Pretend City

I got to spend the whole day with two of my favorite people. 

This morning I rolled out of bed and went downstairs to have a cup of coffee. My friend Nate spent the night on the couch (he recently moved home to Rancho Cucamonga but his whole life is still here) and so we sat for a little bit and talked.

Breakfast at the Robecks with cartoons (cookie jar tv!!) to go along with. John Mark and Cristina took a day for themselves and the left soon after breakfast. The kids and I stayed in our pajamas until about 12.30. After we ate lunch we hurry scurried out the door on our way to Pretend City. 

If you've never heard of Pretend City, look it up and go. Basically, it is a city built inside of a warehouse and everything is miniature and kid-size. There is a post office, a farm, a construction site, a house, a doctors office, a stage, a grocery store, a lake, a beach/sandbox– they really have it all. Everything is set up for kids to touch, play with, build, move, drop, throw and carry off if needed. 

At first we were a little overwhelmed with so much to do. But between the art studio for Rebekah and the construction site for Caleb, we were totally set all day. I asked the kids what they're favorite parts were. Caleb really liked digging and planting at the farm. They have areas full of plastic bits ground up that look like dirt, and then vegetables you can "plant" in the "ground". Of course Caleb would chose to dig. 

It was also at this point that RRR decided she didn't want to do what we were doing anymore and so I told her she could go all by herself and do something else. Her eyes got big, I gave her her ticket and some "money" (The kids get stamps at each station and then the stamps at an "ATM" will give them money) and off she went. Every once and a while she'd come back and tell me about something new she found. It was great. 

At one point we were at the doctors office and the kids both dressed up, put me on the table and started hitting my knees and listening to my heart and lungs. In the end I was put in a foot brace and given crutches and told to rest up. Rebekah was using an accent as her doctor voice which I think is funny, because their real doctor has one. 

The  construction site was a lot of fun as well. RRR and CMR built a 4x4 "house" for us and in the end we put a roof on it– while all of us were still inside. 

I could go on and on. The best was to hang out with them, smile with them and discover new stuff with them. Sometimes I felt like I was the only grown up actually sitting on stuff, playing with toys and putting on costumes but how could I not?? I would have betrayed our friendship. I was an awesome day, and it ended with books on the top bunk and kisses before bed. After I turned the light off it was relatively quiet–which is saying something for those two. 

adventures with eli

This morning Eli and I hung around the playground a bit after Ryan went into his class. We walked around on the grass and enjoyed the playground a bit. At one point he ran over to the swings and leaning onto the seat moved forward a bit and exclaimed "weeeeee!". 

I sat down on the swing and set him on my lap, facing me. Caleb and Rebekah and I do this all the time. They face me and put their legs on either side of me and we swing and giggle and make faces at each other. I attempted this same thing with Eli, knowing Caleb always gets a kick out of it. Except this time not so much. After about a minute he said "up, up, please" (which really means down in Eli language) and so I consented. He immediately ran over to another swing and leaning into it so it would move a bit said "weeeee!". 

Sometimes I think we are a lot like this. In our lives we go about day to day doing the same things and enjoy them quite a lot. However I do think that sometimes God wants to pick us up, sit us facing him and swing as high as the bar–wind blowing in our faces and tickles in our tummies. But there are times when we say, "no thanks, not today" and settle for just the smallest movement by our own actions. 

still sick.

I'm completely overwhelmed and really just tired. 

megan

Wednesday mornings I have been blessed with the opportunity to help out with childcare during women's bible study. I help my friend Laura, who is a NICU nurse, with the infants in the nursery. Each week I feel like I learn tuns and walk away feeling so relaxed and joyful. 

Anyway, today I held Megan. In the past Megan has been the one who cries and cries the whole time, the one who seems to only be happy for moments every once and a while during the two hours we have her. This morning I started out talking to her while she was still in her car seat. Then she got uncomfortable so I took her out and held her. Completely happy to watch everything going on around her, about an hour later I realized she was still smiling and watching as I helped Laura when I could. 

Some yawning and a few tears and we decided it was time to wrap her up. She loves to sleep in the mobi wrap and so Laura taught me how to put it on. Instantly she was asleep. I can see why moms love those so much. Your hands are free and yet there's a tiny little person strapped to you. She fussed a little but I passed her mom at 11:30 with a big smile on my face. 

I love Wednesday mornings. 

Heather and Patrick

Hey friends, I just got an email from my friend Heather. I had the most wonderful conversations over tea with her in Oxford and I am so thrilled for her tonight. She is from the Pacific Northwest and I believe Patrick is studying abroad from Kenya. She is incredible and I love how happy she is. 

Hello dear friends!

Patrick and I are engaged! We spent this past weekend in Missoula talking with my parents, and were so affirmed and encouraged by their their support.  Then this morning Patrick came over early and we biked to Gasworks Park for a picnic breakfast.  We stood by the railing looking out over the lake, and then I started to put my gloves on for the ride back, but Patrick held my hands and got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him!  I said yes, and we both just stood there smiling and laughing and hugging each other -- we are so excited and so ready to be engaged!  We are planning to get married on July 17 at Rainier Avenue Church in Seattle, so get excited for an invitation coming your way in the next few months.  Thank you for all of your prayers and support through this process, and we look forward to celebrating with you every chance we get!

Love,

Heather and Patrick

ironic

In previous years the snow season comes around and living in so cal the winter never really comes down from the mountains. Yet every year I bring from home my snowboard, boots, jackets, pants, goggles–the whole shabang. Except I've never used them here before. One year they actually all got stolen and thats a crazy story all in itself. 

This year, packing up and leaving to come back here from Christmas at home I looked at my board and thought, you know I've never used you and you always just sit in the closet. I'll just leave you here this year. 

Stuart and Nate went up a few weeks ago to the snow. Sam and Seb are talking about going. Friends from church are making the trip up to attempt a beautiful day enjoying the one sport I've loved since childhood. 

Where's my board? At home in the closet. 

coming to terms with blue

For a long time I have shied away from the color blue. I am completely drawn to anything in the color pallet of brown–burnt orange, mustard yellow, sage green–and my whole life reflects it. My quilt, first and foremost. My clothes are all of these colors and they match all of the furniture that belongs to me and mine. I chose my pens and paper based on those colors, my coffee mugs, my shoes, art that I like. 

Yet I find myself surrounded by blue lately. 

The majority of my closet is blue. Blue jackets, blue shirts, blue tank tops (How did this happen??!). I even found myself trying on more blue things last night with my sister. I've been painting with blue lately. I want blue shoes and blue hats. I'm looking at blue in photography and noticing when authors use blue to describe in my literature homework. My favorite pair of eyes are blue. 

Maybe I just need to give up and embrace it. So much of me doesn't think that blue has a place in my color pallet. But apparently blue thinks it does. 

stir crazy

Short story, I'm tired of the way this page looks. I'm sort of in the process of making it better and I'm not sure how. I think I'll just fiddle a while. 

Self expression, why is it so important?

frustration.

Recently a staff member at Vanguard decided it was okay to personally attack another–not her own–department and the decisions of said department. She also chose to do it via the student newspaper. 

Now, I can see where some of her concerns may lie, why maybe she might have the opinion she does. However, at a Christian university no less, she chose to tear apart a colleague who is involved in student ministries in front of the entire student body. Many of her arguments hold no concrete basis and I find it interesting that she would so dare to speak about meetings and decisions she herself had no presence or part in. 

Lastly, how does this help morale in her workplace? How does this lift others up? Forgiveness? Support for someone despite their mistakes? Community–how is it fostered by pulling others down? What does it say about a person who is so publicly willing to berate another? I think insecure is the word I'm looking for. 

In her attempts to correct, share her opinion and make others look bad, I think she has found her reward.