kim through
   the looking glass

It’s odd. I’ve had a hard time thinking about what to blog this last week since we came back from our vacation.

We spent a week at a cottage in Kincardine, Ontario with another family - our good friends and their two kids, who are almost the exact same age as our kids.

We spent a week playing with kids, enjoying the water and sand, talking, cooking, and eating very good food.

But to me, what was most wonderful, was the tribe-like atmosphere. Other adults to talk to - about superficial things, deep things, and everything in between. Other adults to share in the childcare, to give each of us a few much-needed breaks. To hold a baby while the other was doing something else for a moment.

To be completely honest, I felt absolutely no desire to check to see if I had new blog comments, to check out a forum I’m a part of, to check and see what was happening on Facebook. I’ll admit I did, once, think about checking my email, but that’s it.

There’s nothing wrong with social media, per se, but I can see how it’s a very poor substitution for actual human interaction. Being online leaves me feeling like I’ve wasted my time; like I’ve taken a ‘break’ but haven’t really rested; like I’d like the last 20 mins/hour/evening of my life back to do things that matter.

Being in the presence of real people who share your passions and who talk back in real time … with whom you can talk at the same time as making dinner or nursing your baby or taking a walk on the beach or setting the toddler up to colour … is just so very different than the things with which we have replaced such interactions.

And, I believe, so much healthier for not only ourselves, but most of all, our children.

Sometimes I wonder: If the people who devote so much time and energy to building online communities could put half the time into developing our physical communities … what would happen?

… please pray for a family in my church. Their 4-year-old son has just been diagnosed with leukemia.

Pardon my non-existant blogging over the past week … we’ve been crazy busy here!

Brad’s been working insane hours getting ready for a launch at work, and we hosted his brother, Dave, and his girlfriend, Lindsey, Thursday and Friday and a bit of Saturday! I had a great time hanging out with them and at the end of the visit, we couldn’t decide who was entertaining who: was Gwen entertaining them or were they entertaining her?

My iBook has pretty well gone CAPUT!, so I haven’t any uploaded pictures to show you all. Oh, they’re on my iBook, but it takes about 10 minutes for a webpage to even show up! In light of this recent laptop activity, Brad and I are heading to Future Shop tonight to pick me up one of these.

Um, I’m excited. Like, really excited.

EEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

… said I to my husband last night as we went for a walk. “Slow down!”

(Yes. I call myself ‘waddles’. ‘Preggo’ and ‘preggers’ are also often used. Most often when talking about food, for example, “Preggers wants cake!” or “Preggo wants a hamburger!” I’m classy.) Read the rest of this entry »

A local reporter contacted Crystle and asked if she could come and interview us. We set up a potluck last month and she came and we had a blast eating together and chatting about what we’re doing as a community of believers and why.

Turns out she has submitted a synopsis of the story to our local newspaper and they are VERY interested in covering the story! So, in all likelihood, we’re going to be in the paper! So. Cool. =)

Oh!!! And I thought I should update on this, as well. Our community numbers have been expanding! Jan, a 25-year missionary veteran who has been back in Canada only two years, co-worker of Crystle, Crystle’s ride to work, and member of our church, has been joining us for morning prayer (we meet together Wednesday mornings to pray) and coming to our potlucks for some time now. She has been looking and praying for a house, and whaddya know? That’s right, people. She recently (last week!) bought the house on the OTHER side of Graham and Emma? Two houses beside one another for intentional community? You could argue coincidence. Three houses in a row? There’s no mistaking that for anything but God moving. It’s amazing. And encouraging. And exhilarating! She’ll hopefully be moving in sometime in late July or August. Welcome to the neighbourhood, Jan!

Well, Chelsea, your scheme worked for one post anyways =) Read the rest of this entry »

Breathe. Three weeks till full term. Breathe.

June Bug weighs around 5 lbs (!!!) and is almost 20 inches long from head to toe. He/she is tumbling around in my belly (to mine and Brad’s great delight) and is packing on the pounds. Apparently the hair that covered his/her body is decreasing and the vernix (think cottage cheese) is increasing in anticipation of delivery. To see how big June Bug is, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry »

Although it could really be anywhere from 8 weeks from now until 12 weeks from now.

June Bug currently weighs 3 lbs (like a cantaloupe!) and is about 17 inches from head to toe. He/she is getting very squished! June Bug is practicing breathing by breathing amniotic fluid in and out. Little toe nails are growing on some very tiny and very cute toes, and the bone marrow has taken over red blood cell production from the liver. I can’t believe how complex our baby is - God truly is amazing to have created the little one growing in my womb. We’re so blessed! Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s a full profile pic of me from tonight! I *heart* my belly!

Today, I actually had the day off clinical and we went to Brad’s cousin’s for a debriefing of his other cousins’ missions trip to Haiti.

Or so I thought.

We arrived, and shortly thereafter, balloons were brought out and placed behind myself and his cousin’s wife.

Guess what the balloons were for? That’s right - surprise Baby Shower!

It was a lot of fun - and quite surprising, as neither of us had ANY clue! We played a game where there was a list of animals and space beside them all to write down the name of the baby type - ie. Goose - gosling. Brad’s mom won by a LONG shot - she got 24/33. To put that in perspective, I got 14, and Brad’s grandpa got 7! Brad’s mom also brought recipe cards and paper for people to write advice on to put in our baby albums - I’m looking forward to reading what other people have to say!

It was a cash shower, so I’m not going to specify what I got (how tacky would that be??) but it was enough that we shouldn’t be NEEDING much more after we’ve spent it. We have been so, so blessed to have so much given to us - or soon to be bought for us - and I really feel quite prepared, even though we don’t have tonnes of stuff.

(I’ll be eating my words soon when I realize how much the little stuff adds up to!)

Hello in there, little one!

Crystle and I were talking the other night about how one goes about training up children in the faith. We were talking about how there’s two schools of thought on the subject:

1. “Age-appropriate” children’s messages based on Biblical truths, like devotional books.
2. The Bible is plenty age-appropriate and doesn’t need anything to “translate” it for kids - you just need to talk about the Scriptures as you read.

There may be other methods, or a combination of the two, but these were the two we were discussing. Read the rest of this entry »