A Thousand Splendid Suns

My dear friend Kara recommended this book on her blog awhile back, and I just finished it at 2:00am Sunday morning. It is a book that every one of you should read, and easily one of the top 3 books I have ever read. Here's the synopsis from Hosseini's website:

"A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan’s last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to the post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them. Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment."

Not only did I learn so much about all that has happened and is happening in Afghanistan over the last 30 years, but this book put all of that into human terms and gave powerful insight into what it means to live in Afghanistan, and even more so, what it means to be a woman in this country. I don't think that I can really give it justice with my words, so I'll just tell you to read it. And prepare to cry. I was literally sobbing through the last few chapters. And I'm still processing it all.

His first book, The Kite Runner, is next on my list!

So that you don't stop checking our blog...

Our poor blog...I've been neglecting it. I guess I just haven't been in much of a blogging mood lately...that, and it has kind of been "life as usual" around here. Anyway, for those of you who check our blog simply for your Travis and Jayna fix, here are a couple of videos you might enjoy. I'm not sure what this indicates, but both kids love the camera. Okay, especially Travis. As I watched the video of him, I noticed that one might think that we staged it, but we really didn't, he just gets all mesmerized and obedient at the prospect of being on camera. His video reflects his newest obsession with Toy Story ("to infinity and beyond!"...in a really weird voice that he only uses when he says this phrase) and his latest discovery on what happens when you drink a lot of water (if you listen closely you can hear it). Jayna is on the verge of walking, and every time we let her walk with the push-toy she giggles like she's so proud of herself. She loves to wave, but when she does it looks like she's waving at herself. And she loves to imitate noises and faces, which you'll see. Our sweet kids sure know how to make us smile!

Long Beach

With Steve's upcoming job change (see next post) and the lack of vacation time that he will have while at the academy, we decided that we had better get away while we had the chance. So, over Mother's Day weekend, we decided to go to Long Beach, Washington for a little family vacation. (My vote was for Disneyland, but that is not exactly a "little" vacation. Someday...).

With the exception of a couple of Travis meltdowns, we had a blast! Steve took that Friday off, so we were able to arrive early enough that it felt like a full 3 days of vacation. The weather was beautiful on Friday, so that's when we played and walked on the beach and on the boardwalk. On Saturday we did some driving sight-seeing, visited a lighthouse and some cute shops, and swam in the swimming pool. And the highlight of Sunday was definitely the feeding of the seagulls! Oh, and the place we stayed at was great...it was townhouse-style, so we had basically a 1 bedroom apartment, so we could put the kids down at 8:00 and not have to go to bed with them, and we ate several meals there. Surprisingly cheap, too.

Some notes about the pictures...Travis was actually not too thrilled with the ocean. I should have known, considering that 1)He doesn't like to get dirty, and sand makes you dirty, and 2)he doesn't like loud noises. And the ocean is loud. So for now, Travis does not share our love for the ocean, but maybe one day he'll come around. Anyway, when we first walked him somewhat close to the water, his reaction was to run away from it and hide behind our van. Then we finally convinced him that all he needed to do was plug his ears, which he did, but still was not willing to get too close to the water. We were not exactly sympathetic, but laughed at him. Jayna, on the other hand, was as curious as ever and seemed to enjoy herself. She loves to touch everything she sees. If I wasn't worried about sand in the eyes, I would have let her crawl around in it more.


Plugging the ears....
And hiding behind the car
Standing by the skeleton of a grey whale.

Dirt on the face, and he's still alive!

Feeding the seagulls from the back of the van. Aren't they cute, just waiting patiently?

Moving on

Well, it's official! Steve has been hired to be a police officer with a local police department. Crazy, I know. For those of you unfamiliar with the process, it takes jumping over a number of hurdles to become a police officer (as it should)...a physical ability test, an oral board, a VERY thorough background investigation, a psychological evaluation and polygraph test, a physical, and then another physical ability test (which he completed and passed last Friday). And that's just to get hired...now he has 19 weeks (I think) of the academy where he will be trained. His last day at Quadrant is this Friday, and he'll start with the new job next Tuesday, where he'll have a few weeks of orientation/training, and then he'll start the academy mid-June.

Many have asked how I feel about all of this...hmm, good question. There has certainly been a lot for us to think about and consider. Well, most of all, I'm excited. I'm especially excited for the fact that we'll see more of him (yes, it is true). I truly believe that Steve will make a great police officer, and I'm excited that he's excited! (How many times can I use the word "excited"?) I'm also proud of him for making it through the whole process, and with flying colors, really. If God speaks through the opening and closing of doors, then the ease with which he made it through the hiring process really gave us extra confirmation that God is with us in this enormous change. Yes, I will admit that there is a part of me that is anxious. There is obviously some physical danger involved in being a police officer, but of equal concern to me is the emotional stress that he will face. I also love that Steve is a compassionate and caring person, and though I know he will, out of necessity, "harden" himself a bit, I do pray that the softer side of him will remain, and even make him a better officer. Anyway...like I said, I'm really happy for Steve, and looking forward to the start of a new career that I hope he loves. As for the physical danger, I honestly feel very at peace knowing that our lives are in God's hands. I can't let myself dwell on the "what if's". As for the other possible emotional/relational pitfalls of being a police officer, it is good to be aware of them, which I believe we are (as much as we can be at this point, anyway). And we'll need to continue to be aware of them as time goes on.

My personal prayer right now is that Steve receives excellent training at the academy that will prepare him as much as is possible for "the streets". And also that I can know how to be most supportive to him during this time. So if you're looking for something to pray for, we would appreciate you thinking of us!

In the meantime...congratulations, my man!! I really am so proud of you! Off we go on a new adventure...

Ada Violet...the newest Schwartz

I have a niece! Isn't she beautiful?! Ada was born last night to my brother Sam and his wife, Michele. Unfortunately, they live in Tucson, so I'm not sure when I'll get to meet Ada "in real life"...such a bummer. We look forward to the day they are back in the Northwest! Anyway, welcome to the world, Ada! You are precious, and loved my many.

Making bath time fun again...

I need help! Someone tell me how to make bath time fun for my 11 month old. It is so strange because she used to absolutely love baths, but about a month ago she started screaming every time I put her in the water, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. And it's now to the point where I dread giving her baths! No, she has never had a traumatic experience in the water, and yes, we are very careful about the temperature of the water. I've tried different toys, getting in with her, and making a fool out of myself to try to get her to even smile. Nothing works. She cries (which is very rare in itself) from the minute we put her in 'til the minute we take her out. Ideas, anyone?

A picture update

These are just some fun pictures to show what's been happening at our house recently. Enjoy!


Jayna and another one of her messes!


She's pulling herself up to a standing position almost as soon as we set her down...I don't think it will be long before she's walking.

For those of you haven't been to our house, we have this cute little window at our staircase that looks into the front yard/porch. It has always been one of Travis' favorite places...in fact, when we first moved into this house, Travis had just turned one, so he was about the same size as Jayna is now. I snuck this picture of the two of them watching the garbage truck.

My grandparents recently got a new poodle puppy, and they brought him over to show the kids. Jayna was enthralled, Travis liked him but was hesitant and kept running from him. So cute!

I don't remember why Travis was running around half-naked, but I came around the corner of our office and found two little cheeks peeking out from under Travis' shirt as he was playing the piano. I especially love that you can see the reflection of his hiney on the piano bench! Too funny.

I'm sorry this is sideways...if anyone knows how I can fix it, please let me know!