FA LA LA LA LA LA ERS....blah blah and all that!

Christmas time already! How quickly time seems to be moving these days! Family life is fairly well, everyone’s health is on an upward climb, and that is definitely a reason to be thankful! To update you, my hubby has been wrestling with various bugs since August, one that left him bedridden for week, thereafter recovering only to end his butt back in bed! Then, the kiddos all got a viral thing that brought fevers, crankiness, stuffy noses, difficulty sleeping, and everybody wanted the “Mama”. Thankfully, there was a sweetness of superhuman strength that I experienced during that time when all my kiddos and my hubby were pretty ill….but there were also some difficult days when I really didn’t want to do much for anybody--- Call it selfishness, boredom, rebellion whatever, I just didn’t “want” to. There, my confession of imperfection…who knew? Hardy har har! Thankfully, I had some divine conversations lately that have allowed me to examine my heart a little in this respect and see some of that pretty funky stuff…yep, funky. Funky junk begone with you! And a big thank you to all the LISTENERS out there! Permission to speak openly and honestly is a rarity, but coupled with nonjudgmental and heartfelt listening …wow, there’s some pretty high caliber liberating power! I have been blessed with some pretty great friends and listening strangers lately. Anyhoos, we haven’t reached New Years yet, but that is one of my resolutions…listening, really listening. Also a thank you to the Almighty who loves me just as much when there is funky junk as when there is not, and who is always so faithful to open my eyes to truth and love, setting the answers right around me, before I even ask! Each day is definitely its own and if I try to live more than one day at I time I end up in serious trouble. As of late, my recent string of days have been mixed with spiritual refreshment in the midst of a stillness and silence that is at times almost deafening. Yup….listening for those fine gems of truth, once hidden and unexposed, now glaring me in the face, so brilliant and beautiful, and yelling silently at me. (I must be making sense to someone out there…) Anyways…each day I am given the choice to see the truths and appreciate their majestic wonder, or continue on in the drab of what I knew before. Drab is definitely more comfortable somedays, kind of like your favorite jeans...but Brilliance, Baby, that is what I was made for! To encapsulate these last few weeks I would like to share the following lines from one of my favourite movies, The Matrix:

Morpheus: Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

Morpheus: You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, that's not far from the truth.
Morpheus: I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it.
Neo: Why do my eyes hurt? Morpheus: You've never used them before.
Morpheus: There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
Neo: What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets? Morpheus: No, Neo. I'm trying to tell you that when you're ready, you won't have to.
Morpheus: The Matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Morpheus: You've been living in a dream world, Neo.
Morpheus: How did I beat you? Neo: You... you're too fast. Morpheus: Do you believe that my being stronger or faster has anything to do with my muscles in this place? Do you think that's air you're breathing now?
Morpheus: I imagine that right now you're feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole. Morpheus: What is "real"? How do you define "real"?
Morpheus: Welcome to the desert of the real.
Morpheus: You have to let it all go, Neo. Fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free your mind.
Neo: Am I dead? Morpheus: Far from it.
Neo: What is happening to me? Morpheus: You are the One, Neo. You see, you may have spent the last few years looking for me, but I have spent my entire life looking for you.
[Neo receives a cell phone in an overnight-mail envelope. As soon as he's holding it, it rings.] Neo: Hello? Morpheus: Hello, Neo. Do you know who this is? Neo: Morpheus? Morpheus: Yes. I've been looking for you, Neo. I don't know if you're ready to see what I want to show you, but unfortunately, you and I have run out of time. They're coming for you, Neo, and I don't know what they're going to do. Neo: Who's coming for me? Morpheus: Stand up and see for yourself. Neo: What, right now? Morpheus: Yes, now.
Morpheus: This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

This life is a pretty deep rabbit hole......thank goodness truth brings life, and that abundantly!!! Back to the fam damily… everyone is mostly recuperated and we are now getting prepped to celebrate Christmas. This year is going to be a Christmas like no other, I have decided, and have confirmed it from a very reliable Source :).…. We will not be making our Northward Canadian Venture to Snowland, as we are still in the midst of this living experiment. I’ll share on current Christmas tasks at hand, complete, or in the process of for the festive season:
1.Grabbing a tree to deck up: Accomplished! Roland, Rose, Judy and the Wilson brought home a gorgeous 7 ft. Noble Fir that Rod had planted some years back to be our Christmas tree. It is absolutely gorgeous, so thick and lusciously full, one can hardly fit an ornament on it, so currently it is aglow with blue and white lights, and otherwise quite naked.
2.Decorate Naked Christmas Tree…in process
3.Place Rosemarie’s 2ft tree in her room in a Judy-proof location …in process
4.Find Rosemarie’s kitty who has been MIA for about 5 days now…in continual process
5.Finish Christmas Handprint banner for Grammies….in process
6.Mail Banner and Christmas Pictures (that finally arrived!)…in process
7.Settle Christmas Chocolate craving…ongoing process mmmmmmmmm
8.Figure out family plans…who’s going where, eating what and when and all that balarkey…

9.And finally, purpose to experience Christmas for what it truly is....
Anyhoos, that is the lowdown currently. Have a jolly ol' time!!! Enjoy the pics! (Gotta love my baby's hair!)

HAPPY 6 MONTHS ROLAND JR!

Isn’t he just absolutely adorable! He is such a joy to me! And picking a picture that captures his cuteness is impossible and so here are just a few to give you all a taste of his sweetness! Currently he weighs about 26 pounds, gobbles baby cereal like it might be his last meal, sits without support (although a nearby pillow is definitely a necessity with our wooden floors), can roll over or flip over with arching motions, brings all objects within reach to his mouth and gums them like all get out because he is beginning to teethe, and is still, the smiliest little man on the planet, and the delight of his big sisters’ hearts! Blessings to you our little big boy!

A day in the life of Junior typically is as follows:
7am diaper changed, nursed and then plays with big sisters
8am eating breakfast with big sisters and mommy and watching Rose and Judy go off to school
9am Mommy and Daddy play
9:30 Nurse and Nap
11:30 Nurse followed by playtime in bug awaiting the arrival of his sisters from school
12:30 Play with Rose as Judy goes down for a nap. This comprises a 34 pounder trying to carry and lift and hold a 26 pounder--- and play House. It can be a pretty funny sight. Rosemarie is a very good little mama.
2:30 drinks a bottle and settles down for an afternoon nap which depending on the length will determine his bedtime.
4:30 – 8:30 Nurses a few times, plays with his sisters and the rest of the household, has an evening bath and an evening meal of cereal and then it is off to sleep.

His preferred toys are teething objects (which Judy is always bringing to him) and his Big Sister Rose knows his most favorite songs and sings to comfort him when he starts fussing. Happy 6 months! You are a much loved little man!

THANKSGIVING HIGHLIGHTS

So as you can see, Thanksgiving was, to say the least, amusing.....thanks to my ever so entertaining children and a treacherously horrid beast (also refered to as a common beetle) that decided to hitch a ride on Grammie's radishes. Personally, I am absolutely grossed out by the darn things, but Rosemarie was so delighted by her new found friend (as was her father) that I just had to keep my reaction of horror to myself. Now here, I am free to confess that even while posting the pictures of the repulsive creature,was cause enough to throw me into a convulsing fit...EW! SO DISGUSTING!

Enough talk about the threatening insect...and onto more important matters like---anything else! In regards to the photos....whoever says that the middle child is in the least amount of photos has not seen our family albums ....as you can see, Judith is adorably photogenic, and repeatedly photographed! (I see that I have accidently included the same shot twice, but U don't know how to delete it! Oh well, isn't she cute....quite the get up, for which I think her older sister is partly responsible.) Notice the unimpressed look she's sporting when we caught her trying to sneak outside on her own, she is our Little Miss Independent! Taking her picture sometimes poses difficult as she hardly stops talking and babbling enough for us to capture a true smile! She always has something to say, from where did she pick that up, I wonder?!

Now onto Turkey Highlights--- Thursday was spent at Uncle Eric's place where he made some awesome mashed potatoes and smoked a delicious turkey in his BBQ. Oh, I don't think any turkey I have ever eaten has compared! It was so delicious, and the fact that I didn't cook a thing was kind of nice, too. My hunney cooked our contribution and Papa Larry's Grammie made the rest of the fixins, which included the beetle, as previously mentioned, and a homemade pumpkin pie. MMMMM. It was a grand ol' time!

Friday, we celebrated a Thanksgiving dinner with our household (see previous posting) and we didn't have no stinkin' turkey either...it was truly a royal feast featuring Rod's famous tradtional Prime Rib (aka PINK MEAT by Rosemarie), ambrosia salad, (which is really just a sorry excuse to eat as much whip cream as possible) and sweet pototoes. Vicki blessed us with a scrumptuous salad, and I got to help her make some really amazing pumpkin cheesecakes. I think I just gained 5 pounds writing this paragraph. What a delicio-so meal!

We were also blessed to have Rod's younger son Zach and his girlfriend Leena (who is from Singapore) visit us from California. I think they are the kindest people I have ever met! They were so much fun and all my kiddos just absolutely adored Leena. Zach and Leena even endured a sleepless night due to a teething baby....and were so surprisingly chipper and cheerful the next day. I was chipper too, after Zach shared his Starbucks coffee with us all in the morning.....MMMM Starbucks, also known as Saint (St.) Arbucks for obvious reasons known mainly to professional coffee drinkers, which I now am, as an amazing mother of 3!

Anyways, I have so much to be thankful for this year, including all the incredible people who surround me each and every day, and for my daily discoveries of God's divine goodness and provision.... Bugs and all! :-) Thankfulness is the road to happiness!

THE EXPERIMENT

Finally, another posting! I know all my blog fans ( aka MOM) have just been in dire agony awaiting another post, well, here it is!

For starters, I thought I would let the world in on what me and my fantastic family have been up to in the last few months. What we commonly refer to as "the experiment" around here, began almost 4 months ago, when a group of 9 extraordinary individuals, (see picture) agreed together, to embark on an incredulous journey of aggressivley pursuing and laying hold of our spiritual destinies.

For us, letting go of the American Dream and entering into the Kingdom Reality was contingent on us shacking up together!!! Yes, four very unique family units, all living under the same roof and growing together in His Goodness and Likeness. Somedays, it still is a puzzle, and I think to myself, "What am I doing here?" Other days, I feel like I have lived like this all my life and it would be abnormal for me to live any way else. But, regardless of what I think or I feel, on any given day, I know in my innermost being that this is where we are to be, so WE ARE HERE! "The experiment" is a divine arrangement crucial in bringing about key transfomations absolutely necessary for us all to partake fully in our futures.

Each day is amazingly new and so different, as we each embrace a whole new level of transparency and trust with eachother and with Creator God. And, being in the throws of it still, it is difficult to explain much more than that. We just grow deeper daily in Love, and boy, is my household loveable! Here is a horribly brief and inadequate introduction to my housemates:

Rod and Vicki- Rod and Vicki are the home owners. Rod is an amazing man who blesses me daily, demonstrating the Heart of the Father in goodness, mercy and love. His hunger for God, at his young age of 60, is inspiring! He is a God- go-getter, fully armed with a fiery passion for kingdom things and a vision of manifested glory. He is a real Jesus Cowboy. Vicki is a fiesty and passionate woman of God who fully embraces both the liberating freedom of the Spirit and the grounded truth of the Rock. This lady really knows how to fly! She lifts me with energizing enthusiasm and her kindness of heart.

Billy- Billy is Vicki's adult aged son, who is the most unknown member of the bunch to me, even though he sleeps in the room next to mine. Aside from the usual greetings to and from work, we haven't had held too many wordy conversations since he first introduced me to the amazing proficiency of Cutco tools several months ago. The man is busy. Pursuing his journey currently involves many work hours outside of the house, creative music and his girlfriend Jacque (also pictured)-ain't she beautiful! Yeah, we all pale in comparison to her, she always lights up our hearts when she comes to visit ........ anyways, Billy encapsulates graciousness as he tolerates and blesses what is going on.

Janice- This woman is the Peace in the Storm. She has a stillness about her that brings soulish calamity to an immediate end. Her gentle heart and ever ready ear to listen are invaluable treasures of comfort. She is a true lover of the Bridegroom, and she loves to spend time with Him daily. And although she may be gentle of heart and kind in Spirit, she is very bold and loves her Saviour with such immense zeal and amazing ferociousness, it can be surprising. She is definitely a joy to journey with.

The rest of the household is comprised of my beautiful family, which I could go on to write volumes about, but I really must go and catch some winks right now.

I love you all.

Live Loud!

BIRTHDAY HAPPENINGS!

We just celebrated Judy's 4th birthday and Roland Sr.'s 31st-so here is the update! Festivities continued for four days beginning with Judy's home party on the 2nd of November. Papa Larry and Grammie Judy Hildebrant joined our household gang for dinner, cake and presents in honor of our precious little girl! The highlights of the night included Judy's expression when she first saw her cake, her amazing feat of blowing out all her candles, balloon play, presents and fellowship. It was a delightful evening! We had a repeat performance of cake eating and candle blowing the following night it was just too much fun!

On Saturday the Wilson's blessed Roland with an early surprise pizza party that also included my hubby's favorite dessert: cherry pie! Sunday we had a grand finale of Mexican food with some friends ("Billion" Olson, Scott and Catherine Avila). Ole! It has been such a good time of fun and celebration! For all those not present, thank you for your phone calls and cards! Celebrating one another and loving one another is just good for the soul!

HELLO WORLDS!!!

So, here it is, my first official blog to keep all my beloved friends and family informed of the all the happenings in my happy little life....and here it seems as though I have nothing to say. Hmmm, maybe it is the idea that people might actually read this that has me at a loss for words? Seriously, I just want to say hello to you all and thank you for sharing with me in my mundane moments as well as the times of festive fulfillment. Be blessed and enjoy the ride of your own life, as I share the journey of mine.