Egypt

And then I was blessed to go to Egypt.  

I’m not going to post any photos, because either they’re too sensitive or too ridiculous.  (I have one where it looks as though I’m kissing the Sphinx.  Our guide MADE me do it!)

What I learned was that the Christians are seriously persecuted by family and society.  There are many ALIVE Christian churches, praise God.  People are coming to know Jesus everyday.

I learned, in transit, that the Istanbul Airport is DOPE!  WHAT?!  The Cairo Airport is… not pleasant.

I learned that my koshari and my falafel are way better than anything I found on the ground.  Yes, I did that for the rhyme.  Why?  Why not?

It was confirmed that foreign surroundings, sunlight and freshly pressed fruit and veggie juices are all tonic for my mind and body.  Seriously, can I not get a doctor’s note prescribing the aforementioned for the rest of my life to be covered by insurance?  It would be cheaper than the meds I’m on, FOR SURE.  Ugh.

I’m glad that I went.  However, I’m done travelling without my family.

Cat man (said like “Scat man” from my song)

In that first photo, do you see what is happening?

Thanksgiving

So, yeh… I mean… it’s been ages, but…

… we had a lovely Stenske time.  My highlight was cooking the entire Thanksgiving Feast over the fire, using the Dutch oven as an oven.  Dope.  Walking up and down and up and down the beach was great too. G loved the mountain biking.  Ty loved Peter-time.  And Sophie… well… it turns out that she is a bit of a pyromaniac and loves poking, prodding and playing with the fire.  Rob’s favorite may have been finally going out for seafood with fellow papa, Nate.  Thank God for awl’a’dis.

 

Ayer

 Pues…

After spending more than six hours in the ol’ CC yesterday, which was two more hours than I had expected, due to tachycardia induced by my negligence resulting in dehydration, I came home spent. 

As I got out of the car, I thought, “I surely hope that the door is unlocked, because I really don’t think I can even fish the keys out of my bag.”  I approached the door, and it opened.  My ever-vigilant Girumy was there.  He took my book-heavy bag from me and I saw that my slippers had been poised at the top of the stairs.  As I was washing my hands to get all of the hand sanitizer off, I noticed that there was a mug and a bag of tea waiting next to Zogirushi-san.  I walked into my room: There was a bowl of grapes on my side table and my ipad was propped up, ready to be viewed.  Calming tea was served to me in bed.

What a blessed family and home I have!  God is good.

My man-child still plays, thank God

 

Yeh, we popped in

Peaches! What?!

At my orchard, there is a peach tree.  It’s a very healthy, promising tree; however, the rodents have harvested before me every year… till this one.  While working over there mid-summer, I saw all of the sweet promises, but figured that I’d never get to them before the animals.  And then one day, Rob and the kids went over there to work and I resignedly asked Ty to bring me bunches of mint.  He didn’t.  Instead…

Perfect, sweet, juicy peaches!  What a miracle!

There WAS garden glory…

… mostly photographed by my budding artist, G.  Again, I felt like my garden was my fight against the mess; my focus on God’s creation, instead of on the disaster we usually make of it.

The harvest moon has come…

 … and I’ve left so much unsaid and undone.  Time just keeps a’tickin’ and I’m simply trying to live.

-a lion’s breath-

Let me see…

The kids all went to Fort for camps this summer and had a blast.  In nearly every photo of G, he was flexing, to the smiles of all around.  Yes, he is handsome and buff… and he knows it; however, that knowledge doesn’t seem to have spoiled him yet.  Ty’s week away started out with tears, but a great counselor talked him out of it.  Soph., well, Soph. went away for the first time, for TWO weeks, and loved every minute of it.  Ha!  I’m glad that we waited to send her and I’m glad that she went.

In between all of that the boys attended church’s basketball camp where we learned that they’re good at shooting, thanks to our home-hoop, but they stink as part of a team.  :/  They’ve also spent HOURS at a neighborhood pool, where Sophie has lost her fear of water, thank you God!, and Ty can swim all proper-like.  

We ended our summer with the now-annual Mattzelberg Camping Trip.  What a blessing to be in such a super trio of fams.

Oh, yes, that is Hatchet Bacon… coming soon to a food truck near you.

Which one of these does not belong here?  (to the Sesame Street tune)

On Monday, we’ll start to study, God willing.  Sixth and Eighth grades.  I didn’t think that I’d make it this far, so I am so thankful.  God, please let me finish.  

-another lion’s breath-

Camp magic for Mamá

I was sitting cross-legged on the front lawn with my coffee, being lulled by the Yellow Tractor, when all of the sudden “the sound of freedom” (according those stationed in Beaufort) thundered through the air, so close to the ground.  I whooped with glee and clapped my hands like a child.  

My domestic happy place

Three adults, six kids, seven bikes and one kid-trailer, and more “peanut buttah’ baws” than you can count all quite comfortably snugged into our friends’ Silver Bullet and we drove down and over to… 

…my United Statesian Happy Place.

They biked, swam and played in the sand, while I walked and walked and got freckled.

In the most exciting news, I finally got baptized (by my son) as an adult and then we two baptized my daughter!

It was such a blessed and cousin-y week!

Minus the sleeping Yeshua

Thank you, God!