Feb 2008
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Jun 2007

Long Night

It is 4:00 a.m. and I wake up a little disoriented as one always does when staying in a hotel. I roll over to hear a child in the hotel bed beside us give a sleepy moan and see that they are very close to the edge of the bed. Groggily, I help Hannah scoot back toward the middle of into bed.

While I am at it, I check the other child, and check again...where is he? I check the floor beside the bed, I check my own bed. Hmmm. I check the bathroom, I check the chairs in the room... WHERE is he? Then, I look at the child in bed again. That IS Joshua. Wow, I am groggy. Where is Hannah, now? Repeat check of hotel: floor, my bed, bathroom, chairs (at 4 am, I am reasoning that I might find this child now that I know who I am looking for).

Hannah has had been “riding the D-train” for the last two days. Among our friends the “D-train” is a more discreet way of saying she has had diarrhea. In our efforts to keep her hydrated, we gave her 2 full sippy cups and put her to bed.

Now, as my mind cleared, I looked closer at the bed where we had put the children. In the dim light, I was finally able to make out Hannah, laying cross-wise in the bed, camouflaged among the folded-down sheets. Mystery solved, I sighed and began to move her. Uh-oh. Wet. All that Gatorade did it's job. I scooped Joshua up out of the wet bed and into bed beside David, then pulled Hannah out and stood her up in the bathroom. “OK, Hannah, pee,” I instructed, indicating the toilet. Eyes closed like a newborn kitten in the sudden and blinding bathroom light, Hannah obeys. Her clothes are once again soaked. And I had to laugh.

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Now.... where am I going to sleep?

The Mountains are on Fire

Spending the day with my brother and his family was a breathtaking experience. Putting a camera into David's hands enabled us to capture the fire of fall blazing through the Appalachian Mountains. We were absolutely freezing, and I wore flip flops, but it was an exhilarating hike. It is a day that will live in my memory for a long time, full of vibrant reds and oranges. My dad explained to Joshua that when the chlorophyl that drains out of the leaves every autumn, we see the colors that the leaves have truly been all year, just covered up by green. And I would add, so it is with us. When hungry, angry, or tired, when we have been wronged or judged or made to feel embarrassed. When, in some way or another we are drained, do not we too show our true colors?

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How cool are my grandparents!

Visiting my grandparents recently, they were generous enough to share their slides from a trip they had taken 20 years ago to the Great Wall. How amazing to have photos of my grandparents in front of these amazing architectural feats! It is nothing but incredible to think that they traveled across the Globe to study this ancient culture and admire its accomplishments. What a dream fulfilled, and what a legacy they pass on to us.
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