Lori

New blog - Choices in Childbirth

2009-04-20T19:49:00.005+02:00

Choices in Childbirth

Over the past few years, I have become more and more passionate about natural childbirth and serving women during their birth year. Since we have moved to the NW suburbs of Chicago, I have been given many opportunities to grow and develop skills based on this passion.

Just this Spring I finished my certification as a Childbirth educator with the Bradley Method®. I am in the midst of teaching my third series of Bradley® classes and I love it. To me it is so rewarding to help families who desire a natural childbirth to learn about the amazing process of birth.

Alongside this I am also in the process of obtaining a doula certification through DONA (an international doula organization). Going to a birth is such a privilege and supporting a family through one of life's miracles is just unspeakable.

Through this process I decided that I needed a place to voice my heart on the topic of childbirth. I feel that in the media and conventional wisdom of our day and age that the whole picture of birth is not made clear. Women are strong. We grow babies that our bodies can birth. Childbirth is not inherently dangerous. Our current medical system is not infallable.

Wheter we realize it or not women have many choices to make during our childbirth year. If we do not speak up for ourselves, others will make those choices for us, and our families will be left bearing the weight of the consequences.

So I have begun to blog about these choices we must make. I will present many facets and options so that women and their families can make empowered, informed decisions whose consequences they are comfortable experiencing. You can check it out here: choices-in-childbirth.com

Safari Party

2008-03-07T21:46:00.007+01:00

A few weeks ago Isa turned 4 and next week Abigail turns 6, so last weekend we celebrated both of their birthdays with a Safari party at the church. Matt was a huge help - he and the girls made all of the animals on the cake. All the kids were great and went along with all of my sometimes kooky games.

Hace unas semanas que Isa cumplió 4 años y la semana que viene Abi cumplirá los 6. Por eso la semana pasada hemos celebrado los dos cumples con una fiesta compartida. Funciona muy bien que ya tienen muchos amigos en común. Matt me ayudó un montón - que hizo con las niñas todas las figuritas del pastel. Y todos los invitados eran geniales y participaron muy entusiasmados en todo. Bicos a todos los que queríamos invitar y no pudimos por la distancia tan larga!

----------------
Now playing: Paul O'Rellly - Dock On The Bay
via FoxyTunes

Grace Begins - handcrafted jewelery and more

2008-02-15T19:26:00.005+01:00

My friend Grace has just launched her own line of hand-crafted jewelery as she prepares to embark on the journey of stay-at-home motherhood (she's due at the beginning of March with her first). So here's the link to her site: Snowcloud Jewelery where there is lots more to look at as well as her contact info should you be interested in a purchase. Thanks Grace and I can't wait to meet that baby!

Mi amiga Grace acaba de estrenar su propia linea de joyeria artesana como se esta preparando para el camino de ser mama y cuidar al nin@ en casa. Sale de cuentas al principio de marzo con su primer hij@. Aqui esta el enlace de su pajina web: Snowcloud Jewelery donde hay muchas ejemplares y tambien sus datos de contcto si le interse alguna cosita. Gracias Grace y no puedo esperar a conocer al peque!

2/25/08 update: no longer borrowing space on a friend's site, Grace has launched her own space with her own name: GraceBegins. Enjoy!!

Kings Day - El Dia de los Reyes

2008-01-07T05:16:00.000+01:00

Today the girls were SO excited that it was Reyes. Last year we celebrated in the home of our dear friends Guillermo and Yolanda where we all devoured the Roscón together. So this morning we retold the story of the Kings (wise men or astrologers) - how they listened to God and made themselves able to be used by him. We found a recipe for roscón online and we made it together. It wasn't quite the same - we had to substitute jelly beans for the candied fruit, but the sentiment was there and the girls loved it. Abigail got the bean and Eden got the prize.

Hoy las niñas despertaron tan emocionadas por ser el día de los reyes. Hace doce dias que les había visitado Papá Noel con todos los regalos. A pesar de eso, las niñas estaban eléctricas igual y decidían que querían hornear un roscón juntos. Después de contar la historia de los reyes (o magos, o astrólogos) hemos buscado una receta de roscón por internet. No fue exactamente lo que comimos los años pasados - tuve que sustituir unos gominolas por la fruta encima - pero fue lo mejor que pudimos encontrar aquí. A Abi le tocó la haba y a Edén la sorpresita. Echamos de menos a nuestros amigos y a las tradiciones que hemos adoptados. Y para todos nuestros amigos en España, ¡Feliz día de los Reyes! ¡Feliz 2008!

La Bici - The Bike

2007-11-26T05:20:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, (finally!!) I got out on my bike with Abigail and Eden and did some errands. They both did great. Eden loved it! We took some books back to the library and I picked up a couple of things from the store. It was really fun being outside, getting a bit of exercise, and doing errands all at once. The picture is of me with Isa in front. Getting going is the hardest part, and once there's a bit of momentum, it's not too hard. Hopefully now that we know it can be done, we'll be able to get out a bit more before it gets REALLY COLD.

Ayer, (por fin!) monte la bici con Abi y Eden para hacer unos recados. A ellas les encanto! Fuimos a la biblioteca y al supermercado. Me diverti mucho estar fuera, hacer un poco de ejercicio y hacer recados todo a la vez. El video es con Isa en la cesta porque ella queria hacer una vuelta tambien. Empezar a ir es la parte mas dificil, pero al coger un poco de monentum, no esta muy mal. Espero que ahora yo se que lo puedo hacer, salre en bici un par de veces antes de que llegue EL SUPER FRIO.

Another Move- otra mudanza

2007-09-15T17:20:00.000+02:00

Hoy estamos mudando del piso de iTeams a nuestra casa en Hoffman Estates. Estoy animada, estresada, y lista para esta mudanza. Aun estan embaladas las cosas que hemos enviado desde Espana. Estoy lista para deshacerlas y tener un solo lugar para la familia y sentir como "nosotros" otra vez.

Today we are moving from our apartment at iTeams to our house in Hoffman Estates. Iam excited, stressed and ready for this move. Our boxes that we shipped from Spain are still packed. I'm ready to un-pack and settle in and feel like "us" again.

BICOS

I blog a ton

2007-08-17T21:04:00.001+02:00

No, really, I do. Or at least I come up with tons of great posts while I am running. Once I get into a groove and my body isn't protesting so much that I have to will myself just to put one foot in front of the other, then my mind starts to wander a bit. I don't know how many times my mind has mulled over a great quote or an issue or a verse, and I've been so sure that it would be the best post for this blog, only to return, shower, and get sucked back into daily life where my great post fizzles out. I have done some of my best blogging while out jogging.

I also am able to pray while I'm jogging. During the day my mind is so distracted that quiet moments to pray are rare. But while I'm out running, the hard work and rhythm of the breathing and footfalls allow my mind to focus. Friends in need, things in my life God is trying to work out, our marriage, our kids, our world, things I'm thankful for, things I'm repenting of. . . it's easy to sink into it and forget how far I've run, or how long I've been praying for.

I used to pray and think a lot in the pool, too. Something about distracting my body with something challenging and repetitive really allows my mind to dig in - whether it is some yet-to-be-typed blog post or talking to Jesus. Good thing for me that prayer works nothing like blogger - no logging in, passwords, or computers required!

The Move - La Mudanza

2007-06-24T17:09:00.000+02:00

Oh the boxes! I will be so glad when the shippers come and take them away! Ay las cajas! Estaré tan feliz cuando llegan los transportistas para quitarmelas!

Swains Moving

2007-06-14T22:10:00.002+02:00

Once again the city is filling up with Pilgrims and the slick wet winter plazas have dried and are now filled with sunshine and café tables as the rains give way to summer. This year, the first in a long time, we are not putting out out tables at Terra Nova.

Answered Prayer- With only one day left to spare in February (whew) we signed over the cafe to its new owners. This was a HUGE blessing. From the sale of the cafe we have been able to cover both the debt that we had to IT as well as pay back team members the personal finances that each of us had put into the cafe. This was an answer to many prayers and we praise the Lord for his faithfulness.

Time of Listening- As we mentioned in our last newsletter, Lori and I have been spending time praying about whether we should stay in Spain or move on to something else. We spent some time meeting with and talking to friends in ministry all around Spain. We prayed about ministries in Sevilla, Barcelona, La Coruña, Madrid, and of course staying here in Santiago. While we saw many worthwhile opportunities here, we both feel that it is time for us to return to the USA. This has been a long and difficult decision, but the more that we have thought and prayed about it the more that we believe it is the right thing for our family at this time. Right now is a crazy and bittersweet time for us as we are anticipating the things God has for us back in the US, but we are also grieving what we are leaving here. We tell our friends here that a part of our heart will always be in Santiago in the friendships and the life we have lived here.

Return Date- Lori and I have purchased tickets to return to the Chicago area on July 8th. We will be spending some time at International Teams in Elgin for a time of debriefing that they offer for returning missionaries. We hope to spend some time in Ohio with friends and family, but have not finalized all of our travel plans yet. We will do so as soon as we can.

Finances- As always, we want to say thank you for supporting us in this ministry financially. Since transitioning from one country to another is one of the most costly parts of overseas ministry, International Teams allows for returning missionaries to have three months severance pay to relocate and resettle. We would ask those who have committed to supporting this ministry to maintain their current level of support through September.

International Teams- We have loved working with International Teams and cannot express what a joy it has been working with this organization and seeing how God is working in and through people all around the world. We have learned so much about the world refugee crisis, inner-city needs, and so many other ways in which to be a witness of the Gospel in a cross-cultural context. We praise God for ministry organizations like IT and pray for God's continued blessings on their work!

Looking Back- As we think back over the six and a half years that we have spent in Spain, we can't help but praise God for the ways that he has worked in our lives. We are so thankful for all of the wonderful people that have been part of this ministry. THANK YOU to those of you who have supported us financially and through prayer, to those of you who have worked along side us both on our team and in short term experiences and GRACIAS especially to our Spanish friends who allowed us to share our lives and our faith with them. Each of these people have encouraged us and given us a deeper understanding of Christ and his love for us.

As more of our relocation plans finalize, we will be sure to get the word out. It's been a while since our last visit stateside and we are really looking forward to re-connecting with our friends and family there. For those of you in the Lancaster area, when we come to Ohio, we will be planning a time where we can get together at First Presbyterian to personally thank you and share the story of God's work in Santiago and Terra Nova. If you have any questions feel free to drop us an e-mail.

We love you all and appreciate your prayers,

Matt & Lori

2007-05-06T14:32:00.000+02:00

"We must become holy not because we want to feel holy but
because Christ must be able to live his life fully in us."

- Mother Teresa

New (Cheap!!) Glasses

2007-04-18T10:55:00.000+02:00

It was time for new glasses - not only had my prescription changed, but one of the girls had snapped off an ear piece of my older glasses, so I was only wearing (dangling) them at night at home. However, I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg like you can at some eyeglass places. With frames and everything the cheapest pair I could find at a store in town here in Santiago was going to cost me well over $100. I kept putting it off until Matt saw this post on Boing Boing describing a blogger who had found inexpensive yet quality eyeglass dealers online. I decided it was worth the risk.

So I went to the Glassy Eyes blog and chose a store. I decided on Optical 4 Less and above you have the result. For $66, I purchased two pairs of glasses, and was very pleased. This included shipping as well. I probably won't buy glasses in a store again.

Carnaval

2007-02-17T15:48:00.000+01:00

This Tuesday is Carnaval, and since they don't go back to school till Wednesday, all the kids at school dressed up Friday afternoon to celebrate. Abigail was Sleeping Beauty and wore her flower girl dress from Eric and Jenni's wedding. In this picture she's hugging her friend Julia(in blue). Julia's younger sister, Sofia is in the orange, and Dahiala, Betty's daughter is wearing the pink mask. I think they are all such cuties!

Veggie Time!

2007-02-17T13:04:00.000+01:00

Last night Eden ate her first ever vegetable - zucchini - and she loved it. So here are a few photos of her first experience of going green:

Wow, were we sick

2007-02-13T17:08:00.000+01:00

I got away from the blog a bit because our whole team was hit (and the Baileys are still recovering!) with a nasty virus. And even worse it coincided with a visit from our friends the Hansens. So, the first two days Matt and I were the world's worst hosts - "Here, take a map and go enjoy the city while we stay inside and lay on the couch." We even cancelled Isa's birthday party on Saturday. Finally by Sunday we were able to hang out with them some more. Yesterday we were almost normal except that I now have no voice. What horrible timing!

You know you have three girls when. . .

2007-02-04T21:16:00.000+01:00

. . . you can do an entire load of laundry and every item in the load is pink.

Seriously, last night I washed a load of the girls' clothes that was all pink. I now have four piles whe I sort laundry: whites, darks, lights, and PINK.

Wow.

Latte Art

2007-02-02T15:46:00.000+01:00

Chris, a barista from Arizona is here to help us out till the end of February, and he has introduced me to the world of latte art. In trying to find a page on how exactly to do this kind of thing with my café con leche, I found these very cool pics by tonx on flickr. Definitely worth a look. If I come up with anything worth a photo, don't worry, I'll post it.

Healthy Communication

2007-01-28T11:09:00.000+01:00

Just read an interesting blurb on Time.com that talks about how in people who use two or more languages regularly throughout adulthood, the onset of dementia is delayed by 4.1 years. Perhaps we should rethink having a second official language in the states . . .

You can check out the article here.

Fight Terror? End Poverty.

2007-01-21T23:33:00.000+01:00

In this three part Canadian interview, Jeffrey Sachs discusses his ideas in his book, The End of Poverty.

Part 2

Part 3

The End of Poverty

2007-01-18T16:46:00.000+01:00

For just about all of Christmas break, I avoided this book. Before they left Jacob and Tania had lent it to us encouraging us to read it, and usually I dive right into a good read. This time, I walked the other way every time I saw it on the shelf. I think I expected either a guilt trip or a real downer or both. Instead, what I've been reading is fresh, inspiring, and hopeful.

Jeffrey Sachs in The End of Poverty describes how within our generation we can eradicate extreme poverty (a term he defines as those who live with less than $1 a day). Not relative poverty, but extreme poverty - people who live with out access to clean water, adequate nutrition, education, or health care. He proposes that we as a global community can end this not with handouts, but through investments in simple yet life-changing things such as paved roads, anti-malarial bed nets, community health workers, and fertilizer.

Besides, making me want to go back to school and get my PhD in development economics, reading this book is making me rethink other issues - such as how things like vaccines, wells, and high yield grains are just as much weapons we can use to fight the"war on terror" as smart bombs are. And to accomplish this all we have to do is adhere to our current commitments.

In 2002, the U.S. and other developed nations pledged .7% of each developed country's GNP as official development assitsance in the Monterrey Consensus. Five years later our nation is still only contributing .14% of GNP. Every year we put off meeting our pledge, millions of people remain stuck in an ever worsening cycle of poverty. We only need to get them to what Sachs describes as the first rung on the development ladder, and then they'll be able to climb on their own. But for so many, there remains no ladder in sight.

Go Bucks!

2007-01-08T17:18:00.001+01:00

Healthful Eating

2007-01-05T23:36:00.000+01:00

I've started a new blog, called Healthful Eating. Many of you may know that Matt was diagnosed with high cholesterol right around when Eden was born and since then we've been eating "heart-healthy." His cholesterol is significantly lower (as is his weight!) than when we began and I've come across a number of great-tasting new recipes. Since meal planning and cooking is a significant part of what I do, I thought I would start a blog to record some of my new findings as I'm learning to cook all over again.

San Pelayo Christmas Program

2007-01-01T23:57:00.000+01:00

Yea! I finally figured out how to get video out of our analog camera, into our computer and out again to YouTube! For all of you who heard so much about the Christmas Program at the girls' pre-school, you can now watch it online here. And for all of you who didn't, the whole family was involved: Abigail danced and had some lines (yes, in Spanish!), Isa was an angel, Eden was Baby Jesus and because of a shortage this year of 3-5 year-old boys, Matt ended up (largely, this was my fault) being Gaspar, one of the Three Kings. I hid up onstage behind an inn in case Eden needed to be rescued, but she did great!! It's in 5 parts, so if you want to see more (and the Kings don't come in till later!) click where it says "more from this user."

Abigail and Isa loved being part of the play, the only disappointment was for Isa who after it was all over said, "But Mama, I wanted to dance!" Next year, sweetie.

Christmas Program Part 2

2007-01-01T23:52:00.002+01:00

Abigail starts this one off.

Christmas Program Part 3

2007-01-01T23:52:00.001+01:00

Christmas Program Part 4 "The Kings"

2007-01-01T23:47:00.000+01:00

Click here to see part 4.
Matt does make for a very handsome King. By the way, in Spain, the Three Kings traditionally have names: Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar. Matt got to be Gaspar.

Christmas Program Part 5 "Jingle Bells"

2007-01-01T23:46:00.000+01:00

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2006-12-05T13:11:00.000+01:00

Today it is RAINING. Let me paint a picture for you: Matt worked this morning so I had to get the girls to school by myself. Eden is all bundled and strapped into her stroller which is covered in a nice plastic bubble. Attached to the stroller is a step with wheels on it that Isa rides on. Abigail is walking with her little rainbow umbrella and rain boots. I am pushing the stroller with one hand and clutching an umbrella with the other trying to keep Isa and myself dry.

While my backside is getting wet because of the way I have to hunch over to get enough leverage to get some momentum, my boot-cut jeans are getting soaked through up to the knees. It is at this point that I begin pondering the practicality of the fashion trend I have yet to adopt: tucking your jeans into your boots. I am of the opinion that this only makes my post-baby hips look even hippier (not hip-er) so I continue to wear my jeans outside my boots in that oh-so-two-years-ago way.

Anyway, about halfway to school is stops raining and starts POURING. Here we either all start whining and crying (yes, myself included) or we choose to make the best of it. Today I had the strength to choose to laugh (believe me there are days, when I don't) and we all ended up shouting at the top of our lungs the song, "Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day! Rain, rain, go away! Abigail and Isa and Eden and Mommy want to play!" In that moment our singing didn't make the rain go away, but it did make me feel better.

Later this morning I switched out with Matt at the café and after three teas I'm warming up and serving hot beverages to all the brave souls who've been out in this weather. Most days the rain doesn't really bother me, but today when one of Isa's teachers greeted me and said that the weather today was a horror, I looked down at my baby-under-the-bubble, felt the cold wet denim around my calves and agreed.

SAVE DARFUR

2006-11-30T14:51:00.000+01:00

since 2003:

400,000 dead

2,000,000 forced from their homes

3,500,000 dependant on international aid just to survive

I know I don't often get political on my blog, but knowing that genocide is going unchecked as I'm still digesting Thanksgiving lefotvers made me a little ill. Read on:

SaveDarfur.org has a post called "Background" that's worth checking out...

Darfur has been embroiled in a deadly conflict for over three years. At least 400,000 people have been killed; more than 2 million innocent civilians have been forced to flee their homes and now live in displaced-persons camps in Sudan or in refugee camps in neighboring Chad; and more than 3.5 million men, women, and children are completely reliant on international aid for survival. Not since the Rwandan genocide of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated campaign of displacement, starvation, rape, and mass slaughter...

Check out the site and sign the petition to ask Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the U.N. and Prestident George Bush to deploy already approved peacekeeping forces and strengthen international aid to save lives.

Photo Story

2006-11-22T10:56:00.000+01:00

I just figured how to upload video to myspace, so I added our latest Photo Story to my myspace page for anyone who wants to check it out. Have fun!

inspiring

2006-11-02T15:20:00.000+01:00

This past Sunday Matt ran in his first race. He's been jogging pretty regularly ever since college and lately he's really stepped it up. So when a few weeks ago a friend mentioned that she'd be running in the local 13K Matt decided to join the 6000 other runners as well. Here are some cool shots of him the local paper took during the final km that winds through the old city - he's in images 12-15.

It was a long and hilly route and I am really proud of Matt for running and finishing well. We had such a fun morning cheering him on along with all the other runners. Abigail and Isa loved yelling and screaming to help their Daddy run faster. I was inspired myself to go for a jog later that afternoon. (Since I've only worked out twice since Eden was born, running in the race myself didn't seem like such a good idea - maybe next year!)

2006-10-18T16:09:00.000+02:00

This is a picture I took of Eden at two months. She's a chunky, happy, smiley, pleasant baby. It must be from the constant attention and lovin' she gets from her two older sisters.

an advocate

2006-09-19T23:09:00.000+02:00

I love living in Spain, but being a foreigner here I frequently find myself feeling a little lost - like when I don't get the punchline of a joke yet I smile and chuckle anyway, or when I think about choosing a school for Abigail in two years: private or public, Catholic or not, more gallego or less gallego. . . but the place where I feel the most out of sorts is anything involving the government. Mostly because it is a completely different system, and then we're foreigners in this completely different system and so the processes we go through are different those of our Spanish friends. And then to top it all off, all of the official government publications here in Galicia are in Gallego. Legalese is intimidating for me in English, pretty complicated for me in Spanish and near indecipherable in Gallego. All of this adds up to a certain level of anxiety for me whenever I have dealings with the government and ultimately makes me want to avoid it whenever we can. Plus, I have this neurotic fear that if we totally screw up our paperwork that we'll get kicked out of Spain.

Which leads me up to last week. We've been in Spain for over 5 years and still had some unanswered questions about living here as foreigners. Somehow some of our questions came up in conversation with my good friend Betty and last week she went with me to speak to a lawyer for foreigners who could actually answer my questions. And since then she has traipsed all over the city with me the past four mornings from office to office providing moral support as I collected information and filled out forms.

We didn't do anything that I couldn't have done on my own, except that I couldn't have done it on my own. I would have gotten frustrated and put it off another six months to five years and continued to miss out. I needed an advocate - someone to support me and back me and walk with me when I was unsure.

The last four mornings have made me realize how thankful I am that God created us to be in relationship with each other. That we don't have to walk through life alone and when we hit a rough spot or get all tangled up in red tape we're there for each other.

To her I'm sure it didn't seem like much, but thanks to Betty I'm a little less intimidated by stamp wielding bureaucrats.

audioblogging . . .

2006-09-03T23:41:00.000+02:00

Abuela's here!

2006-09-02T17:43:00.000+02:00

My Mom got here last Tuesday and we all are enjoying having her here. It's always great to have family visit especially around such a significant time as this. The first foto was taken right when Mom walked in the door and met Eden. She'd hardly had time to set down her suitcases before Abigail and Isa attacked her with hugs and kisses and I put Eden in her arms.

Well, Eden just woke up so I need to go. . .

. . . hopefully I won't be gone from the blog for a month again this time!

6 days. . .

2006-07-31T15:00:00.000+02:00

. . . till the due date. This is me at the park two days ago. Yesterday we had another false alarm. For about two hours in the afternoon I had some contractions again, and then they died down, and I'm still just as pregnant as I was yesterday. I guess this baby likes to practice - maybe she'll be a disciplined athlete or musician someday. . .

The girls

2006-07-28T11:45:00.000+02:00

Abigail and Isa are getting excited for the baby to arrive (as we all are!!). The other day I mentioned to Abigail that the baby can come whenever she's ready and now every morning Abigail asks me and my tummy if the baby is ready to come out.

Isa knows that I have a baby in my tummy, but while I'm not sure if she completely understands what all that entails, I know she's feeling that change is coming. Lately she's been playing a lot that she's a baby, and this morning she head-butted my belly and said that she wanted in. We then talked about how that's not possible and cuddled as much as my belly would allow.

10 days. . .

2006-07-27T19:37:00.000+02:00

. . . till my due date. I am ready to meet this little girl. She teased us over a week ago with some contractions, but nothing since. This of course has heightened the sense that it could be "any day" when she could be our first to arrive late. I have hopefully my last appointment this coming Tuesday, so we'll see. . .

One of my cousins in Ohio just gave birth to a very healthy 9lb. boy yesterday. We're really excited for them (and secretly jealous!).

odd isn't it?

2006-07-23T09:47:00.000+02:00

The other morning, I woke up at about 7:15 am to pee (something I have to do about 5-6 times a night at this point) and I shut the window like I always do at this time of the night. You see I have to shut it because our bedroom is on the back side of our house which overlooks all of the terraces and gardens of our block. And one of these terraces or gardens boasts the home of a rooster who every day between 7 and 7:30 makes his presence known. Loudly. I don't mind shutting the window. By that time of day our room is quite cool and getting back to sleep is not a problem. I just remember thinking how odd it was that Santiago is the largest city I've ever lived in and I have a rooster who wakes me up every day. Something I would expect out in the country, but not really in the city. And it's even funnier because I've lived with this rooster for almost three years and two days ago was the first time that I even thought that maybe he was a little out of place.

Roma

2006-06-28T16:27:00.000+02:00

About 3 weeks ago, my Mom spoiled me and took me on a quick trip to Rome with her best friend Gail and her daughter Adrienne. We had a blast - 4 women hauling it all over Rome with lots of laughs.

The Wednesday that we were there, our friend Father Sal, who happened to be in Rome at the same time we were, arranged for us to be able to listen to the Pope's teaching in St. Peter's Square. Very cool. On the left is a picture of the Pope's hand. (it was one of those hold-the-camera-over-your-head-and-click shots:)

Here we all are in Florence on the Ponte Vecchio - my Mom, Adrienne, Gail, me, and Father Sal. Florence was another great day - seeing all kinds of things that I've only ever read about in history class was pretty cool. Being there with my mom and great friends - even better.

A New Law

2006-06-13T23:49:00.000+02:00

Over the past few years - through conversations with summer teams, with teammates, with friends from home - God has shown me how my tendency is to come across an issue, form an opinion about it, file it away as dealt with, and move on. Through these conversations, I've learned that in following Jesus we're not called to positions, or rules, or laws, but that we're called to love.

I remember one summer in particular when we hashed out different sides to many touchy issues and discovered that God wasn't calling us to either "side," but to learn to live in what we described as a tension. A tension born out of knowing that following Jesus is so much bigger than checking off a list of requirements and comparing our lives to all the do's and don'ts. A tension formed from living each day listening to the Holy Spirit and responding out of that love - knowing that sometimes my actions won't always match up to everyone else's do's and don'ts.

Living in this tension, listening to the Holy Spirit, I still have so much to learn and grow, but it's a tough journey that I want to make. I want to love well. I want to follow Jesus - not just stick to a set of boiled-down conclusions and ethics.

A few weeks ago, a friend had us listen to a few tracks from Derek Webb's new CD. I think I've listened to it just about every day since. There are several powerful songs on the CD that I could blog about (it you want to listen to a couple for free or watch the video for "A New Law", check out his myspace.)

His song, A New Law captures the heart of this message that God keeps bringing me back to. Check it out:

A New Law
words and music by derek webb

(vs. 1)
don't teach me about politics and government
just tell me who to vote for

don't teach me about truth and beauty
just label my music

don't teach me how to live like a free man
just give me a new law

(pre-chorus)
i don't wanna know if the answers aren't easy
so just bring it down from the mountain to me

(chorus)
i want a new law
i want a new law
gimme that new law

(vs. 2)
don't teach me about moderation and liberty
i prefer a shot of grape juice

don't teach me about loving my enemies

don't teach me how to listen to the Spirit
just give me a new law

(bridge)
what's the use in trading a law you can never keep
for one you can that cannot get you anything
do not be afraid
do not be afraid
do not be afraid

This is for you Bethany!

2006-06-01T19:01:00.000+02:00

My sister-in-law has been begging for a belly shot for weeks, and it's not going to get any better than this. Matt snagged this shot while I wasn't looking. Here I am about 9 weeks away from delivery. Now if there was a community theatre around here doing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I'd get the part of Violet Beauregard (after she chews Wonka's gum) for sure!

Three girls

2006-04-25T10:30:00.000+02:00

So we found out a few weeks ago that our third baby is going to be another girl! At first we were slightly disappointed at the thought that we probably won't ever have a boy (we've always said just three), but the idea of three girls is very exciting to us. My mom has three sisters and a brother and she and her sisters have always been very close. I am praying for that kind of relationship for my girls.

Abigail really wanted a baby brother, and still asks us from time to time why she's getting another sister instead of a brother, but overall she's really excited about the baby coming. She keeps asking me how much more my tummy has to grow before the baby can come. She also has no shortage of invented names for the yet unnamed sibling (I know, it takes us forever to decide!) Tops on Abigail's list are Kaylor, Ami (pronounced "am-" like ham "ee"), and Geeter. Yes, Geeter. I think if we ever get a dog, I'll let her name it Geeter, but I'm not really one of those people who thinks it's a good idea to let their four-year-old name their new sister.

I am getting big and summer is looming. Never having been pregnant during the summer, and only hearing friends' stories of having to soak their feet in ice water at the end of a hot August day to cool off, I'm really relishing the idea. Tania and I were talking the other day, and as much as I'm looking forward to this baby, pregnancy has really lost its novelty for me. Especially the mood swings. . .

selfishness

2006-04-19T14:09:00.000+02:00

I had a great conversation this morning with a good friend. We started talking about how marriage has made us both aware of how selfish we really are. Here we are with the person we committed our lives to, the person with whom we spent thousands of dollars to declare our love in front of all our friends and family, the person we probably love more than any other, and they're the one who is on the receiving end of most of our personal junk.

For me that expresses itself so often in my own selfishness toward Matt. I need my time, my space, I'm the one who gets big and pregnant, I'm the one who has to do this, this, and this. . . The more I focus inward, the longer the list gets, the more selfish I become - blinding me to the countless ways that I am also being served in my marriage.

As much as my feelings and emotions often try to convince me that it's a one way street, deep down I know that I'm just listening to a lie. One verse from Philippians that has challenged me for years is this:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Humbly considering others better than myself. . .that is definitely a daily challenge. Especially around those with whom I am the least guarded - my family. But, I would much rather have this light pointing out my own shortcomings and be challenged to grow than to misunderstand my marriage and my kids for years because of my own selfishness.

. . . grace. . .

. . . mercy. . .

Rest

2006-04-15T16:35:00.000+02:00

This is the first weekend in a LONG time that our family hasn't had major plans. I am really enjoying it. It's 4:30 pm and most of us are still in our PJ's. (Isa decided that today she'd just prefer to run around in just a diaper - we tried big-girl panties for a while but she peed in them just so we'd put her diaper back on. I think I'm more ready for patty training than she is!) Anyway, later this afternoon we're going over to the Bailey's house to dye eggs with all the kids. That's the most planning we've got going all weekend.

Yesterday we saw a good Friday procession and had a great conversation with Abigail about why Jesus died and what it is that we're celebrating. It's great.

I should go now, all the grocery stores were closed on Thurs and Friday for the holy days, so I've got to go and get stuff for tomorrow (once again, everything is closed) before we go to the Bailey's. Thanks to all of you out there who exported to us Easter grass, jelly beans, plastic eggs, etc.

Happy Easter!

I'm back . . .

2006-04-08T23:03:00.000+02:00

It's been quite a while since I've blogged, and a lot has happened since my last post:

The day after Thanksgiving we found out we're expecting again
We went to the states for Christmas and got to go to Bethany's wedding reception
My best friend from high school Krista Rea came to Santiago and visited for a month
Isa turned 2
The Striblings and the Hellmanns both left Santiago to move to Georgetown,TX and start a business together
Abigail turned 4
Matt and I took over leadership of the team here
I turned 29
It rained buckets for 18 days straight
We found out we're having another girl!

Those are just the highlights, and I'm definitely still adjusting to the new rhythms and patterns that our life has now. I used to always tell myself how flexible I was (and to be honest I was probably a bit proud about it) but really when it comes down to it, I'm not as flexible as I once told myself that I was, and the reality is that transition is really hard for me. Which might explain why I haven't blogged in a while . . .

2005-11-16T22:34:00.000+01:00

eclipse

woke up this morning
harsh light
half light
crescents revealed in the shadows
created out of darkness

woke up this morning
harsh life
half life
secrets revealed in the shadows
created out of darkness

can this be enough for life
this light has been overcome
eclipse
this light has been overcome
darkness
this light has been overcome
eclipse

there must be a way, I know there’s a way

woke up this morning
missing the light
something is off
crescents dancing in the shadows

woke up this morning
missing our life
something is off
secrets dancing in the shadows

we take the light for granted
we take our life for granted
till how we knew it

is gone.

Eclipse.

I wrote these lyrics about six weeks ago when there was an eclipse here in Spain. I didn't know there was an eclipse when I woke up, but I definitely noticed that things were off. There were too many shadows across our back porch, and there was this harsh brash look to everything outside. I took a walk and wondered how the ecology of our planet would be affected if this reduced amount was the normal amount of light we received from the sun. Which things would die off and which would be OK? What would the plants look like? Would it be enough light for life?

When I was walking through a park I remembered something from Mr. Grossenbacher's 11th grade physics class - that the leaves on trees act like pinhole cameras and project the image of the sun on the ground. Normally it's a bunch of circles, but during an eclipse there are millions of crescent shapes dancing all over the ground. It's magnificent. Walking around that morning, in such an odd light that made everything look and feel edgier made me start thinking about what a great metaphor an eclipse is for those moments that forever alter your life. There's this new light, this new filter through which you view everything. You want to go back but you can't and you wonder if there's even enough light going around to survive.

2005-11-07T10:51:00.000+01:00

So I dressed up fro Halloween too even if it was only for 5 minutes and it was one of Abigail's costumes . . .

Trusting. . .

2005-10-30T10:50:00.000+01:00

During my trip to Ireland I got to do something that travelers with toddlers don't usually get to do - I read a book.

Not having to worry about snacks and naps and diapers and blankies and binkies and ositos and strollers - not to mention the actual children - really freed up a lot of time while I was journeying. So, I read a book.

I hadn't ever read anything by Brennan Manning, and for years I've heard good things about his stuff, so I asked the Baileys if I could borrow a book by this author. They picked out and lent me Ruthless Trust. Not sure whether they know this or not about me, but one of the things I've continually struggled with over the years is really trusting God, so this book spoke to me from the first.

Several ideas were very refreshing and challenging to me. One is the idea that trust is rooted in thankfulness in all circumstances. Not just being thankful for sunny days and pay raises, but being thankful even in the midst of gloomy days and layoffs - and worse. The message of this book isn't a trite version of "trust God and he'll bless you with lots of good stuff." It deals with trusting and being thankful in the midst of the unthinkable kinds of tragedies that surround us everyday.

Another is the idea of living in and truly appreciating the moment - the now and here. I know my mind is constantly racing back and forth between what's just happened and what I'm planning for the future so that often I miss the amazing joys of right now. This isn't to say that we should be irresponsible and never remember or plan for anything, but that we don't always have to be so distracted.

Both of these have been hugely challenging to me especially in my relationship with Abigail and Isa. You always hear empty nesters saying something to the effect of, "Enjoy them now, they grow up so fast." I don't want the challenge of parenting on not much sleep cloud my days with grumpiness and anger. I want to be thankful for the spilled milk, crumbs on the floor, and interruptions of my sleep because they're paired with slobbery kisses, fierce hugs, and laughter like you wouldn't believe. I don't want my girls experiencing a mama who's mostly grumpy and annoyed, but one who's mostly joyful.

May God give me grace in this and help me to live joyfully and thankfully and to trust him and his plans.

Portaferry

2005-10-18T22:07:00.000+02:00

Here I am with Belen in Portaferry. If you want to see more pics and read more about the trip check out my Portaferry blog.

Going to Ireland

2005-10-13T15:45:00.000+02:00

Tomorrow I'm flying off to Portaferry, Northern Ireland where I'll get to spend the weekend with my good friend Belén from Santiago. She worked at Terra Nova until she got a six month internship in marine biology in Portaferry. When she was in Santiago she was my swimming buddy and we had a lot of laughs together. So I'm really hoping this weekend that we can catch up a bit and have a great time hanging out.

Map of Portaferry, County Down GB

I get back in on Monday. While I am so excited about my trip, I am also a bit nervous. I haven't traveled alone since college and while I usually take care of the details when our family travels, this time I won't have any backup. I think I'm most nervous about being away from the girls. Yes, I know it's only three nights, but it still feels like a lot. I know they'll be fine with Matt and that I'll be fine once I'm moving. It also doesn't help that I've been battling a cold all week. Anyway, next time I post hopefully I'll have some gorgeous pictures to share.

Chinese Church

2005-09-25T10:09:00.000+02:00

I am rereading The Heavenly Man by Paul Hattaway. It's the account of Chinese pastor Brother Yun's experience of living and serving and sacrificing for the Lord in China. This is the second time I've read it, and let me tell you, it is breathtaking, shocking, horrifying, and incredibly miraculous all at the same time. I get used to God working in a certain, restrained, conservative way and then I read about the miracles and persecution in today's Chinese church and I'm reminded that God is way bigger than the limits my perceptions put on him.

You should check this book out.

A verse to cling to. . .

2005-09-23T15:13:00.000+02:00

. . . for mothers of young children:

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
Psalm 2:5

I constantly need to remind myself that the Lord is the one who sustains me (especially when I desperately need more sleep and the girls desperately need a mom who is not a walking time bomb.)

Fofa

2005-09-19T23:13:00.000+02:00

It all started last year with a conversation I had with my neighbor. Isa was only 7 or 8 months old at the time, and Gloria commented that I was thin for realtively recently having a baby. I agreed that I might be thinnish but that I was not in shape. I didn't know the spanish word for flabby or jiggly, so I was trying to describe this state to her when all of a sudden she got it and said, "Fofa!" Even though I'd never heard the word, I instantly knew what it meant just from the sound of it: fofa - "spongy, soft, and of little conststency." That was me. That night I declared to Matt that I was fofa and that I would like to join a gym as soon as possible.

Well, as soon as possible turned out to be three weeks ago, so I've been trying out the various classes they offer until they put up the giant tent over the pool for winter. Tonight I went to my first class of Body Step (in spanish it's pronounced Bo-dee eh-Step). I've been going to a strength training class, but tonight I decided to change it up a bit with something more aerobically challenging.

Of course all of the best spots (i.e. in the back and far from the doorway) were taken and I was left with one sort of in the back but directly opposite the instructor. About 35 seconds into the first song my body quickly reminded me that I am not a coordinated person. About 45 seconds into the first song I realized that my sports bra was failing. So less than a minute into the class, I'm directly across from this peppy instructor who probably has his own video series and overwhelmed with the realization that: 1. I'm going to have to try SO HARD over the next 54 minutes not to trip, and 2. my boobs are going to be bouncing all over the place practically the whole time. Oh God help me.

I sort of faked it through the first three songs with my arms flexed and near my chest. This was good because they covered up all the extraneous bouncing and because I really didn't need any other distractions from trying not to trip.

I was more or less keeping up. By the time I learned a step the instructor would switch to the other leg or something new altogether. This was fine because after a few classes muscle memory will kick in, and I won't have such a hard time with the whole coordination thing. Maybe in a few months I might even be able to try arms.

But on the next song out came our instructor's jazz hands. Yes, not only is he in incredible shape, coordinated enough to do both foot and arm motions, but he was smiling and had jazz hands. I think it was during this song that he noticed that I was not doing the arm motions. He looked at me and said, "Amino! Animo!" which basically means, "Come on, you can do it!" Maybe I would have tried the arm stuff had it not been for the failed sports bra, but even if I hadn't been bouncing all over the place, there was no way that I was going to go for jazz hands. I was in an aerobics class, not a musical!

Somehow I survived. I was drenched in sweat by the end of class, so I must have accomplished something aerobic. I think probably tomorrow I'll go back to the strength training class. Very simple motions and it's either your legs or your arms - never both. Sounds good to me until the pool opens back up.

summer is ending. . .

2005-09-18T22:29:00.000+02:00

The girls and I sitting in Quintana in the fog

Wiped Out

2005-09-15T22:57:00.000+02:00

I remember this last year too. The first week of school is completely exhausting for me.

We're all getting up earlier and we're out and about way sooner than we ever are when it's just up to me to get moving. We're on our way to school at the same time when I'm usually still sipping my coffee in my PJ's with thoughts of getting dressed and out the door far from my consciousness. I know I'll get into the groove sooner or later, but for now when the girls take a nap after lunch, I do too!

Despite the getting up early (in Spanish there's a whole word for getting up early - madrugar) the girls are doing well with the school routine. Isa loves her alone time with Matt and I, and Abigail loves her social time with all the kids at school.

resolutions. . . checking in

2005-09-15T22:46:00.000+02:00

1. Finish Abigail's "Baby's First Year" scrapbook (yes, I know, she's 3 1/2)

2. Start Isa's "Baby's First Year" scrapbook and finish at least six months worth
I haven't done any scrapbooking at all. I hoping that I'll be more motivated to do this when the rainy weather settles in.

3. Finish reading the Harry Potter series in Spanish (it's fun and I build my vocab with cool words like "potion" and "enchanted")
Last week I finished book 5. I'm now waiting for our library to get the latest one in.

4. Eat fish at least once a week
We've done OK on this one. More like twice a month than once a week, but it's a start. And last week, the Stribs came over and Scott smoked a salmon on our grill on top of a cedar plank. Now I could eat fish like that every day!

5. Work at least once a week in the café
I've taken over one of Matt's shifts a week and this has been great. I love being in the café, talking to people, serving people, getting to know the staff better. It's fantastic.

6. Keep a regular prayer journal
slightly irregular

7. Keep my email inbox cleaned out by responding promptly
Not doing so hot. I have 6 unread out of the 34 in my inbox. It's a mess.

8. Play more with the girls
This has been fun. Abigail is into making crowns out of construction paper so she and all of her friends can be princes and princesses. Isa also loves to read books with me.

July 9th resolutions

2005-07-09T17:22:00.000+02:00

As hard as it was saying goodbye to so many friends and family in Lancaster, it's good to be back in SdC. (You know, often I selfishly wish that all the people we love so much could just move with me wherever I am so that I don't ever have to miss anyone, but then God reminds me that one benefit of his church is that we have family wherever we are.)

I feel refreshed and ready to begin again with renewed energy, ideas, and excitement. Now I know that it's not Jan 1 or the start of a new school year, but for me it feels like a new year so I thought I'd write a few resolutions: In no particular order:

1. Finish Abigail's "Baby's First Year" scrapbook (yes, I know, she's 3 1/2)

2. Start Isa's "Baby's First Year" scrapbook and finish at least six months worth

3. Finish reading the Harry Potter series in Spanish (it's fun and I build my vocab with cool words like "potion" and "enchanted")

4. Eat fish at least once a week

5. Work at least once a week in the café

6. Keep a regular prayer journal

7. Keep my email inbox cleaned out by responding promptly

8. Play more with the girls

I'm sure I'll want to add/edit these as things move along, but for now it seems like a good start. This trip turned out to be timed well for us. We were crazy busy right before we left and got a lot of things taken care of, so now after a good break I want to dive right in again - with the café, with the ministry, with life here.

Islas Cíes

2005-05-06T14:28:00.000+02:00

This weekend Matt and I are getting away for a long weekend (alone!) for the first time in almost two years. The girls are staying with some wonderful friends and we're spending a couple of nights in a cute little hotel in Vigo and on Sunday we get to take a ferry to Las Islas Cíes off the coast from Vigo. It's supposed to be warm this weekend, and las Cíes are a national park with trails and great beaches. Yippee! I can't wait. It will be so nice to get out of town and be just the two of us again.

One of those mornings...

2005-04-19T12:08:00.000+02:00

Sometimes you just have one of those mornings where if you don't laugh, you'll just cry...

Matt was up before the rest of us so he could go work the morning shift at the café, so that meant that today's my day to get the girls fed and dressed and out the door by 9:30 to get Abigail to school on time. Sometimes this proves to be a bit difficult, but this monring, there wasn't anything really out of the ordinary until we stepped out the door.

It's about a 12 minute walk to her school with kiddos in tow, and mind you that today it was drizzling. Isa's peeking out from under the plastic covering her three-wheeled stroller; I'm pushing it with one hand, have garbage in the other, and Abigail is holding onto the frame of the stroller. Right after I toss the trash into the dumpster, Abigail trips and lands on one knee in a mud puddle. Knowing there aren't any clean clothes at home, I do my best to wipe her off and calm her down - she's crying hysterically.

After she settles down a bit, we continue on for another three yards, and she starts crying again. I look over to see that she's puked up a bunch of snot that she's swallowed when crying earlier. Once again, I pull out the wet-wipes and clean her up and calm her down. Finally we're on our way.

Not really. About halfway to the school the stroller starts pulling fiercely to the left. After a bit of investigation, I see that a pin has fallen out and the seat of the stroller has separated from the frame and is threatening to come off completely (yes, Isa is still in the stroller.) So, I push Isa on the back two wheels of the stroller the rest of the way to school. Strollers doing wheelies aren't too common, so I get quite a few looks on the way.

After dropping Abigail off, I leave the stroller at school and carry Isa through the drizzle back home. By this point I'm exhausted.

Now after a cup of tea, I think I might be a bit more inclined to laugh than to cry.

You know you're the mother of toddlers when...

2005-04-14T18:58:00.000+02:00

. . . you get up from the table (of adults) and excuse yourself by saying, "I have to go pee-pees."

and yes, I really did say that

dayenu

2005-03-28T19:01:00.000+02:00

Saturday night we celebrated a Seder dinner at the Stribs house. It was the fourth time I've ever celebrated a Passover dinner, but Saturday night spoke to me more than any other year. At one point in the meal everyone at the table reads a long list of miracles that God performed for the Israelites like providing manna every day, appearing in a cloud by day and fire by night, parting the red sea, providing clothing, etc. And after reading each miracle, everyone at the table says, "dayenu," which means "it would have been suficient."

It would have been sufficient if God had only spared us from the plagues.

It would have been sufficient if God had only parted the Red Sea and let us escape the slavery of the Egyptians.

It would have been sufficient if God had only provided manna every day to eat in the desert.

It would have been sufficient if God had only appeared in the cloud and in the fire.

This is totally the attitude we should have toward God.

God, it should be sufficient to be married to an incredible guy. God, it should be sufficient to have healthy children. God, it should be sufficient to actually enjoy the work that we do.

Unfortunately, it's not. It wasn't sufficient for the Israelites to witness those amazing incredible miracles that God did every day - in their midst. No, the same morning that manna appeared for breakfast, Moses goes up to the mountain top to actually converse with God and at the foot of the mountain the Israelites are dancing around praising the likes of a golden calf.

Every day God was among them performing miracle after miracle and still they threw it right back at him. I look back and often think how could they miss it? I like to tell myself that if I didn't have to cook and food just appeared everyday ready to eat in the fridge that I wouldn't ever doubt God again. But then reality hits and I know that I'm just the same as the Israelites. I've been reading Philip Yancey's Disappointment with God this week and I see that there are circumstances in my life where I've pretty much given up on God. There are some things that I'm still hopeful about - my kids, my mariage, our work. In these things I see God working and I have hope.

But there are other places and other situations that I used to pray about a lot that I don't even pray about any more. I think I've in a way resigned myself that this is the way things are and that's the way things will always be for those situations. Even though I know that God is way bigger than any of these problems and that in a word any one of those situations could be healed and more amazing than I could imagine, deep down I think I've just about given up.

Now this is going to sound terrible, but I think it's probably easier for me to not think about those things and not pray about them because when nothing happens then it's still on me. That's OK. But what happens when I'm praying and praying about something and nothing happens? That's when the really scary questions start.

Reading in the book about whether or not God is unfair or hidden or silent is one thing. Putting those questions into the context of my own life and my own experience is a completely different thing. I'll let you know as I get farther into the book how things pan out.

By the way, the ciamelletti turned out great.

ciamelletti

2005-03-24T10:52:00.000+01:00

Ever since we moved to Spain, every year at Easter we've celebrated with some Italian traditions brought to us by our good friends the Hanlons. Last summer they moved back to the states, and Anita gave us her family recipes only after we promised to make them only at Eastertime. (Don't worry Anita - I'm not about to post the recipe online!)

I inherited ciamelletti - ring shaped cookies flavored with anisette that are great with coffee. I googled them and got absolutely no results - except for, "Did you mean ciampelletti?" so I'm really on my own with this one. I'm about to attempt them this morning, so we'll see how it goes.

Today my skin smells like chlorine

2005-02-28T12:26:00.000+01:00

Today my skin smells like chlorine.

I love it.

Yesterday I got to go to the pool with my friend Belén. I haven't been to a pool to swim laps since I was big and pregnant with Abigail three years ago. I didn't realize how much I had missed it.

Even though I am not in swimming shape I still had a blast. After only 150 meters, I had to stop for a break b/c my lungs were heaving. This from a girl who swam about 5000 meters every day in college. Wow. Good thing coach wasn't there to see...

Anyway after a bit, I got into a groove and it was magnificent. The pool is a place where I can just move and get my body going and my mind can just wander. While my body is working and the endorphins are pumping, my mind relaxes. The pool has always been a place of much prayer for me. I get so many of my thoughts sorted out while I'm going back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. I know it sounds tremendously boring, but it is so far from it! If I'm frazzled and stressed and at my wit's end, swimming helps me so much. I think I decided yesterday that it won't be another three years before I go back.

You know you're the mother of toddlers when. . .

2005-02-24T21:26:00.005+01:00

. . . you've walked several blocks before you realize that the song going through your head is called "Happy Tapping with Elmo"

. . . you start to peel your own apple

. . . you automatically get out the ketchup with any new food

. . . you're having coffee with a girlfriend and, "Are you ready to go bye-bye?" almost rolls off your tongue

Too much caffeine, not enough sleep

2005-02-23T11:38:00.000+01:00

My first post on this blog. I've been blogging about my girls, but lately I've been wanting a place to jot down some of my own thoughts. So here goes...

Isa is currently napping. She has not been sleeping well the past few nights (read Lori and Matt have not been sleeping well the past few nights) because she's either coming down with a cold or teething again or all of the above. Fun fun fun.

Isa's first birthday was on the 11th. Really, we hadn't hosted a kiddo birthday bash since Abigail turned one. (For Abi's 2nd birthday we were in the throes of newborn-ness with Isa being just a month old, so we had a simple immediate-family party.) People who know me know that I love parties and celebrating - pretty much any excuse to call together the people we love and celebrate. So I kicked it into high gear for Isa's party.

Matt will tell you that while I love having parties, the organization of them all usually stresses me out to some degree. Isa's party was no exception, but I have definitely made progress since Thanksgiving '04 when during one of several meltdowns that day over minute details like pie crust Matt told me that if I couldn't pull it together we would never host Thanksgiving again.

In the end, we had a great time. But the next day while returning from DIA, the neighborhood grocery store, I had a realization that I have taken on another of my Mom's quirks. I had forgotten one of Isa's birthday presents that was hidden up and away in my closet. Suddenly I was flooded with a whole bunch of memories from childhood. Growing up for Eric (my brother) and I it was practically a holiday/birthday tradition that anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after the event Mom would find one of us and say, "Look what I found in the closet/under the bed/in the garage. I had totally forgotten that I had this for you," and hand us some sort of shopping bag with some kind of gift in it. It was kind of fun because just when we thought that Christmas/our birthday/graduation/etc. was over, we were surprised by one more gift.

So, I did the same for Isa. The next day after breakfast, I pulled out the Elmo doll that sings the Sesame Street theme song in both English and Spanish that had been sent to her from the states and told her, "Look honey, look what I found up in Mama's closet. I had totally forgotten that we had this for you," and handed her that doll. Hopefully this trait will be one that endears me to my kids as it did my mom to me.