Now that we are here in Texas and are basically settled, I thought it would be a good time to update everybody as to how things are! Things are good :) We now live in an apartment complex in Arlington, TX, about 1/2 mile from the Texas Rangers Stadium and about the same distance from the new Cowboys Stadium. It is basically right between Dallas and Ft. Worth off of Interstate 30. I have never been much a big city person, but there are definitely some things that I am finding out that I like. The biggest one being how easy it is to get to anything. There are so many places to shop and eat and most all of them are close. Also I like that there are things to do any given night of the week. It is a different matter to be able to afford to go do them, but it is nice to know that we could do them. Our apartment is great and is plenty for the two of us and Jasper, but it is definitely a huge change from the monster house we had in WV. It has been good for us to realize all the random stuff we kept just because we could and we have been able to get rid of some things that should have gone a while ago.
Maria has a job at the YMCA that is seriously less than a block from our apartment building. There are actually other buildings in our apartment complex that as as far away, if not farther, than the YMCA. This has been great as far as working out, it takes alot less effort to get motivated to go when you only have to walk a block or so instead of drive 10-15 minutes. Anyway...she likes the work there and is even considering picking up another part time job at some point until nursing school starts in May. As of today (I accepted the job this morning) I am a Manager (in training) at a local Macaroni Grill. I am a little nervous about it as it will be moving into an environment I do not have much experience in, but I am excited about the work, it pays well enough for us, has great benefits and room for advancement. At this point I am not exactly sure when I start, but it should be in the next few weeks or so. So God has really taken care of our needs in this arena and I am thankful for his provision.
We also have found a home church and sunday school/group of friends which has been great! We are attending First Baptist Church of Euless, Tx which is where my Aunt and Uncle that live here attend. It has been a great for us, especially in that we have been able to connect with a group at the church that is made of people that have been married around 3 years or less and don't have kids. We have already made some friends in that group and have been able to go to some different things with them, which has been a real blessing. The church is a great place to grow in the Lord and for us to build and work on our marriage, which is really why we are here anyway.
I suppose that just about does if for the quick update, hopefully we will find some time to keep updating our blog and keep you all informed on life in Texas. I hope that you are all well and apologize for the long break in posts. Till next time!! :)
October 29, 2007
August 17, 2007
Bachelor
It has been approx. 1 month since Maria and I said tearful goodbyes and she left me for the lone star state. It has been a most interesting month since she left. I have realized some things:
1. My clothes don't wash themselves. (sad but true).
2. I think my dog likes my wife more than me (I think it is because she walks
him more regularly than I do..).
3. I can't cook (at least not well).
4. It is weird to sleep in a big bed by yourself every night after having
another person with you there for so long.
5. I don't shave as much when nobody is going to be kissing me (and my dog
doesn't count).
6. I watch way to much TV when I am bored.
7. I eat better, sleep better, get more done with my day, am more disciplined
and overall am probably just a better person when Maria is with me.
8. It is hard for me to drink a whole gallon of milk by myself before it
expires.
9. I actually like yogurt with granola in it. Wierd.
I am sure there is more, but these are just some of my initial 1st month of being apart observations. Maybe I will do one of these every month just to let you know what I am learning about me. There have been more deep spiritual lessons and marriage lessons learned as well, but I will save those for later.
1. My clothes don't wash themselves. (sad but true).
2. I think my dog likes my wife more than me (I think it is because she walks
him more regularly than I do..).
3. I can't cook (at least not well).
4. It is weird to sleep in a big bed by yourself every night after having
another person with you there for so long.
5. I don't shave as much when nobody is going to be kissing me (and my dog
doesn't count).
6. I watch way to much TV when I am bored.
7. I eat better, sleep better, get more done with my day, am more disciplined
and overall am probably just a better person when Maria is with me.
8. It is hard for me to drink a whole gallon of milk by myself before it
expires.
9. I actually like yogurt with granola in it. Wierd.
I am sure there is more, but these are just some of my initial 1st month of being apart observations. Maybe I will do one of these every month just to let you know what I am learning about me. There have been more deep spiritual lessons and marriage lessons learned as well, but I will save those for later.
August 01, 2007
Who wants to play balderdash?
Anyway, one of my memories of being there was when the whole family would get together and play games. There were many games we played, but for some unknown reason to me, I will always remember playing Balderdash. I imagine that because I was still fairly young and I have a very creative uncle and two people who work in a medical field in my family and the definitions created by them for different words, were often quite funny to me. Maybe it was just being together and laughing that I remember, or maybe something else, but whatever it was, I have a very fond affection for Balderdash now. It makes me feel good to think of it as a game, despite the fact that I probably do not enjoy it as much now as I did then.
Well, the point of all of this is that I have recently come across a video of a guy who asks his friends if they want the play Balderdash and it made me laugh. I am not sure if you would think it was funny, but I can just see myself running into a room full of my family (when I was younger of couse, I would never do this now) and begging them to come play Balderdash or some other game with me. I know now, you are all curious, so here is the video
July 22, 2007
Transitions
First, I want to thank all of you who have prayed for us throughout the last few weeks/months. There has been too much going on to tell you everything, but know that we have appreciated your support more than you know. With that said, here is the basic update on the Lails.
We are moving.
We came to the realization through some different circumstances in our life and marriage that we needed to be nearer to some people who could be an encouragement and example for us, for a time. We both feel as if we lacked the example of strong Christian marriage growing up and we are starting to see some of the effects of that in our marriage. So as we talked about it, there was really only one place we felt really fit the bill for both of us, Texas.
Now, we don't really like Texas all that much as we are both mountain people, not desert people. And we like to have all four seasons and see snow, not just have hot all the time, but the people who are there are why we are going. I have a very Godly Aunt and Uncle who live there and four sets of cousins (all older than me) who are all married and have at least two kids. All five of these marriages function very well and all have there center in Christ. Additionally, Maria and I feel more as if they are our family, instead of mine or hers. Granted they are connected to me, but we got to know them together and that has made a big difference. Also, they all attend different great churches and have resources (like counseling, etc) that we can plug into immediately and that is what we need right now.
So, I will be quiting my job (I have already informed my employer) on Nov. 1st, hopefully sooner if they can get my replacement here. Maria has already "moved" down there and will be working on finding a job and place for us to live. She will be living with my Aunt and Uncle. Also, she is going to be getting into the nursing program at TCU, which should have her finished with a BSN in about two and half years. I will be needing to find a job when I get there, so that remains an item of concern, for those of you would like to pray for us.
So...I guess that is sort of it in a nutshell. Of course there is so much more to the story, but I think this is all that needs to be said for now. I am grateful that the Lord has brought us both to a place where we are looking for and willing to receive the help and advice of others, and I look forward to seeing our marriage grow and seeing God become more of the center of it. The future is a little scary at this point, and being apart for three months or so is also scary, but we are excited and hopeful and trusting that the Lord will use this to do great things in and through us.
Lastly, thanks again to those of you who have kept us in your prayers. It really means more than you know! Lots of Love to all of you!
We are moving.
We came to the realization through some different circumstances in our life and marriage that we needed to be nearer to some people who could be an encouragement and example for us, for a time. We both feel as if we lacked the example of strong Christian marriage growing up and we are starting to see some of the effects of that in our marriage. So as we talked about it, there was really only one place we felt really fit the bill for both of us, Texas.
Now, we don't really like Texas all that much as we are both mountain people, not desert people. And we like to have all four seasons and see snow, not just have hot all the time, but the people who are there are why we are going. I have a very Godly Aunt and Uncle who live there and four sets of cousins (all older than me) who are all married and have at least two kids. All five of these marriages function very well and all have there center in Christ. Additionally, Maria and I feel more as if they are our family, instead of mine or hers. Granted they are connected to me, but we got to know them together and that has made a big difference. Also, they all attend different great churches and have resources (like counseling, etc) that we can plug into immediately and that is what we need right now.
So, I will be quiting my job (I have already informed my employer) on Nov. 1st, hopefully sooner if they can get my replacement here. Maria has already "moved" down there and will be working on finding a job and place for us to live. She will be living with my Aunt and Uncle. Also, she is going to be getting into the nursing program at TCU, which should have her finished with a BSN in about two and half years. I will be needing to find a job when I get there, so that remains an item of concern, for those of you would like to pray for us.
So...I guess that is sort of it in a nutshell. Of course there is so much more to the story, but I think this is all that needs to be said for now. I am grateful that the Lord has brought us both to a place where we are looking for and willing to receive the help and advice of others, and I look forward to seeing our marriage grow and seeing God become more of the center of it. The future is a little scary at this point, and being apart for three months or so is also scary, but we are excited and hopeful and trusting that the Lord will use this to do great things in and through us.
Lastly, thanks again to those of you who have kept us in your prayers. It really means more than you know! Lots of Love to all of you!
June 27, 2007
Difficult Times
Hello to all of you out there who still check up on us from time to time. I am not sure how many of you are people who I have talked to in the last few days or weeks, but I want to let all of you know that Maria and I can use your prayer support right now. There are some very serious issues and decisions that we are facing with our marriage, jobs, and really just life in general right now. At some point I hope to post more about all of this, when it becomes something I can post about, but for now it is still to fresh and current and hard, and I am still too confused and worn out to try to explain any of it. I just covet the prayers of those of you who read this and believe in the power of God to make transforming changes in the life of his children. I will try to update you all as we start to make some decisions and definite plans for the future.
Nate
Nate
May 07, 2007
Oh Boy!
Um....it has been a while since we have updated. Sorry! I had been thinking for a while that if I would just take a few minutes and write some of what was going on in our lives then I could get the monkey off my back and feel like we were at least updating our blog at times and that people who click our link from other blogs wouldn't continue to see a post about snow!! Anyway, we are finally posting and wonder of all wonder it is me the male half of us doing the posting. I know, you are all thinking...hasn't he only posted about 2 times ever. Yes..this is actually my second post ever, but I thought maybe I should try again. I have been telling myself for years that I cannot write all that well and I figure maybe this would be a chance to try to hone some skills. Not sure there are any skills to hone, so maybe I need to find some skills or build them or something, but I figured that this might help....and what can be easier than writing about yourself, right? So off we go.
My first thought before I write is, I wonder how many people have given up on trying to read our blog? I think our last post was on Jan. 21st or something like that. I hope there are still some of you who had enough faith in us that you are still checking our blog once a month or something. If so, thanks for hanging in there, hopefully we will be better going forward.
Maria and I had been talking for some time about what we wanted to do for the next few years. There were many options on the table, as we were considering if we wanted to move to get closer to family, or move to get closer to a good nursing school for Maria, etc. After lots of thought and prayer, we have basically decided that we are going to stay here for a while. A while being a few years. Maria has been looking at doing the nursing program at Shepherd University, which is only about 20 minutes from our house. They have a pretty good nursing program and if all goes well, she would be finishing in the Spring of 2009. Which would mean that we would be here at least through that October, since that is when the season ends for the campground. Which means I have at least another three summers running this place, lord willing. That is another item, I figured that I could write about at some point and I think that I will, but you will have to wait in anticipation for my reflections on running a campground. All that being said, you should be able to find us at the large house at 270 campground rd, with the large glowing yellow and white KOA sign the front yard for a few more years! :) (I need to get a good picture of our yard at night sometime, the sign makes the most eerie greenish glow in the front yard, it is pretty neat) This would be a good time to mention that if you want to come and visit us, you should. The campground has tons to offer and since I know the manager, I can get you a great deal on a place to stay ;) Call me
In other news, my wife has fell in love with another man.....or should I say a man and a woman. More accurately, I could say that she has fallen for some horses. This really should come as no surprise to any of you as I think everybody who has ever met or talked to Maria knows that she loves horses (what girl doesn't). It is actually pretty neat the way the Lord worked out for her to have a place to spend some free time doing something she loves. When Maria was working at the gym, she met this older gentleman named Earnest. The importance of (being) Earnest is that he has a small farm with three horses and is getting too old to handle them all himself. So...he needed some help....which my wife was more than willing to give. Needless to say this has become somewhat of a pastime for Maria, and for the last two months or so, she spends around 3-4 days a week over with the horses for a few hours trying to teach them and doing general horse things (cleaning up after them, feeding, etc.) It has been exciting to see her find something she loves to do and have some extra time to be able to do it! (in case you are wondering this is some of what made our decision to stay here a little easier) I would encourage you to ask her about it sometime, but make sure you have a few hours!! ;)
hmmm...well, there is much more going on, but I think I will save some for another post and leave this one right here. If you are reading this, thanks for continuing to check our blog and I appreciate your perseverance or stick-to-it-ness in checking back even though we havent updated in eons. We have now :) Till next time...
My first thought before I write is, I wonder how many people have given up on trying to read our blog? I think our last post was on Jan. 21st or something like that. I hope there are still some of you who had enough faith in us that you are still checking our blog once a month or something. If so, thanks for hanging in there, hopefully we will be better going forward.
Maria and I had been talking for some time about what we wanted to do for the next few years. There were many options on the table, as we were considering if we wanted to move to get closer to family, or move to get closer to a good nursing school for Maria, etc. After lots of thought and prayer, we have basically decided that we are going to stay here for a while. A while being a few years. Maria has been looking at doing the nursing program at Shepherd University, which is only about 20 minutes from our house. They have a pretty good nursing program and if all goes well, she would be finishing in the Spring of 2009. Which would mean that we would be here at least through that October, since that is when the season ends for the campground. Which means I have at least another three summers running this place, lord willing. That is another item, I figured that I could write about at some point and I think that I will, but you will have to wait in anticipation for my reflections on running a campground. All that being said, you should be able to find us at the large house at 270 campground rd, with the large glowing yellow and white KOA sign the front yard for a few more years! :) (I need to get a good picture of our yard at night sometime, the sign makes the most eerie greenish glow in the front yard, it is pretty neat) This would be a good time to mention that if you want to come and visit us, you should. The campground has tons to offer and since I know the manager, I can get you a great deal on a place to stay ;) Call me
In other news, my wife has fell in love with another man.....or should I say a man and a woman. More accurately, I could say that she has fallen for some horses. This really should come as no surprise to any of you as I think everybody who has ever met or talked to Maria knows that she loves horses (what girl doesn't). It is actually pretty neat the way the Lord worked out for her to have a place to spend some free time doing something she loves. When Maria was working at the gym, she met this older gentleman named Earnest. The importance of (being) Earnest is that he has a small farm with three horses and is getting too old to handle them all himself. So...he needed some help....which my wife was more than willing to give. Needless to say this has become somewhat of a pastime for Maria, and for the last two months or so, she spends around 3-4 days a week over with the horses for a few hours trying to teach them and doing general horse things (cleaning up after them, feeding, etc.) It has been exciting to see her find something she loves to do and have some extra time to be able to do it! (in case you are wondering this is some of what made our decision to stay here a little easier) I would encourage you to ask her about it sometime, but make sure you have a few hours!! ;)
hmmm...well, there is much more going on, but I think I will save some for another post and leave this one right here. If you are reading this, thanks for continuing to check our blog and I appreciate your perseverance or stick-to-it-ness in checking back even though we havent updated in eons. We have now :) Till next time...
January 21, 2007
I can't believe this!
It's snowing--finally!!! Yep, today we received our first sprinkling of snow for the season. It has felt like one long, retarded psuedo-winter without the fluffy white stuff around, although you can hardly call average temps of 65 "winter." Having been born in the middle of a blizzard, I think I just have a natural need for snow--I have to have my yearly dose of snow to even feel human!
The snow is not my primary reason for posting today, though...it is Jasper. We finally had him in for an allergy test right before Christmas and got the results back last week. The vet left a voicemail sort of summing up the report, and here is what she said (I swear I am not making this up!): "Hi, this is Dr. Daniel from Hillside vet, calling in regards to Jasper's allergy test. I would like to discuss this with you but briefly I can tell you what he is definitely allergic to. Um, lamb, beef, rabbit, potato, soy beans, salmon, venison, shellfish mix--although I don't know of any dog food that has shellfish in it. They also say he is borderline to duck and also to a berry mix. They did send a list of foods that would be acceptable for Jasper to eat..." and of course, at this point we are thinking that list must be quite small. We are also rolling on the floor in laughter because neither of us have ever heard of a dog having so many allergies, not to mention, how in the world can anyone be allergic to POTATOES??!??! Come on.
So this has helped somewhat, and we are now trying a new food that we actually purchased from the store (we had been buying specialty food online...lamb, no less), although it has chicken in it which he, technically, is also borderline allergic to, so we'll see how it goes. Nate made a good point yesterday, saying that it must be tons easier to deal with a dog with such severe allergies than it would be a child because with a dog, you just find a food that he can eat and you give that to him the rest of his life. With a child, you'd have to explain why he/she couldn't eat such and such and then spend a lot of time finding new foods and recipes that the child could eat. Plus, you'd have to make a billion people aware of the situation...babysitters, grandparents, neighbors, schools, the child's friends, the child's friend's parents, etc.
Jasper is enough child for us for now. :)
January 13, 2007
Pardon my poetic moment...
Nate is away on business for an extended weekend, so I bought a book to fill the sudden increase in down time. When Crickets Cry was recommended several months ago by a girl I went to college with, and I'm just now getting around to testing it out...so far, 37 pages in, I am intrigued by the story line and seriously impressed with the author's talent. He reminds me of my friend Rebekah, whose blog (linked at right) will confirm everything I am about to say about her. She is one of those writers who can say a truckload in the space of a sparkplug. Her words are so perfectly chosen and ordered that with just a few lines, you almost feel as if you'd walked through the experience right next to her. I've always been very impressed with her skill, and the author of this book expresses the same skill but in a very poetic manner...not just because the main character is quoting Shakespeare and the Psalms every other page, but just in the descriptive writing.
For example, here is his description of one of the secondary characters of the book: "No makeup. Strong back, long lines. Rigid and stern, but also graceful. Cold but quietly beautiful. Complicated and busy, but also in need. More like an onion than a banana. Her eyes looked like the green that sits just beneath the peel of an avocado, and her lips like the red part of the peach that sits up next to the seed...'Beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.'" I must have read that paragraph six or seven times. Great description. And I love the poetic quotes, although it is going to take me forever to read this book because I have to read the quotes several times to (a) understand them and (b) realize their relevance to the story. Oooh, a challenge. Love those.
Anyway, after reading that chapter, I set the book down and just sat there, feeling all poetic and everything, and Jasper came walking up, asking for a belly rub. He actually climbed into my lap--which he takes up more than all of...he hangs off all sides and it's more like I'm pinned beneath him than he is snuggling in my lap--and I tried to think of how I would blog about that moment in a very poetic manner. Obviously, I cannot even produce pre-meditated poetic writing. But it was a nice moment and helped me miss Nate a little bit less.
Check out Bek's blog and experience some great writing. :)
For example, here is his description of one of the secondary characters of the book: "No makeup. Strong back, long lines. Rigid and stern, but also graceful. Cold but quietly beautiful. Complicated and busy, but also in need. More like an onion than a banana. Her eyes looked like the green that sits just beneath the peel of an avocado, and her lips like the red part of the peach that sits up next to the seed...'Beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.'" I must have read that paragraph six or seven times. Great description. And I love the poetic quotes, although it is going to take me forever to read this book because I have to read the quotes several times to (a) understand them and (b) realize their relevance to the story. Oooh, a challenge. Love those.
Anyway, after reading that chapter, I set the book down and just sat there, feeling all poetic and everything, and Jasper came walking up, asking for a belly rub. He actually climbed into my lap--which he takes up more than all of...he hangs off all sides and it's more like I'm pinned beneath him than he is snuggling in my lap--and I tried to think of how I would blog about that moment in a very poetic manner. Obviously, I cannot even produce pre-meditated poetic writing. But it was a nice moment and helped me miss Nate a little bit less.
Check out Bek's blog and experience some great writing. :)
January 01, 2007
New Year's...new beginnings
Like most everyone else on the planet this time of year, I've been giving a lot of thought to my life in 2006, specifically the things I am not too proud of myself for. With the help of our pastor's sermon yesterday and a conversation I had with a good friend over Christmas, I've decided to make a few changes and I thought perhaps "going public" with them would offer more accountability than my own conscience. :)
1. Prayer. I have really been slacking on capitalizing on the power of prayer. This year I will pray for people to whom I have said, "I'll be praying for you," and I will pray for my friends and family on a regular basis. I put together a prayer notebook this afternoon that is very organized and I think will be very helpful to me in keeping me on track.
2. God's Word. I am hesitant to commit to reading the Bible in one year because I don't think I can go that fast and really grasp what all is there. But I do commit to reading it regularly and developing some sort of method of study. Still working on that...
3. God's people. I have friends (mostly a friend...you know who you are, Amy) who are very good at sending cards and notes and gifts when needed/appropriate. I am definitely not that kind of friend. You may have noticed you have never recieved a Christmas card from me. I have never sent them. Would like to, but just don't. This year, I have marked lots of dates on the calendar that I am going to commit to sending cards and/or gifts for. Please don't be offended if you receive an e-mail from me in the near future asking when your birthday is...it's not that I didn't care before, it's that I'm commiting to show you I care now.
Let's start there. May you all have a safe, wonderful, exciting, stretching, blessed new year!
1. Prayer. I have really been slacking on capitalizing on the power of prayer. This year I will pray for people to whom I have said, "I'll be praying for you," and I will pray for my friends and family on a regular basis. I put together a prayer notebook this afternoon that is very organized and I think will be very helpful to me in keeping me on track.
2. God's Word. I am hesitant to commit to reading the Bible in one year because I don't think I can go that fast and really grasp what all is there. But I do commit to reading it regularly and developing some sort of method of study. Still working on that...
3. God's people. I have friends (mostly a friend...you know who you are, Amy) who are very good at sending cards and notes and gifts when needed/appropriate. I am definitely not that kind of friend. You may have noticed you have never recieved a Christmas card from me. I have never sent them. Would like to, but just don't. This year, I have marked lots of dates on the calendar that I am going to commit to sending cards and/or gifts for. Please don't be offended if you receive an e-mail from me in the near future asking when your birthday is...it's not that I didn't care before, it's that I'm commiting to show you I care now.
Let's start there. May you all have a safe, wonderful, exciting, stretching, blessed new year!
Don't give up on us yet!
Many apologies to our faithful checkers...I know things on this blog haven't been very exciting lately. :) Hopefully we can do better this year, but I won't promise anything!
We just returned from our cross-country Christmas tour...two and a half weeks on the road with a dog and a loaded backseat! Jasper was really sick of being in the back by the end of the trip. After stopping to let him pee, when we tried to get him to hop back in, he would often just stand there and look at us with sad brown eyes as if to say, "Do I have to? Do you understand how small this space is and how large I am?!!!??" And we would say to him, "Yes, buddy, we're all cramped. Just a few more hours. At least you can lay down to sleep--we're stuck sitting up!" And then he would hop in as if he was satisfied with that answer. We have such a wonderful dog.
Okay, but the trip wasn't all about the dog, it was about family. It was so good to be at home (both of them) and see all the family again. We didn't have long enough at any place (no time would be long enough!), but we will take what we can get! Neither South Dakota nor Wisconsin nor anywhere in between had any snow, so it was sort of hard to actually feel like it was Christmas (funny how mere precipitation can make or break the holidays sometimes), but there were some familiar seasonal things that really helped it set in...Christmas Eve church services, for one thing, billions of Christmas cookies everywhere for another, and of course Dad's Christmas village/ski resort. I'm not even kidding. The thing grows every year and takes over a bit more of the basement than the year before. It is all very impressive, of course, but I have to say that the highlights are the completely functional chair lift (that moves and sounds just like a real one!) and the snow cloud that gently dusts one building with snow flakes. I pointed out to Dad that it seemed kind of phony to have snow dusting only one building while the building two inches to the left got nothing...he just looked at me and said, "Small cloud." I wouldn't be surprised if next year the whole village has a cloud...ah, the power of suggestion. :)
Back to the point, again, this Christmas was more special to me than any other I can remember because this year I didn't become trapped by the presents and food and other Christmasy things that are nice but not really important. This year, I realized over and over how precious family is, and how priceless and immeasurably wonderful time with them is. I seized every moment of this trip that I possibly could and hung onto it for everything it was worth...understanding that each one was such a gift, a gift that I could never know the whole value of nor be thankful enough for. Family, each and every single one of you are so precious to me and to Nate; there is nothing we could say to make you understand how vast and deep our love for you runs. We are far away from all of you and don't see any of you nearly enough, so please know that our love is so much bigger than the few words we can say in a few days of visiting. When we look back on this trip, we see how blessed we were to be with all of you...not because you took us skiing or shopping or watched our dog while we were out...but because we are family and having each other is the biggest blessing we could ever have been given.
Love to you all--
We just returned from our cross-country Christmas tour...two and a half weeks on the road with a dog and a loaded backseat! Jasper was really sick of being in the back by the end of the trip. After stopping to let him pee, when we tried to get him to hop back in, he would often just stand there and look at us with sad brown eyes as if to say, "Do I have to? Do you understand how small this space is and how large I am?!!!??" And we would say to him, "Yes, buddy, we're all cramped. Just a few more hours. At least you can lay down to sleep--we're stuck sitting up!" And then he would hop in as if he was satisfied with that answer. We have such a wonderful dog.
Okay, but the trip wasn't all about the dog, it was about family. It was so good to be at home (both of them) and see all the family again. We didn't have long enough at any place (no time would be long enough!), but we will take what we can get! Neither South Dakota nor Wisconsin nor anywhere in between had any snow, so it was sort of hard to actually feel like it was Christmas (funny how mere precipitation can make or break the holidays sometimes), but there were some familiar seasonal things that really helped it set in...Christmas Eve church services, for one thing, billions of Christmas cookies everywhere for another, and of course Dad's Christmas village/ski resort. I'm not even kidding. The thing grows every year and takes over a bit more of the basement than the year before. It is all very impressive, of course, but I have to say that the highlights are the completely functional chair lift (that moves and sounds just like a real one!) and the snow cloud that gently dusts one building with snow flakes. I pointed out to Dad that it seemed kind of phony to have snow dusting only one building while the building two inches to the left got nothing...he just looked at me and said, "Small cloud." I wouldn't be surprised if next year the whole village has a cloud...ah, the power of suggestion. :)
Back to the point, again, this Christmas was more special to me than any other I can remember because this year I didn't become trapped by the presents and food and other Christmasy things that are nice but not really important. This year, I realized over and over how precious family is, and how priceless and immeasurably wonderful time with them is. I seized every moment of this trip that I possibly could and hung onto it for everything it was worth...understanding that each one was such a gift, a gift that I could never know the whole value of nor be thankful enough for. Family, each and every single one of you are so precious to me and to Nate; there is nothing we could say to make you understand how vast and deep our love for you runs. We are far away from all of you and don't see any of you nearly enough, so please know that our love is so much bigger than the few words we can say in a few days of visiting. When we look back on this trip, we see how blessed we were to be with all of you...not because you took us skiing or shopping or watched our dog while we were out...but because we are family and having each other is the biggest blessing we could ever have been given.
Love to you all--
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