I know lots of kids think of their dads as Superman… but Max’s dad really IS super man! Check it out…
Funny videos aside, Jared is an amazing daddy and it is a joy to be able to celebrate him today, on his first official Father’s Day.
Max and I are enjoying all Jared’s favourite activities and treats and telling him just how great we think he is!!
Daddy is MY Superhero
One of my favourite parts about volunteering with YWAM is all of the cultures we are exposed to. We have SO much to learn from one another. Tonight, while Jared is still away, Max and I had the honour of attending a Fijian Land Celebration.
Long story short, our friend and next door neighbour Amenatave Tuibua, has recently had his land restored to their tribe in Fiji. This was a long time coming and a very significant event. Mena had hoped to attend the official celebration in Fiji, but travel plans did not work out so his precious Aussie wife, Shey, planned a celebration right next door!
We sat on grass mats, many wore sulus, and there were curries galore! Of course, there is always a mix of cultures and we sang “Happy Land Day To You” (to the tune of Happy Birthday)
Even though I’m sure he won’t remember this specific event, I’m SO glad that Max gets to take part in these special events and growing up with this amazing awareness and understanding of different cultures.
Happy Land Day, Mena!
Max Getting Ready to Give Uncle Mena His Land Day Present
This week was our annual staff retreat and with the Medical Ship crew all joining us, it made for a very special occasion indeed! For most of our staff, the many trips up to this special place make this a long-anticipated event, with the sweet memories of past trips almost as precious as the new adventures we are eager to have!
Lounging
This trip was extra-special for us as the last trip I was nearly half way through my pregnancy with Max and the time before that, well, he was just deciding to make his appearance into my belly. THIS TIME, however, we got to introduce our sweet little bundle to the joys of camping and also this special place.
Welcome to the bush, Little Man!
Normally I like to think I’m a fairly relaxed mom, but this time I’ll admit that I was a bit nervous about two things:
1 – Learning how to keep a baby warm (can I just say he’s slept in a nappy and either a onesie or nothing else for almost every night of his life, so learning to do blankets and proper jammies and the rest with no climate control was a tad bit daunting!?)
2- Figuring out how to keep him quiet all night long with 150 sleeping people – most of whom are either not used to babyhood, or are new babies themselves who I didn’t want Max to wake up!!
Fortunately with a few extra cuddles, we figured both out better than I anticipated and had an absolute blast.
Toasty Cuddles!
We enjoyed the sights, the smells, the warmth of the campfire, and the thrill of chilly noses. We relished in the wildlife (we saw paddy melons, pythons, and kookaburras – all Aussie favourites!), worshiped with our friends, relaxed, and looked forward to the future.
It… was… wonderful.
Jared is still camping with the DTS. There are our first nights away from him since being in the hospital for Max’s birth and our only contact has been a phone message he made with the satellite phone (love that thing.) However, Max and I are enjoying some quality time together and the leftover smell of campfire smoke in our hair while our hearts are excited for our love to come home!
I LOVE CAMPING!
