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Monday, September 30, 2013

Our Tribe With Judah





Greetings from Sunny Sydney!



Just before Judah...
We three Friesen's are proud to announce that our fourth member Judah David is well and truly here and part of our growing family, winning our hearts....and stealing my sleep! Laugh out loud, and keep laughing...


Our Precious Judah David
It's all part of the package - cute, adorable infant, lots of love and snuggles, feeding around the clock and sleep deprivation. No biggie. One month in and I, (Amy), am just reliving a few forgotten elements to having a newborn. But of course, as so many parents proclaim, the glorious joys out weigh the sacrifices of sleep etc. And with our newest bundle Juju (as his sister calls him) nothing could be more true. He is radiant!


Mummy and Son
To say much more has been happening at the Friesen ranch, would be fictitious, after all - we did just have a baby. Yet in the midst of all that, fun things have happened. Visits from family up north has been sweet and the extra hands welcomed. Church community has been busy with cooking us meals for the days where the concept of preparing dinner is offensive to me, as I juggle a rabid toddler and tend to my newborn! Family outings to the beach have happened with great excitement and exhaustion!
Kevin is steadily back at work with his business and other contractors, making our ends meet nicely, yet growing our fondness in his absence. Izzy loves to parrot that "Daddy - work" each day as she plays in the yard and occasionally looks up the driveway, where he comes and goes to work each day.
I managed a hair appointment in there - surprisingly....it took two extra hands to make that happen! But hallelujah I have my roots done!

Life has been good. It really is wonderful on the other side of two kids - we feel more 'complete'. A great satisfaction to us as parents indeed. Izzy on the other hand may feel more like she has to compete rather than feeling complete, but we are issuing tons of grace over this time of adjustment and seeing some gorgeous moments between brother and sister and between us and Izzy.


Well, until next time, stay thankful and tell someone you care,

Love The Friesen Four

The Friesen Clan

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Baby's Coming...



Hi Everyone!

Safe to say the Friesen's have adjusted....slowly, surely and sensationally into Sydney life. Well, there have been a few surprises along the way in the last few months - traffic fines and well just insane traffic, torrential winter rains, sick Mummies and babies, missing Canadian bacon (Kev's lament), having to listen to the Wiggles...
Something to laugh about....Sydney Winters!
Now for the fun stuff!

Did we mention that the weather in the dead of winter has been a lovely 20 degrees and sunny, with cooler nights and warm sun-soaked days? Yep, it's tough adjusting!

Baby shower goodies!
I, Amy, am on my last weeks of pregnancy and counting the days until we meet our precious boy. I have instructed Judah that he is not to come until after I get a chance to go to the hairdresser. Priorities please! It's definitely been a different pregnancy, as I'm sure most are, once already occupied by a toddler on the move. But time has sped past and we now find ourselves trying to put together the final touches in our home and get Judah-fied before his arrival. I think we're almost there! I was thrilled to have a wonderful Baby Shower organized for me by some of the gals here at church...it was scrumptious - high tea, amazing company and of course lots of little boy goodies for Judah!


Special Daddy Daughter Bedtimes
We splendidly escaped last Friday for a date night to Dee Why and shared some scrumptious Sydney cuisine by the beach. The food here has not disappointed us yet...I don't know what it is about Australia and food (and coffee) for that matter but it's just that good! And to us, these aspects of culture are important!

Kevin has started and been growing his own handyman business called Love Your Local Handy Man. It's been amazing to see how much favour and divine appointments have popped up since deciding to step out and pursue this venture. Needless to say Kev is especially a hit with the female over 50's demographic! Who wouldn't love that face?!
In accordance to building his new business, we have acquired a car for work and family. The sandy Mistubishi wagon. Great year, great price and it drives!

Our beautiful Israel is growing and getting so big! Sometimes I think she's 1.5 going on 5!
She can say her alphabet, knows her numbers and is beginning to have little conversations....unbelievable how fast it all happens. We have been gearing her up for her baby bro but only time will really tell how much it makes sense to her. Although I suspect Judah will have a doting big sister!
Surviving rainy days - cute as a bug!
The church plant is growing strong and has been an invaluable experience for us as a family. It's been so great to work with new people toward a common goal and see it begin to grow and take shape but also just have such a positive impact in the community. It's still early days, so there are indeed things to troubleshoot, but this has been part of the growing and life lessons we're learning. Stay humble and be thankful. That's the golden nugget!

I will sign out, as there will indeed be a short blog to come once Judah arrives. 

Stay cosy, or cool,
Love The Sydney-sider Friesen's




Monday, June 3, 2013

Australia - Arriving and Adjusting


G'Day All!

An appropriate greeting from the 'Land Down Under'. If there was ver a time to be immersed in all things Aussie, now is it! As we go about our daily life here, which can often be very similar to our Canadian home, we are shocked back to the reality that we live in a sunburnt country, when the strong thick twang of an Aussie accent hits you. We have had a lot of fun with this!
Yep, we're in Sydney.

Our journey here was no lack of fun and adventure, as we found ourselves in situations and gorgeous tropical lands along the way that will forever be in our memories. Our precious daughter Israel decided that to make things more interesting, a hearty puke in Bernie's car, all over her and her car seat, was necessary just before arriving to begin our long haul flights from Vancouver. Yes, we travelled with a pukey-smelling baby and that car seat all the way to Fiji. No less than 20 hours later we arrived in the South Pacific humidity for a short vacation pit-stop in Nadi, Fiji, where we promptly washed every item of clothing, including the car seat that had come in contact with puke. A sigh of relief as our washing aired in the balmy breezes of Denari Bay. Fiji was stunning, and indeed a second and longer visit back is on our minds for the future. It was magical watching Israel play in the ocean and pools, carefully investigate the sand on her feet and smile at all the Fijian 'mama's' that she met.
Water Babies in Fiji

After a warm goodbye with a well-rested family, we travelled onward to our new home of Sydney, Australia. We were greeted by Dan, our current housemate, Lindsay, a dear and new friend and our immediate host upon arriving and Dan's Father in Law, John. All of whom made us feel quite welcome over a quick espresso at the airport - yes, the coffee here is as good as you hear. Sorry Starbucks.
We had only one last stint of living out of suitcases left - before moving into our new home! This was a long-awaited stage of our life that we had anticipated.

It definitely took a little longer to get into the 'swing' of things than we thought. Israel was an absolute champion traveller and adjuster to her new world. It helped that we had landed in what probably seemed like the jungle to her - birds and trees and wildlife everywhere! And of course she could play outdoors all the time in shorts and a t-shirt! Heaven!
Izzy and The Harbour Bridge

Our new abode is still being fleshed out with the necessities but gradually looking more and more settled. We have been so blessed to find awesome free stuff and have people give away items that have become our new home's furnishings!

We have also celebrated our birthday's and 4-Year Anniversary in the throws of all this - what a season of life!

Pregnancy with Friesen Jnr #2 is going well. For those of you who don't know it's a boy - little Judah David. Only another 11 weeks until we get to meet him and induct him into the family! We are getting very excited and it's going to be quite special for Israel to finally have a sibling to fawn over and talk about. Please pray that labour and birth go well for Mum and Bubs and that Dad and Israel are rested and prepared for the next stage of life.
Post Anniversary Dinner in our new home.

Last but not least, the Church Plant that we came to be part of, has been a new and exciting experience. Our official launch is at the end of June and we are busy preparing to reach out to the community and be a light to the world. For the  core group of people it has been a getting to know you last few weeks, as we have all come from different places and walks of life. But this is also one of the richest rewards in building community - growing in relationship with one another. Already Kev has been invited and is now on a Basketball League with one of the guys he met. Too cool! He was hoping to play ball in Sydney, and this opportunity was better than expected.

We look forward to giving you more updates as the weeks unfold here,
Be blessed and keep looking up!
Kevin, Amy, Israel and Judah Friesen



Saturday, March 9, 2013

Goodbye Toronto and All Your Snow!

We Graduated!


Greetings To One and All!

The Friesen's are smack bang in the middle of great transition. Three weeks ago we left our humble abode in the School of Ministry, Room 210 for the greater life of couch surfing and working. 

It has been a brilliant time at the CTF, learning, growing, interning and building valuable relationships. We are sad to leave but excited to move on to the great unknown. What will be next in these next few years as we embark to the Land Down-under?!

Colours and Balls = Fun!
One of the things that really struck me about leaving was the amazing amount of people that had come around us and loved us and helped us as a new family. Everyone from the grandma and grandpa's in our community to the emerging young adults and students who have loved and been Izzy's playmates and our friends. Life as Israel knows it with 60 students ambling around her 'home' is about and has been changing. This has definitely made me sad. Yet I know that where we are going will bring about new and wonderful friends and playmates for our social butterfly. 

We have been blessed as a family to have been invited to come and stay at two families homes while Kevin renovates their bathrooms and kitchen. We serve an amazing God who has provided so many wonderful opportunities and blessed us immensely on this journey of school and interning and now when we need to move our family across the other side of the world, he has yet again provided most awesome opportunities for work and enjoying friendships one last time here in Toronto. We are so grateful.

In other exciting news, we are expecting our newest baby Friesen in August! 
It has been a very brand new experience being pregnant with a keen toddler on the move - and I, Amy, empathize with the mom's out there now with a handful of munchkins. Life is going to get even more colourful and we love it! 

Our Winter Wonderland
Kevin has now received his permanent residence for Australia, which means our move there is now definite. We are looking to leave the country from Vancouver around mid April. Israel has also gotten her dual citizenship so she will be travelling on her Aussie passport. Our international brood is ready for take-off!

For those on the westcoast, we will see you soon and for those in Australia, soon after that and for those in the snowy Toronto regions - we will farewell you over the next two weeks.

Love to hear how y'all doing.....
Be blessed and fruitful!

Kevin, Amy, Israel and Friesen Jnr