I am so sleepy today and of course, Caleb is wide awake and ready to play. That is when our overly hyper Jack Russell becomes quite useful. Chris' parents arrived yesterday from Poland. They stayed on for an extra week. I volunteered to pick them up at the airport last night because I was the only one who would not have to "work" today and I could always nap when Caleb naps.
The plane was supposed to arrive at 10:52 pm. That wouldn't be too bad. I would go ahead and row, shower, and do everything to get ready for bed but put on pajamas. I did wear comfy clothes, though. I even laid out my jammies on my pillow so all I would have to do is strip, put them on, and fall into bed. I wouldn't even have to turn on a light for that.
Chris and I were having our evening "date" when we received the phone call that the plane was delayed till midnight. Ugh! My bedtime is 10 pm. The original arrival time was already pushing it. I started eating some chocolate (not the best choice) to get my blood sugar up and wake me up. Chris went on to bed and I actually watched 11 o'clock t.v. I never see that time.
I left for the airport at about 11:30 pm. The traffic was practically non-existant. I was appalled at what is on the radio that time of night. I arrived at the airport, didn't have to pay for parking, and got a great parking spot. It worked out okay. The airport was FREEZING....very happy I wore pants. I grabbed a real estate magazine and sat. I sat and sat. Turns out the airplane was expected at 12:14 pm. Ugh again! I was very thankful too that the airport was rather empty and not hectic as usual.
Finally, my extremely exhausted in-laws stumble towards the baggage claim and give me a hug. Remember they had been traveling since about 1 am Eastern time from Lancut, Poland to Savannah, Georgia. They kept saying thank you for picking them up. Hey, we're family!! We waited and waited for the luggage. It came and we left.
I fell into bed around 1:45 am and I think I drifted to sleep around 2 am with the little dog, Tiny, we are dogsitting curled up in bed next to me. It was a hard night but worth every bit to bring family safely home.
Needing more sleep,
Now, I feel like a blogger. I have found a way to have one of those awesome signatures at the end of each post. Did you notice?? I have admired those signatures on other people's blogs for a long time and I just couldn't find the way to do it. I Googled "signature at end of blog" and I found it. I went to MyLiveSignature and used their super easy signature-generator and voila, there is my name in a pretty font, pretty color, and attractive slope. I am a happy blogger now.
Coming to you with a signature,
When I went to visit Auschwitz in Poland I was reminded of the story of Father Maximilian Kolbe. I even saw the cell where he died and Pope John Paul II left a candle in his memory. I was inspired by his story greatly (more detail below) and thought about him a lot the rest of the trip. Then a pastor at our church mentioned him in a sermon and told his story there. I thought it was kind of neat that I heard that story twice in less than a week and was even there. THEN, I received my July 2007 issue of the Voice of the Martyr's Newsletter and there he was again! Three times in less than two weeks. Apparently God wants people to know Father Kolbe's story.
Here is what is written in the July 2007 issue of the VOM newsletter.
"I am a priest. I wish to die for that man."
These were the last words of Maximilian Kolbe as he offered to give his life in a Nazi Concentration Camp for another man who pleaded for mercy. Kolbe was born to hard-working Polish nationalist parents onJanuary 8, 1894. At 12 years of age he gave himself completely to the service of the Lord. When asked whether he would like a crown of purity or of martyrdom he said, "Both." After his studies, Maximilian served as a missionary in Japan, opened a seminary in Warsaw and started a radio station, newspaper and magazine. At age 45 Kolbe was a vibrant leader, but to be a Polish leader in 1939 was neither safe nor prudent. Indeed, his media outreach began to assail the dangers of Germany's militarism. Kolbe and his team also began to hide Jewish refugees. Before his arrest by the Gestatpo, they kept 1,500 Jews under cover.
In a well known statement Kolbe said, "No one can change the Truth. What we can do is to seek truth and serve it when we have found it...There are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of soul: good and evil, sin and love. And what use are victories on the battlefield if we are defeated in our innermost personal selves?"
Kolbe brought these words with him to Auschwitz in May of 1941. After offering his life for another his wish was granted and he was locked in a starvation cell with nine other prisoners. Kolbe was heard leading hymns and prayers. When he was too weak to speak, he whispered. After two weeks he was still alive, so a Nazi guard injected him with carbolic acid to kill him. He was later found drowned in the camp latrine.
Kolbe also wrote: "Your blood now runs in mine; Your Soul, Incarnate God, penetrates mine, giving courage and support. What miracles! Who would have ever imagined such!"
Francis Gajowniczek, the man whom Kolbe offered his life, lived to an old age, dying in Poland in 1997 owing his life to a faithful priest who had chosen the two crowns of purity and martyrdom.
I think the story of Father Kolbe speaks for itself.
How about some Polish Links?!
Here are some links to a lot of the places I visited while in Poland. If you happen to actually be going to Poland you've got to check these places out. I would say these are on my"You can't leave Poland until you see these places" list. Enjoy! (Note: Some of the sites will pull up in Polish, just click on the little British flag for it to be in English.)
Lancut--This is the town I stayed in. It is in the Southeastern part of Poland and is about 30 minutes away from the Ukranian border. Chris' father grew up here and we stayed in his mother's house (Caleb's Great-Grandmother). Lancut was our home-base of sorts. We would go on excursions and then return.
Lancut Palace--Chris' Grandmother lives across the street from a very cool PALACE. It is beautiful. The palace grounds were made into a public park and Chris and I would walk through the grounds when we were walking back from town. How often do you get to walk by a real palace? While there you should go see the Carriage House. The collection of horse-drawn carriages is phenomenal. Horse enthusiasts and mere appreciators will be in awe.
Rzeszow--This is the closest "big city" to Lancut. Chris and I spent a day looking around and shopping with one of his cousins. A day of shopping is always fun and there is some great shops here.
Krakow--Krakow is one of the best known cities in Poland. Chris and I went there for a weekend while Caleb was babysat for the weekend. We stayed with Chris' aunt and was shown around town by two of his cousins. We had no idea that we were arriving during the 750th anniversary celebration of Krakow. WOW!!! 750 years! One of the most prominent things in Krakow is St. Mary's Basilica in the City Square. Never in my life have been in a church so old (750) and so ornate. I was floored and reminded of God's majesty. Our favorite restaurant while in Krakow was this one. We would neve have known of it if it weren't for Gregory, Chris' cousin. It is down deep in the basement of a university and there is only one sign on the street. But, Oh My Goodness!!! The price was great and the food was phenomenal. Go There!
Wieliczka Salt Mine--Close by to Krakow is the coolest Salt Mine. You may think, "Salt Mine, what is so cool about salt?" I thought that too until I went 427 feet (130 meters) under ground touring this place and we only saw the first three levels (out of seven) and only 1% of the mines. The air is clear and cool. There is even a sanitorium type place farther below where people with respiratory ailments come to spend the night just to breath the air. You will be amazed at how everything was carved out of salt including an entire cathedral that holds weekly mass to this day.
Auschwitz--I know that Auschwitz isn't exactly a happy place to go and I understand reluctance. But, I believe that it is a place that people must see to keep the memory of those lost alive. You can even bring or buy flowers to lay somewhere if you feel so inclined. It is a very quiet place and it is emotionally wrenching. I was thrown back when I realized that as I walked along the railroad track to the crematorium I was walking the very route that probably thousands of people walked and never came back. I had the luxury of just looking and then walking back to my air-conditioned motor coach. Just go and see it. You will never forget it.
Well, those were the best links I could find that were primarily in English. Enjoy! Poland is such a beautiful country and it has really come a long way since communism fell. I was actually amazed at how little culture shock I had and how "Western" it has become. Put Poland on your "Must See Before I Die" list and thank me when you get back.
I wasn't planning on writing anything this evening but then I came up on this news story. (Thank you Stacy at Persecution Blog for the tip.) Vernon Henson finally finished hand copying the ENTIRE Bible after 40 long years. I have heard of people in closed countries copying portions of the Bible because that is the only option they have and I've heard of people in America doing as a spiritual discipline. But, this is the first time I've heard of someone actually finishing the entire Bible. Wow!! I am inspired by Mr. Henson's dedication to the Word and how he stuck with it for 40 years. Aren't you inspired too?!
Today marks the first "regular" day back to a routine after the trip to Poland.
Last week was spent actually getting home and recovering from jet lag, unpacking, and anxiously wanting to get back to normal. Chris, Caleb, and I had our official "end of vacation/last meal before returning to a budget" family date on Friday night. We went to Zaxby's and it was great to eat some good 'ole American Chicken Fingers. On Saturday, Chris tamed our semi-overgrown lawn and I picked up the house. Unfortunately, some friends of ours had to take their sick 2 week old baby to the hospital on Wednesday and were still there on Saturday. So, we spent a good bit of the afternoon visiting with them and then went to church. (UPDATE: Little Zeke is home from the hospital and is doing well. Other than being little stubborn in the nursing department he is back to normal.) Sunday was a wonderful "Family Day" spent just enjoying being at home and ended with a fun trip to Taco Bell.
Needless to say, nothing has been "normal" since our return until today. Chris went to work like usual. I have created my To-Do List and I'm working on that as usual. My time in Poland was a much needed break from routine. I guess you could say it was the ultimate break from routine. We weren't even in the United States. I had people all around me practically begging to take care of Caleb and wanting Chris and me to take off on our own. I was a part-time mom. We were surrounded by family every day. I never had a chance to really be alone, let alone feel somewhat lonely. Being surrounded by people and occasional help with Caleb were all things I yearned for before we left. Then I had my wishes for two weeks. Towards the end of the trip I was amazingly wishing for my regular, routine, slower-paced life.
Now, I am home with my To-Do List and feeling a good bit of withdrawal. I miss the people and I miss the adventure. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being home with Caleb and tending to our home and family. But, how do you recover from the trip of a lifetime? I guess one day at a time everything will get back to normal and that normal will feel great.
Today I stopped at my friendly neighborhood Parker's Gas Station for my beloved Fountain Drink that costs a mere 69 cents. It doesn't what size you choose it will always cost only 69 cents. Of course, I always pick the largest size they have. Keep in mind I LOVE my fountain drinks with tons of ice...especially after experiencing drinks with no or little ice in Poland. I've been thinking about my first trip to Parker's after returning. I go in there and what do I see?! The drinks are now 79 CENTS!!! They went up 10 cents. I was thankful that I thought to pull out a dollar from my change drawer in the car before I went inside. I still got my drink, but I was miffed as I walked out. Where is the world going if even Parker's has to raise their fountain drink prices?! Geez!
Chris, Caleb, and I finally made it home yesterday around noon from our wonderful trip to Poland. I will be writing much, much more about our experiences as time goes on and I'll even post lots of pictures. I just have to formulate my thoughts and put these posts together in some organized manner. I am still in a fog of jet lag and trying to get all our unpacking and laundry done. Keep checking back. But, let me tell you about our trip home to get you started.
We left for Warsaw, Poland from a smaller airport in Rsesow. I am amazed that my little family, including Chris' sister, Alicja, were able to navigate these airports with our very limited Polish. Granted, most people in the airports speak English. Our plane left Warsaw for Chicago an hour late due to weather. We were very happy for our four hour layover in Chicago after that. It was a very LONG 9 hour flight in a completely booked plane. We sat right next to a group of middle-aged people who were returning from a long trip. The amazing thing was that they never seemed to get tired. They talked and talked the whole flight. They would get up and visit each other and my seat seemed to be the most popular meeting point. I was exhausted and taking care of an exhausted 11-month old and then had these people always congregating by my seat. Thankfully, Caleb was an angel. He pretty much slept or played. He hardly fussed at all. We were even complemented for how good he was. Thanks, Buddy!
We landed in Chicago thankful that the big flight was over. We just had to get through passport control, customs, get our boarding passes, clear security and then we could eat dinner and relax. Home was just a few hours away. That's how it was supposed to happen, at least. The line in Passport control was insane. I was thrilled when a security guy came right to us and said we could go through the handicapped line because of Caleb in his stroller. It was much shorter. Thanks again, Buddy! We officially entered the country. We got our luggage and even cleared customs. Everything was going pretty well. (I've become a pro at collapsing a stroller, emptying my pockets and bags, and taking off my shoes all at once.)
We proceeded to the line for our boarding passes for the last leg of the trip. While waiting we saw that our flight to Savannah was CANCELLED due to weather. WHAT?! What are we going to do?! We came up all kinds of options. Could we fly to Jacksonville or Charleston and then have Alicja's husband pick us up? We even considered staying the night in a hotel if we could get an early morning flight. We get to the table and find out there are no flights to Jacksonville or Charleston and all flights to Savannah were booked till Thursday. This was Tuesday night. We asked about Atlanta and there was an 8:45 pm flight we could grab. While Chris and Alicja took care of that I got on my cell phone and called my sister who lives in Norcross. After three calls I got my brother-in-law. I fought back the exhausted tears and asked if they could pick us up. "Of Course!" he said. They secured a car seat for Caleb and even bought diapers for us. I kept thanking him profusely and he said, "Sarah, that is what Family is for." You are so right, Corey. Alicja called her husband and he got in the car and started driving to Norcross. He was to meet us at my sister's house and we would all stay the night and leave first thing in the morning. Okay, everything was settled. We could finally eat and relax. Right?!
We headed to security and Alicja goes through no problem. Chris, Caleb, and I were "randomly selected for special security screening." Our boarding passes were confiscated and were sent to a special line. We did the usual security stuff and went through the metal detectors. Then they frisked us all. Yes, they frisked 11-month old Caleb. Can you believe it?! By this point I was beyond exhausted and couldn't look down without feeling dizzy. Caleb continued to be cheerful. I have the bestest boy in the world.
We ate dinner and boarded the plane. Caleb was zonked in my arms. I had to get Chris to put my seat belt on me. I put my head back and quickly fell asleep. I was so gone that I completely missed take off. I am usually a bundle of nerves during take off and landing. That should give you an idea how tired I was. The flight was very comfortable and easy. Thank goodness!
We land in Atlanta and quickly went to baggage claim. Corey was waiting on us. He has never looked so good. Chris and Alicja go to get our baggage and slowly bring suitcases to us. To top off our adventure we discovered the airline LOST Caleb's suitcase along with Alicja's. I was almost in tears because that suitcase held about three-quarters of Caleb's wardrobe. He would be wearing pajamas if we didn't get that back. Chris goes to the lost luggage office and files a claim. He was told we should get it back by today (Thursday). We head home to my sister's house.
My sister and Alicja's husband were waiting for us. We went straight to bed. I am so thankful that I thought to pack clean clothes for Caleb in our carry on along with underwear for Chris and me. I also had our toothbrushes. I borrowed a t-shirt from my sister and we went to bed. You see our suitcases were full of nothing but dirty clothes and those were protecting souvenirs. Those bags went from Corey's van to our van without ever entering the house. We got up in the morning put on our already filthy travel clothes, brushed our teeth, ate breakfast and drove home. We slept probably 4 hours in two days.
Chris, Caleb, and I are home and happy. We all took baths and went to bed around 6:30 last night. Due to the jet lag Chris and I were wide awake at 3 am but we stayed in bed till 6 am. (Note: Poland is six hours of us in Eastern Standard Time.) Chris has gone to work and I am tackling the laundry and getting our house in order again. I am so happy to be home.
Poland is such a beautiful, wonderful country. I can't wait to tell you all about our time there. Keep coming back to learn of our adventures. I'll see you soon.
Tomorrow is the day we jump the big pond and visit Poland. Today has been spent packing some more and trying to gain my composure. I am still very nervous and excited at the same time. I'm going over to a friend's house right after dinner to drop off Eowyn for doggie sitting. Chris' parents are picking the three of us up around 8:45 am and off we go. I wonder if I'l even sleep tonight. Anway, my mind is going too crazy to write anything else. I'll be gone for about 2 weeks and when I come back I hope to have some new direction for this blog. See you soon!!
Of Jesus, that is!
I have found an incredible radio station. Where I live there is a wonderful radio station called His Radio. It is your basic listener supported Christian radio station. I listen to it all the time in the car. You can also listen to it online. But, the coolest thing is that they have jumped into the HD Radio world. I'm not exactly sure how radio can be HD, but apparently His Radio is one of those pioneering stations. Being that I don't even know what HD Radio really is, I don't have the proper equipment for it. BUT, you can listen to all their HD stations online TOO!! One of those stations is His Radio Praise. It is a commercial free station that is nothing but Praise and Worship music. I was so excited that I found this station that Chris rigged up my computer so I could put the music on our surround sound stereo. I play the praise music almost all day. I used to have the TV going for those extra voices in the house. I knew that was bad for me and for Caleb, but silence was worse. Now, I have His Radio Praise and I can tell a HUGE difference in my life. I just wanted everyone to know about it. Go to the above link and click on the His Radio Praise banner and it should start up on your computer's music player. Enjoy and Be Blessed!!
The next few days are going to be crazy and yet relaxing. I devoted pretty much all my time to packing, running errands, and just get ready for our trip to Poland. I am used to having several different projects going at the same time and that can keep me in a frenzy. This week, though, I am very busy but I have only one objective and that is actually kind of relaxing. Weird, isn't it. Chris is pretty much packed. I have practically nothing in my bag because I need to do laundry. I need to finish Caleb's suitcase and then go over our packing lists over and over again. I always have a problem packing early because I always need something out of the suitcase. So, I am one of those last minute packers. Chris' parents have been packed for almost two weeks now. Granted they both have to work full days all week. I am blessed that I am home and have a lot of time to get this done. Wish me luck! I have never gone to a country where English is not the native language. I am nervous and very excited too. I pray I can take this one step at a time and enjoy every minute.
Yes, I know. It has been way too long.
Of course, I am making this announcement right before I leave for a major family trip to Poland. Yep, Poland! Chris' family lives there and we are packing up Caleb and heading across the Atlantic. I have never met this side of the family and of course, neither has Caleb. I am very nervous and excited at the same time. We are traveling with Chris' parents and that will make it a lot easier flying with a 11 month old. I am sure I will have tons to write about when I get back. I'm not sure how much internet we will have while there. It is kind of funny that I am returning here only to disappear again for two weeks. Fear not, though!! Sarah is Back!
