Though we know it was in the year 2000, neither Brian nor I remember the first time we met. I so wish I could remember…and often wonder if we will get to replay that meet cute in Heaven one day. But although I don’t remember meeting him, I have always remembered him as being my friend. And eventually he became my good friend. And I DO remember the moment those strange feelings started bubbling up inside of me when I was around him, and the time he finally asked me on a date, and the time he slipped a ring on my finger and asked me to be his wife. I became Mrs. Brian Moberg 12 years ago this month and, my goodness, now I can’t remember a time that I didn’t love him. Honestly, I think I have always loved him.
We have been sorting through lots of boxes this month and I came across my keepsakes box. I don’t know when it was opened last, but it was at least 3 houses ago. And I came across my cross-stitch birth stats and immediately texted Brian’s parents…because…LOOK.
It was love at first cross-stitch. {squeal}
Did you catch this poem that I wrote about how “God knew“? Yes, indeed, He knew. Now, I believe Raggedy Ann and Andy were actually SIBLINGS but still…their love ran deep :). What a sweet little wink from the Lord.
Y’all. Brian and I have officially been married a decade!! Fireworks, please!!!!
We celebrated the big 10 on August 8. Wow. As some of you know, it was my dream to have a 10 year anniversary celebration party and invite all of you but, alas, my plans are often not the Lord’s! Besides the fact that you know I love throwing a fun party, I really wanted to take the time to CELEBRATE what THE LORD has done in us and through us in these 10 years. It is worth taking time to celebrate!! So instead of throwing a party, we got a few days away together (in Washington, nonetheless!) to reminisce, to ponder, and to look forward. And, I wrote Brian a poem. Because you all know writing is how I process everything. He called it the “Iliad and the Odyssey all rolled into one” so apparently I’m still long-winded. But, come on! It’s been 10 years!! A lot has happened!!!
If you are reading this you are most likely one of our dearly beloved friends or family members. YOU have been a big part of how the Lord has sustained us and grown us these last 10 years. THANK YOU for standing with us throughout our marriage and loving us!
As I pondered the last decade, I couldn’t help but think about how we met each other at sea level, and here, 10 years later, the Lord has brought us to the mountains…with SO.MANY valleys, twists, and turns in between. We could have never, ever made it this far without the Lord’s new mercies to us EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness and goodness to hold our marriage together.
10 Years of Marriage
“I do,” I did and what I didn’t know
Our journey began at the ocean
Promising to love with heart, soul and mind
Now ten years later He’s brought us to a mountain
After many valleys and hills, hand-in-hand we have climbed
I didn’t actually know what that “I do” promise entailed
Though I meant it with all of my heart
I committed to you in the fear of the Lord
And was more than ready to fulfill my part
But I didn’t know how much I would fail
At this God-given task I had waited years for
I didn’t know how much dying it would entail
And how it would draw me to Him more and more
I didn’t know when we said, “for better,”
All the gifts God had in mind on us to bestow
Our first-born son Elliott and precious Selah as our daughter
Have been the best “betters” of our lives beyond what we could have known
I didn’t know when we said, “for worse,”
What pain that word would really encompass
Cradling our breathless babies was a path we had to traverse
And now we await the reunion in Heaven with our two littlest
I didn’t know when we said, “for richer,”
That money would not be the primary meaning
Rather the body of Christ has made our hearts fuller
All our friends and family who, with love, are surrounding
I didn’t know when we said, “for poorer,”
That our lack and our need would come in so many forms
So at the beginning of each day we go to Him in prayer
And ensure seeking His kingdom first is the daily norm
I didn’t know when we said, “in sickness,”
The overwhelming way it would impact our days
And I didn’t know how profoundly we’d see His goodness
And how we’d learn how much higher, indeed, are His ways
I didn’t know when we said, “in health,”
How much we would thank Him for each God-given day
Every breath, every step is our treasured wealth
Every victory, together, is gratitude on display
I didn’t know how much we would disagree
On sometimes what’s seemed like everything
I didn’t know when something appeared so clear to me
That you could have a completely different hankering
I didn’t know how different we could possibly be
Male and female He definitely created us
But it’s because of these differences that you so perfectly complete me
And the grand design of God I’m learning to trust
Yet I didn’t know how much we would agree
Some subjects have been natural and easy
But others have been won with hard-fought victory
Thanks be to God, He has given us true unity
I didn’t know when we decided to marry
The vast number of decisions and choices there would actually be
But I married a man whose convictions would strengthen daily
To pursue holiness, to value life, to love—forever—only me
I didn’t know we would call 8 places “home”
Spanning 3 different countries and 6 unique cities
In total, 25 cars and trucks, 3 houses would we own
And now a kitchen sink facing water on our 40 acres
I didn’t know what an incredible father you would be
And how much joy you would find in instructing in righteousness
That teaching our kids the Word would be such a high priority
And in word and in deed, loving them with such boldness
I didn’t know the various things you would help me learn to appreciate
Faithful flossing and the thrill of four-wheeling are two
My preferences now are SUV’s, trucks and the house cooled to 68
But above all, most importantly, finding a ridiculously good value
I didn’t know what a massive undertaking it would be to be my husband
If I’d known how much I was going to cost, I’d have said, “It couldn’t be true,”
Yet when through tears I share with you (and your gray hair) this sentiment
You smile kindly and hold me tightly and say, “But I have you.”
I didn’t know how very much I would need you
I didn’t know you would—literally—catch me when I fall
Your vision, strength and sacrifice in all that you do
Your godly perspective and wholehearted love that embodies it all
You see, I didn’t know when I said, “I do”
How much choosing I would do every single day
Yet still, with overwhelming joy, I do choose you—to love only you
Still I do choose to live with you in an understanding way
I didn’t know our love could withstand the fires and come out so very strong
We know it never could have, save the love of Christ we’ve been given
Some One wise once said that two are better than one
Yes, but a cord of three strands is not easily broken.
We couldn’t have known who we would need
The perfect mate to help us follow God, remain true
We couldn’t have known, but, in faith, we followed His lead
And God, oh yes…God…He certainly knew.
This week, I was blessed with double “Jillian” new mercies!
My sweet friend Jillian from Tacoma was in town and I was SO blessed to get to grab a quick breakfast with her. Such a treasured friend. We met because she was my student teacher, which seems like EONS ago!!! But I knew we would be friends from the moment I read her application and profile. Definitely a kindred spirit and her friendship has blessed my life. I didn’t even think to snap a pic!! It was such sweet fellowship to see her!!
And THEN, my OTHER dear Jillian (Jilly-Bean, to be more precise) sent us package!
First of all, WHO ON EARTH sends a package this beautiful!?!! I’ve never received a package where the box itself is a piece of art!!!
I’ll tell you who. Jilly Bean. Artist extraordinaire. Seriously–I mean that. She is UNBELIEVABLY talented. Check out her work here!!
I’ll tell you what’s a new mercy–HAND-ME-DOWNS!!! We are SO blessed to get boy hand-me-downs from Jill’s boys and girl hand-me-downs from Kari’s girls.
The box was FULL of amazing treasures, including these AWESOME Lightning McQueen slippers for Elliott. Olivia also passed down two sets of jammies for Selah (although they are probably close to the same size at this point since they are just a few months apart!). The kids TORE through the box like it was Christmas day and then immediately stripped their clothing and tried everything on. It was so darling to watch. They were SOOO thankful, just squealing and giggling with delight. So precious.
Later in the week, Selah and I got a little girl time and she wanted to play Bingo. We were towards the end of a round when she suddenly started dumping game pieces on my board, and then LAUGHING ABSOLUTELY HYSTERICALLY. She did it again and again to the point where I was laughing hysterically at HER laughing so hysterically and then…it happened. She got the hiccups. When she laughs so hard that she gets the hiccups, (which she does a lot) I just absolutely lose it. I think it’s SO RIDICULOUSLY FUNNY. Anyway, I finally grabbed my phone to try and capture the moment. We must have laughed for 10 minutes straight.
My girl who always has us in stitches.
And THEN, I was cleaning up our craft room when I found THIS little gem! I am SO thankful that I write things down because I had totally forgotten about this picture despite the fact that I had just written down the caption a few months ago! Selah drew this picture back in February, handed it to me, and explained what it was. I wrote exactly what she said on the back of it:
Come on, now. Who is this girl?? Her imagination!!!!!!!!
And last, but CERTAINLY not least…
While I was making dinner, Brian embraced me and said, “Happy Anniversary, my Love.”
My brain immediately started rattling as it was not computing…what is today…May…May what?…May 2nd…what is May 2nd….AHHHHH….
“The day you proposed to me!!!”
I am certain we have forgotten this anniversary many times, but this day we didn’t.
What a new mercy. We were just laughing through our dating story with some new friends on Saturday night. What a story :). But (almost) 7 years in and I couldn’t be more certain that God’s mercy was on my life and my heart while we were dating to open my eyes. Boy was my little heart guarded and hurt and BOY did it take me some time to realize that there was no other man on the planet that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. But God dropped the walls off my heart and confirmed in my heart that Brian was the man. Every day I am thankful for him. Every day I am thankful for God’s mercy in opening our eyes because they were certainly CLOSED to each other for a long time!!!!! 8 years of friendship+6 months of dating+3 months of engagement=new mercies every day. Thank you, Lord, for this man.
Promised to each other for 7 years!!
And if you haven’t read our *incredibly* lengthy engagement story, you can click here :).
YOUR TURN!! What new mercies has God brought to your life this week?!!!
I couldn’t let 2013 slip away silently, without writing a little something to REMEMBER who we are as we finish out this past year and begin a new one. If I had written a Christmas letter, this is what it would have said. 🙂
There’s not a day that goes by that Brian and I don’t turn to each other and say, in some fashion, “We are so, so, so blessed…” Now don’t get me wrong…we have had QUITE the year in some aspects, and someone looking at all of our various challenging circumstances might call us anything but “blessed” this past year. But “blessed” is all we can see when we look at what matters eternally. We are so grateful for the goodness of the Lord and how He’s carried us through every trial and lavished us with AMAZING children, faithful parents, loving relatives, and deep, life-changing friendships. How could we possibly be more blessed, even when our circumstances are trying?
SELAH, 15 1/2 months
Our sweet and spunky thrill baby who is extremely passionate about her favorite things. She has a special love for hats, coats, and shoes still, often trying to put a second pair of shoes over the ones she currently has on.
“Help, please, Mama?”
She loves picking up various articles of clothing laying around the house and putting them on her head or around her shoulders like a scarf.
“Look what I found!”“I didn’t think he’d need them while he was on the potty…”
She loves to dance, especially during worship, which means she is a perfect pair for her big brother who has recently started singing ALL the time. He often breaks out in spontaneous song, and she breaks out in spontaneous dance! (Watch this cute video, and ignore the fact that I don’t really know the tune or the words…)
She, like her big brother, is very particular about the way things should be (where on earth do they get that trait from??) and tells me how various parts of our routine should go. After getting her pajamas on for bedtime, she very passionately insists that she wants to read a book and she gets very, very upset when we don’t have time to read one. When I get her up in the morning she points to the chair where I nurse her and asks for milk, then she points to the boppy and says ,”Boop!” Then she points to her blanket which she likes over her during that morning nursing time. She finds every tiny piece of trash and food on the floor and brings it to me. She also LOVES to throw things away, and I think I’ve finally trained her to only throw away diapers and trash, not toys. 🙂
She can’t get enough of the trash can…
She still climbs ON and IN EVERYTHING including our HIGH kitchen table chairs which has caused many near-heart attacks for this Mama :/.
“Just helping you with dinner, Mama!”
She loves to take a “bipe!” of anything that we are eating, and besides yelling out, “bipe!” she opens her mouth INCREDIBLY wide to show us that she means business. If you ask her for a kiss, this is also the same face she makes…so you never know what you’re going to get :).
“Can I have kiss, Selah Bean?”
She is so, so playful. I love seeing how her spunky little mind works. She has several little “games” she plays with me…one is that as soon as I go to get her in the morning, she won’t let me pick her up until I’ve played peek-a-boo through the crib slats at least once with her. She also has this funny little game where she breathes out through her nose several times, waits for me to mimick her, and then she growls. I think it is SO FUNNY.
Sometimes, if I’m in the kitchen and she’s playing in the living room, she’ll call out to me and then do the breathe out/growl thing. As soon as I do it back to her, she’ll go right back to playing :). How awesome is she?? She fills my heart with utmost gratitude, joy, and constant laughter and awe.
ELLIOTT, 2 3/4 years old
I’ve said it before…but this child just brims my soul with delight. He LOVES friends, his sister, the bible, “building a big house” with duplos, wearing his jammies, singing songs, tiny things (ANYTHING that’s “tiny,” he LOVES), his daddy’s old playmobile set, puzzles, being a “working guy,” and animals. He still has a love-hate relationship with animals: he only ever wants to eat off the two plates that we have with animals on it and loves playing with his animal figurines, but refuses to go near an animal that’s alive and breathing. Recently, he’s developed a huge passion for stickers; he will go through an entire book of stickers and stick them in one pile onto another piece of paper.
“Don’t worry, Mom, I think I can fit at least 400 more stickers on this sheet of paper.”
His super power, besides having a phenomenal memory, is noticing incredibly subtle nuances or when anything is new or different. As we moved into the winter season and I began wearing more sweaters and warm things, he noticed every time I put on something he didn’t recognize. “This is new?” Recently he has discovered the word, “Why?” which has certainly given me a run for my money as a mom :). We did have some breakthrough recently…usually every day as Brian leaves for work, Elliott asks which car he’s going to take. When Brian answers, “the truck,” Elliott asks, “Why?” and Brian explains that he wants to leave the Suburban here in case we need to go somewhere. Well, the other day he said as Brian was leaving for work, “You take the truck? You take the truck so we have the ‘burban in case we need to go somewhere?” Elliott memorized his very first bible verse at the beginning of December, and loves talking about bible stories. A few weeks ago, he put a laundry detergent clear plastic cup on his chin like a beard and said, “I am Noah!” We then built our own ark out of duplos and filled it with animals!
“Let’s build an ark!”
He LOVES, and I mean L-O-V-E-S, applesauce. He eats an unbelievable amount of applesauce in a day and we definitely have to cut him off after a while. One morning while I was putting Selah down for a nap, I could hear Elliott opening and closing things in the kitchen and obviously working on something, I came downstairs to THIS face…INCREDIBLY pleased and delighted himself:
He couldn’t WAIT to show me what he had done ALL BY HIMSELF as soon as I got back downstairs…
Turns out he had gotten a bowl and spoon out for himself, opened the fridge, took out the applesauce, poured it into his own bowl, put the applesauce back in the fridge, and enjoyed his special treat that he prepared himself. As you can see, he was SO PLEASED with himself. So then I opened the fridge to look at the brand new applesauce jar that I had JUST opened, and this is how much applesauce was left :).
I keep telling him he’s going to turn into apple sauce if he keeps eating it at this rate!
Elliott has such a tender heart towards the Lord and LOVES to read the bible. He makes sure that we read it every day in this household…talk about accountability!! 🙂 One night a couple months ago, after requesting several stories that didn’t happen to be in the children’s bible we were reading, he finally said, “Read about Jesus, God, take mine sins away….Jesus DIED!” I’m in awe of his faith already at the age of 2…a toddler who does not want band-aids or other soothing methods when he gets an “owie,” but who cries out for Jesus to heal him instead. Pure delight to my soul.
THESE TWO….
BFFs.
Having two siblings who love each other (most of the time, haha!) is simply extraordinary. I think to myself multiple times a day, “What a GIFT to have two children who LOVE, and who are LEARNING to LOVE, each other…” The majority of the time, they play incredibly well together. Elliott is such a phenomenal big brother most all day long, and looks for ways to bless, serve, and help his little sister. When she’s crying in the car (which is most of the time, haha!), he sings, “LA, LA, LA, LA, LA!!!” at the top of his lungs until she starts to sing along, too, and forgets why she was crying. When we pull into our cul-de-sac he says, “Look, Selah! See? See??? We’re almost HOME!!!” When I get Selah in the mornings, as soon as I’m done nursing and changing her she asks for “Dada” and “Elliott!!” She will ask for him until he finally wakes up and then she RUNS into his room screaming because she can’t wait to see him. As soon as I get Elliott up, one of the first things he always asks is, “Was Selah asking for me?” They are truly BFFs. Lately they have been holding hands a lot, and it is the most precious thing ever.
Running around the house, holding hands…
He makes her laugh. I love how much laughter is in our home each day!! (You probably don’t have to watch the ENTIRE video to get the point…) 🙂
They have some sort of sleeping unity that I think is CRAZY. We have video monitors in their rooms, and I’m telling you—SO MANY TIMES they end up sleeping in the exact same position at the exact same time. I’ve probably taken a picture of it a dozen times, but it happens SO OFTEN! Isn’t that crazy?! Has anyone else experienced this??? I took these pictures seconds apart…
Her.Him.
He is also super helpful with her…feeding her when I am getting dinner ready and constantly telling me what she needs.
SO helpful, and she LOVES being fed by big brother!
When Elliott needs to go sit in a time out, she automatically goes and joins him. Kind of defeats the purpose of him being a little bit isolated so he can gather back up his self control, but it’s just so dang cute that I have a REALLY hard time telling her to move…I just love her love and admiration for him so much!
“Ahh, thanks for the sympathy, Selah! I’ll take it.” 🙂
She would be content snuggling and hugging him all day long…unfortunately he doesn’t ALWAYS have the patience for that :).
“I LOVE you, Elliott!!”Though he doesn’t always have the patience for hugs, he is constantly giving out kisses…
US TWO.
I continue to be the most blessed Mama on the planet, constantly in awe of the privilege it is to raise these children and spend every single day with them. I got to help teach a parenting class during the Fall, and it stirred up my faith even more for being a mom! Of course it can be challenging to train up these little ones, but the joy just so far exceeds the challenges. I LOVE my job!!!
Brian just finished one business adventure, and is on to the next. So although we are very much looking forward to ending our year-long transition streak, we are also super excited and expectant for what’s ahead. We are realizing that our entire marriage has been one big transition after another, yet it’s incredible to see how transition has made our marriage that much more stable. Brian and I so often say to each other, “I’m so glad it’s YOU.” We have had our fair share of trials and challenges this past year, but each time we have come out with a much deeper faith, much deeper confidence in the goodness of our God, and much greater love for one another. There are SO many questions we have pressed into in the last year, regarding life and godliness, and each time we examine the Word and come out in agreement over what it says, we praise God for the rare gift of unity that He’s poured out on us. THIS Scripture has been life:
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:6-7
I think I can honestly say that I do not take a single blessing in my life for granted. Each day is a gift. My time with Elliott and Selah is so precious…I will never get these little years back, and although some days seem very LONG, I just don’t want to waste a single minute of each one. Each day with my husband is a gift. I married a man who works incredibly hard at every task that is set in his hands, who serves without question or expectation of reward, who guards his tongue, who selflessly takes care of those around him, who lives with integrity of character despite being misunderstood and mistreated, who holds a high standard of godliness in our home, who cherishes me and lavishes me with praise daily, and presses me to not settle short for less than the fullness of Christ. Never in a billion years could I possibly choose another. When I said on my wedding day, “The Lord has seen to every detail of what I need” I had no way of knowing how deep and profound I would come to understand that statement four and a half years later.
Transition and loss, new days and gain.Adios to Mexico, Hello, Rocky Mountain plain.Trials and joys, sickness and healthAnd a faith that is stronger than the greatest wealthWe thank you for your lessons but bid you farewell, 2013…This entire year you showed us that we are so very blessed indeed.
With great love,
The Mobergs
It’s impossible to separate my sacrificial love for my children from my husband’s sacrificial love for me. The two are inseparable, because although I know it would be possible to pour out my life for my children without him, I am also certain that it would be much, much, much more difficult. Oh, how beautiful is God’s design for a marriage team and for family!!
John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, to lay one’s life down for his wife*.” (Um, I may have changed one of the words in that Scripture so it fit better with my blog post…….)
Someone wise once said something along the lines of, “The person you marry will have faults; it’s inevitable. But know the quality it is that you cannot stand, and make sure the person you marry doesn’t have that fault…”
For me, the quality that I don’t think I have the character to live with is selfishness. I’m actually not positive I knew that for certain before getting married or not, but perhaps, subconsciously, that was one of the many reasons I was wooed by Brian Moberg himself…he is simply the most selfless man I know.
My husband gives. He gives without being asked, without complaint, without grumbling. He gives with joy. He pours out his life for his family all the time.
(Ladies, find yourself a selfless man. It will make your entire world go round much. more. smoothly.)
Last night as I was brushing my teeth (the place/time where most of my blogging inspiration occurs), all I could think about as Valentine’s Day approached was how grateful I am for the ways my husband gives all year long. Not roses or chocolate, but his very self.
I’ve often heard it said that you don’t know how selfish you are until you get married. Then, you don’t know how selfish you are until you have kids. For some reason, that hasn’t been the pattern with us. So, either we are doing something very, very wrong, or…my husband leads our family in selflessness, and makes selflessness the standard, not the exception.
I am convinced that the way a man leads his family will be clear by the atmosphere in the home. Brian leads our family by giving, and that manifests in our home as peace, joy, and security. As he serves, burdens are lifted off of my shoulders and I have greater peace. As he serves, I am blessed and filled with joy. As he serves, I know he loves me because “greater love has no one than this, that he lay his life down...” Peace, joy, and security. Three attributes of our home, thanks to my hubby.
My love, thank you for so selflessly laying down your life every day for me and for our children. Thank you for serving us. Thank you for taking care of us so extraordinarily. Thank you for going above-and-beyond in service while I’m pregnant so that I can survive! Thank you for doing all the grocery shopping every week for the last year even though you hate it! Thank you for doing our laundry since the laundry machine is ALL the way down the stairs and outside! Thank you for always taking the garbage out and for keeping us stocked with paper towels and toilet paper! Thank you for doing the dishes so often! Thank you for getting me protein bars late at night when I’m starving! Thank you for snuggling with our sweet Elliott on those rare nights that he wakes up in the middle of the night and needs some comfort. Thank you for letting me take naps on the weekends! Thank you for making me laugh when I’m grumpy and thank you for pressing me to be the fullness of who God’s created me to be! Thank you for adoring me. Thank you for giving me the world’s most perfect children! Thank you for giving your very self so that I can give my very self to incubate and nourish our children.
Brian Moberg, I have known no greater love outside of my Savior than this love that you lavish on me. Thank you for loving me sacrificially. Thank you for loving me so wholly. Thank you for pouring out your very life for me. Every. Single. Day. I love you to a depth I never knew possible. Happy Valentine’s Day, my sweet, sweet love!!!
And, thank you for giving me this new pair of earrings!! 🙂
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.
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!!
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12
I grew up with dreams.
And I am convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my dreams are from God. That He, the Author and Perfecter of my faith, planted these dreams in my heart long before I knew what the word “dream” meant, and He–and only He–is the One in charge of fulfilling them.
There are so many “itty bitty” dreams that my Creator has knowingly crafted and accomplished in my life, but here I want to reflect on four of the “big” ones. (Note: I must put the size of these dreams in quotes because really, is anything “big” or “small” for our God?! With a spoken word, every part of creation was crafted into being…I can’t think of a more simple “act” on God’s part and yet with that, he created the greatest of all complexities!)
Ever since I can remember remembering, I’ve always dreamed of being a teacher. Not sure where that came from…neither of my parents were teachers by trade, although they are both quite gifted in teaching. I remember sitting in school (as early as first grade) thinking, “Wow, my teacher is doing a great job of teaching me…I should write down everything she is doing so I can teach this well when I grow up.” Every grade I attended became my new favorite and thus the grade that I wanted to teach when I grew up.
Somewhere along the line, I became passionate about Mexico. And little Mexican children. Definitely not sure where that came from… But I knew I had to learn Spanish, and it wasn’t until my freshmen year of high school that I was finally able to take a course. And I immediately fell in love with the language that I apparently had a natural knack for. And meanwhile I dreamed of living in Mexico one day, doing mission work and teaching little kids how to speak English.
I went to college to pursue my teaching degree and finished with a bachelors in Education, endorsements in Spanish and Elementary Education and a minor in Teaching English as a Second Language. Perfect set up to pursue my dream. Not long after graduating, I was offered a job teaching at a Language Immersion School in Tacoma…and I remember blinking several times as the job fell into my lap…Really? Really? Could this really be happening? So many parts of my dream are coming true…
Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of marrying a prince who would adore me and cherish me and love me forever. I remember when Brian led me by my hand to the boat that was supposed to take us to a job site he was called to in the middle of a date we were on, and saw the gorgeous pink flowers and the perfectly wrapped presents inside and suddenly there I was again…in my dream. I was floating through a dream, watching Brian lead me across the dock and down the steps into the boat. And I heard myself say, “Wait, was is this?” And I saw my brain ticking…It’s not quite my birthday yet, so this can’t be a birthday surprise…and we haven’t picked out a ring yet, so he can’t be proposing…and wait a minute, we’re supposed to be heading to his job site…What is this? And I watched the tender and knowing smile spread across Brian’s face as he told me to sit down while he started the engine… And the dream went on, as a ring was slipped on my finger, as my brother and sister-in-law (who live thousands of miles away) suddenly appeared on the dock of the restaurant where we were to eat lunch, as the woman gave me a beautiful french manicure, as we ate dinner with both sets of our parents, as we drove to Brian’s home where our closest friends were waiting for us and as every day after that passed and my ring was in constant view, secured in a permanent place on my left hand. Really? Really? Could this really be happening? My dream, my prince has finally come? The reality of this dream becoming a reality was almost too much for me to handle…I couldn’t even filter and sort the gazillion thoughts flooding through my head during our engagement season, the night before our wedding day, and as I walked down that aisle towards my prince.
Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of being a mom. I have just loved “little ones” ever since as I realized that there were “little ones” littler than me. I volunteered in our church’s nursery, read every book in The Babysitter’s Club series, and enrolled in courses to be a certified baby sitter while still in elementary school. I ordered books on fun craft projects with kids and I’d bring them with me when I landed babysitting jobs. About 5 seconds into my teaching career I was ready to apply for my foster care license because I just couldn’t handle the injustice that so many of my students lived under. I wanted to be their mom. I knew I could do a good job, by the grace of God, and I wanted to take them home with me… When Elliott was, after a long hard labor, placed in my arms that Sunday evening, I just wept and couldn’t believe this dream was being realized. Really? Really? Could this really be happening? I have a son…a most perfect son… And not a day has gone by since that I have not been overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord to give us this perfect baby boy.
Ever since about 2001, I have dreamed of being called and sent out by God. I have dreamed of being a missionary. I have dreamed of working in an orphanage or working with children and families who are in need. I would read about times when the Lord would call his people in Scripture, and I would beg Him to call me. “The Lord spoke to Joshua…saying, ‘…Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them–the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you…No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your lives; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them…” (Joshua 1). I would read things like that and pray, “Oh God! Would you call me in the same way? Would you give me the land for your Name? Would you be with me, not leave me, not forsake me?” I would read about the destitute in Scripture and the ways that the Lord asks us to take care of them. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9). And I would long to defend the rights of those who cannot speak up for themselves. I longed to be with the broken and the hurting. I longed to bring the love of Jesus to those who were suffering. The words in Isaiah 6 were the cry of my heart: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” I told the Lord over and over that I promised I would go if He would call. And He has called me various places over the last 10 years. I have been called to my students, I have been called to my colleagues, I have been called to my friends, I have been called “to the least of these,” I have been called to Africa, I have been called to the Eastside of Tacoma, I have been called to my husband, and I have been called to my son.
And then the Lord called us to Mexico. To do all of the above. All my dreams, colliding into one.
As is the reality of dreaming–dreams feel so surreal. So real, yet so unreal at the same time. You pinch yourself over and over, blink until there are tears streaming down your face, but again and again you wake up and realize that the dream is, indeed, reality. And so here we are, selling most everything that we own, because we’ve heard him say, “Whom shall I send? Who will go?”
And we, two children of God on our knees, have blinked and pinched ourselves to the point of realizing that yes, He is asking us to go. And though I think we’ve known in our hearts that this was our call since the moment we heard of the opportunity, we are finally able to audibly say, “Us, Lord! Yes, send us! We will go!”
And so we strap our little one our back, and we go…We go with the faith that “He who’s promised is faithful,” with the faith that “a longing fulfilled will bring life,” with the faith that, “God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.”
Here am I, Lord. Awake, alert, and ready to be sent out into this dream that You have fostered in my heart. Send me, God!
Sometimes I just still can’t believe that he picked ME….
Brian and I celebrated two years of wedded bliss on August 8th. It was the perfect day. We spent a quick hour or so at Point Defiance Park during Elliott’s quick awake time. We’re excited for him to be able to stay awake longer stretches of time soon :).
This was a self portrait…and we got this one on the first try! Not bad, eh?
Then the little man had a play date with Grandma and Grandpa Moberg while we went on a play date to a yummy SPANISH restaurant in Seattle! Mmmm!!!
I got my hair cut!
Our family! (Don’t I look kind of Hispanic in this dress?!?)
Tango!
The restaurant was called “Tango” and boy oh boy have I been missing my Spanish food! It was so fun to share a bit of the Spanish culture with Brian. Below is the classic “Tortilla Espanola” (Spanish Tortilla). It’s more like an omelet quiche than it is a classic tortilla that you’d find here or in Mexico. Theirs was incredible.
And, of course, the classic drink…Sangria.
And the classic main course…Paella.
Crab, scallops, shrimp, pork and chorizo Paella…Glory!!!!
Me and my ever-increasingly cultured husband 🙂
Afterwards we went to Salty’s on Alki (surprise, surprise) for my favorite dessert…White chocolate mousse cake. Aka, “Heaven in your mouth.” We sat outside as the sun set over Elliott bay and the Seattle skyline. It was a perfect day and evening.
When we got home we watched our wedding video, as is tradition for us. I loved our wedding. It was the most incredible day ever!! What joy to be surrounded by our friends and families as we committed our lives to one another before God. What a joy to look back and remember.
Brian started off the day by saying to me, “Happy Anniversary! Here’s to two more years!” Hahaha. But by the end of the day he was saying, “Here’s to 200 more years!” Much better :).
I love him. And, like I said, I still can’t believe that he picked ME.
Brian had the best idea to get away for a few days…
The details came together so seamlessly, that we were convinced God was behind this. We got an INCREDIBLE deal on a beautiful 2 bedroom condo for 7 days, and Brian suggested that this might be the perfect week to get away, celebrate a quite belated 1st Anniversary, have un-distracted time away from normal life to get to really seek God for this next season, and, at the end of our week Lance Wallnau happened to be speaking just 30 minutes away from our condo. Perfect.
Our 10 days away were simply glorious. I had a MUCH better flying experience this time (my only condition for going was that we scheduled an AFTERNOON flight…) and it was in the 90s every day that we were there. Our condo was beautiful, and even had black-out shades which were perfect for me, who now takes almost daily morning naps. We even ended up getting an 8th day there TOTALLY FREE–thank you, God!! There is nothing more wonderful than getting DAYS away from daily life with your husband, with the only goal being to spend time together and with God… I was in Heaven.
Here are some fun highlights from our 10 days in Glory Springs…
Brian took me to a Japanese Steak House dinner at the hotel connected with our Villa for our “Anniversary Dinner.” We arrived there via boat (how fun is THAT?!) and it was a delightful little restaurant. Brian had been there many times before, and was telling me that sometimes the cook will challenge you to see if you can catch a shrimp in your mouth from several feet away. He was so excited because of what a great value it is… “You can get like 10 shrimp FREE just by being willing to catch them in your mouth!!!” I just laughed, and hoped that our cook would be one of these adventurous ones to satisfy my husband’s value check-off of the day :).
Sure enough, he was! Brian was TOTALLY the star of the restaurant…everyone was watching him! I think the chef threw him like 20 shrimp! And Brian caught a ton of them!
Look at how determined Brian is! Free shrimp is no joking matter.
Oh yeah! Right in his mouth, baby!
NOW people are watching! He had the whole restaurant cheering for him!
We had mentioned it was our anniversary, and the chef made this cute little design for us out of fried rice and sesame :).
Our adorable, hilarious chef.
On the way back to our condo we discovered…CHRISTMAS CUPS ARE OUT at Starbucks!!!
Happy November, Everyone!!!!
Our little man shining through in my favorite dress 🙂
Another HUGE highlight were the outlet malls in Palm Springs. We stopped into a Carter’s and everything was 50-60% off!!! A new mommy’s dream!!! It’s a good thing Brian was there, or else I may have purchased every baby boy item in the entire store… It’s irresistible!!!!
We managed to make it out with just 4 outfits…the very first outfits we’ve bought for our baby boy! It was pure delight picking these out for him…we were both smiling from ear to ear the whole time!!
Look at this striped polo shirt!!! He will be a Mini-Brian!! 🙂
Another fun highlight is that Baby MoBoy GREW A TON while we were there!! Look at how HUGE I am all of a sudden!! The difference between last week and this week is so noticeable! This is also the first real maternity clothing item I’ve worn…I bought this cute skirt right before we left!
I LOVE HAVING A BELLY!!!!!!!
We attended the Lance Wallnau conference over the last weekend we were there (only Brian went to the mornings and I joined him for the evenings). Brian was SO encouraged to be around so many believers who are like-hearted and like-minded again. It’s just such a unique, dynamic group of business leaders and world-changers! Both of us were blown away at the INCREDIBLE amount of love we were met with in being there. There were 10-15ish people who had also been at the Mazatlan conference, and all of them not only remembered us, but greeted us with hugs and genuine interest in how we were doing, how I was doing, how our baby was doing… We just LOVE Lance’s assistant Deborah, and she absolutely went out of her way to bless us and make us feel so welcomed and loved while we were there. What a JOY to be there, connecting with believers across the country & world, watching powerful breakthroughs occur in hearts, and watching Jesus be glorified among every word spoken…
All in all, it was an amazing 10 days away…we had so much time together playing, praying & celebrating. We watched our wedding video again and remembered with such joy every detail of that day that has changed our lives forever. We talked to and about our baby constantly, dreaming about & anticipating his entrance into the outside world. It was a week filled with remembering, anticipating, celebrating, hoping, and dreaming. Thank you, God, for the gift of Palm Springs!!
