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365 Czech Republic

Our First Trip to the U.S. Embassy in Prague

And just like that, we’re back on a train headed for home. As I write, Avery is a sleep, Titus is watching a show on the iPad and Bethany is rocking baby Karis to hopefully get her to fall asleep. We’ve had an eventful day and we’re all a little tired, but I’m so thankful for how the Lord worked today.

The day started early as we had a 9:00am appointment at the U.S. embassy in Prague. Our friends Zach and Kara were so kind to come meet us at our apartment early this morning to watch Titus and Avery while we took Karis and all of our paperwork the embassy. The embassy was actually a lot closer to us than I thought and literally took us 1 minute to walk there as it was just across the street. Honestly, I think it took us longer to get out of our building than to walk to the embassy once we were on the street.

U.S. Embassy in Prague (6/22/15)

No surprise, but there was security to go through at the embassy, but it wasn’t as heavy as I thought it would be. It took us a little work to get everything through (stroller, baby seat, etc.) but once we were in things went smoothly, albeit slowly. We were seen right away, but the processing of the documents is what I think took the longest. Their Web site claims it should take “45 minutes” but we were there over two hours. The man processing our paperwork was really nice and asked a lot of questions about what we do here so we shared about being missionaries. He also had us raise our right hands and affirm that everything we submitted was true (I only mention this because we hadn’t done something like that in a long time). Of course, we affirmed all of it and when the dust had settled on the morning all the paperwork was signed, completed, and now we wait. We’re hopeful to get all the documents back in the next 10 days and we’ll head back to Prague to pick everything up at that time.

Our morning at the embassy may have been really dull had it not been for the fact that we spent our waiting time hanging out with another really sweet missionary family. In God’s sovereign plan, a family (who serve near Prague) was there that we got to spend a ton of time with and get to know. We knew they were going to be there, and the circumstances surrounding how we knew and the incredible fact that we had the same appointment time on the same day are too much for this post, but it was a joy to see them and talk with them. They have three little girls and have been here for six years. We had planned to have lunch with them, which we did at a delicious pizza place, and then we ended up heading to park to let the kids play. There is a lot I could say about our time together, but it was really sweet and I’m thankful to have spent time with this family and were encouraged by their hearts for Czech and the ministry here.

Train Panoramic (6/22/15)

We’re halfway home now with another two hours of travel left. Avery is awake and we’re enjoying a little snack. I feel a little sentimental as we approach our one year mark in just two days. Most likely I’ll be taking a break from the daily blog, but not from blogging altogether. For those who have joined us on this journey, thank you for reading and following along. I’ll write more on Wednesday about it, but it’s been a joy to share our lives with you in this way. See you tomorrow!

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365 Czech Republic

Father’s Day in Prague

Happy Father’s Day!

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

In another incredible adventure we have made our way today back to Prague. I never thought we would end up here as much as we have, especially in the past few weeks, but it’s been really fun and crazy all at the same time. Just like we did a few weeks ago, we made our here today via the train station right by our house. We walked there this morning, caught an 8am train and got into Prague about 20 minutes after noon. Below are a few photos from the train ride, including the one above. In the photos below we walked to the “kids car” and played for a bit. These aren’t are actual seats (those were in a different car), but the kids made a little friend while we were in the there.

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

When we got in to Prague we made our way down to the Metro (subway) and accidentally got on the wrong side of the tracks, took the elevator back up and over, and finally got to where we needed to be. We packed really light this trip since we’ll only be here one night so it wasn’t too bad getting around with all five of us. The Metro took us to a transfer station where we caught another Metro headed towards a lunch place that we made reservations at. There is a burger joint in Prague that supposedly has the one of the top five burgers in Europe and a friend had recommended it. Since burgers are my favorite thing on the planet and they are not super common here, we had to go for it. I’m STOKED we did because it was amazing and my Father’s Day belly left full and happy! Here’s a photos of the kids and Bethany as we walked.

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

What I never understood as just a tourist, but now understand so much better, is if you’re going to stay in big European cities…rent an apartment. Tonight we are staying in a literal castle view apartment that is about a stones throw from the U.S. Embassy (which is why we’re here this weekend) and it’s costing us less than you’re cheap Motel 6 in the States. Not only that, but this is a large 2 bedroom apartment with a full kitchen! Check out this view from one of our windows.

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

Here’s a few more shots from around the building.

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

Here’s a view of the American flag that we can see flying above the embassy from the other side of our apartment (small flag in the upper left).

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

Tonight we (unbelievably) had dinner on a boat on the river, in Prague, with a view of the Charles Bridge and the castle. I’m not kidding you. I never in my life thought I would ever get to say or write that, but it’s another recommended, affordable restaurant that was walking distance from our apartment. The only issue we had was that the kids kept asking why the boat wasn’t moving! Here’s a few photos from the place and then a shot of it from the bridge.

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

The restaurant is in the middle boat (dead center) next to the wall (in the photo below)

Father's Day in Prague (6/21/15)

Our appointment for Karis’ U.S. citizenship, passport, and social security card is tomorrow at 9:00am so we’ll be up early to get packed up and make sure we get to our appointment early. I’ve tried to check and re-check every document that is required and we’re really hoping the process will go smoothly. I no reason to doubt that it will, but I’m always weary of government things like this, even ones that only involve the U.S.! Pray for us as we go tomorrow that things would be in order and go smoothly so we can get Karis’ documents and then take the next step towards getting her a visa.

Well, that’s not a bad way to spend a Father’s Day and not a bad way to end this post. Good night!

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365 Czech Republic

Clean and Plan

I spent about twenty minutes today peeling Disney Cars stickers from the floor in our dining area. I honestly can’t remember when Titus started sticking them there this week, but I realized just this morning that it had gotten out of hand. There were at least twenty stickers lined up near our table and as I started working on them Titus said, “Dad, this is how you get to Cards Land.” At first I started with my fingers only, but that was leaving the sticker backing on the floor so then I upped my game and went for a razor blade and that “Goo Be Gone” stuff to give me some help.

That’s really just my long intro to say we spent a lot of the day today cleaning the house. When we had help here the house seemed to stay a little more tidy, but this past week we just weren’t keeping up. Now I want to be clear I don’t think we’re slobs, but like any family with a new baby we’re adjusting things in our home to accommodate her and her feeding schedule. But it was nice to pick things up, clean some dishes, get some laundry done, and even have the kids do “jobs” around the house. They helped take out the recycling, did some vacuuming in, and Titus even “watched” baby Karis for a bit (and by a bit, I really mean he told me he was watching her for mommy and then quickly went outside to play in the yard). Here’s a photo of Titus holding Karis the other day.

Titus and Karis (6/18/15)

I also spent some time today trying to plan out our quick trip to Prague this weekend. We’re headed there for an early U.S. Embassy appointment on Monday. This will be the first meeting to get Karis’ passport, U.S. citizenship, and social security stuff started. We’ve spent this week getting everything in order and are hopefully all ready for Monday’s meeting. I have been studying the metro and tram maps to make sure I can get all five of us around the big city safely and quickly. We tried to plan out where we would eat and made reservations and some places friends recommended, but it will still be a trick to get us around on public transportation. Like most men, I’m pretty confident I can do it but I guess you’ll just have to wait until tomorrow night to find out how I did!

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365 Czech Republic

Prague With Kids and Staring Out the Window

Exploring Praha (6/11/15)

Taking young kids to a large city is never ideal or easy. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t or that it’s wrong, but it just means you may have to get creative on how you go about it. Today our philosophy was kind of simple: divide and conquer. I don’t think we ever used those words exactly, but it’s how we handled this slice of Europe they call Prague.

Exploring Praha (6/11/15)

By God’s grace there is a really great park that we’ve been to before just around the corner from our rented apartment (shown above). Kara showed me how to get there last night and I had planned to take the kids there today which I did. Bethany, Karis, Nana, and Papa went onward towards the Prague castle. We just didn’t think our kids would be able to make it walking around the Prague castle, especially since they went to bed really late last night. Hence we divided and conquered. I took the kids to the park while everyone else went to the castle.

Exploring Praha (6/11/15)

After a little lunch I took the kids on the subway and then a tram to meet everyone back up near the castle. We did pretty well, except I got on the tram going the wrong way so we jumped off and caught it going the opposite direction (maybe a 5 min delay). When we got to our stop we jumped off, saw Papa and Nana for a minute, picked up Bethany and Karis, parted ways with Papa and Nana, and then headed back to the apartment for nap time. Bethany was even testing out a new baby carrier that Papa and Nana brought over and it seems like it worked out well (it’s like a Baby Bjorn, but like a fabric wrap. It’s called a Baby Katan). Apparently Papa used it the entire time they were at the castle and Karis slept, well, like a baby.

During our travel around the city I got a few pics of the kids. Here they are.

Exploring Praha (6/11/15)

Exploring Praha (6/11/15)

Our apartment is situated in a great location which gives us access to the subway (Metro), trams, and lots of sights. Since we came here by train it made sense for us to stay near other modes of transportation. The views from our apartment are really great and we get the added bonus of a fun little band that has been peforming on the street below us. Here’s a little video I got today of them playing (about 10 seconds long). The band is standing below the tree at the very middle of the video, below that yellow colored building.

Here’s a wide view of the street from our window.

Exploring Praha (6/11/15)

We actually spent a lot of time today staring out that window. While the kids napped, I was holding Karis with my feet out the window enjoying the beautiful music below. It was other worldly and so relaxing and I quite honestly think I needed that time today. I know I don’t deserve it, but it was a grace of the Lord that I thanked him for this afternoon. Even during it I received an email that made my day. It was special.

Here’s me holding Karis during that time. She was just wide awake and happy.

Exploring Praha (6/11/15)

Here’s Titus staring out the window when he woke up from his nap.

Exploring Praha (6/11/15)

Thank to a friend here in Prague we got authentic Mexican food for dinner (something that is VERY hard to find in this country) and I even busted out my muy poquito Español. The restaurant served great food, wasn’t overpriced, and was within a few hundred feet of the astronomical clock (shown above in the first photo of this post). You guys should seriously consider coming to Prague.

Lastly I ran out the store tonight to grab a few items for breakfast. We’re hoping to visit the famous Charles Bridge tomorrow morning, and we like to have breakfast together at our apartment. As I was waiting for the elevator I stared down the stairwell in this building to what is a beautiful, movie-like scene. I’m sure the locals could care less about a stairwell, but we just don’t see many things like this in the States. Here’s the photo I got

Exploring Praha (6/11/15)

Tomorrow is our last full day with Papa and Nana which is sad. We’ve had a great time with them and are so glad they could be hear to meet Karis and help us. They are so generous and so gracious to come all this way to be with us and it’s been fun to continue to see our kids’ relationship with them grow and grow. Just tonight as I was praying with Titus and Avery before bed Titus said, “Dad, after you pray can you ask Papa to come give me a hug?” Papa, of course, went in there afterwards, hugged the kids, and came out a little teary eyed. It was special. These are sweet times and that was a sweet moment. Let’s just hope for a few more of those tomorrow.

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365 Czech Republic

Then We Went to Prague

We’ve lost our minds. At least that’s the only explanation I can give for what we’ve done in the past week and a half. First, Bethany delivered Karis in a Czech hospital, we stayed in the hospital for 72 hours, we went to Krakow, we went to Auschwitz, and now I’m sitting in an apartment in Prague with our family plus Papa and Nana! We came here by train today (4 hour ride), walked to our apartment from the station, met our friends Zach and Kara for dinner, and as I write I can overlook the same square where communism fell in this country back in 1989.

The We Went to Prague (6/10/15)

Above is a photo of Karis riding the train and in the background you can see Avery and Titus asleep on their seats (actually, Bethany is also asleep in her chair but she’s off camera). Before anyone judges me for taking two young children, an infant, and a mommy who just gave birth to another European city, I can honestly say that a lot of this is because Bethany was totally up for it. Her parents will leave from Prague on Saturday and they too wanted to visit this beautiful city so we figured out a way to do it all before they leave. We’ll be here tomorrow and Friday and then we’ll come back on an early morning train on Saturday when we say goodbye to Papa and Nana as they head home to Washington State. I’m hope the next few days will be a joy for us all and a great end to a really incredible time together.

I mentioned we had dinner with Zach and Kara, but we also got to introduce them to Karis. Zach was saying when he saw our announcement that Karis was born that in that moment he realized, “oh man…now they’re outnumbered!” It’s true. I’m definitely still adjusting to a third child and I realized this more on the train ride over. It’s a lot of work to pull together all the stuff we need to spend a few days away as a family. This was always true with just Titus and Avery, but with baby Karis in the mix we’ve added a stroller, car seat, baby bag, and some ridiculous amount of diapers. Thankfully she’s been an incredible little baby thus far.

It’s just past 11pm and I’m pretty tired so we’re going to hit the hay. We’ll see you tomorrow!

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365 Czech Republic

A Little Trip to Prague (pt. 2)

Note: This is “Part 2” of our trip to Prague. If you’re looking for Part 1, click here.

Last night was a little rough. It was our first of two nights staying here in Prague and apparently this is a loud place on Friday night. The flat that we’re staying in is really close to some big tourist areas and we’re on the 5th floor, but I think there were a few party animals out and about because we could pretty much hear them all night. At one point we were awoken to the sound of maybe a dozen people singing “happy birthday” in the stairwell of this building. The kids slept right through it, but Bethany and I were wide awake.

Despite the rough night of sleep we actually had a really fun day today. Our friends Zach and Kara lead us around Prague a bit, but we also spent a lot of time just talking and catching up with them. It was really nice just to hang with some friends. In fact, I’d say I enjoyed their company more than Prague.

We took trams and subways around and just kind of visited a few random spots throughout Prague, but we also stopped in a coffee shop and talked for a while and spent an extended time in the park with our kids. Below are a few random photos of the kids enjoying all the fun and things we saw today (captions below each).

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

Here you can see Avery hanging on for her life while Titus and other kids peddle around on this different kind of merry go round thing.

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

A quick photo of Kara and Bethany at the park.

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

Titus has his “game face” on while we peddle around the merry go round.

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

In a section of the city there was a man making big bubbles and the kids loved watching it.

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

If you look to the left of “Le Patio” you can see Titus’ reflection in the glass of this store. He’s holding my huge camera because he was on a kick today of taking photos. He kept saying, “Dad, can I take some photos?” I said sure and he was really getting the hang of it. Here are two other photos he took all on his own (below).

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

The kids needed naps in the afternoon from all the walking we were doing so we went back to our flat and just hung out in the afternoon with Zach and Kara while the kids slept. As dinner approached we went out back on the town to see if we could grab some food at a Mexican restaurant. Sadly, it ended up being completely full and they turned us away. Kara knew of another place she likes so we enjoyed some of the best pizza I’ve had in Czech. Afterwards we took a tram (or “trolley” as Titus calls it) around the city and made our way to the Charles Bridge. Here’s a few photos form that part of our evening.

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

I believe this is the longest escalator in Czech. It takes 2.5 minutes to go from the bottom to the top if you just stand. It feels like you’re going straight up and I found myself getting a little dizzy when I looked up.

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

Above is the Charles Bridge at about 8:15 tonight. It was a cold, clear night and the kids loved seeing the river beneath us. In the upper right you can see the Prague castle all lit up on the hill.

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

On the other side of the bridge was a little town-like area (I don’t reall know what it was), but we looked down and I took this photo because well…I’m in Europe.

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

Hanging in Prague (2/28/15)

Above are the kids on the tram, just loving life. We probably could’ve just rode on the tram all day and they would’ve been happy.

What a fun day just to spend time together as a family and with friends. I just texted Zach to tell him we had a blast and just really appreciate him and Kara and our friendship. Zach and his family are such a big part of my story and testimony and I’m so thankful to God that He sovereignly placed them in my life. What a joy to now serve alongside him and his wife with my own family. The Lord is too good to us. As always, it’s all grace.

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365 Czech Republic

A Little Trip to Prague (pt. 1)

6:10am is when my alarm went off this morning and it’s been a nonstop day since then. We’ve had this trip to Prague planned for a few weeks now and even though I’ve been sick for a few days now, we didn’t really want to miss the opportunity to see our friends and see a little of the capitol city of Czech Republic. I’m still feeling sick, albeit a little bit better than yesterday and I’m hoping good rest tonight will be key for me to hopefully be over the hill of this sickness.

Trip to Prague (part 1) (2/27/15)

The day started with a walk to the train station and a four-hour trip across Czech. Thankfully the trains are super comfortable and pretty relaxing–it definitely beats driving! Titus and Avery do pretty well on the train, but about an hour before we arrived in Prague they both started saying things like, “I want to get off” and “I want to go home now.” That’s when you have to get creative as a parent and find other things to do on the train. “Go look out the window!” Actually, Bethany brought some fun things for the kids do like coloring and a little craft so it wasn’t so bad. In fact, I actually got a little reading in which was nice.

Here’s a photo of Avery waiting for the train early this morning.

Trip to Prague (part 1) (2/27/15)

Here’s Titus watching the world go by.

Trip to Prague (part 1) (2/27/15)

We actually have never really spent time in Prague. We had a few hours here the very first time we came to Czech in 2011, but we were so jet-lagged we don’t really remember it well. At that time Zach and Kara were the ones that met us at the airport and brought us into the city. We toured for a few hours and then had to catch a train to where the Josiah Venture offices are and we’ve never really been back to the city since then. Today, Zach again met us at the train station and helped us situated at where we’re staying. It was a ton of fun to catch up with him as he and Kara just recently moved from our side of the country to this side. They are working with a church here in Prague and helping support the ministry there. As we sat here talking today I looked out the window and was just amazed at the beauty. This picture doesn’t do justice, but the older architecture, blue skies, and sunlight coming through was just wonderful.

Trip to Prague (part 1) (2/27/15)

We had a late lunch with Zach and spent most of the afternoon with him until he had to leave for their church’s youth group gathering. Kara had meetings this afternoon so she wasn’t able to join us, but we’re excited to get together again tomorrow and just do a little sight seeing and catch up with her too.

Tonight we had dinner near where we’re staying and enjoyed walking through the city. Without really knowing it we stumbled in to the old town square where we had once been four years ago and I took the picture below of one of the old buildings that was all lit up.

Trip to Prague (part 1) (2/27/15)

After dinner we found a grocery store and got a few things for tomorrow. Grocery stores are usually really easy to find and now that we’re familiar with how they work they are the best way to grab a meal or two and take back with you to your apartment. I was even surprised to find Dole brand bananas. I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve seen a brand I recognize like that.

Trip to Prague (part 1) (2/27/15)

Even though the kids were really tired, they did great today. Above is a photo of them tonight enjoying a little cookie dessert before bed (I know, I know, please don’t judge us). And even though I’m still under the weather, I think the Lord really sustained me. It also helped that the weather was really nice today and great weather to walk and enjoy a little taste of Europe. We don’t take for granted these times, especially since they don’t happen very often. In the States we enjoyed taking weekends away to San Diego or the beach and now I think we’re trying to see what we can do to replace those times. Maybe it’s a big city like Prague, I don’t know. But wherever we go, I’m glad we’re together as a family and am so thankful for the time we get.

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365 Christianity

A Trip to Prague

Travel to Prague (12/23/14)

Oh, you know how it goes. You spend two days packing and making sure everything is ready to go. You stay up late the night before the big trip just to make sure you’ve packed everything. A few things get added to your luggage, you mark off your packing list, and then you zip up your bags and put them by the door for an early departure. Then, you barely make your train. But barely is still making it!

Travel to Prague (12/23/14)

The train ride today was a lot of fun and I’m actually really glad we got to experience this trip in this way. It’s 4 hours from our place to Prague, but we had our own little mini room with four seats and plenty of space for our all of our stuff. The trains here are incredible and come complete with free coffee, free juice for the kids, and even free WiFi–not to mention pretty reasonably priced tickets. It’s just really nice to be able to sit and relax on the train and let someone else do the driving.

We are staying tonight in a hotel by the airport and will depart early tomorrow morning. Our Czech friend Martina sat with us on Sunday to explain just where to go and how to get around Prague and we had no trouble figuring it out with her directions. To get to the hotel we took a train, a bus from the main train station, and then a shuttle to the airport. It was a lot of maneuvering of baggage and kids but we made it work.

Travel to Prague (12/23/14)

One of the highlights was on the bus from the train station to the airport where we talked with a young college student from Instanbul named Umur. He’s studying mechanical engineering in a town near ours but was traveling back to Turkey to see his family for the holiday. He was a really nice guy and was laughing and smiling with our kids. We talked about Turkish kabobs, which he told us were the real ones, and just chatted about different cultures and language. Near us were some young girls who gave their seats to our kids and they were from Portugal. Since everyone spoke English we had fun chatting and joking. It’s so fun to be around so many different cultures and people from different nations. I truly do praise God for the opportunity to talk and meet these young people today.

We had a simple dinner tonight and are getting prepped to give the kids baths and get a short night of sleep. We’ll be up early tomorrow (around 4:30/5:00am) to get to the airport for our 7am departure. Hopefully we’ll get good sleep and be ready for the big 17+ hours of travel ahead of us!

Here’s a bunch more photos from today.

Travel to Prague (12/23/14)

Travel to Prague (12/23/14)

Travel to Prague (12/23/14)

Travel to Prague (12/23/14)

Travel to Prague (12/23/14)

Travel to Prague (12/23/14)

Travel to Prague (12/23/14)

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Personal Shaycam.com Video

Astronomical

I shot a short video of the Astronomical Clock in Prague when we visited a few weeks ago. This thing turned 600 years old (yes, I just said 600 years old) last year. Here’s a little bit about it:

The [Astronomical Clock] is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square. The clock mechanism itself is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; “The Walk of the Apostles”, a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures—notably a figure of Death (represented by a skeleton) striking the time; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. [via Wikipedia]