Bits and Pieces

April 6, 2010

Here are a few fun bits from our first days here. I hope they make you smile:

Despite our understanding that rainy season was over, it is not. Almost every day since we arrived, there has been a torrential downpour for 10-90 minutes, usually early in the day. The day we went to unpack at our house, the downpour came at the exact moment Len was trying to open our gate with one of 20 or so keys we have for the house. It took him about 10 minutes to get the gate unlocked (keys can be fickle here) and at that moment, the rain stopped. Benefit of torrential downpour: it cools things off a bit. And we needed showers anyway.

The next day, as Len explored our vehicle (which, like the house, has also exceeded our expectations), he opened the back gate-style door and a good-sized (over a foot) lizard scuttled out, jumped over Len's feet (from the truck), and ran into the backyard. We are so not in Kansas anymore.

On another lizard-related note, there are little gecko lizards everywhere, including inside our house. They don't show up inside that often though. The first time we spotted one inside was on the wall of our bedroom after the first few hot, sweaty days here and we were exhausted. After a quick executive meeting, we decided the lizard might eat the other bugs we see from time to time, and left it alone. Live long and prosper, lizard.

School is almost over here for the season, and many expats are coming and going. At a recent garage sale, some children were looking through a box of books and found the biggest spider I've ever seen. It had a hairy brown body and long hairy legs (not a tarantula though). It looked good enough to eat. So I ate it. Just kidding. The kids seemed amazed at it for a few minutes, then moved back to the books. A good reminder that if I've ever wanted to be more tidy and organized, now is the time, so we can discourage such beasts from moving in with us.

Despite these bug stories, our home is not especially 'bugg-y' and for that we are very thankful. Hopefully frequent cleaning and keeping things tidy and closed up will continue this trend.

When we left church the other day (which is held outside in a large banda), there was a man selling a live monkey for tsh 30,000 (about $22). Kind of cute, but no takers. There are dozens of new, unusual events like this that happen daily.

Our friends the Stantons from the UK came over for dinner one night that first week, and the eating utensils we thought were waiting here for us are nowhere to be found. So we ate using random cooking utensils. One of us used a silicone spatula, someone else used a salad server, someone had tongs...it was quite fun and really fit in with all of the fun newness of the place. Good times.

My first really frustrating moment took place that same night, when I was baking some brownies and realized that the teachers who told me the metric system is not useful and we don't need to learn it were all liars and fools. To preheat the oven to 350 degrees, something I did almost daily and without thought in the US, I had to dig out my cookbook with the formula for converting degrees F to degrees C. It is overwhelming at times to not know how to do anything. But we are laughing a lot, learning a lot, and moving forward each day. :)

Smells Like Africa Out There

Monday April 5, 2010



Slept well in our friends' guest room - they do hospitality very, very well. Woke up excited to get going but quickly realized we're in Africa, where nothing happens in a hurry. As a goat ran by my window I heard Ruby's little voice beside me, "It smells a little bit like Africa out there." And it is a hot smell, although not stinky most of the time.



Sitting on the porch as it rained an hour later, we watched hundreds of termites fky up out of the earth, creating a carnival effect as birds came en masse to dive for them. Birdwatching that rivals the best Yellowwood Forest bird day. Ruby observed the 'little beaches' that formed spontaneously as torrential rain saturated the drive and lawn for about an hour before stopping as though on a timer. The sun came out over the Indian Ocean (in view of our friends' porch) and began its baking for the day.

Just before lunch we did visit our new house. It greatly exceeded our expectations. Not large, but plenty of room for us, and even a space for a playroom. Our landlord's attention to western detail is notable with crown moulding and nicer light fixtures, and the floorplan is open. All of these things help in little ways with lessening the culture shock. If it had a second floor, I think we could see the ocean as we are less than a mile from it! But one floor is good as it makes the children feel comfortable and close. Tropical flowers and foilage line the house and there is a mini-jungle of new insects, lizards, bats, birds, spiders and frogs living among it. There are a few banana plants (trees?) and much sunshine. We plan to return tomorrow to unpack.

Our friend brought lunch by and took us to the local duka (storefront) and vegetable duka (fresh produce stand). Ruby was delighted and dismayed by the chickens and peepeeps running underfoot as she helped select fruit for morning. The local bakery is also a short tuktuk (three-wheeled scooter with a backseat and roof) ride away. I'll be sure to include photos as I can.

Friends were having an Easter egg hunt at their house for their house family and their children, and ours joined in. What fun! The African children had never had an egg hunt, and one of the ladies translated instructions for them. They seemed confused by the concept until they started opening the eggs and finding little treasures inside. The uncharted wonder on their faces was priceless.

Dinner was with friends at an oceanside restaurant with delicious fresh seafood. The peninsula alight in the distance as the sun set behind us was a wonderful end to our day of new beginnings.

To The Skies!

April 4, 2010

The last four days either solidified or shattered our relationship with the friends whose guest house we've been borrowing. Despite living in their backyard for the last eight months, we saw them more in the 72 hours preceeding our departure than in the rest of it combined. Without their help, and the help of so many others, we could not have left on time. Clearing out a life takes more work than I had budgeted, so thank you, beloved friends!

Saturday, I took the kids to the Children's Museum one last time before heading to the airport. The emotional dimension of these last weeks is hard to describe; add that to getting three hours of sleep in the last two nights and you understand why I started crying when we walked down the ramp and through the lobby one last time before leaving. Fortunately, I got it under control before security stopped us. This place has been a blessing to us in so many ways; as a home for playdates, a weekly destination, special 'firsts' like stage musicals. I hope there are places in Africa where their faces will reflect joy and awe like they do when riding the carousel at the museum. One more time in the pretend ice cream shoppe, one more turn at the ball machine in Scienceworks, one more walk through the hall of mirrors and Barbie. Then it was time to go home to pick up Len and get to the airport.

There were nine adults at the airport to help us and we needed every hand. Unloading the bags, playing with the kids, watching the cars, helping with the desk and checking in took quite a bit of time and we were thankful for the help. It was like God parted the sea for us the entire way: as we approached the desk and security checkpoint, there were no lines. When we walked out, there were long lines. And this was not due to our sluggishness! Ruby kept us moving through the security area; she has the entire process down to an art. Ruby is the person you want to be behind in the security line. She knows what to do, and she will set you straight if you aren't moving fast enough or forget to put something in a bin.

Harry and Izzy's is a restaurant just past the checkpoint at the Indianapolis Airport; we had time to stop there for a good meal and wine before heading to the gate. St. Elmo's shrimp cocktail was a nice way to say goodbye to Indy.

The trip really couldn't have gone better. We flew Indy to Detroit to Amsterdam to Dar, and the transatlantic and longer Amsterdam to Dar flights even had enough empty seats to spread out and rest a little. The kids love to fly and were champs. One rough point for me was on the approach to Amsterdam when the steward said, 'For those of you returning to the United States...' and I realized we weren't, at least not for a while. But we had agreed to not get emotional in front of the kids, and our unplanned strategy of not sleeping was really working for us on that front; once you deaden enough brain cells from sleep deprivation, it is easy to move your family to the other side of the world without thinking too much about it. Or maybe we just can't handle thinking about it at this point.

A shout -out here to KLM Dutch Royal Airlines...they do a wonderful job with children, special meals and overall service. Everytime I thought about asking for something, the steward was there holding it before I said anything. Now that I think about it, it was almost creepy how intuitive they were. But it made for a very nice flight.

We landed in Dar a few minutes ahead of schedule and barely broke stride through customs. I think they were all tired. We made it out of the airport so quickly that our ride was not there yet! Len pulled out his US cell phone to call him and as he turned it on, the battery died. So there were a few anxious moments of sitting on the curb with our bags, painfully foreign. Thankfully, it was literally only seconds until we heard our friend's banter on his phone as he got out of his car - he had arrived just on time! Ruby and Henry fell asleep on me in the back seat of his truck as we drove to their house for the night. It was just before midnight when we settled into bed, eager to meet our new home in the morning.

Thanks for all the Birthday wishes for sweet Ruby, who spent her entire fifth birthday on airplanes and in airports. Fortunately, she doesn't want to turn five yet, so we told her to let us know when she's ready and we will celebrate then. And if you see her, don't bring it up. Mentioning her birthday has brought anxious shouts of, "I don't WANT to be FIVE! I want to stay FOUR until I'm FOURTEEN!"

Very well, child.

We Cried So Hard We Laughed

Four more sleeps to Africa! Saturday night on the plane doesn't count, since it is unlikely we will get any sleep then. We'll call that bonus sleep if it comes.

We had a big trip planned this weekend to visit friends and deliver Len's dress clothes to their temporary home in our friends' closet. Since my head is still on the edge of exploding, we decided that it would be best for me to stay home and rest while Len took the kids on the overnight trip. After all, most of the trip was going to involve a series of visits where Ruby and Henry would have other children and/or adults to play with.

I did get a good night's sleep, and was a very productive packer. However, it does seem that our belongings are breeding in the night. Really, I just keep giving things away, sending them to friends and Annabelle's Thrift Store and anyone else who will take them, and when I wake up the next morning there are new items littering the floor where the old ones were. Is there a fogging spray for this? I have to believe we will get to the bottom of the pile if we just keep going....

When we finally all returned home last night, and the kids were in bed, Len told me about one visit on the trip that didn't go so well...with a friend we are trying to build a positive relationship with. And it is a good relationship we have, we just want to grow it along in a happy direction. Anyway, Len took the kids to meet with this person in their very nice office, and the person was quite kind, giving each of our kids a piece of cinnamon gum. Our kids don't get gum very often, which was evidenced in Ruby smelling it for a long time. Then each child took a bite, politely chewed it up, and swallowed it. Ruby nicely handed the wrapper back to the benefactor and asked them to discard it. Henry was very interested in a nice (and expensive looking) model airplane on display, and Len will probably have nightmares for weeks about Henry almost knocking it off of its stand.

As I was getting the rundown from the trip, this last part, along with stories of bittersweet goodbyes, made both of us teary eyed, as Len recounted the stress of trying to make a good impression and keep our kids on the straight and narrow, and pretty soon we were both crying and then doubled over laughing at our life right now.

Was it just last summer we were in our nice home, with the kids both going to bed by eight and sleeping all night in their own rooms?

As I write this, I am just outsisde of our bedroom that all four of us currently sleep in. Len went in around nine tonight to help the kids get to sleep, as Ruby especially is showing signs of stress from these weeks of 'lasts'. Last day of preschool. Last day at our church. Last visit with Grandma and Grandpa. Last time to see friends here for a long time.

So Len went in to lay down between the kids and help them get to sleep. However, for the last 45 minutes or so, I have only heard Henry's little falsetto voice trying to whisper to me, 'Mommy....Mommy!' As I walk in, he shushes me and squeaks, 'Don't talk. Daddy is sleeping!' Then he collapses into a ball of giggles and pillows.

Four more sleeps. hopefully we haven't scared off our friend with the cinnamon gum. Hopefully there is a lot of laughter in our future, as well as new friends and new mercies from God each day.

Tickets! Joy! Tears!

With much joy and a little bit of terror I share with you our anticipated date of departure: Saturday, April 3. Yes, the day before Easter. Yes, the day before Ruby's fifth anniversary. New beginnings all over the place like bugs on the grille of my minivan (which, by the way, is for sale).

We're mowing down new beginnings here on the farm.

With these dated plane tickets come a lot of realizations. Goodbyes are stinging more. We've been through so many states saying goodbyes these last months, and tears are starting to flow ever more freely as we mourn the comfort of knowing our friends and family here are just a call/flight/drive away. And yet, God-willing, in 25 days we will begin to find treasure God has for us on another continent, while thankfully employing technology to remain in relationships here.

One sigh of relief for me is that packing WILL come to an end. If we lived here in perpetuity, I am convinced that I would never stop pulling items out to replace them with others. Toothbrush holder or extra pillowcases? Belt or soap dish? Looking at every item and asking myself if it can be sewn or made in Dar, and do I like this enough to move it across the ocean? Do I like it too much to lose it? Sliding little comfort items like disposable diapers (yes, my cloth diapering comrades, I am taking a few!:) and sanitizing hand wipe packets down in the cracks between bins and tubs. Yes, I am looking forward to the end of packing!

We are blessed beyond our wildest dreams with this opportunity. Len and I have prayed consistently over the years that God would not let us become complacent in our faith life, and He has been faithful to keep us from getting too comfortable, while blessing our socks off.

The amazing people we have the privilege to call 'friend' are beyond what we deserve - we know that! Please continue to let us know how we can pray for you, and we covet your prayers as well. Each of our stories has yet to be finished...let's continue to support and encourage each other!

After tickets, joy and tears there IS a little bit of terror in my mind as I think about having to turn in all my library books, hug my mom goodbye (for a year at least) and learn a new language at age 38. What if I didn't bring enough gluten free flour for Ruby? Will I know how to ask our new landlord questions without totally offending her? These thoughts and so many more are what cause me to strike deep stretching poses in awkward places throughout the day.

The joy is not going away; the tickets are hopefully good through April 4. The tears (of happiness as well as grief) and terror (in small doses) and time we have left here are going to rotate continuously for the forseeable future. Feel free to jump in with me. :)

It's Calendar Fish

The kids' big pocket calendar has fat, happy green fish dates in it. And yes, we are still here. Ruby checked the weather this morning and chose cloudy, cold, rainy, windy, sunny and snow for the weather pocket. I couldn't really correct her...all of those things were true here today. While we don't have tickets yet, March looks like the month we will begin life in beautiful Africa.

Calendar fish signify a later date than I thought we would be here, but really I am thankful to have experienced this snow; heck, we even managed to travel to Minnesota and Colorado this winter during their record snowfalls and low temperatures. When we dropped the kids off with our dear friends in Minneapolis after New Year's, it was -26 degrees there. I suspect we will look back on colder weather fondly in the next few months.

March 19 Len leaves his office here for the last time. We'll let you know when tickets are purchased. Hoping to spend Easter in Dar...a new beginning!

Through all the packing, moving, moving, packing, packing, unpacking, repacking, sorting and packing, one thing has been crystal clear: that this is what God wants us to be doing right now. To be honest, I'm a little freaked out right now. We've been planning this for so long that being confronted with the actual move is a little shocking. But God has brought us this far in His will, and I know he isn't going to leave us now.

Two questions I've often had for God are, 'Who are you?' and 'What do you want from me?'

Sometimes they are asked as you would ask someone breaking into your house, with force and fear. Today, I ask them with wonder and a patient heart. The journey through sailboat dates, autumn leaf dates (which in Dar will just be a memory), and snowman and heart dates will be challenging, but I am sure we will be better people and better God-followers a year from now because of it.

Packing, Praying and Parenting

I must apologize for the lack of recent posts. My time the last 45 days or so has been spent packing, parenting and praying.

Parenting is definitely the most entertaining of these three. Yesterday, Henry (who is 2) walked past me in the kitchen, carrying a large Mr. Potato Head in one hand and a length of plastic vacuum sweeper tubing in the other. As he sat the Potato Head on the floor, carefully turning it around to face him, he said, 'Mom, I'm going to fight the potato.' He said this very seriously.

He then proceeded to step back, adjust the angle of the potato again, and then began beating it with the tube a la the 'Office Space' scene where they take the printer out to the field and demolish it as Feels Good to be a Gangster rocks in the background. Henry is a fun kid. He also loves to help and is pretty good at organizing and cleaning up with a little instruction.

Ruby loves to draw and is very good at it. Our floor is littered with paper covered on both sides with monsters, families, Super Readers and anything else she thinks of. She is also starting to read and is interested in piloting her own plane. She is torn between being a pilot and an artist when she is an adult, but I assure her that since she is four years old, there is time to grow into who she will be. Much of my non-active parenting time has been spent reading books about Aspberger Syndrome, which seems to be where Ruby is right now.

Packing is fun at times but not as much fun as parenting. Most of what we are taking is going in 18-gallon Rubbermaid totes, and the goal is to pack 20-28 of them full, weighing between 45-48 pounds apiece to stay within airline regulations for checked baggage. The cost of shipping this way comes out to $63 per cubic foot, but the big pro to this method is that everything is with us when we arrive, versus waiting on a ship to arrive months later. If we didn't have children, we might wait for the shipment. But settling in as soon as possible is important to the kids, or I'm thinking it will be. This will surely be the topic of future blogs once we're on the ground. :)

The packing process began with all our belongings piled in our living room. Think about moving everything in your house to the living area and you see where we are.

First, we sorted through and put everything we thought we wanted to keep in one pile. And when I say we I really mean I. After the keeper items were separated, the other items were sorted by where they were to go - recycle, resale, thrift store, trash.

Next, I went through the keeper pile and identified items that can be made or replaced easily in Africa. Children's drums, curtains and step stools went into this category. Also, I removed keepsakes like wedding gift vases, childhood memorabilia and the like and took those to live with family.

Speaking of family, Buddy Lee has been sent to live with Len's parents and I miss him terribly. This may cause tears or emotional outbursts without warning. Be warned.

Now I'm focused on finishing up packing totes, taking inventory of each one and labeling them to hopefully ease moving into our home in Dar, which has been rented as of February 1. It is a nice little ranch house with three bedrooms, and it's just sitting there waiting for us!

We're at 75% funding and at 90-95% we buy our plane tickets. Len and I have been praying and working on this, and God-willing, we will be in Dar in March! We are ready to get there and begin the transition...having been in transition since we moved here (to a friend's guest house) in August, we are ready to begin transition to a longer-term place before this feels too home-y.

We are praying fools and this year has brought unwarranted blessings and praises and also tragic requests and needs; thank you all who have trusted us to pray for your needs and also those who rejoice with us. Len and I were talking tonight about how God has blessed us with friends beyond our wildest dreams, dear friends with whom we share life. Thank you!

Just Back From Cross-Cultural Orientation

Wow. Wow. Wow. We're just back from CCO (Cross-Cultural Orientation) in Colorado Springs and I just want to get on the trampoline outside and spring myself right over to Dar. I feel like I could do it, but we still need a little time to finish raising support (we're at the 2/3 mark at the moment, but hopefully that rises quickly!) and deal with the diminishing stacks of stuff in our living area.

Len and I were thanking God yesterday for the gift of having to liquidate our assets. While we were in Colorado, the kids stayed with some dear friends in Minnesota who live very simply, on less than many pay in taxes each year, but they do it beautifully. Their home radiates peace, love, joy and when you go in you want to stay. They have learned discipline and patience through their lifestyle. And we want that. It isn't something you can buy from Pottery Barn. Living simply takes time and practice and patience; we have a long way to go. But simplifying our belongings is a start. And we wouldn't have de-stuffed our life if not for this call. So we are thankful. This is liberating stuff!

CCO was also a reminder of the rock stars of ministry we have the privilege to work beside in Africa. The Stantons, from the UK, met while spending a summer educating Africans about HIV/AIDS while traveling around living in tents. They are dynamic, hilarious, and deep. The dynamic Fuentes duo features Gustavo from Guatemala and Beatriz from Brazil; they have enjoyed life in the US for years but what they are really passionate about are the people of Mozambique. Beatriz is a masterful artist whose love of people makes her absolutely glow. They are wise and energized to get back to Mozambique after being here for training!

Of course, the Larmeys, who have pioneered YL in various African nations, are amazing and we are eager to join them in Dar. One of their great victories in Africa has been putting together a Senior African Leadership Team, men and women who love people, love their respective countries, and love Africa. The African staff and volunteers are some of the most well read, wise and warm people I have ever met or heard of. We have so much to learn from them, and I pray we are able to assist them adequately.

More stories to come soon; just wanted to update a little about our comings and goings recently, and thank everyone for support of every kind that has been offered this last month! :)

Selling Our House? No Worries!

I've been so busy enjoying life that I have neglected to keep you updated about all the blessings. Here is a brief review:

First, we sold our home! Now, we had talked about selling it as early as February, when we went public with our decision to move, but had been hoping to sell it to someone we knew. Through the generosity of friends, we were able to move into another home and leave ours staged for showing, which is much better than trying to get two children and a dog out of the house, clean said house, and make it look like nobody lives there in 20 minutes when someone calls and wants to look at it.

But about these homebuyers...they wrote us a very kind letter about how much they love our home and they have been looking for awhile but knew as soon as they saw ours that it was no coincidence we were selling what they were looking for. Their financing appears secure, they want to close next week, and they want to purchase some of our furniture. Thank you, God!

Another huge advantage to living in this temporary home is that we have seen some of the potential hurdles we will face when moving the kids to Africa. Moving is stressful on any family, and add in Ru-baby's ASD issues (one of which is that transitions are especially difficult for her) and you have a lot of fun for everyone.

One (now) funny example is that we are all sleeping in one room, despite having four beds to choose from...remember my post a few months ago about how done I was with co-sleeping? Well, not anymore. We have been sleeping in the same room since September, often in the same bed. And we have really grown to like this arrangement. Nothing sweeter than coming to bed and seeing your babies' peaceful faces as they dream. Last night they slept on the floor together by our bed. They really do have a calming effect on each other. Except when they don't.

Another good thing about this interim move is the ability to see opportunities for better organization (translate: how to cram your stuff into a smaller space than you had before). Better to work through this issue now while we have access to organizational tools, right? And we have pared down our belongings further, realizing that you really DON'T need four pairs of jeans. But we are learning to live in a smaller space, and in a different space than we are used to, and I am hopeful that this will help reduce the stress of the many changes awaiting us in Africa, which I'm sure I cannot even imagine.

When we put our house on the market (it was only listed for about a month!), I knew that it was in God's care. People told us that houses don't sell this time of the year, they don't sell in this market, blah, blah, blah. They were well-meaning people, but they didn't understand that God had this covered. And He would still have had it covered if the house didn't sell for a year. So much of this process is beyond my ability to control - it's better to leave it to someone who can move mountains. Or houses in a bad economy during the holidays.

Crunchy Coffeecake Recipe

Well, my gluten-free frustrations always give way to a renewed energy for making GFCF meals my family will rave over, and this morning brought new success.

This coffeecake recipe comes from Lisa Lewis' cookbook Special Diets for Special Kids - Two and it was created by Sue Crosby, creator of the wonderful GFCF Quickie Baking Mix. This cookbook and its predecessor have a wealth of information on the science of this diet, research material, substitution information and tips on helping kids try new foods. But honestly, I have had no trouble getting my kids to try any of these delicious treats. And I'm learning a lot of new GFCF baking tricks in the process.

I used DariFree for the milk, and Bob's GF Baking Mix (basically 4-bean flour) for the flour. This is DELICIOUS!

Ingredients

Batter
1 beaten egg (or egg replacer)
1/2 cup GFCF milk
1 cup GFCF flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons safflower oil (I used canola and it was fine)
2 teaspoons GFCF baking powder

Topping
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon tapioca starch
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I omit these)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon GFCF margarine, melted

Beat batter ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a greased 8x8x2 inch pan. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over top of batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Toothpick in center should pull out clean when done.

Gluten-Free Dreams

A warning to many of you: this is a part of my life that may be foreign to you. I am not writing this to drum up sympathy in any way. Really, it is more of a vent over my good intentions gone wrong.

My daughter is four years old and was diagnosed with autism over two years ago, several months after suffering an immediate regression after receiving a flu shot and Hepatitis A shot at her 18 month doctor visit.

After some time, and months of rejecting the idea, we began an experiment into diet: a gluten-free, casein-free adventure that seemed daunting at first. Cutting out wheat, oats, rye, barley, and all dairy products except eggs took getting used to, especially for this comfort cook who loves sauces, gravy and cheese in almost every dish. We had already cut out artificial colors and additives, and for a few months the world looked dreary. Would we ever eat delicious food again?

If you are curious about this diet, you can look up 'leaky gut syndrome' and find oodles of information on the theory behind this approach. We approached the diet head-on, starting the day after Ruby's third birthday party. No more macaroni and cheese. Milk and bread - out. Those first months were rough at times as we held our ground and learned which of these new, wheat-less breads tasted good to us (turns out, none of the pre-made ones really did!). But we stuck with it, and saw noticeable improvement in Ru-baby's eye contact and responsiveness after just a month (which I later learned is about the time it takes for dairy products to exit the body entirely). And along the way, we were discovering treasures like Anna's Bread Mixes and Namaste Foods Fudge Brownie Mix and Taco Pasta. And I gained a new appreciation for those who have lived with Celiac Disease and provided market pressure to produce gluten-free friendly products.

When you are on the diet and mess up, it is called an infraction. We had many infractions in the beginning, learning that Play-Doh and some laundry detergents contain gluten. Marshmallows and many other foods are dusted with gluten to prevent sticking, and this does not have to be listed on the ingredients. The only way to be sure something is gluten or dairy free is to call the manufacturer directly and ask. And sometimes you find that they don't know either, such as the nice lady at Dairy Queen headquarters who assured me that their Dilly Bar treats do not contain casein. I tried to assure her that they did contain milk, but she insisted that the word 'casein' was not present in the ingredient list. I decided it was probably best to avoid DQ. But then there is Chik-Fil-A, who have a dedicated oil pit for their waffle fries, so that they will not be contaminated by the breading on the chicken. They are the only fast food place that I know of that takes this step, and we go there once a week for a special treat of waffle fries. :)

So we ate this diet for over a year and really had come to enjoy it. When you take away artificial dyes, flavors, bleached sugar and flours, growth additives and artificial lighting, you end up with fresh fruits and vegetables and grains that were grown in good soil (how does food grown in soil without good nutrients really nourish, anyway?), and actual sunlight. It makes sense that these taste better than plants grown in warehouses under artificial light. Of course the chicken that is free to roam leisurely around a grassy barnyard yields better meat and eggs than the one which lives its life in a crate too small for it to stand up in, fed chemicals that make it grow too big to even stand on its own legs and drenched daily in the feces of the layers of chickens above it.

Before our trip to Africa this summer, we felt Ru-baby's digestive tract was well enough to try an occasional planned infraction. And this was going well, with none of the out-of-control episodes we had seen with early infractions. In fact, she was thriving in every area of development and was by this time largely indistinguishable as having special needs when with her peers.

Unfortunately, her illness in Africa and the antibiotics that helped her there also cleaned out her gut flora again, and since our return we have started over with the diet, hoping to get her balanced again. And she has made progress quickly, able in this last month to handle one or two infractions a month without great consequence.

Well, this weekend I took it too far. Fall parties and regular pizza at Grandma and Grandpa's and my own greed in wanting to give her all the things I enjoy, even though she is great at saying 'no' to things she shouldn't have, took her over the edge again. And Space Ruby has been back for a day or two, although today was a better day. But my frustration at myself for going too far will outlast her symptoms.

As we prepare to move, I am stocking up on our favorite rice pastas and GF flours and mixes and enough potato milk to last a year, and I am hopeful that somehow, in all the crazy transitioning and adjusting to a new country and culture, we will find a way to thrive without strict adherence to this diet.

At the moment, though, that seems like a far-off dream.

A Word From Your Creator

The knees and I finally made peace. My trekking poles are already lashed to the suitcase so we don't forget them next time.

More about the Springs hike. Glen Eyrie is a gorgeous property that backs up to the Garden of the Gods, has a resident herd of wild bighorn sheep, visiting wild deer and wild turkeys in the midst of terraced gardens, red rock formations, sweeping hillsides and miles of good hiking trails. And a castle built by one of the Colorado Springs pioneers as a gift for his wife. You really have to see it to believe it.

With a few hours of down time our first afternoon there, I decided to hike a couple of trails to get a view of Garden of the Gods. If this place doesn't make you fall in love with geology, nothing will. From the pink Precambrian granite to red Cambrian Quartz, to Upper and Lower Cretaceous shale and sandstone, walking any of the trails is a rainbow of history and beauty.

The first trail took me through all of it, around the side of a small mountain and finally through fields carpeting geologically recent deposits of sand and clay, right up to the northern boundary of GoG. Which, to my chuckles, was marked with a barbed-wire fence with a hole neatly cut through the bottom two strands. Plant life is as varied as the rocks. Not a dull moment!

But you're wondering, "What is the word from my Creator?"

The second trail I tried was a loop that began on the fire road behind the castle. Now, the visible fire road is an inviting trail - a wide, flat dirt trail wide enough for a large four-wheeler to easily speed along for about a quarter-mile, then it curves out of sight. It isn't until you turn that corner that you see how steep it becomes for the rest of the ascent. I decided to take it in 50-pace segments, stopping to check out the ever-changing view and catch my breath frequently.
at the top of the fire trail, the path switches back sharply to the left, to a much more narrow trail, and continues up, although with less climb.

A short walk up that trail I saw the prize: Garden of the Gods, from an overlook as close as you can get, with great views of the major formations. It was so close I almost thought I could jump and land on top of them.

Fortunately, I passed on that idea and instead sat down to savor the view of over 180 degrees of Colorado skyline, including Pike's Peak and GoG, as the sun was setting. I sat there for almost 20 minutes, feeling the coldness of the evening as the sun faded, wanting to squeeze every last second out of the experience before I had to start back to get there by dark.

Then, God spoke.

"All this is nothing except that I made it."

Really? That's it, God? You're bragging now?

But as it sank in, I was humbled to realize that I had been worshipping the beauty and almost forgot who made it. And don't we see this in so much of life; people with all the beauty and luxury and splendor money can buy but without peace and joy in their lives? Am I not that person from time to time, wanting something and getting it, only to realize it brings me no joy?

"All this is nothing except that I made it."

Yes, the greatest geological wonders in the world are nothing except that they were made by God. I like to think they are his personal gifts to us to enjoy. The sunset, the horizon and all it holds, they are all worthless by themselves. Fancy paperweights. But because they were born of the work of God, they are priceless.

And as I started down the trail (this is where my knees got cross with me), I thought about my life and the lives of kids I know and don't know...what value do any of us have on our own? But what great worth is available to each of us as children of Creator God, who showcases his geology in Garden of the Gods and Glen Eyrie, who made the sun that sets over Pike's Peak and the moon that rises in the east, who knows my name and your name and hears our every word?

Yes, this is my great worth - that God made me. And I am nothing without Him.