Right Where We Are

Early Morning

2011-04-28T06:32:00.001-07:00

I woke up early this morning 5am, tip- toed downstairs hoping I would not wake anyone. We have some early risers in our home. I'd like a to have a few quiet moments alone before the kids woke. My intention was to journal, blog and fold laundry. What a great start to the day, spending a very quiet hour journaling and praying. I was able to journal, then I got distracted by emails and reading other blogs. At 6:30 Liam our oldest walked downstairs and snuggled with me on the couch, followed by Livia at 6:45, more snuggles on the couch and time to embrace the day!

Summer 2010

2010-09-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Summer 2010

2010-09-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T11:12:00.001-08:00

This years Christmas celebration involved, reading about the birth of Jesus, discussions about Santa Claus, baking, caroling with friends in our neighbourhood, drinking cups of steaming hot chocolate, playing in the snow, Liam doing the daily count down with his advent calender. As the day drew closer he could hardly contain his excitement in anticipation of presents he would open.
After the Christmas eve service, we spent some time visiting with friends at church, before heading out to look at Christmas lights and picking up Chinese food. The Kenny family tradition continues.
Christmas morning the kids were awake bright and early. We enjoyed a wonderful time with friends Andy, Maxine & their little girl Abigail who joined us for dinner.

The girls in their new dresses.

The girls Christmas day

Hanging out under the Christmas tree.

Laurel gazing at the lights on the Christmas tree.

Life at home, Laurel sleeps most of her days, even when pictures are being taken.

" A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out." (Isaiah 42:3a)

The following is from a card we received and it spoke to us...
" The fragile nature of a babe born in Bethlehhem is often the forgotten image when considering Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Yet, He came in humility and vulnerability. Like every new born, He knew the reality of total dependence on others to not 'break' or 'snuff' them out. He then became the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.

Happy New year! We hope you all have a wonderful start to 2010. May the Peace of God reign in your lives.

Reflections from 2009

2009-12-31T07:14:00.001-08:00

2009 has been a year full of blessings. As we look back on 2009 we celebrate how faithful and gracious God is amidst raising our family.

Last winter, we enjoyed watching our kids develop a love of the outdoors. Liam and Livia love to ice-skate on local outdoor rinks, and toboggan on a hill couple of blocks from our home.
Also, our family braved a couple of excursions out to the Rockies to cross country ski.

Ivy has developed a lovely network of families for play dates. Ivy, Liam and Livia look forward to connecting with their friends regularly. Fostering these integral friendships contributes to a rich sense of community. We praise God for his provision, as this is a tangible way he takes care of us. For instance, I was touched by the generous and hospitable response of prepared meals and the offers to care for our children during the anticipation and birth of Laurel. God has given us authentic community.

Our family means so much to us.
Livia – spunky, humorous and takes great care of things. Each day she carries around little toys and treasures in her hands and pockets. She loves to dance, climb and swing on the play set in the yard. She began riding on a two-wheeler with trainers in September and loves to bike with her brother. I can’t wait till she learns how to use the brakes – we are going through lots of sneakers.

Liam – kind hearted, protective big brother and loves to play with others. He would have play dates everyday if he could. I love the way he stoops down to talk with his sister, and how he is learning to shake the silly’s out. He began attending preschool three mornings a week in September. He sang in his first Christmas concert. When Livia is asked how she spends the mornings when Liam is in preschool, Livia exclaims, “I go shopping”. Liam enjoyed a couple of firsts this year including his first canoe trip on the bow river on a sunny day in June and a backcountry camp trip in Kananaskis Country on a snowy September long weekend.

At bedtime, Liam hits his pillow and he is out like a light. Livia is our night owl. After one more drink, one more washroom run, one more hug…then she starts complaining, “Please be quiet, I am twyring to sweep”. She’s the last to fall asleep and the first to rise.

In May, we visited PEI to visit Adam’s family. During the same time we were on PEI, Ivy’s Dad, Chris, was on the Island while volunteering as a delegate with the National Skills Competition in the trades. It was a rare and fantastic experience for the children to have their grand parents together. It was excellent to visit family and friends, and celebrate our 7th anniversary in a cottage by the sea.

In July, we hosted a block party. It was a wonderful experience of connecting deeper with our neighbors and continuing to build a sense of community.
As the summer progressed we were also able to enjoy a weeklong camp trip at Rivers Edge camp, where it rained for most of the week. The kids enjoyed themselves in spite of the weather; it was the adults who had a few things to grumble about. We were also able to camp one other weekend at Little Bow campground in southern Alberta when the weather was bright and sunny.

Our family continues to grow. Our highlight this year was the birth of our third child Laurel Felicia, on November 1, 2009. Laurel was 8 lbs 9 ½ oz and 21inches long. Liam and Livia were so excited to hear the news about their new baby sister. Laurel’s grandparents came to celebrate, and care for us.

Having three children and getting out the door on time takes more time and energy. It’s always a question of how much time to give ourselves when we need to be somewhere on time.

Ivy and I continue with our second year of leading a home group connected with our church. We meet twice a month by sharing a meal, and engaging in a Bible study.

Laurel Felicia

2009-11-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

The fog is slowly starting to lift, and we are adjusting to being a family of five. We have been so blessed by the support we have received since Laurels' birth-day, and even before. Friends and neighbors have made them selves available to care for our children and provide delicious meals to eat. We have had such a variety of yummy soups and cassaroles.
We are grateful for the experience having a new born with our children. Liam and Livia have such a pure and innocent love for Laurel. They crave to hold her and be close with her. Also, it has been a time of adjustment for Liam and Livia as our focus is divided. We are thankful for moments to play and connect with them. Livia and I went for nice walk on Nose Hill, a municipal park close to our home, while Liam was at school. Liam and I played trains for 30 minutes this morning.

Halloween

2009-11-08T19:54:00.000-08:00

Livia playing bunny, pretending to eat grass.

Liam playing the role of a dinosaur.

Liam and Livia in costume. The kids received a lot of candy, surprisingly they don't ask for it, but it seems to be slowly disappearing.

Gifts for Change this Christmas Season

2009-10-26T15:28:00.000-07:00

Our commitment to live simply, has lead us to really pray about this Christmas season and the gifts that we would like to give family & friends. Initially when we started our challenge the goal was to make all our gifts this Christmas. Well the reality of pregnancy and parenting two very active children under five has lead us to rethink our master plan. Rethinking (is that even a word?). We've come across a little gift catalogue (definitely not a Sears wish catalogue). The catalogue is put out by Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM), it offers wonderful alternatives to traditional gifts bought at the mall, online or box stores. Catagories of gifts are: Gifts of education, gifts of transportation, gifts of health, gifts for children in crisis, gifts of livelihood.
If you are interested in providing life - changing opportunities for children and families in need around the world, visit CBM @ www.cbmin.org.

Family pets

2009-10-20T09:17:00.001-07:00

We've made the jump. The kids talked us into buying them their first pet. This is "Rocky".
He's been with us for three weeks now. Everyday I nervously peek into the tank to see if he's alive, so far so good.

This summer our family was adopted by a bunny. Every morning Livia would go to the front window to check and see if her bunny was still in the yard. We've now moved into the fall season and the bunny is still with us.

Anticipating....

2009-10-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

Three weeks left in this pregnancy.... currently I'm feeling great, moderate energy and the nesting urge is in full swing. Since we challenged ourselves to living a life of simplicity over 8 months ago I've had to be very creative in managing the nesting urge. Over the past month or so we've painted (I picked up mis-tinted paint at 75% of the cost), we've rearranged the kids room with furniture already in our home. Liam and Livia are now sharing a room, makes for an interesting bedtime or shall I say challenging bedtime.
The kids are very excited about their new sibling, Liam talks about helping out when the baby is born and taking the baby on adventures. Livia has been kissing my belly and singing the baby songs.
About a week ago a friend took family pictures, we though it would be nice to have an updated picture prior to the arrival of baby, they grow so fast....

Behind the scene at the Calgary Zoo

2009-09-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

Liam going up for a little kiss from Tanga.

Adam & Livia feeding Tanga, Livia is holding on tight to daddy, she's not sure what to make of Tanga.

Liam feeding Tanga.

Livia has warmed up to Tanga and is offering him a carrot, although she still seems very cautious!

On September 25, we were given the opportunity to go behind the scene with giraffes at the zoo. The kids were able to feed the giraffes carrots. The giraffe who seemed most interested in us was a 16 year old male named Tanga (meaning late in Swahili) he was not late for dinner! Since he is currently the only male at the zoo and it's mating season, the females were not interested in coming anywhere near him or us. It was quite funny, there are 4 female giraffes and anytime Tanga approached them, they would run the other way.... kinda reminded me of teenage dating rituals.

Preschool

2009-09-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

On Friday September 11th Liam started preschool! We were all so excited for him. He will be attending on Monday, Wednesday & Friday mornings.

Father & Son Camping trip

2009-09-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

Adam & Liam on their hike to Elbow Pass towards Elbow Lake in Kanasiskis on September long weekend. They hiked in with their gear, pitched up camp, then went for a hike up to Rae Glacier.

Liam loved scrambling hand over hand along the trail.
The Misty Mountains are the amazing back drop in this photo. Earlier in the summer, my friend Jan and I mountain biked along the range of the Misty Mountains on an epic 65 km mountain bike weekend. Both our wives were visiting family out of town, and we had great opportunity to ride.

Liam exploring Elbow Lake

In the distance you can see the remains of the Rae glacier which have been depleting in size considerable over the past years. The highlight for me on the trip was the experience of a huge storm blowing in while we climbed. The sleet, rain and snow intensely blew in. Liam and another boy became quite tearful and cried out. At that moment, Liam shouted out for his Mom, and the other young friend cried out to his Dad who was hiking above us on the trail. I prayed with the boys, and we began singing songs as we hiked down. When we got below the tree line, Liam praised God for keeping us safe in the storm. My God is so good and faithful. He can take a scary experience and teach us how he is trustworthy.

Highlights from our summer

2009-08-18T14:49:00.001-07:00

Spray park in Drumhellor, Alberta

Livia having a snack with the dinosaurs.

Adam enjoying a view of the South Saskatchewan River from the Saskatoon Berry Barn in Saskatoon.
Annalee & Mike's wedding

Swimming at Riley park

Snacks always taste better on a picnic. It seems it is easiest to take a picture when she is still and eating.

Block Party

2009-08-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

It all began over the Easter weekend. We had Stephanie one of our neighbors over for a meal since her boyfriend was out of town. We had a lovely time of connecting with her. After the meal Adam started a fire in the back yard, we talked about the neighbor hood and concerns about crime etc. and the idea of a block party was born. So on July 11th we hosted a block party. We had a great time.

biking in the middle of the street every boys little dream.

side walk art...

chatting with the neighbours

5 months pregnant...

a friendly game of water balloon toss

egg walk race, and Liam's in the lead....
Livia trying her hand at the egg walk race.

Grilling the hot dogs & burgers

Time for bed all tuckered out from the party!

Father Son Canoe trip

2009-06-29T19:44:00.001-07:00

My friend Andrew Manual, Liam and I began our trip with a messy ice cream treat.
Liam is sitting on an inflatable pirate ship we found on the river bank. The pirate ship provided Liam a playful place to sit in out of the sun.

The pelicans are just an example of the various birds along the float from Calgary to Station Flats on the Bow River. This river begins deep within the Rocky Mountains at Bow lake which is fed by a glacier. However, the majority of the water in the bow is fed by the water table.
We were so glad to have a safe and successful canoe on Liam's first excursion. Along the river are high grassy cliffs that were previously used by the Tsuu T’ina Nation for a buffalo jump. Upon closer examination of the fertile ground below the cliffs, the remains of the buffalo cane be discovered.

3 months into our experiment

2009-05-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well it's been three months of living a life of simplicity. I think we've been doing well with the challenge. I can honestly say the desire to shop is none existent for me (Ivy). There are moments when the urge crosses my mind.
A few weeks ago a girlfriend and I went out to the Mountains for a girls day. We drove to Canmore and Banff, we had a lovely day of sightseeing & hiking. It was awesome to get away for some R& R. While in Canmore I was introduced to a thrift store called Victory. The goal of the thrift store is that-profits made from sales are given back to the community – to people in need. This is the ultimate recycling program and has more than environmental benefits. I found some great items at the store. One item in particular, a book called Christianity and Social Work for $4 was a great find since it retails on Amazon for $28.95. Over the last few years, Adam has shared the challenges he faces on a daily bases as a Christian in the profession of Social Work. I thought this book would be an excellent resource for him. I gave it to him as a thank you gift after my day away.

A great quote from the Victory Thrift Store. "Help yourself and your community the next time you go shopping". How many of us think of helping our community when we go shopping? Most of us help ourselves. Perhaps we should all adopt this philosophy.

Before we started our little experiment. I found my self just going to the mall for something to do. I would make plans to meet friends at Market Mall, since it had a play area for the kids. Now instead of meeting at the mall I've been intentional about meeting at parks or having friends over to our home. I've noticed; we're not rushing as much to get to the mall, less stress to find parking, we're walking in our neighbourhood more, thus making more connections, we've noticed a savings in gas and general wear on our van. It may seem like small changes, but it has made a big impact on our quality of life.

Easter Celebration (Sunday April 12, 2009)

2009-05-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

The finished eggs, a few of them were broken during the process but fun was had by all!

Liam decorating his egg
Livia decorating her egg

hunting for eggs

We had a quiet Easter celebration. We were all a bit under the weather, Adam, Liam and Livia were recovering from the flu, and I was just tired. We hung around the house. Easter morning was delightful watching the kids hunt for eggs. Liam was a great big brother helping Livia find eggs.On Easter Sunday Adam and Liam made it out to church. They managed to stay for half the service and then returned home. We were invited out to a friends house for Easter dinner, we had a lovely time and the meal was delicious.

Livia'a 2nd birthday

2009-03-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Livia shares her birthday with her Auntie Amanda, Adam's sister, on February 25. We celebrated at home with chocolate cake and ice cream.
Livia was amazingly talented with blowing out her two candles.
Livia loved to run her hands through the rich chocolate icing and taste.

Domestic Violence on the Rise in Alberta

2009-03-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks, there was a celebration for International Women's Day. In Calgary, we marked the day with a march to honor the women that have lost their lives to violence or who are missing. The below article discusses the rise in domestic violence, and the increase of therapeutic services being offered to men, women and children to respond to this significant social issue. The statistics are incredible:

In the 3 minutes it takes to brew a Cup of Tea, 3 women in Canada will be assaulted by an intimate partner

There is a role that Men can play to reduce domestic violence. Men in positions of influence and leadership in governments, business, non-profits and communities can do a couple of things:

1. Recognize domestic and sexual violence as an issue that men need to address.

2. Start to think creatively of how violence can be addressed on an institutional level.

Rising domestic violence in spotlight

By Valerie Berenyi, Calgary Herald; With Files From Agence France-Presse
March 8, 2009

With the United Nations designating the theme of International Women's Day in 2009 as ending violence against women and girls, it's instructive to note domestic violence in Calgary is on the rise, say local experts.

The Calgary Police Service saw domestic calls for service increase eight per cent, from 12,517 in 2007 to 13,496 in 2008, according to Staff Sgt. Rosemary Hawkins.

Likewise, the YWCA Sheriff King Home emergency shelter has seen demand for its family violence prevention programs -- primarily for abusive men -- increase by 10 per cent, said Gary Gibbens.

"We've been running at very high capacity this last year," said Gibbens, a counsellor and manager of adult clinical services for Sheriff King. "It's been going up 10 per cent a year every year since 2005. And since December, demand has increased even more."

He anticipates his organization will serve more than 900 men in its 14-week group counselling programs in 2009. Two years ago, 650 men typically went through the program.

In the past few weeks, Gibbens has seen more men affected by job loss, a result of the economic downturn. He expects that trend to intensify.

Leslie Tutty, a professor of social work at the University of Calgary, said difficult economic times may be contributing to rising domestic violence rates because it's harder for women -- especially those with children -- to leave abusive partners.

"A woman who knows she has to live on one income in tough times might be hesitant to leave an abusive situation," said Tutty. "Or it might force her to return to that situation once she's left."

Surveys by the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters have found that when women leave shelters and go back to abusive partners "it's usually because a lack of housing and poor economic circumstances force them to return to meet their basic needs," she added.

The Alberta Council of Women's Shelters reports an overall increase in calls to domestic shelters in the province, with immigrant and refugee women increasingly making a larger proportion of those calls. Some observers believe stress levels are rising in the families of temporary foreign workers who've lost their jobs.

Young women are most at risk of domestic violence, said Hawkins, pointing to a Statistics Canada report that noted police in Canada found spousal violence was highest for females aged 25 to 34 at 28 per cent, followed closely by 35-to-44-year-old women at 26 per cent.

Nevertheless, Hawkins, head of the 17-member Domestic Conflict Unit at the police service, cautioned people to look beyond the numbers because anyone leaving a domestic situation can be at risk. "It's that transition point -- when someone leaves a relationship or a couple separates -- that is the most dangerous time. It's often minimized because people think, 'I haven't been hurt, I'm OK, I'm out the door, I'm safe,' " she explained. "That's when we see the stalking behaviours, the 'If I can't have them, no one can' thought processes."

Does Alberta still hold the dubious and widely reported title of domestic violence capital of Canada?

It's hard to know, said Hawkins, because other provinces define domestic violence as what happens between intimate partners. In Alberta, domestic violence includes conflicts between cohabitating people: children and parents, elders, even tenants, as happened with the Lall family murder/ suicide, which saw the deaths of children, a spouse and a woman living in a separate basement suite.

Cross-country skiing

2009-03-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

We went skiing in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Kananaskis, Alberta on the weekend. Spending the day with a couple of great friends, Doug and Sandra, was wonderful. Ivy and I appreciated Doug and Sandra's causal pace. With our children, every thing often takes twice as long, and Doug and Sandra never made us feel rushed all day. Liam skied most of the day on his own, and then Doug and Ivy took turns giving him a pull with our yellow toe rope. You may be able to make out part of a blue sled in which Livia slept for an hour as we skied as I pulled her along in the trail. The trail is located on top of Mt. Shark which provided incredible views of the surrounding peaks.
Doug and Sandra announced their engagement the following day. We are thrilled for them!

No Walmart

2009-02-22T20:29:00.000-08:00

"The Diaper Cake" this is a cake made out of diapers, that I made for baby shower today. Thanks Sandra for sharing the idea with me.

The blanket is folded and stuffed into the pillow to create the perfect travel blankie

Blanket and pillow, I made for a little girl who has a birthday on February 14

This baby blanket was made for my girlfriend who just had a baby girl. One side of the blanket is cotton blend with pink snow flakes and the other side is fleece..

The kids have been invited to a few birthday parties in the past few weeks. In the past I would've ran to Walmart and picked up a gift... since there's no Walmart or quick trip's to the mall for the next 12 months. There's a lot more planning going into gift giving. I have been spending a lot of time at my sewing machine. Here are a few pictures of some of those gifts.

Black History Month

2009-02-22T18:47:00.000-08:00

February is Black History Month, Black History is Canadian History.

On Friday February 13 Adam & I had an opportunity to attend an event that was held at the University of Calgary to celebrate Black History Month. In our attempt to live simply we contacted the organizers of the event and asked to volunteer.
Legacies 2009: The Battle - A Black History Month Celebration . This year's concert featured
performances, music, art, and fashion. The show was inspiring!

The celebration of Black History during the month of February was officially recognized by the Parliament of Canada in December 1995. It came following a unanimously carried motion introduced by the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament, the Hounourable Jean Augustine, M.P. of Etobicoke-Lakeshore.

In the United States Black History started in 1926, Carter G. Woodson single-handedly pioneered the celebration of "Negro History Week", for the second week in February, to coincide with marking Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass's birthdays. The week was later extended to the entire month and renamed Black History.

Why a Black History Month?

African Canadian students need to feel affirmed; need to be aware of the contributions made by other Blacks in Canada; need to have role models; need to understand the social forces which have shaped and influenced their community and their identities as a means of feeling connected to the educational experience and their life experience in various regions in Canada. They need to feel empowered. The greater Canadian community needs to know a history of Canada that includes all of the founding and pioneering experiences in order to work from reality, rather than perception alone.

As a people, with roots dating back to 1603, African-Canadians have defended, cleared, built and farmed this country; our presence is well established, but not well-known. The celebration of Black History Month is an attempt to have the achievements of Black people recognized and told.

When the contributions of people of African descent are acknowledged, when the achievements of Black people are known, when Black people are routinely included or affirmed through our curriculum, our books and the media, and treated with equality, then there will no longer be a need for Black History Month. (Credit for the thoughts in this entry go to (Collectively Eclectic).

16 Days In.

2009-02-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

As we have been attempting to hold fast to our values of living a compact life these past couple of weeks, I have needed to remind myself a number of times the commitment I have made. I have biked to work about 25% of the time and am planning on continuing to increase this habit. By saving the money on transit, gas and maintenance on our vehicle, and adding fitness into my daily routine, biking is a win-win. The first week of the challenge, I had a couple of flats and made a couple of emergency repairs with an old patch kit. I was thinking that I should not be buying new tubes for my bike, and should make due with repairing my old tubes. This was not a very realistic idea, and finally decided that buying tubes would be a necessary expense for transportation. In terms of bike maintenance, I visited this neat little Bike Co-op on the University of Calgary campus that has a full bike shop and mechanic to work alongside members of the co-op.
I have been most challenged with not spending money on food at lunch. Although I did purchase an appetizer while out for lunch with my co-workers I have been able to change some bad habits. For example, when I do not prioritize making my lunch, I have been taking rice and a can of sardines.
I have recently learned that one of the challenges that contributes to the depleting fish stocks around the world is the eating of large fish such as tuna. Sardines and other small fish have a very solid population, and by eating them encourages the healthy conservation.
From a young lad, my Dad would only buy Sardines to bait the traps for mink and fox sets, and I would have never thought of eating them. The only person I had ever seen eat Sardines was my Uncle Sterling who had an acquired taste for many eccentric foods such as potted meats, smoked oysters and canned herring. Sardines come in a variety of choices including, tomato sauce and jalapeno peppers (my favorite). It is important to mention that I often eat left overs from Ivy's cooking at work and I am known to eat the best meals at the lunch table when I am not eating sardines.

Fairmont, B.C

2009-01-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

A view of the mountains from the highway on our ride. Majestic view through the fog

Livia and Adam on the trail

The Kenny cross country ski team

Liam skiing on his own

Soaking in the tub after a day of skiing!

On the January 16th weekend we had the opportunity to take a 3 night, 4 day vacation at a resort in Fairmont B.C. The cost of the trip was us sitting in what should've been a 90 minute sales pitch, instead turned into a 2 hour session, talk about pressure to purchase a time share. This woman was an extreme sales agent. Aside from the 2 hour session we had a wonderful getaway. To keep costs minimal we brought all our own food, I pre -made most of the meals so it would be a low key weekend. The suite came equipped with a full kitchen including cooking utensils, plates, cups etc. The kids loved the jacuzzi tub as you can see in the picture, there were bubbles everywhere..
We enjoyed cross country skiing. Liam enjoyed skiing on his own and swimming in the pool and relaxing in the hot tub.

Seven Days...

2009-01-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

The past week has certainly flown by. I've been trying to stock up on things that we might need in the next few months is that so wrong????? One of the things that we thought we should take care of was getting the sound on our computer fixed. We had no sound on the computer for about eight months. Adam took the computer to London Drugs and when he went to pick it up, he was informed there would be no charge. What a blessing! As we approach our start date I can honestly say there is no apprehension, that we are doing something too big.

New Era of Responsibilty

2009-01-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

This morning my kids and I watched the inaucuration of Barck Obama as he was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America. To witness history in the making is amazing...

A life of Simplicity

2009-01-18T19:30:00.000-08:00

Adam & I have always tried to live a life of simplicity, from buying used clothing for our selves and our children to recycling, reusing and borrowing from friends, family and neighbours. Yet the desire to consume and want more is persistent.

About four weeks ago we heard about a young family in Cochrane, AB. who made a commitment not to buy new for a year. They chronicled their journey on their website site http://ourcompactlife.com/ After reading their story, Adam & I were also challenged to make this significant change in our life for a 12 month time period. Starting February 1, 2009 our journey begins.

There is part of me that has faith that God will continue to supply all our needs according to his glorious riches. However, I think we would benefit re-thinking the way we have been buying and consuming. Do we really "need" or "want" those items...
We ask for your prayers as we embark on this journey of faith.

Guidelines for our journey:

barter, borrow, or buy secondhand for a year—food, drink, health, and safety necessities excluded. That means taking a break on buying "things" new. Exceptions to the no - new clothing rule is under wear and socks. Another exception ...We will be replacing the eaves on our house.
We will also allow ourselves to eat out occasionally at restaurants to mark a holiday, anniversary or a special event with friends.

12 days till we begin....

Liam's 4th Birthday

2009-01-17T20:11:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Liam's birthday on January 8 by going tobogganing. Ivy made a terrific birthday cake themed "snow day".
Liam, with help from his friend Elijah, blow out candles on his cake.

Livia and Evika prepare for another ride down the hill.

It is so nice to have a green space close (3 blocks!) from our home to enjoy tobogganing.

Ivy, Livia, and Jayden pose before a run together

On your marks, get set, Go!!

As Liam goes down backwards, the tree suddenly jumped into his path.
Whew! missed the tree.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

The Skipper

2008-07-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

On July 12, we set out for our first camping trip. As you can see, Liam is excited! He had been camping before, and could not wait to get back "into the wild". Young Livia was probably wondering why Mommy and Daddy were packing up the house.

So here is our camper (a gift from close friends) and a truck that friends lent us for the summer. "Skipper" is the lettering that appears on the side of our trailer. The friends who gave it to us did such a lovely job of renovating the inside and outfitting it for summer fun.
As we drove out of town we were so thrilled. After 20 minutes of driving, I thought I would stop for gas in the first town we approached called Airdrie. After we filled up I went to start the vehicle, and it would not go. Fortunately, I met a farmer filling up his rig. He kindly spent 30 minutes with us trying to help us to get the vehicle going, yet it would not start. I tried for another while, and met many kind locals who gave their take on why the truck would not start. The sun slowly set as we waited for AMA to arrive, thus tow our vehicle home. Friends of ours came to our rescue and drove Ivy and the children back to our neighborhood. When AMA came they hit the starter a couple of times with a hammer and it went. As I drove home with truck and camper, I was hopeful this would not be the end of our camping adventures.

Our spirits were lifted the following morning, and we decided to go out for a day to join our friends at the camp ground. The Salvation Army on Pine Lake provides a 12 site campground which is wonderful for families. As no vehicles are allowed near the sites. The campground is a sanctuary of grass and trees for children to play and visit. Livia determined that there is only one thing better then drinking a juice box is sitting in a camping chair.

Our friend Craig shared that camping provides a great place for learning to ride a bike without training wheels. The month before his son learned to ride a two wheeler, and we were hesitant to think Liam would do the same. After we removed the training wheels we walked alongside Liam a few times as he pedaled with glee.
Then Craig brought Liam to a long grassy hill that provided a gradual slope. With one push, Liam was off, and that boy was riding. For the rest of the evening Liam and his friend would bike around to the different camp sites and visit with people then, ride off to the next site. Liam and his bike we would be an inseparable pair for the reminder of the summer.

Calgary Stampede

2008-07-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

The gang: from left to right, Blair, Dominic, Nathan, Lydia
Ivy, Livia, Adam Liam and on the bottom step is Anthony

Livia wearing her first cowboy hat.

Chinese dragon

Livia

Liam --Yeeeehaw

Anthony-- howdy partner!

Nathan in his western outfit

The Calgary Stampede is held every year for 10 days from the first Friday in July starting with the parade. This year my (Ivy's) sister and her family came out to enjoy the festivities. Through connections we were served breakfast and were able to watch the parade from bleacher seats. The weather was fantastic! It was wonderful to watch the parade through the eyes of our children.

June

2008-07-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

Liam was very pleased to have grandma Kenny watch him play and score a goal in his last soccer game of the season.

Liam and I doing some design work in the garden

Liam and grandma Kenny watering the plants

Liam watering the plants making sure they survive

My little helpers

June was a blur of activity. The weather consisted of rain, rain and more rain. Adam defended his project for his Master's degree and passed !!! Yeah!!! Marie Adam's mom came to visit. The kids enjoyed spending time with their grandma from the East. With Marie's vision and muscle power we were able to get our garden looking great.

Mother's Day Run

2008-05-22T14:10:00.001-07:00

Adam and the kids made it out in time to cheer me on at about the 4km mark. Since there were over 13,000 participants I was surprise to see them.
Tabia, Melissa & I ran most of the race together, it has been great to set this goal and train with them. We've already started talking about training for a ten km run.
After the run we all went to Tabia and Mark's house for a lovely Mother's Day brunch. I think we'll make this an annual event.

Soccer

2008-05-22T13:40:00.001-07:00

Livia watching Liam play soccer

Liam on a break away, he kicks, he scores!!!!

Liam and his friend Owen chatting

Every soccer player needs a juice break.

Liam has been playing soccer for the past few weeks in an under 4 age category. The league is a fun recreation league. Adam & I decided it would be a great opportunity for us to connect with some of the families in our neighbourhood, as well as give Liam the opportunity to burn off energy.

Snow Day

2008-04-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

WOW, in a matter of hours Calgary received about 10 inches of snow. Prior to the snow our yard was completely dry as you can see in the picture of Livia mowing the lawn. Between 7am and noon our yard and all of Calgary was under a blanket of snow. A 15 minute bus ride to the university of Calgary took 45 minutes. Adam came home early and enjoyed a leisurely afternoon with us. After shoveling and playing, we enjoyed a nice lunch with our neighbour Peter. The kids ( including Adam and Peter) had a blast playing in the snow, shoveling and making snowmen. Livia just enjoyed eating the white fluffy cold stuff. It was a wonderful snow day.

The best thing about Easter...

2008-03-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Cousins
from left to right: Liam, Livia, Nathaniel, baby Dominic & Anthony

Livia & Dominic sharing toys

Easter morning Livia in her fairy wings

Future rock band. Nathaniel on guitar, Anthony on sax & Liam on drums. The music was lively and entertaining.

Story time with Grandma Dzaka

Crocket at the Calgary zoo, Nathaniel, Liam & Anthony

Livia exploring the zoo

Livia hanging out with Grandpa Dzaka

What's the best thing about Easter? This is a question most of us try to figure out over the Easter weekend. Possible answers could include, spending time with friends & family, the easter egg hunt, chocolate (lots of chocolate), playing with new toys, going to the zoo, going to church in our Sunday best. Those of us who believe in Jesus, would have to agree that His ultimate sacrifice on the cross is the best thing about Easter! The best thing about Easter is Jesus's death and resurrection, that gives us hope of eternal life.

Teddy bears and Lambs

2008-03-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Liam and Livia cuddled up with their favorite stuffed animals for their afternoon naps. A few hours of precious quiet time..Yeah!

Livia's 1st birthday

2008-02-29T14:43:00.000-08:00

Our miss Livia celebrated her first birthday on February 25. She was all smiles when the cake was brought out. In typical Livia fashion she took two fingers and stroked the cake and licked her fingers.

Birthday's

2008-02-29T14:28:00.000-08:00

On January 8th Liam celebrated his third birthday. We invited a few of his friends to a local rink for skating, then back to our house for brunch. Liam had a wonderful time.

Winter

2008-02-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

Cross country skiing with the kids at the Canmore Nordic Centre

Winter in the the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains brings numerous opportunities to be out enjoying the beauty and majestic landscape we are surrounded by. This winter we've been especially fortunate to have mild weather, thus affording us lots of opportunities to get out and have fun. We've been able to enjoy watching Liam develop an appreciation for ice skating, cross country skiing, toboganning and especially playing hockey.

Christmas

2008-02-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas is such a lovely time of year when you are able to see it through the eyes of children. This Christmas was especially meaningful for us, as we watched the anticipation and excitement through Liam's eyess. Since we were all traveled out from the summer we decided to spend Christmas at home in Calgary. We enjoyed some wonderful family time, and had a great Christmas dinner with our dear friends the Irelands.

Our Fall

2008-02-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

The transition from summer to fall was natural and smooth. Adam started back to school full time at the University of Calgary. The kids & I started our own routine of Monday morning play dates with a group of mothers we've met in our neighbourhood. On Thursday mornings we were attending Women of Heart - a women's group at our church, I was in a small group and Liam had an opportunity to be in a class where he was able to learn lots of things about Jesus, through singing, stories and crafts. Livia often opted to hang out in my group instead of the baby nursery.
In November Adam convocated with his Bachelors of Social Work.
We went out to Banff for a night, while we were there we went to watch the Santa Claus Parade, it was a frosty night for watching a parade, but it was so lovely to be in the mountains. As you can see in the above picture Liam had his first opportunity to cross country ski in the mountains.

Our Summer

2008-02-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

Playing at the beach on PEI. Liam with his cousins

Can we we build a sandcastle?

Liam with his Grampa Kenny, mowing the lawn

The Able girls with Liam and Livia

Penelope and Livia
Calgary Stampede, Adam and Liam out for a stampede breakfast with Jan and Nigella. Each year Adam sets a goal to see how many free breakfasts he can go to. This year him and Liam went to three. In the past Adams gone to as many as 7 during the week of Stampede.

Anthony and Liam enjoying a boat ride on Watrous Lake, Saskatchewan
Cousins Nathanial, Liam and Anthony
Grandma Dzaka with her grandchildren

July was the last time we wrote anything. There have been moments when I've told myself I need to sit down and update the site, but something else always takes precedence. So much has happened since we've been back in Calgary. Here are a few highlights: After a few weeks at home and finally unpacking. We packed up again and drove to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to visit my family. It was a great trip for all the cousins to spend time together, we were able to take a drive to Watrous is about 100km east of Saskatoon- Watrous is at the center of the Canadian grainbelt. It is well-known for the healing waters of Lake Manitou.
We also celebrated my mom's birthday (Ivy's Mom), and enjoyed time introducing Livia to family and friends in Saskatoon.
After our trip to the prairies, were drove back to Calgary, spent about a week at home and off we were again. This time were boarding a plane and heading to Prince Eward Island to visit Adam's family. We spent three weeks on the island. We had a lovely time playing at the beach, swimming in the pool at Cecil and Maries (Adam's parents). Liam spent lots of time playing with his cousins at the beach or in the yard. Livia was able to meet everyone for the first time.
As a family we logged lots of kilometers, I think it was one of the best summers we've had. Both Liam and Livia are amazing travelers.

home in Calgary

2007-07-04T01:25:00.000-07:00

Well after a safe time of travel we arrived in the comfort of our home. For Liam, it was like Christmas re-discovering all his toys again. He wanted to read every story in his room at bed time.
The children did well on the travel. Livia had her own seat on the longest legs of our journey, this was a huge answer to prayer. Liam slept well, played with some neighboring children on the plane and enjoyed "Cars". He could often been seen pushing his toy bus through the plane ailes.
Calgary is green and warm + 28 degrees today.
Our friends blessed us with a fridge of food, and a visit this evening.
> Thanks for your prayers today!
> Adam & Ivy

Kazimierz

2007-06-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

The guide books describe Kazimierz as the district that housed Krakows Jews for some 500 years. In the last decade it has been rediscovered, and its hollowed -out Jewish culture gradually reintroduced. The movie Schlindlers List was made in Kazimierz. There are narrow streets, markets, synagogues and Jewish cemeteries. Walking through the streets gave a real experience of culture.

Father's Day

2007-06-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Father's day was a day spent eating some delicious Sunday's! We had a nice day in the park together.

Rybna

2007-06-18T04:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we experienced a magical day. We were asked by our neighbor to participate in a cultural tour to a rural settlement in the countryside. Rybna is a small village 40 km from Krakow. Though it is close to this bustling city, it has remained rooted in a older way of life. For instance, the task of cutting hay in the fields involved a horse drawn haris, people raking the field by hand , and using a pitch fork to throw loose grass in the back of a wagon. This way of working reminded me (Adam) of the stories my parents would share of working on the farms on PEI in the 1960's.

We were hosted by a potter and his wife, upon our arrival we were served coffee, juice & cookies. We were invited to explore their farm. The potter gave demonstrations on his wheel of how he works the clay to make it into a work of art. Watching the potter work reminded us of how we are the clay in God's hands and that He shapes us and molds us into his image.

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8. We were also encouraged to try using the wheel to create our own piece of art, the potter definitely makes it look easy. After many attempts I (Ivy) was able to make a small bowl, Liam even had his turn at the wheel. As the day progressed we were taken on a ride to see more of the country side. Upon our return to the potters house we were treated to a kielbasa roast. Our day wrapped up with an afternoon tea, lazily enjoying the sunshine and watching Liam play with his friend Mia.

biking in Poland

2007-06-17T12:00:00.002-07:00

Lots of people bike in Poland. It is common to see people of all ages biking in the city and the countryside; from elderly men and women coming from the market with a basket full of food, or families venturing out on a Saturday afternoon. Though I debated buying a bike while in Poland, and choose not too. I borrowed our neighbors bike. The bicycle worked well, and had a child seat safely attached. Liam and I went exploring through a local forest, and drove around a huge "body of water". This place was formally a limestone quarry.

National Museum of Krakow

2007-06-17T04:51:00.000-07:00

I had an opportunity to visit the National museum with the team from the USA. Adam and the kids spent the day at home. We spent hours touring the museum looking at artifacts dating back to the 1890's. Exhibits included, Polish painting, Decorative art & Polish Arms. After our tour of the museum we enjoyed a leisurely lunch on a rooftop deck. The pictures above are views of a downtown Krakow, Wawal Castle and me.

Children's Home

2007-06-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

I went to my last teaching class at the Children's Home today. I brought with me three interns who were "fresh off the boat" from America. They were a wonderful compliment to the learning and experience of the day. The interns humility and desire to "try anything" was inspirational. At the first of the class the girls in the home presented me with a plaque they made thanking me with their autographs at the bottom. I was so thankful for the opportunity to spend time with these girls.
After some conversational activities, we went to this lovely court yard behind the home. We played volleyball and handball. It was terrific seeing the girls play together and practise their English. Most of all it was neat seeing them work as a team with the interns, and laugh.
I have been so richly encouraged by spending time with these girls. In learning a little about their stories, they have so much courage and have demonstrated such resiliency.
The girls in the Children's Homes do not currently live at home. They have come from homes where addiction, family violence, and maltreatment have been major issues. Many of the girls have had negative experiences in school and in the community, and a few do not even attend school.
On Thursday we will celebrate their learning in a graduation party. After a meal together we will play some games, and end with a water-balloon toss which will likely end in a water fight. I have prepared some awards and certificates to each of the girls. I hope and pray the party will be fun!

Dragon's in the Rain

2007-06-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

We went to Krakow's annual Dragon Parade today. As usual we took the bus and tram to Old Town to enjoy this festival. It is similar to May long weekend in that this outdoor event is most often experienced in the rain. Yet, before the rain came we enjoyed the creative costumes, and atmosphere of the parade. The main square was filled with people taking in the event. When the rain came it was like a ghost town, and it rained..&..pored.. &...rained. We followed our friend to a cafe where we were looking forward to strawberry perogi's. When we arrived the shop was closed so we hung out under the leaky eave of a building and then found another restaurant. We made the journey and missed Liam's nap time. He was one grumpy camper! If he wasn't squirming under the table looking at wet shoes, he was doing laps of the small cafe or scaling to the top of the stroller. During the meal Ivy looked at me and said, " We should take a cab home." No, it was more like, "We are taking a cab home." like if we didn't find a cab it was going to get ugly. As we finished our meal, we phoned four - five cabs and they were all busy. Our friend and her toddler were catching a ride in a small car with another friend, so we bid them farewell. We ran through the puddle filled streets, with damp jackets becoming wet and water dripping off our faces. We finally made it to the "cab corner" and all the taxi's were gone. Fortunately, the tram station was only a few more blocks away. We waited briefly in the rain until a tram came to take us towards home. By the time the tram came Liam fell asleep in the stroller, and both our kids were safe and dry. Ivy and I looked at each other and smiled. We made it home and put the kids to bed. Ivy stayed in, and curled up with a book. I went out to kick the soccer ball at a outdoor court often filled with local kids. I have been working up some courage to play in a match, and today was my day. The kids I played with were very kind, and I only made one sliding "ball hockey save" on the cobblestone brick-Oucch! I soon learned never to do that again.
Four students arrived from the USA today. To complete an internship at Graceland. We will meet them tomorrow. Our team is looking very different since our arrival back in April. Two members from Calgary went home for the summer, and one member just left this morning with word his Grandpa does not have much longer to live. We have 4 weeks left of our adventure.

The Hand of Father God

2007-05-30T13:37:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity to participate in a girls day out. We all got dressed up and went to the Philharmonic. Prior to the show a few of us stopped at a Catholic church. The inside of the church was beautifully adorned with many stained glass windows. The picture of the one above captured my eye. One hand of God raised looked normal, however his other hand stretched towards earth looks like a skeleton. I wonder what the artist was implying?

Livia

2007-05-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

Livia is now three months old and is making quite the impression with everyone she meets. This afternoon as I was getting her ready for her nap, she decided that it was time to roll over. I called Adam and as he came she rolled over again! It was exciting for us to see her take her first step of independence, but it was also a reminder of how fast she's growing.

misadventure on our travels

2007-05-29T03:48:00.000-07:00

The weekend was a great opportunity for Ivy & I to go out with some friends separately on two different occasions. Ivy to the Germany Philharmonic on Saturday, and I went to have lunch with some friends on Sunday. On the way home on the bus I was a victim of a pick pocket. It was sad. I had been given this wallet from Ivy for our anniversary and I was carrying more money then I know I should have been. I searched and searched the different places I had been, checking with store clerks. Unfortunately, no wallet turned up. On Sunday evening, A gentlemen in the church kindly drove me back to the city centre, and helped me set up an appointment with a translator to complete a police report which I did the following day on Monday.
I had a tough evening on Sunday, and Monday morning was difficult too. I considered, what can I learn from this, and how can I concentrate more on the important responsibilities I have in the different roles in my life. Yeah, big questions! Though I was a victim of the pick pocket, I could have been more careful with my wallet. Many of you who know me, know that, details like this are not my strong suite, so now I need to make some changes.
Ivy was so supportive as I left for my meeting with the police. She gave me hug, and looked into my eyes and said, "I forgive you". Those words were so healing as I know she worked hard to prepare for this trip.
I had a positive experience on Monday afternoon. My interview at the Police station went well- no sign of the wallet yet. I went to the MPK (BUS) station, and through the help of a kind citizen I was able to have help translating my situation, and my desire to get my transit pass replaced. I needed to get another picture for my bus pass, and the foto sklep (photo store) gave me a deal on my photos. All these good things from God despite the incident.
As Ivy was out picking up some fruit at this lovely fruit stand by our home, I put Liam and Livia to bed. I am thankful for their safety, and quiet time with them as they settled in for a nap. I was reminded that these times are the sweet things of life.

Graceland keilbasa cookout

2007-05-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the first semester at Graceland. To celebrate we had a cookout with the students and teachers. Adam built a fire in the parking lot of the school building and everyone cooked their kielbasas. Liam especially liked roasting his own with assistance from dad. We played games, roasted marshmallows and enjoyed a wonderful evening.

The desire to change.

2007-05-27T23:42:00.000-07:00

This past week I was given the opportunity to give a presentation on the topic of domestic violence. When I told the students family violence is a world wide problem in every country it is studied, many were amazed that a rich country like Canada would have this problem. During the two hour workshop, between my sharing information to the entire group or the small group discussions that occurred, we were able to share ideas of masculinity and femininity, about inequality, and our acceptance of violence against women. As I told stories about how alcohol does not cause intimate partner violence and about our attitudes towards women, the room grew hushed. Then in their small groups, they figured out how all this linked to violence against women.
In Poland, it is estimated that one out of every eight women are beaten by their husbands.
As many as 41 percent of divorced women have been beaten by their former husbands.
In 2004, Amnesty International singled out Poland for failure to effectively investigate and prosecute domestic violence cases, as well as, failure to protect victims from further violence
as one of the gravest human right issues facing Poland today.
I knew from other workshops they would make the connections. What got me, though, was one incredible moment near the end. We were discussing different ways participants could respond when the safety of their community was being threatened by violence within a home. And, one man stood up and shared how it is our obligation in Poland to stand up against family violence and report families to social welfare workers or the police. Everyone in the room nodded. But, in the end it was the desire to change that I'll remember the most; when one man shared he wanted to learn how not to be a perpetrator anymore.

Hanging Out

2007-05-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

We are so thankful for our children. It is wonderful to see them spending time together as brother & sister.

Five year Anniversary

2007-05-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

On Friday May 18, Adam & I celebrated our five year anniversary. Verone a member of the Graceland team took care of Liam & Livia so we could go out for a late supper. We went to a lovely Italian restaurant called Miod Malina. The atmosphere, food & service were superb! We took the opportunity to reflect on the last five years. We discussed dreams that came to reality, relationships we have developed with friends & family, places we have traveled to, most of all we shared how God blessed us & impacted our life as husband & wife. We also took the opportunity to hope & dream about the next five years of our marriage.

Mother's Day

2007-05-23T05:27:00.000-07:00

I had a lovely Mother's Day here in Krakow. Adam & Liam went out in the early morning and surprised me with a bouquet of flowers and chocolate. Later in the morning we met Kasia and her family for a brunch at the stables. The Poles celebrate mothers day on May 25, so I guess we will also be celebrating again with all the Polish mothers. We enjoyed watching Liam and Mia play together.

A Piano Man and a Graphic Artist

2007-05-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

While we are spending time at the park playing with Liam, Ivy and I both have met some wonderful people. We were told that many people who live in our apartment complex are from out of town. Many people have come to Krakow from different rural areas of Poland to pursue a career and raise their families. Often the people we meet we are able to see regularly in the community out walking or in the park. It is a neat feeling to see "familiar faces" each day!

On Friday May 11th, we enjoyed a relaxed time of visiting Jeramy, Kasia, and Mia who we met at the park. They prepared a lovely lunch, and made us feel so welcome. Kasia is an illustrator for children's books, and shared some of her work with Ivy. Kasia kindly gave Liam a song book she illustrated with English-Polish words. Liam was excited to try out his new book! Kasia's husband Jeramy is a musician who plays piano. Jeramy recently returned from a two month tour of Canada and the US. At the end of the visit we made plans for brunch on Sunday. Jeramy was scheduled to play a concert at the Piano Rouge on Monday night. Although Ivy was not able to go, I went with a Polish couple from our team at the school. We had a stimulating time listening and enjoying the company of Jeramy, and his duet partner during their breaks. The concert was set below the ground in a brick, cavernous celluar decorated in read velvet drapes.
We look forward to continuing to connect with this couple & their daughter Mia who is the same age as Liam.

Reflections from our first month

2007-05-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

As we look back on our first month in Poland, here are some things we are thankful for:
1/. The Graceland Team picking us up at the airport, and settling us in to our clean apartment (Ivy loves clean!) then letting us have a sleep.
2/. Learning how to shop at the grocery store with Colette and Jay while Shawna took our son to the park.
3/. A wife who would travel across the world with young two children. It has been amazing to see her build relationships with other women, and adjust to mothering in Poland.
4/. Experiencing community with a team of English speaking North American and native Poles. We have been so fortunate to share meals, pray and have fun together on a regular bases.
5/. Graciousness of the Poles as we attempt to speak Polish.
6/. A pizza restaurant close to our home with delicious pizza.
7/. Spring time in Poland: green leaf bearing trees; white, yellow and pink blossoms on the trees; children playing soccer; and a horse riding ring and stables a 3 minute walk from our apartment.
8/. Meeting families at the park who kindly share in conversation with us about their lives, and being invited into a their home.
9/. Witnessing our son Liam connect with children through play and laughter.
10/. Enjoying our children with friendly people on the bus. Liam often receives smiles and kind words from 'little elderly ladies'. These interactions are so genuine and appreciated.
11/. Polish food like pierogi, sausage, fresh bread, and chocolate ( I don't know if the chocolate is Polish, but we have had our share.)
12/. Livia sleeping through most nights in a room with her big brother.
13/. Learning to live together in a small apartment, and realizing we have so much going for us at home in Canada.

What are we up to in Poland?

2007-05-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ivy and I live in a two bed room apartment in a lovely area of Krakow with lots of families and parks. Spending time in parks has been a great way to meet other families with young children. For instance, Ivy is over visiting a mother she met at a park at this moment. When Liam wakes up from his nap I will go and join Ivy. This family has a little girl Liam's age.

Ivy and I assist in teaching classes on Monday and Wednesday morning at Graceland. Livia often sleeps during the class, and there is child care for Liam. We have been richly, richly blessed by the Graceland team here in Poland. They have embraced us with open arms, and have made us feel so welcome.

Though there are times of loneliness, we have been having a wonderful time. We had a week off from our work last week and we went to a hotel in the mountains by Slovakia. There were wonderful hiking trails and lots of people out hiking, biking and climbing on trails along the bank of the river. Then we spent a day at the zoo, and the concentration camps (Auschwitz and Birkenau) - Wow! We hope to write more about this later.

I have begun a few things with my practicum including a boys ball hockey program on Wednesday evenings, and I approached a girls homes ( like Wood's) to teach English to the residents on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Also, I took a class during my first three weeks on Women's International Human Rights. It was very stimulating, and provided me an opportunity to learn about the problem of domestic violence in Poland. I have been asked to gave a presentation to a school for adults on domestic violence with the hopes of giving people some options on how to respond if they or someone else they know is struggling in a violent and/or abusive relationship. Unfortunately, the church and the community are silent about the problem of intimate partner violence, however, there is believed to be 1 in 6 women experiencing abuse in the home in Poland. Please pray I will be able to connect with a domestic violence shelter or counseling centre so I and the school can intervene and direct people to a place that provides the ongoing assistance that people need. Please pray I will be able to communicate that God does not approve of violence that happens in the community or in the home, and does not want a women to continue to live with a violent man. Yeah, heavy stuff!!

One challenging thing has been my relationship with my prof. at the Polish University. She did not arrange a practicum for me, nor does she approve of me doing my practicum at the place I arranged on my own. It is a bit confusing. My prof. in Canada (Calgary) supports me totally, and so does the place where I am doing my practicum (Graceland) - which is great! Please pray that I would be respectful to my Polish prof.

We have some exciting outreach events happening during the next couple of weekends!! The team is hosting discussion groups for church members to invite their friends to, on topics like purpose, optimism, and contentment. Please pray for conversations to be meaningful and that connections would be made.

April 30 - May 4 - Holiday Week

2007-05-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

This week (April 30- May 4) was a national holiday in Poland. Similar to Canada it is known as Labour day. The Polish also celebrate Mary (Jesus' mother) as the queen of Poland. As we found out the Polish Catholics take this holiday very seriously. The entire week is used to honour Mary. There are shrines of Mary throughout the city and country side. During the holiday celebrations the shrines are decorated with candles and flowers. As we were driving past one of the local catholic churches we noticed, vender's set up with trinkets, candles, toys, flowers etc. it was quite interesting.
We decided to rent a car for the week to take in some of the tourist activities.
On Saturday we went to the zoo with Nic & Crystal, missionaries at Graceland Ministries . The zoo is set in the middle of a huge forest of leaf bearing trees. Cars park outside the forest, and only walkers, bikers and buses are permitted on the road to the Krakow Zoo. Although the animals were in small cages, they look well cared for and we found them a lot more active then the animals at the Calgary Zoo. Ivy is known to comment on how depressed the animals at the Calgary Zoo are. The "counsellor" in Ivy often considers various forms of therapeutic intervention that would be applicable to the animals. Anyways, at the Zoo, Liam especially loved the big camels.
The following day, Sunday, we made our way through the beautiful countryside of Poland. We drove through rolling countryside, saw magnificent old castles, and arrived in Szczawnica. This was lovely little town on the bank of a river with beautiful walking trails that take you to the Slovakian border. We stayed in an old hotel built in 1886 with loads of character. We had wonderful sleeps after our days of walking on the river trails. We met a wonderful old man who offered our family a ride on his horse drawn wagon. On Tuesday, we traveled back towards Krakow. We observed many families out planting potatoes by hand with a horse drawn plough; making full use of the long weekend. We were thankful for relaxing, causal days enjoying God's wonderful creation.
On Wednesday, a couple members of the team offered to take care of our children, Liam and Livia, as we traveled to Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. Our tour of these memorials were incredibly intense. Approximately 1.5 million Poles, Gypsies, and mainly Jews were killed by the hands of the German Nazies during World War II. This memorial gave us a glimpse of how the Nazies made use of and conserved everything of their victims before they placed them in a death camp or sent them to the gas chambers. For example, on display at the memorial were rooms full of shoes, tooth brushes, suitcases, human hair used to make fabric, and glasses. All of these articles were shipped out of the camp back to the Nazi movement to be reused. Nothing was wasted. The most overwhelming aspect of the tour was the size of the Birkenau camp where the majority of the killings took place. Birkenau, a second camp, contained 300 barracks and buildings on a site stretching 175 km. In 1942, it had 100,000 people working in it. "It became the biggest and most savage of all the Nazi death factories offering the wholesale extermination of European Jews. The train tracks leading into the camp still remain." This memorial remains a significant example of the suffering inflicted on Polish and Jewish people.
We finished out our holiday week with a tour of a Salt Mine. This was no ordinary mine. It was complete with a cathedral size church, chapels, lakes, hotels, large ball rooms, and restaurants reaching depths of 200 meters. We rounded out the week with a shopping day for Ivy with the other girls on the team.

We have arrived

2007-05-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

We left Calgary at 5:55pm on Tuesday April 3, 2007, we arrived in Krakow on Wednesday April 4 at about 8 in the evening. Both Liam & Livia did amazing on the flights. Liam was occupied by all the toys & books we packed for him. The challenging part for Liam on the flight was when he wanted to sleep, he couldn't spread out like he wanted to. Livia nursed & slept through most of the flights. We were a sight, as we navigated through the airports with the kids in the stroller, and all our carry on luggage, trying to make it to our gates. We had two connections and all the gates we needed to get too were always on the other side of the airports. Once we arrived in Krakow we were picked up by the team from Graceland(click on the link to find out more about this ministry in Poland). They drove us to our apartment. As you can imagine, we were all very tired from our long journey.
The following day, Thursday, the directors Jay & Colette made arrangements for Liam to be card for by one of the team members Shawna Gibbs (a Calgarian who previously worked at our church, Centre Street Church in the area of children's ministries), while they took us grocery shopping. We were amazed how God took care of all the details of our 3 month adventure. After our shopping excursion, we met Liam and Shawna back at our apartment and received a tour of the area. As you can see by the attached picture we live in a very nice part of the city with lots of parks.
On Friday we were attended a traditional Polish Catholic Good Friday service at a Catholic Church and received an orientation on how to use the bus and tram system.
On Saturday Adam & I ventured out on our own to the square (considered downtown). I found it stressful taking the bus and tram with the kids, it was very busy. We made it to the square we were amazed by all the old buildings. The air pollution and smoking in public place will take some time to get used to. We are very thankful how God has protected us & provided for us within a city that seems to have a cloud of sadness surrounding it.