Happy 30th!

My favorite sister (a.k.a. my only sister) hit the big 3-0 yesterday, and we celebrated at her favorite restaurant at her favorite mall. It also happens to be my favorite restaurant and my favorite mall, so no complaints here! Even the long wait for a table was fun thanks to a trolley ride, beautiful park and a Vegasesque water show. The kids loved it, managed to stay dry, and especially enjoyed hanging out with my favorite nephew (you guessed it - my only nephew!). Happy birthday sister!

Parker's new shoulder extension

My parents are en route to visit their 7th continent, so Maltby is living with us for a few weeks. Parker is in heaven and the bird rarely leaves his shoulder. I think the boy is a little torn between his longing to see Gaga and Papa and his regret to see Maltby go home.

Potty Dance

A very short-lived illness forced Parker and I onto the couch for most of yesterday morning. He absorbed all of the cartoons his little mind could handle, pausing only to refill a bowl with his breakfast, and I got to cuddle him while listening to church on headset. It's not quite the same as fellowshiping with the saints in person, but since sickness is one of the only things that can get Parker to sit still long enough for me to really love on him, I certainly couldn't complain. Even when the service was over and the kid shows deteriorated from mildly entertaining to barely tolerable. However, one of the less-desirable programs redeemed itself with one hilarious commercial. Or maybe it's only funny to those near to that fun stage of childhood called "potty training." Danny didn't find quite as much joy in this video as I do, but since many of you are or have recently been in the same boat, maybe you'll get a laugh too. So try out the Potty Dance. (And if you have an even better version you can enter their contest to win a $5000 room make-over.) Fun stuff!

4th Photo

I've been tagged by my friend Jenny, and since I happen to like the 4th photo in my 4th folder, here it is! I'm sure most of you have done this by now, but if not, consider yourself tagged.

This was taken just moments after we met Reagan for the first time, steps away from the little room where she spent the first six months of her life. Look at how calm and sweet she is! And notice (or don't!) how frizzy my hair is. The akward hold is a function of my inexperience in holding babies wearing no diaper. I quickly overcame my trepedation over being peed on, and though I was rewarded with cuddles I paid the price in wet clothing. The joy of that day now pales in comparison to really knowing the girl in those photos. I'm still amazed at the ease with which she bonded to us, and especially amazed at her transformation since then into a girl who is in every sense our daughter. God is so good!

Unanswered prayers

Remember the old Garth Brooks song? Or the relatively new “Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts? Here is where I disclose my love for country music (though I can most often be found listening to Veggie Tales Silly Songs, G.T. and the Halo Express, an Awana handbook set to a tune from the 1970’s, or on rare, cherished occasion, talk radio). But that is not my point. My thoughts today don’t even specifically relate to prayer. The theme of these two songs (and my post) is God’s grace in not sustaining certain relationships. Guys I wished and prayed and hoped would be mine, who God in His wisdom withheld. I dated a fair amount I guess. Danny teases me relentlessly about the number of guys my sister and I spent time with. One of his favorite games is “state-a-male-name-and-guess-which-sister-dated-someone-with-said-name.” It rarely works out quite as tidily as he expects, but then, compared to his family where both of his siblings dated their now-spouses for 6+ years, almost any amount of dating would look excessive. I had a handful of “serious” boyfriends through high school and college. I had a lot of male friends, some of whom I naturally developed crushes on. I usually had a date for the major school dances and banquets. I was by no means popular, but I wasn’t often lonely. My heart was not broken many times, but I remember longing for a man who would love me unconditionally and commit to me for life. There were a few times before I met Danny that I thought I knew who would be “The One.” Now I wonder what in the world I was thinking! Through the miracle of the internet, I’ve recently reconnected with many of the guys I was once interested in. Most of them are now mature, godly, responsible men. I’m still proud to call many of them friends, and not just of the Facebook variety. But they aren’t half as cute as I remember. Quirks I recall as endearing just aren’t. They have personality traits clearly incompatible with mine as a mate. In short, they don’t hold a torch to Danny. In fact they generally are attractive, fun, and interesting to talk to, but they weren’t made for me. I intend no indictment on these men, but rather want to give testimony to God’s wisdom in choosing the right man for me. Despite my many pleas (then) for others. I prayed for guys who clearly (now) were not that man. Instead, God kept me just for Danny and for that I will always be grateful. He was the perfect guy for me nearly 10 years ago, and he’s even more perfect for me now. Danny is the prayer I'm glad God answered with a "YES"!

Brought to you by the letter "M"

Because I'm woefully low on blogging ideas (and even lower on energy to put to pen the ideas I actually do have), I'm borrowing a post from Dania over at Adoption to Remember. Here are the rules: If you want to play, leave a comment on this post letting me know and I’ll assign you a letter. You write about ten things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it at your place. When people comment on your list, you give them a letter, and the chain will continue.

So here are my 10 favorite "M"s, in no particular order:
1. Morgan - Alyssa's Bitty Baby, who Reagan and I probably enjoy more than Alyssa does. Have to say that I hate the American Girl doll store though: I can't think of a better way to breed discontentment and materialism in a little girl.
2. Music - especially Scripture set to music. Especially when my kids are singing it.
3. Make-up - I'm not at all adventurous in this department, but it is rather miraculous when used properly. I'd be lost without my concealer and Revlon Sandstone lipstick.
4. Missionaries - my favorites undoubtedly being the Dick family serving in Croatia and the Biedebachs in Malawi. They are dear friends who serve the Lord with joy and insist that it is no sacrifice.
5. Mexican food - Whenever I go abroad, this is the taste I crave the most. One of my most memorable meals were enchiladas prepared by one of my professor's wives about 3 months into my semester in Israel. Why isn't this cuisine enjoyed worldwide?
6. Muscle memory - Without this phenomenon there's no way I could still play Chopin. Or ride a bike for that matter. Or ski.
7. Mercy - God's withholding of the punishment my sin deserves.
8. Manly men - Guys who aren't afraid to be the leaders God has called them to be. Like Danny.
9. M&Ms - Perfect little bites of chocolate, capable of satisfying my sweet tooth. Also capable of motivating two-year-olds to use the toilet.
10. Mornings that start later than 7 am - Granted at this point in my life such mornings are few and far between, but I treasure those few extra moments of sleep made possible by the occasional sleepover at grandmas.

Anyone else want to play?

Horse people

we're not, but our good friend Heath allowed us to pretend for the afternoon. He recently got a fun new job working with horses, and we had a wonderful time today hanging out with the Heath and his son Drake, learning about the animals and their own quirky personalities, and of course getting thoroughly caked with dust. Even our ever-cautious Alyssa hopped on with a huge grin, though she wasn't too sure about the grooming - I love the photo below where she's standing as far away from the animal as possible while still obeying Daddy's encouragement to brush. Reagan, who is very hot and cold about animals had a "hot" day and ate it up. Parker... well, I think could live in the barn!

A little confused

Though "winter" has finally come to Southern California in the form of a little rain, our unseasonably warm weather over the past few weeks has led to some confusion amongst our plants. This poor pear tree seems to think it's spring!

Before and after, part 3

Let me know if you guys get tired of these things, or if you're just as voyeuristic as I am. Posting pics here actually does provide a little motivation for me to actually finish my home decorating projects. I'm getting there! 8 months after moving in I still have 3 bedrooms to paint and my bathroom... well, my bathroom is a disgrace. For months now it's been mostly-painted, which is far worse than un-painted in my book. The walls are a soft gold, which I like, but the corners, around the doors, around the ceilings, around the tub and around the shower are still builder-basic white. The rolling part of painting is just so easy, fast and fun. The cutting in... not so much. So I have a feeling that I'll be spending a lot more late nights painting when Danny returns to Malawi in April. Funny how I get so much more done when he's out of town! But without further ado, my complete-enough-for-now family room and kitchen - "before" on the left, "after" on the right, in case (sadly) it's not obvious:

(wish I had a better "before" for you... the chairs are in the same spot)
Not too much different here I guess - paint, cabinet hardware, new faucet...

But this right here is my favorite part of our home: the view of my favorite boy playing outside the kitchen window.

So much cooler online

Have you heard the Brad Paisley song? It makes me laugh every time... but then it got me thinking: am I cooler online? Not that I'm all that cool here, but I wonder if my blog is really an accurate reflection of who I am. The photos really are us. The stories of our life are ours. The ideas are mine. But I don't post the really unflattering pictures. I don't tell all of our less-than-fun or funny stories. My ideas probably aren't as original as I'd like to believe. I try to balance the rosy picture we'd all like to paint of our lives with transparency about things that I'm struggling with. But I know that I fail. I just wonder about the overall impression I give to those who don't know me in real life. There are bloggers I know personally who are the same here as they are at church, at school, or over dinner. I know others whose blogs seem completely disconnected from their reality (or at least my perception of it). And some who are so much more interesting and engaging in real life than they are on their blog. I've had the opportunity to meet a few people online first, and then connect in real life. I've been suprised to find that I didn't click at all with one I thought would be my new BFF, and throughly enjoyed others I didn't expect to have much in common with. I have a number of bloggy friends I would love to meet outside of the confines of text and photos but I wonder if it would be as fun as I expect. Strange new world here isn't it? What about you? Are you cooler online?

Sleeping cuties

Well, not exactly sleeping yet, but settling down in our jammies with a little popcorn and Planet Earth.

The boy who seems to think that we purchased this bunk for the stuffed members of our family. Each night Parker dilligently prepares beds for each of his favorite animals, simulateously refusing to allow me to tuck him in for fear of disturbing their little dens. I usually find him scrunched up into a corner as far away from any critter-filled covers as possible. And yes, that is a pink floral comforter. We have a girl room and a boy room in our house, and Parker and Alyssa have proven to be much better roommates thus far than Reagan and Alyssa.

Our baby girl in a big boy bed! She's been sleeping well in a real bed for several months now... maybe someday soon she'll graduate to a girly one. That is if Parker will let her. The world's cutest kitty. My parents took Alyssa to Disneyland all by herself on Wednesday and she came home looking like this. She also went to school the next morning looking like this, and probably would still be sporting face paint if not for the bath I insisted she take last night.

Danny's a pretty cute sleeper too, but I'll spare you the photo I took just to prove how much he really does intrude onto my side each night. You'll have to take my word for it.

Family night at the park...

A piece of my heart looks like this:

I spent a semester in Israel in college (an experience I still intend to reflect on here someday), returned for another 3 weeks shortly before Danny and I got engaged/married, and is the one place I long to travel to with Dan. Nostalgia and good memories are wrapped up in the place for me. But more than that, Israel is the Promised Land. It is the setting for all the stories I love the most. The background for my favorite Book. And the homeland of my Savior. It's a remarkable blend of ancient and new, a far cry from our "old" cities, like Boston, or even the history and architecture of Europe. The people themselves are fascinating, and the story of their survival through millennia, and through the modern establishment of their country is nothing short of miraculous.

So my heart breaks a little when I hear, again, of Israel's struggle to defend themselves against those determined to remove them from the face of the earth. Then it breaks a little more when I hear our media elevate terrorists to the same moral ground, with the same rights and expectation of sympathy as those who have carefully targeted those terrorists. Naturally no one wants to see civilian casualties in any war, but when even Palestinian leaders admit that it's often impossible to distinguish militant from civilian, how can one blame the terror-fighters? Why not blame the terrorists? The ones who continue to shell innocent Israeli citizens -- indeed targeting civilians. My heart goes out to all those who have lost loved ones in the current manifestation of the conflict (forgive my politicing here), but can we give Israel a little break? Don't fall for the media's oft-unbalanced presentation of what's going on. Remember that the Jews are, as always, fighting for their lives.

NOT Reagan

Ask this girl what her name is and she'll promptly reply "Thi Ho Thao Van." Her Vietnamese name, loud and clear. Granted it's not in quite the right order, but that's probably a function of the fact that we're still not 100% sure what the correct order is (almost every official document has it listed differently, and the Vietnamese do last-middle-first). I don't know why this development has come about - we don't call her Thao Van except when she's in trouble (as in "Reagan Thao-Van T~, stop that right now!"), but I think it's pretty cute. And her pronounciation is probably better than ours!

So you like my book?

It seems that I'm not the only one impressed with my mother's handiwork. I've received so many e-mails and comments asking about how she did it that I thought I'd post it here. (Prepare to be bored if you're not a blogger...).

Her first step in what sounds like a very labor-intensive process was to turn each post into a Word document. She then tried printing it at home, but found that her printer didn't yield the best results. So, she took it on CD to Kinko's where they printed it with a laser printer and cut it to the appropriate size. Then she mailed the printed text to Smith Printing, a publishing company she found online, for binding. According to my mom they were very nice to work with and apparently could have printed it as well. There are other sites out there that help you self-publish (Blurb is the one I'm a little bit familiar with) but they don't interact with Blogger or Wordpress anymore. Blurb books seem to look more like a digital scrapbook than a bound book, but perhaps would be a quicker process, even just using their manual input function. Through it all, the book turned out beautifully - though I think only a mom would invest that much time, effort and money into publishing writing of this quality. Just reinforces my conviction that I have best mother around!

Our own little band

Yet another fun Christmas present! Two years ago Danny's brother and sister-in-law bought Parker (or was it Alyssa?) a drum, accordian, and kazoo. The cashier at Target said to them "some mother is going to love you!"and I have to admit I groaned a little when the package was opened. But as it so often goes, the kids have loved them and we've grown to appreciate their performances too. (At least instruments stop making noise when the kids stop playing - a characteristic I wish I could say holds true for all of their toys.) So we gladly welcomed a few additions to their collection this week: a drum set, a real guitar, a harmonica, and a slew of other rythym instruments, courtesy of their aunts and uncles. As you can see, the band members are thoroughly enjoying their generosity. And don't worry - we'll be sure to return the favor to our young neices and nephews in years to come!

Published!

Look what I got for Christmas! 300 posts bound into one beautiful volume. I think there are probably almost as many hours invested in the binding as in the writing. Don't I have the greatest mom?

Merry Christmas!

We cherish the opportunity this time of year provides to reflect on the day when the One in Whom “all the fullness of Deity dwells”* came “in bodily form,” and to share with you the way He “holds all things together”* both in our family and in the rest of His creation. All of the blessings of Danny’s job have been a gift from God – lots of time with us, a steady paycheck, and fun helping others. All of the joy in Laura staying home is because of Him – laughter, hugs, and the privilege of watching a 2-, 4-, and 6-year old grow in their understanding of God and the world around them. All of the fun of 1st grade is Alyssa’s greatest blessing – carefully applying herself to reading and math facts, sharing with new friends of her own, and running into Mama’s arms at the end of the day. All of the activities that occupy Parker are God’s gift – jumping everywhere, swimming, wrestling with Daddy, and thoroughly entertaining Mama. God takes care of all of Reagan’s needs as she learns to talk, hop, and generally try to keep up with a brother and sister who adore her. And God has held us all together through a move to a beautiful new home, Dan’s mission trip to Malawi, our continued ministry with college students, and a lot of fun along the way. We are immeasurably blessed, but in no way greater than the peace we know because Jesus Christ reconciled all things to Himself through the blood of His cross.* Our prayer is that you also know His blessing and His peace in all things!

*Colossians 1

The really good, the not-as-bad-as-it-could-have-been and the crazy

Well, my jet plane took me on a little more of an adventure than I had anticipated! And I'll warn you now, after re-reading this again myself that my recap is almost as long as the ordeal -- sorry!

My mom, sister and I arrived in Seattle Thursday afternoon to a city ill-prepared for the snow and ice God sent their way. We stood in a long line for a taxi, even sharing it with a gentleman from Alaska, and eventually arriving to a beautiful hotel room right downtown with a stunning view of the Sound and white-tipped city-scape. After bundling up, out we went to enjoy the Christmas-y weather and fun shopping. However, we seemed to be the only ones with that idea. We started at Macy's, only to find out they were closing at 4:30 (!!!), ran across the street to one mall to find out they were heading home at 5:00. Even Nordstrom was closing it's doors at 6:00, so we were thrilled to find a restaurant in another mall that was staying open long enough for us to grab a quick bite (fresh seafood... yum!). By 7:30 the city was virtually deserted by commuters and shoppers alike - all anxious to start the long trek home on the treacherous roads. So we snuggled in with our hot-fudge sundaes from McDonald's (the only "restaurant" for blocks still open), and were asleep by 9:15, crazy partiers that we are!

Aren't we cute all bundled up in the only moderately-warm clothing we own?

Friday brought out a few more adventurers and a fun day of touring our old hometown just north of the city with friends. On our way back we happened upon this most-unusual site.

Pretty crazy huh? It sounds like there were only minor injuries, and we were glad to have passed by before emergency crews got there and closed down the freeway. Seattle's cobblestone hills, ice and buses apparently aren't a good mix.
But the real highlight was the long-anticipated performance of Handel's masterpiece! I think this is the music we'll be singing in heaven. It is so beautiful and worshipful - even when brought to life by musicians who largely and sadly have no idea of the meaning behind the truth they are proclaiming. We sat in the fifth row so it seemed as if they were playing and singing just for us. By the end of the performance my mouth muscles hurt from smiling so long and wide.

That smiled persisted through most of Saturday with more shopping and the fun, familiar hustle and bustle of the pre-holiday rush. With all of our shopping for others already done, we could concentrate on digging for deals for ourselves - which was fortunately limited by the extra space in our itty bitty luggage.

Later Saturday afternoon we drug that luggage back to the airport in hopes of catching an earlier flight out to avoid yet another snowstorm headed towards the great northwest. The good news is we got on that flight. The bad news is, we got off it again before it left Seattle. Then got back on, then got back off. Through a series of mechanical issues and the snow and wind that began pounding the runways, our hopes were stoked, and then dashed, over and over again. Until finally at 1:15 am, a full 9 hours after our flight was supposed to take off, it was cancelled. By that time, of course, every hotel a cab would even consider taking us to in such weather was full, and every flight for Sunday was booked solid. Which means the only flight they could confirm us on was for Monday night - yes, Monday, as in, if not for the grace of God I'd still be sitting at Sea-Tac airport right now (I'm not, for the record). And the only place to sleep was this little "camp" we set up for ourselves:

Cozy right? (That's me "asleep" there in the orange, and Sarah in yellow). In all actuality though it was so much better than it could have been. Sometimes in the midst of a hiccup like this (hard to call it a trial really), it's hard to see God's plan, but He provided for us in so many practical ways. In such simple things as this spot to sleep, complete with an outlet to recharge our dying cell-phones, chairs without armrests, and blankets and pillows provided by a compassionate airline employee. The fact that we did not have the kids with us, as much as we missed them, was a blessing. My heart ached for the mother of 3 across the aisle from us stuck in the same situation with even fewer provisions. We didn't check any bags so we were able to change clothes, brush our teeth, and feel slightly human again after our four hour nap. But most of all, God gave us a respite in the storm and roused us from sleep early enough to hear a boarding call for a flight to another airport just 30 miles or so from our original destination. We ran over the gate, smiled our best smiles, prayed a little prayer, and were finally given permission to board the plane after the door had already been shut! I felt like cheering when that plane actually got up in the air. The flight itself was uneventful, my brother-in-law was able to pick us up, and I got home just as Danny & the kids were returning from church. So all in all, I consider myself very blessed. I read today that Alaska Air ran out of de-icing fluid yesterday, so between that, the snow, the wind, and all the other cancelled flights, to say nothing of the time of year, I have no doubt that God had a hand in getting us home when He did. We had a wonderful time, but I was ready to see Danny, Alyssa, Parker and Reagan, and they were ready to see me. The cleanliness of the house and the children was far above my expectations and they seemed to have a fun daddy-weekend. But... Dan found out that being home can be challenging, and the kids have all been exceptionally huggy. We do better together =).

Leavin' on a jetplane

The girls are going to Seattle for the weekend! I'm hoping to see something like this:
but I'm more likely to see something like this:
The forcast is calling for snow, so we'll have our fun in the downtown shops, restaurants and the Messiah! Yep, for my birthday a few weeks ago my mom tracked down tickets. Nevermind that we have to travel 1100 miles to get there, I can't wait!

Pray for Dan. He'll be alone with all three kids for three days (a first I think). I have a feeling Grandma T will be in great demand. They'll have a blast and I'm already prepared for dirty little bodies and a messy home when I return!

One of THOSE parents

I've always chuckled a little at the Student of the Month bumper stickers that seem to be everywhere. Are they on every other car in your neighborhood too? Maybe it's just a suburban thing. Just how many students of the month can there be? Well, it turns out there are 7 for the month of December, just in the 1st grade - one for every class. Presumably it's the same for every other grade, in every other elementary school. Adds up to a lot of "special" kids! But this month, one of those honored children is mine, and I have to say that I'm quite proud. If not for dark tint on our rear windows and a car-guy for a husband, I think I might even be proclaiming her acheivement on my truck. But instead I'll brag on her here! As you can see Alyssa was singled out for her "responsibility" in the classroom. Reading is great and math facts are important, but if I have to choose, I'm grateful for a daughter who is recognized for her respect towards authority and consideration of her peers. She brings so much joy to our home that it's fun to see that the other people she spends a great deal of her waking hours with also appreciate our special girl!

50,000 hits

is probably not much of a milestone as far as "real" websites or serious bloggers are concerned, but for me and my tiny little blog... wow! What it actually means is I'm here way too much clinking away on my sidebar links, and that my mom and a few friends stop by with some degree of regularity. I enjoy this little hobby - for the fun of writing and catching up with friends, new and old, in real life and those of you I only "know" here. So thanks for reading and sticking around to tell me how cute my kids are. Hopefully I'll be here for another 50,000!

Only in California...

... will you find a family of four (not mine) donning Santa hats, viewing Christmas lights seated in a convertible Porche - top down!

... can a man (mine) go to work in shorts every day of spring, summer and fall.

... will a 2-year-old (that'd be Reagan) wake up in the night terrified by the sound of forced hot air coming through the ducts for the first time on December 9th.

I'll concede that it doesn't exactly feel like Christmas, but a girls-only weekend to Seattle will solve that. I love California!

The Christian's favorite word

This was the title of our pastor's sermon on Sunday. What's your guess? Need a clue? His text was Ephesians 2. Still don't know? I didn't either. Not for sure. There are so many incredible possibilities: mercy, forgiveness, joy, Jesus, the cross, reconciliation, peace, love... the list really is endless. How can you choose? Well, Rick chose grace, and made a convincing argument from this familiar passage. Grace certainly is a most attractive attribute of God and the one without which I would be separated from Him forever. But during his introduction, while he kept us hanging, I had another word in mind. My guess was the word "but." "But God." My favorite word in my favorite spot is in Ephesians 2:3-5:

...we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.

and then in verses 12 and 13:

remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Without that "but" I'd still be a child of wrath. Without "but" I would be without hope and without God in the world. Praise God for "but"s!

As promised...

You've missed me, right?

And I know you've missed my photo-heavy posts of the cutest kids in the world (besides yours, of course!). So here you go... a few shots of all the time we've been enjoying in the park lately, because nothing beats Southern California weather in the fall! If you notice that a certain 6 year-old is missing, it's because that thing called school keeps getting in the way and she hasn't yet invited me to come follow her around with a camera at recess. Don't worry though - we're headed to Disneyland this afternoon so I'll work hard to get a few shots of our biggest princess.