Christmas letter

I'd like to say that we are writing our Christmas letter on the blog to save a few trees, and while that is very noble, the truth is...I’ve been trying to figure out what to write in this year’s Christmas letter for over 2 weeks now. I couldn't think of anything clever or creative and besides, between our blogs, facebook, and prayer updates I feel like you have heard enough about the Walters in 2009! There’s not too much to add, but I'll give it a try!

Lately I have been trying to practice the attitude of gratitude. I am finding when my heart is full of gratitude, peace is a natural consequence. For example, when I start to want more things or compare myself to other people, if I reflect on what I DO have with thankfulness, peace follows. I’m not going to pretend that I have this “gratitude” and “peace” thing figured, because many of my days are spent running around with hardly a thought besides “what’s for supper”? But I do want to take more time to pause with a grateful heart and thank God in His goodness for all I have: for loving, supportive family and friends. For our home and our neighbors who make it a bit easier to be so far from family. For work that we enjoy and brings us purpose. A healthy 2 year old daughter who is full of life and loves to explore. For my health and Aaron’s health. For being able to go to Colorado to stay connected to family and friends there. For the beauty of the mountains and the water so close by. For delicious food to nourish us.

As you know, Aaron was hired to start a new church in Bellingham and that is starting to progress. Aaron spends lots of time in the community, works in a neighborhood coffee shop part-time, and actively participates in a partner church called Mosaic. In the new year Aaron will begin preaching and being involved in their evening service with the intent of putting together a launch team for our church out of Mosaic.

Montana is a delight (I suppose all parents are required to say this in a Christmas letter!). She just turned 2 and is changing every day. Much to her mother’s dismay she is very much into the “princess thing” and loves all things pink and frilly. Actually I don’t mind it that much, it’s just so fun to watch her little personality emerge. She is an easy kid, adjusts quickly and well to change, and loves people.

2009 has been a year of finding our place, finding our rhythm and finding peace. We pray for peace for each of you in the upcoming year.

Blessings,
Kate, Aaron, and Montana


Our pictures were taken by our amazing and talented friend, Sarah!!!

Birthday pics

We had a great day celebrating Montana's 2nd birthday. Aime and Ashley came down from Canada to eat pink cupcakes, watch Montana open loads of presents, and eat La Fiamma with us. I must say, Montana was IN to it being her day. She kept saying, "happy, again" meaning sing happy birthday to me again. It was a good day. And now she's 2 and asserting her free will and I'm needing more and more patience every day!

Happy Birthday, Montana

Dear Montana,

Today you are two! I can't believe how fast time has flown, yet somehow it seems you have always been in my life. Today we get to remember how you came barging into the world throwing both me and your dad totally and completely off guard. Yes, obviously I knew I was going to have you, but I thought I had one more month of pregnancy. I thought I would have a few more weeks to wash your new little clothes, make a birth plan, and make a music play list on my ipod for labor and birth. There was no waiting for you to come, my little love bug, you were ready before we were. But as I've learned in the 2 years of being your mama, I'm never fully ready for anything. You do things in your own time. When you're ready, not me.

I am delighted by your personality. You are a little looky-loo even at the ripe age of 2. How many times have I already told you to "pay attention" because you will step off the slide or trip over a stick because you are staring at other children at the park? People ARE fascinating, aren't they? Your extroversion already shines through...I am amazed by the energy you get when other people enter the room. You love to dance and carry around your stuffed animals. Your lastest new trick is moving the kitchen rug so you can drag a chair over to help me with what I'm doing in the kitchen. You HAVE to be in the action. Sometimes I look at other children asleep in their parents' arms at church or at a restaurant and I laugh because I know that no matter how tired you are, you wouldn't sleep because you don't want to miss anything.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Montana Faith. We continue to pray that you will have faith that will move mountains, that you will be kind and gentle to all people, and that you will continue to be adventurous. You are loved, Tana-Banana.

All my love,
mom

I am thankful

I have so much to be thankful for, but this year I am particularly thankful for health. Tuesday I went to our friend's house who has cancer. She is 26 years old and has been sick and in pain for 7 years. She doesn't have much energy, so we help her around the house with dishes, trash, etc. She told me that she wanted to live, but has made peace with death. Wow...and I was stressed about getting to Target to buy a new shirt to go with a sweater someone gave me. Talk about a dose of much needed perspective.
So today, I am thankful for my friend who lives so gracefully despite sickness. I am thankful for my body. I am thankful for my health. I am thankful I have the energy for small and large tasks. I am thankful for reminders.

More Colorado

While in Colorado Montana got to spend time with her cousins, Madelyn and Will, and the newest addition, Isabelle. Beautiful baby! Montana loved holding her and I forgot how fragile, small, and precious newborn babies are. It's amazing how quickly they grow and become crazy toddlers!! I hadn't been trick-or-treating in YEARS, so my sis and bro-in-law, broke me in. Madelyn went as Ariel, Will was Spiderman, Montana was a princess (of course), and Isabelle was just plain adorable. We got some good candy and it was a fun evening. Montana was her usual social self and enjoyed it, I mean what kid hates it??

Princess in Action

Sorry you have to turn your head to watch it - I'm not computer savvy (or patient) enough to figure out how to turn it. (PS if anyone knows...let me know!!)

Princess? My daughter? Really?

Yep. My daughter is loving the princess thing and she's hardly 2. When we found out we were having a girl, the one thing I did not want was a princess. Well, here she is loving everything pink, dress, and princess. I guess there's a little something to say about the whole nature vs. nurture controversy!! AND to top it off, when we were in Colorado, my parents and my sister completely egged it on. They bought her a princess dress complete with wings and a wand. She wore it almost everyday over her clothes and insisted on dancing whenever it was on. Four adults indulged a 23 month old whenever she saw fit.

Final Confession: She's utterly adorable and totally cracks me up.

Vermont

Highlight of my fall: visiting my friend, Shawna, in Vermont with Jenny. We had a terrific girls' weekend. The weekend got kicked off with a "chicken of wine" and ended at Ben and Jerry's home factory with lots of talking, laughing, eating, drinking, driving (not necessarily in that order) in between. Fantastic! It was my first time leaving Montana for that long and we both did just fine. She stayed in Colorado and got to spend time with both grandparents, while Aaron remained in Washington holding down the fort! Now of the top of my agenda: getting back to Vermont ASAP!! :)

Climb!

Last Saturday Aaron and I ran a half-marathon in Leavenworth with some friends. We had a great weekend. The weather was fantastic and Aaron and I ran pretty much the whole thing together. Of course we had to partake of the post-run Oktoberfest beer and brats and then we headed home. On Sunday we were both beat - a Sunday afternoon nap never sounded better. I put Montana down for her nap and she chatted with her sock monkey for awhile, so Aaron and I put ourselves down for OUR nap. And just as we were starting to wonder if Montana was going to go to sleep, we hear the pitter-patter of feet across the hard wood floor and Little Miss Montana appears at our door and announces herself with a very proud, "HI!!" Well I had no reaction but to crack up laughing. I laughed until I cried, because life as I know it is about to change...again. We asked her how she got out and she proudly replied, "Climb!" Duh, mom and dad. Needless to say, nap time did not happen on Sunday.

A brief picture blurb

Montana and I at a farm outside of Bellingham - we've had a gorgeous fall!

Aaron and Montana made a cake while I was camping with the youth group.
Looks like she got the fun job!!

Montana and August hanging out during snack time. We miss that kid!
His parents moved to Canada, and they HAD to take him too.

Montana LOVES wearing dresses and playing dress up. This was taken at a museum when we met our friends Jana and Will for the day. Montana was in to the dress-up clothes they had and Will just wanted to watch the trains. Go figure.

Montana and Will chatting over a little snack

Camping with teenagers

Last weekend I found myself camping with 13 teenagers. I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but it did. I didn't get much sleep, ate junk food, and woke up Sunday morning with a zit on my nose. I really felt like a teenager again!! Here's a play by play of the first night, just so you can get a flavor of the weekend:

10:45pm - Aaron comes to pick up Montana because I had her with me, so he could play poker with some guys for the evening.

11pm - I get back to the campfire and I'm stoked for a s'mores and more silly stories and laughing by the fire, but all at once everyone gets up and goes to bed because "it's 11". So, I am stuck roasting a marshmallow at the fire all by myself.

11:10pm - brush my teeth and go to bed

12:30am - wake up and have to pee, boy, do I feel old. I have the debate in my head: should I get up and go or hold it until morning? Once I decide to get up, the question is whether to pee outside the tent or walk all the way to the bathroom? Decide to walk to the bathroom to spare any youth from stumbling across my bare ass in the dark. That could be scary.

2am - I hear voices and feet outside the tent. Sense a presence. Wonder if a kid is scared or needs something. Lay there for a bit and think I hear Yuanita snoring next to me, but it's someone pulling the zipper of our tent open very slowly. I say, "Is everything okay?" being the concerned adult chaperone I was. Totally naive to the schemes of youth these days. Yuanita was faking sleep and was waiting to scare whoever was trying to get into the tent to pull a prank. So, I ruined that prank reversal.

3am - it's starts raining. Not just WA drizzle rain, but pouring. I consider what's at the picnic table getting wet, and decide that I don't really want to get wet and cold, so I'm sure it will be fine.

3:15am - I see flashlights and hear a group of courageous girls pulling tarps over everything. Awesome girls!

4:00am - I realize that rain is dripping on me and I can't figure out why because we have an awesome REI tent. Then I remember the vent was open in the roof, so I crawl out to close it. Awww, much better. Yuanita is a little wet, so we pull her sleeping bag away from the tent walls

5:30 or 6am - not too sure the exact time, but Yuanita is really wet and has to pee. We hear some of the boys outside checking to see if everything was covered up and she decides to get up, go to the bathroom, and move to the van to finish sleeping. I resume sleep feeling very warm and dry, thankfully.

8am - our alarms go off because it's time to get up and start breakfast. It's still pouring and I don't hear anyone moving around, so I try to go back to sleep and delay the inevitable of leaving my warm sleeping bag.

8:20 am - the guys are up and about ready to eat. Everyone starts to crawl out of their tents, soaked and grumpy. We start making breakfast, but I am thinking the whole time that we should throw everything in the cars, get coffee, and head home. The rain stopped shortly thereafter and the day ended up being dry and beautiful.

I learned all kids of crazy youth group games, played PIT, learned how to make a pudgie pie, went on a hike, sat around the camp fire. And, I observed what an amazing group of teenagers Bethel has. It was a blast, but being the adult helper made me appreciate all that Yuanita and other youth pastors do. So hug a youth pastor next time you see one. They are amazing people!

What's new?

Well nothing...really. No big events, no exciting news, just the daily grind. But as much as I love fun trips and life changes and other sorts of drama, I am appreciating the small and mundane daily activities of talking with neighbors, running around with Montana, chores around the house, looking through cookbooks when Montana is sleeping, watching an "episode" or two with friends, walking to the Firehouse Cafe for coffee. I often times can't believe this is my life. I love getting out and doing things, but I equally love staying at home and spending time here.
We had a great summer. The weather has been fantastic, we spent time with family, my sister and her hubby visited, we went camping with friends, we attended 3 weddings, but I welcome autumn with open arms. Welcome cooler weather, scarves, pumpkin lattes, and a little routine to our crazy summer!! We started a Monday night Bible study with neighbors, I will be helping lead a women's Biblestudy in Lynden on Wednesday mornings, Aaron started a part-time job at the aforementioned coffee shop to meet people in addition to everything else he manages to do. We have established a family night and have ideas for another group to start. Our life is very full, nothing too crazy or exciting, but very good. So if you ask me what's new, I'll probably say not too much and that's how I like it!

Good-bye

Please cue Boys2Men's song "It's so hard to say good-bye to yesterday" in your head as you read this post.

Two weeks ago we said good-bye to our first Lynden friends as they packed up and moved to Salem, Oregon. The Konings made our first few months in Lynden a very natural transition. They are the kind of people that make you feel like you've known them for a long time. Those first few awkward times of "getting to know" each other were a breeze with these awesome people. And Montana and Will hit it off (they didn't really have a choice). They're only 4 days apart and they really had fun playing together. You can imagine my disappointment when I found out they would be moving. Of course I was happy for them and understood the bitter-sweet decision it is to move away, but it was still sad to see them go. It's weird, but I haven't been on this side of a move in a long time. Life keeps going, but just without the Konings close by. They were the ones packing up and heading on a new adventure, we just went home. We miss them...alot. We pray that they will find their "Konings", just like we found them. Transition is hard and I think about them lots. Montana frequently asks for Will and when we head into Lynden she says "Will?" and I hate telling her that Will went bye-bye. This is the hard part of life...saying good-bye to special people...I guess I can't escape it.

*Note Will's dismay when he had to ride HIS tractor behind Montana!! Love it!! :)

4th of July in Belle Fourche

Lake house fun

May it always be summer

Why, oh, why does the summer fly? Routine is neglected, play time is increased. The garden grows, the sun shines, the days are long. There are berries to be picked and lakes to swim. Places to go, people to visit, and guests to enjoy. Oh, why, oh why does summer fly? This is the pace of life we should be living. We take more time for people and welcome spontaneity. But by the time fall rolls around, we welcome the cooler temperatures, the comfort of structure, and the changing leaves...I love fall, but not yet. Let's revel in summer a bit longer! Just a few blurbs from our summer thus far: a wedding in Indiana with Aaron's family, relaxing at Kate's family's lakehouse in SD, July 4th in Belle Fourche (the best ever), trips to Canada to the beach, lots of playing at the park and in the baby pool, riding bikes, saying good-bye to good friends...

Let's get the party started

Montana had a great time at her first wedding in Indiana. She and Aaron single-handedly got the dancing started. It was beautiful wedding and the reception was a blast! Thanks to Jeff and Jen and their families for an awesome celebration.

Montana and a microphone

Lovin' life

Combining lunch with a little nudity time...hey that's life at cohousing!!

Montana at work day...some weeds made it in the bucket, alot more dirt ended up in her mouth!

Great friends of ours watched Montana last night and we had a night away to celebrate 9 years of marriage! CRAZY! Our room had a fabulous view.
We had a great time together...I think I still like him!! :)

Honeymoon

We have lived in Bellingham Cohousing for almost 2 months now and can I just say...I am LOVING it. I don't know why more people don't live like this - there are neighbors around all of the time, we share the work and the rewards (ie beautiful landscaping and gardens), there is a large "common house" that is almost like an extension of our home. There is coffee everyday at 10am. One of our neighbors offers a yoga class in her home on Friday mornings. It's incredible. The thing I loved most about living in China in 2001 was our team of 19 living right down the hall from us. If we had extra supper, we would run next door and grab our neighbors, if we wanted to watch a movie we would wander down the hall and gather a few friends, if we wanted to stay in and be alone we would close the door. I have longed for that kind of community that nurtures spontaneous gatherings since we returned. We've had glimmers of it since then, but now we are fully immersed. I love the idea of living in community like this - we still have our own space, but we have others right here who are also interested in building community. It feels like having a tribe.

As I've been reflecting on this for the past couple of weeks, I realize that I am definitely in a honeymoon stage. Along with living so closely with people comes mess, because us humans are messy creatures. There are group politics and interesting dynamics, and so far we have not had to deal with them yet...but it's coming. The question is - once the honeymoon is over and we face our first conflict or dilemma, will I still sing "community" praises? Stay tuned, but I think the benefits will out weigh the costs. I kind of feel that I was made for living like this. I feel like an inner need is being fulfilled. I knew it was there, but didn't know how to satisfy it. Now here I am...I'm loving this life that I'm in.

Spring fun

For mother's day, Aaron surprised me with a new digital camera, so now we have more pictures to add to our blog! Life has been full this last month as we've adjusted to our new community, explored the new neighborhood, and have had friends come to visit.

Montana absolutely LOVES being outside. Thankfully the weather has been fantastic!

We have a few great trails right out our door!

Our great friends, Misty Anne and Edward came for a weekend visit.
We rode our bikes down to the water. It was such a beautiful weekend.

Montana and her new friend, August, on mother's day.

Playing in the sandbox with my old overalls on!!

long time, no post

At the Tulip Festival with our good friend, Aime

We've been a bit on the busy side in the last month or so. First there was the brilliant trip to Colorado where we got 3 significant snow storms and I got to spend good time with family and friends. Then it was back to Lynden for about 5 days of packing and then a move 30 minutes away to Bellingham. It was a tough transition for me, but everyday it feels more and more like home. It's crazy that we found a rhythm of life so quickly in Lynden...on one hand I hated to leave after only 5 months, but on the other hand I hope(d) that we would find a rhythm just as quickly in Bellingham. Our new community makes that part relatively easy (more on that to come). We have spent the last few weeks unpacking and finding a place for all of our things in a smaller place. In the midst of that I found out that the manuscript (from my thesis) that I submitted to Mental Health, Culture and Religion is provisionally accepted!! So after making some revisions I'll re-submit it (hopefully this week) and see what happens. But as always we have found a little bit of time to play...

Just chillin' at the Denver airport waiting for our flight to leave