What a month we have had! It's so interesting - when exciting plans lie ahead, anticipation time goes very slowly, then once the plans have passed and routine resumes, I look back and feel like an entire month just disappeared.
In the middle of March, we moved two streets down on the Air Force Base. They're renovating all of the houses, and ours was up next, so we got to spend a week of life moving. Well, Yoni worked and I hung out with the movers who moved us. Me, Adina and Libby. Thankfully, we got a lot of help. For the first two days, Aunt Gwennie came to help out while the movers were actually here and everything got delivered to the new house, and then for the end of the week my stepmom came and was a HUMONGOUS help getting everything put away and organized. By Shabbat, our new house was livable. Then the beginning of the next week we headed down to Dallas for Pesach. We had a wonderful time with all the family down there. Unfortunately, Adina wasn't sleeping so wonderfully there, and we didn't realize until the very end that it was the matzah I ate that gave her horrible gas and tummy pains. Once we figured it out though, she started feeling much better. She brought a little cold home with her, further disturbing her sleep routine, but I think this week we're finally teaching her how much she likes to sleep through the night. She just needed a friendly little reminder...
So that brings us to now - the second half of April. Hard to believe!!
Yoni is on week #2 on the flight line in T-1's. He's had half a dozen flights so far and enjoying the new aircraft. He said it's a good bit more difficult to fly than the T-6, but he's facing the challenge well and working VERY hard. I have two weeks left of classes for the semester, so I've been spending my days doing homework, finishing some decorating in the new house, and taking Adina and Libby for walks in this gorgeous weather.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
It's been a long long time!
I apologize for how long it has been since we made a blog entry! I guess I could make the excuse that I was in my last month of pregnancy and then came home with an infant to care for, but really that's no excuse. That should really be all the more reason to make regular posts!
Since it has been quite some time, there is a lot to catch up on!
November and the first half of December were rather uneventful. Yoni continued training on the T-6 while anxiously awaiting fatherhood, and I did as much walking and yoga as possible while finishing up a semester of classes in hopes that this baby would want to come sooner rather than later.
Well, our little Adina had a mind of her own and she was born 9 days after her due date. However, with this timing she proved to be smarter than her Mom. For weeks I awaited labor "at any moment" (as the Dr. claimed) and anticipated calling all of our family from the hospital to tell them to come meet their grand-daughter. Over the week following the due date, our parents came to Enid, rather than awaiting a call from afar. Adina wanted as much family as possible to be present at the moment that she came into the world! Her Poppy likes to claim that she waited especially for him to arrive, as she was born about 24 hours after he came.
The night of her birth was actually quite a riot! My Mom had been here for a week, helping us immensely with cleaning and organizing the house and being here for moral support. Yoni's Mom had come the Thursday before to help us cook for Shabbat and spend some time with us, hoping labor would come at any minute. My Dad and stepmom came on Sunday evening, exactly one week past the due date. Now it was Monday evening, 7:00 PM and we all sat around the dinner table finishing our soup, awaiting spaghetti and meatballs. All of a sudden I fell silent and everyone looked at me. My Dad thought I had said something awkward and that explained the funny face. Finally after about 30 seconds of everyone looking at me like, "What's going on???" while I sat in shocked silence, I managed to say, "My water just broke..."
Of course that created quite the frenzy with four parents all sitting around the table! For the next hour, everyone bustled around the house trying to help us get everything ready while Yoni ate his dinner and took a shower and I drank as much water as possible to hydrate myself for the upcoming night of labor! We weren't in such a hurry to rush to the hospital, because contractions had not yet begun. The parents did not want to wait too long though, as I had been dilated to 5 cm. for over a week already, so there was no telling how quickly labor could progress once it began.
At 8:15 PM we arrived at the hospital (about a five minute drive away) and got settled into our room. The doula, Sarah, met us at the hospital and helped us throughout the whole process. I'm going to spare you all of the gory details, but in short labor really began around 9:00 PM, got painful around 11:00 PM, and our beautiful little girl came into the world at 12:38 AM on Tuesday morning, December 22, 2009. Thank G-d, the entire process went smoothly and quickly. I was able to deliver her without any medication. Our nurse was actually unusually traditional and allowed me to go through almost all of labor out of bed, and never even made me get a hep-lock. They took a bit of blood upon admission to the hospital, and besides that I never had to see another needle. Having Sarah there made the entire experience so much more enjoyable and doable. I HIGHLY recommend a doula to anybody attempting a natural childbirth!
Right after Adina's birth, Yoni cut the cord and I got to hold her and nurse her for over an hour. Then all of the grandparents that had been waiting so *patiently* in the waiting room (well, they began in the waiting room, and had since creeped closer and closer to the delivery room with excitement each time they heard more news) came to meet our little miracle.
Here's a picture of her from those first few hours, laying on me:
That following week seems like a bit of a blur. We came home from the hospital around noon on Wednesday, and for the remainder of the week, my life consisted of feeding her every three hours and getting sleep whenever possible. Siblings and some friends came over the weekend for her baby naming on Sunday. It meant a lot to have so many people here to celebrate with us. Since it was a fast day, we got a minyan on base for the mincha Torah reading and had a bagels and lox seudah (festive meal) to break the fast. During the Torah reading, Yoni named our daughter Adina Rachel. Adina is a Hebrew word which means "gentle/delicate." This fits her so well, especially the way she always so delicately places her hands around her face:
We also chose this name in memory of my Bubby whose Yiddish name was Danya, or Dina in Hebrew.
Her middle name, Rachel, came to me hours after her birth in the hospital as very fitting. Out of the dozen names on our list, this one wasn't even on there, but for some spiritual reason, she's meant to be a Rachel.
That following week, all of our family left, and Yoni and I found ourselves alone with our brand new little baby. It actually felt surprisingly natural rather quickly. We now have a three person (and one dog) family.
Speaking of Libby, she LOVES Adina! She always wants to be in the room with her. Often this is to try to lick spit up and poop explosions, but she also definitely has a sense of protecting her. When I'm holding Adina in the chair, Libby either sits right next to me or lays at my feet with her bone. If Adina's in another room and begins to cry, Libby runs in and looks at me to make sure I'm doing what I can to make Adina happy. I have a feeling in no time at all they will be very good friends.
Before we brought Adina home, we sent our parents home with her first blanket to give to Libby, so that she could become familiar with her smell. Until we came home, and then for days afterward, Libby kept the blanket on her bed and cuddled with it all the time. It wasn't until we had been home for many weeks when she finally started chewing it a bit.
Yoni did not have to go back to work until January 5th, so we still had a good few days left to bond as a family. He went back on Adina's 2-week birthday, and I had my first day home alone with a dog and a baby! Thankfully, it went much more smoothly than I had expected. Adina sleeps most of the day and as long as she was in my arms she was happy. The hardest part of that first week was that Libby got a little stir-crazy, as it was too cold for me to take Adina out in the stroller, so I couldn't walk Libby or play fetch with her at all. Over the next few weeks, the temperature picked up a bit, enough so I could bundle Adina in the stroller and bring Libby to the field to play fetch with her friend Spice.
We've spent these past few weeks getting to know our adorable daughter.
Here are good pictures of her with Mommy and Daddy:
She's growing quickly and we're trying to cherish every moment! Last Thursday, at 5 1/2 weeks old, she smiled for the first time, at her Daddy! Since that first smile, she's been full of smiles!! It was perfect timing, because her Poppy and Grandma came to visit this weekend, and they got to spend a whole day with a smily beautiful little girl.
Over the past week, I finally put the finishing touches on her nursery, and we installed the video monitor.
She's begun taking naps in her crib during the day, and hopefully over the next week or so we'll transition her from the bassinet in our room to the crib at night. Her sleeping's been decent for a baby her age, but we're still trying to work on her consistency. About 3-4 nights a week, she'll give me a five hour stretch, followed by another three or four hours. Then there are a couple nights of multiple three hour stretches, and we still have about one night a week where she wants to be held all night and cries minutes after I put her down every time. Hopefully the transition to her crib and a good bedtime routine in her own room will help her start becoming more consistent in her sleep pattern. Her daytime routine is solid. She eats, burps, gets a new diaper, plays for 30-60 minutes with Mommy, then sleeps for a solid two hours until she starts the whole process again.
Whenever she's fussy, I wear her around the house in my Moby wrap, which is the best invention ever! It calms her immediately, and usually puts her to sleep within minutes. Some of her best naps are in there. It kind of makes me feel pregnant again, but at least now I can look down and see her cute face instead of seeing a big belly!
I hope to update soon and reverse my pattern of blog delinquency! Until then, I'll leave you with my favorite picture of Adina Rachelli after bathtime (which she loves!)
Since it has been quite some time, there is a lot to catch up on!
November and the first half of December were rather uneventful. Yoni continued training on the T-6 while anxiously awaiting fatherhood, and I did as much walking and yoga as possible while finishing up a semester of classes in hopes that this baby would want to come sooner rather than later.
Well, our little Adina had a mind of her own and she was born 9 days after her due date. However, with this timing she proved to be smarter than her Mom. For weeks I awaited labor "at any moment" (as the Dr. claimed) and anticipated calling all of our family from the hospital to tell them to come meet their grand-daughter. Over the week following the due date, our parents came to Enid, rather than awaiting a call from afar. Adina wanted as much family as possible to be present at the moment that she came into the world! Her Poppy likes to claim that she waited especially for him to arrive, as she was born about 24 hours after he came.
The night of her birth was actually quite a riot! My Mom had been here for a week, helping us immensely with cleaning and organizing the house and being here for moral support. Yoni's Mom had come the Thursday before to help us cook for Shabbat and spend some time with us, hoping labor would come at any minute. My Dad and stepmom came on Sunday evening, exactly one week past the due date. Now it was Monday evening, 7:00 PM and we all sat around the dinner table finishing our soup, awaiting spaghetti and meatballs. All of a sudden I fell silent and everyone looked at me. My Dad thought I had said something awkward and that explained the funny face. Finally after about 30 seconds of everyone looking at me like, "What's going on???" while I sat in shocked silence, I managed to say, "My water just broke..."
Of course that created quite the frenzy with four parents all sitting around the table! For the next hour, everyone bustled around the house trying to help us get everything ready while Yoni ate his dinner and took a shower and I drank as much water as possible to hydrate myself for the upcoming night of labor! We weren't in such a hurry to rush to the hospital, because contractions had not yet begun. The parents did not want to wait too long though, as I had been dilated to 5 cm. for over a week already, so there was no telling how quickly labor could progress once it began.
At 8:15 PM we arrived at the hospital (about a five minute drive away) and got settled into our room. The doula, Sarah, met us at the hospital and helped us throughout the whole process. I'm going to spare you all of the gory details, but in short labor really began around 9:00 PM, got painful around 11:00 PM, and our beautiful little girl came into the world at 12:38 AM on Tuesday morning, December 22, 2009. Thank G-d, the entire process went smoothly and quickly. I was able to deliver her without any medication. Our nurse was actually unusually traditional and allowed me to go through almost all of labor out of bed, and never even made me get a hep-lock. They took a bit of blood upon admission to the hospital, and besides that I never had to see another needle. Having Sarah there made the entire experience so much more enjoyable and doable. I HIGHLY recommend a doula to anybody attempting a natural childbirth!
Right after Adina's birth, Yoni cut the cord and I got to hold her and nurse her for over an hour. Then all of the grandparents that had been waiting so *patiently* in the waiting room (well, they began in the waiting room, and had since creeped closer and closer to the delivery room with excitement each time they heard more news) came to meet our little miracle.
Here's a picture of her from those first few hours, laying on me:
That following week seems like a bit of a blur. We came home from the hospital around noon on Wednesday, and for the remainder of the week, my life consisted of feeding her every three hours and getting sleep whenever possible. Siblings and some friends came over the weekend for her baby naming on Sunday. It meant a lot to have so many people here to celebrate with us. Since it was a fast day, we got a minyan on base for the mincha Torah reading and had a bagels and lox seudah (festive meal) to break the fast. During the Torah reading, Yoni named our daughter Adina Rachel. Adina is a Hebrew word which means "gentle/delicate." This fits her so well, especially the way she always so delicately places her hands around her face:
We also chose this name in memory of my Bubby whose Yiddish name was Danya, or Dina in Hebrew.
Her middle name, Rachel, came to me hours after her birth in the hospital as very fitting. Out of the dozen names on our list, this one wasn't even on there, but for some spiritual reason, she's meant to be a Rachel.
That following week, all of our family left, and Yoni and I found ourselves alone with our brand new little baby. It actually felt surprisingly natural rather quickly. We now have a three person (and one dog) family.
Speaking of Libby, she LOVES Adina! She always wants to be in the room with her. Often this is to try to lick spit up and poop explosions, but she also definitely has a sense of protecting her. When I'm holding Adina in the chair, Libby either sits right next to me or lays at my feet with her bone. If Adina's in another room and begins to cry, Libby runs in and looks at me to make sure I'm doing what I can to make Adina happy. I have a feeling in no time at all they will be very good friends.
Before we brought Adina home, we sent our parents home with her first blanket to give to Libby, so that she could become familiar with her smell. Until we came home, and then for days afterward, Libby kept the blanket on her bed and cuddled with it all the time. It wasn't until we had been home for many weeks when she finally started chewing it a bit.
Yoni did not have to go back to work until January 5th, so we still had a good few days left to bond as a family. He went back on Adina's 2-week birthday, and I had my first day home alone with a dog and a baby! Thankfully, it went much more smoothly than I had expected. Adina sleeps most of the day and as long as she was in my arms she was happy. The hardest part of that first week was that Libby got a little stir-crazy, as it was too cold for me to take Adina out in the stroller, so I couldn't walk Libby or play fetch with her at all. Over the next few weeks, the temperature picked up a bit, enough so I could bundle Adina in the stroller and bring Libby to the field to play fetch with her friend Spice.
We've spent these past few weeks getting to know our adorable daughter.
Here are good pictures of her with Mommy and Daddy:
She's growing quickly and we're trying to cherish every moment! Last Thursday, at 5 1/2 weeks old, she smiled for the first time, at her Daddy! Since that first smile, she's been full of smiles!! It was perfect timing, because her Poppy and Grandma came to visit this weekend, and they got to spend a whole day with a smily beautiful little girl.
Over the past week, I finally put the finishing touches on her nursery, and we installed the video monitor.
She's begun taking naps in her crib during the day, and hopefully over the next week or so we'll transition her from the bassinet in our room to the crib at night. Her sleeping's been decent for a baby her age, but we're still trying to work on her consistency. About 3-4 nights a week, she'll give me a five hour stretch, followed by another three or four hours. Then there are a couple nights of multiple three hour stretches, and we still have about one night a week where she wants to be held all night and cries minutes after I put her down every time. Hopefully the transition to her crib and a good bedtime routine in her own room will help her start becoming more consistent in her sleep pattern. Her daytime routine is solid. She eats, burps, gets a new diaper, plays for 30-60 minutes with Mommy, then sleeps for a solid two hours until she starts the whole process again.
Whenever she's fussy, I wear her around the house in my Moby wrap, which is the best invention ever! It calms her immediately, and usually puts her to sleep within minutes. Some of her best naps are in there. It kind of makes me feel pregnant again, but at least now I can look down and see her cute face instead of seeing a big belly!
I hope to update soon and reverse my pattern of blog delinquency! Until then, I'll leave you with my favorite picture of Adina Rachelli after bathtime (which she loves!)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Yoni soloed!!!!!!!!
It's been quite a day, so we don't have time for a very long entry, but thank G-d Yoni successfully soloed the T-6 today. With pristine weather, he soloed for just over a half hour in the pattern and thoroughly enjoyed it.
He said there's nothing like controlling an aircraft solo in the open skies to truly build confidence in the training.
Lots of pictures can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2112239&id=5401552&l=122b740d77&subject=Initial Solo
He said there's nothing like controlling an aircraft solo in the open skies to truly build confidence in the training.
Lots of pictures can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2112239&id=5401552&l=122b740d77&subject=Initial Solo
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
It's fall already??
What a month! With all of the holidays now behind us, we begin this new year inspired. Hopefully the whole year does not fly by quite as quickly as the past month has. Having a holiday every weekend and very busy weeks doesn't allow much time to notice the passage of time...
The last few weeks were filled with meaningful, enjoyable Yom Tov experiences.
For Yom Kippur, we went to the Chabad in Oklahoma City. It would have been nice to go to Dallas, but the drive back on Monday night would have been a bit too taxing. Regardless, we had a very enjoyable, meaningful experience with the Goldmans and the whole Oklahoma City community.
The very next day, on Tuesday, September 29, Yoni hit the flight line! In his first week and a half, he flew five times. Thank G-d, he's really enjoying it and - while working unbelievably hard - doing well. Unfortunately, the weather has not cooperated so nicely the past week or so, and it's been almost a week since his last flight. As a result, he still has seven more flights to go before he gets to solo.
During his first week on the flight line, I worked like a busy bee to get the sukkah and house ready for our special ushpizin!! (Well, our guests weren't quite Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov...but they were pretty special Sukkot guests).
Yoni's parents, Shuki, Cyrel, Sara Na'ava, and Gavi all came up on Friday and spent the first days with us here. It was wonderful having them all visit, especially for Yom Tov. The weather cooperated for the most part while they were here and with a bit of rain on Sunday, we still ate all of our meals in the sukkah and had ample time at the playground so lovingly described by Sara Na'ava as, "My favorite playground ever!"
Here are some pictures of the sukkah:
(From the entrance)
(Looking out the entrance)
We enjoyed many meals in there throughout the week, and it still stands in our yard awaiting a few dry days so that we can put it away and prevent mold from growing over the course of the year.
For the end of Sukkot - Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, we once again went down to Oklahoma City to spend the weekend with the Chabad community. There were a lot of people visiting for the weekend, so it was really great spending time with everybody! Naomi and Yaakov, the couple that we met in Colorado back in May, a couple from New York, Victoria, many more, AND all the regulars were there. Saturday night was FILLED with Simcha and Torah! Hakafot (dancing with the Torah) lasted at least 2-3 hours, and even ventured out the front doors to dance alongside Hefner Ave. Mrs. Goldman said she really wished she could take a picture of me, because I followed the crowd out into the cold donning Yoni's pilot jacket and snuggling with a stuffed Torah. That was my way of staying comfy and being a part of the festivities!
The celebration carried through Sunday and we came home late Sunday night ready to return (almost) to real life. Fortunately, Yoni had Monday off - for Columbus Day. I still had to work in the afternoon, but we got to sleep in a bit and spend a good few hours getting different parts of the house in order. We organized our storage shed, moved a lot of stuff to the attic, rearranged our bedroom ... all those good things that are saved for a day off.
I guess that mood kind of carried over to today for me a bit, because even though Yoni's back at work I rearranged the living room, scrubbed the whole house, and plan to hopefully clean out the fridge before teh day's end. Amazing how much I can find to do (including catching up on the blog) when I have a midterm to study for....
The last few weeks were filled with meaningful, enjoyable Yom Tov experiences.
For Yom Kippur, we went to the Chabad in Oklahoma City. It would have been nice to go to Dallas, but the drive back on Monday night would have been a bit too taxing. Regardless, we had a very enjoyable, meaningful experience with the Goldmans and the whole Oklahoma City community.
The very next day, on Tuesday, September 29, Yoni hit the flight line! In his first week and a half, he flew five times. Thank G-d, he's really enjoying it and - while working unbelievably hard - doing well. Unfortunately, the weather has not cooperated so nicely the past week or so, and it's been almost a week since his last flight. As a result, he still has seven more flights to go before he gets to solo.
During his first week on the flight line, I worked like a busy bee to get the sukkah and house ready for our special ushpizin!! (Well, our guests weren't quite Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov...but they were pretty special Sukkot guests).
Yoni's parents, Shuki, Cyrel, Sara Na'ava, and Gavi all came up on Friday and spent the first days with us here. It was wonderful having them all visit, especially for Yom Tov. The weather cooperated for the most part while they were here and with a bit of rain on Sunday, we still ate all of our meals in the sukkah and had ample time at the playground so lovingly described by Sara Na'ava as, "My favorite playground ever!"
Here are some pictures of the sukkah:
(From the entrance)
(Looking out the entrance)
We enjoyed many meals in there throughout the week, and it still stands in our yard awaiting a few dry days so that we can put it away and prevent mold from growing over the course of the year.
For the end of Sukkot - Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, we once again went down to Oklahoma City to spend the weekend with the Chabad community. There were a lot of people visiting for the weekend, so it was really great spending time with everybody! Naomi and Yaakov, the couple that we met in Colorado back in May, a couple from New York, Victoria, many more, AND all the regulars were there. Saturday night was FILLED with Simcha and Torah! Hakafot (dancing with the Torah) lasted at least 2-3 hours, and even ventured out the front doors to dance alongside Hefner Ave. Mrs. Goldman said she really wished she could take a picture of me, because I followed the crowd out into the cold donning Yoni's pilot jacket and snuggling with a stuffed Torah. That was my way of staying comfy and being a part of the festivities!
The celebration carried through Sunday and we came home late Sunday night ready to return (almost) to real life. Fortunately, Yoni had Monday off - for Columbus Day. I still had to work in the afternoon, but we got to sleep in a bit and spend a good few hours getting different parts of the house in order. We organized our storage shed, moved a lot of stuff to the attic, rearranged our bedroom ... all those good things that are saved for a day off.
I guess that mood kind of carried over to today for me a bit, because even though Yoni's back at work I rearranged the living room, scrubbed the whole house, and plan to hopefully clean out the fridge before teh day's end. Amazing how much I can find to do (including catching up on the blog) when I have a midterm to study for....
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Shabbat Shuva
Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat which falls between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, is an important and powerful Shabbat. During this span of ten days (from the beginning of Rosh Hashana until the end of Yom Kippur), the Gates of Repentance are open for the Jewish people. It is a time of deep personal reflection, teshuva (literally "returning"), and hopefully inspiration to improve oneself for the coming year.
At shul on this Shabbat, Rabbis often give a special Shabbat Shuva drasha - a meaningful speech of how to maintain focus - and they often input their own take on the teshuva process or some other aspect of this auspicious time.
Since Yoni and I have been traveling a lot already during training, we really had to stay at home for this Shabbat. We had nice quiet meals to maintain our focus, and did a lot of great learning. On our afternoon walk, I asked Yoni to give me a Shabbat Shuva drasha, since I couldn't go to shul to hear a Rabbi's.
Well, let me tell you - after the first two minutes of trying to get out of it, saying he didn't prepare anything, Yoni gave one of the best ones I've ever heard and it led to a really good conversation.
I'll try to convey it here, but my words will not do justice to the eloquence with which he spoke -
During this time of repentance, what are we actually asking from G-d? We ask to be forgiven for our sins. We did wrong, we admit that we are humans who make mistakes, and we want G-d to see the good we've done and allow that to outweigh the bad in His judgment. In other words, we ask G-d to judge us favorably. It's taught that G-d judges us how we judge others. If we are people who judge others favorably, and see only the good in them, then when G-d looks at us, he will see the good.
So that's the intro, and the context in which to view our judgment of others.
This concept applies on a daily basis, on multiple levels. It encompasses everything from instantaneous judgment of people you've never met to deep-seeded judgment of those close to you.
One unfortunately common example of judgment occurs within the Jewish people, with regard to each other's connection with G-d, and expression thereof.
Judaism is not a religion which looks down upon people of other religions for not doing things in a "Jewish way." One of the main facets of Jewish belief is that the Jews are a People chosen to live life in a certain way, and those who are not Jewish can be perfectly decent and wonderful human beings by living a moral, non-Jewish lifestyle.
Internally, however, Jews often judge their fellow's observance of the religion. Now to speak inter-denominationally would open a whole can of worms beyond simple judgment. To stay true to where our conversation led today, I am going to stick with the judgment within the "Orthodox" community. I use this term loosely, to define the span of Jews who keep the Laws of Shabbat.
This truth probably does not need much explanation. Anyone reading this who considers themself part of that group, has probably at one point or another found yourself judging another as either, "not observant enough," or "crazy ultra-religious." And if you're in the small minority of those that refrain from this judgment - first of all, kol ha k'vod - I'm sure you have observed it from others or at least felt the sentiments.
Who are we to judge a fellow Jew? Psychologically, I understand the human's need to judge others. Through demeaning another's decisions, one attains validation for his/her own choices in life. If an individual can look at others who express their Jewish observance in a different manner and explain why it's not as good as what they do, then they feel satisfaction in knowing that they're doing what is best.
This principle, however, goes against what the Torah teaches us about how to view others. First of all, we're never supposed to think we're exactly where we're supposed to be. We wouldn't have a need to continue living on this earth if we had attained true character and moral perfection.
And why are we living in a world with other people instead of in a bubble of isolation? To learn something from each and every person. We don't learn by looking at someone and saying they're worse than us for one reason or another. We learn by looking at each individual and searching for a positive quality of theirs which we could use to improve ourselves. Yes, you may dress differently than another, or prioritize Halacha (Jewish Law) in a different manner, but what good comes from dwelling on those differences? Why not look at the individual for the best qualities of their character and, if you must judge, judge them as a person based on this positive evaluation.
After all, isn't that what we're asking G-d to do for us? How can we expect Him to look at the best in us unless that's how we see others?
We wish everyone a Gmar chatima tova - may you have a year of Blessing and Good Health!
P.S. I made a bunch of round braided challot for the holidays:
Here's one of the plain ones:
And one with raisins - Mmmmmmmmmmmm :-D
At shul on this Shabbat, Rabbis often give a special Shabbat Shuva drasha - a meaningful speech of how to maintain focus - and they often input their own take on the teshuva process or some other aspect of this auspicious time.
Since Yoni and I have been traveling a lot already during training, we really had to stay at home for this Shabbat. We had nice quiet meals to maintain our focus, and did a lot of great learning. On our afternoon walk, I asked Yoni to give me a Shabbat Shuva drasha, since I couldn't go to shul to hear a Rabbi's.
Well, let me tell you - after the first two minutes of trying to get out of it, saying he didn't prepare anything, Yoni gave one of the best ones I've ever heard and it led to a really good conversation.
I'll try to convey it here, but my words will not do justice to the eloquence with which he spoke -
During this time of repentance, what are we actually asking from G-d? We ask to be forgiven for our sins. We did wrong, we admit that we are humans who make mistakes, and we want G-d to see the good we've done and allow that to outweigh the bad in His judgment. In other words, we ask G-d to judge us favorably. It's taught that G-d judges us how we judge others. If we are people who judge others favorably, and see only the good in them, then when G-d looks at us, he will see the good.
So that's the intro, and the context in which to view our judgment of others.
This concept applies on a daily basis, on multiple levels. It encompasses everything from instantaneous judgment of people you've never met to deep-seeded judgment of those close to you.
One unfortunately common example of judgment occurs within the Jewish people, with regard to each other's connection with G-d, and expression thereof.
Judaism is not a religion which looks down upon people of other religions for not doing things in a "Jewish way." One of the main facets of Jewish belief is that the Jews are a People chosen to live life in a certain way, and those who are not Jewish can be perfectly decent and wonderful human beings by living a moral, non-Jewish lifestyle.
Internally, however, Jews often judge their fellow's observance of the religion. Now to speak inter-denominationally would open a whole can of worms beyond simple judgment. To stay true to where our conversation led today, I am going to stick with the judgment within the "Orthodox" community. I use this term loosely, to define the span of Jews who keep the Laws of Shabbat.
This truth probably does not need much explanation. Anyone reading this who considers themself part of that group, has probably at one point or another found yourself judging another as either, "not observant enough," or "crazy ultra-religious." And if you're in the small minority of those that refrain from this judgment - first of all, kol ha k'vod - I'm sure you have observed it from others or at least felt the sentiments.
Who are we to judge a fellow Jew? Psychologically, I understand the human's need to judge others. Through demeaning another's decisions, one attains validation for his/her own choices in life. If an individual can look at others who express their Jewish observance in a different manner and explain why it's not as good as what they do, then they feel satisfaction in knowing that they're doing what is best.
This principle, however, goes against what the Torah teaches us about how to view others. First of all, we're never supposed to think we're exactly where we're supposed to be. We wouldn't have a need to continue living on this earth if we had attained true character and moral perfection.
And why are we living in a world with other people instead of in a bubble of isolation? To learn something from each and every person. We don't learn by looking at someone and saying they're worse than us for one reason or another. We learn by looking at each individual and searching for a positive quality of theirs which we could use to improve ourselves. Yes, you may dress differently than another, or prioritize Halacha (Jewish Law) in a different manner, but what good comes from dwelling on those differences? Why not look at the individual for the best qualities of their character and, if you must judge, judge them as a person based on this positive evaluation.
After all, isn't that what we're asking G-d to do for us? How can we expect Him to look at the best in us unless that's how we see others?
We wish everyone a Gmar chatima tova - may you have a year of Blessing and Good Health!
P.S. I made a bunch of round braided challot for the holidays:
Here's one of the plain ones:
And one with raisins - Mmmmmmmmmmmm :-D
Busy times :)
It's been a very long time since the last update - for that we apologize. It comes as no surprise, but things have been quite busy!
Last entry, Yoni was about to begin the academic portion (Phase I) of his pilot training. Thank G-d, he's been doing wonderfully and should begin Phase II with his dollar ride on Tuesday. What a way to start the new year after Yom Kippur, huh?
Phase II lasts about five months. During this time he will fly the T-6.
Within a month of his dollar ride he should have his solo and then progress through different check points as he gains proficiency on the aircraft. While this is a bit down the road, at the conclusion of Phase II, he will "track select" to a different trainer which he will fly for the remainder of his year of training. The most likely options for track select are the T-1 (for heavies) and the T-38 (for fighters and bombers). We'll keep updating about his training and G-d willing within a month or so we'll have some fun solo pictures to post!
During his training over this past month, I've been keeping pretty busy as well! School's back in full swing, as I'm working toward six more credits for my Masters, and I've been working Mondays and Wednesdays in the afternoon/evening at Enid Learning Academy tutoring high school math.
In addition to this normal routine, we've had some variations every week or two. In the middle of August, Erica came to visit for a night along her drive from St. Louis back to Law School in Malibu. It was wonderful to see her for the first time since the wedding!
Then, in the end of August, Madi visited for a few days which was really fun! We saw some of the "sites of Enid" (the town square and Wal-Mart). We also took a day trip up to Caldwell, Kansas (only about an hour away) to 1) Let Madi cross Kansas off her "states I've never been to" list and 2) See some cool history about the Chisholm Trail and the land rush of Oklahoma.
About a week after that, I ventured to the East Coast for almost a week. I got into BWI on Thursday afternoon, before Labor Day weekend. I saw a few friends Thursday night, met up with Courtney for dinner, slept in Columbia, and saw just about everyone that I know in Pikesville throughout the day on Friday. While it was very difficult because Yoni couldn't come with me, it was wonderful to see everyone! I then stayed at Shuki and Cyrel's house for Shabbat, and my Mom came by Saturday morning to walk with me to the Chabad shul for my cousin Menachem's Bar Mitzvah. Most of the family was in town, so it was nice to see all of them as well! Menachem did a wonderful job as a Bar Mitzvah and spoke beautifully - what a good kid (or I guess I should say "man").
The following day, I caught an early flight to Albany, NY where my Dad picked me up at the airport to drive into Massachusetts for another cousin's wedding (a weekend full of simchas!)
Alyson and Phil had a gorgeous wedding outside in the amphitheater at the camp where they met each other. In addition to the enjoyment of seeing even more family, I was glad to attend simply for the beauty of the wedding itself and their wonderful relationship.
Here's a picture of me with the family before the wedding:
The chuppah:
My "money shot" as they ran back up the aisle as a married couple:
The morning following the wedding, we joined the whole family for a brunch and then I headed back to Columbia, MD with my family. Tuesday morning I got my teeth cleaned (can't be in the town with the best dentist in the country and not get my teeth cleaned) and Michael took me to the airport to head back home to Yoni!
While this was a wonderful trip, I slept a different place every night for five nights and wore myself a little too thin. Needless to say, it took a few days to recover upon my return.
Then, lo and behold - Rosh Hashana was upon us! (How does time fly so quickly?)
Yoni was able to work really hard all week and do some things in advance to get released a bit early on Friday erev Rosh Hashana. This allowed us time to drive down to Dallas and spend the holiday with his family. Shuki, Cyrel, Sara Na'ava, and Gavi also came in town, so it was nice to see everybody.
Unfortunately, the weekend was not a typical Rosh Hashana in the community. Monday before Rosh Hashana, Cyrel's sister Shifra (who lives in Dallas - her husband is a kollel Rabbi), had a son. Thank G-d, the baby is doing very well. Shifra, however, contracted an infection and remains in critical condition at the hospital. The Doctors hope that with her age, and G-d's help, she should slowly be able to fight back and beat the infection in each organ. During these days with the Gates of Prayer wide open, we all prayed (and continue to pray) our hearts out that she should have a refuah shlema (complete health/recovery).
While it is not easy to see anybody go through something like this, especially someone so close to those you love, one thing about this situation continued to speak to me over Rosh Hashana, and throughout the whole week. So many people go to shul on Rosh Hashana, then come home, eat a meal and take it easy. They may go for a little walk, relax with a book, etc. Well not this Rosh Hashana. During every free moment that we were not in shul or eating, people arranged groups to read Tehillim, learn Mishnah, etc. The number of people whose prayer was enhanced in her merit must be in the hundreds.
It's often difficult to see the Divine reasons behind difficult experiences. Bitachon (trust in G-d's ways) is easy when things are going well. It's much more difficult to have that kind of faith when people you love suffer. For whatever reason Hashem made Shifra sick, I see so clearly how many lives she's been able to touch in such a short time by inspiring heartfelt tefillot (prayers) and commitments to learning Torah. Now we continue to pray that the merit her neshama (Shifra Bracha bat Mindel Fraid) receives from the davening will allow her body to regain its strength and have a full recovery.
For Yom Kippur, we are going to Oklahoma City, and then we plan to spend Sukkot here at Vance AFB. Our sukkah is already nearly assembled! All that's left is the light, schach (roof) and decorations (my department)! I am very excited, as this is actually my first sukkah ever. Here are some cute pictures of Yoni in the process of assembly, and hopefully we'll take some nice ones throughout the holiday to share in a later entry. :)
Last entry, Yoni was about to begin the academic portion (Phase I) of his pilot training. Thank G-d, he's been doing wonderfully and should begin Phase II with his dollar ride on Tuesday. What a way to start the new year after Yom Kippur, huh?
Phase II lasts about five months. During this time he will fly the T-6.
Within a month of his dollar ride he should have his solo and then progress through different check points as he gains proficiency on the aircraft. While this is a bit down the road, at the conclusion of Phase II, he will "track select" to a different trainer which he will fly for the remainder of his year of training. The most likely options for track select are the T-1 (for heavies) and the T-38 (for fighters and bombers). We'll keep updating about his training and G-d willing within a month or so we'll have some fun solo pictures to post!
During his training over this past month, I've been keeping pretty busy as well! School's back in full swing, as I'm working toward six more credits for my Masters, and I've been working Mondays and Wednesdays in the afternoon/evening at Enid Learning Academy tutoring high school math.
In addition to this normal routine, we've had some variations every week or two. In the middle of August, Erica came to visit for a night along her drive from St. Louis back to Law School in Malibu. It was wonderful to see her for the first time since the wedding!
Then, in the end of August, Madi visited for a few days which was really fun! We saw some of the "sites of Enid" (the town square and Wal-Mart). We also took a day trip up to Caldwell, Kansas (only about an hour away) to 1) Let Madi cross Kansas off her "states I've never been to" list and 2) See some cool history about the Chisholm Trail and the land rush of Oklahoma.
About a week after that, I ventured to the East Coast for almost a week. I got into BWI on Thursday afternoon, before Labor Day weekend. I saw a few friends Thursday night, met up with Courtney for dinner, slept in Columbia, and saw just about everyone that I know in Pikesville throughout the day on Friday. While it was very difficult because Yoni couldn't come with me, it was wonderful to see everyone! I then stayed at Shuki and Cyrel's house for Shabbat, and my Mom came by Saturday morning to walk with me to the Chabad shul for my cousin Menachem's Bar Mitzvah. Most of the family was in town, so it was nice to see all of them as well! Menachem did a wonderful job as a Bar Mitzvah and spoke beautifully - what a good kid (or I guess I should say "man").
The following day, I caught an early flight to Albany, NY where my Dad picked me up at the airport to drive into Massachusetts for another cousin's wedding (a weekend full of simchas!)
Alyson and Phil had a gorgeous wedding outside in the amphitheater at the camp where they met each other. In addition to the enjoyment of seeing even more family, I was glad to attend simply for the beauty of the wedding itself and their wonderful relationship.
Here's a picture of me with the family before the wedding:
The chuppah:
My "money shot" as they ran back up the aisle as a married couple:
The morning following the wedding, we joined the whole family for a brunch and then I headed back to Columbia, MD with my family. Tuesday morning I got my teeth cleaned (can't be in the town with the best dentist in the country and not get my teeth cleaned) and Michael took me to the airport to head back home to Yoni!
While this was a wonderful trip, I slept a different place every night for five nights and wore myself a little too thin. Needless to say, it took a few days to recover upon my return.
Then, lo and behold - Rosh Hashana was upon us! (How does time fly so quickly?)
Yoni was able to work really hard all week and do some things in advance to get released a bit early on Friday erev Rosh Hashana. This allowed us time to drive down to Dallas and spend the holiday with his family. Shuki, Cyrel, Sara Na'ava, and Gavi also came in town, so it was nice to see everybody.
Unfortunately, the weekend was not a typical Rosh Hashana in the community. Monday before Rosh Hashana, Cyrel's sister Shifra (who lives in Dallas - her husband is a kollel Rabbi), had a son. Thank G-d, the baby is doing very well. Shifra, however, contracted an infection and remains in critical condition at the hospital. The Doctors hope that with her age, and G-d's help, she should slowly be able to fight back and beat the infection in each organ. During these days with the Gates of Prayer wide open, we all prayed (and continue to pray) our hearts out that she should have a refuah shlema (complete health/recovery).
While it is not easy to see anybody go through something like this, especially someone so close to those you love, one thing about this situation continued to speak to me over Rosh Hashana, and throughout the whole week. So many people go to shul on Rosh Hashana, then come home, eat a meal and take it easy. They may go for a little walk, relax with a book, etc. Well not this Rosh Hashana. During every free moment that we were not in shul or eating, people arranged groups to read Tehillim, learn Mishnah, etc. The number of people whose prayer was enhanced in her merit must be in the hundreds.
It's often difficult to see the Divine reasons behind difficult experiences. Bitachon (trust in G-d's ways) is easy when things are going well. It's much more difficult to have that kind of faith when people you love suffer. For whatever reason Hashem made Shifra sick, I see so clearly how many lives she's been able to touch in such a short time by inspiring heartfelt tefillot (prayers) and commitments to learning Torah. Now we continue to pray that the merit her neshama (Shifra Bracha bat Mindel Fraid) receives from the davening will allow her body to regain its strength and have a full recovery.
For Yom Kippur, we are going to Oklahoma City, and then we plan to spend Sukkot here at Vance AFB. Our sukkah is already nearly assembled! All that's left is the light, schach (roof) and decorations (my department)! I am very excited, as this is actually my first sukkah ever. Here are some cute pictures of Yoni in the process of assembly, and hopefully we'll take some nice ones throughout the holiday to share in a later entry. :)
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Two weeks of family time and now the training begins!
Before Tisha b'Av, we headed down to Dallas to spend the long weekend with the Spigler family! These are Yoni's cousins from Israel who spent three weeks visiting Dallas. We had a wonderful time doing activities with them and spending some quality time together. We hadn't seen them in two years since Yoni and I were in Israel for the summer. The five children (Miriam - 10, Eliana - 8, Rachelli - 5, Ze'ev - 3, and Yehuda - 1) also had a great time with Libby. After the initial few hours of timidation, they warmed up quickly, and even became great playmates for her! They all learned how to make her sit and fetch, and during meal time they became her best friends as she sat by their side waiting for anything to drop.
That weekend, we left kind of early on Sunday, because we had to make it back home to prepare the house/kitchen for the rest of the week, and our next visitor! Early Monday morning, I left to pick my Mom up at the Wichita airport. She came with me to work that day, then we came home for dinner. On Tuesday, we spent the whole day getting things done around the house and running a few errands in town, then the three of us took the Turnpike into Tulsa to see Wicked. I saw it once with the girls in college when we did a road trip to New York, but my Mom and Yoni hadn't seen it, so we all had a great time - what a good show! It was also enjoyable to go into the city for the evening. We have yet to really venture to Tulsa, and it's really a nice city. Hopefully we'll get to make it there for a few more ocassions before our time in Oklahoma comes to a close.
After the fun-filled week with Mommy visiting, we went back down to Dallas for the weekend! Now, in addition to the whole Spigler family, Shuki, Cyrel, Sara Na'ava and Gavi came in town as WELL as Mom and Dad. It was a fun-filled, quick weekend, but wonderful to be with so much family!
On Sunday, we went on a daytrip with everyone to the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Neither Cyrel nor I had ever been there, and of course it was a first for all of the kids. We all hung out for a while as people took turns posing on the longhorn steer.
(Here's Sara Na'ava with her Savta - if you look closely, the steer was peeing while they sat there...)
All the Spigler kids!
Yoni felt quite in his element -
Ze'ev also had a great time -
Yehuda missed some of the fun, but he seemed quite content -
After walking around for a bit and finishing our picnic, we took a nice long train ride past downtown and back again. Here's everyone waving to the train as it pulled into the station:
Here's Yoni and me on the train:
Cyrel watching Gavi's excitement as he acted out the whole train ride with "toot toots", the arm pumps, and all, as he stared out the window :
It was very cute - Sara Na'ava almost fell asleep on Eliana's shoulder while they were gazing out the window on the ride back:
Aww - cousins Yoni and Ze'ev:
Sara Na'ava, Miriam, and Rachelli:
Adorable picture of Rachelli with Ze'ev:
All in all, it was wonderful seeing everyone and spending so much time together!
Now, back to life in Enid -
The week we returned from all of the family adventures, Yoni's academic phase of pilot training began! For six weeks he has normal length days of T-6 (the trainer he begins on) academics.
G-d willing, September 29th he'll hit the flight line and start the true intensity of pilot training. This will be quite a day - the day after Yom Kippur, my 23rd birthday, and Yoni hits the flight line!
It looks like we have a very busy, exciting few months ahead of us :)
That weekend, we left kind of early on Sunday, because we had to make it back home to prepare the house/kitchen for the rest of the week, and our next visitor! Early Monday morning, I left to pick my Mom up at the Wichita airport. She came with me to work that day, then we came home for dinner. On Tuesday, we spent the whole day getting things done around the house and running a few errands in town, then the three of us took the Turnpike into Tulsa to see Wicked. I saw it once with the girls in college when we did a road trip to New York, but my Mom and Yoni hadn't seen it, so we all had a great time - what a good show! It was also enjoyable to go into the city for the evening. We have yet to really venture to Tulsa, and it's really a nice city. Hopefully we'll get to make it there for a few more ocassions before our time in Oklahoma comes to a close.
After the fun-filled week with Mommy visiting, we went back down to Dallas for the weekend! Now, in addition to the whole Spigler family, Shuki, Cyrel, Sara Na'ava and Gavi came in town as WELL as Mom and Dad. It was a fun-filled, quick weekend, but wonderful to be with so much family!
On Sunday, we went on a daytrip with everyone to the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Neither Cyrel nor I had ever been there, and of course it was a first for all of the kids. We all hung out for a while as people took turns posing on the longhorn steer.
(Here's Sara Na'ava with her Savta - if you look closely, the steer was peeing while they sat there...)
All the Spigler kids!
Yoni felt quite in his element -
Ze'ev also had a great time -
Yehuda missed some of the fun, but he seemed quite content -
After walking around for a bit and finishing our picnic, we took a nice long train ride past downtown and back again. Here's everyone waving to the train as it pulled into the station:
Here's Yoni and me on the train:
Cyrel watching Gavi's excitement as he acted out the whole train ride with "toot toots", the arm pumps, and all, as he stared out the window :
It was very cute - Sara Na'ava almost fell asleep on Eliana's shoulder while they were gazing out the window on the ride back:
Aww - cousins Yoni and Ze'ev:
Sara Na'ava, Miriam, and Rachelli:
Adorable picture of Rachelli with Ze'ev:
All in all, it was wonderful seeing everyone and spending so much time together!
Now, back to life in Enid -
The week we returned from all of the family adventures, Yoni's academic phase of pilot training began! For six weeks he has normal length days of T-6 (the trainer he begins on) academics.
G-d willing, September 29th he'll hit the flight line and start the true intensity of pilot training. This will be quite a day - the day after Yom Kippur, my 23rd birthday, and Yoni hits the flight line!
It looks like we have a very busy, exciting few months ahead of us :)
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