Pictures of Egypt

Fun and Games

2012-01-29T10:16:00.013-06:00

If this month is any indication, I hereby declare 2012 the year of the board game.

1/1/12: Ticket to Ride with Ann & Ben (and Julian!)

1/4/12: Date Night. We played Pandemic, the game Natalie & Kevin got Matthew for Christmas.

1/8/12: Pandemic again, this time with Charlotte.

1/15/12: Munchkin Deluxe (Kevin's Christmas gift from us). He was in town for a residency interview.

1/16/12: Ticket to Ride Asia (Team Version) with Matt & Michelle Glosser. Those Matts beat Michelle and me by one stinkin' point. :-(

1/20/12: We played several games at the Bellevue Game Shoppe with Matt's co-worker Mike, his friends, and Justin & Morgan. Pandemic was one of them.

1/21/12: We ended our day of freezer meal making with game night with Scott & Angie and Jay & Rebecca Bock. We played Ticket to Ride Asia, among other things.

I don't think I've ever played so many board games in such a concentrated period of time!

Christmas in the Cleve

2012-01-16T14:25:00.016-06:00

Christmas seems like a very distant memory- hard to believe it hasn't even been a month!

We had a very nice Christmas this year. The nice weather certainly helped! The Wednesday night before Christmas, Matthew and I had "our" Christmas - we exchanged gifts and went to our first movie (Sherlock Holmes) at the Cinedine. It was fun to do something different and spend some alone time together before all the traveling madness.

We then left town on Thursday morning, and on our way east we stopped in Greenfield, Iowa to spend an hour or so with the infamous Bill Huff! It was great seeing him... he lives in D.C. so I don't see him much anymore. It was really nice catching up and reminiscing about college and whatnot.

From there, we headed to Cedar Rapids where I got to meet the lovely little miss Eden Jubilee, who was born to Aroea and Kevin on December 5. She was sweet as could be. They have a new house, and a wonderful God-story of how they came upon it. It's a great place for them - a lot more room for their growing family. Eden's doting older brothers had a great time wrestling with "Mr. Van Zante" and Aroea and I were able to share great conversation while Kevin and Matt played some board games. Then we had some Papa John's and played some Ticket to Ride. I couldn't think of a better way to usher in the Christmas weekend. I'm so blessed to have that family in my life!

Then on Friday morning was the start of the Palof's great Ohio Christmas adventure. All seven of us packed into a minivan and hit the road for Cleveland. The trip went remarkably smoothly. Great weather, good traffic, and we made great time. Matthew and Kevin did nearly all of the driving, which I think my dad appreciated! We got to the Cleveland area by dinner time and ate some yummy Thai food with my Aunt Linda and cousins Teddy and Hillary (Uncle Joe stayed home to get ready for the festivities).

Christmas Eve day, my Uncle Gary and his family and my Uncle Dale and his family came over for the big Christmas meal. It was good seeing my cousins and a good time was had by all.

The whole family (Natalie's baby bump and all!)

Me with my cousins Hillary and Abby.

Sisters!

My sisters and me with cousins Ted and Hillary.

Uncle Joe got out his guitar and he and Matt took turns playing Christmas carols.

And we also went to a nearby Christmas lights exhibit. We've visited this cul de sac a few times over the years, and they always go all out.

Matthew was really in his element at the Prekops' house - they're big into board games. A lot of our visit was spent with all of us in various clusters playing various games, mostly different versions of Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride, but also a trivia game, Pictionary, and things like that. It was all great fun.

On Monday, we ventured into downtown Cleveland, where Uncle Joe gave us a bit of a tour. Neither Kevin nor Matt had ever been in Cleveland itself, so I think Joe enjoyed playing tour guide. We went to the Tower City shopping center for awhile, and then wandered over to our restaurant, a place called the Green House Tavern. The food was amazing. It was probably one of the tastiest meals I've ever had. It's a very organically minded place. My steak was amazing, Matt's halibut was good, the appetizers were great, and we sampled some chicken that Joe ordered and it was all very yummy. After dinner, we went to a place called the Corner Alley and bowled a couple of games. It was a very fun night and good end to the trip.

The Prekops (my dad's sister and family).

We drove back all day Tuesday and then had our own Christmas at my parent's house before we all headed out in different directions on Wednesday.

I was sick for a few days when I got back, but was back to normal by New Year's Eve. We had a good time out at Red Lobster with the Sanfords (this has become a tradition over the past four years or so), and then Matt and I saw the movie The Descendants. We were home by 11:30, just in time to watch the ball drop.

The New Year started out great with a visit from Ann and Ben and their new little guy, Julian. They live in Wisconsin now, so I don't get to see them as often as when they lived in Iowa City, so I was glad that we were able to steal them away from Ann's family for a night of dinner, baby cuddles, and... you guessed it... Ticket to Ride. :-)

Since then, 2012 has been good so far. The unseasonably warm weather has been wonderful, and it's been nice to just be home and reconnect with friends and get back into the swing of things at work and at home.

Oh, and among my New Year's goals: write about Europe! It's coming soon... I promise. Stay tuned!

Christmas can't be very far away....

2011-12-19T20:18:00.006-06:00

Here is a quick look at what we've been up to this Christmas season...

Decorating!

Our White Elephant Party for couples at our church...

Van Zante Christmas this past weekend in Pella:

And my work's Secret Santa party today:

Pam (Santa) and Kathy (the elf) completely surprised all of us by showing up in character. Not only did they play ukuleles, but they had a whole little bit with a Naughty and Nice list... It was hysterically funny. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! It was just so unexpected.

And me and Marjorie dressed quite a bit alike...

we even have the exact same tights!

Wishing you a very merry Christmas!

and remember now His mercy

2011-11-01T20:37:00.011-05:00

Sara Groves said in a recent interview that her online life is dismal, but her off-line life is full... And that, too, is where I've been.

Life has been very full- too full in some areas, not full enough in others, but in general I've been breathing in the goodness of God in new ways lately, and it's been refreshing to my Spirit. I promise I will start writing about our great European adventure soon (but probably not until 2012!). It was wonderful and amazing and it's hard to know where to begin in capturing it. But I will. Soon. I want to remember it all. As far as the less-tangible things that are filling my days and filling my spirit... One of my English professors once said, in the context of memoir writing, that if a memory is important to you, you shouldn't write about it. I think part of the reasoning behind that advice is that you may end up butchering it. Or if you're not happy with how it turns out, the memory will be tainted. I don't know- I think it's because words often can't do the memory or feeling justice.

I've been frustrated a lot lately because I think of myself as a writer, yet lately I've felt like I've had a harder time communicating than I used to. I don't know what it is. I've been thinking hard and feeling deep lately, and there's been a lot on my heart that I've wanted to share. And so in the car on my drive home from work, I'll think about all of these thoughts and ideas and by the time I get home and have time to sit and write, they're gone...

But I can talk about this: I am thankful. Back in July, Aroea recommended a book to me: One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Now, when Aroea makes a recommendation, I don't take it lightly. So I bought it. And I can honestly say that I don't remember ever reading a book that has changed me so profoundly in the deep places of my spirit. It's beautiful. It's the kind of book that you need to read slowly and just allow its truths to sink it.

The premise is this: the author was challenged to make a list of one thousand things she is thankful for. Even in the face of deep tragedy and daily drudgery and the fallen nature of our lives, she kept this list. She's keeping this list even still. And reading about her list is changing my perspective. It's opened up my eyes to see and my ears to hear. It's helping me to complain less and love more. I'm not perfect, and it hasn't "fixed" me completely (will anything this side of heaven?), but it is doing a good work in me, and my spirit is more joyful for it.

I am thankful. And I feel like I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving more fully this year because of it. The Sunday before last, our small group gathered at the Mackey's house for turkey and stuffing sandwiches, pumpkin pie, and everything in between. It was good to be with friends, and the Potters and the Mackeys are as dear as they come. I am thankful.

For Thanksgiving day itself, we were in Pella. We started the day at church, and it was a beautiful service full of quiet hymns of praise. Back at the Van Zantes', the meal was delicious, and the fellowship encouraging. Arlene asked everyone to go around the room and talk about what we all were thankful for. Michelle had some particularly beautiful things to say about the journey that she and Ben and their girls have been on in this past year. I enjoyed hearing a bit more about what God's been doing in and through them. I was blessed to hear what everyone is thankful for. God is good.

Later in the afternoon, after some Buzz Word and Catch Phrase, Matthew and I went on a walk around the farm with Hannah and Livia. The sunset was spectacular out in the fields, and it was fun and refreshing spending time with that 7-year-old and 5-year-old and their fresh way they look at the world. I was breathing deep the spirit of God in the crisp country air.

All in all, our time in Pella was a lot of fun - good conversation with my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law, lots and lots of cuteness with those six little girls running around (okay, I guess baby Natalie technically isn't running yet, but you get the point), a visit to see the Dutch Santa, Sinterklaas, and Ben and Michelle and Matt and I even got to go on a little double date to the Muppet Movie. A good time was had by all. And I am thankful.

And then on Saturday, we went to Amana for the rest of the weekend. It was low-key fun- we decorated the Christmas tree, did some shopping around Amana, visited the Tannenbaum Forest at the Festhalle, ate Chinese food and played games. There's nothing like family, and mine's a fun one. It was great having all seven of us together... with an eighth on the way! Most people who read my blog probably know this, but in case you don't... Natalie and Kevin are expecting! They're due at the end of April, and the whole family is super-excited. She's starting to show, so it was exciting to see the new life that will be joining us in the spring. I am thankful.

On our drive back to Bellevue yesterday evening, we decided to usher in the start of advent by listening to Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God. The sunset was beautiful, and I felt overwhelmed by the gifts, by the faithfulness of God over the years. I can be such a wretched mess, and yet time and time again He shows Himself true. And a line from the last song on the album stuck out to me last night. I hadn't ever paid it much attention before, but it took on new meaning in light of the counting of gifts: "So rejoice, ye children, sing, And remember now His mercy." Remember His mercy. I hope I always will strive to live a life of thanksgiving, that I will have a heart that's always poised to look back and see His faithfulness and mercy in my life.

Ann Voskamp writes, "He gave us Jesus. Jesus! Gave Him up for us all. If we have only one memory, isn't this one enough? Why is this the memory I most often take for granted? He cut open the flesh of the God-Man and let the blood. He washed our grime with the bloody grace. He drove the iron ore through His own vein. Doesn't that memory alone suffice? Need there be anything more? If God didn't withhold from us His very own Son, will God withhold anything we need?...

"All gratitude is ultimately gratitude for Christ, all remembering a remembrance of Him. For in Him all things were created, are sustained, have their being. Thus Christ is all there is to give thanks for; Christ is all there is to remember. To know how we can count on God, we count graces, but ultimately there is really only One." This advent season, I'm striving to remember often, always, His mercy.

Sara Groves has a song from a couple of years ago called "This House". In it she talks about visiting her childhood home after years away from it, and how she could see God's hand in the memories inside the walls. I always loved the last line, addressed to her small daughter: "Ruby, you take it in - see He's withheld no good thing." It's her interpretation of Psalm 84:11: "No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." Ever since I heard this song, I loved that line and I loved this Psalm - He withholds no good thing.

So when Sara's newest album, Invisible Empires, came out in September, I immediately fell in love with this follow up song, "Open My Hands":

I believe in a blessing I don't understand
I've seen rain fall on wicked and the just
Rain is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us

I believe in a peace that flows deeper than pain
That broken find healing in love
Pain is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us

I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me

I believe in a fountain that will never dry
Though I've thirsted and didn't have enough
Thirst is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us

I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me

No good thing from us
No good thing from us
He withholds no good thing from us

I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me

I feel like this song complements the gift counting well. And over the past few months, I find myself singing this refrain almost daily. When I'm tempted to complain or be discouraged or be dissatisfied with the now that God has for me, I pray "I will open my hands, will open my heart... I am nodding my head, an emphatic 'yes' to all that You have for me."

Jill Phillips also has a new album out called In This Hour, and the themes here are also hitting home to me. The title of the album comes from this Walt Whitman quote: "Happiness... not in another place, but this place, not for another hour but this hour."

I pray that this Christmas season, and beyond, I'll be present in the hour that I'm in, that I'll remember His mercy, and that I'll open my hands and my heart to all that He has for me, for He will withhold no good thing.