Exchange student update

Marie has now confirmed the travel dates for her exchange. She'll be flying into North Bend on August 18, less than two weeks after Julianne gets home. What an exciting month August will be! Marie and I have e-mailed back and forth many times and I can hardly wait to meet her. She seems like the sweetest girl.

I've also found a wonderful resource: Hannah is a young American woman who is married to a Korean man and living in Korea. She is a Christian (homeschooled even!) and I discovered her blog while researching Korea on the web. I e-mailed her to get her perspective on what cultural issues we may face as we integrate Marie into our family. I don't anticipate any major problems, but I figure the more I can understand Korean culture, the easier it will be. You can never be too prepared! (Check out Hannah's blog here.)

Another exciting development is that I have almost placed my first exchange student! I was getting discouraged as I kept calling people and hearing no to hosting. Finally, in desperation, I prayed, "Lord, would you please find me a host family?" A couple hours later we went to Caleb's baseball game, where I met a very nice Christian woman who nearly hosted several years ago, but adopted three children instead. (!) Her family has decided to host a Brazilian girl for the fall semester. I will call the high school tomorrow to request school approval. If all goes well there, it's lookin' good!

Makin' jam

Before coming home from Portland, we froze all those berries we picked, in hopes that they'd make it home. Most of them thawed out, at least partially, on the way home, so there's nothing left to do but make jam. (Not that making jam is such a bad option!) Elisa and I used a gallon bag of strawberries and a gallon of raspberries to produce 14 beautiful jars of delicious homemade jam. There are still six bags of berries in the freezer.

I used the no-cook pectin and reusable sturdy plastic jam jars that stack in the freezer and won't tip over. I left a few jars in the fridge to start enjoying immediately. I'm really not sure which is more fun--making jam or eating it!

Frogs are back

One of the highlights for the kids last summer was catching frogs around our yard. Caleb was thrilled to catch the first frog of the season this morning.

Friends forever

While we were away Betsy stayed with Grammy & Papa in Gold Beach, and a neighbor boy took care of Cookie. Both animals were very happy to have the family home again, and after lots of purring and wiggling, they snuggled up on the couch together for a little nap.

Summer Regional

What a fun weekend! Friday afternoon we drove to downtown Portland, where Brad was staying at the Hilton. Since he had two beds in his room, we decided to spend the night with him. Brad had his afternoons free, so Friday after lunch we walked around the downtown area, which is beautiful. The kids particularly enjoyed Pioneer Square, a pretty town square with flowers, fountains, and an amphitheatre. --Oh, and there were also some stone chess boards where chess lovers congregate. The kids waited in line and were able to get in a game with some of the regulars (some of which obviously play chess far more often than they bathe--but the kids didn't care). The Jones dinner session included some "Survivor/Fear Factor" games and the kids were encouraged to participate. Julianne was a trooper for our team and competed in several of the eating competitions. She ate a jar of spinach baby food, a whole squeeze bottle of lemon juice, and a can of sardines. And she did it all with a smile on her face. On Saturday I took the kids on MAX (the light rail) to Lloyd Center to watch a square dance exhibition. There was a huge square dance convention taking place in Portland, with over 9,000 people in attendence. We saw them all over the city, decked out in their dance outfits. We also checked out Saturday Market, a large street market in Portland. Then we picked up Brad after his meetings and headed for Chinatown for a very yummy lunch. At the last minute, we decided to spend Saturday night with Brad, so the kids got to swim some more and order a pizza to eat in the room. Ah, simple pleasures. Sunday morning, we checked out of the hotel and headed back to Newberg for lunch with Auntie. Then we visited our friends, the Sterkens, who moved to Sherwood (from Coos Bay) back in April. We had lots of fun visiting, playing games, and eating with them before returning to Auntie's house in the evening. Today is Julianne's last full day with us. I can hardly believe that this time tomorrow, she'll be gone! I miss her already.

Berry good!

This morning we drove up to Scholls, a little farming community on top of the mountain where Dad grew up. The kids got to see Groner School, where I attended grades 2-4. We stopped at a U-Pick raspberry field and had a wonderful time filling up two flats with beautiful red, juicy raspberries (my favorite!!!). Next, we headed to Jacquith strawberry farm and picked ourselves a flat of strawberries. It's the end of the season, so the berries were smaller and not as plentiful as the raspberries, but what they lacked in size and quantity they made up for in flavor. A fresh-picked strawberry is a completely different food from what you find in the grocery store. I've bagged up and frozen the berries, and when I get home I plan to make some jam. The kids have all instructed me to make sure and use Grandmommy's recipe, because we all know that she makes the world's best jam! Below are Julianne and Caleb picking raspberries.

Job well done

Brad is at the Edward Jones summer regional meeting this weekend. The first session is traditionally used to recognize business growth in the region. The regional leader tells how much a particula IR (investment rep) has grown his business in the past year and presents him an award. The session began, and the awards were being handed out, in ascending growth order. Brad knew his business had grown over the last year, so he was surprised when he didn't hear his name. He thought they had just overlooked him. He was shocked to be the very last name called--meaning his business grew by a higher percentage than any other in the whole region! Gary, the regional leader, was very pleased to give Brad an award for growing his business by 188% over the past year! Way to go Brad!

All that glitters

We pulled out of the driveway at 6:16 this morning and headed for the big city. It was a nice drive and the kids were happy. After a yummy lunch at Baja Fresh, we navigated the streets of downtown Portland and found Brad's hotel. Not only do we live in a small town, but we have always been a Motel 6 kind of family when it comes to lodging that we have to pay for. This, however, being a major Edward Jones event, is held at the Portland Hilton. After the coolness of having a doorman come out to the car just to be helpful, the kids got to experience the thrill of parking in an underground parking garage. Next stop was the lobby, so we headed for the elevator. It was, of course, very classy, and the kids had never before seen so many buttons in once place. The real gasping began as we stepped out of the elevator into the lobby. It was huge and plush and Julianne whispered, "This isn't a hotel; it's a mansion!" Brad went to the desk to get registered while I took my little clan of Clampets off to explore. The highlights included riding the escalator, seeing a real ballroom, and finding out that Daddy's room is on the 16th floor! (The room wasn't ready, so we didn't actually get to see it, but we'll save that adventure for another day.) We didn't register the family for the conference, so the kids and I are staying at Auntie's, but we will head back into the city to spend a free afternoon with Brad later this weekend.

Packed & Ready

Her last night at home. None of us can believe that we're really approaching the day of her departure. The van is packed and we're all heading to bed to get a good night's sleep so we can get an early start to Portland tomorrow.

We spent today finalizing the packing of her Teen Missions stuff. Everything is packed in large zip-lock bags to stay dry and then loaded into the big cardboard box. It weighed in at about 44 pounds, which is over the limit. She may have to chuck a few things at the end of Boot Camp, but I sent it all anyway just in case.

We got a cashier's check for her spending money and tucked it into the little pouch she'll wear around her neck on the plane. Her leaders will collect her money, passport, and other valuables when she gets there and give her access to them as needed.

I think all the details are in place, and now we just get to play for a few days until it's time to put her on the plane.

Open House

Tonight was our Open House/going-away party for Julianne. We had a decent turnout, with people coming and going throughout the evening. It was great to see some friends from Skyline that we've barely seen since we moved to Coquille last year.

Julianne got to show off her boots, tell about the training and work project that await her, and have everyone sign the special t-shirt that she'll be taking with her. The younger kids played in the front yard, on the deck, and around the dining room table where the cookies were.

Our friend, Holly, spent a summer in Zambia with Teen Missions a couple years ago. She stopped by for a few minutes tonight and is planning to come back tomorrow morning to help us pack and seal Julianne's box. She's to take everything to Boot Camp in a cardboard box and they will issue her a duffel bag when she gets there. Her checked items can weigh a maximum of 40 pounds--that includes her clothes, sleeping bag--everything.

I can't believe that next Monday night will be our last night with her until she gets back. I will miss her, but I am so excited for her!

Happy Father's Day

Brad and I have talked many times about how blessed we both are, not only to have wonderful parents, but also wonderful in-laws. It's true that we love each other's parents nearly as much as we love our own parents. Ironically, as much as I love both our dads, I still can not manage to get their Father's Day cards to them by Father's Day. This year I bought the cards early in hopes that I'd mail them on time for once. It was too early to mail them, so I put them away and--you guessed it--never got them mailed at all. *big sigh*

My dad was here for Father's Day, so at least I got to give him a hug and a kiss (but his card is still in the door of the van). After church we all went out to lunch at Brad's new favorite restaurant, Sumin's. It's the same place I took Julianne for sushi a few weeks ago. Brad had been dying to go there, and he was not disappointed. He thoroughly enjoyed his sushi combination plate.


In addition to the spectacular food (I'm not a sushi fan, but they have lots of other wonderful choices), we had the special treat of meeting the owners of the restaurant, who are from Korea! We told them about Marie and they look forward to meeting her when she arrives. They have hosted students from the college for several weeks at a time in past summers. I love making new friends!



Elisa impressed them by counting to ten in Korean and our friendly Caleb had fun playing with their 3-year old son, Andy.

Commissioning

Today was Julianne's last day at Emmanuel before she leaves. Mom & Dad came up last night and spent the night so they could be at church for Julianne's commissioning this morning. We had an enjoyable evening that included BLT's, a drive around Coquille, and a movie after the kids went to bed. Oh, and Papa made time to teach Julianne how to keep her boots lookin' sharp.



This morning at church, Pastor John called Julianne up and talked about David and Goliath. David was young and untrained for the task he undertook. He wasn't the obvious choice for the task--in fact, many laughed at the idea of sending him up against the giant. Others simply thought it was foolish. David tried on Saul's armour, but it didn't fit. So he went up against the giant armed with five smooth stones and the power of Almighty God.

Pastor John gave Julianne "five smooth stones" to take with her this summer. These stones didn't come from a river, however. They came from the word of God. Julianne is now armed with five index cards, each of which contains a special promise from God's word that she can use to slay whatever giants she may encounter this summer.

The deacons came up, surrounded Julianne, and took turns praying for her. It was touching and beautiful. It's almost time!

Another win!

Another night of awesome baseball! (Yes, that is three nights in a row.) Caleb was the second boy up to bat, and went through his typical routine of swinging two strikes, letting a couple balls go by, and then just when we're feeling that I-hope-he-doesn't-strike-out nervousness, he whallops the ball over the pitcher's mound..over second base...into center field for a double. Once he reaches his base, he looks up into the stands and gives us that darling grin of his. He's really something.

His second time up to bat, he waited for a full count (does he do that on purpose?) and then whacked it between the short-stop and third basemen, who both went after the ball and ran into each other. Caleb made it safely to second.

He got to try his hand at pitching for a bit, and while I wouldn't say it's his forte, he did a respectable job. He also played 2nd base, 1st base, and the outfield. He usually gets put in the outfield because he's about the only boy who can throw it from there all the way to home plate--accurately.

I was sitting in the stands next to a mom from the other team. She told me their team hasn't won any games yet this season. My heart hurt for those discouraged little boys, and I even prayed that they might win this game, but God knew I didn't really mean it. We won 11-7.

An all-around good day

Got up this morning, did the basic household chore stuff, and then packed up the kids and headed to Ferry Road Park where we had lunch with some other co-op families. I met a couple families that are new to the area, which was fun--I always enjoy meeting new people.

From the park we went to the Salvation Army Thrift Store to shop for some work clothes for Julianne to take on Teen Missions. We found two pairs of pants and three t-shirts for $8.50. Now that's my kind of price! We headed to Walmart and get her a pair of nice jeans. (Her travel jeans have to be brand new and dark blue--no stonewashing, tears, or the "worn look". Try finding that in Julianne's size!) After trying on approximiately four thousand pairs of jeans from the girls', women's, and boys' departments, we finally found one pair that fit. Hurray.

After Walmart we went to the doctor's office to get Julianne her tetanus shot and a prescription for Malaria medication. We came home, packed up a picnic dinner, and headed off to Caleb's baseball game for another evening of excellent playing.

Caleb's first time up to bat, he hit an incredible line drive that skimmed the ground once before hitting the home-run fence. (I admit 4,000 pairs of jeans was an exageration--this is not.) His second time up to bat, he hit a pop fly that went waaaaaaay out into right field--almost to the fence. Unbelievable the power that little guy can put behind a bat!

His performance in the field was outstanding too. He's got lots of hustle, he throws with power and accuracy (I can manage neither) and he is so into the game! The game ended in a tie, which was fine with us. I wouldn't have believed this team could come so far in such a short time.

Too much excitement

What a day! After a relatively uneventful day, we headed to Bandon for Caleb's baseball game. For the first time this season, they used a pitching machine for the first few innings (kudos to the coaches!!), eliminating the runs walked in (and there have been many this year). On Caleb's second time up to bat, he hit an awesome grounder that brought a runner in and took Caleb to first base. Let me tell you, when the boy connects, he really slams that ball!

The boys pitched the last two innings and did quite well. Our team has also greatly improved in the field and it really showed tonight! They won 9-1! It was after 8:00 when the game got over, but we had to celebrate the first win of the season, so we headed to Dairy Queen. The kids sat down with their Blizzards and I was standing at the counter waiting for my onion rings. A lady came into the D.Q. announcing that the entire coast was being evacuated because of a tsunami warning. She left and I thought, "...yeah, right....whatever".

I went to our table and was opening those irritating little ketchup packets (why do they make them so small?) when suddenly the wail of the warning siren started blaring through the air. We grabbed our food and headed for the van, but I wasn't really sure where to go. Bandon doesn't have obvious hills and high spots the way Gold Beach does. I figured away from the ocean was a good start. There were cars everywhere--heading north, heading south, flashers on, pulling out of driveways--but no clear consensus on which way to go. In front of us was a pick-up with people in the back, one of which was a crying woman. A Coast Guard helicopter was flying over the ocean.

I tried to call Brad (who was home) to ask for advice, but the cell signal was jammed and I couldn't call out. I saw a sign for the hospital and figured they should know a safe place, so we went there. By this time, the siren--still blaring--was joined by a repeating recording: "MOVE TO HIGH GROUND. LEAVE LOW-LYING AREAS IMMEDIATELY." It was very scary. I ran into the hospital to find all three panic-faced receptionists on the phone. Finally one talked to me and said she thought the hospital was high ground. It did not seem high at all to me--and it was only a few blocks from the ocean.

The kids and I prayed together and decided to head out of Bandon; the choice was confirmed to be a good one when we passed a Tsunami Evacuation Route sign pointing us to continue on. We headed a few miles east on Hwy. 42S, but the river follows that road, so I didn't feel very safe there either. Eventually we found a farmhouse perched on the side of a hill, so we went up the driveway. I asked the people outside if we could stay there and they showed me where to park to leave room for the other cars that had followed me up.

At this point, the Emergency Broadcast System announced that the waves were expected to hit Charleston at 8:48. We looked at the clock in the van: 8:47. The kids and I decided we couldn't be too high, so we got out of the van and hiked up the rest of the hill to the tippy-top. We had to crawl through two barbed-wire fences, but we ended up in what finally felt like a safe place to me. Even there, several miles outside city limits, we could hear the warning sirens as they continued to blast.

Finally, the very nice teenage boy from the farmhouse came up the hill to tell us they'd gotten the all-clear from the Coast Guard. He walked us back down to the van, opened the gates for us (gates!--wish we'd noticed them on the way up) and was very sweet and comforting. Brad called me on my cell and said there was still some danger, but he thought we should head home. We loaded up, and he called a few minutes later to say that the warning had been lifted.

When I got home and checked the news websites, I was amazed to find such a calm little headline. If I'd have been in Kansas reading that headline, I'd not have given it a second thought. However, living through those moments of sirens, cars, and confusion made it quite a major event to us.

Julianne thought the whole thing was cool.

Getting ready

We are now inside of the two-week mark for Julianne's departure for Boot Camp. All those last minute preparations are keeping us busy: buying needed items, getting shots, inviting people to her open house, and of course PACKING.

Yesterday was haircut day for both of us. Julianne got her long locks cut off in favor of a style that will be more appropriate for the heat, humidity. . .and bathing in a bucket.

9 Years Old

My sweet son turned nine today. I know every mother says it, but I really can't believe he is nine already. It wasn't so long ago that he was toddling around.

He and I both woke early this morning. I had to take Julianne into town to take her standardized tests, so Brad and the kids had the morning together. When J & I got back home, we decorated the house and got things ready for Caleb's party. He had four nice boys over--plus a couple neighbor kids (also nice) who joined in at the last minute. They had a wonderful time together.

Caleb got lots of fun toys, some of which he is still playing with in bed this very minute. As for me--it's been a very busy day and I'm headed for bed. :-)

*Party pictures below--click on a picture for a larger view.



L to R: Julianne, Caleb S., Jacob, Caleb, David, Russell, Elisa
Menu: Pigs in a blanket, chips, baby carrots, grapes, Kool-aid
Just what a 9-year old boy would want!



Caleb took the first crack at Spidey. What could be more fun for a bunch of boys than beating the tar--make that candy--out of a superhero?



When you finally knock off a superhero, the pay is pretty big.



Does he really get 9 candles on the cake? Where has the time gone?

Take me out to the ball game!

Baseball season continues, and tonight was a great game! It got off to a bit of a slow start (these young pitchers have a hard time hitting the strike zone), but in the last inning the coaches pitched and then things really heated up. Lots of hits, nearly as many overthrows, and many darling little 3rd graders running around the bases as fast as their legs could carry them.

Caleb got up to bat and hit a grounder toward first base. He sprinted---the pitcher threw it to first, make that past first--and Caleb rounded the corner and headed for second. The next batter got a hit that brought Caleb in to make the final run of the game. He did great!

The team worked hard, and even I can see clear improvement in them. The final score was 9-12. Our team had the 9, but it was a hard fought for 9 runs that they can be very proud of. It was certainly worth the ice cream we went out for afterwards.

It's really summer!

There's no more school work and I'm reaching for shorts when I get dressed in the morning. That can only mean one thing: summer is here! It became even more official to us today as we went to the first Homeschool Summer Fun day of the year. Homeschool families met up at the North Bend pool for a couple hours of splashing around together. Kids and water always equal fun, as do a bunch of moms standing around with nothing to do but gab.

Pictures below of my three little fish can be clicked on for a larger view.

Julianne 

Caleb 

Elisa 

Knock knock

Our kids are at the age of loving those never-ending knock-knock jokes. Based on our dinner conversation, I'm not sure any new knock-knock jokes have been invented since I was that age. Elisa was so proud to have learned one of the classics that she told it to each of us in turn--well, sort of.
Elisa: Knock knock
Me: Who's there?
Elisa: Banana
Me: Banana who?
Elisa: Knock knock
Me: Who's there?
Elisa: Banana
Me: Banana who?
Elisa: Knock knock
Me: Who's there?
Elisa: Banana
Me: Banana who?
Elisa: Knock knock
Me: Who's there?
Elisa: Banana. . . . Orange. I'm glad I didn't say banana!

It appears she got her joke-telling ability from me.

Back from the Big City

It feels good to be home! Mom, Julianne, and I went to Eugene for the weekend to shop for all the things Julianne needs for her trip. To be honest, we could have bought it all in Coos Bay, but it was a good excuse for a girls' weekend away. We spent most of the time shopping, but we did manage to squeeze in lunch at Olive Garden and a movie (Madagascar). Pollen was rampant in Eugene and I had a horrible allergy attack, but aside from that we had a wonderful time together.

I once again came to the realization that Julianne is growing up! She can no longer wear children's size clothing, and it's hard to find things that fit her well in the juniors/misses department. My rant for the weekend is that none of the stores is stocking one-piece swimsuits this year. There are a handful in women's sizes--way too big for Julianne--but the junior department has only bikinis and tankinis. I asked a salesgirl at JCPenney about it and she said, "The one-pieces just don't sell." Hmmm, do you think maybe that's because there are zero in stock? (I didn't say that...) We finally resorted to getting her a competition swimsuit from Big 5. Fortunately it was on sale, but still quite expensive for an 11-year old girl!

Julianne's departure is just over three weeks away. I'm so excited for her, yet I don't know what I'm going to do without her!

Wipe Out

Caleb burst into the house this evening announcing, "I fell!" The story included something about running full speed down a hill after a ball before falling and sliding down the hill. Out of courtesy to those of you who are squeamish, I won't include a graphic description of his injuries, but they were enough to make my stomach turn. After a good soak in the tub, a generous amount of neosporin, some band-aids, and guaze pads/tape, he's nearly as good as new.

Checkmate

Julianne was invited by her chess teacher to participate in the chess tournament at the middle school today. She won quite easily in the early rounds, as she was playing kids who only entered the tournament to get out of class. In the fourth round, however, she was pitted against one of the best chess players in the school, who just happens to be the chess coach's daughter.

Julianne was ahead in power early in the game, then miscalculated a move which cost her dearly. Her opponent thought she had the game in the bag and began planning her attack--but neglected to defend her king, and Julianne swooped in and secured Checkmate in a single move. I'm not sure which was more beautiful--the decisive ending or the look of joy on Julianne's face.

The tournament ended with Julianne taking 1st place in the 5th grade category and 3rd place overall!

Julianne and Caleb are both progressing incredibly well in their chess skill. Just a few months ago, Brad and I could beat them at will. Now we lose more often than we win. I have no doubt but that it's just a matter of months before we won't be able to beat them at all. Elisa is doing well too, but fortunately I can still beat her--except when she asks me to let her win. :-)

Photo: Chess Tournament

Julianne makes her move in the finals of the chess tournament.

Marie

We received an e-mail from Ah Reum this morning, and she has chosen her American name: Marie. Many Asian students use Western names during their exchange so we Americans can remember, pronounce, and maybe even spell their name correctly. Ah Reum asked us to choose a name for her a couple weeks ago, but I was hesitant. . . What if I gave her a beautiful American name that resembled the Korean word for "intestine". . .or worse!

So our family mulled it over and picked four names for her to choose from. The name Marie means "wished for child". We told Ah Reum--I mean, Marie--that as soon as we saw her student profile, we knew we wanted to host her, but AYUSA told us she had already been assigned to another family. We continued to look at other students, but I kept saying over and over, "I wish we could host that Korean girl!" and I felt disappointed about all the other students we considered.

We were just about to commit to a different student when we got a call saying that Ah Reum's assigned host family had cancelled and she was available again. So in the end, we got our "wished for child".

RABBITS!

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