Love is

For Christmas, a friend gave me a really neat journal.  It has a question for every day of the year, and every day you and your husband write an answer to the question for three years.  January first, it asked us:  Love is_____________.

Now, this can be a very complicated question, but there was one blank. And only three short lines, so you have to basically write what is foremost on your mind.  The first thing that came to my mind was "love is a battlefield" by Pat Benatar. So thanks to this question, I have had this song in my head for two days now. But on the last line I tried to write something more serious....I said "Love is enduring hard work."

Isaiah's response was: "Love is having a romantic evening snuggling with my wife while watching a documentary about how National Parks were established, while having a two year old who won't go to sleep crawling all over us and biting our noses."

Luke and Kayun

The other night we had to bid farewell to these lovely people, who have walked alongside us for three years now at our Church. I am thankful for the memories we shared with them, including watching them be Mary and Joseph in our Christmas pageant (perhaps the first Japanese/Korean Mary and Joseph ever) and many long talks with Kayun about Art and Korean life. Kayun has helped out in the church Nursery and been so sweet to our little boys.  They are very loved by all of us and now we say goodbye as they are moving to the other side of the world.  Good bye Luke and Kayun you will be loved and missed!  

Uncle Isaac and his darling Bride

I apologize for the bold, ugly print at the top of this page.  I wanted to share these lovely photos before I had time to fix the header.  Here is Uncle Isaac and Elizabeth Jean on their wedding day in July.  I hope you enjoy this sneak preview that I should have shared with you months ago.  

The great haircut

Isaiah's Birthday

 Isaiah's' Birthday Message

Dear Isaiah,

I am sure when you walk through the door after work today, you will not be receiving what I had you would recieve. I am sure that you will find a pile of cotton balls on the floor, and someone will  be coloring the walls with a permanent marker. There will  be piles of dishes that I was not able to clean. The dinner that I lovingly spent the last three hours cooking (while warding off small hands) is not even close to coming together. There are probably onion skins in the Salad. Actually, I know there are onion skins in the Salad. And as I frantically sit down to write this card to you, our youngest son is climbing over me trying to take this pen away from me and crying because he wants to color with it, and I am sure you will walk in on me writing it because you are about to get home.  But I want you to know that I love you and I am so very glad you were born. I am very glad you were born in October, because October is the best month to be born in.I know, because I was born in October. This is a special day and I hope you enjoy it for all its worth. One day in the future I will not have to return twice to the grocery store with two small children to get all the ingredients for your special meal. I will not have small hands helping me. I will have all the food ready on the table, and I will be dressed nice and pretty and the mounds of laundry will be folded. I will have had time to get out of my sweatpants and into something a little bit more presentable. You will walk in the door and smile, and be at peace. But for now, we should live in the moment and fully enjoy the children running around bare bottomed, because they won't be cute forever.

Love always,

JoAnna

Good Grief

"Grief drives men into habits of serious reflection, sharpness and understanding, and softens the heart; it compels them to arouse their reason, to assert its empire over their passions, propensities and prejudices; to elevate them to a superiority over all human events.....and the great question occurs what is the origin, what is the final cause of Evil?"

-John Adams

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done."

-1 Corinthians 7:10-11

The Last of our Great Harvest

Today we tore down our tomato plants.  Where once there were piles and piles of intertwined vines filled with beautiful ripe red cherry tomatoes, now there is an empty lot of deep brown earth, waiting for a new crop of winter vegetables.

The cherry tomatoes were the glory of our our world for a short season. Every afternoon the entire family went out into the yard and excitedly picked a new barrel of them, then brought them into the kitchen and scratched our heads as to what to do with them. Our glory tomato days are over, and we must move on.

Here is the end of our sloppy wet garden, and the start of a new winter garden: