summer wear

I'm choosing my battles today... can you tell? Do I really want to take issue with Avery not wanting to get dressed? It's hot, we're not leaving the house, so what's the harm in letting her stay in her underwear? In a couple of hours Lauren & Ezra will be home and after dinner they'll get into their swimsuits and then Avery will want hers on, too. Problem solved. (We did have a little showdown earlier when she didn't want me to shut off the tv!)

I'm waiting for Scott to get home from Oasis. He was there overnight for a meeting about our future ministry. I've gone back and forth on this moving thing and right now I'm somewhere in the middle and I want to make a decision, already. So hopefully he will come home with a little insight into the matter.

home again, home again, jiggetty jig

It never ceases to amaze me how long it takes me to catch up on things at home after being gone for a few days. Today I have finally caught up on laundry, cleaning, and with this, blogging.

We had a great week at Sivell's Baptist Camp. It was very relaxing. The video series was amazing (RC Sproul's The Holiness of God)... I was inspired to a deeper understanding of the separateness of God. I want to watch it again soon because I missed bits and pieces when I had to run off to break up a fight or apply a bandaid or some such thing. We also learned exactly how much weight a person can gain in 5 days! Breakfast of biscuits, waffles or cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, sausages (I never could say no to a breakfast sausage) and a fruit bar. Dessert at dinner and supper. Actually, I could have gained more since I went out for a jog every morning. The miles sure go by faster when you're running outdoors, watching ducks and red-wing blackbirds fly out of the wet ditch and being watched by cows, than when you're on a treadmill watching only the time tick by. The kids had lots of free time and freedom to walk around, play and feed the fish. Here's a picture of my family playing in the Ruidoso river. Click the my photo albums link at the left to see more pictures from our staff retreat.

So we got home on Saturday and found we weren't the only ones who had gained a few pounds. The lady we left Duke with fed him all sorts of table scraps because she felt so sorry for him. He's on a strict diet like the rest of us! Sunday we went to church and were so blessed by the baptismal service. 7 youth were baptised, 2 of the guys are so changed and so eager to grow in the Lord. All of the testimonies were sincere and touching, and even more special was that some of their family members who don't set foot in a church for anything came to see them bapstized. Halfway through the service Scott leaned over to ask me if we could pull off a BBQ for the youth after the service. After asking him if he was out of his mind, I agreed to it. So an hour later and for the rest of the afternoon we had a house packed full of youth. It definitely delayed my post-trip organization but it was fun!

staff retreat

Tomorrow we leave early for Cloudcroft, NM, the site of this year's Missionary Staff Retreat. It will be so nice... With the exception of Alvira, we mainly see these people every three months or so at staff meetings, so this is a chance to be together in a more relaxed setting. I'm looking forward to the Holiness of God video series we'll be watching, the evenings of table games, the great food served at Sivell's Baptist Camp, and a day in Ruidoso, NM. The kids are looking forward to the pine forest where they want to hunt for treasures and the rainbow trout pond where they will have fun feeding the fish.

Look for a new post and pictures in a week's time.

desvelada

That's what I am right now... desvelada. It's the Spanish word for sleep deprived. This because I was up until 3:00 last night designing the youth camp pamphlet with buggy software. We only received the information we needed yesterday and it needed to be ready for today so it has been a very last minute project. But to make things even better, Scott called me from the stationary store this morning saying the copies are not coming out clear so I'm back at the computer now, printing out 100 pamphlets (that need to be ready withing the hour, I might add) on a temperamental printer that has decided it will randomly fold down one corner of the paper as it feeds it out. At least it's generally cooperating today. I should be thankful for small blessings.

Now that I have that off my chest, let's get on to more pleasant topics... aren't my children adorable? Lauren & Ezra look so good every morning when they leave for school. When they get home it is entirely another matter, of course... then I wonder why do they make them wear white? The picture of Avery is taken after Lauren dressed her up as a bride (but why is she holding a baby?) Lauren & Avery are wont to disappear for long periods of time only to reappear entirely transformed. Avery has the ability to stay in character all day long. In fact, just the other day she was pretending she was Bibble, a round & fluffly flying pet from the Barbie Mermaidia movie who speaks only in high-pitched unintelligible speech. (charming at first perhaps but after all day, let me tell you...) I had to laugh at the end of the day as I was putting her to bed when she sighed and said, intelligibly this time, "Bibble is tired!"

Well, the rest of the pamphlets have printed off without incident... I'm off to fold them now. Ah, the glamour of being a youth pastor's wife! Actually, I enjoy doing this kind of thing. What I don't enjoy is doing it at the last minute.

For those of you who like to leave comments... you'll notice I've added a word verification step... you can blame it on the person who's been spamming my site! Not appreciated! I'd love it if you kept on commenting, though.

wereneki

I've been wanting to try my hand at making wereneki for a long time and today I did it. People that make them always tell me they're easy to make and it's true. It's not that they're not alot of work (I was rolling & cutting for an hour and a half) but they're not fussy. We'll have them for supper with some farmer sausage and then we'll take a vote on how successful I was.

This is my second new Mennonite food in as many weeks. Last week I tried flinsen and they were a solid hit. Ezra devoured them like he hadn't eaten for three days, but I was greatly missing the fruit sauce my Grandma always had with them (was it choke cherry?) I think by now I can make all the traditional foods that are important to me. Mmm... there's just nothing like Mennonite food! If only learning Low German were as easy...

el mirador

I'm going crazy with all of these long weekends! I want my routine back!! Today is Teacher's Day and another day of no classes.

Scott had a few errands to run this morning, so we all went with him before going out for lunch. On our way home we checked out a new park in town. It's not finished yet, but it's already open to the public. Once they put in all the plants, it will be very nice. The park is called "El Mirador" which translates to something like "The Lookout" It's on top of the highest hill in town and you can really see everything from up there. We could pinpoint our house and our church as well as various other landmarks.

Oh, and yesterday I got a rare sleep-in and was treated to breakfast in bed which had been lovingly prepared by Lauren & Daddy. Good thing they brought me lots to eat, because I had to share... Ezra & Avery thought breakfast in my bed was a pretty neat thing, too!

before & after

Remember this? I'd kind of forgotten how I used to look. This one was taken in 1996, the year after we got married. We always joke about how much weight Scott put on in that first year... but what about me? I can't even blame it on babies at that point! Our move to Texas in 2001 marks my decision to lose weight. I have no idea how much weight I've lost since then because we've never owned a bathroom scale but I've gone down several clothing sizes. They say that slow changes are the most permanent ones and I hope that's true. I'm very happy with my current weight and excercise habits.

I also found a picture of our patio when we first moved in to this house four years ago. It was a mess of garbage, nails and gravel with only half a wall separating us from our neighbors. I didn't like to have the kids playing back there at all. It's nothing special now, but it's safe and fun for the kids. We have finished the wall, paved the whole yard and put in a sandbox. They have a ton of fun back there with sidewalk chalk, sand, bubbles and water at their disposal. Whenever I'm out there I find myself wishing it were nicer... flowers, plants, maybe a patio set... but when I look at the "before" I see how far it's come and I'm more content to leave it as it is. Besides, why waste money on plants when I will just turn around and kill them?

upheaval

There are too many unknowns right now for this creature of habit.

I like to know what to expect, and right now I have no idea what to expect! We will finish our current term of ministry in July and head to Canada for a six month furlough before beginning another term. The details of our next term have been vague for some time now. We knew that Scott's ministry & focus would change, but we thought that our family would be back in Cuauhtemoc, fellowshipping in the same church, kids attending the same school, living in the same house. Now we're not so sure. Suddenly there are many options, some exciting, some not. I was surprised to find myself open to moving... maybe God was preparing me for this. My biggest concern would be moving the children to another school (they are very happy where they are). Anyway, Scott & I are seeking God's will in this and Scott will be talking to several local leaders in the next while to see if we can get a glimpse of what His plan is for us. We'd like to know before too long because there are a certain number of arrangements we will need to make before we leave for Canada.

I should also mention the big surprise I had today. Gabi (the neighbour I mentioned last week) stopped in to see me today. I had some old pictures out that I've been organizing so she started to flip through them and actually sat down and chatted for a few minutes. She didn't stay long, her baby was napping and she had to get back, but I am so pleased that she dropped by.

mother's day

Today is Mother's Day in Mexico.

This means that last night we heard serenades in the streets. Actually, this year I heard only the beginnings. I was sleeping like a log by the time they really got going. Traditionally, they would hire a quartet to do this, but nowadays they just pull their cars up in front of a house, ideally at midnight, and blast a song on their car stereo. Seems kind of strange to me that as a special gift to their mothers, these people will wake them from their much needed rest and then proceed to deprive them of sleep!!

We stopped to fill in gas today and I got a carnation from the service man at which point I was reminded by my dear husband that Mother's Day is really on Sunday. Was he feeling guilty that I was not part of all the excitement? Actually, the kids have been working hard at school to prepare a special program for tomorrow night. When I picked the kids up from school, it was hugs all around from the teachers wishing me a Happy Mother's Day. So don't worry, babe, I'm not feeling neglected.

Anyway, all I really want is a good nap. I can't seem to shake this fatigue.

culture clashes

Ok. So I finally called my neighbour again after about two months of not making the effort. Her response was predictable... "Why haven't you come to visit me?" I asked her the same thing. She said she couldn't come until she could pay me the money she owed me (a few months ago I was yard selling all my baby stuff and she took some home and paid for everything except about $10 worth... no big deal to me) I pointed out that before she owed me, she still never came to my house. I also told her I haven't come to see her because I was beginning to wonder if she even wanted me to. Every time I go, I am warmly received and assured of how much she appreciates my friendship, blah, blah, blah. But she never reciprocates. Naturally, I was beginning to wonder if she even wanted me there... was she just being polite in receiving me while all the while wishing I hadn't come? Boy, did she think that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. And I thought she was being ridiculous about the money. I told her this is all because we come from different cultures, but she wasn't so sure.

After my brother, Lyndon, came back from a few weeks in Nicaragua in March he made a list of things he would miss about the place. Among them was "the fact that relationships are more important to latins than time or accomplishments" After showing the list to Scott, we agreed Lyndon could say that because he was likely on the benefitting end of that characteristic. Let me tell you it's a lot less charming when you're sitting alone at church after preparing all day for an important meeting and no one shows up because they're busy entertaining their cousins who just popped in for a visit three hours before the meeting was supposed to start! This is probably my numer one complaint about Latin American culture. That or the way it's more important to be agreeable than dependable. "A car wash next Saturday is a great idea for a fund raiser! I'll be there!" instead of, "Sorry, I won't be able to make it that day." Sheesh, just tell me the truth once!

Obviously there are things about this culture that I like, but I'm venting today so I won't go into the good things! Hmmm... We've been here just about four years now and are about to go back to Canada for six months. Have we adopted enough Mexican ways that people back home will now be frustrated with us? I am going to have to change my habit of only starting supper at the time we invited company to come over. (ok, I'm exaggerating, but we've had people be up to two hours late for a dinner invitation) And we won't be able to leave our house at the time a party starts and expect to be the first ones there. Then there's the not taking our shoes off when we come into the house... My goodness, now that I think about it, we really have melded to this culture quite a bit.

Look out, everyone... here we come!

a season of sacrifice

Normally I'm not one for devotional books. I don't know... I find them too bite sized or something. I have found the exception, however, in Devotions for Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas. It was a Christmas gift, a year of weekly devotions for parents. I'm 7 weeks into it and I am enjoying it so much I don't want to wait a whole week until I read the next chapter. It is not predictable like most devotional books, and I find myself actually thinking when I read it. Always a good thing.

I say this because it's Thursday and I read it on Thursdays. Thursdays are kind of an easy day for me. Scott's gone most of the day (it's a heavy day for him), and I end up not cooking, just putting on some leftovers or sandwiches for the kids for supper. Like I usually do on Thursdays, I spent my morning, after cleaning up breakfast, sweeping & mopping, with a cup of tea, catching up on my Bible reading (I'm reading the Bible in a year again this year, but inevitably once a week I have two or three chapters to catch up on) and reading other books I have on the go. I usually have a good cup of tea, but since I'm out of Red Rose (again) this morning I had a very mediocre cup of tea, so it wasn't quite as enjoyable.

Also today I've been sporting a pair of bunny ears all morning. Not that it's really my preference, but Avery decided we should be Avery bunny and Mommy bunny. And I've found myself hopping everywhere. (mopping is harder when you can only hop!) Interestingly enough, today's devotional reading was about how parenting is a season of sacrifice. If my only sacrifice for my children today is hopping like a bunny while I do my housework, then I'd have it easy!

my very first post

Of course, now I've spent so much time creating this blog that I have no time to write my very first post!

I'm not sure if this is something I will keep up over the long run. I've enjoyed reading the blogs of a few friends and family lately so here I am, starting my own. Am I crazy to add another thing to do to my already busy days? Maybe, but it's also something for me and I am in particular need of that sort of thing.

So, for those of you who are actually reading this, welcome to my ordinary life...