a reasonable facsimile

new blog site

2007-10-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

we have switched over our blog to a new site...here's the link:

http://bradandjenn.wordpress.com/

:O)

2007-10-19T14:29:00.001-07:00

Eamonn's first bath

2007-10-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

a very new experience - i don't think he knew quite what to think of it.

our first family outing

2007-10-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

our first family outing around town on a gorgeous fall day

Eamonn taking in one of his favorite pastimes...

our day out was a refreshing welcome as i had been under house arrest for a week under my midwife's orders - a standard policy of hers with all first time mothers. brad was home all week which was fabulous - we soaked in our family bonding time.

Eamonn, pronounced AY-mun as it is an Irish name, is doing well - weighing in for his first week 4 oz. more than his birthweight. He is a content wee one - at least for the past several days he has been - once the initial shock of entering the world wore off. we're settling into the nice baby routine of eating, sleeping, and changing diapers - although day-b- day he is more and more awake and alert for longer periods. one of our favorite things thus far is his momentary passing-gas-smiles, a shadow of what is soon to come more intentionally - the smiles that is.

the birth went swimmingly well. though i had a wee bit of a long labour - starting Thursday morning and ending with his birth on Saturday afternoon - none-the-less it went really well -with only a half an hour of pushing and no complications. We had him at home which worked out beautifully. my parent's were able to extend their stay so as to at least spend some time with their little newest grandson. Thanks Mom and Dad! It was quite fitting that their last day here was Canadian Thanksgiving. Our thanks overflows the many blessings God has graced us!

Tiny Toes

2007-10-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz.........

2007-10-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Introducing...

2007-10-08T23:35:00.001-07:00

Eamonn William
Born October 6th
10 lbs 6 oz
22 inches

Mom & Baby are doing wonderfully!

serenely waiting

2007-09-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

2 weeks left ???

2007-09-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

our trek to saskatchewan was great. the wedding went swimmingly well and we were able to have a great visit with family and friends for the week. we then took our time meandering our way through the Canadian rockies and southern BC on the way home over the long weekend.
now here we've been for the last two weeks back at work. we just finished what I think we could call our official "childbirth ducational week". today and last saturday were spent in all day childbirth prep workshops, monday night we went on the hospital tour, wednesday night we went to a breastfeeding clinic, and thursday night i started the another prenatal fitness class.
and today we officially have 14 days till our due date. i am feeling great - i have been swimming during my lunch break on the weekdays and i am still biking or walking to work. i have no complaints and am still enjoy being prego - although, of course I am feeling ready to meet this little one and wouldn't be too sad if it decided to greet the world any day now.
we are pretty much prepared (especially after this week) - well as prepared as one can be for never having gone through the experience. but I am actaully looking forward to going through the experience - a bit nervous too but I do anticipate it. and then when it comes i will probably anticipate its ending too. :O)
here's a few pics from the wedding and our stop by Lake Louise.

boys camp 2007

2007-08-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

brad's boys

we just arrived home from boys' camp at pioneer pacific camp on thetis island. what a fun week we both had - brad was a cabin leader and i helped coordinate the day activities scheduling. it was great to be a part of the community and connect with the kids. being able to serve them and manifest God's love to them - and pray that seeds were planted that God will grow as they enter back into their 'normal' lives. brad especially enjoyed connecting with the boys during the bible study times - they really seemed to be thinking about the stories and talks they had been hearing in club and the studies. He also enjoyed spending time with the kids while leading various activities such as canoeing, kayaking and archery (his free icecream, pop and chocolate bar targets seemed to vastly improve the boys' archery skills and the sharpshooters had fun reminding him of the sweet debts that he owed them). The group games were a good time as well for that interaction with the kids in his cabin.
i had the adventure of stepping in a wasp nest during one of these group games. thankfully none of the kids got stung badly and i fled quickly with only about 5 stings. that part of the activity was obviously closed quickly. i did enjoy helping out lead some activities like canoeing, basketball and hangin out at the pool.
it was great to be a part of the week. and now upon arriving home, we are busily preparing for our trek to saskatchewan for jef and bre's wedding and a visit with family and friends. so fun!

more life events

2007-08-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

last week was full of running around and buying baby gear...brad had the week off to recover from putting out his back at work. it wasn't a super terrible injury but enough to spend the week resting and not making it worse at work. it was quite Providential in ways - he was able to scan the internet and find a whole lot for good baby stuff for us on the local used website! he also surprised me with a delectable gingered salmon dinner with homemade peach cobbler for dessert to celebrate our four year anniversary. he also surprised me with our first sailing tour out here on high seas off the island last saturday. it was a fun venture and made it very tempting to find ways to do a bit more sailing.
and now it is saturday again...wow. the week flew by with us both at work and trying to get bits of stuff done before our holidays. we also had dinner with friends just returning from their 3 week kayaking adventure up in the Queen Charlottes! what a fabulous time they had - it was fun to here all about it.
it is a long weekend and we are hoping to escape and go camping but there are some errands calling us. we have four days of work and then we are heading out next weekend to Pioneer Pacific camp where we are volunteering a boys camp. brad will be a boys' cabin counselor and i am coordinating the day activities program.
i have officially resigned from work as of sept 28th. it is quite exciting - however with only this next week - and then the few weeks in september - i have a lot to wrap up! somehow in the last few months i have been given a bunch of responsibilities - all-in-all it's been good experience and great for me..but makes it tricky to wind up!
must go - cheers!

campfire marvel & baby stuff

2007-07-24T22:27:00.001-07:00

so we went camping last weekend...and it was amazing...we had 3 campfires over the weekend -one of which was several hours long...the air was so still the smoke went straight up and we....well, i didn't smell at all like campfire the whole weekend?!?!?!! i think that is a first ever, and i think that I never knew that could happen. brad was a little more involved with the pyro-techniques of the fire and did have a bit of the campfire stink - campfires are a good stink though at least for a time, but it does get old especially if you walk in somewhere that is clean and pristine and the air around you reeks and accentuates the aroma of old campfire...that's when it's time to move on to other pleasures in life.
but we had a relaxed weekend on pender island. we played frisbee golf or disc golf as some call it, and we went swimming, which i had been craving, and went to the saturday market which was terrific and shared the best wild salmon burger ever, and browsed the local bookstore / art gallery, and we sat in the garden area enjoying a muffin at the island bakery.
then this last week was weird rainy and foggy weather, so we took advantage with looking into and buying some baby get-up. we got lots of goods between finding some deals on the internet and some offerings from some colleagues. now we are tasked with rearranging our living space. how can such a wee lil' one require so much stuff?
but it is fun collecting it already and getting more ready for his/her grand debut.
the baby has been bouncing around in my belly like crazy lately - i think he/she either has some pretty good dance moves down by now or she/he has takin' up swimming like i have. i started swiming three times a week at the Y - it has been great to get exercising so weightlessly. i have been loving being pregnant and am feeling great. it will be fun to meet this little wiggly one though - only 9 1/2 weeks more!

the oregon coast and more

2007-07-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend...well, july long weekend, which I guess was 2 weekends ago already, we spent down on the oregon coast. it was fabulous weather and beautiful surroundings. we made the full weekend of it - getting on the ferry over to washington right after work, friday, and then returning monday by midnight. we camped out, strolled the amazing beaches, hiked the coast abit, explored the little sea side towns, and enjoyed it all.
but it seems unreal that that was already over a week ago. right after getting home shawn and his band, the details, and aly and her mom came for an evening. it was a short visit but we were VERY glad to see them and hang out for even the little bit.
thanks for hopping over to the island all!! :O)
victoria has heated up and it is really feeling very summery - yay! although - heat here is relative. the sun is super warm/hot but the ocean breeze is always cool it seems.
this last weekend we laid low - getting some things done around here. i got some new work pants since i was about to pop the buttons on the two remaining pair of 'regular' pants i've been wearing. we also got out for a hike in goldstream park which was nice. this summer is going quickly and i know that the next month is going to fly. brad is done with classes for the summer and we are working on project "prepare-for-baby" - what all that entails...i still don't know but we are jumping in! and that has to be done now, i think, cuz august is already chock full of events.
and then it will be september...
well for now i am off to make some yummy chipotle black bean burritos for dinner.

my belly at 27 weeks

2007-07-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

so at last here is a promised pic.

B is for ....

2007-06-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

well, of course, brad...and that is how i think of it. but as i was sitting here i realized b is for...baby!!!
as many of you that read our blog (assuming you haven't given up on us with our lack of blogging) already know that b also stands for our baby which is presently dancing around in my belly.
i really don't know why i haven't blogged anything thus far about our expecting, or about pregnancy etc. but i just didn't. we are super excited though and here the pic is from our ultrasound at 19 weeks. she/he is giving us the thumbs up- a fully optimistic child! hee, hee!
so there -our news is officially blogged. i am now almost 6 months along and my belly is bulging beautifully. i have had an easy-going pregnancy thus far. maybe i will post the bulging belly pics...maybe...

I LOVE B

2007-06-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

so here in victoria, it was a most lovely day...almost a perfect summer day I would go so far as to say. this morning as i was walking to work, i took a couple pics of things along my way of which I am always fond.
but particularly on days like today, the morning sunshine through the trees along government street makes my walk more inspirational. although, certain rainy or cloudy days can be just as inspirational.....is this actually my mood that is reacting to my environment or my environment effecting my mood???? hmmmm...that would make a good study - but not by me.
...back to the things i enjoy while on way...i have little to expound upon...i think that these two examples of the day are pretty much self-explanatory. i hope that you can appreciate them too...or atleast one of them. :O)

a recap of our spring... or atleast the last month

2007-05-23T21:35:00.001-07:00

a weekend visit from walter and aunt lottie - a highlight being the Butchart Gardens...a dream come true for lottie - yay!

a weekend in vancouver to see shawn's band, the details, play at the backstagelounge - and a great weekend with jef & bre, shawn and friends - derrick and marie.

and then a fabulous hiking/camping adventure with tim & michelle! we venture along the juan de fuca about 7km and camped out. :O)

finally a new entry!

2007-05-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

sooooo maybe it's time to get back on the blogging bandwagon...yes, we are still alive! it's been a bit of a sabbatical from spending much time on the computer - mostly cuz i spend enuf time on one at work.
but here - it's about june -the weather is gorgeous, a million flowers blooming, the sky blue the ocean breeze blowing gently. we just ventured on a fabulous hike this past monday which was our Victoria Day holiday. we decided to avoid camping due to most of the weekend being grey and a bit rainy. But monday was gorgeous and the East sooke coast trail, being our favorite was amazing!!
the water was so calm and clear. we saw lots of creatures - two sun basking seals (they were making the most amazing noises...i had no idea!), a bald eagle, a hawk or osprey, a squirrel, a raccoon, an otter, a dead sea lion (sad, gross, and stinky). it was a good 10 -12 km hike and it was wonderful!

the battle of the curtains

2007-03-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

we put up some old curtains when we moved in here...and i dyed them because they were tan and our wall is toupey tan.
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so yes, i dyed them a red orange and they looked lovely for a whole....2 weeks i think. when i realized the sun began a fierce battle with our poor curtains and sad to say - the curtains were overpowered quickly - without a chance really.
and by the time we returned from guatemala...well...it wasn't very pretty - they looked like the pale belly of a fish- eewww!
-with renewed energies this last month- we found material at the thrift store - a couple sheets actually - and now have engaged with battling the sun again...but this time, i sewed over the old fishy ones- so hopefully they will continue to take the brunt of the uv rays while the pretty red threads will keep their brilliance.

February...come and gone...

2007-03-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

yeah, wow february is already history. we had a fabulous visit with brad's parents for a weekend. the weather was gorgeous (which hasn't been such the case most of the month) - i think it was special gift for them! in this pic we ventured up mt. work with a a couple beautiful vistas as our reward. thanks for coming walter and elaine - it was a great visit with you both!
as for the rest of the month...well i am not too sad it is over. i am ready for warmer weather -i know i am spoiled since i have only had two months of cold this year- but still....i am ready, that's all i will say.
i did sew some curtains and get some other projects done - yay! and b. has been intensely working away at his classes - only five weeks left already! he has been working a few days here and there in between and found time over reading break to build a nightstand for himself - it's fabulous- particularly since it was created out of scrap wood we have had sitting around our place.
so that's my february news.
march is here...the cherry blossoms are budding and the snowdrops and crocusses blooming - blessed promises of spring and sunshine...

i couldn't resist!

2007-01-10T17:13:00.000-08:00

fresh fallen snow

2007-01-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

The sunset was AMAZING tonight!! ...over the ocean..part of the sky looked glorious with the sun blazing through the clouds while it smeared into a dark hole ready to suck everything into the water with it...and not to mention the gorgeous snow we were sprinkled today...okay I can't even give it a real chance of amazing in my words - or my picture.
we are back in Canada..and though it usually doeasn't snow here in Victoria - it did. The even better part is that tomorrow is supposed to be blue sky and sunny...cold but sunny! it has been a little trying on my soul to be plummetted into continued dismal gray after being in sunshine for months and months. brad however is not minding it - good on him.
so life is back to normal-ish. did we ever leave???? it always seems a time warp coming back and jumping back into routine. it is good to be back to friends and our community where we are involved. although, we are still seeking out all we gleaned from our adventures over that last 4 months.
b's scudded right back into school with 6 classes this semester and i have work, an art class, youth group, projects, and the list continues.
and in this moment...we are enjoying the fresh, crisp, snowy, winter.

Aloha!

2006-12-19T21:38:00.000-08:00

so we said good-bye to chicken buses, fresh corn tortillas, and a very colourful culture...and we have said hello to Hawaii. our plans changed midway through our guatemala trip when we found out brad's sister and her family were suddenly going to be moving away and both brothers were going to be out here for Christmas. if we found a cheap ticket we would go...and behold we did...logistics worked out amazingly.
so here we are in Kauai. we are enjoying spending time with the family. the girls are growing up so much! it was our first introduction to our goddaughter, Marie...John and Melinda's second child! she is a bundle of energy and joy!
we have been traversing all over seeing many different sights and spending time on the beach. we eagerly await the arrival of shawn and aly on Christmas eve. woohoo!

chicken bus

2006-12-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

a classic chicken bus in guatemala

lake atitlan & chichi

2006-12-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

we just arrived back in antigua after several days over on Lake Atitlan. it was a relaxing time along the lake. we hit san pedro for a day and night then took a boat over to santa cruz la laguna. it was pretty low key for a few days while brad recovered from being ill...probably due to some food or water he consumed back in antigua. but he is back to 100 percent!
he went diving in lake atitlan on friday and then saturday we took a boat over to another little town along the lake, san marcos. after a fabulous breakfast, we hiked 3+ hours back to the place we were staying, la iguana perdida. it was 3+ hours due to the meandering, drinking limonada on a balcony overlooking the lake, a stop for a pinapple-avocado licuado in Jaibalito and jumping in the lake for a swim along the way.
we then took off for Chichicastenango...soley for the market on Sunday (this) morning. we took chicken buses there last night and found a cheap hotel. the night sleep was scattered with fireworks randomly all night and drummers and fluters walking and playing through town at 3 this a.m. i do believe this was all part of Navidad festivities unless they are always into this every saturday night before the market.
kicking off the market this morning at 7 was a loud band and celebratory dancers all dressed up. the market was big and muchas cosas. we had our fill with our few hours there...got some tayuyos for lunch and hopped on a chicken bus headed back towards antigua.
i swear it was the craziest chicken bus ride we have had yet - about 4 persons to a seat (the usual school bus, we're talking) plus about 25 people in the aisles - my eyes were closed and i was praying incessantly through all the switch backs up and down the hills as the bus drivers foot was to the floor most of that time. we made it - i do believe it was God's grace way more than my crazy silent babbling.
so we are chillin' in antigua for the night and part of tomorrow. we head for guatamala city for monday night's sleep and then we fly out Tuesday. crazy that our guatemalteca trek is closing!

antiquity

2006-12-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

we arrived in Antigua, Guatemala after a 8 hour bus ride from Copan, Honduras last evening. we are staying at a great place with free internet and breakfast (tostadas, toast and real coffee) it's a deal for $5 bucks each...oh and it has hot showers! the first hot one I have had in weeks...life's simple pleasures.
when we arrived the ciy was bustling in the town square or parque. i think it was a celebration kicking off the beginning of Advent...not too sure. there were lights, miramba bands, mini hot air balloons being let go and a nativity drama. we found a little comedor selling tacos and frescos (fruity drinks) for dinner.

we are hiking up Picaya volcano this pm and saying that - we've got to run and find our way there!

sun, sea creatures and salt water

2006-11-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

we have been on Utila and now are enjoying the hot sunny weather! yay! i had a cold when we came and the weather was cold and rainy. (cold for here) so those things delayed us 2 days...in beginning our Open Water Diving Course -we are now certified scuba divers! we have 2 more fun dives this afternoon which will finish up our time here on the island. it is amazing! the creatures and coral and all! brad saw 2 turtles, somehow i missed them both!

though there is not much else to do here on the island, we have been enjoying the company of other travelers from all over the world and some good meals all together.

tomorrow we are taking the 6 am boat back to the mainland and heading back to Guatemala via Copan, Honduras. we only have a little over a week left of traveling here - crazy!

rainy days

2006-11-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

we left Livingston and made great time to getting over to Utila, one of the Honduran Bay Islands. we've been here since thursday and we haven't quite seen the sun yet. hopefully soon. we met up with some fellow travellers on our way here from Livingston and have all been sharing in the rainy cool weather together. we'll be here for several days so hopefully the stormy clouds will pass soon for more hot sunny carribean weather.

on the road

2006-11-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

well our first days have faired well in our travels. we said our goodbyes :( and then headed for El Estor. It took all of 6 hrs to travel 160 km. The town was lacking in pizazz but we found a cheap,clean place to stay. Then on our way to Rio Dulce, we stopped along at a hot waterfall. It was fabulous to swim in the cool water with steaming hot water falling on to us - like a long hot shower with out the guilt of wasting resources! After a refreshing time there, we wandered our to the road and awaited the next bus which there were few vehicles altogether. An hour and 1/2 later we found ourselves in town of Rio Dulce. There we stayed at a hotel on stilts across the water. A boat came to collect us when we got to town. Then we hitched a ride back to check out the sites...mostly the Castillo de San Felipe. Then this a.m. a boat picked us up from our hotel and whisked us down the Rio Dulce river to Livingston. Here we are hanging out in town and on to some explorations of some waterfalls tomorrow.
We plan to head out Wednesday for Honduras - the bay island of Utila - maybe with a stop over in Omoa, Honduras.
Yay. the microbuses have been actually pleasurable rides since we've discovered the secret of weaselling into the front seat.

thousands of words...

2006-11-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

endings & beginnings

2006-11-16T14:07:00.000-08:00

the clouds are lingering among the mountains, the air is cool and wet with the invisible droplets of humidity, the street damp from the morning downpour, and as much as we are anticipating the travels ahead, there is a melancholy over us in moving on from this familiar place. we said good-bye to Bill this morning as we dropped him off to catch his flight to the States. this afternoon we said our good-byes to most of the staff. we have some errands and a good bye dinner tomorrow night with our family. saturday, we are taking off for the carribean coast. it seems surreal. it feels sad. i think a big part of me wants to linger on in san cristóbal like the clouds...we are both grateful for our time here. we have been immensely blessed by it.
i don´t think we can really know all that we have gleaned from our experiences these last few months. one of the greatest privileges though, has been to work alongside Bill and Linda - to see their passion, integrity, transparency and diligence in their work here with and for the people. But more so - their love and passion for Christ that extends so freely and earnestly with all those around them. they have taught us a lot about faith in action, and continually seeking Jesus.

but as this ends...as any season...a new one begins and we trust that some form of transformation has taken a hold of us as we march forward into the beauty of what´s to come...

smatterings of the week

2006-11-12T09:53:00.000-08:00

the past week was our last of ´normal´ASOSAP´ work. thursday we had our last meeting in the village of Pampacche -they in turn put on a big fiesta for us. a bright red and white parachute (atleast that´s what it looked like...ya know the ones you played with in kindergarten and it was so much fun to all be around it and lift it up in the air and all jump under it..worth lots of grade school giggles, right there.) anyway they had that covering the wall while pine needles carpeted the floor. we couldn´t see much floor anyway though because so many people were there -it was great to see the women and all their children and many of the men of the village all together. they played the marimba for us. after we honored the women for their participation this year and had cake, there were speeches of thanks between their community leaders and ASOSAP - Bill and Glenda. then we were blessed with Ca´kik and Tamalitoes, the traditional meal made for special occasions. Mmmm...mmm.

then friday, well first we went out to breakfast at a local comedor for my birthday breakfast...did some errands and then later went for coffee at my favorite place here in San Cristóbal, El Viajero. our afternoon was spent on the road, driving with Glenda and Eva out to a town 3 hours away for their driver´s license exam. after arriving at the snazzy hotel, we went for a refreshing swim in the pool. i think the nice hotel, was a gift from ASOSAP to Glenda and Eva for all their hard work and us for the time and work we have committed to ASOSAP. it was a great treat. the girls had to be over to their exam early so after meeting them and walking them over to the exam place, i enjoyed the early morning by the pool, reading, writing and swimming. brad did too after crashing for a bit longer since it was so early. we went to see how they were doing around 11:30 and found them finished and successfully holding up their brand new licenses! yay! they had worked hard for this and brad too!! it was nice closure for brad having spent a lot of time teaching them to drive. they are pretty proud of themselves as they ought to be.
we headed back and spent the evening making dinner for our host family. we donned them with Thai peanut stirfry over rice and blackbeans with a dessert of a huge fresh watermelon and papaya we bought along the road on our trip.

and this morning, brad headed out with Bill for Guatemala City. they are picking up some guys and will be hiking in to a couple villages looking at potential projects for next year. i will be meeting up with them in the village of Pambon Grande on Tuesday. then i will return with them to the Guate (as they say down here). Bill is heading out to the States and we will return to San Cristóbal to wrap up our time here next weekend. wow. it seems strange for it to already be ending.

day of the dead holiday

2006-11-07T16:51:00.000-08:00

we had last thursday off because it is a nationally holiday - the day of the dead. so with our four day weekend - we headed up to see Tikal, ancient Mayan ruins. we took a microbus up to Flores but stayed in the town next door at a hotel where our host family hooked us up with a friend who gave us a deal. we spent one day hanging out in Flores, a town on an island in a lake. it was quaint and felt like an island physically and culturally - having the historic presence of the spanish architecture as well as being geared to tourists. we barely found someone to sell us tortillas...that tells you something!
on Saturday morning, we were picked up by a tour microbus at 3 am...yes that is right 3 stinkin´a.m. we were on our way for our sunrise tour. it was pouring rain...not very hopeful for seeing a sunrise but it did stop somewhere between the hotel and tikal. after an hour drive, we arrived at the park - trekked in the dark to Temple IV and climbed up to the top to sit up above the jungle and watch it come alive. it was fabulous to sit in the early morning mist and hear and watch it come to life. so yes no sunrise but worth it all the same. the ruins are very impressive. this pic is one of the temples - the one that has been recovered from the entwining jungle...is entwining even a word?¿? well - in all it´s entangledness. all very impressive. and we saw lots of spider monkeys and howler monkeys!! yay! that evening we enjoyed relaxiing in Flores again.
then Sunday we headed back on a chicken bus to San Cris. a very nice weekend adventure.
oh, yea - the first night there - our hotel was across from the cemetary so we part took a bit of the local festivities...walked thru the cemetary full of colour, people decorating the plots, and enjoyed some finger foods from the vendors at the gate.

Cú Pop

2006-10-29T09:25:00.000-08:00

only a few weeks here in san cris are left. things are winding up...we will be having the end of the year fiestas for the women in the villages over the next two weeks.
i think one of the things brad and i have enjoyed the most living here is meals with our host family. there have been many evenings of sitting around the table talking and joking for a good long time. like last night - we sat eating our tomalitos and corn tortillas - talking about Doñ Conrado´s day of walking many hours and then killing pigs - that´s his job. He works on a finca (a big farm) somewhere and does alot of pig killing, walking, buying corn feed, and probably lots more we don´t quite understand. He is always calling to brad - ¡Brad mi Amigo! with a great big smile making his laughlines around his eyes shine. Doña Roselia has been busier than busy bees running a comedor, a restaurant down in the town square. And though she has owned this for 2 years - we didn´t even know she own it until about 2 weeks ago when school finished up for the year. she just retired from teaching after putting in 25 years. now it seems half the family is wrapped up in helping run the Cafe de la Casa. we´ve been going there to get some of our lunches now since it´s easier than her packing it up for us during the week.
Conradó Jr. is always saying something funny and everything is ´so very good´ - he is a teacher aid at private school here in town. Nicté is 14 and the youngest. She has been diligently helping mom at the restaurant over her vacation. Juan Pablo is the oldest. he works at an office all week and comes home thursday - sunday. it´s always nice to have him home for the weekend though he has to spend a good chuck of that time studying and going to school on saturdays. Marisol lives down near Antigua and is a university student - she is pure sunshine - though she has only been home for a visit one weekend since we have been here. and then there is bobby, the dog. he is the funniest dog i think i have ever met. i think you just have to see a pic sometime to understand.
The conversation swayed from the days events to the tomalitoes we were eating - if we liked them (brad hates them) and then we were launched into the 3 classes of tomalitoes. we learned all sorts of interesting things about tomalitoes. the ones were ate last night we made of corn meal mixed with just a tad of potato, usually all of them have a chunk of meat and a chili pepper somewhere inside...i don´t know what else is in them but they come wrapped in banana leaves. they are boiled in the banana leaves...we had these at Eva´s house before her wedding, we often receive the plainer type in the villages, and we have eaten the `potato only´ kind a few times served by different people.
but it doesn´t seem to matter what we are all talking about - our days, foods, Guatemalan riddles, music or whatever - it´s always animated and there is always laughing and joking. we feel blessed to be able to be a part of the Family Cú Pop - they are an absolute joy!

washing dirty feets

2006-10-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

we went out to 2 villages this week to give our last ¨charlas¨or lessons of the year. one was in san sebastian. the lesson was on the last supper -the disciples and Jesus last time together before his death. there in the upper room Jesus washed the disciples feet as a symbol of loving and serving them in a simple, humble and powerful way. there he gave them the command to love others as he had loved them.
we shared this story with the women and then had a foot washing with the women. the power of the story really struck me in how amazingly humble Jesus was to get down and wash gross, dirty, stinky feet. you could tell it was hard for the women to have their feet washed, it´s uncomfortable to have someone touch your filthy feet. but i wonder if we have to accept it in order to ever really wash others´feet...to accept that love that Jesus has for us, compassion to be okay with the fact he knows we have such dirty feet and yet he loves and accepts us. but then we are called to wash other´s feet - to reach out and know and love others. it seems easier in the exercise of the foot washing to wash others feet...the external dirt...but are we willing to accept the dirt that makes every person feel unloveable and insecure - not stand in judgement but love the gross and the stinky -just as we are loved?

bird´s eye

2006-10-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

here´s a bird´s eyeview of part of our life in San Cristobal....half our walk to the mission from our house. the week flew by. it was last friday already that we spent the afternoon/evening helping decorate for our staff member, Eva´s wedding and then attended it last saturday. it was lovely to be a part of the event and celebrate with her. it was also curious to be apart of a guatemalan wedding, which has many similarities to the one´s we know in northamerica. one difference is the processional walk in the morning from the bride´s parents home to the church, signifying the bride leaving her home. And then the reception is traditionally at the groom´s parents home where they both will live. we ended up in one room near the kitchen away from the other guests...i am not sure how that happened...but nonetheless we were served the traditional wedding dish, cakik, which is a soup or in our eyes is really a bowl of thick gravy, a bit spicy and with a hint of cinnamon. so the bowl of cakik, plate of hunks of turkey, hot tamalitos wrapped in banana leaves and a bottle of Pepsi. it was amazing the amount of food that they had preepared! they had probably slaughtered and cooked up 30 turkeys...that´s crazy, hey? our host family said that for their wedding - 80 turkeys...that is something crazier.

go team go!

2006-10-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

our week with the team was fantastic. we stayed at the hostel in Pamuc, a village a 5 minute drive along the gravel road from Panzal, the village where we worked during the week.
how to tell you all about it...well the hostel is amazing! the family that runs it is great! they are so congenial and hospitable. staying there is like going to camp. the views from the dining pavilion is unreal...actually there is a pic on the guatemala site...and since we can´t access our pics onto the blog yet...click here to see pics of the hostel..thanks to Audrey´s family team.
we worked each day in Panzal and built 4 water tanks for different families and put in 20 stoves to homes. it was great to work with the team and to interact with them all for the week.
one thing i found the most helpful over the week was how my understanding of the villages and the people grew. after going into the villages for just an hour or two over the time we have have been here - the big picture of how things fit together was a bit scattered. but with being with the people for several days really helped -it also was good to see how ASOSAP team projects work. one morning, the women from the team and staff, went to the village school and spent a couple hours making kites with the kids, singing and playing with them. the next day when i was on the road by myself walking from the worksite at one house to another about a 10 minute walk several of the kids emerged along the way and they grabbed my hand and took me down to the church where they were going to practice singing some songs for a presentation the next day - such a joy to be able to talk and play and sing with them. -"yo tengo gozo, gozo, gozo en mi corázon!" - they are all so beautiful!
and it a blessing to be apart of building a tank so that a family doesn´t have to haul water or collect the rain water solely in wayward barrels. ahhhhhh!!! i gotta go dinner is 3 minutes ago...so much to tell....

lessons in panzal

2006-10-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

the village of Panzal...an hour drive over ruddy gravel road. there we were greeted by a woman holding her child while an older one timidly peeks around her back. we put our things in the simple cement building where the usual meetings take place. women beginning coming in one by one many with their baby in the colorful cloth slings hanging down on their back. "C´llain tud" we greet them...me in my miserable attempt at Pokom but Eva greets them smoothly as it is her native tongue. Eva teaches our classes...audrey and i help..taking attendance, passing out crayons and papers, putting together some of the teaching aids. though today... i am going to play a bit with the children that dare interact with a tall giant blonde white woman. but we brought long balloons to make animals. these are very well received with giggles and sweet smiles by the women and by wide-eyed children slightly smiling through their shyness. we wait for quite a while - for we are early and the Pokomchi come in their own timing. so we make crowns for the women, puppies and bunnies for the kids. the once bare cement dingy room is transformed by the brillant colours of the cortes and wipils (traditional Pokomchi dress), the vibrant multi-colorful woven cloths that hold their children or things, and the multitude of odd-looking blue, red, green, white, orange...balloon creatures. the meeting begins with all rising and praying all together, the room has now been transformed into sounds of women seeking and thanking God. After a one lady lead the women in a couple songs, eva begins to teach them about parasites and worms and how to prevent them as well as get rid of them. I step out side into to the little dirt yard with stone steps, baby ducklings waddling, a stray looking dog curiously poking around. three little girls and i settle into coloring a picture of a lady holding her baby. meanwhile brad and cristobal return from hiking up to all the homes to check if the families had collected and started drying firewood for the stoves that will be built in their homes this next week. but no one is home for them to speak with...they are in the building learning how to keep their families healthy. so brad and cristobal sit and talk together...a ever helping cristobal continue to learn english.
the lesson ends... women are in and out of the building...cristobal steps in to give the reminder about the preparation of the firewood to the women...soon a couple women come carring baskets with mugs filled with hot drink. we all partake of this cornmeal sweet drink (i don´t remember the name of it). when we finish, we pack up, give several thanks-yous, smiles, good-byes and head back to the truck to journey back to nisnik, the village where our mission is based.
that was tuesday morning. that is a glimpse into our work in the villages.
tomorrow afternoon (saturday) we meet up with a group from Texas that has come down to help build water tanks and stoves for those homes in that village, Panzal. most of our ASOSAP staff and the team will stay at a hostel in a nearby village for the week while we work there. next friday, the team leaves and we, b&j, will return to san cristobal. until then....

a day of adventure...

2006-10-01T11:22:00.001-07:00

we journeyed to a place called samuc champey on friday. it was a staff end of the year party...since rachel will be leaving in just a few weeks to go to school. the vistas are just breathtaking... along the rolling highlands lightly dusted with mist hanging gently billowed in areas, the huts are scattered among the loosely patchworked fields of corn, cabbages, banana trees, wild natural brush all rolling with the terrain as well. after our 4 hours of driving we arrived just as the rain finished up with a sprinkle. we enjoyed refacciones -coffee, tea, sweet rolls and tostadas. Then hiked up to the Mirador, the look-out. The trail was fabulously rugged and steep though there were some steps built to make the more muddy sketchy areas easier. The turquoise green pools below along the river basin were gorgeous. When hiked down the trail we found where the roaring river falls down the rapids and down into a huge tunnel. the roaring powerful energy contrasted the gently bubbling water on the land above the tunnel. That is where the turquoise pools terraced down with clear water where we enjoyed some good swimming and diving. Our visit finished with a barbeque and as we finished that the rain began again as we climbed in the microbus for our 4 hr journey home. It was fabulous. Other fabulous news is that Ricardo is continuing to do well and that the 8 or9 witnesses to the accident that Bill and Linda picked up - very strongly testified to what they saw which was aligned to what we had heard was true. They had been approached with bribe money and threats but they were all one big family with several men so they weren´t scared. Yay! But unfortunately the legal work is a process and so the saga will continue on indefinitely. And now we begin our fifth week here...time is flyin...

an unusual week despite not really knowing usual yet..

2006-09-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

how often plans dive in for a the game of switcheroo... i left of the last blog sharing that we would be heading out to Pambon Grande for their celebration of Guatemala´s Independence day...but alas, one of our staff members, Ricardo, was on his way back from that village the day prior to our departure, when he befell a tragic accident. Motorcycle and Truck don´t fit well in the same sentence...and this one isn´t exempt. A long story short - Ricardo just had surgery on his broken femur and it seems he is recovering well. The dear friend that was on the back of the moto with him however died hours after the accident. It has been a verydifficult and unusual week and a half. One emotional moment for me was watching the bright colorful parade with cheerful people and marching band music - the enthusiasm of Independence Day when suddenly the clanging of the funeral party came parading on their own mission of sorrow with the casket carried through the crowd cutting though the smiles of the other. The utter contrast and knowing that it was a 23 year old teacher and dear friend of ASOSAP´s was heartwrenching. Another difficult side is the injustice, the lies and the corruption. The truck driver has been paying people off, the police report apparently 180 degrees different from actuality, Ricardo´s missing helmet, and it goes on. Today, Bill y Linda have gone and picked up the women that were at the water pump right in front of the scene and we are all praying as they speak to the lawyer that they will be honest and testify truthfully despite the bribes and threats to their lives and the lives of their family.
Life in Guatemala...for us it´s been a complete step out of our norms, the familiar, the routine, and the usual expectation of our assumed lives - and I assume we expected this. It is a blessing to be apart of and wrapped up in something so unfamiliar and different and have the time to let it soak in deeply. We are steeping.

And is it because of the unfamiliar that we are keener on the darker injustices, that it´s that much more raw here or is it that it lacks the comfort of insulation?
I have a greater appreciation for the rule of law especially since gleaning so much knowledge working for the Ministry of Attorney General and rubbing shoulders with the legislative process and now experiencing the corruption of the system here. But I think that the darkness that broods - just happens to be packaged differently here.

There is a stray dog all curled up behind me taking his afternoon siesta here in the internet cafe enjoying the rather techno-ish musica being loudly played. Its rather amusing. And I tell you there seems to be only one level on the volume button for people here. Between the two churches next to our house here, the neighbor´s TV (or radio?), the marching band that came around at 6:30 this morning and other random events of loud sound, we aren´t lacking noise.

I didn´t get out to any of the villages this week. I am working on curriculum development which I am enjoying. Brad´s been busy too with teaching driving, English, and other different tasks. He did take one day off this week because of being sick. But with a day of sleep - he knocked it off. yay! Other than that we are holding up very well.
and until next time...we will continue eating corn tortillas...

Where to begin?!?

2006-09-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

After flying through the night sunday - we arrived sleepy but safely in guatemala city where bill & linda picked us up. a four hour drive took us north through vibrant green landscapes up into the highlands of alta verapaz and into san cristobal - our home till the end of november. we were immediately introduced to Doña Roselia and her family with whom we are living. they are wonderfully warm and welcoming. we have 2 simple rooms - one with a bed and the other has shelves and a chair for a sitting room. we enjoy doña roselia´s cooking each meal -- most of which is traditional guatemalan style - fresh corn tortillas, eggs, black beans, rice, and more. the kellog´s cornflakes for breakfast break that trend however.
So we dove right into working with the mission! Tuesday morning we joined the ASOSAP staff in their usual weekly meeting. With the staff being made up of 6 guatemalans and with us 6 north americans- it´s a mix of english and spanish. this week brad went to one of the villages with Cristobal and they dropped off some materials for water tanks. then brad got pulled to go to the coast with Bill to pick up several stoves that are going to another village - that took a day and a half. In the meanwhile, i, jenn was busy going out to 2 different villages to give what they call charlas. i will be working with the other women on staff to develop curriculum and help present these lessons to the women of the villages. we visit each village twice a month. one lesson will be a Bible lesson and the other is a health education lesson.
the people are Mayan Pokomchi - i have been very impressed with them as a people. they come across as very warm-hearted and friendly. the respond quickly to a greeting with great big smiles and twinkling eyes. i spent an afternoon playing games with about 40 of the children right near the ASOSAP office while their mothers were in a Bible study led by one of the Pokomchi women. the children are precious! - they laughed and enjoy the games and winning treats and were very good at listening and following directions. they also were respectful admist all their fun. they are a real joy!
so we are doing well and have adjusted smoothly! we are heading to one of the farthest village where ASOSAP works for the 15th and will be spending the night. it is guatemala´s independence day and quite a brillant celebration. actually the village, Pompon Grande is the one pictured in the website linked to below (& on the sidebar).

guatemala

2006-08-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

our biggest venture coming is guatemala. brad and i our leaving in just a week (sept3) and spending the next 3 months working in alta verapaz, guatemala with a mission called the Hope of the Pokomchi. it is a small mission that works with the Mayan Pokomchi people. here is a page that outlines what the mission is about better than i can (it's written by the missionaries, Bill and Linda).
as for us - we will be doing a smattering of things but for the record...jenn will help lead a women's Bible study, help with children's programs, do some admin organizational tasks and brad will help with some infrastructure construction projects, possibly teach some english classes and give driving standard lessons to some of the guatemalan staff.
we were just e-mailed the link to a website, guatemala 2006, which was set up by a church team that just went down for a week earlier this month. Their focus was a work project in one of the villages. Though this is a record of their experience down there -it has given us a glimpse into where we will be and the people we'll be working alongside.
we aer looking forward to the traveling, working with the people, learning a whole lot, and seeing how the Lord uses us and teaches us.
Following our work with the mission, we will be traveling on our our own for the last 3 weeks and then fly to Vancouver on Christmas day. we hope to keep our blog updated with info of our experiences if we can.

thirty

2006-08-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

well i am technically not thirty yet (hee, hee), but we decided some years ago that the three of us would get together for our 3oth birthday year and lo and behold we did just that. kt and beth came to victoria for a week. A week of catching-up, laughing, adventuring, and having fun! we did lots of stuff and did lots of talking :o)
it was what the trinity needed after years of our wanderings to reconnect together and have a really great time. so girls...again, right...and sooner than later.

dancin' seastars

the trinity reconnected

july..is gone,already

2006-08-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

it's been awhile since july long already -yowzers! isn't it the way it is that sumers fly by way too quickly? our exciting july adventure include having jef, shawn and aly visit! :o) yay! we had good times showing them our island..the sooke potholes, the inner harbour, camping on salt spring, hiking, kayaking, and mostly hangin out - spending time together. thanks all for trekkin' out this way!

shawn,aly & jenn looking so hep after hiking all day at goldstream & east sooke.

jef & brad out kayaking around discovery island for the day.

black bears and tofino...a fab long weekend

2006-07-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

So last weekend was a creepy guy....July Long weekend was black bears. we joined up with 6 other friends and headed out to Tofino/Ucuelet for an adventurous camping experience. and adventure we had...after trying to take off around 6 we finally made at about - um...7:30/8 and on the way picked up one of our crew at the ferry in Nanaimo. along the way, just before arriving to our destination, we encountered a roaring fire at an industrial building. it was really awesome - fire is quite terrifying, mystifying, and captivating all at once. that was around 1 am. then we got to our parking area and hiked in to a spot on the beach.
morning came quite quickly, but brad and i ambitiously got up and explored the territory in the clouded gray moring as a fishing boat gently rode the waves of the early hours. we climbed over the rocky shore and watched the fascinating tides swoosh into the crevices, the vibrant sea anenomes wave their bright green tentacles, and an orange starfish creep along the rocky bottom looking for ...well i don't know what...breakfast?
i am getting way too detailed here. so i will cut it shorter.
we spent the day checking out Tofino and catching abit of a Canada Day skate tournament, then hit the beach. Long beach..it was loooonngg and fabulously sandy! we ended the outing at a rustically posh lodge to warm up a bit (lots of wind + the north west coast = chilly when the sun disappears) and have a drink. my drink of choice was water since we spent the entire day in the sun once the early morning fog burnt off- i was a wee bit deehydrated.
and then around midnight hiking into our campsite - it was bad news when we flashed our lights down and didn't see our tents. But the 2 missing were there all rolly polled up in a bunch snacked on and played with by mister black bear. we managed to set back up with the help of some handy ductape. our tent is most likely repairable, however our thermarest camping mats are not quite going to make it...well maybe one. so we slept and in the morning we decided to pack out our tents and stuff. we checked out Uceulet and then hit the beach, this time with our wetsuits and boogie boards. it was great! after a full day, we headed to find a new camp but with the long weekend at hand, we had to drive back east. we found a provincial park on a lake and a parkie kindly let us set up camp on the beach/lawn where we had a quiet serene sleep. What a difference compared to the constant activity and noise of the ocean! Monday held swimming and heading back home. But upon arrival quickly showered and headed to Folkfest to see Nekko Case perform. A great end to a great weekend --i'll take bears over creepy strangers!
(the bear pictured was actually seen on our north island adventure weekend. we didn't really see the bear that wrecked our tent, we just have the teeth and claw marks as evidence)

Hittin' up the Ports & Creepy Camping Weekend

2006-07-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

The weekend before July Long, we ambitiously drove up to the north end of the island.Leaving after work on Friday,we slept in the car just north of Campbell River. Our first stop was at a little cabin along the road with a big sign across the front of it - BREAKFAST. It was a good down home breakfast that came with a pancake the size of frisbee!
The mountains, trees, lakes and eyesore logging patches surrounded our beautiful sunny drive north. First stop was Telegraph Cove, a tiny coasal town built on stilts over the water. The whale museum was fascinating with it intense knowledge of a variety of whales and seals. It also had the skeleton of a 60 ft Fin whale! Whoa! From there were trekked over to Port McNeil. we checked out town and then had a picninc on the rocky beach.
Then onward we explored to Port Hardy.

Port Hardy being a bit bigger had a little more to do. After take a look at their famous "dangling carrot" statute (not pictured here. it was in honour of finally getting a nice road completed all the way to the town that had been promised by government for umpteen years. after way too many broken promises they started the "Dangling Carrot Campaign" to get bring attention to their need and unfulfilled promise - so then they got a road as well as a statue)
Stories Beach is a lovely long sand beach that we walked around and enjoyed wading in the ocean. from there we went to set up camp for the night.

Hmmmm....here's a pic of Marble River behind our site at Marble River Campground, now known by us as 'Marble River Creepy Campground.' It was the perfect camping evening, ideal,superb, extraordinary weather and the amazing thing of having the entire 33 campsites to ourselves. After finding some firewood and getting the fire going, the dinner was just started when a man in a pickup strangely drove by our site and slowly pulled into the site next to us. He sat in his truck apparently watching us...hmmm...we were getting wigged out. So after 45minutes we decided to go to the outhouse in order to walk behond where he was and scout the scene. And to our surprise he wasn't there. His door wasn't shut tightly and he'd disappeared. Ewww....creepy! To make a longer story short just long and not longer -I couldn't sleep in the tent so I bugged brad to go sleep in the car with me since we never heard him come back and it was dark and I was paranoid. "what is someone doing parking right next to us, watching us for awhile then dissappearing without us hearing him?!!???!" so in the car I finally drifted off to sleep..but awoke to creeply footstep sounds around the car in the middle of the night. oh it was freaky, especially since the windows were fogged up and we had no flashlights. (and we knew it was creepy guy cuz at some point his dome light in his truck came on. then it was quiet...creep...creep..creep...rustle....EEESHHH!!!!) we had to get out of there - so brad bravely got out slowly after awhile, flipped on our headlights, we saw nothing so we quickly grabbed our tent and shoved it in the back of the car, checked our site withour headlights and then his. And we didn't see anything just an empty pickup...and we left at 3 in the morning. omigoodness, did i tell you it was creepy?!?! we drove to Port Alice, slept in our car outside town and slept much more soundly.
We ventured home that next day making a few meandering stops, one being the beach for the afternoon and then cooked up dinner there. And made it safely home Sunday evening.
That was out adventure north...a great weekend.
More pics here...

sunny days sweepin' the clouds away...

2006-07-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

You Are Big Bird

Talented, smart, and friendly... you're also one of the sanest people around.

You are usually feeling: Happy. From riding a unicycle to writing poetry, you have plenty of hobbies to keep you busy.

You are famous for: Being a friend to everyone. Even the grumpiest person gets along with you.

How you life your life: Joyfully. "Super. Duper. Flooper."

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz
i have the personality of big bird. i think mylife is complete now that i have the satisfaction of knowing what sesame street character i am like. big bird is a good character....slightly yellow...slightly big and awkward...hmmmm...i am okay with big bird.
he was alway really amiable and conscientious - lookin' out for snuffleumpugus (sp????) and all.

Tuxedoed Two.

2006-06-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

...aren't we a sharp lookin' couple!! :)
Thanks Ben de Wen! You made us laugh.

tiny panorama

2006-06-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

A tiny picture of the big adventure to Port Renfrew with Elaine when she visited us here on the island. We had a fabuous time exlploring Botanical Beach and looking at all the sea creatures in the tide pools. today we plan to go to the northern tip or close to it...as far as the road will go. i am supposed to be packing up but alas i am distracted, first by the gorgeous dayoutside and now by blogging. i love summer :o)

Seattle

2006-06-11T14:58:00.001-07:00

All it took was three days…three days of Seattle’s legendary ‘come in from the rain’ weather combined with an overabundance of great coffee shops more than willing to accommodate us with a place to come into, to get me hooked. Throughout our stay, as we enjoyed the sights, sounds and mocha houses of this beautiful city, there was a sinister java worm coring its way toward that little comfort seat deep inside my being. By the end of our stay, that worm had not only taken up residence on my comfort chair but had established a roaring business serving up tall double shot americanos. So there you have it, I have developed an insatiable appetite for the simple combination of fresh muffins and good coffee. While some individuals sharing my predicament may suffer from moments of hopelessness and defeat, I have decided to don my mocha coloured glasses and assume a positive outlook on my present state. The way I see it, I have the exclusive distinction of being the only backhoe operator in the city of Victoria bouncing down the road while consuming gourmet muffins and tall double shot americanos.

During our time in Seattle, we enjoyed Bethany’s wonderful hospitality as she let us stay in her studio apartment. This view of the city can be found a few blocks from her home in beautiful Queen Anne.

When we weren’t grooming our coffee addictions we occupied ourselves playing “Where’s Waldo” TM.

No trip to Seattle would be complete without a visit to Pike Place Market. This historic market boasts many attractions including a seafood stand whose gimmick is to throw the to-be-purchased fish from the iced display racks through the air to a waiting employee behind the counter where it is weighed and wrapped. A rough estimate of the ratio of actual paying customers to tourists waiting to snap a picture of an airborne salmon is about 1:200. If flying fish (or taking pictures of flying fish) isn’t your thing you can visit the original, and I repeat, the original Starbucks complete with shoulder to shoulder people clamoring to purchase a piece of Starbucks memorabilia emblazoned with the original Starbucks logo and a stamp signifying that the item was indeed bought at the original, and I repeat, the original Starbucks. And finally if soaring seafood or frenzied merchandizing aren’t your thing you can spend many hours wandering in and out of countless unique shops and ogling the bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables offered in the farmers market section.

Or you can just goof off…..

My Family

2006-06-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

Do you remember being in grade school and labouring over your assignment to write about your family. How proud you were to tell about your mom and dad and all your brothers and sisters? And then after diligently writing the four complete sentences mandatory for your paper with the one-inch lines, you got to draw a picture in the big open space on the top half. Hmmmm....this is my slightly more sophisticated version but with the same peacock pride. Being the little squirt with all my big sisters has always just been the way it's been. We all find ourselves in a particular place in a family and somehow we grow used to that place and used to the surroundings and used to the culture.
This is my family now. I am not so little. I found myself in this new place of being older and laughing and goofying off with my sisters all together. We had a fabulous get-together mid-May - with just the sisters and mom. Thanks all for coming! It was really amazing. The time to be with you all...my sisters, all together, just us...and not be the "baby". - although, yes, dear mom & dad I will always be the baby to you. :o) It was fun to laugh, joke and be goofy together and talk, share and learn of one another. And it was a good time of seeing God's grace on our lives and how He binds us together with His love and that grace though we are so far apart.
YAY! I love you all!

Coming soon...

2006-06-08T00:18:00.000-07:00

...an update about all the fabulous adventures we've been taking in..here's our fab shot of Chicago from the Navy Pier ferris wheel....dudermykota!

Mt. Washington

2006-04-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

Though it doesn't look very mountainy...i promise the rest of it is hiding in the clouds. we ventured up-island to Mt. Washington for a few days of skiing and fun. it was instant winter! snow came fluttering down on Saturday and through the night. we woke up to a parking lot 2 feet+ of powdery white snow! The skiing was great fun and the falling was well cushioned.
we were blessed to spend the easter weekend with friends having fun and being out in the beauty of the mountains but also with our church community. We shared in the Seder dinner and Maunday Thursday service and also the Good Friday service. i really love holy week with having spent a lengthy season of lent somberly reflecting on the humanity of Christ and his sufferings. then the whole journey from palm sunday and the excitement of the hosannas to the betrayal and utter darkness as the stripping of the altar commences the solemnity and sadness reflected in death. But then what joy comes in the morning...with the celebration of light and victory in Christ's resurrection! i think that the fresh blanket of powdery bright white snow and tranquility of the new morning on sunday up on the mountain whispered the brilliance of christ's love - how he has made us whole, our iniquities white as snow- and the peace that he desires to fill our hearts as we come to know his deep love. that was the best part of my day...those moments in the morning. then the day literally went downhill from there. oooohhh pun intended. :) and though on one level i had a good time- on another level i was an emotional reck culminating with a banged up shoulder on the last run ( how can that be, a two-leveled day -i don't know). and though i liked myself less and less that day, i look back and see the constant love that really spoke truth and grace into my life through brad's encouragement, long suffering (of me :) ) and compassion. i thank the Lord for the great love he gave and blesses us with through Himself and through his people.

2006-04-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a great time hanging out at a cabin on Mayne Island with our youth group at church.

2006-04-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

our retreat to Mayne Island with the youth group

run in the park

2006-04-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

today was just an amazing day! the epitome of spring with all the blossoms and the tiny freshgreen buds peeking through to see the big cloudless blue sky and the ocean shimmering from the bright warm sunshine! i ran through the park and down to the ocean on my lunch break ...ahhh it was so great. and the best part is that we will be living down there soon. we have found a new place to live. it is right south of downtown a block from the ocean and by the Beacon Hill Park. we look forward to living by the water and having much more sunshine in our place!

happy birthday brad!

2006-04-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

for the 30 year celebration... we had a fabulous surprise birthday party - thanks to all who helped me pull it off!... and then we spent sunday kayaking with tim and michelle! It was beautiful out on the water and the many seals we saw basking in the sunshine were entertaining. we also went to see hawksley workman playing here in town. he was absolutely brilliant!

2006-04-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

cherry blossom spring!

Sloths...definition of our blogging rate

2006-04-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

i have to admit that my monkey fetish may be waining now that i have been mildly studying sloths...this picture especially calls a sense of 'Awhh, aren't they cute?!!?' These i found on the Cute Overload site ..which i know particular friends will enjoy.
But mostly my new interest in sloths sparks from the fact that I think they are hilarious looking!
the pics that amuse me i found here at sloth world.
so life is going well....for us despite the longstanding silence of our blog. brad's finishing up with his last week of classes. the cherry blossoms are out and they have been beautiful for several weeks now. and we are in the midst of trying to find a new place to live....all well and exciting. infact i may go sign our monthly life away to a place this morning. :0) yay!

the K fam

2006-03-25T20:49:00.000-08:00

Jodi & Kevin

Drewess & H

we had fun with the K clan coming up to visit us here on the island!!! yay! Nothing like a few quick days of adventure, visiting and fun! Thanks you guys for coming all this way!

Oh Christmas Lamp, Oh Christmas Lamp!

2006-01-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas celebration in Moose Jaw around our very creatively decorated Christmas lamp - thanks to Bre and Elaine! We missed you John, Melinda, Sophia, & Marie!

The World's Biggest...

2006-01-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

PYSANKA and MOOSE ...just a couple of our adventures on our Christmas vacation. We had a whirlwind tour of the prairies visiting with family and friends.

sir bradley and the dragon

2005-12-15T23:45:00.000-08:00

sir bradley and the dragon.
you can see me somewhere in there - my little blueberry face :)

Ambrosia Seledecia Anthodopoulous the 18th

2005-12-15T23:44:00.000-08:00

may i present, Ambrosia Seledecia Anthodopoulous the 18th the vegetarian dragon!
so we have been super busy this month - brad with many exams and i with a play, The Dragon's Gift. it was a whole lot of fun to be a part of and also to find my inner dragonness.

The Sneaky Surprise Dinner Party!

2005-11-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

Beyond watching salmon in the pouring rain and brad diligently studying on Friday...our friends had schemed a sneaky surprise fondue dinner with strawberry shortcake for dessert for my birthday. It was a FABULOUS time - thanks M & T! It was a surprise and I had already had so much birthday fun the day before!

Salmon Run

2005-11-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

Friday, Veterans/Remembrance day held the adventure of braving the rains to see the salmon running....and well, yes, see them dying as well. I think we picked the only hour of the day that the rain was pouring down but nonetheless - it was worth it to see this amazing natural phenomenon. Though you can't tell in our pics there are tons of salmon swimming up stream in the water. But we captured the dead ones in full view. :) And then all these seagulls were sitting around with bulging stomachs too full to fly.We were amazed at how big the fish are, how many there are and how beat up they get during their mission to go up river, spawn and die.

I Love Lucy!

2005-11-07T22:27:00.000-08:00

Lucy is the best dog ever! A scrambling bundle of energetic enthusiasm as you can see - as she chases me wildly out on Cannon Beach, Oregon. And what an amazing place the Oregon coast is! The mystic atmosphere that hovers between the soft sandy vast beach and the mist hanging over the landforms suffering the bantering waves just off the rugged coast. We hope to go back soon- our visit back in august was way to short...and Lucy should come too -but only if she brings jen with her.

a crackling dark and drippy all hallows eve

2005-10-31T19:11:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I am hibernating. It is the first day following the end of daylight savings and it truly felt very much the light was spent quickly today. Too ambitious about the morning being brighter again, I biked to work leaving my 'reflective-oh-ever-so-bright-and-safe-biking gear', believing that the world would still be decently bright at the end of my work day. But the grayish overcast day did nothing but darken and trickle constant drops of rain....very fitting for a Haloween evening, I'd say. I made it safely home...on the bus. But with Brad off at class, I am sitting here in our basement suite enjoying the sounds of constant firecrackers. Apparently, that is the thing around here for Halloween. Firecrackers have been going off all week here and there - building up to today with a constant popping, screaming, and crackling. I don't think this is a Canadian thing, I think it's a Victoria thing - or maybe BC? I don't know- it feels all time warped, like the delayed Fourth of July celebration that never took place here.

Brad is a studying machine lately. Yesterday, we found a desk for him. Yay, now he has a space of his own - squished between all the other already taxed space of our tiny suite. Nonetheless, it is a space of his own and it makes a wonderful difference!
I have a space too, in the living room - my art table. It somehow takes over the whole living room. (maybe why brad needed his own space :) ) And that is what I am going to go preoccupy myself with the evening...listening to some blue rodeo and painting abstract creative pieces of art that hopefully some part of my being will make a connection. peaceout, j

Big Building

2005-10-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

The big building standing downtown brings me to my point and my present occupation. I, jenn, work in a little office on floor 11, the top one, and I am lucky enough to have a window that looks out onto mountains, ocean and a little island with a lighthouse.
I work in as a record/information manager with a smattering of research for policy analysts for the BC government. The people I work with are just fabulous, and that makes such a difference in the workplace.
Today, for instance I spent most of it digging through old files - analyzing, organizing, singing, culling, labelling, talking, and sticking them all into the computer; and I made posters for Darrion's meeting. And tomorrow...more adventures.

Welcome!!

2005-10-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone and welcome to our digital diary. We have decided to start our very own blog with the intention of keeping friends and family updated with regard to our comings and goings. For those of you on the blog bandwagon this will be old hat...for those of you new the world of blogs, welcome. We will be posting bits and pieces of our life and welcome you to say hello through the comment link below each entry.

Lake Cowichan

2005-10-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

Kayaking on Cowichan Lake during our rainy camping adventure with T&M.

Thanksgiving Dinner

2005-10-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Mmmm...and here's dinner - now that we finally got our other pics downloaded.Thanks M&D and Tim & Michelle for joining us!!

Tickled by our Tiled Top Table

2005-10-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

Our table, which had humble beginnings in our rickety Winnipeg garage, constructed out of old grungy 2x4s and OSB has now metamorphisized into a work of art. With new savy woodwork and colourful tiled top, we now can use it without a tablecloth!

Chowing Down in our Living Room

2005-10-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

Due to popular demand (aka Melinda) we have put up a few pictures of our place. It is a cozy one bedroom suite complete with fireplace and lots of storage space. We have enjoyed hosting many visitors this summer including Ryan and Kath from a way out in St Catharines.

Mmmmm...Thanksgiving Dinner

2005-10-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmm...Thanksgiving dinner....that's what we're cooking up here in our kitchen. It was a great delicious meal and we were blessed to share it with jenn's parents, joan and ron as well as some good friends from here on the island. And look! there is our new table we have just recently finished creating. yay!