Celebration Meal

Recipe time!

 I altered this recipe for the Cod.  Mahi and Cod are both light flaky fish, so this worked out well.  I left out the buttermilk in the topping and used white wine rather than white wine vinegar.  It was delicious, but I would add more jalapeno next time - it was zesty, but not spicy!

 This is the recipe (altered slightly, again) for the Gingered Shrimp.  I used Edamame instead of snow peas and quinoa instead of cous cous.  Edamame were truer to season and fresher at our grocer, not to mention absolutely delish!  This was my favorite dish of the evening.  I didn't eat the prawns.  But the quinoa (that I cooked in mushroom broth) and mixed with the edamame and onions? WOW.  I'll be doing it as a side again soon!

 The recipe for the pear salad was not the one I have used in the past and I was a little disappointed with it, but no one else seemed to care.  Next time I'll toast the pine pine nuts with a bit of curry powder, and add a bit more mustard to the dressing.  The only thing I changed with this one was leaving the cheese on the side for the others to add for themselves (so I could still eat it)!

 Feast waiting for eaters!

We didn't get photos of the chickpea patties being made or the cucumber salsa, but here are the recipes for both of them.  I used hemp oil rather than olive in the salsa but it wasn't spicy at all, so more peppers next time.  In the patties we used Coconut aminos instead of soy, and potato chips (organic and baked - no extra oils) instead of panko.
We were all so tired that we actually didn't play a game, we watched the battle rounds for The Voice instead.  One of C's roommates had been working all day at the hospital and hadn't had time to cook  dinner, so C whisked away some of the leftovers to her (love that my girl thought to do that - such a sweet heart).
We said goodbye to C at 8, after a rousing conversation about contradictory scientific evidences out there (too heavy a subject with a full belly, a glass of wine, & heavy eyelids), and hugs & kisses & declarations of love & promises of another day soon to be together.

(bottom 5 photographs courtesy of C picking up my camera and snapping away!  Love it when someone does that!)

Conner sings for his icecream

Conner sings for his icecream a video by efiw on Flickr.

I had been trying to get him to sing to me all weekend, so when he asked one night after dinner for ice cream, I told him there was ice cream for anyone who could sing me the Doxology. :)  Sneaky Auntie.  Mama backed me up though!!
I adore his little "Elmer Fudd" sound.  

Family Time

Our first Memorial Day celebration with family in 5 years.  

So good to be together again.

Walking New Paths

 We had to make an unexpected trip to Washington this week.  We received some news that made the impending snow storms and slippery mountain passes of no consideration.  It was just Minda and I.  Our first such trip.  I can't tell you how much I prayed as we climbed up into the fog.  The rain was a sweet friend.  Our trip was not for happy circumstances and it seemed only right to let it pelt the van with it pattering rhythms and clouded visions.

 

We drove in companionable silence most of the way.  Photographing things that caught our attention, listening to Girl of the Limberlost, sipping our water - the endless highway ahead of us. When it began to clear I wasn't prepared for God's grace to flood over me, but it did.

A promise of His presence and protection.  It was bright and big and full, and suddenly so was my spirit.  Moses Lake came more quickly after that.   

 Then there were friends who wanted to get together, and business affairs to take care and, of course, the main reason we traveled over 3 mountain passes for 8.5 hours in the middle of winter...

My mama was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer.  She is an amazing lady, though.  Joyfully abiding in the life she has left, ready to enter the arms of Jesus if a miracle doesn't occur, and peacefully letting go of all this world has to offer...  I cry because I'll miss her, 'naught for else'.  She is coughing almost continually and wears out when a long fit occurs, but she takes it in stride.  She is inspiring.  I doubt, even with the promise of Heaven, that I would take it all so graciously.
My big brother, Kyle, was able to join us several days too.  Including the night we arrived.  His girl, Emily, snapped this photo.
It was a blessed time together.  Just what I had prayed for. We'll be returning several times over the next few months.  You can pray with us for continued safety and sweet times together.

Time with Minda

 I have a photo session Sunday in Springhill and wanted to check out the locale before the day.  What a GORGEOUS day it was!  I almost wished we could have done the shoot right then.  
Minda has become mm nearly-constant companion these days.  Running errands, photoshoots, even just quick grocery runs (because I'm out of floss and it's bugging me!) she throws on a jacket to ride along. 

 This day was no different.  We shot this for Josh.  That is Ross Peak behind Malinda and it was Josh's fave when he was here. Miss that fella.  The snow out here was knee deep, but untouched.  It was pristine!  I can't wait to shoot some lovers out here!  WooHoo!

Then came the drive home.  Neither of our other kids had to go someplace special to learn to drive.  We lived in the boonies (sorta) and just practiced going and coming on the backroads until they felt ready to conquer traffic.  Minda, however, has had her permit since August or Sept. and this was the first time she got to drive (Other than once from our driveway to a stop sign.  That experience made me say, "I think we need to go out of populated areas before you try that again."). 
Still a tad nerve wracking for Mama even on the 25 MPH roadway with no cars to be seen (she likes to hug the shoulder... or piggyback ride it... or she is intensely polarized by the center yellow line...) but, we made it.  She's ready for round 2.

A Very Berg (Lancette, Turner, Kahn, Paul) New Year

Every now and then we find ourselves in the middle of a story that just seems to fit.  This life often leaves me questioning whether I am in the right place, if I'm doing the right things, if I am listening closely enough to the leading of the Holy Spirit, if Jesus is truly in the midst of it all... and then pieces fall into place.

That's what happened this past year.  In July we made a trip to Moses Lake to photograph the wedding of a dear friend.  One of the young men in the wedding party sorta stole our hearts.  He was goofy but you could feel the love of God in him.  Come to find out he was from Montana too.  An hour and a half away from our home.  He was also homeschooled and loved his family beyond belief!  My girls are so much better at making friends than I am.  They had "friended" everyone on Facebook by the time we left Moses Lake so they could keep in touch.  

By August Minda had friended the entire Berg family (8 kids + mom & dad) and they were making plans to get together again.  2 of them made the trip to be with us during a garden party, and we didn't want them to leave.   Then 4 of the girls and their mimi came to be with us for a day of fun and photos.  Mimi and I got to talk and become friends - because Jesus was so apparent in her it was easy to be open and transparent. 

It was our turn to visit them.  We made the trip to Helena (a huge feat for us at this stage in our lives) over New Year's eve/day to meet the entire family and their closest friends, the Turners.  Our hearts and conversations were drawn to Jesus ~ His grace, His love, His power, His forgiveness ~ over and over. We spent New Year's eve around the fire, the dinner table, the kitchen counter, the "dance central" upper room, so aware of His presence.

The kids stayed at the Berg house ringing in the New Year with music and laughter and more conversations about Jesus.  (How much do I love that my 21, 19, & 17 year olds have found others just their ages and younger that want to talk God?!!)  James and I stayed with Nick and Sharon and rang in the New Year with snores and soft fluffy pillows.  :)

The next morning was more of the same.  Food, Jesus, communion, laughter - and relationship was firmly established.  Even for the skeptics (Neither John or James~ the dads~ were sure this weekend was going to be anything other than uncomfortable. They ended up more connected than the rest of us, I think.) 

There were tears when we left.  On both sides.

We Love these people.  How does that happen so quickly?  How do you go from barely meeting someone at a wedding to spending the weekend with their entire family and walking away as an extended part of that family?

My only answer is

Jesus.

We are in His story.  His narrative. 

He makes all the pieces come together, and we stand in wonder at it all.

 A new year rung in with new friends, some sick dance moves and a whole lot of laughter!

Thanks Remi, Mimi, Becky, John, Nick, Sharon, and, of course, Josh, Zac, Caiti, Abi, Aly, Milli, Sophi, Maddi, Josh T., Tamara, Leea and Nosh (Ryan)!! We loved every minute of our time with you.
A new tradition has begun!

Pre-shoot Model

M. has become my "Let-me-test-the-light" model before my shoots.

 Isn't she lovely?

We love it when we are blessed by sights like this at the end of our time.

All Because of Relationship

As many of you who are long time blog readers know, Minda has had a dream of becoming an archaeologist since she was 5 or 6. Grama Linda bought her a palentology dig trip for her 13th birthday just to fuel her dream. Since we moved to Montana she has been dreaming of the hot, dry sands of Egypt even more.
Rewind again to when this dream first began.
We had just become a part of the budding 'internet world' and Yahoo Chat in particular. James being a musician and worship leader went to a Christian chat room and asked, "Anyone want to talk about worship?" A woman from Texas replied and they began a long conversation that covered a wide variety of topics. When they finished, James told her she reminded him of me in so many ways he'd love to get us together to chat too. The next night we did. Her name was Zanetta. Her husband, Randy, didn't believe I was real. :)
That was the beginning of our relationship. We hit it off immediately, and have stayed close over the past 11 years!

Now, back to the present. Just after Minda's graduation in May, Zanetta and Randy announced their intention to become full time missionaries in Israel. Through an offhanded comment on Facebook, about being able to get Minda awfully close to Egypt if she came with them to Israel, plans and dreams began to take on form and flesh. Questions started pouring out of her. How much would she need? How long would she be there? What would she be doing? Could she possibly go to school there? Visit Egypt? Would they really be willing to allow her to come?

She leaves in June! They will be living in the main port city of Haifa where they will be working with the poor, beginning an outreach to college students at the University of Haifa, and providing some 'home' contact for the naval forces that dock there.
BUT - her favorite part so far? No Snow! Warmth. Sun. Sea Breezes. Fresh Figs. And, Oh yeah! The possibility of gaining a student visa and remaining in Haifa to get her archaeology degree.
Who would have guessed an internet chat 11 years ago would have congealed into a lasting friendship that would be an avenue to a little girl's dream coming to pass?
All is falling into place, piece by piece. We are still working out details. Another thing you can all be praying about! We are just a bundle of prayer needs in this household!

Olympic Hopeful

Our son is and, honestly, always has been a performer. If any of you watched the hanging of the Christmas ornaments video, you know he likes the camera. More than that he has talent. He is gifted in so many arenas, in fact, that it's a little overwhelming.

At Joel and Courtney's wedding in October, Aunt Marilyn (a performer in her own right), gave him the name of an agent to contact if he ever wanted to seek representation and pursue acting, singing, songwriting, dancing, modeling as a career (or even just to earn $$ toward further education).
3 weeks ago he auditioned for that agent. He performed 2 songs, one accapella (they had no piano for him) & one on guitar (both original pieces. Music and lyrics by him), read a cold script, and presented a self-choreographed dance.
He walked away with all 10's.
The agency asked him to be a part of the USA team at the World Championship of Performing Arts (a team of about 300 kids from 8-19 years old in 25 categories of performance) & to come and begin training with some of the coaches. An "olympics" of performance talent.
He'll be training in voice, instrument, poise, acting, perfomance, exercise, +.  The next 6 months will be intense.
He is moving in March and I will see him little to none over the time he is training, and my heart is sad to have to let go a bit more, but blessed to see him happy and pursuing a dream.
This is not the road I would have chosen for him - but it isn't mine to choose. I'm learning to be a whole new kinda of mama.
I'm also learning to be a whole new kind of daughter of God.
Trust. So simple in theory, but when you have no way of controlling the circumstances around you, when there is nothing you can do if something goes wrong &, worse, it is flesh and blood dearer than your own that is on the line, trust becomes your only sustenance.
Ps. 37:5 is my mantra right now-
"Commit all to the Lord. Trust Him also."
(I go for simplicity)
I'll keep you posted as things progress. He is writing personal monolouges, giving notices for his departure, making arrangements to live and work there, and dealing with the general stresses of life (car troubles, paying bills, things not working right...).
Next week I'm taking his promo shots. Nice that my photography skills come in handy somewhere.
Pray for us.

Scenes of the Day

I haven't figured out this new format that blogger loads photos in, so the scenes aren't in order...