Learning - A Series....part 1

As we were driving home from our first Christmas Adventure, I was contemplating the year we have had. It has been a year of unexpected turns,enduring hardships & many crazy occurrences. We have embraced a summer of camping, selling of our build, buying a beautiful home, new friends, new community and new opportunities. We have seen God's hand at work as He has prepared the way for us, gently guiding, comforting, and providing. And we have become closer as as family as we have responded to his voice and leading both in ministry and adoption. So at the end of 2012, I can honestly say it has all been worth it. God is good and He is faithful. Riley had felt from the very beginning of this journey (back in 2011) that he felt this would be from " strength to strength" and it has.
So to close 2012, I wanted to share with you 5 things that I have learned through this year. Each one will be a different post as there is too much to share in just one. So grab a tea, fins a comfy chair and join me as I share What God has been up to in my life.

FIRST THING I HAVE LEARNED 

Taking risks is way better than not. 

 Let me first say, that this is my husband's natural state and for this I am Very thankful. God has graciously allowed me to grow into risk taking, and this year was no exception. I have to say that the decision and the time leading up to the decision to move our family to another city, province and join another ministry was a huge risk for me. 
On paper, the pros far outweighed the cons for staying. And I fought it tooth and nail for a good 6 weeks. But the moment Riley share with me that he had received the call, I knew. That still small voice ( AKA the Holy Spirit) that said it was time to risk. To make a move. And when we made the decision and took the risk we leaned hard into God's faithfulness and provision. There were numerous things that happened that we kept asking why ( vehicles stolen, emergency surgery, failed offers on our home, etc.) but we kept going. And it was worth it. I know without a doubt that this is where God wants us for this time. 

I also learned the value of taking a risk with our adoption. As you know from previous posts, we are in the midst of another adoption of a sibling group (2-3 kids). When we first prayed about this possibility in August, I was unsure as that is a lot of additional people in the family! But again, that still small voice kept nudging me...against my doubts of finances, the 'stigma' of being a large family, how I could have enough time for that many children, and many more....We knew it was more than us just wanting this but that another call had been placed upon our lives. And taking the risk was a great move. We have so much support from our social worker & our new community, both of which were unknowns when we decided to go for it. and now, as we await 2013, we look forward to hopefully knowing and meeting the children that God has for our family.

Taking a risk & responding to God's call has given me new perspective and allowed me to be reminded of my priorities. Following hard after God (even when it is seemingly the toughest thing ever) is far more life giving than living in relative comfort and perceived contentment. I have learned more about God, myself, my marriage and my children through stepping into the risk and I am forever grateful for it. Hopefully it will prove to also be a reminder in the future as well!!! 

 Blessings,
Candra

It's Christmastime...

Christmas holidays have arrived & our kids are beside themselves with excitement. This year, we are with Riley's family for the beginning of the holidays and my family is coming to our new home in for New Years. I was joking with my dad that will have to have our first fire in our woodstove with his help ( our friends have been bugging us about doing this!). Christmas this year has had a completely different feel.
About a 2 1/2 weeks ago, Riley sustained a bad injury to his knee and continues to be on crutches. It is likely that he will need surgery but first we have to wait for an MRI (3+months). This development has led to me doing most of the driving, packing and packing up and unloading the van, all household chores etc. But it has also given me a new appreciation for all that my amazing husband does for me and for our family! I sure hope he is walking in the New Year.
Secondly, Riley's new job has given us a different rhythm and pace around the holidays. The students have been gone since the 14th and we ended the semester with a great staff party! The last week was full of Christmas concerts and hanging out with friends- it has been good. As we were heading out of town for the holidays, Riley and I both remarked that we already missed our home. That is a good sign that we have begun to put down roots in our new community, and for that we are truly thankful.
This Christmas also has a different feel as we continue to wait for our child(ren) from Ethiopia. Through advent, we began to learn a few phrases in Amharic along with our devotions. The kids continue to pray regularly for them ( as do we!) and are excited to welcome them home. Although we do not yet know who and how many, they are truly part of our family...we continue to pray hard for all the pieces to fall into place - for our home study to be approved in a quick timeline, for provincial approval letter to be signed and for our dossier to make its way overseas!!! God is so good and we thank and praise home for this incredible opportunity to expand out family-we continue to trust Him for all the practical aspects to be worked out as well!

So Merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of a King and reflect on His glory and grace!!!

Blessings,
Candra

A Quick Hi

Just wanted to pop by and give you all a quick update of our life...it has been a little bit hectic!

- Riley, last week had a knee injury playing basketball and likely re-tore his ACL. He had ACL recontsruction done in 2005. So he is on crutches for some of the holidays - hoping to be at least walking by Januaury...

- Riley also finished his first semester as Dean of Students at CLBI - it has been good and affirming. We know that at this time in our lives we are supposed to be here!

- Had 5 Christmas concerts in the last week! It was awesome and crazy busy but I did manage to videotape everyone of them for the grandparents and aunties and uncles!!

- We had our 7th annual christmas party and along with donations from our Saskatoon friends we raised 500 dollars for an organization out of Haiti! So much food and fun with 65 people in the house...

-we are healthy for Christmas. All of us had the flu in December but are all recovered - hope this is the last of it!

-AND...all of our necessary dossier documents have been sent to our agency - and they made it!! Woohoo!!! Our homestudy will be sent to the province tomorrow for approval (can take up to 6 weeks...ughh). We are praying for a much speedier approval and hope for February to get all of our paperwork to Ethiopia! We are so excited to have our children home and looking forward to the year and seeing what it brings....

I am sure there are many more things but that has been some of the highlights! Have a blessed Christmas....

Blessings from a couple in love and kids who are old enough to to say "yuck"!!

Candra

Where?

I had said in my last post that I had something exciting to say about our ongoing adoption adventure..

and...

Our home study is at our agency here in alberta for editing! That means that it has to pass through final approval with them and our province and then our dossier can be sent to our intercountry agency to be sent overseas! It also means that our part - what we can actively do - is almost done! It so exciting - and slightly nervewracking to consider that this has happened all in the last 2 months! 

So because our homestudy is in the hands of our agency and we have received approval from our province to go ahead with this homestudy, I felt that now is the time I can share with you the country from which our children will be from.

ETHIOPIA!!!!

Ethiopia is a country that has been on our hearts for almost 15 years  (yes, when we were first married!). Maybe because it was a country in Africa that we had heard so much about in the early 90's with famine sweeping the land. Maybe because my husband in particular, has always had an interest in missions in this part of the world. But maybe - just maybe -God was beginning to form in us a call to Africa. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this call would be in part to expand our family through adoption - not once but twice! And never did I think that I may need to get a vehicle larger than a minivan!! Ha! 

Our journey to South Africa 2 1/2 years ago unleashed passion for adoption that can only be described as a calling. God has blessed us with a great family and we feel that we have more room....room for a sibling group! We have been covering this in prayer as this is a huge step in expanding our family. There is the amount of children to consider, the trauma and grief that they have experienced thus far and how it has shaped and formed them, the financial commitment of the process and how adding additional children will impact our existing family. But we are praying not only for a smooth process and transition but for resources and support once they are home. We are praying for guidance, patience and grace for us. We are praying God's protection and provision on them even now. And we continue the adventure....

Blessings,

Candra

ps. For those of you who have followed our adoption process, our original dossier that was done through SK is still "active" although our new province will not update it until the country reopens. So God opened some other doors for us to continue....

Do for one...

"Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone." 

- Andy Stanley - 

This quote has been running around in my head for the last couple of days. I listed to a sermon by this pastor (who has fantastic ministry and insights in regards to leadership) on the way home from work and I was struck by its simplicity and also its  great impact that it could have. 

God is moving greatly in our new community with regards to orphan care. We were honoured to be able to speak at our new church last week about our story and about the broader picture of orphan care. So many stories after church about how adoption has impacted people's lives. Amazing.

And then we hosted a somewhat spur of the moment prayer night about orphan care and had over 15 adults there. And oh, were there hearts for orphan care. I got chills hearing their stores... 

 - a college student who feels called to foster care

- 2 families contemplating and (hopefully) moving towards adoption

- an RA who has a huge heart for the girls on her floor in university dorms

-another college student who is going on an overseas internship next year to work with children

-a young woman who is leading/discipling Gr. 9 girls in our community

- a lead pastor who prayed alongside us and is open to how the community of Christ should respond

- people praying alongside us for our adoption journey

It was awesome. And God was there.

And this week, for me personally God has been doing a great work in me. Turning my heart towards His people. In James 1:27 when it talks about taking care of the widow and the orphan - I got to see that this week. His great love for His people and how my willingness is all He needs.  A few stories from the week - 

At work, I am privileged to be able to serve those who access our Home Care services. I met with a gentleman who has just moved into one of the facilities. He is in his mid-nineties. He has lived a life full of many experiences. He lost his wife several years ago and as he was telling me this part tears filled his eyes. He said ''I sure do miss that wonderful woman. If I could tell these young couples anything it would be this - treasure your spouse." I just sat and listened. I tried to serve this man - a widower. And in turn, God gave me another glimpse of how much He cares for those who have lost and still grieve.

I get so excited when I get to hear about people considering adoption. In a matter of 12 hours, I touched base with 2 families. I got to chat with an amazing woman who feel the call to adopt. I was privileged to pray with her and have continued to pray for her and her husband as they wait on God...We then got an email, the next day, from another married couple who we count as dear friends (although we haven't seen them in a long time!) who feel that now is the time for adoption. Wow! We get to skype with them this week and hear their heart and my prayer is that we can encourage them in this journey and be of whatever help they need.

We have 3 sets of friends in SK (one is my sister and husband) who are waiting for their child through adoption. Next week, I get to present the cheques with money we raised for 2 of these families as a tangible - "We are behind you heart and soul". This was made possible through RUN 143 - a great organization raising money for orphan care - globally and locally.

So here is where the quote comes in. I can't save the world. I can't eradicate the orphan crisis in the world. I can't listen or be available to everyone  But I can do something for one. 

I can invest and engage and be present.

And pray that God would continue to guide my steps to do His work.

Blessings,

Candra

next post...update on our adoption. It is exciting!!!!

Adopting a child who is HIV+?

Hey everyone - it's Riley.

One of the situations that has changed for us over the previous year relates to our adoption plans in a way that we never shared publicly.  And we wanted to share it now in case it might be of some encouragement to someone out there. 

We had arranged our previous dossier to specifically adopt a child who is HIV positive.

There was a lot of research, connecting & learning that went into the preparation for this.  Now we are hoping that it will eventually be of some practical help or use in our lives.  Our new social worker was a bit shocked to find out about all of the preparation & reading that had been documented in our previous dossier - she had never seen anything like it.   The reasons we have gone a different direction have nothing to do with having a HIV+ child in our home, but have to do with a lot of external factors that we now need to consider (access to immediate specialists, dynamics of community/city, change in support systems, etc.).  And as stated before, we are now working with a different country where the children have different needs.

It’s ironic - I had some initial hesitation in beginning to consider pursing this and this past summer I found myself grieving the change.  I don’t think we realize just how heavily invested & attached we get to children we’ve never met during the waiting/praying/planning process.  For us, decisions in the moment & also future plans always take into consideration those children that are not in our family yet.  We had plans about how to talk to the child’s teachers, how to help our children cope with friendship difficulties arising from perceptions of this chronic illness, discussions with extended family about how to deal with our kids getting scrapes & cuts, etc.  It’s a bit stressful bringing up the topic to family & friends who may not be supportive of such a unique situation!  And now this preparation gets set aside...

There are a lot of great resources and information available if you are ever interested in learning more.  Tragically, most people’s understanding (& mine to begin with) was stuck in the 1980’s.  

So why share this detail now?  If we can be of any support or encouragement to those of you who are interested in caring for a child with HIV (via adoption or foster care), please let us know.  Or if you need someone praying for you, we would love to get behind you in any way we can!

Defend the cause of the Fatherless....

November 4th is Orphan Sunday...a time for churches around the world to open their eyes, take action and pray for the over 143  million orphans in our world. We have been privileged to be a part of this movement over the last few years and again are excited what God has in store for this year. We have approached our brand new church about having it be a part of the service (we are waiting to here back) and will have a time of prayer at our house that Sunday evening...

As followers of Christ, we are commanded to care for the orphan. Tangible ways include adoption, foster care & sponsorship. If you do not feel any of theses options are for you, PLEASE consider getting behind an adoptive or foster family - financially, prayerfully, or other tangible ways (housekeeping, laundry, cooking, babysitting etc.). The options are endless!!!

Let's love to kids with everything we have. 

Let's risk for His sake...

Begin again

I am hoping, now that things have settled a little but that my blog may get more attention. There are so many things that I think " oh I should blog about this" and then time gets away and it has passed. So I mostly want to talk about adoption today but thought I should give you some highlights of my last month:
1. Painting and decorating our main areas - I still have to finish the kitchen...just need to get motivated!
2. Hosting people in our home - we co-lead a discipleship group from the Bible School and have started a life group with our church (10adults and 15 kids...so good!)
3. Having Thanksgiving in our new home with family and friends!
4. Being more settled in my jobs. And actually enjoying my commute to work on Wednesdays...am going through a Beth Moore Bible Study on Wisdom (on CD in my van)!
5. Enjoying more relaxed time with my man- with less weekend commitments and no house to build I feel like we have TONNES of time!
6. Going to Edmonton (more than once) to shop
7. Seeing my kids develop friendships and become more and more settled in our new community.
8. Laughing a lot more
9. Getting on track with a budget again - really, truly this is relaxing and freeing for me and our family- moving is crazy in terms of finances and transitions. Espceially when 2 vehicles are needed. So it is all good now.
10. And beginning a new season in our ADOPTION!

So in one of my last posts I explained our decision to open up another file for another country...we have been super excited to begin the process and have started our criminal record checks, references, the paperwork for our home study and my husband (he is incredible) has initiated emails with all parties involved (province, agency, our home study agency, CIC etc.) I was privileged to be able to attend a seminar on international adoption which is required by our provincial agency and it was great to connect and realize that our experiences with little man are beginning to prepare us for the realities of what is to come. Not all mind you.
This time around we are hoping to adopt a sibling group. Of older children (somewhere between the ages of 2 & 9). We have prayed over this and wondered if we are crazy. Maybe. But God has impressed it more on our hearts each day that we have the capacity (with God and our support system), the space ( a gorgeous new home), the resources (although the financial ones seem daunting some days), eager kids (who asked for 6-10 sibling:)!!!) and the commitment to see this through. Our thoughts and prayers are not without doubt, uncertainties and if I am completely hones- straight out fear. But we have begun the preparation - we have ordered more books an adopting older children, started examining our own lives & desires and have recognized the challenges that this may bring.
I am reading a book in which it says,

"commitment, rather than love , is a key element to long term success in an adoptive family. The feeling  of love can be elusive to us parents during times of prolonged stress and unrewarding parent/child relationships"- B. McCreight (Parenting your adopted older child)

God is showing us more of Himself as we begin this process in our new province. He is also causing us to examine our own lives, our priorities and what we as parents & as a family want to be about. And we want to be about being open to having our lives stirred up for His glory and for His sake. Amidst the challenges that will inevitably come, we long to see His face, to be His hands and feet, and to have more kids!! We have the opportunity once again to grow our family through adoption- so please join me/us and we begin another part of this adventure!

Tomorrow we begin our home study in our new home with our new social worker...here we go.

our new home- with many memories to come

Blessings,
Candra

Fall begins!

First day of school

Gr 2 & Gr 4

First day of preschool

And well...just because he is cute!

Blessings,

Candra

Newness...and update on our adoption

It has been a while. We have been settling in our new home in our new province. We have a new school, new church community, new jobs, new routines. And it has been busy, but good. The smaller city that we have moved to is I think, just what we need. Although I would have never admitted that a few months ago! The commute is short, life runs at a little different pace, we have a fabulous home overlooking the park and golf course (with lots of room for company...hint, hint:)) and the kids are now involved in multiple activities (dance, soccer, piano, preschool!). I am working three days a week, which has been awesome - the kids really enjoy their new daycare. Riley's work has been a good change for him. Although this week alone he is teaching a class, speaking in Camore at a Regional pastor's retreat and preaching twice! So definitely not less busy but we know that it is right where God wants us at this time.
So with all this, our adoption adventure continues. And of course, it is not just an easy smooth transition! Our dossier from SK is in country - however, that country is still on hold and nothing is moving. So we have been advised (wisely I think) by our new province to not update that dossier yet as things are not moving and documents may get outdated without movement happening. So we will wait on that. However, in our new province their guidelines allow adoptive families to pursue up to 3 countries at one time. So, we have chosen to open a file with another country as well! We begin our home study in October and are busy filling out pages and pages of documents that are required... Our references have so graciously and willingly helped us out in a quick timeline and we are ready to go.
Navigating the system takes time - it is new to us and we don't have relationships yet with people in this system. But we feel that God has opened these doors - we are responding by stepping through them.
We still don't know which country our next child(ren) will be from  - but we do know that God is holding them in the palm of His hand and we will be obedient and do all we can to bring them home!

Blessings,
Candra

The next chapter begins...

I am completely and utterly exhausted, in both some seemingly difficult and wonderfully good ways. Here is why...

The beginning of the week marked a kairos moment for our family as we finally transitioned to our new city. We have not yet gained possession of our home so we are so blessed to be able to use a friend's home for the first 2 weeks of this adventure. Bright and early Monday morning we arrived a VBS, put on by the church we will be attending. The week was a godsend for the kids as they met new friends, got to have so much fun and learn about God. Even though little man was too young, we hung out, made connections with some of the adults and he stole the hearts and attention from most of the junior high girls that were helping!
We spent our evenings out- a visit with my grandma, a staff BBQ, bringing a meal to new friends who have just adopted a gorgeous 14 month old boy, and a play park visit to the most awesome school play park ( where we also met a family who had adopted their daughter- and just so happened to be the accountant we met with yesterday !). Yesterday, we trekked over to our new daycare providers house for a visit and a play. They love her already and have been asking all day to go back! It is an answer to prayer for all of us....
I think we are all looking forward to the stability and routine of school, activities, and work - as well as our OWN home! So we are to close the deal on our home build in saskatoon today- which will be a relief . It has been such a rough road to this and of course it would not be complete without several more tense moments in the final hours but all seems to be OK now. All in all, it has been a tremendously amazing experience which accomplished to goals we set out to do- have a bigger space in which to continue to grow our family( didn't think it would be a different home but hey!), continue to finance our adoption and learn new skills.

And amidst all this, complete with purchasing new vehicles( due to breakdowns) and settling, we recognize God's faithfulness to our family. We have met several young families already. We have met 4 families who have adopted- one of which just moved here 2 weeks ago, adopted interacially about the same time we did and have 5 kids (of which the 3 year old twins are adopted...same age as little man!)- God's providence. We have spoken to Alberta Adoptive services and they seem readily available to assist us in transitioning our file. We have some decisions to make but they are good and need to be made as a result of our move. We have seen that our new city is more culturally diverse than we first thought and the kids will be connected to a school in China through their school!

Moving is tough, more than tough- I think it breaks your heart in a million pieces. But God is so good. We are truly in awe of how Christ's body works and how we have been encouraged and lifted up in prayer. The last 9 months have been the most difficult of our lives ( I told myself I wouldn't make a list of everything that has gone wrong/crazy) but He has been faithful and will continue to be faithful. We have learned so much. We are exhausted, but rest will come. And this adventure will only continue and we are looking forward to seeing how it unfolds in the next chapter.

blessings,
candra

You and me together

Let me just say tonite...one thing. I am so thankful for my husband. A week from tomorrow is our 14 th wedding anniversary. And 19 years of knowing my best friend. We are stronger than ever- I love him with all that I am. And through the craziness and journey of this life, there is no better companion. Thanks Riley for making the good times phenomenal and the tough times more than bearable.

By faith...living life

I promise I will post about our holiday soon - it was fabulous...maybe more than fabulous- epic. but for now I am going to lay it out there. It has not been an easy month. we have had more ups and downs than I have ever experienced before.
Ups
Tofino with the family and great friends
Relaxing and needed time in Vernon with family's and friends
Going "home" to Waterton National Park complete with ice cream and hiking
Hanging out with family and sleeping in a warm place at a family reunion.

Downs
2 offers and 2 almost offers that have fallen through on our home
More delays on the adoption front
Not yet having a place to call home in our new community
Blowing a tire at 11:30 at night just outside of Kamploops ( an hour from our destination)
Fevers for the kids to end Waterton
A contagious virus for my 2 little ones
A hiccup in our most recent offer with our house ( still alive though!)
A flu bug with my littlest
Having our family separated by distance as my husband starts his new position

A verse/ passage that came to mind today was Hebrews 11. By faith. A famous passage that is used many times in sermons, illustrations, and other speeches. IT is a Biblical Hall of fame. But it also spoke to me. I don't think I have ever lived on more faith than I have right now...and I am learning that faith is a growing thing. I don't think I will ever arrive but rather learn to trust God more and lean on Him more.
I will admit it. Am a rather independent person who like to organize, plan and set goals. I can be flexible though and go with the flow... When I know what the end goal is! this last season has been so different than any of that. Even with my goal setting, plan making and organization- it has not worked out the way I thought it should. By faith. There is a purpose in all this. learning to live by faith. Recognizing and valuing the importance of friends and family as we crash at different people's houses, living out of our van for a month and enjoying it, seeing the life giving value of being interdependent sometimes, and trusting that it will work out. These are learning points of this last season. Really, really hard to learn some days.
So we will keep going- Riley and I have tried to live by this saying

" I want to live life with you, not be distracted by it"

And that we will. To end... Living life in Tofino!

Blessings,
Candra

Thoughts from a mountain house

We are officially back on the mainland and resting comfortably in our wonderful friends home in the mountains. It is a gorgeous home by the way! Part one of our family vacation was great- a little chilly but good. hightlights from the week included surfing ( riley plus three big kids), playing and hanging out with friends, daily chais ( for me:)), campfires, interpretive programs and our whale watching adventure!We saw humpbacks and a gray whale- but not to be outdone, Rley saw a gray whale WHILE surfing. coolest moment of the trip for him. But the trip was not without it's struggles.In my last post I talked about jumping in with 2 feet. I tried. I really tried. But it seems to be getting harder by the minute. The uncertainty of what we are heading into is tough for me. We both have jobs ( thankful) but as of yet, no place to live and our house hasn't sold. we had 2 almost offers this week and they both fell through. So far. On the adoption front, the delays are looking longer and so As it stands, we will likely have to do our all of our updating in our new province. hard to hear and frustrating. We so want to meet the next little Sexton! But a phrase that I am trying to cling to. " God is good. all the time." This is so hard to remember when life's circumstances seem out of control. Take last night for instance- we were just an hour from our destination ( 11:30pm at nite)-and our tire completely blows out. But in the wisdom of my husbands words- we are all safe, thank goodness we are just minutes outside of kamloops and not going down a mountain pass- I was reminded that God is good. He protects us. I will admit I have had moments of anger, frustration and almost complete shutdown. sometimes it feels like too much. That nothing seems to be working out. I know that this will soon pass and life will continue on. I want so much for it to be the way I planned in my head- but that is not God's way. He says " For I know the plans I have for you..." I need to remember that he has a plan and it does include us answering His call. now I just have to continue to trust His plan. I do hope it comes with resolution to this house stuff and adoption stuff soon though:) haven great evening! will write more complete with pictures about our pacific rim adventure! Blessings, andra

Beginning of Tofino....

July 17th

I officially got carsick today- not to bad mind you, but for a girl who can read in the car and never gets sick it is a feeling I don't often experience. In my defense, I was turned around giving snacks, calming kids down and giving more snacks. But the slightly ill feelings were all worth it for the drive between Port Alberni and Tofino. What a gorgeous drive with mountains and lakes and culminating at the Pacific ocean!
And are we ever going to have a blast this year! The kids got out of the van and started running and haven't stopped....we set up camp, had a quick supper and headed for the beach. A quite cool beach but a beach none the less. And the kids- all 4 of them were into the water no questions asked! They weren't in bathing suits, and I hadn't brought a towel but they didn't care. They loved it! Riley was ready to check out another site- a 14 foot dead shark washed up on the beach a ways down...but I said maybe not tonight. Wanted the kids to sleep....
I was so fun to watch the kids tonight and I was reminded that sometimes , or more than sometimes, we are not always prepared for what life throws at us. But to look at it with a couple of degrees difference and jump right in an go with it and make the most of it- may just be the best way to live. Tomorrow the house we have had an offer on officially goes on the market- meaning we may not get it if our house doesn't sell SOON. But I am trying to just live this week- enjoy vacation and trust that God's plan is best and He will care for us. And I am also praying that our house will sell soon:)
So I am going to jump in with 2 feet this week, maybe see a shark and live life with my family and some awesome friends that are joining us tomorrow!! Until next time...
Blessings,
Candra

road trip...beginning of vaca!!

July 16
we are on our way to Vancouver today- a 10 hour drive through the mountains. With stops, I estimate that it will be about 14 hours so it is a road trip day. I have been looking forward to this day for a while. Being in the vehicle- nowhere to be, just driving throughGod's beautiful creation . I absolutely love the mountains and if I am honest- very excited to live closer to them!! So many good memories and can't wait to make more.
Yesterday was a hard but good day. We left Saskatoon in the morning as and we drove out I cried- we have lived in Saskatoon for almost 13 years- the longest I have lived anywhere - and it is home. So leaving with just our van and no keys for any houses and no phones felt very strange and sad. It has been a place of tremendous blessings, memories and friendships. And we look forward to continuing them as we move.
So we arrived in Calgary in early evening to my brother and sister in law's house- to an amazing meal and homemade ice cream sandwiches! So good... We realized we haven't been west in almost 2 years which is almost unheard of for us. So it was good to be in Calgary, connect with family and then head out this morning. With Starbucks and second cup in hand.

It is sometimes good to just go-as much as I fight it I am relaxed. I have not been relaxed in almost 6 months. Our house is still not sold ( praying for a miracle!), we don't have a place in Camrose yet, all of our earthly possessions are in storage. It has been hard to relax. To enjoy life's moments. To trust. To believe that God is good. All the time.
I realized that yesterday. That amidst the chaos. The uncertainty. God is good. All the time. I finished a book on the road yesterday called Love does by bob Goff. I would highly recommend it. Here is a quote that struck me

"We're part of God's much bigger plan for the whole world.Just like God's son arrived here, so did you. And after Jesus arrived, God whispered to all of humanity..."it's your move." Heaven's been leaning over the rails in the same way ever since you got here, waiting to see what you will do with your life."

So with all the transitions, God has been prodding me with the question "what's your next step?" And I think over the next three weeks of holidays, I will take time to seriously consider this and remember to thank God cause He is good. all the time.

Blessings,
Candra

The run

July 15....

RUN 143
The last 3 days was the 3rd annual RUN 143- an ultramarathon to raise awareness and money for orphans and adoption. We are honored to be able to support 2 baby homes internationally, the adoption support centre here in our province and TWO families who are in the process of adoption.
This crazy idea was birthed in our living room almost 4 years ago by friends of ours who wanted to support us on our journey of adoption. since then and including this year, we have raised over 50000 dollars for families and orphans around the world! It has been a tremendous and overwhelming blessing to see how God has used a crazy idea to not only raise money but the profile of adoption and it impact on many, many people!
This year we had five runners complete the whole run ( 143km) and another 4 who did the whole run through a combination of running & biking. We had four bikers who did the whole distance in a day- double from last year! We had about 20 join for the last 10k and 5k - including my 8 year old and 4 year olds girls....super proud of them! (And I got to do 50 k over the course of the 3 days - 10 k for each of my beautiful kids. ) And about 100 people showed for the BBQ in support of the cause- humbled and amazed. God does big things when you step out and take a risk.
Not only were we successful at what we set out to do but more importantly, relationships were built, conversations were had and the purpose behind what we do was evident. One participant who ran the whole thing said that " this was the best life experience she has ever had & looking forward to seeing everyone again soon!" Another support staff ( who was out for the first time) has already said she will be back next year and has already recruited another runner.
This is significant. People building relationships. God being a part of it. people getting cared for. People being supported, loved and encouraged. And little ones given hope and soon ( hopefully very soon...) a family.

Thanks to everyone who was a part of RUN143 this year. Your willingness to do whatever and be involved is awesome!!!
See you next year...JULY 11-13, 2013!

Blessings,
Candra

Ps. The website www.run143.com is up all year long with PayPal. So if y of feel that this is something you would like to donate to now, or throughout the year, please know that it is always available....

Learning...Part 2

SECOND THING I HAVE LEARNED....
Responding to God's call, however hard it is, is necessary to learn and grow and move forward in the adventure of the life God has set before us

I had a great conversation with a lady at church today about our adoption. She was unaware of our circumstance and had a lot of questions about our adoption, Ethiopia and adopting older children. She was genuinely interested and educated ( being an adoptive mother herself) and one question, I thought was particularly poignant. She asked" so are you adopting older children because it is faster or because you really want an older child?"
Between the lines, the question to me read " is it easier or is there something more?" We believe 100 percent that this adventure is a response to God's call in our lives. The desire to have more children is there ( but wasn't always), our kids are excited about it but there is an undercurrent that is more than just expanding our family. John Piper puts it this way " Adoption is God putting his grace on display most beautifully". It is tangible. It is missional living- i think i may write a post on just this at some point! It is learning more about who God is, through living life with another human being. it is a response.
So I have responded. And have put that response to action, along with my husband and kids. And as many of you now, I will take any chance I get to share my passion about adoption!!!
2012 brought with it many emotions that were unearthed as we responded to God's leading in many areas of our lives. In no particular order-
- finishing building our home that we knew we would not live in
- saying yes to a call to ministry in a new community- which took us away from a gret community
- responding to the diagnosis of a chronic condition with one of our children
- committing to adopting older child(ren)
- responding to my husband's leading and trusting Him as we spent the summer Camping ( it was a blast!)
- responding to God as he gently walking beside us as 4 house offers fell through, not knowing where we going to live 2 weeks before we moved, and then moving into a wonderful friends home for a couple of weeks (as she moved out) before we took possession of our new home.
The key learning point-respond and then trust.
All of this looks a little simpler when written down but life is messy. There are variable factors in everyday life that can either make things easier or harder. But I have learned more, grown more, trusted more and hopefully people have seen a little glimpse of Jesus through me.

Blessings,
Candra

No turning back....

There's been a few things stuck in my mind over the last few days. The most important is probably the lyrics to 'I Have Decided'. The other is a line that is more comical from 'Finding Nemo': just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming....

The deal on selling our house fell thru. We're back at square one (if square one means no rental home and no house to move into....)

So... we just started living with one of Candra's sisters and leave the province soon for 2 weeks of camping. Beyond that we have no place to stay! FYI, probably don't joke about that with my bride. Even if the short term flexibility of a nomad life is appealing to you... it's still a bad idea. A blue minivan is not the dream home to raise a family in - although it does have the great summer feature of air conditioning!

Movement is necessary for any living organism, so we are choosing movement instead of stalling, getting stuck or paralysis. Today that means cleaning the rental, putting away Candra's work things (her last day was yesterday), bugging people about Run 143 (in 2 days!!!!) and laughing with my kids.

No turning back!
Riley

Resolution week

It's been a week with a lot of resolutions...

The older kids finished up their school year, said goodbye to their school friends and teachers, and packed up their supplies.  There have definitely been some tears shed.

And 'the littles' had their year end party at daycare and said goodbye to the only weekly babysitter they have ever known (one of our kids thought we were instantly moving to Camrose to live.... I'm glad she was at least excited!).

Our stolen (and recovered) van was officially written off & settled this week.  I am amazed at how many random stupid things keep happening to us beyond the big ones we've shared....  That was the same van that had the tire shredded in -30 weather when Candra was trying to get to the hospital to pick me up from my appendix surgery.  And the same one that has stranded us a few times this year and had the same thing fixed more than once as a result.  I may have secretly thanked God for someone joyriding with it, wrecking every exterior part possible & trying to light it on fire....

Candra began to have her work farewells with colleagues as they begin to go on summer vacation and she's been sharing with all the families she works that she is moving.  She's got 3 working days left before vacation time starts!

Candra also officially accepted a job in Camrose - so no more applying for jobs or worrying about that!

Our run-around car was sold (without advertising).  The '97 neon is not exactly a 'classic ride' and we don't want to try to safety it in another province.  A friend approached us wondering if we would be interested in selling it.  YEP!

I finished up all of the last paperwork/details & am officially finished my employment with the church.

A little thing - but someone is also taking over our cell phone contract (specific to our province).  No penalty buyout fees!

As a partial resolution - we found out that families working with the same country as us are getting adoption referrals (pumped for them)!  Now for the final step of CIC giving the green light...

And....  it looks like our house is SOLD!  2 offers in one night!  The day that we will leave for family vacation (camping!) and give up possession of our rental will also be the day that the new owners should get possession of the build.

So as you can tell, it's been a very full week (along with now packing & lots to finish up at the build).  We generally expect that following God's leading means we should expect opposition & trouble along with it.  After a long & difficult 6+ month fight with life, it's nice to have virtually all the pieces come crashing together in 6 short days.  Finesse is nice, but I can certainly appreciate the 'BAM - here it is' approach of resolutions this past week.

Now for divine help with an adoption referral for a son/daughter, a pastor for the church we just moved  from, confirming our potential home in Camrose and daycare!

Riley

In a nutshell

well there is some good news to report! Out provincial authorities agreed to give referrals prior to the CIC reopening. I definitely see this as a positive as there are children - in person not just in theory- that can be advocated for! We have been waiting 14 months and at times, has been tough to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. But God has been so faithful and we are confident that all of this waiting will come to an end soon.
We pray & think about our little one often... The kids often ask if we have had heard anything- they are so excited for another brother/ sister to play with! We are praying that even with our family's transition, that all will happen at the right time.
On Monday, I felt strongly that I was supposed to fast and so for the day I did. I definitely felt that God was asking - Do you trust me? Does ALL of you trust me? WIll you lay down your worries and let me love you? With the move, selling, finding a job, daycare, RUN 143, adoption, saying goodbyes and jumping into a new adventure- the only answer I could give is yes. I am not able to carry this- but " I can do all things through Christ who gives ms strength ". So amidst waiting and the good small steps of our adoption and amidst the chaos of the move I choose to trust!

And speaking of trust and faithfulness - we are so excited to let you know again that the 3rd annual RUN 143 is set to take place on July 12-14! It is an ultra marathon that is raising awareness and money for adoption and orphans. we will be supporting 2 families , 2 baby homes internationally and our local adoption support centre. We have9 runners doing the whole thing and 4 bikers!!!! our biggest yet! if you are interested in supporting us, check out www.run143.com. Our blog (www.run143.blogspot.com) will be updated frequently as well! We continue to be amazed at how God has used this run to bring hope and joy to families and children!

I think that is all for now. My thoughts in a nutshell.
Blessings,
Candra

And the beat goes on....

It's Riley again (that's my gift to you today - a 'head's up' so you can save time by not reading what follows!).

Every few months I find myself asking 'Is time a blessing or a curse?'  I didn't come up with the question, but I think it's an important one.

In the midst of saying goodbye to a dearly loved church, wrapping up the kids' school year, waiting for our house to sell, worrying about our unmet son/daughter (no great news to share about the program fully functional yet), Candra applying for jobs, looking for daycare in a new city, moving out of our rental soon with nowhere to move to, etc..... it's too easy for time to seem like a curse.  Too often we are worrying that we don't have enough time or that it's moving on too rapidly for what we think should get accomplished.

But maybe each tick of the clock could remind us that there are seasons & rhythms & progress & cadence arranged by God even when we just want to shut down, complain or zone out.  Maybe it's a reminder that everything has a place for redemption - even the moments we fail in or want to forget or just escape.

Time is a gift. Even in some of Jesus's first words to his disciples he said 'The time has come...'

I find myself often being aware of what time it is in #5's country and praying for what they might be doing.  It's the weird kind of thing that you don't think about unless you have been in (or thru) an adoption process.  I'm trying to remind myself that every minute we wait for our next child or our house to sell or _______ is not another waste but another minute closer to seeing a slightly better glimpse of God's unfolding plan.  And I've been learning how time is even a tool in the hand of Almighty God to shape us, prepare us, and draw us closer to the best (not easiest) things of life.  In His hands he uses time to heal, soften, arranges pieces in new ways, and deliver.

Time is a gift.
Unless you forget sunscreen while working on a ladder on a day that felt like +37.... That was me today installing cedar shakes on our build.  Having time to work was a gift - sunburn was not!
R

Following

“Following God’s call isn’t easy. He expects us to trust Him explicitly, and yet He doesn’t ask our advice on decisions that may impact us dramatically. He doesn’t tell us His specific plans at any given point in our lives. He doesn’t always shelter us from adversity. He tests our faith to produce endurance and spiritual maturity – tests that are sometimes painful. He makes some promises that we’ll never see fulfilled in this life.”

Can't remember where I got this quote from but it has been waiting in my draft box to post. This quote exactly quantifies what I have experienced and felt over the last almost 6 months. 6 months ago we decided to take a complete step of faith and follow God's call to move provinces. My husband has accepted a position as a Dean of students at a Bible College and we are excited about the opportunities that are ahead of us!

To get to this point hasn't been easy and many moments of each day are still not easy. in amidst this decision lies a lot of uncertainty and sadness -

Leaving the most amazing church we have had the privilege of being a part of!
Never getting to live in our dream house that we built for our ever expanding family(which you can pray will sell soon!)
Having to uproot our kids from their new school
Not being close to my parents and sister who now would live in the same area of the city as us
For me, I have the most amazing job as a pediatric physical therapist.
And a great group of friends that we have made over the last 13 years

So we have been asked over and over again if we should just stay. It seems to make more sense. And as much as we have had moments of questioning, when God calls you, you just know that you have to follow. And it isn't always supposed to make sense. The part of the quote that says that He doesn't shelter us from adversity has been especially true since we have made this decision...

My husband had emergency appendix surgery
My son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
Two rounds of sickness
our van died and needed to be fixed
Our other van was stolen and totaled
Our house hasn't sold
Our adoption is still on hold
We don't have a house yet in our new city.
there is not a new pastor for our church yet

So what has God been teaching me through this season? These experiences and moments have tested me and my faith. I have been angry, sad, confused, and have asked many times why. But i have grown in my understanding of my faith and my relationship with Jesus. So here is what i have learned and am continuing to learn(with some that I will probably forget!)

1. That I need to give up control - this happens over and over again in a day and I need to be reminded that God is in control and will provide and lead me
2. that amidst the adversity and craziness of the season, there is and will continue to be joy and hope! we have had so many good times as a family complete with a family holiday ( more to come on that- it was a blast!)
3. to be thankful for the blessings in my life - I have the most incredible husband, four great kids who are happy ( mostly!) , great friends and we are all healthy and provided for
4. that He provides- not always how I think it should happen ( in fact almost never!)

For the last few weeks at my job, I have begun to tell the families that I will soon be done. Although I rarely talk about it, my job has been a wonderful ministry for me. I pray for these kids and their families that I work with, bring hope and joy to many of them (hopefully) and develop relationships! How cool is that? Anyways, after I told one of the families that I would soon be gone, the next appointment they brought me a gift - with the verse Jeremiah 29:11 on it. Because I had told them my husband was a pastor. Again, how cool is that? It has been on my desk ever since and had been running through my head before then.

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord " plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God's call isn't easy. At least ours hasn't been. But he promises hope and a future. And I will keep holding onto that. Everyday.

Blessings,

Candra

Selling our house

we need to sell our house. it was our dream house, custom designed with tonnes of functional space and room for everyone as they grow! The kitchen is spacious with a fabulous 6 burner gas stove and the ensuite was inspired by many of the spa bathrooms we have seen! And custom to the house- an oversized pantry and a walk in linen closet. The basement is completely finished too!
it has many many upgrades, and is located on a gorgeous lot with a spectacular view of our prairie sunsets !!!
if you or someone you know are looking to buy in saskatoon, please pass this on.

AND...there is an open house this weekend. Saturday from 1-4!

http://www.realtor.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?PropertyID=11860613&PidKey=-1944965427

Thanks for your help!
Blessings,
candra

Update

Hi everyone - Riley here.  Candra & I have decided to join forces on this blog (maybe so that we post more than every 2 months!).  My blog has pretty much come to a close and our story is turning to a new chapter.

The long & short version of why my blog is finished is this:
- the house we've been investing ourselves in for almost 2 years is basically finished
- we will never live in it & have to sell it

This summer we move to Camrose, Alberta where I will be working as the 'Dean of Students' at a Bible college.

It's been the toughest months of our married lives as we deal with being called elsewhere & saying goodbye to the church we love and invested our entire lives in over the last 7 years since we started it, grieving our dream home (we designed and built from the footings up & sacrificed to make it happen...), trying to transition our kids from an amazing situation into the unknown, deal with injuries & surgeries & diabetes diagnosis, asking Candra to resign from her dream job, moving away from most of our family, leading the call process for my successor, being 20 months into the adoption process, etc.  So if you need a reason why we've been quiet online, that's why.

Candra - you are an incredible wife, mother & friend.  Even in the midst of a lot of insanity over the last 5 months you have remained open, engaged, stable, loving and continued to be my best friend.  Thanks for being you - you are swempe!

R

another beautiful year

2 years ago we met our son. It was a beautiful day. We are so blessed by and through him.

2010

2012

Blessings,

Candra

forever changed

I have been pretty quiet lately - our lives have been full. Here is a glimpse. And by the way - my son is a rockstar. So proud of who he is and the young man he is becoming. 

March 2...our lives have been forever changed. Type 1 diabetes is no longer a medical condition to just support or to have head knowledge about - it is part of us...part of our family. And we will embrace it together as a family. I am proud to have four children that call me mom. I am blessed. I am particularly proud of my confident son today as he begins this journey with us standing beside him, in front of him and behind him.

every step of the way.

praying 

loving

laughing

experiencing

adventuring

Taste and see that the LORD is good; 

   blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 

 Fear the LORD, you his holy people, 

   for those who fear him lack nothing. 

 The lions may grow weak and hungry, 

   but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 

Blessings,

Candra

the week

this week has been, at least it seems, a very long one. it started with my parents being in helping (which was amazing) with the kids...
I am working full time til the end of march, which seemed like a good idea until appendix surgery for my husband. So even though things were likely not as crazy as they seemed in my head- most of the household chores became mine for a while! then on Thursday, a child took a gun to my kids school and it discharged in the child's backpack - no one was hurt. thankfully. But for my big girl, the trauma of it has thrown her for a loop and she has stuck pretty close to our sides this weekend. And finally this morning, I woke up with the stomach flu. I am praying it is a less than 24 hour thing and that it is the ned of our family's run in with sickness- not the beginning of round 2. The joy in it has to watch my older son take care of his brother this morning...he is so caring and patient with him. We just didn't think taking all 4 kids to church with a husband who is still recovering and has to lead service and preach was a good idea!

If there is a bright side to all of this, it is that I am learning to continually to trust deeper in God's provision of my life & the life of our family. I cannot do it on my own. But here is hoping I can hold down some water and pretzels and get outside to watch my kids toboggan. they have been looking forward to it all weekend!

Hope you are reminded of the provision that God has given you....

Blessings,
Candra

Following

“Following God’s call isn’t easy. He expects us to trust Him explicitly, and yet He doesn’t ask our advice on decisions that may impact us dramatically. He doesn’t tell us His specific plans at any given point in our lives. He doesn’t always shelter us from adversity. He tests our faith to produce endurance and spiritual maturity – tests that are sometimes painful. He makes some promises that we’ll never see fulfilled in this life.”

Can't remember where I got this quote from but it has been waiting in my draft box to post. This quote exactly quantifies what I have experienced and felt over the last almost 6 months. 6 months ago we decided to take a complete step of faith and follow God's call to move provinces. My husband has accepted a position as a Dean of students at a Bible College and we are excited about the opportunities that are ahead of us!

To get to this point hasn't been easy and many moments of each day are still not easy. in amidst this decision lies a lot of uncertainty and sadness -

Leaving the most amazing church we have had the privilege of being a part of!
Never getting to live in our dream house that we built for our ever expanding family(which you can pray will sell soon!)
Having to uproot our kids from their new school
Not being close to my parents and sister who now would live in the same area of the city as us
For me, I have the most amazing job as a pediatric physical therapist.
And a great group of friends that we have made over the last 13 years

So we have been asked over and over again if we should just stay. It seems to make more sense. And as much as we have had moments of questioning, when God calls you, you just know that you have to follow. And it isn't always supposed to make sense. The part of the quote that says that He doesn't shelter us from adversity has been especially true since we have made this decision...

My husband had emergency appendix surgery
My son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
Two rounds of sickness
our van died and needed to be fixed
Our other van was stolen and totaled
Our house hasn't sold
Our adoption is still on hold
We don't have a house yet in our new city.
there is not a new pastor for our church yet

So what has God been teaching me through this season? These experiences and moments have tested me and my faith. I have been angry, sad, confused, and have asked many times why. But i have grown in my understanding of my faith and my relationship with Jesus. So here is what i have learned and am continuing to learn(with some that I will probably forget!)

1. That I need to give up control - this happens over and over again in a day and I need to be reminded that God is in control and will provide and lead me
2. that amidst the adversity and craziness of the season, there is and will continue to be joy and hope! we have had so many good times as a family complete with a family holiday ( more to come on that- it was a blast!)
3. to be thankful for the blessings in my life - I have the most incredible husband, four great kids who are happy ( mostly!) , great friends and we are all healthy and provided for
4. that He provides- not always how I think it should happen ( in fact almost never!)

For the last few weeks at my job, I have begun to tell the families that I will soon be done. Although I rarely talk about it, my job has been a wonderful ministry for me. I pray for these kids and their families that I work with, bring hope and joy to many of them (hopefully) and develop relationships! How cool is that? Anyways, after I told one of the families that I would soon be gone, the next appointment they brought me a gift - with the verse Jeremiah 29:11 on it. Because I had told them my husband was a pastor. Again, how cool is that? It has been on my desk ever since and had been running through my head before then.

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord " plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God's call isn't easy. At least ours hasn't been. But he promises hope and a future. And I will keep holding onto that. Everyday.

Blessings,

Candra

provision

Lately, it has been difficult to write. Not that there isn't alot going on but it is almost a question of where should I start? Crazy way to start a blog post hey? Anyways, thanks for checking in....

January has brought with it some things that have affected me to the core. I have learned that (again) ultimately, I cannot control my own life and what I think I need. I have learned a far deeper trust in God than I have sensed in a long time, and am continually being reminded of HIS provision. sounds a little vague and to be honest, I am not yet ready to put it all out there. However, here is a glimpse...

We are hoping to get the house done by April 1st at the latest. We have plans ( I always have a plan!) to paint the house over feb break. Enter my husband's appendix. Yep. Emergency surgery on Thursday and no lifting anything over 10 pounds for over 4-6 weeks. it capped off an already crazy week of me being back at work full time, followed by the flu for my little princess, and some other discussions and happenings in our life. My questions was really? Why now? but I am learning to recognize that those moments are what make life truly worth living, where we see God at work....

**my sister, parents and another good friend helped me out BIG TIME with the kids for the last 5 days.

**my dad and another amazing friend have offered to get a good start on the drywall in the basement NEXT WEEK. (= tears of gratitude for me)

** a couple that have become great friends over the last few years brought supper tonite for us- an incredible gesture.

** my husband is healing well and has had a couple people stop in to visit.

** I have recognized the need to smile and be thankful for these moments because we never get them back.

joy in the craziness. at church this week, the questions was asked "when did you last feel at peace?" oddly enough ( or maybe not), it was when my husband went in for surgery. In that moment, I knew that the only way I was gonna get though this was to lean on God and trust Him to work out all the details. A glimpse of His daily provision in my life...

this week also marks 3 months since the last update from Canadian immigration regarding our adoption. basically they will issue a statement as to whether or not the process will be open again. We are hoping to hear something positive and praying for resolution. Will keep you posted!

Thanks for reading til the end. It is a bit all over the place but I am learning....and learning is almost always a little messy!

Blessings,
Candra

Our clan minus 1...

Very happy family....

and very silly kids...

We pray for you daily - our already wonderfully loved fifth child from across the ocean! 

Hope you are ready for these moments of pure happiness and silliness...

Love, Mommy & Daddy and the clan

Blessings,

Candra

In a glimpse

This past year has brought with it many great memories and adventures... Looking back it has been a year of change and transitions. And I thought I would recap for my own sake and if you would like, feel free to join me in looking back over a great year:

January
I started back to work at my job, which I love! I was blessed to have 9 months of time at home with our little man and he and our little princess transitioned beautifully to daycare! January also brought with it frigid weather which my husband weathered to get the floor system done on our new home...

February
Was a great month as my husband and I got away for our annual getaway sans kids. We are firm believers in time away as a couple ; not only does it strengthen your relationship but it also strengthens our relationship with our kids and gives us perspective on our lives. We usually read a book on marriage and set goals during this time and have tonnes of fun! And the kids get to create memories with family and friends. This year we got to head to a warmer place with sun, beaches and oceans- it was incredible and we are incredibly thankful for moments like these in our lives

March
This was a great month because two of my most favorite people in the entire world celebrated their birthdays. 30 years apart to the day my little princess and my husband were born! And we also celebrated 1 year since our referral of little man...wow.

April
The beginning of spring is always welcome and April is synonymous (almost) with Calbreak. Riley has been part of this incredible ministry for the last 10 or so years and again had the opportunity to be a part of this crazy time with tonnes of youth on buses headed to sunny California. sounds like fun?!? it really is! it is sometimes hard for us who stay put but knowing that daddy/husband gets to share Jesus with people who have possibly never heard is worth it! remembering our time in little man's birth country was also part of this month as he officially became a part of our family 1 year ago....

AND we were officially " paper pregnant" again !!!!! We completed our home study and filed all of our paperwork with our agency for our next adoption (aka 5th child!) and have been waiting ever since. On a side note our oldest 2 kids over the last couple of days/ on separate occasions have said that all they want for their birthday is their new brother/sister. Nothing else. How cool and amazing is that ? I am continually amazed at how God works ithe hearts of not only us as parents, but in our children's hearts as well. and he stirs up a passion in them to care for the orphan...love.it.

May
The house continued to move along and although we are brand new to this process, God has given us incredible patience ( which is often a feat for me!) and are thankful for all that has been accomplished- roof system is going on!
I was reminded this month how important family is and what a privilege it is to be a part of a family that trust and lives out daily their walk with God. we headed to Pomona Acres ( my grandma & late grandpa's farm) for a family reunion with my dad's side of the family. It was fantastic and my kids loved the wide open spaces and many adults who would play with them. Games of standstill, kick the can, worship service and White Valley and lots of visiting were all great parts of the weekend. And the joy on my Grandma 's face.

June
My 2 handsome boys had birthdays this month, which were so much fun to celebrate! my oldest decided on a movie party for 2 friends and our family which was just perfect for him! we celebrated with more family where he got his cake ( a black skateboard ramp complete with tech decks!). And our baby turned 2...eek! so crazy that I am a mom to 4 and the youngest is not even a baby anymore. another major milestone this month is that my beautiful girl finished grade 2 and my handsome son finished kindergarten. they had a great year and I am so proud of them!

The second half of the year will come in a second installment, as this is hetting far too long! Summer holidays, new school, a move for Journeys church, a quick trip to LA, soccer, ballet and more house build.
It is always good to reflect on a year. The first half of 2011 brought with it alot of joy and fun and change. But also hard work, perseverance, grief, sadness. It is sometimes hard but necessary to be reminded that ultimately, my life is not my own. God is in control and as hard as I try to control my own life, it never goes as smoothly as I would hope. amidst all the changes and transitions at this year has brought, God is always there. gently pushing and encouraging. Stripping away my layers of independence, control, selfishness, entitlement and pride. And wrapping me instead in His love, the fruits of the Spirit and with His Grace and forgiveness.
That was a bit of aside but important for me to remember the journey that the first half of the year brought with it!

Blessings,

Candra