In Romania . . .

∞ dogs say “Hum! Hum!” not “Arf! Arf!”

∞ The automated voice on any given answering machine is named Robot

∞ eating popsicles will give you a cold

∞ a pimple may be caused by lack of calcium

∞ a young child will get sick if he or she is out in the sun without a hat on

∞ a draft from a window or a breeze from a fan will cause an ear infection

∞ “going running” as we know it may merit a standing ovation

∞ sidewalks can be anywhere from 8” to 5’ wide, but regardless of the width, telephone poles will inevitably be right in the middle of them

∞ grazing your horse in the median is perfectly acceptable

∞ fishing in the median (if you can find water) is also a normal activity

∞ regardless of the temperature, gypsy women always wear several skirts

∞ “I accept your attitude and I wish nothing for you.” (a closing line on a letter we received from someone who’s still learning English)

For Trevor and Mark...

...who played this piece. Possibly better, but it reminded me of you anyway.
You did play this one, didn't you, Mark? :P

Of boots and skirts, of sweaters and shirts...

Fall clothes is starting to come out and I'm getting excited! To share my excitement I decided to post about it.

Ok. So I like fashion. I'll admit it here and now. It's always been a sticking point for me. But modest fashion--I LOVE! Well, not really...
I do think that dressing as a daughter of the King requires a bit of extra effort, time, thought and most of all, patience.

My mom and I have discovered, in our quest for good looking, modest clothes, that there are shortcuts. And in this, you need to have the mindset that you are investing.

First of all, you need to invest in a good, sharp-looking denim skirt, and a good, sharp looking khaki skirt. Please note: don't buy floor skimming, sloppy looking denim skirts.that look like they were cut out of a leftover pair of jeans. cuz they were! All those type of skirts are useful for is bathroom cleaning.

Secondly, look for a figure-skimming blazer in camel brown or dark brown. They last forever and can be worn from September through May, if you live in Wisconsin. I have a dark brown corduroy blazer that I bought 4 years ago and still plan on wearing it this fall--if it fits. If you have dark brown, navy or denim, that can be worn with a khaki skirt, too. Just don't EVER mix denims. That looks funny.

See how you can take the same basic skirt and make two completely different outfits, from very casual to businesslike--with the use of a sharp blazer?
I like my skirts a bit longer than this, but the idea is the same.

Then, go to Old Navy, Khol's, Target or Gap (on sale, of course) and look for 3 long-sleeve tees. That will be your casual, more disposable wardrobe; for around the house, errands, ect.
For more dressy occasions, and depending on your needs, find a white dress shirt, one printed shirt and one or two sweaters, and you can wear the white shirt alone or under a sweater or a blazer. With a long black skirt, this can be very dressy for church, Christmas parties, ect.

So the idea is that you have 2 basic skirts, 3 casual tees and 3 dressier tops...a complete wardrobe!

Take a print skirt, which can be bought very cheaply at the end of the summer, pair them with boots or flats and tights, and a sweater, and you have yourself a very pretty and fall appropriate outfit.By the way, tall-ish boots with skirts are wonderful. Target has great looking shoes for good prices that are fairly comfortable. Cuz if you wear a pair of 3" tall shoes, you'll need to have some flats to change into. I speak from experience here. My family always makes fun of my apparent need to sacrifice comfort for fashion...maybe I need to listen.

~Kirsten :)

Submissive Competence

Since the word 'submission' is often percieved as another word for 'doormat', it deserves a close examination. For those who may not have background, it is often thought that to submit is to blindly go along with whatever your authority wishes. But Submissive Competence is quite a different story. This phrase is designed to describe a daughter's place in the home...as contrasted to a specific measure of dependence or independence.
a dictionary definition would be in order here:

competence: having requisite or adequate abilities, or proper and rightly pertinent.

submit: : to defer to or consent to abide by the opinion or authority of another.

So there we have it. Submissive competence, simply put, is skill willfully placed under direction. What is meant by the phrase is that the daughter is to an extent "dependent" on the will of her parents, (by choosing to defer to their authority) but her dependence does not correspond to lack of ability. Well, not necessarily, anyway. Here is a more formal and broad definition:
"While having the necessary skills to live and act independently, that same independence is harnessed into a kind of interdependence with those placed in authority; earnestly seeking to utilize our skills within the scope of the will of God for His glorification."


This also goes along with the concept of Permissions, most graciously given to us by Mrs. Lang, and beautifully described by Thea right here:

"Permission" is literally "authorization," or "formal consent" to proceed with a given plan of action. It is inextricably linked to the concept of submission--we are willingly placing ourselves under the authority of another by seeking their authorization to pursue a given activity. However, it also includes the notion of respectful, regulated independence--that we are first seeking permission, or authorization, to act, but then we also take the initiative to pursue that course of action without being pushed/pulled by anyone. It includes the notion of competence--that we don't need someone to spoon feed us opportunities, but are capable of mustering some initiative and seeking some out on our own in order to explore the abilities with which God has gifted us...

Here's another thought, this one from Mrs. Kosobucki. She said this was a freshman lecture when she was in Bible college and it changed her life. Her professor put it this way: "Your to-do list, what you must accomplish, is your holiness obligation. Bills that must be paid, a job, responsibilities in the home, things that you have committed to, these are your holiness obligation. These are the things that you have agreed to accomplish before the Lord. Whatever is left when you have fulfilled your holiness obligation, whatever time, energy, resources, availability you have left is grace. This is what you use to go above and beyond, to reach out to those in need. You've met your obligation and found you have a free evening. That's grace that you can use to bless someone.


And another idea from Mrs. Flage: the concept of 'submission' is one of mutual trust.
It reminded me of the ever-impressive Proverbs 31 woman...“The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.” Another thought was that feminine strength also comes into play here. “She girds her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. “ Feminine strength dosen't just mean that you can hop over a fence wearing a skirt. There's more to it-- and I think this could also be taken as emotional/mental as well as physical strength...Mrs. Proverbs 31 ain’t no weakling, let me tell you! She has enough to give emotionally and spiritually to others in need, without being a drain on others.

to sum it up: "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is...but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Ephesians 5:16-21

~Kirsten, Thea, and Michelle

We thought the baritone sang a little too slowly, so...we fixed it. Behold the beautifulness!

-Michelle

I stumbled across Psalm 45 by accident earlier this week. What a beautiful paralell of the relationship between Christ and the Church!

My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house;

So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.

And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.

The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.

She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.

With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace.

Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.

I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

~Kirsten

Our Fabulous week....

Mom, Dad, and all the big boys are gone, some to Atlanta and some to Alabama. So, the little ones and I are having a partay!

Shoe shopping at Younkers. Notice the nylon skullcaps :)

On Thursday we drove to Waukon, Iowa to visit Grandma Flage. Sari and Grandma are going to play at the park!

Andrew and his "Gwamma"

My little friends and me on Grandma's porch swing.

"So you're the one who ate that apple!"

The little boys are great at laundry!

Sari and Danny were arguing, so I made them hug all the way home from Figaro's Pizza. Such brotherly/sisterly love!

Treasure Hunt!

Going on a treasure hunt, X marks the spot . . .

I don’t know exactly what brought it to mind, but I suddenly remembered yesterday that one of my favorite things to do on an otherwise boring afternoon is to hunt for hidden treasure. Since that obviously wasn’t an option, I did the next best thing. I made a bunch of other people hunt for hidden treasure!

The first clue was quickly solved (once “Caesar” was spelled correctly) and the chase is on!

Behind the picture of Great-Grandma, an enigmatic bit of morse code was discovered: P-H-R-E-A-M.

After they had puzzled for quite some time and begged for a hint, I obliged.
Me: “It’s an anagram.”
Them: “What’s an anagram?”
Someone: “Do an internet search! A-N-O-G-R-A-M.”

Oh, this is rich!

Someone else: “No, anogram is just some word game.”
Someone else: “Try two Ns!”

Ooh. Annogram. Very creative.

Eventually they stumbled across one of those sites that unscrambles it for you, and the clever computer figured it out in a matter of seconds.

This one proved to be quite a poser.

“El Dorado by-by Egdar Allan Poe. I bet it’s in our poem book! Let’s go check!” And off they ran.

Meanwhile, (I found this particularly amusing) Ellie took the clue over to the couch and sat down with it and her doll and promptly taped it shut. After they’d finished chasing the wind, I suggested that they take another look at the clue.

Someone: “But he grew old, this knight so bold—maybe it’s dad!”

Someone else: “And o’er his heart a shadow. Do we have any hearts?” (The paper skeleton hanging on the wall in the schoolroom was promptly searched. No heart.)

Under the carrots (Bugs Bunny snack!) in the refrigerator, Annie and Lydia at last located the prize. No chests of gold coins, today. A giant chocolate bar will have to do.

In Which We Make Sugar Cookies

It was a slow, hot, summer afternoon. Soo...we decided to make sugar cookies!


This is Ellie's....beaver?

Justin's portrayal of Mr. Kosobucki, the Basketball Player

And...the leftover cookie dough by yours truly. :P

Lord, prepare me

To be a sanctuary

Pure and holy

Tried and true

And with thanksgiving,

I'll be a living sanctuary

For You.

--"Sanctuary," Third Day

Fotografias

Rather a clever way to reserve a parking spot, I thought...

A typical--or rather nice--apartment building. They're (usually) prettier on the inside.


Ellie turns 8!


no comment.

they're good kids. really.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

4th of July isn't much of a holiday here in Iasi, so we're going light Justin's two sparklers and bang on a couple of caps with a hammer. Gonna be fun!

Enjoy the big show!

(there is a restaurant in town called "Little Texas," [in Romanian, "Leetle Teksas"] which has a fourth of July celebration, or so I've heard . . .)