Chasing Ideals

A day of interesting phenomenon and marvelous events. The interesting side moments ago jeopardized my hopes of one day bearing ten children. Today brought a soft rain that turned the snowy ground into a neck breaking free for all. Five seconds after leaving the house for the first time I slipped and fell on my increasingly bony backside. I was hurrying to join my fam for vamoosing to Hannah and David's birthday party and instead spent some moments sprawled on the ice in an unbecoming and obscene fashion. I then slid around the car attempting to help in the removal of ice sheets from the windows. After five or so turns around the car with breakneck wobbliness we were off. Upon arrival at the restaurant Nancy grabbed my arm for aid in braving the ice only to realize that I was the one in need of steadying. Her boots were the meal ticket compared with my rip off Gucci shoes from Turkey that lack any visible traction. It wasn't until later then that the real unmentionable destroying fun presented itself.

I took the dog for his evening walk and spent the jaunt looking like a gifted member of the "Soused Geriatrics on Ice" troop. I didn't do so much of walking as breathless pleas for God to spare me from the rear-rending crashes that each step presented me with. The dog too looked like a crippled, drugged and crazed Lassie as each of his paws headed in opposite directions. When I returned to home and safety I remembered that I must perform my late night gate closing duty. The gate stands above a decently sloped driveway which seemed to have gathered the lion's share of today's ice. I had to grip each side of the gate and slide perilously toward closing it while the dog yanked his chain with impatience. As I neared closing each side the slickness of the ice in the center became incredible and therein my legs began to fling themselves outwards creating the possibilities for child bearing demise. All the while the dog yanked away assumedly wondering what the hold up was and not realizing that my future procreation was at stake. I continued to grip the gates with fury until I finally got both to the closed position and used my foot to push them the last inches while the other foot created beautiful figure eight designs in the ice. I still then had to get down the slope and immediately realized the treacherous nature of such an attempt and instead held the gate while sliding over to what is left of the snow and walked through that back to the house. My future wife can be pleased to know that I am still intact at least until tomorrow when Tymek and I must bring in copious wood for future fires. More to come if such jeopardizing moments arise.

As I mentioned above today was the celebration of Hannah and David's birthday. Hannah turns 11 today and David 16 tomorrow. We had a marvelous time gathered with a few friends and their families at a restaurant nearby in Gdynia. I have put up two new albums. The first is of our fun in the snow yesterday afternoon. I spent most of that time constructing the gruesome snow heads that the pictures will show. The newer album then is of the birthday party today. Those first pictures are of the birthday cards I created for my treasured friends here. Another day to feel such a sense of priviledge to be a part of the celebration of two hearts such as theirs. The blessings of my creator do not cease nor cease to amaze.

'Tis late and this post will be a short one. I spent the afternoon today out in the snow with the lads having myself a whale and dolphin of a time. I realized in those happy moments with the wet snow creeping down my trousers and giving me those wonderful thrills that only wet snow down trousers brings how lucky I am to be able to enjoy such activity. I really do switch into child mode in those times and play and laugh like a schoolgirl on the first day of summer break. It makes the experience so much richer to be able to break out of the adult and serious thinking mode to just enjoy the gift of a snow covered setting. I put up an album on Lovable Quirks of the days soggy activity and a few extras. You can see the miniature igloo that I built in the backyard and the massive quantities of snow that attached itself to me in those moments. After a few hours of digging the tunnel the wet underpants no longer provided the thrills and I returned to the roaring fire within the house. Such a marvelous end to go in and sit by a huge fireplace and sup upon some tea. Perhaps tomorrow I'll be out again for some more adventures if the snow lasts and we can build some gargantuan snowmen. I was so energized by the snow filled day that during tonights walk of the dog I decided on some short sprints which had me panting like a 60 year smoker unfortunately. The "I hate to run" angle has never left me unfortunately. My body has always had great aversion to it and when I attempt such as tonight's fiasco I am reminded why.

Very very exciting news to report from home. Lisa's little 6lb. 12oz. beauty arrived on Tuesday afternoon at 6:34PM. I'm posting the news a little late but wanted to have a few pictures to include. I am so excited for Lisa and Joe as this new period of life begins. They have just received a gift direct from the heart of God. Overseeing the development of a new life is the greatest responsibility we can be given and the most rewarding. The growth of my family means so very much to me and it feels so difficult at times like these to be far away. I long now for the opportunity to hold little Zaria and am so encouraged to know that the day is coming in a few short weeks.

I had the absolute joy this morning of staring upon a white paradise at my waking. The snow has been coming down heavily all day and the sight is such treasure to these eyes. The sound of the crunching snow underfoot during my afternoon walk was music to the ears. I continue to spend glorious days in the company of my friends being refreshed and energized at their company. I have added two new galleries to Lovable Quirks of our recent activities. There has been little opportunity for reflection upon individual occasions as the days are so full. That explains the infrequent posting of late. When sitting to type I find myself wanting to do so with utmost brevity and that makes writing very difficult for me. I value each moment here with the kiddies and cannot rationalize internet time in the face of this. Take a look at the new baby and the new galleries and have a gander at the videos below of the kids and some of their antics.

Pawel on bubbles

Pawel on bubbles 2

Bowling style

Dancing duo

After weeks without I have finally added a new gallery to Lovable Quirks. In case I haven't mentioned previously I wanted to give some details about the kiddies. The first picture is of Tymek who is 13, the second of Hannah who is 11, third of Pawel aged 7, and fourth picture from the end is David who is 15. The oldest boy Jonathon I have yet to meet but you can see some pictures of him in the Friends from Poland album posted a few days ago from when Wiesieck and Jonathon and their friend visited Phoenix and my family. Pictures 4-8 and 11-14 include the family from Warsaw that I said was here visiting last week. Nancy the mother extraordinare is pictured in the 8th picture from the end.

I continue to spend my days having copious opportunity for chats and learning with Nancy and time for reading and game playing and plenty else with the kids. We have been reading all from literature to history and I love every minute of it. It is something I long to do with my own ten when they come along so am getting plenty of practice now with an unusually willing audience. These past few days as you can see from the pictures I have rediscovered the joys of Lego with them and have spent hours helping them indulge in their creative expertise. Pawel loves the chance to take pictures also so I have been turning him loose with the camera and so a few from the new album are his own. Below the 2nd and 3rd videos I posted links to are ones that he created this evening. They will give a brief and rapidly narrated idea of my home here. If the little fellow is a cameraman someday I'll have the early works. What a wonderful gift it is to share with children in their learning and helping them to discover their talents and interests? God's treasures never cease.

The first link is the long awaited vid of Faolan's crippled man crawl. I had wanted for the last weeks to get a glimpse of his new style for all to see. As I mentioned the other two videos are ones that Pawel captured this evening and all not suprisingly have everything to do with relationship.

Faolan's crip-crawl

Pawel house tour

Pawel house tour 2

I am sorry that I haven't posted for a week but the days have been fraught with activity. Activity of the best and most relational sort. The atmosphere of this home is such that it encourages copious opportunities for conversation and the development of friendship. It is a blessing to have become a part of the family as I am constantly inspired to think of my future home and the atmosphere I will want there. On the day of my arrival last Tuesday a family arrived from Warsaw and stayed until Saturday. They are good friends of my family here and I spent many an hour in their company. Much of that time was spent learning the Polish language and giving them also the opportunity to learn English. It gave them and I no end of chuckles witnessing my attempts to spell the words that they spoke. Pronunciation and memorization haven't been too much of a problem but spelling has proved tremendously difficult. It was wonderful after the first days to be able to increase my communication with Darek (the father) as I have experienced so often the frustration of the language barrier. I had many opportunities to speak with them and other guests (12 others in the past week) about living this life of following after Christ and of learning to build relationships and affect people's lives through his love. To have an environment and copious time for such discussion is a profound gift as such subjects have everything to do with this journey I am on and the ideals I am chasing after. I may have an opportunity to visit my new family from Warsaw in the coming weeks but if not you can be sure a visit will be planned in the future.

A noteworthy first the other day was the customary kulyg on the backroads of the area. Last Wednesday we had a beautiful snowfall and on Friday decided to make the most it. Kulyg is a term for pulling sleds in the snow. I was the jeep driver for the first half of our expedition and had a grand time yanking the sleds about and attempting to understand the Polish instructions being given. I learned quick the signals to turn or slow down and luckily only a few hairy falls occurred. The only real incident was that I took one turn tighter than a nun's knicks and one of the sleds slammed into a fence. 'Twas an empty sled thank goodness and though the sled came away in pieces none were injured. After a good share of driving I took to a sled myself and had a grand old time hurling snowballs at the woman and children about me. It was great fun to throw them over my head and then watch them hit the poor sod behind me when they fell. Sounds ruthless but the powdery snow rendered them quite harmless to cold cheeks. For a first experience of kulyg it was quite marvelous. I had hoped that snow time joys would come and they have certainly been worth the wait.

The experience of Nancy and the kids has as always been so refreshing. Nancy and I have finally had opportunities to really chat which is wonderful as she has so much insight into relationship and raising children. I know that each day is a learning and a preparation for 10 of the best that I myself want in the future. As I continue to prepare for the life of my future it is so important to speak with those who are living the kind of life that I am after. And what better group of children to experience and learn from than these precious four that are here with me. I will get pictures of all soon to remind you of them and introduce to those of you that didn't see them in past photos. Tymek, David, Hannah, and Pawel are four children who relate from their hearts and never cease to amaze with the generosity, genuine interest, intelligence, and relational ability that they display. I have had already time to walk with them and their crazy dog, read them stories and history in the evenings around the fire, and share in meals that Tymek himself is the creator of. I am overwhelmed that I have the priviledge to help watch over these treasures for a month and be spoiled with constant time among them. I will continue to tell in future posts of the wonderful activities I share in in this house but for now the bed is calling and the four treasures here are early risers.

Still not a lot to report from the relaxed days in Wesseling as there have been no further parrot incidents or other cases of mild to moderate dental torture. The events of last Friday night are worth a mention however. I had been invited and then sufficiently urged to attend a small church group for people of college age and decided to go because I should not miss opportunities to meet with people since there in lies my passion. The host of said group is a friend of Cathrin and so I received what I hoped were top notch directions to the place. Cathrin had plans to go off to a ballet/song and dance/God knows what performance so I would have to venture the treacherous streets of Bonn and Bad Godesburg by my lonesome. I assumed it wouldn't pose a problem as I have braved the likes of Plovdiv only weeks ago and was right in my thinking apart from the final element.

I arrived to the area where the host's apartment is only to discover that he didn't live where I was told. This area used to house the U.S. and other international embassies and there are rows and rows of apartment buildings. Each apartment was of a grandiose size with big windows, curtains drawn as if to say come on in the sauce is steaming hot. I was told building ten was the meal ticket but in building ten the last name of Perrin (the host's name I did know) was not listed as a resident. I then proceeded for the sake of ignorance and a refreshing walk to check all of the surrounding buildings. Every time I saw a bit of a huddled congregation through those massive windows the excitement was peaked only to find that no Perrin existed therein. One thing one notices when wandering about in the evening in a sparcely lit area is that residents do not appreciate your presence. Men and woman returning to their home gaze at you with the "please don't ravage me" look and no amount of smiles seem to remedy their fear. Woman with their children preparing for a nice stroll suddenly grab the children and start heading back inside. When I had arrived the weather had been of the "Singin in the Rain" type with light drizzle but later on it was more along the lines of "wetter than a mermaid's wet bits." After about the 40th building I decided that the name of Perrin had been smitten from the scene and that a dry towel was in order. I had also begun to realize that I was on my second or third time around in some buildings as most looked the same. I found out later that I was only two or three buildings away from success and a jolly evening but would have missed out on the fearful gazes and the memorization of family names in the general area.

Tomorrow I'm off to Poland feeling a mixture of excitement and sadness. Here I have stayed in Wesseling where 8 months ago my journey really began and enjoyed again incredible hospitality and care from my friends. I will return here before my flight to Phoenix and again afterwards so in that I am comforted. My family in Poland now awaits me and I'm in hope that I shall see my first real snow of this venture there. As with the Brazilians all those months ago there will be plenty of visitors at their house to meet and countless moments to enjoy with the family. It is such a blessing to have the opportunity to return to these places after so long and share the joy of this journey once more with the incredible people I have built friendships with. In case you never got to see the pictures in the last post look again and I added links at the end for those who didn't see the pics.

Not a whole lot to report since the incident that nearly ended my chances of becoming an earmuff model. Since then the parrot and I have been the best of chums so long as she remains caged and away from my softer bits. I had mentioned when I was Emerald Isle side that Faolan had yet to enter the crawling stage and had an obvious dislike of being placed on his stomach. In fact about 5-10seconds of stomach time meant that a bout of wailing was on the way. Myself and Tara agreed at the time that crawling was probably out of the question for Faolan and that walking would be his first successful mode of transport. Well we were both proved wrong and the other day I saw the little fellow's improvised version. Tara turned the webcam on him and I was just in time to see the little fellow scurry across the floor with great speed. The only comparable sight would be of a legless cripple shifting across a sandbox. 'Tis amazing to watch him in his sitting position using one arm to shimmy his body around on the wood floor. Poor chap if they move to a carpeted home before he starts walking. The increased friction will either prevent him from moving in this way or leave some major rug burns on his little tush. I wish that I had video of his style to show but my sis hasn't delivered the goods.

In two weeks I shall be an uncle for the fourth time and my awareness of this has gotten me thinking about the ridiculous societal attitude towards children. I have grown up surrounded with the attitude that children are a burden on one's life. Have heard countless men and women telling me that "One day maybe I will think about settling down." The meaning behind this is that marriage and family are to come at the point when one has gotten all the fun he/she can out of the "free" and single life. A life of chasing after cars, high-profile jobs, jewelry, sweet but insincere words from a partner, a great retirement plan, the incredible party atmosphere, "love" without the awful burden of commitment. It's interesting that the elderly rarely regret the lack of these things or revel in there past occurrences. They do often say however that they long for someone to visit them in those last days or wish for relationship back with the children that they never took an interest in. I say these things not in anger at individuals but at precipatated lies that for generations have been told against marriage and against family. These lies and the choices of individuals to live according to them are destroying families and the lives of the young around the world.

When I look at the pictures that I have posted (click on the pictures to the left) I consider the richness and the joy that my niece and nephews have brought to my family and to my life. The opportunity to watch them as they grow and learn and better yet become a part of that development is so much sweeter than all of the short-term pleasures that this world begs us to seek after. The other day I heard my nephew Colin belting out an incoherant tune in the back seat of my sister's car as I spoke to her on the phone. Wasn't much to listen to now but he may one day have a voice to be reckoned with. Would be a welcome change from us Warren children who sound like strangled frogs on the best of days. My chats with him before he had the ability to respond were part of the development of his language (may explain the current incoherancy) and for that priviledge I am so grateful. Another example is the face of Faolan when he is sung his favorite tune that was written and produced by yours truly:
Who's the little Chinaman looking at me?
You're the little Chinaman, what do you see?
The moment he recognizes the tune even over the phone his face lights up and a big smile appears. The contented joy I experience in putting a smile on that face is irreplicable. Realizing in those moments of interaction that I take part in teaching his young life about the world and the people in it. I do not desire or wish to say through this that everyone needs to have children but am just commenting that our thinking about the family and about future has become so incredibly skewed. You may notice in the posted pictures that there is a minimum of pictures of me together with Aran's chillins'. I have seen this and decided it must be rectified when I visit in March.

Faolan Pics
Faith and Colin Pics