We had the opportunity a couple weeks ago to visit Eisenach and Erfurt. These cities are about 2 hours northeast of here, in the former East Germany. The cities look different (eastern Germany is still poorer and less built up than west) and language is a little different dialect, too. We stayed at a nice little B & B and stretched our German skills over breakfast small talk. Nathaniel enjoyed trying out a few new German phrases he's learning at Kindergarten. He likes to travel to new places and especially likes staying in hotels. He's got the travel-bug =)
These are cities where much of Martin Luther's life and ministry occurred. We read and re-learned about his powerful ministry here in Germany. It was a rainy day, but we hiked up the big hills all over the town anyway. The leaves were bright and splendid. We visited the Wartburg castle where Luther hid away and translated the bible - and where he supposedly threw the inkpot at the devil. We enjoyed the castle tour. The castle has been beautifully kept up. There are many different eras of building and decoration and preferences of the Dukes and Duchesses who have resided over the course of the last 900 years! We saw Luther's childhood home (which is now a museum). We attended a music festival/church service on Sunday morning while in Erfurt and enjoyed some nice choral and organ music at the Thomas Kirche and played on the playground outside the church. We ate some good schnitzel, delicious soup, and during our journey we stopped to let the kids play at McDonalds. (yes, even in east Germany...)
With the cold days settling in, and quite a lot of rain, too, the boys and I have been getting creative indoors.
Nathaniel is not really "into" coloring or sitting for much time to create art, so he's been dancing and singing and making lava rocks of our couch cushions (jumping from cushion to cushion to avoid the hot lava on the floor). He's creative in his own energetic crazy way. I just have to take it and help him channel that craziness into something that doesn't destroy the house or his brother! He sings a lot, too. His singing is often an indicator of the mood for that day. He likes to sing all day sometimes - all his conversation in song - some days he wakes up and says he wants to have an "opera day" and then he just starts singing everything he says! He's been making up lots of new dance moves and asking me to watch his "dance shows." Very, very funny.
Josiah has been finding his own preferences and personality. While Nathaniel has been at kindergarten, I have been learning about and enjoying my little boy's humor and creativity. We've been attending the weekly story-and-craft-hour at our local library. Josiah is loving this! He especially enjoys anything with glue and talking with the other kids about their crafts. And he loves to play with play-dough! He's painted several times at home, too. While I have been working on a couple small canvas paintings to decorate the boys' bathroom, he's been painting right next to me at the table. It is fun to be near each other and just hear him chatter about his "creatures" he's painting.
I have been painting and sewing and baking, too. It has actually been a joy to have a few cold days, and it is good to sometimes slow down and stay home. I just finished a couple 8x10 inch paintings for the boys' bathroom - a water/pond theme - one has a lizard and one has a flamingo. They are just silly and not realistic - no great works of art - but cute nonetheless. And it is really fun for me! I have sewed and patched up about 5 pairs of jeans and took in the waist. I also sewed a horse mane and tail and ears on an existing sweatshirt for Nathaniel's Halloween costume. He has been galloping around the house for a fews days whinnying and snorting. The more I sew and paint, the quicker I get and the set-up and clean-up process becomes more efficient, too.
There have been many lonely days and the Lord is prompting me to pray when that lonely feeling nags in my heart. While I lay in bed between 6:30 (Tom is up, but not the kids yet) and 7 each morning I've been asking the Lord to review my day's to-do list for His plans. Nathaniel's anger and mouthy moments have lessened over the last 2 months. God is answering our (and your) prayers and I can see a little softening of his heart here and there with sweet conversations about our Savior.
I used to think that spending time doing "frivolous things" was not what God wanted for me, and staying home with children might be boring or not "big enough" to serve God. I have been realizing more and more lately that having a peaceful home, helping Tom whenever I can, working to discipline the children, working on peace in my stubborn heart, and creating a home with pleasant walls brings blessing to Him, as well. So, why don't y'all come visit us here???!
