Wow! After a busy December things are finally beginning to get back to normal. Where to start? Well, maybe in Seattle. My family drove to Seattle on the Thursday before Christmas so that my dad could do a wedding for some friends of ours. They put us up in a hotel for two nights.
Well, let me just say this...there are seven people in my family. For some reason we tend to be rather loud...messy...expensive...We stick with places like, well Motel 6. The kind of places that have faded signs with peeling paint, hard beds, and one room for the seven of us. Places that feature thick gray slush dumped over biscuit shaped rocks as a delicious choice for our breakfast.
The Hotel Sorrento was not Motel 6. The Hotel Sorrento was a tall building with a waterfall in the front, concierges who parked our car and opened the doors for us. The Hotel Sorrento was a place with tall ceilings, brilliant chandeliers, plush couches and crisp, uniformed receptionists. The Hotel Sorrento was exactly the opposite of most hotels we stay in.
WE got out of the car and dragged our many suitcases into one of the fanciest hotels in Seattle. Two receptionists were involved in a hurried conversation as they exchanged worried glances at our family. Now this is just a guess, but it probably went something like this:
“Oh my gosh, look at the size of that family!”
“Where did you say their room was again?”
“Floor two, but we put them the farthest back so it will decrease our chances of hearing them.”
“I know, but floor two, really, a few more floors up and we'd hardly notice they were there.”
“I doubt anybody could ignore a family that big.”
“And they have two rooms, too. The parents won't be able to control their own kids, look at those little ones, they're crawling around on the floor.”
Well, we finally managed to get to one of our rooms. We opened the door. It was dark for about five seconds and then somebody found a light switch and the whole room was flooded with light. We looked around. Then Claire asked, “Is there a reason why there is a picture of those naked ladies on the wall?”
Now, I know that it's supposed to be a form of art and all and yadayadyada but I still don't see any reason to be walking around the hotel slapping disgusting pictures of naked women on the walls for people to be having nightmares about as they drift off to sleep. Well, my dad walked over and tried to yank one of things of the wall, but what do you know? They were glued on fast. By this time it was getting late, and so, with a promise to track down some tape my parents headed out the door to the wedding rehearsal.
The five of us waited....and waited...and waited. And I began to think that it was not the most brilliant idea when I promised my mom that we could handle everything. Emily and Ashley jumped from bed to bed, then, when they got bored of that they made a pile of loose sheets, blankets and pillows and jumped off the window sill into them. Finally it was 7:00. Claire was looking out the window when she saw Galen and Hannah, (the couple that were getting married), drive up and walk up to the hotel. Well, the five of us started knocking on the window to get his attention. They waved and smiled and we moved away from the window to get ready for dinner. All of a sudden we hear this banging on the window and there is Galen, holding onto the window sill and smiling happily. Well, of course, we did the natural thing, we let him in.
When my parents came back they were thrilled to find us, with the window open, talking to a strange man who had climbed to our room via the fire escape and, oops “catch you guys later” he had to go to his wedding rehearsal dinner.
So that was the first part of our trip to Seattle, and I'm sure you'll enjoy hearing more about it later, when I get around to writing it!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Love
How do I keep loving, when my friends keep leaving without a single goodbye or apology to me? Why do I keep loving, if my trust just keeps getting dashed to pieces every time someone says one more unkind thing? I guess the question that I'm wrestling with is, how can I afford to keep on loving? It does nothing for me except hurt my heart again and again. And then I turn to His word: "There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear...whoever fears has not perfected in love." I can't be afraid of what others will do to me, or say to me. I cannot be afraid. If I am a daughter of God I cannot afford that luxury. Later John writes that I can't love God and hate my brother. Love isn't exsclusive. Love isn't only to people I can trust. Love extends to anybody and everybody no matter what their background, position or place in life. And until I realize that I can never truly love God.
Christ first came to love us when we did not know him, did not care about him. Christ loved all, despite the fact that he knew he would be betrayed. As he hung, soaked in blook and crying out in agony on the cross he didn't think about what he "got" for love. Christ's love is total, unconditional.
What about me? In my heart I know there is only one choice. I have to keep loving. I have to open my arms, embrace the world and love without reservations, without a thought of what it owuld do for me. Past hurt, past anger I must love. I must love until I am so hurt and exhausted that at the end of each day I must again, fling myself on Jesus and cry for mercy. I have no choice. Christ expects no less.
Christ first came to love us when we did not know him, did not care about him. Christ loved all, despite the fact that he knew he would be betrayed. As he hung, soaked in blook and crying out in agony on the cross he didn't think about what he "got" for love. Christ's love is total, unconditional.
What about me? In my heart I know there is only one choice. I have to keep loving. I have to open my arms, embrace the world and love without reservations, without a thought of what it owuld do for me. Past hurt, past anger I must love. I must love until I am so hurt and exhausted that at the end of each day I must again, fling myself on Jesus and cry for mercy. I have no choice. Christ expects no less.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Week with the Cousins
On a happier note we had a great time with our family, some of which we have not seen in six years. We took lots of pictures and so everyday I'll post a few pictures to tell you more about the happier moments of our trip. Today there's a lot of pictures because I'm introducing each of my cousins. The only one missing is Jared because we didn't have time to take a picture of him.
Claire...obviously.
Little Ashley.
This is Sabrina, she's the oldest from my dad's sister. She's 14 almost 15. Her younger brother, Jared is 9.
This is Daniel. He's 13, three months younger than me. He's the oldest from my dad's brother.
This is Matthew. He's the youngest from my dad's brother. He's 9.
This is me. :)
Emily...she thinks she's really cool.
Juliana...the middle girl from my dad's brother age 11.
Cade, with his "peace" sign.
So those are my cousins from my dad's family! More pictures to come...
Claire...obviously.
Little Ashley.
This is Sabrina, she's the oldest from my dad's sister. She's 14 almost 15. Her younger brother, Jared is 9.
This is Daniel. He's 13, three months younger than me. He's the oldest from my dad's brother.
This is Matthew. He's the youngest from my dad's brother. He's 9.
This is me. :)
Emily...she thinks she's really cool.
Juliana...the middle girl from my dad's brother age 11.
Cade, with his "peace" sign.
So those are my cousins from my dad's family! More pictures to come...
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Memorial Service
Many of you know that my Grandma died a couple weeks ago. My family just got back from California where we were at her memorial service. The oldest grandchild from each family read something they wrote for her at her memorial service and so I decided to post what I read.
Ever since I was little I have always called my Grandma, Lola. That’s what my grandparents requested and so that’s what I have always called her. Somehow that makes her seem more personal, more specific. I mean there are thousands of grandmas in the world, but, at least to me, only one Lola. I hope that today she is honored like she deserves.
The last time I saw Lola was in January. She and my Lolo had just come back from a business trip in Maryland and they stopped at our house in Spokane for a week. That was the most fun time I ever had with them. It started off with me getting lost at the airport and ended with them waking us up at 4 in the morning on their departure date for a little “surprise.” While they were there we went to a movie, went shopping, got manicures and hosted a New Year’s Eve party with Lola’s cooking.
One of the things I loved about my Grandma was her cooking. Every time we visited we would load up the car and head to the local Asian market. Hours later the house would be filled with the smell of delicious Filipino food. Some of my favorites are panset, synagong and champarado. She loved to cook and blessed my whole family with her delicious food.
Another activity I did with Lola was loose teeth. Obviously, I’ve lost all my teeth now but when I was younger we found out a secret. Everybody knows how generous Grandmas are, and mine probably more so, but anyway, we found out that the tooth fairy at Lola’s house was just a little bit more generous than the one in Spokane. Well, we would always try to loose teeth around the time of our visits. It usually took a lot of effort on our part, but if we succeeded in yanking one out we were rewarded by Lola with a 20 dollar bill. Eventually my parents started talking about popping out a few so they could earn a little extra cash.
I really admire my Lola for her generosity. She was always giving, giving, giving. Lola loved to buy clothes for us and give us gifts. In fact, whenever we knew we were going to see her we would make a list of “fun things” to do with them that we wouldn’t normally do. These included bowling, going out to eat or for ice cream, going to the mall, etc.
Another thing I loved about Lola was her spontaneity. If you even hinted at something you wanted to do she would either immediately suggest it or ask you if you wanted to do it. And of course who is going to say no to ice cream!
There are so many things I could tell you about Lola. I could tell you how excited I was when I was finally taller than her. Or how I scared her so bad she screamed and jumped straight into the air. But I hope this has shown you how much I loved Lola and what an amazing woman she was. I’m so sad to loose Lola. Nothing is ever going to change that. But I am so thankful for the time I was able to spend with her, and the things I was able to learn from her. I love you, Lola. I can’t wait to see you again.
Ever since I was little I have always called my Grandma, Lola. That’s what my grandparents requested and so that’s what I have always called her. Somehow that makes her seem more personal, more specific. I mean there are thousands of grandmas in the world, but, at least to me, only one Lola. I hope that today she is honored like she deserves.
The last time I saw Lola was in January. She and my Lolo had just come back from a business trip in Maryland and they stopped at our house in Spokane for a week. That was the most fun time I ever had with them. It started off with me getting lost at the airport and ended with them waking us up at 4 in the morning on their departure date for a little “surprise.” While they were there we went to a movie, went shopping, got manicures and hosted a New Year’s Eve party with Lola’s cooking.
One of the things I loved about my Grandma was her cooking. Every time we visited we would load up the car and head to the local Asian market. Hours later the house would be filled with the smell of delicious Filipino food. Some of my favorites are panset, synagong and champarado. She loved to cook and blessed my whole family with her delicious food.
Another activity I did with Lola was loose teeth. Obviously, I’ve lost all my teeth now but when I was younger we found out a secret. Everybody knows how generous Grandmas are, and mine probably more so, but anyway, we found out that the tooth fairy at Lola’s house was just a little bit more generous than the one in Spokane. Well, we would always try to loose teeth around the time of our visits. It usually took a lot of effort on our part, but if we succeeded in yanking one out we were rewarded by Lola with a 20 dollar bill. Eventually my parents started talking about popping out a few so they could earn a little extra cash.
I really admire my Lola for her generosity. She was always giving, giving, giving. Lola loved to buy clothes for us and give us gifts. In fact, whenever we knew we were going to see her we would make a list of “fun things” to do with them that we wouldn’t normally do. These included bowling, going out to eat or for ice cream, going to the mall, etc.
Another thing I loved about Lola was her spontaneity. If you even hinted at something you wanted to do she would either immediately suggest it or ask you if you wanted to do it. And of course who is going to say no to ice cream!
There are so many things I could tell you about Lola. I could tell you how excited I was when I was finally taller than her. Or how I scared her so bad she screamed and jumped straight into the air. But I hope this has shown you how much I loved Lola and what an amazing woman she was. I’m so sad to loose Lola. Nothing is ever going to change that. But I am so thankful for the time I was able to spend with her, and the things I was able to learn from her. I love you, Lola. I can’t wait to see you again.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Last week my cousins came down from Spokane and we had a great time! Their parents stayed for a couple of days and then Annsley and Seth stayed for a week before flying back to Spokane on Saturday. I have several great post ideas but right now the pictures say it all!! We went to the river behind our house as well as our friends' man made lake! It was a great week with lots of memories!!
Monday, July 4, 2011
"The Samaritan Woman"
Again this is based off of a story from my dad's sermon. This is part one of "The Samaritan Woman." You can read about it in John 4.
Johanna clutched her head covering tighter and walked even faster. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, hot and painful, reminding her that nothing could ever be right for her again. Dust clouds billowed up ahead and Johanna jumped to the side, stumbling and falling. The rider only laughed mockingly and whipped his horse faster. A woman, an outcast, scorned and mocked to tears. Unrespected, unloved, unwanted. What good am I anymore? She walked wearily to her house and hoisted a large clay jug to her shoulder. As the sun slowly appeared behind a curtain of fluffy clouds, Johanna followed a trickle of women leaving their city to fill buckets with cool water for the day ahead. She continued up a hill, averting her eyes from needle sharp stares and biting whispers. Bits and pieces of conversation leaked out from secluded groups of women.
“What does she think she is doing here?”
“…mmm what more can you expect from someone like her?”
“Don’t you know, rumor has it she’s sleeping with Ahmon the butcher, and they're
not even wed,” the woman sighed with mock sympathy.
“Not that it would make much difference if she did,” another woman added. “How many husbands did you say she’s had?”
“Oh at least five. Takes them in for a season and then throws them out like food gone rotten.”
“Or maybe it’s the other way around,” the women tittered.
Johanna cried out like a wounded lamb. She let her jar fall to the ground and listened to it shatter as she ran away from the well. Her heart thudded in her chest like a hammer striking down again and again. She looked back to see pieces of her jug scattered near the well, the broken pieces like her broken heart.
Johanna clutched her head covering tighter and walked even faster. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, hot and painful, reminding her that nothing could ever be right for her again. Dust clouds billowed up ahead and Johanna jumped to the side, stumbling and falling. The rider only laughed mockingly and whipped his horse faster. A woman, an outcast, scorned and mocked to tears. Unrespected, unloved, unwanted. What good am I anymore? She walked wearily to her house and hoisted a large clay jug to her shoulder. As the sun slowly appeared behind a curtain of fluffy clouds, Johanna followed a trickle of women leaving their city to fill buckets with cool water for the day ahead. She continued up a hill, averting her eyes from needle sharp stares and biting whispers. Bits and pieces of conversation leaked out from secluded groups of women.
“What does she think she is doing here?”
“…mmm what more can you expect from someone like her?”
“Don’t you know, rumor has it she’s sleeping with Ahmon the butcher, and they're
not even wed,” the woman sighed with mock sympathy.
“Not that it would make much difference if she did,” another woman added. “How many husbands did you say she’s had?”
“Oh at least five. Takes them in for a season and then throws them out like food gone rotten.”
“Or maybe it’s the other way around,” the women tittered.
Johanna cried out like a wounded lamb. She let her jar fall to the ground and listened to it shatter as she ran away from the well. Her heart thudded in her chest like a hammer striking down again and again. She looked back to see pieces of her jug scattered near the well, the broken pieces like her broken heart.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Strawberries!
Today my mom decided it was time to go strawberry picking so we packed up our van with the six of us, containers for strawberries, and a bag of crackers for on the way home.
We drove until we came to a sign that read "Grandpa's U-Pick Strawberries" After weighing our containers we went out to pick our strawberries.
Now, just before we went I told my mom that all I remembered about picking strawberries was that it was hot and back-breaking because you have to hunch over the tiny strawberry plants that are about two inches tall. Personally, I thought I spent more time hunched over, making sure my pants don't fall down than actually picking the strawberries. 
Anyway, we went up and down the rows filling our tupperwares with strawberries. Emily and Ashley's attention span lasted for at least five minutes and then they busied themselves walking up and down the rows eating strawberries. Finally we finished picking 16 pounds of juicy strawberries. We brought them home, ate some lunch and then began cutting each and every strawberry. As you can see we finally finished with this...
...and this too, which didn't make it into the first picture
And then we ended up with several pints of jam.
We have also frozen three quarts. So now we're taking a quick break before we plunge back into it!
Oh, and did I mention that on Thursday we're getting another 30 pounds? Just thought I'd mention it.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Pictures
I think these are some beautiful pictures of the countryside around Looney Lane.
I think this one looks like a sunrise.
I think this one looks like a sunrise.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Life on Looney Lane
Heading for the crik...
Playing in the sand...
Swimming? I'm here to relax...
Just my feet, please...
Should I go for it???
Just a little bit more...
Race for the towels...
Homeward trek...
...in the pickup...
Behind the house where my family lives right now is a river right on the property. My family loves to go down there in the evenings or on the weekends. It is so quiet and still and beautiful...our own little retreat. We ride the pickup truck back 3/4 of a mile and then we have to walk for another quarter mile or so. Everything is gorgeous! We walk on a path of trampled down grass. The trees surrounding us are all different shades of green. Dark, shiny, vibrant... Their trunks are thick, deep brown, standing tall. Blackberry bushes march along on either side. We finally reach the river. We duck low hanging branches until we come out into a beautiful pebbled beach. It is about 50 ft. around with multi-colored rocks of different sizes. On the right it is sandy, bordered with leafy bushes. We set up the chairs and get out the beach toys. At first we stayed on the beach, content to wade and splash each other. Then slowly we got in deeper and deeper. I should mention that my dad triple dog dared us to swim in the water and Cade immediately responded, "Oh,oh, yeah! I am definitely going to do it, you don't even need to dare me. I am sooo going in!" Before we got in my dad made Cade take his shirt off so that he would have something dry to come back to. Now the big guy wasn't so sure..."Oh, guys it looks really cold now. I mean before I thought I could keep my shirt on so I was going to do it but, ahhh dad, do I have to take it off?" Eventually we all (except my mom. It has to be 90 for her to swim) got in...minus Cade. Apparently he was all talk. He would stand about up to his waist and say, "No, guys I really don't want to do it." A little later, "Oookay I guess I'll do it. Is it really cold?" "Ohhh, but do I have to do it?" Finally we convinced him that it would be better to get it over with because otherwise we would tease him about it. After we were all on shore, wrapped in towels my dad said, "Listen." Everything was absolutely silent except for the gentle rush of water and the chirping of birds. God's creation is so evident, especially out here!
Oh and by the way, if you're wondering when we found time to go swimming since it hasn't been above 75, I'll just tell you that it was barely 60 degrees when we went. Everybody claims the water was -30 but hey, if that's what you gotta do to swim in Oregon, that's what you gotta do.
Playing in the sand...
Swimming? I'm here to relax...
Just my feet, please...
Should I go for it???
Just a little bit more...
Race for the towels...
Homeward trek...
...in the pickup...
Behind the house where my family lives right now is a river right on the property. My family loves to go down there in the evenings or on the weekends. It is so quiet and still and beautiful...our own little retreat. We ride the pickup truck back 3/4 of a mile and then we have to walk for another quarter mile or so. Everything is gorgeous! We walk on a path of trampled down grass. The trees surrounding us are all different shades of green. Dark, shiny, vibrant... Their trunks are thick, deep brown, standing tall. Blackberry bushes march along on either side. We finally reach the river. We duck low hanging branches until we come out into a beautiful pebbled beach. It is about 50 ft. around with multi-colored rocks of different sizes. On the right it is sandy, bordered with leafy bushes. We set up the chairs and get out the beach toys. At first we stayed on the beach, content to wade and splash each other. Then slowly we got in deeper and deeper. I should mention that my dad triple dog dared us to swim in the water and Cade immediately responded, "Oh,oh, yeah! I am definitely going to do it, you don't even need to dare me. I am sooo going in!" Before we got in my dad made Cade take his shirt off so that he would have something dry to come back to. Now the big guy wasn't so sure..."Oh, guys it looks really cold now. I mean before I thought I could keep my shirt on so I was going to do it but, ahhh dad, do I have to take it off?" Eventually we all (except my mom. It has to be 90 for her to swim) got in...minus Cade. Apparently he was all talk. He would stand about up to his waist and say, "No, guys I really don't want to do it." A little later, "Oookay I guess I'll do it. Is it really cold?" "Ohhh, but do I have to do it?" Finally we convinced him that it would be better to get it over with because otherwise we would tease him about it. After we were all on shore, wrapped in towels my dad said, "Listen." Everything was absolutely silent except for the gentle rush of water and the chirping of birds. God's creation is so evident, especially out here!
Oh and by the way, if you're wondering when we found time to go swimming since it hasn't been above 75, I'll just tell you that it was barely 60 degrees when we went. Everybody claims the water was -30 but hey, if that's what you gotta do to swim in Oregon, that's what you gotta do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)