Life in Ljubljana

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

New Story

First of all, the pickles are not going to happen. Not enough cucumbers, not enough dill, not enough time and not enough energy. Next year I'll grow my own cukes and dill and do it...maybe.

Anyway, Karen arrived yesterday evening toting sweets to make Clay smile. He didn't want her to get to close, but after she pulled out the cookies he at least gave her lots of smiles. She made Timothy and I sit down on the couch while she told us the story of getting my crib (identical to Mary Jo's) over here.

When she got to North Carolina she and Ava had taken the crib to a packing place and had it packed up nicely. The box was huge! It measured 60x40x20. Tim (Sr.) got there a day or two later and helped them repack it to 60x40x10. Now it was within oversized luggage limits. They called the airlines three times with size and approximate weight. The first time they were told it would cost them $250. The next two calls they were quoted $375.

Sunday morning at church in NC the message was on really taking our place as sons and daughters of God and having dominion on this earth. Karen really took that message to heart and spoke over the crib that there wouldn't be any troubles getting it here.

When they got to Charlotte Sunday evening a skycap came to help them and instead of waiting to tip him they tipped him right away which gave them a lot of favor with the guy. The Afro-Americana lady working the ticket booth right away wanted to give them a hassle. She adamantly told them that the box was too big and started calling around to get a "no". After she couldn't get anyone on the phone Karen got very close and said something to the affect of this baby bed is for a sweet young missionary couple and they need it. This helped some, but the NorthWest employee was still sure that it couldn't be shipped, saying it wouldn't even fit in the door of the cargo hold. Since she couldn't do anything else she was reluctantly obliging and had it taken around the airport and straight to cargo, but warned that they would probably send it back. Karen said, "We walk by faith and we'll just take this one step at a time." Oh, now the lady had to be a Christian too! I think she had gotten herself so flustered from being ornery and then wanting to show her Christianity too she didn't check the box as two pieces of luggage or even check Karen's passport! Karen got out her wallet to pay the $375 and the lady said that there would be no charge! Karen got teary and just looked at the lady... You can imagine the scene.

Tim was given a gate pass to go with Karen and wait with her. After a few minutes they got up and looked out the window just in time to see that "huge" box being loaded, quite easily, into the cargo hold!

Karen said she really felt the Lord telling her not to discuss the box with anyone. There was another minor hiccough, but nothing major the rest of the way. The crib didn't arrive here in Ljubljana with her, but Karen went to the desk to ask about it and the man said, "Oh, Hall. That's a large item. It's still in Amsterdam, but will be here in the morning." No questions asked!

This morning we'll go and pick it up at the airport, with the sales receipt from two years ago so customs can't charge us anything! A small miracle, but a miracle!

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Peaches and Pickles

Let's start with something cute though... The other day I was talking to Timothy about Clay in regards to naptime or a meal or something everyday like that. Clay was sitting on Timothy's lap and after I said whatever I said Clay looks at me and says, "Hu?" I looked at him and repeated my dialogue to which he replied, "Oh," and then he returned to his book or whatever was in his hands. The voice inflections were perfect though.

Mary Jo's blog said she's going to can peaches. My neighbor gave me small cucumbers and dill and I want to make dill pickles, but I haven't been able to find any instructions. Can anyone out there help me? Email, or call me, at home! It's not as if I go anywhere these days!

Monday, July 18, 2005

35 Weeks Pregnant and Counting

I have no appetite and no energy. I shouldn't say I don't have any appetite, because when there's food in front of me I gladly eat. I just don't feel like preparing anything and then I end up eating something that's not good for me and that's a bad thing.

Ivana has been gone all weekend and she prepared a meal before she left, but it feels like too much work to get it out and reheat it.

She'll be gone all day today too and last night I was feeling so discouraged b/c of Clay and him wanting to play all the time. Timothy is staying at the office as little as possible, but he's usually there during Clay's most active times of the day. With this beautiful weather the little guy wants to go outside and find adventures and his mamma doesn't feel up to it.

I was reminded last night that I wouldn't be handed anything that I couldn't handle, that other mammas have been here too, and that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength...no matter how tired and achy I feel.

Last week Clay was very moody due to the last of his molars starting to come in. I had thought we were done, but I checked the chart and we have 4 more coming! Since Friday though, he's been back to his jovial self, eating again and acting very silly. He discovered the joy of bubble baths on Saturday after helping me plant some flowers. That was fun (the bath and the planting).

Need to go clean the egg and toast off his face and change a yucky diaper!

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Good News

We got our papers in the mail today saying ReshitiEnega (SaveOne) is officially registered with the Slovene government and we can move along to the next step. We also received some small things saying there were some important documents waiting at the post office to be picked up. Timothy is walking there now to see what it is.

With what we received today we can get a tax number, open a bank account, and officially start receiving monies! One of those good, exciting days.

Ivonka, the lady next door gave me some small cucumbers and dill weed so Ivana and I are going to try and make dill pickles this afternoon. Should be fun!

Clay is trying to say Thadeus. It sounds something like "Th-dtis"; if that makes any sense. He doesn't try very hard to enunciate his words, but I'm catching on more and more to what he's saying. Last night, just before going to bed, I glanced at the small suitcase I've already started packing for my three day hospital stay. I've never been away from Clay for so long before and it made me cry. He'll be able to come in and visit, but it just won't be the same. I'm gonna miss the little booger.

Timothy is busy helping our friend, David May, do a recording project. Watch for it in stores:)

Friday, July 08, 2005

House Saga Chapter 5...or is it Chapter 17?

The house we looked at yesterday was great! Five good sized bedrooms, large living room, big eat in kitchen, huge bonus room and lots of space in the basement. The yard was enormous and they sounded like we could do pretty much anything we wanted with the place. One problem: the distance. We drove out there early this morning to see what Timothy's drive to work would be like and it took 45 minutes driving back into town. Not a big deal in Nashville. Here it's a big deal, not to mention we're paying about twice in gas.

Timothy just spoke with the realtor and he's going to look for something closer to town for us and in the direction of the coast. We've been spending so much time down that way and Timothy's office is on that side of town it just makes more sense.

If I weren't pregnant I'd probably be a bit more patient about all this, but its hard being this emotional and not knowing where we're going to be living in the next few months.

Pray for the realtor; his name is Goroft or Gorozd. I’m not sure. We told him our church is also looking to relocate and I suggested he come Sunday morning to “get to know who we are” and “see what our needs are”. ha ha ha!

Thursday, July 07, 2005

The Saga of the House Continues

We're going to go look at another house this morning. I saw pictures of it on the internet and from what we could tell from there it has potential. It doesn't look as private as I'd like. I've been spoiled with my big privacy fence. Aiko said I could walk out in my back yard naked if I wanted to!

Timothy said he wanted to call that guy from the other house one last time yesterday, but couldn't get ahold of him on his home phone or his mobile. Either he's changed his numbers or he isn't able to pay his bills so the phones got cut off. Tuesday during a rain storm Timothy called his mobile and it turns out he had just been in a fender-bender on the highway. Timothy warned him that if you give your word to a Child of God and then go back on it God is going to withhold blessings from him.

The big house was great and all, but it's like Timothy and I have discussed many times; it's God's will that we have a roof over our heads, food on the table, heat in the winter, etc. We want God's perfect will though and I think that includes a bit more than just the basics.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

July Fourth

We went back to Kranjska Gora yesterday to spend The Fourth with our friends up there. Kristin had hip surgery back in April and was experiencing a very speedy recovery until two weeks ago. While doing her exercises she dislocated the hip. She's in a brace/cast for a while and we had already wanted to get together for the holiday so I told her I would make the food, with Ivana's help, and we'd come up there to celebrate. Ivana couldn't join us b/c of a German exam, but that didn't turn out so well. Ivana has decided to forego the German and take Spanish next year since she's already fluent in the language!

Anyway, we had a great day. Kristin is full of conversation and loves to talk about the Lord. Timothy asked if she's the preacher at their church and Zoran, her husband, smiles and nods his head yes. We did get the Adventist issue out on the table and Timothy and I told her the perceptions we had from little or no knowledge of and from never really having met any Adventists before them. They were anything but offended. Living in a predominately Catholic nation they're used to it.

Zoran and the boys, Aaron and Ashley, took us to the farm again. Clay loved it even more. There were three new baby llamas to admire. One of the Arabian horses had been loaned out for breeding so the other horse was a bit lonely and acted restless. We found the kittens that had alluded us last time and Timothy got to wrestle with the goat. There were a couple men there while we were who were looking at purchasing a couple llamas.

We also got to meet Zoran's mother this time and she gave Clay a handmade folk guitar. Clay had been serenading us out on the patio. He folds his left hand in and uses his right hand to strum it; his own version of air guitar. Then he sings as loud as he can so all of Kranjska Gora could hear him.

The girls at church are having a baby shower for me on the 31st when Karen is here and we invited Zoran and Kristin down too. I think Kristin would like to visit our church. I think she'd like it. She likes the livelier praise and worship.