La Paz

    After the long drive through the seemingly endless deserts of Baja, lots of small towns, and several days camping on the beach, we really enjoyed our time in La Paz. It's a city of about 200,000, not too touristy but with an active expat community, beautifully situated, lots of art and culture, and with more of a mainland Mexico feel to it than other places we visited. We stayed at Campestre Maranatha, a nice RV park on the outskirts of the city. It had a great swimming pool with a kids' pool too, two playgrounds, teepees, and a friendly and helpful owner. It was a great place to spend some time catching up on laundry, email, shopping, etc. It was a city where I could definitely envision spending more time. We stayed there three or four nights on the way south and then a few more on the way back up north. These pictures cover both visit. 

We were boon docking at the beach when Thanksgiving rolled around, so we decided to wait until we had electricity to enjoy out Thanksgiving dinner. It makes the culinary magic just a wee bit easier. I made a pumpkin pie from a calabaza regional, as well as stuffing, chicken, a green bean casserole, and mashed potatoes.  Oh, and we actually found a can of cranberry sauce in a little grocery store in Mulege, which Peregrine was very excited about! It wasn't the yummiest meal I've eaten, but it was very special, and we were all thankful to squish around our little table and count our blessings.

La Paz has a really nice malecon, and we enjoyed walking it a couple of times. The kids always seem to gravitate to the sand! 

Water bottle art. Of course my kids were compelled to climb inside it, knocking out about forty water bottles in the process. What followed was probably humorous to watch, as we desperately tried putting them back, only to pop out more with each one we put in. A security officer came over and told the kids to get out and put the water bottles back, which was easier said than done. Lesson learned: please don't climb inside the art, children! Oh, and for pete's sake, carry your own water bottle and don't contribute to the trash problem!

La Paz seemed to have a big arts community and this was a cultural center of sorts. We walked around for a while, enjoying the art and the air conditioning. 

Saint Nicholas day came around so we celebrated by opening our stockings and eating freshly baked gingerbread muffins. I bought a few little things for the kids and Erik, and they tucked lots of little paper crafts and tiny gifts in each other's stockings as well. It always blesses me how they want to get in on the giving each year! 

Yummy! Where on earth did Erik find Trader Joe's chocolate in Mexico?

Daddy checking out the comic Peregrine drew and gave him.

The malecon, like the one in Puerto Vallarta, is lined with large and interesting sculptures. I really liked this one.

I was happy to see a small peregrinacíon as we sat eating ice cream one evening. 

Of course we had to stop at La Fuente, a little ice cream shop along the malecon. They make their own ice cream and it comes in so many flavors. We had some serious indecision going on with a couple people. (That would be Peregrine and myself.) So many choices! 

The tree and brightly colored benches out front seem entirely fitting for an ice cream shop! 

Sunset over the bay.

We enjoyed going out in the evening a few times. There were some night markets and the kids enjoyed a little browsing and shopping before we finally tracked down a taco place we wanted to try. Octopus tacos? Check. Manta Ray tacos? Check. Exciting times for our adventurous eaters!

Poppy took this picture of Erik and I one night while we were out for dinner. On a date, just the two of us, you know, with our four kids. 

Just another evening out! 

An Evening In

On Thursday Erik and I celebrated ten years of marriage. God painted the sky in lovely colors in honor of the occasion!

We had a lovely Evening In. I made a nice dinner, set a special table for two, and the kids acted as our servers. Peregrine decided a pirate theme was appropriate for our romantic dinner so he decorated with pictures of ships and sea captains! He also named the "restaurant" Red Rackham's: Fine Scurvy Dining fit for a Sea Captain. Aaaarhg, Matey!

There were some interesting characters underfoot, literally. Here they are under the table in the fire's light.

Our dessert, appropriately named Red Rackham's Ship.

And here we are; our table for two at various times seated three, or four, or five or six. But that is a good picture of our life together; we started out as two and God has blessed us with four more! It was a very special evening in with our little family, reminiscing about the past, enjoying the present, and dreaming of our future. (And last night we got to go out, just the two of us, and enjoy some uninterrupted conversation.) Here's to many more years together! 

The First and the Fourth

    

    It's been a lovely holiday weekend. We kicked it off with Canada Day on the 1st. I grew up there, and we just finalized our kids' Canadian citizenship, so we had a special dessert on Friday to celebrate. Erik had a four day weekend, and in spite of being on call, didn't have to go in at all. Today we had some good friends over, and enjoyed a day of sunshine, good food, great conversation, fun, and a healthy dose of craziness. (What do you expect with nine kids?) Here are a few pictures from our fun weekend. 

The kids staged their own parade in our cul-de-sac. That's Peregrine leading the way,
Poppy in the middle, and Raphael in the lower left- marching to the beat of his own drum.
Which is very much his style.

I was just going to serve the kids some vanilla pudding with berries on top.
Peregrine went all Martha Stewart on me and decided to decorate it.
Where on earth does he get that from? (Along with his flag drawing and "tricorn" hat.)

Is it just me, or did sparklers get way more lame this year?
In spite of that, Poppy was mesmerized. 

We stood out in our cul-de-sac for about a half hour, enjoying the neighborhood fireworks all around. The kids were thrilled, and pretty certain the police would be arresting people left and right, since these are all illegal in our (free) state. Peregrine was whooping and hollering and generally in a state
of ecstasy. Some of my favorite quotes from him:

“I don’t know where to look!” 

"It's as bright as day in our cul-de-sac!"

“I love fireworks so much I’m beating my chest!” (He’s obviously not a nursing mother.)

“This proves that I love fireworks: I have sparks in my eyes!” 

Peregrine is an intense kid, who, on a scale of 1-10, lives life between 8 and 11. He 

experiences everything intensely, and life with him is a bit 

of a roller coaster. This was a night of intense joy. I could use more of these.

Canada Day dessert - almond flour cookies with maple cashew
cream and strawberry maple leaves. Happy little canucks!
(And I like how Raphael looks like he's about to smash his cookie
into something. Typical Raphi.)

Little Canadian!

    To all my friends, American, Canadian, and everyone else, I hope you had a great weekend with much to be thankful for! 

Mid-December

It's been a month since I last posted. No, I didn't drop off the face of the earth. This season is always a busy one, and this year I'm making a real effort to keep things simple and try to focus on Jesus and the wonderful reason we celebrate. I've often thought of things to write, but have been occupying myself with all sorts of other things. Here, in no particular order, are a few photos of some of what's been going on around here.

Erik making muffins with the kids. 

We have snow! A rare treat in our neck of the woods, the kids are really enjoying this. Peregrine was trying to convince me that I wouldn't believe how deep it was. I guess he's probably never seen more than this, about 5 or 6 inches. Do you think he believes my stories (which are true) of the snow drifts of my childhood in Alberta, drifts high enough to build tunnels in? 

This is one of the more candid shots that Erik took of the kids for our Christmas card. I'm so blessed by these three.

This one really captures the kids' personalities. Peregrine, precariously perched, pushing things as far as he can, and Poppy, looking on in safety!

I've long wanted to do our stockings on St. Nicholas Day, December 6, and this year I actually got it together in time. We had fun learning about St. Nicholas, whose life was characterized by his love for God and generosity to the poor. We filled the stockings with little things that were symbolic of stories from his life. I think the focus on him, early in the Christmas season, is timely, as he teaches us that is is better to give than to receive, and helps us to remember to care for the poor. 

Alethea, a happy little baker, helping make gingerbread muffins for St. Nicholas Day.

Raphael is eight months old. No longer a little baby, he is sweet, happy and on the move! 

My heart is so full! Five stockings this year. We are blessed. As we sat around the breakfast table on St. Nicholas Day my eyes filled with tears of joy and gratitude for this sweet family God has given to us. 

A few creations, a wee felt angel, and a little St. Nicholas below. I've been enjoying making some small gifts this year for the kids and others. I love crafting, and need to make more time for it. 

A few thoughts, since I'm here.... I went out grocery shopping the Sunday after Thanksgiving and was really struck with the craziness and stress in the air. It was a good motivator and reminder to me that it is not what I want to characterize this time! I want our preparation for and celebration of Christ's birth to be full of joy and peace, and honoring to Him. It takes a real effort not to get caught up in all the madness, the greed, the commercialism, that can easily eclipse the true meaning of Christmas, and I don't always succeed. 

A few tangible things we're doing this year to try to keep things less stressful are planning simpler meals and trying to eat a lot of meals from the freezer. Also, among my extended family we decided that instead of buying gifts for each other we will send money to some friends who work among the poorest of the poor in Haiti. As much as I love buying gifts, I'm really enjoying having fewer things to think about, and the joy of knowing that a family will eat for another month, or a child will go to school or an orphan will be cared for is truly more satisfying than more stuff. 

When we went to get our Christmas tree this year Erik and I talked about how it's fun that we've been a family long enough to have established some of our own traditions. I know this whole process is just that, a process, but I'm excited about finding new ways of rediscovering the joy and meaning in celebrating the incarnation of our Lord. Next year I want to get it together in time to do a Jesse Tree with the kids, and would also like to participate more in alternative giving, as well as more handmade and practical gifts. 

Well, I think that about wraps up my rambling thoughts for the day. I hope you are all having much joy and peace as you prepare your hearts and homes for Christ's birth! 

Time for Tea

On Tuesday we had a Tea Party with Alethea, Peregrine, and their friends Ashley and Hannah. A lovely time was had by all, and we hope to do it again in the future.

Peregrine and Ashley.
Erik and I met John and Charisse, Ashely and Hannah's parents, in a birthing class when we were expecting our first babies. Peregrine and Ashley were born just a few days apart, and we've all been friends since!

Alethea and Hannah, the "little ladies".

Peregrine was practicing being a gentleman and helped to serve.

Three young ladies in training!

Peregrine escorting Ashley and Hannah to their car.

Six Years

On a cold Saturday six years ago, in the presence of God, our family, and many friends, Erik and I joined our lives together in marriage. It was the end, for both of us, of many years of waiting and praying for God to bless us in this way. (I've written about my side of the story here.) And as always, the end of one season is the beginning of another. This season of marriage has been marked with beauty and grace, and, like all seasons, a few trials. Our years together have been eventful; two wonderful children have been added to us and we're awaiting the arrival of a third. We've also loved and lost two little babies through miscarriage. Erik survived cancer, we've moved a couple of times, Erik has changed jobs once, and we've traveled to Canada, Europe, and Mexico. There have been many changes, many challenges, and many, many joys. Our love has grown and deepened, and I've always been thankful that we're walking through this life, no longer alone, but together. God truly blessed us with each other, and I look forward to many, many more years!

A Prayer for Saint Nicholas Day

Happy Saint Nicholas Day! (This is a repost from two years ago, but, other than the fact that my boy is five now, not three, and today we'll make muffins instead of cookies, it's still applicable. Look at how little he was!)

Today is Saint Nicholas Day, the day set aside by the ancient church to honor the life of Nicholas of Myra, a godly man who took the words of Jesus to heart. He inherited a large amount of money from his parents as a young man and used his means to help the poor and needy. He died on this day in 343 and is remembered as one whose life points to the Saviour.
I've always said that I would like to teach my children about the real Saint Nicholas and now my time has come! It's exciting for me to get to learn and teach all at the same time. And teaching a three year old really makes me have to find practical ways to demonstrate what we are learning. I've been trying to tell him how God blesses us not only so we can enjoy His gifts but so that we can share what He has given us with others. So this morning we baked cookies together for an upcoming outreach to the homeless in our community. It's so fun to watch Peregrine beginning to grasp these truths. I'm thankful for Saint Nicholas, and that instead of just ignoring Santa Claus we can teach our children about a real man who loved God and followed after Him. It is my prayer for myself and for my children that we, like Nicholas, would truly learn that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
"Almighty God,
who in your love gave to your servant Nicholas of Myra
a perpetual name for deeds of kindness on land and sea:
Grant, we pray,
that your Church may never cease to
work for the happiness of children,
the safety of sailors,
the relief of the poor,
and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever." (Contemporary Eastern Othodox Prayer)