The O-family

Book Report - In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-10-10T08:02:32-04:00

My friend Andrea was reading this book, and after hearing a brief synopsis from her, I was intrigued.... kind of intrigued, but the sort of curiosity about something that you know will shake up your life a little bit, even if you don't really feel like shaking things up.... It feels better to be a little ignorant and keep living life the way you always have than to stumble across new information that shocks you a little bit into making some changes. Which, of course, is what this book by Michael Pollan did, to some extent. Now, our household has been on an on-going quest for a healthy lifestyle ever since Eric and I got married. Little by little, we've been educating ourselves on finding the right balance of nutrition and exercise to keep our bodies and minds working as well as possible. So it's not like I've never thought about the things In Defense of Food pontificates on. Pollan just gave me a little more information...."food for thought," if you will. The premise behind In Defense of Food is that we Americans don't eat like we were intended to eat as human beings, and we need to get back to the basics. Pollan suggests a mindset that is driven by reminding oneself to: "Eat food.... And while there are some definite health benefits to eating meat, dairy, and grains, try to focus more on eating plants instead. ...While Pollan didn't convince me that all "food products" are evil, he did convince me to at least think more carefully about the food I purchase and consume and its affect on both my body and the environment. For instance, I'm trying to frequent our local farmer's market more often for my produce than my local mega-mart. The food I can find there comes straight from the earth and has mostly been raised without pesticides and fertilizers...and is a heckuva lot cheaper than visiting the organic section of the regular grocery store. Thankfully, South Bend has an indoor farmer's market that is open three days a week, so I can actually fit this into my lifestyle in a more convenient fashion. Also, instead of going straight for the nutrition facts on food labels, I'm trying to worry less about the fat/protein/carb/calorie content (although those things should still be considered in a balanced diet) and concentrate more on exactly what is in the food I'm buying.... But all those food derivatives (high fructose corn syrup, sodium bicarbonate, maltodextrin, monosodium glutamate, to name a few) are simply not food. So anyway, I came away from the book having learned some things, as well as having more questions pop up in my mind to be considered in later research. But for now, I'm taking to heart his admonition to eat food, not too much, and mostly plants.

Cousins

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-10-02T14:15:55-04:00

from Lisa Ian's been meeting a lot of cousins lately! Last week, we went to Plymouth to get together with Eric's cousin Beth, who was visiting her parents for a few days from southern Indiana. We hadn't met her youngest son Jay yet and wanted the little kids to all have a chance to play together. We went to a nearby park, then had a delicious lunch prepared by Aunt Rachael (Eric's aunt, who is also a good old family friend of my family from way back when!). We were able to get the kids to sit still long enough to get this shot of Ian, Jay, Annabelle, and Joey: Then yesterday, Ian and I drove to Fort Wayne to meet my brother's daughter, Kennice. She's such a cutie pie! For the few hours I was around her, she seemed quite content and happy. After Ian ate Mom's delicious dinner of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and homemade applesauce (before which he was Mister Grumpus), he enjoyed playing a little bit with his baby cousin. It was a fun evening! So here are some pictures of Kennice and Ian: My mom and dad with their two grandchildren: Fun times, all around!

A new life for Ian

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-09-16T17:19:34-04:00

You may notice that the last two posts, as well as this one, are all talking about "new" things. It's been two months since we came to South Bend, and we're still in that transition period. Some days, we really miss Bloomington and our friends there, but most of the time, we're completely stoked to be where we are and to be headed in the direction we seem to be going with our lives. Even still, some adjustment is required. Even little Ian is processing things in his own way, as evidenced by this conversation we had in the Jeep on Monday morning on our way to Meijer for this week's groceries: Ian: "New church, Mommy?" Me: "No, Ian, we're not going to the new church today. We're going to Meijer!" (thoughtful silence on Ian's part) Ian: "No old church....new church. No Marsh....Meijer." Me: "That's right, Ian!" (more thoughtful silence) Ian: "No old house....new house. ...The little guy is obviously starting to realize that we have a different life than we used to. Thankfully, this fact doesn't seem to bother him much, but it's pretty interesting to hear him process the differences out loud. I'm sure there are things he misses about those "old" things, but at least he seems to be on board with embracing the "new" things. I'm so thankful!

New House!

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-09-13T14:25:02-04:00

A few years ago, when the far-off idea of coming back to Bethel was just being tossed around in various people's heads, Eric and I began dreaming what that might entail. "We could be professors at Bethel, starting a new program to help the school fulfill its mission. We could be involved in students' lives the way some key people were involved in our lives when we were students. And maybe, just maybe, we could buy a house in Bercliff Estates and live only blocks away from campus so we could walk to work every day and be accessible to the students we're mentoring." At the time, it was all just pie-in-the-sky style dreaming.... And quite often, we look at each other and say incredulously, "Can you believe this is actually happening?" ...Even down to the part about living in the neighborhood we had hoped to someday live in. The funny thing is, we looked at this house during our house-hunting marathon last spring, and ruled it out due to price and amount of work that needed to be done on it. However, since then, the house has become empty, the hardwood floors have all been refinished, and the price dropped within a reasonable distance of our price cap. So we thought, "Why not look at it again?" After doing so, we put an embarrassingly low offer on the house (which was the best we could do), and with some negotiation over a couple of weeks, it was accepted. Then came the round of inspections to deal with, where more negotiating took place. In the end, the sellers graciously conceded to let us have the house at a price we can easily afford and with a doable amount of work left to be done.... So this will be our new home in another month or two: We are so thankful to God that all of this is taking place! We just sit in incredulity at how He orchestrates things in ways we never would have imagined! Sometimes He gives us exactly what we want, and sometimes He gives us exactly what we need...which we then later realize was best all along. ...PS: For those of you who are Facebook users, I've posted more pictures of the inside of the house on my profile.

New animal friends

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-08-01T19:48:04-04:00

from Lisa This week we've tried to get out and enjoy South Bend a little bit before we dive into the school year, so on Wednesday morning, we went to the nearby Potawatomi Zoo as a family. I had never been to that particular zoo (to my recollection...maybe I went there as a baby/toddler when my family lived in the area), and it was a nice, little zoo with a heavy emphasis on protecting and increasing endangered species. We saw all sorts of exotic animals like red pandas, bison, snow leopards, white-naped cranes, and chinese alligators. While the morning started out cool, by the time lunch time rolled around, it was hot and we were all ready to get home for Ian's nap, but not before finishing the day with a ride on the "choo-choo," the highlight of the day for Ian. Ian watching the Tiger Ian was afraid of the goats! Eric and Ian on the train Yesterday, we also made a new friend who came right to our patio door and asked for food: a little kitty! She was so hungry and so sweet, and she let Ian do almost anything to her. She just kept cuddling right up next to him. They ate their afternoon snacks together, and she spent the entire rest of the evening dozing on and under our patio furniture. By this morning, she was gone, and we haven't seen her at all today. Here are some pictures of our new friend, though:

A Quick Update

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-07-24T09:49:37-04:00

We're still here! It's been almost 3 weeks since we updated, and a LOT has happened! On the 10th of July, Eric successfully defended his dissertation! It was a beautiful day with lots of people we love milling about. Here are some pictures from the day:... After the defense, waiting to hear the final verdict ...On the afternoon of the defense, Ian went home with his Nana and Pop where he spent a few days before switching to his Mimi and Papa's house. They all kept him so we could finish packing and make the move up north a little easier.... Then, a couple days after the defense, Eric turned 29! He's calling this year the "victory lap" of his 20's -- and what an exciting year it's already turning out to be! Less than a week after the defense, we packed up all our belongings in a Uhaul and moved back up to South Bend. I can't describe how weird it felt to be driving up US31 into South Bend, knowing that we were coming back after six years. Not weird in a bad way....just strange because when we moved south to Bloomington, we never imagined that we'd take the same road back up to our new-old home.... We're so happy about the chance to teach and be involved at Bethel College. It's amazing how God works! So now, we're getting settled into our apartment and beginning to keep our eyes open for possible house candidates within walking distance of campus. Ian is adjusting fine and seems to even like his new surroundings. He's just glad the cat is still here!

Cheers!

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-07-05T13:08:38-04:00

from Lisa We had a very nice 4th of July yesterday! Even though the weather brought the coldest Independence Day I ever remember experiencing, we got to spend time with some good friends and each other. We also ate lots of yummy food! Isn't that the hallmark of every truly good holiday? In other news, lately, Ian's been celebrating every single meal with his own toast. Sometime early in the meal, he lifts his sippy cup and says, "Cheers", eagerly expecting us to follow suit...which, of course, we do. It's become a fun family ritual at any meal. We have no idea where he got it from! He may have seen us do it once or twice, but we very rarely say "Cheers" when we toast, so who knows! At any rate, it's fun. Also, he loves to help water the miniature garden we put out this year of one cherry tomato plant and three basil plants. He lugs the watering can across the yard, and painstakingly pours water on our thirsty plants. He's always so proud of himself when he's done, and we usually have to fill the watering can another two or three times before he's satisfied. So cute.

Good Thought; Bad Implementation

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-07-03T20:42:20-04:00

by Eric Here's a quick, random little Ian story. A few weeks ago I put Ian on the potty after a failed nap attempt. My patience was rather short, and I was not feeling very good, so I just gave him a book and told him to call for me after he was done going to the bathroom (this is actually standard procedure when Ian is stalling, but I've begun to extend it to times when I'm just plain annoyed with him). That same day I had been putting away laundry, and I had left a pile of wash cloths on the sink counter which is next to the toilet. After leaving Ian in the bathroom, I went out to the couch to lay down for a couple minutes while he did his business. For two or three minutes I could hear him chattering to himself while "reading" his book. Then, after a little while, it dawned on me that there had been complete silence from the bathroom for at least 30 seconds. I quietly got up from the couch and tip-toed down the hall and peeked into the bathroom. Two things immediately jumped out at me: ...Ian, seated on his seat, with a very thoughtful look was staring intently down into the toilet bowl. He had his hands curled up into little fists that were resting on his hips. ...My stack of washcloths was no longer there. I said, "Ian, whatcha doin' buddy?" He looked up at me saying, "Uh-oh. ...What had happened was that he had peed all over the place, and had apparently tried to clean it up with the wash cloths that were on the counter. However, he had accidentally dropped them into the toilet. I just shook my head, and we both started laughing.

Choices, choices

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-06-29T15:01:53-04:00

About a month ago, I blogged about the ideas we got from the book Parenting with Love and Logic. Since then, we've tailored some of their ideas to our own situation and personalities. One way we've done this is by using choices to help lead Ian to a result that is not an option. For instance, all the steps leading up to a nap are laden with choices for him.... The wonderful thing about all these choices is that none of the specifics matter to us. What does matter to us is that he's still going potty, he's still putting on sweatpants, and he's still going down for a nap, but he feels like he's a part of the process and does everything much more willingly. For another example, Ian often likes to climb into his own car seat now, instead of being placed there by us, and when we try to force him into the seat because he's taking too long (playing with the buckles, etc.), it's a struggle, to say the least! However, if we simply say to him as we're approaching the car, "Ian, do you want to get in your car seat by yourself, or do you want Mommy/Daddy to put you in?", he can answer either way and he knows what to expect when he gets in the car. Getting in the car seat is not an option, but how he gets in there is. The "Do you want to ______, or do you want Mommy/Daddy to ______" is a very powerful tool. It puts him in the driver's seat while still putting him on the right road to where we want to go. It seems that it's all about setting the stage for the situation so he knows what to expect. ...If he's being exorbitantly loud at dinner, we calmly tell him, "You can either sit nicely and quietly in your chair, or you can play on the floor without food.... If he chooses to eat, but continues to have inappropriate table manners (we're talking about things a 2-year-old reasonably has control over -- his mouth and loud antics), we gently take him down out of his chair and his supper is over, which means he probably goes to bed a little hungry.... However, a full tummy and the enjoyment of dinner is also a powerful consequence and motivation to straighten up. The trick is coming up with consequences that are applicable to the situation, and making it clear that the action leading to those consequences is his own choice. I can't help but think that these choices are helping him become a more responsible individual, in the long run. I hope that the more situations he comes across to learn from his choices, the better choices he'll make as he gets older. All of this mixed with empathy and instruction about God's love may lead him in the right direction.... Like my friend Anne says, it's kind of like "preventive" parenting: staying one step ahead of your child and predicting what might set him/her off, then being upfront with the child about the situation so that their actions really are their choice.

Projects

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-06-22T19:51:53-04:00

by Lisa For those of you not on Facebook, here is an update of our latest projects that we've been doing! Eric decided to use his power tools for the last time in a year (they'll be put in storage while we're living in the apartment this year) and build a TV cabinet with doors so our TV isn't "staring" at us all the time! He stained it a similar color to our coffee table and end tables, and it matches almost perfectly! I'm so impressed with his woodworking abilities! Here are some pictures of the finished product: I, on the other hand, realized that a lot of our artwork and wall hangings that we had hanging in our living room were very low on color (our walls do all the "coloring" for them!), and that we'll be living in an all-white apartment with light beige carpeting. Not too inspiring. So I decided, instead of spending tons of money on artwork, to make my own! I used pre-made stretched canvas and acrylics to make three wall hangings. It was the first time I had picked up an artist's paintbrush in nine years, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Here are some pictures of how they turned out: While our handiwork is certainly not commercial quality, we have really enjoyed creating things with our own hands these past couple of weeks and putting our own stamp on our furniture and decorations. It's been fun, and we'll enjoy the outcomes for years to come!

Watch!

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-06-17T21:33:12-04:00

by Lisa Ian loves "watching" us make dinner or whatever we happen to be doing at the kitchen counter. He pushes a dining room chair into the kitchen and puts it right up against the cabinet so he can see what's going on up there on the counter. Sometimes, he "helps", but most of the time there are knives and other non-kid-friendly things involved, so he's relegated to watching. We soften the blow of not being able to help by feeding him appetizers of his favorite veggies: carrots, cucumbers, green (or red) peppers, tomatoes, etc. It's a great way to get some veggies in him before dinner even starts (so we're less worried when he only goes for the meat and starch at the table), and to keep him occupied while we work! Making dinner has become a family affair!

Reading with Dad

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-06-08T13:22:28-04:00

We've got Indiana's famous high-heat, high-humidity concoction of weather sitting right on our doorstep, and it looks like it's going to be staying for a while. The thunderstorms have moved away for a couple of days, but according to weather.com, they'll be back later this week to add more water to the too much we already have! Some of you may have seen reports about the flooding in our area. It's been pretty crazy. Two of my co-workers are still stuck in Indianapolis due to roads being closed between there and Bloomington. Hopefully, the water will start to recede soon and we won't have any more damage. So because of the yucky weather lately, we've been spending more time indoors. Here's a video we took yesterday of Ian and Eric reading together in the nice, cool air conditioning. Reading is one of our favorite family activities. There are many evenings where Eric and I don't even turn on the TV, but instead, sit in the living room and read. It's a very relaxing way to spend time together. Sometimes Eric even reads to me out loud, which is so much fun and a great way to share our favorite books with each other. Ian loves books, too, and we spend a lot of time reading to him each day. He has some favorites right now: Dr. Seuss' "Oh the Places You'll Go," "Winnie the Pooh and Honey Tree" (one of my personal favorites), and a library book called "Tough Trucks" that we recently ordered from Barnes & Noble because he likes it so much. We're finally getting away from just picture books and into the realm of books with more words on each page. He really seems to be enjoying stories now. It's fun to see your child developing interests in things you like to do as well!

Love and Logic

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-05-27T21:42:32-04:00

Apparently, it's this huge organization similar to, but smaller than, Focus on the Family, that primarily deals with discipline of children, both for parents and teachers. I decided to read it for two reasons: 1) it came highly recommended by my friend Anne, and 2) I was, after only two years of parenting, feeling a like I was exhausting all the possibilities when it came to effective discipline/correction of Ian -- who, by the way, is not a "problem child" or anything, but simply has a stubborn streak in him that Eric and I feel needs to be channeled in the right directions.... After reading through some of their articles online, I had come away with the feeling that it was all a little idealistic. Afterall, parenting, like any relationship, is not a cut-and-dried situation, and there are really no "magic" formulas that will work for every child. However, after reading just the introduction to the book, I quickly began to see that the authors had no intention of endorsing any kind of "quick-fix," but were really just using biblical principles of enforcing consequences. While there was nothing completely revelational about Love and Logic for me, it did give me tips about how to better teach my child to make good decisions in his life, without pandering to either extreme of forcing him to do so and hoping he'll just "get it" someday. ...Natural consequences for a child's actions are often much more effective than outright correction/discipline, especially when paired with genuine empathy for the child who is suffering from them. This is not to say that Eric and I will stop punishing Ian for very serious offenses, especially if they have little to no natural consequences for him at this age (or if the consequences are life-threatening or just too large for him at this age), but it does give us a few more options for correction. ...This is the wake-up call that every parent needs to be reminded of day in and day out: Your kids are watching you, even when you don't realize it! ...Providing a child with choices, especially when both of them are 100% ok with you, goes a long way toward bolstering their confidence in themselves. It's amazing the number of situations I've noticed that I can offer Ian a choice rather than making it for him, even at his very young age of two.... My friend Anne is especially adept at this skill with her kids and has been a really good example for me. ...Choices and consequences can be paired together for an amazing chance to teach responsibility for one's own actions. By offering a child two choices, one with a good consequence and one with an undesirable consequence, they get to make the decision themselves.... Putting "the ball in their court" to make the decision, again, takes the pressure off of the parent to control their child's actions (which we really can't do anyway). ...I feel like, with these general guidelines, I can strike a balance in my relationship with Ian (and hopefully any subsequent children). After applying some of these principles to our parenting over the past week or two, Eric and I are already seeing results in Ian's behavior and attitude toward us. It's been fairly liberating to remove the pressure off of ourselves to make sure he behaves, and instead to encourage him to behave, all the while ensuring he experiences the consequences of his behavior, whether good or bad. ...I'm quite certain that we'll continue to wrestle with exactly the best way to guide Ian "in the way he should go," so that "when he is old, he will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6).

Cheers to Seven Years!

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-05-12T20:02:47-04:00

by Lisa We celebrated our seventh anniversary today! We're not sure why, but for some reason this year seems particularly celebratory. Maybe it's because of various things we've gone through in the past year...maybe it's because of the exciting future ahead of us...but, whatever it is, we're both so thankful that we have each other and we're anticipating the (Lord willing) many years we have left together. Marriage rocks!! Anyway, here are a couple pictures from today: at Bill & Lucy's, dropping off Ian before dinner at Bombay House, our typical Bloomington anniversary dinner site Ian with Lucy Thank you to all of you family and friends out there who support us and encourage us in our marriage with both your words and your examples. We thank God for you, too!

Success!

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-05-08T20:11:03-04:00

by Lisa Today marks a very important day in our family: Ian went the whole day in only one pair of underwear with no accidents!!! Needless to say, we are quite excited. As a testament to the considerable progress he's made in the past few weeks, here's a picture of his completed potty train: Towards the end, he wasn't even asking for stickers after using the toilet, so when we got to the end of the chart a couple of days ago, we just stopped giving them to him, and he hasn't even noticed. Going to the bathroom "big boy style" is so much a part of his day by now, that he hardly gives it a second thought! He still loves reading books almost every time he's in there, but we enjoy that too because it's good time spent with him. All in all, potty training hasn't been that bad! On a different note, I wanted to share with you all some pictures of Springtime in Bloomington. This year has been the prettiest we've ever seen here; Bloomington has certainly been living up to its name! The rain has come at just the right times and in the right manner to produce some amazing blooms all over town. Here are just a few of the pictures that I've taken in the past several weeks:... forsythia & redbud ...I absolutely LOVE spring! It's my favorite time of year. I didn't even get any pictures of the plethora of Bradford pear trees that line the streets of Bloomington, but let me assure you, they put on a stellar show this year as well. In our six years here, I've come to love the abundance of flowering trees and shrubs, as well as the the magnificent bulbs that Bloomington grows in early spring. I'm really going to miss living here.

Balloons and Underwear

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-05-01T08:27:28-04:00

by Lisa We took this video of Ian last week and wanted to share it with you all! Ian is doing really well with potty training! When we're home, he only has one or two little accidents a day, and 5-7 uses of the toilet. He's even doing pretty well at going when we're out and about. Some days, it takes a bit of patience, but he really is learning and we're seeing the end in sight! Already, we're doing a lot less laundry than when we were using diapers full-time (we use cloth diapers). All in all, this potty training thing has been a fairly positive experience!

A pretty day in April

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-04-22T14:24:19-04:00

I wasn't quite sure what to think yesterday as we drove to the title company to sign all of the paperwork to finish the sale of our house. I found myself spending most of the day in a reflective mood, because the sale of our house symbolized so many things. It would take me way, way too long to write here everything I observed or contemplated, but I thought that I would share a few "quick hitters" from the day. ...In particular, the Christian concept of stewardship of God's resources is often twisted and perverted by capitalistic principles of ownership. This house was never mine; in actuality, it is a physical resource that I had the privilege of managing on God's behalf. In hindsight, I recognize that my responsibility with respect to this house was to maintain and improve it, so that it would be ready for the next person(s) that God wanted to occupy it. When viewed in that light, every time I mowed the lawn, updated the landscaping, or renovated/repaired something in the house, I was actually being a steward, and not an owner. I have a very clear picture of this now that we are renting the house from the buyers. None of my actions will really change over the next 3 months, but they will all be focused towards keeping the home in proper shape for the next occupants. To me, this is a picture of how we should think about our own lives.... When we don't use them, or when we misuse them, we do not just harm ourselves, but we defraud those that follow us. I have to say that I sure felt good being on the "selling" side of the table as opposed to the "buying" side.... All of the financial responsibilities, coupled with the maintenance that is sure to come, is something we get too used to. From a Christian perspective, we need to be doubly or triply aware of what we are doing when it comes to such a large scale purchase; "ownership" is a two-way street, and a large-scale purchase like a home ends up owning the owner as much as the owner owns the purchase (if not more). This has real implications for our ability to be free to go where God calls us, or to have the energy and time to give to others. Finally, it was interesting to sit in the same chairs (or at least, the same spot at the table), in the same room, at the same title company, where we signed for our home 5 years ago. A lot of memories came flooding back. This house has been the place where we have celebrated some of the happiest moments of my life: bringing Ian home from the hospital to a house full of grandparents and great grandparents, celebrating Ian's first birthday with a big party on a gorgeous early Spring day, and numerous other dinners and/or parties with family and friends. I also thought about how this house was the site of the most painful loss I've ever known, and how the few moments on Earth that I had with my second son were here.

the Potty Train

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-04-05T13:52:21-04:00

Since Ian is almost two, we're in the full-throws of potty training! It's actually been kind of fun, believe it or not.... And while the many trips to the bathroom during the day get kind of tedious sometimes, we recognize that it's all a means to an end -- his eventual complete independence -- and that's a good thing. Here are some pictures of him enjoying his "potty time." For help with how to go about this venture, we've taken information from our parents, our friends, and some books, and put it all together in our own way. One of the most helpful sources of information has been Jill M. Lekovic's book, Diaper-Free Before Three, the self-described "healthier way to toilet train and help your child out of diapers sooner." She outlines potty-training as a very gradual and natural process. As a pediatrician and a mother of three, she gives some wonderful tips that have helped us a lot in this whole adventure. One tip we took from my parents, though, was the idea of a sticker chart, which they used on me when I was being potty-trained. While Lekovic doesn't recommend using actual rewards (besides verbal praise) for using the toilet, we kind of got in a rut with Ian where he just wasn't interested anymore. So I drew up this chart with two of his favorite things: a choo-choo and stickers. He really gets a kick out of putting a sticker on the chart after he's produced something in the toilet -- a little sticker for a "pee" and a bigger sticker for a "poo." It's always a big celebration when he's allowed to run bare-bottomed into the kitchen and attach a sticker to the train track. As you can see, in just the first five days, he really did well on his output! Since then, he's already rounded the corner of his choo-choo track and is well on his way to becoming potty trained. ...If anyone else has any ideas or tips you want to share, we're all ears! ...PS: After many months, we've finally added some pictures.

Into the Clear Blue Sky

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-03-26T21:03:38-04:00

Glancing at the person while driving by, I noticed that it was a middle-aged woman. Since there is nothing on that highway for a couple more miles, I decided to stop and see if she needed a ride. Chances were, if she was walking that direction, she was probably going to someplace in my neighborhood and would probably appreciate not having to walk the whole distance in that weather. ...She was going to the license branch near my house to take care of a title matter with her RV. Her car broke down a week ago, and she's relatively new to Bloomington and didn't know anyone, which is why she was forced to walk.... As it turns out, she's a Ph.D. student in Human and Family Resources, focusing on miscarriage intervention and therapy.... I informed her that I recently had a miscarriage, and she began to immediately open up to me and explain why she chose this particular career path. It seems that several different events in her life have served to prepare her to work in this field, not the least of which was her daughter's experiencing a rather horrid miscarriage with very little emotional or physical support. She's also written a short book designed to help women through the loss of a child, whether unborn or not. Once we got to the license branch, I gave her my phone number so she could call me when she was finished and I could take her back into Bloomington. Because she seemed so independent, I was surprised when she actually did call me about 45 minutes after I got back to the house. So, Ian and I jumped back in the car and picked her up from the license branch.... I was so glad she didn't have to walk 5-6 miles in that! However, she admitted that the only reason she allowed me to give her a ride again was so she could give me a copy of her book, which she did once we arrived at her house. We parted ways then, after she shared that she felt the universe brought us together so we could participate in "reciprocal assistance." ...I'm so thankful to God for giving me the opportunity to meet this highly interesting woman. I almost drove right by her, thinking that I had groceries in the car, or that I might be putting my son in "danger" by picking up a strange person on the side of the road, but God spoke as clearly to me as He ever has that I needed to stop. ...PS: If you're interested in a copy of her book, email me, and I'll put you in contact with Eileen.

Christ the Lord is risen....He is risen indeed!

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-03-23T19:47:32-04:00

I love Easter. I love the whole week leading up to Easter, and the reflection and contemplation that takes place when I stop to think about what Christ went through on this earth. I love the significance of Passover and thinking about Jesus' last supper with his best friends and the sorrowful contemplation of Good Friday with the hope of Sunday morning. I love waking up on Sunday morning with rejoicing. I love the bright colors and flowers and happy music. I love singing "The Hallelujah Chorus" at my church on Sunday; it gives me chills every time. I love making or partaking of a celebration dinner made up of delicious food and time spent with people I love. But most of all, I love the fact that we have a God who not only understands our human experience intimately, but also is truly alive and living. It's this fact that makes me want to jump for joy when reciting the ancient liturgy: "Christ the Lord is risen....He is risen indeed!!!!" --Lisa

On the Market

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-03-11T21:32:38-04:00

Anyone looking for a new house? Ours is now up for sale. It was kind of a shock today to come home from house hunting up north and see the "for sale" signs in our yard. It's really happening. We're sad and excited all at the same time. We sure have loved living here. For those of you who are interested, we have a blog for the house with all kinds of pictures and whatnot. Let us know if you see anything quirky, ok? --Lisa

Assistant Professor of Linguistics

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-01-31T15:02:58-05:00

It is official. Today I accepted an offer to become Bethel College's first Assistant Professor of Linguistics, beginning Fall of 2008. It is a tenure-track position that will involve helping Bethel integrate Linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) into their curriculum. We are excited at the opportunity to return to our alma mater, as well as the chance for our children to grow up as Hoosiers and be close to their grandparents. So, now its on to finishing my dissertation, selling our house, and finding a new place to live...all in the next 6 months! --Eric

Ian's first IU basketball game

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-01-26T19:22:40-05:00

Today I took Ian to his first game in Assembly Hall. Although we lost, it was still one of the most fun IU games I've ever been to because I was able to share it with my son. During the first half, Ian seemed in awe of the place; however, by the second half he was yelling when we were on Defense, and clapping along to the band during timeouts. I took him down to the court after the game, and I had to carry him kicking and screaming out of the arena (he kept pointing to the basketball goals and crying "ba-ba!!!! BA BA!!!!!"). There is a certain joy in conditioning your child. --Eric

Real Church

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-01-21T14:57:39-05:00

In an article in Relevant Magazine this month, Rob Bell, the pastor of Mars Hill church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was being interviewed on his thoughts on the church and its role in society. One thing that he said in there that really stuck with me was, "We have these giant services with thousands of people, and I think that public gatherings beyond 10 or 20 people should be questioned." He was talking about what church really is, and was saying that the best example of real church he ever experienced happened in his living room with a relatively small group of people who were gathering around someone who was in trouble. There's a lot of truth to that, and it's refreshing to hear someone who is the leader of a megachurch say it. In the past month, with everything that Eric and I have been through, we have seen that idea firsthand. We have always loved going to our church here in Bloomington, and while we've always been involved there, we've never really had a chance to experience the true love that is available to the members of the congregation (and beyond)....until now. While we absolutely love our Sunday morning services and classes, real church has happened to us on the phone, in hugs, in messages sent to us, or in time spent with us, not necessarily on Sunday morning in the sanctuary. We've been overwhelmed by the loving response of people around us -- not only from those who attend our church, but also our other Christian friends and family who know us. We hope that someday we'll be able to pour out this kind of comfort and love on someone else who is going through a rough time. It seems like that's what Paul was talking about in 2 Corinthians 1 when he said, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" (verses 3-4). We've received such an amazing amount of comfort from God through other people, that maybe someday we can take this tragedy that we've walked through and use it to encourage someone else. Based on our recent experiences, it seems pretty clear that that's one important responsibility of the Church as a body and one major way to live out "real church." --Lisa

On a lighter note...

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2008-01-01T19:57:41-05:00

Most of you have seen this already, but we thought we'd post it up here for those of you who haven't. It was a Christmas gift for my sister and her husband, who, even though they live so far away, are so generous to Ian. Thanks, Sherri and Adam! Enjoy...

Today we are sad

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-12-28T09:59:34-05:00

Last night at a little before 9:00 pm we lost our baby. We were surprised, because things had been going so well. We had just had an ultrasound on Christmas Eve that showed that the region where the placenta had pulled away had shrunk to half its size, and the baby was very active and healthy. As difficult and shocking as it was, we are glad we lost the baby here at home and not in a sterile hospital room surrounded by strangers. I'm not going to any more detail about what happened other than to say that Beta was a little boy. Today Lisa, Ian, and I are spending the day together as a family, celebrating the rich blessings that God has bestowed on us. Why this happened we may never know, and nor do we need to. We feel His comfort, and we trust in His goodness, which is all-sufficient.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-12-17T08:41:15-05:00

Good news! My doctor took me off bed rest on Thursday after only one week! When he found out that it had been almost a week since any bleeding, and when he heard the "whooshing" sound of a strong heartbeat, he decided that I'd had enough lying around and is letting me resume "light" activity. Praise God! So, I have another ultrasound and an appointment next Wednesday and Thursday in order to keep tabs on things, but the situation seems to be looking up!Thank you, all of you out there who have been praying and sending encouraging notes. I have never felt more loved and supported than in the past week. God bless!

Complications

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-12-07T23:16:38-05:00

Lisa's first ultrasound was not scheduled for another 2 weeks; however, some events today necessitated an emergency trip to the OB/GYN. There is good news and bad news. First, the good news. Say hello to ß (Beta): The baby's heartbeat was strong and normal, and developmentally everything looks on track. However, there is a problem. It seems that the placenta has begun to pull away from the uterus in one spot, causing quite a bit of bleeding. The upshot of this is that Lisa's pregnancy has just jumped up pretty far on the "high risk" scale, and that Lisa is now confined to bed rest for the foreseeable future. There is nothing to be done other than pray and wait. Our doctor told us that he has seen babies in this situation come to full term, but that there is simply no way to know what will happen. So, we covet everyone's prayers right now. Regardless of the outcome, we know that God is in control, and that is good enough for us. Even if we can't understand why certain things happen, we fully accept whatever He allows.

We're still here!

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-11-28T06:36:56-05:00

We really are alive, honest! Sorry about the long delay between posts, for those of you who check here regularly. As you probably know, we've been very busy and tired. We've actually had a lot of interesting things going on, not the least of which is that I'm pregnant again! We're extremely excited and are expecting "Beta" (ß) to arrive sometime in late June (Ian is "Alpha," the next one would be "Gamma", etc). So that's some good news for ya. This week, Eric is in New Orleans for a conference where he's presenting a paper linked to his dissertation. Research is going pretty well, and he hopes and plans to start writing at the beginning of January. He's almost done! Ian is talking up a storm -- not sentences yet, but about 20 or more recognizable words, which is making our lives a bit easier. It's so nice to understand what your child is trying to tell you sometimes! Some other things we'd love to blog about right now, but simply don't have time on which to expand are: * The exciting conclusion of IU football's regular season & possible bowl berth * The hiring of Coach Lynch for said football team * The holiday season and how we're trying some new things this year * Exciting adventures with potty training We won't make any promises, but we'd like to try to get to some of these topics in the next week or so. ...PS: If you haven't noticed, we have been keeping up with our photos, and there are some cool new ones for your viewing pleasure.

Ian goes to bed

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-11-08T21:08:55-05:00

Some more video for family and friends who are interested. One of our favorite daily rituals... --Lisa

5K Update

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-10-29T09:35:44-04:00

I have to take a minute to brag a bit about my husband; I hope you all don't mind! On Saturday, we participated in Bethel's Homecoming 5K race, and Eric accomplished the awesome feat of running over three miles in 21 minutes and 35 seconds! That's more than two minutes better than his time last year, and is a very competitive pace. I am so proud of him! Even though he's been really busy with research for his dissertation, he's gotten himself out of bed early in the morning several times a week to prepare his body to compete, and he did an amazing job! My father-in-law, Nate, also beat his time from last year and came in at a little over 26 minutes. (Not too shabby, Nate! Good job!) I ended up walking the race, while pushing Ian half the time in his stroller. (I was walking with my mother-in-law, Pam, who pushed the stroller the other half of the time.) We finished in about 42 minutes and Ian had a great time. By the end of the race, he was clapping his hands and singing as we fast-walked to the finish line. Eric and I have pretty much decided that we're going to try to find a 5K to run in every year, no matter where we end up. It's just such a fun way to keep in shape as a family and have some sort of measure for our health. We have so much fun participating in the race that it makes all the work and sweat leading up to it completely worth it! --Lisa

gDiapers

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-10-18T10:23:29-04:00

Thanks to a suggestion from some friends, we've made a mini-revolution of diapering in our family!... No more stinky poopy diapers in our trash cans, and no more filling up landfills with disposable diapers that will take at least 500 years to decompose! Apparantly, conventional disposable diapers are the third largest contributors to landfills in the world and yet only five percent of the world's population uses them. Even though we were only using 30-40 disposable diapers per month (because we use cloth diapers during the day), that was still at least 360-400 diapers we as a family put out there in the last year alone. ...At any rate, after much consideration and research, we decided that the best thing for our family was to switch to gDiapers for at night and while travelling.... They're kind of a hybrid between our cloth diapering technique and regular disposable diapers. They have cloth covers (gPants) with velcro fasteners, water-proof polyester snap-in liners, and environmentally-safe "pads" that get pressed into the liners, which are then either flushed or composted when dirty or wet. We've even been able to switch from using pins and plastic pants with our cloth diapers to using the gPants with a cloth liner instead of the flushable liner. This also makes potty training much easier since we can much more easily take off Ian's cloth diaper right at the toilet, without having to mess with pins and whatnot. ...The gDiapers are really an ingenius invention that could possibly change diapering as we know it. They certainly changed our lives, and in the process, also made us more aware of our waste in general. I was reading in the book of Genesis some time ago, and in chapter 2, verse 15, it says, "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." In the original Hebrew language, "work" has more of a meaning of "serve" and "take care" has more of a meaning of "protect." Adam's first job was to serve and protect the land that God gave him!... This earth is a gift from God, and we are responsible for serving and protecting it as best as we are able. Therefore, we've become really convicted in this area about making sure we're not polluting the land with our trash, and have stepped up our recycling habits. Our next step will be working on a good compositing system so we can throw away even less waste. It's all a process, and I'm sure God has more steps to take us through!

October Update

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-10-06T11:29:02-04:00

As you can probably tell by the long blog hiatus, life has been pretty uneventful. We've been busy, of course, but nothing really exciting or interesting has happened lately. Eric is plugging away at his dissertation and was able to run the first two subjects of Experiment Three for his thesis this past week. He feels really good about how things are going and thinks that, at this rate, he'll be able to accomplish his goal of finishing up by next spring. He's been working really hard at searching out potential job opportunites for us for when we leave Bloomington next summer and has found some intriguing possibilities. I'm wrapping up the first fall session at the IEP, and the second session starts the week after next. Next week is our big "Week Seven", which is full of exams and whatnot, which means that my schedule gets upended and, hence, so does our family routine. ...Eric and I have been running a lot lately, getting our bodies ready to compete in the Bethel College Homecoming 5K race, which we also did last year. I think we'll both beat our times from last year, and hopefully make a dent in the standings. We've been enjoying this warmer weather -- it makes for nicer running in the morning -- but we're also ready for it to cool down so we can turn off our air conditioner and leave it off for awhile! ...Ian is suffering from a nasty chest cold, which I think I contracted today.... He's got all four of his first molars in, and is working on a fifth. He's eating everything in sight and having a lot of fun being independantly mobile. Playing outside and "going bye-bye" are some of his favorite activities. He's also graduated to a "big boy" bed -- we took off the front of his crib and turned it into a daybed, with a little guard rail to keep him from falling out. He loves getting in and out of bed by himself, and does really well with going to sleep when he's supposed to. That kid loves his sleep -- thank goodness! All in all, things are well with us.

Ian tells a story

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-09-16T21:07:22-04:00

Here's a video of Ian from the other night. He's gotten into "telling stories" at the end of the day. We can only make out a few words here and there, but it's fairly entertaining (for us, at least). In this video, there's a little speech at the beginning, followed by some playing around, and then a concluding speech at the end. Enjoy, Grandmas and Grandpas and Aunts and Uncles!

Fall is here

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-09-12T13:37:59-04:00

Summer has finally decided to let loose its grip and allow fall to bless us with its presence. My fall crocuses are in full bloom, the weather is a sunny and crisp low 70's, football season is in full swing, and our fridge is stocked with apple cider. After almost seven years of marriage, my husband has persuaded me that it really is a wonderful time of year. And I truly believe it is. While I used to view fall merely as the precursor to winter (my least favorite time of year), I now see it as a time of reflection and repose. It's the time of year when it's so incredibly pleasant to both sit outside and have a hot drink at the same time. Yes, summer is passing, the fields and my flower beds are beginning to surrender themselves to the earth, and the winds are beginning to be a bit more blustery, but it's also a time of new beginnings, especially since we're in academia, where the "new year" essentially begins at the end of August. It's a time to look ahead at the work to be done and revel at the fact that we have so many interesting things to look forward to in the year ahead! Let's just say that, this year at least, I'm enjoying the wonderfulness of autumn just as much as my husband. --Lisa ************************************************** Here are some pictures of Ian and Eric enjoying our morning excursion to Apple Works, a somewhat local apple orchard with a cute petting zoo and all kinds of wonderful apple-y goodness!

Indiana vs. Indiana St.

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-09-02T14:45:33-04:00

To me, this is one of the most beautiful pictures I've seen in a long time (I pieced this together using multiple shots from my humble little Nikon COOLPIX 2500): There is something special about a nighttime college football game. This one was particularly meaningful given the passing of Hep this past June, as well as ongoing construction of the North endzone enclosure. It was nice to see the team come out and destroy Indiana State 55-7 on a day when #5 Michigan lost to 1-AA Appalachian State. Kickoff for the IU-ISU game was after 8:00 pm, and it didn't finish until nearly midnight (curse you TV timeouts). Ian tailgated with us until 5:00pm. At that time, some friends from church picked him up and watched him until church the next day. Lisa and I took advantage of being Ian-less and went to BW3 for some hot wings after the game (mmmmm.....wings at 1:00am...it is wonderful). Speaking of Ian, much to Lisa's dismay it appears that he is already showing signs of wanting to be a QB. I can imagine Lisa wanting to charge on the field and slug anybody who tries to sack her son.

We Believe

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-08-24T21:29:42-04:00

We thought some of you might find this interesting. Jane Hoeppner had a 2007 media guide sent to us this week, and look what we found on the first page. Recognize anyone?

Camp fires, cabins, and long drives

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-08-22T20:12:16-04:00

Wow, it's been forever since we've updated this thing, and over a month and a half since I've contributed. I got super busy during the last teaching session since I ended up teaching a full load of four classes due to a shortage of teachers. I had two weeks off afterwards, but we spent those going camping at Lake Monroe with our good friends Cary and David, and then taking a trip down to Kentucky and Tennessee to see some family and good friends. While we were camping, we had the awesome experience of viewing a meteor shower at midnight. Cary asked Eric a bunch of space questions that I had never thought of before, and I ended up being reminded how smart and cool my husband is. It's amazing to even try to fathom how vast our universe really is and very humbling to realize that our lives really are just a "blip" in time. During our Kentucky trip, we had the pleasure of spending some time at Eric's brother's family's house. Rob and Anne have two kids who are just the cutest and coolest niece and nephew I can imagine. Ian had a lot of fun playing with them, and us adults had a lot of fun watching them all. From there, we went to Tennessee to meet up with some of our best friends who now live very far away. We stayed in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains and pretty much just played a lot of games and ate a lot of homemade food. On our way back, we stopped again in Kentucky to see my uncle's family and spend the night at the Long's, some very good friends of ours who used to be at Bethel College, but now are located at Asbury Seminary. We always go away from their house encouraged and challenged to be good parents. The Long's certainly are a good example to us. I guess the biggest thing I'm feeling right now is supreme thankfulness for the wonderful friends and family we have. The past two weeks, while busy, were incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating simply because we were always in such good company. How fortunate we are to know so many quality people and to be able to spend time with them.

Loud...very loud

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-08-05T22:03:25-04:00

For my birthday, Lisa, Adam, and Sherri went together and bought me concert tickets for the Collective Soul/Counting Crows/Live concert in Indianapolis. When we got into Victory Field (the concert was in a minor league baseball park) we found out that all of the seating was general admission. As a sign of our age, we immediately bypassed the "standing area" in front of the stage and made a bee line for the bucket seats on the upper level. When we got to our seats, we were comforted by the fact that we were surrounded by other 20+ year olds (and actually quite a few 30, 40, and 50+). The show started with Collective Soul; they played a lot of songs off of their greatest hits album. Apparently, about a 1/3 the way through their set a fight/scuffle broke out among some fans in front of the stage, and Ed (lead singer of Collective Soul) called out, "Hey, stop that s***! Don't be interfering with my show!" When security went to throw the guy out, Ed then said, "Don't throw him out...just separate him...we'll all have a good time." Next, Live performed. I haven't heard a lot of their music, but I really liked it. They put on a great, energetic show. Finally, Counting Crows performed. Overall, I was kind of disappointed with them. Whereas Collective Soul and Live performed as if they actually wanted to be there, Counting Crows seemed like they were just phoning it in. One neat part of their concert though was that it started pouring the rain while they sang "December." Lisa and I sat in a section by ourselves (nearly everyone else left) getting drenched while we enjoyed "December". On our way home, we had a major case of the munchies, so we hit Burger King for some cheeseburgers and onion rings. Going to a concert like that was something I wouldn't want to do very often (based on my work in the Speech and Hearing Sciences department at IU, I have a pretty good idea of the permanent damage I probably did to my hearing), but it was definitely a blast. Who needs those upper couple thousand Hz of frequency response anyway.....

iLove

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-07-26T19:02:45-04:00

Many of you know that I finally ordered the replacement for my computer this week. Well, because I'm (still) a student, I was able to purchase a new 30 GB iPod for only $50. It arrived today. I'm in iLove. Also, as of 7:07 pm Eastern Daylight time, my customized Macbook is in Anchorage, Alaska (say 'hi' to it for me Adam and Sherri)...I hope hope hope it arrives tomorrow.

Growing Up

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-07-18T19:34:13-04:00

Sometimes things happen which make me realize that Ian is growing up right in front of me. I was making supper this evening when I saw Ian go crawling down the hall to his room. A minute or so later, he came crawling back to the living room dragging something. When I reached a stopping point in my work, I went into the living room to see what he was up to. The first thing I saw was this: Ian had arranged these pieces from his toolbox in a symmetrical pattern. This is actually quite impressive given that there are two of each color. I haven't sat down to figure out the probability of randomly generating a sequence like this, but the odds aren't actually that good. Second, I looked up to see him sitting in one of the living room chairs with his face buried in a book, and he was talking to himself. It turns out that the thing he drug back to the living room was one of his books. The kid had gone to his room, picked out a book, brought it back to the living room, climbed into a chair, and started "reading" to himself. I just quietly walked back into the kitchen and resumed working...he didn't need me to entertain him. --Eric P.S. Look how old he looks in this picture of him and Lisa...and how much he looks like Rob.

Look out world.

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-07-06T10:41:37-04:00

I don't think this needs any explanation.

Baths and Butterfly Lunches

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-07-01T14:03:33-04:00

This is Ian after one of his evening baths (his most favorite part of the day!), "reading" his favorite book. And he loves his birthday suit. After all, what are those stupid clothes and diapers for anyway? He's also decided he doesn't enjoy being towel dried, but would rather air dry while speed-crawling around the house, laughing all the way. When we're particularly tired or feeling quite lenient, we let him have his fun. And, lo and behold, it becomes fun for us, too. And here is one of my new friends. He comes to the flower bed at the base of our deck every day to sample the sweetness of my butterfly-inticing flowers. I was able to capture him on camera this afternoon while he ate and drank to his heart's content. It was really a joy to watch. I hope he comes back tomorrow for another buffet meal. --Lisa PS: Do any of you nature buffs out there know what kind of butterfly this is?

Teaching in the IEP

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-06-27T08:13:36-04:00

This afternoon is my first day back in the Intensive English Program after taking a break for one session while Eric was teaching his Intro to Linguistics course. This session, I'll be teaching three courses: basic level grammar, basic level communication, and level three communication. Each session is seven weeks and there are six sessions throughout the year: two in the spring semester, two in the summer, and two in the fall, and we're just beginning Summer II. The IEP somewhat follows the general schedule of IU's collegiate calendar, but with these divisions in the middle of semesters. So it looks like my life from now on will be measured by seven-week sessions! Pretty much every session will be different, especially for me since I'm a "newbie" in the department and get the classes that the more experienced teachers don't want. So my schedule will most likely change from session to session, which is kind of nice for me because it will provide me with a wide range of experiences and levels. Hooray for boosting the resume'! At any rate, I'm excited about the upcoming session, as well as the next year or so as I get my feet wet in institutional teaching. I'll be phasing out my tutoring students, which basically means that as some of them leave at the end of the summer to return to their native countries, I won't be replacing them with new students like I usually do. Eventually, my main focus will be my teaching in the IEP, which will provide me with more time to spend at home (which means less time for Ian at the babysitter's!). It's amazing how God has worked this all out. The way things have fallen into place with my career is certainly not because of my brilliant planning. Sure, I've worked hard, but God surely deserves the credit for working things out so beautifully and in just the manner that our family needed. Thanks, Lord!

"Hep"

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-06-19T12:13:18-04:00

Today, the world lost a great man...but heaven gained one. Indiana's head football coach, Terry Hoeppner, passed away this morning due to complications from a brain tumor that was discovered a year and a half ago. While we don't know Hep very well personally (we only met him once, briefly), we feel the loss. He was an energetic, tough-nosed, yet compassionate man who led IU football for a mere two seasons. He had the ability to breathe hope and fire into a lifeless program, creating excitement that had not been felt in some time. As far as we know, he was also a follower of Christ, and that conviction showed through in his actions. It is encouraging to know that he is no longer feeling pain. However, his family, friends, and players, as well as the IU community, are experiencing hurt due to his passing. Our prayers go out to them, especially to his wife Jane, who will surely miss him. The two of them were a great team and their unity was obvious. We are thankful to have "brushed elbows" with this man while he was alive, and hope that the legacy he started here at IU will continue in the future.

Friday night musings

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-06-01T22:23:58-04:00

Not much has been going on lately. I'm rounding the last lap as far as teaching is concerned...it's hard to believe that Summer Session I is almost over. Once school is done I'm taking a much needed break for a week or two. Since returning to work about a month after Ian was born, I haven't really taken any kind of break. Even when I've been traveling or seeing other people, work/school has occupied much of my time and thoughts. Come June 14th, I'm putting an "Out to lunch" message on my e-mail, and I'm not turning on my computer for a week (of course, I may turn on my wife's computer...hard to go "cold turkey" on the internet). Looking to the future it is hard to believe that I'm getting ready to start the final leg of my formal education. Come July, I am going to start building the last of the infrastructure that I will need in order to write my dissertation. If all goes well, I should have all of my data collected by the end of December, and I can spend January - April primarily writing up the final portions of my thesis. I'm aiming to defend my dissertation late next Spring, and walk for graduation in May. Being the sentimental sap that I am, I have begun to allow myself to start reflecting on the winding academic journey that has led me to where I am today. The further I have progressed in my education, the more I have come to realize that my acheivements are not mine alone. Who I am today, both personally and academically, is a direct consequence of dozens of people who have poured some aspect of their lives into mine. Most anything that we accomplish is not really due to ourselves; the real doers are those who make us into the kinds of persons who can accomplish things. So, as I enter this "year of fruition", I recognize that it is not about me.

1987 - 2007

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-05-24T20:20:31-04:00

In the next week or so I'll be saying good-bye to the S-10, which has been an Oglesbee family workhorse for 20 years. For me, the S-10 is more than just a truck...it is one of the last physical objects I have that is directly connected to growing up. I don't see a rusting, moderately dangerous, underpowered compact truck, I see my dad picking me up from elementary school in order to take me to piano lessons. On those days, he usually had a small thermos of milk and a couple of mom's chocolate chip cookies ready and waiting for me.... I distinctly remember listening to some sportscasters discussing the new football term that had been coined for the region between the goal line and the 20 yard line (i.e. "red zone"). I also think of how dad would hitch the boat to the truck, and as a family we would head over to lake Waubee and go sailing (Rob and I would ride in back). Later on, when Rob got his license, I remember the contract he had to sign with dad in order to use the truck.... I have to say that one of the bass tapes (yes that's right, tapes) Rob used to play always made me feel like I had to poo. Later, when it became my turn to learn to drive the truck (it's a manual), the one memory that stands out is killing the engine roughly 6 times in rapid succession on a county road at a stop sign.... I had been trying to start the truck in 3rd gear (it was a 4-speed transmission), and had succeeded...the burnt clutch smell testified to my persistence. ...Some of my favorite memories are from college, when Lisa would sit in the middle of the bench seat and fall asleep when we would be driving back from Nappanee or Ft. ...Some might think that it is silly of me to be so attached to a physical thing, especially something which is likely to give you tetanus if you're not careful while washing it.... It's okay to treasure the symbols, as long as we don't let that stand in the way of letting them go when the time is right. ...Although it is hard to let the truck go, I'm happy to say that she is not headed to a scrap heap (for now). The S-10 is being fixed up and is going to a guy from our church who is just a little bit older than me. He has had a difficult life, and has spent the last year in a program at a local rescue mission that has helped him turn his life around. He owns virtually nothing, and some people from our church are helping me to fix up the truck to give to him. People are donating money to pay for plates and insurance, so that this young man from our church will get a working vehicle to start out with.

Whatever you do...

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-05-22T13:24:42-04:00

"So whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." ...This verse stood out to me this morning in my brief quiet time before Ian woke up. It comes at the end of a chapter where Paul is lining out "rules" for holy living. He has some good suggestions, actually: Focus your thoughts on Christ and heavenly things.... Don't let your emotions control you.... Banish bitterness, hate, and lies from your life.... And finally, whatever you do, do it for God, with thankfulness. It all sounds so simple, doesn't it? Do this, don't do that. But it's more difficult to flesh out in the day to day kind of stuff.... We were discussing in our small group this past weekend how to glorify God in the mundane, every day occurrences. How do I glorify God when I'm stressed out? When I'm sick? When I'm frustrated? When I've got so much on my plate that I can hardly think straight? I know I tend to think sometimes in those moments, "External forces are caving in upon me...it's just not possible to glorify God right now." But Paul says, "whatever you do."... In every word and every action.

Comments now enabled (and invited!)

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-05-18T13:30:47-04:00

I've finally gotten around to adding the ability to comment on our blog. Go nuts!

Romanian Lettuce

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-05-15T15:03:06-04:00

Sometimes I forget that I live in a place where people know food. This past weekend we went up to South Bend/Mishawaka in order to celebrate our 6th anniversary, as well as reconnect with some friends. Anyhow, while we were at a restaurant, one of our friends asked the restaurant owner (who happened to have stopped by our table) whether one of the salads was made with Romaine or Iceberg lettuce. The owner responded saying, "Romanian lettuce?... The lettuce is American." At first I thought the owner was making a joke, then I realized, he wasn't. My friend asked a couple more times about the lettuce, thinking that he was just being coy. What was funny was that you could tell that the owner had no idea why my friend cared so much about where the lettuce came from... Our anniversary was quite nice. We washed/waxed our car and went to a small Italian restaurant in Mishawaka with some other friends. It is cliche, but time does move along so quickly. Here's us after six years of marriage... One other funny story. I'm currently teaching an introduction to Linguistics course at IU, and yesterday one of my students said something that made me realize the age/experience distance between me and them. At one point, we were discussing the syntactic properties of the sentence "Jack and Jill ran up the bill", when I happened to mention that one of my former roommates routinely had a $150-$200 phone bill from talking to his girlfriend at another school. One of my students raised her hand and asked, "Didn't your roommate have a cell phone?" A second student immediately chimed in, "What year were you in school anyway?" It's amazing what has changed in just 8 years.

Childhood memories

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-05-08T11:26:50-04:00

I was going through some old family photos today, and found these two: The one on the left is my sister Sherri and I on a swing at our Grandma and Grandpa Amstutz's house in August of 1984, and the one on the right is Eric and his brother Rob painting a dog house in New Paris, Indiana, around the same time. Aren't we all cute?

What's your theological worldview?

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-05-07T11:28:30-04:00

Interesting. According to www.quizfarm.com (and fairly accurately at that), this is me:

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved.

Abort73.com

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-05-03T15:03:26-04:00

A couple days ago, I was reading the most recent issue of Relevant Magazine, and came across a little interview page with Michael Spielman, the founder of Abort73.com, which was named after the 1973 Roe vs. Wade court decision. I had never heard of this organization before, and was immediately intrigued. Upon entering the website, I found a vast wealth of knowledge about abortion and arguments against it. They also have videos on the website for those who are more visually- and emotionally-oriented. You'll have to check it out for yourself, but let me just say that I was very impressed, especially with their "Case Against Abortion" lineup, as well as their treatment of birth control and stem cells (found in the "Facts About Abortion" tab). Reading through all that info reminded me of our senior year at Bethel, which was also our first year of marriage, when I ran across a little statement in a book I was reading for Senior Experience class regarding the question of birth control and whether it caused abortions. I remember being completely stunned...and I must admit, a little angry. No one had ever told me of that possibility before. How dare the author of that book disrupt my life in such a way! However, after much ensuing research, Eric and I decided to make a life-altering decision and go off hormonal birth control, trading it for the fertility awareness method, which we felt was a morally safer option for us, given our belief that life begins at conception. While it was ultimately a no-brainer for us, it was a tough decision to enforce. The convenience of birth control really created a very "cozy" feeling, and giving it up was not easy -- or popular, for that matter. But it was one of the better decisions we've ever made, I believe. Now, I'm so glad that my life was disrupted and my moral beliefs challenged. As I look over the five years since that event, I'm thankful for how God has stretched us in this issue. I know I have a lot of room to grow in other areas of social injustice, but I pray that He'll be speaking to me about those, too, and that my heart will be open to listen. --Lisa PS: For an overview of fertility awareness, go to this wikipedia site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertility_awareness

Birthday Pictures!

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-04-27T12:57:58-04:00

Here are some pictures from Ian's birthday party. As you can see, we had a LOT of fun! It was a beautiful, sunny day -- perfect for an outdoor party! When everyone sang "Happy Birthday", he began digging into his cake right away and enjoyed the singing by clapping along with it. He started off eating his cake very neatly, but made a mess of himself (as well as the house!) by the end of it. He also received an abundant amount of presents and really enjoyed playing with the other kids that were there. It was a fun day, all around! We're so thankful that we have so many friends and family who show they care. Even those who were not able to be there due to other plans or distance were able to show their love in various ways. Thank you all for your support this past year! --Lisa PS: For more photos, check out Ian's photo album.

A fun birthday and not-so-fun car accident

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-04-26T14:28:29-04:00

Wow, I can't believe my baby is one year old already!... Ian's party on Saturday was great -- we had a huge turnout of many of our favorite people. Ian had the traditional first piece of chocolate cake -- along with the traditional mess all over himself and anything nearby! I would post some pictures, but our camera is not working right now, and other people who took pictures have not been able to send them to me yet. As soon as I get some pictures, I'll post them. It really was a fun event, and one that I'll remember for awhile. In other news, Tuesday (two days ago) was an interesting day for us. On my way to work, I got rear-ended at a stoplight and hit the truck that was also stopped in front of me. I was driving my in-laws' Jeep Wrangler that we're borrowing for a short time since Eric's truck is no longer safe to drive. The Jeep is fine except for some bumper damage, but the cars that were in front of and behind me are probably totaled. Ian was with me, but all he got was a sore tongue from biting it at the time of the crash.... I thank God that nobody was hurt, and that we were in the Jeep instead of my Sunfire. If we'd been in my vehicle, it probably would have been totaled, too, and there might have even been some injuries for me and Ian. God was taking care of us, as He always does. There are, of course, some insurance and familial issues to deal with as a result of the accident, but I'd much rather deal with those kinds of things than for Eric and I have to no vehicle of our own, and/or for one of us to be suffering physical pain. It's always interesting what happens when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time! Anyway, we're all fine, and we're going on with life. We're looking forward to a visit sometime this summer from my sister and brother-in-law who live in Alaska, and Eric is gearing up to teach in a couple weeks, as well as finish his thesis proposal. We're busy, but it's a good, productive kind of busy where we still have time for family and friends.

VT Tragedy

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-04-19T10:50:33-04:00

Our thoughts and prayers go out on behalf of the countless people affected by this week's tragedy at Virginia Tech. It's chilling to think that one person can cause so much destruction and pain. It makes us long for the joy of heaven and reminds us that this is not how life was meant to be. We are a fallen race, and as such, we all have to deal with the consequences of that, no matter how good we think we are. What's intriguing is that Jesus died to redeem that young man who inflicted so much sorrow, just as much as He died for the victims who were killed and wounded, and just as much as He died for you and me. He loved that young man, and He his hurt by this situation even more than we are. One day, He'll return things to their rightful state, and we'll be able to once again live in peace and joy. Lord, may that day come quickly.

Big snappers, yummy food, and good times

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-04-11T11:23:44-04:00

This past weekend, to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, we flew to North Carolina to visit our good friends, JD, Andrea, and their 4-week-old baby boy Taliesin. As always, it was a fun-filled, entertaining visit. Every year, JD and Andrea prepare a very large and very elegant meal to celebrate the Easter holiday. It's their way of recognizing the supreme importance of Christ's resurrection and looking forward to the feast we will all have together someday as believers in the Kingdom of God. The menu and theme of the meal are different every year. This year, they had a "kids" theme (to recognize the wonderful changes both of our families have gone through in the past year) and the menu was a little more untraditional than usual. The highlight of the weekend's gourmet festivities was a 7.75-pound red snapper, which was much larger than was anticipated, and which caused JD and Andrea to become well-known by the fish mongers at their local grocery store. The best part of the weekend was being able to spend time with people who are very dear to us and to meet their new son. JD and Andrea are already such good parents, and it will be fun to raise our children together (even though we live so far away). We are very thankful for the chance to go see them this past weekend, and we look forward to the next time our families can reunite, wherever that may be. *** Here's an adorable picture of JD, Ian, and Taliesin:

Holy Week Reflections

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-04-04T13:37:17-04:00

Here is a prayer that I discovered this week, and which has touched my heart: Dear Lord, as I approach your cross, I am like the disciples who ran. I love you and I want to be a good servant, but getting close to your cross is difficult. I'm not sure why. I want to say that it is just a struggle to let you die for me. I resist responding gratefully. I resist seeing in your death the mystery of my life. When I behold you there on the cross I see the meaning of life. You are completely who you are there. Giving your life away you receive it. The grain of wheat falling to the ground and dying. I see the meaning of my life. To love as I have been loved by you. To be your disciple is to take up my meaning and to follow you. To receive my life only by giving it away is to bear fruit that will last. As I embrace your cross please give me the grace to place my life in your hands and become day by day a servant of your own mission. (http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/prep-goodfriday.html) May God bless you all as you contemplate His death and resurrection this coming weekend.

Early brushes with this world

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-03-27T22:37:48-04:00

It's interesting the transformation one goes through as a parent. You try to protect your kid and keep his life happy and safe, but when it comes down to it, he has to experience the world at some point.... Much earlier than my liking, in fact. And when it happens, you have to decide how you're going to react as a parent. Because, ultimately, how you react to the world is how your child will someday react to it. ...Today at the babysitter's house, Ian experienced his first brush with violence. Not by the babysitter, thank goodness, but by another little girl, about a year older than him, who decided it would be interesting to claw at his face in the middle of naptime. Poor Ian has scratches all over his nose and cheeks and looks like he was in a gang fight. Our babysitter dealt with the issue adequately, but it still pains me to think that Ian had to suffer unreasonable anger from another person at such a young age. The mommy in me wants to get that girl's mother's phone number and give her a piece of my mind, but the rational side of me knows that Ian's really fine and that he has to experience unpleasant behavior from his peers at some point. Sure, at eleven months, he's not old enough or mature enough to recognize that the incident wasn't his fault and that the little girl must have some issues that need to be dealt with, but at the very least, he may be able to be aware of the fact that he might want to stay away from her. The key is that I need to start now in helping him deal with the world he's going to encounter for the rest of his life. His life won't always be the happy, stress-free time that it is for him right now. He's going to experience unpleasant things day in and day out as he gets older. And I truly believe that how I react to what happens to me, as well as what happens to him, will make a lasting impact on how he in turn reacts to the world he comes in contact with. I hope that the end result for him is treating people with grace and dignity, and tackling problems with serenity and wisdom. That's my prayer, anyway. May God help me to show him how.

Transfering Blog Posts

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-03-22T15:23:32-04:00

Welcome to our new home! We hope to more frequently (and more interestingly) update this page than our old one, but we'll see! --Lisa You may notice that while the dates are correct for all of the posts prior to this one, the time stamps are a little goofy (all in the 3 p.m. range). This is due to the way I had to import our blog entries from the MSN Spaces website. Just thought I'd mention this.

NCAA March Madness

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-03-19T15:21:49-04:00

We just had a crazy weekend of basketball! We put on our annual March Madness Extravaganza party, which started on Thursday at noon and ended yesterday (Sunday) at 8pm. We had a free online account with March Madness On-Demand, which allowed us to hook up one TV to a computer (patching the video through), use our regular TV with cable, and be able to watch two games at once! We could have hooked up more computers to be able to watch four games at once on Thursday and Friday during the first round of the tournament, but there wasn't really a need. At any rate, Eric was able to see large portions of all 48 games that were shown from Thursday to Sunday, which he enjoyed, but he's actually pretty ready to get back to work now! We had fun with all of the guests that came to watch with us, and a LOT of food was consumed over the course of the four days. Highlights from the past four days: -- Indiana beating Gonzaga on the very last game of the first day -- Yeah Hoosiers! -- Purdue beating Arizona in the first round, and very handily at that -- Good job, Boilermakers! -- The Big Ten going 5-1 in the first round (stinkin' Illinois was the one who lost) -- Duke being kicked out in the first round (we don't like them Blue Devils) -- Both Indiana and Purdue playing hard in their close losses to UCLA and Florida, respectively All in all, it was a fun four days of basketball, friends, and food, and while we're sad that it's over, it will be nice to get back to "real life." It's nice to know we've still got two weekends of good college basketball before the summer sports drought begins. --Lisa

New job!

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-03-09T15:21:26-05:00

For those of you who don't know, last Friday, I was offered a job as a part-time teacher in the Intensive English Program at IU...and they wanted me to start on this Tuesday! What a crazy weekend we had, trying to decide if this new job would work for our family, what to do with Ian every day in the afternoon, and how to rearrange my schedule with my current tutorees so as not to lose any business. Well, God worked (almost) all of it out, and I went in on Tuesday to fill out papers, and started teaching on Wednesday! I really love this new job for several reasons: 1) it's giving me experience with lower-level students, which I haven't really had in the past, 2) it looks great on my resume'/curriculum vitae, and 3) it's a nice bonus of money that we didn't expect for this year.... They're all from either UAE or Saudi Arabia, and the women are all covered. They're very shy, and most of them are younger than me, so that is fun, as well. It's fun learning about their culture and how to relate to them. I teach two classes, reading and writing, and the textbooks are very self-explanatory, so it's actually one of my easiest teaching jobs so far! The only problem yet to be completely solved is that of a babysitter for Ian while I'm teaching. We have a friend who lives nearby and who has two young daughters, and she offered to have Ian at her house while I'm gone, which was very generous of her. However, we were really hoping to find someone to come to our house for a couple hours (like a college student, for instance), since that time is Ian's naptime. Perhaps if we decided to take our friend up on her offer, Ian would eventually adjust and actually take a nap at her house, but we're not sure about that. At any rate, we have a week and a half to really settle this issue since next week is Spring Break. Please pray that we make a wise decision in regard to this, and that whatever works out is best for Ian. So that's what's new for us!... Drop us a line and let us know how you're doing! ...3-19-07 Update: We found a wonderful lady in our neighborhood named Debbie who runs a daycare. She agreed to take Ian for a couple hours in the afternoon, while Eric and I are crossing paths on our way to and from school...and the best thing is, she's charging us next to nothing!

For all you wives/moms out there

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-02-23T15:21:08-05:00

Yesterday, I was able to attend our church's "Mom's REST stop" for the first time. A group of moms, mostly in their 20's and 30's, get together every other week at the church with free childcare provided by older women in the church and do various things like crafts, Bible studies, and prayer time. Yesterday they had a guest speaker, a lady who was in her 40's and a mother of 3, the last of which was a "surprise" and is a little over a year old. I had met her several times before in-between services when she and I both used to give our little ones a midmorning snack. My impression of her was that she was one of those "granola", ultra-feminist types, and that really is how she carries herself. However, she spoke about how to be a Biblical woman, mostly focusing on our roles as wives, and I was impressed and encouraged by her talk, and filled with respect over the way she presented a Biblical view of how a woman should act that is completely anti-cultural. ...First, she mentioned that she believes that women have a special place in God's heart (though we're saved with the same grace as men), and cited several verses that supported her opinion, one of which was Isaiah 40:11, "Like a shepherd He will tend his flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes." ...Secondly, she talked about Ephesians 5:22-33 where it mentions how a woman should submit to and respect her husband. ...* find some way(s) to praise your husband every single day and let him know how you admire him * don't try to "fix" him by correcting his attitudes and behavior; that's God's job, not yours * don't criticize him; that's also not your job, but Satan's * ask him for advice whenever you can, even if you don't feel like you need it; his opinion and wisdom will certainly help you, and he will feel needed by you (which he is!) She gave an example from her own life to illustrate some of these things: her husband loves books, so much so that he has over 3,500 books in their 1000sq.ft.... They don't have enough bookshelves (or room for more shelves), so he stacks the books on the floor.... Whenever her husband gets upset about his books being messed with and she feels the urge to scream, "You're being selfish and crazy!", she prays for forgiveness and the grace to respect her husband, regardless of his faults, and resolves to try to discipline her daughter better so that she doesn't mess with her daddy's books. I found that striking because it seems to me like she's got every right in the world to be upset at him, but instead of criticizing him herself, she lets God do the work through her respectful and kind actions. And she said the result when she does this kind of thing is that her husband realizes on his own that he's being selfish and wants to do better. This kind of attitude goes along perfectly with what God says in 1 Peter 3:1-7, "Wives in the same way [as being obedient to Christ], be submissive to your husbands, so that...they may be one over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come [merely] from outward adornment...Instead it should be that of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight..." I was impressed by the fact that this strong, independent, self-sufficient woman would be saying these things! I figured if she can do it, maybe I can be a better Biblical woman for my own husband.

Back in the USA

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-02-15T15:20:34-05:00

God's blessings were rich upon me, and I really felt the love and support of those of you who were at home.... I guess I kind of expected it to be a "testing" experience, or at least an "eye-opening" experience, and in some ways it was.... But God had other things to teach me: things like how to receive love and how to rely on the help of other people. ...We were able to enjoy for the first time the splendor and beauty of the view from the mission house's balcony, which is located on a mountain to the north of the city. On Sunday, we attended a Spanish-speaking mega-church in Teguc, after which we took a drive over the northeast mountains to an area called Valley of the Angels, where we ate a lovely meal and did a little bit of sovenier shopping. ...On Monday and Tuesday, we had our first medical brigade at a church in the west part of the city.... I think we were able to help some people who really needed it. ...We went first to the top of a mountain on the east side of the city, Rancho Ebenezer, their alternative to an orphanage, where they house abandoned children with married couples, usually 4-6 children per household. In this kind of setup, the children are able to receive real love and care from a real family setting, while also getting a first-rate education through the school at the ranch. It's WGO's way of enhancing the Honduran culture from the bottom up -- by teaching people real values, integrity, and what it means to be part of a family. Once children become 18 and are no longer under the legal guardianship of the ministry, they have the option to become part of the Bridge house, which is the second place we visited. The Bridge house is located in the middle of Teguc, and is run by one set of house parents who help the young adults adjust to living on their own.... It seemed like a good "bridge" from the ranch to the real world, and I think the ministry has the chance to produce some of the country's future leaders. Before returning home to the mission house, we went up the mountain a little higher to the future mission house site, where WGO hopes to begin building sometime in the next year or so. The view from that site is almost as breathtaking as the current mission house's view, and in some ways, more. ...On Saturday, we packed up our things, said goodbye to the friends we made, and boarded the plane back to the US. It was sad to leave the people we'd grown so close to, but it was also nice to know that we were returning to our homes and families where we belong.... I had the pleasure of receiving the "Honduran welcome," as it is affectionately known, which is really just a nasty bug that upsets your stomach in a variety of ways. However, it only lasted two days, and during those two days, I was able to experience the love and care from many people in ways that I did not expect.

Snowy days

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-01-26T15:20:11-05:00

Well, as of my last blog, we had not seen one snowflake this winter, but eleven days later, we're quite familiar with the sparkly white stuff. We had a good two inches a week or so ago, most of which has melted off, but almost every night we get a little dusting to make everything pretty again. Even though I'm not a huge fan of winter, I'm glad for the cold snap -- it should make the summer easier to bear by killing off a bunch of flies, mosquitos, ants and whatnot. ...With January comes the fun of NFL playoffs and the anticipation of the Super Bowl. Thank goodness, our COLTS finally made it this year!... There was quite a bit of whooping and hollering going on in our TV room last Sunday when they defeated our arch-nemesis, the New England Patriots. I'll have to miss the live viewing of the Super Bowl because I'll be in Honduras, but Eric is going to record the game for me. I guess my wonderful Peyton Manning will have to win it without my "help"! I'll be proudly wearing my #18 jersey on the plane down to Honduras, though! Other than that, there's not much to report. Eric is still plugging away at his work, and is starting to schedule subjects for one of his experiments. Ian is "cruising" along the furniture now, and trying to experiment with standing by himself, although he hasn't figured it out yet. I almost kind of hope he doesn't figure it out for a couple weeks...until after I get back from Honduras! I would hate to miss his first steps! I have a new student, making my total grow to six at this time, which is keeping me fairly busy. It's always a lot of extra work at the beginning of a new student relationship -- making lesson plans, finding readings that interest that person, setting up the class structure, etc. Once I get going, though, it's usually smooth sailing with only a little preparation work every week. We're so thankful for how God has provided for us, over and over again. His faithfulness has only increased our faith in Him.

Happy New Year!...two weeks late...

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2007-01-15T15:19:46-05:00

Yep, it's already two weeks into 2007, and our little town has yet to see a snowflake! We've become familiar with lots of rain and balmy temperatures, though. You'd think we lived in a tropical climate! However, we just had a frigid cold front come through today, so maybe we'll experience some freezing temperatures from now on. It sure has been weird to be seeing ants and flies in the middle of January! Backing up a little bit, we had a very nice Christmas. Ian's first, to be exact, and it was a very pleasant one. We enjoyed time with our families, and even traveled a bit to see some college friends between Christmas and the New Year. This 2007 calendar year is already proving to be one of promise...and a lot of hard work! Eric has received two pieces of good "news" in terms of his education: one, that he is now at candidacy for his PhD, meaning that all he has left is the work on his dissertation/thesis, and two, that one of the papers he presented at the conference in Hawaii received a 2nd place award out of more than 60 other presentations! (I'm so proud of him!) He's excited to be working on experiments for his thesis, and the end seems to be in sight. As for me, I'm still plugging away at my little self-made business. I love my students, and I have daily confirmation that this is what I'm supposed to be doing right now. ...Looking ahead, this spring promises to be a busy one. In three weeks, I'll be accompanying my father-in-law on a trip to Honduras, where we'll meet up with some other American Christians and help out with physical needs of the Honduran people. I'm really looking forward to this trip -- it's been a long time since I've done anything overtly missions-oriented, and I've been feeling the "itch" to get out there in the world! I'm sure I'll post a blog or two about the experience when it's over. I hope this finds you all well, and that God is as richly blessing you as He is us. That is our prayer, anyway.

Christmastime is here

lisaoglesbee@gmail.com — 2006-12-18T15:19:24-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone! We're thoroughly enjoying this year's holiday season. We don't have as many Christmas functions to attend as usual, mostly because we're both sort-of self-employed and don't have office parties to go to and partly because we have a little one who needs to go to bed, so we can't attend some of the later functions. But we've been relishing in the events we have been able to attend. Also, Ian is crawling everywhere and getting into as much trouble as possible -- and it's so much fun! This morning he "discovered" the Christmas tree and started pulling off ornaments. It's a good thing we purposely placed bigger, non-breakable ornaments at the bottom of the tree that he couldn't hurt himself with! Yesterday, Eric spent a lot of time installing safety catches on our kitchen cabinets to keep Ian from exploring them, and now we're constantly pinching our fingers trying to open the doors! We'll get used to it. The nice thing is, Ian seems to have a good understanding of the word "no" and usually turns away from whatever he's been getting into when we use a firm (but not harsh!) voice with him. He's already learning what's ok and what's not ok to play with. At eight months, he is at such a fun age, and we're enjoying it immensely. All in all, this Christmas season has been an encouraging and thoughtful one. It's always wonderful to celebrate the miraculous incarnation of God becoming human and relish in the hope, love, and peace that event creates in our lives. Praise God for his unwavering love for us. We hope that all of you find the same joy this Christmas season.