Sand man

Sorry for not writing lately.... Playing catch up and working on an newsletter that will have more details than what we can post.

This little grom loves the sand!!

Applying for Permanent Residence TODAY

Prayers needed today as we are submitting our application for Permanent Residence. A little scary but exciting too!

On another note... The cafe is officially open! We had a surf staff meeting, prayer and dinner last night! It's really exciting having a little team to work together with!

Youth Night

Youth night in Mudjimba kicked off last night. It was a fantastic start to the year. Natasha, another YWAMer who works in the Boardstore, shared her testimony. The kids really opened up and shared in small group time. Please keep Friday nights in your prayers!

Jase being a good little spectator at youth!

the RENOS

If you aren't familiar with the Aussie way, everything is shortened. Renovations turns into "renos". So the renos are well underway and almost complete. I should have done a better job of updating but I've been a) bad at taking photos and b) really busy (that excuse is getting old, I know).

This week they, Jeremy and Nato(I did my DTS with him), have been practicing with the coffee machine and making lots of free coffees to get practice. Starting next week the cafe will officially be open. It's been a huge project for Jeremy. We both look forward to it being completed. I've enjoyed putting my 2 cents in and helping with little projects when needed but Jeremy has been doing all the coordinating and he's doing an awesome job( I'm bias:) ).

They boys practicing and Jase spectating.

I may not have many pictures of the renos but I have plenty of this little nugget!

He's a "missionary" baby learning to sleep on the go.

More picture of the shop coming soon!

Power is ON

I was welcomed home last night with the power on in our house! After being told it would be at least 11pm Monday, I was very excited to see it on at 6pm. Now for the clean up! Mold is a major issue here because of the lack of air condition and high humidity. I noticed lots of mold already on our blinds.... that will be a project for another day.

Here's a picture of mama and our sweet boy sleeping yesterday when we were out for Isaac's birthday

Cyclone Oswald

We had planned to go camping this weekend with several of our friends. It's a holiday weekend here, Australia Day. Cyclone Oswald decided to make a nasty visit to the coast and ruined our plans. We stayed home and spent time with friends which was really nice but still disappointing because we were supposed be enjoying beautiful weather down south. Oh well!

Jase in his Aussie bib!

All that to say I am very grateful we are all okay! The storm was pretty bad with lots of flooding. A 5 minute drive took us 20 minutes after several roads were closed. Our power went out last night(Sunday night) and isn't expected to return until Monday. The storm is moving south and expected to continue to cause a lot of damage. It's crazy how there is mass flooding here and there are out of control fires down south.  Keep us in your prayers!

Here are a couple pictures from Oswald!

This is in Mooloolaba.

On this street the foam was up over the tops of cars that were driving on the street. 

2013

Okay firstly sorry for not updating sooner! I have the same excuse as everyone else... busy-ness! Also we realise that we need to be mindful of what we post on here. This is infact public so we can't share lots of details about ministry(meaning what's happening in specific people's live). But here is a little over view....

Christian Surfers Mudjimba is officially starting! Yay! This has been on our hearts and radar for a few months now. We have a little crew together to start it. The Boardstore functions greatly to meet groms but Christian Surfers provides a platform to spend more time with the youth. Logistically it covers us with insurance - which is just smart- so 2013 puts Christian Surfers Mudjimba offically on the map!

Here's our little crew!

We had a regional Christian Surfers gathering this past Saturday. It was a great time to dream big and come together and seek the Lord!

Youth Group on Friday nights kicks off in February. For 7 years, a local church plant has run a youth program across the street from the Boardstore in a Surf Life Savers building (life guards but it's more of a club here). We are going to serve along side the Pastor and his team. We're excited for opportunities to share the gospel with the groms(youth/kids) we know from living and working here in Mudjimba.


The Boardstore is no longer just going to be a surf shop. Jeremy is heading up a huge renovation to add coffee to the mix. The coffee culture here is nothing like anywhere in the US. Every little town has it's own little cafe, actually more than one. Locals like to support locally. We tend to run to Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts for a coffee. They also drink lattes not drip or filtered coffee like we like :) Most people would visit a cafe at least once in their day for a cuppa(term used here for a cup of coffee or a cup a tea). We'll share more details about the vision of the cafe and what's going to happen.

The end of 2012 saw Uncle Isaac back in Australia and meeting Jase Isaac(after him) for the first time! Yippy! He looks good with a baby doesn't he ???!!!

And this is what most of you really want to see....

Swimming with Dad. We've taken him a few times now and he seems to like it as long as the water is warm. 

We love getting him out of bed in the morning. He's all smiles! Most of the time :)

He's really trying to talk to us now. Such joy! While I was pregnant I really felt like the spirit of joy would be in this child- it was confirmed through others- and boy has it been true so far. He's a great eater & sleeper. Like any baby, he has his moments, but we are blown away with how good he is. We think maybe we should stop now while we are ahead :) Pray that he continues to be an awesome kiddo! 

Jase Isaac Hoover

Many of you already know, however here is our beautiful baby boy Jase Isaac Hoover. 

Born Monday November 19, 2012 @ 5:37 PM weighing in at 8 lbs!

He is such a great little guy.  Sleeping and eating great!  Ashlee is taking to being a mother so well.  The updates will continue from now on!

Again, Thank you so much for all the prayers!

Love y'all

Still no baby...

Just wanted to update those who check on here for updates....

No baby! YET! After seeing the doctor on Wednesday we will wait until Monday before they induce me.

Please pray that I go before then. I'd rather not have to wait 3 more days and go through being induced. The doctor reassured me that it's not bad, and I'm sure it's not terrible but would still rather not go that route if I don't have to.

Thanks for all the love, messages & emails!

41 weeks

Oops thought that we had posted something in the last couple weeks but apparently I was too "busy" waiting for the baby to remember to write.

I was hoping to not have to ever write "41 weeks" but I've alway had in my mind that I would be late. My mom was 2 weeks late with all 3 of us so she warned me.

I have to say I'm feeling pretty good. I've been sleeping pretty well- in fact I was only up twice last night! That's success at 41 weeks!

We go to the doctors today where he will do a scan to see how the baby is doing. If things are okay he will let me wait until Monday and then be induced. If the baby is not safe and healthy then I would get induced tomorrow (Thursday).

I've really been hoping I wouldn't have to make a decision as to when to be induced. I pray that the scan makes things very clear. I trust my doctors wisdom but also know that a week over really isn't really that late.

One way or another we will have a baby in our arms on Thanksgiving and that's something to be thankful for!

Paddle for Poverty and Prayer

Here are some photos from last weekends Paddle for Poverty.

Registration... we were a little nervous as only 14 people had registered for the event before hand but we had over 80 paddlers on the day!

Lined up ready to go

Some people paddled the 10km themselves others did it in a team of 4. And I(Ashlee) did laps around the free snack table during the event. The locals boardriders want to see this happen every year and were grateful for the free treats after the paddle. This was really encouraging for the guys who organised the whole event. We feel like it was a great success, especially for the first year!

This Saturday and Sunday we have a fundraiser BBQ at a local surf competition. Please pray that we make positive impact on the boardriders we are serving and that everything goes smoothly. 

We're in the home stretch now. 39 weeks! Any day our baby could come. I currently have a cold, sore throat & runny nose. I got it from Jeremy (thanks Jer!). So we are hoping that it passes before I go into labor. We'd appreciate your prayers for quick healing of the cold!

Feeling very large this week!

Thanks!

2 Weeks Left!!

Some time in the next 2-3 weeks we will become parents!! We will keep you in the loop as the time gets closer. Please keep praying!!

Today is Saturday 27, Jeremy is working the shop and Ash is helping Christian Surfers QLD run an event called Paddle for Poverty.  It's a 10 kilometer paddle on a surfboard. Some participants do the whole 10 km themselves and some do it as a team, each member paddling 2.5 km. We are raising money for a Compassion project in Indonesia. Our goal is to raise around $8,000 for a water well and filtration system for a village of just over 100 families. Pictures to follow later in the week.

Also, next weekend we have a big BBQ that Christian Surfers runs at a local surf competition. It's all day Saturday and Sunday. The event has already been postponed once so please pray for good weather and waves to surf. Running the BBQ/concession stand is a great way to serve the local board riders and connect with the community

Love you guys!!

37 Weeks

The count down can officially begin...

37 weeks... meaning 3 (ish) weeks to go! There is something so relieving about knowing your baby is full term. Seeing the doctor is now a weekly event and today I was glad to hear everything is good! The baby is still in the correct position and it's(can't wait to say he or she!)just settled into the pelvis which I'm told is really good. None of that means the baby is coming soon but it's definitely reassuring for a first time mom to hear that everything is as good as it can be at this stage.

We've been so very fortunate to have had such a smooth and healthy pregnancy. It's easy to take it for granted until you hear all the stories of those who haven't had it this easy.

Please continue to pray us and the baby!

Much love & Happy Friday(or I guess Thursday for many of you) :)

Less than a month to go...

It's been too long since we've update our blog but what else is new, right? Here are a few pictures that our awesome friend Seth Snider took to help us document and remember this huge milestone.

With less than a month until my official "due date", I'm getting really excited to finally meet this baby. We'v now had a hospital tour, another scan and an active birth class (that Jeremy did very well in!) and feel more prepared for the labour and birth.

Things here in Australian hospitals are much different than in US hospitals, or at least it seems. We haven't experienced a birth in the States so we can't say first hand but from what we've heard it's quite different. They discourage the use of drugs and medical intervention, if at all possible. It's still totally up to the mom and what she wants. They recommend you being off your back and to stay active while in labour. They don't mean running around but using different techniques to help you cope with the pain. I have no idea how I will do but I feel fortunate to be encouraged and supported in that way. I very well may have an epidural and/or end up needing a c section but I appreciate that I can be empowered to go the "cave woman" route while still being in a hospital. 

I'm sure I'll look back on this post in a couple months and think... "wow, I was ignorant and naive!!" I pray not but God is in control and knows what is best for baby and me.

I'm going to continue to work up until my due date and then if I go late I will enjoy a couple days off to myself. I also have decided that if I go over my due date I will distract myself by decoration for Christmas early (that is if I feel up to it). I love Christmas and without having Thanksgiving here it seems more acceptable to decorate a bit prematurely. And who's going to tell an over-due pregnant woman she can't!

We covet your prayers as we enter into the last few weeks of what we know as normal and enter into a whole new chapter of what will be the new normal. Thanks for reading :) 

Back to Oz!

Soooooo sorry we havent been updating this blog while in the States.  That said, let us catch you up on what's been happening...

First we flew to Nashville, Tennessee. Meeting up with Jeremy's lifelong buddies.

We spent 4 days with them and then flew to Jacksonville. We had a great time with family and friends in Jacksonville!

Finally got to meet my stunningly beautiful niece Ella!

We even got to enjoy time away with family at our wonderful friends beach house! Thanks Woods family!

After Florida we flew up to PA to spend time with more friends and family.

Our little on is next!

Yay for Ashlee's whole family being together!

Oh and Ashlee had two baby showers. So here are some photos of that. 

Thank you all so much for your prayers while we were away.  Now its back to real life.  Love y'all!!

The Move & The Clean

We are out of our old house!! WOO HOO! Finished cleaning yesterday but the big inspection is Thursday. We are really praying everything is up to par. This is the only picture I have available right now....

Jeremy was a trooper and climbed up a ladder to clean the windows. 

We moved into our new house and it's starting to feel like home. I'm hoping to finishing most of the unpacking tonight and tomorrow night. We went from living in a 5 year old house to a 60 year old house so it's been a bit of a "culture" shock. I am so grateful for the new place and love the location. Falling asleep to the sound of the ocean isn't too bad either :) 

There are a few issues with the house that we have requested maintenance for. The owners don't seem to want to put much into then house (understandably so, it's old and will probably get knocked down one day). Pray that they would give us favour!

Hope you're having a great week! Less than 3 weeks until we are heading to the USA! 

The Beach Shack

We got the keys to our "new" house. And wow it was in even worse condition than what I remembered. We didn't notice a lot of the little things with all the previous owners stuff everywhere. My biggest concern was the pink bathroom. That's now at the bottom of my list. Jeremy has graciously agreed to do some painting in the the rooms that were in bad condition. One room half done and I can already tell it's going to be just fine!

Windows not opening and broken screens are really my only concern. We are hoping and praying the owners will be kind and fix these. With no air conditioning in the summer and a new baby on the way, these two things are high on my priority list. Wow I'm really sounding high maintenance now!

We had a good laugh as we were leaving the house today..... the owners had the front porched fixed and repainted. We thought it looked nice but noticed that it must not have been the correct paint as it showed EVERY foot print. We put the bad paint job behind us and just thought oh well! Until it was raining today.... apparently it was definitely NOT outdoor paint.... every move we made brought up the paint. and showed the white paint underneath. We laughed knowing that this is just the start of what we are going to find. Now we are just hoping they'll come back and fix it!

Pictures to come shortly!! Right now there isn't much to show... they weren't kidding when they called it a "beach shack".

We got the House!!

Well it is official, we have been accepted for a house in Mudjimba. It is about a minute walk from the Surf shop and is a great little beach shack.  We will post up photos when we start the move.  We have around 3 weeks before we move.  Thank you so much for the prayers!  God has definitely hooked us up with this place.

We love you all!!

A new HOME!

We are in the process of home hunting. We need to be out of our house July 19th so time is a tickin'. There is a great little "beach shack" a couple blocks from the surf shop in Mudjimba. It is by no means fancy or nice but it's perfect in so many ways. We both feel like it's "the one". We've applied but now have to wait to hear back if we've been accepted. 

As you can see... it's a beauty!! :)

You're prayers would be much appreciated in the next couple days!!

Indoor Skate Park

"The Woods" indoor skateboarding park by the Boardstore is now open. This has been a dream of the YWAMer who started the Boardstore skate shops and surf shops for over 10 years.

It's been amazing to see God's faithfulness through so many trials and to now have the indoor park open. Below is a news clip about the opening of the park.

We also had this weeks usual Monday morning corporate worship time with YWAM at the indoor park. We spent time worshipping there and praying over the park and for all the kids and parents who come and go through out the weeks to come.

Rob doing a little trick of jumping over 3 people. Skate ministry started years ago with Rob going into schools and doing this trick. It open doors for kids to listen to what he had to share! Love how God uses our gifts to further his kingdom!

Worship

NEWS CLIP