A great year for gifts.

Its never known whether the gifts given will be accepted and used as you had hoped.  This year was a year full of gifts that were well thought out - and each kid has received gifts appropriate for them... AND all of their siblings!  I have felt such a sense of fulfillment as the kids have worked together to accomplish building LEGO structures, figure out board games, read wonderful books and walk the new family dog, Clouds - a robotic dog.

The aforementioned gifts were not all - thank you to everyone who blessed Katie, Will and Ben this year with gifts.  And thank you for caring to really think through what you were getting them so that Kyle and I can watch as our kids enjoy building community amongst themselves and/or discovering more things that they're capable of doing.  Its been fun to watch!

TOY SHERIFF WOODY RAGDOLL.  Not educational but awesome.

CONSTRUCTABLES.  Build 4 vehicles from one set of parts - perfect for Ben!

WINOMINO.  A brilliantly engineered game for spacial skills - I love playing this game.  And the kids are hooked!

WHERE'S WALDO: THE ULTIMATE TRAVEL COLLECTION.  An oldie but a goodie - includes all books. 

Other lovely gifts:

- wonderfully illustrated and beautifully written childrens' books
- Moon Sand
- Classic Card Games for Katie
- Memory for Benjamin
- clothes for the kids and ornaments for remembering the Berges/Schei Christmas of 2010
- a Star Wars encyclopedia
- and some that I'm sure I've forgotten...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! 

Christmas 2010

The Berges/Schei Family Christmas 2010

In November, we discovered that Geoff, Jennifer and Isaac would have the opportunity to spend Christmas at Mom and Dad's house ON Christmas Day!  The 'usual' is that we pick a week in January to celebrate Christmas all together when Geoff isn't flying - but this year was a treat and may not come around again for a long time.  So regardless of Kyle and I's desire to have our own family Christmas traditions at our house in Everett, we gladly packed up the kids and headed east.

Jennifer and Isaac flew into Seattle on Monday and she and I packed the van full of kids and gifts and headed over the pass on Wednesday to descend on my parent's house.  As we rounded the corner, we honked and made our way up the drive... we were ready to get inside and begin unwinding from our travels as well as begin our adventures for what the week ahead would hold.  Mom ran out dancing and waving her arms in delight.  She grabbed children from the van and herded them inside the warm house.  Jennifer and I began unloading our loot and dropping it off at the door... we were moving in.

Kyle flew into Pasco on Thursday morning and it was wonderful to have him around!  He began his usual IT work on my parents' home computer and began finessing my Dad into going 'Apple' -- he was successful the day after Christmas!  After purchasing an iMac, my Dad handed the reigns over to Kyle and before we left on Monday he was running on the 'high' of what Apple offers -- I'm sure things will only get more exciting every time Kyle visits... :) 

Thursday evening we were on the phone with Geoff.  His flight from Minneapolis into Pasco was canceled due to low visibility and his odds of catching the flight into Seattle was looking rather bleak.  We all sat in the living room praying for God's comfort to be on Geoff as he awaited the decision that would define his Christmas 2010 plans.  If he didn't make the flight, he wouldn't be home for Christmas with the family... we got a text from him some long 10 minutes later that they had officially closed the door of the aircraft he was on and he would be arriving into Seattle at midnight.  We all giggled with excitement and thanked the Lord for his goodness.  Not to mention, it just so happened the gentleman sitting next to him was driving to Pasco once they landed and had an extra seat for Geoff!  It was great to go to bed with a smile on our face... we would all be together soon.

David, Lesley and Emma arrived on Friday and we began our festivities.  Buffalo wings and shopping, preparing Christmas dinner and going to the Christmas Eve service (minus Benjamin, Will and me since they were fighting to not fall asleep at the dinner table) - and getting intentional about relaxation and good conversation.  Dad had pulled out a percolator not unlike what you'd see in the fireside room at church - coffee was perking 24 hours a day.  Correction - 18 hours a day.  We slept a little.

The kids and Geoff and Jen built snowmen and snow caterpillars with what was left of the snow and we gathered around the fire pit at night... the kids went to bed just past their usual bedtime and the adults stayed up far past theirs'.  We made the best Prime Rib yet and scorched the tar out of the Cornish Game Hens.  Geoff and David began the mighty task of building from scratch a gingerbread farm - and they don't do anything half-a**.  It was an absolutely wonderful time together... and now we start the countdown to the annual Beach Family Reunion...

Emma, Benjamin, William and Katie watching Ice Age

Katie and Emma doing crafts

iBar (Isaac Barclay) and Jennifer wrestling in Grandpa and Grandma's kitchen

iBar at bath time

Jennifer hiding from the camera...

The Gingerbread Barn

Lesley hiding from the camera...

I love you all so much... thank you Mom and Dad for hosting us all!!

I intend to post more pictures soon... :)

Brunch at the Koetje's

Hollywood ya ever move here?

There has been so much talk about what Kyle is up to -- and there isn't necessarily a quick explanation.

I'm going to take the liberty of trying to draw for you a sketch of our current life - as unkempt as it may seem...

In August, Kyle and I were feeling an urgency to disembark on something new.  It wasn't the 'new' that was appealing as it was the 'old' losing all appeal considering the economy - a mortgage broker and an aspiring photographer were trying to make ends meet in a culture that applauds debt (be it ever so silently) and massages you to spend the cash you've got as quickly and frivolously as possible.

The rat race of this area - although 25 minutes north of downtown - was becoming a place that we couldn't, and didn't want to, keep up with anymore.  There were weeks of good friends bringing over food and dropping off staples such as toilet paper and canned goods along with whatever they had extras of in their pantry -- Kyle and I were blessed with wonderful anniversary gifts and the kids were well taken care of...

God was faithful.  And in that moment, we began to revise this 'plan' we've had of staying where we're at - Mill Creek, Washington.  Not necessarily because we didn't think we could make it if we wanted to but because we simply didn't want to -- that desire was not there and it was gently pushing us away from our current professions to look at other options.

A dear friend of ours tipped us off on a possible pastoral position at his church in Yakima, Washington.  We thought about it and Kyle was excited to send his resume.  We heard nothing back and again set out searching for whatever we thought may be up God's sleeve...

Kyle came home one night and said that he'd been working with Ali on a project out of Los Angeles (Ali of Arc Media - Arc Media is a small Northwest-based company Kyle has been doing consulting work for).  This project was working with one of Hollywood's most prestigious talent agencies and he was considering not only managing the project but also traveling down to Hollywood to sit in on meetings and get a first hand look at what it was this project was all about.

Since then, he has traversed back and forth up and down the West Coast with a pen and a pad of paper (aka laptop) spinning new business ideas and tv shows out of whatever it is that God has gifted him with.  Most recently, Breakthrough Star has been launched and the tv show out of Las Vegas is being looked at by Endemol for airing the season after the coming season...

All may sound quite eccentric -- but please understand, though most high-rollers are eccentric people, not all eccentric people are high-rollers... hence, I am boiling out soup bones and making bean soup day in and day out... I'm driving on fumes and waiting until I'm sweating my last mile before filling up the tank... I'm buying Christmas presents at the consignment store and vacuuming out my own car in the cold, windy weather... I'm staring at the Cup O Noodle cups for reasons other than cheap bowling pins and I'm making my own ornaments for the tree.

We have no idea what this will shape up to look like... to be quite honest, I've looked at everything on the market from half-million dollar homes on Bainbridge Island to small apartments here in S. Everett/Mill Creek for when our rent is up in 7.5 weeks... not to say we think we are in a place to execute either of those plans but I do feel like God is lovingly giving me the room, per se, to see what this economy provides so that when the time is right we will be ready for it... or as ready as we can be.  Of course, God has a plan and he's just gracious enough to let me 'peruse' the possibilities that are out there...

All could explode and we could praise God for his continued faithfulness and provision through Kyle's job OR all things could implode and we could praise God for his continued faithfulness and provision through whatever other means he provides...

We're never quite sure... such is the life of the Scheis.

And could I EVER move to Hollywood?  I don't think so...

Has God ever done crazier things?  Yes I believe so...

As for now I'm praying for 'less crazy'.
 

Around the corner.

Since August there has been this 'thing' coming into focus... out there on the horizon... in front of Kyle and I.  We look at it, cock our heads this way and that wondering what it could possibly be - not unlike the way a dog perks his ears and cocks his head at a sound he hears in the distance and evaluates what it may be.

This 'thing' has slowly gone from a blur to something more distinct yet completely foreign to us as it draws closer.  We don't have a label for it and we have no way of predicting what its affect will be on our family... and so, we forge forth daily in obedience to our God who knows EXACTLY what it is we are looking at.

Our hope is in Jesus Christ.  What an appropriate place to be in this season, eh?  Kyle travels to Los Angeles and spends time evaluating what God would have for him down there.  He works many hours between mortgages and project management -- between project management and producing a TV show... yes, it seems to be quite the shift from our usual or established suburban life here in South Everett, Washington - yet to be quite honest, our life has never been 'established'.  Although at times its seemed usual with regards to what Kyle's work entailed, it has never been 'established' - it is likely to change with the next shift in weather and we have found we are only accountable to what Jesus is asking of us in the moment...

Yakima Valley, Washington

We spent the recent three days on Bainbridge Island -- a lovely place here in the Puget Sound.  Just months ago, we began creating a rough plan for what it would look like to move from Everett to Yakima, Washington... we desired to begin creating a more predictable lifestyle for our immediate family as well as build a life around our kids' cousins and relatives on my side of the family... although we'd be farther from Kyle's parents, we believed that their lifestyle presented greater opportunity for travel than what my side of the family was able to afford - both finances and time constraints with careers were quickly becoming a barrier as we tried to find time together.


Within a few weeks, the wind changed directions and we were offered a position to manage a large project out of Los Angeles which, in turn, led to producing a TV show in Las Vegas... now we look down the next 8 weeks at our rent being up for renewal and the unknown financial state of our family.  A Hollywood website launched and a TV show 'sizzle' (an eye-catching video showcase that condenses a large collection of media into a thrilling and effective communication piece) could quickly transform what it is God is doing with the Schei family... with that in mind, we began weighing out our options:

- buy in Mill Creek area
- rent in Mill Creek area
- buy on Bainbridge Island
- rent on Bainbridge Island

Bainbridge Island, Washington

We spent time on Saturday looking at homes on Bainbridge Island with a Real Estate agent - not because we were looking at purchasing but because we wanted to consider the idea of buying on the island.  In the interest of buying on the island and considering the short time frame we're working with when it comes to our rental agreement, we are also considering rentals on the island... the school district and the lifestyle leave little to be desired, that's for sure.  BUT Kyle's job would have to move to the downtown Seattle area - in Kyle's heart, the company God's called him to will likely have a home-base in downtown Seattle at some point which would make our life on Bainbridge all the more beautiful -- acreage, EASY commute and close to family.


Now... could we be ready to move in eight weeks?  I don't think so.  Do we have dear and close relationships here in the North Seattle area?  You bet.  Are we quick to change directions and leave those relationships to chance?  Absolutely not.  

God -- it is your leading that we are dependent on.  We ask for your direction and we wait for your call on our hearts... though time seems to dwindle down to the wire for us, YOU control time.  It is YOU we call upon and it is YOU we wait upon.

Thank you God for your faithfulness and your leading.  We continue to walk forward and delve into scripture -- asking for your discernment and direction with each decision.  

I cannot wait to see what this looks like in 12 months... 

Today.

Today I rolled over in bed to look at the clock.

((5:30)) it screamed at me in silence - the boys have GOT to adjust to the time change.  We have fallen back in time as well as in progress.  Why is it that just when things begin to take shape in our morning routine Day Light Savings comes rearing her ugly head and begs for a little excitement?

We threatened their lives if they didn't lay on the floor and curl up, fall asleep and thus remain silent for the next 60 minutes... it worked (mostly.)

Katie woke and walked into the room about 6:00am -- she was feeling the effects of Aunt DLS too... she never wakes up before 7.  She was crying and frazzled because she couldn't breath out of her nose and she sounded like last night's bartender, Ruby.  We laid in bed for awhile and at 7:00am I pulled the covers back.

Its been a wonderful day of lazying around the house and doing odds and ends art projects with Katie who stayed home from school, watching cartoons here and there, napping (I slept with Ben on his bed and Katie and Will snoozed on theirs in the same room!), Katie slept for 3 hours while the boys and I slowly woke from our coma and enjoyed a little Godzilla cartoon on Netflix.  We closed all the blinds and turned off all the lights in the house, ate at the appropriate times (or an hour earlier due to rebelliousness) and stayed in our pajamas - I don't think any of us felt 100% and its been wonderful to not try so hard to be... well, sociable.

The highlights of the day?!  Pee and Poop in the potty.  It has been a constant celebration now for 4 days.

And tonight I'll enjoy the company of some wonderful women at Purple in Woodinville - I've never been.  I hear its fabulous.

Banana is now a Sr in High School... things are getting crazy.

Hannah Catherine - Sr Photo 2010

Hannah Catherine - Sr Photo 2010

I love you so much, Banana... cannot wait to see what God has planned for you.

With love, your much older sister...
Krista

Good friends...

The desire to sift out the fake relationships and incorporate the real is becoming a greater priority. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I don't really care if I'm 'accepted' anymore, comparatively speaking, if its due to a spiritual maturity or if its wanting to set healthy priorities for my children. Probably a little of each of those as well as other factors.

Kyle and I were talking the other day about getting more intentional with the people we spend our time with instead of just 'letting the chips fall where they may'. Over the recent month or so I've been able to meet some women that I'm excited to be around -- some women that I'd love to seek counsel and friendship from as we live our lives together. You know the saying, 'who you spend the majority of your time with now is who you're going to be in three years'... that is shaping so many of Kyle and I's relationships right now and Bellingham is one of those places we'll be frequenting more and more.

The Baron Family lives there.

We have been blessed to see them three out of the last three weekends! When we go up, we camp out in their wonderfully warm and cozy basement -- when they come down, they enjoy our guestroom while all the kids bunk together some place or another... and the adults are able to bring wise counsel to each other. We just 'happen' to talk about the priorities in our life -- it seems to be the common language that we desire to seek obedience to Jesus, build a family who lives to glorify Him and strive to cultivate children who see the importance of Jesus' and their relationship with Him. Its refreshing and humbling... encouraging and thoughtful... its good.

Fall is here.

This last Sunday our family decided to spend the morning at Stocker Farms 'Pumpkin Festival' -- it was wonderful. We hammered nails into wood, pumped ducks down a river-in-a-gutter, caught trout to bring home, used our 'personal restroom' outside the minivan and picked the most beautiful of pumpkins - er, squash...

I love Fall.