it's beginning to look a lot like...

SPRING!!!

wait, i mean christmas. except that it's raining and 45+ degrees outside. (funny how we get excited about 40 degrees in michigan...) i think a couple of my perennials may even be starting to poke their little heads out of the ground and are probably really confused. i'm a little sad that it doesn't feel more like a good ole michigan white christmas, but i guess there's still hope for a little snow tomorrow. at least this weather makes travelling to the in-laws a little easier, and it's better than the hot and humid 95 degree christmases we twice endured in australia!

because it bears repeating...

maybe it's because our budget is tight. maybe it's because our house is small. maybe it's because we've seen what having lots of stuff and getting lots more stuff can do in our kid's hearts (not to mention our own). or, maybe it's because we think our friends brian and amy are really cool and we want to do whatever they do. whatever the case, we've really been re-thinking Christmas this year and how we desire to go forward from this point as a family in the ways we celebrate it.

there have been several times throughout this Christmas season that i have been struck by just how rich we really are, and by how silly it really is that Christmastime has become in many ways the time in which we think about and hope to get even MORE. if i'm honest with myself, i know how easy it is to be consumed by thoughts of my (and the kids') wishlist this time of year. and just why do i think we need more stuff when i'm already daily stepping over more toys and books that we know what to do with?? i finally am understanding why my brother-in-laws keep asking for goats and chickens (for third world country families/communities) for Christmas instead of gifts for themselves. :)

last night drove it home once more -- i was at a homeschool meeting, and at the end one of the women shared a video she had created after a trip to africa. she had visited a community of women there, mostly widows and single mothers, who had hopes of raising enough money through the selling of their handicrafts to be able to afford some beans and spices to go with their rice for Christmas dinner. BEANS and SPICES. Dave Ramsey, our "getting out of debt" coach (see my sidebar link), always advises people to live on "beans and rice" while getting out of debt, and obviously he is referring to a very meager lifestyle. yet beans are what these women hope for for their special dinner. we are SO rich, even when we think we are poor.

there are other reasons besides this that motivate our desire to be more clear about our intentions when it comes to celebrating Christmas, but this is the one that sticks out to me at the moment. a few small things that we have tried to change this year are: doing a Jesse Tree instead of a Christmas tree (see previous post), being involved in less gift exchanges, purchasing and delivering gifts to a needy family (with my entire family), being less busy (that's a tough one this time of year!), and doing less shopping!

jesse tree

last year as i began looking into doing some kind of advent calendar with the kids in preparation for Christmas, i realized that many of them are mostly about Santa and candy. i also began to realize that in its familiarity, the nativity was cute but not all that exciting or meaningful to me. i desired to see afresh why that baby in the manger was such a big deal.

somewhere in the course of all of this, i believe it was Sara H. who first introduced me to the Jesse Tree, which was exactly what i had been looking for! we will be trying it, in a very simplified form, for the first time this year. what excites me about it is that it weaves Bible stories together into the "big picture" story of the Bible which from the beginning points to our need for a Savior... and leads up to, then, why Jesus' birth WAS such a big deal. each day we will focus on a different part of the story and add a symbol to our Jesse Tree to represent each new aspect of the story leading up to His birth.

from what i have gathered thus far, the idea was inspired by this stained glass window at the Chartres Cathedral in France, which so intricately pictures the story of Jesus as it unfolds from the root of Jesse (father of King David). i am almost ashamed to admit, next to this masterpiece, that our Jesse Tree takes the form of a green felt-covered piece of cardboard this year! :)

working myself out of a job

we had just returned home from sawyer's doctor appointment this afternoon and i still had to feed him his lunch. i asked miriam if she would "read" levi a story and put him down for his nap. i figured, no harm done if it doesn't work. about 20-30 minutes later as i was finishing feeding sawyer, i realized it had been unusally quiet upstairs (which, as a parent, you never know if that's a good thing or a bad thing) and went up to check on them. two of miriam's Bob Books sat neatly at the top of the stairs and the kids were both in their beds--asleep. i knew they were both tired, but i didn't expect that!

what is REAL?

the following discourse between the Rabbit and the Skin Horse warmed my heart today as i read to miriam from The Velveteen Rabbit--especially the last part:

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

winter is officially here!

happy birthday, punkin

how is it that sawyer is 1 already?! i still can so vividly recall this day a year ago. wow, the years just keep getting shorter and faster! we celebrated his birthday over the weekend with a brief visit from matt's family, and then tonight with my side of the family. as you can see, he really enjoyed the wrapping paper and hangers--i mean presents--he received from everyone, as well as his very first tastes of birthday cake!

'tis the season

the geese may be heading south...

...but the Dux have had their sights set eastward--toward the Ford Fieldhouse (where the Detroit Lions play), to be exact. last night the Zeeland West Dux varsity football team played there and took the state championship! we wouldn't normally follow it all that much... except for the fact that my brother-in-law, John, is one of their assistant coaches. way to go, John! (and Sara, I'm sure their victory was partly due to their super cool team logo!)

a new kind of date

i have never been much of a reader until now. my mom tells me that when i was really little i would constantly ask her to read to me, but throughout school i only remember ever reading what i absolutely had to for class. but as i have begun reading to my own kids i have started to fall in love with good books...

matt and i are trying something new. we are reading a classic together. in all of my 30 years, i cannot recall ever personally reading a true classic. we keep hearing good things about this one in particular. it also helps that we had it on our shelf--an ancient copy (pictured here) that matt retrieved from his grandpa's bookshelf after his passing a couple of years ago. that fact alone makes it all the more precious to hold in our hands.

so the other night after we put the kids down, we made some hot drinks, lit some candles, and curled up on the couch to read aloud together. the only thing that would have made it better would have been a crackling fireplace. :) after we decided to read Jane Eyre, we learned of a goal to aim for: in february, our local library is having a book club meeting on this book, and everyone in attendance will receive free tickets to see it on stage at Hope College, being performed by The Acting Company. it will be quite a feat for us to have all 462 pages read by then... so this new kind of date may become quite a regular thing for us! what a cozy way to spend the winter, though. i'm already looking forward to the next chapter!

laura ingalls party

this morning miriam and i hosted a few of her friends for a "laura ingalls tea". for almost two years now, daddy has been reading her the Little House books at bedtime, and now that they are approaching the end of the last book, miriam asked if she could have a party to celebrate completing the series. most of the girls dressed up and brought along their favorite horse to play with. i had them help me roll and shape dough for cinnamon raisin bread, and then while their loaves baked, they played, we read a Little House story, and then they drew pictures inspired by the story. i also found a Little House songbook and cassette at the library, so we had songs like "pop goes the weasel" and "yankee doodle" playing in the background. i think the girls had a good time and thoroughly enjoyed their hot chocolate "tea". :) (pictured below: elise, miriam, grace, carly)

the only thing that distracted slightly from the ambiance was the lingering aroma of burnt plastic... after preheating the oven just before the girls arrived, we discovered the remains of levi's play from the day before--baking some pretend food in mommy's real oven!

coming out of the country closet

hey, i'm proud of where i came from. i'm a farm girl at heart. i wore cowboy boots when cowboy boots weren't cool. (except for in hamilton, of course...) and i like country music. what better place to admit that than on the world wide web? i'm not a die-hard, for sure, and i certainly do not go for the heavy twang stuff... but certain songs, like the one i currently have as my music feature, make me smile.

homeschool resources

just FYI... i have added links on my sidebar to two of my favorite homeschooling websites. they have been great resources for me, though i have just begun to tap into all that they have to offer. another webpage that i love on books and reading (complete with more great links) is http://www.homeschoolmarketplace.com/booklists/index.htm.

another resource that i have been using for the past couple of years now with miriam is a set of workbooks from Rod & Staff Publishers. as a beginner homeschooler, i guess it's been nice that miriam is a workbook kind of gal... though i don't know if that will continue with the boys! levi has begun to show interest, though, in sitting with me at times with these books or others like them. miriam has probably done more repitition than necessary for her with this set, but she enjoys it nonetheless. i have made copies of the pages instead of having her write right in the book, so now that she is starting to outgrow them, they are ready to be used again.

miriam also has been enjoying Bob Books this fall for reading practice. she has now completed the first set and it's time to move on to the next!

profound prayers

this morning we had some family prayer time, and when it came time to pray for daddy, miriam started off with "please let daddy not get killed, not get stung, and not get hurt." then levi continued with "thank you that we have a house, and thank you that we have a doorbell." (we don't actually even have a doorbell, but even if we did, that would still be pretty funny, especially since we were praying for daddy.)

living from the inside out

for being as small as it is, "Let Your Life Speak" (by Parker J. Palmer) has spoken volumes to me this past month. it has seriously been some kind of breakthrough for me. he speaks a lot on living an authentic, whole life--one which is true to self, not contrived. allow me to highlight a few of the quotes that i have since been pondering:

"As noble as it may sound, we do not find our callings by conforming ourselves to some abstract moral code. We find our callings by claiming authentic selfhood, by being who we are, by dwelling in the world as [me] rather than straining to be [someone else]... As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks -- we will also find our path of authentic service to the world." pg 15,16

authenticy. this is what i desire. and it is often the hardships of life moreso than the pleasurable times, the experience of our limits often moreso than the pursuit of our potentials, that truly strip us down and bring us to the place where our true self can emerge. the book talks a lot about this. it was so refreshing and encouraging to hear someone say these things the way he does so eloquently--i think christians (including myself) are not always too good at being really real about the crappy parts of life. i'm just so ready to hear someone say it like it is, and Palmer is able to do so in a way that not only validates those experiences but also points them out as a necessary part of the whole.

i am also growing more and more keenly aware of how my being an authentic person is key in raising up my children. so much of parenting is modeling and discipling, and i cannot give them something which i do not possess:

"When I give something I do not possess, I give a false and dangerous gift, a gift that looks like love but is, in reality, loveless -- a gift given more from my need to prove myself than from the other's need to be cared for." pg 48

and here is another quote that really spoke to me personally, helping to bring clarity in some areas of my life:

"I had been driven more by the 'oughts'... than by a sense of true self. Lacking insight into my own limits and potentials, I had allowed ego and ethics to lead me into a situation that my soul could not abide." pg 22

just a few snippets. i would highly recommend this book, especially if you find yourself in a difficult season of life. i am on to another of his. :)

cute & corny

i'm not a big fan of standing in the kitchen all afternoon like i did today, but these little gems that i decided to make helped finish off my day with a smile -- i saw them at bettycrocker.com and thought they looked too irresistibly cute and festive not to try! the recipe is really not all that hard, either. it also makes a ton, so what a great way to brighten someone's day this time of year!

my 5 year old makes me think

a couple different times now, miriam has brought up an interesting perspective when i have pulled out the old parental ploy of trying to convince your kids to be thankful for what they have when compared with so many other children in the world. this frustrates her, and she responds something like, "you mean, you want me to be THANKFUL that all those other kids don't have these things??"

she's got a point. and her words present me with the challenge to yes, be thankful for what we have, but to go beyond that, putting my faith and my blessings into action through compassion and generousity. what are some ways to make this real for us middle-class americans who live among so much affluence?

interesting (or not) tidbits

i have not been writing much lately, not for lack of things to write about, but because i have so many thoughts running through my head that i don't know where to begin! so for now i will recount some of the more eventful and measurable dietsche happenings from the past couple of weeks...

-miriam learned to tie her shoes last week! this was one of those daunting parental responsibilities to me for some reason--"how am i ever going to teach that?"--but i can now lay those fears to rest because somehow she's doing it and i don't even remember teaching her. i think matt showed her once or twice.

-similarly, today after lunch, she starts marching around the living room singing by twos up to 120. don't remember teaching her that, either. she then tried counting by threes but only got up to 9. then she figured out counting by fives, and got up to about 105. i think she's got her daddy's head for numbers. she is also really taking off with her reading and writing.

-levi is really making strides in his behavior... and just at the point when i was ready to toss him in preschool just to get a break from the constant discipline issues. we have had several people comment to us on how well-behaved he has been lately in different situations, which has been SO encouraging. we are really getting somewhere!

-sawyer has learned to wave and give high-fives.

-this past weekend we travelled to chicago for a rousing weekend of pumpkin hunting, pony riding, pumpkin carving, and of course, shopping! it's always hard to resist paying IKEA a visit while we are down there. i am pleased to report that i was finally able to purchase the chandelier for our dining area that i have been eyeing for the past two years! it is a lovely replacement to the bare lightbulb that previously graced our kitchen ceiling.

-i am so proud of myself for reading a 370 page book ("House")--for FUN! i don't know how long it's been since i have read a book for pure enjoyment instead of with the intention of learning something from it. the funny thing is, many times a meaningful story can speak to my heart just as much as, if not more than, non-fiction.

-matt is ranked first place in his fantasy football league for the third year in a row. i keep telling him he should start putting money on it--we could be rich by now. :)

God and curious george

this morning i asked the kids who we should pray for. levi wanted to pray for curious george and the man with the yellow hat.

illuminating my darkness

(thanks to my friend, who loaned me the book that has inspired this post.)

without going into a lot of detail, i have struggled for the past several years, on and off, with depression--whether diagnosed as such or not. along with that goes a poor self-image and even feelings of self-hatred at times, partly due to my seeming inability to break free from feeling down so much of the time.

i have been reading a book today that has put voice to things so relevant to these feelings i have struggled with for so long, in ways that i have never heard before. i found the author's words thought-provoking, speaking understanding and hope deep into my soul, helping to make sense of things that i had almost resigned myself to never make sense of. here is just a piece of what spoke to me today.

"Depression demands that we reject simplistic answers, both "religious" and "scientific", and learn to embrace mystery, something our culture resists. Mystery surrounds every deep experience of the human heart; the deeper we go into the heart's darkness or its light, the closer we get to the ultimate mystery of God. But our culture wants to turn mysteries into puzzles to be explained or problems to be solved, because maintaining the illusion that we can "straighten things out" makes us feel powerful. Yet mysteries never yield to solutions or fixes--and when we pretend that they do, life becomes not only more banal but also more hopeless, because the fixes never work.

Embracing the mystery of depression does not mean passivity or resignation. It means moving into a field of forces that seems alien but is in fact one's deepest self. It means waiting, watching, listening, suffering, and gathering whatever self-knowledge one can--and then making choices based on that knowledge, no matter how difficult. One begins the slow walk back to health by choosing each day things that enliven one's selfhood and resisting things that do not."

-Parker J. Palmer, "Let Your Life Speak"

i was also intrigued later as the author described how he came to view his depression not as an attack from the enemy, but more as a gift from a friend, because of how it really grounded him and showed him things about himself and his life (which i won't go into now). i think this really spoke to me because so often we tend to view our weaknesses or hardships as things to overcome or be delivered from, instead of just being willing to embrace and walk through them.

the miniature earth

i don't know about you, but i find that it is so easy for my mind to start wishing for a bigger house, nicer things, or a fatter checking account. take these next couple of minutes to confront yourself with the global reality, and (like me) you might be surprised how quickly it changes your perspective.

click on this picture to watch and listen to a couple minute video.

new pup on the block

this is our new neighbor, bailey. is he not one of the cutest little puppies you have ever seen?? miriam and levi don't have many neighbor-kids to play with, but they have befriended several neighbor-dogs! miriam would love nothing more than to have a puppy of her own, so at least the neighbor-dogs fill this void somewhat for now.

10 months old

hard to believe our little guy is 10 months old today, and only a couple months away from his first birthday! time just keeps flying by. i'm trying to think ahead for his birthday, so that it doesn't end up getting lost in the holiday craziness. anyone have any good birthday cake ideas for a one year old boy? i did a drum for levi's one year, and a butterfly for miriam's. maybe i'll haul out those pictures and post them along with whatever i decide to do for sawyer. please comment with ideas or websites with ideas if you know of them--thanks!

raising kids

i recently signed up to receive e-newletters from the Home School Marketplace, and received one this week entitled Kindergarten...or not? written by Ellyn Davis. i have heard her husband, Chris, speak before and have also read their book, I Saw the Angel in the Marble. they have really challenged and caused me to rethink my whole paradigm of "school" -- whether found in the classroom or at home. i found this article quite relevant as Miriam is at that age. one of these days i will try to write more about how we are approaching home education this year.

along similar lines, i also wanted to direct your attention to a broadcast i heard on Family Life Today, featuring the author of a book entitled Raising Kids for True Greatness. the bit that i heard in the car was so good, but i still need to go back and listen to the whole collection online. if it's of interest to you and you have the computer capabilities, you can listen too!

cricket update

we had one good week, but now they seem to be back, though not to the same level as before, so that's good. and, i am getting braver. i have swatted a few myself. and, i have a new strategy -- i am going to leave the one i killed today in our laundry room dead on the floor in plain sight, for all other cricket intruders to see that this, too, will be their fate. (actually, it's still lying there because i am too grossed out to pick it up...i just try not to look at it.)

i love used book sales

i scored this book for 50 cents at a used book sale the other day. matt was so excited--he still remembers his second grade teacher reading these witty poems to his class. our kids asked me every day last week, i think, to read to them from this book. here is my favorite so far:

COLORS

My skin is kind of sort of brownish
Pinkish yellowish white.
My eyes are greyish blueish green,
But I'm told they look orange in the night.
My hair is reddish blondish brown,
But it's silver when it's wet.
And all the colors I am inside
Have not been invented yet.

-Shel Silverstein

crane's

yesterday was another gorgeous late-summer day, much welcomed after a dreary, rainy week. we took advantage of it and headed out for our yearly visit to Crane's Orchard with our friends, john & abbey. the apples and raspberries were ripe for the picking.

old friends

this group of people is very special to me. these are the people (along with their significant others) whom i have grown up with since probably about the time i learned to walk. friday night we reminisced about all of the sunday school classes, slumber parties, sunday night pizza parties, and so many other memories we have shared together over the years. these days we may not see each other all that often, but when we do get together there is a bond between us that runs deep. i have come to treasure these friendships even more lately, realizing how much the history shared between us really means, and how hard it is to come by.

and now, not long after all of us finally live locally again, one of us again hits the road. we will have to put a bit more effort into our reunions now, meeting somewhere between here and Virginia, but i have a feeling we still have many more years ahead of making memories together. all the best to you, steve & sara. we'll miss you guys.

homespun gifts from the heart

in anticipation of a doing a much lower-budget Christmas than usual this year, i recently checked this book out from the library. i am so enjoying it. it is filled with great ideas to get your creative juices flowing. if anyone has any other good resources or ideas for homemade and/or lower-budget ways to do gifts, let me know!

trip to the zoo

matt took the day off yesterday and we headed down to Binder Park Zoo for the day. our trip was well-timed for several reasons: (1) it was an absolutely gorgeous day; (2) the kids and i have been reading a bit about africa these past couple of weeks, and this zoo has an entire area dedicated to providing an african safari-like experience; and (3) there was hardly anyone there seeing as most kids are back in school! (one of the joys of homeschooling!) probably the highlight was getting to feed the giraffes, though levi's favorite "animal" was still the train. :) i had to include the picture of the red panda, too, since that is my personal favorite!

little critters

last week the kids and i visited the local Critter Barn, where Miram and Levi got to observe and interact with lots of different farm animals.

i also took our own little critter out last week to try to get some decent 9 month pictures of him, though we didn't get even one smile--he was way too distracted by all the interesting and yummy looking things around him!

jiminy crickets!

ok, so i am a MAJOR chicken when it comes to certain creepy, crawly things--really, anything that likes to hide from humans, like the ones that usually only come out at night. mice, bats, and cockroaches are at the top of my list...

...and now crickets join them.

it's kind of sad, really. i used to not mind crickets. i have always found the little chirpy sound they make at night soothing.... that is, until they started invading our house. that cute, cozy chirpy sound has been getting a little too close for comfort.

it all started last week when i heard that chirping coming from our front entry. this is understandable, however, since the trim and some of the baseboard around our front door is presently torn off because matt is working on it. we couldn't find it behind the shoes, so i figured it was just living in one of the cracks, and i was ok with that...

...until one night, just before bed, it met me in the middle of the living room floor. apparently he was out for an evening stroll. i think my screams scared him back home, though. seeing a rather large black bug in the middle of the floor was too much of a reminder of the australian cockroaches we used to meet up with on a regular basis.

anyway, i'm not sure if this guy relocated or just invited his friend, but next thing i know i am hearing the cute-turned-evil chirpy sound in my bathroom. and no, it was not outside the window. i sent matt to hunt it down one morning, and he found it behind our cabinet, but before he could capture it, it darted behind the pedestal sink where he couldn't get to it. "well, i'm going to be late for work--i can't deal with it right now," were his parting words. great! how am i supposed to use the bathroom knowing that thing is hiding in there?!

i didn't know where the flipping thing was (nor was i about to go after it alone), so i was learning to live with the occassional chirp, thinking i was conquering my fears. little did i know it was a cricket conspiracy--they are out to get me!!

this morning about did me in. i walked into our laundry room and a cricket FALLS FROM THE CEILING just centimeters in front of me! since when do crickets hang out on the ceiling?! i told you they are after me. you should have heard me scream this time. and then you should have heard matt laugh at me.

i'd had it. this cricket was not geting away this time. in australia we used to zap the cockroaches with this spray that would kill them, since they were too big to swat. the closest thing i saw this morning was my oximagic stain spray. i grabbed it and doused the thing, and just as i thought he was crawling off to die somewhere...

...he transformed into attack-cricket! he came out from where he has been hiding, first with little cricket steps, and then one giant cricket jump--right toward me! apparently my spray had made him delirious or something, but he about gave me a heart attack. i exited the scene as fast as possible (more screams) and sent matt in to try to kill him again (more laughs). and what he discovered was that this had been mr. cricket's final hurrah before his death. he disposed of him neatly (though not reverently).

sorry if you are a cricket-lover. don't worry--there's still plenty of them singing their choruses right outside. but let me assure any more crickets out there that may be reading this--don't step foot in my house again if you know what's good for you.

www.janegoodall.org

"We have a choice to use the gift of our lives to make the world a better place." -Jane Goodall

guess which dietsche

i am currently putting together a simple collage of our three kids as babies, and thought it would be fun to let you guess who's who--they have all looked so much alike as newborns!

dangerous journey

this children's adaptation of Pilgrim's Progress really captured my kids' attention! this surprised me a little, because it is written in old english, and you would think at first glance that some of the illustrations would be too scary. but even my three year old would sit for whole chapters and would ask me to keep reading when it was over! makes me want to read John Taylor Gatto's book, "Dumbing Us Down"--it's on my list! have we come to expect way too little of our kids? i am always amazed to read in the laura ingalls books, too, how the children will quote entire poems or passages by heart, do complex long division problems in their head, etc. i bet they didn't learn that stuff watching sesame street. :)

wet wild weekend

i would just like to report that we survived the weekend at the cottage in southern michigan with matt's extended family with only a few minor battle wounds. let me assure you that this is NOT a large cottage (2 bedrooms) and that we counted 30 PEOPLE & 4 DOGS who ALL spent the night there last night!! talk about cozy!! it was worth it for the memories, though, despite the severe lack of sleep!

the kids played for hours in the water; i got to prove for one last time while in my 20's that i can still water-ski (it's been quite a few years, and i am feeling it today!); matt took numerous laps tubing, skiing, and kneeboarding with the guys; and matt and i came in second in the bean bag toss competition. i won't mention the shady midnight blobbing adventure... :)

and hats off to our generous hosts, who gave up their bedroom so that matt and i and our kids could have their room, while they camped out on the kitchen floor! next year we may need to bring a tent...

feature notes

i first saw Gavin DeGraw perform on Good Morning America, probably a couple years ago now... and i instantly knew he was going to be one of my new favorites. still is. he combines piano talent with a great voice and good rhythm. i especially love the "stripped" (more acoustic) version of the album i have as my current music feature. yesterday i found a really cool website where you can watch and/or listen to a few of my favorite songs of his ("chariot", "i don't wanna be", "meaning")--i have it linked to his name on my sidebar.

and Blueberries for Sal, since it's that season... if you haven't read Robert McCloskey to your kids, you need to! such sweet stories with nice illustrations, as well. Make Way for Ducklings is another great one of his.

1st annual levi day

the idea was first inspired by the fact that our kids' birthdays fall during the wintertime when it is harder to find special things to do. we thought it would be fun to designate a special day for each of our kids during the warmer season and go and do something just with them that they would really enjoy. as we thought it over a bit more, we thought it would be extra special if daddy were to take at least part of the day off and be the one to take them on their special excursion. this year, at least, this will also include a backyard campout with daddy the night before.

levi lives and breathes anything with wheels and a motor. the other day, out of the blue, he came up to me and said, "mommy, i want a motorcycle on my birthday cake." (his birthday is in january.) we considered several different options of things to do along these lines for his special day--the raceway (probably too loud for a 3 year old), a car show (probably not as exciting to him if the cars are just sitting there)... and finally decided on Craig's Cruisers, where he can actually drive in a racecar for himself!

after a night in the tent, the guys first headed off for a donut breakfast, then took a nature walk and even caught a frog along the way, and then went to Craig's Cruisers. levi was thrilled to ride in a racecar with daddy, and was also excited to report that he had won a lollipop and a bouncy ball in the arcade. it was so fun to see his face absolutely beaming from having such a special time with just him and his dad.

we ended the day with a special cake... and it even had a motorcycle on top. :)

one.org

went to church with my sister yesterday, and the pastor was talking a bit about social justice and poverty... two topics that always seem to get my blood flowing... i guess that's why i was a social work major in college. he directed us to a website that i hadn't known of before, but am glad i do now. it is the ONE campaign--please check it out and please consider signing the declaration. until you have been overseas and seen first-hand how other parts of the world live, you may have no idea just how wealthy most of us really are in this country. this just offers a way for your voice to be heard on behalf of the poor.

too cute

background: a few months ago, miriam learned the word "melancholy" while we were reading Because of Winn-Dixie. in the story, the word is used and defined as meaning "sad". (keep that in mind as you read the following story.)

last night, matt was talking with levi and miriam before bed. since levi has to be reminded nightly to stay in bed if wants to avoid being punished, matt was refreshing his memory that that would be "owie"... levi added, "yeah, and that would be sad"... and then miriam chimed in: "yeah, AND that would be LEMON-choly!"

psalm 9:9-10

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

puddle riding & creek wading

i love where we live. it's certainly not the most beautiul neighborhood around, but the location is so great for us right now. we are minutes from matt's work, our church, and the grocery store. there are several parks, Zeeland Schools' nature preserve area, and Zeeland Schools' athletic field complex all within walking distance from our house. on a good day, we can also walk downtown, to the library, or even to Captain Sundae. :) in the spring, the middle school marching band makes its rounds down our street almost daily (practicing). this time of year, the high school marching band starts practicing their half-time show, so sometimes we catch that, too, if we are walking over in that area. we also try to walk over and catch a peek at Uncle John's football games now and then--their season will be in full swing soon. we have great neighbors, having gotten to know quite a few of them over the past two years. and, for being in town, we have a decent-sized backyard with lots of shade. now, if only the house were a bit bigger...!

this morning the kids and i took advantage of a break in the heat wave and walked/biked to the elementary school parking lot at the end of our street. miriam and levi made quite a splash riding through any and every puddle they could find. we then continued on down the bike trail to the creek. usually we just toss a few pebbles in or take a mini-hike down the foot path leading through the woods along the creek. but today, with the waters running a bit higher and swifter after this morning's rain, i decided to let them wade in from a clearing just off the beaten path. they thought it was great, and levi informed me that he wants to do that again very soon! we made it home just before another downpour!

nyco

a couple saturdays ago matt and i drove to kalamazoo to meet up with an old friend, jess, and her new husband, sam. we met and became very good friends with jess and jamie, her first husband, while in australia. just after we left australia, jamie was diagnosed with acute leukemia and died a few months later. jess and their 3 children then returned to the states (they were mid-westerners like us, which is partly why we instantly clicked), and just over a month ago she was re-married. (obviously i am condensing the story QUITE a bit.) they now live in chicago where sam teaches guitar lessons and is in a band called nyco. hence, nyco's new release as my music feature.

matt

may 6, 1985 - august 1, 2001 (5 yrs ago today)

"i have fought the good fight, i have finished the race, i have kept the faith." --2 timothy 4:7

these are the lyrics to a song i wrote last year in my brother's memory.

Until Then (Matt's Song) written February 14, 2005

There’s an empty spot in the picture on my windowsill-- It reminds me of the hole that can never be filled-- Missing a brother, missing a son-- And all of the dreams that are now gone-- Why did it have to happen this way?-- I don’t know

But one thing I know-- Is You never let go-- Even when we can barely hang on---- And one thing I believe-- Is that You never leave us-- To figure it out on our own---- I know there’s a purpose for all You allow-- A reason for all of our pain---- May our tears draw us closer to Your heart-- Until we see him again

There’s an empty spot in this heart that is aching still-- And I’m reminded of the hole that, Lord, only you can fill-- Still missing a brother, still missing a son-- Yet dreaming of him running with the One who knew why it had to happen this way-- Lord, You know

But one thing I know-- Is You never let go-- Even when we can barely hang on---- And one thing I believe-- Is that You never leave us-- To figure it out on our own---- I know there’s a purpose for all You allow-- A reason for all of our pain---- May our tears draw us closer to Your heart-- Until we see him again

Until then--

james macdonald

our family visited Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, IL, this morning and were really blessed. we listen to James MacDonald, the pastor there, often on the radio and really enjoy his teaching. he's not afraid to speak the truth and does so in a way that is both convicting and edifying at the same time--i think this is a true gift. his radio ministry is called Walk in the Word. i will add the website to my links, because you can listen to whatever the most recent broadcast was for free.

plant a tree

i admit it. i'm a tree hugger. not to the extreme--i do take showers--but in the "mild" form, as my sister-in-laws tell me. i guess some of my pet peeves kind of give it away... allow me to list a few for you.

• it bothers me when people run the water on full force between rinsing their dishes or while they are brushing their teeth, as well as when people water their lawns in the middle of the day.

• i have an inner struggle every time i go to pour my coffee at church into a styrofoam cup.

• i have to admit that sometimes i get annoyed at matt when he lets the car run after we have arrived and parked at our destination. (but i must give him credit for riding his bike to work most days that he can.)

• matt also just informed me that i am a recycling freak. beware if you throw something recyclable into the garbage bin at our house!

• i also have to admit that i sometimes re-bag some of my groceries before leaving the store, because i can barely live with myself if i am carrying only one or two items in a plastic bag. and if i am only buying one or two things, i will usually leave the bag and just carry my stuff.

anyway, the whole reason for bringing this up is that i was at IKEA today--one of my all-time favorite stores that i only get to go to when we are visiting matt's family--and saw a sign directing me to this website. it can apply to you whether you shop at IKEA or not, and has some interesting information and links. check it out.

good quote

"A life of obedience is not a life of following a list of do's and don'ts, but it is allowing God to be original in our lives."

-Vonette Z. Bright

empty house & empty holes -- pt 1

i suddenly have a lot more time for thoughts to roll around in my head, now that my older two kids are gone to grandma & grandpa's for a few days! this is the second time we have been separated like this, and it always feels good and sad at the same time. it certainly is a lesson in letting go for me. it is so true that you "don't know what you got til it's gone" (cringing as i quote an 80's rock song, but it's a good line).

i have been taking this opportunity in part to clean the house up a bit more than usual. i often get so frustrated in day-to-day life trying to keep up with the housework and three kids at the same time. when i get a break like this, i remember how much easier it is to keep a tidy home when you don't have little hands coming along behind you undoing what you have just done! but i also realize how much i miss those little hands when they are not here.

it seems everywhere i go people are saying, "enjoy them while they're young... the time goes so fast... before you know it they'll be grown..." i am always so grateful for this reality check, because it is so easy to forget when i am in the midst of the baby who is overdue for a nap and a diaper change, the 3 year old having a tantrum, and the 5 year old whining because she's hungry. there are never-ending demands on my time and energy these days. and yet, even just looking back one year, i can see how much miriam and levi are growing up already. and time just keeps marching forward.

not only will they not stay little forever, but it is also so easy to forget that each day with them is a gift. nothing in this life is guaranteed. this is a lesson i learned from my brother, who left his life on this earth a few months into his 16th year. we re-lived similar feelings again after levi's birth when we thought we might lose him. i cannot even begin to try to describe with words the pain experienced throughout both of those ordeals, but one reason i am grateful for them is that it has become easier to see that though these children have been entrusted to me, they do not belong to me, and i do not know how long i have with them or what God may have in store. though i often still forget this, when i do remember, it makes it easier to trust that God is in control.

this leads me to another thought, which i will continue later...

my baby's crawling

sawyer began with the "army crawl" a few weeks ago, but a couple days ago he officially figured out how to get around on all fours! he kind of goes back and forth between his knees and his toes--it's really cute. and yes, that is our crispy, drought-fried lawn you see in the background. :)

here are a few more of my favorite shots taken of the kids the other day:

oh, to be little...

it was a really hot day today, and for part of the afternoon all my kids were running around top-less. that's still an option for guys when you grow up, but not so much for us girls. unless, of course, you live in some other part of the world, like where we used to live in australia... ah, yes, another australia memory... top-less beaches!! optional, of course. i'll let you guess which option i chose. :) our YWAM beach ministry events where always interesting...

time for some kid pictures!

today marks 8 years that matt and i have been married. a whole lot has taken place in those 8 years, including the additions of these three amazing little people to our brood...

Miriam Bethany, 5 Levi David, 3 Sawyer Isaac, 7 mo. (though this was taken over a month ago)

one last tux shot

yesterday was a momentous day. the last of matt's group of college buddies FINALLY got married!! :) and to think--to a girl he graduated from hope college with! yet just in the past year have they struck up this relationship. we, too, have known his new wife since college, so it's fun to see them together now. they are going to be great together. of course, ryan and jen didn't even make it into this picture yesterday, but maybe he'll post some of their wedding photos on his blog.

since this may be the last time all the guys will be in tuxes together, i just had to highlight the occassion, as well as to include their previous tux shots. the first here was taken 8 years ago at scott's (second from right) wedding, and the second was taken 7 years ago at ty's (second from right) wedding. (our wedding was a month after scott's, and no tuxes.)

matt has been so blessed to have this great group of guys who have stayed in touch through the years since their beginnings a decade ago-yikes-at hope college. looking forward to a couple of days at the cottage all together (minus the honeymooners) next weekend!