On becoming a soccer mom

Christmas traditions...gotta love 'em!

2006-12-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

In reference to the last post, I thought I'd give you a mini-tour of the slightly scarey, 30 year old Christmas decorations at Grandma Weezy's house...

cookies and egg nog

2006-12-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

Oooooh, I love the holidays! I love that my Mother In Law plays round-the-clock Christmas music on the radio, that there are a million Christmas decorations all over the house...even the scarey ones at least have a cool story (they are 30 years old, what Christmas dolls wouldn't have chunks of hair falling out at that age?). I love that Mieke tours the decked out tree every day with Grandma and Grandpa. I love that Jack-the-dog (as opposed to Jack-the-baby) even gets new Christmas toy bears to play with these days. The tree swells with presents and the Gingerbread tea has become a regular brew. These are the days that I love. Making memories with family, new family and old. Making new traditions with Marc and Mieke. I'm cherishing these days. And thanks to my daughter, picking out gifts for Marc has become much easier this year!

...Mmmmm, I don't know if Dad will like that one...

Let me see that other one again...

Oooo! Definitely not that one!

Yea!

2006-12-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

Finally, my blog seems to be functioning normally again! And that is not the only good news in the Hall family today...I'm pretty sure I'm safe to write this here because likely all family members will hear before they read this...

MY BROTHER AND SISTER-IN-LAW ARE PREGNANT!!!!! Yes, this is their first baby and they've successfully been doing Fertility Awareness as a birth control method for a year now, but as many of us know ;) it doesn't work if you cheat! But they are happy. Ethan will be graduating from Notre Dame's Grad School program in May and hopefully have a job lined up by then. So, it seems babies are popping up everywhere...Marc's brother, Tim, is having another boy and his cousin, Debbie, is having a boy soon, too. It's such an exciting time in life!

And, I'm almost afraid to say this, but after having Mieke I've realized that I absolutely adore being a mother. That's not the scarey part...here it is: I want more babies. I mean, I would like to get back in shape again before the next pregnancy. And, yes, I know it's good to have about 2 years between babies, but I simply love having another little person in our family and I can't wait to see what the rest of them will be like.

Ok. There's a little something else. I'm hesitant to write this because we've only just begun this journey of building a family, but I've been thinking a lot about the Gents and the Brodeurs. For those of you who don't know these amazing families, they are huge, ranging from something like 7-11 kids. The kids adore their parents as well as each other and they are such godly people. I just love watching them in action. Oh, I could write an entire blog about these families, but I won't now. You know what's funny, we're watching the movie 'Cheaper by the Dozen' on TV. Ironic. Oh well, God knows how many kids we'll have.

We miss you all, Land-ites!

but, we're all geared up for Chicago

a challenge to all computer teckies:

2006-12-09T22:56:00.000-08:00

we're experiencing technical difficulties with Megan's blog.

here's the sitch:

megan tried to switch over to the new "google" account on blogger. but she doesn't have gmail, so she tried to use my gmail address. and now it has our two blogger pages confused. that's pretty tolerable, but I think it has caused a bigger problem:

now she can get to her login page, and it looks new and everything. she can edit her blog and add new posts, but after every edit, when you click on "view blog", it reverts to her old blog. and if you click on her profile picture on the old blog, it comes up to MY log in page.

so for now, to view Megan's new blog, we have to link from someone else's page.

anyone got any ideas? (oh, i don't know,...hmmm.... possibly.... NATHAN????)

this dyslexic child is waiting...

Megan's new post

2006-12-09T22:50:00.000-08:00

we're suffering technical difficulties, so i as the husband am trying to sort it out.
here's a picture to go along with this post:

My husband went to work today for the first time since our wedding...

2006-08-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

and I'm getting a taste of what life will be like soon...

Ok, so Marc works. But we definitely have a unique lifestyle-living and working in community together. I love it. We've barely spent a day apart for the first 9 months of marriage. We see each other day and night. I think it's a good thing for a couple who only "dated" for 2 weeks and were engaged for 2 months. We're still dating each other, really.

But today Marc went to work for our friend, Scott, who's doing a roofing job about 45 miles from here. Sure, we're still on vacation, but why not try to make a buck or two (or maybe 50) when the opportunity arises? So this morning Marc packed up a lunch and took off for the worksite while I remained in Tahoe, lounging in the sun with the fam.

I think there's something I've been missing in the experience of being a stay-at-home wife and mom and I just realized that I've been looking forward to this for a long time, like, all my life. Don't get me wrong, i have absolutely loved my roles at Prodigal Project and Emmaus Ministries. They've been very fulfilling and I'm so thankful that God has used me to show His love to the poor and outcasts of society. But now that I'm on the brink of motherhood, I'm ready to jump into this entirely new role.

I'm sure some of you moms out there will warn me that it's not all I'm imagining it to be, but I can't wait to have our own home to cook in, clean, and organize. I can't wait to have my very own kitchen to prepare healthy, delicious meals for my family. I can't wait to decorate, to get together with my old girlfriends from Chicago who've just had their first babies, and to have my parents over for dinner.

I don't want to start living a conventional suburban life, untouched by poverty, suffering, and the gritty life of the city. I still want to choose to love those who are hard to love and to lay my life down in ways that are uncomfortable. But I am confident that our Dad has a nitch for us back in Chicago, even if we don't know what it is yet. I'm excited and really ready for this adventure in motherhood to begin...in more ways than one!

Crawdaddy fishin'

2006-08-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

Last night's dinner catches tonight's dinner. Who knew Crawdad's liked chicken and salami? I guess anyone who's fished for them...

Sandwiched between my beautiful twin sisters-in-law (and looking like a whale next to them...gotta love the last weeks of pregnancy!)

Would you push your mother into Lake Tahoe for $50?

2006-08-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

Let me set the scene...

Our nephew Jackson is enjoying a peaceful boatride with his daddy, so Louise decides to wade in for the perfect photo. Meanwhile, the rest of the family is lounging on the beach when Steve offers $50 to anyone who will go push Louise into the lake. Stacey ups the ante by asking $100 when Marc decides $50 is enough for him. He darts into the lake to sneak up on his poor unsuspecting mother. One minute she's getting this shot...

and the next moment Marc's snatching her camera and dunking her...

Mom Brackley, beware. I did not know Marc had it in him...Then again, I can't see him turning on his mother-in-law for $50. Too big a risk.

$100...maybe.

No time for creativity...

2006-08-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

but at least I'll write a quick update on our first week of vacation. My mom was just here for a week, which was spectacular. We did a whirlwind tour of the Bay Area including staying at the lovely Chaminade Hotel in Santa Cruz, Steve and Louise's house, the Holiday Inn at Half Moon Bay, and the Hilton at Oakland Airport. (Thanks for making it all possible, Priceline.com!) We did a lot of relaxing things like picnic at the beach, sit and watch surfers, putz around seaside towns, and shop (of course).

Last weekend my incredible Mother-in-law and Aunt-in-law(?) threw me the biggest and nicest shower I've ever attended. There were about 27 guests (half of whom I met that day) and they literally showered us with gifts! After a few returns and exchanges we now have every imaginable item necessary for bringing a baby into this world (including about 300 diapers). Our munchie has the most extensive wardrobe of any infant I know and WILL be cute even if she is one of those alien-like newborns, thanks to baby Gap's adorable jeans.

We've done lots of running around, but i'm happy to announce that we are officially ready for the birth of our baby (6 more weeks and counting). Marc even installed the car seat tonight.

So, the Subaru is packed up and ready for the second half of our vacation adventure: the Hall family vacation in Tahoe. Departure is at 12:00 noon tomorrow and we are ready to roll. I'll wrap it up for now. It's definitely time for some R&R at the end of this errand-filled day...

8 months & still smiling

2006-07-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

CRAZY!!!

2006-07-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

Why does it seem that my life is CRAZY these days? It's not a bad crazy. It's just a really busy crazy. And a good crazy, really. This week we've had the fabulous return of the Jared and Candace family and the arrival of the Matthew and Rachel Ray family (with a 4 month old baby girl in tow). It's been absolutely wonderful having more people around...oh yes, Todd Will is visiting too, after just returning from a 6 week missions trip to Brazil (with New Tribes Mission). So I'm loving the company, catching up with old friends and making a couple of new friends. It's just that there's so much going on these days and the work load seems to loom a bit more.

We've been having some good community meetings lately, talking about issues such as -- dun-dun-dun -- the Vision of the Ministry, roles and responsibilites, new scheduling...These are all very big issues that take lots of thought and much discussion time. And we've also been starting to do outreaches again. Last week we went to Garberville to check out the Farmer's Market and cruise the town to see if there were any hippies around. Seeing as how we picked the hottest day ever, 110 degrees, there weren't many people out. But we've got some people going up to Arcata tomorrow with Iced Chai and homemade cookies (thanks to my dear husband who baked them in a 115 degree kitchen this afternoon).

Anyway, there are 3 lovely girls in my cabin now, ready and waiting to watch a girlie movie...The bottom line is, we're busy but really happy and my apologies for not blogging.

familiar droppings and an odd smell

2006-07-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing to wake up to on a Saturday morning is a dead, rotting mouse in my storage bin under the bed. He must have led a somewhat contented life nestled in there because there are grains buried all throughout my clothes. I can imagine how nice it would have been, lying amidst my cozy winter scarf, storing food in my undies...and taking his last breath nestled in between my woolie socks and my soft cotton tee shirt.

Time to do some laundry.

figurine family

2006-07-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ever seen the movie "What About Bob?" Well, it has been suggested, after discovery of our first family figurine, that each member of the Marc & Megan Hall family have his or her own figurine so that when we have heated arguments it will actually be our figurines doing the talking...

This is Marc's figurine, a cutout picture from his high school football days. (For those of you who don't know, he went on to play college football at Georgetown and was apparently quite popular. I've seen pictures of him signing autographs for wee fans.)

I'll let you know how this goes. If Dr. Leo Marvin believed it to be a useful method for conflict management, it must be good.

Why don't pregnancy hormones come with an "Off" switch?

2006-07-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

It's funny, just the other day, as I was remarking that I haven't had any PMD's (pregnancy melt-downs) for a while, I felt it coming...like I was jynxing myself. Knock on wood. It came in full force: an onslaught of hormone-driven emotions. Only this time around, it's a little different. I'm definitely more sensitive (as usual) but more than that, I just feel blue. Whenever I'm not doing something, this feeling of sadness comes over me and I can't figure out what is causing it. Except for the alien that's taken my body hostage and is changing my brain chemistry.

In the meantime, Marc is still the best husband in the world, putting down whatever he's doing and listening to me talk about being sad for no reason (that is, after I stare at the wall with a really depressed look on my face for a while). I'm thankful for him.

I'm also thankful for my friends, who have so much grace and understanding. I just talked with my old roommate, Deb, from Chicago, who gave birth to her first baby 2 weeks ago. It's so nice to have friends that are experiencing exactly what you're experiencing at the same time. I have to give her serious props though, because Sam was 9lbs. 12oz. and she had a grueling labor (including back labor and pitocin, eeek!) I digress. My point is this: pregnancy hormones aren't my best friend in the world, but I'm so glad that I have great friends and family with whom to share this time in my life.

Marc's baby

2006-07-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

We are so proud to say that the hostel renovations are coming to a close! Almost all of the detail-work is done and the only remaining project is to install the kitchen. You might think that this is a major step to renovating a house, and, it is. But we are just excited to see everything else finished up. We've all lived in one-room cabins without kitchens for so long that I'm sure Chinua and Rachel don't even mind that little missing detail. I'm proud of all the hard work that our guys have put into it, especially since none of them are professional builders. They've spent hours reading 'Do-It-Yourself' manuals and talking to hardware store employees. And now, their work is paying off! Chinua and Rachel have a hot shower and three rooms, 900 sq. feet, waiting for them. Yea!

The real reason why we have a new computer...

2006-07-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

Well, if you've read Marc's blog lately you might be thinking that we are fortunate enough to have a computer because of my budgeting diligence. It is true that for the past 5 months or so we have been carefully budgeting, and because of my structured personality, I love it. But it's been harder for Marc to live within the confines of a budget, since he's more of a generous and free-spirit. So he deserves more kudos than I do for that reason alone.

Furthermore, we really wouldn't have this computer if it were only for my budgeting. Yes, saving money has helped, but in reality we have this computer because of the generosity of our Papa. God has used so many of our amazing friends and family to bless us with birthday gifts (beyond expectation!) and continued donations toward our ministry here at The Land...

But the real kicker is this: Picture it with me. (It won't be hard to do since so many of us have traveled this road) Marc and I get married last October. We register at BB&B and REI so we can acquire the type of wedding gifts that one-room cabin-dwelling, traveling couples need. Most of the gifts we receive from REI are for Marc: a hiking backpack, lightweight down sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and a lightweight 3 man tent...all of these things, plus all the other supplies needed to hike and backpack, became ours. We were so excited! I had been on many backpacking ventures with my dear friend, Laura, but Marc hadn't been yet. We could hardly wait till the spring so we could hike the Lost Coast together.

Then...pregnancy. Hey, we're flexible! We're excited. Of course, we'll gladly become parents (a little earlier than we'd planned, like 3 years earlier).

So this summer hits us. My belly is growing an inch a day, I'm eating every 10 minutes and laying down to rest every 20. It becomes apparent that we are not going to be using all that top-notch hiking gear. Not only are we not using it this summer, we're moving to Chicago this winter and we certainly won't be using it to hike around Lake Michigan anytime soon. So, sadly, and after a bit of mourning, Marc decides to return all the unused gear. This was a big deal. It wasn't just about cool stuff we'd gotten for our wedding. It was about huge changes in our lives, in a sense, the loss of freedom and mobility. For a man, giving up his sense of adventure and trading it in for stability and family is a complex and often difficult transition. Now, I KNOW that Marc is absolutely overjoyed at the fact that he is becoming a daddy. It would be worth trading in an entire REI store to hold his little princess for the first time, but I just want to acknowledge his selflessness and love for us girls.

Now, thanks to Marc and the REI return policy, we have a computer and the beginnings of our "moving stash." And that's the real reason why we have a new computer.

A shout-out to Elena and Rene'e

2006-06-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

Now you can see why the belly is so big this week!

So, Elena and Renee, don't be jealous but this is what you think it is... homemade ice cream. You're familiar with Grammie Fraser's stellar down-home cooking, since most of the popular dishes I make originate from her, so you can just imagine what her homemade ice cream tastes like: pure heaven. And that's not all. The flavor, you ask? Coffee. Yes, coffee. This is the creamiest ice cream you've ever tasted and traditionally the whole family gathers 'round to "lick the paddle" when it's done. Marc is definitely enjoying many of our Fraser/Brackley traditions this week.

Not only have we indulged in homemade coffee ice cream, we've had homemade brownies, tollhouse chocolate chip cookies, ginger cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, homemade MAINE blueberry pie (Maine blueberries are the small wild ones that are far sweeter in taste than those big Michigan blueberries), blueberry muffins, homemade cinnamon rolls, the list seems to go on and on. Now, for fear of creating jealousy I pause to contemplate whether or not I should even mention the rest. I'll just say lobster rolls. That's it. We've had much more than that, but I don't want to cause a brother to stumble.

And tomorrow is the day that this sweet vacation is ending. It's been great to be with the family, especially seeing Marc my Aunt Valerie, Uncle Scott, and cousins Heather and Cody since Marc hadn't met them yet. We've had a lot of fun together and it'll be sad to leave, not knowing the next time we'll return. But next time will be very different!

Going back in time

2006-06-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

Bear with me. I tried to post these pictures of Marc's birthday at the beach 2 weeks ago and Blogger wasn't cooperating...

The belly has grown significantly since May 25...

Marc's belly has grown significantly as well (just kidding)

Our first baby shower

2006-06-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

Could I come up with a more boring title for a post? I think all this food and relaxation is destroying my creative writing skills. Or perhaps I didn't have many to begin with, but anyway, that's not the point. The point is: my Grandma is the best! She threw me a surprise baby shower this week! It was the sweetest family baby shower I've ever had (thus far) with relatives that I haven't even seen for a few years in attendance. And gifts in abundance! I think my Mom packed a whole suitcase full of gifts for the wee girl. I can't even express my sentiments regarding all of the gifts we got...I'm realizing that I AM turning into one of those proud Mommies who thinks that every little outfit is going to be the cutest thing in the world once it is adorning their precious baby. But, really, she will be the cutest thing in her new little Robeez (picture below) and baby Gap outfits. For those of you who don't know, Robeez are the most adorable little baby shoes ever invented. I haven't figured out how to put links on my blog, yet, but maybe I'll try to figure it out so you can all see what I'm shoutin' about. I thought about taking a picture of all the gifts spread out on the bed, but that's the moment I realized I'm turning into one of those Moms. So, I'm showing restraint and I'll post pictures of the Munchie IN the clothes.

Gram and Mom especially, thank you for treating us like the Queen and her Princess. We are so thankful for the amazing family we have and we don't take you for granted!

Great-Grammie Fraser, Grammie, Mama, and Auntie Heather

The Hostess with the Mostess

Proud Daddy reading "Pat the Bunny" to all us girls (don't tell him I told you, but he was at the shower the whole time, loving every minute of it-what a guy!)

I told him this stuff was for the baby, but...

The famous Robeez (which I did exchange for the purple ones with snails)

Eskimo Papa

2006-06-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

This picture has nothing to do with our summer vacation in Maine (except maybe that this jacket used to be my Grandpa's), but I found it and just couldn't resist sharing it.

Sweet Potato Stew

2006-05-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

The credit goes to my father-in-law, Steve, for this gem...

2 T. olive oil
2 c. finely chopped onion
2 T. minced fresh ginger
2 t. chili powder
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 lbs. red-skinned sweet potatoes (2 medium yams), peeled and cut in 1/2 inch pieces
2 c. orange juice
2 T. minced garlic
2 15-16oz. cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 poblano chilies, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped

sour cream
avocado
orange wedges for toppings

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add ginger, chili, cumin and stir 2 minutes.
Add sweet potato, orange juice, garlic and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until sweet potatoes are almost tender, about 10 min.
Stir in beans, poblano chilies and bell pepper.
Cover and simmer until chilies are tender, about 15 more minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with avocado slices, orange wedges, and sour cream. Polenta goes great with it too. Serves 4.

Canadian Oatmeal Bread

2006-05-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

The long-awaited recipe:

Boil 2 c. water on stove.

Dissolve in 1/2 c. lukewarm water 1 t. sugar and 1 2oz. package cake yeast (or 3 packs dry yeast).

In a large bowl, mix:
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. unsulfered molasses (Grandma's is best)
1/3 c. butter
1 1/2 T. salt
2 c. dry oatmeal
Add your 2 c. boiling water and dissolve butter.

Add 2 c. cold water. Let cool until lukewarm (lest you destroy your yeast).

Add yeast (which should have been growing).

Add 10 c. all-purpose white flour (2 c. at a time), stirring until you have to knead. Flour your counter-top for kneading and knead in 1/2 c. more flour. (You may need even more flour than 10 1/2 c., depending on the flour you're using. Grammie Fraser only uses Robin Hood...) Knead until dough isn't sticky anymore, but don't over-knead. (This is a delicate process!)

Grease the same pan you mixed the dough in (you don't even have to wash it) and allow the bread to rise for 2 hours or until doubled. It should be in a warm place to rise, preferable a warm oven (but not too warm) and cover it with a warm, damp, breathable cloth or towel.

After 2 hours, punch the bread down then flip it over. Allow it to rise another hour. (Covered and in a warm place)

Pull dough away from sides of bowl and cut into 4 or 5 sections (or do 3 loaves side by side in 9x13 pan). Shape the loaves and put them into 4 or 5 greased loaf pans. Cover with cloth again and allow them to rise 1 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Bake 35 minutes or until medium-brown on tops. Remove from pans immediately. Butter tops and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before eating.

As many of you know, this bread is at its absolute best straight out of the oven, slathered with lots of butter. But it's also great toasted with butter and jam. Enjoy! ...and don't be bashful about spreading the addiction! (We can all thank Grammie Fraser)

Lasagna

2006-05-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

You'll start to notice a theme in the Brackley recipes...everything tastes better with a little cream cheese...

6-8 strips noodles
2 15-16oz cans Hunts tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 heaping T. Italian Seasoning
1 clove garlic
1 red pepper
1 large onion
1 1/2-2 lb. hamburger
2 8oz. cream cheese (soft)
1-1 1/2 lb. mozerella cheese
parmesan cheese

Chop the onion and saute it in butter or olive oil until transparent. Add minced garlic and chopped red pepper at end, then add to sauce. Fry hamburger on high heat until brown and add to sauce. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Mix about 1/2-1 cup sauce to cream cheese to make spreadable.
In pan layer: sauce, noodles, mozerella slices, cream cheese mixture, sauce, noodles, mozerella, cream cheese, sauce. Make sure the last layer is sauce and sprinke generously with Parmesan cheese.
Bake 30 minutes at 350F or until cheese is bubbling on sides and browning in middle.

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

2006-05-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

For those of you who were around for Land Thanksgiving 2 years ago, these were the Cheesy Mashers...

6 potatoes (large)
1 16oz. sour cream
1 8oz. cream cheese
1 stick butter
milk
16 oz. cheddar cheese grated or chopped

As usual, boil your potatoes until soft, then add all the fattening stuff that makes it so yummy-carbo-liscious! You can sprinkle some of the cheddar on last for a cheesy top layer if you so desire.

Corn Casserole

2006-05-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

This is one of the easiest and ever-popular recipes in history!

1 can creamed corn
1 can corn (drained)
1 stick butter (melted)
1 16oz. sour cream
1 box jiffy cornbread mix

Mix all ingredients together in pan and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. The top should be golden brown.

The day Sammie died

2006-05-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

Well, our road trip last weekend was more eventful than I'd like to say it was. We decided to take Sammie, the cutest sandy-blonde pet rat you've ever laid eyes on, to Sacramento with us. Whenever we stopped, we toted her around on our shoulders ignoring signs at stores like REI that said, "Please leave your pets outside." It's not that we're that attached to her; it's just that she's been very sick since we gave her a flea bath 3 weeks ago.

Apparently the active ingredient in the SMALL ANIMAL Flea Treatment (specifically designed for mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc.) can cause an allergic reaction in your small pet and they can DIE. Isn't there a warning on the label, you might ask? No, only small pets, happily enjoying their new flea-free existence. The sad thing is that my wonderful hubby conducted the treatment in my absence because he didn't want to subject me and Munchie to any unnecessary chemicals. We all know that it is in no way his fault, but I think that he felt somewhat responsible for her.

We noticed that she wasn't feeling herself: decreased appetite, very sedentary, weight loss. It was a sad day, but we held out hope that she would recover because she'd seem a bit better and then take a turn for the worse again. We ended up calling the pet hospital in Arcata. Thankfully, they determined our case was an emergency and put me through to the vet on call, who told me to bathe her 10 times so as to completely cleanse her fur of the cursed flea treatment. We had a little bathing ceremony, blow-dried her, and served her up fresh fruits and veggies. I hope she felt pampered.

We thought she was in full recovery, but as the days went by, we noticed she wasn't getting any better. Then the day came, while we were in Sacramento, when I knew that she was indeed dying. Our poor little Sammie had to spend her last hours driving back through winding mountain roads, being tossed about ferociously. I felt so sorry for her and tried to hold her, but she just wanted a dark little corner. Anyway, I'll spare you the rest of the gory details. But I do want to give props to Renee who was her faithful backseat buddy the whole time. She didn't even mind riding next to Sammie's little lifeless body so we could bury her at home.

That's our sad tale of the pet-killing flea treatment.

The best 26th birthday ever!

2006-05-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

The birthday rundown...Marc was an absolute sweetheart yesterday! He didn't get cranky when I woke up at 6:15AM, ravenous with hunger and having to eat a bowl of cereal in bed. He was the best. He just woke up with me, cuddling and giving me back-tickles (my favorite!). He gave me the new Matisyahu CD that I've been wanting and we spent the morning taking it easy, packing for our trip to Sacramento. He even made me pancakes for breakfast (second breakfast, that is).

Renee rode over to Sacramento with us on our liesurely 5 hour drive. We listened to lots of fun music from her Ipod, including Irish celtic music and 80's mixes. As soon as we got here, we headed straight for the mall, as any birthday girl does. We hit a couple of maternity stores and I found a great bathing suit which I can't wait to wear (well, my thighs can wait, but my belly can't).

Marc had made reservations at Lucca, a nice Italian restaurant dowtown Sacramento, so we had a bit of time to shower and relax before heading out for dinner. Aparently Arnold frequents Lucca, but he missed the memo about my birthday yesterday. Oh well. After dinner Marc took me to Scott and Devon's house where they'd hosted a big barbeque for all the Prodigal Project crew. Elena had secretly baked me the cake I wanted...my mom's red velvet cake without the eggs (she mis-wrote her recipe when she copied it down in Jr. High) She also made homemade coconut ice cream, which was pretty much to-die-for! I got lots of chocolate and some almond lotion and lots of cards and moolah.

Thank you to everyone who made my 26th birthday a gem...especially Marc, Elena, Jessie and Levi (for hosting us and even buying us the cutest denim jacket from Baby Gap), and of course my parents, gosh...I feel like I'm at the Oscar's. Thanks to everyone who made my day special, you know who you are!

Ode to Lavonne

2006-05-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

Lavonne, you are the Mom that everybody loves. Of course, our mothers could never be replaced, but you do a fine job of standing-in when we are miles from our own moms. You're always so easy-going...I don't know how you do it, really. Your house is always clean (despite your belief that it isn't). You always welcome drop-in visits, no matter what you're doing, or even whether or not you happen to be home! I don't know that I've ever known a home besides my own where I could drop in any time, take a shower, do a load of laundry, or even fix a snack without feeling wierd. I remember when I'd just met Laura and started coming over Sundays & Mondays for my day off. Even though she went to work Monday morning, I still felt totally at home, whether or not I was eating breakfast burritos with you or hibernating in the guest room. You know how to have the perfect balance with people: if they need space, you give them space, if company, then company. Thanks for teaching us all the value of hospitality and generosity. I'm sure I can safely say, on behalf of all your adopted kids around the world, we love you and wish you the happiest of birthdays!

O happy day, Rachel's birthday!

2006-05-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that my dear friend Rachel turns 26. Just to let you know how dear she is to me, she's the kind of friend that I go to when I'm having a pregnancy meltdown. She can easily sympathize. She knows it's not the end of the world, just like I do, but she's still compassionate and reminds me that I'll feel differently when I come out on the other side. She gives me some of the best marriage advice, especially because we live with the same external stresses: community living, ministry oriented, simple cabin-dwelling lifestyle, and the gift of pregnancy within 2 months of marriage.

I just want to say that I am a happier, healthier wife because of her friendship. Thanks, Rachel.

Now, just to clear up a misunderstanding from the petting zoo entry...We do not have cockroaches. I was quoting Erin Brochovich when she said, in regards to her cockroaches, "Do people actually live like this?" Also, the carpenter ants are dwindling and there's no sign of the flying females anymore, thank goodness!

Lastly, soon I will compose an entry of famous Brackley recipes: corn casserole (aka-corn stuff), cheesy mashed potatoes, and probably the Oatmeal Bread (I just have to check with Grammie to see if it's a secret family recipe). Yes, I grew up in a carbohydrate addict's heaven. And although the raw-foodist in me hates to admit it, I truly love spreading the addiction.

The latest pictures of Munchie...

2006-05-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

The petting zoo in Cabin C

2006-05-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

Marc and I didn't expect to have so many little critters living with us when we moved into Cabin C. In fact, only one of them is really welcome, and that's our dear little Sammie (a sandy-blonde mellow rat). Usually everyone has some kind of run-in with unwelcome invaders such as rodents, insects, and pests of all kinds. I just didn't expect them to move into our home all at once...

Honestly, they've been arriving at different times. First, the mice came to feast on our buffet of fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, and ALL of my dehydrated camping food (stashed in the closet). You learn, especially after living at the Land for any amount of time, NOT to leave any type of food out that can be chewed through and eaten by mice, because they WILL leave no stone unturned. We quickly determined to shut down the buffet and put all dried goods in mason jars as well as stocking up on mouse traps (sorry for those of you hippie-types reading this who believe in the live-traps...we want revenge on those little guys! They even invade our bed and leave little poops on our pillows; now that's wrong!). All winter long, we've caught mouse after mouse and yet they still haven't learned their lesson. Just yesterday I found one running around in the closet when looking for my old chuck taylors.

When the warm weather arrived, so did the carpenter ants. At first I thought we had 2 species of insect invaders, because the females don't look a thing like ants: they have wings and fly. ick! Marc found some old ant traps around the Land, so we opened up about 18 of those suckers and put them around our bathroom. Then Elena announced one day that she, too, had carpenter ants and that only specific types of traps get rid of them. Even then, you only see about 8% of the entire colony so it often takes weeks to kill the colony. The best thing to do when you're fighting a full-scale attack is simply to vaccum them all up. So, needless to say, our vacuum cleaner has been a permanent fixture in our bathroom for about a month now. At one point, I had a pregnancy meltdown and cried on Marc's shoulder hearing those famous words from Erin Brochivich (in regards to her cockroaches), "Do people really live like this?!" It just seemed too much to be flicking one off my shoulder only to find another on the clean bowl that I just want to eat cereal out of...Is that too much to ask?

And finally, the last, and I think the most exciting new pet that we have is a tree frog. ...You're relaxing in the hot shower after a long day of work, when you happen to peek out of the shower curtain only to see a little green frog on the bathroom floor. Hmmm, must be a prank. "Hey babe, what's that frog doing in our bathroom? Ha, ha, ha..." "I guess he's just coming to say hello." Oh. So he didn't put a toy frog in here to freak me out? Upon closer examination, I realize that this frog is indeed living and breathing, most likely enjoying the way the steam treatment opens up his pores. ...Frogs are a little harder to catch than mice or ants, so he's escaped us a couple of times, but to be honest, I don't think I mind him so much. A frog isn't quite the pest that mice and ants are...

It's a good thing to keep a sense of humor about the little things, and they really are little things.

Marc's birthday picnic at the beach

2006-04-26T16:08:00.002-07:00

the bellies

2006-04-26T16:08:00.001-07:00

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

2006-04-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write a quick entry (because I'm in the middle of baking Grammie Fraser's famous Canadian Oatmeal Bread and Elena's Pumpkin Coconut Soup for dinner)...

I've been so blessed lately through this blog. First, my dad must have really felt my pain as he read about our dilapidated printers because he actually bought Marc and me a new laser printer! What a sweet dad I have. No more disastrous printer stories to look forward to.

And just after writing the entry about my birthday dilemma, Levi's wife Jessie wrote a comment, offering for Marc and me to stay with them in Sacramento for the Whole Earth Festival. The crazy thing is that we hardly even remember each other. I think we met 2 years ago when I camped out there with about 15 other crazy hippies from Prodigal Project. How random for her to read my blog, which she found through Rachel's blog, and then to offer their guest room to us. It's been a sweet reminder that the Lord really will provide for us according to our needs. Thanks for being so random and cool, Jessie!

Just to top it off, today is sunny and 74 degrees, with a forecast of sun, sun, and more sun, reaching up into the 80's! It's finally coming! Yea for summer (and homemade Oatmeal Bread)!

me & hubby

2006-04-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

May 12 dilemma...

2006-04-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

First, I want to say that I married the most wonderful man on the planet. Today is our 6 month anniversary and he gave me just what I wanted: a rock. I've been saying for weeks now that if you get paper on your 1 year wedding anniversary then surely a rock would be appropriate for the half-way-point. And I'm not talking about a diamond, for all you girls who are hearing the song "Diamonds are a girl's best friend" in the back of your mind. I really and truly mean a simple rock. So this morning, while he patiently waits for me to primp for church (since it's warm enough to actually wear a cute outfit), Marc picks out a nice melon-sized rock and tells me that he's going to carve it for me. I can hear you all now, awww. I know, I picked a good one.

Now, the real reason I'm writing is because I need your help. I have a birthday dilemma. This year, my special day happens to fall on the weekend of the infamous Whole Earth Festival. Every year we attend this festival and enjoy gathering with numerous local hippies from Northern California. It's a great family atmosphere: lots of fun music, drumming, great food, and hands-on workshops to learn skills like belly-dancing, bio-diesel, and building with cobb. It's free, so it's one of the easiest festivals to attend. Not only do we enjoy all of the aforementioned activities at Whole Earth Festival, but festivals like this are some of the easiest ways to connect with the traveling kids that we reach out to. In reality, it isn't just a fun festival, it's an outreach opportunity.

When I've been to Whole Earth Festival in the past, we all took our tents and camped out in our friend Levi's backyard. It wasn't all that bad, seeing as how he had a pool, hot tub, and guest-house for families to stay in. We had a total blast, fire-dancing and juggling, swimming and barbequeing. But, sadly, Levi doesn't live there anymore so this year we are spreading out and finding places to stay at various friends' houses in Sacramento. I totally love our friends in Sac-town, but you'd have to see their itsy-bitsy houses to understand: they don't realistically have room for families. (They pretty much have one bedroom houses and their toddlers sleep in hallways or closets) You could put an inflatable mattress on their living room floor, but then their toddlers and babies are light sleepers so you have to be very quiet until they get up. Not to mention the fact that we have a couple of single people who are hopefully going to be able to stay with them.

So the first part of the dilemma is that I don't foresee a very comfortable place for us to stay. And the second part is: I feel like a princess on my birthday and I want to be treated like one. I admit, this attitude makes me feel very selfish and I totally slip into comparison mode: Rachel celebrates her wedding anniversary at a festival every year and she doesn't complain a bit. Despite the fact that Rae and I always talk about how destructive it is to compare yourself to other people, I always fall into the trap! So the bottom line is: I am not very excited about spending my birthday on the road to Sacramento, celebrating with who-knows-what kind of dinner (with our friends or not?) and then sleeping on someone's couch, floor, or in a tent in their backyard.

Now, we could go to Steve and Louise's for my birthday (which is also Mother's Day weekend). That would be great. But then would we drive 3 hours the next day to Sacramento for the same sleeping dilemma? Or would we skip the whole festival? (I would feel extremely selfish) I think that I just want to go out to a nice romantic dinner with the love of my life (and have a comfortable, private bed to sleep in). Is that too much to ask? Probably not.

Do you know what I think the real dilemma is? Now that I'm married and pregnant, I am becoming more high-maintenance. I know I was usually the most high-maintenance girl on tour, because I was always the one to ask if we could spend a few extra minutes at the truck stop so I could take a shower every few days. But it's definitely gotten worse since that blessed day, October 23rd. I just don't seem to have the grace to sleep anywhere, go without showers for days on end, or have no privacy. And that bothers me, mostly because of the dumb comparison game again. It seems like most of the married people here don't need as much time, privacy, and amenities as I/we need. Anyway, I don't know what I'm asking for. Ultimately it is our decision as to how we will spend May 12, but maybe I just want a bit of advice, wisdom, or encouragement. Tell me if I'm being selfish or if I just know my needs and my boundaries. It's a tough call, but I'm open to your thoughts...

our munchie, the soccer player

2006-04-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

Well, our Easter weekend was wonderful. Marc and I drove up to Reno to visit the Hall side of the family and celebrate our nephew, Jackson's, baptism. We stayed in a great hotel, ate lots of yummy food, made lots of family memories (not to mention LOTS of potholders thanks to Auntie Rosalie). But one of my most memorable moments happened Sunday afternoon.

We had all just finished a delicious Sunday brunch and Tim and Katie's house and were all lounging around in the living room on big cushy couches. I happened to be sitting across the room from everyone, watching all the action, when suddenly I felt it: thump...thump. Could this be it? I thought it was supposed to feel like gas or fluttering or a bug crawling on your stomach. But seriously, was it supposed to be this defined? An actual thump? I sat there for a second with a silly grin on my face until Jack Reding, Katie's dad, walked over to me. I should have told Marc first, but I couldn't help it, my awe overwhelmed me and I just had to tell the first person I could: I just felt my baby kick for the first time! (Well, the first time I can say with confidence that it is the baby and not just gas) Lucky for me, he knew Marc's place was next to me with his hand on my belly and he called him over.

You're probably thinking to yourself, "Obviously, Megan, you're only 17 1/2 weeks pregnant; you won't feel the baby kicking from the outside of your belly for weeks still." Not so, my friend. Our munchie is a soccer player. Tuesday I sat eating a slice of pizza and actually felt the baby kicking from the outside of my belly. I did run across the food court of the mall just to see if he could feel it, but unfortunately Marc never happens to be in close enough proximity when munchie is practicing his left kick. Oh well, someday.

This morning I began to wonder if munchie has decided to be an acrobat instead, because I think he did a full flip in there. It was very strange. Whatever munchie wants to be is just fine with me...I know he'll be a superstar.

I love newsletters!

2006-04-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

Well, despite the fact that I blog about once a month now, Marc and I are doing pretty well at keeping up our quarterly newsletter. He wrote a beautiful letter last week, pouring over it for hours, sometimes editing for days. Thank you, Marc (It's not that I don't enjoy sharing my news with people, but I often find myself with writer's block when it comes time to write the newsletter).

So hubby writes the letter, I email it to my dad, who has this great computer program that formats newsletters. He works on it for a few days, sends me a few copies, which i edit and return a few times (I guess Marc and I are both rigorous editors), and it's finally ready to go. Thank goodness! Composing and editing are done! Time to move on to printing, note-writing, stamping, addressing, and stuffing. Yee haw.

I'm the kind of person who likes to finish projects like this as quickly as possible. I want to print out my happy letters, all 160 of them, and get on with it. But I also want them to look nice. Picture quality is especially important. So when I began printing them out on our stone-age printer with the broken feed tray that is propped up on an ink stamp, I judged the print quality unfit for our letters. ...Let me just try to print them out on our nice new HP Officejet 7310. I bet they'll come out beautifully. And they did. The only problem is, Rachel said not to print them on the nice new HP. Hmmm.

No problem, I'll print out a master copy and send it to town with Marc, who's doing a trash run for the Land. There's a print shop there that will surely be able to handle this menial task. My only concern at that point was that Marc would do the trash run first and then forget to wash his hands before transfering dump-ick to the master copies (am I psycho-perfectionist-lady or what?!) Sadly, Marc called me from town and said they had terrible print quality there and that our stone-age printer did a nicer job. So, back to the drawing boards.

After lunch, I mosey on back into the office to begin printing from stone-age. The first side printed fine, but when I tried to print the second side of each page, the paper would get crumpled up and jam the printer. Or it would fold down one corner of the page and smudge the ink a bit. Hmm. Psycho-perfectionist-lady started to loosen up a bit. (Please forgive me if you received a smudged or slightly wrinkled newsletter) Later in the afternoon, Marc brought in a nice man from LA and introduced him to me. Great timing..."Hi, nice to meet you. THIS PRINTER IS FROM THE PIT OF HELL!!!! Oh, excuse me, I'm just trying to..."

Oh, I forgot to mention, the stone-age printer not only crinkles paper and smudges ink, but the only way to print on the second side is to hand feed the paper, one by one. This means sitting at the computer and commanding it to print every single time. And you know what? I timed it: stone-age printer takes exactly 60 seconds to process the print command. It doesn't even start to print until a full minute has passed. Did I mention that I was beside myself with frustration?

At dinner, I told Rachel my sob story and she agreed that the HP 7310 printed a nicer looking letter, say nothing of the hassles with stone-age, and that if I'm willing to pay for the extra ink, I should use the nice new HP7310. She did warn me that the 'nice new HP7310' has a dark side and that she's experienced more problems mass printing with it, but, wanting only the best, opted for this route.

I had some success with it, until I noticed that if I commanded it to copy more than one at a time, it would pick up 3 or more pages and print segments on each one. Hmmm. Not a problem, I'll just print one at a time. And this I did, until, it started printing out with thick white lines running horizontally across our happy faces. No problem, I bet the ink cartridge just ran out. I change the cartridge (as Rachel warned me it would probably take more than one cartridge for 160 pages), but alas, the lines are still there. Back to stone-age.

At least I only had the second side of about 20 copies left to print, so the process of hand-feeding and printing one at a time (at 60 seconds a pop) wasn't as torturesome anymore. In fact, it gave me the opportunity to catch up on Elena and Rachel's blogs. And it inspired me to write one of my own. Oh, I think I forgot to mention that we ran out of paper, so I had to go to town today to pick up a pack and finish the job. But you know, these are the kinds of things that make our lives interesting. I don't know what I would blog about if everything went smoothly in life.

One more thing, Blue Star is coming to install our On Demand water heater next wednesday. Happy, happy day! Three cheers for hot, running water! ...Not having things for 2 months makes you really appreciate them.

The blog about nothing

2006-03-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

I find myself saying, "Self, you should blog again." So I log on to my blog, click on "create new post" and then find myself saying, "Ok, now what are you going to write about?" I ponder the recent events in my life that might merit a blog entry and consider other blogger's talented writing (cha-chem, Rachel Ford)...Well, I could write about how our tools were stolen AGAIN Sunday night as well as the brand spankin' new table saw (don't quote me on that exact tool, but I know it was something of great value). You know, that could be a bit depressing, writing about my friends walking around The Land with long faces all day wondering to themselves, "How many times are people going to break into our locked garage and steal our tools?" Or I could write about how our hot water heater broke last week and Marc and I have been thoroughly enjoying the comforts of heating large pots of water on our wood stove for bucket baths, rinsing each other off with tin-cup-fulls of water. Perhaps God is trying to teach us contentment. Or I could write about how our water source got plugged up three times last week and how Marc so cheerfully donned his rainboots and raincoat and ventured up the swollen creek to fix the water line (one time at dusk-what a man!). Or I could write about hearing our baby's heartbeat for the first time yesterday, exciting, but a little bit anti-climactic after driving an hour and a half both ways just to hear thump-thump. Don't get me wrong, it almost brought me to tears hearing my little munchkin's heart beating in my belly, if it only hadn't taken the Doctor so long to find the heartbeat, and then only hearing it for about 10 seconds. I probably would have cried a tear or two if given 10 more seconds of that blessed thumping. But, in reality, I feel that the life I lead is rather boring right now. So, that's why I'm having a hard time deciding what to write about. I guess this is a natural progression into a new chapter in life; I'm becoming a mother. Someone else depends on me to put my needs after their's... I can't just go on the 3-day hike with my friend Laura when she comes home from Montana this month, even though that is (or WAS) my favorite Spring-Summer activity. I can't go skiing with Marc next month when we go to Reno. I fell asleep reading last night at 8:45. And, for some unknown reason, I can't get my gassy, bloated self out of bed before 9:00AM. I know, I know, my body is doing the equivelancy of climbing a mountain every day. But all these minute details make me feel just plain boring these days! I mean, how many times can Marc listen to me complain that my insides feel like the Goodyear Blimp before he tries to pop me with a pin? It's not all that bad, I get used to my "boring" life and I actually enjoy wearing sweatpants to work every day. And it's not every pregnant woman that gets to walk home from the office when she's craving Mac 'N' Cheese. I really do have it pretty good.

just call me slacker blogger!

2006-02-15T13:08:00.000-08:00

i know, i haven't written an entry since Christmas. that's pretty bad. but there's kind of a good reason. just after we arrived back at The Land after the holidays we found out that we're pregnant. yep, a bit unexpected, but a total blessing. it took us a few days, well, actually a number of weeks to get the good news out and i didn't want people to read it on the blog before hearing from us. so, i realize that i still haven't called or written everyone yet, but i figured that if i put off blogging any longer, i probably wouldn't keep up with it at all.

so please forgive me for not blogging! i just signed on today for the first time since the holidays and read all your comments...if you're still reading this, thanks for the advice and the shout-outs! shannon, i did get your card and put up your photo on our little fridge :) and, my new last name is Hall.

well, i know this is a short entry, and frankly, it's probably the most un-creative journaling i've done thus far. but at least i'm back in the game. my lovely husband is beconning me to lunch, so i'll sign off for today. lovin' you!

Christmas on the slopes!

2005-12-24T15:00:00.000-08:00

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 :)

Phew!

2005-12-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

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.

Isn't it almost Christmas vacation?

2005-12-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

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.

today is an exciting day for the residents of cabin c...

2005-12-02T19:10:00.000-08:00

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.