Dragon Boat Festival 2014

The Dragon Boat Festival has become a family tradition for our family.  We try to make it every year, although that didn't work out a couple of times.  We subject ourselves to the heat every year to see some great cultural events and eat some overpriced Asian food.  This year Jay's mom even braved it and came along.  But in her words, "It's not on my bucket list to do it again."

 

The Dragon Boat Festival is an annual event that occurs at Sloans Lake in Denver in late July.  Each year it seems that they manage to pick the hottest weekend of the whole year.  It was so hot that I used my Lao mat not only to sit on, but also to shade my head from the intense sun while we waited for our shuttle bus.

 

The parking fee at the football stadium for the Broncos cost $5,

but the festival is free.  If you want to sample the food, plan to bring plenty of cash, because the prices are rather high.  However, it doesn't cost anything to enjoy watching the boat races on the lake and the festival entertainment.

 

This year we were a little disappointed that there were no Thai entertainers.  Last year the whole focus was on Thailand.  This year the main country they were highlighting was the Philippines.  It was fascinating because I discovered how very diverse the culture of the Philippines is.  Some of the music sounded very heavily influenced by the Spanish culture.

  Others seemed very indigenous.

 

We especially enjoyed watching the tinnikling, when they dance in and out of moving bamboo sticks.

 

 

And we loved the dance with flowers and watching the cute little girls dancing.

  

 







But, there were several other cultures represented, as well.  And we each had our favorite performers.  Penny's favorite were the Japanese taiko drum players.  They were very good and they were from Arvada.

 

Grandma's favorite were the Kung Fu group from Boulder who did dragon dances.  They were very athletic and entertaining.

 

 

But, I think Jay's and my favorite of all were probably the Mudra dancers from India.  They have performed for 12 straight years at the Dragon Boat Festival.  They dance to such fun, upbeat, Bollywood style music that you can't just help but want to dance along.  They have such amazing energy and smiles as they dance.

 

 

 

 

So, when they gave the audience the chance to come up and dance along, I jumped at the opportunity.

 

 

So, if you're crazy enough to brave the heat, I'd encourage anyone to come enjoy this festival.  The key is....bring plenty of water and cash, hats, something lightweight to sit on and go early enough to find a shady spot to hang out to watch the entertainment.







Daddy and Daughter Field Trip

Since I've been working extra days this July and Jay has been out of school, since he's a teacher, I asked him to be the one to take Penny on a field trip this summer.  Originally we had planned for him to take her to the Colorado History Museum.  But, since our teenager was rolling her eyes over this proposal, I came up with a plan B that interested her more and wouldn't cost as much as the museum.  Why spend money on something your teen doesn't want to see anyway?!  So, instead they went to the U.S. Mint tour in downtown Denver.

 And they really enjoyed it.  Afterwards, Daddy knew just how to win over his teenage daughter's heart (through her stomach), by taking her out for lunch at Hu Hot.

 I missed out on the fun day.  But, I'm glad that they could have this extra bonding time together.

My Soap Box about Adoption, Children & Infertility

Everyone knows that adoption is an important thing in our lives.

 We love children.  Jay teaches over 100 of them every week during the school year.  But what if you can't have any children of your own? What to do about this nasty word that people like to avoid talking about…infertility.  Nowadays many people will even spend tens of thousands of dollars to try to "fix" this problem of infertility.  I got to thinking about it, lately, because of a recent conversation.  I don't like to discuss politics much, because I hate conflict.  But, lately, I keep getting countless  numbers of people trying to  get me to sign petitions of various sorts, especially to add a ballot to vote for whether or not we should require GMO labeling on our food.

 I don't want to even get into that discussion.  Obviously, many people feel very passionately about the issue.  I do not.  However, it brought up an interesting conversation.  A mom who did feel quite strongly that it's a good thing gave her main reason of why she's for the labeling.  She said it's because she's afraid that the genetically altered food could cause infertility for her children or her

children's children.  Somehow the conversation almost struck me with a note of humor.  I tend to look at issues with a sense of humor, especially issues that can hit a chord with me, personally.  Perhaps it's my own method of coping with my own pain.  I just laughed and said, "Well, I guess I don't need to worry about it, because I'm already infertile."  But, the more I've thought about it, I wonder, why do people fear and dread the horrible word, "infertility"?  I suppose it's because it's a painful loss.  And humans have this tendency to hate anything associated with pain and loss.

 But, how does God look at it?  Many people in the Old Testament times seemed to associate many children as a blessing from God.  (See Psa. 127:3-5).  On the contrary, they often felt that God must be holding back his blessing if He had not granted them children in their wombs.  Look at how it caused Rachel and Leah to feud and it caused Hannah to weep bitterly, asking God to please give her at least one child.  But, along comes Jesus and He seems to just turn everything around.  Does he marry and have many children?  No.  He says that He came to have children, not born of human decision, but born of God for those who believed in His name.  He teaches that sacrificing everything, including our family members, even children, is the way to receive true blessing and eternal life. (See Mt. 19:29).  And, Job, who has lost everything, including all of his children falls on his face in worship of the living God and proclaims:  "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;  may the name of the Lord be praised."  So, should fertility be such a scary thing that we all want to avoid like the plague?  Are we all meant to have children?  Are we all even meant to be married?  The answer is , "NO!"  We don't always know and understand God's plan.  I guess I get a little mad when people, even well-meaning Christians, start to sound like the world in their fear of things that sound bad.  Maybe infertility is actually a total blessing, instead of a curse.  Maybe it's just the gift that God might want to give to certain people for a very special reason.  Without that gift in my life, I might never have been united with my precious daughter, who was not born from my body, but is no less my daughter.  That's why I get passionate about adoption.  It's the very heart of God, to adopt us as his children and make us part of His family.  How awesome it is to get to experience that in micro-size in our own little family?!  I don't want to send the message to my daughter that she should be afraid of her future if the gift of infertility might be a part of that future.  And what about those 137 million orphans that God commanded for us to care for?  Many of them not only hunger for food,  (regardless of what kind of labeling it may or may not have on it), but also hunger  just for the love of a family.  I know I'm on my soap box, now, but why waste our time on demanding better food labeling when there are more important issues out there…like kids who need just their basic needs met?!

Commuting by Bike

As some of you already heard, via FB, I've decided to begin biking to work.  Let me clarify....My goal is to try and bike to work at least twice per week, depending on the weather.  So, for the past two weeks I have met my goal.  I also managed to do aerobics in the comfort of my cool basement once per week for the past two weeks.  So, after two weeks plus a couple of extra days when I was practicing and finding different possible routes, I'm ready to announce that I like this new adventure!  Let me elaborate on all of the benefits of biking to work:  1.  It saves on gas money.  2.  There is great scenery.  3.  I deal with far less traffic than when I drive to work.  4.  I get great exercise.  5.  I get fresh air.  6.  I don't pay any fees to go work out at a gym.  7.  I actually seem to plan ahead better and make it to work earlier than if I drive.  7.  I get to see wildlife, like Canadian geese, rabbits, mountain magpies, ducks, etc.  8.  I have firmed up already, having lost 1.5 lb., and can wear some clothes again that were getting too tight a year ago.

Next, comes my list of things I've learned so far from this adventure:  1.  Make sure to keep your mouth shut as much as possible, to avoid swallowing bugs.  2.  Make sure you bring water along.  3.  Wear a baseball cap under your helmet if you want to be able to see.  4.  Don't care what people might think about how you look.  5.  Don't pay any heed to those "professional" bikers who pass you like you're standing still.  6.  It's not foolish to get off and push your bike up big hills.  It actually works your arm muscles and your gluts! (But, learn from your mistake of climbing a certain grassy hill, only to find out the one way of escape is by lifting your bike over a locked fence.)  7.  A basket is a very good investment.  8.  Don't forget to wear sunscreen, this is sunny Colorado!  9.  I love my fanny pack.

Here are a few pics from along the ride to work.

This has been a very positive adventure.  I've discovered that Arvada has some wonderful trails!  I can't believe that I haven't discovered them sooner.  We've lived here now almost 2 years and I've only recently begun to find out what nice trails we have.  And if I'm not on trails, I'm usually riding in quiet, residential neighborhoods with nice shade trees.  Most of the way I don't even need to worry about crossing major intersections, because the trails take me under busy streets.  I actually feel safer biking to work than driving.  When I drive I usually see an accident almost on a daily basis.  When I bike I get to hear birds singing.
The return trip is definitely the hardest, because it's much hotter and towards the end, there is a nasty hill.  But, I've discovered that I CAN conquer the 270 feet elevation gain on my bike ride and it's not as daunting as I actually thought it was in my mind.  So, if anything, it's taught me that it's all about just ignoring the naysayer in your own mind and you can accomplish whatever task it is that you set out to do!  You just have to get out there and get moving!

Summer Reading

I thought I'd share a little on what our summer reading has been like lately.  I'm so glad that Penny is starting to really enjoy reading now.  We just finished up The Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burnford,

which had some very challenging vocabulary words.  When Jay heard all of the vocabulary words I had picked out of that book to give Penny a vocab/spelling quiz, he thought they sounded like college level words, although, it was supposedly rated as about 8th/9th grade level.  What's fun is when we can find the accompanying audio book.  That way she can listen, along with reading.  We did find the audio book for this one at the library.  It helps Penny learn how words are pronounced even when she reads while Mom is away at work.

  Now she is reading Hard Gold by Avi.

 

It goes along well with the US Geography study that Penny's been doing.  Next week she'll be learning about Colorado and Wyoming and Daddy is planning on taking her to the Colorado History Museum while I have to work.

 

In the evenings, before we go to bed, we read a nightime devotional from the same bible story book that my dad used to read to me when I was a kid, called Egermeier's Bible Story Book.

 

  The edition I have was published the same year I was born.  I should give a prize to anyone who can guess what year that is. : )  Let's just say that it won't be long, now, and the book will be half a century old.  I love this book, because it follows along with the chronolgical bible reading that our church has been doing this year.  But, it's easy to read and has great illustrations.

 

After we finish reading the Avi book, the next one that we plan on reading will coincide with our study of the Pacific Coast states.  The book is called, Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell.  I'm looking forward to reading it.  It sounds like it is about a Native American young woman living on an island off the coast of California.  I think Penny will enjoy it, too, as the young woman on the cover looks a little like she could be related to Penny.

 

By the time we finish up that book, we'll be starting up our new Fall semester.  During the summer, we're having a shorter 12-week semester with several breaks for taking little fun trips and hopefully a couple of field trips.  And before we know it, we'll be starting up Penny's senior year.  Can't believe that it'll be the last year of homeschooling.  I'm going to really miss it.  It's so much fun to be her teacher.  I'm learning so much right along with her!

 



 



Our Independence Day--4th of July 2014

This year we headed back up to Fort Collins to enjoy being with Grandma.  We took in an ole' fashioned 4th of July parade in Old Town before going over to Grandma's house.

One thing that really struck me this time around is just how very grown-up our daughter is becoming.  It seems different that she is no longer interested in running and grabbing candy when they throw it out on the street.  We're at a new stage in life with Penny becoming a young woman and no longer having Father with us.

After spending time in the "Fort", we drove up the Big Thomspon Canyon to Estes Park.  It was with sober hearts that we viewed the destruction of the big flood back in September.  Here's a picture of a large area that became a big landslide, due to the torrents of water that washed down the canyon, thanks to a week of non-stop rain back in September.

 The town of Drake was literally gone.  Those poor people have gone through their own life changes in this past year.  When we got to the top of the canyon we drove around and went to a Visitor's Center at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, where we viewed a movie and had a nice view of Long's Peak.

By that time, we realized that Penny wasn't feeling very good.  It was probably either altitude sickness or motion sickness from the ride up or a little of both.  But, she managed to eat a bowl of clam chowder soup at a nice, old-fashioned family-style restaurant that we stopped at.  It was one that Mother had recommended as one of hers and father's favorites that they used to dine at.

While we were eating at the Big Horn we watched it begin to rain.  And it just kept on raining and raining.  So, between Penny's upset tummy and the weather, we decided to stop at the grocery store to get some Pepto-Bismol and then head down the mountain, rather than hang out for 3 hours in Estes to wait and see whether or not their fireworks show would be a go or not.  Fortunately, after coming home and playing a couple of games of Yahtzee, Penny was feeling better and it was dry here, so we drove to a parking lot of an international supermarket that sits up on a hill and managed to have a nice view of the fireworks display in Westminster.  

It turned out to be a nice day and made me very thankful for our many blessings in this country.  And it's truly not just our material things.  As we saw, again, on our drive down the mountain, so many folks have seen all of their material goods be swept away in an instant.  

While it's important to rebuild those things for daily living, it's a good reminder that those things are simply temporal.  Thus, the title of our blog--Eternity Minded.  We are praying and striving to learn how to live for things that matter for all of eternity.