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(wisely I think) by our new province to not update that dossier yet as things are not moving and documents may get outdated without movement happening.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