The Spradley Four

How i like to spend my afternoons...

2011-11-28T15:07:00.000-08:00

pumpkin muffins and tea outside with neighbors!

Starting Thanksgiving

2011-11-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving always comes and goes so quickly. You come to this point in the fall and say, "What?! Thanksgiving is almost here?" and then suddenly it's gone and all we can think about is Christmas. Ok, i admit, i'm thinking about Christmas even when i say Thanksgiving is almost here... come on, it's Christmas!!!! but this year I wanted to spend a little more time intentionally celebrating Thanksgiving. i love the idea of having hearts that are full of gratitude. it's something i'd

like to see more in my own heart. So here is our homely, scratchy, but very thankful tree.

DIY or more like GYHTDI (get your husband to do it)

2011-10-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

I love our new TV armoire. I love my husband. (not in that order) I know that i when i picked up this 5 buck garage sale find last May i had all these grand thoughts of how i would paint it... but Daryl really is the better painter and since he wouldn't let me do much painting after he saw my work on the primer coat... i guess he thought so too! Daryl and i work very differently... and to be honest, we're still growing in being able to do a project together and actually have fun with the process rather than get annoyed with each other!

I feel grateful for Daryl's hard work and that our living room is now in order... i love how it turned out and already suggested that we paint our dinning room table next. Daryl said he needed a little time off before jumping into another big project... no problem! i'll just get started on the primer!

From my Desk: Personal Cards

2011-10-18T17:03:00.001-07:00

I love making these little cards. Usually i include them with birthday presents for the little girls in our lives. but i'm also working on a set for some adults and myself as well. These are a thoughtful and relatively easy gift idea for special people in your life. Here's how you can make them too!

Step 1. Draw a doodle picture of the intended subject. (I always do it in pencil and then go over with a thin black pen.) As i explained to my girls, it's ok to make mistakes, we just erase it and try again. Anyone else out there like to be perfect the first time? we're still learning the art of working on something to get it how we like it.

Step 2. Scan the picture to your computer.

Step 3. Insert it to a word doc or other program(Publisher is easier to use than Word). Size it to make it smaller so that it will fit at the bottom right side. I always 4 to a page, so the cards are 51/2 x 4 inch (i didn't know that, i just measured one!) Copy the pictures and paste it 3 times so that you have four total. Play around so that all four are in the right spot.

Step 4. Add the name, (optional) i usually add a text box and type their name so that it is nice and clear.

Step 5. print and cut!

This time, the girls wanted to make their own cards too. (yeah for color printer!)

a trip to the desert

2011-10-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

One of our family's favorite places to get out of the city and into quiet is Joshua Tree National Park. We took the girls there Monday for an actual overnight trip

which was quite the feat around here. We've been many times before (although its been a while since we went as a family) and it was the first time we've ever camped as a family. Usually we pack as though we are camping, get a spot, pay the fee, have a fire, eat smores, watch for shooting stars and then load the girls in the car and drive the 2 1/2 hours back home- it's not that we don't like camping, (ok, i'm still a little on the fence) we both grew up camping and always envisioned doing so with our girls. But with many of Daryl health problems being sleep related, getting a good night rest for him could not include the word; tent.

So this trip was very special for our family. We thoroughly enjoyed the quiet and peace of the desert and the time together as a family.

"playing" the violin... they kept this up for a crazy long time. my arms got tired after one song, but they kept going strong!

The bees at the campground were the only down side. (they didn't sting although it was hard to stay calm when one landed on you) From sunrise to sunset you could hear the constant hum as they busied themselves searching for water. We kept inside our tent, car, or went out for walks until sunset and they went to bed.

{ this moment }

2011-10-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Amanda Soule's Friday tradition

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Amazing Gluten Free Angel Food cake

2011-10-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last week i made ice-cream. Twice! Both recipes were from my favorite book on the subject, Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. I made coffee ice-cream to pair with the my banana chocolate chip cake for my dad's 60th birthday. and then classic chocolate to have with oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for a dinner with my brothers. If you are familiar with David's ice-cream, many of his recipes are custard based or the French-style method which yields such a rich and creamy ice cream i had my family promising to be faithful regulars as soon as i open up my own ice cream shop! (not happening anytime soon!) The other result from all the churning around here is that i had a fridge with quite a few eggs whites that needed to be used or i'd be tossing them out soon.

Several times recently as i've served ice-cream or cake or cookies, those around me have joked about the irony that i of all people who love to cook and bake am married to a man with wheat and dairy allergies. And true, maybe one of reasons why Daryl has stayed so slim all these years is that he can't eat all the temptations i make. But i have not let his food issues get in the way of attempting to put before him sweet surprises! i've had my fair share of bloopers in the kitchen with gluten free / dairy free this and that. It takes a while (i'm talking years) to get fairly comfortable and even now after several years, when i experiment with something new, sometimes it turns out great, like the cake i made a couple nights ago, and some of my attempts turn out best suited for the garbage (unfortunately the waffles i made last weekend fell into that category... one little change to my fool-proof recipe was all it took to ruin it! which really sucked because i always triple the batter to make enough for the whole week, so it was a lot of wasted rice/oatmeal/tapoica/etc / etc flours!)

So a couple nights ago when i opened the fridge to see what veggies were on their last leg and needed to be consumed for dinner i saw those eggs whites looking at me. Asking to be put to good use! I sat down to look through my recipes and came across Angel Food cake... do you know Angel Food cake calls for 12 eggs whites?! no problem! The nice thing about Angel food cake and what makes it such a great recipe if you avoid wheat and dairy is that it doesn't call for any fat, no butter to replace with various oils. and it only needs 1 cup of flour which is quite small for a cake.

It was my first time to try making Angel food cake and i'm excited at how it came out; Daryl thought it was great. I served it the next day to someone else and they couldn't even tell it was GF/Dairy free! if you are not familiar with GF /Dairy free food then you may not be able to appreciate just how exciting it is when you make something and it actually tastes, looks, and has the same texture as the original. This cake gets a 5 starts in all those categories!

without further ado:

Angel Food Cake (with my changes/instructions)

12 eggs (enough for 1 1/2cups)
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup flour (i used 1/2 white rice (asian brand), 1/4 tapioca starch, 1/4 sweet sorghum)
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, i left this out and it was still great)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1. Bring 1 1/2 cup egg whites to room temp. Place bowl in a sink of warm water (careful not to get any water in the egg whites) to speed up the process if you don't have 30 mins to let it sit on your counter.
2. Meanwhile, mix confectioners' sugar and flours together (sift for even fluffier results). Add cream of tartar, to egg whites; beat on high speed. (make sure mixing bowl is very clean and dry... any water will hinder your egg whites from rising.) Towards the end, slowly add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Add extracts and salt. Fold in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan or bundt pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately turn pan upside down and place on a bottle so it sits inverted to cool. Let it cool completely before removing cake from pan.

Is your church free too?

2011-10-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

“Mom, do we go to a free church?” Claire asked me as we were walking from our car to church this past Sunday. I started quickly thinking through what valuable lesson I could teach her… yes we don’t pay, God’s love is free! … but I decided I’d see first what she was thinking. Side note: my girls ask a lot of questions and I’ve learned that rather than jumping into lengthy explanations- to ask what they think first. That way I can find out how much they already know or if maybe their question wasn’t so serious as I thought it was. So I said, “What do you think Claire? Do we go to a free church” and she said that yes, she thought it was free because that’s what the sign says!

Back from england

2011-09-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

We have been back now for 3 weeks. Can it already have been that long? Sometimes I think that England was a dream… we didn’t really spend our summer in the English countryside did we? But I just have to scroll down a bit to see Claire’s smiling face in the midst of those wheat fields that we watched grow steadily each week to remember well our British summer.

Coming back has been so good in many ways, the comfort of your own bed and pillow is incredible! Having a stocked kitchen and counter space! … I will never complain of lack of counter space again! Hearing English in our own accent, yes the English accent is romantic and wonderful, but it can also be tiring to hear it all day long. You have to concentrate harder and I don’t think I realized this until I heard an American speaking on TV one evening after being in England several weeks. It felt so soothing to hear that American … ok ... it was Tom Hanks being interviewed… of course it’s enjoyable listening to him! But it was his accent first that I found so refreshing and then his humor!

We are trying to settle into a routine which has been harder than I expected. I’m still adjusting to my alarm going off at 5:15am again (this summer I didn’t start work until 9am). Although I do enjoy having my afternoons at home now. Working all day this summer, I would long for afternoons off to play with the girls, bake, run errands, it all sounded so wonderful. And now that I have it back I find it hard to be as productive as I’d like to be. I’ve been napping more than usual, I feel behind with the house chores and I haven’t sat down to play pretend with my girls recently.

Life. Why must it always take so much work to run smoothly?

Claire's Quote

2011-09-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

"I've got stories in my mind. I normally have stories in my mind; real stories and pretend stories - there are more pretend ones though. The main real one is the one that has the baby doll." Claire

England Art by Girls

2011-09-03T02:30:00.000-07:00

Natania and Claire have become prolific coloring artists. We have stacks of crayon and pencil drawings in this flat. Here are a couple drawings they made to send as letters.

By Natania: This is a drawing of the outside of our apartment.

By Claire: "I LOVE YOU. I Like eNgLAND. I LiKe you."

White Cliffs of Dover

2011-08-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

We were able to borrow a car for a week and as we considered our options of where to go we agreed on one spot; the white cliffs of Dover. Our family enjoys getting out in the beautiful world that God has created and this seemed like a perfect fit for us.

Maybe someday they will come back as adults and get a picture in this same spot.

It was not simply cliffs that you gazed at from the trail, this shot of a descending green valley on the edge of the cliffs was enchanting.

Here is a clear shot of the cliffs with a glimpse of a noisy distraction/entertainment that was coming. Hint: can you see the yellow thing?

Decades down the trail of life will we return to these cliffs? I can almost picture it; Becky and I returning with white hair (truth be told, I would have no hair at all).

Although it was a delight to watch rescue training, the proximity of this roaring beast marred the peace and tranquility of these colossally quiet cliffs.

You've sung the lines, "Don't build your house on the sandy land..." Well, here is the second verse, "Don't build your house on the chalky cliffs." Look at the remains of a once lofty and proud house that has fallen.

Stolen out from underneath me!

2011-08-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard someone say, "It was stolen out from underneath me?" Well, I know more of what they feel when they say that. In my case the bed was paid for but my nap was stolen out from underneath me. Since our flight leaves for Los Angeles on Tuesday, we have been selling all our furniture through the British equivalent to Craigslist.

This Sunday afternoon I was enjoying the last dregs of my nap when Becky jolted me out of bed. She was nearly pulling the sheets out from underneath me as she directed me to dismantle the dear bed. Within twenty minutes the bed was gone.

Our first "goodbyes" have been to our furniture. Though our rooms are empty our minds are furnished with many memories from our time here.

Through International Customs...On Accident!!!

2011-08-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed looking down at this port from the white cliffs of Dover. You can see a stream of cars getting onto a ferry in this picture. A steady flow of these ferries were going and coming across the English channel. It was great to see this international port from the cliffs but we hadn't planned on going on a visit until...

We took a wrong turn on one of the roads and before we were able to turn around we found ourselves headed on a one-way road leading on to one of the Ferries.

Even with GPS (SatNav as they call it here) you can still have the craziest time trying to interpret which exit to take on their roundabouts. Well, this time we interpreted it wrong and we soon found ourselves at a guard booth.

We had to explain to a guard at a gate that we had entered on accident. By that time there was no way to turn around so he gave us this Owl pass in order to let us through the gauntlet of customs that lay ahead of us.

"Customs: SLOW"

We followed the signs that had the picture of the owl and finally made it out of customs. I hope that is the last time we have to go through customs without making the international trip.

Mystical Chapel built into wall of Castle

2011-08-26T16:45:00.001-07:00

5 Signs that left us laughing

2011-08-23T17:22:00.001-07:00

No What? If we had found this sign outside of a restaurant we would have been relieved to

save ourselves a few pounds. Yet we found this sign by the edge of a road out in the middle of nowhere. Apparently English cows have become prime-time entertainment for the youth.

I did see an article recently on the rise of road rage in England. Maybe it has something to do with the choice of violent wording for their road signs.

This seems like a creative way to prevent the tossing of gum on the ground; make a small but special hole for it on the top of your trash cans and put it right by the ashtray hole.

You may have difficulty in reading the small print on this sign but let me give you the jist of it. Apparently this particular one-way street has a problem with people driving the wrong way. This sign notifies people that this behavior is unacceptable UNLESS you receive permission from the Police Constable to "proceed against the one-way traffic." I don't recommend driving against traffic on a narrow one-way street, but I guess if you get permission you can blame the police if you die in a crash.

On a Sunday evening we attended Evensong (church service where much of the liturgy is sung) at a beautiful cathedral. There were many grey heads and no young children beyond our girls and a couple boys from an Asian family. My guess as to the absence of children is that it may have something to do with putting them in the Crypt on Sunday mornings.

Best Playground We've Ever Been To - At Leeds Castle

2011-08-23T16:27:00.001-07:00

A visit to the castle wasn't cheap but admission included more than the castle. Check out this playground that Natania and Claire and, yes, even Daryl enjoyed!

A Zip Line

A Whirlymajig thingy

(the second picture of the whirlymajig catches a glorious

childhood delight on Natania's face if you look close enough)

A Tire Swing and a Giant Maze

Leeds Castle

2011-08-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

A visit to England seems shortchanged without a visit to a castle. Becky and I had visited a Castle in Wales but the girls had not seen one. So we shelled out our shillings and spent the day at Leeds Castle. Here are some photos and highlights.

Knock and you shall enter.

King Henry VIII

The more I learned about this iconic figure of the British monarchy I was reminded of what the Roman Emperor Augustus said about Herod the Great, namely that it was better to be Herod's pig than his son. In the case of Henry the VIII you simply did not want to be his wife; several met questionable deaths when they were failed to bear him a son. Medieval chivalry was not always as romantic as we have made it out to be.

Bed Bath and Beyond for the Middle Ages

This last picture is of an essential "beyond" item in a castle; a rat trap.

View of Leeds Castle from our picnic spot

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks for 8 Years

2011-08-20T07:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night, we went out to dinner with the girls for our anniversary. We ate at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, one of the oldest pubs in England and located in the town next to us. The girls surprised us with homemade cards wrapped in homemade wrapping paper, and a paper kite that they had secretly been working on during they day. That is probably one of my best memories from the evening. Seeing how excited they were and being genuinely surprised by their thoughtfulness! the other best moment was when the Sticky Toffee Pudding came... oh man, the whole meal was great, but that pudding made me want to run home and look up the recipe! i'll probably check with my sister as i remember her making it several years back and it was delicious then too.

At the end of the evening, we drove by the St. Albans Cathedral; it looked so beautiful lit in the night sky. Our camera makes it seem much lighter than it was, in reality it was hard to get clear photo. It was a beautiful end to a special evening.

Our 8th Anniversary: My Wife's Smile

2011-08-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

Today is the 16th of August, 2011 and it marks Becky's and my eighth anniversary. As a celebration of our marriage and in gratitude for my beautiful bride, I am posting one of my journal entries from last month.

On a breathless July evening in England, Becky and I went for a walk. There was not a hint of wind and the temperature, if there was a word to describe it, would tell of something between cool and warm. We ducked out of town and strolled up the hallway of swaying giants that leads through Rothamsted Park. We passed under the leafy branches like a bride and groom walking beneath an arch of swords.

Passing from the soft hue of green bathing the arch, we opened a kissing gate and walked into a weary field. There we watched an unfurling blanket of mist tucking the field in for the night. We walked apart, each of us immersed in the solemn serenity that accompanies such unearthly twilight stillness. Then we drew near through the misty veil, doubling the delight of the experience as we shared it together.

Becky and I walked on, captivated by the blanketed field. A large manor house stood off to one side with an iron rooster gazing down on our dreamy delight from his pinnacle. It was as if we were lingering in a dream trying to allow the misty scene to settle so we could recall it when we awoke.

Tinged with the slight sorrow that comes from the knowledge all such dreams much pass, we headed back to our flat. As we strolled by a patch of willows dozing in a nearby field, Becky spotted a fox. We watched as it scampered around and whispered off through the grass. Moments later we noticed a pair of foxes alternately frolicking and resting in their sleepy field. They paused, staring at us as we looked back; mirrored stares.

To use a phrase that Claire surprised us with the other day, the beauty we behold was so bright that “it stung our eyes.” Our very souls had been refreshed by this evening amble. As we passed back through the arch of swords on a now damp sidewalk, I mentioned to Becky how exquisite the pleasure was that I enjoyed in her company. And then it came like the glorious flames of a sunrise, lighting up the then dusky evening; Becky turned and smiled up at me. The holy delight was as much in her eyes as it was in her lips. Her countenance was layered with meaning.

If I were an ancient theologian I may attempt to draw out the meaning of her look by searching for the literal, metaphorical and spiritual meanings.

As it was, I was able to glean from her holy treatise several revelations. The first was a pure delight in the love she recieved from me. Secondly, her eyes gave a lyrical look that sang of her own vivid love for me. The third I perceived to be a stream of admiration and respect. Beyond these three was a mixture of other sentiments coming from the mysterious depths her heart. My soul smiled up at God expressing gratitude for such an undeserved gift I had received in Becky. Turning this gratitude towards her I said, “such is the greatest smile that a man can experience on this earth."

Oxford!

2011-08-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

We have a co-workers car this week to use and Saturday we drove to Oxford! we walked around the town a bit; it's busy right now in the summer season with tourists. Then we drove over to The Kilns, where C.S. Lewis lived. we almost didn't find it because our directions were not adequate, which would have been very disapointing as this was one of the main places I really wanted to see. We hadn't made an appointment in advance to see the inside of the house so we viewed it from the road and then walked around the nature reserve / pond next door, thinking about woodland creatures and St. Annes and Belbury (from That Hideous Strength) As we were returning to our car to leave, we met a local resident and started talking to him. He told us we should knock on the door since we'd come from far away. We knew it was by appointment only so we said it was ok, we didn't want to bother the permanent residents. In the end, the neighbor (who as out walking his dog) ended up seeing Stan, who turned out to be none other than the director of the C.S. Lewis foundation (who owns the Kilns)! He was there in Oxford finishing up a three week summer institute program they hold triennially. The C.S. Lewis foundation is based in Redlands, California! (where my grandmother lives) We had a nice conversation and he let us see more of the grounds. What a pleasure!

Ten Surprises from our time in England

2011-08-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

1. Friendly glances on the street are very rare. We thought this was particular to Eastern Europe. We miss the pleasantness of a smile when you pass a stranger.

2. That we love bike rides as a family. South Whittier is not conducive to pleasant bike rides, while our small town surrounded by farmland is very conducive. We plan on bringing this new love home with us and try to overcome the obstacles of South Whittier to continue our family bike rides.

3. The grocery stores are stocked with gluten-free and dairy-free products. It puts the United States grocery stores to shame. I have been thinking of packing an extra suitcase with Daryl’s favorite GF bread! (just kidding… we don’t have a big enough freezer for it at home)

4. Blackberries ripening in late July and early August were a surprise to us and to all of the locals. I made 4 pies in one week!

5. How Daryl’s health has been relatively good.

6. How much we would miss our community even though we were only away for the summer.

7. How you really can get by with less kitchen gadgets (ok I do miss my food processer, my sharp chef’s knife, and my digital scale to name a few!)

8. That your kids can get by with less toys! I know this is a no brainer… but they simply don’t need too much. We have had a lot of fun making our own “paperdolls” (ie. They draw pictures and then cut them out.) We borrow lots of books from the library. And we play a lot of pretend. Today they excitedly invited me up to their room to visit “Disneyland” I had to pay a 2 pence entrance fee (they said it could be anything up to a pound… what a deal!) and then they gave me a grand tour of the park. Play area on the bottom bunk with castle toys (Sleeping Beauty’s castle maybe?) Natania had a food shop at the back of the room with real fruit and veggies nicked from the kitchen. There was even a resting area with nice pillows and blankets after you were tired from playing in the park. Seeing this Disneyland you might think my girls had never been to the real thing the similarities were so slim, but Daryl and I told them we like their Disneyland better because in theirs you got to use your imagination, while Disneyland does it all for you.

9. How different our English is. We may speak the same language but sometimes it doesn’t feel that way!

10. That Daryl likes milk chocolate! Yes, usually he avoids dairy, but the big Cadburys Milk chocolate and hazelnut bars doesn’t seem to bother him! I guess I didn’t realize that his strong remarks in the past about how chocolate was like eating batteries, was actually only about Dark chocolate!

London Riots

2011-08-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Just a quick one to let you know that the area we are in is quiet and untouched by the riots that have been taking place over the last couple days here in London etc.

here is a link to a UK news source covering the riots: UK telegraph

My Tooth! How about my old tooth brush for the Fairy?

2011-08-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

Fresh Blackberry Pie

2011-07-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy week with work and also spending good time with Daryl's parents before they head back to the states in a few days, so i'm a little delayed in posting this. We had a great weekend, finishing our visit with our good friend Philip and then having a family day in the park on Sunday.

Setting out on our adventure, picnic packed in the back pack, sun is shinning... it's going to be a good day.

We return to our fort that Dad has been building only to find that Alas! it needs repair! Daryl spends the next hour putting it up again while the girls and i hunt for dear, make mud ... i mean "chocolate" bread pudding and clear smooth paths outside our house for natania to ride her bike.

Daryl is finally done with the house and can help us cook the meat over the fire.

we start our ride home and find... a huge patch of blackberries! we start picking the sweet juicy berries and suddenly instead of picking a few to snack on, we are filling our large tupperware and are set on getting enough to make pie!

With plenty of berries and scratches on our arms, we head home to put together our pie! I used the recipe for the blackberry pie filling from Epicurious here (we did a crumb topping)...it was wonderful. Even though i didn't have many tools that might seem important for making pie (rolling pin, pie dish, etc) with a little creativity and hands on approach it worked out just fine. We liked it so much that the next day, Daryl and the girls went back and picked enough berries to make two more pies!

One reason I am happy to be in England this summer: three words- Fresh blackberry pie.

Not everything is as it seems...

2011-07-21T14:54:00.001-07:00

So far I think if you have been reading our blog from the beginning of our England trip you probably have the impression that life for us is full of delightful adventures; Wimbledon (that was cool), Wales (incredible!!) tea time, ballet class for the girls… the list goes on. Ok, all those things have been really great. But it’s only telling part of the story. The reality is that there are some things we are really struggling with and that we don’t enjoy. One of the biggest is loneliness. Most of you know that in southern California we live in an awesome apartment complex with great friends as our neighbors… to go from that to being totally alone above a busy street in a small town in England, though surrounded by beauty, we are relationally dry. When we went to Eastern Europe for a little under a year, we had plenty of time to get to know people and develop relationships, here with only 3 months it’s not enough time. Whenever I say to someone “til the end of the summer” to the inevitable question of how long we’re here for, I find myself cringing inside because I know I just shot down the possibility of them being interested in getting to know me more.

I think when I looked forward to coming to England for the summer, I focused mostly on the adventure of being in another country and getting to experience the culture. I don’t think I realized the reality that living somewhere for 3 months on your own would potentially be a lonely experience.

So today, when we had the chance to go visit some people we already knew from the US in a “nearby” town we eagerly planned the trip. We got the privilege of going to Cambridge to visit Fred and Susan Sanders who are currently teaching a Torrey course together with the Spears, another family from our church. Tom and Sue Kimbers were also dropping by for a visit today and Philip Massey was there (because he’s visiting us right now!) It was a “Grace EVFree England reunion!” Daryl and I had a delightful time. Of course it goes without saying that Cambridge was absolutely beautiful, we got to view many of the colleges by punting along the river Cam (punting is a small boat that a guide pushes with a long poll… no sorry he didn’t sing, wrong country) and we had afternoon tea with scones and clotted cream. But more than the fun activities, we just thoroughly enjoyed the company. I don’t know how to fully explain it; it was so refreshing to be with real friends and to speak to other Americans in “our language.” Seriously… even though we “share a common language” with our English friends, the longer we are here, the more we agree with the saying that we are “divided by a common language!”

We did it! Drove there and back in our rental car without getting lost! Only one wrong turn the whole day! It was pretty good considering we didn't have a GPS or a good map! (not recommended)

on the punting boat

our mates in the boat next to us!

Claire by "Clare College" (it's never too young to start planting seeds is it? "oh claire... wouldn't that be fun to go to Clare collage?")

the men's table at tea

Sue Kimber with Breanna, one of the Biola students attending the Torrey class and she also goes to our church! She was very sweet; Natania and Claire enjoyed playing with her this afternoon... we have a new friend!

Tea with warm scones!

A wonderful day!

Dear Great Grandma...

2011-07-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

We put these in the mail last week to my grandma.

Claire is packed and ready for a sleepover at Grandma's. Her bag carries a variety of useful things: dolls and clothes. Our "16 seater" van (if you think you see eight seats, it's because each is two seats!) is ready to take her.

Natania drew the Spradley house in England "on a sunny day." you can see that we have the best house on the block... just look at our fancy door.

The Americans stand out ... in Pink!

2011-07-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

If you asked Natania and Claire what has been the highlight so far of their time in England, they would undoubtedly tell you... "Ballet!!!" We were fortunate to be able to join a class of 5/6 year olds for the last 4 weeks of their ballet class before it let out for the summer holiday. So last Wednesday the mums got to stay and watch the last class and it gave me a chance to snap some shots of the girls "first ballet class" that we will all enjoy looking back on when they are Prima ballerinas! We may have to find them a dancing class when we return to the US, but i'm kidding about them being professional dancers... we're too committed to the violin! You can call me Tiger mom!... again... totally kidding!

This week it was a small class as many students are already on holiday. Usually it is double the size and so you can see that it would be easy for Natania and Claire to get lost among the many girls. I took care of that, as you'll be able to see from the pictures.

roll call... to which the girls learned to reply "Good afternoon Miss Anna" when their name was called

Claire is one of the first ready: feet together, standing tall, holding skirt out!

Skipping!

Reach, reach!

End of term, teacher hands out "dancing star" ribbons. the girls are very proud.

(Random foot in photo belongs to the squirmy younger brother sitting in front of me- parents were seated on the stage)

side note:

Actually the real reason my girls are wearing bright pink while all the others are in baby blue is that we had brought our own leotards with us from the US, (for playing dress up) and when we signed up for ballet, they said we didn't need to buy the whole costume kit since we were only committing to 4 weeks of classes! i'm sure it helped their teacher out... "let's see, where are those new girls..."

Poetry and Prose

2011-07-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

"Oh, it's all so romantic," breathed Anne to Marilla that night. "If I hadn't taken the wrong path that day we went to Mr. Kimball's I'd never have known Miss Lavendar; and if I hadn't met her I'd never have taken Paul there. . .and he'd never have written to his father about visiting Miss Lavendar just as Mr. Irving was starting for San Francisco. Mr. Irving says whenever he got that letter he made up his mind to send his partner to San Francisco and come here instead. He hadn't heard anything of Miss Lavendar for fifteen years. Somebody had told him then that she was to be married and he thought she was and never asked anybody anything about her. And now everything has come right. And I had a hand in bringing it about. Perhaps, as Mrs. Lynde says, everything is foreordained and it was bound to happen anyway. But even so, it's nice to think one was an instrument used by predestination. Yes indeed, it's very romantic."

"I can't see that it's so terribly romantic at all," said Marilla rather crisply. Marilla thought Anne was too worked up about it and had plenty to do with getting ready for college without "traipsing" to Echo Lodge two days out of three helping Miss Lavendar. "In the first place two young fools quarrel and turn sulky; then Steve Irving goes to the States and after a spell gets married up there and is perfectly happy from all accounts. Then his wife dies and after a decent interval he thinks he'll come home and see if his first fancy'll have him. Meanwhile, she's been living single, probably because nobody nice enough came along to want her, and they meet and agree to be married after all. Now, where is the romance in all that?"

"Oh, there isn't any, when you put it that way," gasped Anne, rather as if somebody had thrown cold water over her. "I suppose that's how it looks in prose. But it's very different if you look at it through poetry. . .and I think it's nicer. . ." Anne recovered herself and her eyes shone and her cheeks flushed. . ."to look at it through poetry."

Marilla glanced at the radiant young face and refrained from further sarcastic comments. Perhaps some realization came to her that after all it was better to have, like Anne, "the vision and the faculty divine". . .that gift which the world cannot bestow or take away, of looking at life through some transfiguring. . .or revealing?. . .medium, whereby everything seemed apparelled in celestial light, wearing a glory and a freshness not visible to those who, like herself and Charlotta the Fourth, looked at things only through prose.

Quoted from Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery from the chapter entitles "Poetry and Prose"

Instead of water, Natania brought me wine

2011-07-13T05:03:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we went to a Scottish Highland Festival. Hands down, it was the best festival that we had ever been to. There were Scottish activities galore: caber tossing, dogs hearding ducks, falcon shows, dancing contests, bagpipe contests, live 1740’s infantry display, and much more.

We didn’t bring any water so by the end I was quite thirsty. On the way out there was a stall intended to raise support for clean water in Africa. You could pay a pound and select from a few dozen mystery bags to see if you would get the “dirty river water,” a bottle of water, or a spe

cial bottle of wine. I handed Natania a pound and asked if she could pick out one of the bags with bottled water in it. It just so happened that the one bag she picked had the wine in it. It was the first and only time that I will ever have slight remorse after winning a contest. We’ll enjoy the wine sometime, but when you want water, wine doesn’t cut it.

The Pier House Cafe - Isle of Anglesey

2011-07-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

(Lunch)

(I want a some tier trays like this for my counter top at home... "Becky's Homemade scones coming right up!")

For a restaurant, it is a great compliment when you return the same day to eat again at their establishment. If you return a third time in one day like we did during our anniversary trip, well, it felt a little embarrassing. But honestly the Pier House Cafe in Beaumaris was a lovely restaurant! Great variety in their menu (we should know by now!) friendly wait staff, clean bathrooms, and a great location by the waterfront. The spot overlooking the water is what sold me on wanting to return the second time. We'd already had a nice lunch there and had been to the local castle when it was time for a coffee break. Sitting watching families stroll by with their dogs, and kids lick their ice cream cones, the boats stuck up on the shore because the tide was low... so much to see sitting outside the cafe. Later on we did end up getting our dinner here as well, although we did "take away" so that we could have a picnic back in the gardens of our estate.

(accompanying "tea cake" not pictured)

(this is where we sat outside)

Too Cool

2011-07-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

Here is something I appreciate about the English. From my perspective they do not appear to be as concerned about being "cool," as Americans seem to be. For example, take a look at one of their favorite vacuum cleaners, the male and female versions. Maybe having one of these is "cool" here and I just don't get it. We have a Henry, and cool or not, it works better than most vacuums.

Fairies, a Garden, and Dogma

2011-07-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read C.S. Lewis' space trilogy? Becky and I believe that is a misleading name for it. It is not about “space” in the sense that we use the term. If you haven’t heard of the trilogy, here are the names of the books; Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. These books have completely captivated us. In them, Lewis is able to portray certain Biblical truths in a way that enlighten our minds and cause our hearts to hunger for heavenly things. After reading the series through a few times I wanted to discover what inspired Lewis’ ability to convey divine truths with such potency. I learned that two books had been particularly influential for Lewis: Everlasting Man, by G. K. Chesterton and Phantastes by George MacDonald. I set out to read them both. It didn’t take long before I completed Phantastes; and was converted. Like the surprising way in which Lewis found himself converted to Christianity, here I was converted to believing in fairies.

In Phantastes, a young man journeys through fairyland and makes both outward and inward discoveries. While reading, I was made my own discoveries. I was beginning to understand what C.S. Lewis meant when he said that to convey certain truths a person needed to use myths. As Lewis used the term, myths, convey divine truths in a manner that preserves their mysterious quality, similarly to poetry. A divine mystery stripped down by bare prose can miss the truth in a critical way. It can leave you like the modern scientist, thinking that you have mastered the object of your study. We think that we understand the phenomena “instinct” or “birth” because we have defined them with concise definitions. Yet, this scientific mindset has enslaved our brains to petty conceptions of reality rather than causing us to truly perceive reality.

C.S. Lewis and George MacDonald have taught me that there is truth to be found but it cannot be known in a manner that excludes mystery. It is here, in the humility before truth itself that we need to be like children and believe in the enchantment of reality.

Thus, I set out to encourage "make believe" play with my girls. Claire, more mature in this journey than I, led me on the way when I said we were going to the park to play "Fairies." But Natania, like her “black and white” thinking father, agreed to go on one condition: "I will play 'fairies'" she said, "but I will NOT believe in them." That was a start.

We all enjoyed looking for fairies at Creek Park, but when we came to the land of fairies and castles here in England I wondered what we might find. For me, the impact was keenly felt when I walked in the country garden (it would be better to think of it as an arboretum) at the cottages that Becky and I stayed at in Wales. The entire garden was enchanting, but one part of it was indescribably beautiful. It was like the land of the Elves in Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." It had a stone stairway descending into something like a cathedral in a forest

In that cathedral I saw, felt, and smelled why people have told fairy stories. I was in the presence of beauty that exceeded the ability of my five senses to take in, let alone to adequately describe it with words.

Still skeptical about my conversion? I will leave you with one last dogmatic word. In a lecture (click here for the lecture), Peter Kreeft explains that the term "Dogma," which in recent times has come to mean a “hard and almost legalistic truth,” originally carried a meaning closer to the idea of “mysterious truth.” Truths, if they be truly known, will retain a holy mystery!

Our new favorite holiday!

2011-07-09T13:00:00.001-07:00

Plas Cadnant on the Isle of Anglesey is now officially at the top of our list when Daryl and I think back to the wonderful places we've stayed at. If we lived closer to the area, i would be tempted not to even mention the actual name of our holiday cottage because there is always a temptation when you find a gem to keep it to yourself. (why do we do that???)

Anglesey itself is a beautiful area. Everyone who we've talked to says Northern Wales (and Scotland) are the most beautiful areas of the UK. The country estate that we stayed at is surrounded by soft green hills of bleating sheep. The whole gardens and estate are in the process of being restored. Originally built in the 1600s, the cottages combine old classic style with modern comfort and convenience.

I don't know if we'll ever be able to return to Wales, but if we do, we'll definetly be coming back to Plas Cadnant.

9 Rules to Remember when Driving in the UK

2011-07-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

While we were in Wales Daryl got to try out driving in the UK for the first time. Here are some insights we'd like to pass along.

1. Do not start your left-side-of-the-road driving experience in London or any other big city. Start out in a smaller town or rural area..

2. 2. Watch out for Old People (Bless their hearts!)

3. After you turn left onto a new street and your wife says with increasing force, “Left…. Left! … LEFT!!!.... DARYL LEFT!!!!” then that probably means you should move over to the left lane and not for you to turn left again!

4. Don’t go into auto-drive mode, you WILL end up driving on the right side of the road. Driving requires your brain to multi-task and when you neglect to focus on driving on the left side, your auto-drive will turn you onto the right side.

5. Be ready for roundabouts. They don’t have many stop signs, at least I cannot recall any. Figure out the etiquette of turn signals in the roundabouts before driving (I still don’t get it.)

6. Even if you do figure out the etiquette of turn signals, you may not be able to apply it. Most cars here are manual and your left hand must multi-task with shifting gears and hitting your turn switch (a skill I have yet to learn.) I am not sure why the turn signal is not on the right side where your free hand is; maybe it was just the car that we had rented.

7. Do not forget, as we did, to ask for an automatic transmission car from the rental agency.

8. 8. Be ready for NARROW streets. If cars are parked on the street, be prepared to take turns with oncoming traffic to make it through. Even if there isn’t a car parked there you still may need to take turns getting through.

9.If you are out in the country and you see a sign that says “for narrow cars only” avoid it! Even though you are driving a very narrow car, the lovely bushes on each side scrapping against your rental car will cause nervous tension to exceed the pleasure of enjoying the beautiful countryside, as you stress about the £600 liability charge that you may have to pay.

Reflections on My First Visit to a Medieval castle.

2011-07-07T14:35:00.001-07:00

The castle was in ruins centuries ago. Castles were outdated after gunpowder and canons came. Thus, most all the castles ceased as military powers well before the United States was even an idea.

I found it odd that there was a little chapel built into the walls of the castle. It made me think of having a prayer room built into an army tank. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in praying at all times. Nevertheless, the juxtaposition of a castle built to expand an earthly kingdom by ruling others against their will (in this case the Welsh) and a chapel made to worship Jesus, whose kingdom is not of this world, seemed askew.

The castle is a draw for tourists in this Welsh community but it also stands as a constant reminder that they (the Welsh) were defeated and ruled by the English. Most Welsh embrace the unity of Wales and England with its many economic benefits, while others despise the “occupation.”

From what I’ve read and seen of what it was like to live in a Castle when they were just built, I am inclined to think that my little apartment in Whittier is in many ways a far more comfortable place to live.

2011-07-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to put into words just how beautiful Northern Wales is and in particular, the holiday cottage and gardens we stayed at over this weekend. For an early 8th anniversary trip, Daryl and I just returned today from 3 nights and 4 days on the Isle of Anglesey, arguably one of the most beautiful parts of the United Kingdom. We felt like little kids who’d stumbled into a sweet shop, overcome by the variety and beauty. Even the train ride from London to Wales was wonderful; we saw coastal towns, castles, farmland, little lazy rivers with those long canal boats ... it was great!

The whole trip would be too much to fit into one blog post, at least for the average person's attention span! So we decided that over the next several days, Daryl and I will take turns posting about several of the different experiences we enjoyed from Wales. If you look at our links on righthand side you'll see all our videos on youTube, one of them shows the place we stayed. you can also click here. more about it in the days to come!

(you can see the boats out the window!)

Market, Croissants, picnic, and more!

2011-06-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

when we opened our blinds on Sunday morning, this is what we saw!

We had a wonderful Sunday this past weekend. Once a month the town has a farmers market, (conveniently located 20 feet from our flat) it was the first really warm day we've had ... so warm in fact that I started regretting any slight complains i'd voiced about the endless rain! The sun was shining brilliantly and the pure bright blue sky hurt to look at it. After visiting our first local church, we were drawn by the buzz of life coming from the stalls; jams, paintings, fresh seafood on ice, countless cheeses, a great selection of breads and pastry (oh la la), hand made knit booties, fresh honey, ostrich burgers sizzling on the grills, produce from local farms, oh man, how could i resist!

Ostrich egg! (equivalent to 24 chicken eggs!) this load of egg will cost you 15 GBP (about $27) Todd and Kristin, this puts your peacock eggs to shame!

oh mommy don't you want to buy some of these cute cupcakes?!!!

we picked out some loafs of bread, jam, and several quiches for our lunch!

my personal weakness: croissants and coffee ... a latte to be exact or a white coffee as they say here. (a coffe with milk)

Later in the afternoon we packed a picnic and walked to the common to watch a local cricket match. It was so nice out, eating our chicken salad pita sandwhiches, our summer fruit pie (also from the farmers market)

after this picnic daryl and i took the girls further in to the fields for a walk and we found a wooded area full of trees that drop lots of sticks we found a fort already contstructed and so started to build our own "lean-to" fort with the girls. they had so much fun romping around, playing house in the woods. Claire made us all "stick noddle soup" and we had a yard sale of various large sticks and logs. Daryl took the girls back to the fort later this week and they played there for a couple hours!

well, our next post should be fun, Daryl and i are getting away for a couple days while grandma and grandpa are here to watch the girls. we'll be in Northern Wales without much access to the internet.

Cheers! Becky

Good morning

2011-06-28T02:08:00.000-07:00

ok, so the deal was that if i could get out of bed this morning in time to go out for an early walk then i could buy myself a coffee on the way home! pretty motivating huh? well the offer wasn't enough yesterday morning; i snoozed past my alarm and could not pull myself out of bed. Today however, it was different! Maybe it was the street sweeper at 6:45 am outside my open window beckoning me out of bed, but i like to think it was my resolve and discipline (haha! ) well either way i did it! i got out of bed, put on my red running shorts (i mean "walking" shorts) put on my tennis shoes, and stepped outside. i then promptly stepped back inside and got my jacket. Even though it was hot all night long (hence the open window) this morning the overcast sky made for a brisk chill in the air. I felt a bit silly with my red shorts and pink jacket, i'm sure it probably hurt people's eyes to look at the color clash walking down the street but frankly it was just too early to care! (it was quiet out anyways!)

It really was lovely this morning. I walked through this big park we have by our house, thinking and praying about my day/life. When I thought about moving to England for the summer, this was one of the images that came to my mind, walking out in the countryside. having quiet beauty around me. it was a wonderful way to start my day and i look forward to hopefully making this a routine! oh yeah, and the stop at the coffee shop on the way home was definitely a nice, well earned reward!

2011-06-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

With the 125^th Wimbledon taking place while we were here in England, it seemed like a perfect match for us. Yet all the tickets had been sold out for

months and they were going for $3000 on ebay. Our friend Philip Massey learned that some tickets were released each day but people had to camp over night to get those.

(finding humor on our long train ride)

Thus when we set off on the 1 ½ hour trip to Wimbledon yesterday, our highest expectations were set on looking at the venue from the outside and getting a picture at the main gate. When we stepped off the train at Wimbledon station around 1 pm, a tournament representative informed us you could purchase same-day admission tickets for access to the outer courts. The only problem, he told us, was that the wait for admission was at least four hours. Since, our aim had not been to get inside we set out on the ½ hour walk to the venue.

It was not long into the walk when we found cones and signs marking where the queue (line) had backed up to. Yet as we approached the venue we could not figure out the length of the queue.

“Why not give it a try,” we said. “Let’s get in the queue and see if we can bear the wait?” So we settled down in the queue to see if we could beat the waiting game. After about twenty minutes they began letting in a big group of people. It turned out that

we were very near the front of the line and after swinging through security we found ourselves laying down twenty pounds a person to get into the tournament grounds. We could hardly believe our eyes. We were in and with access to all the outer courts we set out to see what we could see.

After my parents split off from us we managed to slip into some front rows seats to see a men’s singles match between Beck and Garcia-Lopez. We had never heardof either player but it was stunning to watch our first professional tennis match. The grass was beautiful, the ball girls/boys fascinated Natania and Claire, and the tennis was excellent. After watching most of this match we caught a glimpse of a men’s doubles match before going to a different court to watch Benesova and Strycova beat Cibulkova and Kyitova in women’s doubles. “Surreal, it just feels surreal to be sitting here at Wimbledon,” Becky and I kept saying to each other.

Then after a rain break cleared the stands at another court we managed to get phenomenal seats to watch Flavia Pennetta beat a Russian by the name of Rodina. Having enjoyed watching Pannetta on the television in a previous major, we solidified our allegiance to her as fans.

We had some difficulty in re-connecting my parents in the teaming tennis grounds. Once re-united with them we were faced with a decision. Should we sit on the hill and watch the big screen or get in the massive queue (a queue is a line!) to see if we could get resale tickets to the Centre Court where Federer was to play. Becky, my mom, and the girls decided to head for home as it was already about 8pm, while my dad and I got in the queue. From the queue I had glimpses of the match where the American Isner was beat by Almagro. I also enjoyed the benefits of my Dad’s super-outgoing nature as a married couple (Irish Man and English woman who lived in Wimbledon) shared their pizza and strawberries with cream with us.

It was a long wait but we did eventually get two tickets at five pounds each to see what was left of Federer’s match. We got to our excellent seats at Wimbledon’s Centre Court in time to watch the last two sets where Federer crushed the Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

To watch Federer in person at Wimbledon’s Centre Court was stunning. Yet, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the simple humanity of Federer and all the spectators at the venue. Everyone there will one day face their Creator and whether or not they won ten Wimbledon’s or owned box seats, what really mattered is if they knew Jesus. The experience was sur-real on several levels.

These meditations were quickly quieted by the harsh reality of life’s daily demands, as they often are. Becky, my mom and the girls had arrived home but without one critical piece of metal – a key. They were locked out on a dreary English night at 10:30pm and the only key (not in the house) was in Daryl’s pocket sitting at the Wimbledon railway station. After about 40 minutes of trying to break in through the mail slot they gave up and camped outside and the girls fell asleep in their arms. Around 11:45 our next door neighbor came home and insisted they sit on his couch while he made them tea until we got home at 12:15 or so! What an end to our day!

-Daryl

Can you guess where we got to go today!!!

2011-06-23T17:04:00.000-07:00

We'll give more details tomorrow as it's too late and we are heading to bed now. This day did not go as we planned... mostly for good but also a little bad too! we'll share the story tomorrow!

The Spradley Grandparents are here!

2011-06-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

or as my mom has said, "the reinforcements" have come! My in-laws Steve and Sherry arrived yesterday afternoon. They got a bus to get from Heathrow airport up to Luton Airport which is a smaller airport at the next big town north of us. Daryl and I thought it would be nice and hospitable to meet them there instead of leaving them on their own to figure out how to get to our appartment. As it turns out we should have just left them to figure it out cause we ended up having a crazy evening trying to track them down! Unfortunately we had a miscommunication and mom and dad thought they needed to be at the train station to wait for us. So while we were waiting at the Luton airport, they were waiting at the Luton Rail station! they left a message on our cell which we got just before our phone battery died! Honestly- it was a comedy of errors! Daryl and i took a shuttle bus, a taxi, a train and still we never found them. Finally he and i split up and i came back home while he went one more time back to the airport. He finally came home and a few minutes after he arrived, we spotted them with their 4 rolling suitcases walking down High street (They had finally given up on us and hoped on the train!) As it turns out, their bus had first taken them to the airport, but after not seeing us (we arrived literally minutes later!) they asked the bus driver if the airport was the main drop off and he said, "oh no, i'll take you over to the train station" so he droped them off at the Luton train station (which Daryl and i did go to although having never been there before, we didn't know there was a seating / ticket area upstairs and we only looked downstairs. But don't worry, even though it was a bit crazy, we were all in good spirits, happy to see each other. Man, now i know what life was like before cell phones and i'm happy to ususally have one in good working order!

Our House

2011-06-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

here's our place on High street. if you look close you can see a couple of little ladies at the window!

steps up to our place

here is our entrance

Daryl' here!!!

2011-06-16T04:29:00.000-07:00

Horray! Daryl made it safely yesterday! We were very excited to have daddy here. There has been a lot of hugging and cuddling over here!

now we feel complete!

don't get me wrong, I love having a couple days to myself. boy, i run around so excited about the quiet and all the things i can do, my mind swirls with ideas for projects and chick movies i've wanted to watch. but when you get beyond 3 days it's no longer as exciting. you start thinking all the time about your spouse and how much you miss him! This time we were appart for 11 days. (originally it was supposed to be more like 18! Praise the Lord for our flyer miles that let us change his ticket!) i'm so grateful that i've had my mum here for this time, as definetly going away with the girls in tow is not the same as a holiday by myself!

oh we are happy to have Daddy here. I'm running home now from work for my lunch break. so i don't want to write anymore because i'm eager to see him!

St Albans

2011-06-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

We still don't have internet at our house and i just found out today (which i thought would be the day that our internet is installed) that actually now that our phone line is installed (which did happen!) our router can be sent to us. So in 7 days.... that's right another whole week!... We should have internet. All that to say, i'm sorry i haven't done more posts and pictures so far. it is hard to me to post to much regularily cause i'm ready to run home at the end of the day and not sit longer at the computer, uploading all my photos.

well without further ado, here are some lovely photos from a trip we did last week into St. Albans, a near by town that has a beautiful old cathedral that dates back to about 1250. Crazy! It was very beautiful and there just so happened to be a boys school choir practicing. the town is also really nice, it's bigger than Harpenden with more shops and more cafe/restaurants too.

here we are on the bus to St. Albans!

the Cathedral (from the side, for better view, click here)

from inside

after our long walk around town and shoping, we found a nice place for lunch and tea!

hm... here is what i call the perfect end to a day!

2011-06-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

A day in London!

We took the train from where we are into London yesterday (to help us stay awake) and had a nice day exploring the city a bit! there is way too much to see in one day. we enjoyed taking a boat tour up the River Thames and ended in Greenwich; "where time began"

here are a few pictures!

Some pictures of our place!

2011-06-06T14:20:00.001-07:00

the water closet

The small modern kitchen. Fridge is disguised by closet doors!

View from living room into tiny kitchen... see it is very tiny!

View from kitchen to living room and front windows overlooking the main street in town. Don't know if you can read the store title out the window, but that is the grocery store literally across the street!

Safe and Sound

2011-06-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

We made it saftly to England! It's 3 in the morning and i've been up with the girls since about 12:30am... so i guess we can also say that we are officially on jet lag. I could easily have slept all night long, but their little bodies are wide awake right now, showing no signes of tiredness. I've already had to explain why we don't go out for walks at 2 am ("girs, the middle of the night is not the time we go on walks!")

Everthing went smooth with the fight other than that after we boarded the plane (9:40pm) and got all our excitement out and finally "laid" down to sleep (10:40pm) the flight attendents turned on the lights and started serving dinner! I had just started dozzing off when i was offered the girls kids dinner, and if i wanted curry chicken or cheesy lasagnua. Honestly, didn't they know what time it was? we passed... and slept instead! so one of the most exciting things about a long plane trip- getting to eat on the plane, we had to forgo! they did have breakfast too, but it was only a little boxed meal. Although this still excited the girls since they didn't know anything different.

We arrived and got out of the airport quickly, with no problems. My colleague was there to meet us and he drove us back to our flat and then on to his house to have dinner with his family. we had a nice evening in the English countryside! it was overcast and drizzling and has continued to rain throughout the night. Our place is really cute, we are right on the main street going in town. We have three grocery stores less than 100 feet away and my office is also less than a block downt the street!

Well i'm feeling pretty tired now, as evidenced by my spelling mistakes that i'm feeling too tired to go back and fix right now! i'm going to see if the girls will go back to bed for a few more hours! when the sun comes up i'll try and take some pictures of our place!

much love to everyone!

Cheers!

First and Last Summer BBQ

2011-06-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago we had our first BBQ of the summer complete with homemade pie and ice cream too! Two nights ago we also had our last BBQ of the summer complete with all of our dear neighbor friends who we will miss terribly this summer while we are away. I can't believe our trip to England is right around the corner. But all thoughts of packing and "to do's" were far from my mind on Tuesday night when we had a special dinner outside with our neighbors.

Tuesday nights have traditionally been our "community dinner" night. we sometime split up and take turns rotating each tuesday to eat one on one with a different family, but now that the weather has turned warm enough to eat outside again we had a big potluck dinner.

Ever since last summer, Ben W. and I have been talking about doing a pie bake off; apparently we are both pretty confident about our pie-making abilities or actually i think we just really like eating pie!

We ended up making our pies- blackberry for him and

blueberry peach for me. In the end, it was too hard to make people chose between two delicious pies so we called it a truce.

Kelly also made the best homemade vanilla ice cream... so creamy! It was so good, it didn't really need pie, it could definitely stand on it's own. But as good as pie is on it's own, you really need that soft cool bite of vanilla to fully enjoy a good pie.

(Blueberry / Peach )

(Ben and Kelly, go together like blackberry pie and vanilla ice cream!)

Empty plate, full heart!

Ballerina Olivia

2011-04-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

i finally figured out the scanner on our printer. Here is my new hobby... paper cut outs. I did this for one of my daughter's friends recently! I'm still learning so don't look too close!

Quiet time

2010-11-24T16:04:00.000-08:00

What I've been working on

2010-10-11T16:12:00.001-07:00

These sweet little ladies

Three of them are for my niece's birthday and then Natania and Claire each have one. I have some men in the works. The girls told me they need husbands!

Silly Hats, Spun Sugar and Ginger Pear Glutenfree cake

2010-04-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

We had a fun celebration for Daryl's birthday. For his cake i tackled spun sugar and was more successful than my previous attempt. Making a dairy free frosting is always a challenge, so this spun sugar was a great alternative to decorating the cake!

We asked everyone who came to wear a fun hat. Here we are with ours!

The birthday cake was a Gluten free Coconut-Molasses-Ginger cake with warm pears. So good! one of the best compliments you can give to a GF baked treat is that you couldn't tell it was gluten free! I made two to have enough for all our guests and everyone really enjoyed it!

On the Menu

2010-03-29T13:13:00.001-07:00

All I could think on my drive home today was the chocolate cake. One last piece in the fridge for me beckoning me to finish, although really I think I must split it and share it with my neighbor who claimed on Saturday it was one of the best things she’s ever eaten. I have to agree, it is not your average chocolate cake by any means. In fact I think it’s the first “flourless” chocolate cake I’ve ever made. I don’t know what has taken me so long! This particular recipe from Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life was absolutely wonderful. So light and creamy-great warm from the oven, but even better after chilled overnight in the fridge. We literally had a moment of silence as we all marveled, slowly lingering over each bite! I’m already thinking of when I can make it again. My birthday’s coming up soon, seems like a good excuse. Ah- but who needs excuses to enjoy life and all the wonderful flavors we have. Life is too short for to wait for birthdays for cake! I do believe in moderation but just wait until you try this cake, you’ll see.

Inspired to salvage

2010-03-01T17:12:00.000-08:00

I have been reading JunkBeautiful and it has really encouraged me to look at things differently.

I have perused a few different books on this topic and this was by far the most inspiring! The projects are not cheesy and out dated, they are fresh and classy.

So last week when our family was sitting in traffic on the 605 and i looked out my window and spotted this cable dumped on the hillside I quickly recalled a friend mentioning they had used one of these for a table. A coffee table is exactly what we have been missing in our simple home and after a bit of an adventure getting off the freeway and finding our way back to the hillside, my handy husband rolled this beauty up the hill and we loaded it in our car. (i'm so grateful to have a station wagon)

The next couple posts will show more projects around the house as we change how we view things; in an attempt to consume less and create more!

Save the Bears!

2009-08-10T11:04:00.001-07:00

Natania and Claire were pretending to shot bears and lions the other day. (I decided that if I had boys I wouldn’t be surprised that they wanted to pretend to hunt and shoot so I don’t want to have a double standard! Although I really don’t know where that idea came from, not me!) Anyhow, after they had brought us their 4th or so pretend dead bear, Daryl and told them they shouldn’t shot too many bears, only what Natania and Claire could eat themselves so that they didn’t waste. Claire then told me that they were having a big dinner and needed enough for Natania, Claire, mommy and daddy. We then said that they needed to make sure they didn’t shot all the bears because other people needed to see them too. Natania called down, (she was hunting upstairs) that other people could always look at pictures to see bears and lions!

They are quick! Maybe it was too early to be teaching them about conservation!

2009-04-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

Natania cracks us up all the time. A couple weeks ago we had family from out of town visiting. Daryl's aunt from Colorado and Grandparents who live in Wyoming as well as his parents, brother and girlfriend were all over for dinner at our place. We had a great time together! At one point in the evening Daryl asked his Aunt Natalie how old she was. Aunt Nat teasingly said to all of us, "I'm old as dirt!" Natania who was standing right by her, looked at her and said, "Aunt Nat, you're not old as dirt," and then she pointed at Daryl grandparents sitting on the couch and said, "they're old as dirt!" We all had a good laugh at that one!

Sweet Claire

2009-03-15T22:48:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a first hair cut... first hair cut by someone other than mommy that is! Natania got into the scissors and gave her little sister a hair cut. i was trying to find a good "before" picture but i just cut Claire's hair a couple weeks ago into a cute bob. and was probabably feeling a little pride about how adorable she was with her cute little hair cut. Well, as you see below, her golden tresses are rather short in some areas! We've tried to down-play the whole "oh Claire your beautiful hair is gone!" response while still taking the "playing with scissors" seriously. Even at this early age she is learning from us what beauty is and we want to be very intentional about treating looks healthily and without very much importance. I would love to raise girls who are free from the lies this culture and world teaches us from day one about beauty and needing to conform to a certain image that media and current fashion feeds us!

Ok, so here is the evidence!

Flour-Less (yes it's true!) peanut butter cookies

2009-03-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, i was looking for a new Gluten Free cookie recipe to try out for Daryl and came across this recpie. I was skeptical at first, but i know this blogger does a lot of GF cooking and blogging and after reading through a bunch of the reviews on her site, i decided to try them and wow, i'm glad I did! Daryl loved them and we were both surprised at how good they came out without any flour. I read that some people substituted honey (only 3/4 cup instead of 1) for the sugar and also had great results... i think I'll try that next time. I don't normally like PB cookies, but these were delicious! (i did add a couple chocolate chips to the ones i baked for myself. If you like chocolate then i'd suggest adding a couple chips on top- wonderful) I did change the recipe a bit because Daryl isn't eating "peanut butter", so here is my version of the recipe as well as the process!

Becky's Cashew/Almond Butter Cookies
(how many things do you have to change to a recipe to make it officially yours?)

1/2 cup cashew butter
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. baking powder
(extra sugar for rolling the cookie dough balls in)

that's it! ...i'm serrious! so simple.

Step 1. Mix ingrediants. Here is the dough... pretty sticky

Step 2. Make into little balls and roll in a little sugar. Small is good; apparently they hold together better if they are smaller. (this much dough would make a very big cookie! I made mine much smaller!)

Step 3. Press the classic fork "x" on them.

Step 4. Bake at 350 for 11 mins. Then let sit on pan for 5 minutes or more, then remove them from pan and let cool longer on wire rack or plate. As the cool the outer sugar coating gets crispier!

Step 5. Enjoy!

2009-01-30T15:22:00.000-08:00

Becky's Chocolate Crinkles Cookies

These are wonderful, i took them to work last week and everyone loved them!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of almond flour (optional: you can use more white/whole wheat if you don't have)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1.	In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flours, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours, or put in freezer for 45 mins.
2.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Get hands wet (very important as the dough is sticky!) Roll dough into one inch balls. Coat each ball in confectioners' sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets.
3.	Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Take them out right when you think they may need a minute longer. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute and they will sink down a little and finish cooking. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Enjoy!

2009-01-21T20:19:00.000-08:00

Here it is! The finished curtain!

2009-01-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

following a bit of a hiatus, I am back. This winter /holiday season has been full of family, new traditions at Christmas, a slow "parents of preschoolers" new years (i.e. we went to bed before the countdown...sorry) and now getting back into the rhythm of life. I'm doing good. Tonight i almost finished a little project I’ve been working on for a couple weeks... ok that is misleading. I have not been working on it for two weeks. I have been looking at it for 3 weeks, slowing gathering supplies and motivation to actually sit down at my sewing machine and make the girls their new curtains. If you saw them, you would realize that it was more of a "two night" project but, for me, 2-3 weeks is pretty good.

Next week I’m going to be gone for dinner one night. It will be a nice to have a night away from my normal duties, maybe I’ll convince Daryl to cook himself or take the girls out so that i don't have to make dinner either. Isn't it funny how on nights that mothers get "off" we still have to do almost the same work (at the cooking part ...) This Christmas Daryl told me that he is willing to try and learn how to make a couple meals (beyond his current repertoire of .... toast....scrambled eggs... grilled cheese.... tuna/beans/corn/bell pepper stir fry -i know, it sounds weird, but the girls gobble it up and i try to pretend when i walk in the door from work at lunch time that Daryl's concoction is yummy and normal for them to eat ...(i make myself a sandwich on those days) Anyhow, i need to think about how to really encourage this idea of his to make dinner and cultivate this into a wonderful new tradition... "Daddy's Dinner night" or "Daddy's Surprise casserole Night" something fun like that. Unfortunately i know all to well what a little discouragement can do to an idea like this. When Daryl and I first got married he offered to learn how to make 5 dinners. For some stupid reason, i told him that he didn't need to be in my kitchen! Oh naive little wife i was.... what was i thinking! how many times have i kicked myself for turning down his offer... (he has teased me ever since about my lost opportunity and pretty much stayed out of the kitchen) This time around since apparently enough time has passed for my past deflating remarks to drift out of his memory, i'm going to gently seize this opportunity and put some recipes in his path..

More another time….

Visiting Cousins

2008-03-02T14:56:00.001-08:00

My sister Liz was in town in February. The girls had so much fun playing together.

A day at the park

2007-10-03T14:45:00.001-07:00

Natania (2 yrs. 8 months)

Throwing rocks

Claire (17 months)

Trying to get a "girls" shot.

2007-07-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

check this link out:

http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/flat4.asp?id=6909

this video is really cool. I am now an official supporter of Dove Products.

2007-07-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

We are back in the states and readjusting to life in Southern California. (If that previous post didn’t already imply that). Our transition has been good but harder than we expected. Partially that is because we really didn’t have many expectations that it would be hard. I think it had something to do with the whole, “we’re MK’s, and we’ve already gone through this. I stood paralyzed in the cereal aisle when I was thirteen; I’m not going to do that again!” Well so far I haven’t had a crisis in a grocery store but I’m still surprised that I have felt different feelings of true culture shock! It’s a good humbling experience. If you know any MK’s you know that we are a breed that has a high level of self pride in our “culture awareness.” And so to go through this experience has once again shown me that I am not special and immune to the same issues that “everyone else” goes through!

As for Natania and Claire, they didn’t skip a beat reconnecting with their grandparents. When Natania first saw Grandma Sherry she ran to her and said, “can I go swimming in your pool?!” We had been telling Natania that she would get to swim at Grandma Sherry’s house so that she would have something concrete to think about when we told her that we were coming back to “America.” I know that they don’t totally understand what has happened. We still talk with Natania about the people we miss in Macedonia. Maja, Vesna, Auntie Heather, Whitney, Heather, Katelyn, Aunt Nadine, Uncle Andy, Alex, … the list goes on. While Natania does have a limited understanding, Claire is totally oblivious. She is her usual coy, sweet self. Her hardest adjustment so far has been the nursery at church!

We are excited to be here even if we’ve had re-acclimate ourselves to some of southern California’s unique culture! Please pray for us that we would continue to settle in to life here and honor God through this process!

2007-06-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

I made it to and out of Target. Well, I should say that our bank account made it out still alive after being bombarded with lots of appealing “needs”. Oh those sandals are so cute-I know I already have a pair of flip flops, but those are so much cuter… oh look at that clearance rack over there, I really should go take a look, maybe I’ll find a great deal! By the way, what happened to the style since I’ve been gone? It’s like we can’t make up our mind between tight eighties and flowing seventies—maybe that’s the point—we can’t come up with anything new so we’ll just blend styles to get a new look. Ok, So I can resist the clearance rack for now; or maybe it’s just that I’m going to need a little time for the current trends to wear off of me. J But man, all this pressure to buy, buy, buy. I’m not used to feeling this struggle so acutely in my heart!

Ok, so all that to say I did give in, I bought Natania the cutest little dress shoes—she’s going to need a pair now that we’re going to church right? They were so sweet! But don’t worry, they were on sale!

Claire is One!

2007-06-04T02:20:00.000-07:00

Claire had her first birthday at the end of May! We celebrated as a family on Tuesday the 22nd, and then had a little party for her here at the house on Friday. Natania was so excited about her birthday, she sang Happy Birthday to her all week long. Claire is such a sweet girl. We are so grateful to have her in our family. So, for those of you who don't know Claire very well right now, I'll try to describe a little what she is like. One of her best attributes is her great smile, her whole face gets involved! She like to sing and clap her hands, her favorite song is "slippery fish" and she'll put her hands to her cheeks and say "oh no" with the song. I think she is going to be a gentle, compassionate child because she can sit looking at book with paper pages (as opposed to cardboard) and she doesn't rip them out or crinkle them -Something that Natania was always doing. We were playing a game the other night with cards and Claire was just content to sit in my lap and hold and shuffle some cards. She likes to be tickled although not quite as much as Natania. When she gets really excited/upset about something she'll try to bite whatever's in reach. (you can ask Natania, she's already got several marks to prove it!) Some of Claire's favorite foods are whole wheat pancakes, black beans, bananas, and anything sweet! If you say "Hello" she'll put whatever toy she's holding up to her ear as though it is a telephone. She can give kisses (leans forward with open mouth). Claire is a little on the shy side, she doesn't like to go to people if she can see her mommy close by, unless you have food to bribe her! It is hard to believe that she was 4 months old when we left, she has changed so much. We can't wait for everyone to get to know our little one year old soon.

2007-04-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Seven Layer Bars

Submitted by: Patty Tindall
Rated: 5 out of 5 by 132 members

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Ready In: 40 Minutes
Yields: 36 servings

"Easy to make and very rich. Can use different kinds of chips (vanilla or peanut butter) to suit your taste."

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed

milk

1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2.	Place butter in 13 x 9 inch pan and melt in oven. Swirl to coat bottom and sides with butter.
3.	SMix crumbs and buter in a bowl then press into bottom of pan. Layer chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and nuts over crumbs. Pour condensed milk over nuts. Sprinkle coconut over condensed milk.
4.	Bake until edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool.

My notes: Hm... they were so good. I followed the recipe except we can't get graham crackers here so i used a "close" friend of the graham and did 50/50 cracker crumbs and pretzels! Very good combo! I also didn't use quite as much coconut as called for.

2007-04-20T05:22:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the video clip below, our little Claire has sprouted wings and begun to crawl! In a little over a week she has already picked up a lot of speed! She is now pulling herself up on the couches and she also enjoys being "walked" about the room. Not too long before she'll be doing it by herself. Which by the way is one of Natania's new favorite phrases. "I need do it by myself mommy." I thought I was somehow going evade this stage with Natania, that we'd just pass over this common toddler struggle for independence. But alas, no, even sweet little Natania is reaching for her autonomy. Please pray for my patience as I let her grow and that I’d have wisdom with when to reign in her self sufficiency! She really is a lot of fun, some of her favorite things to do are... well hold on, she wants to tell you herself!

-"Help" mommy in kitchen. Translation: kneel on the stepstool, eat a snack and play with kitchen utensils while mommy tries cook and relax if a little extra mess is made with the added "help"

-Go for a walk around the neighborhood. Translation: push Claire in the stroller "all by myself" and run to mommy if a car comes saying. "hold mommy's hand, i don't be afraid!"

-Watch "Little people movie" (self explanatory... except that this is when mommy tries to hurry and make dinner without the "extra help!")

-Take a bath. my favorite part is at the end when Daddy sometimes turns on the shower and sprays me with cold water and I squeal with delight and say "again! more!"

-Play hide and go seek. Translation: I run to a hiding spot and then turn around and run back out. I'm starting to learn to actually stay in my spot until I’m found!

-Play at a playground. Translation: this is very exciting for me. I get very happy when mommy tells me we're going to the playground because we don't have any by our house. We have to drive at least 10 minutes. But my favorite one is further away down in the center of town because there, the teeter toddler is not broken and they actually have swings i can sit in by myself. (without falling off). I also love slides!

-Go see the river. Translation: go walk up the river that flows through town and say. "Dirty river, no go in river. that's dangerous." mommy is trying to teach me to say "nice river" because she's embarrassed that i say "dirty river"... but i don't know why...i'm pretty sure i heard mommy and daddy say that!

-Go to McDonalds. Translation: eat "toast" (which is McDonald's grilled cheese here) and french fries... I love french fries!!!

-Sing! Translation: Watch the video clip!

On the Menu

2007-04-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

"On the Menu" is a new series dedicated to my favorite recipes that I have recently made and photographed. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes! Hope you enjoy.

Henry and Maudie's Oatmeal Cookies
INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sifted whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups rolled oats

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Stir together the whole wheat flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
2.	In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg,

	water and vanilla. Mix in the flour mixture, then stir in the oats. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 2 inches apart.
3.	Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Date Night

2007-03-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight Natania, Claire and I went out on a little outing. We didn’t get out yesterday or today and so I decided to go get ice-cream. Macedonians have this idea that eating something cold like ice-cream in the winter is bad for your health, so most restaurants and stores don’t stock it or serve it during these “chilly” months. There is however an ice cream parlor at the big mall in the center of town and so, feeling a little adventurous and stir crazy, I decided not to take a taxi but to find it myself with my co-worker/neighbor’s car. I’ve of course been there before but never behind the wheel myself!

After a few wrong turns that adjusted our 15-20 minute jaunt into a 25-30 minute trip, we pulled into a tight spot (parallel parked!) on the curb. If I had parked in this same spot in the states, I would have received dirty looks and probably a ticket for my audacity to leave my vehicle where I did, but thank goodness, those rules don’t apply here! Otherwise I would have spent another 10 minutes driving around the squished “parking lot” looking for a legitimate spot!

I slid Claire into the sling and gave Natania strict warnings about needing to hold my hand and obey Mommy while we were out. We stepped in the mall and I realized at once what a novelty I was. To paint the picture for you: Young single woman, two “babies,” a sling… most women here don’t have children until their 30’s and if they have more than one child they definitely don’t have them close together, 6 years is the desirable distance between siblings. As for the sling, let’s just say I think mine is the sole representative of its kind here in this country! It’s been a while since I’ve attracted so much attention. It took me back to my days in Asia where there was no hiding the fact that I wasn’t a national, and everyone stares openly at foreigners. Here, with my light skin, dark hair and brown eyes, I can blend in quite well as a Macedonian (as long as I keep my mouth shut!).

At “Palma’s” we sat in the “non-smoking” section, which I don’t think really exists, everyone here smokes and so if there is a non-smoking section, it’s just one or two tables in the middle or off to the side of all the smoking tables! I ordered two scoops of ice-cream for us to share and a cappuccino as a treat for me. Natania wanted to try mommy’s coffee but I didn’t want to risk her not being able to sleep due to the caffeine boost. (I’m sure the sugar in the ice-cream was already taking care of that!) Natania enjoyed her ice-cream and … so did Claire (yes, it’s true I guess I have relaxed my standards a little). After ice-cream we rode the escalator up and down four times because Natania was having so much fun. Then Natania helped me pick out a pair of earrings at a little silver jewelry stall. Lastly we got one of those big shopping carts that has a little car for your toddler to sit in the front and “drive” (another fun treat for Natania) and I picked up a few items at Ram Store; the largest grocery store here and more importantly; the only one with little cars!

We had a lot of fun tonight and mostly I think it was because I took great joy in my daughter’s joy. It’s hard to put into words, but Natania was so happy to be out with her mommy. On the way home, I told her that we had gone on a “date” and tried to explain the concept to her in toddler vocabulary. She told me that she wanted “do date again mommy?” And she also got very excited when I told her that she could go on a date with Daddy too.

I’ve been spending a lot of time recently with my two daughters and it can be a temptation to lose sight of the bigger picture. These are two precious little girls that God has entrusted to me for a time. Tonight I was blessed with a beautiful little occasion that has helped me to reflect on God’s goodness to me. I thank the Lord for the delight that I am experiencing being Natania and Claire’s mother. It truly is a privilege to raise these little girls.

Our trip to Stobi

2007-01-29T12:45:00.000-08:00

2007-01-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

As a follow up from several inquiries about Natania's experience with the battery; first, it is (with a little poetic license) a totally true account. Secondly, we are sad to say that Mr. Button Battery no longer has the energy in him to perform his duties. (He did try to resume life as normal in the calculator, but alas, the spark has left him!)

2007-01-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

The Problem of Having Chosen the Common Macedonian Name “Darko” for Daryl

(Telephone Rings)

Daryl: “Ahllo”

Caller: “Ahllo, Darko?”

Daryl: “Yes”

Caller: “Darko?”

Daryl: “Yes!”

Caller: “Darko??”

Daryl: “Da!” (“Yes!” in Macedonian)

Caller: (Click – hangs up)

2007-01-12T05:42:00.000-08:00

Today's Feature

Journal entry from Mr. Button Battery

It is not every day that one gets to leave their boring life encased in a calculator, sheltered from the world, and ignorant of life beyond… Tuesday, January 9^th, 2007 was just such a day for me! Ever since I was born in Shanghai and placed in that calculator, I have often wished I could have a more exciting life… to see the Pyramids, the Great Wall, Niagra Falls… instead I have lived in this dark tomb, shielded from the world and it’s wonders.

I should have seen it coming; there have been a few times that those chubby fingers have felt my smooth shiny surface, but on that day, her curiosity would only be satisfied to experience me with another one of her senses. While her mother’s back was turned fixing lunch, she slipped me into her mouth, rolled me around with her tongue and then all the lights went out and I felt myself plummet down, down, until...SPLISH! Chunks of kiwi, grilled cheese, walnuts, soon joined me in the pool.

I heard a muffled voice outside, “Natania, where did the battery go?” … silence… “Natania, do you see this calculator? Where is the battery? Is it in your shoe? Yes Did you eat it? Yes” The woman’s voice was calm, as she spoke again, “I don’t think she ate it… she’s never done anything like that!” A man’s voice responded, “This could be very serious, maybe we should take her to get X-rays!” After some deliberation they decided my fate. I was on slow track out of there. This wasn’t really what I had in mind for an adventure of exploring the wonders of the world. I began to miss the refuge of my dry, snug slot in the back of the calculator…

I'm leaving out the gory details of the remainder of my journey over these past 72 hours. Needless to say, after two fruitless searches for the mom, the dad got the honors on the third diaper change. He found me after what must have been a stomach churning experience! Third times a charm! Freedom at last! I’m grateful to be in one piece, out of that stuffy place where I’ve seen things I never wanted to or hope to see again!

2007-01-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

The snow if falling fast—we’ve lingered at the window, watching it come down and sticking our hands out into the cold to try and catch a flake! Natania likes seeing it fall. Hopefully it will stick and Natania can enjoy going outside to play in the snow; a first for her!

We may get a white Christmas this year after all, since according to the Orthodox calendar, Christmas is this Sunday, Jan. 7^th. Macedonia still hasn’t celebrated it yet. To stay in the spirit with our neighbors, we’ve still got our tree up and Christmas music playing through the house!

I just walked away from the window for a few minutes, and now it has stopped snowing! Well I guess that shows how little I know about snow and the weather. Maybe I was a little too quick with all my good ideas of building snowmen in our back yard… now if we were in Colorado right now…

Well, I can still enjoying sitting by my window with or without the snowflakes falling from the overcast skies. I’ve got a couple of freshly baked banana, walnut, chocolate chip cookies and a steaming cup of PJ tips black tea. Not to mention both girls are down for their naps—at the same time! Ah, a few minutes of peace. I don’t know what I would do without nap time (the girls nap time that is). Having a little time to myself every day is what keeps me sane! Thank you Lord!

The purpose

2007-01-02T04:53:00.000-08:00

After much contemplation, I have finally decided to try my hand at this whole on-line journal thing. I'm wary of setting myself up for failure, but I’m going to at least try and consistently post entries with occasional pictures as well. I have resisted the idea of keeping a blog because of my worry over not being creative and witty and that readers will be disappointed with my entries. In fact it would probably be good for me from the beginning to give up any notion or expectation that this will be anything more than the usual "family updates" etc. type blog. With so many options out there today in this cyber world, if you choose to read this it won't be for the deep thoughts or clever remarks but because you care about our family and want to know what is going on in our lives. So, I guess that is the purpose of this blog, it's good for me to write that out! I hope you enjoy!

2006-12-14T03:40:00.000-08:00

Cale Fortress built in the 1300s
Natania, almost 2 years old.

2006-07-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

Do you see any resemblence?

Doing the dishes while Claire takes her afternoon nap!

2006-01-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

We went to Build-a-Bear in Downtown Disney over Christmas.