This past week was a busy one for our family. As we prepare to go to our new home in Kuwait, we are working on accomplishing all the things that seem to creep up in the last few weeks before a move. Wait a minute, didn't we just move ten weeks ago?

Last Sunday we had a special guest arrive to be with us for the week. Grandma Nettie came to snuggle the bunch. We are so thankful to her for all her help. She washed millions of loads of laundry, YAY!!!! She played kitties with the big girls, dogs with Luke and read to the twins. Needless to say, we will miss her.

I don't like goodbyes, so I pretend we will see each other soon. My prayer is I will be able to convince her to come to Kuwait and stay with us. I am truly so glad we have Skype. What a blessing to at least be able to see family and friends, even if it is blurry or the camera freezes up. What a blessing to at least have a glimpse of those we love from so far away.

Here are some photos from our time with my Mom. We had great weather and fun times! The signers of the Declaration of Independence have a park dedicated to them. We spent the afternoon there with my mom. It was a gorgeous day. Kelly claims to be related to on of the signers, John Hart. I of course am going to ask my in laws if this is true.

We love you Grandma Nettie, see you soon~

As I type this I realize we have less than one week in D.C. First we are off to London for a few days. Wow, the time has both flown by in many respects. We visited everything we could with five young children. They have loved this time. I am amazed at how much they have learned about our nation's history, the Revolutionary War, President Washington, and all our monuments and memorial. I hope Grace, Faith and Luke all have memories of this time. I know Luke's will be limited he is only 4 1/2.

The other side of leaving the "Beltway" is great relief!! How do people live in the BIG city with children? I am excited for a larger home in Kuwait and a small patio on the ground level. I am ready for our youngest, Hope, to be sleeping again in her own room. I am excited to see my Mommy Chair once again. I am ready to make new friends and see a part of God's world I NEVER thought I would travel to. God has built our excitement, now we have work to do this week as we "pack out" yet again.

The picture of Kelly, Hope and I was taken by Luke he loves to take photos on an angle. I love his creativity, so I had to share it with you. Have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving~

Hello to all! This is a photo collage of our recent activities. We had a great time last weekend at the National Arboretum. Our favorite exhibit was the Bonsai trees. One of which they have been "training" for almost four hundred years. It was a gift to someone in our government from a high ranking Japanese official, amazing! I barely can keep a house plant alive. Imagine the pressure of keeping a tree that began it's life as a Bonsai in Japan over four hundred years ago alive. I couldn't do it, very impressive!

On Veteran's Day we had our tickets to tour the Washington Monument. It was chilly and raining, but we did it! I have been to Washington D.C. many times in my life. I have never in all those visits actually went up in the Washington Monument. Kelly hadn't been up the giant obelisk either. We all had a great time and enjoyed seeing this historical city from the sky.

After our tour came to an end, we went over to The American History museum. I have wanted to see Julia Child's kitchen while here. I loved seeing that. Her coffee maker even had masking tape on it with the number of scoops per cups of coffee. I am sure this is for her husband, Paul to use : ) The kitchen was wonderfully organized. I think she may have inspired me. We finished out time with lunch in the cafeteria, a tour of the first ladies dresses, finding Dorothy's ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz and checking out a bunch of political buttons (my favorite is the last photo).

My mom is flying in to visit on Sunday and we have tons to get done before we leave for our new home. We are excited, tired and so ready to be out of a three bedroom apartment. This week we actually get to see what condition our HHE (Household Effects) are in and sort them for shipping. I hope you have a great weekend! See you next week~

Today we found my new favorite place. The closest nature center. I have missed "Green Space", which is apparently what it is referred to here in the big city. Back in Michigan "Green Space" was our yard.

I rarely lose track of time. I am a descendant of many Germans. I am always on time. Today, though I think I slipped from our space-time continuum into heaven. I was able to photograph my beautiful children, spy some birds, listen to the water rushing over the rocks and enjoy the amazing fall foliage. It was perfect for a time. The kids were all happy running, laughing, and watching leaves float down the stream. Had I stepped off into another world? Where was the traffic, the loud sirens of the millions of firetrucks constantly going here or there? The towering buildings were replaced by the towering trees. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Is that Hope crying because Timmy had the audacity to breathe? Snap, just like that and I am back to life, back to reality!

I cannot believe it is already November. Where did October go? On November 12th we will have lived in Virginia for two months. The time has flown by in some respects, but at the same time certain days have dragged on like the movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray.

Let me preface this next statement with a disclaimer. I am truly an optimist, at best, a realist at worst.

This time in northern Virginia has been the hardest parenting of my life. Harder then when my husband was in Uganda for seven weeks to bring home our son, Timmy. During that time I was at home in Michigan praying for all to go well and his return to be quick. I was responsible for all four of our children during his absence, but let's just be real the oldest three were in school quite a bit.

That was a cakewalk compared to the BIG city with five kids under eight years old, living in a small apartment, and burning through large sums of money on food like it was growing on the ugly fake ficus tree in our temporary apartment. I miss my support systems I had set up over the four years living in Michigan. We had a wonderful church family, a small very family friendly Christian school that the "Big Three" attended, great friends, mentors and surrogate grandparents, Kelly's amazing co-workers at his office, My side of the family close by, our favorite restaurants, playgrounds, beaches and our home. I have been stripped bare my friends, truly bare. O.K., so that would be somewhat dramatic.

I still have those things that are important to me, my God, my husband, my beautiful children, safety, a nice temporary apartment, and coffee (I miss my birds terribly). This time has taught me many things. The first lesson is a spiritual one. God wants me to give all of this concern and control to him, to lean on him alone, daily, hourly and moment to moment. It is easy when you are comfortable to remain comfortable. It is easy to think, I don't need to ask God, I have "so and so" I can share this with. I highly recommend breaking out of your comfort zone, I have found in my own life God is always there with me as I show up lost, wandering and wondering what to do next.

Each day as I have been pondering my total dependence on God, I have also watched my homeless friends that live on the park benches across the street. There are days I have been down, it is raining and I am trapped in a three bedroom apartment with five rambunctious children, and no car to escape.

It is usually then that I notice one of my friends all covered up on the benches near the library, most likely freezing in the cold rain. God can reveal to you what your perspective should be in his still quiet voice. He is homeless and alone, I am RICH (by most of the world's standards and have everything I need and much more) and have my best friends living with me. He is cold, I am hot. Even little bodies produce large amounts of body heat especially in a small apartment 18 stories up, heat truly does rise. He has all his earthly possessions in that cart, I have them stored in a warehouse in Virginia getting ready to be shipped overseas. It is about this point as I talk to God in my mind and he encourages me to rethink my pity party. He is always patient with this wretch, after all he has time in the palm of his hand. He graciously teaches each lesson.

Is life ideal here for me, no. Has it taught me big lessons, yes! I pray I will always appreciate the people who educate my children. Do you know how hard it is to home school? I am struck as I type this maybe my teacher gifts we gave for Christmas last year weren't enough for all the work they had done with my kids. Do you take your outdoor "green space" for granted? We have a three foot wide balcony. I am being prepared for the desert.

God has an amazing sense of humor, only he could add to the huge excitement we already have to get to Kuwait. He has worked in his awesome way. After this time in Virginia I am so ready to get to the desert I can hardly stand it. I can't help but think of the Israelites and their time in the desert. I am learning to be content even in circumstances that are less than "perfect" The lesson is sinking in, I am thankful as I type this I am warm, dry, with my family and getting to go on the adventure of my life.

Being stripped bare is so humbling in many ways. I see now that for me this life in the Foreign Service is all about making fast friends, putting support networks in place quickly and for me as a Christian total reliance on God.

Last night somewhere in Arlington, VA were a Princess, a dinosaur, an Army Commando, a tiger kitty and an Abby Cadabby Fairy out for candy and a fun time. Did they find candy? Check! Did they have fun? Check! We even had a special guest with us last night, Uncle Jeff. He hadn't been trick or treating in MANY years, so we had to give him a refresher course. We even made "Uncle Jig" wear the glow stick necklace so he was safe : ) We hope you had a good, safe night as well. Blessings to all~

This past weekend was a great one. Here are two of our highlight photos. The "twins" have loved sitting with their feet in the kitchen sink and playing with bubbles. It is so fun to watch them play, they are truly best friends!

The second picture is of "The Big Three" overlooking the Potomac. We were back at Mount Vernon today. This photo was taken at the back of the Mansion. The colors are changing. I love fall, what a beautiful time of year. I loved the fact that this photo was not staged at all, just a glimpse of them enjoying God's amazing handiwork.

What did you do this weekend? I hope it was a great one for you~

Today at the park a strange apparition appeared in one of my photos that I was taking of Hope. Is it Casper the friendly ghost? I have no idea where this face came from, spooky!!! It couldn't be our second daughter, Faith jumping in front of the camera screaming "No! Mommy, take my picture! Take MY picture." As I was downloading the photos tonight I noticed this one and couldn't help but laugh : )

Hello All! It seems that immediately after my last post our weather went from nice and sunny to cold and rainy. Very ironic after just posting about the weather being so amazing! We are surviving, barely.

It is hard to be in a small space in the city with five kids. I am doing the best I can, but at the end of each day I am truly spent. Our homeschooling is going very well. God has given me the strength to do it. Normally when the babies go down for their naps I would have some time to myself. I might update my blog, read a book from my long "must read" list or clean. That time is spent exclusively for school, now. My preference would be to do a majority of our schooling in the morning. Usually in the morning the kids and I are freshest and ready to take on the day. It is hard to balance time between my "twins" and the "Big Three". We are getting into quite a little pattern now and I am surprised at how much I am enjoying it. I love to see them learn or master something new. I also love to color and do crafts with them.

We have really been enjoying this video series on these rain drenched days. All three of our oldest can now tell you so much about our Revolutionary war. Including the famous patriot who said " Give me liberty or give me death". They are eating it up, they have so many wonderful questions about history and the beginnings of our great nation. Kel and I are also re-learning much of this and enjoying the refresher course.

Later this past week we spent a fun filled day at Chuck E Cheese. Don't worry we used loads of hand sanitizer and washed hands many times. We almost had the whole place to ourselves because we went early on Friday morning. We are hopeful tomorrow that the sun will break through so we can run and play at a local park.

We found out this week that we won't be leaving D.C. until around the 7th of December. There are pros and cons with this. The pros being, we get to spend Thanksgiving stateside, we get to see D.C. with all lit up for Christmas and we get to continue to explore here. Not feeling settled is the biggest con. I can't wait to be in a more permanent living situation. I miss my stuff and especially my "mommy chair". But, I choose to focus on the positive. God is providing and for that we praise him! We have an offer on our house!!!! It is supposed to close as soon as possible. Thank you God for lifting that weight off our shoulders!

In the photo I posted above, Faith holds one of our craft projects from this week. We sculpted things with modeling clay. Faith, loved it she made a tree, birds nest, bird eggs, mother and father birds that are feeding their already hatched babies. This kind of clay doesn't harden. She has played with her bird nest all week. She has made other additions to it and re sculpted it over and over. It has been so fun getting to see how "the big three" love to learn!

Hello All! As I have lived in Arlington now for over a month I must list some of my observations.

First, everyone is kind here. Rare is the person who doesn't stop and say "Hello" to the kids and me. People have helped us with doors, chatted with Timmy in the elevator about his new crocs and random people have reciprocated when kisses are blown at them from two giggling toddlers in a large double stroller. Once Timmy even insisted that a random white bald man on the Metro was "Daddy", I of course was horrified as the man was old enough to be my father. The stranger kindly made funny faces at Tim for the remainder of the journey. We even had a homeless women get on the metro on night and sing for us. She sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and the kids were thrilled!! Now the kids think all the metro trips should include live entertainment.

Second, the weather is gorgeous here in Virginia. We are used to it being markedly cooler by this time of the year back in Michigan. I haven't worn much more than a polar fleece jacket a couple of times since arriving. It has been sunny and warm, which is an amazing blessing when you are trapped in a small apartment with five kids. We have been to the park at every available opportunity.

Lastly, everything is uber expensive here. I am still not over sticker shock on many food items we buy. OUCH! I am told this will help to prepare me for Kuwait. I miss getting a Little Caesar's Pizza for five bucks. I can't even buy a frozen pizza for that much. Everything is here, but nothing is as convenient as in the Midwest. You can have anything you want in theory, but you can't find parking. I took HUGE parking spots for granted for too many years.

In closing the transition is becoming easier and we are enjoying it. We miss all those back in Michigan and we hope you are well~

Hello All! I miss my friend, Saskia. She and I had become very close by the end of my time in Muskegon. We went to the same church for years. Our friendship blossomed last year about this time. Why didn't God bring us together sooner? She is very similar to me in many ways. She has a great sense of humor and I love that in people. People who take themselves too seriously are well, serious. I am rarely serious. If I am serious my kids and Kelly know the change by just my tone of voice.

Saskia, was and is a true friend to me. She is someone who I look up to literally and figuratively. She is amazingly talented, a great cook, a veracious reader, a self sacrificing mother, an encouraging wife, and a best bosom friend. In Anne of Green Gables, Anne and her close friend Diana are "Bosom Friends". The kind of friend you can share secrets with and know they are safe. The kind of friend who sees you at your craziest and still loves you. The kind of friend who values the same things you do. The kind of friend that also challenges you to think outside of the sub culture you were born into. The kind of friend who shares the same God. Saskia sent me this in the mail today for a birthday gift. I couldn't hold it together I cried like a baby. Thanks, Saskia!!!!!! You will always hold a special place in my heart, right next to your famous NACHOS! Saskia you and your family are always welcome to visit us anytime you want. Come to Kuwait and we'll paint the town red! Well maybe not red, it is a conservative country after all. Maybe we could paint the town a nice shade of pale pink while sporting our Burquinis and Crocs. Are you game? Love and miss you~

Hello All! Last night I typed up this sweet tribute to my mother in law, Grandma Briden. I forgot to save it on blogger and lost the whole blog post. UGHHHH!



Here is is in a nutshell. My mother in law turned 74 while with us this past weekend. We go to enjoy her day with her and that was a treat! We went to Arlington National Cemetery. It was a beautiful day that was full of reflection about all those we have loved who have served in our military. Thank you everyone who has served, without you we would not be living freely in this great country of ours!



We got to see the changing of the Guard at the Tomb Of The Unknown Solider. Grandma Briden in all her trips to D.C. had never seen it and I think she really enjoyed it. We also had a celebration dinner topped off with Chocolate Decadence cake, YUM.



Grandma Briden went home to New Mexico on Sunday. She was such a blessing while here. She did load upon load of laundry, washed mounds of dishes and read books aloud for hours to five kids who love to be read to. Thank you, Mom Briden! I missed you like crazy today, but I know I must take it from here. I wish you could have seen the new park we visited today. It was much fun. All five of the kids miss you and Granddad, please come to Kuwait soon!!!!!!



On Sunday we went to Mount Vernon, George Washington's home in Northern Virginia. I loved it! It was a beautiful day and we had a picnic on the banks of the Potomac river. I am in awe at times of the beautiful country God created here. I could have easily retired up the road from Mount Vernon. When I returned home I surfed the net to see how much houses Alexandria cost, YIKES! I have such sticker shock here. How do people live in homes and pay them off that start at 1 million dollars? So, sadly I don't think I will be retiring near General Washington's old homestead, but I have a season pass. That means I can at least visit when I want and sit on the porch over looking the river, hey I can dream!



The kids favorite thing at Mount Vernon? The Blacksmith house. We returned there three or four times. All our children love fire and building things. All in all a good weekend, but we miss GRANDMA!!!!! Blessings to you all~