Shannon Falls, August 2012

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Comfort Zone

Have you ever considered that God has to move you out of your comfort zone in the wildest of ways? David and I talked about living in Vancouver even when we dated, but now that we're here it feels surreal at times. There are many times where Hayden and I are the only Caucasians in a room full of Asians. There are times I miss the oddest things from MS--like my gigantic kitchen. Many, many days I never imagined that I would leave Mississippi, much less Ocean Springs.

In just the few short months we've been in Coquitlam, I've learned a great deal about myself. Whether we spend two years or ten years or forever in Canada, God has and is using this time to reveal who Jamie is and who she can be. David and I have stepped out more in faith than we have in any other time of our marriage, I believe. We've learned to rely on each other. I have learned that I rarely put myself out there to meet new people; I typically wait on others to come to me. I've become more cognizant of the face I put forward when meeting/passing people (have you ever noticed how some people just always look unhappy?). Small talk is not my gift, but I'm getting better each day. I've learned a new respect for stay-at-home mothers; in some small, small way I have a slight understanding of what it must be like to be military and to relocate where you have no family and you must start the friends, activities, and involvement process all over every few years. I'm learning to stand up for myself--when I'm offended, challenged, and reproached. I'm learning to live on less, to wait for something I want now, and to be joyful no matter what.

I don't know what our future holds or where we'll "settle" down...or if we ever will. David and I have spent the past week earnestly discussing our lives and how we'd like them to look, what plans God may have for our family, and how we can best meet the needs of our family and our future. Above all else, even if our decisions and our lives make no sense to anyone else, we want Hayden to be able to look at us and say, "My parents were obedient. God may have taken them on a wild ride, but there's not a doubt they followed His bidding."

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Fun with Mo

It's awesome in life that God gives us friends who feel more like family than friends. Such is the case with my husband's friend Matthew. Most people know him as Mo, and Hayden even calls him Uncle Mo. He took a vacation and decided to come spend a week with us when he could have gone anywhere else. We always have a great time with Mo and he's a fantastic houseguest.

We did the normal touristy things like Whistler, downtown/Stanley Park, Metrocentre Mall, and he even joined us for our first visit to a pumpkin patch. Enjoy the pictures of our time together (I'll save the heavy duty thoughts for another post).

 Cypress Mountain
 View of downtown from Cypress Mountain.
 Shannon Falls
 Whistler
 Laity Pumpkin Patch


 View of downtown and Running Man from Stanley Park
 Stanley Park colors
 Family in front of Lions Gate Bridge

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Date Night Dreaming

This is really just a quick note, not for anything in particular. David and I went out last Saturday night for the first time in a while. We miss not having Shannon here! All we did was go to supper, but it's amazing how getting a couple out of their normal four walls can get them to talk about all kinds of things.

David and I simply did some dreaming. I don't want to divulge those thoughts, but it was so nice to just hear his heart. I never thought we'd leave Mississippi (or the Southeast) and now I feel we have a world of opportunities available. We don't know yet if we're called to stay in Canada forever or if we'll end up back in the States. If we did, we don't know if it would be anywhere near the South. We just don't know. And that's okay. We're enjoying this season of seeing God work...and dreaming.

A side note: Hayden is doing very well with Strong Start (school). While he and I do projects and school at home too, he thrives in that environment and with other children. And while I did look into it primarily to give us an outlet on the rainy days, it hasn't started raining yet. I bet I just jinxed this gorgeous weather we're still having. Maybe God knew we needed the sun just a little bit longer this year, eh?