share our world

learning to ripstik

2011-12-27T17:05:00.001+08:00

Nate got a ripstik for Christmas. It seems every kid in our building did actually. We now often have a ripstik gang hanging out downstairs. Here's a little video of Nate and some "others" getting the hang of it.

For my mom.

2011-10-26T04:01:00.000+08:00

And Vanessa. They don't do facebook. And possibly for my dad too, who will probably check this before facebook.

It's just a little look at Aili getting her happy squeal on today.

Aili Jane

2011-09-09T17:08:00.002+08:00

Aili (EYE lee) ~ a multi-language, multi-meaning name. Finnish - 'of noble estate' or 'light'. Mandarin - 'love' and 'beauty'.

She has arrived! She entered the world Sept 7 at 12:56 PM. And what a grand entrance it was! Some have asked me, "how can a c-section be rough?". And on one website I saw details on how the dr "gently" removes the baby during the surgery. Well, without going into too many details, I will say, that was not the case with this one. She came away with a little nick on her forehead. We're not sure if that was the work of a scalpel or a nail from one of the fingers of the 5 drs/nurses that were working to bring Aili into this world. It could have been from the guy who was practically sitting on top of me, applying extreme pressure. But who needs to breathe during surgery anyway?

But after all of that, she is here. And she is perfect. We are both feeling the "post baby high". (More so for me after I survived those initial 24 hours...ok, let's be honest...48). It is such a thrill to meet your newest family member for the first time. We are all in love with her already. Although I'm sure Gemma may regret her arrival a time or two in the near future. She'll get over it. :)

Aili is so sweet. She is a little mix of her brother and sister and so far seems to have more of her brother's newborn personality. This is a good thing. Not that Gemma was a particularly difficult baby, but Nate was a dream. She has very similar looks to both of them, but seems to be smaller and more delicate. On facebook I announced that she was 8 lbs 3 ounces (same as Gemma), but that was after a math mistake made in my post c section, painkiller induced stupor. She's closer to 8 lbs. (and she's 20 inches) Who knew 3 ounces could make such a difference?? I've never seen legs and a bum as tiny as hers.

We are so happy and blessed to announce the birth of a healthy baby girl! Please join us in giving thanks for her. And thank you to all those who sent congratulations!

Summer's over

2011-08-17T13:25:00.001+08:00

Monday marked the start of our third school year here in Taipei. Nate bravely and excitedly jumped right into life in the 2nd grade and Kristin began his third year of teaching 5th.

I realize that I have been slacking severely on the updates. Once again, I will try to do better. I started this blog years ago when we lived in Kaohsiung to keep family and friends from afar updated. While that is still a primary purpose for it, I also now plan to get it printed into a book (or books) for our own personal keepsake someday. So hopefully the combo can better motivate me.

I'm hoping to update soon about our summer and then in no time at all I will have big news about a new addition to our family to blog about!

For now, I'll just be here sweating it up in Taipei (daily humidex in the high 40's!) and trying to prepare for the baby and get some things done around the house, a little at a time.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Taiwan Mobile

here's what's happenin' (in a nutshell)

2011-06-06T12:01:00.000+08:00

1st grade is finished - Nate

2nd year of teaching 5th grade is finished - Kristin

3 muskateers are separated for the summer - Gemma (Anna and Rebekah)

4get this heat - preggo ready for Canada - Katrina

5 + 15 hours until we're outta here - the whole fam.

See you in Canada soon! And to our Taipei friends, have a great summer, wherever you may be! :)

Gemma is 3!

2011-04-24T22:43:00.000+08:00

On Gemma's birthday (April 7) we celebrated by having a small party in the park with some of her closest friends. In true Taiwanese fashion she walked around the park after and shared some of her mini sandwiches and cake with other kids playing at the park. In the evening we went out with friends to TGIF's for party #2.

Gemma received mostly "princess" themed gifts, and was of course thrilled. She is 100% girly girl.

Can't believe how quickly 3 years has flown by! We are blessed every day by our sweet little Gemma.

Encouragement

2011-04-01T08:41:00.002+08:00

We are so thankful for the all the love and encouraging feedback we've received after people heard our story about Bridget. It makes me wish I posted that a long time ago.

God has used your words to lift my spirits and humble me at the same time. Thank you Sarah for suggesting this song and helping to put things in perspective. :)

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31

Bridget

2011-03-28T13:48:00.010+08:00

Some of you know about the sweet little one, Bridget, that we've been fostering on week-ends. I blogged about her almost a year ago, here. Many people have asked what's happening with her. Are we still hoping to adopt her? Has the process begun yet? Well, I've been putting this blog off for a long while, for a few different reasons. Part of it was because we didn't have a lot of answers. (And we still don't) And the other, bigger part was that I just didn't really want to think about the situation or deal with my feelings about it.

Fresh off a Monday morning, difficult drop off, I've decided it's time to finally get on here and fill you in. Like I said, we still don't have many answers. But I'll share with you what I do know and of course ask you to pray.

Back in May of 2010 when we started this journey, we (or at least I) naively assumed we'd probably have her legally adopted a year later. Now, almost a year later, we are no closer than when we began. But her case is a complicated one. Bridget was abandoned and found in Taipei County. When she was found, blood tests revealed that she had HIV antibodies in her blood. That means her mother definitely had HIV. Bridget does not. But at that point, she was taken to an orphanage in Taipei City that takes babies that potentially have HIV (though her social worker is in Taipei County). The orphanage is called Garden of Mercy. A friend of mine has adopted a little girl from there already. And we heard that she had a brand new baby that she was fostering just over Chinese New Year. When we heard about this baby girl we inquired about fostering her. My friend immediately brought me into Mercy and I met the workers there and filled out the paperwork. We completed a home study and when Bridget was 4 months old in May, we started fostering her on week-ends. Even though we had only fostered her for 5 or 6 week-ends before we went to Canada for 2 months in the summer, we picked up right where we left off when we returned. She definitely remembered us and a bond was formed quickly.

We thought when we returned in August everything was on track and we'd probably start adoption proceedings soon. Up until that point, we thought that we just had to wait until the 6 month search for her mother was completed until Bridget would be legally available for adoption. We even began to look for a lawyer. We prayed that we would find a lawyer that would be perfect to help us. Well, God provided a perfect lawyer for us, willing to do the adoption pro bono! We were amazed and at that point felt like everything was "meant to be". It was a couple of months after that that we learned about the complication of Bridget's social worker being with a different foundation in Taipei County. (We didn't understand this and originally thought that Garden of Mercy social workers would be overseeing her case.) And things started looking not as good. We requested to start fostering Bridget full time a few times and were denied. It was against the foundation's rules of Bridget's social worker. And then we were told, "you can apply with the foundation to try and adopt Bridget but we can't guarantee that you'll be allowed to adopt her or any other baby".

Understandably we grew discouraged. That's when I started contemplating sharing the story on the blog, but kept putting it off. Then we found out I was pregnant, and of course all kinds of thoughts went through my head in hormonal spurts. I wondered if it would be too much to keep trying to adopt her, with me being pregnant. I felt hopeless and helpless in the situation because even if we did fight to adopt her, it might all be for nothing. And I didn't know if I had the energy for that. Actually, at that point, I definitely didn't have the energy for that. I cried a lot. And I prayed a lot. And Kristin and I both came to the same conclusion. We wouldn't give up on her. Until God closed the door, we wouldn't walk away. So we continued fostering her each week-end and waiting. My gut was telling me it wasn't going to happen.

A day or two after we booked our tickets home for this summer, we got an email telling us that Bridget's social worker now said that since we had been so persistent in wanting to adopt her, we could apply to adopt her once she is available. And that's where we are now. Now, I don't really understand what that means. I mean, we were told we could "try" before. And I don't know how much pull her social worker actually has over her case. I don't know if this means "we're in" or our chances are just a little better.

She was supposed to have a final HIV test in February before she would be legally available to adopt. Then she needed one in March. And now today, I was told she needs another one in April. And then maybe we also need to wait until she is 18 months old. I don't know what this all means. (Got an email from the social worker at Mercy clarifying that a little bit this afternoon. HIV antibodies are still present in Bridget's blood. Some babies are clear of them by 1 year and for some it may take up to 18 months.) And to be honest, I'm finding it to be a really tough and sometimes frustrating situation. We had a plan that would ensure one of us would be in Taipei at all times this summer IF we were going ahead with adoption. Now, our tickets are booked and we will be away from her for 2 months again. (because we got the good news a few days too late)

She is going on 15 months and she does understand what is happening. It's very stressful on her to be dropped off at Mercy every Monday. I feel like I let her down every week. I'm the person she trusts most in the world and she can't count on me. (Don't get the wrong idea, the people at the orphanage are great...but of course it can't compete with the personal attention she gets from her "family" each week-end) I'm terrified that she will grow up to have issues with trust and who knows what else. And if we adopt her, I will see that and be saddened and feel guilty constantly because we were "so close" to preventing it. And in 10 years I'll think, we should have fought a little harder for full-time custody...it would have made such a difference.

I know these are silly thoughts, because it's out of my control. And God IS in control. And I have to just keep trusting Him. But, what can I say? I'm hormonal. I really don't know at this point what is going to happen. So, we will just keep fostering her on the week-ends. And we will keep praying for her. And we will miss her terribly this summer. And hopefully we'll be reunited in August and also be joined by some very positive news!

That's the story with Bridget. We love her. She is our Mei Mei (little sister) and she is part of our family. I never anticipated it being this difficult in so many ways. But like I said, I was naive. Have you ever heard of a "simple" adoption story? I haven't. Why should we be the exception?

I wish I could post a picture to show you how beautiful she is. But for privacy I'm not allowed to post pictures online. I'm looking forward to and hoping for the day that I can put a family picture on here with her included.

Got a can of pumpkin in your pantry?

2011-03-24T17:03:00.006+08:00

Is it cold and wet outside? Make this. Don't question it. Just do it.

CURRY PUMPKIN SOUP

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons curry powder

4 cups chicken broth

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce)

1 tablespoon white sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in flour and curry powder until smooth. Cook, stirring, until mixture begins to bubble. Gradually whisk in broth, and cook until thickened. Stir in pumpkin and coconut milk. Season with fish sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat.

Taken from allrecipes.com and modified (after reading reviews) by me.

Baby!!

2011-02-24T13:32:00.004+08:00

I feel like I have a lot to catch up on! So to avoid overwhelming myself so that I actually write some blogs, I'm going to keep it simple. One topic at a time. And why not start with the most exciting topic at the moment? We've got another baby on the way!

This baby is not to be confused with Bridget, who we are still hoping to adopt and who I will devote another blog to soon. This is another one, made in Taiwan, by us. I am due September 16th. :) Thankfully my pregnancy won't keep us from flying home this summer, but I'm not looking forward to traveling such a distance at 6 and 8 months pregnant! (On the way back to Taiwan we are doing a Vancouver layover to visit with our favourite Williams' family! That'll break up the trip a little for us)

I am almost at the end of my first trimester and feeling pretty good. But now, I hope you can understand my lack of blogs as of late. The couch and me have grown really close in these past 6 weeks. And I gotta say, I am so thankful to have such a helping, understanding husband! I think I pretty much slept right through the Chinese New Year break and he encouraged me to rest as much as possible while he took care of the kids.

I'm happy to be having another baby in Taiwan. My experience here with Nate was amazing. I already have an excellent doctor. And I'm excited to have a close friend to go through the experience with again! With Nate, I had Kim and this time I have Beth! (Congratulations again Beth and Leo!!)

As I mentioned earlier, I will post soon about Bridget. I was kind of putting that blog off for a while, because it wasn't looking good for us to adopt her. But, for the first time this week we got a more encouraging email about the situation! So, there is a chance that we could return to Taiwan this summer and go from two kids to four!! All prayers appreciated! :)

(Disclaimer - Please forgive all spelling mistakes, missed words, typos, etc, etc from now until at least September of 2012. My brain has officially left the building. Again. Thank you baby.)

mmmmm sunshine!

2011-02-22T14:06:00.003+08:00

My winter hibernation is over! Spring is in the air (mixed with stinky tofu) and things are going to start moving on this blog again. I can just feel it.

Bottle rockets

2010-12-12T21:59:00.011+08:00

so. MUCH. fun.

So, many different boys of all different ages brought their bottles with them on Friday, and after school we walked over as a group to the river. It is close by and there is lots of space there. (as well as lots of unsuspecting elderly people out for strolls...thankfully none were harmed in the firing of these bottle rockets!) Actually, it's a wonder that nobody was hit and hurt. Some misfired and came close to taking off a head or two. One flew right at my friend's toddler and landed gently under her arm resting on the stroller. That got our attention, but thankfully she was fine. The picture below gives you an idea of how crazy it got and you can see my friends double stroller in the bottom right of this picture with her two toddlers in there.

If you can't tell from the pics, this was a cub scout project. The rocket is made from 5 2L bottles, some staples, a lot of tape, some frustration and a longer amount of time than you'd imagine. So worth it in the end though. Especially for Nate considering that it turned out to be more of a "daddy/mommy, after the kids are in bed, type project".

I can't even imagine being a six-year-old boy getting to fire one of these off. I was giddy just getting to watch.

I put together a little video of Nate's rocket launches. He got two turns. The first isn't bad, but the second really flew! At first glance it appears to land on the freeway, but it turned out that it landed safely on the embankment.

(for some reason the video is not working in IE...if you have Google Chrome or Firefox, it works in both of those. Hopefully I can get to the bottom of the issue for next time)

Deep thoughts by Nate & Gemma M. (at the park)

2010-12-01T12:10:00.005+08:00

Nate got sick again last night. I think this time it might have been brought on by a migraine. He's feeling good today, but I didn't feel comfortable sending him to school. (Also I think school policy is 24 hrs after vomiting)

So, off to the triangle park we went to get some (fresh??) air on a beautiful day. While Gemma played, Nate and I had a serious, almost adult like chat about a few different topics.

I learned that he would like to live in Taiwan forever and become fluent in Chinese. I learned that he is NEVER getting married. He is not even going to marry that older girl that he used to say he was going to marry. ("That secret is broken Mom. It's over"). And he now is old enough to fully understand why he can't marry me or his second choice, his sister.

He discussed with me what he should be when he grows up and asked my opinion of what I think he should be. I told him that math comes easily to him and perhaps he should do something with that. He asked when I was a little girl what I wanted to grow up to be. I answered without skipping a beat, "marine biologist". (Boy, what happened to that dream?)

All in all it was a really enjoyable chat with my boy. And then Annabelle arrived with Gemma Mei and Guinness and Nate proceeded to put his jacket on like a cape and chase the girls around the park.

A little bit later, Gemma Mei told me after she thought I was asking her to get down from climbing on the "exercise machine" (was really asking my Gemma to get down), that she was "just climbing up so she could see God through the clouds".

Out of the mouths of babes...

Nate lately...

2010-11-28T22:22:00.013+08:00

I feel like Nate gets neglected in my blogs/tweets/pics because he's in school and I don't see him as much as Gemma.

So here, today, a blog dedicated all to Nate and what he's been up to lately.

Now that Nate is in 1st grade, he is eligible to join Cub Scouts. They meet weekly on Thursdays. Once a month there is some kind of outing (police station, museums) and there are occasionally bigger events, like a camping trip. I've shared a couple of pics below from their camping week-end a few weeks back. Nate was so thrilled after returning from this overnight tenting adventure! The most talked about experience was that he "heard a snake hiss at him" while hiking and was very frightened because he remembered reading that "they warn with a hiss before they bite". He never actually saw any snakes. You'll read a little of his own words about this below.

Below is the crowd of boys and families as they gather to watch the bottle rocket launch.

Here he is with his good buddy Aidan. They are in first grade together at Bethany.

Hot off the press, here is Nate's first grade picture. I'm not sure what he's thinking in this one, but it makes me wonder... :)

And finally, a few shots of some school work that Nate has completed lately. As I mentioned...the snake story... (click picture to enlarge)

Nate seems to be a pretty typical boy when it comes to school and his behaviour. We are working on getting greens each day instead of yellows or reds. (Or worse yet, blues or purples!!) I love that his teacher had to make such a broad range of stop light warnings to give so many chances.

Here from his report card are his teacher's (Mrs. Ulrich) general comments on his first quarter performance this year:

"It has been great having Nate in our first grade class this year. He is a bright and energetic child who is a good friend and gets along nicely with his peers. Even though Nate has had some difficulty in the area of self-control, he has always been very good about accepting the consequences of his behaviour without complaint. Nate needs to make wise decisions regarding who he will imitate. Nate has already made great strides in improving his handwriting and working on his pencil grip. I look forward to seeing the many ways Nate will grow and mature this year."

Love the wording of the sentence about self-control and accepting his consequences! Love it! Nate actually got a reward one day for having a good attitude about accepting discipline! That makes me laugh a little.

Anyway, he is slowly but surely making improvements and I have no doubt he will continue to do so as he grows and matures.

The other day, for the first time ever since we arrived in Taiwan with Nate (round 2), he initiated a conversation about how much he loves it here. It really meant so much to me to hear him say that. I see him every day with his friends and in the Bethany community and it is obvious to me that he is flourishing. But to hear those words from his mouth relieves some of the guilt that I still feel every once in a while when I think of how far we've moved him from everything that was familiar and the family he loves.

He is such a sweet and sensitive boy and for every time I am frustrated with his carelessness or messiness (you've never met a messier one!!) I am blessed 100 times over by the thoughtful things he says. He still tells me he loves me several times a day and he makes me laugh with how his brain works and the things he comes up with! We also enjoy laughing together at the hilarious words that come out of Gemma's mouth. But we'll save that for another blog.

Nathaniel Tai Jakola, I love you and I thank God every day for you!

making memories

2010-11-17T22:54:00.005+08:00

I was just going through some of my old blog posts. It's entertaining because I don't even remember writing most of them. And to be honest, I just make myself laugh a lot. I totally get my sense of humour. Anyway, I came across this in March of 2003:

"Today I played volleyball again for the first time in a long time! Actually, since the last time I sprained my knee...so Oct 01. It was pretty good. I forgot how much I loved it. Kristin and I both went out to Morrison today with Kim and Jon and Chris. Morrison is the private Christian school for foreigners. It's really quite a beautiful school, in a nice area. Right across the street there is a pineapple field and to the right there are papaya trees. The facilities are really great too. The boys played bball for about 2 hours, while Kim and I hung out and kind of talked about her wedding plans. (Kim and Jon were married in Taiwan, but are having their "real" wedding this summer.) Then we all played some volleyball.

After that we all headed to my favourite place, Teppenyaki for a late lunch. Meat and cabbage and lots of garlic and spices all fried up right in front of you. Yummy yummy. And now I'm sitting here typing this as Kristin and Jon play risk. Kim will be here soon and we're heading out for a hairwash. Then a group of people are coming over for Dominoes and a games night. All in all...a pretty great day. For the most part, a typical week-end day here."

I have a few questions to myself after reading that. First...is it true? Did we really actually know these Kim and Jon characters and spend all that wonderful time with them so long ago? Will that EVER happen again? (I sure hope so!) Next...really? Life was really like that? That was "typical"??

Wow. We had it really good. And yet, I remember always wanting more. Dreaming of moving home to Canada. And dreaming of having children. Well, those things happened. And they were (and are) huge blessings. But here I am again, always thinking of what's in the future. Again, I must remind myself...live today (and in light of eternity). Be thankful for every day. 7 years from now, I may very well read a blog from November of 2010 and smile with gratitude at memories I'm currently making.

(I also find the whole "full circle" aspect of the story kind of interesting...Morrison is where Kristin now works. Just a different campus than the one we visited that day)

the blog that got away

2010-11-10T11:23:00.005+08:00

That's not all that got away. But I'll get to that. I've been meaning to share this story forever. In December of last year I shared a video of Gemma and I enjoying our morning bike ride here. We still enjoy hitting up the river bike paths whenever weather permits. But now, whenever I hit a certain point on our regular route, I have flashbacks of an unfortunate day last spring.

It started out like any other normal day. And as we biked along we saw a man flying his remote control airplane. Cool, but nothing we hadn't seen before. Didn't think too much of it and continued on our way. We hit our turn around point and started back. Once again, passed by the man flying his plane. Shortly after, we saw a little pack of stray puppies. I stopped to let Gemma get a closer look. I was vaguely aware of the plane and realized it was getting closer to us. It was about the moment when I figured out that the man was flying the plane toward us thinking we stopped to watch, that the plane obviously went out of range of his remote control and started a long, out-of-control drop downwards. "oh no. oh no. oh no. Come on. " I whispered to myself. But no, he never regained control of that plane and it plummeted down and landed smack in the middle of the Danshui River.

What would you do? He was so far away. I couldn't decide if I should bike over and attempt to communicate with him about the terrible tragedy of it all or if I should play dumb and bike away. I chose the latter. I felt kind of responsible. Even though I know I really wasn't responsible. I just felt terrible because I'm sure after I left, he probably walked over to where it went down in the river and saw the puppies. And then he would have realized and felt more embarrassed than I'm sure he already was! And then there's the money factor. Those airplanes can be pretty pricey. After a quick search online though I see that they start out pretty cheap. Let's just hope it was a cheap one. I mean, obviously, I'm sure it was because had he spent a lot on it, it would have had some sort of fancy alarm system to warn the operator when the airplane was getting dangerously close to being out of range. Right? Right?!?

Ok, I'm playing up the drama of it all a little bit. But this seriously is something that comes back to me EVERY single time I bike past that spot now. For some reason I'm the kind of person that just loves to hold on to the guilt, when I think I've hurt someone. While biking together there today, my friend Crystal reassured me that I made the right decision by choosing to bike away. She said it probably would have embarrassed him more had I gone over to try and talk to him. Thanks Crystal.

I hope one day I can put this behind me. And I hope that man was able to recover from the loss of the plane that got away.

The Gospel

2010-10-31T18:47:00.006+08:00

After reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Radical by David Platt I've been doing a lot of thinking about whether I have manipulated the God-centered gospel to fit my human-centered preferences. I've come to the conclusion that I have, indeed, reduced the gospel to a buffet-style good news. I've been taking what I can digest and leaving the things I can't stomach on the table lest they give me indigestion. After all, I wouldn't want to be uncomfortable, would I? Jesus didn't really say that we might have to leave behind security, money, convenience and even family to follow Him, did he?

It's not that the idea that I have tainted the Gospel by looking at it through the glasses of my experience, up-bringing and culture comes as a revelation, but rather that I've been pushing this understanding into the recesses of my mind.

I've been reminded that I've simply been putting a Christian spin on the American dream, or in my case, the Canadian dream. I've been awakened to the undeniable reality that Jesus calls us all to take up our cross daily, and that this taking up of the cross may even mean that we might have to abandon everything for his cause.

The questions are: What am I going to do with this conclusion? Do I believe that Jesus is worth abandoning everything for? Or will I just push everything back into the background again?

Storybook parade

2010-10-28T14:41:00.005+08:00

Today was the storybook parade at Bethany. We were to dress the little (and some big) ones up as a favourite character from a book.

Nate was Batman. Gemma was Princess Belle. Kristin was "mini Edward" from Narnia. And I was Katrina (not shown), from my yet to be released autobiography.

Here are a few pics. Nate won best costume in 1st grade! (That's grade one for Canadian readers.)

Mini Edward and Lucy.

Nate's class (partial) up on stage.

Beauty, the beast and Fancy Nancy. :o)

Na na na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na, BATMAN!

Princess Belle looking for her beast.

Ok, ok...I still haven't written about Melissa's visit. It's coming. I just like to build the suspense. Like a preview to "survivor". I promise she was not voted off the island.

In recent news...

2010-10-26T23:49:00.000+08:00

I haven't blogged in a while. Right, that's not big or shocking news.

Ok, well how about some recent headlines anyway?

MELISSA CAME TO TAIPEI TO VISIT FOR THREE WHOLE WONDERFUL WEEKS!

(Full write up with pictures coming soon. Tomorrow perhaps? C'est possible!)

Also...

Wait. That's all I've got.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Taiwan Mobile

Dora vs. Ben 10

2010-08-23T22:30:00.005+08:00

Nate and Gemma both got a lot of great birthday gifts in Canada. They both came back with some peel and stick decorations for their walls. Nate got Ben 10 and Gemma, of course, Dora. The other day Nate asked me which ones I liked better. In an attempt at a diplomatic answer, I replied, "well, Dora's a bit cuter and she's more educational...but Ben 10 is cool too".

I guess my answer didn't sit well with him and he has been thinking on this very subject.

This morning he had this one-sided conversation with me...

Nate - "Dora might be cuter but who do you think would win in a fight?"

I laugh.

Nate - Ben 10 would definitely beat Dora. (pause) Although...she does have that backpack...

He proceeded to sing the backpack song and say in his best Dora voice, "We can tie Ben 10 up with this rope from Backpack!". And then he laughed and walked away.

What a kid!

What I did on my summer vacation. By: Katrina Pow Jakola

2010-08-16T15:06:00.036+08:00

I've become that sort of person that kind of can't wait for summer to be over. You know, the "parent of a school age child" kind of person. That being said, I also am sad that summer is over. And I miss my husband. And my son. And summer.

In order to celebrate a wonderful summer and the start of another great school year, I will share with you, what I did on summer vacation. Complete with pictures.

I spent 33 hours on a plane. (total)

I met sweet, baby Sarah!

I spied as some of my favourite people got reacquainted. (with their hand puppets.)

I celebrated Canada Day! (In Canada!) And lots of other holidays that don't actually fall in July. (not shown)

I watched a girl eat fire, right before my eyes!

I played a lot of "Qwerkle". Have I told you about how Kristin once missed a double qwerkle?

I soaked up a lot of sun on the water.

And warmed my toes on chilly Canadian nights at many a campfire.

I visited the fam at the farm, on beautiful St. Joe's Island.

I scolded Gemma over and over and prevented her from seriously injuring a kitten or two. She appears to be acting quite gently here. Appearances can be deceiving. (and I'm aware that this is not actually a kitten.)

I took sneaky pictures of my beautiful niece.

And some goofy/fun ones of some more awesome people.

I passed off the "push Gemma on the swing" task to as many people as possible. They were happy to help. :o)

I ran away from this kid.

I met this beautiful princess/hardworking mom of 3.

I went deer watching and found Bambi and Faline.

I checked out the Canada Store. In Michigan.

I went to beautiful Mackinac Island and saw many horses. (and more horse dung than I care to remember)

I biked around the island with my family and naively sped off to try and get a glimpse of Al Pacino, who, I was told, was just a minute or two ahead of me. I somehow missed seeing him.

I didn't go up to Fort Mackinac and watch the cannon and gun firing reenactment, but she did!

I shopped for fudge and funny t-shirts with these awesome people.

I rode this beast 8 times in one day. Could have gone for more, but we actually had to wait 5 or 6 minutes in line come evening. After walking on any ride all day long, we were above that.

I saw Mary J and other awesome artists in concert at Lilith Fair in Toronto. Amazing show!

I held babies, laughed with friends and began my good-byes.

I got one final awesome picture of Uncle Kristin and Sarah in the "classic Sarah pose" or what is now known as the "classic Sarah pose".

(large sigh) It was a great summer! I'll admit, it's not easy...the travel, the jet lag, the suitcases, the stress of wanting to do so much and see so many. But it's TOTALLY worth it. Thank you everyone for a great summer!

clearly Canadian

2010-06-16T09:50:00.008+08:00

Growing up in Sault Ste Marie instead of Sudbury, I must admit that I have a bit of a preference for Great Lakes beaches over inland lakes. But I will say, it's pretty nice to have a bro-in-law that lives on a lake. We had a great time at Jason's on Black Lake today. The sun was out and the temps were perfect. He fired up the sauna, we boated, we BBQed, and one out of two kids conked out in the car on the ride home tonight. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Thanks again Jason. We'll be back soon. And no excuses next time Vanessa....you're there too! ;o)

I gave up trying to get these pics in any type of order in blogger, but the loon is from the end of the day. And it does show that yes, clearly, we're in Canada.

life as usual...

2010-06-14T10:03:00.004+08:00

You'd think after making this trip a few times I'd be used to experiencing the differences between Taiwan and Canada. I'm not.

I felt slightly uncomfortable being surrounded by "foreigners" at the mall yesterday. And I felt a little guilty being able to understand the conversations happening all around me. I didn't stick out to anybody. But I felt a little out of place.

It was also kind of overwhelming to be in a grocery store. I'm so used to tuning out so many products and items that I have no use for or have no idea what they're for. Everything jumps out at me here.

I forgot how beautiful and fresh Canada is. I can't get enough of the endless blue skies. (For the record, those blue skies exist in Taiwan too...just hard to see through the concrete jungle) It also seems so quiet here. I laid out in the hammock on the back deck tonight (kind of felt like a holiday) and didn't hear a noise. Not a car. Not a person. Just quiet. And fresh air. That was nice.

The kids are doing well. Nate is on cloud 9. I don't think I've ever seen him so happy. And his joy makes him very agreeable and obedient. So, ya, he's awesome.

Gemma has been doing very well too...she's pretty excited to be here. The plane trip was a bit of a nightmare with her. But I have vowed to speak of that never again. She's almost over jet lag and really is enjoying herself and the extra attention from loved ones.

We're excited to hit up St Joe's soon and see some more family. And we're just looking forward to a great summer of catching up with people and enjoying our beautiful homeland.

Oops.

2010-05-18T00:14:00.002+08:00

Just looking over some old blogs and the realization hit me of how lame the blog has become lately. I know I promised to update more with stories of the kids, and to show pics of our fave places to go. But I will admit, (to Eric's satisfaction) that I have been using these promises to justify just throwing out random pics of the kids/places with one or two sentences, from my phone...for quite a while.

You were right Eric. I was wrong.

I will do my best to fix this.

But the sad (HAPPY!) truth is, we're leaving for Canada in about 3 weeks and I certainly won't be making "updating the blog" a top priority while there. So, come visit me and we'll get updated in person!

As for the kids...Nate's less than 3 weeks away from being done Kindergarten. How did that happen? He can muster more attitude than I ever could at 17 to say the word "what?!?" when on his way to time out and then turn around for the tightest hug ever and a big "I love you Mommy Mia!" in a matter of minutes. Also, I just can't believe he's going into grade "ONE". I think when there is a number in the grade name...well, I think that makes me old.

Gemma. Well, Gemma...today she said "I want to go there." I was kind of lost (actually physically lost...thank you mobile google maps!!) and was only paying half attention. I absentmindedly responded, "oh ya? You want to go there?". And then it dawned on me. That was a full, proper sentence. When did this happen? When did she start pulling out the full sentences? I think it was 4 or 5 days ago actually. It's such a gradual thing...but that's when I remember Kristin saying, "man...all of the sudden...she's just talking!" Anyway, when I snapped out of it...I realized where she was saying she wanted to go. It was a water park...with some nice looking water slides! I replied that I wanted to go there too! Just, not today. But for my Taipei friends, it's not far from the Jiantan MRT. And with google maps loaded up, I could bring you there.

Bridget...well, I can't say much yet. She's not actually my child. But we are hoping and praying that one day we'll get to say she is ours. I already know that we'd have lots to share about this little one. She is quite a special girl. I have never known such calmness and contentment to exist in such a little person!! All day today (after I dropped her back off at the orphanage) I felt this feeling like I was forgetting something really important. Every once in a while I would have a little startle and my stomach would turn a little and I'd think "Bridget!!"...and again I would remind myself once again that she was safe back at the orphanage. This summer will be tough...

Alright. I'll try to be a little "bletter" from here on out. But like I said....Canada. No promises.

The Job

2010-05-15T22:42:00.002+08:00

Just thought I'd post a great video about Morrison Christian Academy. It's the school that Kristin and Nate head to every day. Enjoy!

Thank You Lord!!

2010-05-10T12:05:00.000+08:00

Update: My ring was found!!

It was in the bottom of my friends craft supply box. (She was doing Sunday school yesterday). Don't know how it got there. Don't care! Just so thankful!

Highs and lows

2010-05-09T21:40:00.002+08:00

Good news or bad news first?

Let's start with the good.

For those of you who don't know, we began fostering a baby girl this week-end. We have to wait a while (legally) until she's available for adoption, but God willing, that is the outcome that we're hoping for. She's about 4 months old. She's beautiful. She's sweet. And unlike my children, she's very calm and quiet.

I've heard people talk about this kind of baby. But until this week-end I honestly thought they were a myth. She slept from 9 - 9 last night! And we had to keep checking in the morning to see if she was up. I finally found her turned around in the crib cooing quietly at the ceiling. Gemma and Nate mostly woke up happy. But, loud happy.

Speaking of Nate and Gemma, they fell in love with Bridget instantly, just like we did. Nate would talk sweetly to her and try to get her to smile. And then the rest of the time he didn't really notice she was there. Gemma liked to help by bringing her milk or trying to calm her, ("don't cry baby Bridget, s'OK"...."baby Bridget crying!") and then in tired moments she wanted her gone so she could have Mommy all to herself. Honestly though, all in all, I thought they both dealt with the new addition very well.

Kristin wishes we didn't have to return her to the orphanage tomorrow. (their program allows only for fostering on week-ends)

I'm not sure how we're going to go to Canada without her for 2 months.

Ah, but we're getting ahead of ourselves. We're just praying that God would prepare our hearts either way.

On to the bad news. Very bad news. I'm so sad.

I lost my engagement ring. I cannot believe this happened. It would be impossible to count the times that I have thought to myself, "imagine I lost this ring? I will NEVER lose this ring".

I took it off at church this morning to put lotion on my hands and set it down! (I never do that!) In a moment, I was distracted and didn't put it back on. Our church meets in a building that we rent from a University. I didn't notice until I got home that it wasn't on my hand and I raced back to look for it. Gone. Kristin then went back again to look. Still gone.

We have sent out emails and contacted people that can help. Our gut feeling now though is that if whoever found it intended to return it, they would have by now.

I am so sad and I'm just annoyed with myself for making such a stupid, mindless error. I know it's just a "thing", but sentiment really is valuable. My hand feels naked without it and every time I think about it my stomach turns over. Bah!

Sorry to end on such a downer note. But I had to vent a little about this. I think the last time I remember feeling like this was when I was a teeny bopper that just had a fight with my best friend of the week.

(sigh) This too shall pass. And it could be so much worse. Because...really, in the end, it is just a thing.

Renesmee

2010-04-24T00:51:00.001+08:00

This picture makes me smile for 2 reasons.

#1 - Because Gemma is sitting in a ziploc bags box.

#2 - Because I know that about 2 minutes prior to this picture being taken, Gemma had a full out temper tantrum when I told her that unfortunately I did not have any of the raw meat shown in the picture on the box, for her to eat.

Incredible Increments of Illness, Excellent Easter (復活節) and other Adventures

2010-04-18T19:24:00.004+08:00

The family has been sick en masse lately and it’s taken a toll on both Katrina and I. Thankfully, Gemma has been illness-free for a few days now and Nauseous Nate finished hugging the porcelain yesterday. Today he was finally the energetic Nate that we’ve come to know and love, and whom we sometimes would like to sell to the highest or lowest bidder, or for that matter, give away for free.

Unfortunately, Katrina woke up this morning on the other end of the spectrum feeling a little under-the-weather. She was still able to make it to church for a good service, but spent most of the afternoon snoooozing in hopes of sleeping off the bothersome bug. We're praying that with a little more rest she'll be feeling better. We'd really like to be able to exit the incredible increments of illness unscathed, with all body parts intact and an even stronger immune system with which to fight future ailments.

Thankfully we were able to enjoy celebrating Easter in between illnesses. One of the small Taiwanese churches here organizes an excellent Easter activity at our building every year since a number of the church members live in our building. And this year was no exception. The activities included an egg making extravaganza, an Easter Egg Hunt and a presentation of the Easter Story. It was a great time! Even some non-Christian Taiwanese participated and one woman accepted Christ. Praise God!

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story. Someone once told me that a picture was worth a lot of words -- or something to that effect!

This is Nate and Ben making Easter Eggs. Ben attends Bethany and his sister, Phoebe, is in my class.

Here is Nate's finished product complete with an Incredible Hulk pointer finger and thumb-tip.

Here are Nate and Ben taking part in the Easter Egg Hunt. Katrina had tripped in the background while making a mad-dash in hopes of beating the kids to the back where most of the eggs were hidden -- jokes -- jokes -- I just noticed it now and was too lazy to choose a different picture.

Our little Easter-bunny in pink trying to find some eggs of her own.

Three girls from my class attend the Taiwanese Church that organized the activities and they were part of the Easter story presentation. Melody, Phoebe and Carmen are great girls and I'm blessed to have them in my class. The last one in the row is Emma and she attends Bethany in 3rd grade.

We've also had a few other awesome and amazing adventures since last we blogged, including a trip to beautiful Kenting and some other news which may be shared in a post of the near future.

Until then you can see some of the pictures from our Kenting trip by checking out my Facebook page.

Mini Nate date

2010-03-11T09:37:00.000+08:00

Today we have our one month check up for Nate. The doctors want to be sure that his kidneys are healing like they should be.

So we got to come back to the super cool children's hospital. And I can appreciate it more now that I'm a little more relaxed.

I've got a few pics of Nate exploring and enjoying himself. There is one of him checking out this giant pin ball like contraption from the 2nd floor. And one of him playing "put the organs in their proper place". Plus a couple of others.

He's having a good time, but really he can't wait to just get to school. No, really.

Mini-date

2010-03-02T10:30:00.000+08:00

Gemma and I are waiting for a friend on a rainy, Tuesday morning. I must say, we are enjoying each other's company a lot. I am especially enjoying hers since she has started antibiotics and doesn't throw tantrums every other moment.

I brought her and Nate into the dr on Sat. morning. Verdict? Bronchitis for Gemma and raging infections in both ears for Nate. The dr actually said if his energy didn't pick up in 2 days to bring him back and he's have to get antibiotics by IV.

Thankfully both are feeling much better!

The other pic is of Gemma and her best little "boy" friend Joshua, sporting some light up tiger hats.

Good diagnosis!

2010-02-11T13:41:00.004+08:00

Well, it was good news at the Dr's today! Nate was diagnosed with Poststreptococcal Glomerulonephritis. If you click on the link it will be explained better there than I can explain it.

We have to bring him back at one month and 3 months to make sure he's fully recovered. There is no treatment. His kidneys just need time to heal and get back to normal on their own. And the doctors say at his age there should be no permanent damage.

This is pretty much the best diagnosis there could be, based on his symptoms. We're very thankful for that and for the peace God has provided all week.

Thank you all for the prayers and support!

Nate

2010-02-09T14:52:00.003+08:00

Well, I'm not even sure where to begin with this. I guess by saying that Nate is sick and we're not sure yet just how badly.

It all started on Sunday evening. Nate told me that when he went to the bathroom his urine was brown. He flushed before he thought about it, so I didn't get to see it and really didn't think too much of it, but asked him to let me know next time he had to go. So, Monday morning he remembered and called me in. And sure enough, brown. Like tea.

So off to the doctor we went. The doctor at the first hospital did a urine test and found blood, high protein and bacteria. He recommended admitting Nate, but that hospital's site that he would have to be admitted to is about 20 - 30 mins away. He kindly gave me the test results and urged me to get him to any hospital immediately.

We went back to Bethany and I talked to Kristin and then to Uwe Maurer (the principal). He immediately got Kristin a sub and offered to take us to the NTU Children's hospital, which is just a few MRT stops away. I arranged to have someone to watch Gemma quickly (thank God for kind people so willing to offer a helping hand!) and we were on our way.

We spent the better part of the day in the hospital while Nate underwent test after test. They did another urine test, an ultrasound, blood pressure, blood work and examined him for swelling. I'm thankful for this wonderful children's hospital, the attentiveness of the doctors we've dealt with and for the whole system. Also for Uwe, who is fluent in Mandarin and helped so much with communication.

Basically, what we know at this point is his liver and spleen are fine, but he has inflammation (not infection) in his kidneys. We go back Thursday morning at 9 to see the doctors and hopefully get some positive news after they've seen the results of the blood work.

He is not in pain or discomfort, but continues to get a general "yucky" feeling once in a while that makes us wonder how long this has been going on. He was a brave boy yesterday though and so far doesn't seem alarmed. Although he did say today, "I wish I was just a regular kid!" (The doctors said we have to restrict his fluids and sodium - and he LOVES his water!)

Please pray for our sweet little guy! This is him pretending to sleep before they did the ultra sound.

We know God is in control and will continue to turn to Him. I'll update the blog when we have more news after Thursday.

Sometimes being a brother...

2010-02-07T23:35:00.002+08:00

...is even better than being a superhero.

-Marc Brown

Playspace!

2010-02-05T11:50:00.002+08:00

Playspace is an awesome indoor play area. There is endless fun here for the kids and it's only 100NT ($3) an hour. Great for rainy days. I now know how to get here by MRT after following the super easy and correct directions on their website. No sarcasm at all there. None. :o)

I have to thank my friend Rachel who knows the area and was able to get us here despite the directions! They are as follows:

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station:
Please Exit No. 2, out of station, cross the road to the "Nautica" Turn left, go forward about 5 minutes to reach the Jen-ai Road, cross the street to "KFC" and then go straight Guangfu South Road to the "85 ℃ coffee" (454), turn right go straight, over Yanji Street, then straight to go, "Yonghe Soya bean juice", turn right (20 Lane) go straight through the 18 "space for nursery Childhood", you can reach the 22 "space for parents and children of childhood Growth Pavilion ", welcome!

We only had to turn around twice...and like I said, Rachel knows the area. Oh well, so worth it!

Here comes the sun...

2010-02-04T13:41:00.000+08:00

The day brightened up as we were heading home and I had to take a few more pics. NTU (National Taiwan University) really has a beautiful main campus. And it's literally 2 minutes away from our place.

It's a great place to let Gemma out of the stroller to run around and the track is great! I try to get there in the evenings. There are always lots of people running, walking, or playing tennis, vball or bball on the outdoor courts. Kristin plays ball over there some week-end days and has also gone over with some friends a few times to rent squash courts by the hour.

Anyway, the day got sunny and warm and by the time we got home I almost felt the need to turn on the AC when we came inside. Almost. Not quite there yet!

Feeding frenzy!

2010-02-04T12:05:00.000+08:00

It is a cloudy cool day. Didn't really know what to do with Gem. She had had enough of Dora. It had been raining, so parks were out. Didn't have any money so McD's playland was out.

Then I remembered the huge pond with crazy fish on the University campus. So we stuck our bread in the bottom of our stroller and were on our way.

We really...had to interrupt that sentence to go and clean some pigeon poop off Gemma's hands. I'm thankful for wipes and that she's not a thumb sucker. Also that she's a girl and is starting to dislike "yuck".

As I was saying, we live in a great area with lots of options for kiddie outings. Feeding fish is definitely at the top of Gemma's fave things to do these days.

Sure that sign might be instructing us not to feed the fish. But I just can't be sure. So if someone reprimands me, we'll stop and say sorry. Until then we'll feed the poor fish because they're REALLY hungry. And plus...all the locals do it and they can read the sign.

Rise and shine!

2010-01-20T22:01:00.003+08:00

Always nice to have a well-rested girl! This was in our second hotel room in Thailand. It was such a wonderful answer to prayer to have Gemma sleep amazingly for every nap and nighttime sleep!

Turn up the volume for cuteness.

Neverland

2010-01-20T18:24:00.004+08:00

Nate and I were having a conversation about what decisions he will be allowed to make when he's older. Like for instance I told him he'd probably be allowed to decide if he wanted to cut his hair or not when he's about 16. (I realize it will actually be before that)

Then the conversation continued like this:

Me - But you're never going to be 16.

Nate - Why not?

Me - Because I'm not going to let you. I'm going to keep you as my sweet little 5 year old boy forever. Because when you're 16 you won't want to snuggle with me or give me hugs and kisses anymore.

Nate - (laughs) Oh.

Me - So will you snuggle with me when you're 16 Nate?

Nate - Well, I'll try to remember!

The Maurer family

2010-01-07T14:16:00.003+08:00

This is a video from GOOD TV here in Taiwan. It's the story of Uwe and MaDonna Maurer's family. (Uwe is the principal at Bethany, where Kristin works and Nate attends) They have 3 children, Marcus, Matthea and Megan. Matthea is a child with special needs and this focuses on her story and on Uwe and MaDonna's plans to reach out to the special needs community here in Taipei. At least, I think that's what it talks about. It's mostly in Chinese. But I wanted to share it because their story is inspiring to say the least and their hearts for God are evident no matter what language they are speaking. MaDonna speaks in English throughout, and Uwe does a little right near the end. Enjoy!

Our little star sleeper (12/28/09)

2010-01-05T23:55:00.001+08:00

When we were planning this trip we searched the internet for hours looking for the biggest hotel rooms we could find, possibly even a suite (which turned out to be out of our price range...at least for a suite anywhere near the beach) so that we could have a bit more space to put Gemma in a quiet corner somewhere.

Well, I tell ya, as usual a lot of worry for nothing! She has gone down for naps and at bedtime happily wherever she is. We put sheets and towels around the side of her crib to cut out distractions and when we quietly walk by she looks up, smiles and waves. One evening she stood up oh so quietly to look out at us and a simple, "Gemma, nigh nigh!" had her plunking back down to her mattress to get cozy again, with a grin on her face.

Nate is a great sleeper as always and when he does wake up early he quietly entertains himself. We are getting some very enjoyable rest on this vacation.

Written on 12/26/09

2010-01-05T23:47:00.001+08:00

I'm not using the data plan while in Thailand due to $$$, but it just occurred to me today that I can still write out the blogs and just send them off when we get back to Taiwan.

The vacation is great. As always we are taking the trade off of enjoying an amazing trip in southeast Asia while missing dearly our loved ones. We will have to make up for it all in the summer.

The kids are loving the ocean and pool. We (the parents) are definitely letting the needs of the children dictate our schedule, but that's to be expected and makes it more enjoyable for all involved in the end.

We got Gemma a "bunny boat" (ie - inflatable floaty bunny) and it seems the only words we hear from her are "bunny", "boat", "swimming", "tubby"... (She calls the ocean/pool a "tubby" just like she called grapes "apples" all day long. In her defense they were pretty big grapes. )

Nate is always excited at the possibility of making new friends, which he has done a lot of this trip, and of practicing his "diving" and "underwater" swimming. With all the water exposure, he has started swimming without a life jacket and has been boldly trying out some new water moves. He's pretty impressed with himself, to say the least.

Tomorrow we move to our second resort and I'm sure will be missing the breakfasts (and much more) here. (I will definitely be ordering the fabulous "eggs benedict" on our final morning at the beautiful "Pacific Club")

Much love to all. We miss so many people. I am thankful that we have such a wonderful vacation and time of making great family memories to console us in our lonely moments.

XO

Phuket...

2009-12-23T22:05:00.002+08:00

As I sit here in the lobby of our fabulous resort, geckos run overhead on the ceiling, sweet smells of fresh flowers I don't know the names of drift by and the sound of the waterfall at the pool runs continually in the background.

What a day!!! We spent the day at the pool and it doesn't get much better than this. It's hot. It's exotic. It's fresh. It's fun. It's exciting. The kid's senses are on overdrive and I believe ours are too.

We are just so thankful. We are blessed. I love my family.

I can't blog from my phone because I'm not paying to use the data plan in Thailand. So I'm limited to using a computer at the resort in the evening. It's free. So I'll get down here while I can. But realistically, I have all the time in the world to update the blog and only so many days to enjoy this amazing time with my family.

We're hoping to go ride elephants soon. And get a half day trip of snorkeling in. Other than that, we're lounging and playing on the beach or at the pool and eating all kinds of yummy foods. Gemma gets spaghetti bolganese everywhere we go and Nate tries different things. (ie - french toast or grilled cheese with ham)

The resort we are at right now is unbelievable. I won't even try to describe the complimentary breakfast that is included except to say it's indescribable. ;o) The atmosphere is friendly, relaxed and, as already mentioned, smells incredible!

Friends and family in Canada and Taiwan, we miss you. I honestly don't miss the Canadian weather...but I must say it'd be ok to be curled up by the fire at a certain home on St Joe's for an evening with the entire family or playing games on Aberdeen.

Much love to all and of course, MERRY CHRISTMAS!! xo

Test #2

2009-12-15T11:53:00.001+08:00

Gemma and I are at the park and I just can't believe how beautiful the weather is. It's another sunny, gorgeous day. I hardly feel right that we're going on vacation in a few days.

Gemma was SUPER cranky this morning and I could almost see myself as a toddler in her very stubborn and unreasonable attitude. (Thanks for the many years of patience mom and dad!). Thankfully she's not like this nearly as much as I'm sure I was. We're just both getting over illness and she's been a little off her game lately.

Anyway, wanted to try this "anywhere" blogging again first because I'm testing to see if I can get the "sent to you" blackberry message off the bottom and second just because I think it's kind of cool.

Would you believe...

2009-12-15T00:40:00.000+08:00

I actually remembered to try and figure out how to blog from my phone?

This is my trial run and I'm hoping it works because I will be depending on it to update you all from Phuket, Thailand in only 5 short days!

Apparently I can even add pictures. So we'll give that a go. Don't mind the pic...we have no hot water at the moment and I'm a tad bit greasy looking after a run tonight.

Alright, here's to hoping it works!

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Taiwan Mobile

Just like Daddy...

2009-12-07T22:21:00.006+08:00

Well, after the one interesting experience with Nate's Taiwanese haircut, we finally just shaved his head today. So, now he looks even more like Kristin. With my widow's peak thrown in for good measure of course!

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Nibbles and nei nei's

2009-12-07T22:09:00.003+08:00

I will now do my best to report back to you the conversation overheard by me, between Gemma Mei and Nate today. It's already fading a little bit, so I had to get it on here asap. Let me set the scene a little first...we were walking down the windiest road in Taipei (that I have encountered so far anyway) and talking about just how windy it was. OK kids...take it away...

Gemma - It's so windy it's going to blow me away. It's going to blow me way up to the top of the trees. It's so windy it's going to blow my clothes right off and then you'll see my nei nei's. (Chinese slang for breasts)

Nate - You don't have nei nei's!

Gemma - (scowls, leans forward and puts her hands on her hips) I do so!!

Nate - Well, you don't have them yet anyway... you have nibbles!

Ahhh, out of the mouths of babes.

Our morning bike ride

2009-12-02T18:02:00.002+08:00

Whenever the weather is nice Gemma and I like to hit up the bike trails that run along side the Danshui river. It's quiet and peaceful in the mornings and a great way for us to spend an hour.

Inspiration...

2009-12-02T01:33:00.001+08:00

So, I was reading my friend Nevada's blog today and found myself amazed yet again at all she does. Seriously, don't know where she gets the energy. She works full-time at Bethany, and is a busy and very devoted Mom to a (newly turned) 3-year-old and 8-month-old when she is not at school. She does cool stuff with her kids...always going new places and trying new crafts and activities. And, to top it off she keeps up her blog and a blog about each child to document it all! Nevada, cheers to you and you have my nomination and vote for Mom of the Year 2009! (And let's be honest, I'm sure 2010 as well!)

On that note, I feel like I am seriously slacking in "kid updates". So, I'm going to try improve on that and get in some more of those each week, starting today. Even if they're only a few sentences telling a funny story from that day, I know the fam will appreciate that. The problem may now be that I must remember these stories by the time I sit down at the computer. I still have not figured out how to blog from my blackberry. THAT would be convenient. (mental note: try to figure out once again how to blog from the phone. And...already forgotten. Ah well, a valiant effort.)

Let's start with Gemma. Seriously, this girl does about 100 hilarious things a day. I don't even know where to start. Actually, I do know where to start because I can only remember one right now. Has anyone out there heard of the Spanish speaking, singing sensation that is Dora? Ya, well, Gemma has. She is suddenly all about everything Dora. Gemma will sit for a good 5 or 10 minutes here or there with her full attention on Dora. And it cracks me up because even though she doesn't have a huge vocab yet, she always tries to respond to Dora's (slightly annoying and pushy) questions. She mostly says "yesh" to everything, even when the answer is so obviously "no" and it's just building up to the "YES!". But she's trying so hard and having a great time doing it.

So, yesterday, we went to Gemma Mei's birthday party. (All Dora themed, with an actual Dora adventure, amazing fondant cake and hand made Dora backpacks as gift backs all made by none other than Gemma's amazing Mom...you guessed it, Nevada!) At the party the kids all got to put on Dora tattoos. Nate picked out a Swiper tattoo and asked if his sister could have a Swiper one as well. Throughout the day today, Gemma would periodically get a glimpse of her hand and go "Awwww man!". So aDORAble! (sidenote: we were back over at the McKenzies tonight and Nevada had some leftover tattoos...enough for each child to have one more. Since there were no more Swipers left, Nate asked for a Dora one and requested that it be on his belly. His original inspiration was that Gemma Mei had gotten hers on her belly yesterday, but he was also thoroughly pleased with the fact that none of his friends would see it on his belly. He later confided in me that he could show it to Justin (his best school friend) and Justin would say it was "OK".)

The first thing that comes to mind with Nate is his sweet naivete. I really shouldn't take advantage of it, but sometimes as a Mom I just can't help it. He's been told time and time again that slides are for sliding down and stairs are for climbing up. It's a rule at school and it's a rule that we follow anytime we go to a park. Tonight I mentioned that maybe we'd go out after dinner tomorrow night and pick up some much needed new runners for him. Right away he said, "Really? Oh I'm so excited! They have to be the ones with the "N" on them though OK?" (N = New Balance shoes. He currently has a pair that are borderline too small) So I said, "ya we can look at those. Do you want an "N" for Nate?" And he quickly told me that the "N for Nate" is cool, but mostly he wants them because they're so "grippy". A bell went off in my head, and this is where I just can't help myself. I asked, "what do you need the grips for?" And just like that, he can't even stop himself, "to run up slides...." "Slides" came out kind of slowly as he realized what he had just said and he turned his head carefully to look at me with a wide-eyed, cautious look. "Nate", I said, "did you run up slides today?" This is where I almost lose it. He got this look on his face when I asked him that like he was trying to figure out the world's most complicated math question for a 5-year-old, and he sees it way off in the distance. It was all I could do to not burst into laughter. "Um, I'm trying to remember..." he said weakly. "Nate, do you run up slides everyday?" This time, he didn't even bother. He just came back with "yes". We then went in to a conversation again about the rule and why he must follow the rules.....

I have to say, 5 is a very fun age. I love the excitement and wonder he experiences over what seems like insignificant things. And I love how well he expresses himself. OH...that reminds me of one more Nate goody. A few weeks ago we were biking to soccer on a Saturday morning. We cut through a University campus that is close by and there is a Beverly Hills style, palm tree lined road that we take on our route. As we're cruising along, he shouts back to me, "Mom, I love this road! The palm trees make my heart feel good! And I love the smell by soccer! It reminds me of Grandma's and makes my heart feel good too!" There are some farms by the soccer field. Only sensitive little Nate would shout out from the back of Kristin's bike that the smell of manure makes him happy!

How do you spell cute? G-E-M-M-A!

2009-11-18T21:55:00.000+08:00

Nooooooooo!

Speak Chinese ma?

2009-11-18T13:29:00.001+08:00

Not too bad Nate. Not bad at all...

Dropped the ball...

2009-11-15T15:50:00.002+08:00

Yes, OK, I failed miserably at getting in my 4 "top 10" lists. But I'm here to tell you I'm back!! We got a new computer today and are all set up. Before that we were using a computer loaned to us from Kristin's school. It was great to have in the interim, but it was much slower than we're accustomed to and also we didn't want to bother putting a bunch of pictures and videos on it, only to have to move them again. So, we've got our own set up now. I'm going to get all the pictures and videos put on this computer and start sharing more of those in the blog.

Just so you know, the final top 10 list was going to be my top 10 favourite places in Taiwan so far. I may eventually put the list up. But for now, I think I'm going to just hit up some of these places, get some pics and dedicate a blog to each one.

Oh, and yes, along with our computer, a web cam purchase was made as well.

Hi Eric.

Top 10 things I love about Taiwan

2009-09-30T14:08:00.006+08:00

10. Warmers and warmer tins. I never knew these existed last time we lived in Taiwan. I guess the schools I worked at never had them. But there are warmer machines that you put your tin full of food (last nights supper) into first thing in the morning and by lunch time you have a perfectly warmed meal. Kristin and Nate both use them regularly for their lunches.

9. I feel safe. If I wanted to, I could walk the streets at all hours, in any area with no worries. There is, however, that general uneasiness that always sticks in your gut about whether you're going to collide with some other moving object at any moment. And that feeling is a little more present when you're out and about with children. But violence and crime aren't really a concern.

8. Treasures and surprises. Around every corner could be some wonderful treat. I feel like I could live my whole life here and not have enough time to explore all the interesting places. It really is like a box of chocolates, Gump style.

7. Shopping. From stationery and book stores to fresh markets and night markets. You'll find it all in this place! And the more people you ask the more places you'll learn of that you never would have found on your own. Treasures I tell you.

6. The chaotic order. I just recently got a chance to visit Kaohsiung - the city where we lived for 3 years previously. Being in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, I see that laws and regulations are enforced more strictly here. But with all the people crammed into this space, there is still plenty of room (or lack thereof depending on how you look at it) for organized chaos. Bikes and scooters on sidewalks and driving the wrong way down a one-way street is all quite the norm here. Horns are often used to warn others you're coming and a polite bicycle bell lets pedestrians ahead know that you're about to pass by. So while it all looks very confusing and dangerous (and once in a while it is), I love that anything goes and that's basically the rule of the road. Anything goes! (When done safely - hopefully - and with a beep-beep on the horn first.)

5. The service! Kristin bought a TV one Saturday night around 9 PM and it was delivered, unpacked and set up about 15 minutes later. (he wasn't even home yet) Last week we went to buy bikes. We walk into the store, pick out a bike and start accessorizing. Would you like a basket? Sure! And how about a wider, softer seat? Definitely! We'd also like some helmets, kids seats, and oh ya, can you throw a bell on the bikes? No problem!! 20 minutes later and for a very reasonable price, we were all set to ride our new bikes home with the kids on the backs! When you pay to get something done, it gets done. Quickly. And with a smile.

4. Drinks. Black fruit tea. Iced coffee and ice cream. Pearl milk tea. Grapefruit green tea. Black tea and ice cream. Just a few of my (and others) favourites. And these drinks are fresh! (with fresh fruit in the fruit teas to chomp on...yum!!) They're made up for you on the spot and range in price from from $1 - $3.

3. There is so much to do! I think in moving to Taiwan, our lifestyle has changed to be a lot like the community that we're becoming a part of. And this is a very active community, always looking for ways to get out and explore. That being said, Taiwan offers many adventures. There are many things to do with the children. We have two parks close by, the public library, Bethany campus (also with a library and play area), indoor play spaces, Da'an Park (the Central Park of Taipei) and so much more. Even going on the bus or MRT is fun for the kids. (I'm sure that will grow old eventually) And now we've got bikes to get to so many of these places! Which leads me to my next point...

2. Bike trails! They're awesome. And 5 minutes from our house. They run all along the river and from one end of the city to the other. And they're much more enjoyable to use now that I know how to enter and exit the bike trail area. Yes, it's true. I got stuck down by the river one day. (There were no vans in sight) And I will be forever grateful to Chris who came out to the trails, found me and brought me home. I'm also thankful for cell phones.

1. Bethany/Morrison/Community. As I've said before, I'm really thankful that Kristin and Nate get to wake up and go to Bethany each day. (Not sure how Kristin feels about the waking up part...I won't speak for him) I'm thankful for the new friends we've met and the old ones we've connected with. I think Nate is on the brink of being at an age that would have made this a much harder transition for him. But as it is, he loves school and his friends. When he does think or talk about people in Canada, he gets sad, but for the most part he focuses on the positive. He prayed last night that he would wake up early enough to leave with Daddy in the morning so that he could have more time to play before class. While I could turn this into a long bit about the positive ways we're all adjusting, I'll save that for another blog. I'm just thankful for the people we've been blessed with here.

Top 10 continued...

2009-09-23T20:08:00.002+08:00

It figures that when I make a promise to have a top 10 list written for 4 weeks straight, our computer would crash. For real. Today is the first day that I've been online since Friday. I don't know what I would have done without my blackberry. I tell ya what I wouldn't have done. I wouldn't have updated my status on facebook a bunch of times or checked my e-mail. I did try to blog, but for some reason it wasn't happening. Anyway, here I am. With the next top 10 list. This leaves me about due to write my 3rd one tomorrow. But whateves...let's get started.

TOP 10 THINGS WE MISS ABOUT CANADA

(for the record I could easily write a top 50 list and just fill it with people alone...so for that reason I will avoid writing any names down)

10. Knowing exactly who to call or where to go when you need to have something, oh let's say a computer, repaired.

9. Eavesdropping on conversations in public.

8. Goodlife gym.

7. English menus at any restaurant I want to go to.

6. Driving my own car and the use of car seats.

5. Being confident in where I am going, how I am getting there, what to expect there...etc.

4. Being able to call other people (in Canada) at any time without worrying about waking them up in the middle of the night or ridiculous phone bills.

3. Cheap and abundant "Western" groceries and basic Canadian "odds and ends". (ie - shopping at Wal-mart)

2. Lansing.

1. Family and Friends.

Nathaniel's Trip to the Beach in Pictures

2009-09-12T08:34:00.003+08:00

10/10 on the way

2009-09-11T08:35:00.004+08:00

In one month it will be October 10. In Taiwan, it's called 10/10 or double 10 day and it's the national holiday here. In light of this, I've decided that for the next 4 weeks I will write a weekly top 10 list, all based on something to do with our move to Taiwan.

Here goes nothing...

TOP 10 THINGS "WE" FORGOT ABOUT TAIWAN... (Melissa co-wrote this weeks)

10. How hot and humid it really is. I'm talking sweat drips down my face, pants sticking to the backs of my legs every time I stand up, and looking like a grease ball by mid-afternoon, kind of heat.

9. How much I love driving a scooter! I haven't even gotten on one yet, but I didn't realize how much I missed it until I saw them. Everywhere. I'm going to try get my license soon.

8. How stinky "stinky tofu" really is. 'Nuff said.

7. The smell of 7/11. It's not bad, it's just different. And very distinct. It's the smell of hard boiled eggs cooked in tea.

6. How frustrating, and yet rewarding, grocery shopping can be. Frustrating when I can't find the one product I'm looking for that I know the store has had in the past and when I can't read labels. But, rewarding when I come upon a little treasure in the imports aisle or try a new food that's actually amazing.

5. How beautiful it is!! We've gotten out of the city a few times already. From the ocean to the mountains and countryside, it's remarkable. Really, you have to see it to believe it.

4. How hard Mandarin Chinese really is to speak. Not that I've tried that much. I'm determined this time to learn more. But honestly, if I were in a country where Spanish were spoken, I'd probably be ok by now. Except for the terrible accent I would have with my inability to roll my 'r's".

3. How friendly Taiwanese people are. They help on the MRT or bus when I look confused. They somehow reassure me that's it terrible that their English isn't better and it's perfectly acceptable that I speak no Chinese. (I need to change that!) And then there's the shopkeeper that told us exactly how to get to the other store that sells the product Melissa was looking for instead of trying to pressure her into buying something else from them. I could go on and on about the sincere kindness, but for time's sake I'll end it there.

2. How great squatter toilets are. (This one's from Melissa) "They're just so much more convenient and cleaner. You're going to squat anyways when you go to a toilet so you might as well squat more comfortably! And you, like, flush with your foot. You're going to flush with your foot anyways so why not have it at a better angle? You know what I'm talking about?"

1. How much I love this place!

Ni Hao from Taipei

2009-08-30T21:30:00.003+08:00

Hey faithful blog-readers,

Things are going quite well here in Taiwan. The first couple weeks of school have been good, but extremely busy. I've been getting to school at about 7:00AM and leaving at about 5:00PM. I'm not goofing around either. Any prep time I have is spent planning and marking. The long days leave me tired and ready for bed come evening. Please pray that I'd begin to have some shorter days. Please pray that I'd continue to have good days with my students, and that they'd respond to the teaching and find class interesting. Please pray that my non-Christian students would begin to open up during our Bible time.

Katrina, Nathaniel and Gemma are doing great! Nate's loving school and has a few friends that he likes to play with before, during and after school. Gemma loves running around the house and has started biting Nate once and a while; a trick that Nate doesn't appreciate so much. Katrina's been busy hittin' up the spots with Melissa, Dorothy and Janice who's visiting with Melissa.

Sooo...we finally took a trek out of the city for a day. The superintendent and the director of personnel from Morrison took the new teachers in Taipei to a beautiful river location in the hills and we spent the day swimming. It's a spot we'd love to frequent as it's super refreshing to swim in a mountain stream when it's over 40 degrees out. It was fantastic! I'll post a few pictures to end this short blog since I think there's some old Chinese adage that says something like a picture is worth a thousand words or something.

A great day at a great place called Wulai! Check out my Facebook page for more pics.

Blessed

2009-08-19T13:54:00.005+08:00

Today is day 3 of school. I would say both my boys are doing an excellent job of adjusting! I can already tell that Nate is going to thrive at this school. First thing Monday morning, there was an all-school chapel in which the worship team led us in some amazing songs. And Kristin is already on the team! What a blessing to start the year that way. I can't describe the joy I felt to know Kristin would be working and Nate would be attending school in such an environment! Not only can we talk about God in this school, but He is the focus and the purpose!! Honestly, so exciting!

PB & J's.

2009-08-15T20:42:00.004+08:00

When we were at PFO, there was a book that some families received called "Peanut Butter Friends in a Chop Suey World." I was hoping to get my hands on a copy, but it was only given out to families with older children. (more age appropriate for ages 7 and up, or somewhere around there)

Anyway, every time we go somewhere, I can't help but come back to title of this book. I think of the title of it as I prepare the sandwich for Nate that I am getting into the habit of bringing along with us. Yes, Costco is here. And yes, we can find western groceries in a lot of the stores. (and I'm thankful to have friends that have not only told me about, but also taken me to all the best spots!) But really, the selection of foods that we are accustomed to is not nearly that of what it is back in Canada. Not to mention it can be inconvenient and pricey to find these treasures. So, needless to say, Nate is eating a lot of PB & J's.

For the record, I've made a lot of meals at home already that Nate enjoys. It's eating out that brings this struggle to the forefront. We are excited to get out and eat a lot of the foods that we've missed from Taiwan. And Nate's having none of it. Literally. I feel like this is something I would have pushed more in Canada. I would have at least made him try a taste then. But here in Taiwan, there are 3 very important factors to take into consideration before I take that path. They are his exhaustion level, the current room/outdoor temperature and the amount of droopiness that I see in his left eye. Based on the examination of these 3 things at each instance, I haven't really picked too many battles with him. I figure he's got enough to deal with and hey, peanut butter has protein right?

Our world...

2009-08-09T20:48:00.007+08:00

Well, in the spirit of the title of this blog, I'm here to share a little about our new world with you.

We were welcomed into Taipei with...

- a ham sniffing dog in the Taipei airport. (yes, we thought he was a drug sniffer, but no, he found the ham sandwich and fruit hidden away in our suitcase. Like we were even going to eat that sandwich after its daylong ride in our carry on!)

- a friend meeting us at the airport, with cold drinks and a school van driven by a very friendly and kind Chinese employee.

- a beautiful, bright, 4 bedroom apartment to call our own.

- a new neighborhood full of drink stands, wonderful western and Chinese restaurants, evangelical churches, 24 hour grocery stores, parks, MRT (Subway) and bus access.

- an address to boggle the mind...yes, it includes a road, a section, a lane, an alley, apt number and floor.

- wonderful bedroom furniture that we'll keep and other "make do" furniture in the livingroom and dining room until we replace it with new. (all thanks to Morrison)

- extreme heat and humidity and beautiful sunshine! (My skin has never felt softer!)

- exhaustion. (none of us adults slept on any of the flights on the way over!)

- an awesome host family! The McKenzies, who we met in Kaohsiung before, got our apartment ready for us and have been awesome tour guides and just so helpful in general!

- trips to Ikea and Costco (yes, we have those here!) with the school and our host family to help us start to settle in.

- Typhoon Morakot! It didn't seem to hit the North too badly (as it seemed it was going to) but did tons of damage in the South! Please pray for those affected!

- Kristin's AWESOME school staff! We are excited to find our place in such a great community.

- slippery when wet surfaces!! I've almost bailed so many times already and Nate has taken the plunge a time or two...or three. Poor kid.

- mango in our fridge (among other food - thank you Morrison/McKenzies!) and in season!!

We are happy to be here and yet missing people at the same time. The kids are adjusting great. Nate has made a few friends already and Gemma's happy to get out for multiple stroller rides in the exciting city. She has taken to Chinese food, especially enjoying noodles and of course all of the scrumptious fruit! Nate has enjoyed the MRT and bus rides and seems ready for school.

The kids have come upon this really strange phase where they seem to try to annoy each other and get really frustrated, really easily with one another. They also seem to get competitive over toys and don't want to share. Honestly, it's so bizarre. I've never heard of siblings acting this way, and I'm sure this phase will pass quickly. *wink*

Well, it's approaching 10 PM over here, and I'm done. Heading to bed. I will try get back soon with more details and some new pictures!

(Oh, FYI, Kristin joined the blog and hopefully he'll contribute more often now. But you can tell who it's coming from by checking right under the title! Today it's me. Katrina. :o)

Alive in Taiwan

2009-08-02T14:15:00.023+08:00

Hey all,

We've arrived safe and sound in Taipei, Taiwan after a long 22 hours of plane travel and airport living. Everything went smoothly at each airport and no luggage was lost (bonus) -- at points during the trip, however, our good friend Sanity was lost. In particular, he seemed to get lost a few times during the 16 hour flight from Toronto to Hong Kong. Two young kids on a flight that long greatly aided in the losing of our buddy Sanity. Thankfully, he was found again, and all was peachy -- just peachy (*Sanity was found crying in the corner of a Hong Kong aiport bathroom stall, but don't worry, he's okay).

The following are some pictures from the Hong Kong aiport. It's a crazy big airport with lots of stuff going on. You can see the smaller Cathay Pacific aircraft we took from Hong Kong to Taipei -- the plane we took from Toronto to Hong Kong was much bigger. You'll also see some shots showing some of the weary travelers -- Sanity had been found before these pictures had been snapped.

It's been really hot in Taipei, in fact, pushing 45-50 degrees with the humidex the last couple days. As a result, the AC has been pumping non-stop in our apartment -- likewise the water has been pumping from many a family armpit. To beat the heat, Nathaniel and I hit up a waterpark with friends while Katrina, Gemma, and Dorothy took it easy in the apartment. You can check out some of the waterpark action below.

We went to a pretty cool bilingual church (English-Chinese) this morning. We sang songs in both English and Chinese and when the songs were sung in Chinese they not only had the characters on the screen, but the anglicized pin-yin version which means I could actually sing the songs. For the most part I didn't have any idea what I was singing, though. But what a great way to learn some more Chinese. We'll probably keep going to this church as Nate really enjoyed his Sunday school class that was led by a Chinese lady they call Auntie Sweetie. Tonight Katrina and I are going to another church service at a church called the Pearl in Taipei. We know the Pastor and his wife and live in the same building as them here. We'll probably go this church each Sunday evening as it's English only and the worship and style of the church is much more modern. We won't bring the kids since it doesn't really have a kids program as of yet. We'll just get a baby-sitter each Sunday evening, and once they have a kids program we'll start bringing the kids. It's much cheaper to do that here in Taiwan.

So far Nate is loving it here. He loves his new room and loves the busyness of the big city. He's amazed by tonnes of things and thinks that he'll love his new school. Gemma is just being Gemma and smiling at everyone and getting a lot of 'hao ke ai' - very cute - comments from the locals. Hopefully the kids will pick up the Mandarin like nothing and will be speaking on our behalf soon.

Well, that's it for now. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers and please continue to pray that we'd adjust to our new surroundings quickly and that we'd make some really good friends and be able to share the gospel with some Taiwanese really soon. Also pray that the kids in my class would be receptive to the Word and that I'd work well with each and every one of them.

Check back often as we'll try and keep you up to date on what's going on with us over here in Taiwan! Love you all and miss you much.

Bye for now and God bless!

2 days...

2009-07-27T10:56:00.004+08:00

Where did the time go? We fly out of Sudbury at 6 AM Wednesday morning. The next two days will be a blur of packing, weighing, unpacking, repacking, weighing, writing lists, checking off lists, rewriting lists, searching for lists, saying final good-byes, some tears and finally, exhaustion. Well, technically the exhaustion will probably set in sometime Wednesday.

Today I asked Kristin, "Are we really moving back to Taiwan in 3 days?" I'm not sure it has hit me yet. Not to worry, it will hit me like a brick wall the second I step out from the comfort of the air conditioned airport upon our arrival.

There are so many things that I am looking forward to. And there are so many things (people) that I am not looking forward to being so far from. But ultimately, excitement comes out on top. I'm excited for new experiences and I'm excited to see what God has in store for us this time around in Taiwan, and to see how we can serve Him there.

I <3 Canada!

2009-07-02T08:33:00.002+08:00

A couple more PFO vids...

It's our last day tomorrow. See everybody in Sudbury on Saturday and we'll be heading to St Joe's around July 12th.

PFO in Houghton, New York

2009-06-26T09:26:00.006+08:00

Hey all,

As most of you know we're heading back to Taiwan to teach at Morrison Academy's Taipei campus. Morrison is an awesome International Christian school that's part of the Association of International Christian Schools (ACSI). We've been thinking about doing this for some time now and have felt that this was the time to do it. We're excited that we'll be stretched just a little bit more toward unleashing the tremendous potential that God has given us when we're working to further His kingdom.

Being the awesome school that they are they've sent us to a two-week Pre-Field Orientation which is taking place in Houghton, New York. We arrived here safe and sound last Saturday after an 8 hour drive. So far it's been a great time of learning, as working in an International school will be much different than working in a school in Canada and we'll be living in a completely different culture.

Gemma and Nate have also loved their time here so far! They've made little friends and get to do a lot of cool things. Nate's learning about different cultures and being prepared by the excellent staff for the transition he'll have to make in about a month's time.

We've met all sorts of interesting and amazing people, many of whom have lived in various parts of the world as missionaries. What better way to prepare than to have experienced missionaries sharing all their nuggets of gold with us.

Truly -- what a great time of preparation it has been for the whole family thus far!

Check out the video I added of a part of the worship time that we do every morning. Most of the songs are brand new to many. The worship leaders are Evan and Jewel Evans who are the chaplains and boarding administrators at Dakar Academy in Senegal who had served 20 years in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa, until they were evacuated to Senegal in 2002. What an amazing story they have of putting your full trust in God even when the cost may be your life.

Check our site out often as it will be one of our main communication tools while we're away in Taiwan!

God Bless!

(*Editor's note: We are honoured to have a blog written by Kristin here. He neglected to mention that he wrote it. But it was clearly him, because had I written the blog, a "at the very least we're brushing up on the periodic table of elements" type comment would have been included.)

New toy

2009-05-29T10:33:00.002+08:00

Finally got a new video camera! It was inexpensive, it's simple to use and it's hd! I LOVE it. I got it this afternoon and literally whipped this video up in about 2 minutes. LOVE it. I highly recommend the Flip Ultra HD for any person who wants to take more videos and do some fun things with them. And wants all of this to be SIMPLE!

Family portraits

2009-05-27T04:18:00.004+08:00

Well, we did Kristin's favourite thing the other day. And unfortunately we did it right before Gemma's nap time. Squirmy, cranky baby always makes getting family pics taken fun! There weren't many to choose from, but we got a few decent ones of the 4 of us. And some really cute ones of Gemma and Nate.

When I grow up...

2009-05-09T20:58:00.002+08:00

Nate: You know what I want to be when I grow up?

Me: What?

Nate: A musician!

Me: Really? That's awesome...I bet you'll be a wonderful musician Nate!

Nate: Ya! I wanna walk through walls and get sawed in half.

Me: Um, do you mean "magician" Nate?

(Kristin goes on to explain the difference between musicians and magicians...)

Nate: Oh...YA! I wanna be a "ma-jus-shun"!

Thinking...

2009-04-23T10:20:00.005+08:00

Ya. It's official. We've got a lot of stuff to do. I can't lie. It's starting to weigh a little heavily on my mind. We've got some pretty major decisions to make regarding our house, cars, furniture and about a bazillion other possessions. And we've got 11.5 weeks to deal with all this "stuff". We've still got 13.5 weeks until we make that big, long flight, but we'll be at training in the States for 2 weeks. How can one little house get so cluttered in 3 short years? And speaking of that "big, long flight"...just another stressor to add to the list. Thankfully Dorothy will be flying over with us. We've got the kids outnumbered by 1 now. That's huge. And honestly, I think I'll be so relieved to be "done" with decisions and dealing with everything here that settling in for some long flights with two small children will feel like a walk in the park.

On the very bright side, we have nothing to worry about once we get there. The school has already arranged an apartment for us. They'll have it set up with temporary furniture, made beds and even some food to get us started upon our arrival. We'll have a few weeks to acclimatize and settle in before school starts. (Kristin will start staff training pretty much right away) And mango is in season.

Nate is definitely dealing with this huge move in his own way. He's been drawing a lot of pictures lately of a plane flying from Canada to Taiwan. One day he drew one where he was in Taiwan and I was back in Canada. He was a little upset by that thought. I reassured him that would never happen. He's also been asking lots of questions like, "is Easter before Taiwan? Is my birthday before Taiwan? Does Santa go to Taiwan? Do they have spaghetti in Taiwan? Is it so hot in Taiwan that my skin is going to burn off?" And when he's not drawing pictures or asking questions, he's arguing and testing us every little chance he gets. And oh ya, throw in the occasional night terror and that about sums up what's happening with him. Poor little guy. I was actually questioning whether we should have waited to tell him. But in the end, I think it's best that he have lots of time to prepare, like us, and deal with it however he does. When we go to the training in the States, he'll be going to his own class every day and they will be helping him to prepare for the move as well. And in the meantime, all we can do is love him and reassure him with all the good stuff. (home every summer, going on a plane, going to Daddy's awesome school, get to use a subway, and oh yes, we'll live in an apartment building and get to use an elevator everyday!)

Alright, I'm going to bed now...where I will pray and fall asleep quickly. None of this lying in bed "thinking" business.

Let her eat cake!!

2009-04-14T10:23:00.005+08:00

Our Gemma-bean is one!! And she had two parties to prove it. I can't believe how fast this year went by. I know people often make comments like that, but seriously, I can't believe it. I hope things slow down a little. I know, I know...highly unlikely.

Click on the above "pictures" tab to see more pictures of Gemma's parties.

More change

2009-03-26T04:21:00.004+08:00

New template, new blog once again. And at a decent time of day this time around. So, I think we can all be happy with this one. Easy to read and quite pretty if I do say so myself. I've even got the picture and video tabs working. I can't figure out how to get the contact tab working though. So, if anyone out there knows..please contact me and let me know. ;o)

I have these friends who have a beautiful little boy. This boy never took to a soother. Until he was like 6 or 7 months old. I found that to be kind of odd. But cute and endearing nonetheless. Well, today Nate asks to use one of Gemma's soothers during their "chasing game". It's pretty adorable how they play together actually and if I've never shared this with you, I LOVE the age difference. Anyway, back to the story. I decide to humour Nate and wash up a soother for him. It's all fun and games until Gemma decides she wants the soother that Nate has instead of the one she has. Nate's a little bothered by this and by the fact that I ask him to put the soother up and out of sight. I patiently explain to him that she's a baby and doesn't understand why she can't have her soother. And he's a big boy that understands this and can help her by just putting the soother away. To this he responds, "Oh ok Mom. So, how about if I just use the soother when she's sleeping?" Yes, he's actually taking a liking to the soother. He'll be 5 this summer.

You know, he actually talked a lot less when he had the soother in his mouth.... Hmmmmm......

best. song. ever. (or at least my fave at the moment!)

2009-03-25T02:05:00.001+08:00

Thanks Aboo! :o)

...change...

2009-03-18T12:00:00.005+08:00

I'm not sure why whenever I want to post a new blog after a long absence from blogging I feel I must change the template.

And I'm not sure why when I decide to change the template I decide to start doing this after 11 PM. (inevitably!!)

And I'm not sure why I ever think that I'm good enough to actually change my template in a way that makes my blog look good and refreshing and perfect.

But here I am again. It's now 12:03 AM...my blog is new and rather fitting I think. It's a picture of the Taipei 101 and skyline and yes, it's a picture of our future city!! And yes, the blog still needs a little tweaking. (I'm not anticipating the best feedback as it's not very reader friendly, but isn't the picture bee-you-tee-ful? I'll change it once people are doing more reading of the blog)

However, the point is...we are moving back to Taiwan. I'm sure this is old news to most by now, but it's still very exciting for us. It's also very overwhelming and scary. "Bittersweet" is the term we seemed to have coined around here for this next chapter in our lives. We will be very sad to say good-bye to loved ones again as we travel to the other side of the world.

There are many positives to this move though. We will have 8 weeks off in the summer to return to Canada. Kristin will be working in an amazing environment at a private, Christian, international school. Nate will attend this school. We have amazing friends living in Taipei and in the city that we formerly lived in, Kaohsiung. And we will get to drink drinks that have a laminated top on them once again. (really, really good drinks...did I mention that??) Well, there you have it...to name just a few positives among the many.

Well, this concludes my attempt at breaking back into the world of blogging for tonight. I may break it in slowly because these next few months are going to be busy. But, I always knew I was hanging on to this blog for a reason. I will be updating regularly once we're back in Taiwan.

(fyi - We'll be leaving Canada the last week of July)

Conversation with Nate

2008-08-19T21:53:00.005+08:00

Nate: Mom, if I was a bumblebee and I was right beside you, I'd sting you.

Me: Well then, I'd step on you.

Nate: Well, you know those striped things on the bottom of shoes? I'd sneak out between them.

Me: Then I'd do this. (rubbed my foot back and forth on the floor pretending to smear the bumblebee everywhere)

Nate: Well, that would actually help me.

Me: (laugh) No it wouldn't Nate.

Nate: Yes it would. Mom....do bumblebee stings actually hurt? Mom...do bumblebees sting bumblebees?

Me: laughing...no answer.

sweet lovin' Summertime

2008-07-07T08:38:00.003+08:00

Pine Crest is a little tent/trailer park in Thessalon. (An hour from the Soo) It was my family's tradition to rent a cabin there every summer when I was younger. I believe the last summer that I camped there with my family was either 1993 or 1994. For me, Pine Crest holds magical memories of amazing sunsets, late night campfires, fireflies, stargazing, swimming endlessly, laying in the hot sun and spending hours on end reading. Well, Kristin and I have taken it upon ourselves to rekindle the tradition. (For the record, it's not so magical when there with your own children...but it's special in a new way to watch the joy in their eyes at being there) We just got back from a week there and actually spent a week there last summer. While the actual cabins are quite 'rustic' the beach is beautiful. And it's perfect for kids. The water was a little chilly for us this year and the winds quite wild actually. But we had a good time regardless. It's great for visiting with family. Kristin's parents have made the trip with us both times and my family is all close by. Anyway, along the coast, between Pine Crest and Camp McDougal there are these big rocks. "The rocks" as we call them. My dear friend Krista and I spent many the hours chiseling our names into the graffiti covered rocks. Krista came to visit us this year and we took the walk to the rocks to find our names. (The walk seemed a lot longer when we were younger) Hers was partially finished and spray painted over. I forgot that I did mine twice...one's easy to read the other one not so much.

In other news, our sweet boy Nathaniel is 4 YEARS OLD tomorrow! I can't believe it's been 4 years. I still remember like yesterday, the day he was born and yet it feels like I've known him all my life. He's SO pumped for his birthday. He already had "party 1" at Pine Crest since my family is all so close by. And tomorrow we'll have another small dinner for him. This is a fun age. And his behaviour has been really great lately. What problems could possibly come up at the beach? Besides staying up too late and eating too much sugar...

Tomorrow is also kind of a big day for Gemma...she's 3 months old! 3 months is fun! She's full of smiles and small coos and giggles. I can't wait til she gets really alert to watch her and Nathaniel interact.

And finally, Kristin's summer won't be quite as long as he hoped. He got a new job! He starts at the Registrar's Office at Cambrian College on Monday the 21st. I can't remember if I've already written about this or not, so I won't go into details.

That's about it for us. Hope this finds y'all well!

A Nate-free afternoon...

2008-06-18T00:45:00.005+08:00

Well, I know a while back I made a promise to blog at least once a week. I hope anyone who reads this blog will pardon the sparsity of blogs in the last two months and probably for at least the next 2 or 3. Things are busy with a 4-year-old and a 2-month-old. Sleep is hard to come by. Honestly I think they tag-team me to see how little sleep they can actually make me have. And my time...well it can't really be spent on blogging constantly at the moment. All that being said, I'm not slowing bowing out on this blog again. The blogs will come...just a little less frequently for a while.

As you can see by the title, I'm getting a little peace and quiet today. Amma has taken Nate for the afternoon...and that makes my day pretty nice. He's been a bit of a handful lately to say the least. He's still my sweet, sweet boy...but he also can drive me a little nuts sometimes. Having a 2nd child is really all about having your first all over again. If that makes sense. I feel like Gemma is a piece of cake. It's giving Nate enough attention and love and caring discipline that's draining me. Things are slowly settling down with him. He loves and adores Gemma. He just doesn't appreciate how much of my time she occupies I think. Or the fact that she gets presents. But I need to remind myself that this is pretty much the biggest thing he's ever had to deal with and it'll take time. It's hard to remind myself of that when he's ignoring me and testing me on something I asked him not to do for the 5th time in 3 minutes. Anyway, I've been finding success in avoiding the power struggle (this boy should be a lawyer because he can argue with the best of them) and just laying the law down. I can take solace in the fact that we must be doing something right because I'm always told how well behaved he is for others. It's only Kristin and I that he likes to bring to the edge of sanity and back. He must really love us. (smile)

Now Gemma. What a sweetie! She reminds me so much of Nate as a baby. Nate was what I'd consider a dream baby...Gemma's pretty great too. But she's a bit closer to 'normal' I think. Although, now that we've figured out the tricks that sooth her...she's pretty easy. She loves to be swaddled in her bed. I can tell when she's cranky that's all she wants. And I'm happy that we've already gotten her to that point of going to sleep on her own. We didn't make that a priority with Nate and I often nursed him to sleep. I'm sure we could have easily gotten him into the habit of going to sleep on his own. We paid the price for it between 9 - 12 months. Anyway, Gemma is just blowing me away with her cuteness. When she smiles at me it's like we share a sweet secret between just the two of us. She's a strong and happy little one. And she's packing on the pounds quickly like Nate did. She was 12 lbs 12 ounces at her 2 month check up. (My little piglet Nate was 13 lbs by a month! But he had a bit of a 'head start') Some days I think...I need more of these. And sometimes I'm convinced that we're finished having children. So I really have no idea what will happen after this. But I'm just enjoying every moment of this stage with her right now.

Well, Kristin has about a week and half left of school and only 2 days left of students. He's pretty happy these days. The one thing troubling him is the "what next?" thought. He was redundant this year and is not guaranteed a teaching job in September with the Rainbow board. We were talking to a school in Taiwan a few months ago and were close to returning there. We were talking with a school in Bella Coola, BC in the past 2 months and were close to heading out there. (Our amazing friends Kim and Jon live there) But we've closed the doors for now on both options. Something is keeping us here. We're both not feeling we're ready to make that big move again yet. But what?? Obviously a big part of it is we have a 2-month-old and our families missed out on the first 9 months of Nate's life. And also that we own a home...and two cars. And it's a big deal to figure out what we'd do there. So, Kristin has a few job prospects here if teaching doesn't work out. Or he may considering supplying next year. This season of life is tough. Young children exhausting us and major decisions that we have to make that will affect the rest of our lives. But it's also kind of exciting. The options are endless really.

Well, that's where we're at right now. And at the moment I have a hungry girl on my hands, so I'll end this for now. Hopefully I'll return relatively soon!

A little family resemblance

2008-05-15T09:51:00.004+08:00

Check out the facial features carefully one-by-one. Do you think they're related??

Sibling rivalry?

2008-04-30T07:37:00.003+08:00

To get a sense of how your older child might feel about the addition of the new baby, imagine this:

Imagine that your partner puts an arm around you and says, "Honey, I love you so much, and you're so wonderful that I've decided to have another wife (or husband) just like you." When the new wife (or husband) finally arrives, you see that (s)he's very young and kind of cute. When the three of you are out together, people say hello to you politely, but exclaim ecstatically over the newcomer. "Isn't (s)he adorable! Hello sweetheart... You are precious!" Then they turn to you and ask, "How do you like the new wife (or husband)?"

How would you react to this? I know how I'd react. It wouldn't be pretty. Nate's a lot like me.

(large sigh)

I'm just trying to make it through today...

Gemma Alexandra Jakola!!

2008-04-13T08:52:00.003+08:00

Well, if you know me enough to be reading this blog, I'm sure you know that our beautiful baby girl was born on Monday, April 7th, 2008. She was born by c-section at 1:05 PM. She weighed 8 lbs and 3 ounces and measured 20 and a quarter inches. She is absolutely beautiful and so far, a very 'easy' baby. Obviously, we named her Gemma Alexandra. We're calling her Alexandra though. Some people have questioned us...why Gemma Alexandra and not Alexandra Gemma? Bottom line? They're both names that we love and Gemma Alexandra just sounds much better.

This experience has been a very different one from having Nate. Having our firstborn was almost magical feeling. We were both on such a high when he was finally born and all felt right with the world. Unfortunately our experience in the hospital here wasn't the relaxing, amazing one that we had in Taiwan. First, I went in for the surgery feeling quite sick. Kristin was just getting sick. He stayed with me in the hospital the first night, but had a raging fever and had a terrible night. He went home first thing in the morning and my mom came to replace him as my support person. At about 10:55 am that day, my nurse informed me that no visitors were allowed because of the numerous cases of Norwalk that had broken out. Knowing that Dorothy was bringing Nate to meet his baby sister for the 11 - 2 visiting hours, we tried unsuccessfully to get a hold of her. Nate came all the way up to our floor and was not allowed to see me!! I wasn't even allowed to walk out and see him. And of course the security guard gave everyone a hard time. Security is quite strict now because of the 'babynapping' incident in the fall. Obviously all these factors kind of put a damper on our time in the hospital. I went home Wednesday afternoon.

For me, once I got home things turned around. I got that feeling. The "I have a beautiful baby that I can't resist and everything's wonderful!" feeling. But poor Kristin continued to spend most of his time blowing his nose in bed. Thankfully my wonderful mommy came to stay with us for the week and took very good care of me. I also had a lot of energy and was feeling quite positive.

I've got to say, Alexandra is an absolute DOLL. She pretty much sleeps non-stop right now, waking up every few hours to eat and make some cute sounds. She's so content and easy to comfort. She's just beautiful.

Outwardly, Nate is being very positive about his new baby sister. He says he loves her and that she's adorable and loves to shower her in kisses. But, it's obvious that he's struggling with the major changes that are taking place in our family. That's to be expected and honestly, I think he's doing a pretty good job. He's being a little extra defiant and challenging lately...but I think that's pretty age appropriate. He really just needs some attention and reassurance from us. This is a pretty huge deal for him.

Kristin is starting to feel better and starting to spend more time with our new babe. He didn't really want to handle her too much being such a big sicko earlier in the week. It's pretty sweet to see him with his little girl.

I'm dealing with some different physical 'pains' that I won't go into detail about. But overall I'm feeling great. I'm feeling very blessed and very in love with my "million dollar family".

Scooty the wildcat

2008-03-31T09:43:00.006+08:00

We got a new camera for Christmas. Ok, not "we", but "I". The Rebel XTI. Pretty fun stuff. And I've been taking a lot of pictures. Now...there is nothing amazing about this chain of pictures. Except that they're hilarious. If you've ever met the Jakola's cat, Scooter, then you know, don't mess with her. I assure you that Nate was never truly in any danger in these pictures. She only attacks if you make loud noises, like constant whistling. The rest of the time she just gets annoyed really easily. She can often be found glaring at any given person from across the room. I just find these pics SO funny, because she's such a freak cat and Nate is in a daze and oblivious to what's going on.

A week and a day

2008-03-31T09:10:00.003+08:00

A week from tomorrow I'm going to have a baby. That's so bizarre. I've gotta say, that knowing the date you're going to have a baby mentally changes everything. I'm finding the second time around to be a different experience. At this point in my last pregnancy I still had 5 + weeks to go! Although I didn't know it. This time...one week. But, it feels SO long. And then, also maybe because this is baby #2, the pregnancy has also kind of flown by. I mean, last time I had a lot more time to lay around and thing about the baby brewing inside of me. This time, I've got Nate to take care of...and to constantly distract me. (And I don't use the word "constantly" loosely...my boy never stops) Anyway, the differences in the pregnancies don't matter. The bottom line is, there is going to be a new baby here to love to bits shortly. And I'm ready!! And really, I have nothing to complain about with this pregnancy. Sure I'm a little sore and exhausted, but I know many others have had it much worse. The weight I've packed on...well, I'll deal with that soon enough. Not the best way to go about things, but what choice do I have now??

Can I just say, that I love Spring!! I love the sunshine. I love snow melting. I love the increasing daylight hours. I love lighter clothing. I even love the Spring rot smell in the air. (And I'm normally overly critical of bad smells) For years I've gone back and forth on whether my favourite season was Spring or Summer. Summer is obvious...it's Summer. What's not to love? But Spring...Spring brings with it the joy of the anticipation of Summer. And I think that might actually be more exciting than Summer itself. It just puts me in the best mood. And I've got so much to be thankful and happy for this Spring. I've got a baby on the way, many, many Spring bulbs that my mom planted last year for me that are going to sprout up so soon and increasing temperatures. I'm SO ready for tank tops and flip flops! And for getting out walking!! God is SO good. I am blessed.

A little behind...

2008-03-16T10:08:00.002+08:00

I can't believe how quickly time's flying. Things are happening around here. This past week was March break. We started it by having a wonderfully, relaxing wknd at our church's family retreat at Galilean. I actually had a morning and afternoon nap last Saturday. Absolutely delightful! On Sunday afternoon, we headed to my mom's and were greeted by my mom and about 13 other women for a baby shower for moi! (Well technically for the little one growing inside me...) It was good times, scrumptious treats, amazingly generous gifts and just really good to see people! We spent a good part of the week there on St Joe's island. My niece and nephew were there and Nate was overjoyed with spending time with his cousins.

We returned to Sudbury to find our new sunroom almost complete! It's just missing carpet and I'll post some pics once that's installed. We're also hoping to get our kitchen floor redone before our baby makes her appearance.

And ya...3 weeks and she's here! At least it had better be a she. I'm seriously not washing anything or removing tags until that's confirmed. I can't believe the time is almost here. My body can believe it. It's pretty much impossible to get comfy in bed at this point. But I am still sleeping somehow...so that's a positive thing.

That in a nutshell is all the happenings in our lives lately. I'll get back on here with some pics and stuff soon!

She's fast, she's intense, she's FAMOUS!!

2008-03-04T04:43:00.001+08:00

That's right...this was like a full page pic in the The Chronicle Herald newspaper! See the article online here.

She's Vanessa Jakola by the way. And she's awesome. And.... I LOVE IT. (that's for you vboo!)

How happy can one sweater vest really make a girl?

2008-02-29T05:40:00.005+08:00

So my husband is now 32 years young. (You start phrasing it in such ways after 30 right?) For the record I'm only 29. Just wanted to put that out there. As usual, with his birthday quickly approaching, I was racking my brain trying to figure out what to get him. Guys are the hardest to buy for. Especially this guy. One day he casually remarks that he wants a nice black sweater vest for work. I purse my lips to hide the grin as flashbacks of Chandler on Friends come to mind. But then on second thought, I've seen many the smart looking sweater vests and I stored the idea away in my brain for a bday gift. Yes, that's right folks...after almost 7 years of marriage you buy gifts like sweater vests for each other. Or (ahem) winter wipers for the car. In all fairness I had complained about how useless our previous wipers were. And it does have the word 'winter' in the gift title, so really it's quite a fitting gift for Christmas. ;o)

Well, I've got the gift all figured out. It's time to go find me a sweater vest! Of course I wait til the day before his bday, a day when I am truly learning the definition of exhaustion, to find it. And this is at 10 am. I hit up Sears. I walk around in a tired stupor, from rack to rack....to rack. Nothing. No sweater vests and no salespeople to help me. I give up and head down the mall only to discover that the mall no longer has any men's clothing stores. I stumble back towards Sears thinking "WhY?? Why can't anything ever be easy??" Once more, I go in circles, looking at the same racks of clothing with no sweater vests on them. I decide to cut my losses and get out of the aggravating store.

Later that afternoon my brilliant mother-in-law suggests I try Tip Top at the box stores. Here's where my day gets good. I entered the store and the following conversation occured:

Clerk: Hi there.

Me: Hi, I'm looking for a sweater vest for my husband. Preferably black.

Clerk: Ok, that should be easy enough. Let's take a look over here. What size is he?

Me: Oh, at least an XL.

Clerk: And here we go. Last black one...it's an XL.

Me: Well...looks good! I'll take it.

Clerk: This is probably on sale...let's check.

It was indeed on sale...at least 65% off, but I won't say how much I paid, because that's all I bought him. This is too easy, I think. Beautiful. I pay and thank the kind gentleman that just made my day. Ok, my week.

Clerk: (laughs) My pleasure. That was too easy.

You're telling me, I think. I walked out, walked to the car and drove home, with a huge grin plastered on my face. I almost gave in and gave Kristin the sweater vest right then just because I was so excited to tell him the story. I held out til first thing the next morning. I am lame. I'm lame and thankful that sometimes things are easy.

If I think of it, I'll post a pic of the sweater vest sometime!

6 weeks 3 days to go

2008-02-22T08:45:00.012+08:00

That's right. My c-section is scheduled for Monday, April 7th. I can't believe it's so close. Some days, I wish it were tomorrow. Some days I feel overwhelmed because I feel like we've done nothing to prepare for this little one to arrive. Well, that's not entirely true...I've bought a pile of adorable (albeit impractical) baby girl clothes. Yes, I think I need more onesies and sleepers. But hey, I have 6 weeks for that!

This pregnancy has been A LOT more draining than the last. I think I could sleep any time of the day lately. Except for the occasional night. And sometimes early morning after my full bladder has so kindly woken me up from a dead sleep. But hey...who wants to sleep at those times anyway? 90210, season five reruns were made for 1 am.

Well, according to my doctor, I'm perfect on paper. All my blood work is good (that's right, no gestational diabetes for me!!) And everything looks great. The baby is however, huge...again. To quote he said "You just make big babies...I mean, I've got the baby's head in my hands right now and that's a big noggin!" He also went on to tell me that it's a good thing...my placenta is obviously doing a great job of keeping the baby really happy. (TMI???) He's predicting an 8 lb baby, even going two weeks early.

If only I were so perfect in real life. Had a bit of a meltdown today. Picture it. I'm hungry, shaky and nauseous. (I let my hunger go 10 minutes too long at lunch time) I'm trying to turn the TV on for Nate to watch a little Curious George. The remote's not working. Again. I pull out the massive TV so that I can try unplugging it and plugging it back in. In the process, the stereo speaker falls on my back, then the rabbit ears (that's right...we're too cheap for cable) fall precariously close to my head...THEN I almost fall over. (Did you know your center of gravity changes quickly during your third trimester of pregnancy??) So, I get the TV on...and the remote is USELESS. Soooo...I kind of 'dropped' it a little too hard on the coffee table. Did I mention I get a little cranky when starving these days? Why am I sharing all this you wonder? Well...I just figure it'd be better to hear it from me than from my sweet boy, Nathaniel. Because, yes he was right there. He didn't miss a beat before asking "why did you do that to the remote Mommy? Is it broken? I'm telling Daddy you broke the remote." I sat down and either laughed or cried at that moment. I'm not really sure. I explained to him that Mommy is silly and does silly things sometimes and that I'd tell Daddy myself. Nothing like keeping Mommy humble. I'm such a dummy.

So, being that Nate is going to be 4 this July, and we have another baby on the way, I'm thinking it's time I made a baby book for Nate. You know, a scrapbook. Something else I'd like to complete in the next 6 weeks. I've just developed a gazillion, adorable baby pics to use. Since he's become such a handsome boy, I guess I've forgotten what an amazingly beautiful baby he was. Not that I'm biased or anything. So, to end off the e-mail, a few of my favourite pics.

Oh I'm sorry...I totally forgot!!

2008-02-19T22:24:00.002+08:00

Unlike the researcher interviewed, I have experienced this firsthand....

Eye opener!

2008-02-17T09:51:00.004+08:00

Well, I was cruising around checking out some friends blogs when I noticed something that was like a shot to the heart!! We've been deleted from Nevada's list of "blogs I read". Is that the equivilent to a blog shunning?? I'm teasing Nevada, (although considering I'm not on her list...I'm pretty sure she's not reading this anyway) because I deserve it! I've all but turned my back on this poor, pathetic blog. I used the excuse that being back in Canada, everyone knew what was going on with our lives and I didn't have much to share. But that's not really true. We've got stuff going on. Really we do!

And this is going to seem really lame now...but I've wasted so much time trying to mess around with my template on here, that Kristin's been waiting forever for me to join him in watching a movie. So on that note, I must leave you now. But rest assured, I'm BACK! In fact, I'm going to go so far as to promise one blog a week to start! At least. Maybe more. Oooohh. I know your toes are curling in excitement. And maybe...just maybe, I can earn my way back on to Nevada's list.

why hello there...

2007-10-11T23:22:00.002+08:00

I noticed a while back that my blog template went all wonky. So, I figured I'd try fix that up a little. There is more work to do, and posts to be made. I know we haven't been very diligent in keeping up on updates. But I still want to maintain the blog. I hope to get back into it. I'm really not sure if anyone even checks in on us anymore.

Life is busy. Kristin is teaching at Lasalle. (his old highschool) I'm working at Teddy Bear Daycare. Nate turned 3 this past July. Round #2 is on the way. I'm 13 weeks along and feeling alright! We have a new kitty named Bella. She drives me slightly crazy, but "she's only a kitten!!" (Many people have reminded me of this) That's it in a nutshell. I'll be back.

am I disgusting?

2007-03-14T11:19:00.000+08:00

My husband says I am....

for my lack of blogging. And of course he says it jokingly. My apologies to anyone who still checks up on us. I will be back...I promise. You know, if we travel again, it'll get really good!! For real. And Kristin's been checking up on a nice little school to work at in Penang, Malaysia!! OH BABY...I'm excited.

Although, we could also end up in Bella Coola, BC with our favourite friends Kim and Jon. And I'd get all into fishing and probably have nightmares everynight about grizzly bear attacks. But hey, we'd be with them and their boys and that'd be amazing!!!! Oh boy. Where will we end up???

Ok...it's my finals week. I'm OFFICALLY done classes at Cambrian. I have a 6 week placement at a SR Kindy starting next week. And then...doneola. Can't WAIT!!!!

Nate is now just past 2 years and 8 months old, for those of you counting. And of course, he's still a brilliant, amazing, sweet boy. He blows me away everyday with his vocabulary and thoughtful things he says. He's mommy's best boy and I miss him every time I'm not with him.

Ok...I'm outta here. I've procrastinated WAY too long on silly facebook...and I've got 3 more finals this week and a research paper due...which I haven't actually started. Ai-YO school.

Peace. Peace out. (as Nate would say)

Slackin' in da blogosphere!

2007-03-13T08:35:00.000+08:00

Hey y'all...

You're going to get a rare, yet very brief blog from the man of the family. It's been a busy year in Teacher's College so the blogging has been few and far between. The year has gone fairly well so far. I just finished up a placement in Gr. 8 and I'm now enjoying the March Break. I have 2 more weeks at the College and then one more 4 week placement and I'm done - can't wait!

This past weekend we went to our church's Annual Family Retreat at Galilean Bible Camp. It was great! Nate had an awesome time running around with all the kids. He's really turning into a little rough and tumble boy now - it's funny to watch.

Hope all is well with everyone out there in the blogosphere. Drop us a line and let us know what's up!

Facebook is taking over my life.

2007-02-02T02:59:00.000+08:00

At least life as I know it, sitting in front of a computer screen. So, that's my latest excuse for not being a more faithful blogger. I sit down...check the gmail...check facebook...with the occasional chat on the mess...not necessarily in that order....stand up and move on. I wouldn't say I'm a full blown addict yet. I could walk away tomorrow with no regrets...but I've gotta say, it's got some pretty nice features. So, if you're not on facebook, get on there. And add me. Scroll down to the bottom of this page for the link.

Today, I was walking to school from the car...and a black cat walked right in front of me...paused and looked at me and then bounded away. Now, I'm not superstitious in the least. It just struck me as a little odd, being the middle of winter and all. Poor little kitty must have had some cold little feety pads.

Kristin, myself, my dad, my bro and my niece and nephew went to see The Hip concert last wknd. It was pretty darn good. I've seen them before, but this was different. Last time it was just a concert...this time it was an experience. My dad got tickets 7 rows back, floor center. We were practically on stage with them. I will say that Gord Downey is a freak. A 40-something year old punk. But man, he puts on a show. The unfortunate part is that I've been spoiled. I don't think I could settle for anything less as far as seating for any concerts I go to in the future. Oh ya...amazing show...my one disappointment? They didn't play "Wheat Kings". I go to Dave Matthews...No "crash" and now no "wheat kings"??? Poor little me. Anyway, it was still amazing.

OK...that's all for me. I just found out a mid-term I thought was next week is tomorrow...I should probably move on to some studying. As well as one more facebook check before I go....

It's been a while...

2007-01-17T09:15:00.000+08:00

You know when you've put something off for so long that you just keep, well...putting it off? Ya, that's what happened with the blogs. My apologies.

First of all, happy 2007! I can't believe it's 2007. Well, I guess I can. What I really can't believe is that I haven't accidentally written 2006 at all yet this year! And I mean, I'm in class...taking notes...I'm writing the date all the time. I'm pretty impressed with myself...(the typing is a bit slow right now...typing with one hand...patting my self on the back with the other). Ok...can't imagine why I haven't blogged in so long with that lame-o paragraph.

A lot has happened. A few babies have been born! Congrats to Chris and Nevada, Al and Jenn, and Kelli and Will! What an amazing experience that has started for them all! (and no, no more babies happening yet for us, for those who are just dying to know!)

Kristin and I both just started our final semesters. It's going to be a tough 4 months, but man, it'll be good when it's over. I have a 6 week placement at the end of my semester and he'll be on placement too...and ya...it's going to be slightly trying. All I can say, is I don't know what we'd do without Dorothy! (kristin's mom) I know we wouldn't both be in school right now...that's for sure.

We had a great Christmas and New Years. Nate was a little too spoiled, as expected. His genuine glee, over opening presents was hilarious. But, I think we're going to try and tone it down a bit next year. For about the next 3 weeks after Christmas, if we told him someone was coming over, he'd be like, "and I'm going to get a present??" eye-yo.

Ok...I guess this is a pretty generic post...and I hope i haven't disappointed you all too much...but I've gotta work my way back into blogging slowly. I feel like it's all new again.

I'll be back soon...

LION!

2006-11-02T07:26:00.000+08:00

Well, here's the blog about one of the key words. It's pretty self-explanatory. And pretty cute if I do say myself. (Patty, this one's for you...I know how you love the videos! :o) Nate had the time of his life yesterday. This is just a little teaser. I'll get most of the 113 pics I took up on my space or the imagestation soon. (because I know you all want to see every single one of them...ok..maybe not all the horsey faced ones of me and Melissa...) Please ignore the obnoxious voice of Becky. She's my left hand. Sam's my right hand. He didn't make an appearance in this video. But they're basically Nate's best friends and he'll do anything they ask him to!

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Ok...don't have time for a real blog. (see my previous post...) It will come soon though. After November 10th. In the meantime, if you need me, you can find me in the library at Cambrian. I'm pretty much a permanent fixture there these days. EyeYO.

Umm....oops.

2006-10-23T23:32:00.000+08:00

Ok, first let me start by saying, Beth, I really was posting when I talked to you on MSN a couple weeks back. I got distracted...the half finished blog sat there for a few days, and then it was just a lost cause.

But, here I am now. Back. For about 1 minute. Yes, I'm writing this blog to bring you (the reader) the promise of many more blogs in the future. Ya see, I'm currently in English class...and we're doing some mindless "it's/its, there/their/they're, except/accept, affect/effect" exercise. So I find myself with a few extra minutes on my hands.

I'll use these minutes to vent a little about the next two weeks. I have 9 assignments due and then the following week I have 5 finals. But then, guess what? I am....wait for it....DONE!! Until January!!!!!

I don't have to do my placement this semester because of my experience in Taiwan. So, yes, I'll be stressed these next few weeks...but I'll survive. And then, maybe, I'll clean my house. And spend more time with my boys. And I'll cook some YUMMY dinners...and maybe travel to visit some peeps. And I'll blog! So there you have it...I will come back to you reader. hehehe.

I have so many fun things to write about too...it's killing me. I'll put a few key words here to intrigue you and remind me when I get to the point where I can actually write about these stories...

*chocolate people
*fire fighters and karaoke
*lingerie over clothes (and I'm talking wearing over top of clothes...not choosing....ah, English.)
*wedding (this one's coming up...but I'm sure it'll bring with it great stories)
*lion
* "it's now considered politically correct to lie and politically incorrect to say boyfriend or girlfriend"
*"back yard again" vs. "backyardigans" (haha...Jess you know what I'm talking about)

Ok...to all of you who understand every one of those references...wow...you spend too much time with me. Do you really need to read this blog? Just joking! Keep reading. :o) Although, if you don't get any of those references, well...start reading. Oh wait yes, the reading material is lacking. Just call me would ya?

Until next time...

September????

2006-09-02T11:12:00.000+08:00

Ok...September is a great month. (simply because my birthday is in 3 days) But how in the world did it get here so quickly??? Oh splendid, radiant summer...where oh where did you go??? I guess the office job kind of squashed my summer. I can't complain though...I really enjoyed the job. Filing, answering phones and greeting people, flying around in the rolly chair...there's just something fun about it. But let's be honest...it doesn't hold a candle to the beach.

I was trying to decide a few weeks ago if I should keep working part time during the school year. It was really a tough decision for me, because I really did enjoy the job and hey, a little bit of extra cash doesn't hurt. It was about 11 o'clock at night and I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom. Over the loud buzzing of the electric toothbrush I hear Nate moving kind of violently in his bed...and then in a loud sleep cry he shouts, "Where'd Mommy go?!?!" In that instant I knew I'd be giving the job up. I mean, it's just going to be a crazy year as it is...Kristin commuting to North Bay...both of us in school full time. I need to spend some more time with my boy. So maybe we'll be in a little more debt at the end of this year...big deal...priorities you know?

So yes...Kristin has had three days of the commute so far. I think that's three days too many. He's a guy who "values his rest", to put it mildly. He's had to get up at 5:30 am. I don't know a whole lot of people out there that function really well on a 5:30 am wake up. Knowing his past history of how he deals with a lack of sleep, I'd say he's doing an excellent job so far. So Kristin, "jump through those hoops", hang in there...enjoy your drives...this year will be over before you know it...and you'll be an amazing 'teacha'.

I started out talking about how September is a great month...but really...it's not my favourite. September is partially Fall....and I strongly dislike Fall. Because it means Winter is coming. Just like Spring is pretty much my favourite season because it precedes Summer. But hey, I'll deal with one more Northern Ontario Winter and see where that gets us. Thoughts of Winter make me long for Taiwan.

Kristin and I attended a wedding 2 weeks ago in Toronto. It was Kristin's very good friend, Jeff marrying his beautiful bride Laura. What an event!!! Her parents own Toronto Film Studios and the reception was held in the very warehouse that Good Will Hunting, The Hurricane and Cinderella Man were filmed in. The words to describe it that come to mind are "posh" and "trendy". We left Nate at Kristin's parents for the week-end...so it was a nice getaway for us. I put some pics up on my msn space for a change. Peruse them at your leisure.

Well, I wish y'all (that's for our brand new blogger North Carolinian/Taiwanese Beth!!) a fabulous long week-end.

The song I can't get enough of lately...

2006-08-26T12:35:00.000+08:00

THIRD DAY - I've always loved you

I don't know how to explain it
But I know that words will hardly do
Miracles with signs and wonders
Aren't enough for me to prove to you

Don't you know I've always loved you
Even before there was time
Though you turn away
I'll tell you still
Don't you know I've always loved you
And I always will

Greater love has not a man
Than the one who gives his life to prove
That he would do anything
And that's what I'm going to do for you

Alright, I've simply waited long enough...

2006-08-11T11:07:00.000+08:00

Well, I was waiting to see if anyone would comment on our pic. I mean, people commented on our anniversary...and thanks guys! You rock. But...I was kind of waiting for people to study the picture a little...and maybe point out the humour.

"Humour?" you ask? "What humour??"

Well...maybe the super clenched left fist belonging to my husband (of 2 minutes at that point), or the tight line of tension across his jaw. This picture just screams "what in the world did I just do???" Hahaha....oh well...he got over that quickly. (I think) That's just his personality. teehee. And it's still my favourite wedding day pic. Thank you very much Mr. Lepage!

So, we've had the week off. We've been child free. Crazy. Weird. We left our boy at Gramma and Grandpa's on St Joes. It wasn't really a planned thing. But they just couldn't get enough of him. So, while the break has been nice in a way, I can't wait to hug, hug, hug him for about an hour tomorrow when he gets here with Poppa. He's been having the time of his life on the farm though....

Went to see two movies this week! This from a girl who can't even remember the last movie I went to see before this week. I'd recommend both movies. The first was "Lady in the Water" on Tuesday night with some peeps after Bible study...and that movie basically rocked. I could see how some people wouldn't like it...but I really, really enjoyed it. I won't say anything about it...(because I personally don't like to know more about a movie than it's title...like to go into it with out any preconceived notions) But if you like M. Night Shyamalan movies (especially if you enjoyed the "The Village", which I loved!) then you'll enjoy this one. It's got a bit more humour to it and Bryce Dallas and Paul Giamatti really do an amazing job. This one will be an 'owner' for me I think.

And tonight on our date night (which we can do with the boy on St Joes!), after YUMMY spaghetti and meatballs at Pat & Marios (thank you Kari and Dorothy for the anniversary treat!) we went to see "World Trade Center". There's not much I can say about it...I think we all know what to expect. It's very American. But that doesn't matter. It's very SAD. I get wrapped up in the emotional, dramatic stories that are portrayed in movies like this....but what really gets me is it really happened. People experienced that nightmare. People died and basically experienced torture before their death...and people lost loved ones knowing that's how they died.

Apparently they're making a movie about the tsunami. I don't know if I want to see it, but I know I will watch it. My stomach still turns when I think about that day....

My apologies for the serious turn this blog took. I really did enjoy our date night. I'd better go see what the hubby's up to actually....

Good-night friends...

Happy Anniversary my man!

2006-07-28T23:35:00.000+08:00

5 blissful years. hehehe. Love you!

allo??

2006-07-19T07:17:00.000+08:00

I know the blogs can be sporadic and often few and far between....but does anybody read this anymore??? Please leave a quick message if you do....it would really make my day!

PS - Al and Jenn....CONGRATS!!!!! I read in your blog about your pregnancy about 2 days after you wrote it..but something's wrong with your comments. It said "Comments on this blog are restricted to team members." And of course, we're not team members.... But that's amazing! We're so happy to hear your news!!

New album

2006-07-16T11:58:00.000+08:00

Ok, I got annoyed with not being able to post a bunch of pics on here...so there is a new album on the imagestation. The link is under "Our Pix" below. Check it out...and leave a comment! ;O)

FUNNY - Day at the park.

2006-07-16T11:34:00.000+08:00

Ok...I guess me being 2.5 years younger than Kristin gives me a bit of a technological edge or something. You have to watch these 3 videos in order to appreciate the humour. I did the first one and then passed the camera off to Kristin to take some "pictures". I don't think he ever figured out how to do that on that particular day! hehehe.

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