Austria Trip - First Half of the Day: Durnstein

Halfway to the Top of Durnstein

This morning we got up and got some breakfast. Of course, I don't speak German, but I picked out something from the cupboard that looked like granola. Apparently, I was correct and it was really, really good. I was thinking as I was munching on it that I wished I could replicate it here at home. 

Today we are going to head to Durnstein. If you want a quick history lesson, click on the link! In a nutshell, it's a little town nestled sweetly next to the Danube. It's claim to fame is a ruined castle located at the top of a big hill. King Richard the Lionhearted was held captive here during the 3rd Crusade. It's so exciting to learn about all of this old, old history!

It's apricot season here, as I mentioned in my last post. We had apricot pretzels to munch on as we headed toward the top. Apricot pretzels you say? Yes! They looked just like those ginormous pretzels that you can get at Auntie Anne's Pretzels, complete with the coarse salt-looking sugar crystals on the exterior. They were sweet, moist and delicious. I'm not a huge fan of big salty pretzels, but these I could get used to!

When we first arrived at Durnstein, I kept looking around for the castle. Nate pointed it out to me. "It's up there." It's up, up, up high on a hill and that's where we were headed. Thankfully, it was a pleasant day so I wouldn't be fainting from heat and exhaustion. It was quite the workout (think: stair-step machine), and I realized how out of shape I was even with all the walking and running we've been doing on the treadmill at home! There were places to stop and look out over the Danube and the little village down below. This is wine country and the neat rows of vines were picturesque too. We stopped for a rest just below the castle and caught our breath. Taigen, Claire and Benny climbed a huge rock where a French tourist offered to take their photo (pictured above).

We finally made it to the top, and boy was it all worth it! The view was spectacular. Sarah handed out thick bread to go with Gouda cheese (they pronounce it gow-da, not goo-da) and salami. We also munched on apples and carrots. There was a cool breeze at the top and it felt wonderful. Taigen and Benny locked themselves up in King Richard's "prison", I took lots and lots of pictures (I've put several at the end of this post), and we just enjoyed ourselves immensely.  It is a beautiful area and I'm so glad the Hudsons brought us here. Before we left, we thought the acoustics in the prison cell were excellent so we went in and sang "Amazing Grace" with Sarah and Claire. 

 

When we came down we looked in the shops and just gaped at the beautiful architecture. I especially love the geraniums in the window boxes and the ivy climbing on the walls. We purchased some juice and then made our way down to the river. Sarah had told us that when the BJU German team was there, it had been a very hot day. They were so hot and exhausted from the trek up the hill that when they got down to the Danube, some of the guys just jumped right in! We didn't go that far, but we did take off our shoes and enjoy the cool water. I have to say that I was wondering as I looked at the Danube...what was Strauss thinking when he named it The Blue Danube? It looked more green to me. Maybe it used to be blue?  Here are some lines from the poem that was written to accompany Strauss' music. It's fairly lengthy, so I'll only include a few stanzas...but I thought they were appropriate to where we were and what we had just seen.

Danube so bright and blue,
through vale and field
you flow so calm,
our Vienna greets you,
your silver stream
through all the lands
you merry the heart
with your beautiful shores.

Far from the Black Forest
you hurry to the sea
giving your blessing
to everything.
Eastward you flow,
welcoming your brothers,
A picture of peace
for all time!
Old castles looking
down from high,
greet you smiling
from their steep
and craggy hilltops,
and the mountains' vistas
mirror in your dancing waves.

Stop your tides at Vienna,
it loves you so much!
Whenever you might look
you will find nowhere like Vienna!
Here pours a full chest
the charms of happy wishes,
and heartfelt German wishes
are flown away on your waters.

On our way home, the van was quiet. Claire and Benny dozed and I think Sarah nodded off as well. It had been a great day. We came home and Taigen and I packed up. We were off to a night in a hotel. Our deacons had suggested a time in between the two homes (Hudson's and Shelton's). We were able to procure a hotel from a discount website and it was located close to the heart of Vienna. Taigen and I were going to attempt to explore the city by ourselves (more on that later). So, we got home and got ready to head into the city. We didn't have to say good-bye quite yet. Taigen was going to have breakfast with Todd and Stan in the morning and I was to meet up with Sarah and Grace for lunch the next day. Plus, Taigen and I were going to do a sacred concert on Sunday. Todd and Sarah were going to pass on the appropriate information to their church people because they had wanted to attend. So, we'll see them all then. 

We had a wonderful stay with the Hudsons. We felt so comfortable and welcome. The opportunity to see them, their children, their home, their ministry in person was something that is priceless. They are truly a family that loves the Lord and desire to share the gospel with the people of Vienna.

Austria Trip - Squishing Apricots

Must've been up too late last night because I got up later than usual this morning. The shower felt nice and I got ready for the day. When I came downstairs, Todd had krapfen waiting on the table.  These are basically donuts, but oh so much better! Taigen and Benny were already sitting and enjoying them, so I had better hurry if I want some too. Ha!

Today was Candie's last day in Austria. She needed to get back to South Africa to be with her husband. Sarah had gone out for coffee and breakfast with her. I was invited to go, but I opted to let them have their time alone. When they came home, we all chatted until it was time to take Candie to the airport. Breakfast dishes awaited when they left so I cleaned those up and then helped fold laundry.

Tammy asked if I would like to take a walk up the street and see her apartment. This is happily situated not too far from the Hudsons. Maybe a three minute walk. It is so cute! It is a perfect situation for her since she does a lot of helping around at the Hudsons. I'm sure it's nice to be so close. Tammy pointed to the different apartments surrounding hers and mentioned certain people by name that she's had contact with. As we talked I thought that it was good to get a feel for the ministry from her perspective as well.  It is very apparent that she loves the Hudsons and is desirous to come back full-time as soon as possible. They are all such a good fit.

When Sarah came back, we got some coffee and decided to do some squishing. Yes, squishing. Apricots. It was apricot season here and someone came and left three very large containers full of apricot drops. Sarah had asked folks at the church picnic to pick through them and take some home. She was begging them to take them! They did, but even after they were done, there were tons left over. It was an overwhelming task for Sarah to even think about. I told her if she would man me with a bowl, I would do it. Tammy was looking up a jam recipe and Meg was going to be making dinner for that night. Sarah got us some bowls and it was decided that we would sit and chat and squish the ripe fruit. Now, you might ask, "Why squish? Shouldn't you peel it?" Well, typically, that is what is done, but since the fruit was so ripe and they were drops anyway, they were particularly soft. So we simply squished it through our hands and tried to get all the peel off, the seed out and the fruit in the bowl. It was quite an undertaking! Both of us got completely filthy. In fact, I got so juicy, and slimy and fruity that my arm started sticking to the table. Whenever I lifted it up, it made a velcro-like noise. It was so hilarious. I can honestly say that it was so much fun. I got Sarah all to myself for that time, and loved the conversation. Just look at these photos! You can tell I was loving life!

Taigen and Todd went off to get lunch and they came back with Kebabs. These are delicious. I'm think they are actually middle eastern in origin, but they are quite popular in Vienna. It's basically meat that's been on an upright rotisserie of sorts, then sliced off thinly into a pita bread (think gyro). They add lettuce & tomato and then there's some sort of mystery sauce in it. I didn't ask what the sauce was. I just ate it all up and let's just say it was all good!

After lunch, Sarah and I finished up with the apricots and Tammy made two huge batches of yummy jam. Meg got busy making her mom's cheesy meatloaf. While she was busy in the kitchen, Sarah went to take a nap. I was so glad for her sake that she could get some rest. She definitely needed it. For the first time on this trip, we were able to Skype Marshall and Shaylen. They looked so good! I wanted to cry because I missed them so much, but I had to hold it together while I was talking to them. Can't wait to see, hug & smooch my two favorite little buddies! Jon and Janelle are taking excellent care of them and so I know I have nothing to worry about.

Dinner was excellent: cheesy meatloaf, mashed potatoes, fresh bread and salad. Meg did a fantastic job of preparing it for all of us. I'm not thinking there were many leftovers, if any.

After dinner, Todd asked if Taigen and I could sing "Fels des Heils" again (Rock of Ages). He wanted to record it for something. This then turned into a big singspiration time that was so neat. We sang some of our duets and solos that we had brought along, then we sang out of the German hymnal with Sarah, Meg & Claire. Tammy is an excellent sightreader, so she whipped out the accompaniments with no problems. I loved this time and it is now such a special memory for me.

Todd served us all his very special chocolate cake with coffee/chocolate frosting after our song time. WOW! This was so rich and decadent. By now it was late and we had been busy all day. I loved sitting at the table and just glancing at faces as we laughed, joked, listened to stories, or just talked. This is a great combination (Hudsons, Meg & Tammy) and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to come and see for myself their special ministry. I am going to miss being with them.

Austria Trip - Immanuel Bibelgemeinde

The Auditorium

Today was Sunday! We woke up at 6:30 in order to get ready for church. So thankful that Sarah has not only an electrical converter (so I can keep my iTouch charged and therefore stay in contact with our family and friends back in the states), but a hair dryer and curling iron so I can curl my hair and look halfway presentable. As I was getting ready, Sarah knocked on the door, said, "Room Service!" and handed me my Kaffe Milange. It's basically a latte, but when it's made by dear friends AND delivered to your room as you're working through the haze called "sleepiness," it's nothing short of heavenly.

At 8:15 we left for church. Immanuel Bibelgemeinde is located in the heart of Vienna. The church owns its part of the huge multi-story building. It is tastefully decorated and the hues inside are warm and inviting. It is classy, clean, and organized.

We rehearsed our two songs (one in English and our "Fels des Heils" in German) with Tammy and sweet Kathryn gave some last minute tips on our German pronunciation.

Taigen and I sing in German!

The first service was in English. We gave our testimonies and sang "Rock of Ages" and "May the Mind of Christ My Savior." Todd preached an excellent sermon from I Thessalonians 5:16. His main points were:

• God Wants to Instill Joy in Us (Is. 62:5, Zech. 8:19, Rm. 14:17; 15:13 & Gal.5:22-23)
• There is Joy in Every Situation in Life (Rm.12:12, II Cor. 6:10)
• Why is There Joy? (Ps. 28:7 & Ps. 89:16)

The Nursery

I was glad to hear the sermon first in English because when he preached in the second service in German, I had a pretty good idea of where he was and could somewhat follow my notes from the first service. Plus, I could tell which illustration he was on too! My favorite phrase from the sermon was that we need to be joyful because we need to "start practicing for what God has for us for all of eternity!"

The Lobby

We had a little break time between the English service and German service so I got Tammy to give me a nickel tour of the place. They have a beautiful little kitchen off the lobby, a nursery with hand-painted mural, a teen room and an office for Todd.

The second service was in German. Taigen gave his testimony and Todd translated for him. We sang "Fels des Heils" (Rock of Ages). I think it went well.  Thankfully, Todd had the words projected on the wall so folks could at least read what we were singing about in case what we sang wasn't clear. Thankfully, I don't think we said anything shocking. Folks were praying back home that we wouldn't swear in German on accident!

A couple I met during the picnic

After this service we came home and had a church picnic in the Hudson's backyard. People talked and talked. They stuck around a long time. I had the opportunity to chat with so many of the church folks. Their English is amazing! I loved hearing their stories and testimonies and just relished the thought of mingling with Christians from another country. Taigen talked with many too before he got dragged into the teen volleyball game (by the way...he and the "old" men clobbered the teens).

Once folks left, around 5:30 or 6, we went out for ice cream. We got a smooth, creamy, decadent type called gelato. Yummy! I asked Sarah to tell me the story of how she met Todd and how it came to be that they got married. It was a lovely, long story and I know she enjoyed filling me in. (Rabbit Trail: did you know that Sarah Hudson had been my counselor at The Wilds of the Rockies when I was in high school? It's a fun connection that we have!)

A gentleman Taigen got to chat with

We came home and sat and chatted. Todd and Sarah served up some munchies and we had a great time talking about the day. Finally, all of the church folks were gone and we each pulled up a chair to watch an old movie called "I Remember Mama." By this time it was late and everyone was a little tired and slightly silly so we have some fond memories that we've brought back home and tucked away to smile about often. Meg particularly gets silly once the hour gets late, and the stories she can tell of her mom & brother are ones that have you holding your sides!

It was a wonderful and long day, but rich with blessings to be remembered for years to come. So thankful to be able to worship with the Hudsons today.

Austria Trip - First Full Day

View of the Danube from Kahlenburg

We woke up on Saturday morning and smelled blueberry waffles that Todd was making us. Wasn't that sweet? We were actually able to sleep in a bit. I was worried the night before about jet lag. Pastor Gary Reimers had recommended to us that we take a sleep aid our first night there to help adjust our bodies to the new time zone. We followed his advice and I think it worked well.  I awakened at 1 in the morning, but quickly went back to sleep.

View of Vienna from Kahlenburg

Today Todd, Sarah, Nate, Benny, Taigen and I went up to Kahlenburg. It wasn't a long drive up there and the view was spectacular. From there we could see all of Vienna. Todd talked to us a bit about the city and how they started there. It's so neat to hear things, in person, from a missionary's perspective, while looking at the city that he is talking about.

View of Vienna from Kahlenburg

When we got home, Kathryn was just arriving from her friend's house. Tammy, Meg and Candie arrived as well and we all sat and chatted a bit in the living room. Around 1 o'clock, we left and went out for schnitzel. You might have heard it call Wiener Schnitzel. In Austria, they don't say "Austria," they say and write it out, "Wien." This is where the "Wiener" (or "Viennese") comes from. I got a pork schnitzel sandwich and I have to say, it was really good. It's basically meat pounded within an inch of it's life, breaded and then deep fried. The place we went to was the equivalent of McDonald's. They are everywhere.

After lunch, we drove to Schonbrunn Palace. We got to the area, parked and then walked in. There was no official "entrance" so we just walked onto the grounds. The trees are all meticulously groomed! The first sight you see is the palace. I loved the bright yellow of the palace and the pretty flowers in the garden. Then, turning right, you see the Gloriette way up on the hill.  We walked up, up, up to the Gloriette so that we could get a breathtaking view of the palace and of Vienna from the top. There was a nice breeze way up there so that cooled us down. I know Taigen got a great chance to really talk with Todd during this time and I was really picking the brain of Sarah. I absolutely loved the opportunity to find out about missions from her perspective, face to face, and also find out how our church, myself included, do a better job of supporting and encouraging them. She gave some great insights!

The Gloriette

We traveled back home and dinner was started: fajitas. Now I really felt at home! One thing really struck me, and that is: the Hudson's home really needs a revolving door. Not only that, but "hospitality" and "Hudsons" should almost always be used in the same sentence! All of the Hudsons were home by this point (6), Meg, Tammy and Candie (+3), and us (+2) were all at the table. Sarah just acted as if this were normal. (Pssst...that's because it probably is!)

View of Schonbrunn from the hill above

After dinner, Tammy gave us a crash course in German as we went through our "Rock of Ages" song that we were going to sing in church the next day. "Fels des Heils" was a familiar tune, but totally different words. I was quickly reminded why I purposely left out German songs from the repertoire of my senior recital in college. It is a very harsh, throaty, difficult language to sing (more on that later). Tammy was gracious though and helped us through all of the pronunciations.

We enjoyed sitting and chatting afterwards and then I got roped into playing a game called Bananagrams. It's really fun and the laughter filled the room! The day really flew by and before we knew it, it was super-duper late. God was good to give us a wonderful day. We needed to hurry and get to bed. Tomorrow was church!

Taigen and Me in front of the palace greenhouse. 

Austria Trip - Good Ol' Terra Firma

The flight from Finland to Vienna went just as smoothly as the first Finnair flight. The leg room on these planes is to be commended. When taking off from Finland I viewed the beautiful landscape. Lots of trees, lots of water. It is the "Land of a Thousand Lakes." It's beautiful. I'd love to come back to Finland some day (other than our return trip...in which we have an overnight layover) and view it all.

We had a wonderful meal on this flight. It was a curry chicken salad sandwich on dense bread. Delicious! I was able to sleep on this flight as well and woke up to us descending into Austria. It was a beautiful, drizzly day, and cool. We got off the plane and wove through the airport. We didn't have to go through customs or anything. My only disappointment in that was that I wouldn't get another stamp in my passport (trivial, I know).

Candie & Crystal

We walked out of the main terminal and found Todd waiting for us. He was a welcome sight to these two weary travelers. By now the adrenaline had kicked in and we were ready & excited for what awaited us. Todd & Sarah had informed us before we left that they had a Bible study/Prayer meeting on Friday nights. We would be whisked away from the airport and ushered into the church service. I dressed accordingly in a comfortable linen skirt. We told Todd that we hoped we wouldn't make him late for church! He said that the service had been cancelled. Hopefully he didn't do that on our account! He assured us that after a busy week of Kids' Club (their equivalent of VBS), some had notified them that they weren't going to be attending, some were out of town and others were attending some other event that night. So, they didn't feel guilty in cancelling.

Todd drove us home and I took in the scenery. It seemed industrial at first but once we got to the heart of Vienna, I was in awe of the beauty. Todd deliberately drove us by many landmarks and told us what they were (Mozart's memorial, Habsburg Palace, cathedrals). It was amazing.

Meg, Crystal & Tammy

When we arrived home, we were met by Sarah, Nate (the oldest son), Benny (the youngest in the family) and family friends Meg, Tammy and Candie. Meg and Tammy have both served here in Vienna as short-term missionaries. Tammy is going to be headed back to the states here soon to raise support so she can come back full-time (Anyone needing to take on another missionary for support? She's your girl!). Meg and Tammy, I was to learn, are tremendous helpers to Todd & Sarah, both in the church and in the home. Dishes, laundry and cleaning just magically get done when they are around. Candie is a friend visiting from South Africa. She and her husband (they are U.S. citizens) had been in Vienna for a term on business and just loved the Hudsons and their ministry. His work then took them to South Africa, but she was up for a visit. It was a joy to meet her. I instantly fell in love with these three ladies. I knew Tammy from college, but this would be the most concentrated amount of time that I've ever had with her.

The table was set for dinner. It was now pushing 8:30, but they had all waited to eat until we got there. Sarah had made some hearty, delicious stew and the warm meal felt comforting and nourishing. The laughter around the table was contagious and we fit right in. Todd and Taigen have similar senses of humor so I now have my work cut out for me. I could see they would be a bad influence on each other. Ha ha!

During the discussion around dinner, Todd and Sarah expressed an interest in showing us some of Vienna. They had just finished up with an exhausting week and needed a little break from work themselves. What should we do? Well, it came out that Otto van Habsburg had died (July 4th) and his funeral was going to be Saturday (the 16th). Traffic would be crazy around the inner circle of Vienna so it was determined that we would avoid it. Apparently, Otto was the last of the remaining heads of the royal Habsburg family. His body was going to be buried in Vienna, but (get this) his heart would be buried in Hungary. Odd tradition, hmmm?

We let the Hudsons decide what to do and they sent us off upstairs to our bedroom. It really is Kathryn and Claire's bedroom (they were over at friends' houses), and they graciously gave it up so we could use it. We were very comfortable! We finally got access to wi-fi. We downloaded all of our emails, sent off news to various and sundry family members, and updated our Facebook statuses so that all knew we were safe and sound. After a busy two days, we were ready for a good night's rest. It was good to be in Vienna.

Note: These pictures that I'm adding aren't necessarily from this day, but I took SO many that I thought I would add them here.

Austria Trip - Finland (Helsinki Vantaa Airport)

We got onto our flight for Finland and the first thing I noticed was the super-friendly staff. While the entire trip was booked through Finnair, our first leg was American Airlines. This flight that we were now on  was actually a Finnair plane, run by Finnish staff. They even looked Scandinavian! Each flight attendant had blond hair.

The second thing I noticed when I sat down. There was more leg room!!! This might not seem like a huge deal to you, but to me it was nothing but pure luxury. Thank you, Lord! I sat there relaxing immediately. Finnair plays some nebulous sounding relaxing music as you get on that accompanies a slideshow on the TV monitors. Pictures of Finland were scrolling, the music was playing and I was already starting to nod.

We took off and started into the flight. I was already falling asleep when one of the flight attendants asked Taigen and me if we would like to go to an empty row and spread out for comfort. Would we?!?!? This was a blessing. We hadn't asked at all. This dumbfounded us, but of course we accepted. I was able to sleep immediately following the yummy meal until almost touchdown in Finland. That sleep was much needed and felt so good.

In Finland, the airport was clean and pretty quiet. It was very easy to find our way around. We had to go through customs and I got my first official stamp in the passport. Even the customs agent was friendly! Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is a major hub for those continuing their travel to Asia (specifically to the Orient). I loved listening to all of the different languages and really enjoyed reading...or attempting to read the Finnish language. So many vowels! Some languages you can somewhat make out what is being said, but here, I didn't have a clue. Thankfully, they marked things in English as well so we could still find our way.

We got to our gate and tried again, unsuccessfully to connect to the free wi-fi to let our folks back home know we were alive and kicking (though...a with a little less energy). I brushed my hair and pulled it back in clips and also brushed my teeth. I freshened up my make-up so that we wouldn't scare the Hudsons when we arrived.

Only one more leg of this trip!

Austria Trip - The Long Journey Across the Pond

On Thursday we got up and leisurely got ready. Our flight wasn't going to leave until that evening so we had almost a whole day to enjoy Jon and Janelle's company. We had slept in the guest room to spare me the trouble of washing two sets of sheets the day we were to leave.

The plan was to leave the house in time to make it to C&J Bus Terminal in Dover by 3:30 to catch our ride into Boston. Since we were travelling internationally, we wanted to give ourselves two hours at the airport to check in, go through security and then board at 7:30. The benefit of traveling by bus was that we could park there for free, no one would have to make the long haul into the city to drop us off and then pick us up!

I loved traveling by bus. It had free wi-fi and enabled us to finally catch our breath from a hectic week prior to our leaving. We shot off last minute emails and watched The Addams Family reruns that were showing on the TV screens on the bus. My mind was going a million miles a second. Now, if only the flight would go that fast, eh?

We made it into Boston on time and got checked in. We blitzed through security and didn't have to have the pat-down or the "special" screening via the body scanners. It pays to take off the belts, shoes, watches, etc.

Once in our terminal we waited. Our first leg of the journey would be a six and a half hours. We were headed to London! It was recommended to us to set our watches to where we were going and try to set our body clocks to that time as well. Once on the plane our first goal was to go to sleep! This is a great goal and would've been a little more probable if there had been a skosh more room for my knees. We deliberately purchased aisle seats so that at least we could stand and stretch occasionally. Six hours is a long time to sit with your knees rubbing against the seat in front of you. Taigen, who has the odd knack of being able to sleep ANYWHERE, fell asleep as if on cue. I nodded off here and there. Finally, after about 5 hours I put a pillow between my knees and the seat in front of me and that helped considerably. I fell asleep.

London was foggy and rainy. Big surprise there, hmm? I didn't care. I was in England and SO excited! We disembarked and navigated our way through the airport. There's construction going on at London Heathrow so it seemed a little crazy. We went through security again (which wasn't as tight as in the US) and made our way toward the right terminal. Funny thing about London Heathrow. They don't post the gate of your flight until about 40 minutes before take-off. You're herded into this mall-like area where you wait with everyone else. Maybe this is because of construction, but to me, it seemed like a deliberate decision to get people to frequent the stores. The first item on my agenda: Starbucks. I had my gift-card left over from Christmas that I used. Coffee never tasted SO good. I was exhausted, but jubilant to be there. The shops weren't your typical airport stores. They had places like Cartier, Tiffany's, Harrods, Burberry, Chanel, Armani, Gucci and the like. Do people really get off the planes and think, "I'm going to go into Cartier and buy a watch"? Maybe I'm just an ol' girl from the sticks, but this seems outlandish to me. My big splurge was a tall mocha at Starbucks with my leftover gift card from Christmas!

We went into one of the stores (the duty-free, souvenir-type one) and looked around. Taigen ended up getting Marshall and Shaylen a small magnet for the fridge. Nothing else really struck our fancy, but we wanted to get them something from England. We sat down in the common area and in the middle of the hustle and bustle, I nodded off. I didn't fall asleep, mind you, but my body sure wanted to. Even though it was posted that there was free wi-fi, we were unable to connect and let people know we arrived safely. I guess they'd figure we made it if nothing appeared on the news.

Finally our gate was posted and we went to catch our flight to Helsinki. Only two more legs to go and we'd arrive in Vienna!

Austria Trip - Preparation

The past two or three years, we have had several of our church's missionaries back in the states on furlough. It's always wonderful to get a glimpse into their ministry from the past four years. They usually show a DVD/Slideshow and preach. If any of you have read this blog for any amount of time, you know that we often have them into our home to stay, or at least in to eat a meal or two!

Two of the missionary families that came to our church at different points mentioned that if we really wanted a church that had a heart for missions, we needed to send the pastor and wife to visit their missionaries. This struck a chord with our Heritage family. The bug had been planted in our ears and plans started. There was money already allotted in the budget for such things, but nothing had ever come from it in the past. The question was raised in a meeting (both church business meeting and deacon's meeting) and we all realized that we were going to try to make this happen. It was very exciting.

I contacted two of our missionary wives that are in Austria and asked if it was even a possibility for Taigen and me to come for a visit. My thought was that if our church did go through with this, we could "kill two birds with one stone" on this very first pastoral missions trip. The two ladies (Sarah and Grace) responded positively and the planning started. The emails flew back and forth between the three of us and we finally came down on a set of dates that would work for all of us. We would aim for a trip that would take place mid-July. Now all I needed to do was procure a place for Marshall and Shaylen to stay, or someone to stay with them.

Offhandedly, I emailed Janelle and told her how I wished she was in NH. I could really use her. If anyone knows how this house runs and how Marshall and Shaylen tick, it's Janelle. I told her the dates that we would be gone and she said, "You know, I am going to be in town for a wedding." That set the emails flying back and forth with her as well and in a matter of a couple of days I was able to solidify that Jon and Janelle would come and stay with the kids! Isnt' God good? They would be out here on vacation for a week and a half and were willing to drag the kids along as they visited with family and friends. So, we had most of the time taken care of. There were four days left when Jon and Janelle would need to return to MI and the kid would need someone to watch them. We asked one of our families in the church if they would be willing to house Marshall and Shaylen during those days. We were so thankful when they agreed to do it. It is one of our deacons and his wife. They are both fantastic teachers and Marshall and Shaylen LOVE them. With them agreeing, everything was taken care of!

It was pretty nerve-wracking to click the "Purchase" button on the computer that booked our tickets. We found them for a pretty good deal, but that button sealed the deal. I have to admit, I did have butterflies in my stomach. I clicked the mouse and made the whole thing official. We would leave Thursday, July 14th from Boston, fly to London, then Helsinki (Finland) and eventually end up in Vienna, Austria on Friday evening. We would stay four days with the Hudsons, spend one night in a hotel (per a request from our deacons), and then finish up our visit by staying with the Sheltons on the other side of Vienna.

Taigen and I applied for our passports, asked several worldwide travelers for advice, and planned. The emails flew back and forth between the missionaries and us and we prepared ourselves to hit the ground running when we got there. We wanted to emphasize to them that we were not coming as tourists, but to come and encourage them. Whatever they wanted us to do, be it toilet cleaning, laundry, painting, whatever, we wanted to be a help and not a burden.

The weekend before we left we had a missionary family in. We really had a great time with them. They were excited about our upcoming trip and thought the whole thing was a great idea. Since we had company that weekend, I really didn't get a chance to think about the whole trip and what we would need to take until Monday afternoon and Tuesday. Finally on Wednesday night we had the suitcases filled, all the shopping done (for stuff to take over to our friends/missionaries) and we were ready to go. Jon and Janelle arrived and the excitement mounted.

Some of you might wonder about the twins. What was their response to all of this? Well, to be honest, that's why I was really wishing for Janelle to be in town. I knew that if she were here (and Uncle Jon), the kids would be perfectly fine. When we told Marshall and Shaylen that we would be headed to Austria and Jon and Janelle would be here with them, they were SO excited. We didn't get one whimper or tear. As the trip got closer I occasionally heard from Shaylen that she would miss me, but there were no worries. This is something that makes a Mommy's heart relieved!

History In the Making - I Love the Internet

I love the internet. It makes things so much easier. I consider it a valuable tool to do so many things. I can quickly do research on something for homeschooling. I can read articles. I can look up recipes. I catch up on the news without commercials, sell old curriculum on eBay, talk on the phone with someone in New Zealand, Austria, South Africa, Afghanistan. I can send a message instantaneously. Okay, okay. You get my point, but I really could go on and on. Do you know what else? The internet also makes me into Super Answer Mom. Many times the kids come up with these, "Hey Mom! Why..." and often enough, I am able to look it up on the internet via Google and procure the answer...within seconds. Ah! I love the internet.

With the help of the internet, the kids were able to watch history in the making today. We were able to watch via a live video stream, the last shuttle launch. The kids and I watched Atlantis soar into space for the last time today and it was an awesome experience to share with them. They were so excited to count down with NASA. Who said you can't homeschool during the summer? We sure did, from the comfort of our kitchen and with a little help from our computer and the good ol' internet. It was awesome!

29 Years Old...Plus Tax

Well, there's no avoiding it. As hard as I try every year, July 5th always arrives and with it, I turn one year older. Taigen and the twins, and family hither and yon (and many, many well-wishes from my friends on Facebook) made my day extra special. I got breakfast in bed and a delicious dinner made by my husband. I didn't have to lift a finger (well, I actually made the dessert the night before, but that's because Taigen doesn't know how to make peanut butter pie). It was a I-am-so-spoiled-rotten-and-loved day.

Fourth of July Festivities

Dear friends from church invited us up to their place to enjoy the Fourth of July with them. They were headed to the lake nearby and wanted us to join them for some kayaking and canoeing and swimming for the kiddos. Afterwards, there would be a grill-out back at their house. It sounded like a wonderful fun-filled day. Taigen was going to join us later on in the day because he was taking our teens up to The Wilds of New England for a week of camp. I gathered up drinks, cookies and chips and took off with the kids. I attempted to take the short-cut, but that ended up getting me lost. No matter, it didn't spoil our day.

The kids got to get into the lake and swim while the adults chatted. The swimming only lasted about 15 minutes before the life guards heard the approaching storm & accompanying thunder. Everyone was ordered out of the swimming area. It took a while, but the rain did come. We gathered up our stuff and dashed for the van. We got drenched! While we waited for the storm to pass, we passed around cookies and joked and laughed. The rain didn't last long and when it was gone, the air was so much cooler!

Eventually the kids got to go out in the canoe. They had a blast! They were asking on the way home when we could buy a boat. Ha!

After our fun in the sand and sun, we all drove back to the house and enjoyed a relaxing time of fellowship. The kids ran around and got sweaty, but had a blast. To their surprise, sparklers were pulled out at the end! It was such a terrific day and we loved the extra time spent with dear friends.

Fourth of July Buddies

Shaylen had gotten a hand-me-down dress that was perfect for the Fourth of July weekend. I just had to have her wear it on Sunday, July 3rd. We had a wonderful Sunday morning service and then a church potluck afterwards. It was a beautiful, warm day.

Home Vacation - The Final Day

Yes, I know I am almost a month late in posting this, but when the flurry of posts from July come through, you'll know why. I have a valid excuse, I promise.

Our final day of vacation happened to be Taigen's day off...Monday, July 1st. We headed over/down to Hampton Beach to view the sand sculptures from this year. I have to be honest and say we were a little disappointed this year. First of all, they moved them further down the walk so it was a long way from where we parked. Second of all, it was a very hot day. Did I mention how long the walk was from where we parked? Did I also mention that none of us had really good walking shoes on? Third of all, the sculptures were a little vague, so sometimes we were a little lost in deciphering what the artists were trying to communicate. Those that we DID understand were somewhat depressing. Anyway, the sculptures themselves were amazing, but I think we liked the advertising sculptures the best (see the last picture). I'm sure I could never do that! Here's hoping that next year's are a little more clear for interpretation and upbeat.