Five things that are making me smile right now!

Dear Readers,
 
     I recently read a sweet blogpost by my friend Sarah over at Journeying with Him, and it inspired me to write one of my own. Her blogpost featured five things that she has been loving lately. Not only did I love hearing these, but the post caused me to think about how important it is to write down the things we are thankful for...and to thank Him who gave them to us! So I changed the title a bit so it wasn't a complete copycat post, ;), and settled down to think about my five.  Here they are:

1.)

We had a tea party at a little tea room with our dear friends last week. It was so lovely--beautiful china with little flowers dotting the edges, vintage decorations, and sweet cream, jam, and scones. My favorite part, though, was our hats. The day before the tea party we went to Target and picked out hats, and then to JoAnn's for ribbon and decorations. As you can see from the picture, Cate had a flower, feathers, and a little puff ball not dissimilar from the clover in Seussical. :) Mom and I got the same hat, which I loved because it reminded me of Anne's hat in Anne of Green Gables. Such a sweet time! 

2.) I was surprised with the opportunity to play the Fiddler in Moezart's Fiddler on the Roof! I had wanted to play in the orchestra but wasn't able to be at rehearsals, so it was the sweetest surprise to find out that not only would I play my violin in the show, but I would be the Fiddler! At first it was absolutely terrifying to sit on that roof (aka slanted board) and play, but now I love it. I love this show for so many reasons...it takes place in Russia, the title character plays my favorite instrument, it's about Jewish culture...and it has wonderful music! It has been a fun two weeks. 

3.) 

As I was getting ready to leave for my second Fiddler on the Roof rehearsal last week, I was having some serious butterflies thinking about getting back on that roof. As in, my hands shook thinking about it! And so I opened up my devotional and decided to read it before leaving for the night. And this was the verse that I read: "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths." ~Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP 

What a gift that verse was! While I was on the roof that night (and every night since) I repeated that verse in my heart, reminding myself that I was safe up there, leaning on the Lord. And I prayed that He would give me strength to trust and be confident in Him...instead of relying on my own understanding that I was a little too high for comfort. :) 

4.) 

Have you ever read the Mark of the Lion trilogy by Francine Rivers? You should. I've only read the first two, but these two are so amazing. Absolutely amazing. The first two books are about a young woman named Hadassah. Her story begins in Jerusalem, but ends in Rome. These books really spoke to my heart about forgiveness. Hadassah forgives those who have done such horrible crimes against her with an attitude of "I have forgiven you, therefore the wrong act has completely left my mind for all eternity". As with Redeeming Love and A Lineage of Grace, I found that this book challenged me and encouraged me in my own faith. I can not recommend them enough times to you! Read them. 

5.) 

Because its summer, we have had time to watch goofy TV shows merely for the sake of watching goofy TV shows. This has been my favorite. This show is about a guy who pays so much attention to the things going on around him that he keeps calling the cops letting them know who the criminal is in the case they're investigating. Finally they are going to arrest him because they think he has to be an accomplice, and in order to save himself from prison, he tells them that he is psychic. And thus begins his new career--he and his friend open up a psychic detective business, and each episode shows a case he has to solve. Laugh out loud hilariousness, folks. 

So there you have it! Five things that have made me smile over these past couple of weeks of summer. What things have made you smile lately??

Thank you, Sarah, for the great idea!! 

Your Blogger, 

 Claire

Tomorrow!!

Colon. We will be going there again!

My dear readers,
   Tomorrow morning I will arrive at the airport at 10:00 (hopefully! :))...and by 7:30 that night will be on a plane bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    Last week I was a ball of anxiety imagining leaving. I still am nervous, but as the date is so near, I feel myself getting more and more excited.

Were you to ask me what I'm most excited about, I think it would be hard to pinpoint just one thing. I'm just thrilled to be back in this country I love so much!  I'm  really really really excited to see all of the precious Argentines again!! I know the moment when I see my host family again will probably be the best of the entire trip. I've missed them so much this past year!! So I am very excited to step off the bus on that first day. :)

But I'm also really excited just for the mornings. Last year every day I woke up it was just with a feeling of wonder that "Wow. I can't believe I'm actually in Argentina!!!" This year I know I'll wake up with a similar feeling of wonder that I'm actually in my host family's home again. And the coffee, and the dulce de leche on toast, and walking to the bus in the chill of the early morning...it's all so wonderful. I can't wait!!

I'm also thrilled to do prison ministry again. I really wasn't prepared for how much I would love it last year, and think that now I'm more comfortable with it hopefully I'll be able to spend time with more women while we are there. 

Were you to ask me what my biggest fear was, it would be going without my family. Each time I imagine this trip it's with Benjamin, Mason, and Mom. I'll miss them so so much. 

And were you to ask my biggest needs for prayer, they would be the following: 

1.) Please pray for me to not be too homesick! 

2.) Please pray that the language difference won't be too much of a barrier. I know a lot more Spanish than I knew last year, but nevertheless my heart wants to be able to get to Argentina and have long conversations with my host family...and I know that I don't know enough for that! So please pray for patience while we try to communicate, and just that God will evaporate that barrier like He did last year. 

3.) Please pray for our team to have safe travels!!

4.) Please pray for the Argentines who are welcoming us into their homes, and for the people we will be serving and interacting with all trip. Pray that we can touch hearts!! 

5.) Please pray that those of us who are going back for a second time will be able to cherish every minute of the trip without comparing it to last  year. 

6.) And please pray for my family while I'm gone, and for Benjamin's recovery to continue to go well.

Thank you so much for praying over these with me!! 

I'm so thankful to the Lord for allowing me this opportunity. And I'm so thankful to all of you for your prayers and support that made it happen!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Next time you hear from me I'll most likely be accidentally mixing Spanish with my English, posting a TON of pictures, and trying my best to fill you in on all  that happened over the next ten days. I look forward to catching you up!! 

Chau, dear ones!! Your blogger,

 Claire

How do you solve a problem like Maria?

Dear Readers,
   Benjamin is having his spine surgery this morning. Would you please be praying for both he and my family during this time? I appreciate it more than words can convey.

I've been worrying over this surgery ever since we learned about it right before Christmas, and tried my hardest to pretend it wasn't even happening. But sticking your head in the sand isn't exactly the best thing to do when it is the day of the surgery.

As the title suggests,  I took a note from Maria (from the wonderful musical The Sound of Music) on what to do with myself today.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad, 
I simply remember 
my favorite things
and then I don't feeel so bad!

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens 
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things! 

That song is definitely counted as one of my favorite things, and it made me decide to wait to look at all of my pictures from Seussical the Musical and Disneyland until today. Maybe then I won't feel so bad! ;)

But let me say one more thing before pictures...Last night, after dinner at one of Benjamin's favorite restaurants, we went to see Moezart's select cast of Seussical. And right before the wonderful show began, Steve (our director and President of Moezart Productions) started speaking. He dedicated the show to Benjamin! Really, so neat. 

I thought it was the coolest thing. But it was more than that. That (and all of the people coming up to him telling him they were praying for him) really made me feel so supported. Kids were telling him they were going to bring movies over to watch while he recovered, and they meant it. Surgeries can be so isolating, but last night was really encouraging. The fact that we have this community of support and love truly blesses my heart. The fact that these people care touches me. I'm so, so thankful for this group of people. 

Sweet friends!

Yertle the Turtle, Mr.Mayor, a Who, and...Cate!

Benjamin picked a shirt and we all matched for one day. It was unbelievable the amount of comments we got!! So fun!!

Mom took this and I just love it!!

This picture took forever to get...

 Goofing off...

Here I am outside the bakery, purchase in hand
...isn't it lovely?

I bought these at a sweet little Mexican bakery...and ordered in Spanish! I was so excited I carried them around all day. Sadly, they weren't too good. But it was all about the experience!

Pluto reaaaally wanted to come with us! Bless his heart!!

All right, I'm ready to go back to Disneyland now...:) 

Thank you for reading, and thank you again for your prayers, dear ones!! Your Blogger,
 Claire

Ramblings of Claire...

  It's amazing how the smallest things instantly take me back to Argentina...

My Mom, Benjamin, Mason, and their host family

A bumper sticker that said "Dios Te Bendiga" made me remember a fun memory with my mom and brothers' host family. Leda and Jairo, their hosts, were so kind to me...I loved   them as if I, too, had stayed in their home!


As the girl who taught herself sign language to communicate with one person, I clearly don't like communication barriers.  In fact, they drive me batty.
   And when the power was out in my home in Argentina, I had no way to communicate with my precious host family. It killed me. So I asked Leda to write down a few simple phrases in Spanish. "Dios Te Bendiga" (God bless you) was one I really wanted! "Te extrano" (I miss you) was another one I really wanted to know how to say. After all, we were leaving for Colon, and I needed to communicate to my family how much I would miss them the following three days. (this coming from the girl who says "I love you!" about a hundred times before my mom can hang up the phone :) )
     And finally, I wanted to know how to say "Podria Banarme?" Because before I had had to move my hands over my head, indicating I wanted a shower. And then one day my host dad started telling me (I thought) how to say it in Spanish. But as I stood there, repeating him in my horrible accent, Emily realized what I was saying and laughingly shouted for me to stop! Wonderingly, I looked around at the red faces around me. What had I just said??? Reynaldo had had me say something like "I need a shower because my armpits smell bad". Hahaha! No one could stop laughing. So, I finally asked Leda how to say it, confidant that she would give me the right words. hehe
     And that one bumper sticker on a car in Arizona took me back to that moment immidiately.....
 
    Another time Mom, Cate, and I were walking in "Claire's" to pick up a sleep mask for Cate. While we were waiting for the cashier to ring us up, my mom let out a gasp. She pointed to a bin on the checkout counter. It was filled to the brim of bracelets with little icons of Mary, Jesus, and the Apostles on it. I picked one up and knew my mom and I were both remembering our day at the prison. She had comforted one of the prisoners, who, as a token of her love and thanks, gave my Mom her own little bracelet with icons  on it.  It touched my mom's heart that this woman gave to her out of her heart. And just the sight of those was enough to almost bring us both to tears.


 
   After that visit to Claire's we stopped at Carter's (aka the Baby Store :) )  for my adorable new cousin.  There I was, surrounded by Baby clothes and baby shoes and baby hair bows and baby lotion and baby onesies and baby shampoo...and I missed my little baby brother and sister in Argentina.
 
       I know you all probably think I'm pretty weird, haha! My little pile of gifts to send to Argentina grows by the day...
  
  On another note, school is about to start!
 I'm  pretty excited, but I'm also kind of nervous.
  This summer has been amazing...we have been blessed by the opportunity to travel, and then after that Mom made sure that everyday was fun. I will miss being able to read all day!
  We will be in tenth grade, and although I know I have time, I'm getting very anxious about college. I recently checked out a HUGE book at the library titled "2012 College Majors"...and then a cookbook because we all know looking at that book is going to stress me out and I am going to need to bake! :) I have no idea what to major in or where to go to college. I just want to HELP...and as there isn't a major for that, I'm stuck! Honestly, I do know what I want to do. Kind of.
    I want to help people with special needs and their families, especially those who aren't getting the care they need, like those in Africa or orphanages around the world. My question then, is how best to serve them? I've been thinking I'd love to do Occupational Therapy, but I would also love to do Deaf Education so I bring language (and there forth God's Word) to those who currently don't have any. I would love to become a professional sign language interpreter, but also think Bible Translation would be really cool. Oh, and I want to be an adoptive mom. :) SOO...in short, I have a lot I would love to do, but the question is, what is God telling me to do? I have no idea. So I would very much appreciate your prayers as Benjamin and Mason and I start this new school year....that God will grow us and teach us and open doors to reveal His ultimate plan for us! I'm hopeful that it will be a good year. I'm grateful to be taking my memories of Argentina into this school year, and although I really miss everything and everyone there, I know that right now God's plan is for me to be in Arizona. And I am excited for that!!
 
   Thank you for listening to my ramblings!! Much love and Dios Te Bendiga,
Your Blogger






  

Happy summer, y'all.

At Bearizona...

Dear Readers,

Summer is always one of my favorite times of the year. Whether we are home while Mason recovers from surgery, or out and about traveling, my parents always seem to find a way to make each summer one to remember. This summer we were blessed with the opportunity to spend two weeks on a mission trip in Argentina...and then to celebrate Uncle Len's graduation by taking him on the long-awaited L.E.G.G. (Len's extravagant graduation gift, haha!)

After all of our wonderful travels, it was nice to come home and just be.

This past Monday my parents made yet another amazing memory for our summer. We spontaneously went to Flagstaff for the day! While we were at a birthday party, my dad went home and packed. Then- surprise!- we drove up and spent the night in a hotel. I was so surprised and glad to be there with my Dad (he has a clinic and is up there every month) that it didn't matter that the clothes he packed for me was a white t-shirt, haha.

Mom took us out to Bearizona, which is incredible. Bears, bison, wolves, bighorn sheep, and burros came right up to our car!

Picture courtesy of Carol Shrader :)

  

A summary of our amazingly spontaneous day in Flagstaff!

Then we hung out the rest of the day....going to Starbucks and Barnes & Noble, reading in the park, searching for (and finding!) our dear friend, Kate...and finally picking Dad up again and driving down the mountain.  Flagstaff will forever feel like "summer" to me!!

I just realized that I never posted pictures of our L.E.G.G. trip!! Part of the reason for this would be that my camera was having technical-difficulties during the trip, and another reason would be because 99 % of these pictures are silly ones of my family and I. Aren't those the best? :)

The hotel we stayed at was whimsical and relaxing....

Here's Cate with her favorite, Marie! This girl LOVES Paris. Ooh-la-la!

What would a trip be without a TON of funny self portraits??

I liked this one...

haha!

take two...

My all-time favorite show!!

more portraits...love these people!

:)

My two favorite princesses!

On Castaway Cay...ahh, the beach!

A bit overcast, but still beautiful!

haha! Whenever we waited for the show to begin, we would take silly pictures

Add caption

So. There you have it--our summer in a nutshell. It's been crazy, busy, fun, life-changing, and relaxing all rolled into one. I hope your summer has been the same!
Now, onto the homeschool convention, and a new school year!
Much love,
Your Blogger Claire

The little moments

Dear Readers,
  Lots of little things have happened in this past week that I would like to share with you all. Nothing big or major, this really isn't too profound of a post, I just was feeling thankful for all the moments last week and wanted to share.  So. Let me start with book club and move on from there.
   It was wonderful. Mom and I were in book club when I was in public school, so we found a couple of neat things to do at book club. Since our book was about a girl with Congenital Heart Defect who gets a heart transplant, and her quest to meet her donor's family, I found a video on the author's website of a heart transplant recipient meeting her donor's parents. It was touching and everyone had tears in their eyes.
   Next, I took some facts on transplants off my friend's blog and shared those with the group. (remember my post about "My life as a Chronically Ill Teen"? That's her.)  I thought that was perfect because it really gave the other members an idea of what the real statistics are (this was a fictional book).
    And then we talked about the book! It had a few questions at the back of the book that we based our discussion off of, and everyone had really good things to say and a great perspective. However, since our discussion centered on death, (the book was written from two perspectives- Amelia, the girl who receives the heart transplant, and how she now feels with a new heart in her (she felt athletic and, where she couldn't even climb the stairs before, she now feels like she could run up them.) and Eagan's perspective from a place kind of in between death and life (which was weird). So, everyone opted for a more cheerful option next time. (I tend to gravitate to sad books.) So now we are reading "Love, Ruby Lavender". It takes place in my Mom's birthplace, Mississippi, so of course will be good! I'll share more about it after our next meeting. But, the meeting was a lot of fun, and I loved talking with Mom about the book as we read it.

  Well, the rest of the week was also  good. Thankfully, Uncle Len finally came home, and the end of the year party for sign language was wonderful. I love having that group as friends. We also got to see a few new movies this weekend, which was good. It's always fun just to 'be'  as a family.
  And today Mason left for CIY! It will be in Durango, Colorado. We'll miss him.
Cate has Vacation Bible School all week. She is very excited about that! I have such fond memories of Rochester VBS, I'm sure she'll have wonderful Phoenix ones! 
   And, that's about it! I did want to share with you all a picture of the shorts I made in sewing class. It was an adventure! I'll give you a few details--I was the last one done, had to get the seam ripper out twice, and even after it was all over was not brave enough to try them on. They do, however, fit, and are not as bad as I thought! 
  Well, I hope I haven't  bored you with the little doings going on around here! I hope y'all are all enjoying the little moments summer has to offer. It's the book club meetings, friends, and family movie nights that makes summer so special, I think. All those blessings wrapped up in little packages. I'm praying God sends some your way this summer! Your Blogger,
 Claire                                                   



"From the fullness of His Grace we have all  received one blessing after another"
John 1:16

  Remember to praise God for the blessings that come your way, dear ones! They're all from Him.

What we've been up to...

Dear Readers,

I apologize for not blogging for some time. But now I'm back with lots of news to share! And Colorful news at that! Yesterday and today the Shrader household has been creatively colorful by tie-dying some shirts! We, being the Disney lovers that we are, even put a mickey on it!
Here's step one: Trace mickey onto the shirt. 

                                                         Step Two : Tie-dye shirt and tie rubber bands around the shirt.

Step three: Wrap tie-dyed shirts in plastic wrap.

(If you'll notice, one of the wraps is a big ball. This is Uncle Len's.) And...voila! The finished product! This is Mom's shirt. Pretty cute, don't you think? Well, that's one finished product. Uncle Len wanted to venture away from the instructions we were all using and try something a little different. I'll let you come to your own conclusions.... (but I must add a photo!)

 Regardless of the outcome of his shirt, we are all very happy to have our Lenny home! (He was at Church camp as a leader and in Mississippi for a week.) I hope y'all  enjoyed reading about our tie-dying adventures!  Until next time, 

                                       Claire