Perfect Kind of Weekend

We came down to Vic on Friday night and it was so nice out! We spent time on the pool deck and ate pizza for dinner, Q played on the 'waterslide' with Aimee - very laid back and easy night. Lois and I headed to Walmart after dinner so that I could pick up stuff for dinner the next night. Saturday morning there was a family baby shower for baby Toby - Jon's cousin Ken and his wife Kendi recently adopted this beautiful newborn. Adoption is something that Jon and I have talked about since before we were even married. There is something so incredible about babies/children who need homes finding parents who will love and take care of them and give them a life that they would never have had otherwise. Jesus calls us to care for the widows and the orphans and I take that very literally. With the fertility issues that we have been facing in the past two years (two years... man sometimes it feels like just yesterday Q turned 1 and we decided to try again, and other times it feels like we have been walking this road for way longer than 2 years) we have talked a lot about what our future plans for adoption may look like. We always kind of planned that we would have two biological children and when they were a bit older, maybe around 10 or so, we would adopt one or two. We also always assumed that we would go through the ministry and adopt a kid rather than a baby because 1) its 'free' (always some sort of costs involved, but certainly not thousands) and 2) these kids need homes immediately, since they are currently in the foster system. If we could adopt two small kids that were already siblings and had that bond, that would be my ideal. Anyways, these are all just ideas and thoughts we have tossed around with obviously nothing set in stone and no plans as of yet to move forward. I asked Ken about their adoption story, and he was very eager to tell it. He says that their adoption story is their birth story of their beautiful baby, and they are more than happy and eager and willing to share it with everyone. As I was listening to him, I couldnt help but cry! The story is just so incredible, and there is no doubt that this baby was meant to be theirs. They went through an adoption agency because they really wanted a newborn, which makes perfect sense. Listening to him talk, I was overjoyed for them (hence the happy tears!), but I also ached because I want a newborn to snuggle and love and take care of too, regardless of if I birthed them or not. As we talk about adoption, a newborn never really occurred to me, because I am not usually crazy for babies... But it hit me that as Quinny was growing, I never thought that she would be my last tiny baby, I always thought there would be another one behind her. A while later I was talking with Kendi, and she shared with me that their adoption cost about $25 000, and this is a baby that is from the island, born in Courteney. That is an amount that I can't even fathom and there is no way we could go that route. I could save for the rest of our lives and we would still never come close to that amount. But it was so interesting to talk to them about their journey through adoption, and I am so happy that little Toby gets to have these wonderful people as his parents! Quinny came with to the shower and she was obsessed with seeing the baby. She kept talking about Toby and Diego (Jon's other cousin Joe and his wife Noha had Diego 3 months ago and he was there too) and wanting to see them. Ken was great with her, and he bent down and let Q talk to Toby and give him kisses, which totally thrilled her. She has been talking non-stop about Toby ever since!

And then after 2 kisses, Ken says "oh give him one more!" and so she leans in, and then she licks the poor little guy's head!! Here is Ken laughing at her and saying "Quinny! He's not an ice cream cone!" Oh man, my face was SO RED, I was so embarrassed that she did that!!! I apologized profusely, while she just stood beside me and giggled. Oh this kid, she will always give me a run for my money haha. What a little turkey. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool and just hanging out in the sun! Jon was gone all day because he was taking his recert for his NLS. Quinny was very excited to hang out with her cousins.... when they pulled up, she started yelling and clapping and calling them to come out to the pool. The girls were awesome all day, just playing in the water and having fun. It was the best kind of afternoon!!

Gorgeous day

That evening I cooked a big dinner for everyone (minus Care who had to work and Calea who went out with her friends) as a celebration for Jon. It's easy to view this change of job's for him as no big deal, because he is already at camp part time and we are still going to attend church, just not work there. But it is a big deal, and I wanted him to feel special and to be recognized for how great this is. In 2012, we left camp. And when we did that, we did not think we were ever going back. Jon started Wildside, his dream that he has had since he was 18, and after just two summers, he walked away from it because that was what was best for our family. Looking back, I find that so amazing. How many people have a vision, a passion so great for something, to walk away from it, thinking you were never going back, but trusting that God had a plan. I have watched him the past four years juggle MANY different jobs, trying to make ends meet for us (landscaping, Thermoproof, Halalt, the pool, church, announcing, and then camp part time to name a few) and fully trusting God the entire way. When he went back part time to camp in 2014, he was overjoyed to be back doing Wildside - he was gone a year and a half from camp, but only missed one summer. Now here we are, he is going back into full-time camp ministry, and he had the past four years to grow in faith and grow as a man and dad/husband. He has learned what it means to seek after the Lord, and to walk in faith, and make decisions that seem crazy, knowing that God is leading him and has a plan. I am just so incredibly proud of him. Being able to focus his time and energy on one job, one ministry, will be just a positive change for him and for us. So we ate yummy food and celebrated Jon! Nana and Auntie Hanna and Uncle Ian and Stef joined our immediate family as well. So nice to have everyone together!!

Sunday morning Jon got up in front of the church and told him of his resignation. The congregation was so supportive and awesome. We had a few tear-filled conversations with a few people, mostly parents of our youth. But even those conversations were left in a positive light, and everyone is very happy for us/Jon. 

Thank you Edgar for being such a great boss, mentor, shepherd, and friend. 

After church we met up with Jerrica and Eric at Kin Beach for a picnic and beach fun! We played on floaties, searched for sand dollars, made sand castles, walked to the lighthouse, had a picnic... it was awesome! So fun. It is so nice having new friends who like to do things that we like to do!

I bought this for her back when Chemainus Foods was closing for 60% off and just blew it up for her. She was so stoked about it and played with it all day! I bought a pelican too, so we are thinking we may take them to the pool for her and Madi to play with this summer :) I bought her a little mini dingy boat as well for camp!

She fell asleep in the car on the way home, so Jon drove around and let her sleep and I got dessert ready for our dinner BBQ with the Corbetts. I was getting changed and realized my back hurt - YIKES!! I was wearing lots of sunscreen and spent most of the day in the shade!! WHAT THE HECK?! My poor skin. It hurts so bad, I could barely sleep the past two nights. Sigh.

Off to the Corbetts for dinner! Oh how we love this family!! They are just the best. Conversation is always so real with Dana and Kevin and we can joke and talk about light stuff and switch on a dime and talk about heavy stuff. Nothing off the table. I love that. Such good friends. Quinny spent the evening with Mollie and Noah (Anna was doing homework). I made a fruit dip for dessert - vanilla greek yogurt, peanut butter and honey. Amazing! Time with this family is always so awesome - there is just so much respect and love in that house for each other. Kevin and Dana have done such an excellent job raising these kids. Love all of them! And so does Q... she cried when it was time to go

 This weekend was just so full of people we love and really great things. Also, Jon passed his recert! So yay! All in all, it was a pretty perfect weekend