holiday to holiday

So a weekly blog was obviously too much for me to handle. 

How about just capturing life from Easter to Mother's Day?  

 So.. Aron's mom had a baby... and these boys have been spending a lot of time together.  Sleep overs, movies, but mostly just running around the farm avoiding work and terrorizing sisters and chickens... like any boy of 7-9 is want to do.

Unless of course the sister is terrorizing the chicken first... then they must tattle.

A few boys from school came to farm a played king of hill... among other things... and Jude says, "I don't know why everyone in my class wants to come over all the time." I hate to tell him it isn't his warm an friendly personality.  Of course nor is it the GIANT sticker pile that one boy rolled into at the bottom of the hill - after my warm and friendly son pushed him off.

We've been getting ready to say goodbye to unpredictable Annie... but the little blonde visitors always bring her out of her room :)

And we have found mutant asparagus in our yard.  This thing is a bit creepy... but it is super cool that Randy picks over 10 lbs a day at Bethesda!!!

Megan and I died my hair red... well just the tips... and it is already fading.... so now to decide on the hair cut :)

We started a CSA experiment... seemed to be a huge amount of interest... but since Randy tends to talk 45 mites at each stop this may not be the most time conducive activity :)

The Hughes learned how to plant trees...

Kids for Truth Picnic... windy weather brought us indoors but I am NOT going to complain because the kids still had fun and we have had some awesome weather for other events this month!!

Also... we found this dead fish in the middle of a road on our walk to school. SO PUZZLING.

That was the day 3rd grade and kindergarten came to plant at our house... they missed the dead fish in the road but accidentally tried to kill off our fish with fertilizer. Yikes!  But the Saudis made that look like nothing when they accidentally poured all the salted ice water on the garden the children had just planted.  So... I'm really not having a garden this year.... or maybe ever.

Seonjin's birthday coincided with the ice cream social.  She just really loved all that attention!  

What a line up of servers and ice cream!

How many ways can I say I love our front porch... and the love that grows on our front porch :)

And... the poor tormented fish... and Kingson... how we will miss this man...

And how we miss this little man... and my kids are just terrible at long distance communication and the adults are perhaps worse.

We have been eating some AWESOME garden produce meals.  Bok choy and onion stir fry with sides of Asparagus and flash fried spicy radishes.  They are happy eaters... but they'd take a snickers:)

Also - John showed me a picture of his distant relative... and I think the resemblance is a bit freaky - I SO want John to grow his hair out now!

So - there was the little snake that got lost in the van... and then 2 days later there was this snake that did make it all the way to show and tell and back to the farm... wooh!!

And there was field day!!!

And there was final prep day for Garden day... of course on the same day... but no big deal because these guys had EVERYTHING under control.

And there was our last diner out as a family - off to Cancun - where the women owed the men dinner but they were so chivalrous to cover the bill... which was good because it turned out Lucy brought a whole 9 cents to cover her share.

And then there was Garden Day yesterday with the most AMAZING weather and the blessings just kept coming with surprise quality volunteers and a great community turn out.

This is my family that my parents chose for me... and I love them and I am proud of them.

This is my family that I choose - and I love them too... and I am proud of them too!

And this is my husband who I chose.... who is BEYOND amazing.  Because he doesn't really like people and he'd rather get 9 hours of sleep - but he loves us all so much better than we could ever have asked for.

And these are some friends... and life is GOOD.

Also ... on mother's day when the house get's quite... they are just having a very serious conference in the guest bedroom - probably about how to solve all the world's problems.

Well at least they pray for rain... and 20/100s is something.... but I think I'll fall asleep praying for more.

So that's it til after memorial day.  K?

My favorite holiday

So Easter is - BY FAR - my favorite holiday. I don't care what you call it or what you do. Resurrection Sunday, Holy week, Semana Santa, eggs, lamb, Passover, family photos all matchy-matchy, Good friday, Maundy Thursday, ham, chocolate, baptisms, Bible readings,  Jesus movies, dressing to the nines, flowers, card games, steak, foot washings, more eggs, sunrise service, lent, pizza, cemetery service, orchestras, bike rides, and bunnies. I honestly don't care how you celebrate this week - I can make it about Jesus and my new life in Him. I just see Jesus everywhere during these days. Sorry if that got annoying to anyone... (and also I may try to keep that up --- but tin a non-annoying way :).

I kinda tried to trash the holiday for a couple of years by trying to do it ALL in a 12 hour span... but even then I couldn't ruin it.  Though exhausted afterward, I loved the three years of figuring out how to "do this holiday best" - after we figured out it would necessarily include 35 people.  But now - we spread it out, delegate it out, and slow it down.  Collaboration and a beautiful day meant my son and I went on a 6 mile bike ride between sunrise service, a baptism, a 317 egg easter hunt, and a steak dinner for 35 people and a sleepover - and I felt like going for a jog on this rainy morning.  I was seeing miracles everywhere. Thank You Jesus.

My photography was super lame this year... but the memories are good...

The unfortunate

Many things are unfortunate …

For example - the fact that it is now cheaper to buy pre-packaged lasagna than to buy the ingredients.  The fact that, at this rate - teaching my kids to cook is probably an obsolete skill - since when they are 30 it will be cheaper to be injected with nutrition or something.   Or, the fact that, to make said cheap lasagna it must be chalk-full of heaven-knows-what because it for sure isn’t cheese, meat and tomatoes - that costs more than $7.98.  That’s all unfortunate.

It’s unfortunate that people get old.  That, in my case, my entire stinky family is getting old at one time. Falling down and breaking things. Straining things. Finding spots where they shouldn’t be and wishing muscle was where it once was. Old age is quite unfortunate.

It’s unfortunate that to give teachers job security we invented this whole tenured thing.  And then when our budget is a mess we are forced into firing all the great ones and are stuck with some folks… that ... how shall I say it? ... Ought to be put out to pasture. Yes, that is unfortunate for our children.  Goodbye incredible, passionate, energetic, young teachers.. and may you find a job in a wealthier district.  

Also… the entire movie Noah… the whole thing is unfortunate.

And entire lost airplanes?

It’s unfortunate that Hays is now officially a desert and we must decide if we should count on it always being a desert and go ahead and kill off all of our trees and plants by refusing them water - or go ahead and water and then not be able to flush our toilets next year.  Either way is unfortunate I think. And this lack of moisture only adds a little perspective to the unfortunate fact that is currently SNOWING… April 3rd.

It’s unfortunate that 22 suitcases does not a home make.  Nor a house with a mortgage, 3 couches, and dishwasher.  Home is made by people loving each other - day-in-day-out in a place.  And day-in-day-out takes along time… years really.  And that’s unfortunate, because when you leave one home it may be a while till you can rest your head in a new one.

It’s unfortunate that there are more jobs where there is more pollution. AKA - my friends won't soon move to Kansas.

It is is unfortunate that the majority of my children’s friends have been exposed to realities I was hoping to shelter them from for …oh… at least another decade.  It is unfortunate that the likelihood of them happening across porn or domestic abuse far exceeds that of them breaking an arm by falling off a jungle gym.  It’s unfortunate that their mother has no idea what to do with that reality.

It’s unfortunate that our plans never really turn out.  Nor or parents’.  And often that leaves us staring into dark future devoid of stars for guidance.

It’s unfortunate that doctors and lawyers cost $50 to speak to and you can’t know if you REALLY need to speak to them until you have.  And the only way to be SURE you needed to talk to them is to NOT talk to them. Those catch 22’s of life - all of them are unfortunate.

And it’s unfortunate that when it rains it pours - all things unfortunate.

And my personality is unfortunate really.  It was Orson Wells who first said that I guess… and considering how “chipper” his work was - I would say, he and I have a great deal in common.  I don’t know if he was a control freak or not. Or if he was so confounded by himself that he couldn’t figure out at any given moment if he were bored or overwhelmed; lonely or in need of solitude.   For years I haven’t been able to tell when I am hungry or full and now it is overflowing to my mental state.  It’s unfortunate. I don’t know if he continually lived in a state of distraction. But I do.  And it is unfortunate.  My personality is unfortunate.  Jarod says it is not.  He likes my personality - it is SO useful.  But he’d just rather not have it.  I think that is the definition of unfortunate: Not all bad.  Not even lacking use.  In fact it might be entirely useful - but awfully uncomfortable for the one experiencing it.

And so… I say I am fortunate… WE are fortunate for the weight of our misfortune.  It leaves us longing.  And when we long for what we were created for - for eternity - for home - for all things made right… perhaps it is the most fortunate of places to be. This is the blessing of the removal of the “Tree of Life” after our participation in the “Tree of Knowledge.”  We know evil and it is not allowed to reign forever.  

The continuity of Biblical imagery astounds me. Humanity’s internal death was marked by this external curse of “pain in childbirth” - initiation into life bringing forth some it’s greatest pain. And then … the entire unfortunate history of humanity and our rejection of God and destruction of ourselves brings us to Romans 8:22-23 “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”

And so it is unfortunate that we groan… but how fortunate we are that we ourselves signify that something better is yet to come.  And that it will be worth it…

So, I count myself deeply fortunate today that in all the abundant moments of beauty and delight that I daily live, God is not content to leave me here where shadows of brokenness lurk… but He lets me groan a little. To move us on we must be willing to groan. And thankfully… some things leave us no choice.

And all things fortunate and not weave themselves together in such a tapestry... 

Years of fort building in our living room came to an end last month.  How blessed we were to have the time: how sad to see it go.  Alie doesn't think they'll be "into it" when they are 14... which I didn't have the heart to tell her was a good thing because the moms probably weren't going to allow cross-gender cuddling at that point anyway. :)  Jarod, may however think that we are fortunate to be rid of such messes anyway...

Jude was fortunate enough to have grandparents that not only bought him EXACTLY what he wanted for his birthday but they also put in the time to create an hour long scavenger hunt on a gorgeous spring day.  Too bad when he found his gift... it was a styrofoam sword and pickax which have turned out to be as delicate as I predicted.  It is unfortunate when you cannot hack with your hacking tools.  However, other parents find it unfortunate that our children have their own machetes... so....

It's unfortunate that our daughters inherited our ridiculous capacity for crying.

But it is is anything but unfortunate that we all had so much to cry about...

Slightly ridiculous when every person in our family looses a best friend in the same day.

We will be diversifying friendships from here on out.

I cannot imagine how unfortunate I will feel the day Lucy stops enjoying her ice cream cones and cupcakes with such revelry. However, it will be a BIT disturbing if she eats this way as an adult.

Grammee and Grandpa Tom gave Jude a ski day for his birthday and it was PREFECT. Except for the unfortunate fact that Jude decided to take off his goggles AFTER we applied sunscreen and his parents weren't bright enough to notice.

I am pretty excited that the woman who has coached the guys' basketball team for over 20 years has a son Jude's age and he happens to be in Aikido with Jude and pretty good kid.  I cannot express to you how important it is to have friends who "get" our family... and since this one was raised at our kind of sporting events - he is a keeper! Also - we got gold this year... for, like, the first time in a decade!

It was unfortunate that of the 22 students we sent forth ALL across America on spring break road trips - all but 4 experienced blown tires, car accidents, missed toll booths, and other perils of the road.  But as Jarod says, "Now they have been on a real adventure."  Happy they made it home.  Not sure I am ready to start planning the next trip... but YELLOWSTONE - here we come!!!

My son finds the size of his family unfortunate when it comes to chores.  "Is this 14?"

Waleed was pleased with his cornrows... too bad they didn't last long :)

My children's newest playtime obsession mirrors something of "doomsday preparation" where Jude locks Lucy in the closet for hours where she happily plays with her stuffed animals and chews on baby carrots.  I haven't quite figured out what it is all about... maybe they have just figured out they need a little space from each other... or maybe it really is a good time.  Either way, I'm happy that Jude gives her water and a pocket knife. You know - just in case.   *?* 

I'm bummed that I would make the worst homeschool mom EVER - because on Friday when a group of students went to the homeschool co-op to do a presentation on China... they all seemed like very nice people I'd like to get to know. But alas... I not only DON'T school them at home, I have even found them this awesome Mandarin tutor Albert... and I hope he moves in with us next year!

Super awesome tadpole from our pond.  Lucy's kindergarten is lucky to have us. :)

And Jude and Jarod had some great father-son Sunday afternoon bonding as they made Lucy a wand. It is unfortunate that someone is SURELY going to get their eye poked out.

My NOT at all boring God

I’m just so glad God is not boring.  There is a movie that came out called “God is Not Dead.”  I think it looks pretty good and I plan to go see it.  But church people spend a whole lot of time either trying to prove the existence of God or being quite discouraged that people don’t desire to obey God.  And I was just thinking this morning that maybe the greatest proof of Him and biggest part of His story that we forget to tell is that He is so NOT BORING.  I guess it wouldn’t really matter if He is a dead or alive - or obeyed or not  -if He was boring and predictable and did and said all the same things we say and do and think.  Anne Lamott says, “You can be sure you have made God in your own image when He hates all the same people you do.”  Because the alive God doesn’t.  The alive God doesn’t hate anyone.  He hates evil but not those who do it.  Because evil hurts them.  And that is complicated and takes a whole life time to understand.  That is not boring.  I wouldn’t make the living God up - because the living God isn’t anything like me and I am just not creative or brave enough to say the things He says.

God says, “Love your enemies.” “Do good to those who hurt you.”  “Sell everything you have and give it to the poor.” “Leave everything and follow me.”  And that’s not boring.  That’s crazy.  God is crazy.  A co-worker of mine is reading a book called the “Insanity of God.”  Other friends of mine live it.  One of my closest friends is packing up her five kids and moving 1/2 way across the world this morning on nothing but faith and the promises of strangers... to tell other strangers “God loves you” for the rest of her life.  She is 34 and doesn’t know the language.  That’s crazy.  My other friend just got diagnosed with a chronic degenerative pain disease that keeps her in bed most of the time - WHILE she tries to take care of 4 small kids - and God says, “Rejoice ANYWAY!”  That’s nuts.  

God says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways.”  No, they sure are NOT.  My thoughts are boring.  Like - “let’s all live happily ever after and drink tea by the fire place and grows flowers for the next 45 years and then die in our sleep.”  I’m a bit boring.  God is not.  God calls people like my parents to spend their entire stinking lives taking care of six people that other people consider “broken and a burden” and “too bad they were ever born”.  God says, “I choose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.”   God says, “unless you become like one of these - you cannot enter my kingdom.” God chooses weak, broken, messed up people like me to proclaim His message of love.  What IS He thinking?  I have no idea.  
People around me sit in pews Sunday after Sunday wondering how anyone can think God is dead.  Maybe they don’t. Maybe they just don’t CARE if He is dead or alive because they think He is so stinking boring.  He’s not. Some days I wish He were... but then I remember what I first learned about Him... that He is GOOD.  All Good.  All love. And it is pretty important to be all good if you are going to be not at all boring.

A few of the not boring people God has put in our lives.  If you are a prayer.  Please pray for our super AWESOME staff at Bethesda right now.  Each one of them love the men and the love God and they desire to hear from God as to what He has for their lives.  We know one thing... Bethesda sure is a great place to learn some of life's most un-boring lessons.  Pray for God's non-boring direction for each of them... whether it mean staying with a difficult job that pays nothing, or missions, or family farming... we know He has something exciting planned for each of them!

And sometimes God does let us sit by the fire.  I just love how he brings people from Kenya and Korea to Hays Kansas to close friends, so we can all teach each other things that we would never learn apart!  It's crazy.  Days around here are crazy... like when all these students go on road trips in different directions, calling "home" with flat tires in the middle of the Arizona desert and Jarod walks them through an ESL tire change... And the spring break stories are just beginning!! Please pray for our friends traveling in NY, DC, Arizona, Florida, the Bahamas, L.A. and pray that he Saudis decide WHERE they are going before they get in a car and drive off...

And we were totally fine like this.  I could have had a hot dog roast once a week with this group from now until they go off to college.  That would have been my plan.  But he gave us two of them from Romania... and He is taking 5 of them to Thailand.  He can do that.  He is God.  He has big plans.  And that is a good thing... just please pray for my little kiddos hearts.. that they may know that God is good and loving... because I am afraid sometimes they have learned the "God is not boring" part first.  And that can be a rough order.

I've been better but never more grateful

So… I have been sick since Jan 11th.  Super awesome year anyway. I guess.  Mostly because I’ve learned a bit from bed, and learned I should have been in bed a bit sooner.  I’ve learned a bit of grace and hopefully how to be a better friend to those who must learn to live with life long limitations.  Our bodies betray us and our lives and the live of those around us go on without us.  That is humbling.  But it is a gift.  My Uncle once told me that all of our time is “free time” - we absolutely choose what we will do with every minute.  But so often I think I HAVE to scrub the floor, or finish a project. I think I SHOULD run or read to the kids.  But I forget I CAN. I generally have the health and strength to do so.  That is a miracle.  I don’t want to forget the miracle tomorrow when I am well. And I think of Jacob when he wrestled with God and God changed his name and threw his hip out of socket.  He walked with a limp the rest of his life… his ancestors refused to eat meat from that area.  Jacob was asking for a blessing… but perhaps the blessing was simply that God let Him live and gave Him a constant reminder that life is blessing enough.  Life is too much blessing really.  We get more blessing in each day than we can absorb. So friends… family… who live with pain… who live with bodies that betray you. I am sorry. I prayed for you this month.  And I won’t forget.

So life went on... and

They are gutting and remodeling a bathroom at Bethesda

We fit 13 people in the mini van.  We used to not be so grateful that we are a two minivan family. Now we are. Well.. I AM. :)

Here's the unidentified rash that started the whole health mess.

We were gifted some sweet Saudi clothes

And Chinese clothes...

And as we say around here, "We don't have a bag any more!"

Painted sunflowers for Kansas Day. And in case I haven't chronicled this anywhere - Mrs. Crawford is AWESOME!!!!!

John decided to stay at Bethesda.  Yeah!!! Remember... gratefulness for what we have just doesn't run in our bloodline.

We celebrated Lunar New Year with... dance

And dumplings...

And said goodbye to our Alice...

My mother is trying to learn Korean.  It's incredible really.

(Oh and the kids are taking Mandarin)

And Grammee played a whole game of Monopoly on a snow day... that was incredible too!

I don't know if the audio on these things will work or if the motion will just give you headaches... but I thought I'd give it a try.

2013 video

from 38 minutes down to 14.... so much had to be cut out.  Minutes of Grandpa Bob doing Korean Dancing and probably hours of dress up and living room plays.  But still... a good recap of the year.  Our life is SO FULL.... and we wouldn't want it any other way.
Skyping to China right now... people who weren't even a part of our life this last year... but who we carry in our hearts... year after year... into this year

LET'S GO!

Supplement

I am. The least crafty person. On the planet.

The hight of my crafting each year is to sew the names of our new household members on Christmas stockings.

…

Yesterday we celebrated my parents’ 43 wedding anniversary. That is a long time.

Our Hungarian friend’s mother had a stroke this past year and last night at the celebration the conversation turned to how her mother was fairing after these many months of struggle.

As she explained in her unique way (gift 1213 in my life: the clarity of broken English), her mother’s memory is improving as her sister has found, “a medication or a supplement or SOMETHING that is helping her link yesterday to today.” “Helping her know that it was fall and now it is winter.”

… and I think … giving her hope that Spring will come.

The terror of a disjointed life begs a cure.

And so each year I “waste” the first week of my clean slate rehashing the past 365 days of photos, video clips and songs - boiling a year of life down to 12 minutes.  Begging for something “to help me link yesterday with today.”

And my Bible reading finds me in Exodus today.  For the 100th time I turn the page from the plagues to the red sea as they stand in terror - falling on their faces in fear and complaint.

“WE ARE GOING TO DIE!!!”

Next page. Water from a rock. Manna.

Next page.

“WE ARE GOING TO DIE!!!”

And I think… someone should have given them a supplement.

And me.  They are me. 

I can turn the page back on their life in awe of their forgetfulness.  

Who will turn the page back on my life and remind me?

So I create my 12 minute supplement of faces and moments that I likely almost missed in busyness.  That I am only now taking the time to say Thank you for.  12 minutes to remind me of who was and no longer is.  Who is, and almost wasn’t.  12 minutes to say, “WATCH - this may be the last year of uninhibited free dress-up dance party every day in the living room.” And breath… something beautiful is happening.

And I have heard it said, that the most beautiful masterful tapestries are a mess from the back side.  Worse than my stockings even.  So my video is my form of faith.  To hang His tapestry backward… for now. Until we get to the other side.  To say, “this must be beautiful - because He is crafty…”

“In the beginning God created…”

He’s been at it a while. Longer than 43 years. And 43 years is a long time… to be living, creating, and remembering… and far too long to be remembering and forgetting.

so…. I better get back to making my supplement - because 43 years will be here before I know it.