Some Dreams Do Come True!

Hawaii, y'all, HAWAII!

For Christmas, I impulsively bought Eddie a trip to Kauai.  He had been with his siblings back when we first starting dating in 2009 and had been longing to go back ever since.  And we wanted to take advantage of Shep's last free flight status of not quite being two yet and get there before Feb 20th.  So when I got an email for flights less than the cost of a flight to Indy, I had to book it.  And then we found a VRBO condo for less than $100/night (unheard of in Kauai) and a cheap rental car!  So off we went.  Shep was of course a champ on the flights.  There were all night flights which he slept through.

The first day, we hiked the famed Na Pali Coast.  It has been rated the most beautiful coast/beach in the world several times.  I can now see why.  We hiked the 8 miles to the waterfall and back.  I carried Shep on the way up and Eddie carried him most of the way back down until the last 2 miles when Shep wanted to walk.  This part was brutal for me, since I was so tired and we had long since run out of water and Shep kept falling and it was steep, and did I mention that I was so tired?  But we were patient and let Shep walk as much as possible (read: as much as he demanded) those last two miles with only a few bonks and bruises.  I was so proud of all of us!  We hadn't hiked that far in a really long time, if ever, with Shep on our backs.  He's been refusing the backpack lately and demanding to walk which means that we can hike for a max of 1 mile.  So when we actually did the 8 miles and reached our destination, I was thrilled!  And what a hike it was!  The hike ended at the famous Ke'e Beach so we had to take a dip and cool off.

Na Pali Coast

Kalalau Trail

Hiking!

River Crossings

Christmas Photo!

Such a Boy! Throwing Rocks

Cairn

Day Two:
We were told to explore on the south side of the island and try to find a secret beautiful beach called Muhalpeu.  Of course, we had to try!  So we drove down to Poipu and then continued onto a mile long stretch of the biggest potholes I have ever attempted to cross. As if we weren't sore already from the hike the day before!  The road ended at the most glorious beach that we had almost to ourselves.  Shep slept through the entire potholing event and then continued to sleep for another hour after we arrived at the beach.  He was within earshot so Ed and I sat on the beach while Shep napped in the car.  When people say they sit and relax on the beach, I now know what they are talking about.  Eddie and I read magazines, I snorkeled, we ate lunch, and then read magazines again.  The life.  Then Shep woke up and we hiked along the rocky ridge of the coast for about 1/4 mile.  It felt like we were discovering uncharted territory!  We crested the ridge and below us was a beautiful perfect beach.  We walked down onto that white sand and straight into that crystal blue water.  We splashed around and body surfed; Eddie lost his sunglasses and then found them! We felt like we could stay forever on this stretch of God's beautiful meeting of sea and land, but well, the adventurers in all of us grabbed hold and we needed to explore more areas of the island.  So we hiked back and caught a glimpse of a whale flicking its tail! We survived the pothole road and went into Poipu to play at the playground, snorkel and eat shave ice.  Sometimes when I see something really spectacular and unlikely, like a blooming flower in the desert or a little boy named Shepherd, I feel like God wants to show me how deep his love is for me- like a gift just for me.  When I was snorkeling, I saw all the different colors and shapes of fish swimming so freely and thought that it must be a gift just for me. They truly were spectacular there in the reef just off the shore.

Hang Ten!

Day Three:
We went to the Kilauea Lighthouse but got there a little too early before it opened so had to go and get a pastry.  While at the cafe, we perused a bookshelf that was pay by the honor system.  You see, I had agree to join a new book club and the first meeting was the Tuesday that we got back.  The first book was Hinds Feet on High Places- a book I had read at least 15 years ago.  I thought I had it on our bookshelf upstairs and so had procrastinated getting it down until packing for this vacation.  Well, it was the sequel that I had upstairs so I made a few last attempts to acquire it before getting on the plane but to no avail.  So when I found it so randomly sitting there on that shelf, I may have squealed a little bit.  Another one of those unlikely God gifts just for me!  Then we went down to the lighthouse which was cool.  We saw a couple of whales playing and lots of birds.  Then on our way home, we stopped to explore Secret Beach and the Lava Pools.  Because the waves were so rough, the pools were mostly too dangerous to go out to, but we still played in a few small ones.  That night, we drove down to Kapaa to Smith's Family Luau.  We gorged ourselves on meat and then watched the hula dancers put on a show from the different islands that contribute to Hawaii's history and culture.  It was pretty cool.

God's Special Bookshelf

Whale Watching

As you can imagine, our true maturity shone through when we saw Red-footed "Boobies"

Jumping in the Lava Pools

Hula Dancing on Stage

Heart to Heart

Day Four:

We went to Hanalei and went surfing!  Eddie persevered and caught a few big ones!  I also rode one in which was pretty miraculous.  Shep loved jumping over and in the waves.  I have to say selfishly though, that I'd rather go hiking or snorkeling or some sort of activity instead of maintaining Shep's safety on the beach and in the water.  Although cute, that got old faster than I had hoped.  

After nap, we went into Kapaa and rode beach cruiser bikes along the coast trail.  It was so refreshing!  Then that evening was the monthly art walk where the locals mingle.  It was really fun for a while until Shep decided to run through the crowds and come close to the street a few times which quickly became more stressful than enjoyable.  We did get to eat some amazing food truck dinners like fish tacos, pork laulau and shrimp quesadillas.  

Day Five; Final Day

We drove down to the opposite side of the island to see Waimea Canyon.  It supposedly is as deep as the Grand Canyon so we had to see.  It took almost two hours to get to our trailhead and by that time I was ready to call it quits.  Thankfully, we spontaneously chose a different hike a couple miles closer because the drive up the canyon was brutally curvy and we were going to run out of time in order to make our flight.  So we hiked 1.8 miles in to a waterfall and back.  It was beautiful. We could get up close to the 20 foot waterfall but just stand at the top of the 800 foot falls.  Needless to say, Shep and I kept our distance and couldn't actually get a good view of the 800 foot one.  We finished just as it started to drizzle.  And then we fed the chickens which felt a little weird because they are everywhere on the island and there are beautiful greens everywhere for them to snack on, but we had some leftover feed from the luau that we needed to get out of the car.  On our way back to the airport we stopped at the Kauai Island Brewing Co (we just wanted the pint glass, let's be honest.)  We made it back to the airport with plenty of time but it was brutal.  Our hearts were so heavy.  We loved every day on Kauai and could have spent another week there.  We usually are so ready to get home at the end of a vacation, but not this time.  We were so sad to see it end, yet our hearts were so full of thankfulness and rest.  What an adventure!  

     

Texas vs Colorado

Eddie and Shep went to Houston to visit the Grandparents and Aunt JenJen.  Unlike the rest of the US, I had to work MLK Day and didn't want the Deckers to be a shuttle service to the airport all weekend, so I stayed.  I was fretting the loneliness and tears.  Low and behold, my friend Martina from Austin just happened to be in Colorado the same weekend and invited me out.  Well, it's much cheaper and shorter to fly to Denver than Houston so I Pricelined it and got a steal of a deal!  Ed, Shep, and I all left at around the same time so we went to the airport together.  I gulped back tears and dove into a book for distraction as I said goodbye.  But then I had an amazing time hanging with Martina and Ira and Kim and her boys.  We got to hang outside without concern for the air quality.  We chased the kids around their neighborhood playground and hockey rink.  Then just the girls went for a 5 mile trail run, then we all went to a brewery party, had a dance party, played a game, and drank a little too much beer. (6% will get you fast when you are used to 3.2%!)  And not to mention all the soul bearing.  Man, I sure do miss living in the same city as heart friends.  I know it takes time and lots of transition in Salt Lake, but it's just plain hard living without those lifelong friends that know your heart.  I was so challenged by Kim/Tim and Martina/Brent  in their can-do spirit. (Apparently I need some inspiration- I feel like a city-girl-weakling because I couldn't pick up our dead chicken and take it to the trash can.  Thankfully, Eddie didn't get the heebie jeebies on that one.)  I'm inspired to home-brew, build a drip system for the garden, somehow let our chicks free range for a little bit, play more board games, do more home projects myself instead of defer to Eddie, read books, and eat more veggies.  And of course, my small scale farming dream is in full force (minus the dirty work like disposing of dead chickens.)  Kim/Tim dream of farming too where they will have a restaurant in the middle of their farm- picnic table style.  We dream of the airstream corral retreat/conference center surrounded by gardens.  Martina dreams of mountain adventures.  We are all living our little farms dreams to an extent: Kim/Tim with their free ranging chickens and raised beds, Martina/Brent with their pigs/chickens, us with our gardens and now one lone chicken.  It will be exciting to see where God takes us over the years to fulfill our dreams either on earth or in heaven.  And I hope that our paths will cross in these future dreams as they come true.  If nothing else, perhaps an annual MLK Day meet up.

When I got home, Jane mentioned feeling at home in Redding with "her people."  She didn't feel special when around so many other international and S.Africans at her visit to Bethel.  She basked in that feeling of normalcy.  She was talking of the importance of being with "your people" so that God multiplies your giftings more than your own.  I felt the same when in Golden with Kim and Martina.  I didn't feel special or different.  I felt encouraged and inspired to create, take responsibility, and foster that which I'd been given such as land, home, Shep and my marriage.  Someday, I'd love to be around "my people" again where we encourage each other and spur each other on to greater glory.

In the meantime, Shep and Eddie came home and my heart regained its other half.  I sure did miss them and the rest of the family and trust that they had a great time in Houston.  These are "my people" now.  Back to the grind of work and school and choo choo's. (Shep is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine.)  We are embracing winter and getting outside to hike and run and refresh our souls-air polluted or not.  Eddie took care of the chicken and is in the process of building a box for the new chicks that we'll get soon.  Shep and I have been laughing a lot this week (and watching a lot of choo choo's.)  I started listening to a book about blessing your womb; it's very interesting so far.  More in a later post.  But now that a week has past and we are settled into the grind, life is really a roller coaster with its up's and down's but holding tight to God and his goodness to come on earth as it is in heaven.

Jackson Hole

We had a bit of a crummy New Years Eve and Day.  We weren't invited to any parties, and parties were had.  We felt friendless and alone.  But grateful for each other and Shep and mostly Jesus who is the closest friend.  Thankfully, we had a reservation at the Parkway Inn in Jackson to look forward to the next day.  So we drove up and stayed two nights.  Eddie skied Jackson Hole, a check off the ole bucket list.  Shep and I did a lovely snowshoe up the PuttPutt trail.  He cried the entire way back in my ear #notlovely.  Then I decided to drive to where I had heard there were Big Horn sheep in the area.  With Shep still crying, I drove the mile and bam! There they were, licking the ice and salt on our car, and with those creepy bronze eyes, peering deep into my soul, with only the glass to separate us.

It was awesome and slightly terrifying.  I had never seen one before and I was exhilarated!  But I also felt a bit trapped; they were literally surrounding me...and those eyes!!  I finally found an open space and slowly gunned it-that's not possible, but you get the idea-I escaped to say the least.  We got back to the quaint hotel and Shep immediately fell asleep.  Maybe all that screaming meant he was tired :)  I'll get the hang of this whole parenting thing some day.  The next day, we did a family snow shoe at Taggert Lake where supposedly the Tetons are the backdrop.  It was foggy and we never did see those damn Tetons.  Oh well.  Fortunately, we've been to Jackson and the Tetons several times before and know how truly amazing they are.  And, most likely we'll go again in the spring and/or summer.  Actually, I'd like to visit Yellowstone in October- less crowds, amazing gysers, etc.  Adventures abound for 2015!

2015 Goals

I just started going to a women's group on Wednesday.  I'm really hopeful that it will boot me into living a deeper life with God this year.  I was so nervous and shaky, maybe because I had a lot of coffee that morning without breakfast, or maybe it was the presence of the holy spirit, and/or anxiety/insecurity.  Either way, I was so thankful to have switched up my work schedule so that I could live a part of my week with these amazing women.
This week, we went around and shared our 2015 goals.  I had been thinking about them but had not completely formalized them.  So when speaking them out and now writing, I feel like they are more focus and more of a prayer.  So Lord, have your way in 2015!

* Trust the Lord for growing our family this year.  We would love to add another child this year, whether by becoming pregnant or by foster/adopting.

*I will potentially have more time to myself due to Eddie being in grad school and Shep starting a daycare. Some fun options for this extra time would be: get another part time job (nurse practitioner, cooking school instructor, volunteer at a community garden or refugee liaison), trail run more, clean our house, read books/Bible, do foster/adoption paperwork, study healthcare more, etc.  I'm excited to see what may unfold. My goal is to enjoy the slower/simpler time while I have it and pursue things that are life giving.

*Lead an exploratory mission trip to SE Asia with the Fellowship.

*Run MidMountain Marathon on Sat, Sept 12th if I'm not pregnant.

*Learn how to parent, teach, discipline, and love Shep better.  I know, it's not a measurable goal. Deal.

*Incorporate fasting into my life regularly.

*Do the Deliverance Class through the Fellowship.

So there we go.  Again, I'm looking forward to seeing how this year will play out and all that God has in store.

Wanton

This Christmas season has been so much fun.  Shep is at such a fun stage (although I think every stage so far has been fun) at almost two years old.  He is learning new words each day, discovering  how his body works and moves, and developing opinions more and more.  Today, he enjoys time-outs and oranges and stairs.  Miraculously, he keeps hats on which is quite fortunate because we have been outside a couple times this week and the temperature is in the single digits.  We have lost all but one of his pacifiers so we are narrowing down on this, but I have to admit, I kinda like them.  They really do soothe him when he bonks something, in the car, and for sleeping.  I'm nervous about some upcoming trips without a paci. Speaking of the car, that's what I wanted to talk about.  He's become quite the chatter box in the car.  It's like he has a captive audience so he just goes for it.  The other day, we were driving back from Grandpa's house in Zionsville to Jeff and Emma's place, a twenty min drive, and we couldn't get a word in edgewise.  Thankfully, he was all happy talk.  The question is, what was he talking about?!  He has been very excited about Christmas lights this season and likes to plug in our tree lights and our outside lights.  He says, "Lights on."  So he could have been saying that on repeat.  Or may it was, "All done."  He seemed happy, but it was late and he was ready for bed. In reality, it sounded like, "Wanton."  So that's what we decided it was.  Talking incessantly for twenty straight minutes about a wanton.  I'm pretty sure he's never had one and I'm not even sure I know what it is myself, but yup, "wanton" was his go-to word this Christmas season.  Jesus is the one true reason for the season and wanton is a far distant second.

And Then She Wiggled My Wenis

I'm zero for four.  We get these BOGO coupons in the mail for the Student Massage place downtown.  We get so excited every time.  Who wouldn't get excited for a $12.50 massage?!  But it's on a first come, first serve basis only on the weekends.  So we have to plan it out so that Shep is not neglected. So this weekend, we went on Saturday at exactly 8 am when it opened.  I have no idea how this worked out, but there were already 50 people in line.  So we went to Ruth's instead; Eddie had chicken fried steak eggs benedict.  It was heaven on earth.  So we tried again for the massage on Sunday morning before church.  I went and waited for about an hour before I got in.  Not bad.  I decided to go to Gourmandise down the street while I waited and get some Italian cookies; it was closed.  Then I went to Nostalgia for some coffee and a pastry (just like Europe!)  They had gluten free and vegan pastries.  Fail!  So I go back with just coffee for my "massage."

Let me back up, in the past, I've had three lotionings from the Students.  Every time I ask for a deep tissue massage, but low and behold, I get a lotioning.  It's sad.  This time was different.  Half of the time, Student forgot to even use lotion!  But anyway, Student starts with my left elbow. She spent a good, full minute rubbing gently on it. A minute is a long time.  Then Student moved one inch down and spent another whole minute gently rubbing back and forth on my ulna.  It was weird. Not even slightly good.  I debated stopping the whole thing right then, but thought that it could only get better, right?  Welllll, the lotioning continued.  She asked no less than seven times how the pressure was and I responded every. single. time. that she could go deeper.  But nope, no change.  Student didn't even touch my lower back, which I wrongly assumed was a basic part of any massage.  And I was slightly bummed because I had worn cute bundies that said "Stay Cool" on the butt that I thought we might have a laugh about.  Student did manage to really drive a knuckle into my arches which have been sore since the day Shep was born. So there's that.  For the grande finale, Student had me flip over and then went straight to right arm.  And then for a second time, she wiggled my wenis. I stayed cool, thanked her, and left.