happy new year!

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted! December was absolutely crazy busy for us, but in lots of great ways.

Here's some of what's been happening:

~ The fundraiser we did for our friend Sandra was an overwhelming success. Wade's dreadlock auction raised over $2800 and the whole event and subsequent gifts came to over $13,000. We were all totally overwhelmed. It wasn't just the money, but also how moved people were by the action of Wade giving up his hair and us throwing the party. It seemed like there was a holiness to the whole thing that people from all different parts of our lives were aware of, whether or not they seem to have much interaction with God on a regular basis . We thought we were throwing a party and getting a haircut, but it just expanded. We were even on the news!

~ Wade preached at church and played with his band there too, cooked a turkey for the church dinner, had 2 very successful Christmas craft fairs ( I worked one which was fun.) We taught on the YWAM DTS for a week, said good bye to our DTS billet Peter and got ready for Xmas with my parents. We also had some sort of Christmas party or event every day from the Tuesday - Sunday the week we taught, the week before Xmas - whew!

~ We found out that we're having another baby in August of 2009! I also found out that on your 3rd pregnancy your body decides you need a belly way faster than the 1st and second time - I'm only 8 weeks, but my button and zip pants are already to tight - hooray for elastic waistbands! We're all pretty thrilled. Sophia and I think maybe we'll have a boy, Wade's pulling for his third girl (of course we don't really care, as long as it's a baby). If we can, we'll have another home birth, we so loved how peaceful and normal and lovely our home birth with Eleanor was.

~ We had a great Christmas, quiet, with only my folks and then Sandra came for dinner. I was really so excited to give this Xmas - I surprised Wade with an Ipod touch, and made robes for both our girls. I got lots of lovely things too. Sadly, I felt (and still feel) nauseous almost all the time, so every time I look at any Christmas decor or think about snow I feel pukey - I'm so glad to be in California right now...

~ Oh, yeah - right now we're in California. We came for our dear friend Ralph's wedding to the lovely Katie. Ralph lived with us for a long time, from when Soph was a baby til she was 2. We have known Katie for years too, and it was an amazing day yesterday. Sophia was the most excited flower girl you ever saw, Wade was a dashing kilted groomsman, I did a reading by Keats, and Rachel did a reading from Romans. It was very relaxed and fun and California-y. And Ralph did very well, having all those people look at him for such a long period of time - and he danced, in public, and to our knowledge he was not under the influence of anything except loooove.

I have managed to lose my camera, but the excellent Tim Farmer made sure he was taking lots of pics for all of us, (especially you, Ange!) so I'm sure as soon as he and Rachel get off the plane after their day of flying today they'll be passing those on ASAP!

Speaking of Rachel and Tim, they met us off the plane and we spent New Year's Eve together talking, eating snacks and just getting to know Tim and catching up with Rachel. Rachel and Tim are SO well suited to each other. We just fell in love with Tim and seeing him and Rachel together was so lovely. They are so in love and so comfortable together and just their body language even sitting next to each other is great. I loved just watching them, and they both got on with our girls so well, it was so hard to say goodbye again yesterday!

New Year's Day Emily and Josh came down to the house where we are staying and spent the day with us and Rach and Tim too. Sophia decided everyone needed to do princess art class and had everyone all around the table drawing for ages and ages. Wade made an incredible pasta meal, and we played Cranium and talked and laughed and laughed and laughed. Because, as anyone who knows Rachel knows, when Rachel is there, everyone feels like they are the funniest person in the world, because she has the most continuous, spontaneous, genuine laugh in the world (as far as my research has shown.)

Also, Josh is just funny all the time and Emily was just perfect Emily - so great, and so normal to be with her, with everyone actually, even after such a long time. Emily's photography is also getting more and more amazing. You should check out her website www.halflightimages.com. She took these pics of our girls, great shots that capture their personalities well.

Well that about wraps it up - we'll be here for another few days and then in a week and a half we're off to Wade's Moms wedding in Alberta - but more on that later - in the mean time...

Happy New Year!

Sophia bowing after performing "The Tired Boy and the Lullaby Mermaid" an original work
by Sophia J.J. Pallister and P. Wade Pallister.
Image Copyright 2009 HalfLight Images

A classic Nori face.
Image copyright 2009 HalfLight Images