The Moberg Family

Month: March 2013

  • Elliott is TWO!!

    Elliott is TWO!!

    Where do I even begin with my most precious baby Elliott, who is TWO on March 20?! Though I could easily write a book filled with stories and anecdotes about my little man, I will–try to–be brief :). Here are a few characteristics that mark our energetic, goofy, smart, kind baby boy.

    Elliott is a gentle, forceful leader. You can’t understand how the words “gentle” and “forceful” can be juxtaposed until you meet my Elliott Brian. His “trademark move” is grabbing your hand and quietly, but forcefully, pulling you to exactly where he wants you to go. Then he tells you to sit, pointing to the exact spot where he wants you. A gentle, yet forceful leader.

    Thank you, Jennalise, for this amazing shot of our little man!!

    Elliott is so kind. There is a tenderness that marks everything he does. A tenderness in how he leads. A tenderness in how he plays. A tenderness in how he shares. A tenderness in how he gives kisses and hugs.

    Kissing Selah’s elbow, his favorite body part :). He also loves kissing noses.

    Elliott is precise. He knows the right way that things should be, and he is very troubled when anything is out of place. In fact, he gets very, very concerned when something is not in the right place. When he finishes his bottle (yes, he still has bottles from time to time) he proudly holds it up and says, “Sink!” and then runs over to put the dirty bottle where it belongs. He loves putting things away, and putting them where they belong. He loves learning how something works, and then following the rules (ummm, who does that sound like?)…

    “Mama, why is this thread hanging off my shirt? It shouldn’t be there and it will bother me all day until you cut it off…”

    Because he likes things to be “right,” he also does not like being messy. (He is soooo like his Daddy in this arena!!!) When he was a bit younger, sometimes he would look down at his hands while eating, realize they were dirty from eating his food, and say, “Uh-oh! Uh-oh! Uh-OHHHH!!!” until we could remind him that his hands are supposed to get messy during dinner. Still though, he usually drinks his water like this during meals:

    …so his messy hands don’t get his water bottle dirty :).

    Elliott had his very first case of the flu a few months back. Talk about breaking a mama’s heart! It came on very suddenly, and left about as quick as it came. He ate his breakfast like normal but then by 10:30 am he was super lethargic, refused to eat and only wanted to sleep. A few minutes after waking up from a morning nap that he insisted on, he threw up all over me. Oh my goodness…my heart broke into a hundred pieces. He was just sitting on my lap, moaning, when all of a sudden he threw up. You’d think the boy would be very familiar with the vomiting experience after living with me while I was pregnant with Selah, but I managed to hide most of my throwing up from him. So, he had no idea what had just happened to himself. All he knew was that suddenly there was disgusting looking mashed-up food all over him…and he began to say, “Uh-oh!! Uh-oh!!!” over and over again through such sad tears. I kept saying, “Oh, it’s okay, buddy…you threw up, but it’s all okay. You’re going to be okay…” and went on to explain to him what throwing up was (because what else do you do in that moment??) as I stripped him of his clothes. I finally got him calmed down when all of a sudden he noticed there was throw up all over me. And the frantic tears erupted again as he pointed to my stained clothes saying, “Uh-oh!!! UH-OH!!!!” Oh my word, it took everything in me not to burst into tears. He was so concerned for me! 🙁 Anyway, we ended up taking him to the ER in San Diego because that’s what our doctor said to do. By the time we got him in the car (20 minutes post throw up) he was laughing and giggling and gulping down water, but we went anyway because we couldn’t get a hold of my doctor to check in. Better safe than sorry, right? Anyhow, this is our “sick” little buddy in the ER.

    Cutest little “sickie” on the planet!

    Speaking of liking to be clean, Elliott loves “tissues” (baby wipes). He begs me for them all day long. When I let him have one, he loves to wipe his nose and then he goes around wiping other things in the house, cleaning everything in sight :).

    Here he is wiping this stuffed animal’s hands off right after I had wiped his off :).

    Elliott is quite tall for his age (37 inches, to be exact) and quite lean (29 1/2 pounds). One particular day, I heard him saying “Uh-oh” over and over from the other room. As I rounded the corner to find out what was going on, this is what I discovered. This happened A LOT until I finally bought him some adjustable-waist pants:

    “Mama, why does this keep happening to me???”

    Elliott loves to sweep. And he has a very particular way that he likes to sweep. He pushes all the chairs away from the table and directs you to sit on this step and hold the dustpan. Then he pushes the broom along the ground, stoops down, picks up a piece of old food, places it in your dustpan, and directs you to come over to the trash can where he steps on the peddle to lift the lid so you can dump out the dustpan.

    Telling Daddy how to sweep.

    Elliott loves puzzles. I mean, loves puzzles. And he is extraordinarily good at them. He could do any wooden puzzle you hand him in his sleep.

    Love the leg in the air. True boy.

    Elliott knows his letters. We can dump out his entire alphabet puzzle and ask him to put each letter in by name, one-by-one. Amazing. He also knows the beginning letter of certain words, mostly the words that are beneath the letters in the puzzle plus a few more. Last week, he pointed to his shirt that said, “HERO” on it. He pointed to the “H” and said, “Un-ter!” (Hunter) “Hat!” Then he pointed to the “E” and said, “A-ee-et!” (Elliott). Then he pointed to the “R” and said, “Rayel!” When I asked him what word started with the last letter he said, “Dada!” I was a little stumped because I know he knows that Dada starts with “D”, but then I realized that the “O” had square corners and seriously looked like a “D”! Ha! He’s incredible :).

    Elliott is very passionate about drinking water and makes sure everyone else is drinking theirs, too. He can never have enough water bottles and sippy cups. This particular day, he wanted all four of these in reach, and he traded off drinking from each of them throughout dinner.

    “Hmm, which shall I choose next to drink from?”
    Drinking water from his “Rayel water bottle” with THEE Rayel herself :).

    Elliott loves balls. Understatement of the year. He lives and breathes balls. Someone handed him a mini football to play with when he was about 9 months old, and he has literally never been the same since. He can spot a ball AN-Y-WHERE. It’s incredible, really. When we’re driving and he sees those balls hanging on telephone wires–you know the ones I’m talking about?–he gets so excited and yells, “Ball!!!” And he wants every ball he sees. The first time we took him to Sea World was a bit of a disappointment for him because when he saw the dolphins playing with balls, he got so upset when he couldn’t have a ball, too!

    He was just a little guy here (!!), two-fisting it! He’s always happier with a ball in each hand.

     

    His favorite red soccer ball!
    Baseball bliss.

     

    He has had unbelievable accuracy and aim when throwing a ball ever since he was just over a year old. And let me tell you, he can dribble a ball like nobody’s business. Unfortunately, we’ve lost a lot of our videos of him scoring goals when he was just a little lad. But here’s a fairly recent video I took of him on the soccer field. Although he decides to throw the ball into the goal, I promise he’s quite good at kicking it in as well. 🙂

    Elliott’s love language is sharing, and so he also loves to share his balls. He wants everyone to love the things that he loves. (Sound like anyone you know??) 🙂

    “I don’t know, Elliott…I don’t get what all the hype is about…maybe if you get me a few more, I’ll understand.”

     

    Elliott loves trains, planes and automobiles…need I say more?

    Diligently building a train track.

    Elliott loves to build and is a duplo master.

    He is almost 19 months in this photo, and built this tower all by himself! Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa, Moberg for getting him every duplo he owns!!
    He built this one with daddy. So proud of himself :).
    We built this tower together… “Here’s lookin’ at YOU, Mama!”
    “We are the building MASTERS!!”

    Elliott loves chip clips.

    He can play with chip clips FOR.EV.ER.

     

    Elliott loves to sort things.

    By 20 months old he was sorting all of his Lincoln Logs into similar piles.

    Elliott loves finding things that match. He’ll find objects that are the same or two different objects that are the same color and he’ll hold them together and say, “Match!” I love seeing the different types of things that he finds as “matches.”

    Moments after telling me that his sippy cup and the mandarin orange he was eating “matched” because they were both orange!

    Elliott loves footed jammies and loves being a big brother.

    Trying out the bumbo for size…
    In December, Elliott was playing in our bedroom when Selah woke up. I said, I’m going to go get Selah so I can feed her. When I came back in the room, I found him like this. 🙂
    He loves identifying the parts of her face :).

     

    Elliott loves art. 

    Finger painting with the awesome paints that Uncle Kevin and Aunt Tabitha got him for Christmas.
    I drew this heart (in blue) and Elliott colored the red part! Not bad for such a little guy!!!!

    Elliott loves animals. But especially dogs, horses, pigs and birds. Oh, and Elmo. Those are his five top faves.

    Here he chewed his bread into the shape of a horse and galloped it around his tray!

    So here’s the thing with dogs and Elmo. He is completely obsessed with them, talking about them ALL THE TIME and telling me he wants to give them kisses. But as soon as he gets near one, he gets completely overwhelmed and clings to me. He loves watching dogs, and can hear a dog barking from miles away, but hasn’t conquered his fear of them enough yet to actually touch one :).

    “Here’s the deal, dog. I stare at you, and you stare at me, and that’s the extent of our relationship, ok?”

    So, same with Elmo. Grandpa and Nonna Mauss got him an Elmo DVD several months back and so when he saw Elmo in the flesh at Sea World, he was BEE-SIDE HIMSELF. He couldn’t wait to go give Elmo a kiss. Well, then it was our turn to meet Elmo and he just couldn’t get up enough guts to give him a kiss and hug himself. Instead, he wanted me and all of the Sea World workers to kiss and hug Elmo :). This video captures it all… And yes, this happens EVERY SINGLE TIME we go to Sea World :).

    Elliott loves his overalls, loves watching his daddy work, and loves doing things just like his daddy. One of his ABSOLUTE favorite things to do is “drive” Daddy’s big truck. He loves sitting in the driver’s seat and pretending to drive, which includes playing with the radio, putting various keys into the ignition, turning the steering wheel, and rolling the windows up and down.

    Watching Daddy load up the trailer to move our stuff!
    Ball in one hand, steering wheel in the other…this little boy’s dream!

     

    Elliott loves to read, and he loves his daddy.

    Cuddled up with a pile of books.
    “Look, Mama, I taught myself how to read upside-down!”

    Elliott loves–I mean LOVES–to run and jump. Several months ago, he learned how to jump off of both of his feet. And now, he often jumps everywhere! Just within the last few weeks I’ve been brave enough to start letting him jump OFF of things. Although he really wants to jump down the stairs, I compromised by letting him jump off the very last stair onto the floor :).

    Our super-fast little athlete!!
    He can catch some SERIOUS air!!

     

    And Elliott LOVES playing with his mommy!

    Even if she has to take the picture herself to prove it :).

    Okay, so maybe this post did turn into a short book! 🙂 If you have made it through this post, you are officially in the “family” club. This is what happens when I don’t do monthly posts of him anymore…everything gets a little stockpiled :). Well, I hope if you are one of our distant friends or family, you have gotten to know our sweet little man a little better!

    Elliott Brian, we are so thrilled every moment of the day to be your parents. We beam with pride over you. You are such a great friend to others and a leader who wins others over through love. You are our favorite son, and we couldn’t be more grateful to God for giving us the gift of YOU.

    Be still, my heart.

    Happy, happy, happy second birthday, Big Guy!!!

     

  • Selah B, 5 months

    Selah B, 5 months

    I honestly can’t believe it. How on earth did my teeny tiny just-over-8-pounds baby girl turn into  15 pounds, 26 inches of a little person?!? Selah grew up this month. No, I don’t just mean that she grew…I mean, she grew up.

    Selah is starting to feel like a contributing part of our family. I don’t know if that makes sense…she’s just become so aware of Elliott this last month, and loves to smile and giggle back at him. She watches him as he goes back and forth in a room, turning her head completely over her shoulder to see where he’s going. And as soon as he comes near, she laughs and laughs. She adores him.

    Just after her 4 month birthday, Brian set her on her back and when he came back into the room she was on her tummy. So although she clearly must have known how to do it, we still had never seen her roll from her back to her tummy until February 19! She did it then, and then over and over and over again that day until she was a pro. Now, we set her on her back and she instantly and quickly rolls to her tummy. I think it’s because she loves to PLAY! She loves to have a good view of what’s going on in the world, what on earth her big brother is up to, and which toys are within her grasp. She loves tucking her knees under her…looks like she’s gearing up to learn how to crawl!

    In other news this month, Selah has decided to boycott napping. (And, seriously, if anyone reading this and has ANY ideas for me, I am game!!!) She had conquered the 45 minute intruder and was taking three 2-3 hour naps a day, and then one day she JUST STOPPED. She goes right to sleep when I put her down, but wakes up at 45 minutes and giggles, chats, and plays for 45-60 minutes until she falls asleep again. And you must believe me when I say I’ve tried EV.ER.Y.THING to fix this little pattern. Longer awake times, shorter awake times, dark room, noise machine, cooler jammies, warmer jammies, swaddled, loosely swaddled, dancing on my head and spinning around 4 and a half times while wearing the color blue and singing lullabies backwards…and NOTH.ING. WORKS. Apparently it’s common to have sleep problems between 4-6 months, but we never went through this with little man. She’s still sleeping amazingly through the night, so I suppose I should pick my battles :).

    I think she just really likes to play! I should get her a shirt that says, “Life is too short to take naps. Play hard.” 🙂 As soon as light creeps into the room when I open the door to get her from a “nap”, she starts kicking her legs super fast and giggling and laughing. It is the cutest thing ever. And as soon as she sees us in the mirror, she just gets the biggest grin on her face. I love it. I love her.

    Doesn’t quite capture how big she usually smiles, but you get the idea :).

    Here are some memories and milestones from her last month of life:

    She LOVED her first valentine’s day (as I’m sure you’ve guessed as I’ve used pictures from it on all of my latest posts…) 🙂

    She loves grabbing faces…

    “Got you, Mama!”

    So, Selah has always had an incredible fascination with the outlet/plug above her changing table. I don’t know what it is, but she will arch her back and crink her neck so she can have the best view possible of it.

    “Woooowww!!!”

    She loves playing with all the new toys Elliott brings her.

    “A singing dog? You’re kidding me!”
    Elliott strategically places the football where she can play with it and then runs to get another ball… This is how she watches him all day long… Be still my heart.
    “What do I do with this, Elliott? Eat it? It sure looks yummy!”
    “No, Day-duh! Let me show you how to play with a football…” (Um, P.S. Favorite-picture-of-all-time alert! I love Elliott’s tenderness in this photo and Selah’s eagerness…”

    She loves chatting with her big bro!

    “You see, Selah, it’s like this…”
    “Wait! Come back! I need you to explain it to me again!”

    She still loves her tongue…and polka dots!

    “Thanks, Auntie Julie for my cute onesie! I finally fit into it! I picked out this bow to wear with it because Mommy told me I can never have enough polka dots!”

    The thing to do this month is chew on her finger. This finger hardly ever leaves her mouth…

    “Is this where my first tooth will come in?”

    The weather has been beautiful here, and was in the mid-80s on the first day of March. Perfect opportunity to bust out this outfit from Aunt Danielle.

    BUTT seriously, how cute is this outfit?
    “Mom, this hat is my new favorite.”
    “…along with this finger.”
    “…and this teething toy…”

    Selah has started a little “comfort” habit of sucking the bottom of her lip. I think it is painfully cute…for some reason it just melts my heart into a puddle when she does it.

    The eyes. The lip. The boots.

     

    Selah will sit for a few seconds unsupported, but still does better holding on while sitting up.

    The lip thing. So cute.
    She can sit up enough to finally play with the cool toy that Grandma and Grandpa Moberg got her for Christmas!

    But she still prefers standing to sitting…when we stand her up she just laughs and giggles.

    “Mama, now that I can stand so well, will you get me a pair of skinny jeans that fit me a little better?”

    The way to get her to giggle is to lift her high above your head, drop her down, and nuzzle your head into her chest…she just loves it.

    Not the best picture, but you get the idea :).

    I’ve gotten her to laugh SO HARD by doing this…we haven’t caught her best laugh on video yet, but you get the idea…

    Selah Bethany, you are the most perfect addition to our family! We love watching you grow and we love every day that you teach us more about who you are! 

    You light up our lives…
    …and we simply adore you!!

    Happy 5 month birthday, my sweetest Selah B!!!!

  • A Victorious Mother

    *This post is part of a series on Victorious Parenting. Click on the label to the right to read all posts in this series.*

    Motherhood.

    What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read that word? Go ahead, think about it.

    I hope that, for you, thoughts of your beautiful children fill your mind when you hear that word. I hope that you think about the way your little boy nuzzled his head into your neck before saying, “Good night.” I hope you’ll think about the way your daughter lit up the moment she saw your face. I hope you’ll think of the 12 piles of laundry, the UNBELIEVABLE amount of dishes piled in the sink, and the toilet that hasn’t been scrubbed in 2 (3? 4??) weeks, and I hope that you are filled with joy, remembering the trip to the park that stained your son’s jeans and the nourishing meal that you prepared for your family that forced you to dirty 6 pans and an unfathomable amount of dishes. I hope, when you hear the word “motherhood,” you are filled with joy and peace, as you think about the reality of what that word means.

    Sometimes, I am grieved at the way motherhood is portrayed. Or, more specifically, at the way children are portrayed. And aren’t the two, in their very nature and design, inseparably intertwined? Unfortunately, many of the things I read these days surrounding motherhood and children are so negative. Why is being a mom—especially a mom of a toddler—so often spoken of in the most exasperating, stressful, impossible light? I don’t understand this. As believers, we should be living victoriously. Not perfectly, but victoriously. There’s a huge difference—victorious moms have eyes to see their children, not a stubbornness to throw their hands up in the air and say, “Kids will be kids! I give up!” It grieves me to see this latter attitude, especially in Christian circles. Why is it that we can have faith for the impossible in every other arena of our lives, but cannot have faith that our God will give us victory in our homes? Our God is victorious, in every arena of our lives. There is no obstacle too great for Him to reach, including the “out-of-control, exasperating, stressful, impossible toddler,” of whom many speak. And it grieves me when people focus on that, on what is seen, versus on what a very mighty God we have and how he can teach a woman who fears the Lord just exactly how to raise her children in an atmosphere of peace and joy in her home. This is faith for our children.

    I believe that every word written in the bible is true. Not just partially true or periodically true or perhaps true in certain circumstances…No, I believe the bible is the inerrant word of the living God and thus, it is true. Completely, at all times, in all circumstances…always, profoundly true.

    As a person destined for death before Christ intervened, this is good news. As a woman created to have great impact on this earth, this is great news. As a wife who longs to love her husband in a way that presses him into the fullness of life, this is awesome news.

    And as a mom, who is on her knees before the Lord, desperate to raise her children in the fear of the Lord, this is the best possible news. EV-ER.

    Because listen to what God says about raising my children:

    “Train them in the way they should go, and they will not depart from it,” Proverbs 22:6.

    Wait, God, you’re telling me that if I do my job with intentionality and excellence, that they will walk in your ways?? It’s that simple? Why yes, sign me up, Lord!!

    Yes, I realize this is a bold statement.  Yes, I realize that many won’t hear me because my only children are both under the age of 2. Yes, I fully realize that some will take my premise as prideful and arrogant. Yes, I realize that many will tell me that the above bible verse is only true sometimes and that I cannot count on it for my children. Yes, I realize that some will tell me I am foolish, and I cannot expect my children to bear good fruit. Yes, I realize some will try to convince me that the way my children turn out is a crap shoot. And that’s okay, because I am not writing for them. I am writing for me, and for the other moms out there who have faith in His word over their children.  Because for me, my premise is absolutely not one of judgment or criticism—oh, no. My premise is one of HOPE. My premise is one of FAITH. And I will hope in my God until the day I die. I will have faith that my children will walk in the ways I have trained them and love the Lord with all of their hearts. If the Scriptures are true, then my God has promised me that if I fear him, the fruit will manifest in my children. And this, my friends, is extraordinarily good news.

    Women of faith, join me by walking out this good news as we fulfill the greatest role imaginable—raising our children to love the Lord our God with all of their hearts, minds, souls and strength! Because as we do, it will manifest as peace and joy in our children, in us, and in our homes! And this is how we walk victoriously as mothers!!

  • Eureka!

    *This post is the first in a series on Victorious Parenting. Click on the label to the right to read all posts in this series.*

    Dear, dear Friends,

    I’m starting a series of blog posts centered around the theme of victorious parenting. I want to share a little bit of my heart, honestly exposed for you, my friends, about why and how all of this came about. So, I’m imagining I’m sitting at a cozy little coffee shop (like the kind with REALLY good coffee), drinking a decaf extra-hot caramel macchiato in a ceramic mug, sharing a bit about my heart to start writing about parenting.

    I’ll be honest—it’s been difficult for me to start writing this series, and a big part of that was because I didn’t know that it was a series when I started writing it! I have several “posts” already written, some in word documents and some still rambling around in my head. I would much more prefer to have them all written out, ordered strategically, edited, re-edited, read, re-read…I would much more prefer to know exactly what the beginning, the middle, and the end looks like. But, in order to kick this nagging perfectionism that loves to torment me to the curb, I don’t. I am (mostly) taking this one post at a time, which frees me up to just be, instead of needing to be perfect.

    Months and months ago, I was talking to a dear friend, recounting my passion for training children and raising them in the fear of the Lord. I told her I had part of a post written out but for some reason I just couldn’t get it finished. And she immediately said to me, “I bet that’s because it’s not one post—it’s probably more like 10!” And instantly as I thought about the many, many, many pages I already had written out on this topic (those of you who know me well, know I tend to be a bit long-winded, ha!), I realized that was true…so I took the pressure off of myself to get all of my thoughts written into one post, and suddenly I knew just where to start. And now, from time to time (usually post teeth brushing, where my greatest inspiration often occurs) I’ll share with Brian little blurbs about what’s on my heart. And after I’m through he’ll look at me and say, “Now, go write.” So my head is slowly but surely becoming less cluttered with all the things I want to write about, now that I know that I can take it in pieces. And those pieces don’t have to be perfect.

    The bottom line is, I am writing because I am passionate. I am passionate about a lot of things, but I am very, very passionate about being a mom. Because I am very, very passionate about kids. At my 30th birthday party last year, my closest friends gathered around me and shared scriptures, quotes, or words about who I am. My dear friend Chrisy said, “I think of the word, ‘Eureka!’ when I think about you!!” She went on to describe how when I discover something that has flipped my world upside-down—whether it be a revelation from the Lord, chiropractic care, my uh-maaayyyy-zing mattress, Zumba, naturopathy, or those dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds that Costco sells around Christmastime—I want the world to know about it. Because if it’s changed my life, then I want it to change yours, too! And this is why I’m so excited to write about victorious parenting. I have found incredible joy and peace, and it is way more exciting to share it than to keep it to myself. I don’t in any way presume to have figured it out, nor do I believe that parenting fits into a “one size fits all” handbook. However, although all children and parents are unique, I do believe His truths are universal. Most everything that I write comes as I parent my sweet little Elliott and have massive revelations about boys, children in general, mothers, and fathers in light of Scripture. I believe that the Lord has given me a passion and many truths about parenting that I hope will encourage some, spur others on, and open conversation with the rest.

    And so begins the blogging journey surrounding victorious parenting, starting  with this one: A Victorious Mother. There will probably be somewhere between 3 and 100 posts under this series, and who knows how often they will come. I am just taking it one post at a time, and seeing where it leads…

    My friends, I hope you will join me!! Read, comment, contribute!! Let’s link arms, and run after truth together!!

    With great love,

    Susanne

  • Our Sombrero’s Off to You!

    Well, amigos, the Mexican Mobergs are officially hanging up their sombreros and saying, “Adios” to Meh-hee-koe.

    It was exactly a year and a half ago that we decided to completely abandon life as we knew it and take what was, for us, a bold step of faith, and become missionaries outside of this broken little city called Tijuana. We spent two months on outreach before settling down here in Mexico just over a year ago.

    And what a year it has been. We have learned what feels like a lifetime of lessons in just 16 short months. As any God-given adventure should leave you, we will never be the same.

    Like little children anticipating their first day of school, we had many pictures and ideas in our heads of what it would be like to be full time missionaries for YWAM San Diego/Baja. Yet all we were certain of as we hopped on that very first flight to the DR which began our journey, was that the only thing we could be certain of was that there would be so many unknowns. Isn’t that the way of faith? Sure of what we hope for, certain of what we do not see…

    For us, we were sure in the character of our God, and certain that He had a good plan for us, to grow us, to teach us, to prosper us. And oh, my, have we grown. I mean, we started out with just one kid, and now we have two!

    But seriously, Brian and I have grown tremendously. We have learned–so much–about ourselves and about others. He has prospered us–abundantly–in ways that we couldn’t have planned for ourselves. I never would have (though I probably should have!) guessed that our faith would be so challenged in the last year. And it has been wonderful. Wonderful in the way that you feel after you have worked out and your muscles are loose and strong. Although you are tired, you are energized. And you are ready for the next workout to begin.

    We had every intention of staying with YWAM SDB longer. Not only did we have the intention of staying, but we were so excited about staying.

    So, why are we leaving now, you ask?

    Well, the following scriptures sum it up quite perfectly:

    “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)

    “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

    To us, the scriptures are very clear–we can plan our course, but it is GOD who determines our individual steps. And within the course that we plan, it will always be HIS purpose that prevails.

    And thank God for that! What peace comes from knowing He will lead us in the way we are to go according to His best for us…

    So we had planned our course–staffing the DTS through March–but in an intricate web of purposes that we will probably never know the fullness of, God has determined our steps. And in this case, it is to step away from full time missions and step into…. (drum roll please!)

    …we have no idea.

    And so here we are again, with a clean slate, no job, two perfect children and (sing with me!) a sombrer-o in a palm tree!

    The last time we had a “clean slate” like this, we at least had a home! But now, we are starting from scratch in every arena of our lives…we need a new country, a new home, and a new job! Although this kind of slate may sound scary to some, we are so excited to walk this path of figuring out what’s on God’s heart for us next. His purposes for us have been so grand in the last 3 and a half years, that we would be foolish to not expect amazing purpose ahead.

    We couldn’t possibly be more grateful for this last 16 months. The Lord has done a work in our lives that we wouldn’t trade for anything. Wanna hear a few things that He has done in us? Ways that He has grown us, taught us, and prospered us? Well, read on, mis amigos!

    Mexican Moberg highlights from our time with YWAM San Diego/Baja

    NUMERO UNO:

    “Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights.” (James 1:17)

    We have had so many “good and perfect gifts” fall down upon us in this last season. So many. We have been humbled, blessed, and oh-so-grateful for every way our family and close friends have rallied around us to support us–financially, emotionally, spiritually, practically. Although you have all certainly been part of advancing the kingdom down here in Mexico, you have also been a part of advancing the Kingdom in our hearts as the Lord has taught us so, so much. Thank you for supporting us and for journeying with us!

    NUMERO DOS:

    “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

    Our new YWAM friends. There are so many of you, and too many to name in this post. (But if you’re our friend, and you’re part of YWAM, then we’re talking about YOU!!) It’s amazing how quickly you develop friends from all over the world when you’re part of YWAM. And though we love ALL of you, there are a few who, I’m sure, will remain dear in our hearts forever. Our DTS friends will probably always be our favorites :).

    Our DTS Classmates and Staff!

     

    Among our DTS friends, Rayel has become a part of our family. I’m really not sure what Elliott is going to do without her, as he asks about her daily and she is his favorite playmate. Rayel lived with us for (too short of) a season, and we just love her dearly. And, though I promise I will encourage her to always follow the Lord’s leading in her life, I am also fairly certain that I will (continue to) try to convince her to come live with us again :). She is just so dear, and we are going to miss her terribly!!

    Drinking buddies forever!

    Jarot. We love Jarot. Jarot has served our family extravagantly since the moment we first crossed the border in moving here. Literally. He helped us get all of our stuff to Mexico (which is not an easy task!), and has been here for our family every time we’ve been in need. His heart to serve at the drop of a hat is extraordinary, and we have been so, so blessed by his faithfulness to our family.

    Though I could write a whole blog post on this, a few sentences will have to suffice: the other moms in this community have done nothing but lavish love on us since we’ve been here. Jamie has been my saving grace more times than I can count as she has made and given me a number of items that have made my life A MILLION TIMES EASIER. She’s like the baby stuff whisperer :). I am so grateful for her over this last year, especially as we’ve probably written an entire book through email regarding babies and their crazy sleep habits!!

    Jamie, with Elliott and her son Hunter–a YEAR ago! Wow! Now we both have baby girls added to the mix.

    Korrin has a heart of gold and loves others lavishly and deeply. She is a mum to the three cutest kiwi boys that I’ve ever known and spear headed throwing Selah a phenomenal baby shower despite the MILLION other things on her plate. She and her husband have included their children in their ministry, and it has been inspiring to watch. Rachel is a faithful, faithful friend whose stories about herself and her son have me rolling every time I see her. She is always real, and you will always find her serving someone. These three women (who all have boys just a bit older than Elliott) have been such a gift in this season.

    Korrin, Amanda and Rachel at Selah’s shower

    Giezi and Amanda. Wow, do we love this team. They have been heart friends, whom we can laugh with, be real with, share our struggles and our victories with…besides both being extraordinarily gifted, they have such tender and soft hearts toward the Lord and are some of the easiest people to just LAUGH with… We knew we loved them the moment we met them a year and a half ago (are you crying yet? because I am…), and our admiration and respect for them has only grown over time. To say we will miss them dearly doesn’t come close to communicating the reality of how sad it is to say goodbye.

    Giezi and Amanda meeting Selah for the first time when she was just days old…

     

    NUMERO TRES:

    “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”(Matthew 25:34-40)

     

     It has been such an honor to be a small part of pressing forward the Homes of Hope ministry here. Although we have only been able to focus a small portion of our time on this ministry while we’ve been here, we did get to sponsor a home build of our own for Elliott’s first birthday and Brian’s had the opportunity to oversee a number of builds for many different teams. In YWAM San Diego/Baja, you have never seen a more dedicated group of believers strapping on their tool belts almost every weekend to build homes for Mexicans who don’t have one. It’s an incredible sight, and over 125 families now have homes just in the time that we’ve been with YWAM. Isn’t that incredible?! And this all started with Sean and Janet Lambert and their three little girls. Such an inspiration to raise our kids selflessly looking outward!! We have said it dozens of times–the spectacle of this base is a SIGHT to see…and what an honor to be a part of it! (And if you and/or your family ever want to come on a mission trip, COME HERE!! You will surely, surely leave changed!) YWAM San Diego/Baja, our hat sombrero is certainly off to you!!!

    NUMERO CUATRO:

    So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

    Probably the biggest reality that we’ve discovered about ourselves through this adventure of being missionaries is that we are primarily passionate about ‘feeding the sheep.’ We have had a huge passion grow within us to fulfill the great commission to, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” (Matthew 28:19-20). Whether we are at ‘home’ in the USA or in a foreign land we desire that our lives would be marked by the visible fruit of transformation in the lives of the people around us (particularly the ones we are discipling intentionally.) For us, as we shared in our last update, this means to press others into the fullness of the gospel, the fullness of abundant life, the fullness of the freedom that Christ died for. For us, this means intentionally seeking for true salvation in our lives and the lives of those around us–true salvation, meaning healing, wholeness… For us, this means pressing for true repentance in our lives and the lives of those around us–not just confessing our sins (those pesky habits that keep us from the love of God) but also repenting of our sins (turning away from them and not continuing to do them!). For us, this means pressing others into the fullness of their callings in Christ. We have no idea what it will look like for us to “tend His lambs,” but we are expectant that He will honor our hearts. We have gained a real burden for God’s people (the church) in the last year, believing that we, as the church, are meant to be radiant in every aspect of our lives. So although we do have a heart for missions (and might even step back into it one day!), this is what’s on our hearts right now.

    And so…what of my dreams, you ask? Well, my friends, I would say this: I’m grateful my God promises me GREAT, when often I can only see GOOD. And because of that, our dreams have just barely begun…

    So! Stay tuned :). Thank you for reading and tracking with our lives! We are excited and expectant for what’s ahead!

    Love,

    The former Mexican Mobergs 🙂

    #butiwillalwaysbemexicanatheart

  • Post Partum…pinks!

    Post Partum…pinks!

    Thoughts on life and love, now that pink has invaded my world…

    Selah. I have a daughter and her name is Selah. She is real, a fact that I have to remind myself of every time I pick her up and see her bright blue eyes twinkling back at me behind those mile-long lashes. She is real, she is healthy, and she is mine. She is the most perfect, beautiful, delightful bundle of pink joy that ever existed. I get to hold her, change her, feed her, swaddle her, re-swaddle her, bathe her, sing to her, and put her in bows…I get to see each of her milestones first hand and ooh and ahh at each one. I get to be the recipient of her contagious smiles that wiggle through her entire body, beginning with her toes and exploding through her mouth. I get to tell her how proud I am of her throughout every day and tell her how much I love her and tell her how much she fills my life with joy. I get to kiss her chubby cheeks over and over and over again until she giggles and squeals with delight…

    Pink explosion

     

    Elliott. I say to him daily, “You simply make my heart swell with joy.” I don’t know how else to describe it…I love learning more every day about what makes Elliott Elliott. I love watching him approach a problem and seeing the solution he comes up with to fix it. I love telling him how creative he is when he thinks of a new way to build a lego tower or play with his toys. I love how, 8 months later, he is still pointing to the one toy bin that’s missing a label and reminding me that it’s an, “Uh-oh!!” I love that he loves to drink water and ensures that everyone around him drinks theirs, too. I love that he picks out the letter, “E” everywhere, and points at it like he’s found gold, saying, “A-ee-et!!!” (That is, to say, “Elliott!”) I am just so proud of him. I am so proud of his heart. I am so proud of every time he obeys and my heart is so expectant in those times that he doesn’t. Because he always comes around. He always ends up with a soft heart that delights in helping our family be the best it can be. He delights in serving. He delights in having a purpose in our family. He thrives when we beam with pride over him. And I just couldn’t possibly be more proud of him. Of who he is and who he is becoming. Of how he has allowed his will to be bent and shaped by his parents’ careful, thoughtful instruction and, ultimately, by God’s hand.

    All boy.

     

    Selah and Elliott are different. I knew they would be. (Yes, yes…I know…a biology textbook could have clued me in to that insight…) But when you are head-over-heels in love with your firstborn, it’s difficult to imagine how your heart could possibly expand to fit any more love in there. And with your first, everything is new…you just sit back and watch this little miracle GROW…and it’s just that–a miracle. You can’t believe that your baby will just intrinsically know how to grow… “How will he know how to roll over? Do I need to teach him that? Will he ever learn to sit up? Is it normal to see his heart beating through that hole in the top of his head? Will that thing ever close up??? Ooh! I see a tooth coming in! Wait, is it coming into the right spot? Shouldn’t he be crawling by now? What if he never crawls??” How can I even describe the shock and awe that took place each time Elliott hit a new benchmark…it’s just miraculous…As a new mom, you get to watch these miracles occur before your very eyes… And it’s true–miracles never get old. There is still such an abundance of joy and such an excitement with each new milestone Selah reaches… “She smiled at me! Again!! She giggled today! She rolled over!!! She moved her left little pinkie toe three times while she was clasping her hands and I just KNOW she’s trying to tell me she loves me!!” But nonetheless, it’s different. You don’t want to compare your children, but how can you not? The first is all you know.

    It’s like this. It’s like you’ve been eating homemade, fresh-baked strawberry shortcake all your life. Your mouth waters as the dessert hour approaches and you think about licking the remnants of the batter out of the bowl before popping the drops of sugary dough into the oven. After 12 minutes (or less, if you can sneak it out of the oven early before your husband notices) of fired glory, you carefully pull the lightly-dusted-with-golden-brown cakes out of the oven and quickly smother yours with fresh, sweet, sliced, bright red strawberries. You load on the whipped cream and spoon the very first bite in your mouth–a perfect blend of warm, gooey shortcake, decadent berries and rich cream…Mmm, strawberry shortcake. But then one day you are invited to try a different dessert, a new one. You are so satisfied with the first that it’s difficult to even think about another. But can you ever have enough dessert? So you are introduced to, say, the Signature White Chocolate Mousse Cake from Salty’s. Its plain white appearance is quite unassuming but as you fork the first bite into your mouth, you know your life has been changed forever. Like snowflakes effortlessly melting into the pores of your fingerprints, so the white chocolate saturates your tongue with flavor and then seeps into every fiber of your being. You are hooked, and have barely begun to swallow before you’re going in for bite number two. Throw a cup of decaf on the side and you will never be the same again.

    But you cannot help but compare it to the shortcake…clearly not because you love it less than the shortcake, but because strawberry shortcake is all you’ve known up until now. If you had to choose between them, you couldn’t. Your choice would simply–but obviously–be, “Both.” You love them both but you love them differently. Because they are different.

    Selah was just a few days old when these thoughts fumbled their way out of my mouth, as I wrestled with this new taste of love. I said to Brian: “It’s just that I love Elliott so much and I love Selah so much, too…but my love for Selah feels different.” And I couldn’t help but wonder if that “different” meant “less.”

    “That’s okay, because she is different,” he calmly assured me.

    And so I am learning that it is. That “different” doesn’t mean “less.” It means different. They have very different habits and they have reached (and will reach) different milestones at different times and they have very different stories already. And that last “different” has been especially hard for me.

    A dear friend said to me before Selah was born, “Elliott has been your world…it’s going to be difficult to add another and realize you can’t give her as much time as you’ve given him.” I knew it would be. And it is.

    Time…attention…those are my love languages. I’ve said to Brian so many times, “We don’t just sit around and stare at her for hours on end like we did with Elliott…is she lacking?? We haven’t been able to give her nearly as much attention as we did with him…”

    “And Elliott didn’t have a big brother to give him kisses on his head 400 times a day…” Brian reminds me.

     

    Enough said. It’s about so much more than being bathed in toddler smooches and drool; it’s about being lathered with big brother love…a love that can be so unique, so strong, so inspiring, so life-changing. I know of this love first-hand.

    Can you see the strand of drool on her head? That’s from Elliott, who sneezed on her as he was giving her a kiss just before he took her hand… it is one of the details of this picture that makes me ADORE this moment…

    Yes, she is being loved differently in these early months. I may not have the time to spend countless hours studying every curve of her face with a camera in my hands, snapping hundreds of pictures (a day). Selah is often strapped in the Ergo “coming along for the ride.” But you’d better believe that when I look down and see her staring up at me, I stop what I’m doing, catch my breath, and soak in her beauty and delight. We may be “on the go” more often than we were with E-man, but that doesn’t mean that I’m missing anything, or that she is lacking anything… In fact, it’s the contrary: she’s the best loved baby in the world as she watches balls fly past her face, listens to trains choo choo next to her ear, and is often the subject of Elliott’s art projects.

    Nothing says, “loved” like being stickered by your big brother!

     

    Selah has two parents who are completely enamored with her, but she also has a brother who adores her with every fiber of his being…who kisses (read: slobbers on) her over and over and over again, who asks about her as soon as he wakes up, who wants her to sit next to him every time we get in the car, who longs to share his toys with her all day long, who giggles with pride and delight when she rolls over, who melts when she smiles back at him and grabs his finger…Oh, she is so, so, so adored by her big brother. A love that is different, even, from the love of her parents. She has this incredible big brother who includes her, who invites her, who asks about her and wants the very, very best for her.

    Just look at how he adores her…this is how he looks at her ALL THE TIME…

    Oh, yes, she is certainly loved. And she is certainly lacking nothing.

    Oh, yes, my love for her is surely different, yet as perfectly strong and profound as my love for her big brother.

    Oh, yes…my choice is absolutely, “Both, please.”

  • Selah B, 4 months

    Selah B, 4 months

    Selah B turned 4 months old on February 8th. Sorry to make you wait for the very exciting happenings in this 4 month old’s life!!

    Selah is 14 lbs and 25 ¼ inches worth of 4 month utter perfection.

    She is just the sweetest little thing…I can hardly handle her sweetness. She loves people. She hasn’t been so good with the camera because she will ONLY smile when she sees someone’s face (but I’ve managed to catch some good photos this month…). My favorite thing to do is stare at her while she’s playing, and wait for her to catch my eye. As soon as she does, she smiles SO BIG. It melts me every time.

    This has been a month of milestones! Just after her 3 month birthday, she started rolling over! I had set her on her tummy one day (January 13, to be exact!), walked away, and when I came back, she was on her back!! I screeched with delight and snapped this quick picture on my phone for proof. (Cute pjs provided by Aunt Bev and Uncle Roy, and cute hat provided by Auntie Melisa!)

    “Whew! That was exhausting!”

     

    I put her on her tummy and encouraged her to do it again so I could get it on video but she sweetly refused. I, of course, called her daddy right away to tell him the good news. Later that afternoon we were playing with her and she did it again, this time while we were both watching! She did it again and again, and so I finally pulled out my phone. Here’s this silly little video of her rolling over. I was certain she wasn’t going to roll over because I finally had the camera out, so my reaction is hilarious. As a result, Elliott thinks this video is hilarious and LOVES watching it over and over again.

     

     

    Next new trick: Turning in circles! No matter if she’s on her tummy or her back, she turns herself in a complete circle. She loves to move!

    Next milestone: Sleeping through the night! Yahoo!! Attention all moms of infants out there: if you’d like to get your baby to sleep through the night, I have the fail-proof way of doing so. Read my story below, and follow the steps carefully to achieve a full night of sleep for the first time in A YEAR (if your pregnancies are anything like mine!).

    We were almost 2 weeks in to staffing the DTS, and we had the most incredible full schedule imaginable. We were very, very busy. But this particular Thursday morning was the most busy, most exhausting day that I had had yet. I was on the tail end of being sick, and it was WINDY out. Like really, really, really windy out. Like the windiest day in the entire history of planet earth. And I decided that would be a good day to walk to the base with Elliott. Now, it’s important to note that the walk to the base is entirely uphill. Short, but uphill. And Elliott decided he didn’t want to walk. And it was windy. Did I mention it was windy? Like really, really windy. So as I was pushing Elliott UP, UP, UP the hill in the stroller, the 100 mile an hour winds were pushing  DOWN, DOWN, DOWN against me! So after this 15 minute walk of straight uphill, into the wind, my body was wiped. (I may not have muscles of steel quite yet after carrying and birthing a baby.) So I wiped the sweat off my brow and proceeded to Elliott’s little “preschool”, where I was going to teach a short lesson for the kiddos. I played with them for a bit, taught my little lesson and then fed sweet Selah B who had been napping in her little secret room on the base (don’t worry—Brian was watching her on the monitor!). After getting both the kids home and Selah down for a nap, I fed Elliott lunch. While he was eating I tore through the house like a tazmanian cleaning devil, because a group of girls was arriving in just an hour for a small group. I put Elliott down for his nap, the girls arrived for small group, and my friend Amanda and I led the time. They left, and I sat down to prepare for my teaching that night with the DTS Staff. Dinner, kids, nursing, playing, and burning brownies all happened before our friends arrived at 7. I taught for a couple hours and by the time everyone left, it was 10 pm. And I was EGG-SAUCE-TED. The most egg saucy this nursing, not-sleeping mama had ever been.

    Still tracking with me? Because this is where the key to the story is:

    I got ready for bed, put my ear plugs in (like normal) and—here it is, don’t miss this—I forgot to turn Selah’s monitor on.

    Earplugs are the greatest gift known to man for me because they drown out my husband’s occasional night time noises (aka, snoring) and Selah’s little tosses and turns that generally wake me up and convince me that it’s a good idea to stare at her while she’s sleeping soundly. (You know, just to make sure she continues to sleep soundly.) Earplugs make it so that I only hear her through the monitor when she needs me, when she’s actually crying. Which, typically has been happening once a night.

    But if I fail to turn the monitor on…I fail to hear EN-EE-THING.

    Well, you’d better believe this tired mama slept oh-so-soundly until…I woke up at 6 am on my own, checked the time, and panicked. Why hadn’t Selah cried? I looked at the monitor, realizing it was not turned on to her room, and panicked again. Oh, no! Had Selah cried??!! I turned it on to her room, saw her sleeping soundly and peacefully, and panicked again—because I didn’t know what else to do! I quickly woke Brian up, telling him of my horrible mistake as I was, of course, panicking.

    “Well, is she okay?” Brian asked.

    “Well, she is NOW, but I have no idea if she cried all night long!!”

    “Yeah, she looks pretty troubled to me…” he said as he looked at the peacefully sleeping babe on the monitor.

    And Selah has slept through the night ever since. So there you have it, folks. I felt TARE-I-BULL…but, truth be told, I am quite enjoying sleeping through the night. And, I don’t think she’s holding it against me :).

    Well, here she is: my rolling, sleeping, smiling, bundle of baby girl perfection: (P.S. As a little bonus, I added some pictures of Elliott when he was this age for a little compare/contrast!)

    One of her favorite things to do…stare into the eyes of her big brother!
    The princess sitting on her throne…daddy’s tummy!

     

    She loves chewing on her fingers!
    She adores her big brother…

    Speaking of her big brother, here’s a little flash from the past:

    She started really intentionally playing with the toys on the exersaucer…

     

    …just like Elliott did at this age!

     

    Are they siblings…

     

    …or WHAT?!

     

    She is so close to rolling onto her tummy–I’m shocked she hasn’t yet because she so often rolls herself all the way onto her side to play.
    She really likes playing with her toys…
    …and eating them.
    Her feet are her newest playmates this month!

     

    And, she discovered how cool her tongue is. She loves sticking it out of her mouth, especially when she’s smiling! 🙂

    Now, just for a fun bonus, here are a few fun faces from our sweet, 4 month old Selah B:

    Elliott picked this headband out for her to wear one morning while still in her pjs. I think she likes it :).
    Captivating, isn’t she??
    “Hey, Mom, look what I can do with my lip!”
    Oh my sweetness.
    Baby girl is growing up so fast!!

     Okay, one more flashback for you…

    Elliott Brian, 4 months
    Selah Bethany, 4 months

    Okay, okay…so I guess I’m starting to see that they look a little bit alike :). Happy 4 month birthday, Selah B!!!