The Moberg Family

Category: Our Story in a Few Blogs

  • In His Shadow

    In His Shadow

    What do you do?

     

    You stare at the ultra sound tech, who was gentle and quick with the news, and you ask stupid questions over and over, like, “what do you mean there’s no heart beat?”

    When there’s no answer that comes from her mouth, and only several unsatisfying, “I’m sorry’s,” you turn to your husband to explain.

    You look at your husband and ask, over and over again, “how can this be?”

    When he only answers by squeezing your hand tighter and with silent tears that stream down his cheeks, you keep asking, over and over.

    You get off the table when the ultra sound tech leaves you alone and you curl up on his lap and cry hysterically, still asking the same question and shouting, “no, no, no” to no one in particular…but deep down you know you’re talking to God.

    You are moved to the doctor’s room and you wait together, crying and in disbelief.

    The doctor comes in, and with your head buried in your hands and tears puddling on the floor beneath you, you ask, “WHY am I still throwing up? How can this be?”

    You are convinced, when you ask, that she will respond by saying, “What? You’re still throwing up? You’re still so sick? Oh, well, then of COURSE the baby is still alive. There must have been a mistake.”

    But she does not.

    You ask a hundred questions that you’ve had to come up with on the spot.

    And then you leave.

    You hold your husband’s hand and close your eyes over and over again, hoping that if you blink hard enough you’ll wake up from this reality that feels far too unreal to be real.

    And then suddenly, you are grateful. You have never taken your children for granted, you have always known they were miracles, but suddenly, right then, you are more grateful to God than ever before for the two lives he has already given to you to raise and love on this earth.

    Your husband says, “let’s go get our kids and hug them tight,” and you know he is thinking the same thing.

    You somehow drive home, in separate cars, and walk into your familiar, messy house. Everything is the same, just how you left it, yet everything is so different.

    You sit on the couch and tell your 3 year old that we are not going to get to meet the baby in your tummy as we had planned. We will not get to hold the baby or see the baby, the baby will not get to sit in the extra high chair like he talks about every night at dinner. You tell him we will meet the baby in heaven, and when he asks when we get to go there you don’t know what to say.

    He asks a few more questions, that you mostly don’t know how to answer, and then he jumps up and proclaims that he wants to play.

    You are sad that he doesn’t get it, and so grateful that he doesn’t have to.

    You put the kids down for naps.

    You cry. A lot.

    You lay in bed with your husband and cry so hard together that you soon can’t discern whose tears are whose.

    You sleep. Sort of.

    You wake up to the sounds of your two children laughing and playing hard with your husband, and you are so grateful hear the sounds of LIFE flooding your home.

    You fight your nausea and head downstairs to be with your family.

    Your husband hears you and runs to greet you at the bottom of the stairs with red eyes and a kiss.

    You cry a little more in his embrace.

    Your children run to you, and you cling to them with tears streaming down your face.

    You play with them, gratefully.

    You jump and down and shout hooray when your 3 year old puts his poops in the potty.

    And then you turn around and laughter spills from your heart when your daughter puts her big brother’s underwear on her head–again–like a hat.

    And then you cry some more.

    You grieve and grieve and grieve.

    You cry with your husband.

    You cry with your best friends.

    You pick yourself up, get the kids dressed, and go eat sushi.

    You delight in your son using chopsticks for the first time.

    You delight in your daughter who boldly walks up to every stranger in the restaurant and says, “hi!”

    You go to the park.

    You cry on the way.

    You get home, get the kids in bed, and cry with your husband some more.

    You process.

    You pray.

    You grieve.

    You cry.

    You thank God, for the hundredth time that day, that you married a man who values LIFE, and who fights for life.

    And then you thank Him again.

    You take a pill and try to sleep.

    You wake up and you remember…

    You see that your husband is not next to you, and then you hear him…downstairs, in the middle of the night, crying and crying out to God for a miracle.

    You go back to sleep.

    You wake up after fitful sleep and see that it’s morning. Your heart aches, and then you remember why.

    You see that your husband is still not next to you.

    You pray. And pray and pray.

    You think. About everything.

    You wonder…

    You call out to your husband.

    He comes running in the room, with red, red, wet eyes, and proclaims scripture after scripture to you, declaring God’s goodness, declaring hope…all through a broken, broken heart.

    You cry, and thank God again for your husband.

    You thank God for his weakness in this moment, and also his strength.

    You go back to the doctor for another ultra sound…just to see…just to see if God had performed a miracle.

    You see instantly that the miracle was not the kind you had hoped for.

    But you get to see your baby on that screen again, and you love your baby, somehow, even more than the day before and the day before that.

    Your littlest baby…

    You remember that your littlest is in the arms of the One who formed him or her…understanding and experiencing His love more than you ever have.

    And you are grateful. And sad. And grateful. And so, so sad.

    You realize this is all far, far too much for you to understand.

    And so you look up.

    Because what else can you do?

    You look up.

    You are surrounded in darkness, so you look up. And you see Light.

    You look up through your tears, you look up through your grief.

    And when you look up, and see Him, your grief is comforted. Not less, but comforted.

    When you look up, and you know…you KNOW…that this sweet little one will never know pain, will never experience hurt, will never taste sorrow…when you look up and you know THAT…then you can breathe again.

    Because your littlest is in the arms of the Lord. The arms of the Lord.

    You wish with everything in you that your baby was still with you. But when you look up, you are okay. Because the alternative is so rich…you know the alternative is Glory Himself. In the arms of the Lord.

    You wonder how you will put one foot in front of the other. Walk out of the room. Love your family well.

    And then you remember…

    You remember him on your bed,

    you meditate on Him in the night watches.

    Because He has been your help,

    Therefore in the shadow of His wings, you rejoice.

    Your soul follows close behind Him,

    His right hand upholds you… (Psalm 63)

    How quickly you forgot. But at least you remembered…as soon as you looked up.

    Yes, you are in shadow, but you are in the shadow of His wings.

    And so, you rejoice.

    Somehow, in His strength, you rejoice.

    Rejoice in His salvation.

    Rejoice that One died so that we ought never need taste the pain of death.

    You know there has been no eternal death here…no, your baby is with the Lord.

    Your baby has passed into LIFE…life with Life Himself.

    You know there is no eternal death. Only eternal life.

    You believe that His goodness cannot be overcome by darkness.

    You don’t know how in this moment, but YOU KNOW.

    You know you will remind your soul to hope continually,

    and you will praise Him yet more and more. 

    Your mouth shall tell of His righteousness and His salvation all the day,

    for you do not know their limits.

    You will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;

    You will make mention of His righteousness, of His only (Psalm 71).

    Though this feels very much like “the end,” you know it is just the beginning for your littlest one.

    And so, while nestled in the comfort of the shadow of His wings, you look up.

     

    By you I have been upheld from birth;
    You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.
    My praise shall be continually of You.  Ps 71:6

     

    Oh, sweet baby, you are up in heaven now, praising Him with all of your heart, mind and soul. Yet still, our heart will ache for you until the day we can hold you in our arms, alive. Goodbye, our most precious, precious baby…Goodbye for now.

     

     

     

  • An Irish Toast!

    An Irish Toast!

     

    Baby 3 Announcement page 1

    Baby 3 Announcement page 2

    We are SO thrilled to announce we have another little life growing in my womb… Baby Trés Bien, due October 12, 2014!

    Why the nickname, you ask? Well, it’s just the only nickname that kept coming to mind when I found out we were pregnant. It’s baby number 3, which is where the “tres” came from. However, as many of you know, Brian speaks spanish with a French accent. Hence, the “tres” (trace) turned into “trés” (tray)…which, of course, must be followed by “bien” to complete the French phrase. How good our baby number 3 is!!! Trés bien!!

    Elliott’s reaction: Well, Elliott’s been asking for “another Selah” for a LOOONG time… 🙂 From time-to-time he would ask me, “You have a baby in your tummy?” Or he would say, “I want another Selah!” So, needless to say, we couldn’t wait to tell him the news. When we sat the kids on the couch to tell them, this was roughly the dialogue:

    Me: “Big guy, we have some fun news to tell you!”
    E: What?
    Me: We’re going to have another baby! You’re going to have another little brother or sister!
    E: Or like Selah. 
    Me. Well, the baby probably won’t be JUST like Selah, but it might be a little girl or it might be a little boy.
    E: Right now?
    Me: No, it’s gonna take 9 months…it’s gonna take a long time. So you’re going to have a birthday and then Selah is going to have a birthday–
    E: SELAH ALREADY HAD HER BIRTHDAY!
    Me: Well, you’re right–
    E: Why her have TWO birthdays??!!
     Me: Well, she’ll turn 2 years old for her NEXT birthday.
    (insert lots of talk about birthdays…) 🙂
    Me: The baby is in my tummy right now, but the baby is SO tiny. Over the next few months the baby is going to grow bigger and bigger and bigger.
    Brian: So in a few months Mommy’s tummy is going to be a lot bigger, and then you’ll know that the baby is growing big and strong inside Mommy.
    E: Big and strong like you! (pointing to Brian) And like me! And like ME!!! And like Selah.
    Me: Do you think the baby will be a boy or a girl?
    E: Um, a boy.
    Brian: Do you want a brother? A boy like Elliott? Or do you want a girl like Selah, another sister?
    E: Another Elliott.
    Brian: You want another Elliott? Buddy, that sounds so fun!
    E: And I want another Selah. Who’s his mommy?
    Me: Well, buddy, I’m going to be the baby’s mommy.
    E: He’s going to be a big boy, like me. And he wear these? (pointing to the jammies he had on)
    Me: Well, maybe one day, if the baby’s a boy, he can wear those clothes. But when the baby is born we’ll give the baby baby clothes to wear. 
    E: How the baby get in your tummy?
    Me: God put the baby there!
    E: Who be the baby’s daddy?
    Me: Daddy is the baby’s daddy. 
    E: Who will drive her?
    Me: Well, buddy, Daddy or I will drive the baby wherever he or she needs to go. 
     

    Selah sat on the couch next to Elliott yelling, “BABY!!!” at the top of her lungs periodically throughout the entire conversation :).

    So, stay tuned as we journey through another pregnancy as a family. October feels SOOOOOO far away, but hopefully with two littles running around and a summer to look forward to, the time will go by quickly. Click here to read about my first (real) month of pregnancy, even though it is officially “Month 2.”

    THANK YOU FOR REJOICING WITH US!!

  • Home, sweet home

    Home, sweet home

    Wow. We have had a FULL few months! People have been wondering if we dropped off the planet but no–I assure you…our feet are firmly planted here on earth. More specifically, we have planted them firmly in a blue-sky, clear-air little city called Denver. (Cue song: “Rocky Mountain High…”)

    We decided at the end of April to settle down here for now. “Why Denver?” you ask. Because we have found LIFE here. (Now you’re REALLY starting to wonder if we have been outside the planet Earth, aren’t you?!) We have found Life in a very small church here. Our dear, dear friends pastor a small house church, and the people within it (because aren’t WE “the church”?) have brought us LIFE. They believe that church should be about true community, not just about a building that you step into once a week. They believe church should be about FAITH, for “everything that does not come from faith is sin,” and have FAITH in every aspect of who God says he is in the Word.  They spur us on, sharpen us, and encourage us in this faith, in our marriage, and in our lives. Oh, and did I mention that we LAUGH a lot when we’re with them?

    Life. Community. Faith. Sharpening. Encouragement. The true gospel. And JOY. 

    Yes, these are the things that we need. These are the things that we value. And so…we are here. It is also a huge bonus that Susanne’s family lives just a couple hours away!

    Our family!
    Our new “extended” family!

     

    Please come visit any time :). If you’d like our updated address, just email us here and we’ll be so happy to send it your way!

    Love,

    The Mobergs

     

  • Our Sombrero’s Off to You!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    So, why are we leaving now, you ask?

    Well, the following scriptures sum it up quite perfectly:

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

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

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

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

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

    …we have no idea.

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

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

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

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

    NUMERO UNO:

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

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

    NUMERO DOS:

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

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

    Our DTS Classmates and Staff!

     

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

    Drinking buddies forever!

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

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

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

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

    Korrin, Amanda and Rachel at Selah’s shower

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

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

     

    NUMERO TRES:

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

     

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

    NUMERO CUATRO:

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

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

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

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

    Love,

    The former Mexican Mobergs 🙂

    #butiwillalwaysbemexicanatheart

  • Happy Birth Day, Selah B!!

    Happy Birth Day, Selah B!!

    We are simply OVERJOYED to introduce to you…!!!!

    *SELAH BETHANY MOBERG*

    Happy Birthday, our sweet little love!!

    Born on Monday, October 8, 2012

    8 pounds, 3 ounces

    20 1/4 inches long

    Brown hair, blue eyes

    and

    PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL…

    You’re HERE!!!!! Oh, how we LOVE being your mom and dad!!!

    Grandma & Grandpa Moberg did an incredible job of taking care of Elliott while we were bringing baby Selah into the world. We couldn’t wait for Elliott to meet his little sister! We had been preparing him for months…when we asked him where baby Selah was, he would point to my tummy. As soon as he walked into the hospital room, he got this huge smile on his face and pointed to her, saying, “Dee!!” (which is kind of his word for a lot of things…) 🙂

    “WHOA…How did you get her out of your tummy??”
    “Somebody walked all over her blanket and left these funny multi-colored footprints!!”
    The Moberg family of FOUR!!!

    Happy birth day, Selah B!!! We have been waiting for you for SO LONG…we are simply OVERJOYED that you are here…welcome to the world, our little baby love!!!

    *(To read about how we chose her name and the meaning of it, click here!)

  • Tacos, Faith and a Step Into The Unknown!

    Tacos, Faith and a Step Into The Unknown!

    We have some news.

    And every time I’ve mentioned to someone that we have some news, the response has–almost 100% of the time–always been, “Oh my goodness, you’re either pregnant or you’re moving.”

    Well, we’re not pregnant, so….

    You guessed it!

    We’re moving.

    Yes, yes. You read that right.

    Now you must wondering, “To where?”

    Well, my friends, blink your eyes a few times and read on…

    We’re moving to Mexico.
    Yes, thee Mexico.
    Little did we know that my “Mexican Mobergs” blog post was soon to be more of a reality than anyone could have ever expected. Because now we are moving there. To become Mexicans.
    But seriously…anyone who knows me well knows I have spent long nights dreaming about becoming a Mexican. Now that we’re moving there, I FULLY plan on accepting the complete identity of an honest-to-goodness Senora.
    Just call me “Senora Moberg.” (Ahem, “Moberg” needs to be said with a Spanish accent…i.e., “Moh-bare-guh”)
    What are we going to do there (besides becoming Mexicans) you may ask? Well, let me tell you mis amigos. Grab a taco and listen up.
    We have decided to become missionaries. 
    We are joining Youth With A Mission (YWAM). There are opportunities with YWAM all over the world, but we are beginning our journey in Tijuana, Mexico. This may sound crazy to you, but our lives the past year have been pretty crazy too, so we’re just trying to keep it consistent :).
    But really, we believe God is calling us there. And so we are stepping out in faith. Big time faith. It’s not easy thinking about leaving friends and family, but we believe God is guiding us there and we know that the most joy-filled place is in His will. So, with our shields of faith we step out into the land of the green, white and red. The land of quesadillas and sombreros. The land of the brown-skinned, brown-eyed people whom I adore.
    We hope you will follow us there (through our blog!) and continue to journey with us as we take this step of faith.
    Hasta luego, amigos!

    Love,
    The REAL DEAL Mexican Mobergs
  • Introducing…!!!!

    Introducing…!!!!

    Elliott Brian Moberg
    Born on March 20, 2011 at 5:25 pm 
    The First Day of Spring
    8lbs, 8 oz
    21 1/4 inches long
    *perfection*

    There is soooo much to say and write about, but we wanted to post just a few pictures right away for those of you who are far, far away.

    I am hoping to write about and post his birthing story very soon, but for those of you who haven’t heard any details, at the very last minute it became necessary to deliver Elliott with an Emergency C-Section. Which, to say the least, was a very difficult word to hear when everything had been right on track and going smoothly all day. Like I said, the story will come later, but for now, all that matters is that we have our baby!!! So here are a few pictures of our beautiful, precious, healthy baby boy!!!!

    Right after Elliott was delivered:

    Just minutes old!

    

    10 day overdue wrinkly feet 🙂

    

    Daddy 🙂

    Me, finally getting to hold my baby for the first time

    First family photo…Um, I’m exhausted 🙂

    My parents and Brian’s family waited all day in the hospital, bless their hearts. By the time I got to see Elliott after surgery, feed him for the first time and take a minute to breathe, it was already 8pm. But we were able to get all of our family in to meet him before visiting hours were over!

    We were all utterly exhausted by the end of the day…it has been a crazy, long, hard, emotional week.

    Here is a picture from today, after we’ve all had either sponge baths or showers :). A tiny bit more rested, and a lot more in love with our baby boy.

    The Moberg 3!

    It is standard to stay in the hospital 2 nights when you’ve had a C-Section. I seem to be recovering well so if all goes according to plan, we will get to be discharged tomorrow. It’s been great to be in the hospital (thank God for drugs!!!!) but we are so excited to go  home with our baby Elliott!!!

    Thank you to everyone who was praying for us! We praise God for our healthy baby boy!!!

  • August Madness Part 3

    We could have never guessed how timely the Lance Wallnau conference and the concept of Brian finding his true passion would be when we booked tickets for it in early July…

    Right before heading down to Mexico, Brian’s company (KLM) was in an extremely fragile spot. To put it *very* simply, a client that has owed them a lot of money for over a year was still refusing to pay and the back-log had finally caught up to KLM. Brian & his business partner had been meeting with lawyers to try and do everything they could to get their money from this client, but nothing was working.
    We went down to Mexico knowing that the company was in a very fragile spot, and this confirmed in both of our hearts that we were meant to go. We had a feeling we were about to enter a season of major transition, and we needed fresh vision and direction!

    We flew from Mazatlan into Seattle on Tuesday and that’s when I started getting really sick…threw up for virtually 12 hours straight and finally ended up in the hospital on Thursday. Friday afternoon I was released from the hospital, and on our way home we got the call from Daniel, who had just gotten off the phone with one of the lawyers, that there was nothing more they could legally do at that point. KLM was forced to shut down. They just didn’t have the resources to keep going without that money.

    Talk about a roller coaster.

    So, we did what any normal person would do when finding out their company was collapsing would do: We made tacos and ate dinner with our friends (did I mention we had two dear friends–Erika & Melisa–living with us? And we liked to call Troy, Melisa’s fiance, our surrogate roommate because we got to see him most every day/evening!) So the 5 of us ate, drank (water), and were merry. Brian & I retired early that night and began to talk through just the beginning of the ramifications of our news…life was transitioning. Big time.

    We were heading into Melisa’s wedding week, and Brian began the intense process of getting all of their trucks/supplies/materials back to Tacoma from Santa Cruz…LONG, intense hours of driving and labor.

    That same week we got a call from the owner of the house we are renting: “Brian, I’ve stopped making payments. I just can’t do it anymore…I’m short selling.”

    I couldn’t stop laughing when Brian told me the house news–absolutely NOT because I was pleased with what the owner had to do (in fact, I’ve been genuinely praying for him for months that he would sell his house at full price), but because it was like our entire physical world was literally crashing down around us. Of course the house we were living in was about to get swiped out from under our feet! Losing our job wasn’t a drastic enough of a change. 🙂

    I’m not sure how we made it through the next two weeks, but we did :). When I think of August I think of LOTS OF VOMIT, a terrible Mexican resort, the worst plane trip in the history of plane trips for me, my heart swelling with joy as two of my dear friends got married while my stomach was swelling with nausea the whole time, Brian driving back from Santa Cruz 3 times, early mornings, late nights, throwing up in the middle of the nights–every night, roller coaster of news, Brian getting two spider bites that required a (very) minor surgery, more vomit, and the biggest transition we’ve known as couple. When September arrived I just remember taking a deep breath and not wanting to MOVE…or think…or blink. What a crazy August.

    So what are we going to do for work, you ask? Great question. We likely have another few months of receiving a paycheck, so the “Um, we’re jobless” shock hasn’t hit quite yet. Brian’s been up to ears with lots of projects and things that are required to close the company out. When things start to settle a bit he’ll start actively looking for another job or business opportunity.

    The bottom line: We’re at peace, actually–we’re excited–for what’s next. We follow a faithful God who has not abandoned us or left us out to dry. We trust Him, and we’re looking forward to seeking His will!!

  • Mr. & Mrs. Brian Moberg!

    Mr. & Mrs. Brian Moberg!

    On August 8, 2009, we became “husband and wife”…
    worth every moment of the wait… 
    we got married at the Northwest Baptist Seminary in Tacoma, WA
    faithful friends stood beside us as we said “I do”
    our families surrounded us with love
    the ceremony took place outside in a garden, overlooking the beautiful water
    we had a light appetizer & cupcake reception for all of our guests
    and then we headed off to an evening of dinner and dancing with a smaller group of friends
    a super fun welcome at the Hotel Murano
    we ate, drank, and were married (ha!) 
    our first dance
    cake time!
    dance time



    Mr. & Mrs. Brian Moberg!!
    Our wedding day was simply the most wonderful day of our lives. 

    Thank you to Eyes to See Photography for so perfectly capturing our big day!!

    And click here to see an entire gallery of some photos from our wedding day:

  • The Proposal!

    The Proposal!

    Our Engagement Day!!
    May 2, 2009





    The day started a little early for a Saturday morning. Susanne had questioned why they were leaving at 8:30 but Brian had assured her that it would be good to get the day started early. She didn’t care that much. Brian was taking her out to breakfast on the Seattle waterfront and then they were going ring shopping. Ring shopping! It was almost too good to be true for both of them. The last few weeks had cemented one thing clearly in both of their minds: they were getting married. They both knew it would be just a matter of a few weeks before they were engaged.


    Susanne and Brian were excited that they were going to be able to spend all morning and afternoon together. Susanne’s parents were visiting from out of state but they had made lunch plans with friends up in Seattle so Brian and Susanne had most of the day to themselves. The last few weeks had been so busy. Between Brian’s weekly work trips to California and Susanne traveling to Michigan last weekend it had been some number of days since they got to spend any real time together.


    As they talked Brian drove the Suburban north on I-5. They hadn’t been on the road long when Brian’s business partner called. Brian immediately silenced the ringer and ignored it. But, thirty seconds later Daniel was calling again. Brian was torn and a little irritated. He wanted Susanne to be his first priority today but Daniel wasn’t calling twice in a row for no reason.


    “Babe, do you need to get that?” Susanne asked.


    Brian reluctantly clicked the button to answer the call on speaker phone. “What’s going on?” Brian asked without emotion.


    “We’ve got some problems out on the Hood Canal project,” Daniel responded. “Josh has been working through the night. They are making good progress on the first portal but they are concerned that the sway frame is quite a bit worse than we originally thought. The state inspector is awfully concerned that we aren’t going to have the bridge back open by 8:00 am tomorrow morning and frankly I am concerned that he is right. One of us has to get out there as soon as possible.”


    “I can’t go out there today,” Brian interrupted. “We’re on our way up to Seattle for breakfast and then we’re going shopping for ‘something special.’” Susanne smiled, thinking about how that  ‘something special’ was going to bling on her finger!!


    “Well, the truth is,” Daniel replied. “I am in California so even if I left right now I wouldn’t be able to make it to the peninsula for at least four hours. We have too much riding on this project to ignore this. With the Hood Canal Bridge closed for repairs there is no way the state is going to extend our deadline. We have to get all the lanes on this bridge back open to traffic.”


    “I just can’t do it today. Maybe you can get Kevin out there and at least have him be your eyes and ears. I just can’t spend the next six hours driving back and forth to the peninsula.”


    “Let me look into a few details. I’ll call you back,” Daniel said as he hung up abruptly.


    A few seconds later Susanne broke the silence. “Babe, be released. If you need to go out there today I totally support you.”


    Brian knew one thing for sure. She was a real treasure. The way she trusted him, the way she barely even let out a sigh of disappointment at the possibility of their ring shopping plans getting canceled for the day. He was torn. He knew the job situation was both urgent and important but he just hated the way work so often pushed other plans aside. He wanted any other option but he felt like he really should go out to the job site. “We’re not going to spend all day driving,” he told her. “Daniel can find another way. I am spending the day with you.”
    The phone rang again just few minutes later. The caller ID confirmed it was Daniel calling back again. Brian answered the call and Daniel cut straight to the point. 


    “There is a plane waiting for you at Lake Union. Kenmore air can fly you across to the Hood Canal Marina. The flight should only take twenty or thirty minutes and once you are on the ground the marina has a rental car you can take. You know how close the bridge is to the marina. You can probably be back in the air an hour after you land. Just make sure Josh is making smart decisions and that they have a clear game plan for being finished by the morning.”


    Brian hesitated. He still had no interest in changing the day’s plans but two hours was a lot better than six hours. It was actually Susanne that really made the decision more palatable. From her side of the car she was smiling at him. She whispered that it sounded like a lot of fun to take a float plane flight.


    Daniel continued, “I just need Susanne’s last name so I can get her listed on the plane’s manifest.”


    Brian still didn’t respond right away. Finally he broke the silence. “Mauss, M-A-U-S-S.”


    “M-A-U-Frank-Frank?” asked Daniel.


    “No, M-A-U-Sam-Sam,” Brian replied.


    “Okay, the plane is waiting,” Daniel said. “There is a Starbucks adjacent to the terminal. You can grab something as you arrive. The address is 950 N Westlake.”


    “Make sure they have champagne on board,” Brian deadpanned.


    “I don’t think it’s that kind of plane,” Daniel retorted.


    As Brian hung up Susanne was actually excited. “I’ve never been on a float plane! It’s okay, Babe…let’s make this a fun adventure!”


    “Thank you for being so gracious,” Brian said softly. She really was amazing he thought. She was so supportive, so selfless.


    When they approached the terminal they looked for the Starbucks to grab something to eat. When they found it Brian dropped Susanne off and went back to the terminal to check in. Minutes later he picked her back up. “Everything is all set,” he said. They parked and walked toward the terminal together.


    As they walked he stopped to kiss her. She really was amazing he thought. So beautiful. Such a gift.


    As they walked down the dock it became apparent that Susanne’s high heels were going to be a little awkward climbing the ladder into the plane. “We didn’t plan this. Can you tell?” she joked with the pilot as Brian helped her up the ladder.


    As they taxied out and became airborne Brian and Susanne were all smiles. “This really is fun!” she exclaimed. They took picture after picture. The day was cloudy but flying below the cloud level gave them an incredible view out over Seattle. Seeing everything from the air was so picturesque. From the Space Needle to all the bodies of water that were visible they took in the sights.



    Brian stole another kiss. “Good thing the pilot doesn’t have a rear view mirror,” he joked.


    “This is amazing!” Susanne gushed. “I really owe Daniel big time for setting this up for us.”


    “Oh come on Babe,” Brian joked. “I really set this all up as a fun surprise for you. Give me a little credit.” 


    “Yeah…I’m sure!” Susanne smiled. She was glad to see Brian a little less serious.


    As the plane approached the Hood Canal Marina the pilot circled several times trying to figure out how she was going to drop us off on the beach. Even after she landed she taxied back and forth trying to find a spot where she could get the plane in to the beach and turned around without clipping the wing on the high bank adjacent to the shore. After she pulled up to the beach she and Brian hopped out to get the plane spun around before the sinking tide left the plane stuck. Brian then helped Susanne down the ladder and held her hand as she jumped from the float to the beach in her white heels.

    On the beach Susanne asked Brian to pick her up and hold her in his arms for a picture. The marina attendant snapped a few shots with the plane flying away in the background. “Wait, why is the plane taking off?” Susanne asked.

    Little did she know…



    “Oh, it will be right back,” Brian said brushing off her question.


    Susanne stopped off at the restroom for just a moment and when she came out Brian was already walking out toward the boat dock. “Wait for me,” she smiled.


    “Come on Babe.”


    “I thought we were getting a rental car. How come we are heading to the boats?”


    “Oh, I decided we would take a boat out to the bridge instead.”


    “What? How did you change so fast?”


    “It’s a small town operation. They can make changes quickly,” Brian said as he quickly signed a contract that the marina attendant held out on a clipboard.


    “Slip number six,” the attendant said as he handed Brian the keys.

    Some secret squirrels (Doug and Melanie!!) took these photos from hiding as Brian and Susanne approached the boat!


    As they approached the boat Brian held Susanne’s hand tightly. It was only a matter of time…
    “What? What is this? What’s going on here? Do my parents know about this?” asked a shocked and stunned Susanne. “Did you plan this? You did plan this! What are we doing? What’s going on here?” The boat was decorated with lilies around the entire perimeter. On the center table there sat a small pile of wrapped presents and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Next to the presents was a photo album with a cover photo of Brian and Susanne.

    The inside of the boat…



    Brian helped her into the boat without saying much of anything. He wanted to get out away from the dock so they could be alone. Susanne slowly recovered from the initial shock but her mind was still spinning. It was still 2 weeks until her birthday, and they hadn’t been ring shopping yet, so he couldn’t be proposing… Was this just the world’s most incredible date? When they were a few hundred yards away from the marina Brian killed the power and scooted over to hold Susanne tight. A mix CD of love songs was playing softly on the stereo. They just sat for a few minutes together.


    Brian took the opportunity to give Susanne one of the presents to open. It was a waterproof rain coat that they had talked about buying together. It seemed fitting to start with that as the rain beat down on the roof of the boat. Thankfully the boat was fully enclosed and plenty warm inside.


    When the next song started Brian turned the volume up and pulled Susanne up off the bench seat. He held her close and attempted to dance but he had never been much of a dancer. He looked more like a Jr. Higher at his first dance standing next to Susanne and swaying back and forth. He was thankful that she loved him enough not to care.


    About an hour had passed since they first got in the boat when Brian decided it was time to surprise Susanne again. As they sat together on the padded bench seat Brian reached down into a cubby hole and pulled out a small gift bag. Brian placed the bag on the table and pulled a card out of the bag. “Can I read this to you?” asked Brian. Susanne nodded and smiled a smile that seemed part thrilled, part filled with joy and part nervous.


    Brian held the lengthy card he had written in one hand with his other arm wrapped tightly around Susanne. She closed her eyes, leaned her head against his, and listened as he read the heart-felt words out loud. He finished the card, set it aside and picked up the bag. Out of the bag he pulled a small wrapped box. He pulled off the bow and removed the wrapping paper. He opened the gift box and removed the tissue paper which left him holding a black velvet ring box. Without further hesitation he pulled out the ring and got down on one knee. There was just enough room to kneel down in the center of the boat. “Susanne Mauss,” he began. “I love you. I want to marry you. Will you marry me?”


    “Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” answered Susanne as he slid the ring onto her finger. The minutes following were hard to really remember. There was pure joy and wonder and excitement. They reveled in the moment and it slowly sank in that they were really engaged. With everything going through Susanne’s mind she managed to be surprised all over again that the ring was actually on her finger. “Did you put this on me?” she asked Brian. Brian nodded and smiled.

    A ring!
    She said, “YES!!!”
    Engaged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    After spending minutes or perhaps an hour reveling in the moment Brian encouraged Susanne to open the rest of the presents. She opened a children’s book that Brian knew she loved. The last present was a new cell phone and a garage door opener to their new house.

    Showered with gifts, love and a FUTURE.
    After the presents were finished Brian pointed the boat east and set off for the Alderbrook Resort for lunch. Susanne piloted much of the way and Brian took the helm to bring the boat into the dock.
    Because when you’ve been waiting a long time for your man, you can’t help but show off that hand when there’s a ring on it!!!!
    The marina attendant was there again to help tie up the boat. Brian and Susanne just stood there in the boat for a minute or two savoring the moment not quite wanting to leave. But the peaceful silence was broken when Susanne heard a laugh she recognized. “Melanie!?!?” she screamed as she peered out of the boat at her brother and sister in-law. Susanne was overwhelmed. She stood there laughing and sobbing until the crying pushed aside the laughter. She was shaking too badly to even step off the boat to hug her family. For what seemed like minutes she stood there reaching out to embrace them but unable to step off the boat to actually reach them.
    “You’re actually HERE?!!!!!”
    After finally getting over the shock and gaining some control of herself, Doug asked to see the ring and then Susanne wanted to see Melanie’s baby bump!!!! (Fable as a tiny bump!!)
    And then in classic “Susanne” style, she proceeded to tell the crazy story of the day!


    After much crying and picture taking Brian and Susanne accompanied Doug and Melanie into the Resort for lunch. After lunch the rain held off just enough to spend time taking a bunch of pictures around the grounds and out on the dock.

    Too good to be true!
    Our ever-after begins, hand in hand…

    Somehow Brian’s car moved itself from Seattle to the Hood Canal (thanks to Brian’s parents!). So after lunch, Doug and Melanie headed back toward Tacoma and Brian and Susanne headed to the Tacoma Gene Jaurez for the manicure appointment Brian had set up.

    After Susanne got her nails done they headed over to Indochine for dinner. Susanne knew all along that there were dinner plans with her parents and Brian’s parents who would be meeting for the first time. Brian had also invited his brother and sister in-law and their kids as well as his sister and Doug and Melanie. Dinner presented the opportunity to retell the story of the day for the first time to the family.



    After dinner Susanne knew the plan was to go back to the new house for dessert with the families. However, as they were pulling up to the house Brian had Susanne navigate to brianandsusanne.com on his cell phone and she saw the website for the first time and she read that there was to be an engagement party just as they were nearing the house.

    As they pulled up there were cars parked all up and down the street and there was a full house of extended family and all of Susanne’s friends that packed the house and were bursting out onto the decks as they pulled in. With drinks and desserts waiting inside Susanne and Brian got to walk into a house full of ecstatic friends and family. After the initial burst of excitement died down dessert was served and the Brian and Susanne got to tell the story of the day. A love story…. Starring themselves…

    (To see pictures of our INCREDIBLE engagement party, surrounded by our closest friends and family, click on our Engagement Album!)