The Moberg Family

Author: Susanne

  • Summa’ Time

    [WARNING: This blog post got really, really, really super long…! That’s what happens when you blog about an entire SUMMER in one post!]

    I’ll admit. Our first few months here, we were pretty swamped. With YWAM training, with my first trimester, with adjusting to life in a foreign country, with Elliott’s first birthday and house build, etc., etc….It was busy. So, needless to say, we didn’t get out much. When we had a free day, we couldn’t wait to stay in our pajamas all day and just stare at the walls to recover. Exploring the city wasn’t exactly at the top of our list of “fun things to do.”

    When we were in Tacoma in May, someone asked us, “So what do you guys like to do for fun down there?”

    And the first thing that came to my mind to say was, “We cross the border into San Diego, pull off at the first gas station, stick our heads underneath the faucet and guzzle the water straight from the tap…just because we can!”

    And that’s when I realized we hadn’t really had very much “fun” since we had moved down here. I remember those first few months we were here, the only thing that sounded “fun” to do was cross the border and do things we couldn’t do here…like drink from the tap, run our toothbrushes under the faucet, use our cell phones, go to Target…things you come to take for granted when you live in the good ‘ol U-S of A!

    But, we adjusted. We got working cell phones. We mastered the art of using bottled water to brush our teeth. And, to top it all off, summertime brought glorious weather which compelled us to get outside and discover. We weren’t so busy getting settled in the midst of everything else we were juggling. And so…we have had some FUN!! Here are some photos from our Summer to highlight what we do for “fun” around here… 🙂

    Playas Boardwalk

    There’s a little city between us and Tijuana, about 20 ish minutes away, called Playas. As close as it is, we had never been to its amazing boardwalk! These pictures are from the end of May, and I can’t believe how young Elliott looks! (And how small my belly looks!) 🙂

    The beautiful ocean
    The Boardwalk
    Daddy is simply the BEST.
    “Burr!” (Bird!)
    “What are those silly birds doing flying into the ocean??” Elliott ponders.
    Loving life on the Boardwalk.

    Rosarito Market

    Here’s your pretty typical Mexican market, just minutes from our house… we finally made our way there in June!

    We made Elliott stay in the stroller and he wasn’t a huge fan of that…just too many temptations to let him run around freely!!
    Katie 🙂

    Visit from Grandma & Grandpa Moberg

    Ken and Marilyn came to visit in July, via Florida :). They have always been quite the cross-country travelers!! Very impressive. We had several fun highlights with them while they were here.

    Slow mornings, relaxing on the couch…
    Playdough with Grandpa!
    Sportin’ Mama’s glasses at the beach!
    Walking along the beach with Grandma
    Elliott trying to be brave in the water while Mama and Grandma cling to him for dear life :).
    The Rosarito Market
    Elliott-o!
    2 out of the 3 Mexican Mobergs

    Babymoon

    For the first time EVER, we left our little buddy alone…for TWO WHOLE NIGHTS! While Brian’s parents were in town, they let us get away to San Diego to take a little Babymoon before our sweet girl arrives.

    Eating breakfast a delightful little cafe one morning.

    Rosarito Beach

    I’ll be honest, I never imagined we’d be the people who lived 2 minutes from the beach. I mean, I know we lived 30 seconds from Ruston Way in Tacoma, but I’m talking about the real kind of beach, where you go to play in the sand and swim in the ocean. But it sure is FUN to be able to hop over to the beach for an hour or two in the afternoon any time you want! Elliott loves it!! July, August, and September were finally hot enough to be able to enjoy the glory of Rosarito Beach in its fullness…

    Learning how to use a shovel
    Elliott still doesn’t really like to have his hands dirty, but he’s learned how to play hard in the sand, trusting that we’ll help him wipe off his hands when we’re all done playing :).
    Trying to play paddle ball like the big boys!

    One of Elliott’s FAVORITE things to do at the beach is to stand at the edge of the water and let the waves wash up and get him.

    Look at that face!
    Pure delight.
    AND the water is pretty cold 🙂

    Soccer Field!

    Our YWAM campus has been building a soccer field the last few months, and it was finally finished this summer. Talk about GLORY!! For the kid who eats, breathes, and sleeps balls of all sorts, this is a dream come true. Brian brings him there on weekend mornings (while I get to sleep in!!) and we usually get at least one or two other visits throughout the week. Elliott kicks the soccer ball the entire length of the field and can even score a goal if he wants to :).

    How cool is THIS?!

    Swings and Slides

    There is this tiny little play structure in our housing community that provides for a good hour of entertainment for little buddy. He loves climbing the ladder and going down the slide, and he will do it over and over and over and over again until he’s so exhausted that he’s falling over.

    Side note: Several months ago, I taught Elliott that when you see flowers, you smell them. His “smelling”, however, comes out more like a snort. It’s SO CUTE. So any time he sees flowers or trees, he does this snort thing, and I just think it’s the greatest thing ever. So on our walk down to the little playground, he found some flowers to sniff…if you look closely you can see his little wrinkled nose as he snorts!

    Stopping to smell the roses…
    Swinging with Daddy
    Climbing up the ladder…
    Yippee!!
    “This is so much fun!!!”

    Swimming!

    Well, it may have taken 7 months of pressing and prodding our landlord, but she FINALLY got our pool fixed for us, and let me tell you–it has been GLORIOUS. There are days that this pregnant lady stays in her swimsuit all day, and may go swimming three different times! And although I did get a SUPER cute maternity swimsuit that I’m sure you’re dying to see, there will be no posts of me in my swimsuit…ever :). But trust me…there are days I live in the pool!

    Pointing to the ball…of course 🙂
    This is his FAVORITE ball, and his favorite thing to do in the pool…throw every object he can find in the pool and let Daddy fetch them :).
    Loving the snorkel.

    Killing Bugs

    It gets SO HOT inside on certain days that it’s an absolute necessity to keep a few doors open to get a breeze going in our house. There’s one door that leads out to a balcony that has no screen. Thus, we get gazillions of flies inside throughout the day and way too many MOSQUITOES inside at night. Yes, you heard me–mosquitoes. After my Dominican Republic experience, I don’t think I would have agreed to move to Mexico had I known that mosquitoes existed here. Anyhow. Elliott spends a good majority of his day watching us kill the gazillions of flies, and he has become an expert at getting those “buhs!” himself…

    Good ol’ fashion PLAY

    Playing with Brian’s old toys…the hard hat and drum set from when HE was a kid…I love it!!

    In early August, Elliott decided he wanted to start setting the table :). He is fairly obsessed with cups, plates, bowls, etc. One evening as I was making dinner, he ran over, grabbed my hand, and dragged me to the cabinet where we keep all of the dishes. He knows he’s not allowed to open it (it’s a floor-to-ceiling cabinet, so he can easily open it), so he was clearly asking me for permission to open it. So I did, wondering what was going on, and he kept pointing to all the kids’ plates, cups, bowls, etc. I asked if he wanted a cup and he said, “Yeah!” so I gave him one. He runs out of the room with it and then seconds later, runs back into the kitchen, grabs my hand, and pulls me back to the cabinet. Well after this same pattern repeating several times after I had given him a plate and a bowl and another cup, I finally went into the other room to see what was going on…

    …and I discovered this.
    Now that all the dishes are out, it’s time to organize.

    I love what a helper my little man is!!!

    He has mastered the art of Duplos, and loves building towers as high as he can…

    The following photo is very classic…what a typical HOT summer day looks like for me and my little buddy:

    Taking a break from playing to snack. I love this photo…Me, suspending Elliott on the counter with my belly, feeding him a banana while he plays with the balls in the fruit bowl (limes). Just look at how darling my Elliott is…
    Doesn’t he look like a little muscle man?!?!

    Last, but certainly not least…although I could devote an entire post to the incredible awesomeness of having our dear friends the McDowells live with us this summer, these few pictures will have to do…

    Suzanna and I got not one, but TWO, special date days all to ourselves in San Diego. TOTAL GLORY.

    Registering at Babies R Us!
    We had *SO* much fun that we COMPLETELY lost track time of time. At one point I realized I was feeling kind of weak and when we looked at the clock it was after 5 pm!! I hadn’t eaten or had anything to drink in HOURS. NOT okay for this prego mama. Jamba Juice saves the day. 🙂
    On our second day in SD, we spent a good majority of the afternoon at THE CHIROPRACTOR’S OFFICE. If you know me, this doesn’t surprise you. But WHO KNEW that Suzanna and I shared the same passion for Chiropractic?! She even introduced me to a whole new branch of chiropractic which lets you sit in these UH-MAZ-ING chairs when you’re done being adjusted. So we sat there, and talked chiropractic for an entire afternoon…*BLISS*

    Having our dear friends here was nothing short of a glorious, incredible gift from God. To sum up? Laughter. Prayer. Exhortation. Encouragement. Deep love. Lots of kids. Lots and lots of FOOD. The Word. Richness in every way.

    Al the kids worshiping together!
    As Suz put it, “A break-our-hearts-goodbye.” This was right before the tears started to flow like rivers. We love you guys so much!!!!

    Well, there you have it. A little glimpse into our Summer and what we do on the weekends for fun around here…and, admit it…you’re finally ready to come visit us now, aren’t you?!?!

  • So grateful.

    Today is one of those days, where I wake up and am flooded with gratitude from the moment my day begins. Not because life is easy right now. Not because we have everything figured out. Not because I slept well. Not because I’m comfortable.

    But because God is good. So, so good. I am overwhelmed with gratitude today, and am taking my first “down” moment of the day to write down those things…so I don’t forget, so I give glory where glory is due…thank you, Lord. And as the tears flood my eyes, I write…

    I am so grateful for my husband. Who relentlessly serves me and our family with such joy. Who tells me to sit down and talk about my day while he does the dishes. Who rubs my swollen feet. Who encourages me daily and tells me I’m doing such a great job. Who loves our son better than any dad I know. Who takes him swimming and teaches him to play soccer. Who helps me. All the time. Who always goes back down the stairs when I’m all tucked in bed and have forgotten to get my middle-of-the-night snacks. And then again when I realize I’ve forgotten my phone. And then again when I realize I left the monitor down there. 🙂 Always with such joy, always with such an eager heart. Who has done all of our Costco shopping with Elliott every single week by himself so I can sit and take the 30 minutes I need to eat a hot dog after our long afternoons filled with doctors appointments in San Diego. Who ties up my vomit bag for me after I’ve upchucked said hot dog mixed with who-knows-what-else, and takes care of it so I never have to see it (or smell it) again. Who adores me, and tells me so every day.

    I am so grateful for my son. My Elliott. Who is simply my greatest joy. Who is in this stage where he loves holding our hands, so it’s not good enough to be walking next to him, I must be holding his hand. I love that. I cherish that. Who, after telling me to sit on the ground and me realizing he has a poopy diaper, brings me his diaper caddy and lays down on the floor with such joy so I can change his diaper without having to stand me and this big belly up again! Who is such an incredible helper. Who instructs me to sit down on the bench in our bathroom and brings me my tennis shoes. Who tells me when I have yogurt on my elbow and marker on my face. Who loves people so much that when new friends come by he wants to emphatically show them where the nearest ball is right away, because that’s his greatest treasure.

    I am so grateful for family. Who love us so much. Who pray for us daily and tell us that. Who are always thinking about us. Who Skype with us and visit us. Who would, really, do anything for us if we asked.

    I am so grateful for friends. Real friends. Who speak real truth. Who encourage me, who encourage us. Who pray for me. Who love me. Who send me daily text messages with Scripture. Who rejoice with me.  Who help me design my baby girl’s nursery. Who send me fun surprises in the mail and beautiful cards. Who write things like this to me as I wait for my baby girl: “…so in praying for her arrival, I’m praying for something greater than perfection circumstancially. I’m praying for the peace that comes from seeing clearly the magnitude of the prize that this soul is, so that whether day one is perfect, or as imperfect as many of the days that will follow, it doesn’t matter in contrast to the power and glory of this little one shining the light of Christ in this and in eternity…” How blessed I am to have real friends.

    I am so grateful for four cheese curly pasta. It makes me so happy. Every. Single. Day. Elliott was about 98% cheeseburger; this little girl is about 98% macaroni and cheese. With a good amount of hot dog mixed in there (I know, I know…but hey, YOU DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO TO SURVIVE.)

    I am so grateful for cold water. Seriously, so grateful. I am thirsty and hot all the time, and I do not take it for granted that I have access to cold, fresh, filtered water all day long, when there are some just minutes away from us who do not have that luxury.

    I am grateful for my daughter. Oh! My perfect, wonderful, tiny little bundle of girlness…I love her so much!! She is my daughter…my daughter. I cannot wait to meet her, to see her face, to watch her first breath…to hold her and nurse her and provide for her every need…to look her in the eyes and tell her who she is in Christ. My daughter. Oh, I am so, so grateful for my daughter.

    I am grateful for peace. Supernatural, miraculous peace that can only come from Peace Himself.

    I am grateful that I don’t have to be in control. Because HE IS. Because HE IS the I AM. Because He knows…and I don’t.

    And last, but certainly not least, I am so grateful that it’s Friday. Friday night, even! Family time for two whole days, Grandma & Grandpa Moberg arrive tomorrow night, and soon…very soon…we will have our baby girl in our arms.

    And yet still, for so much more…for Frosted Flakes and for my supportive sandals that allow me to wear dresses and skirts and not die of a back ache by the end of the day. For the super discounted air conditioner unit we found for our bedroom. For our friend Rayel who is living with us. For my exercise ball. For anti-nausea medication. For my maternity swimsuit. For four new babies being born this past week!  For peaches. Oh, how happy peaches make me!! Ahh, for all these things and so much more…thank you, Lord…thank you, Lord.

    39 weeks and 6 days. And SO GRATEFUL.

     

  • The Baby Beta Belly

    The Baby Beta Belly

    One day, Suzanna and I were waiting in the border line and we had a conversation that went something like this:

    Me: “Hey, I’d really love to take some pregnancy family photos, and I was wondering if you were any good at taking pictures…?”

    Suzanna (without hesitation and with a huge smile): “No!! I’m not!! But I would love to!!!!”

    Well, the following are the handiwork of that “not-very-good-at-taking-pictures” woman! I have to make the disclaimer that I am very well aware of the fact that these finished photos (with my incredibly amateur editing skills using a free program) do not in any way compare to the skills of all of my amazing photographer friends, but…seriously, I couldn’t be happier with them!! I love them!!! It probably helps quite a bit that we live in a BEAUTIFUL place, but I’m telling you…Suzanna may be your next famous photographer!!

    Here are a few of my favorites!!

    Elliott wasn’t really into taking photos…note to self: a boy who loves the beach will not be content being held while we stand in sand…he only wants to be in the sand…

    Rosarito Beach
    Isn’t it beautiful?

    We finally let Elliott sit down in the sand, which made him very happy :). He sat there watching the sand drop through his fingers like the most amazing miracle was happening before his eyes…

    LOOK AT HIS FACE…I LOVE IT!!!

    My sweet baby boy, who is now 17 months old!!

    Studying a sand dollar with delight…
    Our absolute FAVORITE…
    This is a classic “Elliott laugh”…I love the way the sand is falling off of his feet here…such delight!

    We let Elliott play in the sand for a bit and caught some couple shots:

    *mwah*
    I love my husband. And I think he loves me, too :).
    My boys.

    No beach trip is complete without being thrown into the air, right?

    Pure delight!
    Pure joy!
    “Elliott, can you give your baby sister a kiss?”
    *mwah!*
    35 weeks pregnant!

     

  • 3 years of wedded bliss!

    Brian and I celebrated 3 years of wedded bliss on August 8. Honestly, I can’t believe we’ve only been married 3 years…I feel like I’ve been married to this man for a lifetime. I can hardly remember when he wasn’t my best friend, wasn’t my husband, wasn’t Elliott’s dad… Really? Just 3 years?? What joy these 3 years have been…

    We had a pretty simple anniversary this year. I actually ended up spending the latter half of the afternoon and evening clinging not to my hunky husband, but rather to the porcelain throne, which was way too reminiscent of our very first anniversary when I was pregnant with Elliott and spent the entire day in bed, with my head buried in my vomit bucket. But that’s okay :).

    It was fun for me to look back over the last year, and see how WILD it has been…how MUCH has happened in just a year!!

    Check out this year in review:

    August 2011 

    Second year anniversary! (Our only anniversary when I HAVEN’T been pregnant.) While eating dinner at a Spanish restaurant called Tango in Seattle, we discussed the possibility of making a life-changing decision of moving to Mexico!

    September 2011 

    We decide to uproot our lives and start the process of joining YWAM. This is Elliott’s first time at the Puyallup Fair! We spent this month selling our furniture and preparing to move!

    October 2011 

    Our Goodbye Party in Tacoma!

    November 2011 

    On outreach in the Dominican Republic! Swimming in the Caribbean in November…glory!

    December 2011 

    In December, Elliott gets his very first taste of Christmas by opening presents in Mexico, Colorado and Washington!

    January 2012 

    We move to Mexico! This is on Rosarito beach, which is 2 minutes from our house!

    February 2012 

    Baby Beta!!

    March 2012

    Elliott turns one!!

    April 2012

    Our first month officially on staff with YWAM

    May 2012

    Officially DTS graduates! (I know, a little backwards…)

    June 2012

    At the Rosarito market

    July 2012

    Babymoon! A weekend away in San Diego.

    August 2012

    This is us, 3 years since “The Moberg Family” was established!

    WHAT A YEAR, EH??!! So we celebrated this year by finding a fun pizza place in Rosarito (the day AFTER our anniversary, which happened to be vomit-free). The McDowells hung out with Elliott while we had a lovely evening out.

    Ollie’s Pizza….mmm, delish. Note the restrooms behind us, ha!!
    And dessert at “La Casa Blanca” (The White House) in a fun hotel in Rosarito.

    Can YOU believe all that’s happened in a year!?!? What a journey we have been on! It’s so much fun to look back and see the Lord’s goodness, which makes it all the more exciting to look forward and trust Him for more.

    Year four, I cannot WAIT to see what’s in store!!! Here’s to another year, my love!!

  • Colorado in July

    Today is blog catch-up day. I actually started this blog post 3 weeks ago.Yes, that’s how busy life has been. But I’m sure it’ll get less busy as we, you know, add a fourth member to our family in a few weeks…. ha!!

    Okay, back to Colorado. We had the gift of traveling “home” (how many “homes” can we possibly have??!!) to see family and friends and–most importantly–finally meet our nephew Cypher!! As many of you know, a horrible fire broke out right by my parents’ house the week before we were scheduled to fly out, so we thought we may be canceling the trip up until the day before we left. THANKFULLY, my parents’ house (and entire neighborhood) was untouched by the fire and we were able to fly home, stay with them, and spend a lot of time being grateful that they hadn’t lost everything they owned the week before.

     

    Cypher Evan

    Finally getting to meet our nephew!

    Elliott is so incredibly affectionate around babies…every time he sees a baby he smiles soooo big and just wants to be near him/her. It is so sweet! It was no different meeting his little cousin Cypher!

    Going in for a kiss…
    Seriously, now. Just look at this CUTIE-PATOOTIE!!

    Cousins

    Playing with blocks together
    Fable, Cypher & E-man
    EB, Rowan, Gryffin & Jaxon

    4th of July

    My Lil’ Firecracker
    Wearing our red, white, and blue! (Brian wore green that day so he was excluded from the picture) 🙂
    Cypher and I called each other ahead of time and planned to wear the same shirt

    The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!!

    Grandpa and Nonna took us to the zoo one afternoon. Anyone who’s been here knows it’s such an amazing zoo!  Elliott, however, didn’t quite seem like himself the whole time, and when we got home we took his temperature–102.7! Yikes!! So, he looks a little sedated and sad in these pics…because he was :(. But the adults sure had fun!!

    Feeding the giraffes
    My FAVORITE part of the zoo (and Elliott’s)…the birds!! Many of you know I have a DEEP love for birds in my heart. So does Elliott, as “bird” and “tweet, tweet, tweet” were some of his first words. I couldn’t be prouder :).
    Nonna, Grandpa, and an apparently very sick Elliott 🙁

    Friends

    We had the chance to visit with several friends while we were home. We haven’t seen Michael and Amy since our wedding, and that was SUPER brief…hardly even counts. The last time I saw Nathan he was about 2 weeks old, and I had never met Joel! We found out that they would be in town visiting Michael’s family at the same time we were, so we were thrilled to get together. What a gift to see them!! (P.S. Amy and her mom are the ones who made Elliott’s beautiful quilt and wall hangings!!!)

    Michael & Amy & their sons, Nathan & Joel, our little family and sweet Fay joining in on the fun

    The McDowells!! Our dear friends are in the process of moving to the Denver area (as in, looking for a house) and we couldn’t wait to connect with them while in town. O.J. was Brian’s best man and there are few women I respect as much as Suzanna. Besides, she has a great name :). They drove their little family down to the Springs and spent a couple nights with us (thanks, Mom & Dad, for letting us all have a big sleepover!!). And, here’s a fun long story made short for you: The Lord led them to move in with us for a few weeks! We all had had so much fun together those few days in Colorado, that we definitely agreed that the best thing for life and godliness would be for them to live with us for a short season. So they packed the kiddos into the van and drove over to Mexico, and we have been graced with the presence of our sweet friends and their wonderful children the last several weeks!

    The McDs!

     

    Our trip didn’t allow us to see too many other friends, but we did get a quick dinner with the McCabes (and no picture!) and a SUPER quick visit with Jilly Bean, the boys and her brand new sweet baby Olivia on our way out of town.

    Precious Olivia!!

     

    Adios, Colorado! Until next time.

     

  • A Gecko Ballad

    A Gecko Ballad

    A Gecko Ballad

    written by Helen Capron Mauss

    Friendly gecko on the ceiling,
    Thanks for eating household bugs.
    I hope you’ll bear the special feeling
    My Daughter gives you in her hugs.

    She didn’t mean to hurt your body
    Or change your own God-given shape;
    She’s sorry that she scared your tail off
    And tried to fix it with scotch tape.

    I’ll try to keep her off your body
    If you’ll scamper faster ‘round the frame,
    Gobble up your share of insects,
    And let us hear you chirp your name.

    And if you’ll stay out of the toaster,
    Off the shelves, and off the floors,
    I’ll try to see you’re not untimely
    Squished between the closing doors.

    Good luck, my household gecko,
    May your life be long and fat.
    You’ve been our home companion…
    Now get out of my hat!!!

  • Faith Like a Gecko-Loving Child

    Brian has been working in L.A. today (what does “L.A.” stand for, you ask? …a Long way Away!!!!) so he won’t be back till late tonight. After putting Elliott down, I decided to take advantage of every minute I had to be ultra productive–so I showered, got the kitchen all cleaned up and the dishes done, started a couple loads of laundry, made my second dinner (don’t judge) and sat down for a nice quiet evening with one goal in mind: get our update letter written.

    Well, as I waddled on over to sit down at my computer with my second dinner, something–HUGE–caught my eye and I stopped dead in my tracks. And then I laughed. And laughed again. You know–that nervous, giggle-laughter where you’re caught somewhere between shocked and freaked out even though you know what’s happening is really quite funny but your body is somehow frozen and the only part of you that works is your giggle button…yeah, that kind of laugh.

    Can you see it there? Just “hanging out” right behind my computer?

    Meet our new pet:

    Why, hello there.

    When my limbs started working again I instinctively went to grab Elliott so I could share the creature with him–just like I did earlier when the two bunnies were frolicking outside in the street or every time a new type of bug worms its way into our house or when a flock of birds is soaring through the sky. But, he was asleep. So I went to get Brian–but quickly remembered he wasn’t home! So I grabbed my third best buddy–my camera–and we shared in this ridiculous moment together.

    But I just couldn’t stop laughing…at myself! And honestly, do you know why? Because it is a gecko*, and it had me so startled I couldn’t move. A gecko. Come on, folks. There are MUCH worse things to find crawling in your house. But the fact that it had me so freaked out that I didn’t even want to sit down at my computer for fear of it doing a back-flip onto my face IS RIDICULOUS. Because it’s a gecko. Not a gorilla.

    Although, LOOK–he’s the same size as my sleeping Elliott!!! Gah!!

    Let me tell you a little something about me that will help you understand the ridiculousness of this in its entirety.

    “Gecko” was my first word. Seriously. Ask my mom. (Right, mom?) I was born in the Philippines where geckos abound like tacos are consumed in Mexico. And I loved them. I mean, seriously loved them. I was totally obsessed with them all through my early years of childhood and I would constantly chase them around our house in hopes of catching one to keep for a pet.

    And one day, I did. I did it! I caught a gecko!! And do you know what happened the very next moment???

    Well if you know anything about geckos, you do…ITS TAIL UP AND FELL RIGHT OFF!!!! Yes, you’re reading this correctly–ITS TAIL FELL OFF!! I was HORRIFIED! TRAUMATIZED! HEART-BROKEN!! I had somehow knocked this poor creature’s tail off in the midst of my selfish desire to call the beautiful reptile my own! WHAT HAD I DONE?!?

    So I grabbed my brother and begged him to help me tape the tail back on. “Come on!!” I pleaded with him as he disgustingly refused to be of any assistance. I specifically remember when he declined to hold the tail so I could tape it on, I said sarcastically, “Oh, well would you rather hold the gecko then???” You know, in that mocking “I’m-the-little-sister-and-I-know-it-all” tone of voice…

    Well my dad heard us arguing and put an end to the gecko fiasco. Someone must have explained to me that geckos’ tails instinctively fall off when they feel endangered so as to scare off their predator (Me?? A predator??) and so although I was quite sincere in my effort to “save him,” I let it go. Literally and emotionally. And I never saw that tail-less gecko again. Mom got home later that night and when Dad recounted the incident to her she decided to write a poem about it. And guess what–she submitted it to a contest and it won first place! Soon after our home was filled with every type of gecko you can imagine–big stuffed geckos, little stuffed geckos, gecko pins…gecko parafanalia lined the walls, shelves, and clothing in the Mauss family home.

    Okay, so back to current events. I am sitting here staring at a gecko as I write.

    Dun, dun, dun…

    He hasn’t moved since I discovered him 45 minutes ago. Do you think he’s dead? Eesh…

    But let’s get back to the laughing-at-myself. Do you see now why it is SO ridiculous that I couldn’t even bring myself to come within 10 feet of the thing? Because of some creepy-crawly fear that I’ve developed in the last 25 years since I was fondling that gecko like it was a baby kitten?? Where has my joyous, care-free youth gone??

    This morning I felt prompted to read Hebrews 11…ahh, Hebrews 11, the blessed Hall of Faith. A passage I’ve read, probably literally, 100s of times and a passage that strikes me to the core every single time. Oh, for faith like these heroes of mine!! And God reminded me, again, that this whole journey we’re on is simply–utterly, profoundly, magnificently–simply about faith. All day I’ve been dwelling on that, eager for new revelation that I knew He was going to show me.

    Why is it that the older I get, the more I “see,” the more I hear, the more I experience, the more I’ve been hurt…the less apt I am to depend upon God?? The less apt I am to trust Him? The more apt I am to say, “Yeah, you may be the God of the Universe, but I’ve got this one covered…thanks anyway, Almighty God!”

    Because faith is about believing in the unseen–that’s the whole point of it. So why do I base my faith on things I’ve seen? And heard? And been disappointed in?

    I’ve been afraid this week. Of things I can’t see, of things to come. Afraid of things that I never used to spend a moment fearing. Afraid of things that are so far out of my control that it’s ridiculous for me to even spend a minute trying to figure out how I can control them because I couldn’t even if I tried to. It’s like I grew up and the big bad geckos are suddenly out to get me, where they used to be my best friends. (Now, I feel like I have to put a disclaimer in here…that my fears have had nothing to do with the fact that we live in Mexico.)

    A couple of weeks ago, I had fresh revelation about how we, as women, so quickly shut off, shut down, and put on scales that could repel the hardest bullet over our hearts because we’ve been hurt and so we are afraid of being hurt again. And I really, truly, utterly, overwhelmingly believe that God has created women to radiate His glory. Read all about it in Captivating. The essence of a woman is beautiful. Simply divine. Simply radiant. That is, a woman who is not guarded, not hard, not hidden, not ashamed, not afraid.

    I long to be a woman who “can still and quiet her soul like a weaned child with her mother” (Psalm 131:2). And this can only, only, only come about through faith…faith like a child. Not faith like a woman who’s watched babies die. Not faith like a woman who’s seen too many children abandoned and abused by the ones they should be able to trust. Not faith like a woman who’s seen the poor suffer. But faith like a child.  Faith like my child, who’s received milk or food every time he’s been hungry. Faith like my child, who’s never known to fear in his life because he can depend upon his parents. Faith like my child, who knows he is loved.

    I didn’t have any fear turning 30 last month. I didn’t have the “O-M-G-I’M-TURNING-HOW-OLD??!!-NOOOOOOO!!!!” moment. 30. Despite the fact that my friend Kari told me our bodies start to decay at 30, I wasn’t afraid of getting older.

    But tonight, I am. And I’m stubbornly and adamantly putting my foot down. I refuse to get older at heart. I refuse to let my faith become that of an “adult” when I am commanded to have faith like a child. I refuse to let geckos freak me out when they used to bring me laughter and delight. Oh, how I long to be the woman who can “laugh at the days to come” (Proverbs 31)!!! Oh, how I long to not be the skeptic, the cynic, the “well-let-me-just-warn-you” old cranky fart of a woman who is so worn and tattered by this world that she can’t even get her mail without thinking a bomb is going to go off in her mailbox. I don’t want to be that woman. I refuse to be that woman. I long to be soft before the Lord, soft in my Maker’s hands, soft in the will of my God. We are called to live in this world but not be of this world, and tonight I am pushing the “reset” button on my citizenship–for it is in Heaven, for it belongs to my Creator, for it is resting in hands with holes in them. And I trust Him.

    Thank you, creepy sweet gecko, for renewing my faith tonight, and reminding me who I used to be. And who I am.

    Amen.

     

    *Gecko: apparently the rest of the world calls these things “lizards” but I, on the other hand, call everything that looks like THIS a “gecko.” Just for the record. 🙂

  • DTS Graduation

    DTS Graduation

    Well, it’s official, folks. We’ve graduated.

    After a wonderful outreach in San Pedro, Dominican Republic, 3 months of having the privilege of hearing some amazing speakers from around the world during our lecture phase of DTS, all to be finished off with our graduation, we are O-F-F-I-C-I-A-L-L-Y YWAMERS!

    Brian found out about 2 hours before graduation time that the other 3 guys had rented tuxes for the ceremony. I was still trying to convince Brian to wear khakis instead of jeans…but a tux?! Well, he was a good sport and pulled out the tux that he happens to have hanging in his closet from High School (we are certainly two peas in a pod, aren’t we?). Brian’s Aunt Bev and Uncle Roy had gotten Elliott this little suit months back, and although it was a 2T, we made it fit :). He only has one pair of shoes, so we also had to make-do with his little aqua shoes :/.

    Seriously, how cute is he??

    The graduation was held exactly over Elliott’s second nap, so he was a little…well, not in the mood to cooperate with photos :). But I was intent on capturing at least one with Elliott and his handsome daddy…here are a few candids that I think are cute :).

    So handsome!!
    Like father, like son
    Sly guy…
    JOY (or utter exhaustion…one or the other!)
    RAYEL!! Rayel has become like family to us and is officially coming back in the Fall to do a bible school here! We are sooo thrilled!!!!
    Our DTS Classmates and Staff!
    Rayel, Me, Chrystal, Malene & Angela! LOVE these ladies!!! Chrystal is hoping to a bible school in Montana in the Fall (I'm going to miss her so much!!), and I won't lie…I'm VERY MUCH hoping that Malene and Angela end up back here like Rayel :).
    Nuestra Familia
  • Tacoma Time

    Tacoma Time

    Thanks to Alaska Airlines and some saved up miles, we were able to take a little trip to T-town in May to 1. sell some steel in order to get some how-do-you-call-it? Ahh, DINERO. 2. Celebrate Brian’s dad’s 65th birthday! 3. Celebrate my 30th birthday with dear friends and 4. Of course, see family! Here are some highlights from our trip:

    PLAYING DRUMS!!

    Grandpa, teaching Elliott how to drum like the best of 'em.

    Elliott has L-O-V-E-D drums for months and months now, but “drumming” to him was always just using his hands on our little ottomans. Well, leave it to Grandma and Grandpa Moberg to not only have a drum at their house, but to have BRIAN’S ORIGINAL toy drum from when HE was a baby! As soon as Elliott saw it, it was truly love at first sight. Then one day, Grandpa took out a couple of “special” drums…some pots and pans!! And thus, Elliott’s drum SET was born. They had SO much fun playing drums together!

    Do a little dance!

    I know this picture is blurry, but I just LOVE it! Can’t you just see Elliott shaking his ‘thang? Something about the way he’s holding his shoulders reminds me of one of my classic “Susanne Dance Moves”…doesn’t it?! Elliott has also loved to dance for months and months. His first “dance moves” (starting when he was about 9 or 10 months old) were shaking his head back and forth. So it looks like he’s saying “no,” but really, he’s dancing. Any time we are in public and music comes on, he starts shaking his head back and forth. People always think he’s saying “No” to them, and we have to explain, “No, he’s not saying ‘no’…that’s just how he dances!” He sees an ipod and just starts shaking his head back and forth! Ha! Well, anyway, just within the last few weeks he’s started to get some shoulder and hip into his dance moves, and it’s awfully cute… I think we have a worshiper on our hands!!

    KEN’S 65TH BIRTHDAY + ELLIOTT’S FIRST INTRODUCTION TO GRASS

    I did a horrible job of capturing pictures from Ken’s birthday. As in, I didn’t take a single one :/. Honestly, I was so busy stuffing my face full of food, that I didn’t even know where my camera was until after the party was over! But it was great afternoon/evening of celebrating Ken with lots of friends and family.

    Since it was GORGEOUS while we were in Tacoma (I left Mexico as white as ever and came back to Mexico with some touches of color, thanks to Tacoma!!) we were outside for much of the day. Which led to Elliott’s first introduction to grass!! Keep in mind that soon after he started crawling we left for the Dominican Republic, and I couldn’t put him in the grass there because of all the spiders + ants. And now, we live in Mexico, where the word “grass” isn’t even in their vocabulary. So we set him in the grass, with shoes on, for the first time and he just STOOD there. With his arms out. Staring down at this foreign substance like it was lava. And refused to move.

    Eventually one of his cousins knocked him down and he instantly lifted his legs up so they weren’t touching the ground, and he just sat there with his arms and legs out in front of him in the air with an incredibly disgusted look on his face…the poor kid. We finally got a blanket out and now I know how to keep Elliott contained…just surround him with grass!! He refused to go past the blanket…

    Blast! I can't go any further!!
    We put the volleyball a foot or two away to see if he would be distracted enough by his goal to walk on the grass…but nope!
    Soo frustrated that he couldn't reach the volleyball…

    By the end of the evening he had made a TINY bit of progress in being a little more comfortable with grass, but it’s definitely not his favorite yet…

    Micah has been THEE smiley-est baby I’ve EVER met in my life…in every picture he is smiling SO BIG while we try to get the other cousins to just sit still for two seconds and look at the camera! But he taught himself this “new look” just since we saw him two months ago. (Tabitha said she caught him practicing in the mirror once!) I think it’s so hilarious!!

    "The Look"
    Brothers + their boys

    SWING TIME!

    Grandma and Grandpa have the BEST backyard…grass, a swing, and even a pool! Grandpa gave Elliott his first swing lessons, and, as you can see, Elliott had a BLAST.

    Now THIS is fun!!
    Sheer joy!

    PLAY DATES

    One of my priorities for our time in Tacoma was to get as many play dates in as possible for Elliott. Besides his cousins, he got to play with Cody, Arielle, Henry, Katie, Jamison and baby Stella!! He, of course, LOVED playing with his friends and was simply enamored with baby Stella. He has been simply awe-struck every time we’ve been around baby girls lately…must be preparing to be a big brother!!

    Elliott + Stella

    MOTHER’S DAY!

    I could write an entire post on what a joy it is to be a mother, and especially to be Elliott’s mom. But, let’s be real…that’s what most of my posts are about :). Our little family celebrated Mother’s Day by going back to our old stomping grounds, our old front yard…Ruston Way. It was a GORGEOUS day, and everyone and their mom (literally!! haha!) were there, too. It was so fun to walk along with Elliott, looking at the gorgeous mountain, listening to the waves crash against the shore and breathing in the potent smell of fish :). Later we went to an early dinner with Brian’s Mom, Dad, and sister and then headed to church.

    Me, my baby boy + my baby girl! (20 weeks)
    Our Family, back in T-Town

    Hasta luego, Tacoma. It was good to see you, and we’ll see you again soon!

  • My 30th + Friendsick

    My 30th + Friendsick

    Today I am friendsick. Longing to sit and be with my dearest friends…longing to hear their hearts and share mine…longing to hold the babies of some and longing to hold the hands of others as they wait on God for promises.

    God has given me the most phenomenal friends on the planet…I will boldly proclaim it…I have the best friends in the world. I always have. I remember moving to Tacoma to go to college and being convinced I could never find friends like the ones I had in Colorado. I spent my entire first semester wishing I could go back…go back to Colorado, or bring my Colorado friends there…

    But you know, God provided. He didn’t replace, but He provided. And within the matter of a few months I began to develop new friendships. New, deep, rich friendships. And suddenly, if “home is where your heart is,” I had two homes. My “Colorado Friends” and my “Tacoma Friends.”

    For my 30th, I was extravagantly blessed. Extravagantly poured out upon. Not with physical gifts, but with the much-more-valuable gift of friendship. With both my “Colorado” and my “Tacoma” friends…I was extravagantly loved.

    My 30th, Part I

    My 30th birthday celebration started in October, when my “Colorado Friends” and I met up in San Diego for a birthday bash weekend. I mean, come on–we were all turning 30 (!!!) this school year!! So we took the opportunity to have a little reunion and celebrate. Seriously, now, how fun is that?! It was A BLAST!! I have known these girls since I was 8 years old!! We stayed in Keely’s gorgeous apartment and had a weekend to connect, be together, play on the beach, eat, and for Kari and I–pump! (Haha!!) And everyone’s still the same. We have all moved on to such different  paths of life, but somehow we are all the same…
    Friends for 22 years!!!
    Jill is still the sensitive, creative, artistic one who finds laughter and joy every where she goes. Keely is still the one who can–and does–do anything…the paint-balling, modeling, yoga-ing, pilot-ing, parallel-parking beauty. Logan is still the one who will wake up at the crack of dawn (no matter WHAT time we went to bed or HOW MANY brownies we ate the night before) to go for a run. Emmy is still the selfless, giving, faithful friend who is always up for a new challenge or adventure no matter what else is going on in life. Kari is still the incredibly thoughtful one who can have us all rolling on the floor, gut-laughing with her stories, which are always about predicaments or situations she’s gotten herself into…things that would and could never happen to any other human being on the planet.
    …and all still the same…

    The thing that marks my “Colorado Friends” more than anything else is faithfulness. These are my faithful, FUN friends. Faithful for 22 years. And there is no doubt they will be faithful friends for 22 more. I am so grateful for these life-long friends!!

     My 30th, Part II

    Somehow Brian just knew that I needed to be in Tacoma for my birthday. There were several reasons to head back to Tacoma in May, and he insisted that we plan the trip over my birthday. And I had no idea how much my heart needed it.

     

    I woke up that May 14th, and all I could think was, “I am not in want…I truly lack nothing.”Why? Because I am so loved. But as icing on the cake of life, I was lavishly celebrated by my friends. Amazing food, incredible cupcakes, rich fellowship, and life-breathing encouragement. Not to mention a photo booth!! 🙂 (P.S. All photos below are taken by the incredible Chrisy Dorsey!!)
    Mmm…these touched the depth of this pregnant lady's heart!!

     

    What is there to wish for when I lack nothing??

    And each of these friends of mine came prepared with an exhortation for me. Powerful words of truth, of love, of memories…there were lots of tears and lots of laughs.

    The dearest of friends…

    I wish I had more adequate words to describe those few hours of fellowship with my “Tacoma Friends…” Rich, sweet, tender, joyous… But all I can say is, at the end of the night, my tank was full to overflowing. I left to head back to the mission field filled to overflowing with abundant love from my friends. I’m so, so grateful for every way these women have walked with me over the last 12 years, and have continued to walk with me in the last 7 months since I’ve been gone. I would not be who I am today were it not for each of these women in different ways. Texts, phone calls, and messages came in from my friends who were afar…even a DVD video from Danielle, who exhorted me through tears and even sang me happy birthday :).

    EUREKA!! (You had to be there…)

     

    So, so, so grateful for the gift of my friends…ALL of them, including the ones not pictured here…there are SO MANY MORE who are spread all over the U.S. and even one in England!!  And now, my prayer is that God would not replace, but provide new friends as we are in a new chapter and season of life. A new home, a new job, a new country! And in the meantime, I celebrate and give thanks for all of my faithful, loving friends…spread out all over. I love you all so much!!!!!

    SO grateful for my friends who "heart" me 🙂

    “Two are better than one,
        because they have a good return for their work:
    If one falls down,
        his friend can help him up.”

    –Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a

     “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” 

    –Hebrews 10: 24-25