Well, here it is, the my last post for the October blogging challenge, #31. I did it! I've enjoyed reflecting on so many things over the past month, and coming up with different things to blog about. I've also enjoyed connecting with other bloggers and seeing what people write about from one day to the next. I've worked on some other challenges. I was successful with some for the whole month, some for about half the month, and some not so well. However, I am proud of those that I completed, and will work on some others in the next month.
For today's little things, I had a lovely day. It was Halloween. I carved pumpkins with my oldest boy, and we laid out the seeds to attempt to grow our own next year. He and I also created his ninja costume, which was a last minute switch this morning from his cow costume. We went trick or treating with my sister's family, and had lots of fun, even with all the rain we got tonight. My Tinkerbell, ninja, elephant and duck (who ended up being a sleeping candy cane in his red & white striped sleeper, as described by my niece) were cute and lots of fun. When I got home, they all fell into bed, and I enjoyed checking out the costumes of friends and family on Facebook for a bit.
I have enjoyed this challenge! I will be posting again soon, just not daily for awhile. :)
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
ABCs all about me
A is for Airplane - I have flown to Europe three times, to California twice, to Cuba, and to Mexico.
B is for Babies - I have four!
C is for Christian - I believe in the Bible and that Jesus died for my sins.
D is for Dad - My dad is 6'5", and has encouraged me so much throughout my life. My father-in-law has a calm, strong nature, and has been a blessing in many ways.
E is for Earth - I love the earth and it's beauty, nature is so much a part of my life and what keeps me grounded.
F is for Family - I have 4 siblings, and my husband has 7. Between us, we have over 40 aunts and uncles and many many cousins and great-cousins! We are blessed with wonderful families!
G is for Gifts - I have lots of different gifts, but sometimes forget that that is what they are. I love to lead things and organize things and network with people.
H is for Husband - We have been married for almost 13 years. When we said, "I do", we meant through everything and forever. We have been blessed in so many ways, through hard times and good times.
I is for Ice cream - I love ice cream, what can I say!
J is for Joy - There are many things in life that bring me joy, right now it's hearing my kids giggle and laugh, especially together and with my husband and I.
K is for Kettle - I love my kettle because I love to have tea! Nothing like sitting down with a cup of tea and a sweet treat, and chillaxing for a bit.
L is for Leaves - I love that we live in a climate where the leaves start out as tiny buds in the spring, then become full and green and lush in the summer, then become beautiful colours in the autumn and fall off the trees, leaving brown barren branches that cover beautifully with snow or ice or frost in the winter.
M is for Mom - My mom is wonderful and crazy, and I love her for her willingness to be there in a heartbeat when we need her. My mother-in-law is an amazing woman who raised 8 wonderful children. They are both so different, and both very good to their grandchildren.
N is for Novels - I love reading, and have always loved it!
O is for October - A great month! My birthday, completing challenges this month, and doing a blog a day for this whole month this year.
P is for Princess - That's the meaning of my name, and I have always been proud of it!
Q is for Questions - I enjoy asking people questions, and learning more about them, some might call it nosey, but I think of it as being interested.
R is for Redhead - I have been a redhead since I was born. I really didn't like it as a kid, but have come to appreciate it an embrace it.
S is for Southpaw - I am a lefty and proud of it! God made a few perfect people, and the rest are right-handed. ;)
T is for Teacher - I wanted to be a teacher already as a little girl, often playing teacher with my younger siblings. I love what I do, and have been blessed to work great colleagues at all the schools where I have worked.
U is for University - I completed 5 years of University, finished with a major in French, a minor in English, and a Teaching Degree.
V is for Van - I was one of those people who never wanted to drive a minivan, but as my mom often says, "Never say never!" I now drive a minivan, and I do love it, especially with 4 kids.
W is for Water - I love the water, and I love swimming. It's one of my favourite active activities, and so far all my kids love it too!
X is for X-ray - I have once in my life had an x-ray, and it was the summer before I started high school when I broke my arm.
Y is for Yard - I have the ultimate backyard because we live on a farm. I grew up on a farm, and loved it, and I am thankful that our kids have the opportunity to live on a farm as well. They love it too!
Z is for Zumba - I have actually only done it a few times, and I have loved it. I love dancing, and Zumba is something I hope to do more of in the future!
B is for Babies - I have four!
C is for Christian - I believe in the Bible and that Jesus died for my sins.
D is for Dad - My dad is 6'5", and has encouraged me so much throughout my life. My father-in-law has a calm, strong nature, and has been a blessing in many ways.
E is for Earth - I love the earth and it's beauty, nature is so much a part of my life and what keeps me grounded.
F is for Family - I have 4 siblings, and my husband has 7. Between us, we have over 40 aunts and uncles and many many cousins and great-cousins! We are blessed with wonderful families!
G is for Gifts - I have lots of different gifts, but sometimes forget that that is what they are. I love to lead things and organize things and network with people.
H is for Husband - We have been married for almost 13 years. When we said, "I do", we meant through everything and forever. We have been blessed in so many ways, through hard times and good times.
I is for Ice cream - I love ice cream, what can I say!
J is for Joy - There are many things in life that bring me joy, right now it's hearing my kids giggle and laugh, especially together and with my husband and I.
K is for Kettle - I love my kettle because I love to have tea! Nothing like sitting down with a cup of tea and a sweet treat, and chillaxing for a bit.
L is for Leaves - I love that we live in a climate where the leaves start out as tiny buds in the spring, then become full and green and lush in the summer, then become beautiful colours in the autumn and fall off the trees, leaving brown barren branches that cover beautifully with snow or ice or frost in the winter.
M is for Mom - My mom is wonderful and crazy, and I love her for her willingness to be there in a heartbeat when we need her. My mother-in-law is an amazing woman who raised 8 wonderful children. They are both so different, and both very good to their grandchildren.
N is for Novels - I love reading, and have always loved it!
O is for October - A great month! My birthday, completing challenges this month, and doing a blog a day for this whole month this year.
P is for Princess - That's the meaning of my name, and I have always been proud of it!
Q is for Questions - I enjoy asking people questions, and learning more about them, some might call it nosey, but I think of it as being interested.
R is for Redhead - I have been a redhead since I was born. I really didn't like it as a kid, but have come to appreciate it an embrace it.
S is for Southpaw - I am a lefty and proud of it! God made a few perfect people, and the rest are right-handed. ;)
T is for Teacher - I wanted to be a teacher already as a little girl, often playing teacher with my younger siblings. I love what I do, and have been blessed to work great colleagues at all the schools where I have worked.
U is for University - I completed 5 years of University, finished with a major in French, a minor in English, and a Teaching Degree.
V is for Van - I was one of those people who never wanted to drive a minivan, but as my mom often says, "Never say never!" I now drive a minivan, and I do love it, especially with 4 kids.
W is for Water - I love the water, and I love swimming. It's one of my favourite active activities, and so far all my kids love it too!
X is for X-ray - I have once in my life had an x-ray, and it was the summer before I started high school when I broke my arm.
Y is for Yard - I have the ultimate backyard because we live on a farm. I grew up on a farm, and loved it, and I am thankful that our kids have the opportunity to live on a farm as well. They love it too!
Z is for Zumba - I have actually only done it a few times, and I have loved it. I love dancing, and Zumba is something I hope to do more of in the future!
My Birthday
Yesterday, I turned 35. I decided to invite people over to share the day with me, and it was wonderful! In the morning, I had lots of friends and cousins come over, with some of their kids who weren't in school for the day. It was lovely. We chatted, drank coffee, had yummy treats and even had some healthy treats. My idea of a great time! I am thankful that they could come out, and share my day with me. Their presence was my present! Although, my 5 year old thought that was pretty lousy! ;) Some shared lunch with us, and I fed them some leftover squash soup which I thought tasted great, along with some sandwiches and buns.
In the afternoon, my in-laws came over, and my sister-in-law and her boyfriend, and they all stayed for a "fancy" meal of hot dogs. I thought I'd keep it simple since it was my birthday. We enjoyed yummy ice cream cake from our local ice cream restaurant with everyone throughout the day.
The day ended with a glass of wine and good conversation with my sister and another cousin. A lovely day all in all!
I was blessed by everyone who came!
Of course, this morning, I felt a bit sad because it was all over, and today was a "normal" day. Nevertheless, I think I will be making more of an effort to spend quality time with people who are near and dear to me. Today was also Coffee Break, and as I got in the van to head out for the morning, it wouldn't start. Go figure! I got there, late, but enjoyed the company of some great women, and some more great conversation.
In the afternoon, my in-laws came over, and my sister-in-law and her boyfriend, and they all stayed for a "fancy" meal of hot dogs. I thought I'd keep it simple since it was my birthday. We enjoyed yummy ice cream cake from our local ice cream restaurant with everyone throughout the day.
The day ended with a glass of wine and good conversation with my sister and another cousin. A lovely day all in all!
I was blessed by everyone who came!
Of course, this morning, I felt a bit sad because it was all over, and today was a "normal" day. Nevertheless, I think I will be making more of an effort to spend quality time with people who are near and dear to me. Today was also Coffee Break, and as I got in the van to head out for the morning, it wouldn't start. Go figure! I got there, late, but enjoyed the company of some great women, and some more great conversation.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Kids and the R-word
Responsibility. It's a big word. My oldest now knows what it's about. Poor kid. She was upset the other day because of the things she has to do to help out, and how it isn't fair! I proceeded to tell her that the older you are, the more responsibility you get. I'm not sure she really liked the idea of getting older as much as she did prior to this conversation.
My two oldest children are 7 years old (8 in a month) and 5 years old. They are young, but it is neat to see that they are becoming more willing to take on more responsibility around our home. Don't worry, they are normal kids who generally don't want to do the tasks I ask them to do, but they do have to do them. However, lately I have noticed that they are more willing to take on age-appropriate tasks around the house. I have realized, though, that I also need to give them a task, and give them a time frame for completion. Usually I want them to do something right that second, and they are in the middle of something. So I am working on that because I know I'm the same. You know, the whole, "Mommy, I need you!" to which I often reply, "I'll be there in a second!" (or 5 minutes...)
Both of my oldest children really like when they have a chance to help with their younger brothers. It is neat to see how proud they are when they have done something helpful, and when we acknowledge how much we appreciate it. They are both generally willing to help with chores in the barn, probably more so than in the house (yes, I can relate! I feel the same way!). However, they are taking on more household chores, and are able to take care of their own things by putting them away, and tidying up around the house. I think sometimes I underestimate them and what they can do. Of course, I don't want to push them and force them to grow up too quickly, but I do want them to be responsible kids who grow into responsible adults.
We're working on finding a balance, and I have to think about when I was younger and what was expected of me. I am the oldest of five siblings, and I remember my dad often saying to me, "You are the oldest, and you need to be a good example." I did my best, and I am pretty sure I will be saying these same words to my own older children...
My two oldest children are 7 years old (8 in a month) and 5 years old. They are young, but it is neat to see that they are becoming more willing to take on more responsibility around our home. Don't worry, they are normal kids who generally don't want to do the tasks I ask them to do, but they do have to do them. However, lately I have noticed that they are more willing to take on age-appropriate tasks around the house. I have realized, though, that I also need to give them a task, and give them a time frame for completion. Usually I want them to do something right that second, and they are in the middle of something. So I am working on that because I know I'm the same. You know, the whole, "Mommy, I need you!" to which I often reply, "I'll be there in a second!" (or 5 minutes...)
Both of my oldest children really like when they have a chance to help with their younger brothers. It is neat to see how proud they are when they have done something helpful, and when we acknowledge how much we appreciate it. They are both generally willing to help with chores in the barn, probably more so than in the house (yes, I can relate! I feel the same way!). However, they are taking on more household chores, and are able to take care of their own things by putting them away, and tidying up around the house. I think sometimes I underestimate them and what they can do. Of course, I don't want to push them and force them to grow up too quickly, but I do want them to be responsible kids who grow into responsible adults.
We're working on finding a balance, and I have to think about when I was younger and what was expected of me. I am the oldest of five siblings, and I remember my dad often saying to me, "You are the oldest, and you need to be a good example." I did my best, and I am pretty sure I will be saying these same words to my own older children...
Early birthday gift
This morning my oldest son was not too pleased to have to go to school - he is in Kindergarten. So I told him, well tomorrow, you get to be home with mommy, and it's her birthday! His response was to lay on the floor and start crying. Oh boy! I asked him what the problem was, and he said, "But mommy, I don't have a present for you!!" What a guy! I told him that it was okay, and that maybe he could make a card for me at school... That seemed to appease him, and off he went for the day.
Fast forward to this evening. I brought my daughter to dance lessons after supper, and when I came home, he decided he needed to vacuum his bedroom. So he did, and then proceeded to vacuum the entire main floor of the house. Okay, our house is not huge, but for a five year old, at 8:00pm... Wow! He is normally in bed around 7:00pm, but kept telling me he had to keep working until he had finished all the rooms on the main floor. Well, happy early birthday to me! I have guests coming tomorrow, and the house is vacuumed! Son, you can give me the gift of vacuuming every year!
This story is one of those little things I want to have a record of for future reference... :)
Fast forward to this evening. I brought my daughter to dance lessons after supper, and when I came home, he decided he needed to vacuum his bedroom. So he did, and then proceeded to vacuum the entire main floor of the house. Okay, our house is not huge, but for a five year old, at 8:00pm... Wow! He is normally in bed around 7:00pm, but kept telling me he had to keep working until he had finished all the rooms on the main floor. Well, happy early birthday to me! I have guests coming tomorrow, and the house is vacuumed! Son, you can give me the gift of vacuuming every year!
This story is one of those little things I want to have a record of for future reference... :)
Running
On Saturday I ran 5 km. It was cold and wet and rainy and snowy and slushy, but I did it. I was going to run in an actual run, but couldn't get there, so decided I was going to do 5 km on my own. I finished, and even did it under 40 minutes, which I am proud of too. It wasn't my best time ever, but I wasn't going for that. I had been running a bit lately trying to get back into shape after having baby #4 in May - 5 months ago, in case you're wondering. ;)
The last time I ran a full 5 km was about a year and a half ago. I also did 10 km right around that time. The 10 km was hard. I did it to say I did it, but I really don't want to do it again. I thought about it as I was running my last kilometre today. I thought to myself, "Come on! You have ran 10 km before, this is only 5, you only have 1 km left!" That was partly what got me through the last kilometre, considering my clothes had taken on a fair bit of water, and it was getting harder and harder to run.
Why do I run? I ask myself this question sometimes, and I know some people that think it's craziness. I was one of those people at one time! I don't consider myself very athletic, and I never really liked track & tield or cross country or most sports as a kid. However, I run now, and here are some of my reasons:
1. I like running. I don't love it, but I do like it.
2. It's a workout I can do from home, and it starts and ends in a good amount of time as I usually go out for about 30 minutes.
3. It's refreshing. When I came back on Saturday, I was exhausted, but later in the day, I had a huge burst of energy, and got a bunch of things done around the house.
4. It's good for me. I know exercise is good for me, and it's hard to get out there and get going a lot of the time, but it is good for me and I know it. I also want to be a good example to my kids.
5. I get to enjoy creation. I love looking around the countryside, especially because our seasons change so vividly here. I love seeing how God changes things from one season to the next, how the sky can look so different, and how we have so many plants and animals right around me. Amazing!
The last time I ran a full 5 km was about a year and a half ago. I also did 10 km right around that time. The 10 km was hard. I did it to say I did it, but I really don't want to do it again. I thought about it as I was running my last kilometre today. I thought to myself, "Come on! You have ran 10 km before, this is only 5, you only have 1 km left!" That was partly what got me through the last kilometre, considering my clothes had taken on a fair bit of water, and it was getting harder and harder to run.
Why do I run? I ask myself this question sometimes, and I know some people that think it's craziness. I was one of those people at one time! I don't consider myself very athletic, and I never really liked track & tield or cross country or most sports as a kid. However, I run now, and here are some of my reasons:
1. I like running. I don't love it, but I do like it.
2. It's a workout I can do from home, and it starts and ends in a good amount of time as I usually go out for about 30 minutes.
3. It's refreshing. When I came back on Saturday, I was exhausted, but later in the day, I had a huge burst of energy, and got a bunch of things done around the house.
4. It's good for me. I know exercise is good for me, and it's hard to get out there and get going a lot of the time, but it is good for me and I know it. I also want to be a good example to my kids.
5. I get to enjoy creation. I love looking around the countryside, especially because our seasons change so vividly here. I love seeing how God changes things from one season to the next, how the sky can look so different, and how we have so many plants and animals right around me. Amazing!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Today
Today was a busy day, but good busy:
- Started with viewing snow outside (too early, even for a winter-loving Canadian like myself!)
- Went to the local rec centre for swimming lessons for the girl, and hockey for the oldest boy
- Then picked up some coffee at Tim Horton's
- Made grilled cheese for lunch
- Home for the afternoon
- Ran 5 km
- Made pumpkin craft with the kids
- Cleaned house with oldest boy (he just loves to vacuum!) & the girl (she's great for tidying when she's into it)
- Dance party with the boys
- Had supper of leftovers
- Went with our fun four kids to watch daddy play hockey, a little bit crazy, but good crazy, and even managed to get a few snippets of adult conversation
My kids have had a four day weekend, and it has been cold and rainy and snowy and wet and cold and wet and cold and, well, you get the idea. But they have been great. They have played and entertained themselves so well. We have watched a bit of tv, but not as much as I thought we might. They played with their cousins all day Thursday, and kept each other entertained after that. I had my own moment of cabin fever, but a little drive through the countryside with a Tim Horton's coffee helped that out, thanks to the husband!
They have played "dogs" and "house" and "hockey" and "farm", and they have coloured and coloured. This afternoon my oldest and middle boy had a dance party - so fun and I just love their moves! I joined in for a bit too! Tomorrow we celebrate a belated Thanksgiving dinner with my side of the family, so that will be fun for a change of pace, especially because there is no place like Grandma's house!
Lots of great little things going on this weekend! :)
- Started with viewing snow outside (too early, even for a winter-loving Canadian like myself!)
- Went to the local rec centre for swimming lessons for the girl, and hockey for the oldest boy
- Then picked up some coffee at Tim Horton's
- Made grilled cheese for lunch
- Home for the afternoon
- Ran 5 km
- Made pumpkin craft with the kids
- Cleaned house with oldest boy (he just loves to vacuum!) & the girl (she's great for tidying when she's into it)
- Dance party with the boys
- Had supper of leftovers
- Went with our fun four kids to watch daddy play hockey, a little bit crazy, but good crazy, and even managed to get a few snippets of adult conversation
My kids have had a four day weekend, and it has been cold and rainy and snowy and wet and cold and wet and cold and, well, you get the idea. But they have been great. They have played and entertained themselves so well. We have watched a bit of tv, but not as much as I thought we might. They played with their cousins all day Thursday, and kept each other entertained after that. I had my own moment of cabin fever, but a little drive through the countryside with a Tim Horton's coffee helped that out, thanks to the husband!
They have played "dogs" and "house" and "hockey" and "farm", and they have coloured and coloured. This afternoon my oldest and middle boy had a dance party - so fun and I just love their moves! I joined in for a bit too! Tomorrow we celebrate a belated Thanksgiving dinner with my side of the family, so that will be fun for a change of pace, especially because there is no place like Grandma's house!
Lots of great little things going on this weekend! :)
Friday, October 25, 2013
25 random things about me
A bunch of years ago (okay, getting close to 5 years to be exact as I wrote it on February 3, 2009), "25 Random Things About Me" was going around Facebook, and I took the challenge. So today I am going through my list, making some changes from Then to Now:
1. Then: I thought I would never go back to teaching after I had my first baby, but I'm back at it, and I really enjoy it!
Now: I still teach full time. I thought I'd have my first baby, and be a stay-at-home mom. Now I've found a way to do both: maternity leave. ;) I'll go back in the winter. I love both my jobs and the people I work with!
Now: I still teach full time. I thought I'd have my first baby, and be a stay-at-home mom. Now I've found a way to do both: maternity leave. ;) I'll go back in the winter. I love both my jobs and the people I work with!
2. Then: I enjoy going to Early Years programs locally (fun programs for parents and kids). They do a fanastic job with them!
Now: I enjoy going to MOPS and Coffee Break. I miss the Early Years programs I used to go to, but it's just too far to drive.
Now: I enjoy going to MOPS and Coffee Break. I miss the Early Years programs I used to go to, but it's just too far to drive.
3. Then: I love winter, and I love scrapbooking.
Now: Still love both, but prefer digital now, just can't seem to find or make time for it. Also, winter seems to be attempting to come already, and it is a little early!
Now: Still love both, but prefer digital now, just can't seem to find or make time for it. Also, winter seems to be attempting to come already, and it is a little early!
4. Then: I want to lose 20 lbs by the fall, but I don't want to eat better. However, I do enjoy working out, it's just hard to find time.
Now: I want to lose 30 lbs by winter, but still don't want to eat better. I enjoy working out and running, and try to make time. I have also enlisted some friends via Facebook to be my accountability for getting exercise.
Now: I want to lose 30 lbs by winter, but still don't want to eat better. I enjoy working out and running, and try to make time. I have also enlisted some friends via Facebook to be my accountability for getting exercise.
5. Then: I prefer working in the barn over housework.
Now: SAME!
Now: SAME!
6. Then: I have 4 siblings younger than me, and we're all married.
Now: My sisters and I all had babies within a year 2 years ago. Now my sister-in-law, two of my sisters, and myself will have babies within a year by next spring.
Now: My sisters and I all had babies within a year 2 years ago. Now my sister-in-law, two of my sisters, and myself will have babies within a year by next spring.
7. Then: I struggle with taking time to grow my relationship with God.
Now: I still struggle with this, but am using a book call, "Seeking God's Face, Praying with the Bible through the Year" which I really like. I don't get to it everyday, but am doing my best.
Now: I still struggle with this, but am using a book call, "Seeking God's Face, Praying with the Bible through the Year" which I really like. I don't get to it everyday, but am doing my best.
8. Then: I love being at the beach - the lake is so close to my heart! Maybe someday I'll live on the lake...
Now: I still love the beach, and I LOVE camping, even with 4 kids!
Now: I still love the beach, and I LOVE camping, even with 4 kids!
9. Then: I got married in the wintertime, and I loved it!!
Now: Still loved it, looking forward to celebrating 13 years in a warm climate this winter!!
10. Then: My husband and kids mean more to me than anything!
Now: SAME!
Now: Still loved it, looking forward to celebrating 13 years in a warm climate this winter!!
10. Then: My husband and kids mean more to me than anything!
Now: SAME!
11. Then: I am sitting in my office with mounds of mess around me, wishing it would just clean itself up...
Now: SAME!
12. Then: I always wanted to marry a farmer, and live on a farm, but thought it would never happen because the university I went to consisted of mostly education, religion and business programs. However, I found the only farmer there (at that time!).
Now: Still happily married to the farmer, on a different farm, still cropping and raising pigs, and now milking cows too. Never a dull moment around here!
13. Then: My oldest slept through the night at 2 months, and I feel like my second child never will (and I always wondered about people whose kids didn't sleep through the night before I had him...
Now: My third also slept terribly through the night until the last few months, and the fourth is still up in the air...
14. Then: I had both my kids in a small, local hospital, and if I'm blessed with more, will go back there in a heartbeat. Small, but wonderful! And I love my doctor there!
Now: I got a new doctor for baby #3, had him in the same local hospital. New doctor was also amazing. For baby #4, that hospital no longer delivered babies, so had to switch to another. It just wasn't the same there as the other hospital.
15. Then: I crave adult time, and I think I talk too much when I'm with other adults. When I'm on my way home, I think I should apologize for talking too much, and should have let others talk more.
Now: Still crave adult time, but feel like I am more aware about letting others talk, and am trying to ask them good questions as well.
16. Then: I love and dislike my church at the same time (don't know if I should announce that on Facebook, but it's true). Ultimately though, I love Jesus and want to share his love with others, and think I need to do a better job of it.
Now: Read my post on little things about church: http://thelittlethingsinthisbeautifulmess.blogspot.ca/2013/10/little-things-about-church.html
Now: SAME!
12. Then: I always wanted to marry a farmer, and live on a farm, but thought it would never happen because the university I went to consisted of mostly education, religion and business programs. However, I found the only farmer there (at that time!).
Now: Still happily married to the farmer, on a different farm, still cropping and raising pigs, and now milking cows too. Never a dull moment around here!
13. Then: My oldest slept through the night at 2 months, and I feel like my second child never will (and I always wondered about people whose kids didn't sleep through the night before I had him...
Now: My third also slept terribly through the night until the last few months, and the fourth is still up in the air...
14. Then: I had both my kids in a small, local hospital, and if I'm blessed with more, will go back there in a heartbeat. Small, but wonderful! And I love my doctor there!
Now: I got a new doctor for baby #3, had him in the same local hospital. New doctor was also amazing. For baby #4, that hospital no longer delivered babies, so had to switch to another. It just wasn't the same there as the other hospital.
15. Then: I crave adult time, and I think I talk too much when I'm with other adults. When I'm on my way home, I think I should apologize for talking too much, and should have let others talk more.
Now: Still crave adult time, but feel like I am more aware about letting others talk, and am trying to ask them good questions as well.
16. Then: I love and dislike my church at the same time (don't know if I should announce that on Facebook, but it's true). Ultimately though, I love Jesus and want to share his love with others, and think I need to do a better job of it.
Now: Read my post on little things about church: http://thelittlethingsinthisbeautifulmess.blogspot.ca/2013/10/little-things-about-church.html
17. Then: I have been bless with great friendships!
Now: Same! At work, at church, in my community, I have wonderful friends, and am so thankful for them.
18. Then: I had a miscarriage several years ago, and really struggled afterwards.
Now: It was hard, and has connected me to others who have been through the same thing.
19. Then: I would love to live in California!
Now: SAME! Just love the climate and variety there.
20. Then: I'm really jealous of anyone who went south this year.
Now: Got to go to Mexico 2 years ago, and heading to the sunny south in February!
21. Then: If I had a dime for every time my daughter asked, "Should we go for a walk, mommy?" and "Can we do a craf?" in the past year, I would probably be able to pay off our farm.
Now: Said daughter is now almost 8, and amazes me with some of her thoughts and conversations, and how responsible and great she is with her 3 brothers. And the farm is still a long ways from being paid off...
Now: Same! At work, at church, in my community, I have wonderful friends, and am so thankful for them.
18. Then: I had a miscarriage several years ago, and really struggled afterwards.
Now: It was hard, and has connected me to others who have been through the same thing.
19. Then: I would love to live in California!
Now: SAME! Just love the climate and variety there.
20. Then: I'm really jealous of anyone who went south this year.
Now: Got to go to Mexico 2 years ago, and heading to the sunny south in February!
21. Then: If I had a dime for every time my daughter asked, "Should we go for a walk, mommy?" and "Can we do a craf?" in the past year, I would probably be able to pay off our farm.
Now: Said daughter is now almost 8, and amazes me with some of her thoughts and conversations, and how responsible and great she is with her 3 brothers. And the farm is still a long ways from being paid off...
22. Then: I have no desire to do anything daredevilish (sky diving, bungee jumping, etc).
Now: Same! However, I did ziplining in Mexico, and it was like pulling teeth for our group to get me to do it...
23. Then: I learned French by going to Quebec for 5 weeks, and living in France for 5 months.
Now: I teach French immersion to grade 1 and 2 students, and it is wonderful!
24. Then: I enjoy sitting down at the end of the day with a cup of tea, the tv on, and a clean house.
Now: Same! However, the house isn't always as clean now as it was then.
25. Then: I really did not plan to do this, and didn't think I could come up with 25 items, but I did it! Thanks to those that inspired me to do it!
Now: It was good to review the list! Glad that some things have changed and some haven't. I'm still the same person I was then, but I have grown in lots of ways. I'm working on being content wherever I am, and whatever is happening in my life.
There you have it: 25 little things about me!
Now: Same! However, I did ziplining in Mexico, and it was like pulling teeth for our group to get me to do it...
23. Then: I learned French by going to Quebec for 5 weeks, and living in France for 5 months.
Now: I teach French immersion to grade 1 and 2 students, and it is wonderful!
24. Then: I enjoy sitting down at the end of the day with a cup of tea, the tv on, and a clean house.
Now: Same! However, the house isn't always as clean now as it was then.
25. Then: I really did not plan to do this, and didn't think I could come up with 25 items, but I did it! Thanks to those that inspired me to do it!
Now: It was good to review the list! Glad that some things have changed and some haven't. I'm still the same person I was then, but I have grown in lots of ways. I'm working on being content wherever I am, and whatever is happening in my life.
There you have it: 25 little things about me!
Squash soup
The weather for the first part of October here was wonderful, warm and sunny. The last week and a bit has been cold and wet and rainy, and even a bit snowy. I had bought a squash recently with the intentions of making squash soup. So yesterday was the day. Some good ole comfort food! A friend of a friend on Facebook had posted my friend's squash soup recipe which contained carrot and apple, which is exactly the kind of squash soup I had been looking for. I had looked on pinterest prior to this, but had not honed in on a recipe I thought I loved.
Note: This is my first time blogging a recipe, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
The recipe posted called for:
10 cups of broth (vegetable or chicken)
1.5 cups each of carrot and celery, roughly chopped
1 roasted squash (my friend's friend did it in the microwave for 10 mins, I put it in the oven for about 30-45 mins)
onion or leek (white part)
2 apples peeled, cut and cored
Boil everything together until everything is cooked to your preference. Cool and blend in the blender. Re-heat and eat. Yum!
Variations:
* You can add 1.5 cups of potatoes.
* I used less broth to make it a little thicker. I skipped out on the celery and onion or leek.
* I also added a dash of cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper.
It tasted great!
Note: This is my first time blogging a recipe, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
The recipe posted called for:
10 cups of broth (vegetable or chicken)
1.5 cups each of carrot and celery, roughly chopped
1 roasted squash (my friend's friend did it in the microwave for 10 mins, I put it in the oven for about 30-45 mins)
onion or leek (white part)
2 apples peeled, cut and cored
Boil everything together until everything is cooked to your preference. Cool and blend in the blender. Re-heat and eat. Yum!
Variations:
* You can add 1.5 cups of potatoes.
* I used less broth to make it a little thicker. I skipped out on the celery and onion or leek.
* I also added a dash of cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper.
It tasted great!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Me and the TV
In order to catch up on my blogging challenge, I thought I'd do a list today. Took me a bit to think of what the list might be, but then I thought I'd make a list of tv shows that I enjoy watching. They tend to change as time goes on, but for the moment, here are some of my favourites:
1. Duck Dynasty - I love this show! I watch the new ones when I can, and re-runs when they're on too. Jase & Si generally crack me up. I love Miss Kay's vows on the marriage ceremony episode.
2. Hockey Night in Canada - It started when my dad watched it on Saturday nights when I was growing up, and I now enjoy watching it with my man, and sometimes it's on when he's not home. I am a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, just too loyal to switch teams.
3. Disaster DIY and Leave it to Bryan - I think Bryan Baumler is great, and I love watching his shows! Would love to have him work on our house, but probably a little out of my price range...
4. Disaster Decks - Another HGTV show and host that I think is great. I also think the crew that works on the decks has a lot of fun while they work, and I like their antics.
5. Income Property, House Hunters & House Hunters International - Yes, I'm an HGTV junkie! These shows tend to be the only shows worth watching in the middle of the night when I've been up with a baby.
6. Swamp People - This one's great too. Love that they're real people and it's their real life.
7. American Pickers and Canadian Pickers - I like these shows too. They're interesting and the hosts do a good job.
8. Country Music videos on CMT - I'm a country music junkie, what can I say?
9. Friends will always be a favourite, even though it's been off the air for a long time. Still love the re-runs.
10. The Big Bang Theory - I'm a little late getting into this one, but at least a lot of the re-runs are new to me.
What are some of your favourites?
9. Friends will always be a favourite, even though it's been off the air for a long time. Still love the re-runs.
10. The Big Bang Theory - I'm a little late getting into this one, but at least a lot of the re-runs are new to me.
What are some of your favourites?
My eldest son
For this post, I went through some of my old Facebook statuses to share a bit about my oldest son. He lives life filled with intensity and it is crazy and wonderful and very entertaining.
Fall 2013: My son had gone outside for awhile, and I had done a bunch of cleaning up in the house. He came in, looked around, and said, "Mommy, it looks brand new in here!!" We have a regular old farm house. I love seeing things through his eyes!
Spring 2013: Around 4:00am this morning, the hydro (electricity) had gone off through the night, and here is my conversation with my half-sleeping boy:
"Mommy, turn the light in the hall back on so I can see my water bottle."
"I can't, buddy, the hydro is off."
"Just put a new light bulb in then Mommy!" (Haha! If only it were that easy, eh?)
Finding a little flashlight by his bed, I tried to turn it on, but it didn't work.
"Buddy, your flashlight is here, but it's broken, so I will give you mine."
"No mommy, you just gotta swack it, and then it will work again."
Sure enough, it worked! Love the wisdom of a four year old!
Christmas 2012: So our son continues to keep us entertained. At my mother-in-law's family Christmas, the adults did a gift exchange game. My husband's aunt asked my son to help her pick out a gift, and of course, he picked one of the biggest ones. It contained some fun sports paraphernalia like a volleyball, nerf stuff and the like. My husband had received some soap and lotion in the gift he had picked and opened earlier on. So my son took the big bag, brought it over to his daddy, and brought the soap gift over to my husband's aunt. Made sense to him, right? ;) When told to switch them back, my son very reluctantly dragged the big back back. Then, to top it off, he sneezed a huge, real sneeze full on into the bag!
Fall 2012: Tonight, it was time for lights out in my kids' bedroom, and my son was fighting going to bed because he wanted to keep combining (with his toy combine on the carpet in his bedroom), just like daddy, and he needed to see! We had some words, and I gave him a time out, and then he was in tears. I told him he could keep going, but he had to use the light from the hallway so his sister could sleep. He said it was still too dark. Then came the moment where I couldn't stay mad anymore, and I cracked a smile, "But mommy," he said with tears streaming down his face, and through his sobs, "I don't have lights on my combine so I can't see!" Ah, my little farmer boy!
Spring 2012: My dear boy is very pumped to play soccer this year!! I probably should have waited until closer to the start date to tell him as he keeps asking me to put on his "i-pads," and he is wearing them to bed tonight.
Summer 2011: My son woke up at 5:20am, after going to bed at 8:00pm last night, and told me, "Mommy, the dark's all done, you have to get up!" So we got up, I put on "Cars" and dozed on the couch. After awhile, he told me he was going back to bed, and he's been sleeping for about an hour. What a guy!
Fall 2013: My son had gone outside for awhile, and I had done a bunch of cleaning up in the house. He came in, looked around, and said, "Mommy, it looks brand new in here!!" We have a regular old farm house. I love seeing things through his eyes!
Spring 2013: Around 4:00am this morning, the hydro (electricity) had gone off through the night, and here is my conversation with my half-sleeping boy:
"Mommy, turn the light in the hall back on so I can see my water bottle."
"I can't, buddy, the hydro is off."
"Just put a new light bulb in then Mommy!" (Haha! If only it were that easy, eh?)
Finding a little flashlight by his bed, I tried to turn it on, but it didn't work.
"Buddy, your flashlight is here, but it's broken, so I will give you mine."
"No mommy, you just gotta swack it, and then it will work again."
Sure enough, it worked! Love the wisdom of a four year old!
Christmas 2012: So our son continues to keep us entertained. At my mother-in-law's family Christmas, the adults did a gift exchange game. My husband's aunt asked my son to help her pick out a gift, and of course, he picked one of the biggest ones. It contained some fun sports paraphernalia like a volleyball, nerf stuff and the like. My husband had received some soap and lotion in the gift he had picked and opened earlier on. So my son took the big bag, brought it over to his daddy, and brought the soap gift over to my husband's aunt. Made sense to him, right? ;) When told to switch them back, my son very reluctantly dragged the big back back. Then, to top it off, he sneezed a huge, real sneeze full on into the bag!
Fall 2012: Tonight, it was time for lights out in my kids' bedroom, and my son was fighting going to bed because he wanted to keep combining (with his toy combine on the carpet in his bedroom), just like daddy, and he needed to see! We had some words, and I gave him a time out, and then he was in tears. I told him he could keep going, but he had to use the light from the hallway so his sister could sleep. He said it was still too dark. Then came the moment where I couldn't stay mad anymore, and I cracked a smile, "But mommy," he said with tears streaming down his face, and through his sobs, "I don't have lights on my combine so I can't see!" Ah, my little farmer boy!
Spring 2012: My dear boy is very pumped to play soccer this year!! I probably should have waited until closer to the start date to tell him as he keeps asking me to put on his "i-pads," and he is wearing them to bed tonight.
Summer 2011: My son woke up at 5:20am, after going to bed at 8:00pm last night, and told me, "Mommy, the dark's all done, you have to get up!" So we got up, I put on "Cars" and dozed on the couch. After awhile, he told me he was going back to bed, and he's been sleeping for about an hour. What a guy!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Hmmmm...
So I have managed to write 19 posts this month, and now I come to a pause. I have read about other bloggers having this problem, but have not had it happen to me, until now. It's not that I don't have any ideas for what to write about, I actually have a lot. It's just that I don't have the desire to write anything. I had a busy weekend, and I'm tired, and I think that has led me to this point of indecision. I can't decide what to write about, and I can't decide what to write. I have suggested to someone else to write a list, but I don't know what to make a list about. I have thought about writing about some of the little things I have noted lately, but can't seem to focus my thoughts on that either. I have thought about writing about my oldest son, but have a lot of things I could write, and again, I can seem to get it together. So I will write about my day today, a regular day in my life.
As I think back on today, I had a good day. It was busy, and I was tired already at 5pm, but I had to carry on. I visited my youngest sister for coffee this morning, which was really nice. Her little guy is the same age as my middle boy, so it's fun to see how these two year olds act and interact. She also made me lunch, which was great! I saw my mom there briefly too, and managed to slip out on a quick errand kid-free. I then headed to a doctor's appointment for my baby boy. By the time I got home, I was tired, but thankful for supper in the crockpot. After supper, it was daughter's dance night, so I headed out there with the whole crew as my husband had a meeting. I took the boys to the grocery store, and then toured them through the local Ford dealership and tractor dealership. When I got home, I put everyone to bed, and now I sit at my computer, writing. This is my down time. I have "The Light" playing in the background, and I should be tidying up the kitchen and folding laundry. But, tomorrow is another day, right? At least, that's what my mom often said growing up. It's true. Tomorrow is another day, and likely won't be as busy as today... Maybe...
As I think back on today, I had a good day. It was busy, and I was tired already at 5pm, but I had to carry on. I visited my youngest sister for coffee this morning, which was really nice. Her little guy is the same age as my middle boy, so it's fun to see how these two year olds act and interact. She also made me lunch, which was great! I saw my mom there briefly too, and managed to slip out on a quick errand kid-free. I then headed to a doctor's appointment for my baby boy. By the time I got home, I was tired, but thankful for supper in the crockpot. After supper, it was daughter's dance night, so I headed out there with the whole crew as my husband had a meeting. I took the boys to the grocery store, and then toured them through the local Ford dealership and tractor dealership. When I got home, I put everyone to bed, and now I sit at my computer, writing. This is my down time. I have "The Light" playing in the background, and I should be tidying up the kitchen and folding laundry. But, tomorrow is another day, right? At least, that's what my mom often said growing up. It's true. Tomorrow is another day, and likely won't be as busy as today... Maybe...
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Saturday afternoon surprise
I had just been thinking about calling my sister when my daughter says to me, "Mommy, Aunt is here!" What?!?! What a great surprise! I love hanging out with my sister. Our kids are at ages now where they generally play very well together, and they have fun while we get to chat. When we hang out, we help each other out. She'll unload my dishwasher or clean up the table. One time last winter when I was pregnant with baby #4, she came over, and helped clean my house, including doing vacuuming - partners in grime! She also made sure my oldest boy got a first birthday party, making the cake and everything. We share stories about kids, we share recipes, we share our latest great song (mine's Roar by Katie Perry, hers is a Britney S song), and we share joys and challenges about life in general. She is a great sister and a great friend.
We shared a room when we were young, and we used to bring snacks into our bedroom, lock the door, and have a "powwow" when we needed to chat. We would sit cross-legged on the floor, and eat our graham crackers, and share the rough times about being tweens. We used to have to chores in the barn together, and could have quite the arguments and fights. However, our grudges did not last long, and usually within a few minutes, one of us would walk over to the other side of the barn to apologize, and we would hug and all would be well again.
We have a lot in common, and a lot not in common, which I think is why we get along so well. We never shared clothes in high school, and I think that saved us from a lot of disputes as I have heard from other sisters. I admire her for her loyalty, her positive outlook, her willingness to do fun things with her kids, her great snacks, her great gift-giving ability, her picture-taking skills, and her creativity.
We are two years apart, and have gone through a lot of phases of our lives together: grade school & high school, university, marriage and kids. I feel blessed to have her in my life, and I hope that we can share many more phases of our lives together!
We shared a room when we were young, and we used to bring snacks into our bedroom, lock the door, and have a "powwow" when we needed to chat. We would sit cross-legged on the floor, and eat our graham crackers, and share the rough times about being tweens. We used to have to chores in the barn together, and could have quite the arguments and fights. However, our grudges did not last long, and usually within a few minutes, one of us would walk over to the other side of the barn to apologize, and we would hug and all would be well again.
We have a lot in common, and a lot not in common, which I think is why we get along so well. We never shared clothes in high school, and I think that saved us from a lot of disputes as I have heard from other sisters. I admire her for her loyalty, her positive outlook, her willingness to do fun things with her kids, her great snacks, her great gift-giving ability, her picture-taking skills, and her creativity.
We are two years apart, and have gone through a lot of phases of our lives together: grade school & high school, university, marriage and kids. I feel blessed to have her in my life, and I hope that we can share many more phases of our lives together!
Baby nephew
Yesterday I got to meet and hold my newest nephew. It was wonderful. He was only three days old, and so perfect. Sweet little head. Dark, thick, black hair. Little hands and tiny fingers. So great to snuggle and hold. So amazing. My own baby is five months old now. The time has gone quickly, and it won't be long before these two are playing and tussling together at family functions. I hope the two of them will be good friends and spend lots of time together! My other two boys have cousins the same age. It's fun to see the two 5 year olds play farm and chat about farming together. The two 2 year olds have just started to interact, and it's fun to watch them too. I have great memories of time spent with my own cousins, and hope for the same for my kid and their cousins. Wonderful little things!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Story for today
This morning started out like most mornings, getting my daughter off to school, eating breakfast, the usual. I then got ready to go out to MOPS, and wanted to get there a little bit early since I was doing the activity for the group, so I wanted some extra prep time. I was doing great, and had both little boys in the van just after 9am. I went to start the van, and it didn't! Oh crap! I had vacuumed and cleaned the inside of the van yesterday afternoon, and felt the need to have the radio on. Nevertheless, apparently that drained the battery. *sigh* Thankfully, my husband was there, and thankfully, the truck and booster cables were there as well. He went over, hooked me up, and within seconds, I was all set to go. Yay! Just then, some guests drove in who were coming to visit. They knew that I was going out, but the battery delay allowed me to see them before they left later in the morning, AND they had a coffee for me! Sweet! I love my coffee, and had missed mine this morning. So there you go, a little not-so-great thing ended up a nice thing! :) I got to MOPS in good time, and had a great morning there. Later on, both boys napped at the same time, and I got a workout in!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Challenges update
Halfway there! I have been working through some challenges for the month of October, and thought today would be a good day to report on my progress so far.
Water - I have drank at least 8 cups of water pretty much everyday this month.
Crunches - I can do 90 crunches.
Plank - I am able to do the plank for 1 min 45 sec.
Squats - I can do 60 squats in a row.
Exercise - I exercise for at least 30 minutes 5-6 times a week.
Blog - I have managed to write a blog post for everyday this month, and I'm enjoying it. I blog for fun, and to record the little things about life. I enjoy writing, and it's been neat to try to think of different things to write about.
"Me Time" - I use this time to read a devotional with Bible verses and pray. I hope to get better at this challenge in the next couple weeks, and will work on it in Nov.
Pushups - I despise and suck at pushups and can do about 10 real ones... Aiming to do better with these in the next couple weeks, and will probably continue this challenge in Nov as well.
Eating fruits & veggies - It may be sad to admit, but this one is a work in progress... I can do 3-4 most days, but am aiming for 5 each day.
So that's that. I am really working on being happy with what I have accomplished, as opposed to focusing on where I did not succeed, as that often causes me to quit or give up. I feel great about how things have gone so far, and even managed to lose 2.5 lbs and 5 inches. Yay!
I am especially grateful to my sister, a friend from university, and some other friends who have been motivating and encouraging me this month! Thank you all!!
Lots of little (big) things for today. :)
Water - I have drank at least 8 cups of water pretty much everyday this month.
Crunches - I can do 90 crunches.
Plank - I am able to do the plank for 1 min 45 sec.
Squats - I can do 60 squats in a row.
Exercise - I exercise for at least 30 minutes 5-6 times a week.
Blog - I have managed to write a blog post for everyday this month, and I'm enjoying it. I blog for fun, and to record the little things about life. I enjoy writing, and it's been neat to try to think of different things to write about.
"Me Time" - I use this time to read a devotional with Bible verses and pray. I hope to get better at this challenge in the next couple weeks, and will work on it in Nov.
Pushups - I despise and suck at pushups and can do about 10 real ones... Aiming to do better with these in the next couple weeks, and will probably continue this challenge in Nov as well.
Eating fruits & veggies - It may be sad to admit, but this one is a work in progress... I can do 3-4 most days, but am aiming for 5 each day.
So that's that. I am really working on being happy with what I have accomplished, as opposed to focusing on where I did not succeed, as that often causes me to quit or give up. I feel great about how things have gone so far, and even managed to lose 2.5 lbs and 5 inches. Yay!
I am especially grateful to my sister, a friend from university, and some other friends who have been motivating and encouraging me this month! Thank you all!!
Lots of little (big) things for today. :)
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
To the mommies
I have been a mom for almost 8 years, and I have two pieces of advice for the mommies out there:
1. Keep it simple. We can access so much information these days that it can make your head spin. I found that with my first, and I didn't have Facebook then! After having four, I am still learning things I wish I had known from the beginning, but I have come to realize that the best thing has been to just keep it simple, especially when it comes to doing things with my kids. They're young, and they love simple things. Yesterday there were a couple of cows loose in our neighbourhood, and our kids thought it was so cool to see the horses, dogs, and fourwheelers going around as the search went on. Later in the day my daughter wanted to visit someone or have someone over so badly, but it was just too late in the day. A bike ride was an easy replacement, and she was happy about that! Simple! My mom said it often when I was growing up, use the KISS method - Keep It Simple Sweetie! (Using the nicer version here) :)
2. You are the mommy, you know best. You know your child(ren) best. You have spent everyday and every night with them since they were woven together inside you. You know their ins and outs and ups and downs. Take any advice you get with a grain of salt, use that which makes sense to you, and do what is best for your family. People have said those things to me, and it has helped me be a better mom.
A couple little things from a mom to other moms. You are all doing your best, and I am so proud to know so many wonderful moms and their kids. What's the best advice you have received?
1. Keep it simple. We can access so much information these days that it can make your head spin. I found that with my first, and I didn't have Facebook then! After having four, I am still learning things I wish I had known from the beginning, but I have come to realize that the best thing has been to just keep it simple, especially when it comes to doing things with my kids. They're young, and they love simple things. Yesterday there were a couple of cows loose in our neighbourhood, and our kids thought it was so cool to see the horses, dogs, and fourwheelers going around as the search went on. Later in the day my daughter wanted to visit someone or have someone over so badly, but it was just too late in the day. A bike ride was an easy replacement, and she was happy about that! Simple! My mom said it often when I was growing up, use the KISS method - Keep It Simple Sweetie! (Using the nicer version here) :)
2. You are the mommy, you know best. You know your child(ren) best. You have spent everyday and every night with them since they were woven together inside you. You know their ins and outs and ups and downs. Take any advice you get with a grain of salt, use that which makes sense to you, and do what is best for your family. People have said those things to me, and it has helped me be a better mom.
A couple little things from a mom to other moms. You are all doing your best, and I am so proud to know so many wonderful moms and their kids. What's the best advice you have received?
Monday, October 14, 2013
Thanksgiving Day
Today is Thanksgiving Day here in Canada. Yesterday, we had dinner with my husband's family, and we had to go around the circle and say what we were thankful for this year. I love hearing all the things that people say, especially when it helps me remember that I'm thankful for those things too:
- Lots of the gang said family, so true! Love my own little family, and truly appreciate our parents, siblings and their significant others and our nieces and nephews. We are also blessed with huge extended families, and I love being able to stay connected with many of them through Facebook.
- Others mentioned work, also true! This family loves to work, and many of them work double 40+ hours in a week quite often starting early spring right through the fall. Me, I love to work too, I love my jobs as mom and teacher, but I also love me my down time! :)
- Health was a big one too. So thankful for the health and the health care we have.
- I mentioned the weather (and one of my sister-in-law's said, "That was what I was going to say!" Great minds think alike, right?). We have had amazing weather the last few weeks, and I have been able to enjoy it so much. I have been able to go outside with the kids where they are so easily entertained, I have been able to exercise outside many times, and my husband has been able to get lots of field work done because of the great weather.
- School was another one, we love our kids' school so much, and education is truly a gift.
- When it was my 5 year old son's turn he said, "I'm thankful for God, and Jesus." Wow! Thanks for the reminder buddy! I am so thankful for our faith, and so thankful that it is becoming evident in the lives of our children through what they hear at home, school and church.
The list could go on, so many things we are thankful for, and they are certainly not little! What are you thankful for?
- Lots of the gang said family, so true! Love my own little family, and truly appreciate our parents, siblings and their significant others and our nieces and nephews. We are also blessed with huge extended families, and I love being able to stay connected with many of them through Facebook.
- Others mentioned work, also true! This family loves to work, and many of them work double 40+ hours in a week quite often starting early spring right through the fall. Me, I love to work too, I love my jobs as mom and teacher, but I also love me my down time! :)
- Health was a big one too. So thankful for the health and the health care we have.
- I mentioned the weather (and one of my sister-in-law's said, "That was what I was going to say!" Great minds think alike, right?). We have had amazing weather the last few weeks, and I have been able to enjoy it so much. I have been able to go outside with the kids where they are so easily entertained, I have been able to exercise outside many times, and my husband has been able to get lots of field work done because of the great weather.
- School was another one, we love our kids' school so much, and education is truly a gift.
- When it was my 5 year old son's turn he said, "I'm thankful for God, and Jesus." Wow! Thanks for the reminder buddy! I am so thankful for our faith, and so thankful that it is becoming evident in the lives of our children through what they hear at home, school and church.
The list could go on, so many things we are thankful for, and they are certainly not little! What are you thankful for?
Family, a wedding, and dancing
So it's not a little thing to me, it's a big one, but this weekend has been all about family. I managed to see all of my siblings and my husband's siblings and their significant others, both of our parents, and most of our nieces and nephews this weekend. They all mean a lot to me and I enjoy time spent talking and hanging out with all of them, and I love when our kids and their cousins can spend time together. I have great memories of time spent with my extended families growing up, and want the same for my own kids.
On Saturday, my cousin got married, and it was a beautiful fall day, and a beautiful wedding. It was so nice to see some of my friends and lots of my relatives. It was nice to chat and catch up, and it was nice to dance the night away. I love me some dancing! (Plus, it was a great workout, right?!) :) I also loved that my mom and husband took some time with the baby so I could dance up a storm.
It was also a lot of fun to watch my cousin's and his bride's nieces and nephews dance like no tomorrow. I'm sure they were completely exhausted the next day, but they had a ball, and what a great memory! It was also fun to dance with my cousin's 5 year old niece. She just danced and danced (and I tried to keep up with her!). She beamed and beamed. You know the saying, dance like no one is watching. I think that's exactly what we did, even though lots of people were watching. It was a fun time, and lucky me, I get to do it all over again on Friday at my brother-in-law's wedding!
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Thoughts
Sometimes I look at other people's lives and think that their life is so great, and that they have or do something that I wish I had or could do. But then I remind myself that I generally post things on Facebook that are positive or fun or interesting, so I am really no different, and maybe someone has thought something similar about me. Please know that I have faults and struggles as well. I have hard days where I wish that I could crawl under a rock or sleep for a week, but I do like to focus on the positive and good parts of life as much as possible. I am blessed, but have been blessed with wonderful things and with hard things. It's the hard times that have made me stronger and made me grow. It's the good times that I live for and that I love to think back on.
I had someone ask me once, "What's the hardest thing you've ever been through?" It was during an all night "Relay for Life", so we had been doing lots of chatting. It was a really good question, and I asked her back. We had a great conversation, and it was a great connection. Not that we can do that all the time or with just anyone, but I have also come to realize that we all have different struggles. Sometimes I compare myself to other people, and I think that my life must seem so easy to them so why should I even consider complaining or feeling bad. And then I look at other people and think that their life seems so easy so why should they even consider complaining or feeling bad. Hmmmm. I think the key part of those sentences is the word "seems". I have come to realize that we all have different struggles and different hard times. It's what we do with them that matters. It's my faith that gives me strength through it all. Jeremiah 29:11-14 was our wedding text, and I refer to it often. These "little" verses have meant so much to me. What "little" verses have meaning to you?
I had someone ask me once, "What's the hardest thing you've ever been through?" It was during an all night "Relay for Life", so we had been doing lots of chatting. It was a really good question, and I asked her back. We had a great conversation, and it was a great connection. Not that we can do that all the time or with just anyone, but I have also come to realize that we all have different struggles. Sometimes I compare myself to other people, and I think that my life must seem so easy to them so why should I even consider complaining or feeling bad. And then I look at other people and think that their life seems so easy so why should they even consider complaining or feeling bad. Hmmmm. I think the key part of those sentences is the word "seems". I have come to realize that we all have different struggles and different hard times. It's what we do with them that matters. It's my faith that gives me strength through it all. Jeremiah 29:11-14 was our wedding text, and I refer to it often. These "little" verses have meant so much to me. What "little" verses have meaning to you?
Friday, October 11, 2013
Sleeping through the night...
Last night, my baby slept through the night! I fed him at about 6:30pm, he went to bed at about 8pm, and I never heard him until just after 7am. Wow! So that would mean that I slept through the night too, right? Nope! Apparently my 5 year old thought I still needed to wake up because he needed water, and then three minutes later, he lost his water bottle. Sheesh! I went back to sleep quickly after that, not even realizing that baby had not woken up yet. AT 5:30am, my husband's alarm went off, and then I realized that I had not fed the baby all night. What!?!? For the first time with a baby, I did the hop out of bed to check and make sure he was okay. He was, and he kept sleeping until 7am! Sweet! Do I hope that this will happen tonight? Of course! Do I think this will happen again tonight? Not likely!
I've been doing this parenting thing for almost 8 years now (okay, not that long in the grand scheme of things), and I have 4 kids. I have come to realize that the longer I parent, the less I know and the more questions I have. My dad has said that the people that have the most answers about marriage and kids are the people who are single and who have no kids. From my experience, it's true. I knew a lot more about this stuff before I got into it all. Seriously. I was chatting with my sister the other day, and we both agreed that most of the stuff we said we would do, we have not done, and the stuff we said we would never do, we have done. For me, one thing was the high chair. I remember seeing a dirty high chair when I had my first baby, and said I would never have such a dirty high chair. Yeah, as my mom often says, "Never say never!" Same with sleeping through the night. I have no answers, except to pray. I have laid in bed and prayed that the baby would stay asleep, stop crying, go back to sleep, sleep just for another 20 minutes, sleep all night, help me relax, and the list goes on. God always answered those prayers in different ways. Looking back, it has made me a better parent and a better friend, and I have learned that God will get me through. It seems such a little thing to pray about, but when you are completely exhausted and irrational at 3am, it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel (especially when you know it is going to come out in about 2 more hours and you are just. so. tired.).
With my first child, I thought I had it figured out, she basically slept through the night from about two months on. Now that being said, I know that people have lots of definitions of what "sleeping through the night" really is. For me, it's being able to sleep from the time I go to bed (around 11pm or so) until I get up in the morning (say about 7am). So yeah, she did that. I thought I had it all figured out, and what a great parent I am and all that. ;) She did still wake up through the night off and on after that, but she was pretty good. Looking back, she was AMAZING! My second child changed everything. I had an aunt tell me at one point that everyone needs a baby like that because then they can truly relate to people who have trouble with babies and sleep. Baby number two showed me that I really didn't know anything about sleeping. He did nap fairly well through the day, but terribly at night. It took close to two years before I could say that he slept through the night consistently and well. Which I know is still better than some kids! Baby number three was kind of middle of the road, but still took a bit. He waited until after baby number four came to really sleep well, and I must say that the last few months he has slept great (knock on wood that it continues...).
Sleep is a big thing because we all need it. However, this is one night of sleeping through that I am going to relish because he's my baby, and it's one of the little things he did for the first time!
I've been doing this parenting thing for almost 8 years now (okay, not that long in the grand scheme of things), and I have 4 kids. I have come to realize that the longer I parent, the less I know and the more questions I have. My dad has said that the people that have the most answers about marriage and kids are the people who are single and who have no kids. From my experience, it's true. I knew a lot more about this stuff before I got into it all. Seriously. I was chatting with my sister the other day, and we both agreed that most of the stuff we said we would do, we have not done, and the stuff we said we would never do, we have done. For me, one thing was the high chair. I remember seeing a dirty high chair when I had my first baby, and said I would never have such a dirty high chair. Yeah, as my mom often says, "Never say never!" Same with sleeping through the night. I have no answers, except to pray. I have laid in bed and prayed that the baby would stay asleep, stop crying, go back to sleep, sleep just for another 20 minutes, sleep all night, help me relax, and the list goes on. God always answered those prayers in different ways. Looking back, it has made me a better parent and a better friend, and I have learned that God will get me through. It seems such a little thing to pray about, but when you are completely exhausted and irrational at 3am, it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel (especially when you know it is going to come out in about 2 more hours and you are just. so. tired.).
With my first child, I thought I had it figured out, she basically slept through the night from about two months on. Now that being said, I know that people have lots of definitions of what "sleeping through the night" really is. For me, it's being able to sleep from the time I go to bed (around 11pm or so) until I get up in the morning (say about 7am). So yeah, she did that. I thought I had it all figured out, and what a great parent I am and all that. ;) She did still wake up through the night off and on after that, but she was pretty good. Looking back, she was AMAZING! My second child changed everything. I had an aunt tell me at one point that everyone needs a baby like that because then they can truly relate to people who have trouble with babies and sleep. Baby number two showed me that I really didn't know anything about sleeping. He did nap fairly well through the day, but terribly at night. It took close to two years before I could say that he slept through the night consistently and well. Which I know is still better than some kids! Baby number three was kind of middle of the road, but still took a bit. He waited until after baby number four came to really sleep well, and I must say that the last few months he has slept great (knock on wood that it continues...).
Sleep is a big thing because we all need it. However, this is one night of sleeping through that I am going to relish because he's my baby, and it's one of the little things he did for the first time!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Good tired
I am. so. tired. But good tired. I like to tell people that my life is busy, but good busy; or that it's crazy, but good crazy. Right now I'm tired, but good tired. I had a great day. It was a beautiful fall day, and I had 7 kids with me all day: two that are 5 years old, one that is 4, one that is 3, two that are 2, and one 4.5 month old. They were all great!
I can honestly say, though, that I could not do this everyday, or even another day this month. I take my hat off to day care workers and babysitters everywhere! I can also say that I am blessed with friends who have wonderful kids! They all interacted so well together, and listened well too.
A couple of my mantras today for the kids were: "Whoever wants to play, gets to play," "Be kind to each other," and "Help each other." A couple of my own mantras to myself were, "Keep it simple," and "If they're playing nicely, don't mess with it. " I had a whole arsenal of "things to do", but didn't have to use much of them because they played outside so much, and came up with their own ideas. For example, putting marshmallows on sticks for a "campfire," playing construction in the sand, biking, and playing dress-up. Such simple little things, but they were happy and had fun, and in the end, I was happy and had fun too! :)
I also milked cows this evening, so that pushed into the really tired and physically sore state that I am in now. So this post will be shorter for today, and I will write again tomorrow.
All those little ones were fun little things today!
I can honestly say, though, that I could not do this everyday, or even another day this month. I take my hat off to day care workers and babysitters everywhere! I can also say that I am blessed with friends who have wonderful kids! They all interacted so well together, and listened well too.
A couple of my mantras today for the kids were: "Whoever wants to play, gets to play," "Be kind to each other," and "Help each other." A couple of my own mantras to myself were, "Keep it simple," and "If they're playing nicely, don't mess with it. " I had a whole arsenal of "things to do", but didn't have to use much of them because they played outside so much, and came up with their own ideas. For example, putting marshmallows on sticks for a "campfire," playing construction in the sand, biking, and playing dress-up. Such simple little things, but they were happy and had fun, and in the end, I was happy and had fun too! :)
I also milked cows this evening, so that pushed into the really tired and physically sore state that I am in now. So this post will be shorter for today, and I will write again tomorrow.
All those little ones were fun little things today!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
A day in the life...
Another day in the life today. Sometimes I like to do a "trial run" to see what things will be like when I go back to work. This morning was one of those "trial run" mornings. I planned to be at my kids' school with all four for a Thanksgiving Assembly at 9:00am. It takes a half hour to drive there, and I wanted to be a bit earlier to avoid the last minute run-in, which is what often ends up happening. So I got as much as I possibly could get ready last night, and I kept 8:00am as my time to leave home.
So it was up on time, got myself ready, managed to bath oldest boy and daughter showered, eat breakfast, unload the dishwasher, tidy up a bit, get middle boy ready, feed and change baby, and "herd" everyone into the van. A few minutes after 8:00am, we were set to go. At that moment, my daughter asks what could be leaking out of her brother's backpack. Ack! His water bottle had popped open leading to a wet backpack and lunch bag. Quick jog into the house, fortunately had a replacement for both on hand (and knew where they were due to my organizing as of late), switched things around, and we were back on track, still in good time. Yeah! Supermom! Remember, this blog is about the little things in my life, and I was happy to roll into the school parking lot in decent time to sit in the gym for a few "peaceful" moments my 2 year old and my baby. Also remember that this does not happen every day!
The assembly was worth getting up early for, and worth chasing my toddler around the gym and listening to his jabber and chatter, which hopefully wasn't too bothersome to the others in attendance. ;) I thought it was fun to hear some of the big kids at school tell me my 2 year old looks and sounds like his 5 year old brother. Yep, he does! The kids at school are like a family, and really know each other, and I love that about our school.
I loved the assembly. The singing was great, the students in attendance were great, my daughter's class did great leading the assembly, her teacher spoke well, and I loved waving at my own kids, and beaming at them with mommy pride.
The students shared what they were thankful for, and then took it a step further. They also shared what they would do because they were thankful. For example, I am thankful for nature, so I will clean up garbage; or I am thankful for my family, so I will help at home. Not that we always have to do things to show our thankfulness, but there is something to be said for living out our gratitude. I can say I am thankful for nature, but if I make a mess of it, am I really thankful for it? What a great reminder! I am thankful for so much in my life, but what does being thankful for those things spur me on to do or be? What are you thankful for during this season of Thanksgiving?
So it was up on time, got myself ready, managed to bath oldest boy and daughter showered, eat breakfast, unload the dishwasher, tidy up a bit, get middle boy ready, feed and change baby, and "herd" everyone into the van. A few minutes after 8:00am, we were set to go. At that moment, my daughter asks what could be leaking out of her brother's backpack. Ack! His water bottle had popped open leading to a wet backpack and lunch bag. Quick jog into the house, fortunately had a replacement for both on hand (and knew where they were due to my organizing as of late), switched things around, and we were back on track, still in good time. Yeah! Supermom! Remember, this blog is about the little things in my life, and I was happy to roll into the school parking lot in decent time to sit in the gym for a few "peaceful" moments my 2 year old and my baby. Also remember that this does not happen every day!
The assembly was worth getting up early for, and worth chasing my toddler around the gym and listening to his jabber and chatter, which hopefully wasn't too bothersome to the others in attendance. ;) I thought it was fun to hear some of the big kids at school tell me my 2 year old looks and sounds like his 5 year old brother. Yep, he does! The kids at school are like a family, and really know each other, and I love that about our school.
I loved the assembly. The singing was great, the students in attendance were great, my daughter's class did great leading the assembly, her teacher spoke well, and I loved waving at my own kids, and beaming at them with mommy pride.
The students shared what they were thankful for, and then took it a step further. They also shared what they would do because they were thankful. For example, I am thankful for nature, so I will clean up garbage; or I am thankful for my family, so I will help at home. Not that we always have to do things to show our thankfulness, but there is something to be said for living out our gratitude. I can say I am thankful for nature, but if I make a mess of it, am I really thankful for it? What a great reminder! I am thankful for so much in my life, but what does being thankful for those things spur me on to do or be? What are you thankful for during this season of Thanksgiving?
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Little moments
I woke up early, thanks to the baby for an early morning wake up call, but it was all good because I was planning to go in to work for a meeting with my colleagues. A little bit later, my 2 year old also woke up, so I changed him, and set him to watch tv. I got myself ready for the day, and then my other 2 kids were up as well. My daughter was the only one going to school today, so the eldest boy and I walked her down the driveway to the bus. Behold, a beautiful little moment, the sunrise (yes, my kids get on the bus really early, but I don't mind!). The clouds were pink and purplish on the bottom, absolutely amazing. I love nature! God really has some amazing handiwork! It was incredible how the sky was painted, and my kids were wowed by it too.
I returned to the house, and a little while later my mom arrived to watch my three boys so I could go in to work for the morning. Behold, a wonderful little moment, being able to leave them with her, all three of them. I know not everyone has this option, and I'm so thankful my mom was willing to come over and help me out this way. (Later on, another beautiful moment, coming home to clean windows. Okay, so I asked her to clean them, but she has more energy than I have on a good day, and I knew she'd end up doing something. Also, my son, who apparently has some similar characteristics to my mom, had vacuumed the whole house twice in the last few days, so that was off the list already.)
I got in the van without a diaper bag (a great little moment, love my kids, but it was nice to have some time away this morning), and headed off down the road. I then did what I'm sure many others do with no kids in the vehicle, turned up the radio! Another great little moment!
I had a great morning with my colleagues. I am blessed to work with some fabulous people, and I have 2 of the best jobs on earth, one being teaching. The other that of being a mom. I feel the push and pull between these two jobs sometimes. Thankfully, I love both, and I work with great people either way!
I came home to clean windows, pancakes for lunch, and a chat and coffee with my mom. Who can beat that? After she left, I even managed to catch a ten minute rest on the couch. Some more great little moments.
This evening, it was off to my oldest son's hockey practice. I had a few funny moments there. Watching a bunch of 5 & 6 year olds doing hockey drills, and then "playing" their first scrimmage game was pretty funny.There were lots of falls, collisions, and kids lying on the ice like turtles or starfish. It was fun to see the kids all lined up on the bench because all we could see was what looked like a row of helmets lined up on the wall. My favourite moment was hearing the coach say, "So everyone knows what to do?" Whether the kids knew what to do or not, they sure didn't look like they knew what they were doing! Nevertheless, it's pretty neat to see the determination of those little ones: falling and getting up so many times, and pushing through the whole practice. Watching the practices this last month and a bit has given me lots of respect for coaches as well! Very thankful for those wonderful people!
So those were some little moments in my day today! Thanks for reading!
Just had to add a moment of genius! ;) While I was talking on the phone this evening, my oldest son had put on the other cordless phone, and made some ruckus. He then hid the phone, but it was still on. When I went to get the phone, I couldn't use the locator beep because the phone was "in use." How was I going to find it without waking him up, and without the locator? I tried talking into the other phone, but that really didn't help because I was talking while trying to hear. Then I got it! I put the phone on beside the radio in another part of the house, and cranked up the radio. I started walking around the area I thought it was hidden, and tah-dah! I heard it, and followed the sound! Genius! Okay, not really, but I was proud of myself anyway! A little moment, right? ;)
Just had to add a moment of genius! ;) While I was talking on the phone this evening, my oldest son had put on the other cordless phone, and made some ruckus. He then hid the phone, but it was still on. When I went to get the phone, I couldn't use the locator beep because the phone was "in use." How was I going to find it without waking him up, and without the locator? I tried talking into the other phone, but that really didn't help because I was talking while trying to hear. Then I got it! I put the phone on beside the radio in another part of the house, and cranked up the radio. I started walking around the area I thought it was hidden, and tah-dah! I heard it, and followed the sound! Genius! Okay, not really, but I was proud of myself anyway! A little moment, right? ;)
Monday, October 7, 2013
TV Commercials
I love commercials that are fun, witty, and creative. I especially like when they cause me to laugh out loud, or even get me choked up a bit. Of course, there are some commercials that I sit there and think, "What on earth is this commercial for?" Then it comes on at the last second of the commercial, and I think, "Oh, didn't see that coming." Of course, there are those commercials that are so annoying, and seem to have the most airtime because you here them over and over and over. No? No? ;)
Anyway, the reason for this post is the Dulux paint commercial. The first time I saw it, I chuckled, and it makes me grin a little every time I see it. In the commercial, a woman paints the bedroom red. The man comes home, sends the dog out of the room, and closes the door. When the door opens again, you see the woman pregnant with 2 kids running around. That commercial was totally aimed at my demographic. I think it's fun and funny, and in the end, she paints the room white (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOcGzchGGDI).
There was also a great commercial that was put out by WalMart this past summer, I think, but I cannot remember the exact theme of it. I believe it was about outdoor furniture, and the women in it were talking about having wine. If you know it, remind me, because I really liked that one too, and it was also totally aimed at my demographic.
Then there are the latest Canadian Tire commercials. The lead character in those commercials is a hoot: riding a sweet "bike" with a gang of biker kids in some neighbourhood (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqKripR9iQk), doing a camping trial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIc2dGdCc0E), and "What is that, hard maple?" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4kxY6ggUTY)
Commercials, always little things!
Anyway, the reason for this post is the Dulux paint commercial. The first time I saw it, I chuckled, and it makes me grin a little every time I see it. In the commercial, a woman paints the bedroom red. The man comes home, sends the dog out of the room, and closes the door. When the door opens again, you see the woman pregnant with 2 kids running around. That commercial was totally aimed at my demographic. I think it's fun and funny, and in the end, she paints the room white (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOcGzchGGDI).
There was also a great commercial that was put out by WalMart this past summer, I think, but I cannot remember the exact theme of it. I believe it was about outdoor furniture, and the women in it were talking about having wine. If you know it, remind me, because I really liked that one too, and it was also totally aimed at my demographic.
Then there are the latest Canadian Tire commercials. The lead character in those commercials is a hoot: riding a sweet "bike" with a gang of biker kids in some neighbourhood (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqKripR9iQk), doing a camping trial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIc2dGdCc0E), and "What is that, hard maple?" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4kxY6ggUTY)
Commercials, always little things!
Little things about church
Yesterday I went to church. While church has some downfalls, and there are days when I don't feel like going, I do love church. Last night as I went to bed, I started thinking about some of the little things I like about church, and realized I had a list of those, so here they are today:
1. Singing - I love to sing, and I love most of the songs we sing at church: new praise songs, old hymns, and anything in between.
2. People - I love people. It may sound strange, but it's true. I love hearing their stories, and I love chatting with them about their experiences and about my own.
3. Coffee and snacks - Two things I really enjoy are coffee and food, so if I can have them at church too, how great is that?
4. Sunday School and Nursery Care for Kids - I love that my babies get taken care of in the nursery, and I love when my kids go out of church for Sunday School for 2 reasons: #1 There are great teachers and caregivers out there teaching them about the Bible and about our faith in God and singing songs with them, and #2 I get to sit in quiet serenity for a half hour or so, just taking it all in. :) PS This goes out as a huge thank you to the wonderful caregivers and Sunday School teachers out there. I appreciate what you do!
5. Bible teaching - I believe the Bible to be true, and it's God's instruction book to us. I once heard that we should always get something out of a message we hear at church. The times that I am not distracted at church, and that I am focused on the message, I do learn from the message. I also try to take notes during the message because I find that helps keep me really focused. Hey, I'm a teacher, and I know I make a terrible student! ;)
6. Worshiping God - It's the last thing on my list, but it's not little. It's the most important. I go to church to worship God. He has been with me every step of the way through the week, and when I go to church, he is there, and it's my chance to SING to Him, to meet more of God's PEOPLE to have coffee and snacks and conversations with them, to have my kids be at church too, to hear what the BIBLE has to say, and to WORSHIP GOD.
Blessings in the the coming week, and if you don't have a church, check out one near by to see how it is. Just a few of suggestions:
* If you know some people who go to church, ask them about their church. You can get a pretty good idea from their comments if they are positive about their church or not. Generally, positive people with positive comments have a positive church. So if a few people from the same church have great things to say about their church, go there!
* Give it more than one Sunday because just like us humans, church services can have an off-day too. If you're not sure about the one you tried, try another one because churches can have different personalities too, even when they're in the same town, or from the same denomination.
* Remember that church is where imperfect people go to meet a perfect God. If no one talks to you at any point, talk to someone. Church people are not always as friendly and outgoing as we like to think we are. :P However, many of us are willing to chat!
These are just my some of the little things I think about church! I'd love to know what little things you like about church. (PS I know churches have hurt people in different ways, and have caused people to never want to go back, but I also know that God can heal people and churches, and hopefully you can find a church, or even a small group of God's people where you can meet and experience God's grace and love.)
1. Singing - I love to sing, and I love most of the songs we sing at church: new praise songs, old hymns, and anything in between.
2. People - I love people. It may sound strange, but it's true. I love hearing their stories, and I love chatting with them about their experiences and about my own.
3. Coffee and snacks - Two things I really enjoy are coffee and food, so if I can have them at church too, how great is that?
4. Sunday School and Nursery Care for Kids - I love that my babies get taken care of in the nursery, and I love when my kids go out of church for Sunday School for 2 reasons: #1 There are great teachers and caregivers out there teaching them about the Bible and about our faith in God and singing songs with them, and #2 I get to sit in quiet serenity for a half hour or so, just taking it all in. :) PS This goes out as a huge thank you to the wonderful caregivers and Sunday School teachers out there. I appreciate what you do!
5. Bible teaching - I believe the Bible to be true, and it's God's instruction book to us. I once heard that we should always get something out of a message we hear at church. The times that I am not distracted at church, and that I am focused on the message, I do learn from the message. I also try to take notes during the message because I find that helps keep me really focused. Hey, I'm a teacher, and I know I make a terrible student! ;)
6. Worshiping God - It's the last thing on my list, but it's not little. It's the most important. I go to church to worship God. He has been with me every step of the way through the week, and when I go to church, he is there, and it's my chance to SING to Him, to meet more of God's PEOPLE to have coffee and snacks and conversations with them, to have my kids be at church too, to hear what the BIBLE has to say, and to WORSHIP GOD.
Blessings in the the coming week, and if you don't have a church, check out one near by to see how it is. Just a few of suggestions:
* If you know some people who go to church, ask them about their church. You can get a pretty good idea from their comments if they are positive about their church or not. Generally, positive people with positive comments have a positive church. So if a few people from the same church have great things to say about their church, go there!
* Give it more than one Sunday because just like us humans, church services can have an off-day too. If you're not sure about the one you tried, try another one because churches can have different personalities too, even when they're in the same town, or from the same denomination.
* Remember that church is where imperfect people go to meet a perfect God. If no one talks to you at any point, talk to someone. Church people are not always as friendly and outgoing as we like to think we are. :P However, many of us are willing to chat!
These are just my some of the little things I think about church! I'd love to know what little things you like about church. (PS I know churches have hurt people in different ways, and have caused people to never want to go back, but I also know that God can heal people and churches, and hopefully you can find a church, or even a small group of God's people where you can meet and experience God's grace and love.)
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Home organizing
So the last week has been a great week for organizing and purging in my house. Trust me, my house is generally not as neat and tidy as I would like, and having worked full time with 3 kids and been pregnant and then having a newborn meant that housework and cleaning got seriously overlooked. Anyone who has been to my house lately knows that my sunroom (main entrance to the house) has been full of stuff I needed to organize. So I finally got through it all, and it feels really good. My kids are loving it too because they can find all their things, and know where to put it back.
There was a show on tv when I was a kid where the housekeeper (I think it was a robot, maybe on the Jetson's?) got stuck in one mode, constantly repeating, "A place for everything, and everything in it's place." That has been my mantra lately, and I really want to get my house to the point where this is true. Not that it will always be clean and perfectly tidy, but I would like it to be de-cluttered and have a place for everything.
I have definitely not "arrived" in anyway, but I am feeling a like my home is more like home again. For me, this little thing feels like a big thing, and here's hoping I can keep the ball rolling to get through my office and basement in the next few weeks... ;)
Any tips and tricks and ideas for motivation are welcome!
There was a show on tv when I was a kid where the housekeeper (I think it was a robot, maybe on the Jetson's?) got stuck in one mode, constantly repeating, "A place for everything, and everything in it's place." That has been my mantra lately, and I really want to get my house to the point where this is true. Not that it will always be clean and perfectly tidy, but I would like it to be de-cluttered and have a place for everything.
I have definitely not "arrived" in anyway, but I am feeling a like my home is more like home again. For me, this little thing feels like a big thing, and here's hoping I can keep the ball rolling to get through my office and basement in the next few weeks... ;)
Any tips and tricks and ideas for motivation are welcome!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Saturday morning little things
Being a mom of little ones, and a farmer's wife means that Saturday morning wake up time still happens the same as an other day - early. :) So I'm not sure when or if I'll get that little thing back, but I realized there are lots of other great little things about my Saturday:
- Frosted Flakes for breakfast. They're grrrreat!
- Hot coffee!
- Watching my daughter's swimming lesson where she did great for her first morning!
- Watching my oldest son play hockey, getting up every time he falls! :)
- Seeing someone at hockey wearing their shorts and flipflops before they went in. Yep, I love being Canadian! It's warm outside, even for October, but cold in that arena.
- Meeting some friends at the pool, always nice!
- McDonald's quarter pounder with cheese for lunch, and a chocolate milkshake. So good!
- Baby boy attempting to roll over! And his sweet little bare baby feet.
- Fall colours!
- Middle boy hopping up and down the bleachers, laughing and grinning his grin with his great dimple, and enjoying his French fries.
- Husband deciding to take a road trip with all of us to grab some McDonald's after we all went to hockey and swimming together.
- Kids playing in their newly organized toy room.
- Looking forward to a visit with my sister this afternoon as well...
- Frosted Flakes for breakfast. They're grrrreat!
- Hot coffee!
- Watching my daughter's swimming lesson where she did great for her first morning!
- Watching my oldest son play hockey, getting up every time he falls! :)
- Seeing someone at hockey wearing their shorts and flipflops before they went in. Yep, I love being Canadian! It's warm outside, even for October, but cold in that arena.
- Meeting some friends at the pool, always nice!
- McDonald's quarter pounder with cheese for lunch, and a chocolate milkshake. So good!
- Baby boy attempting to roll over! And his sweet little bare baby feet.
- Fall colours!
- Middle boy hopping up and down the bleachers, laughing and grinning his grin with his great dimple, and enjoying his French fries.
- Husband deciding to take a road trip with all of us to grab some McDonald's after we all went to hockey and swimming together.
- Kids playing in their newly organized toy room.
- Looking forward to a visit with my sister this afternoon as well...
Friday, October 4, 2013
Frog-phobia
Being a mom of 4 small kids, and a teacher of 6-7 year olds, I try not to let it out, but I have a frog-phobia. Other people don't like snakes or spiders or mice or the dark - I can handle any of those, but I do not like frogs. I don't know what it is about them, but they just freak me out. I think it's the way they jump...
The farm we live on has lots of great topography, and some wet areas, so there are lots of frogs around. This being a fairly wet summer, we had almost plague-like amounts (at least to me, I'm sure the Egyptians were far worse off!). Walking through our yard, it was like the grass started flowing in waves as they hopped away from our feet. My kids and visiting kids thought it was great. I thought it was gross, but I tried to play it cool because I want this phobia thing to fly under the radar. Plus, I really don't want to pass my phobia on to my kids, if at all possible. However, they are starting to get the idea that mommy really doesn't like those little hoppers.
So this morning, I got up to a wet, rainy morning, and there they were, several tiny tree frogs sticking to our patio door, and the screen door. Thankfully, they were outside, and the nature lover in me does think they're cool to look at, especially through the glass. Along with that, I should mention that I do think that frogs are cool, from a distance. I love cartoon frogs too. Who can resist "The Princess and the Frog" and Kermit to name a couple greats! Plus, the word for frogs in French is "grenouille" and I think it's a great word!
So there you have it, another little thing in my life! :)
The farm we live on has lots of great topography, and some wet areas, so there are lots of frogs around. This being a fairly wet summer, we had almost plague-like amounts (at least to me, I'm sure the Egyptians were far worse off!). Walking through our yard, it was like the grass started flowing in waves as they hopped away from our feet. My kids and visiting kids thought it was great. I thought it was gross, but I tried to play it cool because I want this phobia thing to fly under the radar. Plus, I really don't want to pass my phobia on to my kids, if at all possible. However, they are starting to get the idea that mommy really doesn't like those little hoppers.
So this morning, I got up to a wet, rainy morning, and there they were, several tiny tree frogs sticking to our patio door, and the screen door. Thankfully, they were outside, and the nature lover in me does think they're cool to look at, especially through the glass. Along with that, I should mention that I do think that frogs are cool, from a distance. I love cartoon frogs too. Who can resist "The Princess and the Frog" and Kermit to name a couple greats! Plus, the word for frogs in French is "grenouille" and I think it's a great word!
So there you have it, another little thing in my life! :)
Thursday, October 3, 2013
The fallidays
So Home Depot's latest commercial talks about "The Fallidays." At first, I rolled my eyes, and thought, "How dumb! They're trying to shove holiday stuff down our throats earlier every year, what a sick ploy!" But, with some recent reflection, I do like the name. I love fall, and I love October, so yes I will celebrate the Fallidays in my own way.
For me this time of year means Thanksgiving is coming in a couple of weeks here in Canada. I love Thanksgiving and the beauty of it. A positive holiday where everyone celebrates the same thing - being thankful. It helps me reflect on what I truly am thankful for.
This time of year also means that my birthday and Halloween are coming up at the end of the month. I do enjoy celebrating my birthday, and I've always LOVED having an excuse to dress up which is one thing I love about teaching - Spirit Days! An excuse to dress up!
I love pretty much everything about fall:
- The temperature is perfect for me - not too hot and not too cold, and little to no humidity!
- I love the colours, and I love that the days are getting shorter, but not too short yet (ie. the kids are going to bed more easily because it's dark out!).
- I love the activities going on at school - Thanksgiving and fall crafts and activities are fun!
- And who can resist pumpkin flavoured anything!
So there you have it, some more of the great little things in life!
For me this time of year means Thanksgiving is coming in a couple of weeks here in Canada. I love Thanksgiving and the beauty of it. A positive holiday where everyone celebrates the same thing - being thankful. It helps me reflect on what I truly am thankful for.
This time of year also means that my birthday and Halloween are coming up at the end of the month. I do enjoy celebrating my birthday, and I've always LOVED having an excuse to dress up which is one thing I love about teaching - Spirit Days! An excuse to dress up!
I love pretty much everything about fall:
- The temperature is perfect for me - not too hot and not too cold, and little to no humidity!
- I love the colours, and I love that the days are getting shorter, but not too short yet (ie. the kids are going to bed more easily because it's dark out!).
- I love the activities going on at school - Thanksgiving and fall crafts and activities are fun!
- And who can resist pumpkin flavoured anything!
So there you have it, some more of the great little things in life!
The little things in this beautiful mess
So I've taken on a bunch of challenges this month, and thought I'd try my hand at the blogging part too. I've done a bit in the past, but it hasn't really stuck, so maybe just doing it for a month is a good goal for me. :)
I love telling stories, and as a friend who is blogging says, "everyone has a story", which I believe as well. I think mine is pretty simple, but I'm pretty content with my life. Not everything has gone the way I planned, but when I look at the big picture, I can see that God's hand has always been working in my life, and I am where he wants me to be. So my story is made up of lots of little stories. As a farmer's wife, a mom of four, a primary teacher, a sister to 4 super siblings and 7 fun in-laws, an aunt to a whole bunch of sweet nieces and nephews with more coming, a daughter of 2 wonderful sets of parents, a friend of lots of fantastic people, and a citizen of a great rural tiny town, there are lots of little things I experience that show me how great life is.
I attended my second MOPS (Mother of Pre-Schoolers) meeting last month, and the theme for the year is "A Beautiful Mess." I think it's a perfect theme, and love it. I definitely feel like my life is a beautiful mess. I had a lady say to me the other day, "I only have 2, I don't know how you do it with 4!" This was in a shoe store in an outlet mall. My response to these comments is often, "It's crazy, but it's good and I love it." Trust me, I have those days where I spaz out and I lose it. My house is more often messy than clean, and I would rather go milk cows than clean. However, I love my kids and they are amazing. My husband is wonderful and full of integrity. Being farmers is hard and rewarding. Being a teacher is the same. But I love what I do in all areas of my life.
Oh, and by the way, that is the only time I have gone to a store with all 4 kids. It may never happen again. ;) It went well, but it was very planned out. The main attraction to that place was the Lego store with a play area. Needless to say, the shoes I needed were not there, and I did not spend a dime. My kids thought it was super fun though! So there it is, one of the little things!
I love telling stories, and as a friend who is blogging says, "everyone has a story", which I believe as well. I think mine is pretty simple, but I'm pretty content with my life. Not everything has gone the way I planned, but when I look at the big picture, I can see that God's hand has always been working in my life, and I am where he wants me to be. So my story is made up of lots of little stories. As a farmer's wife, a mom of four, a primary teacher, a sister to 4 super siblings and 7 fun in-laws, an aunt to a whole bunch of sweet nieces and nephews with more coming, a daughter of 2 wonderful sets of parents, a friend of lots of fantastic people, and a citizen of a great rural tiny town, there are lots of little things I experience that show me how great life is.
I attended my second MOPS (Mother of Pre-Schoolers) meeting last month, and the theme for the year is "A Beautiful Mess." I think it's a perfect theme, and love it. I definitely feel like my life is a beautiful mess. I had a lady say to me the other day, "I only have 2, I don't know how you do it with 4!" This was in a shoe store in an outlet mall. My response to these comments is often, "It's crazy, but it's good and I love it." Trust me, I have those days where I spaz out and I lose it. My house is more often messy than clean, and I would rather go milk cows than clean. However, I love my kids and they are amazing. My husband is wonderful and full of integrity. Being farmers is hard and rewarding. Being a teacher is the same. But I love what I do in all areas of my life.
Oh, and by the way, that is the only time I have gone to a store with all 4 kids. It may never happen again. ;) It went well, but it was very planned out. The main attraction to that place was the Lego store with a play area. Needless to say, the shoes I needed were not there, and I did not spend a dime. My kids thought it was super fun though! So there it is, one of the little things!
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