Thursday.

'Twas a long one today. Left the house at 7:30am and didn't return home again 'til after 3:30. Prayer room from 8am-Noon, out to lunch with a friend, and then teaching class in the afternoon......it all makes for a full day. It was a fun day, but it sure did feel long - and I have to say that I'm quite looking forward to having the day at home with Taylor tomorrow. I must say, I am really quite spoiled, getting the best of both the "mom" world and the "THOP" world. I'm so grateful for Aaron and his willingness to stay home with Taylor several times a week in order to free me up to be in the prayer room, teaching, etc. - and I equally love the fact that I get to stay home and be a mom several days a week, too. I love that we both get to be parents and we both get to be in the House of Prayer; it really is a win-win situation for all of us. No complaining here!

Quote of the day

From my amazing husband:

"I like vacuuming. I can do that. It's kinda like mowing the lawn."

Spoken like a true man...

Telletale signs that the pace of life is slowing down:

1. I have posted a blog two days in a row.
2. I am no longer going to sleep in the "single digits".
3. The chocolate bar in the pantry I started two weeks ago is only half-eaten.
4. I had two hours today during Taylor's nap in which I didn't write an email, answer a text, prepare notes, or think about schedules.
5. I have nothing pressing that must be done before I go to sleep tonight.

I must say, it does feel good to get settled into a more normal pace of life. Not that our life has become boring, or anything; I wouldn't want to give anyone the impression that I am now sitting around all day with nothing to do! Life is still full, but starting to feel a bit more managable.

One new thing that I will be doing this internship that we haven't done in any of the others is that every Thursday's class will be devoted to subjects concerning the prayer room - teachings on the model and practical clinics in which to practice, teaching on the apostolic prayers and hymns of Revelation, and all that good stuff. I will be doing some of the teaching, along with the couple who are leading the prayer room. I'm really excited about the opportunity to devote so much time to the teaching, practicing, and developing of what we do in the prayer room every day; in fact, I often wonder why we never before devoted one day a week of class to prayer room topics! It seems necessary to continue to bring excellence to this part of what we do. This means that Thursday will be a pretty full-on day for me, as Thursday mornings are my normal prayer room day and now Thursday afternoons will be class. I'm really looking forward to it, though. I feel as though there is grace for this in this season of life, and I'm jumping in with both feet. Not to mention the fact that it will continue to stretch me in the area of teaching and leadership. Story of my life these days. It's good, but sometimes such a sharp learning curve can hurt.

Where in the world have I been?

It would be a profound statement of the obvious for me to say that I have been most definitely absent from the blogging world recently. Not only absent from the world of writing blogs, but also absent from the world of reading blogs. I'm not quite sure what happened, other than the fact that life has most definitely run away from me, and has forgottn to bring me along.

I could write paragraphs about all that has transpired in the last week - from Aaron's return home after his trip to Asia, to the start of the internship to the move into the new THOP building which still isn't ready yet. More accurately, I would also have to tell of the laundry and grocery shopping and preparation for class and worship sets and emails and meetings and the list goes on and on. I am reminded of a line from a song from the movie "Mr. Holland's Opus" that goes something like this, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans....".

But seeing as how time doesn't allow all the stories of the last 7 days, I'll give you the two highlights of the last 36 hours. The first would definitely be a spontaneous date with my husband at the local 'mall' on Sunday afternoon. It was perhaps one of the funnest dates we've had in a while; for no profound reason other than we simply enjoyed being with each other. Another highlight woud be my 3.4k run around the mount this morning, because the track to the top was closed. Though not quite as intense of a workout as the walk/run straight up, it was a nice change of pace from the norm. And still left me feeling pretty exhausted in a good sort of way. My final moment worth mentioning was making meatballs with Taylor this afternoon. I had never done this before, but for some reason today I was inspired to wash Taylor's hands real well and let her crack the eggs, help me add the breadcrumbs and parmesean and spices....and then get her hands in there to help me mix it all up. I then showed her how to shape the meat into balls......she loved it and we had great fun doing it together. I have a feeling I'm never again going to be able to make meatballs on my own.

Hopefully you'll hear more from me tomorrow.

What's been going on here

My brain is too fried tonight to put together coherent sentences, so tonight you get the bullet points.

• Aaron returned home from Korea yesterday. We all agreed that two weeks is way too long to be apart. Taylor said it best in the car on the way home from the airport, "Our family is together again. I like that."
• New internship started yesterday. 11 interns. Looks like they'll be a great bunch.
• House of Prayer moved to a new building yesterday. Slight problem: building wasn't ready yet for occupancy. Prayer room is now in a church nursery. Now it really feels like a "Bethlehem stable". Good news is that 'Bethlehem Stables' work just fine, as long as He is there.

Update from Asia

One of the things that is usually hardest about Aaron traveling internationally is that communication is almost always more difficult and less frequent than when he is traveling within New Zealand. It's impossible to know on the front end of a trip what the communication will be like once he gets to his destination. Being prepared for the chance of talking and emailing very little, it has been great to discover that they are taking very good care of him over there, and have provided means for him to call home regularily. I've talked with Aaron every other day, sometimes daily, almost the whole time he has been there. What a gift, not just for me, but also for Taylor. She loves talking to her daddy on the phone when he is away!

He is doing well; preaching lots, and is very tired. He's commented many times on the food - he loves it! Lots of fish and sushi and some 'exotic' things - last night he ate octopus. Taylor was a bit confused when Aaron told her about eating octopus tonight, but I think she finally got over it! The conference has been going very well; the Lord is doing exciting things. He has also really enjoyed the time he's had with many of his friends who have come over from Kansas City to minister at the conference. All in all, it's been a good trip, but I can tell he is definitely ready to come home and be with his family. We're ready for him to come home, too! Taylor is going to be one excited little girl at the airport on Monday morning!

Here are some pictures of the conference:

Not that anyone really cares what I ate for dinner tonight....

....but I care, and since this is my blog, that's what I get to write about tonight! When I was a kid, we went to Cincinnati, OH to visit my Aunt and Uncle and cousins. While we were there, they introduced us to "Skyline" and the culinary wonder called "Cincinnati Chili". I apologize profusely to those of you who have never had the opportunity to experience the delicacy, and strongly urge you to try it if you are ever presented with the opportunity. For my readers who are completely lost by now, let me explain. It's a chili with a very different flavor, seasoned with cinnamon and allspice and also the traditinal chili powder; its quite hard to describe and unlike anything you've ever tasted. The best part about it, though, is that it's traditionally served on top of a bed of spaghetti ,with grated cheese on top of the chili. If you're in Cincy, you can get it "4 way" by adding fresh chopped onions, or "5 way" by adding kidney beans.

Well, while on vacation that year many eons ago, my dad found some postcard in a tourist spot that had a recipe for cincinnati chili on it. So he bought it, and ever since then, it had been a favorite in our family growing up. Naturally, I brought the recipe with me to New Zealand and made it a couple of times, but for some reason, it never tasted right to me. The flavors of the cinnamon and allspice weren't pronounced enough, and it tasted just like normal chili. Which is okay and everything, just not the taste I was after. So tonight, I decided to make it again, and this time, it did not disappoint! I'm happy to say that tonight's cincinnati chili tasted every bit as good as what I remember from my childhood, and I savored every bite of it.

Ready

I miss my husband. I am ready for him to come home. So is Taylor.

'Nuf said.

Diligence of another kind

It's going to be an early (or, rather, earlier) night tonight. Now, at just past 9:30, I am officially declaring all administrative work completed for the evening. But it's not off to bed.....yet. It became very obvious to me today that although this is a short season where diligence of the mind (i.e. admin work and planning) is necessary, that doesn't negate the need for diligence of another kind.....the sort of diligence required to keep this naturally cold heart alive and tender in love. Funny how easy it is to stop maintaing the inner life for the sake of the exterior one.

It reminds me of the words of one of my favorite hymns:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above.

So, on that note, time for me to put the computer down and retreat to the place of quietness and stillness, where encounter with Reality happens.

All in a Day's work, part dos

It has recently become clear to me that my earlier post about the whiteboard was more than just cute. Or an insight into my crazy life. Or, as Randy Bohlender accurately pointed out to me, a telltale sign that I am, without doubt, a visual learner. All this is true, but there is more. That post saved the day.

Not more than 48 hours after I posted a photo of the whiteboard (still proudly displaying our prayer room schedule), I had another meeting with our prayer room team. Towards the end of our meeting, there was a long pause of silence as we realized that although we saved the electronic version of the schedule on the laptop, and although the document was still present on the desktop, there was absolutely nothing but a blank white page staring at us when the document was opened. And we had erased the schedule off the whiteboard at the start of our meeting. We feared the worst; we had lost the schedule we had worked so carefully to construct. It would have to be re-created. We stared at each other, dumbfounded.

Until a little snicker emerged from the end of the table as I remembered the five (count them, five) pictures I took two days earlier as a memento to our newest piece of office equipment (with the blog in mind, of course). We all had a good laugh as I confessed to them that I actually took pictures of the whiteboard, but who's laughing now that we still have our original schedule intact?

Herein lies a great lesson that can be learned. Is is possible that the humble whiteboard could be more reliable than a computer?

Long live the whiteboard!

Destiny

I have just clocked in a few more hours of work, getting ready for the internship that starts in just over a week. For the first time in days, I feel like I'm starting to get my head around it all and like it's going to come together. No doubt this week will still be pretty insane, but I'm daring to think that maybe the worst of all the preparation is over. Maybe not. But it was a nice thought while it lasted.

Oh, and did I mention that we move into our new building at the end of the month?

As crazy busy as it all is, I do have to confess that I absolutely love this. I thrive on the challenge of taking something that is undefined and unplanned and that has many un-knowns and giving it structure and organization and putting all the pieces together so that the finished product runs smoothly and all the important bases are covered. I don't really know the technical term for all that I just described, but whatever "it" is, it sure is my power-alley. As "The Leadership Challenge" would say, this is one of those leadership experiences where I am feeling like I am at my "personal best". The preparation for this internship also has the added dimension that my leadership skills are being stretched and sharpened at every turn. With Aaron away in Korea, the onus falls on me to lead our team well, to make sure that everyone is on board with all that is happening, and to see to it that everything comes together with nothing (and no one!) falling through the cracks. Though I am feeling the weight of that responsibility, something in me resounds with the truth that I was made for this.

Of course, this is not all that I was made for. In fact, there are other times that I feel this sense much, much stronger. Like when I get to sit in the quiet of my room and simply love Jesus. Like this morning when I was leading worship in the prayer room. Like when I get to have cuddles with Taylor in bed in the morning because it's my day to stay home and be "mom". Like when our home is full of young men and women that we get to mentor in leadership and in life. The incredible thing is that in this season of my life, I continually find myself in these different settings where that familar phrase echoes inside me again, I was made for this. Truth is, I would be hard-pressed to come up with a job description that I'd like better than the one I have now.

Is this what it feels like to be walking in destiny?

All in a day's work

So, about that meeting I mentioned. It really reminded me of the good 'ole "Division 4" days, for any of you out there reading this who actually know what that is. (Translated = the days in Kansas City when Deborah and I ran the prayer room). Today our task at hand was to come up with the new worship leader schedule for the next few months. To aid in this process, off I went this morning to the stationary store to buy a big white board. It has unanimously been decided that this thing is worth its weight in gold, has no doubt already paid itself back after just a few hours of use, and we're all wondering why it took us so long to actually buy one. Because a picture is worth a thousand words, here is the product of 2 hours worth of 3 people's brain power. I know - it doesn't look that hard. It really shouldn't be. But there are many factors that play into producing a schedule that works. Believe me, it gets even more fun when we're doing a 24 hour schedule. I speak from experience.

We're really a professional operation now - we now own a white board! Note our high-tech easel......

Beautiful Day in the Bay

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today. Sunny and warm - at least, in comparison to the recent weather we've been having. So, one of the (many) things that Taylor and I did today was go to the park with some new friends that have just moved here to do the internship. This couple has a son who is 18 months old, so the moms and kids headed to the park and had a really great time. It was refreshing to be in the warm sunshine after so much cold rain; it was even hot enough that we had to put the A/C on in the car on our way home!

That was only one part of our adventures today, though. The day started when we left the house at 9am, went to the post office, the video store, and then the pharmacy to get Taylor's passport photos done. Then it was off to the prayer room, then to the grocery store, then to the stationary store, then to pick up our friends, then to the park, then to the butcher, then to our friend's house to drop them off, and then home. Just enough time for lunch and a quick story before Taylor's nap, and then I had a lengthy meeting to sort out prayer room stuff. The meeting ended, and my friend Anna stayed on to help me get dinner ready for a few girls who were coming over for the evening. We enjoyed a great Italian dinner (chicken parmesean, salad, and garlic bread), and now that the kitchen is clean I get to catch up on emails and blogging and then prepare for intercession tomorrow at 10am. Phew! What a day! Full, but a really good day. The park and having the girls over for dinner tonight were definitely the highlights. My afternoon meeting was, too, in a different sort of day. Let's just say, it really brought me back to my Kansas City days! I think I'll sleep good tonight.....

Vacation Report

Our time away in Taupo was wonderful, though undoubtedly not long enough. It felt like we had just started to unwind when it was time to load up the car and head home. But no complaints here; a few days away was better than none at all. Some of the highlights of the trip were going for walks with the girls, going out for lunch with Marty and Candice, staying up late and playing Texas holdem with the guys, buying 4 punnets of delicious strawberries for only 99 cents each (It's the middle of winter here, remember. That is totally unheard of!), and simply enjoying lots of time with friends. The worst part of the trip by far was being sick all night Friday night, and the strangest part of the trip was being asked out on a date while shopping at Pack 'n Save - by an employee. Wow.

To say we hit the ground running as soon as we got home would be a profound understatement. It's full-go here at the moment! The day we got back was devoted to laundry and house cleaning, but also included the arrival of a couple coming from Australia to do the internship, and also a meeting with one of our former interns who has been in town for the last couple of weeks. I've also been helping Aaron to get ready for his trip to South Korea. He leaves later on this evening and will be gone for about 12 days. And of course, there is an internship starting in less than two weeks that we're not even close to ready for. Wow! Lots on my plate for the next couple of weeks; but it's all good. Who would want life to be dull and boring, anyway?

Vacation

Remember when you were a kid in school and there were those glorious "half days" right before Thanksgiving or Christmas vacation? You showed up at school never to do any work; just to have parties and eat copious amounts of junk food. Then, by the time mid-day rolled around, the final bell was ringing and everyone was streaming into the hallways and practically running out the door, knowing that vacation had just begun and there would be no more thoughts of homework or papers or tests or pop quizzes or anything of the sort.

Well, that's kinda how I felt today as I finished leading the 10am prayer meeting and Aaron and Taylor and I climbed into the car to head home. No, there were no parties or junk food in the prayer room this morning, but our vacation does start today, and for the next several days, there need be no thoughts of intern accommodation or transportation, curriculum, preparing notes, schedules, handouts, and legistics. We are on vacation!

This afternoon my job is to pack suitcases and then make multiple lists of the all-important things we can't bear to leave behind. Taupo doesn't have grocery stores, you know. The way I pack, you'd think we were headed into the bush, miles away from any civilization. But hey, I'm a woman. And a mom. I get to.

So tomorrow we head off to Taupo for several days to meet up with some good friends of ours who currently live in the States, but are back in NZ for a month visiting family. Marty is Kiwi, Candice is American. Josh (NZ) and Misty (USA) are also going to join us, and then we're in for a good 'ole time. Especially Saturday night when the All Blacks play. Josh, Aaron, and Marty all together in a room is bad enugh as it is; can't even imagine what the three of them together will be like during a rugby test match. Let's just say I hope New Zealand wins. And Taylor sleeps through the rucus coming from the living room.

I'm leaving my computer at home so I don't get sucked into working while we're away, so unless you hear from me briefly tomorrow morning before we leave, this will be my last post until we get back. Cheers!

Time to Party!

Yesterday's 4th of July celebration did not disappoint. It was a long-awaited feast, perhaps the best part of which being the oreo cheesecake. The company was as good as the food; we invited two couples to come over to join us, which made it all the more fun.

The other highlight of the day yesterday was the breaking-in of the new waffle maker. 'Twas a long time in coming due to a certain fast, but it was well-worth every day of waiting. It produced some terrific large-hole waffles that will no-doubt become a regular appearance 'round here - most especially on Sunday.

Today's highlight of the day? My trek up the mount. I managed to dodge most of the raindrops that fell today, only getting rained on for part of the way up. Not too bad considering that it has been raining on and off all day. Once I got to the top, I got this crazy idea to see if I could get down in half the time it took me to get up. Great idea- if it wasn't such a rainy day. So, I was flying down. I was making great time until I got to the really muddy part. No, I didn't fall. That in and of itself was quite a miracle, however my left foot did manage to find perhaps the biggest mud puddle I have ever encountered in my life, and by the time I stepped out of it, my shoe and sock and the bottom of my pants were covered in mud. You would have thought that would have caused me to learn my lesson and slow down, but no, I still needed to see if I could get down in 7 minutes or less. Then my right foot found another mud puddle; fortunately not as large as the first one. I finally made it to the base of the mount 8 seconds over my goal. If only it wasn't so muddy........

This is how we celebrated

Although the food part of the 4th of July celebration is on hold until Sunday, Taylor and I still celebrated in good fashion! This morning we made an American flag out of paper and cotton balls:

And decorated the house (thanks to Graeme Walsh's donation of American decor).

And of course, a celebration is incomplete without music, so we found an instrumental version of the "Star Spangled Banner" online and thereby introduced Taylor to this dimension of her American heritage. She had a ball, I felt quite patriotic, and all in all, it was a great morning.

Happy 4th of July!

Yes, 4th of July celebrations will be alive and well here in New Zealand, albeit a few days late. We're going to wait and celebrate on Sunday with a good, proper 4th of July cookout menu - in the middle of winter. No American hot dogs to be found in New Zealand, so hamburgers and sausages it will be, with homemade baked beans (no decent beans in a can here, either), a cheesy potato bake, some sort of yummy veggie dish, enough chips and salsa and guacamole to sink a ship, and (drumroll, please).....a cookies 'n cream cheesecake for dessert. Not the most patriotic dessert, I know, but the idea received a unanimous vote in the Walsh household, so cookies 'n cream cheesecake it will be. We can't wait. It all sounds pretty yummy. Especially since today is the last day of the global bridegroom fast and any mention of food is a welcome one! :-)

A weekend of celebrations

We sure had lots to celebrate this weekend! Friday was Aaron's birthday, and of course Taylor especially was so excited that it was her Daddy's birthday. She is now at the age where she understands what birthdays mean, which is really fun. I think that holidays and birthdays are always more fun when there are kids around; they just help to bring out the festive aspects of special days that adults can sometimes overlook. So of course we had lots of fun shopping for daddy's birthday present, decorating the house, and decorating his cake. Then we had one of our good 'couple friends' over for dinner to celebrate with us over steak and wedges. Yum! After Taylor went to bed, the 4 of us played several rounds of Cribbage - continuing a 'boys vs. girls' tournament that started at least 2 years ago when we all were back in Kansas City. It was really a lot of fun - and we all agreed that we needed to do it more often.

Then yesterday was our 6 year anniversary! We had planned to go out to dinner (which we did, and thoroughly enjoyed). As we were just finishing up eating, we spontaneously decided to book a hotel for the night to have a little local getaway. Nic was more than happy to have Taylor for the night, so after scoring a deal on this hotel in town, we were off on our last-minute mini-holiday. I have to say, I was very impressed with the customer service at the hotel (arguably some of the best I've encountered in New Zealand - it reminded me of America), and the rooms and the hotel itself were awesome. Definitely a place I'd go back to again. We had a great time away; it was just what we needed.

After a long rainy day today (last weekend we had the wind; this weekend we've had the rain...all weekend long) , we're feeling somewhat rested and ready for the week ahead.

Mid-afternoon Musings

It's cold today. Only 50, with a cloudy sky. Lest you think I am a wimp saying that 50 is cold, it's gotta be not much warmer than that inside. Okay, so I'm exaggerating a little bit, but you get the point. So, I have carved out a nice little spot on the couch right next to the heater, and my feet are finally starting to thaw out. It feels great! In case you hadn't figured this out from any of my previous posts, I'm definitely one of those people who is always cold. And hates being cold. Not a good combination. So with the heater crankin' right next to me, I'm a happy camper!

Taylor is sleeping, so I am working on some notes that I'll be teaching next internship. No, I am an over-achiever and trying to meet deadlines months in advance. One of our big projects for this break between internships is to compile notes for the entire curriculum so that we can print them off (or put them on CD), and hand it to the new interns upon their arrival. This probably wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Andy's faithful and diligent work on the matter. Neither Aaron nor I have the time and energy to devote to the whole project; we are so thankful for a team around us to help!

So, on a completely different note, let me leave you with a quote for the day:

Being a good cook has very little to do with the ability to successfully follow a recipe, though this is indeed a valuable and necessary skill to master. Being a good cook has everything to do with knowing a good recipe when you see one, and the ability to create a good recipe when the one you're looking for doesn't exist.

The Audience of One

Many of the THOP staff are away this week on vacation ("holiday", for you kiwis out there reading this!), so the numbers in the prayer room have been a bit more sparse than usual. Before I led intercession this morning, I spoke for a minute to those who were there and encouraged them about the glory of ministering before the Audience of one. I, myself, need to be reminded of this, too - that we do what we do not because there is a room full of people to lead in intercession, but because there is one Man sitting on one throne who loves the sound of our voice and who is worthy of our adoration. Whether the room is empty or packed really doesn't matter at all; that's not the reason we do what we do. I am reminded even as I write this about those early days in Kansas City (especially on the night watch) when there would literally be no one in the room except the worship team. But that never changed what we did; it simply didn't matter that there was no one else there. The glory of those years (and this season now here in NZ) is that we get to learn value of ministering to His heart without the distraction of onlookers. We carry our reward on the inside - encounter with Him. We tell this to our team here all the time - that in a minute these years will be over and you'll want this time back; so don't waste it. I have to say, there is a hidden glory to being in the "little, rough, and ugly" Bethlehem stable; in the "ship being built at sea".

Mommy, I have a stuffy nose!

Taylor has been feeling a bit under the weather the last couple days. Nothing major - just a little stuffy nose - but enough that by 4am last night, she called out to me and told me she was having a hard time sleeping because of her nose. Poor girl! So I scooped her up in my arms and brought her into Mommy and Daddy's bed, proped up her head on pillows, and before I knew it, both she (and I) were fast asleep. She slept great until the alarm woke us up at 7am. We only let her come into bed with us when there's a really good reason - like if she's sick or really scared about something - which almost never happens. I can probably count on one hand the number of times she has slept with us at night - and the good thing is that she never even asks to, either. She's such a good little girl! And I guess since it is such a rare occurrence, there's part of me that really likes it when she comes in bed with us and I get to cuddle with her......that is, unitl she moves over and starts stealing my pillows! :-) After a few doses of medicine and lots of mandarines and vitamin-C fortified fruit juice all day, she's still not feeling too much better, but hopefully by the morning she'll be on the mend.

The winds are still blowing......

The title to my previous post was not only figurative, but quite literal as well. The wind has been blowing all day yesterday, all night last night, all of today, and is forecasted to not stop for another 24 hours or so. I don't think it's been this windy since we moved here.

Well, seeing as how that was completely useless information, how 'bout something slightly more relevant? Yesterday in the mail I received my acceptance letter for my residence visa - "in principle", to quote the words of the immigration office. I need to send them my passport and more money, and then at that time, they will put my resident visa in my passport, which is valid for 2 years. At that point, I need to send them more money, fill out another short form (basically to prove to them that I still live here, am paying taxes, and all that important stuff), at which point......well, who knows what happens after that. Maybe at that point the paperwork and fees will come to and end and I can stay here indefinitely. Who knows. But anyways, it's nice to know that my application was accepted with no hiccups, and that I am free to stay here for at least another 2 years without having to think about immigration. Yet another milestone has been reached.

So, between that and the internship graduation, yesterday was quite a big day! Speaking of the graduation, it was an awesome night in which we got to celebrate and honor the 9 interns who have journeyed with us here for these last 5 months. It was good to have a night with our little community outside the walls of the prayer room to enjoy being together and celebrating and having fun. I think that anyone who has spent any amount of time in an intense, praying community will attest to the fact that feasting and celebrating together is just as important as fasting and praying together.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a much-needed restful day, and then it all goes into high gear on Monday, beginning the process of getting ready for this next group of interns who come in just over a month. Never a dull moment around here!

The winds of change are blowing

Today was the last class of this internship; I still can't believe that this is our 3rd class to finish since we moved here! Internship graduations seem to be milestones for our community; a time to reflect on the kindness and sovereignty of the Lord as He establishes His house in our city. And of course it's also a time to celebrate and honor the young men and women who have come here either for a short season or for a long-term season to set themselves before the Lord and to cry out on behalf of a city and nation that need Jesus desperately. Tomorrow's graduation seems to come at a time of great transition for our community. The most apparent, visible expression of this transition will most likely be our move into a new building, but I have a sense that this evident sign of transition is but a picture of a greater transition which is happening in a realm unseen by human eyes. I don't have full understanding of what it all looks like and what it all means, so I'll leave my comments at that. But when you think of us in this next month, please pray. For provisoin and clear direction for a new building. For grace to pray. For wisdom to discern the season we are in and the understanding to respond correctly. That not one would be left behind in the transition. For this coming group of interns that will arrive here within the next month. And that we as a community would walk with our eyes fixed upon Jesus and that love would abound in our hearts still more and more for Him. Amen.

Long Week

Wow. It's been a full-on week. And it's not done yet. I feel like I've barely had time to sit down and think, let alone spend considerable time with Jesus. I think I need to change that (at least the latter point).......and change it fast.

This is the last week of the internship, and I've been facilitating class - which has been really fun! This is my favorite week of class of the whole internship. Each day we put a couple of interns in the "hot seat", and everyone else speaks words of encouragement to them; areas of growth they've seen in them over the last 5 months, things they appreciate about that person, giftings or callings they see on that person's life, etc. One of the things I love the most is hearing how people have had an impact on other people's lives, and celebrating the growth that has happened in each person as they have sat before the Lord and allowed Him to change them. It's awesome.

Today I also led an extra worship set, as there are many worship leaders who are sick and unable to lead. I think that the weather certainly hasn't helped that; today was another cold, rainy day in which the heater was an absolute necessity. Breathing all the cold air at night certainly doesn't help the throats, either - but we won't get started on the lack-of-central-heat issue again! :-) Fortunately, the wind has shifted to a northerly, so it's actually much milder now at 10pm than it has been all day. Like I said before, at least the nasty weather doesn't hang around for long when it does come!

And seeing as how it's past 10pm, I need to think about finishing up my day so I can get off to bed before too long. I haven't been feeling 100% either, and really can't afford to be getting myself sick. No sleep-ins for me tomorrow - it's an early morning, 'cuz I lead at 8am. Time now to prepare for my devo in the morning. 'Night!

Sabbath rest

I knew it was going to be a good day when I woke up and my clock said it was 9:00. Thanks to my wonderful husband and sister-in-law who entertained Taylor and didn't let her wake me up, I had a massive sleep-in this morning. I can't remember the last time I did that, and it sure did feel good. The rest of the day was much of the same - pretty lazy and relaxed - just what we all needed. I've tried to make it a point recently to be diligent to maintain a day of rest in my week; ya know, one of those days when I don't have to feel guilty about lying down on the couch to read a magazine instead of tackling all the hundred other things that need to be done. It's amazing what a discipline this in fact is - especially the not feeling guilty part. It's way easier said than done. I remember a few years back, someone who I love and respect greatly gently rebuked someone, saying, "Don't defile the sabbath!". How easy it is to let the value and necessity of the sabbath slip by. It seems like I always have so much to do, so many things to get done, and in my limited understanding it feels like a waste to take a whole day to accomplish none of it. But, hey, if God Himself rested after 6 days of creation, how much more do we finite mortals need a day of rest, too? It would do me good to take my cues off Him.

Betchya can't guess what this holler is all about......

I'll be home for Christmas,
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents under the tree....


I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten, and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow...


And it feels like comin' home,
For the first time in a long time....


We just bought our tickets yesterday. It's official. Yipeeeeeee!

All Peanut Butter Is Not Created Equal

My conclusion on the matter is that Americans love their peanut butter and know how to make it. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but New Zealand peanut butter doesn't hold a candle to the American stuff. There are 3 choices when it comes to peanut butter here:

• Choice #1 - Imagine Skippy or Jiff without the suger. Peanut butter + vegetable oil, with no sugar. It's pretty nasty. If the peanut butter is unfortunate enough to have vegetable oil added to it, it deserves having sugar added to it as well.
• Choice #2 - There are one or two brands that are almost exactly like Skippy or Jiff.
• Choice #3 - Organic natural peanut butter. For a girl who has always been a natural-peanut-butter-type-girl, this would be the obvious choice. However, there is a slight problem. This peanut butter tastes nothing like the American natural peanut butter. Now, don't ask me how it's possible come up with two completely different versions of two basic ingredients (peanuts + salt), but it is possible. Believe me. They taste nothing alike.

So, I have to confess that I have (temporarily) turned into a Jiff/Skippy peanut butter girl (Sorry, Dad!). It's just too strange to me to be eating the natural stuff when it doesn't taste like natural peanut butter should. Maybe someday I'll live in America again and I can revert back to my roots of being a natural-peanut-butter-type-girl. Or, you all can send me boxes full of it. I'd go for that idea any day. Thanks to a shipment of goodies from back home, I do have a precious jar of Smucker's Natural sitting in our pantry right now.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, anyone?

An improvement in the weather already

Just as expected, we enjoyed a balmy 18 degree high today (65 Fahrenheit) after our chilly high of 11 (52) yesterday. Needless to say, our house is much warmer today, and I'm not so bitter (no pun intended) about not having central heat here!

I enjoyed a fantastic walk/run up the mount this afternoon; it was a sunny day, perfect temp, and I felt invigorated the whole way up. After intentionally taking a week off last week, I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel out there today - and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I loved every minute of it. This is a miracle, folks. I actually enjoyed getting back into the exercise routine instead of loathing it. I think maybe we have turned a corner in life......

A Little Bit of a Moan

It's a buuuurrrrr cold, rainy day today. Of course, cold is relative. I am a New England girl, after all. I'm used to cold. Outside. What I'm not used to is having it be cold inside. Thank God for our heater that is keeping our main room nice and toasty, but the rest of the house is freeeezzzzzing!! Taylor's room is the coldest, so I'll move the heater in there before she goes to bed to get her room warm. OH, how I miss the luxury of central heat!!

I guess to keep it all in perspective, I have to remember the people in the south island who have just gotten heaps of snow, but don't have any central heat in their homes. I can't even imagine that!!! The good news is that the cold snap will be over in a few days, and then it won't be quite as cold. That's the thing with New Zealand weather - if you don't like it, just wait a day or two, and it is sure to change.

Waffles, waffles

I have just won this waffle maker on trademe (the New Zealand version of ebay):

I've been looking for a waffle maker for quite some time now, but I have quickly discovered that there aren't too many options when it comes to buying waffle makers here in New Zealand. I guess Kiwis aren't into waffles that much. They're just not too common......and the ones with the nice deep holes (like this one) are virtually impossible to find anywhere in the stores. I would know. I have looked in just about every store in the city.

So when I found this one on trademe, I was pretty excited - but thought I'd end up spending half an arm and a leg to buy it. Not so. Now, $24 + shipping later, I've got myself a brand new waffle maker. I couldn't be more excited. I love waffles. Especially the ones with the nice big holes. Can't wait to try it. Yummy!!!

My idea of a great evening

Aaron is away for the weekend, speaking at a young adult conference down in Wellington. Taylor is now in bed, which means that I have the next 3 or so hours all to myself to do (just about) whatever I please. So here's my set-up for the night: Sitting in bed, electric blanet on (Did I mention it's cold outside?), laptop in place, my Macintosh Yankee Candle lit (thank God for that container that carried my favorite Yankee Candles across the ocean!!), a nice mint hot chocolate by my side, and my Bible and a stack of books in hand. I can think of no other way I'd rather be spending my time. The only thing that will make it all better is a real, genuine encounter with the living God. Good thing He's in the business of showing up when weak humans set themselves before Him. So I throw myself at His mercy and pray one of my favorite prayers, "Here I am, Lord, the one that you love......"

Winter

Winter surely is in the air. The temperatures have started falling; unfortunately the snow never will 'round here. Way too warm for that, much to my (and Taylor's) dismay. She is already talking about the day when we go to America in the winter-time, and she is hoping that when that time comes, the snow will, too. Of course, I've told her lots of stories about sledding and building snowmen and how much fun it is to wake up in the morning to a world covered in white. *Sigh*. I hope that someday she'll get to experience the wonder of a white winter. The good news is that there's a good chance that our trip home in American winter may not be all that far away..........

Sermon on the Mount

As you've probably read from an earlier post, the Lord has been putting his finger on the Sermon on the Mount recently, in my own personal life. I've been doing a bit of study on this portion of Scripture, and have been struck with the importance of it. Not only the importance of it, but in light of that, how little time I have given to be deliberate in studying - and then cultivating - these realities in my own life. And just to rub a little salt in the wound of my own barrenness, one of my favorite preaches says that if we are not actively seeking to develop these values in our lives, we are just pursuing another religious self-help strategy with a little bit of "Jesus" language sprinkled on top. That if the Sermon on the Mount values and realities aren't imparted through our ministries, then we don't have a ministry at all. Now that says it plainly! At the end of the day, this is the essence of who Jesus is and what Christianity is all about. Of course, the subject matter of Matthew 5, 6, and 7 is taught many other places in Scripture as well. But the point is that this is the road map for us to follow if we are seeking to build a strong house that will stand through the storm of time. Jesus said it Himself at the end of the Sermon - whoever reads these sayings of mine and does them is like a man who built his house on the rock. And when the storm (read=great tribulation/judgment seat of God) comes, the house stands, because it was built on the rock. Of course, this is way easier said than done. But that's the beauty of how the whole sermon starts. Blessed are the poor in spirit - in other words, if you realize that there's absolutely no way you can do this thing on your own, then you're in a good place to begin this journey. Because you can't do it on your own.

Jesus is so kind. He doesn't leave us to figure out how to survive the hour of trouble that is just around the corner; He actually gives us quite clear instructions. Build your life on these realities, be deliberate to cultivate them in your inner life, seek them out as fine treasure; and then you'll be okay. Your house will stand.

All Blacks

The religion of rugby is once again alive and well in New Zealand. The All-Blacks played their first game tonight, capturing a decisive 42-11 victory over France. I, for one, am very glad that they won. Not because I care anything about the game, but, well, let's just say that an All Blacks win makes for a happy atmosphere in the home. :-)

I am still shocked at what a part of the culture rugby is down here. I guess it's comparable to college and high school football in Texas. It's just part of life. People down here love their rugby.

Things are really going to heat up 'round here when the world cup starts later on this year. New Zealand should win - but then again, they should have won each world cup in the last 20 years, but choked every time. I think that if they lose, the nation will go into a prolonged state of mourning and depression - my husband included. Please; let's not allow this to happen.

The ends of the earth

Did you know that New Zealand is the nation farthest away geographically from Israel? Therefore it could reasonably be argued that when the "ends of the earth" are mentioned to in Scripture, it is in reference to New Zealand.

So, I decided to do a word study today on the "ends of the earth", and to my surprise, I found between 29 and 37 verses (depending on which translation you use) that are about the "ends of the earth". Some of the promises are awesome; others cause me to tremble. Take for example, these:

• 1 Samuel 2:10, "...the Lord will judge the ends of the earth...." (That sure spells it out pretty clearly).
• Psalm 67:7, "God shall bless us, and the ends of the earth shall fear Him."
• Isa. 45:22, "Look to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God and there is no other."
• Isa. 52:10, "...And all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God."

There are lots more pretty incredible verses that are certainly deserving of further study. It sure does make me wonder what was in the heart and mind of God when He recorded these words in Scripture. Hmmm. Interesting stuff to think about.

In the absence of meaningful posts...

...there is a reason. I promise. Usually it boils down to one of two things:

1. There is nothing worthwhile to post about.
2. There is much worthwhile to post about.

At first glance, reason #2 seems like a contradiction of terms, but let me explain it this way. I am a "thinker'. A "processer"; and although there are times and seasons and occasions in which I freely process "on-line", I usually tend to process "off-line" - and only then will I sometimes feel the liberty to publish the things that have been happening and the stuff I have been feeling.

The reason for the (mostly) superficial posts of late is without doubt, reason #2. Between this fast and the winds of change in our community, and the movings of the Lord within my own heart, there is much happening now; most of which (rather, all of which), is behind-the-scenes and hidden. It's not that I don't want to share what is happening; it's just that there is not yet language to put into words all that is going on. How exactly does one describe the awakening of the human heart in response to the invitation of the Lord to go deeper? It is certainly too mysterious for words.

So, with that said, I'll grab my chai and dig into today's study....Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:5.

Kiwifruit facts

I apologize for a second day in a row of "random, useless pieces of information" posts. One of these days, I will get back to more substantial, in-depth posting, I promise. I have no explanation for my random-ness recently; it just seems to be the mood of late. So here we go......

Did you know that in New Zealand, the fruit is referred to as "kiwifruit", not "kiwi"? If you refer to eating a kiwi, people will certainly look at you funny, for you would be implying that you are consuming the small, brown, flightless bird which is native to New Zealand.

Did you know that kiwifruit is the most nutrient-dense of all the major fruits?

Did you know that kiwifruit have more vitamin C than oranges and more potassium than bananas?

Did you know that kiwifruit are originally native to China? It wasn't until New Zealand first imported the fruit to the States in 1962 that it was called, "kiwifruit" after the native New Zealand bird.

Good thing for us, kiwifruit are cheap around here these days - only about 38 (US) cents per pound.

'Nuf information for now. G'night!

Did You Know...

...that there are at least 8,400 different chords that can be played on a standard 88-key piano?

...that almost every grocery store in New Zealand has a huge refrigerator section of fresh meat that's pet food?

...that flying a kite isn't as easy as it looks?



(in case you were looking for useless pieces of information today....)

Thoughts from the morning

It's 7am. I am not a morning person. But I am up and showered and dressed and ready for my day, which begins in the prayer room in less than an hour. On Saturdays, I have the luxury of sitting in the prayer room for two whole hours of purely devotional time before I lead intercession at 10am. Today's topic of study? The sermon on the mount. Later, I'll post a few thoughts on this foundational sermon of Jesus, but let's say for now that it is undeniably worthy of study. And not just of study, but of implementation into life and ministry. It's not just a good idea, it's absolutely necessary. Realizing how little understanding I actually have of this portion of Scripture, I've decided it's time to be deliberate in studying it a bit further.

Taylor has woken up; time for cuddles!

This Week

It's been a quiet week around here - a welcome change from the weeks that are so busy, I can't keep up. Yesterday it rained all day, so Taylor and I had a nice relaxing "inside day", which was really quite nice. We got out her tent that she got for Christmas, and we both laid inside and colored together. I find coloring so relaxing! Then last night we had our leadership team over for our bi-monthly meeting. That night is always a highlight in my schedule. The overall goal is leadership development, but some weeks we focus more on team building, sometimes we spend the evening sharing what the Lord has been speaking to us all; yesterday we spent a considerable time discussing theology. Aaron is absolutely brilliant at leading these meetings; it's fun to watch him step into more of who he is as a leader. He's definitely a good one!

Today I was in the prayer room this morning, facilated class this afternoon (we listened to Malcom Heading's teaching on why the pre-trib doctrine is Biblically incorrect), and then I left class and went up the mount. I'm actually not as tired as my day suggests. I'm continually surprised at how much less tired I feel when I'm regularly going up the mount. Exercise really does wonders. Hmm. Novel thought.

Time to move along with the rest of my evening....catch up on reading, study, guitar practice, etc. etc. etc. So many things I want to do; not enough time for all of them!

Memories from Gramma's House

Yesterday I made a batch of Grandma's famous date bars - and they are just as yummy now as they were back then! Grandma always made them at Christmastime - and there were more than enough for all the hungry grandkids (and their parents, too!). I have many memories of huddling around the cookie tins, digging in with all my aunts and uncles and cousins.

So, now that it's fall (yes, I still do think it strange to be having fall in May).....it's time for lots of baking. And gramma's recipes are always best!

Exposition of a weekend

All too soon the all-too-short weekend is over, and back into the daily grind we go tomorrow. Weekends are a funny sort of thing. Either they are very productive but not restful, restful but not productive, or somewhat restful and somewhat productive. The trouble with the latter option is that it usually leaves you feeling as though you have worked hard but accomplished not enough, and relaxed a bit, but failed to feel rested. The conclusion of the matter is that I can't remember the last weekend I had in which I felt both rested and productive by the end of it. But ah, such is the way of life. That's why we have another one in another week's time.

A special outing

This morning, Nic took Taylor to the Katikati Bird Gardens while I was at the prayer room. They had a fabulous time, and I only wish I was able to go along and join the fun. Check out some more cute photos...

Someone had lots of fun holding the little ducklings

Exploring in typical New Zealand vegetaion

Having fun in the fall leaves.

I don't know if it's just me, but there seem to be way more fall leaves and trees that are turning color this year than there were last year. The majority are still green, but it seems like everywhere I go this year I am seeing the odd tree that is displaying stunning color. Of course, it is very possible that I was too preoccupied last year with mourning that all the trees don't turn colors, to notice the few that do.

One lucky duck is about to get a kiss!

A custard square and a sausage roll

And to top it all off, there was a trip to the bakery for lunch. (Granddad, that photo is there just for you!) And just to put your mind at ease (for all you concerned folk out there), no, she wasn't allowed to eat the whole custard square. :-)

Thankful

I took Taylor to the park this morning, and as I stood and watched her play, I couldn't help but to feel overwhelmed with thankfulness:

Thankful that I have a daughter to bring to the park. I could be barren.
Thankful that I have a daughter who can play at the park. She could be disabled.
Thankful that I can play at the park. I could be terminally ill.
Thankful that there is a park to play at. We could be living in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Okay, so I guess that sounds a bit extreme and/or cheesy, but for real - most days I go through life just assuming that tomorrow is a guarantee and that we are all invincible and that all the 'good 'ole stuff' of life is just 'normal'; and I really do take it all for granted. I need to wake up. We all need to wake up.

Every now and then I do. (Admittedly not often enough). Maybe my moments of sobriety have something to do with the fact that I grew up with a mother who was terminally ill and who couldn't always take us to the park. She was a woman who must have lived every day of her sickness aware of the need to make every day count. Aware that there was not time to waste. It would do me good to take some cues off her, and choose to live my own life this way. For the reality of it is that we really don't have time to waste; that time is shorter than we realize, that life is short and precious, and in a moment, everything could change. I am speaking not only of the 70 or 80 years we assume we have been given, but also of the hour of history in which we live. Of the realization that the landscape of our earth could change in a moment, and life as we know it could imminently come to a screeching halt. Of the fact that the hour of trouble is not as far away as we'd like to think it is.

And so, in light of that, we must choose to live our lives in watchfulness and in prayer. And in thankfulness of what we have and the time we have been given. And in wisdom to not squander it away.

Random thoughts for the day

There are some days that I wish I had a degree in counseling. Or psychology. Or something like that. Today is one of them. My high school AP Psychology was perhaps one of my favorite classes I took in high school, but it barely scratched the surface. And that was a heckuva long time ago. I don't know that this desire will ever become strong enough to translate into me actually going to school, but the thought does cross my mind every now and then.

And speaking of high school being a long time ago.....I've had two scenarios the last couple days that have really made me feel old. The first one was when I was writing an email and without even thinking, put myself in the "30 year-old" category instead of the "20 year-old" category. Okay, so I do have a few more years until I hit the 30 mark, but I sure am closer to 30 than I am to 20. The second scenario was when I was digging through our storage shed the other day and found dolls that I played with when I was a little girl. It was a surreal moment when I got them out and then gave them to Taylor to play with. I remember thinking when I put those away however-many-odd-years-ago that someday I would give them to my own little girl to play with. Did someone hit the fast forward button? Sure feels like it. Never mind the fact that she told me she didn't want to play with them, and asked me to put them back in storage! :-)

Fall Harvest

The last couple of weeks, we have been enjoying the bounty of fresh vegetables from our garden. Okay, so maybe 'bounty' isn't the best word, but the point is that there are now more homegrown veggies in the house than there ever have been before. My favorite by far are the tomatoes. There just ain't nothin' like a good homegrown tomato!

Taylor's Terrific Beans

Biggest zucchini we've had yet

What a good little helper!

Thanks to that greenhouse, we'll have fresh tomatoes even into the winter!

Mother's Day

It sure is a weekend of celebrations and special days around here! Aaron got me the best Mother's Day present - an awesome basket of specialty food items and a couple kitchen gadgets from a store here that's the closest thing we have to Dean and Deluca. But you have to understand that he didn't just go and pick up a pre-assembled basket. No....he went there, personally hand-picked out the items he wanted, and asked them to make up the basket for him. I also should add that he knows me so well - everything he picked is stuff that I'll use and will absolutely love: garlic-infused olive oil, authentic Italian pesto, passionfruit sauce, authentic Italian spaghetti sauce, loose Peppermint tea, balsamic glaze, kelp rock salt, high-quality oregano, white chocolate, and a few nessary kitchen gadgets to finish it off. Well-done, honey!

Now.....for the part that I know you've been eagerly anticipating......more birthday pictures!

New hair clips!

Learning to do it "all by myself"!

Love those balloons!

Confetti fun.

Party Food.

Everybody dance now!

Make a wish!

Happy Birthday, Taylor

As a parent, when your child's birthday rolls around, I don't think you can help but to think back to the day when they were first born and the days and years that have led up to the present moment.

Taylor on the day she was born, May 12, 2004

Taylor's first birthday, May 12, 2005

Taylor's second birthday, May 12, 2006

Taylor's third birthday, May 12, 2007

My, how she's grown! We had a great day today - presents and packages from overseas, cake and ice cream, friends and parties, family and fun, balloons and decorations. Everything a birthday is supposed to be for a much-loved girl. Believing a picture is better than 1,000 words, here are a few of the 150 pictures we took today. (What did we do before the digital camera age?)

Opening presents in the morning

The cake Taylor chose. Yes, I did make it. With the much-needed help of two others.

Taylor and her friend, Kylie, enjoying birthday cake and ice cream outside. It was much warmer this year than last!


Some of Taylor's "adult friends" who came to her party to celebrate with her

No doubt there will be more pictures posted tomorrow, when more time allows!

Bohlender blogging is back

Today is a good day, folks. I realize this is old news for some, but as I have just re-surfaced back into the blogging world after a couple of days, I have just now learned that Randy is back. And so is his wife, Kelsey - one of my greatly-missed friends. Happy reading.

A celebration quickly approaching

Taylor's third birthday is just around the corner, and preparations for the big day are well underway. The cake has been chosen. The cards and packages have started arriving in the mail. And one little girl is already excited about her special day.

Birthdays are truly an event in the Walsh home! So it should be; everyone needs a day once a year that's all about them. This is the first year that Taylor has really understood what it means that she is having a birthday, and it sure is fun! A few days ago we got out the pictures from when she was born, and I was telling her the stories about her very first birthday. It seems like just yesterday - but also so long ago - when we were holding this tiny new baby, totally in love but also totally unsure what to actually do with her - especially when she cried. My, how things have changed! We've learned a lot these last 3 years. Taylor has, too. And one thing's for sure: we have lots to celebrate.

Hydrangeas

Just over the fence next door to us is a large garden where hydrangeas are commercially grown. The other day, the owner told Aaron that their season was over, and we were welcome to go and pick as many as we liked. So pick we did!

It's one of the things I love about living here - there's such an abundance of fresh flowers to pick almost year-round. I love having fresh flowers in the house; it's just so.......elegant.

A very important announcement

I just found out today that I am an aunt again! My brother and his wife welcomed their third little boy into the world a few days ago - Daniel Moses Warren. Mom and baby are healthy and happy. Congrats, Scotty and Hannah!

Photo Shoot, part 2

Just as promised, here are a few more photos from our dance party/concert/photo shoot yesterday. Okay, I am of course quite biased, but you've gotta admit that the girl sure is pretty cute!


Dancing the night away.....



If I were a Southern belle, mamma would be teachin' me how to curtsey!




I look like a ballerina already!

Praise the Lord!

Our next house of prayer worship leader

Photo shoot

You would have thought she was the next up and coming Baby Gap/Children's Place/Pumpkin Patch model, the way the cameras were flashing around here today. No reason in particular, except for the fact that she was wearing an outfit today bought by the grandparents back home, and we wanted to send back some special pictures to them so they could see Taylor all dressed up (and loving!) the clothes they sent. Sometimes Taylor isn't really into the camera; other days she is. Today happened to be one of those days, and we got quite a few really cute photos, so of course you get to see them, too.

Believe it or not, that was only the beginning. After Taylor's nap, she asked to put on her 'dancing dress' so she could dance (specifically asking for this music). So we did. And then Aunt Nicky got out the camera and started taking more pictures - both action shots as well as poses. We very quickly decided that our flower-patterned curtain wasn't quite providing the desired effect for the backdrop, so off came the white sheet from the bed, and with the help of a few tacks, we instantly had a professional set in the making. Then the real photoshoot began. And when that got boring, out came the pretend microphone, off went the lights, and then the concert started. And we had so much fun. Lots of laughs and hugs and kisses and giggles and the pure fun of girls just being girls.

So, babe, if you've ever wondered what the girls get up to when you're on the road........well, now you know.

Oh, and the rest of the pictures? Haven't downloaded 'em to my computer yet....you'll have to wait 'til tomorrow.

Kansas City on the news

I forgot to mention yesterday that my hometown of Kansas City made the national news in both New Zealand and Australia last night, unfortunately for a tragic reason . I have to say, it was pretty weird sitting in my living room in New Zealand, watching pictures on TV of a mall on the other side of the world that I had been to a handful of times. The bad news is that three people lost their lives; the good news is that the police believe it could have been a lot worse, and intervened before more people were killed. Sure does bring home the reality of life and death - the shortness of life; the inevitability of death, and the unknown of when each of us will step over the threshold into the realm of eternity.

Rain, rain, go away....

...but not until this litle girl gets to play!

We had to run quite a few errands this morning, and Taylor for sure had fun with her new 'ducky' umbrella. I mean, come on, who wouldn't think they were pretty cool carrying that trendy umbrella around town?!