Werdals

where we live

2012-01-17T00:03:00.001-08:00

where we live is a little different than what most people experince. it isn't fancy, the water pipes and fire prevention pieces hang from every corner of the house. the window treatments fall at random times during the day and they are ever so dusty. the hot water pipes rattle so loudly we say there is a person stuck in the walls...we call him burt. there is a fan on the top of the roof that hums so loudly i imagine take off is not far off. it is a small house, and an oddly shaped house. we don't have a lawn out our back door, instead we have pathways that lead into secret gardens and mountainous hills that have yet to be concurred. we have offices that we visit and librarys to explore, we have a hallway to race in and trees longing for their sleeping lions to return. when new experiences are being had, there are numerous people encouraging and cheering on the learner. community is had whenever people gather. today, for an hour or possibility more it didn't matter how small this place was, how dusty and dirty the blinds are or how crooked my cupboards are. what mattered was the snowball fight that occurred outside fraser hall with sophie and the students. she stood her ground and fought both with and against a line of young men who had no issue handing back to her what she was willing to deal out. she ran and escaped, dodged and was pelted. her cheeks were rosy and her smile filled my heart. there was even the occasional one thrown from the hands of penny. where we live is not fancy but i felt like it was as if we lived in a palace today.

focusing

2012-01-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

there are days when the air is crisp and snow covers the ground, when a family is together and adventure is looming just around the corner, that one needs no words to describe the events, the joys, the moments. when community is felt and not written of, when shared experiences are happening instead of being dreamed of. they came in small ways today, i just had to focus and when i did, my heart was overwhelmed with what it found.

a new adventure

2012-01-11T19:58:00.000-08:00

"the land is a picture book green, with the trees and banana plants covering the lush ground, like a painting against a deep blue sky spotted with puff clouds. such little words to describe such beauty." i wrote this on May 2, 1999. i was sitting in a compound in Uganda, Africa and since that time i have had a desire to return, to engage in and show the world to my family. i have slowly added funds together to make such an adventure possible, the adventure of exploring nations, cultures, and landscapes that differ from ours. the adventure of blessing others while being blessed at the same time. the adventure of seeing the mighty hand of God beyond our own experiences. though a long way off from this being a possibility, my heart has been challenged over the past months. i seemed to struggle with the idea of collecting funds to send myself and my family to a place full of people who need help now. was this idea of going for selfish reasons or truly from a desire to walk with others on a different kind of journey. whatever the answer, as i am far from answering it, my heart seemed troubled over this thought. that aside, on the ferry trip home from the island at christmas time, scott shared with me that there was a truck for sale he would like to go and look at...we are in desperate need of a new mode of transportation. later that week he went, saw, and came home with a smile on his face that screamed little boy who just found his lost star wars hero. he communicated fuel millage, safety, and other reasons why this would be a good choice for our family. he left it at that and gave me a few days to think it over. my shoulders sagged and my tummy turned, i don't do well with big decisions, especially those involving money. i felt heavy under it all. and when a decision needed to be made i felt like i wanted to crumple to the floor....so i did dishes instead. over my soapy water i was flooded with one thought...that i did not hold my husbands joy. i could neither add to nor take away from the joy that he had, that was between our God and he, it did not have anything to do with me. whatever the answer i give, in whatever the situation, i can not cause more or less joy than he already holds. there was a burden lifted off my shoulders. i could see the situation a little more clearly. the money needed to be spent, and i understood that though it was a lot for our little family, it was not a lot for the place, culture and society that we live in. we drove out on saturday, and i cried. the truck had been held for us in spite many other offers and interest, so i would have a chance to see it, drive it and be wowed by it. and i was. we paid, i threw up in my mouth a little bit and kept my arms down for fear of showing my sweaty armpits. it was later when i thought it through. the money we needed to use to buy the truck came from the fund i was saving for africa, that is why i cried. but, the young man who sold the truck did so not because he wanted to, but because he needed to as he is heading to africa on an internship and he would only be able to go if he sold his truck. and he would have been able to sell his truck, he had many offers, but for some reason held the truck for us. i still get a little teary eyed when i think of the hand of our God. now is not the time for our family, for the adventures i have dreamed of, for our journey to a land that is picture book green with a deep blue sky spotted with puff clouds. but now is the time for someone else to travel there, someone who has been asked and is ready to follow. and maybe i was asked to save this money with the heart of africa in mind, not for myself but for someone else. "for i know the plans i have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope...you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13 and so, a new adventure comes with our purchase, an adventure across the globe for one and adventures yet to be dreamed of for four.

my one and only

2012-01-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

i feel guilty really, keeping him to myself, not that i want to share this man, but i really do feel that this kind of quality ought to be experienced by everyone. beach waves for everyone.

gifts

2011-12-19T10:39:00.001-08:00

as we were packing i noticed three extra gifts under our tree. sophie ran to my side as i questioned what they were. "no mom" she exclaimed. "those are the gifts i am giving to you all." "oh bud, i am so sorry" i replied. "would you like to give them to us now?" we called scott into the living room. the first gift was for scott. it was sophies stuffed dog, her favorite toy. it is a black dog that she has named kurok after our very own dog. "i am giving you kurok daddy, because he is your dog and you love him very much, so i would like you to have my kurok." next came pennys gift. "i know that penny likes stuffies, so i am giving her this one" she pulls out a stuffy that already belongs to penny...but that is not the point. "and for you mom, i am giving you this..." she pulls out some of her play kitchen food "...because i love your baking and think you are the best at it." i melted. i squeezed her with all my might. she gave us her best. she gave from her heart. of course...i cried.

just thoughts

2011-12-18T16:43:00.001-08:00

not that this is a new thought. but maybe it is. perspective really. i was challenged this morning, in my understanding of christmas, in my outlook. i can be overwhelmed with the thoughts of christmas, with the expectations of the season over the purpose of the celebration. but today my heart sank and tears ran down my cheeks as i listen to a man explain without hesitation that i am way off base. i feel as though my soul needs a large sign over it "warning: under construction". we have a choice to make, it can be only one of two things, there is no third option, and that is either that we believe in Jesus and thus celebrate christmas, or we do not and therefore do not celebrate christmas. for in its original intention this thing that we celebrate was to bring into the world the baby who was Jesus and for only one purpose, to die that we may live. He was born of a woman and so fully human, yet given by the Holy Spirit and so fully God, which to me seems so incredible. He did not come that we may give gifts or eat turkey, He did not come so that we may have a romantic and beautiful day without tensions or quarrel, He came fully perfect as a perfect sacrifice. His intention from the beginning was to die, He was an offering, an offering not because of my sin but in spite of my sin so that i may live. it is not for the traditions, the christmas trees, the songs and warm feelings, it is not to be about family and happy feelings. happiness in no way compares to joy and joy is experienced upon knowing Jesus. christmas is Jesus, christmas is joy, and it is celebrated with the cross shadowing over it. from the moment He was born His life was pursued for death be it herod or the cross, His life was pursued. and yet i forget. i feel caught. caught in the expectations, caught in the traditions and i forget. not that i forget the birth, i remember that, i forget the enormity of the birth. i focus on making one day beautiful instead of embracing the truth, which i do not deserve, and the reality that without Jesus there will always be tension and unpleasantness, that is sin. so, "warning: under construction" is the sign i wear around my neck and over my soul. these are my thoughts as i am challenged to see what christmas was intended for instead of the traditions we expect of it and are expected for it. these are my thoughts as i experience the joy that is christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

a five year old now

2011-12-13T20:29:00.000-08:00

sophie turned five on monday. sunday night i ventured into their room after we had said our goodnights, i wasn't ready to leave her just yet. i climbed into bed with her and asked if we could have one more conversation while she was still four. with a big smile on her face, she answered with excitement that that was exactly what she wanted to do. we chit chatted, giggled at her sister snoring and then i asked her not to turn five. she assured me she would and seemed very eager for the morning to come, so i asked if she would run into my room and yell that she was now five...she agreed. we hugged, kissed, maybe i didn't let go. morning came. she turned five. she is already talking about what she will do when she is six. man i love that girl. i love her spirit, her enthusiasm and her excitement of life. she is full, full of life, beans, and Jesus. today she said, "mom, if i push on my heart, i will push on Jesus." penny replied "yeah dad told us that." quickly sophie answered "no penny, i thought of that myself." i love that. i love her. she is five...are you serious. our five year old went down the water slide at the pool on sunday for her birthday party. she would flip herself around so she would come down head first on her tummy. she dragged miss jenne to the top with her, and she won't stop talking about it. she ate a tinker bell cake and played with those she loves. we are blessed beyond words. and we have a five year old. we went for a family walk tonight, bundled in our sweaters, mitts on, crisp cool night on our cheeks, warm drinks in hand...all four of us. we quickly found out that penny is not the best at walking and drinking and that sophie can not get enough of us all together. i may have been praying the whole time that a few snowflakes would fall...that would have completed the night (in my opinion). sophie asked if we could do this every night. i would like to. her smile and laughter filled my heart. penny held my hand and i loved every step we took. these days have been good.

they dance

2011-12-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

and they love every moment of it.

if they could take miss kelly home, i am sure they would.

this is one of my days during the year to see them in action.

i loved every moment of it.

maybe loved them a little bit deeper after this day.

{penny dances first in baby ballerinas}

{sophie dances second in pre-primary} they dance with joy and passion...everyday.

a birthday note

2011-12-05T14:34:00.000-08:00

{dear penelope anne}

i have been putting this off since october.

i have not wanted to write this, write of your year, how you are growing and the things you are able to do. i have not made the time nor the effort. i am sorry. my heart is heavy. you are only three, but you are three now. that seems so huge to me. i keep asking you to stop growing, both you and your sister laugh and tell me, but mom i will keep growing, i will get bigger you know. and i know, i just feel as though it has gone too fast. i don't know if i have taught you all that you need to know, if i have loved you well to establish in you a confident young lady, if i have exampled to you a gracious and godly woman.

i cried with scott a while ago. as the tears came down i explained to him that you will not choose to fall in love with us. both you and your sister will grow and choose to fall in love with someone else. someone that i don't know, someone who will take new and wonderful adventures with you, someone who will love you with a passionate and intimate love that i can not give you. someone who is not me. and yet my whole being (since you have been here) has been about you. you and sophie. you guys get my whole heart, you get most of my energy and effort, you get my days, and adventures. and yet you will not fall in love with us. and that is okay. it is beautiful. it is hard to think of now. scott replied, good thing they are only four and three! i laughed a little. the thing is he is who i fell in love with. he is the one i love to take adventures with, spend my days with, plan picnics with and take road trips with. he is the one who knows me more intimately and passionately than any other, it is to him i run to, hold onto and cherish. together we had you and together we will watch you grow and mature, and develop more and more character and beauty. we will encourage you with your dreams and ask you to live a life of love and grace. and one day you will leave, you will seek adventure without us, you will have grown so much that you won't need my help with your zipper or socks. you won't ask for toys off the top self or fall asleep in my arms. you will cry with someone else and ask anothers perspective before mine. and that is okay because that is b e a u t i f u l. i know because i have someone just like that. but it makes my eyes water and my heart heavy.

{a birthday at the park with dear friends. freddy sophie charlee penny jane bodhi and oliver}

i think this is why i have not wanted to write you a birthday note. i have not wanted to admit the mile stones you have accomplished...the fact that you know your oceans and continents, that you have memorized scripture and don't always need a nap. you have grown so much this year. you have started learning french with your sister, and taking ballet class. you play for hours on end with sophie without needing my help or guidance. you are able to scoot so fast on your run bike and venture off with soph holding hands without even looking back. you can spell your name and skip...a skill that did not come easy. you are a coloring machine, soft spoken in front of others but stubborn and fairly loud when others are out of ear shot.

you would rather play inside than out which can make my eye tick, but you are lovely and kind. you have a sense of humor that takes years to develop and a look that can make any of us laugh. and when it comes to laughs, yours is to die for, loud and full, it can make a day of crazy vanish is seconds.

penny you are an amazing little girl. i had one of the scariest dreams i have ever had this year, about you, and i was forced to remember that you do not belong to me, you are our Fathers, His blessing in our lives. i promise to always point the way to Him, to answer your questions and to encourage your passions and gifts. i promise to soak in every moment i am given with you and when the time comes, with joy, watch you embark on new adventures with the person you choose to give your heart to. it will be my time to take new adventures as well, with the man that i stand beside. blessings dear girl. blessings. we love you. good thing you are only three! {others shown, matt and chelly, laura, carliegh and ashley. ps the cake was her pick...even over strawberry shortcake and tinkerbell}

on long car rides

2011-12-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

many conversations happen in our car.

today was no different.

abbotsford to horseshoe bay

that is a long drive.

and when your sister is asleep, i suppose your thoughts grow bigger and bigger.

sophie (s): "mom when we die and live with Jesus, will it still be here?"

mom (m): "sophie we don't know much about what will happen when we die. we do know that if we believe and love Jesus, then we will spend eternity, that means forever, with Him. where that is, i don't know, i don't know what heaven looks like or where it is, i don't know if it will look like this world or not."

(s): but we know that matty is there, right mom.

(m): yes sophie, matty is there. and he doesn't hurt there. we are told in the Bible that when we are with Jesus there will be no sin, and when there is no sin there is no sadness, no pain, no tears. pretty amazing hey.

(s): yeah mom, and charlee will be there too.

(m): as long as charlee loves Jesus, she will be there too.

(s): mom, charlee will always love Jesus.

(s): mom, what is that big black smoke over there?

(m): that's called pollution sophie. when we make things there is often energy used and needed and then what is not used goes up a big chimney and out into our air. it is like when people throw garbage on the ground, that is called litter, well that smoke is litter in the air.

(s): gross mom, why do we do that?

(m): i don't know soph, but we can try not to, we can try to remember that everything we do makes a difference for our world. (i think i lost her here).

big questions,

i feel like i only have little answers.

i wonder what else she thinks about in her day.

the start of our year

2011-11-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

when it comes to school i had no idea we would be on the path that we are.

this year we have decided to home school.

it wasn't an easy decision, but we have been blessed and are so enjoying this new adventure.

that doesn't mean that everyone understands, not does it mean that everyone agrees with this choice, but we made this choice for our family and it is amazing.

sophie completes up to about an hour of school work a day including math, language arts, pe, science and social studies. not only does she have her time at home, but she is also apart of a learning center once a week for three hours. all the students who are being home schooled through this program are able to attend the learning center, so her class is a kindergarten - grade one split class complied of nineteen students, with their teacher mrs. thaine.

{first day of kindergarten}

outside of school, the girls are both in ballet lessons this year. penelope is a baby ballerina and sophie a pre primary. they have the same teacher just at different times and come home to play miss kelly and dance class pretty much every day.

{first day of ballet class}

our involvements continue on with our preschool group that we call "my class" which is continued on from last year. this year we added our tenth little one with the arrival of miss lyla jude. we meet once a week and school lasts an hour before we stop to have lunch together and then a playtime. every mom/teacher has the opportunity to teach once a month and every month is planned into a theme. it is amazing to see these ladies in action, their knowledge and abilities are incredible...truly it is an honor having them teach our girls.

{first day of "my class"}

then there are swimming lessons and french class.

it is a full year, but it is so exciting to see the girls grow and accomplish so much.

we have much, maybe too much. we give thanks because we have so very much to be thankful for.

a note

2011-11-12T20:59:00.001-08:00

dear girls my heart tugs tonight on the importance of friendships, of choosing friends, of loving and caring for friends. i can't say there is a step by step program or even an adequate equation that make sense when it comes to friendships. i can't guarantee you won't feel hurt or saddened by those you choose to stand beside you. but if you choose well, i can say they will be a tremendous blessing to you, they will walk your journeys with you, they won't be able to carry your burdens or joys but they will listen to you and challenge you, rejoice with you and weep with you. when you choose a friend, find someone who speaks kindly of others even if they don't know them. watch for someone who isn't afraid for the girl in corner with skin problems, who talks to her effortlessly and is genuinely interested in her days at school. keep your ears open for the one who speaks negatively and unkindly of passerbyers, guard your heart against them, they will also speak unkindly of you. but remember this does not give you permission to speak unkindly of them. look for the one who smiles, who counts their blessings and finds ways to give thanks in all things. they are wise. beware of those who mock and snicker, you could ask that the Lord softens their hearts. watch for the ones who are willing to stand up for others, they will stand firm by your side. it is a rare and beautiful thing, a true friend, someone you can really say you love...please don't tell everyone you love them, know the importance of the word and share it when it is earned and respected. it is a blessing to have someone by your side, someone who will share their candy with you, play dinosaurs with you, listen to your heart and challenge you in the ways of the Lord. this will also build your character. it is a treasure to find someone who will jump with you in your excitements and encourage your progresses while walking through life with you. in return, you ought to be the friend you are looking for. love well, be kind to every person, never say unkind words or thoughts towards anyone. give thanks even when your heart feels heavy, offer grace to those who may not deserve it, i am not sure anyone deserves it. listen when anothers heart is being shared, reach out a hand for someone to hold onto. be the first to seek out someone in need, someone different, someone lovely. if we remember that we all belong to the Father that we are all made in His image, then there should be no boundary that keeps us from being so very kind to others. when difficulties arise, take a deep breath, have confidence in the Lord that He will give you the tools, the grace and the love to walk together. my prayer is that you would surround yourselves with people who uplift you, who challenge and strengthen you in the Lord, who push you toward beauty. that you would uplift, challenge and strengthen others, pushing them toward beauty. these are my thoughts on this rainy november night.

osoyoos

2011-11-03T23:06:00.001-07:00

we had returned home from the island, dropped our bags and didn't let go of scott for at least a minute before the next trip was in motion.

i had one week to unpack, wash, clean, rest and repack before the next adventure would take place. we received a phone call explaining that there was room for and need for a traveling friend. and seeing as how our annual camping trip was not coming together as hoped for, and scott was still crazy busy with work, a traveling friend i would become. carliegh and gary were heading to osoyoos and would be staying in a lovely home with extra rooms. gary would be working long and hard days and there was not only a lake and beach area out the back doors, but a pool and hot tub out the kitchen window. i guess i was going. we set out tuesday night after work, the girls and i in our slow yet impressively able 87 tercel wagon, the daveys in their fully equipped (with dvd player..that i may have tried to watch from behind) mini van. i tried to race at some points...i lost! we sang songs, loud. we ate apple slices and pretended we were running. we stopped in manning for a quick break. the girls feel asleep shortly after and i was left to sing on my own.

we arrived.

my mouth dropped open.

amazing.

really amazing.

we woke the next day and put our bathing suits on and i am not sure they came off for the rest of our time there. it was my birthday and i was celebrated in the most loveliest of ways. sparklers and card from five really wonderful kids and one beautiful friend who pretended she was the little mermaid with me as we swam in the pool at night while the lights glittered through its waves (well i pretend, she sat in the hot tub).

following our day in the pool carleigh found a cultural center that we went to explore. snakes, trails, history, underground houses, treats, and stories. kind of a great way to spend the afternoon. it was cut short however due to a certain miss carleigh feeling rather "ill". on the speedy way home i was asked if i would rub her back and hold her hair if she was sick. my answer, not the greatest...but try to remember i was thinking if we were outside and the kids were by the water what i would do then...i responded by saying that after i got everyone in a safe place, then i come in and help her. she, not going down the same metal path as me, gave me a kind of disturb look...great friend she has! there was not much time to share with her where i was coming from before the van made a sudden stop and she pulled to the side of the road and yelled for my help. knowing that the sickness was coming i ran to her aid...everyone was safe in the car...i checked first! we leaned over the fence and then she pointed right, down the beach. my thoughts, who cares whats down there just make sure you are okay. my eyes, found seven warm bodies crouched against the wall...they took a second look. are you serious. best birthday ever. miss ashley and miss jenne along with their five precious little ones had come to join us for the last days. though i did not have to endure any kind of sickness as that was all made up just to get me out of the cultural center, the others did on their long journey up to join us...and still they drove on, after they littered, but we can overlook that this time.

we spent the next while enjoying each other, walks in the rain and some fun photos taken we made our way back and the ladies made dinner and may have even brought champagne. we spent the night talking, and gary did the dishes, bless his heart. it is not often we get to sit together and share our stories. but talking like little girls we found the clock at a time that moms with early risers don't handle well, so we said good night and found our beds. it was a good day. morning came and the bathing suits went back on. we really did spend the whole day in the water. pool to beach. beach to pool. maybe back one more time. it was good. our kids were good. there is community there, something that blesses my heart.

ps. best photo of miss jenne jumping ever jenne and i, along with gary are the competitive ones in the group and yet somehow we were able to make gary race against the clock, to the dock and back in one minute. it was pretty awesome, the whole conversation leading up to the challenge, and even the fact that he did it was pretty sweet...his time, 1minute and 15 seconds. rad dude. i love this photo, and the one that preceded it (though not shown). joy are my thoughts when i see these girls, pure joy in friendship love and grace. i drove home with two sleeping girls. i thought of taking up race car driving...then i remembered what i was driving and slowed down. my heart was full. how could it not be. i give thanks. there are three beautiful ladies who are willing to pour life into me, into each other. who are willing, willing to do and be anything for each other, anything that is upright and lovely. i admire their kindness and love,they are helping to grow my character.

time on the island part two

2011-10-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

i may have the most beautiful husband in the world.

his words made me cry.

that man, he makes my world spin.

i continue with the second part of our island trip...

thursday

goldstream park, always a favorite. it's the smell and the trees, this place is simple maybe that is why i like it. we walked the trails to the tunnel and then found the waterfall. we spent some time trying to see who could make the biggest splash, i was surprised to see my mom participate so well i think she won. i tried taking pictures, for some reason the girls got a new "look" while we were away and i think it is here to stay, can't say i like it.

roaring like lions

friday

we headed up to parksville to see grandma. we picked her up and headed to coombs for lunch. we discovered a new restaurant that took us to the heart of italy, i believe i will be going back to sit beside the fireplace in fall. we walked the emporium, saw the goats on the roof, ate ice cream, fed the rabbit under the house and just puttered. we spent a few moments at grandmas house playing with kurok, sophie tried to lock him in the garden but when asked what she was doing assured us that was not her plan...and then, an evil laugh came out when she dropped the lock across the fence, her on one side, the dog on the other. with kurok free we finished our time upisland at the beach with dinner. the girls continued their new found love of treasure hunting while my moms sat and talked. the sun was setting and it made a pretty wonderful ending to a great day.

saturday

my grandparents and sister and matt came for lunch and it ended with art lessons from sophie. my grandpa, who turned 89 this year sat beside my 4 year old daughter and drew pictures with her. she told him what colors to use where, he didn't seem to mind. he drew her a picture of the arctic complete with an inuit, polar bear, narwhal, and a few other animals. she seemed very pleased with his abilities. it touched my heart. i come from a good place.

when all had gone my mom and i headed to the lagoon for the second annual pizza dinner on the beach. i promised to only take one picture of the girls, i lied. they dug for more treasures, jumped off logs holding tightly to one another, and then thought it okay to venture into the water as the sun set. my mom then offered them ice cream from dairy queen. i think her mad sometimes. we went, we laughed, it was worth it.

at the lagoon.

sunday

first i joined my sister at the swap and shop. a first for me. we entered the speedway where the tables were set up, i think my mouth was open too wide, she stopped me to ask me what i was looking at, i replied by saying we don't have these kind of people in langley, redneck kind of people, i made her laugh. they play a game, who can get the most stuff for the least amount of money...i think i won, scored some sweet new items. we couldn't stay long though so headed back to my moms house to start the next part of our days adventure. we were to hit up beacon hill park...all of us. and by all of us i mean my mom, dad, sister, sisters boyfriend, myself and the girls. my parents aren't together. it was maybe one of my favorite days all together. there was effort, which is huge to me. we patted the goats, my dad and sisters friend tried to pick up and maybe even steal a pig, sophie experienced a donkey pooping...again. we headed to the park, where we swung, jumped off really high structures and enjoyed each other. on the way home sophie told my parents that they needed to love one another again, which gave me sweaty armpits, but they laughed. it has been a difficult experience, having to explain to a child why your parents no longer live together. my answer, that they no longer loved one another and were not kind to each other...she therefore told them what needed to happen to solve the problem.

monday

it was time to go home. not sure how my mom mustered up the energy to drive us to the ferry, but bless her heart, she did. it was a great time, as always. we made memories, took way too many pictures and were blessed by all that we left behind. that island, i really love it, it's home to me and yet it seems we are not to be there right now, and that is okay because we are so blessed where we are. but one day, i think we will be there again. it holds our family and they are pretty important to us.

2011-10-12T09:13:00.001-07:00

Your Blog has been hakked....by THIS guy....

Unbeknownst to some, Corinna and I have been married for eight years already. I have heard it said that as we get older time picks up speed, and I may be willing to admit there is some truth to the rumor. When I think about how many things we have done together, yet how quickly time has gone I am amazed.

I want to take you back a few years....

Summer 1995. I was a staff member at Camp Qwanoes, having what was, at that point, the summer of my life. I remember very vividly how much I loved being there and meeting all these amazing people, some of whom have without doubt defined who I am today. One person in

particular would fall into that category. This was the summer I first met Corinna. I really didn't know her at all that summer, beyond a few brief chats. She was simply the girl with the bright eyes and the great smile. And she liked to laugh....a lot. The joy that exuded from her was

undeniable, and won her over many friends at that place. I am sorry that I never threw you down Big Blue...your time is still coming ; )

Fast forward a few months and we would become "Buds". For the next few years we would hang out from time to time (mostly summer to summer in that place where we first met) and as time would go on other places too. At the time I could not have ever imagined the amazing journey that God had planned out for us....that I still have the joy of embarking on even this day.

Corinna is an adventurer at heart. Though there are adventures she would rather not be a part of (like bungee jumping or riding Big Thunder Mountain), she has managed to go on some spectacular journeys in her young life. Journeys that have taken her and her backpack across Europe and into Russia, all the while surviving on gelato, bread, cabbage and boiled meat. She has watched the sun set on the African plain and awoken with clouds in her bedroom high in the Alps. She has navigated routes through Joshua Tree and survived the freezing winds of Mt.

Rainier. Through it all she has grown, been stretched and gained an amazing view of this world,

one which she has shared with me. Though I am not an experienced traveler by her standards, I have been able to live vicariously through her stories and pictures, just as you have by reading

her many blog entries throughout the years. I look very much forward to the adventures I will get to share with her in the years to come...I just hope I can keep up with her!

The second time Corinna went to Russia was the first time I noticed her in a different light. I actually have a photo of the moment something snapped in my soul regarding this girl who would become my lover and best friend.

We were at the airport. A number of us had decided to see Corinna off on another adventure, and as we hugged and she walked down the ramp towards the gates, something inside this blonde-haired young guy seemed to say "That is a sweet girl". We had been friends for three years, but suddenly I wanted to be something more. We chatted here and there while she was gone, and upon her return we began hanging out again, but this time it was different for me.

We started dating in 1999. It was a rainy day at Camp Qwanoes. Cor was in her gumboots (little did I know how much she loved those things), and as the rain fell and the leaf boats floated down their little rivers, a relationship began that would change our lives forever. We had our ups and downs throughout the next 4 years, but would ultimately ride that relationship to the height of the the human experience in our marriage in 2003.

We have had many adventures since that day...surfing the coast, moving to the prairies, having children, changing jobs, and trying to make the most of every day. The one constant in my life has been her. Her passion that is contagious. Her courage to move forward. Her desire to make the most of the journey that our Father has laid before her. Her love for the needy, most of whom she has never met. Her deep desire to build meaningful relationships. Her steadfastness in raising up our daughters in the ways they should go. The sacrifices she has made to be a wonderful mother. The ways she cares for me despite the challenge that I pose. I love her for all these reasons and thank her for how good she has made the journey.

I see us growing old together, laughing at our gnarly grey hair and forming the story's that will create the wrinkled old faces that even now she loves. I will always be your stoic Asian man, and I hope you will be my cute little Asian wife, flower in hand and twinkle in your eye.

I love you Cor...as big as a million.

time on the island part one

2011-09-27T21:37:00.001-07:00

every year we spend a few...maybe a few more than a few...days with my mom on the island. i'm pretty sure she waits with anticipation for us to come...and then for us to go home. we make her do the impossible, but she is joins us for every adventure, in fact she plans them herself.

day by day this is what it looks like to spend ten days with my mom.

saturday

we arrived in the early afternoon with enough time to have lunch with my grandparents and great uncle frank. lunch is always my favorite at this house, cheese biscuits, pickles, and tuna buns. we sat outside and played police man, dragging my 6"4 grandfather off to jail for being bad and then ran around the backyard trying to escape said man by crawling under the fence by the potted plants around the patio...my heart soon settled and we continued playing police man.

sunday

the beach called us by name. we walked the long trail by sitting lady falls to wittys beach. that's home for me, a place with many memories and stories. we packed a lunch and after playing, some of us ate like queens while others swatted bees, made sure plates were full and everyone was happy. we built sand castles, hunted for crabs, found a massive crab, played kitty in the sand, found out that my oldest would rather live with her nana, made (a bit of) fun of my mom, laughed pretty hard about it, continued building the sand castle, later jumped on the castle and then eventually, much later, we began our journey home.

monday

my mom took the girls "back to school" shopping. i thought about it later, really it is such a blessing to have someone in your life who cares enough to offer help in a small way (huge really), like offering to help you buy your kids some new fall clothes. a blessing. we couldn't do that on our own, at least not the way my mom provides. for that i want to say thank you. thank you for taking care of my kids in a manner that seems to excite you, for providing something simple yet so necessary. i think it is a quality that i saw come out in you more than ever before. you care for others, you protect them, you offer others care in a way that is far more than deserved.

tuesday

the museum. i had this idea in my head ever since we took the preschool group to the fort langley historical museum, and i was so excited about the potential to take the girls to the royal british columbia museum. so we went. with mouths opened wide and an exclamation of "wow" at the entrance to every exhibit we explored the museum. we took the girls to the imax show of "born to be wild" and sat with eyes glued to every moment...and hands full of crackers. it was amazing and beautiful. we explored the rest of the museum and sailed with captain george vancouver, panned for gold during the gold rush, visited the old town and sat to wait for the train. we discovered sea life from a submarine and experienced the ice age with a rather scary mammoth. kinda looking forward to the next time we can go.

wednesday

fort rod hill. one of those places that the girls can run, that they can learn (i think, i hope), that we can explore. we traveled here with our steady and true fort rod hill gang. this year we were able to watch a navel ship come into port from the light house, and it seemed to make the experience even more real. we explored the underground tunnels and maybe even preformed an act or two, maybe this was my highlight. we picked up beach rocks and shells and the girls were taught to collect things from their auntie shan.

the next few days and adventures are yet to come...

going back

2011-09-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

i need to go back in time. there are some events that have yet to be recorded and i have a moment, right now, in the computer/pantry/storage room to take a minute and remember. lets start back in august. august long weekend actually.

what started out as a potential preschool campout at miss diane's lake turned into something else completely. and however painful some of the experiences were that others walked through around this time, i am thankful for the opportunities it gave us as friends and community to draw closer together, to support and encourage one another, to love and be loved by others. this for me was a turning point in our friendships. to see how greatly they cared for one another, to see the thanks that could find no words yet was written across faces, these were the moments that solidified my love. i don't easily say that i love someone, i find it a word that is passed so often it lacks any meaning. i am not one to go there, unless i mean it. if i tell you i love, know that it is true. know that it is a process, grown and tried, it is not just a word to me, it is not something you say to one you merely like, it has power and substance. and so, i began to love these women, their hearts, characters, joys and hurts. it is something that i hope our girls will find in friends one day, friends who stand by, pick up the slack and encourage one another to live better than they are.

all in all, the weekend was not something that needed to happen the way we thought it would. it couldn't. in the meantime, those lovely neighbors of ours, the kellers, invited us to return to the cabin at shuswap with them. and so we did. there was every family member there, aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings, other friends...and we just slid in as if we were supposed to be there. we were even close to winning the beanbag competition...well sort of. the captain took the girls on tube rides, we slept in the tent, we swam in the lake, ate like kings and queens, played cribbage (i did fairly well if i do say so myself...matt rode my coat tails), and laughed pretty hard alongside some really wonderful people. it was a blessing to be apart of their family (again) for the weekend.

chelly, penelope and i behind the boat scott, sophie and matt our dear friends, crazy but dear before the weekend was over, we headed back to langley, packed up the van for one last camp out and made our way to miss diane's lake with the daveys. we had a fire, sat together telling stories until too late and then woke to beautiful sunshine. we spent the day at the lake, swimming, running, having slurpees (a first for the girls) and just enjoying each other. we read in the shade of the trees on a blanket, it couldn't get much more perfect. the boys headed back to work on a deck and we joined them shortly after to have dinner together. this people mean the world to me, their kindness is one to strive after.

back home, we tucked the girls into bed and gave much thanks for the blessings we have received in life. really, we couldn't ask for much more.

two wheels

2011-09-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

kind of a big day for us yesterday, sophie learned to ride a two wheeled bike.

she has been cruising for about a year now on a push bike, with her little radio in her basket she takes off down the the paths around the university. this summer, her friends came over and her buddy charlee was on a two wheeler...with peddles. it had not even really entered my mind to change it up to a peddle bike. the girls and i were on the island, and scott bought a new bike. after dinner last night we went to the laundry room which was hiding her bike. at first she was so excited, then seeing the peddles, she hesitated a little, "mom, i don't know if i can do peddles" we encouraged her to try. outside she was a little anxious, eyes on the ground and a little wobbly. i had scott run to the end of the path, i told her to keep her eyes on her daddy, she looked up, put her feet on the peddles and has not stopped riding since. she cruised around the "loop" where four students were playing sand volleyball, knowing us, they stopped their game and cheered on sophie as she rode past...are you kidding, what kid gets the encouragement of so many others. we came inside and she ran to look for chelly and emily who came outside to watch. then matt came home and took her out for a five minute bike date, just the two of them, they cruised the pathways of trinity western. it was a sweet night, reminded me of just how much i have to be thankful for, especially living here.

this morning, we rode again...she rang her bell and asked students to get out of her way...fearless really, not sure i would ask a whole gang of dudes, to move for me. penny rode with the radio this morning, first time, and sang her little heart out. the girls were taken to the cafeteria for popsicles by their buddy julia. and we start another year, so blessed.

dreams and reality

2011-09-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

we have just come home from ten days on the island...ten intensive and full of adventure days. you think that maybe, just maybe the girls would want to sit, take a deep breath, play quietly with toys...well maybe you dream. instead i was just called into their room like this, "mom, mom, you have to come here" followed by an exuberant out burst of laughter. i pretty much ran...i know these girls a little too well. "look mom, pennys gummy got stuck up there." i look up, and attached to her doll house on top of her dresser is a gummy, stuck and wet looking. "how did it get up there girls?" i asked. "we threw it mom, first it got stuck on the ceiling, then we got it up there." said with much excitement, "see mom, look how we do it," the wet gummy is licked and then hurled from her hand to attach itself to some unsuspecting object in her room, insert massive outburst of laughter. "girls, you shouldn't throw your gummies, that's not okay" this is my reaction as i try not to giggle. "okay mom, we won't." i walk out, they quickly close the door behind me and all i hear is screams of joy and laughter...i have just returned from pulling a gummy off the ceiling...what the...?

slides + water

2011-08-14T15:26:00.001-07:00

= one of the most amazing days this summer. are you serious, four adults, five children, nine slides and two tube rides. we spent the day with the daveys at bridal falls waterslides. starting at eleven we brought picnics and blankets, and closed the place out just after six. a first for all the kids, i wish i had a camera with me to document the size of the smiles that dominated their faces. there was a little timidness at first, but experience lead to confidence and confidence lead to pure joy. the kids rode both with adults and by themselves, all of them. i am not sure how to write of my excitement, enjoyment and blessing to see our kids find success in a new and wonderful way. to watch them be willing and try then discover that they could, equaled one of the best days this summer time. a conversation between sophie and i (as i ran up to check on her in line with her dad getting ready to go down the "black hole") "hey sophie, are you sure this is something you would like to do?" "mom, it's only a slide" i nodded, smiled and turned to walk away...i glace back at scott and give him a look as if to say, are you serious...she is four...hey mom, it's only a slide. i was/am one proud mom and friend of all these kids.

truth and prayers

2011-08-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

the truth.

according to sophie.

"jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, black and white and stylish, he loves the little children of the world."

really...stylish...so much to teach, so little time.

prayers.

by sophie.

"jesus, please help those people who have no food or water, keep them healthy and safe, be with the kids who have no food or water, get them food and water. and jesus keep the dinosaurs safe too and give them food and water in their death, keep them healthy in their death. amen."

summer time

2011-08-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

we have been blessed, not only by the people that surround us, but also by this place that encompasses us. we have had adventures and journeys to last a lifetime, we have used each weekend to its fullest, sometimes documented but not always.

earlier this summer we were invited by matt and chelly to join them at their family cabin at shushwap lake...i was expecting rustic...it may be nicer than my home, so home we made it. chellys mom and dad joined us, as well as her grandparents...the girls took to them as they would their own. it was an amazing place, peaceful and beautiful.

we had originally planned on a longer circle trip, starting with our first stop in kelowna to visit scotts grandma, we would then stop in to meet all the members of the peters family in vernon, next would be shushwap with the kellers and then a drive to calgary to hold the newest member of the frank family. we greatly underestimated our time and ended up cutting the last leg of the journey, disappointing to say the least.

so we started off, we left on wednesday morning and drove to kelowna. along the way we envisioned ourselves in jungles and forests atop the mountains as we drove the hi way. we found patches of snow and tunnels with bears on them. the girls read and soaked in the great scenes that passed us by. we arrived in kelowna just after lunch for a visit with grandma werdal. this woman has twelve of her own children, seventy grandchildren and well over one hundred great grandchildren. my mouth is still on the floor about that one. she is a beautiful lady, lovely in every way. she hums through most of her life and sang along with the girls for a few songs, played hide and go seek with them and looked at picture albums. it was an afternoon we won't soon forget.

we left grandma and headed into vernon to find the peters. rose and ryan have been our friends since before any of us were even dating. it was so good to hear their of their latest journeys to see their family and just sit with them for the evening. the beach called us in the morning and it was at this point that i pondered the thought of moving there...don't tell scott.

we said good bye to the peters, hoped in the car as the storm clouds came rolling in over the hills and started our trip to shushwap lake.

we arrived in the rain...with smiles on our faces. there is something about travels, the new smells, watching your family experience it for the first time, that time together, new stories to tell and share...i can't explain it, it makes my heart full.

we spent the next few days on the beach, riding bikes, walking, swimming, boating, sitting on the dock, playing a little bean bag toss, all with some really great people. people you want to share life with, you want in your life.

matt and chelly keller getting ready for a boat ride with the "captain" the whole gang, mr. byer (the captain), scott, sophie, chelly, penny, mrs. byer, matt there was not one trip that this kid didn't end up with her eyes closed playing on the beach with friends kayak rides in the lake this is matt...and that is called an "air chair"...it is/was kinda crazy a few wipe outs before he got it i love his face scott gives it a try excited and willing he did get up...just got it on the video camera instead. it was a full and amazing trip, one that made memories, and built friendships.

nana came

2011-07-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

my mom came to visit us. she convinced the girls that living with her was a good idea. i think she is having second thoughts now. she may be sleeping at work this morning. i would be if i was her. she may have learned more about these kids than she wanted to. like that they sing along to journey. don't stop believing. that they say things like "oh sweet mother". she introduced sophie to her side kick it was a gentle tap on the bottom with her foot. sophie introduced nana to her side kick. she nailed my mom in the side of the leg with a massive kick. she slept in the room with penny. every morning she woke to two little eyes and a big smile just waiting, along with a chit chat and stuffed animals. she is a trooper. she has a hard time with aging, but i say, mom, if you weren't the age that you are you wouldn't have these two little girls who love you more than you know. who really would give me up and come live with you. we love you nana.

tofino in june

2011-07-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

a few weekends ago we set out on an annual adventure...tofino. with the baus in for yet another werdal experience we headed over to the island on thursday night where we stayed with mom werdal and dropped kurok off back home. friday morning we loaded up and started our drive...we stopped at coombs and i poked a little and grabbed us a few treats for lunch on the road. we made it to port and stopped again for a tea. this is one of my favorite drives and adventures. when it was just the two of us we used to make the same stops while listening to stewart mclean on the vinyl cafe. now we are a larger family, we still stop for treats and tea and though we don't listen to stewart anymore we love sharing this part of our lives with the girls. scott and i talked this time of what it could look like if a few years, would the girls have their own boards, could we ride four across the same wave...it made my heart smile, shared experiences are so important to me. we drive mostly in silence watching the trees and rock faces whiz past the windows, the girls slept for most of the drive and i sat with my feet up on the dash.

at camp we set up our rather enormous tent. truly i have made a few changes in my life. a tent for me used to mean a two man/three season/mountaineering tent...the one i used through college and continue to love. this weekend however, we would set up a tent that was large enough to stand straight up in and would sleep both families...all eight of us...with room to spare! once the monster was up we headed down the path to the beach for an evening walk and exploration. this is where i noticed maybe for the first time one of the biggest differences between the girls.

penny is a collector, and treasure keeper.

sophie is an explore and climber.

the baus joined us for dinner around the fire, hot dogs and marshmallows. then we tucked the girls in and continued to enjoy each other and our stories.

saturday morning we rose with the little ones, and while getting ready in the bathroom i became quick 'friends' with a girl from rip curl. not only would this be exciting on a normal day, but considering that one of the reasons we headed out on this weekend was to take in the rip curl stew surf competition, i was maybe a little giddy when i returned to the camp site saying, dude, you will never guess who i just met!

we packed up after morning eats and headed to cox bay for the competition. maybe a little giddy again i snapped a picture of sepp bruhwiler...an amazing surfer from the island. while he was out in the waves, scott rubbed in the fact that he watched him catch a wave while i was busy looking/chasing after the girls. pretty much a sweet experience, the music, people, listening to the count down of time left to surf, the air horn, sepp, pretty sweet dude, pretty sweet.

we headed out to long beach to have a little surf ourselves.

scott took the girls out on the boogie board the boys surf together while the girls watch the kids, then we switch and the boys come in while the girls ride together...then we mix it all up and whoever doesn't get in the water fast enough has to stay on the beach with the kids until someone comes in. i took the girls out on my board.

it was pretty amazing considering sophies accident last year, but she was pumped and excited and had even promised on the drive to the ferry on thursday that she wanted to surf with me. i was one proud mom of both these girls. sunday we cleaned camp and played in town for a bit. grabbed some lunch, played in the park where sam and rob both commented on the fact that i fit in very nicely with the locals...dream accomplished! one crazy bunch of friends. these people have been our friends for a long time, and i am so very blessed by them, by their kindness, their love and their sense of adventure.

following dreams

2011-06-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

we often say in this house, "if you never try, you never know."

scott has challenged me to try.

and i want to live by my heart not my fears.

i want to demonstrate to our girls that dreaming is important

that following your heart isn't silly.

i want to live each step of my life in accordance to the word of God

i want to offer all i have to Him.

i believe that our passions are our gifts

and that they come from our Father.

so i tried.

what happens with it doesn't matter,

what matters is that i have a community of people who stood behind me

and told me that i could, that encouraged me and loved me enough to

not let me not try.

a new small adventure then.

www.corinnawerdalphotography.com

a little mermaid

2011-06-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

for the past few months sophie has been practicing for her big day on stage. two shows, one afternoon and one evening each with a special spot just for her and her friends. with makeup on and hair curled we drove to the surrey arts center to watch her first moments under the lights. she was courageous and fearless as she lead her group across the stage to take their places as little mermaids. one little girl expressed to her mom back stage that she sure did like her seashell necklace!

[sophie leading the way]

[a student helper, miss sarah stood with them to help them through]

[right foot tap]

[left foot tap]

[circling up]

[free dance]

it was an interesting experience on the other side. friday evening we dropped her off for a dress rehearsal. she was gone for four hours. which meant penny had us all to herself. we stayed in surrey, poked around and then had timmies for dinner. half way through her bagel, penny asked why sophie wasn't eating hers. we had gotten one for soph to eat after her rehearsal...really, had penny not noticed that her sister wasn't there until the end? her remark, "but mom, sophie isn't eating her dinner" had scott and i with wide eyes and little chuckle, we get used to the norm i suppose. but it seemed like the moment she noticed, she lived it up, singing and chatting with no one to interrupt or tell her what to do.

[curtain call for the first act

sophie is on the far right in front]

it was different, maybe i had a little tear, letting her go and believing that she would be on her best behavior. i really didn't see her at all on saturday, but i was proud of her. she stood well on her own, very independent that one, i guess she always has been.

we were so blessed to have grandma, nana and auntie shantel, matthew and chelly, laura and juliet all come to watch our little ballerina. she is so blessed to have so many truly wonderful people who just love her and choose to support her even if it was for only two minutes.

during her second show, in the evening, the gentleman sitting beside me leaned over and said, "your daughter just stole the show". during her free dance part, she took to the front of the stage and twirled and jumped then twirled and jumped her way across, not missing a beat, and living up to every cheer and clap in the audience. i smiled, nearly got a little sweaty, but laughed back at him and shared that she hasn't got a nervous bone in her body.

leg 5

2011-06-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

the final stretch toward home.

wednesday may 11 2011

before going to bed scott and i had mapped out the rest of our journey. we knew how many days we had left, where we would like to go and where we would stay. this included one more night at cape lookout. the only reason we would move on, was if it started to pour and blow so hard that it made it unbearable...this was very unlikely as the forecast looked great.

we woke to rain, light rain, but rain none the less. a little broken hearted we cooked up breakfast and dressed the girls in rain pants to set out for a little walk through the forest trails. we stopped by the entrance booth to the campground and paid for one more night, besides, a little rain has yet to hurt anyone. though both scott and my spirits were dampened the girls skipped and hopped through the forest despite the rain. we found a salamander, and mushrooms, we looked for frogs and snails, we watched what happens to the ocean when you add rain to it and the girls asked if they could bring their buckets down to the beach to play...we said not right now, maybe when the skies cleared up a bit. at this point the rain had started to fall a little bit heavier, but still we were determined. we put on warm fleece pants in the van and let the girls watch tinkerbell on the laptop. all the while waiting for the rain to subdue. as we sat there i glanced around, maybe with a little envy at the massive trailers and motor homes that surrounded our little van. their lights and fireplaces on, water boiling on their stoves for tea and i am sure that fresh cookies were about to come out of their little kitchen ovens. i am pretty sure that the majority of their get away vehicles were bigger than our real home, deep sigh. my eyes now see beyond the surrounding homes and notice that the rain is falling at a rather quick speed and with great intensity, the wind has also started blowing...very hard. our tarp is caught by the wind and is ripped out of the ground, now flapping with vigor in the rain and wind. i make eye contact with scott...maybe now is the time to talk about finding a hotel.

we chat, we plan, we notice that it is not even lunch and it is going to be an awfully long day in the van. bless his heart, scott layers up and heads outside. at this point i wish i had taken a picture of him to show just how wet and crazy he looked. i packed up the inside, he packed up the outside...all the while, the girls are happily watching tinkerbell. scott heads to the bathroom with clean pants and undies...cause that is how wet he is.

we stop by the ranger station and are refunded our nights pay. we get on the road and smile at each other, are you serious, good thing we have a sunburn from the day before so we can pretend we had amazing weather on this trip when we get home.

we head toward tillamook, the cheese factory seems like a great rainy day adventure. we watch for an abnormally long time as the workers pack cheese, the girls seem fascinated by it, we are dry and warm, so we don't mind how long they look. we sampled cheese and ice cream and then head further north to seaside. in bed in a hotel we giggle at the crazy day. what the heck are we doing taking a road trip in the middle of may, and why have we not seen any other vw vans on the road.

[looking back at where we have come from]

thursday may 12 2011

we poke in our favorite surf shop and nearly bought a third board...next year i guess. we turn south and spend the day at cannon beach. the sun has come out again and we sit on the beach, run up dunes, explore the haystack rock and squeak through the sand.

when we finish we head to our final camp spot at fort stevens. after dinner we went on a family adventure with our flashlights. we followed our map and the trails, got lost, ate a mosquito, were eaten by mosquitoes, had races, scott was sarcastic and quite funny (he was ready to be home), we all laughed at him.

[learning from the haystack rock awareness program]

friday may 13 2011

there is an old ship wreak and we didn't get a chance to see it last year, so this time we decided to walk there. a mere two miles with kids who were ready to go home made it a bit long, but still fun...anything is possible as long as you carry snacks. we explored the ship wreak, i read in my best pirate voice the plaque that talks about the ship and what happened. i was asked to read it again...so i did but by this time a crowd had formed behind me so when asked for a third time i said no. we found more sand dunes and went dinosaur hunting, we trudged home. the girls had a nap and scott and i sat by a fire and stayed there the rest of the day. kind of a great way to end our trip. we had an older hippy man give us the rest of his wood, maybe he understood the dampness we felt whatever it was he kept giving us the peace sign, so we took his nods and peaces and smiled back at him. our fire burnt from three in the afternoon until eleven at night. scott and i had challenging conversations around its flames before we headed to bed.

[the mighty ship]

[just up from a nap...maybe still wanting to be there]

saturday may 14 2011

we packed up, had one last adventure in th e forest behind our camp site and then headed toward the I5. we made one stop at the centralia factory outlets where we noticed our beloved van was rather hot and maybe not doing so well. we let her cool off and finished doing a little shopping. we made it just past tacoma in the hov lane when the overheat light came flashing on and steam came pouring out of the back vents. we pulled over on the left hand side of the road as we could not get over and she needed to stop now. scott unloaded the back of the van to open up the engine and let her cool down. not knowing what was wrong scott and i set a plan in motion. a police man came and set out flares to help us get back on the road after sitting for just over an hour. there was an exit one mile up and we prayed hard we would make it there. at the exit there was a mcdonals and knowing that there is free wifi there, we pulled in, as the van started to overheat again. i excused myself to the bathroom to have a little cry then took a deep breath and joined scott as we called our dear friends to have them come and pick the girls and i up. matt drove three hours to get to us and three hours home. we arrived back just after one in the morning, leaving scott and the van behind. i was nervous but knew that without us he would have the freedom to try things without feeling the responsibility of getting his family stuck. i prayed hard, not knowing what his thoughts were or what he was going to try. before we had left i had seen a tow truck, so i wrote the number down just in case. just after two the front door opened and in walked scott...oh happy heart. the poor guy figured out that he was able to drive either 50km in second gear or 80km in third gear without the van overheating. so from tacoma home, that is what he did.

poor girl still sits in the parking lot waiting to finish being fixed.

she did well, i suppose she is pretty old and she has never given us any trouble before.

so this is it, our adventure from along the oregon coast. the way i remember it, the pictures that i loved from it, the moments that are etched into my heart from it.

leg 4

2011-05-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

cape lookout, our first night there.

we had set up camp and then spent the rest of the evening on the beach.

the sun was setting and the sand was warm under our feet.

tuesday may 10

with nothing else to do but spend time together, we finished our breakfast, gathered up our buckets and snacks, magazines and sunscreen, wet suits and cameras and headed to the beach. we found a little spot and there we stayed...literally for the rest of the day. at one point we figured it was time for lunch so i went back to the van to make sandwiches and bring them to the beach. i grabbed a piece of technology to see the time...just after four...guess i should have been starting to think of dinner, but lunch had not been eaten yet, so lunch it still was.

[she called them, "the team"]

[the new suit for penny]

[i have known for some time now,

but it is always good share with others

that really her feet never hit the ground]

[our little surfer girls]

[jumping waves with dad]

[we had many a race]

and at the end of the day, we [penny] was ready to come home...sophie had found a friend on the beach and was helping him build a sandcastle. it was amazing to watch the interactions between the girls. so much to do and so much beach to cover, as long as they were by each other they would do it all...and all they did do.

[to show our camp]

[the sweetness of scott. knowing i don't love the idea of drinking,

but also knowing he really enjoys a beer every once in a while,

he chose one with a label that would make me smile]

[a blessing from last year...we bought fire wood and had the best/warmest fires yet!]

after a hot dog dinner, a warm shower and clean pjs, the girls fell asleep rather fast. the rest of the night was spent chatting with other campers around our fire and then sitting together in quietness as we listen to both the waves on the beach and the crackle of the fire.

leg 3

2011-05-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

sunday may 8 2011

with thunder and lightening storms a coming we packed up our little van and set out on the road. the weather kept us on our toes this trip and we were so unsure what to do. for example, beverly beach. a beach that we briefly stayed at last year and this year planned to spend the day at as a friend had said she stayed there with her family growing up, and it was a favorite for her. as we drove we experienced massive down pours and then beautiful brilliant skies, we put layers on, we peeled them off, we wore sunnies and then we didn't. we were all over the place. but beverly beach was approaching and i was determined to make the most of it. we had our jackets on, our buckets in hand and few snacks...key = snacks in any and all situations. it felt like we were walking against a wall of wind but the sun was out so we found our spot on the beverly beach and we sat, we ate one bite of a snack and the biggest most blackest clouds came tumbling across the beach, looming and almost laughing at us. with a crack they opened and rains came out...and we ran...which is hard to do with two kids, one dog, buckets and shovels, water cups and snacks. back in the van we giggled...see you next year beverly.

from here we found shelter and warmth in the outlet malls at lincoln city. we got a hotel and escaped the storm while we swam in the pool and had a real shower.

monday may 9, 2011

woke to a drizzle, but nothing that we couldn't handle. back in the van and started the journey to my favorite spot, cape lookout. the sky looked promising on the horizon so our spirits were good. we traveled north to pacific city. this is the reason we had yet to make it any further south. this place is amazing. great surf, amazing opportunities to explore, a massive sand dune, an amazing pub and most years there are whales in the cove. i would live here...even in the van.

we each had a chance at the beginning of the trip to voice one thing we would really love to see happen, to do. mine, have lunch at the pelican brew pub in pacific city.

we pulled into the sand parking lot and layered up, nice but windy. we explored sand dunes, went dinosaur hunting, found t-rex tracks, discovered a somewhat underwater cave full of amazing shell creatures, touched starfish, had our hands eaten by sea anemones, walked in the waves and watched the stand up paddle boarders share waves with the surfers.

the sun had come through the clouds and really, i kinda fell in love with my family in a different way. the girls were asking questions, scott led them around from tide pool to tide pool, our feet embracing the rocks and waves, the sounds and smells of the ocean...my heart was full. now my stomach. we had lunch at the brew pub...are you serious could this day get any better. of course it would as we headed to cape lookout and set up camp.

leg 2

2011-05-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

a meandering journey north.

friday may 6 2011

we started our long and slow journey north. we would take our time, play at the beach, climb sand dunes, take photographs, and just enjoy one another. to be honest i had come into this trip with a heavy heart, but day by day, each moment together it grew lighter and more aware of the beauty that was around me.

we stopped in north bend for fish and chips at the captain's choice. so good. would do that again. the rain had started to fall ever so softly so we just puttered our way along and stopped at sand dunes to go dinosaur hunting. this may have been sophies favorite part of the whole trip.

[photographs along the way, trying to gain a little more skill in landscape photography]

we made our way to beachside state park and set up camp. we would stay here for two nights and listen to the waves break on the beach while we slept.

saturday may 7 2011

had hot cereal for breakfast to warm up. at this point scott and i had decided not to do this trip in may again. last year we had only one night of rain, but this year was proving to be a different story.

[enjoying breakfast under our 'new to us' awning]

however, no amount of rain would hamper the spirits of the two little ones...they found mud puddles and questioned what happened to the ocean when the rain was added to it...we went to find out. rain or shine it would seem, that water called us by name.

[oh the series of events that i was able to capture...

i never did find out why she was crying, she was the one who started it all,

maybe it was because her sister paid no attention to her]

we headed back to the van for a quick lunch, dry leggings and then back out to the beach. as the day wore on, the sun fought its way through the clouds and the layers peeled off.

[kinda love the way they hold onto one another]

[i would see them again at the end of the day,

only to carry them home and tuck them into bed]

[oh how they would rejoice in the goodness of creation]

[one of my favorite pictures, neither girl has their feet on the ground]

[a magnificent ending to a pretty wonderful day]

with two tired little girls tucked into bed, scott and i enjoyed a fire and the company of one another. quite, and peaceful, i think i could live this way forever.

log entries for oregon coast

2011-05-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

leg one

tuesday may 3 2011

two girls on the back bench, one dog in the middle and two parents upfront.

our neighbors came to wave goodbye and off we set.

the vw van was in great shape thanks to the most wonderful man i know and his crazy ability to learn and fix our long time friend. he truly did an amazing job and i am rather proud of him. i digress. onto our adventure.

we had a long drive ahead of us, most of the reason to set out so late. our hope was that the girls would sleep for most of it. we made two quick stops once we entered the states and then back on the road. our destination was a hotel in wilsonville oregon, just north of woodburn. the last leg of washington nearly got to us, but as we passed the "welcome to oregon" sign on the bridge we smiled at one another and had a renewed energy that we were able to do this. it was nearly midnight as we pulled up to our rest spot. tired, excited and ready for bed we finished the first day of our adventure.

wednesday may 4 2011

with an early start to the day we headed to the woodburn outlet mall for a quick stop...well somewhat of a quick stop! with a few bags of goodies in hand we enjoyed a beautiful day of sunshine and drove from woodburn to coos bay. at coos bay we headed further south to sunset bay, setting up camp at bastendorff.

thursday may 5 2011

[greeted by flowers]

[the beach at bastendorff]

we gathered up our beach buckets and packed a lunch then headed to sit on the beach at sunset bay. before getting there we decided to travel a little further south up the winding road to see where it would take us. at the top we found a pullout with telescopes and rocks covered in sea lions. we barked like them for a while and giggled at the girls. we then headed back to the beach where we had planned to sit and play, get wet and sandy for the rest of the day... and we did. we started out with coasts, hoodies and pants...we finished in undies. always a good day when you can finish in your undies. the girls built sandcastles taking only sand that they could scoop out of the water before the waves came and soaked them. they started out well, laughed a lot and then we hauled their wet pants around for the rest of the trip!

[our jumping spot...dude has mad hops]

[playing with daddy...always fun to be shoved into sand,

chased and thrown around and nearly scared of your dad!]

a hot dog dinner at the campsite followed by marshmallows was the end of this glorious day.

the places we'll go

2011-05-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

i think i have been looking forward to this trip since the last day of our trip last year.

we have counted down our sleeps and have come to this, tomorrow we leave. as for the girls, i hope they make it, i believe they stopped chit chatting at 9:40 tonight...maybe we are all a little excited.

the van is washed, vacuumed, organized and filled.

-the girls helping dad wash the van...and the road-

-soaked, therefore naked, and reading- we will pile in tomorrow afternoon and head south.

our destination, the oregon coast.

we drive to woodburn first, then carry onto coos bay.

we find we get stuck at our favorite spot every time we do this trip, so this year we are starting at the bottom and working our way north.

we will be home on the 15th.

we have our beach buckets, our rain boots and our dog.

our cameras and toothbrushes also made it in.

should be a good adventure.

ice cream, kites, and waves

2011-04-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

three rather important details in a great adventure.

we set out friday morning to pick some parts up for the van

side note: trip preparations are underway.

then made the desired location of edaleen dairy the number one stop on the way over to birch bay.

blue, blue bubble gum ice cream.

didn't really think about it until i helped penny lick hers...

almost made me throw up in my mouth.

don't know how those kids do it, but they loved every. single. bite.

we loaded back into the car and headed down to the beach.

we wore flip flops.

we made sandcastles.

we collected shells.

we {flew} the kite.

we laughed at our non kite flying skills.

we waded through the water.

we threw rocks.

we had a picnic lunch.

we came home with red colored cheeks from the sun.

this was a favorite day for me.

listen learn love

2011-04-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

its a time to be intentional with our kids.

a time to help them listen to others.

a time to help them learn from others and a time to help them love others.

designed by four ladies, we meet once a week for an hour of school time, followed by many more minutes of conversations, play time, banana bread, encouraging, and sometimes soul sharing. during our hour the kids are engaged in a time of hands on learning usually in the form of crafts, physical fitness, memory verses and silent still learning. each mom teaches once a month and each month is formed into a theme. september was dedicated to school, october the farm, november was manners, december the birth of Jesus, january i can't remember, february was shapes and colors and march, was about art.

each theme has been tackled with creativity; puppets, treasure hunts, pizza making, and painting all with the purpose of growing our dear little children. we desire them to be full of character, full of knowledge, and full of life. so when the month of march came and the theme was art, nothing less was expected.

miss carleigh introduced us with the making of clay sculptures. miss ashley followed with painting, showing us how to make strokes and blobs. it was my turn next and i (tired) to teach about the preforming arts. miss jenne was last, teaching the importance of fashion and costume making.

last night was our art show. for daddys and grandparents.

start time; 6:30.

ice cream desert to follow.

we all gathered and shared a dinner of pizza and then the kids got into their costumes and headed downstairs for a dress rehearsal. our guests were shown to their seats and the show started. the kids danced their choreographed number to the musical cats. there was art hanging on walls, tucked in corners and displayed with style and class. miss vida blues art corner:

miss sophie and penny's art display: mr. oliver's master pieces: miss charlee, mr. bodhi and miss jane's collection of art:

there were cheers and applause.

there were smiles from ear to ear.

there were flowers handed out.

there were very proud parents.

the kids showed their dads and friends the art work they had been working on all month.

lastly, we had ice cream. i think there was lots of ice cream consumed by little people. i think they all deserved it.

our hearts, our kids. by families; -vida blue and ever- -sophie and penelope- -freddie and oliver- -bodhi, charlee and jane-

the four us, friends, comrades and teachers

i am, we were all, so very proud of our little group of preschoolers. they have become like family, they are all so very lovely and beautiful. i am so very thankful to be apart of this amazing group. truly a blessing. truly a blessing.

conversations

2011-03-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

with penny... {she is riding her horse around the house and comes to my feet} "mom, this is my horse, her name is charlee, would you like to pat her?" "well of course i would" i replied and reached out my hand i stroke the horses head "she just threwed up on you mom!" {she laughs and rides away...i am left standing hand still outstretched, mouth agape...really?!} with sophie... {she is sitting at the kitchen table and has cut out different shapes wanting to glue them together to make a sail boat but is getting frustrated because she wants the sail to stand upright} "sophie, it won't be able to stand up, this is what is called 2-d, which means it will lay flat" "tooty, mom! toots come out of our bottoms, this isn't tooty" {literally throws her head back in laughter...i am left looking at her, mouth agape...really?!} girls! who knew?

birch bay

2011-03-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

it was the weekend and as a family we just needed a day to share, almost silently. life seems to have overwhelmed us lately and so a day was spent at the sea, just the four of us, a picnic lunch, seashells, warm sweaters, rocks and the most peaceful quite as the wind gently blew past us.

i am not sure if we talked much with each other. i do know that i watch the girls and scott and gave thanks again for all that i have.

sophie built the most beautiful christmas tree with seashells she had walked up and down the beach collecting. she sings most always when she works at things by herself. not sure if they are real songs or just ones she creates as she works. i love her inhibition.

penny threw rocks curled up on her dads lap. she shared a secret with me later, saying that her favorite thing is to throw rocks. i replied that she was pretty good at it. she seems so small some days, so small with such a big personality. it is good for our hearts, these days of simple. i am thankful for the man i get to journey through life with. i am thankful for his attitude, his willingness, his effort, the ease with which he seems to do life. shhhh she said, i am listening to what the sea has to tell me. i think maybe we will have to revisit this place, this birch bay. it was calm and lovely. it was a beautiful day together.

spring

2011-03-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

we played with friends this morning.

we rode bikes.

they read books in their room.

as friends, we shared pieces of our hearts in the living room.

it was enjoyed, cherished.

just now we finished popsicles.

they were eaten naked.

juice ran down the girls arms and pooled at their elbows.

there was much laughter.

maybe i dreamed of warmer days to come.

boards and sun

2011-03-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

adventures; they come in different sizes and shapes, at different times and seasons. a few days ago adventure happened, in the sun, on some boards with some friends. there were giggles to be heard a mile away and i believe that someone has requested a long board for a birthday now! saturday with the daveys sunday called for a second look until the wheel found the rut and scott flew further and louder than i could have ever imagined. picture demonstrates that the board stopped and eventually so did scott. adventures; simple, exciting, ordinary, and lovely.

secrets

2011-02-28T13:25:00.001-08:00

conversation at the lunch table.

sophie shared her secret with her dad,

she leans over and whispers "i love you"

her dad smiles and tells her he has a secret to tell her,

in her ear he says, "i love you too."

not yet satisfied sophie says,

"i love you more, i love you so and so and so and so and so (counting on her fingers to ten) much"

with his eyes wide scott replies,

"that's so many so's i don't know what to do with them all"

without hesitation sophie encourages him,

"put them in your heart and give them to Jesus, He'll know what to do with them."

we locked eyes, smiled and maybe choked back a tear.

days of sun

2011-02-25T22:36:00.000-08:00

there are few things in this life that i cherish more than sunny cold days.

days where we can wear sweaters and toques,

ride our bikes and

sing our hearts out.

i only wish i had a basket on my bike that held my radio.

a day together

2011-02-24T20:48:00.000-08:00

i have the most lovely of husbands to share my days with. he is kind, beautiful and in every way uplifting and Godly. his words warm my heart and his actions bring a smile to my face. i met him over thirteen years ago...i met him and was slowly introduced to who he was and his wrestler figure collection over time. they were something that i admit i had wished he would grow out of, but now, i love them...not here in my little living space, but there, in his office. i do love them, i love them for showing me a different side, for reminding me that we all have little things in us that bring us smiles, little things that bring out the 'nerd' in us...i have many. they remind me of the child like spirit we all contain, and the ability we have to create with our imaginations. they give me hope, hope in a time where there seems to be so much dark and grossness. hope that simple joys are possible.

we spent the day together yesterday...the whole day. we drove to the mountains and rode, just the two of us. it has been years...maybe five of them to be exact, since i have strapped a board to my feet. i was nervous. a little anxious, but so excited. the sun outlined every peak and valley through the range. the air was crisp and cold, clear and breathtaking. as i crested one hill i exclaimed, Jesus you are amazing...then smiled...dude, i just said that really loud! we rode all day together, didn't exchange much in the way of words, but many smiles and glances. those little looks as you peer over your shoulder and catch eyes with one another, they make my heart pound. to hear him carve behind you and then see him out to the side taking a little jump...time together, shared experiences, moments that seem little but mean the world to me. we used to ride baker together when we were in school, it was so amazing to have the chance to do it again. my heart lives for little adventures, for laughing at icicles in his beard, for silent moments holding hands, for seeing the beauty of our God in the greatness of the mountains. blessings, so many blessings we have.

as i write this he is sitting in the living room with his guitar, singing praises to our God. has to be one of my favorite things about him. cool dude with a massive beard and sweet outfit, just worshiping the Lord.

it is about the simple things. wrestling figures, guitars and time together. we are built for relationships, built for relationships with one another and relationships with our God. i am most blessed.

tiny dancer

2011-02-09T13:59:00.001-08:00

miss kelly and miss sarah hold the hearts of these tiny dancers. they seem to be in awe and can hardly take their eyes off their teachers. as parents we are not allowed to watch, but this day was an open house for us...i watched through my lens and held back a few tears. i find it amazing to watch their engagement and respect for others, her smile grew only bigger as the class continued. her in her pink. she stole my heart...again.

hold me closer tiny dancer

prayers by sophie

2011-02-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

..and bless you Lord and i hope you have a good time in our hearts and i hope you have enough food to eat...amen.

choices

2011-02-05T10:16:00.000-08:00

i should not be surprised, nor should anyone else who knows our girls, that this is what happens when you allow them the chance to choose their very own...swimsuits. we get a whole year of these...and they have only had them for a day.

2011-01-19T22:26:00.000-08:00

this is my family.

theses are the ones i am held accountable to.

it is for these three and i that i make my choices.

they are my adventurers and fellow side kicks.

they make me smile and weep, they remind me to let go.

these are the ones who make my gray hair multiply and crows feet deepen.

this one is witty and sharp.

she has some of the greatest ideas ever thought.

her age is no reflection of her wisdom.

this one is mischievous and knows it.

her laugh comes from her toes.

she may get into more trouble than her sister someday.

i am their mom

i am their lover

simple and beautiful.

dance like nobody's watching

2011-01-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

donavon frankenreiter wrote a song titled "dance like nobody's watching". if i could have, i would have said those things to you first.

"we'll just dance like no one is ever watching and we'll love each other till the early morning and we'll be together through stormy weather and we'll stay together cause there's no way in hell i'd ever let you go".

these are my words to you.

this is the love i have for you.

there's no way in hell i'd ever let you go.

thank you for sharing your life with me, for walking beside me and holding my hand.

thank you for choosing to love the Lord with all your heart.

thank you for being an amazing father and husband.

i love you.

happy birthday.

a merry christmas

2011-01-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas started not with gifts this year but with an epic lighting of the fort langley christmas tree. excited and bundled, with hot chocolate, friends and mittens, we set out to watch the lighting of the christmas tree in fort langley. santa came rowing in on the river and walked through the crowds of people. he stopped and scooped up penny in his arms, he chatted to her for a moment and then asked what she would like for christmas, her response, "a snack" as she stroked his beard. we followed him to the tree where we counted down to the lighting, not sure how to describe it...but it made for great story telling afterward! the kellers had joined us and drove home with us to finish our hot chocolate and watch a movie. this was the start of our christmas time. we ventured to stanley park with the same friends for more christmas cheer and train rides. although we didn't end up riding we did explore and grow our community. over the next week our hallway of friends left to join their families and we celebrated our own christmas.

following that we too left for our adventure and celebration of the birth of Jesus.

there were stickers, dinners, medications, gifts, and more meds. there was kindness and love shown by all. our families came together in different ways to wish one another a merry christmas. we shared experiences, we laughed, froze, were sick and rode hard, we played in the snow and caught almost every snowflake on our tongues. and lastly, there was walking and playing, skating and riding, sipping tea and sharing our hearts. i could not give more thanks for these friends, for their kindness and hospitality. our community is so important to us, they walk through life with us, they share our burdens and rejoice in our victories. they are our blessings, they are our much...we have been given much.

come fly away with me

2010-12-20T20:25:00.000-08:00

to celebrate little miss sophie some of her dearest friends came to fly away together.

they crafted, glued and colored.

they danced and ate and played.

they had a picnic and a lesson.

they were wildlife together, they were owls.

penelope, bodhi, taeya, vida blue, charlee, and sophie

receiving instructions from the lovely miss juliet the start of "the dance of the owls"

they began in their nests then stretched their wings and took flight

a wild owl picnic

i love each personality, each child, each friendship captured. how lovely that at this age we have a hand in choosing their companions, which most often ends up being the children of our very own companions. these girls...and bodhi, are developing their character, their unique attributes that will set them apart, they are growing a personality and attitude, they are truly lovely friends and comrades, and they made for the most wonderful afternoon.

four

2010-12-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

truth is, it is hard to believe she is four. i suppose all those passer byers who warned, "time will go by in the blink of an eye, seems like yesterday that my kids were little, now i'm a grandparent" were right. time really has escaped me.

i have wondered lately if we have given her enough encouragement, enough praise, enough teaching, enough of everything/anything. it is said that you learn the most and best in this time until you are six. we have every opportunity to develop in her character, values, strengths, discipline, kindness and love, we have a chance to show her Jesus in all that we say and do - my prayer is that we are, at least in some small way. she is growing so fast, and though everyone around can see that in terms of height, not all get the chance to see that in terms of character. as we were in the toy store picking out her gift from her grandma, she had in her hands two items that were very similar to each other. we tried to encourage her to choose objects that maybe differed from each, giving her a chance to play a little more diversely. she looked at us and replied that she had chosen the two in her hand because she would be able to share with and play with her sister, that they would be able to have similar toys. i may have teared up a little inside. although she does not always make the wisest or even the right choices, she makes me proud as she shows and demonstrates an attitude of love in little moments of life. four years have passed since i first met her, i first held her and stroked my fingers through her hair. four years since i brought her home, since we have been so blessed by her presence in our family. when i first started this journey i remember getting upset with my own mom, asking her why she made having kids out to be some sort of fairy tail, some romantic idea, because surly it was not. and though there are moments, moments every day that i am frustrated, and overwhelmed with the task of being a mom, i can see why we don't always talk about the hard stuff. maybe the hard stuff gives way to the beauty we see in our children, their laughter at the dinner table as they throw their heads back in pure delight seems to undo any sort of crazy feelings you had during the day. feeling their hands as they wrap their arms around you neck and having them share secrets with you, as they whisper "i love you, but don't tell anyone" in your ear, it makes the hardness okay, it makes the task of being a mom become a joy and privilege rather than a task. i am thankful for the chance to watch this little girl grow beside me. to see her letters form words on page, to see her develop wonderful friendships, to hear her communicate her heart with those around her, to see her likes and dislikes become more obvious. i am thankful to know her, to share memories with her, to create life together with her in our family.

beautiful sophie rayne, you are at times the most challenging and witty little girl i know. you have the ability to make me laugh until tears are running down my cheeks. you sing without a care in the world. you love to dance. you ask too many questions. you are only still if the tv is on, some days i wished i would let you watch more. your favorite color is pink. you dress yourself...and some times i am a little embarrassed to take you out, but i go with you anyway, i even hold your hand so people know you belong to me. you love to play lions with your dad and hide and go seek with your sister. you are a pro at riding a glider bike, it's pink with pink tassels. you are very protective of those you love. you are beautiful, and wonderful, you drive me crazy and i kinda like it.

we love you with every part of our beings. happy birthday sophie.

prayers

2010-12-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

penelope is our little prayer warrior. sophie warned our friends the other day as they prayed over their meal with the girls there, "watch out guys, penny likes to pray!" sophie is straight forward as she speaks to the Lord usually saying "thank you Jesus for the Lord, amen" penelope on the other hand will list by name those on her heart, there are many people in this world who are well covered in prayer from this little one. tonight however was a little shorter than usual, i kinda liked it. "thank you Lord for God, the Lord, for snacks and carleigh, amen"

a wednesday walk

2010-11-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

walking calms my heart, something about exploring creation even in small ways that draws me a little closer to our Lord. having gone from finding the majesty of God on the tops of mountains, looking across an early morning horizon through snow covered peaks, to finding His gentleness in the dew drops and spider webs. a piece of my heart is to see care taken for this magnificent creation, which means that even our daily walks and interactions teach us to respect and care for all that we have been given.

this walk i carried my camera and documented the way we saw God in the things that were around us.

-my little partners in crime-

-how sophie sees her world-

-pennys view point-

so beautiful the way a season can change. leaves on the ground are just as impressive as those still hanging onto their branches. the sun streaming through the trees and the color that surrounds us, we give thanks. i miss my days in the mountains, but i am thankful for the little adventurers who travel by my side and explore the twigs and rocks with me now.

adventure day

2010-11-13T10:57:00.001-08:00

adventures have always looked a little different for scott and i. we aren't really big on resorts or crazy get aways, maybe because we can't afford them, maybe because we have never tried them. we do find much joy in small adventures though. things that take a little effort, a little spontaneity, and a little creativity. we had a conversation the other day about the friendship that we have been blessed with, the ease at which we are able to do life together with, and the fact that we so enjoy being together. it can be a challenge to be unique with a little family, but we promised each other that we wouldn't change the way we experienced our days even when our family changed our lives. so yesterday we headed to whistler. simple, beautiful and wonderful. we packed muffins and hot chocolate for lunch, grabbed our winter jackets and headed out. the drive was spectacular. the colors of the trees and the snow covered mountains made for thankful hearts. we talked about the different seasons, listened to real and princess music, read books and held hands. when we arrived the air changed our cheeks and noses red. our hands quickly found a way into our pockets and sophie stole my mittens and then announced that she wiped her boogers on them! we found a playground, and a trail, walked through neighborhoods and marveled at the handy work, we came across a yard sale and then made our way to the village strip. the lights in the village came on and we strolled, ran, chased, and danced our way from shop to shop. we bought sophie her own pair of mittens and then poked around some more. we made train noises and blew our breath like a smoke stack. the air was crisp and clean, there was a smell - tree smell. everyone had their wood fireplaces burning. we bought a tea for the drive home. the girls fell asleep five minutes into the drive. we were quite as usual, then i broke the silence and said thank you. these are the days that i love. days together, days that are simple but thoughtful, days that took a little bit of effort but create memories. i have no pictures, only words to document this adventure day. i am so thankful for our little family and the pace at which we have chosen to do life with. when we got home we tucked the girls into bed and then looked at properties in whilstler on mls. we found a beauty for just over two million dollars, we laughed and went to bed ourselves.

November 11

2010-11-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

i found a large part of my day being thankful today. thankful for the people and places around me, thankful for the family i have and the freedoms we enjoy. thankful for a day of remembering, thankful for people like my grandpa and grandma.

norman george alexander anderson, that's my grandpa. he was born in the district of clayoquot bc, tofino on november the seventh 1922. by 1934 he had joined the rainbow sea cadet corps, in the january of 1940 he joined the navy. he married my grandma in 1947 and by 1957 he had a family of two and was promoted to lieutenant with seniority. on september 12th of 1964 he was promoted to lieutenant commander with seniority. in november of 1972 he retired from the royal canadian navy. his journey during these years has been documented, read, re-read and some stories have been told. hard to imagine the life he has lead, the adventures he undertook and the hardship he and his beautiful wife endured. hard to know what to write to honor him and those who battled with him, to honor those who stayed behind to grow families and bless their children. what words do you use to say thank you, thank you for; the years of service, your willingness, your passion and drive, your attitude and courage. thank you for standing strong no matter what adversities you faced, for holding each others hands when you had the chance, for choosing to fight for that which you believed in - both abroad and at home. thank you from the bottom of my heart for the journey you took and though i have no idea, no understanding of all that was seen, heard, touched and suffered, thank you. thank you that i don't have to know. thank you for the tears you have shed apart and together, thank you for raising your family well and teaching us through example.

my prayer this day, that those who lost would feel loved, that those who suffered would know hope, that those who fight would find peace. may our actions today both big and small demand peace, may we make choices every day that would result in shalom.

thank you to my grandparents. thank you with all that i have.

puddle party

2010-10-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

it was really very nice in the morning, and when we got into the car to drive home the rains cleared but for the three hours of being outside for her birthday party, it poured...no one seemed to notice or care. we played in the puddles, ate hot dogs, sang happy birthday and filled our tummies with treats, even stood around a beautiful fire...in the rain.

i kinda love the friends the girls have chosen and though some of them could not make it, the ones that share their life on a daily basis were there and i was thankful. for the past four years we have made a decision to share our lives and memories with some of the most wonderful students and in return they have been ever so kind and beautiful to us, especially to our girls. some read books, others play dress up and all tolerate their craziness. we have been blessed by these people and will find it hard to watch them walk across the stage and move onto a new adventure in their lives by the end of this school year.

i was thankful for our little puddle party. thankful that we have shared so many memories around that little fire pit, thankful that so many different people have poured into our lives, thankful for the family that we have been given. i was maybe even most thankful for the rain. gotta love the chance to jump in puddles, run hand in hand through the rain drops and come home for so hot chocolate, something beautiful about sharing that kind of an afternoon with family and friends.

a Genesis day

2010-10-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

we are told that in the beginning, "it was good", and this day seemed to hold all the same ingredients that would allow such a phrase to be repeated.

golden ears provincial park, the lower falls. a hike or walk, a run or nature stroll, this place does our heart well. joined by our fearless adventurers we set out to explore creation. we sang a little, maybe ventured off the beaten trail a little, ate a little, and froze our feet so bad trying to cross the river that it made me sick a little.

when one can spend four hours on the beach with no melt downs or upsets, when kids can be naked and dirty, when friends can share a moment together...these things allow my heart to say, "it was good".

and so, the recap of our genesis day in photos.

there is a pebble beach just off the trail about half way up...we got this far and i don't think we thought we would leave. a picnic lunch, a kitty nest and some river crossing adventures equaled a total of four hours.

this is the example of a good friend...willing to carry you across a river that is cold enough to make you sick.

little explorers

so much spray from the waterfall that my lens was covered with drops, maybe got a little bit wet, maybe had a little bit of fun.

a little dinner together made for a day that filled my heart. my goal, to build into the lives of our kids, to share with them the joy of creation and the importance of caring for it. to create memories and friendships that will grow and nurture one another. to share time with others and enjoy our Lord in the midst of it all.

fall things

2010-10-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

there is just something about fall...i love it. this does not negate the other seasons as they bring equal amounts of joy to my heart, but fall is just a little bit different. maybe its the idea of wearing sweaters and scarves on chilly days. maybe its the thought of wearing rain boots with your jeans rolled up and a cup of hot tea in your hand (poured from your thermos) as you stroll with your family through the piles of raked leaves in the orchard. yeah there is something about fall that i love, impractical, but that has yet to stop me.

our adventures thus far, picking apples with nana and starting school.

nana came to visit and we took her to one of our favorites, willowview farm.

apple price this visit, only fifteen dollars worth.

and of course, the start of school. it looks a little different in our family, but we are pretty excited about the adventures that lay ahead of us.