Remodel or Transformation?

After a year of thinking of a kitchen remodel, the time has arrived.  Our kitchen (retiled and updated about 15 years ago) was about to be made over.  A completely new look!  Yeah!  That meant hiring a designer and contractor to help us envision what we really wanted out of our space.  After a lot of discussion, we decided a few things- the wall must go!  In its place we'll have enough space for a kitchen island and counter.  It also meant saying goodbye to:

1.  The built in wall of cabinets that held serving plates, candles, and other supplies

2.  The fireplace; to make up for missing cabinets.

3.  The door between the entry way and the kitchen to make way for a desk area.

4. The partial wall (that we had designed about 10+ years ago) to create one "great" room space.

January 5, 2016 was the first day of the demolition.  It took about two weeks for the kitchen cabinets and appliances to disappear.  The fireplace was a little tricky in terms of the empty hole in the floor where the brick footprint was.  That needed to be built up.

We were relieved that the load-bearing beam in the wall that was to disappear could be moved up into the attic.  Engineer permits and inspection had to be done, but it's a new space.  For a few weeks, the walls were open for insulation and electrical wiring.

On Feb. 5th, the drywall workers boarded up the open walls and ceiling spaces from the kitchen, dining/living areas down the hallway to the bedrooms.  We are about halfway through the anticipated remodel and transformation of the home.  The cost is at the upper limit of what we originally wanted to spend.

As I witness the changes, I think about the transformation of our heart, mind and soul that Jesus accomplishes by his Holy Spirit.  In many people, Christ needs a complete overhauling and rearranging, so that we can be made pure in His likeness.  This is uncomfortable and sometimes painful.  It can seem like forever.  Yet, God never gives up on us.  He continues to work in ways unseen that draw us closer to Him and see the beauty of His holiness. And what is my cost for this incredible soul transformation?

I am reminded of a small booklet by Robert Munger My Heart: Christ's Home (click here for pdf).
As 2016, this renovation is a reminder of how I'm making space and trusting God with all the "rooms" in my life.  I need to clear the clutter in my heart and thoughts.

Lord, may I not fill these rooms with things that take me away from worshiping you.

Starting off the year with a freeze!

Birthdays, holidays, and an eight-year-old with an attitude on our hands have filled the past few months.  Now, it's January.  The start of a new year.  And what made this month memorable?  A trip to Taiwan with just Iris and me!

Below are photos of some highlights of our trip.  

Hua-Kuan and Ekki's visit

Seeing Aunt Sache

Ivy and Charles daughter, Gabrielle

Learning to eat "Buddha hair" fruit 

Rare reunion of Ah-Ma's siblings, and some of my cousins.

Photo opps!

Clear view from 89th floor of Taipei 101

But what happened was the coldest freeze snap in the 50-years of Taipei weather history.  And it happened during the one weekend we were there.  

The idea was to meet up with Ah-Ma and Ah-Gong, and Justin who was helping care for Dad at a hotel in Taipei.  The hotel was fine, but a few hiccups made this visit to Taipei a bit disappointing.

1.  Ah-Gong snores soooo loud that Justin had to switch to Iris's and my room.  We were still a bit too noisy for him.

2. Ah-ma got sick; Justin got a fever; I caught the cold, and after five days, Iris had a bad cough with fever.

3.  I bought the cutest red hat, and I bought one for my mom.  But when I visited Taipei 101, it disappeared.  I thought it had fallen in the elevator because I didn't see it in the van that we had rented.  I tried to buy another one for myself, the place had sold out of that color.  After returning home, Just got a communication from the hotel that the van driver found my hat-three days after we had used it.  So sad!

4.  Iris didn't really want to walk around outside, even before she was ill.  

5.  Iris was also hardly eating any of the food that we bought for dinners.  It may have not been so inviting because we ate at tables that were for morning buffet time; like a cafe that is self-serve everything.  Also, we were a bit limited in what we bought because we wanted hot soup-type dishes.  No sit-down restaurants that were just us.

On the last day of our trip, I came down with another fever and had been in the hotel for nearly 72 hours straight!  I was getting into a dark, sad, "I'm such a failure as a mom" place, that I almost wanted to stay in Taiwan while everyone else flew home.  I lashed out at Justin.  However, in the midst of it, I thought of the words to the hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".  So, as the song goes, I took it-everything- to the Lord in prayer.  Prayer was so missing.  My prayers with Iris at nighttime.  My focus on God's love and beauty, instead of on my showcasing Taiwan's beauty for Iris.  

After listening to the hymn, and reading the backstory about Joseph Scriven, I believe that God had answered my prayer that I stated prior to going: "May this trip draw my family closer to Jesus"

Here are all the verses with powerful and comforting words that pointed me back to my best friend, Jesus Christ.

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
   All our sins and griefs to bear!
   What a privilege to carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
   Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
   Oh, what needless pain we bear,
   All because we do not carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
2. Have we trials and temptations?
   Is there trouble anywhere?
   We should never be discouraged—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Can we find a friend so faithful,
   Who will all our sorrows share?
   Jesus knows our every weakness;
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
   Cumbered with a load of care?
   Precious Savior, still our refuge—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
   Take it to the Lord in prayer!
   In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
   Thou wilt find a solace there.
4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
   Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
   May we ever, Lord, be bringing
   All to Thee in earnest prayer.
   Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
   There will be no need for prayer—
   Rapture, praise, and endless worship
   Will be our sweet portion there.

Seven years ago...

I have been neglecting this blog because of Facebook.  So bad!!

Well, let me write here that we are celebrating the 7th Gotcha Day anniversary of meeting our dear Iris.  She is steadily growing into a smart, sensitive, imaginative, and independent thinking young girl.  We love her dearly, even when she says, "I wish I had a different mother" (which happened recently because she thinks I'm too strict).

THEN:  In searching the internet, I found this YouTube of a solar eclipse taken in Gansu just before we flew to China.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=38&v=9_Y6Cmnmcnw

NOW:  I did a quick search through Facebook about Gansu Province and found some news that took place recently.
(Nature)- http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-09/07/content_21806640.htm 

(Manmade) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68xJvM8UXlc


About Iris, here's a quick comparison:

THEN (with Ho Gao):

NOW(with Sushi): 

Our lives are full and continually challenging us to be a family.  But God is with us!

Winter has arrived

 Winter and Christmas started with the decorating of a gingerbread house with cousins, aunts, Chloe and mom in Arizona.  We spent one evening with a new celebrity-Marissa B.- who flew home from NYC because she had finished marching in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  It must have been an exciting, memorable and expensive week for her (and her mom, Lynn).

People try to create the illusion of snow and use lights to make a west coast kind of winter beauty.  The Avenells accomplished 100 paper snowflakes in December.  Yeah!

We started with Advent Wreath-making at my church.  Lovely time with singing, decorating and eating cookies, which Iris enjoyed a lot!

 Rainy weather arrived with severity enough that local schools were closed for two days.  The next week was Iris's school winter show.  She was an amazing "rock star" with a guitar singing in French.

 After that, we were officially into the holiday spirit with going to the ballet in S.F. to see the Nutcracker.  What a treat!  Ah-ma, Aunt Ruth, Iris and I braved the rainy day by taking a cab to arrive at the Opera House.  Although we were way high in the balcony, we had a full view of the stage and enjoyed the dancing just fine.  The "snow" in the fairyland was most impressive because it looked real and the ballerinas and ballerinos were dancing in what seemed to be one-inch worth of snow on the stage.











 Activities continued with a holiday party at Iris's friend's house to make another gingerbread cookie house.  It didn't survive the day, so we starting eating the pieces over the course of one week.







The same day as the party, Iris had her first piano recital.  She was great using the pedal and finishing even after losing her place in the music.  Bravo!



We went ice skating a couple of times and had great fun.  Iris doesn't need the chair nor the railing much this year.  Going to the Snoopy gift shop is almost as much fun as ice skating.

Come on, Liam, you can do it!

We drove to a couple of our favorite lights displays.  This nativity scene is at the end of court.  Iris really loves to see this sight, as I do.  This is the reason for the season, and the reminder of how the miraculous story of this birth is for all eternity.

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 
~ Luke 2:11-12

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Sushi got some clothes to keep her warm.

Thanks, Dad and Mom for my new bike (with gears)!

Perplexus is a great challenging toy!

Dad was in the kitchen cooking up a storm!

 

Is this all???

How about we..."go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”?  (Luke 2:15)

Merry Christmas and may the Good News of our Lord be with you!