Healthy Church Workshop

Our church just went through a great Healthy Church Workshop today. It was invigorating, clarifying and exhausting. (See pic below as evidence -- there's two girls ready for a nap!)


Now that I've experienced it, I highly recommend these sessions to any church. Especially before they get as stuck and chaotic as ours has been. If nothing else, it's given us some great words to describe how dysfunctional we are... :-)

I'm impressed with our church's level of commitment to this process. It's not easy to be asked to dream again, to have patience and to face a myriad of the practicalities -- all at the same time! But we know that it's important, we trust that it's worth it, and we're already feeling the benefits. It's exciting!

The Beginning of a Great Year

While at work, I got a call from Deb because Aria was asking for me. I could hear Aria in the background interjecting things as Deb and I talked. ("Daddy? Hi Daddy!") We had a rather extended conversation, whereupon Deb announced that they were going to have lunch ("Yeah!") and then Aria was going to have a nap ("No!"). When we were about to hang up, Deb said "Say bye-bye, Daddy." Aria tried, but stammered. It came out something like "Ba da bye da". Which prompted me to say "Bye-bye belly button." She wound up for a second go: "Bye-bye--" and then she interrupted herself laughing; it had suddenly dawned on her that what I said was silly. I think today marks the first day she's ever got a purely verbal joke. If this is an indication of where this year is going, it's going to be amazing!

Some big steps...

Well - it's a busy BUSY time of year, but in the midst of it, some pretty special stuff is happening with Aria. Monday we were at my Oma's house, and she said her first prayer "Tant chew, Ah-men" - Thank you, Amen for those of you who don't speak "Aria".

She has started, just this week, to string two thoughts together - putting a name and an action together "Mommy, sit down" or "Ev'eybody, where go?" On Tuesday or Wednesday she said "Luf chew, mommy" (I love you, Mommy) all on her own. She's been saying it for quite a while with prompting, but this was the first time it was volunteered by her - it just melted my heart!

She calls Brad's mom "Oma" right now, because all of her friends in BC have Oma's, and she's smart enough to make the connection that her "Grandma" is the same as their "Oma", so now that's her name. She's also been calling Brad's dad "Opa" as we visited her Opa & Nana first - it's funny listening to this little dutch baby calling Grandpa & Grandma Opa & Oma, and saying Ah-men, even when told to say "ay-men". That dutch blood runs deep!!

Love to you all, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Pictures coming...I promise.
Deb

Awia, Where-Go?

At our church's Christmas banquet tonight, Aria was out of my sight for a solid 20mins. Deb and I were spelling each other off throughout the evening, and because she was deep in conversation with some friends, I suddenly realised that neither of us had really been watching her for a while. I asked Deb where she'd seen her last, and she told me that she was playing the piano. That's where I found her.

She was playing the keyboard and singing all by herself, for at least 15 minutes. This despite the fact that the keyboard wasn't even switched on! She's quite the inventive musician -- I can't wait to hear like what all that music in her head actually sounds like!

When I got close, she gave me a big grin. She posed for the camera, hopped down off the bench to have me show her the pictures, and then hopped back up to play/pose some more. We're still kinda big fans of hers.

Precious Moment

Tonight we all went to the beach. It was a clear, chilly, wintry evening (which means it was probably about 3 degrees or so, but we're not rubbing that in to anyone). Aria was enjoying looking at the lights on the drive there (we didn't go a very direct route just for her sake). She used to call them "nitch" or "neech", but has graduated to calling them "nightsh". She loves them! She was excited to be seeing them up close as we got out of the car. "Nightsh? Nightsh? Nightsh!" We started off on the sidewalk, looking for a restaurant for supper -- the beach has a large selection of great ones -- when a sudden gust picked up. We all kind of gasped as it cut through our hoodies and fleeces, and even the blanket I was carrying Aria in.

When it hit its peak, pelting us with dust, dirt and very small rocks, she closed her eyes, ducked her head, and said "Bye-bye nightsh," and promptly buried her face into my shoulder, cuddling in tight. Priceless!

Enough!!

Aria has taken to whining more and more recently, and we aren't fans of it. When she does, we'll squat down and look her in the eyes and tell her "Enough" followed by a threat of being sent to bed or having a time out on a chair. She generally stops after we talk to her like that (of course only to start again in slightly over a minute later).

Today we visited with Jasper. Since his mom is getting close to having her baby, Aria's being watched by two other wonderful people in the area, but there's a special bond between her and Jasper, and they were so excited to see each other today, it was adorable. He was napping, so when he woke up, she went into his room, and instantly he started jumping up and down in his crib, and she started spinning in circles and giggling. They were both SO EXCITED! Jasper did not have a good wake-up, and was being whiney when we got downstairs. He was sitting in a chair and whining when Aria when up to him, looked him in the eyes and said " 'Nuf, o-tay? 'Nuf". He stopped. It was the funniest, cutest thing! It just reminds me again that she hears EVERYTHING, and that I need to be careful what I say.

Have a good day, all.

Cute Thing From This Week, Part 2

Tonight as Aria was winding down, she was bopping and clapping along to music on the alarm-clock radio (that she turned on), and we started reminiscing about all the things that she's learned since she's been born. She learned to roll over, and then she learned to sit, and to stand, and to walk and is now having rudimentary conversations with us. ("Want some apple sauce, little girl?" "No.")

She was watching us, still clapping and bopping and Deb said, "She's just trying to figure out the world." I added, directed at right at our daughter: "It never ends -- you'll keep trying your whole life, and there's always new things." She looked at me, stopping her music appreciation for a moment, and said: "All done!"

Her timing is remarkable.

Cute Thing From This Week, Part 1

I've been enjoying having the Coronet (the hobby car) on the road again. We're in the stage where we need two cars, and while things have been pulled apart a little bit (like the headliner is out, and the plastic interior covers are gone), it's ready, willing and able, so why not use it? :-)

Our daughter has gone through a stage of her own. She had a couple of weeks where she was adamantly *not* getting into her car seat. Ever! She would squirm and scream, and writhe with all her might. (Especially the scream part -- she could be in movies! Scary ones.) But when I took her out in the 'Net, she was over the moon. Maybe she was picking up my mood, pleased to be booting around in my fun car after (too many) years of leaving it more or less dormant. She was amazing. She was happy, pointing out everything animatedly, giving me high-fives from the backseat, giggling at nothing, and generally bouncing with giddiness.

Deb and I decided to go out later that day on a date to Dairy Queen in the big green machine. I picked up Aria, and started for the door, whereupon Aria did her freak-out routine. So I pointed to the car parked just outside: "What's going on, little girl? That's the car we're going in!" Her attitude did the quickest 180 ever. She gasped with big tears in her eyes, and said: "Oooh, toy!"

That was pretty funny.

My Opa

Opa Boonstra
Died October 30th, 2009
All who knew you will miss you.

(I love this picture because it's Opa looking back at family memories. He loved his family so much, I'm sure reminiscing was something he just loved to do)

It's my Opa's funeral today - in fact, as I start writing this, it's probably just ending. I'm posting some pictures of my Opa & Aria - the only ones we've got, and I'm full of joy and sadness at the same time. I'm so glad that Opa got to meet Aria, and although it doesn't look like it in the pictures, Aria didn't cry the whole time. Look at him smiling at her. He loved us all so much.

My childhood is full of memories of my Opa & Oma's house. Playing tag in their maze of flowers, tromping through the woods with Opa hearing stories of elephants and dinosaurs who made their resting grounds there, and driving his "tractor" around all over the yard with a trailer full of cousins in it. I remember walking through fields with Opa, and down the road and just exploring creation.
Opa was a GREAT grandfather. I loved seeing the pictures of me on the walls of the house, seeing me with my arms raised up because I was SO BIG when I was so little. I knew those pictures were there because Opa & Oma loved me. Being one of the oldest grandchildren, I was privileged to know Opa when he was young enough to play the way all Opas want to always be able to play with their grandkids. As he got older, and weaker, he was less able to do that, so I cherish those memories. One of the problems with being an older grandkid was that we grew up.

We moved away, we started our own families and stopped making it a point to see Opa as often as I now wish I had (while realizing at the same time that this is natural, and normal, and the way things should be). I know Opa was proud of us, and that he liked Brad and that is a great thing to know. I also know that he was to proud to be Opapa to his great grand kids and that he loved them to bits. You can just see it in every picture of him with Aria - smiling at her and just LOVING her. He did that with everyone in his family, and we all knew it.


Opa leaves an incredible legacy behind him. He has 5 children who love God, and don't just show up for church on Sundays, they LIVE a God-filled life. They understand sacrifice, and grace, and unconditional love and they learned that from their dad. Those men and women raised families of children who are also a part of that legacy. We are now raising families of our own, and we bring the lessons Opa taught his children to our own, as we continue to love from the examples we learned from our parents. My aunts & uncles make good families - they love their kids, and nieces and newphews, and show them God's love as Opa showed them. They are the good people they are because of having parents who showed them how, and who let them leave when it was time for them to grow up. Opa was so good at helping you grow up - from transitioning from sitting with us on the tractor and driving with us, to letting us go out on our own - we knew he trusted us as much as we needed to be trusted. Wow did we ever feel "grown up" when Opa would let us drive on our own (of course, only in turtle speed). He let his kids move away, and never made them feel guilty, but rather proud of the decisions they made to follow God's lead on their lives, be that to Peru, Japan, Libya, BC, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Dordt, Trinity and so many other places, and yet, we all love coming home - and that's because we know what we'll get when we're there.

We'll get kisses and hugs and smiles and laughter. We'll get conversations that will go anywhere and everywhere, and they do. We'd get to listen to Opa's lilting voice reading the bible to us and pray with us, and his binoculars to see the birds outside in his birdfeeders (and squirrels too, much to Opa's chagrin). We'd get walks, or the opportunity to just sit, and be together, each of us reading a Reader's Digest. I remember amazing conversations with Opa on the Holy Spirit, and finding out that he could burp on command, just like the rest of us.

Every year when we'd get the call that Opa was in the hospital, I'd emotionally prepare myself that this would be the year. Yet, I was surprised when it happened at the same time. When mom was sick, I wasn't sure who would last longer. Opa surprised us all, and even though Aria never got to meet my mom (at least, she won't on this earth), I'm so glad she got to meet Opa, and moreso, that Opa got to meet her. I remember Opa sitting in a chair out in the woods as we buried mom's ashes. He was so weak then, but he came out to be a part of saying goodbye, and helped as much as he could. I'm glad that mom's got her dad with her. I'm glad Opa gets to meet Stretch, and that now Stretch will get hugs and cuddles not just from Oma, but from Opapa as well. I look forward to the day when all the generations of my family tree will be able to come together and celebrate with our Father.

My Uncle Al sang this song at my mom's funeral - I don't think I'd have been able to sing it at his dad's, even if I was able to be there, but I've been singing it in my head since I found out. Uncle Al, Aunt Greta, Uncle Dave and Aunt Kathy (and mom) - you were blessed to have Opa for a father, and my heart is with you, as it is with Oma, and all my cousins and their children.

I Can Only Imagine
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine

[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in honour of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
When I find myself
Standing in the Son

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you

I can only imagine


Good bye Opa, I'm so glad to have known you. I am so privileged to be a part of your legacy, and I will do my best to pass that on to my children, as you passed it to yours. You will always be in my heart. Enjoy heaven, I will see you there someday.
Your Favourite Second Oldest Granddaughter, Deb

Tonight's Commute

We were driving home from work, and chatting about whatever when suddenly there was a huge shriek-scream-wail from the backseat. I whip around and look at Aria, and she's got big eyes as she meets my eyes and says repeatedly:

"Llloud!"

It was especially cute with her big over-pronounced Ls which are pretty much two syllables.

Night Ride

We were coming back home from visiting friends tonight, and Aria was in her cute, tired phase. (It's the one right before she goes into over-tired meltdown.) She was buckled in her car seat, kind of in her own world. She was saying "Woah...Woah!" and I could tell she was smiling and getting a kick out of it. So I said it back to her. "Woah!" Her smile broadened. When I said it again, she giggled.

She'd start saying it, and would do this reaction-seeking fake laugh she's developed. (It's totally adorable!) And then I would say "Woah!" or "wo-wo-wo-Woah!", and she'd just start belly-laughing. It was a full-throated laugh, with helpless little toddler splutters added in. We staved off meltdown tonight just by saying "Woah" in every possible way we could imagine, and we kept her smiling until we got home, at which point we could settle her (though somewhat slowly after all that stimulation) and put her to bed quietly.

I think we'll keep her...

A Clever Biscuit...

Our daughter is such a smart cookie (or clever biscuit according to Brad's sister Beth as a child). Here's a few MORE examples from recently:

Hanna is a little girl who's mom cleans the church. Aria & she were going up the stairs, and counting.

Hanna: one
Aria: one
Hanna: two
Aria: two
Hanna AND Aria: three
Aria: four
Hanna: four

WHAT?? Did my 1 1/2 year old daughter just count to four??!!


Today:
Mom: you can get it.
Aria: I got it.

That's right, again with the pronoun and conjugation. She's SO SMART!!

A Video Experiment

I have a new camera that I'm really pleased with. It's one of the new breed that has video built in, which is really new for DSLRs. Using video, it doesn't autofocus all that well, so I didn't even try. I love the dreamy, magical look it gives drifting in and out of focus, and this is really the first thing I've tried with it. There's certainly lots of room for play here. I need to re-think my entire skillset, and begin to think about myself as a videographer again. Maybe...

Quick Looks from September

On Mondays I get Aria all to myself. That's not easy when she's feeling miserable (she's been fighting a cold) or when she's teething (that's been happening a lot recently too). But then there are moments that make the hard times all worth while. These are going to be a little harder to find as the weather changes (though the leaves are starting to look amazing!), so we may as well share the ones we've got.

There was someone flying a small radio controlled plane at the park, and between that and all the other stuff there, it wasn't hard capturing moments where she drifted into her own universe. I love watching that happen. Last week she sat on her chair and read a book for at least 20mins, looking at the pictures and telling herself the story. She wasn't fazed at all by the fact that the book was upside-down the entire time. :-) When she caught me watching her, she walked over with the book, climbed into my lap, and stayed attentive for as long as it took me to read it. That's a first, especially for longer Dr. Seuss type book.

She dazzles us with her verb conjugation and grasp of pronouns: we'll say "You can do it," and after she does she'll say "I did it!". I wish I could learn something like Russian that easily.

Awesome Autumn

Aria loves to say "Awesome", but she's not strong with the "s" sound in the middle of words, so it sounds like "Autumn", and as the leaves change, and the rain falls, I think it's fitting that she can say that word too.