To see more photos, visit my Facebook Photo Album.
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Abundant Blessing
Most readers of this blog will already be aware that over the last few months we have felt God challenge us to step out in faith and begin raising financial support in order to ensure that we will remain here until I finish the PhD. This has been an incredibly daunting step for us. The bottom line is we don't like asking for money - in fact I think very few people do. However, we have been greatly encouraged by the generosity of those that have decided support us and by the growing number of random one off financial gifts. God has truly been gracious to us. He continues to provide just as he always has.
We deeply appreciate His goodness and our family and friends who support us with prayer, encouragement and finances.
Thankful,
Clayton
We deeply appreciate His goodness and our family and friends who support us with prayer, encouragement and finances.
Thankful,
Clayton
Sunday, 7 June 2009
What's the point Dad?
This semester I've been taking an external subject at the University of Chicago on the gospel of Mark. This is an important part of my training because the University of Chicago is generally acknowledged as quite a liberal school, so its helping to acquaint me with the sorts of things that are said about Mark and more generally about Scripture from that perspective. Overall its been a positive experience and there have been some good discussions in class. I have a presentation to do on tuesday on the last twelve verses and was trying to explain my approach to Ange the other night after a day of work on it. Judah was listening "patiently" but broke in at one point and said "What's the point Dad?" A great question. I realised that it was a really good time for me to take a deep breath and try to explain what I was doing simply (to see if in fact there WAS a point). So I explained that while Daddy's "job" (we might use the broader term "calling" but my kids are still under the impression that I have a job like other Dads...) usually involves telling people about the bible to help them understand it better, next week Daddy will be talking to a group of people who know an awful lot about the bible but who don't believe that its God's Word in the same way that we do. He understood and I asked him how he thought I should approach the presentation. What should I tell them?
His answer: "Love Jesus." Another great answer. I pressed him for more and got the following: "The bible is God’s word. When we read the bible its God speaking not us speaking, because he wrote it. You know this. So you’d better believe it or you’ll be punished. I think they’ll believe it when they hear the punish part."
I couldn't stop grinning and affirmed him lavishly. What a refreshing end to a long day!
His answer: "Love Jesus." Another great answer. I pressed him for more and got the following: "The bible is God’s word. When we read the bible its God speaking not us speaking, because he wrote it. You know this. So you’d better believe it or you’ll be punished. I think they’ll believe it when they hear the punish part."
I couldn't stop grinning and affirmed him lavishly. What a refreshing end to a long day!
Monday, 25 May 2009
A Family Update
Here's a quick note on where we're up to from both of us.
The spring is wonderful here. Gone are the freezing temperatures, slippery roads and multiple layers of clothing. The temperature is steadily in the 20s (celsius) (70-80s fahrenheit) and the trees and flowers are in full bloom. If you've never experienced this kind of climate before, you've never experienced the relief and joy that a change in the season brings. Imagine the world under snow and having to stay inside one month and then bright and balmy with patches of stunning tulips in bloom the next.
Clayton has completed one academic year of his PhD and has passed some significant milestones. He has successfully defended his dissertation proposal, passed the candidacy interview (off his L Plates now), passed the German competency exam and started learning Latin, presented a conference paper in Boston and submitted his first article for publication. All in all he's on track to finish mid 2011 for a December graduation (just in time for our tenth wedding anniversary!).
The spring is wonderful here. Gone are the freezing temperatures, slippery roads and multiple layers of clothing. The temperature is steadily in the 20s (celsius) (70-80s fahrenheit) and the trees and flowers are in full bloom. If you've never experienced this kind of climate before, you've never experienced the relief and joy that a change in the season brings. Imagine the world under snow and having to stay inside one month and then bright and balmy with patches of stunning tulips in bloom the next.
Clayton has completed one academic year of his PhD and has passed some significant milestones. He has successfully defended his dissertation proposal, passed the candidacy interview (off his L Plates now), passed the German competency exam and started learning Latin, presented a conference paper in Boston and submitted his first article for publication. All in all he's on track to finish mid 2011 for a December graduation (just in time for our tenth wedding anniversary!).
Angela: Hmmm, what to report.... No doubt it's common for mothers with young children to look back on a month, a year or even longer, and wonder, "What have I done with my life?" When so much of it is consumed with the mundane; wiping bottoms, spills, sticky hands, dishes and runny noses, is that it? Is that all that it amounts to? Thankfully, there is a lot more purpose and reward in motherhood. Fortunately, the mundane is cheerfully contrasted by the joy and pleasure that one's children can and do bring. And compassionately, God meets us in the mundane. If we look for Him, He is there.
The boys: Judah, after one year of pre-school, is getting ready to start (US) kindergarten (= AU:Prep) in the Fall (late August - the start of the school year over here) and Nathan, who has been in 3 y.o. pre-school a couple of mornings a week and absolutely loves it, is excited about the prospect of going more often as of the new (Academic) year. Both Judah and Nathan are growing in their knowledge and love for God and surely must bless the Lord with their sweet prayers heartfelt songs. Jordan has well and truly crossed over into toddler-hood and loves to be considered "one of the boys", joining in wrestling and desperate to start pre-school! All three are a continual blessing in our lives (though often a challenge). They are all so different and we're very thankful that God has made us a family.
The boys: Judah, after one year of pre-school, is getting ready to start (US) kindergarten (= AU:Prep) in the Fall (late August - the start of the school year over here) and Nathan, who has been in 3 y.o. pre-school a couple of mornings a week and absolutely loves it, is excited about the prospect of going more often as of the new (Academic) year. Both Judah and Nathan are growing in their knowledge and love for God and surely must bless the Lord with their sweet prayers heartfelt songs. Jordan has well and truly crossed over into toddler-hood and loves to be considered "one of the boys", joining in wrestling and desperate to start pre-school! All three are a continual blessing in our lives (though often a challenge). They are all so different and we're very thankful that God has made us a family.
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
A bit of a brag...
Nathan and Jordan still take a decent nap each afternoon, so Judah and I will sometimes get a little quality time together if I'm not preparing dinner or cleaning up after everyone. Today we were working on Judah's reading and made some great progress. After about 20 minutes, he was starting to loose focus, so we started to play a game where I would write a word that he'd not read before based on some of the concepts that we'd just learned, then he had to draw a picture of the word that he had just read. It was so wonderful to see the delight that he had each time he worked out the word. I was so proud that I had to take a photo of it to show you all. He had a bit of trouble with 'robot' as it wasn't really working with anything that we'd just learnt. But don't you just love the pictures? I was interested with how he'd do with drawing an abstract word like 'think'. I think he did pretty well.
And here's a picture of the family that Nathan drew while we were out and about. It's on the back of a bank statement that I had in my handbag - which explains the shape of the paper and the barcode. Child psychologist and loving aunty Georgie says that the presence of hands and fat little fingers, as well as a defined body shape (rather than limbs coming off a big head) are all signs of progress in his cognitive development.
And here's a picture of the family that Nathan drew while we were out and about. It's on the back of a bank statement that I had in my handbag - which explains the shape of the paper and the barcode. Child psychologist and loving aunty Georgie says that the presence of hands and fat little fingers, as well as a defined body shape (rather than limbs coming off a big head) are all signs of progress in his cognitive development.
A beautiful song
This is Nathan singing a song that he learnt at pre-school. It is a beautiful song of thankfulness that he likes to sing around the house - it really reflects his heart as he is a very greatful and appreciative little boy.
Monday, 20 April 2009
Happy 1st Birthday Jordan
I can hardly believe that it has been a year since Jordan entered the world. My only sadness, is that his family back home have not been able to share our joy in watching him grow and have missed out on getting to know him. I thought that I would share a little on our lad...
Jordan Micah Coombs...
Everyday, you light up my world. You are the source of so much joy and delight, and your smile always brightens my day. You are so cute and cuddly. I find you simply delicious!
You're a curious little boy who likes to explore. You are very independent and seem content to wander around the house playing without me following you.
You are loving and affectionate and love to give hugs and kisses. You are thrilled when daddy comes home, and will walk as quickly as you can to greet him at the door and will hold his leg until you are picked up and hugged. You LOVE your brothers and you're not afraid to wrestle a little with them either.
You're a contented little boy and it is a great blessing to me that you rarely fuss or cry for anything. What a wonderful thing it is to have you happy to go shopping or on walks in the stroller with me.
You are well loved Jordan Micah, and we are so grateful to God for giving you to us.
Here are a few recent pictures from a little photo shoot we had on the Easter weekend - a week before his birthday.
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Breaking Bread
I've taken up a new hobby - baking bread. I've tried a number of different recipes, each one better than the last. Most have been pretty disappointing in terms of their crust colour and texture - very dull and lifeless. Like my dad, I enjoy a good crunchy golden coloured crust and a soft, chewy inside. This weekend I struck gold. I stumbled across a new technique and the results were extremely satisfying.
Here's how it turned out:
For those of you who are interested, here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature.
2. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Dust a clean dish towel with flour, and wheat bran or cornmeal if desired. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees F. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
5. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Enjoy!
Here's how it turned out:
For those of you who are interested, here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature.
2. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Dust a clean dish towel with flour, and wheat bran or cornmeal if desired. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees F. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
5. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Enjoy!
Friday, 20 March 2009
Jordy and George
Jordan at 11 months squeals with delight and chuckles as he plays with his toy monkey, Curious George. He is very fond of this little guy and like to hug him in bed.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Nathan's Bible Tales
You may remember two years ago, footage we took of Judah at 3 years old "reading" the bible.
Well now, here are a few snippets of Nathan telling a few bible stories at 3 and half.
Here's a reminder of Judah at 3 doing a similar thing.
Well now, here are a few snippets of Nathan telling a few bible stories at 3 and half.
Here's a reminder of Judah at 3 doing a similar thing.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
"Is not fire - is only bell"
Feb 28 was Judah's birthday (well for those who remember its actually the 29th but that doesn't come around all that often). We had decided to celebrate at Chuck E Cheese's (A cross between timezone and pizza hut - always a hit with kids) with some of his friends from pre-school. We had to get away by 9.30am and while we didn't think that would be too much of a challenge, we realised that unexpected things can always pop up, so we made good preparations the night before. We had left baking the cake until the morning because Ange wanted to make a giant chocolate chip cookie for the cake and well fresh is best, but everything else was prepared and we went to bed. After a skype call to family first thing in the morning we decided it was high time to make the cookie cake, and that's where things began to go wrong...
You see, the recipe called for two cups of cookie dough, but wanting to make sure it was a winner we had bought pre-made dough in a plastic tub. A brief argument ensued as to what proportion of this tub represented two cups. I won't say who argued which position because it simply isn't important. We together decided to just dump the whole tub onto a flat baking tray and put it in the oven. What could be simpler...?
Several minutes later things were going really well. The lump of dough had spread into a nice flat and perfectly round cookie exactly as big as the (flat) tray (with no sides)...but there were still several minutes to go - it clearly wasn't yet cooked. It kept spreading. And then smoke started pouring out of the oven, because as it spread it dripped over the sides of the (flat) tray (with no sides) and down onto the base of the oven where it began to burn. Very soon the kitchen was full of smoke. The next thing to happen should not have been unexpected, but smoke alarms are designed to be shocking and this was no exception. I swished smoke vainly and visited each of the smoke alarms in turn to see if I could remove a battery or rip them off the wall or something. No luck. This is college housing and this was a college installed system and I think somebody had already thought of that. Ah - that's it. Call the college switch. I dialled the number and patiently tried to explain. "I'm really sorry, we were doing some cooking and the smoke alarms have gone off. There is no fire, but I can't turn the alarms off...(all the while I could hear Basil Fawlty in the back of my mind "Is not fire, is only bell!"). "I'll send the officer" came the curt reply. I was about to explain that we didn't want to cause any trouble and if she could only give me the clue as to how to turn the blasted things off the officer need not come - but she had hung up. Well the officer arrived (very quickly) and we patiently explained what I'd told the girl on the phone. "I'm going to have to get you to evacuate the building" he said calmly. "What?!" I said. (Now I could See Basil Fawlty in my mind's eye as well as hear him. It was all I could do to stop myself from saying "NO. Is not fire. Is only bell!") "I'm really sorry about this" the officer explained "but once those alarms go off there's nothing we can do. The fire department will be here soon and technically they own this building until they reset the alarms. Please leave the house now." I'm pretty sure he doesn't have kids. We were all in our pyjamas and it was -8 C outside. Did he want us to just go and stand in the snow on the front "lawn"? What planet was this guy on? We got into our coats and boots. I'd hate to think what would have happened had it actually been urgent. I went and started the car and turned the heater on. We evacuated the kids there. By that time the fire department had come and some very important men in very important uniforms were bustling about. Even as I picked up Jordan and took him to the car one of them brushed by me. As he did he said in a very important voice into a very important device "Confirm - cooking smoke - over." Um duh. Actually he was very nice and when they were leaving he turned and said to me. "Where are you from?" (Come on Mick bring out Croc Dundee 4 - these people are forgetting our accent!). "Australia" I answered. He brightened. "Well when I get off my shift, I'll have to go and put the wobbly boot on" he quipped with a knowing wink. You folks have a good day." And he was off. Americans, Australians - any help on that one? What the heck's the wobbly boot?!
So back to the story. The cake still wasn't cooked. Nobody was dressed and we had five minutes to leave. Incredibly we almost managed it. I say almost for two reasons. The first is that we took about ten. The second is that the last thing we had to do before we left was to grab the cake. Unfortunately, we were now in a hurry. Hastily Ange grabbed the precious cookie which wasn't quite ready to be ripped off the tray. It prompty disintegrated all over her and all over the floor. She had to change.
It could only happen to the Coombs'.
Judah's birthday was a hit by the way. He had a great time and so did his friends. Now for those who have been as puzzled about my Basil Fawlty allusions as I was about the wobbly boot - here's some context. Enjoy.
You see, the recipe called for two cups of cookie dough, but wanting to make sure it was a winner we had bought pre-made dough in a plastic tub. A brief argument ensued as to what proportion of this tub represented two cups. I won't say who argued which position because it simply isn't important. We together decided to just dump the whole tub onto a flat baking tray and put it in the oven. What could be simpler...?
Several minutes later things were going really well. The lump of dough had spread into a nice flat and perfectly round cookie exactly as big as the (flat) tray (with no sides)...but there were still several minutes to go - it clearly wasn't yet cooked. It kept spreading. And then smoke started pouring out of the oven, because as it spread it dripped over the sides of the (flat) tray (with no sides) and down onto the base of the oven where it began to burn. Very soon the kitchen was full of smoke. The next thing to happen should not have been unexpected, but smoke alarms are designed to be shocking and this was no exception. I swished smoke vainly and visited each of the smoke alarms in turn to see if I could remove a battery or rip them off the wall or something. No luck. This is college housing and this was a college installed system and I think somebody had already thought of that. Ah - that's it. Call the college switch. I dialled the number and patiently tried to explain. "I'm really sorry, we were doing some cooking and the smoke alarms have gone off. There is no fire, but I can't turn the alarms off...(all the while I could hear Basil Fawlty in the back of my mind "Is not fire, is only bell!"). "I'll send the officer" came the curt reply. I was about to explain that we didn't want to cause any trouble and if she could only give me the clue as to how to turn the blasted things off the officer need not come - but she had hung up. Well the officer arrived (very quickly) and we patiently explained what I'd told the girl on the phone. "I'm going to have to get you to evacuate the building" he said calmly. "What?!" I said. (Now I could See Basil Fawlty in my mind's eye as well as hear him. It was all I could do to stop myself from saying "NO. Is not fire. Is only bell!") "I'm really sorry about this" the officer explained "but once those alarms go off there's nothing we can do. The fire department will be here soon and technically they own this building until they reset the alarms. Please leave the house now." I'm pretty sure he doesn't have kids. We were all in our pyjamas and it was -8 C outside. Did he want us to just go and stand in the snow on the front "lawn"? What planet was this guy on? We got into our coats and boots. I'd hate to think what would have happened had it actually been urgent. I went and started the car and turned the heater on. We evacuated the kids there. By that time the fire department had come and some very important men in very important uniforms were bustling about. Even as I picked up Jordan and took him to the car one of them brushed by me. As he did he said in a very important voice into a very important device "Confirm - cooking smoke - over." Um duh. Actually he was very nice and when they were leaving he turned and said to me. "Where are you from?" (Come on Mick bring out Croc Dundee 4 - these people are forgetting our accent!). "Australia" I answered. He brightened. "Well when I get off my shift, I'll have to go and put the wobbly boot on" he quipped with a knowing wink. You folks have a good day." And he was off. Americans, Australians - any help on that one? What the heck's the wobbly boot?!
So back to the story. The cake still wasn't cooked. Nobody was dressed and we had five minutes to leave. Incredibly we almost managed it. I say almost for two reasons. The first is that we took about ten. The second is that the last thing we had to do before we left was to grab the cake. Unfortunately, we were now in a hurry. Hastily Ange grabbed the precious cookie which wasn't quite ready to be ripped off the tray. It prompty disintegrated all over her and all over the floor. She had to change.
It could only happen to the Coombs'.
Judah's birthday was a hit by the way. He had a great time and so did his friends. Now for those who have been as puzzled about my Basil Fawlty allusions as I was about the wobbly boot - here's some context. Enjoy.
Friday, 13 February 2009
Another Jordan update
So out littlest man is almost 10 months old now. He continues to bring us so much joy and has at long last been sleeping better at night. Jordy took his first steps almost 2 months ago and has not looked back since. Although still a little wobbly, he's walking all over the place. Naturally, he's into everything - especially the things that we don't want him to be into! He's now calling me 'mama', Clayton 'dada' and is saying 'baba' when he waves goodbye.
It's been a while since I last took footage of Jordan and I realised that I hadn't captured any of him walking. Here's a little snippet I took tonight before he went to bed.
It's been a while since I last took footage of Jordan and I realised that I hadn't captured any of him walking. Here's a little snippet I took tonight before he went to bed.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Update on Clayton's Study from Ange
Thought that the blog deserved an update on Clayton's progress on the PhD as that is the reason why we are out here in the first place!
He wrote a paper last semester for which he has been invited to speak on at a theological conference in Boston next month. This is an exciting opportunity and a real privilege. They have agreed to pay for virtually all of his expenses including accomodation, meals, registration and a large portion of travel expeneses. (He'll have to pay just $150, so that's not bad). I suppose that what he hopes to offer to this gathering of theologians is the chance for them to witness that it is possible for a Pentecostal theologian to make sense! hehe :) Actually, it works out well, as attending this conference would have certainly been worthwhile, but completely unaffordable.
Clayton taught his first lecture this week. He thinks that it went quite well, especially considering that he had only a couple of days to prepare it and that he was largely unfamiliar in the specifics of the area of study. (He found out that he would be teaching the same day that I put my back out and was left flat out in bed for days.) He was up late the night before the class madly reading. I volunteered to 'help' and stayed up reading primary documents dated back to the 300's. Fun! Actually, it was pretty interesting reading. One of the fascinating things that came up, was how the translation of scripture into different languages has led to significant divergence in doctine. The example that came up was of how the concept of 'penance' arose from the word 'repentance' being translated as such. Fascinating stuff that really helps vindicate (for want of a better word) Clayton's love for the ancient languages of Hebrew and Greek.
He seems to be doing well in his course. He has already overcome his fist hurdle of learning German (there is a lot of theology written in German). Next he has to do the same with Latin. He is getting a clearer picture of where he is going with his dissertation (thesis) and is enthralled in his research area. He's engrossed with the writings of some of the early church fathers, who in his opinion, were God fearing church leaders who upheld the authority of scripture, so he says that their work is great to read. He is really getting into it - sometimes I feel like I'm married to the character Ben that Nicholas Cage plays in National Treasure, or Indiana Jones (minus all of the action adventure hero stuff). It's exciting to see him passionately researching something historical from an angle that no one else has ever investigated, and Clayton being Clayton, is excited at it's potential relevance to us in the church today. What can I say, I married a brilliant man :)
He seems to be coping pretty well with the ongoing pressure and the never-ending piles of books that he has to read. It seems like regardless of how much work he has, he still manages to put the family first which is a real blessing.
He wrote a paper last semester for which he has been invited to speak on at a theological conference in Boston next month. This is an exciting opportunity and a real privilege. They have agreed to pay for virtually all of his expenses including accomodation, meals, registration and a large portion of travel expeneses. (He'll have to pay just $150, so that's not bad). I suppose that what he hopes to offer to this gathering of theologians is the chance for them to witness that it is possible for a Pentecostal theologian to make sense! hehe :) Actually, it works out well, as attending this conference would have certainly been worthwhile, but completely unaffordable.
Clayton taught his first lecture this week. He thinks that it went quite well, especially considering that he had only a couple of days to prepare it and that he was largely unfamiliar in the specifics of the area of study. (He found out that he would be teaching the same day that I put my back out and was left flat out in bed for days.) He was up late the night before the class madly reading. I volunteered to 'help' and stayed up reading primary documents dated back to the 300's. Fun! Actually, it was pretty interesting reading. One of the fascinating things that came up, was how the translation of scripture into different languages has led to significant divergence in doctine. The example that came up was of how the concept of 'penance' arose from the word 'repentance' being translated as such. Fascinating stuff that really helps vindicate (for want of a better word) Clayton's love for the ancient languages of Hebrew and Greek.
He seems to be doing well in his course. He has already overcome his fist hurdle of learning German (there is a lot of theology written in German). Next he has to do the same with Latin. He is getting a clearer picture of where he is going with his dissertation (thesis) and is enthralled in his research area. He's engrossed with the writings of some of the early church fathers, who in his opinion, were God fearing church leaders who upheld the authority of scripture, so he says that their work is great to read. He is really getting into it - sometimes I feel like I'm married to the character Ben that Nicholas Cage plays in National Treasure, or Indiana Jones (minus all of the action adventure hero stuff). It's exciting to see him passionately researching something historical from an angle that no one else has ever investigated, and Clayton being Clayton, is excited at it's potential relevance to us in the church today. What can I say, I married a brilliant man :)
He seems to be coping pretty well with the ongoing pressure and the never-ending piles of books that he has to read. It seems like regardless of how much work he has, he still manages to put the family first which is a real blessing.
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Brutal Weather
It's FREEZING here!!!! Most of you who read this are either enduring an extremely hot summer Down Under, or are blissfully cruising through a Southern Californian 'winter'. So please spare a thought for us. Today will be our coldest day yet. As I write, it is currently minus 24 degrees Celcius, and it is expected to drop a further 3 degrees. Tonight on the weather report, the 'windchill' factor was categorised as 'brutally cold'. Brutally! So what do you do? You don't go out unless you absolutely have to. So we all stayed home today. Even Clayton worked from home. They say that in these sorts of conditions, your skin burns and any moisture freezes, so don't go out particularly if you have a runny nose!
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Selfish yet self-aware
Dad: OK boys. One story before bed and tonight its my turn to pick.
Both boys: Ohhhhhh!
(Ange reminds me that it is in fact Nathan's turn to pick)
Dad: New plan - Nathan gets to choose one story.
Judah: Ohh that's not fair!
Dad: OK then, you be the answer man. How would you make it fair? There's one story and two boys - and its gotta be fair for everyone. What would you do?
Judah: Well.....if I was a man...
Dad: yes...
Judah: If I was a man, then I'd say one boy gets to pick each night.
Dad: Exactly.
Judah: But if I was a boy, I'd say I get to pick every night!
What a great response! In the meantime Nathan has picked a story.
Dad: Now you know the difference between being a boy and being a man. Let's read...
Both boys: Ohhhhhh!
(Ange reminds me that it is in fact Nathan's turn to pick)
Dad: New plan - Nathan gets to choose one story.
Judah: Ohh that's not fair!
Dad: OK then, you be the answer man. How would you make it fair? There's one story and two boys - and its gotta be fair for everyone. What would you do?
Judah: Well.....if I was a man...
Dad: yes...
Judah: If I was a man, then I'd say one boy gets to pick each night.
Dad: Exactly.
Judah: But if I was a boy, I'd say I get to pick every night!
What a great response! In the meantime Nathan has picked a story.
Dad: Now you know the difference between being a boy and being a man. Let's read...
Sunday, 23 November 2008
Jordan at 7 months
Today Jordan started free standing for the first time. He had been doing it a lot, so I just had to pull out the camera to video it. I only managed to capture him standing once very briefly, but here it is. In other developments, yesterday he said his first word! No it wasn't 'mama' or 'dada', instead it was 'brother'. It happened directly after Judah affectionately said of Jordan, "I love my brother." To Clayton and Judah's shock, Jordan then responded, "bra-ba" (or something to that effect). When prompted to repeat this numerous times later, he did, and to his delight, continues to receive tremendous praise and encouragement from his cheer squad. While recording this footage, I tried to get him to say it again, but as you will see he's a little pre-occupied and makes an attempt of sorts.
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Wunkle Nunkle Gedunkle
Read on - trust me. This is hilarious and very precious at the same time. No the words in the title are not from my vocab list for German!
Nathan was repeating this phrase tonight and other delightful gibberish. I wasn't paying much attention - he is the sort of person that says silly words all the time, and for what its worth...so am I. But he was trying to get my attention with his prattle. When he finally did I grinned at the words. He grinned right back at me and said "Maybe God will give ˆyouˆthose sounds next time Dad." Suddenly I understood. Several nights ago when I was putting them to bed I was praying for them and lapsed into tongues. They have often heard us pray this way but this time Nathan was particularly intrigued. He asked me about it and I explained that God gives us the words to help us pray and that maybe oneday God would help him pray the same way as he helps me.
Now that I was finally on his wavelength, Nathan begged cheekily "Say 'sugarmamadoodle' to me Dad - say 'sugarmamadoodle!'
Classic...
PS: To the non-charismatic readers of this blog I am recording this primarily because it was incredibly cute, not because I am in a hurry to conclude that my three year old is speaking in tongues!
PPS: To the charismatic readers of this blog I need to further clarify that I do not rule out this possibility nor indeed the exercise of any spiritual gift on the basis of age. The Gift of the Spirit and the Spirits gifts are for kids too! After all the kingdom of heaven belongs to "such as these."
Nathan was repeating this phrase tonight and other delightful gibberish. I wasn't paying much attention - he is the sort of person that says silly words all the time, and for what its worth...so am I. But he was trying to get my attention with his prattle. When he finally did I grinned at the words. He grinned right back at me and said "Maybe God will give ˆyouˆthose sounds next time Dad." Suddenly I understood. Several nights ago when I was putting them to bed I was praying for them and lapsed into tongues. They have often heard us pray this way but this time Nathan was particularly intrigued. He asked me about it and I explained that God gives us the words to help us pray and that maybe oneday God would help him pray the same way as he helps me.
Now that I was finally on his wavelength, Nathan begged cheekily "Say 'sugarmamadoodle' to me Dad - say 'sugarmamadoodle!'
Classic...
PS: To the non-charismatic readers of this blog I am recording this primarily because it was incredibly cute, not because I am in a hurry to conclude that my three year old is speaking in tongues!
PPS: To the charismatic readers of this blog I need to further clarify that I do not rule out this possibility nor indeed the exercise of any spiritual gift on the basis of age. The Gift of the Spirit and the Spirits gifts are for kids too! After all the kingdom of heaven belongs to "such as these."
Monday, 3 November 2008
More fun with autumn leaves
We've had some pretty chilling weather already, with our first light snow fall in late October. The past few days have brought a welcome change, with blue skies, sunshine and pleasant temperatures. This morning, after we had dropped Judah to preschool, Nathan thought that it would be a fun idea to draw outside with chalk. We've been warned that we need to make the most of the outdoors while we can - so we did. Here was our morning. Just click on the picture below.
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| Fall Leaves |
Saturday, 1 November 2008
A few more pictures.
Some cute pictures I took of Jordan with a baby pumpkin.
Nathan loves dressing up and goofing around.
Nathan loves dressing up and goofing around.
Apple Pie
Every Friday is family night. I like to bake something special with the boys in the afternoon in preparation for our special night. It helps build their anticipation and it's a fun thing to do together. On this particular Friday night we baked our very first apple pie and it was really yummy.
Leftovers...
Leftovers...
A few images of our Fall and a day at the 'farm'
Images of 'Fall' here at Wheaton. Just a few snaps I took on a walk we took last week.
The following pics were taken at a 'Pumpkin Farm'. Forgot to take pictures of all those stunning orange pumpkins.
Jordan's first pony ride. 
Saturday, 18 October 2008
A few of my favourite 'Fall' things
Sure, each day holds its moments of stress and frustration, but I've been discovering how life's little simplicities can deliver great delight if you stop to let them.
Wheaton in the Fall is simply magnificent. Each time I drive my children to preschool, my heart is warmed by the gorgeous trees that line our streets. Striking red, orange and yellow leaves fall gently on well-kept lawns. The air is fresh and crisp, yet the skies are blue and the sun is shining. Today I went for a walk with my boys to collect sticks for kindling. Nathan picked up an autumn leaf from the ground and presented it to me, "A BEaUtiful flower for you mama." He knows how much I love the leaves, so in a way they are like flowers. It's just funny when he chooses the dirty brown ones.
There's something about the fall here that just makes me feel all sentimental. The autumn leaves are a big part of it, but it's truly fascinating to watch the little squirrels scampering here and there, gathering up stores of food for the winter.
Sharing a home baked pumpkin pie with my family certainly warms my heart, but it's the crackling fire, sharing a hot cuppa (and another slice of pie) with Clayton once the kids have finally gone to bed, and things like stopping to invite a lady bug to crawl on my sons hand.
I feel like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music when she sang about her favourite things...
When the kids fight
When my sleep's broke
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don't feel, so bad.
In a chaotic and uncertain world, it's good to stop and reflect on the simple blessings that God has for us to enjoy.
Wheaton in the Fall is simply magnificent. Each time I drive my children to preschool, my heart is warmed by the gorgeous trees that line our streets. Striking red, orange and yellow leaves fall gently on well-kept lawns. The air is fresh and crisp, yet the skies are blue and the sun is shining. Today I went for a walk with my boys to collect sticks for kindling. Nathan picked up an autumn leaf from the ground and presented it to me, "A BEaUtiful flower for you mama." He knows how much I love the leaves, so in a way they are like flowers. It's just funny when he chooses the dirty brown ones.
There's something about the fall here that just makes me feel all sentimental. The autumn leaves are a big part of it, but it's truly fascinating to watch the little squirrels scampering here and there, gathering up stores of food for the winter.
Sharing a home baked pumpkin pie with my family certainly warms my heart, but it's the crackling fire, sharing a hot cuppa (and another slice of pie) with Clayton once the kids have finally gone to bed, and things like stopping to invite a lady bug to crawl on my sons hand.
I feel like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music when she sang about her favourite things...
When the kids fight
When my sleep's broke
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don't feel, so bad.
In a chaotic and uncertain world, it's good to stop and reflect on the simple blessings that God has for us to enjoy.
Friday, 17 October 2008
Take a look at this...
A picture I snapped while on a morning walk we took today with the family through the campus. Isn't it picturesque?
Some more pictures (that I didn't take) of the lovely Blanchard Hall.
We recently made a trip to Chicago to see the city. We were fascinated by the structure and layout of the city, but more so, I was taken back by the architecture. Check out the intricacies of the neo-gothic Tribune Tower. I love it. Can't wait to head back there with a half decent camera.
'Toot, toot.' A sound we've come to know well. Sometimes you hear the sounds of engine drivers playing tooting games back and forth. The trains can be really long too. Some stretch for miles and you easily loose count of how many carriages they have.
Some more pictures (that I didn't take) of the lovely Blanchard Hall.
We recently made a trip to Chicago to see the city. We were fascinated by the structure and layout of the city, but more so, I was taken back by the architecture. Check out the intricacies of the neo-gothic Tribune Tower. I love it. Can't wait to head back there with a half decent camera. 
Fire Chief Jordan to the rescue.
'Toot, toot.' A sound we've come to know well. Sometimes you hear the sounds of engine drivers playing tooting games back and forth. The trains can be really long too. Some stretch for miles and you easily loose count of how many carriages they have.
Clayton had to quickly dash inside to fetch the camera for this shot. The boys were waiting on the front step for Clayton and I to join them outside (we were about to walk to the cafeteria) when they saw army cadets marching across the street. To their delight, some of them even had guns! Not exactly the sort of image you'd expect to see from your front door! Both boys had found sticks (pretending they had guns) and were running around excited to have seen the real thing. It's really hard to discourage their interest in war arms - particularly out here.
This shot was taken about a month ago of Judah leaving his classroom for the day. That is his teacher Mrs. Ledbetter behind him.
Wheaton is absolutely glorious right now. Everywhere you look, leaves are coloured red, orange and yellow. It is just so marvellous. This pic of Judah pushing Nathan on a swing was taken on Columbus Day (Monday just gone). Jude had pre-school off and it was a warm day (perhaps the last we'll have), so I headed out to a local park with the boys.
Judah washing up. Would you believe he conquered the dishes at his own initiative! He'll make a great husband I'm sure.
The Wheaton Thunder Football Team stretching before a big game. To me they looked more like an army than a football team. There's a hundred of them! And just look at them, all lined up stretching in unison.
Nathan pretending to talk to his family in Australia. Here he is talking to grandpa See. He talks about you ALL often and loves to reminisce about his happy memories that you all helped create when we last were there.
This shot was taken about a month ago of Judah leaving his classroom for the day. That is his teacher Mrs. Ledbetter behind him.
Wheaton is absolutely glorious right now. Everywhere you look, leaves are coloured red, orange and yellow. It is just so marvellous. This pic of Judah pushing Nathan on a swing was taken on Columbus Day (Monday just gone). Jude had pre-school off and it was a warm day (perhaps the last we'll have), so I headed out to a local park with the boys. 
Judah washing up. Would you believe he conquered the dishes at his own initiative! He'll make a great husband I'm sure.
The Wheaton Thunder Football Team stretching before a big game. To me they looked more like an army than a football team. There's a hundred of them! And just look at them, all lined up stretching in unison.
Nathan pretending to talk to his family in Australia. Here he is talking to grandpa See. He talks about you ALL often and loves to reminisce about his happy memories that you all helped create when we last were there.
These photos were taken today of my irresistibly huggable Jordy in his new dino pjs. He's so cute and cuddly.
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