tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72976274101502638462024-03-13T12:54:05.811-05:00Proof of Graceo4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-61369333575492798962017-06-11T18:31:00.002-05:002017-06-11T18:31:27.430-05:00Find what mattersI recently read a blog about busyness and was reminded of how much "craziness" affects my life. It's not just the missionary me, all our lives are in constant transition as our children grow and develop their own opinions, as we experience unexpected twists and turns to our finances, or the death of a loved one or the addition of a family member. How do we stay rooted in the midst of crazy? How do I reduce my stress level in the middle of chaos?<br />
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We push ourselves to the point of exhaustion on many levels. Americans are living in a culture where we don't take the time to rest and get refreshed. Even our vacations are so filled with activities that sometimes we return home and actually feel more tired than when we left! We take vacations because we want to get away from our normal life, from the day to day busyness of work, family, and responsibilities. Yet getting away from all that means we only have that much more to do when we get back! It's like a constant cycle of work, vacation, work and we are always looking ahead to when the next vacation will be and where, and how much it will cost. It's exhausting!!!<br />
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What is the cost of chaos in our lives? What does stress do to our physical bodies, our emotions, and our spiritual lives? When we are tired, we don't want to go to church, we don't want to be around people...or maybe we want to avoid our responsibilities and so we cram too much into our day so we can take our minds away from what is causing us stress. Or...maybe we are simply not engaged with the things we need to focus on and are filling our days with emptiness.<br />
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I recently read this and think it defines my life completely: Many of us feel stress and get overwhelmed not because we're taking on too much, but because we're taking on too little of what really strengthens us.<br />
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This is me! I am so overwhelmed by the things that don't give me strength, that I fail to have the energy to put into things that matter. Like prayer. Like service. Like my family. Like reading God's word.<br />
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George Mueller said in his book, Release the Power of Prayer, "The Christian Vocation is to be in prayer, in the Spirit, at the place where the world is in pain, and as we embrace that vocation, we discover it to be the way of following Christ, shaped according to his messianic vocation to the cross, with arms outstretched, holding on simultaneously to the pain of the world and the love of God."<br />
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I want to be engaged in the pain of the world along with the love of God. I want to make a difference. I want to shine and pursue and have purpose in what I do. I want to help my kids to understand that they are not entitled to a life of ease. I want them to find what matters, to invest in people and things that matter, to travel and serve others, and to find peace in the midst of chaos.o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-660059762755039182017-03-22T07:57:00.002-05:002017-03-22T07:57:55.358-05:00March 4, 2016Going back through my journal and remembering all the feels has been so beautiful. To see how faithful God was in our journey over the past 14 years, it's too much to write, really.<br />
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A few final pictures of our family trip to MP...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the taxi on the cobblestone streets of Cusco</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral in Cusco on the main Plaza de Armas</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boys doing their homework in the airport since they missed a couple days of school.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homework in the airport!</td></tr>
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We still don't know what's ahead next year, we wrote to the Ethiopia field and they have confirmed that there are some options for our family, but it's a long process if that's what we decide to do. So many things going through my head, can we leave Peru after 14 years and start over with a family of 6? Are we honoring God by staying in Peru when we really can't afford it, or is God giving us an "out" by opening up a new location for us? Are they both God-honoring decisions? Does He trust us to choose? Do we trust ourselves to choose for our family? How will it affect our future and our kids?<br />
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#unknown<br />
#change<br />
#letsdothis<br />
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When faced with so many choices, how do we know what to choose?<br />
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I'm sticking with the fact that I know God is faithful. He may not make our path totally clear, but He will give us the courage to step out and be with us. I want to offer up my comfort and easy life as my grain offering to express Thanksgiving. <i>Leviticus 2:4</i><br />
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-5512967198476493362017-03-22T07:25:00.004-05:002017-03-22T07:25:45.506-05:00Traveling with kids--it's all that.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">#cloudkingdom #noscreens #snacks #sugarydrinks #wrestlinginairports #nearlymissedourflight #toohot #toocold #fightingoverwindowseats #exhausted #content #lovemyperu</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFb0hXwGsCo/WNJrckHt9bI/AAAAAAAAF8A/7wUMr6-57ws7WXf3oHQM49hm3GpFWJ3zwCLcB/s1600/IMG_4799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFb0hXwGsCo/WNJrckHt9bI/AAAAAAAAF8A/7wUMr6-57ws7WXf3oHQM49hm3GpFWJ3zwCLcB/s400/IMG_4799.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see Brandon nearly sleeping at the table...this is after our day at MP and we were exhausted! A good exhaustion though!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aguas Calientes from our hotel room...which by the way, this was our 2nd hotel room and had a view of the valley!! Gorgeous.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this picture. It encompasses the reality of Peru, the buildings, the dirty river, the daily life of people we've come to love.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting in the train station to head back to Cusco.Tired, but happy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking along the trail, loving the view of the valley below. Revelling in the fact that we had made it this far!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My love.</td></tr>
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-16705968798224978712017-03-22T07:11:00.001-05:002017-03-22T07:11:18.833-05:00Machu Picchu and traveling with kids<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It ended up being a beautiful day, the clouds stayed away enough to get some great pictures!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Krohn gentlemen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the kids were little, we stuck the boys in these windows...we wanted to recreate it, but Brandon has now outgrown the window!! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lazy llamas</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My partners in crime!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I walked with Jonathon & Nathan to the Inka Bridge, it was a great little hike and such an amazing way to protect their fortress. If the plank was gone, it was impossible to continue on the trail (though it looks like you could just climb down in the picture). </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonathon & Nathan walking with me on the hike</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a fun part of MP culture--the llamas.</td></tr>
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-69455043939333461062017-03-22T07:05:00.001-05:002017-03-22T07:05:39.267-05:00Machu Picchu!!!2/29/16<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#familyvacation</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#machupicchu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#pursueadventures</td></tr>
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We surprised our kids by taking them out of school early so that we could travel to Machu Picchu as a family. We have been there a few times before when the kids were small, but we really felt that if we were going to leave Peru, we needed to get the kids back there to experience part of their heritage of growing up in Peru.<br />
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We didn't tell them where we were going. We took a taxi to the airport with our suitcases and when we got up to the check-in counter they saw the flight was going to Cusco. They started guessing, but we have to fly in/out of Cusco when we go to Abancay also, so they were guessing that as well. We had wanted to get resident tickets to MP because it was cheaper, so when we got to Cusco Jeff went to stand in line and the resident tickets were all gone. It ended up working out great for us in the end because we still got cheaper tickets (because we are residents and the 3 youngest kids have Peruvian citizenship) but we got the really nice tourist train! It was gorgeous, we were all excited and ready for a new adventure.<br />
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We took the train to Aguas Calientes where we stayed the night to get up in the morning and catch the bus up the mountain. Our hotel was a dive, but we gathered in one room and watched The Martian on Jeff's Mac--all crunched into 2 small beds. Good times.<br />
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The next morning we had to get up fairly early because, in order to climb Machu Picchu Mountain, you have to get there during a certain time period--it takes a few hours to climb and they close it mid-morning so they can get everyone off the mountain in the afternoon.<br />
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#hardesthikeintheentireworld<br />
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It was like a gazillion steps all going up. Brandon hiked ahead and the rest of us trailed behind. It was drizzly and sometimes slippery, but we kept trudging along. We couldn't even see MP from the trail because it was so fogged in. My sweet Sophia was a rockstar! She just kept going and going, sometimes getting teary-eyed, but oh so brave. People would see her and say, "If she can do it, we can do it!" She was an inspiration to everyone that day.<br />
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We got to the top and it started raining! The clouds had opened up a tiny bit so we could catch glimpses here and there of MP, but at the top it was nothing but rain. We had a snack and then headed back down...about half way down the sun started pushing through the clouds and by the time we got to the bottom it was completely clear.<br />
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What memories we had with our kids. They spent all their lives living in Peru, minus the one year furlough we took in 2010--Peru is home to them, and MP is part of the heritage of the Incas, the Quechua, and the beautiful people of Peru.<br />
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-23843195741980559212017-03-21T22:26:00.001-05:002017-03-21T22:26:11.187-05:00Sometime between 1st and 2nd semester...Africa happened.I mentioned a few posts ago, that we had been struggling with our future. We knew something had to change with our situation...and sometimes I think people wait around for God, expecting him to speak to them in dreams or billboards. We've always believed that God gave us brains for a reason; if things were pointing us to possibly look into other options for our family, then we needed to walk out on that limb and take a step of faith.<br />
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What did that mean? Did that mean we needed to take our kids out of school and put them in a different school? Did that mean we needed to raise more support and move closer to the school so we wouldn't have to commute? Did that mean we needed to work more so we could afford to live in Lima? Or did that possibly mean we should look for a new location of ministry? As in, an entirely new location...<br />
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A few years ago, Jeff threw out an idea for our family...I remember it clearly because I was aiding in the 2nd grade classroom and I came into school one morning and said, "Jeff has lost his ever loving mind. He was looking at Seminaries to teach at in Africa!" I assumed he was a bit crazy and left it at that, but funny enough, every so often it would come up again...and when we were feeling some of that despair of needing a change, but not knowing which direction to head, Africa came up again.<br />
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Because it's in our nature to do crazy things, we started by looking through the SIM Needs list, looking for locations that would provide Jeff with a teaching position in a Seminary and me with a teaching job, but also where the kids would get a decent education. We weren't about to pull them out of a great school and then plunk them down in a place that wouldn't meet their needs either.<br />
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One place had all the things we were looking for. It was Ethiopia.<br />
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-75587074026081863612017-03-21T22:15:00.001-05:002017-03-21T22:15:08.303-05:00February 4, 2016<span style="font-size: large;">#pursue</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">#balance</span><br />
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Here were a few goals I made for myself:<br />
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"Rest" on Thursday will be devo and journal writing. When the kids are in clubs after school, I will use that as my planning time.<br />
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I will go to bed before 10pm on school nights. I will not do more than 1.5 hours of work at home on week nights.<br />
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#boundaries<br />
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#limits<br />
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#strength<br />
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o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-18828337866750873012017-03-21T22:09:00.001-05:002017-03-21T22:09:54.425-05:00January 18, 2016The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst<br />
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I've wanted to read this for a few months and finally decided to start it over the break. It's been revolutionary as my heart and mind prepare to make decisions I'm not ready to make. In light of our tiredness, Lysa encourages us to make decisions that will not bankrupt us emotionally, financially, physically, or spiritually. Amazing.<br />
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I don't know how to be a full-time working mom and wife and not bankrupt my family. There has to be a balance somewhere, but I'm not sure how to find it. How do moms who work outside the home for 8+ hours a day find time to have a solid devotional life, time to exercise, time to prepare meals, clean the house, do laundry, etc. without bankrupting their families?<br />
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"Our decisions aren't just isolated choices. Our decisions point our lives in the directions we are about to head."<br />
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Are you telling me it's impossible to do all the things I'm doing?<br />
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"Once you've jumped into the raging river, you've diminished your ability to make decisions. Trace the river's path BEFORE jumping in!"<br />
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What do I need to release? If I say "yes" to this, I will have to release something else...<br />
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-87078482453446603522017-03-21T22:04:00.003-05:002017-03-21T22:04:39.010-05:00January 14, 2016Here is what I wrote in my journal on January 14, 2016. (By the way, I don't actually journal, I just dabble in writing down my feelings every once in awhile. I have always aspired to keep a journal, I envy those who have logged hours of writing.)<br />
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#pursue<br />
Adventures ahead--transitions in all their glory. We are burned out, done in, and numb with the decisions that must be made. Packing up our house to move back to the States on June 14th with NO idea of what's to come. Stressed out in an understatement.<br />
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My word for the year is PURSUE.<br />
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I will pursue peace, happiness, godliness, truth, contentment, purpose, and family. I'm committed to trusting God in all things. I will put my hope in Him, trusting He will make our way clear or give us the boldness to step out. Waiting to hear from Wheaton Furlough Homes to see if we even have a home next year. Then I focus on packing and finishing the year well.<br />
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"<i>When you search for me, then you will find me, if you pursue me with all your heart</i>."<br />
Jeremiah 29:13<br />
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RECAP: So Jeff and I had decided over the summer (Peruvian summer) that we would be leaving Peru at the end of the school year to take a year of furlough (read: rest) in the States. We didn't know, at that point, if we would store all of our things in Peru or if we would come back and move closer to the school after our year away. Things were just so up in the air for us, if we stored, we would have needed a storage unit or some place with enough room for furniture...but what if we didn't come back to Peru, what were our options then?<br />
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The first semester of school was rough for me, I was getting up at 4:15am every morning and then getting into bed after 11pm. I had so much prep for the classes, on top of just doing the wife and mom thing. Add in the commute and you can see how we were getting overwhelmed with life. How I was getting overwhelmed with life.<br />
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But something clicked for me over the summer holiday. Jeff and the younger boys were gone to Arequipa and when it came time for me to choose a word for the year, "pursue" was what stood out to me, based on the verse from Jeremiah 29:13. I needed to be intentional. I needed to pursue, truly pursue the things that were important to me. So I made the decision that I would be done with the late nights, I would give myself a limited time to work on school stuff at home and then be done (even if I wasn't really done). I decided I would start journaling a little, trying to record my thoughts and see how God was working in our lives.<br />
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Seeking perspective when you are physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted is life changing.<br />
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-91686331594959136132017-03-18T13:17:00.001-05:002017-03-21T15:53:22.306-05:00What happened to 2016??<span id="goog_1650716748"></span><span id="goog_1650716749"></span><br />
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I'm not going to apologize for not keeping up with this blog...for the entire year of 2016. Life happened, people. The Krohns were on the battlefield and nearly lost the battle. We only commuted 7 miles each way to school in Lima, but it took approximately 30-90 minutes each way. I was teaching full-time with all new classes, some of which didn't even have lesson plans or developed units. And then we moved continents for goodness sakes!<br />
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I'd love to tell you the ways I rocked 2016, but I was actually a hot mess. Like for the whole year. Previous posts might have alluded to the ways I was failing, or at least the ways I was falling...I'm not going to lie, it was something I hope to never repeat. I was exhausted, not momming or wifing very well, and really not even surviving very well.<br />
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So many variables converged at the same time, variables that have no business converging...ever! Between teaching all new classes, our commute, various issues at the Seminary for Jeff, his PhD writing, kids becoming teenagers, hormones, and the unexpected things that inevitably happen when you live overseas (like our washer and dryer spontaneously combusting into flames, and how we had to evacuate our house and our neighbors had to call the fire department one night at 10pm!!!!!)...we knew something had to change in our family.<br />
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A couple years ago, when we were feeling strapped financially and being stretched emotionally, we began throwing around ideas of serving in other locations. Lima is expensive, you might think that because it's a developing country it would be cheap to live daily. Not so much. Along with the normal costs of housing, groceries (for a family of 6), gas, utilities, extra-curricular stuff to do as a family, there are also educational costs. I didn't get paid to work at the school, we got some tuition deductions, but not nearly enough to make it work for us financially. Especially not considering how much work I did and the hours I put in.<br />
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So...added to Jeff's frustrations with some ministry things and our ever growing tiredness of the commute and crazy city life, we began looking into other locations within the SIM world. We looked for places we could engage more in our gifts/passions, where there was a good school for our kids, but someplace that we could also financially afford.<br />
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This actually took place over a period of a couple years, but we didn't really share with anyone that we were looking for a new location, because we weren't even sure it was the wisest choice for us as a family. Who up and moves their family to a new continent after 14 years in one place? Who tells their 15 year old that he has to leave his friends and move to a new place? Was it a mid-life crisis, or was it a prompting from God that grew from very specific circumstances in our lives?<br />
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-2823397177468509832016-01-12T23:40:00.002-05:002016-01-12T23:40:46.034-05:002016: My year to PursueMy word for 2015 was Purpose. I had decided on NYE to keep that same word for this new year and continue in my quest for Purpose: to do everything with a purpose, for a purpose, and on purpose. But as I've been seeking rest and solace the past couple of weeks, I've decided to change the word that will define me this year.<br />
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My word for 2016 is Pursue. My heart's desire for this year is to be a pursuer of Godliness, happiness, fullness, family, rest, and purpose. In my tiredness and emptiness, I haven't been able to fully live, enjoy, or appreciate life. I've been consumed with certain responsibilities that have stolen my creativity. I'm doing so many things that I'm not passionate about, that it has taken me away from doing the things I AM passionate about. It's a tricky balance, one that I'm not managing very well. The balance I seek won't come overnight, but it will come. Psalm 34:14 says to "<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."</span><br />
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If I want to truly heal this year, I must be a pursuer of all things good, true and holy. I must spend more time doing the things I'm passionate about, and less time doing those things which expend all of my emotional energy. I love teaching. I'm passionate about teaching, but sometimes the extra responsibilities that come with working in a school drain us from getting to actually be good teachers. If you've worked in a small school, you might know what I'm talking about--there are so many extra things we must involve ourselves in, we end up spending our time on those things and very little on what we actually love doing...teaching. I haven't quite figured out how to balance responsibility with passion, which is one reason I'm slowly burning out. Which is why I end up working 18-19 hour days and trying to survive on 5-6 hours of sleep per night.<br />
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This year I'm determined to pursue rest, balance, passion, happiness, and holiness. I hope that by pursuing these things, I can be a better me. A better teacher. A better wife. A better parent. A better friend.<br />
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Jeremiah 29:13 <span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.</span><br />
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Pursue.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the car again, on our way to the beach.</td></tr>
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-58827810882852964862015-09-26T10:54:00.000-05:002015-09-26T11:18:08.192-05:00This season will end...eventuallyI'm cranky. I'm irritable. I'm tired. I can't seem to get ahead. It feels like an endless season. It's like the movie, Groundhog Day, but not as entertaining.<br />
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When we decided that I would go back to work full-time so that we could afford for our kids to go to an International School here on the field, we knew it would be tough and tiring. What we didn't expect was that we would also be experiencing missionary burnout at the same time. Burnout is serious, you guys. It's debilitating and crippling because it doesn't allow for clarity or focus. Trust me, you cannot make good decisions in the midst of burnout.<br />
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We began feeling burned out last year, around January, it started as an extreme fatigue which led to a serious lack of motivation and irritability about even the little things. The crazy thing is that Jeff and I both began experiencing it at the same time...blessing or curse in itself, depending on the day. We began talking through how tired we felt, how unmotivated we felt, and our basically "sick of everything" attitude. We prayed. We cried. We kept moving forward. We asked friends to pray for us, and while we received much encouragement and positive thoughts from friends, the symptoms lessened, but the underlying issue still remained. We were nearing the end of the school year, which for a teacher can be crazy, and while this certainly didn't help my fatigue, I knew we were heading to the States for our summer break to connect with family, friends, and supporting churches. I wanted the light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted this season of stress to end. I don't know how you get through burnout other than leaving the field and seeking rest.<br />
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Unfortunately, we had already made commitments for this school year that wouldn't allow us to leave the field for an extended period of time or find true rest. We had just 5 weeks in the U.S. for our "furlough" and we knew going into it that we would not be rested when we came back to the field. If I can stop for a minute and plead with you to understand that furlough does not equal rest. Furlough is not a vacation. A short, 5-week furlough while traveling in the car for 5 weeks straight across the U.S. with 4 kids is not rest. Is it fun? Yes, some of the time. Do we get to see more of the U.S. than other families? Yes, most of the time. We catch up briefly (too briefly) with friends and family, but we stay in multiple houses and sleep in multiple beds. We pack and unpack multiple times, we stop at multiple rest stops and gas stations. We might laugh, read, listen to English radio stations, and soak in the beautiful country that we love and miss, but life decisions cannot be made in this inconsistent environment. We are usually on a schedule that only allows for 1 flat tire, a few quick meals in the car, and checking into hotels after midnight, only to have to be on the road again by 6:30am. I haven't even mentioned the financial implications of furlough. Woof.<br />
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Cue the end of the 5-week furlough and beginning of a new school year. We are not rested. I am still tired. I'm still irritable. I'm not in a healthy place and I'm struggling. I'm teaching nine K-8 Computer classes and two 6th and 7th grade English classes this year, and no, I can't seem to get ahead. This season of fatigue and fogginess has resurfaced, and I want to throw the towel in. I don't want to be in this season. It's kind of sucky.<br />
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I know there are people praying for us. Praying for me. I know that in my weakness, He is strong. I know in my heart what I don't feel in my body. I know that "God will make this happen for he who calls you is faithful." (I Thes. 5:24) We've been on the field for 13.5 years; we are not newbies, we are not unfamiliar with burnout. I also know we are not in a healthy place and since something needs to change, we have decided, after speaking with our mission, that we need to return home (to the U.S.) for a year in what will be an attempt for Jeff to finish his Ph.D and for me to seek some physical, emotional, and spiritual renewal. I can promise you, this has not been an easy decision for us to make. We have a high-schooler, two middle-schoolers, and one in elementary...they are not thrilled to be leaving their home, school, and friends for a year. Life overseas can be fickle. It's a tricky place to be...needing a break, not getting a break, trying to make life-impacting decisions without having the mental capacity to even decide what to make for dinner after a 13-hour day. Are we coming back to Peru after our year in the States next year? We don't know. We can't make that decision right now.<br />
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So I ask myself, how can I find that place of hope here and now and keep moving forward? How can I finish strong? I'm trying to dig down into those deep places of my heart, the solid places that remind me WHO I belong to, and how much I'm loved. The places that remind me that I do love my husband. Those places that remind me I do love to teach, and I do love Peru and the people I serve. The places my kids have touched with their laughter and love. That deep place where my soul sisters live...the friendships that encourage me, love on me, lift me up, and help me set one foot in front of the other and keep walking. I've appreciated reading about fellow soul sisters who are living and raising families overseas at <a href="http://www.alifeoverseas.com/" target="_blank">http://www.alifeoverseas.com/</a>. I am not alone and I find deep comfort in that. I am not my emotions. I may be exhausted and want to throw the towel in, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am brave and strong. I am loved. I will cling to the hope that this season will end...eventually.<br />
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Are you in what seems to be a hopeless and endlessly long season of life? What are you clinging to? Who are you seeking out to walk this journey with you? <br />
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-56121411088217449472015-01-13T19:31:00.001-05:002015-01-13T20:10:09.484-05:00A friendship overseas--it's worth the risk.Bethany and I weren't best friends. We didn't call each other everyday, we didn't share clothes, we didn't even swap recipes. I hadn't even known her very long, not long enough to even know what her favorite color was. What Bethany and I did do was go antiquing in the too-expensive and too crowded antique markets of Lima. We bonded over a good cup of coffee in the German cafe. We laughed about funny things at the Peruvian markets, and most of all we mutually encouraged each other in our quest to be better wives and moms...in the occasional times we got to see each other. <br />
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You see, friendship on the mission field has its own definition. You leave behind what is familiar and enter into a world that is not your own. Where your besties are worrying about mortgages and waiting lists for daycare, where you can get any grocery item your heart desires at almost any hour of the day, you are trying to embrace the fact that to put beans into a recipe, you have to soak them overnight and then cook them all day. Gone are the days of quick meals. You leave behind people who you grew up with and perhaps know your inner most fears and joys. You try to embrace a new community where you have to introduce yourself a hundred times and decide if you want to love hard, knowing that you will probably have to say goodbye when that person leaves the field and moves to another location. <br />
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I met Bethany at a baby shower for the PE teacher's wife. We instantly clicked and sat together. We laughed about having 3 kids under the age of 4--laughed because we knew at any moment we could cry. We talked about how her oldest and my youngest would be in Kindergarten together and "why don't we go ahead and just arrange the marriage now". Crazy enough, on this day we even had the conversation about meeting new people and whether it was worth the effort to make friends in the ever changing mission/expat community where goodbyes happen every day. We both decided it was worth the risk.<br />
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When Jeff and I sat with Dave & Bethany at our staff Christmas party last month, we were at a small, wobbly table for 2...and there were 6 of us. We laughed that we were all crowded together having to hold our plates in our hands. When we said goodbye that night, I was so excited that Bethany and Dave would get to head home for Christmas to see friends and family, what I didn't know was that they would never come back. Dave wrote an email to our staff after Christmas, the contents of which turned our world upside down. Bethany had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and we should pray. There were few details about the diagnosis, and even fewer about the prognosis. I immediately sent Bethany a message on FB telling her how sorry I was and that our family would be praying. She wrote back and asked me to "keep praying that I will stay positive and closer to God and fight this physically, spiritually, and emotionally." That was on December 31st at 6:43am. I wrote her again on January 2nd and never heard back from her. I had no idea she was literally fighting for her life as the cancer had aggressively spread throughout her body. I had no idea our Lord, in his Sovereignty would call her home just days later. <br />
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There are so many things I wish I had said and done while I had the chance. I would have made more of an effort to get together. I would have recorded so many things that Sophia (my youngest) and Isaac (her oldest) talked about at school for us to laugh about. I would have told her that I would train to run a race with her. I would have swapped recipes. I would have made those darn chicken enchiladas that Bethany had to make when I only had to bring chips. I would have hugged her a gazillion times and thanked her for being faithful to the Call. <br />
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One of the funniest things that I will hold close to my heart is a conversation about how girls are stronger than boys. The simple story goes something like this...<br />
Dave to me: "Isaac came home yesterday and told Bethany that Sophia had said that 'boys are stronger than girls'. Bethany was so fired up and told Isaac that 'absolutely not--girls are definitely stronger or as strong as boys'!!<br />
Me: "What--we've never taught Sophia that--she has 3 older brothers though, so she probably just assumes that boys are stronger than girls. Don't worry--tell Bethany that I'll set Sophia straight!"<br />
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As I wrote to Dave on FB a few days ago, I've made him the promise that Sophia will grow up knowing that girls are stronger than boys. She will know that Bethany was strong. She will never let being a girl set her back--we will make sure Bethany's strength will not be forgotten. It takes guts to live life overseas, it takes purpose, and strength, and it's a risk to love hard and fast. As I look at Bethany's FB page and see the many pictures and memories people are posting, pictures from high school and college, pictures from Indonesia...I know that while we didn't have a long friendship, I would take that risk of investing in our friendship again and again. A week of friendship on the mission field is really like 100 years of friendship. I will always take the risk. I hope our kids will too.<br />
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-42268229788943204572014-03-12T12:28:00.003-05:002014-03-12T12:28:41.261-05:00First day of school/last time at Peruvian preschool for Sophia!USA school year: August-June<br />
Peruvian school year: March-December<br />
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The boys started their second semester in February and Sophia started at her Peruvian preschool in March. The difference is that the boys are still in the same school year, whereas Sophia started up a whole new year. The weird thing is that she will only be in preschool until August when she will start Kindergarten at ICSL, the school where the boys attend. So between August 2013 and August 2014 the kids will have 3 first days of school. :) Awesome!<br />
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-21453423173031675172014-03-12T11:21:00.000-05:002014-03-12T11:21:08.381-05:00Arequipa, PeruWho doesn't love a good road trip story!? We left at 3am on a Saturday morning to drive to Arequipa, a city in southern Peru and the city where the two youngest boys were born. About 5 hours into our trip, the car starts acting funny and refusing to shift gears. Not a great thing when our total trip is about 13 hours and we are less than half way there. We pull off in Nazca to look for some transmission fluid, but it's just before 8am so finding something that's open was a challenge...thankfully we located one little hole in the wall and the guy poured it in. It took and we were off again. <br />
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Our entire trip was about 1,000 kilometers....at the 999th kilometer, our car overheated and refused to budge. An entire day of coastal beauty, desert hills, passing large trucks and buses and then smoke started pouring out the engine. We were so thankful that our friends lived right around the corner and we had made our entire trip without breaking down until the very end!! Such a blessing!!<br />
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The car entered the shop, was able to be fixed (a hose had a hole burned in it), and two weeks later we were on our way back home. The boys enjoyed a week of summer camp, playing with friends, and even some rain!! While Jeff enjoyed teaching a week long class at the Bible institute and I actually relaxed more than I had in years--I managed to finish reading 4 whole books!!! Good times.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy is amazing with his mad Peruvian driving skills!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squatted land.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's not really an adequate caption for this...oh my goodness!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much traffic to pass--super slow trucks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful volcano Misti, overlooking AQP</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Workers planting in the field.</td></tr>
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-83246160316445361232014-01-21T17:25:00.003-05:002014-01-21T17:25:48.009-05:00Flying through the holidays and into 2014We managed to soar through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years without even pausing to take a breath. The kids finished their semester just before Christmas and Jeff finished his school year the beginning of December...it was, without a doubt, the busiest 4 months we've had in years. Between heading home on Home Assignment for 6 weeks of full-on "busy" and then coming back to Peru only to start school the day after our arrival, we hit the ground running. Jeff taught 2 classes and I volunteered for various school functions, including co-planning the biggest fundraiser that the school hosts each year. Now that we are well into 2014, well, at least 2 weeks into the new year, we've decided to slow down a bit. We'll see how well we do with that goal...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ice cream lady waits outside for school to get out and then sells anything from popsicles to ice cream sandwiches.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed being part of a Christmas Bazaar, selling some handmade ornaments, Christmas tags, and other crafts.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AHiceXKIBoE/Ut7wm8VsoLI/AAAAAAAABSw/y4ElaKCOFL8/s1600/IMG_2501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AHiceXKIBoE/Ut7wm8VsoLI/AAAAAAAABSw/y4ElaKCOFL8/s1600/IMG_2501.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packages wrapped in brown paper...I love this!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophia participated in a Christmas/end of the school year program--as a little Flamenco dancer! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Year's Eve...fireworks light up the entire city for at least 20 minutes straight!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We started a new New Year's Eve tradition...grilling pizzas on the balcony and then eating s'mores!<br /><br /></td></tr>
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o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-12832684354291424302013-11-19T09:07:00.001-05:002013-11-19T09:07:20.115-05:00Our new foreign exchange student...aka the teenage boySo we are now hosting a foreign exchange student, we've had him since October 25th, and he comes from the land of teenagers. Seriously, people, this new thing called "teenager" is like having a foreign person in my home.<br />
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Now I've always felt fairly secure in my parenting skills, not always encouraged or perfect by any means, but at least feeling some semblance of control as a parent. This new phase has thrown every confidence I might have gained over the years, right out the window. All of a sudden my teen boy enters the house and in walk snarky attitudes, forgetfulness, moodiness, face book, girl craziness, and oh, did I mention moodiness?? I thought we'd at least ease into this stage, you know month by month I'd have the wherewithal to tackle these new attitudes one at a time...but it literally happened overnight. Bam. I have a teen.<br />
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Remember those book titles that you thought "someday" you would have to read? Those well meaning people who mentioned this book and that as being helpful....well now I'm scrambling around trying to find that long forgotten book list like a woman in the path of a hurricane!<br />
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I had one of those moments this morning, where everything I wanted to tell him all these years just died a slow death in my head--and I realized it's time to tackle this new stage head on. Because even though he is all of the aforementioned things (forgetful, moody, etc.) he is also still my sweet boy who is funny, smart, passionate, and dedicated to making a difference in the world. I realize it doesn't have to be a negative, uncertain time in my life, and even though we've never walked this path as parents, he's never been a teenager before either. <br />
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I want to embrace this phase because I choose to do so. I want to stay focused on helping my teenage boy make good choices. And most of all I want to encourage a rich relationship that will last until I'm gone. So while yes, he still seems foreign to me most days, it's not necessarily a bad thing. :)o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-41784827263286745182013-11-18T13:36:00.003-05:002013-11-18T13:36:46.836-05:00Winter wife vs. Summer wifeYes, I admit it...I can easily sum up my life in two separate personas--on any given day I am either the winter wife or the summer wife. There is no gray area here, no middle ground. I am one or the other. I do not ride the fence on any of these points, I'm on one side or the other. You may be wondering how a woman can be so easily defined, must be heaven for her husband, you are thinking. Though I may waffle between being winter wife or summer wife...I can say with conviction that I'm slowly learning to wear both seasons with grace, mercy, and patience.<div>
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Winter wife.</div>
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Winter in Lima gets down to about 60 degrees. I hear what you are saying, "Oh poor you, how terrible that you have to suffer so." and I agree, 60 degrees doesn't sound so awful. However, with an average of 88% humidity, overcast skies 95% of the time, and no insulation in the cement walls of my house...winter wife finds the occasional moment to feel sorry for herself. Winter wife also admits to wearing hoodies, socks, and fleece pants to bed. At the same time. For weeks on end. I might also add that winter wife does not shave her legs. It doesn't matter how hot that shower is, the minute the water stream stops--the temp inside the shower drops 25 degrees. Winter wife begs for a small gas heater. Winter husband wants to snuggle. Winter wife dreams of tropical islands and sipping brightly colored drinks with umbrellas in them. Winter wife actually drinks copious amounts of coffee, tea, cocoa, and anything else she can hold in her hands to warm them. Winter wife gets into bed and pulls the covers over her head to warm her nose. She adds so many wool blankets to the bed that she finds it hard to turn over, get up, or heaven forbid, rush out to check on the children should a small animal be attacking them in the night. Winter wife does not want to get up in the night, but suffers through the dark mornings to go for a run a couple of days a week...in shorts.</div>
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Now let me present Summer wife.</div>
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Summer wife wakes up and rejoices over the fact that the sun will be rising any moment. She goes for a run anticipating the misty cloud cover because she is sure the sun will be out later. Summer wife shaves her legs and starts wearing flip flops at the first hint of sunshine...even if her toes are actually turning blue from the cold. Summer wife knows at exactly what time the sunshine (if there is any) will come streaming through the windows in any room (Kitchen around 4pm, Sophia's room around 1pm, back patio between 11-1pm). Summer wife is more apt to agree on afternoon weekend outings to the beach, as opposed to staying home and staying warm. Summer wife breaks out the sunglasses and wears them to take out the garbage...just because she can. Summer wife smiles and dreams of tropical islands and sipping brightly colored drinks with umbrellas in them. Then she makes a large jar of sun tea. It's close enough. Summer wife also wears shorts and a tank top while putting up her Christmas tree....did I mention I live in the Southern Hemisphere, while summer husband pines away for a cold day on the slopes. </div>
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I have some summer kids and some winter kids...they appreciate one or the other, but seldom both. Like their mom. I know it's all a matter of perspective, and what I'm trying to learn through this self-seasonal evaluation is that regardless of the season, I need to live each day to the fullest whether I'm wearing a tank top or a parka. Because one will end and one will begin...all year long.</div>
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o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-84295059768536977812013-11-18T12:30:00.000-05:002013-11-18T12:30:22.425-05:00If my mom tells me I'm a princess, then it must be true! When Jeff and I chose to try for another little Krohn, we were blessed beyond belief to find out it was a girl! Sophia has been the sweetness to our family, the light in our lives, and the touch of pink that we all needed. Her brothers adore her and she adores each of them. She makes us laugh, gives us that little taste of drama, and now I'm not the only one to leave long hair all over the house. <br />
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When we were planning for our Home Assignment, I had talked to my Mom and we decided an all-girls trip was in order...and we knew just the place! Disneyworld!! We lived, ate, and breathed princesses for 4 days straight and we'll never be the same. :) I will admit there was a sense of entitlement after the trip was over, and it took a couple weeks to come down from the princess "everyone look at me and spoil me" platform...but it was worth every single princess wave!!<br />
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<span id="goog_876001456"></span><span id="goog_876001457"></span><br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-87104057247957660872013-11-18T11:52:00.000-05:002013-11-18T11:52:12.493-05:00A combo of history AND Hell's Angels?? I think yes!! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-14699221530707672592013-11-18T11:29:00.003-05:002013-11-18T11:29:41.610-05:00From Chicago to Michigan to Minnesota to North Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado....more Home Assignment junk. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-42577276299456889802013-11-18T10:24:00.001-05:002013-11-18T10:24:46.877-05:00What time is it? It's Home Assignment time!!!In the mission world, what we used to call "furlough" has now been replaced with "Home Assignment"...I'm not sure why the change occurred or if it makes missionaries feel more cozy knowing they have been assigned some time at home, but regardless of the name change, it's something our family both looks forward to and dreads at the same time. <br />
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Home Assignment (HA) for us means packing, unpacking, suitcase maladies, tired kids, tired parents, shoes off, shoes on, laptops out, head counting, hungry kids, hungry parents, seeing family, saying goodbye to family, seeing friends, saying goodbye to friends, road trips, swimming in clean pools, Family Camps, eating in our favorite restaurants, grocery shopping for new items, spending exorbitant amounts of money on said new grocery items and favorite restaurants, great teaching time at church, thunderstorms, gaining weight--also from said new grocery items and favorite restaurants, doctor appointments, catch up on vaccinations, dentist appointments, new shoes (we can finally get rid of the ones with holes!), new clothes, new toys, morning cups of coffee with family, dates with the husband, dates with the kids, cousin time, riding bikes, running on running trails, fishing with Grandpa, sadness over saying goodbye to Grandparents, overweight luggage, overweight parents, talking through the goodbyes and the memories, anticipation of arriving back in Peru to our own house, rooms, beds, and friends. <br />
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And we do this every couple of years...we wonder why we don't do it more often, and then we wonder why we do it so often. This cycle of ups and downs--physically, emotionally and spiritually. It's not particularly restful, it's not at all good for our physique, it's not cheap, and it certainly isn't easy. Six weeks is too short, nine months is too long. Visiting all of our supporters isn't realistic, and only visiting for a couple days isn't fair.<br />
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It's a juxtaposition of emotions that, regardless of how it makes us feel each time, is trumped by the way it makes others feel. This is not for us, as much as it is for our Grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins and friends--people who support us, love us, and want to share Peru with us. And so we'll do it all over again in a couple of years, this mutually enriching time of sharing, loving, being loved, supporting, and being supported by the people on this earth who mean the most to us.<br />
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-31560557280753512042013-07-04T11:32:00.000-05:002013-07-04T11:32:01.818-05:00My DadI wrote this just after Father's Day this year, with the intent of posting it immediately. But in the hustle and bustle of packing to return home to the U.S., saying goodbye to friends, and ending the school year, this little gem got put aside in a notebook. I found it this morning and so am posting it in my better late than never style that comes so easily. It's about my Dad.<br />
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My Dad is a force. Some of you might know him...some of you might have been ticketed by him, or possibly even arrested by him. :) I am no exception when at 15-years-old I was busted driving without a license. That'd be a ticket, baby.<br />
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That is one of the things I love most about my Dad--he's loyal, trustworthy, and full of integrity. He can be intimidating and surly at times, but cuddly and witty at others. He gives the best hugs and makes the best steaks on the planet. When we were kids, he was our biggest cheerleader at gymnastic meets, basketball games, and swim meets. He would yell shouts of encouragement through the stands and attempt all forms of clapping routines while his kids were out there.<br />
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I find that I get some of my favorite anecdotes and most of my sarcasm from my Dad. He's quick to laugh, and just as quick to praise. I can't count the life skills I've learned while watching CSI with him--but I'm sure they will serve me well if I'm ever abducted by a random stalker while jogging in a remote wooded area after falling down and hurting my ankle. And though I feel I know quite a bit of trivia, I've got nothing on my Dad who could probably put Alex Trebec out of a job on Jeopardy. It may not seem like much, but these TV watching moments are among my favorites of time well spent with my Dad.<br />
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My Dad is a hard worker, something my brother and I value and appreciate as adults and hope to pass on to our children. There was a time we didn't think my Dad would live past my third grade year, but he's a fighter. Many hours have been spent cutting wood, fixing fences, untangling necklaces, patrolling highways, mowing the lawn, and yes, even many hours behind a desk...but always, always working.<br />
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If I could pick some of the best things to pass on to my kids, it would be the hugs, hardworking ethic, loyalty, wit, and sacrificial way he has blessed me in my 40 years of life. There have been many sacrifices through the years so that we would never want for anything, and also many sacrifices so that we could have some of those extra things that were just for fun. Road trips in the car with a giant cooler in the middle and my brother throwing my toy kissing game out the window, or summer vacations in July with no air conditioning. Watching him start a fire in the fireplace, get groceries for my Mom, take us on a trip to Disney, and the way my Dad can drive for hours are some of the fun memories that will stay with me forever.<br />
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My life has been blessed by my Dad and I will be forever grateful for his love, support, encouragement, and example. I love you Dad! Happy Father's Day 2013.o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-8543388641908976122013-06-05T20:17:00.000-05:002013-06-05T20:17:19.324-05:00Just a glimmer of blessingI was blessed today. Not by anything anyone did or didn't do, as the case may be, but simply for the myriad of ways that I could see God working in the small details of my day. I was able to tackle many things on my to do list--sometimes that paves the way for peace. I was also drinking a good strong cup of coffee--sometimes that paves the way for peace too! :)o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297627410150263846.post-30377096548193206272013-05-22T10:52:00.000-05:002013-05-22T10:52:49.773-05:00A special friendshipA few posts ago, I wrote about saying goodbye. It was a post that was spurred on by our second son having to say goodbye to his friend, his best friend actually, Hunter. Hunter and Jonathon have been in the same class for two years, and while they haven't always been the very best of friends, the past 12 months has cemented their friendship. They giggle over fort making, cat chasing, playing tag, sleepovers, and can banter back and forth about Minecraft for hours.<br />
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In February Hunter's family received the shocking news that Hunter has an osteosarcoma, or cancer in his outer shin bone. Hunter and his Dad left Peru suddenly, but not without one final sleepover for Jonathon and Hunter and a sweet, but unsure goodbye between the two boys. There were many tears shed at our house, selfish tears from Jonathon that his best friend was leaving him, and very sweet, sincere tears over the seriousness of Hunter's sickness. We explained things the best we could without scaring Jonathon and promised that once Hunter felt up to it, we could connect the boys by Skype and they could talk all they want about Minecraft or whatever.<br />
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As we knew Hunter was undergoing chemo, we also knew that he would be very sick and lose his hair. If you know anything about chemo, they basically take you to the brink of death and then nurse you back in hopes that it will kill/contain the cancer so it won't spread. I had remembered my Dad going through chemo when I was in third grade when he was diagnosed with cancer, so I was able to relate a bit to Jonathon and we continued praying each day for Hunter. As Jonathon waited for what seemed like an eternity, finally the boys were able to "see" each other through Skype and continue their friendship across seas...the one difference this time was that Hunter had no hair. I prayed that it wouldn't bother Jonathon or Hunter--that neither one would feel uncomfortable, but would just jump back into their friendship as if they were next door...and that's what happened! It makes my heart smile just thinking about it.<br />
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After a week or so of talking almost every day, Jonathon decided that he wanted to shave his head to match Hunter. We had briefly thrown out that idea even before Hunter lost his hair, but if you know Jonathon, and how much he loathes haircuts, I was positive that he would never in a million years make such a decision. So you can imagine my shock, when Jonathon came home from school and told Hunter over Skype that he was going to shave his head!! Jeff and I were overjoyed that he would show such solidarity for his friend and promptly went out that night to buy razors to do it. The whole ordeal was a mere 2 hours, in which Jonathon sat quietly (also rare for him) and contemplated the decision he was making to show support for his friend. Jeff was inspired by Jonathon's decision, and he too shaved his head that night; we prayed for Hunter throughout the shaving, remembering the battle he is fighting. Through all this, we want this to be about Hunter, his battle, and this friendship---if people can look at Jonathon and be reminded to pray for Hunter, then that is what we want. Curiously enough, Jonathon even inspired a couple of the teachers at their school to shave their heads for Hunter!!! <br />
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I'm so proud of my son and his loyalty to his friend. We do pray for Hunter daily and know that through the sickness, the pain, the hair loss, and the uncertainty, we have a Sovereign God who is faithful, loving, and in control.<br />
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We love you Hunter, Tom, Sara, and Penielle!!!!<br />
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<br />o4seasmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474509200447955427noreply@blogger.com0