What I'm Into: July Edition...

In the Kitchen

Oh, friends, I wish I could tell you all the amazing things that I've been whipping up lately.  My days get so busy that by 5pm I'm done for the day. I don't know what we've been eating, but it's not as balanced as I'd like.  I did, however, make stir-fried bok choy as a side with fish and potatoes.  I've never cooked with bok choy before, and both Jake and I enjoyed it immensely. You can find the recipe here:

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On my Night table 

Currently Reading: 

Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis: This is one of the four books that Jake challenged me to read this year.  I have heard many good things about it, so I'm looking forward to being challenged.

Katherine Parr: A Guided Tour of the Life and Thought of a Reformation Queen, Brandon G. Withrow: Another one that Jake challenged me to read this year. The first half is a bit of history about Katherine Parr, which was a little dry for my taste.  The second half are prayers that she wrote, and some of them are amazingly relate-able.  

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, Ina May Gaskin: One of those books you see on display at the library which tickles your fancy.  I was curious to see what I would learn from this book, since I've heard much about this famous midwife from the U.S.

No fiction, you gasp! Yes, I need to remedy that as soon as possible!

Read:
The Silkworm, Robert Galbraith: A crime novel written by J.K. Rowling written under her pseudonym.  The murder mystery is a great story, and kept me on my toes.  I can't tell you how much I enjoy her writing.  She's fantastic, and she really knows how to make the characters come alive.  That being said, one of her characters is quite rough around the edges and swears quite a bit.  

Amandine, Marlena de Blasi: Oh my goodness, if you like plots set in World War II and enjoy having a good cry, read this one.  For all the mothers, get ready, it will tug at your heart strings [at least it did for me!].  Set in France, this heart-wrenching story is about, yup, you guessed it, 'Amandine', a little girl who understands the unfairness of life through one tragic scenario after the other.  She is incredibly strong for all she has been dealt, and you will cry and cheer her on as you journey with her to find the one thing her heart desires the most.

Through my headphones

Latley it's been A LOT of Baby Mozart.  It's surprisingly relaxing, and Adrian thinks it's hilarious when we dance to it.  

Readings in my Bible
I've been reading 2 Samuel to Adrian, and have been reading and meditating through Romans, chapter by chapter.  Romans 6 has always been one of those places I go when I need to be reminded that, as Christians, we are free from sin, Christ reigns victorious, and there is no need to wallow in guilt! 

Love, 

Ashleigh

Togetherness...

Are you on maternity leave?

I can't count the number of times I have been asked that question.  I get it, people are curious, they want to know what my plans are for the future.  I wish I had a typical response for them, something like, "Why yes, the day after he turns 1 I'll be returning to my job as {insert occupation here}".  But aren't there any other mothers in my camp?  Are there any moms who didn't really have a full time job before the baby, or who have no job to go back to, moms with the ability and maybe even a little desire to work again after the year is up (to help hubby with income) but can't imagine not spending every day with a face like this? 

So I got my TESOL certification, which means that there are no limits to where I could teach, which also means I could teach from home. OR I could meet students in a coffee shop.  It doesn't matter.  

And yet.

I don't know what I want to do, and it's hard to think about that since a lot of my day is still taken up looking after and spending time with Adrian.  So if you want a tried and true honest-to-goodness answer, here is what you could ask:

What do you and Adrian enjoying doing together?

Having a laugh

We listen/dance to music

We eat food

We go for walks

We [sometimes] nap

We go for rides on the bus

We read books at the library

We spend time with other friends

We plan ways to surprise 'daddy'

We read books

We exercise

We play in the bathtub

We read the Bible and pray 

We laugh

We tickle each other (mostly Mommy tickling

and baby grabbing/biting/kicking)

We play with toys

We sing and talk

We play games 

We wait for 'daddy' to come home and make us laugh

We love being together!

On a walk

Fresh Veggies...

In a previous post I told you about Grand River Organics and the order of veggies I had placed.  I opted out of the $39 box and ordered a bag of organic produce for $27.  And this is what I received:

Included in my bag were the following:

-2 bok choy

-1 head of kale

-4 beefsteak tomatoes

-1 bunch of basil

-1 cucumber

-1 bunch of garlic scapes

-1 zucchini

-2 heads of lettuce

So far I'm very impressed with the freshness and quality of the vegetables, and it was very exciting to order them online!

Love, Ashleigh

Adrian's Theme Book...

Just a little board book we found at the library.  I will let the words speak for themselves :)

By Michael Dahl

Grown Locally...

On the weekend I discovered Grand River Organics, a company that is committed to working with organic farmers to provide consumers with the best produce they can.  For a small fee you can choose a bag or a box, and your produce will be delivered to a convenient location near you for pick-up.  It's like Christmas: you don't know what veggies/fruits you're going to get!



 I'm trying it out for the first time today, and I sincerely hope that my bag of produce will be worth $27.  Anyways, have a look around the website and I will be back with an update soon!

Love,
Ashleigh

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Reflections on a Life...

Journal Entry from July 4

I should be sleeping.  It's 5:45am.  Adrian went back to sleep, so why can't I? My mind is abuzz with thoughts.  Nana A. passed away two days ago.  When Mom told me, I was stunned and saddened, but it wasn't until I saw her obituary that I could cry.  It's been so long since I've seen them, but that doesn't mean I'm feeling any less happy about losing someone who was very involved in my formative years.  She and Papa invested so much time in Melissa and I, looking after us, teaching us, disciplining us [when necessary].  They loved us as their very own grandchildren.  So what happened? Why did we lose touch? Now I'll be seeing Papa for the first time in years at our pseudo-nana's funeral.  That doesn't seem right.  She was such a gracious woman.  I remember how she had so much tenderness for her husband, she was such a model of godly wife-dom.  Her eyes crinkled when she smiled.  The memories are so disjointed, I'm remembering her better in certain contexts over others.  I'm so happy she is with Jesus now.  No more suffering, no more regrets, pain or grief, no more tears.  Thank you, Father, for what a blessing this lady was in my life.  I'm trying to recall a specific Bible verse that she held dear, and all that is coming to mind is Psalm 1:2, 3.  I'm not sure if that can be related to her memory or not, but there is one specific part that I'm thinking of: 

But his[her] delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law [s]he meditates day and night. [S]He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever [s]he does shall prosper.  

She truly delighted in God's Word, and her fruit was very evident.  We can let bygones be bygones.  Papa A. needs us now.  He lost his lifelong best friend and love.  Spirit, please give him comfort now and especially in the next little while when the days are long and the nights become lonely.  He needs Your peace and comfort.


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A Tale of Many Apartments..

It was supposed to be easy. Pick a date two months in advance, look for an apartment, sign for said apartment, move in.

It would seem that God had other plans.  We looked on Kijiji.  We looked on Padmapper. We talked to friends. We need a two bedroom apartment.  We looked on Gotta Rent.  We even looked in the newspaper.

*Tick Tock* - T MINUS ONE MONTH

We went to see this disastered dump.  We went to see that tiny, cramped basement dwelling.  We didn't want to be too picky, and we wanted to leave some time to pray about our decision, think things through. We looked at about 10 places, some were alright, most weren't.  We wanted to apply to a couple of locations, but "sorry, someone paid the deposit last night". 

*Tick Tock*- T MINUS TWO WEEKS

We drove 30 minutes out of our comfort zone.  We liked that place.  Oh yes, storage under the stairs, three unit building, linen closet, HUGE bathroom.  Clean neighbourhood.  I cried, it's so beautiful!  Apply. Wait...

Not approved, a single person is better for us,--"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, LORD!"

*Tick Tock*- T MINUS ONE WEEK

We found another place, perfect location for us, close to church, close to Jake's work, bonus third bedroom, backyard, deck, washer/dryer, sauna light in bathroom, little gas fireplace, in our price range.  {Lord, this is it! We know this is 'our' place.  Thank YOU for providing at such short notice!} Apply. Wait. Dream about where the table will go. Pack in earnest.  Dream about where the desk willgo. Pick up the phone.

Not approved, Someone was approved the morning you saw it, mix-up in the office,--"WE ARE SO PISSED OFF, LORD!" {Tears, disappointment, rage, frustration, hopelessness}

*Tick Tock*- T MINUS TWO DAYS

Listless packing ensued as we prepared to live with Jake's parents until we could find something.  We had booked three more apartment viewings that day, knowing that this was very last minute and there wasn't much more we could do before the moving date.

apartment 1- 10 AM
We arrived to find two guys building some additions on to the front porch, to make it more aesthetically pleasing.  They took us around to the back deck, up the stairs to the second storey, and we walked in to a sunroom, through a tiny kitchen that contained a fridge and full-sized stove, a tiny room with a closet, bathroom with a claw foot tub, bigger bedroom with no closet, and a living room.  Interesting.  Lots of light, nice wall colour, no laundry hook-ups, not much storage, one year lease.  Apply. {We don't have much options at this point.  It's liveable, not a dump, the landlords are nice, hard-working.}

apartment 2- 4 PM
We arrived to find a complex made up of about six apartment building, and a rather harried-looking superintendent, who took us on a tour of two apartments, same price, different layouts.  Spacious bedrooms, closets, supply closets, large enough kitchen, pantry, balcony, LOTS OF LIGHT, in our price range. {Could this be the one? It's not an ideal location, but we get our first month's rent free, sweet promo!} 'Oh, you can apply today, but the girl might not be in the office tomorrow, so it may not get processed until Monday' {What choice do we have? We can pray that it will get processed sooner!} Appl--  

J-Hey, your phone is ringing.
A- [looks at number] I think it's Mark, from apartment 1! {nerves tingling} Hello?
M-Hi, the apartment is yours if you want it!
A- Wow, great! Thanks so much! When should we come over?
M- Could you come sign the lease tonight? 
A- {third apartment viewing is at 6:30} Is seven pm too late?

apartment 3- 6:30 PM
We arrived to find a multi-unit building and a distracted super.  Not to mention the unkempt tenant and 'You can come in, but you can't look at the bedrooms.  Well, alright, just peek inside.' The super took us to the laundry room in the basement.  'It's month-by-month. I just look at ya and I say whether or not you can move here. You guys can have the apartment if you want it.  I can't be certain the tenant will be moved out at noon on Saturday. He's given me a lot of trouble.'

Decision Time-T MINUS 5 MINUTES TO LEASE SIGNING
We weighed the pros and cons.  We were frustrated. {Two months, Lord, and we're two days out and you give us TWO to choose from?!!} We called Mark to tell him we were going to be a bit late.  Thinking, praying furiously, pacing.

J: Which apartment would you feel safer in?
A: Apartment 1.  
J: Me too.  That's more important to me than month-by-month OR cheaper rent.

We phoned the super to tell him what we decided, and drove over to Apartment 1, deposit in hand, ready to sign the one year lease. {We've never signed a lease before!! We're terrified!} We got the keys, took one more look around, and still felt unsettled.  After months of looking, this wasn't how we anticipated the search to end.  

However, the move went well, thanks to some very hard-working friends and family.  I even found a little apartment sized portable washing machine on Kijiji, which will save us countless trips to the laundromat.

We've been living in our new digs for about a week and a half now, and both Jake and I can say we feel happy and content here.  The apartment is cozy, even reminding us of 'the cottage' at times. And guess what? We got a call on Sunday from one of the places that originally had declined us asking if we were still interested, The approved applicant changed his mind.  I was able to say we are all settled into our new place, silently thanking the Lord for his provision even after the fact, knowing he is abundantly providing for our every need.

Love,
Ashleigh

It's That Time Again...

There are more than a few updates to share with you today, so I'll just highlight them and get into today's edition of What I'm Into.

• I am now a certified ESL teacher! I completed my practicum in April, and received my certificate shortly thereafter.  
• Jake is back to work after taking a 10-week parental leave of absence.  The house feels empty without him home today.
• We went on a Rivers' family trip to Florida, which included day trips to Gatorland and Disney World.  Adrian even got to go on a couple of rides at Disney!
• We've moved :) We're now closer to our church, and Jake's work.  If you'd like the address, please mention so in the comment section!
• I joined a local concert band about 6 weeks ago, and for the first time in 9 years I'm playing the French horn again.  The weekly practices are a nice treat for me.

And now....

In the Kitchen

Everything has been in upheaval since the move, but I made a couple of soups last week: Split pea, and a Brazilian caldo-inspired corn and spinach chowder.

Also, this one minute microwave brownie in a cup: 

Image Source: Chocolate Covered Katie

Now tell me you don't want to make that for yourself...

On my Night table 

Currently Reading: As always, I've got a few on the go.
Pomegranate Soup, Marsha Mehran: A story about three Iranian sisters who open up a Persian restaurant in Ireland

As Sure as the Dawn, Francine Rivers: The third book in the Mark of the Lion series, this is a favourite of mine, and I'm re-reading it for possibly the fifth or sixth time, maybe more.  It's about a gladiator who is returning to his home country of Germania after earning his freedom from 10 years of fighting in the arena.   It's set in the Roman empire shortly after the death of Christ.  I would recommend reading the first two books of the series first, to get his back story.

Hybrasil, Margaret Elphisone: I'm not too far into this one yet, but the journal entry-like story tells of a travel-book writer who explores a near-mythical country of Hybrasil, and her adventures therein.

Read:
East of Eden, John Steinbeck: I don't really know what made me read this.  I guess I had heard that it was a classic and I wanted to try it out. Well, it was a heavy read, and explored the depths of humanity.  I was reminded just how depraved we are while exploring the complexities of the characters.  The story follows a man who has two sons, modeling something similar to the story of Cain and Abel from the Bible.

The Beach Trees, Karen White: This drama takes place in Louisiana, and includes a little bit of historical mystery and some romance.  If you like delving into secrets of the past, hurricanes, and lots of good character development, then this is a story for you.

The Divergent trilogy, Veronica Roth: A little like The Hunger Games, but, in my opinion, more enjoyable (OK, I'll be honest, it had more romance! C'mon, give a girl a break.) This post-apocalyptic thriller will have you on the edge of your seat and rooting for characters as they come of age in a world of uncertainty and chaos.

Through my headphones

Latch-Disclosure (ft Sam Smith)
Magic-Coldplay
Pompeii- Bastille

Readings in my Bible
I've been reading 1 Samuel to Adrian, and have been studying 1 Thessalonians on my own (and with a ladies Bible study group at church)

Other than unpacking and dreaming of sleep, this is me right now. Leave some comments below!

Love,
Ashleigh

I Shall Not Want...

I've recently been really into Audrey Assad, particularly her newest album called Fortunate Fall. The song, I shall not want, is particularly challenging.

From the love of my own comfortFrom the fear of having nothingFrom a life of worldly passionsDeliver me o God

From the need to be understoodFrom the need to be acceptedFrom the fear of being lonelyDeliver me o GodDeliver me o God

And I shall not want, I shall not wantWhen I taste your goodness I shall not wantWhen I taste your goodness I shall not want

From the fear of serving othersFrom the fear of death or trialFrom the fear of humilityDeliver me o GodDeliver me o God

And I shall not want, I shall not wantWhen I taste your goodness I shall not wantWhen I taste your goodness I shall not wantLyrics source
I find myself fearing so much. It's hard not to when there is so much uncertainty in life. But when I was reading psalm 59 to Adrian last night, I was reminded that God is our protector, our refuge, and we're right back at this song.
Love,Ashleigh

When A Toothy Grin Brightens Your Day (or The February That Lasted Forever)...

What happened to February? It succumbed to a snap of cold and got buried beneath a blanket of deep, deep snow.  

Let me catch you up on what has been going on around here.  We celebrated along with friends of ours whose twins turned one, and we saw one of our nephews dedicated.  We went to a cake auction at Heritage College, where the proceeds from every cake bought and eaten (and boy! did we eat cake!) went towards student missions.  A Canadian comedian (who is actually a member at our church!) performed at our church for the first time. The evening was a fundraiser for Gideon Bibles, and included knife juggling on a unicycle and pretty sweet laser show.

Adrian celebrated month four of his tiny existence, and we're so pleased that he now weighs 12lbs and is 25.5 cm, just a long, skinny little guy!  He also cut two little teeth on the bottom, so that has been a new discovery for all of us.   He's been laughing, smiling, grabbing at his toes, and letting his little personality shine through. We love being his parents!

Jake is enjoying his preaching course at Heritage Seminary. I'm so proud of him for sticking with it even though he's working full time and being a husband and father.  His marks have been reflecting every bit of hard work that he puts into his assignments.

I've been under a bit of a cloud, my moods generally reflective of the weather.  I've also been feeling negative effects due to lack of exercise.  My motivation is in a general state of depletion.  Thankfully this is just a season.  I've been cooking lots and baking little, because taking care of Adrian has been top priority. Jake has been so patient with me, again! this is just a season of life, and we have enjoyed a few dates out by ourselves. During those moments I feel a conflict of emotion. Adrian is safe, with whomever is looking after him, but motherhood has changed me in a big way. I have to fight to let go of lingering bouts of "mommy mode" and focus on my husband, that is after his focus shifts from the 2lbs of wings and vanilla milkshake he just devoured.

Completing a 20 hour teaching practicum(the final phase on my road to being TESL Canada approved*), along with a Rivers' family week long trip to Florida are on the agenda for April (as is an order for warmer weather!)

Getting ready for Florida!

He loves playing with Jake

Date night!

Afternoon snuggles

Now that spring is around the corner, I'm looking forward to taking my little guy out for walks, to enjoy the shining sun and the chorus of birds.  He seems to enjoy the sun just as much as I do, at least from what I've gathered when we bake together in the kitchen with sunshine streaming through the windows.

More of an update post from me, but feel free to comment and leave some thoughts on what gets you through long winters.

Love,
Ashleigh

*This means that there will be no limitations as to where I can teach ESL in Canada.