What's for Dinner

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/1539/low+gi+lentil+patties+with+roast+tomato+sauce

(this isn't my photo-disclaimer)

Well, it's time to pull out the low GI recipes again. Last year, while pregnant with Josie, I seemed to have gained weight more quickly in my first and second trimesters which the Chinese doctors warned me against. In an effort to eat healthy, and to get the required protein grams I needed on a vegetarian diet, I asked a friendly Aussie doctor what to do. He suggested low GI. So, I went in search of recipes and began cooking meals like this for dinner. It seemed to have worked and by the time Josie was ready to be delivered, I had only gained 23 lbs for the entire pregnancy. That was the happy part. The sad part is that removing these 23 lbs while moving back to the US and spending most of my time at home cooking. After moving to Vancouver and adopting a 3x a day walk schedule plus during the first few weeks eating very simply and healthily, I was 3 lbs away from being pre-prego weight.

Then we got pregnant again. And Dave started shopping "the sales". Who can turn away $0.99 cent pasta prima vera packages or a huge pack of oreos for a dollar? We have cases of mac and cheese and free bread from Regent. We've cleaned out the $0.59 cans of soup and the large cases of pasta. And Dave has his own snack drawer too-- full of granola bars and pudding snacks and chocolate covered raisins. I stay away from there. But when it comes to making a meal, I'm dumbfounded. We've had too many grilled cheese sandwiches with soup from a can. Too many frozen pizzas. (they were good, and cheap too) And I've started to feel the sluggishness of unhealthy eating.

The pregnancy cravings-- they can all be satiated here. There's no 5 flights of stairs to climb down and up and a mile to walk to get that bubble tea. I can have chocolate milkshakes and pickles for lunch no problem from my own frigde. And now that the dog is "on vacation" (she's gone to Vancouver Island for a month) the early morning and afternoon must walk the dog job is obsolete. And I'm tired, oh, so very tired. You can see where this is leading. $0.99 pasta packets for dinner. Oreos and milk for a snack. Sluggishness.

Well, we've scrutinized our budget and spending and have come to realize that though those "sales" are such a "great deal", perhaps buying only fresh food for the next month might be just more advantageous to our budget and health in the long run. As is pre-planning the week's meals so when I'm exhausted or nauseous at the dinner making hour, the decision is already made and we can have healthy meals. And of course, getting my butt out the door for a walk in those lovely woods.

All this to say, these lentil patties are one of my favorite recipes. The cherry tomato relish makes it delicious, especially when the tomatoes and basil come from your garden and are fresh as they were this summer. It's good with regular burger toppings as well. Or salsa. And, it's baby friendly. Josie just put away an entire burger herself. In between sending text messages to Dave all by herself. Seriously. She managed to send him something while I was frying up the patties this afternoon with my phone.

Don't ask how. I have no idea.

Health Insurance... GRRRR

I've been on the phone now with our health insurance company 5 times discussing 2 claims for Josie that under their policy, should be covered. And, for the 5th time, I've been told that I'd be called back. As Americans in Canada, it takes us 3 months before our Canadian health insurance kicks in. And that happens on Thursday. In the meantime, we've spent about as much money on bills as on the interim insurance we purchased to cover these bills-- all for Josie of course. And at the rate we can make money here, it's about 3 months of pay checks. 6 months if you count the cost of the unpaid bills plus the insurance we purchased to cover said bills. And the hoops we've been jumping though- oh boy.

Contrast that to Social Health Care here in Canada. I walked into a midwives clinic after being told by the insurance provider there was no policy I could purchase to cover maternity care. The midwives' clinic told me that my care would be provided for retroactively by the government health care system so I could see them even before I was covered. I took Josie to a clinic because she was sick. We paid in advance because our social health care had not yet kicked in, but those with care card numbers simply walked in, saw the doctor, received care and walked out. No bills, no hassle. Our purchased insurance has yet to cover this particular visit for very strange reasons. But should Josie be sick this weekend, I wouldn't pay anything, she would just receive care, no questions asked.

Every Canadian I've talked to is highly supportive of their health care system. Sure, they say, nothing is perfect, but no complaints really. One year of care for our whole family is as much as 1 month of care under our old policy in the States. And so far, our experience with the care is great. Maternity-- covered. Children's health care, covered. We've yet to experience any traumatic health problems, thank goodness, so maybe there is something we are missing. But we live with people who are doctors and nurses and also receive care in the Canadian system. They are dumbfounded why people in the States wouldn't want socialized health care. So, as you can imagine, it sure is interesting to be a US citizen living in a social health care country and finding that wow, this is great. Sure, there are some rather high taxes on purchased goods, and gas is really expensive but we are learning to live simply and not run up our bills. But I am also quite thankful that if we would return to the States and live in the same economic bracket that we have in the past, would still afford heath insurance. I guess you can imagine what side of the debate I am on.

An afternoon snack

I couldn't resist these funny pictures of Josie as she discovers the pinecones in our yard.

number two is on the way,

and boy, were we ever surprised! This picture was taken just as Dave came home. I suspected something was off... maybe it was the several nights of vivid dreams, the looking into the fridge and having a wave of nausea come over me, the exhaustion (but that's a given) or the emotional breakdowns and tears at every sappy Olympic commercial. I can be a sucker for sap, but the Canadian Olympic pride commercials? Come on! So I took a pregnancy test, and didn't have to wait more than about 4.5 seconds for it to be positive (I still wonder if I'm carrying twins, but don't know yet). And promptly burst into tears. Happy overwhelmed tears. I was home with Josie alone while Dave was having coffee with a friend. I knew he'd be home soon, and I paced the floor, in disbelief and tears and smiles. I sat down with the Bible for some encouragement, and though I am forgeting what it was, it was something about God blessing us and our children, so of course, very reassuring.

The previous month, my sister-in-law Lisa, who gave birth to Sophia 8 hours before Josie, announced that she would be delivering #2 in August. I choked, and after catching my breath (we had just moved across the continent and Josie hadn't really slept much-- either had I). I frankly couldn't believe it. And to myself though, "you are crazy". Time to eat my words right?

Well, as I waited for Dave to arrive, my precious daughter sat on my lap decided that was the right time to slobber all over my face with kisses and giggles as I sobbed and laughed. When Dave walked in the door he must have suspected by the mascara streaks coming down my face that something was up. We sat on the couch and I blurted out "we're pregnant!" He laughed and congratulated me, hugged me and kissed me. Well, at least he wasn't disappointed! He told me that he had suspected anyway. At least it wasn't too big of a surprise... to him.

We've probably saved a good majority of our earnings over the last 7 years, but a salary in China saved doesn't go very far in Vancouver. When we look at our spending in just a month on the necessities and then project it over the next 3 years, wow, lets just say it doesn't quite match our savings account. But, we've seen God's hand in so many things since we've gotten here. Our housing this semester is a sheer miracle. We live in a gorgeous house with a dog next to a rainforest minutes from campus. The owners travel the world on business until the end of April so needed someone to keep the house and take care of the dog. We have been so blessed by them!! And in May, a dear friend's family has housing in campus they offered to us for what we were able to afford. And it's way below rental cost. Again, we feel blessed beyond measure.

And there's the health care system in Canada. Once April 1st hits, we are fully covered for the entire maternity process and I'm even able to see a midwife now, for nothing. Wowzers. In this country, working moms get a year of paid maternity leave. Everyone. Can you imagine? (Unfortunately, I've never worked in this country).

So, this post is a little about the expectation of our second child. But it is about something else too. Parallel to my story another woman's story has been unfolding. She lives across the ocean from me and also unexpectedly found out she was bearing child #2. Only, in this place, this kind of thing isn't allowed. And the consequences for having this child are grave for the family if they don't have the money to pay hefty fines. And health care and pre-natal care isn't provided for free for the family. And most families who are unexpectedly expecting are faced with the heartbreaking decision to terminate the life of the child, because they have no choice. But this woman, she's got guts and she's got HOPE. She hasn't given up her child, instead, she's trying to find a way to give birth to this little baby. She tried to come to the US, so that the child would bear a separate citizenship, but was turned away at customs, forced to return from where she came. But she's holding on to hope, holding on to the child that is growing in her womb, having faith that she can give this child life, love, hope, and a future.

The story and needs of this woman have come to my attention, and probably like you, I want to help and support her in some way. It this is the desire of your heart as well, email me and I can let you know more details.

It is a little crazy to think that when Josie turns 2, I will have another little one her current age crawling around and clinging to my legs. Another one teething and blowing spit bubbles, giggling and throwing fits. Oh my, it will be busy. But hey, it's nice to know that God is in control and knows all these things. He knows our needs, our wants. He knits together these little lives. And He is faithful. It's nice to know that when our worlds seem so crazy.

blog

this blog has had me in tears and smiles all day.

http://www.kellehampton.com/

a sleepy morning

I'm trying to make my 8 am classes on Tues and Thurs morning. It shouldn't be that hard, right? I've certainly made it to work much earlier for many years. But somehow, things aren't the same anymore. Here's Josie, just as we are ready to head out the door, showing her true colors, her true, sleepy colors. She'll be asleep in the car by the time we exit the driveway. And I shall endure and hour and a half of lecture. Oh well. Enjoy the clip.

our little puppy...

Josie. She loves the dog dish. If I turn my head for a second she power-crawled her way across the slick wooded kitchen floor and to the dog dishes. We're working on "no", with some results. But tonight, as I was typing away right above her I gave her favorite bath toy (probably her favorite toy, period) so she could splash in the water. And yes, as soon as I snapped the last shot, the bowl was picked up and water all over the floor. Oh well, it needs a good mopping anyway.
She's so funny though, she LOVES her bath and sits in her little tub with her blue rubber whale and just holds it under the water with both hands. At least, she did today. And the bath was the trick in helping stop the hysterics beginning to ensue as she woke up from her nap. Oh boy, it's been a rough couple of nights. I'm hoping that it's teething, but she's screams, wrenched her back, tantrumed until we could wake her up fully, and only wanted to nurse the entire night. Well, I can't keep that up, not with 2 teeth on the bottom and some others coming in, nosiree. So, we've even made a couple pilgrimages up to eat a 3 am breakfast just to calm down. Oh boy. I'm hoping... hoping that tonight is a different story. I good night sleep is really just what the doctor has ordered. And so, my plea... anyone have any teething tips-- she's got baby oragel and teething tabs, along with ibuprofen right now (yes, I may have overdone the meds, but I'm getting desperate here! I've missed my morning classes both days this week, Bible study and meetings with friends because I manage to get Jos to sleep at 10 or 11 am finally. My real plea-- that these teeth come in! That would be nice
Maybe I should just set up the dog dishes and some water by her bed so when she's cranky in the night I can pull her out and let her play. We do that sometimes (not with the dog dish, but with her toys) and have been very impressed that she can crawl around on the floor by our bed in the pre-dawn hours and entertain herself for up to an hour with her books and those plastic-flashing-songsinging baby toys I swore I'd never have. Of course, those are her favorite. Besides her bath toy, that is.

Maybe I should just put in ear plugs and try to sleep. But oh so hard when I know my little one is in pain!

Dave is a busy theologian these days writing his Church History paper and reading constantly. Somehow, I can't remember what it was like to be studious. I know I've done it before, for many years, but my brain is just not able to focus on too serious of thoughts or information for any length of time. So, I'm finding satisfaction in keeping my hands busy with jewelry and knitting or crocheting when there's a moment to spare (very few of those lately though). I'm so impressed by the women I know who have gotten Phd's while pregnant and with small children and then also teach at the collegiate level! (I'm talking about my college roommate Beth here). I'm super impressed. For now, I'll leave the deep thoughts to my husband and try and keep things running around here. Maybe there will come a day when the fog of sleep deprivation clears and I can do things around the house with both hands and have time to think. I've entered a new world here, one that I couldn't have understood as a onlooking person who hasn't had children.

I was encouraged at church a couple weeks ago when the pastor was talking about different spiritual disciples and was speaking on prayer. He said that some desert fathers had gone to the wilderness for long periods of time so that they could become more thoughtful, more prayerful, more patient and longsuffering. He then added that parents bear this fruit not from long days of solace in the wilderness, but though the daily (and nightly) grind of caring for a young child. And that though some look for sanctification by becoming like John the Baptist eating locusts and honey, we who stay up all night holding our whimpering and needy little ones are handed the opportunity for growth in the intense classroom of parenthood. So, yes, this is my sanctification. And my learning about spiritual things. And perhaps, going to an early morning theology class that I sleep though mostly anyway (sorry JI, I slept though the speech he gave at my graduation too!) isn't going to teach me any more about the things of God than just being a mom.

O Canada!

Wow. What other word can describe what it was like to be in the middle of downtown Vancouver post US/Canada Olympic hockey yesterday afternoon. We only had Dave's cell phone to document the guys in the middle of the street dancing between cars waving Canadian flags, or the old lady in an electric wheelchair who received numerous kisses by all the 20 somethings that passed her on the street, or everyone giving everyone else high fives- even the policemen who were trying to direct traffic, or the 10s of people hanging out their car windows top and side waving flags and hollering. Those word pictures can't quite describe the hilarity and celebration that erupted thoughtout the entire city at the final Canadian goal. And those things were happening about 45 minutes

We had gone to our Canadian friends' place to watch the game, Josie was dressed in red, white AND blue, and we enjoyed the game until the end of the 2nd quarter. Then, because we figured the entire city would be inside and it was a beautiful day outside, we headed across the downtown to enjoy Stanley Park before we were going to church at 5 also downtown. The streets were practically empty, except for red and white clad pedestrians straining to see in the windows of every bar and restaurant and media store watching the game on the sidewalks. We cruised though town on a beautiful Sunday afternoon during the biggest event of the Olympics. This is unheard of, but we did it. We arrived at Stanley park which is a pennisula park that has a harbour between the hockey arena and the water walkway that we were strolling around. We got there right as overtime started and used the WC before heading out on a stroll. As soon as I stepped out, a roar came over the entire city. Though probably a mile away across the water, I could hear an erruption of cheers and horns that I imagined would be deafening were we downtown. And, as we predicted, the park was perfectly empty and pristine. (why didn't I bring my camera!) We walked about an hour and then started making our sojourn across town to church. What would have taken 10 minutes if we had driven this an hour ago took an hour during the above-mentioned celebration. Though the entire city seemed to have red and white flags on their faces and worn as capes on their backs, I did see one lone stars and stripes caped young man walking down the street also being given high fives by all passersby. The entire city was having one big lovefest. Hugs, cheers, high fives, waves, shouts, dances--- everyone was included. Even us. And we were just a little glad that our NY license places had been traded in for British Columbia ones just last month. And that Josie was dressed in red and white on top (she had blue jeans on, but she got several comments on her patriotic outfit... little did people know that the blue of the jeans was the finishing color!)

We made it to church just on time. The crew, a small and organic feeling bunch who meet on the east/south side of the city and are committed to community, restoration, rejuvenation and living in the present as we would in God's Kingdom now. A refreshing service to be at. The sermon had a similar message- reconciliation, community life, following Jesus. As we celebrated communion, we were reminded that this last supper was a symbol of celebration and waiting until Christ's return. A love feast. Also a reminder of the victory that Christ had over death. Sitting in church, I though about our journey across town to be there. The celebration of an entire country at the victory their hockey team won, and though about the victory humanity has won though Christ. The victory over death, over sin, pain, darkness, the victory of eternity with our creator. And I wondered, aren't we living in this victory dance now? Isn't this following Christ in this world about celebration of the battle that has been won already? And also the victory to come? Is our entrance into the heavenly city going to be like our standing on the edge of the water and hearing cheers rise throughout the entire city? And when we enter in, will we hugged and kissed and high fived by everyone around us? Won't that be the day!

After the evening service, we stayed for the monthly potluck in the church basement. We ate with folks who lived locally in the community houses that surround the church. There's a desire to transform the community that this church is in and so they've created houses where people from all walks, and and I mean all walks of life live together and are involved in each others daily life. It's a pretty amazing model of the the Christian life, as we talked with a women with some noticeable mental disabilities who lived in a house with 7 adults and 3 children, all different family units who committed to community life together. Pretty cool, and I imagine, pretty hard. But this body seemed to share a passion and desire for community transformation and were taking some concrete steps to get there, and it was working. We left challenged, refreshed, convicted and wondering what place is going to be the place we worship at weekly. That seems to be the ongoing question and prayer request. The big problem-- there are choices. Good choices. And we need to make one.

And in conclusion to a bunch of different thoughts and experiences as we've lived though these 2nd Olympics in the last 2 years. We like Canada, a lot. We want to find a home here even if it's for a short 3 years. We want to live in community, to celebrate life, to be fully alive. There's been so many changes in our lives in the recent past and we've been reeling from them at times, but anticipating what God will do in our lives in this place. And the next.