ShenanINGRAMS

I don't know about anyone else, but this year has just flown by for me. My kids have grown, literally, a foot or more between the three of them. Joe's job has kept him so busy, so topsy-turvy in schedule, that I rarely know which end is up. I have more piano students here in Germany than I've ever had anywhere in my life...26 to be exact...if you count my own 3. The problem with busy-ness is that it is time consuming. When I get super busy, I get super quiet, and that includes my "talk" time with God. I talk to Him throughout the day, so it's not a one-time "mandatory Quiet Time" that most churches teach. I try to "get quiet" with Him a few times a day so I can remain in His Spirit. Busy-ness does not help, but I know that He is there through all of it and I am at peace. When everything else goes wrong, I am at peace in Him. My children are at peace because their mother is at peace. Joe is at peace because his wife is at peace. ...

It's officially fall in Germany, which means it feels like winter when you're from the south. I had forgotten how cold and wet it can be during certain months. It's kind of like child-birth....you forget the bad parts because there is so much good that comes out of it! I'm wearing my "Jesus Loves Housewives" shirt today, which people find offensive. I wonder why. It doesn't say that Jesus DOESN'T love other wives, and it has Proverbs 31 as the Scripture reference, which covers just about any job a woman could have. To be easily offended is one of the worst ways to live. I tell my kids constantly, "Treat it like water rolling off a duck's back." They've seen that in person, so they get it. If it won't matter next week, it doesn't matter right now. This weather does make a person tired, though. The sun is coming up around 730 and going down around 530. Soon enough it'll only be "up" around 7 hours a day...

We went to the Air Force Ball last night. For those of you who don't know, it's the annual birthday party (62 this year) for the Air Force. It's only the 2nd one we've been to because Caylea just became certified last year to babysit. :) We had a great time. I had never seen Tops in Blue before. They are very showy, like a Six Flags show. Some of them had truly great voices, and a friend and I were musing....they are only in TiB for 1 year and then they return to their "regular" Air Force job, which could be packing parachutes, or it could be pushing the button that bombs somebody. "Hey did you hear me sing last week? Yeah, watch me push this button." haha It was very enjoyable, but because it was in a hangar, it was really loud. We saw lots of friends there and Joe bought me a gorgeous dress with jewelry to match. He always looks so handsome in his mess dress. I just love it! I helped him straighten his tie of course. :) I'm so ...

Labor Day always makes me laugh. Why do we take the day OFF to celebrate WORK? Well, I worked. I trimmed all of the trees and hedges that I could reach, weeded the front garden area that was completely overgrown, and got rid of the poor cucumber plants that died due to lack of warmth this summer. I refuse to admit that we did anything wrong. It's the sun's fault, I say! I also broke a lawnmower. I didn't realize that you had to check the oil. This summer, while my husband has been gone, I have been mowing/weeding diligently to bless him. Wow, what a blessing! He gets a new lawnmower! :) September always makes me smile. School starts, colors start changing, apples are in bloom (great apple pies), and the smell of fall is in the air. It's a great time of the year! Caylea was baptized September 1, 2002. She waited a very long time. She began asking for baptism around 4 years old because, as she said, "Jesus has always been in my heart and I love Him. ...

Well, I got out on the track yesterday (ran a 6:50 mile, thank you, thank you very much) and tried to show Josh (and by proxy the rest of the kids) how to do a penny drop. [I realized after sending the original email that I should explain what a penny drop is. You hang upside down with your knees, hands free, from a bar. You swing back and forth and, at just the right moment in your back swing, you let go with your knees (legs), tucking them in, and as your head goes up, your feet go down, landing in the perfect position. It looks really cool. You can even finish with the traditional gymnastics pose, or just say "ta-da!"] Back to my story: First problem, I can't do one myself. My back just isn't flexible enough at this point. I'll work on that. Second problem, I spotted Josh by holding his hands, thank goodness, because when I said, "Drop," he dropped without tucking his knees. I should've told him that part. Bad teacher! Fortunately, I had ...

It has been brought to my attention (thanks Mom) that I was a dust artist. I would often draw Michaelangelo-quality pictures in dust when I was 3. So, in my own defense, I was NOT a finger-swiper. Had the culprit drawn a smiley face over the face of the people in the picture, I would've giggled and left it there for weeks on end. Honestly. I'm easily amused, and once amused, I won't let the amusing thing go, much like a bull dog. However, the person in question...we'll just call him "Nobody" for now, did NOT draw dust art! Nobody FINGER SWIPED. There's a big difference. Dust art says, "Hey, your picture frame has a cool surface on which I can draw a masterpiece and leave my mark." Finger-swiping simply says, "I noticed your dust and I don't like it." Well, Nobody, I don't like your finger-swipe! The picture frame is clean. My son is snoring on the couch behind me, so I better take him to bed. On the way, I may draw ...

It's summer time in Germany. My windows are constantly open because we don't have an air conditioner. I would have to dust every day, possibly twice a day, to keep my house in the condition I am accustomed to when I live in the States and do have an A/C to help keep things clean. I am fine with the dust. Wednesday is my dust-day. Even my children know this. I am fine with other people noticing my dust, especially if it is Tuesday. If someone says, "Wow, that picture frame is dusty," I will likely respond with, "Yes, it is. Someone should clean that," as I grin and walk away. I won't judge your house if you won't judge mine. What I am NOT fine with, and anyone who knows me can tell you this, is the finger swipe. You know what it is. You've all done it at least once in your life. You see the dust, you swipe the finger, you wipe it on your pants leg and think, "Wow, that's a lot of dust." Caylea did that when she was 7. Th...

14 people were in my house for 6 days. Now 10 of them are gone and it's so quiet! After having my Mom, Dad, brother, sister-in-law, their 3 children, my husband's sister and daughter...all here, I can honestly say that God answers prayer. He knows what He's doing, when and where, and everything is in His timing. We took a train ride, all wearing tie-dyed shirts. It was so much fun. I spoke with a 3 year old German girl who told her Daddy, "Ich mochte nicht so gross famili!" In English, "I don't want a family that big!" My German is getting better. We found a tutor who will start with us in August and teach us to do more than order food and get from A to Z and entertain 3 year olds on trains. I enjoy German. It's similar to Spanish, so not too hard. The hardest part is getting the German natives to slow down for me! I am from Texas, after all! I don't even speak English quickly! :) My niece, Raychel, caught 64 new snails for Chl...

Chloe loves all bugs, except spiders.  Well, she wants a tarantula, but the little ones are creepy.  Any other bug, she loves.  Well, except female praying mantis's.  They bite.  Oh, and she doesn't like mosquitoes and doesn't understand what purpose they serve.  Why did God create mosquitoes?  Another question to ask in heaven.  She wants a pet bat because one bat can eat up to 42,000 mosquitoes in one night.  She really wants another praying mantis. Her last one died while we were in Alabama.  He (she) is now immortalized in a picture frame.  While here in Germany, she discovered snails.  She loves them.  She thinks one, in particular, actually listens to her.  She's 10.  She'll figure it out eventually.  She used her allowance money to buy a kiddie pool, fill it with composted dirt that smells like a hog's pen, and put a net over it.  It's a lovely snail haven.  She collects them and then they don't eat her plants.  It's a good system...until it r...

When we moved to Germany, we knew we had to rest.  We were so involved with gymnastics, church, home school activities, not to mention the military family activities that we tried to participate in...we were worn out.  When you're too tired to sit, you're too tired!  I can honestly say that we have learned to slow down.  We've learned that saying "no" isn't always a bad thing...it rarely is!  We went on a family bike ride last night, in the woods, then came home and played in the back yard.  You just can't beat that kind of time with the kids at their current ages.  I've been reading a book called, "5 Conversations to Have With Your Daughter."  It is encouraging that I have already been having these conversations with all 3 of my kids.  I am also encouraged that all 3 of them, so far, are very open with Joe and me.  Family time is important.  There's no such thing as a few "quality" minutes.  Kids need quantity.  You may go week...

You can tell when things get busy here at the Ingram household.  I don't update my blog for months on end and my emails get progressively shorter.  All in all, our first year (almost) in Germany has been one of the best years of our lives together, as a family.  We have traveled more, and just had so much fun.  We started our time here on March 29th, 2008.  A lady hit us while we were looking for a house to rent.  We got a rental car, found a house, got our car fixed...all in the first 2 weeks in Germany.  It snowed on Easter Sunday.  The kids thought it was the best thing ever.  SNOW SNOW SNOW!!!   Our first trip was our first full weekend here.  to the medieval city of Rothemburg, surrounded by a wall, with beautiful gardens.  Our next trip was 2 weeks later, to Cochem Castle, which is our "castle of choice" so far.  It's close and it's beautiful.  Then, for our 13th wedding anniversary, Joe surprised us with a trip to Paris, France.  We spent 4 days "backp...