Gullible

Yesterday as we were driving, we saw some amazing trees. They were tall evergreens that had no branches on the bottom 2/3 of the trunk. As I was marveling about these interesting looking trees, Tim said something to the effect of, "oh aren't those cool? They're called Mini-Skirt Evergreens." Really? Typically I'd rush into the other room and google or wikipedia it (are those really verbs now??) before I could be labeled Gullible, but we were stuck in the Interstate in Washington and I had no internet access. I tried to immediately call his bluff-- and I ALMOST had him when I caved. I don't know. He does read a lot of National Geographic...

I was pretty convinced that I was right about the whole Mini-Skirt Evergreen thing being a bluff, but then this evening I checked it on Wikipedia. I hate that I had to check to be sure. While I'm not the most gullible in my family (my little sister takes the cake for that one!), I must admit I have a gullible streak. Shameful. :)

-JLR

Road Trip

Tomorrow morning we begin a road trip from Langley, BC, Canada to Missouri for the summer. We have scheduled several stops along the way and we're looking forward to seeing a few familiar faces along the way, as well! One of the things I'm most looking forward to is seeing our friends in Loveland, Colorado again. While we don't have a lot planned in terms of sight-seeing along the way, I imagine we'll try to make a few short stops along the way. I've also heard that the route we're planning to take is absolutely breath-taking.

Road trips... yeah, I don't think I'm a fan. It's a long time in the car and my neck and back usually start hurting after just a few hours. If it weren't significantly cheaper to drive, I'd definitely be happy to hop on a flight! One of the things I guess I AM looking forward to is to do a lot of old-school road trip games with Micaiah this year. MadLibs... license plate games... I spy... Alphabet/sign games...etc, etc. Tim's working on some good mix CDs, so that could be fun. I guess (like usual) it comes down to deciding to have a good attitude about it all.

Anyone have any good old-school road trip game ideas?? Family favorites?? Let me know and I'll add it to my list!! (I think we'll stop for email at least once along the way, so feel free to send the ideas even after tomorrow!!)

-JLR

North Cascades

In Early May we enjoyed a 3 night getaway to the North Cascades in Northern Washington. The break was exactly what we were hoping for-- just a few days to reconnect with each other after Tim's busy semester and to spend some time exploring God's creation. We may not have the benefit of a stable home and all that provides emotionally, but God HAS given us the gift of travel. It is our prayer that we would never take for granted the fact that we get to see such amazing, diverse parts of His creation!

Here are a few pics of the mountains and our hikes. We took a long walk along the Skagit River, a long drive into Mount Baker/Snoqualmie National forest (with a few stops at overlooks), and a super-long hike up a mountain trail to the start of a beautiful waterfall. We also did a fun nature-trail to learn about some of the trees in this region. The rest of the time we played games in our little cabin and enjoyed cooking/cleaning/reading together as a family!

The River Walk
Mount Baker/Snoqualmie National forest
Waterfall Hike (with amazing views!)

-JLR

Packing

We are packing... again. I wish that I had counted the number of days since being married that Tim and I have spent packing. It has to be an outrageous number! We've lived in 10 different homes (staying in a private or semi-private space for more than 4 weeks) plus countless guesthouses and spare rooms in only 7 1/2 years of marriage. And those homes are in 4 different countries (guesthouses in 5!). Wow.

It's not all bad, though. It is quite freeing to have the opportunity to throw away junk and consolidate our earthly belongings every so often. In fact, we consider it a blessing to have so little in terms of material possessions, and to be reminded that this time on earth is so temporary.

That being said, I would love a 'real' home of my own someday, and I pray that God would meet that heart-desire in some way if that's not possible.

--JLR

Doing the Dance

An amazing friend/mentor gave me a word picture today that has been so impacting that I just can't keep it to myself. We were talking about the challenges of interacting with family and how as Christians we can be godly in our interactions with them. She had been talking with her sister-in-law about how each family has a dance. Keep in mind that this is not a judgment on whether that dance is right or wrong (although we could go there at a later point...), but this is more like comparing swing to the polka to the waltz to break-dancing, etc., etc.

So anyway, one of the reasons so many of us have difficulty understanding our in-laws is that they are doing a different dance than we're used to. For example, my husband understands the dance his family does, whether or not he agrees with it-- and to be honest sometimes it is easier to dance along than to raise a fuss! But if that type of dancing does not come naturally to me, what do I do? Do I become someone I am not and learn to do the dance because it makes them happy? Or do I do my own dance? Or do I respectfully decline not to dance at all, denying both their style of dancing and my own (so I'm not disruptive for their dance)? Or do I pass judgment, complain and make fun of their dance because it is so clearly "wrong"?

Sometimes in my idealistic zeal I get caught up in discussions about what dance is right. Or the MOST right. But the truth is that I need to figure out how to pay respect to my in-laws and appreciate the beauty of their dance. I also need to feel heard and understood about my own dance and I want to be appreciated for who I am and what I can bring to the family. But where is the balance and where does holiness/righteousness fit into it all?

Oh how I love word pictures, and this one is going to stick with me for a long time, I think!

--JLR