It snowed overnight. Not a lot, so we got ready for class & school. Just as we were walking out, we received word that they had decided to cancel class, just to play it safe.What does that mean?

SNOW DAY!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Two new posts in one day – be sure to check out the other below this one!)Our first Christmas away from the country we once called home. Away from the traditions we’ve shared since we married in 1998. Away from family. From friends. From our church.

It is definitely different! But we are making the most of it. We’ve seen some beautiful Christmas lights. We attended the big tree lighting party at the mall close to where we live. We went to Grouse Mountain and enjoyed festivities there. We’ve visited the (German) Christmas Market a couple of times. We bought a small tree and the boys have also made a few decorations.

In my mind, this Christmas will likely be referred to in years to come as Limbo Christmas. No longer in the states, but not yet on the continent where we feel God calling us. Most of our belongings in a crate, waiting to be shipped to that continent.

But we are thankful! We have learned our way around this city. We have a really nice apartment and are blessed to have a washer & dryer, dishwasher, garbage disposal, and two full bathrooms. The weather is manageable. We have made some good connections & some friends. We have received cards and packages from family and friends in the states. We have had fun baking cookies and watching Christmas movies with friends here.

We believe different can be a beautiful thing – especially when you are where God wants you to be. No matter where we are this time each year, we rejoice that it is Christmas, and that a little baby was born in a manger, bringing hope and salvation to all who will receive it!

Christmas Tree Lighting Festival

 

Decorations at a local mall

Enjoying a treat from Tim Hortons

 

Paper Chain Christmas Trees

 

William at his first skate lesson

 

Daniel at his first skate lesson

 

Vancouver Christmas Market (like a traditional German Market)

 

Our retro tree (silver!) and the boys’ Canada stockings

 

Scandinavian lunch at a Bible study with our new friends from the local Danish church

One of several care packages we’ve received in the mail – the timing of their arrival always seems to be perfect (God is in the details!)

 

Grinch Crinkle Cookies

 

Train ride at a local mall

 

Snickerdoodles (Jenn’s Nana’s recipe)

Gifts received in the mail – the boys are anxious to open them!

 

Whenever the sun is out, we try to take advantage of it! This past weekend was beautiful! So we explored Granville Island, Granville Street, and the area around Science World. We also attended the tree lighting in Surrey on Saturday night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are starting to get settled into our new routine, new surroundings, and new normal.

This past weekend we had some time to get out and get to know Vancouver a little better. Our apartment is in a suburb just east of the city. So there is much in the city that we haven’t seen yet. We had fun checking out a little of it on Saturday.

Sunday we attended a Danish Church not too far from home. They alternate weeks of having services in English or Danish – we happened to land on a Danish service! Even though Danish and Norwegian are similar, we still didn’t understand much. I did recognize when they talked about God, Jesus, or the days of the week, but that’s about it! The people were very friendly and interested in knowing more about us. The funniest moment of the day was when the children’s teacher came and introduced herself to us after church. She said “I could tell you were from the south by your boys’ Southern accents!” Too funny – our little Ukrainian-Americans and their apparent Southern drawl!

Here are some various pictures from the past week…

World’s Tallest Toy Soldier New Westminster, BC

 

Some signs are just too fun to pass up without a pic…

 

Riding the Sea Bus

 

Exploring Downtown Vancouver

The view from our apartment

Fall is definitely here (okay, actually, it feels more akin to winter in Georgia!

Ukrainian Church Surrey, BC

Lonsdale Quay

North Vancouver, looking back to Downtown Vancouver

Two Handsome Boys

Waterfront Park in North Vancouver

Enjoying a day of exploration

A big uphill road in North Vancouver

Home of the Canucks (would love to see a game if they NHL would get their act together!)

Chinatown – had a great lunch here on Saturday!

Snow began falling on the mountains over this past weekend – so pretty!

Cool Lego Jack-o-Lantern at the mall near our apartment

Baked some yummy cookies, thanks to a Pinterest recipe & the discovery of the ingredients at a nearby discount store!