so i thought we were going to maine when mom announced that she was planning a top secret christmas suprise this year. it made perfect sense: marc hasn't even met my aunt valerie, uncle scott and cousins, heather and cody. nor has he visited the Fraser Farm yet. and we have lots of winter memories from christmases spent in Maine: digging tunnels in huge snow banks, tobogganing down the big hill behind scott and val's house. bundling up all cozy and playing in the snow until you had icicles growing off your nose. then running inside to a mug of hot cocoa. the crackling fires every night and let's not forget: the tradition of opening one present each day for the week before christmas!
well, we only have 3 days together with ethan and caroline so mom searched around for some fun winter activities in the chicago-indiana-michigan area. we had our family christmas tree last night and our last present involved instructions to be ready for a 7:30 departure this morning...good thing for mom that she decided to inform us of some of the adventures we'd be embarking upon this weekend: skiing(basic, easy slopes), ice skating, horse and buggy rides, swimming and hot tubbing...i think getting up at 7:00AM will be worth it.
we ended up driving through a bit of rain and having a mild day so we were happy to wait to hit the slopes till tomorrow. instead, we leisurely enjoyed our private suites, complete with whirlpools for 2; swam in the indoor waterpark, hot tubbed outdoors and napped between activites. it's been a day filled with good family fun. lots of hoots and hollers riding down the water slides in intertubes together and moseying along the lazy river. i haven't been to an amusement park or water park for years and i feel like a kid again. it's so refreshing. and alas, it's time to get out of the p.j.'s again and head to town for dinner. too bad i can't go to dinner in my pajamas. they're slowly becoming my favorite outfit :)
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Phew!
yes! it's officially the holidays. the christmas music is filling the house. marc and i went to our first christmas party last night, the famous Balzer holiday party: lots of people, lots of gorgeous hors d'euvers, a delicious white chocolate bread pudding with caramel rum sauce and let's not forget the chocolate fountain for your drizzling pleasure. a lovely evening followed by a long, restful sleep and a lazy, cuddly morning.
marc and i are so thankful to find ourselves caught up in the season after working some long hours the last couple of weeks. i'm NOT complaining. we've accomplished a lot in these past few days: our cabin has been warm and cozy thanks to our new wood stove, but we are ready to have more time to enjoy each other as well as our families.
our first christmas together. i think we might go buy an ornament together. i love firsts. ...that reminds me, sammie (our pet rat) finally ventured down her ladder (hand-crafted with love, by her daddy). she mustered up the courage to meander down that ladder. now she runs up it and launches from the top of her cage into the bedding below. she even has the nerve to steal our christmas cards and make her bed with them! she's becoming a little rascal after being a scaredy cat for weeks! i hope she behaves for derek :)
well, the christmas decorations are calling me, "Come and get me out of storage"...
hope you're enjoying this day as much as i am.
marc and i are so thankful to find ourselves caught up in the season after working some long hours the last couple of weeks. i'm NOT complaining. we've accomplished a lot in these past few days: our cabin has been warm and cozy thanks to our new wood stove, but we are ready to have more time to enjoy each other as well as our families.
our first christmas together. i think we might go buy an ornament together. i love firsts. ...that reminds me, sammie (our pet rat) finally ventured down her ladder (hand-crafted with love, by her daddy). she mustered up the courage to meander down that ladder. now she runs up it and launches from the top of her cage into the bedding below. she even has the nerve to steal our christmas cards and make her bed with them! she's becoming a little rascal after being a scaredy cat for weeks! i hope she behaves for derek :)
well, the christmas decorations are calling me, "Come and get me out of storage"...
hope you're enjoying this day as much as i am.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Isn't it almost Christmas vacation?
i know, i know--who am i to complain? it's been an intense work environment since Thanksgiving (we're just now getting around to the actual winterizing work after raising the funds to do so). our wood stove is in the final stages of assembly: there's a hole in our roof and the rain is falling while we're struggling with some unexpected difficulties. i have no doubt it'll be finished by today (crossing my fingers). marc installed our ceiling fan last night, complete with a dimming light and remote control! our cabin is slowly being transformed into something beautiful, kind of like our marriage...
each day brings its own trials and redemption, but the past week and a half has been pretty intense for us. people always talk about the first year of marriage being the hardest, but when you're enamored with your fiance, you don't really bank on the struggles coming that soon. didn't we just get married? we don't even have our wedding photos yet and we're feeling like we're in a pitch black cave with no flashlight. sometimes the attempts to resolve our conflict seem to push us further apart. i know it sounds pretty dim, and it felt pretty dim for a few days. but if there's one thing i've learned through the hard times in my life, it's that you can't let your feelings govern your thoughts and actions.
as i was reading the Psalms the other day, the Lord really spoke to me through Psalm 130. He reminded me of just how perfect His love is for me, so i don't really NEED validation from people. it's so good, i'll quote some of it:
3 If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
(i'm so thankful that He forgives and then casts our sins far away from us)
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning...
7 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption.
i received so much hope from these words, remembering that God really does redeem every sin and struggle. even if it feels impossible to face the issues before us, there is hope in God.
so last night marc and i had an amazing time of reconciliation. God so gently spoke to both of us, convicting us of our pride (what else is new?). He opened our eyes so that we could see clearly how to get out of that dark cave. oddly enough, we were very close to the mouth of the cave, we just needed illumination.
i don't think i can even express how grateful i am for our marriage; i know that the Lord is refining my character and stripping away that which is not of Him (and i mean STRIPPING away!). it is extremely painful at times, but the deep satisfaction and knowledge that i am becoming more like Jesus makes every moment a joy. and of course, there's always joy in making up with your hubby.
each day brings its own trials and redemption, but the past week and a half has been pretty intense for us. people always talk about the first year of marriage being the hardest, but when you're enamored with your fiance, you don't really bank on the struggles coming that soon. didn't we just get married? we don't even have our wedding photos yet and we're feeling like we're in a pitch black cave with no flashlight. sometimes the attempts to resolve our conflict seem to push us further apart. i know it sounds pretty dim, and it felt pretty dim for a few days. but if there's one thing i've learned through the hard times in my life, it's that you can't let your feelings govern your thoughts and actions.
as i was reading the Psalms the other day, the Lord really spoke to me through Psalm 130. He reminded me of just how perfect His love is for me, so i don't really NEED validation from people. it's so good, i'll quote some of it:
3 If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
(i'm so thankful that He forgives and then casts our sins far away from us)
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning...
7 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption.
i received so much hope from these words, remembering that God really does redeem every sin and struggle. even if it feels impossible to face the issues before us, there is hope in God.
so last night marc and i had an amazing time of reconciliation. God so gently spoke to both of us, convicting us of our pride (what else is new?). He opened our eyes so that we could see clearly how to get out of that dark cave. oddly enough, we were very close to the mouth of the cave, we just needed illumination.
i don't think i can even express how grateful i am for our marriage; i know that the Lord is refining my character and stripping away that which is not of Him (and i mean STRIPPING away!). it is extremely painful at times, but the deep satisfaction and knowledge that i am becoming more like Jesus makes every moment a joy. and of course, there's always joy in making up with your hubby.
Friday, December 02, 2005
today is an exciting day for the residents of cabin c...
there is a brand-spankin new wood-burning stove waiting to be installed in our cabin.
once again, we are trying to learn how to do maintenance and repairs on The Land without hiring professional help. this morning marc and i woke up with a bit of concern that something wouldn't quite be up to par and we'd end up with raindrops joining us in bed tonight. honestly though, there comes a point where you just have to choose to trust your family as well as your Dad and hope for the best...
we came to this realization after marc expressed his frustration at the continuation of the do-it-yourself attitude which has been prevalent in this ministry for years. (it really is a cultural thing, i guess. hippies like to be resourceful and creative, but many times their creations end up breaking quickly and looking shoddy.) he attempted to share his concern this morning when we met with derek and curtis for devotions; however, it came across to derek more like an attack on his ability to accomplish the task at hand. in the end, marc and derek learned how to communicate like a family does: sometimes with frustration, but always attempting to extend grace to one another and seeking to understand the hearts of others.
ultimately, we all had a fresh reminder from the Lord that our hearts are all stained and dirty: we are constantly seeking to satisfy our own desires rather than looking to serve others. i was humbled as the Lord reminded me that just yesterday i allowed a turkey club sandwich (from Arcata Pizza and Deli, for those of you who know...) to come between marc and me...it was MY leftover sandwich that i wanted to save for later but marc was still hungry and couldn't believe that i wouldn't offer it to him. (you have to know that i didn't know he was still hungry, he hoped that i would offer it.) still, my selfish little heart wanted to save that sandwich so i could eat it later and that dang sandwich ended up being another brick in the wall that erected itself between us yesterday. how did that happen? at the end of the day, we talked the wall down again (until 1:00am...can we say 'sleep deprived?') but once again, marc has become the mirror that reflects the true heart within me.
all in all, i would say it's been a successful day. The Lord spoke to us as a community, humbled us before one another, and knitted our hearts together a little bit tighter than they were yesterday. ...we removed the old propane heater from our cabin and have begun prepping it for the wood stove. i cooked lunch for the community, updated the ministry mailing list, called 5 towing companies in an attempt to have a newly abandoned van removed from our property, and started a blog. i'm just glad it's friday. maybe tomorrow marc and i will watch march of the penguins or maybe he'll keep working on the cabin. either way, i'm stoked it's the weekend.
once again, we are trying to learn how to do maintenance and repairs on The Land without hiring professional help. this morning marc and i woke up with a bit of concern that something wouldn't quite be up to par and we'd end up with raindrops joining us in bed tonight. honestly though, there comes a point where you just have to choose to trust your family as well as your Dad and hope for the best...
we came to this realization after marc expressed his frustration at the continuation of the do-it-yourself attitude which has been prevalent in this ministry for years. (it really is a cultural thing, i guess. hippies like to be resourceful and creative, but many times their creations end up breaking quickly and looking shoddy.) he attempted to share his concern this morning when we met with derek and curtis for devotions; however, it came across to derek more like an attack on his ability to accomplish the task at hand. in the end, marc and derek learned how to communicate like a family does: sometimes with frustration, but always attempting to extend grace to one another and seeking to understand the hearts of others.
ultimately, we all had a fresh reminder from the Lord that our hearts are all stained and dirty: we are constantly seeking to satisfy our own desires rather than looking to serve others. i was humbled as the Lord reminded me that just yesterday i allowed a turkey club sandwich (from Arcata Pizza and Deli, for those of you who know...) to come between marc and me...it was MY leftover sandwich that i wanted to save for later but marc was still hungry and couldn't believe that i wouldn't offer it to him. (you have to know that i didn't know he was still hungry, he hoped that i would offer it.) still, my selfish little heart wanted to save that sandwich so i could eat it later and that dang sandwich ended up being another brick in the wall that erected itself between us yesterday. how did that happen? at the end of the day, we talked the wall down again (until 1:00am...can we say 'sleep deprived?') but once again, marc has become the mirror that reflects the true heart within me.
all in all, i would say it's been a successful day. The Lord spoke to us as a community, humbled us before one another, and knitted our hearts together a little bit tighter than they were yesterday. ...we removed the old propane heater from our cabin and have begun prepping it for the wood stove. i cooked lunch for the community, updated the ministry mailing list, called 5 towing companies in an attempt to have a newly abandoned van removed from our property, and started a blog. i'm just glad it's friday. maybe tomorrow marc and i will watch march of the penguins or maybe he'll keep working on the cabin. either way, i'm stoked it's the weekend.
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