Thank goodness it's Friday

6 years!

Holy Smokes! I just now realized I've been blogging for over 6 years. SIX YEARS. And it all started here where I feebly attempted to capture in words and pictures one of the many wonderful and incredible experiences of my life. But blogging hardly captures the experience, though it is a neat thing to look back on. A blog is like having a little "note to self" conversation with the world, and apparently I've been talking to myself for over 6 years. Amazing. Sometimes I think it would be good to listen to myself from years past.

I start and end with this first thought...

"These beautiful days

must enrich all my life.

They do not exist merely as pictures

Maps held on the walls of memory

but they saturate themselves into every part of my body

and live always"

John Muir

Today's entertainment

brought to you by Josie.

Asher Walking

Before Asher gets a little too competent at his new found skill, I thought I would share this little gem.

rainy day Monday

When I arrived in Vancouver over a year and a half ago, I did notice that almost the entire city was dressed something like this. I soon found out why. The weather from October to March can be described as "deluge". Now that my head is slightly out of baby fog and moment to moment survival, I'm watching the rain pour down and wondering what we can do indoors to survive this fall and winter. Unfortunately, I missed my gymnastics sign up time, and the library is closed on Mondays. I'm going to have to get creative with our indoor time.

But, at least we're semi prepared for the outdoors too. Although this is the only umbrella we own. It looks very cute with Josie's multifascited pink attire, but Dave and I might just want to invest in our own. What do you think?
And now that we have our weather proof Chariot, we're set to go. Outdoor adventure anyone?

Applesauce round duo

If you ever wondered what making applesauce is like with 25 kids, one kitchen and some trees-- wonder no further. It's something like this...

Getting ready to go

We are all gearing up for some movement here. As you can see, nothing is ever still or boring in this house! And Asher is dressed for an upcoming important occasion.

We are gearing up for a big trip in less than 2 weeks. When I mean big, I mean Katie and 2 little kids flying solo to Chicago for my Ten Year Wheaton Reunion Ten Years ago (actually, more than that) I was a graduate of this fine institution for the first time (5 years later I graduated again from the grad school, but the first time always seems the most momentous!) Can it really be TEN years ago? That is seriously hard to imagine, but when I think about what has happened in the past ten years, it's more palpable. Dave will join me for the weekend, and my mom for the week. I'll have several days to stay with my Wheaton family-- a pleasure I've been missing since we've lived in Canada. It's high time I go back to a place I consider a second home. And during the weekend we'll go to football games and class dinners and other reunion events. That will be fun. But you know what is really drawing me to this reunion?

Now that is worth making the trip!

I wonder who else will be there?

Pleasures

I would say "simple pleasures" but there's nothing all that simple about having a garden, at least for a first time gardener. But there is something highly satisfying about picking and preparing your own food from the ground.

Jojo was inspired too.

Farm Fun

Just a few images from a farm day that our on-campus learning farm had on Friday. This right here is the reason that Josie begs to go as often as we can.

So when friends asked if we wanted to tag along for the afternoon, there wasn't really any question. Local produce being sold, local musicians playing live music. A whole organic farm to explore makes for a fun few hours.

A handsome man even came out of the library to meet us. Even better.

This Moment

Today-- I wonder

From Drop Box

4:30 am and I wake up with Asher to get his milk. I have a problem going back to sleep in the morning so I finally got out of bed about 5:45 to enjoy candlelit devotions. There is something wonderful about the early morning, especially when you go to bed at a decent hour the night before. I was inspired. Inspired enough to watch the dawn come in over the water. By 7 am I was at the beach, going for a run.

Canada geese on the beach, beautiful clouds over the mountains, rocks with the waves lapping up on them.

But I came home an hour later to this

This is Josie and her cousin Sophie, apparently.

And when it started to rain we moved the art project inside

. Window markers, why not? Of course others wanted in on the action too.

And when that got boring, other avenues of expression were discovered.

Impressive except that now the pastels will break extra easily!

But I am impressed with what Josie is coming up with these days. At two.

And since it seemed everyone was content to work at their own projects, I got my massive one out to work on. Do you have any idea what this could be?

Maybe this gives another hint

Or maybe this?

Well, it's a year long project (at least) in the beginning stages.

I wonder what it could be?

Being right where you are

We are coming upon the 10 month mark of living in the same place. For those of you who know us, that in itself is a very big celebration! Chances are we might make it to at least a year, maybe even a year and a half, until we have to move again. Twelve months ago, when this last move was on our horizon (and it was only a move of about 400 meters, but a move to a new community anyway), I had probably one of my biggest moments of panic and anxiety. I was weeks from giving birth, and the memory of our move across continents and oceans with a three week old, then a 6 month old was fresh and raw. I finally realized moving was inevitable, and though I didn't know where we would be, I would have to make peace with God about it.

I told him something like this.

"Ok Lord, if you want us to move again, please put us in a place where we can love the people around us and love you."

And he put us here.

To a student family housing unit marked to be torn down. One we've done what we can to carve out a place to cultivate our family and live right where we are. A place that I can paint old dressers and make makeshift fences to keep the children from running into the road. And boy have we been blessed.

Some kids left this note on our back table the other day along with a handful of candy.

Can you guess what it says? **

It was left after a activity something like this.Thanks to Josie and Asher, our home (or, our back patio to be more accurate) has become a regular art table and craft zone for the community kids. And this isn't even related to my job, though the community center will get a taste of that too. Here's what we are making today.

We will see what happens when we try and make sock puppets with who knows how many kids.

We will see what happens because no one can predict what happens when kids have access to craft supplies. For example, this very thing is happening as I write this blog post.I guess it's time to wrap these thoughts up. Be right where you are, as you are able. Carve out spaces of time and place where you can grow with those around you. Don't miss opportunities to smile. (Even when you might go crazy!)

I'm really enjoying these books at the moment as I think these things.

Stability. Sabbath. Things I am learning about and wanting to grow in. Right where we are.

**To anybody in the family-- a note with a gift. Written by girls who have recently moved to Canada from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, doing what they can to sound out the English. So sweet.

how to get your two year old to eat green vegetables

Or, how to make Kale Chips

So Simple. Just tear kale from the stem, toss with olive oil, a tad of balsamic vinegar and sea salt. Set on a baking sheet and put in the oven set at 325 until they are all dried out and crispy. Turn them a couple times. It usually takes about 20 min.

Indulge!

who's who, what's what, and where did it come from

Each night before we go to bed we have snuggle time and time to talk about the day. After Josie reviews the events of the day, she generally has to review who everyone is, what their relationship is to one another, and what they are doing. Most nightly questions and statements sound something like this:

"I'm a big durl (girl). Asher is a baby boy. Mommy is a woman. Daddy is a man."

"Is Carl's mommy a woman? Is Amabell's daddy a man? Is Matthew's mommy a woman?"

"Mommy, I am your daughter. Asher is Daddy's son. Is Josie Daddy's daughter?"

"Is Asher Mommy's son?
Where did Asher come from?"

That last question was asked during our talk last night. Luckily, because we garden almost every day the answer I gave was both true, age appropriate, and understandable.

My reply was something like this:

"Do you remember when we planted seeds in the garden and they grew and grew and now we are picking our food? We have tomatoes and swiss chard and beens and beets-- so many good things. Well, once there was a little Asher seed planted in Mommy and he grew and grew and finally, when he was all done, Mommy popped him out. Then you had a little baby brother"

"Where did Josie come from?"

The same story seemed to answer the question.

"Am I Asher's sister? Is Asher my brother? Is daddy a man?

Yes. Yes, and yes.

"Mommy, I am two. I am a big girl."

More than you know Jos, more than you know.

Those stairs

Remember those stairs--

Look what we found at the top of them last night on our way to bed.

We knew the kids were sleeping.

We just did not know where. Occasionally we try and pin down which of our kids behaviors come from which parent. The crazy dinnertime antics-- definitely Dave. The sitting at the top of the stairs because it feels like you are part of what is happening down below (we were watching a movie)... I think that could be me. Sneaky. She even thought to bring her pillow and bear to enjoy the show.