Beautiful Evening

Original Post Date: Wednesday, July 11, 2007.
This is Justin: Out in Surrey it was warm, but when I got to Abbotsford for school, it was HOT! It was so hot in the shade, and pretty much at the temperature when you breath through your nose it is a warm sensation the opposite of when you are in minus 29 degree weather and your nose hair freezes, and your insides are cold when you take a deep breath.
Inside the school of course was air conditioned, but when I returned to the outdoors...WOW. I had purchased a loft bed on my journey down here by myself (I don’t think Jen has told that story yet), and so I had to load that into the van...it was so hot to be doing things.
But the evening was grand as we went to Crescent Beach, where the wind was blowing...not the whole time though, but it was nice being close to the water like that (take a look in the July photos).

Abbotsford Here We Come

Original Post Date: Thursday, June 28, 2007.
Well from the title you may have guessed that we are moving back to Abbotsford yet again. Justin and I decided that indeed going back to school was the best option. Obviously we thought he would just attend Okanagan College (OC) and then transfer to UBC Okanagan. But after applying we found that he was going to lose a semester’s worth of credits and that getting into UBC O is a lot harder and more expensive. Another minus is that OC doesn’t offer very good summer schooling. So we looked into UCFV and found out that Justin was still currently a student and wouldn’t have to reapply and go through all of that jazz. BUT he would have to take a summer course in July and August for him to still be a student come fall. So he enrolled in Sociology 101 and starts July 3. So he is driving down July 2 to do school and work as much as he can. Then he will come up at the end of July, help me pack the rest of the house up, drive a u-haul down to Abbotsford to either put it in storage for a month or move it right into our home for August 1st. I will drive down in the van with the children. If we haven’t found a home by then, we have no clue where we’ll be staying for the month but are trusting the Lord will find something that’s right for us. And trusting He will also find a really good, clean, safe home that’s big enough and affordable enough for us. So that’s us right now in a “nutshell”. I will be alone with three little children for all of July. That I am nervous about and not looking forward to not having Justin around. But I am up for the challenge and will be relying on friends and family close by. Justin already has a couple of jobs lined up in the Valley. One of which is working for a moving company which pays really well and is in desperate need of workers. I am excited that Justin has decided to finish his BA and that we can eventually move forward from this awkward in between stage we have been in for the past two years. Some direction and a goal makes the light at the end of the tunnel seem not so far away. Also with going to UCFV Justin can take two semesters in the summer to cut down his on his schooling time. It’s just a matter of money and if he has the “umpf” to keep going in the summer months. I am looking forward to FINALLY planting some roots somewhere; to get connected with a church family and make some strong Christian friends. We’re just a three hour drive from Kelowna making it easy to come for a weekend visit and for holidays. Although with the price of fuel these days, I am not sure how often we’ll be coming. Anyways...our journey continues to keep us moving around. Well you can’t say we don’t like change that’s for sure. I’ll keep you posted as the finalities come. Please pray for a new home for us and that all of the loose ends would....be “tied” I guess you could say.

Routine

Original Post Date: Tuesday, June 19, 2007.
Let me just ramble on about schedule’s and routine’s for a bit....
Well for the past three nights Saffron has been in bed and pretty much asleep by 9:30pm and I am having to wake her up at 9am for her first feed of the day. Pretty cool I know. People say, “wow, you’re lucky to have such an easy baby!” But you know they said that with Mattias too. They didn’t say that when Sam was a baby because he cried all of the time and never slept. What’s the difference you may ask? I know exactly what the difference is...I have put Mattias and Saffron on a schedule the moment they were born. It takes a little figuring out because all babies are different. One things for sure is that they are born with a schedule of their own...up all night and sleep all day. So what I did was wake them up every three hours during the day to feed them. I would do it from morning til night and then around 11:30pm I would lay them down and hope for the best. Mattias was 3 days old when he slept through the night and Saffron was 3 weeks when she first slept through the night. Now both Saffron and Tias like eating every 2 hours after 3 pm. I see it as them stocking up for the night. With every child, the nurses in the hospital said, “just demand feed. They’ll let you know when they’re hungry!” Which indeed is true but when you have other children to take care of and need to be a functioning person in society, you need a good nights sleep. So 9am I wake Saffron up and feed her right away. Then change her diaper and get her dressed. Then 10am I lay her down for her two hour nap. Then 12pm I wake her up and feed her again and then lay her down at 1pm. Then wake her up at 3 and feed her. From then she’s usually awake and eats at 5, 7, and 9 is now her last feed for the night. It used to be 11 but now she can go the distance through the night. Mattias was on the same schedule until recently. He is older and doesn’t require as much sleep or “feeds” throughout the day. But he is in bed by around 7pm and wakes up around 8:30am. I figured this out by pure experience with Sam. To this day he doesn’t always sleep through the night and it’s usually most days a battle to keep him in his bed for bedtime. I breastfed 24 hours a day for 7months. It was exhausting and I knew that I never wanted to do that again nor could I with other children. And because Mattias and Saffron are well rested and know what to expect in the day, they are more joyful and pleasant to be around. Just some added information for those of you who are embarking on child raising or are in it.

Grandpa Martin

Original Post Date: Monday, May 14, 2007.
Here we are at Strathcona Beach (by the hospital), Grandpa Martin pushing Mattias on the swing. Mattias eventually fell asleep in the swing.

Pandosy Mission

Original Date: Sunday, May 6, 2007
Well it was a weekend kept busy with children, visiting and outings. My dad came up friday afternoon and left this morning. It was really neat watching him play with Sam and Mattias and holding Saffron at any given chance. Sam adores him and I am glad has been given the chance to get to know his other grandpa all over again. The weather was sunny and perfect for pictures and playtime at the park. Saffron is already two weeks old and adjusting to life on the outside quite well. She’s averaging 7 hours of sleep a night from about midnight until 7am. She naps quite well throughout the day despite the noise from her brothers. She’s a good eater and burper. She’s gaining weight daily and has already grown out of a few sleepers. But her limbs are way longer then Sam and Mattias’ were because the same sleepers that fit the boys at this time are too short on her. But she is skinnier then they were. She’s very dainty and well...girly. I love more then I ever thought I would, dressing her up in dresses and pink. I know it doesn’t matter what colour of sleeper she sleeps in but I just don’t like her in the mint green and yellow hand me downs from her brothers. Pink all the way! No lace or uncomfortable frills for this girl. Her hair is orange like Sam’s was at this age and she is extremely strong. She likes standing and can lift her head up and look around. Mattias is eager to walk and is totally becoming a toddler. Sam has been testing the waters daily and causing Justin and I to acquire some unwanted gray hair. But that’s what comes with the title...”parent”! We’re figuring what works and what doesn’t and I look forward to the new normal being settle and the only thing we’ll know. Three children this close together is crazy alot of times and with no doubt an adventure. I love them and wouldn’t change a thing. But I am glad to say that a family of five is the biggest are family is going to be.