The Amor Family

Dance Videos

2012-02-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here are the videos from Grace Studio's performance of the Nutcracker and their Winter Showcase.

This is Alethias performance in the Nutcracker as a little snowflake:

And this is Anthony's hip-hop class performance in the Winter Showcase:

Our Little Snowflake

2012-02-02T05:03:00.000-08:00

In December Alethia's ballet class danced in the Nutcracker. I have to say that all of the preballet dances were just so stinking cute from the little mice to the German dancers who threw candy out at the audience! Alethia's class were the little snowflakes. She loved performing on stage and getting so much attention. They had two shows and Granny got to be here for the first one. She had lots of others come to see her dance, as well.

Gin & Granny

Alethia with her ballet teacher, Miss Jenny

The Hooke family

Miss Gracie & Destiny

Heather & Kat (one of our students who was also in the ballet)

After the Nutcracker, the dance studio hosted a winter showcase for the non-ballet classes to perform. This year Anthony taught a hip hop class at the studio with students from age 7 to adult. This was their first performance. It was really fun to see him and his students dance.

I'm so proud of both of my dancers! This semester, Anthony will be teaching a children's hip-hop class and a teen/adult class. Alethia is moving up from preballet to beginning ballet. And I'm thinking about trying a dance class myself this semester?!

***Videos to be posted soon!:)

Random Snapshots of our Holiday

2012-01-27T05:20:00.000-08:00

First (and only so far) snow

Making Christmas cookies

Christmas parties with the youth groups

Christmas celebration with the CSM Europe team

Shaun (one of Anthony's closest friends here) got back from deployment

Christmas markets...this one was in Koln

Christmas eve with friends (Misty)

Our good friend Tony came for a long visit

Christmas morning

Masami's Quilt

2012-01-23T02:49:00.000-08:00

I started working on a quilt for each of the kids when I was pregnant with them. With Alethia's I got a fair amount done before she was born, but once she was born I found very little time to work on it for months. I did, however, manage to get hers done in time for her first birthday.

With Masami's, it was really just a concept by the time he was born. I have worked on it off-and-on over the past three years. Other projects just seemed to take precedent, so I would have to put it aside and then it would take me a long time to get back to it. Finally, I decided that it was time to commit and finish it. So, just after his third birthday, I completed his quilt and he seems to like it (especially since I backed it with soft minky). As I was quilting it by hand, he would often come cuddle with me and "help" me pull the needle through the fabric.

I'm happy with how it turned out. I love the bright colors of the hot-air balloons and the fun swirls of the sky patterns. But mostly I hope it speaks to my son of my love for him and my prayer for him to have lots of adventures and to experience life to the fullest in the Lord.

The 12 Days of Christmas

2012-01-20T01:35:00.000-08:00

That's what we fondly called my mom's visit in December. This is one of the longest stretches that we have gone without seeing family, and I have really felt it! The reality of being so far away from loved ones has weighed heavy on me this fall. So, it was really special to have my mom come . And since it was during the holidays, we got to do lots of fun, festive stuff:

The Ktown Christmas Market

Swimming at the German Schwimmbad


Christmas Market at Valkenburg Caves, Netherlands

Going for walks

Alethia showing Granny her school

Seeing Santa

Alethia's dance recital (more on that later)

We also had a little early Christmas celebration so the kids could open their gifts from Granny. I'm so glad that my kids get to know their Granny even from such a distance! We had a great time together, and it was sad to see her go. We are hoping for more extended family time in 2012!

School News

2012-01-15T04:48:00.000-08:00

Alethia with her best school buddy (Alex)

I cannot believe I'm blogging about stuff that happened in November! However, I really do not want to skip over stuff, so here it is...

"They" are rebuilding the German kindergarten that Alethia goes to. During this 1 to 2 year process, the children have been moved to a "makeshift" kindergarten on the campus of a primary school (grun schule) in the next village over from ours. Unfortunately, her kindergarten was around the block from us and now it is a 10 min. drive, 5 min. walk up a hill, and two flights of stairs up. We will be glad when the new kindergarten is done!

However, for the meantime, Alethia (and the other children) seem to like their new school. The classroom is bigger and better equipped. The major downsides: the bathrooms are only on the ground floor, which means the teachers have to really be proactive about getting 3-6 year olds down two flights of stairs and to the toilets in time, and there is no playground, so they are indoors more and will walk to a nearby park in the nicer weather. We have managed to work out a carpool schedule with the other American kid in her class, so that is making the transition a bit easier.

For St. Martins Day (in November), the kindergarten usually organizes a parade and celebration in our village. This year, since they have relocated temporarily, the local church hosted. The kids all made their lanterns at school. We met at the church for a short service with a skit about St. Martin and traditional singing (all in German, of course). Then, we paraded through the streets, led by the children and their lanterns, and ending at the fire station for a bon fire, brotchen, and gluhwein. It was a pretty cold night, but we had a nice time. Anthony was on retreat with students, so my wonderful friend, Gin, joined us. It was great to have another pair of hands (and legs) to keep track of the kids among the masses.

Masami, Alex, & Alethia in the parade

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe we are already a week into 2012!!! December flew by even quicker than usual for us. I have lots of blogging to catch-up on to end 2011. So, I'll be working on posting all about our holiday season to catch us up. Until then, let me just wish you all a very blessed 2012!

Below is a video I took as we rang in the new year with friends. The video really does not capture how awesome it to be surrounded by a panoramic fireworks show, but it gives you an idea. We are so blessed to get to experience Germany at this time of year!

Budapest, Hungary

2011-11-27T01:18:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, Anthony and I had an opportunity to take a short retreat away from the kids. This was our first time away from them together. Although it was difficult to leave them for 4 days, it was really nice to have my husband all to myself!


View of Budapest from the citadel - Buda on the left with the castle grounds and Pest on the right with the Parliament building. Margaret Island is in the middle of the Danube river beyond the second bridge.

This retreat was provided by The Christian Hospitality Network and Christ Fellowship Church and was such a blessing to us. We stayed in a nice spa hotel on Margaret Island in the middle of the Danube River. The retreat was created to care for missionaries on the field and the group was so thoughtful about our needs. We were treated to great lodging, two filling meals a day, massages, gifts, and medical care. Both Anthony and I were seen by doctors who were helpful and encouraging and who offered solutions to long-term medical needs we have had. The team of individuals who sponsored the event were so encouraging, thoughtful, and loving. They even contacted Stateside friends to deliver notes of encouragement to us from them. In the evenings, an optional time of worship and devotion was offered. It was such a beautiful window into heaven as missionaries from dozens of countries representing many ministries came together in fellowship to worship the living God. And, of course, my social husband made friends with the team and connected over discussing music ministry. This led, at the end of the week, to them giving him the brand new acoustic/electric guitar they had brought with them. Anthony was stoked and has been using it at youth group every week since.

Besides the blessings of the retreat itself, we were able to really get some needed rest. Without kids to interrupt a good night's sleep for the first time in nearly 5 years, we were able to catch-up on some sleep. It was also awesome to get uninterrupted time with my man! It was so fun to connect and get a large quantity of quality time together.

We even got great exercise as we experienced Budapest on foot. We really enjoyed the city with its interesting history and eclectic influences on architecture and culture. One afternoon we hit the hop-on, hop-off tour bus to get to see the sights further out. The best time to view Budapest, though, was at night. We would walk down to the bridge at the end of the island and see the parliament building, the castle, the churches and the citadel all lit up.

Military amphitheater remains from Roman times

Roman ruins on Margaret Island

Budapest at night - Parliament building on left and castle grounds on right

The kids did great without us for a few days. Many thanks goes out to our co-worker, Heather, for taking them on while holding down ministry programs for the week!

The Best 18 Euro We Ever Spent

2011-11-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

The Gartenshau in K-town is a unique place that I have not seen the likes of anywhere else. We have visited it from time to time over the years and the kids really liked it. So this year we decided to get a season pass for just 18 Euro and it has been so worth it! We went at least twice a month this summer. The Gartenshau closed at the end of October for the year, so we will be anxious to go back when it opens back up in the spring. I saved-up lots of photos of our many trips to "Dino-Land", so here is our photo tour of the park for you...

It is a short walk over a bridge to get into the park. We got smart half way through the summer and started bringing the kids' bikes for this part.

First of all, there are dinosaurs! What kid doesn't like a park full of random dinosaurs? It starts with these smaller statues at the entrance and progresses to life-size dinosaurs throughout the park.

And then there is the sand...what kid doesn't like to play in the sand?

The several playground areas...What kid doesn't like a good slide?


A fort that you can climb up to

And the water playground....what kid doesn't like to play in the water?

And the creek...

one afternoon when we had friends join us

Sometimes we get lunch...what kid doesn't like dinosaur shaped chicken tenders and a dinosaur toy with their lunch?

we have collected quite a herd of dinosaurs

The park is actually a garden center, so they always have a beautiful display of flowers. The summer garden display was the theme of the world, so they had flower beds to represent different continents. This fall they began a fairy tale theme with all kinds of gourds. See if you can name the fairy tales below....

2nd, 3rd, & 4th place for biggest pumpkins

We often end our time with a little ice cream...cause what kid doesn't like ice cream? (Well actually me when I was a kid.) Alethia always went for the pink Hello Kitty ice cream bar.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:23:00.000-07:00

We spent time Friday celebrating friends and getting to dress-up and eat candy. We have a small stash of Halloween costumes from previous years and hand-me-downs. I let the kids raid the stash and pick what they wanted to wear. Alethia chose a penguin costume that was meant for Masami, so it was about 3 inches too short in the arms and legs, but what is the point in arguing. Masami chose an adorable monkey costume from cousin Micah and announced that he was Curious George.

At Alethia's German class on Friday afternoon, the teacher Miss Jenny, asked each kid (in German) what costume they would be wearing for Halloween. Then, she taught them the German words for their costume. Many of the kids had chosen classic Halloween characters like zombies, witches, and Frankenstein's monster. When it got to Alethia, she proudly replied that she would be a penguin. Immediately, one boy about 10 yrs old (who is going to be Frankenstein's monster) said, with surprising tenderness, "Ahhh, she is going to be a cute penguin!" He then asked how to say "cute penguin" in German. Such sweet affirmation for Alethia from such a surprising source.

After German class, the kids got dressed in their costumes and we met up with friends to join their unit's trunk-or-treat. It was everything I want out of a Halloween experience: short, tame, to the point...candy! We shuffled around a parking lot admiring all the fun costumes and creative trunk decor and filled-up the kids candy bags.

Alethia, Kylie, Emily, & Masami

Afterwards, it was back to the Kouba's for pizza and fun. The only thing missing was mulled apple cider...but I put my order in for next time. :)

Masami Turns 3!

2011-10-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how quickly these kids are growing! I no longer have babies in the house. (And soon, hopefully, no diapers!)

Last weekend we celebrated Masami's 3rd birthday. Despite a round of flu making its way through our house, we managed a nice little celebration. Masami had been asking to go swimming for weeks, so I had promised a swim outing to the German pool for his birthday. Unfortunately, Anthony was laid up in bed, taking his turn with the flu, but I didn't want to cancel on Masami. The German pool is great....like a little indoor water park, but makes it difficult to be the only adult with two young kids. There was no way we would be able to do the big water slide as I couldn't take them both with me at once and I wasn't going to leave one alone while I took the other. So, I asked a friend to go with me. Heather was glad to go with us. Masami was so happy; he was doing a little dance around the pool. We had a great time.

Thanks to the commissary cake display, Masami had been asking for a Spiderman birthday cake for months. Since I was not about to pay for a big pre-decorated sheet cake, I decided that I would just figure out a way to make it myself. I was pretty pleased with the result:

We had a family dinner of Masami's favorite home cooked meal: Yakitori with our friends, Heather and Jennessa joining us. (They were the only two that I dared to invite into our germy home...luckily, both were willing to brave it and came out unscathed.)

I guess it was sort of a "Super Hero" themed birthday between the cake, the action figures, and the costumes that Masami got. He loved it!

All of us wearing hats that Masami got for his birthday

So, it was a fun day with a very satisfied little boy. Masami is such a light in our lives! He is goofy and charming and clever and tender-hearted. He loves playing with his sister, loves getting attention, and loves to cuddle. His favorite things are dinosaurs, Little Einsteins, Super Heroes, Toy Story, and VBS songs. I love watching him grow and learn and discover life and God. I am so blessed to have this little boy in my life!

Our house is a very, very, very fine house...

2011-10-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

Jess takes you on a video tour of our home in Germany. Since not everyone gets to visit, we wanted to take the visit to you. Our home has come together over the years through the generosity of many people and we love hosting and sharing it with others. Hopefully this entices you to come and visit.

Gelterswoog

2011-10-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

For 5 years we have been living just a few miles from this lake, and I never realized how cool it was. We headed over there one warm afternoon in August for a youth event and loved it.

The sand was a bit more like dirt than like sand and the kids got pretty dirty, but they loved every second of it. Nothing a good bath couldn't fix.

Masami, Alethia, and one of our students, Alexandra

The water was a great way to cool off in the hot summer sun and it was nice and shallow for the kids to play in.

This is definitely a spot we will be visiting in future summers!

My Garden Fairies

2011-10-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sitting on my patio swing, basking in the fall sunshine, soaking in the company of a good friend, and delighting in the chatter and laughter of our children.

Alethia's Second Year of German Kindergarten

2011-10-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Alethia's first day

Alethia started her second year of kindergarten in August. It has been a sad start for her because several of her school friends from last year (American kids) switched to the kindergarten on base. So she is adjusting to making new friends...mostly German kids. She has picked up some basic German and understands instructions that her teachers give her. However, she is such a verbal kid that it is frustrating to her to not be able to communicate at length with her classmates so she tends to give up without trying very much. I've started taking her to a kids German class on Friday afternoons to help her learn more and gain confidence in using it. It seems to be helping, but it will take some time before she has some good German friends. Until then, she still has one American friend in her class that is helping her enjoy kindergarten a little more.

Her classroom

On the door of her kindergarten

Masami and I walk (ride) Alethia to school most days

And she rides her bike

Mittelalterliche Fest

2011-10-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

Back in August while Anthony was laid-up on the couch sick, I took the kids and grabbed a couple girl friends and we headed out to check out the Medieval Fest.

Besides the muddy parking lot that I was afraid my van wouldn't make it out of, the festival was great! There was great live bagpiper music, yummy festive food, and lots of crafts and culture to look at.

Heather & Masami checkin' out some horns

Who doesn't like a good sword?

bread on a stick!...we just had to see what the hype was about

"childcare"

Alethia, Gin, & Masami at the bird tent


Medieval swing set?

The weather was cool, but nice. We got lunch, wandered around, listened to the music and then we headed back. We did make it out of the parking lot with just one side of the van covered in mud. All in all, a fantastic afternoon!

It's Been Awhile

2011-10-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

My poor neglected blog! I have some catching-up to do. Fall is in full swing and we have been quite busy. Time has gotten away from me, and I have posts that are half-finished. So, I'm committing to work on some posts in the next few days. Until then, here's a picture to get you through without my delightful blogging to amuse you...:)

10 Incredible Years

2011-08-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

August 18, 2001

Thinking today about an afternoon 10 years ago...a lovely August day in Portland, surrounded by friends and family, feeling beautiful and full of hope and joy and walking down the aisle towards my best friend. I cannot believe it has been 10 years since that day!

So far marriage has been an incredible journey filled with adventure, challenges, joys, tears, difficulties, beautiful memories...

We met nearly 13 years ago in the first weeks of college at Multnomah. We dated for 3 years before getting married.

In our first two years of marriage, we lived with another couple (our best friends) for a year, took on our first full-time youth pastor position, graduated college and were accepted at candidacy with Cadence International. We spent the next year and a half traveling the States and raising support as missionaries with Cadence.

In January of 2005 we arrived in Germany for our first field assignment at Dexheim. In 2006 we moved to Kaiserslautern (where we have been ever since). In 2007, we kicked off the year with the birth of our first baby, Alethia, who has added so much passion and spunk to our lives.

Masami was born in 2008. His charm and energy has further enhanced our life.

It truly has been an incredible 10 years of life together! Thank you, Anthony, for all the joy and love you bring to my life. I am honored to get the next 10 years with you!

Us in Switzerland in May

A Midsummer Knight's Read

2011-08-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

Some of our favs from this summer

That was the theme of this summer's reading program at our library on base. It was all things castles, dragons, ladies-in-waiting, and knights. We enjoy reading with the kids regularly anyways, but the kids had fun seeing their reading time translate into library "castle cash". They spent it on stickers, pens, foam swords, crowns and the like. I had no idea until the end how serious some people get over the prizes! Apparently the library was "releasing" new prizes for the week each Sunday and families would line-up Sunday morning before open to be the first to spend their reading dollars on new prizes. We were blissfully ignorant of the "better" prizes and just enjoyed what we got.

More of our favorites

The weekly program was on Wednesday mornings where the kids would hear a few stories and get to do a craft and pick a new book or two to borrow. We did not get to go every week, but the kids really enjoyed the times we went. They enjoy discovering new books. Like this summer we discovered the "How Do Dinosaurs..." series by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague which Masami loves. We also found a new installment of the "Ladybug Girl" books (one of Alethia's favorite series) that we had never read. And Anthony really liked it when I picked out "Where Did Daddy's Hair Go?" as a stab at his own balding head. We all giggled as we read it.

This week was the grand finale celebration of the library reading program where the kids got to spend the last of their cash and eat ice cream sundaes and were awarded with certificates. We still have a basketful of library books that the kids look at daily and it is nice not have to keep track of their reading minutes any more. I'm glad we did the reading program but, in the end, I'm most glad that my kids love books!

When Pandamania leads to Pneumonia

2011-08-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

We spent another week volunteering at VBS at our chapel. We had much the same roles as the previous week, but they crammed 5 mornings of VBS into 2 long days. It went well for the most part. The pre-schoolers that I was working with had some melt-downs in the middle of the day and several took naps. Our kids did great. Even though this week was a repeat for them, they still enjoyed the songs, stories, and crafts a second time around. In the week since then, it has been really fun to watch them further process what they learned and hearing them say "thank you God!" as they realize His hand in their day.

Anthony's middle school group had a great turn-out of teens who volunteered at VBS. Then, after the first day, they loaded-up, headed to dinner and did a scavenger hunt at the mall on base. They all slept over at the youth building and volunteered at VBS the next day. The teens had a great time and were a big help. Here is a music video they made for VBS:

I guess it was all just too much for Anthony, though. The morning after VBS was over, he woke-up with a fever and feeling sick. After spending the weekend struggling through with no sign of his fever lessening, he went to the doctor on Monday. Turns out...he has a pretty serious case of Pneumonia. His blood test came back with numbers off the chart pointing to a very bad infection. He is currently on bed-rest until Monday which will probably be extended into next week. Please pray for a quick and full recovery!

World Baloon Trophy

2011-08-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I got to go to a Hot-Air Balloon Tournament in Luxembourg. I really do not know why I have not made it to such an event before because I love hot-air balloons. And this was so much fun.

Alethia, Heather, and I made a girls night of it. It was about an hour and a half away on a lake. We got there just in time for the launch. It was amazing watching the balloons get blown-up and take shape.

The animal balloons opened the show, followed by balloons of all different colors.

We wandered through the fest tents while keeping an eye on the sky for passing balloons.

Of course Alethia had to have a balloon of her own...

And the food is part of the fun...

chocolate-covered Strawberries

When in Rome...

There were lots of fun activities for the kids...

But, of course, the best part was watching all the colorful balloons go by.

Next year, we definitely have to stay later because at dusk they set-off lanterns and the view is incredible. We were pretty wiped-out from VBS, though, and had a long drive home so we ducked out at 9:30.

Pandamania

2011-08-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

We spent much of last week at Vacation Bible School on base. It ran from 9 to 12 each morning and had nearly 200 American military kids attending. The theme was about how God is wild about us even in the midst of the crazy chaos of this world.

Anthony was overseeing teen volunteers, running sound, and organizing activities for the teens on two of the afternoons. I taught pre-school bible for about 90 pre-school kids which was completely exhausting. I don't know how teachers do it! Kids were divided into "crews" of about 15-20 kids, so each day I taught a lesson 5 times. Many of the lessons were quite active (like when we journeyed with Jonah in hiding from God, "swimming" after getting "thrown" from a boat and climbing through the tummy of the fish). The most fun was when I got to teach Alethia and Masami's crew each day.

This was their first year of attending VBS. Masami was a bit on the young side for it, but still did well. They really got into the songs and trying to dance and do the hand motions. They also had a great time shouting "Thank you, God" after key phrases throughout the week. We laughed whenever Masami tried to sing one song in particular. The line is, "He's wild, he's wild, God is wild about us" and Masami couldn't exactly say "wild". So it came out as "wide", "blind", or "pied". Anyway he said it was funny because he was so excited.

We spent the weekend recovering. Pray for us because we get to do it all over again this week! The Army Chapel community is hosting another round of VBS for kids on the other side of town. It'll be a bit smaller and we are cramming 5 mornings of VBS into 2 long days. Also, Anthony is hosting a Middle School service project. Students come serve at VBS and in the evening will get to do a scavenger hunt and have dinner together. They will sleep over at the youth building and serve again the 2nd day.

Needless to say...we will be laying low again next weekend!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2nd of July Celebrations!

2011-07-18T04:01:00.000-07:00

This was the first year in several years that we did not have the privilege of celebrating the 4th of July with my mom. It was a bit sad not to get to be with family, but we really enjoyed the festivities on base.

This year the fest was on the 2nd of July, so our celebration was a couple days early. We headed over to the fest in the afternoon and made a bee-line for our favorite food tent...the Filipino booth. They make such yummy pansat and adobo. Once we had full tummies, we headed over to the kid area. It was a field full of bounce houses, face painting stations, various carnival games and rides, and sumo wrestlers. Our kids played happily for hours while we visited with the many students and friends that we ran in to.

Eventually we meandered out to the softball field and found a place to lay out to watch the fireworks with our friends, Jennessa and Heather. The fireworks were great. I was so proud to be surrounded by the many individuals and families that sacrifice so much to serve and protect our country as we celebrated the freedom they help to protect.

Southern Germany Vacation

2011-07-16T05:45:00.000-07:00

We were thinking we would have to skip any kind of vacation this year due to moving expenses. However, God blessed us with the opportunity to spend 3 days in Garmisch with lodging and meals provided and then the following 4 days in the Black Forest at an apartment provided by Cadence Missionary care.

It was not an especially exciting or exotic vacation, but it was just what we needed. A full week away to rest and get family time! It was rainy for the majority of our trip, so we did not get out as much as we would have liked, but we also enjoyed just being laid back.

We did get a few walks in, exploring our surroundings and doing our new favorite family activity...geocaching!

We got to swim at the hotel the first few days which the kids loved. And we got to jump on the giant trampoline the last few days.

Of course, we also enjoyed a couple trips to the eis cafe.

The Infamous Haircut!

2011-07-14T02:59:00.000-07:00

So many people have asked about this over the past month that I feel I need to officially record the incident while I still remember the details...(Please keep in mind that you are hearing my side of the story and that Anthony's is a bit different) :)

Masami's hair was starting to get a bit long...you know, falling into his eyes and over his ears, but the worst is the natural little "rat's tail" that he gets in the back when his hair is longer. We have cut his hair several times now. Anthony puts his clippers on their longest setting and gives him a buzz.

Before "the incident"

On this occasion I had said, "It's time to give Masami a hair cut. Can you give it a buzz?" I did not think further clarification was needed since we have done this before. Anthony said, "Sure. Like mine?" Thinking he meant the current length of his hair, I agreed.

So, I was cleaning-up the dinner dishes while Anthony took Masami into the bathroom to get the job done. Eventually I wandered into the bathroom to see how it was going and if Anthony needed anything. I was shocked to see that Anthony had not "buzzed" his hair, but "shaved" it. He looked like a labor-camp child or chemo patient with no hair. His gorgeous red locks were laying in the bottom of the bathtub, and I was grief-stricken.

With horror in my voice, I moaned "No!...No!...NOOOO!" After that I was speechless for a moment while I processed the sight before me. Then, "Why did you do this?!" What followed was an intense discussion over what was said and not said in our previous conversations. When Anthony said, "Like mine?" he apparently meant "like when I do my own hair and shave it off." Masami had been quite agreeable to the shave because Anthony kept psyching him up that he would "look like Dadda." And he does...

Mine and Anthony's discussion ended with me saying, "Just to be clear, when I say buzz, I do not mean shave. I will never, ever, ever, EVER, never, ever, ever, ever want you to shave his head. Not ever! Never, ever, ever..." That is about when Anthony interrupted me and said "OK! I get it" in an annoyed tone. To which I responded, "I just wanted to be clear since obviously I wasn't before." Then, choking down sobs, I fled the scene and went to finish cleaning the kitchen.

Thankfully, Alethia had been outside playing in the yard during the ordeal and did not hear it. So when she came back in from playing and saw Masami's new haircut for the first time, she innocently exclaimed "Look at you! You're a cool dude!" with a big smile on her face.

The days that followed were difficult. I would talk myself down from my anger and bitterness (it will grow back...it is really not that big a deal...he's a boy...) and then Masami's bald head would go bobbing by and a fresh wave of grief over those beautiful locks of red hair that were lost would wash over me and I would have to talk myself down all over again. I posted something about it on Facebook (with Anthony's permission, "If that is what will help you get over it.") and it did help. Luckily, Masami's hair HAS grown back quickly and is just as red and gorgeous. I can now put the whole thing behind me and am confident that next time I say "buzz" Anthony will know exactly what I mean.

Masami today: 6 wks later

**Note: this account may be slightly dramatized. ;)

My 32nd Birthday

2011-07-12T02:59:00.000-07:00

My birthday came and went over a month ago and I didn't blog at all about it. However, it was such a good one that I cannot let it completely pass me by without a word...

I do not remember the last time that anyone threw me a party...I'm sure it was in college, so it has been awhile. So a couple days before my actual birthday, Heather (our new co-worker and good friend) organized a birthday party for me at the Hospitality House. She planned a delicious meal of all my favorite appetizers and invited friends. It was a beautiful day and many of my friends were able to come out and celebrate. The kids ran around happily together with their friends while the adults played games including Taboo, Cancellation Hearts (a new favorite of mine), and Corn Hole. Heather finished out the meal with her family tradition of Chocolate Gooey Cake (which was amazing) and chocolate covered strawberries. I'm sorry to say that no pictures were taken. We were all having too much fun to remember to pull out the camera. However, I did manage to remember to get one before the night was out...

On my actual birthday, Anthony watched the kids while I went out for coffee and croissants with a few girlfriends. We sat out on the patio enjoying the sun while we chatted. It was relaxing and nice.

For my birthday present, Anthony got me something that I had been long wanting...a Tassimo! It is basically a push-button by-the-cup coffee and cappuccino maker that makes the greatest cup of coffee ever. Anthony also picked out a variety of coffee discs to go with it and I have been experimenting and enjoying my coffee everyday since.

I got to spend the afternoon enjoying my kids, playing in the backyard. For dinner, friends watched the kids while Anthony took me to an Indian restaurant for some Murgh Korma and Nan. Yummy! It was just such a sweet weekend of celebration and getting to enjoy my friends and family. So thank you to all who helped make it so special!

Loss

2011-07-03T05:59:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful vacation and got back just a couple days ago. (More on our trip later!). As I had the time to sit and reflect a little last week, I took my emotional and spiritual temperature and took the opportunity to look back on our year. As I mentally marked significant events, I came to realize that we have experienced quite a bit of loss. As part of my own process, I wanted to take the space here to recognize and grieve some of our more recent losses.

Barb and I in 2005

In March, our friend and coworker, Barb passed away after a 19 month battle with brain cancer. Dan and Barb were our field leaders when we first arrived in Germany over 6 years ago. They were kind, gracious, warm, real people who intentionally made us feel welcome and loved as newbies to the field. Dan found us our apartment here that we lived in for 5 years. They were the first non-family that we told when we found out we were pregnant with Alethia. It was hard to say goodbye to them and their two children when they left Germany to eventually move to Alaska to open a new hospitality house ministry there for Cadence.

We were blessed to get to see them twice after Barb was diagnosed with cancer, to get to talk and cry and pray and worship with them. Our hearts have been deeply grieved as we watched them walk through this difficult journey and, while we rejoice that Barb is free of pain and suffering and peacefully in the presence of our Lord, we struggle with understanding God's perfect plan for Dan and their two children as they figure out how to do life without her.

Masami & Dee last summer

On Mother's Day, our friend and supporter, Dee also went to be with our Savior. She was a dear woman who we got to spend some time with last summer during our Stateside travels. She was thoughtful and loving and generous. She too will be dearly missed by many especially her husband and family.

Susan (one of the many) & I

Besides death, we are experiencing loss through the uprooting of much of our community. Military life involves quite a bit of moving and we have had to say innumerable goodbyes over the years. However, the past year has held an even more significant amount of goodbyes than usual for us. We have lost 4 Chaplains and their families who directly impact our ministry and Chapel world. Two of my closest friends (who have been here since we first got here in 2006) also moved away this year. These are women who I've counted on over the years and who were there for me through both of my pregnancies. Five families who regularly attended and were involved at our Chapel have moved. This is a significant percentage of our small congregation and impacts the way we are able to run. These families also include students from our youth groups, volunteers for our ministry and good friends. We host a weekly small group bible study for adults which has had a complete turnover in the past year of attendees. Last spring we had two couples, three single girls, and 3 single guys who have all left.

Additionally, at our recent staff conference we said goodbye to the Short family. Rich, Melissa, and Jayden have been serving with Cadence student ministries for the last 8 years in Baumholder, Germany. They were the last of our team that had not moved since we arrived in Germany. We have been so grateful to have them just "up the road" from us over the years. They have been great friends from our team who have encouraged and loved us well. We will greatly notice their absence on our team and miss them dearly. However, we are so excited to hear all about their new adventures as they go to serve with Cadence in Thailand.

Masami & Morgan

Unfortunately, we are not done saying "goodbye" yet. Through the summer we know several others that are moving. One of the most difficult will be the Nuccios. Sara and Robert have also been here as long as we have. Sara has become a good friend who I often see several times a week between playdates, storytime at the library, date swapping, running errands together, walks through our village, and girls nights out. Their daughter Morgan is about Masami's age and the two of them have become best buds for a pair of two year olds. One of the funnest moments in my week is hearing Morgan call out Masami's name in pure elation when she first sees us. They live just blocks from us and we have so enjoyed their friendship.

Although these losses are painful, we realize that it is often through loss and death that the Lord makes way for new life and fresh opportunities. In many ways, I am feeling like we are entering a new chapter in our lives. We do not have a big event like a graduation, job change, or major move to mark it by, but there are a lot of little things that mark a new beginning in some ways. Because our community and support system has been so majorly hit, we are building new relationships and trusting in God to take care of us. As you know, we recently made a minor move into a new apartment that has been a blessing to us in so many ways, as well as, brought challenges that has shown us, once again, how God provides for all of our needs. And we have a new co-worker who is transitioning in and brings fresh energy into ministry and who will effect change.

Sorry this one is a bit of a downer, but I promise there will be more to come on the "new life" things that we experience.

Alethia's First Two Dance Recitals

2011-06-12T05:36:00.000-07:00

Alethia has been taking a ballet class since September. It has been such a good experience for her. She has been learning how to follow directions and developing coordination. She has also made some friends. One little girl, Mia, goes to her school as well, so they have become especially good friends.

Alethia's ballet teacher, Miss Jenny, organized two recitals for all her students. She directed a short version of Sleeping Beauty and incorporated each of the ballet classes into it. Alethia's class were rose flowers.

Alethia's friend, Moriah, came and watched her dance at the first recital.

Mia was her dance partner

Morgan, Ellie, Kara, and Krista came to her second performance and brought her flowers, which she was very excited about.

If you want to watch Alethia's dance, Anthony filmed it with his iphone. This one is from the first recital and she is in the group of three middle/left.

This one is from the second recital and is a little better. She is the third one from the right:

Staff Conference in Switzerland

2011-06-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

I usually enjoy our staff conferences. They are a great opportunity for us to get away from the daily stresses of ministry, connect with our team from across Germany, and be refreshed spriritually and professionally. This conference, in particular, was especially great from all of these perspectives.

view of the Alps from our window

It was definitely one of the most beautiful locations we have been to: a chalet nestled into the foot of the Swiss Alps. Although the lodging was nothing grand, the view from every window was spectacular. There was a constant tinkling of cow bells in the background just as you would expect in a quaint village in Switzerland.

view out the back window of the chalet

our chalet

Our morning sessions were on the topic of conflict resolution and were incredibly practical and helpful both in our personal lives, as well as, our ministry worlds. Our speaker, Ernie Baker, a professor at Masters, and his wife were great to have around.

Our evening sessions were more team oriented: talking about what we want to be about, and were led by our field director, Nate, out of the book of Acts. These too were thought-provoking times.

In our free-time, we got out for some hiking and to enjoy God's beautiful creation. I walked with Heather out to a waterfall that was amazing.

One afternoon friends offered to watch the kids and Anthony and I got to go with a group to geocache. The view from near the cache was really incredible!

On our last afternoon, a big group of us took the kids and went hiking in a nearby gorge. Again, the views were breathtaking and the kids loved it.

While we were in sessions, the kids were in "childcare." They absolutely loved it...these are their best friends. They couldn't get enough of having time together.

Leah & Heather with some of the kids

We are so grateful to get to be in ministry with such an incredible group of people! We have tremendous respect for each of our teammates and so thoroughly enjoy these rare occasions that we get to spend with them.

CSM Europe Field

And of course no trip to Switzerland is complete without a stop in Bern at Starbucks to get a Switzerland mug to add to my collection!

In the Garden

2011-05-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

Our landlady lives in the apartment above ours so we get the opportunity to get to know her. She loves the kids and has made quick friends of them. She also loves gardening and has made the yard beautiful with her green thumb. She is out there nearly everyday working on her gardens. And when the kids see her they go running out to her.

Frau landlady chatters away at them in German and Alethia chatters back in Germlish. They beg to get watered when she waters the flowers; they dig in the dirt when she plants seeds; they follow her around the yard when she checks on her various gardens. It is really sweet. So nice to have a neighbor that is loving on our kids!

Counting Goldfish

2011-05-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

One of Masami's favorite things about our new home is that there is a fish pond complete with lily-pads, tad poles, and at least 8 great goldfish at the side of the house. We have clearly marked-out the parameters of the yard where the kids can play (which does not include the pond). So, Masami regularly asks me "go see the fish Mama?" And when I say okay, he gets all excited and bounces over there. He counts the fish and looks for tad poles. I think we are going to have to ask our landlady if we can feed them sometimes.

He also happens to have a view of the fish pond from his bedroom window. So many an afternoon I find him peeking out at them.

Saying Goodbye to the House

2011-05-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

I have to be honest...It has been hard to say goodbye to our old home. I have vivid memories of finding that apartment thanks to our friend and colleague, Dan. It was the first place that we painted walls and really got settled. It was the longest place that we have lived since we have been married (maybe ever for Anthony). It was there that I found out I was pregnant and where we brought our babies home from the hospital to. It was there that our babies learned to crawl, walk, run, talk...

Since we had two weeks to move, we had been going back and forth between houses quite a bit. I noticed that Masami was having a bit of trouble with the transition (as was I!). He was having a lot of trouble going to sleep at night and taking a bath at the new place. As I was talking with some friends about it, they suggested that I take the kids over to say "goodbye" officially to help them understand it better. And I got to thinking about how that was a really good idea (for me as much as them).

So, once we were fully moved out, we took the kids over and read them a book about moving and saying goodbye. Then we built an Ebenezer of sorts with pine-cones that the kids had collected from the yard, remembering things we liked about our house and thanking God for our time there. It was as reflective as a 2 and 4 year old can be, which is to say not very. However, it was a sweet time together and I think it has helped.

A Quick Trip to Luxembourg

2011-05-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

In the middle of our move, I got to take off for the day and do some sightseeing with Heather. Normally I wouldn't just take off in the middle of such a busy time, but I'm really glad that I did! I was in the middle of the frustrations and aggravations of learning the quirks of a new house and feeling stressed about how everything was going to fit and trying to be a good mom in the midst of the transition. It was really nice to get away from all the craziness for a day, get a break, and come back more ready to jump back in.

So Anthony took the kids for the day and we took a little girls trip to Luxembourg. I couldn't believe that it is only two hours away and yet somewhere I hadn't been in the 6 years that we've lived in Germany.

Luxembourg is called "the Gibraltar of the North" because it has been used like a fortress over the years and been rebuilt many times. It is really a series of gorges and hills. We got to take the walk along the top of the gorge and walked through the cathedral. Then, we walked through some shops and got dinner before heading home.

It was a beautiful day to be out and about. We had a great time!

Our Own Tangled Princess

2011-05-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

Alethia agreed to let my friend, Anna, take these photos of her when I told her that she could collect flowers and that we would put them in her hair just like Rapunzel in "Tangled". She wasn't in an especially "smiley" mood, she was more pensive, but I think they turned out nice.

Playing in the Petals

2011-05-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, in the midst of packing-up our house, we noticed that the tree across the street was raining pink petals. So, one evening while Anthony was at work, I took the kids across the street to play in the petals. They had a ball! They were scooping them up in their hands and throwing them in the air. They were making piles of petals and "drawing" in them with sticks.

Because they were playing so close to the road, I was on car alert. Every time I heard a car coming I'd say, "hit the wall!" and they would both jump up and put their backs on the wall away from the road. Masami thought that was a fun game all by itself.

It was a nice break from packing boxes and so great to see the kids smiling and giggling.

Hangin' with Heather

2011-05-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

So our new ministry partner, Heather Lite, arrived the first day of our high school spring break retreat, on April 11th, almost 5 weeks ago. She was a total trooper working through her 9 hours of jet lag while ministering to students 24/7 that first week in country.

A few treats that Heather brought with her from the States for us

If you are at all familiar with working with the military overseas then you know that you are not a "real person" until you get your ID card. Without an ID card you have limited base access, you cannot shop on base, you cannot get a post office box, you cannot drive, you cannot get a bank account on base, you cannot make contracts (for housing, mobile phone, etc). In essence, you cannot get settled and begin ministry and life until you have your ID card.

Typically when a Cadence Student Ministries (CSM) worker arrives in country we take them within 24 hours to get their ID card and start the process of getting settled. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, Heather has not yet received her ID card. You can imagine how frustrating that would be.

Jennessa, me, & Heather (CSM friends)

In the meantime, Heather is hanging with us. She is at the mercy of others to do just about anything. She stayed with us for a couple weeks, but in the midst of our move she moved to another house nearby where she will stay until she is able to get a place for herself. Despite the fact that Heather does not sleep at our house, it feels like she's living with us. We do most of our meals with her, she has been a huge help with every step of our move, she helps out with the kids regularly, we take her to get all her shopping and errands done, and of course, she has begun ministry alongside of Anthony. We have truly enjoyed our time with Heather! Although is has been tough for her not being able to get settled, it has been a great bonding experience for us.

Please pray that Heather's ID card would soon be approved and processed. Like I said, she is not a "real person" without it, and we would love to see her settled and able to focus on students as soon as possible.

Japanese Dinner Night

2011-05-05T03:30:00.000-07:00

Our friends and fellow Cadence teammates share a love for Yokasuka and Japan, in general, with us. They, like Anthony, lived in Yokasuka at one time and miss the culture and food. So, one evening we decided to go all-out and make a big Japanese dinner with a lot of our favorite dishes. It was an awesome time of fellowship as we all took turns cooking and catching-up on each other's lives. Alethia adores their son and was perfectly content watching him play Wii and cheering him on. It was such a great evening!

Yummy gyoza that Anthony made


getting veggies ready for tempura

the kids enjoying their yakisoba

We Got a Puppy!

2011-05-04T04:03:00.000-07:00

Ok...not really! That would just be crazy to get a puppy and then move. Our neighbor got a puppy and our kids are loving the opportunity to play with it. When Alethia hears Scarlet playing in the yard she asks to go down and see her. Our neighbors have given her an open invitation to come down and play when they are out there. It is so fun to watch her chase Scarlet and then Scarlet chase her. She is really loving the experience, and I'm glad that she is getting it since it is unlikely that we will get a puppy anytime soon!

Because it Makes Me Smile...

2011-05-02T03:24:00.000-07:00

We Are Moving!

2011-04-29T03:22:00.000-07:00

For about two years now, Anthony and I have been talking about moving. We found and moved into our current apartment more than 5 years ago, before kids. We have been feeling like we would really like a little more space for our growing kids and something on ground level with a yard that our kids have access to. So, we have been casually keeping an eye out for something.


For the last 5 yrs we have lived in the top apartment of this house

The problem is that we really don't want to leave our village for a number of reasons...the closeness to base, Alethia's kindergarten is here, enjoying the quaintness of the German community, access to great forest trails. However, not very many rental places come open in our village and when they do, they go fast! So, we just stayed put and moved a few things around to try to make it more comfortable.

Our Village

Well, this year, between tension with our neighbors (over the amount of noise our kids make) and continued feelings of growing needs going unmet, we finally decided to get serious about finding another place. In March we began checking housing lists daily and viewing places. We reluctantly broadened our search to outside our village. We spent about a month looking seriously before spring break. With Anthony out-of-town for a week for our big high school outreach camp and me and the kids out-of-town to a friend's house, we took a break on our search.

We all got home late Friday night (two weeks ago) and were exhausted from our travels. On Saturday morning we decided to start checking housing lists again and found an apartment in our village that was just posted. We saw it, spent the day thinking about it, saw it again, spent a day praying about it and went back on Monday to sign our contract.

The New House: not a great pic, I'll get another one up soon!

So....we get our keys this weekend!!! We have until May 15th to be out of our old place, so we are doing a gradual move.

I just have to say...PRAISE THE LORD!!! We found a place in our village, even closer to our friends and to Alethia's kindergarten, that has all the "musts" on our lists. Our new landlord is an older German woman who lives in the apartment above ours and who is really excited about having us and who loves the kids. Already, as we were dropping-off boxes last night, she was playing a game with them. We will really get a chance to work on our German with her since she speaks very little English.

Well, as you may be able to tell, I'm really excited about this! Alethia was not sure how she felt about moving, but after last night, she said to me, "Mama, I'm excited about our new house!"

So, if you think of it, please say a little prayer for us as we get everything moved and set-up house. Please pray for God's provision as there are a lot of little costs that add up and make moving so expensive! But mostly, praise God for his timing and grace as we get into a new place just in time for the kids to have a yard to play in all summer long!

Easter Festivities

2011-04-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

We really got festive this Easter week. Easter is a very big holiday in Germany, so Alethia was hearing a lot about it at school and was very excited about it. For months (ever since the commissary starting stocking Easter candy in February) Alethia has been asking me, “Is it Easter yet?” I was happy to declare last week that “yes!” Easter was upon us. So here is a window into our Easter celebrations:

This is one of the three eggs that Alethia painted at kindergarten.

Making cookies with Heather (our new co-worker, temporary roommate and friend):

Dying Easter Eggs with Dadda:

Chapel Easter Celebration:

Alethia with her Chapel friends: Akeera, Aleera, and Tameera

Easter Egg Hunt at home: Alethia was so excited about it. I wish I had video-taped it because she was like sprinting to find the eggs even though she was the only one. It was really precious.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-04-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

For my mom’s big milestone birthday this year my sister and I decided to pair our talents and make her a quilt. I have been quilting for about 8 years now…mostly self-taught, so I’m no pro. And my sister has really gotten into it in the last few years. My mom has made it no secret that she wished we would make a quilt for her. So in celebration of her 60^th year we did it.

My sister chose the pattern and made the quilt top. The pattern is fashioned after the Tokyo subway map. The bright colors are perfect for my mom and the theme of international travel fits her. Little did we know that as I would quilt it, Japan would be suffering mass devastation from the earthquake and tsunami. Many prayers were sewn right into the quilt as I worked on it.

Once my sister was done putting together the thousands of tiny squares, creating a gorgeous quilt top, she sent it to me. I put together the backing, quilted it by hand, and binded it. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it and I LOVE how it turned out!

Off in the mail it went…I nervously waited, hoping it would make it on time. My mom received it before her big day and got to enjoy it on her vacation. She really loves it, knowing all the thought, effort, and love that we put into it.

Updating a Friendship

2011-04-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

So, I'm going to be catching-up on about a month of posts in the next week or so to get you up-to-date on Amor happenings.

In March, some friends from the States came for a visit. Eric and I have been friends since high school in Pennsylvania. Little did we know when we became friends in 1995 that 16 years later we would still be friends. After he and Carrie married, they moved to Portland where we have gotten to spend some time together as couples on our visits back there. Anyhow, they got to take a trip to Africa to visit a friend and then stopped in Germany on their way home.

Eric & I (and our friend Byron) in 1996

We were excited to get to see Eric & Carrie and spend some extended time together. Unfortunately, the day before they arrived at our house, I was down for the count with a bad cold. I felt bad inviting them into our germy home. However, they were so gracious! Not only did they not cringe at my cooties, they pitched-in and helped entertain the kids and were such easy guests to have around. We really enjoyed getting to know them better and having them see a bit of our world. It was also fun to hear about their adventures in Africa...somewhere I would really like to visit some day! And Anthony was super happy to get to take in a game of fussball with them. We had a sweet time of sharing and praying for one another on their last night with us. I am grateful for their visit.

Eric, Carrie, Me, & Anthony

At least it is nice weather!

2011-04-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

So, my German energy efficient dryer just got even more energy efficient...

Daffodils & Lilacs

2011-04-03T05:59:00.000-07:00

Spring is blooming all around us here in Germany...trees are budding, tulips and crocus are blooming, and my eyes are itching...all evidence that spring is upon us!

My poor blog has been greatly neglected for the past month. Out-of-town visitors, sickness, and a few projects with a deadline have all kept me from blogging regularly. So, I have a pile-up of pictures and stories to tell you and no time to post them. Give me another week and I will be back on-line. Until then, these photos will have to do...

A friend is going out-of-town for a month and would miss enjoying the blooming daffodils and lilacs in her yard. So, she very generously gave us two big handfuls of flowers to fill our apartment up with the bright colors and sweet scent of spring. We are loving them!

First Signs of Spring

2011-03-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

Alethia picked these before I could stop her. Now I've come to find out that my neighbor is going to dig all of these up in our yard because of their new puppy that gets sick from them. So, I guess Alethia actually "rescued" these and now we can enjoy them for a bit.

The Top Ten Books Jess Read in 2010

2011-02-20T13:59:00.000-08:00

So, I've had this post half-written for over a month! Finally got around to finishing it...the things you do when your husband is away.

I'm always looking for a good book recommendation, so here are a few from me and I hope that you will comment with a few of your own for me to read this year.

Here they are (in no particular order, because they were all good), the top ten books that I could not put down in 2010:

1. Redeeming Love: Last year I fell in love with Francine Rivers. She is the best Christian Fiction writer I have ever read, bar none. This is definitely one of her best! It is a retelling of sorts of the story of Hosea set in the days of the Gold Rush. Its beautiful story of love had surprising impact on me.

2 & 3. The #1 Ladies Detective Agency Series (Books 10 and 11): I know that some of you just cannot seem to get into these, but I love them! They are light, quick reading with a super lovable main character, Precious Ramotswe. The stories are interesting, yet not intense and I love all the background of Botswana. And doubly great, they have turned the books into an HBO mini-series that are well worth a watch.

4 & 5. Her Mother's Love/Her Daughter's Hope: Like I said, I fell in love with Francine Rivers, so I read a lot of her books last year. This sequel was precious in its telling of mother/daughter relationships; how we so often misunderstand each other thereby missing really knowing each other and really loving each other well. Plus, I loved that it starts out in Europe and in places that I've seen.

6. Committed: This is sort of a sequel to "Eat, Pray, Love" but can be read on its own. While I do not subscribe to her type of spirituality, Elizabeth Gilbert is a great writer and has some great insight. In this book she dives into the issues of what it means to be married. It is part memoir, part informational. I found it to be thought-provoking and interesting and would love to read it with a group one of these days and discuss it more in depth! Side note: her tales of her travels in Thailand and Cambodia were especially endearing to me having just been last year.

7, 8, & 9. The Hunger Games Trilogy: I put off reading the first two books until the third was released in August and I'm glad I did because once I picked the first one up, I couldn't stop until all three were read. These are an incredibly intense and well-written work of fiction! The story line and characters are vivid. Warning: these books are quite graphic in their depictions of violence. So, if you are a sensitive soul, these may not be for you.

10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: Kind of a weird title, but a sweet and satisfying book. Takes place post World War II in England and Guernsey Isle. Written as a series of letters, the characters are beloved and the story is wonderful, how a group of friends move on after war has changed them. I was sad when it was over only because I could have read more of these characters.

So there you have it. I've already raced through The Mark of the Lion Trilogy which is sure to make it onto this year's list. Now it is your turn...what do you recommend?

ESCAPE 2011

2011-02-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

Today Anthony headed out with over 30 middle-schoolers from our ministries for our annual outreach camp, ESCAPE. They will join almost 200 others for four days of fun and spiritual fuel. A team of college students from our Alma Mater, Multnomah, have flown out to help facilitate camp. Also, our soon-to-be-full-time ministry partner, Heather, flew out to meet students and help out. She will be with us for the next two weeks, then will go back to the States to finish raising her support before joining us more long-term. We are so excited that she has the opportunity to be here for camp!

This camp is very important for so many of our middle school students. Often it is through these weekends that they meet Jesus personally for the first time and make significant steps of faith. Please pray with us this weekend for our 32 students! And please pray for our staff this weekend...

Shaun

Drew

Anthony

Gin

Heather

Pray for their stamina (200 middle-schoolers, not much sleep, and a lot of activity), their connection with students (some are newly involved and don't know many of the students), their sensitivity to the Spirit's leading as they facilitate small groups and meet one-on-one with students.

Thank you for empowering our ministry with your prayers! We are so grateful to have you standing with us!

Anthony Turns 30!

2011-02-15T02:55:00.000-08:00

We celebrated the life of my amazing husband over the weekend. I really wish we could have done more, but alas, life and budget restricted the planning. So, we made the most of what we had and rang in a new decade for him with a great evening out.

A wonderful friend took the kids for us, giving us a nice long evening to enjoy. We hit the road with a couple of friends to help us celebrate and headed to our favorite restaurant in Germany: Die Kartoffel. They serve these awesome steaks on hot stones so you cook them yourself, then have the choice of three amazing dipping sauces. And of course, since the restaurant is called "The Potato," you get a big baked potato drowning in the best sour cream ever. It is a pretty fantastic experience and a very special treat for us.

We hit up the Eis Cafe afterwards for Choco Becher and Lattes.

Alethia was very concerned that she would miss out on all of the celebrating...she loves to sing "Happy Birthday". So, the next morning, the kids and I walked down to two different bakeries in our village looking for the perfect morning treat. We made up a breakfast-in-bed tray complete with "flowers" that Alethia picked on our walk, a homemade card that the kids helped make, and croissants with a birthday candle.

Anthony works hard in ministry and for our family! He loves students well and is a bright light for Christ among them. He also loves me and our children well! He sacrifices a lot to be available to us and to love on us. And he loves the Lord! I feel honored to watch him over the years as he has grown in the Lord and to get to do life with him. Thank you, Lord, for 30 years of Anthony and bless us with many, many more! So, here's to Anthony...Cheers!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T07:06:00.000-08:00

Hope your day is filled with the love and joy of great friends and family!

(And maybe a yummy treat too! :) )

An Impromptu Haircut

2011-02-08T06:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday when Alethia's teacher saw me arrive to pick her up, she took Alethia's hand and walked her to meet me. This is not usual, so it made me wonder. In German, she explained to me that she caught Alethia and another child, Alicia, cutting their hair. Sure enough, Alethia had cut off about 3 inches of one pigtail!

I cannot say that it came as a surprise to me. I think just about every friend I have that has a daughter above the age of 6 has experienced this very thing. Their child wanders off when no one's looking, comes upon a pair of scissors and decides to experiment. And just the day before I caught Alethia cutting her pony's hair. I had hoped that our discussion about not using scissors on anything but paper would be a little more effective.

I have no picture to share with you because it really is not that noticeable unless you are looking for it. Even now Alethia still does not understand the logic that you cannot cut your own hair. So, I am just making a greater effort to hide the scissors at home and hoping that she refrains from a repeat incident at school.

Who knows, though! She is a pretty independent spirit and this may not be the final word on Alethia cutting her own hair!

What?

2011-02-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

This is the word that is repeated all day between Masami and I!

He is really starting to talk and to want to communicate his wants, desires, thoughts. And, as part of this developmental stage, he is experimenting with the word "what?". After nearly everything I say to him, he responds with "what?" And even though it drives me crazy, I find myself repeating what I've said at least twice before I catch myself and tell him to stop. I know he hears me and usually understands, so why the constant "what" response?

It occurred to me the other day that I say "what?" to him an awful lot too. Although Masami talks a lot, I only understand about half of what he says. I thought that all moms had some special "mother knowledge" that gave them the special power to understand and translate their own child's gibberish language. Well, it is not true for me. And since I don't know what he is saying half the time, I'm always responding with, "what buddy?" So since I say it so much to him, maybe he just thinks that that is the way you are supposed to respond to someone. This is a vicious cycle!

You can imagine Masami and I, spending the mornings, just the two of us, saying "what?" back and forth.

Kindergarten Birthday

2011-02-01T13:47:00.000-08:00

On Alethia's first day back to Kindergarten after her birthday, her teacher asked me if we wanted to have a celebration in her class. Of course I said yes. My mind was already wandering to the cupcakes or iced cookies that we could make for it while I asked what I should bring and when. Her teacher told me that most parents bring "bread, butter, and marmalade." I started smiling to myself at the mistake that my mind had made in assuming that this experience would be like that of having a birthday in an American classroom. Alethia's kindergarten has a laminated poster outside of each classroom of appropriate and healthy foods for kindergartners and, of course, cake or cookies are not on that poster. So, when I picked Alethia up from school that day, we headed to the commissary to buy her party supplies. She must have had some kind of conversation about it with her teacher because she knew exactly what to get: bread, butter, and jam.

Armed and ready to party!

She had a great time and came home with a specially made crown and a small kaleidoscope for a birthday present. And yes...they sing the same birthday song as we do...in English. but with a German accent that Alethia has picked up. :)

About Joy

2011-01-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

To tell you about my friendship with Joy is to tell you about the Lord's faithfulness and provision in my life. I met Joy about two months after we moved to K-town when I was about 6 weeks pregnant with Alethia. I was nauseous 24 hrs. a day and so lonely from being new to town and too sick to go out and get to know people. I remember coming to the Lord in tears and praying for a friend. "Lord, please bring me at least one good friend for encouragement and support. I don't know how you will do this considering that I won't leave my house, so please just drop a friend on my doorstep."

I was surprised and excited when He answered my prayer so literally. One afternoon in May my doorbell rang. I was still in my PJ's and glasses and feeling sick as usual. I quickly brushed out my hair as I curiously answered the door. And there stood Joy carrying her baby boy and her toddler son peeking out from behind her. "Is this the Hospitality House?" Of all things...she had gotten lost looking for a ministry house and found me, another American and someone who actually knew what she was talking about. I praise God for our big white Transit van (identical to the Hospitality House's) that made her stop at my house.

I ended-up driving her over to the House on the other side of our village and stayed for a "Hair & Tea" time for women. While Joy got her hair done, I held her baby and watched her son down a bag of lime Tortilla chips. We chatted and hit it off immediately.

Joy quickly became a good friend and important part of my emotional/spiritual support system here in Germany. It was through her that I met several other incredible ladies that have been significant in their support and friendship. And later, it was through Joy and her husband, that Anthony and I got connected to other families in community that have encouraged, supported, and loved us.

It has been 4 1/2 years since that day in May that I met Joy, and I can't emphasize enough how much her friendship has meant to me. I could spend hours sharing great memories and telling you ways that she went out of her way to love on me and my family. She has walked through both of my pregnancies with me, sat with me at the hospital through the night when Masami was sick, made us meals, listened as I walked through struggles, shared her own heart, struggles, passions with me. We walked together through her husband's deployments, our ministry challenges, and learning to parent well. She is a beautiful person and I am honored to call her my friend.

Sadly, I had to say goodbye to Joy and her family last month. The military called them on to a new place. I have adapted somewhat to the reality of the rotating community of military life, however, this goodbye has been one of the hardest I've had to experience. Because Joy's friendship has been a constant presence the entire time I've lived in K-town and because of how much life we have shared, I feel a great loss at her departure. I am so grateful to God for the gift that her friendship has been to me. For through her, the Lord blessed my soul. I know our friendship will continue through the distance and time, though it will change now. And just as the Lord was faithful to provide over 4 years ago, I know He will be faithful to provide for me now in other ways and through other friendships. I am also certain that He will bless many others through Joy's presence somewhere else.

So, thank you Joy for your friendship, support, and love! You are greatly missed!

36 Hours in the Netherlands

2011-01-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

My sister and her boyfriend flew into Amsterdam for a week of vacation. We were able to get away for two days to drive out and visit them. We got up early on Thurs with the intention to be in Haarlem by 12:30.

Unfortunately Jay came down with a 24hr flu, so we had Alexis to ourselves the first day. She met us at our hotel in Haarlem. Our innkeepers were quite hospitable, serving us coffee, tea, and oliebollen (Dutch doughnuts) upon our arrival.

We headed out to grab lunch and hit the Corrie Ten Boom house/museum. It was pretty cool to hear Corrie's story while standing in the house where she saved so many. Now I want to go read "The Hiding Place" again...it's been years.

We spent the rest of the day getting settled and Alexis and I got some sister time. When we ventured out for dinner, many restaurants were already packed. We found a snug Italian restaurant that seemed kid-friendly, though busy. Alethia had fallen asleep in the stroller on the way over...exhaustion from a long day with no nap. So, upon waking, she wasn't the most pleasant child on earth. Even so, both kids did pretty good waiting for their meal the first hour or so. Then, Alethia started asking every few minutes where her food was. And Masami was trying to climb out of the highchair. When we finally tracked down our server, we found out that he hadn't put our order in yet. Anthony walked the kids around a bit, we let them play games on our phones...trying to keep them happy a while longer. The entire dinner experience took nearly 4 hours. My sister was worried that she would miss the last train, it had gotten so late! We walked Alexis to her train and Masami was asleep by the time we got back to the hotel. The rest of us rapidly followed.

The next morning, we got up and drove into Amsterdam and met Jay and Alexis to celebrate Alethia's birthday. They were really great playing with the kids and giving-up a whole day of their vacation to do the kid thing. Our kids felt very loved-on by them!

After dinner, we said our goodbyes and parted ways. It was a great way to spend the last two days of the year. We are so grateful to have gotten that special time with Alexis and Jay!

Alethia Turns 4 in Amsterdam and a Happy New Year!

2011-01-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

Alethia turned 4 on the first! Hard to believe that it has already been 4 years since we first saw that angelic little face. She has certainly been one of our biggest challenges and one of our biggest joys in life! And this has been a big year for her as she was potty-trained this year, started German Kindergarten, started ballet, traveled to Greece and spent 3 months traveling in the States. She is passionate, social, talkative, and loving. So, how did we celebrate her 4th birthday?....

A few days before, we attended a Cadence Christmas party. We took advantage of a group of her friends being in one place and brought cupcakes with birthday candles. We all sang to her and she got to do the traditional blowing out of candles. This was the first year that she actually blew them out!

The next day we left for Amsterdam to see my sister and her boyfriend who had flown in for a week of vacation. (I'll blog more later about the great time we had with them.) We were only there for two days, but we spent one of the days celebrating Alethia's birthday together. We all went to TunFun, a big indoor play park, in Amsterdam. It had tons of stuff for the kids to do including trampolines, slides, climbing structures, a bounce house, ball pit and giant legos. We were there for a few hours exploring and playing.

Alethia willingly got ready to go at the mention of presents. We walked further into downtown Amsterdam and found a corner in a restaurant to have dinner and open presents. I think the highlights for Alethia were a set of play cupcakes complete with frosting and candles to decorate with (from Auntie Lexi) and a "pink sewer" (sewing machine) that she had been asking for.

We sang to her again and this time she blew out the wooden candles on her new cupcake set.

After dinner, we hit the road to try to make the 5 1/2 hour drive home before midnight. The fireworks in the local German villages are amazing on New Years Eve, so we were hoping to make it home to see the ones in our village. As we got closer, it was clear that we were going to be cutting it close, and as the clock struck midnight, we were still 15 minutes out. However, we inadvertently stumbled upon an amazing view! It was quite a foggy night, so at first, all we could see from the car windows were flashes of light reflecting off the clouds. Then, as we passed a village, we could see a few fireworks going off in between trees and hills blocking our view. But the last 5 minutes of our trip took us right past K-town and I teared-up at the incredible display of fireworks. There were bursts of light exploding in the sky above the city in every direction. The skyline was lit up with what seemed like hundreds of splashes of color. A whole panorama of nonstop fireworks going off in the distance. I wish we could have pulled-over and watched for longer. It was a beautiful start to 2011 for us!

Unfortunately, Alethia (and Masami) slept through the entire thing and she completely missed this grand celebration on her birthday. We rolled into our drive with time to still enjoy the fireworks in our own village and then fall into bed with exhaustion.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

Buzzed!

2010-12-27T06:14:00.000-08:00

I'm usually a fan of keeping Masami's hair a little longer in front, but it was getting a little out of control with it constantly in his eyes. So, since we do boy haircuts at home (with little prior experience), it is a straight-up buzz. He'll have 2011 to grow it back out.

Before


After

Oh yeah...Dad got shaved too. :)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T06:19:00.000-08:00

Presents under the tree....

Stockings "hung" with care...

Snow blanketing the trees and roofs...It has been a peaceful and merry Christmas indeed.

Alethia was the first one up. (Thankfully it was after 8:30 since her excitement had kept her up late last night.)

Last night we did our last night of advent, lighting the candles and reading passages of the Christmas story. The Christmas Eve Service at Chapel was canceled due to the snow, so we enjoyed a turkey dinner, then let the kids open a couple presents to play with until bed. Our friend, Jennessa, stayed with us, so we played a game of Carcassonne before setting out the presents under the tree and heading for bed ourselves.

This morning the kids unwrapped presents in record time...this is the first year that they both understood the concept of unwrapping. Alethia was excited to get the "painting" (easel) that she had been asking for.

We had a nice brunch and some more play time.

So now the kids are napping and we are enjoying some mellow adult time. Looking forward to our prime rib dinner and hoping for some time to reflect on the importance of this day and the greatness of the gift that God gave us through Jesus. Feeling so grateful for the many "comforts" that we have, for the richness of life that we experience, and for the many sweet relationships that we enjoy. How precious are these moments with my husband and children!

Praying you all are enjoying a rich and meaningful holiday with your loved ones! Merry Christmas!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

2010-12-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

It is chilly and snowy here! School has already been canceled a few days (American school, that is...the Germans don't shut down for a little snow) and delayed on several others. We have basically had snow covering the ground since Thanksgiving. I guess if it has to be this cold, then it is nice to have the beauty of the frosted tress and rooftops and the fun of playing in the snow. We got an inner-tube and sledded down the little hill in our yard.

We also made a snowman and some snow angels. Alethia really likes playing in the snow, but Masami is not so into it. It takes a lot of coaxing to get him to enjoy it for even a few minutes. Like many of you are experiencing, this is an abnormal amount of snow (and cold) for us this early in the winter, so we are trying to enjoy it (even when we are shoveling the sidewalk).

We have gotten several inches of snow in just the last couple of days, then got about 6-8 inches more last night. Chapel was canceled this morning, so we stayed home and played in the snow some more. Alethia and I made a snow-dad and a snow-girl. And while we were out shoveling and playing, we got another inch or two. More is supposed to come overnight, so we may be a bit snowed in this week. It is kind of fun!

Our snow-dad with his "beard" and walking stick and our snow-girl

Our Budding Artist

2010-12-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

In Alethia's classroom at school there is a drawer for each child to store their artwork to bring home. For the first month or so of school Alethia's drawer was mostly filled with leaves and sticks that she had collected during recess. Then, she started bringing home stacks of paper with just a scribble on it and bits of paper that she had cut up.

A couple weeks ago. she proudly pulled these out of her drawer:

(They are kind of hard to see.) I was surprised that she has graduated to actually drawing people. She must have caught some artistic bug because she has been drawing a lot lately.

Then, last week when I was working on a stocking for my niece, Alethia sat faithfully by my side working on her own project for Lucy. She was basically just cutting-up some fabric scraps, but she thought she was sewing. So, I cut out a paper tree for her and she decorated it with her "sewing"...

She also came home with a Christmas decoration that she made in school:

Now she is asking for "a painting" (an easel) and "a pink sewing" (a sewing machine) for Christmas. It is fun to see her creative side developing!

Laternen Fest

2010-12-01T02:16:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we celebrated St. Martins day with Alethia's school. It is an annual festivity that German children take part in.

All the children made paper lanterns at school for the celebration. On that evening children, parents, and family members met at the school and paraded around the village...the children lighting the way with their lanterns.

We were led by a trumpeter and made a brief stop to sing some traditional carols.

We ended-up back at the school for a short program (which, of course, was all in German). The school yard had been strung with lights and it was a mild and beautiful evening. Some of the older children sang for us. Afterwards, there were brats and gluhwein and waffles for a small price.

Our friend, Jennessa, came with us, and we had a great time. Such a fun way to enjoy a fine Autumn evening. It was fun too to watch Alethia interacting with her classmates. She was so excited to see them and was searching through the crowd for certain friends. We were able to chat with several of the other parents and get to know them a bit, which was nice too.

Masami's HYPE Audition

2010-11-11T07:17:00.000-08:00

I posted a video of Alethia singing, so here is one of Masami dancing. The HYPE team was setting up for their school assembly and Masami was getting his groove on.

Lady Bug Girl Sings

2010-11-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

Lady Bug Girl and Bumblebee Boy

2010-11-07T06:52:00.000-08:00

This past year we found a book series at the library about a little girl named Lulu who pretends to be a super hero called "Lady Bug Girl." These books have become Alethia's favorites. So, when I asked her what she wanted to be for Halloween, I wasn't all that surprised that she proudly proclaimed "I want to be Lady Bug Girl!"

One of the books in the series is called "Lady Bug Girl and Bumblebee Boy." The two kids take on the playground together and have a blast protecting it. I had planned to re-use Alethia's dino costume from last year for Masami, but when a cute Bumblebee costume went on sale just before Halloween, I couldn't resist.

Masami loved his costume and was so cute when we would announce that he was "bababe boy." Both kids have worn their costumes around the house just about everyday since Halloween.

Masami's 2nd Birthday!

2010-11-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that my baby boy is already 2 years old! His second birthday was much less eventful than his first considering that he was in the hospital with pneumonia on his first birthday. This year he was able to celebrate happy and healthy.

Alethia really struggled with not being the center of things. She was Masami's faithful present-opening assistant.

The night before his birthday, we all went downtown to our city's fall festival. We walked around, got crepes with nutella, and the kids got to do some rides. This festival is an annual event, so I was surprised when I realized that the last time we actually went was with my mom when I was pregnant with Alethia. Anyhow, it was a fun evening.

The day of Masami's birthday, I took him swimming with his little friend Morgan. He is really loving the pool these days. Then, we spent the evening at home as a family. The kids played with Masami's new toys including a shopping cart and tool set while I made a dinner of gourmet mac'n'cheese and fresh green beans. Then, we sang to him and had cake and ice cream.

Masami is such a sweet, tender-hearted boy with a great sense for adventure. I love being his mom and getting to watch him grow. Happy Birthday my beautiful boy!

CSM Women's Retreat

2010-10-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I got to get out of town for a few days and have some great ladies time. All of the women on the Germany field with Cadence Student Ministries took four days off and headed to the Black Forest for retreat.

On our way down, we stopped in Strassbourg, France for lunch and a quick wander around. We enjoyed some yummy Flammkuchen (like a very thin crusted white pizza).

It was a pretty fall day to walk around the picturesque alleys and amazing cathedral. And of course, the stroll wasn't complete without a chocolate eclair.

Then we headed on to the Black Forest and to a new and very lovely Cadence House. Our dear fellow Cadence missionary, Candy, was our guest "speaker." The theme was rest. We explored what Sabbath rest truly looks like and how to make it a priority. It was thought-provoking and helpful.

The rest of the weekend was spent resting, of course, and shopping. We found some thrift stores in France and got some great bargains. We played games and spent lots of time chatting. Conversation was rich and filling. I feel so blessed to be among these women and to know them. And our surroundings were gorgeous as all of the windows were filled with the bold colors of fall.

While I was away, Anthony got four fantastic days with the kids. They did well. However, it was nice to be greeted with big cheers and hugs upon my return. I missed my little gang.

Hoffest

2010-10-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to a local Kurbis (Pumpkin) Fest. We have been going to this farm the last few years...it has sort of become our fall tradition. However, this is the first year that we thought ahead far enough to make sure to make it to their annual festival.

We were a little hesitant because the sky was overcast and it was sprinkling on-and-off. We half wondered if they would cancel. But we decided to venture out anyways and figured that at the very least we would get a nice drive out of it. As we were on our way, we remembered that Germans do not mind the weather as much as most Americans. Germans just throw on a few more layers, grab an umbrella, and refuse to let the weather ruin their time. So, as we approached the farm, we were not surprised to see several fields filled with parked cars. The place was packed.

There was an extensive farmers and crafts market that was fun to peruse. We got a jar of "weihnachts backerei," preserves made of pumpkin, vanilla, anis and cinnamon that is Autumn in a scrumptious jam. We also got a bottle of pumpkin wine and an artichoke blossom, as well as, a bouquet of Lampion blossoms and ivy.

We had great eats! Of course, we had to have a bratwurst. But we also enjoyed this super yummy pumpkin soup, sweet corn cakes with weihnachts jam, and pork steak. All was fresh and delicious!

After lunch, the kids climbed around the hay playground and, of course, we picked-out a couple pumpkins. They have dozens of pumpkins in all colors and sizes.

We did not take time for the huge corn maze...we will have to make another trip this fall for that. We had a sweet time together as a family enjoying the some of the best the season has to offer.

My First Parent Meeting

2010-10-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

Last week there was a Parent Meeting at Alethia's school. Initially, I was hoping that Anthony would be able to arrange his schedule so that we could go together and make sense of what we could considering the language barrier. However, the meeting happened to be at the same time as K-town Middle School youth group, so there was no way for Anthony to come. He catches much more of the language than I do, so I was just not very confident in my ability to understand anything on my own.

I approached one of Alethia's teachers about it (the one that speaks English, Frau Valerie), asking some clarifying questions. She explained that the whole meeting will be in German so I probably shouldn't go, and she could get the information to me afterwards. Well, I'm just not that kind of parent. I know that having Alethia in German school will be challenging at times, but I want to make every effort to be just as involved as I would be if she was going to an American school, and there's just no way that I would miss a parents meeting.

So I started brainstorming. Who could I ask to go with me and help me translate? I decided to talk to my German neighbor (who lives below us) about it. Her kids (now teens) both went to the same kindergarten as Alethia does. So, she would not only know the language, but would also be familiar with the school itself. If you know me well, you would know that this was a big growth step for me. I am not one to go diving into unfamiliar settings by myself anyhow, but then to ask someone I don't know well to help me through it is quite a stretch for me. However, Sebina was very nice about it and said she would be willing to go.

I quickly figured-out that I was the only American parent in attendance. In fact, I later found out that the other American parents from Alethia's class (the ONLY other American parents) weren't even told about it. I guess it was only because I diligently translated the school calendar that I had received the week before that I knew of it.

Sebina took copious notes as I sat there listening hard for a word or two that I could understand. Mostly I felt lost and silly for smiling and laughing when everyone else did though I had no idea why. I was glad to be there though. And afterward Sebina patiently explained her notes to me and tried to answer my questions. Then, she took notes about the questions she could not answer and got the answers for me. I could not have asked for a better translator.

The best part was at the end. Sebina approached Alethia's other teacher, Frau Olga, (the one that speaks no English, so to whom I've never been able to speak with myself) to ask some of my questions. I then, through Sebina, got to ask her about how Alethia is doing. She seemed pleased to talk about Alethia, which warmed my heart. She explained that she had assumed that Alethia and the one other American girl in the class would naturally gravitate to one another, so they had intentionally put them together for things, but that they actually prefer playing with other kids. The other girl is shy and keeps to herself, however, Alethia is so outgoing and friendly. I then asked, "Does that mean that she is independent or is she playing with other kids." And Frau Olga said that she plays with other kids and seems to have made two friends in particular. She has also noticed Alethia starting to understand certain German phrases that they use in the classroom. And she is finding Alethia to be a good listener when she is asked to do something. She also said that her and Alethia are helping each other when it comes to the language barrier. For instance, Frau Olga was reading to her a book about animals and when Olga would point out the animals and use their German names, Alethia would repeat and then tell her the English names for them. She seemed very pleased that they are able to help each other in this way.

This conversation alone made my effort worthwhile. It was good to finally connect with Frau Olga. And it was wonderful to hear that Alethia is doing well. And it was a nice experience with Sebina, whom I haven't had much opportunity to get to know. I know this is just the beginning of these kind of experiences for me, so it is encouraging that this time went so well. Hopefully, next time, Anthony will be able to be with me too.

Fall Cleaning

2010-09-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Something about living out of a suitcase for 3 months has made us realize what we can live without. Coming home, we have been motivated to clean-out our house and purge ourselves of the things that we don't use.

This began with our basement. We have two storage rooms and a garage (that is not usable for parking in) that have collected a myriad of things in the four and a half years that we have lived here. It is one of those places where when we don't know what to do with something or we don't have time to make a run to the recycling center we are just kind of like, "just stick it in the basement." So, in the last week or so, Anthony has loaded up his Ford Explorer and made three runs to the recycling center. It was mostly boxes left over from Christmas and birthdays. We have also filled numerous garbage bags full of things to drop-off at the thrift store. And our smallest pile is of things we are going to try to sell...mostly baby stuff that is still in good condition and a few 110 appliances that I have been holding on to for no good reason considering that I can't really use them here in Germany. So, as of Thursday, we have the basement officially organized and cleaned-out. We are no longer even using one of the storage rooms. I am just still going through the endless boxes of baby girl clothes that I have to evaluate what to save and what to sell.

So, next we have some organizing and purging to do in our actual apartment. I have done a little bit of this as we unpacked from the summer, cleaning out all of our shranks (closets) of clothes we no longer wear. It feels good to unload the excess in our lives. And we are hoping and praying for another, slightly larger but still in our price range and village, home to move to in the near future.

We first moved into this apartment before we were even pregnant with Alethia. It has been a great home for us and where we have brought both of our babies home from the hospital to. It has also been a great location, close to the school Anthony works with and to his office and youth room, right next to a playground for the kids, and in a great village with lots of walking trails in the woods just down the street, not to mention just blocks away from a great coffee shop and bakery and eis cafe. However, with two additional family members and all the accessories and toys that come with them, we have outgrown this apartment and would love something a bit bigger and with direct access to the yard for the kids to be able to play outside more. However, we are a bit picky and are thinking that it might take awhile to find just the right place. At least we will be ready and organized when God brings the right place along.

Kann ich mit dir spielen?

2010-09-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

A subtle shift happened in the Amor household last week. Alethia started school and ballet and, suddenly, our conversations included Alethia's schedule. Just like that, she has her own schedule to keep and we must now plan our own days around hers. It is truly amazing how time flies when you are watching a little soul bloom and grow. What was life before this little spark of passion and sass was in it?!

Alethia got to "sample" German kindergarten for a couple weeks before we left for the States, but now that we are back, she is attending regularly. We are still deciding how much we want her to go, but we have the option of leaving her from 7 to 2 every day of the week. That feels like a bit much for a 3 year old, when she is really just going to experience some freedom and autonomy, to enjoy the social interactions, and to learn German.

So far, she is liking it. We have taught her a few German phrases, like "Kann ich mit dir spielen?" which means "Can I play with you?", to help get her started. She has about 20 kids in her class (only one other that speaks English) and two wonderful teachers, Frau Valerie and Frau Olga. They are the Gespenst (ghost) group. Alethia loves the giant "house" that the classroom is equipped with including a play kitchen, dress-up clothes and loft. She also loves getting to play on the playground everyday (rain or shine).

The Lord gave me a great gift. The day before Alethia started at Kindergarten, we were at the park in our neighborhood. While there, I met another mom who has a daughter in the same class as Alethia. It was nice to talk to her about it and to introduce Alethia to another girl from her class. I ran into that mom again today and she helped me translate the school calendar. I feel like I am beginning to make a friend, which was not expected, and is a wonderful surprise.

Alethia also began ballet classes last week. She goes twice a week to Miss Jenny (a very sweet German woman) with about 10 other little girls (mostly Americans). It made my heart melt to see her all dressed-up in her leotard and tutu and dancing around. About five minutes into it, while the class was doing their "butterfly stretch", Alethia looked over at me and, with a huge grin on her face, gave me a thumbs-up and nodded as if to say "Good job mom; I like this!" I do not think I will ever need to worry about not knowing what she thinks about things. She always seems to find a way of telling me with great verve. And she loves ballet! She has asked repeatedly to go back.

Overnight Alethia has acquired this whole little life that is all her own. It is strange to not be a part of everything she is doing and to know that now there are things that are just hers.

Jetlag

2010-09-01T03:34:00.000-07:00

Made it home safe and sound. Our final day of driving went well...just long. We crashed for the night. Did last minute shoving of things in bags, then headed for the airport. Of course, two of our bags were overweight. What do you expect? Three months in the States with two little kids...we had a lot of stuff. I was hoping that they would balance it out with our two underweight bags, but no such luck. We ended-up buying another duffle bag and paid for the extra luggage. WAY cheaper than paying the $150 per bag that is overweight! Besides that, everything went smooth at the airport.

The kids slept for a good chunk of the flight which was nice. As we were landing in Germany, the skies were gray and dreary and Anthony and I both gave a sigh of relief and said "that's so nice!" I know we won't be feeling that way in another month or two. We will be missing the sun. However, for now, after chasing the awful heat and humidity around all summer, we are grateful for the gray skies of Germany.

Our friend, Gary, picked us up and we loaded us into his car. It was quite a feat stuffing two car seats, three adults, 5 suitcases, a double stroller and an endless amount of carry-on bags into a four-door compact! But we (and all of our stuff) made it home with no problems.

It was glorious walking into our home...our beds, our couch, our space. Now we are just trying to find our days from our nights and get settled back into life here. Already our trip feels like a dream.

Masami fell asleep right on the floor while playing...it's the jet lag!

Where in the States are the Amors?Kansas (again)

2010-08-27T04:12:00.000-07:00

Pop-Pop and Masami playing cars

Our last week in the States was pretty relaxing with a few minor misfortunes. Being with my in-laws always tends to be the place where we “crash.” Since they pretty much live in the middle of nowhere, it lends itself to being low key. We have developed a few important relationships there, so we always have a few people to see and connect with, but no major schedule to keep.

Our first few days were especially low key because Alethia came down with a mild fever and pretty much just needed to rest it off. That, adding to it the heat, and we were pretty much stuck at home and forced to rest. Another reason it is easy to rest at my in-laws is that they have this big, comfy pit couch. It is like a million years old and Anthony’s mom has considered getting rid of it on numerous occasions, but they continue to convince her otherwise and nurse it along, covering it with blankets and pillows to add to its comfort. Hours have been spent, the whole family late into the night, hanging out on that couch watching movies, playing video games, wrestling, talking about anything and everything. Now, my children are experiencing the magic of the pit couch as Alethia wrestled her Uncle B, got airplane rides from Auntie Non, watched Uncle B playing Donkey Kong, watched old VHS movies, and napped there.

So, besides all the resting, there was the whole “will we or won’t we” of going home which I have already blogged about, so I won’t say anything more about that. And there were the dental appointments…all 6. Yes, I said 6! I’ll be honest, Anthony and I have not done a good job of having regular dental cleanings in our adult life. However, now is the time that our children will start to need it, so we are trying to be more responsible. In that vein, we made appointments for dental check-ups for us and Alethia knowing full well that Anthony and I would probably need a filling or two. In a matter of 4 days, Anthony got 7 fillings, and I got 3. Needless to say, we were in a bit of pain. Alethia, on the other hand, did fantastic for her first visit and got high marks from the dentist. At least we are getting it right for her!

Once we got beyond Alethia’s fever and our dental trauma, we had a little double-date planned with Anthony’s parents. We had saved one of our favorite meals out for this occasion (Mexican food with that yummy white cheese dip!). Anthony had met his mom at work and was walking over while his dad and I drove over from the house, leaving Bryan and Noelle to watch the kids. We sat down, ordered drinks and the cheese dip and guacamole. My stomach was growling with hunger; I had been anticipating this for a week. And then the phone rang. It was Noelle…Masami had shoved peas up his nose and she couldn’t get them out. I could picture it immediately: our little entertainer found that he could get some giggle out of his Auntie and Uncle by sticking peas in his nose. The accusation slipped out immediately: “You laughed at him, didn’t you!” It was all the encouragement he needed to keep at it. I drove home thinking, I’ll just quick get these out with an aspirator or something and be back before dinner is served. When I got there, Noelle had managed to get one of three out. I spent about 5 minutes with an aspirator and tweezers and finally coaxed the second one out. But there was no getting to that third one. I needed a flashlight, at just the right angle, with his little nose smooched in just the right way to even see the pea. I tried, then Anthony came and tried, and finally there was nothing else to do but take him to the ER. Our evening plans drastically changed and off to the hospital we went.

Well, that’s not exactly accurate. Anthony ended up taking Masami himself while I went back to the restaurant to meet his parents. No use in both of us waiting around for who knew how long and I was starving, so I had dinner with his parents and we ordered Anthony’s to-go. At the hospital, they ended-up pushing the pea back further so that Masami sucked it up to the back of his throat and coughed it out. The doctor said “at least it is food and we can do it this way and it’s not a battery or something.” Who knew a kid could fit a battery up there?! Well, we are grateful too…and now we know what to watch out for.

With that behind us, we had one last night in Kansas. Our church there, led by Pastor Micheal Linthicum, gathered its leaders and spent some time praying over us, appointing us, and sending us out again. Such a blessing on the eve of our travels back to the field! This body has prayed over us and supported us and encouraged us since we first began our journey with Cadence. We are incredibly grateful for them and their ministry to our family.

Tearful goodbyes and a (this time packed to fly) full car, and we headed out. We have a very long day of driving to Milwaukee before we fly out tomorrow. But this is it…the last leg of our journey!

We're Going Home!!!!!

2010-08-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

I have to be real here. It was a difficult weekend for me. Thankfully, I’m at my in-laws’ house and can be real with them and I’m free to be in process. We had yet to be re-released to the field, and I am getting so homesick for Germany. I’ve been drinking out of the Germany Starbucks mug that I gave my mom-in-law every morning dreaming of my home and routine. Then, I’ve been lying in bed at night feeling heart-weary. Unfortunately, my sorrow was beginning to be expressed as bitterness towards anyone who could remotely be blamed for keeping us from home. So, I had to take a couple walks and do some wrestling with the Lord. Finally, I came to a place where I could honestly say that although it is not my desire to keep on the support-raising road, I can accept it if that is what seems to be the right thing to do at this time. The Lord put in my mind the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul.” I had peace that if He asks us to keep traveling, then He will provide what I need: physically, spiritually, emotionally. My heart was settled.

Then, the call came on Tuesday night…We have been released to go back!!!! I truly cannot express our happiness! Four days from now, we will be in our own home! It’s kind of surreal.

So, I just have a few prayer requests, if you think of us in the next couple of days:

1. Masami is disaster-central at the moment. We had to take him to the ER tonight because he pushed a pea too far up his nose. He has also been falling and tripping all over the place. Luckily, only a little blood has been shed, but please pray we can get home without further mishaps.

2. Although we have enough support to allow us to go back to the field, we are still nearly 20% short of our budget. We need to continue to raise our monthly support even as we jump back into ministry.

3. We have about a 12 hour drive up to Wisconsin on Friday to catch our flight on Saturday. That makes two long travel days in a row. As you know, we have already traveled a long way and we (all four) are kind of at our wits end with each other. So, please pray that we hang-in there through this last stretch with an extra measure of patience, understanding, and love for one another.

4. Although we are all ready to be home and to have our own space, I have a feeling that we will be detoxing from being with so many people all the time. So, please pray for us as we get re-settled in our life in Germany and as those feelings of loneliness undoubtedly will come as the reality of being again so far away from dear friends and family sets in.

Thanks for all your love and support! This is it until we are back and I can blog from the comfort of my own couch. Cheers!

Where in the States are the Amors? Springfield, Missouri

2010-08-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

We spent a couple days with Anthony’s grandparents in Springfield. They always do such a great job of filling up our stomachs and loving on the kids. After the day we spent with them in June, they were more prepared for us. Armed with a baby gate and having cleared the area of valuable breakables, they were ready for the kids to invade. I feel incredibly blessed to have in-laws that treat me as just another member of the family and who are so kind and generous towards me.

We also got to visit with Anthony’s 95 year old Great-grandmother. She was feisty as ever and so sweet.

Now we are headed for our last (hopefully) real stop: Anthony’s parents’ house in Kansas.

Where in the States are the Amors? Somewhere in the middle of Missouri

2010-08-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

We were glad to be able to make a quick stop at Fort Leonard Wood to see our former volunteer staff Chris and Jessica Turner. We have such fun ministry memories with them from our first two years in K-town. They were terrific volunteers and friends. We hope for more volunteers like them.

It was so fun to see their house, meet their new dog, and get caught-up. It was such a quick visit, but so good to see that they are doing well.

Where in the States are the Amors? St. Louis

2010-08-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

It was so great to spend time with our dear friends that moved from Germany last year, the Tucks. They were gracious enough to create room for us in their little abode so that we could come be with them for a few days. The four kids had a blast playing and pretending together.

They treated us to one of the best ice cream cones I’ve ever had, Dotties…I was immediately addicted, so I guess it is a good thing that I have no further access to it.

They also watched our kids so that Anthony and I could go on a date and celebrate our anniversary a couple days early. We had an amazing dinner and went to see Inception. I didn’t really know anything about the movie before, however, it was really good! Well worth the time! So, we celebrated 9 years of marriage with a great evening.

They also gave me the freedom to hide-out by myself for an afternoon. It was a fabulous gift to have some time to just be quiet and alone when I was really needing it.

I’m so wishing that the Tucks were still living in Germany where we could be a part of each other’s regular lives. However, I’m so excited for them and what God is doing in their lives. And I’m so glad we got a little time with them!