Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Happy Easter...

We're off to spend the long weekend in Saskatchewan with Craig & Jen and are highly anticipating some good quality time with them!
Such a treat!
Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Easter before we go. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend celebrating what Christ did for us on the cross!
See you when we get back...

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Friday night...

We had a break in the rainy weather yesterday (early) evening and seeing as Callie was grouchy from teething & being cooped up all day, we decided to pick up some McD's for supper and head to the park for a picnic. Just as we suspected, her mood changed instantly. As soon as she caught a glimpse of the ducks sitting on the lawn, and her favorite swing at the park, we knew we'd hit the jackpot...
We took turns pushing her in the swing, between bites of burgers & fries, and grinned at each other with total contentment as we listened to her squeal in delight. Such a perfect way to spend a Friday night...

Pure bliss...


Checking out the ducks...



Unfortunately, our evening at the park didn't last too long. The wind came up and it got pretty chilly. So... it was back home for a warm bath and story time with Daddy. Great way to end a lovely evening as a family...

Thursday, March 18, 2010

The work dilemma...

Sadly, my mat leave is quickly coming to a close. The reality of having to go back to work is no longer just something I can push to the back of my mind and 'worry about when the time comes.' Because, quite frankly, the time has come... or at least it will very shortly. Which also makes me think about the fact that Callie is nearing her 1st birthday. But I can't even go there. Its all together too overwhelming.

Anyway... back to the topic of work. I have already made the decision not to go back to my old job at the kitchen cabinet company. It was a great job and I enjoyed working with Tara, but I want to be able to spend as much time with Callie as I possibly can. The sheer fact that going back to that job means commuting 30 min. each way, every day, is enough to take it out of the equation. So that rules out that option.

I already know that I could go back to a job at Chilliwack Decorating Centre simply because my old boss is constantly telling me that I'll "always have a job there!" And its nice to know that I have a fall back. But I still don't like the part where... I have to go back to work! :)

So this has left me with a bit of a predicament. Financially, we could probably manage if I stayed home as a full-time mommy, but it would mean having to REALLY pinch our pennies, and would most likely mean longer work days for Jon. So again... not a wonderful option.

All of this has led back to my interior design possibilities. I originally did my interior design schooling with the thought in mind, that someday, I could hopefully do it from home. Its the kind of career that could very easily be done from one's home and that aspect of it was just the icing on the cake for me.

But now comes the tricky part... making a name for myself. Not a literal name, because as you can see, I have already come up with that. I've had my business cards printed and am ready to start handing them out. What I'm talking about is getting a client base started. Its not easy to start out on your own, especially in something as competitive as the design field, but I'm really hoping that through word of mouth and even just getting some small jobs under my belt, I'll be able to get enough work to pay the bills. AND get to stay home with my beautiful little girl. All in all, a win-win in my books.

So.... here's a little plug for my "business" (though I would view it more as 'consulting'). If you live in the area, or know of anyone in the area (Fraser Valley), that is looking to do a little re-decorating, or needs help picking paint colours, or wants a furniture plan drafted up, please give me a call! I'd be happy to assist you. No job is too small :)

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

And life rolls on...


I feel as if it might be time for an update. Life has been full lately and we have a little girl who is quickly becoming 'not so little anymore.' I'll start with her...
Callie is now 8.5 months old and though she is the epitome of her Daddy when it comes to looks, she's definitely got her Mommy's personality. She's extremely social and always has to be at the centre of the action. She loves to entertain and if you give her a laugh, she'll continue doing whatever it is she did to get that laugh, in the hopes of getting another.
Callie also has a new found love for other kids. Actually, 'love' might not even be a strong enough word for it. Perhaps 'infatuation' or 'obsession' is more appropriate. She literally SQUEALS at the top of her lungs whenever we show her pictures of other kids, she sees them in the grocery store or she sees her cousins. We were in Superstore the other day and as she sat in the seat of the cart, she bounced in utter delight as we walked down each aisle. As soon as she saw another kid, she would scream at them, with a huge grin on her face. Some of them were startled by the loud sound, but most of them reciprocated the excitement and continued to entertain her from where they were standing. Which leads me to another discovery of Callie--- she absolutely loves shopping. If we spend a whole day at home, she honestly gets bored. She thinks she's such a big girl when she gets to sit in the cart, and lasts for hours as long as we're out and about.
Callie is a bit vain, but I'm sure most kids her age are as well ;) She spends a lot of time in front of the mirror while I get ready in the mornings and gets very excited at the sight of her own reflection. She then proceeds to lean forward and give herself a big, open-mouthed kiss, leaving my mirror a slobbery mess. I don't mind though. Its worth the extra windex ;)
Baby Einstein movies are a sure-fire solution to boredom with Callie. Her eyes stay glued to the screen and she smiles and claps with each new screen change. Not sure who came up with those Baby Einstein DVD's but they're certainly brilliant. She absolutely adores them! Here she is cuddled up in front of the TV...


Callie has been teething since she was about 3 months old, but there is still no sign of any teeth. I was pretty sure that something had finally surfaced this morning, as I saw a very white spot on her lower gums this morning. But she was a stinker about it and wouldn't let me get a good look inside her mouth. Then, when I tried to look again at supper time tonight, I couldn't see anything. So either I imagined it, or the tooth receded back into her gums. Who knows!? I'm not too worried about it. They'll come when they're good and ready... and hopefully by then, I'll be done nursing her ;)
She FINALLY learned how to roll from her back to her tummy a few weeks ago! If we put her on her tummy, she would roll to her back no problem (which started MONTHS ago) but starting her on her back meant that that's exactly the position she intended to stay in (she's got my stubborn streak I guess). She just would not roll onto her tummy. But one evening a few weeks ago, she was playing on the living room floor while Jon and I were watching TV, and suddenly I noticed she was lying on her stomach and craning her neck above the coffee table to look at us. I (literally) started shrieking in excitement and telling her how proud I was! Jon just laughed at me. But now, she's a rolling machine! She wanders quite far now by means of rolling and I can tell that crawling is just around the corner. She's starting to bring one knee up and seems to want to go, but hasn't quite put 2 and 2 together. I'm sure she'll be off and on her way soon enough, and suddenly, life will be that much busier for me. So to be honest... I'd be OK with it if she waited just a little bit longer with the crawling thing ;)

Anyway... I could go on and on about our sweet Callie, so I better change topic and move onto us...
Jon has been really busy with work lately. Things got slow for a while but he's switched gears now, and is back to framing houses again. I think he's enjoying it but is definitely thankful that 'missions' may be in our future and his body can have a break from this type of manual labour. It doesn't feel so bad when you know 'the end is (possibly) in sight' :)

Speaking of missions, for those of you that haven't heard, we got our official acceptance into MBMSI's "Spring Adventure" so we'll be attending that from April 25-30. A lot of people have been confused about what exactly it is, and I have to make it clear that this doesn't mean we're signing on for long-term missions (yet). Its likely that we will, but for now, its just the 'next step.' We're going to go to S.A. to hear more about MBMSI as an organization and what their vision is, and then at the end of the week, they will give a written recommendation for Jon and I, as to whether (a) they want us to start training in the fall, or (b) we need to wait a year, or (c) missions isn't for us at all. So we really won't know anything more until after S.A., but we're excited about what God has in store for us and are really hoping that he speaks clearly to us in that week of discernment. We've had some really fantastic conversations with different people over the last few months (good friends, family, other missionaries) and are excited about this journey we're on. Right now, our focus is to not get too far ahead of ourselves and start 'freaking out' about the possibility of having to say good-bye to our friends and family, but rather, to enjoy this part of the journey and trust that no matter what happens, God knows the game plan and will lead us where we need to go.

Now onto less 'intense' things. We've been doing a lot of stuff with Craigslist lately (both buying and selling things) and our latest purchase has been a very comfortable one :) We found a used leather sofa for $40, and though the middle seat is worn & scratched a bit, its extremely comfy and goes with the rest of the decor, much better than our previous floral one. We're really enjoying it! And we've been thrilled with how many things we've been able to sell on Craigslist too. Everything from clothing to an old coffee table, CD/DVD rack to bifold closet doors. Its been awesome to clean out some 'junk' and get a little $ in exchange!

Spring seems to have arrived and I've really been enjoying the sunny weather and beautiful blossoming trees. As I was mentioning earlier, Callie starts to feel 'cooped up' if we don't go out at least once a day, so its been nice to go for walks when everything feels so 'springy.' :)

And... last but not least, we're getting VERY excited about our upcoming trip! We're going to spend Easter with Craig & Jen and will be spending 5 days of bliss in good ol' Regina, SK! :) The last time Craig & Jen saw Callie, she was only 2 weeks old (see the picture below), so this trip is long overdue. I can hardly wait to see them & we're excited about getting to see their house in Regina, see the church Craig works at, and hopefully meet some of the lovely people that make life so wonderful for them there. Looking forward to it... only 2 weeks to go!

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Proud to introduce...

Elijah Franklin Clark
Born March 9, 2010 @ 12:11am
exactly 8 lbs.
... 12 days late, but oh so sweet!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Callie meeting her first cousin on the Glen side...

Proud Grampa...
... and Grammy...

... and Auntie!
(unfortunately, Jon hasn't met Elijah yet... he had to work today)


The proud parents...

Callie kept clapping for Elijah...
she was pretty excited about her new friend :)


Sisters & cousins...
Welcome to the family Elijah!
We're so glad you've finally arrived. ;)

Monday, March 08, 2010

Thailand- Day 6-10... the last of our trip

Day 6- To be honest, I can't even remember what we did during the day on Day 6. I guess it serves me right for taking so long to finish these posts :) But the evening was a time of celebration (and one that I missed out on). The Bethel church in Chachengsao had their evening service & baptisms. Because the church was in such a rural area, and the baptisms were going to be at night, Jon and I decided that it would be best to keep Callie back at the hotel, away from any bugs and chance of malaria. So seeing as Jon had let me go to the Slum ministry alone, I stayed back with Callie while he went and enjoyed the baptisms. Turns out we made the right decision-- he said the bugs were REALLY bad and they didn't get back to the guesthouse til after 11:30pm (if my memory serves me correctly). Definitely not a "baby-friendly" evening. But Jon said the baptisms were really neat to be a part of, and at the service, 7 people asked Christ into their lives!! Pretty exciting night for the church!

Dave Sinclair-Peters doing the baptisms...

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Day 7: On Wednesday, we said goodbye to Chonburi and drove into Bangkok where Ricky gave us a guided tour of the city. I still can't believe how enormous it is, and though its quite dirty (in every way imaginable), there is SO much to see. We started by walking through the markets on Khao San Road. I believe they call it "Backpackers Alley"... its where a lot of the budget-conscious tourists stay. It was neat to peruse the merchandise and eat some DELICIOUS Pad Thai & fruit drinks as we walked.

Tuk tuk...
our transportation around much of the city...


Next, Ricky took us to the Grand Palace. We spent some time walking around, looking at all the enormous, and intricately designed temples...







Jon, Callie & Josh trying to get a little shade...
After the Palace tour, we walked to a boat dock and boarded a boat that was going to take us around the rest of the city. Apparently Bangkok is called the "Venice of Asia" because of all of its canals throughout the city. This was a highlight for sure. It was an incredible way to see the sights...

As you can see, Callie really liked it too... ;)

We stopped to watch a feeding frenzy of fish...
there were so many of them,
you probably could have stepped out of the boat and "walked on water"...

"Look who's up!!"
(she slept for 90% of the boat ride)






After the boat ride, we took the subway to a really fancy shopping mall and had supper in the food court. Then it was back in the van, and off to the airport. We boarded our plane & flew about an hour North to a little city called Chiang Rai. By the time we got our luggage and arrived at our hotel, it was pretty late. We had really hoped to spend the evening shopping at the local evening market, but Callie was tuckered out, so Jon went with some of the other team members, and I stayed back to put Callie to bed. While I was trying to get the suitcase emptied out to make up her bed for the night, I looked over at our bed and this is what I found...
... she was WAY too tired to wait for her suitcase :)
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Day 8: The next morning, we got up and walked down to a cute little cafe that served delicious lattes and had free internet. It was our first opportunity to email everyone back home so we jumped at the opportunity. Then we met the team back at the hotel, packed up the rental van, and started our long drive to Chiang Khong, where we'd be staying for the night. I have to confess that I had made some pre-conceived ideas of what "the North" would be like, and realized how terribly wrong I was when we arrived at our hotel. I figured that the further north we travelled, the more "rustic" our accommodations would be. But our hotel in Chiang Khong was by far, the nicest place we had stayed up until that point. It was GORGEOUS!! And the view of the river & the hills of Laos were incredible.
The front of the hotel...

The view from the hotel restaurant... across the river is Laos...


I couldn't get over how stunning this place was...

Our room was the one on the far left corner of the middle row....

... and this was the view from our balcony...

Once we were settled into the hotel, our team met for an authentic (and ridiculously delicious!) Thai lunch in the hotel's restaurant & then got back in the van to go visit the Khmu villages & "The Changed Life Centre." It was a LONG, BUMPY ride out into the "boonies" but it was worth it in the end :) Ricky has been working with a group of Khmu pastors in the north & they've got dreams of starting a type of Bible-training centre for young people. They've already built the dormitories and are working on plans to build a training centre next. I forgot to bring out my camera while we were there, but the property is really beautiful and overlooks the river. We had a wonderful afternoon of interacting with some of the local Khmu people & hearing about the pastors' vision for CLC. We finished off our time with them in prayer & then loaded back into the van and started back to our hotel. We had another team supper at the hotel restaurant and then called it a night.
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Day 9: Originally, the plan was to get up bright & early to go visit the "Golden Triangle" (where Burma, Laos & Thailand meet) but the fact that we were nearing the end of the trip, we were all getting a little worn out and had 2 very tired babies with us, we made a decision to sleep in a bit & take a quick boat ride across the river to Laos, long enough to do a little shopping and then come back. Well.... what a gong show it turned out to be :)
After waiting in line at the 'border crossing,' we finally got the go ahead to leave the country, so we all piled into a small boat and started the quick jaunt across to Laos. It was literally only about a 2-3 minute boat ride. We got out of the boat, walked up to the Laos border patrol and soon realized that they were going to charge us close to $75 CAN, just to have a temporary visitors permit. For the 1 hour of walking/shopping we planned to do, no one was willing to pay that kind of money for a quick visit. So we got BACK in the boat, sailed across the 2 min. river ride, and walked back into Thailand. But then we had to go through customs again, to get back into the country. So after waiting in a long line-up again, we finally got access back into the country. All that paper work, for a 1 minute visit to Laos!! Oh well... at least we can say we've been to Laos :)
Carolyn, Tracy, Solas & Cecil on the boat to Laos...

Josh & Carolyn...

And us...
(and Linda & Galen are behind us)...

Arriving in Laos... only to turn around and go back again ;)

Then it was back in the van for a long, bumpy ride back to the Chiang Rai airport. The picture below shows you just how bumpy the ride really was. Callie grabbed the seat bar to hold on for dear life :) She's pretty cute...
We flew from Chiang Rai, back to Bangkok, where we met up with our teammate Paul (who had gone back to Bangkok early for a job interview). Paul managed to hook us up with the incredible hotel he was staying at, so rather than staying at a guesthouse as was originally planned, we got to stay at a really beautiful hotel in downtown Bangkok instead. It was a very nice way to end the trip, and both Jon and I appreciated the comfortable King-sized bed! :) Callie even got a complimentary crib that they rolled into the room for her. I think she preferred it to her previous suitcase-sleeping. ;)

Callie & Jon checking out our sweet hotel room...

The view...

Getting in some last minute cuddles with "Uncle" Ricky...

One last team picture...
(L-R: Josh & Carolyn, Cecil, Solas & Tracy, Ricky, Paul, Linda & Galen, and us)

We enjoyed one last team dinner at our hotel's Mexican restaurant (ironic, I know) and I must say, it was probably some of the best Mexican food I've ever had. Then Jon, Callie, Josh, Carolyn & I decided to try to get in some last minute market shopping. We knew we had to be up at 4:00am to get to the airport the next morning, but we really hadn't had a lot of opportunity to buy any authentic Thai souvenirs, so we ventured out. We walked, and walked, and WALKED & then finally took the crowded subway to get further into the downtown. We did finally find some "markets" but weren't all that interested in the stuff they were selling. By that point, I was exhausted from all the walking (considering I was carrying Callie in the sling, who was fast asleep & felt like dead-weight) so Jon and I left Josh & Carolyn to continue their shopping, and we flagged down a Tuk-tuk to take us back to the hotel. We made a quick stop at a 7 Eleven for some ice-cream and drinks, and then made our way back to the room.
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Day 10: It was a VERY short sleep that night (only about 4 or 5 hours) & then it was an early start to get to the Bangkok airport in time.

Sleeping in the Bangkok airport, as we waited for our flight out...
And the rest... well... lots of waiting in airports & me feeling crappy due to a cold & VERY plugged ears. Miserable in fact. But we made it home in one piece and it was hilarious to see Callie's excitement when we walked in the door at home. After all that travelling, she was SO happy to be home. And so were we :)