And the summertime rolls. . . .

Wow! June has arrived and we are already halfway through and it seems as though it just started! This summer has been great. I love this time of year because it is a completely different pace for my family. It has been much-needed.

Galen had a class the last week of May with Dr. Olmstead. He loved it. Although, who does not love Wes? We have greatly appreciated his love and care for us, especially over this last year. It looks as though Galen is about halfway finished his MA already! I am extremely proud of him and thankful for this chance he has to go to school. My mom has always been so great at teaching her girls the importance and value of education. I know this is because it was a luxury that she was never able to consider growing up. I hope and pray we can pass this on to Gwissy.

We have been renovating our house and it is looking great! I am hoping to post pictures once everything is completed because we are extremely excited by how well everything has been turning out. It is exciting for me to see it all come together! For so long it was just creative thoughts and dreams in my head and now they are coming true!

Gwissy is doing really well. Actually, he is thriving. He is no longer a baby. It makes me sad because there was only a small window of time that he was a baby in the time we have had him. He is now a little boy and although it is exciting and fun, I am lamenting the time missed in the first 18 months of his little life. It is hard and although you read about it in all the books, you never can quite prepare yourself for the sadness you feel for missing out on that time.

He has started sleeping in a “big boy” bed and is very proud of himself when he wakes up. He has also started potty training – which has been a shock for us. We really did not expect this to happen. So, we are not really pushing him. He is doing quite well.

I laugh a lot about this whole thing of potty training thing. I am working on my second Masters and seriously considering doctoral studies. However, would you guess what gets me excited at the end of the day? Gwissy going poopy in the toilet! 8 years of post-secondary education and it all come back to poop!

I have loved being a mom. Loved it. Aside from marrying Galen, Gwissy has been the best thing in my life. Everyday he teaches me something very valuable and I cannot help but be astounded by his little heart. He is so loving and caring to all those he comes into contact with, especially the unlovable. What a great teacher he has been. I cannot wait for him to meet our new guys coming in this new year and hope that he is able to teach them as much as he has taught me and I pray they are open to being taught by a little 2 year old!

It is hard to believe that it was almost exactly a year ago that we first heard about him. I will never forget that moment at lunch sitting on the back deck hearing about him. I got off the phone with tears in my eyes telling Abby that this was our boy and calling my mom right away sharing in the excitement. What a great year it has been.

So, we are hoping to have the adoption legalized soon. Although, CAS is taking a long time getting in all their stuff in order for this to happen (much to the frustration of our social worker and us)! We are wanting to adopt again this year, as we are not quite sure if my body is ready for pregnancy after the tubal pregnancy. Our little Phoenix was due this month and we have felt sadness and lament of knowing that there is a little person that will not be joining us. Both Galen and I have really felt this over the last few weeks. Yet, we are thankful for a Father who is loving and knows all that we need before we even ask Him. My mom was here for a visit last week and it was such a comfort for Galen and I to have her here at this time. And, how appropriate! Since she was here when all of these things happened in November! I am so thankful for her and would not have been able to get through so many of these things without her. I love you so much, Mama.

So, we are excited for the summer. We had a nice time in Calgary in May with Galen’s family and our best friends Curtis and Ruth Plitt in Edmonton. At the end of the month we are spending time with Brooke, Bill and the boys. They are driving out from ON to see us and we are going to have a great time with the little boys being reunited! Galen has camps in July – which are going to be big again! They just keep growing and growing. And we are hoping to drive to Ontario to see my family and hopefully Gwissy can see his first family and birth mom in that quick trip we make in August. We are driving out so we can drive back with my sisters. Abby is coming back to SK for grade 12 and Caroline is starting her first year of college here at Briercrest. Galen and I are SO excited to have our baby sisters here for school Gwissy is going to LOVE having his aunts here! I cannot tell you how excited I am for the fall! It is going to be great and busy. Along with coaching and advising athletes Galen will be teaching two classes this fall and I will be working part-time at the Counseling Centre and teaching one class this fall.

We are also anticipating a huge year basketball wise. There are a few more pieces to be put in place, but once we confirm a couple of more things I will write more about it. God is really moving and doing amazing things; we are extremely excited by what we have seen him do so far. Please be in prayer for us. We are anticipating a fairly large team and we have a lot of work ahead of us. Yet, God is already working mightily. Galen is extremely excited because with so many guys, practices are going to be super competitive and everyone is going to have to fight for their playing time – which is a great thing! I love this life that we have been given and the people that are in it. I love this chance we have to work with these boys. We have been praying for this year for the last two years and to see it come together in bigger and better ways than what we ever dreamed is very exciting. God has been too good and faithful. We have nothing but thanksgiving and anticipation in our hearts. I wish I could share all of the things that are happening – it would send shivers down your body it is so exciting! Please join with us in prayer. . .

Happy New Year! A brief reflection of 2007

This time last year, Galen and I wondered: “What will our life be like this time next year?” We had guesses, hopes and thoughts of what 2007 would bring and as we look back at it, we are thankful.

It has been a great year – so full. We are thankful. It started out with four months of me flying out to Vancouver every week for classes and Galen coaching, teaching and being a student. In the meantime, we were trying to wrap up our homestudy. We knew we would become parents at that time, but would have never imagined the amazing little man that would walk into our life and change it forever!

Highlights of the year would be Brooke, Bill and the boys coming out for a visit and meeting our little niece for the first time. Galen taking the boys to Haiti while I stayed home and watched Abby advance further and further in her hockey career as she won bronze at Nationals! My parents and Care came to visit, which was a huge blessing!

When Galen returned we signed off on our homestudy and he ended up being very sick for about a month. It was a little stressful, as he lost a lot of weight and was quite pale. I am thankful he got better. We heard about Gwissy for the first time in June. I will never forget that day. The moment I heard about him, I knew he was our son. I remember Abby and I eating lunch (Galen was in Calgary working for his parents) and crying with happiness/nervousness/fear/anticipation!

July flew by – every week we heard new details about the little boy who would become our son. And we were able to talk to the foster parents for the first time by phone. It was extremely emotional for both Tracey and I. Words cannot even begin to express all that was happening in our hearts when we learned that we were both believers in the ONE, True Creator!

August was an awesome adventure – everyday! I had the amazing opportunity to go on a trip with Dwayne, Wes and Brian to two Native communities. It was such a great experience. I met wonderful followers of our Father and made some wonderful friends (like the Trapper family). Galen and I cannot wait to go back to those communities someday soon.

Following the trip I flew right to TO and went straight to meet our little boy. It was a moment that will be etched in our hearts and minds forever. He was even more amazing than what we had imagined. It was tough having to stay in ON for so long, but I am so thankful that we had this time with my family. It was a gift.

We were pretty shocked to be pregnant so fast, yet so excited and felt so happy because we knew that Ngwis was going to be a great big brother. It was heartbreaking to lose the baby and have so much lost in that pregnancy. We were devastated, but felt overwhelmingly blessed by the Father that He would orchestrate that my Mama would be here during this time. How He does know what we need. We would not have made it through without her and a wonderful community of friends who we love like family that cared for us so well. It was a huge blessing. I am still pretty moody and my body is still recovering from the pregnancy and surgery, but I am just so thankful for life.

So, 2007! When we were talking about what the year would hold we would have never thought we would become parents of 2 children. We are thankful that Phoenix is with the Father and in the arms of my Grandma. There is still “a little hole in our hearts” (as my mom says about her little grandson), but we are thankful that we have Gwissy here with us. It has really helped in the loss and grief process.

2008! What will it hold? We are so excited to see the new adventures that God has in store for us. We are thankful for the life and work that He has given us to do. We hope to be faithful in all those things that He has given us. We cannot wait to see Ngwis continue to grow into a little man, to see more guys come in to play for Galen and what happens in their lives.

A few things that excite us: seeing Abby continue to move up in hockey, Care coming to college here in the Port in the fall. Hopefully having another baby when I am brave enough (although I have been told by several women who have had an ectopic pregnancy, that it is a lot more painful than childbirth, so that is comforting)! Galen continuing to work away at his MA (which he is over half finished – and only doing it part-time! I am so proud of him!). I am hoping to finish my thesis for my master’s and hope to start doctoral studies in the fall. So, I cannot wait until this time next year to look back and see God’s hand in our life and how He led us into many more adventures!

So, to all our loved ones: thank you for blessing us with your encouragement, friendship and love. We are overwhelmingly blessed to have such wonderful people in our life. Our prayer and hope for all of you is that our Father will show you great and mighty things and the wisdom/discernment to see those things.

With much love and cheering for you in 2008,

Galen, Dale and Ngwis
oooxxx