I'll be back...shortly

Last night of playing "catch up" on this term. Tomorrow at 3:00 I will officially be done with one more term!!!

Oh...to have the space necessary to really think and truly speak. I am awaiting.

Until then, I'll leave you this link. Please read it. It is a reflection of the transformative nature of my school (a place I have grown unbelievably attached to). Floods of emotion are now bursting forth as I am nearing the end of this segment of my journey.

Advent - A Season of Anticipation

Brandon, Lindsey and Micah came to visit us for Thanksgiving and to kick of our holiday season. We had a wonderful couple of days filled with lots of eating and lots of playing in our tiny little apartment. They will heading back to Denver tomorrow, but no tears will be shed as we'll be reunited in three weeks. Thus, it's back to the books for me as I count down the final 10 days of this term from hell (not really - but it's been tough nonetheless). We are definitely anticipating a break from this chaos. This weekend was enough of a taste of rest to wet our appetites for more. Here are a few pictures from their stay out here.

Needed a break from research paper writing

We went to the final show of the Season 5 So You Think You Can Dance Tour last night. The show was better than last years! We were so glad we took the girls even though we didn't get them into bed until after midnight last night.

One of my favorite pieces of the night was this little number. It's about two best friends contemplating the risk of entering into a deeper relationship. Powerful. Strong. Lovely.

Theology informs how we live

As I've been reflecting (read: studying and piecing together a research paper) upon the ways in which a patriarchical understanding of Christ has robbed both men and women of a more genuine encounter with Jesus, my mind repeatedly returns to the land where I experienced the undeniable manifestation of this reality. It wasn't the first time I became aware of how our theology bleeds into how we see and live in our world, but it was the most exagerrated expression my eyes had ever witnessed.

Click here to watch a video that offers a glimpse into that reality.

Feminist Christology

"Yeshua was a feminist. A feminist is a person who is in favor of, and who promotes, the equality of women with men, a person who advocates and practices treating women primarily as human persons (as men are so treated) and willingly contravenes social customs in so acting. To prove the thesis it must be shown that, so far as we can tell, Yeshua neither said nor did anything indicating that he advocated treating women as intrinsically inferior to men, but that on the contrary he said and did things that indicated that he thought of women as the equals of men, and that in the process he willingly violated pertinent social mores."
~Leonard Swidler, Yeshua, Feminist and Androgynous: An Integrated Human

Twilight Conversation

With all the hype posted all over facebook about the release of New Moon (book two of the Twilight series) I felt compelled to say something about it! I have not read any of the books. Brian read Twililght because so many of the kids in the elementary school where he teaches were talking about it (along with quite a few of the teachers and mothers of the students). I have, however, watched the first movie which I hear is nothing compared to the books. I am sure that is true. I have also heard from many close female friends of how fabulous the entire series is.

The problem for me initially was the fanaticism. Yes, I realize that I could have been considered by some to be a fanatic of Lord of the Rings (which is why someone decided to gift me with an Aragorn doll that can be found currenly resting contentedly in the bottom of a container filled with my daughters' Barbie dolls). BUT typically, wherever fanaticism rears it's head...something inside my belly begins to squirm. This little squirming sensation is cautioning me, perhaps, to inquire about what it is that is so magnectic about the text/movie/tv show and what does it reveal about the culture for which we live, eat, consume and think within. The Twilight movie was problematic for me on many levels (not just because of the unconvincing acting and the climbing of trees). But, I know I must refrain from solidifying any opinions until I read the texts and engage in deeper dialogue with those who have found something of significant value in this series.

However, there is a lovely and talented woman from my school who has devoted much of her studies this year to exploring this subject. I have read many of her book reviews in the recent years and find that we have a similar passion for probing literature in the hope of discovering what it can reveal about humanity and culture. I have created links below to her initial thoughts on the four books in this series. (My favorite is her review on book 4 - primarily because of the discussion that ensues in the comments section of the post).


Book 1 - Twilight
Book 2 - New Moon
Book 3 - Eclipse
Book 4 - Breaking Dawn

When will the madness come to an end?

Seriously.

Visit from Luci Shaw

Luci Shaw conducted my theology class today and it was an amazing experience. Poetry somehow opens up the mystery of God in such a way that normal discourse evidently falls short. Here is one of the many poems she shared with us today as she helped us to explore the mystery of the Incarnation:

Mary's Song
...by Luci Shaw

Blue homespun and the bend of my breast
keep warm this small hot naked star
fallen to my arms. (Rest...
you who have had so far to come.)
Now nearness satisfies
the body of God sweetly. Quiet he lies
whose vigor hurled a universe. He sleeps
whose eyelids have not closed before.
His breath (so light it seems
no breath at all) once ruffled the dark deeps
to sprout a world. Charmed by doves' voices,
the whisper of straw, he dreams,
hearing no music from his other spheres.
Breath, mouth, ears, eyes
he is curtailed who overflowed all skies,
all years. Older than eternity, now he
is new. Now native to earth as I am, nailed
to my poor planet, caught
that I might be free, blind in my womb
to know my darkness ended,
brought to this birth for me to be new-born,
and for him to see me mended
I must see him torn.

FYI

Dan Allender (one of my professors and the former president of my school) just taught at Mars Hill Bible Church (yes...Rob Bell's church) this past Sunday. You can download the sermon here.

Changing of the seasons

I typically have no space in my mind or in my day to contribute anything meaningful to this blog between Monday and Thursday of each week. I'm lucky if I get an average of 6 hours of sleep each night during this portion of the week. Anxiety is undeniably thick and my back is screaming by Thursday night...typically. But the start of this week feels different somehow. Something is shifting internally and is beginning to leak into my external reality. I'm not sure what has triggered this season of newness that seems almost within my reach; but something has indeed begun to move. I can feel it. I am eagerly awaiting what is to come. That's all I have for now...just a glimpse of some goodness moving in.

Oh...and I just thought I'd mention that I attended church this past weekend AND I didn't hate it (still a bit frightened to admit I actually kind of liked it). More on that later perhaps.

Another video...

I know it's been a little while...there's a lot going on right now. I was reminded of this creative expression of such a horrendous battle today and thought I'd post it.


p.s. I get to watch this performance live in 10 days!

A New Paradigm of Intelligence

We watched this clip in my Vocational & Occupational Direction class tonight and thought it was well worth posting here!

Worlds Collide

I’m a master at convincing,
A doctor of deceit,
A magical manipulator,
All for survival’s sake.

Because if you believe you need me
Maybe you’ll refrain from leaving,
So I can believe for a moment
My life even matters.

If I let you use me,
Maybe you’ll convince me
I’m good for something…
Something useful at least.

The emptiness and pain only grow
If you need me for nothing.
An unneeded life slowly withers away
And is swallowed by deafening isolation

So here I sit,
waiting, wasting away
wanting to be needed
dying to be used again.

Sand Art

I received a link to this video from a dear friend yesterday. It was so powerful and moving that I had to post it here!

R&R...&R

I made it to reading week. I've felt like I've literally been holding my breath and gripping onto life with every ounce of effort I'm capable of exerting so far in this final year of my program. And so this week is about rest, reorganization, and reflection - the 3 r's of reading week for me!

I have learned what it means to rest - to find space and comfort for myself in solitude and in communion. My hope for this week is to find the beautiful balance between time alone and time with those I love most at this stage in my life... and I'm off to a great start. I am sipping on my favorite coffee blend, listening to a wonderful collection of tunes, collecting my thoughts and giving them life through the movement of my fingers upon this overused keyboard. I am wrapped up in my favorite animal print blanket - one of the first things I bought during our time in Uganda - staring out my favorite window in our apartment. Moses is sitting here with me. We've been through quite a bit together. He has been a part of my journey for 12 years now. He doesn't say much - actually he doesn't say anything at all. Yet, his presence has perhaps been the most consistent aspect of my life as I've journeyed through my early adulthood. It is restful for me to sit here with him right beside me.



Reorganization will come when I begin to feel the need to be productive. It usually consists of cleaning like mad and mapping out the remainder of the term (which means constructing a calendar that outlines what I should be reading and how much of it I should be reading nearly everyday until the end of the term). Organization has always been a way for me to experience some sense of order amidst the chaos of my life -- and God knows I'm in desperate need of some order at this stage of my life as a student, intern, mother, wife and occasional friend (though this area seems to be suffering from the chaos the most).

I have a sense that it is reflection that is most needed this week...and most difficult at the same time. Strange how that is often the case. My brief return to Colorado just over a week ago opened up an awareness of my current state of homelessness that is as equally saddening as it is frightening. It's been over three years since I left the only life I had ever really known in Littleton, Colorado. And I don't think I was prepared for just how much I could change in a relatively short period of time. These last three years have not been normal years - they have been filled with life-altering experiences. From my transition out of my role at WBCC, exposure to the suffering and circumstances of the women and children of Uganda, the six months I spent living with my father (the most time I've ever spent with him consecutively since I was 5 years old), to the revelations discovered about myself and my relationships upon entering into the program at MHGS -- it has been one heck of a roller coaster experience. Much has changed...and much has quite simply only begun to emerge.

Who will I be once I leave this place? What will I do? Who will I be able to connect with? How will I continue to move forward in this process of emerging as a self in order to experience more genuine relationships in all areas of my life? These are the questions swimming around in my head. These are the unknowns that heighten my anxiety. Though my love for those who have been an integral part of my life was felt deeply and perhaps even more intensely than ever before during my brief visit in CO, my rootedness in that community has evidently dissipated.

I feel like this tree that I am staring at just outside my window. It has apparently tried to desperately hold onto the few remaining golden leaves left hanging by a thread. Each time the wind blows, more beautiful glimmering leaves fall to the ground. The leaves that have filled up the life of this tree in the past are coming to their end. But I am afraid of the winter that will certainly approach quickly after all of the leaves have been stripped. But I know that for there to be new life, there must be a certain kind of death. I just hope that I can hold onto the hope of resurrection as the chill of the winter sets in deep within my bones.

Am I one of the trees born of Thee –
The Sun, The Rain, and The Earth?
This – what I long to know, to grow, to love-
This is my question for You, of You, by You.
Will You answer me JUST this once,
Or have You answered already
In ways I’ve yet to hear?

I have heard it once said -
You are the vine and I am the branch.
But how can this be –
Am I just an extension of Thee?
They say you are a HE
So then where is the ME that is not a HE?
Am I the leaf, the adornment of the branch
For whom most of the HEs claim to be?

Am I one of the trees born of Thee –
The Sun, The Rain, and The Earth?
This – what I long to know, to grow, to love-
This is my question for You, of You, by You.
Will You answer me JUST this once,
Or have You answered already
In ways I’ve yet to hear?

If I am a tree born of all three of Thee,
Could it be that I am then somehow a me -
Created through, for and in your miraculous
Conception, intersection, interpenetration?
If this is the truth of how I came to be,
Then why can’t I find my way
Back to the safety, security, synchronicity
Of your womb of three?
Why must I be ME and not hide in Thee?

Am I one of the trees born of Thee –
The Sun, The Rain, and The Earth?
This – what I long to know, to grow, to love-
This is my question for You, of You, by You.
Will You answer me JUST this once,
Or have You answered already
In ways I’ve yet to hear?

If I am a tree and You are Thee,
The Sun, The Rain and The Earth
Then might you explain this to me –
Created out of, into, or both/and,
Where are You and Me and We?
You see, this is the dance we do – You and Me,
Sun, Rain, Earth, Vines, Branches, Leaves and All

Am I one of the trees born of Thee –
The Sun, The Rain, and The Earth?
This – what I long to know, to grow, to love-
This is my question for You, of You, by You.
Will You answer me Just this once,
Or have You answered already
In the dance of WE?

Theology Project

I've been up late tonight working on this project for my theology class. It's an assignment that has consumed much of my thoughts in the past month. We were asked to creatively construct a "map" to illustrate our current understanding or questioning in regard to God in the context of relationship with Humanity...or more pointedly - God in relation to myself. Although poetry was my primary medium for this project (which allowed me an opportunity to open the questions up even moreso internally), I did attempt to draw something. Lauren, I thought you would be proud of me so I decided to post a little picture for your viewing.

Like it...link it

For those friends/readers that have an appreciation for creativity - check out this blog I came accross recently as well as the blog of a fellow MHGS student who does amazing things with his camera!

What does it mean to be human?

Our adaptability and self-transcendence work together to rob us of any sense of identity that can be derived from the world. Plasticity means that we lack a biological "home" in the cosmos. Other living beings have a discoverable "niche" in the biological framework. But biologists have yet to discover a set role for
humankind that explains our purpose for existence.

At the same time, our adaptability and self-transcedence mean that we enjoy the unique possiblity of continually experiencing our environment in new ways. We can project, envision, and plan for an existence "beyond" any "world" we create.

But for this reason, we are never completely fulfilled by any one achievment or by any one "world" we fashion as a "home" for ourselves. Rather than being at home in the world, we are continually on the move to something yet undefined. We are always seeking the new, the "future," the not yet. We continually chase that illusive "something" which surpasses the here-and-now or the status quo. We are continually shaping and reshaping our envirnoment in an unfulfilled attempt to create a "home" for ourselves.
~Stanley Grenz, Created for Community

I was reminded of this excerpt yesterday as I sat in my theology class and contemplated the notion that human beingness is about a process of becoming. These concepts are still floating around in my head and are only in the beginning stages of forming a lens for which I can peer through to make sense of life from a new vantage point...but I thought it was worth posting for others to contemplate as well.

The latest in politics...

I know that I'm long overdue for a new post...and we have internet up and running so there are no more excuses.

But for now, I'm just going to post this little video for your viewing. Feel free to ponder and respond with your thoughts!

The life of a Mommy Grad Student Intern

I'm realizing that it is going to be more of a challenge to keep up with blogging in the final stage of this three year adventure! Plus, it hasn't helped that we have had no access to internet in our new(er) apartment for the past couple of weeks. We were tapping into somebody else's wireless when we first moved in and we're pretty sure they either moved or wised up and password protected their connection. Too bad for us. So it will be a few days before we have internet (other than on our phones). It's amazing how much we've grown to rely upon something that I was officially introduced to when I was in high school - which wasn't really that long ago. Seriously...it's only been 16 years since I was a freshman in high school and signed up for my first aol account under the alias cheergirl or something like that! Okay maybe 16 years is a long enough to develop a dependency.

As I've already alluded to, life is pretty darn crazy right now. I've completed two weeks of internship and school and I've been off to a running start. I'm just praying that I can maintain the pace from now until Christmas when I'll have a brief interlude. So many thoughts have been racing through my head and I have a list of about five different blog-worthy stories or ideas...but of course I don't have the list with me right now as I'm sitting in Panera frantically attempting to get my internet-fix for the day! So instead I'll have to simply share the stirrings floating around in my head and piercing my heart in this moment.

Throughout this term I'll be insanely busy from morning till night every weekday except for Thursdays. Yesterday was my first official day off while all the kids and Bri are at school. I thought that dropping Krisalyn off at school for her first day of all-day kindergarten last Friday was going to be the BIG CRY day...but was surprised that the tears only lasted through my drive to my internship and for a few minutes after my arrival as I explained to my supervisor the significance of that day. The crying my have been prematurely cut-off because of the pressure to prepare myself for my first client later that day. Whatever the reason, I managed to cope (or distract myself) rather well that day. Suffice it to say, I was not expected to be nearly as emotional as I was yesterday after dropping the girls off at school and realizing that I would be alone for the entire day.

When I boarded the plane for my first trip to Uganda (when I went for 10 days by myself simply to become more familiar with the widow's plight so that I might assist in the development of a daily devotional or as I like to call it - Readings for Encouragment and Empowerment, something unexpected occurred. As soon as the doors of the plane were closed and securely locked I felt a lump surface in my chest -- not because I was afraid to fly or nervous about what I might encounter in the following 30+ hours of traveling, nor did I sense that it was linked solely with the anticipation of missing my girls and their daddy horribly. Instead, I sensed that it had something to do with realizing that I had not spent that much time to myself EVER in my life. I know that must sound like a ridiculous exagerration, but to my knowledge I had never spent more than a few hours in isolation (other than time spent sleeping at night and even in those times Lindsey and I often made our way to one another's bedrooms late at night in search of the comfort we found in one another's nearness). Without going off on too big of a tangent, the time I had to myself during that season of my life enabled me to begin peering into some dark and frightening doors to my heart that the constant presence of companions had distracted me from for far too long.

As I dropped Krisalyn off at her class yesterday morning I discovered that the uncomfortable and rather telling chest lump had decided to pay me another visit. But this time, I recalled the powerful nature of the time I spent alone on my way to Uganda, and I willingly allowed the lump to grow into an ache which permeated my entire body. It was an absolutely beautiful and wonderful day that consisted of two separate raw and honest conversation with great friends, a lot of cleaning (which obviously included singing loudly, dancing and more tears), and sitting on the little bench we have on our patio and refraining from dissociating for at least those moments. In those moments both joy and sorrow seemed to kiss, twirl and dip. How much I have loved the last nine years of my journey of motherhood - years of no sleep, diaper-changing, terrible (yet wonderful) twos, first smiles, first words, first recitals, first fears, first trips to the ER, first "you're mean Mommy"'s, trips to the zoo, finger painting, cookie-baking, fairy festivals, pumpkin carving, teething, personalized haircuts, and rituals of animal kisses and "how much does Mommy love you"'s.

Though many memories are yet to be made and I my role as a mommy has really only just begun in the big scheme of things, the season of having little ones at home has come to an end (at least for now). Bri and I are both still unsure of the journey ahead and whether or not we'll add to our already highly estrogen-dominant clan. But whatever happens, I am sure of one thing...I am an incredibly blessed woman to have shared in the lives of these three beautiful, strong and lovely little ladies. And I hope that this season of my life affords me the time and space to recover who I am behind all of those dark doors that have been avoided for far too long.

You can call me The Rev...

Some of you are aware of the fact that I was recently ordained in order to officiate a wedding for some amazing friends. Being a part of their special day was an honor (more on that later). Check out a few outstanding pictures of the llama-filled event here.

Cataloging Memories

We only have just over 10 months remaining up here in the Great Northwest and I keep catching myself making mental notes of things I want to remember from this time in my life. I had one of those moments today as I was driving back home after a therapy session. The weather was beautiful - a perfect 70 degrees at 5:00 in the evening. The sun was out, the skies were blue with only a few patches of clouds. I was listening to Rosie Thomas, whose lyrics seem to be written onto my heart now, as I was feeling the kind of inner and relational connectedness and contentment that seems to often follow therapy sessions. It's the equivalent to the afterglow that follows the intimacy of love-making. As I drove the stretch of I-5 from Greenlake to Downtown in the middle of rush hour I welcomed the slowness of the pace so that I could simply take in the sight of the city from that vantage point. It's my favorite stretch along I-5 and it's even more beautiful when it's all lit up at night. You can see Lake Union on both sides of the highway and the space needle sits perched in such a way that it looks larger than it actually is in comparison to the ski-scrapers of this city I've grown to love. It was a moment of fullness and of presence that I don't ever want to forget.

Reading for my final year of grad school has begun...

"Whether consciously or unconsciously, each of us has a set of convictions about ultimate reality. We believe something about God, ourselves, and the purpose of life. And these foundational beliefs surface in what we say and how we live. Every person is in this sense a theologian.

Although all persons have beliefs, many people give little thought to how they form their fundamental convictions. And they rarely reflect on how these convictions are affecting the way they live."

~Stanley Grenz in Created for Community

Movie Marathon

I am currently recovering from another apartment move which was immediately followed by a vacation in Cali, which was then followed by a week of playing hostess while Brian's family was in town. All three experiences were well worth the efforts required (without a doubt)...but nonetheless, my body and mind are both begging for some well-earned rest.

I didn't get as much reading done this summer as I had hoped to but I did manage to get through an interesting and entertaining book titled, "Olive Kittredge" which was named after the main character. It was written as a collection of short stories whereby the reader is afforded the opportunity to get to know the main characters from the variation of many different vantage points. It was not life-altering by any means, but I connected to the story and was drawn into the humanness of this retired Teacher who has a difficult time facing her own loneliness and bitterness.

So...when reading isn't the main item on the agenda, I often find myself in desperate search for engaging (read: dramatic) movies to wrap me up in a blanket and rock me until I am asleep to my own life momentarily and awakened as an observer to some reality completely other than my own. The Time Traveler's Wife, disappointingly and not-surprisingly, did not do the trick. The books was a thousand times better - and sadly, as is often the case, most will no longer feel compelled to read the literary masterpiece when they can gather the "gist" of the story by watching the movie.


Fortunately, my hope in dissociation via movie-watching was not a complete failure. I watched Revolutionary Road yesterday and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly this evening. Both movies have left me quite stirred, though in very different ways. More on both of these movies later. But that's all for now. I am going to attempt to get in the rhythm of writing more habitually. My hope is that it if I simply sit in front of the computer long enough stuff just starts seeping its way out from the inexhaustible space within and onto the screen.

Growing Ears to Hear

So I've decided to start personally blogging in this space now that my counterpart on No Longer Mute has officially moved within a half a mile from our new apartment. You can read about my reasons for bidding adieu to that blog here. I've actually taken quite a long sabbatical from communicating via blogosphere and it was a much needed break, but this morning I have enough angst to awaken my rusty fingers and motivate them to work their magic.

Brian and I just returned from a wonderful vacation in California with my father and step-mother. My sister and brother-in-law joined us for a good portion of the trip as well. We were sad to leave, but are currently looking forward to our anticipated visit from Bri's family in the coming days!

So back to my morning angst. Upon our return we discovered a bill from my dentist as we collected our mail last night. We were being charged from a visit that wasn't really a visit at all because when I arrived at the office all they did was inform me that they had schedule me with the wrong doctor, looked in my mouth for (count-it) 1-2-3 seconds and then had me reschedule my appointment (for a third time, I should add). Beyond this ridiculous co-pay they also tacked on a late fee because they didn't actually collect a co-pay while I was at the office. Ridiculous (yes, I just said that again).

Not an uncommon ordeal. Nor is it an ordeal of any great significance. But an ordeal none-the-less. Brian attempted to call the corporate office to get this situation worked out and it became a mess of miscommunication and there was no real resolution except that at the end of the phone call they at least removed the late fee. My feathers are still all ruffled now about 20 minutes and a full cup of coffee later and I'm trying to make sense of this noticeable energy surging through both my mind and body. I could careless about the $15 copay...seriously. But what is left making my stomach churn my coffee with soy vanilla creamer round and round is the evidence of how difficult communication really is. Human beings seem fairly intent on self-protection (a.k.a. covering our asses) and often this fixation is to our own detriment. Instead of simply listening to one another, we are working so hard to build up our wall of defense and in the process we ALL become UNTOUCHABLE. And we wonder why we're all filling our lives with distractions from our own loneliness 24/7!

I'm just as guilty as the next gal at hiding behind the wall. Heck I've personally build one as high as the Eiffel Tower. But I'm working at dismantling the wall brick-by-brick and am hoping others are inspired to do so as well.

Dance Recital Cuteness

Cinderella

It may be hard to hear her...but here's a snapshot from Bailey's school musical!

Faith's 100m Race

It's hard to tell from this angle...but Faith grabs second place in this 100m race. She qualified to be in a district championship meet in a couple of weeks.

Spring is here!

Little Miss Faith...isn't she lovely?

I recently had Faith finish a few sentences to post on here for everyone. So here's what she wanted to share:

My favorite subject in school
is Math because I'm learning Division and Multiplication

My favorite games are
Old Maid and Sorry

What I miss most about Colorado
is seeing all of my family

I want to tell them
that I love them and miss them.

My best friend is
Megan

My favorite recess activity is
jumping rope

I just finished reading
The Higher Power of Lucky. I've been reading a bunch of books for a competition called Battle of the Books.

When I grow up I dream of becoming
An artist

During my play time I like to
draw

I am most thankful for
my family

My favorite TV shows are currently
Hannah Montana (even though Mommy doesn't let me watch it that often) and The Amazing Race.

FYI

Just thought you all might like to know that Krisalyn told a boy at school this week that he is going to marry her when she's older. I'm not sure what is funnier- the fact that she's 4 and she's already picking out the one she wants...or the fact that she didn't ask him - she simply told him.

She revealed this little detail to us about her day when we were all sitting around the dinner table talking about our favorite and least favorite parts of that specific day. She made us all guess about hers only indicating that it had to do with a secret she told her friend Jayden. After a series of guesses at which the closest we got to the truth was that she told Jayden that she was his girlfriend, she finally gave up and told us the real story. Brian and I looked at each other, both filled with terror and bewilderment, and we both agreed that she is definately my daughter.

Happy Heart Day

We just wanted to say we love you all! Happy Valentine's Day!!!

No more long blonde hair...

The girls have wanted to cut their hair for quite some time! We made them wait until after Lindsey's wedding...and we finally gave in! I won't lie - watching their beautiful hair fall to the floor was difficult...but allowing the girls to start making some decisions on their own paid off in the end. Their individual styles are reflected in these cute little haircuts!

Good Times!

We're back!

We returned to Washington exactly one week ago and we're just now feeling settled back in. It literally took me a week to re-organize our 1100 square foot apartment in order to make room for new toys and all the goodies from Christmas. Faith is now back in her own room (we got rid of a couple of book shelves and converted our bedroom into part bedroom/part office). She was initially thrilled about the idea but she's complained about sleeping all alone the past couple of nights. At this point, she's going to have to get used to it because we simply can't fit all the clothing for three little girls into a single closet.

Our visit home was bitter-sweet. We loved reconnecting and spending so much time with everyone, but it always serves to remind us of just how alone we are out here. I know that a great number of people raise families without the support of their extended family...but I think that when you've known what it's like to have a larger community supporting your immediate family, it makes it more difficult when you lose that support (even if it's only for a season of life). I guess we have learned that you don't really appreciate what you have until it's gone.

Despite the struggles of simply living so far from our loved ones, we still feel so cared for by God in this entire venture. I can't believe that I'm half way through my program at school. This entire experience has already taught us so much about love, life, and who we are individually and collectively as a family. We're excited for a new year and new discoveries.

Thank you to all of you who loved us so well while we were visiting. We ache in our desire to be nearer to each of you. I'll attempt to download all of our photos and post a holiday recap slideshow later this week!


p.s. We pulled out the good old webcam and set up our skype account...so you should all set one up too so we can at least see each other more regularly!