Mommy Dearest

I love these journals. And I love your comments! It's nice to reflect back on the things I've been through the past year, and continue to add to all the drama whenever possible. :)

This past and upcoming week are crazy hectic for me! I got asked by a lady at church (that I'd never met before) to keep her 3 kids for 5 days while her and her husband were in China. Well sure....no problem! An 8-year old and twin 5-year olds. They live in this unbelievably big house on the other side of town....in the midst of a golf course and lake. This was going to be fun! Well...most of it, anyway. It's definitely interesting playing "mom". I get the kids up and ready for school at 6:30am (whew...early!), making sure I get Kaitlyn's hair fixed, all the kids their vitamins, and snacks ready for school before they catch the bus at 7:10. Then I'm free again until the mass chaos begins at 3:00pm. Literally...mass chaos. The second they arrive home, I'm signing homework papers, changing Kaitlyn into her ballet outfit, Hunter into his baseball uniform, and trying to keep poor Cody from starving too death. Then we all jump in the suburban and head to Kaitlyn's ballet recital. The boys don't want to stay and watch her, but we don't have enough time to go to the library or park and head back. It's too far away. So instead we take a video to watch in the car while we wait for Kaitlyn. Minutes into ballet practice being over, clothes are flying in the car as Kaitlyn changes back into regular clothes as we drive to the OTHER side of town for Hunter's baseball game. What about dinner? No...I haven't forgotten! A few hotdogs and snowcones at the baseball field tide us over until we're able to make it home and have a real meal. Here I am...in the baseball stands...cheering for an 8-year old that I didn't know 2 days before....as though he's my own! Meanwhile, trying to keep two 5-year olds in eyesight, so they don't run off without me not noticing. Game is over, and everyone piles into the suburban again. The ride home is full of whining and arguing...as it's past their bedtime. But we still have baths to take. Yippee! Just when I think the night is winding down, an argument begins about who is going to sleep with who. In an attempt to be fair, I create a schedule for the following 5 nights I'm going to be there to appease everyone. Ahhh...quiet, at last. Hunter told me before he went to sleep "The first day went exactly like I thought it would. You did alright, but you'll learn as you go!" Hahaha! Thanks, Hunter!! (pictures of the little darlings to come)

I went immediately from keeping the 3 little munchkins, to house-sitting/teen-sitting for another family at church. The parents went to look for a house in Georgia, and I spent the weekend with their two teenage daughters, 5 pets, and quiet house. Just for the record...all this doesn't mean I took time off of work. I worked every day this weekend, as a matter of fact! But this morning at church was a nice break, and we took some pictures together before heading to service. I've been promising to post pictures of my car....so here you have it! I've been driving it for almost 3 weeks now....it's quite nice. I let the girls have a friend stay the night last night....so here is the 4 of us wasting some time in my car before church (we were a surprising 25 minutes early!). At church, I got asked to teach the 2-4 year old bible class on Wednesday nights for the summer. I gladly accepted...but now hope I'm not taking on too much!!

I work a double tomorrow (11am-10pm), then get the 3 kids again for 3 more days (their grandmother had them over the weekend). Then...HOPEFULLY....my sister will be here on Friday! She's supposed to fly in from Germany with Eric. It sure will be nice to take a break and enjoy their company!

Answered Prayers!

Hahha....alright....so who was it? SOMEONE must have prayed for me after reading my last post...because I definitely haven't had time to be lonely since then! :)

I wrote that post last Wednesday, I believe...only to go to church and be given two dinner invitations for the following two nights. Unfortunately, I had to turn them down because I was working the next 5 nights! Work has been going really well, though! I'm truly enjoying the customers, and have met some awesome people! Monday night, after work, I went out with a co-worker just to hang out. And then last night...one of my other co-workers asked me over for dinner. After dinner, we went out for the most amazing (and expensive!) ice cream ever (Cold Stone Creamery....the "cookie mintster"....AMAZING!)! To top the week off...I got to talk on the phone with Willemijn for over an hour yesterday! What a fantastic week it's been! Yesterday, I also got a call from a lady at church (whom I met once), who wants me to take care of her 3 kids for 5 days while her and her husband are in China. I'm sure after a few "parent/child" arguments, a couple baseball games, and bedtime stories...I'll be wanting my alone time again. :D So the loneliness part is getting much better....slowly, but surely!

I still crave European moments...and still haven't found anyone I can really talk to about my overseas adventures...but God seems to be working everything else out...I might as well let Him work on that one, too. :)

My brother is coming home next week (with his girlfriend)...and I haven't seen him since Christmas! Then...to add to the family excitement...my sister will be coming with my darling nephew Eric in a few weeks! Around the first of June, I believe! He's a chunky thing...only 5 months old...but so precious! I love him more than I ever thought possible! My sister and brother-in-law took him swimming for the first time last week, and he loved it! I can't wait to see him again!! It seems everyone around me is having babies, too! My college freshman roommate had a baby girl a little over a week ago....my co-hall director at OC is having a girl in about a month...and some friends from high school are coming up on their second child! I'm still working on getting my baby fat off....I can't imagine wanting to add it on at this point! :)

Okay...just wanted you all to know that I'm doing better. Thanks for all your comments, thoughts, and prayers! Love you all!

Re-entry Shock

Okay...so I haven't been 100% honest with you all. Despite the amazing car....new apartment....new job....new haircut....and new, well...life, actually....I haven't been happy. Nor have I been unhappy. I've simply been lonely, and deeply critical of everything around me. I began noticing how much I compare American culture to western European culture...and how much I feel that nobody understands me here. I realized that I would be going through a period of time in which I would experience "re-entry shock" (the adjustment of returning to your native country after living abroad), but I didn't know how long it would last, or how it would effect the people around me.

Yesterday, I recieved a book in the mail from my friend in Australia, called "Cross-Cultural Reentry". Immediately, I sat down...made a cup of Rooibos tea (my ultimate reminder of Holland)...and began reading it. It seemed to come at the perfect time. I spent the following 3 hours reading this book...crying at seeing the written form of my exact feelings, and laughing out of relief that SOMEONE finally "understood" me. Given...it's a book....but it's the first "connection" I've had with "other people" since being home. I didn't feel so lonely in my thoughts and feelings anymore. Here are a few examples of what other people have written about their experience, that parallels my own...

"In *Holland*, there was a touch of something different. There is one pub to every fifty hamburger joints in the United States, but that one pub is better than the fifty put together. Something about living there gives a special flavor to things. You make an occasion of even just walking down to the *centrum*. Yet, though we have so much available in America, it just doesn't seem worth the effort to get away from the tv to see it."

"You simply can't describe the feel of the hot wind on your skin in Sicily or the noise and commotion of traffic in Rome. It just can't be reproduced in conversation. When I try to tell people what it was like, it probably sounds like I just want them to envy me. But it's not that. I just want them to know what I felt, who I am."

There was a day last week...that all I wanted to do was sit on the terrace with Harro again, and talk about our day over a glass of wine. What I wouldn't have given to do that! But here....I can't do that. Aside from wine automatically being associated with drunkenness or other negative results....I have no terrace!! And frankly...Americans are in too much of a hurry to sit down and take time for a friendly recollection of the day's events! I laughed as I read the following in the book...

"I anticipated my adjustment to America to be a snap. After all, I was coming home, right? But America hit me like a tidal wave. As soon as I got off the jetliner at JFK airport, I felt as though I were seeing technicolor for the first time. Someone had also turned up the volume and speeded up the film. America was in a hurry. Whoosh!! Everybody talked, walked, ate as if they were in the prize for the f-a-s-t-e-s-t."

Ha! Amen! My feelings exactly! Why can't we meet somewhere for a glass of iced tea, instead of running through the drive-thru and using our new hi-tech hands-free cell-phone device minutes to catch-up on the day? *sigh*

So...all this to say...my daily comfort comes in the form of a book now, instead of human form. I'm still "me"....just much lonelier and uncertain of my own culture than before. Does any of this make sense?

Traitor

I must confess something. In only a matter of 3 weeks, I have turned against my newly adapted Dutch ways, and chosen to follow a sacred American eating ritual. The temptation of working at Red Robin became too much for me to bear! Serving basket after basket of french fries....with a side of ranch...filled my tastebuds with curiousity! I thought I'd never turn from the wonderful Dutch way of eating fries with mayonnaise. But having been reminded of the rich goodness of fries with American ranch dressing...there's no turning back.

In updates...Friday night's ladies' devotional went really well! I got a lot of comments about my lesson...and we had great discussion and fabulous fellowship together! I really enjoyed myself! I was nervous, at first...because I realized that I was, in fact, the youngest, and only single woman there...and I wasn't 100% comfortable "teaching" woman who knew more about the subject than I did! But their attitude, comments, and non-verbal support made me feel comfortable within the first 2 minutes of my "talk". I couldn't have asked for a better turn-out!

So I get my certification as a waitress at Red Robin on Monday night! This week of traning has been INSANE!! I had no idea what went into becoming a waitress. I hope you all appreciate your waitresses when you go out to eat. They work hard! But I'm excited...I think I'm going to really enjoy this job! Not to mention...I've been able to meet a lot of people through work. So now my social network is growing. :) And you all know how much I love meeting people! AND...haha...my favorite part of working there are the birthdays! When a customer comes in, and has a birthday...we make them a free birthday sundae, and sing them a song! I absolutely LOVE singing (also known as embarassing!) to the customers! It's so fun to see their reactions! :)

I get my Benz tomorrow or Tuesday...finally! Pictures WILL be posted as soon as that transaction is complete! Got my hair cut and highlighted...which it was needing desperately! I think it helps me look a BIT more mature, anyway! LOL ...I say that, only because I had 3 people at church tell me I looked 19. A compliment? I'm not sure! But I'm attempting to at least look old/mature enough to get hired as a teacher in the fall! This picture was taken the day I got it cut...but actually...you can't really tell at all from the picture! But when I blow-dry it straight, and I'm not standing in the sunlight like that....it looks completely different. :) Take my word for it!


Tonight is small group...and I've gotta get the house in order before everyone shows up! Update more later!

Nooo....I'm STILL not married!!

I'm beginning to rethink my future teaching career.

I had the pleasure of filling in this morning as the K-1 bible class teacher. Me against nine 5 and 6 year olds. Not too bad...considering I will be having at least double that amount in my class in a few months...right?? Most of these kids don't know me....as I'm only in my third week at church....so they were curious about my life. Here's how the conversation went:

1st kid: Miss Amber, are you married?

Me: No, I'm not married.

2nd kid: How old are you?

Me: 24 years old

ALL 9 kids in UNISON: WHOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAA

Me: *Laughs in surprise*

3rd kid: And you're STILL NOT MARRIED??? My momma's 28, and been married a LONG time!

Me: *Laughs due to my speechlessness*

I never considered myself to be "old". And DEFINITELY not past my marriage peak. LOL Kids have a funny way of looking at things. It made me laugh a lot....but then made me realize I should make sure my self-esteem is in tact before I begin a full-time teaching career. :)

Anyway....I've realized how much I'm still in the Nederlands mindset lately. Last night, I went to the movies with 4 girls from the youth group, and was 1)surprised to find no subtitles on the movie screen, and 2)shocked I could understand what people were saying about the movie around us! Then today...I needed to run by Wal-mart for something, and thought to myself "Wait...I can't! It's Sunday...the stores will be closed!" Haha....wow. Wal-mart NEVER closes. Nice one, Amber.

So I begin my training for Red Robin tomorrow...should be a professional waitress in about 2. :) I'm starting to help out with activities with the youth group at church...going to Carowinds on Saturday as a chaperone...and have been asked to lead a devotional at "Ladies, Faith, and Stuff" this Friday. At the last one they had...there were 41 women in attendance. Yikes! Nerve-wracking! I hope I do okay! I've never led a devotional in front of women older than me. Am I really an adult now??? I'm having a hard time coming to terms with that idea! Where has time gone???

It's raining blessings!

I'm telling you...Helen Street Church of Christ members are pieces of gold. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that my father is the preacher...but God has blessed my life so abundantly through these people....and I don't even know most of their names!!!

In the past WEEK alone....someone has helped me find out that I can begin teaching in a public school this next school year (YAY!!)....someone literally handed me the keys to one of their cars for me to use until my Mercedes is ready (and I didn't even know their name!)....3 other families have asked me to house-sit for them....at LEAST 3 people have handed me information on available job opportunities....another family has asked me to tutor their 7 year old son....an elder's wife has asked me to contact a non-Christian to encourage them to come to church....another elder's wife brought me a Starbuck's coffee on Sunday morning....and ANOTHER church member has recruited 2 of his employees at work (as well as himself) to help me and my roommate move into our new apartment on Thursday. U-N-BELIEVABLE! I did nothing to deserve all this trust...all this love. I am dumb-founded. Literally. What an amazing group of servants. They have not ceased to impress me since I've gotten here!

With that said...I think I've applied to at least 20 jobs! Anywhere from an Administrative Assistant to Barnes and Noble and everything in-between. It became complicated when I realized that I will be quitting whatever job I get in 3 months to become a teacher! Not every employer wants to hear that. :( I am actually hoping to get on at Red Robin. It may sound silly...but I've always wanted to be a waitress...and they sure can make a lot of money! I went in today for an interview...was asked to come back on Friday for an hour of "trial"...and will find out by Saturday if I'm hired or not. The people there are fabulous...it's a 3-minute drive from my new apartment...and is something I'll actually enjoy doing! I also have an interview tomorrow at noon for another nanny position. It's something I would also enjoy doing...but the hours are awkward...and it would be much more difficult for me to quit in 3 months. But I'm keeping my options open. I know God will put me where he needs me!

On another note....my friend, and new roommate, Rachel is totally awesome! Not only does she have a rather wide collection of movies (I LOVE movies!)...but she created this surprisingly accurate 3-D floor plan of our new apartment on the SIMM's game! How cool is that?? And yes...we got the apartment shown in my former post. An 1188 sq. ft....2 bedroom, 2 bath...full kitchen...patio....all brand new appliances (including washer and dryer!)....tennis courts...swimming pool....24-hour access gym....gated community....what else could you need?? We were so impressed with the place....and the staff! Higher priced apartment, for sure....but if I get on at Red Robin...finances shouldn't be a problem at all! The layout on the right is exactly how our apartment is set up....although the carpet isn't green!! You can click on the pic to see it better for yourself! You are all invited, any time you want....just come on over! I will take more pictures on Thursday, to give you a better idea! I'm so excited!!

Okay...I think that's it for now. Hopefully, the next time I write...will be with a new apartment and new job!! Keep your fingers crossed!!

I don't wanna grow up!

This past week has brought exciting news and some fun times!

On Wednesday, I got a call from one of my high school friends, letting me know that she was going to be transferred for her work to my city! Exciting! I haven't seen her in at least 5 years...and she asked if I wanted to live with her. Now before you jump to assumptions...living with my parents has been going surprisingly well! But there is just this side of me that desires to be truly independent and be able to take care of everything on my own. Is it realistic? No. Is it smart? Probably not. Is that going to keep me from doing it? Not a chance! :) So she (Rachel is the one on the right...in Times Square, too!) is going to be coming down this week, and we're going to look at an apartment together. We've already got one picked out...as shown to the right...is ready for immediate move-in...and is in a great location! She will be transferring here on May 1...so things are moving fast! I'm not 100% sure I'll be able to live with her until August (due to my outstanding financial status!)...but we're just going to have to see what happens. Either way...May or August...she's leaving the spot open for me!

Anyway....aside from that fun surprise...I turned 24! Today, in fact...for those of you that were kind enough to remember. :) Friday, one of the girls from church that I have only known a week picked me up, took me out to lunch, and took me shopping for my birthday! It was fantastic! I barely know this girl, and she was determined to make my birthday a joyous one. And she did good! :) Then yesterday at church, they all sang to me, and today was more of a family day. Dad grilled HUMONGOUS steaks...which we had with baked potatoes, salad, and carrot cake (do they have that in Holland?). It was amazing. And I'm sure I'll pay for it tomorrow....lol...but right now I feel pretty good.

I got an email from one of my students, asking me to put more pictures from America up on my blog. Lol...funny thing is...I don't even think about it! But he's right...I should! So I'm going to attempt to be more mindful of taking pictures when I'm out doing something....even if I don't personally think it's that interesting. For starters, though...I was going through Rachel's pictures and found this! The Nederlander Theatre...in New York! Anybody else know about it?? Not me! She saw the musical "Rent" there...and loved it. So I'm assuming it's a pretty good place. :) If you look closely...or click on the picture to make it better...you can actually see the words. I thought it was cool! Guess it's about time I take a trip to New York!!

And a quick update on the job status and car....

It seems I will definitely begin teaching in the fall...now I'm just looking for that filler-in job until then. The nanny job is still a possibility...but I'm continuing to look around for something else. Getting the car has been delayed...which has delayed my job search possibilities. As soon as I get those keys...I'm gonna be applying like crazy! Right now I'm just online everyday, looking for possibilities...and talking to as many people as I can! I just have to continue looking...and be patient!!

References please?

Before I go into the mesh of jobs I've been applying for...I had the most fabulous day yesterday!

As most of you know...my father is a preacher. But not JUST a preacher. He's great. His lessons are energetic, passionate, realistic...and in English! Ha! Unbelievable that I took that one for granted for 23 years! :) And I'm not just biased, either. I've lived in Oklahoma for 5 years....Eindhoven for 1...and been to many different churches. Never have I listened to another preacher that has been able to make each lesson applicable to my own life like my dad does. I say this because I was at church for 4 1/2 hours yesterday morning...and enjoyed it! At our church, they have two worship services in the morning. One at 8:30, bible class at 9:45, and second service at 10:45. I was ready for church at 7:50.....7:50!! Haha...I don't think I've ever been ready that early in the morning for anything. :) But considering I don't have my car yet...I had to ride to church with my parents. They told me....and continue to let me know....that they don't expect me to attend both services. But surprisingly enough....I want to! Aside from the fact that I think a preacher's family should be visibly supportive of him while he's preaching....I get to meet everyone in the church and go through it all twice! Same songs, same sermon....Lord Supper two times. So if I missed anything the first time through...I'm bound to catch it by the second time! ;) And 4 hours after we got home, we had about 20 church members in our home for a small group bible study. I'm loving it! It's encouraging, it's personable...it's just what I needed!

Anyway...on to my future career! It's been a crazy day today. On Saturday, I called to inquire about a nanny position, but had to leave a message. Last night, I spent about an hour filling out an application to be a substitute teacher. This morning, I went to take a skills test for a Census Bureau job (and scored one of the highest in the group), and then spent the afternoon at Coastal Carpets being trained and getting a feel for the place. Before I left, I was offered a job there. Then about 15 minutes after I arrived home, I got a call from the family seeking a nanny. After talking to the mother...Tara...for 30 minutes...she told me that she wants to hire me....and that she felt at peace talking to me. Believe it or not....she wants ME to decide how much I want to be paid. Ha! She prefers to have a live-in nanny...but will still hire me if I decide to continue to live at home. We're meeting for lunch tomorrow to talk some more and discuss details. She has 3 boys...one 3-year old and 18 month old twins. Aren't they adorable?? I haven't actually accepted any job yet....as I wasn't expecting either of these opportunities to come up so quickly. If I take the Coastal Carpet job...I can start immediately...but a lot of my pay will be based on commission. If I take the nanny job, I won't start until May 1. And it's still very possible that the Census Bureau will call me with an offer after my background check is complete. I've pretty much chucked the substitute teaching application, though. I need a more reliable job to keep that Benz! :)

Life never gives you what you expect....why did I think mine would be any different?? :0)

Un-benz-lievable!

So I'm two days in...still working on unpacking my things, already teaching the K-2nd grade bible class next Wednesday night...and I have a car! Technically, my dad and I have a car together. I don't want to get too excited until the car is actually in our driveway, with keys in hand...but it seems like a pretty solid deal.

We were having difficulty finding any decent cars to check out when dad calls from his office and says that a member of the church has a car that he has been trying to sell for a while. While the asking price is higher than we were originally looking at...the guy agreed to allow me to make payments to him for a year on it. I laughed when I found out what the car was. Not quite what I had imagined for myself. It still hasn't exactly sunk in that I'll be driving it next week, either. The thing is...I haven't actually gotten to see the car yet. So why all the excitement, you may ask? Well...coming from ground zero (financially speaking) after a year in the Netherlands...I had a mental picture of my "ride" for the next year or so. Thought I would add a picture to better explain my former expectations (no..this isn't the car we're buying!!).

But in order to get this other car, my dad had to make a down payment (50% of the asking price)...to which I will then take over monthly payments for a year (totally the other 50%). At the end of the year....as my dad explained to me...the party who decides to keep the car (me or him) will pay the other person the other 50% for the car. So I guess that means we will share joint-custody for a year! :) We should have the car by Monday...as the owner is getting all new tires put on, and an oil-change done this week.

So by Monday...if all goes well...instead of the impressionable car shown up above, I should be driving something similar to this! A 4-door '98 Black Mercedes-Benz...automatic transmission...sunroof...all leather interior....brand new tires...98,000 miles...great gas mileage...fantastic body shape....AM/FM stereo...CD player...power lock/seats/windows....just about everything I didn't imagine having! You can now see why my dad is just as interested in it as I am. :) I will make sure to post pictures of it next week...more than likely with me next to it and keys in hand! Can you believe it? Now it's time to find a job to pay for it!!! Ha!

...and the fun begins!

I'm "home"!!

Alright...so some of you know that I had intended to keep up with this online blog during my year-long stay in the Netherlands. And as you can tell...I came up a bit short at the end. :)

So here is my renewed attempt to keep both my old and new friends up-to-date with my latest...and exciting!....happenings in life.

Packing went much better than I had ever expected it would...I only had to leave behind one thing! I got my long-awaited hug from Sheritha before leaving....said goodbye to my wonderful neighbors....and turned my keys in. Getting the airport was a bit stressful, and delayed...but having Willemijn with me helped keep me calm. Not to mention the 5 SMSs and call I received while en route! I arrived in North Carolina, safe and sound, with two new friends (that I met while flying, of course!), a white chocolate mocha from Starbuck's settling in my stomach, 27 degree Celsius weather, and a continued amazement at myself for not having cried! My parents were eagerly waiting for me when I got there. I had met a guy named David on the last flight, and he was helping carrying my bags when I saw my dad down the hall. I looked at David and said "You know...my parents might be wondering if I brought a boyfriend home that I didn't tell them about.". He said "Well I'd be more than happy to pull off a Dutch accent for them, if you want me to!" We laughed as we approached my dad, and I introduced the two of them. Not that I knew David too well myself!! He's actually an American living in Switzerland right now, back in the states for work for a few days. I love meeting people on flights!!

My parents then took me to this crazy/fun restaurant called "Buffalo Wings Grill and Bar". Tuesday night is their special wings night...and they have 15-17 different sauces you can choose to have your wings marinated in. My dad chose 8!!!! So with 40 buffalo wings in front of us, my parents continued to explain the theme of the restaurant. There must have been 20-30 TV screens surrounding the interior of that place. My dad asked the waiter for 3 "game boards", and continued to explain to me that you choose a game to play (that's on one of the TV screens), log in, and compete against everyone else in the restaurant that's playing. There were about 10 people, somewhere in the restaurant, playing a quiz game...my mom, dad, and I included. The faster you answered each question correctly, the more points you earned. I think I did pretty good!! At one point, I was in 2nd place...so I couldn't complain too much! But it was great fun playing a game while waiting for the food. Time went by so quickly!! And I was continually amazed by watching my culture, once again. From flip-flops to the noise level, free drink refills and hearty hellos to strangers...I felt like a foreigner! I think it's going to take me a while to readjust. :)

By the time we got home, it was 4am Netherlands time, and I was wiped! Luckily...I had an amazing king size bed waiting just for me. :) So leaving my suitcases untouched and barely caring to change clothes....I grabbed Prince Googgala and passed out! 11 hours of sleep later...I'm feeling pretty good. :) It's a beautiful day outside and I have a lot to do. I haven't exactly realized that I'm living here now. The idea of unpacking my clothes and hanging them in a closet seems strange. I always live out of my suitcases when I come to stay with my parents. Guess it'll just take me a while to adjust!

Well..tonight I get to see all the church members here again...and I'm completely stoked about that! They are an amazing bunch of people. So many have already sent me their greetings and excitement in my homecoming. Tomorrow my dad and I will probably begin the search for a car...and then it's on to starting my career! Crazy, huh????

Keep checking back for updates and funny stories...which I know I will have!! And pictures to comes! Love you all...wherever you may be!

Whoa baby!!!

Right now...right this second...my sister is in labor with my nephew in Germany!!! AAAhhhhh...I'm so excited and nervous and helpless!! Even though I'm the only person in my family to live in the same CONTINENT as her, I can do nothing more than wait for updates!!

She was/is more than 40 weeks pregnant, and her water broke at 2:30am (western European time). It's now 12 hours later, and she is only 4 1/2 cm dialated. Last update (30 min ago) was that she had an epideral and is trying to sleep.

I didn't expect to be this anxious! I'm about to be an aunt! Aunty Amber. Sounds good, right???

The dreaded question

Happy belated Turkey Day, everyone! I've officially gotten past my first holiday away from home. It was weird, I tell ya! One of my students had to REMIND me to call my family on Thanksgiving. I simply forgot about it! It was just another Thursday of just another week. But I hope all of your Thanksgivings were relaxing and very memorable! The only "exciting" thing that happened on that day was that my mom found out I'm coming home for Christmas!! So I guess I can post about it now. The secret is out!!

Ever since September 30, me and my brother have been working on getting me home for a surprise visit at Christmas. And 3 weeks before I'm scheduled to fly in....the secret's out! And at the fault of no one, really! My mom happened to be looking at one of my brother's websites, which just HAPPENED to have a note from a friend saying "Hey Josh! Your sister told me she was flying in on the 20th...". Ouch. The funnier part, though, is that she wanted to turn the surprise around on me and show up at the airport without me knowing she knew!! Ha! Unfortunately for her, I'm flying in on a Wednesday night, and it just wouldn't be convenient for a preacher and his wife not to show up at church that night!! Haha...oh well...

So I'll be spending two weeks in a new city in North Carolina, simply because I love my family. Awwwww.

Speaking of Christmas...there is a particular part of the season that just drives me crazy! And we're ALL familiar with it...we've all asked it...we've all had to answer it. It's the dreaded question that most people try to get away with answering "Nothing!!" or, better yet "Anything will be fine!". Yes...it's THAT question. "What do you want for Christmas?". You begin attempting to answer that question from Thanksgiving on (if not before!). And the problem is not necessarily in the question...but in the answer. For if you tell what you TRULY want...there's no way you're actually going to get it! And if you don't say anything at all...then you're bound to get something you will have to smile politely about, and then never use again. Or sometimes the problem might be that you don't know whether to tell multiple people you want the same thing (in hopes of actually getting it from one of them!), or tell only one person a specific thing you want, with the underlying knowledge that you might not to get it at all. It's a complicated process, really!! After the age of approximately 15/16, it becomes increasingly difficult to not only answer that question, but get answers from people when you ask that question!! I wish each individual that asked that question had a clear budget written across their head, so you understand the limitations of what you can tell them you want. *sigh* I love the holidays.

And by the way...before you even ask...I want puzzlebooks for Christmas. English variety puzzlebooks!! Can't have too many of those, can you?? :)

What you might not have known...

The past few months have been a crazy ride of blessings and uncertainty. And I haven't posted the uncertainties as much, so that you may be able to see all the blessings I've been given here! But now that the storm is past, allow me to fill you in on some of the challenges I have been facing...but have since worked out for the better!

In August, I was hit with a terrible case of culture shock!! This isn't talked about very much, but is such a huge part of living in another country. And I never thought I would go through it! I felt lonely and out of place...wondering how I was possibly going to get through another 9 months by myself. Unfortunately, the church members saw my difficulty, and asked me to decide in two weeks whether I wanted to stay or not. I think I called my parents more in those two weeks than I have the rest of the time I've been here! And at the time, only God could understand why I chose to stay. But now I'm glad I did!

Then in August, I began my au pair work. Long story made short, it wasn't working out for either of us. She felt uncomfortable with my muscle weakness, and I felt uncomfortable because she felt uncomfortable. So after a long, open talk...we decided that I should find another option. However, that presented a problem legally. My residence permit was specifically for au pair work for this particular family, and as far as I knew, I would have to go home if I didn't work for them. So the church was informed, and the men immediately began to look for another way for me to stay. For a couple weeks, I truly believed I was going to have to go home...and this time, I didn't want to! 7...I repeat...SEVEN people walk into the church off the streets during that time and signed up for English Bible studies with me. It was incredible! I couldn't go home now! It was a sign from God!

So last week, the men met at the building while I occupied my time in the kitchen, nervously waiting for the decision. After they were done, one of the men came and sat me down (which scared me!) and told me that one of the men had found a way for me to stay. Yay!! He said that the only reason they worked so hard at finding a solution was that they really appreciated the work I was doing and they have seen me grow a lot while I've been here. Who would have thought??? So now I am able to stay until the first of April. It's a month shorter than was planned originally...but every extra day is a blessing!

The months are just flying by now, and I always seem to have things to do! My main focus is still the Bible lessons and planning church activities (which have gone SO well!), but I'm still teaching Bible class, writing the weekly church newsletter, painting murals, spending outside time with my students and fellow Christians, and now I go two days a week to help a man in a wheelchair. And I quite enjoy that. So if my updates are further between...forgive me! I'm still learning how to become a well-balanced woman. But I'm learning! I don't think God will let me leave this country until I do! :)

Mormons

At the beginning of September, one of the younger adults from church called me and told me that she had been approached by mormons, and that she let them come into her room and begin sharing their message. But having 3 mormons against one is rather difficult, so she asked if I would be willing to join her for their next meeting. I was so excited! I had never encountered a meeting with mormons before, only heard about them, and I was sure I could back them into a corner with the things they believe! So I did my homework, read about certain questions I should ask, and what I should expect, and I was off!!

That particular day, only one of the mormon missionaries was there with their "high priest". Both were extremely nice, complimentary, and soft-spoken. Nothing like I had expected! I told them I had a few questions to ask, and he told me to go right ahead! I just kept thinking "buddy...you're gonna regret you ever came in contact with me!".

So question by question, I listened as he began to explain things that I hadn't intended on hearing! My plan was shot! From the way he was talking, we should have been going to the same church! But knowing there was more than that, and now having my pride shot down...we made another appointment with them. The next time they came, I met all three...an American, a British, and a Canadian...all 20 years old. Each time they came, they would say things like "we're not here to argue", and "we believe the exact same thing you do...and a bit more". Their words were enticing, they presented themselves in such a calm and appropriate manner, you would never think these were 20 year olds talking to you!! They invited Sheritha and I to one of their baptisms, which we went to...and then we invited them to one of ours...which they came to. After that, the discussion turned more towards what was different between our churches, than what was the same (which they kept claiming!). I continued to enjoy their company, as they are very nice guys...but every time they came, they would just say something that "irked" me to the bone! Now, two months and too many meetings later, I feel we are at a dead end. They have presented their message to me in whole, and I have explained to them my belief, as well. I love them dearly as people, but as mormons, they frustrate me to no end! It kills me to see people (55,000 missionaries!) so dedicated to the work of a mere man...and not of God! My friend Sheritha and I have spent so much time and energy attempting to get them to see the faults of Joseph Smith, but they are so sucked into the idea of a modern day prophet, nothing else matters!

At this point, I am drained. They come twice a week to talk to me, and although I desire to show them the truth, I know that it's not my full burden to carry...I've done all I can do. So now I'm considering cutting it off with them on Tuesday. What do you think?

Flip-Flop Strike!

Sit down, take a deep breath, and continue reading.

I am no longer wearing flip-flops. This may come as a shock to those of you who have spent the past 2-3 years living or working with me. Flip-flops were my life. Black, brown, redc, pink, blue...one for every occasion. Going to the gym, going to a banquet...it didn't matter! Flip-flops were the universal shoe. Quick, convenient, and for the most part...comfortable.

But within the past month or so, they've been wearing a little thin. And for some crazy, unknown reason...the Europeans just don't find flip-flops fashionable! Crazy, I know! People here look at feet like it's a political statement. And from the questions I have gotten....I'm guessing my flip-flops say "I voted for Bush"!

So friends, family...let if be known the my flip-flops are goners. I have fallen in love. With boots, that is! One of my overly generous friends in Holland invested in a pair of boots she saw me eyeing one day while out in the center. I was shocked...thrilled...and scared! How was I ever going to manage to walk in a CLOSED shoe with heels? My knees are scarred enough as it is! But now my feet are happier...not to mention warmer....than ever before!

And I haven't fallen once!!

Singles' Retreat '06 - Chemnitz, Germany

What a most fabulous weekend I had!! I just spent this past weekend at a single's retreat in Germany. I was lucky enough to get a ride from another single in the congregation, saving me from taking a 5 hour train ride! It was the best weekend ever!! There were a few singles at my church that wouldn't go, fearing there would be too much pressure on having to find "the one"...but c'mon! Really, it's just an excuse to get away from all those mushy married people. :)

We got in late, late Friday night due to some heavy rain, so I didn't really get to meet anyone until Saturday morning. The weekend consisted of 40 people from 7 different countries, ranging in ages from 18 to 52. It was such a great variety! The weekend was in English (just in case this information wasn't automatic after the "7 different countries" line) and the lessons were absolutely fabulous! The theme was "What Makes me Significant?", as we talked about the world's perspective on significance vs. God's perspective on significance. Fantastic lessons given by Brady Smith, an American missionary who has worked and lived in Switzerland for 22 years (and yes, Jessica...I asked him about you!). The place we stayed at was in the mountains away from all city life...bluer skies and greener grass than I've seen since I've been here! It was beautiful!!

Foosball was the hit of the weekend...and I had a hilarious time playing with Reynard and Nathaniel (to the left)...roommates from Brussels. I first approached Rey because he was wearing an OC t-shirt. Come to find out, he had been to OC the year before to check it out as a perspective student. Craziness! To the left is me overjoyed at scoring a point against Rey. He was trying to object to the picture being taken at this joyous time in my life...but Jordan was smart enough to take it anyway!

Anyway...I was amazed at how many Americans were there! I met a guy named Todd from Washington, DC...who was training for his job in Germany for 6 months...a girl named Princess who is studying in Roterrdam, Holland (who I will be visiting in November!)...another girl named Brielle who had taken a job teaching English in Germany, and a guy named J.R. who had only been in the country for 3 days, preparing to teach at a university for the first time in Germany, as well. It was a great encouragement to be able to hear everyone's story and talk to them about similar distresses and hurdles to overcome. The weekend was just so well planned-out and organized, that there was a perfect balance between "I HAVE to get to know other people" and "Here's some time to spend talking to whoever you want"! They have this single's retreat twice a year, and I am ever-so excited about going to the next one in April! Yay for church retreats!

My Babies!

Things have gotten busy!! And I'm loving it! I began my au pair work last week. I am now going 3 days to week to help with the housework and give Vero some extra time to herself. I'm still trying to learn how she does certain things, and working on getting Veerle more comfortable with me...but it's AWFUL nice to get out of this church building every once in a while. And the public bus has since become my best friend. Not as scary and frightening as I once thought! Still not as convenient as a car...but faster than walking, and much cheaper than a taxi!! Anyway, I thought I would introduce you to my babies! Posted to the left is 6-week old Neo. And yes, he is named after the Neo on the Matrix. They've gotten some interesting comments on his name...no doubt! He will smile at you constantly 30 minutes after he's eaten (approximately when this picture was taken!) and tends to be a very happy baby, in general. Isn't he a cutie? And posted to the right is 1 1/2 year old Veerle...who is the sweetest and most obedient 1 year old I've ever met! However, she wouldn't stand still long enough for me to get a good picture...hopefully I'll get a better one of her and post it. She has her own vocabulary...and once you know which word means what...it's just as normal as though she were actually speaking a language! She is, in fact, a bilingual child...so in case you were wondering, I am able to speak to her so that she understands. She can absolutely melt your heart with the word "huggle". When she says this, she is usually right in front of you with her arms up in the air. "Huggle" means "I want a hug", "I want to sit in your lap", or "I need attention because mommy is holding Neo." It's so cute! "Ba" means "I need to go potty", "ghana" means "What is that?", "dry" means "turn", "ugh" means "up", "down" or "help". And the rest, she can sign for! She's a pretty amazing child...I'm enjoying spending time with her a lot!

And let's not forget the newest member of my family, Scarlet Joanna Smith-Farray!! Two weeks ago, I adopted (with another girl) a Nederland's Dwarf Rabbit. She's great! She fluffy, cute, and likes to cuddle! As you can see in the picture, she'll just lay in your arms, content to be held. This is her "other mother", Sheritha, who has "joint-custody" and will be keeping her after I leave. We were so excited the day we got her, that we forgot to ask how old she was. So I've still got to run back over to that pet store and find out! She's really good about Sheritha cutting her nails, and hasn't ever bitten us before. Overall, we're really happy with her!! She definitely keeps me company on the rainy days when I'm stuck inside!

And last night, I had the pleasure of witnessing a baptism for the first time since I've been here! A man named Frans, well into his 50's and raised Catholic, decided after two years of studying with a member of the church, that it was time to commit his life to God. So at 9:00 at night, approximately 20 members drove to the closest river, and watched as Remco asked for his confession of faith and baptized him. It was so dark, the only light we had was from the few flashlights people brought with them! But it was a wonderful experience. We...well...THEY...were blessed with relatively warm weather, and said the river wasn't too cold. So that was good. Afterwards, we all came back to drink tea and eat some snacks. It was a fantastic night!

This weekend, I have a day planned for children, ages 3-10. The theme is "Through the Eyes of David". It's kind of like VBS...except in 4 hours on one day! We'll start out with the story, a skit, and songs...then divide into 3 groups, where they will create a shield of truth, a belt of faith, and be able to "measure up" against a real-life size Goliath before throwing paper rocks at his head. Then for snack, we're going to have 6-foot roll-ups (creative, isn't it?) and award them with a "Certificate of Armor". I'm excited about it...but have an absolute TON of stuff to get done tomorrow in preparation. Anyway want to help me cut out 30 cardboard shields of truth?

My works of art!

Okay...so as most of you know...I'm not an artist. Not when it comes to writing, not when it comes to drawing, and definitely not when it comes to painting. The closest I've ever gotten to art is slapping a flyswatter with paint on it on a piece of paper hung up on a fence (and it's tons of fun, too!). Thank goodness my passion is with children, and not anything that involves serious contemplation. :)

Anyway...one of the projects the church gave me to work on this summer was to paint a mural on each of the classroom walls. The idea made me laugh. Apparently these people did not know what they were about to get themselves into. Despite my inability to create even a drawing of a human look-a-like, I began brainstorming appropriate scenes out of the bible for each age group. We (Mellisa and I) decided on Noah's Ark for the 4-6 year olds (which Mellisa did), a scene of the shepherd's looking up at an angel in the 7-10 year old room, and a scene of Jesus being baptized in the 12 year old classroom. And so we began.

Now, 2 months and 3 murals later, the church has asked me to do another mural on the kitchen wall. This work is currently in progress...and will be shown later. I thought I would go ahead and show you the two I have done myself at this point. I'm pretty happy with the results...and surprised, as well!! This first one is my absolute favorite...the mural in the 4-6 year old room. The one one the left is the mural in its entirety, and the one on the right is just more of a close-up of it. I had difficulty figuring out how to paint the angel (my selection of paint was limited)...but it turned out better than I expected. The sheep are my favorite, though. They make shepherding look like fun!!

And the second one I did will not upload on here!!! In general, I like it...I just prefer more simplified paintings like the one above. This mural is in the 12-year old room and represents the Holy Spirit descending down on Jesus in the form of a dove after His baptism. I will keep trying to add the pictures to the blog...but I will also add them to my shutterfly account under "church family and activities". And here's a test. Check out the picture of Jesus being baptized and find what's wrong in the picture. I made a relatively funny mistake and am curious how obvious it is!!! Just go to www.travelingwoodenshoes.shutterfly.com and check it out!

Aside from all this, my sister Charity and her husband John came to visit me a week and a half ago! I was so excited! They only got to stay for the weekend, but it was great getting to see her pregnant, feel the baby...I mean, "Eric", kick...and see John after almost a year and a half!! They got here on Friday, and we spent the night touring the city of Eindhoven. Then we left early (for me!) on Saturday to drive to Amsterdam. I have also added an album of pictures from that day, as well. Thankfully, the two days they were here, we were blessed with warm weather. And the second they decided to leave, it started raining! But we were glad to do our touring without the burden of carrying umbrellas around all day!

Since then, I've had to start teaching myself Dutch (taking a class didn't work out), the number of readers has picked up (I got 3 new ones last week!) and I should begin my au pairing sometime next week. Things are getting much busier!! But so far, so good. I've been organizing a "Newcomer's Dinner" for this Friday night...and I'm pretty excitement about the people who have committed to coming. I think it will be a great time of fellowship together. And options already seem to be opening up for me for when I return. So I've relieved at that, as well. The less stress, the better!!!

Well...that's it for now. And how are you?

Funny things!

One day, I was having sandwiches with Harro. I was getting tea ready, while he was fixing the sandwiches. When I told him I wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he said "together??". I laughed, said yes...and watched as he continued to put BUTTER on both slices of bread. Unbeknownst to me, it is overly common to use butter instead of any condiments on your sandwich. So before I knew it, I had a butter, peanut butter, and jelly sandwich. It wasn't too bad...surprisingly! I've had stranger combinations! A lady close to the church made dinner one night, and decided to bring me some. After she left, I opened the foil to see chicken, potatoes, and green beans wrapped in a tortilla. Interesting stuff! And the stores sell Lay's ketchup chips. Sounds gross, but they are my absolute favorite!! Thankfully, the store I shop at stopped selling them, so I'm not tempted to buy them every time I go out.

There's a few other things I have noticed in the past several days as well. First, and most importantly, they don't sell my shoe size here! Yes, I know I have big feet (size 10)...but in average shoe stores, the sizes only go up to 42 (size 9). It's crazy!

I also found out that the Dutch use the same word for "teach" as they do "learn". So when translating into English, they figure we use one word as well. It is very common to hear "The students continued to learn as the teacher learned them." Same thing for barn and shed. The Dutch use one word for both! My reader today asked "Doesn't your neighbor have a barn to put his motorcycle in?". Haha...

On a more serious note...I'm going to have a nephew! The unfortunate side is that my wonderful sister and brother-in-law are going to name him Eric. Not my favorite name, as you all well know. I even tried to bargain with them about the spelling. But no budging...they've had his name picked out for a long time. Oh well...I'm more excited about being an aunt! Melissa understands, don't you??? And happy birthday to you!!

Hope everyone is well!!

Dutch English terms

I was having tea with my neighbor, Harro, last night...as we were catching up on the past month that he's been gone. While we were talking, I realized that when I return to the states, my newfound English is going to be difficult to turn back into "American English". Just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about...here are a few of the changes in my English vocabulary. The first is what I say now...the latter is what most Americans would understand.

"mobile" - cell phone
"SMS" - text message
"holiday" - vacation
"chips" - fries
"lift" - elevator
"tea" - hot tea
"iced tea" - cold tea
"auto" - car
"ice" - ice cream
"towel" - a cloth, a paper towel, a napkin...anything you use to wipe with
"toilet" - bathroom
"WC" - bathroom
"drop" - licorice (although they claim it's a SPECIFIC type of licorice...but its not!) :)

That's all I can think of for now....but I'll add more later, if I remember!

I had the funniest experience this past week. I called my friend Kristina, who is in Australia doing the HIM program, and her Australian friend was with her. He got on the phone, although I didn't know it, and threw a comment in at some point. Kristina said "Did you hear what Graham said?" I said..."I heard him, but I didn't understand him" (I thought he was talking in the background). Later, he said something else. Again, she asked me if I understood. It was then that I realized he was on the phone, as well....so I began addressing him. However, the intelligent conversation I had intended to have with him never got past "Tell me about yourself"...due to the fact that I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HIM. I was speaking English. He was speaking English. But for the life of me, I could not comprehend his words. Kristina began laughing, as she translated his English to my English. How horrible! I had no idea that it would be that difficult to understand an Australian talk. Now I know how the Dutch feel when they hear me talk (as opposed to a British English person...who they are used to). It's crazy!!!