Fun times

While going for a walk one day we saw yhis hideous thing and assumed it was an old gross christmas tree that nobody wanted. So we piled it in the back of the car and took it home. It actually looks good in the dark when you can only see the Christmas lights, believe it or not!

Maurits is doing really well in his work by the sounds of it! He has had sone excellent feedback and warehouse managing is definitely up his alley he has discovered!  The glasses...not so much ;)

When visiting a farm...

Finally the cold is giving some evidence! 

Afternoon walk after getting off work early

Canada vs. Honduras in World Cup Qualification round. We got cheap tickets going with a bunch of friends. The friends were a little crazy. Somehow they got the security guard of the train we used to get to the stadium, to smile, shrug and say "weell, i guess you only live once!" as she unlocked the control panel of the train and let us drive and honk the horn :) The little child in us was tickled.

New normals

Things are more or less settling into a routine these days, with  work, piano lessons, soccer, etc. (Well those  things mainly). We feel like we have tons to be thankful for as things begin to settle down into ordinary life. Still, there are a lot of spontaneous moments, which are always a lot of fun! 

Sunday afternoon relaxing beside a river (that smells very much like rotten fish...romantic)

Ice cream after an evening walk

Last weekend was spent at Harrison Hot Springs. We were soaked to the bone, lost and scrambling down cliffs, sloshing every step. It was an adventure :)

Our lovely view was made more mysterious by these rain clouds, giving us a free cold shower.

My handsome beside the natural sprinspring because the water was hot in top and very cold on the bottom. I think this is because the spring is a few feet away from the lake, so the ground water mixes with the hot water. Really nice to see!

And to top off a fun day, the sweetest, funnest, most respectable guy I know even gave me a kiss!! Haha Im still so thrilled that he is here, even these rainy days are full of smiles.

A new normal

First off to my faithful followers, no, my absence on the blog does not mean that I have jumped off a cliff in a panic all our crazy plans began to turn into reality. I considered just skipping out of town to escape and disappear, but hiding under my pillow proved to be an even better escape, as there was no rain involved. And with a wave and a smile that seemed very well put together, I stepped out of the Rotterdam airport, away from my second family and all Maurits has ever known, into a plane. As simple as that. 

I think that because of making a lot of pretty big moves and leaving loved ones and security behind, I have learned to simply pray, then turn off the 'get emotional' switch in my brain. Maybe it's just the feeling of being overwhelmed, maybe I've just learned to look forward rather than backward. We both couldn't cry at the airport, and while we were waiting we had a rare hour of almost-silence, probably the first since we began dating. But we both stepped on the plane with a smile and a wave to those waiting below, and forward into the uncertainly terrifyingly void of space and blue sky and sunshine,  somehow kept up by whirring engines and God's hand. 

And he still holds us.

Gradually the uncertainty is unraveling into first three weeks getting to know the family better and being confirmed in our decisions, and then to Fraser Valley jobs and routine. 

While in Smithers we hiked the Hudson Bay mountain Peak. All our photos are on Maus's phone, and he is at work, so Google Images to the rescue today (I hope this is not the definition of plagerizing...)!

The highest point on this photo is the Peak. Walking along the ridge (pictured below) for about 2 hours, and through the trees before that, this incredible view of glacier and forest open up.

The wind was blowing pretty hard nearing the top so that one had to always keep three points of contact on the mountain... two feet and one hand. Or two hands and one foot if you are really agile ;)

Catching up with friends and family was also really good. It is so interesting how all our lives change in a year. Pregnancies, marriages, growing up kids, our experiences in Rotterdam... all of these things drastically change old-style conversations and way of life. It was wonderful to pop back into their lives for three weeks and connect. At the same time it was on a completely new level that sometimes made us feel a little foreigner-ish. Yet I think Smithers will always have a huge chunk of my heart of the place I call 'home'.  A lot of people asked us if we are planning on moving back to Smithers once my schooling is done. 

We simply pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" which also happened to be the topic of one of our sermons while in Smithers. 

At the same time we are so content, making a life back in Chilliwack. This place is truly beautiful. Maurits is renting a renovated rustic barn, with a pool table upstairs in the loft and a TV projector with theater sound and ping pong table. A pool and hot tub in the back yard complete the place, it is so much more than we were expecting! I think we got 40 dinner invitations from people in my church on Sunday. One plus of moving is that one gets a lot of free food ;) It sure is great to connect with these people again though!

While he was planning on working at an electrical company, Maurits got a job offer as a warehouse manager at Global Reach Confections, a warehouse that imports Dutch products. This is quite a bit more up his line than electrical is, and he begins his first day today! Pretty exciting. I've worked at this place before and I think Maurits can really be a huge benefit for the company, as the company can also be for him.

My day also was full of meetings at school, going over policy and procedures and all that stuff. It's pretty interesting actually, there is so much more to running a school than I realized while growing up! 

But Maurits is very happy to be here, very happy also with his co-workers and boss, his place and church community. And that makes me completely content :) We have so much to be thankful for.

Anyway, there's a quick update!

I hope you enjoy your week,
Kim

The beginning of the end (or the beginning of the new beginning...)

These past two weeks have been pretty busy, and a ton of fun. I helped out with the summer camp that the church puts on. Hearing all week a language i cant understand was a pretty interesting experience... "bla bla bla Engels vrouwen!" meant "pass the ball english woman!" Many inspiring stories were created, from a prostitute coming to find peace while at the church with us all week, to the little kinderen who shone God's light in their homes by singing the songs we taught them (many were unchristians). I managed to convince my kids for a few days that my name was Frankenstein ("its a Canadian name!"), and met a lot of inspiring people,  once again.

After the busyness of the last few weeks we finally have a chance to reflect, also on the changes ahead! For the most part we are very excited, a little uncertain, and ready to embrace whatever comes our way! Yet these last couple weeks are booked full with good bye dinners with family and close friends. Last night the whole family was together for a last time, perhaps in a year. For the next three evenings there are more good bye dinners... So the excitement is a little shadowed by reflecting on what we leave behind.

Yesterday was spent with an  old friend on the beach!

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I make my home on the farthest sea, even there you are with me, your right hand holds me fast. -psalm 139:9

Beautiful blue skies

This past week some friends from Alberta came to visit! I was their tour guide for a couple days, as we enjoyed more beautiful weather. 

The Netherlands and Canada are beautiful in their own unique way. Yet there are so many differences, not only in the landscape and the language, but the people are also quite different than Canadians. While I am in Canada I typically say proududly that I am Duth, but here I am forced to realize I am actually way more Canadian than I am Dutch! It is wonderful to be here and live a totally different world, expanding my horizons and views. At the same time, there truly is no place quite like home, where one can take off their shoes and relax, completely understanding what is going on around and being completely understood myself. It was really refreshing to spend time with these girls, not having to constantly translate languages and also being able to communicate on culturally at the same level! With that being said, I love my Dutch roots homeland more than I can say, and I think that while in Canada I proudly say that I have Dutch roots! Its nice to be taking a part of this place home to Canada as well through Maurits!

Yeah, this guy kinda forced me to drive his scooter home one day. Last time this happened a duck almost became road kill, but we are both still alive to tell the tale!

Boquet from my english class on our last day

Bouquet  now just a week and a half until we are travelling back to Canada. We try to always look forward, and we are pretty excited about what the future will bring. Maurits is especially excited to begin, and is counting down the days! I am excited to begin a job I love, but terrified at the same time when all the little worries crowd in...what if Maus doesnt like his job...why is he stepping away from the job every young guy dreams of...will having no family in the fraser valley make things more difficult...how will friend groups shift after being away for so long and no longer being single...what if a bee stings us on the way to the airport and we swell up and have to go to the hospital and miss our flight while we are unconcious with needles all over us....aah yes I am sometimes a bit of a non-rational woman.

But life is quite the adventure, and even in irrational moments I know that God holds our future and He promises to make our path straight. Anyways, whatever happens we are still  belonging to Him and that is most important! For now we try to be wise and follow Him, simply trusting.

And for my faithful followers in Smithers...see you in just two weeks!!

Summer highlights

Some quick highlights of the week:

A day off sometimes calls for fresh chocolate chip cookies. A delicious carrot cake also came with it, birthday cake for one of the bro's that evening. Lekker.

Esther Souman is in Holland, and I got to go with her, her mom and two brothers to Loevenstein castle. This history buff absolutely loved it, and it was also a ton of fun spending the day with them and a couple Aussie relatives. It was also a little exhausting ;)

Part of Rotterdams Oude Haven (old harbor). Another girl from the Fraser Valley (Amy Vanderhoek) needed a tourist, and after 20 kms of biking and a bit of hiking it made a perfect finish to the tour

A really bad picure of me, but these guys are so stinkin cute. And a ton of fun.

A small town we explored with Esther... Zaltbommel. These narrow cobblestone streets catch my cameras eye every time!

Church in Zaltbommel

Kubus houses in Rotterdam, part , part of your online tour ;)

Dinner one night

Beautiful Holland

And as per usual, falling pretty hard for this guy. I am so incredibly blessed.

This week was a barbecue.

The week here in Rotterdam was pretty much a barbecue. Most evenings were spent basking in sunshine, skin getting a little crispy next to a lake, with good friends and family, and ten different types of meat on the grill. Which is why my belly is jiggling a little bit. And a bit squishy. And the rest is a little sunburnt. Evidence of a good week ;) On wednesday Maurits took the day off work and we went to a beach town 30 kms away (an hour by scooter) and spent the day swimming in the ocean. Which was 16 degrees, numbing enough to enjoy it.

Last night finished with a chocolate covered ice cream at 11:30, we couldn't ask for a more perfect (and unhealthy...) finish to the week!

On Friday I spent the day polishing Maurits boss' s boat, and the paycheck was a saturday spent on the water with the boss and his wife! 

Holland's cozy coastline

Every evening this week finished with a beauty sunset

Falling pretty deep for this guy

New sunglasses from the market!

Rotterdam by boat. Notice the green water, these guys drink the stuff as their drinking water (filtered with UV but still! No wonder theyre a little crazy!)

In church yesterday a nice old man asked if he could take a picture :) This girl is from Iran, a muslim country. When she converted to Christianity her property and family was threatened so she escaped to the Netherlands. A very inspiring story. 

Dinner (sushi!) with the company. Maurits boss is on the right, his wife sits beside me (no, thats not Maurits, although pretty close! They have a great relationship). The evening finished in a wine tasting bar at about 11:30, after which we had to bike home for an hour. Usually biking is the best, but at 12:30 with a really full stomach its a little bit too Dutch!

I tutored some children at the local reformed school here for a few months. As school is out so am I, which is really unfortunate! One of my sweet students gave a thank you gift on his last day. I love teaching.

Typical bbq. Way too many delicious flavors and varieties to not become round.

At some point we also climbed the euromast, I think its the tallest building in Holland. Notice how green the city is!

Doing laundry for Maurits mom. For some reason she didnt believe my "this is how we always do it in Canada!"

This past week Maurits also confirmed a house in the Fraser Valley where he will rent. Perfect location, price and home. 

2 Corinthians 9:8, "And God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things at all times having all you need, you will abound in every good work."

I hope you all had a great week as well, enjoying some summer weather also! Blessings on your coming week.