It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Last week we cut down our Christmas tree and decorated the house. We weren't initially going to do this because we are planning to move before Christmas, but I eventually decided that if we didn't do our best to fill our home with the Christ of Christmas, we'd all miss out on this special time of the year. Not that the tree and the decorations and the cookies bring Christ into our home, but they do help us focus on the season and the reason we celebrate. Perhaps the biggest element that we have been enjoying is the nightly tradition of Advent reading. Each year we go through the book The Advent Jesse Tree, which Isaiah understands more and more each year. We talk about an element of preparing our hearts and minds for the coming of the Christ child and then put an ornament on a little fir tree that we have. The ornament is a symbol of what we talked about during the devotion and helps to emphasize the ideas.
We still plan to move before Christmas and it is still a very busy few weeks ahead, but I trust that the peace of Christ will richly rule over us as we seek to honor him with the days. Blessings on your Advent as you prepare your hearts and minds as well.

Thankfulness

How many times over the last month have I written a whole blog entry in my mind, where it has stayed because it's just been too busy to actually get it on the computer! Sometimes that frustrates me because the amazing tools that we now have to connect with people all over the world are still tools that we need to make time to use. So, while the boys are napping and the house is quiet, I come to the Dombach blog and find that one theme comes to mind. Thankfulness.
Yes, it's a season of Thanksgiving with a wonderful turkey, pumpkin pie and sweet potato meal just around the corner, but besides that it is just a time of thanksgiving for our family. Here are some of the reasons why.

• Seth is officially starting seminary on January 6th. We spent a day up at Regent on Nov 12th and talked through classes, which degree he will be pursuing (now a Master of Christian Studies rather than a Master of Divinity), and of course finances. I think it's safe to say that there is some fear and trepidation happening as Seth reads through syllabi, orders 800 page text books and prepares to study again. But overall there is a feeling of readiness and an eagerness that I enjoy seeing in my husband.
  
• Isaiah is taking preschool by storm. He loves to do school and is currently mastering writing the alphabet and numbers 1-10. He turns everything into a learning situation with questions and connections to concepts we have talked about and it really makes it easy to feel like we are giving him a good start to his education! He has an amazing memory and often recalls events and details from things that happened many months ago. And he is very handsome as well.
  
• Elias finally popped his first tooth through! He is a very energetic 8 month old with a smile to light up a room and hair that does exactly what it wants to do-most of the time that means it sticks straight up. Isaiah calls him spikey head. He has strong legs and loves to stand holding on to something. Each day he gets more brave in letting go with one or both hands. And he is very cute.
• My job transition has been amazing and I'm so thankful to be working in the Marriage and Family Ministry at our church. It suits me well and I think I suit it well too. As for everyday life, in the midst of piles of laundry, dishes, and cleaning it's wonderful to pause, remember the big picture of WHO we serve and why we do it and to be thankful for the gift of abundant life that we've been given so freely. So, let us always be full of THANKSGIVING.
  

Pumpkin Patch!

Ahhh the joys of Autumn! We spent a chilly but sunny Saturday morning at Stoney Ridge Farm with my parents, sister Bethany and brother Will. It was fun to pick out a pumpkin of course, but other highlights included losing mom and Bethany in the corn maze, the goat with 4 horns, Will whacking everyone with corn stalks, apple cider doughnuts, trying to keep Elias' hat on his head, and of course the age old challenge of trying to get four Dombach's to smile at the same time for a family picture. Okay, so it's not age old since Elias has only been around for 7 months, but it's certainly a challenge. It was a great morning followed by a wonderful turkey lunch in celebration of Canadian Thanksgiving.

Cowboys, Cheerios and Crawling Lessons

What do these three things have in common you say? Well, nothing really except that they are all part of the common household activities for the Dombach's these days. September has FLOWN by and here we are staring at the October calendar with awe. Here are a few of the highlights from the last month, in a blur, just like the month went!

• Elias turned 6 months old! At his check up he weighed almost 17 lbs, which is in the 40%, and was almost 29 inches long, which is off the charts for height. No wonder he's wearing 12 month size clothes!
  
• One day I wore my tall boots to work which prompted Isaiah wanting to wear his cowboy boots. Well, you can't wear just your cowboy boots and hence we have the stick-em-up cowboy dress up day. It also happened to be library day, so the cowboy showed up for story time all decked out-hat included.
• Speaking of library days... the local library has a great preschool story/song time that we usually go to. Isaiah loves to sit and listen to new books as well as do the interactive songs. Elias loves the songs too! I've incorporated it into our weekly preschool schedule.
  
• Speaking of preschool...it's pretty expensive around here, so we are doing our best to learn our ABC's and 123's at home. Isaiah is a fast learner and we have a couple of books that we are working through. It's been a lot of fun to see him so eager to learn and to have that one on one time with him-we usually try to do it while Elias is napping. Of course the whole world is our classroom, so we practice our letters by reading the Cheerios box, learn colors by playing "I spy with my little eye" while driving and work on writing when we make pictures to send to Joelle and Steven in Vietnam!
• Speaking of Cheerios...Elias is a good eater and Cheerios are one of his very favorite things right now. He is still working on his hand to mouth coordination and when he gets fed up with trying to get the Cheerios actually in his mouth from his hand, he reverts to the good old mouth-to-highchair tray method. Sometimes this is very hilarious for the rest of us as the Cheerios end up stuck to his nose rather than in his mouth. He had no clue why we were laughing!
  
• Speaking of laughing...we do a lot of it lately. Especially when Isaiah and Elias interact. As mentioned above, Elias makes us all laugh as he learns new things and is just his normal, goofy self. Isaiah is the best one to make Elias laugh and it's clear that Elias adores his big brother! Here is Isaiah trying to teach Elias how to crawl.
• Speaking of teaching...Seth just started teaching a class at our church on Sunday mornings called From God to Us that goes into detail about how we got our modern day Bible. He loves to teach and has taught this material before when we were at Timberline Lodge. The feedback from the people in the class (ranging in age from 20-60) was great and they stayed around after the class for an extra 1/2 hour to ask questions.
• Speaking of class...that's what we call our Wednesday night activities for Isaiah and myself. Isaiah goes to Adventure Club at a local church, learning verses, singing songs, playing group games and of course having a good snack! While he is there, I have a book club with a couple friends at the local coffee shop. It's a great time to talk about what we are learning and share in the journey of mothering young kids. What a precious time for me and one of the main times during the week where I get an hour to have great adult interaction that greatly encourages my soul. Elias gets to have daddy's attention all to himself and so far that has gone well too!
  
• And last but not least speaking of encouragement...I got to spend a weekend with three of my dearest friends from college. We are spread out over many miles now, but these are the kind of friendships that can pick up right where we left off. I feel very privileged to have such good friends that have stuck around over the years. Friends who can laugh together, talk about nothing and everything together. Friends who can agree on the basics of life and yet disagree about how that plays out in the day to day. Thanks Kim, Annie and Kristin for being those people in my life. I love you all!

That's all for now! I'm sure that October will bring many more adventures, joys (pumpkin carving), and tears (my two siblings that are left in the US are both leaving for foreign countries this month). Press on toward the goal of a life lived well for Jesus!

Telling the tale

Near the end of August Seth took a week off of work just so we could have some time together as a family. He has been working two jobs for a couple months and some weeks it has really been tough to feel like we are connected as a family. He took Isaiah camping for two nights in the rain during this week and they had so much fun! Isaiah loved the whole adventure, rain or not. They threw about a million rocks into the river, made smores, went hiking all over and of course told lots and lots of stories in the tent.

Isaiah has a vivid imagination and could tell made up stories all day long. He especially likes to tell of his adventures with JaJa and Lisa, his made up friends who live in his tree house near New Zealand. The three of them have had many journeys throughout the States, Vietnam, Egypt and New Zealand, not to mention the plethera of occupations they have held, most of which have to do with operating heavy machinery like excavators, dump trucks, steam rollers or driving trains, fast cars or motorcycles. He does have real life friends too and I find that many of them have great story telling capabilities as well, so for now, JaJa and Lisa remain part of our daily reality. Wouldn't it be funny if some day Isaiah really did make friends with someone named JaJa or got married to a great girl named Lisa.

All Aboard!!!

On August 5th we took the boys aboard the Wickersham Train for an old fashioned ride through the hills of Western Washington. Isaiah is a train addict right now, probably thanks to the incredible marketing being done by Thomas the Tank Engine, Inc., but indulging his love of trains on this day was so much fun for the whole family. We arrived very early and got to climb all over an old steam engine that was being restored while being given a very thorough train anatomy and history lesson from the volunteers who run the Wickersham station. We met some of these guys a couple months ago when we visited the Bellingham train museum and they are, to put it simply, of a different breed. In any case they are very passionate about trains and were more than happy to let us explore, much to Isaiah's enjoyment. The actual train ride was only 3 miles, but what a thrill for Seth to take Isaiah all over the train, getting a ride in the engine and laughing every time the whistle blew. We stopped midway where Isaiah got to crank a handcar and then walked a short path to a beautiful waterfall set just off the tracks. Elias was a great passenger as well and even got to take a snooze on the ride back. For more pictures of our train adventure check out our web album.

A million and one questions

If I had taken the time to sit down last week and write this blog entry, it would have been titled "A thousand and one questions", but since the week has lapsed we have gone WAY past the thousand mark. I am referring very lovingly to Isaiah's new habit of question asking. On many occasions he doesn't even stop for a breath between the answer to one question before he starts with the all too familiar "but why..." or "cause for what?"
Yes, it is endearing and pretty funny sometimes, but more than that I pray that he continues to be a learner all of his life. That he never stops asking questions and seeking the answers. That his mind would always be challenged to explore and not take for granted. That he would think and reflect and ponder the greatness of God and of this world. My challenge is to teach him how to think through the answers for himself so his questions can become deeper and stronger as he grows up. And when I've spent the whole day answering his questions and am on the verge of being exasperated, to remember what a privilege and a responsibility it is to be a parent and have the opportunity to interact with my son like this. I hope we can always keep talking so easily and that one day I'll be asking his brilliant mind to give me some answers.

Isaiah and Elias Video

Just because they are my kids and I thought this was pretty cute!

Iblings Family Reunion

On Friday, July 11th we traveled to Vancouver to pick up my brother Will who has been at Bible School in New Zealand this last year. (Check out http://www.capernwray.org.nz) I can't even explain how good it is to have him home-he is a changed man and it's awesome! Isaiah talks about him all the time and I don't mind one bit if he wants to emulate Will and the lifestyle of serving and loving and giving that I've seen come out in him even more since being away. Did I mention how good it is to have him home? For now that is...I know he'll be off again soon. Will was barely home three days when we all headed up to Cedar Springs Retreat Center for a reunion with my dad's side of the family. 70+ Iblings at one location can be a bit overwhelming at times, but it was wonderful! This season of life doesn't afford me much time to sit and talk to people without distraction (we'll call those distractions Isaiah & Elias!), but just being there to see the growth in our extended family was so encouraging. We meet every three years and spend four days together. How grateful I am to belong to such a group that loves being together and that takes great effort to gather from all across the US and Canada to celebrate our heritage and our Creator.

Isaiah and 2nd cousin Lillian spent most of the day chasing each other around the grounds, kicking the soccer ball, playing games and reading books. I can't wait to see what kind of mischief they get in at the next reunion when they are six instead of three!
One of the big blessings was getting to see my Grandpa Willard again. He is 86 and is starting to show his age both in physical and mental capacities. He connected very quickly and very well with the boys though and the picture of him giving high fives to Isaiah or just holding Elias' little hand will forever be etched in my memories. A firm reminder to love well and as often as you can while you have the chance here on earth. All in all the last two weeks has reminded me again about how thankful I am for family and how we are created to be in community with our families. Check back again in three years for the next Iblings Family Reunion Update!

Bouncy Bubbles

We recently got the bouncy house out and it's been a great way for Isaiah to release some of that 3 year old boy energy. Seth asked if we had been watching WWF before we went outside to bounce, but no...that is all pure boy coming out. Can't wait to see what two boys in one bouncy house will do. For now Elias just likes to watch and blow bubbles. He is pretty good at the bubbles and had a nice conversation with Junior Asparagus today. He is working on getting those neck muscles stronger and loves to smile and giggle at Isaiah. He seems to LOVE attention when he gets it.
We have pictures AND video of the first time Isaiah rolled over-the whole family was there cheering him on. The first time Elias rolled over I was busy helping Isaiah. Elias was laying on the floor and when I looked down to check on him, he had rolled over to his tummy. We try to notice him more often now. :) Of course he is very capable of letting us know when we have not paid enough attention to him and rightly so. It's been getting more and more fun to have two kids!

The Big Three Ohhh.....

Yes, the moment we have been waiting for has happened. Seth officially turned 3o and now is mature enough to start Seminary. (without a bachelor's degree you have to be 30 years old to get your master's degree) I'm ashamed to say that we didn't have a huge party for this event, but enjoyed a fun day together as a family and then had dinner with my parents and sister Bethany that night. Seth did hit a hole in one on the local frisbee golf course, a wonderful birthday present. He also received at least six books on the "must read before school starts" list and I'm pretty sure we will never leave the house without one of them along!

In case you didn't know, Seth will be starting school in January '09 at Regent College in Vancouver, BC, getting his Master of Divinity degree. This is one of the main reasons why we moved back to this area, so that we were close enough to my family and close enough to Regent for Seth to commute from this side of the border. He is so very excited to start school and I am so very proud of him for following this calling on his life. He loves to study and teach the Word and although we are not sure where we will be led once school is over, it's an amazing opportunity for him to be able to sit under such great professors at Regent. And yes, that is a Pocahontas birthday bag you see in the picture. It's been passed around my family for birthdays for at least two years now and has a tear in one side, but it is precious to us all.

Father's Day

Seth had three days off in a row this weekend, so it felt like Father's Day was more of a Father's weekend. Isaiah loved having daddy around so much-his favorite thing to do is ride on Seth's shoulders, even if Seth is just walking around the house. On Sunday we relaxed at home before heading to my parents house for dinner and our official Father's Day celebration. On Monday we packed up the kids and the car and spent the morning at Hovander Homestead in Ferndale. It is amazing to watch a three year old explore new places-the wonder of what could be just around the next corner is something we tend to loose as we grow older.

After the park we went to a shop in Fairhaven where you can paint your own pottery. They fire it in the kiln and you can pick it up a few days later. Seth and Isaiah painted a triangle shaped plate with a train stencil and I think it will turn out great! After an ice cream cone and a visit with Dirty Dan Harris in the Village Green, we headed home worn out and thankful for the day together as a family. Elias was a champ-he smiles and laughs a lot now and really did well for only getting a few cat naps in the stroller all day.

3 years and 3 months

Isaiah (3 years) and Elias (3 months) in their new digs from Vietnam
Why Vietnamese children wear pig hats, I'm not sure, but my sources tell me that this hat is legit

A 3 month old can't pose for you, so this is pure and unadulterated
This was a fun tower that lasted all of 15 seconds. The yellow dump truck in the background soon became a wreck and haul vehicle and the tower is no more

Sabbath

There is something to be said for a Sabbath. Not that I want to get theological about it (although that is a basis for it), but when you really and truly experience the REST of time away from the normal rush and strain of life, you know that it is a divine moment.

A couple weeks ago, my family experienced a Sabbath time together-not on a Sunday, but on a day when Seth had off and we just took our time strolling through the woods near our house. Even with an energetic 3 year old and a 2 month old, we were able to see the beauty of creation and know that we are a small part of the big picture.

Then there is the blessing of a coffee shop break for a mom. An hour away from diapers, runny noses, ouches and yes, even away from puzzles, Thomas the tank engine and naps. My mom has given me the gift of time lately. Just an hour or two here and there while she watches the boys, but it has been a refreshment to my soul and I'm so grateful. Thanks Mom and thanks to the
Creator of our souls who formed us and made each of us exactly how He wanted us to be. He knows that I need breaks like these and realistically that we each need the sabbath time to rest and be re-energized for what He has next in our lives.

Joining the trend

Well, here we are... the Seth and Rachel Dombach family and we are now officially online. I'm pretty sure that most of our pictures will be with our two beautiful boys in them, just because 95% of the pictures we take these days are of the boys! But, I'll do my best to keep you updated on the bigger picture of life too. My goal is to have an easy way to share our funny moments, great adventures, serious musings and of course, normal everyday happenings with family and friends. May this serve as a venue that will encourage and bless you even as our family is blessed and encouraged by the awesome Creator of the Universe. Christ plus nothing.