The Moberg Family

Author: Susanne

  • Our Sombrero’s Off to You!

    Well, amigos, the Mexican Mobergs are officially hanging up their sombreros and saying, “Adios” to Meh-hee-koe.

    It was exactly a year and a half ago that we decided to completely abandon life as we knew it and take what was, for us, a bold step of faith, and become missionaries outside of this broken little city called Tijuana. We spent two months on outreach before settling down here in Mexico just over a year ago.

    And what a year it has been. We have learned what feels like a lifetime of lessons in just 16 short months. As any God-given adventure should leave you, we will never be the same.

    Like little children anticipating their first day of school, we had many pictures and ideas in our heads of what it would be like to be full time missionaries for YWAM San Diego/Baja. Yet all we were certain of as we hopped on that very first flight to the DR which began our journey, was that the only thing we could be certain of was that there would be so many unknowns. Isn’t that the way of faith? Sure of what we hope for, certain of what we do not see…

    For us, we were sure in the character of our God, and certain that He had a good plan for us, to grow us, to teach us, to prosper us. And oh, my, have we grown. I mean, we started out with just one kid, and now we have two!

    But seriously, Brian and I have grown tremendously. We have learned–so much–about ourselves and about others. He has prospered us–abundantly–in ways that we couldn’t have planned for ourselves. I never would have (though I probably should have!) guessed that our faith would be so challenged in the last year. And it has been wonderful. Wonderful in the way that you feel after you have worked out and your muscles are loose and strong. Although you are tired, you are energized. And you are ready for the next workout to begin.

    We had every intention of staying with YWAM SDB longer. Not only did we have the intention of staying, but we were so excited about staying.

    So, why are we leaving now, you ask?

    Well, the following scriptures sum it up quite perfectly:

    “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)

    “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

    To us, the scriptures are very clear–we can plan our course, but it is GOD who determines our individual steps. And within the course that we plan, it will always be HIS purpose that prevails.

    And thank God for that! What peace comes from knowing He will lead us in the way we are to go according to His best for us…

    So we had planned our course–staffing the DTS through March–but in an intricate web of purposes that we will probably never know the fullness of, God has determined our steps. And in this case, it is to step away from full time missions and step into…. (drum roll please!)

    …we have no idea.

    And so here we are again, with a clean slate, no job, two perfect children and (sing with me!) a sombrer-o in a palm tree!

    The last time we had a “clean slate” like this, we at least had a home! But now, we are starting from scratch in every arena of our lives…we need a new country, a new home, and a new job! Although this kind of slate may sound scary to some, we are so excited to walk this path of figuring out what’s on God’s heart for us next. His purposes for us have been so grand in the last 3 and a half years, that we would be foolish to not expect amazing purpose ahead.

    We couldn’t possibly be more grateful for this last 16 months. The Lord has done a work in our lives that we wouldn’t trade for anything. Wanna hear a few things that He has done in us? Ways that He has grown us, taught us, and prospered us? Well, read on, mis amigos!

    Mexican Moberg highlights from our time with YWAM San Diego/Baja

    NUMERO UNO:

    “Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights.” (James 1:17)

    We have had so many “good and perfect gifts” fall down upon us in this last season. So many. We have been humbled, blessed, and oh-so-grateful for every way our family and close friends have rallied around us to support us–financially, emotionally, spiritually, practically. Although you have all certainly been part of advancing the kingdom down here in Mexico, you have also been a part of advancing the Kingdom in our hearts as the Lord has taught us so, so much. Thank you for supporting us and for journeying with us!

    NUMERO DOS:

    “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

    Our new YWAM friends. There are so many of you, and too many to name in this post. (But if you’re our friend, and you’re part of YWAM, then we’re talking about YOU!!) It’s amazing how quickly you develop friends from all over the world when you’re part of YWAM. And though we love ALL of you, there are a few who, I’m sure, will remain dear in our hearts forever. Our DTS friends will probably always be our favorites :).

    Our DTS Classmates and Staff!

     

    Among our DTS friends, Rayel has become a part of our family. I’m really not sure what Elliott is going to do without her, as he asks about her daily and she is his favorite playmate. Rayel lived with us for (too short of) a season, and we just love her dearly. And, though I promise I will encourage her to always follow the Lord’s leading in her life, I am also fairly certain that I will (continue to) try to convince her to come live with us again :). She is just so dear, and we are going to miss her terribly!!

    Drinking buddies forever!

    Jarot. We love Jarot. Jarot has served our family extravagantly since the moment we first crossed the border in moving here. Literally. He helped us get all of our stuff to Mexico (which is not an easy task!), and has been here for our family every time we’ve been in need. His heart to serve at the drop of a hat is extraordinary, and we have been so, so blessed by his faithfulness to our family.

    Though I could write a whole blog post on this, a few sentences will have to suffice: the other moms in this community have done nothing but lavish love on us since we’ve been here. Jamie has been my saving grace more times than I can count as she has made and given me a number of items that have made my life A MILLION TIMES EASIER. She’s like the baby stuff whisperer :). I am so grateful for her over this last year, especially as we’ve probably written an entire book through email regarding babies and their crazy sleep habits!!

    Jamie, with Elliott and her son Hunter–a YEAR ago! Wow! Now we both have baby girls added to the mix.

    Korrin has a heart of gold and loves others lavishly and deeply. She is a mum to the three cutest kiwi boys that I’ve ever known and spear headed throwing Selah a phenomenal baby shower despite the MILLION other things on her plate. She and her husband have included their children in their ministry, and it has been inspiring to watch. Rachel is a faithful, faithful friend whose stories about herself and her son have me rolling every time I see her. She is always real, and you will always find her serving someone. These three women (who all have boys just a bit older than Elliott) have been such a gift in this season.

    Korrin, Amanda and Rachel at Selah’s shower

    Giezi and Amanda. Wow, do we love this team. They have been heart friends, whom we can laugh with, be real with, share our struggles and our victories with…besides both being extraordinarily gifted, they have such tender and soft hearts toward the Lord and are some of the easiest people to just LAUGH with… We knew we loved them the moment we met them a year and a half ago (are you crying yet? because I am…), and our admiration and respect for them has only grown over time. To say we will miss them dearly doesn’t come close to communicating the reality of how sad it is to say goodbye.

    Giezi and Amanda meeting Selah for the first time when she was just days old…

     

    NUMERO TRES:

    “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”(Matthew 25:34-40)

     

     It has been such an honor to be a small part of pressing forward the Homes of Hope ministry here. Although we have only been able to focus a small portion of our time on this ministry while we’ve been here, we did get to sponsor a home build of our own for Elliott’s first birthday and Brian’s had the opportunity to oversee a number of builds for many different teams. In YWAM San Diego/Baja, you have never seen a more dedicated group of believers strapping on their tool belts almost every weekend to build homes for Mexicans who don’t have one. It’s an incredible sight, and over 125 families now have homes just in the time that we’ve been with YWAM. Isn’t that incredible?! And this all started with Sean and Janet Lambert and their three little girls. Such an inspiration to raise our kids selflessly looking outward!! We have said it dozens of times–the spectacle of this base is a SIGHT to see…and what an honor to be a part of it! (And if you and/or your family ever want to come on a mission trip, COME HERE!! You will surely, surely leave changed!) YWAM San Diego/Baja, our hat sombrero is certainly off to you!!!

    NUMERO CUATRO:

    So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

    Probably the biggest reality that we’ve discovered about ourselves through this adventure of being missionaries is that we are primarily passionate about ‘feeding the sheep.’ We have had a huge passion grow within us to fulfill the great commission to, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” (Matthew 28:19-20). Whether we are at ‘home’ in the USA or in a foreign land we desire that our lives would be marked by the visible fruit of transformation in the lives of the people around us (particularly the ones we are discipling intentionally.) For us, as we shared in our last update, this means to press others into the fullness of the gospel, the fullness of abundant life, the fullness of the freedom that Christ died for. For us, this means intentionally seeking for true salvation in our lives and the lives of those around us–true salvation, meaning healing, wholeness… For us, this means pressing for true repentance in our lives and the lives of those around us–not just confessing our sins (those pesky habits that keep us from the love of God) but also repenting of our sins (turning away from them and not continuing to do them!). For us, this means pressing others into the fullness of their callings in Christ. We have no idea what it will look like for us to “tend His lambs,” but we are expectant that He will honor our hearts. We have gained a real burden for God’s people (the church) in the last year, believing that we, as the church, are meant to be radiant in every aspect of our lives. So although we do have a heart for missions (and might even step back into it one day!), this is what’s on our hearts right now.

    And so…what of my dreams, you ask? Well, my friends, I would say this: I’m grateful my God promises me GREAT, when often I can only see GOOD. And because of that, our dreams have just barely begun…

    So! Stay tuned :). Thank you for reading and tracking with our lives! We are excited and expectant for what’s ahead!

    Love,

    The former Mexican Mobergs 🙂

    #butiwillalwaysbemexicanatheart

  • Post Partum…pinks!

    Post Partum…pinks!

    Thoughts on life and love, now that pink has invaded my world…

    Selah. I have a daughter and her name is Selah. She is real, a fact that I have to remind myself of every time I pick her up and see her bright blue eyes twinkling back at me behind those mile-long lashes. She is real, she is healthy, and she is mine. She is the most perfect, beautiful, delightful bundle of pink joy that ever existed. I get to hold her, change her, feed her, swaddle her, re-swaddle her, bathe her, sing to her, and put her in bows…I get to see each of her milestones first hand and ooh and ahh at each one. I get to be the recipient of her contagious smiles that wiggle through her entire body, beginning with her toes and exploding through her mouth. I get to tell her how proud I am of her throughout every day and tell her how much I love her and tell her how much she fills my life with joy. I get to kiss her chubby cheeks over and over and over again until she giggles and squeals with delight…

    Pink explosion

     

    Elliott. I say to him daily, “You simply make my heart swell with joy.” I don’t know how else to describe it…I love learning more every day about what makes Elliott Elliott. I love watching him approach a problem and seeing the solution he comes up with to fix it. I love telling him how creative he is when he thinks of a new way to build a lego tower or play with his toys. I love how, 8 months later, he is still pointing to the one toy bin that’s missing a label and reminding me that it’s an, “Uh-oh!!” I love that he loves to drink water and ensures that everyone around him drinks theirs, too. I love that he picks out the letter, “E” everywhere, and points at it like he’s found gold, saying, “A-ee-et!!!” (That is, to say, “Elliott!”) I am just so proud of him. I am so proud of his heart. I am so proud of every time he obeys and my heart is so expectant in those times that he doesn’t. Because he always comes around. He always ends up with a soft heart that delights in helping our family be the best it can be. He delights in serving. He delights in having a purpose in our family. He thrives when we beam with pride over him. And I just couldn’t possibly be more proud of him. Of who he is and who he is becoming. Of how he has allowed his will to be bent and shaped by his parents’ careful, thoughtful instruction and, ultimately, by God’s hand.

    All boy.

     

    Selah and Elliott are different. I knew they would be. (Yes, yes…I know…a biology textbook could have clued me in to that insight…) But when you are head-over-heels in love with your firstborn, it’s difficult to imagine how your heart could possibly expand to fit any more love in there. And with your first, everything is new…you just sit back and watch this little miracle GROW…and it’s just that–a miracle. You can’t believe that your baby will just intrinsically know how to grow… “How will he know how to roll over? Do I need to teach him that? Will he ever learn to sit up? Is it normal to see his heart beating through that hole in the top of his head? Will that thing ever close up??? Ooh! I see a tooth coming in! Wait, is it coming into the right spot? Shouldn’t he be crawling by now? What if he never crawls??” How can I even describe the shock and awe that took place each time Elliott hit a new benchmark…it’s just miraculous…As a new mom, you get to watch these miracles occur before your very eyes… And it’s true–miracles never get old. There is still such an abundance of joy and such an excitement with each new milestone Selah reaches… “She smiled at me! Again!! She giggled today! She rolled over!!! She moved her left little pinkie toe three times while she was clasping her hands and I just KNOW she’s trying to tell me she loves me!!” But nonetheless, it’s different. You don’t want to compare your children, but how can you not? The first is all you know.

    It’s like this. It’s like you’ve been eating homemade, fresh-baked strawberry shortcake all your life. Your mouth waters as the dessert hour approaches and you think about licking the remnants of the batter out of the bowl before popping the drops of sugary dough into the oven. After 12 minutes (or less, if you can sneak it out of the oven early before your husband notices) of fired glory, you carefully pull the lightly-dusted-with-golden-brown cakes out of the oven and quickly smother yours with fresh, sweet, sliced, bright red strawberries. You load on the whipped cream and spoon the very first bite in your mouth–a perfect blend of warm, gooey shortcake, decadent berries and rich cream…Mmm, strawberry shortcake. But then one day you are invited to try a different dessert, a new one. You are so satisfied with the first that it’s difficult to even think about another. But can you ever have enough dessert? So you are introduced to, say, the Signature White Chocolate Mousse Cake from Salty’s. Its plain white appearance is quite unassuming but as you fork the first bite into your mouth, you know your life has been changed forever. Like snowflakes effortlessly melting into the pores of your fingerprints, so the white chocolate saturates your tongue with flavor and then seeps into every fiber of your being. You are hooked, and have barely begun to swallow before you’re going in for bite number two. Throw a cup of decaf on the side and you will never be the same again.

    But you cannot help but compare it to the shortcake…clearly not because you love it less than the shortcake, but because strawberry shortcake is all you’ve known up until now. If you had to choose between them, you couldn’t. Your choice would simply–but obviously–be, “Both.” You love them both but you love them differently. Because they are different.

    Selah was just a few days old when these thoughts fumbled their way out of my mouth, as I wrestled with this new taste of love. I said to Brian: “It’s just that I love Elliott so much and I love Selah so much, too…but my love for Selah feels different.” And I couldn’t help but wonder if that “different” meant “less.”

    “That’s okay, because she is different,” he calmly assured me.

    And so I am learning that it is. That “different” doesn’t mean “less.” It means different. They have very different habits and they have reached (and will reach) different milestones at different times and they have very different stories already. And that last “different” has been especially hard for me.

    A dear friend said to me before Selah was born, “Elliott has been your world…it’s going to be difficult to add another and realize you can’t give her as much time as you’ve given him.” I knew it would be. And it is.

    Time…attention…those are my love languages. I’ve said to Brian so many times, “We don’t just sit around and stare at her for hours on end like we did with Elliott…is she lacking?? We haven’t been able to give her nearly as much attention as we did with him…”

    “And Elliott didn’t have a big brother to give him kisses on his head 400 times a day…” Brian reminds me.

     

    Enough said. It’s about so much more than being bathed in toddler smooches and drool; it’s about being lathered with big brother love…a love that can be so unique, so strong, so inspiring, so life-changing. I know of this love first-hand.

    Can you see the strand of drool on her head? That’s from Elliott, who sneezed on her as he was giving her a kiss just before he took her hand… it is one of the details of this picture that makes me ADORE this moment…

    Yes, she is being loved differently in these early months. I may not have the time to spend countless hours studying every curve of her face with a camera in my hands, snapping hundreds of pictures (a day). Selah is often strapped in the Ergo “coming along for the ride.” But you’d better believe that when I look down and see her staring up at me, I stop what I’m doing, catch my breath, and soak in her beauty and delight. We may be “on the go” more often than we were with E-man, but that doesn’t mean that I’m missing anything, or that she is lacking anything… In fact, it’s the contrary: she’s the best loved baby in the world as she watches balls fly past her face, listens to trains choo choo next to her ear, and is often the subject of Elliott’s art projects.

    Nothing says, “loved” like being stickered by your big brother!

     

    Selah has two parents who are completely enamored with her, but she also has a brother who adores her with every fiber of his being…who kisses (read: slobbers on) her over and over and over again, who asks about her as soon as he wakes up, who wants her to sit next to him every time we get in the car, who longs to share his toys with her all day long, who giggles with pride and delight when she rolls over, who melts when she smiles back at him and grabs his finger…Oh, she is so, so, so adored by her big brother. A love that is different, even, from the love of her parents. She has this incredible big brother who includes her, who invites her, who asks about her and wants the very, very best for her.

    Just look at how he adores her…this is how he looks at her ALL THE TIME…

    Oh, yes, she is certainly loved. And she is certainly lacking nothing.

    Oh, yes, my love for her is surely different, yet as perfectly strong and profound as my love for her big brother.

    Oh, yes…my choice is absolutely, “Both, please.”

  • Selah B, 4 months

    Selah B, 4 months

    Selah B turned 4 months old on February 8th. Sorry to make you wait for the very exciting happenings in this 4 month old’s life!!

    Selah is 14 lbs and 25 ¼ inches worth of 4 month utter perfection.

    She is just the sweetest little thing…I can hardly handle her sweetness. She loves people. She hasn’t been so good with the camera because she will ONLY smile when she sees someone’s face (but I’ve managed to catch some good photos this month…). My favorite thing to do is stare at her while she’s playing, and wait for her to catch my eye. As soon as she does, she smiles SO BIG. It melts me every time.

    This has been a month of milestones! Just after her 3 month birthday, she started rolling over! I had set her on her tummy one day (January 13, to be exact!), walked away, and when I came back, she was on her back!! I screeched with delight and snapped this quick picture on my phone for proof. (Cute pjs provided by Aunt Bev and Uncle Roy, and cute hat provided by Auntie Melisa!)

    “Whew! That was exhausting!”

     

    I put her on her tummy and encouraged her to do it again so I could get it on video but she sweetly refused. I, of course, called her daddy right away to tell him the good news. Later that afternoon we were playing with her and she did it again, this time while we were both watching! She did it again and again, and so I finally pulled out my phone. Here’s this silly little video of her rolling over. I was certain she wasn’t going to roll over because I finally had the camera out, so my reaction is hilarious. As a result, Elliott thinks this video is hilarious and LOVES watching it over and over again.

     

     

    Next new trick: Turning in circles! No matter if she’s on her tummy or her back, she turns herself in a complete circle. She loves to move!

    Next milestone: Sleeping through the night! Yahoo!! Attention all moms of infants out there: if you’d like to get your baby to sleep through the night, I have the fail-proof way of doing so. Read my story below, and follow the steps carefully to achieve a full night of sleep for the first time in A YEAR (if your pregnancies are anything like mine!).

    We were almost 2 weeks in to staffing the DTS, and we had the most incredible full schedule imaginable. We were very, very busy. But this particular Thursday morning was the most busy, most exhausting day that I had had yet. I was on the tail end of being sick, and it was WINDY out. Like really, really, really windy out. Like the windiest day in the entire history of planet earth. And I decided that would be a good day to walk to the base with Elliott. Now, it’s important to note that the walk to the base is entirely uphill. Short, but uphill. And Elliott decided he didn’t want to walk. And it was windy. Did I mention it was windy? Like really, really windy. So as I was pushing Elliott UP, UP, UP the hill in the stroller, the 100 mile an hour winds were pushing  DOWN, DOWN, DOWN against me! So after this 15 minute walk of straight uphill, into the wind, my body was wiped. (I may not have muscles of steel quite yet after carrying and birthing a baby.) So I wiped the sweat off my brow and proceeded to Elliott’s little “preschool”, where I was going to teach a short lesson for the kiddos. I played with them for a bit, taught my little lesson and then fed sweet Selah B who had been napping in her little secret room on the base (don’t worry—Brian was watching her on the monitor!). After getting both the kids home and Selah down for a nap, I fed Elliott lunch. While he was eating I tore through the house like a tazmanian cleaning devil, because a group of girls was arriving in just an hour for a small group. I put Elliott down for his nap, the girls arrived for small group, and my friend Amanda and I led the time. They left, and I sat down to prepare for my teaching that night with the DTS Staff. Dinner, kids, nursing, playing, and burning brownies all happened before our friends arrived at 7. I taught for a couple hours and by the time everyone left, it was 10 pm. And I was EGG-SAUCE-TED. The most egg saucy this nursing, not-sleeping mama had ever been.

    Still tracking with me? Because this is where the key to the story is:

    I got ready for bed, put my ear plugs in (like normal) and—here it is, don’t miss this—I forgot to turn Selah’s monitor on.

    Earplugs are the greatest gift known to man for me because they drown out my husband’s occasional night time noises (aka, snoring) and Selah’s little tosses and turns that generally wake me up and convince me that it’s a good idea to stare at her while she’s sleeping soundly. (You know, just to make sure she continues to sleep soundly.) Earplugs make it so that I only hear her through the monitor when she needs me, when she’s actually crying. Which, typically has been happening once a night.

    But if I fail to turn the monitor on…I fail to hear EN-EE-THING.

    Well, you’d better believe this tired mama slept oh-so-soundly until…I woke up at 6 am on my own, checked the time, and panicked. Why hadn’t Selah cried? I looked at the monitor, realizing it was not turned on to her room, and panicked again. Oh, no! Had Selah cried??!! I turned it on to her room, saw her sleeping soundly and peacefully, and panicked again—because I didn’t know what else to do! I quickly woke Brian up, telling him of my horrible mistake as I was, of course, panicking.

    “Well, is she okay?” Brian asked.

    “Well, she is NOW, but I have no idea if she cried all night long!!”

    “Yeah, she looks pretty troubled to me…” he said as he looked at the peacefully sleeping babe on the monitor.

    And Selah has slept through the night ever since. So there you have it, folks. I felt TARE-I-BULL…but, truth be told, I am quite enjoying sleeping through the night. And, I don’t think she’s holding it against me :).

    Well, here she is: my rolling, sleeping, smiling, bundle of baby girl perfection: (P.S. As a little bonus, I added some pictures of Elliott when he was this age for a little compare/contrast!)

    One of her favorite things to do…stare into the eyes of her big brother!
    The princess sitting on her throne…daddy’s tummy!

     

    She loves chewing on her fingers!
    She adores her big brother…

    Speaking of her big brother, here’s a little flash from the past:

    She started really intentionally playing with the toys on the exersaucer…

     

    …just like Elliott did at this age!

     

    Are they siblings…

     

    …or WHAT?!

     

    She is so close to rolling onto her tummy–I’m shocked she hasn’t yet because she so often rolls herself all the way onto her side to play.
    She really likes playing with her toys…
    …and eating them.
    Her feet are her newest playmates this month!

     

    And, she discovered how cool her tongue is. She loves sticking it out of her mouth, especially when she’s smiling! 🙂

    Now, just for a fun bonus, here are a few fun faces from our sweet, 4 month old Selah B:

    Elliott picked this headband out for her to wear one morning while still in her pjs. I think she likes it :).
    Captivating, isn’t she??
    “Hey, Mom, look what I can do with my lip!”
    Oh my sweetness.
    Baby girl is growing up so fast!!

     Okay, one more flashback for you…

    Elliott Brian, 4 months
    Selah Bethany, 4 months

    Okay, okay…so I guess I’m starting to see that they look a little bit alike :). Happy 4 month birthday, Selah B!!!

  • Valentine’s Day, Part II

    Valentine’s Day, Part II

    “For God so loved the world, that he gave…”

    It’s impossible to separate my sacrificial love for my children from my husband’s sacrificial love for me. The two are inseparable, because although I know it would be possible to pour out my life for my children without him, I am also certain that it would be much, much, much more difficult. Oh, how beautiful is God’s design for a marriage team and for family!!

    John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, to lay one’s life down for his wife*.” (Um, I may have changed one of the words in that Scripture so it fit better with my blog post…….)

    Someone wise once said something along the lines of, “The person you marry will have faults; it’s inevitable. But know the quality it is that you cannot stand, and make sure the person you marry doesn’t have that fault…”

    For me, the quality that I don’t think I have the character to live with is selfishness. I’m actually not positive I knew that for certain before getting married or not, but perhaps, subconsciously, that was one of the many reasons I was wooed by Brian Moberg himself…he is simply the most selfless man I know.

    My husband gives. He gives without being asked, without complaint, without grumbling. He gives with joy. He pours out his life for his family all the time.

    (Ladies, find yourself a selfless man. It will make your entire world go round much. more. smoothly.)

    Last night as I was brushing my teeth (the place/time where most of my blogging inspiration occurs), all I could think about as Valentine’s Day approached was how grateful I am for the ways my husband gives all year long. Not roses or chocolate, but his very self.

    I’ve often heard it said that you don’t know how selfish you are until you get married. Then, you don’t know how selfish you are until you have kids. For some reason, that hasn’t been the pattern with us. So, either we are doing something very, very wrong, or…my husband leads our family in selflessness, and makes selflessness the standard, not the exception.

    I am convinced that the way a man leads his family will be clear by the atmosphere in the home. Brian leads our family by giving, and that manifests in our home as peace, joy, and security. As he serves, burdens are lifted off of my shoulders and I have greater peace. As he serves, I am blessed and filled with joy. As he serves, I know he loves me because “greater love has no one than this, that he lay his life down...” Peace, joy, and security. Three attributes of our home, thanks to my hubby.

    My love, thank you for so selflessly laying down your life every day for me and for our children. Thank you for serving us. Thank you for taking care of us so extraordinarily. Thank you for going above-and-beyond in service while I’m pregnant so that I can survive! Thank you for doing all the grocery shopping every week for the last year even though you hate it! Thank you for doing our laundry since the laundry machine is ALL the way down the stairs and outside! Thank you for always taking the garbage out and for keeping us stocked with paper towels and toilet paper! Thank you for doing the dishes so often! Thank you for getting me protein bars late at night when I’m starving! Thank you for snuggling with our sweet Elliott on those rare nights that he wakes up in the middle of the night and needs some comfort. Thank you for letting me take naps on the weekends! Thank you for making me laugh when I’m grumpy and thank you for pressing me to be the fullness of who God’s created me to be! Thank you for adoring me. Thank you for giving me the world’s most perfect children! Thank you for giving your very self so that I can give my very self to incubate and nourish our children.

    Brian Moberg, I have known no greater love outside of my Savior than this love that you lavish on me. Thank you for loving me sacrificially. Thank you for loving me so wholly. Thank you for pouring out your very life for me. Every. Single. Day. I love you to a depth I never knew possible. Happy Valentine’s Day, my sweet, sweet love!!!

     

    And, thank you for giving me this new pair of earrings!! 🙂

     

     

     

  • Valentine’s Day, Part I

    Valentine’s Day, Part I

    “For God so loved the world that he gave…”

    Love is about giving. Love is not just about giving things, but about giving your very self. Any mother could testify that this is the most difficult, yet the most rewarding, part of being a mama. We love so much, that we give…

    We give our body over for almost 2 years so our babes can grow into healthy, strong, thriving toddlers. We give our uteruses for those first 9 months for the sake of creating a safe haven for our little peanuts to grow within us and then we become a milk machine for the next 12 + months. We are the means by which they get nourishment for 9 months and once they are born, we are the means by which they are sustained. During pregnancy, we give up the space for our bladder to spread out, thus giving up the right to only pee a few times a day; instead we are slaves to the bathroom at all hours of the day and night. We give up our right to choose any food in the world that we want to eat, and instead we eat what the baby wants, trying hard to choose foods that keep the baby healthy. We give up our favorite jeans and replace them for elastic waists and belly bands. We give up our heels and (have someone else) lace up our tennies. For me, I give up the comfort of food going down my throat once and staying there. For me, I give up consecutive, deep sleep, only able to get 2 or 3 hours of light sleep in at a time because my body wakes me up to eat (or pee!). For me, I give up the right to use my favorite toothpaste because I have to use the baking soda kind to dilute the acid coating my teeth. For me, I give up the right of ever being more than a few feet away from a toilet, a trash can, or a vomit bag. For me, pregnancy is about loving so much that I give… And then my perfect, precious infant arrives in a bundle and, thankfully for me, the joy of giving during infancy far surpasses the joy of giving during pregnancy. As mothers, we give so much to our little darlings, especially in those first few days and months. We give at times that no one else will ever see or know. We give in ways that no one else will understand. We stumble out of bed to the tiny newborn cries and we can’t help but give a huge smile as our eyeballs peek out of the slits of our eyelids and see…see the perfect miracle looking back at us. Who is alive today because we gave. We give a little laugh (because what else can you do??) when our newborns spray poop all over EV.ER.Y.THING. at 2 in the morning. We give an extra kiss and an extra squeeze when we are overwhelmed with gratitude at our little loves. We give a little whisper in their ears, because we cannot help but repeat over and over and over again how much we love them, how much we cherish them, how much we adore them. We give our very selves, all day and all night long, so that our littles will grow up, bathed in love. We give our very selves, all day and all night long, so that our dear ones will be fed, and swaddled and rocked with love. We give our very selves, all day and all night long, so that our children will know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we love them so much that we give…we give our very selves that they might live, and live abundantly.

    On this Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t be more grateful for the honor it is and has been to give for my little ones. To be the one who gets to give so that they live. To be the one who gets to sacrifice so that they thrive. What an honor. What a joy. What a gift from God!!!!!

    My little Valentine
    My other little Valentine!

     

    To all the mamas out there who spend each day sacrificially loving your own children, and to all the mamas out there who spend each day sacrificially loving children like they are your own, happy Valentine’s day! The way you have poured out your very life to love these children is reaping an eternal impact that no one can ever take away. Take heart, the seeds of love you are planting are blossoming into beautiful fruit. Take heart, He sees you as you selflessly give.

  • Selah B, 3 months

    Selah B, 3 months

    Selah B turned 3 months old on January 8th…though she’s now closer to 5 months old (WHAT?!) I want to post her 3 and 4 month blogs. Because she is just.that.cute.

    Height: 25 inches

    Weight: 12 lbs, 12 oz

    Ahh, month 3, and life with our Selah B only continues to get more wonderful.

    This past month we moved into a different house, and Selah officially has her own bathroom! A wish that every girl dreams of… 🙂

    Selah has been sleeping in a bassinet in our room, which I love. I love listening to her breathing and knowing she’s just a couple feet away from me all night long. It was hard for me to move Elliott into his own room, and it was hard for me to make this leap with Selah, too. I know it’s best for everyone (like when Brian’s alarm clock goes off at 5 am, thus causing Selah to think that’s her awake time, too!) but it feels like she’s going off to college to my little beating mama’s heart.

    So, just past the 3 month mark, we decided to make the switch. Did I mention that this very own bathroom of hers also happens to be her bedroom…

    Besides needing to invest in a rug, it’s not bad for a bathroom bedroom, is it??!!

    We moved into a little 2 bedroom condo. The second bedroom is too small to fit two cribs in it, so we decided to put Selah in the second bathroom! Her crib fits perfectly in the shower. And my incredible husband removed the faucet and built in a changing table above the sink. Her room couldn’t be any more perfect :). (Her bedding and nursery apparel is still in the process of being made, so that’s why her bathroom is still a little bare!)

    Look at this changing table my husband built!!! Pretty impressive, eh?!

    Selah has had a few sleeps all the way through the night, but is still generally waking up once to eat. She’s lifting her shoulders high off the ground during tummy time, and has decided that the bumbo isn’t her favorite thing in the entire world. She has cut her nursing time down to six minutes (sniff, sniff) and would much rather look around than eat. Her favorite things to look at this month? Besides the hanging animals on her play mat (which she’s started to grab a hold of this month), she loves looking into the mirror and…most especially, looking at her big brother. She smiles so big when he is near!!

    Oh! And she giggled for the first time on her 3 month birthday. I was changing her into jammies (which just happened to be from Auntie Erika) and she just let out the biggest giggle while smiling at me!! Being Selah’s mom is the most incredible joy on the planet…

    Well, without further delay, here she is: my giggling, smiling, beautiful 3 month old!

    Just past the 2 month mark, in one of her cute Christmas outfits.
    All the babies born in 2012 at YWAM San Diego/Baja! All girls and one boy! Listen to these cute girlie names: Liel, Aviana, Madison, Natalia, Kindred and Selah! Selah is the youngest, all the way to the right.
    Post nap stretch!

     

    Precious.
    Our little burrito! This is the only way to roll when your house is 51 degrees! Try and guess how many layers she has on underneath that swaddle!!
    Lots of hoodies this month!
    Cuddle time with Daddy
    Senorita Claus, making a face
    Sweet lil’ smile.
    Ladies in red
    Oh my cuteness.

     

    Learning how to grab the lion…
    Oh, hi there!
    “Mom, let’s chat, shall we? I have a few things I’d like to discuss with you.”

     

    “Will you smile for me, Selah B??
    “No, Mama, but I’ll let you get a good shot of my long lashes!”

     

    Our very serious 3 month old 🙂

     

     

  • Where in the world…

    …is this Mexican Mama Blogger??

    Well, for those of you who have been beating down my door, shouting at me from your rooftops, emailing me daily wondering why I haven’t been blogging*…I want you to know that I’m right here.

    And I want you to know that my lack of blogging simply isn’t my fault. There are probably a lot of things that ARE my fault, but this isn’t one of them.

    Unfortunately, I was without a computer for almost four months.

    (Fact: No computer=very difficult to blog.)

    Fortunately, our insurance money for said stolen computer finally came through and we got me a computer at the end of January.

    (Fact: New computer=first step in being able to blog effectively.)

    Unfortunately, we didn’t have working internet.

    (Fact: No internet=very difficult to blog.)

    Fortunately, after a little money, a lot of time, and an untraceable amount of tears trying to get our internet working, our neighbor gave us the password to use hers.

    (Fact: Working internet=second step in being able to blog effectively.)

    Unfortunately, every computer and electronic device from here to Timbuktu works perfectly with our neighbor’s internet…except my brand new computer.

    (Fact: 5 months worth of computer and internet drama=one very defeated Mexican Mama blogger.)

    So, hello, world. Here I am. With internet that works V-E-R-Y sporadically and V-E-R-Y slowly waiting to thwart me once again, with about a dozen blogs written into word documents waiting to be copied and pasted into new posts, with hundreds of pictures of my beautiful children waiting to be revealed to the world, and with a cup of decaf, tepid Joe waiting to recharge me as I attempt to catch up.

    New blog posts…coming soon! 

    *Actually, no one’s even noticed that I haven’t been blogging except my 98 year old grandma** who lives to read my blog posts. After her health has showed a very steady decline since my last post 2 months ago, I realized I had better explain myself.

    **Actually, I don’t have a grandma. But I was hoping that Murphy*** would read that, feel sorry for me, change his little law and leave me alone.

    ***Actually, I’m trying to renounce my belief in Murphy’s Law because my husband tells me I’m ridiculous. But I’m telling him, “You can’t argue with the facts.” Well, here’s to you, Murphy, and all your little blog-thwarting tricks!!! 

     

  • Feliz Navidad

    Feliz Navidad

    Ahh, Christmastime… does it get more wonderful than twinkle lights, the smell of pine trees, buying special gifts for the ones you love, singing carols and coming up with creative ways to acknowledge the birthday of our Savior? Christmastime…simply the best!

    We decided not to travel for Christmas, and although it was a tough decision knowing we wouldn’t see our Tacoma & Colorado friends and family, we were so grateful for the low-key holiday. We spent all of Christmas Eve in our pajamas and ventured out to San Diego for the day on the 25th.

    Last Christmas we were traveling among three different countries and two different states, in preparation to pack up everything and move to Mexico. Christmas was about as simple as it gets…we got Elliott two new board books and that was it. For his 1st birthday we kept it simple as well, as we built a home for a family in need instead of buying him lots of presents. SO…needless to say, I couldn’t WAIT for Christmas this year. Giving gifts is for sure one of my love languages, and I just couldn’t wait to pick out so many fun things for our Elliott!! His big gift was a train set with wooden tracks. We also came across a little bike at Costco and just couldn’t resist. I’m pretty sure we jumped the gun on that one as his feet don’t reach the peddles yet 🙂 but Brian especially was so excited to get our son his very first bike!

     Christmas Eve eve:

    We put the kiddos in bed, wrapped presents, and assembled the bike!

    “The Bike”…plus Elliott’s (other) big gift and Selah’s “big gift”
    Elliott’s been able to pick out the letter “E” for a while now, so we had him find his presents by finding the letter E. I also, of course, drew his favorite object next to his name on each package…it may look like a circle to the common eye, but Elliott and I both know that is A BALL…

    Christmas Eve:

    We decided to swap our days and really do Christmas on Christmas Eve.

    Britght-eyed Selah was the first one up that morning, and what JOY to wake up to this shining face!!

    Little buddy then came down the stairs, knowing there was a big surprise for him…

    After he had had enough of the bike 🙂 he moved on to the next present… Brian had so much fun setting up the tracks for Elliott so they were just right…

    At first all Elliott really wanted to play with was the styrofoam packaging that the train set came in…
    But then he started to catch some vision for playing with the actual toy…
    “choo-choo!”
    I can’t get enough of this little face!!!
    Or this little face!!
    My favorite gift this year.
    Elliott helped Selah open her “big” gift…this super cool owl toy! He was so thrilled to open her presents and then give them to her each time. Selah, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as impressed with the owl as we were :).

    (Disclaimer: I am interrupting this Christmas Eve/Day blog to take you into the future. The following couple of presents were opened several days later because we spread out his present opening…but nonetheless, part of our Christmas celebration!)

    A new puzzle because he’s mastered ALL of his other ones…
    We finally got him to try on MY favorite present for him… a backpack!
    Complete with his favorite–all kinds of balls–and his name!

    Okay, back to Christmas Eve. Elliott also helped me open my present…something that I have been asking for for THREE YEARS. Reminding Santa on a (VERY) regular basis that I would L-O-V-E to have a warm, hooded fleece over the last 36 months finally paid off this Christmas… 🙂 Elliott tore open the wrapping paper with me and promptly put my long-awaited gift on himself.

    “Hmm, Dad, do you think Mommy would mind if I borrowed her new jacket from time to time?”
    “It’s just that it fits me PERFECTLY!!”

    Like Mother, like Son.

    “And what did Brian get?” you wonder. Well, every year he only wants one thing–a new pair of boots. So those arrived a few weeks ago and he’s been wearing them daily. Of course I had to get him something special, too. So, I thought long and hard and decided to get him…drum roll please…a new pair of nail clippers! Because my husband loves himself a good nail clippin’!!

    “Nail clippers?” you ask.

    No, not just any nail clippers…I got him these nail clippers.

    “You spent $13.25 on nail clippers?” you marvel. Yes, my friends. I did. Because these nail clippers have “Brian Moberg” written all over them. They have been reviewed by over 200 people, they are lifetime guaranteed, and they are high quality. Talk about a good value! Yes, these are a few of his favorite things!!

    Still not convinced? Check out an excerpt of this passionate review, and I’m sure you’ll be buying yourself a pair in no time:

    “First off, it’s stainless steel, not chrome plated … no flakes of chrome getting imbedded under your fingernails … no rusting after a few days in damp shower kit. Second, the construction is sturdy and substantial, not flimsy. Third, the cutting edge is masterful, delivering a clean, smooth cut every time … a cut accompanied by a satisfying CLICK!! that tells you it’s cut cleanly through the nail. Forth, the mechanism is designed to work smoothly with no ill fitting, loose or wobbly parts. It’s simply the best fingernail clipper I’ve EVER used and I can highly recommend it.”

    Sold. And be honest…you are, too.

    When Elliott went down for his nap, Brian and I whipped up a big yet simple Turkey dinner, complete with my mom’s amazing sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. I don’t know what we did that was just SO RIGHT, but it was INCREDIBLE. So yummy!!

    Christmas Eve dinner, train set and all.

    So, we choo-chooed, slept, ate, and clipped the day away….and successfully spent the entire day in our jammies. We held our own little church service in the playroom that evening, and Elliott acted out the story of Jesus being born with his nativity set as Brian read it aloud from both Elliott’s bible and his bible. Precious moments with our family…

    Christmas Eve pj picture, 2012

    Christmas Day:

    We got ourselves up and out of the house and headed to San Diego for brunch. Talk about blessing my ever-living soul…mmmm, Christmas BRUNCH!!

    We got to the restaurant a bit early so we let Elliott take the car for a spin, and then we all walked around beautiful San Diego exploring.

    “Don’t worry, Dad…I’ll mind the speed limit.”
    Elliott’s practicing walking with his eyes closed. What a talented kid!!
    Family self-portrait…oops, where are the kids?!
    There they are 🙂

    Brunch was FANTASTIC. I packed my diaper bag with a new puzzle for Elliott to open to keep him happy long enough to stuff my face full of plenty of food to last me all winter. Surprisingly, Elliott was perfectly content stuffing his face for a long time, too. And since he was free, we definitely got our money’s worth :).

    We forgot to put Selah’s headband back on after it fell off, and she was mistaken for a boy shortly after this picture. Really though? A red pea coat, snowflake pants and feminine buckle-shoe socks…and you think she’s a boy?? *sigh* Sorry, Selah.

    We spent some time playing at a park in San Diego that afternoon and headed home early evening. It’s hard to see, but Selah’s shirt says, “Mommy’s Little Joy.”

    Look at the sunset shining through our windows in the background!!
    Truly, truly…my little joy.

    And, finally, what better way to end a Christmas post than with adorable pictures of our babies…

    Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to get a good picture of a 21 month old and a 2 month old?
    You may think that Christmas ornament is simply a cute prop, but really–it’s a full-on BRIBE to get Elliott to sit with his sister and smile. Biggest treat EVER for little buddy to get to hold one of the coveted “Christmas balls” that have been off-limits all month…
    ONE of them always looks great…
    Well, except in this one. “He who smelt it, dealt it!”
    My favorite. You can only see 3/4 of Elliott’s face and Selah’s not giving us her usual huge grin…but still, I think it’s perfect. I love my Christmasy babies!
    Our family’s most wonderful Christmas gift!

     Feliz Navidad, amigos!!

  • Selah B, 2 months

    Selah B, 2 months

    I’m not sure how we ended up with the two most wonderful children in the world, but I’m certainly not complaining!!!!

    Selah is such a doll…ahhh, it’s so hard for me to communicate the fullness of her wonderfulness in words. I take so many pictures of her every day, just somehow trying to record how much I love her, how beautiful she is, how she makes me feel in those moments that she smiles at me from the depths of her soul…I find myself wishing someone could follow us around all day…videoing and photographing every precious moment with our baby girl.

    She is a CHATTER. Oh my word, this princess LOVES TO CHAT (she must get that from her Daddy, right?…HA!) And so, of course, we’ve started what I believe will be a lifelong habit…our mommy-daughter chats! Oh, they are my FAVORITE moments of the day…chatting away with my daughter. I love her voice.

     

     

    Every since I heard Selah’s very first few cries, I have said, “I love her cry!!” It is just adorable…she lets out a cry, and ends it with a big gulp of air that comes out like a squeak. It is so stinking cute. And this month she has started talking…she “coos” and she “ahhs” at us and her voice is so heavenly. Whether it’s crying or chatting, I just love her voice. I believe she is going to have a voice on this earth…a voice declaring the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. A voice that brings peace. A voice that brings calm. A voice that transforms hearts through the love of Christ. Oh, sweet Selah…may your voice be loud, and never quenched!

    Well, back to the fact that my baby is TWO MONTHS OLD!!!

    Words that describe my baby in the last month? Radiant smiler, sweet chatterbox, tummy-time player, bumbo master…conqueror of the 45 minute intruder (well, most days…). Oh yes, and rejector of the bottle.

    Selah won’t take a bottle. We tried for the first time when she was a couple of weeks old and I had to go to San Diego for an appointment and couldn’t bring her with me. Brian barely got an ounce or so in her through *lots* of tears. We didn’t really think to try again until she was about 6 weeks old, and wow…I think we were about 6 weeks too late. We tried really hard for a few days to do one feeding a day with the bottle, but goodness gracious… baby girl is NOT a fan. We’re going to try again once we’re not so focused on sleep training… It honestly just never occurred to me to “train” her to take a bottle because Elliott always took a bottle so well. But we also HAD to give him a bottle at 3 days old because we had to make sure he was getting enough milk. So he had plenty of practice right from the start… But, I will be honest, it is slightly daunting thinking about not being able to leave Selah for longer than a few hours at a time for the ENTIRE NEXT YEAR… Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m eager to be away from my baby, but it is a value of our family to free me up every once in a while to be away from the kiddos for longer than 3 hours. Any-whoo………

    Alright, without further adieu, here she is! Our beautiful, bright-eyed 2 month old Selah…!!

    6 weeks old, and bundled up in a wrap on my chest.
    Our smiling chatterbox. As SOON as Selah sees one of our faces, she lights up…this is us, smiling and chatting each other during one of our Mommy/Daughter chats…
    Okay, is this a “Susanne face,” or WHAT?! Does anyone else see it, or is it just me??
    Our beauty.

    Selah’s first Thanksgiving!

    Who would have thought that our first two children’s first two Thanksgivings would be in the Dominican Republic and Mexico?! Last year, Elliott’s first Thanksgiving, it was so hot in the D.R. that we all went swimming. This year, although it wasn’t quite hot enough to go swimming, it was certainly warm enough for Selah to wear a dress!

    So happy to be celebrating her first Thanksgiving!!
    Tummy time

     

    Taking a little tummy time rest
    “Wait a minute, why am I the only one who didn’t get a piece of pie??”
    Waking up from a nice, long, Thanksgiving slumber…
    “What is this large squishy blue thing under my bumble, Elliott?”
    “You’ll get used to it, Selah. Here, do you want me to show you how it’s done like a pro?”

     

    “Just like this! See, it’s not so bad…”
    Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for Thanksgiving!

    I love this next picture…we were trying to take a family photo of the 4 of us, but Elliott refused unless Rayel was in it with us. What were we thinking?! Of course our Thanksgiving family photo would have to include Rayel as she is totally part of our family!!

    Our little family 🙂

    More bumbo shots…because aren’t they so cute?!

    “Bet you can’t find my neck!”
    “Peek-a-boo! HERE it is!!”

    “Okay, but seriously…why am I the only one in this family who has to sit on a squishy blue chair?”

    Play mat time!

    At this age, Elliott loved the mirror at the top of this play mat. He would stare at it and smile and laugh! Selah is much more into the monkey than the mirror. She will stare at that monkey for long periods of time, smiling and cooing at him :).

    The only thing better than play mat time is play mat time with Elliott!
    I LOVE her sweet face…
    …and THOSE EYES!

    Funny faces!

    Pouty face!
    I think Selah looks SO MUCH like her cousin Fable in this picture!!
    Those lips!!
    Her pooping face…
    A content pout…
    “It wasn’t me!”
    Trying to show the monkey who’s boss…

     

    1 Month Old

    8 weeks old…and probably the closest pic we have that captures her REAL huge smile…I love this photo that I snapped on my phone!

    Brian and I tried to get a “perfect” picture of her gorgeous smile, so we took a lot of pictures on her 1 month birthday. Although we didn’t get any great ones of her HUGE grin, I do think these pictures capture the beauty and delight of our baby girl very well…I couldn’t cut them down any more 🙂 so here are SEVERAL pictures of our sweet Selah…one month old!

    Can you see how her smile radiates even through her eyes??

     

    Happy, 1 month birthday, our sweet delight!! Your beauty overwhelms us, your voice captivates us, your smile touches us in the deepest places of our hearts…we ADORE you…!!!!!

  • Elliott’s First Haircut!

    Thought Elliott’s locks were adorable, he was starting to look like a wild child. So we ventured into San Diego to make his very first hair cut a fun event. The coolest part was, Grandpa and Nonna arrived for a week long visit at the EXACT right time and got to be there!

    Before…
    “WOW! Mom and Dad told me that I was old enough to get my hair cut, but I thought I had to wait until I was 16 to drive a car!”
    “Um, excuse me? Do you REALLY know what you’re doing?”
    “Hmm…I’d better keep my eye on you, lady.”

     

    “Okay, seriously…WHAT are you DOING??”
    “Why don’t I just give you a few pointers.”
    “See?! What did I tell you? Now you’re making progress! I’m looking good!”
    “Dad, can YOU believe how good my hair is looking?!”
    ‘If you’re going to brush me off, do you HAVE to use a bright pink one?? You’re cramping my style!”
    AFTER!
    My handsome boys.