Greetings from Dublin, Ireland! I can't wait to tell you all about our adventures this past weekend!! But for now, I've stopped in here at this internet cafe long enough to let you know that we're thinking of you... (Amy, you are soooo here with us in spirit!! I can see why you love all things Irish.)
My family is sitting outside at this moment, eating their icecream cones... along the River Liffey... in front of the Half Penney Bridge... ah, you can't imagine... how this culture is... lovely... has stolen my heart in their cheerful approach to all of life... their easy laughter... their laid-back attitudes...
Ah, but my family is done with their icecream cones now... I'll tell you all about this when we get home. (Our plane leaves tomorrow morning.)
Like our bus driver said yesterday, "Ah, yes, it's good stuff."
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Zeke Turns 10 Today!
Happy Birthday Ezekiel!
The above photo reveals so much of who Zeke is. He's our budding scientist as he is the one who is constantly making discoveries, observations, and saving collections. He is the one in the family most likely to stop along the way to see if something can come apart, be tasted, rebuilt, smashed, squished, rolled up, or caught. Though he doesn't care much for handling snakes, he is the one who finds them for the others. He's a voracious reader, often finishing a novel in one or two days. On the technological side, his is the name that can be heard when some electronic isn't working, "Zeeeeke! The computer's gone berserk! I need you!" Somehow, (we honestly stand there scratching our heads, grateful for his expertise), he's able to get us back in working order. If Zeke has a motto for his life, it's probably along the lines of, "Just tell me what the rules are."
Zeke's love of music is evidenced in the humming or singing he does all day long. Just yesterday he was singing a silly song during homeschool and his brother's told him to please stop as he was distracting them. I smiled at him and said, "Maybe something not so distracting. You know, something like Beethoven or Rachmoninav." He paused, looked at me, and started humming a tune by Beethoven. We let him.
If you've lost something, Zeke can find it for you. It's like he goes through his life making observations and storing them in his memory bank. Then, when we're all frantic trying to find something, he'll saunter over to some shelf, drawer, or cupboard, turn around and bring the object to us. Or, he'll remember some tidbit of a previous conversation and then recall it for us when we're trying to remember the details, (sometimes when I thought he hadn't been paying attention at all). If you were someone who wanted to know about our family, he is the one who could tell you everything about each of us from our favorite foods and colors to our pet peeves and uncomely habits.
Zeke, I enjoy watching you grow and mature more every day. I appreciate your compassion and thoughtfulness for others. I am grateful for your attention to detail (like yesterday when you surprised me by making me a cup of my favorite tea and fixing it just the way I like). You are unique, one-of-a-kind, there's no one else like you, and the world is a better place because you're in it. I can hardly believe 10 years has gone by so fast. 10 years! I'm glad I'm your mom. Keep being the person you are... strong-willed, funny, sweet, compassionate, intelligent... to name a few. Happy Birthday, Son. I love you. ~Mom
Saturday, January 10, 2009
L'Abri in Huemoz, Switzerland
Yes, I'm still catching up on posting our 2008 adventures. Yes, I just wanted another excuse to play with this new "Smilebox" feature!
When we found out we would be moving here we sat down for one of our famous family meetings and asked the question, "If you had to choose just one really important thing you wanted to learn or a place you wanted to visit while living in Europe, what would that be?" We went around the table giving our answers. Eli said the Berlin Zoo. (Experienced it!) Isaiah said he wants to see "Big Ben" in London. (So, that one's on the list still.) Ezekiel said he wanted to go to the top of the Eifel Tower in Paris. (Yep! It was Awesome!) And I said I wanted to visit L'Abri in Switzerland. (It was fabulous!) LeRoy and Israel still haven't given their "one thing" answers. Maybe they'll answer theirs at the end when it's all over and they look back and say, "It was that one time when we..." smile.
We went to Switzerland August 29 - 30, 2008.
Some of you know that many (I don't know how many exactly... but, MANY) years ago I decided that I want to leave a sort of "L'Abri Legacy." I want my home to be one full of fun, laughter, high energy, freedom, grace, mercy, laughter, lots of yummy home-cooked meals, support, learning, laughter (did I already mention that?), and lots and lots of LOVE. When I learned of L'Abri and read Edith Schaffaer's book about the adventure of how it all came about, I was so blessed that I started reading every book by her and her husband, Francis Schaffaer, that I could get my hands on.
It has been said that "there were as many people won to Christ by Edith's homemade cinnamon rolls as by Francis' lectures and late-night chats."
They have a website you can check out: www.labri.org/swiss
We had a WONDERFUL time and the children (and myself and LeRoy!) finally got to see what I've talked about for so long. We couldn't stay the night due to Swiss law stating that children under 18 years of age are not allowed, so we left mid-afternoon to begin the adventure of finding a place to stay. So... I'll post the continuing saga (hopefully) soon.
When we found out we would be moving here we sat down for one of our famous family meetings and asked the question, "If you had to choose just one really important thing you wanted to learn or a place you wanted to visit while living in Europe, what would that be?" We went around the table giving our answers. Eli said the Berlin Zoo. (Experienced it!) Isaiah said he wants to see "Big Ben" in London. (So, that one's on the list still.) Ezekiel said he wanted to go to the top of the Eifel Tower in Paris. (Yep! It was Awesome!) And I said I wanted to visit L'Abri in Switzerland. (It was fabulous!) LeRoy and Israel still haven't given their "one thing" answers. Maybe they'll answer theirs at the end when it's all over and they look back and say, "It was that one time when we..." smile.
We went to Switzerland August 29 - 30, 2008.
Some of you know that many (I don't know how many exactly... but, MANY) years ago I decided that I want to leave a sort of "L'Abri Legacy." I want my home to be one full of fun, laughter, high energy, freedom, grace, mercy, laughter, lots of yummy home-cooked meals, support, learning, laughter (did I already mention that?), and lots and lots of LOVE. When I learned of L'Abri and read Edith Schaffaer's book about the adventure of how it all came about, I was so blessed that I started reading every book by her and her husband, Francis Schaffaer, that I could get my hands on.
It has been said that "there were as many people won to Christ by Edith's homemade cinnamon rolls as by Francis' lectures and late-night chats."
They have a website you can check out: www.labri.org/swiss
We had a WONDERFUL time and the children (and myself and LeRoy!) finally got to see what I've talked about for so long. We couldn't stay the night due to Swiss law stating that children under 18 years of age are not allowed, so we left mid-afternoon to begin the adventure of finding a place to stay. So... I'll post the continuing saga (hopefully) soon.
 |
 |
| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)