In Case You’re Wondering…
May 29, 2007 | Filed Under Family | 1 Comment
We have a good excuse for not posting. A really good story. I’m sure it will be more entertaining to us much later, howerver. The good news is that things should get back to normal by next week. When we have internet access / an active landline / and the carpets cleaned. Next week the ceiling should be repainted and the electrical wires dry enough to reset our light in the kitchen. And the loud heaters should be gone by then too.
Without whining too much, let’s just say that it wasn’t a nice day for us when the tenant above us decided to flood their place. In about an hour’s time, we had buckets catching water, firefighters coming into our place looking at the wiring and then shutting down the power, and extension cords running all over the place for fans. Kuei and the boys stayed with a neighbor (thankfully) while this went down.
Well, for the past week we’ve been out of our place while it is being fixed up. Managment put us up elsewhere. Luckily we got to stay in the same building, but it’s very temporary. We could only grab the basics in time. We had some help to move the mattresses and crib. We grabbed some food, clothes, etc. It’s been an interesting week but things will get back to normal soon enough.
Isn’t living in a highrise great?! Um…
Outside / Kuei after Baby
May 12, 2007 | Filed Under Kuei, Keane, Family | 2 Comments
Seeing how Keane reached his two-month mark, we thought it would be a good idea to take him outside for a walk. Now, he’s been to checkups and stuff like that, so he has been outside, but that doesn’t really count. Yes, we are bit paranoid about our new baby getting sick. Probably because our experience with Brighton is that he catches everything, it seems, regularly. We’re hoping that by the time he’s older, that’ll mean Brighton has a stronger immune system. We’ll see.
With Keane, we are playing it safe too. It doesn’t help that while we live downtown, there is a lot of construction at the moment, and noise and smells and all that floating around. But we decided we’d get the stroller out, and go to a stretch of green space, and take a walk with Keane anyway. It was nice to see his face looking up at the trees and sky. It was warm outside, no need for a jacket, and there was a breeze, so it was nice. By the time we headed back home, little Keane was snoozing. As always, you can see photos in our ‘Lately’ Set: HERE on Flickr.
Kuei is doing good too. Tired, of course, but doing all right. She got a new haircut a few days ago, with some color. When we were in Taiwan, she had these cool red/purple lights added, but this time around she went for more of a brown/orange accent. She had wanted to cut it pretty short for a while now too. A fresh look after baby and all that. A side note, on her way out the door, I asked her what look she was going for, and she said “Kinda like Sandra Bullock in The Lake House.” (It is one of our favorite movies). About that, the flim is cheesy at times, but we identify with it a bit with the architect and the idea of an urban retreat out there (in case your wondering, I don’t like the house in the film much, with all the stilts, but I do love the glass).
Brighton is Cool
May 11, 2007 | Filed Under Brighton | 1 Comment
‘Nuff said.
Keane Growing Fast!
May 6, 2007 | Filed Under Keane | 4 Comments
On Tuesday, Keane Aaron will be 2 months young. It wasn’t too long ago we put up something about him reaching the 1 month mark. His pictures are really telling too. I know that in the first few months, babies change a lot, and this is true with our little guy too. Keane is filling out his clothes more, smiling and making all kinds of expressions too. Fun stuff. See more photos HERE.
Good for the Soul
May 1, 2007 | Filed Under Architecture, Made of Sun | 3 Comments
It’s calling us back…again. We’ve got the itch. Maybe we can make it up to Bear Lake, at least, this summer sometime and fool our senses a bit there. There’s nothing like the ocean in the summer. When we took our visit to California a few years back, most of the time we visited the beaches. La Jolla, Mission, Silver Strand, etc. It’s the best. Brighton was the perfect age too. Old enough to remember, but young enough to still be amazed by the back and forth of the waves, and giggling at the squishiness of the sand between his toes. Every kid should have that experience. Again and again.
Not only is it fun, but everything testifies of Christ. The seasons, for instance, or the intricacy of the human body. The universe especially. Some people see a majestic snow-capped mountain or an area of pristine countryside, and contemplate the love and power of God. While I certainly understand those feelings, with me, it’s the sheer expansiveness of the ocean and the depth and rhythm of the sea. When I was pretty young, I remember going out on a boat with friends, and navigating out to a secluded spot, we’d jump out into the warm water, swimming, floating on our backs. Nothing but the sky above us, and the water below. I loved the colors and the way the light would bend and sparkle on the water. I can spend hours on the beach too. Sitting on the sand or simply walking the coastline, just thinking, praying, planning. It’s my favorite place to be outdoors.
Growing up in the midwest, I remember lots of fields, and the flat landscape going on for miles (there’s probably a strong correlation there with why I dig the ocean). I really valued the stillness too. We lived in a pretty rural area, and when it got dark, there was zero ambient light. I’d stretch out on our deck or on a blanket flat on my back, and just stare into a black sky full of stars. God really surrounds us with so many examples of His existence. There are so many opportunities to tap into that wonderous way of looking at life.
Now there are times when I thrive, and feel completely invigorated while in a vibrant, fluid urban scene too. This is why I love cities. But there is definately a time for pondering, meditation, and there are many places where this can be achieved. I love the simple passages in the New Testament that talk about how Christ went away often to the mountain to pray. And when He’s walking on the sea…I love the idea of Him just walking on the water and talking with the Father, don’t you?
By the way, when we were in Taipei, we went to this great bookstore in the Taipei 101 called PageOne. It’s awesome. I’ve long been fascinated by Aegean architecture, and I bought a book (its all in Chinese and the photos are great) including the vernacular (pictured above). Let’s just say that our next international rendezvous will be to that part of the world visiting Santorini and Mykonos and other islands there. Bouncing around dense white-washed buildings and narrow streets, watching the sunrise/set atop a terraced community, hundreds of feet above the water—now that is something we have to do.