Remington, Our Pretend Dog

We're driving back to the farm after a great weekend with family and friends, and we see a beautiful dog in our front yard. We pull in, get out of the car, and the dog is frozen on the street just staring at us.

As long as I have known Josh, I know he would love nothing more than to have a big ol' dog to hang out with. The problem is (most) dogs in Indonesia are really dumb, really mean, and we have no where to put them.

So what would you do?
A. Ignore the dog.
B. Call the dog to you.
C. Chase the dog.

Well, we called that dog to us, and that dog came. A bond was formed quickly between Josh and this stranger. She had a collar on, so we called the number on the tag. We eventually made contact with her owner, who was at a doctor's appointment and unable to come get the dog. So, we put the pup in the backyard and waited.

By "waited" I mean we watch the dog. We found out it was a Weimaraner breed that goes by the name of "Remington". We did not make that up. We might have taken a few pictures of her, given her a bucket of water, and played with her. Ok, we definitely did ALL of those things... and may have gone overboard on taking pictures of someone else's dog.

Here are the photos of "Remington (if only for about an hour) Harrington":

Cheeeeeeeeeese!

"That is hilarious!"

At this point I'm pretty sure she was realizing she was going to
be in trouble for running away and was planning her escape.

We enjoyed having a [pretend] dog for about an hour, but it made us realize that it's not something we can handle right now! Maybe someday we'll own a cool dog like Remington, but for now we'll just search for her as we drive through the neighborhood. We'll remember the fun times we had together, and who knows, maybe she'll stop by again... when she gets out of her kennel prison.

Showers of Blessings

Life! What a wonderful thing to celebrate. That's the topic of celebration at this baby shower. A group of sweet friends from my home church threw a shower of blessing for our Baby Girl. It was so wonderful to see faces that have journeyed with me since I was a young girl. The best part was just talking with them and hugging their necks! Southern women know how to hug!

Here are some photos:

Lovely women of faith who have lived as an example of Christ to me

Sweet friends

A competitive game of how many clothespins and baby things can you name at the same time

A non-competitive game of the same thing... pregnancy brain is a real thing!

One Size means for babies only, not for adults!

Blessed!

Thank you!

The spread of yummy fruits, cake, and punch!

I'm so incredibly grateful for an afternoon of just catching up and celebrating life. Thank you Stormie and Andrea for putting together an intimate fellowship! It was medicine for my soul!

Nesting or Something

How do you nest when you live in two worlds? We have an American world and an Indonesian world. We can't buy the newest, cutest, or best of the baby world. One reason is we can't afford it, and another reason is we have to some how get all of this "stuff" across an ocean to the other side of the world. (**We're now accepting recommendations on HOW to do that!!)

Normally, a "nester" would get the nursery together. Paint cute colors on the wall, spend hours on pintrest searching for the perfect nursery theme, reading books, doing laundry, and preparing for the arrival of the little one.

Our nesting is SO different. This is an area I'm grateful for. We (errr... um... Josh) painted a room for her before we left. We don't have to paint any rooms at the Farm. We don't have to spend billions of dollars on this or that, which of course she MUST have to survive as a baby in this world! We don't have internet at the Farm, which saves me from the guilt of not being as creative as other moms, which I'm starting to wonder if they REALLY exist because truly it's impossible to make home cooked meals from scratch, while maintaining an immaculate house, while teaching your toddler how to behave properly, while nursing your newborn, while sewing those super cute things, while wearing heels and looking great after a 30 minute exercise, and taking pictures to post later on your blog all at the same time!

Honestly, maybe I'm putting off nesting because I am tricking myself into thinking that if I'm not ready then everything else will be delayed until I am... which will be never. Really I am looking forward to snuggling with her and holding her, just really nervous about the other things which we've already talked about.

We have, however, been getting ready. We have purchased clothes for her. I'm proud of this- none have been at full price. Most were purchased from consignment shops with prices from $0.99 to a full outfit with a coat for $10. Others were from retailers all on sale. Today we washed them... ALL. Josh said others might ask us how many kids do we actually have?!

We (err... umm... Josh) installed the car seat. She'll be riding in comfort and style. This activity showcased both our ability to read directions and some flexibility. My flexibility mainly involved getting in and out of the backseat of the van without help.

 

 

Mission Accomplished.

 

Now

we

wait.

Baby Update

I am now going to weekly doctor appointments, which means we are in the final stages of this pregnancy. Which means there are EVEN MORE emotions!!

Yes, I'm happy to be at the end of this pregnancy. Yes, I can't wait to see my feet again or put my shoes without taking breaks between putting them on and tying them. Yes, I can't wait to meet her!! BUT I can wait on certain things... I can wait on the labor and delivery part. To me labor and delivery = major pain. No, I don't like pain. So, no I'm not looking forward to that. I can wait on sleepless nights. I can wait on having a person that I am responsible to keep alive for the rest of their life!

Are we going to be "good" at this? How can we afford this?? How do we travel with her? Why do they need so much stuff? They go through how many diapers in a day??? 

Since our return to America, my doctors (in Washington and Texas) have been concerned about the levels of glucose in my urine tests. The doctor in Washington said NO Dr. Pepper and NO sweet tea... that was painful and resulted in some tearful experiences for this Texan of dumping out those precious things. The doctor in Texas said my sugar levels were still high and needed to be monitored more closely for a few weeks to see any trends. My dear friend had this same thing happen to her during her pregnancy. She shared with me the plan she and her doctor developed to help regulate the glucose levels. This meant no sweets, no fried foods, more fruits and veggies, and a more restricted diet which required me to actually read the nutritional labels on the back of all foods. This has been SO hard. Josh is great, truly, I am so blessed to have a loving and supportive partner who can handle this monster of a person when she goes through Dr. Pepper/Sweet Tea/and ice cream withdraws. Eventually, after a few weeks of poking myself randomly throughout the day to check sugar levels, it was determined that "this is just how your body is".

At another appointment there were traces of protein in my urine. This was a new one for us... The doctor said this could be a symptom of preeclampsia. (Pre- what???  Preeclampsia is when your body recognizes there is something foreign and tries to get rid of it. Getting rid of it here could mean premature labor.) Once again another test was needed. This one required a 24 hour collection of all urine. That's right, folks. (** Note I write this blog for myself as well as others to know about our adventures, but I want to look back on these life events and remember these feelings and emotions so... be warned.) I'm proud of myself! I filled up a 3 liter sterile container in a 24 hour period and then some! There was a mixture of pride and embarrassment bringing in my sample (which consisted of a brown 3 liter jug and a clear plastic water bottle). Now there's no longer an embarrassment, there's just pride! The results came back from that test, and once again all was well.

The appointment I had while Josh was gone was my first one to go to alone. I put on my big girl boots. The doctor tested what she normally does and said to me," You're about as perfect as you can be pregnant." After I picked my mouth up off the floor I said ," What?!" and then... you guessed it...

 

started to cry!

 

That's all I have wanted to hear since we've moved to Texas. I stopped drinking my favorite drinks. I stopped eating my favorite foods. I started eating things I tried to avoid. Each week it wasn't good enough. Each week I felt defeated, like I wasn't providing the best for my Little One.

 

But this week, this week I was "about as perfect as I could be pregnant".

 

This past Tuesday I went again and had another great appointment with another first- no glucose in my urine! There was a bit of protein, but my doctor wasn't worried.



"Fun"day Night Share Time

Last Sunday Josh headed to Denver, Colorado for some airplane training. **For those of you wanting more detail, I'm using the power of persuasion to get Josh to update us on his training. Trust me, you'll want to know from him. If I told you it would go something like this... "I had a great week of training. I learned many new things about an airplane I work on. It was cold. I'm glad to be home. I love my wife." Something like that... that gives you no detail about his week!**

Anyways, while he was away I had an opportunity to share with a youth group that meets on Sunday nights. We had so much fun! It was a great chance to share who we are, who we're with, where we serve, how we serve, who we serve, and how they can get involved. There was a challenge at the end for these young people to "give, go, and pray". I'm convinced that they can do all three of them. We all seem to be full of SOOOOOOO many reasons why we can't give, why we can't go, and why we can't pray. So I'll share with you what I challenged them with.

Let's start with "Giving". Automatically, most of you probably thought of money. YES! Partnering financially with us is so important. It's important, because even though we work overseas as a mechanic and school teacher we are receiving a salary from Wycliffe, which may vary monthly since the funds received and receipted by Wycliffe fluctuate each month.. Wycliffe is a faith-based ministry, which means that we depend on the Lord's faithfulness to provide partners with churches, family, and friends to meet our monthly needs. This partnership doesn't have to big bucks. A monthly partnership of any amount great or small is what is needed each month. GIVING DOESN'T ONLY MEAN MONEY! You can give your time, effort, energy. Some of the most meaningful things people have done for us is to THINK of us! Sending us emails, facebook messages, leaving comments about our blog, or sending sweet cards in packages with some goodies we can't find over there are so, So, SO special.

Go- You can come visit us in Indonesia. You can partner with the work the Lord is doing where you are. How can He use you at your school or workplace? Love God, love others by serving them. You can "GO" here or there or anywhere!

Pray- This one has become the most important one to me over these last few months. You may never be able to give. You may never be able to go. BUT you will ALWAYS be able to pray. Prayer is what keeps us going when days are really tough. Prayer is what makes the impossible happen. Prayer is what makes an unbelieving ear tune into the power of Truth. Prayer is what makes us feel loved when we feel far away from our loved ones. Prayer is what makes us known to our Father, when we feel forgotten. Every single one of us can storm the gates of Heaven for the needs of others. One of our most faithful prayer partners is 11 years old. He has been praying for us since the day we left for Indonesia. He prays every night for us. I'm convinced that all of Heaven stops to hear what he's going to say. He prayed daily that God would provide friends for us in Indonesia- we have a circle of dear friends (who we miss!!). He, like so many of you sweet ones, prayed for our Little Girl when we got word that her ventricles were dilated. God has answered your prayers! God has kept us going when months were lean financially. He kept us safe when political stages were unsteady around us. He has kept us and will continue to do so!

In response, this youth group GAVE. They gave smiles, hugs, encouragement, and laughter through cards. Each student wrote a note to us. Some were simple, some were deep and heartfelt, and some shared ways they were impacted and moved to explore more of how they could give, go, and pray.

My heart felt full from a room of teenagers.

 

**For more information on how to GIVE, GO, and

PRAY click on the link to the right that says "Join the Team"**

Perfect Parent Class 101

In this final month of pregnancy, Josh and I are enrolled in a series of a few different classes to help us understand what is about to happen, how to cope, and (hopefully) how to survive. We "aced" the infant CPR class and are thrilled that our dummy baby is still alive! Last night we began the first of four weekly sessions related to Labor and Delivery. We arrived with a mix of emotions- we literally have no idea what to expect but it's all SO exciting!! :)

We arrived to find out that we were the ONLY couple enrolled for this four week session. Our instructor seemed a bit disappointed, because she relies heavily on class discussion. There won't be much discussion with just two students. Some perks to being the only students in the class are the sessions will actually be cut in half from four to two- we'll only have two sessions! The other perk is we can ask whatever question no matter how obvious the answer might be, how embarrassing the question or the answer is, and we can ask whatever/whenever we want. Here's how we looked after taking advantage of that last "perk"- three hours later...

Yep. That sums it up. Glad it's cut in half.

A "Cheers" Moment

Have you ever seen the sitcom "Cheers" (aired 1982-1993)? The show takes place in a bar where people know each other by name, relax, and listen to each other's problems. Here are the lyrics to the theme song: 

 

"Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.

Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.

You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same

You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,

You wanna go where everybody knows
your name. "

Now this may seem crazy to you, but I'm about to compare an experience we had at a church to a sitcom that takes place in a bar... just go with me here. While we're in Texas, we're staying about 45 minutes from where I grew up. So, we jumped on the opportunity to visit other churches in this area with the hopes of getting plugged into life with people that live nearby us. So far, we have been to two churches. The first church was BIG. I felt lost and really small. That's great if you're looking to hide in a crowd, but we were looking for friends to share life with, not just to be entertained and check off a religious obligation on Sunday morning.

But last week was different...

last week was a "Cheers" experience.

 

Our close friends began attending this church earlier this year. This family has such a sweet servant's heart and are committed to loving others EVEN if it means meeting them where they are in the midst of the dirty reality called life. I'm convinced their youngest son is our biggest, most faithful prayer partner at 11 years old and about 4.5 ft tall. Every night and every Sunday they ask their church to pray for us, and when they found out about Baby Girl's possible medical needs they prayed more intensely than ever before. We arrived at the doors and were greeted BY NAME without introducing ourselves and we weren't wearing nametags or shirts with our names on them. They knew who we were... every body knew our name. When our friends introduced us to the head pastor he asked specifically how Baby Girl was. "Our troubles were all the same" because they chose to carry our burdens like they were their own.  We felt "they were glad we came". I'm sharing with the youth this Sunday. We look forward to sharing life with this group when we're in Roanoke.

 

Cheers. 



Friends... It Does a Body Good

One of my most FAVORITE things about coming back to America is seeing those that we love. It's fun to meet with family members and friends who we haven't seen in two years. It's fun to meet their new babies and to laugh about old times. It feels comfortable, almost like you never left.

 

Another favorite things is seeing friends from Indonesia in America. It's so comfortable, because they know you. Last week we had pizza with Tim and Karen. Tim serves as the Director of Hillcrest International School, and Karen serves as the librarian. We met up with them, two of their five kids, and Karen's mom and dad. (**Just so you know, Karen's mom makes incredible toffee, and I will be making a trip to visit her around the holidays to eat more of it!) There is no two year gap with them. We can talk (and joke) about foods, catch up on our lives, and rejoice at how the Lord has moved in our lives. We can talk (debate/argue/discuss) the similarities between "Papa JOHNS Pizza" (an American favorite) and "Papa RON's Pizza" (an Indonesian favorite). So, I'll introduce you to the topic and let you decide for yourselves.

 

We'll start with the Papas.

 

Papa John



Papa Ron

 Now we'll move to the logos.

 

What do you think?

Do you think the Papas are the SAME guy or just two Papas who love pizza?

Do you think their logos are similar or different?

 

I can assure their menus are similar in many ways, but offer a few varying "specialty" pizzas. That's a glimpse of what our conversation with the C's looked like. We love our friends and love seeing you at "home" whether it's here or there.