https://picasaweb.google.com/Angie.Hinkle
Monday, July 11, 2011
New Summer Pictures!
Here is a link to some pictures from Eastside Academy's graduation, Emily and Kira's (youth group girls) open house, CG, and a 4th of July BBQ at Jenny Almasy's house. There are several, too, to chronicle my growing (now 18-20 lb) belly...
https://picasaweb.google.com/Angie.Hinkle
https://picasaweb.google.com/Angie.Hinkle
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Why we are naming our son “Caleb”
We’ve officially chosen a first name for our son: Caleb. This may be a surprise for some of you or maybe not if you’ve heard me musing since long before we knew we were having a boy. This name is special for a lot of reasons, but, most of all, it represents how we hope to shape our son’s character as his parents.
Over the past year, my youth group girls have been studying the books of Joshua and Judges in the Bible. Since we read the story of Caleb (multiple times), I just couldn’t get over how many admirable qualities that man possessed. Here are just a few of them (read his whole story in Numbers 13-14, Joshua 14:6-14, 15:13-19, 21:11-13, Judges 1:1-20, and 1 Chronicles 2:42-54):
• Caleb was highly respected by his tribe and chosen to represent them in “spying out” the promised land.
Numbers 13:1, 6: “The LORD said to Moses, “send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders’… from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh…”
• Caleb saw the goodness of God’s promises and believed that God would fulfill every single one. Caleb, with Moses and Joshua, stood up against the rest of Israel (talk about peer pressure!) when the rest of the nation was too afraid to fight for the land God had promised. He acknowledged that the task would involve great struggle against overwhelming odds, but he also trusted that they would be victorious with God’s help. Caleb’s courage came from the strong conviction that God would be with and fight for His people.
Numbers 13:30: “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
Numbers 14: 6-10: Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” But the whole assembly talked about stoning them.
• Caleb was one of two people in his generation allowed to enter the promised land after wandering in the desert for 40 years. Even Moses and Aaron disqualified themselves…
Numbers 14:24: But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
• After 40 years of wandering in the desert and 5 years of fighting alongside the rest of Israel, (which puts Caleb at 85 years old!), Caleb was eager to lead his tribe into battle for the land given to him. He volunteered to clear out the land inhabited by the same giant people that made Israel want to turn back the first time.
Joshua 14:10-12: “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
Joshua 15:13-15: In accordance with the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) From Hebron, Caleb drove out the three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, the sons of Anak. From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).
• Caleb married his daughter to a quality guy who showed as much courage and trust in God as himself. Othniel, the son-in-law, went on to be the 1st judge to rescue Israel from oppression in the book of Judges.
Numbers 15:16-17: And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” 17 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.
Judges 3:9-11: “But when [Israel] cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of the LORD came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.”
• Caleb seems to have loved his daughter tenderly. He gifted to her the best land along with very valuable springs of water, just for asking.
Numbers 15:18-19: One day when [Aksah] came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
• Caleb’s town, Horeb, is later named both a “city of refuge” and “Levitical town,” making it a center of both justice and worship. Joshua 21:11-13
Most of all, Numbers 14:24, Numbers 32: 12, Deuteronomy 1:26, and Joshua 14:14 all emphasize that Caleb “followed the Lord wholeheartedly.” More than anything else, this is what we pray for concerning our son, that he would know the joy and satisfaction of loving and serving his King. We also hope to instill in him the virtues of a godly man: one who is tough in protecting his family yet tender in caring for them, courageous in speaking truth to both enemies and friends, and serious about investing in the Kingdom to produce a long legacy of love for Jesus.
Of course, it is convenient that this name is also very close to his daddy’s name, who decided not to continue the tradition to make our son Kayle Keith Hinkle IV (as the numbers get higher, they start to sound a little too much like European kings or popes). We also like that it has a hard “k” sound, like the rest of the Hinkle biological siblings (Cody, Kristen, and Casey) and a Maxey family middle name (Christopher/Krista).
Since everyone has been asking, and I was dying to officially share, this is the first name for our little boy. It will be a relief to start calling him Caleb full-time, since I am not keen on keeping secrets! Please pray for our son whenever you think of him. This mama is now entering her 3rd trimester, so it feels much more like we will meet him face-to-face SOON!
Angie and Kayle
P.S. We are still undecided on Caleb’s middle name…
Over the past year, my youth group girls have been studying the books of Joshua and Judges in the Bible. Since we read the story of Caleb (multiple times), I just couldn’t get over how many admirable qualities that man possessed. Here are just a few of them (read his whole story in Numbers 13-14, Joshua 14:6-14, 15:13-19, 21:11-13, Judges 1:1-20, and 1 Chronicles 2:42-54):
• Caleb was highly respected by his tribe and chosen to represent them in “spying out” the promised land.
Numbers 13:1, 6: “The LORD said to Moses, “send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders’… from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh…”
• Caleb saw the goodness of God’s promises and believed that God would fulfill every single one. Caleb, with Moses and Joshua, stood up against the rest of Israel (talk about peer pressure!) when the rest of the nation was too afraid to fight for the land God had promised. He acknowledged that the task would involve great struggle against overwhelming odds, but he also trusted that they would be victorious with God’s help. Caleb’s courage came from the strong conviction that God would be with and fight for His people.
Numbers 13:30: “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
Numbers 14: 6-10: Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” But the whole assembly talked about stoning them.
• Caleb was one of two people in his generation allowed to enter the promised land after wandering in the desert for 40 years. Even Moses and Aaron disqualified themselves…
Numbers 14:24: But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
• After 40 years of wandering in the desert and 5 years of fighting alongside the rest of Israel, (which puts Caleb at 85 years old!), Caleb was eager to lead his tribe into battle for the land given to him. He volunteered to clear out the land inhabited by the same giant people that made Israel want to turn back the first time.
Joshua 14:10-12: “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
Joshua 15:13-15: In accordance with the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) From Hebron, Caleb drove out the three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, the sons of Anak. From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).
• Caleb married his daughter to a quality guy who showed as much courage and trust in God as himself. Othniel, the son-in-law, went on to be the 1st judge to rescue Israel from oppression in the book of Judges.
Numbers 15:16-17: And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” 17 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.
Judges 3:9-11: “But when [Israel] cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of the LORD came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.”
• Caleb seems to have loved his daughter tenderly. He gifted to her the best land along with very valuable springs of water, just for asking.
Numbers 15:18-19: One day when [Aksah] came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
• Caleb’s town, Horeb, is later named both a “city of refuge” and “Levitical town,” making it a center of both justice and worship. Joshua 21:11-13
Most of all, Numbers 14:24, Numbers 32: 12, Deuteronomy 1:26, and Joshua 14:14 all emphasize that Caleb “followed the Lord wholeheartedly.” More than anything else, this is what we pray for concerning our son, that he would know the joy and satisfaction of loving and serving his King. We also hope to instill in him the virtues of a godly man: one who is tough in protecting his family yet tender in caring for them, courageous in speaking truth to both enemies and friends, and serious about investing in the Kingdom to produce a long legacy of love for Jesus.
Of course, it is convenient that this name is also very close to his daddy’s name, who decided not to continue the tradition to make our son Kayle Keith Hinkle IV (as the numbers get higher, they start to sound a little too much like European kings or popes). We also like that it has a hard “k” sound, like the rest of the Hinkle biological siblings (Cody, Kristen, and Casey) and a Maxey family middle name (Christopher/Krista).
Since everyone has been asking, and I was dying to officially share, this is the first name for our little boy. It will be a relief to start calling him Caleb full-time, since I am not keen on keeping secrets! Please pray for our son whenever you think of him. This mama is now entering her 3rd trimester, so it feels much more like we will meet him face-to-face SOON!
Angie and Kayle
P.S. We are still undecided on Caleb’s middle name…
Monday, June 27, 2011
Home Sweet Michigan!
Kayle and I had a fantastic time visiting our family and friends in Michigan and celebrating almost non-stop with 4 parties in 4 days (and 2 concerts too). We felt so blessed to have been surrounded by people who share our joy about baby Hinkle and who showered us with innumerable cute and useful gifts. It was a trick, but we did manage to get everything home by checking just one bag and carrying on an extra diaper bag (baby’s carry-on if anyone asks!). Once we got back to Seattle, packages continued to come for days on end. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone!!!
We arrived in Grand Rapids on Wednesday afternoon after two short layovers in Denver and Milwaukee. After waking up bright and early at 3:30 Seattle-time to catch our 1st flight at 6:15am, we landed on time, with no delays whatsoever, at 4:15pm Michigan time. That evening was spent saying “hi” to both families, visiting my mom at work, eating dinner with my dad, and going over to Hinkle’s twice.
On Thursday, we kicked off party weekend with Aaron’s open house. Both the youngest (biological) siblings graduated from high school this year, which is still hard for us oldests to fully believe. Living away for so long can make it seem like everyone back in Michigan is frozen in time/age- how jarring that the siblings decided to grow up while we were gone! Well, congratulations to both of them and best of luck at GVSU (Aaron) and Calvin College (Casey)!!
I spent most of Thursday morning and afternoon preparing a Maxey tradition for Aaron, affectionately called “the shrine.” Dad put up a giant board (read: wall) to arrange pictures, trophies, certificates, and mementos from Aaron’s life and school career. In true Angie fashion, it turned out “above and beyond” normal expectations and was meticulous to the last detail. I had a lot of fun sorting through a giant bin of family pictures, reliving many memories I had previously forgotten, and selecting just the right photos to show our open house guests. Meanwhile, everyone else ran around dipping strawberries in chocolate, putting up a tent (and tables and chairs), and setting up badminton. A party at the Maxey’s is quite an operation and, despite a little stress, everything came together just before the 1st guests arrived. Aaron had a lot of friends and neighbors visit, and Kayle and I received our first baby gift from the Pontious family. We managed to avert disaster after I accidentally set the tissue paper from the present on fire with one of the citronella candles- Kayle quickly scooped it off the table and put it out on the grass…
On Friday, we switched gears to prepare for party #2, a baby shower with my high school group of friends. We spent the day at the Hinkle’s, seeing Kristen and Cody who both came in from out of town (Chicago and Maryland) to see us. In the afternoon, Dani , Emily J, and Emily N-M arrived after work to feverishly set up for the shower at night. We were busy for a few hours cutting up fruits and veggies, making “taco soup,” arranging favors, decorating, microwaving diapers (after a quick internet search as to the feasibility of that), and numbering baby food containers. Thanks to all the planning efforts of our 3 lovely hostesses, the baby shower was fun, memorable, and delicious! For food, we enjoyed a baby bottle-shaped cake (courtesy of Em N-M), chocolate strawberries, a veggie tray, fresh fruit, and taco soup. We played an ABC diaper bag game (come up with a diaper bag item for every letter of the alphabet!), guess-that-baby food (thankfully no tasting involved!), and the old melted candy bar in the diaper game (surprisingly realistic and disgusting!). All of them were so fun, although the boys ran away upstairs to play Euchre at the first hint of a “girly activity”. We did, however, get them to come back downstairs for cake, presents, and onesie decorating. The onesies, of all sizes, turned out surprisingly well thanks to the foresight of having some animal coloring book pages to trace and lots of fabric markers and paint. In addition to completely necessary Notre Dame and Michigan onesies (Em J “sold her soul” to make that “Go Blue” for Kayle), we received ones with pirates, animals, space, sports, video games, and clever sayings. We took the extras to the Hinkle and Maxey siblings and parents to decorate too. How special for our baby to wear the handiwork of our loved ones for the 1st year of his life!
Saturday was the 2nd baby shower, this one more traditionally all the female family members, neighbors, and even some teachers and youth leaders from middle and high school. The format of the shower was much the same, except, having already played the games the night before, I could move around and take lots of pictures. It turns out, by the way, that experienced moms are MUCH BETTER at guessing what could come out of a diaper bag! The high score on that game was 38 points versus my winning 23 points of the night before. Some other highlights of the shower were opening TONS of gifts, holding baby Joel (the newest Archer boy), and just talking with many beloved women I haven’t seen in a long time. It was a special, special event.
That evening, Kayle and I met up with more Hinkle relatives for Casey’s “Strike” percussion concert. It was very impressive how they integrated so many types of drums, marimbas, cymbals, pots and pans, clapping, brooms, and piano into creative songs. As a senior, Casey played a different instrument in nearly every number, and baby Hinkle could certainly hear the big bass booms. He was kicking me like crazy as he danced in there! After the show, I was delighted to run into Claire Timmer, a young lady I used to babysit starting at age 5. She is now a junior in high school!
Sunday was our last party day, this time an open house for Casey. Kayle spent the baby shower hours the day before helping to set up, so things would be all ready for an afternoon party after church. My family attended Peace Church in the morning and heard our youth pastor preach a good sermon on the doctrine of Scripture. We also saw our college age leaders (the Schmids), some friends from youth group (Steve and Sarah), and many other familiar faces who congratulated us on our pregnancy. After church, we enjoyed a very busy open house at the Hinkle’s. To give you an idea, I believe the party consumed a full 40 pizzas, an entire Costco cake, every chocolate chip cookie, and several big bowls of fruit salad. Kayle and I mostly took the opportunity to relax, visit with family, talk to a high school friend (Conall), throw the Frisbee for Cooper, and play some tennis.
After the open house, Kayle and I dropped by for a couple hours to say “hi” to the Jacobson family with whom I spent many sleepovers throughout middle and high school. It was great to see a trio of very tall Jacobson brothers, meet the eldest brother’s wife and daughter, and visit with Emily and her parents. We talked a lot about Mr. Jacobson’s new job in Saudi Arabia and the culture and politics of the Middle East right now. Finally, we rounded out the day with a London Broil dinner (personal request!) and a game of dominoes at the Maxey house. We were privileged this time to meet Dani’s boyfriend, Kevin, and spend some time with our Oskamp grandma. I hit it off well with Kevin, who is a HUGE Notre Dame fan, and even won the game of dominoes (and it was COMPETITIVE as always).
Our last day in Michigan was spent just hanging out at the Hinkle household. Kayle played many games of tennis with Siang, Cody, dad, and Esther Khim. I enjoyed just talking with Cody and Thim and overseeing some onesie decorating. I even had time to read a book and take a nap! In the evening, Kayle went with his family to Casey’s piano recital while I drove to the “new mall” to go shopping with Dani. We both had Groupons for Old Navy and perused the maternity section. I came away with a cute striped skirt, long dress, shorts, and jeans thanks to my fashion-expert sister. I pretty much take her clothes shopping with me every chance I get. (I NEED HELP!) We celebrated our purchases with dinner at Olga’s before Dani had to drive back to Allendale and get to sleep for work the next morning.
On Tuesday morning, our trip was already over! Every visit to Michigan now seems far too short, but we consoled ourselves with assurances that many would visit when our son is born and we would be back again with him early next year. I could go on and on about how grateful we are for the love of all the people who went out of their way to see us, spend time with us, and bless us with their generosity. WE LOVE YOU ALL SO, SO MUCH!! I can’t wait to introduce our son to the gigantic, loving community that we enjoy in 2 states…
Angie and Kayle
To view all the pictures from our Michigan trip (and everything else we’re up to):
https://picasaweb.google.com/Angie.Hinkle
We arrived in Grand Rapids on Wednesday afternoon after two short layovers in Denver and Milwaukee. After waking up bright and early at 3:30 Seattle-time to catch our 1st flight at 6:15am, we landed on time, with no delays whatsoever, at 4:15pm Michigan time. That evening was spent saying “hi” to both families, visiting my mom at work, eating dinner with my dad, and going over to Hinkle’s twice.
On Thursday, we kicked off party weekend with Aaron’s open house. Both the youngest (biological) siblings graduated from high school this year, which is still hard for us oldests to fully believe. Living away for so long can make it seem like everyone back in Michigan is frozen in time/age- how jarring that the siblings decided to grow up while we were gone! Well, congratulations to both of them and best of luck at GVSU (Aaron) and Calvin College (Casey)!!
I spent most of Thursday morning and afternoon preparing a Maxey tradition for Aaron, affectionately called “the shrine.” Dad put up a giant board (read: wall) to arrange pictures, trophies, certificates, and mementos from Aaron’s life and school career. In true Angie fashion, it turned out “above and beyond” normal expectations and was meticulous to the last detail. I had a lot of fun sorting through a giant bin of family pictures, reliving many memories I had previously forgotten, and selecting just the right photos to show our open house guests. Meanwhile, everyone else ran around dipping strawberries in chocolate, putting up a tent (and tables and chairs), and setting up badminton. A party at the Maxey’s is quite an operation and, despite a little stress, everything came together just before the 1st guests arrived. Aaron had a lot of friends and neighbors visit, and Kayle and I received our first baby gift from the Pontious family. We managed to avert disaster after I accidentally set the tissue paper from the present on fire with one of the citronella candles- Kayle quickly scooped it off the table and put it out on the grass…
On Friday, we switched gears to prepare for party #2, a baby shower with my high school group of friends. We spent the day at the Hinkle’s, seeing Kristen and Cody who both came in from out of town (Chicago and Maryland) to see us. In the afternoon, Dani , Emily J, and Emily N-M arrived after work to feverishly set up for the shower at night. We were busy for a few hours cutting up fruits and veggies, making “taco soup,” arranging favors, decorating, microwaving diapers (after a quick internet search as to the feasibility of that), and numbering baby food containers. Thanks to all the planning efforts of our 3 lovely hostesses, the baby shower was fun, memorable, and delicious! For food, we enjoyed a baby bottle-shaped cake (courtesy of Em N-M), chocolate strawberries, a veggie tray, fresh fruit, and taco soup. We played an ABC diaper bag game (come up with a diaper bag item for every letter of the alphabet!), guess-that-baby food (thankfully no tasting involved!), and the old melted candy bar in the diaper game (surprisingly realistic and disgusting!). All of them were so fun, although the boys ran away upstairs to play Euchre at the first hint of a “girly activity”. We did, however, get them to come back downstairs for cake, presents, and onesie decorating. The onesies, of all sizes, turned out surprisingly well thanks to the foresight of having some animal coloring book pages to trace and lots of fabric markers and paint. In addition to completely necessary Notre Dame and Michigan onesies (Em J “sold her soul” to make that “Go Blue” for Kayle), we received ones with pirates, animals, space, sports, video games, and clever sayings. We took the extras to the Hinkle and Maxey siblings and parents to decorate too. How special for our baby to wear the handiwork of our loved ones for the 1st year of his life!
Saturday was the 2nd baby shower, this one more traditionally all the female family members, neighbors, and even some teachers and youth leaders from middle and high school. The format of the shower was much the same, except, having already played the games the night before, I could move around and take lots of pictures. It turns out, by the way, that experienced moms are MUCH BETTER at guessing what could come out of a diaper bag! The high score on that game was 38 points versus my winning 23 points of the night before. Some other highlights of the shower were opening TONS of gifts, holding baby Joel (the newest Archer boy), and just talking with many beloved women I haven’t seen in a long time. It was a special, special event.
That evening, Kayle and I met up with more Hinkle relatives for Casey’s “Strike” percussion concert. It was very impressive how they integrated so many types of drums, marimbas, cymbals, pots and pans, clapping, brooms, and piano into creative songs. As a senior, Casey played a different instrument in nearly every number, and baby Hinkle could certainly hear the big bass booms. He was kicking me like crazy as he danced in there! After the show, I was delighted to run into Claire Timmer, a young lady I used to babysit starting at age 5. She is now a junior in high school!
Sunday was our last party day, this time an open house for Casey. Kayle spent the baby shower hours the day before helping to set up, so things would be all ready for an afternoon party after church. My family attended Peace Church in the morning and heard our youth pastor preach a good sermon on the doctrine of Scripture. We also saw our college age leaders (the Schmids), some friends from youth group (Steve and Sarah), and many other familiar faces who congratulated us on our pregnancy. After church, we enjoyed a very busy open house at the Hinkle’s. To give you an idea, I believe the party consumed a full 40 pizzas, an entire Costco cake, every chocolate chip cookie, and several big bowls of fruit salad. Kayle and I mostly took the opportunity to relax, visit with family, talk to a high school friend (Conall), throw the Frisbee for Cooper, and play some tennis.
After the open house, Kayle and I dropped by for a couple hours to say “hi” to the Jacobson family with whom I spent many sleepovers throughout middle and high school. It was great to see a trio of very tall Jacobson brothers, meet the eldest brother’s wife and daughter, and visit with Emily and her parents. We talked a lot about Mr. Jacobson’s new job in Saudi Arabia and the culture and politics of the Middle East right now. Finally, we rounded out the day with a London Broil dinner (personal request!) and a game of dominoes at the Maxey house. We were privileged this time to meet Dani’s boyfriend, Kevin, and spend some time with our Oskamp grandma. I hit it off well with Kevin, who is a HUGE Notre Dame fan, and even won the game of dominoes (and it was COMPETITIVE as always).
Our last day in Michigan was spent just hanging out at the Hinkle household. Kayle played many games of tennis with Siang, Cody, dad, and Esther Khim. I enjoyed just talking with Cody and Thim and overseeing some onesie decorating. I even had time to read a book and take a nap! In the evening, Kayle went with his family to Casey’s piano recital while I drove to the “new mall” to go shopping with Dani. We both had Groupons for Old Navy and perused the maternity section. I came away with a cute striped skirt, long dress, shorts, and jeans thanks to my fashion-expert sister. I pretty much take her clothes shopping with me every chance I get. (I NEED HELP!) We celebrated our purchases with dinner at Olga’s before Dani had to drive back to Allendale and get to sleep for work the next morning.
On Tuesday morning, our trip was already over! Every visit to Michigan now seems far too short, but we consoled ourselves with assurances that many would visit when our son is born and we would be back again with him early next year. I could go on and on about how grateful we are for the love of all the people who went out of their way to see us, spend time with us, and bless us with their generosity. WE LOVE YOU ALL SO, SO MUCH!! I can’t wait to introduce our son to the gigantic, loving community that we enjoy in 2 states…
Angie and Kayle
To view all the pictures from our Michigan trip (and everything else we’re up to):
https://picasaweb.google.com/Angie.Hinkle
Friday, June 3, 2011
Hawaiian Babymoon
What a great trip! Our week in Maui was just perfect for relaxation, adventure, and a little romance before baby Hinkle arrives. Here are just a few highlights from our wonderful vacation:
-We rented a beautiful house in Kihei, on south Maui, very close to the best beaches on the island. Jonathan, who owns the house, was very nice and accomodating. He gave us dinner recommendations and answered many random questions, since he's been living on the island since before we were born. He said Hawaii was "discovered" by the tourist industry in the 70s and really picked up and commercialized in the 80s. The house itself had a beautiful kitchen where we cooked breakfast everyday, packed lunches for the beach, cut up pineapples, watermelons, and mangos, and made lots of fruit smoothies. We also had access to a master bedroom, lovely backyard with hottub, outdoor grill, and shed full of beach gear. I don't think Kayle could've picked a better place to stay on the island!
-Most of our free time was spent relaxing and swimming at the many pristine beaches in Maui. We especially enjoyed the beaches in Makena, the very southern end of the island. Kayle enjoyed some Kindle reading (Hunger Games and Robinson Crusoe) under various trees, keeping an eye on me as I swam and snorkeled near the shore. I also enjoyed several naps on the sand and beach picnics with cut fruit, beef jerky, and sandwiches. One day, we went boogie boarding on some small waves at Makena state park. We could sometimes manage to ride the wave all the way up on the beach with just an inch of water left underneath the board. And don't worry moms: both of us were careful not to burn in the sun, wearing sunscreen everyday and lathering on the aloe at night. We got a little red, on our shoulders, cheeks, and especially the top of Kayle's head, but no peeling for either of us!
-One of the most exciting days featured a 5-hour boat cruise and snorkeling tour. We left in the morning by 8:30 and were served breakfast and lunch on the boat. Our first snorkel stop was Molokini island, a federally protected marine reserve with a brilliant coral reef, tons of colorful fish of all shapes and sizes, and visibility underwater up to 150 feet. Kayle and I swam around together for an hour, admiring almost every kind of fish in Finding Nemo and more. It was like swimming in a giant aquarium! The second snorkeling site was off Makena beach and aptly nicknamed "Turtle Town" for all the giant green sea turtles that live there. We saw 3-4 different turtles of varying sizes. One of them was definitely bigger than me (they can grow up to 5 feet long and 450 lbs). I almost swam right into him as he surfaced since I was looking the wrong direction while kicking with my flippers. It was so awe-inspiring to see the turtles swimming along at a leisurely pace only a few feet beneath us. It all made me think about how wondrously creative God is with all the creatures he has made. If this earth is so magnificent, I wonder how much more awesome the new earth will be with all its splendor and no sin, death, crying, or pain! Revelation 21-22 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible.
-Kayle and I spent one day walking around the historic town of Lahaina, which is now filled with art booths and tourist shops. We loved the giant Banyan tree that spread out to shade an entire park by having aerial roots that drop down to form trunks to support an ever-expanding canopy. We walked down the street, ate some flavored "shaved ice", visited some little shops, and stopped in an antique home owned by the first missionary family to Hawaii (they landed on the island after a 6 month voyage around South America in 1823). My favorite store was a greenhouse and bird store that sold bonsai trees, plumeria plants, and all sorts of parrots. I was delighted to hold two of the birds and exchange some short phrases with a talkative cockatoo (who got very jealous and squawked when I left to go hold another parrot for a while- parrots are a lot like toddlers, it seems). The store also featured a pair of mini potbelly piglets that had a whopping $2000 pricetag (each!). Here we also bought my favorite souvenir, a baby board book of tropical animals with English and Hawaiian names. In the evening, we ate a small dinner at the Sheraton hotel before watching a torch-lighting and cliff diving ceremony on the beach at sunset.
-On our last night in Maui, Kayle took me to a nice beachside restaurant called the Waterfront. The luaus we wanted to attend were sold out, so we decided to splurge on a fancy dinner at sunset instead. The food was incredible with a stunning view of the harbor as the sun went down. We enjoyed a baked brie appetizer, prime rib and machong (a mild ocean white fish) for entrees, and a brownie sundae for dessert. A wonderful end to a very memorable vacation!
All in all, we enjoyed our little slice of paradise but were ready to return home to prepare for our next trip to Michigan. In Hawaii, people kept asking us whether we were on our honeymoon- I guess we looked so young and happy to them just smiling ear to ear and holding hands all the time. I just turned sideways to show them my growing baby bump and said we were expecting our first baby in October. Oh...and baby Hinkle enjoyed himself in Hawaii too. I feel a little more distinct and frequent kicking now as he rolls around in my belly!
We love you all!
Angie and Kayle
For more pictures from our Hawaii trip: https://picasaweb.google.com/Angie.Hinkle/MauiBabymoon2011#
-We rented a beautiful house in Kihei, on south Maui, very close to the best beaches on the island. Jonathan, who owns the house, was very nice and accomodating. He gave us dinner recommendations and answered many random questions, since he's been living on the island since before we were born. He said Hawaii was "discovered" by the tourist industry in the 70s and really picked up and commercialized in the 80s. The house itself had a beautiful kitchen where we cooked breakfast everyday, packed lunches for the beach, cut up pineapples, watermelons, and mangos, and made lots of fruit smoothies. We also had access to a master bedroom, lovely backyard with hottub, outdoor grill, and shed full of beach gear. I don't think Kayle could've picked a better place to stay on the island!
-Most of our free time was spent relaxing and swimming at the many pristine beaches in Maui. We especially enjoyed the beaches in Makena, the very southern end of the island. Kayle enjoyed some Kindle reading (Hunger Games and Robinson Crusoe) under various trees, keeping an eye on me as I swam and snorkeled near the shore. I also enjoyed several naps on the sand and beach picnics with cut fruit, beef jerky, and sandwiches. One day, we went boogie boarding on some small waves at Makena state park. We could sometimes manage to ride the wave all the way up on the beach with just an inch of water left underneath the board. And don't worry moms: both of us were careful not to burn in the sun, wearing sunscreen everyday and lathering on the aloe at night. We got a little red, on our shoulders, cheeks, and especially the top of Kayle's head, but no peeling for either of us!
-One of the most exciting days featured a 5-hour boat cruise and snorkeling tour. We left in the morning by 8:30 and were served breakfast and lunch on the boat. Our first snorkel stop was Molokini island, a federally protected marine reserve with a brilliant coral reef, tons of colorful fish of all shapes and sizes, and visibility underwater up to 150 feet. Kayle and I swam around together for an hour, admiring almost every kind of fish in Finding Nemo and more. It was like swimming in a giant aquarium! The second snorkeling site was off Makena beach and aptly nicknamed "Turtle Town" for all the giant green sea turtles that live there. We saw 3-4 different turtles of varying sizes. One of them was definitely bigger than me (they can grow up to 5 feet long and 450 lbs). I almost swam right into him as he surfaced since I was looking the wrong direction while kicking with my flippers. It was so awe-inspiring to see the turtles swimming along at a leisurely pace only a few feet beneath us. It all made me think about how wondrously creative God is with all the creatures he has made. If this earth is so magnificent, I wonder how much more awesome the new earth will be with all its splendor and no sin, death, crying, or pain! Revelation 21-22 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible.
-Kayle and I spent one day walking around the historic town of Lahaina, which is now filled with art booths and tourist shops. We loved the giant Banyan tree that spread out to shade an entire park by having aerial roots that drop down to form trunks to support an ever-expanding canopy. We walked down the street, ate some flavored "shaved ice", visited some little shops, and stopped in an antique home owned by the first missionary family to Hawaii (they landed on the island after a 6 month voyage around South America in 1823). My favorite store was a greenhouse and bird store that sold bonsai trees, plumeria plants, and all sorts of parrots. I was delighted to hold two of the birds and exchange some short phrases with a talkative cockatoo (who got very jealous and squawked when I left to go hold another parrot for a while- parrots are a lot like toddlers, it seems). The store also featured a pair of mini potbelly piglets that had a whopping $2000 pricetag (each!). Here we also bought my favorite souvenir, a baby board book of tropical animals with English and Hawaiian names. In the evening, we ate a small dinner at the Sheraton hotel before watching a torch-lighting and cliff diving ceremony on the beach at sunset.
-On our last night in Maui, Kayle took me to a nice beachside restaurant called the Waterfront. The luaus we wanted to attend were sold out, so we decided to splurge on a fancy dinner at sunset instead. The food was incredible with a stunning view of the harbor as the sun went down. We enjoyed a baked brie appetizer, prime rib and machong (a mild ocean white fish) for entrees, and a brownie sundae for dessert. A wonderful end to a very memorable vacation!
All in all, we enjoyed our little slice of paradise but were ready to return home to prepare for our next trip to Michigan. In Hawaii, people kept asking us whether we were on our honeymoon- I guess we looked so young and happy to them just smiling ear to ear and holding hands all the time. I just turned sideways to show them my growing baby bump and said we were expecting our first baby in October. Oh...and baby Hinkle enjoyed himself in Hawaii too. I feel a little more distinct and frequent kicking now as he rolls around in my belly!
We love you all!
Angie and Kayle
For more pictures from our Hawaii trip: https://picasaweb.google.com/Angie.Hinkle/MauiBabymoon2011#
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)