What Immigration Looks Like Part 5: Family Coming to Us

That little girl I’m holding is our first sweet treasure. Eleanor is our first niece, Charlie is our one-year-old nephew and there are two more journeying their way into our extended family into the coming year! Such precious early years. So much happening so fast, and you don’t want to miss a single story, tantrum, toddler sound, infant coo, and utterly adorable two-year-old musings. So while I’m “land locked” awaiting immigration processing, my best friend and sister came from Connecticut to visit us in Ontario for Christmas!!! How blessed we were. Here we are walking on Christmas day around where we had the best day of our lives…our wedding. We’re 18 months further into the future from that day, and in the middle of a trying immigration process, yet thankful everyday for our faith in God and his good and perfect plan for us. It is blessed assurance, and I’m not sure what we’d do without His ever-guiding peace. {E’s face says, “cold” in each of these pictures…an expression that’s hard not to wear in these parts.} Laura, thank you for making unknown months of separation not just bearable but memorable. Give our little bears hugs from Auntie and Uncle. And Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

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Engagement Anniversary

On my parent’s anniversary today, Jordan proposed two years ago. It’s a wonderful day to celebrate such wonderful marriages! This is our little montage from the last several years of knowing and loving one another!

2010 (At college, having the time of our lives)

2011

2012 (First picture after Jordan proposed!)

2013 (Our first fall as Mr. and Mrs.)

I am so blessed by this patient and loving man. So worth the wait, such a gift every day.

Friday Night Ice

College was my first introduction to all things team-sports. Intramural soccer, volleyball, ultimate frisbee…but hockey…hockey was and will always be Jordan’s thing. While I probably could have been a more enthusiastic cheerleader, I did try my best to show up to a game or two:

Jordan: Hey, thanks for coming! When did you get here?

Me: Umm…I came when there were 15 minutes in the last period! (Big, supportive smile)

Jordan: Oh. Yeah. That’s, ok. Thanks.

Me: Well, you know…I got so carried away with studying…I just lost track of time. And the end is the most important anyway, right?

Obviously, I don’t have a hot clue when it comes to the “most important” part of the game. Which apparently, is the entire game.

The boys played every Friday night this winter and these are from their tourney that marks the end of the season. They won (!) and now onto baseball.R(not #4)-L Husband, Brother #1, Brother #3 & friend (all impressed by this dedicated hockey wife)My favourite part: Sister 1 & Sister 2 (once removed) and we are utterly enthusiastic. Yes, we are!A really nice part when the final buzzer goes off: No matter who won, they still shake hands and its so loving.

Aside from the cold, bum-knumbing-stands, and ungentlemanly brawls, hockey is not so bad. Because it means, chatting with hockey mom’s and wives, and cheering on our handsome guys. Well, there’s no turning back. By proxy (and incrementally by interest) I’ve joined the infamous Hockey Nation. 

What Immigration Looks Like: Part Deux

Dear Potential Future Children,

Lordwilling, if we have you someday, you will be granted a magical gift called dual citizenship. This means you will be both Canadian and American upon taking your first breath of air. You’re welcome, dear Lovies. Because it took

40 application papers

38 photos from dating, engagement and our wedding

30 printed personal emails, Skype conversations and letters

28 fingerprints

14 ticket stubs, itineraries, passport copies

4 passport photos

3 supporting letters from friends

1 FBI check

1 medical examination

10 paperclips

some $$$

several undetermined months of waiting for approval

and looking like this (yikes!) until 1pm on several occasions just to become a permanent resident.Steward your citizenshipS wisely.

~Your devoted, we-did-this-for-you, paperwork-fried, brilliant and amazing potential parents

We also welcome your prayers for us (and several close friends in the same boat) as we wait and that our application to be processed speedily and without any difficulty. Thank you.

How You Know

My brother-in-law is missing in these pictures. Because amidst the holidays and a 14 month old and a very quick delivery of a new son, he contracted the flu and just had to sleep. He’s a hero…and so is my sister (who just posted her first birth story here. Just wait until you hear the second). And we just had a great visit all together celebrating Christmas and New Year’s at a perfect time.

I was always the homebody. No matter what camps my sister went to or where she planned to go to university I always thought, “I’ll happily stay close to home.” As busy as our days were outside the home between sports and babysitting, I always loved the feeling of coming home at the end of the day.

And then my faith grabbed me. And my thoughts started changing. And then I started fearing. “What if God send me to Africa to be a missionary?!” So I started preparing. Because of course if He called me to Africa, Africa I would go. That never came. But Canada and China did.

So while Laura was getting married to a New Hampshire boy at 19 and living in Connecticut, I flew off to Saskatchewan, Canada at 17 to become an English Language teacher. And it was hard. every. time. But it always felt right. I just knew that going away to school was the right thing for me. And when it came time to move away from family to live in Ontario with my husband…again, I just knew. But how do you know?

Knowing isn’t always a feeling. Though it sometimes can very well be. Knowing is remembering. Remembering every time life is hard or homesickness tsunamis in on me, “This is God’s best for me and I am here for his glory.” And that’s enough for me. It comforts and grounds me every time!

So of course the lumpy throat is there when I kiss my family goodbye. When the cuteness grows in the family, it’s even harder (see more below). But to be with my dear husband in Ontario is so good.

Thanks for a beautiful visit, family. We love you all.

These Faces

From our simple little afternoon with two babies, one excellent mama, and an adoring auntie and uncle.

Introducing, Charles Gillan

“gen, gen?” and he tosses her in the air…again

A prize for naming that book. Not really, but for fun…

Weekend Viewing:

Found this so touching. I think I want a lion for a friend.

Anna went to Iceland for New Year’s. Yes, please!

Favorite Hair tutorials…now that I’ve taken it out of a pony tail.

S.A.G. has their new magazine out.

More than skin deep: Here are some inspiring stories.

More from our trip on Monday and What Public Transit and Math Can Do For You!

Have a great weekend, friends!

Christmas 2013 & A Happy New Year

We spent our first Christmas with my new family in Ontario.  We celebrated our Savior’s birth, celebrated our faith in him, celebrated being together.  It was a by-the-tree, fill-your-mug, walk-in-the-cold, ping-pong-playing, feast-til-your-full kind of a Christmas. I have very loving in-laws and we are both so grateful for them!

On Christmas Eve morning we took a friend to the airport and drove back taking the long way. It’s our favorite way to go when we’re tired from the 400’s. An ice storm had passed through on the days before and it made for a magical drive home.

10 second timer, -17 degree, on top of the car picture….nailed it. A Happy New Year To All! Love, The Wilcox’s

How I Beat Those Winter Blues: Summer Reading

Every June Chapter’s and Barnes and Noble stock their shelves with the best “Summer Reads” that are bound to keep you turning the pages on the beach, by the lake or in the pool. Mmmm, there’s nothing like it. But when it comes to the winter, I haven’t yet seen “Great Winter Reads!” maybe because we’re all busy or skiing or huddled around the t.v. (All of which are true of us too at times between December and March!)

But that’s when I need the summer reads. Something that will be cheery, intriguing, edifying. Here are a few of my favorites. Some feel like old friends. Some I simply recommend for those cozy, tea-and-slippers kind of nights.

these three are all different and all delightful. simple and real. shauna has some great insights, a few of which I have pondered upon for months after.

I’ve read and then reread Potok’s acclaimed novels. (The Promise is the sequel)

I saw  “The Help” as a movie before reading the book. When I did get around to it, it was like hearing the story for the first time.

What are your favorites for this time of year?

Enjoy being cozied up!

What Immigration Looks Like

Our commitment to one another is genuine. Yes, indeed. Our family knows that. Our friends know that. But if we want to stay together, say, in the same country, the Canadian government (fair is fair), wants to see that. “So prove it” they say, in so many words. In the name of upholding the law (of course) we’re proving it. One paper, picture, certificate-at-a-time. Also see Part 2 and Part 3!

And it looks like…

tall pileslots of water, lots of phone calls.proofmaking ten lists and checking them twice

The hardest thing about the task is that it’s tedious. It’s not rocket science, just detailed. Which I don’t mind, until I find I’d much rather be cooking or writing or fly fishing. Ya. So. I must get back to it!

When Our House Became Home

Saturday was a delightful time with our family and friends. And something funny happened. When everyone left, I felt like our home looked different. Literally. At first I couldn’t put my finger on it. Was it the lighting? The scattered dishes and mugs? It may have been the games or the food. But somehow I think between the conversation, the laughter, the listening and being it looked and felt…like home.

It was a good night and lets open the door for many more.

When anyone can come and grab a blanket to cuddle or put feet up on the coffee table or squeeze together eleven sitting elbow to elbow. When your home feels like their home.