Month: December 2011

This post is dedicated to my sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws. I have written about my siblings and nieces and nephews over the last year in my blog. I am a bit struck by the fact that I haven’t written about  my sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws.

I enjoy my family….both those I grew up with and those I will grow old with. My sibling group started with five of us and now has grown to 9 of us. Dan, Andy, Marcia and Jonna have all been around long enough that it seems like they have always been there. In being single, I have never had to journey the path of merging with another family. But it is something that I often give thought to following our family gatherings.

Often after family times, such as Christmas, I reflect on the myriad of outcomes that could occur when families are grown through marriages. I would say that although we have had some bumps in the road, I am very very fortunate to have acquired sister in-laws and brother in-laws who appreciate the traditions that were carried out when we were children and continue today. It also has been fun to learn of the ways they have done things in their families of origin and now to see how my nieces and nephews grow up in a home where those traditions are mixed into new traditions for them.

I am very fortunate to have a family that enjoys being together and knows how to laugh together. At times we have cried together but I believe what I am most thankful for, is an adult (and kid) group who enjoys being together. We share a happy hour or two, doing some puzzling, playing some games, sharing conversation or a good meal and rarely is their silence. Almost every time, we can walk away saying a good time was had by all!

And so, to Marcia, Jonna, Dan and Andy…..I am thankful for you. I am thankful for what you bring to my siblings and what you bring to our family. I am thankful for your roles as husbands and wives and fathers and mothers. I am thankful for the children you have brought into this world and so wonderfully allow me to be an Aunt for. I am thankful for the friendship I have with each one of you and for the unending support you each have offered me on my journey in life.

I would guess their could be many books written by those who join any family through marriage. I would guess everyone experiences some awkward and difficult moments. I hope though that the relationships and friendships that grow are marked by much love, understanding, acceptance and grace. I am thankful for the spice and life that has been added to my family. May 2012 be filled with many more wonderful memories of the entire Kupborgdeb​os (Kuperus, Borgdorff, DeKam, Bos) Clan!

Due to posting complications, this post did not post last evening.

Tonight I would like to share with you a blog written by Lydia. Lydia has always been dear to my heart. I used to hang out with Lydia ALOT. I started hanging out with her when she was about 3 and I was the Director of Children’s Ministry at Sunshine Community Church. Lydia has always had a sparkle in her eye and a passion for life. Over the years, Lydia has grown up and remains a very gifted young woman who still has a sparkle in her eye and a passion for life.

Lydia and her family are spending the month in Togo West Africa doing mission work together. This is an adventure in the fullest sense of the word. Lydia is the oldest, but there is also Gabrielle, Isaac, Luke and Grace. You place this amazing group of five kids, along with their two parents, and I believe that Togo West Africa and the Blicley Bunch will all be changed in the days ahead. Lydia beautifully depicts one of those life changing moments in the blog below. She also leaves us with some amazing and wonderful questions to ponder….

fresh

funny togolese nurses’ dress.  sterile covers over my chaco sandals. hair net. face mask. camera. OR ready. dad in action. hands steady and sure. woman bulging with 2 tiny lives.
scalpel, retractor, scalpel, force.  1 tiny head. 2 tiny heads. smacks, cries, slime. fresh life. in awe, i gazed at the 2 new faces before me.  dirty, and slippery, and new.  i watched as they took their first crying breaths, their small black bodies floppy and fragile.  squinting eyes, wrinkled skin, matted hair.  twin girls.  tears in my eyes, i held them in my arms the 2 of them already asleep. wrapped up together.  1 light.  1 dark.  new sisters.  i presented them to their mother, still being stitched, snipped and sewn.  “well done,” i said in my broken french, “they’re beautiful.” she beamed and thanked me as happy tears filled her once anxious eyes.  i was so proud.  proud of her. proud of my dad.  just proud.  and amazed.
the miracle of life.
baby fingernails on baby fingers on baby hands, wrapped around mine. teeny and perfect and new.
the husband wasn’t there.  at all. she called him on her cell phone.  from the operating table.
but the grandmother was. her face, pure delight. she held the girls close.  1 in each arm.  she was proud.  proud of her daughter.  proud to be a grandmother.  just proud.  and amazed.
“akbvay ka ka a Jesu,” she exclaimed in her native Ewe tongue.  “akvbay ka ka a Jesu!” over and over.  much thanks to Jesus. she was proud.  and amazed. and thankful.
she held the 2 fresh lives, and i admired them more.  then, she looked at me with hopeful, questioning eyes. she offered me the 2 little bundles and asked, in her native tongue, “will you take them to America?” what?  i couldn’t.  shocked, i quickly shook my head. no.  no way. 2 new, precious lives.  so quick to give them up for a better life.  2 days later, and i’m still in shock.
how could she?  i saw how she glowed, how she beamed with pride, how she thanked me, how she thanked the Lord.
but life is better in America.  right?  or is it just different?
is my 2-story, suburban home with 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms better than their mud huts with straw roofs and dirt floors?  is my massaging shower head better than their plastic cups and buckets?  is my Kenmore combination electric/gas stove top better than their mud ovens? i don’t know for sure. but i don’t think so. i think it’s just different. this is how they live.  it’s a different country, a different culture, a different climate, and a different way of life. you could argue this a million and 2 different ways. but regardless of whether or not life in America is superior–life is life is life.
and life is a present. straight from the creative Creator.  from beginning to end.  and it’s not yours.  or mine.
those 2 new babies didn’t belong.  not to the glowing grandmother, or the beaming mother.  not to anyone here.  and not here at all.
just like them, I’m on loan.  you’re on loan.  to your family, to your professors, to this earth.  we belong somewhere else. and time is short and the need is wide. the world is ready, and hunting, and stumbling in the dark. who will show them the Light of Life?

I spent some time reflecting on the person I would like to be at the end of 2012 and how I plan to get there…

Then I came across this piece and really like this as the center of my vision. I would like to be me…a healthy me, a compassionate me, a financially responsible me….

I would like to invite you to be you….seems like a pretty simple invite…yet I believe it will take some focus to be the best me I can be! Won’t you join me in this journey?

Christmas is over…

It feels odd tonight to know that come tomorrow the Christmas songs will be off the radio and tonight Valentines decor is already up at Meijer. Just that quick, Christmas is over. For the last four weeks I have been thinking about each person in my family and coming up with options of gifts that might bring them joy and delight. I have enjoyed the shopping and writing of clues. I have enjoyed giving and been very loved in the gifts I have received. My family experienced a wonderful family time with very few, if any, moments of relational tension. I am thankful and Christmas 2011 was wonderful…

And just that quickly, Christmas is over….

Tomorrow I will put the paper away and pack up the decorations. I will marvel at the reality that there was not a bit of snow (well, not much at all) this Christmas season. I am sure it is coming, but to be at the end of December and have sunshine and green grass, is another reality that brings me great joy!

And just that quickly…Christmas is over!

And I begin to think about the phrase, it is Christmas every day. I begin to wonder what it would be to carry Christmas with me every day. Is it keeping the freshness and the wonder of Jesus birth in my mind and heart or perhaps it is carrying extra grace for the people who irritate me? Is it practicing generosity in ways every day that seems easier to do at Christmas or is it taking time to enjoy time with friends and family, sharing a cup of tea or a glass of wine? Perhaps it is setting a Pandora Christmas station with the songs that remind me of the miracle of Christmas….

I am guessing there is something I can do to carry Christmas with me in the day-to-day. I am going to really give this some thought in the coming week and welcome your thoughts.

What would it be for you to carry Christmas with you everyday?

We have all arrived at The Holiday Inn express. There has been  swimming and pizza and games, conversation, laughter, outdoor soccer in the parking lot, late night walks in the snow, movies, happy hour and bedtime. And we have only been together for six hours. . I must say that I prayed on my way over here for a peaceful spirit. And then as I played Pandora in the car, the next song on was Be Still my Soul….I love how prayers are answered….

It is my hope that you all experience joy and delight this Christmas weekend! I know in the next 48 hours there will be more of what was started tonight for us. I also know that for many there will be tears and loneliness…it is my hope that in it all, you to will experience peace in your heart and be able to say, It is well  with your soul..

Not because of the snow but because I spent the night with my sister and brother-in-law and their three children. 

It was the evening we all love and enjoy….an evening that invites all of my senses to experience Christmas fully!

It was the packaging and paper, the music from Peter playing the piano, reflecting on the Christmas story, the smells and tastes of the appetizers….

It was the very cool Rice Krispies Igloo made by Peter and Suzi….

It was the ooh’s and the aah’s….it was the sweet spoken words of “I was hoping for this” and the sparkling eyes….

It was the hugs and the kisses, the thank you’s and the desire to play, play, play…..

It was a beautiful night where I am reminded of how blessed I am….

It was a beautiful night where I am reminded how much fun it is to give….

It was a beautiful night where I am thankful for the  miracle of Jesus and the celebration of rituals and traditions….

It was a beautiful night….and it is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more updates from a full family Christmas on Saturday!

Of course there is much to do the week of Christmas…..

I have gift clues to write and presents to wrap, I have laundry to do and a dishwasher to empty, I have clothes to fold and Christmas letters to address…

I have lots to do, but tonight, I opted to hit the pause button….

As I paused, I enjoyed reading the latest edition of our family newsletter: Treasured Ties

This is Vol. 27 (25 + years) of Treasured Ties and over the years, TT has assisted in sharing the stories within our family. There are updates submitted by family members of all ages. There is cutting edge news and historical stories. There is a welcome box announcing babies and adoptions and a family directory!

Let me share a bit of the flavor:

I like school because we have recess. I like Josiah and Harold. My teacher’s name is Mrs. Mudde. We have been learning about Christmas and about Jesus’ birth. When I turned five I got a guinea pig named Tommy and I liked holding him. He died. I was sad. Then we got another guinea pig named Tom. He died too while we were on vacation. I was sad. I learned how to ride a two-wheeler on the tennis courts by my house. We moved into a new house. I like it. And Peter and I bought a new air hockey table. Merry Christmas everybody!
~ Isaiah age 5

Hi,
im Rory from the Kehr family and im going to tell you whats been going on in my family. One thing that went on a little bit ago is that my little brother was born in May 8, 2011 and he is 7 months old. my little brother harris is going to school like me at the potters house. cady is 2 and even thogh shes not in school she LOVES ART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! me well ive been doing spelling at school. we have moved 2 houses down from our old 1. oops! i forgot to tell about my pearents. they are VERY VERY NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well thats ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! From rory

There is a memory box section as well. There is a picture of the house that 11 of the 12 children (my Mom and her siblings) were born in Friesland, Netherlands. The story that goes with it is a fun read:

Lost but Not Forgotten!

In the Netherlands is a county called Opsterland. It has a small town which has a spot that is still very dear to us. When we are there, we always make sure we pass it on our bikes. And then we stop and talk about things that happened long ago. It used to be a very busy place. There were always kids playing outside, cows in the pasture, and men working the fields with horses. Now there is nothing left. The place burned down some years ago. By now you probably know that I am writing about the farm where all of us were born except Myles, who was born in Drachten.
It was not a big house but we made it work. There was a big kitchen—at least that’s what we called it—that was also a family room because we spent a lot of time there together. During the war everybody had to be inside at 8 o’clock so we were all home every night. There were three closets in this room. One was the rommel kost (junk closet) where we hung our coats. Our toys had to be picked up at night and stored in that closet as well. Then there was a diaper closet which held all the baby stuff. And in another corner was a place for some dishes. And at the bottom of this closet there was some room for turf which was burned in the stove to heat the house. One of us had to keep that turf box filled.
The barn was connected to the house which was not a problem except in the winter. When the cows were in the barn all the time, it did not always smell so good. Milking the cows was not a bad job. I always found it kind of relaxing. But now and then the cows would swing their dirty tails right in your face. That was no fun. When John was busy milking, we could always hear him in the house as he was singing his Psalms. We had to milk by hand. There was no electricity so we milked them one by one. Each time you were done with one, the pail had to be emptied in a milk can with a strainer on top. Most of the time, we had 22 cows plus some heifers in a side barn. There were also two or three horses in that barn. When they had to be fed, first you’d have to go behind and then next to them in a dark hallway to a crib—which the horses ate from. Every time I fed the horses, I always thought, this must be just like the crib where Jesus was born.

I hope you can start to envision why I had to hit pause and get caught up on the happenings of my family. I am thankful for a family that values stories and recognizes the value of writing them down and sharing them.

I wonder what it would look like for your family to have a treasured ties of your own….let me know if you would like to see a hard copy of ours!