Ella's Countdown to Canada Chart

We had to stop talking about our trip to Canada weeks ago because Ella was having trouble understanding that the trip was still a long way off. It was challenging because as we got closer to the travel date and we starting planning our trip in more detail, Andrey and I naturally started getting excited. 

But once we got back from the retreat and our trip was only a week away I thought of doing some kind of visual and tactile project to help Ella prepare and understand how much longer she had to wait. I came up with this chart to show how many times Ella will sleep in her bed at night before we go to Canada. (As soon as I finished it I realized I should have reversed the order of the numbers.)

 

Each morning, Ella and I run to the chart together and cover another photo of her sleeping in her bed. 

So as of today, it looks like this. Only three more sleeps!

Every day, Ella talks about riding on a big airplane and seeing friends and wearing warm clothes but thankfully she is not crying to go today and we are not having conflict over her not being allowed to wear all her warm clothes here and now in this heat. I think she clung to those clothes so strongly weeks ago when I had her try them on because she thought if she was wearing them it meant we were leaving soon. This chart is definitely helping her endure this last week of waiting. 

Our girl LOVES to travel and that makes me happy. I'm having so much fun packing her pink carry-on backpack. Last time I prepared too many toys and not enough snacks. This time I'm correcting that problem. Ella and I went shopping for snacks yesterday. I let her pick out several things that we only eat on special trips or days at the beach. Her favorites? Cheetos, BBQ Chippy (local chips kind of like Fritos), chocolate wafer cookies and M&M's. Our only problem now is that she can't stop talking about when she gets to eat the Chippy. :-)

Retreat Weekend

Last weekend the organization my husband works for hosted a SE Asia regional directors retreat. Lucky for me and Ella we too were included. We stayed in a GORGEOUS resort only two hours from the city where we live. The highlight? Besides getting some time for quiet reflection and some amazing meals, I got to go scuba diving for the first time! Andrey has done it before so he sent me along for the group scuba session.

It was a bit scary at first but once I was down, I was able to stay relaxed and enjoy. Our guides told us we'd only go to about 6 meters but we ended up going to 10 or 11. Pretty good for a first dive, I guess. We started at the shore and swam out to a beautiful reef wall. What fun to get to try something new with a fun and wonderful group of people in such a beautiful setting.

Andrey took Ella on a kayak while we dove. She loved it so much she fell asleep.

 

 I think this photo is hilarious. And I wasn't even trying to look so dorky!

Ella didn't want to leave when it was time to go. She kept saying, "No home. Stay here." She got several hours of pool time every day, so I don't blame her.

 

We live in a beautiful place and I don't take it for granted. What a gift to enjoy so much of it so often. I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty when we first arrived, thinking of all my friends who work so hard and either rarely or never get to go to a place like this. While I was thinking about this I realized how I can often feel sorry for myself and find it very hard to understand why there are so many impoverished women I meet that become pregnant so easily when they don't desire to have any more children and why at the same time, it is so difficult for some of us who desire so badly to become pregnant and carry a child to do so. If I allow myself to think about that too much I can become very upset and jealous and cry about how unfair it is but I know better not to dwell on those things too much.

It occurred to me that the fact that I get to go to a place like this when the majority of the world never leaves their neighborhood or gets a vacation makes very little sense and is also very unfair (not to mention all the other privileges we enjoy that the poor don't, like having enough money for food, access to toilets, clean water, health care, etc) and if they chose to, they could legitimately complain about how unfair life is for them (and way worse off than my small infertility problem). It causes me to ask, "Why me? Why do I get to do fun things like this?"

It didn't take me long to just be thankful and enjoy the retreat. I can say that Andrey works very hard and it's really nice that his org finds such value in rest and reflection in places that are very conducive to those things. We are thankful.

"Canada! Cold!"

Somebody is very excited about going to Canada in just a few weeks.

My sweaty little girl refused to take this hoody off after trying it on for the first time a few days ago. At her request, we got it out again today and she's worn it (and sweat in it) all morning. She is currently taking a nap in it. Oh and these new jeans, too. Gotta have the jeans Mom! 

 

Something tells me she really likes getting new clothes.

I made the mistake of getting these items out to try them on too soon because all she talks about now is going to Canada and how we must not forget to pack her hat, scarf ('neck..warm!' she says), jacket, socks and shoes. She wants them in her pink backpack and also wants us to pack another "big bag" full of stuff. Oh dear.

We've printed photos of the many family and friends she will meet so she can familiarize herself with all the new people. We did this before we went to the US earlier this year and it really helped. 

We're excited about this trip, too. Looking forward to the fall weather and getting to see some family and friends we haven't seen in several years. The main purpose of the trip is to introduce Ella to the her Canadian side of the family including her great-grandmother. If only I can get Ella to forget about this trip for now, or else the next two weeks until we go will go by very slowly.

Ella's Play Kitchen

It's finally done! I finished it tonight. I've never built anything like this before. It took longer than I expected but I had so much fun with it. The feeling of satisfaction I have right now makes me want to build more stuff!

Props to the mom at this blog for the inspiration and design. I adapted the design to make it deeper. The only power tool I used was a borrowed drill. The rest was done by hand, although I did have the big pieces cut to size for me at a lumber place in our neighborhood. Several of the smaller pre-cut pieces (ref door and shelf, oven door and base) weren't cut straight so I did a LOT of sanding and hand sawing to get them just right (or as right as I could). I am most proud of the sink and oven window holes I cut. I really did not expect to get those right so I was delighted when they both turned out great.

Overall it was a fun project and I learned a lot. I can't wait to watch Ella play with it tomorrow!

One Year Ago...

I picked her up and didn't put her down for months.

As a friend wrote to us after hearing the news that our long wait for a child had come to an end, 


All those years of waiting and hoping and disappointment were so that you would get her.  God takes all that loss and sorrow and redeems it and glorifies it.  In a little girl named Michella.

We celebrate one year together. We celebrate God's faithfulness and love in giving us Michella and for filling our desires with good things.

Truly those who hope in the Lord will not be disappointed.