The Well Rounded Mama

"Want to go to the beach?"

I woke up on Monday morning and took a walk.  I was feeling the reality of the fact that while I have been being good with really resting during this pregnancy, I haven't been as good at continuing to get adequate exercise. So, I got up and at about 6:15, headed out down my street.

It was a gorgeous morning.  The mountains were clear, the views stunning, the fresh air invigorating.  I kept thinking, "I need more of this."

So twenty minutes later, I got home and said to Jason, "Want to go to the beach?"

Jason had mentioned a number of times in the past few months about wanting to go to the beach over our Christmas break.  I was very hesitant, mostly because of the long drive and my intense desire to "just be home."

So, although this beach was a place he had wanted to go, Jason doesn't quite have my level of spontaneousness and was rather shocked at my suggestion that we go...and that we leave in a few hours. So I gave him some time to process (a whole hour! Ha!) and finally we decided to go for it.  We packed up for a few days with no plan other than "to go to the beach" and we headed out.  The kids were thrilled...love that they are always up for an adventure!

The drive was longer than anticipated (turned out to be about six hours) and deciding on a hotel wasn't a smooth process, but in the end we found a gorgeous place to stay.  I SO wish pictures could do it justice...but there is just no way.  We had a family suite at a gorgeous homestay.  The whole place was filled with gardens and flowers and stone paths. We had our own porch out back and I declared it one of the most amazing places ever.  It would make a gorgeous honeymoon location!

Out our front door

 

Around the hotel grounds

 

The kids loved the giant chess set

 

My sweet girl working on her own Photo a Day project

My other sweet girl just being her beautiful, happy self.

___

We were only gone for two nights but we were able to make it to the beach a few times.  It was just a few minute walk and it was nice to just spend a few hours playing in the sand and the water.  It was really fun to see the kids get used to beach and the waves and to go from being timid to just LOVING the waves.  I'm so glad that they are good enough swimmers (other than Katie) that they can venture out on their own.  It took some time though!

The first time we visited it was mainly just to check it out.  The sand is a dark volcanic sand and the kids were quite excited to change clothes and come back to play.

Later in the day (after eating and swimming in the pool) we headed back to the beach.  Alaina was ready to get in the water but the boys and Katie were quite content to play in the sand.

The next morning we headed to the beach once again, and this time the kids were much more interested in the water.  It started with a lot of just being close to mom and dad...

 

 

And sitting at the edge of the water, getting used to the feel of the waves...

And then the girls were ready to start venturing out a bit farther...the boys would take a few steps and retreat back to the beach.

And of course, they were photographed 18 bazillion times by any Indonesian that walked by.

Eventually, though, the boys decided the waves were worth exploring and they had a great time.  Caleb -- more than once -- declared playing in the waves "the best thing EVER!"

I don't have more pictures of them playing in the water because we were all so busy enjoying being together in the waves.  But believe me when I say they had a blast and I just loved watching their fear dissipate and their love of the ocean grow.

We headed back home that day...a short but oh-so-sweet trip. The drive home was long...another six hours...but at least we were able to enjoy the gorgeous views. A lot of this...

And a good deal of this...

Getting away is just so good...we had some hard moments but good things came of it...maybe even life changing. I am thankful for my burst of spontaneity and thankful my family could indulge me. Three days away on a trip to the beach with my family...the best $150 ever spent.

He's Still THE ONE

Eleven years ago I married my sweet Jason. I have no idea how 11 years happened, but it did.  It has been a wild ride and there is no one I would rather be riding with.

We met in the summer of 1996.  We were both counseling at the same camp.  I didn't think much of him, though I distinctly remember saying to someone,

 

"He is going to be an amazing father someday!"

 

And that was it for 1996.

 

Fast forward two years.  It is 1998 and we are both back at camp.  I had since travelled to India and knew I wanted to work with kids overseas.  He had asked a friend questions about me.  A week or so into the summer and we knew things were happening.

It wasn't easy for me.  I was scared.  I had prayed -- for many years -- that there would be no other men in my life until THE ONE.  I had spent four years grieving over a past relationship -- a relationship that when ended, flipped my life upside down and back again. A few times.  So my prayer was: no more -- no one until THE ONE. I couldn't risk it again. I love too deeply.

When I heard the words, "I want to work in a second or third world country doing youth ministry" come out of his mouth, I think I knew. As the summer went on, I knew I knew.  He was it.

We had a summer together, officially "not together" due to camp rules. Then we had ten days.  Then I left to study abroad in Israel for the semester.

Lots and lots of middle of the night phone calls. Scores of emails and letters.  Tears shed. Prayers prayed. Wisdom sought. 

I arrived back in the States in time for his sister's funeral. We had Thanksgiving and Christmas together. He was job searching -- all over the world.  I still had a semester of school to finish.  We trusted God. The ONE door that God opened for him was fifteen minutes from my college. We were engaged in February. 

Married December 17, 1999.

Since then we have...

• Lived in Indiana, India, Colorado Springs, Malaysia, Nebraska, Florida, and Indonesia
• Ran a sports department together for three years
• Dormparented over 80 kids.
• Lost three babies before we met them
• Have been blessed with four amazing kids, born in three countries.  Soon to be five in four.
• Have moved house EVERY SUMMER we have been married
• Been through ups, downs, and all arounds.

And through it all, he is still THE ONE.

 

At our wedding we had an anniversary dance.  We played Shania Twain's, "You're Still the One."  Even then, I knew there were those who thought we wouldn't make it.  We come from two different worlds. But we knew we would make it.  We knew that God had brought us together and that He would hold us together.  Eleven years. Hoping for at least fifty more.

 

I could spend a lot of time sharing what I love about him.  The list isn't short.  But in the end, if I had to just pick one thing, I know what I would choose.  I would go back to the first thing I ever thought about him...way back in 1996 when I had absolutely no interest in him:

 

"He is going to be an amazing father someday!"

 

Someday is now.  He is THE MOST AMAZING FATHER IN THE WORLD. Is he perfect?  No.  That's good though, since I am far from the perfect mother.  But he is amazing because he does the second most important job as a father.  Other than pointing his kids to Christ, I believe the most important thing a father can do for his children is to love them in such a way that they never, ever, EVER question that they have a father who loves them.  And really, since an earthly father is a tangible example of our Heavenly father, those two jobs are really one in the same, aren't they?  A child who never, ever, EVER has to wonder, "Does my father love me? hopefully will never have reason to question the unfailing love of God.

And my kids never, ever, EVER have to wonder if their dad loves them.  Every day he demonstrates his love in tangible ways. Our kids may find other faults in him, but I would bet my life (and more) that they will never question his love. And that is the number one reason I love him.  There are a billion others, but that is the one that gets me through the "I am so mad at him I could spit" days.  That is the one that helps me deal with the socks on the floor, the dishes at the table, and much-too-Asian timetable he runs on.  He loves our kids.  He loves me.

He is still THE ONE.

 

From this:

To this:

To my sweet Jason:

I have no idea why you married me and why you still love me.  But I am thankful.  And even though I don't always say it, and although I don't always show it, I love you more than words could ever say. You are the reason I kept going...even before I knew there was a you. You are the reason that I decided on that fateful day in my freshman dorm room that life WAS worth living.  More than anything, I wanted a husband to be with forever and children to love and a life to live. So I chose LIFE and I waited.  And then there was you.

I am blessed beyond measure. Our kids are blessed.  I hope and pray that our family will be a blessing.  I want others to know that it IS possible.  When I was a teenager I saw Tom and Joyce walking around camp holding hands and for the first time in my life I thought, "Maybe love and marriage IS possible." I hope that we can one day be that "old" couple still holding hands that inspires others. Because if I have learned anything over the last eleven years, I have learned that true love is possible, even through hard times.  Even through miscarriages.  Even through fights.  Even through dark nights of the soul.  Even through four crazy kids. Even through five of MY pregnancies.  Through it all, we've made it.  After eleven years, you are still THE ONE.

 

 

 

When I first saw you, I saw love
And the first time you touched me, I felt love
And after all this time, you're still the one I love

Looks like we made it
Look how far we've come my baby
We mighta took the long way
We knew we'd get there someday

They said, "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on
We're still together still going strong

(You're still the one)
You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life

(You're still the one)
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night

Ain't nothin' better
We beat the odds together
I'm glad we didn't listen
Look at what we would be missin'

They said, "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on
We're still together still going strong

(You're still the one)
You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life

(You're still the one)
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night
You're still the one

I'm so glad we made it
Look how far we've come my baby

A Few Family Pictures

My mom has been been bugging me for a family picture for her to include in Christmas cards.  It had been over a year since we had taken any photos of all of us, so I knew it was time to try for some new ones.  I had planned on trying a number of times and then decided against it (while mornings are the best time for us for pictures -- afternoons are too wet -- mornings are NOT the best time for getting six people dressed and out of the house).  Finally, I could put it off no longer and we decided to try for some before leaving for church on Sunday.  I was hoping for a good 45 minutes to an hour, but, as life goes, we only had about 15 minutes.  The end results were only so-so, but at least it got me in the mood for trying again another day.  It has been much too long since I took pictures of the kids just for the fun of it.  I actually found a place tonight that I think will be lots of fun...hoping my family will let me play this weekend.  In the meantime, though, here are a few that we took.  The full family one was done on a remote interval timer.  Not a great picture, but, for the sake of my mom's Christmas cards, it will have to do.

 

 

And here are a few of the kids.  A little too "school picture-ish" for my liking, but better these than nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

And a few others...

 

 

Caleb insisted we do one "biggest to smallest"

 

Dad and the kiddos...total goofs

 

 

I asked Alaina to snap a few of Jason and me.  I'm sad she chopped off our feet, but I do love having a few new pictures (even if my not-so-little 23 week belly had to be in it).

 

 

A Weekend Away

Part of Jason's job as Athletic Director is to travel with the teams for their annual tournaments. This past weekend the basketball teams traveled 12 hours in a bus to Salatiga, home of Mountainview International Christian School. There, a number of smaller English speaking schools from around Indonesia gathered for a weekend of sport and fellowship.  For the first time, I traveled with Jason and the teams.  I have always wanted to go in the past, but between me nursing all last year and also not having anyone to watch the kids, I never went.  But this time, Jason really wanted me to go and I really had no reason not to -- so I went.  I was anxious about leaving the kids for three days, but I knew they would be fine and the time away with my hubby would be good.  And...I love seeing new places.

Although I don't think most people enjoyed the 12 hour bus ride, I was in pure bliss.  Twelve straight hours of being awake + having no demands placed on me meant 12 hours of reading, listening to music, napping when the urge struck, and talking with other adults.  Bliss for sure.

The rest of the weekend was great (minus the food poisoning experienced by about ten of our players/coaches/fans).  The town of Salatiga is beautiful and I LOVED the small town feel.  A town of 175,000 may not sound small, but when you live on Java -- one of the most densely populated places on the planet -- and you live in a city of 4 million people, a small town of 175,000 is heavenly!  I just loved walking around, seeing the people and the homes and the shops.  I love small towns!

Being away from the kids was hard and I spent considerable amount of time sitting at the playground watching lots of little kids play, but I have to admit that the time away was really good for me.  I spent lots of time reading and thinking and praying and being refreshed and renewed in my goals, both as a mother and as a child of God.  There have been some deep things (good things) going on in my heart the last few months and this was the first opportunity I have had to really try to process them. The highlight was definitely on Saturday night when Jason went to a banquet and I stayed back at the hotel.  I was able to fully prostrate myself before God and enter into an amazing time of prayer -- with little speaking and LOTS of listening.  God is so, so good.

And if being away for a little while was good, coming home was even better!  Jason was given the day off (due to our 3 am arrival home!) and we spent the whole day together as a family.  Lunch with friends, a beautiful drive, lots of wrestling and hugs and kisses...all topped off with a yummy dinner of cinnamon bun pancakes with white maple syrup. Perfection.

A Day Trip with the Hubby

 

With less than a week of school vacation left, Jason and I decided we needed to take the chance to have some time alone while we still can.  It isn't often that we get to spend an entire day together sans kids. It was a last minute decision to go (as in like an hour before we left) but it wasn't hard to know what I wanted to do -- DRIVE.  I love being in the car and I love seeing new places but doing it with kids in the car raises any and all suicidal tendencies I have inside of me.  Our kids are pretty amazing 99% of the time...and then there is the 1% of the time, when we are all in a car together, and let's just say their angelic qualities don't quite shine. So...we rarely go for long car rides.  Unfortunately that means we haven't gotten to see a lot of the sites/towns near us.  There was a town about two hours from us that I have wanted to see, so off we went!

It was a gorgeous drive!  It would have been nicer if it hadn't been so foggy, but still, I love the views!

We had our Indonesia guide book with us and we saw that not far from where we were heading was one of the only Hindu temples in West Java. After three years of living in India, we were naturally curious.  Hindu temples are amazing to look at!    

We found the place and got to take these cool bamboo rafts across a small lake to the island where the temple was

On our way over, we had a lot of laughing and hollering and "Hey Mister!"'s coming from this group of girls ("Hey Mister" is what most Indonesians say to foreigners -- it is often the only English they know and say it to women as well as men.)

View from the dock

When we got to the island we were very surprised that the beautiful temple we were expecting was just this

With a tiny little god inside

So, it wasn't much to see but the experience was worth it.  At least there were some cool trees.

And, if all things work out, all of us will be going to India this summer for three weeks and we'll get to see plenty of cool temples there.  After our three minute look at the temple we walked around the tiny island a bit.  The rice paddies were truly stunning!

Afterward we drove onto the town we wanted to see and visited THE MOST AMAZING hotel EVER...I didn't take pictures but we are trying to make it work to stay there for a night...so stay tuned!

So all in all in was an amazing day out and it is good to remember what we are like as a married couple -- not just co-parents.  AND it was great to see all the amazing sites right near us -- we were only gone for about seven hours and saw so much!  Can't wait to do more of it!

 

For the First Time in More than 3 Years

Jason and I had a night (and morning) out alone -- NO KIDS.  No kids for 19 hours. No diaper changing, no sippy cups, no trips to the potty, no "MOM!", no books with pictures.  Nineteen hours of just us.  Hard to believe it had been over three years since we had done that.  It was wonderful...time to talk, time to sleep, time to just be us and remember why we love each other. 

However, as much as we were overdue for a night out, and as much as we LOVED it (especially eating at the breakfast buffet where my husband said, "this is so weird...I am not getting three or four other plates, then running to get mine and shoving it down fast enough that I get a few bites before they are done and want more")...as much as it is good to be together, there were also no pitter patter of little feet (and with all tiles floors in our home we have a lot of this), no "Mommy, I love you," no sweet three year old giggles, no pile of kids on my lap for story time, no little hands in mine, no crazy dances on the floor, no prayers and kisses from my babies goodnight.

It was good to get away, but boy was it good to see them again!