she's only just begun

it has been quite the whirlwind recently. besides applying for jobs daily and keeping on top of the chores the apartment brings, we found out my Bepa passed away last saturday. there are bonuses to being unemployed. like taking a 6-day road trip with my sister in order to get to the funeral in south dakota.

day 1: drove 10 hours to missoula
day 2: drove 8ish hours to sheridan, wy
day 3: drove 8ish hours to platte, spent time with family at the prayer/memorial service. stayed up until 2 a.m. bonding with siblings.
day 4: attended funeral, sang at funeral, attended burial, ate ham buns. left less than 24 hours after arriving. drove 8ish hours back to sheridan, wy.
day 5: drove 8ish hours to missoula. proceeded to watch 3 movies, read 1 book, take a nap, and go for a walk while al & greg worked at an auction.
day 6: drove 10 hours back to lynden and slept for 10 hours that night.

it was totally worth it. it was good to remember bepa (& pake, too!) they were very special people to me. not everyone gets to be the only grandchildren of wonderful grandparents. al & i both shared papers at the prayer service we had written about bepa. she was a feisty woman who always had a joke or a trick up her sleeve. i miss her. but i know she's back with pake and loving every minute of it!

we have a bit of a break from traveling. well, until wednesday, anyway. we're heading back to missoula for al & greg's wedding. it will be a grand outdoor celebration that is probably going to include snow, based on the most recent forecast...

book discussion

this week, i finished reading a couple of books. one was reimagining church by frank viola, the other was the oh-so-controversial book the shack. as i finished the shack today, i was realizing that both books point out that much of our christian tradition is unfounded in biblical truths. why do we go to a building and listen to one person preach the word? why do we get caught up in religious activities rather than listening to the whisper (or shout, or dance) of the spirit?

naturally, we feel comfortable in something that's been part of our heritage in the last 500 years. i'm sure these ideas i'm reading about aren't new or groundbreaking to some, but to me, they are world-shattering. i felt defensive at some points while reading (but i'm still a christian! just because i go to church and sit in a pew and listen to the word being preached doesn't make me a bad person!) viola argues in his book that while god works through anything and everything, not everything is his best. the institutional church...is this really his best? numbing ourselves to the people around us (except during our 3-minute meet & greet) and insisting that going to a second service on sunday earns us "heaven points"? we might not say that out loud, but how many of us are really thinking that (perhaps unknowingly)?

i feel challenged right now. spiritually, mentally, emotionally...even physically. i want to go out and be part of god's kingdom building, but admitting that right now, that might involve only cleaning the toilet feels less than glorious. i want to challenge others in their faith or at least share the challenges i'm going through...but i find that i stumble over my words and my defenses are up. i feel as though i'm falling like i've never fallen before...living real life, even from the comforts of my cushy couch. i have no idea what the future holds, what tomorrow will bring, what job i'll be working at, what challenges lie ahead...but in a strange way, i feel more alive than i have in the past.

are we ever truly alive until everything we know is challenged or taken away? i used to go about my daily life, my daily routine, and feel safe. and yes, i still have daily routines and i still feel somewhat safe, but only when i ignore the little voice in my head that says everything is about to change. it's easy to hide from the truth and talk a big game. it's difficult to humble yourself and turn yourself completely over to god. thy will be done--the prayer that never fails, yet is terrifying to actually submit to.

i have so many more thoughts and so little talent with putting them down in an organized, sensible way. but i'm not entirely sure god or jesus or the spirit are sensible. in fact, i'm pretty sure that in our small group last week we talked about the spirit's presence being chaotic. so here are my chaotic thoughts.

i know lots of people who would disagree with some of the things i'm struggling with. those of you who find comfort in routine, i challenge you to invite the spirit to work. i am definitely one who resists change, but when i'm forced into it, i might as well make lemonade. let the spirit work. let him or her or it guide your life. breathe on me, breath of god.

time to find out

in the last week, i have had 2 interviews. last week's interview was good, but i felt a little uncomfortable because i wasn't sure of the job description and my interviewers didn't share it with me. they told me they'd call friday either way (i initiated this question and specifically asked if i should call). did i hear anything friday? no. did i even call and leave a message for the principal? yes. have i heard anything since? nope. arghhhh.

today's interview went exponentially better than last week's. this job is half a mile away (rather than 25) and much more suited to my capabilities. i felt great during and after the interview. the ladies who interviewed me were wonderfully friendly and i nailed the questions with honesty and poise. they said they'd call me this afternoon.

i haven't heard anything yet. my mind is racing, going through all the possibilities. i really want this job. i feel well-suited for it. it would be perfect. i understand there might be better candidates, which would be disappointing, but understandable. but honestly, i just want to know. i'm left wondering again...did they decide not to call me and figure i'd get the message soon enough? i really would like to have faith in these schools, but the track record so far isn't the greatest.

i may be overreacting. it's not 6:00 yet...but it's time to find out.

we could all use a little change

ok, i can't believe my comeback is titled with a smashmouth lyric. but it sums up my summer. because it's been over 4 months, i'm doing a list.

since my last post, among other things, i have done the following:

-finished teaching and said goodbye to all my kids. they said goodbye to me by dumping a tarp full of soapy water on me after lovely water balloon games. feelin' the love.
-became an expert guest-of-honor at bridal showers (3 in one week!)
-said goodbye to my fiance for 2 1/2 weeks and drove to iowa with mom, stopping in missoula to see al & greg
-spent over a week finishing up wedding details and visiting with friends
-bought lots of flour and sugar and helped al bake 9 wedding cakes (yum!)
-greeted philip and got used to being together again
-had a fabulous wedding celebration with the help of family and friends who rock
-wished i could have spent more time talking with the family and friends who rock
-spent our honeymoon in california, hiking, horsebackriding, having a ca reception, seeing the king tut exhibit in san francisco, and walked on the beach
-enjoyed NOT planning a wedding or worrying about small yet significant details
-arrived home and spent the next week helping out with vbs suppers
-went camping with our small group the first weekend we were back from our honeymoon
-cooked one meal in two weeks
-enjoyed time with dad & mom who drove my car back (with gifts!) and went to the de jong family reunion here in lynden
-flew to michigan unexpectedly for my cousin's funeral and spent important time with extended family
-went camping with al & greg in eastern washington
-watched numerous movies, filled out many applications, went for lots of walks, read tons of books...
-cleaned the apartment, cooked yummy meals, cleaned some more
-adopted a cat!
-and tons and tons of other little things.

hopefully this wasn't too long or tedious. sorry, no pictures. facebook has them all. check 'em out.

wow! it's almost september! when did that happen?...

spring break

a beautiful easter promise as we drove through mount vernon

sharing smiles and sunshine with aaron

dillan creating a crossword

landon is entertaining aaron

playing bingo with bepa

ok, julie, i did this for you, so you'd better comment. :) spring break was good but exhausting. wedding planning is overwhelming, even when we want a simple wedding. now i'm feeling the normal homesickness coming off of a break. we had fun with dad and mom, trav, tami, and the boys, and many friends we were able to get in touch with. it's a little scary knowing this was the last visit before the wedding! so much will be changing soon and it's a little nerve-wracking. lots of prayers are appreciated!
today was a good day of getting back into a routine. on thursday morning, i take off with the 5th graders and their regular chaperone crew to rockport. we will camp there two nights and clean up the park. it's an ebenezer tradition and a good one. it will be three tiring days, but fun days.
only 8 weeks until school gets out. and no news in the job department. i feel like it hasn't hit me yet.
i hope this finds you all well. happy easter!

pleni sunt caeli et terra

another week has gone by, and it's gone quickly. i've realized in the past week or so i've begrudged the time i still have in washington before going to iowa for spring break. i've been on edge, easily irritated, cranky, tired, and needing a break.

and i don't like the person i'm becoming! argh!

so, if you've received any of the brunt of my frustration, i apologize. i'm just antsy. i think i said that in my last post.

philip and i auditioned for a smaller ensemble within our chorale for the next concert. we made it and we're singing a mozart piece. i'm looking forward to being in a more 'select' group. i feel snobby sometimes because i feel that i learned great stuff in college and am still young enough to apply it to my voice. this is not true for many people in the choir. oh, well. it's still a fun group to sing in.

the weather today was beautiful. philip and i walked to a nearby ball field and played catch for awhile. i've realized i like portions of sports more than the sports themselves. for instance, shooting hoops, playing catch, or shooting goals. not a big fan of the pressure and competition of an actual game.

today i will be grateful for God's creation and the blessings he has given me right now.

"earth and the heavens are filled with thy glory."

blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow...forever

feelin' antsy. ready for spring break.

our daily bread

weather is incredible. we have gone from having abnormal amounts of snow and flooding to a beautiful 4-week stint of sunny, gorgeous, spring-feverish fresh-airy weather. then yesterday, it started to rain again, turned to sleet, turned to snow, and turned into a snow day. but today the snow is melting in the glaring sun, patches of green are pushing through, and anyone who built a snowman this morning probably can't see it anymore.

i used my morning to do my taxes, catch up on a few wedding plans, do laundry, go grocery shopping, and clean. now that i'm finished with all that, i have no motivation to write lessons or grade. motivation is a funny thing. i think i burned myself out with all my motivation this morning.

nothing has really changed in terms of what we know for next year. we're looking into indonesia and also some job possibilities in this area. the problem is that we're finally hitting a groove here in washington and we're not quite ready to leave yet. sometimes i feel like i'm living in an alternate reality because i know my life may be drastically different in a few months. it's easier to ignore the coming changes...pretend that they aren't happening, focus on my current job, get stuck in the daily rut and forget about the inevitability of unpredictable things.

in the meantime, we will keep plugging on, keep taking deep breaths and encountering each new challenge as we face it. i'm grateful that God does not give us more than we can handle, and i'm learning just what "give us this day our daily bread" means.

she's got a ticket to ride...and she don't care

a little tipsy in bellingham on new year's day

last week sunday felt like april, so we enjoyed it. philip has some convincing to do.

last saturday afternoon at larrabee state park

we enjoyed the sunshine at larrabee

we went with my roommates to a fantastic japanese restaurant in vancouver. i almost choked on a squid because i tried to swallow it whole.

the traditional "we're in canada!" picture

The weather has been incredible here since Christmas. We had a few days of our first week back at school, and then we have had gorgeous sunshine for days on end. Not your typical western Washington weather! Philip and I have decided to live it up while we're living here in the Northwest, because I found out that my contract is not getting renewed next year. Everyone is making cuts, and Ebenezer is no exception. Right now we're basking in the unknown (can basking include terror?) We have no idea what our plans are beyond June 27. That's when we're getting married. Other than that, we could be going to the other side of the world to become fishermen, for all we know. Hooray, not having a clue about the future! I feel like I'm in college again.

Today, we got to church an hour early because we had forgotten about the combined service at a later time. So, logically, we drove north on every road going out of Lynden and found the border 6 different times. The funniest thing is that there are two parallel roads with a tiny ditch between them. The difference? One is an American road, one is a Canadian road. It's pretty funny. :) Philip, in his ever-present curiosity, got out of the car to examine the obelisk marking the official border. I was in the car, freaking out but trying to look cool in case border patrol was watching us on the cameras. It was an adventure anyway. We'll go back up there sometime and get some pictures, because it's pretty darn funny!

Finally, I reiterate earlier sentiments about politics. I am weary of narrow-minded, judgmental, right-wing conservatism that makes me embarrassed of Christian Republicans. (I am completely aware that there are flaming liberals that I would be just as embarrassed of, thank you very much. ) I am continuing to pray for Obama and support his desire to unify the country instead of getting caught up in partisan politics. I encourage you to do the same, even if you disagree with some of his decisions.

And, on a lighter note, I am grateful for the taste of coffee with delicious creamer in it (Ok, Dad, you can scrape yourself off the ceiling now!)

there's a little magic in the air tonight

I have a new nephew! Aaron Michael De Jong, born Dec. 18

Lack of communication leads to duplicate presents!

Nutty family members on Christmas night

Aaron is being "brothered" by Landon and Dillan

Trav and Tami sit back and enjoy their one quiet son

Distressing over Wii badminton

Dillan and Al...buddies!

Yoga class

Christmas with friends!

Philip and I pose with a trash can on our way to Columbia

Site of our engagement!

Minutes after it happened :)

My lovely Thanksgiving vegetable platter

Vancouver at night

Lots of new stuff in the past couple of months!

• Philip and I got engaged on Thanksgiving and plan to get married next June
• my sister Al got her master's degree
• we have a new nephew, Aaron
• I turned 25
• Philip and I went to California for Thanksgiving and Iowa for Christmas
• Lynden got about 2 feet of snow and we didn't have school for 2 1/2 days before Christmas break
• I slept in the Seattle airport on my way to Iowa
• I met up with Josh, Rachel, Becca, Walhof, Dave, Shannon, Jonas, and more over break! Good to see everyone!
• Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas (ok, a few days late) and a blessed New Year!
  

hp anonymous

i think i'm addicted to harry potter.

my toes are froze

Blogger is still stupid. Why does technology hate me all of a sudden? Nick and Lari and Jasmine visited this past weekend. We played some Rock Band and did some sweating. If you're offended by my sweatiness, good for you.

In other news, I have never been so frustrated by some people who profess to be Christians. The recent elections have raised some anger in circles I am familiar with. Honestly, I am embarrassed to be a Christian if it means pinning all my hopes on a candidate rather than on the One who has raised up that leader. It drives me nuts when people think they know everything about running a country when none of them realizes everything that's involved. I stressed this to my 5th graders yesterday, and although they were disappointed that McCain did not win, they bucked up and we spent time praying for the president-elect. We would do much better as a country if we lifted up our leaders in prayer instead of criticizing someone whose job most of us would suck at. So, if you are one of the bitter people harping on Obama, I encourage you to use your time more wisely. God is not worried about the "wrong" person being in office. He can work through anyone, and I seriously hope that Christians do not doubt that.

Rant over. Go, Obama!

harder and richer

I'm finally back! And Blogger is being frustrating with words and pictures and the layout. Grrr. So bear with me.
Pictures in order:

1) Al and I have matching hats!!!
2)Philip and Basil play hide and seek
3) Al and I take advantage of the beautiful Missoula fall...
4) Philip and Kermit share a good joke. :)
5) Mark attacks Philip's mother while Philip's father sits idly by...
6) We saw Fleet Foxes in Bellingham! Tickets were sold out, but Philip schmoozed with an usher who sneaked us in. The concert was amazing!
7) A stop at the Columbia River Basin on our way back to WA.
8) The Columbia River Basin.

So...life is good. See title of post for more info. I am trying to update, but I always run out of time. More later!

a book a day

when i was in college, i did not read for pleasure. being an english major meant i had to spend the majority of my time reading and writing papers, and reading for pleasure was not in the cards. there were too many other things to do and too many people to hang out with. in the summers, i would indulge in brain candy just to remind myself that reading could be fun. what a wretched english major i was.

but NOW...i am not in college anymore. i am busy teaching and spending time with someone special and singing in choir, but i have discovered that i DO love to read. and not just brain candy, unless you call Jane Austen brain candy. which i don't.

right now, i am in the middle of about 6 books, although i suppose i should qualify that by saying i haven't picked up two of those books since at least june if not longer.

which books are these? you might ask. here is my current list (as of last evening):

anne's house of dreams (l.m. montgomery)
a break with charity (ann rinaldi)
the poisonwood bible (barbara kingsolver)
the bean trees (barbara kingsolver)
harry potter and the sorceror's stone (j.k. rowling)
asperger's syndrome: a guide for parents and professionals (tony attwood)

what books are YOU reading?

*note: thank you, philip, for encouraging my habit. :)

settling in

we are settling into the fall schedule/weather/everything here. the temps are cooling down, the skies are clouding over, and the days are already flying by. it's practically october! i was going to post a couple of pictures from our day at larrabee state park last saturday, and i think i deleted the pictures without downloading them. let me rephrase that...i downloaded them, but they didn't show up anywhere. grrr. stupid lying 'safe delete.'

news in note form:

• i made a delicious chicken and bacon dinner last night...i can cook!
• i love the office.
• i enjoy teaching.
• philip and i are church-hunting, but we've found one we really like and feel welcomed at.
• tomorrow is friday!
• one of my kids is suspended tomorrow and two others are gone. i'm down to 13.
• i did dishes this afternoon and it was great.
• i love having someone to talk to about my day. it's awesome. thank you, philip!
• bed is a wonderful place.
• i need to drink a gallon of o.j. tonight to wash away my cold.
• i'm going to watch a movie! yay, no lesson planning!

be healthy and well!

i promise i'm done with lesson plans tonight

Twins-Mariners game in Seattle

Safeco Field!

I think it's still alive...

Picking blueberries near Lynden

Checking out Mt. Baker

School has started well...we are 3 weeks in and I'm enjoying my 5th and 6th graders and my free time (compared to last year). I have a couple of "problem students", but overall I'm enjoying the different challenges of the lower grades.
My last post was a negative weather update, but I'm glad to say that the beautiful fall weather has returned to the Northwest! We have clear skies and sunshine for the next several days for sure. :)
I have so many pictures to share and so little time, so this was a taste. Bon appetit!

drizzle

today is rainy and cold. it feels like winter in lynden.

i miss summer.

why do i wait so long to post? now i have too much to say and not enough creativity to say it in.

ergo, a list:

• babysitting nephews increases my patience and is generally fun

• working in an office all alone makes me grateful that i work with people at my real job

• working in an office all alone is a nice break from working with people at my real job

• i helped with dordt discovery days and learned about gamemaking on the computer and physics. both of these areas need a little work.
  

• i watched all 15 innings of the all-star game the other night. i will always be a twins fan.

• philip and i have one year behind us and lots of good memories!

• more memories are on the way as we drive to california next week and then to washington the following week!

• returning to washington will be much easier than moving to washington. this time i have my best friend with me!

pictures will come eventually. and that's a promise. unlike my sister, who promised to post more pictures and hasn't yet...

happy july!

i think i drive too much

I say this because Mom and I drove from Lynden to Sioux Center in the last few days and I took about 10 pictures. Total. I chalk it up to driving many many many miles in my life and seeing the I-90 route many many many times as well. But I love love love it!

We stopped in Missoula for a girls' weekend and walked around a lot and ate a lot and enjoyed spending time with Al. Below is a picture from the Higgins Street Bridge in downtown Missoula, overlooking the Clark Fork (one of the 14 times Mom and I crossed it in our journey!). Pretty sunset.

I am in Iowa now...and the sunshine is fabulous.
Highlights of my Iowa summer so far:

• having my nephews race out of the house and across the lawn to give me big hugs
• sleeping in my cozy bed
• eating with my whole family (minus Al...I wish you were there!)
• running (er...walking with short bursts of jogging in between) with Phil this morning
• SUNSHINE! WARMTH! ACTUAL SUMMER WEATHER!
  

from the veteran teacher

that's right. a veteran teacher. oooh, that sounds good.

obviously, i am done with school, as of noon today (minus the staff meetings and final grades and cleaning up the classroom). i cried a little. i love my kids.

in other news, the birch bay tide is the lowest it has been in 90 years, so yuan and i went out and checked it out. we got wet and saw dead crabs. it was fun.

in other other news, i am apparently allergic to shellfish. i am sorry, my favorite asian roommate.