The shift

I have felt the shift begin. I recognize all the signs. I remember feeling this and going through this so many times before. (we have moved 12 times in 13 yrs of marriage!!!) It is the emotional and mental shift that happens when you move. For so long we have imagined moving back to China, but we were still here. Now, we are still here, but as the days go buy, our thoughts and emotions are making the shift to getting ready and then being there.
It reminds me that there really is only so much the human body can process at one time. Our emotional and mental energy is slowly being used less for events and life here. It begins as a slow switch but every day it quickly gains speed. Today I drove past our place of worship and I noticed how my heart had less of an emotional pull there. It is strange yet wonderful. I even remember flying to Shanghai. It was almost as if my mind was processing at the same rate as the plane. When we first left I was thinking of how hard it was to say good-bye and how I will miss people. Half way there I was thinking half of home and half of living in China, then it shifted more and more to living in China.

The kids are begging us to tell them what day we are flying out. We will not know for a bit. We are guessing somewhere between the end of May and beginning of June, but we have to wait until Brad get's his transcript from the school. (I may have written this all already, sorry, I do tend to repeat myself) The kids are already saving their money to go to Disney Land in Hong Kong.

We have had two more gifts given to use to help with our move.

I am speechless!

I am truly blown away over and over at how our Father is supplying more than we could have imagined. Just a few months ago we really had no idea. None. Silch, zero.

But we believed the words that were spoken into us over and over and over. Each time they seemed to have gone deeper. We wavered many times, doubting, asking to see the nail scarred hands. Yet, his word is true and is not dependent on my doubting or not. I am a thank-ful daughter. He is good all the time, no matter what. That never changes.

A few pictures of where I am shifting to.

Lacking inspiration

For days I have been walking past the computer thinking I really should post something, but I have not had a lot of inspiration. My brain has been in a not so creative mode. Maybe that is why. (although I did go and finish a painting a few nights ago and that was very soothing.)

There are a few things I am very excited about.

First, Brad and I are going on a date tonight. I mean a real, just me and my man, only talk to others if we want to, date. See, for the last many months, we have paid a babysitter not so we could go and stare into each other eyes. But rather so I could go to a meeting while Brad went to school. That was getting a little stinky in my books. A friend has offered to not only take our kids, but is also giving us some gift certificates so we can go out for a nice meal. The kind with low lights, and private booths and funky music in the back ground. Most of mine and Brad's time together as of late has been trying to make some major decisions as we pass by each other at night, so this will be divine.

Second, we are having two young Japanese girls at our house for the next week. I does feel rather strange to be cleaning and making my house look 'nice' when I am in packing and getting rid of it mode. But I think it will be a lot of fun. It is only for one week, which is a nice length of time right now. Then a week later I have family coming to visit. It is going to be wonderful to have family here for Easter. We will do a turkey and all that. I am sure I will cry many tears when they leave. Strange to be going through all the emotions again of saying good-bye and not sure when I will see them again. But last time we didn't know or use skype, so that will go a long way in staying connected.

The power of connection

The strangest and yet not so strangest thing happened to me today. Someone stopped by to buy some of my homeschooling material. No, that isn't the strange part believe it or not. (yes I am selling my books, I figured if I start with the hardest thing first, it will all be downhill from here)

A bit of history.

This lady is someone I connected with at the homeschool conference last year. Actually, my kids connected with her kids. Sammy came up to me and said he had a new friend who had gone to the Great Wall of China.


Then Feshya told me her new friend had also been to China. We soon realized they were brother and sister. In talking to the mom I found out they had adopted a child China, and have a real heart for the country. And of course I shared our heart about wanting to move back. We exchanged phone numbers, but never got together. (yes one of my regrets!)

So today she showed up on my steps. I told her we were off to China. She got so excited for us, and said they were in the process of adopting another child from China as well.

The strange thing was, while I was telling her about our going, for the first time, I wanted to cry. I just wanted to sit down and shed many tears.

I thought about this.

It wasn't just that she was excited, it was that power of connection. It was the sharing of a burden for the same thing. It was two hearts understanding something precious in each other and holding it as precious.

I have many friends and family who are very happy and excited about all that is going on in our lives, and this isn't to diminish that. But it made me think of how powerful it can be when we fellowship and commune with others who share a similar vision. And to not let meaningful relationship pass us by!

I declare it to be spring

Now I fully realize it is totally and completely outside of my powers to declare such a thing, but I did something today that decided that in this house, we will now act as if it is spring.

We set up our trampoline!

We did it all on our own without my hubby's big muscles to help. It was a challenge, and there were a few injuries along the way, but we were a determined bunch. Me and my 6 helpers.
With 'Go mommy go' chanting, I had to come through. The thought of waiting for Daddy to get home seemed impossible.
The ground may still be squishy and a bit muddy, but when you can go outside without a jacket, and some with shorts, you just gotta get that trampoline up. (It was only +10, but one little boy of mine was really determined to show me just how warm it was)

Besides, as a homeschooling mother, buy this time of year, I am getting a little desperate for activities that happen outside! They need to be outside. Trust me, it is better for everyone that spring is finally, almost, kinda here.

Let's just hope we don't get another freak snow storm again this weekend!

Making a list, checking it twice

Last night I sat up making a list of what we want to sell, which is just about everything. It felt really good to get it on paper. Funny how just making a list can make an insurmountable task.Magical really how ink marks on squashed wood chips can put things in perspective. The kids were all right beside me making a list of their own, and Ethan was trying to figure out how much we could get for our library books!

There really are only a few things that I will find difficult to sell. One major is a beautiful wooden platform bed frame my hubby made me. It is solid wood with a dark espresso colored stain. I love love love my bed frame. He amazes me at his ability to turn scrap wood into beautiful projects. This is the kind of thing I imagine passing down to my children, but at this point it seems too much to try and store somewhere. Especially if one was to think of paying for storage. He tried to comfort me and tell me how easy it would be to make another one, 'but this one is special' I told him. He also made Nefeshya a similar one. So, I have been telling myself that there is a season for everything. There are some items from my mom that I need to find safe keeping for, and pictures and such, but other than that it was quite fun to think of finally getting rid of this all.

Except for one thing.

My books!!!













I love my book collection. Well, it isn't really my books, as they are not books for me per say, but books for my kids and schooling. Growing up, my mom loved historical fiction books. And she passed that love on to us girls. I kinda forgot about it for a few years, but since homeschooling, this appreciation and love for books has resurfaced in me. As I gaze at my book shelf, I have hard time imagining shifting thru them. A lot will be easy to get rid of as my kids are passed certain stages. But, there are a lot that Nefeshya used, Sammy is just using, and Ethan has yet to use. I have collected books for a few years now. Hubby is already slowly working on making me realize I will not be able to take them all. We will see! At least we are going to a warm climate, so our clothes will take up less space than last time. When we went to Shanghai I had not counted on how cold it was going to be, and didn't pack enough warm clothes. It is fun packing this time because I have such a great sense of what thing I should have packed that I didn't, and things I should have left at home. It will make this transition so much easier!

Other than my books of course!

Sat. thru Sammy's eyes

We were out and about all day Sat. Here is the day thru Sammy's eyes of the Camera. And some from Brad at the end.


































Well, Blogger is putting my photo's in some crazy order, but that will have to do, because I don't know how to fix it.

Have a great monday!!

Oh me Oh my

Yes, it is hard to put into the words the joy I have today. It really may not seem to be that joyous occasion to anyone passing by my house today, but, really, this is major.

Are you ready for it??

Really ready?

Today it was plus 3!!

But that isn't it.

My kids got out their bikes..........and.............played outside for over 2 hours!!!! Did you get that, outside for over two whole hours!!!

Really, I can hardly contain my excitement that the days and months of being inside with only little excursions out may be coming to an end.

Yes all my prairie family, I know this complaining about the weather sounds more than a little funny to you, but......well......I have gotten a bit wimpy about this cold weather thing. I will fully totally admit it!!!

As I write this I am also fully away that in a few months, I am sure you will be reading posts of me complaining about all the heat and humidity.

But, this is today, and today I happy for warmer weather!!!

It is Happening!!!!!

Well, I just returned from an amazing, fabulous, wonderful weekend with my sisters. They whisked me away to Edmonton for the weekend. Yes, the weather was horrible, but that really didn't bother us too much. We just ran even quicker to the West Edmonton Mall! hehe We have never gotten together like this (without our respective families) and I am sad we have not. I adore my nieces and nephews, and it has always been hard to live provinces away from them, but it was extremely special for just us three to have a special time like this. This trip was a bit of a farewell for me, and I am so thank-full to my amazing sisters for this weekend! Thank-you! It is a weekend I will hold dear to my heart for a long long time. And when I think of you and miss you, I know, 'we will always have the candy store!'

And it appears that the timing was perfect. We have had a major donation come in (you know who you are, Thank-you really doesn't say enough!) and it looks like we will be buying our tickets to Hong Kong for the end of May. We sensed it would be this spring, but it truly was not in our hands to decide. I am still not fully comprehending that it really is all coming together, and I think maybe when we have the tickets in our hands I will do a crazy dance, and then maybe fall on the floor crying, then get up and dance, then fall down crying, then.....well, I think you get the picture.




Sammy counted the days yesterday and I think he said something like 76 days (I am not sure what day he was counting too). Not a lot of time to get it all together, or should I say get rid of it all. But, last time we went I got ready in just one month, so over two months is a nice change!! I think my next few months will consist of garage sales, garbage runs, thrift store runs, and packing the rest. Oh yah, I will also be schooling, but I think I have that narrowed down to the must do's for this school year. Besides, I can always start up again in summer when we are all melting from the heat and just want to sit in front of the air-conditioner ( I hope I have an air-conditioner!).

So, if anyone wants to buy anything from my house, just put in your order, and it is all yours!

The choice of success

It is that time in my year where I have to hand in portfolio's of my kids schooling. I am technically not seen as a 'homeschooler' by the government, but my children are distant learners. Many 'real' homeschoolers would turn their noses at me and tell me I am not really a homeschooler either because I have chosen to be accountable to a local school. But, I think we all gotta do what we gotta do, and this is my gotta do. And one look at my kitchen walls, and well, lets just say it isn't covered in maps and the alphabet because we like the educational look!
Anyways.........
as I was saying, I am trying to get my portfolio handed in, and I am just a little late. Anyways, it is always a time where I see all that we have done......and all that we haven't done. I see all their success' and I see all my failures! I love it and hate it. Learning is so unique in all of my kids, it is an amazing journey that I get to watch and guide!

I have also been having an interesting time with my art. A few days ago I was feeling so proud and happy and exciting about what I was doing and wanting to learn, and then one day, I hated it all! I mean, I took it all down because I couldn't even look at it. Then today, I did a few tweeks, and suddenly I am loving it again.
I just read a story about an artist who once was painting out doors and threw all of his supplies into the bush he was trying to paint. But, very next early morning he was up collecting all of his supplies from the death he had sentenced them to. I laughed, I would do that. Okay, maybe I wouldn't, but I sure would think about doing it!!

Just another monday

Some random thoughts on this random Monday. I am feeling bits better today, and that is a great thing! My kiddo's were giving me such looks of pity this morning it almost broke my heart. One even said to me 'It is a good thing you aren't dying mommy!'. I assured them whole heartedly that I wasn't dying.
There has been a phrase in my head a lot lately, and perhaps I mentioned it before. I was talking to a more experienced mom and she said to me "Try to speak to your children's potential" I have mulled that over and over. I have easily seen that my children respond better to my words that call for them to be all that they can be rather than just the moment they are in. Then today I was talking to a friend who is going thru some very tough relational issues. She was given advice about how to respond, and again, it was speaking to that person's potential, choosing to believe in that potential even when it isn't seen (hmmm, this is starting to sound a little like the definition of faith!). Then I thought of my one great love, and I soon saw that this is exactly how he is towards me ALL the time. He is always calling me to be all that he created me to be, reminding me of what he sees when he looks at me. Although I do wonder sometime/okay alot of the time what kind of funky glasses he must have on.

Second, I wanted to share some pictures that my hubby took last year from the island we will live on. Come, dream with me a moment! Happy Monday!

Enough already.

Well, I finally caved and took the whole clan to the Dr. yesterday. As I said in the last post, I have been sick lately. But, actually we have all been sick off and on for weeks now. Like, probably about a month at least.(pardon my valley girl talk) I try to stay away from meds and antibiotics if at all possible, but this was just too much. The Dr. laughed when he saw that it was for all of us, and treated my children with such kindness I wanted to hug him. (I once had a Dr. who actually asked if I couldn't have left my children at home with a grandparent or something! How rude!)
Well, after checking us all out, he prescribed antibiotics to one of my kidlets and told the rest of us we needed lots of rest or it would only get worse, and to be prepared for it to take a while. I should have asked him to write a prescription for a housekeeper while he was at it! He even offered to get us some sample cough syrup, and came back with about 9 bottles of it.
But, he really made a good impression when he offered all my kids not just one sticker, but two! Way to go Doc!