A year ago we were in the Pittsfield hospital getting to know little Ema as our newborn, wrinkly baby. Now, though we’re always getting to know her, I can glance at her little face or notice her movements and pretty much know how she’s doing. A lot changes in one year!  We enjoyed celebrating her birthday with her aunts, cousins, grandparents, and even her great grandmother and aunt Dale from Long Island came to visit. She didn’t ‘dive’ into the cake as most would picture a one year doing, but rather picked up a piece, examined it, and tasted a little to see if she’d like it. Here are some of my favorite pictures of Ema over the last two days!

   Ema at the pool- and she loves those sunglasses!

  

Ema the Traveler- flying from Indiana to Massachusetts. She just discovered the tray in the this picture.

  It’s a small thing- but I was excited to make her birthday cake- so here it is… with the #1 sitting on top. Maybe next year she’ll be able to blow it out alone.

     The day before Ema’s birthday was the official oath ceremony for Hrvoje’s naturalization process. It was the final step to become an American citizen! We drove two hours to Worcester, MA in order to have him sign in at 9am. Then we waited until 12:30pm… yes, 3 1/2 hours for the judge to come (thank Jodie for watching Ema at home!). In that time about 725 people were registered and seated (all their paper work in order), so that when the judge arrived the theater/auditorium was packed with people from all over the world who were joining Hrvoje in becoming a US citizen. The entire process took about 20 minutes as they raised their right hand and repeated the oath, then we all said the pledge of allegiance. People cheered and waived their little American flags, but that was all the emotion in the room. I thought it would a beautifully moving ceremony… and it may have been if it was a smaller group. The best part was riding back home with that citizenship certificate in hand. What a long process we’ve been through to get to this point- after years of visas, then the green card hoops to jump through…. Hrvoje did an amazing job researching and with the paper work as he’s completed the entire process by himself (I’m so proud of him). It’s hard to believe the paper work is over- and today we applied for his US passport. When that comes in the mail or when Hrvoje votes for the President  then it will be a reality. Here’s our recent American citizen….

          Someone said that we have been ‘drinking from a firehose’, which I thought was an applicable description for our past few weeks. We have been in Indianapolis for a three-week training held by the agency we work with. Everyone there is going to be working overseas (some are going to Africa, other European countries, Asia, and the Middle East). Overall it was a great experience. We feel a little more prepared to go to Croatia, though at the same time we realized how much more we wish we knew… there’s always so much more to learn (which is true of everything I suppose). My favorite aspect of the three weeks was the social aspect of being in classes with people again, group discussions over what we learned and read, and dinner with other families. 

      Ema had many ‘firsts’ while we were there, most including eating various foods for the first time. She mastered this phase of pulling-to-stand using the dresser drawer in our room. Now she’s creeping along the couch, taking a cautious move to a near by coffee table,  and she loves holding onto our fingers as she ‘walks’ around. Our plane ride back to New England tomorrow will be interesting now that she wants to crawl or ‘walk’ around… anything but be held! I was inspired while in Indianapolis to learn more about editing and working with videos, for the ultimate purpose of staying connected to those partnering with our family and work in Croatia. So the video clip below is of Ema, but I was trying to piece together three different clips and add a few effects. It’s a start… and I need a new title for it… my brain was fried when I put it together.

 

By the way… I love corn on the cob. Yummmmm!

         Cutting up tiny pieces of fruit… watching Ema put a cheerio in her baby doll’s mouth … ’spotting’ my wobbly daughter as she holds onto the coffee table… seeing her smiling face as she enters the room behind me- crawling like a pro… I love these moments that encompass my day. I don’t have as many moments to myself because Ema doesn’t play in one spot anymore. She is less interested in toys and more interested in exploring. So if I’ve been out of touch, that is partly why- I have a roaming girl on my hands. Talking on the phone is even more difficult because I’m trying to teach her boundaries as she explores (such as saying ‘no’ to wires etc.). Forgive the interruptions if you’re a friend who will catch up with us on the phone soon. I’m torn during Ema’s nap times between productively working with Hrvoje in fundraising, cleaning up, or taking personal time (to read, talk on the phone, or blog). The first two usually win out.

     We’ve also been traveling quite a bit lately. We were up in Michigan (western and northeastern) and now we’re in Indiana again. Since we have been staying at three different homes this past week and a half, we have been more ‘present’ and engaged with the people in our lives who are hosting us. I didn’t take evenings to blog but rather converse. Someday we’ll have a home and routine and this blog will be the place to visit on your web surfering work-breaks.  But until then, our periodic updates will have to do. Here’s a little video of our Ema who is officially 11 months old today! I wish I could video all of her little babbling conversations with me and how she waves to a room full of people like she’s in a parade… but here’s a bit of our girl.

 

  

         

         

           Some work… some play… and lots of family time this past week. While visiting with my family we were catching up from the past months of being apart and talking about the upcoming changes in our lives. If I could use one word  to summarize a theme in our lives it would be- change. That may sound corny, but there’s been significant transitions in all of our lives and more coming in the near future, so we had a lot to talk about. In fact, I must say that we had a nice balance of activity and ‘talk time’.

        Preparing to move to Croatia has made the need to connect with all them more intensified, and my time with them was definitely part of a the bigger ’transition process’ for me. We all admitted that we’ve never had this type of transition happen in the family before and don’t quite know how to do it… since two of us three girls are moving to Europe this year. But, I think we’re on the right track. Thanks fam for your open talks, laughs, and new memories.

 visiting my Grandparents

       I loved having Jodie and Jeff’s kids here. Ema interacts with her cousins more now, and she even learned to stick up for her self with her toddler cousin Liesl playing with her (yes, I broke up a little fight between them!). I think all the action around her pushed her to strive for a new level of mobility. Since her cousins were here she has been scooting around and is almost crawling (she can go backwards but only inches forward for a moment), and prior to their coming she had been rolling every where. She has started trying to pull up onto her knees and likes to ‘walk’ around with us supporting her. Lately she’s been putting clothes on her head, tried to put a Q-tip in her ear (since that’s where I put it…), claps when I say ‘yeah!’, waves hi and bye, and puts her hands above her head and yells when I say ‘How big is Ema?!’. All of this to say, Ema is blossoming before our eyes. She is such a joyful child… oh, and she loves watermelon! (Ron told me today it is very nutritious, so that made me happy)

   Liesl and Ema playing 

    trip to the mailbox

      One of the highlights of our time in MA was Hrvoje’s naturalization interview. We went to Boston for his interview and all went smoothly- so he’s been invited for the oath ceremony in mid July when he will officially be an American citizen! It’s still not a reality. All the years of visa and green card forms and issues are coming to an end. Maybe it will hit us when he gets as US passport, and then we get to start on my ‘green card’ for Croatia when we get there!

      It has only been five days since we were in California packing for our move back to New England, but it feels longer because it’s like another country on the east coast. It had been really hot in San Diego when we left, plus we had several intense days leading up to our flight (our short trip up to Sacramento was so encouraging). I felt especially sensitive though during those days packing up; there’s probably a well of emotion underneath the business and details that I don’t have time to process. I have a sense that this new season of fundraising is going to be both joyful and difficult since we’re heading into the summer that we’ve been praying to leave for Croatia. We are hopeful!

    Wiggle-worm Ema made the flight back East extra unrelaxing… Once we arrived we’ve been able to catch our breath, and it has already been great to share a bit of life again with Mom and Ron. I want to share a few pictures from the past weeks in California since this blog has been silent.

    Our friend Elizabeth visited us who is presently living in Minnesota but had been at APU with me. We took her into San Diego and to Coronado Beach where we took these pictures. This was Ema’s first time feeling sand. Amazingly it didn’t end up in her mouth!

        

 

  

    

Elizabeth with Ema

 

MFT Reunion in Temecula (these were some of my classmates while at APU)

     This is Betty. We stayed with her for about three months! She’s one of our heros. She extended so much love to us and adopted us into her family (we didn’t know her prior to coming apart from being friends with her grandson!). God provided for us amazingly through her. Thank you Betty for your kindness~ we’ll miss you!

  Tickle Time! Ema turned 10 months old recently. She’s not crawling because she gets where she wants to go by rolling around and scooting. She is definitely a people person like her father and loves to ‘talk’. We can’t say enough about how much joy she brings to us.

    

We love San Diego!

 

       This past weekend Hrvoje and I dedicated Ema to the Lord at our home church in San Dimas. We made a covenant with God to teach Ema to love the Lord, watch over her spiritual education, and raise her according to the Word. Most of all, for me personally, I am striving to teach Ema to love Jesus. My parents taught me  about God from the moments I could understand, and I invited Jesus into ‘my heart’ when I was just three years old. I actually remember that night. 

        Here are a few pictures after the dedication of Ema on the stage in her special dress (made by a woman in the church). It was so good to see everyone at church again. The people of San Dimas really are a ‘church family’ to us, but of course we missed our families on the East Coast and in Croatia this weekend.

  

   We loved rebonding with the teenagers over the weekend and saw how they have each matured over the year that we were gone.

        I can feel and now see not only one little tooth finally starting to poke through Ema’s bottom gum but two! Even after having Ema in our lives for 9 months there are still times when we’re trying to understand her. Seeing her little teeth helps explain some of her fussiness that had otherwise been random guesses that she needed more sleep. In these past two weeks we have seen Ema’s personality more. Hrvoje and I concluded the other day that she is even more fun now that she initiates playing (sticking her finger in our mouths for us to bite it), she anticipates our sneak attacks from around corners with giggles, and it’s entertaining to hear the sounds and voice inflections that she’s putting together (‘Utt’ is her new command). She’s also more difficult though because we’re trying to curb her shrill screams and her emerging will.
          I can’t quite summarize our last month of traveling and speaking in Arizona with one word. From Sedona, to Tuscon and Phoenix, we met wonderful people and enjoyed experiencing the desert climate (and it wasn’t that hot yet… 95 degrees). I can testify that some people there really do have desert landscaping in their lawns, with rocks, bushes, and cactus, rather than trying to maintain grass. This was new for me to see being an East-coast girl. Here are some pictures of our travels between California and Arizona, and then we also visited Makayla and Brian where Ema swam in a big pool for the first time. Though she was tentative at first, within a few moments she had a great time.

  Sedona, AZ

  Road trip to Tuscon

  desert on the way to Tuscon

  friends condo where we stayed in Phoenix (note: rock lawn)

  first moments in the pool

 Ema is about 9 1/2 months now!

  pool girls

           Looking back at Arizona and this past month I think that I will come away with remembering the point of surrender that I was brought to. I mean surrendering everything that we do each week and even hoping/planning for the future… laying it down to God, relinquishing control, and asking God to be gracious with His child who tries to work harder than Him. Grace has a fresh meaning in my life.

         Since our last entry we have somehow found ourselves in a valley of emotion. Discouragement comes and goes, and unfortunately is came again this past week. Thankfully God doesn’t change with our emotions, and He can never be a ‘bad object’ because He is the source of everything Good…He is Good. 

            On a lighter note, we’re not the only ones going up and down! This little video of Ema was made last week right before her bed time. Though she’s tired, she still had some energy left for a few bounces. There are times when she doesn’t stop cooing (talking), and we’re wondering if this is a taste of what is to come… This video catches some of her little noises as she is practicing different pitches and lengths of sound.

 

 http://www.youtube.com/v/CpMn80cp8E4&hl=en\

               Vacation is over, Easter was great, the wisteria tree is making the air perfumed around the house, and God encouraged us with a miracle yesterday. Last September Hrvoje applied for US citizenship by submitting his paperwork for Naturalization. We were told that it takes 14-18 months for the applications to process, so we were resolved to the high chance that we’ll be in Croatia when Hrvoje is called for the final interview. He would need to fly back to Boston sometime this coming fall or winter in order to take the test and interview. On Wed. Hrvoje checked the naturalization website and saw that they are processing applications submitted in May of 2007, and since he submitted his in Sept. we knew we still had some waiting on our hands. Moments later he checked his email to see a note from the Aasens who receive our mail. To our amazement…. Hrvoje is invited for his interview this coming May 27th… which means that his application was somehow already processed, there were no mistakes, and the date that we would need to be in Boston ‘just happens’ to be during the two weeks that we are already planning to be in Massachusettes! Doesn’t that send goose-bumps down your arms?! We are so encouraged at how God answered our prayers that He would work out the details of life as we plan to move overseas. It’s not everyday that His face shows clearly through circumstances as it did yesterday, and so we wanted to share it through this blog.

Here are some pictures of the last part of our vacation with Hrvoje’s cousins Luci and Martina.

  walking around Las Vegas

    Grand Canyon West

 Easter was spent in close friends Makayla and Brian. They took this picture for us in their back yard.

 Ema in her new doorway jumper

  Ema safely getting to know the doorway jumper

       When Hrvoje and I lived in Southern California for two years we were only able to see a small fraction of all there is to experience and see. We were working, in grad school, and usually spent our free time recharging our energy at home. However, this week we have had an opportunity to finally see and experience more of this area. Martina and Luci, Hrvoje’s cousins from Croatia, have come to visit us. So this week we vacationed with them by showing them our favorite spots in Los Angeles, and we saw San Diego for the first time. It has been great spending time with them and showing some of his family a bit of our world here. Hearing Croatian, talking about life there and comparing it with the culture here may help prepare me for the transition ahead of us this year. I’ve appreciated these days with them partially because I’ve been thinking more about Croatia and I’m getting to know Martina and Luci better.  

          Hrvoje and his cousin Martina in Little Italy, San Diego

   cousin Luci and Ema

      Mission San Diego, where the first Spanish franscican priests set up a school to teach Native Americans in California

 we walked around Hotel Coronado, San Diego

      Presently we’re being housed by a woman named Betty outside of San Diego, though I don’t have a picture of her and her flowers yet. We’ll be here until mid May and are already so blessed by how she opened her home to us for this time. As she gave us the initial tour of her home and showed us our rooms, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude to God for bringing her into our lives.

     Ema will be 8 months old tomorrow! She is waving (to herself) and loves being ‘out and about’, often smiling at strangers or waiters. Sometimes when I take her out of bed in the morning she leans forward and touches her little lips to my face… a baby kiss of some kind. There’s no better way to start the day than for me to see her excitement, smile, and whole body wiggling with joy. It’s as though she just loves being alive and it makes me love being with her even more!

 Ema 8 months old