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I've  found myself missing a few things here lately.  American things.  Like Panera Bread, for example. There was one particularly cold day and I thought to myself, "mmm...a nice bowl of tomato soup and a salad from Panera would be so nice." Sniffle sniffle.

I also miss Hobby Lobby.  OH! How I miss Hobby Lobby.  If you aren't familiar with this funny-sounding store, it is an arts and crafts mecca that typically sells things for super cheap.  Michael's, the less-than-stellar and way-more-expensive alternative, is all that's to be found here in Canada.  I wish I had enough money in my back pocket to open up my own HL franchise here.  The locals would be in love. They'd thank this American girl for bringing the light of all things crafty to the North.  And I would be able to afford to do crafts again.  God bless you, Hobby Lobby.

I miss Blue Bell ice cream in all it's yummy deliciousness.  The first time I visited Vancouver, I was literally stunned when I found out they didn't have Blue Bell at the grocery store.  I'd never had any other ice cream in my life.  Who is Ben and Jerry? What is a Breyer ice cream? There is only Blue Bell, I thought to myself. I was even convinced that they must have run out.  It was much later that this Texas native (that's me, by the way) found out that Blue Bell is actually only sold in about 26% of the USA.  So, obviously, it ain't in Canadia. (I spelled that right. I was going for a solid Texas twang there.)  Anyway, I am now being exposed to other kinds of ice cream. But, nothing, again I say NOTHING, comes close to being in the same category as Blue Bell.  If anyone wants to ship me Blue Bell, I wouldn't argue with you.  (The most ironic part of this whole thing? I'm lactose-intolerant, so I can only have ice cream in super small doses. But, still...if I'm gonna subject my body to lactose...it should be the best lactose on the market: Blue Bell.)

 


I miss Super Target and it almost pains me to think about it.  There is a regular Target right across the border in Washington.  So, I go there approximately once a week and stock up on their awesome diapers and Rotel and other non-Canadian things.  But, I think we can all agree that there is a massive difference between a regular Target and a Super Target.  The main difference being that one is SUPER.  Here's a regular Target:

And there is nothing wrong with a regular Target. It's what I grew up knowing.  But then the Target Corp. introduced the bigger, better, brother of Target:

You see the difference?  I miss you Super Target.

There are many more things I miss at random moments during the week. Like Pandora Radio (yes, you read that right. You can't get Pandora up here in Canada).  I miss Chic-fil-a and Barnes and Noble.  But more than anything, I miss these people right here:

My dad, Noah, and my mom (2006)

My family at Disney World,  2010

My Grandad and my nephew, Caden

My brother (and my kid)

I miss doing things like this:

lazy i-pad and i-phone days for the cousins

1 of many mowing the lawn days with my dad

An evening of arm-wrestling with grandad

As much as I miss all that other stuff, the ice cream and the stores and the restaurants, I miss these people way more!

Homeschooling...the impossible possibility.

Along with all the other new things in our household, we started homeschooling this month. And by "we," I mean "I".  I started homeschooling our kindergartener.  No, I'm not crazy. There are a lot of reasons behind this decision, but it boils down to this: the Lord made it clear that this was our only option at this crossroads in our life. Even though it was never, ever, EVER something I would have pictured myself doing, here I am. And, because I know HE is in it,  I am jumping in and doing this with a joyful heart.

So, here are a few pictures of our first few weeks. (Which have been crazy and fun and exhausting and by day 2,  I was ready to start calling schools for enrollment options.  But, we got through it. )


This is our school room.  It was a great surprise to me when we arrived at my in-laws house to find this little room set-up for us. I added some of the school touches (the white board and behavior chart, etc.).  It was one of those unexpected blessings that I appreciate every day.

Noah's behavior chart. He gets a treat out of the treasure box on Friday if he stays off red all week.

1st day of school.

During our second week of school, we studied the Egyptians.  Noah got to make a mummy:

We paused for a minute the other day to check out the snow coming down hard. And, yes, we did go outside for "recess."  It was a cold one!

Here's one of many outside break times with Seth and Mollie (that's our dog.  Remember her? She's a giant now.  She has lots of super-neat talents, too! Like she can eat plastic, wood, even her own poop. If it's not chained to the ground, she eats it! Isn't that so super awesome? cough cough)

What can I say? A boy and his dog. 

As I mentioned in my last post, the first couple days were pretty hard and the first day in particular ended with 3 blood-shedding incidents between my younger 2 sons.  To Noah's credit, he plowed right through his school work without getting distracted by the screaming and the agonizing cries of his younger 2 siblings. I, however, found myself getting frazzled.  By the end of day 2, I needed a glass of wine. 

This was the start of day 2. The calm before the storm.

We are now in a regular schedule of starting school at 9 and ending at 11. If you know me at all, you know I like my schedules!  (Babywise, anyone?)  So, we are in a routine and it is in no small part due to my sister-in-law and mother-in-law.  They have helped me with my 2 little ones almost every day since day 3.   Because of them, I get almost 2 hours of un-interrupted time working with Noah.  It is pure bliss and something I fully did not expect.  Another not-so-little thing I was surprised and blessed by!

When Ryan and I made the decision for me to homeschool Noah, I emailed 2 women in particular about how to approach this. I was confused, I was nervous, and I was convinced that Noah would end-up either stupid or a social shut-out.  I know we are only 3 weeks in, but it's calmed my nerves and I can see the light in the homeschool tunnel. At least til the end of kindergarten. I can't think of 1st grade yet, or I'll have a nervous breakdown. But for now, we are settled and we are good. A HUGE thank you to Jenny and Nora. They've been my #1 supporters and coaches through this. 

A New Year, A New Adventure

Well, it's here! 2012. Whew...for my little Friesen five fam, this is a year we've both dreaded and looked forward to.  I'm kinda happy the way God has worked all of this out for us, timing our new adventure with the new year. It feels appropriate in many ways. The death of one season and finding new life in the next season.  It's just beautiful the way the Father works out even those little details.

So, a brief update: we have made the big MOVE!

Our moving crew. Aka...our friends.  :)

This was my moral support on moving day...one of my best friends,  Kath. (I love you!)

We are now living in Vancouver, British Columbia.  My sweet parents helped me and the boys fly up while Ryan and his dad drove my car 3,000 miles across the USA.

A quick kiss goodbye for my hubs before he left for Canada.

My dad taking care of Seth on the plane.  An i-phone always works, folks. ( And there's Jackson creepin' in the corner.)

Jackson helping his Mollie-dog look out the window as we descend into Vancouver.

We are all settled in now and trying to get adjusted to life here. Ryan is busy working while I stay home with the kiddos. They've been patient with this mama as I try to navigate unfamiliar roads, shop in unfamiliar grocery stores, use new currencies, drive in kilometers per hour rather than mph, and all the while look as cool and in control as I can. There have been funny moments and a few almost-stop-the-car-and-cry moments. But, just as only the father can do, he's given me a peace that surpasses every other emotion flailing around inside me.

Thanks to so, so many of you for the outpouring of love and support for my family as we make this transition. Both our American and Canadian friends have been awesome. I, especially, have felt loved from both sides. I've received too many emails and texts to count from my friends back home. And 1 very special card in the mail...thanks Kath. :) And after being here only a week, a welcome tea was given in my honor at the home of one of Ryan's aunt's. That was so unexpected and terribly special; I think I needed it more than I realized.  :)  Thanks Aunty Judy!

A lot has happened in the short time we've been living here.  Ryan and I celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary.  He took me dancing and to dinner.  Actually, he took me to dance lessons.  Go ahead and laugh. I did. I may or may not have shed a tear or two as well.

I realized, towards the end of the night, how much of a boy-mom I am when Ryan asked me if I wanted to go dancing again and I responded by saying "maybe we could go rock climbing next time?"  That threw him for a loop, even after 9 years.  I think I'd feel more steady on my feet on the side of a rock than in dancing shoes with Michael Jackson in the background telling me to beat it. Some people's hips just shouldn't move that way. Including mine.

We also had our first couple of snow days and started homeschooling. (That is a whole other blog my friends!  Just a preview: we ended the first day with only 3 blood-shedding incidents between the boys. Better than I expected).

Here's a few pics to enjoy.

It was a weird thing seeing our cars under snow!

First snowman. He borrowed my hat from Amanda. :)

Our new adventure has begun!!

Merry Christmas

Christmas is normally my favorite time of year.  I just love everything about it. The smells, the sounds, the sights. But this year, Christmas day has just been a big fat reminder to me of what's coming for me and my kids: moving day.

Noah--Christmas 2010

It started in November, when we had that first cold snap.  I got excited for a second and then quickly remembered: oh no. This means the move is coming. And then Thanksgiving rolled around and I started to feel that kid-like excitement growing in me at the thought of Black Friday, Christmas shopping, and I'm not gonna lie...Christmas food. One of the best parts, right? But, again, I stopped myself before the excitement could gather. Because, frankly, even though I KNOW this is where God is moving us, it's been hard to think about how the goodbye's will happen. What could I possibly do to say goodbye to my friends and family the right way? Is there a right way? A way that's more meaningful than just a hug and a "bye"?

So, obviously, my attitude has been less than stellar. I've been trying to remind myself that I have excuses for sadness this holiday season: leaving home, leaving country; saying goodbye to precious friends and wondering how soon I'll make new ones; saying goodbye to family and knowing full-well that this is a void no one else can fill.

So, yeah, I've been excusing myself. I've allowed myself to be slightly pitiful.

And then sometime last week I started thinking about Mary and the painful life changes she went through in less than a year. A teenager, probably 14 or 15 at best.  Pregnant. Engaged to a man who may well be the only person who believes her story about an angel appearing and telling her she's to be the mother of the Messiah.  She was most likely abandoned by an ashamed family, or, at the least, given a horrible dose of judgement.  We women know about those cutting eyes other women can make. Kinda like high school? And we all remember how much fun THAT was.  And this was probably 10x worse. Then when the time came, she was alone, without her mother or sister, giving birth, in a dirty barn. Exactly the way we little girls dream it will happen, right?  She was in a situation where God called her to do something beyond herself, give of something greater than her own life.

The Bible is vague about so many of the events recorded on its pages.  Yet, it records in detail Mary's response to the life path that is suddenly thrust before her:

"My soul magnifies the Lord! How I rejoice in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed. For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me." Luke 1:46-49

I love that she says her soul magnifies the Lord. It not only challenges me, but last week, it reminded me of why Christmas is Christmas.

Although I do love all the wonderful things surrounding the holiday season, I was reminded of Mary's response to the Lord.  I'm sure she thought that carrying a child without being married was the "worst" thing she'd face. Little did she know that 33 years later she'd watch that perfect baby boy be beaten and whipped. Not just for me. But for her too. For all of our sins. I wonder if after he was buried and the finality of his death settled over her, was she able to say "my soul magnifies the Lord"?  My gut tells me that she could.  That in every stage, his birth, death, and then his glorious resurrection, Mary's soul magnified the Father.

So, who am I to stop myself from celebrating the greatest birthday in history? The greatest story, really. Because it didn't just happen in a day. The full meaning of Christmas happened over the 33 years of Jesus' life.  So, I am officially in full-swing Christmas mode.  Bring it on.  The food.  The family. The fun.  But, more than anything, reflecting on my Savior's birth. And creating an environment within my spirit that enables me to say, "Lord, my soul magnifies you."

Merry Christmas!!!

Me and the hubs; Christmas 2009

Seth- Christmas 2010

Jackson and Noah- Christmas 2009

Noah-Christmas 2007

Please Remove Your Shoes...and other Canadian Curiosities

Once upon a time I went to Canada as a young 15-year-old girl visiting my best friend.  I planned my outfits carefully and packed as many outfits, including shoes, as I could in my suitcase.  (This was back in the day when flying with a suitcase was free and there was no 50 lb. limit. Ahhh...those were the days.  Wait. Did I just age myself?).  So, imagine my surprise when I landed and found out that shoes were not allowed in Canada.  I'm kidding. Sort-of.

You see, it is a part of Canadian culture to remove your shoes when you enter someone's home.  Shoes are welcome in any public place, obviously. But, listen you Americans! Don't you dare wear your heels or boots or flip flops or whatever it is your feet are transported in, into a Canadian home. You take those bad boys off!

But what do I do with my shoes, you ask?

As I learned when I was 15, you take your shoes off and put them by the door.  That's right.  You'd better hope that you aren't wearing your "special smelling" socks when you pop by someone's house.  Because it's socks, not shoes, that are welcome in Canadian households.

So, I'm going to try my best not to offend either side of this situation.  Because, listen, I can surely see the necessity of having guests take off their shoes in a northern climate.  Vancouver gets more rain than almost anywhere in North America.  I don't want mud on my floors! And what about snow and slush in the winter?  Another good reason for taking off shoes.

But...I'm not gonna lie.  The whole concept is a foreign thing to me. Obviously, being from the south, I wasn't raised removing my shoes every time I entered a house.  In fact,  if I ever took my shoes off in a person's house we were visiting, it was considered rude.

So, at 15 years old, I had certain questions run through my head.  Questions I still struggle with.  For example:  What if you have really stinky feet?  Like the kind of stink that doctors have to treat?  That could be embarrassing.  Or what if your socks have holes all in them because those were the only clean socks you could find that particular day? (Yes, I'm speaking from experience. Don't judge me, man).  What if you are wearing hose that you don't want to snag?

But, and this is the most important question of all, what if your shoes MAKE the outfit? GIRLS!?!?! WOMEN!?!?! Do you hear me? What if you are only 5 feet tall (cough cough) and almost every pair of jeans requires  heels or wedges? When the shoes are taken off, you look deflated. What if it's winter time and you are wearing boots with leggings? And then you have to take the boots off? Outfit destroyed. What if you are going over to a friend's house for dinner and you get all cute with skinny jeans and boots and leg warmers.  And then you get there...you just take it all off?  These are the questions I need answered!

So...I've made a decision for our Canadian-mostly-American home.  Once we have one, that is.  All guests will not be allowed to take off their shoes.  Unless, of course, it's a horribly rainy or snowy day.  But, if it is beautiful outside or if their shoes are clean, I want our guests to know that in the Friesen house...shoes are welcome! Shoes of all shapes and sizes.  So those with smelly feet: you are welcome! No need to be embarrassed anymore! Those who love their new boots: c'mon over and show them off!
Those who have an aversion to picking through other people's shoes to find their own (this has happened to me and it almost scarred me), you are welcome in our house!

I've picked through much larger piles than this. Disgusting is what that is!

I think I will have a sign at our house that says "please KEEP your shoes on!" But, because I've never lived there and my opinion is entitled to change, I will keep one on hand like this that I saw on pinterest:

Or, I may pull that sign out on days that I just don't feel like vacuuming. Which may be more days than not.

For my American friends, here's a totally un-related picture series of beautiful Vancouver.  We will be living there in (gulp!) 16 days.