A Great Week with Family and Happy Easter!

We had a lovely week with my mom and Henry! We get to have such special quality time when family come to visit....we don't have to share our time with anyone else like we have to do in Canada when we visit =)

And Happy Easter to you all! He is risen!!!! He is alive forever!!!

Me: "Noah, what is Easter about?"
Noah: "Jesus"
Me: "What did Jesus do?"
Noah: "Died on the cross"

Amen! Because He loves us and wants to be with us! No more separation! He is alive!

Having Fun! And I almost forgot....

We are having SUCH a blast with my mom and Henry visiting this week! Suppers together, the zoo, hanging out at their hotel, prophecy rooms and time at the Plaza! We are being showered with love and family time and I'm loving it =)

It is such a gift and such a special way to celebrate....

PASSING THE EXAM!!!!

In light of having so much fun, I forgot to blog that I found out my results! And I passed the NCLEX! How lovely!

So, this has been a special week! Here are some pics with the fam!

Ahhhh....done.

It is finished! I'm done the exam! And that feels great =)

I completed it in 1.5 hours instead of the maximum 6 and it was so nice to spend the day with my family instead of taking a test =) Thank you to all who were praying and for the emails and comments =)

I hope to find out mid-week whether I passed or not! I sure hope I did =)

We'll see how the Lord guides us on....He has given us perfect timing thus far with step by step guidance so we'll see what the next one is!

10 hours away...

The big day is almost here....for me.... and my mom actually! My lovely mama gets married tomorrow and then is coming here to visit and have a honeymoon! We are SOOOOO excited for her and Henry to arrive on Monday! Noah is sooooo pumped =)

I will be at the test center in 10 hours and a few hours later, hopefully less than more, it will all be done. Many hours of studying later and we'll see how it goes. It has been fun to learn and prepare and now I'm ready to be done with it =) I'm looking forward to having so much "spare" time! Lol!

So, if you are thinking of me tomorrow, please pray for me! I really hope to pass the first time =) I start at 8am and could go as long as 6 hours.

The Lord has been guiding me through the whole process so I choose to trust that He will be guiding me tomorrow too as we take the test together!

I'll let you know how it goes =)

Melt My Heart....

There are things your kids say that totally melt your heart!

This week, we got a free reconditioned Vitamix and have been really enjoying smoothies and milkshakes! It was another reminder that God provides for us in creative ways =) Noah really doesn't like the loud noise it makes and so we've been talking about fear these days and teaching him that to say "no fear in Jesus' name because Jesus is with me"!

On Friday, I was driving with Noah in his car seat behind me and he started talking about something making him scared. This is new language he's using and we want to give him the tools to combat it. So, I said to the line above to him and told him that Jesus is with him so he doesn't have to be afraid.

His next comment blew me away and melted my heart.

"Jesus loves you and He died on the cross".

Wham! Straight from the mouth of a 2 year old. Unprompted. Simple truth about the cross!

Wowzers! In the last few days, he has been talking about the cross. It is perfect timing leading up to Easter in 2 weeks and I think I'm going to follow his lead and we'll teach him more about the cross and the resurrection.

Those are awesome parenting moments that make your heart soar =)

Noah wanted to wear the right hockey stuff for playing hockey so here he is =)

Random Things...

Hello all! Sorry for my tardiness! I've been meaning to blog all week....but don't have anything big to blog about these days.

Most of my "extra" time is filled with study hours. 2 weeks from today and I will be writing the NCLEX exam already! So, I have certain areas that I really need to work on and review and we as a family are going to be putting in the hours the next 2 weeks. And then it will be done =)

I've really been enjoying learning again and using parts of my brain that have been a little dormant =) It has been mentally refreshing and is good for my heart! I'm so thankful for the grace the Lord has given us for this short season and I'm glad that it isn't like this all the time because that would be too much =) Normally, I always nap when Noah is napping. With the blessing of the time change and the grace of the Lord for studying, I have been able to use many naptimes for studying instead =) Yay!

So, please pray for me in the next 2 weeks and especially on April 12th as I take the test!

Here are cute family pictures from last weekend after a 2 year old birthday party!

Introducing....the long-awaited......sign!

Community living has awesome blessings and large challenges that ebb and flow in different moments and quarters. It has been the cause of many smiles and many tears in my world over the past 2 years.

We've thought about putting up a sign on our door many, many times but just hadn't done it yet.

Well, it has been done. We have a sign on the door.

I have laughed and laughed about it this week and find it funny (and awesome) that my incredibly gracious and patient husband finally had enough of the business knocks at all hours of the day and wrote it, laminated it and put it up =) I'm giving him a high five!

I'm guessing you want to see this sign....so here it is. Welcome to the Farrows!

And ps. we've had no business knocks since the sign went up this week! It's been peaceful!

So Weird....

Midwest...your weather is so bizarre.

Tangtop, flip flops and 26 degrees Celsius this afternoon. Walking outside in the beautiful weather.

This evening, rain, thunder and lightening with a 30% chance of snow tonight.

So weird.

Official!

At the beginning of January, I wrote that I was pursuing writing my NCLEX (aka American Nursing Exam). I felt the peace to proceed forward in the process back in fall and started the mound of paperwork required, doing a bunch of it during my trip to Winnipeg in November.

This week I got my official letter in the mail and the authorization to test email from the testing center! I can write it whenever I'd like to now!

So, I'm still praying about the exact date but am hoping to write the test in the next 5 weeks before my mom and Henry come to visit! I'll keep you posted as I know!

The study motivator has been turned up! I'm aiming to studying 2 hours a day over the next few weeks and working on a schedule to make that possible. It has been fun to be in the books again and feeling like a student again =) My sister and I even had a study date at a cute coffee shop yesterday morning =) Fun!

Love Feast with the Returning Missionaries!

Last night, we had the honor of being invited to the Love Feast for our returning missionaries of our September DTS. A love feast is a special dinner the school has together to celebrate together and love one another. It was most famously practiced by the Moravians, according to Wikipedia.

Today is their graduation so last night was a special meal together where they all got dressed up and ate together, connected with one another and showed slide shows of their 3 different outreaches. It was so great to see their pictures and hear a few stories from the field. Tonight they will share more in our community gathering and that will be fun and faith building! And the food was awesome....and such a blessing to not have to cook =)

On a mama note, in the midst of the early evening, I decided to be a little flexible over the bedtime hour and kept Noah out a little past bedtime, which we practically never do. He's sitting in his booster seat at 6:30pm, hanging off the edge saying "home" and "I tired". Lol! My little routined toddler THRIVES on his routine. And that works just lovely for this routined mama =) So funny that I live a little and give him a special privilege and he's the one asking to go home and go to bed =)

Either way, it was a great time and an honor to celebrate those who have spent the last 3 months of their lives loving on people in foreign countries and sharing Jesus in the nations!

Go Canada Go!

A week ago was the end of the Olympics and the final gold medal mens hockey game.

Since our house is alive at 6am, we thought it would be fun to open up our living room to the other Canadian guys on base who would want to watch the game =) So, there were 7 of us Canadians (me being the only girl) and we watched, cheered and felt a little Canadian pride over those 3 hours together! It was fun and Noah loved having the guys over bright and early =)

Yay! Go Canada Go!

This boy makes me laugh!

My Noah is so delightful =) He makes me laugh!

Yesterday, he requested a certain thing to watch while eating lunch. It wasn't on. So, he was in tears, very sad. Shane and I couldn't help but laugh because he was sooooo cute. Our little man was crying about something neither of us have ever cried about.

"I want bull riding!".....yes, our son loves watching bull riding on Sundays. Too funny!

Many, many times a day, I get to hear the phrase "huggin the mommy" from a very cute toddler....his request for many hugs each day. I try my best to cherish each of these hugging moments and hope that he wants to "huggin the mommy" even when he's a teenager =)

And....tomorrow. Tomorrow we have a date. It's Tuesday and therefore time for grocery shopping. Today we were talking about the food that animals eat, since he has a strong like for hay. Somehow we ended up talking about what dogs eat. So......

Tomorrow we have an exciting date down the dog food aisle! I am going to show Noah the big bags of the food that dogs eat. He thinks there are taste testers but I'm trying to warn him that there are not. And yes, he has already tasted it before....from Jack's food (my mom's dog) =)

Ohhh....toddlers are a hoot!

God is doing big things!

It's pretty amazing!

YWAM Kansas City started out just over 2 years ago with a few staff and a Discipleship Training School (DTS), renting a building on a beautiful property owned by another missions group that has sent out women missionaries for decades across the USA.

2 years have passed and God has done a lot. We are about to start our 9th DTS and we currently have about 50 students between our DTS and Church Pioneering School (CPS) on campus. It has been quite a ride! God continues to add to our numbers through staff and students! It is so fun to meet new people each quarter and have new staff joining in a steady stream. God is bringing them in!

Thursday, February 13th, 2014, was a big day in our history. Not only is it my mom and sister's birthdays but it is also now YWAM Kansas City's anniversary for buying our property!!!

We are amazed and blessed. The campus we having been using and renting, is now ours! All 36 acres! All 10 buildings!

We believe the Lord is doing something big in this time in history! And He is doing something big in the area of prayer and missions, here on our base in Kansas City! He saw fit to bless us with a huge campus so we can grow and stretch in big ways! We trust He will bring the staff and the students we need to mobilize missionaries all over the world =)

As our second DTS of the year begins next week, please pray that the Lord brings every student He wants here. Also, as the take over of the campus is underway, please pray for the transition and the God-sent staff members that we need to run this place. These are exciting times!

Also.....if your heart is being stirred.....if you feel the Lord knocking on the door of your heart....if your heartbeat is starting to pound to see the gospel go forth in the nations....if you long for a season of focused time with the Lord.....

Come join us! Tuition-free DTS is happening all year because we believe the Lord is calling many and we don't want anybody to miss out! Check out www.ywamkansascity.com!

The Olympics

My husband and son are huge sports fans. The weekends are fun for Noah because Daddy is home and all kinds of sports are on! You can see him running around the apartment with hockey stick in hand, throwing footballs, soccer balls and basketballs around, doing the plank as he acts out snapping a football and all with a big, red bicycle helmet on and yelling "touchdown!" or "ready, set, go!" or something of the like. He is such a boy and I love to watch what he naturally loves =) Just like his daddy =)

So, it's fun right now that we have the Olympics to watch! He was in awe of the luge this afternoon and has been enjoying the skiing =) What was super cute earlier today was when he was saying a new word. It took us a few seconds to realize he was saying "olympics"! That is adorable!

Ready? Set?

Go, Noah, go!

The End of an Era...

It all started almost 7 years ago...May 19, 2007.

My facebook life began.

So many great moments and so many benefits. A ton of reasons why I wanted to carry on as usual...

And yet...I want more. More peace in my busy mind. Less burdens to my tender heart. More attention focused on the things that really matter.

The Lord spoke to me and gave me an invitation. It took me a while to decide so that I could do so with my whole heart, decided and at peace.

As 2013 ended, I stopped my usual relationship with FB. No more scrolling down the news feed and getting my own type of entertainment fix. And it has made a HUGE difference in my world. Looking back over the past 5-6 weeks, things are calmer on the whole in my head and heart. It is so awesome to hear my husband tell me what a difference he's noticed and it makes it worth it.

That brings me to today. The final step in the shutting down process. It is complete. Done. Yay!

We're Not in Canada Anymore Moment - Episode 5

I'm sorry, my Canadian friends, but it's just true...

You know you're not in Canada anymore, in the midst of an intense winter, when you sit on the couch, enjoying a quiet evening and you can hear the rustling of dry leaves outside the patio door. No folks, that is not what you hear in winter in Canada. I feel for my dear northern friends this year. What a doozie!

But, you know you are in the midwest when on one day you are outside in a t-shirt and the next, you are bundled up and the bus won't start. The extremes are bizarre!

I must say though....I far prefer the dry, freezing cold temperatures of the north versus the wet, damp cold temperatures of the midwest. I'd take snow over freezing rain, for sure =)

Stay warm everyone!

Surprise!!!

Uploading pictures suddenly works again! Yay! Now I can make blogs a little more interesting again =)

For a test run, here's two pics from our night away the other week! Family fun!

Night Away Success!

We had such a nice time at the hotel for 26 hours alone! It was glorious to turn off the phone and simply enjoy one another and have fun! We ran up those stairs countless times to enjoy the water slides together over and over =) It was fun to hang out and do something fun with my best friend =)

I even stayed in bed until.....not 5:30 or 6:30 or 7:30.....but 8am!!!! Wowzers! I am so used to Noah sleeping in the same room as us that when I heard a noise as I was falling asleep, I automatically thought "oh, that's just Noah flipping over in his crib". But no it wasn't....he wasn't in our room that night! What a treat =)

Then, once we were checked out and after Noah's nap, Steph and Noah joined us at the water park for a few hours! The nice thing is that you have access to the water park until 9pm on the day you check out! So, we got a great get-a-way just the two of us for 26 hours and then we got a fun family outing out of the same deal =) So sweet!

Thank you Jesus for breaks away from the everyday! How refreshing!

A Night Away!

I'm so pumped =) Starting tomorrow around noon, I get about 27 hours alone with my husband!

We are so blessed to get to take a night away without our adorable toddler and enjoy time just the two of us! We are going to have fun and say good-bye to the usual things that get our attention and enjoy one another's company in a focused way!

I said fun....yes, we are going to have fun! We are heading to a hotel for the night with a very fun waterpark! Waterslides and hot tubs, here we come!

I'm going to try not to think toooo much about Noah and how much fun he would have if he were there. We would LOVE it if we could stay a second night and have him join us for that =) Oh well, maybe another time! He will have tons of fun with Nana (his auntie) and they will get a good amount of quality time before she heads back to school on Monday =)

Yay for celebrating marriage!

A New Year with New Adventures....

One of my new adventures for 2014 is getting back in the books! I'm excited for it! I'm a little strange in that.....I actually enjoy writing multiple choice tests and having the accomplishment of getting a mark back. I haven't written a test in a while and am looking forward to it!

I am preparing to write the NCLEX exam (American Nursing Exam) and hope to write it this spring. Up to this point, I've felt closed doors every time I pray about pursing getting my nursing license in the USA. Peace to go forward came into the process/prayer this fall and I felt the go-ahead to start the application process and start studying for the exam. I can't see past that so one step at a time =)

So, this week marked a new schedule with my first study evening! To break open the study season, Shane encouraged me to go get a special drink and do my first study night out, just for fun. So that's what I did....though the slight extrovert in me had a hard time paying for a drink when it wasn't for the purpose of connecting with someone but just by myself =)

I've got a lot of work ahead of me! I wrote the Canadian nursing exam 8.5 years ago and I need to relearn a bunch of information I haven't used in a while =) Yay for exciting adventures!

Onething 2013!

Well, Onething is here and already half way done for another year! It is always great to have many people in town visiting for the occasion!

Noah and I went the last 2 mornings and it has been so nice to be a part of the worship. Noah has been talking a lot about "worship...dark" since he loves that the room is dark with all the fancy lights =) He's been praying, singing and dancing nonstop the last few days =) It is so special to hear him praying and saying phrases like "more Jesus, more worship". Love it!

On the same note, 30,000 people and loud music = an overstimulated toddler who finally crashed after talking and jumping in his crib at nap time for 1.5 hours. But, sowing into his spirit was worth it!

I'm looking forward to spending the evening with Jesus at home as I send off the fam (my hubby and sibs) to encounter Jesus at Onething. I'm so glad He can encounter me just the same in my living room =) He's faithful to meet me too and I'm thankful for His grace in the different seasons of life.

Happy New Year!

We're Not in Canada Anymore Moment - Episode 4

Except....this is going to be a "But we still are from Canada Moment" really!

On Christmas Eve, we had a lunch with the staff who stayed on base for Christmas. I had Noah in my arms and bumped into another toddler. So, I patted her head and said sorry for bumping her.

A few minutes later, Noah was sitting in his high chair as we prepared to eat. One of our staff guys went by in a hurry and bumped Noah's high chair. Noah responded "Sorry Kent!". And repeated it. He was apologizing for someone bumping into him.

Now, as I sit here, I hear Noah playing with his tractors and little people. I can hear "Sorry man!" as part of the play dialogue.

Well, that confirms it. My son is definitely Canadian. The "sorry"s reveal it!

Blogger Book Review - Unveiling Grace by Lynn K. Wilder

Unveiling Grace is a autobiography and testimonial about the Wilder family who was deeply enmeshed in Mormonism and the story of how they found their way out and into the saving knowledge of the Jesus of the Bible. The book is written by Lynn, wife to Michael and mother to the 4 Wilder children, now adults, and takes you on a journey through decades of their story and lives.

I really enjoyed this book! It was very eye-opening to the world of Mormonism and the beliefs they hold. It gives me a better idea what kind of gospel Latter Day Saints are sharing as I've often seen people with LDS name tags walking the streets of my neighborhood back home. I really enjoyed reading the life story about the Wilder family.

The biggest take-a-way I received personally from reading this book was that it provoked me to read the Word. It increased my desire to want to read the Word as I saw the different family members dig into the Scriptures to find the truth. Their hunger and passion for the Bible stirred my heart. If ones that didn't know Jesus personally at that time could be that hungry for His Word, as one who knows Him and loves Him, I want to hunger more for His Word!

I would definitely recommend this book to others! Actually I have a friend borrowing it already =)

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Last Few Weeks...

It's been a good few weeks since I last posted! I'm a little behind on my usual posting because of our lovely 12 days in Canada!

Noah and I had a WONDERFUL time in Canada, soaking in quality time with all the different sets of grandparents. We spent the majority of our time resting with family and making memories. I got to catch up with a few friends as well, which was delightful =) My wonderful in-laws babysat a sleeping Noah a few nights for me which was a blessing!

When my heart was dreaming of the idea of a trip home, I envisioned restful, quality time with my parents and parents-in-law. It was just that. I thoroughly enjoyed time with all my parents =) I miss them already.

We returned last week and went right into birthday celebrations for our 2 year old! Noah turned 2 on December 4 and we had a wonderful day filled with celebration! A lunch party with some little friends at Chick-fil-A (who put on a GREAT party!) and a supper celebration with the things Noah requested a while back...aunties and mowers. A friend made an awesome mower cake for the occasion! So much fun!

This week on base, our outreach teams are leaving and a number of staff are heading home for the holidays. This place can go from bustling to quiet in a few days! I love the bustle of schools and students but I also look forward to the quiet times on base =) It has an element of solitude in the midst of community living =) Please keep our 3 outreach teams in your prayers! They will be on the field until the end of February.

Love and blessings from the Farrows!

5 days!

Noah and I will be on our way to Canada in 5 days =) I'm looking forward to seeing our family and friends in Canada again!

Noah has been talking about "plane & sky" and "mama & bappa"! He knows we are going to be flying on a plane and going to see his beloved grandparents. So special!

I'm thankful for this time and that it is just before his 2nd birthday and the Christmas season. It makes it even more special =)

If you are praying for us next Wednesday, please pray for our flight. I'm hoping and praying that my active toddler will be able to sit on my lap well =)

3 weeks away...

A few weeks ago, I started thinking a lot about the idea of visiting Manitoba again. I think it had to do with looking at a photo book every morning with my toddler of our trip in July. It made me want to see all my parents again. And Grandma Helen got a new play structure and wanted Noah to see it. I wanted him to see it to.

One night, Shane throws out the comment that maybe I should go with Noah on one last flight before he's 2 in December. And my heart and mind snatched the idea and ran with it that evening and the following days =)

In the last few weeks, we started to realize our original plan to return for Christmas wasn't going to happen for a number of reasons. But the idea of coming for a visit in November was still on my heart and in my prayers. It was looking impossible financially but we kept praying about it.

Well, last week it came together. The peace dropped in our hearts. $400 came in toward a ticket. And I book it =) We're going to see our family again in 2013 =) Yay! Thank you Jesus!

3 weeks today at this time, I'll be hanging out in Manitoba at one of our parents' houses and enjoying some family time =) And I'm guessing I'll be cold in the "northern" climate again =)

Family Time!

I sure love family time =) My boys are such a joy to me and I LOVE spending time with them!

Today we visited our first pumpkin patch! I don't remember hearing about pumpkin patches in Canada...though they may be there. But they sure seem big here in the midwest.

Last year, we went to a corn maze with some free tickets and right next door was a very cool and fun looking pumpkin patch! I wanted to do that next year! So, next year is here and I have a very energetic toddler that loves animals, tractors, trains and pumpkins these days and all these things are found at that pumpkin patch! So, thankfully I found a steal of a deal (free admission) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4-6pm! So we went!

Noah LOVED the train. He LOVED the tractors and went on his first hay ride! And he squealed with delight feeding the goats from his hand =) That was possibly the best part to watch =)

Yay for fall! Yay for family time!

22 Months Now!

My adorable little boy is 22 months now! Only 2 short months and we'll be celebrating his 2nd birthday! I asked him the other day what he wants for his birthday party. He said two things...aunties and mowers. So we will try to invite his favorite KC aunties and have a mower-type theme =)

Noah is learning new words daily! He surprises us! His vocabulary is already at 75-100 words and he's starting to say phrases and it is so adorable!

The other day, he woke from his nap, sat up, sighed, smiled and reclined, folding his hands and said "Let's pray!". Hilarious! I asked who we should pray for and he said "Nana!" (that is the only person he suggests we pray for....Nana is Auntie Stephanie). He usually suggests we pray for her and then waits quietly while I do the praying. This time, he prayed along with me out loud =) So cute!

Noah is growing and growing! He is growing out of a bunch of his clothes and is already too tall for the sleepers we bought in Canada in July! Wow! Others around the base have been making comments that he seems to be growing inches over night these days!

In celebration of 22 months, I weighed and measured Noah. He is a whopping 23.5 lbs now and 33.25 inches (2 feet 9.25 inches). Such cuteness to me!

He continues to show us so many parts of his personality and character. He is smart and very perceptive. He is tender and compassionate, especially if he hears someone crying. He is super duper friendly, loving to talk with strangers and saying hi to everyone he passes. He has a gift for names...amazingly remembering the names of some people he's only met once. He has more energy than anyone I know. He has a strong love for mowers, cars, trains and animals these days. He also loves bedtime. Glory!

Happy 22 Months, little guy! You are a joy to our family!

Blessings from the Lord as a woman, wife and mother...

Last weekend was our first Missional Woman's Conference here at YWAM-KC! It was fun to participate as part of the team and see and experience the Lord blessing us as women and mothers. I had the great privilege of heading up the personal prayer ministry and I LOVE seeing women encounter Jesus, feel His nearness and hear His approval over them. What a blessing to be a part of that! The messages were good with a big focus this year on family, generational blessings/curses and making your home a house of prayer for your family. Worship was awesome =) I'm already getting ideas for next year's conference!

One big treasure was having some lovely Winnipeg gals join us for the conference. I was so grateful to have a connecting girls day lunch with Jacquie, Corrie and Stephanie, just like girls day back in the homeland, but in a different place =) We got to take them to Henry's Tea Room, which is such a feminine place and unique experience, away from the normal places you may go! It was awesome to see them, receive from the Lord in the same room and see the Lord envision and encounter my friends. It was so great to have them see in real time, where we live, the people we work with and some of the things we do =) So neat!

Then to top it off, I got to go to the IHOP Moms Gathering this last Thursday. I feel so blessed. Linda Hackett spoke and Carol Hall did worship and the Lord met me in a number of ways that evening. I feel blessed by the Lord to be here in Kansas City as this stage of my life as a mom of a young child. He is so kind and knows just what my heart needs.

The 1st Missional Woman's Conference is almost here!

On Friday, YWAM-KC is having our first and hopefully annual Missional Woman's Conference! It is going to be an AWESOME time of teaching, learning, worshiping and encountering Jesus together as women! I'm totally pumped about the speakers, topics and worship that we will partake of! Check it out www.ywamkc.org/mwc!

The next few days are busy ones as we prepare our campus for 200 women to join us!

Please pray for our team this week as we prepare and for every women who will be here this weekend! We want to encounter Jesus in an incredible way!

We're Not in Canada Anymore Moment - Episode 3

...except this is actually going to be a "Wow. We are back in Canada" moment from our trip in July =)

I'm getting a little fuzzy on all the moments I first had back in the homeland when I remembered I wasn't in the USA anymore, but I'll try to remember a few of them because they were interesting!

First of all....the speed limit. Driving around Winnipeg, the general signs you see say 60. I've gotten so used to looking at the small numbers in miles on my speedometer that it took some getting used to to switch my eyes back to the kms. 60 miles down St.Mary's would NOT be a good idea! I had to get used to the switch because I found myself going a little fast at the beginning.

Second....the roads. I loved driving around Winnipeg! There are only 2 lanes of traffic in one direction...not an interstate of many, many lanes. I know how to get everywhere and everything felt so familiar =) I could get to most places (the mall, Starbucks, church, grocery store, etc) in 5 minutes or so. How wonderful!

Third....poutine. We went to the mall and had poutine for lunch on the first day. Enough said.

Fourth....the license plates. I felt a little culture shock looking at the all the license plates around me as I drove. I'm so used to seeing Missouri and Kansas and suddenly everyone has Manitoba plates! I still have one too but I never see it when I'm driving =)

Fifth...the money. Yes, I love loonies and twoonies and the different colored bills =)

Six...the atmosphere. Canada just plain feels different. It felt safer. It felt cleaner. It felt smaller. I really liked all these things and never noticed them before. Ahhhh....I love Canada.

Seven...perogies and farmer sausage. I love this food and we can't get it here =( My neighbors have no clue what farmer sausage even is! Noah LOVED the farmer sausage but would hardly even try the perogies for some reason. We ate a lot of it during our 3 weeks =)

Eight...the people. Canada is so multicultural. I love seeing all the nationalities!

Nine...the temperature. Well....the lack of humidity really. It felt cold at 28 degrees when you weren't in the sun! Strange! I like the dry heat =)

And let's see if I can remember a tenth....

Ah yes...Superstore and all the brands I am familiar with and prefer! It was great to walk through the store and stock up on things I like and can't find in the USA....like creamed honey. And Sweedish Berries. And Oreo baking crumbs for cheesecake. And D drops for Noah. And a few articles of Joe clothing from Grandma =)

Wow. We were back in Canada! And hopefully it won't be too long until we can come again!

The Latest in Life...

Lots has been happening over here in the last few weeks...making meals for all the women who have had new babies on the base, reconnecting with friends, prepping for our upcoming womens conference (check it out! www.ywamkc.org/mwc), baby shower, playdates, prayer room evenings and much more.

Some of the highlights??? My sister is back! Yay! She returned last week and we are so glad! Noah is SOOOOO happy to have auntie around again =) Though she was "auntie" before she left this summer and is now "nana" or "nani" =)

Another.....my hubby had another birthday! And we got to have a date to celebrate! We hadn't taken an official date since Steph was here in June so it was time. I love that man and it is WONDERFUL to see how the Lord is molding and shaping him over the last 14 birthdays we've celebrated together =) Wow. I can't believe we've been together that long!

A personal highlight for me was spending last week in the evenings learning, receiving and worshiping with the Circuit Rider crew. The Lord met with me, spoke to me and touched my heart. I am hungry for more! I am so grateful for the opportunities and resources here to meet with Jesus and learn about Him. So thankful =) It was also refreshing to enjoy worshiping the Lord through dance again. A few of the nights, the lights were dimmed and the building was kinda empty compared to the usual EGS/FCF services...which means more room to worship! It felt like those good old Vineyard worship days...ahhh. So good!

Now we are in the midst of a packed week of staff development. It has been great to gather all the different parts of the YWAM KC family and worship, learn and grow together the last few days. Thankfully I have some awesome friends who have helped watch Noah =) God is doing good things and I'm reminded again of how grateful I am that He drew us to Kansas City at this time and allowed us to be involved in what He's doing in the prayer and mission movements!

A Long Awaited Update!

Well, it has been quite the month since I last blogged! I actually am surprised that it has been that long! Since I last wrote, we have planned a trip to Canada and come and gone already!

We had the delight of spending the last 3 weeks in Canada and focused our time with our family, whom we hadn't seen in a year. It was a special time with family and one of the most cherished parts was seeing Noah with his grandparents again. He is in love and they all are in love in return =)

Sadly, even with 3 weeks, we didn't get to see all the people we wanted to =( Managing our schedule was one of the hardest parts of the trip. We felt too busy and at times overwhelmed by all the visits, yet our hearts wanted to connect with so many more people than we did. This whole living far away deal and wanted to connect when home deal doesn't work so well =(

I thought of blogging actually. Because I had a number of "oh my word. I am in Canada again!" moments, especially at the beginning of the trip! I'll have to blog that in a separate one =) It was SO GREAT to be in the homeland =)

We arrived back in Kansas City yesterday afternoon and are spending the weekend getting settled back into our new home. Well, it's the same one that we've been in for 15 months, minus 6 weeks, but somehow my heart and mind have to process things a little differently now that I know our assignment here is for a longer period officially. It might take a little processing of the mind and heart after living in limbo land for a year...

Lots of thoughts....but that's all for now...

We're Not In Canda Anymore Moment - Episode 2

I had another evening with that occasional, unfamiliar, slightly out of place feeling that led me to realize again...we're not in Canada anymore folks.

My lovely friend and neighbor is having a baby and I went with some other ladies from our base to her baby shower the other night. As the evening conversation is flowing, a number of moments remind me that indeed, I am a foreigner.

Firstly, when mace on your key chain and a loaded gun concealed under your clothes enters the conversation, you know you are not in Canada.

Secondly, when talking about what people might rob from a Dollar General store.....what in the world is a ding dong? Or a ho ho? To be honest, I just goggled them for a visual. Again, you know you are not in Canada.

There you have it folks. Though it seems as though there wouldn't be large differences since we are on the same body of land, same continent and generally what you would think is the same culture, do not be fooled!

We are not in Canada anymore. These moments prove it.

Great News!

We have GREAT news!

Instead of taking 30-45 days, we have heard from the lawyer in just 2.5 weeks! What a delightful surprise! Shane got an email last Sunday, on Father's Day as he was getting out of bed. I wanted to share it days ago but we had a few people we needed to contact first so instead I hinted on my last post that it was a great day with moments of happiness =)

Our visas are approved!!!! Until December 2015! Wowers.

Before I take the time to let that sink in, all I can think about is a trip home to Canada! A long-awaited trip to the homeland! I'm so excited! I can't wait to be reunited with my fam and especially for Noah to spend some time with his grandparents, aunts and uncles!

We are awaiting papers in the mail and when they arrive, we can make a trip! So, we hope to see them arrive this week so we can begin making plans!

Yay! Let the celebration begin!

Celebrations!

I love special celebration days! And this week we got to celebrate on 2 special days!

Wednesday was our 9th Anniversary! We had a special celebration this year, relishing the fact that Noah's beloved Auntie Stephanie was in town and able to be with him all day long =) We really enjoying that and with the blessing of Shane's boss, we took the day to be together. So. Lovely!

We started the day off right....in the prayer room getting prophetic ministry =) Then we headed to the Plaza (a ritzy area of town with shops and fountains), walked around and ate Brazilian BBQ for the first time! Shane LOVES meat so it was special to try a new place that was all about meat =) We had been given a Starbuck's gift card specifically to celebrate our anniversary so we hit up Starbuck's and another walk after lunch, before heading back to check in with Steph and Noah. The little man was happy to see us and we hung out for a bit before heading out once more to wander the aisles of Target and try on some glasses. I'm in the market for new ones! We relaxed at home in the evening and got to spend some time with Stephanie. What a lovely day!

And then today! Father's Day! It was a nice day, full of family quality time and moments of happiness =) We tried a new park, played outside, napped, played in the toy aisles at Walmart and I picked up Chipotle for my hubby for supper =) I also had to bake him his own cake =)

I love reasons to celebrate good things, beloved people and special milestones!

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

This week we borrowed a camera from a friend on base and my lovely sister took some pictures of our family! We drove to a little lake nearby that she recently discovered and took some pictures of our family of 3. I love them =) I am so blessed to have my boys to journey through life with =)

Today, Steph and I went outside to take some pictures of Noah for a little 18 month photo shoot. He did so great and turned on some great moves =) He is SUCH a handsome boy!

Sadly, I still haven't figured out how to post pictures on here =( But, I uploaded a few to facebook! Check it out!

THINGS ARE MOVING FORWARD!!!

After a long delay in our visa process, we received great news last week!

We have been waiting on the further documentation the government asked for and that whole step in the process began way back in February. It has had many challenging moments...as you've read along the way.

The accountant was able to gather all the information....and there was a ton of information they were asking for. We assumed it would take weeks for the lawyer to process all of it before submitting it. Alas, we were wrong for the better!!!! As of last Thursday we got an email saying it has been filed!!!! We should hear something from the government in the next 30-45 days! What glorious news!

We are anticipating a summer trip home to Canada =) It has been way too long since we've seen loved ones....especially since Noah has seen his aunts, uncles, grandpas and grandmas!

Thank you Lord for this news! 

A Few Cute Noah Tidbits...

Our little toddler has totally captured our hearts! He's such a delight!

A few tidbits on life with Noah these days...

- on the go constantly....yesterday at church, I was in the toddler room and the lady next to me (whom I don't know) says to me "Wow. He's busy! I thought my daughter was busy but he's way busier!". He is a quick little guy and can run fast!

- getting more and more verbal....he is able to communicate a bunch between a few sounds/words and few signs. He is very expressive! Noah will talk in the van all the way to the store, down the aisles and all the way home. He especially likes to talk to the cashier and try to get people who look preoccupied and busy to look at him. He smiles at them and tries to get their attention =)

- full of affection...Noah loves people! He seems to really care about how people are doing and feeling and always has a hug to give. He wraps his little arms around your neck and squeezes. He gives the best hugs! Even to all the strangers on the playground =) Yesterday in the toddler room at church, I watched him connect with every family in there. It appears he has a caring, pastoral heart already =)

- loves things that start with the letter "B"....buses, Bibles, books, birds and even pointing out his bum when I'm changing his diaper =)

- teething...he cut 3 molars and 1 canine tooth in the last 2 weeks. It wasn't so bad! The amber necklace has been helping, I think! The last few days, the teething symptoms have increased....is he getting more?!

- loves being outside and is pretty tough with all the bumps, scrapes and bruises that go along with being an active, toddler boy! I am constantly praying for protection from injury!

We are so blessed to have Noah in our family! I love that little guy!

We're Not in Canada Anymore Moments

I was thinking a few weeks ago that I really should be recording the moments we have that we like to label "We're not in Canada anymore!" moments =) For your enjoyment, Shane and I both had a WNICA moment on the same day a few weeks ago. Shane's was hilarious! I don't know if the funniness will transfer via blog, but here's the story =)

As a disclaimer, I mean no disrespect to the people or cultures involved in any of these cases. They simply remind us that we are not in our homeland anymore and make us chuckle. There are aspects of people and culture here, that are very different than home!

Earlier in the afternoon, I was at a company and getting some direction from the lady in charge. She was African American and the delivery of her information to the group made me continuously chuckle to myself. There is just no way you would hear someone talking like that in Canada. The culture is so different! She was talking about how we had to use black pen. Instead in of simply stating that, she went on and on to prove her point. "Now, you need to use black pen. Not your pretty purple pen or ____ pen (insert whatever colors, I don't remember her examples)" and the tone had attitude and it just made me smile and realize.....we are not in Canada anymore.

I told Shane about my moment when I got home and a few hours later as I was putting Noah to bed, Shane went to the store nearby by grab some milk. He was crouching down at the fridge/freezer to pull out a jug of milk. As he stands, he hears of the voice of someone coming down the aisle. These two African American ladies are walking toward him and one says, "Dang! You cute for a white boy!". Drop. Dead. Hilarious. And so crazy bold!

She goes on to ask what he's doing tonight and Shane tells her that he's on his way home to his wife =) She communicates her disappointment and how she would have loved to hung out with him for the evening.

Oh my word. Totally hilarious and not something we probably would have encountered in Canada.

We are not in Canada anymore. These moments prove it.

A Few Updates...

I thought it was time to update on a few things....

Our visas....sadly, still not processed. We finally heard from the lawyer a week and a half ago with all the information that he needs from the base. Needless to say, it is a big job and the accountant is working on it. So, once he has it all together, he will send it to the lawyer, who will go over it and hopefully send it back to the government asap. The timing has been such a challenge. We never thought it would take this long and still possibly be far away from the end.

In light of the lack of visas.....Shane is not going to Thailand on Monday =( He has worked so hard the last 5 months preparing for the Call2All Congress and it is so disappointing that he won't get to be on the ground, seeing the fruit of his labor. As I write, Shane is working hard in his office. He has been working all day and evening this week, as well as all weekend so far. Thankfully, the end is in sight because this pace would never work long term! But, the Lord is helping me with grace and today He kindly sustained me and energized me, despite the sacrifice of the last little while. Though we are disappointed Shane won't be in Thailand with his team (and working through frustration with the visa process from time to time), we feel peace.

Our night away was lovely! And the Lord knew that we really needed some quality time before this last week of such intense work! It was so wonderful to connect and not have to share one another with anyone!

Noah....is adorable, getting more and more verbal, runs everywhere, loves everything and is teething fiercely. One molar is mostly through and the other 3 are soooo close. He lights up my world =)

Please continue to pray for our visa situation and the Lord's perfect timing...before June would be really great!

Blogger Book Review - The Christian Mama's Guide to Parenting a Toddler by Erin MacPherson

The Christian Mama's Guide to Parenting a Toddler is a book about entering the world of parenting a toddler. The author is a mom of 3 herself and pulls from a number of different people, resources and experiences to discuss a number of topics applicable to any mom of a toddler. Topics such as discipline, tantrums, sleep habits, healthy eating, potty training and preschool are covered, as well as topics specific to moms such as keeping date nights alive, the joys and challenges of stay-at-home moms and working moms, and preparing for baby #2.

I had mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the topics and could definitely identify with many of the circumstances and challenges of parenting a toddler as I enter into the toddler phase with my little guy. I liked a lot of the lists of suggestions and recommendations that Erin provided and I think I will look back through the book to try some of them out!

On the other hand, I really had a hard time reading the book because of the tone of the author. I felt that humor and sarcasm was used far too much. I myself am more of a serious person and really dislike sarcasm in general. It made me feel like what is holy and sacred about motherhood wasn't valued or communicated in the way that I would have liked to hear. It was hard for me to get past the tone and enjoy the content.

I may recommend this book to mommy friends of mine but I would definitely disclaimer the tone and see if it would be a good fit for their personalities and communication style first.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Romantic Get-A-Way!

Ahhhh...I am so excited! Shane and I are getting away for a night by ourselves this week! We haven't done that since our Babymoon a month before Noah was born...that's already a year and a half ago! Wow! Time flies!

I will always cherish the memories of our Babymoon. A generous couple allows us to spend 2 nights in their cabin, right on the lake and it was so peaceful and enjoyable! We BBQed, went for walks, watched movies and relaxed. Soooo awesome.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I would love the chance to get away for a night with Shane before my sister heads back to Canada for the summer. The next day, as I was sharing some of my struggles at my women's small group, one of my friends pointed out that I might just need some time away with Shane. She asked when the last time was that Shane and I were off base together for a night.....not since we arrived in Kansas City last June. I realized she might be on to something.

I mentioned the advice to Shane and was starting to think more about it. That evening or the next day, we got a text from a friend who felt that we needed to get away for a night or two and wanted to send a gift of finances to help make that happen! I think that is confirmation! This person knew nothing about our recent thoughts/conversations! =)

So, with the Lord's kind prompting and special provision, we are doing just that!

It's a crazy time for Shane, super busy at the office preparing for the Call2All Congress in Thailand in just a few weeks and lots and lots of meetings at the base these days. He's been pulling long hours and working some evenings/weekends. We are still waiting for visas and are praying about the timing and sovereignty of the Lord over this situation, especially since Shane is supposed to leave for Thailand in 2 weeks today. In light of this all, we and the friends involved in our story, feel that we are supposed to go for our getaway now, and not wait until after Thailand.

So, we are off on Thursday to a cute bed and breakfast in a Georgian-style mansion 45 minutes away! Yay! I am one exciting lady!

Waiting, waiting and more waiting...

I sure had hoped to be driving to Manitoba today =( I had hope and faith to pray that this week there would be breakthrough in the visa process. So, Noah and I have been praying in an increased way the last 2 weeks and even felt stirred to start planning what our trip would include, whenever it so happens. I figured out it would work best to leave here on a Thursday so we could get in 2 weekends with our family in Manitoba. Who knew today would be the best Thursday to leave between now and July. And we are not northbound. Boo.

I'm disappointed but the first thing I'm feeling is frustration. Aimed at the lawyer. We just found out he still hasn't done the work that the government is waiting for. First the documents were lost in the US postal service for 6 weeks and now we've been waiting for the lawyer to do their requests for the last 3 weeks. And we can do nothing. about. it.

I'm mad. And a little sad. And having a moment of frustration.

This process has had a lot of grace and generally I feel a lot of peace with the uncertainty, waiting and lack of control we have. But, this week I'm feeling like I've had enough. This is feeling ridiculous already and I think this has taken long enough. We need some breakthrough!

So, I need to turn this frustration into contending prayer, praying that we would see breakthrough and that I wouldn't give up that hope and faith for it, despite discouraging news from the lawyer.

Please pray with us that the lawyer would do the work needed speedily, submit it very soon, that nothing else would be needed and that our visas would be approved quickly. And pray that we would have peace that the Lord holds the timing in His hands, regardless of the timing issues we have in the natural. We'll keep you posted!

A Step Closer to Canada....

Glory! My passport arrived this morning!

My passport expired and so I had to renew it from here in Kansas City and I didn't know if the timing would be incredibly awkward. What I mean by this is what if our visas were approved and we could make a trip to Canada, only to not be able to because my passport hadn't arrived from Canada yet? That would be such a bummer!

Also, with how the mail works with our set up here at YWAM, we can't receive Fed Ex packages at our door. We were praying that the Lord would work a special circumstance that would allow us to receive the passport, when the systems in place here make a delivery like that really awkward.

Again, the Lord made a way, just like He did when we were waiting for Shane's a few months ago. I got a knock on the door from the neighbor who happened to be upstairs when Fed Ex pulled up and talked with the driver. I'm sooooo grateful that he was in the right place at the right time and that God made a way for that passport to get to me instead of being redirected back to Canada!

Now we're one step closer to a trip to Manitoba! Please continue to pray with us for our visas!

Toddlers Times

Today my little Noah is 16 months and he sure has left babyhood behind for discovering life as a toddler!

It seems that he is learning new things every day and it is so fun and fascinating to watch him discover the world around him. It makes simple things like horses, hugs, dancing, snacks, drinks of water, walks down the hallway, ping pong paddles, buses and keys seem like gold. They are major reasons to get VERY excited, wave your arms, raise your eyebrows and pant with sheer joy =) I love this. It has made me get excited about the animals that we can see out our window, the walks around the base that are like adventures and giving a cup of water has a whole new meaning =)

Noah had the flu for the first time earlier this month. It was so sad to see him so sick =( He was so sweet and precious, not fussing, but instead got super quiet and relaxed. It was so weird to see him so stationary! We enjoyed lots of snuggles. He got the flu only 3 days after I returned from my trip to Colorado and since then he's been nursing like a newborn the last few weeks. Just the last 3 days or so has he relaxed a little in that department =)

My little man is barely 20 lbs and though I haven't measured him recently, he's growing because I've had to put away a lot of clothes lately based on length. He's still wearing mostly 12-18 month clothes, though the first thing he seems to progress to the next size in is sleepers. I'm hoping we get to take a trip to Manitoba soon because I want to stock up on 18 month sleepers at Superstore!

Noah LOVES many things with great enthusiasm. He is his auntie Stephanie's biggest fan and gets so excited to see her whether in person or praying on the webstream. Noah loves being around people. Around the base, he runs and plays happily and chatters to himself but in public, he's often quieter because he does a lot of people-watching. He's adorable in the car seat...just chilling and staring out the window, sometimes making noises that really sound like he's singing along to the music.

As I mentioned above, Noah seems to be learning new things every day! This week, he's learnt to point to his nose when we ask where it is, to climb into the stroller, stand up and reach for things on the shelf, give open-mouthed kisses, to spin around dancing, to master the slide (even head first!) and he's started copying Shane and I when we cough or sneeze =)

Happy 16 months Noah! You are such a delight and bring so much joy to all those around you!

From Snowstorms to Sunburns...

The weather in Kansas City can be so extreme! Last weekend, we had a snowstorm. And when they have snowstorms out here, the city goes from green/brown to white in a few short hours. I've never seen it snow that fast! Everything is covered in snow! I love the way the trees look with snow so perfectly placed on all the branches. So pretty!

Then a few days pass by and today we're out in t-shirts, shorts, flip flops and I am dealing with the mild effects of my first sunburn of the year! What a lovely day! Shane, Noah and I went for a walk at the park and Noah discovered a love of slides =) At first he was cautious and looked a little scared, but with daddy encouraging him from the top and mommy waiting at the bottom, plus lots of cheering from both parties, he didn't take long to think this was SO FUN! It was so cute =)

I'm soooo looking forward to spring weather! I wish all of summer could be the temperature it was today, since the summers down here are REALLY hot! Uncomfortably hot.

I'm dreaming of many zoo days, trips to the splash park, walks in the park and fun in the little pool from Grandma and Grandpa Farrow. Noah is in such a different stage this year compared to last. He was interactive but still very much a baby and now he's full into toddlerhood, running, yelling and playing =)

It's going to be a fun summer!

My Time Away in the Mountains...

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a Captivating Retreat (from the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge). The Lord miraculously made a way for me to go on this retreat with 4 other women from my ladies/moms group on Friday afternoons. It was lovely!

I was super torn back in December when I had to decide whether or not I would be going. I just didn't know how Noah or I would do being apart, since up until this last weekend, we hadn't been apart for more than 4 hours. I felt the Lord whisper to me "Come away with Me", despite the fears and panic that seemed overwhelming at the thought of leaving Noah, being in another state and unaccessible.

The Lord is so good and so kind. He wanted me to be there. And He made a way, in many ways. He worked it out that our group was chosen as attendees in the way they select who is chosen. He miraculously provided the funds for the retreat, when I totally was planning on just not going. He allowed me to go with a great group of women and I got the pleasure of getting to know them even more as we were away from the day to day and had a few days to just be women, apart from the roles we play at home. He helped me emotionally, comforted me and gave me peace as I was away from my little boy. He has given me an INCREDIBLE husband who would have packed my bags for me if I chose not to go and did great with Noah while I was gone. He comforted and tended to my little guy who was super happy and cheerful while I was away and enjoyed the daddy time. He even let me fly on an airplane...without an infant in lap.

And, He totally met me.

In many ways, the Lord touched my heart and spoke to me on many levels. I'm so grateful. There is so much He is interested in in my heart, even more than I know or can perceive. He was so intentional about getting me away and He knew I needed it even more than I did. We just needed that time to connect in an uninterrupted way. How special. I'm so thankful and I am so glad He loves me.

Blogger Book Review - Unexpected Love by Julie Zine Coleman

I had the pleasure of reviewing the book Unexpected Love by Julie Zine Coleman and I read it really fast, for me, and gobbled it up! This book was all about God's heart revealed in Jesus' conversations with women. Through 9 chapters, Julie takes you on a journey through different passages of Scripture in which Jesus interacted with and had a conversations with women. Julie starts with fleshing out the story, making the reader feel connected to the woman and her situation. Then, she explores the historical and Biblical contexts, digging deeper through addressing a number of questions that were different for each chapter. Next, she made it applicable to women today in the part For Today's Woman and ending each chapter with some questions to work through and suggestions on ideas to journal.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it interesting, provoking and I just kept wanting to read more! Julie definitely held my attention and the content of this book made me think, process and pray through what I was learning. I enjoyed the way the book was laid out and feel that it covered great information, provoked my heart and gave me practical suggestions to diving deeper into these Scriptures and God's heart on women. I would absolutely recommend this book to others, especially the awesome women I know. I brought this book along to a women's group I'm a part of and it contributed to our dialogue in a great way, provoking the hearts of my girlfriends. They all want to get their hands on a copy!

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Sickos and Celebrations

It's been a household of sickos this last week =( Noah and I started with cold symptoms last Monday and it hit Shane super hard on Saturday. My boys had fevers and they have not been feeling well at all =( Prayers for complete healing appreciated =)

During the same week, there were a whole bunch of celebrations between my sister's birthday and Valentine's Day. I love birthdays and quality time with the ones I love! My birthday plans for Steph were effected by the cooler weather on Saturday and my little man at home who wasn't feeling well and really wanting his mommy =( We didn't get to enjoy the zoo as much as I had hoped but there will be more opportunities! We found a precious tea room and LOVED our lunch together there!

Shane and I got to go out for supper on Valentine's Day and it was lovely =) So grateful for a wonderful baby-sitter! Then on Sunday, Shane planned a Valentine's Day brunch and home spa for Steph, her roommate and I =) I have such a sweet husband!

Now we've been enjoying the visits of a bunch of Canadians! It's been a fun week despite sickness!

The Latest...

Some random thoughts to catch up on the latest:

- Our visit with the in-laws was AWESOME!!!! I could do a whole blog post on my happy feelings about my in-laws. They are so sweet, supportive, loving and generous. I sooooooooo enjoyed our time with them!
- Noah got his first hair cut today! He doesn't have a whole lot of hair on top/front but the back was getting long and he definitely had a baby mullet. I really liked the curls he would get =) But, it was time to trim it up! He looks cute =) And our hairdresser said he was the most well-behaved baby she has ever given a hair cut to! I'm a proud mama!
- We got a zoo pass and I'm sooo pumped! We first went to check out the Kansas City Zoo with my mother-in-law during their visit. I loved it! So, passes are a great deal here and I got my own now! I plan to use it a ton!
- February is full of fun things! Tomorrow is my sister and mom's birthdays! We are going to do a bunch of celebrating this week! Then comes Valentine's Day and Shane and I are going out on a date! Yippee! I'm going to a musical this week and a bunch of Winnipeg friends are coming down for the weekend! Between birthday parties, play dates, coffees and moms gatherings, it's a full and fun month!
- Shane is busy, busy, busy but it's good and we are here for a purpose! God has opened doors and given him places to be effective and influential in his roles. He's doing a bunch of work preparing for the next Call2All Congress in Thailand in May.
- I am heading to Colorado in 3 weeks with a bunch of ladies to attend a Captivating Retreat (for women)! The Lord is drawing me away with Him for 4 days into the mountains. He provided supernaturally for this when I would have just thought it wouldn't have worked. I'm a little nervous about leaving Noah but the Lord has spoken clearly that He wants to draw me away and I know that He will be all comfort to my Noah while I'm away. Shane is going to do awesome and it will be some good boy bonding time =)

Prayer requests:
- Healing for our bodies (Noah and I are fighting off the beginnings of colds, Shane is still dealing with insomnia issues)
- Our visa applications (No word yet...still in initial review stage.)
- The preparation up to and during my weekend away (peace/comfort for our hearts while Noah and I are apart, grace for Shane, that Noah would adapt well to 4 days of cows milk from the sippy cup)
- Provision/monthly support base

Let's Take a Poll!!!

I want your vote!

I'm frustrated with blogger because I can't post any more pictures! And we all know that pictures make blogs WAY more fun to read! When I figure out a solution, I have some pictures to post! I haven't forgotten that I was going to post Noah's 1st birthday party back in December =)

So, we are looking into other options that may require a name change. That's where I'd like your help! Can you make some suggestions of names for my blog? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

They are coming!

Only 48 hours or so until Grandma and Grandpa Farrow arrive!!!! Yay!!!

I am so excited to see my mother-in-law and father-in-law! I have been telling Noah about it for weeks and I'm so excited for family to arrive! It is especially wonderful that Noah will have grandparents around for the week. One of the hardest, if not the hardest, part about being away is not having family near, especially when there are grandparents to your baby involved in the picture =(

I'm sooooooo grateful that the Lord allowed a trip for the in-laws! It was wonderful news when we realized we weren't going to make it back to Manitoba for Christmas and they announced they would come for a visit in just a few weeks! I'm so grateful!

I feel like a kid counting down the days until Christmas =) Come on down, mom and dad Farrow!

Real Marriage DVD-Based Study by Mark and Grace Driscoll

Over the past year, Shane and I have been slowing working through the Real Marriage DVD series as date nights at home! We've enjoyed going through this series on our own, even though it is meant for a group and I think it would be fun to go through with a group of married couples!

Real Marriage is both a book and a DVD series tackling issues in marriage and is summed up well in the title "Real Marriage; The Truth about Sex, Friendship and Life Together". The DVD package includes 11 weeks of DVD lessons, a participant guide and a leader manual. Though I was reviewing the DVD package, I also read through the book Real Marriage, since my husband ordered it for his blogger review! It was actually really nice to go through the book and the DVD series at the same time! I found the book expounded a little more than the DVD lessons, though the DVDs were more interactive and allowed us to work through the content together as a couple.

I enjoyed this series and found it a great springboard for discussion on many different topics within my own marriage. I would recommend it to other couples and definitely suggest being a part of a group of friends who would go through it if the opportunity arises. Mark and Grace tackle some very honest and sometimes uncomfortable topics that are necessary to discuss and be honest about if you want an intimate, deep relationship with your spouse. One thing I also liked was that the series is formatted so that someone who is single could do it to and even participate in the activities and homework. There is a section for singles each week.

If you are looking for other resources for group settings or within your own marriage, another DVD series we highly recommend is the Love and Respect series by Emerson Eggerichs!

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Noah Update!

I realize it's been a while since I've given you an update on my Noah =) So, here's the latest!

He is adorable. I am so in love =)

He is 13 months now and SO MUCH FUN! He talks a whole lot (in his own language), is incredibly smart and super, duper persistent. He moves all the time and I'm asking the Lord how to show me how to teach him to sit since he's always wanting to move, move, move. He runs laps around our little apartment all day long so we venture out into the halls and common areas a few times a day to socialize and burn off some of that energy. He plays hard and loves to climb. He is an explorer and discoverer, especially loving to open cupboards and venture into offices and open doors on the base. He loves the prayer room and runs between beating the drum, strumming the guitar and pounding on the piano =) He will go to just about anyone but he has been really preferring mommy lately.

He's started scrunching his nose and doing a lot of laughing and fake chuckling. He's loves to eat and hums the whole meal through if he likes what he's eating. If he doesn't like it, he makes very unhappy noises the whole time =(

He's the funnest partner grocery shopping and can make the crankiest looking people smile. He's super observant and does a ton of people watching, catching the eye of those who aren't paying attention and then flashing them an award-winning smile =) He really draws people.

He is now sleeping through the night...PRAISE THE LORD! He has been doing some intense teething the last little while, though no new teeth since October. He even bit me again today =(

He has started interacting more with other kids and seems to enjoy it. I'm excited to see these skills grow as he plays with more kids here at the base, on play dates and at Sunday School.

I love that kid! He is just sooooo delightful!

(I still haven't erased pictures so I can post more but I plan to soon!!! Bear with me! I know blogs with pictures are so much more enjoyable to read! And now that I've told you how cute Noah is...you are probably dying to see a recent picture =) )

A New Year Brings New Students...

Happy New Year! I love a new year! I'm looking forward to all the awesome things God has in store for 2013!

The base is buzzing this first week of January! A week ago, our students from the September DTS set out for their outreach to India and the Philippines. 4 days later, a whole new group of students has arrived! The January quarter is a Justice and Compassion focused Intimacy to Impact DTS and it's going to be a good school! They have 21 students from 5 nations and though we aren't directly involved with the school, I look forward to getting to know the students around base and welcoming them to our YWAM family here in KC! We know one of the students from Winnipeg and it's always awesome to have more Canadians around!

Friday was Arrival Day, when the students arrive and those are always exciting day! Noah and I hung out upstairs in the common area for parts of the day to get in on the excitement of new students arriving =) So fun!

Happy New Year!

Snow, birds and the care of the Lord...

I just looked outside our patio door windows after putting Noah down for his morning nap and....it's snowing!!! This is my first time seeing big snowflakes falling to the ground this winter! The one and only other snowfall we had happened overnight. I LOVE to watch falling snowflakes. They are beautiful and the creation of God woos and romances my heart for my Creator. I tend to think that every time it snows, it's just for me =) That the Lord is saying "I love you Kristi" =)

The grass is mostly green here and the little birds have been out and about this morning, flying and congregating all over the backyard. It was more noticeable than usual.

My first thought when I saw all the birds and all the snowflakes was "Poor birds...they didn't know what was coming". Then I was reminded of Matthew 6:26,

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

I assumed that the birds saw the snow and thought "oh my goodness...we're in trouble" and found their hearts starting to get anxious about where they would find a warm, dry place and where they would get their next meal if the ground was covered in snow. Wrong.

Our heavenly Father feeds them. They don't have a worry at all.

And of how much more value am I? I need not worry. Ever. Whether my circumstances make it look like a "should". My heavenly Father watches over me and He knows my needs.

"For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow...." Matthew 6:32-24

So not only can I feel loved by the Lord when I see it snowing, I can also meditate on His care and kindness. He will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19)!

It's beautiful! Time to light a candle, make a cup of tea and have a little quiet time, preparing my heart for the end of one year and the beginning of another for the 30 minutes my little one will rest =) Let it snow!

Christmas in Kansas City...

So, no visas this week. Therefore, no visit to Canada for us for Christmas =( I miss family and it doesn't feel like Christmas this year. I reread my last post and realized that it's been 3 years since Christmas felt "normal". 2010 we were on airplanes between North America and Africa, 2011 we were in new parents brain (though it felt more like Christmas) and 2012 we are in KC. We just came from our YWAM base Christmas dinner. It was good, but it still doesn't feel like Christmas.

That has got me thinking a little. I love the traditions and festivities of the Christmas season. I love the snow, the lights, the Christmas tree, the Christmas carols, the parties, the family, the friends, etc, etc. But, I need to think more about the real meaning of Christmas. On years when the traditions and festivities seem absent, I can take it as a special time to lean into the Lord and get revelation about what we celebrate at this time.

Sometimes it is hard to make the time to sit and ponder the incredible miracle of Jesus coming as a baby. It is special to me that we celebrate Jesus' birth in December because my own son was born in the month that we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Last year, I thought a lot about Mary's perspective, caring for a newborn. This year, I've been talking to Noah about Christmas and telling him that we celebrate both Noah's and Jesus' birthday in the same month and how special that is =)

So, I don't know what future years hold. I don't know if what used to be "normal" will ever be normal again. So, "Christmas" and "home" will be wherever I am. Because where I am, Emmanuel, God with us, is with me. He can turn my odd, unfamiliar Christmases into special times of the heart since what I really need is revelation on my heart of the birth of my Savior.

Merry Christmas from my little family to yours! May the Lord breathe on us with revelation about the birth of Jesus!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas....

The beginnings of the festivities have begun and though it hasn't felt like the Christmas season at all, it's starting to a little.

Last year it didn't feel like Christmas because my brain was in a whole new world of being a new mommy and tending to a newborn. This year, as December rolled around, my thoughts were on my little guy's 1st birthday and the whole visa application process. So, December hasn't "felt" like Christmas for the last two years.

Also, there isn't any snow here and that's weird for the Christmas season! I've been in flip flops almost every day since we arrived in June and still am able to wear them most days. We had our ac on yesterday while cooking our Christmas dinner, celebrating early with my sister since she headed back to Canada for the holidays today. She is the only biological family that we will get to celebrate with at this point. To add to the feelings, we don't have any tree or decorations. We left everything back in Canada thinking we would be back in December originally.

There are 5 more business days for a miracle to happen in the visa process if the Lord is going to make a way for us to make it to Canada for Christmas. I would love to show Noah snow and I would love to celebrate with our family and friends. I especially would love to see Noah reunited with his grandparents!

In the last few days I have been feeling peaceful about having Christmas down here in KC, though it will be different than usual. It will mean celebrating with our YWAM family and our brothers and sisters in Jesus instead of our family back home, which is bittersweet. But, it could be a relaxing time with lots of sweet family time, hanging out with my boys =)

I've been feeling some Christmas-y feelings this weekend, getting some gifts and Christmas pictures together, celebrating with my sister, having a base White Elephant party and a spontaneous ice skating trip this afternoon. This Christmas is going to be different than usual but it's still going to be good =)

An Emotional Week...

It has been an emotional week for my momma heart! And the tears have been flowing at all kinds of moments =)

First, my little baby turned one! He's not so little anymore and I'm loving who he is and seeing more of his personality all the time. I enjoy his presence in my life and company in our home and day-to-day life so much! I especially love taking the little man out to the prayer room or grocery shopping. He is so.much.fun!

I want to post more on his birthday at another time! We had an awesome party and then Tuesday was a special day for us as a little family celebrating our little 1 year old! Unfortunately, I wanted to post with pictures and blogger says I'm at my maximum amount of pictures. So, I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that one....I don't want to pay for more space. But I know that blogs are so much better with pictures!!!

Back to the emotional momma things....(and for the boys that read this, the next paragraph has a reference to breastfeeding).

Secondly, my baby who has refused breastmilk via bottles or sippy cups up until now, took a sippy cup of cow's milk for the first time this week. It is the first feed that he hasn't needed a breastfeed since he was born. Wow. I can't believe it worked out that I was available every 2-4 hours to provide for his needs and preferences for a whole year. I must say, I'm proud of myself! That's a huge accomplishment! We've skipped a breastfeed two days now and that was a little sad (even though it's a good thing) for my momma heart. I don't plan on weaning him yet but I do know it's good and age-appropriate for him to be able to use the sippy cup too =) I'm definitely not ready to wean!

Thirdly, my kiddo went to Sunday School today. At the church we are going to here in KC, they have to be 1 years old and walking. Since Noah is walking all over now and turned 1 this week, he now qualifies! He ran off playing, yelling with delight and having fun when I dropped him off. I asked the workers a ton of questions, kissed him, told him to enjoy learning about Jesus and that I loved him and headed to the service. I bawled, tears streaming down my face, as my momma heart hurt a little that my little baby is growing up so fast! He needed me an hour into it because he was sad when the free playtime ended and the lesson began. I don't think he necessarily needed/wanted me, he just doesn't like when the toys are put away and he doesn't get to do what he wants =) I joined the class for the rest the of the lesson and he did great =) What a monumental experience in my mommy world =)

It's surprising how emotional the milestone can hit you. I think it's partly because there have been a number of big ones in just a few days. My heart is having to practice letting go and I know I should get familiar with it, since it's just the beginning of the rest of my life as a parent =) Whew! This momma love is intense stuff =) I wouldn't trade it for the world!

The Eleventh Hour

Here we are. December 6th and we are still in the USA! So, this is how the story goes...

Lots and lots of emails to and from the lawyer. Many moments when we thought we were done. Then more emails asking for more documents. Another email like this Monday afternoon. Deadline coming. Would have to leave for Canada on Tuesday morning for Noah's sake (to break up the trip over two days). Scary moments. Faith-filled moments. Despite the "oh boy" feeling that came with each new email of more things needed, a level of peace reigned here.

Monday evening. No word yet. Put Noah to bed for the night. Haven't packed a thing. Possibly would need to leave in the morning. Haven't been thinking of that a lot throughout the day. 7pm. We get an email from the lawyer!!! The paperwork was sent by Fed X and our applications have been filed!!! 12 hours before we could have left! Talk about eleventh hour breakthrough!

So, now we wait. It could be 30 days. It could be 5 months. We are praying for 2 weeks so we can make it back to Canada for Christmas, to celebrate Noah's birthday with our families and to deal with the ton of details that we need to figure out if we are staying down here longer.

That's the latest! God is faithful and we continue to trust Him through this crazy journey of faith and adventure!

What We're Up To!

I've gotten behind on my blogging!

Then, the other day, I came on here to upload some pictures and it said that I'm maxed on the space I have to upload pics. Weird. I gotta figure that out sometime soon.

So, in the meantime, a quick point form version of what we're up to lately!

- Noah is walking!! That's a new accomplishment and now that he's figured out how (at 11.5 months), he's walking everywhere.

- Noah is growing up! It seems as though I don't have a baby anymore....but more so a toddler. Noah is getting more verbal (including louder and more aggressive), has temper tantrums when we take things away and just plain knows what he wants =)

- I have been busy preparing for Noah's first birthday party tomorrow! My sister is coming over this afternoon and we are going to bake up a storm! 75 cupcakes! So far, there's about 50 people planning on coming to his party tomorrow afternoon. That's just what happens when you live in community! It's hard to limit the people you invite to the party. So, I limited it to people that interact with Noah....and since so many people love him, it was hard to make it small =) It is going to be a safari theme for my little monkey who loves to climb everything =)

- Paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork. We have had a very busy week getting paperwork together for our visa process for the lawyer we are working with. It's had stressful moments since we are close to our deadline of December 5 (when we have to have our application in by at the latest). We hope that we sent the last of the documents yesterday and hope to hear soon that the application has been filed!

- Trusting in the Lord. That is part of this crazy adventure. It takes faith to believe that everything is going to go smoothly when we don't have certainty on what next week looks like or which country we'll be in. In this process the Lord revealed to me that my job is praising Him and thanking Him and He'll take care of the rest. I'm trying to lean into Him in the midst of the uncertainties. Sometimes it's exciting and sometimes it's scary!

That's just a snapshot of some of the latest in our lives! Hopefully we'll have some clarity soon and we hope, hope, hope that the visas will get approved quickly so we can make it back to Canada for the holidays =)

June 2012 I2I DTS Complete!

That's all folks! That's a wrap!

Our students officially graduated on Thursday from their Discipleship Training School of the last 6 months! 12 weeks of lectures and 10 weeks of outreach complete! We cheered for them as they were given their certificates during our Thursday night Community Gathering.

This past week was debrief and most mornings were spent debriefing in the board room with the students and staff. I didn't get to join in on most of it because the room was too small to not be distracting with my busy baby =) This week Noah has started to throw the occasional temper tantrum! He reacts a lot stronger when he doesn't get what he wants =) Shane spoke on Wednesday about forgiveness, repentance and reconciliation. I got to hear the first 30 minutes while Noah was napping and really wanted to hear all of it! Apparently it went really well =)

The stats are in for their time in Brazil! Through the ministry of our team, there were 42 salvations, 35 healings, 100+ commitments to missions, 1 church planted and over 200 people prayed for by our students! Thank you for each of you who were a part of this through prayer or finances! This is part of your inheritance too!

In the afternoons we had prayer room hours and it was so fun to get into the prayer room as a family! Shane normally helps the current DTS with work duty in the afternoons so it's been months since the three of us have been in the prayer room at the same time. This week was super fun as we got to be there together! Noah sure loved pacing with daddy! I hope we can incorporate getting there as a family more regularly! Generally Noah and I go for an hour while Shane is doing work duty from 4-5pm.

Yesterday we said good-bye to one of our students, today another left and tomorrow more leave. It will be interesting to see what happens in their lives in the months and years to come! It's the end of one chapter but just the beginning of another! One special thing is the family that was part of this DTS is coming on as staff in the new year!

So, that a wrap! From staff training in spring, to the beginning of lecture phase in June to debrief and graduation this week, our first round of staffing a DTS is officially over! What an experience!

They're Coming Back!!!

This morning, Team Brazil will be arriving back in Kansas City after 10 weeks in Brazil doing outreach! We are looking forward to their return and a week of debrief with them! We have been preparing for their return this week. Shane has been arranging and cleaning rooms for them to stay in on base and we have a plan for the next week as we support them in processing through the last 10 weeks overseas! It will be fun to catch up!

With great joy, we are pleased to let you know that one of our students is not returning to the US today =) We will miss her presence this week as we debrief but we are so proud of her! Calleen has felt from the Lord that she is to commit a year to stay in Brazil and work at the local YWAM base, be a local contact for other teams that could go there and learn the language. This is why we do what we do...walking along side young people, discipling, sending them to the nations and rejoicing as the Lord moves in big ways, impacting their lives and many others!

Welcome back Team Brazil!!! Can't wait to hear about outreach!

Team Brazil (and a local in the right corner that I don't know)