Documented

Jude's unsolicited portail of his family: Jarod, Lucy, Jude, Me, Marrina, Seonjin and Jessie


I suppose if ICE or the INS came to take away one of our girls they would be better off showing their SS cards and Students Visas than Jude's family drawing. This kind of "documentation" for "belonging" just doesn't count. And it shouldn't... in some ways.

We must have order and processes to keep everyone safe and sane. We have countries, rules, and dividing lines for very good reasons. And as I sit here praying that God's will - will in fact be gracious in the lives of our dear friends waiting to hear if they are indeed going to be deported - I am thinking it is a good thing that I am not in charge of immigration. I draw very fuzzy lines... I need very little documentation. Give me a drawing that says - "they are our friends: They help us, and love us, and understand us and work to make our community and their children's lives better"... and I'd let them stay.

Waiting for the call to hear the government's verdict on our friend's future - I received word that the government did indeed decide to mail us the check we have been waiting on since May. And all the excitement I felt for that $8,000 is gone. And I'd send it all back to say, "There is room for one more family here... we can share... somehow it is all gonna work out." We can all be a big happy family...






Acclimation:
noun
adaptation to a new climate (a new temperature or altitude or environment)
WE CAN DO IT!!!




Our kids when they woke up and our house was 75, "mama - me wear jacket... no - WITH hat!!"

State of the semester

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:4-5


Our Family - fall Semester 2010



I love semesters. Not necessarily school but semesters. Perhaps we are all so conditioned by them after 16 years of school we don't function as well without their confinement. We have been “semesterless” for 5 years now, and I have contemplated becoming a teacher just to get life back to those convenient 'bite-size pieces' with long recesses. But alas – the boy goes to school and our lives will conveniently be packaged into that schedule for the next 14 years. And the girls start today as well... so over half of our family is “semestered”. And I am feeling hopeful. We are not perhaps starting the semester where I had anticipated. BUT the basement is painted (ish). And we've learned a lot on the way to that coat of paint.

Personal growth is a lot like painting – Saturday we “painted” the basement in only 8 hours with the help of Pastor Rafael and his sprayer. Seems quick. Seems quick - when you forget about the prep work... the 1,000 hours and 90 days of labor to get to that 8 hours. Seems quick - when you neglect the fact that the big hopes and dreams for painting started on Memorial day when I bought the paint for 50% off. And I LIKE the 8 hours of painting where the progress looks AMAZING. Paint changes things. But the 1,000 hours before the painting changed things too. Stealthily. I wasn't such a fan of the stealth.
This semester will not be a painting semester – it will be a prep work semester. A stealth semester. I expect no grand educational miles stones... only endless hours of sounding out letters and singing silly songs. I expect more hours of potty training and whining reformation. I don't expect to start any English classes or Bible studies from our home... to have an outreach ministry at all... just more late night talks and sharing of photos and dreams. I expect we will learn about the Zodiac and our children will surpass us in Chinese. We will play uno and chess... we will share recipes and go over budget. We will continue to be humbled by the generosity of our friends and community... as we were Friday when we were given 2 couches and a VAN. We will be humbled until we cry and question why THEY have the faith that this is all a good idea and we aren't going to screw it up... when we don't. And all this time we will be “preped” together... that one day we may be painted into somethings... someones beautiful... people worthy of the trust and grace already given to us. We will one semester begin to have our lives and the lives others painted with the beauty of God's grace in vivid and unimagined colors. We will move toward that... one semester at a time – together.


Thank you Pastor Rafael!!!


Isn't it pretty?



Goodbye summer 'parking' buddies... it has been fun... let's get together soon... somewhere COOLER!


Maysyn's birthday.... I think 3 is a charm when it comes to kiddos... I am looking forward to her spending time with us this year!


We bought this rice August 17th... how long will it last?....


With these happy cooks around!


Jude and his teacher Mrs. Lowery. He is going to a 1/2 day Christian school this year before we make the big leap into full day public school.


Jude with his best little friend Alie on there way to the classroom. It all went so smoothly except for the little girl fighting to get in the photo. What will she ever do without her "bwuver"???



P.S. After I wrote all this encouraging sap about how slow progress is good progress... our basement flooded again... pretty much exactly the same as it did at our last rain – four months ago. Have I mentioned that moving forward “stealthily” often times feels like moving backward?


This guy is no longer allowed at our house at stressful times. "yep - it pretty much looks like a lake down there."
THANKS MERLE.

Success

"Six hours seems like a long way to go camping," says Andrea... and I suppose she's right - if we didn't live in the hottest, driest, windiest state in the middle of no where. But we do. And it was incredible how reshreshing it was just to be a ble to go outside without wilting. We probably wouldn't have gotten around to this had Megan not gotten married. So thanks Meg. It was amazing.





Also, Jude is now the official family photographer and he is doing a great job!

End of Summer

Apparently we have never in 9 years of marriage (that's right 9 years tomorrow) actually needed a vacation. Sure we have gone to visit people, to explore, to have an adventure - but never to "get away." But tomorrow we leave for Colorado for an end of summer camping trip and Megan and Paul's wedding - and homeownership has brought the joys of "getting away" to a whole new level. I am so excited that when Jude woke me up at 6 a.m. this morning to say, "we are late you said we would leave early." I wanted to just leave right then. We have the fishing pole, bat and baseball mitt, hiking shoes, sleeping bags and enough junk food to ENSURE cavities packed and by the back door. Three days in temperatures below 100 with my 3 favorite people in the world... all to be topped off by a wedding at a haunted hotel on Friday the 13th. Who could ask for more?
Actually, the only thing I may be looking forward to more than getting away is the "getting back" after a few days of refreshing. This last week my cousin Luke came and spent the night - and we had a GUEST ROOM. My mom had a party for my Aunt Vonda and as Jessie and Marrina squeezed into our car with the kids... I thought "We are going to need a minivan... and this is going to be awesome." The students have invited friends over for dinner - Joan and Bob got home from an amazing trip to Alaska and showed a slide show on Jarod's big screen - and ....... I STAINED THE FLOORS. We should have paint in the basement by the end of August! There are so many beautiful things going on right now in my life I feel like I should just stop and say a prayer of thanks.
"Thank you God for all the people who fill our house... for kids to babysit... for students to learn from... for an amazing husband and abundant laughter... for family who does more than "pitch in"... and a community we want to be a part of... and mostly right now thank you that the floors are pretty."
I'm shallow - I know - but my floors are pretty and I have been waiting for this since Memorial day.
How was your summer?