"Try living life in my shoes"

The other day, I was thinking about a story Bobbie Houston once told us about her and her daughter. It brought forward some thoughts that I put before you very humbly knowing that I am a new mom, and new at life really... Learning and growing constantly... These are just some very honest thoughts I had following this story:

I can't remember the specifics but life at Hillsong is very full. Especially if you are a person in leadership, your list of responsibilities and expectations is long. One day, Bobbies daughter (Laura) was talking to Bobbie about it, Laura has a little girl. She was talking about all those responsibilities and what it's like to do them with a little girl... She asked her mom "It's hard isn't it mom? I mean it's a lot!" (something around those lines). Bobbie told us that she had to stop herself from saying, "No!!" She then explained to us that for her, doing ministry for so many years and having raised a family, she now does it without thinking. Bobbie had to stop herself and remember that she's gone through more growth and her capacity has been stretched so much more than Lauras. She had to remember that her daughter was facing a different season, a newer season. So, with that realization, she instead replied, "Yea, yea I reckon it is hard!" 

I loved that story, and it's obviously stuck with me... Now for two reasons...

My first reason is that I am now a new mom and something I learned very quickly after having Jacen is that (intentionally or not), there is a HUGE compare game that happens behind the scenes of us [as moms] and our children. From comparing our children's development, to comparing the difficulty of raising them to comparing what we do and accomplish each day. As a new mom, the one you face the most is the difficulty comparison because you only have one kid. I find people asking me "Is this your first? Oh! Well, enjoy it because thats the easiest one!" Sometimes I find myself feeling pressured or even guilty, "gosh, I have no right to even think it's hard raising my kid, she has to deal with 3 kids!" Every moment where I've felt helpless and out of my depth then feels pointless in comparison. Remembering Bobbies story has helped so much in realizing.... You know what? It's not necessarily easier, their capacity is simply stronger and larger than mine because they've raised their first kid already. I might not be taking care of 3 kids, but I'm taking care of one more person than I'm used to... And that person is dependent on me in every way which makes it a whole new sort of life change to get used to. If I struggle to get places on time, it does not make me a pathetic comparison to someone with 5 kids who gets everywhere early... Because I'm still learning, and for me it is still a challenge. My capacity is growing. One day I will look back at raising one kid as easy too.

A friend of mine has two kids, and I'm sure aspects of raising her baby are easier to her since she has done it before, but having two kids raises a whole new set of challenges. Her capacity is being stretched. 

What people don't realize when they make comments like "try it with 3 kids," is that it actually belittles and devalues someone else's season. How sad that is because instead, we could be drawing so much wisdom from someone with 3 on how to get through our season of 1 or 2! [I'm talking about his from the perspective of mothers and as a mother, but this applies to so many areas of life]. The "try living life in my shoes" statement, however put, you are not only lowering the value of someone else's experience but you are competing from a negative stand point, for a negative position. I'm sure you've heard it like this before too… "Gosh, that was a hard situation I faced the other day!" -- "You think that was hard? You should have seen me facing x, y, and z".

Why do we do that? Compete for the hardest situation in life? Why do we need to make others feel that one life is harder than another? Or on the other end, why do we need to feel like our life is inferior because the other persons life is harder... And because we feel that way, we are apologetic for thinking that whatever we might be facing is hard at all. Why not, instead, when someone expresses a struggle, try encouraging them and uplifting them. Maybe even provide some tools for them to get through it. It takes effort and a change of perspective to change the way we respond to people. I've had my fair share of thoughtless, selfish responses. But there is an entire culture built around trying to be the one to face the worst in life (at least in conversation)… to what end? "Congratulations, you are the most miserable of all of us?" No, thank you. I prefer to live a happy life, striving to be better, stronger and more capable.

Thats the second reason that I love Bobbies story; because it reminds me that my capacity will grow. One day I will be able to raise kids, run a family, work in ministry, maintain a social life, pour into people etc. without even batting an eye-lash. Or at least I can strive for excellence in those areas and know that there will be growth. It reminds me that I'm young, learning, new to this and all that is ok. The best part is that I have room to grow, the best part is that there is so much capacity to stretch and fill yet! Who knows what the result will be when I'm a wizened old women with life experience who's done the journey and can now pass it onto the next generation.

There are so many groups of people I hope to reach out to with this blog. The moms who are new and just learning like me, be encouraged that whether your learning how to live with just one new baby or two, or even three... That's your season! Gods entrusted you with it. He knows what your capable of and won't push you past your limits. Live your season fully and well, without pressure that you aren't as good as the mom who seems to have so much more on her plate. Once you have two kids, you probably will think that having one kid is so much easier, and it probably is… so do enjoy having your one baby! And grow as much as you can to prepare for the adventure that awaits you with the next one!

The moms who have lived longer, do more, have more kids... Pass on your wisdom to us new girls! Remember your first baby and all your old challenges! They might seem so easy to you now but some of us are still paddling just to keep our heads above water! That's why I love MOPS so much, it's a gold mine of wisdom from moms who know what they're doing while still being a place that recognizes we all face challenges and we are here to do them together.

To all of us, our capacity always has room to grow, to be stretched, to be challenged. Embrace the challenges knowing that you will come out stronger than you were. You will look back and think "wow, if I had to do that again, it would be easy now." Some of us might think another persons challenges look easy, but you have difficulties in your life that might seem easy to them as well. And then along the way, be encouraging with your words… be aware when someone expresses a struggle, don't one-up them with something you're going through… We are on this journey of life together, we ought to learn from each other, encourage each other, bring out the best of each other and help each other along. Lets be life-givers, not show-stealers.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up…" 1 Thessalonians 4:11 [ESV]

"Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it." Ephesians 4:29 [AMP]

"Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out." Colossians 4:6 [MSG]

"My name is Jacen, hear me ROAR”

Jacen, that’s our son. That’s our baby boy! Not even three months yet (but he WILL be sooooon). I am amazed every day as I’m sure every new mom before has been with their babies, as he constantly learns. Before I get a chance to blink, he has learned how to do something new, grasp intentionally, smile, laugh, stick his tongue out when I do, look from side to side, follow my voice… everyday he learns something new and is all excitement to show me and to show off. He flirts, he giggles, he loves just about anyone giving him attention. His personality erupts from him. I am forever in awe of how much personality such a little thing can have, and how fast it starts to show.

Jace knows what he likes and he knows what he dislikes. Not only that, but he knows how to tell you. Already, we can see that he loves us as parents, but he is independent. Once he’s figured something out, he wants to do it. We want him to cuddle, but he wants to see the world. Different rooms, different sounds, different activities… he is enraptured and enthralled. He gets bored if we sit too long and he has ENERGY… we call him our little wiggle worm because sometimes he won’t stop moving! I lay him on his back and all four limbs are flailing. His arm and leg movements get more and more intentional but he cannot wait to figure out what to do with them. Now that he can hold himself up during tummy time, he is dying to move, always moving. Bath time sets him off as he commands the waves with his continual splashing... Completely enamored with the fact that he has an affect on the substance around him.

There is so much we have yet to discover about who our little man will grow up to be, and we are so excited to see it all unfold! The nicknames we come up with because of the little things he does are endless! Some come and go, some will probably stick around for a few more years. 

I look at Jacen, watch him smile and see the life he hasn't  even lived yet flash before my eyes. I see the drawings, the projects, the first day of school and the last, the sledding, the falls, the skinned knees, the can-i-keep-them pets, the bullies, the girlfriends, the mistakes, the tears, the undoubtable-endless laughs, the family nights, his journey of self-discovery, his graduation, the day he will leave for college. All of that rich, loved life fills my brain and I'm overwhelmed with excitement, anticipation, fear and awe. We get the honor of doing that journey with him, and we walk into that with all the love and excitement we have! 

There will be challenge, there will be opposition... He will face dark days as well as good days. He will fall and we hope to teach him how to get back up. But more than anything we hope to not only teach him to overcome challenges but to rise far above them. Thinking about this adventure-filled life he has yet to live, if there was one thing I hope he gets from his father and me in how to live it.... It's to live it fiercely. To live it full and live well, in love with His creator and founded in the identity that He gives him. It's to stand on the edge of the mountain and be able to shout "My name is Jacen, hear me roar." The book Wild At Heart talks about how boys intrinsically desire to be seen as a force to be reckoned with. My prayer is that Jacen finds the fulfillment of that desire in Christ and lives it out in confidence. 

I'm so happy we had a boy. I would've been amazingly happy to have a girl... But there is just something so much fun for me that I get the crazy enjoyment of raising a little man. I get the day that he will find the tree frog in our front bush and want to bring it in. I get the gross stories, all the nerdy boy things (which in my opinion are better than girl toys), I get the stick-sword fights, later on, the girl-friends (also better than dealing with the boyfriends).... Just thinking about each moment, I wish I could live them at the same time! If we had had a girl, I would be facing an entirely different adventure, and I would welcome it... But this, I find exhilarating.

When it comes to how quickly he will grow... This year alone will be full of firsts... Hard to believe how different he will be by the end of it all! Still, there is nothing but child-like excitement in my heart, as it sets off racing when I think about each moment. He's our little bean right now, our little goober, our sweet boy full of nothing but smiles and giggles. One day he will be a full grown man, ready to romance some lucky girl, ready to climb a mountain, ready to conquer, ready to show the world the person God made him to be. So the next time you see my little Jacen, just picture him saying "My name is Jacen, hear me ROAR!" As hard as that might be to do when he gives you that cute, little, heart-melting smile! 

A Reflection on 2013 and the New Year

I’ve made a simple goal with my New Years blog and that was to get it posted before the end of January. Getting it out halfway through while taking care of a two month old… I’m not ashamed to say I am fairly impressed with myself. Maybe someone else could have done better but I don’t particularly care. For me, that is pretty stinkin’ good.

Those of you that follow us know that this last year has been incredibly hard by any normal standard of life. When I look back on it myself now that I’m past the emotions of the moment… I am amazed at what we experienced. I was thankful to find a morning at the beginning of this month where I actually had a chance to simply reflect on 2013 and listen and hear what’s in store for 2014.

After reflecting, I would say the defining way to describe 2013 is that it was a year of the unknown. From January to December, we were following God blindly. There was no knowing what to expect. The magnitude of it all impresses itself onto me when I think about it deep enough… Putting myself into the past, into that moment where I just realized I felt like we were being called home. 2013 hadn’t happened yet. It was January of last year, Travis and I had just enjoyed New Years in the city of Sydney and were expectant and excited for another year at Hillsong. Then one week, not long after that… I sat Trav down and expressed that I suddenly felt like it was time to go home, with NO idea why. I remember being so overwhelmed when the new songs started to play during service at Hillsong… they played “Oceans” for the first time and I wept. That song defines our entire year.

We talked to the people in our lives at the time, seeking wisdom, seeking confirmation about the possibility of us going home. A few were skeptical, but we got our answer… Homeward. And then… it wasn’t until MARCH that we found out. We bought our tickets in January, and we made preparations through February. We sold belongings, applied to colleges, we readied our hearts for the move, and it wasn’t until the week before our flight that we found out. We were pregnant! Little be known to us, Jacen was already with us. Just a little bean, who made me cry when I realized that all the plans I had made would mean nothing, and I had no plans ready for a baby. Homeward still, we went not knowing but trusting. We agreed that Jacen was coming in the perfect timing and that God would provide (easier said than done). The number of times that was said in pure faith are innumerable… most of the time that I would say it I felt like I sounded so dumb and irresponsible, or at least that people viewed me that way.

We got home and a month went by… then two… then three. Trav still didn’t have a job. Why? We applied almost every day, filled out over 100 applications over 3 months time. It was in a moment of despair that we received our first and only call back from all of those applications. That got the ball rolling, a seasonal job, one month of work, but a job. The next job came after a week of waiting to hear back from 3 jobs that has promising interviews… with a 4^th option on the back burner. We were unsure about that one, but only wanted to take it if it was where God wanted us to go. One day after another we heard back from the 3 jobs and each one had found a reason by the time they called back why they couldn’t hire or didn’t need to hire Trav anymore. We knew God was leading us towards the 4^th option. A fourth month goes by.

Our plan was to be with my parents for only 2 months. In our 4^th month living with them we prayed and prayed that we would have a place by the end of August. Some of you have read that story. A miracle happened… we found a house, not a one-bedroom apartment… a house.

The story goes on… so many more details… so many moments of just not knowing, and God following through. So many moments where we thought we were at the end, in terms of options, of decisions, financially, spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally… and it was always in the final moment that God would respond. We stared into what seemed like a black abyss so many times, only to find our way when it mattered most. Faith-building, that was 2013.

Praying and listening for 2014, I just heard God’s heart express a new start. We just had a baby and that’s already new… but I felt a physical, tangible line drawn between December 31^st and January 1^st. 2014 is brand new.  Now we believe for a year of revealing, a year of discovery, a year of ADVENTURE. My heart quickens with excitement as He fills it with expectation for this new year. Each year gets better and better. Each year I grow older, wiser, gain more experience, grow stronger and somehow love more… Each year brings something fresh and new. We are in a position this year to move forward in ways that we couldn't last year. Finally settled, the baby is here, got the ball rolling for employment… it puts us in a position where we can have some real adventures, and that makes my heart race just to think about.

Last year, we didn’t even have time to think between moving countries, getting settled and having a baby… no time is left just to BE. This year will have cognitive, reflective, decisive moments, full of the richness of life. Our focus will not be on surviving and getting from one day to the next if we can but on building. Each day will be more than the day before. Who we are as a couple, as a family will move forward and not struggle to just exist. 2013, despite the obstacles, was such a fantastic year, an anthem of God’s faithfulness, His guidance, His love, His plans and His follow through, His presence and His goodness… 2014 will be even better than that.

January of 2013, we stood on the edge of the unknown, overwhelmed by the path in front of us that we couldn’t even see. We claimed a good year with a faith surrounded by uncertainty. January 2014, we stand on the edge crouched down the way we are before a race… our hearts full of anticipation and excitement as we step into this new year and all it has in store!

“The best is yet to come.” – Brian Houston

What Happened to the Rens?

What happened to the Rens? Yes, it has been a while. However, September was a pretty crazy month! I don't have any exciting pictures. This is just an account of our many adventures . So, where to begin? 

We were looking and looking for a place to live for a longer time than we had planned. Travis and I prayed that by the end of August, we would find a place. What do you think happens? A couple I’ve known since I was a girl end up having a little rental house that was becoming available after the previous tenants had been living there the past 5 years. When was their move out date? …end of August.  Wow. So grateful for God’s timing!

God has incredible timing… but He has a funny way of taking us through life as well. The night before we were meant to move in… everything we had shipped over from Australia that we had been storing in the garage was stolen. 24 boxes of household items.

I will never forget what it felt like… I saw the broken lock… as soon as I did I knew. At the same time I could just feel this sense of overwhelming peace. I couldn’t open the garage right away. I turned around and showed Trav the broken lock. His face was unreadable. Then we open it up, for the moment we knew was coming… and still… it was such a shock. To see it empty… all of our boxes gone. Everything we had been waiting for. The entire life we had built together in Australia was gone. That morning was hard. Making the calls, filing reports, starting the slow process of remembering item by item what we would never see again. Still, something incredible happened after that…

The house had been trashed… which we knew. We were planning to spend 2 weeks to fix it up. The day we found out our things were taken was the first day we were going to spend starting to fix it up. Walking into the house was almost as overwhelming as when our things were taken. Apart from the fact that the front door wasn’t even secured shut… the house was in worse condition than we anticipated. We didn’t know how we would complete building a livable home in the one month before the baby’s arrival.

Its amazing what God does, and what His community can do when they come together. Starting with that day and moving on into the following two weeks, people came to help. Incredible moment after incredible moment happened… peoples’ generosity and love and care for us was unfathomable. Aside from all their hard work, things were donated, time was spent… we could never repay what our friends and family did for us during that time. Our house wouldn’t be what it is now without each of those involved.

The final two events of September were not nearly as exciting although still a hassle.

One morning I woke up and heard scratching inside the bathroom wall… Woke up my husband and he confirmed… a rat. We hadn’t seen any evidence of rats up until that point. The next day we found droppings and heard it in the wall of the baby room. It all happened the week that the weather went cold. It turned overnight and the rats decided to find a warm place to live almost immediately! Long story short, we got rid of them. Rather miraculously. It almost doesn’t make sense. We only killed one, the poison was untouched and yet after trying to scare the group of the rest of them away, we haven’t heard any or seen any signs of them since.

Even less exciting, after that… I happened to catch the flu closely following the rodents. It was a pretty bad case and I had it for a week and a half. I was more than happy when that was over! Since then… its been crazy, nesting mother-to-be on my end! Putting up shelves, arranging furniture, organizing our kitchen, unpacking boxes. I filled the many hours away from my husband putting together our little home. Travis started and is now finishing studying for his CNA license; which is VERY exciting! 

Now that the story is told I have to say. I am left in utter disbelief when I think about and see everything that has been prepared… everything we have. We went from moving between countries, pregnant, without jobs or anywhere to live; without any idea of how we would get through any of it… to a house (not an apartment!), with all the baby stuff we need, a NURSURY… a job and an impending education! The only thing it leaves me to say is that GOD IS SO GOOD. He has taken such good care of us, each and every step of the way. Thats the story of the Ren Clan for the time being. All that’s left now is the waiting game. Scheduled for induction on Friday! We are actually kinda hoping little Ren comes before then! Can't believe how much our lives are about to change!! Biggest thank you to everyone that has taken part in our journey! We wouldn't be where we are now without each and every one of you!

A God-intended Relationship (One Incredible Year)

One year ago today... an absolutely magical day happened... Travis and I got to stop having to say goodbye to each other at night! Haha! Honestly though, best part of being married and probably what I hated most about dating. Saying goodbye at night was always the most painful thing for both of us. Maybe thats just us, we are so highly quality time in our love-languages that being together was the one of most important things. Didn't matter what we were doing, just so long we were together. Anyway, back to our wedding day... I cannot believe it has been a whole year since that day. I do want to start by saying a BIG thank you to everyone who came and who celebrated with us. Each of you were such a big blessing to take time, to drive, to do whatever it took to be there. Especially since we had not been home for so long, it meant the world to see you and have your support! We cannot thank you enough! Our wedding was better than either of us ever dreamed or imagined it would be and thats because of all of you, your hard work, your generosity, your love.

My best friend.. I am married to my bestest friend in the whole world. That is so true it scares me sometimes. He makes me laugh, knows everything about me and still loves me (I don't understand that sometimes), he holds me when I cry, supports me in my pregnancy, spends time with me, spoils me... the list is endless. No one has ever had a friend as incredible as my husband. People say the first year of marriage is meant to be the hardest... if thats true... BRING IT ON! This last year has honestly been one of the best years of our lives! Not saying its been perfect or that we don't have our difficult seasons. Gosh, if you want to talk about difficult seasons, lets talk about the whole of 2013 so far. Starting with the 180 degree turn decision to come home from Australia?! Followed by... oh! Little Ren! And yet... wow, what an incredible first year of marriage! Travis and I had a moment last night together where we just remembered it all... it was like seeing your life flash before your eyes but we just went over this last year together. It brought tears to both of our eyes because even those incredibly challenging moments have all been so very beautiful. It's the greatest thing in the world to be able to look back and see God's hand in each little moment. Every moment had a lesson, or an area of growth, or just a moment of encouragement... every moment brought Trav and I closer to each other and to God. He has orchestrated a year of faith-building love. I am overwhelmed when I take in the history of it all starting with the most beautiful day of our lives, the day that brought us together! The only way I can think to describe it is as one giant gorgeous adventure.

My thoughts this morning, I could not help myself, rested on a blog I read a while back that I then saw circulate for a while. The blog was circled around the idea that we do not have soul mates. Which, when reading her background and how she used to think... I understand what she's talking about. She had what I like to call and have heard it called before... the "white knight syndrome". Us little girls are raised on disney movies and westernized ideas of love and what love is, who our husband will be etc. Our definition of "soul-mates" is wrong... not necessarily that having a soul-mate is wrong. She also talked about how her dad popped her bubble and told her He doesn't have a husband planned out for her, God's only concern is her relationship with Him and growing her in Him, which is true. However, I have to say I am so happy that I also disagree! Not that God is completely wrapped up with who we will marry or that He has just ONE person for you. But I believe our God is SO big, He is ABSOLUTELY involved in who you will marry 100%. You have to understand... my marriage story is kind of crazy, and one that leaves me without a doubt that Travis was intended for me from years ago. Sure, I could have married someone else and been entirely happy... because like this girl talks about, marriage is a choice and loving your spouse is a daily decision not something you are destined to do. Still, there is a greater purpose and plan to each and every marriage that has nothing to do with you and what YOU want...

My definition of "soul-mate" is that person that God intended... although "soul-mate" is not my favorite terminology for it, it has a finality to it that I agree, shouldn't exist. I too, grew up with a very thwarted view of who I will marry (or not marry in my case). See, I wasn't the little girl who always knew or had a list or even dreamed about her wedding day. I grew up believing I would never be good enough for anyone and how could I ever get married? For 6 years of my life, I fell in love with a boy and I have to say it was the most miserable time! Even in my teenage, hormone-enraged brain... I knew he was not the one. Regardless, my emotions and "love" for him raged on. Being so aware of him being the wrong one for me but how passionately my emotions connected me to him... I was able to attribute most of that to hormones and an immature view of what love really was. It took a long time to get him out of my mind and heart because I had fed that infatuation for so long... but it taught me so much. I learned not only about relationships and love but about myself and some of my fastest and strongest growing times was in the 2 years coming out of that crush. Going through it was what brought me to realize all those patterns of thinking and pre-concieved ideas of what love was that I had to battle and break; all ideas that I had grown up with because of how love had been portrayed to me (not just through media but through the church).

So unlike, this other blogger... I had an opposite learning experience... which has brought me to a very different conviction. Instead of learning that Jeremiah 29:11 does NOT apply to our marriage... I discovered that yes, God DOES care who I marry. Not just for me or my heart, but after going through the entirety of the journey, He does it for what He can then do in and through me. God took me through a journey of discovery to show me that He does care, I do matter, I am beautiful, and He had someone that He had been shaping just for me from the time he (Travis) was born. That whole time I felt like I was going to get left out on the whole marriage front... God had a plan all along. I just had to go to Australia to find him. That is the part that gets me the most. Travis is from Washington state, just grew up on the opposite side, and I had to go halfway across the world to meet him. No one can tell me that wasn't a God-intended relationship. Travis and I have shared stories of how we've grown up, ways we used to think, everything... and I look at these specific situations and just go, wow... That prepared you for "this" and that prepared me for "that" in our marriage today! God was in every moment as He is in everything in our lives. Mine and Trav's marriage is designed detail by detail and God did it. Our marriage is more than just for us as well. Who God shaped us into for each other will now also shape our soon-to-be-born son, which will prepare him for who he will marry and what they will accomplish as a couple, and their children, and so on and so forth. See, God does have a plan for who you are going to marry, but its bigger than you or that marriage. It's all for His plans and purposes, for His kingdom.

Don't give up praying for your husband... the teary eyed letters come because of our immature emotions that we are still learning to work through as we grow, but get God involved in your future love life. Write those lists... maybe not eye color, hair color... but the necessaries. The lists in my opinion are good to help girls have a healthy standard of what kind of guy to marry. They help prevent the destructive relationships where we make excuses for the other guy. The lists help girls look at the relationship and go... no! This isn't what I want! Coming out of my 6 year crush I just cried out that God would write my love story. Not because it was the most important part of my life or what God had in store for me but because it was something that caused me so much pain and I didn't understand. I was surrendering it to Him, because He does care... and wow did He ever write me an AMAZING love story... and it is still being written! Most importantly it has God Himself at the center of it... it's not about Travis or him being my soul-mate... its about this incredible man of God that God raised and introduced me to in the right time that I now get the honor of doing life with... of choosing to love day after day (because yes, love is still a daily choice and must continue to be nurtured).

No, there is no specific bible verse that says God cares about and has just ONE person in store for you anywhere in the bible. But there are love stories galore, each with a different purpose behind the couple... it's never focused on the couple nor does it make their marriage the main event... but it does express a certain attention to detail on God's part to relationships. I bring it back to Isaac and Rebekah as just one example. Sure, same thing, Isaac could've married anyone and it would've been an amazing story nonetheless... but God had specific intentions. Abraham's servant was sent out, and God already knew who He had in mind. The best part of that love story is when the servant is bringing Rebekah back to Isaac and they see each other in a field... I'm not one to believe in love-at-first-sight but I do believe in God-intended relationships. That was one if I ever saw one.

All this being said, I cannot ever fully express my gratitude that God had someone in mind for me all along. He knew my heart even when I did not... He knew what kind of man I would need and how the coming together of our hearts would make us that much more powerful as a couple. So, Travis my love, here is to an absolutely, mind-blowingly, amazing first year of marriage. We have been through good and bad and have so much more to face... but I am honored to have you to face it with! Thank you so much for the blessing you are in my life! Happy Anniversary! So excited to welcome our beautiful little Ren into our family for this second year!

The Chevron Success

So, some of you know that a very good friend of mine is also having a little one coming this October! She is having a little princess who we like to kid will be soul mates with mine and Travis' little man. Don't worry, it's all in good fun, there's no arranged marriage about to happen or anything. However, we would not be opposed to the match!

Anyway, I digress... recently, she allowed my husband and I the honor of playing a very small part in helping her with her nursery! A truly small part... we simply taped for their chevron design. Still, it is an accomplishment I remain proud of. Chevron, if for whatever reason you don't know, is an inexplicable trend that has popped up in recent times. For some reason, this is especially true when it comes to nurseries. If you look online, there are tutorials everywhere on the best ways to pull off chevron. I really just went for it. No, I have no magic formula for it... I pretty much wung it and somehow pulled it off! I'm sure there are MUCH easier ways to do it that would have helped but once I found my groove, it wasn't that difficult.

Here's how it began. I had my cheats (a.k.a. the straight line of the wall).

 The biggest challenge doing this pattern was the fact that it wasn't the whole wall... so I couldn't just divide full measurements up and down. I could only do that vertically and then everything horozontally was a mixture of measuring, marking and eye-balling.

Again, once I kind of found a groove... I was on a roll.

If you want to know how NOT an expert I am... just figuring out a system took me an hour. Hey, it was my first time :) Hoping to have many more DIY projects in the future, but we enjoyed this as a start.

My strategy was fairly simple... start with a straight line eye-balled off the edge of the wall... then from there I had 2 points of measurement I would mark from the floor up every 12" from the first line... I'm not sure I explained that very clearly. Each bottom point of the chevron is a certain height from the floor... along a horizontal line from the first piece of tape at the edge of the wall (each point is every 11" apart). I laid down the vertical strips first... marked the heights of each point along those strips, then lined up each diagonal strip to those points from there.

Like I said... once I had a system (and all the measurements) down... it was smooth sailing from there!

Having this guys help was definitely a HUGE plus!

The finished tape job just felt so good.

Then this... the moment of victory!

I know, I know! I am pregnant! I never said I was going to paint tho! No, the only thing you would have heard from me is that we taped. Like I said, our part was very small... this was a team effort! Here is our painting star....

The painting star.

Then nothing beats the finished product and that glorious feeling of SUCCESS! So cute! And so long mama is happy I am happy! I'm pretty sure she loves it! 

Then... sweet victory!

One of the best parts of having kids is how much everyone else loves your kid even before they are born! I know this little girl is already so loved! We can't wait to meet her and watch her grow up! Loved being a part of this project so much. Can't wait to see the complete finished product for sure, her nursery is going to be so cute... and thats true especially since her mama has such good taste!

Maybe one day soon... we will have some adventure stories from little Ren's nursery.

Summer Adventures of a Pregnant Woman

Facing a hot northwest summer, 2nd year of an ongoing drought... how do you handle it as a 6-7 month pregnant woman? Lets not even mention the acid reflux, swollen legs, over-exhaustion, and dehydration... the list goes on! You know, aside form those few set-backs, so far my pregnancy has been nothing short of fantastic. The overall drought that is happening this summer has yet to succeed in stopping me from enjoying myself.


THE BEACH

Favorite activities thus far... the beach... on cooler days of course. The hot sun beating down on little Ren does no one any good. Thankfully we live in the gorgeous Northwest where a cool day is the best time to go to the beach! Around here, it's also a matter of exploration more than lounging around on the sand. We don't exactly have the best sand to lounge around on at the Puget Sound anyway. Not unless you go somewhere like Deception Pass or Jetty Island.

This is just across the sound up near Poulsbo area. Just across from the bridge. It's beautiful, and a popular location for crabbing!

Then theres also the very west coast of Washington (probably my favorite place on earth). It's too bad its a 6 hour drive away. Not the best idea for a pregnant lady. It is magical out there though, it also holds some of my favorite camping spots. Saying that brings me to then say that camping is something I've given up for this summer. Sad, I know. I haven't been camping in over 3 years since I've been in Australia (not the safest place to go camping even if I had had the time to do it). However, time, budget and preparing for the baby has left us unable to go this summer. I wouldn't even mind sleeping outdoors or on the hard ground. On the contrary, I think I would have the time of my life out there. Ah well, next year... with little baby in tow.


THE TULIP FESTIVAL

The tulip festival! It goes on at the beginning of the summer and theres not much too it unless you really really like looking at flowers. Or maybe you are interested in buying some. We found a really nice one though where instead of just rows and rows of tulips, they arranged everything into a garden. There were huge lawns and a barbecue. We attended with my parents, who took pictures of everything, which is kind of the point I suppose in the end. You get pictures in fields of flowers! Whats better than that? Either way, it got us out of the house and we spend some quality time with my parents. Lunch was a buffet at the casino coming back down I-5, can't turn that down either!

THE ZOO

I love the zoo! I just love it! I don't know what it is but it is one of my favorite places. Since I've grown up however, I get a little sadder looking at all the animals all cooped up. Woodland Park Zoo does work hard to give them good habitats but my heart still wants to see them all be free. Travis and I went before summer season pricing started so we paid a very good price since we also had a coupon. Unfortunately, we didn't leave early enough. The zoo, especially Woodland Park Zoo... is an ALL day event, not a 3 hour in the afternoon event. Still, we made it through the whole place in 3 hours believe it or not! I got my exercise that day! We loved it regardless. Our next trip will definitely start when the zoo opens next time though... have time to just sit at one exhibit for long enough... or even have time to sit and eat! It was eating while racing to the opposite side of the zoo for us! A great summer activity over-all, and I cannot wait till we have our little bub to take there and have him experience the magic of animal life for the first time!

This was one of the little guys that made me so sad, but he was so stinking cute at the same time!

HIKING

One way I've tried to keep up my fitness during my pregnancy this summer is all of the many many hiking options we have around where we live. Again, not hard to find those around here. So far, there are just a few I can handle being as far along as I am... my favorite is the Meadowdale Beach hike. It's still a bit of a push, but one I can handle. And Meadowdale offers a different sort of reward at the end of the hike. You go down to the beach, and then the top of the hill is the ability to sit back down in your car and drive home! Talk about reward after spending so much time wearing yourself out when you're pregnant. This last time, we caught it at a very low tide, which is always fun for finding a little bit of life under rocks and close to the shoreline! Another thing I look forward to once little Ren is old enough!

Snoqualmie falls is jus another small hiking area we visited. They've moved the trail construction finish time from Spring to the Fall so we didn't get to go down... but this is the first time I was able to see it during its flood stage. Obviously, this picture was taken before the start of this drought we've been facing all summer!

GARAGE SALES

Moving on to our next little adventure... Garage sale-ing... there isn't enough I could say about this. Not only is it fun, but a good bargain hunt is always ideal for a first-time moma-to-be! Then for those of you that don't know, if you are seriously out for something specific or maybe don't want to spend the gas money driving around... nowadays Facebook is full of groups where people are given the place to buy, sell and trade online within the area! You can ask for things you need, see if anyone has anything for a good price! Not saying that could ever in any way compare with the magic of picking a good day to just garage hop from one place to the other and see what sort of treasures you can find. For us, we can't exactly drive our car around as much as we want in this season, or spend money on random things. Still, I plan to go actual garage sale-ing at least once this summer. Until then, those Facebook groups have been a life-saver in preparing for our little ones world-debut!


BARBECUES

Barbecues are a must of the summer... especially since being pregnant has given me a certain affinity for greasy foods. Not overly greasy mind you, but a good barbecue burger makes my mouth water just to think about. A simple trip to Dick's Hamburgers will also do the trick. Obviously, such cravings and enjoyments need to be monitored... but its also summertime, and 1-3 times a month for the whole two and a half months of summer we get isn't too bad in my opinion. Then theres the backyard meals with good friends. We've had the pleasure of doing a few of those this summer and it has been absolutely fantastic. There's nothing like having good people in your life, especially in the right seasons!


BERRY-PICKING

Top all of this off with some berry picking, which gives me a good squat workout! It's a tasty experience too. I highly recommend it as an outing, especially with some good friends in some good fields. Washington State is known for all sorts of berries! From Strawberries, to blackberries, rasberries, blueberries and even tayberries (a cross breed)... make sure you know your seasons for picking. I know a site that helps with that here in Washington: Harvest Schedule -- [Tip: make sure you know the field you're going to and call ahead for u-pick times and prices.]

I got the honor of going berry picking twice this summer! How I did it for 4 hours the first time, I will never know. The second time, I just didnt have the attention span! I pretty much had A.D.D. and couldn't focus on one branch of berries at a time to pick! It was hilarious, but somehow we still managed to pick a good amount!

This is the beautiful place that we live in. I honestly don't think I could live anywhere else other than Washington! It's far too gorgeous and there's just SO much to do!

The list of our adventures from this summer goes on. We had some great opportunities for some light boating out on the lake in the cool of the day, and even a few ferry rides. There have been all sorts of summer events to fill our time with. We've been to the 4th of July parade and fireworks... we've been to a celtic fair of all things. By the way, what do they do at celtic fairs? They throw trees and herd sheep for entertainment! It was quite a bit of fun though! This post would go on for forever if I told you about every little thing that we've done. Of course amongst all the fun, there's been job hunting and baby preparations... but it's nice to know that we've made the most of our first summer home! Our 4th summer in a row within the last 2 years!

This is Us.

[Also our current 'About Us' section]

We are the Rens. Newlyweds, soon-to-be-parents, getting our feet back on the ground after 3 years spent studying in Aussieland. If there is anyone who has learned that life often times throws you some pretty crazy curveballs, it's us!

Let's start at the beginning.

Travis and I met in Aussieland, the land of the hot hot sun. It was at an international college and he was the first one I met who was also from Seattle. Can anyone say immediate kindred spirits? Well, it didn't start out that way (he had a girlfriend, regardless of how dastardly handsome I thought he was). Still, our friendship started there almost four years ago. Within the events of a single year, we went from friends, to better friends, to dating. The following year followed suit with a six month engagement and then a wedding! Some might think we fast-tracked things a little bit. If you know us, that was definitely not the case!

Our wedding is a whole 'nother story full of excitement, craziness, beautiful moments, incredible blessing and the best day of our lives.

After our wedding, which happened in my parents absolutely GORGEOUS backyard, it was back to Australia for what we planned to be another 2-3 years. We were so excited to go back, our entire lives as a couple was established in Australia with our newly-made friends and family there. We had great jobs, a great car and an absolutely amazing place to live!

This past January, we felt like it was time to come home... out of the blue. There were no plans to come home! None! Why did we feel God calling us to come home? We didn't know, but after prayer and seeking counsel from the people who had input into our lives, we were certain.

Sure enough, we buy our plane tickets, we begin our preparations... one week before we left... a little goodbye present for us!!!

(Photo taken in April at 13 weeks)

I won't lie, the first day when I found out was probably one of the hardest days of my life. This was not in the plan. I had applied for colleges! Already in a position where we were going in a direction that we didn't understand, this added to the mystery.

Travis on the other hand, handled it like a real husband, which completely blew me away and was probably what got me through day 1. [By the way, he is a real husband, he was just the one who wanted to wait to have kids for longer than I did. In the end, he just embraced it when he found out it was a reality]. Travs' incredible support and dedication in those first few days and weeks was unbelievable.

Now we are where we are. Arriving home this last March we spent 3 months looking for work until Travis finally found a summer job! Can anyone say complete 180? Going from cushy life in Aussieland, to penny-pinchers in our own country, expecting a baby and still fighting to get settled!

If you were to ask me where I could see myself in the next few years 3-4 years ago... I would've told you I didn't even have any plans to get married! All I wanted was to study and figure out what I was going to do with my life! It's mind-blowing how the things you might plan for your own life are irrelevant when it comes to the things of God. I've also noticed that, in our little family at least, God really enjoys putting us in completely unheard of situations.

Those of you who know Travis and myself, you know we are responsible, plan-ahead type of people. So this whole last year really threw us for a loop. However... WOW, what an adventure! We have to admit we have our moments where we can't help asking "are we doing something wrong?!" or we feel a little lost... but in the end, God always pulls through. It's been and still is an incredible faith-building journey. This is just our little collection of adventures and mis-adventures to share with family and friends who now reach to the edges of the globe! Our hope in sharing all our little adventures with you is that you find some comfort, humor, encouragement or even just diversion in all the things that we go through!

We are the furthest form perfect - starting out couple; but we look to the future with excitement and trust that God has a plan. We've submitted ourselves to him and anticipate what He has next in store! Maybe we aren't a have-it-all-together couple, but we have each other, and this is us.

"God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you recieved from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike 'What's next, Papa?' God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who He is and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going ot get whats coming to us--an unbelievable inheritance!"

Romans 8:15-17 [MSG]