Tim's home safe! Yay! Now he has two toddlers following him everywhere and not giving him a moment's peace. Though, I don't hear him complaining about it a bit! Welcome home, Tim! We missed you!

Family Pictures from Two Weeks Ago

Great-Grandma, C, Great-Grandpa and J

Great-Grandma, J and Great-Great Aunt Mattie


Grandma ("Lolah"), J and C

Great-Grandpa,

Here's the tale of our Halloween week. . .
First, Lolah (my mom), my grandparents, and my great-aunt Mattie came into town for a visit. I don't have pictures of them because the CD from Mom's camera-which has their images on it- has not yet arrived, and since many of you are VERY much wanting updated pictures NOW, I'm posting with what I have. There may be a part 2 of this once I get some better pics!

We all had a jolly time visiting, romping with the boys, and going to a pumpkin patch. Above is our family picture of the season (unless you have a better one on your camera...mom... .  )

The boys explored the feel and look of pumpkins, and eventually, we chose two.

Back at the homefront, we carved them. And to all of you who read this from another country, this is what we do in America. We buy pumpkins at exhorbitant prices, take them home, clean them out with our hands and carve scary faces in them. Then we put a candle in the bottom, set them outside and call them "Jack-o-Lanterns." I'm not sure exactly WHY we do this, and I'm fairly certain it will conflict with my morals about witchcraft and satan getting too near my house. . . . Regardless, it's fun for the kids and it's tradition, so we do it. I know, I know... save the lecture. Now that I'm a mom, I have officially become a celebrant of the "innocent, child's-play version" of Halloween.

Back to the pumpkin cleaning-J thought it was gross, and C thought it was delicious.

J was proud of the very amateurish face he helped Mom carve, and C learned that fire is hot. Tim, I still think it was cruel to let C touch that candle, even if he didn't so much as wince, and he learned a valuable lesson.

Or DID he????

And DAD, just so you know, my first comment upon opening up this pumpkin was, "Why aren't there any BB's in here?" Mom thought I was joking. I said, "No, growing up, our pumpkins always had BB's in them." She then explained that you planted those in our childhood pumpkins via the "BB up the sleeve" trick so that we would have a surprise while cleaning them out. But you know what? I never got that from the experience. I spent the past 29 years wondering what redneck pumpkin patch it was from which Dad always bought BB riddled pumpkins, and actually lost sleep wondering how in the world those rednecks shot BB's into those pumpkins without leaving tiny holes in the pumpkin rind. Oh, either I'm really slow or Dad, chocolate gold coins, or something else that shouted, "MAGICAL SURPRISE FOR YOU!" would have been a better idea. Steve, did you know that? Those BB's were planted! It made for interesting pumpkin-carving conversation last week, anyway!

Then came Halloween. Again for the foreign visitors, this is when we dress up as something else (traditionally something undead, scary, satanic, or spooky), go door to door, say "Trick-or-Treat" and are given candy. And again..I know, I know...I have succumbed to a watered down tradition of something much more sinister. Katie, remember when we handed out candy in college with little notes attached that read, "Jesus loves you," and "Do not worry for tomorrow is taken care of"? Yeah-should have done that. But we didn't. HOWEVER, the boys were dressed not as demons nor ghosts, but as a bee and a dragon. Sounds like a Fairy Tale...

Those are Twizzlers. C loves them.
We made it home after an hour of trick-or-treating with a pillow case full of candy. Instinctively,both boys came inside and attempted to bulldoze all the candy into their mouths. C wasn't even bothering to take off the wrappers; I found a BOX of milkduds and a BAG of M & M's in his mouth. They're sneaky. After Tim I and went through all of the candy (yes, and indulged a little ourselves), we let each boy have one piece. They continue to get one piece each night IF they eat their dinner. Consequently, C has since had NO candy, but that's another story.

On a final note: Tim left unexpectedly this weekend for places unknown for an unknown time (about a month...probably). So Timmy, be safe, and see you soon!

We may not be able to truly afford a dog right now. I don't know that I have the time or energy to train and care for a dog right now either. But if there is one thing that I believe in, it's that little boys need a dog. So, after searching the newpaper under the FREE pet section for weeks, we found a litter that was just for us: 12 week old big, brown muts: part lab, part golden retriever, part Rotweiller, and part mystery. Perfect.

We chose the puppy that bonded with J instantly, and made sure that she didn't snap or get agitated when C poked her in the eyes and stepped on her tail. Then, J carried her home in his carseat and I am making the time and energy to train and care for her.

Another thing I believe in...giving pets literary names. (Of course you do, Tiffany. Aterall, we don't imagine YOU naming pets after baseball players, for example.) Though I must add right now, GO CARDS!!!!

And if we had a fish,

I'd name him Pujols.

Did I say GO CARDS yet?

For example. . .

I had a beta fish in college named Tolstoy. He died and I named his replacement Zora (after Ms. Hurston, of course). She died. Her replacement was named Allegory ("allie" for short). She died too; I'm not good with fish. A cat lived among us once-for a very short time-named Shadrach after one of the three non-flammable men in Daniel; our old dog, Eli, was named after Elijah the prophet, and Pablo, our chihuahua that Emma loves and cares for now, was named after Pablo Neruda-the Chilean poet.

So anyway, you can imagine my joy when we asked J, "What do you want to name your puppy?" and he answered, "Moon," after his favorite literary work, Goodnight Moon. He said, "milk" first, but we had to eliminate that one; you just can't name a dog "milk." So say, "Hello" to Moon, our new mut:

Things are going well. There is some aversion to wet doggie kisses, but we're working on that.

Finally, the third thing I believe in: pictures of already adorable little boys are made more adorable with a puppy. (I'll let you wonder as to whether or not I have stronger convictions on anything in life other than these three... ). Don't believe me? Just look at these moments:

We are a little more stressed than normal at the end of the day, but by the time the boys are in bed, we can happily say to our favorite things, "Goodnight, sun," "Goodnight, cheese," "Goodnight, music," "Goodnight, Moon."

It's that time of year in the south! Our house, the park at which we play, and the roads on which we drive are surrounded by white fluffy cotton.

This scenery is one of the many benefits of moving out of the military town and into the country. Unfortunately, we don't see autumn leaves in this part of the country; every tree is evergreen pine. But there is plenty of cotton in autumn!

It's almost harvest, so it won't be beautiful like this for much longer. At the park, me, J and C went over to a cotton field, and (sorry Mr. and Mrs. cotton farmer-we'll pay you if you tell me who you are) picked a fluff out of it's brown crusty ball.

The boys loved feeling how soft it was and rubbing it on their faces. I tried to explain to J that cotton is used to make his shirt and pants, but he looked at the cotton, looked at me, and it was clear that he didn't believe me. He just squinted, held up the cotton fluff and said, "shirt?"

I had to tell J that the cotton needed to go "night night" in order to get him out of the field. He wanted to pick as much as he could and rub it on his skin. So now, whenever we pass a cotton field (every 10-15 seconds...) J says, "Night night, cotton," and rubs his face gently where the soft cotton touched it this day.

I wonder how long it will be before they grow up and won't appreciate afternoons like this anymore.

"Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world...

Red and yellow, black and white,

they are precious in His sight...

Jesus loves the little children of the world."

And He shows His love to them by sending docile butterflies to our backyard for them to play with for an afternoon.

Big Blessings in a Little House

My job last week? Find room in our 1600 sq. foot house for two very large objects. Hmmm....we could get rid of the refridgerator...or we could put the bath tub outside...

Don't get me wrong-we have plenty of house. It is far more than we need, but it isn't very accomodating for big things, like great danes, or curio cabinets. Even so, we were recently blessed with two large gifts from grandparents: a piano and a train table.

We spent yesteday putting together the train table in my former study-now study/train room. Conveniently, the directions were missing page 2, the page that tells how to put the actual table part of the train table together. But after some trial and error, the boys have a train table that fits beautifully in this room. And J loves it. That's an understatement. He LOVES it. Thanks Granny! I'll have pictures of the boys playing with it later.

Considering my boys being boys and the spacial issue, we used our piano gift dollars to purchase a digital piano. I never would have considered this before, but I was really impressed with how far they've come the past ten years. On grand piano setting, the tone is better than any actual grand I played at the showroom. Other pluses, considering it's for the boys? It has a volume control. It has weighted keys, like a regular piano. They aren't ugly looking keyboards anymore. You can hook headphones up to it, or hook it up to your computer for recording. It plays 65 songs on its own. You can add accompaniment. Did I mention it has volume control???? Very important, and therefore even I can even play it while the boys are sleeping.

We put the piano in what used to be the dining room, now the dining/music room as my cello and music had to move into the dining room also to make room for the train table in what used to be my study. Get it?

Anyway, it came to pass in all of this piano frenzy, Tim decided that he wanted to learn how to play the piano. And since J hasn't yet distinguished his right from his left, nor can he say his letters or numbers (all necessary skills for basic piano), I had time in my schedule to take on another student. Tim's only had one lesson, but he was really excited about his new ability to play "Old McDonald Had a Farm" and "Merrily We Roll Along." J was pretty excited about it too and chimed in with the harmony on my pitch pipe. Very cute. You better be ready for your next lesson, Timmy!

















So, our house is officially full, and we couldn't be more grateful for the gifts we have!

AUTUMN

(Picture of C taken last October at the pumpkin patch. He was about 6 weeks old).

It's autumn! Our weather is still too warm for me to really consider it autumn, but technically it is, and the temperatures will drop, and I will then be able to wear sweaters and my favorite jeans without a jacket. YAY! I wish there was a place that was perpetually autumn; I would live there. Autumn isn't too cold, its leaves add color to the world, and it begins the holidays. Ramadan has begun, Rosh Hashanah was Saturday, Halloween costumes are in the stores, and once Ramadan is over... it will be time for Christmas carols! Autumn whispers in the season of peace, and I love it! What else do I love? Haiku! Actually, all poetry, but Haiku is traditionally seasonal, so it's Haiku for everyone! Here's one by the master, Basho:

Clouds appear
and bring to men a chance to rest
from looking at the moon.

Here's one from me:
Leaves crunch under foot
Geese squak into formation-
a child hesitates.

Go ahead and offer up an autumn Haiku in the comment section. Something funny, something contemplative, something original or borrowed...something that says, "Autumn!" You know the rules: 17 syllables: 5 in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 in the 3rd. (That first one follows the rules in Japanese-honest)!

Zig Zag!

These two don't stop-ever. And one of their favorite ways to move is by DANCING! This is Judah's favorite song: "Zig Zag Zig" by the Mighty Mighty Boss Tones and The Count. What? It's a logical pairing for a duet. Big kids like us who came up jamming to the Mighty Mighty Boss Tones now have kids who prefer to jam to Sesame Street characters. Anyway, just when I think I'm about to pull my hair out because Judah learned how to say, "No," (and says it often) and Caleb thinks we bought furiniture for his personal jungle gym, they go off and do something cute like this. Click on play to watch some serious groovin'! Oh-they're are a hoot and a half!

The Man Who Sweeps Angkor Wat...

...does so out of religious duty. His possessions are the ones you see in the above photo. He always smiles. I'm not sure if he can hear well; he was difficult to speak with. But his renouned sweetness landed him on the cover of Cambodia's Travel Guide.

Religion and daily life: In my opinion, two things that most Americans make far too complicated.

(No, I don't...but after too many hours in the mosquito filled jungles of northern Cambodia, anything is funny).

I read an atheists' account the other day of how she viewed religion as causing so many of the major conflicts in the world and concluded, "Why would I want to be a part of that?" I can't disagree there. Though, I believe true religion doesn't incite violence. Reading what the pope said this week, though admittingly out of context and through the words of journalists, I think, "Even if one doesn't agree with Islam, and feels a Christian obligation to speak against it, why in the world would a religious leader speak out in a way that offends and creates anger?" To all of the religious sects: What happened to leading by example, kindness, love to all, blessed are the peace makers, etc...

If a Christian wants to go on a mission to help humanity, it's usually prefaced with doctrinal statements, fund raising, speaches, follow-up reports, and organizational support. That's not all bad, mind you, but why has it gotten so... complicated?

"True and undefiled religion is this: to care for widows and orphans in their time of need, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27

That's not so complicated.

And about daily life: Why do I get frustrated when my car has a minor repair issue? I didn't do that before.

Why am I catching myself praying for increased finances?! That, I certainly never did before. Why do I cram-pack a diaper bag full of stuff everytime I go out, think that my sons need another pair of shoes just because the weather is changing;

think I need new shirts because the fashion is changing; and get irritated when the washing machine jumbles through the spin cycle too loudly? What's happened to me?

I remember two years ago, having just come back from SE Asia, and going immediately into meetings with contractors to finish building our house. I remember a meeting in the lighting store, and the saleswoman asked me what lights I wanted in the closets and the garage. I looked up at thousands of lighting fixtures, thought about what she said, and actually said outloud and with too much disgust, "Are you serious? I have to choose a light for my closet?" All I could picture were bamboo huts with inhabitants who've never dreamed of electricty.

I couldn't have cared less about which wood grain the blades of our ceileing fans rotated with or what bulb lit up my closet. Yet, today, I thought, "The trim on that entryway light doesn't match the fixture in the hall. We should replace it." What???? Where are these thoughts coming from????

I've been in America now longer consecutively than I have in more than a decade. I guess the old red, white and blue is wearing off on me. It's discouraing...very discouraging to watch myself get caught up in keeping up. Which is why I posted this picture in which I've never looked worse. Granted, I just rode twenty-something miles on a rickety bike through Shan State in Myanamar and was about to go bathing with water buffolo. But still...ugh. I look rough. I need to be OK about seeing me, in my dusty, make-up free, hair un-done state on the web.

The point of this post: I read a blog today that really inspired me. Miranda is a girl I grew up with in St. Louis. We went to church together. She was a lot younger than me, but pure and sweet and beautiful. She's in Equador now-without the doctrinal statements, the fund raising, the follow-up reports and organizational umbrella. She just left, is volunteering at a hostile, learning the language, planning on earning her own dollars, and looking for ways to help humanity. Pure and simple.

Lord, how I miss pure and simple. Help me to be pure and simple in such a complicated country. A country where we have carpet in our houses, for goodness sake... And bless Miranda's love for people in a foreign land.

I've mixed in some pictures of my time in SE Asia because I miss it, and it made me feel good to look at them today. They remind me to be content, feel blessed, and hold on to the peace that comes with simplicity.


I wouldn't trade my life as a mom for anything, but I certainly wouldn't complain if Tim got a foreign embassy job in Calcutta, or Cape Town, or Vietien, or Quito, Equador. Someplace where people laugh with glee when they get three squares a day instead of getting bent out of shape when the machine that washes your clothes FOR you does so too loudly. Oh....what have I become?! Check out Miranda's blog. It's linked on the right side margin of mine. It restored my faith in children of America being untouched by the world. Though crossing these streets in Phnom Penh wasn't always simple, an uncluttered mind and heart is. And Miranda, your heart is beautiful.