This past weekend was the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah. It is the creation story in the Torah. This is the time where we read about the creation of the heavens and earth, the water and land, day and night, etc. While I was sitting at Shabbat dinner at a house that we have never eaten at before, I looked around at the group they had assembled. In the Orthodox world, most Friday night dinners are graced with numerous guests, and this one was no different.
There was the host family and their four children. Sitting next to them was a single mother and her two preteen sons. To their right was a family with two of their children eating with us and another spending Shabbat "down south" (in the south eruv). The parents were the guest speakers for Shabbat services and a ladies learning. Next to them were three teenage girls who were boarding "down south" and visiting for Shabbat. Then there was my family of four. The hosts (a Rabbi and Rebitzen) were very laid back and comfortable being a part of a diverse group. The children walked a thin line between sitting and playing, with playing taking the lead for most of the meal.
After the meal, and before dessert, the Rabbi did a little Torah talk. The discussion was on the Torah portion, which is the creation story. The Rabbi's take on it was that at this time of the year, as we are making new year's resolutions, starting the Teshuvah (forgiveness) process, and preparing for the holidays in general, this is also a time for us to recreate ourselves. We can take the qualities we were not as happy with this year and turn them into something we are proud of. We can improve on ourselves, as we are constantly a work in progress.
As I go into Rosh Hashanah, starting tomorrow night, I will be thinking of what I want to accomplish in the coming year and who I want to be. G-d is giving me the chance to recreate myself and improve on the areas that I feel need to be tweaked.
L'Shanah Tovah, Happy New Year. May the New Year be a Good Year.
My Kids
Growing Family
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Sukkah Shopping!
Since we moved into our new house (okay, since we started squatting there), our family wanted to start celebrating our Judaism in different ways. The first step is Shabbos (or Shabbat). Our family received a dinner invitation for tonight, and we get to walk there!!! The house is two streets away (give or take) and D is so excited that it is so close. We are also participating in a Shabbaton this weekend at the DATA (Dallas Area Torah Association) center. This is about half a mile from the house. As we start to unpack our boxes (we are making progress), we are setting up a hand washing station at the wet bar.
We also decided that we wanted to build a Sukkah this year. Since we live so close to family and friends, this is a great way to make every day of Sukkot special. I ordered the Sukkah kit, luluv and etrog this week, and they will be here in time to set them up for Sukkot. I know that D and Little L will love eating outside in the sukkah and will enjoy decorating it with us. What great memories we hope to make with our family and friends.
We also decided that we wanted to build a Sukkah this year. Since we live so close to family and friends, this is a great way to make every day of Sukkot special. I ordered the Sukkah kit, luluv and etrog this week, and they will be here in time to set them up for Sukkot. I know that D and Little L will love eating outside in the sukkah and will enjoy decorating it with us. What great memories we hope to make with our family and friends.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Blessings Abound
I realize that after G-d tests you, you are showered with blessings. And that, that we have been. We officially closed on our house Tuesday (yesterday), so when I went to the house after dance class, it was really "going home". But our blessings started before that.
On Sunday, I got a phone call from a woman I went to Israel with asking if she could arrange dinners for my family while we got settled. What a mitzvah?!?!?! We did not have anything in our house unpacked and the fridge wasn't even set up. We thanked her profusely and told her what a blessing the dinners would be. On Monday night, our first dinner arrived and it was so wonderful to come home to a freshly made dinner, especially since we still haven't gotten down to our pots and pans!!!
Tuesday night, another dinner arrived at our home and we were able to eat a healthy and delicious dinner as a family. We are so blessed that our new Jewish community is providing food for us this week to help us get settled.
As if a week's worth of dinners wasn't enough, there are more blessings. We have had three invitations to Shabbos dinner this Friday night!!!! Since we don't play favorites, we accepted the first offer. The other offers are working with us to find other times for our family to come to dinner. We are having second night Rosh Hashanah dinner at one house and will probably be doing next Shabbat with the other family.
The community around us is lifting us up and making us not only feel welcome, but a part of the community. Husband is already taking classes and learning. I went to my first Sisterhood meeting. The girls are excited when someone comes to our house to deliver food. What blessings we have living in our new house surrounded by a community that has welcomed us with open arms. This is my first time to live in a community where I knew neighbors nearby (as an adult) and where I felt this welcome and wanted.
Things are looking good as we notice all of our new blessings.
On Sunday, I got a phone call from a woman I went to Israel with asking if she could arrange dinners for my family while we got settled. What a mitzvah?!?!?! We did not have anything in our house unpacked and the fridge wasn't even set up. We thanked her profusely and told her what a blessing the dinners would be. On Monday night, our first dinner arrived and it was so wonderful to come home to a freshly made dinner, especially since we still haven't gotten down to our pots and pans!!!
Tuesday night, another dinner arrived at our home and we were able to eat a healthy and delicious dinner as a family. We are so blessed that our new Jewish community is providing food for us this week to help us get settled.
As if a week's worth of dinners wasn't enough, there are more blessings. We have had three invitations to Shabbos dinner this Friday night!!!! Since we don't play favorites, we accepted the first offer. The other offers are working with us to find other times for our family to come to dinner. We are having second night Rosh Hashanah dinner at one house and will probably be doing next Shabbat with the other family.
The community around us is lifting us up and making us not only feel welcome, but a part of the community. Husband is already taking classes and learning. I went to my first Sisterhood meeting. The girls are excited when someone comes to our house to deliver food. What blessings we have living in our new house surrounded by a community that has welcomed us with open arms. This is my first time to live in a community where I knew neighbors nearby (as an adult) and where I felt this welcome and wanted.
Things are looking good as we notice all of our new blessings.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Squatters
http://www.merriam-webster.com/ defines a squatter as: : one that squats: as a: one that settles on property without right or title or payment of rent b: one that settles on public land under government regulation with the purpose of acquiring title. That's us!
We are settling on a property without the title or paying rent. With permission of course!! So, last week was more than I could handle. There were tears, there was screaming, there were a few choice words, and there was defeat. On Wednesday afternoon, we were told that we were not closing at 8:30 AM on Thursday as anticipated. On Thursday early afternoon, we were told that we were closing at 4:30 that same day. As I was at the bank getting the cashiers' check, I was told that closing wasn't happening that day.
When husband showed up at the realtor's office for closing (while I was in route from the bank), they explained that we would be closing on Tuesday. We had booked and cancelled movers, we had gotten a cashier's check, we had told our family that we were moving, only to hit another brick wall. Our realtor had contacted the selling realtor and gotten permission for us to get a key and move in. This signaled hope for us.
On Friday, I met the movers at our storage units and we unloaded both of them. On Sunday afternoon, we cleaned out the fridge and got it up and running, set up the girls' room, put our bed together, and made lunches. To most, this doesn't seem like much. True, there is still an entire room full of boxes that we cannot walk into. True, the girls' only had one choice for lunch. True, I had to use the diaper bag wipes because I have no way to get into the brand new box of wipes (didn't leave out scissors). But, we spent our first night in our new house.
D slept in a bed instead of a pallet on the floor for the first time in a couple of weeks. The girls had room to play without us worrying about them waking others or breaking something. Tonight we will unpack more bags from our stay with my brother and sister in law and start to make the house our home, but for right now, we are squatters!
We are settling on a property without the title or paying rent. With permission of course!! So, last week was more than I could handle. There were tears, there was screaming, there were a few choice words, and there was defeat. On Wednesday afternoon, we were told that we were not closing at 8:30 AM on Thursday as anticipated. On Thursday early afternoon, we were told that we were closing at 4:30 that same day. As I was at the bank getting the cashiers' check, I was told that closing wasn't happening that day.
When husband showed up at the realtor's office for closing (while I was in route from the bank), they explained that we would be closing on Tuesday. We had booked and cancelled movers, we had gotten a cashier's check, we had told our family that we were moving, only to hit another brick wall. Our realtor had contacted the selling realtor and gotten permission for us to get a key and move in. This signaled hope for us.
On Friday, I met the movers at our storage units and we unloaded both of them. On Sunday afternoon, we cleaned out the fridge and got it up and running, set up the girls' room, put our bed together, and made lunches. To most, this doesn't seem like much. True, there is still an entire room full of boxes that we cannot walk into. True, the girls' only had one choice for lunch. True, I had to use the diaper bag wipes because I have no way to get into the brand new box of wipes (didn't leave out scissors). But, we spent our first night in our new house.
D slept in a bed instead of a pallet on the floor for the first time in a couple of weeks. The girls had room to play without us worrying about them waking others or breaking something. Tonight we will unpack more bags from our stay with my brother and sister in law and start to make the house our home, but for right now, we are squatters!
Friday, September 9, 2011
This is Just a Test, It is Only a Test
I am a firm believer in being tested by G-d. God tests us on a regular basis to remind us of numerous things including (but not limited to): patience, forgiveness, understanding, compassion, gratefulness, kindness to strangers, etc. Over the last few months (a little over 3 months), I feel that G-d has been testing our family even more.
On June 30th, we moved our family of 4 to a two bedroom apartment. This was a test for our family. We moved from a 1500 square foot house to a much smaller apartment.
On August 8th, we were tested again when we were ready to close on our new house, and found out that due to Mortgage Fraud, there is a law that the current homeowners have to own the house for a minimum of 90 days before they can sell it. Therefore, we were NOT getting our house yet and had to wait another full month.
On September 7th, we found out that we were not closing at the closing time that we had scheduled and did not know when we would be closing. On September 8th, we were given a new closing time for that same day. As I was at the bank getting our money to pay for our new house, we got a call stating that once again, we were not closing on the scheduled closing day. We now have a new closing day of September 13th.
I have had a couple of breakdowns, we have had numerous fits from children living in the chaos, and we have had numerous deep conversations. There have been kind words, hugs aplenty, and smiles galore. The girls have deepened their relationship with their Aunt and Uncle, we have learned to live in a smaller space and be considerate of others around us, and appreciate what we have. Our patience for each other has increased, while our quantity of things has decreased. The lessons we have learned from our tests have been immeasurable.
We realize that things are much worse for others we know. There is a four year old fighting Leukemia, a four year old fighting brain cancer, family friends who had one parent laid off and are living on one income, and so much more. Our situation is minimal compared to the trials they are living through. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are struggling with anything in their life.
On June 30th, we moved our family of 4 to a two bedroom apartment. This was a test for our family. We moved from a 1500 square foot house to a much smaller apartment.
On August 8th, we were tested again when we were ready to close on our new house, and found out that due to Mortgage Fraud, there is a law that the current homeowners have to own the house for a minimum of 90 days before they can sell it. Therefore, we were NOT getting our house yet and had to wait another full month.
On September 7th, we found out that we were not closing at the closing time that we had scheduled and did not know when we would be closing. On September 8th, we were given a new closing time for that same day. As I was at the bank getting our money to pay for our new house, we got a call stating that once again, we were not closing on the scheduled closing day. We now have a new closing day of September 13th.
I have had a couple of breakdowns, we have had numerous fits from children living in the chaos, and we have had numerous deep conversations. There have been kind words, hugs aplenty, and smiles galore. The girls have deepened their relationship with their Aunt and Uncle, we have learned to live in a smaller space and be considerate of others around us, and appreciate what we have. Our patience for each other has increased, while our quantity of things has decreased. The lessons we have learned from our tests have been immeasurable.
We realize that things are much worse for others we know. There is a four year old fighting Leukemia, a four year old fighting brain cancer, family friends who had one parent laid off and are living on one income, and so much more. Our situation is minimal compared to the trials they are living through. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are struggling with anything in their life.
Friday, September 2, 2011
A Community Inside and Out
Once in a while, a situation happens that makes you realize how blessed you really are. I am truly blessed to work at a school that is a community, inside and out.
This week had a couple of milestones and circumstances. One of our teachers had her first child's Bat Mitzvah. The daughter spent time on Chesed projects, learning, and creating a D'Var Torah. The staff rallied around the family and pitched in to either provide refreshments or to set up.
In this same week, a family was touched by tragedy. The father of three students suddenly passed away. The classmates surrounded their friends with love and support. All three grade levels left school to make a Shiva call. The Middle School held Kaddish for the students and their families who were sitting Shiva. For the entire week, every morning you would see the generations of this family praying side by side with our students. The students were respectful, thoughtful, and considerate.
The fact that our students stepped up and eased just a little of the pain that these children were facing is amazing. The family will never be the same, but they know that they belong to a community that surrounds each and every one of them with love.
This week had a couple of milestones and circumstances. One of our teachers had her first child's Bat Mitzvah. The daughter spent time on Chesed projects, learning, and creating a D'Var Torah. The staff rallied around the family and pitched in to either provide refreshments or to set up.
In this same week, a family was touched by tragedy. The father of three students suddenly passed away. The classmates surrounded their friends with love and support. All three grade levels left school to make a Shiva call. The Middle School held Kaddish for the students and their families who were sitting Shiva. For the entire week, every morning you would see the generations of this family praying side by side with our students. The students were respectful, thoughtful, and considerate.
The fact that our students stepped up and eased just a little of the pain that these children were facing is amazing. The family will never be the same, but they know that they belong to a community that surrounds each and every one of them with love.
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