Baby kisses

I just can't help myself. Hannah is one of the most kissable babies in the world. And so, I kiss her very frequently. It should come as no surprise that the first real action that she has began to immitate from me is to give kisses. She likes to crawl up next to me while I'm on the floor and then crawl on top of me and "kiss" my face. Mind you, her kisses are open-mouth and saliva-laden, but she knows what she is doing and it gives her (and me!) so many giggles when she does!

Go ye into all the world

I live in South Korea. I know, you all know this. But sometimes my life in (wow!) Korea turns into just "life." Have you been there?

Jeremy & I read "The Treasure Principle" by Randy Alcorn when we were in Hawaii. Don't read it without being prepared to have your whole way of thinking and living challenged. The book is a "Prayer of Jabez" sized book based on the parable in Matthew where the man sold all he owned to by the field with the hidden treasure. Alcorn talks about having a true eternal perspective, especially in the area of personal finances and giving. Radical things happened (and are happening) in the Rhodes household because of that book.

In the process, God has really been focusing my heart and mind on missions. Well, it has been one of those things (I'm sure you have been there, too) where God has slipped a little bit in my heart and then let it simmer. And then He turned up the heat a bit, and then a little more and a little more, and now I'm starting to boil in excitement about worldwide missions. Just today I had a terrible attitude about life, in general, and life in Korea, specifically, and I was reminded that even on my worst days my life is cake compared to those living in India...

Speaking of India, have you heard the Caedmon's Call cd "Share the Well"? I listened to it over and over again while waiting for Hannah to come. It brought me to my knees in tears. I'll spare details here, but you can read the review at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2004/sharethewell.html

I had the crazy thought today about joining my friends on a missions trip to India next weekend. When I told Jeremy my thought he said "You've done crazier things than go to India!"

Spent

Less than 10 minutes after I woke up this morning I was asking God "When will I get to slow down?" God replies, in KJV, "Be not weary in well doing for in such a season you will reap a harvest if you faint not."

This fair lady is pretty spent. My energy, mind and body are looking forward to a day or two of laying around in my pjs. I'm hoping that will start on Tuesday of this week. I need to put it into my schedule...

This week has been intense but has been such a blessing, too. A gal from our MOPS group was induced a month early because of high blood pressure. She has just moved to East Seoul, which would take FOREVER to drive to from here. So, as the Hospitality Co-ordinator I organized to have people make meals and then freeze them for me to take up to her. People also donated money so I made a huge shopping trip to the BX to buy her gifts. (The trip to the BX was not without excitement--I had to go twice because the first time I went there was a "suspecious package" in the Post Office so the police had the BX blocked off.) A dear friend Terri and I met Jennifer's husband and delievered 8 meals and $200 worth of baby items. It was AWESOME!

Just as a side note, it costs $25-30/package for diapers and $20-30/can for formula in a Korean Walmart-type store.

Good News from my friend Caryn!

Here's an excerpt from an email from my dear college roommate Caryn (Broadway) Davis:

Here's a fabulous fashion moment. I was reading in a recent issue of Time magazine, and ran across the article

"Looks like a cover-up: Designers explore a risky new strategy - modesty."

The article shows hideous, but yes, modest clothing worn down the runways in a couple cities in a far away land. The story covering a new turn in fashion that may be what connects with women. In a search for the next look, designer Miuccia Prada was quoted in a moment of pure brilliance, saying, "The super-exposure of nudity seems not to have given much happiness to women."

Earth-shattering profundity in the world of fashion. I think we need to mark this date in history, girls!

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Way cool!! Wouldn't it be awesome if this trend really caught on!?! It would make parenting my daughter so much easier...

St. Patrick's Day

I don't know why I enjoy this holiday so much. I think it all started on March 17, 2002. On that particular St. Patrick's Day, Jeremy & I met with two of our newest friends to enjoy corned beef and cabbage at a fun little restaurant in Great Falls. It was more fun to say that we were meeting to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than to admit that the real reason we were at the restaurant was to say goodbye to them before they moved to Kosova. I then became a fan of Reuben sandwiches, and I have always loved potato soup. Something clicked and for the past four years (has it really been that long?) I have been faithfully celebrating the patron saint. This year I decided to make it an at-home affair. I made Reubens for the first time ever (so easy but so yummy!) and a baked potato soup recipe that is as healthy for you as a Big Mac. Friends of our brought over a chocolate fountain (which was WAY cool) with yummy dippers like strawberries and graham crackers. We talked and pretended for one evening that life at Osan is just as normal as being in the states. It was a cleansing, beautiful night!

Hawaii Pictures

Here is Hawaii in pictures :)
(This posting will be under construction for a few days...)

Hannah & I are on the KC-10 on the flight to Hawaii.
Gotta love that floor space!


It's been a long day, daddy!













My beach baby!



This is me and Hannah in the jumpseats of the C130.

I'm home!

After hours and hours of travel and just as many hours of unpacking and laundry, I feel like I'm at home. It is amazing how a person must play catch up for so long after they are on a trip before life is gets back to the normal ebb and flow again. I haven't quite hit that place of ebb and flow. Maybe by next week? But today I've determined to make cards with my friend Becca and catch up on all that has been happening with her over the past two weeks. Being in the military definitely teaches a body to take advantage of time with friends--one of you will be moving soon! (Becca is a missionary, and their life is in motion as much as us military folks!)

And so, not much to say in this posting except that God told me to play more, and I'm off to play today! Yeay!