Cleaning Out and Going Through

We are getting pretty close to emptying this house.  But the upstairs' room still has some lingering boxes of my things that I've been purposely ignoring.

Until today.  I couldn't pass up Paul's offer to oversee Peter and Reuben's educational needs all afternoon.  But only if I would tackle the boxes upstairs.

Here are some of the highlights of what I found...

 Yes, I drew this.

I'm guessing it's either Ernie from Sesame Street

or my Dad.

He's got great hair like that.

Peter and Reuben had a good laugh.

Those are ribbony hair barrettes my Mom made me hanging in my face.

 This is from third grade and is a portrait of my Mom.

It goes with the following letter.

My favorite line is,

"I made this picture because I love you and Mrs. Toland made me!" 

Of all the awards I came came across,

this was my fave.

Look closer...

I passed the Parent-Tot swim class!

Phew!

That's a lot of pressure for a one year old.

I shredded old diaries,

laughed at letters from boys,

sighed at cards from Granny and Bob,

and relived the disappointment of not reaching 1000 on the SAT after two attempts.

It was a strange day.

First I Thought We Were Going To Izzy

But it turns out we're going to Annie.

Process with me.

We decided to move to T.  We visited the three major cities on a two week trip in 2009.  God has led us to arrive in this country in twenty days.  We have not sensed him directing us to a particular city yet.  So we chose my fave, Izzy.  It was Peter's preference too, since he got to visit there in 2011.  Coastal, beautiful, and warm.  When God is not specific, pick the beach, I always say.

Turns out he decided to get specific.  Twenty days before take off.

It's pretty neat because we have not made any set plans in Izzy yet.  God has not revealed himself, so we have not acted.  Our general plan was to arrive and stay in a hotel or housesit for someone and look for an apartment.  Paul and I would study language for two years and deeply seek the Spirit's guidance on where he wants to use us long term.  And with whom.  So Izzy was a temporary landing place until otherwise notified.

When people have asked me for one specific way to pray for our family, I have asked them to pray for our home in T.  That God would set us down right where he wants us in the city and that he would be preparing our neighbors to meet us and that we would hear him and follow him to just the right apartment building to do his work.

We think he answered that prayer yesterday.  Our next home is in another city.

A family in Annie (the capital) is going out of town for three months starting the first of April.  They are looking for a family to stay at their home and pay the rent while they're gone.  This timing is perfect for us.

Our company has a worker in this city.  She has no teammates and she is eager to have us join her.  Our teammates in Izzy don't really need us on their team.  They are willing to help us get settled, but aren't looking to give us one of their jerseys.

Our company director thinks this is a good move for us.

Our local T friends here in Small Town America are returning to T in May.  They live in Annie and are excited to continue our friendship in their country.

My favorite international school is in Annie.  The one that teaches tae kwon do for P.E. class and a third of its students are from my sons' homeland.  And the staff all love God.

It's Paul's favorite city.  So that's nice.  For him.

We've been praying about this and can't find a reason not to go this direction.  We've been seeking God on this particular point and here is a clear opportunity.

A change in direction.  Maybe it's only for three months.  Maybe God is having me sacrifice what I want (warm and coastal) just like he had Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac.  And then, because I obeyed him and gave up what I wanted to follow him, he'll give it back to me and move us to Izzy.  Does it work like that?  Maybe instead he'll help me fall in love with this new city.

This is what I know:
Many are the plans in a man's heart
But it is the Lord's purpose that will prevail.

And that's how we like it.

Pray for us.

Family Photo Shoot

In preparation for today's photographic extravaganza, Paul had me practice my smiles...

 I call this The Charlie.

He tries to get as close as he can to camera so he can immediately see the pic.

Here are photos from our time of being professionally photographed this afternoon.

I was trying to catch images of what we're really like

when we're not all standing still in a group and smiling at a camera.

 Steve and Coleen being sweet

and very well coordinated.

 Practicing for our 'couples' shots.

 Pete helping wrangle the Charlie.

 Samuel was doing his best to annoy Paul

when Paul got him with a surprise attack.

 Oh, you have candy?

I'll be cute for candy.

 Getting some wiggles out.

 Eight kids all looking (preferably smiling) at the camera will be...

There's no way.

Steve and Coleen feeling awesome that they aren't managing any children.

 Two-year-olds and photo shoots...

uh-uh.

Absolutely not

and no way.

Try to give commands to a two-year-old,

Ha.

Charlie refusing to smile.

 When we told Charlie to smile he would blink both eyes

with much force and exertion.

This is me 'smiling' too.

Peter's 10th Birthday

Maybe you know about Peter and Paul's tradition of going down to the cafe (there's only one in town) and having breakfast on Peter's birthday.  Paul also 'surprises' Peter with a gift or two.  After eight birthdays in this cafe (which has had almost as many different owners and unique names), it's more of an expectation than a surprise.  The cafe's current name is The Laughing Cow.  Serious.

The opening of the gift.

A pocket knife.

Paul did not tell me about this gift because he thought I would disapprove.

Ask forgiveness instead of permission I guess.

Well I fooled him when I showed zero disapproval.

But as it goes with ten-year-olds and their pocket knives,

Peter's was confiscated (by Paul) within the week.

On to birthday pancakes with a candle.

And now the gift he was really hoping for.

The newest in Lego.

The cafe doesn't seem to be too busy.

On Peter's list of things to do before we move

was to go to Chic-fil-a.

So I suggested it for his birthday.

What he doesn't know is that it was my ploy to avoid a Chuck E. Cheese birthday,

which was also on his list.

Being naturally indecisive and easily influenced,

Peter was all for a Chic-fil-a birthday lunch.

Uncle Steve met us there.

And Nana and Papa.

Then we went to Nana and Papa's house for a third helping of birthday food.

Since we are moving and taking very little with us,

his cousins gave him great gifts of his favorite foods that he can eat before we go.

Great idea.

This is a giant cookie,

just like his Dad requests on his birthday.

And now he's ten.

The Last Bit About CA

The last of the magical winter trip to California with every family member except my husband...  Everyone!  All my siblings and all their families.  My heart overfloweth.

 Poker Night #2

I love the generations here.

 Rube conquering the playground.

Necessary trip to In-n-Out. 

I'm doing the advanced maneuver of eating with a 26 pound unconscious Korean in one arm.

 Doesn't my dad look great?!

Leukemia, what?

Granny and Granpa with 3/4 of their grandkids.

Three Hermans in the back seat.

 Saddest picture ever:  Saying goodbye to Granny at the airport.

 Those of us who are two quickly recovered and became very excited about being on the airplane again.

He's got M&Ms to count.

 Reuben's latest style is buttoning ALL the buttons.

And now we're all home cherishing the memories, 

and preparing to make more.

Dad's 100th Day Party

Paul's at the bar tonight, two boys are in bed not sleeping, and Peter's playing a video game.  So I get to blog!  Here are unpublished pics I found on my camera from our last trip to California - January 28 to February 5th.  These all show our day at Sue and Paul's where we celebrated my Dad's 100th day since his stem cell transplant.  Lots of extended family.  It was fabulous.

The Sisters (my dad has four of them) gave my dad a bag of presents

that his new DNA would really enjoy.

His sister Jo was his perfectly matched donor, so now he has her DNA,

or something like that.

So naturally he would like to read about Will and Kate.

 And he would want a framed picture of Jo's dog.

 And he needs a little purse to carry the dog around.

 Sister Carly with my next niece, Charlotte.

Brother Craig

And then my dad gave a touching speech about being thankful to be here.

We are all abundantly thankful too.

My three sibling are in here along with our cousins who all live in So Cal.

 This is Max, my cousin's son and platelet donor extraordinaire.

He entertained Charlie a long time.

It was a nice break for me.

Paul wasn't on this trip, remember.

And then it was time for the 49ers to win the Super Bowl.

Except they didn't.

We all hung out here, watching a TV you can't see in this picture.

Aunt Cheryl and Charlie

 Granny making the most of the thirty-minute power outage during the game.

Chase and Charlie in their private lounge.

 Peter helped Aunt Jo keep track of the score.

 The Niners must have scored at this point

since Dave is kissing his moneymaker.

Brody and Charlie saying good-bye.