family

The Chalupsky Residence is our home away from home. We go at least once a year (most years we spend 3 or 4 weekends there) and spend the night, us and several other young families. The other families are usually the daughters of the Chalupsky's, but everyone is welcome. They are family, they include people and love on you. I love Patty and Stu. And Jessica,( my maid of honour in my wedding and I her matron of honour in hers, the same summer!!!) she is one of the daughters and if I have ever had a best friend, she is it- no doubt.

I prayed for family away from family, since my parents are in Spain, my brother is married and in the military...they are the family that I prayed for in college. We met almost 10 years ago, and since day one it just worked, I was hooked. I started going there for New Year's about 9 years ago! It is one of the things I most look forward to about all our holiday celebrations.

I love all the sisters, their husbands too. I haven't ever been blessed quite like at the Chalupsky's, and when we are there it bursts out. A place of respite and love.

Check out the "thief confounding" mailbox it was made by the Chalupsky's, sweet!




Part of the delight is being in the middle of nowhere, no cell reception, no cable...just people time.

Patty has chickens!!! She is now a crazy chicken lady like me.



jessica and her youngest, Russell. She and Aren have two boys too!
the neighbors have llamas, they have dreads.

what did you do yesterday?? (our yesterdays journey in bungareeville)

TODAY: Was so fun!
How it all began, we went with Grandma Marble to the nursery wholesale Peoria Gardens (out on Peoria Road), where things were so green and sweet. I could not comprehend the amount of starts they had of all types and how many green houses they had. Don't worry I brought home some lute!

our lute!! (lavender, rosemary, wallflowers, bachelor buttons, a ton of lettuce, and an even larger amount of mixed salad greens!!!) While back at home , the chicken lady of Eugene (Theresa) gives me a call and tells me I can come pick up my Americaunas later on. So right them I decide to call Jessica and see if she will be around, she says yes...so that is our next stop. Napless, and hot we hop in the car...off to Eugene!We never mind since we have pretty much sisters that live there, well sisters to me...cousins to the boys. It feels like home, not Eugene...but being with Jessica, Nicole and their little Jude, Silas, Max and soon-to-be Russell. I am not sure why I did not get any pictures of us heading to the park, as it was a sight...Nicole had Max in the frontpack while pushing Jude's stroller, Jessica was pulling a wagon with O and Silas, and I was walking holding J's hand.

Jude contemplating

O, Silas and J...doing what boys do best: playing!

Jessica eluded every shot, but that is completely acceptable...since she is pretty preggo...and hot and not wanting pics. I will get some when Russell comes! Here is one of Nicole and Max, sweet mamma and baby!

Then we went to Theresa's and picked up our newest addition to the chicken tractor. Three Americaunas, also known as Easter Eggers!!! They are the ones who lay the blue to green eggs, I searched heard for these, and they are B-utiful! I think one is a roo (rooster), so I will need to find him a non-city home, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to keep the rest! I need to get them up close and all, they did not really want to cooperate after their journey out of Eugene. I was scared to put them in with the 9 week old Partridge Rocks (to the left below), because it can be a HUGE problem to put little 5 week old Easter Eggers in there...but they are just fine and this is day two! (thank you, Jesus! I did not want bloody chickies!)





My chicken family is now complete! And we had a wonderful day's travels.

new year's

Brad and I have agreed that this was not only one of the best new year's ever, but that is was also one of the best times we have ever had period.We got to go to the amazing Chalupsky Retreat and bask in the presence of long-time friends (being Jessa, Aren, Silas and baby, Michele, Phil and Lucy, Chet, Luke, Nicole, Jude and Max, Brian and Amy, Joe and Gen) , our kids, Patty and Stu, and their ever welcoming hospitality. I hardly want to write about it so as to classify it into words and in that way limit my feelings to what I can express though man-made terms. But for your sake, and mine I will:

The Chalupsky's is a home that feels like a safe fort, clubhouse, tree house and at the same time a place you can continually add in more and more and more people to join in on the fun. It is somewhat magical and seems to always hit you exactly where you need it the most. This is largely due to the fort leaders: Patty and Stu Chalupsky, they are incredible and allow God to work through them and welcome in person after person just to see what God has planned. They sit back and watch as God's maps unravel before their eyes, and then they follow His lead. I am not saying they are perfect, they are people and we are all flawed, but they choose to live with passion in the moment and bless so many others by doing so.

It started out slow, jackson and oliver crying at bedtime, other little babies waking and all things Jesus being unheard of in conversations, except the all-trendy discussions of hymns vs. modern worship songs and women pastors being okay or not okay. God chose to meet us though, when we hadn't asked, in a way that we did not expect. He took our hearts and challenged and healed and poured into them. ahhhhhh! That feeling is just incredible. Gifts were drawn out and Jesus did what He wanted, and that was not necessarily what we wanted, but we knew it was safe to follow. He took us to a place where we weren't concerned with what we disagreed about, and right there we were surrounded by a sense of unity, a bonding and a strength. Some cried, some smiled, some prophesied, some prayed, some sang songs, other tongues were spoken and God's words came forth. He chose to use the broken and struggling to impact us all, and pulled words from the mouths of lips closed for too long. He puckered His lips and blew dust off our beautiful gifts that were used and then forgotten like day-old Christmas toys. He did it, we watched it happen. I felt a sigh, a sense of relief, a burden lifted...He had been trying to do this for a long time, but this New Years was when He chose to do it.