3 Children...and MONTHS later

It has been MUCH too long since I last posted. And life has changed. We have come home from camp, settled into the new house and had a third baby!!Nothing minimal in the way WE do life!
Here are just a few lessons I have learned from these changes over the past few months:
a) God is INCREDIBLY gracious about walking His people through changes in life.
b) God is even more gracious in changing His people in those changes in life.
c) God has blessed us with amazing friends, family, and church family who support us through changes.
d) I am only human...and a sinful one at that.
Now, some of these lessons may seem redundant to you, especially point (d) but it has been increasingly overwhelmingly in my face - I AM HUMAN...and GOD IS NOT!!! Praise God for this truth. It's a relief to me that since I can't do everything, fix everything, or be everything anyway, I can go to my Maker who can, does, and is! What a relief! Isn't it funny how God teaches you new lessons in old ones?
I am pretty sure I have said this before and I know I have learned this lesson before, but this time I am learning that it applys to a new chapter in my life - being a mother of 3. I am blessed in that I have never struggled with postpartum depression, but I can't say that I haven't struggled with sleep deprived hormonal roller coasters resulting in bursts of frustration, tears, or hysteric laughter over something that isn't all that funny. It's pretty crazy, I know! And yet, I feel like I truly cannot control it. Any of it! That, to me, is the worst of it. There are times when these emotions come on that I can't get a grip! In my head, I can walk through it all very logically and even talk through it (or write about it) as if I am disconnected. And then, in some moments...KABOOM - emotion explodes like a balloon that was blown too big and had no where to go but into pieces.
And yet, through it all, I have AMAZING people who live with me and love me still - a husband who is SO forgiving; kids who give great hugs; a mom who supports in every moment, no matter how ugly; a sister who challenges me to be Christ-like (probably without even knowing she is); and the list goes on with people I DON'T live with and yet love in moments - facebook messages, emails, phone calls, food deliveries, visits, and coffee dates :) My life is richer because I face change and REALLY do life with these people!
PRAISE GOD for MY PEOPLE - MY FAMILY!!

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
-1 John 4:7

Moving

I have honestly done my very best not to complain - primarily online. I see those that complain on Facebook or through blogs as just not using their time and online voice appropriately. But, I have allowed myself this today - I am jumping on the "complain through my blog" bandwagon!! You see, moving is HARD! I have two small children, I am 4 months pregnant, and moving is H-A-R-D!!! I have been blessed with an amazing husband who has taken on most of the moving load plus who has been the brunt of my moody moments and moving in with my Mom and sister has helped in that they have been HUGE supports, although they also have at times been the receivers of "the moods of Rhonda". And, on our actual moving day my dear Mother-in-law was on hand to take our kids for the whole day so we could actually get work done without little people under foot...but all of this said - MOVING IS HARD!!! And tiring. And frustrating. AND overwhelming. And I have felt a few times that I might be at the very end of my tether...about ready to SNAP!! It is only by the absolute mercy of my Father that, in His kindness, He has seen fit to give me what I need when I need it; to offer me compassion even when I don't offer it to others; to see me in those dark moody moments and remind me of my salvation that was brought about by the darkest of moments on the cross of Christ. And so my complaining of how hard moving is is really a reminder of how big and sovereign and endless is the love of Christ.
And, for those that are tired of my moods or ranting, here are some before pictures of our new house! The after pictures will come...after! :)

The 1st shot is from the dining room looking into the living room. The 2nd is the office. The 3rd is looking from the dining room into the foyer and up the stairs.


The 2 views of the living room. The 1st shot is look towards the front of the house; the 2nd is toward the back.



The views of the kitchen. The top two are looking at the back door; the bottom is looking from the back door into the kitchen.

Annabelle's room is/will be the one on the left (it is no longer that color) and Caden's room is the one on the right (it did stay blue).


This will be the baby's nursery/play room for the kids.


Our master bedroom and the view out our big bay window
(the water you see is a wading pool that has been filled by rain. It is only one of two soft-bottom pools in the city - so I have been told).


This is the 700 square foot loft that is currently being renovated into 2 bedrooms and a 4 piece bathroom for my Mom and Jasmine. When it's all done, it will be GORGEOUS!!


So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

- 2 Corinthians 5:9

Catch Up...and A Great Mother's Day

Seeing as I haven't blogged in a while, I have a few things to catch you up on!

We recently had our very first (and the first ever) Leadership Retreat at Cedarwood with our Leadership team for the summer. It was a great time of focus, bonding, and planning. We spent three days going over our Staff Training Schedule, planning for some program and skills items and praying over characteristics we want to model and encourage in our staff. We also had the honor of hearing our dear friend Willy Martens challenge us on living and exemplifying integrity as leaders. It was a great time together!

We had the fabulous opportunity to go as a family to my 12th week of pregnancy Doctors appointment. I was checked and given a clean bill of health. And, we had a beautiful moment of hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time. It always blows my mind to hear a heart of a little person growing inside me, but it was even more awaking to see it through the eyes of Caden and Annabelle. I don't think Annabelle totally understood what was happening, but Caden sure did. He lovingly commented that the noise of the "woosh woosh woosh" of the little heart sounded like a dog. That's through the eyes and ears of a 3 year old.

I have now reached my 13th (almost 14th) week of pregnancy and am feeling much better! I still get tired quickly, especially if we have a busy day, but at least I don't feel as sick and blah-ish anymore. As I have reflected back to my first two pregnancies and have considered the difference in this one, I am convinced that God shows the personality of these little people even through pregnancy. Now, before you think I am crazy, consider why. With Caden, I felt great. Large, but great. It was a very easy pregnancy with minor morning sickness for about a week. And, even then, he was so laid back that at times I had to give him a shove to get him to kick. When I think back to my pregnancy with Annabelle, I see how the intensity of my emotions and hormones and the rate at which she kicked and moved were examples of the little Princess we now have in her. She knows what she wants and goes after it with gusto. I have been told by my Mom that she reminds her much of a little redhead from years ago :). That all being said, I now consider, not the gender of this new little person, but rather the character of this little person. I am throwing it out there that I think we may have either a very strong and passionate boy or a calm and even girl. Sounds crazy maybe, but we shall see!!

And to finish off today, I must tell you about my fabulous Mother's Day! The day started off with my beautiful kids giving me a fabulous card that they (and Brennan of course) had made. Both Annabelle and Caden had colored and cut and "written" little messages to me. Even Baby #3 had drawn me a beautiful little flower!! Then, we had a great church morning where we shared in the dedication of parents and babes and were reminded by our Lead Pastor, Al, that the family is the first place to disciple. I love our church and how I walk away with something every service!! Then, as we were leaving church, Caden gave me a card that he had made for me in Sunday School. The teachers had asked him questions and then wrote down his answers. These are too great to not share (Caden's answers are in bold):

My mom's name is RHONDA
She makes the best SOUP
(I love this because I almost never make him soup)
My mom loves GOIN' THE BEACH
(I am assuming these are his words exactly. And he is right...I do!!)
I love my mom because GOES APPLEBEES
(Again, his words exactly. Now, you have to understand, when we ask Caden what we should have for lunch or dinner, his answer is either McDonald's, Subway, or Applebees. I guess he loves me most because of Applebees :) )

And then later on, we went out for a great Thai dinner with my family. It was a great day. The best part, even after all this, came after dinner when we were in the van. Brennan and I had decided to stop for Gelati and so we had to quickly get out some cash. I ran into 7-11 and when I returned, Brennan said "Caden, sing that song for Mommy." Caden then began to sing Jesus Loves Me all by himself. He knows the WHOLE song. When we asked him if he sang the song that morning, he said no. My son is BRILLIANT! I have sung that song and I know that they sing it in Kid's Church so I know he has heard it but suddenly he decided to sing it on his own! It was by far, the best Mother's Day present!!

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

It is not from us that our children will receive their Heirloom. Only God can
give himself to those who receive the inheritance. But we can praise the Lord that he
allows us be part of his plan for bringing his children to himself, that he uses us to
reveal to our children the beauty of our Heirloom—God.

May the ceremonies of our homes be true ceremony—
from him,
because of him,
pointing toward him,
honoring him,
thanking him.
Amen.

Noel Piper, Treasuring God in Our Traditions, pg 105

PS Check out my WONDERFUL WORDS section for more of our favorite quotes!!

A Not Long, but FULL Weekend

A new tradition has started with my sisters and I. We have made it a goal to have a sleep over once a month. You heard me right - a sleep over. And that is just what we did this past Friday. My two older sisters, my younger sister, as well as a new and dear friend who just moved to Canada made up the montley crew of us. We had pizza, chocolate fondue, and a movie. Plus, very crazy conversation. You see, when you get my sisters and I together, we "converse" about everything. I say "converse" because sometimes people could mistake it for arguing. Really, it's not. We are just loud. There is, of course, tons of love, but also a lot of noise. This Friday was no different. Our conversations ranged from teens and cell phones to male/female friendships. It was FABULOUS! I love those times.

Then, on Saturday, Brennan and I had a long awaited date to CBC's live taping of "The Debaters" at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. It's a show where two comedians debate on ranging topics with one comedic mediator. This Saturday we saw 6 debates (which will be aired as 3 different shows) with topics like - "Stay at Home Dads - are they real men?" and "Curling - is it a real sport". Brennan is a HUGE fan of CBC and listens to the show regularly. I bought him tickets to the taping for Christmas but it was almost like a birthday present for him since his birthday was just last month.

And to end the weekend, we had a fabulous opportunity to share in a friend's baptism at church and a great lunch afterward. What was one of the coolest parts of the whole thing was that in her testimony/story, she shared that God used a bunch of conversations between her, Brennan, and myself to really challenge and grow her. Now, I am always amazed at the amazing beauty of the Holy Spirit power in the midst of a verbal proclamation of Christ through baptism, but it's beyond what I can describe to know that God used something that I (and Brennan) might have said or done. It is just SO honoring!! And it was a huge confirmation that our ministry at Cedarwood touches lives in those that have heard the Gospel once or twice but also in those that have heard it thousands of times. We have the awesome honor (I really don't know what other word to use) of playing a role in growing people for Christ - our campers AND our staff!! And I know because I was one of them!! God used Cedarwood to break me of my need for anyone or anything but Him. He brought me there to a place of complete loneliness to remind me that I am NEVER alone! What an AMAZING God we serve!!! And then, to top it off, God glorified Himself further at the lunch afterward by allowing us to have a recruiting conversation for a position we have much need to fill - male counselor/radio host. It was beautiful!!

And then, to finish the day, our little boy had a couple of firsts.

Caden got to go into Silver City Movie Theater with Brennan when he had to buy some tickets. He had never been in the theater before and he was quite enthralled with the gigantic movie displays. In fact, he was so impressed with the fist of the Iron Man character, he pounded it with him.

And then, on the ride home...yup, that's his first Slurpee.
What can I say? Like mother, like son. I'm so proud!! :)

It was a great weekend. Full of laughs, craziness, and TONS of opportunities for us to say:

Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

- Exodus 15:11

NO ONE I'd say!!!

Physical Groanings and Spiritual Lessons

So far, this pregnancy has been rougher on me than my first two. I constantly feel nauseous if I don't have food in my stomach; I have been having heart palpitations for the past 5 or 6 days (where my heart beats extra hard for a second and I get short of breath); plus I need to nap everyday or I feel MORE nauseous. All in all, the best word to describe it is an almost constant feeling of Blah! And yet, I am PREGNANT! I praise God that this Blah feeling means there is a little person growing inside me.
I must admit, since I had not felt this way with either Caden or Annabelle, at least not this much, I have had the struggles of my mind not trusting. I find myself questioning if there is something physically wrong with this baby or if maybe this baby will have a personality I might struggle with. When this happens, I very quickly give God glory for being stronger than any "what ifs" and for being bigger than my mind can even comprehend. Very quickly those thoughts are humbled to a state of "who then shall I fear?".

And in the midst of my discomfort, I had two beautiful things happen. I was a part of a weekend retreat for the ministry of YFC Teen Moms as one of the worship team members and I received a letter from a friend who is fighting a battle of a debilitating disease. Both events challenged and grew me. And they were beautiful because I saw and see God at work.
Often, when we are faced with someone else's struggles, we have the tendency to be thankful that we aren't facing those same things. I am no exception. I found myself thanking God for the health of me and my family; the ability I have to stay home with my kids and to hold them in my arms; for the MANY blessings I have been given that I don't deserve. And then, I found myself struggling with this: should I be thanking God for my blessings because I am confronted with the trials of another? I brought it to my loving husband and we chatted about it. And, in God's gracious wisdom, he reminded me that if I have conceit like the Pharisee, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get', then I am in the wrong. Instead, I thank God for His GREAT mercy, totally recognizing that it is not by anything that I have done that I do not share in the same struggles. And I pray fervently for those that are hurting. I pray for peace in trials; for comfort in storms; for joy in turmoil. I pray that they might recognize God's Glory and praise Him for His constant Love.
Suffering, regardless of quantity or quality, will occur. I am a Christian and thus it is imminent. It might be this pregnancy, or something else. I recognize that

"it has been granted to [me] that for the sake of Christ [I] should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake." -Philippians 1:29

And I hope that others will pray for me in that time and that they too will give thanks for the mercy God has shown them.

To God be the Glory!

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?The LORD is the stronghold of my life;of whom shall I be afraid?" -Psalm 27:1

Aviation Fun

On Saturday last week, we visited the Western Canadian Aviation Museum for our family day. Brennan and I had never been there before so it was very cool to experience the greatness and awe that the kids experienced, especially Caden.

This was Annabelle's first glimpse of the place. She was very intrigued.


Caden touching the wing of one of the planes. I'm not sure if that was allowed or not.

Caden and Brennan doing their versions of a salute.

Both Annabelle and Caden were VERY impressed with the big planes that filled the hangar.


We are very excited to do a lesson on planes once we start home-schooling. There is SO much to learn!

What an adventure!



And then...PLAY TIME! The second floor of the museum is a play area and observation deck. It was VERY cool.


The kids got to be pilots....


...passengers....


...air traffic controllers...


...and just kids having fun!

It was a great day!

A Week of Blessings

Last week God overwhelmed us. It was a week of learning and practicing patience and a week of an abundance of God's grace to us. On Thursday we purchased a new home (which we will be sharing with my Mom and my sister Jasmine); on Friday my Mom sold her house and God was SO good to us in that; and on Saturday we confirmed our suspicions that I am pregnant with our third baby! Praise God for he keeps us from what we deserve and gives us SO many things we DON'T deserve!

The journey has been a long one in coming to finding a home that will suit our two families becoming one, but God has sustained and carried us. Now, if you are a person who has grown up in Canada and have been taught from a young age that your independence is and can only be true if you move away and stay away from your parents, then you may be thinking "you are CRAZY"! Well, both Brennan and I grew up that way as well, but have come to appreciate community as a major part of what God has for us and our family. I understand that not all families can or would ever consider living with Mom/Mother-in-law or any other part of their extended family. Our society says that is off or not right. In fact, North America is pretty much the only society where you move out when you get married or move out when you are 18. In most other cultures, 2 and 3 generations remain together, supporting and sustaining one another. Again, I am not saying that this is THE thing to do. It is simply what we have been called to do. And we are VERY excited about it. God has blessed us with beautiful relationships with my Mom and Jasmine and regardless of the adjustments that will come, we all desire to honor God in how we care for and with one another.

And it's a good thing we are moving because, yes, you did read correctly above...WE ARE PREGNANT WITH OUR 3rd!! We will get our new house in May and our baby is due in November. It is early in the pregnancy as I write this, and we know that many would wait until they have finished their first trimester before sharing the news...just in case. But we believe that God has placed us in community to live and share the good and the tough. That means we share the joy our Father gives and we share the tears of what or when He takes away.

"The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers..." Deuteronomy 30:9

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!"
1 Chronicles 16:4

Vancouver Adventure...and Proud to Be Canadian!

Two weekends ago now, the kids and I took an adventure and went to Vancouver (Surrey to be more specific) to visit my Dad and Step-Mom, my three brothers and sister-in-law. Now, going to visit them is always fun, but going to Vancouver in the middle of the Olympics has to be declared a full-fledged adventure...or just crazy...depending on how you see it. We saw it as an adventure! We didn't see any sporting events, but you didn't have to to know that the Olympic spirit had infected all of Vancouver and it's surrounding areas let alone all of Canada.

We did visit the Surrey Site of activities in downtown Surrey. They had kids tents and events including crafts, curling and a toboggan run. Since the line ups were nuts, the kids didn't actually do any of those, but they were completely satisfied taking in the music, waiting to see the horses of the RCMP Musical Ride (which we only saw 1 of), and seeing all of the Canadians come out in full-fledged Canadian gear. In fact, even the kids were wearing their Canadian sweaters!

It was so great just being with our family and having some great bonding time.

Thanks to Uncle Brandon, Uncle Brett and Uncle Blaise for keeping their old toys for so long!


Some crazy fun at Tim Horton's!

The kids and their Uncle Brandon.

The weather was also fantastic!! We even got to go to the beach and the kids had their first "dip" in the ocean (just their fingers, don't worry) !

One other thing to consider: there has been a lot of talk about what these Olympics have done for Canadians and their patriotic spirits. I don't know about the rest of Canada, and whether this spirit will last, but I can say I am a Canadian Patriot and proud of it! Brennan and I were talking last night and we decided that being patriotic is honoring God for the country we belong to. It calls us to be thankful for the beauty that we are surrounded by - from the prairies that go on forever to the majestic peaks of the Rockies; to pray for our leaders - from federal to city; and to be thankful for religious freedoms and the fact that we can be missionaries in our own country! Praise God for Canada indeed!!