Hawaii Week 2

Rainy days are for doing school and taking naps (View from balcony)

Pretty typical Hawaiian yard plants

I'm doing most of the cooking these days.

This week has been a stay at home week for the most part.  And by that I mean we just do life stuff -- no touristy trips or visits to the beach.  Because getting 4 little people out the door is a bit of an ordeal we pack everything we can into one day.  For example, on one day this week we went to the dentist, got special donuts, and took everyone to get flu shots all in one day.  That is an adventure.

Staying home days are a bit of an adventure for me as well.  We've taken on the challenge to use up all of the canned and dry goods so I've been looking up recipes that have these things in them, starting to cook them, and then ending up substituting half of the ingredients before it's all said and done.  I've never cooked with so many canned vegetables in my entire like.  It's weird.  But I've been making lots of yummy bread to go along with the interesting things, so it all works out.

Some other random thoughts:

• Crest is way better than Colgate.  (I've actually felt this way for a while, but I'm reminded of it again this week)
• Turns out I can't even do 1 pushup correctly.  That's about to change.
• Went snorkeling (crazy story!) and scraped my feet up on the reef but my skin is so thick that even the largish gouges didn't bleed.  #barefootforlife

Once again, underwater cameras can document some pretty interesting times.

• Maybe this should have been first. . .but Taekwondo ROCKS.  I found a dojang only 5 minutes down the mountain and the people are so kind and helpful (which looks like really pushing you sometimes).  I've bruised up my feet a little, but it's so worth it.
• I've become so aware and thankful of texts and messages and calls from the mainland (or my friends in other countries).  It's not like I've moved permanently, but sometimes it feels like it because I can't just call up a friend and say, "Hey, let's get together and talk/do something."  I may be an introvert, but that doesn't mean I don't need people.  It means I appreciate just being in the same room sometimes.  Just listening to my siblings or friends talk.  Skype and phones are a poor but necessary substitute. :)
• I've not figured out a nice way to tell little kids that I don't want to pick them up this morning because their breath smells so bad.  I have figured out how to put up with it though, because smiley-excited-morning-pajama hugs from these cute littles are the best hugs I've ever had.  :)

View off the balcony just after sunset

When you realize you're 7

A (sadly) blurry photo of Ellie and I

"Mommy, I don't want him to do that."

A simple request.  One I had no clue would cut me to the heart.

I was sitting next to Ellie during our 'quiet time' soon after my arrival and observing the family routine.  (Every day possible the whole clan practices sitting quietly, singing songs, and reading scripture.  If the littles aren't aware or focused enough to worship they still must obey and play quietly.)  Little Jeff was playing on the floor, while Ellie, as the oldest sibling, was expected to sit on the chair cooperatively -- a task she usually does joyfully.

The request was made again with more urgency, "Mommy.  I really don't want him to do that.  May he please not do that?"

"Mom" has 3 other less cooperative kids to help, so Ellie is told that Mommy sees and will take care of it.  But Mom doesn't immediately stop the action.  Now starting to cry, Ellie tried again:

"Mom, I really don't want Jeff to do that with my toy.  I don't want him to!  Mom, please stop him.  He can't do that!  Please stop it!"  Now in full panic mode, things were starting to get noisy.  As an observer, I noted that Ellie had a legitimate request.  Jeff was being mischievous and rather naughty.  (dousing a teddy bear slowly and methodically with water from a bottle)  He was doing something unhealthy, if not actually truly rebellious.  So I turned to the scene unfolding between Ellie and Mom.

My urge was to stand up for Ellie, but I quickly saw that Mom wasn't just teaching Ellie about justice today, she was also teaching her about trust.  Mom gave Ellie her full attention and started talking softly to her saying "Don't worry, Mommy will take care of it.  Settle down.  Please calm yourself, I will take care of it."  The 7 year-old kept looking at the sad scene on the floor and whimpering and begging mom to stop it and do something.

Finally Mom said firmly, "Ellie, look at me.  Look Mommy in the eye.  Ellie, who is in charge? Yes, I am.  Do you believe that I will take care of it?  Settle down.  No, look at me.  Do you trust that Mommy will take care of it?  I will take care of it, so don't worry about what he is doing and calm down."

I saw the struggle.  I felt the struggle.  Every word spoken sounded like God.  I was Ellie.  I am 7. . .. begging God to stop people from doing things I don't like.  Frantically asking him to fix something and pawing at him while I just stare sadly at the problem or offending person.

Then He says he sees it.  And he'll take care of it.  But nothing happens.  "You call this taking care or it, God?  They're still doing it/It's still happening!  And I don't want it!  I don't want it!  God!"  Then, with his arms around me, trying to calm me down like Mom's were around Ellie, he says,

"Look at me.  No, look at me.  Who's in charge?  Do you trust me to take care of it?  I see the problem and I will fix it but you need to obey me and calm yourself."

I'm the frantic 7 year old who doesn't want water spilled on her bear.  It's not a huge important issue, but it is 'wrong.'  And I don't want it.  I want God to act now and fix it.  But He's got this.  And he's in charge.

As soon as Ellie was calmed down Mom tackled the task of stopping the soaking of yon stuffed animal.  She took care of it like she promised, and God will too.  Be at rest, my soul.  Cease your raging.  Rest in God.

Hawaii Week 1

   

Diamond head and the Waikiki coast

Those who know me in "real life," know that I am back in Hawaii for 2 months to help out some family friends.  And by help I mean alternate between being a 2nd mom/aunt, cook, fashion advisor, organizer, navigator, seamstress, teacher, friend, or musician at a moments notice.  Actually, it's a lot  like regular life, except it's a little warmer and there are 4 extra little humans to look after.  

Going for adventures with littles

I'm not sure how to say this next bit. . . Hawaii has incredible natural beauty and an agreeable climate, but these things don't change everyday life.  (granted there is an island sub-culture that is a little different)  Busy moms still live in Hawaii like busy moms in Illinois, or New York, Or Idaho.  It's hard.  And you don't always get to sit back and appreciate extra things like the mountain you're living on or the vast ocean visible out your window because you're washing dirty hands, correcting math homework, making dinner, answering your 300th question today, or trying to comfort a child over a dead bird.  Y'all have moms.  Go thank them.  Text 'em, call 'em, write them a note -- whatever will get it done.  Moms are heroes.  It's not easy to raise 4 kids under 7, but hopefully I can make it just a little easier for this family over the next 2 months.

Now, having been here on O'ahu before, I didn't immediately experience the awe and wonder of seeing all the unique trees, clear water, and beautiful mountains this time.  That doesn't mean there aren't any re-entry surprises or re-realizations though.  Things like. . .

• not being able to figure out the Japanese style shower, and then accidentally having a bath with a gecko.
• how hard the pavement is (seriously, is it the volcanic element?  The rocks, and pavement are all sharper and harder than my midwest variety).
• hearing reveille float across the water from the Pearl Harbor/Hickam Base every morning at 7:55 (Don't know what it sounds like? Check this out).
• Hawaii is a true American smelting pot, but it has a different recipe.  We're all a beautiful conglomeration of almost every other nation/ethnicity, but in Rockford, we have many "classic" Americans (black/white is the easiest way to describe it -- people who immigrated long ago from Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean), but also many Mexican, Indian, and Arab people.  Here in Hawaii there is a much stronger Asian influence than in Rockford.  What I'm (probably very ignorantly) calling "classic" Americans aren't the majority at all, but are blended in with the native Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, or other south Asian cultures. 
• salt water still hurts my eyes
• friends are hard to make, and I miss mine back on the mainland 
• selfies are so awkward
• coconut, mango, and pineapple are a way of life, not exotic fruits.
• there are SO many military servicemen and women here.  If I stopped to thank each one like I do at home I'd never get anything else done.
• everything is so dang expensive here.  Many things are twice as much, but real estate is at least 4 times what it is in Rockford. 

I've tried to start good habits here like getting up and going to bed early, eating well, practicing the piano everyday and exercising daily with mild success.  I got sick soon after I got here and it really threw my rhythm off.  Then I went a little gung-ho on the push-ups for during my exercise and my upper back is currently in a whiplash-like state.  So thankful for foam rollers and tennis balls to try to loosen up my crazy muscles.  Let's see what week 2 brings!

"Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the #waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!' Psalm 93:4 Made it to the beach this week! The color of the water is breathtaking, but it's the waves that mesmerize me. I have to remind myself every couple minutes that they don't turn off. (Side effect of growing up with wave pools instead of oceans). They never give up. #waterproofcamera #hawaii #surfselfie

A photo posted by Joanna Webber (@josnazz) on Jan 12, 2016 at 12:11am PST

Surf @ Sunrise

We all got up at 5:30 yesterday so that we could drive out the Haleiwa Al'li Beach Park on the North Shore to check out the unseasonably large surf.

Totally worth it. :-)

The swells were anywhere from 5-11 ft and the waves reached 30ft!

Here the water devours the whole beach!  

Shoeleather Love

^Koolau Mountains, O'ahu, Hawaii^

My Dad used to teach a class at our co-op called Shoeleather Christianity.  He would explain it to me by saying he was trying to give Christianity shoes.  Walking the talk.  What does living this radicalness look like in "real life?"  He'd probably call it orthopraxy now... I should call him and ask.  Anyway, it got his students to think about how they should live their faith every day, hour and minute.


The class I find myself in now is "shoeleather love," if you will.  More and more I feel that love is all that matters.  Hear me out.  If you know me personally you know I could take or leave the romance bit.  I'm talking about real love.  Love that seeks the other person's best no matter what the cost to self.  Love is sacrifice.  Love is patience.  Love is for your enemies and those who hurt you as well as for your friends.  Love is a gift, a word, a back-rub at just the right moment.  Love is time. Love weeps with those who weep.  Love rejoices with those who rejoice.  Love is slow to anger.  Just read I Corinthians 13 folks.  Love never ends.

This is BIG.  So here's the deal.


I know from the Bible that life is short, heaven and eternity is real, and only what I do for Christ matters (forever!).  I also read in the Bible that Christ says the first and greatest commandment is to love God.  I'd say "first and greatest" is a good place to start, wouldn't you? Great.  So...loving God.

What does that look like?  How do I do this with every fiber of my being every minute of my life?

That's the question.  I don't have the answer yet, but I'm going to be sort of journalling through my meditations and conclusions here, and I'd love your help.

Let's put some shoeleather on this and wear it out!

In which I look at myself

^Sharing a leaf and rock taco with River^

I woke up this morning and looked in the mirror. 

Believe it or not, I don't usually do this.(look at myself that is). I'm usually looking at a piece of clothing I've made and inspecting the seams or checking the fit.  I just barely glance at my face when I wash it or I get so close I don't really see the whole thing.  

Anyways.

I realized a couple things.

-I have a sunburn (bummer.  I was determined to not get one and I didn't all summer.)

-My hair is pretending to be red. #almostaginger

-My Eyes are pretending to be green

-One of my eyes is bigger than the other and squints differently.

-My eyebrows are sorta bushy and darker than my hair.

The End.

Ups and Downs

One of the highest honors in this house is to have a "baby" or "honey" named after you.  Somebody named Steven had an incredible influence on the girls so probably 6 of their animals are named Steven.  Other popular names include Melissa, Kinoah, Kianu, and Sarah.

A Puppy dog got named after me yesterday. :-)

We have our ups and downs, the girls and I.  Sometimes I'm their best friend.  They sit next to me or want to hold my hand and play and read books.  Other times, I must look like big time competition.  They don't listen, don't look at, and plain aren't nice to me.  Those days are long.  Really long.  Today was one of those days.

 Life is full of bumps in the road, though.  It's important to learn to roll with the punches and pick up the pieces.  Keep pressing on.  Keep answering the plethora of questions even when you have a headache, keep reading when all you want to do is sleep, and keep quiet when you don't have anything nice to say.  It makes it harder when it's hot and sweaty and your feet are swollen from standing and walking all day.  Makes me appreciate what Dawn does every. single. day.

All I really want to do is chill on the couch with my brothers and chat about anything and everything.  Starting to miss you, Hud and Than! ;-)

Well, back to being a grown-up!  Tomorrow is Sunday, so that means a refreshing morning worshipping my savior and fellowshiping with the Christians!

People are awesome!

Over breakfast we were talking with the girls about Jesus having the name above all names and what that means.  The girls were thinking of their favorite names when river suddenly exclaims

"People are awesome!"

Yes River, yes they are.  Welcome to the Doctor Who fan club.  ;-)  That aside, we talked about one who is the most awesome and most important -- more than every other person: Jesus Christ.

It is so exciting to see little minds work and start to grasp truth.

Reading with Ellie

^love this little face!^

Hawaii Vlog 2: Slow Beginnings

In general, I say it is bad form to apologize when presenting in front of an audience.  Don't get up and do a lousy job.  You undercut your message and strip all credibility you may have had when you begin with "Sorry" and give an excuse, no matter how legitimate.  It is bad form.  Don't apologize unless you've offended someone.  (Then you should beg their forgiveness of course and make things right.)

Anyway...yeah, so nevermind. ;-)  Enjoy this awesome video.




Oh, how nervous I get as soon as I'm in front of a rolling camera by myself!

Sometimes

"We confuse ACTIVITY and ACCOMPLISHMENT"

 -Howard Hendricks

Sometimes we put off dishes a little longer to enjoy conversation around the table.

Sometimes we chase around the house two more times before we do our chores.

Sometimes we dance while we sweep the floor.

Sometimes we just snuggle in the rocking chair instead of starting school right away.

Sometimes we read books.

Sometimes we chase bubbles.

Sometimes we sing.

Sometimes we smile.

Sometimes we rest.

Sometimes we need to BE more than we need to DO.

Always, we trust.

Come, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

 “Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

                                                     Selah

Psalm 46: 8-11esv, emphasis added

Practiced my free-lensing on some of the flowers in "my" yard here in Aiea.

We were discussing the Trinity over lunch today.  You know, one God in three persons?  Well, River always asks the best questions.  Always. :-)

M: Momma? I have two feet.  Does God have three feet?

Ellie's favorite question?  Why.

You don't realize how little you actually know until a child asks you "why?" or "how?"

What was it Einstein said?  "If you can't explain it simply, you don't know it well enough."

In a span of 60 seconds...

Mom went to use the bathroom, River slipped and hit her head(que tears), Jack started crying, the phone rang, the cheese sauce boiled and started burning, the noodle timer beeped, so they had to be strained, and the doorbell rang.

I thought this only happened in movies.

Hawaii Vlog 1 :: The Intro

Aloha!  

I arrived safely in Hawaii after a 9 hour flight from Chicago to Honolulu!  Note to future travelers: If you must buy a sandwich and water bottle in an airport for $11.63, at least get a sandwich on focaccia bread.  That stuff is incredible(my apologies to everyone who was raised to not call their food "stuff").

Learn to make Focaccia.

Dawn, Ellie, River and Jack came to pick me up at the airport and brought a Lei of fresh flowers.  It was just as exquisite and delicately perfumed as those dollar store ones are cheap and tacky. It hangs in my room still to make it smell nice.  :-)

Now, don't laugh, but the first thing I did when I went up stairs was to smell their front door.  Yup.  Smell it.  They are beautifully carved wood front doors and I felt they would smell a bit like I imagine Professor Digory's wardrobe would smell.  There is a slight scent, but not quite the pungent aroma I was imagining. :-)

On to the vlog!  A sad attempt, I admit, but with just 2 hours from shooting everything to being done, I'd say it's doable and improvable.  Still getting used to the sound of my own voice on tape and deciding how much of my personality and mistakes to seep through.  Probably more than I did this time. :-)  Anyway, enjoy!