Here am i

6/25/13

I Have a Daddy

Hi, nice to meet you, my name is Elijah.

I have had at least three different names in my life, but this one is my last.

My new Mom and Dad tell me that I am their son, and that's not going to change.

After nearly 5 months, I'm almost starting to believe it.

I like my new name. It means "Yahweh is my God"

My middle name is Li and it means "strength".

Did you know there are a lot of different kinds of strength?

My Mom says I'm really strong, and I can do so many things. She's right, I can.

Do you know who else is really strong? My Dad.

He's a really tall, big muscle kind of guy, I like that...

although it kind of scared me at first.

Now I know that he uses all that strength to love me with, and doesn't use it to hurt me.

I'm really starting to love this guy.

Daddies really come in handy when you need a boost,

or when you're too scared and they tell you "you can do it" and because their voices are so big and they are right there next to you, you can't help but believe it.

Mom's are great for lots of reasons too, for example mine is snugglier, and kissier than Dad is...but Daddy knows how to play better than Mom does.

I really like having my very own Daddy.

Every little boy should have one!

My Daddy took me on our first camping trip as a family of 7 this past weekend. I suspect if it weren't for him we wouldn't have been able to have smores as a snack at 10 in the morning.

Daddy was also strong enough to carry me up all those stairs to the top of the water slide. We went up and down, up and down, up and down all morning. I wasn't tired at all!

My Daddy seems kind of rough sometimes, but I'm learning that's how Daddies like to play. He pretends to fight and wrestle us, but he doesn't actually hurt us, sometimes he even lets me win. That makes me feel really strong.

Yeah, having a Daddy is pretty great.

I know he's strong enough to protect me. That makes me feel good because I know that the world is a big scary place....especially when there are dogs around.

He's kind of like a super hero.

The only thing that bums me out is that I have to share him. The other kids seem to like him too.

Oh, and I almost forgot!

Check out the sweet ride my Daddy hooked me up with!

I can peddle it all by myself and make myself go in whatever direction I want to go.

I'm pretty fast...

which is a good thing because us six year old boys have stuff to do.

....and places to go.

God did a pretty great job at picking a Daddy out for me.

6/16/13

Happy Daddy's Day!

I have two great reasons to be thankful on Father's Day.

I have a husband who is not only a loving, faithful husband and a man who loves and serves Jesus,

but who is also an involved, playful, and nurturing Daddy to our kids.

I'm thankful that he raises his girls to know how a princess should be treated,

and that his sons will know by example how to be men who will set aside their own selfish ambitions to protect, love and serve others.

I'm thankful that he takes us on all kinds of great adventures.

I'm also thankful for my own Dad.

A man who has spent his life working hard, but who still takes time for family....which now includes a lot of Grandkids who adore him.

A man who also knows how to use his strength to protect, love and serve others.

Happy Father's Day to all the men who realize the importance of investing in the lives of their children, by giving their children themselves.

6/8/13

Lip Gloss

Just a little more, that's it.

Hold still please.

Beautiful!

6/1/13

Hickville Sports Day

One benefit of living in a small village is the annual "sports day".

Town neighbors, farm neighbors and even some neighbors from neighboring communities come together for a day of food, soft ball games, and of course....

bouncy houses.

I remember last year wishing we had Elijah here with us, and I remember thinking "next year"...

next year he will taste the pie, ride the "train", and be a part of rural community.

What a change.

A city boy from China, now a rural Saskatchewan farm boy.

That's quite a change of scenery.

He had a great time. The "train" was his absolute favorite part of the day. The first couple times he went with big brother or sister next to him....then he went with just Cece somewhere close by....then he was brave enough to go completely "alone" (well surrounded by other kids, but no familiar ones).

He was as happy as could be sitting on that thing.

Over and over again he went for rides. Each ride was quite long and weaved it's way all around our little village.

I was impressed with his bravery. Little things like this, being taken out of view of Mommy without freaking out, is a huge stride. I think the first time he was a little nervous, not knowing for sure that the train would return to where he left Mom and Dad....but after that he was Mr. Independent. We always made sure to wave when it passed by.

The "train" is my favorite part of this day each year. It's a wonderful magical trolley that takes your children and whisks them away while you visit with other adults and eat pie. I fully realize that in most other North American contexts this would never happen, or would be highly regulated. I picture seats with five point harnesses, helmets required, waiver forms that need to be signed, and medics standing by. There would certainly have to be more than one adult, and most likely emergency exits and wheelchair accessibility.

My kids ate more than their normal fare of sugar and food coloring (I may have too)

Going for another ride. This time my Hubster is taking his turn in the drivers seat.

YES....we are DONE seeding!! Halleluyer. The kids spent the day getting reacquainted with phantom Daddy. We survived another year, mostly, with our sanity intact...almost.

Expensive frozen water.

Frog Hunting

Walking down to the creek which has turned from a fast moving run off torrent of death, to a murky sludgy, eco system filled with croakers and crawlers.