KLE-on-a-KOW-on-a-SKI

Joys of Parenting

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:20:00 +0000

I was recently out to dinner with some friends who don't have kids. Corrie and I were talking about how tough it has been getting used to life with two beautiful and straight crazy little girls. They commented that hearing all the difficulties doesn't quite "sell" the idea of parenthood to them. That conversation got me thinking ... though parenting is challenging (and will only get worse as the girls get older!), there are many amazing, joyful and fulfilling moments too. Below are just a few from the past few months.

As Ania nearly lost her mind during a drive yesterday, Corrie turned around and held her hand. Ania quickly squeezed Corrie's finger and held on for dear life ... and instantly stopped crying. A simple touch brought peace to the car. Eva then proceeded to sing a lullaby to "help" Ania fall asleep. Priceless.
Ania smiles. BIG smiles. I could stare into her eyes for days.

Every single day I come home from work I can see Corrie feeding Eva dinner through the kitchen window. As soon as my car door shuts Eva erupts with excitement because Daddy's home. There's no greater feeling then the shrill of excitement that comes from her mouth as I walk through the door.
Eva put on her own underwear. Awesome.

In December we went to Disneyland. Eva is a daughter after my own heart ... she excitedly rode the Matterhorn as a 2 year old! She gave huge hugs to every character she met and chased Goofy down the street in Toontown. Ania was a champ and rode quietly in her Baby Bjorn like it was the best ride in the place.

I was trying to choose a show for Eva to watch and asked her what she wanted to learn about. She is eating up the ABC's right now, so I assumed she'd want to watch a show about that. Instead, she quietly responded, "I want to learn about God." Slays me.
Watching all our friends, babysitters, and family members love our little girls just as much as we do brings joy to my heart. It's fun getting to do life together as one big extended family!

Though everyday isn't a walk in the park, it is these moments, memories ... these glimpses of grace and goodness ... that can bring sanity and joy to the soul.

May these thoughts be an encouragement to reflect upon similar moments in your own life today.

How Do You Say Ania?

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:44:00 +0000

Our little one has finally arrived! We wanted to share a little bit more about her name and her birth. It took a little while, but all are doing well.

Last summer we took a vacation to Hawaii. While there we bumped into three moms at the beach who all had little ones that were Eva's age. While Eva played, Corrie started talking to one of the moms and found out they were all from Poland. Adam's family has a Polish background, so we started asking her about popular Polish names. The first one she shared was Ania, and Corrie and I were both pretty sure we had found our girl name. Ania (more commonly spelled and pronounced like Anya ... the Russian version), comes from the Hebrew name of Hannah which means grace. We know that we are always in need of God's grace, so we are happy to have this little daily Polish reminder as part of our family. Her middle name, Louise, was the name of Adam's late grandmother on his Mom's side. We're happy to honor her as well.

As for the birth story ... we'll be sharing limited details here. All you moms can get the play by play from Corrie :) Last we posted, we were still waiting. Literally within a few hours of sharing that news, and after drinking 2 ounces of castor oil, contractions started. Both of our parents excitedly made their way down, but the labor had subsided by 10pm. Corrie went to sleep, but was kindly awoken at 2am with more contractions. Around 6:30am we headed to the hospital just to get checked for peace of mind and they admitted us on the spot. Corrie labored in UCSD's Birthing Center ... the only one found in a hospital west of the Mississippi. The place is kind of like a medical day spa. The staff was incredible and we felt extremely lucky to have a Polish nurse who was with us every moment. A volunteer doula was also on hand the entire time as well. At 5:17pm, little Ania Louise was born!

Ania nearly slept through the night and we all got some much needed rest. We hope to come home from the hospital tonight or tomorrow morning. Until then, enjoy the pictures. Thank you for all your love, support and prayers through this process. So grateful to have such a great community.

Special thanks to Erica Ruse and Mai Pham for watching the newest big sister, Eva Jean, yesterday. The two just met for the first time!

The Waiting Place

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:35:00 +0000

Corrie was due on October 15th. It is now October 21st and the baby still has not arrived. Like a fine wine, roasted turkey, or aged cheese ... some things just take a bit of time. We have both been learning how to live in the moment. Not that we really want to learn a life lesson right now, but we have enjoyed long walks, visiting every children's attraction in San Diego and just enjoying some calm with Eva and friends before the storm of Baby #2.

This morning Corrie had her midwife appointment, so here is the latest. In order to deliver in the Birthing Center at UCSD Hillcrest, she must start labor before next Sunday. We're keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that baby comes before then. If not, she is scheduled to be induced next Sunday morning. She will receive regular stress tests until then to make sure all are healthy ... and today's results were great.

So we continue to sit and wait.

I also think my mother may have a hysterical pregnancy going on. She likes to text and send emails and do fire drills with my dad as they "pretend" to leave for the hospital. Provides good comic relief, and reminds us how excited everyone is for the arrival of our little one.

And Corrie just took a shot of castor oil. No joke.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Excerpt from Oh! The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss

The Waiting Place … for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Eva meeting Elmo at SeaWorld ... she kind has a crush.

First time with paints at the New Children's Museum.

Riding a turtle at the San Diego Zoo.

Tic Tock

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:43:00 +0000

We are still waiting for our second little pumpkin to arrive. Never easy to live in the in between, but isn't that the case for most of life? We are attempting to take in all that a San Diego fall has to offer. Literally had a beach day last weekend. Corrie had her last day of work on Friday and is no hurry to deliver this baby. Due date is on Saturday. I keep thinking she will deliver early. We'll see!

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Summing up Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 22:56:00 +0000

A lot of ground to cover. Life has been full and change is in the air around the Klekowski household.

Since our last post ...

Remember that trip I took to Haiti!? Our church did a huge effort to help Children of the Nations start a ministry there to children living at the epicenter of the earthquake. We hoped to maybe raise $100,000 ... we ended up raising nearly $250,000!! Corrie and I learned a ton through the experience and were blown away by everyone's generosity.
In May, Corrie took a new job as an employment attorney at Paul, Plevin, Sullivan, & Connaughton LLP. After several years at a smaller firm, Corrie was ready for a change and wanted to focus her practice. Though the job is a bit more demanding, she enjoys having a much smaller commute and really loves working downtown.
In June, we took a much needed vacation with some friends to Maui. Eva loved the hiking backpack as she got to see waterfalls that were "gorgeous" ... her words, not mine :)
This has been the first year since 2005 that I have not visited the continent of Africa, but Corrie and I still got to see some big dreams come true. Several years ago, Corrie connected with an amazing Malawian human rights attorney. The two of them came up with the idea to host a human rights clinic in a local village. The goal was to help educate and empower people about their basic rights and teach them what to do when they are violated (which, sadly, happens a lot). Through a lot of planning, a team of passionate people from our church hosted the first clinic in July! In addition, I had an idea for creating an Intern Exchange program for college students between our church and our sister church in Malawi. Four Americans and four Malawians swapped lives for a summer and their lives will never be the same. It was an eye opening and amazing experience for all involved. Corrie and I also got to host Pastor Sean (of Flood Malawi) and his wife for a few days as well.
We attended several weddings and I got to officiate two of them ... one of the highlights of my job!
We once again entered the US Open Sandcastle Competition and took 2nd place. Though I still think we should have taken home the prize, it was a blast to spend the day building something out of nothing. Though she probably should have rested, Corrie joined the team with a 6 month old baby in her belly.
The summer started with a change for Corrie and ends with a change for me. After 12 incredible years of college ministry (I started doing this as a freshmen in college!), I will no longer be a College Pastor at the end of this month. The reality of this change has not sunk in and though I am so grateful for the hundreds of students that I have gotten to know over the years, I am excited to move on to help our church pursue new endeavors. For several years we have been talking about expanding our church through new campuses and it is looking like we will be headed in that direction over the next year. This change will free me up to help lead the charge. Our College Group is in great hands. Along with an incredible volunteer team, a gifted guy I have been training (Adam Wright) for the past year and a half will be taking over.
Corrie just turned 30 yesterday and I follow on September 22nd. Eva turns 2 on October 4th.
Last, but certainly not least, Baby #2 will arrive (hopefully) sometime around October 15th. Though our hands will be full, we can't wait for the new addition. We'll keep you posted regarding all the exciting details of his or her (we both think her) arrival.

Just writing all this is making me tired. Corrie and I believe in living life to the full, but are learning the importance of rest as well. Thanks for journeying along with us.

In other breaking news ... Eva is starting to potty train. She took her first poop today and exclaimed, "It's a snake!" I think we're in for a ride with this one!

God bless,

Adam

Eggs That Cost Me Nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Corrie) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:02:00 +0000

Above is the evidence of my latest attempt to get one good picture of my moving-non-stop-furrowed-brow-goofball-girl-who-likes-to-color-on-her-forehead-and-in-her-ears.

Okay, well, first, I’m pregnant. 3.5 months along. Due October 15th. Feeling great. Not going to find out gender. Very excited. Hope we can handle another crazy monkey in the house.

Second, Adam is back from Haiti. It has been an adjustment to reconcile “normal” life here with the images and stories he witnessed there. He has been wise and intentional about taking the time to process those experiences.

The result of his trip is that Flood (our church) has decided to commit to helping Children of the Nations build a school in Haiti. As part of this commitment, Flood is attempting to raise $100,000 by Easter. More info here.

Adam and I feel strongly burdened to participate significantly in this campaign. I won’t recount all the moments or thoughts or urgings that swirl together to make up a conviction. But the result of the last few months is that we feel convicted to give an amount to the project that really requires us to sacrifice.

It is less about the amount, more about what it costs us to give. Looking through the bible recently I was reminded of how often God asks us to give to the point of our own discomfort. Like David says in Samuel 2:24, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord, my God, burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” Or, for example, in Mark 12, Jesus watches people putting money into the temple treasury. Many rich people put in large gifts, and then a poor widow puts in two small coins. Jesus says of her, “this poor widow has put more into the treasury thank all the others. They gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”

It is easy for me to give out of my excess and think myself generous for the gift. I am always the rich people giving out of their wealth large gifts that cost them nothing. Reflecting on this, Adam and I wanted this gift to be significant to us personally. So, we committed to a spending freeze for all of Spring. Basically our loose rules are that we are allowed to purchase necessities, but can’t purchase things that we just “want.” The money we save, goes to Haiti. And it should hurt.

Living on less has allowed me to see how little of what we spend is really necessary. Most everything I want I realize after pausing and thinking about it, that I really don’t want that much. Most of my wants are fed by impulsive desires just to soothe or reward myself and not by a true appetite for the item desired. To look those impulses in the eye and refuse to indulge them has been empowering. Though, I must admit that gift cards have come in handy these last few weeks. And it also helps that I am pregnant and therefore uninterested in new clothes.

I have also realized how much opportunity there is to share and re-use. Most of the things we want, we can find to borrow for free. If you want it, chances are someone has it and is not using it.

So, the result of all of this is twofold: (1) I realize that I can’t out-give God. Even when I try to sacrifice, it doesn't feel like sacrifice. It feels more like a gift to me than from me. (2) We need someone to donate plastic Easter eggs so Eva can have an Easter egg hunt in the backyard.

And if you happen to drop a gift card in one of the eggs for Eva’s parents, that will be accepted too. Or better yet, drop a Benjamin in an egg and we will add it to our gift for Haiti.

Thoughts from Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:20:00 +0000

I just arrived home from Haiti. I wrote this for my church's blog and thought I'd share with you all as well. To read more about our visit click here.

I’m tired. Run down. Seen too much. Overwhelmed. The team is getting a little delirious. By the end of each day, we surprisingly experience a lot of laughter. Probably a way to cope with all that we’ve seen each day.

What do you do with the overwhelming stench that hits you when you enter a tent city? What do you do with the heartbreak of a girl who lost her entire family in the quake? What do you do with the sideways cross painted in the voodoo temple?

The people here have endured much. The human spirit is amazingly resilient. The people want to work. They want to care for their families. I have been impressed by the way these families dress sharp and have their hair done. They have not lost their dignity.

Yesterday we attended a good sized Pentecostal church. It was definitely an interesting experience. At one point, our entire team was on the church floor as the bishop poured (literally poured!) oil on each head and asked us to bless them. 700 people later, we had finished the job! While this was foreign to me, when I got past my own insecurities and just viewed it as an opportunity to pray, I was amazed by the way God allowed me to pray on their behalf. I was especially moved each time I prayed for a young man. I could tangibly feel the burden for these young guys to step up and lead their future families and communities courageously. Looking into their eyes I saw so many possibilities.

Today we are attempting to finalize the plans for Children of the Nation’s work in Haiti. We are finalizing board members and formalizing partnerships with other agencies so that together, we can offer the best care possible.

We just got freed from a traffic jam due to a strike. A drive that should have taken 30 minutes took 3 hours. Unbelievable.

I am tired. Ready to return home. Excited to see my family once again, and not looking forward to the long flight ahead.

Before I move forward to visions and plans for what this means for me and my community at home, I want to sit in this moment. To remember these people. To remember what I’ve seen. To be still and know that He is God.

See you soon,
Pastor Adam

Tension

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 03:09:00 +0000

I just put Eva down to bed. Said our prayers. Said goodbye. Said I love you a hundred times.

I'm leaving for Haiti in a couple of hours.

The past week has been really tough. When Eva's heart condition returned and we found ourselves back in the ER again, it felt like everything had gotten tipped upside down. I felt disoriented, confused, frustrated and tired. Corrie and I then had hectic weeks that kept us preoccupied, so we haven't really sunk into this new reality with Eva, probably still in shock and denial about it all.

Yesterday, I found myself hosting a seminar speaker at a conference our church was putting on. Sitting on the floor in a packed out room, God began to speak. Talking about desire, spiritual growth, disappointment, grief and loss, I found myself confronted with all the questions and feelings I had been avoiding all week.

What do I desire for Eva?
Am I able to live within the disappointment of these unmet desires?
Have I truly surrendered these desires to God? Have I grieved?

Listening to your daughter's racing heart is unbearable. Watching her cry for help in the emergency room is heart wrenching. Why the pain? Why the sorrow?

Yesterday I learned that it is within the great tensions of life that God most truly reveals Himself and invites us to grow with Him. Life and death. Joy and sorrow. Abundance and scarcity. God hasn't abandoned me, my family or my little girl. He grieves with us. Hurts with us. Laughs with us.

Though there is still much to process, I find myself leaving for another adventure and entering into a foreign place filled with despair, sorrow and loss. What does God have in store for me in Haiti? What does He have in store for my church? What does He have in store for you?

I have an odd job. One that finds me on the college campuses of San Diego and flying to the earthquake ravaged city of Port au Prince. There is so much pain in the world. So much hurt. Yet as I laid my little girl down to sleep and she reached up her little head to give me one final kiss, I am reminded that there is so much beauty. So much joy.

Life is full of confusing tensions, and I hope that I can continue to walk the meandering and difficult road within all of them. Please pray for me and my team while we are away. Pray that God would give us a vision for how our church can best serve the Haitian people ... and while you're at it, send some love Corrie's way :) She's just a phone call or email away. I'll be home on Tuesday, March 16th.

Au revoir!

A Brighter Day

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:58:00 +0000

Eva's little heart is doing much better today. She no longer has a fever, so hopefully she won't have any more episodes. We're scheduled to see her heart doctor in a few weeks, so hopefully we'll get some better answers then. She seems to be feeling much better ... sleeping like a champ and starting to eat again. Corrie is doing better too. She went back to work today.

Thanks for all the prayers!

Eva's Annual Health Update :)

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:14:00 +0000

Hey everyone,

Can't believe it was just a year ago that we were posting like crazy about Eva's health ... well, sadly, here's the latest update.

On Sunday we took her to the ER because she was in a heart episode. On the way there, we feel like we witnessed a miracle as we could physically see her coloring change as her heart went back to normal all on its own. They still admitted us, did some tests and discharged us with increased dosage on one of her heart meds. Corrie and I are both really bummed that this heart thing hasn't gone away, but thankful we didn't have to stay in the hospital. It appears that a high fever is a trigger for her heart issue.

Yesterday, Corrie woke up feeling really sick, so she stayed home from work. We still had our babysitter show up to help her out. Around noon, we noticed that her coloring had changed once again and that she was shaking like she was really cold. She wasn't acting fussy or irritated, just a little dazed. Whenever we have seen these symptoms she is normally in an episode. We checked her heart and she was fine, so Corrie got on the phone with her doctors. Several hours later, neither her pediatrician nor her heart doctor was too concerned (though we still are!). The entire funkiness with Eva lasted about an hour.

Last night, Eva slept beautifully and her fever has reduced a bit. Corrie will be with her today.

We don't know what this all means. Doctors aren't being super helpful, but luckily she has been in good spirits. The only challenge right now is that she isn't eating. She's been like that since Friday, so we're concerned on that end. She's drinking liquids, but that's about it. Corrie also still feels really ill ... and I leave for Haiti and the Dominican Republic Sunday night.

If you get a chance, could you pray for the following?

- For Eva's fever to disappear
- For Eva's appetite to return
- For wisdom from the doctor's ... to discover why she gets these cold spells
- For Corrie's health to return
- For emotional sanity for our family :)

We're holding together the best we can. It just feels like Eva's a little ticking time bomb .... we thought this was all behind us, so it's tough to open the door to all of this once again.

We love you all and thank you for your support.

Adam & Corrie

It's beginning to feel a not like Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:29:00 +0000

Corrie and I have now lived in our house for a little over a week. Amidst unpacking boxes, going two days without water, caring for a wild (and really cute) baby and continuing to work full time ... it has been a mind bending time in our lives. On top of it all, Christmas is just two days away. We decided not to do any presents to each other and didn't have time to decorate the house (the stockings above are as good as it gets). We've decided to celebrate Jehovah Witness style :)

In the past few weeks, we have been blown away by unexpected acts of generosity. When some neighbors heard we were moving, they prepared an entire gourmet meal with fresh baked zucchini blueberry bread for dessert! On move day, more than enough friends showed up to help us that we were not only able to load everything in one trip (thank Barnum!), we did it all within 3 hours!! On top of that, Corrie's parents came down to watch Eva for the day which was a huge help. Last weekend a couple opened up their home to host a baby shower Corrie was throwing for a girl they had never met. And a few days ago, another couple from church dropped off another excellent meal and took away all the dishes so we wouldn't have to clean another thing!

Though each of these acts were simple, we have been moved by the generosity we have received from others.

In a season where we reflect upon the significance of the birth of Christ, Corrie and I have been inspired to challenge ourselves to give more freely. To give of our resources, our time and our presence. Christ freely gave His life away, so that we could truly live. We have always found that we become more fully alive when we seek to give our lives away as well.

Have a joy filled Christmas!

broke bone bob

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 18:04:00 +0000

i'm typing with one hand. don't ever go running at night. you'll break bones. the past several weeks have been some of the fullest and chaotic ones we've experienced.

on october 4th, we celebrated eva's 1st birthday. she loves yelling da-da a hundred times a day. it melts my heart each time, as well as stokes the competitive fire within me ... the word ma-ma has just come on the scene and is usually accompanied by crying. eva is a gregarious walker and talker and has made friends with every living being on our street as she marches up and down all the sidewalks. we also had her heart checkup. since she had another svt episode in august, the doc wants to keep her on meds for another 6 months. she has become a little addict. not only does she love the candy taste, she hoardes all the syringes ... they have become friends to her.

in mid-october, all three of us got away for the weekend at flood's college retreat. this is one of the highlights of my job as we get to spend some meaningful time away with each other, some amazing students and god. we taught an all day seminar on vision and values. it was nice to press the pause button in life and evaluate how we're doing and where we're headed. got some needed clarity on some difficult decisions and returned refreshed and ready to take on the world.

the very next day i broke my finger. got a cast put on my left hand. and guess who's left handed?!

the day after that, corrie finds out she's going into arbitration, the most demanding part of her job.

she worked two 70 hour weeks. i nursed a broken bone back to health, and all our hopes and dreams got upended for a couple of chaotic weeks.

despite everything, we decided to continue to train for our 1/2 marathon (happening next week) and .... drumroll please .... decided to buy a house!! i feel a little crazy writing those words, but everything kind of fell into place. we had been casually looking for a while and finally found one that had nearly everything we're looking for. it's a few blocks west of sdsu in this great little neighborhood. definitely a house in line with our values and a great one to raise our family. we hope to get the keys mid-december.

we also got to celebrate our favorite holiday in a mildly inappropriate costume ... siegfried & roy (with our white tiger of course!).

some learnings of the last month?

receiving help is difficult, but proves our need for each other. from opening a water bottle to changing a diaper ... i've needed help. i don't like asking for it. don't like feeling weak or inadequate. yet we aren't made to go through life alone. i need you and you need me. something beautifully modeled by god who exists as a trinity. good stuff. who wants to help us move? :)

we can only do what we can do. this is a tough one and an obvious one. corrie and i take on too much, but at the end of the day, we can only do what is physically possible to do. god gives us everything we could ever need ... just gotta keep breathing.

we need to sleep more. seriously. the past three nights, we have gone to bed early and gotten nearly 8 hours. amazing how big of a difference this makes! pretty soon we're going to start eating dinner at denny's at 4 in the afternoon. man we're getting old!

I love putting food in my ears!

Queen of the Patch

It takes about 20 pictures for Eva to look at the camera. We gave up on the family portrait pretty quickly.

Siegfried & Roy ... featuring a rare white tiger!

Yum!

Behind the Curtain: August - September

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 05:12:00 +0000

Last we posted, Adam was leaving for Malawi and Corrie was staying behind with Eva.

Fast forward a month ... and this is all that happened:

Adam made it to Malawi and back.

In South Africa, Adam's rental car blew two tires in the middle of nowhere.

But, Adam made it home safely.

In Malawi, Adam made lots of plans.

Adam met with local village chiefs to plan for village development.

Adam met with a woman who oversees a human rights agency in Malawi.

Adam met with the leadership team of Flood Malawi Church and planned and made goals to strengthen the church.

Adam plans to return next summer to see these plans to fruition.

Adam likes to plan.

At home, Corrie tended to a sick child.

Eva had a urinary tract infection, kidney infection, 103 degree fever, vomited twice, and had another heart episode. In one night.

Eva was really sick.

Eva is now better, but the doctor has ordered more tests to see what caused the infections.

We wait. We pray. We trust God regardless of the outcome.

At home, Corrie is a kick butt attorney.

She won two huge motions and made clients happy.

Her firm is busy and doing well, which is a blessing in this economy.

Corrie writes motions, talks with clients and converses with judges.

Corrie is a kick butt attorney.

Upon returning home, Adam went straight to Flood's church retreat and prepared for the biggest month of the year.

The college students returned and so did the bulk of his job.

He plans and speaks and counsels and prays.

Adam is a kick butt pastor.

There's much more to say, but this is the best we can do to recap a month in 5 minutes. In our free time we have also begun the house search once again and are training for a half marathon.

We look forward to celebrating Eva's 1st birthday on October 4th!

This has been one crazy year.

Love,
Adam & Corrie

ps. Oh yeah ... Eva has begun taking steps all around the house. We hope to have her join us in November for the half marathon!

Why I Go

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:36:00 +0000

Tomorrow I head back to Malawi, Africa, where I will be furthering Flood's ministry with a church plant in the capital city. This is my 9th visit to the continent. Working with the local church, I will be researching new initiatives for 2011 including a human rights clinic, an intern exchange program, micro-finance projects and malaria prevention. I am deeply saddened by the thought of leaving Corrie and Eva behind. Even if it is just for a few weeks, I am not looking forward to saying goodbye. To help extinguish my guilt, and possibly to inspire a few of you reading this, I came up with some reasons for why I go.

I go because I love to travel. Not the only reason, or the most important reason, maybe even a shallow reason, but nonetheless, this is a reason why I go. Though it's a long journey, I have developed rigorous methods to cope with the 20+ hour flight (thank you Tylenol PM and wine served on international flights!) and learned how to "sometimes" score upgrades into business class. I'm fascinated by different perspectives and cultures, and feel like I have been given skills to quickly navigate through differences to find common ground.

I go because it's my job. In 2005, I was asked to go to Malawi by my church. Since then I have been back every year. One of my roles is to not only support our partnerships in Africa, but to create unique opportunities for others to go. It is exciting to see people take huge steps of faith and sacrifice to help others. There are many different reasons why I love being a pastor, but getting to see others grow in this way tops the list!

I go because I give a damn. We all know there are problems in the world. There are issues of oppression and poverty. There are those, simply because of where they happen to be born, have much, and those who have very little. In college I studied sociology and enjoyed the challenging thoughts and discussions in and outside the classroom. Over the past several years, I have had the opportunity to move beyond stimulating conversation to tangibly helping the problems. Corrie and I have spent many nights talking around the dinner table about ways we can make a difference. At times, we get overwhelmed and discouraged, yet we keep reminding ourselves ... if we don't go who will? We have the means, the education and the opportunity to help others, so we do. We can't do everything, but we can do something.

Lastly, I go because my momma told me to. Seriously. When I was in 4th grade, my mom and I were dropping my sister off in San Francisco so she could head back to college. We spent the day seeing the sites and hopped back in the car to head home. On the drive back my mom shared the story of Jesus with me. How He came to this earth to show us how to live. How He died for us. And how He rose again, proving that He was the Son of God and worthy to be followed. With out being pushy, she simply told me about Jesus and asked me to consider beginning a relationship with God. That night, I got in my bed, and began to talk to Jesus for the first time and decided that I wanted to follow Him for the rest of my life. Little did I know how big of an impact that decision would have on my life and where God would take me.

Because Christ has called me to be His child.
Because Christ has called me to live generously and compassionately.
Because Christ gives me hope and freely offers hope to the world.
Because Christ has called me to utilize everything He made me to be, for His glory, I go.

I'll be back Tuesday, August 24th.

To see a more detailed trip itinerary click here. My team and I would appreciate your prayers while we are away ... and so would Corrie :)

Moments from July

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:27:00 +0000

How many bananas can you stick to your face?

July has flown by! Here are some highlights from the last several weeks ... in no particular order.

Eva had her 9 month checkup. She received a clean bill of health. According to the charts, she's one tall little lady (97th percentile!).
Eva has started to stand on her own without holding on to anything. Something tells us she'll be an early walker. Can't decide if this is a good thing or not.
Corrie and I enjoyed our first overnight away from Eva to celebrate our anniversary. It was fun, but Corrie kept smiling and talking to every baby we saw. If she was a dude, people would have thought she was pretty creepy.
The past few weeks of work for Adam have been crazy. He is preparing all the details for his upcoming trip to Malawi (leaves Aug 9) while also needing to get everything done for the fall college schedule that starts up the day he returns from Africa. He's extremely excited about all the projects he's working on, but has been putting in lots of extra hours.
Corrie's time at work has been full as well. She has several cases going on at the same time. She is quickly learning how to be Wonder Woman, balancing a full time work schedule and motherhood duties. Her invisible plane is on its way.
Eva began communicating with us. She knows how to point and is quickly learning about all the different "things" in any given room. She also can act like a pretty mean lion and a wise old owl ... thanks to Aunt Sarah for teaching her tricks.
We spent the 4th of July weekend up in Sacramento with family and friends. We enjoyed every single minute of our time away.
Eva pooped in the tub for the first time!
We took Eva on her first international journey into Mexico to visit some good friends in Tijuana.
Corrie and Adam got to spend some time acting like kids, rather than taking care of them, at Disneyland. Thanks to Emilie and Grandpa and Grandma for watching Eva.

Below are some various pictures and videos. In two weeks Adam will be leaving for Malawi, so we'll post more about his trip soon.

Love you all,
Adam & Corrie

Enjoying the summer

So fashionable!

To Infinity and Beyond!

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:08:00 +0000

South Africa, May 2008

Photo taken by Taryn Kent

Last night, Corrie and I enjoyed a fun night away and saw Toy Story 3. Without spoiling anything, the movie was a great reminder of the importance of the imagination and the joy-filled wonder of being a kid. While we were watching, we started getting text messages with the words centimeters, dilation, pushing and crowning. My sister Sarah was going into labor and they wanted the world to know (my family has no filter when it comes to these sort of things ... I apologize). Since I was wearing 3D glasses, all the texts were jumping off my phone (well, not really, but I'm sure that will be the next tech revolution). After a relatively brief time at the hospital, my sister delivered a beautiful baby girl, Beatrice Bärbel Diane Greule (can you tell her dad has German roots?). If this wasn't exciting enough, I have also been completely OBSESSED with the World Cup. I'm not going to write a lot about this except to say that it took Toy Story and the birth of a new human being to pull me out of a deep pit of despair and depression yesterday. I guess that's better than a bottle of Jack!

So all of this has got me thinking.

Many of you know that since 2002, I have been blessed to visit the continent of Africa eight different times. Over the years, God has been stirring my imagination as I've gotten to experience numerous adventures and meet some incredible people who have forever changed my life. I have gotten to feed displaced peoples in a war torn region of northern Uganda. I have witnessed hundreds experience life changing hope in the slums of Nairobi. And I have helped launch a new and innovative church in the capital city of Malawi.

My dreams of what could be have been expanded beyond comprehension, simply because I chose to live my life on mission with Jesus.

This August, I will be sadly leaving Corrie and Eva for three weeks, as I take another momentous trip back to Malawi (with their unwavering support of course!). Not only will I be serving a thriving young church plant, I will also be stepping out in faith to pursue human rights work. Utilizing Corrie's legal background and expertise, we are in the beginning stages of investigating the top human rights abuses in the country and attempting to create a relatively sustainable and empowering short term model for outsiders to work with locals to bring about justice for those in need.

Just writing these words is making my pits sweaty, as I am anxious about what is in store for me, my family and my church in the next few years. But with the courage of Buzz Lightyear, the love of a parent with a newborn, and the thrill of global wins and defeats in the World Cup inside me, I can't wait for what's in store!

I am trying to raise $3500 for my trip to Malawi. If you are interested in making a tax-deductible contribution please email me at adam.klekowski@gmail.com and I'll share all the details.

Beatrice Bärbel Diane Greule

June 26, 2010

I Love Daddy!

noreply@blogger.com (Corrie) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:40:00 +0000

Eva has commissioned me to ghost write a Father’s Day blog post for her. She would have written this herself, but you know how busy she gets this time of year.

If Eva could write she would tell you about how good her Daddy is at making her laugh. How he also is good at calming her down when something scares her. She also might tell you that she finds his chest hair fascinating.

What she wouldn’t tell you, because she probably doesn’t realize it now, and maybe never will, is how much he sacrifices to care for her. How he wakes up early everyday to change her diaper and put her down for her nap. How he stays up late to give medicine to her. How he spends all his “free” time taking care of her.

This father’s day leaves me grateful that Eva has a father that loves her so much and strives to do his best for her. Adam is seriously the engine that keeps this home running. Seriously. Because of him, we stay afloat and I stay sane. I could not do this without him.

I am also grateful that Eva has a father whose character I would be proud for her to emulate. I am grateful she has a father who will challenge her daily to really see the world around her, to seek God, and to love others.

Happy Father’s Day. I love you, babe.

P.S. Photo is of Eva after being fed blueberries by Daddy.

Mainland

noreply@blogger.com (Corrie) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 06:41:00 +0000

We are back from an incredible week in Kauai with my family. It was relaxing, adventurous, and rejuvenating.

Some highlights: a beautiful hike Adam and I took the baby on; hanging out and laughing with the family; long sun drenched days at the beach; sleeping in (thanks Mom and Dad for watching the crazy baby!); a exhilarating helicopter ride; and generally just relaxing and enjoying the sun.

We hired a babysitter one night and went out to a great dinner with all the adults. The sitter was hired through an agency on the island, so we didn’t know who they would send. When she arrived she was wearing a long flowing skirt and a bikini with a loose tank top over it. Her hair was in wild beach tumbled waves. She was carrying an eastern meditation book and had large tufts of armpit hair sticking out from under her tank top. (!!!!!.)

Despite the hairy pits she was great with the baby. Eva quickly stole her car keys and slobbered all over them while the nanny told Adam and I about her life. She worked and lived on an organic farm on the island. She grew up in the Midwest then moved to Kauai a decade or so back. She told us that “the island life takes you over.” It had definitely taken her.

Part of me leaves a place like Kauai wishing that I could let it take me over... that I could give up the daily grind of life on the mainland to live in a permanent daze of Mai Tais and Ahi Poke. It seems romantic, idyllic, and divine. But then we come home and I find myself so glad to be home. Its comforting, its familiar, its...deep restful exhale... home. Home sweet home.

Normal life may not be as glamorous or breezy as vacation life, but normal life is more me. With all the crazy responsibilities I tack onto my life comes also a sense of calm and peace. It may be chaotic and at times exhausting, but my mainland life, right now seems right where I should be.

Liftoff.

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:21:00 +0000

An open letter to those sitting within ear shot of seats 43B and 43C:

We're sorry. We know we could have just driven somewhere. We know you paid good money for your seats. We know you deserve a vacation just as much as we do. And we know you like it quiet. Real quiet. We've worked really hard all week attempting to adjust Eva's schedule. Hopefully she'll just smile and bat her eyes at you, making you feel bad for judging such young parents. In the likelihood that she does blowup in an act of infant terrorism, please forgive us. She's not dangerous, just loud. We'll be there soon enough ... and the drinks are on me.

Sincerely,
The couple sitting in 43B and 43C

Corrie, Eva and I are taking our first family vacation tomorrow! We're headed to Kauai, Hawaii and couldn't be more excited. We'll be spending the week with Corrie's immediate family in a (hopefully) great little beach house. Corrie has not only been working hard at Wirtz Hellenkamp, LLP ... writing some incredible and exhaustive motions ... while being an amazing mother to Eva, wife to myself and friend to all. I've enjoyed all the end of year festivities that come with being a College Pastor and making arrangements for a return to Malawi in August. Eva's heart has been stable since our last hospital stay. She is growing into a strong willed and curious little adventurer. She crawls all around the house and is obsessed with anything that has a cord. Her latest trick is pulling herself up, which she does often with a huge smile on her face.

Though we're not going to get to sleep in too much on this vacation, hopefully we'll get to unwind on the beach and enjoy some amazing hikes, conversations and meals together as a family.

Here goes nothing ...

Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Sat, 08 May 2010 16:12:00 +0000

All Corrie wanted for Mother's Day was to sleep in.

It is now 9am.

Corrie has been asleep for nearly 10 hours.

Dad wins!

We have been on the go the past few weeks. From surprise hospital stays, to a weekend trip to Newport Beach with friends, to huge motions due at Corrie's work, to interviewing 13 potential interns, to midnight showings of Iron Man 2, and to living with out deodorant for a week because it has taken us that long to unpack our suitcases from last weekend ... life has been full. Last night we were able to put our lives back in order. By order I mean that we put our suitcases away, folded laundry, officially baby proofed the house, properly deoderized and caught up on TV shows (I know we're pathetic ... but we now can talk with our friends about the latest Office episode!).

As I celebrate Mother's Day, I celebrate an amazing wife and mother who does it all. Even though she may forget her deodorant, she never forgets to be an amazing mom to Eva and (at times) myself :)

Here are some pictures from Eva's first time at the pool.

I'm home.

noreply@blogger.com (Corrie) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Hey dudes,

Well, my luxury vacation is over. Mommy and Daddy have ruined my fun and made me leave the hospital. I had lots and lots of fun with my nurses and doctors. I was living the good life... getting waited on hand and foot... being the center of attention... making smiles for all the hospital folks. But, now I am back home. Mommy says she is glad my vacation is over, but I was just settling in and getting comfy. Oh well. Back to normal.

Eva

The latest

noreply@blogger.com (Corrie) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:45:00 +0000

Adam spoke with Eva's doctor. We have been cleared to be discharged, which means we should be out of the hospital hopefully sometime this early afternoon.

They are going to be putting Eva back on propranolol, in addition to the flecainide. The two drugs work well together and should hopefully help keep her heart rate normal. There are no anticipated new side effects from being on both drugs... it shouldn't make her dopey or sleepy ... or Bashful or Sneezy or Grumpy or Doc.

The prognosis is still otherwise the same. The doctor is hopeful she will grow out of this. As long as she does not continue to have episodes, we will not plan on increasing her dosage and will eventually ween her off the medications all together. For now though the doctor said continue on normally. There are no restrictions on what she can eat or what she can do.

Thanks for the love... for us and for our daughter. We feel tired, but at peace. He's got the whole world in His hands.

Quick Update... more to come

noreply@blogger.com (Corrie) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:35:00 +0000

We made it through the night. Eva got maybe 4 hours of sleep...2 here, 2 there. But her heart has remained stable and she looked happy this morning... tired but happy.

We haven't seen her doctor yet this morning, so we don't have details, but will post them as soon as we do. Just wanted to let you know that everyone is doing okay.

We're back.....

noreply@blogger.com (Corrie) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 06:49:00 +0000

We are back in the hospital with Eva. She had another SVT episode and Adam and I couldn't break her out of it. We spoke with the cardiologist on call over the phone and he told us to bring her to the emergency room.

In the ER they admitted her right away, started an IV, and administered the drug that broke the episode. The good part about having a heart problem is that they skip right pass all the kids with broken arms and barking cough and rush you into the back like a VIP. (Seriously the girl in line in front of us had barking cough. Adam thought there was a dog in the waiting room.)

Anyhow, we were just admitted from ER into the critical care unit where they will watch her overnight. Same nurse we have had before, same wing, but a new room. Thank the Lord, we have a single this time.

I am tired of this, but still am in decent spirits. An ER nurse told Adam and I that we were the calmest parents she's seen in an emergency. We are getting good with emergency. We are seasoned professionals at this. We can now pack calmly for a hospital stay in about 10 minutes... compared with that first stay when Adam came running in the door and bashed his knee and I was running around the house like a crazy lady throwing everything I own (my sewing kit included...just in case) into a suitcase.

We will see her specialist tomorrow and should work out a plan with him for her treatment. Maybe she will be on two meds instead of the one.

I am planning on going into work tomorrow and adam and our nanny katie will watch her from here like "normal."

Now it is almost midnight and my daughter who has three different strong meds in

her is still awake. She also just peed all over my shirt. Awesome.

Adjustments

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Klekowski) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:30:00 +0000

Life is full of adjustments.

It's now been a week and a half since our last hospital stay and life is (somewhat) back to normal. Eva sleeps (sometimes), eats (all the time) and moves (whenever she gets the chance). About this moving business ... we used to be able to lie her on the ground with a toy and she was content. We could get some work done or watch a show, and she got some serious play done. All were happy. Yesterday we put her down by the TV and she rolled and scooted all the way to our living room. She rolled down the step separating the two rooms, under the dining table, around the chairs and found herself contently next to the windows looking out over the canyon pondering the beautiful view. She's a very pensive baby. Eva also had her 6 month checkup last week and she's growing and developing right on schedule. We're thankful that her heart condition hasn't interfered with her growth.

Corrie and I are working and friending and cooking and cleaning ... all the usual stuff. She has a few big summary judgments due at work over the next couple weeks, so I'm getting ready for some crazy weeks ahead. I'm going to be doing interviews for our next lucky batch of college interns and preparing for a trip back to Malawi in August. We're also looking forward to a mini vacation this weekend with some friends in Newport Beach.

Life is full. And we are adjusting well.

Ps. Eva's cousins sent Eva a "really cool" Batman towel. For some reason the super powers haven't kicked in yet.