The Wick Family

Training

2011-08-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

The day after finishing my service as a police officer life became CRAZY and has not really slowed down, nor do we expect it will. Prior to stopping work we made the decision to rent our house which meant we needed to move completely out before we left for training. It also meant we had a few things to fix before we left town. Part of our fixes included exterior painting of our whole house. This was a much larger project than I anticipated (I should know by now), but never-the-less we got into it and had to finish. It turned out great but added a level of craziness. On top of the paint we moved all of our belongings into storage, cleaned the whole house, packed for three months, and got ready to slap a "For Rent" sign down when God decided to rent it for us. Praise God a police officer whom I had worked with needed a house and he is now renting from us. God's timing is perfect! I signed the paperwork at 5:30 am the morning we left for Colorado.

We then stopped to visit the Marston family in Boise and enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship. The next day we headed to Colorado and have been at Missions Training International (MTI) ever since. We just finished a course on Language acquisition and will start another course tomorrow. We have three weeks left here. It has been great to be here as family and begin to process what is next. The area is beautiful and we have met some great people here as well. My next post will be about one of the couples we met. Some pics below capture our time in CO and time as family. See more at Facebook!

TRAINING!

EOW (End of Watch)

2011-07-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

Our goal is to now keep up with our blog as we make a huge transition in life. This transition included a complete job shift, which means I no longer am a police officer, and once again just a mere civilian! Now that sounds a little degrading to civilian life, but policing had some great benefits! I am excited about life as a civilian again, but leaving a job I loved was much harder than I anticipated. I am very grateful for the lessons I learned while employed as an officer of the law. It was a great joy to serve the community we lived in and to enjoy the camaraderie of a team. I have had some time to reflect on my resignation and am beginning to understand a little more about why it was difficult to leave, and also why I am grateful to move on. Being a police officer today is not a glorified job like it used to be. Everyday you leave for work you expect to encounter someone who would like to kill you, and to be ready for this you literally have to put on that mindset everyday. Obviously this requires a certain hardness which was necessary for the job. Within the job you often see the worst of humanity and certain things are harder to process than others. Because of the uniqueness of the job and the daily preparation and intensity that goes into the day, it is clear that leaving that life behind was difficult. Yet, I am grateful to move on because I feel the experiences and knowledge gained will be useful in the context of ministry. Being a police officer has given me a greater and different level of discernment, it has created a greater compassion for people, it has caused me to see the hopelessness of the world and it has mostly allowed me to understand more clearly God's grace and mercy in my own life. I thank God for the opportunity to be a police officer and how He will use that now in our family's life. I thank God for the many men and women in blue who daily risk their own safety in protecting us all in the communities we live in. The aspect of the job that will be missed the most is throwing the lights on and waving goodbye to my family everyday. See the last time captured in a pic below!

WInning At All Costs

2011-05-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Karsten is determined to win, which I both love and hate! When given the choice to eat all of his lunch or sit at the table until nap time he decided to choose both . . . WINNING!

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

He is risen; he is risen, indeed! Rejoicing in the resurrection of our Lord!

Still Bloggin'

2011-04-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

We are still here in the blogosphere, but admit it has been silent for awhile. Our family is well. Since January it has been non-stop hustle and bustle, and we don't anticipate change anytime soon. At some point in the future I will post some pics of our family, but I wanted to share what God was doing in Slovenia last week, since at some point in the next year this will be our new home! Slovenia is home to 2 million people of which only 1,000 have a relationship with Jesus. This ratio causes Slovenia to be considered an unreached people group. Well, last week God used a man named Nick Vujicic, over the course of 5 days, to proclaim the gospel clearly to 18,000 people. Never before has the gospel message been proclaimed at this magnitude in this land. Praise God for the opportunity and pray for fruit. National pastors and missionaries now have a large task of follow up for many who expressed a desire for more info and for others who have accepted this message of hope. Pray in these days. Pray especially against the enemy who has such a stranglehold in this part of the world. Pray for the next generation of leaders in Slovenia. Rejoice God is moving in the land and hearts of the Slovenes! See some pics below.

Another Crazy Month

2011-01-15T15:07:00.000-08:00

There is never a dull moment in our house and that is especially true during the winter months. We had a wonderful Christmas reflecting on God's grace in the birth of Jesus. The day after Christmas we drove through a blizzard enroute to the bay area. We spent time there with the Wick side of family and enjoyed the time immensely. We drove back home through terrible weather and made it home just in time to celebrate the boys turning two, and then sickness hit our home. Karsten battled croup and a sinus infection, Mikaela battled pneumonia, and now we are dealing with the flu. It really has been a blessing in disguise though because we have had to lay low for a few weeks which has created wonderful family time, and it helps us consider just how gracious God is to provide our family overall great health. Below are a few pics from the last few weeks.

Snow, Snow & More Snow

2010-12-21T22:54:00.000-08:00

Although we live in an area that gets snow each year we very rarely receive significant snowfall in our yard. Usually we get an inch or two at a time and it melts before the next day. However, this last week was different and required much more work with the snow shovel. We loved the wintry weather and look forward to some more this season. Enjoy the pics.

Mister of Mischief

2010-12-05T22:18:00.000-08:00

When Karsten was born the pediatrician held him, looked at us, and in not so many words said he would be the independent one who we would need to keep an eye on. I guess we were dealing with a prophet that day, because the doctor was right. For two years I have thought about that statement and how Karsten had defied all odds. In many ways he was much less maintenance than Braden, kept to himself, was easily entertained, and definitely independent. However, this week the rules have changed. Karsten has covertly been moving around the house and has found every danger zone. He thinks he knows how to type on the computer, he knows how to operate electric cords (Christmas lights) and other outlets, he carried a pair of scissors around yesterday, and tonight I found him on the kitchen table trying to light a candle with a lighter. Just as I was telling Ashley about the lighter she told me he was back on the table. For some reason he is our stubborn and undeterred one. He has discovered and been interested in the things none of the other kids cared about and he really doesn't care when we tell him "no." I see many battles ahead, but in a weird way I look forward to what he discovers next, I just hope he isn't an arsonist!

Update: I came home for lunch today and just before nap time for the boys. Approximately 3 minutes after placing Karsten into his crib, we heard Braden yelling "Karsten, Karsten" just prior to a loud crash. Wouldn't you know it Karsten did a swan dive from the top rail and landed it perfectly on his head. He was sprawled out on the floor bawling. After an assessment I'm pretty convinced his pride was the only thing hurt. Stay tuned for the next incident!

Christmas Tree Hunt 2010

2010-11-27T22:34:00.000-08:00

Our family's Christmas tree outing is one of my favorite traditions each year. However, this year was reminiscent to the Griswold family tree hunt (National Lampoons). That classic Christmas movie defines perfectly our experience yesterday. We hit the mountain and discovered about 2 feet of snow which meant we had to snowshoe to the trees a little further than usual. Ash and I each carried a boy in and soon found a tree which seemed small against the hundred foot trees close by. Ashley's parents also found a tree nearby. We chopped the trees down and soon discovered they weighed a ton (snow/ice/waterlogged trunk). My father-in-law and I huffed the trees out one by one through deep snow, which meant Ashley carried both boys out. Once I got back home I discovered the tree was 17 feet tall, which is a problem when our ceiling is ten feet, but the top half was perfect! It really is the best tree we have found since moving to Oregon. The hard work paid off and the perfect tree only cost $5. Can you believe we use to pay $65 for a 6 foot tree at Home Depot when we lived in California. We love this time of year and love the family experience of tree hunting! See more pics at Facebook!

A New Post!

2010-10-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

Our lack of posting is not due to lack of things to post about. It is just hard to post in the midst of craziness. My goal in the future is to post 2 times a week, but I'm not ready for the commitment yet! Ashley is much more faithful on Facebook, catch our family there as well! Since late July here is what we've been up to. A family trip to California in August. Started school and soccer in September. Tahlia is now seven years old. We are in the middle of support raising for full time missions in Slovenia. Chris is still working at this point full time as a detective (just stayed up 40 hours in a row yesterday-ugh). Ash is super busy teaching 4 kiddos. I could say much more, but for now will just post a few pics. Thanks for your prayers for our family. See more photos on our Facebook!

11 YEARS!

2010-08-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

Ashley and I had the joy of celebrating eleven years of marriage yesterday! We dropped the kids off at Grandma and Grandpa's house the night before which meant sleeping in the next morning! That alone was a special treat but then we had an awesome breakfast out. After b-fast we hiked a ten mile trail and enjoyed the beautiful mountains. We then topped the evening off with a great dinner. These last eleven years have been amazing and God has grown our love for one another. We can't wait for the next eleven, I think they will be filled with some amazing stories!

Worthless Bloggers!

2010-07-15T23:39:00.000-07:00

I admit we are terrible at upkeep on this thing. I think I have said "I will do it tomorrow" for about 60 straight days. Well here we are again and I thought I would post a slide show, mostly of the kiddos and their summer play. They are growing up fast and you can see their unique personalities if you look closely at these photos. This summer has been crazy so far!

For anyone who doesn't know, and actually reads this thing (I'm hopeful we will be building a following as the year goes on!), we should tell you that our family is raising support to serve as missionaries in Radovljica, Slovenia (Picture Above). Check out all our info on the sidebar. We look forward to sharing more about God's work in this amazing country as the days go by!

Da Boys

2010-04-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

One more post in my blog cluster. The boys are running wild now. Braden is really into lots of variety - people, cars, balls, FOOD! Karsten is into one thing, and that one thing is any ball on this planet. Amazingly I didn't push this, it has just happened. He literally wakes up from a nap saying ball, ball, ball! We are so blessed with our kids. Enjoy the pics of the boys! Next post will be about a trip to Chicago and God's call to Slovenia!

Soccer Time . . . AGAIN

2010-04-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well here it is April, and this last week we have had two days of snow and nasty weather . . . seriously snow. I have learned to love winter living here in Central Oregon, but snow in April is still hard to swallow. I mowed the lawn one week ago when it was near 70 degrees out and one week later we get blasted with snow. Gotta love the high desert! More amazing to me is that they play soccer in this craziness. This week we had practice in 40 mph winds. We now have two girls playing. Tahlia still loves it and definitely has some mad skills. Yesterday marked Mikaela's first game and it was memorable. Somehow between the boys flirting with her, the staring off at something else, and the cluelessness that is only found in preschool soccer - our girl scored two goals and was actually quite good when focused!

Mikaela Moments

2010-04-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

Our little girl keeps us on her toes everyday, and brings our family laughs in almost all she does. Just the other day around the breakfast table Ashley caught Tahlia in deep thought. When asked what she was thinking Tahlia said, "I was staring into space." Mikaela then chimed in and said "I've never been to space, and I don't know what it looks like either." Although she has her own way to do almost everything, she remains so incredibly thoughtful and we love her immensely. I thought I would give you an array of photos that capture her. Enjoy!

Leading Worship!

Climbing High!

I Don't Have a Clue What She is Doing!

Winter Activities

2010-02-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

Apart from the fact this winter has flown by, it has also been really mild. We had one week which felt like winter and other than that it has practically been a long autumn, in fact I even did yard work yesterday! Our house is controlled chaos most days, and now that the boys walk it seems a tornado sweeps through multiple times a day. We remain active, and just got back from sledding a few hours ago (the mountains have snow!). The girls just finished another round of swim lessons and are like little fish. Tahlia even jumped off the high dive like a champ. That is a quick update. I posted one pic below, but will post some more later.

Holidays & 2 Big One Year Olds

2010-01-14T17:09:00.000-08:00

Ashley and I were talking the other day and I couldn't believe the last time I mowed the lawn was really three months ago. I know this is a weird way to tell time, but it caused me to think about how quickly the last three months have gone by. It is so easy as humans to waste our days and not enjoy the blessings we have. Ash and I know we are blessed to have our family and we enjoy each other and each child so much. We had a great Christmas and New Year, celebrating both with Ashley's family. It is crazy to celebrate birthdays on New Years Day (and bowl game day!), but it was our privilege to ring in a new year and birthday all together. Braden and Karsten are now one and it has been fun to watch them develop over the year. We realize we're in a unique position of being able to watch two side by side. They are just now taking their first steps! This last weekend we took a trip to Moscow, Idaho (my birthtown) and celebrated a Wick family wedding. My cousin, Morgan, was married in the same church my parents were married in 34 years ago! Crazy huh? It was fun to see the wedding, my Uncle Scott and Aunt Marianne, and Great Grandma and Grandpa Wick, among many other wonderful family on the bride's side. Once again I was reminded how God has blessed our family with an amazing heritage of godliness, and very thankful for it. This fact constantly challenges me in my leading and parenting, and also helps spur me on in the pursuit of holiness. It seems I could write forever, but I will leave you with some pics of the last few weeks.

A Wonderful Time of Year!

2009-12-19T21:18:00.000-08:00

Since our last post (a LONG time ago) things have not slowed down one bit. Ashley celebrated her birthday on November 17th, Thanksgiving was next, Mikaela is now officially four, Christmas is in less than a week, and the boys will turn one in less than two weeks. In between all of that has been continued detective work for Chris, continued teaching work for Ash, holiday parties left and right, and wonderful fellowship at church. We have loved every minute of it, but there have been a few nights where we just crash after the last kiddo is tucked into bed. Braden and Karsten are getting closer to walking, but remain fairly content with the high speed crawl. As we look back on this year we cannot believe how God has chosen to bestow on us so many wonderful blessings. We are so grateful for the family we have and the friends which encourage us daily. As the 25th draws near we give glory to God for sending us Jesus. There would be no cause for celebration if Christ was not born, and yet God bestowed His grace on us through the perfect life (and eventual death & resurrection) of our Savior. Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family and have a wonderful new year!

Our Crazy Life & The Pig Flu's Twin

2009-11-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

I look at our blog and I'm blown away at how quickly time passes. Our fall has been CRAZY and the swine flu or whatever our family caught doesn't help! So here is our moments of note for the last month. Tahlia finished another soccer season and played amazing, especially considering most of the girls were older than her. School is trucking right along, and Tahlia continues to do well, but it is Mikaela that has blown our minds. She has put much together in the last month and it is fun to watch. The boys are moving right along - literally. Braden I think will walk before Christmas ,and Karsten, well who knows he is a little behind. Although they are twins, they are very unique. More personality shows each day in both of them. Ash and I are doing well. Detective work has been very busy, but not as busy as homemaker work with 4 kiddos. Below are some pictures of the boys at 9-10 months, Mikaela our climber, and Halloween pumpkins. I was not a part of Halloween this year, instead I chose to watch my beloved Trojans get massacred by the Ducks at Autzen stadium! Stay tuned to our blog for some exciting news in the near future; & no it is not the announcement of another pregnancy (at least we hope not)!

Some of This and Some of That

2009-10-06T16:35:00.001-07:00

Wow a month has flown by, and although there were multiple things to post we just didn't. Here is a quick run down of some Wick household activities in September. School began and both Tahlia and Mikaela are hard at work, and since we decided on at least one more year of homeschooling that means Ashley is the one who is totally slammed. September also saw us enter the world of Mac computers as well as enjoy Tahlia's first competitive soccer game, her 6th birthday, and her first lost tooth! Mikaela is still a little pinball which means she is a walking wound - the girl can't avoid hitting her head on things! The boys are moving around and pulling themselves into standing positions; next up is tree climbing! One highlight for us was a quick trip up to Seattle. We were able to see Great Grandma and Grandpa Wick and also Aunt Sandy. Those are truly memories for a lifetime! Lastly, we have just enjoyed our first snow (seriously!) and that means goodbye flowers and lawn-mowing and hello winterizing and blowing out sprinklers; the work never ends, it just changes! Here are a few photos for your enjoyment.

Another California Vacation

2009-09-02T20:41:00.001-07:00

For the second time this summer we went to California for a week away with family. Several months ago we saw Kara and Matt in Northern Cali and this time we went to Grandpa and Grandma Wick's house in Southern Cali. We mostly hit the pools, lagoons, and beach. We also saw Kevin and Danielle and cousin Brooklyn. We enjoyed friends in Santa Clarita and at Placerita Baptist Church. We heard Scott Ardavanis preach twice on marriage and wordliness. We ate at some of our favorite spots. Chris had the opportunity to preach at Legacy Academy's chapel. We enjoyed an evening with our good friends the Sojka family, and also the Burns family! We stayed in two different hotels along the way, had plenty of car time, ate at In-N-Out, and enjoyed one another's company for over a week! Here are a few pics along the way.

Seeing Double

2009-08-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent shots from the boys. They are growing! You can already see the different personalities. I guess we could adverstise an extra bathtub when we sell this place!

VBS & Summer Fun

2009-08-14T21:33:00.001-07:00

The girls (especially Ashley) have been busy the last few weeks. Here are some pictures from VBS and some backyard fun. I added a bonus shot of Tahlia picking weeds for us on her own initiative. Sorry, no pics from swim lessons, and we decided not to go to the County Fair this year (too hot and major lightning storms). Enjoy!

TEF News

2009-08-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

The Elisha Foundation has just launched a new website! The site was designed by a company named emote360. They are truly a talented group of people. You can check out the site at www.theelishafoundation.org This is one element of an organization rebrand and launch. The website will detail the vision we have. This is an exciting time and we pray God will use this organization to impact the lives of families across the globe!

10 Years!

2009-08-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

Ashley and I celebrated our ten year anniversary yesterday! Ten years ago I remember how hot it was in Seattle and I thought I was truly going to faint on stage (maybe it was nerves), but yesterday was even hotter in good ol' Central Oregon. Never-the-less we were able to get out and enjoy the day. I am truly blessed to be married to Ashley and really thank God for His gift. As we reflected back at ten years we were amazed at all we have experienced and wonder what God has in store for the next ten. Whatever it is I am thankful I get to experience it with Ash.

A Summer Hike

2009-07-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

Last week we decided to take a spur of the moment hike to Tumalo Falls. It was a little extra work with two non-walkers, but the girls can more than hold their own. The day was beautiful as were the falls, and the time with each other was wonderful. This upcoming month is slammed with stuff. We have VBS, the County Fair, Vacation to Southern Cali, various meetings, TEF Presentation at church, and hopefully a break in the madness for a fly-fishing evening or two. With those events I have ample blog material, so stay tuned. Enjoy a few pics of the Wicks at Tumalo Falls!

TEF Summer Retreat

2009-07-02T22:52:00.000-07:00

Our family is so blessed to be a part of The Elisha Foundation. This most recent retreat took place at Lake Creek Lodge in Camp Sherman, Oregon. We had eight special families who we were able to serve, and all were very encouraged by the volunteers who gave of their time and energy. I know all the families involved appreciated the love shown, and I also know several families left impacted by the gospel which was presented and lived out.

The Lord continues to impress upon me how needed this ministry is, and how often the church has not ministered effectively to these families. Our prayer is that local churches across the world will take up the call to reach out to these families and show them the love of Christ.

I am excited about the future of TEF. In the coming months the foundation is going to launch into some exciting things. I will keep you posted at every step.

Below is a slideshow of some of our pictures. For those friends on Facebook I attached a link to a professional slide show: http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1191438108859#/video/video.php?v=93551363371&oid=22415967287

Thank you to everyone for your continued prayers!

Vacation!

2009-07-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

Our family was able to get away for a week and relax . . . if you can say that with four young kids stuck in the car for hours traveling. We really did have a good time. We first traveled to Canby and saw family including Grandma's, and Chris' aunt, uncle, and cousins. We then traveled to Walnut Creek, California and spent some time with Uncle Matt and Aunt Kara. We continued on to Monterey, California and took in the beach, aquarium, and of course swimming in the hotel pool. It was a good time to be with one another and we were grateful for the lessons the Lord taught Ashley and I on this trip! I attached a slideshow below and for more good pictures see Matt and Kara's blog which is on the blogroll (Rehrer Moments).

Excitement of One Year Ago!

2009-06-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

I can't believe a year has gone by since Mikaela was hospitalized and eventually airlifted to Portland for a severe case of pneumonia. God was gracious in her life and restored her to full health. In fact I think somehow through the whole ordeal she gained more energy! Praise God for His faithfulness and sustaining grace in the moment of trial (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

some recent pics

2009-06-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share some recent pictures. Next post will cover The Elisha Foundation retreat which we just returned from!

happy boys sitting on the man chair

Braden sucks eveything in sight, including himself

can you see the resemblance? . . . except for the severely crooked nose, which I expect them to have several years into rugby, basketball, figure skating, whatever

this is truly life with twins

JOY . . . enough said

The Elisha Foundation

2009-06-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

We have the privilege of serving on the board of a non-profit organization known as The Elisha Foundation (TEF). This organization was created by our good friends Justin and Tamara Reimer, and it's purpose is to minister and encourage families who are caring for people with special needs. There is much I could say about how the Lord has used TEF to open our eyes to this community of people which is severely neglected, and over the course of the next month I will attempt to post some of how God has challenged, convicted, and changed me through our involvement.

My purpose in writing tonight is to let those who read this know TEF is hosting a family retreat beginning tomorrow. Eight families will experience the unique ministry offered, and we would covet your prayers for the families attending, and also the volunteers who are serving.

Please visit the following link to learn more about TEF and the vision behind it: www.theelishafoundation.org/

Below are some images from the last function we had.

Mikaela's interaction with a very special boy, and cancer survivor as well!

The boy pictured in the middle is Lucky, and Ashley served his family during the last retreat

Allergy Season in Central Oregon

2009-05-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

I have to preface this post with an apology to Tahlia for exposing her misery, however, I couldn't help but think of Will Smith in the movie "Hitch" when I looked at her. This time every year we seem to get hit with allegies, but obviously Tahlia suffers the most. Below is a picture of her allergic reaction (to pollen I think?) I wish I had a photo from the previous day, much worse . . . would have been better for the blog!

Now for those of you who have not seen "Hitch" click on the link below to see how I draw the comparison.

images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0S0201VGiJKIFYApbqJzbkF?p=will+smith+hitch+allergic+reaction+image&fr=yfp-t-501&ei=utf-8&x=wrt

Although, I find the whole thing amusing, please know allergy medicine does amazing things. She is much better now. I thank Tahlia immensely for her sense of humor and her joy even when feeling miserable.

Bedtime Fun

2009-05-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

We put Tahlia and Mikaela to bed about 8 pm every night. Rarely do they fall asleep straight away, but I love how their relationship grows each night as they talk and play on their beds. I know some parents are firm on having their kids go to sleep, and not come out of the room once they are tucked in, but I clearly remember my childhood, and the bonding time I had with my brother when we were supposed to be sleeping.

I love the laughing, singing, and storytelling that occurs as soon as we walk out of the room (we know this because we have kept a baby monitor in their room for our listening pleasure). I'm not really frustrated by the need to get drinks of water 14 separate times a night, or the statement "I just wanted to kiss you one more time" uttered on multiple occasions in a night, or the sudden urge to go pee six times in an hour. However, the last few nights have been a little crazy. Here are the highlights of our last several weeks:

Walking in and finding Mikaela asleep on the foot of Tahlia's bed.

Walking in and finding the pajamas they were wearing an hour ago are now being worn by their stuffed animals.

Walking in at 9 pm and finding them both standing on their bed wearing nothing but panties and who knows what they were playing. At 10 pm I checked again and was advised they would be staying up all night long, to which I replied "great, if you do you can have candy for breakfast." (Both fell asleep by 10:30 and had oatmeal in the morning!)

And then tonight, Mikaela walked out and told Ashley, "Mama. Tahlia's asleep and I want her to wake up so I can have lots of fun."

I wonder what the boys will be like in a couple of years?

Our Crazy Girls!

A Lunchtime Treat!

2009-05-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

I have the privilege of working in the city we live in, and therefore I often try to get home and have lunch with the family. The picture below is what I was privileged to come home to, the whole family on the front porch! They were so cute I had to snap a photo (which is saying a lot, since I rarely photograph anything!).

It reminds me of that country song by Lonestar, From My Front Porch Looking In. Several other things also crossed my mind as I pulled into the driveway and saw them all sitting there. First, I thought "wow, our family seems huge." Secondly, I thought "wow, Ashley's job is huge." She is an incredible mother, and if you know our kids then you know Ashley is doing an amazing job! On this upcoming Mother's Day I thank the Lord for a mother who modeled biblical womanhood as I grew up, and I thank the Lord for His provision of my wife - who loves me selflessly, and who is rearing our children to be set apart for the glory of God.

Fun in the Sun

2009-04-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

The good weather seems to have finally arrived. Five days ago it snowed, and I was beginning to wonder if winter would last into May. We had a good day outside and began the day watching Tahlia score six goals in her soccer game. She has finally learned the key is to score not knock people over, and kick the ball out of bounds. After the game we bought some plants and trees and went to work in the yard. Below you can see Mikaela helping me dig a hole. She is a hard worker and truly my little buddy. We are truly blessed to have kids that desire to spend time with us, even in the midst of hard labor!

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to all of our friends and family. We just wanted to share a sweet moment we experienced with Tahlia at our Good Friday church service. We allowed Tahlia to color several pictures duing the service, and at some point after she finished the pre-printed pictures she turned the page over and drew an original. The drawing is below.

Ashley was sitting next to her and observed she was beginning to cry. She looked at the picture and saw Tahlia had drawn a picture of the crucifixion of Christ. Below you can see a rough drawing of Christ on the cross, with a crown of thorns, and a sad face.

When Ashley asked if the girl next to the cross was Mary, Tahlia said "no, it is me." Ashley asked her why she was crying, and she replied "because He had to die." Ashley then was able to talk to her about her sins and how Jesus was grieved over our sins, but He loved us so much He gave His life up for us. Ashley continued by sharing many elements within the gospel of Christ. Tahlia's rendering of herself at the foot of the cross is below.

What amazed is about the drawings was the emotion she drew. This was the first time she had ever drawn a person with emotion. Obviously, she was paying attention to what our pastor was saying and what the choir was singing. What a blessing to see the Spirit work in her life, and convict her of her sin. We praise God for the wonderful gift of His Son on the cross, and the hope we have through His resurrection (1 Cor. 15; 1 Pet. 1). We also praise God for children who have sensitive hearts. Happy Easter! He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Three Months Old Already!

2009-04-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

It is amazing three months has already passed since the boys arrived. We are loving every minute of the twins experience. I am amazed at how quickly the kiddos change and although we love the infant stage we are very anxious for all the future events like conversations, playing games, wrestling, etc. Enjoy the pics and take note of the "USC" ball. The boys are already playing for a winning team!

First Blog Post, First Soccer Game

2009-04-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

We are entering the blogosphere and I figured what better way to start then by writing about Tahlia's first soccer game! We remember playing ourselves and it was surreal watching our firstborn begin her years of sport (if you don't count swimming, and I DON'T!). She actually has some mad skills, and after watching her I think she would hold her own in a pee wee football league. Even with all that aggressiveness she somehow manages to keep her princess like manners! Lastly, in case you were wondering about the background in the title bar, yes that is where we live - we are very blessed to see this scenery almost daily!

look at the foot control

determined

watching sissy? or thinking about opening day this week?

the best part of youth league