A Day in the Life of the Moser's: Monday

[A lot of you have asked a very important question: What does a typical day/week look like with NieuCommunities? While there's rarely a typical day, there certainly is a fairly consistent rhythm we are happy to share with you.]

Monday

9:00-10:00am--Common Meal

This is the first of 2 weekly common meals we share together as a missionary community. We all take turns preparing the meals, and a common meal is a great time to connect, fellowship, and laugh. As you'll see, we do a lot of training and other 'serious' stuff, so it's nice to have times together weekly where all we do is get together and eat. 

10-Noon--Spiritual Practices

This is our weekly time to explore different ways to connect with God. As staff members and apprentices, we all take turns leading our group through prayer times, worship times, creative expression (drawing, painting, etc), or nature walks that remind us of God's beauty and power. 

Noon-3:00pm--Bekah at Just Potters, Drew with the kids

Monday afternoon is Bekah's day to serve in ministry in our community. She volunteers at a ministry called Just Potters, a social enterprise (a ministry focused business) that employs those who are considered unemployable (due to addiction, mental illness, etc) to create handcrafted pottery sold throughout the Vancouver area.  Just Potters is a place for these people to be able to work for their salary (as opposed to just receiving a welfare check), and thus find some dignity. 

Bekah's role is to make the potters lunch each monday, and then spend her time building relationships with the potters. 

This is also naptime for the kiddos, so I (Drew) am home being very, very, very quiet while Ben, Isa, and Sam are (hopefully) sleeping. 

3:00pm-?  

After Bekah gets home, we usually try to squeeze in some prep time for our other training during the week.  This could be reading some chapters in the assigned book we are studying or scripture passage assignments, etc.  Somewhere in that time is a mad scramble to get dinner ready.  Usually it goes something like this: D: "Oh shoot, it's 5:00 already.  What do you want to do for dinner?"  Bek: "[groan] I forgot about dinner.  I don't know.  Let's see [opening the fridge]...we can do grilled cheese, quesadilla, egg burrito..."  Ben: "My want a hotdog, mama!"  D: "Um, how about a quesadilla?"  Ben: "Okay, daddy.  My help you. Wait.  Don't do anything.  My be right back. [runs to get his stool]  Okay, daddy.  My show you.  Just do this.  Then do this...."

Number one reason why every holiday should require costumes:

Grandma Pam sent out the kids' Halloween costumes a week ago and Benjamin has insisted that they all put them on at least once a day but usually two or three times.  I almost can't even stand how cute Samuel looks as a little lion so I just had to post a picture. Ben and Isa look just as cute, only they won't sit still long enough for a picture because they're so excited about their costumes.  (Apparently, Halloween is HUGE good fun in Vancouver...fireworks and every porch light in the neighborhood is on.)

You know you have a problem when...

you drive a half hour with your family to enjoy a gorgeous Sunday evening and go for a walk on the beach and you don't realize until you get out of the car that you have your slippers on and everyone except for you has the proper shoes on and a sweatshirt for when the sun goes down.  Seriously, a little too kid-focused.  How annoyed was I?  So instead of taking the walking path along the beach with the strollers, we just parked it in the sand and all took our shoes off.  It turned out to be a perfectly fun evening.  Below is a picture of Benjamin trying to jump higher than daddy.  I think he did it.  

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

1 going on 16

In 15 years it will be a latte in her hand and her dad's money will be in the purse.  

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Samuel has found his voice

About four days ago Samuel just started jabbering non-stop with all these new little noises. It is adorable and so fun.


Jabbering Sam from drewandbekah on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday Drew!

Today was jam packed full of NieuCommunities responsiblities from 9am to 10:30pm.  So, we celebrated Drew's birthday last night with some friends and a delicious cheesecake (that I almost destroyed in our crazy oven but managed to salvage by scraping off the top layer.  Phew!).  I should have videotaped Benjamin singing happy birthday and then saying, "You want to blow out the candles, daddy?!" in his sweet little voice but I missed it.  Bummer. 

Drew's parents sent balloons which entertained the kids all evening.  
Drew did get to enjoy some cartoons with the kids early this morning.  Drew got a hug from Benjamin and heard, "Happy birthday, Daddy.  You're the best daddy."  He also got a hug from Isa and heard, "Appy Da-yee.  Wuv you."  

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

New Ride

Because we live in a city where gas is over $6 a gallon and parking is never free (or available), we walk everywhere.  We brought a double stroller to Vancouver that someone generously gave us because their kids were older and we have used it hard since being here.  The stroller is so long that it was near impossible to maneuver up and down grocery aisles.  We shop at great little 'mom and pop' shops with incredibly narrow aisles.  We've bumped things off shelves, broke a glass bottle of chocolate milk, knocked over a noodle display, injured a customer's foot and more.  The front wheel of the stroller fell off weekly.  So about a week after being here, the hunt for a new stroller began.  

I have had my eye on this Phil and Teds single stroller with the second seat attachment (see below) since we moved out here.  Drew, being the wonderful husband that he is, has checked Craig's List every morning and every night to try to find one.  Every time one would come up we were about 10 people too late and the stroller would be gone within 20 minutes of someone posting it.  However, last week the stroller below was listed.  We didn't see the posting until the day after it was posted and we knew it had to be gone but emailed about it anyways.  The woman called us right back and said she had tons of emails about it but no one had come to get it yet.  So we threw (or gently and quickly placed) the kids in the car and off we went.  There is nothing wrong with it besides a few scratches.  Apparently, the woman we bought it from has a stroller fetish (expensive fetish, huh?) and her husband was making her get rid of a few.  

I can steer it with one finger while holding Benjamin's hand, drinking water, and distributing snacks.  How's that for multi-tasking?  The seats hold up to 55 lbs so Benjamin can still ride in it for a long time.  The front wheel locks into place so that it can be used as a running stroller.  Now Drew can take two of the kids running and give me a little break and a little one-on-one time with whoever (or whomever?...help me out Annette) he leaves behind.  Thank you Jesus!

Jackson and Matea, we are ready to race you when we come home for Christmas.

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Try, Try, Try Again

...and then give up.  We began our week last Sunday by enjoying a gorgeous and wonderful day in Bellingham with our dear friends, Tim and Kristi.  They offered to take a family picture of us after we enjoyed a picnic lunch by the water.  Isa was in a great mood the whole day but every time we try to take a family picture she decides to look grumpy.  She'll ham it up if you're just taking a picture of her but add the rest of us and she is stone face.  And all Benjamin wanted to do was skip rocks in the water so he was done after the first picture.  Maybe next time. 

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Buried Treasure

We moved our gardening time to Wednesday morning this past week instead of the afternoon so that the kids could be involved.  They had a blast, found lots of potatoes in the ground, and came home filthy.

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Squamish

We apprentices went on a little 24 hour reflection retreat to Squamish last night.  It was great to get away from the city and reflect as we have all chosen where we feel God calling us to serve and begun submerging into that ministry (more on those ministries later).  However, it rained and poured so I don't really have many pictures of the beautiful views all around us.  Samuel got (or I should say had) to go with us so he got lots of attention which was great.  

Samuel with 'Uncle E'.  
No rain jackets?  What were we thinking?
Quick lunch before we headed back into the city today.  Fellow apprentices, Heidi and Anjali.  

Upon returning home, I heard my favorite words of the whole weekend.  Benjamin came running into my arms and whispered, "My missed you, Mama."  So I realize Benjamin is at an age that I should be correcting his English (the little that I know) but it's so cute and sincere that I just can't do it.  

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Buddies

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Yearbook Yourself

You know you want to...GO HERE.

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

My Sweet Baby is Six Months Already!

We can't get enough of this sweet smile!  

We love you so much, Samuel Jacob.  You are a constant joy!

GO BUCKS!

It is not looking good for the Buckeyes at this moment but we are dressed and cheering and hoping for a better second half.  

Uncle Matt and Aunt Julie, we are all missing our Saturday game days at your house.  I am missing the bean dip.  (I have thought about it all day.)  Drew is missing watching the game with another person who cares and knows football (and of course he misses the wings!).  Benjamin is missing playing Mr. Potato head with Aunt Julie.  Eloisa is missing easy access to electrical outlets.  And Samuel misses the Wii.  We love you!

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Yes, that's Drew's hat and yes, it almost fits Ben's head

"You've never heard of The Sultan of Swat?!  The Titan of Terror.  The Colossus of Clout.  The Colossus of Clout.  The King of Crash, man...Oh yeah, The Great Bambino!  Of course.  I thought you said the Great Bambi...That wimpy deer?"  

I cannot tell you how many times a day Benjamin quotes Sandlot.  He thinks it's hilarious and doubles over giggling.  (His laugh is contagious.) We told him he wasn't allowed to quote it at the dinner table because we could never talk about anything else.  So now he asks permission before he quotes it.  "Please can I say Big Bambino, mama?"  "Yes, Benjamin, go ahead."  All we do these days is play baseball out in the front lawn.  Two months ago it was soccer, one month ago it was riding tricycle, and this month it's baseball.  What will it be next month?

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Isa and Sam

I was trying to get a video of Samuel giggling (of course he stops when I get the camera out) and then Isa walked in and stole the show. She was being hilarious trying to imitate Drew. Listen for her saying, "Hi Tam (Sam)." It cracks us up every time. She loves saying his name.


Isa and Sam from drewandbekah on Vimeo.

6 months home...

Where has the time gone? 6 months ago today, I stepped off the plane with this lil' girl. She was a mess, to say the least. Pale, undernourished, with snot constantly flowing from her nostrils (thanks to foam being in her nasal cavities for who knows how long). We were so relieved to have her home, and so naive to think that the battle was over. Sure, we had conquered (well, God did) the paperwork, the waiting, the money, but we had just begun the battle for her heart. 

Fast forward 6 months to the present. She's come so far. We've come so far. To be completely honest, we have always loved her. But it took us a lot longer than anticipated to fully embrace her. We didn't know her. She didn't know us.  It sounds crazy, but for awhile there we felt like we were babysitting someone else's kid. It's not that she's been unlikeable. For those of you who know Isa, you know that she's hilarious. Rather, we found ourselves guarding our hearts as much as she was. Her love for us was initially very hesitant, guarded, and cautious; a stark contrast from Ben's uninhibited love for us. Even though we knew this wasn't her fault, it was hard to fight so long for her, to pray so hard for her to be OURS, and to have her refuse our comforting words and touch. But, looking back, can you blame her? She was ripped away from the only life she'd known for 16 months, and dropped in a strange land, with a bunch of gringos speaking English, and an older brother AND younger brother invading her personal space.  But slowly and surely, God chipped away at our hearts and hers, and we mutually began to open up to each other. Even though we've only had her in our arms 6 months, we can't imagine life without her. 

Eloisa means 'female warrior'. You can just see it in her eyes. She's a warrior at heart, full of fire and spunk, but sweet as can be. She's a tough cookie. Watch out! 

Isn't it amazing what real people food, real milk, and a foam free face can do for a girl's complexion? 

When she first came home, I often told people that Isa's our Mayan Diva. She certainly has a flare for the dramatic, and it was my way of trying to cope with the drama. Though she can still scream with the best of 'em, I no longer find myself using the term 'diva'. She's not my Mayan Diva. She's my Mayan Princess. I ask her multiple times a day, "Eloisa, are you my princess?" She looks at me, smiles, and blurts out an exaggerated "Yeh-es!"

Eloisa, thanks for being patient with us as we've learned what it means to be mama and daddy to you. We're so proud of you, and are so thankful God brought you into our family.  

Love, Daddy

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

For Jay

Jay, mom wanted me to take this picture for you of her eating her amazing Gelato.  And being the wonderful mother-in-law that she is, she thought of you the whole time.

(I am laughing so hard right now because she is going to kill me when she sees this picture.  I cropped Benjamin and Eloisa out and zoomed in on her face.)

Blueberry Pickin'...Last of the Season

We can't stand the thought of not having fresh blueberries. We went on Saturday to pick till our hearts were content on the last day of the u-pick season.

Just the start of Benjamin's harvest...

We scored two hiking child carriers at a local yard sale. Isa approves. 

...and so does Sam.

Berry milkshakes; a proper reward for our hard work. 

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

More Photos

Samuel enjoying the patio while he can.  

Squishing his new little shark.  
Three clean kiddos.
Benjamin had to change when he saw that Samuel had his dino pjs on.  Sweet boys.  Love Benjamin's little hand around Sam's waste.  
Hanging out at a park earlier today.  
One of my favorite little towns, Deep Cove.  
Family photo.  Isa was not interested.  
If you come visit, we will take you to Deep Cove and buy you a honey doughnut (yum!) and then we'll just hang out and enjoy the beauty surrounding us.  

We hosted our weekly Common Meal for our community last night.  Benjamin and Eloisa helped Grandma Pam snip beans for 17 adults and 4 kiddos.  

Brittney, Heidi, Amy and Kat enjoying the beautiful evening last night. 

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]