we've done a lot in a week...

well, it's now been pretty much a week since lyd, noah, and i arrived here in vancouver. we pulled up to our new place with anxiety and anticipation, feeling ambivalent toward this new adventure that lies ahead of us. as i'm typing i just thought, "wow, has it only been a week? we've done so much!" i guess time flies when you pack so much into your day/week/life...

so what has happened since we've been here? let me highlight a few things...

lydia's best friend, jen, met us here on Friday when we came to our new place and we did a lot of sightseeing with her, which was a great time. she was visiting friends elsewhere in BC and decided to come help us unpack for a few days. thanks, jen, for the offer-- but we quickly learned that it would be nothing more than an empty offer as it's been a week and the movers still haven't arrived with our stuff. our belongings are supposed to be arriving on saturday. i've never wanted to see my bedsheets more than i do now. we have been fortunate, however, to be in a place that is partly furnished (we have appliances, couches, beds... enough to get by) and are constantly asking ourselves, "what can we cook for dinner that would not involve any appliance other than a microwave or oven, doesn't use pots/pans or baking dishes, and can be eaten with plastic utensils?" if you figure out an answer to that riddle that doesn't begin with "P" and end in "izza", let us know.

orientation has been amazing at Regent. from tuesday through thursday we sat in the chapel with probably about 100-150 other newbies at Regent (i say "we" because one thing we llove about Regent is that it is a family-oriented community and they provided childcare for families so spouses could attend the orientation as well) and listened to all of Regent's profs share their personal stories, what classes they were teaching, and felt the passion with which they spoke. i feel both blessed and intimidated to be studying under such scholarly and spiritual followers of Christ. the orientation also consisted of worship times that were fantastic, and a lot more "get to know the school" type of things. we also learned how to use the library for research and i quickly learned that i had completely faked my way through undergrad, never having used the library in any way it was intended to be used. i'm not sure i can do the same here...

we're living at St. Andrew's Hall and have been able to connect with some other families here. one particular family is from Ireland with a son a little older than noah, and another family we met is from England with an older daughter and a son around noah's age. Our neighbours moved here from Taiwan a few weeks ago with their 14 year old son. The dad, JZ (yes, we live next door to JZ!) will be studying at Regent. This place is great for families, because the entire courtyard at this townhouse is completely overrun by toys. it's toddler heaven... slides, a play stove, tricycles, balls, you name it. we have taken advantage of that a few times...

we signed up for a community group today, which will meet on tuesdays after chapel. we're both really looking forward to tuesdays, as we have weekly chapel, community groups, and then those who are interested stay around and eat soup and bread together... it's great to be in a place that is intentional about developing a relational environment.

i bought my books for all my classes yesterday and came home a little overwhelmed. 16 books for this semester... and the semester is 13 weeks long. i'm no mathematician, but between reading, tests, learning greek, and writing papers-- i think i may be kinda busy this semester. i'm definitely excited to be reading these books though. they look like fantastic reads, though some of them may be a slower read than others.

i think that's it for us now... sorry about all the details... i know there are a few out there who are interested in all the ins and outs... for the rest of you, just skim or skip this post and no offence will be taken!

Visiting the Walkers....

1. Daddy with Peyton
2. Ethan and Noah
3. Jace, Noah, Ethan
4. Cuddle time with the twins :)

our first experience at the aquarium

in awe of the beauty...

We went for a stroll today to the ocean. These pictures are taken at wreck beach which is a mere 5 min walk from our house (not including the CRAZY stairs down... which are a workout to say the least!!!)
We arrived in Vancouver yesterday and are so pleased with our new home. We are anxious to get our stuff, but have recieved news it won't make it here until the 8th.
We will post some new pixs of the house soon... but not until our things are here and we have nicholsonized it!!!
Lydia's best friend Jen is visiting until Monday.
Noah is doing so well, and we are so excited to establish home for him again.
p.s. did i mention wreck beach is a nudist beach?

for all you bargain shoppers and swappers...

maybe i'm the last one to find out about this, but in case you don't know about it-- i was just introduced to the Freecycle Network... a local egroup you can sign up for to swap stuff with other people who are looking to get rid of the stuff. the only catch is that everything must be absolutely free... so if you have something to post, or are looking for something... it may be a good resource to tap into. there are almost 600 people on Sarnia's Freecycle and i plan on tapping into the Vancouver one. check out the site for your local one... and enjoy!

New Baby!

Congratulations Jesse, Tawyna and Jacob! Olivia was born August 28, 2006!!!
So so excited to meet our new lil niece soon!

Having a hay day in Alberta!!!

the lovely Bismarck, North Dakota...

just a quick update from the road...
we've stayed a night in Ludington, Michigan... taken the ferry across lake Michigan, stayed in St. Paul, Minnesota, and now stopped over at Bismarck for the night. i think this is one of the biggest cities in North Dakota, but Lydia and I took the driving tour of the entire city in about 5 minutes...

noah is doing SO well on the drive... we did a 6 hour day yesterday and he was quite content the whole time. so, as a reward, we allowed him to walk through the hotel in nothing but his underwear.



















(just kidding... we were actually on the way to the pool, which we all thoroughly enjoyed.)

and now it's off to Regina, Saskatchewan for the night...

busy bees!

just wanted to say sorry for the lack of content on our blog lately!
we have been busy, busy... and to my credit, i have been on dial up internet (yes it still exists) which makes downloading pictures a big commitment
... but, stay tuned.
we have great intentions of becoming faithful bloggers... pictures included... in the near future as we enter the world of high speed.
also... the run down of the next while
Aug. 21- on the road to...
Ludington, MI
St. Pauls, MN
Bismarck, ND
Regina, SK
Medicine Hat, AB
Calgary, AB (for 5 nights to see the Walkers!!!!!!! and friends)
Kamloops, BC
Sept 1 - arrive in vancouver!
we no longer have the cell (church phone) but email us to be in touch!

feeling the feather flow...

Although short lived, i did enjoy feeling out the mullet.... so much so i broke into a metalica ballad! (okay maybe not... but man would that have been fun).

Two years ago...

Celebratory Bookends
by Penn Kemp
August 21, 2004

My brother's son was born
days before my father died.

Before, thank heavens, because
grandfather/ child are so alike I
might have come to believe
in instant rebirth.

Twenty-one years later, this
same son is married
near the eye of Florida

hurricane, two days after
his other grandfather slipped
away.

Marriage followed by
funeral. But in the eyes
of this Christian family,

marriage followed by
heavenly marriage

where the grandfather
passes on home
is recieved as Bride

walking hand in hand
with his Lord, leaving
his widow behind.

So many forms of union.

Happy Anniversary Jonathan and Stephanie!
Remembering your warm hugs and love Grandpa!

only 3 weeks left

getting packed
having small anxiety attacks ;)
and longing to see the "big" trees...

Noah's new hat...

Answered Prayer

God has been so sweet and gentle with us. Every step we have put our worry before our faith, but He has been so good to bring us back and show us whats really going on!
Just for sake of praise I wanted to share some answered prayer... from the beginning of the journey continuing on to just yesterday...
1.) Clearly guided us to Vancouver, and to Regent College
2.) Provided me a job (4 months in advance)
3.) Provided us a place in family residence (when we were 6 months late applying)
4.) Provided an amazing family for both our kitty (August) and dog (Nala)
5.) Sold our house... and provided pretty much the exact amount of money from profit, for Aarons tuition for the next 2 years.
6.) Given us amazing affirmation from our family, friends and church.
and just yesterday
7.) Provided childcare for Noah (what a big relief)
8.) Worked out the details for my nursing lisence... which was looking grim for a few days!
-there are so many more... those are some of the biggies that came to mind.

Here is a little exert from a journal entry in early April, please don't critique my writing (ha ha)... just wanted to share part of the journey:

Darkness, confusion, lost
unable to get my barings
unable to see the small compass needle
that will lead me.
"Just go North", loses it's significance
when North is unseen.

But you take my hand,
entwine your fingers within mine,
and lead me gently.
Darkness remains, yet peace falls.
"I trust You", I say, not even knowing Your name
Am i trusting or lying?
unsure i just continue,
for the new peace feels warm and homelike.

... and your hands, so strong, so tender.
I want to look up and find your face in the darkness,
and ask... "what's next papa?"

here's one idea of how to fight gobal warming...

anyone up for re-routing the earth's orbit around the sun?
hmmm....

Jehovah-Rapha (pt. II)

sorry about the lack of action on our blog lately. we've been consumed with packing, worrying, obsessing, and downsizing over the past couple of weeks. we've been getting ready for our good old fashioned yard sale on the 15th, which means going through everything we own and deciding whether it's worthy to "keep", "store", or "sell". nevertheless... time moves on and we are a mere 6 weeks from our impending departure. wow.

in a previous post we asked you to pray for a little baby girl in our life with health concerns. it's my little niece, Peyton, who is one of the twins born to my sister in early March. Her brother, Jace, is doing great and packing on the pounds like a Nicholson can only do. Peyton has been eating well and gaining weight as well, but a few weeks ago my sister began to have a few developmental concerns with Peyton. Long story short, she was wondering if it would be Cerebral Palsy or some other neurological disorder. An MRI and several doctor's appointments later they discovered that it is Joubert Syndrome. The website does a better job of describing exactly what it is, so i'll step aside and quote directly from the FAQ page...

What is Joubert Syndrome?
Joubert Syndrome is a very rare genetic disorder in which there are congenital problems which fit into a recognizable pattern of features.

What are the characteristics of Joubert Syndrome?
The most typical features of Joubert Syndrome include:

Absence or underdevelopment of part of the brain called the cerebellum vermis which controls balance and coordination.
A malformed brain stem, which may cause an abnormal breathing pattern called episodic hypernea, in which babies pant, and may be followed by apnea (cessation of breathing).
Abnormal eye and tongue movements.
Decreased muscle tone. It can be marked in the neonatal period and in infancy.
Seizures (less typical).
How is Joubert Syndrome diagnosed with an MRI?
Please see the "Molar Tooth" MRI scan on the Diagnostic section.

How is Joubert Syndrome inherited?
Joubert Syndrome is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Both parents are carriers of the gene. Genetic testing is not currently available to detect this condition. Parents who have a child with Joubert Syndrome have a 1 in 4 chance of having another affected child in another pregnancy. Prenatal testing with a level 3 ultrasound may be possible.

What is the prognosis for Joubert Syndrome?
While global developmental delay is frequent, health and growth are usually not severely affected. Commonly there is a degree of mild or moderate retardation. Severe mental retardation is uncommon. There are a few cases of affected individuals with normal intelligence or learning abilities.

What is the treatment for Joubert Syndrome?
Infant stimulation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy are valuable. Somewhat less traditional therapies such as auditory training, sensory integration, horseback therapy and water therapy have also been found to be very beneficial. Infants with abnormal breathing should have apnea monitoring.

Needless to say this news has been crushing for our family, and devastating to my sister and brother-in-law. The effects of this disease can really range from a minor learning disability to physical and mental handicap. The Ultra Sound just revealed that her kidneys are perfectly normal, which is a huge answer to prayer. So at this point, it's just a bunch of tests, waiting, more waiting, and even more waiting to see how she develops. The good news is that some of their initial concern was based on the fact that Peyton wasn't smiling or laughing and she just did for the first time last week.

Lydia and I have bought a candle that is our reminder to pray for Peyton. We light it as we're praying and it serves as a visual reminder and tangible way that we can see our prayer time being logged on a candle burning down to nothing. (i think we got this idea from Phil and Ruth back in the fall when Todd died?)...

as a parent this stuff really causes you to step back, question, get angry, grieve, hope, pray, wait, and every other emotion under the sun.

will you send up a quick prayer for Peyton?

religious imagery in culture

for those of you who have enjoyed the group effort of whatsomeonesaw, a new project along the same lines has been started entitled religious imagery in culture. the title is pretty much self explanatory... check it out if you so desire.

a well earned week at the cottage...

dog vs. self

ever have one of these days?

Jehovah-Rapha (The Lord your Healer)

We have been overjoyed and filled with praise... for the physical healing He has done in our close friend. Amen! A cancerous tumor bigger than a football... gone!

Yet so saddened and worried for a little baby we love so very much! May You heal her too! May we be surprised at Your power again!

Please, please pray with us, for this little baby.


Mark 1:40-42 Then a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." And Jesus, moved with compassion, put out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.