We are back! And this time we mean it.

In just a couple of weeks we will kiss Facebook good-bye and return to our much neglected blog.

Leaving Facebook will be challenging. We got used and hooked to it. But it also left us ‘needing’ it too much, we felt its demand to check-in daily, and sensed the urge to comment on everything. No more annoying friends with our opinions. No more posting and sharing memes. No more wondering where all the ‘likes’ are. No more.

Now we come back to our old trusted friend the blog where we will occasionally post stuff.

We are back!

I just rediscovered that we still have this blog. It has been dormant for too long.

Florida Print Awards 2010

A couple days after our return from Switzerland, we attended the Florida Print Awards. This was an event where the Florida Print Industry recognized the work of graphics communications professionals and graphic design students statewide.

The head of our graphics technology program director Kristy Pennino in the middle, fellow students and me (on the far right)

Late March 2010 one teacher encouraged me to participate and send in some of my work I have done. In the beginning I was skeptical thinking I any chance of winning anything. Thus I was tempted to look at it as a great waste of time. My habit of looking at a glass as half empty, is something that is not always easy for Colleen to deal with. But in the end, I entered three pieces I did as my entries into the Florida Print Awards competition on the last possible day.

End of May I learned that my three pieces won an award. At this point I did not know what I won. But at least I won. Maybe the glass was fuller than I initially thought. Anyway, I will have to wait until August 6 to find out what I won.

My U.S. Army Billboard is one of the ‘Best Category’ Awards

We arrived about 20 minutes before the seating would begin. So we used the time to take a look at all the showcased winning works. And just like everyone looks for their own face in a picture, I looked for my own work. After a short time I found it and finally learned what I won: 2 ‘Best of Categories’ and 1 ‘Award of Excellence‘. It was much better than what I anticipated.

The evening was very enjoyable. I got to know the head of our graphics technology program director Kristy Pennino and some other Valencia students. Around 9PM we had to leave our newly made friends behind and head home. It was a very satisfying experience. Maybe I am on the right track?

Click here to see my other Florida Print Awards entries in my online portfolio: My design:related Portfolio

The “Insensitive American”

Ryan and Sean are waiting for their turn to explore Lake Zürich

Me? Yup, me. I am the “insensitive American” – though not by birth but by acclimation to Florida temperatures and habits.

This July and August we visited my homeland ‘Switzerland’. We were surprised how hot and humid it was. One would think that living in Florida for the last 15 years would help me to deal with it. Not really.

So one day, we decided to stop by the local McDonald’s to appease our deprived American taste buds. We were a little bit in a hurry and decided to use the drive through. After selecting a local NYCrispy and the usual McNuggets for the kids, we paid and were told to wait for our order in the specified parking lot. We lowered the windows, turned the radio up a little bit and just enjoyed another sunny day in Switzerland. After a few minutes, Colleen turned towards me and told me that she thinks that the man sitting at a table to my left was getting angry. I suddenly realized that the parking lot was situated right next to the outdoor section where people ate their meals. This is not something often found in Florida due to high temperatures and humidity. I also realized that my car engine was still running – Floridians rarely turn of the engine due to the need of air conditioning – and that this guy tried to enjoy his burger right next to the exhaust fumes of my car. Oooooops! I turned the engine off and heard an immediate “Thank you!”. In just that moment our food arrived and I had to turn on the engine again. Quickly I took off. I was really embarrassed.

Homeschooled Parents

It is safe to say that homeschooling has been as much of a learning experience for us as it has been for our children.

Ryan doing homework at his little desk

We learned very quickly that home schooling is a group venture much like our walk with Christ. When we first decided to school our kids, we attended the annual local homeschooling conference here in Orlando. We felt overwhelmed. Thousands of homeschooling families and dozens of vendors filled the numerous halls and rooms. Everyone seemed to know where they were going and what they were doing. We on the other hand had no idea where to start and what to look for. We are so grateful to all the families, who have been on this journey for a while, for sharing their experiences with us, counsel us in selecting resources and have an open ear for our questions, frustrations and successes. It really helped us to find our own step.

Another thing we realized rather quickly was how much home schooling is a joint venture between Colleen and myself. Though it is not a 50-50 undertaking (in terms of time), it is a ‘we’ not a ‘you’. We need to have the same expectations, see eye to eye on how to go about, must come together in prayer, be willing to sacrifice more of our personal freedoms and together trust God that He can work through us parents rather than ‘professionals’. Being amateur educators and ‘professional’ parents – rather than the other way around – helps us better addressing the education needs of our children. Fortunately, school starts with the 1. Grade. This allows us to grow into the roles of educators and improve our skills.

Being on a journey like this, we realize what a great commitment this is, especially for Colleen. A home is a fountain of a basically endless ‘to-do’ list that desires to grab her attention and time. Moreover the changing attitudes of our kids to be schooled is a challenge and requires flexibility on Colleen’s part as well as a growing knowledge of how Ryan, Sean and Kira learn best. But homeschooling is also rewarding since it provides to spend more time with our children, give the one-on-one attention, snuggling up and reading books to them, organize field trips or spend spontaneously time with their favorite aunt Kathy or have a lunch with daddy.

Thirdly, we learn not to compare and measure ourselves with other homeschooling parents and children. Comparing ourselves to others harbors the danger of becoming prideful in our achievements or doubtful of God’s ability to work in and through us. It also assumes that our children are all equally gifted and at the same maturity level – we all know this not to be true.

But, we have a sense of “yes this is what God has called us to do” which is very satisfying.

Nightmares and Prayers

Violet Beauregarde from the movie Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

It is 2:00 AM. The house is quiet and dark. I am fast asleep as suddenly a little voice whispers “Can you move over? I had a nightmare. I would like to sleep with you and mommy.” More as a reflex – and maybe without fully waking up – I moved over and Ryan hopped in. A few minutes later the house was quiet again. Does that sound familiar to you?

Well, a few months ago, I forgot what the occasion was, my two boys, saw a clip of “Charley and the Chocolate Factory” with Johnny Depp. In it Violate disobeys Willy Wonka and begins to chew an unstable three-course-meal gum. A few moments later her skin starts to turn blue and soon she looks like an over-sized blueberry. That scene left a very deep and lasting impression in he minds of my two boys and was a source of  nightmares that included turning them into blueberries. Numerous times we sat down, prayed with them, an explained to them that Jesus is the one who can take their nightmares away.

Well this morning, it was Sean who woke up next to me. His nightly exodus from his room into ours was a quiet and stealthy one. A little later Ryan came in and told us

“I had a nightmare last night and I prayed about it myself.”

“Really, what happened?”

“It went away.”

“See, when we pray, God answers.”

What an encouragement this was to us!

Dual Citizenship!

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, “ ~ Phillipians 3:20

Swiss Passport

Now it is official. Though still lacking the proper passport (which are in the making) to proof it, all our kids are now officially Swiss citizens. All it took on our part, was to register their births with the authorities in Switzerland. And as a result they can now claim two countries as their home. What a privilege and what opportunities!

Citizenship is the essential foundation of a person’s legal identity or in other words a person’s belonging. A stateless person is most often a refugee and does not belong. Though it is so basic and foundational to all our lives, we really do not spend a lot of time pondering our nationality and its many benefits or obligations. But if we were to lose it, we would do everything to obtain a citizenship and end our existence as refugees.

But in a very real sense we all lost our first citizenship and are refuges who run and hide from God. We are without home and people, no access to God’s blessings, under God’s curse and shut out from the hope offered in the Gospel. But through the perfect life and death of Christ we are able to attain a permanent home with all its rights, privileges and obligation and so be saved from the coming storm (Romans 5:9).

Have you applied for your second citizenship yet?

Meet Colorado Jack

Indiana Jones and his long lost sidekick

Yesterday was a special day for daddy. His two boys prepared, to the surprise of both of their parents, an early play of ‘Indiana Jones and his long lost Sidekick’ for Fathers day. Since Ryan took the main role, he assigned the role of Indiana Jones’ wife to Sean. Of course Sean was not too happy with it but went dutifully along with it. And so, to the soundtrack of an Egyptian sounding sing-along CD of our church’s Vacation Bible School CD, they performed their stunt show involving summersault, pretended fights and furniture and other props. It was very funny, though a bit unorganized. The fact that they thought of Father’s Day and prepared something all by themselves brought me a lot of joy. At the end of their performance and both of them bowing to their captivated audience, I got them to pose for me in a manner worthy of an Indiana Jones movie poster. What a special treat that was.

Sean’s contentment to be Indiana Jones’ wife wore out afterwards rather quickly and an argument started on who was the real Indiana Jones. To end this dispute, I invented the long lost brother of Indiana Jones, Colorado Jack. I told Sean that Colorado Jack was really strong. He was happy with that. But now Ryan was questioning whether he wanted to be Indiana Jones. After making up a story about the two Jones, they were both happy.

PS: If you look closely at the picture you can see a rolled up belt in Ryan’s right hand, serving as a whip – ready to be used at the slightest hint of trouble.

Goats vs. iPods

The Goat versus the iPod

This next story is similar to the way Caspar met the Lord. The vehicle through which Caspar heard the Gospel were not iPods or goats but a ski-trip. It also happened in his Freshman year at engineering university in Zürich, where he studied computer science. This first year is absolutely crucial and defines the trajectory a student finds himself on for the rest of his studies.

The first term of university is a whirlwind, and it’s about so much more than academics. Students are out to define who they are and what they think. Peer groups, interests and patterns of behavior are quite often established for the rest of their university careers.

For Agapé Student Life, Freshmen Week provides an amazing opportunity to make contact with literally thousands of first-year students who find themselves at this significant crossroads of life.

And so a unique campaign was borne. …

Read the rest in our May Newsletter: US Newsletter May 2010

A Cut to the Head ended our Date Night

I have never come this close to seeing a movie without actually getting to see it.

Our last date night started out just as we hoped. Our babysitter arrived on time and we headed for some yummy Thai. Summer rolls are the best. And a green curry chicken is nothing to snicker at as well.

The movie we didn't see

We got to the movie theater in time and were able to pick some great seats for “Iron Man 2”. As the movie theater filled up our excitement grew in anticipation of seeing the red and yellow iron clad hero kicking some butt. Right on schedule the room darkened and trailers started the final countdown to the featured presentation.  And then it happened. The phone rang. First I did not think about it twice about it because it happened many times before. But this time it was different. Ryan was on the other end and yelling into the phone “Kira is bleeding.” Now it was no longer the average phone cal. “Can I talk with the baby sitter?” Moments later she was on the phone crying and trying to explain that Kira fell but that she might be OK. And then suddenly a male voice came on the phone. What was our neighbor doing at our house? “Kira fell and cut her forehead. I think she needs stitches.” My immediate reaction was to hand the phone to my wife so that her medical expertise could properly asses the situation. My hope still was that this whole thing would be nothing but one giant misunderstanding. But that lasted only to the point when Colleen came back into the the theater and said “We have to leave.” As we walked out, the screen went dark and I heard the voice of Robert Downey Jr. behind me. This is how close we got.

Kira's after she stumbled

When we got home, we saw Kira’s cut on her forehead and dried blood all over her t-shirt. I grabbed the diaper bag, strapped Kira into her car seat and headed out to see the pediatrician. As soon as we got there a nurse put a bandage on her, took her vitals and ushered us into a room. Kira had to lay down on one of those examination bed. A little TV was attached to the ceiling to help her muster every ounce of her patience as we waited for the doctor – you know that two year olds are not that well known to have much of that. About an hour and a half later, after cleaning and numbing her injury, they squeezed the cut together and put some medical superglue on. When the doctor finished putting super glue on her forehead, he gave a her a strawberry popsicle. Now the day was saved and she left the doctors office with a smile on her face.

It does not take a lot to make a two year old happy.