-to-the-doctor rash.
The doctor came in to the room cool, calm and collected and left in a little panic. He returned with another doctor for a second opinion, and then with a few masks and gloves, then with a medic to take samples of the little dot ooze, and finally a community health nurse tasked with logging our every move for the past 5 days to determine who may be at risk of contracting the virus.
Apparently, Chicken Pox is mostly eradicated due to the varicella vaccine so this shiny new case on the books sent a quiet doctor's office into a scene from that Dustin Hoffman movie where the monkey gave everyone some crazy new virus and they were trying to determine if they should blow up the town or look for a vaccine.
Once the swabs of Gabe's ooze were collected they were quickly inserted into a tube and then into a cooler marked "biohazard" and rushed off to the lab for further review. I actually heard the medic say "this is a time sensitive matter- I need to move quickly". As my little masked Gabe covered in oozy sores made his way out of the clinic people were so kind to move away from us, quickly, almost running, while covering their mouths and dousing themselves in Purell.
Poor Gabe just may be the subject of a post-wide alert of a varicella breakout.
The shame.
The itching.
The boredom of being in lock down.
We received our official quarantine orders, about 20 replacement masks, and some drugs to help the itch. I'm not making him wear the masks at home, but based on the reaction of everyone at the clinic who saw him wearing the mask, these might come in handy when I'm trying to get to the front of the line at the commissary.

Ma-ma.

2011-04-25T18:22:00.002+02:00

Oh those sounds were so sweet the first time I heard them. I remember when Eli switched from mama to mommy and then on to mom. Gabe still calls me mama, I'm not sure why he didn't cycle through like Eli.
Somewhere along the line "mom" turned to "moooooooooom" and then it wasn't sweet anymore. Then "moooooom" turned into "moooooooom" where the "m" and the first 3 "o's" are really high and then the last few "o's" and the last "m" are low. Then there is the "mooooom" that starts low and gets high.
One word that means so many different things. A few distinct versions of mom actually mean "mom I'm telling on my brother", "mom, I can't find something" and "mom, I'm yelling at you from downstairs or outside because I'm too lazy to come find you".
As a new mom, I didn't think I would ever get tired of hearing "mom". I was wrong. Saturday night I was making dinner, cleaning the kitchen, prepping stuff for Sunday breakfast, making sure the girls I was babysitting were not being tainted by any neighborhood kid antics, and trying to answer all the times my boys yelled "mom". One needed a towel, one needed shorts, one was telling me that one of the girls had her hair tangled in a button, one was fighting with the other, one was telling on the one fighting with the other and one needed a drink, then the other, and everyone was hungry.
I think I heard "mom" called at least 100 times that day and not a single time did the word sound sweet or was the word followed by "I love you" or preceded by "thanks".
At this moment, Monday at 6:30pm I am counting down the hours until nobody can say "mom".
At this moment, Monday at 6:32pm I am thanking God for giving me two rascally boys to use my name too often and praying that I will hear my name over and over again for many years to come.

Defending Carols

2011-04-24T17:11:00.002+02:00

Saturday night the boys were eating dinner with friends when Eli broke out into a Christmas song.
One of his friends said "you can't sing Christmas songs, it is the night before Easter."
To which Eli replied "yes you can. You can't have Easter without Christmas so you can sing Christmas songs at Easter."
This confused the friend, so he explained further "if Jesus wasn't born at Christmas then he couldn't die and raise from the dead at Easter, really it is all part of the same thing."
So proud I was of my young lad's defense of Christmas songs and spot on explanation of the meaning of Christmas and Easter, until Gabe chimed in "yeah but Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer has nothing to do with Jesus."
Also a valid point. Eli agreed and started singing "Go Tell it on the Mountain".

You can't have Easter without Christmas and Christmas doesn't mean much if you don't have Easter. Christ's birth would mean nothing if he didn't die, rise again, and save us from our sins. In a way, Christmas is the beginning of the story and Easter is the end. Why do I put so much emphasis on the birth of our Savior but spend much less time pondering his death and resurrection? Easter seems to be an afterthought not a season, like Christmas.

I feel compelled to change this in our home. Just what that will look like, I don't know. But I do know that the death and resurrection of Christ needs a little more spotlight here.

What did he say?

2011-04-13T18:02:00.002+02:00

This post is dedicated to Gabe's bizarre yet funny comments. It could really be a regular segment on this blog because he actually says some of the most ridiculous things.

At a museum in Madrid this past weekend. Gabe enlightens us with this:
"I have nipples. Mom has boobs."

And in the car a few days ago Gabe asks me this "Mom, when I'm an adult are you going to be dead?"

Also in the car, different day, Gabe announces that he is going to have sons not daughters because he doesn't want a too much make-up in his house.

And my personal favorite (I actually laugh out loud on this one). While walking to school a few days ago a Great Dane was peeking out the window of our neighbor's house. Just as we passed the house the dog barked and Gabe said "Oh, that is a dog! I thought it was a really ugly lamp".

Flags on a Map

2011-04-12T13:26:00.001+02:00

We just returned from a long weekend in Madrid. We love Spain! It was sunny and warm, and simply a great city.
We have travelled quite a bit since moving here to Germany and one question that I have been asked over and over is "what was your favorite destination?" I thought this would be easy, but it turns out to be one of the most difficult questions to answer. Traveling brings me joy through numerous ways. It all starts with the planning. I love it! I enjoy searching for good deals on hotels/apartments and airfare as well as plotting out points of interest for the selected destination. Once we've arrived I take it all in like a deep breath after swimming underwater for a minute. The sights, sounds, and culinary delights are all part of the experience for me. When we return I almost immediately look through the pictures I took and relive the whole adventure.
We have visited many tourists hot-spots as well as quite less popular destinations. I have found beauty and entertainment in each place and choosing a favorite seems impossible.
What I realized in my quest to pick my favorite spot, is that my adventure in each of these cities is equally based on who I am traveling with as where I am. When I recall a vacation, the first thing I think about is who was there with me, what our mood was and what was going on in the dynamics of my travel party at that time.
Our trip to Cadiz and Seville, Spain a few years back remains high on my list of favorites. Not only was the destination gorgeous but it was the first time our family of four had vacationed somewhere other than back to California. Our trips that we have done with friends or family members are also really special as we had a chance to experience something new with people that we love. Road trips are always an adventure for us, as 4-6 hour drives are never without entertainment. Seeing historical sights, beauty, culture and adventurous travel are all wonderful. So, bottom line is I still can't choose.
What I learned from this is that all these places we have visited are just places somewhere in the world, flag pins we've put on a map, but it is sharing the adventure of traveling to these places with people I love that makes each destination so special.

Oops, look what I found!

2011-03-23T16:44:00.003+01:00

This North Face Deuces Triclimate Jacket for Women is adaptable to changing weather conditions, features both the waterproof, breathable, two-layer HyVent® fully taped shell and the Heatseeker™ insulated liner of that is bluesign® approved which can be worn alone, or they can be combined for insulated weather protection on wintry days. The jacket also has handwarmer zip pockets, napoleon PU zip pocket, internal media security pocket, internal goggle pocket, snap-back powderskirt with gripper elastic, and pant-a-locks. The jacket retails for $198-$300. I found it for $46.77.
What to do? What to do? Buy now!!
I did. I bought it. Why? I need (actual need) a waterproof shell for skiing. The shell I have left me soaking wet during our last snow excursion. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Playtime in the Great Room

2011-03-20T21:34:00.004+01:00

Our old church has a large seating area and coffee shop located in the church lobby. It is a great place to mingle on a Sunday morning either before heading into a service or on the way out. While we were attending FCC, we regularly met up with friends in the Great Room, enjoyed some coffee and/or snacks, and let the kids play with their friends. When I was back at FCC two weeks ago, it was the same routine. We filed out of the service, parents found their kids and we all convened at a table in the Great Room to chat. While the adults were quietly engaging in conversation, the kids were running wild and participating in a nice giant dog-pile. They were loud and slightly obnoxious but seeing them all together again was so sweet.
Although a year has passed the boys saw their VA friends, and almost 2 years since we lived in Virginia, time has not broken down the bond that these kids have. They love each other, and for at least a moment, while they all rolled around the floor in the Great Room threatening to cause innocent bystanders to spill their coffee, everything in their world was just right.

Freestyle or Repetition?

2011-03-18T21:22:00.005+01:00

A few weeks ago I attended a Sunday service at our old church in Fairfax, Virginia. It was great to be back. It was great to know people and to be known. It was great to sit in the same row with my dear friends the Super-Swany and Matti and it was really a special treat to gather in the coffee shop after church and enjoy coffee and bagels with friends while the kids ran around wildly. The senior pastor, Rod, shared a message that really spoke to my heart and one aspect of his message got me thinking about something else entirely, prayer. Rod shared that a friend of his has prayed John Wesley's Covenant Prayer every day for the past 30 years. It is a great prayer:
"I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen."

I come from a line of freestyle prayers. Aside from occasional recitation of the Lord's Prayer or the 23rd Psalm, each prayer of mine is an original. However, after 34 years of just praying what my soul was feeling, I found myself very interested in memorizing this prayer, teaching it to the boys, and making it a part of our day.

I did some reading on how to pray and there are a lot of opinions out there. According to the Bible, Matthew 5-13 Jesus says this:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one"

Some people say Jesus gave the disciples a guide for prayer when he offered The Lord's Prayer, others say he really wanted them to say those exact words. The Bible says not to pray with vain repetition, meaning that longer prayers that are not heartfelt don't really do you any good. The Bible also says pray continually - that means all the time and about everything.
Lord's Prayer? Freestyle? Not too much? Continuously?...ahhh! What do you want from me?

I think the answer is found in the genuine, compassionate, character of Christ. There were times in Christ's ministry that he went freestyle. He was walking along a path and someone caught his attention and he just went with it, style of prayer, conversations or who he ate dinner with seemed to be really off the cuff. Other times he held to the rituals of Jewish society and participated in religious customs including going to the Synagogue on Sabbath and reading from the pre-selected scrolls.

I think God just wants us to pray, heartfelt prayers to Him. Maybe sometimes that means reciting something that you truly desire in your heart, maybe it means just opening up the floodgates and letting your thoughts go.

As God is our Heavenly Father, I try to relate my parental experiences with my boys to God's relationship with us. I expect the boys to respond to me with the memorized, practiced, and enforced "yes mom" when I ask them to do something, but when I ask them how their day was or how they feel about something I want to hear their heart. I want them to accept without question what I tell them to do, but I also want to hear their honest opinion on the matter. The respectful obedience of "yes mom" AND the freestyle expressions of love, concern or mindless chatter are ALL music to my ears. I think God appreciates both as well.

Psalm 141 says "may my prayers be set forth to you like incense". Maybe the incense is a time tested recipe or maybe it is a bunch of scents thrown together and set over the fire. Either way I think God enjoys the sweet scent of those who desire to know and honor him. I'm thinking that before my feet hit the floor in the morning I will jump start my day with John Wesley's prayer - reminding myself and recommitting to God that my life is in His hands.

Wikileakable

2011-03-13T11:01:00.003+01:00

I am going to leak a very valuable fashion secret to you.
Saturday Pants, Comfy Pants, Lounge Wear, Receiving Wear, Stretchy Pants, call them what you want they are a go-to wardrobe option on a lazy day. But how do you feel comfy and lazy without necessarily looking it?
One way is to throw an athletic twist to your look - in other words make it look like you are actually the opposite of lazy, you are heading to the gym! It works well in the morning, but after about 10am if you don't look like you just came back from the gym, the whole illusion of comfy pants being work-out pants is gone and the truth is revealed. Not only do you blow your cover for the day, but you start to cast doubt on the look entirely. Even if you are going to the gym, it might be assumed that you are just having a lazy day.
My solution is the leggings/skirt combo. Leggings are basically the skinny jean of comfy pants. They meet all the requirements for comfy pants, elastic waist, stretchy legs and soft cotton, but don't have the baggy sloppiness. While some people have the body to sport leggings with a longer shirt, I do not, therefore I pull a cute skirt on over the leggings and voila! style and comfort.

Peeing in the Dark

2011-03-12T10:00:00.000+01:00

Tonight I seriously contemplated keeping the lights off in the bathroom so that Psycho Santa didn't notice that I was using the toilet at 1am. Psycho Santa, true to the Christmas classic, "knows when I am sleeping and he knows when I'm awake" and not only does he know, he comments on it.
His knowledge of my sleep habits would be fine if I were a participant in a sleep study and needed someone to keep track of what time I go to bed at night, however, I'm not and yet he is. His odd knowledge of my sleep habits would also be a little more acceptable if he didn't feel the need to talk about it.
A few weeks ago P.S. said "were you up late last night? I noticed the bathroom light on when I walked the dogs at midnight."
Last Friday he told my friend who lives on the other side of the neighborhood, that he noticed I was up past midnight and yet still got up early the next morning.
And finally, this morning he asked me how in the world I was able to stay up until midnight after such a long day of travel yesterday.
That my friends is my neighbor, Psycho Santa - at least for the next two months until he moves to Kansas. Watch out Kansas here he comes!

Alien: non-citizen inhabitant.

2011-03-12T00:02:00.005+01:00

1 Peter 2:11 refers to Christians as "aliens and strangers" in the world. He is talking about living in the world but not adopting worldly ideals. My alien status is a little more literal. I have no State residency. I am an alien...everywhere.
I have a driver's license that is about to expire and I have no clue how to get a new one.
Here are the facts:
CA: Though I could easily claim California residency since my parents are listed as my US address and although we don't live there, Matt's official 'Home of Record' is California. Matt's status with the Golden State would grant me some sort of waiver with a copy of his orders and pay information showing him as a CA resident. However, I have not had a driver's license in California in over 14 years. Something tells me they won't just give me one if I mail in a completed application and an ugly photo.
WA and HI: Had licenses in these States that have expired.
AL and TN: Never was licensed in these States. Nobody can officially link me to these Southern States.
VA: Current license from VA will expire on my birthday. VA has a military clause that will allow me to get an extension on my current license if I can verify that Matt is a resident there and we are out of State due to military orders. I can also get an extension if I claim I still live there and provide a bill proving my current VA address. Both are problems. Matt is not and never was a VA resident and I am not in the habit of paying bills for things I don't use in a State I don't reside in.
Germany: I have a US Army Europe license that is only valid in conjunction with a Stateside license. Or should I say "valid" Stateside license.

Clearly I have two choices here: one, sort out some red-tape issues with the Commonwealth of Virginia or two, and I think the most logical choice, fly back to California to get a license there. I'm working on my presentation to sell this idea to Matt. I have about 6 months to work out these little details.

Confessions

2011-03-10T21:45:00.002+01:00

Boots: bought some rain boots to replace my current rain boots that actually take on water. Can't really even call them "rain boots" because due to their inability to keep my feet dry, they are actually the last pair I would grab in the rain or when our basement floods. They were $13, cute, and in my size. Couldn't pass them up. Vow broken.
Travel: I flew Space-A to the States last Friday. I only went at far as Baltimore, I only told 3 people that I was coming to visit, and I don't really feel guilty about it. I would have loved to fly all the way out to the West coast but it just isn't technically very possible via Space-A for me in my current travel status. With only 5 days to spend in the States I knew that I wouldn't get any quality time in with anyone if I tried to visit everyone so I stayed with my friend Rachael and loved every minute of it (minus the last morning when her two boys and my two boys got sick - didn't love the vomit.) The boys and I did go to our old church, have dinner with our former small group, and had lunch with Mary and her family. I have a few more friends in the area and (wait for it) family in the area as well that I didn't get to see. Sorry people, much love, but not much time.
Blogging: jumped to the back burner and I can't really place why. I think there was a good reason but I'm not sure what it was.
Bacon: when cut up, placed in the fridge in a ziplock bag and left for 2 weeks turns into something indescribably gross. Which is why I always say "eat your bacon".
Binging: on the afore mentioned trip to the States I consumed food from: Red Robin, Wendy's, Chick-fil-A, Bonefish, KFC, Duncan Donuts (twice), Starbucks (twice), Panera, and Costco samples along with delicious foods that I can't get here like flat pretzels, and Tilamook cheese.
Tired: I am so tired I can't think straight. Woke up at 7am Eastern on Wednesday and aside from an hour nap here and there I am still up at 4pm Eastern on Thursday. If I had any brain function left I would add that up, but all I know is that it is a long time and I'm exhausted. I also know that when I am this tired, operating heavy machinery like a car or washing machine may be a bad idea.

Comings and Goings

2011-02-13T20:12:00.003+01:00

Tonight the main body of the 95th MP Battalion out of Mannheim, Germany will be returning home after a year-long deployment to Iraq. There are "Welcome Home" banners hanging in windows, on fences, and across carports all over post. Families of the 95th are just hours away from reuniting. It is such an exciting time. 365 days have passed. Some of those days were much longer than others, and my guess is that today is the longest of all. I am filled with so much joy for all these families, most of them I don't even know. But I am so happy for their year of trials to be over and for a new chapter in their lives to begin.

As my neighbor and friends here are preparing to welcome their husbands home, the mood is quite different at another friend's house. Tonight, my friend and her kids are saying goodbye to her husband and their dad as he is just beginning his deployment.

I'm sure this happens every day. As one unit is returning home, another is leaving. One family is experiencing sheer joy, while another is in pain. One family is tearing off that last paper ring that marked the "days until dad gets back" and another is busy cutting and rolling 365.

Its a bad thing.

2011-02-09T20:36:00.003+01:00

I was introduced to two websites recently (SteepandCheap.com and CleanSnipe.com) by two different people whom I view as drug dealers. The websites are both are evil and I consider them to be crack or some other highly addictive and expensive drug.

I watch the websites like an episode of Deadliest Catch or Amazing Race. I sit on the edge of my seat waiting for the next deal to pop up. I can't look away. And I buy things. Things I shouldn't buy. Like a coat and footwear.

Monday I bought a coat for Matt. Really. It is a snowboard jacket and I don't snowboard so there is no false pretenses with this purchase. And today I bought footwear....for me. However, it was slippers. That doesn't count against my vow not to buy shoes does it? I don't think so. Remember my favorite ever in the whole world slippers? Well, since they are no longer available and the ones that I am currently wearing are falling apart as I type, I bought a new pair of replacements.

I would like to claim that the websites made me do it, but that would be like saying crack makes you smoke it or snort it...or whatever you do with crack. I guess my weak willpower made me do it. So, I asked myself "self, why do you do it? why do you shop?" and self replied "the thrill of the hunt, the scammin' deal, and the new product arriving in the mail". Is shopping considered a hobby? Pastime? Special skill-set? Spiritual gift? I went too far with the last one didn't I?

I think if I calculated all the time I spent online on the hunt for winter boots for Eli or a screamin' deal on a pair of thermal bike tights for Matt, or whatever the hunt of the day is, I would be embarrassed to admit the total. I heard somewhere that what you do in your day reflects what is important to you. Vomit is welling up in my throat as that really sinks in. I would never claim that shopping is important to me, I don't think it is important to me, but if my actions reflect my heart....my heart is in desperate need of that surgery that cleans out all the important tube things.

I am awake for 15-16 hours a day. I need to evaluate how I spend those hours and determine if the way I spend the hours in my day are a true reflection of who I am or who I want to be. I pray that I will use the time that God gives me, in my day, and on this earth wisely. That the things I do will be a reflection of the things that are really important, the things that moths cannot destroy and thieves will not steal. The things that will last.

Freeze Frame

2011-02-08T22:30:00.001+01:00

I'm so impressed by special effects used in movies where cinematographers mess with time. Sure it is cool when everything switches from real time to slow-motion to showcase the action hero's ability to dodge 50 bullets fired simultaneously at his head but it is especially interesting when some of the people in the scene are moving at real time while others are paused or when some are fast speed and others at real time. I find the whole thing intriguing. Ah the wonders of the digital age.

I recently found myself in a freeze frame type moment. Unfortunately, the stop-motion thing was only in my head and not actually playing out in real life, but it still had a pretty cool effect.

The other night some friends were over and the house was bustling with wild kids, music playing, friends chatting, the fire pit crackling....and food. I realize food makes so sound or movement but it sure does add to a good evening. And then suddenly my head put myself in "pause" mode. I stopped and looked around, everything else was still moving but I was the one standing in the middle of a sea of action...taking it all in but not taking part.

It was in this moment that I realized how completely blessed I am. We live 200 yards from our best friends, in quite possibly the most secure neighborhood for a kid to grow up in, with dozens of other great friends nearby. I have a really fabulous, kind, loving husband, two quirky but wonderful boys, great friends and family back in the States, a stable income, a free house with free heat/water/trash pick-up, I get to stay home with my boys, and stay home to randomly hang out with friends. The kids run on over to their friends' houses - no need for special play dates or planning. Fast Food has a new meaning - dinner at Mika's tonight. And I really could go on and on.

In this moment of cinematographic/psychotic special effects, I was seeing the whole picture. Not just the fact that we are living in Germany and traveling throughout Europe, but I see the little things that are actually much bigger. There is so much laughter, so much love, so many many blessings.

Then just like the movies, a bullet hit me square in the head when I wasn't looking and blamo slow-mo gone and death ensued in real time. I didn't actually die but I was brought back to reality when people started calling my name wondering why I was just standing there.

It is easy for me to notice all the things in life that are going wrong, but really, the list is so much longer if I take the time to note all the things that are going so right.

Addiction

2011-02-06T21:57:00.003+01:00

My name is Clarissa and I have a sickness. I am addicted to jackets and shoes.

I seriously cannot let myself buy another pair of boots, or shoes (except for one black pair of dressy heals) for the rest of the year. I know, that was a strong statement, but it is necessary. I have an abundance of great shoes. I'm not talking cheap Payless Shoe Source fall apart shoes, I'm talking genuine leather, make your feet happy shoes. I have red shoes, yellow shoes, plenty of black and brown shoes. I have clogs, slip ons, ties, strappy sandals, high heals, flats, knee high boots, mid-calf boots, snow boots, rain boots, running shoes, Converse, flip flops, slippers, and I even have a pair of hiking boots which is simply dumb because 95% of all our adventures involve subways and town squares neither of which require ankle support. I am ashamed about the number of cows that gave up their flesh to support my shoe problem. No more shoes. Except for that one pair of black dressy shoes because I need to replace a pair that I have that are hurtin' - not just hurting my feet but they look rough, not my feet, the shoes.

And with the jackets. This is not an intentional thing. Deeply discounted jackets practically throw themselves at me. Last week I happened upon a seriously adorable navy peacoat that made me gasp it was so cute, and then when I saw the price tag and found out it was €15, I nearly ran to the cashier to buy it before someone else noticed that I was practically stealing. It is that cute. Then just this week I was visiting my favorite coat at the PX here on post and noticed it was on sale. I couldn't justify spending $148 on a coat because I really don't need another winter coat, but love it so much I regularly try it on and pretend it is mine. So, a few days ago I was enjoying my visit with this shimmery blue North Face puffer coat and I found out it was on sale for $67. Uh oh. I walked around with it for about 30 minutes and then snatched it up. I know it isn't a scammin' deal like the navy peacoat, but it is so cute and look at that discount. How can I walk away from that? A stronger person would. A stronger person has. And from now on, I will be that stronger person...unless...no - regardless of how cheap a coat is, I won't buy it.

How will I do this? No more looking. That's it. No shoe-googling no coat visiting. I'm done.

At this point after reading this, you might be thinking to yourself "wow, there is a good 10 minutes of my life that I will never get back". To which I say "I'm sorry". In order to buy back a little of that lost time, I will offer you some advise: don't watch "Buried". It might be the most ridiculous movie I have ever seen. Since the movie is 100 minutes and this posting only sucked up 10 or so, you are back in the positive.

The Red Umbrella

2011-01-30T11:54:00.004+01:00

I was looking through "photos of the week" online the other day and zipped by a picture of a lady standing in a snow covered Central Park. She was wearing a black winter coat and carrying a red umbrella. I don't know that the wintery scene itself was particularly photo-worthy, but something about that red umbrella against the white snow and leafless trees made it all simply stunning.

I instantly decided I wanted a really nice red umbrella so that I could be that splash of color in the drab winter pallet of black and gray.

My mind flashed to a recent day trip our family took to Metz, France. After we got out of the car and made our way to the entrance of the pedestrian area, we scanned each of the streets to decide which one we wanted to head down. Matt and I both instantly noticed that everyone was wearing black coats. Not a flash of color in a sea of hundreds of black pea coats. The absence of color striking. What if someone had on a red coat? Oh how the picture would change. The black clad shoppers would meld together as one and your eye would instantly focus on that person in red or some other bright color.

The red is so special because it is different, it changes the picture. The red is someone going against the norm of basic black umbrellas and sensible coats. It is someone willing to stand out in a crowd. It is that flicker of life when you look around and it seems everyone is doing the same thing and there is absolutely nothing spectacular about it.

This whole scenario made me think about who I am in a snapshot of life? Am I just another black-coated being moving with the crowd? Or am I a flash of color? What am I doing on a daily basis that brings color to a darkened world?

"For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness" Ephesians 5:8-11 (NLT)

Shipping to an APO

2011-01-23T20:46:00.007+01:00

Quite frankly I think that all, and I do mean ALL, businesses, corporations, conglomerates, LLCs, NPOs, government organizations, and any other possible human currently located in the United States of America should be required, oh yeah I'm throwing off the gloves here, required to ship to an APO as long as the item being mailed meets the APO shipping requirements.

I'm on a soap box here people watch out.

Businesses operating in the mostly free-market society in the United States exist in part because of the freedoms gained by United States soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines. And if a US soldier is stationed anywhere outside of the US and wants a damn HDMI cable to connect his Apple TV to his 42" big screen, a company should have to send it to an APO address. And if an Army brat wants to buy a Star Wars Poster for his room, I think someone should be able to drop it off at a post office and send it. And if a woman wants some coffee for her single serve coffee maker, she should be able to pay whatever someone wants to charge to mail it to her.

Perhaps, instead of listing that little section on their website that says "Unfortunately at this time we cannot ship to an APO/FPO Addresses" maybe it should say something like this "For all those requiring shipment to an APO/FPO address...thank you for your service" any maybe, now this is a stretch just maybe it can also say something like this "Free shipping for all orders with delivery to Iraq or Afghanistan...God speed and come home soon".

From this day forward I will write a letter to every single company that will not ship to an APO explaining the procedures for shipping to an APO/FPO and scolding them for not supporting the United States Military.

Madrid or Bust!

2011-01-12T20:02:00.006+01:00

Bags are packed and we are ready to go to Madrid! This weekend is a four-day weekend honoring the late great junior MLK and conveniently enough for us it is also our anniversary weekend. 4 days off coinciding with our anniversary is a recipe for travel.

What is missing from this picture? Gabe and Eli's backpacks are loaded with 3 changes of clothes and an extra change of unders, my bag is mostly packed, we have reading material, chargers, converters, camera case, toiletries in a nice quart sized bag, print out of directions and telephone contacts for our apartment rental, maps, subway info, passports.....oh yeah airline tickets. Where are the tickets? BUST!

Yep. I packed us up, with the exception of Matt he has to do that on his own, and when I came downstairs to print out some boarding passes I realized (this is really a nicer, calmer word for what transpired) that I made a huge mistake when I booked our airline tickets to Madrid. I received a confirmation code from the booking but there was a little line that said "not confirmed until email received". Minor detail - Major problem. 12 hours later.....I find out that the very nice protective credit card company declined the transaction because they feared it was a fraudulent purchase. When the credit card was declined, the reservation was cancelled and I had no tickets. If I would have waited, watched and wondered about that confirmation email, I could have easily rebooked the tickets when that email didn't arrive, but I didn't. I filed away the confirmation code and print-out of our flights and didn't think about it again until I booked our apartment. Even when I booked the apartment I didn't notice the fine print about the booking not being confirmed yet. So, it wasn't until I was planning to print out the tickets that I figured all this out, just 2 days before we were supposed to be on a plane bound for warmth and sunshine.

What now? Well the bags are still packed, for what? I don't know. The reservation for the apartment is cancelled and in order to avoid $250 in charges we are rebooking the Madrid trip for April. We'll still go to Madrid. It will just cost us a few more bucks and we have to wait a few more months.

I must applaud Matt on being gracious and kind throughout the whole thing. He remained calm and is truly more disappointed for me that I don't get to go than he is about the trip being cancelled.

What is the moral of the story? Read the fine print. And if you do forget to read the fine print, be cool with the outcome. I wasn't cool. I was whiny and bratty and rude. We have had about 15 very successful weekend adventures, and a few week long trips as well and this is the first time we have encountered any snafoos with bookings. That is a good track record. When one thing doesn't go my way, it is easy for me to forget about the 100 other things that went just perfectly. I need to be grateful for all we have done, and let this one roll off.

So, we are doing what we do...learn from it and move on. We are going to "stay-cation" this weekend instead. Lucky for the kids, all their clothes are already set out for the next 3 days. Lucky for me, I have a few more months to practice my Espanol.

1-1-11

2011-01-01T23:04:00.002+01:00

Tonight, Matt, the boys and I were entertaining ourselves with Rock Band when we came across the song "This One's For the Girls" by Martina Mcbride. I've heard it before, during my Tennessee country music years, so I rocked it. One phrase of the song caught my attention and stuck with me long after my pretend fans on the TV stopped cheering:

"This is for all you girls about forty-two
Tossing pennies into the Fountain of Youth
Every laugh, laugh line on your face
Made you who you are today"

I hope that when I'm 42 I have serious laugh lines. I hope that I smile so much throughout my life that joy is etched into my old flappy skin. I hope that I have those lines around my eyes too, the ones that you get from squinting. Those will be from all the days I spent outside in the sun, playing, discovering, traveling, watching my kids play the sport of the season. Achy back, knees, and shoulders would be OK too, as long as it is a reminder of the babies I carried, the hills I climbed and streets I travelled on, and the times that I bent down to get a little closer to my boys.

I hope the same for my boys: laugh lines and wrinkles.

I hope that they will get bruises and scrapes because they played so hard that they fell down. I hope that they have some scars with great stories to go with them. I hope that they get a runny nose and cough because they were outside playing in the snow. I hope that they get grass stains on their knees, and holes in their shoes. I hope they pick up their laundry, put the toilet seat down, and never whine again about what's for dinner - but that is a different country song.

2010 Auf Wiedersehen

2010-12-30T23:50:00.006+01:00

I was looking through my pictures from this past year hoping to gather just a few that really capture the essence of 2010 for us. It was challenging.

I found pictures from each of the places we ventured and pictures of each of the families that came to visit us. I found pictures of each member of our family that totally revealed our character. I also found pictures of really great events in our lives. But, after hours of reliving the year I was still torn as to what I could post that would tell our story for 2010.

I finally came up with this one. It is quite possibly one of the poorest quality pictures we have but it is the Hernandez family in a nutshell.

Here we are in Wiesbaden a few weeks before Christmas. We were walking to the Christmas market when we happened upon this playground. This is a very bizarre merry-go-round type gazebo. (click on the photo to see it larger) The kids were just enjoying the ride, but Matt and I were trying to run in one side of the spinning contraption and come out the other without face-planting. We never made it, but it was fun trying.

This is us. We travel to cities throughout Europe, test out their playgrounds, and laugh wildly at ourselves. We slip in some sight-seeing and local cuisine here and there but for the kids, it is really about the playgrounds and hotels. We don't take ourselves too seriously, we get out and about as much as possible, and we treasure this great opportunity to live in and experience Europe.

As I looked back at all the places we went, people we visited, and events that took place I quickly realized why this year flew by as quickly as it did....it was a busy year! We are truly so blessed in the big and little things of 2010 and are excited for all that is in store for 2011.

Change of Plans

2010-12-24T22:33:00.003+01:00

Today is Christmas Eve.

The plan: sleep in, make breakfast, watch a Christmas movie as a family, make lunch/dinner and final preparations for our friends to join us for a festive Christmas Eve Party.

Christmas Party: hugs and kisses, lay out the appetizer spread, turn up Christmas music, chat, laugh, eat. Finish lunch/dinner. Begin festive games and chatter. Leave for traditional German Christmas Eve service. Return home. Eat dessert. Laugh, chatter. Read Christmas story from Luke. Sing songs, in the right key, give hugs and kisses and say good night.

Well, we slept in...late. Made breakfast but had no time for a movie. We watched the snow fall and admired its beauty while frantically finishing prepping for dinner. Friends arrive, we exchange fun gifts, laugh and chat. Eat lunch/dinner and contemplate braving the snow covered roads to make it to that traditional German service. We deem the roads to sketchy to travel on and decide to turn on a broadcast of the Nine Lessons in Carols from Kings College Chapel in Cambridge. The boys are running wild, begging for dessert, to play games, and bounce off the walls. Our friends' daughter doesn't feel well and wants to go home. Mom takes daughter home, hoping to perk her up and return for the rest of the evening. We send boys to their rooms to chill for a bit. At home, daughter is in tears and goes to bed. Mom calls to say she isn't coming back. Boys are allowed to come down stairs. Dad fills up on some dessert and then heads home. It wasn't what we planned. The house felt empty. No Christmas service, no games, no late night laugher and sweet moments of reverence as we ponder the meaning of this day.

I expect that Mary hoped to deliver her firstborn son somewhere other than in an old manger. I'm sure Joseph planned to have a less scandalous beginning to his marriage. And those shepherds were probably hoping to squeeze in a few winks that night rather than being interrupted by an entire host of singing angels. Herod thought he could put an end to this messiah talk by taking out infant boys, and Satan thought he could have a fighting chance against God by putting Jesus on the cross. Sometimes, things just don't go as we plan.

After an hour or so of re-grouping we gathered around our beautiful tree, turned off all the lights in the house and played a game. We ate dessert, read the Christmas story and listened to Christmas music. We even attempted a few carols of our own. It was not in key, in tune or on pitch but it was fun and it filled our house. The boys watched NORAD to track Santa and after a bedtime story and last minute instructions on what time they are allowed to wake us up in the morning they headed to bed. Matt and I are jammified and ready to watch our favorite Christmas movie. In the end, although it wasn't how we thought it would go, it turned out quite well.

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there the time came for the baby to be born and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them."

8 days later Mary and Joseph presented their son at the temple and they named him Jesus, just as the angel instructed them to.

and "God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."

He wasn't born the way a king is expected to be born, he didn't save the Israelites the way they had hoped, but when he reached out his arms on Calvary it no longer mattered how people expected things to go...God had a different plan and the blood that Jesus shed offered redemption, hope, and eternity greater than any earthly plan.

The Christmas Truce

2010-12-21T23:18:00.003+01:00

In the past few days the Christmas Truce of 1914 has been brought to my attention three times through a TV show Matt and I were watching, a commercial, and something I saw online. It is moving to me to know that at some point in history, the celebration of Christ's birth was enough to halt a war and bring enemies together to commemorate Christmas.

This is a public television special about The Christmas Truce of 1914. There are also songs that tell the story as well, here is one by Mike Harding called "Christmas 1914".

This Christmas we have friends who are in a 20th century version of "trenches" in Iraq and Afghanistan. I pray that they will find peace this Christmas.

Oh What Fun

2010-12-20T15:19:00.000+01:00

I want to do this. I don't have a sewing machine here, so that throws a wrench in my plans and I don't sew very well, so there is another snafoo, however at some point in my life I am going to have throw pillows made from old sweaters.

I could have Christmas sweater pillow covers and regular 'ol decor matching pillow covers. Opportunities are limitless.

I plan to collect sweaters from thrift shops and discount stores in the coming weeks and months so that one day my little sweater pillow covers dream will come true. I have to be honest here, project completion is not my strong suit. I am an idea finder, but lack the skills for followthrough. So perhaps when my professional sewing assistant comes to visit (mom) I can put her little sewing fingers to work or something like that.

What am I making Christmas morning?

2010-12-19T10:21:00.001+01:00

Cranberry Orange Scones. They are so darn delicious! Rather than describe how tasty they are, I'll describe the reaction I received when I served them for my bible study ladies this past Wednesday. Shock and awe. That's right. They were so surprised that something that tasty came out of MY kitchen.

Wednesday was the last bible study before Christmas, I wanted everything to be just perfect looking, sounding, and tasting. The day before I ran into the grocery store searching for inspiration for our morning snack. A bright light shone down upon fresh cranberries (and all the other fruits in the misting section but whatever) and it hit me "Cranberry Scones". I searched AllRecipes for something that got rave reviews and found this one. I whipped them up....and was slightly disappointed. They were fine, but nothing special. I started looking at other recipes and noticed a trend of combining cranberries and orange. I sent Matt to the store at exactly 7:45, with just moments to spare before they closed. The next morning I made the scones using the same recipe but added zest from two oranges. I have to say, it took them over the top! Not only are they so tasty you want to eat more and more, they are really quite pretty to look at. The red cranberries give the English pastry a little Christmas kick!

In order to avoid eating them all, I gave about half a dozen to Mika after the party. Needless to say, she is equally in love.

So Christmas morning, I'm whipping these guys up.

CRANBERRY ORANGE SCONES

INGREDIENTS:

BUTTER:

1 1/2 cups butter (no substitutes), softened

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

SCONES:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup butter (no substitutes)

1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

1 tablespoon of grated orange peel

3/4 cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter. Stir in cranberries, confectioners; sugar and orange peel; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cranberries and orange peel. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead 6-8 times. Divide in half. Pat each into an 8-in. circle. Cut into eight wedges. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks. Serve warm with cranberry-orange butter.

Unbroken Song

2010-12-18T09:49:00.001+01:00

It is a week before Christmas and all through the flat

Christmas songs are blaring so loud you can't chat!

I want to throw out one more Christmas song, or in this case album, that I find particularly lovely.

Christopher Williams is an indie Christian singer/songwriter that performed a few times at our church in Virginia. I simply love his entire album Unbroken Song. If I had the money I would buy every last one of my readers a cd. It is pretty special! His version of Drummer Boy is fabulous, definitely my favorite of that song, and every other song on the album is stinkin' good to. If I had to pick just one that makes my heart pitter patter it would be this old German carol Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen (Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming). Williams doesn't sing all the verses of the traditional carol but I've listed them here, because quite frankly, you need all the verses to get the whole story!

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung,
of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a flow’ret bright, amid the cold of winter,
when half-spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to men a Savior,
when half-spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story, proclaimed by angels bright,
how Christ, the Lord of glory, was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger found him,
as angel heralds said.

This flow’r, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
dispels with glorious splendor the darkness ev’rywhere.
True man, yet very God; from sin and death he saves us
and lightens ev’ry load.

O Savior, child of Mary, who felt our human woe;
O Savior, King of glory, who dost our weakness know,
bring us at length, we pray, to the bright courts of heaven
and to the endless day.

Revisited Classic

2010-12-16T09:24:00.002+01:00

When I first heard Casting Crown's rendition of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, I didn't realize it was the same song that I had heard a million times before performed by numerous different artists. I recently listened to this song by Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Sarah McLachlan, Mercy Me and Jars of Clay and none come close to the beauty of Casting Crowns's version. One of my favorite Christmas songs!

Watch and listen to them perform this beautiful tune here.

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth good will to men

And the bells are ringing
Like a choir they're singing
In my heart I hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men

But the bells are ringing
Like a choir singing
Does anybody hear them?
Peace on earth, good will to men

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men

Then ringing singing on its way

The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men

And the bells they're ringing
Like a choir they're singing
And with our hearts we'll hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

Do you hear the bells they're ringing?
The life the angels singing
Open up your heart and hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

Peace on earth, Peace on earth
Peace on earth, Good will to men

The Neighbor

2010-12-09T10:33:00.002+01:00

I have the most helpful, friendly, giving neighbor ever in the history of all times. This is good right? Yes, and no. Neighbor doesn't know boundaries and this can be problematic.

Today, we were scraping the snow/ice off of Matt's car when this conversation popped up:

He told me I was "a sexy woman for being almost 40 and having two kids". Almost 40? I quickly corrected him proclaiming that am indeed on the lower end of the 30's and didn't ever want to hear him call me 40 again! Sexy? It is a little odd hearing that from your 60+ year old neighbor.

He also told me I didn't need a personal trainer because I had a great bikini body already. My inside voice said "run....scrape the snow later".

It is only fair that I comment on the great things too. He clears the snow off of our sidewalk, makes his kids mow and rake our lawn, lends us every tool ever imaginable, and ensures that nobody comes and goes from the house without us knowing about it.

My favorite quirky moments include ringing the doorbell at 10:30pm to ask for beer, calling Matt and I "Nate and Momma" because he doesn't know our names, and telling me that he is just sure he saw me at the sauna in Austria last weekend (sauna's are nude).

What can I say? I guess you take the good with the bad, keep your doors locked, and run for the hills if you don't have time for neighborly conversation!

You are the Light

2010-12-07T00:02:00.003+01:00

I absolutely love, love, love this song. It is written by David Hodges. You can download it for free via this website. You'll have to search the list for the song title and then you can download or stream. I love the lyrics. I heard this song at our church in VA about 3 years ago and it just stuck with me.

The world lost in darkness

Dying to see the sunrise

A Savior will come

Heaven is waiting
Glimpses of mercy fading
A savior will come
We've waited so long

You are the light Bethlehem's son
Hope of the world the glorious one
The savor to all is with us tonight
You are the light. You are the light.

Bow in your presence surrounded by angels beaming
A savior has come
A candle to lead us
A flame to destroy the darkness
The Light of your love
Messiah has come

You are the light Bethlehem's son
Hope of the world the glorious one
The savior to all is with us tonight
You are the light.

Now the whole world will not be the same
Cause love has come down and grace has a name
The name of the child is Jesus Christ
You are the light.

Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia
Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia

You are the light Bethlehem's son
Hope of the world the glorious one
The savor to all is with us tonight

You are the light Bethlehem's son
Hope of the world the glorious one
The savior to all is with us tonight
You are the light.

Now the whole world will not be the same
Cause love has come down and grace has a name
The name of the child is Jesus Christ
You are the light.

You are the light. You are the light. You are the light

Ray Charles and The Spirit of Christmas

2010-12-02T00:00:00.000+01:00

Nobody else can sing The Spirit of Christmas. It's Ray's song. Others may try, but they will fail...at least in my opinion. I absolutely love this song. It captures so many of the things that I love about Christmas.

Christmas is the time of year
For being with the one's we love
Sharing so much joy and cheer
What a wonderful feelin
Watching the one's we love
Having so much fun

I was sittin by the fire side
Taking a walk through the snow
Listening to a children's choir
Singing songs about Jesus
The blessed way that he came to us
Why can't it remain
All through the year
Each day the same
Heyeah, that's what I wanna hear
Heh heh
It's truly amazin
That spirit of Christmas

All the kin folk gather round
The lovely Christmas tree
Hearts are glowing full of joy
Sense the gifts that we're giving
And the love that we're living
Why can't it remain
Ohhh all through the year
Each day the same
Heyeah, that's what I wanna hear
I'll tell ya
It's truly amazin
That spirit of Christmas

Let me hear ya
Why can't it remain
All through the year
Each day the same
That's what I wanna hear
Listen to me
It's truly amazin
That spirit of Christmas
Ohhh It's truly amazin
That spirit of Christmas
Ain't it so
It's truly amazin
Yeah, that spirit of Christmas
Oh Christmas
Oh Christmas

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!

2010-12-01T21:11:00.002+01:00

Our Christmas Movie Marathon has begun! From now until Christmas we'll attempt to watch one movie a day. We have a few new movies for this year including Muppets A Christmas Carol and Miracle on 34th Street, and of coarse we'll watch the old classics and family favorites.

We are all looking forward to evenings filled with laughter as we enjoy spending time together as a family watching movies, laughing, and making memories.

Emmanuel

2010-11-29T00:00:00.000+01:00

I love Christmas music. I love that I can type "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" into my iTunes library and then listen to 30 different versions of the classic song. I love when my favorite artists release a Christmas album with a mix of the classics and new song or two that I can add to my Christmas favorites.

I have a small addiction when it comes to buying Christmas music, although I have 43 albums on iTunes and another 20+ in my old CD case.... I want more. I peruse iTunes listening to samples and have to hold myself back from buying every last song that makes me smile.

Instead of spending a small fortune on 99 cent singles, I decided to review some of the songs I already have in my library. As a result of this being my blog and therefore having the freedom to write whatever I want, I have decided to force my reader(s) to enjoy a few of my favorite tunes.

And by the way, I found my pants.

Emmanuel by Chris Tomlin

What hope we hold this starlit night
A King is born in Bethlehem
Our journey long, we seek the light
That leads to the hallowed manger ground

What fear we felt in the silent age
Four hundred years can He be found
But broken by a baby's cry
Rejoice in the hallowed manger ground

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
God incarnate here to dwell
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Praise His name Emmanuel

The son of God, here, born to bleed
A crown of thorns would pierce His brow
And we beheld this offering
Exalted now the King of kings
Praise God for the hallowed manger ground

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
God incarnate here to dwell
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Praise His name Emmanuel
Praise His name Emmanuel

Oh, praise His name Emmanuel

Listen and Watch Chris Tomlin perform Emmanuel

The Season

2010-11-28T08:49:00.002+01:00

"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:2-4

This king was not born in a palace or dressed in fine linens, he wasn't treated any different than other kids running around town. Nothing about his appearance would make people desire him, and yet what he did for this world makes him the most desirable man in history. His birth provided the world a Savior, by his wounds we are healed and through his punishment peace is available to us. No other man or woman can make that claim.

Today is the first day of Advent, the season to celebrate the arrival of the Messiah in that manger a few thousand years ago and the promise that he will come again. This season is a time to remember the long period that the Hebrew people waited for their Messiah, and to remind ourselves that He is indeed coming back again.

As I finish up decorating the house, searching for Christmas gifts, and getting ready for Matt's mom's arrival, I'm trying to take time to remember all that Christmas is about. Not just the birth, the star, the shepherds, and the wisemen - but the Cross, the empty tomb, and the gift of salvation. Not just shipping, shopping, and cooking - but the joy of giving, celebrating, and eating! It is a whole giant package rolled up into one season. This is an exciting time of year!

At his birth, and in his life, he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, but one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is indeed Lord.

Starting Over

2010-11-22T21:36:00.004+01:00

1997 was our first Christmas as a married couple.

That December Matt and I were invited to an ornament exchange. On the way home from work one day I stopped by the store and picked up an ornament. Unbeknownst to me, Matt also picked up an ornament on his way home from work. This was before we had cell phones. We had no communication with each other once we left the house!

Matt chose an Operation Santa ornament by Carlton Cards. It was a little bear inside a k-pot and it was dated 1997. I quickly nixed this as an exchange ornament because I didn't think anyone at the party would want an Army themed ornament. I decided to save it for our tree, it was an infantry guy and Matt was infantry so it made sense.

1998. Second Christmas. Matt is in school to become a Blackhawk Crew Chief. I found an ornament at the PX from the same Operation Santa series and decided to pick it up. This one was a Huey decorated with Christmas lights with Santa in the back. How fitting is that? Matt is working on helicopters and I found a helicopter ornament.

1999. For the third year in a row I picked up an ornament from Operation Santa. It is now declared a tradition. Every year from 1998 until 2009 I bought a helicopter ornament from the series. It was always fun to see which helicopter would be given the honor of ornament status. It was always the first ornament on our tree.

There were two years that I found another ornament to add to the collection. (I think it represents the signal corps.) In 2003, I found a reindeer dressed in BDUs on the phone. I bought the ornament and sent it to Matt in Iraq for his tree there. At the time, we thought the only Christmas greetings we would be able to give each other would be over the phone. Again in 2005 when Matt was in Korea, I found a reindeer on the phone.

This year as soon as I noticed Christmas cards and wrapping paper at the PX, I rushed over to snatch up my helicopter but there were none. There are no Operation Santa ornaments at any of the PX's within driving distance in Germany. In the place where my beloved ornaments were usually displayed, American Greetings has produced as sad attempt at honoring the troops with a series called "Proud to Serve" and quite frankly they are not cool.

We figured this day would come, the day where we must start over with a new family ornament, but I wasn't ready for it to be today. Now we are on the hunt for the new traditional ornament.

Are you kidding me?

2010-11-19T16:51:00.004+01:00

This is the Lego Star Wars Death Star. It is made up of 3,803 lego pieces. It costs $399.99. And it is the number one item on Eli's Christmas list this year.

The thing that came to mind when I searched Amazon for "lego death star" was "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Legos are still plastic right?

I noticed Eli doing something with his Christmas list today, and asked what was going on. He replied "Scratching off things that are not as important to me because I really, really, really, really, (it went on a long time) want a death star and it costs $399." I guess he was doing me a favor by eliminating all the other items on his list so that I wouldn't have to decide which items to get him.

When I first saw his list and noticed the excessively priced Lego items, I figured he just circled the items he wanted and didn't know how much they cost. But today, when I realized he knew the death star was nearly $400, I was shocked. How much does he think we spend on him for Christmas?

I took a calm cleansing breathe and sweetly said (you know me, I'm not actually sweet) "Eli, I guarantee you nobody in this world is getting you death star for Christmas so I think it is a good idea to go be upset now, so that you are not sad on Christmas morning." He cried.

I then explained that a bike, round trip airfare for four to just about anywhere in Europe, most appliances, an Ipad, a nice chair, 3 days of skiing, a camera, many computers.... all cost LESS than a pile of Legos and even if for some reason I had $400 to spend on him for Christmas I would surely buy one of many other things before even considering the death star.

His response "but mom, on Amazon it is $339.99".

"Sigh"

No sense of beating around the bush. "Eli, nobody is spending more than $100 on you."

Where are my pants?

2010-11-17T21:28:00.003+01:00

I lost my pants. Not the ones I was wearing, but my very favorite, most comfortable, cute lounge pants. I'm not happy about this.

Sometimes I find an item that I love so much I just can't imagine any other brand or style coming close to how wonderful it is. Such is true with my pants. Also true of my very favorite ever in the whole world slippers. I wear slippers 95% of the time I'm at home, and since I am a stay at home mom, that amounts to a whole lot of time. I have a lot of requirements for slippers. I want them to be warm enough to keep my feet warm in the winter but cool enough that I can wear them in the summer. They have to have some sort of tread on the bottom because I have wood floors and death stairs. I also want them to be thin on the bottom, I don't want to feel like I'm walking on a pillow. And lastly, it would be nice if they were at least slightly cute because as mentioned before I wear them all the time. I found such slippers over a year ago. They are excessively priced but absolutely perfect. They are cute Mary Jane style wool slippers with a nice little arch support yet lightweight sole. They look like comfy granola shoes not like little satiny grandma slippers (sorry grandma) I love them. I love them so much that after I bought my first pair, I bought a pair as a gift to Rachael, my fellow slipper lovin' friend, and bought myself a backup pair in case something horrific happened and they were no longer available to me. Good thing I bought that back up because turns out 9 months into pair one, they got a hole and I had to break out the second pair. Much to my horror, my second pair now has a hole in them. I checked out Amazon to replace them and they are no longer available. I looked high and low all over internet-land and had no luck. I'm mending these bad boys, I can't imagine life without them.

Such is the case with my lost pants. Not only did I lose my pants, but I can't get them anymore because they are no longer sold in stores. I hate that. They were purple, with an elastic/drawstring waist, capri length, and had a little "cute factor" added with a cinched band just below my knee. So comfy, so cute, so gone. I think I left them in Garmisch. It is the only practical explanation for their disappearance. It doesn't make the loss any easier, but now that I've determined the last time I wore them, I can justify calling off the search party of all my drawers, closets and laundry baskets.

34

2010-11-16T21:18:00.005+01:00

I turned 34.

My birthday was November 1st. That morning I woke up around 8am in a hotel in Garmisch, Germany. Sleeping next to me was my favorite 6 year old, Gabriel. Eli was in a bed across the room and Matt was in London. The boys and I dined at the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet in the hotel lobby. Eli noticed that I seemed a little too excited for breakfast and made some comment about how giddy I was. He doesn't understand that I LOVE breakfast and what I love more than breakfast, is breakfast that is hot, that I didn't have to cook! I ate hot waffles, bacon, a made to order omelet, other random breakfast items, and drank coffee and orange juice. I loved it. After the morning feast we hopped in the oversized spa outside to relax from the caloric overload then I watched the boys frolic in the indoor pool in the hotel basement. We checked out of the hotel at noon and sauntered through town before finding the perfect spot for lunch....Pizza Hut. What can I say? The boys were choosing and they can't resist good ol' American greasy pizza. After we finished our lunch, we strolled back through town, took a walk in the park and then loaded up for our drive back home. Seems like an uneventful, yet delightful way to spend a 34th birthday.

October 31st is my sister-in-law's birthday but I didn't call her. Instead, I woke up, loaded the boys in the car and headed to Zugspitze. Zugspitze is the highest peak in Germany and it is where I wanted go to celebrate my birthday. We took a cog-wheel train up to a cable car, and then the cable car on up to the top of the world (the German world). All day I was praying for beautiful weather. The problem with the peaks of the Alps is that they are only enjoyable if you can actually see something once you get there. Clouds were threatening to sock in my view, but they stayed parted long enough for me to see what I came to see, the glorious, beautiful Alps from the tippy top. Once the wind started threatening to blow us over the edge and the clouds began to disrupt our view, we headed down the mountain by way of a cable car. We stomped around the lake at the bottom a little, the boys made their best snowballs out of dirty old snow and then we headed to the hotel to check in, get dinner, and go swimming. All I have to say about this day is, I was on top of the world and it was beautiful.

October 28th is not really an important day. I brought snacks to Eli's class for a fall party, worked with my Awana group, and was very glad to be home at 6pm after a long, busy, day. I pulled into the carport and noticed right away that something was up, Madison and Grace were in the playground behind my house. That's odd. When I opened the door to my house, a few friends' heads poked around the corner and I heard a little voice say "Happy Birthday?" It took a few seconds and then it all made sense. Kids in playground belong to parents in house who are here for a surprise birthday celebration a little early because all the guys were leaving for London tomorrow. I got it.

Mika made a delicious meal for Matt and I, her and Tom, and our friends Alton and Katrina. As a bonus, Matt put a movie on upstairs so the kids would be occupied for our adult dinner. After dinner we had cupcakes, the kids sang a beautiful rendition of "Happy Birthday" complete with very excited "cha cha cha" accents, I opened thoughtful gifts, and we ended the night by rockin' out to the Beatles via karaoke/guitar hero. Good times.

So, I turned 34.

(Here is a link to some photos. Password ourphotos )

Apples and Oranges

2010-11-15T21:22:00.003+01:00

My computer developed a long red line on the screen about 4 weeks ago. I turned it off and then back on again hoping that the long line was just a bad dream, but it was real. I instantly got a headache, called Matt whining, and then stewed about how such a thing could happen to a young pup of a computer. My Mac is only 10 months old!

No worries. It is an iMac! It took a few weeks to determine where the closest Apple Service center was, and another week or so to make time to go there, but last Thursday Matt went to the shop in Mannheim, made hand gestures describing the problem and today I have my computer back.

What did it cost for the repair? Nothing.

Headache trying to convince them to do warranty work? No.

Paperwork? None.

This is why we have Apples and not Oranges.

I Celebrate the Day

2010-10-29T22:43:00.004+02:00

I love Christmas music.

If I was forced to choose between the twinklyness of Christmas or Christmas music, it would be a tough call but I would have to go for the music. I simply love it.

We have a standing rule in our house that you cannot play, sing, or hum Christmas tunes until after Thanksgiving. Although that used to mean the day after Thanksgiving, now it is highly likely that the music begins to play upon completion of our Thanksgiving meal.

New Christmas albums are always one of my first holiday purchases. I scour the internet for new albums and snatch up anything that melts my heart. We have about 40 albums to choose from, but my favorite are the Denton Christmas Mix. Each year our friends Wesley and Kari put together a fabulous collection of new and old songs, country, rock, children's songs and classics. The albums are super! I impatiently wait for the latest edition and try to guess what kind of magic the Dentons are creating with their Christmas mix.

I digress.

A few days ago a Christmas tune popped into my head illegally, and I can't get it out. It is called "I Celebrate the Day" performed by Reliant K, a Christian rock band. I like the song, and I particularly love the lyrics. One of my favorite lines is "And I, I celebrate the day That You were born to die So I could one day pray for You to save my life." This is what it is about people. Magical lyrics, set to rockin' tunes, telling the world about Christ's arrival into the grand scheme of life. Awesome.

26 days until Christmas music.

Even If...

2010-10-20T20:43:00.000+02:00

A few nights ago Matt and I were having a deep philosophical conversation. I'm sure that seems shocking considering the antics we are usually up to, but I can assure you every once in a while we get serious. Although I can't prove that this conversation took place, I just ask you to trust me on this one.

Matt and I were talking about faith and the role that it plays in our daily lives and through difficult situations. We believe that God can protect us from harm and living in fear of something bad happening to us or our family is essentially choosing not to have faith. Worry and stress over situations that we cannot control is actively choosing not to believe that God has every aspect of our lives in his hands.

Matt summed it up well with a reference to the three men in the fiery furnace. He said "and then, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 'if God chooses not to save us then so be it'." That is not an officially approved translation but it gets to the point.

In Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were standing before the king to account for their actions of not worshiping idols. They said to the king "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Now that is faith. The three amigos knew God could save them but they also knew that God gets to decide if He wants to or not. They knew that God may choose not to save them from a fiery death but they were still willing to stand before the King and denounce his idols. They said "fine throw us in the furnace, God can save us...but even if he doesn't, he will use us to his glory. The bible is full of stories where bad things happened to people who had faith in God, there are also stories where God intervened and performed miracles.

Faith in God is about knowing in my heart that he can spare me from pain, deliver me from trials, heal my body, my mind, and my heart but even if he doesn't he is still God, he still loves me and I will still worship him.

House Pictures

2010-10-17T20:55:00.003+02:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

We moved into our new place a few months ago but I finally took pictures last night. I was going to wait until it was decorated and clean but at this rate, it may not happen for another year or so, so I snapped these shots and called it good enough.

To see the pictures full size and read all my explanatory captions you may need to log in to our shutterfly site by clicking the above link. The password is "ourphotos". There are other albums on the site for your viewing pleasure as well.

Mario Sepulveda

2010-10-13T20:00:00.004+02:00

Mario Sepulveda was the second Chilean miner to escape from the pit of the earth and rise to freedom this morning. He jumped out of the escape hatch and was shouting, jumping for joy, hugging people, and even handing out souvenir rocks to the rescuers. 69 days he and the other miners were trapped. 69 days of wondering if and when they would make it home.

What does it take to live in those horrible conditions for 69 days? How tough is it to be essentially buried alive? I was struck by Mr. Sepulveda's comments on his ordeal. He was quoted as saying "I was with God and with the devil. And I reached out for God." I'm sure he was feeling hopeful and in good spirits at times while other times he was feeling darkness and despair weighing heavily on and around him. In the end he chose to reach out for the one who gave him hope.

I was moved by this simple statement because Sepulveda acknowledged the spiritual battle that was taking place within him. Although most of us are not trapped a half mile below the earth, we face situations where we find ourselves in a spiritual tug-o-war between God and the devil. Oh the devil is there, but it is simply our choice to reach out for the one who gives us life, hope, and peace. It is our responsibility to reach out for the one who gives us freedom. It is our choice in the smallest or gravest circumstances to choose to reach out to Jesus Christ.

Hobnail

2010-10-10T22:03:00.003+02:00

This is a hobnail milk glass cake plate and I want it. Why? Because I find it uniquely cool and my grandma has some hobnail milk glass so when I see it I think of her.

I can't call myself a collector or enthusiast because I don't actually own a single piece, but I am on the hunt at thrift stores and flea markets. I hope to have a little collection of functional funky serving dishes in the near future.

Tuscan Cooking Lessons

2010-10-05T22:44:00.001+02:00

The ad for our Florentine Villa said they offered Tuscan cooking lessons with Teresa. Not only do you learn secret family recipes for a four course meal, but after you cook it, you get to eat it! Terri and I made arrangements to meet Teresa in her 17th century kitchen for some cooking lessons, lots of sampling, and some wine.

The sun shone in the window of her kitchen and bounced off of the red tile roofs that were stacked against the hillside. The kitchen was small and warm but inviting. It was so beautiful, surely something magical would happen in there.

We jumped right into making a chocolate cake with apples and pears. When I asked if the fruit could be substituted for strawberries or raspberries, I was quickly reprimanded. "NO NO NO" Teresa said "only the apple and the pear". Teresa's English isn't so great but she really gets her point across. You absolutely cannot freeze pasta or focaccia dough, and don't you dare substitute berries in her Great Grandmothers chocolate cake!

We made chocolate cake and pasta noodles from scratch, followed by the filling for cannelloni, some herbed something or other meat dish, and got lessons on how to make the most delicious focaccia bread/pizza crust I have ever tasted in my life.

After we "helped" prepare dinner we were released to enjoy a glass of wine on the terrace overlooking the city of Florence and the family's olive grove. Later, Matt, the boys, and Matt's dad joined us on the terrace for dinner. The view was simply amazing. The weather was perfect. And the food ... oh the food was incredible. All of the herbs and vegetables are grown on the property, and the bread and pasta were so fresh they melted in your mouth. I'll never eat at Olive Garden again and something tells me it will be a long time before I have a terrace dining experience like that again either.

I doubt I'll be able to make any of the recipes we learned in Teresa's kitchen, but cooking and eating there will always be sweet memories for me.

Once Upon a Time...

2010-09-25T23:40:00.006+02:00

Scratch that! This is not a "once upon a time" type story.

I stood on the corner of some street on the outskirts of Milan, Italy and let the hundreds of thoughts pass through my brain. The first moments were overwhelming as I discovered one by one what was missing: our window, Matt's bike, Matt's bag of favorite things (computer, iPad, PSP, iPod), the boys' back packs, Eli's DS, Matt's jacket, make that everyone's jackets, our luggage, our overnight bag, everything, everything except the groceries.

Since taking inventory of what we loss was becoming too overwhelming, we decided to take inventory of what we had: the clothes Matt and I were wearing, passports, money, credit cards, a lot of food, a blender, our phones, and a GPS. We also had a bunch of shoes, Matt's bike clothes, the boys' suitcase and our Oktoberfest outfits. These were all safely tucked away in our cargo rack on the roof and inaccessible to the thieves. We pulled ourselves together a bit and made a game plan.

After stopping by a local Police station, finding plastic and tape to put a temporary fix on the window, gassing up, and getting cash, we hit the road. A few hours later, our weary family arrived at a beautiful Villa overlooking the city of Florence. We were welcomed by Matt's dad and Terri and two of the biggest dogs I have ever not been eaten by in my life.

We unloaded the van, recounted the story and took a deep breathe. We made it.

Maybe not in one piece but we made it. We were quickly supplied with some clothes to wear while we washed the ones we had on, soap and shampoo to get the day off of us, and a nice glass of wine.

What happened in the next 24 hours is a blur of phone calls, roaming the streets of Florence to supply our closets with some clothes, filing a police report, and trying to translate containers of toiletries in an effort to find deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, and soap.

Why did we press on? We had a vacation to get to. Turning back wouldn't get us anything, so we hoped that a week in Italy would lessen the pain of one of the most lucrative smash-n-grabs of all time.

This is a photo of our room at the Villa once we got settled in. Note that the only thing in the room is a pile of stuff on the chair. Our "luggage" was a portion of a toiletry bag that contained: nail clippers, pomade, 2 hair clips, Advil, my medication, and a travel container of Bandaids. There is also a pair of Matt's swim shorts and flip-flops - lucky guy.

This experience has taught me a hard lesson about what I need and what I think I need. On the practical side, I have an entirely new idea about what to pack for a weekend getaway or even a 10 day vacation. My life lesson is that I am carrying way more baggage than I need...both literally and figuratively. I may not have been wearing the outfits I wanted to, I had no make-up on, and my hair was definitely not a "do" but I was walking around the streets of Florence with my family and none of that stuff really mattered. I tend to carry things that I think will make me feel or look better, I tend to carry things that I think I can control, I carry things that will not make the Eulogy at my funeral. There is beauty and peace in simplicity and it is a path I plan to walk down.

Once upon a time, a family drove to Italy and had a great time.

Where to begin?

2010-09-21T16:31:00.002+02:00

Eli's birthday and first day of 3rd grade, trip to the French Alps, Gabe's first day of Kindergarten and 10 days of travel from home to Milan, Florence, Munich and back home. This is what I've been up to. However, the details of some of these little adventures are just too juicy to skip over, even though it may be October by the time I get to them.

Trying to get back in to the habit of spilling my guts on my blog. I think my next entry will be about how to pull it together when you are left standing with nothing more than the clothes on your back and the money in your wallet.

Stay tuned.

Behind the Pictures

2010-08-25T23:31:00.002+02:00

Over the past few days I have been switching out pictures from my frames and reorganizing how I am hanging our picture frames. In the process I have found myself lost in memories as I look at the pictures, not the ones on display but the ones I keep behind the pictures.

I never take pictures out of frames, I simply put the most recent one in the front and move the rest to the back. Today, I glanced at the first photo studio shot taken of Gabe at 2 weeks. There were pictures of my nieces, my family, my kids, and Matt and I. Years and years of pictures were hiding behind that glass. I found it so interesting that the really good ones, the ones that jog memories and reveal someone from a different time and place, are the ones hiding.

Maybe I need to start displaying the old ones?

We've Moved

2010-08-23T23:06:00.002+02:00

Our new address is 40 Grant Circle. We have 3 toilets. The end.

In the past 15 days we have successfully transferred all of our possessions from apartment 1-A Jackson to the new place on Grant, went to a friend's musical theatre production, attended the Weinheim Fest (for the second year in a row), went to a U2 concert, cleaned out the old apartment, and decorated the new house....well mostly.

We've been busy.

Cops and Robbers. Cowboys and Indians.

2010-08-09T22:30:00.002+02:00

Nazis and Jews? Uh oh.

It is hard to live in Germany and see so many historic sites without talking to the kids about Nazis and their hatred for Jews. We've taken the boys to the Nazi Documentation Center in Nurnberg, to the Topography of Terror exhibit in Berlin, the Jewish Culture Museum in Berlin, and a number of other sites that have incited conversation about Hitler and Nazis. We haven't talked about concentration camps yet, but still the boys know that Nazi's didn't like Jews and that was a big problem during World War II.

Today the boys were playing and since the apartment is mostly empty (due to the move) they have nothing to play with other than their imagination. Sure enough, leave it to Gabe to start a new game of Nazi's and Jews. He was a Nazi and decided that Eli was a Jew and must be arrested.

Shock and horror overwhelmed me. What is my child thinking? Then I realized he is just playing out what he is learning about. Some kids hear stories of cops and robbers. Other hear about cowboys and indians. Mine have recently heard a lot about Nazis and Jews.

We had a quick intervention and then Matt and I realized we better prepare a strategy for damage control before Gabe starts playing with the neighbor kids.

This child keeps me on my toes.

Geschichtenerzählin = Storyteller

Rochambeau and Coffee Dates

Grace.

Things to Hate about Germany

Happy New Year!

Mexican. Dude.

Ode To 15 Years

More Things to Hate about Germany *Update*

Dinner

No Joy

Things to Hate about Germany

Downright Dirty

Epiphany.

True Story.

Family Photos 2011

Happy Veteran's Day....

Writing on the Wall

Simply Put.

Aρειος Πάγος

Sneak Peak!

By Faith

Oktoberfest 2011

September.

Seasons

Volvo vs. Cart

Love the Ones You're With

Where?

2011 Pictures

2012

Butter, Sugar, Flour, Eggs

Code of Conduct

Missing: Decorum

Letting Go

"Uh............"

Being of sound mind and pressed for time....

mi-phone

Numbers

One Wish

Catching Up

Afternoon Snacks

From the Panda's Mouth

Questions for God

Tambourine to Tears

Running to First.

Missing Blogger Found in Western Germany

GABRIEL HERNANDEZ!

Consequences

Follow Up

The Pox

Ma-ma.

Defending Carols

What did he say?

Flags on a Map

Oops, look what I found!

Playtime in the Great Room

Freestyle or Repetition?

Wikileakable

Peeing in the Dark

Alien: non-citizen inhabitant.

Confessions

Comings and Goings

Its a bad thing.

Freeze Frame

Addiction

The Red Umbrella

Shipping to an APO

Madrid or Bust!

1-1-11

2010 Auf Wiedersehen

Change of Plans

The Christmas Truce

Oh What Fun

What am I making Christmas morning?

Unbroken Song

Revisited Classic

The Neighbor

You are the Light

Ray Charles and The Spirit of Christmas

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!

Emmanuel

More Things to Hate about Germany Update