The Esaus

Who am I kidding?

2011-10-22T01:44:00.000-07:00

Why on earth I thought I could keep TWO blogs going is beyond me! :) I hardly have time to keep one going these days, let alone two.
So, for now, I'll just be updating our Thailand blog. You can click HERE for my latest post.... and you can follow that from now on if you're interested in keeping "in the loop" with us.
I'll keep this blog and may update it again someday, but for now, visit us at http://esausinthailand.blogspot.com instead :)

First post from Thailand!

2011-10-17T04:09:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to read a bit about our first few days on new soil.... click HERE to check it out!

Sneak peek...

2011-10-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

We had some family pictures taken with Jon's side of the family a couple of weeks ago. I finally got the picture CD in the mail last week. They all turned out beautifully! I can't wait to show you more!!
But for now, here is one of my favorites...

All growed up...

2011-10-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

These pictures are literally 3 months late but I wanted to post them anyway. Our dear friend Rae took Callie's 2 year photos for us just after her birthday and I think she did a great job. Enjoy...

Very typical 'Callie scowls'...

I wonder who she gets her scowl from? :)

Still here...

2011-09-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

Sheesh. Almost a month since I last posted. Sorry about that. Life has been full and to be honest, I hate posting without pictures and seeing as our computer hasn't been letting me upload pictures to blogger lately (still trying to figure out why), I haven't felt motivated to write.

But.... I thought I'd just let you know that we are leaving for Thailand VERY soon! Our flights have been booked and we're set to leave on October 13th! Just over 2.5 weeks away!

People have been asking how we're feeling about this. If I'm completely honest with you, I've never felt so torn in all my life. We're feeling so ready to get going and are excited to get to Thailand. But there are also a lot of TOUGH goodbyes that are to come first. And lots of tough transitions ahead of us.
So... we're excited for departure but also grieving all of the incredible family and friends we're leaving behind. Its actually kind of hard to put into words.

Anyway, we head into Vancouver tomorrow morning to drop off our visa paperwork at the Thai consulate. If you think of it, we'd appreciate your prayers. We don't have a lot of time left to get this all sorted out so we'd covet your prayers for a speedy visa process with little to no hassle (preferably).

And I promise I'll try to have a more 'aesthetically pleasing' blog post next time around :)

Or should I say $1.25?

2011-08-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

What could be more fun than playing at the "Dollar Store?"

That's right. Nothing.

Callie's hardcore face proves it. ;)

A little taste of heaven...

2011-08-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

This post is a few weeks late but I wanted to give a shout out to my dear sweet Gin anyway.

As a belated birthday gift/going-away gift, my dearest Ginny took me for a day at the spa. Let's just say there's a reason I entitled this post "a little taste of heaven." That is exactly what the day was!

She could not have planned a more perfect day. Ginny arrived at my door with a Caramel Macchiato (my favorite!) and then we made our way to "The Gallery Spa." Neither of us had ever been there before but we would DEFINITELY recommend it! Its absolutely GORGEOUS and the treatments were to die for!

Our spa experience started with the "eucalyptus steam room." I'll admit... we didn't utilize the steam room for very long. That mist/humidity is IN-tense. But it was definitely refreshing.

Here's the room we got changed in. Isn't it pretty!?

Ready for the steam room sans make-up :)

Refreshed and ready for our treatments.
Just enjoying a quick snack before our massages!

Next up... hour long relaxation massages & facials. All I can say is AAAAAAAAMAZING. Seriously the most relaxing hour & a half of my life! Obviously, I don't have any pictures of that part but it was incredible. The entire time I was lying there, I couldn't help but think, "I am so undeserving of this! This is too good to be true!"

Then it was off for our pedicures. There are about a billion colors to choose from. In the end, we both chose the same one. True besties form. :)

I loved this piece of art.
All of the artwork in the spa was done by the owner's husband.
There were some really unique, beautiful pieces!

Enjoying our parrafin wax :)

Opi color "Don't Socratease Me"

After our incredible morning/afternoon at the spa, we made our way down to Bellingham for some shopping. I had saved my birthday money just for the occasion and was very pleased with the couple of purchases I made.
We finished the day with popcorn and candy from Target and great conversation on the drive home. All in all, the perfect day. Thanks again Gin. You're the bestest :) Love you SO much.

Poser...

2011-08-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, I have to force Callie to have her picture taken and there is rarely a smile to go with it. But for some reason today, as I was walking around the house taking pictures of furniture that we'll be selling, Callie started pestering me to take her picture.

Over and over she kept saying, "Tate my pitcher Mommy, tate MY pitcher!"

Alright little Miss cuteness, I'll take your picture.

So she promptly lay down on the floor and gave me this face:

As soon as I had snapped the photo, she started yelling, "MORE! More pitchers Mommy!"

So we took a few more, just for good measure.

I mean, really... who could resist?

As soon as we had finished taking several pictures, she proclaimed "Dood job Mommy" (translated, Good job Mommy) and left the room.

What a stinker :)

Splish splash...

2011-08-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

If I had to pick ONE of Callie's most recent summer highlights,

it would probably be the new splash park that opened up, just 5 minutes from our house.

I think we were there 4 out of 5 days last week. :)

What I love about the splash park is that no matter where you're sitting (on the lush green grass), you can see your child. Its a great layout for keeping an eye on your kids.

And its just so darn fun :)

Thankfully, we've finally seen some hot, summer weather around these parts lately

so the splash park has given some sweet relief from the heat.

Apparently the water tastes great too... ;)

What trip to the park is complete without a snack?

If you can't decide, just take both.

Thank-you City of Chilliwack for adding this wonderful feature to Garrison Crossing!

We anticipate many, MANY more days spent at this fabulous park.

Today marks six...

2011-08-07T00:05:00.000-07:00

... wonderful years together and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

So much has happened over these last 6 years. So much more to come.

And I'm so thankful its with you, Jon.

I love you hun. Happy Anniversary.

Long weekend adventures...

2011-08-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

Would you agree with me that long weekends just never seem long enough?

We spent our long weekend in Jon's old stomping grounds-- Prince George. His mom's side of the family has a reunion every 2 years and this year his Aunt Charlotte hosted it at Vivian Lake, just outside of PG. Unfortunately, the weather was mostly rainy & cold (apart from some sun on Sunday), but it was still nice to have time at the lake and catch up with family members we haven't seen in a couple of years.

We were pretty excited to take Callie for a canoe ride...

... too bad she didn't reciprocate the feelings.

So she stayed back with Auntie Naomi instead. ;)

On Saturday, the family had a "hat contest."

The goal was to have the most creative hat.

I thought Calvin looked pretty cute in his...

Callie, busy decorating her hat...

Sara and her weekend side-kick, Liliana...

Aunt Lori...

The hostess of the mostest, Aunt Charlotte...

I'll admit, we weren't that creative.

We just looked the for the most "retired-in-Florida" style hats we could find.

Pretty spiffy, hey!? ;)

Endless hours of bubble fun...

Who knew bubbles could be so. much. fun!?

The whole gang, enjoying time around the campfire...

Picturesque lake...

More bubble adventures...

Hats for the competition.

Adult's hats...

... and the kids' hats...

Bath time fun...

The loooong ride home.

"Are we there yet?"

Callie was pretty excited to get home to her books.

For the record... all of these books were neatly stacked in her bookshelf when we put her to bed.

This was the state of her room when we checked on her an hour later... :)

So, despite some crummy weather, I'd say it was an all in all good weekend.

Busyness & birthdays...

2011-07-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not exactly sure why I thought we'd have a relaxing, quiet summer. I should know better than that by now. As usual, we've been incredibly busy. The nice thing is that even though it hasn't been that "quiet," we've had lots of fun stuff to do. Things like....

Playing with the cousins at Gramma & Grampa's farm...

Enjoying a bit of sunny weather with Auntie Ginny & Uncle Steve &

the rest of the Massie family...

Swinging...

Feeding the chickens at "Auntie" Carole & "Uncle" Bob's house...

A delightful garden party at a dear friend's place...

Me & aforementioned dear friend, Rachel...

Wrap-up BBQ with our Life Group from church...

Celebrating Daddy's 29th birthday...

And then, celebrating Callie's 2nd birthday, 3 times over! :)

---------------------------------------------

Birthday Celebration #1

Callie's 'actual' birthday (June 30th)

High tea at Appledoorn's with Auntie Vivie & Elijah...

.... and Grammy!

"Its my party and I'll pout if I want to..."

All 5 of us enjoying our afternoon tea...

"I'll take that one Nammy."

-----------------------------------------------

Birthday Celebration #2

A morning at "Go Bananas" with

Konrad, Ava, Calvin, Liliana, Auntie Naomi & Gramma Esau...

"So fun, Mommy!"

Opening gifts with her cousins...

And what 2nd birthday is complete without a Dora & Diego cake?

The picture doesn't capture just how excited she was about this :)

"Mmmmm.... cake!"

-------------------------------------------

Birthday Celebration #3

Family BBQ & cupcakes at Grammy & Grampa Glen's...

"Wait Momma...

I need a quick water break before I can blow out my candles!"

And... more cake,

although she was far more interested in the M&M's on top than the cupcake itself :)

Eli, on the other hand, LOVED the cupcakes ;)

More presents...

"Let me just see if this one will fit.

Yup, its a keeper!"

Books, books and MORE books!

Trying to find Uncle Craig & Auntie Jen's gift...

There it is! My very first children's Bible!

The whole fam...

So lucky to have Uncle Craig & Auntie Jen there to celebrate!

Uncle Steve & Auntie Ginny...

Birthday coloring with Auntie Gin...

Daddy & Mommy with the birthday girl...

As you can see, this little girl is deeply loved. We're so thankful for our families and friends who love & cherish her. It was definitely a very special birthday for this little girl.

So there you have it.... a ridiculously long post about our very busy summer, so far. I'll try to update more frequently, but let's be honest... I can't make any promises ;) Thanks to those who still actually read this :)

Miss them already...

2011-07-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

I know I said I'd post Callie's birthday pictures. And I will. What can I say... I'm terrible at blogging lately.

But for now, I'm just missing these two right now. Or three, I should say ;)

Our time with them this past week was much too short & went by at record speed.

They've only been gone a day and I'm already missing them.

Love you Craig, Jen & baby!

Summer schedule...

2011-07-18T15:05:00.001-07:00

Our internship is finished and now its "full-swing" support-raising time! For those that are in the lower mainland & area, and would like to hear us share about Thailand (and hear Jon preach!), here are some of our upcoming church visits for the summer. We'll keep you posted as more come up:

Sunday, July 17th- River of Life Community Church (Sorrento, BC)
Sunday, July 24th- Broadway MB Church (Chilliwack, BC)
Sunday, July 31st- Westwood MB Church (Prince George, BC) -- we'll just be visiting while we're in PG for a family reunion, not actually sharing during the service. But would love to see you there!
Sunday, August 7th- Greendale MB Church (Chilliwack, BC)
Sunday, August 14th- Clearbrook MB Church (Abbotsford, BC) -- EVENING service @ 7pm

Hope to see many of you over the next few weeks!

2 more!??

2011-06-30T23:01:00.000-07:00

This sweet girl turned 2 today!

When we told her it was her birthday and asked her how old she was now, she replied,

"I two more!!"

Well, not quite honey. 1 + "2 more" would equal 3 but at least you have the 'two' part right ;)

We celebrated with 'Nammy', Auntie Vivie and Elijah with 'high tea' at Appledoorns this afternoon, and then finished off the day with some fun at Nammy's house. (I'll post pictures tomorrow.)

Uncle Craig & Auntie Jen arrive from Saskatchewan in just 10 short days (woohoo!),

so we'll do the big party once they're here to celebrate with us!

But for now, I'll say...

Happy Birthday to our sweet Callie-bear!

We love you more than you could ever imagine.

Lots to report...

2011-06-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

Life has been full these past weeks and we're excited to be coming to the end of another era.... our internship will be finished this coming week!! Its been a really incredible time of learning, being part of an amazing team, being stretched, learning flexibility and all in all, experiencing God's goodness & provision. But we're also really excited to be finished this chapter and moving on with the next steps for our family.

So... to start off the post, I'll give you a quick recap of life as of late.

Father's Day celebrations were awesome. We celebrated with my family on Saturday evening. The festivities started with peeling peas for dinner... although I'm pretty sure Callie ate more than she put in the bowl.

Then we moved outside for some fun on the 'champoline' (as Callie calls it)...

She loves this little guy SO much...

Then the Dad's got started on Grammy's latest purchase... a bouncy castle for Callie & Eli.

The excitement built with each minute.

They figured they better work together on moving this one... :)

Let the games begin!

"This tider has SHARP teef!"

On Sunday, we joined the rest of the Esau clan at Uncle Jake & Auntie Lori's for the annual Father's Day pool party. This is always our favorite Esau family gathering. Its always so relaxing and fun to be able to swim in their pool. I wasn't sure what Callie would think of it, considering it wasn't warm that day. But Uncle Jake had warmed the pool up to 88 degrees so it was really more like a warm bath :)

Still not too sure...

Turns out, she LOVED it!

We couldn't get her to come out once she was in.

She honestly would've stayed in all night if we had let her.

Spending some time with my sweet niece, Lily.

Also just a little proof that I did, in fact, attend said gathering :)

Last week was incredibly busy. We had something up every single evening. Monday night we celebrated my nephew Konrad's 7th birthday. Tuesday I had Callie's long-awaited allergist appt. in Vancouver (much to my disappointment, she IS allergic to peanuts and all other nuts. Epi pen is officially in the diaper bag at all times. Life changer for sure... but that's a whole 'nother story :)) and then Tuesday evening, we met our dear friends, the Reimers, at Mill Lake for some park time and dessert. It was a gorgeous day and the splash park was up and running. I didn't think to take Callie's bathing suit so after some begging, and Corina offering one of their towels, I finally gave in and let Callie run around in her clothes. You honestly would have thought she had won the lottery! She squealed and screamed in delight as she splashed in the puddles and ran under the shower heads, fully clothed. She looked like a drowned rat by the time she was finished but it was so worth it. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of it.

The only dry clothes we had for her were her pj's so she borrowed some of Chase's clothes. She looked like a little tom-boy all dressed in army green :) Here she is, playing catch with "Auntie" Corina...

"I did it!"

The Reimers are going to be doing MTE training with MB Mission this fall and will join us in Thailand after that. We're excited to have another young family joining us there and can't wait to be 'family' with them!

Let's just say that the coloring didn't stay on the paper that was provided... :)

Jesse & Chase

Our newest family members... :)

On Wednesday night, we were invited to the Heywood's for dinner. Dave & Sarah are new to Chilliwack and Dave will be starting the residency program here next week. They have 2 sweet girls named Kara & Emily and we had an awesome evening with them. Thanks again for the yummy food and great conversation guys! We look forward to getting to know you more over the next few months!

Thursday night was our church's annual "Volunteer Appreciation" dinner. Seeing as we're still interns at church, we got roped into helping with the decor for the evening's event. The theme was "tailgate party" and it actually ended up being pretty fun to put together. We got some truck boxes to put at the front of the gym, complete with lawn chairs & coolers, Jon and I painted a mural of a famous baseball stadium scoreboard and we finished the tables with some cute 'tailgate party' sports items...

Everyone came dressed in their favorite sports team jerseys and we all enjoyed an evening of fun, good food, games & good laughs. I'd say it was a huge success!

Well... that's all I've got for now. The sun is shining and we've been invited to the Massie's for a pool party this afternoon so I better go get our suits packed :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Update...

2011-06-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

A new post is up on our Thailand blog! Click HERE to read it.

It'll give you a little update on where our fundraising is at, for those that have been curious. ;)

* If you're interested in getting behind the ministry that is going on in Thailand, click HERE to donate!

Sports Day...

2011-06-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

Callie and I had the pleasure of watching my nephew, Konrad, participate in his school "Sports Day" yesterday. This picture was taken from behind, but you should've seen the look on her face when she saw all those people & all the excitement. Just picture saucers for eyes and a jaw that wasn't capable of dropping any further ;)

The classic "water relay..."

Konrad standing with his fellow 'green team' teammates...

Auntie "Omi" (Naomi) and Lily enjoying sports day...

Another crazy relay. Go Konrad Go!

Walkin' with Gramma...

Another classic... the potato sack race!

YAY team??

I'm pretty sure this was the conversation that took place in this picture:

"Do we wait in line for hot-dogs for the rest of the afternoon or do we head home for lunch?"

We opted for Auntie "Omi's" house & some good ol' McD's :)

BFF cousins, cheering on Konrad...

Hooray for Sports Day!!

It must have worked...

2011-06-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

I guess my last post did the trick because the sun has finally arrived here in the Lower Mainland and we've had some gorgeous weather! Woohoo!
I'm pretty sure I only have a few minutes before Callie wakes up from her nap so I'll just post a few of my latest pictures (even though they're over a month old and most of them were taken on my iPod Touch).
I have to say... its sad how few pictures I take these days. I used to have my camera on me at ALL TIMES when Callie was first born. Now I am lucky if I remember it at all. So although the pictures are few & far between, it doesn't mean 'the kid' isn't growing and getting cuter every day :)

Playing a bit of 'dress-up'...

Out for a walk on one of the few nice days we had in May...

Enjoying the park on a warm, spring evening...

Not so sure about THIS one though... ;)

Lovin' the swing. As always.

My sweet nephew Eli joined us...

"Dampa" & "Nammy"came too.

I love this picture. Gosh is she ever going to miss them.

I have some pretty hilarious videos of Callie visiting the donkeys & horses (just down the street from our house) but blogger isn't letting me upload them right now. Stay tuned for some 'conversations with Callie!' :)

Hoping for Spring...

2011-05-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

We've had the occasional (and I strongly emphasize 'occasional') nice, sunny day here and there, but seeing as they're so few & far between, I've tried to get some pictures while the weather permits. Here are a few of my recent favorites...

Our new prayer card photo...

Well... that's it for now.

REALLY hoping that 'Spring has sprung'
by the time I post again :)

Belated Easter cuteness...

2011-05-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

Nothing cuter than matching Easter dresses for Callie and her cousins, Ava & Liliana.

Take one...

Take two...

Take three...

Alright. Enough attempts.
I think that's as good as its going to get :)

Hope you all had a very Happy Easter!

Best. News. EVER.

2011-05-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

Seriously... THE best news of our entire year.

We've prayed and hoped and pleaded with the Lord for years.

And now... our prayers have been answered....

Click HERE to read the absolutely, incredible news!

To God be the glory, indeed :)

ABC's...

2011-04-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

(*Be sure to turn your volume up)

Callie's rendition of the ABC's.

Be sure to listen to the end.

She has an interesting line that comes after "Now I know my ABC's..." :)

Who needs toys anyway?

2011-04-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Callie spent over 30 minutes alone in her room doing this last night. Come to think of it, this is how she spends 95% of her day, everyday. I hope she always loves reading this much.

To Thailand, with love

2011-04-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

I've started a new blog. Go check it out!

And if you know of anyone else that may be interested in following our journey to Thailand, be sure to send them the link!

http://esausinthailand.blogspot.com

Adding a little sunshine to your day...

2011-04-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

Now if that doesn't make you chuckle, I don't know what will.

Escape to the land of sunshine...

2011-04-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Jon, Callie and I had the awesome privilege of going to Palm Springs for a week at the end of March/beginning of April. Jon's parents were heading down for their annual holiday and offered to treat us to some time away. Of course, we happily accepted :)

This was Callie's 3rd time on a plane, but her first time as an almost-2-year-old. When we flew to Thailand, she was only 5 months old-- therefore, a piece of cake. When we flew to Saskatchewan last Easter, she was about 9 months old-- also a piece of cake. But this time, I was NERVOUS. We had a 1 hour flight to Calgary and then a 3 hour flight from Calgary to Palm Springs. I was pretty concerned that with the busy-bee stage she's at, this would be a complete disaster. But... I was wrong... thankfully :) She was awesome on the flights. Thank-you WestJet for Treehouse & Bits n' Bites.

Having breakfast at the Abbotsford airport.

You'd never know we had woken her at 4:30am for this flight. She was bright-eyed & ready to fly...

It ended up being a scorching hot week in Palm Springs. The day after we arrived, they hit record temperatures for this time of year... over 106 degrees F. That's well over 40 degrees C. Jon and Callie weren't big fans of the intense heat, but I soaked it up. I live for hot, hot heat! Plus, its good practice for Thailand :)

The week was full of golfing, swimming in the pool, shopping with Gramma, BBQing, visiting the Living Desert zoo, very few naps for Callie and late nights (also for Callie). Although Callie made the vacation a lot less relaxing than previous ones, it was still a delight to have some time away from 'real life.'

Cooling down with some Haagen Daz...

One of the highlights of our trip was getting to visit with our dear friends, Tracy & Cecil and their son Solas. We went to Thailand with them in '09 and anticipate having them as MB Mission teammates someday (Lord-willing). They live in Bakersfield, CA and made the long 6 hour trip down, just to see us. What a blessing!

Callie & Solas reuniting...

They're only 9 days apart & I'm sure, will be great friends for life! :)

Complete & utter delight to be playing in the air-conditioned mall on a VERY HOT day...

Our last day in Palm Springs was spent at the Living Desert Zoo.

It was another very hot day but we had lots of fun!

Getting the low-down from one of the zoo curators...

Listening very intently...

My attempt at a picture of Jon & Callie with his parents.

Terrible attempt, I know...

So much to see,

even though half the animals were hidden away for their afternoon naps...

"I see dat Daddy!"

Taking a quick snack break...

Callie's zoo highlight: riding on the carousel with Grampa.

Every time the carousel came around to where we were standing, she would SHRIEK with pure excitement. It was priceless! I'll try to get the video on here soon.

Classic Daddy face, classic Callie face.

Visiting my personal favorite... the zebras!

Meeting the goats...

The giraffes were another highlight...

This picture makes me chuckle...

mostly because it brings all new meaning to,

"like father, like daughter." ;)

The true sign of a good day at the zoo... :)

We felt so blessed to get to do a vacation like this, one last time before we head overseas. I think both Jon and I would say we feel refreshed and ready to tackle the last half of our internship & fundraising. Hard to believe we only have another 2.5 months left to go!

A picture is worth a thousand words...

2011-03-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

Its another rainy day here in Chilliwack. All of the laundry is done, the bathroom has been cleaned, the dishes have been washed & put away, the floor has been swept, the garbage has been taken out and Callie is sleeping, so I thought I'd share a few pictures from the last week or two.

Having some fun with the iPod camera...

Backyard fun...

Enjoying a walk at the river on a sunny day...

Posing for Mommy...

Complete & utter delight...

We've been pulling out stuff to sell on Craigslist.

Callie doesn't seem to be ready to part with her baby bathtub... :)

Callie went to her first 'friend' birthday party on Saturday. Norah turned 3!

I thought the kids looked so sweet sitting at the table, waiting for their dinner. :)

Happy 1st Birthday Elijah!

2011-03-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my nephew Elijah's 1st birthday today. Hard to believe that a year has gone by already!

So, in celebration of Eli's birthday, I thought I'd share a video of Callie's rendition of "Happy Birthday" with you.... as well as a few pictures from today's party. (*Note: Sorry for the poor quality pictures. Jon is away for the weekend & has our camera so I had to use my iPod to capture the birthday action.)

Enjoy! :)

Me & the birthday boy

Getting ready to blow out his candle

Callie & Grampa

Mmmm.... first bite of cake

Opening presents...

(Callie was right in there like a dirty shirt!)

I think Callie was more excited about Eli's gifts than he was... :)

Happy Birthday Eli! We love you SOOOO much!

Unintentional hiatus...

2011-03-08T19:18:00.001-08:00

I kind of miss blogging.

But what I miss even more is having spare time.

Life is BUSY beyond description these days and its been hard to keep up.

So, as much as I would love to write a big, long blog post right now, all I have energy for is sharing a few pictures and possibly throwing in the odd caption here and there.

Sorry folks, but its all I've got right now :)

I do plan to keep up with this blog more frequently once we leave for Thailand because for some, it will be the only way of knowing what's going on in our lives. (Speaking of which... if you don't already receive our monthly email newsletters and would like to, please just let me know and I'll add you to our list. All I need is your email address!)

Anyway... without further ado.... my picture post...

Trying on another dress we got in Thailand last year...

Watching Curious George from her 'perch'...

We got to have a reunion supper with some of our MTE friends last month...

... it was awesome to reconnect again!

She's not too fond of the vacuum so this is where she "hid"... :)

My latest hair-chopping...

Out for date night at good ol' Billy McHale's...

Callie let Auntie Naomi put her hair in pigtails the other night.

And by "let" I mean, she stopped crying fairly quickly afterward.

Definitely not too keen on having her hair done,

as you can see from her sad little face. :)

But she looks sooooo cute...

Morning meeting with the Doodlebops...

All tuckered out from a morning at Costco...

Trying out Grandpa E's 4-wheeler...

Like daddy, like daughter...

Playing with Mommy's iPod...

So, until next time...

Here's what happens...

2011-02-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

... when she gets to pick out her outfit.

Its a good thing Mommy gets to do the choosing for a little while longer.

Join us this Sunday!

2011-02-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

If you live in the Fraser Valley and want to hear more about our journey to Thailand, come on out to Central Community Church this Sunday evening, Feb. 13th @ 7:00pm. MBMS International is hosting a "Celebrate Mission Night" and will be focusing the evening on what God is doing in North Thailand. I'll be leading worship and Jon & I will be sharing a bit about our call to Thailand. Randy Friesen will also be speaking about the exciting stuff that's going on in Thailand, so it will be a great night of stories & celebration!

Come on out & join us if you can!

Sunday, Feb. 13th

@ 7:00pm

Central Community Church

46100 Chilliwack Central Rd.

Chilliwack, BC

Thai style...

2011-02-09T19:38:00.000-08:00

A little over a year ago, while we were in Thailand, one of our fellow teammates ("Uncle" Paul) purchased a gift for Callie. While he & Jon were doing some shopping at the night markets in Chiang Rai, Paul found a beautiful little Thai dress and picked it up for our (at the time) little girl. I knew it would be quite a while before she'd fit into it, but I kept it hanging in her closet, anticipating the day that she would finally be able to wear this beautiful white dress.

As I was going through Callie's closet a few weeks ago, I came across it and discovered that it would probably be a perfect fit for her now. Turns out, I was right. She was a good sport and happily modeled it for us.

Checking out the Thai elephants...

VOGUE...

Aren't I pretty Mommy!?

Our little Thai angel...

Pretty as can be...

Too bad we're not in Thailand already. This would be the perfect dress for the weather over there right now. Unfortunately, rainy BC isn't a great place for a thin cotton number like this. So, all I can hope is that she won't grow TOO much over the next few months and maybe... just maybe... she'll still fit it when we head overseas :)

Simple pleasures...

2011-01-31T16:31:00.000-08:00

It doesn't take much to make this girl happy...

"Hi Tidder!" she exclaimed, as we lifted her into the boat.

Thank goodness she doesn't realize it would be that-much-cooler if we put money in it :) Probably won't be long before she figures this out but for now, we enjoy free entertainment on a rainy day!

Hard at work...

2011-01-24T15:55:00.001-08:00

This picture is a good indication of life these days. With all this internship business, fundraising, parenting and trying to have some sort of social life, it just doesn't leave much time for posting. Even Callie has been hard at work lately... ;)

Is it too late to talk about Christmas?

2011-01-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

I realize its already the middle of January and I should've done my Christmas post long ago but such is life. By the way, Happy early birthday to my wonderful SIL, Jen! Its her birthday on Friday!! Hope you have a fantastic day!

As for Christmas, it was pretty awesome. This was the first time in 6 years that the whole Glen family was together for the occasion. Craig & Jen were able to fly out on Boxing Day and stayed until the 3rd of January. Such a special time! But I'll get back to that in a second.

First are a few pictures of our own family Christmas, just the 3 of us...

Callie: "Peeeeeeaaaz, out!"

(she was pretty eager to get outside to finish the last of our Christmas shopping)

All dolled up for the Christmas Eve service at church...

Christmas morning.

This was the progression of Callie scoping out the gifts...

... hmmm, I wonder if these are for me?

... I'm just going to go ahead and assume they are...

A true girl, multi-tasking...

drinking her milk and doing the 'one-handed-gift-opening'...

Quickly getting in some play-time before we have to head out

for the Esau family Christmas...

The rest of our Christmas morning was spent at Mom & Dad Esau's, where we enjoyed a big brunch and gift-opening. Then we moved over to Erich & Naomi's house for the rest of the day, ate an awesome turkey dinner, and spent lots of time playing Wii Sports Resort :)

Sweet Liliana...

Grandpa reading the kids the story of Jesus' birth...

Callie was really into it :)

Callie & Ava opening gifts together...

Entertaining baby cousin Lily...

Next up, Glen family Christmas! As I mentioned, C & J arrived the evening of the 26th, so we got together for our family Christmas on the 27th. It was a great day of turkey & all the fixins', gift-opening & game playing.

Callie opening gifts with Uncle Craig...

Watching everyone open their gifts...

Jon and I had a chance to take Craig & Jen into IKEA one day.

The boys really enjoyed the hats in the kids section :)

The rest of the week with Craig & Jen was filled with relaxation, playing games, playing with Callie & Eli, and enjoying time as a family. It was wonderful.

The whole family...

I have to say, it was an exceptionally hard good-bye with Craig & Jen this time. Its not likely that we'll see them again before we leave for Thailand in the fall, so the next time will hopefully be during our MINA (Ministry in North America) which is 3 years from the time we leave. Its crazy to think that Callie will be around 5 or 6 years old the next time they see her. Anyway.... let's just say there were a lot of tears shed and Callie wasn't too happy to see them go. We love you Craig & Jen! Thanks for making this Christmas so special!

And so, the New Year is well under way. We started our internship at our church, Central Community, this week. We will be working there part time until June. The other 1/2 of our time will be spent fundraising. Our hope is to be able to leave for Thailand by mid September, as long as we're able to get our support in by then. So, if you'd like to support us, you can click HERE. We'd really appreciate your help! :)

Hope you're all having a great New Year so far! I'll update you again soon.

Inspiration for the New Year...

2011-01-05T21:43:00.001-08:00

I just read a post on my friend Nini's blog and found it so moving and BEAUTIFUL, I just have to share it with you. I hope Nini doesn't mind :)

But honestly... this is the most incredible story of how God works in the hearts of children. I'm still crying from the beauty of it.

Click HERE to be completely and totally inspired! :)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2010-12-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Carmen shared these verses with me this evening and I've been thinking about how much truth they hold for our family, specifically over this last year...

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

I will meditate on all your works

and consider all your mighty deeds."

~ Psalm 77:11-12 ~

God has been so gracious to us and has opened our eyes to what true provision really looks like. Whether it be financial help, emotional strength, family safety or spiritual vitality-- He's been so faithful.

As we head into a New Year, I challenge you to take the time to really consider all that God has done for you & brought you through over the last year. Meditate on the goodness He has shown. And pray through the thanksgiving you will feel when you see all that our loving Father has been & will be in the days ahead.

Praying you all had a wonderful Christmas & wishing you God's richest blessings for the year ahead.

Much love,

Jon, Bonnie & Callie

An early Christmas gift?

2010-12-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

It seems crazy to me but this kid is literally potty-training herself.

She recently seemed to show interest in the potty & would point at her bum and say "poo poo's!" When I would ask her if she needed to go on the potty, she would reply, "YEAH! Hand, Mommy!" (which translated, means 'hold my hand') and would run to the bathroom door. I soon realized that she was actually needing to go to the bathroom, so I would sit her on the potty.

The first few times, we didn't quite get there in time (totally my fault for not believing her!) and she had already gone in her diaper, but I would sit her on the potty anyway and tell her what a big girl she was. She seemed pretty proud of herself :)

But yesterday, she told me "poo-poo's Mommy... potty!" so we ran to the toilet. Sure enough, she had started to go in her diaper but we quickly got her on the seat and she finished on the potty! We had two successful potty times yesterday!!

I quite obviously had NO intention of potty-training at this age. I mean, goodness.... she's only 17.5 months old. But the fact that she seems to understand the sensation and is interested in going, means I would be crazy to NOT let her sit on the potty. I haven't even had to bribe her with anything :)

So.... I have no idea whether this is going to be the true start of potty-training for Callie but for now, I'm super proud of her and will continue to let her choose the pace at which we train. If it means less poopy diapers for me to have to change, I'm all for it!!

PS: That's not actually her 'pushing' face (although it does resemble it a lot). This is her "cheeeeese!" face that comes whenever she sees the camera :)

All good things must come to an end...

2010-12-20T14:29:00.000-08:00

It was a strange feeling to sleep in this morning and not have to rush out the door to get to class on time. Its also strange to know that we won't be seeing our fellow MTE friends everyday anymore. Sad really. The last 4 months of training have flown by and the reality is finally sinking in that we aren't all going to the same mission field. You grow pretty close with people when you're together day-in and day-out. Its hard to accept the fact that we can't all go together as one big team.

Friday, Dec. 17th marked our last day of MTE training & our official "commissioning service." It was a wonderful time of sharing, praying & worshipping together. Many of our classmates will still be around for a while (some have team building activities to complete in January) but for others, Friday was 'good-bye' and it definitely wasn't easy. I managed to keep the tears to a minimum as the hugs were exchanged but as soon as we left and made our way to the car, the emotion got the best of me. I hate goodbyes. And I hate the fact that this was just the beginning of many more goodbyes to come.

I'm thankful for the last months we've had as an MTE class. It was an incredible time of growing, learning and building deep relationships together. I'll miss everyone so much!

Missionary Training & Equipping

Class of 2010

So to all of you-- Gary & Ellie, Lowell & Melissa, Bud, Reg & Faa, Sherry & Doug, Susan & Steve, Johann & Hedi, Pepe & Marisol-- Jon, Callie and I love you dearly and will continue to pray for God's leading & blessing on your lives as you continue to follow His plan and walk in risk-taking obedience. We miss you already!

Update on Mom's surgery...

2010-12-15T12:45:00.000-08:00

(Written on the day of surgery-- Dec. 14th, evening)

Hi everyone,

Sorry I didn't write sooner but our internet has been down all day.
My Mom's surgery went very well. The surgeon was able to salvage the nerve that connects her vocal chords so her voice is fine. PRAISE THE LORD!
He also said that he's fairly certain he was able to get the parathyroids (that were also in question) but will know for sure, once he gets the pathology results (they should have within the week). The surgeon wasn't able to get the last bit on the left side, due to so much damage & scar tissue from previous surgeries, but feels confident that due to how small the growth is there, that it may not even be tumour. He is confident that they were able to get all that they needed too.
I had planned to go in to the hospital this morning but Callie woke up at 2am, throwing up and continued that on for the rest of the night/morning. So I wasn't able to get into Vancouver but Dad said that they'd be keeping her over night tonight, and hopefully sending her home tomorrow.
So overall, good results. God was so gracious and answered our prayers! He is so good and we're exceedingly grateful for such a positive outcome.

After talking to my Dad this evening, it sounds like Mom is in quite a bit of pain now, especially her throat from intubation, and her neck/chest from the incision. So please pray that she'll get a good rest tonight and that the recovery will move along speedily and with as little pain as possible.

Thank you again for your ongoing prayers. Its an incredible thing to know that so many people are lifting Mom in prayer! Blessings to you for your invaluable support & friendship.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

(Update: Dec. 15th, lunchtime)

Mom is HOME!! I just talked to her on the phone and had tears in my eyes as I pondered what a true miracle it was to hear her voice. She sounded good and is happy to be able to rest in the comfort of her own home and sleep in her own bed :) You can continue to pray for healing and the road of recovery ahead. But thank God for his abundant protection and goodness! We're so thankful!!

Will you pray?

2010-12-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

I'm writing to ask you all for prayer. My Mom heads into surgery tomorrow morning @ 9:30am and we'd really appreciate all the prayer we can get!

Please pray that:

- the surgeon gets a good night's sleep tonight and is bright & alert tomorrow morning!

- peace for Mom as she goes into surgery

- wisdom & accuracy for the surgeons as they operate

- protection over Mom's vocal chords

- speedy recovery

Thanks for your support! Prayer is a powerful thing & we're thankful for a loving heavenly Father who hears our prayers.

Christmas cheer...

2010-12-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

Now that we don't have to move again in a few weeks, I was finally able to set up our

Christmas tree...

I have all of my Christmas shopping done and everything is wrapped.

Now its really starting to feel like Christmas,

and I can start the countdown 'til Craig & Jen arrive.

Only 19 days to go!

A day of celebration...

2010-12-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

Today, we CELEBRATE!

After months of battling to find renters for our townhouse, God finally provided us with a wonderful couple today! They are Korean church-planters here in Chilliwack and will be moving into our house next Wednesday. I cannot begin to tell you the intense relief this brings us. But most of all, its just another story of God's immense provision and faithfulness to us. He has provided in ABUNDANCE over the last few months and has given us unending proof of his promise to provide for us. We're so thankful to serve a God who cares so deeply. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us and this specific prayer request! We're so thankful for this answer to prayer!!

So far behind...

2010-11-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

I feel as though even if I tried my very hardest, I'd still be behind with this blog. Life just hasn't allowed much time for bloggerland lately. But I know that some of you still faithfully check to see if I've updated this, so here's one for you! I only have time to show you pictures though, so you'll have to check back for a written update :)

Callie is nearing the 1 1/2 year mark. She'll be 17 months next Tuesday, and she gets busier and chattier each day and makes lots of silly faces.

This is her look of 'concentration'...

Silly "cheese" face...

As I said in an earlier post, we took Callie to the Vancouver Aquarium for the first time at the end of October. We had no sooner passed through the entry gate, and she had her face plastered to the glass to see what this was all about... :) It was pretty cute.

We watched the dolphin show...

We walked around in the sunshine and took in the other outdoor shows...

We visited "Kermit" in the frog section of the Aquarium...

Going in for the kiss...

Watch out world, Kermit and Callie are on the loose!

Checking out the dolphins from the lower deck of the aquarium...

Our dear friend Jen was able to join us for the day!

Watching the Beluga whales...

Callie highly approved. Yaaaaay belugas!

Back inside the aquarium. Jelly fish...

I love this picture... makes me laugh every time!

"Seriously, Daddy..."

Saying bye-bye to the aquarium. Such a fun day!

Trying on Mommy's shoes...

Bath-time bubble fun...

Some of the pictures Jon took at Fishtrap Creek during our MTE Silent Retreat...

All bundled up for the chilly weather.

She INSISTED she should wear Mommy's mittens...

That's all for now. Hopefully I'll have more time for blogging soon.

Only 3 1/2 more weeks left of MTE training!!

Its official! We'll be serving in...

2010-11-13T13:56:00.001-08:00

... THAILAND!

ประเทศไทย

We're thrilled to finally be able to share where we'll be serving overseas. At this point, we don't have many details other than the fact that we'll be spending our 1st year there, in language training (which could be in one of two places-- Lopburi or Chiang Mai). After that, MBMSI will discern with the "in-country leaders" as to who's team we'll join. So we're not exactly sure which region of Thailand we'll be in, and who we'll be serving with, but we're excited to at least have the answer of which country! I'll continue to update you as we know more.

Quick update...

2010-11-08T20:23:00.001-08:00

Many of you have been asking how my Mom is doing, how our discernment meeting went, etc., so I thought I'd send you a quick update.

My Mom got into St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver last Thursday and the new surgeon re-ran all of her tests. It was a little discouraging for her to have to go through all of the ultrasounds, scopes, etc. all over again (she was originally told that wouldn't be necessary) but she was thankful that the new surgeon was at least making her a priority. The tests went well and she is officially on the list for surgery. Looks like it will most likely be sometime in January. Mom said she definitely feels like she's in good hands as this new surgeon said there is some new technology that can detect nerves within scar tissue. Although St. Paul's doesn't actually have this technology, he said he's going to do all he can to get his hands on it for her surgery. So you can pray that would be possible!
And, one neat thing that happened last Thursday-- after finishing one of Mom's tests, the surgeon came into the room and asked: "Do you have influence here?" She shook her head & he replied that he had never received a report from their Ultasound Dept. so quickly! She smiled & thought.....aaah yes. I DO have influence :)
So your prayers are definitely having impact. Thank you for praying and please continue to do so!

As for discernment with MBMSI, we met with their lead team today. It was a good meeting and both Jon and I felt very relaxed.... like chatting with old friends :) We came away from it, feeling very at peace and knowing that God has had this planned all along, and already knows the outcome. Therefore, we have peace in knowing that He has good plans for us. MBMSI will be announcing teams/locations on Wednesday afternoon, so we'll let you know as soon as we know!

Other than that, life continues to fly by. Hard to believe we only have just over a month left in training. This time has been busy, somewhat stressful at times, but also very fruitful and encouraging. We continue to anticipate the exciting times ahead!

So with that, I'll sign off for now and we'll be updating you again, after Wednesday's big announcement.

Happy Halloween...

2010-11-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

... from our little Thai tiger!

(More pictures to come, of Halloween

& Callie's 1st visit to the Vancouver Aquarium!)

HEALER- Kari Jobe

2010-10-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

Clinging to these words today. He IS the Great Healer. Trusting in his goodness...

Need your prayers!

2010-10-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY, October 19th
After visiting the surgeon today, my Mom found out that she has a cancerous tumour in her thyroid. She has had several thyroid surgeries in the past which means there is a great deal of scar tissue, making the now needed surgery virtually impossible to complete, without rupturing the vocal chords. The tumour is growing at a very rapid pace and there is now concern that if it isn't removed promptly, it may start to seep through the walls of the thyroid and into her blood stream. So essentially... this is a seemingly "lose-lose" situation. If she has the operation, she'll likely never speak again. And if she doesn't, it could be fatal. As you can imagine, the fear is very real for all of us right now, and though we're trying to keep an optimistic outlook, this is incredibly scary.

Her surgery has been set for Nov. 24 but it is very likely that they'll be shooting to do it on Nov. 3rd as the surgeon has an open day. This will be confirmed within the next few days.

Please pray for a number of things:
- pray for guidance & wisdom for the doctor as he performs this very risky surgery
- pray that the vocal chords will go untouched
- pray that the doctor will be able to remove ALL of the tumour
- pray for deep PEACE for Mom and our family

Thank-you for interceding in this way. I know Mom will appreciate all the prayer she can get!

------------------------------------------------------

Friday, October 22

We could use more prayer for my Mom. She just got more discouraging news today.

The surgeon that was supposed to be performing the surgery in November has now called to say that he just doesn't feel comfortable doing it, and has decided to refer her to another specialist in Vancouver. This comes as a great discouragement because the fear is that now it will take even longer to get the surgery done. She's already been put through the "ringer" for the last 9 months, and the thought of having to go through MORE testing and waiting LONGER is absolutely defeating.

Please pray that this new surgeon will get back to her immediately, and that the surgery won't be delayed any longer. This is tough enough as it is, let alone the thought of it being put off.

Thanks & we'll try to keep you posted.

From baby to little girl...

2010-10-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe Callie is already 15 months old--- though her independent personality is starting to resemble that of a 2 year olds, more and more each day, so I guess its not that surprising that she's nearing the year and a half mark :)

She took her first steps shortly after her 1st birthday but "officially" started walking at 14 months. And now its hard to imagine her ever doing anything else. She runs around the house with such exuberance, I can't even remember what crawling looked like.

Put her in a room with other kids and she absolutely, 100% has my extroverted personality. She thrives! But as soon as she's in a room of adults, she's the most shy and quiet kid around. Strangest thing to watch.

Her vocabulary has absolutely exploded as of late. Some of her most common words are:

"Heeeello!"

"Awwwww done!" (all done)

"More"

"Peeeeez" (please)

"Tattoooo" (thank-you)

"Open it up"

"Ball"

"Puppy" & "woof, woof!" (and a whole myriad of other animal sounds)

"Happy"

"Baby"

"Mommy"

"Daddy"

"Hot" (which refers to anything hot OR cold... gotta work on that ;))

"Naa-naa" (which means nigh-night, and is what she calls her special blankie)

"Dallie!" (Callie)

"Eli" (her cousin... she just learned that today!)

"Taaa-daaa!"

"Ight!" (light)

"Shoes"

"Down"

"Up"

"Noooooo!" (we hear a lot of this one... hence the nearing 2 year old attitude!)

.... and so much more! We look forward to each new word or phrase and the hilarity it brings to the day. And the more she talks, the more her personality shines through. Its SO fun!

She still loves to sing and dance and now knows the actions to "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and especially loves the "down came the rain" part. She's also a bit of a "class clown" and loves to get a laugh.

INTENSE teething has become the new and literal "thorn in our flesh." The poor girl has been an absolute inconsolable mess for the last few days and we anticipate the arrival of molars or possibly eye teeth at any time.

Her love for "naaa-naa" (blankie) has grown immensely over the last few months and has become a true vice. It has to go EVERYWHERE with us. We've recently nicknamed her "Linus" because she walks around with her blankie draped over her shoulder and looks like the character out of "Charlie Brown."

Her love for the outdoors also grows each day. Our new house is just 2 minutes away from a field of horses, cows and even a donkey. She loves to visit them and wave hello! We're also just a 5 minute walk from the Vedder River trail. Anytime spent walking at the river makes for a very happy Callie.

One of my favorite things about Callie these days is her love of music. She bobs away in her car seat when we're listening to music in the car, and if you say, "Callie, can you sing us a song?" she automatically breaks out in singing. Its gibberish, mind you, but its cute nonetheless :)

Well... that's all the time I have right now so I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of Callie and her cousin Elijah. Eli & Auntie Viv came for coffee this morning so I snapped a few photos of the two cousins. Callie absolutely adores this little ray of sunshine...

A month of much...

2010-10-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

I have been desperately wanting to post but have honestly had ZERO free time. MTE has been taking up most of our waking hours, between class time & homework, not to mention our very busy 15 month old. But life is good and we're intensely grateful for the way God has been moving in our hearts & lives. His provision has been abundant!

Thankfully, our class schedule is into more of a routine now and we mostly have half days (with the exception of full days on Wednesdays). September truly could've been referred to as "the month of much." Much class time, much learning, much transition, much homework, much mentoring, much exhaustion, much, much, MUCH! It was full and I'll admit, felt like more than I could handle at times, but we survived and it was truly, a great month of learning & growing.

Anyway... although I have been wanting to upload some new pictures, all I can offer today are a few videos of our "busy bee." Our iPhoto is full and I need to get some pictures off before I can add more. So for now, here is a glimpse of Callie-bear these days (although these videos were taken over a month ago). This is mostly for Uncle Craig & Auntie Jen :)

I'll write more later. Gotta go get the munchkin out of trouble ;)

Last bit of summer...

2010-09-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

Seeing as I have little to no time for posting these days, here's a link to my latest facebook photos of our last bit of summer. We were able to get away for some Esau family camping at the end of August and although it was very rainy & extremely "interesting" to camp with a 1 year old, we had a great time.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=234865&id=559605895&l=fb383270e3

Enjoy!

One week in...

2010-09-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

We survived our first week of missions training and although we came out of the week feeling utterly exhausted, it was a good kind of exhausted. We absolutely love the people that are in our class and really enjoyed getting to know our classmates a little more each day. Most of our sessions this week were on Spiritual Authority with Randy Friesen. It was a pretty intense subject to start with, but SO good. Very informative and challenging and necessary. Spiritual warfare is something that a lot of people try to avoid or even run from, but it was important to realize the authority we have in Christ and that we are to stand firm in our faith.

As for Callie, she'll be spending Tuesdays with Grammy Glen, and then Mondays & Wed-Fri. will be with her new babysitter, Julie. Julie and her husband live in Abby and have graciously offered to watch Callie in their home, along with their 3 beautiful children. Callie is extremely social (I think its pretty obvious who she gets that from) so I wasn't too worried that she would have a hard time adjusting to full time childcare, but she did even better than I had imagined. Julie said she napped well, ate well & played well with the kids. And the real confirmation came when we arrived to pick her up after her first day. She looked up when we walked in, gave us a huge grin and a bit of a squeal and then went right back to playing. She didn't even want to leave. I take that as a very good sign and it was great for my ease of heart & mind.

So.... after a long weekend and LOTS of reading for upcoming projects, we're gearing up for another week. Excited to see what God has in store for us this week. Really trusting that He has amazing things in store for us this fall. Last week was true evidence of that.

That's it for now. Just thought I'd give you a brief update on how things are going. If you're wondering about prayer items, we could really use your prayers in the area of 'renters.' Still looking for the right people to rent out our townhouse and we NEED them for no later than October 1st, so please pray! Also prayer that we would have sponge-like hearts & minds as we take in classes each day & that we'd learn as much as possible over these next months of training. And last but definitely not least, prayer for rest & sanity in amongst the chaos! :)

The here and now...

2010-09-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

By this point, I'm sure most of you have given up on me and this blog ever being updated. But for those that are still checking in, I finally have a few minutes to give you a run-down of our lives. Keep in mind, this is the extremely shortened version (scary, I know). If you want to hear all the details, give me a call some time. I love to share about God's goodness in our lives. :)

I'll get right to the point. Basically, our upcoming missions training (which starts tomorrow!!) and the prep needed for that, has virtually taken over our lives as of late. We found out at the end of July, that our salary during training wouldn't be enough for us to stay in our townhouse and had to quickly start the process of trying to get renters. Thankfully, we were offered the ground level suite of a house through some people at our church, so we knew we had somewhere to live, but our townhouse strata doesn't allow rentals and we knew it would be a hassle to get permission.

Turns out, it was.

First we had to write a formal letter, explaining our situation and requesting permission to rent out our house. Then after several trips to the council president's house, gently hounding them to please hurry up as we didn't have a lot of time, we ended up getting a letter stating that we would have to provide documents proving our "financial hardship." So... I had to put together our monthly costs break-down, with a signed letter from MBMSI stating our monthly salary amount, and we sent everything into our strata.

And then we waited. And waited. And WAITED.

Finally, after weeks of waiting and being left with little to no time to find renters, we got the official approval to rent out our place. We had a couple of people through to look at it, but no bites.

Thus, Sept. 1 came and went, and because we had to move into our new place before the start of training, and for the sake of the people we're renting from (as they had left it vacant, waiting for us for 2 months), it meant having the burden of not only rent payment but also our mortgage and all other utilities on top of that. At first, this was terribly stressful and we weren't sure how it was going to work. But God is GOOD and ALWAYS provides. We were able to pay the bills (through a series of small miracles), move into our new place (we spent this last Friday & Saturday moving) and didn't have to be rushed by renters who were needing to move in.

So that brings us to yesterday. We still had some significant details that needed to be taken care of before the start of training (ie: childcare for Callie this fall, cleaning our townhouse, & finding renters... just to name a few).

Well.... not only did God provide us with a wonderful lady to watch Callie this fall (just in the nick of time!), but he also provided us with ridiculously generous friends who called last night to say that they're paying professional cleaners to come and clean our townhouse for us, so that we don't have to!!!! How amazing is that!?!?! So rather than spending another day away from Callie, and having to clean til we're blue in the face, I get to be at home with my sweet girl today, unpacking and getting ready for the start of classes tomorrow. Jon went to our old place to do a bit of touch-up work and to have the carpets cleaned, but other than that, we don't have to do the rest. And that, my friends, is one of the most incredible gifts imaginable right now.

So... THANK-YOU TO OUR DEAR, DEAR FRIENDS FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE GENEROSITY! You know who you are and we cannot thank you enough.

All that to say, classes with MBMSI start tomorrow and though we've had virtually no time to even think about it, let alone prepare for it, we're excited and very ready to start this next phase of the journey.

That brings me to another big item---- We also found out in late July, that our time frame is going to look a lot different with this whole missions process. We originally thought (and had planned to) commit 10+ years with MBMSI, right off the bat. Turns out, we're going to start out with their "Jornada" program, which means we'll be doing a 3 year term, and then evaluating to see if we want to/feel called to/MBMSI wants us to, continue on. Rather than do the 4 months of training, 1 month trip to our country, and then 2 month internship & fundraising (the 10+year commitment version), now we'll only be doing 4 months of training, then fundraising, and then we're gone (Jornada version)!

So instead of being here in Chilliwack for another year and a half or so, we'll be here for approx. 6 more months and then we'll mobilize to our country. Shocking? Yes. It was to us, at first. But we're seeing that there is value in this and it will give us a chance to get a bit more experience under our belts before we commit really long-term. The other difference to our plans, is that rather than start a new team of people and then mobilize to our country, we'll be going by ourselves and joining an existing team and learning/helping them for the next few years.

All in all, it was a bit tough to swallow at first (especially because it was never presented to us before hand) but we're honestly feeling totally at peace about it and trusting that God is going to teach us incredible things over the next 3 years. We're excited to see where He's going to take us (not only globally, but emotionally, spiritually & physically too), the situations/adventures we're going to encounter, and the lives we're going to be touched by, and hopefully, in return, touch as well.

So, its going to be a crazy few months, with full-time classes & trying to fit in as much time with friends & family as possible, before we leave. But we feel confident its going to be good. I can't promise that I will be able to blog often, but I'll definitely try to keep you in the loop with where things are at. And to show you pictures of our sweet-ever-growing-mischievous-1-year-old-girl.

Thanks for all of your support!

Home...

2010-08-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Well.... we're back from a few days of camping with Jon's family. It was cold. It was wet. It meant a lot of sleepless nights with a one-year-old. But all in all, we had a good time and we're happy we were able to go.

These next few days hold a lot of change for our family. Moving. Preparing for missions training to start. And lots more. I'll try to update you at least a little bit, amongst all the packing I have to do. Sorry life's been too busy to stay faithful to this blog. I'll get you in the loop as soon as I can. :)

The true taste of summer...

2010-08-15T21:29:00.001-07:00

We recently discovered that, not only does Callie have my personality, but she also shares my intense love for corn on the cob...

... truly a girl after my own heart.

5 years of awesomeness...

2010-08-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

Jon and I celebrated 5 years of wedded bliss this past weekend (August 7th) and were blessed to be able to head to Whistler to celebrate the occasion... sans child. Grammy & "Numpa" (Callie's new name for Grampa) Glen cared for & entertained Callie-bear, while Jon and I enjoyed some R&R, just the two of us. It was amazing.

Whistler-bound...

So blessed to live in the midst of such beauty...

We stayed at the Adara Hotel. It was really cute with all its contemporary decor and the location was great-- right in the centre of Whistler Village. But I must say, for what we paid, I'm sure we could've stayed somewhere a lot nicer. Don't get me wrong... we enjoyed it, but there were just some little things that made it 'less than perfect.' We would definitely go back to the Mountainside Lodge (where we celebrated our 1st anniversary) over the Adara any day.

But as I said, the decor was right up my 'designer' alley and all in all,

we had a good stay...

Hotel lobby (from above)

Our room, as you walk in the door...

Living Room

(sorry for the dim lighting... forgot the flash)...

Bar/"Kitchenette"...

Stairs up to the loft...

Loft Bedroom...

(this includes one of the "less than perfect" items...

an overly soft bed-- to the point that I could hardly walk the next day;

and the fact that hot air rises... and the air-conditioner up here wasn't working.

Made for a "less than comfortable" few nights.)

Roof-top patio...

Bathroom...

(the brown circles in the mirror are a reflection of the shower glass--

looked pretty sweet.)

View from our living room window...

The goal of our weekend away was to relax, relax, and relax some more. And that's exactly what we did. Our first night there, we walked around the village a bit, picked up calzones from a pizza parlour for dinner and watched a movie in our room...

... and on Saturday, we did more walking around the village, watched some of the "Crankworks" mountain biking competition, did a little shopping, eating, hot-tubbing, more eating, and more relaxing. It was glorious.

Olympic buddies...

Lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory...

Post-Olympic spirit...

Crazy mountain bike action...

Celebrated our anniversary evening with a delicious dinner at 21 Steps...

... and then we changed into something more comfortable and ventured out again for a classic Whistler dessert...

Beavertails!

Mmmm.... so good!

Sunday morning we checked out, had a leisurely breakfast at White Spot in Squamish and then headed home to our sweet & very missed, little girl. Callie had a wonderful time with Grammy & 'Numpa and even got to spend Saturday at the Chilliwack Fair, petting every animal under the sun. We were so thankful to have had a great weekend away and know that Callie was having the time of her life.

So, to end the post, here are some latest food shots of our girl... she certainly does LOVE her "num, nums!"

... maybe a little too much? ;)

Lime & Warm Avocado Chicken...

2010-08-05T21:47:00.001-07:00

I've had several people say they'd like the recipe I talked about in my last post, so here it is. I promise, it won't disappoint!

Ingredients:

* Limes

* Avocados (ripened)

* 1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for pan-frying

* 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley, oregano or cilantro (or 1/2 tsp. of dried)

* 1 tsp. finely chopped garlic

* 1/4 tsp. chili powder

* 1/4 tsp. salt

* 1/4 tsp. sugar

* 1/8 tsp. black pepper

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

* 1 tbsp. honey

* 1 tbsp. lime juice

Recipe:

* In baking dish large enough to hold chicken, mix olive oil, herbs, garlic, chili powder, salt, sugar and pepper. Set aside.

* Score chicken breasts by cutting a 1/4" deep cross-hatch pattern (with lines about 1" apart) in meaty top sides of chicken (this helps them cook faster and allows flavorings to infuse the meat quickly). Roll the chicken in marinade. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes (or overnight if you have time.

* To cook, heat drizzle of olive oil in large frying pan. Cook chicken, turning, until browned on both sides and cooked through. Mix honey and lime juice, pour over chicken. Remove from heat.

* Add diced avocado to pan, gently turning to coat in pan juices. Serve immediately.

* Serve with rice & slices of lime.

* Makes 4 servings.

Summer fun...

2010-07-30T22:30:00.000-07:00

I'd really like to fill you in on what's new in our lives, but unfortunately, sleep trumps blogging. There is actually quite a lot to tell, but I'll have to save it for another day. So for now... here are some pictures of our summer so far...

With summer, come all of the best fruits.

Raspberries are just one of Callie's favorites.

Classic "sour" face...

Inhaling her "num num's"...

Tried a new recipe and fell in love with it.

"Lime & Warm Avocado Chicken"...

I'd pretty much make it for dinner every night, if Jon let me. Callie loved it too!

Let me know if you're interested, and I'll post the recipe. Its SO easy.

Cooling off in her birthday gift from Uncle Rich, Auntie Viv & Eli...

How "lo" can you go?

Callie's favorite activity...

Showin' Daddy some love...

Beating the heat in Erich & Naomi's pool...

Callie's 1st "official" trip to the beach

(I don't really count our Thailand beach time

because she didn't eat any sand.)

"This way to the beach..."

For the record, she DID eat some sand.

And also attempted to snack on this stick.

I asked her to play with it instead...

Having a snack with Auntie Hailey...

Well, that's it for now. I'm beat after another busy week, so its bed time for me. Definitely looking forward to the long weekend.

Until next time.

I'm not so sure...

2010-07-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

... of how I feel about this new realm of "messy" we've entered.

She's lucky she's so funny.

And cute.

'Cause let me tell you...

mopping my floor every day isn't getting any cuter.

Hebrews 10:22-25 says...

2010-07-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

I was really struck by these words as I read today. Pretty encouraging stuff, I'd say.

Our bookworm's 1st birthday bash...

2010-07-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

I'd say Callie's 1st birthday party went really well. Although she decided to boycott her nap that afternoon, she managed to stay quite happy at the party and, as you saw in an earlier picture, absolutely LOVED her first piece of cake. All in all, a good day for our sweet 1 year old. So without further ado, here are the pictures from the 'big event!'

Watching "Big & Small" while Mommy & Daddy

get last minute things done for the party.

Then its off to Grammy & Grampa's...

Cal-squared...

(Calvin & Callie)

Our bookworm birthday girl...

The Grampas in deep discussion...

Ava & Konrad eagerly awaiting their supper...

Some of the party guests...

In the middle of some classic Callie "hand-dance" moves...

Snuggles with Daddy...

feeling a little tired due to no nap...

Grammy with Eli & Auntie Naomi...

Time for presents...

Callie had lots of eager "helpers"...

Ava: "Taaa da!"

Checking out some of her cool new toys...

My attempt at a "bookworm" cake.

The heat wasn't any help as you can see from the droopy icing...

Trying her first piece of cake.

She started off quite hesitantly...

... and slowly got a little more comfortable with the sugary treat...

... then, realization set in and it was game over!

Yummy!

Getting those last few crumbs...

... almost got all of it...

... and... DONE!

For the record,

Grampa had to use the hose on her highchair when she was finished :)

The car ride home...

I believe this is what a 'sugar-crash' looks like...

All partied out...

THE END :)

Its a GIRL!

2010-07-08T13:49:00.001-07:00

We are thrilled to have another niece to snuggle!

Liliana Helen Petkau

Born July 4, 2010

6 lbs. 4 oz.

Congratulations Erich, Naomi, Konrad, Ava & Calvin!

Sneak peek...

2010-07-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

I'm really hoping to get a chance to post about Callie's 1st birthday party this week, but my days off are packed full of fun stuff now that the sunshine has finally arrived. So here's just a little sneak peek at the fun we had on Saturday evening...

I think she liked her cake ;)

ONE...

2010-06-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl is a year old today. I feel teary-eyed just writing this. To say that this has been the best year yet, would be such an incredible understatement. She has brought such intense joy to our lives and each new stage with her is better than the last. Watching her point at herself in the mirror and say, "Dallie!" puts a smile on my face every time, and having her wrestle me to the ground and smother my face with kisses, is the highlight of my days.
Every time I look at her, my heart feels so full of love and joy and pride, I often wonder if its going to explode out of my chest. I honestly can't remember what life was like without her and I don't actually care to try. God couldn't have blessed us with anyone better. Happy Birthday to our sweet, lovable, spunky & intensely happy Callie-bear!

A little look back on Callie's 1st year...

(5 hours)

(3 weeks)

(1 month)

(2 months)

(3 months)

(4 months)

(5 months)

(6 months)

(7 months)

(8 months)

(9 months)

(10 months)

(11 months)

(1 year)

Callie Lauryn

June 30, 2010

1 year old

22 lbs. 8 oz.

30 inches.

Nut free zone?

2010-06-29T23:21:00.000-07:00

So... apparently, Callie and peanut butter don't mix...

Found that out the hard way.

Now we know.

(... and this picture was taken when things had improved. Let's just say, it was not good.)

Remembering D-day...

2010-06-22T13:23:00.001-07:00

I know it sounds terribly cliche, but it truly is hard to believe that 1 year ago today, marked D-day for our little one. This time last year, I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to hold our sweet Callie.

(Well, at that point, I didn't even know 'she' was a 'she.')

All I could think about was how hot it was (totally different than this June!) and how enormous my ankles were. I remember questioning whether my feet would ever actually look normal again :)

My last prego picture, taken @ 38 weeks.

3 weeks before

Callie made her appearance...

But 'she' was indeed a 'she' (just as my Mom had predicted) and now, we're getting ready for her 1st birthday! Seriously!? I just can't wrap my head around it...

My dear friend Janelle designed Callie's birthday invitations. Aren't they sweet!? If you like what you see, check out Janelle's website Upsie Daisy Creations!

Happy Father's Day...

2010-06-20T12:10:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all of the special guys in my life...

Dad, Jon, Craig & Rich,

Dad E., Erich, Juergen & Grandpa E. ...

Callie and I love you SOOOOO much!

Thank-you for all you do.

What Makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete,

And so,

He called it ... Dad

~~Author Unknown.~~

Dance, dance...

2010-06-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

While we were out for Jon's birthday supper on Friday evening, Callie discovered that she really liked the music they had playing in the restaurant. The impromptu dance party started with her incredible "hand" dance moves (click here to watch)...

... and eventually turned into a full fledged dance, dance revolution (click here to watch)!

Just because she's cute...

2010-06-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

To say that Callie loves books would be the understatement of the century. She spends approximately 95% of her waking hours, thumbing through her story books and babbling about the pictures. Hence, the reason for making her 1st birthday party theme "bookworm." I hope she always loves reading this much...

Callie- Books & babble

Celebration...

2010-06-02T20:53:00.001-07:00

Tonight, we are celebrating!

Even Callie is excited! ;)

We ordered in take-out from our favorite Thai restaurant in town, and thanked the Lord for his goodness & faithfulness to us!We got the news today, that we've officially been accepted to missions training with MBMSI this fall! We were originally told that we wouldn't have an answer 'til the end of June, but it turns out, their Lead team was able to discuss it at their latest meeting and would like us to continue the journey with them. So... only 3 more months of work and then classes start Sept. 7! We're so thankful for the way God has been leading and are praying that he'll continue to make his plans clear for us. This is an exciting journey we're on and we're thrilled to finally be taking the next step!

Thank-you to everyone who's been praying for us! We've seen the power of these prayers at work and ask that you would continue to pray as we move forward. Part of our preparation for training this fall is to come up with "prayer support." So, if you're willing to commit to praying for us, please leave a comment and let me know. We'd be honored & humbled to add you to the list of our "prayer warriors!" :)

Big day tomorrow...

2010-05-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

I really wasn't all that worried about it. Certainly not what I'd call 'nervous.' But then Jon and I got talking the other night, about what kind of questions would be asked at our final interview with MBMSI tomorrow afternoon, and now I'm kinda freaking out. What if we blow it on this one, last interview!? After all of this, what if the road ends here!?

And then these words pop into my head.

Be still and know that I am God.

I'm sure it will be fine. And if not, then I'll have to trust that it just "wasn't meant to be."

But we feel confident that it IS supposed to be. Hence the freaking out again.

Be still and know that I am God.

Right. Got it.

Some prayers for the interview are gladly welcomed though. ;)

A much needed change...

2010-05-20T12:50:00.001-07:00

Don't get me wrong... I appreciate the ease of a ponytail just as much as the next person, but honestly, when your "hairstyle" is either a messy bun or ponytail EVERY SINGLE DAY, I do believe its time for a change. Guilty as charged.

Now... everyone is always telling me, "Oh, don't cut off your gorgeous curls!!!" But the thing is... I NEVER SHOW THEM OFF!! I literally tie my hair back 98% of the time, and if you know me, you'll know how true this is.

So in my opinion, what's the point of having so-called "gorgeous curls" if no one ever sees them!?

Hence, the gutsy decision to chop it all off...

... and I'm SO happy I did.

I love it.

Whether anyone else does or not, I do. I feel so light and fun and cute.

Change is a good thing sometimes.

Love...

2010-05-17T13:19:00.001-07:00

I absolutely adore this little girl with every fibre of my being...

... she's so easy to love.

Busy as can be...

2010-05-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

Life has been quite busy since Spring Adventure. Jon started work on a new house in Rosedale, I did a 14 hour work day last Friday (drove to Vernon (4hrs. away), set up the decor for an assisted living home, and drove back... all in the same day!), I watched our nephew Calvin while E & N were at a conference, we celebrated my 1st Mother's day, had a birthday party for Calvin who turns 2 tomorrow & had our "mental assessment" meeting for MBMSI yesterday! Lots and lots to pack into our schedule but its been fun.

Our little monkey-moo is now almost 10.5 months old.

She has started crawling forwards a bit but still works in reverse most of the time :)

"Hallelujah... Praise the Lord!" :)

"Everybody was kung-fu fighting..."

Calvin playing the game "let's dump everything OUT of the toy box..."

... and then sit IN it...

My 1st Mother's Day.

With the help of her wonderful daddy, I

got a "Calla Lily" from my Callie... :)

Trying out the new swing at Grammy & Grampa Glen's...

(celebrating Mother's day with my Mom)

She highly approved...

More swinging, this time with her cousins...

(Calvin's 2nd birthday & Mother's Day with the Esau's)

Ava was a great pusher...

Calvin opening his presents...

The kids trying out his new set of wheels...

Callie seemed FAR more excited about the play cell phone...

Happy 2nd Birthday Calvin!

Another beautiful cake by Naomi...

Thankfully, this week is wide open and we're hoping to keep it that way. Callie has been getting over the flu and is now teething again so the busy schedule has made her fairly miserable. I'm hoping some good time at home will get her back to her old happy self. Plus, the weather has been very summery this week and we'll be using every chance we get to go outside. As soon as Callie is up from her nap, I think we'll head out for a walk in the sunshine. Enjoy the rest of your week everyone!

Transformation...

2010-05-03T13:57:00.001-07:00

I anticipated our week at MBMSI's Spring Adventure to be a good one, even stretching most likely. But I had no idea that it would be as incredible as it was! I have so many highlights of our week, I hardly know where to begin. So here are just a few...

- meeting some of the most amazing people, and developing meaningful relationships with them (both fellow Spring Adventurer's, as well as MBMSI staff & lead team & member care couples). Truly AMAZING.

- beautiful times of worship & singing

- hearing everyone's stories and learning about how God has brought them to this point

- a day of "team-building" exercises up in the mountains.... everything from hiking blind-folded, to rock-climbing & rappelling off a 70 ft. cliff. Absolutely exhilarating!

- intimate times of prayer with everyone, & truly experiencing the voice of the Holy Spirit

- watching God work in my life, and the lives of everyone who was there

- delicious meals

- challenging sessions by the MBMSI staff & lead team

- realization of the "rock" (hindrance) in my life that I need to continue to bring forgiveness & restoration to

- great conversations over coffee breaks

- and truly, so much more!

(Credit for these 2 pictures go to Gary & Eva Cool. Hope you guys don't mind that I stole them!

We didn't have our camera there that day... but this is proof that we were there and I did rappel that 70 ft. cliff) :)

Honestly... the transformation both Jon and I felt, was amazing. We feel richly blessed to have been a part of it and are eagerly anticipating the next steps in this "mission" journey. We have 2 more interviews to get through, but we were told at Spring Adventure that we've got the "green light" for September. So we'll be making some big decisions over the next few months (ie: whether to rent out our house, move to Abbotsford or stay in Chilliwack, childcare for Callie during our schooling, etc.) Please pray with us as we continue in these next steps of decision-making and discernment. Our hope & prayer is to follow obediently and capture all that God has planned for us. Exciting stuff!!

I also want to give you the heads up that my blog postings may slow down a bit over the next few weeks. I really feel like God is calling me to spend less time on the computer and more time in his Word, so although I still want to keep you up to date on us, it may not be quite as frequent. But we will try to keep you posted!

Sweet, sweet love... (part 2)

2010-04-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

Here are the last few pictures from our Easter trip to visit Craig & Jen...

Afternoon walk around Wascana Lake...

The beautiful parliament building...

As I mentioned, Callie refused to have her morning naps while we were visiting. The only way she FINALLY agreed to a nap, was on our last day in Regina, when Craig lay on the floor beside her and sang her songs 'til she fell asleep. These are my favorite pictures from the trip. She LOVED her Uncle Craig...

Killing time in the Calgary airport...

Back in BC...

Another fantastic flight, brought to you by WestJet... :)