I think she really loves me...

Shhhhhh...It's me... Blake...I thought I would hijack a post to tell you how incredible my wife is. This morning I went to Menard's to buy insulation for our new garage thinking this was going to be my job for the rest of the day. BUT everything changed with one question when I got home.

Christine: "Blake, is there anything you want me to get done today?"

Blake: (OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS! milliseconds pass; my thoughts: Can I really ask her?; no this is your job; but she asked me; OK,take the chance.) "Well, how would you like to install the insulation in the garage?"

Christine: (Delay) "Sure... if you show me what to do."

Blake: (Never spoke ... This is the best day of my life!!! I hate insulation! Wait! Am I taking advantage of my wife. No! She ASKED me. She said YES. Guilt gone.)

She spent all day hanging insulation in the garage. By the end of the day she has insulation cough, achy arms but was glistening from head to toe (literally from the fiberglass) and even had a smile on her face. Best of all my entire garage had insulation and I didn't have to touch it.

BABE...YOU ROCK...well actually that's next weeks job!

I love you!

P.S. I didn't even get a picture to post...that's why I'm not the blogger:)

The White Mountains of NH...

Blake and I 'escaped' a couple of days to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It was a kind-of-planned and kind-of-last-minute decision which we TOTALLY, ABSOLUTELY enjoyed. At one point during the weekend we mentioned how it would be easy to say, "This is just the trip we NEEDED" but we decided instead that the trip was in reality an amazing gift from our Saviour.

BELOW (left to right): outside our room at the Kearsarge Inn in the little town of North Conway, resting on some of the MANY rocks we traversed on our way to the peak, sunset picture while walking to dinner.

It was 'peak season' in the lower elevations and a bit 'past peak' in the higher elevations but all in all, the sights were far above what we had hoped for/anticipated. Magnificant! Incredible! Breathtaking! A camera lens can by no means capture the vastness, the expansive vistas that were simply EVERYWHERE but here's an attempt to share some of the sights. Did you realize, fellow MidWesteners, just how flat our part of the country is?!?

Below you can see the color changes from higher to lower elevations. We found it humorous that the brochure for this trail indicated it was for those with 'obediant children and/or pets only...' :)

You would not guess my husband is afraid of heights based on the second picture. I think he was momentarily mesmorized by the view and forgot his fear.

We did LOTS of hiking. And...while I would love to share with you the specific trails we traversed...well...that's simply NOT going to be possible. The truth of the matter is that there were times when we were not certain just exactly where we were OR where we were headed. My fearless husband was not the least bit concerned...the same could not be said of his wife :)Thanks to advance research, our meals were somewhat adventurous & mostly quite delicious. Our mornings started with fresh scones from the bakery next door which we 'nibbled' while sipping coffee/hot

chocolate on the wrap-around porch at the Inn.

The Flatbread Co. offered an entirely organic menu consisting of salads & pizza only. The 'secret' salad ingredient was arame, a Japanese seaweed, which was quite bland-tasting but supposedly packed with nutrients (interesting). The atmosphere was very earthy, very eclectic and quite different than our typical MidWest dining.

This picture (to the right) was taken at one of our favorites of the weekend, The Thompson House Eatery located in Jackson. While my dinner consisted of delicious crab cakes & wild rice, Blake's entree was amazing. Called 'The Outer Banks' it consisted of salmon, shrimp, scallops and Atlantic mussels sauteed with asparagus and mushrooms in a fresh tomato, sherry and dill broth served on baby spinach with wild rice & scallion custard garnished with crab meat aioli. Wow!

We even visited one resturant TWICE b/c the cooking was of the down-home variety; it was a little place just a block from our inn called The Stairway. I am hoping to duplicate the apple & cheddar omlet myself -- yummy!

So, that pretty much covers the highlights of the past several days. The majesty of our God was so very evident as we soaked in His artistry within the trees and mountains and streams...

Down on the Farm...

It's harvesttime; one of my favorite times of the year! IF we had a prenuptial, it would without a doubt include a clause requiring an annual trek downstate during the months of September or October :)

That said, we did spend this past weekend at my parent's farm. I was mainly responsible for driving the tractor & auger-wagon between the combine and the grain truck, a task that allowed me to give rides to nieces, nephews and cousins who wanted to 'join in the fun' on the farm. My trooper-of-a-husband took a break for dislodging the sidewalk in front of my parent's house to harvest a couple rounds of corn, his first attempt at driving a combine (see below, the blurry image inside the cab, Blake and my dad).

Here are some random shots from the weekend; our 'photoshoots' while waiting between wagon loads. (first picture): Matthew, my cousin. (second & third): Kara, my niece, who provided UNLIMITED poses for the camera. At one point she confidently proclaimed, "Oh, my mother will LOVE these pictures. I just KNOW." (fourth): Ethan, my nephew, who would choose being on the farm (with grandpa) over being in school...any day of the week!

This last picture is random; an abandomed corncrib which I passed during my drive home thru the countryside yesterday afternoon. I simply HAD to pull over & capture the tranquility of the image before heading back into the hustle-and-bustle of the suburbs.

The GOOD and the Not-So-Good...

The best word to describe the last week or so of our adoption journey? Tumultuous.

Last week we received details that our (Alexander) Tamirat is a busy, happy and growing little boy who loves his nannies. WoW! News like that does a mama's heart GOOD! Additionally, due to the delays we've experienced, our agency was able to secure some photographs from the orphanage staff and so we have new images of our little guy which we can share with those we see in person (but unfortunately not on any public forum). Cuteness, I tell you!

This afternoon we received an updated health report. Within the last 30 days, our little guy lost half a pound...do NOT be alarmed, he's got some chubbiness to spare! :) He's grown over 2-inches in length. He is on-the-charts for both measurements which is really GOOD for an infant growing up at an orphanage. Good! Good! Good!

And then, earlier this week, we received our court date assignment (GOOD). BUT it is not until November 11th (not-so-good). While I realize the date is only 5-weeks away, based on preliminary projections from our agency we had expected a court date assignment for sometime this week, next week at the VERY latest. For some reason (unknown to us) there is only one judge currently hearing cases & the ET courts will be slow-moving for the next several weeks. Fierce disappointment as this delay greatly diminishes our chances of having Alexander home with us before the Christmas holiday.

The GOOD and the not-so-good. Circumstances change. God does not. He is good ALL THE TIME. "...He works all things together for good..." and we are instructed to "...give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever..."

Good Times & Some Parenting Practice...

Ethan, Kara and Ty came home with us after church yesterday so their parents could have a date. My creativity in childcare is limited but I make every attempt to prevent the dreaded words..."This is boring!" to spill from the lips of any child.

So...in an attempt to be a "fun" aunt and uncle, we first headed to the BIG park, where the most exciting activity seemed to be chasing & treeing squirrels. Go figure! I had to remind Ethan that we were NOT on the farm and he should not pretend to shoot a gun! :)

A teenage couple was swinging nearby Kara and she found their dark clothes/make-up and brightly colored hair fascinating (INSERT: staring). At one point, she SHOUTED from her swing..."What words are those people saying?" I explained to her quietly that some people use God's name differently than how we use it in Sunday School/church. I told her the couple was choosing to use the word "God" in a way that did not make Him happy. At least, that's what I attempted to explain but I am certain I need some more 'parenting practice' to come up with applicable answers on-the-spot. Hopefully, my fumbled words made sense to her.

Next we headed to Glen Ellyn's newest food establishment, "2 Toots!" It is a novelty resturant where a small toy-train delivers one's food. Between the toy-train food delivery system, the TV screen playing a Thomas the Train cartoon and a large picture window overlooking the REAL train tracks a 1/2 block away, it would be safe to say the food was NOT the main attraction. The kids did manage to put away their chicken nuggets, fries and chocolate milk WITH a whip cream dollop!

We walked home via the prairie path, Ethan pointed out the rats scurring in the grass (thanks, Ethan!) and Ty was our commentator announcing each passerby..."Look! 1 biker. 2 runner. Big dog! Where's the dog going?" We passed a homeless man and I quickly distracted his attention; not sure what he what he might come up with. About halfway home, he looked at me and said in his sing-songy voice..."This boring." OH NO! Good thing Uncle Blake was sighted headed in our direction & the kids were distracted with a footrace. Boredom avoided ;)

Upon arriving back at our house, we discovered we had at least an hour before Eric & Gina returned so we headed to the SMALL park just up the street. Fortunately, the lack of play equipment was overlooked due to there being a 'big, dark, scary forest behind it'. The forest had a walking path so we spent some time exploring and accumulating more & more mosquito bites.

It was a REALLY fun afternoon. Thanks for coming kids! HAPPY Belated BIRTHDAY, Ethan! We love you!

Always...by Steve Green

I 'stumbled' across this song recently. The lyrics/melody reached deep inside my heart, a reminder of God's faithfullness....ALWAYS.

Remembering Leslie...

It's been almost 2 months since my friend, Leslie, defeated cancer.

1990's. My first memories of Leslie were on the volleyball court; we played on opposing/rival teams in central Illinois. I cannot accurately recall the winning/losing ratio of our many matches but I do remember one very clearly. We were both seniors, playing in the championship match of the single-elimination Regionals tournament. The match was hard-fought. We left everything on the court. My team won. Admist the high-fives and cheers and laughter and celebration, I saw Leslie sitting in the corner of the bleachers. She was crying. Amidst much badgering from my teammates, I crossed into 'enemy territory' and wrapped my arms around her. The words, if any, were few. Friendship superceded victory.

FLASH FORWARD: 1 year later. This time, we're not in a gym. We're in a church. Leslie and I stand side-by-side moments before we are baptized. Unaware of what lies ahead, we publicly acknowlege our desire to surrender our lives to the will of the Father, to live by HIS grace, regardless of the cost.

FLASH FORWARD: 13 years later, yesterday. I witnessed the baptism of two high school-aged friends. As I listened to each one make a convenant to be true & faithful to the Lord all the days of their lives, my knees trembled. With silent tears pooling in my eyes and a few trickling down my cheek, I turned to Blake and whispered, "Leslie. I am remembering Leslie." His compassionate reply was uttered without a moment's hesitation, "She won...remember. She fulfilled her promise."

Although our path's seldom crossed in the past 13 years, my heart has been touched by her life & grieved by her death. It's a new experience for me; losing a friend/a peer. Questions lurk in the corners of my mind, the most significant: What if it were me? Am I keeping my promise to God? Am I living my life for His glory? What if it were me? Am I impacting the lives of those around me? Do I understand & live out the Word, leaving no question as to Whom I serve? What if it were me? Is my marriage a reflection of God's unconditional love? Do I verbalize to my family & friends that I love them, that I respect them & value their contribution to my life? What if it were me?

At Leslie's memorial a few weeks ago, two of her friends sang a song by Natalie Grant entitled, "In Better Hands". In those time when I can override my emotions & listen to the reality of what I know to be Truth, the following words speak comfort.

"There is hope when my faith runs out
Cause I'm in better hands now
It's like the sun is shining when the rain is pouring down
It's like my soul is flying though my feet are on the ground
So take this heart of mine there's no doubt...
I'm in better hands now."

Praying that each one who reads this entry will seek & discover God's love personally so that whether we live or whether we die, like Leslie, we can find ourselves IN BETTER HANDS.