Im sitting on my cozy blue chair in the kitchen, waiting for potatoes to boil, listening to the rain and the birds and thinking that theres really nothing exciting to post about. The past couple years have been full of firsts and overwhelming and adventure and excitement! And now things are slowly settling into peaceful routine. This gentle quiet, though new is not unwelcome in the least however and we wake up each morning, fresh, forgiven, and excited to face the days challenges.

Maurits has been doing very well in his job. I love his enthusiasm about his work! Plus a few oudated dutch items on the side are always appreciated...My job is going extremely well also, and every day I smile at how very blessed I am to have the job that I do. My little guy has been such a pleasure to work with this year, and he is an example to me in his kind and joyful spirit. Even before morning coffee (that one I am still in the process of learning...)

Were loving the regular normal of being married. I have an amazing man to share life with and Im so thankful for that! Especially this thanksgiving weekend its easy to miss family and close friends at the small dinner table. Yet I also have the choice to focus on all the many blessings we are showered with, to create our own traditions (not hard when the hubby is a fantastic chef!), to make these events special by dressing up, making a fancy dinner and eating on the floor (still gotta convince the man about that!) and be content about where God has placed us.

We also are starting up a gift basket business together with our landlords! Right now we are in the sales process, taking orders and finalizing our ideas for a christmas basket. So much fun to plan!

Well, the potatoes are ready!

May you all be blessed as you think about the many reasons for thanks this weekend!

Summer shenanigans

There is something magical about the word, "Summer." Hot dog breezes, salty sea fragrances, warm wind softly brushing against tank-top skin, tousling wind waving through sun-bleached hair, bright colored summer dresses and tanned arms contrasted against big white shell necklaces looking up at brilliant sunny smiles. 

At the time of our marriage we thought that it might be impossible for Maurits to work for the minth if August due to visa processing times, but we were very thankful to hear that he could still work throughout the month of August and on! In fact we just received a few days ago that our visa was received, and therefore Maurits can keep working for the next two years that it takes to process. Hopefully by the end of those two years Maurits will be a Permanent Resident of Canada! Although we had a major scare with the entire application being returned to us after the deadline to send it in, we were able to send it in again with the missing paper and they still accepted it, despite it being thirty days late. Thank you God!!

Because Maurits is working, we no longer had August to spend on our honeymoon as planned. Although Maurits (and his bosses) were so glad to keep working, I still wanted my honeymoon.  So, off we wandered to Vancouver Island. 

Fan Tan alley, narrowest street in BC we found while exploring Victoria.

Victoria's Parliament buildings

This was the day of the free tour of Parliament! Woohoo for free!

First Heinekin since Holland!

Hiking Mount Benson, getting lost in bicycle trails but finally making it to this amazing view.

Nanaimo sunset shenanigans

Exploring coastal caves

Obligatory honeymoon shot

Great food in Nanaimo

Walking Pipers Point

Our next door beach

Back in Chilliwack on a day trip with our landlords

Maurits ;)

Maurits again, a little more succesful this time!

Driving with the boat two feet from the cliff, our depth sounder read 160 feet deep. Perfect for cliff jumping!

Home made blackberry wine, Maurits latest project! 

12 liters of squeezing towels. This is Maurits' "next time we buy wine from the store" face. Way more work than we thought, but after a few weeks of fermenting it tastes amazing!

Quick business trip to Smithers. Playing Twister in style with the sista's!

Boating with Marion

Downhill biking in Smithets, keenly aware of the bear that makes his home on these trails that my brother was five feet from smashing into last week :/

Second sewing project on the new sewing machine! So fun to design my own clothes.

Another project, made out of an old but beautiful pillow case!

Nannying these kids throughout the summer, this is what happens when you trust me with your kids ;) 

Maurits made sushi!

August 4, officially one year since leaving Holland!

The calm after the storm

Invitations. Having enough food in the house to host family and guests. Wedding programs. Ordering flowers that dont cost $120 per bouquet. Decorations. Chair covers. Worrying about the weather forecast. Food for 200 people. Rings. Photographer. Minister. Wedding dress. Pens to sign the registry book. Dress alterations.

Nine weeks.

Done.

*breathe*

After a fairly hectic post-engagement, a perfect wedding day where emotions were probably too overwhelmed to truly feel deeply the significance of the occasion, and so many people, so much noise, so much  hustle-bustle, we have arrived.

Married life, the end goal of these two years, one of long distance and the second year of living in the same town, has finally arrived in all its peaceful glory.

Our smiles are no longer for the eye of the camera and 200 witnesses, but just for eachother.

And as the weeks pass by, that smile just is getting bigger. After living with Maurits and getting to know his habits and personality even better (I didnt think that was possible!) I have learned that the man I get to call my husband is a man of the greatest honesty,  integrity and joy. He is such a privilege to spend time with. At the same time a few little quirks from both of us come out and we can put in practise  our wedding text, "Love never fails." It is an amazing thing to be known also for my faults and still loved!

Anyways enough mush for you, heres some pics!

We planned to take our honeymoon in August, and I joined Maurits for a business trip to the Okanagan just afer we got married. 

Maurits worked in the mornings and early afternoon, but we had most of the afternoons and evenings free for things such as wine tasting in an Okanagan winery!

And swimming in Shuswap lake...

Business trip a few weeks later on his own :/

Friday evening fourbying with friends.we set up our campfire in this somewhat raunchy smelling, but beautiful spot. A few minutes later we found the source of the smell... napkins with a brown stripe as well as poop everywhere! Iguess it was used by the next door campers as their outhouse! 

Maurits boss gave him two free tickets to see Vancouver Whitecaps!

Two new nephews from Holland in the last few months

Not much for summer weather lately...

Wedding gift from the landlords, used most nights!

Hike up The Chief, Squamish

Camping in our new eight man (but 20% off!) tent near Squamish

Drinking wine (or something)

Arriving back from the honeymoon to find this...

And this.. (all empties unfortunately!)

Enjoying the backyard pool 

Making sorbet with backyard berries

Taking carebof Katie and her Aunt while Mama recovers from surgery 

This is how deliveries to the candy store that Maurits supplies are made! 

Very proud of the wood shed he built from scratch! I get credits also for holding boards for hours !

Watching Fireworks i Vancouver with some friends

Missing my kids! 

So theres a bit about life lately! Hope you are all enjoying your sunmer as well!