Home again home again jiggity jig

Well I couldn't take it. After posting the last blog I booked it out of BC to cow town with the girls in tow to see Shaun and hang out until he was free to come home. We had a great time! We got to hang out with the Milner and Miller clans. What fun 6 adults and 9 kids pretty much take over anywhere you go. Let's see we had 3 six year olds, 3 four year olds, a 2 year old, an 18 month old, and a 8 1/2 months old. It was riot. The kids got along so well and played and played and played.

I hadn't been to Calgary since 2000. If I had to pick a city in Alberta to like it's Calgary. I have so many good memories there. That's the city that we would head to for fun times in college, that's where Shaun and I would go on dates when we were dating, and we lived there for a short while.

There is nothing like old true friends with whom you just know you are loved regardless. Shaun and I are truly blessed. These 2 families are amazing. Their children have the joy of children who have 2 parents who love them and whose families are stable and strong. In our world this is a rare and wonder gift to behold. I don't know...I've said it over and over again in this blog but it bears repeating. Friends that one has walked down the path of life with for a long time and still remain your friend are people to cherish. They are a balm to the soul. They are one of God's richest gifts here on this earth that is so full of heartache. They are a reminder of all that is precious and true. I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful that we got to spend unexpected time with THESE friends over these last few weeks.

Sad but Thankful

Today I came home from Calgary. I was in Calgary because Shaun is working there for...well he has already been there for 2 weeks and it could be another 4 weeks or it could be one more week. We'll see.
My mom graciously came and took care of the girlies from Thursday to Sunday so I could go and hang out with my husband for a few days. Last week Shaun came home after being gone for the aforementioned 2 weeks and basically slept the whole time as he has been working 12 hour night shifts.
Now here is what I am thankful for:
*I am thankful for God: my sustainer, the One who orders my days, the One who is all
*That Shaun has work and that he is a good and willing provider for our family
*That we are all safe and healthy
*That we got to see him.
*That this time away is not for several months or years
*That we love each other enough to achingly miss each other (even after being married for almost 11 years)
*The girls. I can't imagine life without them and they speak to me everyday of God and of Shaun and my love for each other.
*That the girls miss Shaun so much means that he is such an amazing and involved father that he is worth missing...a rare thing I think.
*That our bills are getting paid and some of our debt is getting a little whittled down.
*That I have a mom who is willing to give of her time, energy, and money so that I could go and spend some much needed time with my husband sans enfants.
*I got to spend an evening with my dear college roomie, Dorilee, and pick up where we last left off
*I am thankful for our students that live with us this summer. It makes the time not so lonely and miserable, especially Laura.
*I am thankful for Keiko my scary guard dog. She may lick people to death but don't mess with me or the girls you might find yourself on the wrong end of her rage.
*I am thankful that I got to go away from the girls and I am thankful that I get to be home and be mommy. I love my job. It's the best job in the world because of our girlies.
I am sure there are more things to be thankful for but that will do for now.
Really, Shaun being gone SUCKS! I HATE it. It feels like a part of me is missing and I physically ache. And you know what? I am thankful for that. I am thankful that after knowing him for 13 years I still love being with him and yearn to be with him and hate being away from him and can't wait to see him again.
Oh, and one more thing I am thankful for...that my husband HATES being away and he misses the girls and me. I am thankful that he can't wait to get home too!

Stories from Galiano

OK I have 3 stories...if you have lived in BC for any amount of time and know anything about the islands you will so get this...this is just SO the islands...
1) We went to the local pub to see if we could bring the kids in to have dinner. There aren't many restaurants on the island so we were checking out our options...Shaun walks in. There are 5 waitresses standing around talking. Not one acknowledges him for quite awhile. He tries catching their eye...NOTHING. finally he said "I have some wee ones...can they come in here and eat?" Every single waitress stopped dead and turned and looked at him with real interest. One of them asked him what he had said. So he rephrased it with "I have some small children. Are they allowed to eat here?" They started laughing quite a bit and then one of them said..."We thought you said you had weed! You saw how interested we got."
2) The next morning we went searching for some breakfast out. We went to a cafe and then the grocery store (which the cafe was attached too). It was 9:55 a.m. The gorcery store didn't open until 10 a.m. I finally got the clerks attention through the locked grocery store door. And asked her if there was any place that did breakfast on the island. She paused for awhile and shook her head and said in a long drawn out way, " Nooooo...we don't really do breakfast here." So after the pub and their interest in weed we figured they smoke weed into the wee hours of the morning while munching and just really don't do breakfast. We finally found breakfast at Galiano Inn and it was yummy.
3) There is this land on the East side of Galiano that was sold off by developers...there is a long drawn out story behind this but apparently the Galiano trust changed all the laws after this land was sold so that the people who bought the land cannot build on it because their land size it too small. They have something like 120 acres and you have to have 150 in order to build a house. YEAH! OK so these landowners have been trying to get the laws changed etc. It's been a long drawn out battle and not pretty. The road that runs through their property is the only access to a provincial park that is absolutely stunning (unless you go through Tribal Land...and you have to get permission to do this blah blah blah). SO what the landowners have done is put up a gate across this road so now people cannot access the Provincial park except by boat. Well the thing is I have this husband who figures that any gate is meant to be crossed, especially since he has a 4x4. uh huh...so we drove around the gate in the ditch...it really was no big deal and his cousin followed in his truck (which is a 2x4...so really...NOT a big deal). Now Shaun has done this with his dad, already, on a few occasions but this was the first time I had been here. There is a really nice road that you can drive on all the way up to the park gate. And not a soul around. LOVELY! So off we went. Going around this gate saves you at least an hour of walking on a boring road and makes it possible for families with small children to get to the beauty of the park right away and the beach with only a 30 minute hike. Well we had our nice hike...got back to the car and just as we are opening our car a man, a woman, and 3 dogs walk up from the road. They did not look like they had been walking long. They said "hi". They were looking at us rather curiously. Were very friendly. And then the guy asked "So how did you get it in here". I kind of smirked and said "Oh we have a 4x4". He laughed along with everyone else and said "oh yeah...my dad owns that gate." We sobered up rather quickly. He realized we thought he may be displeased and he quickly reassured us that his dad would find it hilarious and oh by the way he himself owned Bodega Ridge (which we had hiked on the day before) and we had his permission to hike there anytime as well (we had thought it was a Provincial Park...still unclear on that point). He then proceeded to tell us the land story. We told him our breakfast story from that morning and he laughed and said it was true. He ended up being a really nice guy and we saw him putting his girlfriend on the same ferry we left on and he waived and gave us a big smile...never did exchange names but he has a resort there so we know where to kind him and his girlfriend has a white Boxer and she would buy our puppy if one turned out white...nice people.
That's just so the islands...

His Extravagance...

We got to go to Galiano this past weekend. In fact we just got back today because we missed our ferry home last night as it was overbooked...but that's another story.

I love going to Galiano. I will be forever thankful that my in-laws bought a timeshare there. It's one of the most rejuvenating and invigorating places to go. There is so much beauty there.

As I was walking and driving around this time what struck me was the beauty that God created that we just pass by so easily. He created things like many different types of wildflowers that are just stunning...just to be extravagant. I happened to notice them this time. I really started to think about the extravagance of it all. I am such a practical person. I really struggle with buying things that aren't absolutely necessary when I could use that money to give to someone who could feed someone who is starving or give medicine to someone who is dying. But you look around at creation and you will see SUCH extravagance. I mean start with something like colour. God could have made everything with NO colour. Or He could have made everything very boring. But everything is so finely detailed, intricate in design, and beautiful...even the most "simple" of things. I think He enjoys being "Creator". I think it brings a big smile to His face.

But back to extravagance...these wildflowers that I saw were extravagant. And you know, a lot of them had sprung up right in the middle of a path so that it would be easy to trample them. Others had sprung up in out of the way places where not a soul would see them. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think God takes deep delight in the littlest of things that surprise us with their beauty. I think He was waiting with baited breathe for me to notice those wee little flowers. I think He was watching and when He saw the delight on my face...I know He smiled. Fanciful thinking? Perhaps...but I doubt it.

For me, this extravagance, simply pointed me back to Him. It is a reminder of Him and His extravagant gift of life He holds out to all who will accept.

Here are things the Bible has to say about His extravagance:

Ephesians 3:13-15 "My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God."

Romans 11:32-34 "Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes."

Job 37:1-3 "Whenever this happens, my heart stops— I'm stunned, I can't catch my breath. Listen to it! Listen to his thunder, the rolling, rumbling thunder of his voice. He lets loose his lightnings from horizon to horizon, lighting up the earth from pole to pole. In their wake, the thunder echoes his voice, powerful and majestic. He lets out all the stops, he holds nothing back. No one can mistake that voice— His word thundering so wondrously, his mighty acts staggering our understanding. He orders the snow, 'Blanket the earth!' and the rain, 'Soak the whole countryside!' No one can escape the weather—it's there. And no one can escape from God. Wild animals take shelter, crawling into their dens, When blizzards roar out of the north and freezing rain crusts the land. It's God's breath that forms the ice, it's God's breath that turns lakes and rivers solid. And yes, it's God who fills clouds with rainwater and hurls lightning from them every which way. He puts them through their paces—first this way, then that— commands them to do what he says all over the world. Whether for discipline or grace or extravagant love, he makes sure they make their mark."

Romans 5:14-16 "Yet the rescuing gift is not exactly parallel to the death-dealing sin. If one man's sin put crowds of people at the dead-end abyss of separation from God, just think what God's gift poured through one man, Jesus Christ, will do! There's no comparison between that death-dealing sin and this generous, life-giving gift. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life sentence. If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides?"

2 Corinthians 9:7-9 "God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out. This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God."

These things are true. I have witnessed them in my own life. His extravagance from a simple flower to much MUCH bigger things.

Think on Him and His way of doing life today...I don't know a better way.

Hmmmm...I wonder who the city kids are?

So we were at my friend Charlene's house for a week. It was a great time. I thought I would relay a funny little bit of it. We had 6 small children and 3 adults (and then 4 adults the last few days b/c Shaun came) in 1,200 square feet. They are off the grid completely. Their house runs on generator and battery power. Their water is well water. At night all the power and water are off. The week we were there the hot water pipes were frozen for the most part so it was an adventure to get all the kids plus adults bathed. They have cell phones and no computer. It was a nice quite week in that respect. No outside demands. It was -30 C or so so it was too cold for the kids to play outside. So Charlene and I needed to be a little creative to keep all the little kiddies entertained. They live in a BEAUTIFUL country setting on 10 acres that Charlie inherited. The river just down the hill was frozen so we got to have a little walk on that our last day. They are a beautiful and happy family. I really enjoyed my week there. It was a quieter life in so many ways. There were times when I needed to go outside to get something and I would just pause and listen to the quite. It was restful and peaceful. Just what my soul had been craving. In all, as I said, it was a blast.
These city girls learned a few things. Mercedes, when we got back home here in BC, noticed that some lights were on and she walked over to them and turned them off saying "we need to save power". Another funny thing that happened was a few days before we left (now mind you pretty much all the outside walls are windows so you have a great view) a cow walked down a hill (which is part of their yard) and right on down onto the river. Charlie and his dad had seperated the cows from their calves that morning and she had gotten out and was rather agitated. Seeing her lasted for a matter of about 30 seconds. It was hilarious the reactions of the kids. Charlene's kids ran to the window and started banging on the window yelling at the cow...Mercedes stepped back to the middle of the room and Portia started screaming and ran to me terrified. It took about a half an hour to calm her down. It was VERY obvious who the city kids were. Anyway, Charlene and I had a good laugh over it. So I thought you might as well :).

Lessons I got to learn from excellent role models

Well these last weeks away from home have been hard and yet they have been good. I am so thankful that the girls and I got to go on a visiting trip. It was hard to be away from Shaun the majority of the time. It was hard on the girls...I am not interested in the whole single parenting thing when my spouse if alive and kicking. The girls are not interested either. We all need, love, and adore Shaun. We love to be around him. There is a reason why God made 2 parents...it's a necessary thing really. I don't know how single parents or parents who's spouses are unavailable do it. I know that they must be haggard the majority of the time it takes to raise a child. I applaude them and ache for them all at the same time...but that's a tangent for another day.
On a little, yet important, side note...my husband is the most amazing man I know. He just rocks my world on a regular basis with his ability to be a great man of God, husband and father. I am blessed beyond measure. There is no greater gift to me than that. We are not a couple that likes to be apart even for the day. Unfortunately we are not independently wealthy so "for the day" has to be. We are not pillars standing alone. We go on a premise that when the Bible says "the two shall become one"...it means it and so that's how we do it...and yet again here is another tangent for another day.
Ok back to my excellent role models...one of the good things that was amazing about this trip was that I got to visit some old friends from college days. I got to spend a week in each of their houses and just watch them go about life. They both have completely different lives, in some ways, but they are both amazingly calm and competent mothers. They cook amazing meals for their families and have dinner every night as a family. They just love their kids. They love spending time with them. They love including them in their lives in even the littlest things of every day life. They are happy families. They have husbands who are devoted to them and the children. They work as a team. The moms are calm and not much ruffles them. It was a wonderful thing to see...especially compaired to the frantic world I seem to live in at the moment. I doubt I can express to you what I saw and the good it did me. It's not that their world is perfect. It's that they are content in their world and work to be Godly amazing mothers. It's not that the job they are doing is not exhausting. It is. They face the same challenges any mother with 3 or 4 kids ,who are all 4 and under, faces. They just do it with grace. They do it with joy. It's a minute by minute choice for them. And that is what they choose. Their kids are amazing children because of it. There is not much strife in their home. I don't know but somehow I don't see that much when I get to glimpse into families. So I have to say I was honoured and blessed to be able to watch and learn much from these beautiful women who I get the priviledge to call friend. Thank you Andi and Char for being such gracious and strong women. You are beautiful to me. Thank for teaching me new ways to be a mom. My family will benefit from the lessons I learned from you in this last month.

A few things that brought me joy

Ok so one of the first days that we were here in Sherwood Park, AB...we were driving to a friend's house for a visit and Mercedes saw some refinery stacks. She said, "Mommy look at that big ship". I started cracking up because it was so cute. Only a west coast girl could see a ship in the middle of the prairies. Then 2 seconds later Portia pipes up, "Daddy needs man music doesn't he mommy." when I put some Lincoln Brewster on while we were driving. Now on our drive here from B.C. (which is about 12 hours) we listened to some kids music and at some point Shaun got extremely tired of it. He pointed out that he needed some "man music" and he had put Lincoln on. So now that music is "man music". I just cracked up again.

I love having kids. There is always laughter around them. Some days I tend to take life to seriously, at this point. So I think (yet again) that my children are God's little reminder to laugh more. I like those reminders and I sure need them :). I will never regret laughing but I sure will regret being too serious and missing a sweet moment. That I know for sure.

Thoughts...

Haven't blogged in awhile. Needed to get some thoughts out. Have no idea what they are. I am in Alberta right now. Shaun is working 6 days a week and gets home in the evening around 6:30 it seems. The girls go to bed at 7. This doesn't leave much family time. We are in my brother-in-laws's house. They are gracious to have us this long. It's cozy for everyone. Keiko is in a kennel here in town. Liam is allergic to dogs so it's just not possible for her to be around. I miss her. I feel badly that she is in a kennel. I worry about her. It's weird to be out of my house and away from life. I feel at odds. I don't know what to do with myself. I never quite relax. My kids have been throwing up and now I don't feel well. So after all that complaining...I had an interesting experience last week. I was in Three Hills (where I went to college). While I was there a lady who was 36 died from cancer. That is young...only 5 years older than me. She had 3 children ages 10, 7, and 5. That really hit me. I just felt deep grief for her husband and children. And then I started thinking about how we are only guaranteed today. How I have heard to "live each day as if it were my last". The Bible talks a bit about this. Psalms 139:16 " Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day."

Merry Christmas

Well we are off to Edmonton in the morning. I got my hair done yesterday and tried some funky new highlights. I've found myself too reserved and boring lately so I started with clothes...new more vibrant colors and now my hair has the most unatural burgundy and blonde highlights...very European and Canadian looking...not at all American. Very fun!

I've been wandering around the house today uninspired to pack and yet getting more and more stressed due to my procrastination. I was going to go to bed early and then arise early but now I've gotten my second wind and am ready to tackle the rest of this project that I've been attempting all day. The girls were extra needy today...even the dog was needy...go figure. However, we did reach one milestone today. Portia went potty on the potty today for the first time...so that is the beginning of the end of diapers for us...I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Tomorrow Portia will have her first plane ride...Mercedes will have her 3rd. I just love this age. Both the girls are so animated and as they get older it just gets more fun. Christmastime is so much fun through the eyes of a child. As an adult I get too caught up in my to-do list...but when I stop and ponder life through the joyful and innocent eyes of my girls I see a very different world. I see a carefree and fun world. I see a world to explore. I see hope. I see SO MUCH more than my adult eyes take in. What a gift to catch glimpses of life as through the eyes of a child again. Jesus said something about that in Luke 18:15-17:
People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. Jesus called them back. "Let these children alone. Don't get between them and me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in."
Have a very Merry Christmas! I hope you see this Christmas through your child eyes. I hope you see the whole reason for the season. JESUS!