It's Transition Time!

• Last night Ellie asked if we could put "airplane noise" on the sound machine so she could 'practice' going to sleep on an airplane.  Apparently I've said one too many times that she struggles to sleep on the plane.

• This morning we vacuumed out our van and attempted to "mouse proof" it with moth balls and dryer sheets before putting it in storage.  Just minutes later Mom needed to take Hannah to work but her vehicle was blocked in, so she took our van.  The kids wanted to join her.  We resumed our packing and before long, Ellie was running in the house hollering.  Apparently while sitting in our newly cleaned van, Reni saw the moth balls and licked one before he could be stopped.   His story:  "I thought they were coconut lollipops without the sticks."  [Sigh]  I thought six-year-olds new better.  Oh yeah, he's a boy.
• Good news for travelers = weighing your luggage and finding you have 12 free pounds in your luggage.
• We're down to packing carry-ons.  This is a good sign.  A very good sign!  Going to confirm our flights now!
  

Do you believe in 'coincidences'?

Even though we were overseas, the whole "Share a Coke campaign" somehow crossed our radars over there, even before you could find them on store shelves.

Then, the day after we landed in May, we drove first thing down to the farm to get some items out of storage.  On our way to the farm we stopped in at Casey's for gas and something to drink.  My mom stuck her arm in the refrigerator case to get Nathan a Coke and low and behold, the bottle she pulled had written "Nathan."  A pretty wild coincidence?

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon:

Nathan and I drive to Peoria to pick up our colleague Mandi from the bus.  He has been up in Chicago with Xhesi at Shriners but wanted to come down to Pekin for a few days before returning to Albania.

Before his bus arrived and while we were in Peoria we decided to stop at Best Buy.  We had to return an item for my parents and use some soon-to-expire Reward Zone coupons to buy the kids some digital entertainment for the trip back to Albania.  But with Reward Zone certificates, you have to exceed the value of the certificate to redeem its cash value (in other words, they don't give change). After ringing up our selections, the total came to $24.69 so Nathan told me to grab a Diet Coke out of the refrigerator case by the register to push our total over the $25 minimum.

Like my mom in May, I stuck my hand in without looking.  I walk back to the cash register, and looked down, speechless.

This is what I pulled out.

Another coincidence?  I don't think so.  The same spelling and everything.

And they're gone...

Friday morning we all got up early to say goodbye to our Vermont family before they caught Amtrak back east.

And per vanOrman family tradition, we waited to do photos until right before departure (hence the bleary-eyed, no make-up-or-contacts look).

Our very first family photo caught the nieces not quite ready:

Okay, now we're ready!

The girls all got matching "kitty cats".  Bye kitty!

And then they were gone!

Hospital Visit

A week ago last Tuesday we made the trip up north to the big city of Chicago to see our friend Xhesi!  She's been living at this Shriners Hospital since early June and we were eager to see her temporary home!

We started out with a nice visit under the shade of a tent outside.

After several hours in the car, the playground was the perfect place for the kids to get rid of their energy!

Giving Xhesi some presents they brought for her...

We ate lunch in the cafeteria...

Herta served everyone some Turkish Delight to properly welcome us to their room, which they affectionately dubbed "Little Albania"...

I made Xhesi a photo book of images from her village so she could show the hospital staff and her new American friends a glimpse of her home.  It was fun to see it in print after designing it on a computer screen!

After a couple of hours and prayers for her upcoming surgery, we said goodbye!

We were pleased to receive Herta's report today that her surgery (8.5 hours!) was successful and already today they could see dramatic improvements in her breathing test!

I want to take a special moment to say 'thank you' to you, our friends, who have taken the time to send cards or leave notes of encouragement.  It was sweet to browse her hospital room and see many of your names gracing the walls.  She has not been alone!  Thank you.

Two Weeks

We have been in Illinois two weeks!  And in two weeks we board a plane for Albania.

Two weeks.  Fourteen sleeps.

Some computer and internet issues have made online time challenging for me, but I can be online later.

We're soaking up time with family.  The kids are loving the built-in diversion of 24/7 access to their Vermont cousins.  And I am braiding a lot of hair with two extra little girls.

Last week we visited my grandfather in the nursing home.  Mom wisely suggested we spend time with him in the courtyard.  We are a rather high-volume bunch when all together...

Let's see if Grandpa can beat me in a thumb war...

Nursing homes are also a great place to practice in new legs...

Especially in those wide hallways with handrails!

Then time to say goodbye...

You gotta have grass...

... to have a slip and slide.

You might take the green stuff for granted.  We used to live in the Bluegrass State, for cryin' out loud and we had so much of it, it'd be fenced off for horses.

It might annoy you if you have to mow a lot of it,  weed wack around it, spray it growing in the cracks of sidewalks and parking lots, or pull it out of flower beds.

But when your yard consists of a concrete pad on one side and a gravel parking space on the other, just resting your eyes on the thick, green fluffy stuff is enough to make you want to kick off your shoes and roll around in it.

Or set up a big piece of plastic and the garden hose and revel in its cool softness for the better part of a summer afternoon.

July Re-cap [O-H-I-O]

This hasn't been my summer for blogging. I could make a list of excuses like a lack of routine, lack of personal down-time, fatigue... 

But instead of that, I'll just jump back into journal-ing.  The older I get the more tired I get of hearing excuses, much less reciting my own.

We are in Illinois now.  We arrived Monday evening with muscles still sore from moving. Lord willing, we will not be leaving the State until it is time for us to return to Albania on September 1.

The past couple of days in the Prairie State have been spent settling in, catching up on e-mails, visiting family, writing thank yous, and (big for me) culling, editing and backing up some of my photos.  There are so many I can't locate that I can only imagine I must have taken them on Dad's camera.  I chide myself with the reminder that this is what happens when I let things slide.

What I have found is a random assortment of images from the month which will make up a sort of hodge-podge account of how I will remember the month of July...

Moving  

We sold a lot of stuff and we moved a lot of stuff for Mom and Dad -- either to their condo or to the truck of someone hauling it away.  And it was spread out over a lot of time.  I don't know if that was good or bad.  Everyone says they hate local moves because it tends to drag out the process.  I'm still undecided. 

Loading a bedroom set and mattress in the truck of church friends who purchased it for their son's first apartment.

Part of me was glad that we had several weeks to spread out the work, but in other ways it seemed like it might never end.  Below, Nathan and Dad are dis-assembling the Murphy bed that had been screwed securely into the floor.

Moving also involves so many decisions.  Every.single.item. required the question of whether to keep it, toss it, sell it or store it.   And it wasn't even our stuff.  It was Mom and Dad's.  I can't imagine the dilemma if it was my own.

As I scanned through all of the photos taken from our June visit to the time we left on August 2, I saw a progression of the family home slowly stripped of it's belongings, many of which will never be seen again.  Regardless of the circumstances, it's a loss.  Maybe I'm more sensitive to it because our lives have seen more transition and loss in the last three years than the previous thirteen.

Nevertheless, we knew at the end of it all, less stuff = less stress and by all means did we want to set Dad up for a simpler, easier life in the new condo. 

Above, Dad asks Mom her opinion about this framed print.  Keep it?  Sell it?

Sharing Reports

We shared at two great, partner churches.  Below, Nathan shares at Mom and Dad's home church, Faith Memorial.  Sadly, I have no photos from our visit to Eaton Church of God.  Both bodies welcomed us warmly and encouraged our hearts.  At both churches we shared in Sunday school classes as well as the primary service.  Another evening (for which I am lacking photos) we hosted a supper with about 20 ministry partners who came from around central Ohio one Friday evening.

Re-connecting

For Ellie and I, this was our first time with Mom since her stroke. We had been reading Dad's faithful updates as posted on Facebook, but there is no substitute for face-to-face time.  At one point several days into our stay Ellie told me, "I like the new Nonna."

When we were not packing we spent lots of time just 'living' together, sharing meals, watching the news, and reading books.  Ellie and Nonna have always had a special connection and it was special to see that resume.  A few times when we couldn't get Mom to engage with us (we think she wasn't feeling well), we would call Ellie over and have her ask Mom the same questions and Mom nearly always responded.

Ellie couldn't wait to "test" Dad's ability with her surgery app on the iPad.  I don't think she knew that Dad did a residency in general surgery in preparation for going to the mission field.  She remarked, "He's really good!"

VBS

In my mind, summer in America holds lots of traditions:  swimming, fireworks, fireflies, corn on the cob, and VBS.  I was so happy to hear that Mom and Dad's church would be holding VBS while we would be in Ohio and that Ellie and Reni would be able to attend.  The theme was "Camp Kilimanjaro" which excited both kids, but at the conclusion of the first evening Reni came home mad remarking, "There were NO tents and we did NOT spend the night!"  Evidently Reni thought he was going to 'real' camp.

Reni was all about the offering competition (boys vs. girls, proceeds to ship Operation Christmas Child boxes).

Ellie was all about the songs.  They had a fantastic line up of memory verses (all from Proverbs) set to music.  She's still singing them and it makes me happy, happy.

At one point in the week, the rec time activity involved a game of kickball.  Ellie looked at me blankly.  I guess that's hard to play in homeschool, when recess consists of playing only with one's brother.  When I was her age, kickball was my favorite recess activity!

When it was all said and done, we were so proud of the kids.  In spite of limited choices for activities and very busy, distracted parents, they managed to entertain themselves with minimal complaints.  

Finally,

[Below] This is the last photo I took before we departed.  I had had grand plans of walking through the empty house with the video running (for the kids' sake, down the road), but the night before found me spending a lot of time on the bathroom floor and not so much time sleeping.  The next morning I was curled up on the living room carpet while Nathan loaded up our van to leave.  The photograph below took all the energy I could summon. 

Sure, I had a stomach bug. But I also had a sad heart.  I'm genetically pre-disposed towards sentimentality and the weeks leading up to leaving had taken their toll.  We were not only physically exhausted but emotionally drained.  Thursday we were overwhelmed at the outpouring of love when some friends came to help with the move, and then again when they returned the next day along with an army of cleaners to attack the house.  To be on the receiving end of help is encouraging, but it's also humbling, in a good way.  So in the midst of it all, there was an odd confluence of emotions, and that's how I'll remember July 2015.

The next time we visit Ohio, "home" will have a different address.