Archery

2010-07-08T09:50:00.001-07:00

Pros and Cons

Summer is moving right along and we are trying to keep up with it. I decided to document our happenings of late with a little pros and cons list. Enjoy!

Pro: Nathan laying the floors in our office upstairs.
Pro: Nathan is applying to dental school for next fall! He is taking the DAT after we get back from the Michigan house and is working on getting his application together as I write.
Con: He is missing some required biology classes from his undergrad so he will have to go to school and make up 3 classes and labs while he is working.
Pro: Being a dentist or a dental specialist is an awesome job. High pay, very flexible schedules, and you can basically live wherever you want. Yes, please!

Con: When this started falling on our house:
Pro: Most of the time we have gorgeous weather, like when we look out our back windows and see this:
Pro: Nathan is an amazing husband and sometimes when I come in from working outside, he has a picnic ready with an avocado, basil, and tomato salad, fruit and yogurt parfait with homemade granola, crackers with port wine cheese, a selection of sandwiches including egg salad and ham, cheddar, and jam sandwiches, and pomegranate and berry Italian sodas and cookies to top it all off. YUM!
Pro: Nathan and I found this little guy on a sidewalk in downtown Parker and took him home:
Pro: We are very lucky to be able to walk so many places. I can walk to the pool, tennis courts, library, grocery store, bank, and many bakeries, restaurants, coffee places, and Baskin Robbins. There are some weeks where I go the entire week without driving my car.

So there have been a lot more pros than cons. We are going to Michigan this Saturday for a 2 week family vacation at the Taylor family cottage compound, so it will be nice to relax with everyone. Nathan has been doing house projects left and right (PRO) and we will have a big office reveal soon with before and after photos. We are learning to try to push through big projects instead of letting them drag on and on because once they are done, they end up being a lot less pain than we thought. Other than that, we've been trying to enjoy our summer by walking to restaurants, seeing friends, reading, sitting on the deck with iced drinks, watching movies, hiking, going to the farmer's market, and playing the guitar. I sure do love summer!

2010-03-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

Jet Setting

For some unknown reason, I have had a number of bad flying experiences. Not horrible in the scheme of things I guess; I've never been in a plane that was grounded prematurely, I've never actually missed a flight, I've obviously never been involved in a crash, etc. but...

Do You Have Any Weapons In Your Cast?
There was the time when I was flying out of Dulles in Washington D.C. in high school and I had the huge cast on my arm. This was post-9/11, sometime in 2002. I was immediately pulled out of the security line and taken into an examination room where I was asked about the nature of my injury and whether I was hiding any weapons in my cast. Ummmm, no. They then used a wand all over my cast and at one point, one very helpful officer suggested that I could stick my arm in the x-ray machine... After a thorough pat-down and full-body search, they decided I was innocent enough, but only after I had spend almost a half-hour in the interrogation room.

Can You Chuck That At My Head, Please?
On a flight from Ohio to Denver, we were coasting along and very suddenly hit a severe patch of turbulence. The hostesses had been serving drinks at that time, and a can of pop flew off the beverage cart and hit a man smack in the head. The large bottle of water that was open on the drink cart turned over and water started glugging out of the bottle down the aisle and onto nearby passengers. The turbulence was extremely violent for a few minutes and the pilot had to quickly turn and gain altitude. This was, by far, the worst turbulence I had ever experienced up until then and since. I am lucky I didn't get hit in the head with a pop can or soaked by the water, but I did get very sick and had to use an airline bag. Luckily no one was sitting in my row of seats. The silver lining was that I got a voucher, but it was only for $150.00. I've always wondered what kind of voucher the man who got hit in the head with the pop can received.

"Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of"
When Nathan and I were in Fiji, we had to take a small propeller plane from Nadi to Taveuni. It was a tiny plane (you could not stand up inside, not even close- see above photo) with a capacity of about 20 people and this flight was carrying approx. 12 people, including me and Nathan. It was very hot and humid, and the plane had no on-board cooling system. Additionally, these were not regular airplane seats. They were small, brown jump-seat type seats wherein the seat back only extended up to your shoulder blades, if that. A man and a small boy were seated directly behind Nathan and me. Not only was the plane hot and humid, propeller planes are a bit unwieldy. About 10 minutes after we had taken off, the boy directly behind us started to barf. Some of it went in the bag, some did not. And if any of you are like me, someone barfing in your immediate proximity, in a tiny, humid, unwieldy plane, makes you feel like you are going to barf. Nathan was also about to puke, as the scent was filling the plane and swirling all around, but he was in a slightly better state so had taken it upon himself to hold the peppermint scented Burt's Bees chapstick in front of my nose to try to effuse the scent since peppermint is supposed to help with upset stomach and because it is a strong odor. I was not feeling too good, and as the barf scent mounted around us I started to laugh to myself because I began to think of the lyrics from the U2 song "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" which are:

"You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment and you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it."

Truer words have never been spoken for someone sitting in a propeller plane in front of a barfing kid.

Where Did Greg Go?
When Nathan and I were flying from Denver to Edinburgh in 08', we were sitting on the ground waiting to start taxiing. The doors had been closed and we were about to back up, when an East Indian family of 5 got on board. There was a mother, a toddler, a teenage girl, and some men. Their seats were apparently not booked together, because the men split off and the mother, toddler, and teenage girl sat in the row in front of our row. Fine. After we took off and were in the air, the teenage girl started complaining very loudly in a British accent that she needed to change seats. She was seated in an aisle near the back of the plane and apparently wanted to move into an exit row. She started making dry-heaving noises into a bag and then continued this behavior every 2 minutes for an hour. We were seated right next to the lavatory and she would get up at 10 minute intervals and go into the bathroom and make loud puking/coughing noises, and come out looking absolutely fine, whilst complaining loudly to nearby flight attendants that if she didn't move, she was going to be sick. About an hour into all this commotion, her toddler brother started screaming. Now I have sympathy for mothers who have to deal with their baby crying on the plane, but this wasn't a baby- it was the toddler who was young enough to be a lap child, but who could talk and looked to be about 3 or 4. It was also that kind of angry screaming wherein there are no tears, just screaming and angry yells of protest, which I assume derived from being stuck in an airplane seat. The mother made no attempt to remedy this situation, and the toddler would just yell and scream and stand up on his mom's lap, scream into the seats behind him, throw a fit, and yell some more. Since this was an overnight flight, people were trying to sleep and were becoming agitated and angry with all the noise, especially Nathan and I since we were seated directly behind the toddler and teenager. Greg was seated in the East Indian row as well. The row had 5 seats and was in the middle section of seats on the plane. Facing the front of the plane, teenager and mom with lap-child were in the two right-most seats of the row, the teenager in the right aisle seat. Greg was in the left-most aisle seat of the row with 2 seats between he and the mother/lap-child. The commotion escalated to a fever pitch, in the midst of which, Greg was rescued. Without pressing his flight attendant button, Greg was approached, greeted with, "Are you Greg So-And-So?" (this is how we know his name was Greg). Furtive glances were made toward the east Indians by both Greg and the flight attendant, and then Greg was allowed to leave. He gathered his things from the overhead compartment, and disappeared through that vaunted first-class curtain that separates the peons from the princes. Nathan and I were confused and alarmed and immediately started questioning each other. "Where did they take Greg?" "Where did Greg go?" Greg was later spotted in first class supping on Salmon served on china plates and sipping red wine out of a glass wine glass. Presumably, he must have belonged to an elite miles-club to have been rescued, even though he was sitting in coach. The injustice lay in the fact that all the people sitting directly behind the chaos (Nathan and I), in front, and directly across the aisle were seated in a much closer proximity to the screaming and dry-heaving shenanigans than Greg. Greg even had an empty seat across the left aisle he could have been moved to. *Sigh*
Now whenever Nathan and I fly, we give each other feigned alarmed looks and ask, "Where did Greg go?"

I'm Sorry, But You've Already Boarded The Plane
On my last trip back from Edinburgh to Denver, I ended up in a little bit of a time crunch going to the airport. I had allowed myself plenty of time (or so I thought), but because central Edinburgh is torn up due to the installation of a tram system, there is an inordinate amount of morning traffic. I got to Waverly station and missed an airport bus that was about to leave by literally 3 seconds. I got on the next bus and waited for about 7 minutes for it to depart. Now, I have taken the bus to and from the airport many times in Edinburgh, and it has always gone directly to the airport, without stopping. I don't know if time of day had something to do with it, but this bus decided to stop 8 times. Not only that, there was a huge detour and the streets were packed like sardines with cars. It look us 4 light cycles to go through one light. At some point, I realized that time was going to be a severe issue, so I started praying desperately for the bus to make it in time. Every time the bus stopped again, I felt like screaming. When we got to the airport, I had 3 minutes until bag-drop closed for my flight. I tried to go up to the counter because I knew I was in a time-crunch, but the lady at the desk rudely informed me, as I was trying to explain that my flight was leaving soon, that I had to get in the back of the 15+ person line. Not more than 30 seconds later, she made an announcement asking if there were any passengers on the 9:30 flight, which was my flight, and if so, to come forward to be served. So I went up to be served. Though I had been able to check two bags for free on my way over on BA, the girl told me that I "was not allowed to check two bags". This was of course false, and what she meant was that I would have to pay for my second bag. I tried to explain to her that I hadn't paid for it on the way over, and she just looked at me blankly and told me that I would have to pay and that I would have to go to customer service, pay (over $60, btw), and then come back to her desk for a boarding pass. I did all this, and went back to get my boarding pass and ran up to my gate. When I got upstairs, I could see that there was no one at my gate, all the lights were off, and the sign read, "Gate Closed". I saw some attendants walking from near my gate to the adjacent gate and at the same time, I saw my plane, out the window, backing up out of the gate. I started yelling, "My plane! You have to stop the plane", which was met with cynicism and indignation from both attendants and other people waiting in the lobbies. I went to the adjacent gate and threw my boarding pass on the desk. The two women looked at it and looked at each other and then informed me that I had already boarded the plane. I, of course, had not remotely boarded the plane, and stated this obvious fact in no uncertain terms. At this point, the two attendants started motioning and trying to get a radio from the gate to the ground crew that were guiding the plane out. The radios didn't work, so they ran over to my gate and picked up a phone and called the ground crew who then radioed the pilot. While one was doing this, the other kept looking at my boarding pass and the computer and telling me that 'Robin Dennis' had already boarded the plane and that they had scanned her boarding pass, which was the same number on my boarding pass. Normally in the situation where a passenger has checked in but is not boarding, they would have been calling me over the airport intercom and the people at baggage would have had to let me go through without all the hullabaloo. Additionally, the girl at baggage was supposed to notify the gate that I was at baggage. Neither of these things happened due to the fact that I had somehow, according to the computer system, already boarded the plane. To my spectacular relief, the plane began to pull forward again and the walkway started to extend out. A male attendant grabbed me and started running down the walk-way, which was extending as we were running on it. They opened the door, and all the flight attendants and passengers glared at me as I made my walk of shame to my seat, which was of course in the very back of the plane. There was a man sitting in my aisle seat, and even though I pointed to my boarding pass, he refused to move, so I had to climb over him and sit in the middle of two large men. I wanted to stand up and inform the other passengers that all of this was not my fault, but of course, I did not. Not that I don't think I am inculpable, especially since I was cutting it close time-wise, but it was extremely dangerous of British Airways to have counted me as boarded in their computer system, when I had not actually boarded. A terrorist could have been on board in my stead. Not only that, when I am standing in front of you, in the flesh, with my id and boarding pass, please don't tell me that I have already boarded as I have obviously not.

Does anyone have some good airplane stories? If so, I'd love to hear them.

2010-03-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Story Hour

I like stories. I like to listen to stories and I like to tell stories. I think I like to tell stories because so many outrageously funny things happened in the family when I was growing up and recounting these tales is a way to feel connected to the past.
I can't say that I have a favorite story because there are too many from different times in my life to be able to compare them equally, but here are some I have been remembering lately:

1.) Beep and Bouef
When I lived in the Nunnery in Scotland, I shared the house with people of many nationalities. There was Lillian from South Korea, Guillaume (pronounced Ghee-ohm), who was French, Henry, who ended up being a Scottish royal who split his time between Edinburgh and Spain (I am being dead serious about his being royalty- we couldn't ask the nuns any questions about him), Maria from South Korea, an older Irish couple, Thomas, who was also French, and a girl named Margaret from Japan. Now Guillaume and Maria were star-crossed lovers. He was 20 and she was perhaps 30, though she had amazing skin and looked quite young. In many Asian cultures, it is deemed inappropriate for a women to reveal her age to anyone, including her husband, so Lillian and I had to work very hard piecing together bits of information about Maria's schooling and other parts of her life in order to determine that she was at least 30. Anyway... Guillaume and Maria were a sight to see. She would cook for him for LITERALLY 5 hours and do things like carve carrot stumps and radishes into elaborate roses, curl her hair everyday and basically make all women look like lazy trash trolls. We had very strict rules at the nunnery about men and women and we were never allowed to have someone of the opposite sex in our rooms, so they would spend hours in the kitchen sitting at the table talking and eating and gazing into each other's eyes. One particular night, I came into the kitchen and they were having a very intense conversation. Maria was trying to ask Guillaume about "beep" and Guillaume was not understanding at all. At one point, it looked like a lightbulb clicked on in his head and he shouted, "Boof?" to which she shook her head and responded, "No, BEEP". The conversation continued with various hand motions and other gestures while I secretly stood by my assigned cabinet with my back turned listening to the chorus of "Beep and Boof". They were, of course, trying to say 'beef', but neither was able to recognize, not even a little bit, what the other was saying. Furthermore, synonyms like 'cow' or 'meat' apparently had not come to mind, so finally, after about 8 minutes of discussion, Maria got up and went to the refrigerator and got out a package of strip steak which cleared-up the mystery and they both laughed uproariously for a long time. I went upstairs and jumped on my bed, which I have a habit of doing when I feel giddy, and laughed and laughed at the hilarity. It was not the only time the language barrier in the house had caused much confusion.

2.) The Silliest Compliment
It is known to some that while in Scotland, the aforementioned Thomas and I were good friends. He was a 33 year-old Frenchmen with silver hair whom I literally ran into one day at McAuley house. Thomas was studying Scottish history at the University of Aberdeen and he would come down to Edinburgh and stay at the nunnery for 2 weeks every couple of weeks and do research at the National Library. When he was here, we would walk all over Edinburgh and talk about philosophy and religion. Side note: this was before I met Nathan. On one of these occasions, we were walking to Craigmillar Castle and talking about many different things. Because he was so ardent in his faith, and because of his age and other characteristics I knew about him, I wanted to ask him if he ever thought he would become a priest, but I did not want it to seem like I was asking if he would, in the future, be available in a romantic sense. There was a natural break in the conversation so we walked along quietly for a while. After a few minutes, we picked up a religious conversation and I just asked him, straight-out, if he had ever considered becoming a priest. Later that night, I received a letter under my door. He had left to go back to Aberdeen earlier in the evening. In it, he told me that he knew it was a hard question for me to ask and said, "The containment of your inner wrestling to yourself during our walk to Craigmillar was a masterpiece of feminine craftsmanship". I shrieked with laughter so loudly that Maria got worried and came and knocked on my door. Later, I asked Thomas if he had meant the comment to mean that I was being cryptic or calculating and his face went completely white and he looked at me, dead serious, and said, "I meant you only the highest compliment". I think that if I were ever to write a period romance, this compliment would be featured in the story's climax.

3.) The Fish
It was the bane of my existence in Edinburgh that men seemingly came out of the woodwork and threw themselves at me in a manner that was decidedly untoward. Let me say that this was a new and bizarre development in my life. Of course, it all worked out in the end when I met Nathan, but before that, it was what a dear friend would call 'nuts-ass crazy'. On one particular occasion, I was having a conversation with a young man from my society and all of the sudden he said, "It's funny you know; I'm not attracted to you per se, just to the idea of you". I didn't know how the heck to reply to that, so I I turned really red and said thank you, even though this was obviously NOT a compliment. I tried to steer clear of him the rest of the night, but toward the end, when I was about to leave, I mentioned to a group of friends that I would be walking home to McAuley house and he overheard and said that that was on his way. So there we were walking through the meadows, and he was being pleasant enough, I suppose. When we got to the black gate of my house, we talked for a bit longer and then he leaned over and pursed his lips just like a fish and tried to kiss me. "Oh No You D- INT", I thought to myself in my inner ghetto voice, while trying to bend my back, neck, and head toward the ground. When he realized that I was trying to shirk his magnum opus of romantic gestures, he became quite put-off. I then hurriedly informed him that I was already seeing someone (this was a half-truth) and that I was sorry to give him the wrong impression. A few days later after I was coming out of a lecture, he came up to me and handed me a note (ummm, who even does that anymore?). I opened it up and this is what it said on it:

"Robin,

I wouldn't have tried to kiss you if you hadn't pretended not to like me."

There it is. The world's best explanation, sporting as many double negatives as possible, as to why he had tried to kiss me. All that I can say when I think back on it is this: "Dear Lord: thank you for bringing Nathan into my life. Amen"

2010-02-28T13:19:00.000-08:00

The Food, Oh, The Food!

The food choices in Spain are amazing. I was getting very worried and uptight because I wanted to consume as much food as I possibly could, but there is not enough room in my stomach. When I was walking around Barcelona, there was an abundance of outdoor markets with such beautiful produce! The last picture is of my 'sandwich' in Barcelona. If you look closely, you can see that there is some bread below all the delicious slices of Parma. I didn't want this lunch to ever end; I wanted to eat it forever and ever, amen.

2010-02-26T03:36:00.000-08:00

Lipstick Lady

I made it safely to Edinburgh after about 40 hours of travelling which was not entirely without its hangups, the most significant of these being 'the lipstick incident'. Here's what went down:

I was flying from Denver to Heathrow on an overnight flight. I watched a movie during dinner and then turned on This American Life on my iPod, during which I feel asleep. I woke up a few hours later and felt groggy and my nose felt dry and my lips, chapped. I got out my purse and searched around for my Burt's Bees chapstick, but it was not to be found; I had packed it in my checked bag because it qualified as a liquid, gel, or paste. Thus, in my state of sleep-induced stupor, I decided that a little lipstick would do the trick for my chapped lips. I put it on like I normally apply chapstick and went back to sleep. I woke up with about an hour and 45 minutes until we landed in Heathrow. I was sitting in the middle section of the plane on the right-hand aisle and there was a seat between me and the man on the lefthand aisle. The plane was still darkened to allow people to sleep, so I turned my iPod back on and listened to what remained of my This American Life podcast. The pilot turned on the cabin lights about 45 minutes later, and they flight attendants began to bring around breakfast and drinks. I was one of the first to be served because I was in the second to last row of seats. When the attendant got to me and asked me if I wanted tea or coffee, a look of sheer horror appeared on her face. I had no idea why, but she was British, so I assumed it much have been some sort of cultural indignation that was brewing between us. She served me my tea and breakfast, we landed, and while we were deplaning, the looks of shock spread to my fellow travellers. I got off the plane, walked through the terminal for a while, and found a bathroom. I went strait in without looking in the mirror. When I came out facing the mirrors, I was faced with pure horror. The lipstick was smeared ALL OVER my mouth- above, below, on the sides. It wasn't a super dark color, luckily, but definitely dark enough to be very noticable. When I said I applied the lipstick like chapstick, you should know that I apply chapstick for a minimum of 30 seconds, applying it all around my entire mouth and then rubbing my lips together to make sure it soaks in. Back in the bathroom (or 'toilet', which is proper in the UK, but which I find to be a vulger term), I tried to wash the lipstick off, but since it is basically oil and wax-based, this was quite difficult. The paper towels kept disintegrating when I rubbed them on my face, and I think I was just rubbing the lipstick further into my skin. I needed to make my connection to Barcelona, so I didn't have much time and ended up with a reddish beard and mustache all over my face.

Moral of the story: You will get a red lipstick beard if you travel without your husband.

2010-02-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day

Some people don't like to celebrate Valentine's day because they feel like it is a commercial holiday, but Nathan and I do like to because we like to think of it as another occasion where we can do something special together and commemorate our love (to give you an idea, we celebrate our anniversary every month- a revelation that probably makes most people want to gag). We always make our own cards or write each other letters and give each other very small, thoughtful gifts. This year, Nathan really wanted to cook together and make some dishes out some of our beautiful cookbooks. We choose the William and Sonoma Seafood cookbook and made the following feast:

Mussels Mariniere

Shrimp, Avocado, and Orange Salad

Lobster Risotto

And out of our cocktail book, Green Island Fragrance

The hardest part was getting everything timed to be done at the right time and planning which pans to use, but we pulled it off. The cocktail pictured turned out really good as well. It is made with rum, Midori, pineapple juice, lemon juice and simple syrup; a nice tropical drink to pretend it's not 30 degrees outside. Note: Oranges and avocados work really well together, so if you didn't have shrimp, you could still made a delicious salad by adding some sharp shredded cheese and maybe crumbled bacon.

2010-02-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

Winter and More

I started writing a post-Christmas post a little more than a month ago, but it is too late to
revise that now, so I am going to forge ahead with this new post. Here are some updates from the Faber house:

-We still have our Christmas tree up. Yes, this may seem strange, but both Nathan and I are sentimental about living things and the tree won't die. It wants to live with us and it is so cute that we just can't throw it out yet. Maybe it will be a miracle tree and just keep living forever if we keep watering it.

The infamous and everlasting Thelonious Bumpkin

-Nathan finished the behemoth house project that was the built-in bookcase. It is complete with cabinet bottoms to store our receiver, sub-woofer, and blu ray player, an area for our t.v., and it holds some of the speakers for our new surround sound system. He also wired the back speakers under the floor, so we have complete surround with no visible wires. Listening to The Great Gate of Kiev with the new speakers and sub is definitely a favorite past time. The built-in is a truly glorious piece of craftsmanship. I feel very blessed to have such a handy, talented husband.

-The trip to France is fast approaching, and I am scrambling to try to make some important decisions. Though my grant allows me to stay for two three week sessions with a week in between, I think I may just stay for one session. 7 weeks is something I can handle, but I also don't think it would be right to be apart from Nathan for so long. If you know us well, you know that lots of time apart is not our style. We've never been apart for more than 24 hours since we've been married, and though some people may think that is weird, that is just how we like it. Nathan will still come after the 3 weeks and we will go around Europe for 3 weeks, but there are all kinds of hard decisions to make in the next few days mostly centering around the fact that I already bought my airline ticket (which is so ironic, because I am one of those people who has a deathly fear of hitting the 'purchase' button on travel websites because I want to be absolutely, 100% sure that I am making the right choice). So now I have to either be out a lot of money, try to finagle a reimbursement out of the trip insurance I purchased, change my ticket to the tune of a huge fee, or just go as planned.
-We are now both one year older (and wiser too, hopefully). Nathan's birthday was January 11, mine was February 7. Nathan is 24 and I am 25. We went into Denver to an Improv show for Nathan's birthday and I made him barbeque pork AND chicken which he (voluntarily and happily) ate everyday for a week. We went to my parent's house for my birthday. Nathan made me breakfast in bed with tea, a fruit salad composed of mango, raspberries, and star fruit, and eggs benedict complete with homemade hollandaise and smoked salmon. It was amazing. My mom made me a delicious red velvet cake and the Taylors and Cory and Nichole came over for lunch and cake before the super bowl. I am excited to go to my favorite French restaurant and also to use my new pasta maker!
- We are still trying to figure out our more long-term future plans. We love our house and we love Parker, but we are looking to make some changes. We are trying to figure out how Nathan can eventually work less but still make enough money to support us and figuring this out hasn't been easy. We are also still working on our 2011 grad school plans, and trying to work out all the details such as selling our house for max profit, etc.

Check back soon for pictures of France and our trip!

2009-12-11T21:37:00.000-08:00

Weekend at The Oxford

Last weekend, Nathan and I took a trip downtown to stay at Denver's oldest hotel for a few nights to celebrate our anniversary. We were able to cash in on a great deal called Denver 5280 wherein select hotels offer the mile high rate of $52.80 per night. The quality of the participating hotels varies from nice to supreme luxury, so to get the most for your money you have to know which hotel to pick. Luckily we knew that the Oxford was a top hotel, though getting the rate is no easy task. There are black-out dates, and you basically have to call the receptionist and have the following conversation: "Is the rate available on the 15th?"
-"No"
"Is the rate available on the 16th?"
-"No."
"Is the rate available on the 17th?"
-"No."
" 18th?"
-"No."
" 19th?"
-"Yes."
For your sake, the conversation I have just quoted is much shorter than the one Nathan had to endure. Of course, a few minutes of finagling turned out to be worth it.
Some highlights of the weekend:

The Oxford is a 'boutique hotel', all the rooms are unique with different layouts and all kinds of different antique furniture. We loved that we had a king-sized mahogany bed with a huge antique 2-poster headboard and all the old furniture.
A deep bathtub

Plush bathrobes

The night before we checked in was The Parade of Lights in downtown Denver, so all the streets and stores were lit up with white lights and wreaths.
Eating at McCormacks: This place supposedly has the best seafood in the west and it was quickly evident why it had garnered such an honor. The restaurant prints its menu twice a day specifically because fresh seafood is flown in and arrives twice a day. At the top of the menu, they list everything that was flown in within the last 24 hours and exactly where it came from. They had over 30 different varieties of just oysters! I had a roasted beet, cucumber, and blue cheese salad as an appetizer, Nathan had escargot, and for our entrees I had a Maine lobster with large shrimp and julienned vegetables and Nathan had a fresh rockfish dish with dungeness crab. For dessert we had an eggnog creme brulee which sounds weird but was very good.

Breakfast in bed

Christkindl German market where we had a hot lunch on a freezing day and a vendor gave us a huge bag of homemade cinnamon German soft pretzels.
1 hour Swedish Massage with Champagne and Truffles.
Steam Room.
Spending hours at Tattered Cover on the 16th street mall.
The chauffeur took us to a highly recommended French restaurant called Bistro Vendome that was excellent! We had fresh baked french bread, steak tartare, and escargot (two nights in a row. We could eat it every night, I think) for appetizers. For our entrees, Nathan got a glazed pork belly and I got duck confit. We shared a Kasteel Donker but sadly just couldn't eat another bite and had to skip out on dessert.
Watching movies on the big flat-screen tv in the room in our bathrobes.
Sleeping in every morning.
Lunch at Paradise Cafe.
The Oxford has a huge wood-burning fireplace in the hotel lobby where we sat in big high-backed chairs and the whole hotel was decked out for Christmas and was so pretty!

Decked Halls

Lobby Christmas Tree

It was a wonderful weekend with great food and it opened our eyes up to all the fun that can be had in Denver!

2009-11-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

Cotton

In Edinburgh, back in the day

Today Nathan and I are celebrating our 2 year anniversary! On this occasion, I would like to take a few moments to share some thoughts on the past two years and recap some of the things we have done and experienced.

The most predominate feelings I have today and every time I think of my marriage is that of being enormously blessed and having been a recipient of God's good grace, a blessing and a grace I have done nothing to deserve. I can honestly look at Nathan and find no fault, no selfishness, no lack of love. Only a desire to serve, to provide, and to love me more everyday.

In the past two years, we have lived in an empty apartment with a card table and folding chairs for a kitchen table, at parent's houses, in an apartment too small to stand up in, and now, in a veritable castle. All that time we have been happy. We enjoyed an entire year of practically undivided togetherness, and we have borne almost an entire year of too much time apart. We have travelled over 50,000 miles together, and made the hardest decision either of us has ever had to make; the decision to come home. In all these times, God helped us and raised us up, and we have been blessed.

I have learned in these past years that love is not a feeling, it is an action. I have learned, imperfectly, that to love fully is to be a servant. I have learned, first hand, that "love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all thing." I have learned all these things from Nathan who continues to submit and be the husband and the man God asks him to be.

My mom prayed for me for years that God would bless me with the right husband, and that prayer has been fully answered to an extent neither my mom or I could have dreamed of. There was a long time when I thought I did not want to get married, period, and I also did not trust men. Not only has Nathan helped me to find great strength and comfort in our marriage, I trust him more than any other person in the world. How's that for an answer to prayer?

In closing, I am the one who struggles to love and to serve and I have to learn in each new day how to love like Nathan. There are a few rules that I try to follow to make sure that I honor the man who would lay down his life for me:

1.) One should never, EVER publicly humiliate, chastise, joke about, poke fun at, argue with, or in any way dishonor his/her spouse. Not to friends, family, co-workers, ANYONE. Even 'jokes' can cut down a person's self-esteem, and many jokes turn out to have a grain of truth to them.

2.) Arguments need to be resolved quickly, quietly, and privately. Shouting matches are never acceptable and children and neighbors do not need to be exposed to public battles. "A house divided against itself shall not stand" (Mt. 12:25)

3.) God, your spouse, and professional or spiritual counselors are the only confidants who should ever hear about your marital problems. You do your spouse a great dishonor when you criticize him/her to your family, your friends, or members of your church or small group. It's okay to ask for prayer for oneself or one's spouse without going into details.

There have been many instances that I have not honored Nathan in the way I have been commanded, but I do really try to follow these rules, which I learned from a combination of pre-marital counseling and from some wise marriage books. Many of these deal with public circumstances and with respect in such circumstances because being cut down in public or among one's friends or family is one of the greatest humiliations a person can suffer. I have learned that a marriage is a very intimate relationship in many different senses, not to be shared with others, and a bond to be protected at all costs.

Since our anniversary is always close to Thanksgiving, I always feel especially thankful for my marriage. I am thankful for all the love and sacrifice that Nathan brings into my life, and thankful that I have been blessed with something I never deserved or earned.

We're celebrating by going out to a nice dinner, staying for a few nights and getting a massage package at the historic Oxford hotel in downtown Denver in early December, and, of course, there is the long trip to France in the spring.

"Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Happy Anniversary, Nathan Dear!

2009-10-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

Visit to Ohio

Nathan and I went to Ohio for a week to visit Nathan's family, so it was my third year spending time there in October (I went the year we were engaged). It is nice to be able to go back to the Midwest in the fall, which is arguably its nicest season. The weather is cool, dry, and usually sunny. The trees were changing everywhere and the color were gorgeous. It did rain the first couple of days, but then it was nice and sunny the rest of the time. Here are some highlights:

Fall leaves at East Harbor

One of our favorite traditions when we go back in the fall is taking a trip to the apple orchards. We have gone every year, and this year we picked a different orchard and took Colin and Austin along. The orchard has over 50 varieties of apples and this year and we were able to pick Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Empire, Melrose, Granny Smith, Macintosh, Jonathan, Jonamac, Jonagold, Cortland, Pink Lady, Cameo, and Winesaps. Fresh orchard apples are amazing. They taste nothing like the apples in the grocery store, even when the grocery store apples are pretty fresh. They are unbelievable juicy and crunchy and tart and sweet all at the same time. Nathan and I picked a half bushel and Colin and Austin picked a half bushel, so we ended up with A LOT of apples. So far I've been eating one about every 6 hours (which, by my calculations, will keep 3 doctors away (because I don't eat one while I'm sleeping)). Last year, Nathan and I made apple butter out of our apples and canned it for the winter and we still have one jar left! This year, Nathan made apple crisp, and we are planning on making apple sauce and apple pie with blackberries. The orchard also had hot apple cider and local wine tasting, so we had a fun outing with the brothers.'

My favorite kind, Golden Delicious

On Wednesday night, we were able to go to a really nice local French Restaurant called Zinc Brasserie. It is is tiny restaurant, so even though we had a reservation, the restaurant didn't time their tables right so we had to split up into a kids and parents table and then join up when we got our appetizers. Everything everyone got was spectacular(Lobster fettuccine, Bouillabaisse, Quail, Duck, and my lamb). and we all shared and got to experience other dishes.

It should go without saying that we all watched The Office on Thursday night.

Nathan's brother, Austin, is following in the family footsteps by being in high school band, so on Saturday night, we bundled up and watched his band competition. We saw 6 bands, had hot mochas and cookies, and listened to some pretty decent music. The competition culminated with a 250+ band called North Royalton, which performed music from the movie Gladiator. I am generally not a fan of band music (or of the whole band scene), but this band was amazing. They had a huge, perfectly in-sync auxiliary section (flags and dancers), and the band members were all perfectly timed and marched cool formations on the field. Again, I'm not a big fan of the band scene (one school chose had 'The Best of Chuck Mangione as it's theme), but this was really neat to see. Austin, Colin, Nathan and I all went out to a restaurant after the competition was over and it was fun hanging out with all the Faber boys.

On Sunday we all went to Mass together and then went out to brunch afterward. That night, Colin, who was recently living in Italy, cooked an amazing pasta dinner and made a huge cheese plate for afterward, which we enjoyed with hard cider (from the orchard) and wine in front of the fire while playing Apples to Apples and then Cranium. I handily won Apples to Apples by a LARGE margin by catering my cards to each judge's specific tastes and personality (by saying this, I'll probably never, ever win again but this is a risk I am willing to take), and then Nathan, Austin, and I won Cranium. It was truly glorious.

One thing I should mention is that Nathan's parents, David and Lisa, were home the whole time we were home, so we were able to spend our time with the entire family. Monday, we all went for a long (4 mile+) fall walk through the woods and along the shore of Lake Erie at East Harbor State Park. Austin took the day off school and Colin didn't go to his one class that day, and since other kids were in school, we had the place to ourselves. We walked through a huge, deciduous forest and then walked along the shore of Lake Erie. Grossly enough, we ran across two large snakes: One Common Water snake, and one Large Eastern Fox Snake. I know because I looked them up, being gravely concerned that I had faced immanent death after having concluded that one was definitely a Water Moccasin, and one was definitely some other kind of poisonous snake. I made these conclusions silently, in my head, of course.

If there's one thing mom hates, it's a water snake

Fox Snake

Well, it actually was scary: The Fox Snake was just sitting on the road sunning and Nathan, Austin, and I walked right past it. Colin, Lisa, and David were behind us and they shouted to us to turn back and look at the snake. It was at least 3' long (the white road line is approx. 4'') and when I went up to it, it coiled up and started rattling its tail very fast. Granted, it didn't have an actual rattle on its tail, so I knew it wasn't a rattle snake, but I was thinking, "Why are you coiled up and acting like you are going to strike me and rattling your tail if you're not poisonous?" Well, that snake sure got the best of me, because I was scared and did not pick it up like I had intended. If there's one thing I hate, it's being made a fool by a snake.

Summary: Great family, great food, great times!

2009-10-13T14:56:00.001-07:00

What We Do... In the Fall

It's actually pretty ridiculous that I haven't posted on here since May, but, better late than never, right? It would be silly to update all the way back to May, so I'll just give a recent update.
1.) Nathan and I continue to work on the house every weekend, even if it's just a small project. We are close to finishing the downstairs bathroom (just one more coat of paint) as well as the upstairs. Nathan has been learning a lot of woodworking skills lately and has made some built-in shelves for the bathroom along with some other projects. Our living room is coming along really nicely, and the breakfast room is looking very dapper with a new chandelier and new coat of paint. The projects go on and on and on...but we're making headway at least!

I love this chandelier!!!

2.) Nathan is still working on the large natural gas pipeline project called Trans Canada, which is slated to wrap up in November. This is a HUGE project (some of the equipment he sizes costs over 1 billion dollars, literally, not like when you were a kid and you said something cost a billion dollars that actually cost $200) that, initially, he didn't think he would be put on, but they ended up asking him to be on it and have given him endless compliments about his ideas and the work he has accomplished. He is often asked into meetings with the 'big wigs' for his thoughts about his area of the project. The first week of December will mark his 1 year anniversary of working at URS/Washington Group and he will be able to move up to a higher engineering position. However, Nathan has decided to take the MCAT in January and apply to medical school (he's still keeping his job, of course). I am being totally honest when I say that it was his idea (mom: I hope you're reading this). He is interested in doing Radiology and would like to take the MCAT 'just to see' how he does. I'm willing to bet money his score will be very, very, high.

3.) Speaking of med school, I applied to University of Colorado, Denver's medical school and was accepted! I really didn't think I would make it, but then again, I didn't feel like my life would be over if I didn't, so it was a nice surprise. Everything happened very quickly and it seemed that my life was about to be utterly turned upside down and I thought that I should make a more thorough decision before I commited, so I asked to defer and they allowed me to. You have to defer until the next academic year, so it's possible both Nathan and I could be sporting scrubs come next fall (well, I guess we won't have scrubs yet, but we'd be in the same classes)!!! We would be the poorest people to ever walk the earth, but we're both okay with that.

4.) I have been doing a lot of reading, writing, and riding (the horse kind) and pretty much feel like the luckiest person on earth that I have the opportunity to live this way. I try to be very disciplined about my writing by devoting time to it everyday, and it seems I have been rewarded. Come February I will be spending 6 weeks in a 12th century stone house in the Languedoc region of France at the La Muse writers retreat for FREE!!! I submitted my writing samples, and they agreed to take me on as a barter, which means I have to work 2 days a week for my board. After my stay, Nathan is going to join me and we are going on a culinary adventure in Southern France and the Loire Valley for 3 weeks. Mark my words, I will eat my weight in bread and cheese.

La Muse

I mentioned that I have been able to do a lot of riding, which is something I absolutely love. I ride about 3 times a week, sometimes more, at a beautiful barn with views of the entire front range. The horse I ride is a gorgeous imported holsteiner gelding called Charro who is a wonderful mover and jumper. We have been schooling jumps up to 3'9'' and I would like to show in the 3'6'' to 3'9'' divisions next season. To me, there is nothing better than riding on a cool, fall day, and even when the weather is drab, I still love it. The people who own the barn are devout Christians and keep some spectacular and talented warmbloods, and I feel very lucky to have found such an amazing place and an amazing horse.

Charro (this is not me riding).

All in all, we have been having a wonderful fall. We go on long walks on the trails behind our house and watch the sunset go down over the mountains (one night we were being followed by a herd of 12 deer, 5 of them fawns). Some weekends we spend the night at my parent's house and go to church together and it is nice to sit by the fire and spend time with the family. We've been baking and cooking together, and somehow recently developed a habit of going out and getting coffee. Since the sitting room in our bedroom is finished now (more house pics to come), we're able to sit together on Saturday mornings and have tea and read. One of the greatest things about not working a full-time job is that when Nathan is home, we spend most our time together and I get all my other stuff done while he is at work. I am truly thankful for my marriage, my home and all of the opportunities I have been afforded.

Tomorrow we're heading out to Ohio for a week to visit Nathan's family, and I am excited to go to the orchard and spend time in the midwest in the fall. It's always nice to see Nathan's family and spend time with his brothers and parents. We are very lucky that we both love our in-laws so much, and don't get worried or stressed out by them. I'm off to bed for the early flight.

Bonne nuis, mes amis et aime!

2009-05-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

Small Victories

Don't get me wrong; Nathan and I love, love, LOVE our new house, but there are some aspects of buying this diamond in the rough that have been a pain in the butt (sometimes literally). I have felt, at times, that the house is a living entity that actually competes against me for my sanity. I am pretty sure the house also laughed at my shortcomings one or two times. Projects, up until now, have been moving at a slooooooooooooooooooooooow pace, but we finally have some victories to show for!

The floor lace-in where a non-functional and impractical gas fireplace had been. Now that the lace-in is finished, all the floors can be refinished and stained (darker).

This wall had housed an atrocious entertainment-type center. It was knocked out and is being replaced with a built-in bookcase unit that will cover the entire wall.

For a foreclosure, we actually scored some pretty decent landscaping. There are a bunch of perennials that were planted in the front yard that are coming in nicely.

A house is being demolished in a super posh area of Denver known as Cherry Hills and I found a company that 'recycles' all the materials being demolished. Here is a pair of interior French doors we picked up for our study/loft. When I say 'recycle', I still had to pay for them, but boy, were they a steal. You should know that the house was recently remodeled, was quite large and gorgeous, and all the doors, windows, and floors are practically brand new. The new owners couldn't have cared less. They just wanted the house demolished so they could build a giant monstrosity.

This may not seem very exciting, but it was for us. We have an automatic sprinkler system, and since the house was vacant from October 2008 to April 2009, we thought we were going to be in for it when we turned on our sprinklers, but it turns out they were in good shape and were well winterized. Plus, they will help us with this next project:

Grass! This grass has been kind enough to grace us with its presence and fill the huge dead spot in our backyard. God-speed thee grass to grow thick and lush!

Our bedroom has been painted and is coming along furnishings-wise. It is a gorgeous bedroom, if I do say so myself. Our next project is to get the sitting area furnished with comfy reading chairs so we can sit together at night and look out over the open space behind us.

Other projects on the horizon are the kitchen, which includes painting the cabinets and the walls, new cabinet hardware, new appliances, new sink, and eventually replacing the counter-tops. Luckily, the hardwoods run into the kitchen, so those will be new and sparkling when they are refinished and stained this week. We are also having a pantry installed while we are in Mexico. In the living room, we are having the built-in unit installed. We already painted, so then it will just be a matter of bringing in the furniture. We are painting all the bathrooms and bathroom vanities, replacing light fixtures, and eventually having slate stone floors and different counter-tops and sinks installed. The upstairs loft is being framed into an office/study with french doors. Both guests bedrooms are being painted and have some furniture ready to go. The carpet is being taken up in the living room and dining room, wood floors are being put in, and the rooms are being painted. All windows are being trimmed-out by Nathan, and the dining room window will be replaced with a large picture window some time in the future. We will be adding onto our deck, and then re-finishing what is already in place. It seems like a lot, but after it is all done, the house should be in model condition. That was one nice thing- every room had a lot of potential, I'm just having to milk it. After all these projects comes the landscaping...

A word to all you future homeowners out there: projects tend to take A LOT longer than you anticipate. I have learned this the hard way many times over. Of course, the fact that I am not extremely handy and that Nathan is learning to be handy as we go does inhibit the progress somewhat. BUT... we feel that the time and money we are putting in the house are going to go a long way. HOWEVER, this house is basically my job, so if you are in a situation where you both work, you can either shell out the money for a contractor or plan on knocking out projects on the weekends, in which case you will probably find that a long list of projects could drag on for quite a while. We have tried to find a happy medium between these two (thanks to Laura and Scott, we were finally able to find an honest, affordable contractor), but sometimes happy medium really means I feel like pulling my hair out.

On other fronts, Nathan and I are going to the Riviera Maya for a week starting on Friday. We were going to go to Belize, but decided to capitalize on the swine flu affair instead. We chose an all-inclusive, so hopefully it will be just as good as Fiji (just kidding, that would never happen). After we get back, it's going to be project-mania before the Faber's come visit on the 12th of June, and then after that, Jekyll!!!

In closing, the only thing that has gotten me through hours of painting has been listening to Ace of Base's album of gold and platinum hits. I am serious.

2009-03-03T13:07:00.000-08:00

Sani'belle'

I'll go ahead and say what everybody else already knows; Mom-mom is a gem. A true and bonafide gem. Nathan, Mom, and I had the pleasure of being able to spend some time with her in Sanibel in January and I am so thankful for that time. I'm thankful not just for the many dice games that ensued or the nice dinners or jaunts to Ding Darling, but for being there with her, which is a rare treat for me. I imagine that if we all reminisced on the times we have been able to spend with Mom-mom, we would each come away with some significant story or anecdote of how Mom-mom has influenced us in a meaningful way. Personally, when I think of Mom-mom, it is her quirks and habits (like how she is so resourceful and saves everything and has her car organized with trash bags and cloths pins and ziplock baggies, and how she always has 'game snacks' readily availible'), and other such endearing qualities that first come to mind. Recently, however, after my visit, I have been thinking more of her other qualities: Patience, sagacity, and an open heart. Have you ever noticed that even in casual conversation, she has a way of bringing in scripture and tying it to some relevant anecdote in her own life in a way that is very humble as if she can't think outside of scripture? And it's no wonder. She must spend at least 2 hours a day reading the bible or reading bible studies or commentaries. In fact, one of the first things she did when we arrived was to give me a book of Psalm commentary with her bookmark in it, and ask me if I wanted to read the commentary of a Psalm she had been praying for Mary. She did this without pretense, as is customary because with her- what you see is her true self: no hidden ugliness, no pride, just her life laid out at the feet of God. Lord knows I could use a whole lot of Mom-mom in me.

I wanted to share my thoughts with you because I am sure other people have had a similar realization at one point or another, and I just think it's good to call these things to mind from time to time and maybe write Mom-mom a letter or call her on the phone, because I am pretty sure she doesn't know the ways in which she has impacted some of our lives and because she has no shortage of wisdom and insight to pass along. I think it is important to give honor to someone (along with Dobby, of course) who has given us such a heritage of faith.

Here are some other pictures from our trip:

Outside M0m-Mom's Condo at sunset

Sunrise on the beach

Weird clouds at sunset
Mom thought this was funny

A diving cormorant

Nathan on our bike ride

2008-12-31T13:52:00.000-08:00

Kaua'i

Nathan and I took an 8 day anniversary trip to Kaua'i and it was spectacular!! The scenery on the island is breathtaking, and the water was warm and clear. The shooting conditions were very poor due to all the moisture in the air and as such, the pictures don't do the scenery justice! We also had a waterproof case for my mom's camera (which she graciously let us borrow), but I must say, though there were a lot of fish underwater, the reefs and marine life were about 1/1000th as spectacular as the reefs in Fiji. Unfortunately, we didn't have a waterproof camera option at that time, but Nathan says that's all the more reason to go back. The main difference between the reefs is the lack of color and soft corals in Hawaii. When you stick your head underwater in Fiji, it looks like a box of crayons on acid and the number of coral and fish is innumerable. Kaua'i provided a different experience than Fiji, however, because we were able to rent a car and traverse the island at our leisure, exploring different beaches and hikes and sampling the delicious seafood at local restaurants. We stayed in a condominium complex with a fully stocked kitchen right on a beautiful beach and had access to an amazing, tropical pool and spa area that overlooked Poipu Beach All in all it was a wonderful, relaxing, and amazing trip. I have posted some photos but to see more go here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=LadyDernhelm&target=ALBUM&id=5286042396672991969&authkey=QF33HJ8jUXY&feat=email

2008-12-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

Reunited

Beside the cheesy music (and the 70s clothes and hair), I love this video. I love all my little animals and all that they add to my life.

2008-11-26T21:47:00.000-08:00

Goings and Comings (Back)

By now, I am sure you have all heard from us or through the familial grapevine that we are back in the U.S. of A. We left Cambridge the day Nathan would have matriculated (i.e. officially enrolled with no turning back), and now, as they say, it is what it is. We stayed in Sandusky for a little over 3 weeks to collect some of our personal effects, and then headed out to my parent's house in Colorado. To try and explain our thought process in regard to the decision to leave Cambridge would be fruitless. The only way I can enlighten you is to say that we couldn't have known whether it would work until we got there, and when we did get there, it turned out to be the wrong fit for us. What we have realized since then is that my mom was right when she advised us to "remember that life is full of suffering, no matter where you are" and this has turned out to be very true. We would have suffered greatly at Cambridge due to personal reasons, and we also suffer the consequences of coming home. Perhaps I am being paranoid, but sometimes I feel as though Nathan and I are seen as people who have everything handed to us on a silver platter, when really, we both face tremendous struggles everyday. Because of our changing plans, we have been uprooted many times and have not had the opportunity to 'settle down' beside the first few months of our marriage. Not only that, giving up on an opportunity like Cambridge, for whatever reason, has been truly traumatic, and both of us feel the scars of the decision everyday. Nevertheless, we are learning to make the best of what we have in our lives and move on. Some of you may have heard horror stories about our flat- here is just a little, tiny glimpse of what it was like:

Nathan couldn't fit through the bathroom door...

Or stand up in our bedroom.

This was in our hallway (all those dark spots are spiders and bugs)...

And this was our kitchen light. The only kitchen light.
Our bed linens had mysterious stains on them...
And we had no shower. Only this tub with the maximum water output shown above.

While we may not have had the best time in Cambridge, we were able to spend a couple wonderful weeks hiking and hanging out with our good friends in Edinburgh.

We took an 8-mile hike in the Pentlands with our friend Riccardo

A "Heeland Coo"

In among the sheep

Good ol' Arthur's Seat

Sunset over the Pentland's seen from Riccardo's flat (these were the real colors!)

After we arrived in Colorado, Nathan began his job hunt. He decided that since he was past the deadline of most grad programs, he would look for a job that he could hold until next fall. After searching for a few weeks, he found a job that seemed like a perfect fit in Denver, was called for a phone interview, went to an in-person interview, and landed the job the next day. I was very proud because it was the first interview he had, and it was the company he most wanted to work for. The name of the company is Washington Group, and it employs 55,000 people worldwide. Basically, it is an engineering design firm that does project consulting in any and every stage of design. His firm was contracted to build DIA airport, the Hoover Damn, The Alaska Pipeline, and is working on the redesigned World Trade Centers, among many other projects. One of the things he is looking forward to is being able to work on a project and see it through to its completion which is something that is rare in his field. Many chemical engineers work in monotonous jobs such as fixing one specific type of machine over and over or troubleshooting one particular problem in a chemical plant. At Washington Group, Nathan will be involved in projects that continually change and develop, which is what he needs in order to not feel bored. Furthermore, his new job has excellent health benefits, offers 3 weeks of vacation plus holidays, and pays very well. It also has a flexible schedule so that he can take off 1 day every other week. I think it will be difficult for us both to adjust to this new work schedule at first, but we are both very thankful that he was able to get such a wonderful job.

On other fronts, we just got a new (well, 06') Toyota Camry that we are very pleased with, and we are going to Kauai the day after Thanksgiving for 8 days. One thing we had to give up when we left Cambridge was our proximity to mainland Europe and we promised each other that just because we left Europe, we didn't have to stop traveling, so we don't plan to. Plus, Nathan's job gave us a very nice sign-on bonus and who wants to save a bonus?!? Not us.
Most importantly, we celebrated our one year anniversary on Monday. One thing that Nathan and I have learned together this year is how much people, and specifically family, mean to us. When it came down to it, despite the horrible flat and the less-than-organized staff at Cambridge, we left because of our families. I don't want to be at the end of my life, or at the deathbed of someone whom I love and wonder if I spent my time frivolously, pursuing my own aims. I don't want to have a satellite family of just Nathan and me and our children, going about our lives, isolated from our families. Nathan and I believe in having a strong community of friends, in being involved in church, and in helping others, but our families are a gift, and though God calls us to serve the downtrodden, the weary, and the desolate, sometimes these people are closer to home than we think. Another thing we have learned is that our time together is precious. We value our time together more than anything, especially now that Nathan will be working, and we make great strides to spend time together. In this way, I believe that one of the best decisions we have made is not owning or watching t.v. Not only is it trashy, debasing, and demoralizing, it is a huge waste of time, in my opinion. Though we do download and watch The Office on our computer, we often get frustrated at some of the content, and we have both always felt, after watching t.v., that we just wasted our time and brains needlessly. I know there are people out there that think this approach is a mere 'holier than thou' line, but I truly believe t.v. and constant exposure to digital media and pop culture via t.v. and movies has done nothing to improve our society and everything to debase it. I try hard not to put junk in my body, so why should I put junk into my mind?

Our one year-old cake. This thing survived rolling off the table and falling on the floor at the reception and was still in great shape when we got it out of the freezer until some curious kids started sticking their fingers in it. We ate it for our anniversary and it was surprisingly okay.

Nathan and I continue to love being married and can't believe how fast the time has gone. We are thankful for all that we have been able to do, but most of all, we are thankful for each other and for our families. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, wherever you find yourselves, and don't forget about Jekyll reservations December 1st!

2008-08-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

A Time for Every (fun) Matter Under Heaven

Okay, so I'm not very good about updating our blog. The problem is that I suffer from an Existential Blog Crisis, the nature of which is that from time to time I am forced to realize the existence of my blog, my unupdated blog, which throws me into a state of panic-stricken anxiety. However, I feel dually bolstered because of a simple trick I pulled on myself: I made a very small post which you can view below this one, and that gave me the confidence to post this behemoth.

So far, we've been married 9 months and 13 days and we have loved every second of it. Here is a small picture of how we've occupied our time thus far:

After we got back from our honeymoon, Nathan hit the books for the home stretch and graduated Summa Cum Laude (4.0 GPA) from Case Western Reserve University with a degree in Chemical Engineering and a minor in math. He received 3 prestigious awards, some of which came with money!! YAY!!

After school and on weekends, we took time together by honing our French cooking skills. Here is Nathan Flambeing some Crepes Suzette. Gotta love a man who cooks.
We wanted a special way to celebrate the end of Nathan's undergraduate career, so we decided to get out of the Cleveland dreak and head down south. We headed through West Virginia, and Virginia, North Carolina and stopped at Hilton Head in South Carolina. Although the water is clear(and cold), Jekyll is a paradise compared with Hilton Head's rampant commercialism and crowdedness. After Hilton Head, we headed down to Savannah and ate at Paula Dean's restaurant, "The Lady and Sons".

After Savannah, we stayed near Amelia Island and spent the day at the beach. Everyone enjoyed the sunny beach and big waves, including Dottie:

The beaches at Amelia Island were uncrowded and peaceful, but soon we headed south to St. Augustine, Fl and spent time exploring the quaint town and relaxing on the beach. St. Augustine really is very cute and cultural, but something was missing. It would have been impossible to head back north without staying at Jekyll. On the way down to Florida, I actually felt a sharp pain in my heart when we passed Jekyll without stopping. It felt so wrong. But all was made right after we stopped at the Georgia Pig for a delicious early dinner and drove on through those marshes of Glynn at dusk, making our way onto Jekyll. The temperature in early May was a perfect 78 degrees, and we walked around the historic district and found some Spanish moss to entertain ourselves.

The sunset over the marshes that night was breathtaking- I took this photo as is with no modification.

As it turns out, 6 months in Cleveland was more than enough for us, so in early June, we headed out to Colorado to spend the summer with my family. In July, we took a fun camping trip with our family to the Chalk Cliffs in Buena Vista, Co. There was a beautiful steam right next to our campsite and we hiked to a large waterfall and the next day, we went on an 8 mile hike that started at 9, 200 ft ended at 11,500 ft. It was INTENSE!

We also were able to spend lots of time caring for our secret children. Here's Nathan with our 13 month old, JuJu Bee.

After a time, we decided that Nathan needed to see the great American southwest, so we headed out on a week-long trip to Utah, Arizona, New Mexico (briefly) and Colorado. We spent the first night in Moab and went to Arches National Park the next morning and day. After Arches, we headed south and stayed the night near Bryce Canyon. We got up the next day and enjoyed the beautiful scenery that the hoodoos afford. After Bryce Canyon we traveled to the North rim of the Grand Canyon. Some people speak disparagingly of the north rim, but those people should be shot. It was absolutely stunning.

That night, we stayed in Page, Az in a hotel overlooking Lake Powell. Our room had spectacular views and we enjoyed waking up to bright blue lake outside. In the morning, the staff directed us to a local treat which was a free swimming hole on Lake Powell:

The water was surprisingly warm and super clear at Lake Powell and we were the only people in sight. Never tiring of endless rock formations, we next journeyed to Sedona, Az to stay for a few days. The following pictures are of Sedona and us having a ball at slide rock:

We had another private, rock-enclosed swimming hole at Slide Rock (top picture) and beside our natural rock water slides, we also took turns jumping from a rock giant cliff (35 ft). Here's Nathan taking the plunge:

These following 9 pictures are of family vacation in Boston and Maine with the Faber's. We ate Lobster (I had lobster 6 days in a row and I never got sick of it), picked wild blueberries, went whale watching, and hiked along the Maine coast. Acadia National park is gorgeous, btw, and it happens to be Mom-mom and Dobby's favorite National Park.

Finally, these last three pictures are of our new adventure that will commence on Monday. Nathan and I leave for Edinburgh to visit friends for 2 weeks, then we are headed to our new home in Corpus Christi Cambridge. We are very, VERY excited for this new chapter in our life but it all seems quite surreal at this point. Please pray that we would be allocated good accommodation at Corpus and that we have smooth travels (I know my mom will pray that we don't get taken by human traffickers, so she has that base covered).

I hope this post had cured me of my Existential Blog Crisis, so perhaps I will be much better about updating the blog in the future. Check back soon and save your money to come visit us. It's not as expensive as you think (especially when you have a place to stay)!

Love to you all,

Nathan and Robyn

2008-08-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

In Case You Were Wondering...

I actually am the:

2008-02-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

Banana Pancake Heaven

Of all the delicacies consumed in Fiji, I am slightly ashamed to say that the meal I enjoyed most was the banana pancakes which I indulged in almost every morning. I thought perhaps it was due to the out-of-this-world deliciousness of the local bananas (fat, tart, sweet, firm bananas no longer than 3 0r 4 inches), but when I recreated these back in the states with no such luxury, they were still superb. Now, perhaps you're not really a fan of bananas and have taste or texture issues with said fruit. I say, having a apprehensive attitude to most bananas myself: Onward ho! Banana pancakes, done correctly, represent the best of both the savory and sweet worlds, and are excellent topped with fruit and fruit syrup (none of that maple stuff, please), and can be eaten any time. These pancakes are so delicious, they even remind me of a good Jack Handey quote:
"If you ever get the choice between real heaven and pie heaven, choose pie heaven. It might be a trick, but if not, MMMM BOY!!!" only substitute 'banana pancake heaven' for 'pie heaven'

Banana Pancakes

Whisk together in a bowl:
1 1/2 C. all purpose flour
3 Tbls. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

In another bowl combine:
1 1/2 C. buttermilk (don't have any on hand? You can make it by adding 1 Tbls. white vinegar or one Tbls. lemon juice to the milk)
3 Tbls. butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 finely chopped banana

Quickly mix the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk ONLY until the batter is moistened and no large pockets of dry ingredients remain- let the lumps be! To ensure proper cooking of the pancakes, test your pan temperature before pouring the pancakes by letting a few drops of cold water fall on the surface, making sure they do not evaporate right away, but sizzle and bounce a little. Remember, if you are using a non-stick pan or seasoned pan, you do not need to add extra grease or fat to the pan if the recipe contains at least 2 Tbls. of butter or oil for each cup of liquid, which this does. If it just makes you feel better, then okay. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, slowly pour the batter into the pan and do not flip until the edges begin to round and the surface bubbles on the pancake break. Resist the urge to flip your pancakes multiple times, and remember that the second side will take half as long to cook as the first. After I made these, Nathan made heart-shaped ones for me on Valentine's day- they were even better than mine!

Blueberry Syrup:

1 C. blueberries (or any kind of berries)
1 C. water
1/4 C. sugar

Bring the ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan and boil approximately 5 -8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to thicken. Cool and serve, or refrigerate until use.

2007-12-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

Bacon, Brie, Cranberry, and Arugula

This tasty sandwich was an Edinburgh staple. Nathan and I used to go to this awesome little place called 'Glenhas' and they served these up toasted with hummus and different salads on the side. It may sound strange, but it is oh so good.

You need:

Fresh crusty French rolls- you need to able to smell the yeast or they're not fresh enough.
Butter. I Always buy high-quality sweet cream butter. There is a huge difference in taste, in my opinion.
Arugula- It was next to the spinach in a regular grocery. If you aren't feeling the arugula, then just use spinach.
Cranberry Sauce. I made my on the stove (it takes 5 minutes, literally: Cranberries, 1 C. water, 1 C. sugar, boil 5 minutes), but you can used canned. Just DO NOT use the jellied kind, or you will die. It must be whole berry.
Brie- Brie cheese doesn't have to break the bank. Many grocery stores carry off-brand varieties in their delis that are pretty cheap. You can get a pretty hefty wedge for about $4.00
Bacon. Now, unfortunately, the U.S. does not make bacon like the 'rashers' you get over in the U.K. First off, if you want American bacon, you get 'streaky bacon'. This is mostly only what people who crave fat want. If you want the sumptuous 'rashers' they serve throughout Scotland, which are wide, thick slices of fat-less heaven, you are pretty much out of luck on this side of the pond. Solution? Turkey bacon. I'm serious. U.S. Bacon is really bad for you anyways because of all the nitrites and processing, but we found smoked Amish turkey bacon that had no nitrites or nitrates, and was unprocessed, at our local grocery store. At like 30 calories a slice and a taste that reminded us both of 'rashers' it was priceless (and also cheap). Now, maybe you don't live by Amish country, like us, but I bet your grocery store sells turkey bacon too, because I have seen it in Colorado many times but was too chicken (hehe, no pun intended) to try it.

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. If you are making your cranberry sauce from scratch, start now. When it is done boiling, stick it in the freezer to cool. Next, cook the turkey bacon (or regular bacon) in the microwave or in the skillet (I prefer microwave) until it is just about to your preferred state of crispiness. Slice the Brie in 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices. Split French rolls and lay them so the inside faces up on a baking sheet. Stick them in the oven for 7 or 8 minutes, then take them out and butter them (essential). Layer one half of the roll with slices of bacon (about 3 slices each) and the other side with Brie. Stick them back on the oven for about 10 minutes or until the Brie becomes melted and translucent on the edges. Remove from heat and top the bacon side with cooled cranberry sauce and stack the Brie side with arugula. After this, eat the oatmeal, chocolate chunk, cranberry and walnut cookies you made to celebrate your new oven.

2007-11-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

Unbiblical at Heart

I was going to post this in the comment section in response to a particular comment, but since it ended up being exhaustively long, I decided to make it a post.

Erik: When I wrote about marriage books 2 posts ago (and last post, for that matter), I put my comment into my 'truthfully' section because it happens to be my own opinion, which, in this case, is very strong. I feel that this book does indeed speak to a certain category of men, but there are also many, many men in this world who have not been wounded by their earthly fathers and owe all their best graces to these men. Having also read the book and poured over page after page, I cannot agree with you that it is primarily about the hurt earthly fathers have caused their sons. I know that chapters 4 and 7 deal with earthly fathers, but I do not believe this is what the book primarily argues. Authors chose the material on the back of their books and in their introductions carefully, and these areas mention nothing about fathers- they just reek of masculinism and mention his underlying philosophy that "the core of a man's heart is undomesticated and that is good".

I strongly believe 'Wild at Heart' represents the exact genre of counter-cultural pyscho-babble that Leslie mentioned in her comment, and that critics mention below. Obviously, there is wisdom in many counter-cultural books, but there is no wisdom in being counter-cultural in a way that panders to our sinful natures. I feel that this book is primarily founded on gender conjectures based on own personality and his own ideals. According to personal testimony, this book does not represent the men in my family in any way, it does not represent my finace, and it does not represent the most Godly man I have ever known, my grandfather, Ward Schaap, who stood on Galatians 5: 22 firmly and nobly. Another point of grief occurred to me when I realized how many times he references modern movies to support his point about a particular female or male trait. He is foolishly cavalier in faulting the modern world for ‘redefining masculinity’ yet goes on to use, as a crutch for argument, one of the main sources of the problem he proposes. When talking about women’s desires, he mentions 3 different movies that ‘women love’ for one reason or another. Thus, just as you feel this book addressed you personally and gave you insight based on your experiences, this book offends me in a mighty way and lends absolutely no truthful insight into the lives of the men I know. It is replete with passages that go against what the bible teaches. Just one of many passages I can recall comes in the beginning of chapter 5 where the author relates a story of his son being bulleyed at school. John Eldredge tells him son ‘the next time that bully pushes you down, here is what you are to do… I want you to get up…and I want you to hit him…as hard as you possibly can.’ Eldredge goes on with the paltry excuse that we have misused the verse where Jesus tell us to turn the other cheek. Oh really? Is that why the fruits of the spirit are ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control’? What about Colossians 3: 12, Hebrews 12:14, James 3:18, Proverbs 25:28, etc, etc. Is he purporting that Galatians 5:22 is not relevant or addressed just to women? No. It is addressed to all believers. Just like in everything, he ignores the scriptures in this case and goes on to spew all sorts of garbage about his son’s soul hanging in the balance. Yes, his son’s soul is hanging in the balance because he has taught him that retaliation and his son’s stake to a false, conjured ‘manhood’ is above the biblical principles of love and self-control. If anyone wants to argue that God and, more specifically, the teachings of Jesus as the New Covenant, support retaliation meted out without His divine approval, I would thoroughly enjoy that argument.

Returning to the subject of Galatians 5:22, the words 'patience', 'kindness', 'faithfulness', 'gentleness', and 'self-control'; these aren’t ‘women’s words’ and adherence to them does not emasculate a man. Eldredge speaks caustically throughout the book of society "redefining masculinity into something more sensitive, safe, manageable". There is nothing wrong with a man being sensitive or safe- this is what the command to be ‘gentle’ is about. It doesn’t mean walking around daintily or crying during chick flicks. Sensitivity is learning to care for a wife and children and not saying ‘this weekend I feel like going hunting, or to the mountains because I really need to get away’. Sensitivity is seeing that someone is in pain or helping someone in need. I am even more incredulous that he would berate ‘safeness’ in a man. I don’t need to tell anyone the statistics regarding the correlation between murder and gender. Murder is not a form of man’s natural, yet repressed wildness, it is the embrace of a sinful nature, or a passion. Men do not have to give up ‘the energy, competitiveness, and corporal daring… that is responsible for much of what is right in the world’ to be ‘safe’. We, as Christians, have agreed not to live by our passions, because they lead us into evil. Thus, when I mentioned before that I feel the book offers ‘a free pass to embrace the very aspects of their natures that are leading them to sin in the first place’, this is exactly what I was talking about. ‘Wanderlust’ is a passion, because a man is called to cling to his wife. A single man can wander to the ends of the earth to his heart’s desire, but married men must give this up, or they should not marry. He tries to deal with this by telling men that they cannot just live like caveman, but it is far too late in the game because at the point of such advocacy, he has already imbibed men with the notion that they were really meant to fight wars and go on huge quests and not work in offices.

In another misguided example, Eldredge compares men with stallions. He concludes that ‘A stallion is dangerous alright, but if you want the life he offers, you have to have the danger too. They go together.’ Again, this is an unfounded, illogical, and unbiblical conclusion. Horses do not have the soul of a man (and maybe not any soul for that matter, as much as I love them), and herein lies Eldredge’s error. A stallion’s ‘danger’ has nothing to do with it’s desire to be free, to not have to have ‘manners’, to roam, to be undomesticated, to not work in an office, etc. It is purely sexual and driven by an instinct to perpetuate its species. If John Eldredge wants to make a logically sound argument for men’s wildness being mirrored in nature, then he must acknowledge that it is based solely on a hormonal, sexual desire to perpetuate the species. This false stallion analogy is akin to saying that women are ‘dangerous’ because a female will viciously protect her young, and that if you want the life-giving care a woman provides, ‘you have to have the danger too. They go together.’ The reason why we don’t use that argument is because both cases are conditional. Male animals are dangerous in a mating context, female animals are dangerous in a protecting-their-young context. Finally, why doesn’t he acknowledge that animals are dangerous because they are wild. Man is not wild, nor should this be purported. How do we know? A. Because he has a soul and B.) Again, because a man is called to leave his mother and father and cling to his wife. He is not called to be a hormone-driven animal, wandering the mountains and plains, even if Eldredge doesn't use those exact words. There is no concept of ‘husband and wife’ in nature, and if you are informed, there are very few animals that ‘mate for life’, but since we don’t base our actions on the animal world, both this fact and his stallion analogy are irrelevant.

Not only does John Eldredge chose to shirk a biblically-based view of man, he also chooses to ignorantly ignore biology. Testosterone and estrogen are what make men and women different, and testosterone is the direct cause of what John Eldredge labels as man’s innate wildness. I would never try to deny the fact that testosterone makes men more bold and daring or that it is the vehicle allowing men to fight wars and protect their families. Testosterone is also the underlying cause for the strong pull that some men feel to ‘get out there and be free’. Yet just like estrogen allows women to have a caring and sensitive nature which is conducive to rearing offspring but also is also directly responsible for what we know as PMS, so testosterone allows men to have surges of adrenaline in order to protect, accounts for the extra muscle mass that men possess, and sometimes leads men into violence, increased sexual temptation, and other passions such as the desire to be 'undomesticated'. You simply cannot say that a man is different because he has a different soul than a woman. He is different than a woman because God gave him a biological difference which lies primarily in the presence and production of testosterone.

My parents made a very apt point by explaining it this way: Should women write a book about how they deserve to lie on the floor and cry for hours and read tawdry romance novels and eat pounds of chocolate before the onset of their period and then advertise the book as the secret to the well-being of a woman’s soul? No, that would ludicrous and unacceptable, but it would only be different because a woman’s passions (desires of the flesh) are different. A similar book would take women back to their childhood and point to the errors of their mothers and show them that their souls were not made to submit to their husbands. Occasionally, it would mention that we should submit to our husbands if we want a peaceful life, but if we don't want to face boredom in the home, we need a 'quest' and 'adventure'.

To bolster my point, and to prove that I am not just going on a wild, unfounded rant, I encourage anyone from John Eldredge’s camp to read 'Men and Marriage' by George Gilder. Unlike Wild at Heart, it doesn’t draw on false platitudes about men, but describes, in well-supported detail, why men must be domesticated. And I know ‘domesticated’ can come across as a very ugly word for a man but consider this: talking about men being ‘domesticated’ is no easier or different than talking about wives submitting to their husbands. The fact is that there is biblical evidence for both, that both sexes struggle with their calling, and that nowhere does the bible mention that men are to be wild in any way, shape, or form but rather the opposite; patient, kind, faithful, and self-controlled.

I will leave you with some final thoughts: Africa is home to the world’s ‘wildest’ and most ‘undomesticated’ men. These men hoard money and women, play war like perverse little boys, and have forced a whole nation of women into labor. The men don’t work, largely, and the lands are ruled by roving ‘warlords’. The entire continent is ridden with Aids and disease, resulting from a masculinist attitude toward woman and sexuality. These men have not been stewards of their land, and famine kills millions of Africans every year. So if John Eldredge is going to say that 'the core of a man's heart is undomesticated and that is good’ then it certainly follows that he would compare a man with a stallion and call him dangerous, only he glorifies this 'danger' like a fool, not uses any shred of sound reason. According to my father, this book is dangerous to marriages and families because it speaks to men who already have a proclivity to be unhappy in a domestic sphere- something which has nothing to do with God's plan and everything to do with temptation and sin. I really appreciate your input, Erik, and I am truly not trying to say that you are sinning by reading this book or even agreeing with it because no matter how vehemently my opinions are stated, they are still my own, derived from my experiences, family, and worldview, which I try to support through logic and example. My final thought is that I truly believe Wild at Heart missed an opportunity to help men struggling with 'boredom' by severely romanticizing and condoning behaviors that inhibit men to function properly in the context of marriage and family. He tries to wrap it up by saying, in so many words,'you'll still have to learn to communicate and bring your wife flowers but you weren't made for these things and they are not part of your nature'. Perhaps this is better than nothing, but the end result is too little, too late.

Here are some critics that sum up my thoughts far better than I am able to, even after my veritable novel:

1.) "I have never read a book that was more of a waste of time than this one. I would hardly even call this a Christian/spiritual book. This book reminds me of a topic I read of in seminary a year or two ago called PsychoBabble. This is the trend of our Christian world today and we need to be fearful of it. Books from Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, and Doug Fields proclaim a "heaven on earth mentailty" by getting Christians to examine their lives according to psychological or heart-emotional techniques, and not seeking the Lord or the guidance of the holy Spirit out in anything. "Wild at Heart" has been the most disappointing reading I have gone through since Rick Warren's book. Since I lead youth and speak to men all of the time, I know we should not try to understand our heart's and desires for what they are, because at the end it is sinful and lustful. Sin causes men to be wild and sinful, and "Wild at Heart" encourages it all, and justifies it by saying here and there, that it was God created us for. WRONG!!!! Where is "glorifying God" in all things. Not seeking your own desires, and wild fantasies. "saving the beauty" "beating up the playground bully" I am sorry to say this, but this author adds to the confusion that men already face." -Allen Samuel

2.) "In this book, it's patently clear that Eldrege already had a philosophy in mind and then tried to find verses of Scripture that sound a lot like what he already believes. Instead of taking out of the text what is there (exegesis), he superimposes his own thoughts upon the text (eisegesis). At that point, it ceases to be God’s Word and devolves to the sounding brass and tinkling cymbal of man’s word. If you buy this book you ought to be as embarrassed as I am that I invested any time in reading it; especially when there are so many other fine authors out there (John MacArthur, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Garry Friesen, Daniel Bock, D.A. Carson, Edward J. Young, Jaye E. Adams, et al)"- Joe Buonassissi

3.)"Wild at Heart" is flawed at heart. It is about the heart of man - not the heart of God. "Have you got what it takes?" is the recurrent humanistic theme. The author's psychological analysis of the male psyche is interesting, but its message of "validation" puts man firmly on the throne, and there is no room for that if God is to be King in His kingdom. It espouses no Christian distinctives whatsoever even though it frequently and selectively misquotes Scripture."- Dennis Maeder

4.) "I perceive two problematic themes running through "Wild at Heart". First is the idea that God's plan for a man is adventure.Throughout the book, Eldredge brings in the word "dangerous", implying that it's a major component in God's life as well as man's. While Eldredge can be assumed to be speaking metaphorically about the Lord, it’s a stupid thing to say about the omni powerful God of the universe. He who is and was and ever shall be, Who holds all of His creation together by His own will – He faces no danger! Second is the recurring reference to Robert Bly, of "naked men beating drums in the forest" fame, with an implicit endorsement of this man without any qualifications at all. Bly is a pagan (or was when he wrote "Iron John") and Christians must always be careful about recommending non-biblical sources. Pg 48 - "Desire reveals design." So many desires are the product of a wicked heart and do not reveal God's design for man. pg 87, "The enemy fears you!" Yeah, right - a Bob Larson view. In truth, the enemy fears Christ in me; he isn't impressed with me at all. pg 115, "God in His humility gave us Eve." This made me wretch. The only time God is recorded in scripture as being humble is when He took on human form and Christ submitted Himself to the Father in all things. God the Father, humble? Not in my Bible! Find me one reference in scripture where the Lord’s desire for us is “adventure” and I will reconsider my main objection to this book. “Adventure!” It sounds too much like an invitation to take another bite from the apple."- Stuart Brogden

5.) "I appreciate the concerns that Mr.Eldredge has concerning men, and I am sure he is well meaning in his desire to help in this matter. However, I have great reservations in recommending this book to anyone. I understand that this is not a theological work or doctrinal study per say, however when one seeks to discuss a subject such as this from a Biblical perspective, one must use the Word of God accurately. Scriptural integrity must be the top priority and should not be sacrificed in any way for the sake of "entertainment" or "relevance". For example, the account of Ruth and Boaz is an example of poor exegesis. Boaz is pictured as a "drunk" who had been "partying" just before going to sleep. The Hebrew text never says he was "drunk" or intoxicated as Mr.Eldredge implies, rather the Hebrew word simply means "to drink". Ruth is depicted as "seducing" Boaz. Mr. Eldredge's use of the term "seduce" in his book is unfortunate and inaccurate. To seduce someone means to lead someone into error or into sin. The Word of God makes no mention of any such conduct of either Ruth or Boaz! Remember the Word of God states that BOTH Ruth and Boaz were beyond reproach and righteous in character. I am sure Mr.Eldredge had no intention of insinuating any such things of this Godly couple; however I would recommend that Mr.Eldredge have a good commentary and lexicon handy when he writes his next book!"- R. Davis

6.) "John Eldridge's claims border those of open theist who claim that it is impossible for God to know the future of "free" persons. While this may be a correct conclusion according to the philosophy of men, it is not what Scripture teaches us about God. Consider Isaiah 46:9-10: "remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'". Guard yourselves from this heresy and the other authors that are more outlandish such as Gregory Boyd, Clark Pinnock, and John Sanders."- Matt Brown

7.)"Eldredge brings up a good point about men having "wounds", but that is the only positive this book offers. His view of God is not Biblical. Just one of many examples is Eldredge's view of a risk-taking God. Eldredge must have missed the hundreds of references to God's omniscience in his studying of the Word. Sadly, this is yet another popular book to corrupt true Biblical Christianity."- M. Kraig

8. "I went into this with such hopes, having read so many reviews about how wonderful this book is. I now lament the poor state of Bible literacy within the Christian community. From the get-go, this book is off base. God created Adam and put him in the Garden of Eden, telling him to take care of it, before creating Eve. Was God wrong for not putting Adam out where it was "wild"? That mistaken premise sets the tone for the whole book, and sends it off course. While it's true that God spoke to Moses while Moses was in the wilderness, Moses was in Midian because of his sin - not because God sent him there (as a matter of fact, God send him back to Egypt). Eldredge seems to relish the idea of danger, even to the extreme of putting his children in danger rafting on a flood-swollen river, even though he has no idea how to float such a river. They did make it, but it was foolhardy to risk the kids lives in this way. There are other examples as well. The most outrageous thing is in chapter 1 where the author states that he, and presumably the rest of us as well, cannot ignore our need for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue without losing his soul! What? This is not even close to Christian theology. The bottoim line, in my opinion, is that the author has given us new things to try and fit into the God-shaped hole that we all have. Taking advice from a guy who, though he's a counselor and presumes to teach men, as late while writing the next-to-last full chapter, is apparently giving some consideration to starting over with one of those other beautiful women. There's some good stuff here. Unfortunately, between the goofy he-man psychology, the vulgar examples and poor theology (most of this seems to come from Robert Bly and James Bond movies), the good stuff is hard to find."

2007-10-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

If I read another marriage book, everybody is going to suffer. In fact, I am pretty sure marriage books are required reading in hell. I want to build a fire with marriage books, but I do not want to sit and warm myself by it because it would give off toxic fumes. Not every marriage book is bad- some have a limited amount of what I think may be good advice, and yes, I am willing to admit that I am not qualified to speak on the truth of marriage books. I am simply telling you that if I read another one, I might die. It's not that I am trying to rebel against the idea that marriage is a monumental, life-long commitment that must be worked on constantly and with great fervor. The fact is that these marriage books make me want to move to a deserted island and live by myself forever. They undermine everything I know about Nathan's character, and when taken as a whole, portray a very negative side of marriage. They have basically convinced me that I am going to have a few nice 'honeymoon months' and then Nathan and I are going to turn into monsters. According to these books, Nathan's communications skills will disintegrate to cave-man levels, which will result in me never feeling loved enough. I, on the other hand, will be too 'tired' all the time and nag and disrespect and dishonor Nathan and view intimacy as a burden. Apparently, there will be daily fights about who didn't put the cap on the toothpaste and we will both learn some huge, disgusting character flaw about each other that we somehow just happened to gloss over while dating and during our engagement. Since, according to these books, Nathan is task-oriented, and marrying me is a 'task', once he completes this task, he will no longer treat me the same way, and he will forget and forsake all the ways he treated me before we were married. I will be deeply unsatisfied and unfulfilled and begin to read romance novels and wonder why I am so unhappy. Now, you may be thinking that I am being ridiculous and that none of the marriage books you read said any of these things. All the ones you read gave you practical tips to avoid this scenario. For example, maybe you read one that proposed the practice of 'Active Listening'. Active listening will save your life and solve all your problems and it is as simple as parroting back exactly what the other person says, never 'suggesting, questioning, advising, or reassuring', because those are 'road blocks to communication'. So, if Nathan comes home and says to me: "I've had it with this job! I can't seem to figure it out. Maybe I should start looking for another one!", which one of these do you think is the correct response?

1)"You feel terribly discouraged with your job. You want to look for another one."
2) "Maybe you shouldn't react so impulsively."
3) "You're discouraged, you need some sleep and everything will be better tomorrow."
4.) "I'm sorry you feel so discouraged. I want you to know that I am proud of the work you are doing. We can talk about this and work it out together."

According to the text, the correct answer is number one. Why the heck would I ever say that? He doesn't need to hear me repeat what he just said in the exact way he said it. He already knows how he feels, and nothing, NOTHING, is ever going to get resolved with this kind of communication. This is exactly what I am talking about; completely inane, vapid suggestions for how to relate to one another. The only marriage book I would even suggest to anyone is "Reforming Marriage" by Douglas Wilson, though I issue my recommendation with a coinciding warning: this book is not for the light of heart or for disdainers of gender-roles.
In conclusion, I sincerely believe that I picked a honorable, caring, gracious, stand-out man to be my husband, and though I never expect my marriage to be comprised, every minute, of star-gazing and sun-shiney meadows, I know that it is not going to be the tiring struggle these books propose. Nathan is never going to come home from work, sit down on the couch, and watch t.v. all night, demanding snacks and beers. He is never going to ask me to stay home while he goes hunting with his buddies. He is never going to explode at me over what he thinks his rights are and how he deserves to be treated. It's not in his nature, never has been, and never will be. All he has ever shown me is a perfect example of unconditional love, and through that love, has taught me to be selfless and to be a servant. That is what makes a excellent marriage; unconditional love, selflessness, and cultivating an servant heart- not 'Active Listening'.

Truthfully, I think the book, "Wild At Heart" is nothing more than the equivalent of any cheap, deceitful feminist movement. There is a line on the back of the book that sums up how sick the philosophy of the book is: "Most Christian men are... bored". Hmm, what other movement does that sound like to you? It may be completely true that Christian men are bored, but the solution he gives to this issue is completely unacceptable and is basically a free pass for men to embrace the very aspects of their natures that are leading them to sin in the first place. Just like how the feminist movement deceived women into believing that they would be so much more satisfied outside the home, this book basically says "all those things you are doing, they are just turning you into Joe Nice Guy and really you should know that deep down, you are Joseph the Broad-Chested, Wild, Roaming, Justice Enforcer and all that is keeping you from this latter persona is your domestic enslavement and that sticky old church and all those boring men telling you to be 'honorable'. Do I think men and women are different? Certainly. What I do not believe is this: "The core of a man's heart is undomesticated and that is good. 'I am not alive in an office', as one Northface ad has it. 'I am not alive in a taxi-cab, I am not alive on a sidewalk'. Amen to that." NO. Just no. I am so very glad that I will not have a husband deceived by these lies. First off, John Eldridge bases most of his reasoning on the 'fact' that until recent times, man was nomadic. True and false. Some people groups were nomadic and some were stationary depending on how they made their living and depending on their geographic location. Yes, there are men throughout history that have had 'wanderlust', there are men today who have wanderlust, but you know what? So do many, many women. In reformed Christian terms, we would say that it would be wrong for a woman to shirk her role as wife and mother and decided to go on a quest for her inner heart. Women are extremely bored too, you know, and it's not because they are not being treated like a pretty princess and told they are beautiful every second of the day. Both men and women are bored simply because we have such a propensity in our sinful natures. Most women I know do not enjoy making food all the live long day and changing diaper after diaper in between vacuuming and likewise, most men may not enjoy sitting in a cubicle from 8-5 ordering materials and talking to disgruntled customers. Well, these are the things we must do, no matter how mundane. The solution is never to 'go out' and find ourselves- that is what the modern world would have us do, and that is why our culture and our families are in disarray. When we come from the position that we are being denied something or that we are not living the life we deserve, we will always come out feeling cheated, and we will always find an excuse to be unhappy. For any men out there who feel a desperate need to constantly 'get away', and be wild and free, and further, allow themselves to believe that this is right and in accordance with your nature, I pity you. Physical activity is one thing, but this other, underlying mentality represents a very deep and sinful pull to indulge in something everyone, both men and women, struggle with. Thanks, John Eldridge for the Maculinist movement; thanks for taking a stand, making things fair, and finally letting men have their day in the sun. Most of all, thanks for showing men just how boring and horrible their lives really are- they really needed the encouragement...

2007-09-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

The Redeeming Cookie

What you see above is nothing short of a miracle. It is a chocolate chip cookie, baked at high altitude, that tastes like a piece of heaven. These cookies turned out with a thin, crisp golden edge and a perfectly formed moist center. Sneaky cookie, you have eluded me for too long. I have conquered, and you have redeemed yourself.
I must be perfectly honest, my record as a baking maven was hanging in the balance. Thin, crispy cookies kept appearing out of the oven at my hand. Who cares if they tasted good? Their appearance was nothing short of disgraceful. I knew I was facing high altitude blues, and I only had a general idea about what to change. However, today I came across this article from Wholefoods: www.wholefoodsmarket.com/cgi-bin/print10pt.cgi?url=/recipes/kitchentips/
cooking_altitude.html
I had an idea of the problems, but needed concrete advice in order to implement the changes. Here is the recipe I came up with, based on the advice of the article:

A Cookie You Can Be Proud Of:

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened (actually, I used 1 stick and 6 Tbsp butter)
1 1/4 C. loosely packed light brown sugar
1/8 C (or 2 Tbsp.) granulated sugar
3 Eggs
2 Tsp pure vanilla extract (don't you DARE use imitation vanilla)
2 1/4 C. flour plus 2 Tbsp.
1/2 Tsp. baking soda
1 Tsp. salt
Dash Cinnamon
12 oz high quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate (or even milk chocolate if you can stomach it)
(Optional: Cranberries, nuts, oatmeal)

Place one of your oven racks in the middle position and preheat oven to 390 degrees. Yes, I know that is hot, but the article will explain why it is important. Beat the butter and sugar until creamed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. In a separate bowl (or not, if you don't care about being a stickler) combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the flour a third at a time, scraping the bowl with each addition. Fold in the chocolate chips, cover the mixing bowl, and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes and between each batch. I am not sure is this actually helps the cookie, but it does make the dough easier to handle. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and tops are light golden. It may be more work than cookies from a box, but the result is so much more rewarding!

2007-09-13T10:39:00.001-07:00

From Scotland, With Love

I decided recently that it would be good to include a daily devotional reading in my regiment, so I chose My Utmost For His Highest. I love how simple the devotions are, and I like the style they are written in because sometimes the strangeness of the phrasing causes you to look at a passage in a different light. I especially like the fact that Oswald Chambers is from Aberdeen, Scotland, and attended the University of Edinburgh! One thing that I found confusing however, was the devotion for yesterday, September 12. It was going along talking brilliantly about spiritual confusion and understanding that we may not always know God's will in the present, but then it ends with this line: "He had bigger things at stake than the particular things you ask". Now, I fully understand that when I ask God to help me with an incontinent cat, it can be seen as a triviality in the scheme of things. But many aspects of our lives could be seen as a triviality in the scheme of the Universe. I was always taught that we should pray about the matters on our heart, no matter how seemingly insignificant they are. I think what he was trying to emphasize in this devotion was that we must "hang on in confidence" in God, even if we are confused about why our prayers are not being answered, and that they are being answered according to God's plan, but not because 'he has bigger issues at stake than the particular things you ask." To see God in this light is to say that he must categorize and prioritize things of this world in order to be able to handle them, which I don't believe.

Truthfully: I miss Scotland terribly and in a way that I never missed the U.S. when I was over in Scotland. I love the land and the light and the rolling hills with misty farms. I love the air there, and the old city and the brogue. I am homesick for Scotland because it was a home where I grew and was loved (not just by Nathan!).

Caledonia

"Caledonia! thou land of the mountain and rock,
Of the ocean, the mist, and the wind-
Thou land of the torrent, the pine, and the oak,
Of the roebuck, the hart, and the hind;
Though bare are thy cliffs, and though barren thy glens,
Though bleak thy dun islands appear,
Yet kind are the hearts, and undaunted the clans,
That roam on these mountains so drear!
A foe from abroad, or a tyrant at home,
Could never thy ardour restrain;
The marshall'd array of imperial Rome
Essay'd thy proud spirit in vain!
Firm seat of religion, of valour, of truth,
Of genius unshackled and free,
The muses have left all the vales of the south,
My loved Caledonia, for thee!

Sweet land of the bay and wild-winding deeps
Where loveliness slumbers at even,
While far in the depth of the blue water sleeps
A calm little motionless heaven!
Thou land of the valley, the moor, and the hill,
Of the storm and the proud rolling wave-
Yes, thou art the land of fair liberty still,
And the land of my forefathers' grave!"

-James Hogg

2007-09-08T19:50:00.001-07:00

Away From It All

Since returning from Ohio, the weather here has been crisp and lovely. Thus, a few days ago, I decided that I would hike the Barr Trail up Pikes Peak (well, at least part way) but then remembered that to do so, I would need to leave early in the morning to avoid lightening danger. I kept trying to go, but ultimately ended up going on a hike near Palmer Lake.

This red bee kept following me everywhere, and I was freaking out thinking it was an African Killer Bee

I found this weirdo munching on some willows by the path. I have looked far and wide trying to identify this thing, but so far, no luck.

Truthfully: One think I like to do while hiking is think up all sorts of extreme scenarios and talk to myself about what I would do in such a situation. I was thinking about how neat it would be this time if I came across a bear with my video camera on and then proceeded to set it somewhere while I taped myself scaring off the bear through multiple techniques. A lot of times I like to think about facing off with wild animals and succeeding in scaring them away. I fully acknowledge the ridiculousness of this. I also like to eat small amounts of all different types of plants along the way in case I get stranded or lost and have to fend for myself. Or, sometimes I just get hungry.

2007-09-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

Oh, the humility.

Sometimes God answers our prayers immediately. For instance, yesterday I drove from Chicago to Monument, Co in our new Prius. Because of the impromptu nature of the trip, I had no music beside the radio. Thus, after hitting the 'scan' button 1,000 times, Christian Talk radio became the only viable choice. Throughout the course of the trip, I heard about the pros and cons of spanking your children, how to keep the intimacy flame burning bright, how to answer the "what about tribal people in Africa question"(referring to whether they will be saved without the Word), and all sorts of interpretations of what Paul meant in one book or another. When I finally got off of 80 and onto 76, "Renewing your Mind" with R.C. Sproul came on. The particular show was on Matthew 12: 34 ("For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks") and it was really convicting. Later, he talked about pride and humility, which were the subjects of last Sunday's homily, and all of this had been eating me up lately. Furthermore, the show before R.C. Sproul discussed how God allows trials in our life in order to strengthen us. Well, after the show was over, I just started praying aloud in the car about so many things. I prayed until no more words would come out of my mouth, and then I sang a song Mom always sang in times of trouble, because that was how I was feeling:

" My soul finds rest in God alone
He only is my salvation
My rock, my peace, my fortress strong
I will ever love and adore Him"

5 miles from home, I ran out of gas. Ironic, isn't it? My hybrid car, which averaged 49mpg over 1,4oo miles, ran out of gas. The reason why is because everything is electronic, and the gas meter gives you 10 bars. Each bar was averaging almost 60 mpg. So when I got to one bar about 7 miles from home, I thought I would be fine. Wrong. A giant red exclamation point illuminated on the dash board, the 'check engine' light started to flash, and the car shut down. I had no cell phone, it was 10pm, and there were no houses or buildings to speak of (that's how it is driving south on I-25 before you get to monument). I quickly figured it would take well over an hour to walk to my house, factoring in the steep hills, and walking would also mean walking along the interstate at night. I didn't want to worry mom and dad by appearing on foot and bedraggled at 11:30 at night, so I just started crying. I knew I would have to get out of my car and flag someone down, and this is where the small trial comes in. The thought of doing such a thing struck fear to my very heart but mostly because it involved humbling myself and asking for help. Asking for help is not something I do well. Perhaps it has to do with being the youngest child, or perhaps it is just being fiercely strong-willed, but waving my hand on the highway, in the dark, asking a stranger to go out on a limb for me rendered me a sobbing wreck. I got out of my car and was violently shaking and praying that God would give me the strength to help me to raise my hand to the oncoming traffic. Nobody would stop. After a while I got back in the car and cried some more. By then, my eyes were so puffy (I had been crying earlier when I was praying before my car broke down, too) that I could barely open them. I got out of the car again and prayed for strength. Almost immediately, a pick-up truck stopped and a boy I recognized from my graduating class got out and helped me. He gave me a ride home, I woke up mom and dad, and we went and got the shameful little car. I don't think I have ever been more tired in my life.

Truthfully: I think the thing I am most prideful about in my life right now is Nathan. I thought about whether it is wrong to have pride regarding another person, and I decided that it is in the way it is manifest. For instance, it causes me to scoff and think haughty thoughts whenever someone else praises their spouse or boyfriend. This is most unfortunate because one of the things the Lord despises is "haughty eyes". Most of the time, I just think about how lucky I am, but sometimes I feel like just rattling off merit after merit and have to stop myself. I know that some of you are probably thinking that I should wait 5 years and then see how I feel about rattling off Nathan's merits, so this is a subject I am going to address in a future post.

2007-08-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

Chicken Salad Impostor

3 Cans Solid White Albacore Tuna
1/2 Chopped Red Onion
2 Tablespoons Sweet Relish (yes, I know you are tempted to use dill, but it changes the flavor)
1/4 C. Chopped celery
1/2 C. Firm red or green grapes
Mayonnaise to taste
1 Tsp. Honey mustard (doesn't have to be honey, but honey mustard is especially good)
Dash Celery Salt
Salt and Pepper, to taste

This is called Chicken Salad Impostor because it resembles many chicken salad recipes but is made with tuna, which performs quite well as long as it is the solid white albacore. Serve on 100% whole wheat with a good amount of fresh lettuce.

2007-08-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Every time I try to start a blog, it goes to pot. Why? Most likely because I keep journals and the things I would say in a blog, I just say to myself in a journal instead. Journals, however, are not podiums and sometimes one needs a podium (especially those of us who can never get the words in their head to come out of their mouth at the right time).
Truth be told, I am still leery about the concept of blogs. This is because a person can be honest in their journal in a way that they cannot be in a blog, yet people present their blogs as web journals (well, some d0). I guess the solution is to not make my blog read like a journal, but it seems to me that the fact that I know my blog will theoretically be read taints it to the very core because I may worry about the opinions reached and change my style/content. I want to be honest in my writing. This is why I am going to offer no apologies, in advance, for the things that will be heralded, forthwith, and write on without a care.

Truthfully: When people inquire as to which is my favorite season, I often say 'summer' when, in reality, it is fall. It has to do with a mental juxtaposition of knowing that school started in the fall (hate) but feeling a certain swell of heart when walking along streets lined with gold and red trees (love).