Easter Egg Fun and All That Jazz


Yesterday I decided to dye and decorate Easter eggs with Taylor ~ something which, believe it or not, I've actually never even done myself. Not even as a kid. I remember decorating Easter eggs once with my mom one year, but for some reason we didn't do the dye thing. So I decided to give it a go this year, and it was a raging success. I'm actually not sure who had more fun ~ Taylor or myself. Here's some pics of the fun:














Then, this afternoon, Dayna and I headed into town for a few hours to enjoy the annual Jazz festival. And enjoy we did! There were multiple stages set up with multiple bands playing ~ basically there was live music everywhere you looked. Our favorite band was a group of 7 guys who were absolutely awesome ~ 2 saxaphones, a trombone, piano, electric guitar, bass, drums, and 5 of the guys sang. Not only did they have definite talent, but they had great stage presence ~ the importance of which can never be underestimated when it comes to live performance. We must have stood there and listened to them for at least an hour ~ they were fantastic! There's just something about good live music that does something for the soul. And as a musician, I love listening to and being inspired by different genres of music. Definitely one of the most fun events I've been to in a while.

It's the calm before the storm

It's currently 12:30pm. The house is relatively quiet, but not for long. Graeme and Sabrina get back from their 3-week trip to Korea in a few hours, and then tomorrow Nana Dot (Sabrina's mom) flies in from Napier to stay with us for several days. Between a birthday celebration for somebody in the family, hopefully a few hours at the Jazz festival in town on Saturday, and Easter on Sunday, it's going to be a full weekend. Wow.

And she ran.

Rumor has it that someone has forsaken the traditional "walk" up the mount in favor of a "run" up the mount. All our sources seem to indicate that although this workout is definitely more demanding than any of the previous ones, the benefits ~ both physical and psychological ~ far outweigh any losses incurred: namely extreme fatigue upon reaching the summit. It is unclear how long this trend will last, though chances are strong this may now be a new routine. We will continue to monitor this situation closely, and will be the first to report any breaking developments in this story.

Starting to think about starting pre-school

The other day, I had to walk over to the school next door to attend to some business. I took Taylor with me for the fun of it, and on the way home, I decided to stop in and visit the pre-school that Taylor will be going to in a few months. I thought it would be a good idea to bring her by so that when we talk about her going to pre-school, she would know what it looks like and have a bit more of an idea of what to expect. And she loved it! We walked around and had a good look at everything and met the teachers. Then two little girls walked up to us, befriended Taylor, and continued to show us around. Although Taylor was a bit shy at first, I could tell that she got way more comfortable even in the 30 minutes that we were there. It's weird to think about Taylor being away four mornings a week, but I know that it will be good for her and that she's going to absolutely love it. She's already talking about going to pre-school soon like a big girl, and she's really excited about it. And in the meantime, I'm glad that we still have a few more months before everything is going to change!

Quote for the day

"Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just that His justice cannot sleep forever." - Thomas Jefferson

If this was true of America way back when Mr. Jefferson spoke this, how much more is it true of our nation today? We are on the precipice of something big; maybe it's mercy, maybe it's judgment; most likely it's a carefully-orchestrated combination of the two. His justice has been sleeping for a long time. One thing I know: I have no doubt whose side I want to be on when the day dawns.

Church

Church this morning was awesome. Our pastor preached one of those in-your-face, say-it-as-it-is, don't-hold-back kind of messages. God has been doing some awesome stuff in our church recently ~ mostly the 'behind-the-scenes, DNA-forming, vision-establishing' type of stuff ~ which I believe the out workings of such will become more and more apparent in the week-to-week life of the church ~ if it hasn't already. This morning's message was a taste of it. Our pastor and his wife have boldly charted the course for this church. They are unapologetic in saying that the 21st century western church looks nothing like the church of Acts 2. And whatever it takes to get back there is where we are going. We want God in our services ~ not just a visitation, but His habitation. And if we have God, then that's all that really matters. It's not about programs, events, or the like. It's about Him.

It's getting raw. Real. Authentic. Unapologetic. And I'm lovin' it.

Taylor's Little Adventure

Nana and Grandad planned to take Taylor to the beach this morning, but when we woke up, it was cloudy and raining. So they changed plans and went to the hot pools instead, and then when the sun decided to come out, they then headed to the beach. Taylor loved every minute of it! Here are a couple pictures of the fun:

Having fun on the waterslide at the hot pools

Lovin' the sand, lovin' the water, lovin' the beach, lovin' life.

If only I could know what you were thinking....

Looks like sea gulls like hot cross buns, too!

Today

Today was one of those glorious days in which I didn't have to go anywhere or do anything, except stay at home and attend to the needs of my husband, our daughter, and my own heart. I enjoyed every minute of it, and hope I did all three well.

'Nuf said.

Windows, screens, flies, and pest control

I'd like to offer a brief, un-solicited endorsement for my favorite new product when it comes to the topic of pest control. But first, a bit of cultural education for my overseas readers to help set the stage. One of the funny things about homes in New Zealand (especially older homes; not sure about the new ones) is that none of the windows have screens in them. Now, for those of you who, like I once did, live in a climate in America in which the windows remain closed for 360 days out of every year due to the presence of heat or air conditioning, it may seem like a non-issue that windows can be screen-less. But, unfortunately, neither heat nor air conditioning exist in most homes in New Zealand, which means that come summer, the windows are open all the time. (Actually, if you are a true New Zealander, the windows remain open all year round, regardless of the temperature outside. But that's a whole different topic for a whole different post. In our house, the windows stay closed during the winter). Anyways, open windows during the summer (sans screens) mean only one thing: the presence of a myriad of flies and other annoying bugs. Constantly. Why there are no screens in the windows here, I have no idea. Maybe I should go into business here selling screens for windows. I bet I could make a killing. Especially if I find all the North Americans in the country and target my business toward them. Anyways, I've been driven crazy by the flies for the last 3 summers we've been here. Until about 9 hours ago, when Aaron bought and installed this cool thing on our wall that squirts out an insect deterrent about every 7 minutes or so. Although the house isn't completely bug-less at present, I've noticed a great improvement already. Give it a couple more days, and I'm hoping we could be borderline bug-free around here. I think that every home in New Zealand requires one of these. Maybe my next business will be promoting the new-found Robocan.

All that to say, if you don't own a Robocan and if you're frustrated by the endless number of flies in your home, head down to your local Mitre 10, and buy one today.

Rainy Sunday Afternoon

It's been raining all day long. And it sure doesn't show any signs of letting up any time soon. Some days I can't stand this weather, but today I don't mind as much. It lends itself well to a whole afternoon of sitting in my room in silence and solitude with the candles lit and the commentaries out. Oh, wait. That's for another day when the house is empty and I don't have the responsibilities of being a mother and doing the grocery shopping and entertaining the cutest little 3-yr. old in the world. Not that I'm complaining about that part. But there are some days when I can't help but wonder what it would feel like to have a good solid chunck of time to myself. Blah, blah, blah.

Aaron has been out in the rain all day playing golf in a championship tournament in Rotorua. Sure hope he's enjoying himself despite the lousy weather.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to checking out this local noodle joint for the first time tonight. I sure hope it's as good as I'm imagining it to be, or else I'm gonna be quite disappointed.

Saturday mornings in the prayer room

...Are usually pretty quiet. A lot of people in our community have designated Saturday as their day off, so most of the time it's a small little crowd that gathers together to spend the morning in the prayer room. Although the numbers are low, Saturday mornings have consistently been some of the sweetest times. Today was no exception. There's just something about a small crowd gathering for no other reason than to be before Jesus and to lift up our voices in intercession on behalf of this city and this nation.

This afternoon we diverted from our normal routine of grocery shopping for something lots more fun ~ one of Taylor's little friends, Noah, had a birthday party today! Steve and Trena threw a great party, and Taylor had the time of her life playing with all the kids there.

Aaron is playing in a golf tournament all day tomorrow, and Nic is away for the weekend. So except for church and grocery shopping, tomorrow promises to be a low-key day. A much overdue low-key day.

Long Overdue Update

Wow. What a month it has been. It feels as though I've scarcely had time to sit down and read a blog, muchless write one. So here's the scoop on what's been going on in life recently.

• Family. It's been great having Graeme and Sabrina around! Taylor, especially, is thoroughly enjoying all the time with and attention from her grandparents. They're getting settled in and trying to establish some sort of routine, but doing really well.
• THOP. It's been a great start to the new year. Neither of the interns who applied for the Feb. internship were able to come. But this has actually worked out really well, as we've been able to focus as a community on what we're really about at our core: prayer. It has also allowed us time to invest in the establishing of infrastructure, long-term planning, and leadership development that will be necessary to sustain growth in the future. The prayer room is open from 8am-noon Mon-Sat and 6pm-10pm Mon-Fri. We've also moved yet again to a new facility ~ somewhat. Those who have been following this blog for the last year may remember that last Feb we unexpectedly had to move into the church nursery b/c the main building wasn't ready yet. Well, at the start of the year, we were able to move downstairs into the Kidsworld room, which has been great. It has a full sound system, and plenty big enough for us. Well, just this past week, the Pastor and his wife offered to us to move upstairs and use their sanctuary, if we'd like to. We decided to take them up on their offer ~ and it's been awesome! Especially since we can use their drum kit! Our little community is awesome; they are so genuine and hungry for the Lord, and it's really fun doing this thing together.
• Travel. Aaron has several trips lined up throughout the next several months. One of the perks of having grandparents around is that we're planning a week of "Taylor and Nana/Grandad bonding time" in April so that I can join Aaron when he goes to Sydney! I can't remember the last time we got on a plane together to go somewhere just the two of us. Actually, that's not entirely true. I can remember. It would have been 4 years ago, before Taylor was born. It's going to be awesome going away together for a week, not to mention the fact that I get to see Sydney!
• Hospitality. When it rains, it pours. After several months of not doing much in the line of entertaining, this week alone we hosted company for a meal at least 4 times. Graeme's brother and siter in law were in town, so we had them for a night, we hosted a welcome back party for Graeme and Sabrina, had two couples over who are moving/have moved here, and also hosted a couple girls from Kansas City who have been in town for a few days. It's been fun, but sure has been pretty busy!
• The mundaneness of life. It all sounds so exciting ~ going here, doing this, family in town, etc. etc. etc. And it sure is exciting. I love what we do and wouldn't trade it for the world. But lest I give a false impression that life is all a party, I won't hesitate to say that there is no shortage of the less-glamerous day-in, day-out rigors of life. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, paying the bills, and running errands abound in good measure, as they always do in the life of any mom.

All in all, we're alive and well down under, carrying in our hearts the vision from Isa. 24 that the earth will hear singing from the ends of the earth (that's New Zealand!), proclaiming the glory and majesty of the Righteous One.

Life's Unexpected Turn

This is may be old news for many of my readers in blogdom (that is, if there are any of you left after my recent prolonged periods of silence). However, chances are that if you live outside of either Kansas City or New Zealand, and/or haven't spoken to us recently, you won't have any idea of the impending changes in the Walsh family. (drumroll, please....)

Aaron's parents are (probably temporairily) coming back to New Zealand. On Wednesday.

We seriously couldn't be happier, but unfortunately, the circumstances aren't so grand for them. They have been denied their green card, and therefore must return to New Zealand to appeal the decision, a process which could take anywhere from 6-12 months. There are no guarantees that the appeal will be won, so the future is most certainly uncertain. But one thing we are sure of ~ everyone is looking forward to the fact that the whole family gets to be together, for as long as this next season will last. Little Taylor is absolutely beside herself, and asks me at least three times a day how many more days it will be until Nana and Grandad come!

So no doubt there will be lots of stories ~ and pictures ~ yet to come over the next few months. Who knows how long this season will last, so we'll be holding onto every moment of it while it's here.

Great Summer Fun

Taylor's excitement for the day was helping Aunt Nicky wash her car. Not a bad way to enjoy a hot summer day!

Random thoughts

The mount wasn't what I was expecitng it to be. It was way worse than I ever imagined it could be. It reminded me of the first time I ever went up, and I was wondering how it could ever have been that I actually ran up that hill at one time. It's amazing how long it takes to gain something, and how quickly it can be lost. Hopefully it won't take me a whole year to work back to where I was 6 weeks ago.

Enough on that depressing topic. I've stayed up far too late this evening surfing the internet, looking for new worship songs. It's no secret that my worship notebook is filled mostly with songs that are, well, old. And I'm in desperate need to learn some new stuff. Forunately I found a couple good ones; now I've just gotta learn 'em.

Tomorrow is a prayer room day for me, which means it's now officially past my bedtime and if I have any hope of getting a decent sleep tonight, I better hurry myself off to bed.

Getting back into the routine

It's been quite a week! It's amazing how long it takes to unpack after being gone for a month. Although I feel like I am mostly settled back in, there are still a few piles of things that need to be put away and a few remaining jobs that must be done.

No sooner did Aaron unpack his bags, when he started packing them again; this time, for a ministry trip to Hawaii. He left early yesterday morning, so us girls are holding down the fort at home.

Tomorrow morning I begin my routine of going up the mount. My "week of getting settled" is over, and it's now time to re-engage in the disciplines of life, as much as will allow being a "single parent" for the week (though, thanks to Nic and Dayna, it really doesn't feel like I'm that much of a single parent at all). As much as I'm not looking forward to the rude awakening that awaits me when I realize just how much one can become out-of-shape in the span of one short month, I am looking forward to getting back out there and working my way back into running up the trail. And one added perk is that I get to wear my new workout clothes and try out my new running shoes, so if nothing else, at least my expedition up the mount will have purpose beyond simply exercise! :-)

In New Zealand once again

We're back. The last couple days I have been busily unpacking and getting re-settled in, doing laundry, grocery shopping, and even taking down our Christmas decorations. I think we are probably the only family in the world that still had Christmas decorations up on the 20th of January, but all for good reason!

Our time in the States was wonderful. So wonderful it was painful, actually. We saw so many dear friends, enjoyed lots of time with the family, did tons of fun stuff, and of course ate lots of yummy American food. The whole trip was a precious gift from Jesus, for which I am most grateful. I think it will take me a while to get re-settled back into life here; part of my heart is most definitely still in America.

Today we begin to gear up for this next year with the House of Prayer. We begin an abbreviated version of the prayer room schedule tomorrow, gearing up for the normal schedule which will start in early February. I'm excited about this year; it feels as though it will be a significant one, though I'm not exactly sure in what ways. I'm provoked to seek the Lord and to ask what He is thinking and feeling when He looks at this little city called Tauranga; I know He has much on His heart and that His plans and purposes for this city will prevail.

Back in Kansas City

Well, it sure was an interesting Christmas. Everyone in the house got the 24 hour flu starting on the 23rd, and by Christmas Day, our little Taylor was in bed sick all day long. The good thing is that we have a few different Christmases this year with all the family and friends, so she still got to enjoy opening presents here in Kansas City.

Yes, we're in Kansas City now! We flew in late last night and I'm already enjoying every minute of being here and drinking it all in. Dad and Joanie flew in from CT to have Christmas with my brother and his family, and to be here with us for the next few days. It's been so much fun being with both sides of the family, and also seeing friends today. I 'just happened' to run into a couple of friends at the mall and at ihop ~ it's so special to be able to see people here that I love. Yes, it's my first day here and I've already managed to hit the mall, this time with Dad and Joanie. Here's a couple of pictures of Taylor and us on the Merry-Go-Round:

Couldn't be happier

It's been a fun week here so far! We've enjoyed seeing our friends again and having time together; it's just like old times. It's going to be so fun having Christmas up here; the next few days leading up to Christmas will be full of parties and celebrations with their family and friends. These are good times. I'm so grateful that we can be here; I'm holding on to every moment of each day and enjoying it thoroughly.

I'm also lovin' being back in America. It's so nice to be in a 'real' winter again ~ cold air and snow outside and central heat and warm fires inside! The U.S. still feels like home, and it's so refreshing to be back amongst 'my people', to drive around town and see familiar stores and restaurants, to walk through Wal-mart and see familiar items on the shelves, and to eat American food. It all tastes just as good....no.....way better....than I remembered it! Good thing I worked out hard this morning. I'm going to have to keep that up the way I've been eating recently! :-)

And it snowed....

It was snowing in Spokane before we got here, there were snow flurries as we were landing, and we woke up this morning to more snow flurries. With 5 inches of snow on the ground, I might just perhaps be the happiest girl in America this morning. It's amazing here and I'm so, so thankful to be here. Can't wait to play in the snow with Taylor!

The trip here was great. A long 26 hours, to be sure, but this may have been the easiest trip we've done yet. Taylor was absolutely incredible ~ no meltdowns, no attitudes. She was happy and pleasant for 26 hour straight. At 10:30 this morning, she is still fast asleep ~ one tired girl, to be sure.

Christmas music playing, snow falling, cold outside.....I seriously couldn't be happier. It's gonna be a great month.