Time as a family

I like blog posts with photos and since you probably don't want to scroll for the next several months I have opted to put my photos in collages lately. Taking pictures of my 'peeps' and what they do or where they go is one of my favorite things to do. In fact, I have an external hard drive just for my pictures!  As a family, we like to get out and see things.... I mean, c'mon... we live in Austria! There's always something to see or experience. But we do like taking the kids out and exploring... so here are a few of the collages I've made in the last few months.

Here we are (collage below) this past week just re-exploring our city... primarily the Schloßberg (click on the word for a link with more info). Which literally translates as the "castle mountain".  It's one of our favorite places to go.  We hiked up the mountain the back way, explored every nook of this little mountain, and just let the kids run and play in the sun.  Our city just has so much history it's amazing.  I am so intrigued by the age of buildings in Europe that are still standing and being used for apartments or businesses... considering the amount of history they've witnessed. 

Playing at a nearby park

"Prater" is a theme park in Vienna that has free admission and you just pay for the individual rides.  Last summer/fall we went to see friends in Vienna and hopped off and on a few subways to arrive at Prater. The kids had so much fun with the other MK's and riding the rides. I particularly enjoyed my visit to Starbucks.

Back when the snow was melting...

We had a very mild winter... no joke. It is now April and in the past we've either had snow falling or at the very least had so much snow on the ground it was a waiting game for when we'd see our yard. But this winter season I think we had 3 separate times when it snowed. When it did finally snow it didn't stick around very long. So when the last snow started to melt the kids were itching to get out there and play. I have no problem letting the kids get out there and get dirty. My rule is... once you get yucky (read: gross, muddy, wet, dirt in places you didn't know you could get dirty)... stay out there and play for a looooong time because when you come inside it'll be bath time and all clothes go straight to the laundry room in the basement. Of course, hot chocolate will be waiting too.

What made the experience this year, a tad bit more interesting is that little sister wanted to join in the fun. She has no problem keeping up with the boys. Grace has her moments where she doesn't like to get dirty and will insist on having her hands wiped clean (like at the table for a tiny speck of food on her pinky), but she did quite well playing in the mud and not getting worried about the amount of yuck all over her body.

I think the series of photos below tell the story... I like the last one... the only place she struggles is her speed... it takes her a bit longer to catch up with them. But when she does...

February Birthdays

The first few months of a year always fly by to me. I know time isn't really faster some days more than others.. but I usually feel like as soon as the Christmas decor is put away we're getting ready for Easter and then setting up the sprinkler for the kids because it's summer time! Then the rest of the year just drags on....

So the February birthdays caught me off guard this year. It's been a busy season and holidays/birthdays have been sneaking up on us. Shortly after the new year we (Danny primarily) started counseling a guy and it has been very hands on.... lots of Bible studies and just being there for him when needed. God is doing His thing and we're getting a front row seat!

For Gracie's 2nd birthday we did our traditional family birthday with cake and a present. Then a week later met up with some friends and did a February/March birthday party for the kids that were celebrating. I'm so thankful for these friends... we've watched each others families grown from 0 kids to 2-3 kids each in the last 8 years.

Stained Glass

Just a few of the windows in one of the chapels we hold our Sunday services. They used children's art to create the windows.  It's so beautiful.

Danny is studying before a service in the far left photo.

Pig Tails

Have you seen a cuter girl in pig tails?!?  I sure haven't!

That's My King!

by Dr. S. M. Lockridge




Do you know Him?

It's not about the numbers...

... but knowing more people besides your own family will be at church is always encouraging.  The last month or so we've seen a steady growth with attendance ranging from 18-25 each Sunday.  We are thankful for the D family that has been in Graz this year and also attending... they have been a great source of encouragement and will be missed when they return to Germany.

Danny has been doing a lot of counseling over the last few months and we've also counseled a couple together. Keep us in prayer and that we would speak the Truth in love and God would give us wisdom in dealing with each unique situation.  Pray for these families as well.  Some of them know Christ personally, some just accepted Him, and some do not have a relationship with Him.

Pray for leaders to rise up. Pray for the Bible study Danny is leading with a group of men. Pray for families to be restored. Pray for those seeking jobs.

Prayer is so powerful! God already knows what is on our hearts.... but when we pray and ask for His will to be done and we see Him answer... it gives us yet another opportunity to praise Him for working things out for HIS HONOR and HIS GLORY. Sometimes His will and our desires match up... sometimes they don't (and if I'm being honest sometimes I have a little tantrum and tell Him my idea was better and then I end up eating my words).  Yet, He will only do what is best for us and since He sees the big picture, I'm much more at ease with Him leading then myself... really.

Prices over here...

In the next few blog posts I am going to be writing about some of the comparisons with life here vs. life in the US (and to my friends that live in other countries feel free to comment and update me with how life is comparable to your homeland or where you are living. This is always an interesting topic and insightful.).  It's a topic I am asked about often and with our upcoming furlough I've been thinking more about some of the differences (and similarities) between our life here and life in the States as Danny & I prepare our kids for some "culture shock" that we're sure they will experience.

But first let's talk about some of the costs we have here in our city.  Some of the more common questions asked are about the prices of things such as groceries, gas, rent, insurance, etc. These are of course specific to our family, our city, and can vary with the ever changing exchange rate of Dollars to Euros, not to mention the bank fees for bringing our income over here. Keep in mind we use the metric system here. Also, some brands are more than others.... for the most part we buy the off brands and or whatever is cheaper. So yes, some stuff is going to be more and some less. It seems that a lot of stuff can be comparable in price to the States, but when you factor in the exchange rate and how much we lose when we wire our money over here... everything gets expensive really fast.

1 kg = 2.2 lbs.
4 liter = approx. 1 gallon
 
Groceries:

Milk is approximately .95 per liter (.95 x 4 liters (approx. 1 gallon) = € 3.80.) We then have to factor in the exchange rate because we do not make euros, but dollars as our income. So depending on that days exchange rate (I'll use today's current rate which is: $1 is worth .75 euro cents or it costs $1.32 to get €1.00) that gallon of milk now costs approximately $5 and that's not even factoring the transfer fees from the bank (and those are not horrible, but still... costs us money). The exchange rate has gone up to $1.63 (that one I remember for sure... possibly higher, but we stopped looking!) and has also been one to one.

Bananas - €1.29 per kilo ($ .77 a lb.)

Diapers (off brand pack of 42) - €8.99 ($11.87).

Baby Formula (thankful we're out of this stage!) -  €12.99 = $17.15 (that would last us about 2 1/2 wks. and was especially difficult when I couldn't nurse anymore).

Toilet Paper (pack of 9 rolls for a decent brand that doesn't disintegrate before the jobs done! haha) - €2.99 on sale this week from regularly €4.99 ($6.59)

Detergent - €23.00 but I got it on sale for €17.99 ($23.75)

Carrots - .99 for 500g ($1.19 a lb)

Cereal - €3.19 per box of 350g. ($4.21)

Eggs (sell by 10 per carton) - €2.39 for small/medium sized eggs ($3.15)

Average bag of chips (which would be a small bag of chips in the US) - €1.99 ($2.63)

Loaf of bread -  €1.89 ($2.49)

Box of Kleenex (not brand) - €1.89 ($2.49)

Gas for our car is approximately (again, depends on exchange rate because we've paid over $10 before) - $8.00 a gallon. We drive 40 min.(one way) to one of our church plants 3 out of 4 Sundays a month.  The 4th one, thankfully is 2 min. from our house! Then of course, the every day living stuff too.

Car insurance - approx. $2,538.00 a year.

Rent for houses in our area average €900-1,500 a month ($1,188-$1,980). We have a pretty good deal on ours right now, though our landlord has mentioned raising our rent. A friend is renting a 3rd floor, no garage, 2 bedroom apartment in the city with no bells or whistles for €850 (this month that is $1,122) a month.

Now some of these prices aren't going to seem too high for some of you, especially if you're living in a big city... like my brother & his family and my parents in NY.  This comparison was just to give insight on how things are in our corner of Europe. We know people that live in Germany, but are living here in Graz for a year and they've commented on how much more expensive it is here than in their city.

After I did the math on the items above I realized how nice it's been lately... it's really hard when that exchange rate rises and rises... it's been in the 1.30's lately and that is (sadly) quite nice for us. Oh to be back in the 1.00 to 1.00 ages again.

How are prices in your neck of the woods/city?

A new nephew!

My youngest brother, Zach and his wife, Jill had their 3rd child yesterday!  Benton Matthew Wiese (lovingly nicknamed 'Beamer' because of his initials) was a healthy 8lb. 5oz.  He is adorable!!! He gave us all a little scare, but after an emergency c-section he, according to my brother, let the world know he had vocal cords and used them well :)

I wrote about how my other nephew, Titus was born on a special day for our family.  Well, Benton is named after my Grampa (my mom's dad) and you know... you can't make this stuff up... but he was born on January 30th...what would've been my Grampa's 88th birthday.  Our family seems to have something with dates. Gracie was born on the anniversary of his passing and my Aunt Robin said it was so nice to have something to celebrate while we also remember Grampa. Zach & my Dad share a birthday and Zach's daughter, Erynn was born the day before their birthday!  My mom & Papa share a birthday.  Micah was due to share their birthday, but had to be induced 2 days before.  Anyway, I find all that fun and special too.

After just a few hours we were able to sit down and meet Benton via i chat. Jill looked great... really... did she just have a baby!?!  Zach was a proud Daddy and their girls were going to be visiting soon to meet their baby brother!

I just sat in awe as we were video chatting from Austria to Missouri to New York and then later they were going to add our g'parents (our kids' great grandparents) in Texas.  Again, I am thankful for technology. It's moments like these that make the distance between us smaller and bearable.

Here is my nephew, Benton!

We love you, Beamer!!  Can't wait to meet you one day!

Teaching moments...

As last summer came to an end

The kids and I found ourselves outside

My oldest is lying on the ground

Studying the occasional bug crawling about

He says to me rather excitedly,

"God is showing us that He is 3 persons 

while we are outside"

I ask him how he knows this

He then shows me a leaf he found in the grass

and says, 

"It's the Trinity."

I love seeing the Word grow in the hearts of my kids.

Yay for technology!

This webcam photo is from last Fall, but it's just one of those pics I look at often because it just makes me so thankful for technology (my dad & youngest brother are missing from this pic.). I miss them all so much.  My g'parents are so cool... they are in their early 80's and are very up to date with how to keep in touch with family!

My family is very accustomed to being physically far from each other (if you're new here... I grew up in Asia from 2 yrs. till high school graduation). Honestly, we don't really like it, but it's just the way it is for us. So our times together are that much more special.  But when you're living a life you believe God is leading you to live, then you find a peace that passes all understanding.

If you're blessed to be living near family... appreciate it.

Last fall my grandparents also did something incredible... something I pray that God grants me & Danny.... a 60th wedding anniversary!!  I'm so proud to have them and my parents (going on 36 years of marriage) as well as Danny's parents to have as examples of going thru life together side by side.

Is this photo not awesome?!?  

We love you, Papa & Grama!!!

"Keep Breathing"

I've been singing this song all week. A few people on my mind and Danny & I are waiting in anticipation to see how God is going to just bring it all to show His sovereignty! I just pray that they keep breathing and holding on to God. The Devil is not at all happy, we can see battles going on all around. If you would... pray for these people. Pray for us. We need strength and wisdom.

Heard 'round here..

This post will be more entertaining for our families that don't get to see their g'kids, nephews/niece, & cousins. But others might get a good chuckle too.

Gracie (pointing to something): "deesa one".  Translates: "I want that one."

"Guys!!!  Heeeere!" (loves when brothers come home from school)

Gracie walks into the kitchen and says: "heeet me" (hit me) a few times.  I follow her into the living room where she says it again while pointing to a brother.  It happened once and brother got in trouble a week or so ago.  She now uses it as a way to get what she wants... she wants a toy that a brother might be holding... she comes in and says "hit me".  Knowing we'll go check it out... but that trick was short lived... brothers can talk a lot more than she can right now ;)

She repeats everything! I really can't get over how her speech has just really taken off as of late.  It's amazing (yes, she's our 3rd, but I'm always amazed at how kids absorb the world around them!) to see her observe a conversation between me & Danny or the boys and find a phrase she likes and then say it perfectly is hilarious and scary.  I guess I'm partly intrigued because I don't recall the boys speaking as clearly or having as big a vocab as she does at this age.

I went to check on the kids after they had been in bed for a couple of hours to make sure the radiators were keeping their rooms warm and I was startled when Nate sat up and said, "I'm so frustrated." (I didn't really want to hear the whining that I was sure was coming next about how he didn't get to have a light to read or that they didn't get to watch a movie, etc.) So when I half-heartedly asked "Why?" His answer made it hard to not laugh out loud and wake up Micah on the bottom bunk!  Nate says as serious and frustrated as can be, "I can not whistle!"

Lately, Micah has been a much grumpier boy during the "getting ready for school" part of our morning.  Some of his reasons are as follows:

-Why do you get to stay home and play? (Yeah... that's what mom & dad do all day... we play with the laundry, office work, the dirty dishes, etc.)

-My friends don't like me. (he has plenty of friends and he is well liked... just so you don't worry about him!)

-I want to play with MY toys, not school toys.

-I'm sleepy.

-I don't like eating yogurt for breakfast. (which is actually his favorite food... he'd eat it 3x a day if I'd let him).

Never a dull moment in our house!  

Chick-flicks & Football

I like my fair share of "chick-flicks" and musicals.  When I was a young girl, my mom & I would get our mugs of hot chocolate and get cozy on the couch and watch a movie (especially on those cool and rainy Baguio days).  I'm talking about: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, White Christmas, Singin' in the Rain, Pollyanna (Danny had never even heard of this one till we married!!), My Fair Lady, The King & I, An Affair to Remember, Charade, Holiday Inn, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, House Boat, etc.  Basically, if it had Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Cary Grant (random fact: that man was married 5 times... yes, 5 times! Crazy!), Deborah Kerr, Audrey Hepburn and the like, we watched them.  So, I like my girlie movies and even spent the night before my wedding watching one with my bridesmaids and so, I come by it honestly.

Now, I was also raised in a house where football was watched and especially if our beloved Dallas Cowboys were playing.  But I never really got into it and didn't understand all the rules so I didn't usually sit and watch for very long. But as I grew older I fell into the group (maybe stereotypical) where I would roll my eyes when guys would sit and watch football for hours and ignore the rest of the people around them (I realize this is not every guy out there and so don't get all huffy if you're a guy reading this and if you're a gal, don't get on your soapbox either).

So fast forward to 1999.  The year I married my best friend.  We got married in August, so that would be pre-season for you non-NFL informed. I soon realized that my new husband was planning on watching a lot of football on Sunday afternoons. We lived in a small apartment and owned one small tv. We both worked, were full-time students and were active in our church. So knowing how busy Sundays would be our homework was usually finished before then.  Now what on earth was I going to do for a few hours?!? Well, I decided early on that I wanted to truly be interested in things that Danny liked. I wanted to enjoy life together. Before I knew it I was watching the games and kinda leaning forward in my seat when the Cowboys would have the ball and maybe even have that swell of pride when a touchdown was made, so I watched and asked questions (usually at appropriate times... I learned that from my Dad & brothers).

Now here we are... 12 and a half years of marriage and many football games later... we are sitting in the living room together watching the NFL Playoffs as I write this blog.  I'm not saying this to make me sound good or make an interesting blog... but I really, truly enjoy watching football!  There have been times I'm hollering at the tv and Danny comes rushing in the room saying "What happened?!?  Wait... why am I not in here watching it instead of you?!" To make my point even clearer, I've been playing fantasy football since 2005 and if I do say so myself have had some really good seasons :)

Before you think I'm the only one showing an interest or just tootin' my own horn, I will say Danny has sat thru quite a few of my girlie movies and watched them all the way thru with me. Though you won't ever hear him admitting to liking any of them... there are a few I'd dare say he didn't hate.  He takes the time to do things I like... watch chick-flicks, takes me shopping, lets me discuss a book I read (that isn't probably on his list of books to read) and helps me with my love of photography to name just a few.  He makes an effort and I have taken notice.

I guess I share this with you because it's important that your spouse, who should be your best friend as well, know that you truly care about what they care about.  It obviously does not have to be football, chick flicks, fishing (which I don't really mind.... so long as I'm not putting the worm on the hook or for goodness sakes the stink bait!) or reading html codes, shopping or well, whatever your spouse likes to do. I have women in my life that are wonderful friends and we share similar interests.  But those friendships, as great and needed as they are at times... will and should never take the place or fill-in the missing piece of the friendship that I have with Danny.

This also could never really be more sobering a thought than watching a dear friend lose her best friend and husband. She has told me many times to treasure each moment I have with my husband. To hear other women complain, gossip about and tear down their spouse is wrong and not Biblical... it's also crushing to those women who have lost a spouse and would love to be going thru life with their best friend.

Pray that God would develop in you a deeper love and respect for the spouse he has given you.  Protect your marriages.  Be an example of what a couple that places God at the center of their marriage should look like to others.

If you have kids.... show them that you respect each other even when you disagree... show them how to handle conflict. Show them that God leads your home.  Show them a stable home (I can't stress this enough with the week we've had counseling someone). Show them the Gospel. Show them what they should want in a spouse.

Be the spouse God created you to be for the wife/husband with whom He has blessed you to walk on this journey. Be the parents God created you to be-- to the gifts he has entrusted to your care.

Low-cal Recipes

Danny & I have been trying to be conscientious about our calorie intake. Here are just a couple of recipes that we've tweaked/created on our own (I have more, but they aren't on my laptop).  This dressing took a little bit to grow on me, but the few choices that are available here aren't really low in calories so Danny came up with this one.

Dill Yogurt Dressing

1 tsp Dried Dill - 13 calories
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice - 5 calories
1/2 tsp Vinegar - 5 calories
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder - 4.5 calories
1/4 tsp Onion Powder - 4 calories
100 g - Low-Fat Yogurt - 42 calories
1/2 Salt - 0 calories
Dash of Ground Pepper - 1 calorie


Total Calories: 65.5 Calories


Serving Size: 1 TBSP - 8 Calories
                                         

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate.

We really, really like Chinese food.  Having gone to school in Springfield, Mo. the Cashew Chicken capitol... well, we get to craving it at times.  But that stuff is high-cal!  I'm not saying we'll never have it again (the original way), but we do want to try and come up with different ways to enjoy our favorite foods so we can have them more often.  So here is our version of Cashew Chicken.

Cashew Chicken (for One)

Ingredients:

¾ cup Brown Rice - 164 Calories

70g Chicken Cubed - 106 Calories

2 cups Frozen Vegetables - 47 Calories

(Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrots)

or

2 cups Frozen  Carrots - 62 Calories

100g Low-Fat Yogurt - 44 Calories

1 TBL Soy Sauce - 10 Calories

1 TBL Oyster Sauce - 13 Calories

½ Chicken Bullion - 14 Calories

¼ tsp White Pepper - 2 Calories

7 Cashews Chopped - 64 Calories

½ tsp Extra Olive Oil - 19 Calories

2/3 cup Water - 0 Calories

Black Pepper, Garlic/Onion Powder to taste - 4 Calories

with mixed veges - 487 Tot. Cal.

with carrots - 502 Tot. Cal.

Directions:

Add water to wok.  Heat on highest temperature setting.  Once boiling add chicken and vegetables.  Add black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste.  

Allow to cook until most of the water has evaporated, stirring often.  Add oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cashews and white pepper.  Stir well.  Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from burner and stir in yogurt.  Serve over a bed of brown Rice.

Now, these numbers are based on the brands we get over here... but it'll give you an idea and hopefully you can find the equivalent.  The yogurt is the key here... it does give it a different zing than the original recipe, but without it the calories are just too high. 

No Fear! Just Belief!

Yesterday my sermon came from John 14:1-20. The story takes place right at the end of Jesus' earthly life. He is imparting some final words to his disciples. He is preparing them for what is about to happen. He begins by saying don't be afraid, rather believe in God and in me (being that they are one in the same). He proceeds to share with them that he is the Way, the only means of coming to God. He is the Truth not just for some but for all. He is the Life, the source and giver of it. Outside of him there is no life.

He continues by telling his disciples that he has a great plan for their lives. They will, in fact, do greater things than Jesus himself did, not greater than what he accomplished on the cross, but that they would physically carry the message of what he accomplished on the cross further that Jesus himself physically did. We also have that great privilege.

Next he tells them, that even though he is leaving, they will not be disconnected from him. He shares with them two great gifts that God has given us all. First, we have access to God through prayer. Just as the disciples could talk with Jesus before his death, they would be able to do so after his ascension. Secondly, he said, even though I am physically leaving I am not leaving you alone like an orphan. The then told them about the Holy Spirit, which is in fact Jesus living in us as he describes in John 14:20. Jesus is in God (as he is God). Believers are in him (through faith). He is in believers (in the form of the Holy Spirit).

Life in this world is not always easy. Sometimes we need to be reminded not to be afraid of what it throws at us. No matter the situation, Jesus' words of comfort to his disciples apply to our life situations as well. Don't be afraid. Don't be discouraged. Don't give up. Just believe in Jesus (John 14:1). We need nothing else. There is nothing else. There's only Jesus. Stop trusting what you can do and believe what he has done! That is not the starting point with God. That is all there is. We walk by faith!

Video of last summer's camp

Here is a glimpse of last year's Football Camp. I'm biased, I know, but our guys (Styrian Bears) are just awesome!  The coaches that came were just excellent and were such an encouragement to our family and our ministry. They didn't even know us before hand and yet wanted to help us and our ministry... they were our first US visitors outside of family.

Can't wait for the next camp!

Choosing an Email Address

Being that Krista and I spend a lot of time on the computer, Nathan has an increasingly growing interest in how computers and the internet work. We are able to watch movies on the computer, listen to music, video chat with family and friends and do much more. In a recent conversation with him I explained how email works. I told him that you need to pick a name for your email address and then you can use that to send and receive messages.

This is something that has apparently been occupying his thoughts as of late. Just before Christmas break I was bringing the boys home from school in the car.

Out of nowhere Nathan says, "Hey dad, I thought of an address for me."

I wasn't sure what he was talking about so I asked him to explain what he meant.

He said, "You know, so I can write to people on the computer."

I said, "Oh! What did you pick?"

His reply, "NBC.com" (His intials)

I told him that NBC.com was already taken. He said he would just pick for NBC.de (".de" being the TLD of Germany, which he obviously learned from watching TV).

Football Camp

Last summer we had the opportunity to host an American football camp here in Graz.  Joel Hill of The Way Sports Ministries brought a group of college coaches and a former NFL player over from the States to conduct the camp for us.  We had around 30 participants, the vast majority of which, are members of the Styrian Bears, the team for which I play.

We had a great camp!  The coaches put on a quality camp.  They made it very clear that they have two passions in life.  One is football.  The other is Jesus.  During each camp session the Gospel was presented.  On the last day of the camp, 12 of my friends raised their hands indicating an interest in following Jesus.  I can hardly describe the emotions that ran through me that day.  God is awesome.

Now, six months later, we are beginning to prepare for this coming summer's camp.  We are extremely excited about the opportunity to host Joel and his team again.  Along with the football camp in Graz we are also discussing the possibility of hosting two other camps in Austria.  We will have a firm answer in the next 10 days.  We would appreciate your prayers for us in this area as God brings it to your mind.

Above is a collage that Krista made with pictures from the camp.  The picture in the center is of coach Mike Cochran (SNU Head Coach).  The bottom left is of Joel Hill (The Way Sports Ministries) sharing the Gospel with a group of players.

This is another collage that Krista made.  The large picture is of me reading Bible verses in German as former Chicago Bear's tight end Michael Cobb shared a Bible lesson with the camp participants.

2012... oh the possibilities!

Happy New Year!

We are excited about all the incredible things God has planned for us.  I don't know what they are, but as one of His children I know He only wants what is best for me.  Now that doesn't mean my life is going to be a walk in the park and no hardships or growing pains, but I know He is holding me and molding me... for His glory.

Please pray for us as this year will be full of activity, ministry, child-rearing, traveling, new ideas for sharing our faith and just the day to day mixed in with bumps in the road that we have yet to see.

Here's to a year of making sure my life as a wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, granddaughter, friend bring all honor to God.