the color green...

{its tastes better when you grow it}

2011-07-14T16:38:00.001-05:00

we're more earth-tone kind of people....

2011-05-11T15:12:00.001-05:00

but this one may bring some pink into our house...

looking forward to meeting our daughter, due around silas' birthday!

silas birth date... 10.9.2007

baby girl's expected arrival... 10.10.2011

we are thrilled, overjoyed, excited, blessed beyond belief, thankful, and so grateful...

we already love you.

xox

life lately...

2011-05-11T14:33:00.001-05:00

i've been way behind on blogging and here's why....

lots of painting projects...

making homemade pizzas...

lots of this...

play doh sculptures...

and then it warmed up and we've been living outside ever since...

washing the cars...

squirt gun fights...

{reloading}

and kayaking of course...

this outing was on southbridge lake, also known as the pond behind our house. headed out for bigger water soon.

{many more pics here}

xox

and now its 72 and sunny...

2011-02-18T13:57:00.000-06:00

snowpocalypse. snowmaggedon. blizzard.

what ever you call it, we called it fun.

snow ice cream. canvas painting and other art projects. sledding. snow angels. two snow caves. play dough and hot chocolate inside when we got cold. all this and more can be seen here.

we had a blast.

xox

wordless wednesday

2011-01-26T13:55:00.000-06:00

{okay, one word...happiness}

xox

once there was a tree...

2011-01-25T16:58:00.000-06:00

and she loved a little boy.

{thank you giving tree for the inspiration!}

on the radio {by regina...& silas}

2011-01-25T13:53:00.000-06:00

silas loves regina spektor {i wonder where he gets that from? hmmm...} and along with ingrid she's his most requested. on the radio is one of silas' top picks so we thought we would share it here.

{he always sings with the kids at the end and melts my heart!}

perfect song for a tuesday afternoon...enjoy!

xox

a meaningful carabiner

2011-01-18T14:20:00.003-06:00

this may look like just a carabiner hanging from our garage ceiling there to let us know how far to pull in...

but it is much, much more than that.

we are in a season of stability. for the time being we are in one place long enough to commit to hanging a carabiner from the garage ceiling to let us know how far to pull in.

and that is really exciting.

we are adventurers and we always want to be ready to drop everything if that is the plan. seriously. but for now we are in one place and loving it.

none of us are entitled to

stability

or water

or shelter

or breath

for that matter.

but for now that is the gift we've been given and we're loving it so we're living it up. we're even hanging a carabiner in the garage to celebrate!

{the carabiner does say moscow, russia on it...i'm connectedness so of course its all connected, right?}

you and i

2010-12-15T15:42:00.000-06:00

happy anniversary baby!

i married my best friend 8 years ago today.

one of my favorite days. EVER.

i love you tim!!!

{today it is 49 degrees and cloudy. on that december 15 in 2002 it was 72 degrees and sunny in tulsa oklahoma. that is sweet.}

do you remember

2010-12-14T09:41:00.000-06:00

i'm an anniversary person. i love anniversaries and i remember them to such a degree i sometimes wish i could lessen that ability so that i could remember other, sometimes more practical things. but i think remembering is so important so no, really i don't want to move those dates out of my mind. {we'll pick up milk next time we're out.}

some significant dates that stand out to me...

my family's birthdays.

because i love them and i love birthdays.

february 11.

tim's birthday {and also my grandfather's birthday - they always had a special connection because of their birthdays and the military}

october 9.

silas' birthday {and the day i had a baby}

and then the chronological portion of my memories...

late august, early september-ish 1998.

i must admit this is the only date that is a little hazy. only later did i know its one i would want to remember so clearly. i officially met tim when he came into my flower shop.

august 2-3 2001.

when tim and recognized outloud that we were more than friends.

september 11 2001.

because tim is a marine, we knew our lives would be changing.

december 10 2001.

tim got his orders that he was leaving on his first deployment.

december 25 2001.

our christmas morning engagement.

january 19 2002.

i cut 12 inches off my hair and donated it to locks of love - this is something i had wanted to do for a long time and i wanted tim there with me when i did it so we did it earlier than planned.

january 21 2002.

tim left for his first deployment.

june 13 2002.

tim came home from his first deployment.

december 14 2002.

i graduated from college, although i wasn't there. i was at my wedding rehearsal. they mailed me my diploma.

december 15 2002.

one of the top 3 days of my life. i married my best friend.

march 1 2003.

we got tim's official orders that he was leaving for iraq after months of scuttlebutt.

march 13 2003.

early morning at the airport. reporters. cameras. tears. unknown. tim was wearing jeans and tennis shoes {no chacos allowed}and a three buttoned shirt. i was wearing his jacket. the most real breaking of my heart i've experienced in life so far. yet, peace. tim leaves for iraq.

may 3 2003.

someone egged our car, focusing on the marine corps sticker.

august 10 2003.

tim came home.

august 15 2006.

we moved to russia.

october 9 2007.

we met silas for the first time!

june 21 2009.

we moved back from russia.

there is so much life in between before and around all these date markers. i don't lessen anything of those by listing these. these were just specific anchors that influence the time between them.

i think we are supposed to remember and celebrate dates. the happy and the sad. because it all contributes to who we are. it all has a lasting effect. it all shapes how we experience and feel everything from that point forward.

in the book of joshua in the bible its talks about making a pile of stones to remember what happened here so that when your children ask you, you can tell them what GOD did. in backpacking or along hiking trails and on the tops of mountains or at the end of climbs or many other places there will often be piles of rocks or markers called cairns. they can be a monument, mark a summit, or be there to help us remember.

tim and i have built two cairns so far in our life together.

one in greece just before silas was born.

and one in colorado when we got home from russia.

we have pictures of these cairns in frames around our home.

we feel like its important to remember.

so here's to remembering that 8 years ago today i graduated from college, but i wasn't at that ceremony...i was at the rehearsal for my favorite ceremony ever...

i love you tim and i'm so thankful for all the life we've walked through together and all the life we have to come!

happy anniversary eve!

xox

the latest art project...

2010-12-03T13:48:00.001-06:00

there are always random art projects around our house that are in the works and here is a sneak peek of the latest one...

is that not the cutest baby hand you have ever seen!?

more to come...

happy weekend!!!

xox

thankfulness on a leaf

2010-12-01T14:15:00.001-06:00

i am so thankful.

just to name a few ...

i'm thankful for GOD

and

my family and friends and the ability to run and breath and speak and hear. i'm thankful for the relationships i have and the ability to be in peoples lives and have people in mine.

i'm thankful that my Marine came home. i'm grateful for our life together.

i am thankful to know silas. he has changed my life forever. {and he makes me laugh so hard}.

i am thankful for my parents.

i am thankful for all of my family, blood and otherwise.

i am thankful for my friends.

speaking of, we had thanksgiving at our house this year which was gloriously crowded and so much fun. it was complete with turkey, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and of course the thanksgiving tree...

lots of leaves of thankfulness......

what would your leaf say?

it was fun to see what everyone considered "leaf worthy" to add to the tree. we may have a tradition in the making here.

{oh and a terra cotta fire bowl complete with pinon wood joined our family this thanksgiving too! lots of good times coming around the fire!}

xox

pumpkin pudding

2010-11-03T10:16:00.000-05:00

pumpkin pudding is a staple around our house throughout the year, but in this season there is a certain festiveness to it!

{my sous chef}

pumpkin is a superfood packed with alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, high in fiber, vitamins C and E, potassium, magnesium and low in calories.

and its delicious.

pumpkin pudding

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

one 15oz can 100% pure pumpkin *

one 12oz can evaporated nonfat milk**

* you can also use fresh pumpkin but after preparing the pumpkin, you'll have to strain most of the water out before using it for this recipe.

** coconut milk and almond milk are also good substitutes.

mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in a small bowl. beat the eggs in a large bowl. stir in the pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. gradually stir in the milk. pour into a shallow over proof dish and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes. the center should be slightly wiggly when done. cool and enjoy at room temperature or refrigerate for later use {or do like we do and keep a spoon handy and just take big bites of it every time you walk by it}.

xox

FALL-ing in love!

2010-11-01T21:16:00.000-05:00

we love the fall around the wiley house!

and we've been having fun...

we got silas the awesome ekkore swing from ikea from we have all been loving it!

...and silas started riding a bike! he's a pro already! and already tim and i can sit on the front porch and drink coffee while silas stays within the boundaries {back and forth between the mailbox and fire hydrant...and back again...}

we also got to explore the pumpkin patch on one of our beautiful days. "exploring" the pumpkin patch mostly consisted of jumping off the huge pile of hay bales over and over and then pulling the wagon around the field of pumpkins loading and unloading the wagon in search of the perfect pumpkin! you found a GREAT pumpkin silas jack!

then of course a little trick or treating with the cousins! the UPS man was in rare form and went running up to each house yelling "what can brown do for you?"

poor tim, he never saw it coming...

and then a break on the curb {ie break from collecting more candy}to play with some leaves and relax!

i love this season.

being outside.

excuses to bundle up.

lots of time with family and friends.

good things.

i am so grateful!!!

xox

its not too early to start thinking about christmas presents...

2010-10-14T15:40:00.001-05:00

or any time, just because presents.

and here are a few really good ideas...

the samaritan's purse chirstmas gift catalog is a really good place to start.

for $9 you can feed a hungry baby for a week

for $75 you can rescue a child from exploitation

for $15 you can teach a child to read and write

for $250 you can transform the life of a disabled child

for $45 you can buy 10 fruit trees for a community

for $50 you can help stock a fish pond

for $70 you can buy a community some dairy animals

for $35 you can provide a community honey bees and all the starter equipment and training to start a successful honey business

for $75 you can furnish a weeks worth of hot meals to a child

for $10 you can provide a treated mosquito bed net

for $4 you can provide a weeks worth of milk for a child

for $14 you can buy a starter brood of a dozen chicks

for $130 you can buy an emergency shelter

...clean water, emergency medication, care for AIDS orphans and widows, family survival kits, help sending missionary doctors, build a house for a family, household water filters, freshwater wells, shoes, clothes, blankets, and so much more...

buy some toms shoes and a child gets a pair, too.

world vision is another great organization that i wrote about here that gives you the opportunity to bless people with the things they need...

trade as one is a fair trade organization that empowers people to create sustainable business and break the cycle of poverty in the developing world.

you can empower a child and get to know them through compassion international.

so many opportunities to stay connected, show Jesus' love, and save lives. we are powerful in each others lived and in the lives of people we don't even know.

we are supposed to take care of eachother.

so...happy early christmas present shopping......

xox

happy birthday silas!!!

2010-10-09T07:00:00.003-05:00

dear silas, today you are three!

so three years into your beautiful life...

you have lived in russia longer than you have lived in the USA
you LOVE regina spektor and ingrid michaelson and you sing all their songs
you throw a frisbee like a pro
you are so empathetic - you teach adults how to care for one another
you love kai
you love thomas the tank engine {and thanks to thomas you use many "british" terms}
you dance
you still like to use a lot of the sign language you learned before you could speak
the way your face lights up when you see your daddy is priceless
you prefer almond milk or soy milk to regular milk

you drink pomegranate juice like its going out of style
you love pete the cat, anything eric carle and move over rover!
i think you would live outside if we would let you
you know all your letters and you count to 20 - you are a learner!
you have a lot of questions but a true desire to understand - that is admirable.
you say "hello" to everyone you see, and you have been able to elicit a smile from any stranger since you were a little baby on the moscow metro
you eat salmon but not tuna, you love fresh mozzarella and avacado
you would be happy if we had a picnic dinner in the backyard every night
you are a good friend
you do love your blanket
you have always been a good sleeper and you still are {you have spoiled us!}
you love to paint
you love your family and friends and talk about them by name all the time
you are cautiously adventurous {a really good balance}
you love kayaking

silas, you have lived a lot of life in three years...from way back here to all thats in between and now you are three. what a joy to know you. we love you and look forward to many more years!!!

{many many many more pictures and videos from these last few years here!}

happy birthday buddy! we love you!!!

{you took this picture a few days ago...photographer in the making!?!?!}

xox

happy saturday!

2010-10-02T11:53:00.000-05:00

oh how i love that lovely pile of pillows.

happy saturday!

{we're headed out to play!}

xox

dear silas,

2010-09-22T16:13:00.000-05:00

i love the way you love the sky.

you are so interested in the colors, the clouds.

you understand {and explain to people in the grocery store} that when the sun sets, its the people on the other side of the worlds turn to have some daytime.

you teach me and i am grateful.

thank you.

i love you so much!

xox

learning how to rest

2010-09-06T09:21:00.001-05:00

in 1882 a cabinet maker named peter mcguire suggested the idea for a new holiday to celebrate american industry and give workers a day off. that idea was later signed into law by president cleveland and is now what we know as labor day.

but resting wasn't a new concept even then.

it was originally introduced as the sabbath.

the author of a book called "breath" reminds...

"we are created in the image of God, and he modeled for us a way of life that makes sense for how we are created. Here's how to dance the dance of life, he said: work, be creative, use your imagination, throw yourself into it, whether you are washing dishes, reading to your kids and running a household, or trading stocks, reading corporate reports, and running a business...at the end of each day, stop. take a rest, eat a good meal, get enough sleep, and refresh yourself. take time to think about your day, to notice where God was in it and where you were blessed, and to say, "it's good." then go back at it the next day. and after six days, take a whole day off. and say "it's really good." spend a whole day just pausing, just reflecting on how really good it is, and then start the dance again, at a sustainable pace."

i think that is not only a good idea, its what we are designed to do.

some of my favorite moments include but are not limited to...

2010-09-05T15:21:00.000-05:00

...those that happen on a long weekend!

happy labor day weekend!

this weekend we are...

flying high...

making pancakes...

and admiring the sky...

{this picture was NOT posed! silas was out after dinner playing with kai and we looked out and this what we saw. simple deep breaths and admiration. we can learn a lot from him.}

{just too good not to share!}

many many more pics of these days are almost posted on picasa.

also this weekend...

celebrating hunter and madi! {pics on the way}

happy birthday ken and jen and ben and hunter {and madi a few days earlier!}, happy anniversary corbin and christy, and always thinking of zach and joey and jared, always...

xox

something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue

2010-08-25T16:15:00.000-05:00

tim and silas and i had a great adventure a few weeks ago at re-store, an awesome place here in tulsa. as the website says, recycling at its best.

reduce, reuse, recycle...please.

re-store helps keep usable items out of landfills. doors, door knobs, handles, trim, windows {as seen below}, cabinet doors, tools, everything...even the kitchen sink.

so it was a fun adventure for all. silas got to run and play and talk to everyone who would talk to him and tim and i got to dream and be inspired about how we could use some of these fun treasures we were finding! plus all proceeds go to habitat for humanity. meeting a basic need, i think that is a great place to start.

one of our exciting finds was this window. just a little scrapping, mixing up a green i like, a light coat of new paint and some hanging brackets...voila!

{all of these pictures are a little different to me, and i love them all, so i'm sharing them all with you!}

something old...the window

something new...the window {to us}

something borrowed...everything on this earth

and...

something blue...those eyes! look at those eyes!

my beautiful butterfly

2010-08-24T13:29:00.000-05:00

yesterday silas and i were hanging out with my aunt at her house and as silas swung in her string hammock from the yucatan {circa 1978} he recited the very hungry caterpillar saying...

"i built a small house around myself called a cocoon that i lived in for more than two weeks, then i pushed my way out and i was a beautiful butterfly!"

and indeed he is.

we watched a sesame street this morning and they talked about bicycles and tricycles and the importance of wearing a helmet, so he's now insisting on wearing his helmet as he rides around inside the house...not a bad idea...i guess?

silas, i love knowing you.

hello moon, goodnight mittens and goodnight kittens

2010-08-23T15:22:00.001-05:00

because someone else is getting some good out of our camera somewhere in france, we got a new camera {thanks to insurance and overstock.com}.

with a 80X optical zoom.

thats a lot of zoom.

yes, that is the moon as seen from our backyard the last few nights {at an 80X optical zoom advantage}.

the moon is in synchronous rotation with the earth and is the earth's only natural satellite. the moon's gravitational pulls produce the ocean tides and have an effect on the length of minutes in a day.

the moon is an amazing thing that we have the opportunity to bypass or be thankful for every night. the truth of the moon reminds me of my favorite song and the reason i named this blog the color green when i started it a few years ago before russia...

...and the moon is a sliver of silver
like a shaving that fell on the floor of a Carpenter's shop...

be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands
suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land
look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made
blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise ...

and tim took a great video, for a little perspective...

soul food

2010-08-21T11:51:00.004-05:00

i am grateful for my husband who brings me a beautiful blue hydrangea flower, a fun drink, and a redbox movie just for fun!

...and i am grateful for my amazing artist who makes beautiful creations for us to decorate our walls...

i am grateful that we just celebrated the 7 year mark of the day tim came home from the war...

that was a good day.

and the first moment was captured...

we stood like this for a long time...

as of august 19, 2010 all combat troops are out of iraq, and we were a part of that so for us too its a closing to a certain chapter.

i'm grateful that while tim was there he had good friends who took care of eachother...

and he took care of these...

{can you see him in that crowd?}

i love these faces.

we have so much to be grateful for, and its good for the soul to stop and consider that often. take time. its rejuvenating, refreshing, restorative. don't let it pass.

my smoothie king

2010-08-18T07:45:00.000-05:00

...really, he's a pro.

silas' perfect everyday smoothie:

apple juice

a few huge spoonfuls of vanilla or greek yogurt

wheat germ

whole banana

a few handfuls of frozen strawberries

blend to perfection and enjoy!

this is what i love...

2010-08-06T17:47:00.000-05:00

i think its really sweet, the way i seem to go invisible to silas once tim gets home....

he loves his daddy. and whats not to love?

{happy weekend!}

a few full weeks in a few words

2010-07-30T15:09:00.000-05:00

because someone in paris is getting some good out of our camera {hopefully! the least they could do is take some great pictures!}, this will be a "word picture" post.

the last few weeks have included...

silver dollar city {or hundred dollar city if you ask silas} adventure with my parents, tim, silas and myself {including silas riding his first "rides" ever, and me and tim riding roller coasters like kids {and then getting back in line immediately to do it again}}

splash park.

surprising a dear friend for his birthday{the surprise also included a bunch of marine buddies reunited...truly priceless, high unpredictable} {we love you brian!}

great time with friends...

seattle. wonderful trip. for tim's work conference but i got to tag along. seafood while literally sitting on the dock {could have just jumped out of the water, sprinkled some seasoning on itself and landed on my plate}...pike place market. fish throwing. fresh flowers. honey sticks. just-picked raspberries. finding a fun tiny little town nearby and walking in each little shop. finding a great resource on how to home-make dog food.

more great time with friends...

new wood floor {thank you warranty dept}.

splash park.

new carpet in one room {again, thank you warranty}.

friends...have i mentioned that?

splash park.

i am so thankful that i have gotten to travel the world as much as i have so far in 31 years. but i love tulsa, and i'm always glad to come home to you.

31 was a good birthday...

2010-07-08T15:42:00.000-05:00

monday july 5 was my birthday and it was a great one. tim and i took silas to his first movie ever {toy story 3} and was a sweet several moments there sitting in the dark, sticky-floor-popcorn-smelling room. did you know they have booster seats for the theater seats so little ones don't get sucked into the crack in the chair as it threatens to swallow them? so cool. silas' arm stayed shoulder-deep in a bucket of popcorn for the whole movie as he peered barely over the top edge of the bucket. a sip of coke every now and then. i don't think he blinked the whole time. and i love movies, and i think movies are overpriced, but this one was priceless, truly.

when they steal your camera, buy a disposable and keep having fun

2010-07-02T15:28:00.000-05:00

this probably should be a post about the amazing trip that tim and i just had the opportunity to take to france, and we were beyond words blessed to get to experience.

and it will be about that some...

but mostly it should be about my amazing husband and best friend.

if ever you are looking for tips on the right perspective and attitude and heart to maintain when on the first day of your international trip your bag, including all your clothes and camera, your only suit and tie, your four favorite pairs of shoes, favorite running shoes and shorts, favorite undershirt {you know, the things you can't replace easily} and everything else that is your favorite that you take on a special trip...is stolen...talk to my husband. exemplary. model. jesus-like. he is amazing.

for the rest of the eight days he wore what he left our house in bixby wearing. he did get to borrow a pair of jeans for a few days from a friend we had there. {and he honestly did smell great}. otherwise, he rinsed his clothes in the sink and hung them to dry. he borrow a suit from someone we know for the wedding he was officiating in the french countryside. he wore a pink dress shirt for a fancy dinner {because that was all our friend had} and i think i've convinced him to buy a pink one for himself - he never would have done that otherwise, but even he agreed...he wears it well.

we bought a disposable camera and took pictures we couldn't look at right away. that was an adventure. we did it like we used to in high school...got our pictures developed at walgreens when we got back to the US and being impatient we flipped through the stack sitting in the car in the parking lot.

i see how amazing and selfless tim is on a daily basis, but in situations like the ones we walked through in france, its hard to take my eyes off him, the peace and patience he holds onto when its tough. it was even fun and adventurous filing a police report in the little office in the train station in lyon. the police officer practiced his english on us, and we all laughed as he told us a few stories about when he was a kid. priceless moments.

oh, and france was amazing.

train ride to lyon. preparing for a wedding. making new french friends who {thanks to facebook} we've already re-connected with from our internet connection to theirs. kissing once on each cheek. picking flowers in the fields in the french countryside for the wedding later that day. a wedding at a castle. a party at a castle. learning the customs. train ride to paris. celebrating. melding french and american ways and people. paris. montmartre. french art. sacre coeur. eiffel tower at night, watching the city wake up for the evening. iced coffee outside a cafe in the art district, reading our books.

our hearts did break to miss silas. that was hard. but he was blowing bubbles and building with clay, and at the jenks aquarium, and taking walks, and making art from the leaves he picked up while on his walks, and watching thomas the tank engine, and being loved on so much by his noni and pop and bono and daddad, no kid could ever want for more. but the reunion was truly reuniting and like letting a breath you'd been holding out...

so an amazing time had by all...even the guy who is wearing tim's favorite clothes now, somewhere in france....

noyvecheremyshkinskaya at 3am one year ago today

2010-06-21T16:39:00.000-05:00

one year ago today, in the darkness of the early morning, we said a bittersweet goodbye to our russian neighborhood and all the little details that had become our home for a few years...

...the first home silas had known...

...a home that grew us in more ways than we know even now...

we said goodbye to some dear friends, and see you later to some others...and hello to others...

i love that season of our lives and i am forever grateful for it.

often the view from our kitchen window, looking down on our greenbelt, watching moscow go by...

...thank you moscow...

so long pack n play, you've been a good friend to us...

2010-06-09T12:16:00.000-05:00

twin mattress on the floor. check.

fun new striped sheets. check.

new thomas the tank engine blanket. check. check.

one night down, a lifetime to go {in a big boy bed}.

today silas is 2 years and 8 months old and last night was his first night in a big boy bed {aka twin mattress on the floor}.

he had only ever gotten out of his pack n play twice: {once right after we got back to the states - he dropped his blanket out so used the nearby couch to get out - scared him when he couldn't figure out how to get back in}

{and the second time was monday night - a few minutes after we put him down we hear a knocking coming from his door and "mommy daddy i got out!"}

so when we asked him if he wanted to get a big boy bed and talked all about what that entailed, he was in. i figured we'd get one and leave it in his room for a few weeks so he could see it and get used to the idea. but last night at bedtime, as clear as anything he told us he was ready to sleep in his big boy bed. so he did.

it was a little emotional {for me}. he's been sleeping in his pack n play since day 1 so this was a big step for all of us.

but you are growing up, silas! ready or not, here we go...

beautiful weekend

2010-05-24T14:50:00.000-05:00

lots of sunshine. greek food. kayaking. projects in the garage. splash park. rest. sitting still. baby shower to celebrate a friend. eating clean. playing hard. vitamin d. meeting new people. driving. good music. dear dear dear friends. tzatziki. sweet times. and...

finishing the kayak racks...

{my beautiful boy...i just had to interject}...

posing with the new racks, take 1...

take 2 {i am so blessed with my guys!}

the carpenter and his kayak racks!!! good job baby!

cruisin'.....

thanks, pop, for letting us borrow your cool truck!

enjoying these days....

get outside!

2010-05-21T15:09:00.000-05:00

get some vitamin d. stay hydrated. play.

we're looking forward to reuniting with our kayaks this weekend...

silas is ready too!

and speaking of our kayaks, construction on the kayak racks is underway! progress as promised...

"how do you make this thing go?"

thank you mom for my beautiful bronzed leaf begonias and the rest of my new color outside!!!

{happy weekend!}

i am grateful for a tree with the green on top...

2010-05-15T11:08:00.000-05:00

since we moved in we've had a poor tree in the front yard that was diseased and was bare on top but had lots of green sprouts growing from the trunk...
we just got a new beautiful october glory maple...its just a baby tree but at least the green is on top...

{good rainy morning kai and silas!}

{mmmm....oatmeal!}

we are also so thankful and grateful that the doctors have discovered that tim's back pain {probably mostly because of the usmc} is because of three bulged discs in his back and he is being treated now! on the road to recovery!

happy weekend!

2010-04-09T17:28:00.002-05:00

{apologies for being absent from the blogging world for so long...we're outside away from the computer most of the time these days...thanks for checking back in!}

{hello first strawberry of the season....}

and a few funnies for the weekend....

sweet silas' latest version of sharing with kai...

...and kai indulging in her space...apparently she thinks she has a lot of stretching to do to make up for her years in our russian apartment...

and last but certainly certainly not least, today is my baby's 2 and a half year birthday! my how the time does fly.....

with all our hearts, we love you silas!!!

kadence faith

2010-01-20T20:07:00.003-06:00

{cathey, me, charlene, kristen {and kadence!}}

kadence faith is the miracle who came into our lives and our family on december 27. my niece, {tim's sister's daughter}kristen, gave birth to kadence the day before her own birthday...

i want to write this post not only in celebration of kadence's life, but in honor of kristen, the amazing woman that she is, the mom she is becoming and the child of God who is being molded and shaped by her daughter on a moment to moment basis.

on october 2 when kristen went to her doctor for a standard check up to find out her baby's gender, they discovered that kadence has spina bifida and hydrocephalus. kristen had the opportunity to join a research group out in california so her and her mom {cathey}moved their life out to san fran for a little while for kadence. in this research group, she was placed into a sub group where an inutero surgery was done on kadence to fix the place on her spine where her spinal cord was coming out...

weeks passed...cathey took care of kristen, i know they laughed a lot, they decorated her hospital room with christmas, monitored kadence, had good days and bad days...

and kadence took her first breath on december 27th, just in time for her momma's birthday on december 28th.

and everyday since has been a unique day, i know. kadence has had good days and bad days but she is progressively getting stronger and healthier, like we all are hopefully...

they will be home from san fran soon hopefully, and i can't wait to hug them and love on them and get to know kadence, and get to know the "mom" side of kristen.

kristen, i am so proud of you and the way you are walking through this life change as you fall deeper in love with your daughter and your God. i know there is joy and pain and questions and laughter and awe-struck-ness and tears and exhaustion and good things and hard things. you are never alone!

love you!

extreme makeover home edition in tulsa, again!

2010-01-18T19:37:00.001-06:00

and simmons is building, again! simmons are the ones who are building our house {almost done!} and we are pretty big fans of theirs. and next week, for the third time, simmons is building a house on extreme makeover home edition!

and if you are around, you can be a part because they are looking for volunteers to help. anytime between january 28 and february 3 you can do anything from handing out snacks and drinks to electrical to plumbing to carpentry to loading and unloading to miscellaneous {do you think they would let me do ty's make-up?}... if you are interested you can click here to get more info and fill out a volunteer form.

our walk-through was moved up to this afternoon {yay!} so we got the scoop...they need volunteers and from what they were saying, {and from what i can imagine} it would be a really fun and meaningful thing to be a part of for a family here in tulsa who needs it. what a cool way to be the body of Christ in action.

tomorrow {jan 19} at university of tulsa at 930am is the community pep rally...

maybe we'll see you there...

you've come a long way baby!

2010-01-16T15:40:00.001-06:00

september 17, 2009

october 28, 2009

november 12, 2009

december 18, 2009

january 16, 2010

final walk through: january 19

closing/start moving: january 27

{dear house, we can't wait to live in you!}

{oh and of course we had to document our first meal in the house...taco bueno tacos...yum}

haiti

2010-01-15T16:18:00.001-06:00

my heart just breaks for what happened and is happening in haiti. some ways you can help from wherever you are include...

jesus in haiti

worldvision

samaritans purse

or text HAITI to 90999 and $10 will go the red cross for earthquake relief. {that will show up on your next bill} every bit helps.

everyday things

2010-01-07T10:04:00.007-06:00

sometimes i think that i love my life too much...

its the little things. and the big things.

a few mornings ago silas and i were in walmart and an older man who worked there was stocking shelves. he had a big belly and a long white beard. silas is 2. you know what is coming. silas shouts in a booming voice, tiny finger pointing at the man...

"santa claus!!!"

i'm trying to not laugh too loud as i try to push the cart on and tell silas that that is not santa claus, but just a man who works at walmart.

he's sure about what he sees.

"no, that santa claus!"

a few minutes later "santa claus" was stocking shelves on the isle we were on. silas leans around me and says in the voice most filled with wonderment....

"hi santa claus. hi santa claus. hi santa claus..." {on repeat}

"santa claus" never acknowledged silas, but another customer stopped as asked me if that was indeed what he was saying, and she walked away laughing. i heard her laughing several isles over, too.

only minutes later on the cereal isle, an unsuspecting customer walks by us to grab his grape nuts off the shelf...and we would have just gone on, but it was early in the morning and this guy was still wearing his bright blue pajama pants covered in bright yellow smiling faced moons...

"mama, he in pajamas!!!"

silas yells this, perfectly clear, not just in that tongue that only parents could understand.

the man looks at me, obviously embarrassed and i can only laugh and explain that 2 year olds call it like they see it. fortunately this guy had a good sense of humor.

{the jokester himself pretending to sleep in the laundry basket as i write this....}

i will not take these things for granted

2009-12-20T14:13:00.007-06:00

i am thankful for...

2009-11-25T10:16:00.005-06:00

: my God
: tim
: my marriage
: silas
: my whole family
: health
: tims job
: the fact that my parents are still in love
: my siblings {by blood and marriage}
: sun
: rain
: getting to watch silas learn new things everyday
: plenty of food
: deep relationships
: developing relationships
: a home
: warm water
: electricity
: pumpkin pudding
: a car
: good soil
: imagination
: inspiration
: my favorite sweatshirt
: world perspective
: good conversation
: laughter
: tears
: clean drinking water

and so much more...

what are you thankful for?

{happy thanksgiving day!}

what a difference 17 months makes...

2009-11-16T14:26:00.003-06:00

{summer 2008}

{fall 2009}

time keeps passing...trying to be present in these moments...they go by so fast!

{both photos taken by an amazing artist, erin conrad - thank you erin for these sweet moments captured!}

easy like saturday morning

2009-11-07T14:07:00.004-06:00

oh the joy that comes from....

playing with plastic numbers...

eating lunch outside...

and playing in leaves...

simple is sweet.

the many faces of silas jack

2009-11-07T13:41:00.003-06:00

sad

mad

pensive

surprised

happy

did you know that pouring skills directly correlate with reading skills?

2009-11-07T13:21:00.003-06:00

neither did i. learning things like this is just one of the many many many joys that comes from living with my parents while our house is being built. thanks mom.

things like that, and binary math. thanks dad.

i'm so proud of my tulsa runner!

2009-11-02T13:49:00.005-06:00

{almost finished!}

{cathey and tim at the finish line after the run}

good job tim and cathey on completing the 15k tulsa run!!! well done!

{the tulsa run is one of our favorite things about a tulsa fall...this year silas and i cheered tim and cathey {one of tim's sisters} on at the finish line...and it was a beautiful day.}

buy fair trade

2009-10-23T14:07:00.002-05:00

trade as one's mission is to "use sustainable business to break cycles of poverty and dependency in the developing world"....this video is a great two minute education on what its all about.

lets take care of each other!

its the great pumpkin...silas

2009-10-16T13:41:00.006-05:00

i have looked forward to taking silas to the pumpkin patch for as long as i can remember...so today we took our inaugural trip of the season {more trips and more pictures to come, of course}. big pumpkins, little pumpkins, mud, baby goats and ducks and pigs to pet, mud, hay bales to climb on, popcorn, mud, caramels, a camel to ride {yes, a camel}...and sunshine!

in other exciting life news, tim has started his job as the manager of fitness together!!! we are so thrilled for this opportunity, where tim's natural strengths and passions in life connect directly to the job he'll be doing each day!

also, ground has been broken to build our house! depending on the weather, we could be in by mid-january!

happy first day of "school" sweet boy!!!

2009-08-26T08:33:00.002-05:00

{first first day of school pic}
{wow}
{"school" aka a few hours each week at our church in his mother's day out class}

hello again.

2009-08-23T12:12:00.006-05:00

its been so long!

in a very serious attempt to transition well from moscow to tulsa {still very much in transition and it is sweet and good}, blogging didn't even make it to the back burner but got pushed off the back of the stove. but i do enjoy this online public journal, keeping up with friends around the world {and downstairs, mom and dad!} so i wanted to pick up where i left off in a sense, here.

life is good.

last i blogged, dear granny, lucille wiley had gone home to be with the Lord. we celebrate her life daily, miss her and love her so much. she is whole and without any aches and pains now!

i struggle to even know what to type to fill in the blogging hole from the last two months...i'm still catching up on pics on picasa, so check that out too.

i'll give the short version of the last two months here...and the longer version with details {lots of details...i love the details!} maybe over coffee or tea? or on the phone/skype while we both drink coffee or tea?

we left moscow on june 21, 2009. drove out of our neighborhood at 3am. it was dark, except for all the neon. i really miss it there. we got to the airport at 4am, all set to export our pup {50 pound pup, who is such a trooper!}, export the historical icon we bought, and get all 9 suitcases, 1 silas jack {complete with stroller, gear, snacks, diapers, surprise bag of new small toys to introduce as need on the flight...}, and 2 of us to the united states of america. we hit some bumps, some road blocks, some really long lines, were yelled at, shown amazing grace, shown favor, thought at the last minute tim wouldn't be flying with us that day...we had one calm child who peacefully sat drinking his milk through it all {used to by now more adventure than most 2 year olds dream of seeing before their second birthday}, and one peaceful pup who laid by our luggage {used to by now i think more adventure than a dog would ever expect in a lifetime}, and lots of grace. so many more details, but we made it. with silas {minus the stroller, that maybe we loved a little too much, crushed by the airline}, and the dog, and all our suitcases, less money, a couple more wrinkles each and innumerable more experiences and understandings. God is good.

and since then, we have gotten to:

- spend time with family
- spend time with friends
- eat at some restaurants we were looking forward to {i.e. - tin star fish tacos!}
- get reacquainted with life in the US {still very much an ongoing process}
- got to vacation with my family in colorado for a week
- got to go to a debriefing and renewal retreat for missionaries who are coming back to the states after living abroad. it was priceless, perspective and life changing.

...and more than i can list here...

we've been walking forward in an exciting job opportunity for tim...more details to come as that works out.

and as mentioned above {alluding to my mom and dad reading this from downstairs} we are blessed to me living with my parents for a little while, as we get our feet on the ground. thank you guys!

in the midst of a lot that goes on in a transition like this, we are trying to be intentional about resting, too. keeping our eyes on the point of all this. so that translates to...

- lots of time in the sandbox and at the splash park with silas!
- dates!!!
- trying to be very present in the moments...

we miss moscow, no doubt. but we are so happy to be here, too. the freedom to speak in paradox is really important right now - two seemingly opposite things can be true at once.

more soon.

love,
ally

ida lucille wiley

2009-06-17T13:46:00.006-05:00

april 3, 1918 - june 16, 2009

...wife...mother...daughter...friend...sister...aunt...granny...great granny...great great granny...

she is home now.

I stand upon the ocean shore.
As a ship at my side opens her sail
to the morning breeze and begins to glide
across the water blue.

She is a beautiful sight.
I stand and watch her as she glides
with grace and strength into the clouds
on the horizon.

Just where the sky and the ocean meet
and come to mingle with one another.
When I hear someone cry out,
"She is gone." and I must turn and say to them,
"Yes, but gone only from sight."

For within the mind and heart she can always
be found.
For life is eternal,
Love is immortal,
and death is only a horizon,
and a horizon is nothing save the limits of our sight.

{author unknown}

if you are looking for an amazing photgrapher in the tulsa area...

2009-06-10T06:25:00.003-05:00

then i HIGHLY recommend erin conrad. she took the wonderful and special pictures that are the new header of this blog, and the ones in the slide show off to the right...

we got to do this fun photo shoot last summer in beautiful woodward park right before we came back to moscow...and i can't wait to get more photos done with her!

she is talented and so kind and a joy to work with.

you can see more of her work here.

'tis the season {isn't every season?} for a lovely outdoor photo shoot!

all our bags are packed, we're ready to go...

2009-06-07T23:46:00.005-05:00

not really, but close. most of our bags are packed but we're not quite ready to go yet.

soon.

but first, some more "see you later"'s, last time {for a while} on arbat street, last time {for a while} on red square, and of course, time with friends {most definitely not the last times}.

these are sweet days and we are trying to be very present in these moments. to quote adam duritz, "can't remember all the times i tried to tell myself to hold on to these moments as they passed..."

a few details from these last days that have been wonderful...

::time with friends and students

::silas' first wii experience - who knew a 20 month old could be such a tennis pro? {thanks liz!} or that his mama would rule the lanes at wii bowling? ;o)

::silas turned 20 months old and was totally happy to stay up 3 hrs past his bedtime with us on arbat while we looked at art, and then went right down to sleep without a peep

::dinner with friends at hard rock, moscow {not to mention joe perry's 'rock your world' quesadillas}

::our hot water went off and won't come back on until 2 days after we leave. {there are multiple and varied stories {depending on your source} as to why the hot water goes off for three weeks every summer on a rotation schedule throughout moscow, {i.e. cleaning/repairing pipes, vacation time for the workers at the plants, because they've just always done it that way, to save money, etc}...regardless of the reason, we'll miss you hot water....

{and just for fun...on june 21 we're on lufthansa flights 3189, 430 and then 5770 and this is a fun tool to track planes...in case you are into that sort of thing.}

{moscow} forever my friend

2009-06-01T02:57:00.010-05:00

this morning it is hot and sunny and i am loving it! i'm headed to the american embassy dacha outside the city in a few minutes with a bunch of friends...beautiful day for a picnic!

last week was full and sweet...some highlights...

...finals week at hinkson:::tim's final chaplain acts:::coffee and croissants with my girls:::graduation:::after graduation party:::packing:::time with friends:::packing:::carried furniture out the door and down ten stories {to be taken to various locations}:::packing:::all school picnic at hinkson:::coffee house at hinkson:::hinkson talent show:::goodbyes:::made cookies:::packing:::ate cookie dough:::goodbyes:::time with friends...

so here we are, now in the month that we make the big move. hellos and goodbyes. happy and sad. bitter and sweet.

we won't forget you, sweet boy.

cherries from the ярмарка for breakfast!

{happy happy happy birthday brian!!! we love you so much and we hope that this day on the river with your beautiful wife and pups, sunshine, coffee, lunch, guinness, and celebrating your last 2 years in the twenties are so wonderful!}

{thanks, ray, for the inspirational lyrics you were singing as i typed this, thus the title of this post...}

hello goodbyes

2009-05-28T04:56:00.005-05:00

goodbyes can be a tough thing, but very important, i believe.

we are in the midst of a season of a lot of goodbyes.

and they are sweet, even if they are hard, because that hard part means you've shared life together and that matters the most.

its strange to say goodbye to someone who you've formed a relationship with and know you really probably will never see them again...{"here, there, or in the air" as my mom says...}

so in this season with a lot of goodbyes happening, lets focus on the time we did have together and celebrate that!!! {and with goodbyes comes new hellos!}

{and in the www/skype/facebook/blog/myspace/twitter/email world we live in, we're really just a click away, right? :o)}

and because this is really just too good not to post...

{i don't know if you can tell from this still picture, sans the sound of hysterical laughter, but both silas and kai were immensely enjoying themselves here!}

if you have ever wondered why we are in moscow...

2009-05-26T00:54:00.005-05:00

if you ever get the opportunity to meet becca, katie, katherine, tina or rachel, {the beautiful ladies pictured above} you'll be better for it.

these girls are so special to me. we have a lot of history and experiences together {packed in the last 3 years}, and we've walked through a lot of different seasons together. i'm so honored they let me in and let me walk with them for these years.

they graduate from high school this friday.

a few days after that, they will each be flying to the states to start a new chapter in their life. they are american, and they are going to america, but they are the ones caught in that unique place where their home country is not their own, and their own country is not their home.

they have taught me more than they will ever know.

and last night they surprised me with an experience i'm finding very hard to put words to. they sneakily organized with tim to get a key to our apartment, so when i was out at my friend's son's birthday party, they came over here, set up the apartment for the most lovely evening, including the most delicious dinner and dessert, fresh tulips, homemade cards, my favorite music and an evening with them...

{we said the things we should all say more often, we cried and laughed, we asked questions and answered questions, we reminisced and all talked excitedly about the next steps just around the corner}

that is why we are here.

ground rush

2009-05-22T00:47:00.004-05:00

we move back to the US one month from yesterday...i think tim explained this really well the other day...

in skydiving there is a term called ground rush, where it feels like suddenly the ground is coming toward you {or the other way around} really fast. an adrenaline rush, for sure.

when you are skydiving {or getting ready to move from russia to the US}, you know that you will land {be back in the US} eventually, but in the meantime you have time to just freefall or coast under the parachute and look around, take deep breaths, etc...

but then at some point, it looks like the ground is coming really fast...

we are in the 'ground rush' phase of getting ready to move back.

so creative, isn't he?

{tim surprised me for my 27th birthday and we went skydiving, something i have always wanted to do! we highly recommend skydive airtight and jumpmaster steve phelps for your skydiving adventures!}

{the day we jumped...i just landed for the first time, tim is getting ready to go up}

what we'll miss about moscow {and take with us always}, part 2

2009-05-20T01:34:00.005-05:00

{note amended series title}

7: our sweet concierge{s} downstairs, habiba, almera {habibas sister}, and abdula {almera's husband - he's actually a street sweeper, but he is always downstairs and he is wonderful and kind}...and the way they all love silas and take great pride in having watched him grow

8: {from tim} the feeling of the sun on your face when you haven't seen it for months... {and then he quoted vanilla sky..."without the bitter, baby, the sweet ain't so sweet"}

9: the built in workout of life

10: moscow has grown an even deeper compassion in me and tim for people living in a culture {and trying to speak a language} that isn't their own...this is one we'll take with us for sure.

11: the challenge and opportunity to be creative in my cooking! when you can't find the ingredients you want, you get creative...i've been cooking-ly inspired...i want to keep this one up.

12: our friends...{did i mention that one yet?}

5K in moskva

2009-05-16T10:29:00.008-05:00

this morning we ran the 5K for the wounded warrior project sponsored by the marines at the US embassy here in moscow. it was chilly and so much fun!

this is a great cause and we were so glad to be a part, and get to do a 5K in moscow!

before the run, strolling along the moscow river...

dan and rachel {pictured above} are moving here in august to work with campus crusade, but are just visiting this time around...and rachel came in SECOND in the race!!!!!

silas pre-race, waiting patiently at the start...

the race runners...tim, me, rachel, dan and justin {justin is our new friend staying with us for a few days as he travels back to the US after being in krasnodar for 10 days...he may be moving there to do sports ministry!}

silas post-race, totally worn out. he did a 2K when he was 12 days old, but this was his first 5K. we're proud of you buddy.

it was so cool to be apart of this, and we had so much fun! we chatted with the marines from the US embassy, met lots of americans and got a great workout...doesn't get much better than that!

barefoot on red square

2009-05-16T06:38:00.005-05:00

on thursday night, tim and i had the honor of attending the senior banquet, to honor the seniors graduating from hinkson. it was such a wonderful and sweet time.

it was held at the spaso house, which is beautiful and such a perfect place for an event like this one!

sarah, russell, tim and me

we are so excited that russell will be taking over the chaplaincy at hinkson! tim has poured his whole self into the creation and development of this role at the school, and so as we move on, i can't even put words to how thrilled we both are that someone as amazing as russell will be stepping in. and sarah, {his girlfriend who has been working at hinkson the last 3 years and graduated from there!} is such a blessing and sweet spirit and i am so excited to see how their heart for ministry and the students at hinkson develops.

marcus {senior}, tim {little older than a senior}, jay {senior}

hors d'oeuvres...yum! {cam, tim, drew}

me and tina {senior}...tina will be attending jbu, {go golden eagles!} so we are so excited that we'll still get to see each other often!

so after the reception and ceremony to honor the seniors, it is tradition that the seniors head out on the town in a stretch limo...red square, victory park, etc...

and tim and i were so honored and excited that they asked us to join them! it was truly truly a beautiful evening, {a little chilly, but the rain held off!} and tim and i loved being a part of it.

{after several hours in the most beautiful heels {thank you opehlia!} i had to give my feet a break, thus...barefoot on red square}

what we'll miss about moscow, part 1

2009-05-12T03:44:00.008-05:00

i've often thought about making this list, and i've made it so many times in my head. but i think it would be good to actually write it out - i will love looking at this and reminiscing sometime in the future...

1: our dear, dear friends. nothing can replace them or the life we've walked through together here

2: the way spring comes suddenly...and there is nothing like it when you've been in so many months of dark

3: how this is much more of a task oriented culture rather than a time oriented one {they'll be late, but it was because they stopped and talked to a friend for 2 hours and didn't watch the time because that relationship was the most important thing right then} {{this can obviously be wonderful and not so great}}

4: the fact that my son has gotten exposure to this culture for the first 2 years of his life and that will forever be part of his story

5: the way we've figured out what we can do {or want to do} without

6: hinkson, our students, our life within that building...

this is a start...more to come.

and just for fun...

here is the picture that tim and silas made for me for mother's day. tim took this pic the other day, printed it, cut us out, and placed us on some hilly road somewhere with a tulip and the bright sun shining...

{notice silas is looking at the tulip...}

i love it!

dear mom...

2009-05-10T23:54:00.009-05:00

happy mother's day {yesterday}!!! i love you and i am so grateful for you!

and happy mother's day charlene ~ i couldn't ask for a better mother in law! i love you!

and happy mother's day to all moms {and soon to be's!} out there...

tim and silas took me to my favorite cafe, il pittore, and we got to sit on the patio in the sun!

{the reason i get celebrated on this day}

...that was a great weekend.

victory day!

2009-05-10T05:20:00.012-05:00

yesterday, may 9, was victory day throughout russia. victory day is russia's most important secular holiday, and marks the defeat of nazi germany. and russians love this day!!! the huge parade starts at red square and and travels a route through the city, and we had prime standing positions on the street to see the...

over 100 combat vehicles
over 9000 marching troops
69 combat planes
and
huge missiles

it was really quite spectacular.

pictures will show this day better than my words, and even then they won't quite do it justice...

you could feel the rumble of these tanks in your whole body as they came down the street.

my love

"they were young"

i thought this was a powerful message.

me and liz over the moscow river

silas sharing pretzels with a girl he met

after the parade on arbat street, we headed over to gorky park...

a significant part of this holiday is honoring the veterans who served. veterans fill the streets, wearing all their medals with pride, and people come up to them and give them flowers and say thank you. it is beautiful. most often you'll see a little child going up to one of these veterans {encouraged by a parent standing nearby} to give them a flower and say thank you. so moving.

silas got to meet a few, too...

this man who tim got to talk to for a while, was very adamant on reminding us {once he learned we are from america} that we did this together. i think our friend chris did a perfect job of describing this day here.

there is so much good out there, too.

it was awesome to get to be a part of this day here in moscow.

{so many many more pictures on picasa}

{and happy happy birthday to chris, who graciously shared his birthday with russia's victory day!}

green

2009-05-05T23:44:00.019-05:00

as spring settles on moscow and everything has turned green overnight, i'm reminded of one of my favorite songs {and the inspiration for the name of this little blog}

the color green is from a song by rich mullins, and some of the lyrics are there on the right.

...look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that you have made, blue for the sky, and the color green, that fills these fields with praise...

even the trees and grass praise Him.

this was so evident yesterday evening when tim and silas and kai and i were out on the greenbelt outside our building.

there was so much life and activity happening there...

and silas and kai made new friends quickly.

tim and i had quite a task on our hands reassuring the moms we met that silas wasn't too cold in the warm and sunny 74 degree weather without a hat and sweater. everyone is looking out for everyone else, and there are some parts of that i really like.

silas and лиза (liz)

and kai and her new friend, тимофев (tim)

i was getting to spend some time with tina, one of the high school girls who i've gotten the privilege to do life with here, and before we went outside to meet tim and silas, from our kitchen window i saw...

yes he does! and so well!!!

lots more from this adventure yesterday on picasa.

ярмарка

2009-05-03T23:46:00.017-05:00

this weekend was so beautiful and we took full advantage of it! i have always loved the sun...so when you take a girl and put her in a place that doesn't see much sun for most of the year, then that sun does come out...wow. loving it!!!

on saturday, tim and silas and i went to the local ярмарка (yarmarka) which is like moscow's version of a farmer's market...and if you know me well, you know that a sunny day at the farmer's market is definitely part of my "perfect day." it was so lovely.

i so wish i had our camera with me, but i didn't so here are some word pictures...

...silas walking from booth to booth, charming, smiling, getting free fruits and vegetables...

...saying "hey" and waving to each person he passed...

...gnawing on the huge carrot an old babushka gave him and being on top of the world as he socialized with the sellers...

i love the experience of living here for so many reasons, one being silas getting the exposure and experiences he is getting. i hope he values it someday, too.

some of what we bought included...

виноградины (grapes), помидоры (tomatoes), апельсины (oranges), яблоко (apples, from moldova), клубники (strawberries), моркови (carrots), and some fresh pomegranate juice, squeezed into an empty vodka bottle.

it was such a wonderful time.

random but inspired

2009-04-25T05:23:00.010-05:00

for all of you who are the edge of your seat for a post about uganda...its coming. but not yet. tim is a busy man. when he gets back from the trip he is currently on (anapa on the black sea with some students), he'll get right to that, i'm sure. :o)

meanwhile, i wanted to bloggingly catch up on what has been going on here. the fence painters are out everywhere and i love it! joining them are the curb painters, playground toy painters, bottom three feet of the tree painters, and bottom part of building painters. new trees are being planted, dirt is being raked, snow piles are being chopped apart and spread out so they can melt...

and all these things mean spring. wonderful.

...we had a wonderful easter with 25 great friends here! tim and i are so grateful for the community we are a part of here and we are going to deeply miss them when we are not living day to day with them here in moscow. i know i don't even fully understand that truth.

...tim and i have each gotten some really unique and sweet time with students lately...

...we had a fun/delicious dinner with kevin who has gotten to be a great friend. he came to sub for 5 weeks for another friend who was going back to the USA for the birth of his child. i've blogged about strengths finder before, and kevin is a strengths finder rockstar. seriously, that is part of his job, coaching people on their strengths finder results. so that was a wonderful/revealing/deep/fun time as kevin "coached" us. i'll say it again...i think EVERYONE should take the strengths finder test and learn a little more. did i mention he used to be a professional chef, too? lemon garlic basil chicken with angel hair pasta and cheesy garlic bread...delicious!

i don't usually take pictures of our food, but this meal was definitely picture-worthy!

and today, silas and i headed out to ismaylova, which is a huge outdoor market in the northeast part of moscow. we spent about an hour there, but it took us 1.5 hrs to get there and that much time to get back again. but the journey is the destination, right? today it especially was.

...huge crowds...

...sweet conversation with a sweet old babushka on the train with only two gold front teeth...

...many, many people helping me carrying silas/stroller up and down stairs and escalators...including a man with only one leg and a cane...that was way above and beyond and a really sweet moment...he insisted, as everyone else with two perfectly healthy legs passed by...

not only was it a great workout with the 27 lb boy and 20 lb stroller up and down stairs and escalators and in and out of metro cars, but it was an EXPERIENCE. even in hard moments, i'm very very aware that i'll miss those exact things in a few months. and there is something magical that a kid like silas can do on a train of moscow-metro-goers...he instinctively knows who to pick out of the crowd, and can make them break into a huge smile. i feel like i just get to sit back and watch, and its such a joy.

and i just have to add this...some friends of ours hand make jewelry and this is their website. i think these things are beautiful and so creative! she is also doing a jewelry giveaway that you can read about here - post a comment on her site and be in the drawing! i love art/entrepreneurship like this - i think its so inspiring. happy mother's day all you mothers (and soon-to-be moms...you already are!!!) out there...

last but not least...just added new pics and videos on picasa. seriously, what could possibly be more entertaining than watching silas eat a homemade pudding pop or lick the window? that's what i thought. for your viewing entertainment. enjoy.

from moscow to uganda...

2009-04-10T03:09:00.003-05:00

and back! the team is home! they got back to moscow early yesterday morning and they had an amazing trip...lots of details and stories to come. tim is going to write a post about it so you can hear it from him...

and silas' face when he saw tim for the first time again was so beautiful! silas was glued to him for the rest of the day...but when tim needed to take a nap because he had only slept 1 hour in the previous 24, it was all i could do to keep silas occupied...he kept standing at the door of the room tim was sleeping in saying "daddy! daddy!" when i would lead him away he would start to cry and say/wave "bye bye, bye bye." break your heart.

so silas played the new drum from uganda to keep him occupied. i'm sure andre downstairs loved that!

its a small, small world

2009-04-08T10:39:00.003-05:00

i love how small the world is. tim just called from the airport in london (entebbe, uganda to london to moscow) from my friend kristina's phone! she lives in the uk with her husband rhys and their soon-to-be-born son eli and she was at the airport to pick up some of her friends, who are also tim's friends, from JBU, who were trekking around uganda and happened to stop by new hope where tim and our hinkson team was, and they were all on the same flight to london. tracking? new hope was started by the parents of another mutual friend in this JBU circle. now that is connectedness.

the team is doing great and will be home in about 10 hours.

and since i don't have any pictures yet pertaining to uganda, here is a picture of a boy with a bowl on his head...18 months old tomorrow!

bright orange

2009-04-07T11:11:00.004-05:00

i didn't have my camera when silas and kai and i were out and about today, but the fence painters emerged and it was the most beautiful site...new paint on our wonderful bright orange fences, and lovely little drops of orange paint on the dirt under the fence...that means spring.

the team in uganda...

2009-04-06T04:08:00.006-05:00

is leaving new hope today to head to entebbe

a few highlights of their time at new hope...they...

planted 21 trees
.
planted 1 acre of casava
.
fell 4 trees
.
taught the highschoolers at new hope about russia (including language, history, culture, etc)
.
worshiped with family groups and went deep in relationship
.
bought a goat for a family group
.
lost 2 to 1 in the new hope vs hinkson soccer game!

the team is healthy, whole, changed for life, sunburned, and beautifully exhausted.

geography101...silas is pointing out uganda on the map...the purple country under his index finger is uganda.

kissing daddy in uganda!

sunburned, tired and dirty...and a goat

2009-04-03T08:32:00.008-05:00

happy spring, moscow! it is vigorously snowing outside and has been all day...but my temperature gauge says 35 degrees....hmmmm.

the team is doing wonderfully in uganda. the international SIM card isn't working, but tim is able to text so that has been great. technology!

so the update...

they have had lots of rain, which uganda has desperately needed!

the team has been working hard, building trails and a roundabout, landscaping, working in the baby house, teaching classes to the high schoolers at new hope, working in the clinic...family group time is amazing, team time every night is great.

from tim via text..."sunburned, tired and dirty...loving it."

the team bought a goat for new hope yesterday and today i got a text that tim was taking the goat on a walk.

i think that is great.

the team is on their way to uganda...

2009-03-29T08:19:00.002-05:00

and we started the morning with egg white omelets!

please pray for them as they go, and their time in uganda. more updates to come!

new hope in uganda

2009-03-28T04:56:00.009-05:00

tim leaves for uganda in the morning! they are headed back to new hope kasana where they worked last year. it was an amazing trip last year, and we are excited and hopeful that this year will be wonderful as well!

tim brought silas back this shirt last year...

"mzungu" means "white man" in lugandan.

he is indeed...

but we've had sun for a few days in a row, so we are expecting to see those fence painters soon...

please pray for safety for the team while traveling and for their time while in uganda.

the world according to silas

2009-03-17T00:55:00.004-05:00

door = "bye bye"
window = "snow" (see here)
phone = "ello" (actually anything that rings, beeps, etc gets an "ello")

redemption

2009-03-15T06:06:00.007-05:00

i have been so moved and inspired by the adoption stories i have read lately from my friends, so i want to spread that love here...

brian and suzanne are in the process of adopting a baby from rwanda.

molly and blake have three beautiful children who they have adopted, and molly's sister is an attorney working hard to change some oklahoma laws on adoption. i am learning a lot from these sweet friends and their experiences.

i love these stories.

and the bevins family...i have never met them, but we are connected by so many friends in common (and our OB, dr babb!). what they are walking through right now reminds me that God is big, bigger than we understand.

sometimes joyous experiences, sometimes heartbreaking...God is sovereign.

living in russia, where there are so many children who need to be adopted into a loving family, i have gotten the opportunity to witness many parents on the plane and in the airports who are just meeting the newest additions to their family for the first time! it is so amazing to see!

in december of 2006, tim and i got the opportunity to go home to tulsa for christmas...and on the trans-atlantic flight, i was sitting next to a man and his 20 month old son who had he had just met for the first time. they had a great story...this man and his wife had tried unsuccessfully to get pregnant for years and finally their doctor told them they couldn't get pregnant. so they decided to start the adoption process, and chose to adopt a child from russia. as the process was nearing completion and they were making plans to travel from the US to russia to pick up their little boy, the wife was so sick and feeling horrible and they couldn't figure out why...yes, she was pregnant. when it was time to go pick up their little boy from russia, she was far enough along in her pregnancy that she couldn't fly...so first-time dad, feeling admittedly overwhelmed, came to russia alone to pick up zander (short for alexander, russian version is alexai) their son. and i got to sit next to them on the plane. as this dad's backpack was overflowing and spilling out goldfish crackers, pretzels, juice boxes, small toys, i asked him if i could help and he took me up on the offer. so tim and i got to know these two over the next 12 hours of flying, and zander slept on me for most of that time.

i can't help but feel such overwhelming joy when i see these new families in the airport and on the airplanes, and be so excited for the lives that lay ahead.

i think of redemption when i hear these stories, and fresh starts.

some of our favorites

2009-03-12T06:32:00.012-05:00

today was one of those days on the metro, where i was so pressed up against people on all sides, i could have picked both feet up off the ground and stayed in that place. very sardine-like.

one of my favorite things on earth is good time with good friends. that was our tuesday. some friends who live in nalchik, russia were traveling through moscow on their way back to CO to have their second little baby, so a few of us spent time together on tuesday, and silas got to meet swift, their son.

we love jane and james, and are so excited to meet their little girl who will be joining the family sometime around april 18!

james and swift

chris (of chris and liz fame) with the boys

we are so blessed to have dear friends.

by the way, the fence painters have retreated for the time being. brrrr.

fence painters, are you out there?

2009-03-06T05:21:00.008-06:00

we're teetering on that line between winter and spring right now...we've had almost a week of sun (which is a lot) and the temp has been hanging right around 30 faren.(which is warm). in some places, the several inches of ice on the sidewalk has given way to some dry spots of concrete, and while there is still snow there are also many slushy pools to dodge as you walk. the tell tale sign that spring has sprung will be when the fence painters come out...every spring after most of the melt, the sidewalks fill with the city workers who repaint the short metal fences all over the city. every area of the city (in general) has it's color...we are orange (owange).

random pic, but too cute not to post!

there are many things i've come to love about moscow, but one of my favorites is the exercise that is built into life here. in the last three years i've seen progressively more joggers out on the street in nice weather, but joggers on the sidewalks is not a normal occurrence like it might be other places. and i think partially that is because exercise is so built into life here.

silas and i just got back from the grocery store. it took us 30 minutes to walk there, including up and down two tall flights of stairs (to cross under the street), and 30 minutes back, again conquering those two flights of stairs.

silas the boy = 26 lbs
silas' stroller = 20 lbs
groceries (on the way back) = approx 20 lbs.

i love that detail of this life.

these days are packed full and we are loving it! last night was the first showing of the play and it went great. two more shows to go! next weekend is the biannual "bella notte" that the hinkson choir performs - a musical montage. the next weekend is the rummage sale, and the next weekend tim leaves for uganda. this year's trip will be similar to last year...they will be going to new hope kasana in uganda and loving on those kids!!!

much ado

2009-03-05T00:50:00.005-06:00

tonight is the opening night of the hinkson players presentation of shakespeare's "much ado about nothing." tim is friar francis. i am so proud of him. it's going to be great - and he is very pretty in makeup...a little emo, maybe.

here's one with eye makeup only...

it is a beautiful day here in moscow, and while according to russian custom march 1 brings in the spring, i wouldn't be surprised if we still have snow and ice in our future...but today it is 26 degrees faren., the sun is blazing through the clouds and i heard birds for the first time this season, this morning. so wonderful.

something good

2009-03-03T05:23:00.011-06:00

a potentially really sad/unfortunate situation the other day has turned into a lovely learning experience. on sunday i left my ATM card in a machine outside our neighborhood grocery store - it was totally my fault, but a few things that may have contributed include:

1. i was going too fast

2. the strange (strange as in i don't know him --- i don't know if he himself is strange) man who had been following me around the grocery store followed me out to the ATM

3. i had left my groceries unattended in the store when i discovered that none of the cashiers were taking debit/credit cards that day, so i wanted to get back to them before they were put away or the cart was wheeled away never to be seen again

4. i was going too fast

so after i got back to the machine after i discovered i didn't have my card, there was no sign of my card on or around the machine. after a transaction on this machine, you have to select "return card" or "new transaction"...i had not pressed either in my haste. so a few things that could have happened:

1. someone else could have pressed "return card" and is out and about trying (good luck) to spend money

2. someone could have pressed "new transaction" and withdrawn money

not knowing which was the case, we went through all the necessary steps when something like this happens, which included calling my parents and waking them up at 1am to have them make a call to our bank that we couldn't make internationally (thanks mom and dad). side note, if you are living far away from anyone you love and you call them in the middle of their night you should always start the conversation with "everyone is alright, no one is hurt" if that is the case. good thinking tim, you saved the day.

so we went through all the steps and the near-end of the story is...if you don't answer that question i mentioned above (new transaction/return card) within 60 seconds, this ATM machine sucks your card in and it can only be retrieved by someone from the bank with the right tools and passwords going to that machine and opening it up. which happened on monday, and there sat my lovely little blue ATM card in its safe place inside the machine. so this afternoon, i am going with a russian friend (thank you lena, for your friendship and help and native russian-language speaking skills!) up north to show my passport and prove that that indeed is my ATM card.

so i'm counting this one as a lovely learning experience. no one was hurt. no money was lost. and i learned a lot. so many things i would do differently in that situation if it happens again, firstly, slowing down. so i'm even more accountable next time in a situation even vaguely resembling this one...

so...a picture having nothing to do with this story, but beautiful beyond belief...

silas and tim reading "who is it?"

silas found the baby bjorn in a shkof (wardrobe-type-closet) i was cleaning out and wanted to put it on...he walked around for the next stretch of time wearing his christmas moose (aka reindeer)...

the 3 r's

2009-02-27T07:04:00.005-06:00

reduce...reuse...recycle...

the annual spring rummage sale at our school here in moscow is coming up in a few weeks, and me and some girl friends have reserved some tables so that we can sell/give our stuff.

i have always secretly (not so secretly anymore, i guess) prided myself in being very minimalistic when it comes to stuff. no judgment on anyone who is not, that is just what i like...and i see that this is affecting silas, too. this kid has one little basket of toys (books would be the exception here - he has tons of books), and a few key favorite toys that won't fit in the basket...yet the tupperware drawer in the kitchen or one of the poorly-baby-proofed-drawers in the livingroom are still his happiest places on earth.

but in preparing for the upcoming rummage sale, i am so surprised at all the many many things i can find to sell/give away! where did all this come from? we live in about 400 square feet on the 10th floor of a tall building in moscow...you wouldn't think there would be many places for a "minimalist" to store things, would you? oh but there are...the trick is going to be me carrying it all to the school...

the view from our kitchen window...

on the mend

2009-02-27T01:28:00.003-06:00

officially, tim's nose was broken. those trees that don't move will get you every time. see the picture in the previous post for the "before the re-set" nose. last tuesday tim went back into the hospital, after the swelling had subsided significantly enough for us to be able to see that yes, it was crooked. the xray they took at the hospital was such low quality (think of those profile silhouettes we all did in art class in elementary school where your shadow was traced on the wall...) that they couldn't tell if it was broken or not...so the doctor requested that i email him "before" pics of tim's face...and from these pictures he determined that it was in fact broken. ahh, the art of medicine (and email).

a bright orange band-aid with little cartoon fish on it was the only band-aid the doctor could find in the hospital. the "re-set" went well, with minor bruising and a really great story...i'll spare the details.

here comes the sun...

2009-02-23T01:23:00.006-06:00

these years, living at a latitude of 55 45N we celebrate the sun more than ever before! and these last few days, we've been very aware of the time of year we're entering where even if the sun isn't out, the sky is just brighter! but, the sun WAS out this weekend and we did all we could to soak it up...

another adventure point of this weekend...tim, while chaperoning the high school lock-in had a run in with a tree, and the tree didn't move. capture the flag, a dark night, snow, ice, uneven ground, high energy adrenaline in the middle of the night, and a tree. as tim tells the story, his nose was the only thing that hit the tree. the swelling has significantly subsided, but we're supposed to wait a few days to be able to tell if its broken.

so silas and i made cookies for our friend who drove tim to the hospital in the middle of the night...

what? who has a mouth full of sugar???

our letter...and more...

2009-02-17T03:47:00.003-06:00

this superman's weakness is salmon and tvorik (there's no translation, but it would be like full fat yogurt and full fat cream cheese mixed)...

We thought it would be a good idea this month to put our prayer letter that we send out on our blog, too! Sorry to get you twice if you read both...but if you're a blog reader, I've tucked some extra morsels in this post that weren't in the letter!

our letter, from tim....

Friends, Family and Supporters, greetings from Moscow! As people who support missionaries ourselves, we understand what it is like to open a support letter and see tons of words...so, this quarter, we want to give you a brief glimpse, so that you can easily and quickly see what the Lord is doing in our life these days and know how to pray for and support us. Please visit our blog site or look us up on facebook for more info, stories and pictures! http://thecolorgreen-wiley.blogspot.com (you're there...)

We are praying for you all back in the States, as you face difficult economic times.

Depth and difficulty is increasing in ministry as Ally and I are both working with students and families facing tough situations. Please pray for wisdom for us and Grace for the ones in the situations.

A few other key staff members are leaving Hinkson next year, so please pray for the right people to come fill those positions - including the chaplain position.

Hinkson Students and staff are going to New Hope Uganda March 29th-April 9th. We have a great team and high hopes for the trip. We meet once a week during lunch and once a month on the weekends to learn language, work on skits and develop team dynamics.

some kids from new hope, kasana, uganda (2008)

We are asking for additional support for my $1,400 plane ticket to Uganda.

Last semester was very spiritually powerful at Hinkson. We focused on the theme of “Lies We Believe” and saw the Lord do some amazing healing in the hearts of many of our students… especially girls in the way of self-worth and self-image.

Apart from getting over a sickness he got from the church nursery, Silas is healthy, developing well and so smart! He is such a joy!

We rejoice with our good friends, the Clarks, who after 4 years of heartbreaking and unsuccessful pregnancies, will soon give birth to a healthy baby girl!

Our plan is to move back to Tulsa in late June! We will attend a Missionary Debrief and Renewal Session in Colorado during July and then begin the transition process in Tulsa by mid-July. Please pray for finances and logistics as we move back State-side.

We are asking that our financial supporters continue support through August of 2009. We will officially be employed by RCE through that time and the support will be vital to our transition back.

I (Tim) will begin the job search process very soon. At this point, I am interested in both ministry and non-ministry positions. I’d love any insight or connections that you all have with jobs in helping us re-connect and land in Tulsa.

...the end (of the letter)...

this is a really sweet season for me and tim. we are consistently trying to strike a healthy balance between being present here in moscow for our last few months here, and wisely make plans for the upcoming transition to the states. some exciting news...we've booked our tickets for our return trip!!! we use a wonderful travel agent in colorado springs who found us an amazing deal on THE most pet-friendly carrier, lufthansa. kai will be taken out of her crate at every connection, walked, re-fed, re-watered, papers changed, etc. we are very excited about that. we land in tulsa on june 21 (happy father's day dad and vance). when we get back, we'll have almost 2 weeks before we drive to colorado for two weeks to attend a living-abroad debriefing conference and vacationing with my (ally) family in pagosa springs. meanwhile, kai will be recuperating at woodland west in tulsa.

between now and then, we have the hinkson play (shakespeare's "much ado about nothing"...tim is the friar francis), uganda 2009 trip, graduation, regular (and exceptional) life...

it's cold and dark and snowy outside...what better to do to celebrate tim's 31st birthday than have a hawaiian themed party! we wore lays, burned coconut candles, listened to israel kamakawiwo'ole music, and ate a cake with an island scene on it.

i had way too much fun decorating this...fyi...if you need to decorate a cake and don't have a cake decorating kit, icing squeezed out of a ziploc bag with the corner cut off works just as well if not better - no clean up!

these last few days

2009-01-12T05:00:00.002-06:00

tim and silas and kai and i are off to a fun and full start this 2009. tim officially reported back to hinkson today after a 20 day break, school is in session. our break was full and wonderful and included...(in no particular order)

- celebrating american christmas, russian new years, american new years, russian christmas

- silas' first sledding experience

- ted and eddy visiting from OUR beloved motherland

- new boots, hat, tights and gloves for silas...he is officially warm outside in our below zero temps

- papa john's date for me and tim and silas...that is a very fun outing

- an early new year morning run around the ring

- ringing in the new year on red square (tim, ted, eddy)

- silas sleeping through the fireworks shaking our building on new years

- kai conquering her fear of fireworks

- lots of get-togethers at coffee houses, various apartments, and other locations throughout moscow with students and friends

- taking ted and eddy to one of our favorite uzbekistan restaurants only to find out it has been turned into a german food restaurant...still very good, and strangely similar to the the uzbekistan restaurant

- many movies...my favorite, expelled: no intelligence allowed "...questions that aren't properly answered don't go away..."

- lots of veggie tales (and dancing, courtesy of silas)

- trying new quinoa recipes

- walks outside

- the nutcracker ballet at the bolshoi

- silas turning 15 months

- lots of reading...almost done with the shack...i recommend it

- my (ally) victory with the squeaky loud dryer...just add WD40

- taking our neighbors a new year's gift (tradition) and that turning into 4 hours of us speaking russian and them speaking english (best way for all of us to meet in the middle), talking politics, religion, education, literature, and random other things...when ludmila learned that i had never made blini's (traditional russian crepes) she proceeded to teach me there in her kitchen at 10:30pm how to make them russian style...

- the banya

- jingle bell run

life is good.

welcome 2009!

2008-12-31T10:20:00.004-06:00

christmas eve "jingle bell run!"

2008-12-24T07:31:00.008-06:00

this morning we had the first annual "jingle bell run!" so fun. very cold. 9 of us (and one dog) met at a park and ran about 1.5 miles around the beautiful snow-covered park. it was like a fairy tale. layers, layers, layers, dog boots, warm apple juice, silas holding onto a heated field corn pack in the stroller, dog frisbee, water, camera. while 1.5 miles around the park might not sound like much, we each had to travel a distance to get to the park, which counts, too! tim and silas and kai and i live about a 2.5 miles from the park, so 6.5 miles round trip isn't bad!

getting ready to head out...

we were thrilled to find that the paths at the park had been cleared!!!

well, some of the paths had been cleared...

merry christmas ~ love the wileys

ten fruit trees for $60

2008-12-19T01:09:00.003-06:00

world vision is an organization dedicated to changing the world through giving, and i love it. it is so relevant and creative and is meeting needs all over the world right now. you can give life-changing gifts to people all over the world in the name of someone you love...you can give donations by price, or by categories like clean water, education, emergency aid, joy for kids, where most needed, animals, food and agriculture, and more.

you can buy a goat for a village for $75, two chickens for $25, a cow for $500, ten fruit trees for $60.

there are good things happening...

6 years!

2008-12-15T06:51:00.003-06:00

tim and i got married 6 years ago today! happy anniversary, babe!

last night we were talking about all that has happened in the last 6 years, a lot of life. 6 years ago today it was 72 degrees and sunny in tulsa, oklahoma, and as i write this now, here in moscow, russia it is very dark (3:51pm) and 19 degrees.

in the last 6 years we've walked through so many different seasons...

almost 3 months of marriage before tim left for iraq...
iraq...
coming home from iraq...
settling into a stable life for a little while...
buying a house...
getting kai...
deciding to move to russia...
selling a house...
selling, well everything...
moving to russia...
getting to know russia...
language school, students, hinkson, 3 apartments in 3 years...
being pregnant...
having silas...
getting to know silas...
growing to love moscow...

i feel like i could write a novel on each of those seasons.

its been a rich 6 years...

many more to come...

kai, the beatles and dima

2008-12-05T05:47:00.004-06:00

just a while ago i had a moment that i know will stand out among moments in my life...

i took kai outside, and while she was running around, a little boy came up to me saying (in russian)...

"i have met this dog before! hello kai!"

kai greeted him enthusiastically like she does everyone.

this was dima, a seven year old russian boy in first grade. he has played with kai and tim before outside, but this is the first time i had met him and his grandfather. dima was practicing every bit of english he knew with me and i thought we had to be coming to the end of his repertoire when suddenly he burst (no exaggeration here) into song...and dance! it went something like this...(with the most precious seven-year-old-boy-russian accent)

"desmond has a barrow in the marketplace
molly is a singer in a band
desmond says to molly - girl i like your face
and molly says this as she takes him by the hand..."

the obladi oblada part kind of faded off, but i was so impressed! the beatles, bringing people together...

carrot, egg, coffee bean

2008-11-23T05:36:00.002-06:00

i've often wanted to write a post about the "ashan experience" so here it is. ashan is a massive grocery store here in moscow, of which there are two. think, 3 times the size of a wal-mart super center, prices comparable to a big discount chain in the states like wal-mart or super target, therefore it's packed with people. and i don't say "packed" lightly. sometimes feel sardine-like in there. you are constantly and in the same moment running into someone with your shopping cart and being run into. and this isn't in a particular season or time of day - it is from open to close of the store. and since all the wheels on the shopping carts swivel, they can roll sideways too, which creates an added interesting dynamic. (i should say here that all wheels should swivel but that isn't always the case, like yesterday when i got a shopping cart with 2 bad wheels - now that is a work out!)
it is an extreme adventure. but the prices are such that if you can bear it, it is worth it about once a month.

a few things ashan has taught me...

1. don't wear my jeans with the buttons on the back there...they get hooked on other people's carts when i am bumped in to...
2. a smile goes a long way - the scowl on their face doesn't necessarily reflect their inside...
3. smiles usually are contagious and span languages
4. don't take yourself too seriously
5. make your grocery list according to the layout of the store because it will take you an hour to get back to the other side if you forget something
6. get in line about one hour before you want to be on the other side of the check out counters
7. be more flexible
8. an ipod makes a wonderful companion at ashan
9. take deep breaths
10. adapt

i really appreciate ashan and my experiences there.

i heard a great analogy yesterday, that i really want to carry forward with me. this takes me back to the subject of this post; carrot, egg, coffee bean.

the moral of the story is, be a coffee bean.

the rest of the analogy is this...

a carrot, when placed in hot water (the water symbolizes a stressful experience, environment, or pressure) goes from a firm state to mush.

an egg, when placed in hot water (still, that certain difficult environment) goes from a fragile place to hardened.

a coffee bean, when placed in hot water, works within its situation, becomes better, adapts, and what is inside the coffee bean changes its environment.

ashan reminds me to be a coffee bean.

thank you

2008-11-11T06:29:00.007-06:00

today is veteran's day (and yesterday was the usmc's 233 birthday). thank you to all the veterans out there who chose to sign up and serve. i am grateful.

two of my favorite veterans...

my husband.

this picture was taken at the marine corps museum in san diego in 2005. on the tv monitor behind tim was a slide show of pictures that marines had brought back from iraq. that particular picture that is showing is a painting that some people who aren't fans of america painted on a wall...that building it was painted on became "camp" for certain battalions of marines as they cycled through that area in iraq...by the time tim got there, the marines who had been there previously "re-designed" the painting you see here, expressing what they thought about the original. tim has the "after" picture, but it was neat for us to see the "before" and know that tim had been right there.

my dad.

i have distinct sweet memories as a kid of meeting my dad at the airport, him having just arrived back from active duty. he's the best looking man in navy dress whites, ever.

tim and dad, i love you both. thank you for signing up and serving.

fall on noyvecheremushkinskaya, dom 50

2008-11-11T05:32:00.012-06:00

we are getting to experience the most beautiful fall here that we have ever seen! sure, it's middle-of-the-night dark by 5pm these days, but the days lately have been in the high 30's, crisp, blue skies, gorgeous. the other falls we have had here have been a bit shorter, so this long fall has given the leaves a chance to change outside, and we are all loving the colorful palate!

a busy season for me and tim has ended (retreats every other weekend for 8 weeks and both or one of us leading other events on the in between weekends), and although we still have plenty going on, our pace has slowed a little bit which is a welcome change.

tim is in the midst of "no shave november" at hinkson (guys only)...10 other students and staff have joined him on this male bonding experience, and they are taking weekly group pictures to chronicle the event.

bella notte is this weekend, too. bella notte is a twice a year musical that the students at hinkson put on. this falls bella notte is a musical montage walk through the history of music in the united states...and tim is playing djembe in it!
and i have the joy of being with silas and other friends during the days lately, and with high school girls everyday after school - it's a honor to get to walk through these season of these girls lives with them.

last weekend was the hinkson fall festival, and it was a very fun time. we had to have the pumpkin patch inside this year because last year when it was outside many of the pumpkins froze and were unusable. silas was not sure what to think of the 60 pound pumpkins at first, but he warmed up to them...

now that it is getting colder, silas is out and about in his snow suit, learning to maneuver in all that insulation...it is pretty funny watching him shuffle about in it.

silas and kai and i outside our apartment...its about 4:30pm in this pic.

retreat season

2008-10-20T06:08:00.010-05:00

we are in retreat season here in moscow! from september 18 to november 2, tim and i are involved in retreats every other weekend. it's a whirlwind for sure, but a sweet one. this last weekend was the hinkson high school retreat at a camp ground a few hours outside of moscow in the woods and country side. in spite of the non stop rain, and sometimes because of it (i.e. "mud soccer") it was rich time. our friend, james hutchenson, came up from nalchik (southern russia) last tuesday to be our spiritual emphasis week speaker and retreat speaker. spiritual emphasis week and the retreat are two things that the high schoolers look forward to every year, so james was met with much enthusiasm. the students love him and are already looking forward to the next time he can come up to moscow...

the musicians...

silas and rachel

silas and tina and the boys

trying to keep warm!!!

campfire night...

game time

small group discussion...

me and cam before a session

worship leaders getting ready to lead

another game...looks fun, huh?

the whole group

on the bus home...

this is such a special group of students who tim and i have fallen in love with. i wish you could know them all. they come from so many different backgrounds and cultures and of course each have their own unique story. i feel so fortunate to have this time with them...

and silas loved his first high school retreat!

happy birthday silas jack!

2008-10-09T11:42:00.017-05:00

a picture walk...

october 9, 2007, silas breathed his first breath...

and then did the tulsa run two weeks later...

so happy to be sleeping!

celebrating pop's birthday...

and catching up on some emails...

then at six weeks and one day, silas' flight to moscow...

and meeting new friends...

and more new friends...

watching fireworks in moscow with noni...

one of silas' favorite spots for many many weeks!

first christmas morning...

all bundled up!

and not so bundled up...

ready to take on the world...

where to first?

more new friends...

with grandmother at starbucks in moscow...

chillin...

always learning...

playing with the camera...

getting to know emil...

always a good sleeper, even on the go...

waking up...

learning about coffee from chris and liz...

cold, sunny spring day...

silas loves to eat...

and travel...from moscow...

to tulsa...

with granny (great grandmother) this summer...

sitting in the bathtub waiting for fireworks at the park on the 4th of july...

and back to moscow...

and today, october 9, 2008...

happy birthday silas jack! what a year...

starbucks run and breaking free

2008-09-24T04:52:00.006-05:00

last friday hinkson was out of session and tim was out of the city on a retreat, so me and silas and 8 senior girls went to starbucks in the center of the city. now, just a little education on what a "starbucks run" looks like here in moscow. from my apartment door to the door of starbucks, it was a 58 minute commute - i timed it. we went by metro and foot, switching lines on the metro underground and eventually coming back up above ground near the center. in one of the underground transitions, while i was trying to get the stroller on the escalator (i know, sounds dangerous, but its the only way to do it and i've actually gotten really good at it!) a fight between two babushkas broke out. one of them had been trying to hold the crowd back to give me some room to get the stroller on the escalator, and the other one, not seeing what the first was doing came pushing through which did not sit well with the first babushka. yelling, pushing...all for my little man! we had a much more uneventful trip from there on out, and an absolutely wonderful time at starbucks. here are the senior girls (minus three) and silas at starbucks.

in the footsteps of the greats, like michael scofield (prison break) and andy dufresne (shawshank redemption) silas is breaking out...i think he has been working diligently on this hole for a long time. what started as a loose little thread, then became a hole the size of a pea, is now something that silas will be able to fit through soon if i don't do something about it quick. i'm open to any suggestions on how to patch this.

when si smiles

2008-09-17T05:16:00.011-05:00

this may be only funny to me and tim but i thought i'd post it anyway...lately when silas smiles, he makes this certain face that just cracks me up...notice the progression of pics below taken over a series of days...(yes, he is sitting in a drawer...he crawled in there while i was cleaning it out)

1.wrinkled nose - check
2.squinty eye - check
3.head tilted back - check
...i only wish you could hear the laugh that usually accompanies this look...

see you at the square

2008-09-17T04:59:00.005-05:00

yesterday was our version of "see you at the pole" that happens in the US where students gather at their schools flag pole to pray for the world, their country, and other issues...here in moscow we had "see you at the square." several students, teachers and one little baby made their way to red square after school. it was a cold day!!!

two groups praying on red square...

the whole group together...

trying to keep warm!!!

my catching up post...

2008-09-08T04:46:00.004-05:00

to all the faithful "color green" checkers, sorry this is so late in coming...you guys are so faithful to stick with us! ;o)
a lot of life has happened since i last posted...i'll ramble a bit to catch up...

on tuesday, aug 26 we got the great news that hinkson's educational license was renewed! this is something that hinkson has been trying to get since february of 2007, and then just that tuesday, the governing body in moscow that oversees the educational system granted it to us. this comes just in time as we are being prosecuted by another system within the government for not having our license for the last year and a half - we needed to have it by september 1. the next issue is getting cleared with the prosecutors office.

hinkson is in full swing, and tim is working hard! besides being an amazing husband and dad, he has taken on a lot this year at the school...designing and implementing the chaplain program and all that goes along with that (silas got to be a part of the first chapel of the year (see pic)), small groups, school counselor (our school counselor left this last year), teaching a psychology class and joining the middle school band to learn to play the trombone...to name a few! he is indeed a man of many talents! in a game we played with friends here two years ago, where those involved had to describe from the words given what the person was most like, the beautifully adaptable nature of tim who is "all things to all men" was supported once again...the results were in and on the question, "if tim were something you would put on your hand, what would he be?" the answers were evenly split between "a puppet" and "brass knuckles" and on the question "if tim were a boat, what kind of boat would he be?" the answers were evenly split between "destroyer" and "kayak." what started as a joke 2 years ago during a game with friends, has developed into a really sweet picture of the man who loves the Lord who is a Marine who loves high school kids who has fought for our country in a far away land who likes salty and sweet...so now he is learning to play the trombone.

silas is more amazing everyday... seriously, so entertaining. i sat on the kitchen floor with him for a hour this morning and we just "talked" as he emptied the drawers filled with kitchen utensils and tupperware, every few minutes taking a break to come show me what new thing he found in a drawer and get a shot of juice before he went back to work. he actually walked yesterday, too! tomorrow he will be 11 months old, and for the last few weeks, he seems to be getting stronger and more interested in letting go of whatever he's holding onto to cruise around the apartment. and yesterday, he just stood up and walked across the livingroom, laughing all the way. the video is on picasa. we figured there would be a little regression this morning and he would need to get his land legs back, but first thing this morning he scooted down off the chair we were sitting in and he walked to the other side of the apartment! granted, that is only a few steps away (we live in a very small aparment) but that counts! we are so proud. it truly is an amazing thing to know life without him, and then after a few short months, he's here, and learning and growing and walking and developing and changing and asking questions with his eyes. "they will come through your womb but not be coming from you, they will be with you but they do not belong to you..." great quote about these little ones from jason mraz, musician. and from sheryl crow "love is letting go, and this i'll know, cause you were mine for a time"...she wrote this for her son. i'm so happy to know silas and get to be with him for this time. what an honor.

moscow life is a dynamic thing, like all of life, but i've definetly encountered more challenges here than ever before in my life. sometimes simple tasks like grocery shopping, or communicating well enough with our landlord to know if we can live in this apartment next month becomes difficult and this has caused a whole new part of my heart to develop...this part is about the simplicity of communication in a culture you know and the security that i so easily have taken for granted in the past where i know my rights and the law and the right words for what i want to say and the way the unspoken system works. and with all my heart i am loving this time, even though sometimes it's hard - it is with all joy that i am here and i wouldn't trade it for the world. and i will try to take the system i do know less for granted when i am living within it again. "i will not take these things for granted..." ~ toad the wet sprocket.

if you're still with me, then i had another thought i wanted to write about...the term "missionary." i understand and agree with what people mean when they say missionary, and that is what we are, but that is what we all are. if you work at quik trip, or an outdoor adventure shop, or a hospital or a school or at home, that is your mission field. we are sojourners here for a time.

it's funny to me... scrolling through these pictures you would think that silas doesn't have any clothes at all...he does, he just really is naked most of the time.

moscow tonight

2008-08-16T06:40:00.003-05:00

this is the view of moscow from our kitchen window...