Love, Laughter, and Life

Adventures With a Book Lover


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Appointment Week

Wow! We are here, and things are moving along quite nicely. Very, very busy…except this morning when I have time to borrow a lap top and blog and add some photos. I could blog in the library, but those are secure computers and they won’t recognize my camera. Oh well. Jerod and Rebekah were nice (or gullible enough) to lend me their technology.

Where to begin? So far, the biggest thing we’ve done is to have dinner with and meet with our regional trustees. They are/were the ones that approve or deny our application. It was a great time where we shared our testimonies and call to France. They asked a few questions, prayed for us, and affirmed our call. It was very encouraging. There are only 4 of us headed to Western Europe at this appointment week – Jared and Rebekah Motley, from Okra-homa, and us, the Q’s from the beautiful and not humid northwest. (As a side note, in February, when we were here for candidate conference, this was not an issue. My hair is at least 6″ wider in Virginia in the summer humidity! I am NOT joking. I have mucho product on my hair to keep it to a width appropriate to fitting through doors!) The formal approval will be Friday night during the commissioning service in Oklahoma City.

The rest of our time has been full, I mean really full. Meetings, meals, planning, paperwork…friends, new and old. The great news is being able to see how much God is working among our lives and the lives of the ones we are meeting and talking to. We are blessed to be here when the emeritus (retiring) missionaries had their services. Kevin and I carried flags for the flag ceremony portion of the service. We enjoyed worship services together, and then the emeritus laid hands on and prayed for us. We’ve spoken with many who used to work and live in France, and they were very encouraging and said how much they loved the people and their jobs. 🙂 Good to hear!

This fountain was one of the coolest (as in neat and temperature) places at the International Learning Center. Here we are at the International Learning Center. It’s been pretty warm and humid. At least for this NW girl. There are several from the NW here, including Chad and Miriam, right from the Yakima Valley. We’re pretty sure they will be here with us in January, after their baby is born. 🙂

The greatest thing is hanging with all of our friends who are going through the same thing (like learning how to share 2 minutes modules, or 155 word count testimonies, or how to crate belongings and figure out how to get the crate -about 8′ tall- out of a house). The sad part is missing friends like Tess and Chris, who we LOVE and want to have here with us. They will have their turn! Sell house sell.

Miriam, Chad, Angie, Kevin at ILC We, the northwest, have a couple here from the Gresham area, two couples from the Yakima Valley, and another young lady from our area. So there are 5 new m’s at ILC from the northwest! Wow! That is great news…

Oh, you should see the lighting bugs! Like little floating Christmas lights. It’s so neat. And the blue birds, red birds, long tailed robins, some other kind of bird like a miniature magpie, squirrels,…and deer. I just know there are deer. We have a river/lake right near us, with open fields and trees all around. Just haven’t seen the deer yet, but I know they are there.

On to the next meeting. Love ya!


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Did you know?

Did you know they have band-aids for eyeballs? I found out today. It’s not even an exciting story or anything! I was putting away my clothes in the dresser. Yes, that’s it. I wasn’t climbing a mountain, walking in the wind, chopping wood, or riding my bike on the Greenway.

As I was deeply involved in this exciting adventure of laundry, I puffed ???? some air and something else up beneath my glasses and into my eyeball. Ouch. It felt immediately like a pokey and sharp prize in my eye. I have an older dresser, which always has splinters and little bits of wood in the bottom. So it was that – or lint. I really wanted to stay in this mode of most exciting day, but my eye hurt. I rinsed, rubbed (gently), put in drops, cried, flushed…nothing changed except it got worse.

All good things have to come to an end, so I stopped putting away clothes and cleaning out the closet. I had to break down and call for a ride to the eye doctor. [Sidenote: Dr. LaBissoniere. I chose him in high school because his last name is French.]  The receptionist, of course, asked what was wrong. I gave a blow by blow account of the fantastic details of my movie-like life event…I was worked into the schedule.

After I explained my weird, let’s just say it, it’s too weird, not even spectacular, accident for the 3rd time in the office (not counting on the phone), the doctor came in. She got those giant insect lens looking things out and peered into my eye. “There it is. A piece of wood. Sticking straight into your cornea. It never would’ve come out by itself.”

Whew. I’m glad I wasn’t over-reacting. But my mind had already thought ahead to HOW it was coming un-stuck from my eyeball. And could I please be put out for that. “Oh, we will numb your eye.” Is that by shot, because if it is, I’m outta here, sliver or not in my eyeball.

“We have eyedrops.” Ok then, praise the Lord for eyedrops! Now that’s a weird feeling. Numb eyeball. I could just barely see her stick the tweezer-thingy’s in and grab out the wood.

Now, there were scratches, but they are off center of my field of vision, so if there is scarring (I hadn’t even thought of that yet!), it wouldn’t really affect my main vision. “I’m going to give you a band-aid (thinking eye patch here) so the scratches will be protected while they heal. And some antibiotic eye drops.”

Band-aid for eyeballs = contact band-aid! How cool is that! She popped it into my eye, and I wear it until I see her in 2 days. Luckily, I already wear contacts, so I’m used to things being in my eye (but not pieces of wood). No makeup, no contacts, no rubbing…Just eye drops and a contact band-aid. The marvels of modern medicine and technology.

It was exciting until my sister, who I love dearly, said, “Oooh, how will they take it out?” Good question. Surely contact band-aids don’t rip off your skin like normal ones, do they?

You learn something new every day. And any typos are a direct result of a contact band-aid and blurry vision.


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Way Back When

My bad! I haven’t blogged for quite awhile…but who’s counting? Kevin and I are getting ready to head to Richmond, Virginia, and Oklahoma City for our appointment week! Yeah! That means one more step in the process to serve the Lord overseas in east Paris. 🙂

I was reminiscing recently, thinking back to when our 2, Bub and Bubbette (thanks Grandpa) were preschoolers. My journey through missions began then. But my love of all things French started much earlier, high school, or maybe middle school. I was fascinated with the French people and culture. I dreamed of visiting or studying in France. (visited – yes; studied there – no). My mom likes to say I was born French, just in the wrong country.

Fast forward to Kevin and I having 2 little Q’s. I needed something to do with them on Wednesday nights, while Kevin was working with the youth. Nothing was offered for preschoolers or children. Our pastor suggested we try Mission Friends. Wow! What a great and life changing choice for us. The curriculum is great. We had a ball learning about people groups, countries, cultures, customs, foods, languages…and missionaries that lived and worked in different places around the world to tell others about the love of Jesus. With each lesson and unit, I became more and more involved and in love with missions (living with the love, heart, and eyes of Jesus).

Skip forward many years. I was blessed to write curriculum for Mission Friends (another love of mine is preschoolers) and articles for Mosaic. With each assignment, I became thirstier to join the team of those serving the Lord in other lands. My call to missions didn’t happen immediately, but God used numerous layers of experiences to point out and confirm His will for me. Another layer was the mission trips I took. Kevin went with me to Paris to work alongside believers in the city. That trip confirmed our call to serve overseas. It also gave us our destination – Paris.

Leap ahead again! (God knew we would take awhile to be really ready!) We are poised on the edge of leaping totally into His arms of care and into a different culture. Our little Mission Friends are grown up and ready to live independently of mom and pop (ouch! it went so fast). So instead of them leaving home, well, they really have already, mom and dad are moving away!

On Friday, June 27 in Oklahoma City, we will be appointed as missionaries. (Please pray for our commissioning service and the weather! As true northwesterners, we are used to volcanoes, rain, wind, snow, dust, sun, snakes, scorpions…not tornadoes!). Upon our return home, we will prepare in earnest to transfer residence to France. The house is gone, but too much stuff is still hanging around. You know what that means ~ yard sale, storage unit, giving away, selling, packing, loaning…the paperwork alone is daunting. Kevin will still be PK (Pastor Kevin) until December 28. In January, we travel to Richmond for orientation and training. We anticipate being in Paris and attending language school in early April. Tres bien, oui?

Good news – we have YEARS of experience. Bad news – it is harder to learn a foreign language as an older (not ancient) adult. We were even advised of this tidbit at a previous meeting. Sigh. But I do believe these 2 old dogs can learn new tricks – and vocabulary. So, woof woof, I mean au revoir, mes amis.


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Scrappin’ Stuff

Do you know how much stuff it takes to scrap? Too much! I’ve never scrapped (as in, with actual photos and putting them cutely into an album). I am such a photo taker, that I have thousands of pictures…and no way do I want to tackle that chore. Over the many years of scrapping getting popular (yes, I’m that old), I have firmly refused to scrap with my friends. Sure, I’ll meet you and I’ll stamp cards. That’s my fun way to relax. And then I can use the cards in ministry, for correspondence, and for gifts. I have a very realistic view of how much stuff it takes to rubber stamp at someone else’s place for a few days. A car load. But it’s worth the fun and being able to use the things you need, WHEN you can find them in the mess from the car.

Fast forward to now. As of today, we are only about 7 months from leaving for orientation in Richmond, VA (8 weeks) and then moving to France. Well, I certainly can’t take all of the thousands of photos with me, can I? Ok, let’s put it this way, I can’t afford to take them, and then the apartment we will be in may be the size of a large closet…I’d rather have a bed than photos.

As I emailed my friend, don’t pass out! Now I am actually scrapping some photos – all with the intent of having ONE album to take with us. That means ONLY one album – for our 23 years of marriage, 20 years of children, countless family trips and vacations and events…sigh. Scrapping is getting me to sort pictures and toss the ones of people/places/things I can no longer identify. At this point I have 6 pages neatly scrapped and in place…that’s it. The pictures look great though. Fabulous, dahling, fabulous.

Back to the original question. Do you know how much stuff it takes to scrap? I am finding out. So far, I don’t think as much as stamping. But I haven’t gone to my friends’ house for scrapping and found out what I forgot to bring. Tomorrow, I’m flying the coop with my car full of papers, pictures, and etc. That will be me, hair and papers flapping in the breeze, oozing dreams of a completed album. Come on over, and bring your photos, ya’ hear?


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It Never Rains, But it Pours

Whew. I must confess to a previously envied and believed fallacy…I used to think that the older we got, the more free time we had. Part 2 of that is, when the kids are grown up, life slows down and you have more free time. NOT.

I think God is getting us ready for being not-settled in any one place for very long. In the last week, we have been to Vancouver (WA), White Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, Seattle, Sea-Tac, Yakima, home (the very least time spent is here)…Miners, Powerhouse Grill, church, McGraphs, Applebees, Starbucks, and the list goes on. We put close to 1000 miles on the car this week in our various and sundry travels.

But mostly we have been on the phone.  For instance, today, I thought I may even get a good start or finish a writing assignment I have (due, uhm, let’s just say, soon!). Instead, I dug out the laundry room, unpacked various totes and bags from the above mentioned mileage and meetings, answered some of my email, wrote some get well notes, played with the cat (that always creeps in somewhere), watered the outside plants (the inside ones are still begging) and connected with people on the phone. Occasionally both phones at the same time. I would say I spent the most of my day talking on the phone.

The good news is that Tay-man, the army dude, located on the east coast, loves to talk to his mom. Even if there is not much to say (but we still take lots of time doing it). The daughter will talk to mom, even if I have to repeatedly call her until she stops texting long enough to pick up. The husband calls regularly to check in and update me on daily news. Occasionally a parent will give me a ring. And if it’s a red star day (like today), the seester in Denver calls and we catch up. To make the day even better, a friend calls. 🙂

So, the the older you get and the kids grow up and leave home you will have more time is not true. What is true, is that priorities change, and people become more important than clean houses. (clean laundry is still vaguely important) Seeing friends and family and making new friends takes precedence over, gasp, even my writing deadline (although I can feel the pressure building to get it done).

I should rename this blog, It Rings, And it Pours, or It Never Stops Ringing…What did we do without landlines (or landmines, as one of my parents calls them) or cell-u-lite phones? Ring, ring, I’m off to answer again. And then work on the writing deadline!


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Hold on Tight

Have you ever had a song stuck in your brain? I had that song “Hold on tight to your dreams” running through my brain (and out my mouth at weird moments) all day. I had no idea where it came from, but I just kept singing it.

It’s been one of those over busy days. In fact, the next 3 days are like that. I’m looking forward to Monday already! But tonight, I was finishing up some gifts for our Women’s tea, and making homemade chocolates (Grandma Hill’s recipe, yummers, sugar free NOT, maybe I’ll share it later). I decided to call our youngest to check on her. Well, if you know teenagers, they have other things to do besides talk to mom. She barely had time to talk with me – maybe 2 minutes max. Then she had to go and continue with her previous pursuits.

That was a signed, sealed, and delivered invitation to my own personal pity party. Put on the hat and get out the party horn. I had a little whine fest (notice I spelled WHINE, not WINE), thinking of my empty nest, and how the kids have grown up and don’t need me anymore. They are ready for their own life, sans maman (without mom). So what about poor old mom, who is on her way to white hair and dentures, if you ask Peeps. Ok, I confess, I even shed some woe-is-me tears. Just a few. Sheesh. Only the cat seems to need me these days. And the husband.

Then I heard that song. For real, not just in my head. “Hold on tight to your dreams, hold on tight to your dreams, yeah.” You know, it’s a car commercial for a popular brand that is stolen and stripped quite often in our valley. Smell the tires burning and hear the screeching brakes. It was like God put the brakes on my pity party and slapped me back to reality.

“Hello? Are you down there? You need to hold tight to your dreams. Hold tight to my dreams, the ones that I have for you, remember? It’s not over for you. It’s just going to be different. I have some great plans for you, exciting and new adventures. So put away the pity party hat and horn. And hold on tight to my dreams. It’s gonna be fantastic.”

I was reminded of something I recently heard at a Women of Faith conference. When God says Behold, He means be there (be present) and hold on tight, I’m gonna do something great! Hmmmm, behold is used a lot in the Big Book. I better pay attention to that one, be present (it’s way too easy to be somewhere but not be present) and hold on tight, ready for the ride.

So, party is over. Even though I could still sing “It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to…” I won’t (at least for now). I’ll just keep that car commercial song playing instead. “Hold on tight to His dreams, yeah!”

I still have a cat on my lap and a sleeping, snoring, drooling (oops, that’s me) husband. Ain’t life grand?


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Take some risks

Take some risks! That was sage advice given to us in the last year from our soon-to-be supervisor who lives in France. He told us to enjoy our time in the good ol’ US of A and enjoy the family, but get out there and take some risks.

I must say, I am finally doing something(s) outside of my box. I usually stick to what is planned in my calendar. Trying a new restaurant, especially one that doesn’t have a decent looking facade, was a risk. PK and I like to call those times adventures (some adventures are good, some not so good, yuck!)

But upon considering risks, and trying something new…I have really been feeling it for our young people. There are so many depressing, negative, and downright scary things out there. I was reading an article that said most young people need 3 things. I may have them a tad bit off, let’s just say it’s author’s license…They need family, church, and peers. Family, members living and caring for each other, make up the foundation for a healthy life. Church builds on this and creates a wider network of supportive and guiding relationships. And then peers (and I might add, most young people put these closer to number 1, or at least it seems that way with the young people in our family) give feedback, relationships, fun, and hang out buddies. Boy, am I getting wordy on this one…The whole point is that young people love to hang out with friends, and the number one place to meet and greet seems to be coffee shops (yes, we live in the northwest – for now).

Put that coffeeshop meeting spot and wanting to connect with, get to know, and help young people, and you have a new thing I have been doing. PK and I have been talking about this idea for awhile, and both of us feel a concern for what young people face in today’s world. So one Wednesday night, after many conversations with some young people we know, I jumped from preschool teacher to Coffeeshop hanger-outer with the young people. We are meeting Wednesday nights at a nearby coffee shop. It’s great. We’ve been getting to know each other, playing games, discussing life questions, connecting with each other…and we are working on getting to encouraging and helping others. And yes, we drink coffee! Well, I usually have caffeine free, or low caffeine and calorie content (my age is showing).

Tonight, let’s just say, bandaids are involved. 🙂 Oh, it takes me back to my college years as a resident advisor, and earlier than that times working with youth groups.

Interested in other ideas for games and interaction starters…hint hint.

So, Coffeeshop is one risk and change. Maybe I will use change instead of risk. Change is harder for most of us, is it not? Who moved my cheese? (read that book if you have ‘issues’ with change)

Some other changes – hold your seatbelt – I am getting rid of responsibilities! Wow! I’m not there yet, but I am working on it. God has been helping me. Really, I used to be such a control freak. He is helping me to let go of that (ok, honestly, I have a few moments of regression, but still!). PK and I are seriously downsizing, sold the house, many belongings, giving away things, getting rid of stuff…That’s big change for me, pack rat that I am. But we can’t take it when we leave the country. 🙂

Oh, and we can’t discount leaving our children (and our parents) on their own! Talk about change – difficult change!

Yes, Big Change Number One – moving to another country! France ~ An adventure big time! The 3 of us – God (the Author of our change), Pk (my marvelously wonderful partner), and I (the goofy sidekick). What a team.


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Grand Canyon

Ok, this is turning harder than I thought (and I have done, what, ONE entry?)…Every time I want to sit and make an entry, something else comes along. Sigh. I hope there are no expectations for daily entries. I can tell you that that is a fairy tale dream (and not mine!). Maybe weekly, or bi-monthly. We’ll take it slow.

I did download (upload?) a great picture of the Grand Canyon I took last spring. It reminds me of the comment I just made about trying to sit down to write and something comes up…I lived in Arizona for 9 years while I was growing up. Did we visit the Grand Canyon? Not on your life. Mom had reoccurring nightmares that one or all four of us (maybe whoever was in trouble most that day?) fell off the edge. Sorry, mom, you had to hear that story. Again. So, we did not see one of the world’s biggest wonders.

Many years later, after Kevin and I were married and we had 2 children of our own, we were on our way to see the Grand Canyon. We had already visited Disneyland and were looping over to Arizona, staying in Palm Springs along the way. We received an emergency call about Kevin’s aunt, so we detoured back to WA state, missing the Grand Canyon. So close, but no dice.

In the spring of 07, Kevin and I took off on a 3 week trip all alone, sans children. Fun and exhilarating, although trusting teenagers alone…I’m sure we still don’t know all that happened. And voila’, we finally made it to the Grand Canyon! It is totally amazing! Flat, high, desert, and then, bamm, a ginormous hole in the ground. WAAAAAYYYYYY down to the bottom. If one was even slightly disturbed by heights, not a good place to be. Or someone with young children that run around or don’t listen to parents…maybe plan a trip alone. But what gorgeous desert beauty. Awe inspiring beauty (and heat). That God has such imagination and creativity. We were only able to spend one day walking along the south rim. But I plan to go back one day, prepared for hiking to the bottom. And ride the donkeys back up. Yep, that’s my plan. I’ll do the easy part, the donkeys can do the hard part. We had striking thunder clouds, and I can imagine that winters are serenely and starkly beautiful.

So, try, try, try again, and it will happen. The writing and the Grand Canyon. What’s next?

Paris.


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Bonjour, Tout le monde!

Tada! (mental picture of me with my arms thrown up, looking smashing in a gymnast outfit, and great trumpet music in the background). I am FINALLY trying (big time trying) to blog. My friends from Richmond have been trying to get me to start. I kept procrastinating and making excuses. And for good reason! I can’t even figure out how this thing works! I think it is for younger, more flexible brains…

Disclaimer: I choose to randomly throw in French words, since all things French are one of my love’s. 🙂 And it’s my blog, so I can do that. Maybe you will learn a little French (maybe some incorrect French, I should say) when you read it.

I should back track. My first love is Jesus Christ. There. Now I pray that all entries reflect that love and the growth and development in my life as I transform to be more like Him. That doesn’t mean I will be perfect, no siree. Just forgiven and loved. (That almost sounds like another disclaimer, doesn’t it?).

My second love is my honey. Kevin, Mr. Q., PK, pastor, Dad, Fajah (oh, you mean FATHER), Kev…the man of many names. He’s also my bestest friend (and I also warn of impending incorrect English errors, of which there will be many). We are high school sweethearts, and have been together since 10th grade (give or take one year off, which he will gladly tell you all about and how it was my fault). We celebrate our 23rd anniversary in June. This year we will spend it in Richmond, Virginia, at appointment week (more later on that subject – this is to introduce you to my immediate family, so you can break the code when I make jokes or comments).

With the love of my life, we have 2 wonderful, fantastic, probably brain damaged from us, children. I mean one son, 19 going on 20, who is in the Army training in mechanics, Tay-Man, and one daughter, 17 going on 35, who is just finishing up high school and her AA at the same time, Pee-pah. Now, their REAL names are Taylor and Chelsie. But we, like most of you, have a variety of nicknames, and these nicknames are used with certain tones of voice to imply what level of trouble each is in, (or what feelings we have, or what we need them to do, etc. etc.). We are almost all the time empty nesters. Sigh. They grow up so fast. Enjoy your babies. Sermon over.

Our third child, of whom you will be hearing, is Annabelle. She has weight issues, a saggy belly, an attitude most of the time, hogs the bed, demands fresh water and treats, sheds black hair on everything, and loves her mommy most. Nanna is our black and white tuxedo cat. Let it be said that she is a cat in every sense of the word…

Well, I think that is good for my first post. NOW, if I can figure out what to do next. I may accidently lose this (and then I will be mad and not do blogging for awhile) or send it to France or Australia or outer space…Help me out with some tips, please!

Bonjour (hello) Tout le monde (all the world)!