Hello all!

Many of you have already watched our first two videos and have caught a glimpse of what we’ve been enjoying these last weeks. I wanted to offer a bit more of an explanation, but thought I may just insert various parts of an email chain we have been sending back and forth within my family.

My (Marie’s) parents and sister, Kristi, were here for the first week, so here is our first few days from my Mom’s perspective:

“Our time here in Italy has gone really well from the by beginning.  The whole clan was at the airport to meet us when our flight arrived from France–Chris and Marie had arrived a few hours before us.  We stayed at a little nun’s convent on the edge of the city not too far from the airports, and quite near a part of town where the Stevanus’ had lived for a couple years when Chris was fairly little.  This made navigating the city a “known” rather than extra stress.

We drove down into the city looking for something to eat, but restaurants don’t open until around 9 pm, so we saw a fair bit of the city first. Then after getting some pizzas, we went on down to see the Colosseum and several other sights that were all lit up, including the Trevi fountain.  Monday morning we headed back into the Vatican where we stood in line to see St Peter’s Basilica and decided it wasn’t sworn the long lines to see the  Sistine Chapel although we girls were certainly tempted.  After St. Peter’s we headed down to the Colosseum hoping to get in to see that, but the tour price included both the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, but we didn’t have time for both, and Mark and Denise (Chris’ parents) were waiting for us in the car, so we walked around to see what we could. For dinner, we headed up into the mountains around Rome, to a little village where we got some supper.  It was so nice and cool up there,  a great cultural experience.”

Tuesday morning after eating a quick breakfast with the nuns in Rome and saying goodbye, we headed down the west coast toward Naples. The highway to Bari intersects with that highway only about 20 minutes north of Pompeii, so Mark and Denise took us to see the ruins of Pompeii for a few hours.  It’s amazing how much of the city has been recovered–we only got to the main city square and a few of the homes in the end as the ruins are so extensive!  But it was hot, and after a few hours, one home turned into another and one pile of rocks looked like the others, and we were all aware that we still had several hours yet to drive before arriving in Bari, so we drew our “tour” to a close.  The drive to Bari (actually they are living in a small town about 60 km north of Bari) over the mountains was beautiful, and we arrived by around 8 pm, got cleaned up and had dinner at Stevanus’ home later that evening.  Finally, around midnight, we went out for “gelato,” the Italian ice cream. 🙂  As you can imagine, that became a nightly ritual for as long as we were there.”  

Wednesday, we spent some time down at the “beach” and took a little swim in the beautifully blue but chilly Adriatic.  The beach was a little challenging as it was small rocks rather than sand–you definitely kept your shoes on!  Thursday, the last day in Bari, we actually went to downtown Bari and Chris showed us around some of his old haunts, some of the historic sights downtown, and ate in one of his favorite restaurants that had at one time been a pirate’s den. Mark and Denise were doing some paperwork and document stuff.  On our way home we stopped by to visit with Priscilla’s family at their little cafe.  Then, that evening we spent the evening with the church that Mark and Denise work with–Dad spoke and Chris translated.  Marie, Kristi and I also had to stand up and “say something.”  After the service, the pastor came over to Stevanus’ for a dinner… Another great experience!  We definitely now have a context and feel like we have a better understanding of Chris’s background, and are glad for the days that we had together there.”

This is where the two videos end, and since this post is rather long already I may leave it there for tonight. Chris is working on our next video about our time here in Bari and I’ll post a narrative for that once we post it!

And in case you’ve missed them previously:

Sorry for the delay but look for several videos in the next day or two… A week into our adventure and we are having a WONDERFUL time! We have been blessed with good times to see the sites and great times enjoying the local culture. Such a blessing to have such a great vacation AND time with family! 

Fall has come to gorgeous Columbia, Blythewood in particular. I adore living “in the country.” It has its moments of frustration. The animals running across the road. The gravel and dirt getting kicked up all over the car each time we drive down Wild Goose Rd. The multitude of leaves filling up ever nook and cranny. The extra 10+ minutes it takes us to get pretty much anywhere. Yet, it is quiet, peaceful, and nature literally surrounds us.

Running errands “in the country” is more pleasant! I get to wind along through the forest, making my way to the highway, and enjoying the brilliance of the colors of the leaves as they fall gracefully along miles of wooden fence line. Breathtaking.

I live in a “tree house apartment.” Our second floor “bay window” is eye level with the forest that surrounds us. In the summer it’s so thick it blocks out light. In the fall it’s gorgeous with the myriad of colors God dreamed of in His forests. In the winter the bare trees are silhouetted against a brilliant blue sky. And when it snows? Oh, when it snows! We literally live in a winter wonderland.

Squirrels regularly visit us. Deer use our forest path to make their way to the pond for their water. We have all variety of bugs, lizards, snakes, and rodents. Yet, it reminds me daily of how the world existed for so many years. When God created the world He didn’t create cities, miles of highway, and suburban neighborhoods. He created gardens and mountains, forests and oceans. By all means out of necessity we have had to develop the earth, yet for me, living “in the country” reminds me that mankind survived on so much less “development” for so many thousands of years.

I love that. I love that I’m inspired to bake my own bread. I thrill at the thought of experimenting with making my own cheese and yogurt. I ponder how anyone could “put up” hundreds of jars of preserves when it took me an entire afternoon plus another morning to put up 13 jars of crushed tomatoes and 5 jars of applesauce. I dream of sewing projects and marvel that anyone ever did all that stitching by hand.

I am thoroughly enjoying ushering in this new season. I always love fall, but this fall I’m enjoying in an entirely new and different way. You see, for the first time in at least 10 years, this fall I’m the least busy I’ve been. This fall I have time to sit on the couch in my bay window, look out at the trees on a Saturday morning, and experience joy in writing out my thoughts and the things I’ve pondered lately. This fall I have time to have  people over to enjoy autumn treats, take advantage of the cool weather to clean out my attic storage, and work outside in the garden, dreaming of all that spring may bring.

The hard part for me? All this “extra time” I have (which I inevitably fill up and therefore stay busy anyway) comes because I’m not working as much as I have in a really long time. One of my jobs (and the main one I get paid for) has been working with Autistic children this last year. Well as of August kids went back to school and my hours decreased significantly. In the midst of all of this I was applying for jobs, finding my dream job, losing my dream job because of funding, and trying to find a “grown up full-time job in my field.” The problem is that there are very few jobs that appeal to me in the sense that they do not resound with the deepest parts of my heart and passions. So, I was on a journey to “settle for something that I could do without feeling like I’m dying.” Not a whole lot has come up. While there are one or two viable options out there currently, the process has taken a really long time. And for two months now I’ve worked about half (or less) of the time that I’m used to.

If you know me then you know I like to be productive. I like to feel productive. I like to know that I’m being responsible, using my time wisely, being efficient and effective, and doing my best. Sadly (as I’ve come to realize) these expectations of myself often mean that I’m stressed, exhausted, and always expecting more.

Being married to a wonderful man who balances me on this issue has helped to open my eyes to the reality that those expectations of myself are not always healthy, realistic, or helpful!

Probably about 6 weeks ago I started wondering what it would be like if I (responsibly) left the job stuff “alone.” With a couple of things “in the works” already, there are options that are out there that I cannot control the timing on. With this thought process came an opportunity to process why it is so important to me to feel like I’m 1. working more  and 2. making more money.

I quickly decided I definitely don’t want to work more actually (I love having a balance of working in my field and being a housewife)… except that I want to be making more money.  🙂 Why do I want to be making more money? Well, like so many others we have school loans that must responsibly be paid off before doing anything else. So, if I make more money then the loans will get paid off faster and then we can “finally do with our lives what we feel God has called us to.”

Taking a step back, into my own processing some more, I’m a bit of a control freak. I like things in my timing and in my process. 🙂 So very often in my life it has been THESE realities that God has stepped in on to show me how much it has NOTHING to do with me and EVERYTHING to do with Him.

So to recap: I want a job for the money, but I don’t want to work any more than I am. I feel irresponsible for not working and not making more money. BUT, God has answered some of my prayers… I’m not working as much! I’m at home more! I’m investing in things that I’ve wanted to for so long but just did not have the time or energy! For this control freak, feeling that I have had no control over this process has been really tough. And all my reasons are all for the greater good of pursuing the passions Chris and I have to serve the world together, so isn’t that worth fighting for?

Well here’s the thing that I’ve had to realize… for myself… no matter how many times people (and Chris) have had to say it to me. God’s timing is perfect. It may mean that His timing is perfect for me to get a full-time job that pays a bunch of money. It may mean that His timing is perfect in working out some part-time jobs that pay some money.

It does mean that our loans will not be paid off any faster if I worry and fret about what I can do to make it happen.

It does mean that I can be as responsible as I can be, seeking the Lord’s will, but ENJOY this time, right now, that I have significant amounts of time to devote to things other than slaving away at a job. It means that I can dream and make plans and enjoy the fact that I’m home sometimes and can do things around the house. It means I can consider what life could look like if God has us working on paying off loans for a year or two longer than I hope for. It means I’m allowed to be ok with not working as much? YES. Even long-term? YES. So it might be ok for me to not work as many hours as I can cram into a week? YES. It is too much to hope for that? YES… just kidding! No, it’s not too much to hope for that! God’s answer to me may be, “No, I’m giving you this time but you’re going to need to go back to working outside the home full-time, in my timing.” Or, He may provide for our loans in ways we never dreamed of! He may provide a job I can do from home! He may provide a job with a lot of flexibility! There is NO LIMIT to the greatness, and goodness of the Lord. And it is not fair of me to put Him in a box.

It’s also not fair of me to spend the gift of the time He has given me to enjoy fretting and “keeping busy” just to feel that I’m “doing my part.”

So, this fall I’m LOVING my jobs! I love the 16+ hours I work with my kiddos. I love my afternoon doing family counseling and play therapy. I love working around the house on other projects I have going on. I love keeping up with friends. I love having time to write! I love feeling like I have permission to enjoy this life God has given me. I love having permission to live in this moment, and appreciate it for what it is; yes looking to the future, but also leaving the future in the hands of The One who created it!

This Saturday morning with the tree branches swaying and the lizard crawling on the window; the blessed quiet of a sleeping household; the crisp fall air and blankets and slippers keeping me warm; the couch in my window that gives me a spot to wonder and dream, process and write, and share all that God has done for me… these moments are the moments He longs to give us. Do we accept them? Do we listen to His ache to truly give us the desires of our heart?

Sometimes life is so unexpected… Sometimes the things we rejoice in are so different then what we expected… Sometimes God works in ways that are so unexpected….

And those are almost always the best ways.

Gracious we have had a busy summer!

Let us offer a brief, yet hopefully informative summary of our activities and adventures these last several months.

First, our garden! In the spring we decided to attempt an adventure in gardening. (Which you can read about  in more detail here.) Our garden encouraged us to be intentional about spending time outside and working around our family compound. The summer brought weeds and bugs and we got a bit behind in the upkeep but have faith that we will reclaim our ground as we prepare for fall planting.

Soon after our tomato plants were starting to bud, we enjoyed a weekend at the beach with our dear friends. This was the first time since we were married that we had gone away for time to just REST. We had been out of town many times through the fall and spring, but each trip had been for the purposes of being somewhere for an event, or to visit friends. By early May we were desperate for some time to be away from the chaos of life and simply rest and recuperate. It was a great time to connect intentionally with each other as well as to enjoy some fun time with friends.

Tom and Chris were very devoted to this puzzle…. at the beach!?!

A fun boat ride with the cousins!

One night the boys made brownies for us.  🙂

The weekend we were there we enjoyed the “Super Moon.” This picture doesn’t come close to capturing it’s gorgeousness!

Charissa and I enjoyed multiple cups of coffee (and long chats) on the front porch.

The weeks flew by and it was soon June! My parents and sister arrived for the summer and the pace kept quickening.  🙂 We were able to enjoy a summer full of family. And it was wonderful!

Part way through I took a last minute trip up to VA to visit my dear friend Elizabeth. Such a fun and refreshing 36hrs with an amazing woman!

I also had many adventures in cooking this summer. I very much enjoyed being creative and preparing fun treats! (After productive trips to the farmer’s market of course.)

Used some previously made cinnamon rolls as the pie crust!

Added some apples….

… and a crumble topping. Yummy Apple Pie!

Eggplant Parmesan yumminess

Our summer was full of weekend trips with the family and late night visits with brothers and sisters who were in and out through the months. A family vacation at the beach house, and nights spent around the dining room table. And the “family time summer” culminated in a lovely week in Ohio celebrating the marriage of David and Courtney! So very fun!

We’ve been readjusting to the grind of life these weeks. Looking at opportunities and  praying through various decisions.

Our tomato plants haven’t produced like we’d hoped but we have had all the tomato’s we could use all summer (and then some) and were able to put away several jars of sauce as well. We’re reading and researching and looking forward to learning more about the possibilities of growing our own organic and nutritious veggies.

More updates to come soon about all that God is teaching us. Thanks for praying for us and with us as we face each day full of new adventures!

Unbelievably, we planted our tomatoes way back in March. Can you believe I’ve wanted to post about them ever since?

In summary of The Day We Planted Our Tomatoes, we had NO idea what we were doing. Neither of us could claim to have grown anything in our lives, yet we were determined to conquer growing at least one vegetable this spring. Chris voted for tomatoes so that we could can our own sauce. I agreed to tomatoes because I love them in anything. 🙂

The Saturday we had set aside dawned bright and beautiful. Armed with the names of several nurseries and garden stores in the area, we set out on our adventure. Talking with the gentleman selling us our potting soil, lime rock, and tomato plants, we were every ounce of confident. He had made it sound so easy! And with the GREAT discount we got on buying a whole flat of teeny tiny tomato plants where could we go wrong?

 The moment our confidence began to crumble was when we started to space the plants we’d bought 18 inches apart as the directions said. It was not until that moment that we realized that all of those teensy weensy little plants were going to grow into full out tomato producing vines. And our discounted flat of tomatoes? Well, as we started lining up the plants where we had prepared the ground, we realized that we had bought 42 plants. FORTY TWO tomato PLANTS!!!!

I sat on the steps with my head in my hands. How had this happened? How were we ever going to take care of that many tomato plants? What about all the other things I wanted to try growing? And what were we ever going to do with all of them once they started giving us tomatoes?

You will be glad to know that my dramatic moment eventually passed and months later we thoroughly enjoy the hedge of tomato plants we have lining our long driveway. (For those of you who like math, our line of tomatoes spaced approximately 18″ apart is 70+ feet long. – Some areas are double rows) They produce beautiful tomatoes and we are able to enjoy them, make sauce, and share with others who like them too.

Chris was also inspired to create an irrigation system and set out to install PVC pipes leading from a “rain barrel” of sorts that has helped us to keep our tomato plants nice and hydrated.

I planted herbs as well and have thoroughly enjoyed having fresh herbs to enjoy all summer. Chris and his brother, Dimitri, built me a little shelf just outside our living room window so that I have easy access to many of the herbs I use most often. I love it!

And in the fall? We look forward to pulling out the tomatoes that aren’t producing as well and planting lettuce, cucumbers, kale, squash, melons, and other ingredients to sustain our appetites through the winter.

Once again my dear friend Charissa and I were inspired. After a hectic work week full of stress, I had been looking forward for days to the adventures that the weekend would hold.

First on the list?  Bake a month’s worth of bread.

Yes. A month’s worth of bread. Even better? Charissa and I each wanted to bake ourselves a month worth of bread. Our goal? 10 loaves. 5 loaves for each of us so we can make our husband delicious lunches. We felt it a worthy goal.  🙂

After work we headed to our house and got started. Mixing the yeast and warm water, we left it to activate while we scoured for bowls and started to mix the dry ingredients.

Did you know that when yeast activates it “blooms” up in the middle of the water and creates a foamy mass on top? I didn’t either. Good thing Charissa is an expert!

Once we had the first 6 “adorable little balls of dough” rising safely in the oven….

… we started the process all over again for another 6 batches.

 Thank the Lord for friends who live life right along beside you.

On this glorious, near-spring-but-still-wonderfully-winter day, I (Marie) enjoyed an incredible afternoon full of creativity. And friendship.


God is full of glorious gifts. Amazing gifts. Loving gifts. And He knows just when we need them the most. A precious gift that I had the privilege of sharing my “crafternoon” with is none other than Mrs. Charissa Sylvia. (Like, officially Sylvia 😉 ) An afternoon of fresh ground coffee, baking bread, and crafting, all glued together with scintillating conversation? Can you imagine anything better? I cannot. 


The title “crafternoon” was Charissa’s brain child. The tradition of getting together to be creative and share our hearts? That’s something we’re both committed to. Praise God for His precious gifts.


First item conquered this afternoon: Marie bakes bread. Now while Charissa is a pro at providing home-made sustenance for her husband’s lunches, I have thus far resorted to the “day-old bread” rack at Wal-Mart. Don’t get me wrong, $1 for a loaf of bread is nothing to complain about. And yet I have felt a longing in my heart to conquer the complex, intimidating, and sometimes baffling art of making this lump of dough,

into this lovely, soft, and moist loaf of yummy bread. Today, thanks to the expertise of Mrs. Sylvia, I conquered my fear and reaped the fruits of my labors. This bread recipe is delicious! And truly, it’s really easy to make. 




 In the midst of baking our bread and sipping our coffee, we also created many beautiful flowers. Snipping, melting, sewing, adjusting, cutting more. It was a long process, but in the end, soooooooooooooo worth it!  I LOVE making these flowers and today was no exception.