Summer Nights

While at times I am prone to slight exaggeration, I wanted to show you evidence. Evidence of why I needed to inject some silence into my surroundings. This is a picture taken in Nanjing, China during the hot summer months. And the smiles would seem to indicate that these people are enjoying themselves. I'm not sure I'd be smiling. Although I might be pinching unsuspecting people and selfishly smirking.

While there is a little more personal space, I fear it's only because they are swimming in the OCEAN. They wouldn't be able to spot a tar ball if they were trying.




And just for the record, I have never seen a public restroom at a Chinese public beach. That, my friends, is an equation that yields only disastrous results.

And while we're at it, America should bring back the Speedo. Look how confident. How suave he looks as he waits to jump into those murky waters. Let's pretend that "Jeremiah was a bullfrog..." is playing in the background. It will make you smile instead of stare at the lack of bathing suit covering the young men climbing the pillars...in a speedo.

Why We Look Like Liars

These are just a few reasons why October might be difficult for our family. And also why when we tell our kids that America is not just about fun, games, and good food, we look like complete liars.

They have made forts in the pool with cousins.



Rode in go carts with mom and maybe, just maybe, talked trash with 12 year old boys.

Made frogs for homeschool out of cake and lots of candy goodness.

Have a blast with a house full of our college friends and their kids. And tell stories of when we were college punks.

Have a huge bouncy moonwalky thing set up in the back yard during a family party.


Wrestle Uncle Mike in the pool. Doesn't every kid love the "Uncle Mike" in the family that wrestles and tells jokes and frequently reminds us that "Whoever smelt it dealt it!"

Had sleepovers with a cousin that you haven't seen since you were both 5 years old.

DC in summary

When you're only in Washington, DC for 5 days, this is what you can do:




Take pictures of the beautiful area in which you are staying. Simultaneously pretend you are the Huxtables and reminisce about the time Theo decided he wasn't going to college. That Theo. So rash. So impulsive. So trendy in his silk shirts and kid 'n play haircut.




You take a family picture in front of the White House and wonder just how much time Michelle Obama actually spends in her "First Lady Garden" that she planted with the underprivileged elementary school kids this past Spring. You also talk about how long it would take for you to get taken down if you decided to jump the fence.




You gaze at the capitol building after your tour and blatantly stare at all the nationalities represented in America.





Then, you head out to gorgeous Mount Vernon for a tour. You enter the children's section while the kids dress up and learn all about George Washington and his family. You also contemplate how many other people will think that one of our children looks like the kitchen help in the above picture.



You let your kids play with Madagascar roaches and tell them that it's really fun to find them and kill them. Another task now officially delegated out.




You talk to one of the last Holocaust survivors and become both humbled and amazed at her story and bravery. You also stare at the picture you took and laugh because it looks like the sweet lady has really gangly arms that are hugging your son.







You do a scavenger hunt around the monuments. One of the tasks is asking your grandfather about the Vietnam War while doing a rubbing of some of his friends who did not make it out alive.






I love DC. Everything is free and amazing. We did a month long unit on DC before going and I'm so glad that we did. The kids really a great job walking in the heat. We all learned a ton and cannot wait to go back in a few years.

Tilt. Compress. Pump. Release.

Wow, it's been awhile since I've blogged. This is gonna be stream of consciousness because that seems all my pion brain can muster up at the moment. Since being in the states, I've felt rather disoriented and uncomfortable. Like when you sit down on a public restroom toilet and it's warm. Uncomfortably warm. And it has nothing to do with all the wonderful people we've gotten to see since we've been here. They have been, as one of my favorite sandwich places says, "a shady island in a sea of rice." People have been the highlight for sure.

And this whole driving thing. I find myself driving like a grandma on bunko night. Slow. Abnormally slow for someone not yet pulling social security. And I also find myself saying "these people are driving like maniacs! Who do they think they are zipping around here?!" All I need is to make tapioca pudding and head to Branson, Missouri and then maybe I'll feel at home.

And then, I get to the gas station. Sometime post 2007, a new law was passed that changed the way gas pumps work. The label on the nozzle reads "Tilt. Compress. Pump. Release." Ok, did that. Gas comes sputtering out to where my kids can practicing their counting on the pump because the numbers are going one by one...slowly. And then it stops completely. So, I tilt, compress, pump and waited on the release part till I was done...again. This happens no less then 20 times while I fill up half a tank. All I'm saying is that I have had four other experiences where I was told to "tilt, compress, pump, and release" and I found that just as maddening. Especially because these actions were required of me in public restrooms. And let's just say that I reeked of dairy by the end of it all.

Because I cook everything from scratch when we're at home in China, I'll just admit that I've loved processed foods! I never thought I'd say that. But, to go to the store with frozen food and stick it in the oven for 15 minutes and have dinner is a welcomed treat. And for the record, cooking from scratch is only glamorous in magazines and in your head. While it's healthier, it's a pain in the tail. Let's just be honest.

Americans are also busy. Busy and tired. I don't think technology is helping at all. There have been times that I've wanted to run into the woods and forage berries just to get away from our crazy schedules. But, for now, I will eat granola. From a box. And we will get to meet with awesome people and eat amazing food.




Oh ya, I got my haircut. I was sporting the wind blown look, but without the wind and without the style. So, here it is. I love the cut. But, the color is crazy dark. I don't want to put color in it, but I will say that it's "bad toupee" brown. Oh well.



And here's my sweet Charis who also got her mullet cut off. The Billy Ray had run it's course.

happy 2nd, Makaria!

Makaria is officially 2! Her birthday celebration started like this:



All 7 us, with all our luggage crammed into a van to head to the airport. While in the van, we sang the Chinese national anthem and lots of Chinese kid songs with our driver.





A few days after we landed, we ended up playing in the fountains at a nearby mall. She's getting so big. It's surreal to think she's been with us for a year already. We made her adoption final last year on her first birthday, while in Ethiopia. We got an email from one of her original nannies on her birthday. Makaria was so loved and cared for in her care center. It brings tears to my eyes to think of how much these nannies ministered to her.



We got to celebrate with Brad's side of the family. It was lots of fun introducing both Kesed and Makaria to family.





I will tell you, this girl is so wonderful. She sat and played with her seatbelt for an hour on the flight to the States. She's super chilled, funny, compassionate, loves to imitate and a pure joy to be around. God truly knit our family together. She's a perfect match with our other kids.





Here she is with her cousin. They are so cute together.





Happy Birthday, sweet girl! May the testimony of the Lord go forth as you grow. We pray that your joy will and glorify the Lord in the darkest of places. We love you.

Malachi's Baptism

One of the most exciting things that has happened in the last few weeks is that Malachi was baptized! A few months prior, we were doing home school and the book talked about giving your life to the Lord (yet another reason I love home school). I asked him what his thoughts were and he said "I want to become a Christian, but I'm waiting for you and Daddy to say it's ok."

He's expressed interest several times, but we've been trying to weed through the desire in him to just believe what we believe and genuine conversion. As a parent, it's always a step of faith. Even if he was 18, we can only see if his heart desires the Lord, is drawn to bearing fruit, understands the gospel and hates sin.

One of our last days in our city, we had a huge celebration where two other kids got baptized. It was an awesome night of prayer, worship, rejoicing through baptism, and lots and lots of tears. It was wonderful.

Each dad asked the kids questions to see if they understood what they were doing. We had been working with Malachi all week to understand the seriousness of baptism. He seems to really understand it and the significance of Jesus' death, resurrection and our regeneration. He gave a short testimony and then we prayed for him.

Sorry the pictures are grainy, I had it on the wrong setting when I handed it to a friend to take pictures.

There are no words to express what it is like to be a part of your own child's baptism. It's the crescendo of the prayers we've been praying for him since before he was born. We pray for his wife, his leadership, for him to be a Godly man of prayer and service. That he would have a heart for the downcast. That he would find creative ways to see the world as Jesus saw it.

We see the Lord changing him and growing him daily. As a parent, sometimes it's hard to remember that just because he's a Christian, doesn't mean he automatically has the maturity of a 40 year old. He's still a 6 year old boy. And he'll still make 6 year old boy decisions.

Little buddy, you are treasured by the Lord because now you are His. We pray and pray for you. May you seek our the Lord's glory in every minute you breathe and find joy in every step you take. We Love You!

The Battle at "5 Dragons Park"

The few days before we left, we headed to the park for a little family time. If you've ever packed a family to head on an overseas trip, things can get a little stressful right beforehand. At least that's what other people have said. We wanted to end on a positive note, so we headed to the park.




We tried to find a pool that was a little secluded. There was not a single person there when we found this pool. Within 5 minutes, we had this. We happened upon a group of intruders approaching us by land. We had no choice. We had to defend our territory. "Freedom is not FREE!!!" There were men, women and children firing from every direction. They were ducking behind trees, assaulting us from behind. It was intense. But my family held their ground. I say family because I had to document the attack from the shore. And the water was really cold.


Charis thought it was a little cold too, so she swam for a little bit and then found comfort by eating bananas and sitting with mom.


But this little guy was quite the soldier. He would walk straight up to people and pour water on their heads. Unsuspecting victims. He sought out the vulnerable.






It was a fun last day.

My Carpool Line

I realize that I've got a lot of blogging to catch up on. I'm just going to start at the beginning of the pictures on my camera and go from there. I've been wanting to capture this picture for a long time, but kept forgetting my camera when I went to pick up the kids from kindergarten. Let's just be glad that I remembered to pick up all the kids. This is the infamous lamb slaughtering station.





I took the above picture to prove to you just how close to our kid's school this even actually takes place. The yellow sign on the right hand side is above the front gate of the school.




And here they are with their heads dangling into the drain. At least their blood dripped into a drain. I just considered this my twisted carpool line that I wait in to pick up my kids from school. I also love this picture because no carpool line in China would be complete without a middle aged man with his shirt rolled up to his chest.

I will say though that we have had some great discussions above the sacrifice of Christ versus the sacrifice of animals. It's a great picture of the seriousness of Jesus' death. And the absolute truth that His death was essential.

Pushing away from the dock of fear

For the last month, I have been overwhelmed by the Lord's goodness. It's been relatively chaotic for the last 5 weeks or so, yet the Lord has continued to carry us along in faithfulness and gentleness. I have been moved to tears at very random times (ie, going through the subways in Beijing) at just how clearly He has revealed Himself to me as of late.

This morning I read in Matthew 8 about Jesus calming the storm. The disciples are frantically moving about the boat in fear. Yet, Jesus rests. I love this passage of Scripture because it is such a clear picture of our lack of peace and our idol of fear.

I allow fear to make decisions for me.
I allow fear to prevent me from action and serving others.
I allow fear to make me critical.
I allow fear to make me doubt the Lord's goodness in any given situation.

And yet Jesus sleeps. Why? Because He's not afraid. He's not afraid of outcomes or death or trials of this life. His hope was not founded in earthly terms.

I've been praying that I would have that type of peace. The type that is joyful in persecution and loving to my enemies. My gut reaction is to become bitter and angry and impatient because I am fearful.

We Made It

We made it! I've got several blogs to post, but jet lag still has my brain working in slow motion. I'll post some more soon, I promise. The trip went great. Those movies on the back of the seats are a gift from the Lord. We are headed out of town on Monday, so I'm in the middle of unpacking and re-packing.

More soon...

My Packing Philosophy

I have a packing philosophy that has done me well over the last 11 years that we've been married. Start early. As in, earlier than you could ever think you'd need earlier. Here's some of things that you get to experience the week before you leave, when you start packing early:




You get to go to the park with friends and throw cups of water on their heads.




You get to throw your arms out in jubilation as you get pelted in the back with cold pond scum.




You get to swim with your pants falling off. Which, if you know my family, is pretty much anytime of the day.




You get to schedule a play date with a wonderful friend and get little flowers painted on your nails.



And you still have time to get stared at and asked the question "where are you from" just one last time.





You get to say 'yes' to the friend that calls at 7 am to come over and play all day. And then you get to hug.




You also get to fly in the shark airplane thingy and smile and throw your head back in laughter.

And finally, you get to board the plane, happy at how the next three months is beginning.

Nothing Much

So, here we sit. We're about a week out of flying to the States. I feel like my brain is stuck in May. But alas, it is June. And I'm having blogger guilt. We haven't posted in a while and my creative side is on vacation. So if in doubt, post pictures.





We had a wonderful group of friends come into town last week. I love getting to hear people's take on life here. This group of people encouraged our hearts and ministered to our lives in a deep way. We felt very refreshed. And it wasn't just because they brought 16 bags of coffee with them.



We are in the process of not only packing to head to the States for a few months, but packing to move. We disassembled our bathtub and beds, have taken stuff off the walls and packed most of our earthly belongings already. While I was packing one morning, the girls were playing in the bathtub. With umbrellas.




I'm not sure how much posting will happen in the next week or so, but prepare yourselves for much commentating over the next few months as we hit the ground in the US of A.

Have you ever...

1. Have you ever felt so tired that you couldn't sleep? As if your adrenal gland is stuck in hyper mode and is gushing adrenaline into every appendage in your body, causing you to work and think frantically around the clock?

2. Have you ever felt like you are stuck in the "before" picture of a luxurious make-over?

3. Have you ever felt like your life is a sitcom, but then are grateful that it's not a drama or tragedy?

4. Have you ever wondered what your tag line is when people describe you? Like Ross from friends, he was "the divorced guy". Or Aaron Neville, he's "the guy with that large mole."

5. Have you ever wondered why we humans even bother to make 5 year plans?


Ok, just wondering.

My Life in Fortissimo

I'm not gonna lie, there is one thing that I am excited about when I think of visiting America that ranks higher than even cheese and Chik-Fila waffle fries. And that's quiet. We live in a world of 'fortissimo'. For those less cultured than myself (ie, those of you who didn't hear 'June' on Little Einsteins this morning use the word 'fortissimo' and tell the audience to clap, clap, clap) fortissimo means really, really loud. And really, really loud can be good when you are talking about a dramatic piano piece, or say, a fire alarm. Fortissimo is not good when it defines your everyday.

My house is not just a little bit noisy. If it's quiet, I start to worry that someone is bleeding in the corner or eating Play-dough. So, why don't you go for a nice stroll outside, you might ask? Well, I don't know if you've ever been to China or probably India, but it's really noisy here. I had a one hour lay over in Delhi one time and it just felt noisy there, but my friends that live there can chime in on that one. Even at restaurants, the music is so loud that you have to shout to the person next to you. I think everyone's hearing has gotten so bad that places feel the need to crank up their music, honk their horns incessantly and speak at a decibel not made for human eardrums just to be able to function daily.

My parents house has a huge back yard with very few neighbors around them. I cannot explain how excited I am to sit on that back porch and listen to nothing. Although I'm sure my parent's neighbors are not at all excited about our 'fortissimo' disturbing their 'pianissimo.'

I am craving a little bit of pianissimo in my life. Grab the hand next to you, take a deep breath and say Pianissimo. Doesn't that feel good.

Pianissimo.

Pianissimo.

Pianissimo.

Public Service Announcement: What NOT to say to Moms

There are a few things that I'm going to share with you that will save you a lot of heart ache. If you are a friend or family member of a mom that has lots of small kids at home, I have a brief list of things NOT to do.

1. Do not plan a girl's night, retreat, double date, long lunch without kids and then cancel the plans last minute. Why? Because chances are, that mom has been looking forward to that time all week. And an even better chance that it's that very event that has kept her from going postal on several occasions. The mother will be gracious about you canceling, but then will retreat to the bathroom and cry for 5 minutes. Then, she will blame her contacts when her kids ask her what is wrong.

2. Do not ask her why her kids are not walking, talking, rolling over, potty trained, or sleeping in their own beds yet. This will cause a snowball of thoughts that will end in all of her kids being homeless or in jail.

3. Do not ask her to make a dessert last minute for a function that she is attending outside her own home. She will say yes, of course. Because saying no would imply that she does not have everything together and she is afraid she will be de-frocked from the Super Mom club. And that mom will feel guilty if she uses a five minute boxed dessert because others will know. They just will. So, she will go to the store, because it's always one ingredient that is missing. The domino effects of this dessert request will send her into panic mode...quickly.

4. Do not complain about how tired and busy you are because you have to go to the gym and then meet at starbucks today. That will cause her to sin.

5. Do not talk about how you never see the sun rise because you get up after 8 every morning. And how on the weekends you sleep in until 10 and then eat a late breakfast just in time for kick-off at 11. She will be tempted to start "accidently" calling you at 4:30 from her husband's phone (so you don't recognize the number, of course) and then hang up quickly. Then she will fall peacefully back to sleep feeling oh so pleased with herself.

These things above will send your friend into Mommy Depression. You don't want Mommy Depression. It's not pretty.

This has been a Public Service Announcement from me.

You're welcome.

Dancin' on the Train to Beijing

By bread alone

"Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes
from the mouth of God."

Matthew 4:4

Jesus quoted this verse when the devil was tempting Him in the desert. As I read this verse this morning and was praying over it, I came to a realization.

I often choose to live by bread alone.

Bread is simple. Bread is easily accessible. Even if there is drought and famine, bread remains. I can run to the street by myself and pick up bread. It's safe and secure.

As I was thinking through this for myself, I came to understand even more how often I depend on my own devices within a day. Brad and I have been talking over the last few months that they Lord seems to be leading us into a desert of unfamiliar and insufficient. There are things that we will be doing in our immediate future that we are absolutely incapable of doing on our own. We feel like we are finally needing to string up the white flag and fall into a foxhole, ducking for cover. The Lord has brought us to this point. He knows that we don't like surrender. He knows that we rely on our own abilities and facilties way too often. We do things that are comfortable and stretch us just enough that we won't break.

Relying on our own abilities led the apple to be eaten. For Ishmael to be born. For birthrights to be sold.

The verse in Matthew tells us that we are to live by EVERY word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Those words are good. Those words are true.

Those words will not spoil.

Not like my bread.

One Month till States Bound

So, in about one month, we will be headed to visit America. It's a weird thing to process through. China is home and our kids really don't remember much about America. They are starting to ask lots of questions about living in the States. We'll only be there for 3 months, but I can see their minds spinning on what life will be like for us. We are doing a count down where everyday we add an element to the White House.

Yesterday, Selah stood in front of the American flag on our little White House and sang the Chinese national anthem. I thought it was a good summation of what she sees her identity as being. A majority of their friends are Chinese. They fully understand what kind of behavior will cause them to gain or loose face here. Charis was 1 when we left, so she's clueless. Malachi remember almost nothing about America. We will also visit the States with two more children than when we left-just 3 years ago.

There are things we're excited about, namely: fajitas, swimming, friends, family, grass, batteries that work, drive-thrus, libraries, Chic-Fil-A, and driving. But, there is a large part of me that is really nervous.

I'm nervous that I won't have a clue what people are talking about.

I'm nervous that I won't be funny and will instead elicit blank stares and inner monologue mocking from others.

I'm nervous about going to church.

I'm nervous that my brain will forget every Chinese word I've ever learned.

I'm nervous that we will not have a place in our friend's lives.

I'm nervous that our kids will feel like outcasts.

I'm nervous that the comforts of America will make me lazy in my pursuit of Jesus.

I'm nervous that I will gain 83 pounds consuming cheese.

I'm nervous that I won't be able to hear God clearly.

All of these things are founded in my lack of trust in the Lord's provisions.

Our good friend, DY, is also coming to visit us for about half of the time. Having her there with us is going to give us a good bridge between East and West. And I'll get to teach her and my 4 year old how to swim : ).

I'm sure I will have more musings as the month progresses.