My Fair Lady

ShiZaam!

2008-11-19T09:53:00.001-11:00

Click here to enter my FAHB-U-LOUS new website. I've complained about Blogger and Pyzam for long enough that Bjørn sat down and figured out a new design for me. He didn't hand-code it this time (though he does plenty of that), but he definitely pimped it out, so it said Jenny ALL over it, complete with a Colophon, blog and wishlist. The many advantages of marrying a computer nerd.

It is a new address, so if any of you are cool enough to RSS feed all your blogs, you will have to re-subscribe to it by clicking on the Feed link. Enjoy.

Lost in the communication world.

2008-09-29T04:41:00.002-11:00

It was bad enough that I was in between cell phones for almost 2 weeks, but this weekend, all of a sudden my new AT&T phone, which I have had for less than a week, stopped working. Everytime I try to make a call, it says "service unavailable" and apparently nobody has been able to call me.

What a pain in the butt. I'm "troubleshooting" with the AT&T guy right now. Apparently, all it took was turning the phone off and on again. Of course I DID try that this weekend, and it didn't work! Oh well, at least it is working again.

Nuetro viaje

2008-09-21T08:48:00.003-11:00

Photos from our trip are up. Here's a couple to wet the appetite. Click on 'em to head to the whole she-bang on flickr.

One of the funniest moments, was definitely seeing Bjørn as a clown for kids skits :)

Oh and here's the quick slideshow we made for the Mexico presentation at the Vancouver church.

QUICK HIGHLIGHTS - there is just too much amazing experiences God took us all through, but I will give a brief list -
*One of our youth finally opened up about his life, after 6 years of being a part of our group, and at the end of the week, Bjørn had the honor of leading him to Christ.
*One of our youth was allowed to leave Rehab early to come on the trip, and she actually had a good time!
*1 HUGE rededicated life from a girl that has been a part of the youth group for 9 years.
*LOTS of questions and curiosity about God from our non-Christian youth
*crying and intercessory prayer led by youth every other night

Carla's (our leader) prayer for the trip this whole summer was that the big moments would happen back in Vancouver, and not all in Mexico...and it is amazing to see how God is making that happen already.

Chaos.

2008-09-05T07:28:00.002-11:00

I guess I didn't fully consider how starting a new job and moving to a new house would be a lot to handle at one time. But these are some of the funny combinations it has brought about:

1. Not cooking: because I don't have energy (due to job) nor a proper kitchen (due to moving)

2. My whole life revolves around packing, organizing, moving and unpacking (due to moving a new house, and due to setting up a new classroom)

3. Looking professional on the job: due to not having a working shower when first moving into our place, I take a backpack and shower supplies to my aunts and uncles' every morning to shower. I can't find my clothes, because I still haven't unpacked my closet. Once, I do find my clothes, I take a "laboring" outfit and a "professional" outfit to work everyday. The "labor" outfit is for moving and organizing the classroom, and the "professional" outfit is for meetings and home visits in the afternoons.

Luckily I have had some life-saving people in my life the last couple of weeks:

1. Bjørn: moved everything the first week and would work until 11pm every night, when my mind would stop functioning at 9pm.

2. Peter & Esther: My in-laws came up 2 weekends in a row to clean up our new place, clean up our old place, and move furniture in both houses, and make repairs around our new place.

3. John: My uncle oversaw and worked hard to install a working shower in our "new" house. As well, as helping move furniture and make repairs with Peter all around the house.

4. Mike & Marty: also did a deep clean of our new place, after their son, Mikal moved out to go to TWU.

Thank you to all of the Eides and Bulthuis'! I don't usually do props on my blog, but let's be honest: you guys deserved it this time.

We're back.

2008-09-05T07:08:00.005-11:00

And You guys thought we were moving out for good! Bjørn and I are HAPPILY living again at 936 Van Dyk Rd. (a.k.a. Bjørn's grandparent's very stylish 70's home)! This was our welcoming poster the first time we moved in. I guess we were old news this time, as we didn't get anything!

Where you been?

2008-08-26T09:50:00.004-11:00

answer: working my new job.

What's that?

answer: early childhood specialist, a.k.a. preschool teacher at Nooksack Elementary (neighbor to Sumas).

What do you do? Team teach a group of head start (government funded group) in the mornings with a head start teacher, and teach my own group of 10 preschoolers in the afternoons.

Are you overwhelmed? Well, I'm going on my first home visit to go over 13, yes that's right, 13 forms with parents of one my preschoolers. I just learned about the forms yesterday, so it's a little fast.

Are you excited? Very. Not only is the job better pay, it is full time, full benefits including retirement, and I get to work with some preschoolers in Spanish (something I have been super interested in since last spring).

How was your guys trip to Mexico? Incredible. It will require several of its own posts.

We outta here!

2008-08-10T11:46:00.005-11:00

Time to build us a house, e-speak-a some spanish, and learn from some Great Mexican people.

Don't expect to hear from us for a week or two. We out.

2008-08-07T09:04:00.003-11:00

Sunday afternoon is the beginning of "Mexico Missions Trip 2008."

We are having the whole team over for dinner and then departing for Seattle. Sunday evening, the whole team is staying at Bjørn's parents' church in Port Orchard. Fly out Sunday morning. Mexico 2008 from Monday to the following Tuesday evening.

Wednesday morning head up to San Diego to surf, water ski, boogie board, etc. as a team fun day. Thursday morning, the team departs and Bjørn and I start our Anniversary trip. Sunday morning: fly out of San Diego to Seattle, drive home.

The next week: move out of our house, maybe start a new job that Wednesday (with the school district). I do have an interview with Lynden School District tomorrow - career center counselor/secretary. Ya never know.

Herb garden meet the world wide web

2008-08-03T14:09:00.005-11:00

World wide web, meet my herb garden.

Lots of mint, 2 chives & a little thyme

my blooming tomato bushes and 3 different types of Oregano

It's taken almost 5 weeks for my garden to take off, but now not only do I have all these lovely herbs pictured above, I have lemon basil, regular basil, Rosemary, and a little cilantro.

As many of you know, Bjørn and I are moving out at the end of August and back to the Eide Compound (where 2 of Bjørn's aunts and uncles already live), into Bjørn's grandparents' old house- still in Lynden. Thus, it makes me sad that we are leaving our healthy herb garden soon. Maybe I could transplant 1 or 2? Or at least pick a lot the day before we move out. At least now, I know I can garden a little! I was definitely doubting myself for about a month there.

We know how to celebrate

2008-08-02T11:26:00.002-11:00

For our one year anniversary, Bijørno and I went out to dinner and dessert at Arms Reach Bistro in Deep Cove, BC, where Bjørn had proposed to me me 1 1/2 years ago. It was much more fun to be there in good weather (compared to January) and healthy (compared to having mono).

Arms Reach Bistro - Anniversary

Arms Reach Bistro - Proposal Night

On the Dock.

Am I the only One?

2008-07-31T08:18:00.002-11:00

That can't fill out the "word verification" correctly the first time, when trying to leave a message on some one's blog? Everytime, I psyche myself up to do it, and blip, try again. Maybe I'm dyslexic? Or just dumb.

And this is how we celebrated our hike...

2008-07-25T06:21:00.002-11:00

lunch

and a nap.

So we took a hike...

2008-07-25T06:09:00.003-11:00

After sleeping under the stars (at the Eide compound), last Friday night, Bjørn and I left at 7:00am Saturday morning to go for a hike near Mt. Baker. The drive was beautiful.

We hiked up Goat Mountain trail. Bjørn purposefully neglected to tell me that the map at the Ranger's office indicated our hike was one line straight up the mountain. 2.5 miles all switchbacks in the woods 1.25 miles in an upper meadow, and one 360 degree phenomenal viewpoint.

En preparacion

2008-07-23T12:54:00.002-11:00

In prep for our missions trip to Mexico (and more because I want to), I am meeting with a Spanish tutor to brush up on my espanol. 2 hrs/week. I am very excited. I start this week.

No puedo esperar!

The Nobodies

2008-07-17T19:27:00.003-11:00

I ran across this poem from a classmate from twu, and it really caught me. It is his translation of a well-known Uruguayan journalist, Eduardo Galeano. Galeano describes himself as "A writer obsessed with remembering, with remembering the past of America above all and above all that of Latin America, intimate land condemned to amnesia." This piece he laments the place of the Indigenous people of Latin America in the eyes of fellow citizens.

It is more powerful in Spanish, so if you know any, I recommend reading it in its original context. But here is my attempt.

The Nobodies

"The fleas dream of buying themselves a dog and the nobodies dream of leaving poverty
That one magic day suddenly good luck will rain, pouring rain of good luck
But good luck doesn’t rain: yesterday, today, tomorrow or ever
A sprinkling of good luck doesn’t fall for the nobodies that call for it
Even if they wake up on the right foot
Or if they change their broom at the beginning of the year

The nobodies: the sons of nobody, the owners of nothing.
The nobodies: the no ones, the lowest of lows, dying in life, the doomed, doom forever.
The Ones that are not, even If they are.
The ones that don’t talk a language but a dialect.
The ones that don’t have a religion but superstitions.
The ones that don’t have a culture but folklore.
The ones that are not human beings but human resources.
The ones that don’t have a face but a number.
The ones that don’t appear in world history but in the police blotter of local papers.
The nobodies, the ones that, are even cheaper than the bullet that kills them"

Eduardo Galeano

Original en Castellano.

LOS NADIE

"Sueñan las pulgas con comprarse un perro y sueñan los nadies con salir
de pobres,
que algún mágico día llueva de pronto la buena suerte, que llueva a
cántaros la buena suerte;
pero la buena suerte no llueve ayer, ni hoy, ni mañana, ni nunca.
Ni en lloviznita cae del cielo la buena suerte, por mucho que los
nadie la llamen,
aunque les pique la mano izquierda, o se levanten con el pie
derecho,
o empiecen el año cambiando de escoba.
Los nadie: los hijos de nadie, los dueños de nada.
Los nadie: los ningunos, los ninguneados, corriendo la liebre,
muriendo la vida, jodidos, rejodidos.
Que no son, aunque sean.
Que no hablan idiomas, sino dialectos.
Que no profesan religiones, sino supersticiones.
Que no hacen arte, sino artesanía.
Que no practican cultura, sino folklore.
Que no son seres humanos, sino recursos humanos.

I have seen this attitude present in Latin American countries towards the Indigenous people of the countries, and it is definitely present in North Americans' response to hearing daily international news of major catastrophes.

But I have to wonder if the last stanza ("The Ones that..."), isn't North Americans' attitude toward Native (American) people? I have to wonder if despite my 5+ years spent with Native people, if this isn't my own attitude many times?

Alaska Wedding ~ Day 2

2008-07-16T10:29:00.003-11:00

Steph picked me up in the morning, and Amy and I spent the day running errands for her (and getting sidetracked at the Alaskan Brewing Co. headquarters). Last minute we helped the florist put together some floral arrangements.

sidetracked, originally uploaded by The Enforcer.

I hung out at Rehearsal, and took pictures

and then we headed to the yacht club for rehearsal dinner. That was a blast - phenomenal view in 3 directions, good food, good drink, and good times. Amy and I whipped up a last minute a round of "Who will..." game for Ross and Steph, which I learned at my own rehearsal dinner.

Alaska Wedding ~ Day 1

2008-07-15T19:08:00.003-11:00

Bjørn and I spent the morning and early afternoon, "sight-seeing" Juneau. The weather was cloudy. cold and a little rainy. We checked out the tram (that Aaron got us free passes for through his work).

the tram...., originally uploaded by The Enforcer.

Then we parted ways to attend the Bachelor and Bachelorette parties.

A quick glimpse

2008-07-14T19:33:00.003-11:00

Bjørn and I got back around 1 am last night from AK, to both have work in the morning. (I started teaching ESL summer school today - 3 hrs/day, with 7 kids in my class - talk about perfect!)

I've been editing/photoshoping all my pix, but here's a quick shot from Steph's Bachelorette party. We took a limo to the glacier (which happens to be only 5 min. from the town).

We were all dressed in old prom dresses (Steph's happened to be from the mid-80s). More to come tomorrow.

North to Alaska...

2008-07-08T19:32:00.003-11:00

North the Rush is on. I don't know if any of you who had parents that made you listen to classic, yet terrible music....but my dad always made us listen to Johnny Horton. So when I thought of our trip to Alaska, my childhood came rushing back:

Bjørn and I head North tomorrow evening for Ross & Steph's wedding (2 of my close friends from TWU). This is a shot of Steph and I at Stanley Park Christmastime - as you may note, Ross is intruding the picture. He's been doing that for awhile, and now I'm glad, they're finally tying the knot! They started dating only a few months after Bjørn and I.

This is my first time to "The Last Frontier" (as their license plate states) so I'm EXTREMELY excited to be airborne again. This summer sure ain't slowin down for us.

Starting it out with style.

2008-07-04T03:57:00.003-11:00

Bjørn, the poor dear, has to go to work today, IN CANADA! So in order to get him ready for the 4th of July out of country, we played Sousa marches - and boy did he march! woulda made his grandma proud! And of course, our favorite was Stars and Stripes Forever - a true classic. We then got him dressed up in American colors, and now, I think he is ready to show them Canadians, what true American pride is!

*Note: Bjørn did just get a 2 year extension on his work visa - so he can work in Canada for awhile more if he wants. Yay, for not having to find a different job!

I'm BACK!

2008-06-30T09:37:00.002-11:00

Georgia Trip 2008 pictures are up. Highlights included:

Wednesday: swimming at a lake,

buying boiled peanuts from Fred's (disgusting!), checking out Helen (alpine village 10 min. from Jill's house), going to Rib Country (where Jillio works) for blackberry cobbler, buying watermelon and Georgia Peaches from a fruit stand, swimming AGAIN at the lake, reading by her pond, drinks in Helen

Thursday: roadtrip GA 2008 to Madison County to check out Antebellim houses

(ya know, the ol southern plantation ones that have been around since slavery), biscuits gravy and ham dinner, watchin fire flies at the local Chuggin Hole

Friday: checking out a friend's garage sale (Southern folk love their flea markets and garage sales), swimming at a private pool with Jill's roommate, shopping at the outlets (LOVE a good deal), eating a catfish at a Southern Buffet

tried moonshine, and watching a fireworks show.

Saturday: intertubing down the Chatahoochee River, swimming at the local country club where Jill's boyfriend is gonna work, dinner and margaritas at the Mexican restaurant, fireworks at the drag strip, first time trying Southern Comfort (TOO sweet). Leaving at 3:00am for the ATL to fly home.

Southern comfort

2008-06-19T19:21:00.002-11:00

Hot dawg, I'm going to Georgia!

Leaving next Tuesday morning and staying til Sunday. CRAZY. Bring on the flies, the critters, back country folk, and the heat....oh the heat. I will sweat for 5 days straight. And i will love every second of it.

Cuz I'm going to see this little lady.

Working at home.

2008-06-19T07:09:00.002-11:00

Since I get a bit of brake from work, I have decided it's time for some cleaning out of the house. Hence, I have been going through all of my clothes and taking whatever I don't wear anymore to Foxxy Brown's, a "trendy women's consignment store", that just opened in Lynden. Maybe I can make a little cash money on my old stuff!

My next project is to clean up my desk, which means I am going to have to do a lot of organizing. (I haven't exactly been able to use my desk for about 2 1/2 months, due to all of the stuff piled up on it - oops!)

and then it's onto the deep clean and selling of the intrepid!

Pulling it together

2008-06-17T05:13:00.002-11:00

I have a job interview this morning. But I was in Vancouver from 10am-10pm yesterday for a baby shower, day care, and bible study, and thus came home at 11pm with a cold. I've gotta pull myself together for the interview - time to increase the meds.

I have a feeling afterwards, I will spend the rest of the day sleeping.

A perk with the school district

2008-06-14T10:07:00.003-11:00

I wasn't aware that I was put on a 10-month payment plan, like all teachers are. So I was quite happy to find out that my paychecks will keep coming through the beginning of September, and that my benefits last as long as well.

Thus, I have already been to the dentist and am getting my wisdom teeth pulled this summer. And I already got a new pair of glasses. Talk about good healthcare plans!

Bjørn can you think of any reason you need to go to the doctor? It's on me this time ;)

Gifts galore

2008-06-14T09:43:00.002-11:00

It seems just about every week Bjørn and I are getting gifts for people! In the last 2 months:

2 birthdays
2 graduations
1 baby shower
Mothers Day
Fathers Day

And I've got another baby shower Monday and a wedding reception at the end of the month. Spring sure is the time to be celebrating :) And I don't even wanna talk about summer!

My first day of freedom...

2008-06-13T13:41:00.003-11:00

began with Bjørn waking me up as he got dressed. Apparently he didn't get the memo that I am on vacation! After having breakfast with Bjørn-o and getting him out the door, I had a cup of coffee in my french press.

I then spent 2 hours sending out emails - I still have to get enough kids to register for summer school. AND, I applied for/set up an interview to work for Children's House International, a non-profit adoption agency located in Ferndale. Next Tuesday. I did a little watering of the herb garden (which due to lack of a camera chord, I have not put up any pictures of), and read outside in the sun. Yes, it was sunny today, windy, but sunny. Oh yeah, I also went through all my clothes and began the process of taking clothes to the local consignment store.

Now, I am going to make a pizza and wait for Bjørn to come home so we can go to Birch Bay for the evening - you never know, we could go another 3 weeks without sun!

This summer...

2008-06-03T14:20:00.007-11:00

Bjørn and I just decided to go with our East Van youth to build a house in Mexico again this summer. Two summers ago when I worked for New Beginnings, I helped to coordinate the trip, which was our first time going. And it was amazing. We built the 2000th home for YWAM's Sand Diego base.
Bjørn and I weren't going to sign up as leaders this summer because we didn't feel like God was pulling us that direction. But when the team couldn't find any guy leaders to go, we decided to step up and be the answer to that prayer (pretty cool how God can use any of us in that way). We're both stoked to be going...I can't really think of anything I'd rather be doing this summer.

Crashing the SeaTac airport.

Crashing Mexico

Fantastic Black Bean Soup!

2008-05-21T16:30:00.005-11:00

Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma. 2 Notes: #1) The ham hock/bone is the only tricky ingredient. I found out though that Safeway usually puts out ham bones in the meat section or you can ask at the deli. #2) I usually add double the lime juice and lots of salt & pepper...ya know black beans need a little doctoring ;)

Ingredients:
2 cups dried black beans
2 Tbs. canola oil
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
1 or 2 jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano
8 cups water
1/2 small ham hock or ham bone
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro, plus 6 to 8 sprigs
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
For the salsa cream:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. purchased fresh salsa
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the salsa cream:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. purchased fresh salsa
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Pick over the beans, discarding any misshapen beans and stones, and rinse well. In a large pot, combine the beans with cold water to cover by 3 inches. Soak for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Alternatively, for a quick-soak method, bring the beans and water to a rapid simmer (but do not boil), then simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the beans and set aside.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the chilies to taste, garlic, bell pepper, cumin, coriander and oregano. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened and the mixture is very aromatic, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the beans, water and ham hock, cover partially and simmer over medium heat until the beans are soft, 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours. Remove from the heat and discard the ham hock.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches, leaving some texture, and return the soup to the pot. Alternatively, process with a handheld blender in the pot until the desired consistency is reached. Add the lime juice, minced cilantro, salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, thin it with water. (If you prefer a velvety consistency, puree the soup until smooth, then pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan.) Reheat gently over medium heat.

Just before serving, make the salsa cream: In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lime juice, salsa, salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish each bowl with the salsa cream and a cilantro sprig. Serves 6 to 8.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Soup, by Diane Rossen Worthington (Simon & Schuster, 2001).

Becoming more Dutch

2008-05-15T04:13:00.008-11:00

After arriving at the cabin (2 1/2 weeks ago), Dan, Julie, Bjørn and I headed out towards La Conner to find the tulip fields. Bjørn promised us, as the driver, that he would find tulips. After 3 daffodil fields, and 4 already cut and cleared tulip fields, we finally found a small patch of tulips.

Then as we drove back to the highway, we came upon this field. Quite beautiful.

Julie, The Pink Tulip

Cabin pictures.

2008-05-14T19:20:00.004-11:00

Looking for tulips...but settled for daffodils.

It had been a long canoe adventure...we were wet and ready to be done.

(notice how I got stuck in the middle)

The guys hangin out

Feliz dia de la madre!

2008-05-11T12:03:00.002-11:00

WHAT?!, originally uploaded by The Enforcer.

Happy Mother's Day to my new mom.) (Sorry this is such a serious shot!

Fun in the Sun?

2008-05-10T07:39:00.003-11:00

Bjørn asked me last night if I could say in one phrase what I wanted this weekend to be, what would it be? I responded "Fun in the Sun." Unfortunately, we woke up this morning and once again, it is cloudy with no chance of sun.

At least we got to go for a picnic and walk at Lake Padden last night. I love how many different bodies of water we have within 30 min. of us!

And now, I am sitting on the couch as Bjørn makes me french toast and a smoothie. What a gem.

Koneecheewa Dan & Jurie!

2008-05-09T12:33:00.002-11:00

Say goodbye to these guys..., originally uploaded by The Enforcer.

Our x-roommates and good friends from TWU, Dan and Julie, are off to Korea to teach ESL and make cash money in a month! But they left BC and us this last weekend.

As a send-off, Bjørn and I set up using our Uncles' cabin (just south of Bham) at Cain Lake. The weather was awesome enough to spend a lot of time canoeing and boating out on the peaceful lake (no motorboats allowed)... and of course, a little Settlers in the evening! I still have yet to win a single Settlers game, yet somehow I am convinced it is a good game (weird?!).

We took lots of pictures, but they are all sitting on Dan and Julie's camera waiting to be uploaded and sent to me. So until then, here is a shot from February, when Jana, Julie and I had a girls weekend at the cabin.

P.S. I realize that "Koneecheewa" is Japanese, not Korean. One of our friends kept saying koneecheewa, because he didnt' know any Korean!

Fiesta Celebraccion

2008-05-09T12:14:00.001-11:00

Tamales in a pot, originally uploaded by The Enforcer.

For the last day of my after-school program session #1, I made tamales for all the students to try. We did tamales since both the outside (a corn husk) and the inside (maza) come from corn, and our whole unit was all about corn.

Boy, were they a major pain in the butt to make though! I was thinking since I was going to all the effort to make them, I'd prefer to make a big batch, like 2 dozen. I miscalculated a little and made enough maza for 4 dozen... Boy do those corn husks get exhausting to tie! Maybe one day I'll actually get to use banana leaves for the shell, like they do in Guatemala!

Our Sequim Weekend Getaway

2008-05-09T11:55:00.002-11:00

IMG_3100.JPG, originally uploaded by The Enforcer.

I finally posted pictures from when Bjørn and I went to Sequim (on the northern end of the Olympic Peninsula). Olympic game farm was the highlight. Lots of wild animals in your face. Literally.

family weekend.

2008-04-29T18:19:00.002-11:00

Bjørn's parents came up this weekend to celebrate Grandma Bulthuis' 85th birthday. The weather was nice enough to go outside for awhile.
Bjørn and I looked dazed and confused in this shot cuz we aren't accustomed to the brightness of a clear day.

TREES

2008-04-28T04:08:00.002-11:00

P.A.C.E. (after school classes) start again today and the unit is trees. I hope some of them bloom in the next 4 weeks!

25,000 words

2008-04-25T13:52:00.002-11:00

a day. apparently that's how much we talk.

That kinda makes me tired, and overwhelmed. How many of those words are spent building people up? And even more, how many of those words are spent bringing people down?

And I can't get this song out of my head right now.

this one's for marti

2008-04-22T13:14:00.002-11:00

My dear Aunt Marti is one those blog readers, who is very good about checking peoples' blogs and getting on family members (Peter will understand) when they drop the ball on updates. We're sorry. And yet, today for the first time, I asked myself, why doesn't Marti have a blog? (Sorry I had to tease just a little Marti!) She of course is right though, in bugging me.

Anyway, I haven't updated my blog for awhile, mostly because, aside from a quick weekend trip Bjørn and I took, my life has been depressing. Some of you might think that's a figure of speech, but I'm serious. I think I have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). I looked it up on wikipedia, and self-diagnosed. I mean honestly, what is going on with this weather?! When it started snowing a blizzard here in Lynden this Friday, I decided to just give up and ship myself FedEx express to Florida. Now some reading this may think, "Jenny, aren't you being a tad bit over-dramatic and exaggerative?" To which I would respond, "Have I ever been known to exaggerate in my whole ENTIRE life?!" ;)

In other news, as of yesterday, I am back on the job market. I had to ask my boss some tough questions about next school year, to which she replied like a champ, "I have no idea!" due to major budget cuts, and recommended I start looking up some other jobs. I truly appreciate having a boss that will straight-shoot me. Having found an awesome opportunity working with the county to plan low-income housing in Whatcom, I stayed up til 12:30am last night and worked until 4:30pm today to send in my application (15 pg. process).

And now I am exhausted. And have no idea what to make for dinner. Maybe I'll tell Bjørn we're not having dinner? :)

God's Gonna Cut You Down

2008-04-08T06:09:00.003-11:00

My dad has always had us listen to Johnny Cash growing up, but it's not until the last few years, I've come to understand his music. Jill had this song as her ringback tone on her cell, so we downloaded it the other day.

The video is alright, but the audio itself is powerful.

You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down

Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down

Well my goodness gracious let me tell you the news
My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee
He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John go do My will!"

Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down

Good Friday.

2008-03-25T18:21:00.004-11:00

We went here last Friday. Intense experience, beyond words.

New car...

2008-03-23T18:21:00.002-11:00

finally! 98 Nissan Sentra.

Why I feel so tired today.

2008-03-18T19:31:00.002-11:00

I made fourteen 5 and 6 year olds become my factory workers, complete with uniforms. One kid almost got fired. Good help is hard to find these days...
I inadvertently signed myself up for the Lynden Tribune to come and take pictures of my factory workers (hope they don't turn me in to the cops) and write an article about the after-school program.
As I was talking to the reporter, I realized I have no idea how to explain the after-school program. That was embarrassing.
Not realizing that the Lynden Tribune was the big newspaper for Lynden (kinda like Gazette-Times in Corvallis), I offered the writer to send in pictures that I would take on my $100 digital camera! That was double embarrassing.
I messed up on making a pie crust for the top of my apple pie, TWICE today.
Bjørn and I just got back from Community Group.

things i didn't know...

2008-03-17T13:25:00.002-11:00

or forgot.

to wear green to school! How bad of an idea was that, when I work with children?! (Note: I HATE being pinched!)
the shamrock is part of St. Patrick's Day because St. Patty himself used it as a missionary tactic to talk to the Irish about the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. My only question is: what do you do when an Irish lad finds a 4-leaf clover?
Only at Sumas can you openly talk about the religious roots of holidays without any fear of being politically incorrect.
My Spring resolution (why limit resolutions to only the New Year?) is to not kill any of my plants! In my defense, out of 12 plants, only 4 died over the winter: 2 from thirst, 1 from a freak disease, and the other 1 had a serious smoking problem--I always told him it would catch up with him...some plants just never listen.
Sauerkraut can tend to be a little "gassy" but cooking it in beer helps to neutralize the acidity of the sauerkraut. Recipezaar told me so! ;) Think I might try it with some spicy italian sausage tonight.

What a day...

2008-03-14T11:58:00.003-11:00

Bjørn and I have been stressing since last night about buying a car for sale down in Marysville. After driving down there last night (1 1/2 hrs from lynden), and waking up at 11:30pm to find out that Bjørn's car had overheated and he barely made it home, I was a little exhausted. And Bjørn was probably worse. We stayed up late trying to figure out everything financially and decide if we should get the car.

Needless to say it was a weird way to start my birthday. I then got a call at 6:30am from my boss asking if i could ride on a pre-school bus. I was already catching a ride to the school an hour before i was spose to be there, so I thought, 'at least i could get paid for my hour by riding the bus.' So I agreed. As soon as I got to Sumas, she had to drive me 15 min. down to the bus grounds (in Everson) and we missed the route by 5 min. After all that, I didn't work extra...but i did get paid extra. I didn't tell anyone it was my birthday, cuz it was such a funky start to a day it didn't really feel like a birthday...and I didn't want my boss feeling bad for me.

But my Aunt Kay, who was subbing the whole day at Sumas, bought me a cake at lunch (a delicious chocolate cake might i add), and had all my fourth grade kids sing me happy birthday. The rest of the afternoon passed with all the kids wishing me a happy birthday every time they saw me and saying, "You look so pretty", etc. 4th graders really can boost your self-esteem! She's a real gem.

I think in the end, I realized that birthdays are becoming less of a big deal to me. From being around kids, I remember thinking it was the BEST day ever! Now though, I feel like, "So you came out of your mom's wound one day, and now, we celebrate that day every single year?!" BUT of course, that's not to say I don't enjoy how special your friends and family make you feel on your birthday. :)

the pain, the agony!

2008-02-27T13:36:00.003-11:00

Who would've thought that 1 little bottle of nasal spray could cause so much pain, energy, and $? Before I left this weekend to visit my dear friend Stephanie in Seattle for a girls weekend of wedding dress shopping, I clumsily bumped a bottle of nasal spray into the toilet as it was flushing (stupid! stupid!).

I left without leaving a note. Bjørn thought I had plugged the toilet and spent part of the evening and the next morning unsuccessfully trying to unplug the toilet.

Finally, today I was able to get a plumber to come and fix the problem. He had to undo the toilet and turn it upside down to figure out that the bottle was stuck right in the track. I am awaiting him to give me the bill right now, but needless to say, this little bottle, worth $5.99 has been a lot of trouble. Oh, and the pain factor of the whole situation was most felt when we had to take trips to Safeway the last 4 days to go #2. NOT fun.

A forgotten love.

2008-02-19T17:35:00.003-11:00

Bjørn and I got back late (as in 11.15 pm) monday night from a family vacation to Big White Mountain, outside of Kelowna, BC. I forgot how much I love snowboarding. Hopefully I can get up to Baker a couple of times before the season ends.

Big White hosted a contest "Cruz the Blues" in which boarders can get "passports" that have a list of all the blue (aka intermediate) runs on the mountain. Each run has a sometimes hidden stamping post, which boarders find and stamp their passports. I got 27 stamps and Bjørn got 30. We definitely cruzed those blues!

Wildlife like you've never seen

2008-02-14T09:04:00.002-11:00

You HAVE got to check out Planet Earth by BBC. This movie has footage of animals in the wild that has never been seen before (and I am NOT usually into the national geographic/wildlife thing at all). It is a 5 disc set: I recommend the first disc because it is an overview of shots filmed all over the world. The most impressive shot visually is the shark catching a seal (which apparently took 18 months to catch on film)....and is INCREDIBLE.

The most interesting shot is an ariel view of a pack of wild dogs in south Africa hunting an impala. Also amazing. If you can check out the HD dvd version and watch it on a big screen, go for it. If not, call Jeff and Whit, and go to their apartment to watch it! ;)

Bjorn and I got the chance to watch it last night when we went Bjorn's uncles' latest completed buliding project, a $2 million + house in Semiahmoo. The house features a theatre room, complete with 2 rows of theater seats, as well as theater lighting that automatically dims as you turn the projector system on. It was THEE best designed, state of the art, way over the top, deluxe design we have seen. Bjorn and I were proud to be related to the Eides of Eide Homes construction company.

From Field to Table!

2008-02-09T11:43:00.000-11:00

When I was first hired at Sumas Elementary, part of the understanding was that I would shadow an E.L.L. (English Language Learners) after school program at Everson Elementary, with the intention of running the same program at Sumas after Christmas. Welp, this Monday I start my own ELL after school class. Of the 13 kids invited, all 13 accepted (which apparently NEVER happens, according to my principal). Right now, I will be in charge of all 13 children, ages 5-7, with no extra help!

The curriculum will be exciting, because we get to learn all about how food travels from the field to the table, and will do so by talking about corn! Yes, Corn. We will eat corn, make cornbread, corn pancakes, and maybe even tamales. We will read stories about corn, color cobs, learn about a tortilla factory and act out our own popcorn ball factory! Art projects, movies, and more. I hope it will be a great time! (and not too stressful...)

In case you didn't see...

2008-02-09T10:33:00.000-11:00

Jeff & Whitney posted some wedding shots from my dad's wedding. I have yet to see the rest, but these are pretty dang good.

Living out the Victorian life.

2008-01-30T18:37:00.000-11:00

While looking for a spot for a romantic weekend getaway around Valentine's day, I found and fell in love with this castle. And it's in the Tacoma area!

Not only is it a bed & breakfast with private room/bathrooms, you can also schedule murder mysteries for you and your friends when you stay at Thornwood Castle. We are DEFINITELY taking a trip here one day (a day when we have more $, cuz it ain't that cheap)!

Finally, I can live out my dream of being Elizabeth Bennett, spending the afternoon touring the grounds, the early evening in the great hall, and the late evening being Lady Violet (of the game Clue) and solve the murder of Professor Plum!

Say What?

2008-01-29T05:15:00.000-11:00

Can anyone else believe how much snow we've had in Northern Washington this year?! This is like the 5th time for Lynden, and by far the prettiest. School was actually cancelled today. Every other time it's snowed it's been on the weekends. The snow just keeps falling so I think I will indulge myself in some reading, and then finish up a few very belated thank-you cards.

Tonight, our community group is (hopefully! depending on weather) going to a lecture at UBC on the topic of "Does God exist?" between theist Dr. William Lane Craig and atheist Dr. John Robert Shook. I looked up some of the articles written by each of the speakers, and it looks like it should be an interesting debate, very philosophical in nature, of course.

down in East Van

2008-01-26T14:03:00.001-11:00

Since Bjorn was going to Seattle this weekend with Earl, a friend from Church, for the Bibletech conference (I know, I know, the epitamy of Christianity meets computer nerd! ;)), I decided to head up to Vancouver to see my youth.

We spent friday night going to the TWU vs. UBC basketball game, playing guitar hero, and eating gross food at the cafeteria. I spent the night at Carla's with a couple of girls that came over for a sleep-over. Saturday while I was out for coffee with Carla, it started snowing hard, and we had to walk 6 blocks home. We got about two blocks before we were soaking and cold, so we finally called some one to pick us up.

Saturday evening was young adults bible study and as always, LOTS of card games! It seems every time I visit some one living in a big city (whether it's Portland, Seattle or Vancouver) it reminds me of how badly I want to be a city girl. Bjørn and I have both been feeling a strong pull towards the city, but we know it won't be 'til further down the road. For now, we are living it up and loving it in Lynden!

much worse

2008-01-26T14:02:00.001-11:00

the next day, i walked around like a robot, all stiff and in pain.

BootCamp

2008-01-24T19:48:00.000-11:00

i went to an aerobics class last night for the first time. The title of the class was "bootcamp." I took this title a little too lightly thinking it wouldn't be that bad. But today, I definitely feel like I have been through a day of bootcamp! Every major muscle in my body is stiff and sore...trying to sit on the floor with kids did NOT happen easily!

I fear that tomorrow will be worse...

Newlyweds!

2008-01-22T18:03:00.000-11:00

So the young and youthful Gregory Christensen and Jeanette Poulsom were officially married this saturday at Jeanette's home in Corvalllis, Oregon. The Weekend started off with a quick and easy rehearsal, followed by an elegant, yet relaxed dinner in the private room at the new location of Iovino's restaurant in downtown Corvallis. Jeff, Whitney, Bjørn and I stayed after the dinner for a late night comedy show that followed the dinner.

The ceremony was held at 2:00pm, Saturday afternoon. Jill played piano, a strong selection of "Phantom of the Opera" for the ceremony. The living room and dining room were transformed into a ceremony setting, with just over 50 people fitting. Jeanette walked down to "Beauty and the Beast." I opened the ceremony with Bible readings from Gen. 2:18-24 and Eph. 5:28, 33. Jeanette's twin grandkids were the ring bearer and flower girl, and her elder grandson (only 6years old) walked her down the aisle. Judge (and good friend of my dad) Dave Connell led the ceremony. It was followed by a "light lupper," my father's mix of a lunch and supper. The most fun element of the reception was taking a group shot (48 people total I believe) outside the house. Greg and Jeanette left for a brief honeymoon at the Oregon Coast, to be lated topped by honeymoon part II to Disneyland and Vegas. I know, totally the Christensen style!

the old married women?

2008-01-17T14:44:00.000-11:00

I had the most bizarre "moment of reflection" last night. I went to a friend's birthday party at his house, the mansion (where Bjørn lived 3rd year of twu). First thing was I forgot what it was like to live with college roommates, cuz I couldn't handle how messy the kitchen was, and I had to tell myself, 'Jenny, get a grip! Bjørn lived here and it never bugged you before!' Then as more and more people started to arrive and we began to talk about what we do, etc., I became more aware about how much different my life is now in comparison to 7 months ago. It wasn't until that second, that I actually FELT all the changes I have gone through. I wound up clinging to my married girl friend, as we both realized we were the only married girls there--or even girls in "serious relationships" there! everyone was single!--as well as the only working women there. We both commented on how we were tired of big groups and parties, and prefer hanging out in small groups. I actually felt overdressed (having just come from work meeting)! And finally, Bjørn and I had to leave at 8:15, cuz we were both tired and wanted to get sleep. All I could do was laugh as I walked away from the party that night, realizing that for once, I felt old!

It was the first time being in a group of people my age that I actually felt older! I always feel younger, due to shortness and "childlike face." I have felt a little annoyed the past couple months with my friends that have treated me different because I am a married woman, and thus think I "don't ever want to hang out" or "only want to be with Bjørn." But last night, I felt for the first time that I am different. But being married is only 1 factor of the new equation that is my life. I've also graduated university, moved out from under my dad, and found a career style job. And for a lot of my friends from university, those changes won't happen for another year or two. So I guess it will be interesting to see what happens to all of us and our lives in the next 2 years. And if I've changed this much in 7 months, who knows what I'll be like then!

another kid moment.

2008-01-13T17:32:00.000-11:00

setting the scene: the teacher is telling the kids about how back in the early history of the United States, the government forced Native American children to go to school to learn English.

boy: "What if they didn't go to school? Would they go to jail?"

teacher: "Well, yes probably that is what happened. I don't know for sure."

girl: "Yeah, they'd make them go to prison. That's happened to other people in history. Like Rosa Parks. She went to jail for sitting in the wrong bus seat... I mean come on, it's just a freaking bus seat! What's the big deal?" (as she throws her arms up in the air)

teacher: "I think we might be confusing two different kinds of situations..." (as she and I try not to laugh.)

I know, I know, I'm becoming too much like Bill Cosby on "Kids Say the Darndest Things"...but this is part of what makes working with kids so much fun.

A bulimic experience

2008-01-13T16:29:00.000-11:00

Those dang elementary kids, with their running noses and coughing little mouths got to me again with another cold. This time though, I put up a good fight and used every defense medicine I was recommended by teachers-and let me tell you, boy, do they have their recommendations! Every time some one in the staff lounge heard that I was starting to get sick I was asked, "Are you taking your airbourne?!"

"Are you taking your Zicam? Every four hours?!"

"Don't forget to gargle your salt water!"

As if there should be no reason I had any flu symptoms if I was obeying these rules! I did make it through the whole work week, to come home friday afternoon to a 3 1/2 hour nap and then a 13 hour sleep. I was feeling so good by Sunday that when we had our aunt and uncle, Mike and Marti, and Marika over for lunch, I thought 'Jenny, it's fine for you to eat the monte cristo sandwiches you made, even though they are deep fried in oil!'

Three hours later, I woke up in pain, feeling that I might throw up. It got to the point, where terrible as I felt, throwing up was not going to happen...I told Bjørn I should almost make myself throw up and he thought it was a great idea. That way I'd feel better after! So there I sat leaned over the toilet trying to gag myself.

I must admit I feel much better now, but today is the closest I have come to feeling like I was bulimic. Bjørn joked with me that now I would become addicted to it, but I assured him that burning throat afterwards would keep me away from that option.

So hopefully, after a good nights sleep and an empty stomach I will be ready for work again on Monday! ;)

Red HOT Bash 2008

2008-01-02T14:12:00.001-11:00

red hot bash ladies, originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor.

For those of you who won't see Bjørn's dad's blog, New Year's Eve was celebrated in excellent style this year at Mars Hill's "Red HOT Bash."

The evening was started off with dinner at the Hi-Life restaurant, an old historic fire station converted to restaurant, in Ballard. After dinner the whole Eide clan drove up to Cary Park to check out the hottest view of the space needle and downtown Seattle. Talk about gorgeous!

The Mars Hill ballard campus turned their sanctuary into a "posh" club, hired a professional band, Bobby Medina & The Red Hot Band, which played everything from motown to salsa to funk. Bjørn and I danced the night away, and I was pleasantly surprised to see most of the Eides and Bulthuises step out onto the floor. It's one thing to celebrate the new year with a party, but it's a whole nother element, to celebrate it with the whole fam! (13 of us in all)

Michael, Marti and I were SURE it was the biggest party happening in Seattle, cuz afterall, we were at it. ;)

Check out Mars Hill for more photos.

x-mas and since...

2007-12-27T07:36:00.000-11:00

It snowed on Christmas: Bjørn and I had a bit of white for our first christmas together. And it's been snowing everyday since.
has anyone noticed that "x-mas" is fading out? Jeff noted that at dinner last night.
I hate the movie "I am Legend" but i think that's mostly 'cuz my hand was sore afterwards from squeezing Bjørn's hand so hard for 2 hours.
When Bjørn and I went out with Jeff and Whitney and Dad and Jeanette last night for dinner and a movie, we realized that couple-wise we felt a little backwards: Jeff and Whit are the old farts, Bjørn and I the newlyweds, and Dad and Jeanette, the young & the foolish (a.k.a. engaged)
I don't think I've heard "Frosty the Snowman" the entire X-mas season: maybe it as well is fading out of pop culture x-mas
Bjørn & I finally bought a standing lamp for our dark living room: but we did buy it half price. Jill called us "freaking bargain shoppers" and I don't know why I actually felt embarrassed. Apparently, I am slowly becoming Dutch, but not enough yet to be proud of it! haha.
Borders bookstore, the social hangout of Corvallis, has now changed the status for when you look up a book or cd from "in store" to "probably in store." Bjørn and I decided that status was useless. I could've already guessed that the cd I wanted was "probably" there. The whole reason I went to look it up, was to see if they did actually carry it. I wonder what situation brought upon the need to add the "probably"? Perhaps an angry customer that started yelling because the book that said it was "in store" was not on the shelf? Interesting.
Jeff & Whitney gave Bjørn a sign for our house that says: A good marriage is like ... It just keeps getting better and better.
The OSU beavers play at 5.30pm tomorrow, and thus Bjørn and I must make it to Southworth to start round 2 of x-mas by 5.30pm (at the latest!)

*I purposely used "x-mas" for the entire blog--I'm SO cross-cultural ;)

Why I Love My Job

2007-12-20T06:19:00.000-11:00

The Funny Moments

(while helping a kid during "writing workshop")

"Oh shoot, I couldn't fit that sentence on that line." 1st grade boy

"Well you can just write it down here." me

"No, i'm gonna have to write P.S. That's what you write when you don't have enough space to put something!" boy

(while waiting with 2nd graders for the bus)

"Let's talk about what we're going to do this weekend. How about you honey?" 2nd grade teacher

"I am going over to a friends house tonight, AND WE are going to have a sleep-over. Oh, and I'm the president of the United States." 2nd grade girl

"Take a bow." Teacher

[girl bows and everyone claps]

"Teacher, can I go to the office to get a new shirt?" 1st grade boy, again!

"Why is your shirt all wet?" me

"Oh well, you see I was going to the bathroom, and it just got in the way. There was nothing I could do about it." boy

"Mrs. B, my arm is broken." 1st grade girl

"Are you sure it's actually broken?" me

"Well, it hurts really really bad." girl

"Ok, well go tell Mrs. DeHoog." me (avoiding the situation, haha.)

And the touching...

2nd grade students were writing a response to "If I were a gift, I would be a _______, and I would give myself to _________."

2nd grade boy: I would be a bible and give myself to my best friend Mark so he could learn about God.

2nd grade boy: I would be myself. and give myself to my dad because he only gets to see me twice a year! (in good news, the boy is currently with his dad for a week in California)

I would tell you more of their responses, but these 2 already had me crying.

Merry Christmas to all the little children of the world, and of Sumas Elementary!

Back by popular demand

2007-12-12T12:24:00.000-11:00

for those who have been asking [Bjørn's family] here is my Christmas list. And I'm doing it in true Bjørn style with links and everything ;)

Misc.
mini swiss army knife in mint Urban Outfitters
ginger perfume (& other origins ginger products) Macys

gift certificate to Anthropologie

a new purse Urban Outfitters

rosanna plates Amazon

Print.

Women Behind Bars Amazon
The Radical Reformission Amazon

as well as theology and any classic fiction, esp. in hardcover, older/used editions

Tunes.

Carnival, Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant Wyclef Jean

Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane

Why am I buying children's books?

2007-12-10T13:14:00.000-11:00

I guess this is the result of working at an elementary school all day with primary kids, and having a book fair at the school!

Fancy Nancy though, is an amazing books series, all about this little girl, who always wants to be fancy and use fancy words! Bjørn actually bought me the first book as an audible book online. For any mothers with young girls, read her these books! I just bought Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy today.

The other book I bought today is called, Jazz on a Saturday Night. I

didn't know they wrote good children's books about Jazz music. This book has an introduction about the history of jazz, and mentions the classics: Miles Davis, Max Roach, Charlie Parker, Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Stanley Clarke and of course Ella Fitzgerald. The book even comes with a cd with the song: Jazz on a Saturday Night.

Up to date

2007-12-10T12:56:00.000-11:00

It has snowed 2 weekends in a row in Lynden (and school hasn't been cancelled once!)
I have finally been on the Chuckanut Dr. (Bjørn took me as part of saturday date night)
Last night, Bjørn and I went to Bethel Christian Reformed Church for their advent service. This is the church that Bjørn's grandma has attended for years. She was quite excited to see us there
Bjørn's grandma calls me Jennifer: I think when I am a grandma I'm going to call everyone by their full names and say "that's lovely darling" like the grandma from Happy Gilmore--anyone remember her?
Bjørn and I are planning on going to Bethel every Sunday night during Advent.
We went over to Doug and Pam's (Bjørn's uncle & aunt) for coffee afterwards
Bjørn and I discovered after working out at Homestead at 10'oclock last night that the entire city of Lynden is dead after 10. As Bjørn said, "We OWN this city at night."
Bjørn-of all people!- dropped his iPod while running on the treadmill, and reacted by telling me that I was not allowed to use my iPod on the treadmill! (because if he can drop it, then I FOR SURE will drop it! I love my husband ;))
I think the staff was laughing at us while we ran side by side on our treadmills both wearing headphones and not talking to each other.
why am i ALWAYS cold?

Ch-ch-check your self

2007-12-09T21:00:00.000-11:00

"Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." II John 8-9

Johnny (my pastor) did a good job of reminding me today how crucial it is that we cannot lose Jesus in our theology. Today, in so much of the emerging church people are "go(ing) on ahead" by presenting new concepts of God and church, and somehow so much of the time Jesus is gradually pushed to the side and slowly forgotten. Don't get me wrong, new ideas can be good and are important to challenge the church, but it seems that so many major doctrines that are the foundation of Christianity are being replaced today.

But the apostle John is so very clear that if we do not abide in the teaching of Christ, we do NOT have God. I don't often think of how easily I could lose God, but in our universalist minded society we must all constantly be watching ourselves. The second I start to acknowledge other ways of knowing God, I sacrifice my Jesus, and he "died for nothing!" (Gal. 2:21)

And that would be the most tragic mistake of my life.

Hello and welcome December!

2007-12-01T11:23:00.000-11:00

Once again the snow has hit Lynden, just in time to welcome in December and the Christmas season!

But there's a "little" wind that comes through Lynden and Blaine from over the North Easten mountains, infamously named the "North Easter" which Bjørn and I just discovered is biblical! (those good 'ol dutchmen;)) This wind creates huge snow drifts and keeps very much snow from sticking on the ground. So even though it's been snowing all day only an inch of so has stuck on the grounds. Not to mention, this wind makes it absolutely freezing ALL the time!! Even though I've lived in Langley for the last 4 years, I was never told about this positively terrible wind that apparently only exists in Lynden. I've got to get an even warmer jacket!

The snow was a nice sight to wake up to, esp. since I've spent wednesday afternoon until this morning in bed due to a bad case of the flu. I have survived though and was able to go out in public for the first time today...just to the Woods coffee shop. But every bit counts! I also did a little more decorating today.

Bjørn bought the Charlie Brown Christmas album, so we're been grooving to that the last couple of days. I love this one:

Who needs Cabo?

2007-11-26T19:46:00.001-11:00

when you got snow like this?!

Bjørn and I are waiting for the phone call we inevitably will get from Jeff, if not in the next couple of days, the day he is home, asking us how the weather is there. His answer of course will be, "It's 90 degrees here. I just got a sunburn."But it's nights like these where you step outside to do the recycling to realize the whole outside world is covered in a soft white blanket. The good ol Northern Northwest!

Bjørn is quite grumpy about going outside with me.

Ready to hit the snow

And here's a shot of the inside of our house: just the first flavor of Christmas.

The Kitchen

Check out the rest at my flickr.

Now that's the way to do Thanksgiving...

2007-11-25T16:10:00.001-11:00

Turkey time with eighteen, originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor.

10 pounds heavier, 5 huge meals, and 4 family visits later, Bjørn and I just crashed from Thanksgiving weekend! We both had busy work weeks, Bjørn having to work 2 12-hr days in order to get black friday off (since he works in Canada) and me working late due to conferences (I had to translate a couple of them--stressful!)

Bjørn's parents pulled into town around 8ish on Wednesday, while I was making rolls at Aunt Marti's. My family arrived late, like 1 am style late, to Lynden Wednesday night. We took my family to the Eide compound (Bjørn's mom's side of the family) for Thanksgiving dinner thursday evening. I have always, always wanted a big family thanksgiving, but growing up hadn't ever had one. So this Thanksgiving was a huge treat to have my whole family there--totaling 18 people!

The next evening Bjørn and I went with his immediate family over to Bjørn's dad, Peter's, side of the family, the Bulthuis' get-together, also in Lynden! Friday, we again spent with the Eide family, and today was finished off with Bjørn's parents and brother, Calvin going to church with us in Abottsford.

I've never had so much family around to spend Thanksgiving with! It is a huge a blessing, but already I am getting tired again just writing about the weekend... ;)

loving the bennys!

2007-11-15T18:19:00.000-11:00

Yesterday, I had my new employee orientation, which was summed up a 1 hr. meeting with the HR specialist 1-on-1 going over everything. Not only, am I able to get good medical coverage for Bjørn and I at a good rate, along with dental and vision retirement, but they offer memberships at homestead fitness center at the homestead member rate. I was THRILLED about this because the center includes a huge gym, indoor/outdoor pool, indoor/outdoor hot tub, pool and aerobics classes, and tanning beds. The best part though of course is that it is open 24 hrs a day. Oh yeah!! So now, Bjørn and I know exactly what to do when we're bored at home (esp. since it's about 4 minutes away).

You just gotta love working for the school district!

Jerry did it again!

2007-11-12T19:41:00.000-11:00

Tonight I went with all the Eide girls: Kay, Bria, Marti and Marika to see the Bee Movie. Good ol Jerry Seinfeld was the lead bee character, Barry, and I must say it was pretty funny. I found the "bee jokes" to be amusing, rather than overdone, and the plot provided a good lesson in the importance of bees. Without giving away the story, the bees go to court to demand that humans stop taking away all their honey and forcing bees to live on huge bee farms. But the end result of returning the honey is not what the bees expected. There was a subtle theme I found rather applicable to our present culture. Barry demands for the complete freedom and separation of honey from humans, only to find that complete bee liberation and separation is not the best, not only for humans, but bees alike.

Some pretty good messages for being a "kids movie"!

Mark 7.21-23

2007-11-09T09:59:00.001-11:00

"For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these things come from within, and they defile a person."

This was in my reading this morning. Pretty fitting for the blog I wrote this morning. Way to hit me with that one, God.

CORAZONES.hearts

2007-11-09T06:03:00.000-11:00

I guess I should introduce this video. Daddy Yankee is the biggest Reggaeton star today. He was named in the 100 Most Influential People article in the April 30, 2006 of TIME magazine. Reggaeton is a style of music that blends Jamacian reggae with Latino merengue and bachata with hip hop and rap. Most of the rap is done in Spanish, although Daddy Yankee uses a lot of Spanglish (English and Spanish mixed). It is huge in Latino America and growing around the world. When I was in Guatemala, everyone listened to Daddy Yankee, from out in the park to the dance clubs and bars.

I found this video on YouTube yesterday, and was pretty shocked at its seriousness. I admire Daddy Yankee's boldness to address such major world issues.
(I provided the English translation, so be forewarned that it is a combo of free online translation alongside my own interpretation, and thus quite imperfect. But for those who do not speak Spanish, a majority of you, it is sufficient.)

[text at the beginning]Annually, 80,000 Latin American children are murdered in their own homes

[Rap]
Situations of millions of hearts!
If the looks killed, To' the time I’d use a gavana (don’t know the translation)
A cure accompanied me
A caravan following me
If it was up to my enemies, by their hands, at the table they would take me
A viper of meat and vinegar drink
They would crucify me in a crude and murderous act
But they are mistaken, my God raises me with health and life
If it was up to the government, rappers would not exist
They would deliver us to jail and give us the death penalty
There is one that tramples and the one that helps all human beings
There is a good friend who is real as a brother
Blood weighs more than water,
And Dirty blood exists, set in each of us since Cain and Abel

Because there are...
Hearts with envy
Hearts with anger
Hearts with fury
Situations of millions of hearts with fear
sincere Hearts
warlike Hearts
treacherous Hearts

I am the capital of the capital of the crime
AND in the air a spirit of death is perceived that devours what lives
If I met all the hamlets
Proposing a truce in name of the ones that have gone Without fear,
I would tell them "My people, I, am the only brave one here. ..”
"That calls upon them that innocent blood not be spilled...”
"Settle things as men, and and do not fail each other ..”
But it is a lost dream
Like seeing the 3 united parties Fighting for the good of Puerto Rico

They do not see that education is poor in the housing projects
They need more teachers, need materials
To create more leaders and fewer criminals
There are hearts there with personal problems
If I were to give him back the time
He would heal the wounds of the teacher throughout his body
He’d stop the hands of that centurion with his spear
But within the same act, they would massacre me
The lowering of the cross remains morbid
But he had to die to save the world

It’s that the world's hearts ...
believed wise in their own opinion... ...
But perish at its end ...
Because they walk on the way to perdition ....
There are hearts that do not forgive their brothers ...
But, you know ...
That God himself will not forgive their sins ...
There are hearts that help without asking for anything in return ...
And their nobility seeks progress on a daily basis ...

[Spoken at the end]
There are treacherous hearts... That like to deceive the sincere hearts...
but more valuable is a second than all the money in the entire world...
And that heart exists that is harmful...
which torments us with fallen angels...
But there is a heart more powerful which protects us...
That never and will never be defeated ..
And the one that seeks will find it...
Forever you will be blessed...
You who take refuge in wisdom...

[text at the end]More small hearts, more hatred shelters. ~Victor Hugo

Original Spanish:
Anualmente 80,000 ninos latinoamericanos son asesinados dentro de sus propios hogares

Si las miradas mataran
To' el tiempo usara una gavana
Un cura me acompañara
Siguiendome una caravana
Si fuera por mis enemigos, a la mesa me trairían
Una víbora de carne y vinagre de bebid
Me cruzificaran en un acto crudo y homicida
Pero se equivocan, me levanta mi Dios con salud y vida
Si por el gobierno fuera, los raperos no existieran
Nos lanzan al calabozo y con la pena muerte nos dieran
Esta el que pisotea y el que ayuda al ser humano
Existe el buen amigo que es leál como un hermano
La sangre pesa mas que el agua, pero midela bien
Existe sangre sucia, fijate en Cain y Abel

Porque hay...
Corazones con envidia
Corazones con ira
Corazones con furia
Situaciones de millones de corazones
Con miedo
Corazones sinceros
Corazones guerreros
Corazones traicioneros

Soy de la capital de la capital del crimen
Y en el aire se percibe
Un espiritu de muerte que devora lo que vive
Si fuera por mi reuniría a todos los caseríos
Proponiendo una tregua en nombre de los que se han ido
Sin miedo, yo les diría
"Mi gente, yo solamente aqui soy un valiente..."
"Que les pide que no derramen ya la sangre inocente..."
"Arreglen como hombres, y no se fallen mutuamente..."
Pero se que es un sueño perdido
Como ver a los 3 partidos unidos
Luchando por el bien de Puerto Rico
No ven que es mediocre la educación en los residenciales
Necesitan mas maestros, necesitan materiales
Para crear mas líderes y menos criminales
Hay corazones allí con problemas personales
Si por mi fuera le daría para atras al tiempo
Sanaría las heridas del maestro en todo su cuerpo
Paraba las manos de aquel centurion con su lanza
Tambien en el acto me tendrian que dar matanza
Lo bajaría de la cruz estando moribundo
Pero tuvo que morir para salvar al mundo

Es que en el mundo hay corazones...
Que se creen sabios en su propia opinión...
Pero cavann en su fin...
Porque andan en camino de perdición....
Hay corazones que no perdonan a sus hermanos...
Pero, tu sabes...
Que asi mismo Dios no los perdonará por sus pecados...
Hay corazones que ayudan sin pedir nada a cambio...
Y por su nobleza encuentran el progreso a diario...
Hay corazones traicioneros...
Que le gusta engañar a los corazones sinceros...
Pero mas vale segundo que el dinero del mundo entero...
Y existe aquel corazon maligno...
Que nos atormenta con angeles caídos...
Pero hay un corazón mas poderoso que nos protege...
Que jamas y nunca será vencido...
Y el que lo busque y lo encuentre...
Para siempre sera bendecido...
Refugiate en sabiduría...

Cuanto mas pequeno el corazon, mas odio alberga. ~Victor Hugo

Holla-ween!

2007-11-03T21:01:00.001-11:00

custom designed tombstones, originally uploaded by The Enforcer.

Bjørn and I decided to throw a Halloween party. We went all out decorating the house on a "limited" budget. Thus, I spent a lot of time on martha stewart online to find creative ways to create decorations. It was a lot of fun. I know Halloween gets a bad rap for being an evil time, and I know that a lot of bad stuff does happen, but I gotta say I really enjoy the neighbors being out, and kids and adults alike dressing up in costumes and having parties! It's got some fun stuff too.

Check out the rest of the photo gallery on my flickr.

Does the tree of life...

2007-10-25T13:36:00.000-11:00

...in Genesis 3:24 still exist on the Earth? Is it still being guarded by cherubim and a totally awesome flaming sword that turns in every direction? -Ask Anything, Mars Hill Church

K, so I totally stole this post from Bjørn, but we did find this question together so I guess it's not fully a theft. right? Anyway, Ask Anything is Mars Hill newest q&a site, in which anyone can write a question to head pastor Mark Driscoll, and then people can vote for which questions they want him to answer, and at the end of the week, he writes a response to the #1 question. Pretty cool idea.

And anyone that knows Bjørn and I well, know that we are big fans of Mars Hill and Driscoll. Being somewhat techny nerds (Bjørn= way techy nerd; I =only a little bit. I try to balance him out!), we always listen in to the Mars Hill podcast. Nothing like a good sermon on a friday evening! haha kidding. Not kidding though: after going to the locally famous Nuthouse Bar & Grill last Saturday night, while i fell asleep on the couch, Bjørn and a couple of guy friends spent an hour and a half watching Driscoll and Piper videos on Youtube. The epitamy of theology meets technology nerds.

This video is pretty funny though. Worth checking out and laughing about.
"Be a Man"

Guess WHO came to visit?

2007-10-24T19:21:00.000-11:00

Jill came up two weekends ago (I know poor form on the late blog posting-alas, i am human). The weather was amazing, and we had an awesome time. Friday, we went to an apple orchard, south of lynden on ten mile road, because I had observed the last time I was there that they had golf carts free of charge that anyone could drive around their orchard. Jill and I way took advantage of that and drove around for an hour. Most other people probably would have gone for about 20 minutes.
Yes, I stole an apple.
Crazy 'Ol Maurice
Saturday, we babysat 3 little boys from our church that Bjørn and I are good friends with. We started out with skateboarding-these boys are pretty hardcore, especially the 4-year-old. And then we took them to a local pumpkin patch (stoney ridge on the Van Dyk, for those of you that would know). I love these boys, and even get to babysit them again on friday.

Confession: I bawled after Jill left. There's just something about moving away from family, and getting to be around your best girl friend, that hit me after she was gone. But the whole familia will be up for Thanksgiving, so I can be patient. I think.

in the waiting process...

2007-10-15T06:24:00.000-11:00

The principal at Sumas Elementary is finally back from her vacation in Korea. She said that today she will be talking with a couple of other principals to work out moving some $ around to fund my official job. She also said that hopefully within this week, she could get me going as a substitute until the official job falls into place.

It is good to have more security. But for now, I am still on the waiting front.

So far, I have only been working as an assistant in the after school program at the neighboring school, Everson Elementary, 3 days a week. It is already a lot of fun, and I can't wait to work more one-on-one with the ESL kids.

introducing Senora Bulthuis

2007-10-02T16:41:00.000-11:00

That is right, may I introduce you to the head of the brand new ESL department at Sumas Elementary School, myself. In a somewhat bizarre last couple days, I went to Sumas Elementary for an observation/interview for a position working one-on-one with special needs kids at the school. During my interview with the principal she actually asked me how interested I would be in doing something ESL related and using my spanish skills to work with the 20+ new Hispanic students in the school. I was thrilled. She is in the process of figuring out funding and setting up the official job, but until that process is completed she has hired me on as a substitute para educator (which get paids a good rate, just no benefits yet).

My job will basically consist of working one-on-one and in small groups with the Non-Native English speakers from 12-3pm, adjusting the level of language to their comprehension levels, which involves some translation into Spanish. I will then be "shadowing" two ESL teachers at Everson Elementary who run an after-school ESL program. The hope is after a couple of months of shadowing this after school program I will start a similar program at Sumas Elementary.

Currently, there is only 1 other TESL certified teacher at Sumas, who has a basic level of Spanish. Therefore, I am as equally if not the most qualified ESL teacher for the school, which is quite a different feeling for me. But I definitely need to study some Spanish vocabulary and hopefully with a little practice, I will get back into the hang of speaking it. I'm SOO excited!

Mexican Fiesta

2007-09-30T17:53:00.000-11:00

I completely forgot to take pictures today, but Bjørn and I threw one kick butt Mexican fiesta for the Eide clan as a thank-you for the honeymoon present they gave us. It was complete with homemade spicy salsa, mango salsa, guacamole, enchiladas, shrimp soft tacos, black bean-corn ensalada, mexican rice and cinnamon crisps for dessert! Just writing about it now, makes me hungry all over again. Luckily we have lots of leftovers.

Once again, thank you Eides for the King suite at the Grand Mayan, Cancun style. Increible!

signed Jenny & Bjørn

The New Vintage.242

2007-09-27T10:14:00.000-11:00

So our church has moved not only to Sunday mornings at 9:45am, but we also decided to hit up a new spot, the Grand 6 cinemas on Fraser Hwy in Abbotsford. Bjørn and I have have a bit of a rough adjustment as we've had to be there at 7.30 or 8.00 am Sunday mornings for the past 3 weeks. So far, the new setup is great, and a bunch of different people have been coming.

Anyway, here is a picture of the "lobby"/theater concession stand. Click here, to see our friend, Chris Madge's shots of the theater. Oh and check out the vintage website that Bjørn is always updating. (He is working on creating a members site...very cool.)

2007-09-24T16:22:00.000-11:00

After rejoicing about a canceled camping trip, Bjørn and I spent Saturday going to the bank to finally add me to the account. That's right folks, i have full access to Bjørn's $$ (well technically, i'm still waiting for the temporary debit card, but almost!) Bjørn then spent the rest of the day serving me by meticulously cleaning the kitchen, making me lunch, and setting up an "at-home-date." We made pizza, using my bread machine to make the dough, and as you can tell from the picture, it was quite delicious. We are both enjoying learning to make good food.

Sunday was again a very early morning as Bjørn and I did set-up, he played in worship team, and I lead Kids Sunday school. We went out to lunch at Swiss Chalet, a Canadian classic. After a busy morning, we again returned to Lynden to take a Sunday nap. Dillon Honcoop and his girlfriend, Tiff, stopped by later in the day to invite us to all-you-can-eat fish-n-chips at BossTweed in Bellingham. What a treat it was.

Wedding photo time.

2007-09-21T11:37:00.001-11:00

4919Rh08.JPG
Originally uploaded by The Enforcer

Guess who got flickr back?

2007-09-19T07:36:00.000-11:00

It took a big long fight but I finally got my flickr account back, and it feels BEAUTIFUL! That means i got months of pictures to catch up on. Todays shots are the couple i got from my grad weekend up in B.C. Enjoy. Much more to come. (including Wedding shots, so be patient.)

down down down time

2007-09-16T15:07:00.000-11:00

After a busy week and a quick weekend visit to Southworth to spend the day with Bjørn's family, Bjørn and I got up around 6am this morning to help out at church. I was in charge of leading sunday school today and Bjørn helped with set-up, clean up and running the powerpoint during church. We had about 15 new people at church today. It is cool to see a variety of people coming to Vintage. By noon, we were exhausted, and barely made it home to take a 3 1/2 hour nap. I woke up to Bjørn making dinner (and watching video podcasts of course).

Sometimes, down time can be the best thing before the beginning of a new week. Tuesday I am meeting the head of Human Resources for the Lynden School District to discuss a temporary 4-6 week fill in job as an ESL Paraeducator. Just getting my foot in the door ;) That's the latest from the land of the Dutch.

New house, new life.

2007-09-06T05:50:00.001-11:00

Thanks to the help of Bjørn's family and Mike and Marti, Bjørn and I fully moved into our new house. I CANNOT tell you how good it feels! I am so glad we chose the house over an apartment. Having space is great. Anyway, here is a pic. or two of the outside so you can get an idea of what the place looks like. Unfortunately, no internet til next Wednesday, so don't expect any blogs before then!

(This is taken when I first saw the place, so this is the previous renter's decorations)

Becoming Dutch

2007-08-16T18:52:00.001-11:00

After all the uncertainty with where we were going to live, Bjorn and I wound up living in Lynden, WA at the Eide compound (where Bjorn lived and worked for 2 summers).

Bjorn made such an impression on all the TWU computer science guys, that they hired him on as a full-time programmer, developing software for financial aid. We are staying with the extended fam for now. But we just set up a lease for house in downtown Lynden, which we don't get until Sept 1st. In the next couple of weeks I will be looking for jobs in Lynden and/or Bellingham and moving us in.

For now, it is quite fun living on the compound with all the Eides. Marti, Bjorn's aunt, even welcomed us with a poster and made Bjorn carry me over the threshold. It is pretty fun to be staying in the house that Bjorn's grandparents and great grandparents have lived in. As Marti wrote on the sign: "Home of hte wedded bliss...120 years and counting!" Check out the picture below.

Honeymoon memories

2007-08-16T18:49:00.001-11:00

For anyone that didn't hear, Bjorn surprised me (as in I didn't know until the wedding night) with a trip to a resort in Cancun, Mexico. His aunts and uncles, the Eides, have a timeshare and gave us a week down there.

We were supposed to be put in a standard resort room, but for some reason, perhaps because they found it was our honeymoon, we were bumped up to the fanciest suite. So we wound up with 2 bedroom suite, complete with a kitchen, dining room, living room, jacuzzi tub, and infinity pool on the balcony. Needless to say, there wasn't much reason for leaving the room!

Lounging in the outdoor pools and palapas (the outdoor bed huts) and going to the spa daily is pretty much all we did. The flamingos outside our room was definitely my favorite part. I made Bjorn visit them with me everyday.

This link shows the 5 photos we have up so far: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bulthuisp/
(Due to a lack of wireless internet right now, I haven't been able to upload any more, but I will.)

Wedding pictures

2007-08-16T18:45:00.001-11:00

ok, I don't have wedding pics back but a lot of people have been asking me for links to photos online, so these are the couple of spots where I know pictures are posted.

These are a couple of shots that our friend and photographer, Rhonda Fast posted. http://web.mac.com/earlfast/iweb/Rhonda%20Fast%20Photography/Blog/792442A5-96B3-4833-9F52-DF9B7FE84ECA.html

These are shots that Bjorn's dad, Peter, took and got from people. It includes week before, rehearsal dinner, day of, and honeymoon shots. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bulthuisp
(You have to search through his 3 most recent pages of photos.)

And aside from albums people put up on facebook, that is all i got. I will be getting my pictures back next week. My photographer is on vacation. So once I get those I'll put the best ones up.

I'm Getting Married in the Morning...

2007-07-12T18:10:00.000-11:00

...ding dong the bells are going to chime. Feather and tar me, but don't use the army, and get me to the church, get me to the church on time!"

This song, taken from the classic movie and play "My Fair Lady", [you should all check out the scene--hilarious] properly explains how I am beginning to feel. Only 16 days...how exciting!!

That said, I can't wait til this next week is over and I end the planning and house cleaning cycle I am on! It's kind of a crazy time: Bjørn is up to Canada to hopefully accept a job offer tomorrow. I've become a full-time maid/wedding planner...

but soon the party will begin. And if there's one thing Bjørn says about me is that I "LOVE a good party!" And secretly, I know he does too. ;)

relaxed in the midst of stress

2007-06-30T09:52:00.000-11:00

So tomorrow is July. The 28 day countdown for the wedding begins. And for some reason, I don't feel stressed. Is there something wrong with me? Is it because everything is finished? No. Is it because I am so organized that everything is under control? I WISH i was that person! Is it because I know everything will fall into place? perhaps.

Whichever reason it is, I'm glad to feel relaxed. There is a lot to still be done, but from now on, it is all details. The house doesn't have to be completely reorganized and perfect for the wedding; it'd be nice to have the decks stained but no one will think less of the party if they aren't; and true, our barn is a faded pink compared to its normal bright red brilliance... but these things are all minor in compared to the big celebration we have prepared. and the celebration is even minor in comparison to the reason for which we are throwing it, the beginning of a marriage.

I am more than excited for the wedding, don't get me wrong. But i am beginning to feel myself anticipating much more, the beginning of a whole new life. With somebody. the best somebody i know. so this one goes out to the bear ;)

Time for a makeover

2007-06-22T17:02:00.000-11:00

With school finally over and 3 weddings down, it is time for the Christensens house to get a bit of a makeover, inside and out. Outside: This week the lower deck was completed by Steve Adams (family friend and finished carpenter).
He is now working to complete the stairway to connect the house level with the lower "wedding" field.
Jill has been out this week painting trim all around the house.

On the inside: I have been cleaning and organizing different areas, while Dad has been working to set up the shower in Jill's old bathroom, or I guess it looks like he's been setting up the phone in the shower...
Oh yeah, and earlier this month, Jana, Kevin, Whitney and even Bjorn helped to set up some lights in the trees outside our house.
It is a busy time. There is SO much to do! And even though a lot of people have been helping out, we are still in a terrible state. Please, send help if you can!! ;)

Signed,
Jennifer Christensen

locked out

2007-06-16T10:39:00.000-11:00

The sad truth is that I logged out of my flickr account one day, and now because I do not know my yahoo ID/email I can't get back in! When flickr switched over to yahoo, I waited until the end to change my account name. Yahoo didn't have my preferred ID names available, so whatever I chose, I now do not remember.

The recovering account section will not accept my gmail email address, so now I am stuck on the outside, as a non-flickr member. No more posting pictures, no more adding comments to other peoples' pictures. I MUST get to the bottom of this!

In other news, I finished all of my college papers, and now just need to send off the final portfolio for my practicum. I can't tell you how good it will feel once everything is sent off.

Princesses

2007-05-29T20:27:00.000-11:00

Call me crazy for writing another blog post so soon, or even for staying up til 12:30 when I have to teach 6-year-olds for 3 hours tomorrow, but I thought I'd actually post something up to date to the day! I know, I KNOW!
After teaching at my practicum today and writing lesson plans for tomorrow, Pamela came over and we went for a lovely late spring walk. We picked may flowers and made wreaths, or princess crowns if you will. We then proudly displayed them around all of Blodgett.

My dad kinda thought we were weird. but we didn't care.

The Classiest Graduation ever

2007-05-27T15:23:00.000-11:00

~When at the Little White House, dress in white! [Jill & I]~

Graduation day itself was a classy affair. It started off with a little shopping around Ft. Langley, a luncheon at the Little White House [where my family stayed all weekend], and then graduation itself. All to be topped off with dinner at Fox & Fiddle, and a drink out with my sisters.

~hat shopping with Whitney~

Chucky Cheese: how could I have forgot about you?

2007-05-27T14:04:00.000-11:00

Graduation weekend was the best time my family has ever had up in Canada. Dad and Jill arrived Friday morning, while Jeff and Whit got into Langley around 7:00pm. We went to Earls for a good dinner, before heading over to Colossus for an IMAX viewing of 300. Due to a huge wait at Earls, we all decided to ditch it for pizza and a party at Chucky Cheeses.We agree that we had forgotten how amazing Chucky Cheese's was. My favorite was the ski ball. Jill personally liked the helicopter ride. I think her personal favorite though, was dancing in front of the camera with Whitney for the whole place to see!

Guess who is finally back?

2007-05-27T09:28:00.000-11:00

Now that I am done with school and able to relax a little at home, I can start on my blog again. Here is a picture from Engagement night at the restaurant Bjorn and I went to overlooking the inlet. I've been meaning to post this for awhile. Enjoy.

MY computer man

2007-01-28T10:19:00.000-11:00

Dashboard Widget Proposal
Originally uploaded by iBjorn.

Date night is every Saturday night with Bjorn. That’s the way it has been the whole year. We were both gone the last two weekends, so he wanted to make it up to me by going out for dinner. Unfortunately I’ve been sick for a month (that’s for another blog) and didn’t feel great, so I had to muster up all the strength in me to get ready to go. As always, the date is a surprise so I didn’t know where we were going.

We drove through Vancouver and turned off towards Mt. Seymour. I asked Bjorn as a joke if he was taking me out to the Seymour cafeteria for dinner? He thought that was pretty funny.

We actually went to Deep Cove, this gorgeous little community right on the water that I’ve wanted to go to for quite awhile. The restaurant we ate at sits up on a hill with a view out over the water (which looks like a little lake) with snow covered mountains surrounding it. Bjorn got us a seat with the best view in the restaurant, so that we both sat looking out over the water. For dinner it just happened they had a special three-course meal for a set price, so we both ordered that. I absolutely loved the food. It was a delightful meal. And the dessert was straight from heaven—Belgian chocolate cake, sliced 1/8 inch thin—so rich you feel like you might pass out!

I had made Bjorn a deal that I would go on a short walk with him after dinner. It was extremely cold, but we walked down to the water and out onto a boat dock. At this point the night was incredible with the moon and stars shining, and standing with the water surrounding us, and the reflection of the lights floating all around. After a short kiss I told Bjorn I was going to remember this night forever. He asked why and I said, it was all just so great tonight, the perfect dinner, the perfect view, the perfect guy. He smiled and said good.

I was so cold Bjorn took me back to the car to get warm. As we were getting ready to leave he said he wanted to show me something he had been working on, on his computer. He gave me his computer and actually told me his password (no I will NOT repeat it!), which is kind of a big deal because we had an argument about how he never tells me his passwords! At this point, a lot of you have for sure clued into what is going on…me on the other hand, probably due to being sick, I thought nothing of the whole situation.

So I got on his computer and there’s a picture of him and me from last year. He then tells me to press F12 like a true Computer science major, and up pops a picture of the ring he’d bought for me, and a little proposal (you can see below). He then got on his knees and confessed his true love for me. After some convincing, I said yes ;)

Due to me being sick we decided to postpone doing anything else and instead called our darling friend Amy, who within one minute of finding out the good news was going crazy planning a celebration party with our closest friends. As much fun as the engagement was, I think the party might have been even more fun. Everyone was just so happy!! It was definitely the way to celebrate!

Sadly, but not too sadly, I have to wait another 3 weeks for the ring because it is being custom designed in my hometown Corvallis, Oregon. But trust me, it is going to be gorgeous!!

The Vision for V.242

2007-01-18T21:19:00.000-11:00

Vintage Ministries
Bjorn and I have been part of a church for 2 years now, Vintage 242 that meets in Abbotsford, BC. It is a Mennonite plant, a part of Acts 29 network (through Mars Hill of Seattle), and a reformed church...quite the connections! Our church is roughly 100 people. For the past two years we have met Sunday evenings in a Mennonite church.

For about a year, our elders, Johnny and Kevin, have felt called by God to move to downtown Abottsford and become a part of the downtown community. After ignoring this call for quite some time because it seemed ridiculous (financially and etc.), they have finally acknowledged God's voice and have turned to our church to ask us very seriosuly if this is something God is calling our church to become a part of. The old, historic postal office downtown has been for sale for over a year. Johnny and Kevin have dialogued with the city, ABDA (Abbotsford Business District Association), and the owner for several months now.

The owner has agreed to sell the postal office to our church, as long as we follow the proper zoning codes and pay a sum of $1.2 million dollars. For a small, poor church like ours, a million dollars is a pretty huge deal.

This is the point, where our church has had to collectively fall on our knees and have faith that if God wills it, it will happen. On Jan. 31, we must make a first payment of $200,000 to the owner. We will then have until March 19 to pay the remaining million dollars. The Mennonite Brethern Conference is considering helping out church, but to what extent we are unsure.

At this point, our elders are dialoging with wealthier men to encourage them to have the vision we have for the downtown, as well as our entire church is praying as to what God wants them to sacrfice financially.

If we are to move downtown, we would hopefully transform the post office into an upscale cafe bistro, a conference center, and commercial offices. Vintage would use the post office for offices and on Sundays.

Check out our site that shows pictures of the inside of the post office and the vision our church has. And please pray as our church hopefully "goes postal."

The amusing Bjorn

2007-01-09T14:08:00.000-11:00

As some of you are well aware, whereas those of you who aren't probably could care less, Macworld started today. For certain people, namely Bjorn, this day is more anticipated than Christmas. Stevie Jobs (ceo of Apple) announced an iPhone today, which I greatly restrain from explaining as it is Bjorn's parade (and I would never dare to rain on it!), which is quite impressive. It is worth checking out.

And as entertaining as the video demos are (which I have inevitably viewed 3 times!), my greatest excitement was Bjorn's reaction to this phone. He came in to chapel late and the first words he says is "it's even more amazing than I could have imagined Jenny!" I didn't realize what he was talking about at first, I thought, 'hmm, maybe he really likes chapel today!' Then when I clued into the fact that he was talking about the iPhone, I couldn't but help but laugh as I noticed he was breathing very heavy from the excitement.

Dan, his roommate, later informed me that he sent an email to Bjorn as they were both reading a liveupdate of Macworld (in separate locations) that said, "this is amazing." Bjorn's repsonse email was, "I can't even breathe."

When I teased him about the iPhone excitement, he said, "Jenny, let me have my one day a year that I'm allowed to go crazy!" He is crazy, crazy about Apple. This is his "excitement dance."