About Our Beginnings...

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Hiro was born January 17th at 12:07 am at Kaiser hospital, 48 hours after the water broke. It was a natural birth, and a very positive experience. Judah was born January 1, 2010 at 1:08 pm 7 hours after the water broke. Judah was delivered at Andaluz Waterbirth center, which was a completely magical experience that we highly recommend to anyone having a normal healthy pregnancy. Malakai was born on December 23, 2011 after three days of inactive labor labor and three hours of active labor (three hours after the water broke). Kai was born at Andaluz as well, this time in "Sienna" the red room. It was a relaxing and delightful way to spend our first Christmas with Malakai.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Unpaved Territory


In previous (recent) posts, I have mentioned "leaving the paved path." I suppose we could have been leaving the paved path several years ago when we decided that homeownership may not be the best destiny for us, and started walking away from that well worn road that we had thought was so inevitable for adulthood. Or maybe the gravel started when we moved our little family of (then) four and the jack russell to a downtown Portland sky-rise. Did the road begin to crunch beneath our feet when we embarked on different adventures in communal living with family members? There have been many beautiful twist and turns that have brought us here, and here, for now, is Paris.
Ironically, Paris may be one of the OLDEST paved cities in the world.  We are starting with one month in the Latin Quater in the left bank of Paris. We found a lovely Parisian girl whose 384 sq ft apartment  is open for the month of October only. We honestly do not know where we will be after that. The plane leaves from Madrid in three months. I am okay with not knowing. Why are we here? because nat can work from anywhere because hiro isnt in school because we do not have a mortgage because the internet works in paris because rent was cheap and food isnt that expensive because because...because I have heard a calling to this unpaved road. I do not know where it leads, but I want to hear from the Caller. I want to walk with Him, I want to hear from Him. This place, while lovely, is not nearly as important as the going, the being, the hearing. 



The first weekend there, the Louvre was free on Sunday. We find the French people extremely accommodating to mothers and families! We always are given seats in the metro, we did not have to wait in lines at the Louvre, and every place we buy our groceries offers the children free treats to try. 

The playgrounds are not fancy, but they are all around the city. 

The boys have fun anywhere, anyways!

Do I look Parisian yet? Or is the HUGE child-carrying backpack a giveaway?


My men, relaxing after the Louvre

One way to make Paris more affordable: try to cook your own French food with local ingredients and recipes! Except for the pastries and bread...leave that for the real locals! Speaking of pastries, the macrons were devine, the madeleines had a lovely texture, but they could not hold a candle to my friend Maino's madeleines! Her's are superior to even the madeleines from the famed Eric Kayer Boulangerie.  

In the first week that we have been here, the only big rocks have been having the boys re-adjust to apartment living -meaning do everything QUIETER. They can get loud, but I also think I may hear them louder then anyone else because they are the only people around speaking english. Oh yea, and we don't speak French.  This has led to interesting issues, like accidentally buying the equivalent to peanut butter Cheetos (they were good) and ordering potatoes instead of roast chicken from a corner butcher. Luckily, the potatoes were awesome. The other issue, was Erin got severely ill. Erin rarely gets sick, so this may be the worse adult illness she ever had. Pain like getting kicked in the gut for almost two days, fever, chills, and everything else that comes with severe stomach flu symptoms. Not good. Luckily, she recovered by the end of the first week and no one else got it. 


1 comment:

Mrs. Snow said...

Welcome back to blogging! I love reading your thoughts, which are full of grace and appreciation for the beauty that surrounds you. Praying for your adventure and seeking of the Caller. Excited to hear more.