I Am Done.....almost

Last night I wrote the final exam for my Breastfeeding Counsellor Certificate Program.
I now have to complete my practicum hours and journal about my experiences. This should take me into the summer to complete....I know my limitations, Margaret!
This is quite an academic course with a heavy reading load. Breastfeeding is truly an art; there are so many nuances and sublties. It is ironic that there is a 3 months course to teach us how to trouble shoot and educate women about something that women have been doing since the beginning of time.
What has happened in our society that we don't possess the information we need to nourish our offspring; that our mothers and aunts and sisters don't posses the innate knowledge to help us when we have problems; that are health care system doesn't recognize that supporting and encouraging mothers to establish and maintain breastfeeding greatly reduced illness in both mother and baby for the rest of their lives?
It is a crazy world we live in!
So I am anxiously awaiting the marks from my exam and excited about learning more through my practicum placements.
If you have a breastfeeding issue feel free to send it my way--I would love to see if I could help.

Lord of the Rings

Since Thomas was unexpectantly pegged as Galadriel, it made me curious about who I would come out as....to my surprise it wasn't Gollum!
Try it for yourself.

You scored as Frodo Baggins. Frodo Baggins 90% Aragorn 77% Legolas 70% Gandalf the Grey 67% Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) 57% Eowyn of Rohan 57% Arwen of Rivendell 50% Saruman the White 47% Samwise Gamgee 43% Boromir 40% Galadriel 37% Gimli 37% Peregrin Took (Pippin) 33% Gollum 27% Which Lord of the Rings character are you most like? created with QuizFarm.com

A New Baby!

Congratulations to Cary and Akeiko ! They welcomed their first baby, a girl named Kiera Mae Chow yesterday at 12:29pm (May24, 2006)
They had her at home with a midwife in attendance! Way to go first time parents! I can hardly wait to meet this little one.

The Good and the Really Bad

Will I believe you when you say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day
Well I will walk by faith Even when I cannot see because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me Help me to RID my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years With the one breath You make me new
Your grace covers all I do yeah, yeah , yeah, yeah, ya
well I will walk by faith even when Ii cannot see
because this broken road prepares your will for me
Well I'm broken- but I still see Your face Well You've spoken- pouring Your words of grace Well I will walk by faith Even when I cannot see Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me (Repeat)
Well I will walk by faith Even when I cannot see
Well because this broken road Prepares Your will for me
Hallelujah, hallelu I will walk by faith, I will walk by faith,I will walk by faith I will walk by faith, I will walk by faith,I will walk by faith I will walk by faith, I will walk by faith,I will walk by faith I will walk by faith I will walk,I will walk FaithI will walk, I will walk by faith
--Walk by Faith

My brother, Arron, has just introduced me to a great christian artist.
Jeremy Camp Check out his website. It has some pretty cool interactive bits.
The above lyrics are from the song, "Walk By Faith". Have a listen to this young guy; he has a powerful voice and has something valid and real to say.
"Holy fire burn away my desire for anything that is not of you and is of me. I want more of you and less of me" This is a guy struggling to be holy.

I am trying to find really good artists to get my kids to listen to--they don't have to be Christian artists, but they need to have something positive to say that contributes to human kind. Much of the music that is out there is very "me" and "self" focused; children are already "me" and "self" focused and do not need anything that is going to encourage them to stay there! I want music that will challenge my children and the society around them.
Well, I let Esme pick out a cd a couple of weeks ago, Love, Angel, Music, Baby by Gwen Stefani. I have heard some of her music and was quite pleased that No Doubt did a cover of a Talk Talk song that I love. While driving around Victoria we put in the LAMB cd for Esme to listen to....a couple songs in and I was extremely uncomfortable with what I was hearing and we skipped to the next song and then the next song and then the next.....all the songs were about having sex (some really not-so-subtle euphemisms and imagery "Hurry doctor come, need to get me some"), getting rich, living the high life....not so much about anything that is anything, ya know what I mean?
Now let me just preface the next bit by stating that I am not opposed the swearing in lyrics (in fact I think Bruce Cockburn, U2 and Spirit of the West and even Johny Cash if I am not mistaken, have used incredibly appropriate expletives to convey very strong feelings about the ISSUE they are singing about....think: "If I had a rocket launcher some son of a bitch would die" ), but repetative swearing that is used as a chorus?
Oooh, this my shit, this my shit
Oooh, this my shit, this my shit
Oooh, this my shit, this my shit
Oooh, this my shit, this my shit
So that's right dude, meet me at the bleachers No principals, no student-teachers Both of us wanna be the winner, but there can only be one So I'm gonna fight, gonna give it my all Gonna make you fall, gonna sock it to you That's right, I'm the last one standing, another one bites the dust
--Hollaback Girl
Not only mindless swearing, but illicit sexual interaction packaged up as some sort of aggressive physical contest. I sooo don't want this to be something that my kids think is appropriate or normal or to be aspired to....
Then let's fill their heads with metaphors that equate "love" with street racing and drugs:
Driving fast in your car. I’ve got you tracked on my radar. It’s just such a trip how you’re still my speed racer. You got me so addicted just like a free baser. I want you all over me like L.A.M.B. So get here A.S.A.P. it’s gonna be a party. Don’t forget to make a U-turn. (don’t forget to get here) I see you left your blinker on. (you see I want to get it on) I got it rolled and ready here to burn. Meet me back at home. (you know you need me so come back) Drive back baby to me fast in your car. I’m here waiting, CRASH into me real hard.
--Crash
Now I am sorry to be so hard on Gwen Stefani, but the woman is quite intelligent and this dumbed down-sexed up routine doesn't really help to uplift women or give girls permission to expect not to be treated as sexual playthings and to be loved and cherished or teach boys that they are called to a higher set of standards and should be protectors of woman and that they do have to wrestle with sexual desire and overcome it, not give in--this is what makes a boy a man, not a shag behind the bleachers.
So there's my rant for the day. Your thoughts?

She shoots, she scores...

This is my new camera. The Canon Powershot S3 IS. I love it. The camera has a 12X optical zoom, 6 megapixels and image stabilization and a 1 gig memory card. It can even do things like take a picture in black and white and then make part of the picture colour--part of the picture colour! I think I need an intensive course to figure out how to use most of the features. Margaret pulled my old camera out of my hands and dropped it on a hard wooden floor at the Capilano Suspension Bridge a few months ago and since then I have been blessed by the generosity of Mark whenever I needed to digitally chronicle an important event. In the last few weeks I have had two doula contracts and decided to use the fees to purchase this wonderful camera. The photos on the flickr side bar were taken with it last Sunday. This weekend I am tasked with taking pictures of my kids and nephews for my future sister-in-law's wedding web site. I can see the slippery slope from here; next I will need a tri-pod and then a wide telephoto lens and then an externally mounted flash......
I had better find me some doula clients!
I really am grateful to have this camera. It wasn't even supposed to be availabe until the end of this month, but there is was at London Drugs last week--one. I had to wait until I was paid and it was still there! Then when I was purchasing it, Peter, the sales guy, said, "I'll just go get your camera and printer"
"Wait a second Pete, I am not buying a printer"
"I know", Pete says to me, "You get it free when you buy the camera"
"Huh?"
So now I have a very nice HP printer awaiting a need.
And it gets better....they price match and I just checked the Future Shop flyer and they have the camera on sale for $25 cheaper. Goin' in today to get my refund! I just love it when a plan comes together.
I will share some funky pics when I figure out how to take them! Already I have taken some great photos of dowtown Vancouver and the North Shore Mountains form my office. I will upload them soon

A beautiful Vancouver Morning

I have lived in Vancouver for nearly a year and I finally did something that I have been wanting to do since we set up shop here. Let me preface this by explaining I had a very frusterating start to my day:
1-I woke up to kids squealing with delight at 0640--that bit was alright, but I had actually been hoping that my client would have gone into labour during the night and that at 0640 I would be at a birth not in my bed.
2-I have a HUGE assignment that I must complete for a lactation consultant course that I am taking and I just can't get motivated to do it....and I am still trying to catch up on 4 weeks of reading for said course.
3-I have to go back to work tomorrow and really want to be able to be at this birth. I have a great back up who will be there to cover during my working hours, but I really would like to be at this birth and wandering around the house trying to will this woman into labour was not working
4-Loaded the toddlers in the van to take Niko to preschool AND THE VAN WON'T START! Dead battery. Thank God we have a great road side service, but that made us 45 mins late for preschool.
So I was a little ansy and on edge this am. After dropping Niko off I decided that I was going to dust off my running shoes and go for a run on the seawall. I strapped Greta into the jogging stroller and jogged from W8th & Heather down to the sea wall at False Creek (see the dotted blue line) then I ran to the Burrard Street Bridge....over the Burrard St Bridge....along Drake and over the Granville St Bridge then back home. It was great!
When one is that exhausted it is hard to find the energy to be irritaed about unobliging uteruses and unfinished assigments and, actually, it cleared my head a bit and I got quite a bit done on my assignment...and then fell asleep when I tried to do my reading!
Gotta love this city!

Sunday, Glorious Sunday

Today is the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women and today St Nina Orthodox Mission Station celebrated its first divine liturgy. It was beautiful. We are so blessed by God. I am having a hard time finding words to express it. Dear friends came from afar to support us and help us celebrate. Matushka and her children came from Holy Resurrection to sing with us until they had to leave to go and sing for their service. How awesome is that? Teenagers getting up earlier than they needed to on a Sunday Morning! Margaret had her Godparents there...Nikolai had his Godmother there...I am unable to even say what this means to me. It was so wonderful to have familiar faces worship with us--even though they must return to their own churches next Sunday, it was such an incredible gift to have them with us for this first service to be there for moral support and lend their voices.
And the troopers who have travelled with us to this point waiting and waiting for services to begin--God bless you all for your patience and faith!
It is a fearful thing to have a missionary ministry and to feel very alone most of the time. This Sunday really confirmed that we are supposed to be doing this and God is blessing it. 41 people were at the service!!! Glory to God for allowing people to hear and come and find us in our tucked away spot.
Thank you to all who have prayed for us...please don't stop!
I have put Flickr on my blog, so you can look at pictures of the service.

Something to Celebrate

Christ is Risen!
This Sunday, St Nina Mission Station in Vancouver, BC will celebrate it's first ever Divine Liturgy!!!!! We are even importing the fabulous Akeiko Rown from Victoria to lead our congregation in song.
The Anglican Diocese of New Westminster and its Bishop Michael Igham have granted us the use of St George Anglican Church. The service will begin promptly at 0900 am. We are sharing this space with an Anglican parish that begins their service at 1115am and we don't want to keep them waiting! This will be our home from this Sunday and into the foreseeable future.
Please come prepared to spend the early afternoon celebrating at Douglas Park Community Centre. This is a ten minute walk from the church and there is lots of free parking--you may even want to park there and walk over to the church, where parking is less plentiful. We have rented a gathering room where we can share a POTLUCK luncheon. Coffee and juice will be provided. Please help us make this a feast! I'll bring the cheesecake! This space overlooks the children's playground and we can all have a picnic outside if the weather co-operates.
If you know you are coming could you please send me an email--just so I know how many plates and napkins to bring (and how big of a Starbucks carafe I need to order!)
kimrb at shaw dot ca.
I would love some suggestions on flowers. What do you think are the most festal/celebratory varieties? If you live in Vancouver, do you know a good, well priced flower market?
Check out Holy Cross UBC for updates until we get the St Nina website up and running; our webmaster is in Russia at the moment. I look forward to sharing this first service with you. Please everyone join me in prayer for our Mission Station and its members.