Field Trip

Do you remember back in school, when your teacher (or mom, for homeschoolers!) told you that you were going on a field trip? Do you remember the excitement that came from breaking out of the regular routine to go do something special -- visit a special place, or special people? And if your field trips were anything like mine in school, the best part of visiting a museum was hitting the souvenier shop on the way back to the bus.

We went on a field trip this weekend :)

The MAIN reason for our adventure was to go spend the night with our best friends. Amanda and I were roomates the year we both were engaged and wedding planning. We're both celebrating 3rd anniversaries this summer, and we've stayed super close. Our husbands have become best friends, too. The only downside is the 2hr drive. It's kind of wonderful to have good friends :)

Midgey making faces at Keith

But remember what I said about hitting the souvenier shop? Oh yeah... even this kind of field trip wouldn't be complete without taking home a memory:

Cottonbabies Cloth Diaper Store

Have I mentioned that I'm COMPELTELY addicted to cloth diapers? I honestly can't imagine any other way. Plus, they're downright darling. I won't tell you how often I've browsed diaper sites, or how much "research" (ahem, window shopping) I did even before Gracie showed up. So when Amanda realized that the Cottonbabies store was only a few minutes from her house, I quite honestly couldn't resist! Lucky coincidence we came down the weekend Gracie outgrew her first set of covers... oh boy! I had an actual REASON to shop, not just a desire! I was more excited than a kid in a candy store.

Yes, I'm that dorky... and so is the cashier! It was an exciting time.

I restrained myself to a couple covers and a couple wet bags (to replace the plastic shopping bags we've been using). And I'm planning a return trip with my mom, who also lives in the area. I thought websites were fun... the brick-and-mortar store is down right better than a theme park.

So if anyone finds themselves in the St. Louis area, let me know and I'll meet you at Cottonbabies! It'll be an adventure!

It Feels Like Home

I've noticed something: I live a busy life. We're always going somewhere, doing something, rarely home for more than a few days -- and if we are at home, we have company. It's a fun life, but ever so exhausting. Part of the problem is that home isn't "home," at least not in my heart. My heart belongs far, far away... and I got to go back this past week for my cousin's graduation.

My dad grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the top of Squirrl Hill. My grandparents are buried there; my cousins still live there (well, a few hills over); my earliest memories are there. Even though I've lived in central Illinois since I was a small girl, every important event was marked by a trip to the mountains. Mom's family lives in or near the mountains, too. Corn fields offer no comparison in terms of beauty, mystery, and peace. Mountains signify home in my heart... especially the ones around Pittsburgh (And your farm, Erika, we just don't get there very often!)

So, I was thrilled when things fell into place for Shaune and I to go with my parents back to Pittsburgh for my cousin Beth's graduation. Shaune's never been out East. While it's always special to revisit home on your own, it is even more special to be able to share that experience with one who's never seen it before.

We visited my grandparents...

Rode the Incline (like a trolly that goes up the side of the mountain)...

Looked over the skyline...

Climbed a mountain to find a waterfall (in a skirt!)...

Played weird instruments (this is a ukelele banjo. I have no idea anything about it)...

And even punched statues (oh to be a 10 year old boy!)...

It's weird how much driving certain streets, climbing certain hills, seeing certain buildings can make a place that has never been "home" feel so much like where I belong. One of these days, we'll live out East. One of these days I'll say good-bye to corn fields and flat and buy a piece of property halfway up a mountain, and home can finally be where both my heart and my body are found!

PS: I DID get all my Civil War sewing completed -- last minute -- and had a total blast at the reenactment this past weekend. More on that when I catch a minute; we have friends in from Liberia, Africa this week and a lot of events to attend with them.

Celebrate the Season You're In

I've been in fast-forward mode lately. My life doesn't look the way I thought it would when I was dreaming ahead six months and a year ago. We don't have a child, nor is one on the way. I've finished college but have little desire to find a position and the market is way down right now anyway. I'm getting antsy and uncomfortable -- I'm ready for the next season of life. But that, dear friends, is not under my control.

I came to the realization late last week that I've just got to get over this. All I'm doing is wasting the time I do have, wishing I were able to do something else. This season of life is special and fleeting. For only a short while do I have the freedom to do whatever I want.

This kind of thinking is exciting. It's how I ended up in Sarasota, Florida over my husband's 4 day weekend.

Our adventure was COMPLETELY unplanned. We got up at about 8am on Friday morning and were just going to go to breakfast at the Cracker Barrel. By 9am we were on the road to Florida. We picked up Shaune's best friend on our way through Clarksville, TN, so he could come to. We arrived in Sarasota at 6am and slept in an Office Max parking lot until we could get ahold of Shaune's friends who live in the area.

We drove 21 hours each way to spend about 36 hours laughing and playing on the beach. Our friends took us out in their speedboat -- we got to cruise along the Gulf of Mexico in the beautiful mid-afternoon sun. We saw author Steven King's house and picked shells. I even got to pet a wild dolphin!

I still wish I were in the next season of life. I still desperately want a house full of children. However, I realize now I can't just sit around waiting and miss the life that I already have. I'm in this season for only a short time. I don't know what God's up to, or what comes next. All I have is today.

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

Traveling

Oh my, what a weekend!

Last summer when my husband and I were wed, his best friend from college traveled up from Tennessee to perform the honor of Best Man. Naturally, when he wed on Saturday, my husband returned the honor. So, Friday morning found us packing up in the car with another of my husband's friends in tow to head the 6 hour journey south to Clarksville.

I made a painful realization about an hour into the drive: car seats are not designed to be comfortable for even my slightly pregnant body. Also, hormones can cause even one who has never, ever been carsick in my life to become nauseaus at the sight of trees rushing by. But I survived, and we made good time and arrived in Clarksville nearly an hour short of what Mapquest estimated. We had a chance to check in and take a nap before we were expected at the rehersal dinner.

Saturday morning I made another painful realization: although so far I've been incredibly careful and have only put on 1-2lbs, every ounce of that seems to be located in my bust. The dress that I had planned to wear for the evening no longer fit. I had to make an emergency trip to the mall to purchase something that did fit correctly. Although my new dress is something I could have easily made myself given the time and was more expensive than I like to pay for things I could make myself, it is a lovely and comfortable find given the short notice. And, I can use it as a pattern to make more to get me through the summer!

The wedding itself was fun. The couple is unique, to say the least, and the wedding reflected their style. They rented a cabin way way out in the woods by the riverside; it was absolutely beautiful. And, although most of us were in modern dress, there was a contingent of pirates present -- including the officiant. My husband and the groom were dressed as South American land-owners, in baggy white clothes and slouchy straw hats. The vows were written by the bride and grood and reflected the pirate idea. They were actually quite beautiful. The officiant introduced them at the end of the wedding as "Mr. and Mrs. Hack -- both Captains and First Mates of their ship of love!" It was down on a little jet of land in the river with the sunset framed behind them.

The party was great. Although they had hired a band, the reception functioned more as an open-mike time and included guest talents such as a Mexican dancer and my husband on banjo (I'm so proud of him, he's gotten so much better in his playing! And he looks so comfortable!)

We made it home, safe, sound, and exhausted. I plan on avoiding travel as much as humanly possible for the rest of this pregnancy because it is so uncomfortable! We pulled in at home at 5, and I took a 3 hour nap. It's now almost 10, and I think I'll still be fine to sleep through the night! Pregnancy is exhausting. But, it's back to work in the morning, so I'll have to fill you in more later!

The cold days of winter

Today is nearly the last day of winter break. On Tuesday morning, I have to resume my place in the drudgery that is the American education system. These 6 weeks at home, learning about myself as a wife and a homemaker, have been heavenly. I feel like I've accomplished so much! I never realized that being home alone all day could be so fulfilling. As sad as I am to go back to school, I take joy in the fact that I have only 6 more classes, then 15 weeks of student teaching before I graduate with my Bachelor's in Elementary Education. Although it's hard to be motivated now, my husband and I have talked repeatedly about the benefits it will bring to our future family, especially if we move to a state that is not homeschool-friendly.

Here's what I've completed during my brief stay at home:

1. Sewing my Regency Christmas dress, start to finish.
2. Crocheting a little stuffed mousey for a friend's baby (see the adorable pattern here)
   
3. Reorganizing the study/spare bedroom
4. Sewing new flannel pajamas for myself and my husband
5. Decorating for Christmas and hosting a Christmas party
   
6. Reading several good books
   
7. Canceling cable television (we decided, after much discussion, that it wasn't worth the cost and was only bringing filth into our home) and reworking our budget to increase giving
8. Baking many tasties in the kitchen
   
9. Going on a wonderful honeymoon to celebrate my marriage with my soul mate

and...

1. Quite possibly started on the road to mommy-hood! Although we're still waiting for a positive test, my body is telling me that I am carrying treasure. No period, sleeping 12-15 hours a day, constant nausea, coupled with bloating that makes even my most comfortable clothing a little uncomfortable is cluing me in to the idea that maybe I'm in the small percentage of women who don't get enough hormone in their waste to ever get a positive test. I plan to call a doctor and ask for a blood test next week, if nothing changes.

It wasn't until this break that I realized how much SAHMs or SAHWs actually get done. I've been in the public school system from preschool through college (the end is near...) and have constantly been told that a woman without a job is worthless, especially if she doesn't have children. This teaching has always conflicted with the tug in my heart towards home, which has only gotten stronger as I've grown in my faith. When I worked in a daycare center, my heart would break every day as mothers and children would tearfully say good-bye. Certainly leaving a piece of yourself behind so you can "work" isn't natural!

My husband and I decided even before the wedding that I would stay home once we had little ones, but my mind was still filled with lingering doubts about my ability to do that well. It wasn't until just a few days ago that I found peace with making my own schedule and finding contentment in my own explorations and projects rather than those assigned to me by professors. Home certainly offers a different kind of life, but has it's own peaceful, sustaining rhythm. Home is where I'm called to be. I am counting down the days until I can be home for good.

Interesting...

So I either have the strangest stomach bug I've ever experienced, or I came home from my honeymoon with an extra souvenir! I've been nauseous since Friday morning and haven't managed to do much around the house between naps -- including a 5 hr one yesterday (I woke up at 8pm and I still slept through the night).

We went to visit my mother-in-law this afternoon and she kept staring at me and grinning, then told my husband that she'd "babysit anytime!"

A test this morning was negative, but it is still a little early according to the calender. I'm quite uncomfortable, but my dear husband has been an angel catering to my every whim. Hopefully we'll know for certain by the end of the week. In the mean time, I'd appreciate a few hours of feeling ok, because the kitchen has become an absolute disaster and I can't bring myself to deal with it :-)

Life just got a whole lot more interesting!

Conversations

It’s fascinating the conversations you can have while traveling, with strangers as well as those in your party. This honeymoon week provided many such opportunities to converse with those outside of my normal “safe” world. Some were fascinating, some were tearful, and some may be making drastic changes in my upcoming life. All relate to the bigger picture God’s been painting in my life – shaping me into a more aware, more compassionate woman seeking Him more every day.

Tuesday night after a cold afternoon of sledding (down real mountains! It was so exciting), Shaune and I went to a café in a little tiny mountain town for dinner. As we settled in, a German woman and her American husband sat in the table next to us. We struck up a fabulous conversation about the area, as well as about global travel. It was fascinating to hear her talk about the differences between home and here, as well as the struggles she went through to become an official U.S. resident (as opposed to a student visa) without losing her German citizenship.

Christmas Eve found us invited to join the B&B owner and her friends at a small country church, with h’or dourves beforehand. My heart broke when our host explained her life before purchasing the B&B. She had been the wife of a dignitary and had lived abroad for 17 years. She and her husband lived in Peru and London before their final stint in Germany, where her husband went crazy and left her. She moved back to the States to open the inn as a way of supporting herself and starting over. As sad as this conversation was, she cheered up when she showed us her collections from Peru. She had beautiful fabric, paintings, statues, and many more little bits of memories of her favorite home abroad. I was stirred as I always am when I see mementos from abroad.

We checked out of the inn on Friday morning and went to visit my relatives in the mountains of Tennessee. Our entire visit was a fascinating conversation. My relatives spent several years in Uganda as missionaries with Habitat for Humanity. This spring, they are participating in a fundraising campaigned for Habitat and returning to the village where my cousins grew up. In addition, my dearest cousin is spending the semester in Tanzania working with the World Health Organization. We talked and talked about the joys, sorrows, blessings, and struggles of their life and raising the kids abroad (they’re both in college now).

If this all were not enough, I spent four hours drinking coffee with two Bolivian sisters on the last night of our voyage while my husband and his best friend reconnected at another Martial Artist’s home.

My husband and I have had an on-going conversation since long before the wedding about two topics: one, his love for the culture of Brazil, and two, our passionate desire to serve those less fortunate than ourselves. So far that passion has driven us to local missions such as Meals on Wheels and the homeless shelter down town. However, on the drive home through the glorious foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Shaune turned to me and asked if I’ve ever thought about serving Christ abroad as a long-term missionary. I have. I had been ready to go to Africa for a 3 month stint before I met him and other challenges blocked my path. After a pause, he once again turned to me and said, “Let’s go.” Within minutes of arriving at our home (last night) we were online searching for companies that need our skills in Brazil. We sent out an interest form and hope to hear back sometime in the next week or two.

And I thought I was just going on my honeymoon. Funny, that God we follow.

Adventures in Mountain-Land

Our honeymoon is absolutely amazing. I've never had so much fun in my entire life -- including the actual wedding (which to be honest, was stressful as can be imagined and I was thrilled when it was over). The primary characteristic of this vacation is... nothing. We're staying at a bed & breakfast where the sweet innkeeper prepares our meals and always has a snack on the table. There's a lovely fireplace. A cute little town. And my personal favorite... lots of rocks to climb! Since I was a little girl, I've always enjoyed going "up, up, up!" especially on rocks. I love to look at the world from a different angle.

Nothing can compare with rocks over water. When it's warm enough (sadly, it's not right now) I sit down and just stare as the water moves around me. Waterfalls are hypnotizing.



We check out on Friday then visit with relatives all over the country for the next three days. I'm sad and joyful at the same time -- this will be my first Christmas ever away from my family, which is hard to imagine, but at the same time I'm with my dear husband alone, making new traditions for our family-to-be.

Merry Christmas, blog-world! Don't forget to thank the Savior, who is the cause of all this celebration!

Honeymoon!

Tomorrow, at 5:00:00pm, my beloved and I leave on our honeymoon! We were married 4 1/2 months ago, on August 2nd, but were unable to take a trip at that time because my college classes resumed almost immediately after the wedding. That, and our wedding was originally scheduled for December 20th and we'd already booked the cabin. We moved the date up for a wide variety of reasons, and I am SO glad we did.

Why, in this culture, the first thing people assume with young marriage is that the girl is already pregnant? This belief is especially prevalent in the university culture I've been a part of for the last four years (the end is near...). It seems like the only reason people in the "intelligent" community marry is because of an "accident." I hate this mindset with a passion and am doing everything I know how to change it. Some of us marry because we love each other and God has placed us in each other's life with enough stability that staying apart only creates unnecessary tension. You don't have to be 30 to be "grown up."

Well... back to the honeymoon. We had planned on skiing but the weather doesn't look like it will cooperate. So we're packing up the guitar, hymn books, board games, sewing, and more to snuggle up in front of the cabin's fire place -- a luxury we don't have in our little apartment. And once we get back, every penny goes in the piggy so we can buy a house before we have too many littles running around.

See you after the first -- 2009!