I Love Summertime

Well summer is here, mostly. We have had some wicked hot weather and I have soaked in every ray. Summer, for me, is the lazy time of year. The time of year to let your hair down and just relax. I don't think you actually end up relaxing more physically but mentally you do and that makes all the difference. So it's a mental thing.

Shaun is home now and I can't tell you how happy I am about that. It just makes my world go 'round the right way. The girls are more content...I even think the dog is more at ease and relaxed. There are berries to eat, flowers to pick, butterflies to catch, sunshine to absorb, tans to get, mud to roll in, and friends to hang out with. The world is beautiful and I am enjoying every second of it. I hope you too are having a relaxing and reviving summer.

Health Update and other things...

I went to the Naturopath after having gone the traditional route of doctor seeing a few doctors. They had taken tests and said I was fine. But I wasn't. I knew I wasn't. I knew because I had no energy. I knew because I was overwhelmed. I knew because I was grumpy and sharp. And all those things just aren't me. Perhaps they are momentary feelings but not lasting attitudes. It's been quite a journey. This went on since I was pregnant with Miss Mercedes and started having terrible gall stone attacks...ones where I would be writhing on the floor for about 45 minutes in so much pain there was nothing else to do. They left me very weak for hours after an attack. It was terrible. I became VERY afraid of my body because you never knew when one would strike. You see those attacks happen when a stone blocks the bile duct. You just never know when a stone will move. Then I had my gallbladder out and and the surgeon assured me that everything would return to normal. They didn't! There came other physical symptoms that left me to the point of being basically a shut-in. Not a complete shut-in mind you because by this point I now had 2 small children who were bursting at the seams with so much life and energy. Nobody knew, except Shaun, the things I was going through not because I was trying to be secretive but because I was simply trying to make it through each day and not analysing anything...just trying to survive. I didn't have the luxury of figuring out how to talk about it with people. I didn't feel well enough. Good health is a luxury. It allows one to do so many things. And I simply didn't have it. I didn't know what was wrong. I wasn't given any solutions from doctors. So I simply put my head down and purposed to make it through...well sometimes it was purposing to make it through the next minute or hour. And no I am not being dramatic. That's the truth of it.

Anyway, there are many other things that I went through due to physical issues that resulted in deep anxiety and fear...and deep anger. I had never dealt with these before. I was never an angry person. I pretty much took life as it came. I was never a fear full (no that is not a typo) person either. Fear had never ruled me. I always figured God would take care of me. And He did and does. But now I was ruled by anxiety and fear and anger. Poor Shaun the things he endured and with such grace...and my children. Rare was a smile and laughter without force.

It got to the point where internally and externally I really couldn't recognize myself. Externally I had put on so much weight no matter what I did. Internally I was such a different at war person. Really life brings you down paths you cannot possibly guess at. All this time although I was in extreme turmoil I was praying and God was using this to teach me many things. I really didn't know where to turn for the physical matters...but I did know where to turn for my internal matters. I knew to turn to God. I clung to him like a person drowning clings to a lifesaver. Because I found that if I kept my thoughts on Bible passages I had read or songs I had listened to that talked about Him that I would be relatively calm. The second I started focusing on all my issues I started drowning. I didn't always succeed on keeping my eyes on Him but when I did I noticed a marked difference in my internal world. A peace beyond understanding.

So about 6 weeks ago I finally was able to go to a Naturopath. And after doing some tests on me he turned to me and told me that he had a scale for rating how a person's health was. 1-3 was really healthy. 19-21 was someone dying of cancer. I was a 17. He said if I had come in 6 months later he didn't know what my story would have been. He said he was quite shocked that my health was that poor b/c after spending an hour and a half talking to me you would never guess it. He told me that my liver had not been working much nor has my colon. I thought the liver cleansed your body but he informed that the liver performs about 500 functions and when it doesn't work one is screwed, as it were. So he put me on a rigorous schedule of pills. And I am not allowed any mint or coffee. I didn't realize how much mint I used.

I went back last week and asked him about my weight. He said the reason that I have gained weight did not have to do with overeating in my case. It had to do with my liver not functioning properly. All the toxins that my body encountered were stored. So as my body starts working properly the weight issues will go away. And I am happy to report that I am starting to get energy back...that very necessary component to being a mother with small children. I have a different outlook on life. I am laughing again. I am writing songs again. I am so very thankful. The Naturopath doctor said it will take about a year to get things up to par.

So I wasn't going insane like I felt some days. I am not a hypochondriac as I sometimes wondered. I do have a God who loves me and cares about every detail of my life. I have a wonderful husband who loves me.

And this is life...we're not promised ease. We're promised that He will walk with us. And it is so.

Moving

Well I was looking through my blog and realized the last thing we said was that we were NOT moving. Well...I should just wait to post these things until God has His finally say I guess. We are moving at the end of August. The original post from April 16, 2008 is the most accurate description with a few changes. I won't opening a music studio just yet. And we cannot breed Keiko. Other than that things are going to proceed as planned. :)
I ran across a verse today that I had never seen. I thought I would share it with you :)
Isaiah 46:3b, 4
"I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born.
I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you."

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...

It's a no go...it's all about margins

Margins...this is a word that I have come to think about a lot lately. What are my must haves in life? What are my margins?

I must have, as far as it depends on me, a happy stable family. There is NOTHING that is worth losing that.

Shaun and I had the great opportunity to rethink our decision to move and change our whole world this past weekend. And you know what? We also were given the freedom to back out of the contract we had signed. And guess what? We did! We are not, after all that, moving! YEAH! There is a great sense of relief and joy for both of us.

As you know, we were on track to move away from this area. to change our whole way of life. What was the clincher for us? Margins. One word with so much meaning. If we had done that move we would have had no margins...no give in our schedules, our family life, no room for error, no space...no margins. Yes we could have sacrificed. Yes we could have pushed very hard and pushed through...but for what? At what cost? A roof over our head at that price is not worth the cost of having stress come into our home. We have, in general, a very happy and relaxed family. We intend to keep it that way.

Shaun and I have come to realize that we are people who excel in life with those margins. They are very necessary to our world. That's just us. So it's around that that we make our decisions. This past month and a bit has been a great exercise in learning. We learned a lot. It was fun. And it propelled us forward. Life IS indeed change...but not always how I think it will be. Life is full of surprises...and that's just why I love it!

And so we stay! And we couldn't be more thrilled.

Deluge of Change

Well so we have some news! My preface is...No! I'm not pregnant!
We are moving. This will be move #14 in a little less than 10 years of marriage. And we're excited! We are not moving far...just over the bridge. But it's a whole nother world over there. We got married on that side of the bridge. We're moving to Fort Langley. What bought this about you may ask?
Well we had been tossing it back and forth for about 4 years now...Shaun's parents live there. Well they came to us about 3 or 4 weeks ago and made us an offer we couldn't refuse. We are going to rent to own their house. And if you know anything about this market...for us being self-emplyed...owning a house is a minor miracle. So we are pretty excited about that.
This decision changes several things:
1) I will not be homeschooling the girls as we had thought. They will be going to a phenominal Christian school. We had out interview last week. They wear uniforms and everything! M starts kindergarten in the Fall. I simply cannot fathom that at this point.
2) I am starting a music studio teaching newborn to 7 year olds the introductory parts of music through play. So I will be going back to work. I am actually quite excited about this. I already have my degree in music and I will be starting a 3 month course here at the end of April to get certified in this particular program.
3) We are starting a Boxer kennel and should have our first litter of puppies come fall. This was not something new it's just that it's all happening at the same time. Our girl has to go through a battery of tests to make sure she is breedable. She starts those tomorrow.
4) Shaun has to move his renovation business over to that side.
5) we will be renting out 2 bedrooms to Trinity students. We are looking forward to this experience. It should be fun but it will change how life as our family knows it happens.
6) we will be leaving our fabulous church. Which is the saddest part of this whole thing. We have bee going there for nearly 3 years and we really love our church and are quite involved with and attached to the wonderful family that we have come to know there. We will be going to 2 year old church near our new home.
So as you know there is what seems like a billion details in that list of 6 things that have to get accomplished in the next few months. They are all major things. Starting 2 businesses at the same time and maintaining another one is in itself quite challenging. But we believe that this is where we are to be.
Life IS change. We are people who, for the most part really enjoy change. So we are excited!

Our wee girls and the dog

There are days that simply exhaust me. There are days that make me thankful, to God, to be who I am at this time and make me giggle. The other day was the latter. I was praying with Portia before she went to sleep. Usually I start praying and she interjects thanking Jesus for "Papa, and Nanny, and Grandma, and Auntie Becca, and Jack ,and Sammy, and Pickles (Sammy's big doggy), and..." on and on she goes. Where she stops we never know. Anyway, this particular night she interjected with "...and thank you Jesus for my princess body." Now I was prepared for a person's name...I double checked with her to make sure I had heard correctly and not misunderstood her. She came up with that one on her own. We hadn't even talked about princesses that day. She just knows she is a princess...the girls and I have had many discussions about that. :)

Then yesterday we were driving in the car. Mercedes and I were having a discussion about semis. I was trying to pass all of them on Mary Hill by-pass. I don't know why I thought I needed to...perhaps because it was a beautiful sunny day and I have a V6. I like going fast. Always have... I digress. Mercedes asked me why I was going fast and I said "because the trucks are slow". Instantly I thought I better not leave it there so I went on to tell her how important those semis are to our world. How they bring food to the stores for us so we can then buy it. How they bring gasoline to the gas station so then we can pump it into our cars and so we can keep going fast. We were having quite the question and answer time when all of a sudden Mercedes says, "Mommy look there's a plane up in the sky. I wonder if it's going far away like to South An Erica?" I said, "Ummmm...Where?" "South An Erica Mommy". I asked her if she meant "South America?" "Oh yes that is what I meant. "


Whenever her Papa goes traveling for work we always show her on the map where he is going. As he goes all over the world she has seen a fair bit of the map. Anyway, it was just very cute and very funny all at the same time. Those are the jewels some of the most precious jewels of my day. Thought I would share them :).

oh and I just thought of one more thing...this afternoon as I was coming home from the park with the girls and Keiko our neighbor waved at me. She said she knocked on our door yesterday to tell me that Keiko had brought a whole roast into their yard. And was I missing a roast? I said no I was not...wondering where in the world my crazy dog had gotten a huge roast. She said it was still packaged nicely so it was still edible and did I want it. I said no thank you feel free to keep it. The fence needs to be fixed in our yard so Keiko is forever taking herself on walks down the alley. The landlord won't fix it...so I think we will have to do a make shift fix for now...it will look pretty tacky but hey at least the neighbors won't be annoyed and Keiko, when in heat, won't find herself "with puppy" as it were. The only thing I can figure it that she went in the back door of the grocery store and nabbed it.

well that's about all the interesting things I have to share :) Be blessed!

Summer time....

Well it's been a fun and busy last little bit. I became a Canadian citizen on July 20, 2007! I swore allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II and all her heirs...etc. It was a really nice ceremony. There were something like 70 people there and there were 22 countries represented. I quite enjoyed it. It was really meaningful to me and I was surprised by that. There are so many things that I do in life that don't hit me emotionally that I often think should...so I wondered if this would...it did! I even got a little misty eyed. So now I am a duel citizen. Shaun is VERY happy about this. I feel a little more settled...in the back of my mind I think I may have worried about the political climate more that I realized...you know things like...what if the US and Canada decided to go to war against each other (I mean stranger things have happened). I would have likely been sent to the States while my husband and children would have had to stay here. You know simple things like that. Now they can't kick me out...Canada you're stuck with me :). After the ceremony my mom drove the girls back home to Coquitlam and Shaun and I hoofed it around downtown Vancouver. It was quite fun. We hadn't played tourist at home before. I think it was the first time in four years that we didn't have to be home at any time for one or both of the girls. We went to the Vancouver Art Gallery where they have Monet to Dali (post-impressionism late 1800's to early 1900's). That type of art, we discovered, is not our cup of tea. But it's fun to say "Oh yes, I've seen an original Manet, Monet, Cézanne, van Gogh, Rodin, Picasso, Dalí and other renowned artists". It sounds so cultured don't ya think? HAAAA. When we were in Vienna we went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum where they have amazing collections of art from the 15th -17th Centuries...NOW THAT fascinated us! They were beautiful pieces of art and HUGE! We saw several original Rembrandt etc. But this was just...boring in comparison to us...but then we aren't really that educated in these things. We're the ones who go to operas only to walk out. We also saw Emily Carr paintings and the Group of 7...and some others that both horrified and intrigued us by turn. Then we took the Sky Train and then a bus home. I have only ever taken a bus in Europe. So I had several new experiences that day. It was just a brilliant day!

Then the other major event thus far this summer is that my dad, grandpa (dad's dad) and new grandma Louise (my Grandma Shirley-Anne passed away right before Miss Portia was born). Came for a visit. Now that probably doesn't sound like that big of deal but the last time I saw my dad was in 2000 for my Grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary...and then before that not since I was, I think, a little under 2 years old. So...now you see...it was major. We spent the week they were here just visiting and talking. It was...I would say it was a healing time for me. When you are not sure about how your dad really feels about you from his own mouth and why he was never there...that can leave a big gap...and make room for other things that aren't conducive to a healthy soul. I would say for me it was like a huge weight lifted off of me. There again, I was never sure where I fit. Now I have more of a sense of belonging in this instance as well. And there again I was not sure how I would respond. I think I went through the whole week taking everything in and now I am processing. I like it! Also I have a half brother who is 21 and a half sister who is 15 1/2. I have ached to get to know them and love them. Now it seems that may be more possible. While my mom was up here for my citizenship ceremony she planned a trip for us to go to Reno for American Thanksgiving. I am QUITE excited about this as well. I will get to see my mom's family for the first time since I was 16 (and before that since I was 6ish). I have 6 cousins who I was quite close to as a small child who I will get to see most of I think. I will get to see my grandparents, Aunties, my Uncle Jim (everyone needs an Uncle Jim...Shaun has one and the girls have one :)). I have missed them. Shaun has also not met them and neither have the girls. I have been so surrounded by his family since we met. And I really love them. They are family to me now...but you always long for your family...well at least I have. Somehow all of this is coming together. I feel blessed and ready. I love knowing the people from whom I come. It really is a gift. I will also get to see my dad and I think my brother and sister. I will also get to see my mom's best friend who has so encouraged me and loved me my whole life. I really admire and respect her. As you can tell I am excited.

Our little family will be heading to a family reunion in Kelowna for the Huth side. We are excited about this. We have worked hard on the family tree. It should be interesting as there will be people there from Europe that are related in all different ways. Will tell more about that later.

As soon as we get back we are going to a Leadership Summit. That should be excellent. Then in November we are going to a Christian Musicians Summit in Washington. Shaun and I are REALLY looking forward to that one. I have been songwriting again and Shaun has really be focusing on the electric guitar (the guy is talented let me tell you!) and that should offer some help in those areas. For both summits my mom has generously agreed to watch the girls. So they should have a lot of fun with Grandma. My mom is so generous and wonderful to us. We love having her live closer to us.

Portia has started to potty train herself and pedal on her tricycle in the last week or so. Miss Mercedes is now riding a bicycle with training wheels. They both just took up those things on their own. We tried encouraging them on those things but they would have none of it. So we left it and now they are doing it on their own. It's so amazing to watch them live and learn. They are brilliant girls. I mean they have so much life, love, and joy. We do little lessons every once in awhile...like the other day we learned about colours. The order of a rainbow, the Bible story of the first rainbow, how to mix this and this colour to get that colour, painting a rainbow...it is all very fascinating...and that was only one lesson.

Shaun is working hard doing renovations. We are catching up and it is nice. Life is never boring and we are blessed beyond measure.

Have a great day!

Tama

Shaun and Portia's b-days

Well it was an eventful week. Shaun

turned 31 and Portia turned 2 :). This time of year is always so busy. We have all our immediate family birthdays from March until May...so between that, Easter, and all the other holidays it's nuts! But we have fun.

Shaun and I made our first (and likely last) Elmo cake. We enjoyed doing it and we thought that Portia would love it...I don't think she connected that it was Elmo on her cake until she saw the picture on the computer screen...but hey!
We tried.
Keiko even got to wear a shirt (one of Mercedes') and party hat for the first time...she was quite indignant I must say. The shirt was our first attempt at getting her to stop opening a cut that she keeps scratching every time it starts healing. We have since started putting a tupper-ware lid taped around her on and she cannot scratch...she looks funny but the wound is finally healing BUT she has been walking around QUITE indignant for sure
My mom came up to celebrate. We all always love her coming.

The girls especially have fun
It was a great weekend

My citizenship

Well...I finally did it! I took the Canadian Citizenship Test early this morning with 44 other people. I had studied for 2 weeks (plus lived here for almost 11 years...you kind of learn things about where you live :)). I am so relieved to have that done. Now in 2-4 months I will get a letter calling me in to take an oath of loyalty to Canada and Queen Elizabeth II.

I quite love Canada. It is interesting. I became an adult here. I became a wife and a mother here. I will always love the land of my birth (and I retain status as an American citizen as well). I will always be proud to have been born an American. It is a wonderful land. Of all the places to be born...I feel truly blessed, especially as I look at my sisters across the world and the privileges and respect I received simply by virtue of birth. There are not many countries that treat women well. I am privileged to be a citizen of two of the best. But I am quite proud to be becoming a Canadian. Now I can participate in voting and many other things. It should make traveling a little less complicated. Now we will all be under the same passport.

For the past 11 years it has been an interesting balance of finding where I belong as a foreigner. In conversation about childhood (with Canadians) I mostly have no idea the bands that they grew upwith, the the political events that shaped their world. I don't remember little things of culture becasue I wasn't here. There have been times when I didn't feel I fit in with Canadians or Americans. I belonged in a place in between. That can be an unsettling experience...I felt that the most when my parents got divorced. It was like I had no home...I was a wanderer, a gypsy of sorts. Perhaps this citizenship makes me feel more rooted. That I belong. I am ready for that. That is one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is that it really doesn't matter much as I am a citizen of another place much more than anywhere on earth. Perhaps in all of this I have realized the value in that. Another point on home...home for me is where my husband and (for now) daughters are. I know this is apart of growing up...moving out of your parent's home in your emotions...not thinking that if something were to happen there is always mom and dad. No, for me, home is my nucleus family now...as it should be.

This experience has given me a sympathy and understanding for immigrants that I would have never had otherwise. Although I am just from the next country over there have been times that I have felt that I might as well be from a country very far away. It is really surprising to find yourself in a cultural gap so close to home...it may, I don't know for sure, even be more shocking than coming from far away because at least then you expect it...you know you are coming to a very different place. Whereas I just thought that we were all North Americans and pretty much the same. What a shock to realize just how different the 2 countries are...OK I've pontificated on this point long enough. Thanks for wandering down that lane with me :).

Have a fantastic day counting the blessings of the land of your birth,

Tama

Happy New Year

HAPPY 2007!

I hope that this new year is finding you and your family well. We had a great time over the holidays. It was lovely to see some our family in Edmonton and Victoria. Portia and Mercedes are natural travelers...what a great blessing and RELIEF! In the picture of Miss Mercedes she was dancing! I think it's a beautiful picture of her :). My little angel!

There is a song that keeps running through my head. The words are as follows:

I Will Never Be

I will never be the same again,I can never return, I've closed the door

I will walk apart, I'll run the race

And I will never be the same again

Fall like fire, soak like rain,

Flow like mighty waters, again and again.

Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff,

And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

There are higher heights, there are deeper seas,

Whatever you need to do, Lord do in me.

The Glory of God fills my life,

And I will never be the same again.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,

Flow like mighty waters, again and again.

Sweep aways the darkness, burn away the chaff

And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

I will never be the same again,

I can never return, I've closed the door.

I will walk the path, I will run the race

And I will never be the same again.

This is a Hillsong song from the 1996 Shout to the Lord c.d. the worship pastor that led that c.d. was Darlene Zschech (http://www.darlenezschech.com/pages/default.asp?agid=1).

This year is a landmark year for Shaun and I. We are gaining confidence in our position as heirs of God. Somehow it's all coming together into a more focused vision for the future. We are delighting in God and He in us. It is a precious time. We are asking for His favor every day. We are seeking Him with an intensity that has not been there before. I love this song but one line has always stuck out to me...soak like rain...I love that. We get a lot of rain here in the lower mainland. I've been able to observe just exactly what that means.

Shaun and I have also been listening to a lot of motivational lectures on business (Christian and non-Christian) and something that has struck me is how much the Bible has to say about business. It's all very intriguing. Then there is something else that has struck both Shaun and I. In the church growing up it was a very noble thing to be a "priest" or in some sort of ministry. The church has done the "priest" part very well. But if you were called to be a business man or woman it was second rate. But you know...we need both. I ran across a web page that stated it well..."In the Old Testament, the Kings (entrepreneurs) were anointed to gather large amounts of resources while the Priests (God's ministers) were privileged to spend time with God and speak for God. We must understand that the Kings and Priests worked together to fulfill the perfect will of God. The results of this God-ordained relationship eliminated lack in the King's business and in the Priest's ministry." (http://www.king-priests.org/) It says in Revelations 5: 9, 10 "And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And He has called us unto our God Kings and Priests: And we shall reign on the earth.". So Shaun and I are feeling free the leave the poverty mentality behind and pursue our kingship (or queenship as it where ;) ). We are starting with this new business but that will be a leaping off point. So basically we are shaping our philosophy on business. As always, when we are learning, it is intriguing and consuming. There is so much to take in. We are excited.

It is also a time of huge adjustment. Shaun is not around nearly as much as he used to be. He is working extremely hard. It is hard on all 4 of us. We miss each other. But as with all things this is a season.

There is something else that I have been pondering. of late...and NO my mind NEVER stops...I was reading the story of David and Bathsheba. Nathan the prophet was reprimanding David and telling him the consequences of his actions for taking someone else's wife etc. God was reminding David, through the prophet Nathan, of just what he had given him...

"I made you king over Israel. I freed you from the fist of Saul. I gave you your master's daughter and other wives to have and to hold. I gave you both Israel and Judah. And if that hadn't been enough, I'd have gladly thrown in much more." (2 Samuel 12: 7 or 8) What hit me was the line "And if that hadn't been enough, I'd have gladly thrown in much more." It says in Matthew 7:11 "11If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!". I just love my children. I try not to spoil them because I don't think that would really help them in the long run. But I try to give them the best and shower them with love. If there is something that they want and it won't harm them, I do everything in my power to get it for them. Just think of all the ways that God wants to shower us. I never have fully grasped this until now. I mean I heard the words but I never let it "soak" in. I had a different perception of God on this topic. It was more along the lines of "well whatever God wants to throw my way rotten sinner than I am". But no He has much MORE. You know there are so many things running through my head... one of them is a sermon that I heard about that...once we are saved we are saints that sometimes sin not sinners that sometimes get it right. There is a BIG DIFFERENCE there...another thought is a sermon I heard yesterday and the pastor was talking about Joseph. There are several things about him but one thing is that in Genesis 39:3 It says that God's favor was on Joseph. Now Joseph's heart was very self seeking when it says that because it says in Psalms 105 that while he was in prison his heart was made right. Anyway, the pastor stopped and asked the congregation...have you asked for God's favor in your life today?:" Well honestly I had never thought to do that...however, I definitely will from now on.

I remember a few years back saying to God..."If this is all there is...I'm done! I have heard the same stories over and over" and seen cynicism in myself and other etc etc...there was a lot that brought me to that point...and ever since I layed that out before God He has been gracious enough to show me SOOOOOOOOO much more of Himself and I have every confidence that the BEST IS YET TO COME! What a journey...Shaun and I are NEVER bored that is FOR SURE!

Have a happy day seeking the favor of God,

Tama

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!

Some thoughts

The last little while I have been trying to do more "crafty" things. I hadn't done that in quite awhile as i hadn't had the time, inclination, or the energy. It's kind of nice. I took up knitting...not good yet so I am bored already with it...and I am making these no-sew fleece blankets for the girls and some other kids. The tracktor blanket in this picture is for one of my closest friends who just had her third son last week. The girly one is for one of my other closest friend who just adopted a baby girl.



I have also started to do more crafty things with the girls. They really enjoy it. I have some finger paintings to send to grandparents and great-grandparents for Christmas.





We have also been doing things like building forts in the living room. It was fun but Portia kept crawling on top of the fort and ruining it much to Shaun and Mercedes' frustration. The girls are very good...even on days when we can't get outside due to weather. Tomorrow we are going to a place that is a gymnastics centre that has a time for a couple of hours where it's a big indoor play gym. We've not been yet but it sounds like a good place for the girls to blow off some steam.





I read this this morning... Proverbs 14: 10 says "The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends will be an outsider at their celebrations." That really struck me. Especially at Christmas. It said to me that we choose to be a friend to someone and then we stick with them NO MATTER WHAT! Loyalty. Over the last 9 months Shaun and I have made new friends. They are wonderful people but it takes a long time to really be true friends. I cherish the friendships that I have. I am very thankful for the people that God has blessed my life with. This verse was an excellent reminder to me.
I got this in an e-mail and found it true:

A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself (and doesn't feel even the least bit weird shutting your 'beer/Pepsi drawer' with her foot!)
A simple friend has never seen you cry. A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.
A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names.A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.
A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean.
A simple friend hates it when you call after they've gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.
A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.
A simple friend wonders about your romantic history. A real friend could blackmail you with it.
A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A real friend calls you after you had a fight.
A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you!


I am blessed with many real friends and many new friends. One needs both :). After all the new friends will become old friends in time if we stick to the friendship...Thank you my friends whatever catagory you may fall into :)

Love, Tama