Psalm 23

I saw this on someone elses blog and had to share it over here. It actually made me tear up! I've been wanting Ruby start memorizing scripture, but this has really encouraged me even more that it isn't too early to start.

Silver and Gold

Twelve years ago Jared started an adventure that would end up shaping not only his life, but our whole family... he came to Denmark as an exchange student. While he did spend most of his time here learning the language and Danish culture, he also made some lifelong friendships with fellow exchange students, especially Jenine, Rosie, and Tex.

Since their days in Denmark, Jared has only seen these friends a few times, keeping in touch mostly through email, but we were so happy last week to be reunited with Jenine and her family for the day. Jenine has stayed very close with her Danish host family and even named her kids after her "brother" Michael and "sister" Mette. Most of their vacation was spent in Jutland with her family, highlighted by Mette's wedding, but they were able to take the train to Copenhagen for the day and we had a great time seeing the changing of the guards at Amalienborg Slot and visiting Tivoli.

Jenine's son, Gabe, was pretty excited to get a ride pass at Tivoli, so Ruby also was able to try out a few of the tamer rides for the first time. Gabe actually tried the biggest, scariest roller coaster and scared his Mom half to death by sitting on the outside seat! She was pretty sure he was going to slide right out of the harness, but he did great and definitely has some pretty great "bragging material" once school starts!

This was my first time to meet Jenine's hubby, Jerry, and their little girl, Mette. Jerry seems like a wonderful guy and definitely a hands-on Daddy and husband. We're so happy that they found each other. We also got to meet Mikael, Jenine's "brother", who interestingly enough used to be one of the guards at Amalienborg. It was a bit funny/awkward when we were at the changing of the guards because it was just swarming with tourists and one of the guards by us was getting lots of photo ops. The only problem is that people aren't really supposed to stand that close to him and they just were not getting that. Also, some folks decided that they really needed to sit on the steps right up against the palace... this is a no no. Unfortunately, the poor guard is apparently not allowed to leave his post, so he kept trying to get their attention so that they would move. They never listened to him and eventually he gave up. Sounds a lot like dealing with toddlers all day!

It's fun to think that we now have friends not only all over the United States, but all over the world. It's such a blessing to share our lives with such a variety of people--maybe a bit like heaven will be one day. It's been hard saying goodbye to friends as we move on (or they do), but I am so thankful for the time that we have had and the wonder of the digital age which allows us to stay in touch a bit easier.

I suppose it's just like the old rhyme:

Make new friends,
But keep the old,
One is silver,
And the other gold.

Searching for a new best friend...

I've come to realize that I have an unfortunate "stress meter" in the form of a rather finicky back. Two nights ago I woke up at about 4am to a ravenous Max and realized that I just could-not-move! Well, that's not exactly true. I could move, it was just extremely painful. One might ask what I have to be stressed about when I have a husband who loves me, a roof over my head and two beautiful children. My response would have to be, "not much", but none the less... I am a worrier. I am thankful to report that after a day flat on my back and another taking it very easy, I seem to be on the mend. So, I'm back at it again to post a few pics of my darlings.

Ruby, one of the more nurturing kids I know, has taken to sharing her meals with this poor dolly. Since the tragic loss of Trixie, Ruby has been "trying out" various dolls to see which one is "the one" to replace her special friend. Unfortunately, for the time being, the winner is this doll. I really ought to have a photo of the doll up close to get the picture, but just to give you the back story...

A few weeks ago, Jared and Ruby went to a loppemarked (flea market) and found a great little bicycle with training wheels for Ruby complete with baby seat on the back. Well, for only 100kr (that's about $18 these days) the lady included not only the bike and training wheels, but also Ruby's choice of dilapidated dolls to ride in the seat. As you can imagine, she carefully examined each choice until her eyes fell upon this doll. Sure, it's body was caked with dirt, it's dress was so "lived in" it could have walked on its own, and the hair was all cut butch short except for one big chunk on top that was inexplicably about 10 inches long, but it also had those ultra cool eyes that open and close with "life-like" eyelashes. Needless to say, this baby was snatched up in an instant. I'm not sure if I can really explain my disgust at first seeing the doll, but I did manage to pry it from Ruby's little hands and convince her that what baby really needed was a bath. So, into the washing machine she went and we've been fairly happy with her ever since. I'm still pushing for a radical haircut, but Daddy has the odd idea that it's so funny it has to stay. Typical.

As you can see from the last shot, Ruby seems to have a problem with clothes these days. She just does not want to have clothes on and would really prefer not to have a diaper either. I think that we're very close to a potty training break through, so that may be part of it. She's really getting into sitting on the potty (complete with 10,000 verses of "The Wheels on the Bus") and also wants her diaper changed as soon as she goes in it. The problem is, that she still hasn't actually done anything on the potty. We'll sit and try and try and try and then as soon as she gets up, "Uh-oh!", there's a mess. Oh well, I'm sure that she won't go to high school in diapers.

Ruby also had her first trip to the dentist yesterday, which she was super excited about! She checked out a-okay with twenty pearly whites and not a cavity in sight. We're hoping that the trip will increase her enthusiasm for brushing somewhat as the regular battle is getting pretty tiresome.

Max is a regular rolly poley these days and gnawing like mad on anything in sight. As you can see, he has no shortage of saliva. We're really hoping that those teeth are going to show up soon. I'm going through LOTS of bibs a day and if I don't remember to change it regularly, his shirt ends up looking like this anyway.

Max has made some sleeping breakthroughs lately, which is awesome. We've been giving him a bottle of formula before bed (8 ounces!!) and that usually holds him from 8:30pm until 5 or 6am! Also, he's going back to sleep after that morning feed until 7 or 8am, so that's just peachy. As icing on the cake, we're also treated to an hour long nap in the morning and a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon! Finally, I'm starting to feel like a human again, instead of a zombie.

Well, dishes are calling... and so is Max... and Ruby... and laundry... you get the picture.

Moms'n'Tots

We're back in the swing of things for Moms'n'Tots after a few weeks of fun and relaxation. These photos of our five sweeties are from a trip to the paddle pool. There are several of these free pools in parks around Copenhagen and the kids really had a ball. Lots of splashing and a few accidental face plants later the kids were cooled off and worn out, ready for lunch. It's been so nice to recharge our batteries a bit in the sun. It feels as if there hasn't been nearly enough sun this year. In fact, Ruby actually goes around singing "Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day!". It's become a bit of a mantra.

Little Miss Camilla is the Scot in our group. She's a smiley baby and has pretty amazing legs...well, hips really. If she's sitting up and sees something that shes wants in front of her she just does the splits out the sides and suddenly her legs are behind her. I swear this girl is going to be a gymnast! Camilla's mum is a doctor and soon to return to work after nearly a year of maternity leave. Thankfully, she'll still have Tuesdays off so we won't lose them completely from our group.

Nathan is eagerly awaiting the arrival of his new (probably!) sister this fall and is pretty obsessing with Max and babies in general. He's a smart cookie and definitely ready to be the "Big Boss" around his house! We're going to lose Nathan and his Mommy next month when they move back to the States... before long it might just be Ruby and Carter again!

Carter is cute as ever and full of energy. He's always big into splashing when we go to the pool... unfortunately he doesn't take it quite as gracefully as he dishes it out. Then again, I'm not sure any of us like getting splashed as much as doing the splashing!

Well, I didn't make Max get into the icy water this time as he was happily napping in the stroller. I did get the next shot in the park after he woke up. It sure is a treat having such a happy baby!

This week we started our new book, Becoming a Woman of Faith by Cynthia Heald. It's a bit meatier than some of the other books and I hope that we'll each grow a lot through it. The three older kids are getting to the age where there seem to be LOTS of squabbles going on, usually very noisy and/or messy so we have lots of interruptions. I trust that God is going to bless our efforts though. Here's a great quote from Ruth Paxson that really hit home with me:

He has called us into fellowship with Himself; He has owned us as His possession and has assumed the responsibility for our control and He will not lay it aside. What He has begun in us He will continue. His work in us does not depend upon our love for Him but on His love for us; not faith in our faith but faith in His faithfulness is what He wants from us.

What a great reminder and what a relief.

A Little Bit of Summer

We have been enjoying a taste of that summer we missed all of June and July this month--hurrah!! Ruby was thrilled to spend a few hours in her pool this last week. She likes to play the "water transfer game"--filling up cups, buckets, watering cans, etc. and then pouring them out. You'd think it would get old after a while, but she was INTO IT! I couldn't even get her to get out of the pool to eat lunch, so she ate her sandwich, fruit and veggies all while playing in the pool. Yes, I am an old softie...

Max and I enjoyed the day just hangin' on the blanket in the shade. Max did sit in the pool for a few minutes, so he got to try out his fancy new swim trunks! Ruby was slightly obsessed with the swim trunks, mostly due to a book we checked out from the library about a pig named Leopold. I don't have a clue what the name of the book is (it's in Danish anyway), but Leopold is on vacation with his Mom at--you guessed it--the Bay of Pigs! He has some cool new swim trunks and decides to do a fancy dive into the pool to try to show off for this cute girl pig. Well, Leopold loses his swim trunks which results in lots of pointing and laughing and ultimately Leopold locks himself in his hotel room from the embarrassment of it all. The story ends happily enough with Leopold getting the girl in the end, but Ruby is seriously hung up on the whole "Oh no, I lost my swim trunks!" thing and really just can't let it go. This is typical though... she's still mourning over the little lost lamb way back when, and the cow stuck in the mud back here. What a kid!

Max has been doing his share of "just too cute"s too. We've been supplementing breastfeeding with one formula bottle before bed and found that he can actually hold his own bottle when he's in the mood for it. We're still chasing our dream of getting him to sleep through the night, but he's now not eating between 8ish at night and 6ish in the morning, so we're making headway. Unfortunately, he's still waking up quite a bit, but hopefully things will improve in that arena soon.

In reference to the horrible stinkies, they have (thankfully!) improved, but left in their wake some very icky diapers and a nasty case of diaper rash. I really don't remember this problem at all with Ruby. Jared thinks boys bottoms are just more sensitive... maybe so. Well, I'll stop humiliating my kiddos and get on with the business of my day, namely dishes and laundry--hurrah!

God Talk

These past few weeks my mind has spent a lot of time stewing about Sunday School. I wish I could say that I was just praying about it or mulling it over, but no, I was stewing. We are in the middle of a bit of a down swing in our attendance at FIBC which translates into not enough Sunday School teachers. As usual, God figured out the problem long before I did and He's still busy working out all the kinks I put into the plan by worrying and stewing.

But, now that I'm on the other side of all that stewing, I've been left wondering if I'm really doing a good job here at home. I know that Ruby is only two, but isn't this my greatest and most important calling? To teach my children about God and His love? To pray for them and encourage them to fall into His loving arms? I found this list online--a "check-up" if you will. I'm going to be using it and I hope that it will help someone else too...

Concept 1. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart."

• Is your child learning of the love of God through the love, tenderness and mercy of his parents?
• Is he learning to talk about the Lord and to include Him in his thoughts and plans?
• Is he learning to ask Jesus for help whenever he is frightened or anxious or lonely?
• Is he learning to read the Bible?
• Is he learning to pray?
• Is he learning the meaning of faith and trust?
• Is he learning the joy of the Christian way of life?
• Is he learning the beauty of Jesus' birth and death?

Concept 2. "Love your neighbor as yourself"

• Is he learning to understand and empathize with the feelings of others?
• Is he learning not to be selfish and demanding?
• Is he learning to share?
• Is he learning how to be kind to others?
• Is he learning to accept himself?

Concept 3. "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God"

• Is he learning to obey his parents as preparation for later obedience to God?
• Is he learning to behave properly in church -- God's house?
• Is he learning a healthy appreciation for both aspects of God's nature: love and justice?
• Is he learning to cooperate with and submit to authorities outside of self, parents, teachers, police, etc.?
• Is he learning the meaning of sin and it's inevitable consequences?

Concept 4: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

• Is he learning to be truthful and honest?
• Is he learning to keep the Sabbath day holy?
• Is he learning the relative insignificance of materialism?
• Is he learning the meaning of the Christian family and the faithfulness to it that God intends?

Concept 5. "But the fruit of the spirit is.....self control"

• Is he learning to give a portion of his allowance (and other money) to God?
• Is he learning to control his impulses?
• Is he learning to work and carry responsibility?
• Is he learning to tolerate minor frustrations?
• Is he learning to memorize and quote Scripture?

Concept 6. "He who humbles himself will be exalted"

• Is he learning to be appreciative?
• Is he learning to thank God for the good things in his life?
• Is he learning to forgive and forget?
• Is he learning the vast difference between self-worth and egotistical pride?
• Is he learning to bow reverently before the God of the universe?

Strike!

Last Saturday we had another church outing, this time to Islands Brygge Bowling! This place was about an hour's trip away from home (by bus) and seemed to be about the seediest place in Copenhagen...well, it wasn't so much seedy as just really industrial and deserted. Apparently it's on the verge of becoming the next "it" place, but for now, I'd say it's somewhere I'd rather not be after dark. The bowling alley itself, however, was actually really nice--not smokey, not too busy, clean, and cheap! Works for me! Anyhow, we actually had a pretty nice turnout with two lanes with bumpers for the kiddos and two lanes for the adults (without bumpers!). I somehow managed to break 100 all three games, but I was definitely not the shining star of the group. I was somewhat shocked that three of the adults in our group had their own bowling shoes!! Two of them had their own balls. And one guy even had...the glove.

Now what, may I ask, is the point of a fingerless bowling glove? This is one of those bowling mysteries that even my semester long course in Bowling at Wheaton College failed to answer! Ruby, Carter, and Nathan were the youngest bowlers and also some of the least enthusiastic, only lasting one game each. Carter did show some interest as to where his ball ended up, but Ruby (as seen in the last picture) barely had a second glance to spare her ball as it crept down the lane. Several times the ball had to be rescued half way down the lane where it had come to a rather pitiful stop! They did seem to have a good time running in front of people just as they were about to bowl though, so I guess you could say a fun time was had by all!

It's been a real whirlwind of activities this summer, but it's been fun. We've gotten closer to our friends and it's going to make leaving this fall that much harder. I will never regret opening up our hearts and our lives to these people though. God has blessed us so richly with their friendships.

Well, it's bedtime at the Nelson house, so it's time to sign off and get teeth brushed, jammies on, stories read, and prayers said. Hope you have a restful evening in your neck of the woods.

Bubblicious

Our second week of Daddy Time was a bit more relaxing--due mostly to the torrential rain that dogged our every step! We did manage to get out and do a few things though, including a trip to the Experimentarium. We were able to meet Claire and Carter there and the kids really had a great time. Their favorite part was playing in the water and in the bubble-making area. In the water works area they have a lot of simple water "machines" like water wheels, water guns, etc. I didn't really get a good look at it all as I was feeding Max most of the time they were in this area!

Even though we made it there as the doors were opening, the building quickly filled with parents and children as nearly everyone in Denmark had taken the bulk of July as holiday leave. Jared and Ruby elbowed in at this tank though since most of the kids couldn't figure out how to make the huge bubbles...
Here's a view from the side of a bubble that Jared was blowing!!

Both Ruby and Carter love to blow bubbles (and eat soap in Ruby's case!), so this area was a big hit. The tank that they are standing over in these pictures had dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) at the bottom. As it sublimates, the carbon dioxide rises and makes the bubbles float in mid air--it really was pretty cool.

The kids were pretty much just interested in blowing REALLY HARD though!

Lions and Tigers and Bears... Oh My!

The second day of our trip we visited Knuthenborg Safari Park on the island of Lolland. I'm going to start by saying that these pictures really don't do it justice. We ran out of batteries for our camera during the course of the day, so a lot of things we either only got on video or just plain missed. It was, however, a great day and fun was had by one and all!

This building is called "Oak House" and was once an inn. It's located right outside the main entrance to the park and a beautiful mix of yellow brick, timber, and thatched roof. There are many other beautiful buildings on the estate all dating from the mid to late 1800s.

We had plenty of time to admire the impressive Maglemer Gate as we waited for the park to open. I couldn't believe how many cars were there ahead of us at opening time. By the time we left I'm sure that there were thousands of cars in the park.

This is about what the rhinos seemed to think of us. They stayed quite a ways away from all the cars and pretty much just showed us their rears most of the time!

This trip through the "Savanna" was one of my favorites. We were instructed to keep in our cars, but were still able to see many types of animals mingling as they would in nature.

It was slow going through the park, but even more so when various critters decided to cause traffic jams. Pay back for breathing in exhaust all day no doubt!

We lined up right along with everyone else to enter the Tiger Forest. To be honest, it was a bit of a let down. There were about half a dozen Siberian Tigers in the enclosure, most of which were napping. The most excitement was when this one walked right up to Jared's window.

Max smiling while we put out our picnic lunch.

Ruby loved the ponies. This one that was laying down was just her speed. You may be wondering why Ruby is wearing her swimming suit bottoms--well, let's just say, Mommy dropped the ball and forgot to bring extra clothes that day! Murphy's law strikes again!

That evening we went out to eat at a really great place, Cafe Laika, which really made me feel like we were "on bay-caa-shun!" as my dear Hubby likes to say! Afterwards we took a drive to a teensy tiny island just north of Møn where they had some bird sanctuaries. Ruby and I took this trail down to a lookout while Jared stayed in the car with snoozing Maxwell. Along the way we kept hearing two cows bellowing--I mean, they really sounded upset! Ruby latched on to their cause and for the rest of the evening was highly concerned about those cows that must be stuck in the mud somewhere.

So how did we manage this wonderful mini vacation on a couple hundred bucks you ask? By staying in a "mini-hut" at a campground! It was really great--kind of like a permanent tent really--with an itsy bitsy "kitchenette", tiny storage area and table/booth come family bed. It worked great and for two nights we only paid about a hundred bucks!

I suppose it wouldn't be the trip for everyone, but what we craved was getting out of the city and time together without all the "to-do" lists of life--and this was just what the doctor ordered.

Hope you all like the new "look" of my blog by the way. I expect I'll be tinkering with it a bit more as the weeks go by. Blogger has made a lot of new updates, so I'm anxious to get up to speed with a few of them. Ta-ta for now!