Summer Scenes

It occurred to me today that we are only half way through a summer

that feels like it began by taking over our spring and just kept going,

pressed down, shaken and spilling over.

Soon after our Indonesia family came home we celebrated my H's birthday with everyone except for Tehya and Rahul, who are working at a camp. 

Ben and Kari hosted with a pool party. 

As siblings on my side we celebrated three birthdays as well. 

One Friday night friends of ours invited us to fly with them to Victoria for dinner. 

Chris and Julene set up their home  and we enjoyed a trip to the nursery. 

It's been surreal to see them and know that we don't have to say goodbye again soon.

Shaun and Kristal also moved into a new home that they've had an eye on for some time.

It felt like a big party as well! 

Just another family that loves to pass through our front yard.

We celebrated Julene's birthday with a breakfast out in Fort Langley. 

The grands nearest to us have enjoyed the pickleball court.

Of course it's not summer without Rollkuchen and watermelon! 

And with the heat, 

it's been fun to see a feathered friend  find this place to cool off.

Today we celebrated BC day with a trip across the line,

just the two of us. 

We walked the Boulevard Park boardwalk

and had Mexican dinner in Fairhaven.

The border security agent thought it sounded a lot better than sitting in her booth.

We know that around all these highlights there is work,

the mundane, the planning that happens before anything gets done,

the spills and the tears, 

but these are the peaks that show up in my photos,

reminding me how much I have to be grateful for. 

♡♡♡

For the Love of a Mother

Visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, I was cast into the realm of life in the ghetto. Just a glimpse into the cruel treatment and daily struggles of those who were rounded up, deprived of food and freedom of movement, leaves one touched to the core.  One article calls it Life in the Shadow of Death.

I came away from this museum with images of happy families and homes, looted and destroyed forever. It is a heartbreaking history that cannot be forgotten, lest it be repeated. I say that cautiously.  One poem that stood out, even  amongst the many I did not get to read for lack of time, is one I'd like to share because it depicts the innocence of a child who dearly loves his/her mother.  The author Henryka Łazowertówna was murdered at Treblinka extermination camp in August 1942.This is part of the poem and I'll leave it at that, because more words don't justify the deep feelings that come with it. 

Over the walls, through holes, through bricks,
At night, at dawn, and in day,
Cheeky, hungry, crafty,
I move as quietly as a shadow.

And if the hand of fate unexpectedly
Catches up with me one day in this game,
It is an ordinary trap of life.
Mother, don't wait for me anymore.
I will not be coming back to you again,
The voice will not be heard from afar;
The dust of the streets will bury
The fate of the lost child.

And I have only one request,
And the grimace is set on the lips:
Who, Mother, will bring you
Your bread tomorrow?

When the war ended, displaced persons searched throughout Europe for missing children. Many Jewish children fled eastern Europe to western Germany, and from there to settlements in Palestine. Thousands migrated in this way and then to the state of Israel after its establishment in 1948. 

Look Alikes?

My friend from many years back recently, out of the blue,  sent me some photos -

photos that I did not have, so it was fun to share them with my granddaughters.

For some reason, seeing myself, took me back to how I felt at that age

and just maybe allowed me to get a glimpse into their stage of life. 

The funny thing was, when Kristal saw the photo

she immediately took a photo of Natalie, right then and there ...

no fixing hair or taking off her jacket ...

and we had a chuckle about the resemblance. 

It truly took me by surprise. 

Forty nine years between us

and yet, not as much has changed as I thought.

She likes high waisted, bell bottoms or wide pants,

peasant tops, cute floral dresses

and I've noticed that browns looks great on her. 

I look at her and think she's just so cute!

Definitely not how I felt at that age, 

but I wonder if my grandmother thought that about me? 

 

First Christmas in Heaven

I made Mom's glazed cookies this week.

The round ones which our grands have dubbed Oma cookies,

taste like a little chocolate cake incased in meringue icing.

The elongated ones are slightly spiced and filled with plum jam.

There's not many things that make me feel her absence as

much as when I make her cookies,

remembering how she rolled, cut and pinched ...

her hands wrinkled, nails cut short,

deftly filling pans, 

later to glaze them all, late into the evening. 

As I went down this memory lane,

 I saw the years I'd take her shopping for a dress

around the week of her birthday,

which we would be celebrating this weekend.

She always apologized that her birthday was so close to Christmas,

"when you are all busy!"

But she also loved getting a new dress.

Such wonderful memories that come packed into this month

truly make one want to know,

what Christmas in heaven is like. 

I listened to the song that the Clark family sings,

and you can imagine my tears...

imagine her in the choir,

and maybe even in the kitchen,

glazing, melt in your mouth cookies.

So I'll share the lyrics to Christmas in Heaven, written by 

Paul Marino and Jeremy Johnson

Maybe you have a loved one or two

whom you are missing this Christmas.

Know that one day the waiting will be over,

and there will be no more tears,

December hasn't changed

This town looks the same

They still light that tree in the city square

There's red, white and green shining everywhere

And I wish, you were here

And I wonder

Is the snow falling down on the streets of gold

Are the mansions all covered in white

Are you singing with angels, "Silent Night"

I wonder what Christmas in heaven is like.

There's a little manger scene

Down on Third and Maine

I must have walked right by it a thousand times

But I see it now in a different light

'Cause I know you are there

And I wonder

Are you kneeling with shepherds before Him now

Can you reach out and touch His face

Are you part of that glorious Holy Night

I wonder what Christmas in Heaven is like

Is the snow falling down on the streets of gold?

Are the mansions all covered in white?

Are you singing with angels "Silent Night"

I wonder what Christmas in Heaven is like.

🤍🤍🤍

From One Season to the Next

Last week, in fact just four days ago, My H went out to blow leaves.

And tonight we are in awe of the beauty of freshly fallen snow.

Whether it's colored leaves carpeting the driveway

or a dusting of white added to lights,

I can't help but think,

God's final touches are always the best! 

Aufwiedersehen and Lingering Memories

 

Once again we have said our goodbyes, the number leaving, down to three. 

This may be easier for us, but more difficult for them,

knowing there is no shortcut to Indonesia or back.

As parents we have felt the emotions of letting go, 

and now we see our kids going through the same. 

On September 3 Paeton moved into the dorm at Columbia Bible College nearby

and on September 11 Tehya moved into housing with Lifeteams.

Meanwhile, the rest were in moving mode as well,

joking that our place looked like a refugee camp. 

The scene of bins, suitcases and hockeybags spread out 

always sets off some emotional triggers, as it shows the reality of what will be,

a process that one could compare to labor,

giving birth to new life yet again. 

But before we head into what will be, 

I want to go back to some special moments this summer.

We celebrated Julene's birthday at Revive Social House,

a dreamy setting for a special occasion.

At this moment I'm so thankful for any and every opportunity we took 

for a quick walk around the block,

for a trip to HomeSense or Ikea and a simple lunch out that includes scones. 

She also loves her coffee. 

One day we went to the cemetery

where we visited both sets of grandparents' graves. 

Missing Oma's celebration of life this past January was hard. 

Makenna ... what can I say, but that it's been the best summer with her ever!

We have loved getting to know her as a teen!

My first memory is of when we snuck off to the mall, almost immediately,

and how much fun she had selecting a few things at Ardene's.

I enjoyed seeing her express how we have so much available to us,

feeling it strange to hear people speak English,

and especially not to know everyone who is white. 

I loved seeing how she quickly became good friends with cousins closest to her age.

There is something about family. So much fun they had! 

One Sunday afternoon we took her to the local sunflower fields.

This too, was another way of just seeing who she was.

It seemed like she took in everything with the thought in mind 

that soon we cannot do this, so we will just enjoy everything while we can. 

This girl is also a wonderful baker, always eager to help!

She's a painter, plays the guitar and has a beautiful voice,

You'll see her doing cartwheels almost any time she runs out the back door. 

She and Papa had fun going for bike rides.

She and I got our nails done together

and enjoyed episodes of Downton Abbey whenever we could. 

These memories are like a take home bouquett

that will not fade too soon.

A favorite meal is Sunday afternoon Faspa. 

On this Sunday we made it more of a casual charcuterie style dinner on the porch.

A special memory now. 

We celebrated more birthdays

and a taste of Thanksgiving just before they left. 

My view here filled me with so much joy and gratefulness,

sitting with all of our grown kids around the table

while taking peeks at what was going on at the next. 

After dinner the adults went to sit outside, partly because it really was loud inside.

Wouldn't you know it ... the kids soon followed us out,

figuring they would 'surround' us with a rap/song they had just made up.

The photos are blurry because I took screenshots from a video, posted here 

but the memory is another one I laugh about and cherish for all it tells me. 

Furloughs have become a part of life for us,

 a time when we are happy to put some of normal life on hold,

to be intentional, seizing the days.

It's a time for them to get in their medical appointments,

and restock on items they can't get where they live,

to renew relationships, 

to share with their sending churches and supporters,

and to rest from the stress that comes from living in a foreign culture.

 

Despite goodbye tears,

I'm learning just how blessed we are

to be able to share in this venture as a family

and to experience God's amazing grace in all of it. 

Sixty-Five

August 17, 1957 was a bit of a scary, but exciting day for my parents. I was two weeks early. My dad only had a bicycle to take my mom to the clinic I was born at, a small place in Nueva Helvecia, Uruguay. He was right there, all in, assisting the labor nurse. I was born with the cord around my neck and quite blue, but on that day I breathed my first, and have seen God's continued hand on my life through every season. 

By this time I've learned that the seasons are short, so we need to pray through the hard and savor the good in each. Don't rush. The only thing that lasts forever is God's Word, His faithfulness and His abiding love! I have no idea how I'd manage life without knowing this.

So very grateful for His care from the moment I was born until the moment He calls me home. 

Mother's Day Bits and Pieces

Mother's Day has a way of bringing me back to one of life's blessings ...

that of being a mom. 

I've asked the question before, had I known the cost of it, would I have signed up?

Did I know that these children would become part of my very breath 

for the rest of my life? 

It's a mystery, this love that comes with those tiny helpless babes,

a love that keeps going through all the learning curves and challenges,

no matter the years that go by. 

Life just keeps building on those first years.

first steps, first flower picked and given ... 

to the bouquet brought to the door by a tall and handsome.

Every flower from him has always melted my heart.

Add to the picture, two beautiful young women,

at a place now where they know the cost as well,

yet embracing this beautiful gift with grace and strength.

We postponed our family get-together due to not everyone feeling well,

but I had a very special time with my siblings.

The stone was delivered this past week and it was our first time seeing it with both names.

I cannot express how surreal it felt and the emotions that go with this. 

The word we cling to is on there ...

"Aufwiedersehen" or "until we meet again" 

The bond that fills my heart with gratefulness

is the history and memories that we share.

We are the family now, along with our families,

continuing traditions and making our own

with a new awareness of where we come from and where we are going. 

May we live and love to pass the baton of faith,

praying, no one will be missing on that day

when again we see face to face.

 

Just Checking In

 

These two weeks since Easter have been filled with a lot of emotions that I don't really need to share, but it may be good to think through what has all happened and to realize how the Lord has shown His loving presence in our pain. 

On Good Friday, after our family get-together, my H went to sit through the night with his ailing brother. Dealing with cancer, he somehow ended up with a severe infection that took him home the next day. He is the first of nine siblings, so it is a surreal and sad time for the extended family, and in particular for his immediate family. 

In the meantime we both ended up with Covid. He was able to get past his five days to make it to the graveside service but I was not.  It is times like these that I am especially thankful for our kids who have shown their care and love. Many texts, a surprise package at the door and a flower delivery. Feeling loved is good medicine.

Personally I'm in a place where I need to remind myself daily to trust God's timing in everything. I've experienced how quickly my plans can change, that I am not in control of viruses and protocols, but I can choose my attitude.  This truly is a work in process, but it amazes me how giving my fears to God gives me assurance, a better perspective and peace. 

A New Season

It's a strange feeling day, this day like no other. Last night Herb set his alarm for five or five thirty AM to get up for work for his last official day. It's been a steady, a norm, and possibly a part of life that we never really thought about coming to an end.

I met Herb when I was in Grade 10. He had graduated the year before and was, what he thought, working temporarily for his older brother who had started a floor and drapery business.  His brother had hired two floor installers and two seamstresses. My guy was the driver doing pick ups, deliveries and installing drapes. 

Now let me tell you about one of his first showroom experiences. Not the typical looking Mennonite boy, longish hair and flared pants, he remembers going to help some customers, who  happened to be speaking Low German. They looked at him and said to each other (in his mother tongue) Does this idiot even know what he's talking about?" With a straight face he replied, "Yes, he does." And he still laughs about it. 

Eventually more staff was hired and more services were added, such as area rugs, blinds, bedspreads and wallpaper, calling for a name change to Friesen Interior Decor. Herb became sales manager, then general manager and in 1985 his brother sold the business to him. We were a young family, just taking one step at a time, never having aspired to this, but it basically fell into our laps. In those days, the shop was doing retail with walk in customers. He had a later start than today and was able to drop off the kids on the way to school. 

In early 1990, as opportunities for home decor increased, we moved into a larger premise that included more home decor displays and warehouse space. Herb hired more design staff to assist customers with their  interior decor. We had numerous salesmen and I remember those days as being a lot of fun.

As time and demands changed, the nature and name changed once more. The need for custom made and design help slowly vanished as big box building stores added these elements and customers were given the choice to do things themselves, which is a good thing. With this shift, Herb ended up dropping a number of their custom services and narrowing down on just flooring. He moved into a smaller space, focusing on working with contractors in wholesale. 

Today, it is a small shop tucked into the side of a warehouse. Estimators sit at their computers working through plans for malls and high rises, while the main sales arrangements are made with building contractors, architects and designers who specify the covering of floors and walls. Tile and wood are the main items to source and installed by crews of talented artists. 

It became a career that he never would have dreamt and has been one that he's grown with. One that would have looked impossible back in that showroom with the German speaking ladies.

So, today I'm reflecting on what has been a major part of our lives. He's handing off his keys to another. We have a blank slate for the future. A new season. 

 

When a Season has Changed

These days, as I've observed Tehya prepare for her first trip back to her home in Indonesia, I've had some time to wonder about the ebb and flow of this life we've shared. 

Thinking back to that very teary day when we said goodbye to her as a toddler, I never could have imagined a day like today. Grown up Tehya, stepping up to the check-in counter at the airport and taking care of all the details pertaining to travel overseas. On her own. 

Not like seventeen years ago, when I packed up tiny gifts for her mom to give to her in future days ... a favorite cup, a story book, band-aids, smarties, a stuffed toy, bubbles, a purse with tiny treasures inside, thoughtfully wrapped to evoke memories of her Grammy and Papa. There was no good facetime way of communicating, but today it's all just like the tide that receded and returned.  

While we get glimpses of that sweet baby face and attitude that will tackle any problem, it has been a time to move on and go deeper. Our rooms have been filled with joy, music and spontaneus dance, as she has helped us settle into our smart home. We've observed her pen and paper journaling, aritistically putting into words or art, the things that inspire her.  We've shared unexpected moments, such as going through her box of treasures, while unpacking my long ago unfounded fear of not being able to have a relationship with grandchildren so far away. We've happily survived driving lessons, last minute made plans, snow shoeing, bike rides, baking fancy cakes, laughing through movies, meeting new friends and finding her gone to watch the sun rise. 

These have been days of catching up and being blessed in ways that only came about because her home was once far away.