The Gift that Keeps on Giving

One of the greatest joys of the Christmas season is finding a perfect gift and seeing the face of a loved one light up when they open it.  I had this experience last Christmas with the gift I gave to my mom.  But before I tell you about that, let me tell you about a gift that she gave.

My mom has always loved to color, and when I was six years old she bought a giant T'was the Night Before Christmas coloring book.

 

I remember coloring with her and always being amazed at how beautiful her pages turned out.   You can faintly see in the lower right hand corner of this picture that mom colored it in 1979.

Although it was 44 years ago, I remember coloring this picture of ma and pa settling down for a long winter's nap that mom and I colored together in 1978.  I recall working so hard to make my coloring as nice as hers.  In the lower left hand corner, if you look carefully, you'll see on the top side of the turquoise circle a spot where I messed up and colored outside the line.  I was so disappointed in myself, but mom reassured me that it was okay and that she would help me fix it so that it wasn't very noticeable.  As I've reflected on that memory as an adult, I've appreciated the lesson that she taught that day - sometimes we mess up, but it's okay.  There are things we can do to lessen the impact of mistakes made.  This picture, even with its imperfection, is now my favorite in the book because of the memory and lesson associated with it.

Over the years my mom encouraged family members to color in her giant coloring book, and to sign their name and print the year on the page they colored.  Several cousins and grandchildren contributed to its now colorful pages.  As far as I can tell, the last time that anyone colored in it was in 1997, but the book was always a treasured keepsake of mom's.  

In 2002, my parents separated and divorced.  Mom moved to Washington with very few of her belongings and many of her things got moved around and ended up in storage.  Several years later, my sister and I cleaned out a storage unit that had many of our parents' things in it.  When I found the beloved coloring book, it was tattered and torn, but I couldn't bring myself to throw it out.

I hung onto it for several years, wanting to do something to preserve it, but not sure how.  Finally, last year, I decided that it wasn't the book itself, but the memories that needed to be preserved.  In this miraculous age of digital photography, I was able to take photos of each page and have them made into a book that turned out even better than I'd hoped.  Mom was visiting us in San Antonio for Christmas, so we got to be with her when she opened it.  It was truly a joyous moment to relive those memories with her as she looked through the book.  

This book represents so much to me:  Mom's love of coloring, time spent coloring with her, her patience with my imperfect efforts, family gatherings at the holidays, holiday traditions and treasured keepsakes.  Mom's giant coloring book has definitely been a gift that keeps on giving.

Becca's 18th Birthday!

I'm not quite sure how half of this year has gotten away from me, but here I am, in June, feeling the need to catch up on recording some important milestones we've passed this year. 

I'm going to be focusing a lot of attention on Becca in my next few posts.  This year is the year she turned 18.  The year of leaving childhood behind and officially becoming an adult.  The year of graduating from high school, leaving home and venturing out into new territory.  The year of achieving goals that, up until now, she's been able to put off.  

I feel like most teens look forward to this time.  Becca has dreaded it.  I mean, it makes sense.  When you deal with anxiety, more freedom and responsibility just seems to bring bigger chances of screwing up.  Having experienced early adulthood myself though, I know how much fun it is, and how much learning, growth and fulfillment comes from those life experiences.  I wanted her to be excited about turning 18, and I wanted to build her confidence in her ability to navigate adulthood.  To that end, our gifts to her included a list of  18 Things That You Can Do Now That You're 18, with gifts to go along with each one, and and a book of advice for adulthood from some significant adults in her life.

18 Things That You Can Do Now That You're 18!

#1 - Vote

#2 - Buy a lottery ticket

#3 - Get a body piercing or tattoo without parental consent

#4 - Book a hotel room

#5 - Be called for jury duty

#6 - Go to the ER alone

#7 - Give blood

#8 - Apply for credit cards and open a bank account

#9 - Buy fireworks

#10 - Get married

#11 - Go skydiving

#12 - Get a 10-year passport

#13 - Get a Costco or Sam's Club card and buy in bulk

#14 - Sign a contract

#15 - Be the only one home when a service or repair person needs to enter the home

#16 - Work full time (I had a hard time coming up with something for this, so I regifted her a Hydroflask thermos that she already owned to represent taking your lunch to work)

#17 - Buy a car

#18 - Join the military

I'm not sure that this list was very reassuring to her.  It may have just scared her more. But I had fun putting it together and it was a fun way to show her the world of possibilities that is open to her now that she's an adult.

Becca is fortunate to have many exemplary adults in her life who love her: grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, church youth leaders, friends who have reached adulthood before her, etc.   I was able to collect letters of encouragement and advice from 18 special adults in Becca's life and compiled them in a book.  My hope is that it will be a guide and comfort for her over these next few years as she learns to embrace being an adult.  

It's hard for me to believe that she's already been 18 for almost half a year!  She has certainly had her fair share of struggles of late (a topic for a different post), but in spite of those struggles, I've watched her challenge her fears and take on adulthood like a beast.  I can't wait to see what her future holds!

Drivers Education

 From time to time I have this interesting experience as a parent.  I’ll be dropping a truth bomb on one of my kids when suddenly a voice inside my head says, “Are you listening to yourself?  There’s a message here for you too.”  That voice is the Holy Spirit, and He testifies of truth.  And when the Spirit testifies to me that something I’m saying is true, I’m grateful.  I appreciate the reassurance that I’m teaching my children correct principles.  But sometimes this feeling, while enlightening, can be a little uncomfortable.  It’s as if the Spirit is taking my proverbial pointed finger and turning at back on me, forcing me to evaluate myself and whether or not I am willing to practice what I preach.

I am currently teaching my daughter to drive.  She’s been driving for about a month now, and I’m starting to look for opportunities to help her step up her driving game.  The other day we went out at the beginning of rush hour to run some errands.  While I normally try to not say much when my kids are driving (my son is currently learning as well) and let them figure things out as much as possible (if they were reading this I’m sure they would say this isn’t true, but I really do try!).  One thing they struggle with is being assertive when changing lanes and having to cross traffic.  It makes sense.  A month ago our driving mantras were “take it slow” and “be cautious”.  Now that they’re more experienced we’re suddenly saying things like “be more assertive” and “you’ll never get to go if you don’t just go for it”! 

On our recent afternoon errands run, we were pulling out of a neighborhood onto a busy four lane road.  Becca needed to cross two lanes of traffic to turn left, and then immediately get into the far right lane to make a right hand turn.  I knew that I would need to help her navigate the maneuver, unless I wanted to sit in that same spot until rush hour ended.  I explained that initially all we needed to worry about was getting past the first two lanes of traffic and stopping in the turn lane in the middle of the road.  We accomplished that with relative ease and I watched for a break in the traffic so that she could turn left.  The moment came and I said, “Go now.”  Slowly she started moving forward.  In the distance I saw a car, but there was still time for her to turn, so I urged, “Come on!  Go now!”  Slowly she inched forward a bit more and stopped.  I could see her anxiety building, “Mom, I can’t go!  There’s a car!”  Of course, I responded, “If you had gone when I told you to, you would have had plenty of time.”  Finally we made the turn and I looked to see if the right lane was clear for her to change lanes.  “Okay, go now”.  Again, she kind of started to move to the right, but hesitated.  “What are you doing?  Go!”  I may or may not have started losing my cool at this point.  I could see the confusion of the drivers around us as she, with turn signal blinking, continued straight down the middle lane of the two lane road.  If it weren’t for the fluorescent “STUDENT DRIVER” magnets  glowing from all sides our vehicle, I’m sure we would have become the targets of many a crude gesture and flowery language. 

After a few moments of confusion, we made all of the necessary crosses and turns and made it to our destination.  We sat in the car outside a friend’s house while she tried to explain to me why she hadn’t felt safe doing what I’d asked her to do (There were cars coming!  I didn’t have time!), and I tried to explain to her why she needed to trust me when I’m giving her instruction (Clearly I have a lot of driving experience and am qualified to help you navigate!).

Do you see where this is going?  Can you just guess at the “aha” moment I started to have in that moment?

At that point my thoughts turned to Peter, who upon seeing Jesus walking upon Sea of Galilee, stepped out of the boat and made his own attempt at walking on water. 

“And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on water, to go to Jesus.  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.”  (Matthew 14:29-30)

This story about Peter is stunning both in its miraculousness and its relatability.  Peter walked on water.  I mean, wow!  But then the winds about him began to blow and fear suddenly replaced his confidence in himself and in the Lord.  He began to sink.

As I shared this thought with Becca, I explained; Jesus knew what Peter was capable of with His help, and as long as Peter kept his focus on the Lord, he was able to do what he previously would have thought impossible.  But when he turned his focus to the wind and allowed fear to take over, he sank.  In our little driving scenario, I am the seasoned driving veteran.  I know what you can and cannot do.  I also understand that you’re scared, and that will cloud your judgement and make it hard, if not impossible, to act.  That’s why I needed you to trust me when I told you it was safe to go.  By not trusting me, you made the situation worse and very possibly could have caused an accident.

And as I was saying all of those things, the Spirit was saying to me, “Are you listening to yourself?  There’s a message here for you too.”  And mentally I replied, “Yes, I’m listening.  I know that God is all knowing and all-powerful, yet too often I let my fears, my worries, my concerns distract me from trusting in Him.  I will try to do better.  I will strive to ‘Trust in the Lord with all [mine] heart; and lean not unto [mine] own understanding.’”  (Proverbs 3:5)

Of course, the most beautiful part of Peter’s walking on water story is when, as he cries out for help because he’s sinking, Jesus immediately “stretched forth His hand, and caught him”.  He knows that we will doubt at times and begin to sink, but if, like Peter, we turn to Him to lift us out of our stormy sea, He will immediately reach out to us and save us.

Who knew that teaching my kids to drive could provide me with such profound learning experiences?  Not me, but I’m grateful nonetheless.

The Calm After the Storm

I've been contemplating doing a bit of writing more consistently than I've done in quite a while.  So, here I am breathing new life into my Blogger account.  Today I'm going to keep it relatively simple, dip my toe into the water, so to speak.  Last night and this morning I've been reflecting on the craziness of the past two weeks.  It's been one of those phases of life when a task is placed before you and you just go to work and get 'er done.

Less than a month ago we received confirmation that we would be moving to San Antonio in mid-May, despite the stop movement order currently in place for military families.  I can't remember which day we actually found out that we would be flying out of the UK on May 16, it must have been around April 25, but I can tell you that within a few days our car was shipped, movers were scheduled and flights were booked.

Movers began packing up our household goods on May 11, which, at this writing, is just 12 days ago.  When I think back over the past 12 days, I can hardly believe what our family has accomplished and experienced in such a short time.

• We've decluttered, organized, purged unwanted items from and cleaned every inch of our house in the UK.
• We've had our household goods packed up and shipped.
• We had one of our sheds burgled and lost $600 worth of tools - ironically, in spite of frequent reports of burglary in our village, in the 2 3/4 years that we lived there, we never had any problems until the night before our movers came.  
• We took a quick trip to the ER.
• Our kids completed all of their schoolwork 3 weeks early so that they could get credit for the semester even though they were leaving early.
• The kids completed a total of 5 AP exams, 1 of which was taken in a hotel room on RAF Lakenheath, 1 taken in a hotel room in London, and 3 taken in an Airbnb in San Antonio.
• We spent a very long day - approximately 24 hours from the time we woke up until the time we went to bed - traveling from London to San Antonio.
• We've bought a new truck and started the process of putting down roots in San Antonio.
• And I have to add, we've done all of this in the midst of a global pandemic.

Life has come at us so fast recently that I look back and feel like we've had a year's worth of experiences in just a couple of weeks - or at least a few month's worth of experiences!  Although our 14 days of quarantine hasn't been as strict as we thought it might be, we are laying low for the most part.  And let me say, after the last few weeks, I'm very much enjoying the calm after the storm.

Who's a little Goofy?

I am. My goal for this year is to prepare to complete the Dopey challenge at Disney World. This involves completing a 5K, 10K, half-marathon and full marathon on consecutive days. Check out this training plan: http://as1.wdpromedia.com/media/ewwos/pdf/rundisney/training-programs/2014/DopeyChallenge14.pdf. 

I am crazy stoked. If I complete the challenge medals similar to all the ones below will be mine: 

This all started with my, admittedly unhealthy, fandom of Goofy. I remember when I became a fan. It was New Year's Eve in 1992-1993. My whole family had made the trip to Disneyland to celebrate the new year. We were at Disneyland and I saw a Goofy t-shirt that I liked and really wanted. My father initially wouldn't let me get it, as he didn't think having a Goofy shirt was appropriate. He confirmed that I "REALLY, REALLY wanted it" (my words, not his) and I ended up getting the shirt. I wore that shirt until it fell apart. I now have:

three (and almost a fourth) quilts made from retired Goofy t-shirts (thanks Melanie!!)

A bookcase to display my Goofy collectables:

(Notice the large Goofy statue up top)

A tub full of various stuffed Goofys:

And my gaming namesake (the movers broke the light saber):

I hate running, but I have to do it for the Air Force (1.5 miles twice a year within a certain time limit). When I saw that there was a medal with Goofy on it that was given to those who completed the half- and full marathons at Disney, I knew I had to start training for it. That unholy obsession morphed into my Dopey desire (what's an additional 15k [~10 miles] when you're already running 63k [~40 miles]?). And now, Tricia, the kids, and various extended family members are all wanting to participate in the Disney running events. Awesome!!

Merry Christmas!

You know you’re experiencing an Alaska winter when…

• You put up outdoor Christmas decorations in September to beat the cold.
• You drive with headlights at 3:30 in the afternoon through 10:00 in the morning.
• The temperature soars to zero or above and you say, “It’s sure nice to have a break from the cold”!
• Everyone you know is planning, or wishes they were planning, a trip to the “lower 48”.
• Things that you once considered luxuries, such as a remote car starter and a heated garage, become necessities.
• Home heating produces frequent smog advisories.
• You refer to the Aurora forecast app on your phone as often as you do the weather forecast app.
• Your friends have painted moose poop hanging on their Christmas trees.
• You carry an arctic survival kit in your car.
• You have spent a small fortune on car winterization, snow tires, snow pants, long underwear, boots, gloves, hats, etc.
• You know exactly how long it will take for your skin to freeze to metal at -20, -30 and -40.
•  If a parking lot doesn’t have outlets for plugging in your car, you just leave it running while you do your shopping/errand.
• You cough every time you step outside.
•  Ice forms in unexpected places – inside door locks, inside windows, in your nostrils…
• Kids need a reflective belt for walking to school in the morning.

We certainly are enjoying our adventures in Alaska!  Jeremy is getting a lot of great experience as the newest dentist in the clinic and is working with the Cub Scouts at church.  

Tricia was recently elected to be the PTO president at the kids’ school and is actively involved with the Officers’ Spouses Club and Med Group Spouses Club on base.  She has been working with the 8-11 year-old girls at church and was just given the new responsibility of working with the 12-18 year-old girls.  

Becca is in 5^th grade and stays active with Girl Scouts, Student Ambassadors and writing club. 

Isak is in 4^th grade and is involved in robotics and chess club.  Both kids started playing violin this year with the school orchestra. 

Our family tries to get to the gym as much as possible to work toward a goal we have set to participate in the Disney Marathon in January 2015.  The kids are preparing for a 10K,  Tricia is preparing for a marathon, and Jeremy has set his sights on the Dopey Challenge - a 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon spread over 4 days.  Dopey indeed!

We are so grateful for our families and friends who are scattered around the globe.  Wethink of you often and wish you the best this holiday season and throughout the year!

Love,

Jeremy, Tricia, Becca & Isak

There's Gold In Them There Hills

A fun stop in the Yukon was a visitors center where we learned the history of the poem The Cremation of Sam McGee, and the kids got to try panning for gold.

If you are interested in the history of the poem, here is what Wiki has to say on the topic:
The_Cremation_of_Sam_McGee