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Recently Owen received a wonderful present from our friend Ellen in Vancouver. With the upcoming playoffs she thought Owen should be able to sport some gear supporting the Vancouver Canucks (we’re talking hockey for those of you who don’t know). Owen decided he should test out the gear before the game on Sunday…
Obviously he has lots of time to grow into his jersey and to support the Canucks!
Thanks again Ellen for the wonderful gift from Vancouver!
-Shannon
Shannon and I are at an impasse. We were talking this weekend and it turns out we have not been on the same page with baby names. I just assumed if it was a boy we would name him Rocky as a living tribute to my biggest inspiration in life. Shannon, however, had her heart set on Lucas Jr. I thought if we had a girl her name would be Gertrude (Gertie for short); but again Shannon thought Shannon Jr. What to do?
I have come up with what I think is a pretty interesting way forward. The baby is due to arrive (and the circular chart at the midwife’s office seems foolproof) on February 13th. The Olympics are set to start in the beautiful city of Vancouver on the 12th.
Here is my proposal: we name our child the name of the athlete who wins a gold medal closest to the time of the baby’s birth. I am even willing to pick an athlete of the same gender. This way our baby could share a name with someone famous like the unstoppable force in Norwegian biathlons Ole Einar Bjorndalen, or the sensation of the Korean short track Cho Hae-Ri, or the you-don’t-want-to-cross-this Slovenian cross-country legend Petra Majdic! This would create a post-uterine time stamp for our little one as well as provide a lasting legacy to the individual medalist and the glory of the games themselves.
Before we put this plan in motion, however, it is probably worth a little research. What do you think?
p.s. In a dramatic twist of irony, there is a potential I could still be called upon to represent my country in a number of events (Shannon is pretty well out due to the baby, but I guess there is still a chance). So, it could still theoretically happen that I will be the one standing on the gold medal podium nearest to the time of our baby’s birth—Lucas Jr. might make it after all!
-Lucas
Yesterday when I came home from work this was sitting at the front door…
I actually followed the instructions of “Open Together” and patiently waited for Lucas to get home. After we enjoyed a quick dinner out we came back to open our box of goodness.
“Welcome to your baby-shower-by-mail! Shannon & Lucas you two are so dearly loved and although your friends are spread out around the world (literally) we couldn’t pass up the chance to welcome your new little one and celebrate with you during this special time. So, use the goodies in the polka dot wrapping to set the mood and then sit back and be loved! You two are so special! Love, Your Friends”
Our friends Katy and Jeremy Kidwell had put this all together and we were so excited to jump right in. The first gift to open included some yummy chocolates, hot cocoa and some baby CD mixes…with all songs saying “baby” in them. We popped in one of the CD’s and proceeded…
In this package we found some yummy food as well as some cute cloth napkins. Also the tag let us know that the theme of this shower is “Baby’s First Outing”.
So off we went opening presents! I couldn’t resist taking pictures of each and every item so I’ll share them all with you…
From Katie & Derek in Scotland, friends from Regent, my Spouses of Students group and church home group…a cute snowsuit for the little one. We actually just saw Derek and he didn’t say a word about this special surprise coming our way.
From Grace, Josh & Naomi in Idaho, friends from Regent, my Spouses of Students group and church…some goodies to make stepping out easier…a cute hat and mitten set, snack dispenser, links and a reusable placemat.
From Jess, Jeff, Charlie & Lillian in Kansas, friends from Regent and my Spouses of Students group…a wonderful nursing cover and some cute mittens.
From Karen, Nathan, Luke & Caleb in Vancouver, friends from home group at church…a wonderfully soft organic cotton blanket.
From Fran, Andrew & Anica Gorlick in Vancouver, friends from home group at church…a classic Canadian toque!
*I have to say that this next gift was quite the surprise. :)
From Vanya, Ryan & Ciara in New Zealand, friends from church…all natural baby soap and massage oil (Made in New Zealand).
From Katie, Ryan & Gloria in Vancouver, friends from Regent…a warm hat and cute socks.
From Deanna, Ben & Nora in England, friends from Regent and church…a warm fleece suit to bundle up in.
From Ansley, Chad & Charles in Florida, friends from Regent and my Spouses of Students group…some cute cards to use as thank you notes and Works Wonders Salve from Vancouver.
Finally I’ll end with a few handmade items that topped off the evening.
From Shelley, Levi & Avery in Saskatchewan, friends from Regent and my Spouses of Student Group…super cute diaper and pacifier totes! Shelley made these wonderful creations and I was so hoping to receive a handmade gift from her. :)
And finally from the coordinators of it all…
From Katy & Jeremy, friends from Regent…a wonderful baby blanket, brag book and teether.
This quilt/blanket was just too much! I absolutely love it and again I was secretly hoping that Katy might be making something like this. :) What a wonderful surprise!
All in all, we were spoiled to death and felt very loved. It was definitely a bittersweet evening as we enjoyed being showered by friends but we so wished we could be closer to them. We are just thankful to have such supportive and wonderful people in our lives even if we’re now separated by many miles. What a blessing to have met them and to still have them in our lives even if we don’t get to see them very often.
Ok now I’m crying just writing this…the bottom line is, thank you so much for making us feel so loved. You have each touched our lives and we will never be the same. We hope that someday our little one can meet each and every one of you so they can share in this love. :)
-Shannon & Lucas
When we visited Vancouver we had to make it back to Regent to take at look at our school.
And a big reason for visiting Regent was to make a quick trip down to the library.
Oh look what we found…
It was quite rewarding to see Lucas’ thesis there on the shelves of the library. Obviously he’s still intrigued by this stuff. :)
-Shannon
One of my favorite things during our trip to Vancouver was meeting up with this little cutie…
I was so excited when I found out Levi and Shelley (Avery’s parents) were able to make it to Vancouver to celebrate Levi’s graduation. They are from British Columbia but not Vancouver so it wasn’t a given that they would be there. Thankfully they were and I was able to finally meet Avery and spend some wonderful time catching up with Shelley at Regent. It was simply refreshing to see her again and to see her as a mother to this darling person…
Avery is quite the thinker…she just sits and thinks. But we were still able to get some smiles out of her…
And of course I had to not only take pictures of Avery but with her as well…
A few shots of the beautiful Simpson family…mother and daughter…
…the whole family…
While Avery was mostly calm and thoughtful there was one time when she tried to bite my head off…
It was so good to catch up with Shelley and I wish we would’ve had more time together but I’m so thankful for the time we shared. Shelley, you are a wonderful friend. :)
-Shannon
P.S. – I’ll leave you with my favorite shot of the day…I dont’ know why but this picture just makes me crack up…
When we made our recent trip to Vancouver we were lucky enough to stay with Nathan & Karen, a family from our former home group. When we lived in Vancouver we met each week at their house and they never ceased to amaze with their hospitality. And this trip to Vancouver was no exception. They were so easy going with our crazy come and go schedule and I’m so thankful we were able to spend time with them and their two boys, Luke & Caleb. We knew Luke when we lived in Vancouver but Caleb came along right as we were leaving. It was so neat to see the brothers interact and I can’t believe how big they have both grown.
Nathan, their dad, is a man after Lucas’ own heart. He was raised in the mountains of British Columbia and while he’s a fancy, dancy lawyer these days he has dreams of buying some land and becoming a farmer. A couple years ago for Nathan’s birthday Karen got him a trip to Cowboy Camp. After he returned we celebrated by having a Cowboy Party and Nathan unveiled his rope and “cow”. Well he brought these back out on the occasion of our arrival. The boys (and by boys I mean Nathan and Lucas) spent most of the afternoon roping and I spent my time following around Luke & Caleb with my camera.
Nathan showing Luke how it’s done…
Luke was only interested for so long and went back to playing in the dirt with his dozer…
I followed Caleb around for awhile and loved playing with him. Last time I saw him he was just a teensy baby so it was extra fun to play with him this time…
This is probably my favorite shot of the day…he just climbed up to stand between the two posts and this shot happened…
Another favorite shot of the day happened after I laid down on the ground to get on Caleb’s level. His eyes lit up and he crawled over to and then proceeded to crawl on top of me! I snapped this one of the two of us and I just love it…
Finally a few shots of Nathan & Caleb with Nathan being the horse and trying to buck Caleb off. Good thing Caleb loves it!
Thanks again for letting us stay with you!
-Shannon
We made it back to Vancouver much sooner than we ever thought we would. I was sure that when we left this place a year ago that I probably wouldn’t see it for another 5 years (except for on TV when Vancouver hosts the 2010 Olympics!). Thankfully I was wrong and we were able to make it back much sooner.
So I thought I’d share a couple posts from our time in Vancouver and I’ll start with a nice overview of our trip. After waking up at 3:30 am on Saturday to catch our flight to Seattle and then driving up to Vancouver, I was able to see a sight that I’ve thought about many times…the view at the top of Dunbar looking out to the water and mountains…
After checking in with our lovely hosts, Nathan & Karen as well as playing with Luke & Caleb (pictures to come), we headed off to the beach…
After our quick stop at the beach we were off to The Wolf & Hound for pub night. Several friends joined us for the evening and it was great to catch up with them. I guess I wasn’t in the picture taking mood, or it could be the fact that I had already been awake 20 hours straight, because this is the only picture I took. But at least I captured my dear friend Wendy…
After a good night’s sleep we went to our old church, University Chapel. It was such a refreshing time of seeing old friends and worshipping in a community that was such an integral part of our lives. After church we headed out to lunch and enjoyed the sunny day…(SIDE NOTE: we enjoyed clear, blue skies during our entire trip which can be unheard of in Vancouver this time of year)
Ellen, Karen, Fran & Andrew…
Kirsty, Mike & Lucas…
Me & Ellen…
Paul & Tiffany…they just got married in February and while Paul is from NZ, Tiffany is from Arkansas! It was our first time meeting her and we were so glad we did!
Nora and her lovely mom, Deanna…
After our long lunch we headed off to our favorite forest…Pacific Spirit Park. We parked by our old apartment and walked the path we used to walk at least 5 times a week. It was a great time of remembering our life here and also reflecting on how far God has brought us and how thankful we are for the time we had in Vancouver.
Once we were done with our walk we headed to one of my favorite spots…Kool Stop! They always have their slurpees for 99 cents no matter what the size…
On Sunday night we enjoyed dinner with Nathan & Karen and then headed over to Mike & Kirsty’s for dessert. It was great to catch up with them and to enjoy their new apartment which is directly across the street from the beach!
Monday brought Graduation Day and for clarification Lucas and I graduated last year. Several people thought we were back in town to graduate ourselves. But we just happened to come back into town over graduation and so we could cheer our friends on. So Monday was a day of celebrating our friends’ achievements. We started the day at Jeremy & Katy’s for a graduation brunch to celebrate Jeremy.
Of course Katy made some wonderful food…
Jeremy & Lucas…
Unfortunately I didn’t snap even one picture with Katy. :( We were too busy talking and wishing we could be together more often.
After brunch we headed off to Regent to meet up with Levi, Shelley and Avery.
Shelley and I enjoyed our time talking and playing with Avery. And I will have to dedicate an entire post to our time together…so for now a sneak peek…
Monday afternoon we went back over to Jeremy & Katy’s before heading off to graduation. It was so great to cheer our friends across the stage and to enjoy a few more moments together during the reception afterwards. 
The Edsalls (Deanna, Nora & Ben) & The Endicotts (us)…
And one last goodbye with Shelley…
Even though our time in Vancouver was way too short I’m so glad we made the trip. It was refreshing and wonderful and exhausting all at the same time. Vancouver is a place we will always call home but a funny thing happened while we were there. In the midst of being in the city I’ve longed for, I realized I also love the place we are now. Through the process of telling people what our life in Princeton is like I realized that I really enjoy our new life. So as the old Girl Scout song goes, “Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold”.
-Shannon
P.S. I actually never understood that song…so I should make new friends but my old ones are still way better than my new ones? Oh well, I’ll still keep singing it.
P.P.S I like my old friends and my new friends.
I am awake at 3:30 AM to catch a flight back to Vancouver…totally worth it as long as I can sleep on the plane. :)
-Shannon
…to this lovely place…
This was not in the plan but after Lucas found us some cheap tickets we decided to make the trip back to Vancouver! We will be heading there the weekend of Regent’s Graduation. We figured it would be a great time to see lots of people and hopefully the skies will have parted and we can enjoy some lovely weather.
We will get into town Saturday afternoon (April 25th) and we’ll leave on Tuesday morning (April 28th). It’s a quick visit for sure but it works perfectly with Lucas’ school schedule and any time in Vancouver is well spent. But we realize that the Vancouver in our mind continues to change as people come and go. So we will be glad to see friends while we are there and to enjoy the city we called home for 2 1/2 years.
-Shannon
This year was the first year we included a Christmas Letter in our Christmas cards. And since I couldn’t send a Christmas card to everyone I know and love I thought I would share our Christmas Letter with my lovely blog world. As an added bonus you get to see a picture for every month…and let me tell you how hard it is for me to only pick one pictures for each month. :)
Merry Christmas!
We pray this letter finds you well as we are in the midst of the Christmas season! This past year has brought many changes for us and we thought we’d share with a month by month report.
In January we spent part of the month home in Missouri as we celebrated Christmas before heading back to Vancouver where Lucas and I were both finishing school at Regent College.
February brought the news that Lucas had been accepted into Princeton Theological Seminary and we enjoyed time on Galiano Island with friends from Regent.
The month of March brought many baby related events as several of our close friends welcomed new babies or news of upcoming arrivals.
In April we celebrated as Lucas and I both graduated from Regent College, a place that formed us in ways seen and unseen.
May was a month of goodbyes as we left Vancouver, the city we called home for 2 1/2 years. There were many tearful goodbyes but it only reminded us of the wonderful friendships we developed while we were there. We then made the 40 hour drive home to Missouri to spend the summer with family
During the month of June Lucas was at Duke as a summer research fellow. In his absence my mom and I enjoyed a girls weekend in Branson and I spent a lot of time by my pool.
July was spent catching up with friends in Springfield & Tulsa as well as celebrating the 4th in West Plains and Kansas City.
In August we celebrated 5 years of marriage by taking a trip to Mexico with our good friends Spencer & Abby.
Early September we made the 18 hour drive to Princeton, NJ and set up our new life. I found two great jobs and celebrated my birthday with a day in NYC.
October brought our friends Ryan, Vanya & Ciara to us all the way from Vancouver. We also spent some time exploring our new surroundings.
In November we had another visitor when my mom came to stay with us. We also celebrated Thanksgiving as Lucas roasted his first turkey…it turned out great
December brings Lucas’ birthday! It also brought our friend Katie all the way from Scotland. We will stick around Princeton until Christmas Eve and then drive home to be with family for a week.
It has been a great year and we look forward to the New Year to come. Always know that you are welcome to come and stay with us if you are in the area. Again we wish you a very, merry Christmas!
Lucas & Shannon
