Reflections on Beauty and Brokeness

For those of you who know me, I do not write well. After all I am a numbers guy. I do better with numbers than I do with words. This is why it has taken me so long to post about our trip to Wien Austria. Our close dear friends Brad and Stacey along with their three children are missionaries to a land that is full of beauty and brokenness. I have heard Brad describe a city of marvelous beauty and extreme brokenness before, and I got a first hand look at that recently.






After visiting Schonbrunn Palace on the first Saturday we were there, we took the

underground to Karlzplatz(the main underground station). It was there, just after witnessing marvelous beauty that we saw extreme brokenness in the blank stares of the drug addicts that were aimlessly walking the subway halls. The brokenness was there in the faces of the beggars who were holding out their cups for money outside St. Stephansdom Cathedral.



Our friends are planting a wonderful "Garden in the City" and we need to constantly remember them in our prayers as they build relationships with the neighbors in the apartment below, or the fellow students that Brad meets in the halls of the University. Pray that they will be able to reach a people who are hungering for something, what they don't know, they just know that something is missing.

My wife wrote a few blogposts ago that my favorite part of the trip for me was eating the horse liver sandwich (Brad, help with the German please). That would be a distant second to the night that Brad and I walked the entire 1st district praying for the people of Austria, searching hungering for something more. Then right after that walking into St Stephansdom at 9:00 P.M. and praying for the people again.

This trip has left me with the deeper realization that we too live in world of beauty and brokenness and that we too are called by our Father in Heaven to build gardens in our city. You don't need to go around the world to see that, but every once in a while it helps.

Dozens of puffs and one tooth later...

Mackenzie has a lot of teeth loose. But she has been especially anxious for her front tooth to come out. Three tries later...









Wah-lah! Tooth extracted.

Tonight at Awana the kids both had friendly competitions to look forward to. Ethan has been working on his box car at home for a while now, and Mack worked on hers yesterday. They were very excited to bring their creations to the group, and they did great! Ethan ran as fast as his little legs could carry him (run ethan run!), and Kenzie blew as hard as she knew how (believe me...she kept blowing in my face to show me her technique). They came home with participation ribbons and couldn't wait to show Daddy!

Wien

**Warning! This post is all over the place! This is just how my brain happens to be working today...**

Ahhh...Vienna in spring. The sights, the sounds, the smells (but maybe not the distinct smell in the Laurenzgasse station). This was my first time traveling overseas, actually anywhere out of the country (except that time we crossed the New York state border into Canada and then turned around to come back-'look kids! another country!') And since Matt and I have been recently converted into ginormous 'Lost' fans, I don't need to tell you that I was pretty nervous about flying "over the pond". Would we end up on a remote, undiscovered island in the middle of the Atlantic? Ok. I need to back off the Lost episodes.

The last time we flew with the kids Kenzie was 4 and Ethan was almost 2. It was a nightmare and I swore that I would never fly with the kids again until they were at least 18. So, how did I get talked into flying over 9 hours (that's just one plane ride) with long layovers to another continent?? For our dear, dear friends the Hunters, of course!! And, praise God! The trip was great. The kids did very well. The layovers were just right for the big airports we stopped in, and the long flights went by pretty quickly. Did I mention that we had the best Memoo around with us?? I will say that she can sleep on a plane like a champ. But the whole time we were traveling to Vienna, it just didn't seem real that I was going there.

I made sure to keep a journal of our everyday happenings, and I took 700+ pictures. For future reference, 700 pictures make for a real long slide show during which one's grandfather falls asleep. ('Wake up Everett!') It seems that when I take a trip to visit people that are dear to me, I feel the need to record everything. Is it necessary? For me, yes. Is it worth reading? For you, maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of it. (Wake up, Everett!) Maybe I should've titled this post 'Random Thoughts and Ramblings About Wien' by: Kim. So here it goes...

It was great to see their family when we got to their apartment! My kids were so excited to see their friends that they ran across the street on a green light, BUT thankfully the street was without moving cars. To say that Brad and Stacey were gracious hosts is like saying that Ethan is fast. It just doesn't quite describe them fully. They were so patient with our family coming to stay at their house for a week, and they planned some fantastic activities for us. Like what, you say? Well. We visited the Schonbrunn Palace, went to the opera (who knew that Tristan and Isolde was 4 hours and 45 minutes?), ate a brioche and drank a cafe melange with my pinky up at Demel, drooled outside of the Stephansdom Cathedral, and ate Viennese food like wiener schnitzel, brauts, kebabs, chocolate croissants, and LOTS of ice cream (maybe these things are not strictly Viennese foods but, seriously, we did eat ice cream almost every day). Who knew the Cates and Hunters had the same love language? FOOD! Did we shop? Yeah we did! Stacey took Mary and me to the Naschmarkt. It was like being in a rainbow made of food. Nuts, olives, herbs, fruits, veggies, fish, meat...Heckling Turks = no pictures of the food rainbow taken by Kim.
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??WHO KNEW??

Who knew...
*that Austrian adults like to play dress up?





*that Austrians played 'Monopoly' and that they call the one who loses a LOSER?



*that the movie 'Raising Arizona' is as funny in Austria as it is in the States?
("Son, you got a panty on your head.") OK, Matt and Stacey wouldn't agree with this one...
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As a family we visited the Natural History Museum, and we saw lots of rocks, bones, and stuffed animals. It was all good. Then, for a bonus adventure, I went to the Art History Museum - by myself! And with very detailed instructions on how to make it back to their house, I discovered that I'm not as mentally challenged with directions as I originally thought. (i.e.-Kim is not a 'tard with directions all the time.) Both museums were fascinating, but I especially liked the Art Museum. Lots of old stuff. Pretty cool.



The Cates' Family's Favorite Things About Vienna:

Matt- the "spam-like horse liver with a pus-like cheese that oozes out of it". According to Matt it was "good-it tasted like corned beef". Yeah, I saw that same Mr. Ed liver while passing a street vendor, and I thought I was going to barf on the street. To each his own I suppose.

Kim-the old buildings, so much history behind everything, the architecture, the cathedral-breathtaking! (This is my drama queen coming out again.)

Kenzie-the spiral staircase to the Hunter's apt (now that was seriously breath taking. I need to start working out again.)

Ethan- the break dancers (Come visit us and he'll reenact the dancers' moves for you!)

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My New Motto- "At least it's not $7 a gallon!" Trust me-you can use it almost every time. 'Can you believe I just spent $50 on a tank of gas??' (plug new motto) "At least it's not $7 a gallon!" 'A gallon of milk is over $4??!!' "At least it's not $7 a gallon!" You get the picture...
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Any regrets? Nein, except I think I should've gone against my gut instinct and visited the "Mostly Mozart" store to look for a Mozart bobble head (if there is such a thing). Since Matt and I nominated Brad as the official "Cliff Claven" of Austria, maybe he would know where I can get one.



I was told by a certain local who will remained unnamed that we did look like tourists. I don't know why....



Look at me! Gray pea coat, rainbow-striped scarf (the South Floridian had to ask how to wear one), fake Converse sneakers, camera stuck to my face most of the time. I scream non-Austrian! What you don't see: a completely clueless look on my face at all times, English words streaming from my mouth and German words that don't sound like German when I say them, and the big black paisley backpack. The only thing I forgot was my American flag on an easy-to-carry pole. (I can so relate to the Brazilian tourists who flock annually to the Sawgrass Mills mall.)



It was great to see our kids playing with theirs again. It was heart breaking to say goodbye to them. I found myself pacing the halls trying not to cry and failing at that. I was one rocking motion away from Rainman. But it's always harder being the one left behind...so we continue to pray for them as they are getting back into their daily groove without visitors.



It was weird to look at my watch and know that the rat race at home was six hours behind us. It was disconcerting and a little intimidating to be in a place where I couldn't communicate with anyone outside of the Hunter Haus or the coat check lady at the Art Museum (whom I'm pretty certain laughed at me when I walked away-stupid American). But what I really came to Vienna for, I got. I had a chance to see what everyday life is like for their family. How their kids are doing in school and how they're coming on learning the language. Watching Stacey shop for groceries and interacting (yes! speaking the language) with those same outsiders I was intimidated by. Being with Brad in one of his classes at the university (Matt tagged along with the teacher's pet one evening). Taking the strassenbahn to get around town. When they were getting ready to leave South Florida, I would think how weird it would be to hear updates from them and read about their life in a different place. I actually had a chance to experience that with them for a week. For that, I am so thankful! What amazes me even more is how we have seen God's hand at work in their lives for the past 10 months (and longer) as they have been over there. So many prayers answered. Are they completely adjusted? No. Is it difficult for them being over there? Sure, but they know that they can do all things through Him that strengthens them and they rely on His promises. It is encouraging to me in my walk to see that, while God's answers may be different than we would like, no prayer goes unanswered.

I am so thankful for our friendship with the Hunters. As Stacey mentioned in one of her posts, this trip and the time spent with their family really helped to knit our hearts more closely together. The kids keep asking when we get to go back. We hope it won't too long in coming.




Next stop on Kim's World Tour '08: Peru! Stay tuned-maybe she'll get spit on by a llama or Matt will eat a guinea pig!

Under Construction

Watch your step. I'm working on the blog page, but patience is needed as I sort through the 750+ pictures I took in Vienna. Don't run away screaming! I won't make you look at all of them. Just most of them. Ok. All of them. Proceed with your screaming.

Buh bye

Nervous - check.
Excited - check check check
Surrounded by luggage - check
"Special" pills for flight - CHECK

I think we're ready! 2 days and counting....

Tiny Dancer

Beauty Queen Tip #42- Always play with bugs when dressed to the hilt. Kristen used to catch lizards and make leashes for them out of dental floss. Her daughter was bound to follow in her footsteps.


Such a happy girl!


After putting them everywhere on her head but her eyes, she finally got them into place. On a hot day like today, a girl has to protect her pretty peepers.


Tiny dancer


After a hard day at play, she was ready to take a time out and have an ice cold cup of milk.

I had the pleasure of babysitting my li'l Livi today. She was so good!! She loved playing with her cousins. She especially loved dressing up with Kenzie. Don't you love the tutu? This was Kenzie's, and I was saving it to pass on to Livi. We put it on her and she loved it. She pranced around and accepted the appropriate accessories that Kenzie gave her (like the necklace, the bracelets, the purse, etc.) What is the perfect toy to play with when dressing up in a pretty pink tutu? A bucket of bugs, of course! Like mother like daughter. She is a precious precious little girl. I really look forward to watching her again. (Make sure to read the next two posts too!)

Our little Easter bunnies

I'm always trying to find matching outfits for Livi and Kenzie but can never find any. My mom found matching dresses for them for Easter so we had to make sure they had pictures taken together! And how can I overlook my little man? This is his first coat and tie, and how can that be? So handsome is he!! (I don't know if you caught the black loafers-so cute!) You can guess why I only have one cute picture of all three of them... Ethan the earthquake thought that the faster he ran the quicker his new dress clothes would fly off and he could go on playing with his trains and cars. This dressin' up stuff isn't how he rolls. And look at the little angel Livi. She is growing and changing so quickly! We had a chance to look after her today. I'll post another one with pics of our time together.

Happy Birthday Matt!

It was Matt's birthday yesterday. We had a special dinner and then enjoyed cake with our neighbors, one of which also has a birthday this weekend. Of course, we don't just celebrate on one day. We stretch it out all weekend, so today we had dinner at my family's house. My sister and her family are here too. It was a nice time together. Happy Birthday Matt!

Juicy!

We hopped in the car on Saturday to head south and go berry pickin'. Friday night we had some thunderstorms roll in, and we weren't sure if the weather would clear up. But sure enough! All we needed to see was a little bit of blue behind those clouds and off we went to Knaus Berry Farm! Down in the Redlands area, Knaus Berry Farm is tucked in among a number of tree farms and wholesale landscaping nurseries. The area leading to this farm area could be considered an INS official's dream, but that's besides the point.

I wanted to make this trek to Knaus Berry Farm an annual occurrence but we didn't make it last year. The last time we went we knew to sample the fresh baked cinnamon rolls, and we knew that berries just taste better when they're handpicked by tiny hands so we did that too. Thankfully this time we didn't have to lug a stroller through the strawberry field, and we didn't have a two year old with us either. Both kids did a great job finding the best berries!







As we pulled into the parking lot we ran into a family from our church, and they recommended the Dilly Bread. Good recommendation Kathy!!!

We also got a strawberry shake and a Key Lime shake, and they were out-of-this-world good! Yummo!



The best I left for last. (This is where my Drama Queen kicks in.) The cinnamon rolls were better than words can express. Soft, sweet and sticky, i.e.-SSS Add Another Roll to My Waist. Oh so good!

Writer's Block Sucks

Maybe it's not writer's block. Maybe it's that my life has been non-eventful. Non-eventful is good. It just isn't conducive to keeping up my blog.

I did take some pictures today of the boy and the beautiful orchids and plants that my neighbor has across the street. The boy wasn't photographed with the plants (or else I would have an angry neighbor), but he was photographed with the snail that he captured. He appropriately named him Gary (or maybe that was me).





The orchids on my neighbor's front porch are absolutely gorgeous. Some people just have a God-given green thumb. Mine happens to be black. So I gaze longingly at his flowers and thank God for those people (and especially for the flowers).

One for the wedding slideshow

Need I say anything??? This one is definitely going in the "Embarassing Pictures of Ethan to Show His Future Wife" album. Some of you may be saying, 'Get them a dog already!' To that, I will pretend like I didn't hear you and continue to let my daughter walk her brother.

Last month Mackenzie and her class went to Butterfly World, and she was able to purchase a chrysalis from the gift shop. It was super cool and we couldn't wait to see it emerge as a beautiful butterfly...until Mack dropped the cup on the floor. I was convinced that it was dead. Thankfully, I didn't flush it because it came out on Friday!! Mackenzie came screaming down the stairs that I needed to come upstairs. When I got to her room I saw it. It was so beautiful! I don't know how long it had been in there like that, but it's wings were dry and it was flapping around in there, ready to fly away. So we went outside and let it go. The end.