Well, it happened. I’ve heard of it happening to others, but never imagined it would happen to me. Everything was packed and ready for our missions trip to Iceland. I was taking a team from our church to Reykjavik to run an English camp for Icelandic children. I had the lesson plans, construction paper, multi-leveled books, writing paper, stickers, small prizes, and had even remembered to bring extra staples in case we ran out. My list had all been checked off and I was feeling pretty proud Read More
The Story of My Miscarriage (Proceed with Caution)
My friend asked me to write about my miscarriage for an e-book she's writing. After a few hours writing/crying/reliving this experience, I thought to myself: Why would anyone want to read this? This question prevents me from sharing a lot of what I write. However, today I'm deciding to post this in hopes that it will 1) help someone not feel so alone in the wake of their miscarriage 2) encourage someone by telling them how I got through it. If you don't like miscarriage stories, you Read More
Gold Rain
Today I decided to step out of the tornado and sit outside to write. It’s been a while since I’ve aired out my head. I’m learning that it is not selfish for me to take out time for myself but rather NECESSARY in order to be who I need to be for my kids and my husband. Right now I am sitting outside watching red, orange, and gold rain down all around me. The evening light catches the leaves at a perfect angle and illuminates the tree like one grand, stain-glassed window in this outdoor Read More
He moves in mysterious ways…
Part of living by faith is learning to respond to the mysterious circumstances that God sometimes uses to direct our paths. There are times in life when despite where we anticipated to be, we find ourselves in another place. If you would have asked me a year ago where I would be at this time I would have told you that I could see myself living in Iceland for many years to come. Even as Gracie was diagnosed in April I remained hopeful that the condition would be treatable with a single procedure Read More
Dinner with Deb
Since we moved to Iceland, we have tried to invite people over every week to share a meal and get to know eachother. This spring, with going to school every day, getting pregnant, and experimenting with different ways to meet people, we have really been strained. Solution: Our friend Deb is in school learning to be a master chef. She doesn't have a kitchen in her tiny apartment and really loves to experiment with food and cook for friends and family. One day she came over to make lasagna and Read More
Getting the disease
I am a certified, licensed ESL teacher. I spent three years teaching English to foreigners in a public school and have done private teaching since then. In college, my degree was in ESL and I learned all about how to be sensitive to and teach a Second Language Learner. The last year of my life, the roles have been reversed and now I am the Second Language Learner, sitting at the desk, experiencing everything I'd been trained in. I hadn't anticipated this experience, and it has caught me off Read More
Rewind
In January, Colby and I started going to a Framhaldskoli. Basically in Iceland, Grunnskoli is the "elementary school" where you attend from ages 6-16 (Haley starts that in September). After that, your compulsory education is over, but there are Framhaldskolis you can choose to attend that continue your education (KIND OF comparable to technical colleges). Okay, so we go to a Framhaldskoli to learn Icelandic and are in class with 16 year olds and 17 year olds. It has been like reverting back Read More
Clint Clifton Saves the Day…
The last time I purchased soda was October 1994. It was at an Oktoberfest carnival in LaCrosse, WI where I purchased a Mountain Dew and a bag of Cheetos. Shortly thereafter I rode the tilt-a-whirl and got so sick that I vowed never to drink "pop" again (Yes, I'm a Yankee). My cross-country coach also convinced me that drinking soda would slow me down, so I have not consumed much of anything carbonated for over a decade....that is, until recently. When Clint came in December, he bought a 2 Read More
Confessions of a Pregnant American Living in Iceland- Part 2
For the past few months all we've been hearing about is Hangikjot. Hangikjot is smoked lamb that is always prepared during the Christmas season. Because of how much it was talked about, I had pretty high expectations. When we finally attended a Christmas party here, we were served the COLD meat that had a STRONG smoked flavor and I was a little thrown off. Colby wouldn't let me ask to use a microwave, so I endured in silence. Upon finishing my virgin hangikjot experience, Icelanders Read More
Confessions of a Pregnant American Living in Iceland- Part 1
Oh, yes...I think I forgot to mention...I'm pregnant. When I was in my first trimester with my second pregnancy, Colby took me out to the German restaurant on Route 1 in Stafford. The moment the food was served, I knew I was in trouble. The new smells, the different flavors...after just ONE bite, I was done with my meal. The rest of the evening was spent with one hand covering my mouth and one hand covering my nose. The last 2 months have been like LIVING in the German restaurant. In the Read More
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