Israel Update #2 + a little more

Here is the most recent news from Seth (an exerpt from an email written June 25):

Just wanted to send you a quick note to update you. I am currently between phases on my trip. The tour group left yesterday and I don't leave for the dig until Tuesday. Today I slept in and got some much needed rest. Then I met with Bill, one of IBEX profs, and headed into Jerusalem for the afternoon & evening. Bill said I hadn't changed much except for a few more grey hairs!

I had a great afternoon in Jerusalem. After grabbing a falafel for lunch, I went to a couple of book stores and kind of poked around the Old City walls. Then I went to the "Jerusalem Archaeological Park" in the area just south of the Temple Mount. I hadn't been there in a while. They've put a lot of work into that area and there was lots to see. Then I went to the City of David, just to the south of that. There I was able to see the newest excavations in the City of David, where they have found remains of a monumental building, perhaps even David's palace! Then I walked down the hill to the newly discovered Pool of Siloam. This is a pool that dates back to the time of Christ, and is probably where He healed the man who was waiting for the angel to stir the waters. It was discovered by accident this last year, and only a part of the pool has been excavated. After that, I started heading for home. On the way to the bus stop, I bought a slice of pizza and bought some groceries. All in all, it was a great afternoon.

From Benjamin and I: We returned from Northern California safely, albeit exhausted! Today was a lazy day, which is responsible for the lack of lengthy update here. I hope to catch up a little more tomorrow. But now I must sleep while Benjamin slumbers. :)

Got pictures?

I just wanted to apologize for the shocking lack of pictures here lately. I goofed. I thought it through and decided that my camera wouldn't get full while I was here in California so I didn't need the data cord to download. Somehow I neglected to realize the obvious: I need it to post pictures on the blog and to send the daily pictures I promised to Seth! So...I'm working on it. I think I can probably borrow one from Seth's parents since they have the same camera brand as we do. Pictures by early next week...I (almost) promise!

Benjamin and I are going camping this weekend! We are leaving this afternoon to go meet up with our good friends Greg & Mary to drive up to Northern California with them. We will be near the coast, just south of the Oregon border. It will be about a 12 hour drive. We are going to drive it at night so Benjamin can (hopefully!) sleep almost the whole way.

We should have some fun stories and pictures when we return.

Israel Update #1

OK, this is actually Kiersten posting in Seth's name, but I'm posting an email actually written by the famous world-traveller himself, so I figured it was ok!

Happy reading....

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know that I arrived in Israel and am doing great. I just found out today that the place we are currently staying had a computer set up for internet usage. Unfortunately we're leaving tomorrow and I don't know what the situation will be at the next place.

The flight over was smooth. I got a little sleep, but was really in the mood to work and prepare for the sites I'll be teaching at. I managed to figure out the bus system from the airport and to make two connections to get to where I needed to go. Unfortunately I forgot I needed to tell the last bus driver where I needed to be dropped off, so I had to backtrack about a mile or so on foot! The joys of international travel. Fortunately Kiersten had managed to pack my stuff into two relatively small bags. Great thinking, Kiersten!

The tour is going well. So far I've taught at Capernaum yesterday and Hazor today. Both lectures went well and I've gotten a lot of positive feedback. One of the men yesterday (himself a pastor) gave me in a loving way some of his recommendations for how to improve, such as getting rid of my notes. So I tried to follow his recommendations today, and he said he was "captivated" when I was speaking. Don't worry about me getting a big head though. Watching Randy Cook (IBEX prof.) leading the tour has been a humbling experience: there so much I don't know yet, such as speaking in modern Hebrew, lots of modern Israeli history, various tidbits on plants and animals, etc., etc. At the same time, Randy is taking me under his wing and is giving me lots of practical tips on leading a tour like this, such as dealing with bus drivers, how much to leave for tips, options for providing lunch for the group, etc.

So in short this has been the incredible opportunity I knew it would be. I feel now more than ever that this is what God has gifted me to do, and even though I have a lot to learn, I'm going to continue persuing this career.

Please continue to pray for me.

Shalom

Seth arrived in Tel Aviv safely

It's been a few days since I've posted, but my excuse is: I was getting my husband ready to go to Israel.

He left at 6:30 am Sunday (6/18), Father's Day. It was sort of a sad Father's Day, I'm afraid. We got him all packed up in just a small rolling bag and a slim backpack. I guess you don't need much when you will be digging all day everyday for 3 weeks. (Of course he did bring other clothes for the tour part of the trip and his "off times.")

I've been able to talk to him twice already. Yesterday afternoon he called from Newark, NJ where he arrived around 9:00am and wasn't leaving until 4:00pm. Then he had a 10-11 hour flight to Tel Aviv. I got a phone call at 4:00 this morning that he had arrived safely!

From Tel Aviv he was going to take a bus to Tiberias to meet up with the tour group. I am waiting for another phone call anytime now to confirm that all went well with those plans.

...and I just got that phone call. All is well. He is with his group at En Gev (a kibbutz in Galilee) and is sleeping at the moment. :)

Just in case you are wondering...

Someone asked me yesterday why my posts are signed "Kiert" and it dawned on me that not everyone knows that nickname, or how it came about. So, if you are interested, here's the story:

My college roommate, Anna, and I had a friend named Caleb. (Incidently now Caleb is Anna's husband, but anyway....) Now the thing you have to know about Caleb is that he prides himself on his grammar. And for good reason. He usually spells and writes impeccably. One night we were playing cards (we were quite stuck on "hearts" at that time.) He wrote my name on the score sheet, "K-i-e-r-t-e-n." "Is that how you spell your name?" The funny thing was, if you are going to misspell "Kiersten" you would typically leave out the first "e" or change one of the vowels, not leave out the "s!" :) So naturally we had to tease him about it. They started calling me "Kierten" just for fun. Well, it caught on and pretty soon everybody was calling me Kierten. Then it got shortened to Kiert.

A couple of years later, at our now-annual campout, the group decided not only was Kierten a fun nickname, it was also a unit of measurement that just happens to correspond with my exact height, 5 feet. And 1/10 of a Kierten is a Kiert (or 6 inches). It's a handy way to measure, really.

So there you have it, the origin of Kiert. College was fun. :)

Benjamin's weekend with his cousins

We travelled to the Nashville area this weekend to see Phil and Vicki (Seth's sister) and their 3 children: Siena, Paris, and Zachary. The kids are in love with Benjamin, and he with them. It's so fun to be this close to his cousins!

Our trip down was pretty rocky. This was on the heels of the "no naps" stunt of Thursday and Friday so by Friday evening he was pretty beside himself. He cried almost the whole way, then finally fell asleep 30 minutes before we got there. Poor guy. But he sorted himself out as the weekend progressed. Probably just from sheer exhaustion.

Saturday we played in the inflatable pool in the backyard. It's a lot bigger than ours so Seth actually had to get in and sit with Benjamin to make sure he didn't tip over. They had a great time.

The kids were so patient and gentle with Benjamin. It was hilarious watching them entertain him, especially the girls. They wanted to bring him every toy in the toy box and wanted him to watch all their dances, tricks, and twirls. Zack, on the other hand, would just get up close and look--when nobody else was around. Maybe he was sizing up his future sidekick, we're not sure.

Sunday we all went to church (in separate cars) and when the kids got out of their classes the first thing they asked was, "where's baby Benjamin?" Seth and I had gone ahead because we had an errand to run. When they got home and we weren't there yet they were all concerned. Siena (4), told Vicki seriously, "Just so you know, wherever they are, Benjamin's cup is here." (His sippy cup was on the table.) :)

Benjamin took a good 3 hour nap before we left, so our ride home was much more pleasant. He played and slept the whole way back.

More "moments"

Tonight we had a picnic in our front yard. OK, it was mostly because the kitchen table was covered with the fruit of today's labor--clean dishes. But it seemed like a good solution to me! Benjamin played in his pack 'n play. He's sitting up like an old pro now, and can even get down on his belly without falling on his face. He invented a new game: kiss the baby. He would see himself in a mirrored toy and then open his mouth, lean over, and "kiss" the mirror. It was adorable. We tried to get a picture, but he was too distracted by the camera to continue the game. After dinner we blew bubbles for the first time. Benjamin didn't want to watch them come out of the wand (maybe because they would pop on his face). He liked to turn his back to the person blowing the bubbles and watch them float past him and off into the distance. I wonder what he thought about them. He was pretty stoic.

Another thing I forgot to mention is that last Thursday, out of the blue, he started waving "hi" and "bye bye." At least that's what we think he's doing. He does it at all the appropriate times. It hadn't dawned on me yet to work on this with him so when one of Seth's co-workers started waving "bye-bye" to him I didn't expect him to react, but he just started waving right back at her. And it continued all weekend. Amazing! Have I mentioned he's brilliant?

Thanks!

To everyone who "commented," thanks for indulging me. I think I may have missed the point of the electronic age...I'm still into personal contact! It feeds my soul to hear from you all. Thanks again!

Another quick note: I think I'm understanding that the link to the Snapfish albums doesn't work. That's what I get for trying to work the system. If you are interested in seeing them, let me know (send me an email) and I will send you an "invitation." If anyone happens to know how to make it work on the blog, let me know.

Comments anyone?

Is anyone reading? Just wondering!

No naps make Benjamin a grumpy boy

Yesterday Benjamin took zero naps, unless you count the two times he fell asleep in the car for short times. Oh my.

One of my lofty, idealistic(?) parenting goals is to have a flexible child. I would like to train him to function, in general, on a basic routine--which is going well--but I would also like to be able to deviate from that, when need be. Sometimes errands and the rare times when I have the car don't coincide directly with naptime. And it would be nice if that were ok once in awhile. But, the flexible part isn't going so well, at least not in the napping area.

I left Benjamin at a friend's house at naptime yesterday because I needed to do some errands in her area. He refused to sleep. He was exhausted, but he just wouldn't go to sleep. We put him to bed early, but he cried for an hour and a half until it was after his regular bedtime, and then woke up early this morning to boot!

Now he's refusing his morning nap (maybe because I put him back to bed this morning after feeding him). It's a vicious cycle. He won't sleep because he's overtired, but he MUST. He's SO GROUCHY! So if you read this today and want to pray for me, I could use some extra patience today.

You who are experienced parents are probably laughing at me. I know, it's all part of babyhood/parenthood. And I'm probably way too stressed out about something that will just sort itself out eventually. I guess it's that even in the "little" things there is such a responsibility in parenting. The training that needs to be done is my responsibility. And not having the benefit of hindsight, it's often hard to discern the important issues from the trivial.

But I am struck, even now, with the privilege it is to raise this sweet, precious little boy. I wouldn't give him up for the world. I am filled with compassion for him as he learns about the world and himself in it. And more than anything I desperately want him to learn to love and obey and honor God. And all this is toward that end. I embrace the challenge!

Thoughts from Dad

Hello, all. Thanks for stopping by. And thanks to Kiersten for working so hard to keep up with all the milestones and moments in Benjamin's life. Between work, getting ready for Israel, and everything else, I haven't had time to put in my two cents, but I've been reading every word.

What do I like about being a new dad? I think the biggest thing is having a "buddy" to laugh and play with. Seeing his face light up when he sees me brings a smile to my lips; hearing him giggle and squeal with joy makes me laugh out loud. Benjamin and I have a lot of fun together. I love to see him open his mouth wide with an expression of pure delight as I lift him over my head and do "weight lifting" with his 16 pound body. I also love it when he's on my lap looking at everything except me, and then snapping his attention on me as I start singing "Zaccheus was a wee little man..." I love to make him laugh by blowing raspberries or playing peek-a-boo.

Tonight he was laying on our bed and I was sitting with my back to him and was falling next to him, landing a couple inches from his face and making him laugh out loud. Then I stopped, turned away, and then looked at him out of the corner of my eye with a devious smile on my lips. That was all it took to get a belly laugh out of him.

I know that there's a lot more to parenting than just being a big buddy. In fact, if that's all you are to your kids, then you're doing them a disservice. But the playtimes with your kids are the times when you can communicate how much you love them and how much of a treasure they are to you. I'm glad that Benjamin laughs and enjoys playing with both his mommy and his daddy. These are precious moments, and I'm glad we're not passing them by.

"Firsts," take two.

I told you they come in spurts. Yesterday we had three more milestones.

1. First fingerfood. Of course I'm not sure we can really define it that way since I've told Benjamin "no hands" (as in I don't want him to put his hands in his mouth or in the food while I'm feeding him) so often that he won't touch the stuff. Since he's allergic to wheat, which is in Cheerios, we opted for Puffed Rice (a more substantial version of Rice Crispies). He did finally reach for it, but not having mastered the "pincer grasp" yet, he grabbed it with his fist and then apparently couldn't figure out where it had gone. I think it was stuck to his palm. So I put one in his mouth. He hesitatingly went about mashing it with his gums then swallowed and smacked his lips. "Mmmm...ummm ummMMM." I think he likes it! :)

2. Related to #1, Benjamin started doing a new sign yesterday: "More." I wasn't sure how much cereal to give him so I made the sign for more and asked him, "Do you want more?" I didn't really expect him to respond, but sometimes he opens his mouth when I ask so I thought it was worth a try. He put his hands together in what was unmistakably his version of the sign. Just like he had always been doing it. It is so exciting to be able to communicate with him! Now we just have to get him to understand that he can sign for more instead of whinning. :)

3. This one's not so exciting, more of a rite of passage, I guess: first bump on the head. He was sitting in front of his crib gym--the kind they are supposed to lay on their backs and kick, except now that he's discovered he can sit up and reach more he is NOT interested in laying on his back and kicking. That's kid stuff. Anyway, I put him in the doorway to the kitchen so he could see me doing dishes. All of a sudden I heard a big SMACK! I whirled around and he had fallen forward onto the linoleum. I knew he had really whacked it hard because he did the "silent cry," the kind where they are open-mouthed, red-faced, and shaking, but no sound is comes out for about 30 seconds. Sure enough, he had a pretty good bump, about the size of a penny on his forehead. Poor baby. After about 30 more seconds he was fine, though. I guess he's a tough boy after all.

Oh! and the pictures are just random...because he looked so cute yesterday.

"Firsts"

Benjamin's "firsts" always seem to come in spurts. Here are several that happened recently:

Saturday, June 3- First time drinking out of a straw.

Sunday, June 4- Started scooting forward (a little bit) and "rocking" on hands & knees, and started making his first sign (as in sign language), "all done." He's not consistent with the sign yet, but he always makes some kind of related motion now when he is done eating.

Monday, June 5- Rolled from back to front for the first time (this has been weeks in coming!), and first time in his wading pool here at home (he loved it!)

Seth's upcoming trip

I can't believe Seth will be leaving in just 2 weeks (from yesterday)! This has come far too quickly.

Some of you probably have no idea what I am talking about. Let me fill you in. Seth has the amazing opportunity this summer to participate in an archaeological dig in Israel. As an Old Testament Archaeology and History student, this will be an invaluable experience in his academic career. He will be digging for 3 weeks at the biblical city of Hazor. For more information on this site see this page from BiblePlaces.com (one of our favorite sites--and not just because Seth works for its creator) :) or the official excavation page.

In addition to the dig, Seth will also be participating in a study tour, teaching at several sites! This is such an exciting opportunity for him as it combines so many of his talents (esp. teaching), passions (esp. Israel), and ambitions (esp. to teach in Israel). The group will be lead by one of our professors from the IBEX program--with which Seth and I both studied in college and Seth would like to teach. As an added bonus, the group leader is none other than Pastor Darrell Beddoe, the father of my college roommate. We have had so many connections with their family since Anna and I became roommates our freshman year at TMC (Sarah became a roommate in our apartment our senior year, Seth and I worked with Dave and Deb in the youth group at Santa Clarita Baptist Church, I "nannied" for 3 of Dave & Deb's 4 kids [Katie, Calvin, and George]). So to be honest we were not all that surprised to find out who Seth would be touring with. After all, why not?!

So this is the trip Seth will be embarking on in just 2 short weeks. Although the opportunities are golden and the events are exciting, we are both approaching June 18 with some sadness and anxiety. Seth is obviously dreading missing 5 weeks of Benjamin's rapid development. We are hoping he will start crawling in the next 2 weeks (he's close!) But in the scheme of things this is like the first big step (aside from school) toward our dream. It is so rewarding to see Seth making a real "career move." Gratification has been so delayed as he works "any ol' job" to get us through school. So I am excited for the boost to his morale that this trip will provide. It is so satisfying to see my husband doing that at which he excels.

I suppose I should mention that I, too, will be traveling during this time. I will spend 3 of the 5 weeks in California. Benjamin and I will spend most of this time in Orange County with the grandparents, but I am also thrilled for the opportunity to attend the 5th annual campout organized and attended by some of our very closest friends (mostly fellow music alumni from TMC).

We would cherish your prayers: for preparation, for Seth as he travels far and wide, for me as I travel not-so-far but alone with a baby, for our continued communication as a family despite the distance, and for our happy reunion mid-July.

Comment feature changed

For those who have tried to comment, only to find that they had to join and create their own blog... I have changed this setting. Anyone can now comment. But I'm still moderating before they are posted, so the comments don't show up until I approve them.

Thanks for reading!

View pictures to your heart's content

Because I didn't start this blog soon enough,
Because there are too many fun pictures and not enough time,
and
Because a picture (or several hundred) are worth a thousand words (each)...

View our Snapfish albums

Update 6/12/06: I'm not sure this link is working for anyone. If you can't view the albums and want to, send me an email and I will send you an invitation.