Christmas in the Square…

In 2001, my husband began serving the homeless tea at our local train station.  Simply tea.

Eventually many of our Polish friends joined us on this journey.  One of these friends, a great man, became one of the biggest champions of this cause.  His name is Tomek.  At the time, he was a student at the local university, studying for his Master’s in World History.

Today, Tomek has brought the foundation that my husband started back to his hometown, Kalisz, the oldest city in Poland.

I remember going to the train stations in Kalisz and starting Bread of Life there the same way…With cups of tea at the local train station (Kalisz this time).

Today, Bread of Life in Kalisz does one million and one things to help the citizens of its city—one of the biggest events coming up is Christmas in the Square!

Bread of Life and its partners have gathered together to put together a magical Christmas market in the center of Kalisz.  The purpose:  To help raise funding for four local children in need of medical and rehabilitation care.

Do not miss the opportunity to go and check out the site:  Christmas in the Square!

Once there, go to the gallery/galerie and check out last year’s event.

Today, I want to encourage you.

Maybe there is something in your heart you want to do to help others around you but you think, “No.  That’s too little.”  Or “I am not great enough.”

Let me say, “Hogwash!”

Bread of Life was started by a foreigner in a foreign land.  Bread of Life Kalisz was started by a recent university graduate during times of extreme unemployment in his own hometown…A time where jobs were scarce and money was little.

Today, people, businesses, and organizations rally together across this very same city to help children in need.

Three cups of tea.  It was an act of simplicity.

And so I ask you…What can you do?

Something simple is still better than nothing at all!

See where God takes it…

A Mud Run Kept Me in Arizona? No—but the belly is why I started the blog! Happy 2 months, #and2makescrazy

I have a baby in my belly and a 1-year-old and 7-year-old at home.  And I have a husband that I have rarely seen since June.

My daughter, well, right now while we’re in Arizona (United States), she’s the invisible girl—hardly seen!  But that’s an awesome thing.  Because it means that she is usually with friends or cousins playing her little heart out.  You see, we technically live in Poland (since 2001…we started something called Fundacja Bread of Life).  In fact, if this surprise belly didn’t pop up, we’d be back there right now.

Yep!  We were scheduled to be back in Poland on May 10th.  But around May 5th, I felt a little something…called pregnant.  Sure enough, about 10 dollar store tests later, we both finally believed it.  Good thing our mud run was the day before, eh?

And so, my hubby and I decided that there is very little in life (outside of Jesus) that is more important to us than our children.

You see, we went through 5 years of very hollow infertility before God gave us Adelyne Marguerite.

And then it was another 5 years before God gave us our heavenly baby Sam (here’s a honest look at loss and miscarriage:  http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-6B).

And, well, I haven’t shared it all on this page, but then 2 years after Sam, we were given Maxwell Loren.  But he was a gift that was almost returned to heaven.  We nearly lost him…multiple times.  He’s our spirited little fighter and an absolute joy in our life.

And that brings us to today…a year after Maxwell was born.  Now I’m pregnant with, whom we call, Belly Josephine (here’s some photos here: http://wp.me/p3Bh9m-gp), inching my way to 40 years of age.  Yes, getting fossilized here, folks!

13 years of marriage to a man that I nearly didn’t date…

13 years of marriage and 4 babies:  2 that we’ve been able to keep here on earth; one waiting for us in heaven; and one kickball champ in my belly.

And we’re suppose to be in Poland.

But since we value our babies more than life itself, my husband and I decided that I would not travel and would ride out this pregnancy here in the United States with my family just one minute away.  Therefore, I’ve remained in our little rental farmhouse with egg-laying chickens…and he, well he’s been back and forth and around the world getting his “work on”.

He spent the majority of his summer in Poland and Moldova and Zambia.  He’s spending the majority of this fall in Africa and Europe…and I told him that if he’s not back in time for the baby, Adelyne’s my partner in the delivery room.  She was thrilled with that and told me she would sit around and eat popsicles.  Sounds like she’d be great support, eh?!

His work is awesome…but he’s also missed a ton:  Maxwell’s first steps and most of his first words.  Maxwell’s new affinity to climb all objects and to feed himself with a spoon.  Josephine’s major belly kicks and several doctor’s visits to date.  Most of Adelyne’s swim meets, and so much more.

In fact, he’s been gone so much that my son walks past the computer and says, “Hi, Dadda!”

I say all this to say…

Home.  Alone.  With an invisible 7-year-old.  With a 1-year-old.  With a belly baby.

I decided that NOW is the time to start a blog.

And boy it has been a challenge.  And a ton of fun.  And I have not one specific topic to write about—nor focus on.

Sometimes I’m all roaring wife.

Sometimes I’m all crazy momma.

Sometimes I’m zany foreigner.

And sometimes I’m all religious nut.

But…hopefully all of the time…I am real.

And, hopefully, you have enjoyed my blogging journey.

Two months, today!  Woot-woot!

Over 8,500+ views.

And Fifty+ Countries on 6 continents.  Thanks, friends!

It would appear that you are a bit crazy, too.

Just like I am.

Just like Rich.

I just KNEW we’d get along swell!

Looking forward to what the next two months will bring.  Because often even I don’t know until the day before (or, to be honest, the morning of).

Sending you off with a big American hug and 3 Polish kisses,

Brooke (aka the first half of the crazy)

#and2makescrazy