tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55411800641130189102024-03-13T20:19:15.821-07:00WriterMomMusingsCORNELIA BECKER SEIGNEUR'S BLOG HAS MOVED TO A COMBO WEBSITE/BLOG WORDPRESS SITE FOUND AT:
http://www.corneliaseigneur.com/Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-23003127125290683462009-08-26T18:54:00.000-07:002009-10-27T20:27:26.221-07:00Week 8-9-10 Summer 2009 Adventure with Family - YELLOWSTONE ROAD TRIP<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XbMQjCeSqfVNvQZhp97MfG702LAE5mDu2PGWM0C4LahWz19idMRFhOGpjKSxX9iNO6_YcPjw6FPDvQqKn8oPjQ4obvpe3REGAW67RuXBdSAxpFOgeYfTT_flF4mjbGja_Qj6AZFCEr4c/s1600-h/DSC_0453_8804.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XbMQjCeSqfVNvQZhp97MfG702LAE5mDu2PGWM0C4LahWz19idMRFhOGpjKSxX9iNO6_YcPjw6FPDvQqKn8oPjQ4obvpe3REGAW67RuXBdSAxpFOgeYfTT_flF4mjbGja_Qj6AZFCEr4c/s400/DSC_0453_8804.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374467653027813986" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYojjb7nhHvPt7u67-MjM4k5KZDQtrKL4Fz4sG6ivFBaIsk3H-lNAW4pdivL8g9xZ-4BwF6y_AGpib25NmA2y0puWDzrPncdo4epEBsRgEaUtegOPpQXm8Tmg0_ALZgWnb5G3aJLJLncl/s1600-h/DSC_0551_9823.JPG"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2yYPyaY2Gd1Ezy_OsN8CC_93anz2bIdpgc6RLiulb75E40UZNPWutJdmJRQh5IL9-fbAaEEO0hVZ4a-RM4GOKGt_MNQ5-uZmzAx6yWFdTYA4J43bGHS2P5-KkeQrvR16XWOri5nHjrLZ/s400/CSC_0324_8695.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374465176556672338" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTedcaaL2CH7wDoA2dqygw_cdU4z8GfCqz1Ck5-B9Bq1lH6dpWinBVVnG0Dgzcz9_B357sFogHj5qL5b52WoGMywCKeCXaAKsVJnOA-Wg6yz8e1rn16Cte3p8N6dUIwiVIChKVohG_TPV_/s1600-h/CSC_0277_8649.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTedcaaL2CH7wDoA2dqygw_cdU4z8GfCqz1Ck5-B9Bq1lH6dpWinBVVnG0Dgzcz9_B357sFogHj5qL5b52WoGMywCKeCXaAKsVJnOA-Wg6yz8e1rn16Cte3p8N6dUIwiVIChKVohG_TPV_/s400/CSC_0277_8649.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374465101682203234" /></a><br />Wow, what a week [two as one of the weeks was preparing]- a road trip to Yellowstone Park-our first with our children. <br /><br />Our daughter's boyfriend Stefan from Germany was with us and he was baptized into our large family life- eight of us squeezed into a Chevy Minivan - with all our gear. <br /><br />Can you say Family Fun on steroids. <br /><br />Why do I love road trips so much with my family>? Is it the adventure? Is it that there is no computer to call me away or neon lights for my children or commitments or friends or responsibilities or the constant feeling that I need to update my blog? <br /><br />I think it is likely all of that but mostly it is having my entire family, all of us together, the joy the laughter the craziness the interaction the togetherness, the excitement of seeing and experiencing a new part of the country together. <br /><br />Our first stop took us to Cousins Restaurant in The Dalles Oregon for breakfast and a family had their two young children [age 4-5] playing their hand held video games during breakfast and it seemed sort of sad to me, that this couple was not interacting with their children. <br /><br />Sure, our table was the crazy one, with conversations of noticing the tractor in the <br />restaurant and what was the best thing to order on the menu and how the hot chocolate tasted and what we would be seeing and who had the best seat in the van (if that was possible) and I just looked at my family and listened to my family and savored the moment. <br /><br />The entire camping road trip family vacation to Yellowstone and the Tetons was one of savoring. <br /><br />Savoring beauty surrounding us, the Yellowstone Park wonders, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the river winding through the Grand Canyon, the Tetons, the Natural Bridge, the rivers, the wooded campgrounds. <br /><br />But, really what I savor even more or at least just as much is my children's reaction to all we were seeing and doing. <br /><br />And my 6 year old's comments, or question, "Where are the yellow stones?" - so, the entire trip we kept looking for yellow stones. <br /><br />I savored listening to the excitement when our youngest would see the hot springs welling up and finding sticks and the bubbling water and Old Faithful and I watched and listened to the sweetness. <br /><br />I thought of Mary the mother of Jesus treasuring in her heart what people were saying about Jesus in Luke 2:19. And I too was treasuring for an entire different reason, but treasuring nonetheless, like a mother does her children, I treasured in my heart these amazing moments with my family. The entire 8 days together. <br /><br />I did not want to think about this possibly being one of our last all of us together family vacations for a while, as Rachel is 19 and Ryan just turned 18. I would not allow my joy to be stolen away, but for a moment the thought came to me. Yes, it made me melancholy as I tend to be anyway. <br /><br />But this is the ultimate melancholy,that my kids are growing up and creating lives of their own...<br /><br />I am so enjoying my older children (and my young ones of course as well!), it's just that with the older ones I have these amazing conversations about life. The inspiration I gain from their knowledge, their wisdom, their insights, their thoughts, their ideas, their idealism, their love for the Lord, their love for the Word of God, their love for reading His word together. I am learning from them. I am reminded of my dreams. And having 8 full days together, of late nights at the campfire, and on hikes and walks in God’s beautiful creation was nothing short of a gift. <br /><br />One I will continue to treasure in my heart.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-71949434809610292412009-08-06T21:45:00.000-07:002009-08-06T22:02:26.964-07:00Entertainment for a 6-year-old as simple as a hammer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAm8M0vnNOj9ysYfJZf1AsuTv1GnlP9IpUIrJFauDNQPM4oPv3K3QGcUtGPfqVS7dKjKIi7h4b9UDVoSde6-SV6nlAMDsFJ_UQj59IVt0weqCPbE_9casZajbqOA3-abHJR13-NXJu3X9/s1600-h/DSC_0677_8312.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAm8M0vnNOj9ysYfJZf1AsuTv1GnlP9IpUIrJFauDNQPM4oPv3K3QGcUtGPfqVS7dKjKIi7h4b9UDVoSde6-SV6nlAMDsFJ_UQj59IVt0weqCPbE_9casZajbqOA3-abHJR13-NXJu3X9/s400/DSC_0677_8312.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367082432840723138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MGXWFD2QMqRo4tCachfwSMNKnjuoTDeFfl7P6Ip0qLM2rk6v3KY_eqXlbafgt7z8LgT0IbX-LsFWMM-tzevXbSl2Utu0bzVYQz-QZfRarUd8c6W4ao8zB4RH3rCgyyl3ZIdRTd8j-O1T/s1600-h/DSC_0699_8334.JPG"><img style="float:left; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFC02Z-9maJw3UR14U-jBsycWGReDTBBMiChVqNTlZKdEa7YkWTLgKY0xdQLTXmOC0oy66SNroW9xExf5PzTEMU-nhH_lRNt6nzwKpHWAHafVA2GPE2A6OhlxxST_BXp-TBwyaR3PTjoyw/s400/DSC_0669_8304.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367080599680489506" /></a><br />So, last night it is not the video games or the tv or the computer that is keeping my 6 year old son up (and to be honest, thankfully, there has not been a whole lot of that for him anyway). <br /><br />Instead it is the call of the hammer for my 6-year-old son. <br /><br />It was 11 pm and he was still hammering away. <br /><br />Just one more tile, Mom. <br /><br />We are redoing some broken tiles and some windows in our house this summer and it is taking all of our time and it is fun and exciting and exhausting but the most fun is watching my little Augustin get so enthusiastic about helping with the project. Demolition was the task last night. And he was right there, with hammer and small bar - <br /><br />When I tucked him in at about 11:30 last night, he said, "Mom, wake me up early so we can continue the demolition. I want to help Ron and Sam and Mat and Billie. <br /><br />Indeed, this morning, my 6 year old was up on his own when the workers got here about 8:30 and he was ready to observe. <br /><br />And help. <br /><br />Another extraordinary ordinary. <br /><br />Oh, to be a like a child to see the wonder in the everyday simple moment of a construction worker doing his art.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-50695010457270326432009-08-06T21:16:00.000-07:002009-08-06T21:45:47.646-07:00The everyday wonder of riding bicycles at 5:45 am with my daughter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskh-DwBmLE5xsloEOHVS7sVIAH8rWgnFD9SDMkohGyesznqxhoQv_wdKFQMnbkLX08uwMW5eN0n8h_4hp-jK_uOfzQkwAtVX9RnrYTCjwsGKMuhM2mQPHkED_V_Pa68TgeAjdF-lmsll5/s1600-h/DSC_0683_8318.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskh-DwBmLE5xsloEOHVS7sVIAH8rWgnFD9SDMkohGyesznqxhoQv_wdKFQMnbkLX08uwMW5eN0n8h_4hp-jK_uOfzQkwAtVX9RnrYTCjwsGKMuhM2mQPHkED_V_Pa68TgeAjdF-lmsll5/s400/DSC_0683_8318.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367075928650042866" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFZm8n10D1KiT2ic9kbl7pmEBE7tI9V0w_fZLrmvKbZWPnF9VfageeVxkmBaD8A2vEjdmH1IL2SK5Bsmft7X0CXB8D_MZija2LNzcCazB_gnvS2Uh2bymGHG6fILC9lFH4duaV3f8cFS4/s1600-h/DSC_0682_8317.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFZm8n10D1KiT2ic9kbl7pmEBE7tI9V0w_fZLrmvKbZWPnF9VfageeVxkmBaD8A2vEjdmH1IL2SK5Bsmft7X0CXB8D_MZija2LNzcCazB_gnvS2Uh2bymGHG6fILC9lFH4duaV3f8cFS4/s320/DSC_0682_8317.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367075796317557538" /></a><br />I am so loving having my daughter home for the summer. I know this because I rise several days a week, at least three, to ride my bicycle with her to her job in Oregon City, where she works for Clackamas County as a temporary summer employeed. <br /><br />She rides her bicycle every day to work because she has no car. We did not get our children cars for their 16th birthday as some parents do (that is a whole other topic of a column). <br /><br />But I think even if Rachel had a car she would still ride her bicycle to work. She likes the exercise, she likes to feel like she is in Germany, and she likes to feel as if she is saving the planet. All of which she is doing, one ride at a time. <br /><br />It really is invigorating. And I made a commitment to ride with her Monday Wednesday and Friday. And two of those days, I take her out to Coffee Rush for a coconut mocha for me and a coconut latte for her. <br /><br />I love our morning bicycle rides. The sunrise this summer has been splendid. The fresh air, the conversation. The everyday feel of life, the moment, the wonder, the sweetness of having this time with my daughter. I thank God every day, every moment, as I ride with her. <br /><br />When we arrive at Coffee Rush, we are greeted by Angela and two other workers at the coffee shop depending on which day it is. The music is soft folk rock which I enjoy. We talk about small things, and family, and church, and faith, and school, and frustrations, and future, and careers, and passions, and callings, and health, and American culture compared with German culture, and relationships, and community. <br /><br />Daily conversations, moments with people, with family, with friends, with loved ones, cannot be planned necessarily. You just have to be there for them. To be available. Forget this quality time. You need time. And time is what I love having for my family. Taking the time. To just be. To sit after dinner to talk instead of rushing off to do dinner or the internet. To have tea in the evenings together, to make tea first off, then to sit on the deck or the couch to sip and see who will join you. To just be. <br /><br />Rachel's job is going to be over for the summer in a couple of weeks which is so hard to believe. I do not want summer to end. I want to hold on to it, to keep it close, to never let it go. I know I cannot, but what I can do is savor it, and write about it and take lots and lots of photographs and treasure this moment close to my heart.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-24095245872132691202009-08-03T18:29:00.000-07:002009-08-05T13:27:49.280-07:00Week 7 Adventure ~ Summer 2009 - Extended!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFW5FKJHPDU9TD0XYpw0Z49GWo98OMqghr-Iwh4I6mRWSjxjDcCKYDq7ivwYEytDwJ5gRuZ5-3ksnyYGUAWoKWE79IKLniFKu_An972Z51rXdjaOOs1fVUCP8AoKzu9GHygngPpBMfgH4r/s1600-h/DSC_0214_7344.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFW5FKJHPDU9TD0XYpw0Z49GWo98OMqghr-Iwh4I6mRWSjxjDcCKYDq7ivwYEytDwJ5gRuZ5-3ksnyYGUAWoKWE79IKLniFKu_An972Z51rXdjaOOs1fVUCP8AoKzu9GHygngPpBMfgH4r/s320/DSC_0214_7344.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365922284044519218" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMs6-9ey3T3NvN2uj9C1tvMt_hqooHVtY_vhRN_wqiyOa5ijDcdQstqgU6C5K9Sx0sfwZOe6H7fJt33ULwWunGfLnZQYERZmX1sPfaa530VCW5M_-6By20U-Ih_RS5zQ7n5zdbdH3_vrb/s1600-h/DSC_0234_7364.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMs6-9ey3T3NvN2uj9C1tvMt_hqooHVtY_vhRN_wqiyOa5ijDcdQstqgU6C5K9Sx0sfwZOe6H7fJt33ULwWunGfLnZQYERZmX1sPfaa530VCW5M_-6By20U-Ih_RS5zQ7n5zdbdH3_vrb/s320/DSC_0234_7364.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365922160994399090" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6vNK3ja9Pn8nBo6I2YeMGrmnKL6g4WotN1U4dVV1jcSbS_N5vK_gJvIKzF3EKdkHPCmWvgjeBBFUv1eDM7Re3aZJEhoPKYg6x7I23VMnENRjCmPfOsFBvHUZUktqYEauTlIYlQpqdz-r/s1600-h/DSC_0239_7369.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6vNK3ja9Pn8nBo6I2YeMGrmnKL6g4WotN1U4dVV1jcSbS_N5vK_gJvIKzF3EKdkHPCmWvgjeBBFUv1eDM7Re3aZJEhoPKYg6x7I23VMnENRjCmPfOsFBvHUZUktqYEauTlIYlQpqdz-r/s320/DSC_0239_7369.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365921977299822514" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbFokULErJkiJUcZJhseFtf3wFutsdMLYcWkkHP6P5ZpZMKu3TuGOLbyJ2QP2zq81pNK2sjPPwhrgBDPzFjtUwToOik2YRIup_h0epYqNps4ZITPfQTF6UcMwnOpUq7BXKv5_3Z4Pddlg/s1600-h/DSC_0630_8255.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbFokULErJkiJUcZJhseFtf3wFutsdMLYcWkkHP6P5ZpZMKu3TuGOLbyJ2QP2zq81pNK2sjPPwhrgBDPzFjtUwToOik2YRIup_h0epYqNps4ZITPfQTF6UcMwnOpUq7BXKv5_3Z4Pddlg/s200/DSC_0630_8255.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365918297257129266" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeD6VCiCeXhjeCHfqFY17QKRgvAUEZ7bEqUyH9xPa8ZLASLrZdSAf8lTnx1AK0SLh-NokZwSMFwf6D_18wEaUKKdbM0LitwezDu3_4pW7_lJoTbum1hyphenhyphenOIkem93vNZ2hSI8aelP7fDewu/s1600-h/DSC_0224_7895.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeD6VCiCeXhjeCHfqFY17QKRgvAUEZ7bEqUyH9xPa8ZLASLrZdSAf8lTnx1AK0SLh-NokZwSMFwf6D_18wEaUKKdbM0LitwezDu3_4pW7_lJoTbum1hyphenhyphenOIkem93vNZ2hSI8aelP7fDewu/s320/DSC_0224_7895.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365918154275499154" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3Owd6Kwgs5_Frwb-NXRyK0_el-a0wo23Q_xqZ0Ru-Ib5J6GWmf55YxkJoX6sFligKaJ5Zp4KKqEWJwplqviURJqHw0Kd7Ov4apnUPncuLHfiE6x_elr0BipnE9Ew4U_4CSo0K8uQ5ino/s1600-h/DSC_0580_8205.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3Owd6Kwgs5_Frwb-NXRyK0_el-a0wo23Q_xqZ0Ru-Ib5J6GWmf55YxkJoX6sFligKaJ5Zp4KKqEWJwplqviURJqHw0Kd7Ov4apnUPncuLHfiE6x_elr0BipnE9Ew4U_4CSo0K8uQ5ino/s320/DSC_0580_8205.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365917930866238786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-czC7PlVNNlP-bdnxQfJs8pJDBPA6WdPn_vw9v8hWzIyf86PF7xK8h8bjRrhNenA2hOqSblQtmQe5HBZeg5OTgFqbKn1vJMZGUSDZ1k9-fBBgR3hUKdiUBBmXHeVf8q_8AZarw5GvfLU/s1600-h/DSC_0360_7987.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-czC7PlVNNlP-bdnxQfJs8pJDBPA6WdPn_vw9v8hWzIyf86PF7xK8h8bjRrhNenA2hOqSblQtmQe5HBZeg5OTgFqbKn1vJMZGUSDZ1k9-fBBgR3hUKdiUBBmXHeVf8q_8AZarw5GvfLU/s400/DSC_0360_7987.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365917741528822146" /></a><br />So much of life I tell my children is adventure and this week 7 of summer 2009 is an example- My sister had invited us over for swimming and scrap booking and sipping ice tea and I told my children that our Week 7 adventure. The cousins have so much fun together, whether it is playing volleyball in my sister's pool, playing Risk in the living room, hiking at the Gorge, going to the Zoo, playing Risk for three hours or going to the park. It is about family and being comfortable together and being accepted and being able to be yourself. <br /><br />Whenever anyone says "wow" you have five children, all I have to do is tell them that my sister has 9 children~! It is quite the gathering and I love it. <br /><br />More cousins made up this week's adventure. My husband's sister was in town from Idaho and we met them at the beach for my in-law's 50 th anniversary early celebration. Gearhart is such a cute little town, just past Seaside Oregon. It was great to watch my children run in the waves, run after seagulls, chase one another, ride bicycles and be so patient smiling for a hundred photographs that gramma wanted.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-54549944730988326312009-08-03T14:07:00.000-07:002009-08-03T19:11:10.315-07:00Sending kids off to over-night church camp for first time<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja27x-zhqoBc8hgxUsDNhPW5PxmTTsD9vXq4r-glmn1-ZXKNrr1oOHiv5dWJ4L3SZUteCyzeH3EefrKceboSeD2q54fhX33RzngY0hE5whcFRqVt8mfXELa8A4u962tkFJqGhLPHMP_B6/s1600-h/DSC_0666_8291.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja27x-zhqoBc8hgxUsDNhPW5PxmTTsD9vXq4r-glmn1-ZXKNrr1oOHiv5dWJ4L3SZUteCyzeH3EefrKceboSeD2q54fhX33RzngY0hE5whcFRqVt8mfXELa8A4u962tkFJqGhLPHMP_B6/s400/DSC_0666_8291.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365850212318683586" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOWybjDtC9CCLXjqjuI0plz84fsJCFUSavMRn6EDL5zvfVaway515tEkZ9147Cenp8VaP4CH6ACejSSUdjdDhM8E162EB_s_0oi3C2HuBrlPiqcRwP1Lw6UGuHqexj6tJgBbrlns09TA1/s1600-h/DSC_0667_8292.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOWybjDtC9CCLXjqjuI0plz84fsJCFUSavMRn6EDL5zvfVaway515tEkZ9147Cenp8VaP4CH6ACejSSUdjdDhM8E162EB_s_0oi3C2HuBrlPiqcRwP1Lw6UGuHqexj6tJgBbrlns09TA1/s400/DSC_0667_8292.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365850131606920770" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGX1l56E6c-ZmfgCGTYXQR21CuT1WtYwhquRDwYE_gOev18NQkhRFofG1cW4icLYciSLBVjOZbhTCGzZBLbh8_CxdvgMO47WnSs3w89xHbroSfevBt9rdZ6_T43jSspxO6Hnbxj-Wv1XRj/s1600-h/DSC_0663_8288.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGX1l56E6c-ZmfgCGTYXQR21CuT1WtYwhquRDwYE_gOev18NQkhRFofG1cW4icLYciSLBVjOZbhTCGzZBLbh8_CxdvgMO47WnSs3w89xHbroSfevBt9rdZ6_T43jSspxO6Hnbxj-Wv1XRj/s320/DSC_0663_8288.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365850031229586130" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcF7DCRgp0_xOu8-CpMy_1Ze5DNGcnat_Q5pv7nkpaam5bcUmMC2ss0NPhVJerJJK8k8sOabqZ5SDgL9gJCtw5nz2rjEpOOnjiahEI9vq7IV-oHm-i-Kowew92gzxiAz1SvC_uoR9fNLl/s1600-h/DSC_0658_8283.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcF7DCRgp0_xOu8-CpMy_1Ze5DNGcnat_Q5pv7nkpaam5bcUmMC2ss0NPhVJerJJK8k8sOabqZ5SDgL9gJCtw5nz2rjEpOOnjiahEI9vq7IV-oHm-i-Kowew92gzxiAz1SvC_uoR9fNLl/s200/DSC_0658_8283.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365849882120003938" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjy8cKTd5TgievFl3Isq4xzFkULA7Lnb7CILi9aRviMEBpagF3cgyXO8K4jM-kO64KHxVXVW7KGJYNFUxcx5rMxIWH_-FhdG3cDUUofMWeELfeP0lkPHadi1DL9ixsgv9Vd3nb3_uB4cDj/s1600-h/DSC_0657_8282.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjy8cKTd5TgievFl3Isq4xzFkULA7Lnb7CILi9aRviMEBpagF3cgyXO8K4jM-kO64KHxVXVW7KGJYNFUxcx5rMxIWH_-FhdG3cDUUofMWeELfeP0lkPHadi1DL9ixsgv9Vd3nb3_uB4cDj/s200/DSC_0657_8282.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365849801398971714" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9sZEWp27UnZiCx9d55q5fs3bGPdOjoG9w3nrtgw3hy4-jR_upgUidnnEr2sZG9VNRci-B7IgpJY2YN2JY3BRsZFCSzpGRlKGxWa_bi0ARx9dCuFR162aFXgw27Th0gjMURDyLGVfT1RP/s1600-h/DSC_0655_8280.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9sZEWp27UnZiCx9d55q5fs3bGPdOjoG9w3nrtgw3hy4-jR_upgUidnnEr2sZG9VNRci-B7IgpJY2YN2JY3BRsZFCSzpGRlKGxWa_bi0ARx9dCuFR162aFXgw27Th0gjMURDyLGVfT1RP/s320/DSC_0655_8280.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365849678644187058" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNsJrWZoBk5yBlAHTPQmbDWoMTdfdOiJ4Vzt6Znp6PiL-FuEQDDmQbCA9nV39TSOH-jkZtNtp6Z7qU2JADQ8xRTwE0DV3AtxnT0oh5nsQDHRxjNN8Q_TaLueJdDTJAvAaEoGvufh4wXmb/s1600-h/DSC_0650_8275.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNsJrWZoBk5yBlAHTPQmbDWoMTdfdOiJ4Vzt6Znp6PiL-FuEQDDmQbCA9nV39TSOH-jkZtNtp6Z7qU2JADQ8xRTwE0DV3AtxnT0oh5nsQDHRxjNN8Q_TaLueJdDTJAvAaEoGvufh4wXmb/s400/DSC_0650_8275.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365849558934957826" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1cCZkNIvlTuNv7m8IDKa17BGcCUMFVuAJcgIRrZ4J1OfB7I_0AC8uvZHGqZWhBhWJtR36yPu4lEN9lOZnbn_AxGMn2Bc_e7kYBQ-LUHwRDs8dnBpvI-1CyPPjnE5FWDiQlK61a4ZQKaf/s1600-h/DSC_0641_8266.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1cCZkNIvlTuNv7m8IDKa17BGcCUMFVuAJcgIRrZ4J1OfB7I_0AC8uvZHGqZWhBhWJtR36yPu4lEN9lOZnbn_AxGMn2Bc_e7kYBQ-LUHwRDs8dnBpvI-1CyPPjnE5FWDiQlK61a4ZQKaf/s320/DSC_0641_8266.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365849433777639874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyF7giiJzr_Ly4CI_8C5zdEN-IYfy-KzjeactEzVfvTXAwhSoowK8PQFFPmqwtqyys26X7R3HpIf-Y2ZmCusvF0uCXR8uVFlT0PJovp75h6_P3EofP6odrncev7lebY5qgirmUDrTA0Gsv/s1600-h/DSC_0643_8268.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyF7giiJzr_Ly4CI_8C5zdEN-IYfy-KzjeactEzVfvTXAwhSoowK8PQFFPmqwtqyys26X7R3HpIf-Y2ZmCusvF0uCXR8uVFlT0PJovp75h6_P3EofP6odrncev7lebY5qgirmUDrTA0Gsv/s200/DSC_0643_8268.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365849345902461378" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWYQjtqkeDcQNjbfhJWZ2Fi3sGo9J66QFzTCtF0NMDfq9fZhFfydZKBwqGmE6gBRGfTZLvwUfnW_bPQk2-9H2oaJwf-TOnXSOsJ3rW9aYqZhxA0MklNk81gHEtrgwQFOuN4XEIgHeGss6/s1600-h/DSC_0644_8269.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWYQjtqkeDcQNjbfhJWZ2Fi3sGo9J66QFzTCtF0NMDfq9fZhFfydZKBwqGmE6gBRGfTZLvwUfnW_bPQk2-9H2oaJwf-TOnXSOsJ3rW9aYqZhxA0MklNk81gHEtrgwQFOuN4XEIgHeGss6/s200/DSC_0644_8269.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365849264437389890" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6j2C-4A2QkHwbRcYjXV7nLEkeSPymNHGSB99V7H0nZI9g61Qj-ixNtNN4AvQjDwTsQoTeO16Ms7dZBDHLLIZXFBSCH2R0_RY4rL7zqhgTUsdrDrj9LFEd-tLicRBS9uFdVQuq-MeyMV03/s1600-h/DSC_0645_8270.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6j2C-4A2QkHwbRcYjXV7nLEkeSPymNHGSB99V7H0nZI9g61Qj-ixNtNN4AvQjDwTsQoTeO16Ms7dZBDHLLIZXFBSCH2R0_RY4rL7zqhgTUsdrDrj9LFEd-tLicRBS9uFdVQuq-MeyMV03/s320/DSC_0645_8270.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365849161374903570" /></a><br />Yesterday I sent my twins, 11, off to junior high church camp with Rolling Hills Community Church. They are incoming 6th graders and this is the first over night church camp they have gone to. I so wanted to be there as a leader but I am speaking at a writers conference this week, and I was a bit nervous sending them off for some reason. My boys are outgoing and make friends easily but I was still apprehensive. Will they feel a sense of belonging, will they make new friends, will they find friends they can pal around with, will they grow closer to God, will they feel comfortable, will they like it? <br /><br />The leaders of the junior high are all so nice and they really have been encouraging about having my boys go and I am so happy about that. The twins got involved in the junior high program right away this summer going to the weekly Sunday night Bible study Roots and the movie nights and Guts, the outreach. <br /><br />And, they really wanted to go to camp, so much so that they began earning money to go. All summer, doing chores for me. That excitement was really sweet to watch. Everyday, Wesley would say how much money I owed him for the chores he did the day before and he'd ask, what can I do today to earn money and he set up a canning jar in his bedroom, the quart wide mouthed kind and he put his money in there and he counted it every day and it was so cute and so innocent. <br /><br />Maybe that is why it was so hard to let them go, I wanted to be a part of it, to see them participate. I am the kind of mom that likes to be a part of every part of my children's lives and I hate to miss anything, but with a family of 7 it is hard to do it all, plus I work from home. The church set up a blog for parents to check out how things are going and I saw that blog today-what fun! it helped me feel connected and a part of the camp, though miles away. <br /><br />Here is the website: <br />http://678live.wordpress.comCornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-7206917182617660562009-07-26T19:36:00.000-07:002009-07-26T21:39:01.614-07:00Week 6 Adventure - Summer 2009 - Living Deliberately<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1R5x2VtmERAhXNusfPfzaT5tEYCCekoU2VUZasTtlN-gtuygw1JuUPvjqNG-MVeLyuaogblmU8gtMR6WKCE0qfvq0vTu-8I67z0oxY4DNiI6dDjS0CdoWlNoKx1OjILcf7whBj2eXSJQ0/s1600-h/DSC_0175_7739.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362986292266420162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1R5x2VtmERAhXNusfPfzaT5tEYCCekoU2VUZasTtlN-gtuygw1JuUPvjqNG-MVeLyuaogblmU8gtMR6WKCE0qfvq0vTu-8I67z0oxY4DNiI6dDjS0CdoWlNoKx1OjILcf7whBj2eXSJQ0/s400/DSC_0175_7739.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35Y82qNn2KDiG0yYT5TT-yLkeCejAquL6K27FMLhwiBzrbnIWt6kHqyAi1Z6pg68GADjYVjy73SoH6bInCq1-gHeF_X6LmJUaSLZ6QYi_QWGQ6ZQarZcS2LmPPgnHmQEDlMI6An3mxDHy/s1600-h/DSC_0173_7737.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362985731262870514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35Y82qNn2KDiG0yYT5TT-yLkeCejAquL6K27FMLhwiBzrbnIWt6kHqyAi1Z6pg68GADjYVjy73SoH6bInCq1-gHeF_X6LmJUaSLZ6QYi_QWGQ6ZQarZcS2LmPPgnHmQEDlMI6An3mxDHy/s400/DSC_0173_7737.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldFrg-f-Tx6dlou-fsBSAPpg1rNe0JynKS0sZdjNEHokWM0GHAJiEhE2-6UVERxSVkX1JQb8-lhSlekh-nmHwg3c2ESdaX73H1Q4m57M-wFpHcFLlrVcv1Q5rceqZILGZ0-eE1nn775ko/s1600-h/DSC_0194_7758.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362985359428234802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldFrg-f-Tx6dlou-fsBSAPpg1rNe0JynKS0sZdjNEHokWM0GHAJiEhE2-6UVERxSVkX1JQb8-lhSlekh-nmHwg3c2ESdaX73H1Q4m57M-wFpHcFLlrVcv1Q5rceqZILGZ0-eE1nn775ko/s200/DSC_0194_7758.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4lLM09Mb7hfv1IuSoC7PGAhpHa1Lqk4R3A6yOsFJh0ozpeKNkIQqi_X0sdqvBi_I7RSBng-nhDDbq4dMXuptaZ7mCB1aupsPM3kUGC_Dr0KIt_Q6r7dKIbpfo-FE_WTsq4zjnN0BQQTB/s1600-h/DSC_0178_7742.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362985099736673234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4lLM09Mb7hfv1IuSoC7PGAhpHa1Lqk4R3A6yOsFJh0ozpeKNkIQqi_X0sdqvBi_I7RSBng-nhDDbq4dMXuptaZ7mCB1aupsPM3kUGC_Dr0KIt_Q6r7dKIbpfo-FE_WTsq4zjnN0BQQTB/s200/DSC_0178_7742.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFedoj_U_Lw2nr8GD6rB32UVSLpq_lN-_gyZcB3t1QvdZs93us-LfxkwrbwGO0ihyphenhyphen5KqltE5xh_drmYe-mjpAGbj2Dihkh2bwMTkbpcTmEBod5_VvehqFFcs_uLohXQKWq2BLv5xwWppce/s1600-h/DSC_0176_7740.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362984963268227234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFedoj_U_Lw2nr8GD6rB32UVSLpq_lN-_gyZcB3t1QvdZs93us-LfxkwrbwGO0ihyphenhyphen5KqltE5xh_drmYe-mjpAGbj2Dihkh2bwMTkbpcTmEBod5_VvehqFFcs_uLohXQKWq2BLv5xwWppce/s400/DSC_0176_7740.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_M8BUUtSqvigvF6dwU7RVNe65_fo2uXt_AFlvROvIgLS41d2QGnuE75vs9Euk84y88mQ2j2tGICmYiPGxpMJhkTyJCmo4qSZP19SVSpISrwkwJu1gj0DnnNa0eKHG5vvi73DzkdPIlY3/s1600-h/DSC_0174_7738.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362984698987372274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_M8BUUtSqvigvF6dwU7RVNe65_fo2uXt_AFlvROvIgLS41d2QGnuE75vs9Euk84y88mQ2j2tGICmYiPGxpMJhkTyJCmo4qSZP19SVSpISrwkwJu1gj0DnnNa0eKHG5vvi73DzkdPIlY3/s400/DSC_0174_7738.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOoZhv5bBxWUBV6MDaJNweTVj1T6lKIZwft8l5pVHsIhdi2IQHfBZlTWqOIETNVjmd-Rb5z-5Fo6RWGqKKenKw7X6pkQULS2LUJiGeLQTCZBROVBnHz96Ct_X_20E77qEbo6YOqu2bP-v/s1600-h/DSC_0175_7739.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br />This week my twins were at Boy Scout camp in Washington and my youngest was at a Fun in the Sun camp while I was working away having a new website created and getting bids on replacement windows and working on house projects and preparing for my class I teach this week at the Oregon Christian Writers Conference. So, did I have my weekly adventure with kids –<br />I can tell I am a legalistic person because when my youngest (age 6) and I went on a walk this week to Sourdough Willy’s for a sticky bun and some cherries, I said to him, “This can be our adventure this week” and he said, “No camping with Daddy will be.”<br />Okay, so Dad gets to have the adventure with the kids this week.<br />But really, so much of my life could be called an adventure of the week.<br />I like to live deliberately as Thoreau said and pointing out the adventures of life and that the very thing we are doing is an adventure and celebration helps me feel that I am living deliberately and with purpose as I believe God would have us do. <br />This week -yesterday- we went to our Sudan family friends again in north Portland and Rachel had organized once again and invited a few more of her friends and Breezy came again and even though not all of my children could come as is the case with kids of varied ages, I am calling this our adventure of the week. We had wanted to help lighten the load of our Sudan friends---there are seven children with the youngest age 2 ½ and the mom does not know English very well and we had hoped to help her clean a bit and assist her with groceries.<br />I know I always appreciated help when someone offered to help me with cleaning or with my children, especially when they were very young.<br />And I know how hard it is to keep a fridge filled for a large family and we have looked inside their fridge at their apartment and it is empty.<br />But the mom was quiet about our offer though last week she seemed happy about when we told her we were returning to assist her. Yesterday she just said that she is fine and does not need help and we of course were going to honor her. I know it is hard to accept help and we are just trying to be her friend. One of the sons said it is a pride thing and we are truly not trying to make anyone feel badly but only to help. I had to swallow my pride when I was on bedrest with the twins and friends offered to help me clean and my house is so hard for me to clean as it is—forget bedrest as an excuse. And my friends made me diners and took my children and I loved it and so appreciated it and it was in that spirit that we went to help our Sudan friends.<br />So, this time, we came up with a plan B.<br />Some of the group took the children to the park again for a makeshift sports camp like last week, while I offered to take the oldest son Jima to the store and he could pick out some items that the family might like and the mom was fine with that. My son Ryan came along to. Our entire family enjoys being with our Sudan family friends. I love to see all of my children interacting with people of varied cultures. To be in community with people of different backgrounds.<br />An adventure indeed.</div></div></div></div></div></div>Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-39766922029419201972009-07-22T12:58:00.001-07:002009-07-25T10:55:04.643-07:00The Extraordinary Ordinary Everyday Moments<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlkXZ_wmx4MqlsDx-dfpGc5I69Lb2ayNcnSSzlwZGEFEc5K90ZqsI0BSZtGNd0tcMliwLK5rYvWIOV_0keddI2g6cHM8AfyfqEhIn442gviUJ3U7u7RnAYgKLIO02jH2x4vzwf5mgix5j/s1600-h/DSC_0162_7717.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlkXZ_wmx4MqlsDx-dfpGc5I69Lb2ayNcnSSzlwZGEFEc5K90ZqsI0BSZtGNd0tcMliwLK5rYvWIOV_0keddI2g6cHM8AfyfqEhIn442gviUJ3U7u7RnAYgKLIO02jH2x4vzwf5mgix5j/s400/DSC_0162_7717.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362245845399548338" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9wiY8uBrogoH5fQxHNMeqTyyMlv1oZ8hGYhz7GkbetGA9aqxKUea5FUQ18cNUb2_0Ax_dhKJZDR5R3m3GwRiSEuMIXmHiP5ZtWa1FvGAyTS2W7DPCfvEJl7i7tS5ud5L1y5ldb8NDCuk/s1600-h/DSC_0181_7736.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9wiY8uBrogoH5fQxHNMeqTyyMlv1oZ8hGYhz7GkbetGA9aqxKUea5FUQ18cNUb2_0Ax_dhKJZDR5R3m3GwRiSEuMIXmHiP5ZtWa1FvGAyTS2W7DPCfvEJl7i7tS5ud5L1y5ldb8NDCuk/s320/DSC_0181_7736.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362245384338831234" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtxzQnxGgG2PThPt4qC5EO6sB-hNBu9GbAwNINCoN_lqsSv8qfiB2KkKT91XwbthlUr4Oup1T2dFM3bE9VPR2vl7976Xg06ojEp7pqBIr4EW0S5vPVA27m2J9Hnzf3iTGIwwyPP_G8psV/s1600-h/DSC_0176_7731.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtxzQnxGgG2PThPt4qC5EO6sB-hNBu9GbAwNINCoN_lqsSv8qfiB2KkKT91XwbthlUr4Oup1T2dFM3bE9VPR2vl7976Xg06ojEp7pqBIr4EW0S5vPVA27m2J9Hnzf3iTGIwwyPP_G8psV/s200/DSC_0176_7731.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362245262842478498" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz2DECKZyaKNSes1ojpfzhc1hu2eCeGtL_a4IKXOsNFkjoTMv9axrx127Q0dqxcHH3JTyJH1ki8sNc9TTcIo1hp6Jv5fLZqgGZGBAbzxdcsbeRUzBZQceC5nwDLq7Nt1gjm77Z4wiep4C/s1600-h/DSC_0177_7732.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz2DECKZyaKNSes1ojpfzhc1hu2eCeGtL_a4IKXOsNFkjoTMv9axrx127Q0dqxcHH3JTyJH1ki8sNc9TTcIo1hp6Jv5fLZqgGZGBAbzxdcsbeRUzBZQceC5nwDLq7Nt1gjm77Z4wiep4C/s200/DSC_0177_7732.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362245014696509810" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47boWLEEp5Cz6ZP4Oe4he-LrlzkzIUx0k71XSaLFNTH9bZYko1P1vNqWxc_6dK2yGDCzQAK5jcjulnb1GhXxN7z_2bdimYn24lTE2l5tVYZdJhN-pvUPWQVedkV_61HbLkFzTZmJXYuZX/s1600-h/DSC_0153_7708.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47boWLEEp5Cz6ZP4Oe4he-LrlzkzIUx0k71XSaLFNTH9bZYko1P1vNqWxc_6dK2yGDCzQAK5jcjulnb1GhXxN7z_2bdimYn24lTE2l5tVYZdJhN-pvUPWQVedkV_61HbLkFzTZmJXYuZX/s200/DSC_0153_7708.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362244288419704530" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgJcBG2R-1-L5EB4mZJm3_G32EDhS8X1PSF5NW-eQHMAKa07cauxLDiAg_3-nOG622A2KwshX1HljIGbQX5yBJRnH-pauyBuSKHEncMBJ73xJPPQvi51UNh0MIYB4sxZu_pczHUFhZefW/s1600-h/DSC_0132_7687.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgJcBG2R-1-L5EB4mZJm3_G32EDhS8X1PSF5NW-eQHMAKa07cauxLDiAg_3-nOG622A2KwshX1HljIGbQX5yBJRnH-pauyBuSKHEncMBJ73xJPPQvi51UNh0MIYB4sxZu_pczHUFhZefW/s400/DSC_0132_7687.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362243900235381314" /></a><br />I had to go to a writing meeting tonight so I was not able to eat dinner with the family, but I did not want to miss what was happening at home. I did not want to miss the ordinary extraordinary. <br />Rachel’s friend had come over and I had initially thought they were going to go out, but instead they sat at our island in our kitchen and I offered that they eat dinner with us and they said yes, and I wanted the meal to be nice and my home to be a warm place for my children and their friends and I wanted to be a part of this very every day moment.<br />At the time I offered to have my daughter and her friend eat dinner with us, I had not even made dinner but then it looked like they were going to just stay at our house and so I offered to make dinner and I wanted it to be nice and I wanted to sit on our deck covered with trees and listen to the creek that is next to the deck and participate in the conversation of everyday life. <br />I want my home to be a safe and comfortable haven for my entire family and I felt like things were not in order enough, so I quickly cleaned up and made a salad and had Ryan help clean up and I got chicken out to barbeque and I took the husks off of the corn on the cob ready to boil and I cleaned off the table on the deck so it would be nice and clean and I just wanted to stay…but I did not. I went to my meeting. <br />And hurried back home. <br />I told my friend Janice about this blog I wanted to write, about wanting to be with my children for the ordinary every day moments of life, about the importance of creating a home that our children want to be in. A place that is not rushed, a place where our children can talk about life and God and faith and worries and questions and whatever comes to their minds. A place where our children can share their thoughts and dreams and frienships and everyday life. A place where our children can laugh and be silly and be themselves and in our home there is a lot of craziness. <br /><br />It is not about quality time only but it is about time. Having the time. Taking the time. About creating a safe place, a place of warmth, that our children can bring their friends home to, a place where they feel comfortable. And Janice said that is exactly what is important to her, that is exactly what she has tried to provide for her family these 20 years as a stay home mom. <br />Two days ago, I walked to Sourdough Willy’s with my oldest son 17 and my youngest son 6 and we got cherries which are amazing this time of year and we got sticky buns and danishes, apricot and cream cheese and it felt good to walk together in our neighborhood, it was just a moment, but one that I treasure and I try to tell my kids to treasure. <br />Last night we ate our dinner on the deck again. It has been amazing summer evenings and we had corn on the cob and sausages and spinach salad and the twins are at Boy Scout camp right now so there are only 3 kids at home. And I wanted to savor every moment. The laughter, the discussion, the conversation. Before the dinner, Rachel and Augustin had been putting dried mint leaves into a bottle together in our kitchen/ It was an everyday moment they were sharing. Rachel was going to do this alone after she had been drying the mint leaves from our yard but Augustin asked if he could help. So they did the project together. <br /><br />And a day before the two of them had planted herbs in a planter. Rachel works with someone at the county who plants his own garden and she wanted to do some of that as well. She had done some last year. <br /><br />I went to get my camera to capture some of these everyday ordinary moments of an everyday summer day. <br /><br />That feels extraordinary.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-11833016269051647992009-07-19T10:12:00.000-07:002009-07-19T20:52:41.266-07:00Sudan Sports Camp . . . Praying for God's vision. . . Oh, and it's another Adventure<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamZUemdHheo34CBlF23_uShiFoEy-CUz9uNO_QRyeE-idOUX-R4eSSOCWcPFMwGMlhQglstDRyju1lxBzDUsCnDsz9W1Z0mfk7VEslA3So9zZHyyeF1OQ6JMV6qqHnFjKt0wsNkP57HDs/s1600-h/DSC_0337_7582.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamZUemdHheo34CBlF23_uShiFoEy-CUz9uNO_QRyeE-idOUX-R4eSSOCWcPFMwGMlhQglstDRyju1lxBzDUsCnDsz9W1Z0mfk7VEslA3So9zZHyyeF1OQ6JMV6qqHnFjKt0wsNkP57HDs/s400/DSC_0337_7582.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360385247651477794" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcif75_I_VDv0Ur8StdNHhOgCKEKL0RIEolmn18jWo4D4jfET1VNt6iUXXyXMb48KoPz0RPMGJrzyLlrS45ynUcTqa5Qy1ifFSQInhpE1b1DwL7YmMZfZX4xDq8PD3dTzJzOwpYGC-VEZT/s1600-h/DSC_0302_7555.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; 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margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2no4NhI8a5jK_Xg909C9Cc4r2jwjp7kyK2tiRHfk6le14J-j6qrhN7RFgZKGAfRF_hhvyugehcC1hUc1411IY3wE0klT0GOthCbTaibHg6MTiCbd2l9zpQ1ttXXeoJfQSZ3A0oapmT6xF/s200/DSC_0303_7556.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360225962851091442" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKMXMd3g0Ou757_vyVUBbXH2CiMomfIUP4WKu_coYsY6HJOlvLHHi3u0TbCrXHnItxugnwgHk_trX9Ro4fBl4nqP4hJJ5mLj7MFSqcoKWpn93g8Hr9kr_GA-fH68qXbLYz7gCaTcDyNSp/s1600-h/DSC_0292_7547.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKMXMd3g0Ou757_vyVUBbXH2CiMomfIUP4WKu_coYsY6HJOlvLHHi3u0TbCrXHnItxugnwgHk_trX9Ro4fBl4nqP4hJJ5mLj7MFSqcoKWpn93g8Hr9kr_GA-fH68qXbLYz7gCaTcDyNSp/s200/DSC_0292_7547.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360225870134190578" /></a><br />Yesterday we organized a sports camp for our Sudan friends in North Portland. They live in an apartment complex with many immigrants and we just invited whoever was outside as we walked to Peninsula Park where we were holding the sports camp. It was a pretty impromptu "sports" camp, very simple outreach to children. To give parents a break and to help children. <br /> We had done similar “camps” a couple of times over the past couple of years; inviting members of the youth group -- where I help and where Rachel and Ryan are members -- to help as well. And Rachel and a couple of her friends have done these types of “sports camps" alone as well. <br /> We got the idea initially for doing a sports camp after going to Mississippi on a mission trip with Rolling Hills, where we partnered with Pastor Jerry’s church --- they would take a church van and drive to the Projects and pick up children and take them back to the church for a sports camp – we loved helping with these. We set up water games and baseball and fed them and just shared the love of Christ. <br /> With the Sudan kids yesterday we played kick ball and the older boys got some basketball games going and we played on the merry go round (which they do not have any more in the suburbs where we live - another column topic) and teeter totter (which they do not have any more in the suburbs where we live) and sipped lemonade and ate pretzels. . .then we bought them dinner before leaving. <br /> It was so much fun to interact with these beautiful children and to see my children be so engaged with children from other cultures. We are worlds apart, north Portland and West Linn, yet they are all just kids who need love and need the hope and peace and direction of Jesus in their lives. <br /> One of the little girls who came with us we met outside the apartment complex – her mom was braiding Nyboni’s hair – Nyboni is Jima’s (our Sudan friends) sister. The mom of the little girl who came to the sports camp introduced us to her mom who is a community organizer of 12 different cultures – which includes various immigrants -- Sudan families and Ethiopians and Russians. <br /> I thought, wow, would it not be neat to be a part of this group of 12 cultures, to get our church involved, or West Linn or both. <br /> Connecting cultures and people, bridging the gap. Bringing hearts and minds together is so much my heart. To share the love of God. And to be there with my children.<br /> It was interesting, because I had considered not going yesterday as I have to get ready for a couple of writing conferences where I am speaking soon. But then I told myself I needed to go, and I was sharing this deliberating going on in my heart and m ind with Breezy and Rachel. I told them that I needed to go, to always keep that vision to reach out to others, to take the time to try to make a difference in the lives of others -- and I need to model that to my children, the importance of always making the time for others. <br /> And I told the kids that I would pray that God would multiply my time if I went as I do have a lot to do, as always (just managing my household with 5 kids at home is a task in and of itself). <br /> I also prayed that God would show me why I needed to be a part of the sports camp (besides just the obvious one of being there to experience this adventure with my children). <br /> And after meeting that woman whose mother is a community organizer of 12 different cultures, I think I know why I needed to be there. Now I am just praying for God to continue to show me His vision for what He has in mind.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-48173404244464381802009-07-18T14:04:00.000-07:002009-07-18T14:23:35.466-07:00Week 5 Adventure ~ All-comers Track meet<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeM0c5g5UxarIYIkSD7zJtxm9yzneyCJ8kwOZNqhV2kmFXVwkwkxzLLW-ZZloAPzLm0m91QpvVnicWeMuVVCC4FKvKjrzvi0lov7Jl6DrMMfyyyqg793bB35vG8NG1XafZuW7gBKAYjH85/s1600-h/DSC_0143_7273.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeM0c5g5UxarIYIkSD7zJtxm9yzneyCJ8kwOZNqhV2kmFXVwkwkxzLLW-ZZloAPzLm0m91QpvVnicWeMuVVCC4FKvKjrzvi0lov7Jl6DrMMfyyyqg793bB35vG8NG1XafZuW7gBKAYjH85/s200/DSC_0143_7273.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359912717146410642" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wSxsgiqMnn-MUz4RhRemvvdsG-B6KPBpoteV0ZmA8Ixfvwf5NTddynfLIGKUTw1BvLZiF78BaZJMYJYRo9AnyG0nPWgXd4JTEvDKFlPIyKYWGSQDWiYmnDqZYQSv_geK5J_V31lYyKgR/s1600-h/DSC_0136_7266.JPG"><img style="float:left; 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margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0RdlQLnQDa9SCuFbYl_BbmH8ZsIbcQmFt6VB2tfAkml9pveaohDHQCILespbWIKTJayDp1s3E7QpGRsbvPYoGz_mEn3pFY6LYmTtiZO0PBDE5O1v886uSxgR2igjv0iaHL04w3W_M5vT/s400/DSC_0146_7276.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359912157859572770" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ApigZ1IOsEki9Sov_UD-R1a3AP-4BT2VhoJ7l29wm69u97nHBuo54yRo5PEyH6axzQVTvgUh7qZfsQXbZYw9xyiYmZJx6yptxqxYlZbWTQh1GlD9SvhPGmmCroH5DR39OnrkhGrHNOai/s1600-h/DSC_0155_7285.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ApigZ1IOsEki9Sov_UD-R1a3AP-4BT2VhoJ7l29wm69u97nHBuo54yRo5PEyH6axzQVTvgUh7qZfsQXbZYw9xyiYmZJx6yptxqxYlZbWTQh1GlD9SvhPGmmCroH5DR39OnrkhGrHNOai/s400/DSC_0155_7285.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359911957399018306" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQU_6ALKC58huqtecGQZrR7xMicbqP8CNOneHDDPOjTmiZabgR5Qaf3coJbU79caAugzmD1XVwmoNV2YqknRm7dlRPo16yE7Q8chn7aY4rrJNnKHQNbFjhQdSIX8EJV3Uq2feIFhLJuPdb/s1600-h/DSC_0135_7265.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQU_6ALKC58huqtecGQZrR7xMicbqP8CNOneHDDPOjTmiZabgR5Qaf3coJbU79caAugzmD1XVwmoNV2YqknRm7dlRPo16yE7Q8chn7aY4rrJNnKHQNbFjhQdSIX8EJV3Uq2feIFhLJuPdb/s400/DSC_0135_7265.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359911784519699170" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUDw1Fa-onUxVfgVOUjnIF-fKLpqmb6A61WBna2Fi4g2NlYBMobxukW3eX_7B6g5DJBwymTG3RNphdpxiBsoal-Ke5Z_4s3wBfdKIXLwlqdoEZBWUQt8fLmJUerhTaTSla8jPN-x5Zx3x/s1600-h/DSC_0017_7098.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUDw1Fa-onUxVfgVOUjnIF-fKLpqmb6A61WBna2Fi4g2NlYBMobxukW3eX_7B6g5DJBwymTG3RNphdpxiBsoal-Ke5Z_4s3wBfdKIXLwlqdoEZBWUQt8fLmJUerhTaTSla8jPN-x5Zx3x/s320/DSC_0017_7098.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359911544459463778" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLWMRjnp-jdw_POwSPuwgE7-Ym9PdND3PEwR3hpVUNranqvB0aSBBAz-tF5jI7xhKWcPb7_Dg3BkEzSiP-aWCu2U2BlCeMO7ZMeZW4toR-HGsiQ5TY-ONaIazLWIeJyegpzXhmGpWByRE/s1600-h/DSC_0013_7094.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLWMRjnp-jdw_POwSPuwgE7-Ym9PdND3PEwR3hpVUNranqvB0aSBBAz-tF5jI7xhKWcPb7_Dg3BkEzSiP-aWCu2U2BlCeMO7ZMeZW4toR-HGsiQ5TY-ONaIazLWIeJyegpzXhmGpWByRE/s320/DSC_0013_7094.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359911448876730322" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87wXbN5szDE7Z74_6aToDStWFnb4bjNjO4VgwHSYbql1FXHO4lxCeSk8mKgKqrBTsMyp9OWkNIBXnThDf-pVthVg_7KF_jyzjR5JuDdJNk99uJUCKSdh_g4U1Ui83kb8sZoR_r2eMX1-R/s1600-h/DSC_0005_7088.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87wXbN5szDE7Z74_6aToDStWFnb4bjNjO4VgwHSYbql1FXHO4lxCeSk8mKgKqrBTsMyp9OWkNIBXnThDf-pVthVg_7KF_jyzjR5JuDdJNk99uJUCKSdh_g4U1Ui83kb8sZoR_r2eMX1-R/s320/DSC_0005_7088.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359911345114176594" /></a><br />I grew up going to all-comers track meets at local high schools and now it is fun sharing that time with my children. This week we attended the one held at Lake Oswego High School and we are calling that our adventure of the week - Last week we attended one held at Grant High in Portland. <br /><br />It is great to see the children run their little hearts out and race against their cousins and friends and all are winners -- they receive these ribbons after competing. Just like I used to get. <br /><br />I was not going to run any races but Mickael Josef talked me into doing the Predict a Mile. I had done it the week before at Grant High School but did not want to this week. But when my children say pretty please, how can I say no. Of course, I loved it and it got the adrenaline bug going as I broke the 9 minute mark. Next up i told my daughter when I got home- another marathon, though I had told myself after last year's that was it for me. <br /><br />My daughter said, mom, that is one mile under 9 minutes. You will have 25 to go for a marathon. No big deal, I was thinking to myself. Now, that is. <br /><br />I love how these track meets build confidence in kids [and adults] and they promote the sport of running, which does not have a youth club in West Linn where we live [all the other sports have youth programs]- Track is a sport all people can find something that they are good at. <br /><br />A true summer tradition.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-76420783084107794222009-07-18T13:53:00.001-07:002009-07-18T13:58:09.109-07:00Writing Connection Meeting Monday July 20<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiOmL6kBbEM6sxaX_tUnURaFL0sKKjCyEwdQHZUbHKjNWlfktsy9d9coCX5dLQeTAaYs9D157IJ10amf0IlixJP55syqtVLPgtgcWJqzUF0O04hoEQVAKbJ6B85veXQqVxaATOEovEBM0/s1600-h/ROLLINGHILLStopimage_trees1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiOmL6kBbEM6sxaX_tUnURaFL0sKKjCyEwdQHZUbHKjNWlfktsy9d9coCX5dLQeTAaYs9D157IJ10amf0IlixJP55syqtVLPgtgcWJqzUF0O04hoEQVAKbJ6B85veXQqVxaATOEovEBM0/s320/ROLLINGHILLStopimage_trees1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359906359256511554" /></a><br /><br />The next Writing & Culture Connection meeting is Monday July 20 at 6:30 pm- 8 pm at Rolling Hills Community Church -in the conference room - <br /><br />Any writers and aspiring writers are welcome- <br /><br />We will look at an article in Christianity Today on the importance of an arts ministry in churches [thanks Marupong for forwarding that to me} <br /><br />Come for inspiration, encouragement, feedback, connection, publishing ideas. Upcoming conferences will be highlightedCornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-80615501494890014392009-07-11T17:57:00.000-07:002009-07-11T17:59:49.195-07:00Trying to be more like Mary<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTuXTfXmtTQNmL_9ExJ0KlrnIGw4AMzwpzgR28cGCFrh3ut6QFG_yT78ag_6XNwPNkQC1QDGvRMqVkJoXpW7Oiu8Q3LTN0fC_Ec_-KafvqfoVDwaGwcIIegal867IwCGAzlOU9lRn4jSN/s1600-h/TRAN-YOUTH-JULY09-RH-STORY.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 58px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTuXTfXmtTQNmL_9ExJ0KlrnIGw4AMzwpzgR28cGCFrh3ut6QFG_yT78ag_6XNwPNkQC1QDGvRMqVkJoXpW7Oiu8Q3LTN0fC_Ec_-KafvqfoVDwaGwcIIegal867IwCGAzlOU9lRn4jSN/s320/TRAN-YOUTH-JULY09-RH-STORY.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357372050954297090" /></a><br />When Janice Seitzinger is in the middle of her weekly commitment organizing volunteers for Mondays at Transitional Youth, sometimes she catches herself being Martha. <br />“When I am doing the kitchen I can forget why I am there, but then I realize that I need to be the Mary not the Martha. It was Mauro Cettina who said that. When you hear a Scripture, it just hits us. <br />“I think we are all trying to be Marys but then we are always wanting to make sure everything is going well. I have a tendency to forget who is in control. I have to literally step back and remember it is not about me. It is about the kids. You are there to love them, not fix them.” <br />She stepped into the role of coordinating volunteers for Rolling Hills’ Monday night Transitional Youth commitment a few months ago. Janice arrives at the First Baptist Church where Transitional Youth is held every Monday at 4 O’Clock and stays until about 9 O’Clock. For her role, she makes sure everything will be in place each week. She calls or e-mails the volunteers who are committed to make sure they are coming. She goes to the Food Bank on some days to purchase items for meals. When a group of volunteers cannot make their commitment, it is Janice who finds replacements. <br />“I am what you would call in charge of the kitchen. I am the one that makes sure the food is on time and that the volunteers are ready and that there is enough food. And if there is not enough we have a backup plan. We always have hotdogs and chili available in the back room.” <br />But it is not the phone calls and e-mails and visits to the Food Bank that Janice considers the most important part of preparing for her weekly Mondays at Transitional Youth. <br />It’s praying. <br />“We just found that when you pray, you find God’s peace. Some nights kids come in edgy and anxious and we don’t know what happened at their shelters and we don’t know why they are anxious and edgy. We pray that we can be God’s hands and feet. We pray, ‘Let us hear with Your ears and speak with Your words.’” <br />She has learned to go with the flow and trust that all will be fine in the end. <br />“I go in and make sure things are on time and going, and then if we run out of food I don’t worry, and if food is not there on time, I just start to realize that it will work out. We just talk to the kids. I try to let the groups that come in do their own thing. I am there to make sure they have all they need, to direct them and be there if they have any questions.<br />And most importantly while there, she tries to be more like Mary. <br />“I just try to banter with the kids while they are getting their food. If kids feel that we are just there to feed them and love them they will begin to trust us.” <br /><br /> Reach Transitional Youth at http://www.transitionalyouth.org/Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-57032595388489077382009-07-11T14:00:00.000-07:002009-07-11T14:06:25.025-07:00Week 4 Summer 2009 Adventure with Kids ~ Wahclella Falls<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4S6JB6btMdboBXZ4tyicMhL5K8K-8-dS0w7VO7bLZ6g7fQdW9ONCBPIppETlAhaDzEji-2wErWKGym5n6-whnnoORkpboj6vU984h4jckA6_mxj1UZEn8s5oJWsdvK_xVWHITtcssdXi/s1600-h/DSC_0092_7160.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4S6JB6btMdboBXZ4tyicMhL5K8K-8-dS0w7VO7bLZ6g7fQdW9ONCBPIppETlAhaDzEji-2wErWKGym5n6-whnnoORkpboj6vU984h4jckA6_mxj1UZEn8s5oJWsdvK_xVWHITtcssdXi/s320/DSC_0092_7160.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357311899410500226" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnTbLmy9GNNxyUc1HKybqTEAj2Qyu32_u5Z7CXF2IchDI-d9-qxVQaHF0h_lvQXd5v-SLgdSyRmMOtzwO2YnZRkIllvf1FtHsjvMCU1Z3MZhXXxJrUCvXqe0zKCwSaGY0DYNJUUWU-dns/s1600-h/DSC_0179_7234.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnTbLmy9GNNxyUc1HKybqTEAj2Qyu32_u5Z7CXF2IchDI-d9-qxVQaHF0h_lvQXd5v-SLgdSyRmMOtzwO2YnZRkIllvf1FtHsjvMCU1Z3MZhXXxJrUCvXqe0zKCwSaGY0DYNJUUWU-dns/s320/DSC_0179_7234.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357311779975049426" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SFGZK9LRfYpaUAiECGU4tNlNwkpx6suUiNU73QG0Lba_1Wr_NJV3KgJCq_S3j9CPNzy-HhTmfwHqE-LHd1nMZN_zCMTmK5Tlie-TDejqKGyGQeoLmpJYSfZJQVv65HeenkuJV9tji561/s1600-h/DSC_0122_7183.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SFGZK9LRfYpaUAiECGU4tNlNwkpx6suUiNU73QG0Lba_1Wr_NJV3KgJCq_S3j9CPNzy-HhTmfwHqE-LHd1nMZN_zCMTmK5Tlie-TDejqKGyGQeoLmpJYSfZJQVv65HeenkuJV9tji561/s200/DSC_0122_7183.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357311565001663042" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3F-wzYPD4qRwGu-fQJoRqn7ZN1-2idT9Xsn7dILefUjZGt3bJ3JkcnlDa96lqnxjXQfnmhfI4ZvGa4o-qIWXCeyNo9p3mOBuU4zpEMFr3nJxYmE5k7yZs0jIuQAVrDn4ckZnQTaUX-XIp/s1600-h/DSC_0173_7228.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3F-wzYPD4qRwGu-fQJoRqn7ZN1-2idT9Xsn7dILefUjZGt3bJ3JkcnlDa96lqnxjXQfnmhfI4ZvGa4o-qIWXCeyNo9p3mOBuU4zpEMFr3nJxYmE5k7yZs0jIuQAVrDn4ckZnQTaUX-XIp/s200/DSC_0173_7228.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357311278234491890" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Gbe4W0zIU5nC5aVaQc4LKYHXYFbazEo_u-URfhHaZaNZDFQUOdRc3N2RvbcvYwdwZnqthSoKFgYB3DWWO60LNqeYlVQud5ndqsMlE-AiHf-h_IQmwsmRHEB0y8F6uXd1rNVhuq9cTSqO/s1600-h/DSC_0117_7178.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Gbe4W0zIU5nC5aVaQc4LKYHXYFbazEo_u-URfhHaZaNZDFQUOdRc3N2RvbcvYwdwZnqthSoKFgYB3DWWO60LNqeYlVQud5ndqsMlE-AiHf-h_IQmwsmRHEB0y8F6uXd1rNVhuq9cTSqO/s320/DSC_0117_7178.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357311087255843730" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw30i3T4MGbNyIcNG4b-T0BW1p8i9OeovQs01H3vhR3rl7vVF_yexz20d8hQDaMyg6njwilBicdSZc2c5Pb_rYveFNsdSNGvr1ifJGb7fmZKn9jNnfKcobkXe2_emt_f_7pIS63ktFWp-c/s1600-h/DSC_0132_7192.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw30i3T4MGbNyIcNG4b-T0BW1p8i9OeovQs01H3vhR3rl7vVF_yexz20d8hQDaMyg6njwilBicdSZc2c5Pb_rYveFNsdSNGvr1ifJGb7fmZKn9jNnfKcobkXe2_emt_f_7pIS63ktFWp-c/s200/DSC_0132_7192.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357310951648748770" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sZtJX13hnRRA2yWgRUX4J4xJShmmi64kcQRpKtblIJjbnQNY8vDgln9tsYIQO1PLbK0mWlVgQpocU47E_Xh_ZuCmxGNlVTBR7EUXmJxN8YikoXHU1txiRkAPmeR72bohnKD_y4z9D4PC/s1600-h/DSC_0093_7161.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sZtJX13hnRRA2yWgRUX4J4xJShmmi64kcQRpKtblIJjbnQNY8vDgln9tsYIQO1PLbK0mWlVgQpocU47E_Xh_ZuCmxGNlVTBR7EUXmJxN8YikoXHU1txiRkAPmeR72bohnKD_y4z9D4PC/s200/DSC_0093_7161.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357310830342902786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEps-fX8jZ8iG3fwkh7YuolIxayDEfQe7h4i9DNVDMuGGXiAaJEFh0_rZ-Xv-Ib9Fq6h0VACSanQ7sQL186mu-j-MopcNamQHrazYr7Ka78dTEHavFw3rSMeW9fegTdrS_sDc6wLLSQiMh/s1600-h/DSC_0159_7214.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEps-fX8jZ8iG3fwkh7YuolIxayDEfQe7h4i9DNVDMuGGXiAaJEFh0_rZ-Xv-Ib9Fq6h0VACSanQ7sQL186mu-j-MopcNamQHrazYr7Ka78dTEHavFw3rSMeW9fegTdrS_sDc6wLLSQiMh/s200/DSC_0159_7214.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357310706896176402" /></a><br />This week, week 4 of summer 2009, we drove to the Columbia Gorge and hiked to Wahclella Falls Friday, the two mile round trip hike was listed in my Best Hikes with Kids book and was perfect for our group of 7 kids between the ages of 17 and 6 – we had Riek and Nykwa from Sudan with as well as Ryan’s friend Brett- <br />When I had asked Wesley, 11, where to go yesterday morning the day of our adventure, he had remembered this hike from two years ago when we went with my sister. <br />“Let’s go to the water fall which has the caves,” he said. <br />I was amazed he had remembered that. And though I had blogged about it, I did not write the name of the falls so this time I will make sure to do that. <br />The hike begins on a service road and is a slow incline compared with Multnomah Falls. It then turns into a nice trail. What I like especially about this path is that it meanders along a creek, which is called Tanner Creek.<br />There are several bridges along the hike and the views of the rushing water and the trees are breathtaking. A dam makes it fun as well. <br />When we got close to the caves the excitement in the children’s voices was so sweet. <br />“There’s the cave. I remember this.” <br />They even brought their little lights. Wesley’s was a pen light given to him by his Sunday School teacher last year, Mr. Bill Tate. <br />The twins and Riek, all 11, explored the cave while Nykwa and Augustin threw rocks into the creek and Brett and Ryan climbed the rocks. <br />Later we got really close to the water fall and they got a little wet from the spray. <br />I loved being out here with my kids and friends along. I loved being in the woods. It felt so good to get away. <br />It is so very important to get kids outdoors into the woods and what I realize it is does not have to be for a long 8 hour day but can be a half day outing. For us the drive was only 45 minutes and we were home in time for dinner. <br />There is something about a deliberate time like this with the children. Fully engaged in a new adventure. Listening to the conversations. The excitement when they find animals. MickaelJosef discovered a little frog in the cave. Somehow it feels good for the spirit. And you are appreciating God’s amazing creation. <br />The Wahclella Falls Trailhead can be found by taking the Bonneville Dam Exit 40 off of Interstate 84, and staying right at the exit. The trailhead is about a quarter of a mile from there. It cost $ 5 to park which you can leave at the little self service station. <br />The trail to the falls is a simple 300 foot elevation gain and is perfect for all ages.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-81352448619984789142009-07-06T12:47:00.000-07:002009-07-12T10:39:19.634-07:00Week 3 Summer 2009 ~ When WORK is Adventure -<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZdS2OxIFaavE_5B-CZTStxJM3yxFlLLMlRD5UaYnttKPijGK998lqaewruArpsL1pW08lJ9wP8YXQC1G4G_ObBYfpHhvd7bSTVOfl7dN9GUbbZhmnV-q3ADnu1jnFFR2M1RcF0DzMUIV/s1600-h/DSC_0139_6927.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZdS2OxIFaavE_5B-CZTStxJM3yxFlLLMlRD5UaYnttKPijGK998lqaewruArpsL1pW08lJ9wP8YXQC1G4G_ObBYfpHhvd7bSTVOfl7dN9GUbbZhmnV-q3ADnu1jnFFR2M1RcF0DzMUIV/s200/DSC_0139_6927.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355438074265439842" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddw3EUZ28_jnqjbKgCkf6OFQYzOYgpZHuQ3Nl_v5t3uOxNAb6hWBcMfxMXqrMDyQQ7r6dCdyoD-hxlJl4rFXffZl-LSwOFHlZIKAJ4yx2Nlo4kgjkclbi8BGSVFccZrjgd7RuZRi_x81U/s1600-h/DSC_0142_6930.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddw3EUZ28_jnqjbKgCkf6OFQYzOYgpZHuQ3Nl_v5t3uOxNAb6hWBcMfxMXqrMDyQQ7r6dCdyoD-hxlJl4rFXffZl-LSwOFHlZIKAJ4yx2Nlo4kgjkclbi8BGSVFccZrjgd7RuZRi_x81U/s200/DSC_0142_6930.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355437911033078546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDrP4L-jxcj_sRhsxSWAxn2kIllJna8b_LPODwpAxuqDfqQBwOx11AsS82frDvg7SYVqzmUcIJVU83Vn9VcEI2TyBuhPLadL7o3dIfRdrl-DXkkCFkJlOJF-LmIJyj4gbZ6WZUNbGi34N/s1600-h/DSCN3966_7085.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 112px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDrP4L-jxcj_sRhsxSWAxn2kIllJna8b_LPODwpAxuqDfqQBwOx11AsS82frDvg7SYVqzmUcIJVU83Vn9VcEI2TyBuhPLadL7o3dIfRdrl-DXkkCFkJlOJF-LmIJyj4gbZ6WZUNbGi34N/s200/DSCN3966_7085.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355437614049716642" /></a><br />Okay, so it’s not a great hike in the outdoors or a wildlife refuge but the Week 3 adventure with my children ended up being Work projects. That’s right. What one of my twin 11year olds said to me during one of the work projects got me to realize that work can count as an adventure and has to this third week of summer as we just didn’t get to do the original adventure we had planned (going to the fountains). <br />My garage has been bugging me for a while and so one day during week 3 of summer I just could not stand it anymore and I began taking everything out of one half of the garage. What started it is, we could not find a certain pair of boots for one of my children. So, I dumped out all of the boxes where the boots are stored in the garage to search for them and one thing led to another. <br />Then as I looked at our garage walls I realized they looked terrible and had spider webs all over them and the walls had never really been painted. So I thought, one way to clean walls of cobwebs is to paint them. <br />So, paint we did. <br />All three of my three youngest boys helped me. <br />First, though, we took everything out of the garage. Some things I am guessing had not been moved, and I am embarrassed to admit this, for 20 years. As long as we have lived here. <br />Paint cans and tarps and shoes and sports gear and tools and sleeping bags and old roller blades and broken toys and and and. The garage becomes a storing ground for a lot of things. <br />After the prep work we got out the paint brushes and whatever paint I have had the past 20 years and we got to work. My three boys, 11, 11, and 6, were so enthusiastic to paint. That creative impulse perhaps. <br />They each took a certain section and we tried to keep it from getting too messy but because it was the garage I was not as worried as you are in the house. <br /><br />When we got one wall completed, we took a break for lunch and Mickael Josef, one of the twins, said to me, “This is so much fun” and that is what made me think of work as an adventure. I have heard of the saying, "work as prayer" and in a way this is the same idea. <br /><br />Looking at work as adventure - the kids were doing something new and different and somewhat creative and maybe most importantly, together with me. All qualities of an adventure. And, a bonuse of course- learning a skill and feeling good about being important in the family to help with work.<br />It wasn’t outdoors as my goal for outdoor adventures was, but it was something new, painting. <br />Yet, as I think of Week 3 of summer, there was another work project my kids were involved with and this one was outdoors- my 17 year old’s Eagle project which all of the boys were part of. Three of my four boys are Boy Scouts and they all helped Ryan with his Eagle project. The Eagle project was to build a new trail off Pimlico Court. The goal for Ryan was to put in 600 feet of trail and they got so much done that first day last Friday that they ended up putting in 1000 feet of trail, making it all the way to the bridge. Which the City of West Linn had hoped for!<br />It was great fun to see my boys working so hard with a shovel in their hands and a pick ax and the camaraderie amongst the boys and adults helping in the hot summer air. <br />You could just see and feel the reward of work.Indeed, the adventure of work!Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-60015982126824339182009-07-02T11:27:00.000-07:002009-07-18T20:48:53.306-07:00Thursday with Theodore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXucQo4gIp7v48ELSnAABvBeEJ-x5NqLGgdq2IrV-tekBEDrT0ofVPyW4BdNbAuPccBWCL7Zbds3BIayGr9z05WZhdPyAfm7W6cdllEfkvN6f8W99CGzg6CbUyFEfu5INxYPyS2vJQmOU3/s1600-h/DSC_0242_6822.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXucQo4gIp7v48ELSnAABvBeEJ-x5NqLGgdq2IrV-tekBEDrT0ofVPyW4BdNbAuPccBWCL7Zbds3BIayGr9z05WZhdPyAfm7W6cdllEfkvN6f8W99CGzg6CbUyFEfu5INxYPyS2vJQmOU3/s200/DSC_0242_6822.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354125079703088354" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRRHiwuLa9TzvoR8092YebRVOo8RDQOlyeSw0BFb0gqW3PengteDS_IikL_mlVyivQw5RSsMYEMNoodZxJCnrlQUkDa3My8nf5X3PQeOZBiayR-c-Z4-zCXHKWcSrfcZUufUypyYnMntA/s1600-h/DSC_0247_6827.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRRHiwuLa9TzvoR8092YebRVOo8RDQOlyeSw0BFb0gqW3PengteDS_IikL_mlVyivQw5RSsMYEMNoodZxJCnrlQUkDa3My8nf5X3PQeOZBiayR-c-Z4-zCXHKWcSrfcZUufUypyYnMntA/s400/DSC_0247_6827.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353932189750105170" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDR2vHV6lkvYWtRWWPOtMfy3S65G9uPm2lJ1liG0M4t4GxR7Gskhh6zCGOKQJwCvQluh4xmM8qlZWSTLprw_HCN7KisG6MD-70Q3Zk8Gw4lopeDgEVHbjYuimazdyQNzxfSUR4iU5drJa/s1600-h/DSC_0243_6823.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDR2vHV6lkvYWtRWWPOtMfy3S65G9uPm2lJ1liG0M4t4GxR7Gskhh6zCGOKQJwCvQluh4xmM8qlZWSTLprw_HCN7KisG6MD-70Q3Zk8Gw4lopeDgEVHbjYuimazdyQNzxfSUR4iU5drJa/s400/DSC_0243_6823.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353932005096666498" /></a><br />He sits at the corner of the bend of Carriage Way. Every morning and evening to wave at the passers by rushing to work or wherever the day requires. Just seeing him, makes me want to slow down. <br />The first time I drove by a couple of years ago, he waved at me wearing his red hat and I thought he was signaling me to slow down. But later I found out he was just waving. <br />Every time I see him sitting there, I tell my kids, I would like to stop and meet him but we are always going somewhere and need to be at a certain place at a certain time. And I tell myself I will do it another time. Two years have passed by at least. <br />The last two or three summers I drove by both in the morning and the evening while taking my kids to church camp, and there he was and I always look for him when I am close to that bend in the road and sometimes when he is not there I worry that something happened to him. <br /><br />So, finally, last Thursday I was driving home from picking up my 6 year old Augustin at a birthday party and it is about 4 p.m. and I see him in his red hat waving and I say to Augustin my son, “should we stop and meet him?” and my 6 year old says yes. <br />So we do. <br /><br />I introduce myself and he reaches out his hand to me and says, “I’m Theodore.”<br />I ask him his story. <br /><br />Theodore is 86 and has sat outside his house daily for the past 3 years on his busy through street and he tells me that he waves at every single car that drives by and he does this in the morning when people are going to work every and in the evening he waves at every single car that drives by but in the summer if it is too hot he will not go outside. <br /><br />When he first started this people thought he was trying to get them to slow down but he is only trying to say hi to people. When he is not out there, people stop at the door to ask him if he is okay and that they miss him. <br /><br />When I told him that every time I have driven by and I have wanted to stop and talk to him but I have always been going somewhere or needed to be home for something, he said to me that most people are too busy to stop.<br /><br />That affected me and that is why I needed to stop on this Thursday. I did not want to miss out on his story and seeing him make time for others and just being out there waving at passers-by and not worrying about to-do lists and schedules. He did not even have a book out there with him to read. He was just smiling at the people. In the moment.<br /><br />Some other people have stopped to talk to him, they will park nearby or walk by and he asks them what their plans are for the day. <br /><br />June is Theodore’s birthday month and he received 30-40 birthday cards from some of those "friends" he has made and they have given him bottles of wine and other gifts for his birthday. They found out about his birthday because he held a sign up that said "today is my birthday"- At first when he started doing this-waving at people-they thought he was trying to get them to slow down but he was not. <br /><br />Theodore is a retired music teacher and a church choir member and leader and played the organ and when Augustin and I stopped to meet him, he started breaking out into song several different times and he told me jokes and stories. He told me about his family and his children and he asked me about my children and we talked about church and life and God and music and heaven and children. I asked him why he sits out here every day and he says he likes to wave at people and he is outgoing and he likes to meet people. <br /><br />Meeting him made me want to go back every Thursday. To take the time out of my busy mom schedule, to listen and talk to Theodore who has lived 8 decades. To hear his wisdom and advice. Today I rode my bicycle by to see him after riding with my daughter to work in Oregon City. <br /><br />I am thinking about taking the time to make every Thursday with Theodore.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-67314244631817817832009-06-23T12:59:00.000-07:002009-07-12T10:36:24.434-07:00Week 2 Summer 2009 - My Kid-Goal: Every week a new outdoor adventure<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHFzY5dU8t3Py5eq0DKo69CkK-_2ch4ilU2MS3Hu2Xd_nCY-YCwfm5zonKubjQaQkMmG7Wg-Y0k-uzYjLszy9-0xTQP_1zLHgW0Kico7AYlWcp8LINJ-6b1yZJvGoTyUvP685rzXu2xNZ/s1600-h/DSCN3916_6746.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHFzY5dU8t3Py5eq0DKo69CkK-_2ch4ilU2MS3Hu2Xd_nCY-YCwfm5zonKubjQaQkMmG7Wg-Y0k-uzYjLszy9-0xTQP_1zLHgW0Kico7AYlWcp8LINJ-6b1yZJvGoTyUvP685rzXu2xNZ/s400/DSCN3916_6746.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350616786501156818" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHaNDBC9vdYTDQLEmthSQbC-UBDNc1_iG3GcaRXQOUUQPg1po6gxdmDN7c-6y2zQuDHarPBtY7aPqA6AhneA7vBS-Y6QAzi3EwFs4JNFUnXca6ZgH-HOcGSYBZw4q13qRL0xHAlltFtOf_/s1600-h/DSCN3926_6756.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHaNDBC9vdYTDQLEmthSQbC-UBDNc1_iG3GcaRXQOUUQPg1po6gxdmDN7c-6y2zQuDHarPBtY7aPqA6AhneA7vBS-Y6QAzi3EwFs4JNFUnXca6ZgH-HOcGSYBZw4q13qRL0xHAlltFtOf_/s200/DSCN3926_6756.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350616499351714306" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMoDSyq15Uc7FyniKLMffyoZQInJVpGLqSEQqG3BjfBOkgSUMLd9RUb1QRhujXByn5FFM6-KUTFv83fvxsQ0Ex7nscowi0GWXbaAr6Ti-3W_TmGkKvusFVRsczXXx85o6CE77tgxhfNsA/s1600-h/DSCN3935_6765.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMoDSyq15Uc7FyniKLMffyoZQInJVpGLqSEQqG3BjfBOkgSUMLd9RUb1QRhujXByn5FFM6-KUTFv83fvxsQ0Ex7nscowi0GWXbaAr6Ti-3W_TmGkKvusFVRsczXXx85o6CE77tgxhfNsA/s200/DSCN3935_6765.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350616122792032946" /></a><br />My goal this summer is to get the kids back to nature, to get away from neon lights and schedules and life in the fast lane and computer screens and electronic devices. As one mom calls it-to "get away from manufactured fun".<br /> <br />Each week I am making a commitment to do something outdoors, some kind of adventure, some kind of new park, new hike, new outdoor area, new natural area. <br />Last week was the first week of summer (well, the kids had school on Monday), and my friend Jeanie told me she was going on a hike to Multnomah Falls so we invited ourselves along. It was great fun seeing that amazing waterfall, walking –sometimes running--up the hill to the top of the falls, and looking down, meandering along the trail with the big cliff to our side. <br /><br />So, this week, the second week to do a new, non-neon light adventure took us to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge just outside of Sherwood, Oregon. I had read about this in The Oregonian sometime back and have been wanting to take my children. <br /><br />As my friend Nancy Trumbo and I had talked about getting together this week it was a perfect time to suggest going to the Wildlife Refuge. Nancy had first suggested a local park near her Tualatin house but I wanted something different and she was thrilled to go with me. <br /><br />Wow, amazing spot right by the City. We saw pelicans, bullfrogs, tree frogs, a creek, lots of birds, woods, and our kids walking along the path talking up a storm. It was just a mile walk on the path to the lookout area and we saw another group—a camp for kids- exploring the refuge.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-3628502570752045152009-06-18T08:38:00.000-07:002009-06-18T09:28:14.873-07:00Rolling Hills church founder led 31 years of growth<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKRXhU0nbHbmw43iFMJIFmkvMpiWJFDAn5HmJ7R_JTHaIAupz_NJ7yOP1tCXzG2p0uixPCDeEw6mD-tak1qNxJmk3x0UGMhxCCVwuT3S-rKbYvJRSmslqt8fhJqpTKwWCgHcnqTZpPVOF/s1600-h/DSC_0454_5508.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKRXhU0nbHbmw43iFMJIFmkvMpiWJFDAn5HmJ7R_JTHaIAupz_NJ7yOP1tCXzG2p0uixPCDeEw6mD-tak1qNxJmk3x0UGMhxCCVwuT3S-rKbYvJRSmslqt8fhJqpTKwWCgHcnqTZpPVOF/s320/DSC_0454_5508.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348695418332821058" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUUIBgSqSx71upkM_6q4xv-vpPBVtZb2dhn6fyFUXHBdjmT0-xKRTbv58k9SeymPb8vg3bLKX1EXPFLNNZmTy2K7MTb6saaP3xExGT8X61fptLvCOeHt4KdCUca8CdCRn_vkPlEiifj0u/s1600-h/DSC_0320_5294.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUUIBgSqSx71upkM_6q4xv-vpPBVtZb2dhn6fyFUXHBdjmT0-xKRTbv58k9SeymPb8vg3bLKX1EXPFLNNZmTy2K7MTb6saaP3xExGT8X61fptLvCOeHt4KdCUca8CdCRn_vkPlEiifj0u/s320/DSC_0320_5294.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348695232557358530" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGdyYfRZGPiypelMhoVncXIx5RXoFk6f0FBrgV6z-HWJvq4lvpJJiKDmXhH24RLZxnnnHKUD2WkGyF66GCcRUtMML7lhwFVATmiP49SE_kSdVcbRuIGeW7evzHeMRTdLmo2-0veFpf0aL/s1600-h/DSC_0353_5327.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGdyYfRZGPiypelMhoVncXIx5RXoFk6f0FBrgV6z-HWJvq4lvpJJiKDmXhH24RLZxnnnHKUD2WkGyF66GCcRUtMML7lhwFVATmiP49SE_kSdVcbRuIGeW7evzHeMRTdLmo2-0veFpf0aL/s320/DSC_0353_5327.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348695057062375506" /></a><br />Dale Ebel, founding pastor of Tualatin’s Rolling Hills Community Church, was returning to Oregon with his family in 1975 for graduate work at Portland’s Western Seminary when he sensed a call to start a church. <br /><br />“We were driving on I-5, and right at Exit 290 – the Lake Oswego/Durham exit – it was like I heard God say to me, ‘You are going to start a church in this area,’¤” recalled Ebel, a native Oregonian and a West Linn resident since 1978. <br /><br />After Ebel finished his Master of Divinity degree, four families, who were friends of the Ebels and had been commuting to church in Portland asked him to be their pastor. <br /><br />When Ebel agreed, the families established Rolling Hills Community Church on Feb. 1, 1978, meeting in family homes. <br /><br />Their first public service was Easter Sunday, 1978, when 120 people gathered in a bank building in Lake Oswego. Then they rented Lake Oswego’s Palisades Elementary School for six years, before moving in 1984 into their newly constructed Borland Road building on land found by Paul Sundstrom,a founding member. <br /><br />“There were no other churches in the area, and we saw it was where we needed to be, and it started to grow,” Ebel said. “Now, there are so many other churches around there.” <br /> Today, between 2,700 and 3,200 attend the two Sunday services. <br /><br />Ebel, who stepped down last month from his role as senior pastor, recently reflected on why Rolling Hills grew so much. <br /><br />“We are rooted in the reality that we are weak and God is strong. There’s something about that that resonates with people, that sense oftransparency, that we are all in process, and that brings authenticity,” Ebel said, adding that he also held fast to “teaching the word of God.” <br /><br />Original member Cheryl Doerr believes the church’s multigenerational feel is appealing: “So many people are still here who have been here for 31 years. I think that stability is an attraction for young families.” Her son Aaron, is music pastor at Rolling Hills. <br /><br />Though Ebel acknowledged you want to grow, for Him, “it’s never been about the numbers. I’ve always said, it’s about the people.” <br /><br />Church member Deana Ruppel of Oregon City credited Ebel with what she called huge people skills. “He has a way of making people feel important,” she said. <br />And Paulette Jones, Ebel’s administrative assistant from 2005 until he stepped down, noted, “He’s been instrumental in marriages and raising kids. He has poured his life into people.” <br /><br />In his three decades of service, Ebel has also made strong ties outside the church. <br /> Jerry Nihill,</cq> principal at Tualatin’s Bridgeport Primary School, where Rolling Hills members help with various programs, said, “Rolling Hills has been a fantastic community partner with Bridgeport, making it a better place to be.” <br /><br />Yet, in the midst of his devotion to ministry, Ebel has remained dedicated to his family. <br /> Bill Towne,</cq> the church’s interim senior pastor since June 1, who has been on staff in various roles since 1983, said of Ebel, “He was an entrepreneur in starting this church, but he was not sacrificing his family to do so.” <br /><br />RECEPTIONS JUNE 27-28: <br />Receptions honoring Dale Ebel’s 31 years of ministry at Rolling Hills Community Church will be held after church services scheduled for 4 p.m. June 27 and 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. June 28at the church, 3550 SW Borland Road, Tualatin<br /><br />WHAT IS NEXT FOR DALE: Dale recently established the non-profit Dale Ebel Ministries. He plans on continuiing to mentor pastors, disciple others and teach as well as write a book. Reach him at www.daleebel.comCornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-42692412546130763402009-06-09T07:57:00.001-07:002009-06-12T13:31:13.032-07:00My daughter is back home!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWRHGZ8iOhvyOuFb_kzfpm8oaiLBbeYdwqaK0JWk4lVX5BzIh6L4avklG-u68i2hFHigWG1JmK8aflEhgJ0B96DVB_pPyh-pG-CtFVBp2Dn1VbFHDg-2nIJTYbO7RkdCP0_HCUMaQPWQL/s1600-h/DSC_1218_5987.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWRHGZ8iOhvyOuFb_kzfpm8oaiLBbeYdwqaK0JWk4lVX5BzIh6L4avklG-u68i2hFHigWG1JmK8aflEhgJ0B96DVB_pPyh-pG-CtFVBp2Dn1VbFHDg-2nIJTYbO7RkdCP0_HCUMaQPWQL/s320/DSC_1218_5987.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345342635647364354" /></a><br />When she saw us waving at her past the security gates and we all started calling out her name, Rachel, Rachel, and Augustin was holding a tulip and a balloon and the twins and Ryan were holding a tulip each and several of her friends joined us at the airport and we had homemade Welcome Home signs and she started running towards us with her arms wide open. She had a backpack on and a smile as warm and bright as her large heart. <br /><br />It was sweet to watch my SonnenscheinGirl interact with her adoring brothers. Augustin who is 6 just loves his older sister and Rachel told him they would go on a walk soon to Coffee Nook and it was neat to see each of her brothers share about a few details in their lives. School projects, church and school musicals and girls they liked. And in signature Rachel fashion, Rachel listened with sincerity. <br /> <br />She’s back with us all. My daughter dear. We all took turns hugging her and embracing her and I told her Coffee People was open after all this late- past 9 pm so we walked over and got coffee mocha milkshakes and talked and Rachel’s brothers surrounded her and took turns sharing with her as her friends asked her lots of questions and Rachie asked lots of questions and it was just a moment that I had been waiting for for so long. And now it was here. <br />After arriving home, the seven of us gathered in various rooms to talk to Rachel. We ended up in her room talking on her bed. We stayed up talking until 3:30 the next morning. It was neat being gathered in her bright cheery room as she unpacked a few items and talked and shared. She had a Milka Schokolade for Chris and me and Kinder Schokolade for her four brothers. We were finally back together as a family. Finally complete again.<br /><br />P.S. I always try to credit the photographer: Thank you Brandon Porter for shooting the picture. I love Augustin's face in this one.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-72130224907657176822009-06-01T20:51:00.000-07:002009-06-01T20:59:51.785-07:00A Chef's Gift to Transitional Youth<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqSLBtiFpQh8vWLhUdUzOvfXh7prBQxZeqd3SGLlArKTN1A71FC9cPDpZyVV0I3ng6fNNxDsTKDNgKiE1aeJw6xotMHufqCnspdYjCZAZO46kGh5qzW0rkT-aaPjvMPOjzsDuGHNohkr6/s1600-h/MAURO-JUNE-09-TY-RH-STORY.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqSLBtiFpQh8vWLhUdUzOvfXh7prBQxZeqd3SGLlArKTN1A71FC9cPDpZyVV0I3ng6fNNxDsTKDNgKiE1aeJw6xotMHufqCnspdYjCZAZO46kGh5qzW0rkT-aaPjvMPOjzsDuGHNohkr6/s320/MAURO-JUNE-09-TY-RH-STORY.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342575031898080562" /></a><br />It is a warm, blue sky, sunshiny Thursday about 1 p.m., and Mauro Cettina is driving back from the Grocery Outlet in King City with 10 dozen eggs, a bunch of carrots and celery and other items for the potato salad he will be preparing for tonight’s Transitional Youth meal. He plans on cooking for about 100 youth, but the numbers vary each time. <br />“Tony Slyter, the Grocery Outlet owner, donated these items,” Mauro shares. <br />Mauro decided to make potato salad for dinner for the kids because potatoes are what he had the most of. <br />“I was walking around downstairs in the church and I saw the 100 pounds of potatoes that Tony had donated a while back,” Mauro explains. “I thought I’d make potato salad and serve it with hot dogs. It’s a nice picnic kind of summery food for the day.” <br />“I try to make homemade stuff. This isn’t Sisco potato salad. It has pickles, celery, eggs,” Mauro, the church’s facilities manager, a former professional chef, explains. “I am always getting the word out to every ministry in the church that I need food for Transitional Youth nights. Like if we have a ton of ham left over from an event, I will freeze it and use if for another event, but you cannot keep ham that long, and I will ask the ministry if I can use it for Transitional Youth. It is a great way to not waste food. I can pretty much make something nice out of anything.” <br />Recently, after the high school ministry’s All-Church Old-Fashioned Spaghetti Feed for Missions that I organized, Mauro used the left over sauce that he had made for that event for a Transitional Youth meal night. <br />“Tony had donated stew meat and I braised it with onions, chicken broth, garlic and simmered it for a while, then added it to the spaghetti sauce and put it over pasta. The kids just loved it.” <br />Mauro has been using his culinary gift on Mondays and Thursdays for Transitional Youth for about six months. Sometimes he is just there while another group has prepared the meal. <br />He loves getting to know the youth.<br />“You focus on the kids that you have a little bit of rapport with. The thing that I have to remember is it is not about me. Sometimes I don’t get any response, not even a thank you, but that’s okay. You’re not doing it for that. It is easy to compare with our kids, how we’ve taught them to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ for everything. But at Transitional Youth, sometimes it’s just, ‘Where’s the mayonnaise, where’s the mustard?’” <br />At 3:30 that Thursday, the potato salad is completed. A 100 to 110 pound potato salad. <br />“Linda Saxton and I cleaned them and pealed them yesterday, and today we sliced them and put together the salad. I have a lot of people helping me,” Mauro notes. <br />He has to be at the First Baptist Church in downtown Portland, where Transitional Youth now meets, by 4:30 to start the set up for the youth who will start arriving between 5:30 and 6 p.m.<br />“It’s neat knowing that the kids get a home-cooked meal. And just seeing the volunteers who feel called to serve the kids. The humility behind that. No one says thank you. We don’t expect it. I love to see the community of servants gathered.”Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-13069538999070735622009-05-28T21:26:00.000-07:002009-05-28T21:42:43.089-07:00Ahh, it's graduation season. . . then...college ahead<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NA-Yz9MjlEUtxglFXhYoybbnBewtdIdMvyfK07-cWahtEx_Pjv9mxKoSLVPCFBdxQu__drRNjDrKeOP3SjXvO-pD3vQ1nn8jVe8ys78J_6P9EVyIUFhgSJDtEFkiwl2FcNjwpXgmmPUt/s1600-h/graduationimages.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 96px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NA-Yz9MjlEUtxglFXhYoybbnBewtdIdMvyfK07-cWahtEx_Pjv9mxKoSLVPCFBdxQu__drRNjDrKeOP3SjXvO-pD3vQ1nn8jVe8ys78J_6P9EVyIUFhgSJDtEFkiwl2FcNjwpXgmmPUt/s320/graduationimages.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341101538826583074" /></a><br />Ryan will graduate a week from tomorrow. We are in the thick of things, planning for the party, getting invites out, end of year things, the all-night party, senior "kisses", end of year events, concerts, projects and. . . college ahead for our second child and our first deciding what to do next year. . . all the while, keeping up with our youngest three and all their activities...it is all good and fun and a whirlwind. Trying to help our children make life long decisions - what college, where to go, what jobs to find. Trying to help them get scholarships to fund the college of their dreams...Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-68584854516629680062009-05-24T21:17:00.001-07:002009-05-24T21:30:31.160-07:00Is it a Christian novel? . . . Then, it's boring. . . Ouch<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DEK9Lpfs6Mca1zvj2ZcQQqycAGrx8Bn3YGLrlHVlMknmfv_49PwK5ZYGj2hoehCwIvPSnpgwArEP-SOmf7DaA5xg_GXw-YAfwFiG0Wp6UhF_WIXxKCpK_Zt9F7kOalbxBpEZABPq8tR6/s1600-h/LIT-2-CHRISTIAN.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 129px; height: 94px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DEK9Lpfs6Mca1zvj2ZcQQqycAGrx8Bn3YGLrlHVlMknmfv_49PwK5ZYGj2hoehCwIvPSnpgwArEP-SOmf7DaA5xg_GXw-YAfwFiG0Wp6UhF_WIXxKCpK_Zt9F7kOalbxBpEZABPq8tR6/s320/LIT-2-CHRISTIAN.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339614181334770642" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mr_W1fUgT0PnZqb78wEn7PwAEPy8CUpr6dl715OjDh6Z_bPDwuV3K_p4F71qh5XSwUCGhMTMfp9oRorYHvdXvSzMLTDI5eOCdL_roK0wwydX9HtCKg6AlmLgnv47dg8hJkO9920fsFHH/s1600-h/LIT-LIBRARY-PHOTO.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 129px; height: 86px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mr_W1fUgT0PnZqb78wEn7PwAEPy8CUpr6dl715OjDh6Z_bPDwuV3K_p4F71qh5XSwUCGhMTMfp9oRorYHvdXvSzMLTDI5eOCdL_roK0wwydX9HtCKg6AlmLgnv47dg8hJkO9920fsFHH/s320/LIT-LIBRARY-PHOTO.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339612320718921602" /></a><br />I was at the church library to get some books for my husband to read to our 6-year-old. My husband had asked for some new books as he was getting tired of the same old same old. <br />As I looked around, I also thought of our 11 year old twin sons who love a good story. <br />I ended up with two books in a series of young teen novels for the boys. <br />When I picked up the twins from their church musical practice after finding the church library books, I told the boys that I had some new novels for them to read.<br />“Are they Christian books?” one of my twin 5th grade sons asks me.<br />“Yes, they are from the church library,” I answered. <br />“Then, I don’t want to read them. Christian novels are boring,” he answered. <br />Ouch. <br />“Why do you say that?” I probed.<br />“Because there is no plot and there is no mystery. The always give all the answers,” he replied like a literary critic. <br />It did get me thinking about Christian literature and sometimes the moralizing that takes place within those books. Or has in the past. <br />I have not, I confess, gotten into Christian adult literature for some time as I just have not found the story line in them. Not since I was into Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness and that series. . . I know I have not tried as hard, but to have my 11 year old son say it so honestly made me think about Christian literature and the importance of creating quality art for kids and adults. I know it is getting better and better and I am excited to meet Christian writers and their excitement. I just hate to hear my twins say that they think Christian lit is boring. <br /><br />I think sometime about the market and how maybe I need to be the one to create quality literature with good morals without the story being moralizing -- and boring. <br /><br />And keep looking for those who already are.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-74008454850217503972009-05-21T07:36:00.000-07:002009-05-21T07:50:13.205-07:00Thoughts on Big Church and kids leaving the church<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwByL5zIvnyp8IyhwcT4EJ71OZFtMlUpB4Xg8u8GSEM97eiM_Qan3IRGY7GcVc8XfJVGRGVSQ3j51SsHffuP8Cg-4zPHyUNUPmvpI-ZVXjF6y19UReGuYfc_HN-4S7nxKnvGvEEhNKF0h/s1600-h/CHURCHKIDSimages.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 145px; height: 103px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwByL5zIvnyp8IyhwcT4EJ71OZFtMlUpB4Xg8u8GSEM97eiM_Qan3IRGY7GcVc8XfJVGRGVSQ3j51SsHffuP8Cg-4zPHyUNUPmvpI-ZVXjF6y19UReGuYfc_HN-4S7nxKnvGvEEhNKF0h/s320/CHURCHKIDSimages.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338288621504228418" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7N91Sz6lsn-fr6wcQXR6TNBErt6CZCELFJ0zB9Q8DgfDy8mv-02SFnr_yIXDv-2-Ik8PIWmcn5BPi4Zk5YTdVTm-iF6Vtjv_ZUDX9G4g9FTV1ZRFhHRz41bOCx3UlxqAxqqeagtJv_btb/s1600-h/CHURCH-CROSS-KIDS.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 95px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7N91Sz6lsn-fr6wcQXR6TNBErt6CZCELFJ0zB9Q8DgfDy8mv-02SFnr_yIXDv-2-Ik8PIWmcn5BPi4Zk5YTdVTm-iF6Vtjv_ZUDX9G4g9FTV1ZRFhHRz41bOCx3UlxqAxqqeagtJv_btb/s320/CHURCH-CROSS-KIDS.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338288547400429202" /></a><br /><br />I have heard of a statistic that notes how a large majority of kids are leaving the faith as they get beyond high school and move on to collegiate life. <br /><br />I think of church life sometimes and have to wonder: <br />So much of our church is segregated times. <br /><br />The grade schoolers are in one section, the junior high in another, the high schoolers in still another area. <br /><br />There have been times when I am in big church and I think, I wish my high schooler was in here. Or my grade schoolers. <br /><br />A couple of weeks ago, our pastor was giving an important talk and we kept our grade schoolers with us for the first church service instead of sending them to their fifth grade Sunday School class. I love their teacher Mr. Tate and I like a lot of the things they do in the class, but I also like my children with me to hear the service. With us. <br /><br />And when it came to the second service, which I was staying for as well, I had told my high school son, who attends the high school service during the second hour, that I wanted him in “big church” with me, but he had said he wanted to go to his own high school class. I had thought about going to his youth leader and saying I think the high schoolers need to be in “big church” this week, but then I did not do it. <br /><br />Soon,I found out that the high school class was canceled so the teens could be in with the “big church” as the youth leader also saw it as an important service. I was so happy that my son would be hearing the things going on in big church. <br /><br />Maybe if we would incorporate the high schoolers and other students into the “big church” more often, they would not leave church as they move into college. Because they will have already found a place in big church while still in high school and earlier. <br /><br />We do a combined service every few months which sort of does this. I hope we do more of these. Bringing everyone together. Into one body. One church. Big church.Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-76823101886604682522009-05-20T18:09:00.001-07:002009-05-20T18:17:18.276-07:00Now it's Greece. . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIySbbWX4-8IO-n0HqpIpxwTEh3cnw1DhXlRMh9_B8wfoeJ4VzOO4KkHaStbhwQWHIs9vMpKR1Nfdwpq_UhmW-C_swKSPh4SyzryjpZPuSmeoEaq_VqM_g4X53Y-wsw-SKbaB8WRJV5QJG/s1600-h/Santorini3a14-santorini-firostefani.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 177px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIySbbWX4-8IO-n0HqpIpxwTEh3cnw1DhXlRMh9_B8wfoeJ4VzOO4KkHaStbhwQWHIs9vMpKR1Nfdwpq_UhmW-C_swKSPh4SyzryjpZPuSmeoEaq_VqM_g4X53Y-wsw-SKbaB8WRJV5QJG/s320/Santorini3a14-santorini-firostefani.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338079754811649794" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnvKkei2bv_p0RYA05OsECgYa9e5SpbJO1nPg2oSzpBz_PkFxxBHGKiFowVR_k4tigaDrcgM4Jx9d8P5_r25tNhRsT_Z7lZ0OUhf2ijBIIBnQ9VJ1Nr7IWq59_zXJpPEBKEP59QyCPqFl/s1600-h/SANTORINI2-a11-santorini-oia.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 177px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnvKkei2bv_p0RYA05OsECgYa9e5SpbJO1nPg2oSzpBz_PkFxxBHGKiFowVR_k4tigaDrcgM4Jx9d8P5_r25tNhRsT_Z7lZ0OUhf2ijBIIBnQ9VJ1Nr7IWq59_zXJpPEBKEP59QyCPqFl/s320/SANTORINI2-a11-santorini-oia.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338079621217354882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QChqcGIs94Eqn1FNtEFaRO9EV37Demr_ZWZzxkOWTEWUvF9cW-rmRMgqBJBKYDub_AsEyvUER_OcW-L_6VVPjznAd2Vjyz_sqN92gGjETy4GokzDMjaSasGejdCvRokSen6PZDlgRzud/s1600-h/SANTORINIGREECERACHELa2-santorini-fira.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 177px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QChqcGIs94Eqn1FNtEFaRO9EV37Demr_ZWZzxkOWTEWUvF9cW-rmRMgqBJBKYDub_AsEyvUER_OcW-L_6VVPjznAd2Vjyz_sqN92gGjETy4GokzDMjaSasGejdCvRokSen6PZDlgRzud/s320/SANTORINIGREECERACHELa2-santorini-fira.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338078674711729330" /></a><br />Rachel is close to being done with her 7 weeks -- count them - of traveling. . . I am keeping up via the internet. . .she is in Santorini Greece right now then by Friday back in Duesseldorf Germany with family- my sweet cousin Christiana's family - and in two weeks from today she will be home!!Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-64911608832616892522009-05-20T17:51:00.000-07:002009-05-20T18:03:57.908-07:00Playing Jesus. . . for real<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg819C-z6_6IZhdyvh-mtgtwP9Dl3bcbiHOtLT2dGUAQdIWeNWqSSEnQQLOdKx46l9Yfq3YeK6IE5leGmNFD2K52vB6PCeoPtVdeEj67umCyudLKNXzPjzev-IUWaWHokwwE6zU9hmkbOIO/s1600-h/JimCavizelPassion_.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 90px; height: 90px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg819C-z6_6IZhdyvh-mtgtwP9Dl3bcbiHOtLT2dGUAQdIWeNWqSSEnQQLOdKx46l9Yfq3YeK6IE5leGmNFD2K52vB6PCeoPtVdeEj67umCyudLKNXzPjzev-IUWaWHokwwE6zU9hmkbOIO/s320/JimCavizelPassion_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338076672866539826" /></a><br />Jim Caviezel who played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s 2004 movie, The Passion of the Christ – wow, what an amazing man Jim is. And that his initials are JC and he was 33 years old when Mel asked him to play the part. <br />He spoke at Rolling Hills Community Church last weekend and was so passionate about Life and sticking up for Christ no matter what. Counting the cost. That was the message I took away from it. Pastor Dale from Rolling Hills interviewed him during the service.<br />Dale asked Jim what it was like playing Jesus. Jim was actually on the physical cross for the filming of the movie. He was up there for hours. He actually almost died of hypothermia. His shoulder was dislocated. He notes that he could not have played the part without his heart being there. With his head alone, he would not have had the strength. With God’s strength.<br />Playing the part of Jesus in a film had such an impact on his life that he is careful how he lives his real life. People come up to him and say, “There’s Jesus,” and that is a hard act to follow in real life, but he takes it seriously. And again, he says, not in his own power. <br />He and his wife adopted two children over the past few years. The children both had brain tumors and would have not been adopted very easily by others. His passion for life and the unborn and standing up for doing the right thing is refreshing. <br />His current project is the release of CD of the entire New Testament Bible being spoken and narrated by various actors. <br />Not surprisingly, JC plays JC.<br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335345/"></a>Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-72274884720592097802009-05-16T16:03:00.000-07:002009-05-16T16:19:00.549-07:00Writers Connection Meeting Monday May 18<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJS4QTFzfNvKSSk5zbR5_EAEZ8URrlxGS2RHQ8T33-znUZJKbw1YxwGy0tqn71R31_zUqcfuWmHI1njtm6djUZ8GeEbqAb-FmuhMRgXTx1KR5QHtX8HlwbI8oT2IY5az-lQ8wbQYEEFrB/s1600-h/ROLLINGHILLStopimage_trees1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJS4QTFzfNvKSSk5zbR5_EAEZ8URrlxGS2RHQ8T33-znUZJKbw1YxwGy0tqn71R31_zUqcfuWmHI1njtm6djUZ8GeEbqAb-FmuhMRgXTx1KR5QHtX8HlwbI8oT2IY5az-lQ8wbQYEEFrB/s320/ROLLINGHILLStopimage_trees1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336562483253137170" /></a><br />We are having our next Writing & Culture Connection meeting this coming<br />Monday May 18, at 6:30 pm - at Rolling Hills Community Church, in Tualatin, located at 3550 SW Borland Road. The meeting will be in the conference room- all writers are invited to share inspiration, what they are working on,<br />publishing opportunities, current projects, dream projects, upcoming writing<br />conferences, poetry. <br /><br />I have a fun writing prompt we will do.<br /><br />The meeting is a great connection time of encouragement-We will gather for about an hour <br /><br />The link on the church's website: <br /><br />http :// www . rollinghills .org/writing-and-culture-connection-meeting<a href="http://www.rollinghills.org/writing-and-culture-connection-meeting"></a>Cornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541180064113018910.post-82191753269479949342009-05-14T11:32:00.001-07:002009-05-14T11:46:14.471-07:00Mom's Salary- $ 122,000 is actually PRICELESS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNl2_PVtx9aDdaJZ2dIwqwr386KU25SG6eREUuSPJcyBEbKWbpOa7RCPjy-bhKFKUBjfZdsJ6pVmqqgn5OboidbxYfhJ3Jh4dwAxSuNOKHA0ninSQmXLsOURZNmzHnrKNqjo99MisgoND/s1600-h/5-16-07+Camilus+park_008.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNl2_PVtx9aDdaJZ2dIwqwr386KU25SG6eREUuSPJcyBEbKWbpOa7RCPjy-bhKFKUBjfZdsJ6pVmqqgn5OboidbxYfhJ3Jh4dwAxSuNOKHA0ninSQmXLsOURZNmzHnrKNqjo99MisgoND/s320/5-16-07+Camilus+park_008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335752446673238786" /></a><br /><br />If given a salary for their daily duties, moms would earn $ 122,000 a year, were they to be paid the current market prices for their day in and day out job. <br /><br />This is the ninth year that the website www.Salary.com has calculated the Annual Mom Salary Survey showing the 10 most popular job functions of a mom. <br /><br />Multi-tasking might best define how moms see their work, including day care center teacher, psychologist, chief executive officer, laundry machine operator and janitor. Those responsibilities add up to a $ 122,000 income. <br /><br />This survey came in just in time for yesterday's Mother's day celebration. I think that survey is interesting that they do at salary.com, but the things that a mom does just do not come with a price tag and are not the things that children remember about a mom. And the things that children remember about a mom are the most treasured and valuable things. <br /><br />During a wonderful Mother's Day, where my husband made crepes for both our mothers and for me, I read my home made cards from my four sons, cards that brought tears to my eyes. I had told my kids that is what I wanted for Mother's Day-home made cards and poetry. I love homemade cards as they express personal sentiments. <br /><br />One of my 11-year-old twins said, "Thank you for being a wonderful mom, who loves, and cares about me and ...is a kind mom." And his poem says- "Your face shines like the sun, you're as beautiful as a rose and your heart is as bright as the stars. ...made for mom because she shines like the sun and she's the kindest person ever made by God." <br /><br />And from the other twin - "Thank you for being my mom. Thank you for your help and for making cookies. Thank you for making y life more easy." <br /><br />And from my high school son: "Thanks for all the little things you do that make my life better."<br /><br />And, my six-year-old expressed it simply in a card that had a picture of me and him on the cover and inside, simply, "Thank you for being my mom." <br /><br />I cannot resist using the slogan that American Express made popular with their television ads: priceless. <br /><br />You just cannot put a salary on the job of MomCornelia Seigneur - Finding the Adventure in Motherhood and Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16918230875848802735noreply@blogger.com4