More pics

I've added more pics to our "Summer in Manitoba" album. Enjoy.

It's About Time, Eh?

I know I know, we haven't written in a month, and you've all been wondering where we are and what's new. We have just been having too much fun, I guess, to take time to write. But it's now time to do this. And to warn you, this will be a long post, and hopefully worth your time to read.

The past month we have been living here at my parents, with 8 of us in the house. My siblings both still live at home as well. Yes it makes times challenging, but many more times than not it makes life fun and interesting. But with living with family, you may not see them as much as you would not living with them. Sounds weird right? It is, so we make sure we go out once in awhile too. We actually went camping for 4 days to get away and have time together.

This past month we also attended EMC Convention with LeRoy's parents who came out for the weekend. We left the girls with my parents so it was more enjoyable and easier. That weekend also gave me and LeRoy a short break from parenting, but we sure did miss our girls.

We have also spent more time with friends this month, one last time before leaving for a few years. We have a couple more suppers with friends, but we finally had to say "sorry, we just don't have any more time". We have loved seeing friends and family, but it's exhausting having a fuller schedule.

So in the next week we're going to the zoo for the day yet, mom and me are going for pedicures, the guys will be golfing one more time, and I'm sure they'll be a bit more happening. Oh yeah, and we need to pack which we'll be starting today, and do a lot more business. This week Brooklyn is camping with grandma and grandpa. She was so excited that no one else was allowed to come. So this morning it's LeRoy, myself, and Emma. It's so quiet as this is almost as alone as we've been for the past 2 months. But we're trying to get lots done here at home, and then later on today in Steinbach while it's just us.

On July 31st we'll be saying our final goodbyes and drive out of Canada for a long week of driving. We first will be heading back to RGBI to pick up all of our stuff as well as some friends' stuff and load it on the trailer. Then we'll be driving another 2 days to El Paso, TX to the EMC guesthouse. There we'll be staying 4-5 days meeting church leaders in the Juarez, MX area, some final business to allow us and our van into Mexico, and to repack a bit as to leave lots of our stuff at the guesthouse for the first while, and only bring what we absolutely need until we can get back to El Paso for the rest of our stuff. Our van sure will be pack to the brim.

We are excited to be going, the excitement does continue to grow. But now that the time is drawing near, other emotions do start setting in. We hate goodbyes, even Brooklyn refuses to hug people goodbye. And knowing you're saying goodbye for an indefinite time makes it a little harder. Knowing we have no clue what we'll be facing once we hit that Mexican border is scary. Right now we're more nervous than scared, but we know God is going ahead of us, and will be with us every single moment. We do feel His peace for this whole process even when it's all so overwhelming.

Please pray for us as we venture out, and follow what we feel is God's calling for our family. Pray for travelling mercies, safety and protection, and that we'll have fun family time on the road. Also please pray for our families as we move away.

Please also pray for LeRoy's grandpa Siemens. He is battling cancer and is in so much pain. It seems the doctor's can't quite figure out how to deal with his pain as his Parkinson's is also part of the picture. Pray for healing for him, and peace for grandma and the rest of the family.

Things I'll miss about Canada

In no particular order

• Friends
• HoneyComb
• Family
• Tim Hortons
• Big lawns
• Golfing (maybe?!?)
• English
• Snow (maybe for 1 day a year)
• Hockey
  

New Pics

Yes, we are still alive and well. We just have not had blogging a priority this days. But I have posted some more pictures of our time on our picture site. There are more in the album Trip to Alberta, as well as a new album Summer in Manitoba. Just click on the link at the top of this page.

Dad

Dad, I want to thank you for all that you mean to me:
Thank you for loving Mom, for loving us kids and for loving God.

Thank you for showing me what it means to set God as the priority in your life, and teaching me about God. Thank you for all those years of hard work, providing for our family. Thank you for trusting us to make our own decisions and forgiving us when we failed.

Thank you for the wonderful time we could have together this summer, making memories, challenging one another, and just being together. Thank you for praying for me and Faith and for supporting us as we move away from Canada. Thank you for the heritage of faith you have left for us.

Now I know nobody is perfect, but you have left an excellent example for me to follow as I learn and teach and love my kids, my family. Thank you.

New Pics

Okay, so I now had a bit of time to upload some pics of our past week here in Alberta. Click on the link at the top of our page, and then on the album Trip to Alberta '09.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKLYN

Yesterday we celebrated Brooklyn's 3rd birthday. We stayed home all day, I made her birthday cake, and we had a "normal day" (whatever that means). It was a tough day for her unfortunately, as she's had a rough adjustment to being back here while also being sick for a week. Thankfully it seems she maybe had her breakthrough late afternoon yesterday, and today was a great day. She now seems to back to her normal self. Hopefully our next road trip starting on Tuesday won't affect her too much.

But yes we now have a preschooler in our family, and I find myself shocked over and over when I realize how fast she is growing up. I'm already trying to think of ideas of how to keep her learning new things once we move to Mexico, to continue what she had been learning in daycare, and slowly prepare her for school. I feel like I'll wake up tomorrow and she'll be heading to school. Can time please slow down? Anyway, here's some pictures of Brooklyn on her birthday. And I have added some new pics on our site so just click on the Pictures link at the top of our page.

Opening her present from Grandma & Grandpa Reimer

She got 3 puzzles. She has LOVED puzzling this past week.

Yummy ice cream:)

Setting the table for her birthday supper. Princess' were everywhere.

Finally she got her Princess cake.

Mind Like a Stir-fry

We have now been home just over a week, have had lots of time to relax, re-connect with my family, and see some friends. We also have begun orientation for Mexico and tried to get some "errand" type stuff out of the way so we can stop thinking about some things. When I take a bit of time here and there to think about the present and past so many thoughts and emotions run through my mind. Kind of like a stir-fry. There are different flavours and textures of the different foods in a stir-fry, as well as various sizes of pieces. Most of them taste good to me, but some vegetables are just not too appetizing to me, especially the onions. But somehow everything put into the stir-fry is really good for us. I kind of thought of this analogy while thinking of the many things running through my head. Most of the events, emotions, struggles, and practically everything we've been faced with have been good. Not all of it has been fun, and was/is a huge struggle, but all of it is needed to make us who we are today. Looking back over our year at RGBI is filled of mixed emotions. It was really hard to be there, away from family and friends, and yet as I look back, I think it was easier than I was expecting it to be. It was really hard balancing studies, LeRoy and the girls, and yet somehow we made it through happily and stronger as a family. We were able to meet new friends, and deepen other friendships. So many more things I could talk about, but don't have a clear mentality on it yet. Maybe once I can register all of it, as a whole, I can fill you in more on what I learned about others, and myself.

This past week, even though it's been laid back and relaxing, has also been a bit of a struggle for us as we've seen Brooklyn take a little longer to get used to being back here. She was good for the first couple days, but then was hit with a fever, and bad cold. Last night we finally had a full night sleep uninterrupted, and she seems to be feeling much better, and enjoying life here much more. We do feel she got sick because of all this change to her life, and being sick does not help with the adjustment. And now hopefully my cold and Emma's will be gone soon too.

Saturday is Brooklyn's 3rd birthday, so the next couple days will be filled with that excitement. I'm excited to get to decorate a cake again, and just see a child's joy on her birthday. There will also be excitement here as we celebrate my sister's baptism this coming Sunday, and see some more family.

I am hoping to keep blogging while we're here in Canada, but it definitely won't be as much of a priority. So, if it's awhile between blogs, that just may mean you'll have something longer to read when I do blog. Hope you all have a great day:)

Pictures

New pictures have been uploaded to our picture site of some random stuff, and our trip home. Just click on the link at the top of our blog.

WE ARE HOME!!!

We are very excited to be home after 10 months of being gone. We got home around 4 yesterday, stepped out of the van, and thought "we're freezing". haha Yes we noticed a climate change yesterday.

Once we figure out how to get our computer hooked up to my parent's internet, i'll add some pictures of our trip and write a bit more. Our trip went amazing, had no trouble, and the girls did so good. It also helped we did 3 shorter days after 1 long day, so we had time to swim in the evenings, and take our time on our breaks. We are really looking forward to seeing you all, and hopefully we are able to catch up with everybody, but still be completely relaxed.

Time to begin laundry for the day, and not have to worry if all the machines are full. YAY!!!

WE'RE FINISHED!!!

Here is some proof that we have officially graduated with a certificate from language school.

Grad was yesterday and it felt so good to realized we are completely done here. We are going to miss friends, and the fact of not having any commitments other than study and family, but we are also very excited to move on from here. I sit here at the guesthouse on campus writing, and relaxing, while LeRoy is at the house doing the last minute cleaning up and packing of the van. We are hoping to leave by 8 in the morning for a full day of driving. Depending how the girls handle the drive will determine where and when we stop for night. We have no set destinations yet, other than Watertown in South Dakota for our last night. We want to be there before supper, so we can all enjoy their kid friendly pool area at the Holiday Inn. We've booked it, so we better be there on time on Tuesday.

Yesterday morning, during the girls' last morning at daycare, Brooklyn (and us) had a bit of a special surprise. We knew they were having a last day party, to say goodbye to all the kids. They told LeRoy that I could come at break time for some cupcakes, so I told Tara to come with me too. It turned out that they had a bit of a birthday party for Brooklyn, since she has to leave before her birthday in 2 weeks. So here are some pics from that.

Brooklyn surrounded by her friends:) Back row: Mrs. Denise, Mrs. Rhoda, and Mrs. Vi
Highchair kids: Emma and Micamac (his knickname)
Second row: John, Elisabeth, Carlos
Front row: Daniel, Brooklyn, and Carter

Prayer Letter

We sent out our new prayer letter yesterday. If you would like to receive it and didn't get it, please let us know. We also had some come back to us, so if you normally do get them and didn't yesterday please let us know too. Something with our address book when a bit crazy so we're trying to figure it out. Thanks for the help.

Emma Ate Meat?

This is almost a miracle already with our picky eater Emma. But finally, after many many weeks without eating any meat, she did it. It only worked because she was finally willing to try and use a fork. So she was so proud of herself for getting the food to her mouth she forgot to spit it out. Maybe this means our food battle with her will slowly get better.

Today, after our exam, we have been packing and cleaning ALL day. Except for a very short nap to regain energy. My kitchen has been half emptied, and our office is a mess as it seems that everything that needs to be packed is ending up there. It's very nice that we can pack pretty much everything for Mexico, since we're only bringing what we really need for 2 months home to Canada, which is pretty much only clothes. So our final days here have come and we are getting more and more excited to being home and able to visit all of you. We can now say that we'll see some of you NEXT WEEK!!!! We plan on making it home (to my parents) next Wednesday and take a couple days to rest up, relax, and spend time with them. So we have 2 more exams, 3 more days of daycare, grad rehearsal Thursday morning, grad Thursday evening, a final day of cleaning and such on Friday, and then Saturday morning we will be Canada bound. WOOHOO!!

Last Day of Class

Today is the day we've been waiting for, to be able to say we are done classes. I just got home from bringing the girls to daycare, to enjoy some quiet time before my last class. Our first 2 classes were canceled cause we had no more to do, and my last class was canceled for the same reason, leaving me with my final class of Latin America. LeRoy has one class after yet where he has to share the gospel with someone in front of the class. So he's preparing for that at the moment.

With all homework done, we were even able to do a bit of packing yesterday, got a few boxes of clothes done that will not be coming home for us. We have decided that it would be much easier to leave everything here that we do not need in Canada for 2-3 months. At first we were going to rent a trailer and bring everything home, but we are excited to not have to do that. Meaning a couple hours less driving per day, and hopefully a more relaxed trip than when we first moved here. Then on our way to Mexico we'll take 2 extra days to swing by here to pick up all our stuff. It will not be fun at that time, but for now it's a great plan.

Brooklyn is even showing her excitement to see grandparents, uncles, aunt, and a certain few of her friends that all of a sudden she is talking about and connecting with Steinbach. Yesterday when we were going through her clothes we found a pair of work gloves that were given to her when she was born. When I told her maybe we could bring them to Canada to help her grandmas with the flowers and in the garden, she was extremely excited. We know she'll miss her friends and her home here, but we don't think she's going to be greatly affected by not being here. She is very much looking forward to going on this big trip to see everybody, and then to go to Mexico. She loves looking at a map as to see where we'll be living. It helps hearing her excitement, but also scary because that means she completely trusts us with her life and future. Or she really does have that child like faith in God and knows He is always with her.

Temperature Correction - HAHA

LeRoy just put our thermometer actually out in the sun to see what it would say, it's usually in the shade. Well, it didn't only hit 40 degrees, it apparently hit 55 in the sun with no wind. Needless to say we're trying to keep the kids inside right now.

IT'S TOO HOT!!!

For me it's too hot. After naps today we took the girls swimming to the local outdoor swimming pool to cool off for about an hour. When we got home we checked out the temperature and it actually hit 40 degrees. That is a first for this year I think, and I'm sure it won't cool down much at all before we leave. So I guess I can, without any hesitation, pack up our "winter" clothes. Speaking of packing, we should probably slowly start so we don't have to rush through any part of it. Tomorrow we begin our final week of classes, so a much slower week with homework, and then next we have 3 exams, and then graduation.

This week we also have our class chapel. Every second semester class is in charge of planning and putting on one chapel service. So this Tuesday is our turn. LeRoy will be announcing when it's time to take the offering and who we want to remember in prayer. Then I will actually be saying the prayer. Yes all in Spanish of course, but we do have it all written out. We're not quite comfortable doing that without something prepared. At least not as a first time.

On another note, we are wanting to send out our next prayer letter this coming week. So if any of you do not receive our letter already, and would like to, please feel free to let us know. Have a great ending to your weekend.

Pictures

I have added some new pictures to our April folder on our pictures site. Just click at the top on Pictures to check them out.

Steep Downhill From Here

Yes that's right, one week of classes left, and 2 weeks until our last night here before taking the 4-5 day drive home. Many emotions make a very full crazy filled mind. Mostly excitement is running through my mind being able to be home again with all of you. But also lots of fears for moving to a new country.

We have already started sorting through many papers, weaning out what we need to keep while looking for 3 out of 4 of our birth certificates we can't seem to find. So it is looking like we'll have to start the process of getting new ones, and hopefully that doesn't put our other paperwork behind that needs to get ready for Mexico, as that paperwork was going to be started this week. That has made for a very frustrating week, but thankfully we're not worried about it. For me it's more the fact that I don't know where they are. If we have to get new ones..that's fine. Yes it's a hassle and cost, but not a huge big deal in the long run. But...where are they? I never lose nothing...just ask LeRoy.

Well, the girls are in bed, and we're off to a friend's place for a movie. LeRoy to a house across campus with the guys for X-Men, and me next door for a chick flick. Don't worry, we don't leave the girls completely alone, I have the monitor with me:)

Trip to Mexico

I, LeRoy, went to Reynosa, MX yesterday. We left after lunch and were back by early evening. I was just along for the ride, but a friend of mine has made some connections with a Mexican doctor who does medical outreach as well as with a fellow named Hector, who runs a homeless shelter.

It ended up being quite the experience. I was surprised to see how many people were wearing masks. Even the waiters at the restaurant. We brought a bunch of clothes to the pastor of the church where we had visited about a month ago (which I guess technically isn't allowed), and I was able to visit with him for a while and hear him share some of his joys and concerns. We also dropped off a water system for Dr. Reyna. These systems are amazing! Basically you take a litre of water and 1Tablespoon of salt, run it through the filter, and it makes enough chlorine and other stuff to purify 2000 gal of water.

Next we went to Hector's ministry. Wow, he has quite a story of what God has done in his life! He takes in immigrants and gives them a place to sleep and relax for 3 days, after that they have to be doing Bible study, look for work etc. They have church service every day. While I was there, I saw a bunch of people sitting, reading the Bible by themselves or in groups. We brought them a few boxes of experiencing God books/workbooks. We heard that the ladies of the group had been fasting and praying for them to come.

A side note to all of this. Hector said their water pump was broken so one of the guys with some fixing skill went to take a look. Well, it was beyond a simple fix, but when he got home he was talking to a plumber friend that decided to donate a brand new pump for them. So this evening one of the guys was going to run it across for them. Isn't it amazing how the Lord moves and works?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEROY!!!!

Today is LeRoy's 28th birthday!!!! I have to say I am very thankful he's part of my life. He's such a great daddy and husband, and willing to continually work on becoming even better in his roles. Thanks to friends of ours, we're able to celebrate today without the girls. I'm taking him out for supper, and we don't have to rush eating or make sure we're back at certain time. I'm thinking there'll still be homework to get done tonight, but we'll take it as it comes. We can eat a meal without worrying about food being thrown on the floor, or someone screaming cause they don't want to eat. Maybe it's more of a treat for me that it's his birthday. haha