Adventures on Aberdeen.

I never thought that meeting a hungarian shepherd would have such an impact in my life.

That was James' contribution to the blog.

In less than three weeks, James, Jesse and I will be on our way to Ecuador. That is soon. And between now and then, there appears to be a lot on the 'to do' list that James created, such as

-- try to make enough money to get there,

-fix the 'lost wallet' situation by getting all new cards from all over hamilton

-socialize with anyone who wants a coffee

-pack up our home

-trip shop

-get our shots

-get Jesse his shots

-hand sew a protective cover for James' ipad (please note the sarcasm, James)

-visit my sis, and her adorable kids

-make sure James applies for teachers college

-attempt to finish my online TESOL course

-teach myself how to sleep train a 5 1/2 month old, teething, strong willed, forever hungry child, because if it doesn't happen soon, none of the above will get done, and October 13 will truly be an unlucky day for the Harskamps. But, James reminds me that since we are not superstitious people, the # 13 has been redeemed, and is now the blessed day of our departure, and whether we get sleep or not, we will in fact board our flights and leave all chaos behind us.

The future looks bright.

And now, an update on J- balls. Yes, the unfortunate nickname coined by his uncles has stuck, and I will refer to him as such, at least for this month's update--which, I admit, has been neglected to the point that our son is now almost 6 months old, and in which time he has sprouted two very distinct snaggle teeth, learned how to sit on his size 4 diaper for an apt amount of time, and tasted his first sweet slurps of lukewarm rice cereal with applesauce. He is a very good eater. It is not a stretch to say that food excites him, and so I am seeing a blossoming Harskamp take his place in the world, and at the table, and I will no doubt one day be surpassed in the kitchen by my boy. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later. I hate cooking. That's right-- let it be known that I both dislike, and suck at it, and nothing is ever further from my mind than what I will eat for dinner. My sincerest apologies to the foodies in the family who take offence at these blasphemies. I will learn, someday, I hope.

Back to J balls.

He is a joyful chore. Last night he joyfully awoke at 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. AM. I followed suit, a lot less joyfully, and James made it out for a few choice time slots... those a lot closer to the sun.

This is OK, considering he isn't equipped to handle all of Jesse's needs, but I am definitely getting ready for the next phase: bottles, pablem, and a place that at least has one room with a solid, soundproof door. Not too much to ask.

But all in all, we are growing into parenthood and loving it. Jesse brings a lot of joy to our table, and we love him.

And so, we are preparing to take our little baby abroad. Weird that he won't ever remember this place. Can't say it'll be the same for us. I won't ever forget it. Where James and Rebecca first built there home, and introduced it to a brand new person. It has been such an awesome adventure. But the pages keep turning...

2 & 4

Brad and Brielle got married this weekend and James and I felt incredibly privileged to be on the guest list to experience that wedding. A beautiful, quirky, musically brilliant couple-- and the day was likewise. That's James and I with mustaches.

My man Jesse.
It's bumbo time! He's a bit twitchy in this thing... I think it pinches his thighs. There should be instructions on how to extract babies from these things.

Camping at Kill Bear with Doug and Vaness. Jesse was a champion-- a true outdoors baby. I forgot what fussing was, until I came home.
James and Jesse in Georgian Bay.
Cute.
Another reason why I've missed Katlyn :) I've decided that anyone who loves babies is welcome in my home. My reading list is growing, and so is Jesse's neediness, which is hampering my attempts to read. So, my friends, you are welcome any time to come and play with my son. Please.
We think he's getting a tooth. Either that, or his new fashion statement includes drooling profusely. Gotta love that face.
James' morning birthday pounce. I can see this becoming a tradition :) James turned 24, and I thought we'd honour the occasion with a good cup of morning coffee. Since I melted the base of our old coffee pot on the stove, and then proceeded to launch it across the kitchen by accident, it just hasn't been the same. Apparently some of the parts that snapped off were needed to make a good brew... so I bought a new one, and put a bow on it. Mornings have improved significantly.

Our little man is almost at the four month mark. That means his next round of needles are coming up, and luckily his thighs have retained enough chub to take the blow. I'm curious to know his weight. James is pretty sure he pulled some important muscle tissue in his arm just by holding him. I think James needs to toughen up.

My guess...18 lbs.

He is 3 months old. And his Pooh bear is his cue to chill out. He's hooked. Grandma's attempt to fit his butt in her kitchen sink for a bath. He's not convinced it's a good idea.
But she's getting it done.
James took Doug and I on an awesome hike up the river to Tews Falls. It was a hot day, and I would venture to say I would take this over a pool any day. You can't really tell from the photo, but it was hard to stay put long enough for a photo in the current. Love it.
Eagerly anticipating a swim. Unfortunately, I didn't get photos of the actual falls. The rest of the hike required us getting very wet, and I left my camera on a rock before we set out. Believe me, it was gorgeous.
My friend Heather came back from Korea, and before she hit the road for the great out west, we snagged her and made her eat with us and our pal Ryan. James nailed that dish :) No surprise.
I dropped Jesse off at a friends place, and then Heather and I spent the afternoon at Niagara-on-the Lake. It was on Heather's to do list before taking off-- actually, "French onion soup" was on her list, and it just happened to be here in Niagara. And this is why I love Heather. She has an insatiable love for the small and simple things that life has to offer, and I learn a lot from that.

All in all, a great afternoon.
My baby-- growing fast.

You only get one shot..

Not true. Jesse had to get two- one in each chubby thigh and he screamed bloody murder. Immunization time= 2 months into life. Jesse has reached that checkpoint, and I'm told he is surfing at the top of the percentile chart, weighing 14.12 lbs, being 62 cm long, and blah blah-- whatevs. Yes, he is a big baby. I have no choice but to put him in 6 month clothing if I want to get him out of them again, and as much as my dutch nature wants to shove his butt into the remainder of his size 1 diapers, the laundry that results just isn't worth it. SO, size 2 it is, and I will stack up yet another bag of clothes he's outgrown.

Being a mom is getting easier. My baby now coo's and "talks" to me, and I feel somewhat validated in my role. Plus he's really cute. A smile from a fat baby is like mood medicine-- I learned in 1st year psych that if you force a smile, no matter how upset you are, the act of smiling will boost your mood. Jesse's smile is contagious, and it just plain makes me happy.

Back to immunizations.

Immunization= sore muscles, red lumps, cranky baby

= less smiles and more teary looks of betrayal from a 2 month old.

What does he know about health and well being?! I shouldn't have to feel so guilty.. :(

Anyways, he's doing alright.

Father's day is coming up-- so I hope James is getting stoked. He gets a whole new 'holiday' this year. My mom is also turning 50 tomorrow. 50. I hate to say it, but that seems very old all of a sudden. I also hope she is getting pretty excited. I know after 25 people generally don't like getting older, but man, I love birthdays. Embrace age people. It's a gift.

Speaking of age, life, and embraces, James and I are seeing a wee bit of a cracked door in the direction of Ecuador. That's funny. When I said we had to see what "doors" God would open for us, I never thought we'd just have to add a few letters to the front of that to crack the code. BUT, nothing is for sure yet, and so I'll keep it vague.

The weather here has been cool, but lovely. The vegetable garden is doing well, minus the bush beans. They are sucking. Also, our zucchini hasn't come up, which might be a blessing considering I don't really like zucchini. Everything else looks hopeful, and I even have a nice pile of mixed lettuce rinsing in the sink for tonight's din. That sounds really nice, fresh lettuce. The reality is, that's all we will have to eat tonight, unless I get off this couch and buy groceries. There's my hint. I'm out.

A few blogs back, I mentioned that James had an interview, and we were excited to see what doors God would have us walk through in the near future. Well, that's not one of them--- but while this fall does not see James working at the Redeemer lab, it might see us dipping our fingers in missions overseas. I say "dipping" because it would be short term (to start), and I say "overseas" because it's vague enough to get the point across, without having to know where "overseas" actually is.

But it's exciting! Especially for me, because when Jesse entered our lives, I sort of reformed my ideas of what our future would look like, and missions sort of picked up and parked in the nosebleeds-- almost out of sight, but not quite.

And now it's back on the table.

So, we are praying, and searching, and discussing different options. And while we do that, if anyone out there knows of any missionaries/teachers/principals that we could possibly contact, we'd love to hear about them!

Other updates: It's very warm now. Warm enough that open windows no longer cut it, and the AC is effectively turned on full blast to keep this place livable.

Our flower gardens are thriving, and so are our veggies.

We had some of my old friends over for dinner, and James made a couple new friends :)

Yesterday evening was an evening for a walk to DQ with the boys from Bold.

Jesse fussed his face off for an overwhelmingly long stretch of time, but Matty B got him to sleep.

I am now on my way to meet Katrina at the Bread Bar for some hang out time, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Me and my boy.
Yesterday, my sister, her kids, and some childhood "sister's" of mine made the trip to Marineland. I love Marineland. Any amusement park that boasts a kid's section that actually gets an adult's adrenaline pumping is doing a very good thing. I would even say that a few of the kids rides were legitimately more appealing than those in the adult section. I mean, how lame was that octopus? Anyways, we went for the kids. Joc and I just happened to abandon ours on occasion to ride the dragon, and the coaster :)

On that note, it was so fun to see the "kid" come out of everyone. Mine didn't need much coaxing, but I have a feeling that some had been repressed over the years, and I'm glad they got a chance to play.

The last time I've been to an amusement park with this crowd was in grade 6 or so, when the Brouwer girls took Michelle and I with them to Florida. Bush Gardens. My first ever amusement park. Marineland, obviously, can't compare to that day, but it was cool that 15 years later, we could relive those memories.

Anyways, here are some whales. A lousy photo, but proof of our daytrip.
Levi, being swarmed by "goats".
Our entourage. A lot of strollers, a lot of fun.
Joc and I, living up to the "Sky Screamers" name, and screaming our heads off.
Shannon. The baby whisperer. Morgan on a leash, double fisting some babies, and no doubt planning to capture Levi, who has managed to escape Michelle's iron grip. The day wouldn't have been the same without her :)

Me and Talaina, with co-ordinated outfits.

Jesse. Oblivious to everything but being fed-- every 2.5-3 hours. Thank goodness he can down a bottle. He might have held us up :) Giving the old "pouty lip". Definitely gets that one from James.
And that's it for Marineland. An awesome day, that will hopefully be repeated. At least, it better, because we all paid the extra $5 for a summer pass.

But the May 24 weekend leading up to Marineland is worth mentioning. Back home in Hamilton, I discovered the Royal Botanical Gardens, and James, Jesse, Ryan and I spent our Saturday morning exploring it. Gorgeous. Later on in the day, James and I grabbed some vegetables, turned over our plot, and planted. This summer we hope to bring in beans, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, kale, zucchini, and cucumbers. Already anticipating free produce.

I also tackled the front garden of our house. Even though I hand selected the perennials for the garden last summer, I still managed to mistake some for weeds, and out they came. The result? A very empty flower bed.

I was able to snag a few replacements from Maple Leaf, and after about an hour of sweat and toil, the garden was planted. It definitely felt good to get out and get to work. Now we just need to figure out a watering system that doesn't involve a rain barrel and a couple lousy buckets. I was under the impression that we lived in the 21st century...

But anyways, the idea was also to get out of James' hair so he could get some thesis writing done. He didn't, thanks to Jesse. Speaking of which, that's us, at RBG. The rest of the weekend was packed. Crepe breaky with the house, bbq at the HAAA, bbq at Kristina's, bbq at Doug and Vanessa's-- exactly how a weekend ought to look when you are on the verge of summer.

Tummy time with pops. And the rest are random photos of James and Jesse, because that's who I take pictures of these days.

Classic. Tuckered out after a night of sleeping :)

A month and change

It's been a memorable month.

Jesse was born, and I learned a thing or too about caring for him.

James got sick, and I learned a few more things about caring for him.

James went to San Diego, and mom took us in for the week, and we were cared for.

Jesse got a throat infection and thrush, and still, we were cared for.

There were three weddings this month, all very different, but all involving the same promise-- that partners would care for eachother, and we, the church, would do likewise.

This month I have experienced the care of God.

We have had to turn away meals because our mouths cannot keep up and the freezer is full.

Our son is thriving-- packing on pounds-- and learning to smile.

James had an opportunity to try out for a job at Redeemer, and I'm excited to see what other doors God may want us to walk through in the next couple months.

I just went to a baby shower, thrown by a church we are not yet members of, and received gifts from people whose names I don't even fully know yet.

I have reconnected with old friends because we share a "mom bond"

I have reconnected with friends that don't have kids, because I crave conversation that doesn't revolve around kids.

Letters and gift cards come spilling through our mail slot-- providing no shortage of date nights, and teaching me a thing or two about generosity.

This past Sunday was Jesse's baptism.

As a kid, I didn't quite get it. I snored through the forms, watched the awkward hand-off from grandma to dad, and hoped the baby would scream or something to spice things up. Then I grew up a little, and it began to mean something. Then I became a mom and it really hit me. The forms took on fresh meaning, I hoped James wouldn't drop Jesse during the awkward hand-off, and I really hoped Jesse wouldn't ball his eyes out. Standing there, making a promise to care for Jesse, hearing the church make the same promise, and watching the water pour over Jesse's head and into his eyes, I felt the powerful, inconceivable love of God. God cares.So much so, that He chose to make a covenant with a handful of grimy sinners, a covenant that we can't even keep, so He keeps it all. Jesse has a Parent that knows his needs more than I ever will-- it's a humbling and a reassuring thought.

And so it has been a memorable month.

But not everything has been peachy, rosy rainbows. A more rounded picture of the month would include Ree getting pooped on, multiple times.

Pulling out her back-- also not so great.

Coping with the insecurities of being a mom who can't make her kid stop crying.

Figuring out what a date should look like with the backdrop of a squeeling, squawking infant. Feeling unproductive, despite the full time work of keeping my son alive.

Learning some unpleasant things about myself-- and not liking the learning curve.

The list goes on, but I'd rather end on a high note.

Although it's been raining for about 2 months straight, the sun will come out eventually.

Although Jesse is a "fuss-butt" he smiles for his daddy ( who has coined that term of endearment :)

I just finished an amazing book, "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck. A must read.

Although I'm home alone, I am cared for. This family is cared for.

God is teaching me things, and I am ready to learn.