Blessings

“You are my Lord; all the good things I have come from you.”  -Psalm 16:2

This past weekend, Otto and I were able to share our time and talents (what little we have) and we helped J and Corynn paint the nursery for 'baby Stuck'!  They chose two subtle pinks for stripes on the bottom and a taupe/grey for the top with a white chair rail as the divider.  I must admit, I really didn't do too much until Sunday am when J and I measured for the stripes on the lower half of the wall. 

 

And, as an added bonus, Corynn had a 3D Imaging scheduled for Saturday, so the guys took a break and we headed to Costa Mesa to catch a glimpse of 'baby Stuck'!  She was a little shy and hid most of the ultrasound, but we did catch a glimpse of an eye, her hand and leg.  She even stuck out her tongue!  The tech offered for them to return on Tuesday to try again.  We were bummed we didn't get better live pics of the princess, but headed off to brunch at Mi Ranchito in celebration of a good attempt!

Back home, the guys finished off the base painting including the closet and doors.  An overnight wait and then the stripes and chair rail on Sunday.

 We all showered and headed over the the Van Dieren's for dinner and a little egg coloring.  We enjoyed two different salads and baked potatoes with all the toppings!  Yummy!  

 

Dessert was a choice from two pies or cheesecake, I'll have cheesecake, please!  Then some of us enjoyed a little spa time and visiting with the fam!

Sunday we woke up to a light rain which didn't last long and the guys headed to Lowe's one last time for proper nails to hang the chair rail.  J and I measured the room for the stripes and Otto followed along painting the darker pink along the way.  It was truly a family affair when Corynn grabbed a paint brush and did a little touch up to the walls.  The guys installed the chair rail and, ta da, the room is finished.  J still needs to add the hardware to the closet doors; get them hung up, remove and replace the ceiling fan and hang a new door.  But, the painting is complete and looks fantastic!

What a blessed weekend we had!  It was so nice to be able to help out the kids and to see the family in one weekend.  We must not forget that all these things come from Christ, and that he died for our sins and rose on this blessed day.  Alleluia, He is Risen! 

Urla Winery

Day Three....cont'd.

 After we ate breakfast we headed on the road home and came across a sign that said "Urla Winery" so we drove down the drive to this amazing sight.

 Rows and rows of grape vines covered the hills, and this beautiful building with rolling grass covered hills, palm trees and gorgeous plants.  Didn't see anyone on our first drive around, then a car pulled up and this guy from France gets out and says he just saw us at kahvalti and was going to invite us over to the winery, but didn't.  Fate.  They gave us a tour and wine tasting free of charge!  It was a wonderful day!

 Here are some oak barrels from France.  This is their first year of grapes that they've made some great wine from.  We bought a couple of bottles to bring home!

Here is Leanna, Jared, Otto and me in the tasting room.
After we finished tasting, oohing and ahhing over the property, we headed home for some awesome ribs - and more cards, then a movie and bed.  Another wonderful day in Urla!

Turkey

We arrived safely after 15 hours of flying, 5 hours of layovers and 3 different countries, finally landing in Izmir about 5pm Friday night - Leanna and Jared picked us up from the airport and arrived home to a home cooked Italian dinner of lasagna, salad and bread - we snacked on oatmeal peanut butter cookies, carrot cake and banana bread while we played cards until bedtime.  It was such a great day, looking forward to all that is in store for us this week!

Day Two - I got up early and made some of Framma's coffee cake and we hung out in our jammies and watched Megamind until Willie had football practice, then got dressed and drove to the Goztepe Academy in Izmir to watch him workout.  It had rained all morning, but let up just in time so we could check out his mad skills on the pitch (soccer field).  It was well worth it as he scored a hat trick, and then added a fourth for good measure!  What fun.  After practice we headed to Agora, the mall.  We had a Starbucks and walked around - they had some recognizable stores and some we've never heard of.  There were a ton of people and it was pouring rain, so we didn't stay long.  We headed home to have dinner and play cards.  Potato and Tomato soup was on the menu as was Calzones, all homemade by Lani.  It was all delicious!

Day Three

We started off the day with some coffee, fruit and banana bread, then Jared, Leanna, Otto, Gillie and I headed out for a walk to the sea!  It was beautiful especially after the rain and the sky cleared of clouds.
After a quick shower we headed to Yoruk for kahvalti (breakfast).  The drive was beautiful, along the coast for a bit, then inland to Urla and the restaurant.  It was nestled along a small roadway, in the pines and  a meadow full of green grass and wildflowers.  We let Jared and Leanna order and just sat and talked while we waited in anticipation for fresh cream and honey, fruit, cheese, olives and other delicacies to be delivered to our table.

Above you will see some of the great food - blackberries and cheese, a pepper paster, olives and cheese.  To say it was wonderful would be an understatement.  Definitely will be back for more of this during the week.  

Outside the restaurant.

Shifting Sand

Matthew 7:24, 26 says:


Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on rock... But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

We'd like to think that our house is built on rock, one that is firm and will withstand anything.  The recent quakes in Japan have caused me to pause and think.  The lives lost and the tragedy that has affected many families has led me to revisit our own foundation and relationships with Christ.  Is our house built on rock, or shifting sand?  How strong is our foundation of faith?

Most recently, our faith has been tested with Kirby's accident and now his recovery.  Prior to that, Corynn and Jason's struggle to have a baby and complications with the pregnancy early on, Tina and the girls starting over and living with us, and the Hanson's move to Turkey last year.  I struggle with family members living in other states, my parents just far enough out of daily reach in case of emergencies and the lack of togetherness and support that I long for.

All of these things are not cause to send in the emergency relief, but I do hear a warning siren!   Are we building a foundation that is strong, is our relationship with God where we want it to be?  Are the bricks we are using based on the wisdom of His Word and not of this world?

As we face the many catastrophes of life, we should be able to forge ahead because we know that we have a strong foundation of faith, and nothing, not even a 9.0 earthquake should be able to rattle this house we have built.
 

Welcome 2011

As we head into another year I thought it would be good for me to reflect on this past year.  What went well?  What didn't?  How can I improve my relationship with God and others?
We had houseguests for the entire year and the additional people and personalities really tested my patience.  I know that I didn't always react with grace and mercy so I know that is something I need to work on this year.

My ability to accept things that I can not change was definitely challenged as well.  Changing people is not my job, so this year I need to concentrate on turning to prayer and letting God do His work in others because it isn't up to me.

My ability to start a task and take it to completion this last year was tested.  It seemed I lost my focus and drive, so this year I want to work on completing the many projects I have started and to be more productive with my time.

I must say that last year my quiet and devotional time was pretty consistent, although I didn't always put in to practice what I read or learned each day.  So, this year I would like to improve my quiet time by focusing on scripture, devotions and prayer and incorporating it into action each day.

This past year was a blessing as I got to know my sister and nieces better and it taught me some things about myself I'm not too proud of.  I do know that we have a loving and forgiving Father, so this year I want to get to know Him better!  We are thankful we were able to share our house and offer help where needed and that our spirit of giving never faded.

I also started going to Andre House where our church supports feeding the homeless once each month and I hope to continue that through this next year.  Our church is also building another Habitat House and we hope to participate with our church community once per month during Spring.

I want to stop counting the minutes of my life and instead make every minute count by spending more time with family, making sacrifices where necessary and continue encouraging others through leading the Women's Bible Study.

Hopefully, you will all take a look at last year and improve on the things you didn't do so well and rejoice in the things you did!

So as we roll into the first week of 2011, all I have to say is 'I'm ready for ya"!

Great Joy!

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news and great joy that will be for all people." Luke 2:10

Joy is the theme of the third week in Advent and as we light the candles of hope, peace and joy let us all remember what we are preparing our hearts for!

I read in my quiet time today that you can't be fearful and grateful at the same time and that fear prevents us from being joyful.  This third week in Advent celebrates the joy that is the Christ child and that in preparation we need to examine our hearts, clear away the fear, the chaos and doubt and fill up on hope, peace and joy.

As we near the celebration of the birth of our Saviour may we all look deep into our hearts and prepare the way for the Lord!

Merry Christmas

Thankful

Our campsite

Spent a glorious four days at Lake Pleasant being thankful, getting rest and refreshed for the upcoming Advent season.  It was a great time for reflection and to give thanks for all our blessings.

We met our friends Rhonda and Jeff, their daughter Ashleigh and Rhonda's brother Darren at Lake Pleasant.  Here are some pictures of the beauty we encountered, the fun times we had and the wonderful Thanksgiving feast we jointly created! Kaya and Eden rode the Rhino with Darren, Rhonda's brother. They had a blast, Kaya even got to drive.

Eden on a ride

Kaya driving the Rhino

We had campfires and roasted marshmallows for s'mores!

Sittin' by the campfire

 We made a wonderful Thanksgiving feast with turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, macaroni salad, deviled eggs, rolls, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

 We went fishing- had a few bites but didn't catch anything.

A Lesson in Communication

Otto and I joined our friends, Cindy, Jesse and Tim for a bike ride Sunday morning.  Nothing really unusual in that, we ride often with this group.  But one thing about this ride was different, Otto and I rode a tandem for the first time.

Jesse and Cindy offered a few tips, but stressed it was important for us to figure out how to work together on the bike.  Now, some may say, 'no big deal', right?  Wrong!  It really was a lesson in communication for both of us.

When you ride a tandem, both pedals work together at the same time, which means if I stop pedaling, Otto must stop and when he starts, I have to start.  Otherwise, in each of these instances, starting and stopping without advising the other can lead to injury and frustration.  The same goes for turning a corner, hitting a bump and braking!

The key is to communicate what you are doing and then for the other, reacting appropriately.  For example, if you are cruising along and the light is turning yellow we both know we need to stop, but when, now or in a few more rotations.  I just can't stop pedaling unless Otto communicates to me he is stopping.  The same goes for the restart, we both have to make sure that we are in the pedal before taking off, so we have to talk to each other through the process.  Which foot are we leading with, etc.

Our ride was successful, and I think we may give it another go thanks to Jesse and Cindy!  The important thing I realized yesterday was that it is not only imperative to communicate but also to listen and be ready to react.  Otto has to be aware of my comfort level and I have to trust him to make the right choices.  For me, losing control as a rider was difficult but I enjoyed the challenge of learning to work together for the common goal - keeping us from killing each other - not really, but keeping the bike upright with us on it!

Communicating  is not just for the tandem riders though, it's important for the entire group of riders whether sharing a bike or going solo.  Communicating with each other as you ride helps prevent accidents and ensures a pleasant, safe ride.  Yesterday as we rode behind the Ortega's they signaled us of debris in road, bumps ahead, when to slow down and which way we were turning.  We had to pass that along to Tim, who rode behind us.  Concern for your fellow rider is a definite 'rule of the road'.  So, communication is key not only for tandem riders, but for all bikers!

You can also use this as a tip in every day life - the more we communicate and listen to what others are saying the better we will understand their position!

Eden's Concert

Eden's Chorus Concert

Here are some pictures from Eden's chorus concert last night - they were so cute and sang some really cool songs - "Good Night", "Lean on Me", a blues and jazz song, a Journey song and finally Michael Jackson's "Heal the World" - I will try to upload a video later today!  Eden has such a sweet, sweet voice, it is unfortunate that you can't hear only her, but the group sounded great!  I'll bet she'll be up for a solo soon!

Eden rockin' out

All that jazz!

Las Brisas Chorus

Eden singing the blues!

 Stay tuned, video coming soon!

Contentment

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content
Philippians 4:11 (NKJV)


I'm puzzled at times by how I get confused with what 'being content' is.  Should I just be happy with my situation or where I am in life, is that contentment?  Or, is it being happy with my choices and decisions?  Is it fully placing my trust and faith in God?  Well, I guess it could be all of these.


If I'm just content with my life right where I am that is okay, but without the belief that God is the leader of this expedition am I really content?  And, if just being happy with my choices without acknowledging that God leads me, am I content?  Well, I guess I could be.  But my belief in God is what makes me who I am, so I think without acknowledging Him as the great I am and Creator of us all, this is all for naught, right?


I feel the most content when I do place my life, completely, in God's hands - but why oh why do I question my path, my choices and my decisions if I am right where God wants me to be?  I guess, that is human nature and something we can't get away from in this lifetime.  Free will I suspect has made us question our choices. But free will also gives us the ability to choose.  So, bittersweet!