Time Away

This month, after a busy summer, we finally were able to get away and take a vacation for a week. We decided to try going to a hotel where all of our food was provided, and we found this to be an incredibly restful way to vacation with little kids. Not having to cook and clean for a week was a real treat! The kids spent a lot of time in the pool and at the beach, and we each did lots of reading. (We each finished a book on vacation - I can't remember the last time that was possible!). Overall, we were really thankful for the time away, and we returned home refreshed and ready to jump back in.

Here are a few photos from our trip:

We ate lots of ice cream...

Vacation hat!

Posing with the local camel

Mexican food night (Maya's hat is a little big...)

The kids enjoyed participating in a few kids activities, including crafts and cookie making

Getting Away

Last week, Nate and I were blessed with the chance to take a 4-day trip by ourselves to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, leaving Ellie home with Grammy and Grampy. We were so thankful for this opportunity to get away and rest a bit, before we jump in to lots of transition in the coming weeks and months.

Nate used to go ice climbing up in this area of NH, and it was really special for him to take me there and bring me to his favorite restaurants and hiking trails. We worked hard, hiking quite a few miles each day, and then rested hard, too (sleeping a LOT at night and splurging for some massages). All in all, it was a really fun time away.

Here are some pictures from our trip:

At outdoor lunch at a cafe with a scenic view and delicious food

We saw so many beautiful waterfalls!

Conway Scenic Railroad

A view of Mount Washington

At the top of Cathedral Ledge

Family Getaway

Although we have traveled quite a bit since Ellie joined our family, last week was our first opportunity to take a vacation together as a family of four (yes, I included the dog in that count). Up until that point, all vacation time has been used for Ellie's birth, traveling to the States and holidays. We were long overdue for some time away, and it was well worth all of the planning and organizing that went in to making it happen!

We found a cute 2-bedroom house in Croatia on Airbnb and it was a great find. Although smaller than our apartment, it had high ceilings, which made it feel spacious. It had a swimming pool outside, a big patio and a large yard. It was about a 5 minute drive from the cute town of Porec, located on the Adriatic Sea. We loved exploring the town, which had a Basilica from the 600s with some amazing mosaics and a great bell tower to climb. We swam, visited the sea and town, grilled food and relaxed.

We both agreed the vacation was probably most exciting for Mozzy. He got to spend most of his time outside, peed wherever and whenever he wanted (not typical for a city dog!) and he had a "vacation fling" - the next door neighbors had a girl dog of the same breed! The two dogs spent lots of time together and each dog visited the others' house often. It was very cute :)

Here are a few photo highlights from our trip!

Riding with this guy in the backseat meant being covered in dog hair...but it was worth it!

Papa and Ellie in the pool

Downtown Porec

The cottage we rented

At the top of the belltower

Bird's eye view of the city

Mozzy with his girlfriend, Skye

Family photo in Motovun, which failed because Ellie just wasn't having it

Beach time

More pool time!

Retreating

The house was across from a Christian retreat center (castle!)

In December, we took 3 days to get away from Vienna on a spiritual retreat. WorldVenture allows us to do this once a year, and we are so thankful. They know how stretching and challenging ministry overseas can be and how valuable it is to get away. I know for me especially, it can be really hard for me to relax at home. There are always tasks to be done and distractions to pull me away and keep me busy. So being out of the house in a place where I don't have to worry about cleaning, cooking or my to do list is so valuable.


We were blessed to be invited by some friends-of-friends to stay at their house 2 hours outside of Vienna in the mountains. We had never met before, but they welcomed us with open arms. Not only that, but they understood our reasons for getting away and gave us the space we needed. Each day, we spent time reading our bibles; memorizing scripture in German; praying over specific aspects of our life, ministry and friends/family; having independent reading time; and together reading the book Radical by David Platt. The book led to some great discussions. We also got out for a hike each day, and we did our best to avoid technology, except the occasional email on our phones.

View of the lake from one of our hikes

Being in the stillness of the mountains and having a simple agenda was so refreshing for the both of us. It helped us to connect with God and each other in a way that we really needed, and we returned home refreshed. To be honest, it was really difficult to get away during such a busy season of life and during the holiday season...but I think it's during those times that we need these things the most! We were so thankful for our retreat and hope to repeat this in the years to come.

Work Hard, Rest Hard

Yesterday, we picked up our puppy, Mozzy. It's been an interesting and fun 2 days, as we've been learning Mozzy's personality and attempting to train him. Neither of us have had a puppy before, so it's a whole new experience! (Case in point: Mozzy was up at 4am this morning ready to play...Good practice for a baby, I suppose.)

One thing that has become quickly clear: Mozzy takes his job very seriously. As a puppy, Mozzy's job in life is to play. So when he plays, he plays hard! He throws his whole body into his work, whether he is gnawing on a chew toy, running after a ball, or climbing into a pile of pillows. He has very little fear and doesn't hold back.

Another important part of Mozzy's job, though, is to rest. As a growing puppy, he needs more sleep than most dogs and because of his energetic play, he wears himself out. So after an intense play session, he goes and takes an hour nap! Just like Mozzy plays hard, he also rests hard.

I was thinking about Mozzy's "life philosophy" today and realized I can learn some important lessons from him. First of all, we should take our work seriously and put 100% of our effort in every time. For us, that means working diligently on language learning while we're in this phase of ministry and earnestly seeking out opportunity to live out (sometimes without words!) the gospel with the people we meet. But just like we need to work hard, we also need to rest. Like Mozzy, we need to take the time to sleep, take care of ourselves and do the things that give us rest, so that we are ready for the next challenge. We also need spiritual rest - times with the Lord in prayer and studying his Word, so we are spiritually prepared for the work ahead. Without the proper rest, we are ill-equipped to completely the work God has laid out for us in Austria.

So, may we be more like Mozzy - working hard and resting hard, throwing our whole selves into the tasks God has given us!

Panting on the couch in between play sessions.

Working hard to destroy his chew stick (which he devoured in 24 hours).

Resting in his "house" in the living room

Fast asleep on the couch after a tiring hour of "work"

Asleep in the bathroom, where the tiles can keep him cool and he can sniff Nate's sneakers!

Highlights from Ireland

We're back from our week in Ireland, and we are so thankful we had the opportunity to visit such a beautiful country. We stayed with friends there...actually, they were friends of friends! But there are friends now :) Getting kicked out of our apartment here in England ended up being a huge blessing. We really enjoyed getting out into scenic, natural places and getting out of our everyday circumstances.

Here are some photo highlights of our trip: