eek

to spite mike...

2009-02-23T09:36:00.002-08:00

just because he thinks i never would...

25 things

1. i don't do country music. twang hurts my ears.
2. i once lost 70 pounds.
3. every plant i have ever owned has died except for the bamboo i currently have.
4. i once crashed a friend's car, although i still believe it was the other guy's fault. he's even still my friend.
5. i love onions. they hate me. passionately.
6. when i was seven i punched my brother so hard i knocked his tooth out.
7. i've had 4 surgeries, 2 iron transfusions (3 if you count the one i stopped breathing with), and countless hospital stays and tests. free healthcare is goooood.
8. i grew up thinking that they coated the power lines so birds wouldn't get shocked. thanks dad.
9. cottage cheese + mayo = goodness
10. i once had dinner with Haley Wickenheiser and Angie and i got to wear her medal.
11. i played the clarinet for 6 years and the piano for 11, now i play itunes.
12. my favorite book is Exodus by Leon Uris.
13. i used to do endurance swimming in high school and once did 3000m in one shot.
14. i broke a vertebra in my back last year. on a trampoline. and yes, i know i was 30.
15. i always hesitate to put things up on my walls because every time i do, we end up moving shortly after.
16. i don't drink coffee or caffeine in any form.
17. when Mike and Becca are gone it's a peanut butter frenzy over here.
18. i love people and i love hearing their stories.
19. i love hearing people's stories while at Starbucks...with a caramel apple spice.
20. i know sports, i watch sports, it never bothers me when sports are always on our tv.
21. i am a more energetic, happy person when the sun is out.
22. i once ran over a dead deer. with a white car...you could see the chunks and blood...shudder.
23. i love to travel and want to one day visit Europe, Israel, Africa, and paradise-like islands.
24. i once had the lead as a blue songbook in a Psalty musical at church. blue tights, people.
25. i convinced Mike that i was a carnie. that's still good for a laugh!

and as an added bonus, this video is just plain awesome.

randomocity

2008-01-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

some of the things going on in life right now:

Aidan and I are on 3 medications to hopefully stop the continuous hacking up of lungs
it's supposed to snow...lots...is it wrong to want it to snow so much school is closed?
Mike went to a meeting in my place due to the aforementioned lung hacking up of and he is great; secretly I think he just wanted to go!
I can't seem to use the word blessing or blessed without being very sarcastic
I got to talk to one of my closest friends last weekend and I am thankful for people who really know you and still love you anyways
if I could afford a Starbucks caramel apple cider everyday I would do it
wouldn't it be nice if you could be your perfect weight and still eat whatever you want?
I love that my munchkins still snuggle into me every morning...and I love their squishy puffy cheeks
I finished my math course and I did well. really well. I'm not meaning to brag, it's just that I'm proud of myself. My last math mark was a 67% in grade 12.
we introduced my parents to Wii last Sunday and that. was. funny. especially boxing.
I may sleep/read a lot today to be healthy enough to help baptize one of our youth tomorrow; I love that our church and Mike let me be a part of it
we'd love to go to Maui for our 10th anniversary in August...alright at this point, anywhere but camping in the backyard would be nice, but I dream of Maui

identity

2008-01-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

I found this little quiz and I was curious...

What's your theological worldview?
You scored as an Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

Emergent/Postmodern 79%
Charismatic/Pentecostal 79%
Neo-orthodox 50%
Classical Liberal 43%
Fundamentalist 25%
Modern Liberal 25%
Reformed Evangelical 18%
Roman Catholic 14%

Apparently I have a hidden bit of fundamental in me...as long as I don't go all Jesus Camp I think I'll be alright.

transformation

2008-01-20T18:04:00.000-08:00

Something I've been wrestling with lately is transformation...what God changing our lives actually looks like. In real life, what does transformation show up as? I know that I have changed because God has made me more like him...I have a really long way to go, but I can see small changes in my thinking and speaking and acting. Some people have incredible changes in them when they meet God. Maybe it's because I'm cynical, but I often wonder if the majority of us sitting in the pews really experience change and true sanctification or if we become so good at Christian image management that we look and think as though we don't need change. Do we actually let God in and let him do amazing uncomfortable, new, dramatic things? I hope that I allow God to reach in and grab hold of my heart, mind, life and that I am transformed. I hope that when people see me they see Jesus...my question to all of you is, what does transformation look like in your life? Do you see God changing you?

late copycat

2008-01-14T14:06:00.001-08:00

Alright, since everyone has already done this a bajillion times and I am behind...here are my goals for '08. Not resolutions...those are clearly just meant to be broken.

1. Restrain my mouth more...as in the things coming out of it. Less complaining, frustration over the little things, and sometimes a little less wordiness period. Mike is laughing now. I want to be more joyful and listen a lot better.

2. Tighten the wallet...I'm working towards doing full time school, it's our 10th anniversary, and we need a car all in the somewhat near future and those things are not currently possible. So, wherever I can say no and sacrifice I'm gonna do my best.

3. Meet my 2004 goal...like I said above, I'm behind...and speaking of behind, I lost 70 pounds in '03 and while I have enjoyed not being the large (ok, very large...trust me the pictures are not so pretty) woman that I was, I would really like to make that last little bit and be healthy for a long time.

4. Balance everything...well, at least my life as much as I can. I seem to go like crazy until I drop and then I usually end up sick or exhausted and I should probably grow up and take better care of myself. After all, I am..umm...yeah, 30. And maybe if I figure it out I can have more fun time! woohoo!

5. Beat Mike...in book reading at least. He seems to think lately that he owns the book reading volume in our house and that just can't continue. He wants to read 26, so I shall say 28. Ha!

God is good

2007-10-17T15:30:00.001-07:00

So this is one of those weeks where everything that seems like it can go wrong does, the normal tasks of life feel overwhelming, the big picture stuff doesn't seem to fit what you think it should be, and all you want to do is run away to Maui. permanently. Then God shows up in a friend's loving gesture and while it doesn't change things, it reminds you that he is there. And sometimes that's enough to keep on going. At least it was for me today...

mini-rant

2007-10-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize? Seriously?!?!?! Setting aside the many issues I have with his movie and the way his lifestyle does not seem to match points made in said movie, what on earth has he done to promote or foster peace? Being famous for talking about climate change, and that being a hobby horse since losing the election in 2000, does not in my mind a peace prize winner make! Are we now going to give the peace prize to whoever makes the best documentary? Or to someone who talks a lot but isn't really causing any changes? Isn't there someone who is truly working with people to bring about peace in war-torn countries? Or someone who has their hands and life invested in both people and peacemaking in the world? I just wonder...

And if he ends up using this to propel him into the 2008 presidency...oooooh...!

simply christian

2007-10-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

I finally finished Simply Christian by N.T. Wright this week. It was one of those books that I think is well written, I resonated with a lot of what was said, but I ended up reading many other books at the same time because it didn't capture my full attention. It's good, but not on par or beyond Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis as is quoted on the sleeve. That being said, here's a few of my favourite quotes:

"...where you're going is to make God's new creation happen in his world, not simply to find your own way unscathed through the old creation."
"Living as a Christian means living in the world as it's been reshaped by and around Jesus and his Spirit."
"The whole point of Jesus's work was to bring God's future into the present and make it stick there. But when heaven comes to earth and finds earth unready, when God 's future arrives in the present while people are still asleep, there will be explosions."
"...God's passion for justice must become ours, too."
"The Bible is there to enable God's people to be equipped to do God's work in God's world, not to give them an excuse to sit back smugly, knowing they possess all God's truth."

30...

2007-10-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

Here are 30 of my random thoughts since I became 30...

why toe hair? do my toes really need the warmth?
i really hope my oilers don't suck this year
i wish i didn't say stupid things as much as i do
why do i still get zits like i'm 13?
i don't wanna be an adult
i will cry when aidan gives up his dino
i wonder if i will ever look the way i want to
i like being different
if i put my feet up on the pew in church to be comfortable, do the older people think i'm being disrespectful...and do i care enough to not do it?
how do people in bc survive without sunlight?
one day i want to walk where jesus did
sometimes i wonder what life would be like without kids
God is so amazing and yet so confusing
am i now officially too old to wear certain clothes?
i love food. a lot.
aidan walked into a big sunflower today and it was really funny
i should stop letting mike win our wrestling matches
why don't men need to wear makeup?
how do i love the way jesus loves me?
if miracles happened today like in the Bible would we even believe them?
i should probably fold my laundry
i pray becca never has self-image and body issues like i do
does kid toothpaste actually work? 'cause it smells nasty
i got becca an oshkosh shirt for $2 people, $2!!!
i now believe contentedness is a choice
will i get my school done ever?
fishnets and speedos should not exist
this is a much better year than the last 2
why are people cruel?
i have "stuck on a feeling" stuck in my head

blur

2007-09-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

I love lists, so here's the list of events in the last (almost) month...

Becca turned 5
5 days later Aidan turned 6
we recovered from cake comas
the whole fam got to go to Seattle for a labour day shop and swim
Aidan had his first day of grade one and I think is still sleep deprived
Becca had her first day of kindergarten and is still vibrating with excitement
I got my first mark back in physics and am pretty proud of myself
Mike started playing soccer again and all Saturdays are now officially 'Soccer Saturday'
Aidan lost his very first tooth and if the next wiggly one falls out soon he can fit his finger through there
we got to splash around at Cultus Lake one last time
I got a math tutoring job again and I didn't realize how much I missed it
Becca's wearing eye patches again
and finally, today I enjoy my last day as a 29 year old...I may start hibernating tomorrow

I think that's it...here's some pics for your viewing pleasure...

freaking out

2007-08-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

I am having a minor freak out at the fact that I am turning into a 1950's suzy homemaker the last couple of weeks. (insert silent scream here) To take my mind off that fact and think of something else...I figured I should respond to the itunes tag Mike hit me with in July. I so on the ball, hey? Here goes...my next 10 songs randomly on itunes...

1. All Creatures of our God and King by David Crowder Band

2. Come Thou Fount by David Crowder Band

3. Jesus I Lift My Eyes by Jars of Clay

4. Show You Love by Jars of Clay

5. Somebody Else's Boyfriend by the Corrs

6. Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall

7. O Praise Him by David Crowder Band

8. Time to Come Home by Beyonce, Angie Stone and Melba Moore

9. Pieces by Rascal Flatts

10. Innocent by Our Lady Peace

I am questioning the "randomness" of our itunes seeing as the first 3 are the only hymns I even have and there are 3 crowder songs...hmmm...oh well. There you go! I'm not one for the tagging people thing, so if you want to do it, feel free!

PS I just went through the next 10 random songs to see if my random was really random (that's a lot or randoms in one sentence) and here were the results, which seems slightly more random to me...

1.Belief by John Mayer

2. Feelin so Fly by TobyMac

3. All I Can Do by Chantal Kreviazuk

4. Stupid by Sarah McLachlan

5. She Is by the Fray

6. Dare You to Move by Switchfoot

7. Lonely No More by Rob Thomas

8. One World by Toby Mac

9. Me and My Gang by Rascal Flatts

10. Runaway by the Corrs

the shiner

2007-08-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

Mike and I went out for our anniversary yesterday (9 years baby!) and while we were playing Aidan got a shiner in soccer. No punches or any such thing...he and a taller boy ran smack into each other's faces. Here's the results:

He assured me he was brave and only cried a "little" but that he did need 4 pieces of cinnamon toast from Grandma! I think it makes him look a little tougher...maybe...

the highlights

2007-08-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

Becca + car = drool / Mike got his airsoft gun...then got shot by his wife

the slug killing of '07...they looked like cheesestrings after we salted them / the mouse that took up residence in a shoe at Creation / oh those Honey buckets

my very own... / Golden Gate bridge / we won these beauties on our 3rd Disney day

face painting and fun at the happiest place on earth

then there's this we found taped to the door of
my brother's apartment building...hmmm...he is a newlywed...

good times...

cross-Canada/US expeditions

2007-08-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

We're back from our many trips this summer and now that I am caught up on sleep and slightly more organized I can get back to blogging...that is if anyone still reads this?!

We went to Calgary, Portage, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and then home for the first trip of the summer to see friends, family, and for Mike's school reunion. It was SO good to see some of our very good friends that I so treasure and wish could all live nearby. We had friends stay with us right before we left and the times together were rich. We ended up staying in basements, old bedrooms, and tents and the memories are gooders!

Our second trip was to Creation Festival in Washington with our youth where I (gulp) cooked for 18 of us. It was hot, dirty, musical, wonderfully fun, full of inside jokes, and memorable. I love having relational time with youth and just being able to live life together for a few days.

The night we got back from Creation we washed our laundry and headed straight through to California to go to Disneyland (our happy place) with Mike's parents. They had never done something like this or travelled very far before so I think it's safe to say we blew their minds! It was very fun and I still don't think it's possible to have a bad day at Disneyland.

The Knott-type things that made these seemingly idyllic trips full of...hair-pulling? craziness? We didn't know where we were staying until a few days before we went to some places...(thanks all you friends who let us be spontaneous/lazy/disorganized/indecisive)...I've never camp-cooked for 18 people before and one meal was a gong show of what do we eat off of? cook with? beg other people at a state park for?! (this was happening at the same time as me parking the rental van on a soft shoulder which meant it was stuck but good) ...and driving through San Fran was awesome but then we got into Anaheim at midnight and got up at 7 something for Disney the next morning all after next to no sleep for a week...yup I think we do this to ourselves sometimes but life is never boring!

So, now I'm enjoying summer at home and relaxing as much as possible before school starts for Aidan and Becca. The sun is even shining today, which hasn't happened much here this summer, so I am now going to go jump through the sprinkler with my munchkins. Pics of all the goodness in the next post...

goin' back

2007-06-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's official...I'm going back to high school. Grade 11. I signed up for physics 11 and I'm also taking university biology classes and a refresher math class. I do have a bachelor's degree mind you, but as Mike so sweetly pointed out, it doesn't help me do a whole lot! So, the plan is to upgrade the stuff I never took (physics) and refresh the stuff that I took 12 or 13 years ago. Then I can go become a radiology tech. Unless God changes my plans as has happened often...that's ok too. I'm on an adventure, right?

Here's my little kindergarten grad last week...he might beat me to the next grad!

1001 steps

2007-06-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics of Aidan and Becca at Aidan's kindergarten field trip to the beach last week. By the end of the morning he was brave enough to touch the fish and carry around a hermit crab! It was fun, I got burned, learned how to drive home from White Rock, and everybody got to see marine life...

Becca is also done with her full-time pirate patching days and only needs to do an hour a day...woohoo! Here's some of the artistic patches she wore...we had junior asparagus and laura carrot too but I can't seem to find the pics...she drew the middle one herself!

repentance

2007-06-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

I have been frustrated with church lately...not just ours, but church in general. The body of Christ has seemed very different from what I read about in the Bible and from what I am so deeply thirsting for. I have not felt much hope for things to change, to be vibrant, to be active like the Acts 2 church...so when Mike suggested that we go to church twice yesterday I was fairly hesitant. In fact, I was unsure that I could handle going somewhere new because if it was not living and active it might be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Being that it was Father's Day, we went...to Mars Hill in Seattle. Mark Driscoll preached for about an hour through Neh. 9:1-21. He talked about prayer, confessing sins publicly, familial sins, repentance and through all of this I felt like God was doing 2 things. One, through every aspect of the service from ambiance to people to preaching it felt like a balm soothing my soul. I felt like the desperate thirst I've had was quenched a little bit. Church can be good and beautiful and living and different from the churches I've known.

And two, I felt cut to the core about repentance. I have never heard someone preach so clearly on what repentance is and the counterfeits that we settle for. He mentioned that if we don't repent, it kills our joy, our hope, our family life, our church...I think God was poking me in the side going, "You hear this, right? Listening well?" My sin has been keeping me from God, distrusting his promises, it's been killing my hope. Incidentally, I am mostly a mere confession person. I keep on confessing but hey, I'm gonna keep on sinning that same sin anyways even though I feel bad. Great intentions but little action. I'm guessing this may not come as a surprise to those of you know me well!

So here I am now, figuring out what this means in my life. The first thing I did was repent, truly repent, and by the grace of God I will be changed in my complaining, lies, impatient parenting, and selfishness. Not perfect, but changed. I will strive to keep on repenting not just confessing and living in my sin. And I will give over to God my annoying desire to please others that, when out of balance, tempts me to image manage.

The other big idea for me was that revival comes through repentance, and if I want personal revival or revival in my church it needs to start with repentance. With me, with the leaders, with everyone. I get discouraged when I wonder whether people in church are willing to repent or change, but then, if God can do it in my stubborn heart, anything is possible!

yup...it's love

2007-06-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

I love Mike. This is a good thing considering that we're married. Lately I've been having lots more of those mushy, butterfly, stare-into-your-eyes type feelings though. Here's why...he went to Seattle on the weekend, and he e-mailed me (which was no easy task considering he had to sit on a table with the laptop in the air to send it) just to say he loved me. I came home late the next day, tired and with 2 very dirty kids in tow, knowing that I had a mountain of housework to do on top of giving the kids a bath. I came home to the smell of Swiffer, people...he had cleaned the floors!! If someone told me before we were married that the smell of Swiffer was that good I would have thought they were crazy. He bathed the kids too...seriously? What did I do to deserve this goodness?

And then in the midst of 2 big youth events at our house, Aidan came down with the flu, which meant that I got it a day later. My wonderful husband came home from work on the busiest day of his week to be here so I could sleep and the kids didn't turn into Lord of the Flies. He even bought me Sprite and later on made me scrambled eggs to try and eat (which he had never made being an egg-a-phobic). He has been so good to me and I am so thankful! He is truly the best gift God's given to me other than Jesus, and if I don't say it enough...I love you Mike.

random thoughts today

2007-05-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

the ginormous bruise on my arm hurts me so
I am LOVING the sunny gorgeous and amazing weather
I refuse to turn 30 (it was even painful to write that awful number)
my brain hurts from thinking deep, life-changing, why-is-this-journey-with-God-so-hard-sometimes/I-have-to-get-off-my-butt-and-do-something thoughts
my kids are entirely adorable and are even getting along at the moment
Mike's going away for 2 days and I wanna go too
if I hear another person tell me how "unhealthy" I am to not eat everything organic I may snap...seriously, what's with BC and the crazy organic, pro Al Gore vibe? am I just too oil-patch Alberta homegrown?
I need to take physics if I want to do this radiology thing and I am half shuddering and half wondering if I can do it
I should probably stop writing and go do something productive like clean

fyi

2007-05-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

In case you ever wondered...apparently wearing your hat like this

means you're cool.

And wearing your hat like this

makes all the girls fall in love with you.

Thought you might want to know.

my messy place

2007-05-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

I've been wrestling with God, fighting some disillusionment and disappointment, and generally been throwing an adult version of a giant hissy fit that things in life aren't what I want them to be. Most of this has been due to wanting church to be engaging, loving, Jesus-like, and finding once again that people are sinful and we hurt each other and that church is very messed up... just like me.

I want things to be passionate, truly loving, inspiring, life-altering and it feels like we end up going through the motions too often. Does it feel to anyone else that there are so very few people who actually want to go deeper? to seek this life with Jesus that is amazing and yet so different from our world?

I struggle to figure out where I fit in or where I want to fit in. To be where the people-pleaser in me is not in control and I'm not feeling judged or like the big freak in the room. I guess I just want connections that are deep and meaningful and rich. I don't want surface relationships. I want to know the heart, the real and authentic person. I don't want a social club for church. I want to meet people who have a passion for justice and a loyalty to Jesus like N.T. Wright talks about. This isn't to say that my friends aren't like this...just that it feels lately like we are so few and the task is so large and so many of them live so far away.

And I am no longer going to enable the church to mold me into someone I'm not. The molding is for Jesus and the people he uses who know me and truly see me and still stick around in spite of my sometimes very annoying faults. I am not willing to just hold my tongue when gossip comes up anymore because it's easier.

I desire to dream big dreams, try my best to have the right motivation, and live them out even if it seems crazy to some. I hope one day I can stop apologizing for everything I do in some strange attempt to appease everyone. I must become a pleaser of one.

I'll keep asking the questions and seeking God because even though the last few years have been tough and full of messiness, the journey is worth it. I am thankful that God never leaves me in the mess without a hint of hope here and there too. I'm going to do my best to have my heart right so that instead of just wrestling and griping, I am living this out and actually being the change I so desperately crave.

pirate becca

2007-05-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Becca has been blessed with eyes just like her mom and dad's...not so great at seeing ones! She's had glasses since she was 2, and honestly, I don't think that she could look any cuter in them. We had our annual trip to the specialist yesterday and her eyes are getting even worse. so, new lenses and a foray into the world of pirates! She has to wear a patch 5 days out of the week for the next month until we see the doctor again. She's been such a good sport and other than the eye drops she got (she thought they were going to put needles in her eyes thanks to her big brother) she hasn't even made a fuss. In fact, she was super excited to be a princess pirate today with princess stickers on the patch. The only question she asked was if people at church would make fun of her (that sound you hear is my heart breaking) and I assured her that she didn't have to wear it that day but even if she did, people would love her. So much for a 4 year old...but what a cute pirate!

playin' catchup

2007-05-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

Life has been a little hectic and a little interesting so here's an update:

I survived the peanut coma and nearly overdosed, but ahhh...so worth it
while Mike was away at his YP retreat Becca was so umm...how do I put it? the girl tried every nerve and patience limit I had and I think it's a good thing that God made her cute!

Mike's sister and husband came out to visit and we had fun playing games, going to the ocean, and finding waterfalls at Lynn Canyon

I came down with a whopper of a head cold, which added to fun tummy pain meant I got to watch way too much TV, but I'm up and running around now and trying to stop sniffing
we went on a harbour cruise for the staff Christmas party (yes, I know it's May!) and the scenery was gorgeous

we have grilled cheese at our house after Communion Sundays for our youth (which happened to be today) and it was a complete blast...it's SO good to see them relating, talking, seeking, changing and playing Twister

we are officially looking for cheap transportation for Mike to and from work...can you picture him driving up the mountain on a scooter? maybe the pink one? grrrr...

That's kinda the haps and as for deep thinker posts, I've got global warming/climate change looming on the horizon, and maybe one on authenticity. When you're sick and headache-y at least you get time to think!

love the peanut butter

2007-04-24T00:57:00.000-07:00

My last week has been eventful and for the most part really fun. Some of the highlights were me teaching the 'girls only' sex talk where we ended up strangely talking deeply in the bathroom (yes, all 15 of us), a trip to the States to get Aidan his first big kid bike ($34 thank you Target) and eat some beloved cheese fries, a date with my favorite guy to Stomp (SO good and the best Christmas present in April ever...did you know that downtown Vancouver has a Falafel Town, Falafel House, and Falafel Maison all within one block?), good times hanging out with friends, and now Mike is at Youth Pastor's retreat and while I do miss him - let the Peanut Eating Fest begin! I did start the Fest with peanut butter cookies, Reese's ice cream, and strawberries... tomorrow morning it's PB and J...mmm...reminds of College when Angie and I would eat nuts on the Impact weekends. Good times. Someone may need to nudge me from the peanut coma by Thursday or else scare me with the amount of calories I'm consuming, whatever works!

a rant

2007-04-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

I read Time. Yes, I am allowing my inner nerd to come out! Anyways, the Apr. 9 edition had an article about pastor's wives. Hmm...well, now I've been one of those for 7 years! The article was all about pastor's wives and how they are now connecting online to talk about their issues. Let me begin by saying that the article itself had a couple good things about it - it highlighted that pastor's wives are lonely and often feel unappreciated by their church. These things I have felt and understand. Ministry can be very isolating.

Here's what I had frustration with...

First, these women are turning to the web to find other people to talk about their issues with. That's all well and good, except that in the article they say that they aren't free to talk about everything from personal hardships to theology with the people in their church. Don't get me wrong, I've been there and I've got the T-shirt. I'm just not willing to do it again. Why can't we as pastor's wives be free to be who we are, who God made us to be? The church has a problem with being, well, plastic-y and inauthentic sometimes and this only exacerbates the problem! If we are in a position of leadership or influence and we can't even be authentic why are we there? We should be living our faith out where we are. That means that even in (gasp) church we should be able as pastor's wives to meet God, seek answers for hard stuff, and be vulnerable, if not messy! I guess I just have no more patience for people trying to dictate to me who I should be, when I know I want to take my cues from God and figure the rest out as I go. And yes, this includes NOT wearing nylons to church or going to Alliance Women!

Second, one pastor's wife was quoted as saying, "Our teachings are clear, that it's the pastor who's called, not the wife." She then says that since Katherine Luther, people have expected more of the wife. Umm...which version of the Bible is that in? Because the last time that I checked, I could be called to ministry just as easily as my hubby. I do believe the Great Commission didn't really clarify between pastor and pastor's wife, so this brings me to something that I heard from Kathy Fields at one of our YS youthworker's conventions years ago. She said that you are either called to ministry with your husband or ministry to your husband. The key is that either way you're called! I firmly believe this, and it clarified for me where I fit in.

And finally, I checked out some of the websites that the article referenced. On one they recommended reading the book Becoming a Millionaire God's Way, because clearly we are all meant to prosper and in the same Bible mentioned earlier, become millionaires. I guess Mike and I are just a hair behind on that one. There are too many things I could say, but truly, this just makes me sad. Sigh.

movie and a splash

2007-04-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

The weekend was a good one...on Saturday we took the kids to see Meet the Robinsons as we had some free tickets and we love Disney movies. They showed an old school cartoon at the beginning of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy and that was the hardest Aidan's laughed in a long time! The movie was great, by the way, and I would recommend it. But then again, are there many bad Disney movies?

On Sunday Mike and I had the incredible privilege of baptising 2 of our good friends. It was so amazing to hear their stories and then for Mike and I to dunk them both at the same time. Is there anything better than hearing how God has changed a couple's lives and then to see them get baptised face to face? Our God is awesome...

Oh yeah...it's April now...who ordered the snow this morning? I'd like to send it back!

real moms

2007-03-31T18:34:00.000-07:00

I got tagged to do this so I thought I might oblige...

real moms take pictures like this for future blackmail purposes...

real moms sometimes don't worry about the mess and just laugh instead...

real moms know the love of a dvd player on long trips...

and real moms have pirates and elephants hiding in their houses.

humming along

2007-03-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

We bought chairs, a coffee table, and a rug this last week (LOVE Ikea!) and for the first time in our marriage, we bought it ourselves!! That felt SO good and then made me dream of other hand-me down things that I would one day like to replace. It took almost 9 years to get to this point though, so I think I'll dream with a dose of reality. The kids liked the new stuff too 'cause they got to have the coolest cardboard spaceship fort ever...

It's great to have our kitchen put back together and have running water and space for us all to be in at once. Amazing how you can live without what we deem as necessary and how grateful I am once things return to 'normal'. Living with less is something I am enjoying lately and it also makes it easier to see God's provision.

As for spring break, I now understand those Staples adds when parents sing "It's the most wonderful time of the year" because their children are going back to school. I had fun with the kids, but wow is it good that school's back! I think this has more to do with very limited play space and constant dreary rain for 2 weeks than anything else, but still, this week has been WAY better!

To top off good things going on, the sun has been out (yes, in the lower mainland, I know how strange that sounds but it really is true!). What a difference in everyone's moods and energy! I think spring may really have come this time and I can't wait to wear summer clothes and do outside things and be warm all the time...maybe I should live in California...hmmm...

anomaly of the world

2007-03-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

We are the anomaly of the world. Murphy's Law, whatever you want to call it...we got it. Tends to be that if something can go wrong, we get to take it to the next level. To quote numerous people we've dealt with over the years, "I've never seen this happen before!" Yup, that would be us. We do find it funny as it definitely keeps life from being boring. Take our kitchen for example. When the appliances were moved in, the movers did $4000 damage to the hardwood floor because they didn't put anything down on the floor...apparently that's catchy because while the floor was getting fixed last week the island and dishwasher were just put on the good part of the floor with nothing under them either. Can you guess what happened? So, now we get the whole floor replaced! It's kinda funny...I mean, of course it wouldn't be only a 2 day job...2 weeks doing dishes in the bathtub (yes, I really did) is more like us! It has been an adventure.

Another typical thing we do is take turns being sick...and not just minorly sick, I'm talking needing surgery or lots of hospital stuff sick. Hey, if you're going to do something, ya gotta do it right! So, in keeping with the turns, it is my turn. We've been hoping that this will be the first year of our marriage without a surgery (in almost 9) and we should find out pretty quick if the pain I'm having is surgery-able or not...either way God is amazing and has got it under control. I'd just like to feel better and know what's going on. In the end all ya gotta do is laugh...maybe one day we'll both be bionic. That would be cool...

A bunch of thoughts

2007-03-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

Lots has happened since the last time I posted and I tend to think in lists and randomness, so here are a bunch of my thoughts in the last week and a half...

RUSH youth conference in Kelowna was great and even though I saw puke in designer colours, it reminded me how amazing youth are, how much I love our life, and that I'm getting older and need more sleep
Shane Claiborne's book Irresistible Revolution has been in my thoughts often, and God has used it to captivate my heart, affirm to me that my passion is not dead, and teach me to love and see people differently. Getting to meet Shane proved to me that there are other people who truly live out what they believe and aren't satisfied with a watered-down Christian culture. God is taking me on an exciting journey and I don't know where it's going, but gosh I sure am loving the ride!
my Oilers...sigh...I am nearly at a loss for words over the whole Ryan Smyth debacle. So sad...trying not to dislike Kevin Lowe...trying to cheer again event though the heart of the team is gone and we keep losing...sigh...
my kids have been making me laugh lately and it seems almost unreal that they're 4 and 5. The baby days seem so long ago and I feel like a different person now (mostly skinnier and more rested!). Right now they are dressed up as an elephant and a princess and are playing house in tents. I have also learned this week to keep the sliding door closed when Aidan plays in the snow (he's got a great arm) and to never feed a 4 year old cup of noodles for lunch...

I love sunlight

2007-02-21T15:58:00.000-08:00

It's a good day...Mike was home in the morning, the kids are playing outside, we all got slurpees and had a tongue colour comparison, I got to shop, new Toby Mac cd is fitting my mood, we get to go to a youth conference with Shane Claiborne and Jars of Clay and I feel like something good is going to happen there with our youth, and best of all.....THE SUN IS OUT!!!!! I think that God must have personally brought it out for me because of the sheer dreariness that threatened to overwhelm me. Or Mike prayed that my complaining about the constant rain and clouds would stop! Either way, thank you God for the amazing sunshine!! And thanks for good days...

The Fam Jam

2007-02-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

So maybe my earlier comment about being a family band was prophetic...mind you I don't think we'll be touring anytime soon. Some of us need to work on our plastic electric guitar skills and our mad recorder/harmonica fingering, but you just never know. We could be the next big thing if there's ever a reality show for families...Family Band Idol? Canada's Next Top Family Band? The possibilities are endless!

Cough. Hack. Sniff.

2007-02-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

So, I know it's never happened before, ok maybe just once, but I'm sick. And just like every other time I get a slight hint of a runny nose, I cough. all. night. long. Mike loves it. I mean, who doesn't want to sleep beside someone who hacks and clears their throat for 2 hours at a time starting at 4am? Seriously, I've tried cough syrup, the make-you-sleep pills...nothing is working and it's been weeks. Other than the 5 days in Alberta I've coughed constantly since mid-January. Maybe I'm allergic to BC?

The highlight of this morning while I'm trying to recover from the drowsy side-effects of the cough syrup while still coughing, was the plumber coming to fix our dishwasher. I look so beautiful all red-nosed, hair everywhere, wearing Mike's old sweatshirt and talking with my husky voice. You should have seen the look on his face when I opened the door. I think the big guy may have been afraid to come in the house.

All this to say...anyone got any this-never-fails-me cough remedies? I think I'm down to my last one...a tablespoon of sugar soaked in whiskey (yes, my parents gave that to me as a kid...hmmm...) but if possible I kinda want something different! Please help...cough...cough...

A weekend away

2007-02-08T13:46:00.000-08:00

We drove to Calgary (back to my beloved Alberta), got dressed up, and now my little brother is a married man. You know those weddings where it just seems like 2 people couldn't possibly be happier? His wedding was one of those...and I think that they both might still be perma-grinning! I'm so happy for them and it just seemed like God smiled on their day.

So some highlights of the trip...

Aidan in his 5 yr. old cuteness..."Hey, where's my loonies?" , the ones he was supposed to be standing on during the ceremony, and my brother stopping and pulling 2 loonies out of his wallet for him...so sweet
Becca dumping half the gummies out of her flower girl basket and then refusing to come off the stage after the bride and groom because she felt so sad
Becca then getting replacement gummies and giving them away all day long, at one point, with 12 kids following her around the church!
seeing good friends and having great long talks
going to church somewhere and not having to do anything!
frying our DVD player at the beginning of the trip home (it was a looooong trip home)...there's still some issue as to whose fault it was that the coffee was spilled, but I say Mike, after all who leaves their coffee on the centre console with children around??
seeing youth kids that are now adults and eating cheesecake..miss them all...

Good times!

PS She cheers for the Flames, but I think we'll let her in the family anyways.

5 Things...

2007-01-25T18:13:00.000-08:00

So apparently I've been tagged by Mike to do this, so here's 5 things you might not know about me...

1. I once dislocated my thumb by sitting on it, and that sounds really bad, but if you hear the whole story it's not as awful sounding!
2. I must have one piece of furniture in my house that completely clashes. So far, this hasn't been a problem as most of our furniture is all hand-me-down or on its 9th owner, but my Grandpa's old orange chair is SO ugly and I love it!
3. I love game shows. I mean, I wanted to get the Game Show Network so I could watch old game shows because I think they're funny. I hope one day to be on the Price is Right or Wheel of Fortune (I think my chances are best on those 2 and you don't have to be crazy like on Deal or no Deal).
4. I lose myself in books. the kind where I don't hear anything, don't realize that anyone is near me, and hours go by in a flash...you know...like guys in front of hockey on TV.
5. I sang in choirs, musicals, and church worship teams when I was growing up. I won solos and supporting roles even and one day I think I might sing with Mike potentially in a family band. Ok, just kidding about the family band part but the rest is true!

Home Sweet Chaos

2007-01-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

Here's our box world and what moving in was like...it was actually cold that day since the snow was still here, so I was VERY happy that with doors open in our part all day that our bathroom floors were heated! Between cleaning, juggling kids, and figuring out whose stuff goes where, getting into our house was an adventure! I love it though and am SO thankful that we are even living here in Abbotsford, let alone in such a gorgeous place, when it all seemed so bleak last spring.
My favourite thing is the tile in my kitchen. I love it, maybe too much, but even so it is just so good-looking! Ok, maybe it's tied with the heated bathroom floors...something about warm floors for cold feet in the morning...mmm...
Anyways, now that we're in and relatively settled and we have high speed again (finally!!) I should be posting again regularly.

More White Stuff

2006-11-29T22:56:00.000-08:00

So, it is snowing again. The pretty kind where everything looks Christmasy and white and fluffy and undisturbed by people. I like it. And tomorrow is the big day...the moving day! It will have been just over a year since we left Devon and even longer since we've seen our stuff. It kinda feels like Christmas is coming early this year and it's on November 30. It ought to be interesting in the snow and rain tomorrow morning!

Snow Day

2006-11-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

I dreamed of snow, wanted to see the beauty of snow...and boy did I get it! Today, we woke up to crazy blowing wind (ok, like Regina normally has) and to quote the announcer on Global, we're bracing for "brutal temperatures" tomorrow of, get this...-5!!! Are you kidding me?! When is -5 brutal? I think that people here should live in SK for one winter and it might redefine what "brutal temperatures" really are!

All incredulity aside, there really is a lot of snow and our little dinky car is stuck in the driveway. Yup. And Mike took my Mom's truck to work because he couldn't quite fathom staying home on a day when it's only -4 and there isn't as much snow as we've seen living elsewhere. I think the prairies are stuck in us for good! I'm still lovin' the snow though. Now it really is winter, Christmas feels closer, and life feels a bit more normal.

Oh yeah...3 days till the move!

SNOW!!

2006-11-25T11:11:00.000-08:00

The weather network is telling me that it's going to snow 15-20 cm of snow today and I am freakishly excited! Since moving here one year ago today (when it also snowed!) the weather has been great but so very different from what I'm used to. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not missing the horrible freeze-your-boogers cold, but I do miss snow, especially around Christmas time. It's so pretty when it falls at night and makes everything seem to stand still and look clean and untouched. Plus, it makes for great fun to play in the next day! Ican't wait to pull out my mittens!!

7 days...

2006-11-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

Yup, the countdown is on till we're in our new house. The permanent, no more boxes, got our own space house and I can't wait!! It's been a year and a bit of boxes, very little privacy, and lots of adjustments. Thankfully God has helped keep us sane and even somehow make time go by relatively quickly.
So other than the above things that I'm thankful for, I am just super excited about my orange bathrooms. I love the colour orange and I've always wanted to have some kind of an orange room. I think that Mike even likes it now! I'll post some pics once the house is done so you can all see...and as always, come stay with us if you're near here!

Happy Place Highlights

2006-11-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm back from sunny California and needing to place my house on pontoons to survive the Vancouver rainy season, I thought I'd make myself feel better by posting some of my holiday pics from Disneyland and area. So, here goes...

The captions are...we met Santa SoCal style, we avoided It's a Small World all week and then waited in line for over an hour to see it redone for Christmas because we're strange that way, one of our ghetto pics of rides, this was the sign on the movie theatre...hmmm...why?, yes, Ryan Seacrest and Daniel Powter came to play for us because we're just that famous, and the gingerbread huddle makes me smile and my mouth water all at once. All in all a great time!

NYWC

2006-11-04T18:34:00.000-08:00

I'm here at the National Youth Worker's Convention in Anaheim and it's my favourite time of the year...good speakers, amazing worship, learning, people who get what Mike and I do and encourage us...this year as always the best part is that God is doing something in my life. The theme is Reveal and I feel like He's revealing more of my areas I need to change, repent from and give to Him, and just the need to let Him be all I need. As one speaker said, He is the great I AM which means that I am not. Lots of thoughts running through my head, but I'm excited and a little scared to see what God's going to do...I truly pray that I let Him do it and let go of all my pride. I want to come home and really change, the kind that only God can do...pray for me?

Next Aisle Daddy?

2006-11-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

We joined in the official 'get candy from strangers' holiday yesterday and it was fun! Our kids didn't get quite the haul they were used to in Devon, but since we only had 6 kids at our door it worked out about the same for total candy accumulation. We went to 3 streets, and as we get finished the first one, Becca asks, "Can we go down the next aisle Daddy?" in all her Cinderella cuteness! We went to the church for more candy and games after too, and by 9 they were a pretty tired fireman and princess. It was great...I miss all our friends and all the people we would normally visit back in Devon, but this was a good start to traditions in Abbotsford too. Now, how do I snitch candy for Mike and I? Maybe I'll do what my friend's parents did to them...take half and tell them it's for poor kids who have no candy...just kidding! Lie to children? I would never to do that! Bribing on the other hand...

I shouldn't laugh

2006-10-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

but I can't help it...

I think I'm in BC

2006-10-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

I am a die-hard Alberta girl but I think that BC is starting to creep in. I find myself wearing capris and sandals in October, enjoying 17 degree days and thinking that it's starting to get a bit 'crisp', craving Starbucks black tea lemonade, and today I visited a fish hatchery. Now, don't get me wrong...I love winter, especially the first snow, and the prairies, and the fact that everything is half the price in Alberta compared to BC. But I gotta admit, this side of the mountains, the warmth, and all there is to do year round is growing on me. Now if only we could teach these BC people to drive...!

Pumpkin Patch and Monster Faces

2006-10-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

I got to go along with Aidan's kindergarten class today as they went to the Apple Barn and Pumpkin Patch in Abbotsford. It was interesting trying to keep track of 4 busy 5 year old boys on a farm, but so fun to see them pick their own pumpkin and run away from goats!

Later, Aidan and Becca decided to have a monster face-off. I'm thinking that Becca won, but what do you think? They make me laugh...

A Saturday to Relax

2006-10-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

Today's been a good day...one of those rare slow moving days that lets you finally get to some things you've wanted to do forever and maybe even wear comfy only-at-home clothes while doing them. So, here I sit in my scrubs getting to my blog only 3 weeks later. Not that I procrastinate...no, not me!

But, truly, life is starting to slow down to a more manageable pace now that September kickoff season is over and school for Aidan has become routine. I find myself looking forward with excitement instead of anxiety and for that I am thankful.

Some fun things I did today...watched Aidan play soccer, made Oatmeal Raisin cookies, watched my Oilers beat Colorado, saw our new house, watched The Office fake PSA's, and generally moved in a slow pace. It'll have to tide me over 'till the next slow Saturday!

Happy Birthday

2006-09-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

Technically it will be her blog, but for right now I (mike) am hijacking it. After all, it wouldn't be right if she said "happy birthday" to herself.

She's just getting into this "blog thing", so be patient with her and take the time to teach her how this works. It's taken almost 2 years to get to this point, so I consider this to be major progress.

I'll now butt out and allow her to take control of her own blog now. But before I do, I should say...

Happy birthday to the most amazing woman in the world!

Oh, and welcome to the world of blogging!