Baja picnic

For the first time in my blogging history I am participating in "Wednesday's Walk down Memory Lane"


I am supposed to have a link button but I'm not exactly sure how to put it here and I have run out of time to try to figure it out. I know its amazing I am able to even function at all in blog land. I'm actually a technologically challenged poser.

Since I have a whole list of things that need to be picked, processed, cleaned, baked and folded today this will be a brisk walk.
Join me for my speed walk down memory lane :)

Winter 2005, we spent 6 months in Baja Mexico. We lived along with our two kids (ages 4 and 2) in a camping trailer at an orphanage for 6 months. I have been thinking more about our time there lately because in 2 short months we will be packing up again and moving our crew down there for another 6 month stay.
As preparations and packing lists have begun I'm sure I'll be posting more about our plans in the near future.

This is a fond memory of an amazing day with friends.
We formed a friendship with one of the "Casa's" (houses) at the orphanage. The young house parents had a one year old son of their own and a baby on the way. They were also parenting about 10 of the children living at the orphanage. The children there are divided into family groups or "casa's" to make for a slightly more normal childhood.

One afternoon we were invited to join them on a family trip to the nearby beach. It was a beautiful day, slightly chilly but warm enough for the kids to try out the water.

The first picture is of Nathanael, the house dad and two of the boys going to catch our lunch.

Here is Aili having her first ocean experience. Not bad for a little girl from the Prairies.

Our fishermen were successful and each of us got our own little fish. I can say I've never eaten a fish cooked and served exactly in this manner but it was surprisingly delicious.
Of course no beach picnic is complete without limes, radishes, salad and hot salsa.

It was a fun day watching children enjoying being children,
forging new friendships,
and trying new food!

We still keep in touch with this couple and their two children. They have since moved on and he is currently pastoring a small church of indigenous Oaxacans. We look forward to future beach trips and picnics with them this winter.

Gods heart for Orphans

"Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
Psalms 82:3

43.3 million orphans live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

87.6 million orphans live in Asia.

12.4 million orphans live in Latin America & Caribbean.

At any given point 500,000 children are in the U.S. foster system.

In 2010 the # of children orphaned by AIDS is expected to be 25 million.


These are real statistics. They are shocking but easy to forget.
They are just numbers so they are easy to put out of our minds.

What we need to remember is that each one of those numbers is a forgotten child, a neglected resource, and a priceless treasure.
They have the same needs any of our children and have the same value.

They need the freedom to be children and to act silly.





They need a mommy to love them and make them feel safe.

They need a swing to go high as the trees.

They need to taste of the sweet side of life.

They need security, love, affection, a sense of purpose, hope, nutritious food, education, discipline and guidance.

They need a Mommy and Daddy to tuck them in at night and kiss their little forehead.

The sad fact is that millions of children in the world have no Daddies to chase away the scary monsters. No mommies to kiss their boo-boos'. No safe secure loving place to call home.

The statistics for "Orphans" are staggering but this doesn't even include the millions and millions of children that are neglected, abused and abandoned. Technically not "orphans" but emotionally they are orphaned.

These are our children. They are the future generation who will shape our world.
Ignoring these children now will have dire consequences later.

The children that these statistics represent are most likely to be exploited, abused, uneducated and desperate. Little boys without the guidance of a mother or father are likely to run in packs and join gangs in order to survive. They are more likely to commit crimes and fall into addictions. They are more likely become little "soldiers". Without healthy attachments and love they are likely to grow up with-out compassion and sometimes even a conscience. These are the future men of our world.

Little girls left to raise themselves are exploited, abused and too often enter the sex trade at a young age. They are uneducated and are likely to continue the cycle of AIDS and poverty. These are the future women of our world.

These children have experienced grief, loss and other horrific things in their short lives. Will they be able to overcome the statistics and their pasts and become the people God created them to be? Not without help.


Who will love these children? Who will rise up and train these impressionable little boys to be men of true strength and integrity? Who will show these precious little girls how much they are valued by the God who created them?

Who will defend the cause of the fatherless, the orphaned and the weak?

My desire is for the Church as a whole, the global Body of Christ to rise up and reach out.

If only 7% of the 2 billion "Christians" in the world would give hope to an orphan their would essentially be no more orphans.

We look at the disturbing and overwhelming statistics and it seems too big. We ask why God allows these children suffer.
I ask where are His people?

I have a feeling that for each specific need in the world God equips someone to fill that need.

Each need is different just as God gives each of us different talents and resources.
The problem is we forget why He gave them to us and in the rush of life we fail to see the need in front of us and fail to reach Gods purpose for our lives.

Sometimes that need is a woman who has lost hope next door to us and sometimes its a lonely child on the other side of the world. It might be extending a much needed friendship or it might be opening up your home to a child. It could be using your financial blessings to help bring together an orphaned child and his forever family.

Give me your eyes Lord. Break my heart with the things that break your heart. Use my hands to reach those that need your touch.

For more information and ways to help children visit:

www.showhope.org

www.ffhm.org

Summer Randomness

I love this picture of Aili.

I'm guilty of sneaking a picture of "Cub" in again. (in my defense the cutest part of him is covered by Silas' hands.)
You have no idea how hard it is to not plaster pictures of this baby all over my blog or facebook. I've taken SO many pictures. The beauty of babies and digital cameras. I want to show him off and send out birth announcements like any other mama...but he's not legally mine so I must refrain.
Silas insisted on helping me bath the baby. Of course he had to do it buck naked too.
Silas is a baby junkie.
Silas notices babies anywhere and won't leave them alone once he finds them. He always wants to snuggle, hug and kiss them. Needless to say he is totally in love with this little one. He's such a sweet "big brother" to him.
It will be the hardest for Silas to understand....even though I try to prepare him for the separation and remind him once in a while that "Cub" will be going to another home someday.

Silas enjoying his snack at VBS (Crocodile Dock). The other kids had all left to do crafts but I found Silas still sitting making out with his icing cracker. It's not everyday he gets blue icing on a graham cracker....he savoured the moment ! I was the crew leader for the preschool bunch so Silas was able to tag along even though he was about 6 months too young.

Roman and his Daddy building a Bionicle space ship thingy he got for his birthday. It took these engineers a couple hours but they assembled it. Its pretty cool. It even shoots little balls at his little brother.

Coming and Going

The last couple weeks have been crazy busy. In fact the last thing I should be doing right now is sitting at my computer. I'm choosing to call it a sanity break and let my work wait for me.
Last Sunday through Tuesday Aili was at a Bible Camp. She had a blast as usual and it was just the right amount of time to be away from home. This picture is Aili and her little brother Silas reuniting at the end of camp. They missed each other!
We stayed for a little chapel service and got a taste of the program and songs the kids had at camp. It was so cool to see Aili standing on the wooden pew (along with most of the other kids) singing, dancing and worshiping. As important a role as we her parents play in her spiritual development I love giving her chances like this to learn about God independently from us...free from trying to please us or our expectations. It makes it real for her and God can speak directly to her heart.

The next morning we left for another 5 days of camping as a family. More time in the car for this little clown! We went (for the first time as a family) to a camp that I went to every summer as a child and was a counsellor at in my teens. It was such a nice break.
They had fun programs for all the kids including the 2 year old (woohoo!) which allowed us to attend various small group sessions in the mornings (on various topics) and chapel in the evenings with only the baby along. We had all afternoon to enjoy the camp as a family and to hang out with the kids. It was a wonderful balance of fun family time and refreshing adult time. The guest speaker and the music were awesome. I felt refreshed both physically and spiritually. I think we'll make it a part of our regular summer vacation time.

Monkey boy doing what he does best....giving parents everywhere heart palpitations.
I can just picture him as a jungle boy climbing a coconut tree.

Silas and Daddy going for a sail on a gorgeous hot afternoon at camp.

We've had lots of comings and goings. The coming home is the overwhelming part for me. There is just so much STUFF that goes along with camping( and family life in general). I have an insurmountable pile of laundry that doesn't seem to be getting any smaller even though I've been plugging away at it for the past couple days. My house is neglected, my yard overgrown, my garden in need of harvesting, our trailer is disgusting and still needs to be fully unpacked and cleaned. Ack!
It will have to wait a bit though because as of this Monday we have begun VBS at our church 40 km away. I am the "crew leader" for the preschool group. Its fun and the "Crocodile dock"theme is great. The music is rock'n and the decorations are amazing. We have transformed our sanctuary into a Louisiana Bayou.
When I get home each afternoon the above list is waiting for me but I feel too tired to tackle any of it. One thing at a time.
Yesterday I picked and shelled a whole pile of peas....today folding a mountain of laundry (if I get my butt off of the computer!)

I'm putting the "Pro" in procrastinate right now.

I've been feeling not only slightly overwhelmed with the amount of work looming over me this week but with the emotional mountain that is looming on the horizon. It's hard to focus on the tasks at hand when I feel like I'm living in the shadow of what lies ahead.

As my time with "Cub" grows shorter my heart is growing more burdened. I feel like I am living in anticipation of pain.
Like the flinch before a blow. I feel like I am developing an emotional tick.
It reminds me of that moment of the blunt realization that I have to go through childbirth again after the joy and expectation of pregnancy (usually happens with the onset of contractions!) . Oh yeah....in my joy I almost forgot how painful this has to be.

My converstations with God lately go something like this:

"Lord I know I told you I would do this again and that I would love one of your precious babies. I have loved him, but I don't want to say goodbye this time...its going to hurt too much. I don't think I can do it. I'm not strong enough."

"I will be with you. I will be strong where you are weak. Trust me."

"But I love him"

"So do I. I designed and created him in my image for a purpose."

"I don't think I can do this."

"Rest in me ,for my yoke is easy and my burden is light"

"But Lord this isn't easy or light....it is difficult and painful."

"I was with you as you showed My love to My precious little one and I will be with you as you say goodbye to him. I will give you My peace."


Cub has been such a wonderful part of our family for 6 weeks now. He has grown from a skinny scrunched up new born to a chubby smiling baby interacting with the world around him. He has the biggest roundest brown eyes I've ever seen. He is so alert and aware of his surroundings. We all love him dearly and are just soaking up the time we have with him. He has been a great traveller and has been camping with us three times now.

I have no idea how much longer he will be with us or what his case plan is but I have a feeling it won't be much longer.
I transferred a bunch of pictures to a USB stick and will print them out in town tomorrow.
I want to start making his baby book so I have time to do it right.
I will send it with him so whoever enters his life next can carry on with recording his story.
We are just a small piece of his story but he will always be a big piece of mine.
I know there will be another big chunk of my Swiss cheese heart gone in the next couple months. Anticipating the amputation is not pleasant.

I have to remind myself I will have time to grieve later, right now I have a job to do and a lot of love to give.

Please pray for this little guy and his future.
(Send up a prayer for this family that is going to have a hard time letting him go too)

Good Clean Fun

Yesterday we decided to visit a Provincial Park about 2 hours from our house that we'd never been to before. We met my twin sister, her two kids and my parents there for a hot day at the beach. Our afternoon included a mini birthday party for my sister and I (my mom even brought us a cake!). Our birthday isn't until Monday but it was fun to do something while we were together.

The kidlets entertained themselves quite nicely all afternoon.

We only lost track of Roman for about 20 minutes or so. He came wandering back from his adventure treck hot tired and oblivious to the fact that we had been looking for him. I really wasn't worried...he always makes his way back.

Everyone else kept cool in the lake but Roman preferred to play up in and explore the rocks and sanddunes. I'm surprised he didn't get heat exhaustion.

Silas the mud monster.

I wonder what SPF protection factor mud has?

Aili in her mud pit.
I stuck my feet in before we left, mostly to see what the great attraction was.
It actually felt really good.

Its amazing how much work goes into one afternoon at the lake.
swim gear
sand toys
towels
bottles
cooler of sandwiches
thermos of hot water to warm the bottles
diaper bags
toddler swim diapers
extra long sleeved clothes
sweaters
sunscreen
juice boxes
Benadryl and Epi-pens for allergy boy
life jackets
sunhats


The trip home and clean up with 4 kids is never dull either.
sand in everything and everyone
juice spilled in car
poop in the car seat
bags full of dirty sandy sticky wet stuff.

But its worth it to enjoy the moments pictured above!

Good time had by all.

I don't know if the baby enjoyed the heat and wind much. I think he swallowed more of the fresh air than he breathed.
Last night he was fussing and letting out the air most of the night.

"Cub" getting big and chubby now. He is 5 weeks old today and is starting to loose some of the newborn look.
He's got big round brown eyes and chipmunk cheeks. He's the kind of baby that likes to hold himself up and look at the world. Unless he's asleep his head doesn't touch my shoulder. He's a strong little guy. Not much of a snuggler but he puts up with lots of smooches and snuggles from us anyway :)
Oh, and he's just starting to smile.
Not real generous with them yet but he's flashed me a few heart melters.

I'm trying hard not to think about the phone call and the day I will have to give him up.
It will come at some point in the next couple months.
It would be kind of nice to know but at the same time not knowing is good too.

We are getting excited for our trip south in October. We have 2 new sponsor children at the orphanage we will be working at this winter.
A brother and sister about Aili and Roman age named Lluvia and Jesus.
When we sponsor kids at the orphanage we become their "Tia and Tio" Aunt and Uncle.
We become part of their family even if we never actually see them in person.

We are really excited to not only visit them but to spend 6 months hanging out with and spoiling them.
They have two younger siblings in the nursery there as well.
If you would like to sponsor one of these precious children and become a Tia or Tio go here
(if my link doesn't work go to http://www.ffhm.org/ )
If you pick a child from the Baja orphanage let me know!
I will send you some pictures of your precious little one and tell you all about them once we get down there.

I mentioned in on of my recent posts that I've put my kids out to pasture for the summer. I've decided to take it to a whole new level. This should take care of the potty troubles.

See ya in the fall buddy...hope the foraging is good.

:)

Random summer pictures

Aili and Roman grazing in the garden and making a snack while they play.

Summer boy.

One of our many campfire times so far this summer.

Roman and Silas being junior archaeologists.

Free Range Children :)

My garden is almost in full production right now and I am enjoying it so much this year. This picture was taken a few weeks ago (before our big rains) so it has grown a bunch since then. For the last couple years my garden has been pretty dismal and last year nothing grew in my tiny plot at all.

I used to have a big garden but a garage was built in its spot a few years back. After that I was trying to grow a few things in a tiny, too shaded, cement dirt spot and it wasn't working. I hated having to buy overpriced nasty produce from the store all last summer...so this year we sacrificed part of our front lawn , hauled in some fantastic fertile soil (aka decomposed cow poop)and Yippee I have a garden again. Endless supply of crunchy, healthy stuff.

I love how convenient it is. We live 40 km from the nearest store and we try to conserve gas so when we are out of fresh stuff...we are out of fresh stuff until the next trip to town.
Now all I have to do is go select my veggies from the yard a few minutes before supper.
I also love that its FREE! Its really helping my already very tight grocery budget. I can skip right over the produce section at the grocery store! (out here in Hickville produce is expensive)
I love that its fresh.
Within minutes of picking the lettuce its made into a salad and ready to eat!
We've been eating a lot of main dish salads trying to use up the huge amount of lettuce that needs to be used. Any one need lettuce? come help yourself!

I wasn't sure what the kids would think of cooked greens this year. They have liked them in the past but after a year without, you just never know. They have been gobbling up Swiss Chard and Beet greens almost daily. Silas isn't as enthusiastic but will eat them chopped up in his other food.
We are also enjoying radishes, beets, strawberries, currants, spinach, onions, and new little carrots.
Within the next few days I will be busy picking raspberries, peas,and beans.
We will also have new red potatoes soon...yum!

Silas has always been my pickiest eater but he is even getting much more adventurous in his eating. He still won't eat cooked frozen peas but will eat them fresh and raw out of the garden....fine with me :)

Here is Aili making a "salad" for her and Roman while they play " survivor" or something of the sort. They pick a container of berries and greens and then take it to their hideaway to eat while they play.

They often come in smelling like green onions and cilantro.....good in a taco, not so good on their breath.

Silas looks like a little bunny stealing my peas.

I'm totally ok with the kids grazing in the garden as long as they are careful not to pull up or stomp on the plants. So far so good.

I like being able to put the kidlets " out to pasture" in the summer.

Can you tell I'm a farm girl?

Its kind of nice when they come in from playing with tummies full of veggies.

I usually try to plant things like cherry tomatoes and snap peas (with edible pods) for them to graze on.

It's great when you can answer "MOM, I'm hungry" with "go check the strawberry patch"

There is just no comparison in the flavour either.

Our big storm!

We have been so dry all spring and for the first part of summer...but as you can see that has recently changed.

We got 2 1/2 inches in a few hours. I thought we would float away...that or get blown away by the crazy wind.

It was a pretty good light show too.

It sure greened things up though, my lawn has never looked so good.

I finally got around to mowing it. It was close to becoming its own little jungle eco- system.

Now for the weeds!