My Family

First Day of Our Family Trip

January 2, 2021 // Esther Filbrun Leave a Comment

We’ve had a delightful family trip so far! We left fairly late Monday afternoon, and got up to Arthur’s Pass in time for a quick hour’s walk before we needed to set up for the night. I’ve been wanting to show the Devil’s Punchbowl Waterfall to the family for quite a while, so that’s what we did. I counted the steps on the way up—401 one way, not counting all the parts of the path that were not steps either up or down! Needless to say, we were all a bit puffed by the time we got to the top!

But the views…just gorgeous! This is from when we were heading out to the road to the pass.

Heading up the Arthur’s Pass Viaduct…a gorgeous, sunny day!

The Devil’s Punchbowl Waterfall:

After climbing up to the viewing platform, all of us children went on to the base of the falls.

Brothers in the rainbow. 🙂 Baby sister wasn’t very impressed, though, and wanted to go back to “Mum, Mum!”

My wonderful parents!

Baby sister had fun climbing down some of those 401 steps by herself!

View down the pass valley—this is the Bealey river.

Enjoying the sunshine and company at the end of the walk.

That evening, since it was cold out and the sandflies were attacking, we all gathered in the back of one of the vans on Dad and Mom’s bed and played a game of Ricochet Robots (a recommended game, by the way).

And thus was the end of our first day of traveling. The next were fairly eventful, as well—perhaps I can take time to get some more posts together about that!

Michigan Memories: Preparing for Moving

March 20, 2020 // Esther Filbrun Leave a Comment

Years ago, Mom bought a hardcover photo book on special, and I had fun picking out the pictures, putting it together, and sending it off to be printed. Now, that photo book is a treasury of memories, and it bears an appropriate title, Michigan Memories. Today, I thought I’d share a memory of my own from before our family moved to New Zealand—a funny one that I enjoy looking back at from time to time!

***

It must have been one of those beautiful autumn days in Michigan when red flame decorated the trees and the air seemed to nearly sparkle with the crisp joy of the season. Throughout the year, from soon after spring grass came up in the fields until there was little left to feed out and winter brought its frozen crystals to bear on the water in the bell waterers, we spent an hour or two every evening working to move our birds to fresh pasture. It was always a boring, but important job, and I tried many different things over the years to try to alleviate the boredom.

This year, 2009, for the first time, I had a camera—and not the kind with film that has a finite amount of pictures and you are done. This was a digital camera, and I could take pictures to my heart’s content—and I very nearly did!

Michigan Memories: Preparing for Moving — Climbing Little Sable Point Lighthouse with the aunts

I was eleven, still very much in all the joy of a girl whose life revolved around the different seasons on a 40-acre farm. We had a family business firmly rooted in said farm’s soil, and many hours were spent keeping it up. Winter brought many sled and skating parties with the cousins. Spring peepers brought hope to the end of snow and starlings, and later, robins, ushered in the warmth of summer about the same time Mom headed out to the garden with her packets of seeds and I felt the fresh coolness of newly-tilled soil under my bare toes. Summer was sunshine, avoiding mosquitos, staying up until 10 pm in the long twilight, and playing many games with the cousins in between building villages out of teepees in our woods. Autumn arrived with crisper mornings and Canadian geese riding high above our heads, their honking drifting back to us in never-ceasing cadence. And so the seasons went, each one enjoyable, full, beautiful.

And though change was coming on unsteady legs, I felt prepared for it. Excited, even. Around two months out from the biggest adventure of my life, I had much planning to do—and lots to pack into my new backpack. I’d been envious of my brother’s backpack for years, and now that I had one, I was determined to use it.

We were moving to New Zealand.

This wasn’t anything like the seven-hour drive to see my grandparents that we had done every Christmas since before I could remember. This was an adventure; the fulfillment of a life-long dream to ride in every conveyance possible. Because now, we were going to fly on an airplane!

And as I walked through the clover from one pen of chickens to another, the turkeys gobbling around me every time one of those straight “V”s of geese came honking past overhead, my mind whirled with ideas for all the things I wanted to take on the trip—things to keep my hands occupied for every minute, so I wouldn’t be able to complain of even a single dull moment.

I had my camera with me—an appendage those days, much more important than my carefully packed purses that, when I was younger, I’d been determined to take with me wherever I went. As the ideas raced through my mind and I tried to compile some semblance of a mental list, I realized pretty quickly that wouldn’t work.

Off to my left, a line of trees ran along the border of our property. Our pens of birds were spread out somewhat, and every now and then we had to wait a while for Dad to get one job or another completed before we could go on and do another job. While we children waited, we often ran to play in the trees—and, I suppose, tried to escape the work that inevitably caught up with us again.

That day, we must have been fairly close, because I found myself under the shelter of one of the tree’s branches. Gathering several leaves and breaking a few twigs, I arranged the leaves on my knee and held a twig in my hand, pretending to write. Then, I took a picture—to remind myself that I wanted to take a pen and notebook.

I don’t remember how many different pictures I took of leaves and stones and twigs that evening, trying to make a photographic list of all the important items I couldn’t leave behind. But I realized, about ten or fifteen pictures in, that it was going to be hard to even “read” this list.

Flipping back through the pictures on my camera, I reminded myself: Paper. Pencil, pen, a coloring picture, a book or two to read . . . and by the time I got to the end, I was already forgetting what the beginning pictures symbolized.

Dad called for me, ready to move the next pens. Tossing my leaves and sticks to the ground and brushing off my skirt, I pushed out past the sweet-heavy scent of pine needles and tramped through the spindly clover. I’d have to find some other way to take notes. I couldn’t write on leaves—for one thing, most of the leaves easily reachable were too little, and cutting words into them with a stick or sharp rock against a larger smooth rock took time.

Then, I remembered—wonder of wonders, I had the ability to video something, and video equaled audio! I quickly turned that on, and as I headed back to the pens, I rattled off in a just above whispering tones all the things I had been trying to remember.

Later, in the quiet of my bedroom, the curtained walls separating me from the rest of the basement, I rewatched the video, chuckling at the jiggling pictures of feet in crocks wading through the grass.

I had my list at last—and I was well prepared for my international traveling!

I’ve since had a good chuckle at myself, both at how eager I was to use my new toy and also the memory of the jerky footage of grass. But hey—you must use what you have at hand to record what you need to remember, right? I think that’s why some writers actually carry a little notebook around them—it’s a necessary element of their lives.

Have you used any somewhat unusual or unique methods to take notes before? Share below; I’d love to hear!

Also, would you be interested in hearing more Michigan memories?

Hope After Suicide

February 10, 2020 // Esther Filbrun 4 Comments

I saw a Facebook post today by an old friend who mentioned two family members who had taken their lives in as many months. He was appealing to people to reach out to others—to share their pain, so they could find help before going to such extremes.

And reading it, I saw the weight of grief behind each word. The longing that something could have changed before it was too late.

I know. I know what it’s like.

And I don’t know what to say, other than “Oh, Lord, please be with that family.”

I was listening to the Compelled podcast last week, and one of the stories (here’s part 1 and part 2) I heard was of a couple, Rob and Heidi Fuller, who were unable to have biological children and ended up adopting. They also had a miscarriage part way through their journey, which further brought them grief.

During that time, she wrote a song that has connected with me deeply even before I heard her story. This video is Rob and Heidi singing the song together.

We have to rest in the fact that He knows—even though we wish things could have turned out so very differently, He knows what’s best.

And for all of you who are struggling—reach out to someone, please. You are so loved, and so valued, even if you can’t see it. You’re one of God’s precious children. I pray that you’ll be able to find someone you can share with who will point you back to Jesus and give you His hope. Because He loves you far more than you could ever believe.

Hastings, North Island Trip 2019

January 9, 2020 // Esther Filbrun Leave a Comment

I finally got around to getting these pictures sorted out this morning! Back in the middle of November, smack-dab in the middle of NaNoWriMo, when I was more than half distracted with trying to get those 1,667+ words done each day, my brother, Simon, and I decided on the spur of the moment to take a 15- or 16-hour trip up to the North Island to help some friends move down to our area.

8 am on the West Coast highway—a beautiful time of day to be out driving!

We decided to go on a Thursday evening, after arriving home late from a trip across to Christchurch (which in itself was a 3-hour drive home!), booked our ferry tickets that night, and took off about 8 am on Saturday. It’s a good 4 hours up to Picton, where you meet the inter-island ferry, then you have to wait for a while until the ferry takes off, and once you do, it’s a 3-4 hour ride.

Boarding the Interislander in Picton around 1 pm

I was so thankful to be out of the vehicle, even if it did mean I was on a boat! I’m not one that necessarily enjoys traveling, but it was fascinating to explore the Kaitaki, the Interislander ferry we took from Picton, on the South Island, to Wellington, on the North Island.

Bluebridge ferry—the other ferry company going between the islands.

Once settled in on deck, Simon and I had fun exploring the top story (level 10), where we had a great view of Picton and the surrounding harbor! This boat had lots of outdoor seating (you can just see that on the right of the below picture) for fine days—unfortunately, it was far too rainy to want to be out there long the day we went. The two big orange things in the middle of the picture are lifeboats, and in the distance on the middle left, you can see a white warehouse with “Edwin Fox” on it. If you are ever in Picton, I’d highly recommend you go there!

To our right, there was a little sailing club of some kind. All the white sails are people learning how to sail; it was fascinating to watch them learn to tack with the wind! They balanced the one-person boats by shifting their weight from one side to the other. Several almost capsized while we watched, then they quickly slid over to the other side and turned the sail to get them back on course.

Finally on our way! The Marlborough Sounds were absolutely beautiful, even if it was an overcast, rainy day.

A mussel farm:

There was also an outdoor viewing platform that ran almost all the way around deck 7, underneath the lifeboats on deck 8 (we saw the tops of them from deck 10). Simon and I spent a lot of time exploring around there, too, and it was nice to be sheltered a little from the weather while still having a clear view of the scenery.

There were LOTS of houses dotted among all the different islands and formations in the sounds! I was somewhat surprised at the number, but I think it would be lovely to have one of these secluded places as a summer holiday spot.

We saw quite a few salmon farms, too:

And more mussel farms . . . I didn’t count, but I know there were a good number of these, too!

Wellington harbor, at last! Once you disembark at Wellington, there’s approximately another 4-hour drive up to Hastings, where our friends lived.

Coming into the dock . . . Wellington was a bit sunnier than Picton had been!

Even though it was a bit early to eat, Simon and I got fish and chips in Upper Hutt, then wound our way up into the hills toward the Remutaka Pass, looking for a place to pull off to eat. We found a nice quiet place overlooking the Macaskill Lakes—what a lovely spot! Water from the Hutt River is pumped up into these lakes when the river water is clean, and then it is held here for use as Wellington’s water supply when needed. It was quite the view to enjoy after driving or riding the ferry all day, and we felt quite refreshed when we hit the road again by 5:30 or 6.

We finally arrived in Hastings about 11 pm. To say we were bushed feels like an understatement! Sunday, we got to rest, then Sunday afternoon and evening, we loaded up.

Then on the road again Monday morning by 7 am, and down to the ferry in Wellington by noon! It was raining fairly hard Monday, but from our place in line, we still enjoyed our view of the Kiarahi, the Interislander ferry that took us from Wellington to Picton.

Just a tiny portion of Wellington, our nation’s capital, here:

Pulling up the ropes and casting off—farewell, Wellington! I wasn’t so sad to be leaving. I much prefer our quieter roads here on the South Island!

The second sailing was slightly rougher at first than our sailing Saturday. But about half-way across Cook Strait, the waves smoothed out—I was thankful for that! Can you see the two white specks in the middle of this picture, just above the water on the hillside? Those were the guiding markers to help us enter the Marlborough Sounds.

The markers closer up, once we were in the sounds:

We met several ferries coming out of the sounds as we were winding through them. I think this one was the Kaitaki, which we took on our Saturday sailing.

And Picton harbor again—with the sun out this time! I was excited to be back on the South Island again. Only four hours to home from here!

In all, it was a great trip. Although I didn’t take any pictures up in Hastings, I loved being back up there again and worshiping with the congregation on Sunday. I spent three weeks there a year and a half ago, so that area has a special piece of my heart. I’m not sure I’d recommend taking such a rushed trip up there and back again, though. 😉

What was the last big trip you took?

Month in Pictures, Week 4

June 7, 2019 // Esther Filbrun Leave a Comment

I finally have a chance to sit down and finish this up! I had a delightful weekend—filled with visiting people and sharing life with different ones for a while. That meant that I didn’t take time to actually do much writing, but oh well. Here we are now!

Note: At least one link in this post is an affiliate link. Your purchase through these links helps support this blog at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Wednesday, May 22:

We’ve had a lot of rainy weather lately, but I loved seeing the sunrise early this morning as I got to work. So beautiful—and a great reminder of God’s goodness to us, even in dark times!

Thursday, May 23:

This is what happens when we run out of mayonnaise. My brother got home from work and discovered that his favorite ingredient for snacks had been used up, so he had to make more. (Have you ever made homemade mayonnaise before? It is delicious!)

Friday, May 24:

Somewhat of a rarity—I was home today! I loved getting to see the sunrise after a light frost last night. Light has just about got to be one of my most favorite wavelengths ever! (Wait…is that scientifically correct? I’d have to ask my brother.)

Saturday, May 25:

The reason for staying home from work yesterday was to prepare for our trip today. We took a trip to Kaikoura, about four hours away from home, to visit friends. About half-way there, we stopped to stretch at a little park, and the boys loved playing on the huge rocking horse that was there!

Bonus picture: This evening, we went out on Kaikoura Peninsula. We walked around the bottom for a while, then climbed a short track up to the walk along the top, and were able to enjoy the sunset from up there. There was a cool sea breeze blowing, but that didn’t take away from the experience at all. I had forgotten how much I love Kaikoura; we came here for church for the eight years before we moved, and it’s still a very dear place to me.

Sunday, May 26:

I loved being able to get up early enough to see the light on the mountains and autumn colors this morning! I miss these mountains. They’re so beautiful, but I do love the people that live under their shadow even more!

Monday, May 27:

Home again! Got to listen to several podcasts today, and one of them, from Focus on the Family, really struck a chord with me. They were interviewing Abby Johnson (she has something to do with the Unplanned movie, I think), and she said something that struck me as carrying a lot of truth:

“When something is right, it doesn’t have to be justified. When something is true, it doesn’t have to be rationalized. When something is wrong, we have to justify it.”

I wrote it down in my Bullet Journal, but the first attempt was a flop—which allowed me to quote another of my favorite verses to cover the mistake, Psalm 139:17! Yay!

Tuesday, May 28:

Tonight, some of the family went out for a meeting, and several of us others stayed back. After getting the jobs done, we watched a couple videos. The first was Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution, Vol. 1—a great movie about different animals and some of the unique features the Lord has given them! They talked about at least one animal I’d never even heard of before seeing it here! We also watched ABC Say it With Me, which shares 26 verses, each starting with a letter of the alphabet, for children to memorize. They have great skits to go along with each one, and this movie has subsequently become a family favorite! I love the fact that we can put either of these two on without worrying about having to skip bad content!

Wednesday, May 29:

Did the last picking of tomatoes today! The plants are all dead now, but we have had a wonderful growing season. Now is about the equivalent of the Northern Hemisphere’s late November, so I’m very grateful for how long we have actually been able to have fresh tomatoes!

Thursday, May 30:

Today was a rainy day, but thankfully I had lots of inside jobs to do at work! I snapped this picture as I was ready to head home—this is where my brother and I work.

Friday, May 31:

One of the few things that brings together our entire family every single day: Family Bible time! I’m so thankful we can learn from God’s Word together, and have an opportunity to discuss that and our everyday life together. What a blessing!

And that’s a wrap! Overall, it has been a wonderful month. It hasn’t always been easy; there have been days when I wondered what the Lord was doing, and what would happen next, but God has been faithful. I’m so thankful that He is faithful, because without His love and guidance, we would live pretty miserable lives!

What was your favorite part of this past month? I think mine was being able to hang out with my family, and being able to see the sunrise several times—something unusual for this night owl!

Month in Pictures, Week 3

May 24, 2019 // Esther Filbrun Leave a Comment

Wednesday, May 15:

A storm blew in, and I loved watching the clouds forming over the mountains that are visible from my room! The colors were spectacular, too, as different waves came through. It was sunny for a few moments, then I looked out and saw this!

Thursday, May 16:

I was amused, this evening, as the boys did a quick tackling wrestle match right before our family Bible time. #2 brother pinned #3 brother down first (#3 is on the floor in picture 1), then #1 tackled #2, and in the end #2 and #3 ganged up to get #1 brother down! It’s a wonderful life—and I love watching my brothers!

Friday, May 17:

Got a glimpse of the sunshine after a rainy day—I love seeing the rays peeking through over the mountains at work!

Saturday, May 18:

I got a shipment in with the last of the pictures for my sister’s new photo album! Mom stopped making them about 10 years ago, I think, as life got busy, so she didn’t have any printed out for my sister yet. Now I have 524 pictures to sort (that’s what I’m working on here), then put into a scrapbook! I’m looking forward to working on this over the winter.

Sunday, May 19:

It was a beautiful day for a walk—so that’s just what we did! I’ve been wanting to get a picture of this gravel pile that stretches along the local creek for a while, but the perspective of my brothers and a friend or two going along the top was too good to miss. I live in such a beautiful area!

Monday, May 20—forgot about the challenge

Tuesday, May 21:

Had some prep work to do for my driving course today, and also got to work on the photo album a bit! The latter was fun, and the former informative! It’s interesting (albeit a bit disgusting) to learn about how drugs and alcohol affect driving, and what the results can be.

This week turned out a bit different than expected, and it seems as if winter has moved in to stay. Today was nice and warm, but tonight there’s a chill in the air. I’m thankful for warm clothing and fires, and that our house hasn’t been too cold yet!

This weekend, we’re planning to be with some friends, which I’m really looking forward to. We’ll see how the challenge goes through that; I’m hoping I won’t forget like I tend to do when there are others around. Enjoy your last week of May, and I’ll see you next week!