refrigerator photos

In my book having photos on the fridge is one of the things that signifies "this is home".  

Each time we move I consciously make an effort to get photos up on our new fridge as soon as I possibly can -  the bedroom floors may be covered in exploding piles of clothing and the actual refrigerator may be empty, but with scotch tape and a pile of photos in hand, I am busy "moving in" to our new home, taking care of bare refrigerator doors before I do many other tasks that scream for my time and attention. 

This time I actually printed photos in China and packed them in a special envelope so that I could "decorate" as soon as we unzipped the first suitcases here in America.  I picked photos that reminded me of our home, our friends, our community on the other side of the world.  And, of course, I kept many of the photos that I carefully removed from our home there - friends that we haven't seen in years but still occupy big places in our hearts.  

And now I have a photo already picked out for our refrigerator back in China. 

Kristi took this pic of Lydia last weekend at a RedHawks (minor league baseball) game last weekend.  I love it mostly because of what it is, but also for all it means.

This photo will forever remind me of time with family - oh how wonderful it felt to be doing something so very American (minor league baseball on a Sunday afternoon) with our kids and their cousins.  

It will remind me of all the new things our children experienced here in America - snow cones and cotton candy and general admission bleacher seats and cheering for 'the red team'. 

It will remind me of one other thing I've learned in the past few weeks....  Lydia's hair will always be an attention getter, no matter where we live in the world. In China people comment on Lydia's hair all the time.  I thought it might slow down, or even stop, when we got to America. 

I was wrong.  In fact, if you consider that we see fewer people each day than we do in China, I think the "hair comments per capita" might even be higher here in America! 

I kind of like to blend.  I'm not a big fan of drawing a lot of attention to myself.  Which totally explains why I live in China and can't wait to adopt cross-racially :)  Because, you know, white people blend in super easily in China.  Especially when they are carrying black babies :)

And now I have Lydia.  And her hair.  And will spend the next five months talking (in English) to total strangers about curls.  Then we'll get on an airplane, fly half way around the world, and I'll talk to total strangers (in Chinese) about curls. 

So I love the photo of Lydia, her snow cone and her curls at the baseball game.  I love that even though I would probably choose to "blend" God called me to a life where I hardly ever do.  

And I'm printing a copy of this photo for our refrigerator. 

meeting Jonah

Our newest nephew is just as precious as he can be, and we are so delighted to be living just a few blocks away from his cute little face!  

Too many months out of too many years our family seems thrown to all corners of the globe - the five of us in Asia, Paul & Krisanne in Indonesia, Jan & Luther and Andy & Kristi and Connor, Carson and Kaelynn here in America.  But right now, for this season, we are all together!  

(Technically Andy & Kristi are an hour's drive south, but it's closer than we've ever been, and feels like they are practically next door.  Although, now that I think about it, it would be pretty cool if they were literally next door.)  

My children cannot get enough of their aunts, uncles and cousins.  Julianna no longer wants my help on the playground, her Auntie Kristi is apparently much better at helping than I am.  Lydia leaps at the chance to do just about anything if Kaelynn is involved.   And if you heard Isaac holler "Paul" you'd know it was a voice filled with love and admiration. 

So it's with much joy that the 14 of us welcome Jonah to the family party :) 

Isaac lost his spot as littlest cousin and now seems like a huge giant next to Jonah... After a brief spurt of interest in the little guy he headed outside to 'help' Grandpa in the yard.  Probably in Jonah's best interest, since Isaac has lots to learn about gently loving a newborn.... give these two boys a year or so and they'll be buds :) 

Julianna l-o-v-e-s to hold babies, and she'll give anyone interested a demo of how she plans to hold our new baby, scooping her arms together and rocking an imaginary baby with the sweetest look on her face.  On Saturday afternoon she got some real life practice with Jonah.  From the looks of it, her skills are right on target! 

Oh how I cannot resist the soft little head of a newborn baby!  I hold that sweet little bundle and think "the Lord did it again, what an amazingly precious gift He has given". 

Holding Jonah makes me even more anxious to hold our new baby.  When?  Only the Lord knows.  But I can't wait to get that little one in my arms.  In the meantime, we'll load up the kiddos and head over to see Jonah.  Julianna (and the rest of us) could use a little more practice :) 

our last day at the lake

It's hard to believe that lake week 2010 is over.  The days go so very fast.  Of course leaving wasn't quite so painful since we get to meet baby cousin Jonah this afternoon! 

We played hard all day long every single day, and yesterday was no exception.  In the late afternoon we rented a pontoon and jet ski.  The last time I rode a jet ski was probably ten years ago, and let me tell you, jet skis have changed!  The one we rented was brand new and it was ginormous.  More like a small boat with motorcycle steering.  So fast, so powerful, so fun.  Matt loved every single second.   

With two adult passengers (a driver and a spotter) it could pull an adult on a tube - and fast.  But we also enjoyed some not so whip-lashing rides with the girls (executive decision by yours truly that Isaac was too young, even though every cell in him wanted to join his daddy on the new big toy).  

We enjoyed some deep water swimming in a calm cove.

And when the boat wasn't anchored, there was a line of kiddos waiting to 'drive' with Grandpa. 

When it started to get chilly we opened up the cooler for a picnic supper....

and a little more fishing. 

Oh, and it was Jan and Luther's 38th wedding anniversary, so they went on a little jet ski cruise to celebrate :) 

I told Matt that's pretty much exactly the way I hope to celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary. 

more lake updates

The biggest and best news from the lake is that Krisanne and Paul's baby arrived!  Welcome to the world Jonah Paul, we are so glad you are here :) 

Jonah is cousin #7 and it will be a while til he's ready to join in the fun, but the other kiddos are loving every single minute. 

The girls' fishing trip was a big success.  Andy took the boat straight to a spot he marked earlier, where he knew the fish were biting.  And they were!  Lots of dipping bobbers and plenty of excitement in the boat. 

Proud to show off their fish when they returned to shore! 

Today is bright, hot and sunny, and we have spent most of the time either in the water or playing on the sandy beach by our house.  

Matt gives canoe rides to rotating groups of kids - Isaac in his life jacket is one hilarious sight :) Isaac decided early in life that he officially loves everything his daddy loves, and canoeing is a new hobby to add to the list. He frequently gets this really serious face whenever he's about to embark on a new adventure with Matt. 

 I think it is just precious. 

the fancy fisherman (fisherwoman?)

So Julianna joined this fishing-crazy family in their favorite past time and went fishing for the first time yesterday.  Her super fun cousins Connor and Carson let her borrow one of their old rods and she went fishing "off the dock".  

Except she didn't quite get the terminology and called it "fishing on the dock".  In her defense, she did stand on the dock as she fished, so I can see why she was confused about the wording. 

She wore her best fishing outfit ...

and, much to her surprise, caught a fish! 

I guess it goes without saying that she did not touch it :) 

This morning Matt, Andy and Grandpa took the three girls fishing.  Not sure how the trip will turn out, but I certainly look forward to hearing the details when they get back!

This is Andy and Matt's second trip out today, and its only 10 am.  They aren't having a lot of luck yet, but it's just a matter of time before they return with a cooler full of walleye.  I am not a big fish eater, but it's good stuff :)

I have no plans to get up early and fish, but I might try to catch the sunrise one morning.  The lake, the cabin, our view.... it's all just beautiful.

lake week

Lake week is here!  Oh how we love this time together as an extended family :)  

 Northern Minnesota provides a wonderful setting for lots of fun.  

We always eat enormous amounts of yummy food.  

and there is opportunity for some quiet reflection at the end of a full day. 

Julianna fished for the first time today.  Her uncles are especially crazy about hunting and fishing, but Julianna's three years overseas means she missed out on a lot of chances to participate.  She's making up for lost time.  Pictures coming tomorrow :) 

words just aren't necessary

when you have photos like these :) 

is music in their genes?

One thing I love about Matt's family is all the musical gifted-ness (is that a word?).  Matt's brother Andy is a worship director at a large evangelical church.  Andy's wife, Kristi, and Matt's sister, Krisanne both have amazing voices.  Matt's mom also loves to sing. 

When it's time for a family birthday and we light the candles and sing Happy Birthday to You....  well, I just try to let my voice blend into the background of all the amazing harmonies coming from the rest of the family clan :) 

I'm hoping that a few of those musical genes got passed on to at least one of our kids.  And maybe they'll start to sprout this fall while we are home and surrounded by all the musicians!

The kids enjoyed a little impromptu piano jam on Sunday afternoon.  It's amazing what six little hands can do to a piano keyboard.   Pure cacophony.  Not crazy cover your ears terrible, just lots of fun from 30 untrained little fingers.  

the view from here

After church Matt and I drove about an hour south to meet some friends who were passing through the area (Marc and Jennifer, what a treat to be with you this afternoon!) 

For those of you who aren't "from 'round here", you should know that there are very few exits on the entire 75 mile drive (on an interstate highway).  Most of the exit ramps end at a lonely piece of paved blacktop.  At the top of the ramp you have a choice.  You can turn east, towards sun and sky and big fields.  Or you can turn west, towards sun and sky and more big fields.  There is no gas station, no fast food joint.  Just road and sun and sky. 


Most of the time, the view looks like this....

 .... except prettier.  Because you know a camera could never capture that much blue, that much green, and that much wide open sky.  


After years in a country that puts new meaning to the word crowded, drives like this feed my soul.  I love it.  I love the emptiness.  I love the space.  I love the bigness, the vastness, the "I'm super small and the sky is super big" feeling.  


Come visit.  You will love the view from here :) 
 

the side yard

I could spend the next six months blogging about the many reasons I love our current home.  Uniquely provided for our family, a gift from the Lord, we are so blessed to call 1520 Chestnut home. 

We have almost 3 times more living space than our China apartment.  And that's before you toss in a garage, back porch and lots of green green grass! 

Speaking of grass, our next door neighbors look like this: empty lot, empty lot, empty lot.  Five empty lots in a row!  This older area of town was destroyed by a flood in 1997 and many (most?) homes were torn down.  The one we currently live in had a foot of water on the main floor!  All those empty lots mean lots of fun for our little ones, and great views for me as I stand at the kitchen sink too.

Right now the side yard is full of clover.  At the rate the girls pick bouquets, I think we'll have the whole field picked clean by the end of the month :)

Isaac takes a more efficient approach and plans to mow down the entire lot.  In the few days we've been here I bet he's logged at least a mile behind this little yellow and blue mower.  That's a lot of footsteps for a little guy like Isaac, but he is committed to the mower.  Take your eyes off him for a few moments and he's half a block away, headed down the sidewalk with no intention of stopping. 

We love it.  We love the space.  We love how easy it is to get outside.  The screen door out to the back porch gets a serious work out every day - open shut open shut open shut as little feet go in and out.  Over and over again.

Big blessings for our little family.  More fun details about Chestnut Street to come :) 

home sweet which home

I am hopeful that tonight could be the night we beat jet lag once and for all.  The girls and Matt have already declared victory, but Isaac is still fighting, which means I am still fighting :)

In all other realms, I'd say we're getting closer and closer to settled.  I've cooked dinner the past two nights, the kids (mostly) know their way around the house, I paid one dollar to replace my long lost library card, and we've taken a few good walks around the neighborhood.  

(That is our house in the background.)







Isaac traded the pink stroller (his favorite toy in our China apartment) for this sporty red wagon.  All in all, it was a good move for the little man :) 

I grabbed a few baskets and added some craft supplies - crayons are crayons and sisters are sisters, no matter what side of the globe you call home.  

But there are reminders that this new home still feels new.  Like this afternoon when Lydia headed for the bathroom and mistakenly opened the wrong door :)  And every time we're out and I say "ok, time to head home now" Lydia asks "which home?"  

Toss in a few strange comments from the girls each day, and it's hard to forget that we are far away from what we knew as home.  

This afternoon while the little two napped Julianna and I headed for Target.  About halfway there (ie five minutes down the road) I hear her little voice coming from the back seat. 

"There are no Chinese people in America."

"Oh yes there are sweetie, we just haven't seen any yet.  God is so creative. There are all kinds of people everywhere in the world.   We'll just have to keep our eyes open and look around."    

Well, that little "keep your eyes open" comment paid off big time about 30 minutes later when the two of us are cruising through Target and Julianna announces "Mom, I just saw some African people".  

Good news is, I'm pretty sure they didn't hear us. 

My absolute favorite comment from the Target shopping trip?  "Where is the end of this store?" 

.... which makes total sense when you remember that she has spent most of her life shopping in stores small enough that she and her sister wander aimlessly around while I pick up the few things I need and the entire purchase fits in the stroller basket. 

it has jet lag in it

We are quickly settling in to life here in America.  We've even been doing our fair share of celebrating America :)  The 4th of July was a first for all of our kiddos, and seeing as how they love anything with backyard swimming pools, hot dogs and ice cream, it was a hit.   

The kids are convinced that cousins make life more fun, and I love watching them run around together.  

It took a day or so, and then Isaac decided that he and America were a good mix.  He seems to have already set aside a special place in his heart for his Auntie Kristi :)  

Jet lag has added a few small wrinkles to the nights.  Our first night was really smooth, but the next two were horrible.  We just got everyone in bed for the night (night #4 now), and as I turned to walk out the door Lydia said "I don't like this bed because it has jet lag in it.  It comes in the door and gets up in my bed and I don't like it." 

Oh sweet Lydia, how I hope that no jet lag walks in the door and gets up in your bed tonight! 

how was the trip?

Lots of folks have asked "how was the trip?"  If I had to choose one word to describe it I would choose "LONG" :)  But if given a second word, I'd definitely go with "SMOOTH".  

Seriously, all things considered (a 14 hour plane ride with three young children), it was just plain smooth.  [Except technically speaking, the flight was actually one of the most turbulent I've ever been on, so when I say SMOOTH I'm not referring to low turbulence!]

The most traumatic event came about three hours in to the long ride when one of Lydia's colored pencils dropped into the airplane potty.  Not a happy moment.  But we recovered nicely, and even enjoyed about four hours of simultaneous child-sleep at the end of the long flight.  Unfortunately, since our family of five shared four seats (imagine the whole family on a not very comfortable love seat with no leg room), three kids sleeping did not leave a lot of space for adult sleeping.  Oh well.  I wasn't planning on a lot of sleep anyways :) 

The best part?  All the smiles waiting for us at the end of the journey!

a thousand words